From behind the curtain

by Taco User

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Romance, Original Character, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 21327

A fighter, whose heart is in the fight; a lover who fights for the heart; Donut Joe, friend to all confections and customers; and a conspiracy theorist, that struggles with life and work will be at odds with each other when their paths slowly cross.

Demon Hunter, a killer in service to the crown and prior, finds himself disappointedly with a new load of recruits for more missions. Previous failures don't phase him as much, he will continue his push for the crown and agency.
Star can't take Demon Hunter's attitude anymore so she goes out on her own plan.
Truth, a lone reporter who has seen the "truth" holding onto what he knows.

Published 2013-11-03 14:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-04 08:07:53 UTC

New Trainees

New Trainees

Inside a courtyard mostly of dry dirt with the occasional spot of grass, there stands bigger unicorn stallion, facing four normal sized stallions in Royal guard uniforms. The bigger unicorn stallion has a red coat; a black mane that looks unkept; scars that cross his body; with one nasty scar that starts above the eyebrow, skips over his golden eye and goes down to the side of his muzzle. He paces slowly back and forth in front of the soldiers who are all magically colored gray or white due to the spells embedded into the royal guard armor.
“Hello everypony! My name is Demon Hunter” A big red coated, black mane unicorn stallion proclaimed to the four Royal Guards. “You have been picked to assist me in hunting quite possibly the most dangerous game. I must warn you our prey are wily and unrelenting once exposed but regardless of the situation they must be captured alive. I don’t care if they are near death; close to death so long as they aren’t completely dead by the time we drag ‘em to our medics. Use magic, speed, maces swords, arrows, nets or whatever you have to subdue and capture these nefarious creatures. You should also already know that these missions with me are the most classified you can get. Breaking this would most certainly mean banishment… from life. We will offer free memory wipes; replacements or blocks of the highest caliber from the top ponies we have. This of course isn’t required it is recommended after you are no longer a part of our program here. You can pull out of the program at any time other than during mission and you will be guaranteed you’re job and rank back in the Guard, possibly promotion depending upon further review, so long as not disabled. If disabled you will receive half Guard pay for life, free medical and be assisted in finding some sort of employment. You also know the pay will be pay and a half, travel pay, hazard pay… needless to say you won’t have to worry about bits for a while and the recommendations that you’ll receive. This is a pretty big deal; we will take great care of you for your service. If anypony isn’t up to this, then I suggest you step out now.”
Demon Hunter waits patiently. “Everypony wants to do this?”
“SIR, Yes, Sir!”
“STOP!” Demon yells “ALL OF YOU. Drop your weapons”

Swords and lances clang to the ground.
“Take off all your armor and Royal Guard’s uniform items.” Demon Hunter says and waits patiently for all of them to get done. Once they’re all done and back standing at attention he proceeds to say, “Lastly drop your military bearing. I don’t want to hear a sir or ma’am or any military jargon or slang from here on out. You will address me as DH, Hunter, or Demon. You will act like regular ponies, but you will only answer to me or higher. I need you to blend in. Now loosen up break ranks and introduce yourself one at a time.”
“Lightning Flash”
“Thunder Strike”
“Tornado Fury”
“Blaze”
“Ok…You will go by Lightning, Thunder, Fury and Blaze respectively. Gentlecolts, I give you three days of leave to prepare. Stow your equipment; make preparations to be gone for a month’s time; pay off any bills; make sure your liens are in order; and have someone to watch your pets or house. If you need help with this see me or my assistant prior to leaving. You may take anything with you so long as it’s not Royal guard issue. Here’s something extra to celebrate or pick up some last minute supplies.” DH says as he throws a nice size bag that spills a couple bits. “Enjoy!”

//-- Demon Hunter --/

I watch as they split up the bits between each other and grab their stuff and leave. I sincerely hope these guys are better than the last group. Three dead and the other one memory replaced… not what I had expected from some of the Guards top performers. We do watch who we pick though. Abilities; service record; mental; health; physical performance and we try to get ones with few family members or at least not married. It makes the wrap up of failed missions a little easier and less stressful. Our office does compensate loss of life better than any other insurance I’ve seen around, but I believe it to be more of a hush money deal for the grieving.

Peace time is such a load of manure. There’s ponies like me running around protecting it and tilting the odds in our favor the next time a war breaks. So long as there’s resources and living things there’ll always be a war of some kind around the corner.

I really do wish I would have followed ‘em. If they’re anything like the last group, then I’d find ‘em at one of the nearest tavern having a great time, but I’d rather see how they do before even getting the slightest bit involved in their lives. My body may be riddled with scars, which feel fine, but my scars of the heart still hurt more than all of the physical wounds I’ve ever had.
“Hunter!” I snap out of bitter memories and ghosts that started to climb through my mind. “You like the new recruits?”
“It’s too early to tell anything about ‘em… I’ll go finish the paperwork for ‘em”
“Nope. I put Pencil Pusher on that. All of you are now on leave, and you know what that means?” she said with her voice getting excited at the end.
“No”
“You don’t remember?” her voice and face being stunned.
“Nooo…” I trail off trying to think what she was getting at.
“You promised over a month ago on your next day off we’d hang out.” she replied as a smile appeared on her face.
“But…I…you wouldn’t…HURK”, I stuttered, barely getting out the last sound as her magic grabbed me and started dragging me.
“We’ll go shopping; visit the gardens; stop by the zoo; get a bite at the new restaurant, I’ve heard so much about; watch the kites…”, she continues going on and on listing pretty much everything that one could possibly every do.
“What about your work, Star?”
“Oh, I got everything done early. Plus why shouldn’t the boss get to play hooky for one day? I never seem to need my sick days. If they really need me for something, they should be able to find me.”
“Fraternization?”
“What? ... You think this is a date? Come on Hunter you know me better than that. This is just two friends enjoying a day together; catching up and enjoying company. If you consider it work related then, this is just your boss showing her appreciation for the awesome job you’ve been doing. Now quit trying to get out of this, loosen up and enjoy yourself.”
“Fine…but could at least let me trot myself”
“Ooops”, she says, looking back at me and the long lines of dug up soil and grass. “I guess I just forgot about that!” She lets out a short giggle and releases her magic from me. “Last one to the gardens is a rotten egg!” she yells back to me breaking into a full gallop.
“Cheater”, I yell trying to make up the lost distance.

She keeps her speed up able to rip the turns better than me. Every now and then looking back to check that she is holding me off, with that unfair advantage she had at the beginning. As she nears the entrance, she looks back again and sticks her tongue out at me. She turns her head back forward and as she is about to enter the garden she slams into me.
“Ooof… HUNTER, you cheater!”
“It takes one to know one, you rotten egg.” I stick my tongue out at her.

She pushes me and laughs calling me a jerk and a dork. We walk around the garden enjoying the sun; breeze and the view. Not everypony can go through the royal gardens almost whenever they want, just one of the perks of our job. Hay, I bet Star could walk into Celestia’s bathroom, while Ceslestia showered, and relieve herself on the royal throne, without fear of losing her job. I chuckled at that thought. I know Star to be spontaneous; brash, and a jokester, but even that would be a little too far for her. Then again she always does surprise me, so I can’t put it past her.

//-- Star --/
‘That jerk… he’ll pay for that move…and I think I know just how’ I thought to myself as we trot out of the garden together. I could go for some lipstick…ooo… and horn polish… I’m all set on hoof polish…but I guess I could always pick up another bottle. They don’t go bad. Unless some pony enchants it… Oh that sucked, but I got that pony back… yes I did… oh yeah current revenge.
“Now for shopping!” I say as I stop in my tracks.
I focus on my right eye. Casting the spell on it, I feel the nausea that comes with the spell. With the left eye I see hunter looking at me, his face losing its sternness.
“Oh come on Star don’t … we can trot there in less than an hour”
“Stand still”
“Starr!” he starts to move away.

We’re instantly flashed to a building top in the shopping district. I drop the spells and catch Hunter in midair. He quickly flashes to the ground. I flash next to him.
“I told you to stand still Hunter.”
“You know I hate that long distance teleportation spell.”
“Quit acting like a foal, I thought you’re older and tougher than me.”
“I am, but that’s beside the point. I only moved a couple of hooves away from you. That ledge was at least ten hooves away. If I didn’t know better, you were planning on dropping me.”
“Ooooo… look at that… come on let’s go in” I say as I bolt inside.
“HEY! You were, weren’t you?” yells Hunter as he follows.

I try on a hat and look in the mirror and ask for his opinion. Hunter doesn’t make any real response. I keep trying on different Hats. I don’t know which one to get. They all look good but I just don’t know if I can pick just one. Each time I ask he doesn’t seem into responding. He is sooo up tight sometimes. If he keeps this up it won’t be fun for either of us.
“Come on Hunter…” I whine. “Which one is the best? …”

‘So he’s going to be stubborn.’ I thought. Enveloping all of the hats in the store with my aura, I turn to him and say, “Well if you’re not going to help with picking out one. Then at least you could model them for me.”

I swap places with him using teleportation, so he’s in front of the mirrors. He darted his head around looking at the armada of hats covered with ribbons flowers and whatnots all really cute, in their own way.
“The tan one with the blue magenta ribbon” he yells ducking and covering his head with his hooves.
“You’re not just saying one randomly”
“No! The green ribbon one didn’t go well, the blue ribbon clashed; flowers on a hat , at least gaudy ones you had tried, don’t suit you; red was almost good; and the white material hats blended in too much with your coat.”

I didn’t even think he was even looking. I was shocked just by that much, but the fact he had and put thought into the choice, I almost speechless.
“Call off the hats… please.” Hunter said.
“I always figured you had an eye for these things.” I said with a grin.
I placed all the hats back from once them came without even showing an attention to them. An onlooker may very well have thought they were alive. Not all unicorns are good or even decent at magic. Hay, most of them struggle with using magic for everyday tasks, though they try to not show signs of it. I can see all too well through their rouse.
“Come on. Buy it and let’s go.”
“You’re right! With your help you could help me find a Gala dress”
“No.no.no.no.no.”
“…” I trot over and pay the mare.

//-- Hunter --/
“No.no.no.no.no.”

Star doesn’t respond she just pays for that blasted hat and puts it on. She’s obviously mulling something over in her head. Never a good sign with her.
“Come on Hunter let’s go.”
“There’s no way I’m going dress shopping with you”
“I’ll spar you. You win we do whatever you want. I win then it is dress shopping!” Star says under her breath.
“What?”
“Hmm. I really didn’t think you were a coward or maybe you’re still hurting from that whooping I gave you almost a year ago.”
“You know I’ve improved allot and that I’ve been running around working my tail off outside the office, going into combat. While you, just meander around an office, most of the time sitting behind a desk.”
“Improved… phhttt… maybe your ego. Come on… 15 seconds any magic; one point per hit; win by points, forced submission or knockout” Star says.
Her pupils went white; her iris thinned out becoming brighter and the area around the outside of her eyes started to glow a pink. Her eyes do this for only the really powerful magic. I had no idea what she was planning to do. I’m boned either way.
“Bring it”
Flash. We appear in some desert area with nothing around for miles.
“Really … again? ... You know I hate that.” I say shaking my head.
I flare up my magic. My eyes probably look just like hers now just different colors. An aura appears around her horn, casting some spell. I wait for it, figuring that she wouldn’t go so low to start the fight without warning. With a small spark briefly appearing at the tip, I blink. I look in front of my eyes and see a display, with “Hits Hunter: 0”, “Hits Star: 0” on the left and a timer on the right. I’m glad she didn’t cast it into my eyes, brain or any nerve; I don’t trust anypony but myself meddling with those. The display was just hung there in front of my face. I could also barely see one in front of her.
“ready?” Star asks

I nod. A three second count down appears in the middle of the display. Her eyes turn normal… ‘What is she trying to pull? Dropping her power right before a fight… is she trying to get me into some sort of trap… nah not her style…she must be… SHE must be saying I’m not worth her true power!!’ I quickly thought. The skin pushes up a couple of centihooves from my horn. The skin gives way as a black horn slices through the skin. I forced all the power I could muster into both horns. I’m going to goal out if nothing just to get her to dignify this fight with her true power. ‘1’turns to ‘Go’

‘Star Wins’ flashed before my eyes a while before it switches over to ‘Continue? 10... 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3... 2… 1… Thanks for playing.’ Blip! The displays magic disappears.
“Ugh… I think you broke my magic” I barely get out.
“Nope that’s all you… burning up all of that so quickly shifting spells… and that one were you made ten copies of yourself…very impressive... it was too bad they were pretty mindless magicless drones though, had they been you I may have not stood a chance.” Star says.

She gets those powerful eyes again and trots up beside me. I feel her magic pour over me, all the cuts and becoming scars and disappearing. Disappearing?!
“Star! Stop that!” I yell startling her out of the heal spell.
“Fixing you?”
“No. You’re making all my scars vanish.” I look over my body almost all of them gone. The few that remained look like they may have just been a really bad paper cut from a few days ago.
“Don’t worry. Knowing you, you’ll get more”
“I didn’t want them to begin with, but since I got them I had something to remember each of those times.”
“What not enough space in your head to keep the memories?”
“You know what I mean! They each had their own story.”
“Well now I got a better story I beat you up. Again, then healed you and made you look more handsome.”

I was about to go on more complaining about the matter. She caught me off guard with that last remark.
“Maybe next time you should fight for a cause… Mine was dress shopping!” Star giggles
“Why didn’t you just kill me in battle? End my suffering.” I moan.*
“Now. Now. Don’t be a sore loser. We had an agreement.”

I brace myself for the teleportation spell. I got a sense for when she’s about to do it. Flash. We go to her dress shop. I behave myself and play along with her antics. Even though I was just halfheartedly playing along with her, it started to feel more sincere and natural as time went on. Her bubbly happy attitude is rubbing off on me… a little. I always wondered why she seemed bipolar. Jubilant one second scary as Tartarus the next and back to giggling… she might seem like a crazy wreck to somepony that doesn’t know her, but I guess she just knows what each situation calls for and can just switch to whatever would be best for it.

Star stops in front of a Stallions’ Warehouse, and looks over at me. After some arguing, I’m now somehow in a pretty nice suit. I try to talk her out of it… I’ve never been one to dress up. She is right it looks great, but it barely looks like me. I look at the three mirrors. I can’t believe it! She…did remove all the scars. I had a few on my muzzle and one big nasty one on my right eye that stretched for one hoof.
“This doesn’t look right at all, Star. A suit and all my scars are gone.” I frown
“Well what kind of pony do you think I’d want to be seen around?” she asks.

She casts a spell and I turn back to the mirrors to see that the middle one is the same; the right is how I looked at the beginning of the day looking off to the side with a frown; and the left one is me in full battle armor, scars in their former glory, some were even still open wounds, and a crazed blood thirsty look on my face. Of course, I point to the one on the left and turn back to her with a huge grin on my face. The Store clerk passed by and freaked out at the sight, dropping whatever he was holding. We both laugh at the sight and she drops the spell.

The attitudes and looks I got were also new and made me uneasy. Usually most ponies go out of their way to avoid eye contact with me much less converse with me. Now it was completely opposite. Ponies would look at me complement me and when we ate lunch I swear we got better service then I normally get.
“Damn it Star I don’t feel right like this.”
“What’s wrong Hunter? “
“Well I look like this” Hunter motions to himself.
“You look great.”
“I’m not used to going around like this. I’m not some fancy pony that goes around to balls, cocktail parties and whatever else those ponies do. I’m a fighter. A damn good one too. I should be in a suit of armor not some Armoney suit.”
“I think I know what it is. Mr. Big Tough Stallion can’t handle looking too good. He’d rather just push every pony away because deep down he’s afraid of other ponies.” Star says jokingly and sticks her tongue out.
“Phhtt. You wish. I can have class when I need to.”
“Yeah, turns out that’s never. Am I right?”

I roll my eyes. It seems like she’ll best me verbally just as she had psychically, if I continue.
“Yeah sure. Where are we headed next?”
“Oh we’re behind schedule so you choose: watch kites; go to zoo; go for more shopping; amusement park; theater in the park; watch”
I cut her off “No more shopping. Let’s go to the park and get snow cones.”
“That’s great! I forgot all about those great snow cones at the park.” She says excitedly.

We had a great time at the park. The snow cones were pretty good. Star made some comment about me being impatient or something to that extent since. Most of the syrup went to bottom and I ripped the tip of the cone off and siphoned the entire flavor out from there. We just talked and watched other ponies play. It was a great day out just to pony watch. I actually choose this activity because I was too worn out to do whatever she had going on in her mind. I of choose chose not to signs of this but I’m sure she can see through me. All too soon the sun started to set and she wanted to go.

Of course she had to drag me to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. I tried to get her to go to something less so garish but she wouldn’t have any it, she was dead set on going to Le’ Falmme Orang’e. The outside was solid white stones with just enough windows that outsiders could see the highly ornate interior artaciture and chandeliers. Upon entering I was stunned by how little the sight through the windows did justice to portray the extravagance of the venue. The ceilings were up high with realistic painting in the middle. The main chandelier was exquisitely crafted with probably thousands of gems. The curtains on the windows were probably imported with red and gold that weaved about and golden edging and tassels. There was a statue and a fountain in the middle. I looked at all the ponies around the place, they most have been all dressed or at least wearing something elegant to display their status being. Hay, just them being here was enough show of status to me. I don’t know how long I looked around, but I swore I’d probably never see anything quite as fancy as the sight before me.
“I say are you just going to stand there with mouth asunder or do you perchance wish to dine?”
I heard with the most rich and elegant accent. I turn to its source. My mouth had not been dropped but it did at that split second. There stood Star in the fancy dress she had bought before, her mane was freshly done with strands flowing and slightly twirling that glistened. Her makeup was done perfectly to accentuate her features yet not too much to draw attention away from her lips and eyes. Her looks screamed royalty.
“How… when?... You look great.” I said. ‘Compliments first questions later’
“I owe it all to a stylish stallion with a keen eye for a great dress.”
“Well even without it you look”
“Watch your tongue here ponies will think” Star said softly cutting me off.
“oh that we’re going out.” I whisper back getting close to her ear.
She whispered into my ear “No. Just that you’re rude or lewd. Be on your best behavior.”
Then she kissed me on the cheek. Nothing big just a peck and turned around as if it was nothing. Gah. What is she trying to do? Is this really just hanging out? Is this a game or a test? Or is she just trying to get me to make a move… nudging here and there… not wanting to make the move, but attempting to make me make it? I honestly can’t remember the last time I blushed but this I definitely won’t forget. At least my blush wouldn’t show up with my coat, I think she had enough victories against me today.
The meals are always outrageously expensive at places like that. I used to scoff at the idea of the fancy restaurants, paying four to fifteen times more what you’d spend at a normal restaurant. Now I think I know the appeal, because with a special somepony and the elegance and extravagance of the place it adds a special kind of magic to the memory. The multiple short course the light dinner conversation the jokes the way she looked. Wait I didn’t mean special somepony like that way… I mean she’s just a special pony to me… we’re not together.
After the dinner we wound up at a bench and looked into the night sky above. The day had been pretty fun even though it wasn’t at all what I had been expecting to do, but it turned out better this way. Even with getting my flank hooved to me. Just how had she done that without her higher power?
“Hey Star.”
“Hmm?” She turns and looks me in the eye.
“How did you best me today?”
“Do you want to see how?”
“Sure.”

Star’s eyes start doing the freaky thing where the pupil turned bright white and just barely any of her irises was showing. The edges glowed even brighter than before, but that might just have looked that way since it was so dark out, giving it even more contrast. She took off her dress and draped it over the back of the bench. Zap. Flash. I shield my eyes momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness of the area where we were. Once adjusted, it looked like it was daytime and about the same area where we fought earlier. I see her flash off about one hundred hooves away and point in a far off direction.
“What the hay?”
***************

With my mouth still agape, Star flashed next to me and started giggling.
“I knew something was off about that fight, I just couldn’t place my hoof on it!”
“What I beat you fair and square twice. I mean once. Wait no I fought twice but it was only one fight.”
“Fair? There was two of you!”
“Sure but I said any magic goes. Time spell magic counts and it was only you versus me.”
“Are you sure you should be messing with time travel spells?”
“Well I realized that future me did it, so I had to do it or it wouldn’t have happened.”
“Hmm… Did future you … I mean present you remember that time spell is class four tack bravo controlled spell that requires investigation and documentation forms filled out?”
“… you just got to ruin my fun don’t you? You win this round.”
“Victory in the end! Well I was going to ask you what you were going to being tomorrow but those papers should keep you busy for most the day.”
“…”
“If you want I’ll vouch that it was just training for me.”

Star jumped and hugged me tightly at that.
“Thank you soooo much Hunter! Of course you’ll need to stop by tomorrow to do that. Oh come at lunch we’ll eat at the café and I’ll have the forums written out for your statement, so all you have to do is sign it.”

Flash. Zap. We reappeared at the bench and she put her dress back on. We trot away and I look p at the sky enjoying the sight. It was a weird day in all: hanging out and shopping with my boss; Getting beat up by her; losing my scars (I sigh at the thought of that one); picking out clothes ; having a nice lunch and dinner (I don’t know if I’d every go to a fancy one on my own accord though); and watching a her fight me again.

Author's Note

where *************** is i was going to add more but

Stars a shopping

//-- Star --/
‘That jerk… he’ll pay for that move…and I think I know just how’ I thought to myself as we trot out of the garden together. I could go for some lipstick…ooo… and horn polish… I’m all set on hoof polish…but I guess I could always pick up another bottle. They don’t go bad. Unless some pony enchants it… Oh that sucked, but I got that pony back… yes I did… oh yeah current revenge.
“Now for shopping!” I say as I stop in my tracks.
I focus on my right eye. Casting the spell on it, I feel the nausea that comes with the spell. With the left eye I see hunter looking at me, his face losing its sternness.
“Oh come on Star don’t … we can trot there in less than an hour”
“Stand still”
“Starr!” he starts to move away.

We’re instantly flashed to a building top in the shopping district. I drop the spells and catch Hunter in midair. He quickly flashes to the ground. I flash next to him.
“I told you to stand still Hunter.”
“You know I hate that long distance teleportation spell.”
“Quit acting like a foal, I thought you’re older and tougher than me.”
“I am, but that’s beside the point. I only moved a couple of hooves away from you. That ledge was at least ten hooves away. If I didn’t know better, you were planning on dropping me.”
“Ooooo… look at that… come on let’s go in” I say as I bolt inside.
“HEY! You were, weren’t you?” yells Hunter as he follows.

I try on a hat and look in the mirror and ask for his opinion. Hunter doesn’t make any real response. I keep trying on different Hats. I don’t know which one to get. They all look good but I just don’t know if I can pick just one. Each time I ask he doesn’t seem into responding. He is sooo up tight sometimes. If he keeps this up it won’t be fun for either of us.
“Come on Hunter…” I whine. “Which one is the best? …”

‘So he’s going to be stubborn.’ I thought. Enveloping all of the hats in the store with my aura, I turn to him and say, “Well if you’re not going to help with picking out one. Then at least you could model them for me.”

I swap places with him using teleportation, so he’s in front of the mirrors. He darted his head around looking at the armada of hats covered with ribbons flowers and whatnots all really cute, in their own way.
“The tan one with the blue magenta ribbon” he yells ducking and covering his head with his hooves.
“You’re not just saying one randomly”
“No! The green ribbon one didn’t go well, the blue ribbon clashed; flowers on a hat , at least gaudy ones you had tried, don’t suit you; red was almost good; and the white material hats blended in too much with your coat.”

I didn’t even think he was even looking. I was shocked just by that much, but the fact he had and put thought into the choice, I almost speechless.
“Call off the hats… please.” Hunter said.
“I always figured you had an eye for these things.” I said with a grin.
I placed all the hats back from once them came without even showing an attention to them. An onlooker may very well have thought they were alive. Not all unicorns are good or even decent at magic. Hay, most of them struggle with using magic for everyday tasks, though they try to not show signs of it. I can see all too well through their rouse.
“Come on. Buy it and let’s go.”
“You’re right! With your help you could help me find a Gala dress”
“No.no.no.no.no.”
“…” I trot over and pay the mare.

//-- Hunter --/
“No.no.no.no.no.”

Star doesn’t respond she just pays for that blasted hat and puts it on. She’s obviously mulling something over in her head. Never a good sign with her.
“Come on Hunter let’s go.”
“There’s no way I’m going dress shopping with you”
“I’ll spar you. You win we do whatever you want. I win then it is dress shopping!” Star says under her breath.
“What?”
“Hmm. I really didn’t think you were a coward or maybe you’re still hurting from that whooping I gave you almost a year ago.”
“You know I’ve improved allot and that I’ve been running around working my tail off outside the office, going into combat. While you, just meander around an office, most of the time sitting behind a desk.”
“Improved… phhttt… maybe your ego. Come on… 15 seconds any magic; one point per hit; win by points, forced submission or knockout” Star says.
Her pupils went white; her iris thinned out becoming brighter and the area around the outside of her eyes started to glow a pink. Her eyes do this for only the really powerful magic. I had no idea what she was planning to do. I’m boned either way.
“Bring it”
Flash. We appear in some desert area with nothing around for miles.
“Really … again? ... You know I hate that.” I say shaking my head.
I flare up my magic. My eyes probably look just like hers now just different colors. An aura appears around her horn, casting some spell. I wait for it, figuring that she wouldn’t go so low to start the fight without warning. With a small spark briefly appearing at the tip, I blink. I look in front of my eyes and see a display, with “Hits Hunter: 0”, “Hits Star: 0” on the left and a timer on the right. I’m glad she didn’t cast it into my eyes, brain or any nerve; I don’t trust anypony but myself meddling with those. The display was just hung there in front of my face. I could also barely see one in front of her.
“ready?” Star asks

I nod. A three second count down appears in the middle of the display. Her eyes turn normal… ‘What is she trying to pull? Dropping her power right before a fight… is she trying to get me into some sort of trap… nah not her style…she must be… SHE must be saying I’m not worth her true power!!’ I quickly thought. The skin pushes up a couple of centihooves from my horn. The skin gives way as a black horn slices through the skin. I forced all the power I could muster into both horns. I’m going to goal out if nothing just to get her to dignify this fight with her true power. ‘1’turns to ‘Go’

‘Star Wins’ flashed before my eyes a while before it switches over to ‘Continue? 10... 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3... 2… 1… Thanks for playing.’ Blip! The displays magic disappears.
“Ugh… I think you broke my magic” I barely get out.
“Nope that’s all you… burning up all of that so quickly shifting spells… and that one were you made ten copies of yourself…very impressive... it was too bad they were pretty mindless magicless drones though, had they been you I may have not stood a chance.” Star says.

She gets those powerful eyes again and trots up beside me. I feel her magic pour over me, all the cuts and becoming scars and disappearing. Disappearing?!
“Star! Stop that!” I yell startling her out of the heal spell.
“Fixing you?”
“No. You’re making all my scars vanish.” I look over my body almost all of them gone. The few that remained look like they may have just been a really bad paper cut from a few days ago.
“Don’t worry. Knowing you, you’ll get more”
“I didn’t want them to begin with, but since I got them I had something to remember each of those times.”
“What not enough space in your head to keep the memories?”
“You know what I mean! They each had their own story.”
“Well now I got a better story I beat you up. Again, then healed you and made you look more handsome.”

I was about to go on more complaining about the matter. She caught me off guard with that last remark.
“Maybe next time you should fight for a cause… Mine was dress shopping!” Star giggles
“Why didn’t you just kill me in battle? End my suffering.” I moan.*
“Now. Now. Don’t be a sore loser. We had an agreement.”

I brace myself for the teleportation spell. I got a sense for when she’s about to do it. Flash. We go to her dress shop. I behave myself and play along with her antics. Even though I was just halfheartedly playing along with her, it started to feel more sincere and natural as time went on. Her bubbly happy attitude is rubbing off on me… a little. I always wondered why she seemed bipolar. Jubilant one second scary as Tartarus the next and back to giggling… she might seem like a crazy wreck to somepony that doesn’t know her, but I guess she just knows what each situation calls for and can just switch to whatever would be best for it.

Star stops in front of a Stallions’ Warehouse, and looks over at me. After some arguing, I’m now somehow in a pretty nice suit. I try to talk her out of it… I’ve never been one to dress up. She is right it looks great, but it barely looks like me. I look at the three mirrors. I can’t believe it! She…did remove all the scars. I had a few on my muzzle and one big nasty one on my right eye that stretched for one hoof.
“This doesn’t look right at all, Star. A suit and all my scars are gone.” I frown
“Well what kind of pony do you think I’d want to be seen around?” she asks.
She casts a spell and I turn back to the mirrors to see that the middle one is the same; the right is how I looked at the beginning of the day looking off to the side with a frown; and the left one is me in full battle armor, scars in their former glory, some were even still open wounds, and a crazed blood thirsty look on my face. Of course, I point to the one on the left and turn back to her with a huge grin on my face. The Store clerk passed by and freaked out at the sight, dropping whatever he was holding. We both laugh at the sight and she drops the spell.
The attitudes and looks I got were also new and made me uneasy. Usually most ponies go out of their way to avoid eye contact with me much less converse with me. Now it was completely opposite. Ponies would look at me complement me and when we ate lunch I swear we got better service then I normally get.
“Damn it Star I don’t feel right like this.”
“What’s wrong Hunter? “
“Well I look like this” Hunter motions to himself.
“You look great.”
“I’m not used to going around like this. I’m not some fancy pony that goes around to balls, cocktail parties and whatever else those ponies do. I’m a fighter. A damn good one too. I should be in a suit of armor not some Armoney suit.”
“I think I know what it is. Mr. Big Tough Stallion can’t handle looking too good. He’d rather just push every pony away because deep down he’s afraid of other ponies.” Star says jokingly and sticks her tongue out.
“Phhtt. You wish. I can have class when I need to.”
“Yeah, turns out that’s never. Am I right?”

I roll my eyes. It seems like she’ll best me verbally just as she had psychically, if I continue.
“Yeah sure. Where are we headed next?”
“Oh we’re behind schedule so you choose: watch kites; go to zoo; go for more shopping; amusement park; theater in the park; watch”
I cut her off “No more shopping. Let’s go to the park and get snow cones.”
“That’s great! I forgot all about those great snow cones at the park.” She says excitedly.

We had a great time at the park. The snow cones were pretty good. Star made some comment about me being impatient or something to that extent since. Most of the syrup went to bottom and I ripped the tip of the cone off and siphoned the entire flavor out from there. We just talked and watched other ponies play. It was a great day out just to pony watch. I actually choose this activity because I was too worn out to do whatever she had going on in her mind. I of choose chose not to signs of this but I’m sure she can see through me. All too soon the sun started to set and she wanted to go.

Of course she had to drag me to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. I tried to get her to go to something less so garish but she wouldn’t have any it, she was dead set on going to Le’ Falmme Orang’e. The outside was solid white stones with just enough windows that outsiders could see the highly ornate interior artaciture and chandeliers. Upon entering I was stunned by how little the sight through the windows did justice to portray the extravagance of the venue. The ceilings were up high with realistic painting in the middle. The main chandelier was exquisitely crafted with probably thousands of gems. The curtains on the windows were probably imported with red and gold that weaved about and golden edging and tassels. There was a statue and a fountain in the middle. I looked at all the ponies around the place, they most have been all dressed or at least wearing something elegant to display their status being. Hay, just them being here was enough show of status to me. I don’t know how long I looked around, but I swore I’d probably never see anything quite as fancy as the sight before me.
“I say are you just going to stand there with mouth asunder or do you perchance wish to dine?”
I heard with the most rich and elegant accent. I turn to its source. My mouth had not been dropped but it did at that split second. There stood Star in the fancy dress she had bought before, her mane was freshly done with strands flowing and slightly twirling that glistened. Her makeup was done perfectly to accentuate her features yet not too much to draw attention away from her lips and eyes. Her looks screamed royalty.
“How… when?... You look great.” I said. ‘Compliments first questions later’
“I owe it all to a stylish stallion with a keen eye for a great dress.”
“Well even without it you look”
“Watch your tongue here ponies will think” Star said softly cutting me off.
“oh that we’re going out.” I whisper back getting close to her ear.
She whispered into my ear “No. Just that you’re rude or lewd. Be on your best behavior.”
Then she kissed me on the cheek. Nothing big just a peck and turned around as if it was nothing. Gah. What is she trying to do? Is this really just hanging out? Is this a game or a test? Or is she just trying to get me to make a move… nudging here and there… not wanting to make the move, but attempting to make me make it? I honestly can’t remember the last time I blushed but this I definitely won’t forget. At least my blush wouldn’t show up with my coat, I think she had enough victories against me today.
The meals are always outrageously expensive at places like that. I used to scoff at the idea of the fancy restaurants, paying four to fifteen times more what you’d spend at a normal restaurant. Now I think I know the appeal, because with a special somepony and the elegance and extravagance of the place it adds a special kind of magic to the memory. The multiple short course the light dinner conversation the jokes the way she looked. Wait I didn’t mean special somepony like that way… I mean she’s just a special pony to me… we’re not together.
After the dinner we wound up at a bench and looked into the night sky above. The day had been pretty fun even though it wasn’t at all what I had been expecting to do, but it turned out better this way. Even with getting my flank hooved to me. Just how had she done that without her higher power?
“Hey Star.”
“Hmm?” She turns and looks me in the eye.
“How did you best me today?”
“Do you want to see how?”
“Sure.”

Star’s eyes start doing the freaky thing where the pupil turned bright white and just barely any of her irises was showing. The edges glowed even brighter than before, but that might just have looked that way since it was so dark out, giving it even more contrast. She took off her dress and draped it over the back of the bench. Zap. Flash. I shield my eyes momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness of the area where we were. Once adjusted, it looked like it was daytime and about the same area where we fought earlier. I see her flash off about one hundred hooves away and point in a far off direction.
“What the hay?”

Shimmering day

I jolt awake, adrenaline pulsing through my veins and sweating profusely. I’ve had nightmares ever since I could remember. It doesn’t seem to faze me much, but I still wish I could remember what the nightmares were when I would wake up.
Glancing to the window it’s obvious that Celstia still has quite some time before her daily duty. The only bright side to my nightmares is that I never oversleep. Groan and my joints crack mildly as I walk over to the window looking out into the dark sky littered with stars supposedly painstakingly placed by Luna and other ancient leaders that have long passed.
I open the window with my magic and sit down on the floor propping myself on the windowsill and just continue to look outside. Letting out a sigh I relax as the cool night breeze gently caresses my body. I truly did love the night compared to the day. It’s too bad that Princess went crazy; I don’t see how she couldn’t find anypony back then that appreciated the night. Quiet, cool, relaxing it’s serenity at its finest in my opinion. Although I’m not really sure if I buy the whole story about her going crazy and being imprisoned by her sister. It very well could have been some sort of coup for complete control of the kingdom.
I trot over to my desk and accidently drop a box that my parents had given me. They had been cleaning up or reorganizing their house and found some old papers, trinkets and family photos. I guess they were tired of holding onto them or perhaps wanted me to enjoy them. Whatever the case was, I had yet to inventory them and it was spilled in front of my desk. I made quick work to get it back into the container. I picked up one of the earlier looking papers and held it under a light.
‘My name is Shimmering Truth. I am 6 years old. I like trains, boats and balloons. I want my cutie mark to be a train. When I grow up, I want to be a train conductor.’
I chuckle to myself reading over the paper. It’s so innocent, simple and yet had a future unfulfilled dream, along with messy writing and crude drawings. I look at the drawing that’s some sort of train with smoke coming out the top and flames following it. The drawing was messy but pretty awesome for 6 year old me. Although a little too flashy to be a good cutie mark. I’d hate to go back and disappoint this kid, by showing him my cutie mark, a white spark with a irredensce “T” in front. Also that I work at a newspaper office getting low level assignments and modestly getting by. I’m not living paycheck to paycheck, I think I get anywhere of five to twenty percent more than my living expenses. A lot of it depends upon how much of my material gets put in the paper.
I may as well get ready for another day. I throw all the papers into a box and push it off to the side. Walking into the bathroom, in the mirror I can see my matted mane and the little bit of sweat that had yet to evaporate, eyes a little bit red on the outside and slight bags underneath, which should disappear before getting to the office. I step into the tub and turn the shower on proceeding to cleanse myself. I let the warmth envelop me and the stress be relived. I’m not too fond of taking two showers a day but I don’t care for the idea of the grim of the day, ending up on my sheets or showing up at work looking disheveled.
Going through the rest of my morning routine of making breakfast, slightly organizing my room, brushing my mane and teeth, I thank my lucky stars I came out a unicorn. Most of my daily activities have just become so ingrained into me that’ I’d hate to think of a life without my magic. I reach cupboards that I would otherwise need a stool for; I can grab extremely hot or cold things without its temperature hurting my hoof. Although I tend to forget the temperature until I go to take a bite of a very hot English muffin. Those poor Pegasus and earth ponies, don’t know what they’re missing out on. Sure the Pegasus have flight, weather powers and cheap housing, by building homes out of clouds. Earth ponies have… strength or earth powers… maybe. Well it’s no comparison to magic. It did take allot of schooling and training just to learn the basics, but it’s completely worth it to do everyday tasks. Especially working for the newspaper I get to write faster and cleaner than nonunicorn coworkers.
Don’t think I hate one the other races, just because of all that. The few times that I’ve been sick to where my magic is unusable, I was almost as helpless as a newborn foal. So I do have allot of respect for the earth ponies, I doubt I could take on a mare earth pony without my magic. I never have been one to fight anyways. Magic is just so much a part of life for me.
“Jeez,” I sigh. I let myself get caught up in my wandering thoughts.
Knowing I have ample time to get to work and then some. I pack my bags with, note pads, bits, my personal notebook and some work I took home. I levitate it on my back and head out of my abode onto the streets of Canterlot. After a brief walk I walk into Doughnut Joe’s place. I know that I ate breakfast, but it was a very light healthy one with enough room left for this special daily treat of mine. I’m the first one here like most days. Joe already has my order up and ready.
“Mornin’ ST” he yells.
“Yeah, good morning”
“It looks like the princess and pegasus have a nice day planned for us.”
“nice” I say flatly.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Nah”
“You’ve been coming here for months, same time day in day out. Hay, I could probably set my clock to ya coming here. I notice you always seem a bit of in thought or down in the dumps.”
We never really talked that much here, but that was sort of how I had preferred it. Now it seemed like he was some sort of bartender therapist pony. It threw me off a little.
“ok…” I thought about the best way to say this without coming off weird, “do you ever think about how everything is or how it came to be?”
“What? Like life?”
“I mean for instance how is it that everypony gets a name and somehow their cutie mark is somehow related to their name or job?”
“…” He seems to think it over, “There are a few I met that their mark had not much to do with nothing, such as Dining Fork, Turkish delight, Hotdog Steve… There’s more I’d just have to think about it”
“Okay, but for the majority of the ponies. Is it some sort of magic, which makes the parents choose the name? Could it just be that most ponies embrace their name and it becomes their talent, then their mark? If so, whoever or whatever names them are they deciding that pony’s future? In effect, manipulating that pony’s destiny.”
Joe junior just looked at me for a while, with no real facial expression. Humiliation started to seep into me. ‘Shoot, I went too far… Stupid… I didn’t have that idea well prepared, I sounded like a fool’ I thought. I’ve briefly talked about stuff like this with other ponies only to be ostsericshed and laughed at or thought to be some sort of loon. A smile starts to curl on his face.
He just laughs. ‘oh hay, why didn’t I just do small talk like normal’ I thought, ‘don’t think I want to come back here ever’
Joe replies, interrupting my inner dialogue “well I never really thought about it like that. It’s sort of interesting. I guess my whole family is doomed to making doughnuts. Hmmm. Too bad my dad didn’t name me ‘Wealthy Pants’, ‘Rich Dude’ , or something to that extent… Although I doubt just the name would make me have a flank ton of money, right?”
“Yeah. I guess you are.”
“At least Donut Joe isn’t bad. I love what I do and donuts are my talent.”
“I’ll say,” taking a quick bite out of the delicious ring of glazed goodness.
“Yep. Thankfully I wasn’t named something that had nothing to do with donuts, like … Something Truth.”
“Heh. It’s Shimmering. You could just say that the donuts are the only truth you need.”
“Can’t argue with you there” Joe says holding up a donut. “They are the answer to allot of questions”
“Shape of the universe?”
“Donut”
“Shape of the sun and moon”
“Hmmm… Donut …” he says, reaching over then throwing them in the air. “… Holes! ”
“I didn’t know you carried those.”
“I just started making them a while ago. Didn’t feel like changing all my signs just for these. Try these two out.” He throws them at me. I catch them in my aura and make them orbit around my horn.
“Thanks Joe” I say walking to a bench and placing the donut and coffee down.
“Hey I got to go work in the back I’ll talk to you later”
I was glad that he didn’t go too much into my comment about the cutie marks. There has been numerous times that a conversation like that lead to the other pony thinking I was some conspiracy nut or plain crazy. I mean questioning ‘normal’ things that people take for granted or looking into reason why something is the way it is, just goes against most pony’s logic.
I finished the donut and wiped the crumbs from my lips. Donut Joe’s family sure does know how to make great donuts. I turn my attention to the coffee and start slowly nursing it. Something catches my eye. Alerted I look around only to realize I forgot the donuts holes. I watch them pass and I start getting my timing right.
'Nom!'
Goodbye little moon and now the sun…
'Nom!'
Tastes just like the donuts, but satisfyingly bite sized. I can’t believe I just played with my food. Meh…no harm… no one saw.
I think back to when I first moved here and visited this shop daily. It was few days since my first visit to this shop they no longer asked how I wanted my coffee, whoever was working would just state my order like a question and receive a nod. A week or two after, they would have the order ready, a moment before my arrival. I’m not sure if I’d receive the same service if I came during a more busy time of day. Plus it’s always great to have the first batch of donuts of the day.
After a few more minutes of enjoying the coffee, I get up and throw out the trash. I move to the door only to be slightly startled by a yell from the back.
“You still got your cup?”
“Ehhh… no I just threw it out”
“Well here another on the house,” Joe said as he poured a cup and dumped the sugar and milk in.
“Umm… thanks”
“Sure, it’s no problem. If you ever need somepony or friend to talk to you can come to me.”
“Friend?” I ask as an awkward smile grows on my face.
“Ya. You know that looks good on you, you should try that more often” he comments pointing at my smile.”
“Alright. See you later…friend.”
“Take care pal.” He yelled as I strolled out the door.
‘Friend?’ I thought. I’m good on those I have… no he moved away… Burning Torch… nope he joined the guard and got stationed somewhere. As I continued to go through the list of all the friends, I was soon realizing that they left; moved on with their life or I just simply had no tab on them. I then thought about my coworkers, going through them and what we really were to each other. I don’t think I’d consider any of them friends. Sure we may share office space, some stories, jokes, or laughs but I don’t think I’d really consider any of them to be friends. The farthest I might consider them as acquaintances… maybe. I don’t think I would have a conversation like I just had with Donut Joe with anypony at my work, in fear that rumors may pass around or my job being held in question. When or why had I just let my list of friends deteriorate to nothing? Were my old friends even really friends?
Maybe I never really had friends. We were friendly, had good times, played together, hung out together, helped each other, and talked about lots of things, although none of my “crazy notions”. I may have let a couple out but it was either quickly laughed off or not even considered. I started to feel very disconnected. I wasn’t feeling sad, just like I had missed out on something. Maybe Joe in the brief couple minutes, in which Joe become my friend, he was possible better than anypony else that had been my friend. It sort of sounds pathetic when put like that though and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I had been so deep in that train of thought I had forgotten the coffee floating in the air next to me. It’s a good thing that I don’t have to constantly put thought into my levitation spells like someponies need to or that would’ve spilled the second I left the shop.
“Mmmm,” I mumble after taking a sip of the coffee. Their donuts are great but their coffee comes pretty close as far as my taste buds care.
“Hopefully today will be a good day at work” I mutter to myself as I near the office.

Author's Note

This was the first chapter. I don't know what happened.

normal Daze

I’ve been here A few years and with someponies transferring or retiring I had gotten myself a cubicle in the back corner near the paper copier. I think that placed me there as a means to quickly repair it or refill its magic. I never fully understood how it works. I know it has some sort of ink container and some kind of magic storing crystals. I know just enough about it to keep it working for a few days until a Zebrox unicorn repairpony comes to maintain it. It’s nowhere in my job description it’s just one of those things that I figured out how to do when I was new and they kept having me do still. I usually don’t mind lending a hoof to whoever needs help with the finicky device so long as they aren’t demanding or I’m in the middle of something.
Just like Joe’s donut shop I’m the first one in, except for the building maintenance ponies or security pony. I’m not completely sure who it is that opens it, though I don’t really care to know. It might be both.
I grab a paper from a stack meant for all employees and trot over to my desk. I set my bag up and pull out the contents. I grab my personal book and smell its old oilskin cover and untie the strings holding it together. The thing is well worn around the edges with some minor water damage to the cover; some small stains decorate the oilskin. The tattered slightly yellow pages with slight warping due to spills and drops also show a little bit of abuse perhaps more age. I would never get another one though it was too near and dear to me. I had just added some more pages into it a while ago giving it a little bit of contrast to the older aging papers. ‘Friends’ if any were truly to considered one it’d probably have to be this book. He knew almost all my thoughts that I fear to convey to anypony else.
I flip over to a section about cutie marks and read over all of the notes and theories I had jotted down the majority were in the same hoofwriting and ink, the later varied just barely but enough to show that I had come up with other ideas after an initial brain dump.
Going over the conversation that I had with Joe, I’m pretty sure what little we talked about was already covered in the book. I felt that since we shared a brief thought about it that I should add something if nothing else, just to include somepony else in this crazy collection that I had amassed. Paraphrasing it in my head and getting the main points in my head I thusly put ink to paper. I read it and once more. Content with the latest addition I wrap it back up and throw it on my desk.
I kick my back hooves up and start skimming through the newspaper, picking out coworkers’ articles. Of course they put Articulate Author’s on the front page. That pony is such a brown-noser. We’ve butted heads a few times and he seems to play the game really well. The game being the politics of the office and wording the pieces exactly how the editor loves it. I’m sure he could make a mass death sound like a happy fun filled day while ignoring the actually facts. Sipping at the coffee I see a couple of articles of mine they printed nothing too big or interesting.
“Well better start fixing everything they tore apart from yesterday.” I mumble as I set the paper down and levitate the stack of piles from my inbox over to me. Shuffling the papers and skimming over them one by one. I put aside the ones that are heavily marked with notes or one lines, knowing that these will need serious work or just blocked until they’re no longer relevant or “news-worth”. They’ve gotten a little more accustomed with my writing style and on some things they used to kick back, they just quickly edit and or reword. They still gave me the credit for the story… it does make me feel robbed or unworthy of it though. Guess that’s just me still having pride in my own work.
I start on the first couple of pieces taking me a almost a half hour. I can hear my coworkers start to shuffle in, making small talk, and making some noise in the break room. It’s just the everyday noise of the building coming to life.
“Hey ST!”, a head yells as it pops over the side of the of the cubical, startling me into dropping the stack of papers.
“Oops… Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to surprise you… Did you get the copier back up and running?”
“Yeah, last thing I did before I left last night.”
“Sweet.” He looks down at my now cluttered desk. “You know if you just choose better stories or wrote how they want you wouldn’t have to go through a pile like that every day?”
“I know, but I feel that the reader should be able to get the straight truth and not just some happy fluff filled piece that bends the issue at hoof.”
“Geez bro, I was just saying”
“Yeah. Sorry. Just my morals stupidly getting in the way of getting out of work quicker or more stuff printed right” I changed my tone to be more jokingly. I just want to end this conversation so I flip to my normal tone and say, “You mentioned something about the copier before, right? If you happen to pass the break room could you grab me one of the apples from there on your way back to the copier?”
“Sure, no problem bro, the least I could do for you fixing that hunk of junk” he said as he lowered himself from the cubical wall and from what I could tell from the sounds of his hoof steps was heading away.
I don’t care for these ponies’ constant criticisms or suggestions of my work. It’s the one thing that quickly gets under my coat. I wouldn’t want to get snappy with them, being one of the newest and possibly lowest printed. I find sarcasm and joking to be the safest way to alleviate my frustration and not cause a conflict. Celestia knows that if I said the wrong thing or just had a bad attitude around anypony here it’d be known by everypony before I had a chance to sneeze. I imagine rumors mill at any job would be just the same as far as getting around; it is just that our office is way more efficient at that. It is what we do.
Once done with all of the lighter pieces, I turn my attention to the ones I had placed aside. I let out a sigh knowing that these were the bain of my workday. I pull the one aside that I know I turned this in at least four times. I retrieve a clear Clopix marker from my drawer. Ever since I started doing articles and I had been getting them back with red ink I would make copies of the ones I had thought would be kicked back. I found that the ones kicked back multiple times, they would have me “re-correct” to the point where I was turning in exactly what they “wanted” to just be something I had already turned in. Then one day when I went to copy them the ink wouldn’t show up on the copy. So one day, I took home some work and analyzed the ink finding it to be magical in nature. I had no idea how to make it appear except with a camera I enchanted to see it. I was also able to make this clear Clopix marker have a disenchant on it so I could test for this ink. Since it’s a dispel magic and its clear all it does it remove whatever magic ink it touches leaving no trace. I pick out a location to test the ink where its loss won’t be noticed. Dab. Yep… sure enough, magic ink. I repeat it for all the other pieces, with sadly the same result.
It’s now trusted little magic camera time. I grab it from a small pocket in my saddle bags and look over it quickly. I couldn’t go around lugging the camera I had initially used to take photos of my work, thing was too hue and obvious. If they had an inkling I was onto them I had to be careful about it. Went to the next town over bought it and enchanted it myself. Magic ink revealing,; miniaturization and sound muting enchants on it would make a spy jealous. I take pictures of all the papers and throw it back into the bag. I start writing all the corrections. I hate leaving information out at the next three lines I got to coping over to a new sheet had been one lined completely on the old sheet.
“Yo ST, here ya go.” he says as he throws me an apple.
“Thanks” I say catching in my aura before it had a chance to hit my face.
“Least I could do for our in-home Zebrox repairpony.” he says chuckling.

Meh. I am pretty much a joke here, but I love the idea of the news. Finding the facts, the truths behind events and reporting it fairly, so everypony could see what’s going on. Exposing villains, crooks and injustices, throughout this great land to make it better for everypony, I guess isn’t anything more than one of my fanciful dreams.

Boss coffee

“Hey Truth” some grey pegasus says, as she walks into my cubical. “The boss wants to see you.”
“Alright. I’ll be right there. Are you new here?”
“Yes, my names is Grey Mare Trotter. Pretty much just an errand mare right now trying to get my hoof in the door here.” she says with a smile.

Throwing all of the papers into the out box, I calm myself down and prepare to talk to the boss. If was something small, he’d just stop by my door and say whatever he had to say. Going to see him in his office I wonder what it is this time. I really don’t want to go see him. I didn’t turn in any real big story that they truly hated, in fact now that I think about it my pile was smaller than normal. I knock oon the door and wait.
*
“Come in.” I hear and open the door to see the back of Mr. Breaker’s chair facing me “Sit down Truth”
‘Never a good sign… means get comfortable and ready for this… or this will be a while. Be calm, respectful, just get through this one hoof at a time’ I thought. Shutting the door and awkwardly sitting in the chair. I can never understand how these fancy looking chairs just feel so bad. It could be one of those things just to show their power over you. You know, sitting in an uncomfortable lower chair, while the better pony sits in an obviously taller more comfortable chair; staring at you across a vast expanse of beautiful solid cherry desk; degrees, diplomas and pictures of the pony with dignitaries and famous ponies.
“So… do you know why I called you here?”
“I have no idea Mr. Breaker. Grey Mare”
“No, I didn’t tell anypony anything, but can you think of why I’d call you in.”
“No”

Making some noises of some sort of thinking going on in his head, he shuffled through some papers. He still was facing away from me just dragging this out. He took the stack of papers and placed them into a folder. He finally turned his chair making a couple squeaks. He looked me in the eye… these eyes weren’t of anger or frustration, more of concern or disappointment.
“Truth, where do you see yourself in five, ten or even fifteen years? Because I can honestly say without a doubt you won’t be here, if you keep turning articles like this in.” he says.
Mr. Breaker throws the folder onto the coffee table in front of me. Some of the papers slid out showing the headers for the ‘Parasprite Attacks Destroys…, Celestia’s Latest Pranks Wounds 27…, Timber…, Tartarus…, and a few more’. I know that I personally investigated each one of those seeing and hearing witness testimony, physical evidence, damages to property, and a few times saw it with my own eyes. I knew all of them factual… I took them and put a little piece of myself into each of those articles. I just sit and stare at the impressive girth of the folder.
“I saw great potential in you, when you first came here. I know you do your work and then some. I see the pride you have in it. You just need to”
“Be more like Articulate Author?” I bitterly cut in.
“You know what?! Yes! Be more like him. I was just going to say write it happier; find nicer events to report on; take a look at how you wrote pieces that didn’t get kicked right back to you. Because the way you’ve been, with that,” he says, pointing at the folder, “isn’t working. Not only are you wasting your time but other people’s time. It’s a waste of a lot of time and therefore a waste of money. You are effetely causing this company to lose money.”
“But” I start, feeling the pressure from him, causing me to falter.
“No. I understand where you are coming from, I truly do.” he interjects and pulls out a fancy cloth bound clipboard. He throws it precisely on top of the folder, “The numbers don’t lie, bad news sells poorly.”

I glance at the paper, believing that he has no reason to lie about this. I just don’t know how to respond right now. It’s probably best to just burn some time and collect myself. Mr. Breaker lets out a sigh and starts rummaging through his desk
“Listen here’s a bag of bits, a notepad, a camera, and pencils. Grab that saddle bag; walk out my door, leaving it open as I watch you trot merrily out the front door. I don’t want to see you until you come back with some story that you know for sure will get printed on the front page.”
“F-f-f-front page!?!”
“Front page” he responds seriously. “GO!”

Fumbling with the items he set out on the desk throwing them into the saddle bags, I hastily try to fulfill his orders. “Now!”

“Front Page… front page… where or what around here is possibly front page worthy?” I mumble as I walk away from the building. “Front page article in one day? Closest I’ve been to that is maybe page six when I did the obituaries… maybe if somepony important dies... nah It’d certainly have to Celestia herself and Celestia knows that I wouldn’t be the one to cover that.”
‘I’m so fired’ I thought. ‘I know he didn’t come right out and say it, though he pretty much laid out with where you see yourself? Not here thing’

Trotting here and there asking everypony I know if there’s anything going on. All my leads are empty. I got some new about some found pets, which had been missing; new shops; new lines of clothes for next season; upcoming talent contest… nothing strong; I know there are some sports going on but I don’t want to butt into Sportster’s thing. Plus it’d be way too much work for me since I barely know the rules or the ponies involved, to even make a decent article. Defeated, I trot around aimlessly. I can’t stop by the office right now and I got to find something more interesting. Maybe I got something to write about at home. I start heading that way looking for anything new or activity … nothing. Joe’s Donut shop, I could start working on making these stories better. Get another coffee. Yeah coffee sounds good about now.
“Hey ST. What ya doing this isn’t your normal time?”
“Gotta get a coffee and find an even better story if that’s even possible.”
“I could give ya a story if you buy twenty-one donuts… but you’d save a bit by just ordering 2 dozen… not to mention three more donuts you know.”
“What in Equestria are you talking about?”
“Well, I didn’t want to tell anypony, but I’m twenty-one donuts away from selling my millionth donut. But you needing a story; you being a friend and possibly having some free advertisement… I guess I couldn’t keep it to myself.” Joe smiles at me.
“I don’t know if that’d be a great story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that you kept track and offered it to me but … I need bigger.”
“You get any other stories yet?” Joe asks.

I look down at the pad. Notes from all those other stories littered about the pages. They’re garbage. I don’t think Articulate could make anything out of these notes.
“I’ll take two dozen random donuts and a coffee…” I say, and look into the small bag of bits I was given “put it on my tab”
“Your tab? You know I don’t do tabs… Just make sure the article gets in the paper and we’re even.”
“Thanks Joe.”

He grabs two boxes and fills them up. Gets the coffee just the way I like it. He stops and thinks.
“Are you going to take a picture ST?”
“I could, I got a company camera in my bag here” I say as I pull it out.
“Alright hold on” Joe says as he gallops into the back room.

I hear some grunts boxes being moved and or thrown a brief bit of silence now I hear him coming back. He places the box on the counter I got these a couple weeks ago.” He says pulling some banners out, extending them to show ‘Over a million sold’ “I was just going to put them in the windows ad below that menu, we could one them in the shot right?”
“Yeah. It’d be great”
I trot away from the counter and grab the sign with my magic. I line it up below the menu like he was saying and adjust it to where I think it would look best in the picture. Joe secures the edges of the sign for me and I drop my magic from it. I levitate the camera in front of me and “lock” it in place. Essential it won’t move from where it’s levitating until dispel. Outstanding spell when you don’t have a camera pony.
“Alright move to your left a bit… good. Now hold your hoof up like your passing me my order to your left… little higher. There! Hold it.”

I gallop over and complete the scene of accepting Joe’s millionth donut. I snap a few shots.
“What was that?”
“Hm? What Joe?”
“You’re taking photos for the newspaper and you don’t smile? Come on break out a big smile ST. If not for yourself then do it for me or the donuts. I’m trying to get more customers. Make it seem like Joe’s Donuts equals happy pony. And hay, no pony will think much of your story if it doesn’t have a happy picture to go with it”
“Sorry… I got caught up in the work part of this” I grinned.
“Smile bigger ST. Come on how often is your mug even in the paper? This is my first chance; make this look good, ok? ”
“I’ve never had my photo in the paper” I nervously grin*squee*
That noise I’ve heard it so many times… I can’t rightly figure out the source of the noise others can here it slightly but only if looking at the pony it comes from FOCUS! … job at stake almost done with picture. I snap off a few shots. And put the camera back into the bag. Joe tells me a history of the shop. He throws in some side stories; some important ponies that have come through here; his favorite part of working with donuts. I feverously fill the pad up trying to keep up..Once done I thank him and go over to a booth and pull out a couple new sheets. After a few rough drafts get the article perfect. Joe reads it over and loves it, pretty sure he’s just excited about potentially being in the paper and getting that free product placement in there.

I thank him again and leave with the donuts it’s a little after lunch, as I trot around on the prowl for anything else. I ate two of those great donuts while I was working on that through the lunch time, just got to off load theses somewhere. I spot my office up ahead.

The Talk

‘well here goes nothing.’ I thought as I walk inside trying to be as quiet as possible to drop these off at the break room. From there, go over the one article a few more times at my desk and see if I could make anything out of the other stories that I picked up along the way.
“Truth! Don’t tell me those are Joe’s Donuts.” yells somepony whose name eludes me.
“Yep. They are…help yourself”
“You are a life saver. I got all caught up in work and forgot all about lunch.” He says snatching two out of the box before I could set it down on the break table.
“Mmmm… those otha franchise shops got nuthin on Joe’s” he says with mouth full of donut.
“Well I got to get back to my desk and get some article wrapped up. Enjoy those donuts…and save some for everypony else”

Donuts taken care of, now the tricky part getting to my desk. I go as softly and nonchalantly as possible staring straight ahead. I don’t see Mr. Breaker in his office, well at least my periphial verison doesn’t see him. Whew. I feel good, now just to get to my cubical. Every hoofstep closer I feel better, nearing the corner I couldn’t begin to tell you m relief.
“Truth!” I hear from behind me. My joy and optimism were replaced by dread and despair.
“Mr.Breaker, how’s it going” I ask turning around to see him.
“Could you be so kind to come into my office?”
“Ok.”

I follow him into his office and regain my inner composure. I automatically sit on the same chair as before. The folder and clipboard that had been on the table, are now gone. They had probably been moved into one of those cavernous drawers in the desk that who knows how many trees died for its production.
“So let’s see what you got.”
“I was only coming here to drop off some donuts and grab some stuff from my desk.”
“I did say don’t come back without a front page story, right?”
“Yes”
“Do you not have anything?”
“I got a couple, but”
“Quit stalling and just break them out.”
“Well here are the notes and here’s my story on Joe’s Donut shop selling over a million donuts. I snapped a few pictures.”

I pass him the pad with all the loose papers and the Donut story on top. He looks over all of it nodding and making some noises, sometimes barely reading the story out loud.
“I like it”
“You do.”
“Yeah it’s a nice little local piece. Not sure if it’ll be front page material, unless it’s a slow day, plus I’ll have to see how those shots come out.”
“So…”
“Good job. I see that it’s not that important of a story, but the way you wrote it, it seems happy, while giving a lot of information about history of it and gives some insight into Joe. It’s a very nice article. Your other articles just show too much of the nitty-gritty of things, nopony really cares for that. Now that I think about it, it’s the same style of your other articles… you just had a better subject to cover”
“What about my job here?”
“Oh. That… you’re on thin ice till told otherwise. Take my advice to heart, happy feel-good stories or change your style on the other stories. Anything else?”
“I left some of Joe’s Donuts in the break room.”
“Ew… No. I shouldn’t… but it is in celebration of Joe’s success. Maybe just one. What the wife and doc don’t know won’t hurt, right?”
“Right” I replied. I forgot he had been put on a diet. ‘Poor stallion.’ I thought at that.
“Don’t hang around here if you don’t need to, I’ll send this up. Go out find more stories.”
“Thanks sir.”

I leave the company saddle bag by the chair and leave his office. I trot back to my cubical straighten up and take my saddle bag. Early day… not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I check my desk… it’s clean and I leave the office. I trot around for a bit with still no more stories. I just enjoy the sights and shops. I don’t buy anything other than some snacks and drinks, with my job in this questionable status I can’t afford to spend fivarluously.
‘Happy stories got to find some more’

I just remembered the talent show, It’s at a local school at seventeen or eighteen hundred. I might as well check it out, since got nothing else going on and I may as well get a jump ahead on “feel-good’ articles. Not what I wanted to do when I got into the feidl of journalism, but got to do what it takes to make the bits to pay the bills. I’m sure that a younger more idealistic me would be disappointed in me; but he’d still wind up as me so whatever joke would be on him.

I wind up at some mom and pop restaurant, which had an amazing house salad garnished with some of the finest tasting flowers. Initially I thought the floral accessories were just for presentation, but I was stunned. I start writing about the salad; the comfortable seating; how the room looked with it’s aged wooden beams, aged photos of Canterlot and ponies from who knows when; the solid oak table. I got so carried away with the details that I was startled when my waitress asked me if anything was wrong. I merely explained that I was practicing for writing an article and then she went into a whole spiel about the place. I calmed her down and said that it might be a possibility that it’d get into the paper, not a definite. I then went on to tell her that I am not a food critic, which took some wind out of her sails. She talked on and on about everything, by the time she was done talking I think I had written over four thousand words. I finished off my meal tipped, paid and thanked them.

Arriving at the talent show a few minutes before it began, I eyed the crowd for any coworker. I’d hate to be competing with any of them for the same story. Not only am I lower on the totem pole then them, but now I know Mr. Breaker loathes my writing style. With my fear of othe takers on this out of the way, I talk to a few ponies taking their opions. The show starts with some fun skits; moves onto some bands, which are really good considering their age; and ends with some dancing. I take pictures of each act and the winner was the band that sung spot on. I get some more statements and talk to the winners.
I trot out of the school and into the crisp early fall night. There’s still a hint of summer in the air with the warm breeze that accompanies me through the sparsely populated streets. I feel good about today, probably the best being that I don’t have to worry so much about work right now. There almost seems to be a warm cool blue glow on the buildings as I pass them, getting closer to my abode, I just chalk that up to my inner feelings being expressed on my surroundings.
I unlock the door and trot into the darkness of my home. I’m not much on for abusing candles, oil or lights when I got my magic. I flare up a few energy lights, bathing everything in some nice blue light. The floors creak slightly as I trot over to the stairs with one energy light ball , while the other fade away as I pass them.
I go into my room and walk up to a runic stone on the wall. Ever since being a foal, I’ve had the nightmares, sometimes they were so bad I would wake up screaming. My parents took me to doctors and there wasn’t much they could do for me. My parents had resorted to buying these magic stones which almost silenced the noise coming from inside of the room, out. The only maintenance they required was some magical recharge every so often and right now they were looking low. I go about filing them up and I flop to the bed. I think of today’s events and try to relax. Work is going to be a bit harder with what Mr. Breaker had said, but I need to keep making the bits and somehow get more articles in. I pull out the camera from the saddle bag thinking about what to take pictures of, so can finish the roll and get it developed. I settle on just waiting for the magic inked papers coming back to me tomorrow. Thinking of that I reach in for my notebook. I check the other side of the bag. Now, I start freaking out. I know that I had it with me today. I recall the events. Shoot, I left it on my desk, but I checked my desk. I calm down and tell myself that I had just left it in the drawer or under something. I can find it tomorrow. This isn’t the first time I left it there and no one bothers with my stuff there.

Demon's Ache

//-- Demon --/
“That crazy mare” I mutter as I wake up.
“I’m not sure if that was flirting or putting me in my place.”

Star is an amazing fighter, magic or not, I was sort of disappointed once they moved her into a desk job. It couldn’t be helped, she’s just as skilled with political prowess and managing as she is with maic. There’s not much she’s not skilled with… except personal relationships… Heh. Oh hay! Is that what she’s doing now? Personal relationships? If so, am I some sort of training partner or the target of her latest conquest? I don’t want to be a conquest to her; I’m not some damn trophy, to end up with her. With her? I mean she is great and she brings out the best in everything and so full of life. I mean it would be so bad if we ended up together. Ahh who cares. Whatever happens will happen.
“Two days of relaxing! Ow. Shoot. I really did push myself too far yesterday, my magic isn’t all the way back. Blasted magic hangovers headache things.” I say as I rub my forehead.

If too much magic; too many spells; or too many high end spells are cast too quickly in a short time span it’s about the same as blowing a fuse. Now I had done all three of those and had blown probably everything. With a blown fuse you’d just change it, unfortunately with these metaphorical fuses they just take a few hours to somewhere over a day to fully repair. Also, like I had already complained about, the magic strained headaches were the cherry on top. At least I should be all better by the time Me, Lightning, Thunder, Blaze and other stallion needed to go. I forget his name, so what? It’s probably something like Hurricane, Storm, Twister, something tough sounding. At least that’s how most of the Royal Guards’ names are. I’ll just figure it out later.

I look around the room. The sun is shining in all nice. The room well lit shows plain tan walls with age one wall has a sheet of plywood and dart board with knives in it. Directly across from the dart board, against the wall, is my bed and desk with some stationary, some knives and cups. My floor has my armor strune about with some bits and papers scattered where ever they fell. I don’t think I’d ever clean it up, even if I had company, I’m sure they’d expect my room to look like this. I try not to disappoint especially if it’s easier for me.

//-- Shimmering Truth --/
“Where is it?” Truth frantically says.

He started his day like normal: nightmare; screaming; getting ready; breakfast; pack bag; Donut Joe’s and office. Remembering the notebook, he searched his drawers and his desk, even the trashcan. The things, the ideas and photos that it held he’d never want anypony to see. It’s contents may in mostponies’ eyes very well be ground to have him put away in an asylum. Even though a lot of it was theories or opinions, there was a myriad factual events and documents which he was building a personal case for in hopes of one day exposing everything he could. With nopony that would take anything he had serious, it became an outlet and an ever increasing tome of knowledge.
Now it was gone. His mood that had swayed back and forth the previous day was now just gloom. He’d just lost an important piece of himself. Almost Everything in there was irreplaceable. He had it since he was an older foal. It was his own fault, he thought. ‘If you don’t treat a treasure as it should be treated you won’t have it’
Truth slams his head to the desk and sighs. He feels like giving up or not caring. He looks over to the stack of papers in his in box and grabs them. He grabs his special Clopix marker and tries it on all the papers and sets the ones aside that have the magic ink on them. The others he puts back in the in box. He grabs a stapler and smashes the staple through the stack. He grabs a pen and paper and writes.
‘It has come to my understanding that these articles aren’t up to the expectations upheld by Canterlot Unicorn News Times. I therefore apologize for the numerous submissions and I will no longer be revising these. From S. Truth’
“This should make them happy…or suspicious… nah… they just would think that the talk worked and wish they would have done it sooner.”

Stapling the paper on the stack of rejects Truth throws it into the out box. He works on the rest of the papers. He doesn’t pay attention to the coworkers that flood into the building or their noise. To any of the ponies that pass Truth by they just see him nose deep in his work. Truth was just trying to avoid his feelings for the loss of his book.
“Truth, do you have anything to be turned in?”
“What? I have some but normally I turn my own stuff in or It’s picked up a few hours after lunch.”
“Yeah I heard that’s how it was done, but I also like to pick up stuff from ponies before lunch too.”
“Wait you didn’t happen to turn in a book from my desk did you?”
“Yes” she says cheerily.
‘Oh shoot’ I think.
“And you turned it in?”
“No I kept it for myself. Just kidding. Of course I turned it in.”
“Ok thanks. Here’s all I have as of right now… You know what I’ll take care of this” Truth said as he almost gave her the papers, only to pull them back before she could grab them.

Grey Mare trots off to the next cubical and goes through the same motions as she had in his cubical. Truth’s emotions were now all over the place, but he quelled them. Emotions and feelings will have to wait for him, for now Truth has a mission. Hopeful the editor had just tossed it aside and would just give it back when asked for it. He grabs all of his papers from the out box and torts to the editor door. The editor an older stallion with green coat and silver mane ted backwith a visor on was reading over some papers.
“Hey Final Touch here’s my papers.”
“Just set ‘em down o’ver there.” He points to a bin overflowing with papers.
“Umm… You didn’t happen to get my notebook did you?”
“Yep.”
“Can I get it back?”
“Nope. I don’t have it.”
“What? Where is it?”
“I turned it over to the royal guard.”
“Why?”
“Well that thing was so darn packed with weird stuff I had no idea what to make of it myself. Our office sends stuff like that; threat notices and just weird stuff to the Royal Guards for investigative or security issue purposes. It’s been a standing order since for as long as I’ve worked ‘ere. I’ll also tell y that quite a bit of yer papers visit them, but don’t tell anypony that I told you. It’s been almost an everyday thing with your papers for the last month.”
“So you go to the palace or royal guard office and turn them in?”
“Celestia no, they just send some normal pony over and he returns the stuff before I even come in at the morning.”
“Thanks Final. I got to go get some coffee. Do you want any from the break room?”
“No, I’m good thanks for your offer.”

Notbooks rescue

‘Oh if there was ever a time for the notebook! Royal guards censoring news, I could probably add a few more pages of theories and what their agenda is.’ Truth thought to himself.

Truth grabs some coffee from the break room and trots back to his cubical. He needs to find out where they took the notebook. Truth knows that he can’t just pass this up, if he can just track them or talk to them. He thinks about talking to them he settles on that it’d just be better to find where they take it first. He looks at the stack of papers in his hooves and pulls out the stack of ‘rejected’ articles. He undoes the note he put on it and puts in his bag to dispose of later; he was always suspicious of ponies going through his trash here. To be sure that they didn’t think he was on to them, if they really do go through the trash, he made sure to go out of his way to make some rough notes or garbage made it into his can almost every day. He figures the boss won’t be too happy if he rewrites all of them so he just picks out two that have been kicked back multiple times and rewrites them as close to the recommended revisions as possible, but making sure he left enough in there to be turned over to these censoring ponies that he heard of from Final. He took the rest of the ‘rejected letters; rips them once; crumples them a little and throws them into the trashcan.
“Hope fully that’ll make the possible dumpster diving ponies happy.” Truth said under his breath.
‘Now as far as tracking it… I could wait around… nah, I don’t know everypony that works here meaning I’d have to see the paper trading hooves I would be seen here, possibly, then they’d know that I’m from here and following them… enchanting it would be more useful, especially if I couldn’t keep up… though, if they inspect it they might find the enchantment… it would give me away that I’m onto them… Ugh… It’d have to be a passive remote and an active feeder… it’d have to disappear before they could inspect it… nothing flashy or destructive just vanish… so passive with that’d disappear after 30 seconds without anything from the feeder or too much energy sent from the feeder.’ Truth thought.

Truth set about thinking about how to draw the symbols and the enchanting process. He got one design in mind and Grabbed a different Clopix marker from his desk. This marker had no enchantments on it was just unnoticeable. Marker in hoof, he started drawing and enchanting it. After a few test tries and tweaking, he got it working perfectly. He had setup a pocket watch to glow in the direction of the paper, sending it power and getting the location sent back. He played with the settings to figure out just how much to send. He also tested out the ‘vanish’ spell on it. Once satisfied with his tests and progress, he carefully applied the spell to the back of his rewritten article. He was going to figure out where they were taking his stuff to.
“One step closer to getting my notebook... I sure hope this works.” Truth muttered.

Truth turns in all his assignments and starts working on the ones collected yesterday, checking his watch every so often. The watch had been setup up to automatically adjust the power sent and had a stored charge that it was running off of, but it needed to be recharged every two hours or so. At least that’s what he figured; he was filling it back up almost every hour just to be safe also figuring out how to tell the distance from the paper. It seemed the farther away the fainter it got, but he could still make out which way it was pointing.
Truth finishes all his work and leaves for the day. First thing he does once out of the office is look at the streets and shops. He walks to one of the café a shop that’s in the direction of the Castle. It’s the most logical place to stake out. Royal guards would most likely take this route to get to their command over there and He can just hang out and read a paper and enjoy a beverage. With the choice of stake our venue picked, he sits down outside and pays for his drink, after telling the waitress that he may need to leave at any moment.
Time passes slowly; Truth had been on stakeouts before, but the fact that this held the life of his notebook on the line was getting to him. He can handle his caffine just fine, even if he was on his sixth cup so far at the shop, it probably didn’t help much at this moment. He left the stop watch with the lid open on the table and was reading a book. He may have gone through a few pages and was just looking at the stopwatch for the most part. He would also be checking it a few times during the two times he had went into the bathroom.
‘Finally!’ He thought.

The glow got slightly brighter and the directional glow shifted with the papers movements. Two stallions; one yellow with brown mane and one grey with red mane rounded the corner. Truth figured it was one of them, since there was no pony in the air and the indications on the watch pretty much lined up with them. The watch’s direction continued to fallow with them. He knew this was it. Truth threw back the current coffee and threw the book in his bag and the bag on his back. He left a tip and hung back from them by about fifty hooves. He would go from one side of the street to the other and check his watch, triangulating the target. He was glad that this proved it was one of them. They weren’t walking together as friends or anything, just trotting about the same speed but the yellow one was ahead of the other.
At least with the knowledge it was one of them, he could fallow them without looking like some time obsessed pony that was just trotting slowly along. They didn’t make any stops or talk to anypony just kept trotting towards the castle. The castle in all its glory was coming closer and closer into sight. It’s a stunning sight to behold. The two trotted past the guard without a word then yellow coat went right and grey went left. Truth flipped his watch open and it pointed left. Truth went trotting after grey coated stallion only to get stopped by the guard.
“Halt. What business do you have at this late of an hour?”

From afar, Truth hadn’t noticed, but this was one of Luna’s personal guards. The bat wings are a dead giveaway most of the time, but she also had some unicorns with those same weird eyes and this was the later. Not to be detoured Truth formulated a response quickly.
“I am from the local paper, Canterlot Times and I was set to do a story on the Royal Gardens beauty at night.” Truth say showing his journalist ID.
“That sounds ridiculous. No pony really goes there at night.”
“By no means sir. I’ve heard with moon as full as it is tonight, it covers the garden in nice calm cool colors. I’d also be taking some pictures of it too, since my words may not do it enough justice. To me it’s so sad that the effort that Princess puts into the night, nopony goes to appreciate the sight of the Royal Garden at night. It’s one shame that I’d like to change.”
“Fine just let me check your bag and apply a magic limiter to your horn.”

The contents of the bag were quickly levitated and inspected. The guard put the band and shot a quick spell into it. Truth always hated wearing the magic limiter, suppressors and restraints all of them gave Truth some very mild to extreme headaches. None the less, he was happy that he could still use most of his magic with the limiter.

The conversation put Truth into a strange position. Being one that hated to tell a lie, but found it necessary in certain circumstances, would atone for the lie in some if not most lies by carrying out or doing what he had lied about. One time he went so far as to break his knee, so he didn’t have to go do something. So now, Truth now had to play catch up to his target and write an article about the Royal Garden.

As soon as he passed the guard shack he checked the watch and started going into a power trot then a quiet as possible gallop. The twists and turns made him feel like he was in some bad maze. He rounded a corner and saw it point to a non-descript building that was about fifty by seventy hooves. He looked at the watch and saw that the paper was pretty far away so he trotted around the building and it was in there. Truth thought it may have been broken and he held the watch vertical and gasped as the arrow pointed down. He sent a burst of energy through the watch to destroy the enchant on the paper.
“They’re underground?” he mumbled. “Just who are these ponies?”

Setting up a hidden camera, Truth set it to take snaps of the ponies going in and out of the building. He figured that there was no way for him to remain unseen seensince there was nowhere really to hide, so camera was the best option. Plus he figured tht the guard would question whattook so long to work on his article if he tried to stake this out. He’d just come back later for the camera, then try to figure out the ponies that worked there.
‘The castle really is some sort of maze’ Truth thought as he was trying to figure out the way to the garden.
“Wish there was a map or signs…Ugh” He said.

The Royal Garden came into view. It really was a great sight to behold. Truth set about taking different shots and wrote as much as he could about it. After half an hour he was happy with the work and headed back to the guard shack to get that blasted limiter removed and be on his way. Truth took a more direct route out and got to the guard shack with same guard there.
“Hey, thanks again. I got everything I needed. I’m going to look up some more info on the history and origin of everything that was there so it may take a few days to a week or two, but it’ll be great”
“Nice. If you took any longer I was about to send someponies in after you.”
“Sorry just got lost and it took me longer than I thought. Can you get this off?”
“Sure” he said as he removed the limiter. “Oh” he continues as he goes through searching for something in his booth. “Somepony turned this in saying you dropped it” He says as he pulls out my camera. “Said you should be more careful with stuff that’s important to you or you’d lose it forever.”
‘They found it!... but I didn’t see anypony… they’re onto the fact I’m onto them… I never should have done this!... “be more careful with stuff that’s important to you or you’d lose it forever” are they threating me or was that in reference to my notebook?... I’ve failed my notebook…this whole night was a failure.’ Truth thought.

Thanking the guard and acting grateful for the return of his camera Truth trotted away. He didn’t know what to do or even what he could possibly do now that his plan failed. Worse yet They knew he was in some way shape or form onto them. He thought that he may as well act ‘normal’ and figure out something to get information and the drop on these guys before they could on him. ‘Normal just be normal and they should leave me alone’ Truth thought.
Without his friend, the notebook, he’d arrived home without really noticing the pass in time. With new knowledge and theories he quickly wrote everything down an some spare notebook paper that he swore he’d insert into the notebook once returned. For now it was his only stress release and comforted him to have the lines on the paper to formulate his next possible move

//-- Shimmering Truth--/
“AHHHH!!”
“Yep. There it is. There’s nothing like waking up screaming to a nightmare you can’t remember.” I mumble.

A piece of paper that had been stuck to my head falls onto the desk. I look at it and see that I some of the ink had been damaged by me falling asleep on it. I can’t remember that last time I fell asleep at this desk was. My muscles and joints are yelling at me for it though.
I go through my normal routine. The only exception is that I didn’t eat at Joe’s, since I didn’t feel like talking about anything with him. I played it off by buying enough donuts for everypony at the office and wanting to get work done. It’s not that I don’t trust him, it’s just I’m not really sure if anypony would understand what I was going through. A loss of a book, some might just consider that laughable, others may want to know why the book was so important and I wouldn’t want to get into that topic.
At the office, the reject paper was there along with some other articles. I sit and eat one of the two donuts I took for myself and look up at the ceiling. Last night was a bust and I still couldn’t figure out where to go next. I can’t rightly spy around that place, they found my camera. I can’t stake it out from above, even if I were a pegasus watching from a cloud I couldn’t be that close to the Royal palace to view it and to far I couldn’t see anything but dots. The pony, that I saw deliver my letter; I didn’t see his mark just his colors and searching for ponies colors would take too long. It would also require too many bits to grease those wheels or draw too much attention to me if I went looking myself.
The only thing to take my brain off of this was work. Beautiful mind numbing work is a good cure to problems. I grab the papers off of the in box and look at them. I quickly drop them and my jaw as I look at the box. There in all of its beaten glory was my notebook. I was speechless. I grabbed it, inhaled its musty secnt and hugged it.
“Wait.”

Why is there an undertone smell of freshness and glue? Those foreign odors stopped me from going full joy in a spilt second. I inspect it from the sides, as I start undoing the string holding it shut. The edges don’t look right at all.
“They didn’t. No. This would just be too good.”

There on the first page was a brand new piece of paper. It’s edges crisp and bright, just like all the pages underneath.
“They switched the notebook! UGH!”
The writing on the first page said ‘You should keep that which is truly noteworthy in a book like this. Love, Your Friends’

The notebook was sent sailing across the cubical slamming into the door. I breathed heavily after the throw and my blood was boiling. Bolts of static electricity were making popping noises on my horn.
“FRIENDS?! They replace my book with a fake and dare call themselves my friends?! Just throw it it in my face that I lost to them will they?”

Words started flying out of my mouth almost incoherently curse words and just random strings of words that may not have been truly insulting but you’d understand the meaning I had put into it with the pure hatred in my voice.

After twenty minutes or so of ranting and raving I was slowing down. I collected myself just glad nopony else was here. I’m sure they would have reported me or worse try to calm me down. The level of rage I was at I probably would have directed it at them and I don’t even want to think where that would ended.
“The audacity of them!”

That was the last thing I had to say about the notebook switch. I pick the fake one back up and the writing on first page was gone. Most have been some different type of magic spell. I flip through the pages and there were all my articles that made it to print. Page after page it was in chronological order each article careful cut from the paper it had come from. Oddly there were some pictures of me here and there that I hadn’t taken nor were ever submitted. None of them seemed like I was doing anything special. In fact, it looked like I was by myself or far from anypony around, usually deep in thought or messing with notes and pens.

This notebook was collection of me, not like the other one which was the inner me that I could talk to and share myself with it. The old notebook was so much more to me. This new one obviously had some effort put into it but it’s like they killed my dog that I’ve had for years and just tried to replace it with a hamster. I may have been indecisive before but this… this poor excuse for my notebook had just riled me.

Ok they know who I am; everything I’ve written; possible had some surveillance on me; they had my notebook or have destroyed it. They stopped my efforts at getting photos of them. I don’t know anything about them but they must know all about me. So if they know me they may know or think they know what I’m going to do, so I just have to do something that I would do to get the drop on them.
“It’s so simple it might work” I mumbled.

Working up until an hour before lunch, I kept thinking of things that I might or might not do. I blazed through all the sent back papers I even organized and cleaned up the “Royal Gardens At Night” article, affixing a note about pending photos being processed. I still didn’t have any idea of what to do though. Then Grey Mare Trotter came and asked for my finished pieces. I hoofed them over and she stared at me briefly.
“What’s got you looking so out of it today Truth?”
“Nothing… I just lost my other notebook.” I replied holding up the fake one.
“Oh… you should go wherever you last had it and ask around.” She smiled.
“Umm… thanks …I guess I’ll do that later” I respond not really caring.
“Well, I hope you find it. Bye”
“See you later Grey” I said as she trotted off.
Social interactions have never really been my cup of tea. It is usually just drivel; banter; or repeating whatever you saw, heard, read or have been indoctrinated to respond with. With my line of work, it is a necessary evil, which I try to limit my daily intake of. Just get the facts and views. Then get hay out.
“Phhtt just ask someponies, like hay I’d do that.” I uttered.

Flashing lights went off in my head. I don’t think that I’d ever do that. They would probably think I’d never do that. I’m a lone wolf and they’re a pack or flock… they’re some large group of something that I would never take head on. At least that’s how I thought they would think that I think.

Donning my trust satchel I mean saddle bags. I put the fake notebook in and signed out of work. They must know that I want it back and think that I might slink around and be sneaky they got another thing coming. Truth is coming.

//-- Star --/
“This paperwork is flipping tedious” I complain to nopony.

Filling out the four tack bravos in triplicates had taken the majority of my morning. It’s not like I needed to do them but it is procedure. Tartarus would freeze over before I would completely disregard all procedure. Granted if it really was training it should have been filed beforehoof, but there was definitely no way I’d let anypony see me disregard what I uphold around here. Luckily I have the benefit of making the paperwork go smoothly and faster than anypony else since I review almost every document that passes through here. So it’s fair to say I know those common mistakes and the more elusive errors that pass past every pony, but me. Also I can sign off my own documents for the boss. I smile at that one. I could order a whole new office desk and all and it could be approved and paid for in fifteen minutes. Then be done before lunch. I’m not one to abuse my power like that, most of the time and definitely not by wasting money so frivolously.

All the other meetings and papers so far today breezed by pretty quickly. Just those dang papers toke the majority of my time. I wouldn’t have much left to do today after lunch. The downside to boss is I can’t really be as fun and outgoing as I used to be around here. I have to be more subtle and tame at work with the added responsibility of being the director.

Well it’s off to see that big old lug and get his ‘John Hoofcock” on these papers. I placed them in a protective notebook and slipped it into the saddlebag and throw it on. Heading out, I tell my executive assistant to handle the calls accordingly and that I’d be back after lunch. I get a few questions on the way out and quickly answer them as best possible or refer them to some pony that could help them. I swear a few of them it is like I have to hold their hoof through everything. I mean come on and grow a pair. The worst that has happened here, in the office, is a stern yelling. Make your own Celestia damn decision and live with it. I think I’ll have to have that stern talking to a the repeat offenders soon unless they change.

Getting to the final door out I tell Vigilant Eye, our number one security guard to note that I was heading out. “Vigil” as most ponies call him isn’t that bright or fast, but he can see everything. Even reading a book or asleep he just sees everything. One day I did ask ‘if he could see why foals like cinnamon toast hay cereal’ as a joke in the morning. When I was leaving for the day he busted out laughing scare the Luna out of me. It wasn’t until he repeated what I said that I knew what happened. He’s got his heart in the job and has never let us down. I do feel bad when some of the other guards get him to stand their watch, he’s a big softie and he’ll easily volunteer himself for more work. I smile and say goodbye to him he returns the smile and returns to the same book he’s been on for the past few weeks.

Trotting out, I stop abruptly. I know this stallion and his eyes are staring daggers into me. Odd, If I’ve ever done somepony wrong I’m sure I’d know about it. But there he is just radiating resentment and focusing it on me. He doesn’t even look like he’s about to say anything. I can’t’ see his mark, being blocked by his bags. I’m at a loss. The door shutting makes a loud thunk noise, combined with the atmosphere it caused me to jump a little.
“Umm…Do I know you?”
“I you or somepony in there does.” He steps one hoof closer.
“Ok. I don’t rightly know you. What business do you have here?” I stayed calm and still.
“All I want is my book back.”
“Your book back?”
“This one… The real one.” he levitates a dungy old notebook out and throw it at me.

The notebook unfurled as it was tossed I caught it and its pages settled and I say the articles and the side pictures of him. I quickly scan and pick out his name ’Shimmering Truth’. I remember his caseworker complaining about all the extra work he would have to do to keep the articles down. A lot of the articles covered subjects that they had caused or been a part of. So somehow our Department must have gotten his notebook and gave him a scrap book back. I laugh on the inside, that switch is so something I would have done if I still worked on the floor.
“I could look into it for you but I’m going to be running late.”
“I want my notebook back.”
“Here” I toss him the one he gave me.
“NO the REAL one!”
“I really will look into it for you, but not now.”
Truth wasn’t moving he wasn’t responding. It seems as though he won’t take my offer. I’m not going to be late just cause of some lone hotheaded stallion. I summon my powers and I feel the wondrous flow. Truth seemed to take my aura and eye change as a threat. He quickly made a shield and readied himself. Flash. Outside the Canterlot Place walls I look back and I figure Vigil will probably have an interesting watch. Truth will probably just run off if he knows what’s good for him
Hunter is waiting at the café for me. Obviously he arrived early by the sign of an empty glass. We chat and enjoy a nice meal. I pass the papers to him getting him to commit the explanation to memory and get him to sign all of them.
“You know you wouldn’t have to do these if you just used your powers the first time”
“I don’t care it was more fun this way and I got to see your surprised look twice when you thought you were just fighting me without all my power. It was totally worth any mountain of paperwork.”
“Well I still got to rest up some to restore my energy I’ll see you later.”
“Later Hunter. Thanks for lunch.”

The trip back to the agency didn’t take long. I open the door and see Vigil still reading the book. I’m not sure if I ever stayed around him long enough to see him flip a page.
“Vigil I’m back. Anything happen?”
“Yup. Trespasser that refused to leave.”
“Is he in one of the rooms I take it?”
“Yup. One tack One. I knocked ‘im out, put a MagRest on him and tied ‘im up for good measure. Clean Slate is checking him out.”
“Thanks Vigil!” I happily say.

If Clean Slate is on it I can just wait for his report. So I head back to my office.

“Miss Directing.” Says a green coated stallion with a blue shaggy mane.
“Clean, please just call me Star. So what’s up with our guest, Shimmering Truth?”
“I didn’t know you knew his name.”
“I ran into him outside before lunch, but I didn’t feel like dealing with him at the time.”
“Well he came in and gave vigil a hard time demanding his notebook and tried to enter the facility. So Vigilant handled it quickly. I ran a check on him to see if I could wipe the notebook, but his memories of it are so intertwined with his whole life.”
“Ok so…”
“The best option I could think would replace today’s memories and have it so he believes the notebook was destroyed.”
“That should work just well.”
“But… there is a problem with that there seems to be a botched still running spell in his mind. I don’t believe I could fix the spell that’s in there now and casting another with a still active spell may have repercussions.”
“… nothing is ever just easy around here is it.”
“Yes Miss. I mean Star.”
“Can we just give him the notebook back?”
“No. What heard from the R&I-Team, it contains some class one through four materials.”
“Right and we can’t very well release class three or four once in our possession. I’m guessing purging wouldn’t work either since the pony would grow suspicious of the removed items.”
“Exactly Miss”
“… I’ll take care of this from here. Thanks for the brief Clean Slate.”
“No problem ma’am” he bows his head and leaves.