There she lay, in the dead of night, waiting to hear that certain pitch of snore she'd long since taught herself that assured her the other mare in the room was asleep. mentally preparing herself for what she had to do. Admittedly, her earlier actions might not have been fully, to the letter, what she was ordered to do, but she'd carried out her goals and the only two watching where none the wiser.
Sneaking with the skill that came from great amounts of practice, she slipped into the hallway, closing the door softly behind her as she almost glided through the second floor hall, pausing only to look in on the building's owners and proprietors. It was odd to her this sight, after hearing stories throughout the academy about that great cadet with the potential to be-
Blinking the thoughts from her head, she moved on. Once the decommissioning was finished, that cadet ceased to be, any memory of this life removed and replaced, it didn't matter or help to think on What-Ifs.
Slinking quietly, she moved down the stairs and out the door, into the empty, dimly lit streets of the small town. Thankfully, she had plenty of time to make it to the rendezvous point for her debriefing. Like a shadow, she moved quickly, unseen, unheard by anypony towards the edges of the nearby forest, and through it's border. She made good time, only needing roughly fifteen minutes to find the cave in question. It was only after a short trot in she found herself surrounded by gems, treasures and...a dragon...
A large, green, fully grown dragon...
The great wyrm growled, bringing it's head down and looking her over closely, smoke billowing from it's nostrils.
And she stuck out her tongue.
The growling stopped, the dragon inspecting her even more closely. Drawing back, he allowed her to pass.
"Welcome, Agent Stone. You are expected," the dragon's deep voice echoed in her bones as well as the walls of the cave, causing a few treasure slides on the larger piles.
"Thank you," she answered blankly, nodding as she passed him. In the shadows of the back of the cave chamber, she came to a small, staircase-like assortment of stones. After the first few dozen steps downward, the stones evened out into actual steps, a spiral staircase taking her a few stories beneath the forest floor and to a small cave chamber guarded by a pair of armored bat-ponies. Again, she opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue, revealing an ornate tattoo on the floor of her mouth.
After a few moments inspection, the bat-ponies nodded silently, a section of wall opening behind them. Trotting through the silent halls as if she'd been there before, she found the door to the room slated for her debriefing. She paused, if only for a second. Despite her unbroken outward appearance of complete boredom, she was nervous. This was her first real debriefing as an agent, a milestone in her career, her real career. Biting back her nervousness, she entered the room.
It was...not what she'd expected, though her face refused to show her surprise. As a cadet and junior agent, she'd always been debriefed with a large team, only the lead agent doing any real talking, and it had always been in the sterile, white room with a one-way mirror at the other end of the room. This room was...well, probably older. It was, as with the rest of the complex, carved from the bedrock itself. A fireplace at one end, an old wood table, the entire room looked as if it belonged in an old castle.
"Welcome, Agent Stone." Her attention was pulled to the figure standing by the fireplace, and while the shadows made it difficult to discern much, the bipedal stance of the figure made it very easy to know who was speaking to her.
"Agent Ember," Stone nodded stoically.
"Scotch?" He offered an a deep voice belying his size, swirling the tumbler in his claw, "Seventy years old. We're both early and I find a good drink can help one loosen up at times like this."
"No thank you," She politely declined as he approached, "I don't really like alcohol."
"I wonder if that will change," Ember chuckled, "We all have our vices in our line of work, things that help keep us stable." Downing the rest of his drink, Ember sighed at the pleasant burn before facing her again, finding her staring a bit, "Let me guess, I'm not what you expected."
"No, sir," Stone replied without hesitation, "Not considering some of the stories they still tell about you around the academy."
"Ah, yes." he smiled, revealing a fair number of diamond strong teeth, "Fifth fastest graduating time in the academy's history, best physical combat scores in a century, of course," he held up a hand, letting the firelight glint off the sharp claws, "I had a bit of an advantage."
"Actually, most of the stories I heard were about you and Cadet Bar."
That chased his smile off pretty quickly, moving to a small table near the fireplace and uncorking a bottle, "Ah, yes, I suppose some of our little...Trysts would be worth a story or two."
"I think being caught mid-coitus in the headmasters' office is more than a tryst," She deadpanned, before adding, "Sir."
"I suppose," Ember smiled wistfully, pausing as he refilled his drink, "By Celestia, I miss her."
Silence reigned for a few moments before Stone spoke, "I must admit, she looked different than I expected as well, sir."
"Because that's not her," Ember said, staring into the flames as he nursed his scotch, "That mare you saw was somepony else completely, with a husband and children, a life all her own," He sighed, "Bar died when she chose to be decommissioned." Breaking his stare, he looked to Stone, "I suppose you've heard that story as well?"
Silent for a moment, Stone nodded, "She had some of the best scores the academy had ever seen, but was unable to handle her final test." Stone said curtly.
"It was a bit more than that, but basically that's it." Ember sighed, "Our final was to dispose of a small gang in Manehattan. Mostly just a dozen griffins or so with a few ponies in the mix. They'd been selling illicit substances and most of them had at least one murder under their belt. We were supposed to take care of them quickly and quietly, while pinning it on a rival gang. But when the chips came down...She couldn't do it." Downing his drink, he moved to get another refill.
Stone stood quietly, not really sure how to respond. She knew the final test was what really separated cadets from real agents, some even had to be decommissioned for their own safety after they failed. her own had gone almost catastrophically wrong and had nearly cost an instructing agent, her own mentor, her life. It was only because they'd accomplished their goal and the greater blame had been placed on another cadet that she hadn't been decommissioned.
"I suppose it's for the best," Ember spoke, breaking Stone's contemplation, "I've seen what can happen when somepony forces themselves too much in our line of work."
Stone nodded, "Pressure can make a rock into a gem, or destroy it completely."
"A fair analogy if ever I heard one," Ember smiled sadly, raising his glass, "To Cadet Bar, the best partner and best flank I ever laid eyes on. Cheers." The agent downed the nearly full glass in one go before moving to refill again.
"I believe you've had enough, Agent Ember."
Stone's spine went straight, her blank expression shattering into surprise at that voice.
"I suppose you're right Sharp-Eye," Ember nodded as he set down the bottle and glass.
Stone turned slowly as Sharp-Eye closed the door behind her. Stone vaguely noticed a few files held under her wing, but her attention was pulled more toward the Senior Agents patch-covered eye. She quickly looked away, but knew Sharp-Eye had noticed.
Calmly walking to the table, Sharp-Eye placed the files and a tape recorder on the table, opened the folder and began, "It is the 22nd day, forth month of the second year of Luna's Return. This is the official debriefing of field agents involved in mission number 07251974, Codenamed Rock and Awe. Senior Agent codenamed Sharp-Eye presiding, Agent Stone?"
"Present," Stone nodded curtly.
"Agent Ember?"
"Here."
"Very well. For the record, please reiterate the events leading to the mission, Agent Ember."
Ember rolled his eyes before starting, "Several months ago, Pony of Interest Rarity was abducted by a group of diamond dogs operating in a small patch of local badlands. The PoI was retrieved without major trouble, but further investigation revealed this pack was operating with permission or permit and was placed on the agency's watch list while our liaison with the Pack Council in the Southern Badlands worked to identify them. The pack was confirmed as a group of small time criminals wanted for minor crimes in numerous countries, mostly theft and poaching. They had been kept under surveillance until a few days ago when three junior cadets spotted some of them attempting to abduct a traveling mare. The assailants were driven off and minor amnesia inducing drugs were administered to the mare to maintain the cadets cover before she was returned to her home."
"It was found that a number of other abductions had taken place, so actions were taken. The plan for the mission was for Agent Stone to create a distraction that would either be impossible to trace to anypony or would appear to be a natural accident."
"Agent Stone?"
Steeling herself, Stone began, "My original plan was to trigger a rock slide. The three leaders of the pack routinely left their caves around the same time daily. The main entrance and exit came out a small mountain with a steep incline. The original plan was to have a rainstorm take place the night before. the wet ground and steep incline would make a terrain slide seem obvious and inevitable."
"And?" Sharp-Eye questioned.
"We had to move up the time tables," Stone continued, "Agent Ember contacted me trough my earpiece that the pack was moving, they were afraid that the Pack Council had found them. At the time I was in the presence of Ponies of Interest Pinkamena Pie and Rainbow Dash. I wasn't able to break cover and I wouldn't be able to get to the site in time. As we wanted to avoid being tied directly to the operation, I had agent Ember feed me coordinates and...I threw a rock."
"You threw a rock,.." Sharp-Eye deadpanned.
"She's underselling herself," Ember chuckled, "That 'rock' was a slab of granite weighting at least a full ton, and it dropped right on Rover's head, and the shock-wave sent Fido and Spot into the wall hard enough to set off an actual rock slide and take out them and a good number of the pack. Thankfully the cages holding the ponies had already been moved away from the cave entrance. I used the dust cloud to slip in and bite off the cage locks while what was left of the pack scattered. The freed ponies went to get authorities and the guard is rounding up what's left of the pack. Mission accomplished."
The room was quiet as Sharp Eye wrote in the file. After a few moments, she set down her pen. "These accounts coincide with documents and evidence. Thank you for your time, Agents, this concludes the debriefing for mission 07251974." Hitting the stop button on the tape recorder, Sharp-eye turned to Ember, "Thank you, Agent Ember, you are dismissed."
"Woo," Ember said, not even halfheartedly, "Back to protection detail. No booze, no babes, be still my racing hearts. Did the director at least-"
"The director has denied your request," Sharp-Eye said pointedly, "Until Celestia feels your charge is ready, she will not be read into the Agency's existence or your position as her guard."
"Of course," Ember sighed as he moved to the door, his voice changing to a younger, higher pitch, "I'll bet he's still holding a grudge for me accidentally setting his tail on fire in the academy, the vain, narcissistic son of a-" Ember's grumbling died out as the door closed.
Turning back, Stone felt herself freeze under the stare of the senior agent. After a moment's silence, Sharp-Eye smiled, "How have you been, rookie?"
"Fine, Ma'am," Stone said mechanically.
"You can look me in the eye, you know," Sharp-Eye said with a smirk.
Feeling guilt well up inside her, Stone raised her head, looking eye to...
Wait...
"Like it?" Sharp eye asked, her eye-patch lifted, "The boys in R&D made it. It's not perfect, and it's a pain in the flank to get it to line up right, but it works and it sees."
"I'm sorry."
"And I told you you've got nothing to be sorry for," Sharp-Eye assured the young agent.
"But it was my fault," Stone said morosely, "You took the arrow that-"
"You dodged, I didn't," Sharp-Eye shrugged, "It's tough, but it happens. I just look at it this way, I'm alive, healthy and I get to spend more time with my girls now." Taking a moment, she draped a wing over the younger agent's shoulder, "Stone, I put my life on the line in that mission just the same as you, and sometimes all our comrades don't come back. Mourning a loss is fine, but I'm not dead, I'm no less an agent than I was then, and if you act like I am, I kick your sorry flank so hard your cutie mark will be on your muzzle. The past is the past and you can't change it, and it was my mistake to make. I don't expect you to lose your life for me on purpose, and you shouldn't be so quick to say you'd rather throw your life away than I lose an eye, you understand Agent Stone?"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am."
"Good, dismissed," Sharp-eye watched her leaving," And don't be afraid to write, rookie."
"...Yes, Ma'am."
(((((((((())))))))))
It was with a slightly lighter heart that Stone made her way back through town, the moon still high in the sky. She slipped back into the building and was just about in bed-
"Maud?" her sister asked sleepily, followed with a yawn, "What are you doing up?"
"Boulder needed a walk," Maud said unflinchingly without missing a beat.
Blinking a couple times, Pinkie yawned again, "Okie-dokie. Night night."
"Good night, Pinkie."
Author's Note
My entry to the Writers Training Ground #12. Just sorta came out like this, tell me what you think.
Can anyone tell me the significance of the mission number? 
EDIT: Keulan742 got it. 07251974 or 07-25-1974 is Lauren Faust's birthday
