Celestia sat tall behind her desk while one of her ministers rambled on about the latest problems the Empire was facing. First, there was the situation with the Griffonian Republic moving an army suspiciously close to the border. Next, the Zebria government was looking for reparations for a diplomatic crisis caused by her thrice-damned nephew making a crude and racist joke at the ambassador's expense. It wouldn't have been as bad had he not then drunkenly ordered the offended official to "go clean the palace, like a good Zebra." The list of disasters went on and on. Finally, the minister finished. She waved her hand. "Thank you. You are dismissed." He bowed and walked out. As the door clicked shut behind him, she collapsed onto her desk.

"UUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH," she groaned as she got up and surveyed the city from her window. "Why? Why is everything going wrong? We haven't had this much trouble in 500 years. Why now?" She whispered to herself. She turned to look at her wine closet. No, she had given up the habit. She wouldn't go back to that. "What else can go wrong?" she thought to herself. Just then, she heard running footsteps coming down the hallway. The Solar Empress hit herself on the forehead. "Why did I have to ask?" A soldier came bursting through a door. "Your Majesty!" He panted, bowing. "I bring dire news. HE has escaped." Celestia massaged her forehead. "Who escaped? Please be straightforward. I've had a rough day." She looked at his face and saw it was as white as hers. "Midnight," he whispered. Celestia stared at him, then made a mad dash towards the wine cabinet.

Four people sat in the briefing room. One stood at the front, in front of a screen. Luna began. "Your objective this time is to bring in your former counterparts. This is not a job to be taken lightly. These people were, and still are, the best of the best, matched only by you. A full profile is in your folder. I expect you to become extremely familiar with it, but I will go over the basics."

She pulled up a picture. "Wingbeat, AKA Lust. Preferred weapon: shotgun. Arguably the least dangerous of them all. Despite this, she managed to take out an entire platoon of rebels on her own. She is remarkably adept at communicating with animals and having them do what she wants. She has a large dire wolf named Angel with her at all times. Something happened to her in their fight against Discord, though our doctors were not able to analyse her before she disappeared into the woods."

Another picture came up. "Scarcity, AKA Envy. Preferred weapons: dual sub machine guns. A master of illusion magic and disguise. He has a little sister, Sweetie Belle, whom he lives with in a clothing store in Ponyville. He has a sizable fortune, as he has sold much of his wares to the rich and famous. He has been quiet since the Buckshot incident, which makes it strange that he would throw in with Midnight now."

She brought up another picture. "Red Velvet, AKA Gluttony. Preferred weapon: greatsword. He is specially trained in demolitions, and has normal training in unarmed combat, armed combat, and everything in between. He works as a baker in Ponyville, renting a house above Sugarcube Corner. He recently was captured by a rebel faction, though I doubt he'll be there for long. He has the unique ability to "supercharge" his body while sitting still, giving him vastly increased strength and speed. He is a formidable opponent."

Click. " Tornado Warning, AKA Greed. Preferred weapon: sniper rifle. He has gone through all training our military has to offer. He is a master pilot, and can take an target down from a mile and a half away. His wings make him very agile, and he has the ability to accelerate at a rate that would kill most people, so watch out."

Click. "Buckshot, AKA Sloth. Preferred weapon: minigun. He is presumed dead by his team and the general public, but he is alive and well. He was genetically altered by Midnight to take on some of the physical traits of a dragon. As such, he has iron hard skin, superhuman strength, and a limited ability to breath fire. He has a family living in Ponyville, two sisters and a grandmother. He has been living in the Everfree Forest for the past five years, having no contact with civilization for that time. He usually is the most straightforward of the team, never beating around the bush. So he will shoot first, and probably not ask questions later."

Click. "And finally, your primary objective, Midnight, AKA Pride. He was the personal student of Celestia since he was age eight, therefore having an understanding of politics and maneuvering. He is a master strategist, able to run in circles around the most intelligent military minds. He is proficient in all combat magics, so watch your step. He has been held in my prison for the past 5 years, not making any move, before escaping 72 hours ago. The only reason we found out was because the base did not make the routine security calls. When we tried to go up, the enchantments were sabotaged. It took our sealbreakers two days to crack the spell. When we finally got in the prison, all of the guards had been knocked out and tied up, and the transmissions blocked. It is unknown how he escaped, as all tapes were erased. This shows how cunning he is, and how dangerous. He also has a genius level intellect, allowing him to invent things far past what our researchers can. He has a dragon, Spike, that he received as an egg when he started with Celestia. It is intensely loyal to him, and is usually the team's fallback, kill everything that moves plan, earning it the nickname Wrath."

The screen went dark. Luna turned to her operatives. The four of them sat to attention. "This mission needs to be in the utmost subtlety. I want no new crises. Octavia, I expect you to keep Vinyl under control." Octavia sighed as Vinyl grinned crazily and leaned back in her chair. "Whooves, I expect you to give me with a list of supplies and gear that you need." The Doctor nodded. "And Derpy, I'm placing you in charge. Do not disappoint me." One golden eye coldly met her gaze, the other covered by an eyepatch. Luna grinned crookedly. "Now ride, my Horsemen."

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait, but I had a bit of writer's block. Please comment on what you like or don't like about the story, so I can improve. Thanks for everyone who has read this so far. :)