It was around 3 am when Other Side heard the guards approach his house. He sat in the main room of his one story cottage, listening to the television play. He was one of the few ponies given the technology to pick up human satellite feeds. He had been watching a rerun of a show about some human doctor with a limp whose personality was not unlike Other’s.
Upon hearing the steady click of their hooves against the cobblestone walkway leading to his front door, he slid off his couch and hit the power button on the screen. As he neared his door, he heard it knock for him.
“One second, please.” He called calmly from inside as he pushed the door forward to allow the guards entry.
The guards, one a pegasus and the other a unicorn, stood at attention for the green earth stallion.
“Tell me, what exactly is the point of standing at attention for somepony who is blind?” He asked, tilting his head at the unmoving guards.
The pegasus guard glanced over at Other Side. He raised his brow upon seeing the milky white orbs staring back at him. The fact they were fixated on him sent a slight chill up his spine.
“Sorry, sir, it’s jus-”
“Please, don’t call me sir,” Other Side interrupted. “Formalities do not suit me.”
“Apologies, si- Other Side,” The pegasus replied, correcting himself.
Other Side nodded. “I assume you are here because my input is required for some case?”
The guards nodded in unison. “Celestia asked to speak with you personally.”
Other Side paused momentarily before asking, “Did she? I haven’t spoken with her in years.” He walked past the guards and exited his own house. “Has she told you anything about the case? Or are you just messenger boys?”
The guards turned to face each other, sharing a confused look. The unicorn replied, “No sir, we were only sent to lead you to the base to speak with her majesty.”
Other Side closed his eyes and sighed. “I had a feeling. Well, if one of you would shut the door behind you on your way out, we can be on our way.”
The guards nodded and followed Other Side, the unicorn shutting the door behind him.
~
When the three ponies finally reached the base, their leader stood by the gates, waiting patiently for them. Other Side bowed to the snow white Alicorn before him. She bowed curtly in return. Celestia and Other Side entered the base together, the guard taking their place back at the entrance.
“You didn’t tell them I can see, did you?” Other Side asked, keeping his head forward.
Celestia looked at him and pursed her lips. “I didn’t think your vision was a matter they needed to be bothered with.”
Other Side chuckled softly. “So, this case must be a big deal, if something as trivial as my eyes is considered ‘need-to-know’.”
“It is,” Celestia said flatly. “Usually we give cases to the guard to investigate for some time. If they can’t get anywhere, we call you in.”
“I... Know,” Other Side said with a taste of condescension in his voice. “Did you bring me out here to state the obvious?”
“I brought you out here because I don’t trust the guard anymore.”
Other Side was shocked by Celestia’s statement. He stopped in his tracks and gawked slightly. “You don’t trust the guard? The guard you just sent to retrieve me? Just how little do you trust them?”
“Honestly,” she began, “I fear my own life.”
Other Side raised a brow. “And you sent them to get me? The one pony you do trust to find out whatever in Tartarus is happening. You don’t think they might have killed me?”
Celestia kept walking on. “It’s a risk I had to take.”
“You had to take?” Other Side retorted. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Indeed,” Celestia said shortly. “Well change is a dangerous thing. Change can turn the tides of a fruitless war.”
Other Side momentarily stopped in his tracks, feeling the weight in the princess’s words. “Why did you bring me in? I know you call me in for difficult cases, but this is different, I can tell.”
Celestia pauses as well. “Just follow me.”
She lead Other Side through a series of weaving hallways, the torches growing dimmer the deeper they traveled. They finally approached a large doorway labeled, “Royal Quarters, No Entry Without Permission”. Celestia heaved the doors open and beckoned Other Side in.
They were both greeted by the low humming of machinery all around them. Computers lined the concrete walls of the massive hub of the Equestrian Secret Corps database. In the center of the massive square room, a large circular base structure shot holograms above it, mapping the entirety of the small planet Equestria resided on. Pony scientists encircled the massive digital map, talking amongst themselves, sharing information and reviewing data that they frequently called up onto the hologram.
“Well this is new.” Other Side said, half amazed. “How many humans died to get these toys?”
“None.” Celestia replied, matter of factly.
“How many Ponies?”
Celestia’s eyes squinted for a brief moment. “The reason I called you here is because we recently lost one of our newest and most technologically advanced bases to an as of yet unknown weapon.”
Other Side glanced around the room. “No guards allowed in here, I assume?”
Celestia made a sound of confirmation. "Only myself and my research staff are allowed beyond those doors."
“How do you know the room isn’t bugged?”
"I have placed my strongest isolation spell around the walls of this room, and we use the most up to date data encryption and the best signal fryers humans can manufacture.”
“Indeed.” Other Side said sarcastically. “Where do I fit into all of this?”
“I need your eyes.”
“Clearly, for what?”
“I need you to find out the cause of the explosion”
Other Side opened his mouth to respond, only to pause and shoot the princess a confused look. “It must have been a human attack, was it not?”
“That would make sense,” Celestia began. “Were it not for the fact that the weapon’s epicenter originated in the deepest floors of the base, past uncountable checkpoints and security measures.”
Other Side lowered his head. “Possibly a Doppel?”
Celestia shook her head. “We have spells AND technology to detect Doppels now.”
“So that’s why you don’t trust the guard?” The pony replied, tilting his head in thought.
“Exactly.”
“Well,” Other Side said, approaching the Princesses side. “what kind of weapon are we talking about?”
“One that fries technology, and vaporizes every organic being in a 5 mile radius of the epicenter.”
“Interesting.”
“Not the word I’d use” Celestia muttered, grimacing.
“That’s why I used it, Princess. Magic or Human?”
"I beg your pardon?" Celestia asked, turning to the blind stallion.
"The weapon" Other Side said, glancing back. "Was it human technology or of magical origin?"
Celestia glanced downward. “That’s the other question I was hoping you could answer.”
“Perfect. I’m walking into a fucking ground zero of an unknown weapon detonated by our own kind.” Other Side turned from the alicorn, rolling his eyes.
“You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t of the utmost importance.”
Other Side surveyed the Princess suspiciously. He saw a look of great concern on her face through the misty haze he called his vision. After a few moments, he shrugged and turned towards the hologram. “Of course I wouldn’t. Now, when do I begin?”
