Prologue
Spitfire looked over her paperwork for what felt like the fortieth time, hoping that, this time, she'd find something different at the end of it. Pleeeeease let this all add up at the bottom. Please let it be enough.
She'd cashed in a small portion of her savings on a small lofted apartment on the main drag in Roanopah. She'd been able to earn enough on the side assisting the weather ponies and tending bar at Barn's Place. Earn enough, anyway, that she didn't have to dip further into her savings to sustain herself. Over the last few months, however, the inactivity started to gnaw at her. The years of routine still compelled her to wake up at sunrise, but after that she drifted aimlessly through and around town, looking for idle amusements.
After the third time she picked a fight with Dust Devils in the Roanopah Plains, she decided that she needed a new hobby.
Her amber eyes returned back to the heading of the application. Spitfire's Flight School....but not if I can't get it off the ground. Spitfire saw a ripe opportunity to do something worthwhile for her new neighbors. Her heart full of hope and fresh purpose, she set out to tutor the young pegasi in town. It had been going so well too. Thistledown was able to do more than just hover a few hands above the ground, and Zephyr was closer and closer to a major breakthrough each day.
And then bureaucracy reared its ugly head.
According to a very sympathetic local board member, Spitfire had to register her "Institution" with the Equestria Board of Education and about four other pointless government offices. More worryingly, she had to pay the registration fees. And therein lay the problem.
If I sold my loft, lived off of the land, and sold one of my kidneys as collateral for a loan, I might be able to afford half of these fees. Her ears drooped in sadness. She was afraid she might cry, but her tears were dried by a quickly mounting incandescent anger. Damn them all! I gave some of the best years of my life for Equestria, and when I try to keep bettering it...
She resisted the urge to throw things. This was eased by a small voice at the back of her mind that reminded her she couldn't afford to replace any of it. The tears threatened to come on again when there was a knock at her front door, followed by the sound of mail being pushed through the mail slot. Outside, a gray pegasus mare in a Royal Mail uniform took to the air somewhat unsteadily.
Grumbling to herself, Spitfire trotted over to the mail slot. There were a trio of envelopes on the floor. Sighing, she picked them up in her mouth and brought them back to her small kitchen table and sorted through them. The first was unremarkable, a mail-out flyer for Mayor Mare's re-election campaign. Don't know why. She's galloping away with it again this term.
The second letter was from her mother in Cloudsdale, dripping with concern for a daughter without a direction and filled with none-too-subtle leads about when there were going to be grand-foals zipping around. Spitfire rolled her eyes after that one. Celestia! I know she means well, but that's the third one this month! Promising herself to write back to her mother when she was in a less destructive mood, Spitfire turned to the last letter.
Of the three, this one was the largest. The front of the envelope had no return address, and the back had a lavender wax seal. Other than that and the overnight stamp, there was nothing else remarkable on the envelope. From the Royal Palace... I wonder what this could be.
*******
Several minutes later, every pigeon simultaneously lifted from the surrounding rooftops and every pony in earshot turned towards the thunderous shout that emerged from Spitfire's home.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE BUCKING KIDDING ME!?!"
Incredulous, Spitfire read through the letter again.
Dear Spitfire,
It has come to our attention that your schedule has become increasingly available lately. As such, and given the glowing recommendation given us by the Element of Loyalty, we seek your accompaniment on a mission to a new land. The crown will pay any price you deem worthy for your participation in this enterprise.
Regrettably, we are unable to divulge more details pertaining to the mission at hand. Should you wish to participate, report to Canterlot Castle in four days time.
Your royal sovereign,
-Princess Luna.
PS: Don't bother packing. Trust us, you won't need it.
-Princess Twilight Sparkle.
She couldn't believe it. They had the audacity, the sheer arrogance to ask for her help after the treatment she'd received! As she read through again, her amber eyes kept returning to one passage in particular ...any price you deem worthy...
Well tartarus, what do I have to lose?
Spitfire only stopped long enough to lock the front door and leave the keys with Mach Hunter at the barn, who promised to keep an eye out for the mail. After that she was winging her way towards Canterlot. The only thing she took with her besides the letter were a pair of vintage Hay-Ban sunglasses. She had a feeling she was going to make good on a promise.
*******
It took her the better part of the day to make the flight to Canterlot. She arrived shortly before sundown. Damn... I'm getting out of shape. As she touched down, a pair of uniformed Day Guards approached her. Panting, she held up a hoof for a second while she tried to catch her breath. "I'm... *gasp* here... *gasp* to see....*wheeze*... Princess Luna... *pant pant* I'm-"
One guard, a golden furred pegasus with a blue mane and tail, stepped forward. "Captain Spitfire, We've been expecting you. If you'll follow us, we'll conduct you to your briefing."
Captain? Something interesting's ahoof here. Spitfire was too winded to do anything other than nod and wordlessly follow the two guards.
They conducted her deep into the heart of the castle. After a walk that seemed almost as long as the flight, the gold furred pegasi opened the door to a conference room. "You can wait here, Captain. There's refreshments inside." As she passed by, the guard grinned at her, and she realized how young he looked. "It was a pleasure meeting you, ma'am."
Spitfire nodded at him and stepped into the conference room. The walls were stone, with shelves and cupboards in dark wood etched with intricate patterns. A long table, big enough to accommodate at least ten ponies a side, was built of the same dark wood inlaid with lighter, fine grained Everfree pine and mother of pearl. Of more immediate interest to Spitfire, however, was the tray of cucumber sandwiches and pitcher of iced water with lemon and lime wedges floating in it. Her stomach gurgled loudly.
Her sense of propriety and manners warred briefly with her mounting hunger before surrendering. Grabbing a plate and a cup, she poured herself a glass of the water and assembled a small pile of sandwiches. As she ate, she let her eyes roam around the conference room, taking in more details that she might have missed before.
Three identical manila folders lay in a neat row at one end of the table. Curious, she reached over and picked one up. It's funny, she thought to herself, a few months ago, I'd have waited for these to be passed out. Then again, I'm not in the military anymore... or am I? She thought back to the way Princess Luna had addressed her in the letter. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
She opened the folder. The first thing that her eyes landed on was the heading "The Human World-What it means for Equestria". What the... what IS this?
Ever more curious, Spitfire began reading.
*******
Spitfire lost track of time. It could have been ten minutes or ten hours later when the voice behind her spoke. "So, Captain Spitfire, you have some inkling for why we have requested your assistance on this mission." Almost on reflex, Spitfire stood and came to attention, holding a crisp salute which was returned casually by Princess Luna. Princess Twilight Sparkle turned from shutting the door to the conference room and nodded, looking entirely too self-conscious for royalty.
Spitfire let her hoof return to the floor. "Your highnesses. I... This is incredible. What you're proposing here..."
Princess Twilight gestured to the conference table. "Captain, perhaps we should take a seat. There's a few things I should explain to you first."
Princess Luna nodded, smiling enigmatically. "Indeed. Currently, Princess Twilight is the foremost authority on the human world."
The purple alicorn nodded and waited for the two to be seated. "All right. Captain, You've read through most of the reports I've assembled. How much have you gone through?"
Spitfire glanced down. There were one or two sheets left in the report that she hadn't read. "Pretty much all of it, your highness. But if what you're saying is true..."
Twilight nodded. "Our aim here is to go again to the Human world. As the Princess of Friendship, I feel duty bound not only to extend our hooves in friendship to those we meet, but also to learn from them wherever possible."
"I can respect that, ma'am. But if that's the case, I don't know what we can learn from them. By these reports, they have no magic... I mean, they can't even fly on their own."
"But, they have managed to fly using technology. And they've achieved a lot more in the last hundred years with regards to flight than we have in the last thousand." Twilight shrugged eloquently with her wings. "All we are looking for is the acquisition of knowledge. If we can learn anything that will allow pegasi to fly safer, or lead to better airship operation, this mission will have been worth it."
Spitfire nodded at that. "Ok, I see your argument there. But I have to ask..." She looked between the two alicorns. "Why me? I mean, I can name a half dozen other pegasi as qualified as I am-if not better!- that could better evaluate these prospects. All of them haven't been discharged from the military recently." Spitfire sighed and sat back. "I'm sorry. It's just... it's all a bit much to take in."
Princess Luna's enigmatic smile was replaced by a more concerned expression. "Captain, despite your own personal misgivings about this endeavour, we are certain that you are the right pony for this job. The personal recommendation of Rainbow Dash aside, I have seen your dreams." The weight of Luna's gaze made Spitfire gulp beside herself. I sure hope she didn't see that one I had a few nights ago with the Element of Honesty's brother. Something wicked flashed behind Luna's gaze and Spitfire felt herself flush a little. HORSEAPPLES!
Twilight coughed. "Regardless, after discussing it at length, we feel like there's no other pony we could trust with the same amount of expertise that you possess." For a minute, Twilight stopped looking like a young alicorn in way over her head and like someone who knew what she was talking about. "Spitfire, we can't force you to come along with us. But we feel that this mission won't be as effective without you."
Spitfire nodded. "Ok then... when do we leave?"
Twilight traded a glance with Luna, who nodded. "Tomorrow evening. Get some sleep, and report back here at sunrise." Twilights horn began glowing and a book levitated up onto the table before Spitfire. She glanced at the title: Life with Hands: My time amongst the Humans- Princess Twilight Sparkle. It was very thick.
Luna stood and walked towards the door. "I suggest you get some reading done, Captain. We're going to have a busy day tomorrow."
*******
Spitfire woke up early the next morning with the heavy book open over her face, the echoes of a knock on the door to her room dimming in her ears. "Captain Spitfire, this is your courtesy wake-up call. Compliments of Princess Luna, ma'am."
She resisted the urge to throw the book as hard as she could at the door. Instead, she settled for responding with increasing coherency. "mrrrgrrHHHRLH'm awake, soldier. I'll be out in a few minutes."
She paused to scoop up the book. It had fallen open on a chapter titled "Hamburgers: Existential Crisis, or Best Food Ever?". She made her way to the bathroom where she relieved herself and washed her face in the sink. After glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she took another minute to tease her mane and tail into a state that didn't resemble a flame colored bird's nest.
She emerged from her room a few minutes later wearing her Hay-Bans and followed the guard, trying to simultaneously read the book and keep from running into anypony else. In short, she read , it is best that you refrain from asking where your food came from. Especially if you find it delicious. Spitfire shook her head, wondering-and not for the first time- just what she was getting herself into.
Out of her peripheral vision, Spitfire saw a dark blue blur. She looked to her left and it resolved itself into Princess Luna who had fallen into step beside her. The taller alicorn nodded at her. "Good morning, Captain. I trust your quarters were to your liking?"
Spitfire nodded. "Very much so, your highness."
Luna smiled at that and looked up, her eyes somewhere faraway. "I should have said earlier, but your rank of Captain is a matter of convenience for this mission. We'll be dealing with military minded folk, and I thought it best that you should have a rank of some sort. You should know you are under no obligation to return to service, unless you wish it."
The implications of that weren't lost on Spitfire. If she wanted, she could have her commission back. Her life. Her sense of purpose. Before she had time to think about it further, her thoughts interrupted by the Luna speaking. "We are here."
They stood before a massive pair of doors. Spitfire folded the book and took a step forward, but Luna held a hoof in front of her, blocking her progress. "Before we enter Captain, there is something I should tell you."
Spitfire arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean, your highness?"
Luna fidgeted for a second. "There was... another criteria for your selection, Captain." She sighed. "The fact of the matter is Captain, you're expendable for this mission. As am I."
"Princess? How do you figure that?"
Luna looked up towards the vaulted ceiling, took a deep breath, and continued. "Think about it, Captain. You're outside of the normal rank structure of the Military now. If you're lost on this mission, there's no-one that needs replacing. There is less paperwork involved for all parties." She looked back down at Spitfire and smiled ruefully. "Don't feel bad. I'm just as expendable as you are. Should something happen to me, my sister has practice doing my duties. She's done them for a thousand years." Suddenly Luna's smile became more genuine. "Besides, Celestia's gotten to go gallivanting off to different worlds willy nilly and she managed to dupe me into looking after her duties while she went for a hooficure and a full day at the spa. It's my turn to have a vacation in some outlandish alternate world." She nodded at the door. "Shall we?"
Spitfire nodded and pushed the door open. The room inside was tall, the ceiling lost in darkness. She was sure that she could perform a small aerobatics display with room to spare with the space available. In the middle of the room, a tall, stone framed mirror stood on a raised dais. Princess Twilight stood next to the mirror, her horn glowing faintly purple. A few seconds later, lines of runes began pulsing with the same faint purple light. Spitfire and Luna watched as Twilight worked, the smaller alicorn's eyes closed in concentration, her mouth moving wordlessly as she worked her way through the complex spellwork she was weaving. After a few seconds, beads of sweat broke out on her brow and the runes ceased pulsing and glowed brighter than before.
Twilight sagged in relief, breathing heavily. "Okay...It's ready." She turned and regarded Luna and Spitfire. "When you pass through the mirror, your contact should be on the other side. Good luck, both of you."
Spitfire did as best she could to refrain from gulping and mounted the dais alongside Luna. Twilight stepped before them before they could walk through the mirror. "One more thing, before you pass through."
Spitfire turned. "What is it, your highness?"
Twilight looked between Spitfire and Luna. "There's a better than average chance your bodies will be different on the other side of the mirror. Very different." Twilight shook her head. "Either way, try not to let it throw you off." She glanced up at Luna. "Either of you."
Luna smiled fondly down at Twilight. "Please, Twilight Sparkle. 'Twill be easy to adjust to any new changes. Whatever they may be."
Twilight stared up at Luna, incredulous. "Sure. Hold on to that thought." Twilight's horn glowed again, and a pair of small makeup compacts levitated their way in front of Luna and Spitfire. "These will allow you to communicate with me at any time. If you need an emergency passage back here, all you have to do is let me know."
Spitfire nodded. "Thank you, your highness. Is there anything else?"
Twilight shook her head. "It's all ready for you. Just... be careful."
Spitfire nodded and glanced up at Luna. "If you don't mind, I'd better go first. In case there is something unpleasant on the other side, I'd rather I faced if first."
Luna nodded agreement. "By all means, Captain Spitfire. After you."
Spitfire took a deep breath, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Then, trying to ignore the sense of unreality of walking through a seemingly solid object, she walked through the mirror.