Mike Sierra

“What happened here?”

“We were attacked.”

“By whom?”

“… we don’t know. They were like ghosts…

“They could see in the dark and struck from the shadows…

“They were without fear, but their presence seeded terror into our hearts…

“…nothing could stop them…”

// Griffon Empire, 30km from Equestria border
// Operation: ROMEO DARK

“One griffon on patrol. Sights hot.”

Hooking my hooves over the edge of the balcony I pulled myself up, just enough to expose the top of my helmet and four colourless eyes. Peering through the green haze of my night optics, I got a good look beyond the balustrade running the perimeter of the balcony. If the lone griffin sniper walking a fairly erratic patrol pattern could even see me he might have thought I was an alien invader come to probe him.

The quad-lens GPNVGs – ground-pounder night vision goggles – oriented horizontally in front of my eyes did indeed look quite strange and alien. Nopony could deny it looked intimidating as hell too. But even in the dead of night my vision was unmatched. Unlike the griffon on patrol.

The griffon male was a typical specimen of half-eagle-half-lion. Walking on all fours with a long lion-like tail whipping back and four and the grand wings folded to his sides, his gaze zipped from side to side like a bird searching for prey. And in a way he was.

Unfortunately for him, we had already found our prey. And he was completely unaware of it.

“Solid copy.” A voice beside me echoed in my headset. “Weapons to condition-one. Hold for my order.”

As she said it, behind me I could hear several clicks of weapons chambering rounds and safeties being checked. Turning to my left, I watched the team leader hang from the side of the balcony the same way I did.

Twilight Sparkle wasn’t wearing a helmet or a set of night vision goggles, letting her long sapphire blue mane with streaks of rose and violet hang loose. Like the rest of her team, she was all about keeping things streamlined. She had low light optics fitted to her rifle, so when she wanted positive confirmation of her target she’d be ready to shoot at the same time. Though for the rest, her battle dress uniform was exactly the same as my own.

Covered from her neck down to her fetlocks in a dark grey bodysuit hiding her lavender coat from view, articulated black kevlar padding armoured up her sleek athletic form. Her rear hooves were covered in a set of armoured boots, with lighter ‘socks’ covering the front.

The socks made weapons handling easier, and the boots on the rear hooves ensured a well-placed buck was much more devastating than a normal kick.

Balanced on her spine was her assault pack holding all the necessary survival supplies an operator needed in the field. For everything she needed to hoof to fight with she had a tactical-rig; pouches rigged to her flanks and her sides, holding equipment like her magazines, combat knife, grenades and a magical hard point from which her Raider assault rifle hung.

In the bushes below us was the rest of Twilight Sparkle’s team, codenamed Mike Sierra. Like myself, each of them were clandestine operatives working outside Equestria’s public view. The only difference between us was the fact that they spent ninety-percent of their time in the field, in combat. I usually spent half of my time driving operations like these from an op-centre miles from the action.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t keep up. In fact I’d been itching for some field work lately, and my attachment to Mike Sierra had been just what the doctor ordered.

Ahead of us, the griffon reached the end of his patrol and reared up onto his rear lion paws. His front claws hooked over the balustrade of the balcony as he started taking in the dark landscape beyond. We were thirty clicks into the Griffon Empire border. The landscape wasn’t quite as vertical or as barren as it was further into the empire. The smooth rolling hills, thick forests and lush fields of green recognisable from Equestria were still prominent. And smacked right in the middle of the country side a stone’s throw away from the border was the griffon mansion. Though to the trained eye it looked more like a compound than a country mansion.

The perimeter walls were topped with razor wire. The front gate was solid steel. Towers were manned by griffon snipers. Armed patrols walked the halls and courtyards regularly.

The only lightly guarded area was the balcony attached to the master bedroom. But that was about to change.

“Aye-jay,” Twilight Sparkle whispered into her headset, the enchanted gem embedded into the ear-muff letting out a soft glow as it received and transmitted messages at the same time.

The reply from the team sniper up in the hills cradling a long range rifle came almost immediately. “Yup.”

A simple, to the point, effective reply, for which as an equally simple, to the point and effective order; “Send it.”

“Yup,” Applejack repeated.

There was no sound. Just a short splash of pink light against the griffon’s forehead. As soon as it had ignited, it went dark again. The flash was so quick, my NVGs didn’t even notice, nor bothered to compensate.

The griffon’s head snapped back, and with googly eyes he dropped to the deck with a quiet ‘thud.’ The round from Applejack’s rifle left a small scorch mark where the magic in the projectile had evaporated the bullet and rendered the griffon unconscious. He’d be laying there for a good couple of hours. Ample time for us to finish our job.

Dropping the griffon patrolling the balcony was actually the hard part. The rest was a fairly trivial affair. Twilight and I clambered up over the balustrade and swept the balcony with our eyes to make sure we were clear. Strafing to the nearest window, I peeked inside to make sure there was no movement in the bedroom.

Satisfied we were clear, I nodded to Twilight, who in turn leaned over the balustrade we’d just scaled and nodded down at the rest of the team.

Below, three ponies shifted. The pegasi Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy grabbed their earth-pony fellow Pinkie Pie by the tac-rig and lifted her into the air. They scaled the outer wall and the balcony railing in half the time it had taken Twilight Sparkle and myself.

Setting down beside me, I got a good look at each of them and the slight differences in the way they carried themselves and their gear.

Pinkie Pie for example had swapped out her assault pack for a bandolier holding larger magazine pouches for the unique weapon she carried. The Mini-Mare machine gun followed the same rough design as my own Raider, but was fitted with a bipod under the barrel and a large drum magazine. Her usually poofy, bright pink curls were flattened down under a ball-cap so her head didn’t become a great big moving target.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t carrying an assault pack at all, just a flat hydration pouch to maintain her ‘high speed, low drag’ posture. She kept her rifle cradled in her forehooves and shouldered at all times, curled her rear legs and maintained a stable hover that could turn into a rapid dash at any given moment. What of her coat was exposed was revealed to be sky blue, and the natural rainbow streaks of colour running through her short tousled mane and tail were greyed out by camo-paint.

Finally, Fluttershy’s bright pink mane was tied back into a braid and mostly covered by a bush-hat. The butter coloured pegasus lacked any kind of weaponry, and instead carried a bulky backpack stuffed with medical supplies. I’d seen field medics on combat action from time to time, and all those mares and stallions had been armed to the teeth like their fellows. Fluttershy had been the first unarmed combatant I’d seen, especially in a specialised unit of operatives like Mike Sierra.

“Stack up,” Twilight Sparkle whispered, pointing her hoof to the master bedroom door the moment everypony touched down.

Silent as shadows, we moved to do exactly as we were told. Stacking up meant taking positions ready to breach. Breaching meant falling into a confined space with speed and aggression to shock and overwhelm any hostiles that might pose a threat.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie pressed themselves against the wall to the left of the doorway, in that order. I took position opposite Twilight keeping Fluttershy tucked safely behind me.

Rearing up onto my rear hooves, I reached back and un-holstered my rifle. The Raider assault rifle was a time tempered weapon, first designed and manufactured by a pony named Armalite Colt in Equestria, commissioned by Royal Guard special operation groups almost twenty years ago. Over that time the Raider had seen many iterations and designs. The one I held was the latest.

A reliable, accurate, light and comfortable magazine fed firearm, it was specially designed to be handled by ponies. My right forehoof hooked into the rearmost handle, locking around the grip between the hoof-guard connected to the back of the magazine receiver. My free hoof hooked around the front of the magazine-well, my fetlock just touching the trigger placed where the main body of the rifle connected with the RIS covering the barrel. Keeping the telescoping stock pressed against my right shoulder and my rear hooves widely parted, I was able to move, lean and fire from this position – an aggressive stance known as the alert carry.

The other armed ponies did exactly the same, taking identical stances that were drilled into them during their extensive training as fillies at the Royal Guard Academy.

My horn glowed amber, engulfing my night vision goggles and lifting them up by the crane mounted to the front of my helmet. The goggles out of the way, everything suddenly became much darker, but instead of seeing everything as green I was able to make out the muted night-time colours of the ponies readying for breach ahead of me.

Inside the master bedroom was well lit, so if I was falling in I’d want to make sure my vision wasn’t washed out.

“Mike Sierra in position to breach.” Twilight’s voice echoed in my ear as she spoke on comms for Applejack’s benefit. Up in the hills her perception of the situation was limited. Especially if we left her line of sight by entering the compound. She would need constant updates. “Deuce. Hold here with Fluttershy while we clear the bedroom,” Twilight added locking her eyes with mine.

I nodded.

Reaching out, Twilight twisted the door catch and swung the door open. As it swung, she dove in rifle first. Rainbow Dash piled in right after her, almost causing them to get wedged in the door frame like the ‘three stooges.’

Pinkie Pie followed, whipping around and flashing me a big cheesy grin before she vanished from my line of sight.

I listened to the soft hoof-falls on the master bedroom floor. Five seconds passed and no gunfire. So far so good.

“Clear,” Rainbow Dash reported first.

“Clear,” followed the voices of Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle in my communicator.

That was our cue. Sliding my rifle to my side, I hooked it back into the holster and lowered myself back to all-fours. Reaching back I tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder. Though as my hoof made contact, I felt the pegasus’ whole body jolt under the sudden contact. Whipping my head around, I scanned the balcony thinking we’d been snuck up on by a griffon patrol.

Fortunately we were alone, and I looked quizzically to Fluttershy. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked back at me. Then pulling the brim of her hat over her eyes, she shyly pouted at the ground.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

I frowned. That didn’t bode well. Fluttershy looked nervous. It’d seen nervous operatives in the field before. Enough times to know nervousness led to mistakes. And mistakes often led to casualties.

Taking her by the scruff of her shirt, I pulled the medic around the doorpost and shoved her into the bedroom. I followed shortly after, moving backwards to give the balcony one last sweep, then quietly shut the door behind me.

Turning, I took in the bedroom. Pinkie Pie was returning from clearing the attached bathroom, sliding the smoked glass door shut behind her before she took position by one of the windows. Rainbow Dash was holding an aggressive stance, aiming her rifle down stairway that led into the rest of the house. Twilight Sparkle was on all fours by the bed. It didn’t take long to figure out what took up her attention.

The sheets were stained crimson, still glistening in the bedroom’s lighting with more wet blood forming a trail of drops, paw-prints and smears across the floor and down the stairs past Rainbow Dash.

“Any sign of the package?” I asked softly, eyes following the trail of blood back to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head, moving away from the blood-soaked sheets. “Negative. Rarity was supposed to be here with the target. All we got is a room full of nothing and a trail of blood.”

“Think she was compromised?” Rainbow Dash asked softly.

Pinkie Pie scoffed, pointing a hoof to the bloodied bed. “I’d say that’s a pretty dead fucking give-away.”

“Cut the chatter,” Twilight Sparkle ordered. “We don’t know who’s blood this is. Rarity could still be on mission. Deuce, take point. Even if the op is a bust, we’re finding Rarity and getting the hell out of here.”

Rearing up and un-holstering my rifle, I hopped over to where Rainbow Dash was covering the stairs, and then slowly started my descent. Unfortunately with the wooden stairs stuck up against a solid wall. My entire right side as well as my rear was completely exposed. But lowering onto three hooves I managed to keep my profile low to cover my exposed side while holding my weapon to bear. Reaching the bottom tread, I reared up again and swept every angle quickly and systematically. The hall at the bottom of the steps was clear, so lifting up a hoof I beckoned the rest of the team down.

From there it was a case of following the trail of blood. It was fairly pronounced on the polished marble floors. Most of the house was well lit too, leaving very few dark corners to check. With Rainbow Dash hovering on my heels, Pinkie Pie manning the machine gun on the rear and the medic tucked between us, we formed a line that snaked through the mansion systematically checking rooms and corridors.

At the front, I kept my rifle shouldered, eyes through the sights and my bottom lip pushed out a little into what my friends often described as my tactical-pout. My concentration usually meant I lost control of my facial muscles. But behind enemy lines I really couldn’t care how silly I looked, and just had to take my friends’ word for it that I looked cute in tactical-pout mode.

Every so often I’d point Dash onto the flank to double check a room in passing. And every so often the whisper quiet ‘snick’ of a round passing through the silencer screwed onto Rainbow Dash’s rifle reminded me of the importance of teamwork when clearing any kind of building. Everypony was watching each other’s backs, covering more angles than a lone individual could. Sneaking up on us became an impossibility.

Descending a much narrower flight of stairs at the heart of the building I picked up on some noise. A loud crackling buzz of electricity and heavy breathing. Following the thinning trail of blood down the steps, I leaned around the corner at the bottom and sighted the first part of the extensive underground compound hidden beneath the griffon mansion.

The room was lined with racks on which weapons of all shapes and sizes hung, between automatic rifles like the Raider I carried, to typical griffon military clockwork and bolt-action rifles to axes, swords and knives. Crates of ammo were stacked into the corners along with boxes of contraband ranging between narcotic plants illegalised in the civilised world and various currencies ready to be laundered.

Though what interested me the most was a cage door leading into a corridor running further off underground, next to which an empty bedframe stood leaning against the wall. Strung to it by tie-wraps securing all four hooves so she hung helplessly spread eagle was a mare with a stark white coat… mostly white, as her clean coat was marred by a bloody mess around the gag in her mouth with crimson caked and drying down her chin.

The mare seemed uninjured, so it couldn’t have been her blood.

Carefully slicing-the-pie around the corner; I sidestepped to inch-by-inch reveal more of the basement to my rifle sights. I froze when I spotted a second individual. A griffon.

The blood was definitely his. It caked his inner thighs and splashed right up across his belly. He seemed to wince every time his rear legs moved, but that didn’t stop him from angrily hobbling to where the unicorn mare hung helplessly gagged. In each front claw he held the end of a jumper-cable, the other ends clamped onto what looked like a large battery.

“Stupid bitch,” the griffon mumbled as he paused to run the two jumper clamps over each other, producing a shower of sparks. “Show you to bite…” he winced, stopping to look down at his bloodied crotch. “Teach you to bite me.”

My sights were already lined up, and I pressed the trigger of the weapon with a light roll of my hoof. The Raider’s internal spring system absorbed the shock of the round ignition and the bolt action, turning the recoil into a negligible shudder as an empty brass shell was launched from the breech with a puff from the silencer. A pink tracer flashed across the basement and slammed into the griffon’s neck.

He didn’t know what hit him, merely slumping over to one side, the jumper-cables clattering harmlessly to the ground in front of the restrained unicorn. At the same time there was a cry from a blind spot just beyond my field of view.

“What the-…”

No more time for a slow-and-steady corner clearing method like slicing-the-pie. Before the owner of the voice could finish reacting, I threw myself forward, rolling over so I landed hard on my backpack. From my new angle on the ground I sighted the second griffin I hadn’t noticed earlier. His wide eyes turned from his fallen comrade to where I lay lining him up in my sights.

Two rounds immediately escaped the sound suppressor.

‘Tap-tap.’

The griffon dropped next to his comrade with two scorch-marks from the double-tap marring the brown feathers on his chest.

“Clear,” I whispered, squirming to double check the room with a final sweep of my rifle, just in case.

With the rest of the team falling into the basement, I rolled to my hooves and holstered my Raider and plucked my knife from its sheath with my magic. The magic glow lighting up the restrained unicorn’s face, our proximity gave me a good look at her as I cut her loose.

She was a pretty mare with vibrant blue eyes and a luscious dark blue mane and tail, both permed into elegant curls. She wore light blue eye-shadow and dark mascara that drew her elegant eyelashes back, possibly part of a presentation that came with a party dress that was now missing.

The mare was member number six of Mike Sierra. Her name was Rarity, the team’s reconnaissance and infiltration expert. She normally operated separate from the others, entering an area – usually undercover – to gather good intel for the rest of the team to move on.

Unfortunately for her, this op had gone a little south for Rarity.

“You took your time,” Rarity said when I cut loose one leg and she tore the gag from her mouth. Her usually civilised, expensive sounding voice was broken by obvious annoyance. When I cut her down completely she rubbed her lips with the back of a hoof trying to clean up a bit of the mess she’d made while feminising the griffon with her mouth earlier.

I could only imagine how dirty she felt.

At the sight of the mare covered in blood, the team medic seemed to have a burst of bravery, running from where I left her to see if her friend was alright.

“Are you okay, Rarity? Are you hurt?” Fluttershy fussed checking the unicorn over.

“I’m alright,” Rarity assured. “The blood isn’t mine,” she confirmed.

“Looks like the diplomatic route failed miserably,” Rainbow Dash commented with a smile

“Doesn’t it always, dear?” Rarity smiled back before looking at me as I tucked my knife away. “It’s a good thing this princess in shining armour showed up just in time,” she added running a hoof across the kevlar panel on my flank.

Sniffing, I turned away from the mare and nodded at Twilight Sparkle. “Ma’am. Ten minutes to extract,” I reported, having kept my mind on our mission timeframe.

Extraction was our lifeline. Our ride out of this mess and back home to the safety of Equestria. As a rule of hoof, you only get to miss extraction if you’re dead.

Twilight Sparkle hadn’t smiled at the sight of her last team-member being rescued. In fact, the grim scene in the basement had only deepened her seemingly permanent scowl, making the scar running across her cheek all the more noticeable.

“She’s right,” the team leader growled. “Rarity?”

Stowing her pretty smile for later, Rarity gave a firm nod. “I found what Deuce was tracking. This way.” She beckoned us over, walking to the hallway leading deeper underground.

With a bright glow of her horn, her magic tore the lock right out of the wall and the rusty hinges swung open with a creak. In the meantime Twilight pointed to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie, get Fluttershy to the extraction zone.”

“Okidokilokie!” Pinkie Pie chirped, patting the nervous looking pegasus as an indication to follow. As she passed, she gave Rainbow Dash a playful punch in the side, saying, “stay dangerous.”

“You know I will,” the pegasus assured.

In the meantime, Twilight Sparkle had moved to the doorway Rarity had ripped open with an aggressive stance, sweeping the bare stone hallway through the light-enhancing optics of her rifle. Slowly lowering the weapon she lowered herself onto all four hooves, keeping her rifle levitated diagonally across her chest as she took the lead – took point – into the corridor.

“Rainbow Dash, on me,” she ordered, smoothly moving forward with her weapon ready. “Deuce, rear guard.”

I nodded, then followed Rarity, backing into the corridor. My horn was aglow with amber light, a similar aura engulfing my rifle and keeping it levitated at my side within easy grabbing-range. Firing from a telekinetic grip was possible, but it was like blind-firing, or firing from the flank. There was never a guarantee to hit anything. Discipline and training taught ponies like me to scream, aim and only then fire. Operative word being aim.

Keeping the rifle in a telekinetic grip beside me or across my chest like Twilight was doing – known as the patrol ready carry – made it easier to bring the rifle to bear in an instant. Shouldering and firing the weapon rom this position was faster than if the Raider was holstered.

As rear guard, I moved last in line, turning every so often to make sure nothing was sneaking up behind me. Satisfied our six o’clock was clear; I’d turn forward again so I wouldn’t fall over anything, especially not my own hooves.

The hallway branching off from the basement was like walking the Canterlot palace dungeons. Like those dungeons, these halls were abandoned. Princess Celestia had long ago abolished imprisonment as punishment for crime. Equestria was a much different place than what it was in the dark ages. Serious crime now and days went along the lines of walking on the grass or littering. It was just a pity the world beyond the borders of Equestria was a much more hostile place.

The roof of the hallway arched, plastered with unevenly sized stones stuck together with crumbling mortar. The hallway branched off into small cells with rusty iron doors. Each cell had a single drain in the middle, and nothing much else. No window, no shackles, just bare, cold stone on every surface. The doors weren’t the open air variety with bars either. They were solid slabs of rusty iron with only a single slit to peer through, and even that could be close over to completely isolate the inhabitant of the cell.

As we moved silently through the old dungeon, passing by what looked like more crates of supplies, weapons and ammo, I softly turned by head to the nearby unicorn.

“The griffons took you back here?” I asked Rarity with a little surprise as to how she’d scouted so much of the hidden compound. The dungeons hadn’t been on our preliminary thermal recon of the compound.

Turning to check the rear again, I caught the glimmer of the proud smile on Rarity’s face from the corner of my eye. Like her eyes, the smile on her pretty face – even though it was marred with crusty blood – was warm and bright. “They thought I was a potential buyer for the weapon after all.”

Rainbow Dash snickered, hovering by Twilight’s side. “So how’d that griffon’s cock end up in your mouth?” the tomboyish pegasus asked over her shoulder.

“Things got… hrm. Complicated.” There was a short pause before Rarity suddenly said, “That’s adorable.”

Glancing sideways to see what Rarity was referring to, I realised she had been looking at my concentrated expression. I quickly neutralised my tactical-pout by biting my bottom lip. Rarity giggled before returning her attention back to Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, directing the ponies on point to take a right up ahead.

The corridor broke into a T-junction. The way to the left was blocked by a cave in, forming a wall of rubble and boulders that had been there long enough for moss and mushrooms to grow in the soil between the rocks. The way to the right ended in a small cavern, the roof riddled with stalactites to advertise the chamber’s age.

The cell was stacked to the ceiling with supplies the likes of which we’d seen plenty of thus far. There was quite a warfighter’s wet-dream down there. Though among enough contraband materials and illegal arms that would have given any customs agent a heart attack, we were only interested in one particular crate ready to hit the black market. I was only interested in one particular crate. A crate I had been looking into for a good few months.

Rarity pointed us to it. A single metal crate with two metal clasps on the front. The surface was perfectly smooth, no re-enforcing columns or beads, no seams bar where the hinging lid fitted flush to the rest of the box. The surface was polished to an onyx coloured sheen. There was only one plaque on the lid adorned with signs and warning labels.

The one that stood out was the universal danger sign for ‘hazardous magic.’ A yellow triangle with the black silhouette of a magic wand, the tip alight with a star that was exploding to fling shrapnel across the rest of the sign. And as if the hazardous looking sign wasn’t enough, there was a detailed message to its side under the heading ‘WARNING,’ printed in several languages for good measure.

“This is the crate he showed me,” Rarity told us and Twilight Sparkle immediately pointed me to the box.

Twilight Sparkle took cover by the chamber’s entrance and looked at me. “Deuce?”

“I’m on it,” I assured, pacing towards the crate and sitting down in front of it.

Setting my rifle down at my side, I ran my hooves over the sleek case, checking for bulges, imperfections, anything that might be a booby-trap. Each metal clasp was checked, re-checked, then checked all over again before I undid it.

Hazardous magic artefacts were my expertise. In fact, the more dangerous or mysterious the artefact, the more familiar I’d be with it. My job was to identify artefacts that may pose a threat to Equestria, track them and if I could, oversee or tag along with operations to secure them before they hit the black market – or market of any kind.

Some artefacts were only harmful enough to upset a community or destabilise nations. Others were considered weapons of mass destruction – things that could destroy the planet if not properly handled.

With a rattle I undid the locks, then ever so slowly lifted up the lid. Inside was foam padding designed to keep the artefact within from being jostled during transport. Sitting in the foam should have been an artefact of – theoretically speaking – nation-destroying power.

Instead I looked at an empty recess.

“Oh, buck it,” was all I could say for a moment, staring into the empty crate hoping the artefact was just momentarily rendered invisible from exposure to air.

Wishful thinking taken to a whole new extreme.

“What is it?” Twilight demanded without taking her eyes off the sector she was covering, speaking in volumes of how much she trusted the members of her team to do their jobs right.

“The box is empty,” Rainbow Dash, who’d been looking over my shoulder, announced. “They moved the weapon already.”

“There time for an SSE?” I asked hopefully glancing around the chamber. If there was time, a sensitive-site-exploitation would be in order. In which case we’d tear the surrounding area apart in a search for useful intelligence.

“Negative,” Twilight answered and my heart sank a little. Still, I snatched up my rifle in my telekinesis and got ready to move. Perhaps it was for the better – even the roughest SSEs were a time consuming affair. “Area’s still crawling and we only have five mikes to extract. Pinkie? Status.”

Pinkie Pie’s reply came instantaneously in our headsets. She was breathing hard as she ran with Fluttershy in tow, the crashing of hooves through foliage clearly audible. “We made it outside and are approaching the extraction zone. ETA, thirty seconds.”

“Copy that. Break out the party-balloon,” Twilight ordered.

“Yay!”

“Mike Sierra. It’s time to bug out.”

As the team leader broadcasted the order for everypony to pull out, Applejack piped into the conversation. “Copy. Ah’m displacin’ ta’ cover extraction.”

In the meantime, Twilight Sparkle beckoned us over and led the way back towards the basement. We rounded the corner into the main corridor… and that was when it all exploded.

Flashes of various coloured lights and clouds of sparkling smoke lit up in the darkness ahead. Steel balls were propelled into the air all around us, slamming into the walls, floor and even the ceiling nearby.

As we hit the deck out of pure instinct, my eyes were drawn to the far end of the corridor. The silhouettes of griffons were impossible to mistake. As were the long barrelled weapons they carried.

Griffon firearms were less advanced than pony weapons, more akin to the dark age flintlock rifles. The griffon rifles were fusions of steel and wood, some bolt or lever actions, other full automatic like my own Raider. But all of them used an alchemical gunpowder that burned a variety of bright colours to propel simple ball-rounds out an un-rifled barrel. Not particularly accurate, but you couldn’t argue with the stopping power of a 10mm steel ball-bearing at close range.

In stark contrast to the primitive rifles with lethal stopping power, our enchanted body-suits didn’t just protect us from stabbing, shooting and blunt-force-trauma. They were imbued with spells that not only improved the stopping power of the kevlar panels, but also made it hard for hostile forces to focus on us properly. It was like camouflage without the need to blend in. Invisibility while remaining perfectly visible.

Enemy eyes were just naturally drawn away from us, upsetting the enemy’s ability to draw a bead or take advantage of a clean shot.

But that didn’t mean the griffins couldn’t get lucky. So when rounds exploded into the stonework around us, we decided not to tempt fate and scrambled back the way we came. Keeping my weapon gripped in one hoof, I used my free hoof to push Rarity further into cover. As she was unarmed it was best to keep her as far from the fighting as possible.

Twilight Sparkle threw herself against the wall, just out the enemy’s line of sight in a shooting stance and leaned around the corner with her rifle held to bear. A plethora of unheard rounds passed out of the muzzle with a rain of brass petals showering out the side of the weapon as she unleashed a long sustained burst on the enemy. It was doubtful she had a clear shot, but the fire would make the enemy think twice about advancing on us.

“Enemy is dug in! We’re cornered and pinned!” Twilight shouted over the roar of the enemy weapons. “Options?”

Moving to her side I risked a quick peek around the corner. Up ahead were several griffons dug into the cells, popping out every so often to take shots at us. Out exit was completely blocked, and charging them would be suicide. They had us forced into a lethal funnel. Enchanted armour or no, if we charged them we’d all be dead ponies.

Fortunately, there was still a way to get around them.

“I can flank, but I’ll need covering fire,” I told the team leader.

She didn’t hesitate, waving Rainbow Dash over. “Dash, give Deuce covering fire on three. One… two… three…”

I barely had enough time to shuffle into position as Rainbow Dash shot over to Twilight’s side. As she hit ‘three,’ the lavender mare gave a small sidestep, leaning around the corner so she only exposed half her face and her rifle. As she did, Rainbow Dash did something similar. Laying prone, she gave her wings a flap and slid forward on her belly, taking a firing position underneath Twilight’s, flush with the ground.

“COVERING!” both ponies yelled as they unleashed a hellstorm of rounds. Pink tracers replaced the metal balls catapulted our way on plumes of multi-coloured smoke.

As they fired, the enemy fire stopped abruptly, giving me my window. Without thinking about it twice, I belted out of cover in a desperate sprint. Keeping my head low and rifle at my side I ran like a bat out of Tartarus with Cerberus breathing down his neck. Because if I stopped, fell or hesitated, Tartarus might be where I’d end up.

I ran diagonally across the corridor and dove headfirst into the nearest cell across from where Rainbow and Twilight were firing. And not a moment too soon.

The deafening bangs of the griffon rifles rang out again as several enemies poked their weapons out of cover and fired blind down the corridor. The first few cracks of the magic-powder powered weapons were followed by more as others mustered up the bravery to return fire on the ponies.

“If you’re gonna do something, Deuce, do it quick!” Rainbow Dash urged on the comms as I righted myself.

Throwing myself against the far wall of the cell, I conjured up a faithful spell I’d learned in training. An orb of volatile looking light danced from my horn and stuck to the wall a few metres away from my face. Lowering my gaze, I put the top of my helmet between where it stuck to the stone and my face.

The explosion that followed was devastating. The blast itself wasn’t huge, but the rubble it created was pretty extensive. The breaching-spell was good for blowing out windows, doors and walls alike. It launched a pillar of dust that settled a thick, brownish haze in both my own bit of space, but also the next cell. Left in the wall between the chambers was a massive ragged hole wide enough for two ponies to move through side by side.

Plucking my rifle out of the air, I breached into the next room, Raider shouldered and held level. Two long strides was enough to push me over the threshold and through the haze of dust until I sighted the first contact. The griffon had pushed into the cell for some reprieve from the exchange of fire in the corridor, probably trying to reload. He was dazed, his weapon laying on the floor and his claws covering his face.

I put two in his chest, then twisted sideways looking for more targets. I found them, just outside the cell.

A double-tap dropped the one across the corridor taking cover just inside the opposite chamber. The nearer griffon by the door only a few metres to my side stumbled out as if to avoid my fire, only to be cut down into a snoring pile by several pink flashes of light shot from the ponies further back.

Turning forward again, I pressed myself against the next wall, repeating the breaching-spell. As before, the volatile light stuck to the bricks and I put my helmet between the blast and the rest of my body. This time I was hit by some debris, bits of stone smacking into the lightweight headgear.

Having been saved from a concussion, I scrambled to breach the next cell.

Again, face to face with another griffon, I fired a short burst, counting out three rounds as they were cycled through the Raider and projected out the barrel. However, unlike before I didn’t hit my mark.

The griffon reared back with a surprised expression, the bulky mid-section of his own assault rifle catching the tightly grouped burst. Wood splintered, metal sparked and exploded with the small magical explosions caused by my bullets. The barrel and the stock of the weapon came apart as the mid-section was obliterated.

Without hesitation I rushed into the griffon and we collided – my own rifle clattering to the ground as if forgotten beside the pieces of the griffon’s weapon. Forcing him back with my shoulder against his chest and one hoof rammed up under his beak, I slammed the griffon in the nearest wall before hopping back.

Balanced on my rear legs, I ducked to one side as the griffon recovered and slashed at my eyes with a claw. I caught the blow against one of my fore hooves, and then pushed another attempt at my face away with another block. The third attack was caught between both hooves.

Twisting around, I twisted the griffon’s wrist into an unnatural shape and turning on the spot, pulled his leg over my shoulder, forcing his body over my own. The griffon was thrown head over heels and straight into the ground where I pounded his head into the ground with a solid kick.

Horn aglow, I immediately levitated my rifle up into my hooves and shouldered the weapon. As it was brought to bear, I twisted and dropped onto my side; sweeping out one leg and trying to make my profile as flush to the ground as possible. And while that was happening, I managed to maintain a stable shooting posture as I lined my sights onto the next enemy.

He’d watched my short scuffle with his buddy from just outside the room while bringing his long bolt-action rifle to bear. As he did though, I’d brought my own gun to bear and hit the deck. His shot sailed clean over my head and cratered into a wall. My shot did not miss.

A pink round splashed the griffon in the beak and knocked him off his feet, the last hostile in my line of sight falling to the ground unconscious.

I stayed like that for a few seconds, listening as the sounds of gunfire were replaced by a few distressed cries of griffons further down the corridor being dispatched by Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle.

As the fighting died down, I slowly straightened up and lowered the muzzle of my weapon to the ground, hearing Twilight’s distinct report on the radio. “Clear! Let’s move!”

I didn’t waste time as I saw three mares run past the doorway and down the corridor. Throwing my rifle into its holster, I galloped out of the cell, skidding lightly over the slick stones under my hooves as I took a sharp corner to follow the others. Finding traction after a short drift I belted down the corridor, catching up to the rest as we reached the basement.

When I made it to the basement stairs by Rarity’s side, I looked up to see the other two ponies were leaving the top treads. Twilight Sparkle was only framed in the doorway for a moment as she twisted left and moved out of sight. Rainbow Dash was right on the team leader’s tail, turning in the opposite direction before flying backwards after the unicorn. As she was moving out of sight, I saw two flashes of pink spurt from her Raider’s muzzle, an announcement to the thud of a griffon hitting the ground somewhere out of sight.

Slipping out of the basement after the others, we moved the exact same way we had come. We made a bee-line for the master bedroom and sprinted out onto the balcony. Out of the confined innards of the mansion, Rainbow Dash dropped the lead and shot out into the night sky ahead of us. Twilight holstered her rifle and followed full sprint with Rarity in tow. Both unicorns smoothly vaulted over the edge of the balcony, their horns glowing and engulfing their tac-rigs in a magical aura, their telekinesis slowing their descent to the ground below.

When they hit the deck, they tucked and rolled before running uphill for the nearest tree-line.

I followed only a second after, planting my forehooves on the balustrade and leaping over the edge. As I did, a loud ‘bang’ left a ringing in my ears, but feint enough so I didn’t miss the ‘snap’ of air as a steel ball shot past my ear. I didn’t even look back to see how close the griffon who was taking shots at me was. Like the other two ponies before me, my horn glowed and my magic slowed my descent. I still hit hard enough for the tuck-and-roll to drive the wind out of me.

On my hooves again, I slid to a halt, drawing a trio of grooves in the grass as I un-holstered my rifle and shouldered it. Raider angled upwards, I sighted the griffon who’d taken a shot at me leap over the balcony balustrade with wings spread. I swept a sustained burst from left to right, nailing both wings and the griffon’s belly.

Doubled over, the hostile spiralled out of the air and rag-dolled unconscious into the dirt beside me.

Another griffon peeked into view on the right side of the balcony. I let out a sustained burst, pink explosions riddling along the balustrade, forcing the griffon to dive out of view again. As I paused my fire, I saw a delayed flash of pink in the low light, and just about heard that other griffon I’d been suppressing fall snoring to the deck.

“Ah’ got ‘yer back, Deuce,” Applejack assured.

Giving silent thanks to the earth-pony’s long range accuracy, I turned and booked it for the tree-line. Making it into the comforting darkness of the woods I flicked my night vision goggles down over my eyes to get a better view. Trees and branches blurred past. Ferns and undergrowth exploded as I trampled clean through, following the distant outlines of Rarity and Twilight as they broke into a clearing.

“Sixty seconds!” a voice yelled through the comms.

With only moments left until our extraction window, everything was riding on this final sprint.

I lowered my head and smashed right through the undergrowth like a rabid bull aiming for a matador. Breaching into the clearing I quickly scanned the surrounds, spotting the rest of the team.

In the clearing, I saw all ponies present except for Applejack, still sniping from an undisclosed location. Our guardian angel; silent, invisible and merciless. The only evidence of her good work were the sporadic reports on the radio.

“Target down.” “In the ground.” “Three for three.” “Aw, horseapples. Wait one… got ‘im.”

Mike Sierra were mostly in a hostile stance. Forming a circle, nearly all ponies aiming their weapons outward for full three-sixty-degrees cover, in their midst was a pile of tethers and ropes. And anchored by a metal peg was a large white balloon hovering almost a hundred metres above the deck, high above the treetops and shimmering like a second moon in the night.

Next to the pile of tethers lay Fluttershy, unarmed and shivering as if she knew what was about to happen next.

Rarity had been armed with a submachine gun from the extraction package we’d hidden in the forest earlier. The Bucker SMG wasn’t much good beyond a hundred metres, but as its name suggested, at close range there was no getting up and walking straight for a good few hours after the submachine gun was done with you.

Pinkie Pie was curled up prone, her rear legs tucked under her belly as she lay behind her machine gun propped up on the legs mounted under the barrel. She’d removed the Mini-Mare’s silencer and peered intently through the sights, eager to make some noise.

It was only when I joined their formation and took an alert carry stance aiming out of our protective ring around Fluttershy that Twilight Sparkle gave the order.

“Mike Sierra, make some noise!” she barked.

All weapon safeties clicked off, and just in time too. Moving through the darkness beyond the treeline I made out various silhouettes of griffons stumbling through the undergrowth. Every so often, almost in time with Applejack’s reports there was a pink flash and another griffon would fall unconscious to the ground.

Our own barrage of fire opened up, slicing outward into the forest. Several more explosions of pink light ended the blinding tracers flashing through the darkness, causing the number of silhouettes in the woods to dwindle. While the silencers on our rifles made whispers of the automatic gunfire, Pinkie’s support weapon let out deafening but satisfying ‘die-motherfucker-die’ bursts. In the corner of my eye I could see Pinkie Pie’s grin fade between each burst, then spread ear-to-ear with each bark.

My own expression was focused and fixed in contrast, and catching it in the corner of her own eye, Rarity giggled again.

“Adorable,” I heard her breathe between the loud bursts of her own submachine gun.

As I twisted sideways, putting my centre mass between where Fluttershy lay and the enemy, making myself a shield in case any griffons got a lucky shot off; I heard Applejack’s final report ping our comms.

“Ah’m buggin’ out. See y’all back at Canterlot.”

“Solid Copy, Applejack. Stay safe,” Twilight Sparkle said, lifting her rifle and twisting it slightly to reload.

Her horn glowed, her telekinetic gripping a magazine in her tactical-rig and pulling it free of the pouch as she dropped the spent mag. As the unmarked item fell forgotten in the grass between her rear hooves, she magically manipulated the fresh magazine and slotted it into the rifle. As if sensing a fresh magazine in place, the rifle’s bolt slammed shut again, pushing the first bullet into the Raider’s chamber making the weapon ready to fire its next wave.

“Two seconds to extract,” Pinkie Pie squealed with a mixture of urgency and excitements. Pausing her fire, she looked up to the night sky, drawing my own eyes in the same direction. “Moon’s out; goons out! Let’s go, Lunar Guard!”

Just as she shouted it, something slid into view. Hard to make out at first as their coats were the same colour as the night sky, there was definitely something up there blotting out stars. And it wasn’t until they flew across the crescent moon that I saw what.

Six thestrals flying in two perfect formations of three. Pegasus ponies with wiry coats and distinct bat-like wings, the thestrals of the Lunar Guard air corps were facilitating our extraction. And the beauty of it was that those six ponies didn’t even have to land to pull us out.

Each formation was tethered to each other by a set of reigns, and strung between the two flights was a hook-like wire.

Exactly two seconds late for our discussed extraction time, the thestrals flew directly overhead without slowing. The wire between the formations snagged the balloon and pulled the cable connected to us taught.

Multi-coloured flashes of burning magical powder lit up the tree line as our suppressing fire on the enemy paused for a moment. Metal balls, inaccurate but very lethal in grim contrast with our own ammunition, hissed and created small ‘snapping’ noises as they shot through the air near us.

I barely heard the metal carabineers click when the ropes connecting us were pulled taught, and we were literally pulled out of the fire. Up and out, into the howling dark of the night…

PseudoFiction presents…

An alternate universe My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic…

Mike Sierra

// Golden Oaks Library, Ponyville, Equestria

My name is Dynamic Delta. I know, kinda silly, right? I really prefer the name given to me by my peers, rather than that my parents thought was shit-cool.

Deuce [doos, dyoos]
noun
Two;

Any two in a deck of playing cards.

The face of a dice with two pips on it.

My initials have two D’s in it. Double-dee. Deuce.

We’re warriors, not poets.

My specialisation – as mentioned before – was identifying, tracking and securing or disarming dangerous magical artefacts. I worked for Equestria’s military intelligence community, Royal Guard Intelligence, or the RGI. Our division, Arcane Division, specialised in identifying and tracking magical weapons or artefacts of mass destruction and apprehending them before they fell into the black market or at the very least before they entered the hands, claws or hooves of Equestria’s enemies.

It’s why we were a bit worried about the outcome of the previous mission. We had gone in to retrieve a magical artefact. And while we fortunately managed to extract Rarity after her infiltration operation had gone south, we had walked away without the dangerous magical artefact. It was in the wind, making us – me particularly – a little nervous.

The clandestine team of Royal Guard operators known as Mike Sierra; AKA, Mane Six were all present and accounted for in the library. Applejack included, she had extracted from the last mission on her own, hiking thirty kilometres to the Equestria border where a pickup had been waiting for her.

The orange mare with a white-blonde mane and a customary dirt-coloured bush-hat perched on her head sat back on one of the stools, leaning against a bookshelf. She had her trusty Snipper sniper rifle cradled across her lap, aptly named for its ability to ‘snip’ a leaf off a tree from about a mile away. She had opened and removed the rifle’s bolt action, as well as stripped down the bulpup weapon to bare bones, wiping down everything important with a clean rag.

The rest of Mane Six were performing similar tasks, either cleaning their weapons or ticking the boxes on their post-mission reports. Rainbow Dash had washed the camo-paint out of her mane and tail. Pinkie Pie’s curls were poufy once more as she sat hunched over her machine gun, ‘Maud’ as it was called. Fluttershy was seated at the table in the centre of the room going through the contents of her first-aid bag. Twilight was sat straight and proper next to her, eyes fixed on a clipboard to which the tip of her quill moved from time to time to leave a scribble or a tick.

I was sitting opposite Twilight Sparkle going through a magenta folder stamped with big black letters.

ROMEO DARK

The contents of the folder were scant, just interview and interrogation transcripts, copies of cargo manifests and a few intercepted messages between the big-fish on black market weapons trade. No actual solid description or pictures of what exactly Romeo Dark was.

But my eyes weren’t entirely on my work. I was glancing across the Ponyville library at where Rarity was standing by the mirror. Either she had nothing better to do, or she knew something we didn’t, instead of checking her gear or dotting the ‘i’s on her report, she was fixing herself in the mirror. Her magic manipulated a brush that was being pulled through her beautiful tail while one fore hoof worked a small brush to apply the light blue eye shadow that seemed to work with the mascara to bring out her gorgeous eyes.

Watching the mare who seemed far too beautiful to be a soldier, I found myself trapped in the no-man’s-land between intrigued and confused.

Every so often she’d glance into where I was reflected in her mirror, she’d stare for a moment, then give a little smile before returning to what she was doing. I’d just blink and try my best to tear my gaze from those eyes reflected in the mirror… those eyes and that flank.

I swallowed hard hoping nopony noticed my unprofessional glances. I’d only been attached to Mane Six for a few days, and this had been the first time I’d properly seen everypony. Meeting them all on a high altitude carriage moments before a high-altitude-low-opening parachute jump into the Griffon Empire didn’t do them justice. Especially not Rarity.

“Okay, Deuce.”

My eyes darted up from the folder to the pony who’d spoken.

The team leader’s face barely changed as she spoke. “Go over it one more time to make sure we all get it,” Twilight said without taking her eyes off her clip board.

I quickly nodded. “Yes, ma’am.

“Romeo Dark refers to a magical artefact of unknown origin. We first caught wind of it on correspondence between the griffon arm’s dealer we hit last night, and a minotaur warlord. Their conversation made reference to the ‘Rainbow of Darkness.’ It made the folks in the royal archives go rather pale, so that was good enough for us to look into it.”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof to ask a question. “What does it do?”

“We have no idea,” I admitted. Not proudly, but there was no point trying to even speculate. I wouldn’t know where to begin.

“So why are we worried?” Rainbow Dash proceeded to ask.

Pinkie Pie scoffed, taking over. “The fact we don’t know how much damage it can do and how we can reverse any effect it has is enough reason to worry, dummy.”

“Pinkie Pie’s right,” Twilight Sparkle agreed.

Rainbow Dash huffed with a pout, returning to a reclined position with her forelegs folded across her chest. “… I’m not a dummy.”

“All we know is that the Rainbow of Darkness is referenced in thirteen individual texts, each end-of-times prophesies with what is known as the Rainbow of Darkness at the centre of triggering the cataclysm.” I slowly shook my head adding, “but beyond that we don’t know anything else about it.”

“What was your division called again?” Rainbow Dash asked, though this time neglecting to raise a hoof first.

“Arcane Division,” I told her, the same way I’d told her when I was first attached to Mane Six. “We specialise in hazardous magical artefacts.”

“Never heard of them,” the pegasus said lazily with a shrug.

I chuckled before retorting, “well I had never heard of the Mane Six team before I was attached as a liaison, so we’re even.”

Lifting her head from what she was doing almost as if to break us up from our verbal wrestling match, Twilight Sparkle asked in her usual stern tone, “any idea where Romeo Dark could be now?”

“Not a clue. Could be with a courier. Could be with a warlord. I sent a message to my people in Canterlot. They’re following up some leads, I’m just waiting to hear from them.”

“Good.” Twilight Sparkle tucked away her post-mission report and turned to her team. “In the meantime let’s figure out why Princess Celestia sent us to Ponyville.”

As if to answer her at that very moment, the library door swung open letting the cool midnight air rush into the room. Framed in the doorway, only until he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, was a pile of parcels and bags with a pair of short little legs. The stack of knick-nacks wobbled and weaved, the legs quickly sidestepping to compensate as he weaved further into the library.

He wobbled to Pinkie Pie first, a small purple four-fingered claw popping out of the pile of things holding a back of cookies.

“White chocolate chip with banana icing for Pinkie Pie,” a young, boyish voice announced as Pinkie Pie accepted the bag of treats with an excited squeal.

The pile of things then wobbled past Applejack, dropping off a glass bottle that rattled where it landed. “Apple family cider for Applejack.”

“Thank ‘ya kindly,” the earth-pony smiled with a tip of her boonie.

“New motivation patch for Rainbow Dash,” the pile of goodies said tipping off a parcel from the top of the stack. It landed in the pegasus’ hooves and she gave a squee of excitement while tearing at the packing paper.

Wobbling to where Fluttershy was sitting, the legs disappeared out from under the pile and the stack just slumped to the ground.

“Most of this stuff is for Fluttershy,” the voice announced as half the pile slid aside like a door to reveal Mane Six’s squat, purple and green scaled gopher. “Plasters, wrappings, disinfectant, spray on remedies, the works.”

The timid pegasus whispered her thanks with a shy little smile before she started going through the various things that had been bought from the store for her.

The baby dragon grinned proudly, taking only one paper bag from the pile. Obviously not all of it was for Fluttershy, but everyone trusted that their number-one assistant had a good enough handle on things that he wouldn’t get deliveries mixed up. After all, Spike the ‘baby’ dragon wasn’t just Mane Six’s assistant; he was their quartermaster as well. And when it came to the team’s gear, they needed to be able to go condition-one on weapons and gear at a moment’s notice.

Moving around the table to where I stood, Spike pulled a small cardboard box from the bag and offered it to me. “That fire control unit you requested arrived, Deuce,” he explained with a polite smile.

I returned the expression and accepted the packet with a hoof. The unit was basically a flashlight and both conventional and infra-red laser pointer in a compact little box capable of being mounted to my rifle. It would make breaching a dark space easier, and turned firing from telekinetic grip less of a blind-fire affair.

“Thank you, Spike.”

The dragon was already moving past me, excitedly waddling towards where Rarity was putting her things away. I watched with a little intrigue as the little dragon produced a fancy little bottle of a yellow-ish liquid to the unicorn.

“I saw they had your favourite perfume at the store and picked you up a bottle, Rarity,” Spike announced with a bright smile, almost struggling to hold the offered bottle steady in his hand. “Lucky the shops are open all night tonight.”

Smiling back with the intensity that almost made me lunge for my tinted shooting glasses, Rarity levitated up the bottle of perfume before lowering her head to give the dragon a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, thank you, Spikey-Wikey. You’re a dear.”

Spike’s cheeks went bright red as he raked a foot over the ground, shyly clamping his hands behind his back and averting his eyes from the striking unicorn. Halfway through tearing up the packing paper on her package, Rainbow Dash shoved a hoof in her mouth and made a retching sound. Glancing between them I just chuckled.

I’d have to have been blind to not see the young dragon’s obvious crush on Rarity. Mind you, could I even blame him? She was stunning. I was pretty sure there were many a crush for Rarity going around Equestria. Though as I could imagine those crushes being grown stallions with more carnal thoughts concerning Miss Rarity’s body, Spike’s crush seemed a little more innocent. Like he was chasing her praise, or that kiss on the cheek rather than the opportunity to jump her flanks.

Either not noticing, or unconcerned with Spike’s quest for Rarity’s attention, Twilight Sparkle piped up. “Spike, has there been any word from Princess Celestia with our orders yet?”

Snapped out of his daze quite suddenly, Spike blinked a few times before nodding vigorously. “Oh, that’s right! I burped up a letter from the princess on the way back over here.” He dug into his bag and produced a small scroll.

The roll of yellow-ish, stiff paper was held together by a bright red ribbon, sealed with a golden coin stamped with a horseshoe-emblem. The seal of a royal letter direct from Princess Celestia to those either under her tutelage, or her direct command.

All of Mike Sierra’s orders came directly from the princess herself. And they were delivered via a puff of magical fire breath from Spike.

Accepting the letter, Twilight quickly popped open the seal and unfurled the letter in her magical aura, eyes shifting from side to side as she read through the contents. But as she did, I saw something I thought I would never see. Twilight Sparkle’s expression changed dramatically.

With each line, her brows were raised a little more; her eyes widened a little further to betray her surprise.

“That’s not right,” she muttered. “That can’t be right.”

“What is it, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, putting aside the rifle she’d just finished assembling.

As Applejack moved to gather around their team leader with the rest of the ponies, Twilight Sparkle gave a sigh. She quickly rolled up the orders from the princess, allowing the stern resolve to return to her expression. “Princess Celestia’s orders are to get some rest and attend the Summer Sun Celebration here in Ponyville tonight.”

Everypony’s expressions were uplifted; all except Twilight Sparkle’s and my own. My own didn’t change as I was watching the team leader carefully. She clearly wasn’t happy about the team being issued leave, and I could imagine why. Operation ROMEO DARK had technically been a failure. We still had more work to do. But on the other hoof, we couldn’t really do anything until my people from Canterlot got back to me.

Technically a little R-‘n-R wasn’t such a bad idea.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Applejack announced brightly. “Mah’ family runs the orchard jus’ down the road. They’re throwin’ a shindig ‘fer the Summer Sun Celebration. Princess Celestia doesn’ arrive ‘fer another few hours, we can still make it.”

“A party!” Pinkie Pie whooped happily, almost frothing at the mouth as she grabbed Applejack by the chest and gave her a vigorous shake to get her point across. “I fucking love parties!”

“Sounds good,” Rainbow Dash, nodding along with Fluttershy. “You three coming?” she added to Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and myself.

Twilight Sparkle was the first to shake her head. “Negative. I’ll be checking in with the local authorities to make sure Princess Celestia’s security detail is up to scratch.”

“I’ll go!” Spike piped up with an excited chuckle. “I’ve never seen Princess Celestia raise the sun for the summer solstice…”

Before Spike could finish, Twilight snapped across him. “Absolutely not. I need you here to double check gear in case we need to be good to go as soon as Princess Celestia’s business here is concluded.”

“But Twil…”

“No but’s, Spike,” Twilight growled.

Rebuked, the dragon’s expression fell and he sighed, giving a small nod. Without even waiting for complaint from her team, the lavender unicorn moved towards the door, magically pulling it open. “Sun up at oh-six-hundred. I expect to see you all in the town hall on time.”

Applejack stiffened as Twilight took her leave, barking out; “Yes, ma’am!”

The rest of us – Spike included – immediately did the same. Pausing in the doorway, Twilight Sparkle glanced over her shoulder, then gave a satisfied nod before leaving.

As we relaxed, Rainbow Dash looked inquiringly at Rarity. “Well? You coming?”

Shaking her head, Rarity looked at me sideways. “That last mission has left me a little stiff in the legs. I was hoping to get a massage at the Ponyville Spa. Would you care to join me, Deuce?”

That caused me to cringe. “I’m not really the spa-going type, ma’am,” I admitted.

“Oh, nonsense. Everypony loves a good pampering.”

Rainbow Dash snorted at Rarity’s comment. “Wanna bet?”

“Come, come. It’ll be fun!” Rarity encouraged putting a hoof around my neck.

As I was pressed against the unicorn’s soft coat I could feel her warmth against my body. Her sweet scent was overpowering, filling my nostrils and making my head spin. It was like I was being drugged into nodding.

Either that or I just didn’t want to argue with my new team. “Sure. I guess I’ll see you all at the town hall later.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed before taking off out the door. “You guys have fun being boring! Later!”

Applejack chuckled as she and the other ponies followed to find Sweet Apple Orchards and the Summer Sun Celebration shindig. “Later, y’all,” she said tipping the brim of her bush hat with a hoof.

When they left, Rarity cocked her head to me and led the way outside, leaving spike to finish the maintenance on our gear.

The night air wasn’t cold. It wasn’t a sweltering summer night either. It was just right. A comfortable temperature with moderate humidity. I only took note because I was awkwardly avoiding Rarity’s sideways glances and trying to find something to keep my attention through our uncomfortably silent walk.

As the Mare in the Moon was my witness, my mouth actually opened a few times as I tried to say something. But just as quickly as a topic of conversation came to mind it quickly evaporated and I snapped my mouth shut again.

“So, Dynamic Delta…” Rarity finally said.

I stopped her there with a quick correction. “I prefer ‘Deuce,’ ma’am.”

I nearly broke out in a sweat. That sounded rude, I thought to myself. Why did I snap that out? She tried to start conversation and you cut her right the fuck off. Stupid mouth!

“And I prefer ‘Rarity,’ Deuce,” Rarity retorted lightly. I grinned, fears alleviated. Fair enough. “So, Deuce, what do you think of Ponyville?”

“Quite a postcard-town,” I admitted trying to keep my answer short and to the point. After a short pause though I felt Rarity was expecting more and added, “never been here before, but it seems nice. Have you been here before?”

“I grew up here, but I usually try to avoid Ponyville to be honest.”

“There a particular reason?” I blurted out.

“My… um…” Rarity seemed hesitant, but before I could let her know she didn’t have to answer she said, “my sister and parents live here.”

“Oh… touchy subject?”

Rarity shrugged nonchalantly with a slight roll of her eyes. “Complicated, is all,” she sighed.

“… I’m sorry. I’m terrible at small-talk.”

“You’re doing fine, dear,” Rarity giggled. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was optimum honesty from the unicorn. “Where did you grow up; or is it my turn to be terrible at small-talk?” she added charmingly.

I chuckled. “No, it’s fine. I grew up in Canterlot with my mom. She was hard-core Royal Guard, served as a ceremonial guardspony to Princess Celestia’s convoys. So I figure that’s why I’m in the military too.”

“That must have been hard,” Rarity mused, her tone sympathetic. “Strict household and erratic family-time.”

“It was nice actually. It made me appreciate the times she was home much more. And the strict household; let’s just say that made me the pony I am today.” I paused for a moment, frowning deeply. “That’s weird.”

“What is it?”

I shook my head with a bewildered look on my face. “I’ve never told anypony that before.”

Rarity just looked at me with a small smile as we approached a building.

The structure seemed out of place. Instead of following the usual thatch-roof cottage architecture that dominated most of the town, this was a low, rounded one-story building with a towering, spire like roof covered in red slates. The form of the roof made the building seem much like a circus tent, the porch and highest spires tipped with little golden crowns. Above the door was the sign for the Ponyville Spa, the image of a beatified mare next to a sparkling, polished horseshoe. The door was decorated with painted on hearts, and the small plant beds under the tall windows that reached the floor were dotted by tulips in full bloom.

Without a word, Rarity pushed open the door and stepped inside. I followed closely, struck by the aroma of perfumed soaps and relaxing incense.

Inside the building was stuffy compared to the fresh air outside. The thick odour that was supposed to be relaxing was suffocating. And even though the rooms inside the spa were spacious, almost cavernous thanks to the high ceiling, I felt claustrophobic. I’d never even set hoof inside a spa before. From the reception area I could only see a little of the main floor, but already I could see dozens of funny shaped beds, implements, tools, brushes and many more objects I couldn’t even begin to discern the purpose for.

One mare partially obscured by a privacy screen was laying back in a tub full of mud, cucumber slices on her eyes. My brain could barely even fathom why. I felt like I wasn’t looking at a mad-pony walking the line between absurdity and full on insanity.

I wasn’t just a fish out of water. I was a fish dropped right in the middle of the Zebrica desert!

“Hello,” the pink earth-pony mare behind the reception desk greeted with a warm smile. “And welcome to Ponyville Spa. My name is Aloe. How can we pamper you this fine evening?”

“Hello, darling. My name is Rarity,” – the unicorn gracefully placed a hoof on her chest before waving it in my general direction – “and this is my friend, Dynamic Delta.”

I pulled my eyes from the main floor and tipped ‘Aloe’ a casual nod. “Call me Deuce.”

“We can’t stay long, I’m afraid. We’re attending the princess’ raising of the sun later, so we’ll just have massages for now.”

“That’s quite alright, Miss Rarity.” Aloe nodded, moving around the desk to lead us further in. “Lots of ponies are thinking the same way you are. Our massage beds are full and Lotus is busy at the moment.”

As we walked into the main chamber, the mare indicated to the dozen or so ponies laid down on the rows of beds. A single mare with a blue coat and pink hair dodged quickly between them, skilfully delivering about eight different styles of massages for twelve ponies in quick succession.

“How about I put you in the private parlour and one of us will see you as soon as possible?” Aloe added taking us into the corridor running off the main floor.

“That sounds wonderful,” Rarity assured getting a peek at the warmly decorated private massage parlours.

At the first set of doors, Aloe stopped and showed us in. Each room was fairly small and cosy, isolated by bamboo-stick lined walls and a sliding paper-screen door decorated with bright green leaves. Each room was centred by a funny shaped bed like those used out on the main floor, only lined with silks instead of cotton. Worktops and shelves were stacked high with multi-coloured bottles and products, each a full-on armoury of massage oils, creams, scented candles and exotic looking exfoliating sponges.

“This will be your room, Miss Rarity,” Aloe guided before turning me to the room opposite. “And this is yours, Miss Deuce. One of us will be by shortly.”

Putting my front legs over the threshold, I took in the room properly before looking back at Rarity. She smiled reassuringly.

Swallowing, I stepped inside and swept it like I was clearing a room of hostiles. My tail brushed one of the worktops as I strafed the perimeter of the room, exposing my back only to the comfort of the wall. As I was taking a look around, I paused only to sniff a few of the candles and bottles of oils. They smelled either sickly sweet, or reeked of that odour you got when walking into a perfume store.

I’d hated that as a foal whenever my friends took me out shopping. Fuck it, I’d hated shopping then too. I had been raised in a military household. I never played with dolls or went out for makeovers. I was a Royal Guardspony to the bone. My toys were a BB-gun and flick-knife, my playgrounds were the wilderness and public assault-courses. All this froo-froo beatification stuff wasn’t my style.

Still, my muscles did feel tense from that last bout of combat action. A massage might not be such a bad idea. As mom had said when I wasn’t sure about signing up for the military, “anything is worth trying at least once.”

And she’d been right! No sense doubting her now.

Gingerly approaching the bed in the centre of the room, I cocked my head following the odd contours of the mattress. The curves and dips were all in the wrong place. It looked rather uncomfortable. Even still, I hopped up and sat down on the edge.

My initial fears had been correct. The bed made for a terrible seat. Shifting uncomfortably I twisted around and lay back. Much like sitting, the contours were all wrong with lumps in all the wrong places digging into my sides and spine. The ponies on the main floor seemed comfortable enough, though they were laying on their front.

I tried that, rolling over and placing my face in the strategically placed hole. It was much better. My legs fitted into the deep grooves in the mattress allowing me to lay relaxed. However I found myself staring at the floor, the edges of the hole may face lay in cutting off most of my peripheral vision.

My entire back exposed and my vision tunnelled at the ground I felt completely exposed and vulnerable. Uncomfortably I lifted my head up and groaned irritably. Maybe this wasn’t worth a try as I initially thought.

I heard hooves on the wooden floor behind me, and the soft swish of the paper-thin door sliding shut before the latch clicked home with a whisper quiet ‘snick.’ Though despite the low volume of the sound, it sounded like artillery fire to me and caused me to jolt lightly.

Though it seemed the mare joining me noticed my movement as she giggled.

“I didn’t startle you did I, darling?” an unexpected voice said huskily.

So unexpected I tore my face from the cushioned hole and snapped my gaze around to lock it with Rarity’s. She was moving closer to the bed, one hoof in front of the other in a slow cadence with a slight wag of her hips like a well practiced runway-model. Reaching the bed, she completely surprised me further, brushing a lock of my mane aside with her nose before nibbling lightly at the tip of my ear.

My heart stopped. The mixture of feelings was overwhelming. I was confused and frightened at first. Then I was angry, my privacy and personal space grossly invaded… but more powerful than that was a sudden leap of joy I’d never felt before springing from the forgotten corners of my mind.

My eyes were shut and my mouth was agape as if I was about to say something, but instead I weakly rolled onto my back, like Rarity suddenly had full control over me. When she stopped I was laying flat on my back, the mare perched on the massage bed right on top of me. And staring shocked into her gorgeous blue eyes I couldn’t give a damn about the contours of the awkward mattress stabbing me in the spine.

“You’re very beautiful for a soldier, Deuce,” Rarity whispered with a smile, brushing her lips over my cheek as one of her hooves brushed a lock of my mane out of my eyes.

I wanted to tell her the same. But for some reason or another, my brain couldn’t quite relay the message. Not that it mattered much anyway, as soon I found my mouth completely obstructed as Rarity gently locked her lips against mine. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but inhaling sharply and letting my mouth fall open a little it was lucky Rarity was able to lead from there.

Her tongue probed my mouth and gently rubbed against the tip of my own, gently tracing down the side and coaxing me out of my timid state. Rarity’s eyes had fallen shut and her head cocked a little while our tongues playfully wrestled against each other like hoof-to-hoof combat students taking to the sparring mat for the very first time.

When our kiss broke with a little rise of Rarity’s head, I was left hanging a little. Letting out the breath I’d been holding through my mouth, I quickly pulled in my tongue and closed my lips realising I looked a little silly.

“Have you ever been with a filly before?” the mare on top of me asked softly.

I shook my head honestly. Mind you, I could have lied and she would have seen straight through me. If my rapid breaths weren’t giving me away, my dumb expression surely would. My wide eyes only fluttered when Rarity leaned in to touch lips again, softer than before.

“How about a stallion then?”

I swallowed, then shook my head again. I’d been consumed in my work ever since I signed up for the Royal Guard. And back in school I studied so hard to get the best grades so I could join the guard that I never had time for colts. Not that it mattered anyway. Believe me, with a nerdy ponytail and braces I wasn’t the most attractive filly in class.

Rarity however smiled, nudging her nose against my cheek and tracing a tender line down to my neck. “Their loss,” she whispered, kissing my neck.

The tender contact caused my heart to flutter in time with my eyes. I seemed to lose control, sighing involuntarily, enjoying the contact of her mouth. I’d never looked on other mares with much desire, mind you I’d never looked at many stallions either. On the training grounds, a typical place for any mare to lose her focus among the strong muscular bodies of the stallions exercising with them, I’d always had tunnel vision, with my objective square in my sights. My desire to win had always been stronger than my desire for anything else.

But there in the spa, laying back as the beautiful mare in my presence traced a line of soft kisses past my collar and across my chest, I could feel desire take me over. A carnal longing – a burning even – for her kisses to go lower still. To reach the damp sweet spot between my thighs and douse the growing flames.

And it was like she had read my mind. Soon she was sitting on the ground, her forehooves gently caressing my flanks like a seamstress tenderly testing the softness of fine silk, her kisses teasing me with light pecks along my inner thigh. I caught a glimpse of a smile with a playful twinkle in her eye as I moaned impatiently.

Feeling I’d suffered enough, she gently rubbed her nose along the pink line of exposed flesh forming in my otherwise perfect coat. I shuddered with excitement. But despite her getting close to where I needed her to be, I looked down with a shocked expression, stammering, “w-what are you doing?”

“Just try to relax, dear,” Rarity said deviously as her face tipped down again. Though instead of nuzzling me softly, her tongue pocked out between her lips. “I need something to get that griffon’s taste out of my mouth.”

My spine arched as electric sparks zipped through my body, sparkling in the wake of Rarity’s soft, warm, slick tongue tracing my slit from base to top.

“Lotus c-could – oh – walk in any m-… ah – moment,” I struggled out, ending my sentence in a little squeal as her tongue found a tender little nub just inside the soft mounds of swollen flesh. As she found her mark, her hooves gently touched my loins, opening me like a rifle bolt for a safety inspection.

“Don’t worry, darling. Counter intelligence is my forte.” Rarity’s exhale of warm air caused every millimetre of my exposed pink to tingle. “I told Lotus you requested Aloe, and vice versa.”

Clever, I had to admit that. And integrating her training into normal life made Rarity a scary mare. But scary in the good way.

Even if I wanted to make up more excuses, my brain once again couldn’t get the message to my mouth. I gulped down a mouthful of air, trying not to scream as I felt Rarity’s mouth lock to my nether-lips more vigorously than she’d kissed me. And like how she’d kissed me, her tongue darted out between her lips, connecting with my sensitive flesh drawing long, agonising slick and warm laps around my eager opening.

At the top of my marehood she found her target and zeroed in like a sniper. Her tongue pressed against a dot of sensitive meat, vigorously working the clitoris like both our lives depended on it. And all the while I could feel it building up inside me. A sensation, like a swelling. Arcs of fire, a raging inferno consuming everything, every rational thought, every bit of common sense left in my brain.

I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care what my old teammates might think of me if they saw me at Rarity’s mercy like this. I didn’t care what my drill instructors might think, or what anypony else from the guard might think for that matter. All I cared about was keeping my teeth gritted and a hoof clamped over my lips to muffle the high pitched, joyous squeal that made me sound like an under-age filly.

It didn’t take long before I suddenly exploded. The feeling was indescribably. My mind was a blank, and all I remember was knowing that nothing I had ever done in my life compared to those short, fleeting moments. My body had gone stiff. My hips bucked back and forth against Rarity’s face at their own accord.

When the feeling had finally passed and my senses returned, I realised I’d nearly bitten through my own bottom lip, tracing my tongue along a small copper-tasting line. Panting for breath like I’d run a PT run from hell, I managed to lift my head and look at rarity. She was grinning mischievously at me, licking her lips from a mixture of her own saliva and my juices.

I’d never seen a more beautiful face in all my life. Reaching down and touching her jaw, I coaxed her back up onto the bed and on top of me before pulling her in for a deep kiss, her smell and my own filling my senses.

When I finally broke the kiss she lifted her head a little. “W-what about you?” I asked, and she beamed.

“Oh, I’m fine for now.” Rarity held up her hoof, glistening with moisture; hinting at what she’d been doing to keep herself happy this whole time. Leaning in she kissed me again, before breaking off with a quick lick of my nose. “The celebration is soon. Why don’t we enjoy the festivities and resume this conversation for duration of the long day, hmmm?”

“S-sure.”

After quickly cleaning up we left. And despite not actually having received any services Rarity left a generous donation for the spa at the unmanned reception desk.

~~~

// Town Hall, Ponyville, Equestria

The Summer Sun Celebration was a party in anticipation for the longest day in the year. Ponies would stay up all night, especially if they were living in the town hosting the annual celebration; for in the wee hours of the morning there was a gathering.

A gathering much like that in the Ponyville town hall, where the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia would make her appearance and raise the sun with her magic like she did every morning. However this morning it would be to mark the start of the longest day of the year.

As such, the town hall was decorated. The windows had been cleaned, the floors brushed and the cobwebs pulled from the building’s archways. Little flags adorned with the princess’ cutie-mark were catching the wind high on the carousel-like building. Inside the main chamber was well lit. The curtains were all pulled back, especially on the top rows of windows to reveal the starry night sky that would soon turn to day. Streamers and banners decorated every arch and balcony.

The place was packed with multi-coloured bodies, mares, stallions and foals from far and wide coming to attend Princess Celestia’s raising of the sun. And at the front row, Rarity and I found the rest of the team. Twilight Sparkle was as per usual, standing upright and proper with her gaze fixed on the upper balcony just above the stage.

As if to contrast her team leader, Pinkie Pie was bouncing excitedly for the grand reveal. “Isn't this exciting? Are you excited, ‘cause I'm excited, I've never been so excited – well, except for the first time I got to light up an enemy position with ballistic tasking.” She paused for a deep gasp before prattling on at her rapid pace, “but I mean really, what can top a barrage of motivating artillery-fire?”

Smiling, I honestly couldn’t answer that question. To this day I’m pretty sure nopony could.

On one of the flanking balconies, a trio of ponies lifted a set of golden horns and blew out a typical fanfare. At the same time a middle-aged mare took to the stage. The mayor of Ponyville, a mare with a pale gray-ish amber coat and a grey mane and tail, set apart by her smart horn-brimmed glasses and a customary shirt-collar wrapped around her neck, quickly cleared her throat before making an announcement to the ponies in attendance.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Mayor Mare announced, her own giggle of excitement drowned out by the cheering ponies packing the town hall. I figured the mayor was imagining her successful re-election should everything go smoothly tonight.

“In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria...”

I wasn’t even paying attention at that point anymore. I had turned my gaze upward to the night sky as if expecting the sun to explode into existence already. There, watching us from high above the Mare in the Moon sat silent, reclusive and patient.

But only for those few moments more that I watched.

As I was looking, I spotted four bright, pronounced stars in motion. They seemed to surround the moon as if assaulting it, sliding behind the disk of pale light causing the whole moon to suddenly pulse with a subtle burst of energy. And it was in that pulse that the unicorn’s silhouette imprinted in the pale surface with dark maria simply vanished.

My eyes grew. “The fuck was that?” I breathed at the sight, turning my concerned expression to the ponies crowed around. None seemed to have seen it, all eyes fixed on the balcony above Mayor Mare’s head.

“...Princess Celestia!”

My gaze snapped up to the balcony just as the curtains were tugged aside. And instead of looking at the grand image of our ruler; instead of being greeted by the sight of an all-powerful, awe inspiring alicorn, we looked at an empty balcony.

There were a number of gasps. Some of the pegasi hovering above seemed to forget flapping their wings with the surprise and dropped to the ground. Ponies whispered and squeaked worriedly in the background.

My expression grew concentrated like I was breaching a compound. “That can't be good.”

Holding out a hoof and waving down the crowds, Mayor Mare stammered and stumbled trying to keep everypony calm. “Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation!”

Pinkie Pie snorted by my side, her expression being the only one of cheer in the room. “Ooh, sweet! Guessing games! Has she dominated the local battlespace and secured a concealed over-watch position?” I looked at her a little confused. “Y’know. Is she hiding?”

In the meantime Rarity had broken ranks and ascended the steps to the balcony. Reaching the top she paced around, checking behind each banner, drape and each corner. “She's gone!” the unicorn finally announced dramatically to everypony’s horror.

“Or is that what she wants you to think?” Pinkie Pie considered.

As Pinkie Pie was doing her best to keep everypony calm in her own little way, the rest of us spotted something looming up behind Rarity. It was like an aura of darkness, a living, shifting cloud of evening-sky blue twinkling with little dots of white. It pulsed ominously, creeping like an airborne ooze and curled like it wanted to crash down over the unaware unicorn.

Applejack was the first to point it out, “Rare, bug out!”

With a gasp and wide eyes, she swivelled her head around and saw the wave of magic. Without further hesitation she leapt clear, hooking her fore hooves over the balcony guard rail and throwing herself over the edge. At the same time, Twilight Sparkle and I jumped forward, our horns glowing.

One half of Rarity’s body was engulfed in a lavender aura, her other half was engulfed by my own amber light. Catching her in our telekinesis spells, we smoothly lowered her to the ground in front of the stage.

When her dainty hooves toughed the ground she sighed, flicking her mane out of her eyes and flashing me a smile.

Looking up, we saw the curtains of magic part down the middle, each half swiping to either side and out of view. And rising up in its stead was an alicorn. Half unicorn with a long horn ending in a perfect point, half pegasus with massive feathered wings growing to a wingspan beyond that of any pony or griffin.

Only this alicorn wasn’t our beloved Princess Celestia. The alicorn’s coat and feathers were midnight black, so black the fur seemed to absorb all the light around her. Her flanks were painted with dark purple to draw attention to the pale crescent moon forming her cutie-mark. Her hooves were cast in armour, as was her chest, bearing an imitation of the cutie-mark. Fitted over her head was a very old-style Royal Guard ceremonial guard helm, her mane a magical star-spread aura bleeding through, wavering on a non-existent wind like her tail.

Her eyes were possibly the most terrifying thing about the alicorn. Dark purple eye-shadow with almost blade-like eyelashes, and cat-like irises betraying her positively sinister intent.

All the ponies around us seemed to balk, lowering to the ground in a cowering stance as pegasi all around seemed to lose their ability for flight. In the crowd, only Mane Six and I remained on our hooves. Us and a trio of Royal Guard ceremonial guardsponies who’d been standing near the back of the room.

The trio of gold-clad pegasi snorted angrily, lowering their chests to the ground before launching themselves into the air. We watched as they booked it over our heads and made an assault-line for the alicorn.

But before they even got close, she locked her glare on them. Her eyes glowed sickly green, crackling with bolts of static energy. Her mane and tail shot straight up into the air, swirling like storm clouds. And just like storm clouds, they suddenly spat forks of electricity. Three of them forming a trident, each tip struck a pegasus.

And in the blink of an eye, each of the guardsponies turned to a show of dust. Everything, mane, tail, coat, bones, armour; it transformed into a light grey-ish mist of powder that scattered across the terrified ponies below.

Neither I nor the other six mares from Mike Sierra twitched as the remains of the Royal Guard grunts showered over us. Rarity didn’t even care for the dust clinging to her perfect coat. She just kept her glare fixed on the alicorn.

The sudden escalation of the situation caused everypony else to go into hysterics, but only for a moment.

“Silence!” the alicorn bellowed, her voice cracking like thunder.

As she reeled in her mane, her stance and voice grew more composed. “Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces.”

Shooting into the air, Rainbow Dash snarled, “What did you do with our princess?!”

She suddenly snagged, held perfectly still in place, “Whoa there...” Applejack managed to mumble around a mouthful of Dash’s tail as she struggled to hold the pegasus back.

“Let me go!”

Applejack scoffed. “Consider this a tactical ‘don’t-let-‘yer-friend-get-facefucked-by-an-evil-princess’.”

Above them the alicorn giggled darkly. “What’s the matter; am I not royal enough for you?” her mane extended down from the balcony, forming a whiplash as it did. With a single strike across the head she swatted Rainbow Dash face down into the ground.

Fluttershy and Applejack quickly ran over just as the pegasus lifted her head, nose and mouth bloodied from the impact. I could imagine her face felt three sizes too big and the taste of copper dominating her tongue.

“Don't you know who I am?” the alicorn cried a little impatiently.

Pinkie Pie sighed turning very suddenly, very sarcastic. “More guessing games. Hooray. Those totally didn’t get lame like thirty seconds ago.”

“Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?” the alicorn demanded angrily.

Nopony answered the midnight alicorn, and she gritted her pointed bat-like teeth, growling fiercely.

“I am Nightmare Moon!” she cried, rearing up, lightning slashing and thunder cracking at the mere uttering of her name. “If you’ll not remember me, remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!”

Her mane and tail swirled into the air above everpony’s heads like storm clouds again as the alicorn broke into a mad-pony’s laugh.As the lightning whips struck and ponies all around trembled, Mike Sierra didn’t budge. I immediately looked at the silent team leader. Twilight Sparkle’s expression alone said a thousand words.

Her expression told me this Nightmare Moon bitch was going down…