Black Feather

The heavy crate floated into position under the guidance of Nyx’s telekinesis with the words ‘Pegasus Air Freight - We Deliver Absolutely Anything’ stenciled on its sides. Nyx found herself lost in thought, tuning out the nearby chatter of her friends as she lowered the crate to settle on the farm wagon. With everything that had happened in the last two days, and especially considering what Luna had revealed to her, she found herself increasingly conflicted.

Rumble and Flitter had been thrilled to hear of the mission and of Nyx and Luna’s friendship being restored. But what of the nightmares? What of the magical outbursts? Would they get worse? Was Luna right about her? She didn’t even want to think about it, much less bring it up with her friends. Burdening them like that would be unfair.

She ought to be happy; she was one step closer to really helping Equestria. And most importantly, Luna believed in her. So why did she feel this way? Something specific that Luna had said was nagging at her. She turned to face her friends, who were wrapping up the business of the delivery outside the main door of the Sweet Apple Acres barn. How would they be affected by this? Or how would it affect all of Equestria for that matter?

Nyx finally understood why she was troubled. It was the contradiction that she just couldn’t reconcile. How could she protect others if she herself was—

She buried the thought as she noticed that it was time to go. Turning her attention to her friends, she watched as the grey pegasus mare chatted with Apple Bloom while three other pegasi gathered up the ropes and netting they had used to deliver the crate.

“Thanks for dropping this off, Derpy,” Apple Bloom said as she passed a small bag of bits to the wall-eyed mare. “Y’all are the best in the business. And fair rates, too.”

“It’s my pleasure, Apple Bloom,” Derpy beamed, putting the bits in her saddle bags. “I’m always happy to help. If you need anything else, just let Dinky know. I’ve been running flat-out with military deliveries for weeks, so I’m going with some friends up to Rainbow Falls for a few days.”

Nyx perked her ears forward at that. It had been a couple years since she and Rumble had visited the popular vacation spot. “Now that sounds like fun!”

“Maybe you guys could come with us?”

“Can’t,” Apple Bloom said flatly. “I could really use the time off, but my plate’s too full at the moment.”

Derpy stared at Apple Bloom with a puzzled look on her face. “You work way too hard, Apple Bloom.” She paused, then beamed again. “Tell you what. When I get back, we’ll get together and relax over a game of cards.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “I’d like that, thanks.” She looked over her shoulder at Nyx and Rumble. “Well, we best be goin’. Take care, Derpy.”

“You too, Apple Bloom. Thanks again for your business. I’ll see you later.” She gave Apple Bloom a quick hug then turned to signal to her crew that it was time to go. The four took off over the trees and were soon out of sight.

Nyx telekinetically tightened the harness that hitched her to the wagon as Rumble secured the cargo. Apple Bloom trotted up alongside as Nyx almost effortlessly pulled the heavy load up the incline toward the clubhouse.

“Blueberry muffin?” Rumble offered with a smug grin as he hovered alongside the mares.

“Now where did y’all get that?”

Nyx snickered at her confusion. “You’ll never get an answer to that question, Apple Bloom.”

The yellow earth pony glanced sideways at Rumble before giving Nyx a closer look. “You’re bein’ a good sport agreein’ to pull the wagon like this, Nyx. You’d be pretty good with a plow.” Apple Bloom poked at her shoulder.

“Next time, it’s your turn, country filly,” Nyx teased.

“Ugh. Don’t remind me. My big sis had me pull that darn thing more times than I can count. I’ll pass, thanks.”

Rumble touched down beside Nyx as he finished off his snack. “So, this is the crate of supplies Luna is giving us, then?”

“Yep. There’s something special in there for each of you. This is gonna really change how y’all do things. I can’t wait see the look on your faces when you open up your presents!”

Apple Bloom had Rumble’s full attention. “What kind of presents, exactly?” With a few flaps of his wings, he alighted on the crate even as Nyx pulled it along, looking it over as if doing so would reveal its contents.

“Hush, you. If I called ‘em presents, don’t you think that means it’s meant to be a surprise?”

Nyx giggled. “You should see him on his birthday!”

After a short walk through the orchard, they arrived at the clubhouse and began unloading the crate. Nyx took the first set of boxes down the elevator, placing them on the living room floor.

Flitter was lying on the couch, reading, when Nyx showed up. She propped herself up on an elbow. “Please tell me those won’t end up dumped in my bedroom like last time. Last weekend was awkward enough sharing a room with you guys.”

Nyx blushed. “Um… yeah, sorry about that. But no, these are getting unpacked right now.”

Flitter sat upright. “Need some help?”

“Sure. Maybe you can start sorting stuff while I—”

The elevator door opened, revealing Rumble’s head poking out from behind a pile of boxes.

“Hold that thought, Flitter”, Nyx said before trotting over to levitate the boxes inside.

Rumble was grinning. “This is exciting! What do you think we got?”

Nyx rolled her eyes with a smile. “Get over here, you goof.”

Apple Bloom soon joined the trio, and everypony sat in a circle on the floor. It reminded Nyx of so many Hearth’s Warming mornings growing up. She and her mother would sit alongside some of their friends in a circle amongst the countless wrapped presents, anxiously waiting for Twilight to finish reading the legend of the original tribe leaders and how they fended off the icy windigos. Soon, there would be hot chocolate, singing, and mountains of shredded wrapping paper filling the main room of the library.

“There’s gotta be some good stuff in these boxes,” Rumble commented. “Do you really think we’ll run into any zebras?”

“Luna said they’re out there somewhere,” Nyx replied. “Who knows if we’ll find them, but I’d rather be prepared than not. You know what they’re like in combat.”

“They’ve learned to be like that,” Apple Bloom added. “They were invaded by the minotaurs back when Granny Smith was a filly. Got their flanks spanked for years before their shamans developed some nasty tricks to level the playing field.”

“I heard about that,” Rumble said as he grabbed a box to open. “Minotaurs don’t use tech at all, do they?”

“Nope. No tech and no magic. They aren’t too bright, but yikes are they strong. Heard they used to dismember zebras with their bare hands and use the blood as war paint. A minotaur in proper armor is a juggernaut you do not wanna mess with.”

Flitter cringed.

“That is some serious shit right there,” Rumble said. “Remind me never to cross one of those things.”

“Oh they learned their lesson since then, Rumble. Zebras nearly pushed ’em to extinction. They’re not much of a threat these days.”

“Harsh,” Rumble said. “Where’d you learn all this stuff?”

“Zecora, mostly. You remember those amazing stories she used to tell us growing up? Weird stuff you just don’t hear about in Equestria.”

Rumble pointed to a box labeled ‘Buckington Munitions. “Pass me that one, hon.” Nyx levitated the box over to him.

He rummaged through the contents. “So, this place we’re going to tomorrow… I’ve never been out that way. What’s it like?”

Nyx shrugged. “The bayou? Apple Bloom knows; she’s the only one who’s been there.”

Apple Bloom didn’t look up and kept sorting supplies.

“Well?” Nyx prodded. “What’s it like?”

Apple Bloom hesitated. “Diff’rent.” She looked up but avoided eye contact.

“C’mon, Apple Bloom. I haven’t heard this story since we were kids. What do you remember?”

Apple Bloom paused a moment, looking like she might not answer. “I was a stupid, foolish filly. Applejack had lost her mind for some reason, and I did what any twelve-year-old does when treated like a foal. I ran off to prove myself. Never been so scared in my entire life.”

“So… not a fun place then,” Rumble commented.

“Not unless you enjoy the idea of bein’ some monster’s dinner,” Apple Bloom replied flatly.

Nyx thought about the threat. It didn’t exactly sound like something they should be deliberately walking into. “Should we be concerned?”

Apple Bloom gave Nyx a thoughtful look, like she hadn’t really considered it from that angle. She chewed on her lip for a moment before answering.

“I wanna say yes. But no… probably not. You know how everything is much more dramatic when you’re a kid? The chimera was terrifying. It could’ve eaten me for a snack. In fact, it planned to. But Applejack drove it off without much trouble. I really can’t imagine it bein’ much of a threat to military ponies. Your biggest risk is probably from gettin’ lost.”

“It did sound pretty scary when we were kids,” Nyx said. “I remember having bad dreams after you came back and told us about it. But didn’t you say that the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful? What’s on the other side of the fire swamp?”

Rumble opened another box. “Jackpot!” He started counting under his breath.

“After that, it gets all twisty-turny. The paths go every which way once you’re in the bayou. There’s a village past the fire swamp where the ponies are the friendliest bunch you’ve ever met. We spent the night and heard lots of great stories. Nyx, if the zebras are out there… Well, it’s good that Luna has y’all helpin’ them out. I just can’t figure what the zebras would want out there in the first place.”

Rumble finished counting his grenades. “Thirty!” He looked up at Apple Bloom. “Testing for a way in, no doubt. We’re undefended all the way from the coast to Ponyville from that angle.”

Flitter spoke up. “But from what you’re saying, it’s not something you can just pick a direction and hike through.”

“That’s right,” Apple Bloom said. “Without flight or a good map, someone could get lost in there for weeks. And then there’s the gators.”

Flitter stopped and stared at her. “The what, now?”

“Alligators are everywhere in the bayou. They’ll slow the zebras down for sure. The longer they stay, the more chance they have of gettin’ eaten.”

“This is sounding more fun by the minute,” Flitter remarked. “Maybe we should just wait and let the alligators do the job for us.”

“Maybe,” Nyx said with a smirk. “I think we’ll be alright, though. Think of it as an adventure! I’m actually kind of excited about the mission. It’s going to be the biggest thing we’ve ever done as a team.”

Rumble nodded. “And the most ponies we’ve ever worked with. How many did Luna say were coming with us?”

“She said there’d be enough to handle the zebras if we run into any, but she didn’t say how many exactly. There’s a lot to do with getting the local militias set up, so probably quite a few.”

Nyx’s mind drifted off to what Luna had said the night before. Many units in the military had powerful unicorns in critical roles—unicorns who would be at risk if Nyx burned out again.

“You okay, hon? You seem troubled.” The sound of Rumble’s voice startled her slightly. It was so easy for him to read her.

“Oh. I was just thinking maybe this isn’t such a good idea. If we run into zebras, they’re going to recognize me. And that would be fine if it was just us, but alongside all these pony soldiers… You know how much of a target I am. I don’t want to put others in danger like that. You and Flitter know how to manage that risk. We work well as a small team. I just… After today, so much is going to change. And as much as I’ve wished for this, it scares me more than it probably should.”

A silence fell upon the room for a moment before Flitter shuffled closer to Nyx, looking her straight in the eye.

“Nyx, it’s okay. Think about everything that has led up to this. Luna wouldn’t be sending you on this mission if she couldn’t accept the risk. Ponies die out there with or without your presence. The way I see it, they need you to be there. So where would you rather be? Testing for GTI and conducting war games for years, hoping to one day be out there making a difference? Or actually being out there making a difference?”

She was right, of course. Nyx knew she was right; it was everything they’ve been hoping for, for years. But Flitter didn’t have the whole story. She didn’t hear what Luna had said last night, and Nyx was dreading bringing it up. Doing so would shatter that illusion that Nyx was anything even close to being a normal pony. She swallowed, building up her courage.

“That’s… all true, Flitter. I’m probably just getting a little jittery. But there’s more at stake than just that. Something that really scares me. You know those nightmares I’ve been having? And what I did to the zebras a couple days ago? Luna told me what it means. She said I’m going through some kind of change having to do with being an alicorn.”

Her three companions exchanged glances for a moment. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Apple Bloom asked. “Your mom’s an alicorn. She’s been just fine for how long, now?”

“Well, Luna said that it’s because I’m a ‘natural alicorn’. She said it wouldn’t stop unless I possessed a Virtue of Harmony. I guess she and Celestia have already gone through the same thing themselves. It all seems so crazy. I’m not even sure what it all means, but Luna made sure I understood that this could go very badly.”

There it was. Nyx looked at her friends’ faces for signs of what they thought.

Apple Bloom looked rather uncomfortable. She seemed uncertain for a moment, then smiled up at Nyx. “I’m sure it’ll turn out okay. If Luna and Celestia went through it, you’ll do fine.”

Flitter’s rational support wasn’t unexpected. “Well, at least now you know what was going on, Nyx. Better to know than for it to be a mystery, don’t you think? We’ll deal with it as it comes. What’s the worst that could happen? A few more nightmares and some weird magical reactions? We’re here for you, Nyx.”

Nyx stared down at her hooves. “I’m afraid it’s a bit more serious than that. When Luna realized what was going on, her reaction told me more than she would admit herself. She was afraid… Afraid of me and what might happen. She said that the fate of the world is at stake. I can’t even imagine what that’s supposed to mean.” Nyx looked away from her friends for a moment as the shame of her past returned despite everything. She felt like curling up and hiding. “I’m just worried that Luna thinks I might turn into some kind of monster. I… I thought I was past this.”

Rumble reached a hoof out and pulled Nyx close. “You know what I think? Whatever struggles you go through, we’ll get through it together. You couldn’t change in any way that would make me love you any less.”

Nyx leaned into Rumble. “I don’t deserve you.” She nuzzled her chin into his neck and let out a sigh. “None of us have any idea how life is about to change, but you’re all the best friends anypony could ask for. I’m sorry for worrying so much about this. I’ll be fine; I just needed to get that out.”

After giving her stallion a kiss on the cheek, she straightened up and peered around Apple Bloom to notice several boxes that were saved behind her. “We should probably finish up. What’s left, Apple Bloom?”

“I’ve been saving the best for last. It’s time for presents!”

Rumble clopped his hooves together. “Here we go!” He rummaged through the contents of a box and paused, looking puzzled. “A lot of this ammo is for a weapon I don’t… Oh, wait. No way!”

Rumble stood up and approached one of the largest boxes, which had ‘Muzzle Talk Firearms - We let our guns do the talking’ written on its side. He looked back at Nyx with a sly grin. “I think I know what this is.” He looked inside and let out a squee. “Best. Day. Ever! I never imagined I’d actually own one of these. It’s just like my brother’s. Twin autoguns!” Rumble pulled out his brand new military-grade Lancer Frame harness to show everypony.

Nyx smiled. “You look like a colt on Hearth’s Warming day.”

Rumble bounced over and tackled her with a hug. “I feel like one. I can really tinker with this baby.”

Apple Bloom gathered the packing material and shoved it back in the empty box. “I knew you’d like it. This model is a favorite among the pegasi commanders, so we pulled a few strings at Muzzle Talk to get one for ya. It’s got multiple firing modes, including fully automatic. Dual belt-fed actions drawing from twin saddlebags. On-the-fly arcane trim controls so you can compensate without landing. It’s a beauty.”

“I’m… Wow! Thanks, Apple Bloom! I feel like I’m a real member of the SkyGuard now.”

Flitter leaned over to get a closer look. She gave an impressed whistle. “Rumble gets the best toys.”

Apple Bloom coughed. “Uh, actually not this time, Flitter.” She unpacked a small, black, brushed-metal box which read: ‘Sparkle Magical Research Institute’ in engraved golden letters along the top. She passed the box to Flitter.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

Flitter opened the box. Inside was a polished metal horn-ring with star shaped sparkles engraved into the sides. It was fitted with what appeared to be a large diamond that had brilliant yellow magical fire dancing around inside it. Flitter stared into the gem with wide eyes. Nyx and Rumble both leaned in close to look.

“Ooooh, fancy,” Rumble commented with fascination. “Hey! That almost looks like Nyx’s spell matrix. I’ve never seen one quite like that before.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “It is. This here’s a highly specialized spell matrix called a ‘MicroDextrous Examination Talisman’, but I just call it an XT for short. There aren’t many of these things made. Y’all are super lucky gettin’ one.”

“So… what’s it do?” Flitter asked.

“This replaces your whole surgery kit.”

Flitter stared at Apple Bloom. “What do you mean replaces?”

“Anything you do normally with a scalpel and stitches, this will do better. It lets you visually see inside somepony’s body without cuttin’ them open. You can zoom in as close as you want and fix what’s wrong with some mighty fine-tuned spells included in the matrix.”

Flitter held the XT in her hooves and took a closer look. “You’re joking.”

“You still need really good medical skills to know what you’re doin’, so it made sense to get one of these for ya. Luna wanted to get you some top of the line surgical equipment, but Tempest has used her XT for years in advanced weapon development. I told Luna you’d be better off with one of your own.”

Flitter shook her head. “Wow, if that’s true… So, why haven’t I heard of these before?”

“Probably because it’s been an engineer’s tool until just recently. This little trinket has allowed many of the advancements ponies have made in technology over the last couple years. I can’t even guess how many unicorn-hours it takes to make one. Here, let’s try it out.”

Apple Bloom produced a unicorn helmet with lots of wires, gems, dials, and switches attached to its surface. “Flitter, would you mind bein’ a unicorn for a moment? Only unicorns can use this thing.”

Flitter hesitated. “Um, I don’t really have the same kind of magical abilities as a unicorn. It’s just a disguise.”

“That’s okay; that’s what this is for.” Apple Bloom tapped the helmet. “The XT provides all the abilities. I just have to calibrate it to your brainwaves with this here helmet.”

A flash of green fire, and Flitter was a unicorn. Apple Bloom placed the helmet over Flitter’s head and turned it on, looking at the sensor readout. “Whoa. You weren’t kidding about not bein’ like a unicorn. One sec.” She adjusted a few dials and nodded her head. “Just relax now.”

Apple Bloom slid the XT onto Flitter’s horn and pushed a button on the helmet. “Okay, now just sit tight while it starts scanning. I need to give Nyx this last box, then I’ll need a few minutes workin’ these settings so the XT can recognize your brain.”

Apple Bloom pushed a large box up to Nyx and set her hoof on it. “Luna gave specific instructions to give you this box only when you were in a room all by yourself. She said you’ll know why once you open it.”

What was that supposed to mean?. Luna knew Nyx shared everything with Rumble at the very least. Her curiosity was piqued. She levitated the large box down the hall into the bedroom and closed the door. Nearly a minute went by as she stared in silence at the mysterious package. It was labeled with quill writing from Luna herself.

It read: ‘From our past - to your future’.

Nyx opened the box. The contents were covered by a purple velvet blanket. There was a note lying on top.

Dearest Nyx,

I have considered for many years at what point I should give this to you, and under what circumstances. I feel the time has now come, though I understand that this may be difficult for you to accept. My hope is that this gift will bring you to the place in your heart where you need to be for the challenges which are coming.

The last time I crafted such things, it was with the intention of wickedness and self-preservation. Now, I have crafted these with the hopes of goodness, purity, honor, and bravery. The seeds of these traits you already possess. My wish is that with this gift, you may fully realize your identity andthat you may fulfill the pledge which you made so long ago when you submitted yourself to my judgement.

Take this gift, and become that pony.

~Luna

Nyx carefully moved the velvet blanket aside. She stared down, trembling for a moment, her eyes growing wet as she fought back a torrent of emotions.

Flitter glanced down the hallway. “Nyx is taking quite a while in there.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Luna said to just give her time.” She had just finished showing Flitter how to operate the XT. Flitter was thrilled at the potential medical applications. She was not one to squee often, but she had let out two during the demonstration.

“I feel like a unicorn filly in magic kindergarten,” Flitter said with excitement. “So how many spell functions does this thing have?”

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “I don’t recall but maybe a dozen. Don’t quote me on that. The two you’ll use the most as a medical pony are probably the micro-telekinesis and tissue-binding spells.”

“It’s a lot to take in. Thanks, Apple Bloom. This is an amazing gift.”

Flitter felt the urge to practice on herself. She looked at the underside of her hoof and focused. The XT created an enhanced three-dimensional holographic image which appeared before her. She studied the image and concentrated, rotating and zooming in on the hoof.

Rumble stared at the image as the surface of Flitter’s hoof pad grew more and more magnified. Soon, little bumps like tightly packed stones became visible.

“Whoa! Is that…”

“Yep. Those are the grippers.” She flexed her hoof muscles a bit, and countless tiny bundles of filaments shot out from slits in the hard bumps.

“That’s creepy. I never knew it looked quite like that.”

“They work just like gecko feet. It’s the only way we’re able to hold stuff in our hooves.”

“You know what it reminds me of? Barnacles with their hard shells and the little wavy parts that come out.”

Flitter laughed. “Pretty much, yeah.” She focused on a batch of the filament bundles and cut them off with the XT’s incision spell. The precision of the instrument was incredible. She then levitated the filament stems in place and applied the tissue binding spell to reattach them.

“That didn’t hurt?” Rumble asked.

“Of course not, silly. You lose thousands of these everyday and grow them right back without even noticing.”

Rumble raised an eyebrow at Flitter. “It’s weird how you know more about pony anatomy than most ponies.”

“Changelings have these too, you know. But yes, I know all your tiny little secrets.” She gave him a teasing jab in the ribs. “I have to say though, this XT thing is any medical pony’s dream instrument. I’m impressed. Thanks again, Apple Bloom.”

Everypony looked up at the sound of hoofsteps coming from the bedroom down the hall. Nyx was dressed in exquisite combat armor. The metal plating was iridescent, shifting from blue to indigo and violet as Nyx walked. The edges were polished silver with intricate engraved patterns. The helmet fit snug to her head with horn and ear holes beveled and polished. The sturdy segmented neck piece flowed in a perfect arc along her neck as she walked, her mane spilling out the slits along the top. The chestpiece bore Nyx’s cutie mark embossed into the metal with engraved filigree lines along the edges. It was a masterpiece of precision and artistry.

Alongside Nyx, a shining battle-ready sword hovered by her side. The diphos style blade was long, slender, and mirror polished. The hilt was a pair of stylized alicorn wings outstretched with Nyx’s cutie mark at the center.

Nyx came to a stop without a word, somber eyes staring at the floor ahead of her.

Everypony just stared. Finally, Rumble stood and approached her. Their eyes met. “You look amazing.” He nuzzled her neck with his own, and she closed her eyes, leaning into him for a long moment before he motioned for her to join him with the others.

Nyx slid her sword into the magical scabbard set into her armor. It appeared as little more than a slot, but the blade appeared to vanish out of existence as it entered. She sat down next to Rumble and spoke just above a whisper. “I don’t know how to feel.”

“This is… wow, it’s quite a gift. Did Luna make this?” Flitter asked.

Nyx nodded. “She did. I haven’t worn armor like this since being Nightmare Moon. It reminds me of a very dark time in my life that I wish I could forget.”

“It wasn’t made from that armor though, was it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No. Nightmare Moon’s armor is still in a vault beneath the Palace. This armor… it’s beautiful, yet also terrifying because of what it represents as a change in my life.”

Rumble shifted closer to Nyx and placed his wing over her shoulder. “You mean the mission and the role Luna has for you?”

“Yeah. It’s that moment when you know for sure you’ll never return to the way things were when you were growing up. When you finally realize that it’s time to take on that role you’ve always known you would one day have to do.”

“It really shows how much you mean to her, doesn’t it?”

Nyx hesitated. “There was a note from Luna in the box.” She paused to gather her thoughts. “I used to wonder if she might secretly view me as her ‘evil twin’ or some byproduct of her own poor choices. Part of me thought she was only close to me so that she could make sure I didn’t go down the same dark path she did. But I understand now, what I mean to her. She really believes I can become who I promised I’d be.”

Flitter wandered into the kitchen in a half-asleep zombie state to find Rumble and Nyx cleaning up after a meal.

“Good afternoon,” Rumble said.

“What? It can’t—”

“Just messing with ya. Good morning.”

Nyx snickered. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please. I stayed up a bit too late playing with the XT. That thing’s addicting!”

“Here, have some caffeine. That should help.” Nyx placed the steaming cup on the table.

Rumble suppressed a laugh.

The elevator console chimed. “A bit early for company.” Nyx got up to check who it was.

Flitter sat down, bleary-eyed, and sipped her coffee. She eagerly anticipated the firing of synapses which would soon come.

Rumble stared at her from across the table until she managed to lock eye contact. “Hey. Can you show me my hoof all zoomed in? I wanna see my grippy things.”

“Oh. Hey, Dinky.” Flitter barely registered Nyx’s voice from over by the elevator console. “Come on down. We’re just hanging out.”

Flitter rolled her eyes at Rumble’s request and put the XT on her horn.

Dinky materialized near the kitchen, tousling everypony’s mane with a gust of teleportation magic. “Good morning, Nyx!” Dinky gave her a hug. “Princess Luna asked me to give this to you straight away.” She levitated a scroll to Nyx.

“Thanks, Dinky. And good morning to you too!”

Dinky turned to notice what Rumble and Flitter were doing at the table. A holographic image of Rumble’s hoof floated between them. “Oh my, what’s this?”

“New toy,” Rumble said. “It’s so cool.” He flexed the gripper muscles in his hoof and snorted in laughter, watching the little grabby filaments shoot in and out.

Dinky stared at the image for a moment. “That’s… really something. You’ll have to show me how that works sometime, Flitter. It looks intriguing. Sorry I can’t stay and chat; I have a tight schedule this morning.” She waved and vanished in a shower of ethereal glitter.

Rumble stood and walked up behind Nyx, who was looking at the scroll Dinky had given her. “Those are the mission details?”

Nyx took a moment to read the mission briefing. “Yep. Looks like we depart in an hour. Luna says she will have the ‘21st Platoon, Lunar Division’ waiting for us at the Running of the Leaves starting position. We will accompany them west through Whitetail Woods and beyond. The mission is to take anywhere from three to seven days depending on what we encounter.”

“Oooh, special forces,” Rumble commented. “So they’re not sending in the REA?”

“Luna wanted to personally oversee this one,” Nyx replied. “The platoon will be mostly earth ponies.”

“Mostly earth ponies?” Rumble echoed. “So that makes us the aerial support, then. Does it say where we’re likely to find the zebras?”

“Apparently, the war report Luna received said that a local pegasus spotted a group of zebras, but they were still far from any towns and appeared to be lost. The platoon’s mission is to help the civilians form a local militia. Our mission is to escort the platoon and discover the reason behind the zebra presence if we can.”

“A mystery! You’ll enjoy that.” Rumble winked as he nudged her shoulder.

“Yeah. But it also says there’s no backup if we run into trouble. The area has no communications infrastructure, and the local population is defenseless apart from the difficult terrain they live in.”

“Probably why we’re going in with an entire platoon,” Rumble pointed out.

“That’s right. Luna said we’d have enough soldiers to handle the zebras. The platoon’s mission is priority over ours. We’re escorting and scouting for them. We need to fly overhead and keep an eye out for zebra troops, providing air cover while the ground team makes their way by hoof.”

“Wow, that’s going to be slow going. How are we going to know where to search? From what Apple Bloom was saying, the land in question is both enormous and crazy-difficult to ger around in.”

“It is. Once we meet up with the local civilians, our job is to find out as much as we can about where they spotted the zebras. Maybe do a flyover of the area while the platoon is busy. They’ll assist the settlements we find along the way and provide them with weapons, supplies, and training.”

“What do we do if we find zebras, then?” Flitter asked, still feeling groggy, but the coffee was kicking in.

“We handle the immediate threat however we have to. The most important thing is to keep the civilians safe and get them to where they can defend themselves. Once they’re armed and trained, their familiarity with the land should give them enough of an advantage.”

Nyx folded the memo and put it in her saddlebags. “Well, I think it’s time to get going. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get excited! Let’s get packed up.”

“I know what I’m bringing,” Rumble said with a huge grin.

Flitter rummaged through the new medical supplies while Rumble and Nyx hopped in the shower together. She regarded her new customized Meadowbrook Hospital field nurse uniform, holding it up to get a better look. It was forest camouflage kevlar with quick-release snaps so she could drop the barding in a hurry. A pair of similarly camouflaged saddlebags went with it, also bearing the Meadowbrook Hospital logo embroidered into its sides.

Meadowbrook Hospital… Fluttershy’s hospital. The Element of Kindness? Flitter scowled. She stared at the logo for a moment, trying to remember the last time she felt welcomed by the yellow pegasus. It wasn’t something she would shed tears over at this point. Not after three years and more than enough tears having long since dried. But it still stung.

Flitter sighed. Maybe it wasn’t for the best to have a logo on her barding and saddlebags reminding her of the pony she had been such good friends with in her youth. No, it wasn’t for lack of trying, but if they would ever be friends again, it was Fluttershy’s move.

She shook off the unpleasant memories; there were more pressing things to focus on. The XT would need to go someplace safe. Flitter decided to experiment with its fine manipulation spells and used it to stitch a small pocket with a clip on the inside of her saddlebags. This would serve as the XT’s home when she wasn’t using it. She looked over her handiwork. Even Rarity would be proud.

She felt ready to go. She just needed a quick shower, and… Flitter paused in her train of thought, noticing a familiar feeling in her belly and delicious taste in her mouth. Love was in the air. She rolled her eyes and walked over to the shower room door. Flitter cleared her throat and banged on the door with a hoof.

“Hey!”

No answer.

“Hey! Are you sure you guys have time for that?”

Laughs came from the shower. “Relax, Flitter, we won’t be long.”

Flitter shook her head with a smile and returned to the couch to read a book.

After her turn in the shower, everypony was pretty much ready to go. They double checked their supplies and stepped into their barding. Nyx tested her range of motion in the new armor. She drew out her sword to feel its weight and balance in the grasp of her telekinesis, then watched the blade slide back into the nothingness that was its magical scabbard.

Rumble had a wide grin on his face as he checked out his reflection in the mirror, wearing his new Lancer Frame and barding. He had already modified the LMG’s loading mechanism, saying he could probably get a five percent boost on its rate of fire.

“Looks like we’re ready,” Nyx said. Rumble walked to the terminal and put the Hideout into standby mode. The three stepped into the elevator, and moments later, walked out of the clubhouse into the warm mid-morning air to fly off toward their rendezvous point.

From the air, Nyx spotted three covered supply wagons at the outskirts of Ponyville, near the spot where the race trail entered Whitetail Woods. They were painted with a forest camouflage pattern. A crowd of military ponies was gathered nearby—all earth ponies, from the looks of it. Scratch that; there was one unicorn. No pegasi. Nyx motioned for Rumble and Flitter to set down a short distance away.

As they approached, a steel-blue mare walked up to greet them. She wore military barding made from dark-green kevlar fabric. A compound repeating crossbow was clipped to her side, and her saddlebags were customized to hold its arrow clips in easy-access pockets. On her flank was a bow-and-arrow cutie mark.

“I’m Lieutenant Archer. You must be Nyx. We were told to expect a black alicorn, but frankly, I wasn’t sure if that was a joke or not. Pleased to meet you. I’ll be second in command for this op.”

Nyx paused for two seconds, considering how to respond. She gestured toward her friends.

“This is Rumble, our weapons and tech pony. Flitter is our medical pony and covert ops specialist. I’m… well, I suppose I’ll be your alicorn for the mission.” A nervous grin played at Nyx’s lips, as she wasn’t sure if she was giving the right impression.

Archer nodded, giving the three ponies a closer inspection. Her eyes fell on Rumble’s Lancer Frame and then Nyx’s armor.

“You look quite remarkable, but my understanding is that you’re all civilians. This is a pretty basic operation, so I’m sure you’ll be just fine. I will ask that you fully respect the commander’s orders. We have a mission to do, and if you haven’t been trained, well… I don’t expect much trouble, but just watch yourselves. We’re going in where zebras have been reported.”

Nyx raised an eyebrow. “We’ve conducted quite a few war games with the SkyGuard. We’ve also had several run-ins with actual zebra combatants.”

“Is that so? Alright, then.” She gave the trio another look over. Alicorns were self-explanatory. Rumble was wearing an aerial machine gun—one of the finest the military had to offer, at that. Flitter… She regard Flitter for a moment. At a glance, Flitter was only a slender pegasus who seemed out of place going into a potentially dangerous situation. She had no special equipment and looked like a standard medical pony. Archer stared at her as if trying to reconcile what Nyx had said.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what makes you a covert ops specialist?”

Flitter looked Archer straight in the eye and gave a wry smile. There was a flash of green fire, and she instantly transformed into a perfect likeness of Archer herself.

“Holy shit!!” Archer stumbled back and fell straight on her ass. Nyx and Rumble both stifled giggles as the lieutenant’s shock gave way to understanding. Flitter returned to her default pegasus form and smiled with satisfaction while helping Archer back to her hooves.

“Okay, nevermind. I can see all sorts of uses for that. So… you’re actually a—”

“Changeling, yes.”

“Impressive. I’ve never met one before.” She composed herself. “Sorry, this is just a little unexpected. You’re obviously on our side…”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Archer. I’ve lived in Ponyville longer than you have. I do remember you as a filly, you know—before you moved away.”

“You… Uh. Wait, you were there when I was…”

Flitter nodded. “I probably foal-sat you at one point. Don’t worry about it. We’re not what most ponies think. Well, we weren’t, anyway. Now, it’s just me.” Flitter’s voice fell.

“I see. Well, it’s good to have you along. If you’ll all follow me, I’ll introduce you to our commander.”

Archer led them to where the 21st Platoon was gathered. Nyx looked them over. The troops were chatting with one another, checking weapons, and looking over inventory lists. Each held some sort of light infantry weapon such as a combat shotgun or semi-automatic rifle on a body harness. Most had one or two grenades clipped to their combat barding.

Archer approached a middle-aged earth pony mare who was talking to the platoon’s unicorn. Nyx wondered why she hadn’t noticed her from above before they had landed. Nopony in the group was that color. The mare wore custom combat barding which seemed designed to hide her pale magenta coat and lime green mane—an unfortunate color combination for any military pony.

“This is Commander Daisycutter,” Archer said with a salute to the other mare. “She’s in charge of this operation.”

“Pleased to finally meet you, Nyx,” the commander said, looking the alicorn over. “As an adult, anyway. I remember seeing you quite a bit when you were just a filly in Ponyville.”

Nyx did a double-take. “Wait… Daisy? I remember you. But you… Wow, I’m surprised to see you here.”

“It’s been a long time. A lot’s happened since I saw you last.”

Nyx completely forgot she was speaking with the platoon’s commander. “Apparently so. It’s good to see you again. It’ll be cool working together.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Nyx. And if I may say, you look fantastic in that armor. The zebras will probably run screaming if they see you.”

Nyx smirked. Judging from her own limited experience, that wasn’t too far from the truth already. “Probably. Every time I’ve run into them, they’re always rather… preoccupied with my appearance. It does get old. ‘Ahh!! Nightmare Moon!!’ and all that.”

Daisy laughed. “Understandable. The zebras have quite the superstition about you.”

Nyx looked around at the rest of the platoon. “So, what’s the situation?”

“Well, we’ve got fifteen earth pony infantry, not including Archer and myself. Windy Scarlet here is our requisite unicorn and ‘bag of tricks’. I’m told you are aware of our orders: scout for zebras and fortify the local settlements.”

Nyx nodded. “Luna filled us in.”

“Alright then. It’ll take all day to reach the first town. You can put your stuff in that wagon over there if you like. We should get going. We’re burning daylight, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”