The Exam: Just three days...
Day 3 of the Exam
A Library. A place of peace and solitude where ponies and many other species can go and study history, science, math, and many other subjects, it was also the location of my dead drop. My name is Pliskin, an I am a changeling infiltrator in my Queen’s service, or at least, I was going to be.
I always knew that I would be an infiltrator, but my resolve was bolstered when my father returned mortally wound after a mission. Deep in the hive, I still remember his final words. He just dropped a disguise when he said, “My son… You will be a great infiltrator someday, even better than I was.”
I remember the times he took me out of the hive secret to show me what life would be like. I was his son, both in disguise and otherwise. Normally, I wouldn’t get such attention, but the former queen decided that the offspring of one such is he couldn’t be afforded anything less. I didn’t question that, no one did. That didn’t mean I did not find it odd, especially after his death. Shortly after my dad’s death, Captain Tskari completely took me under his wing, just before the queen died and her daughter took over.
It was under Tskari that I met my brothers and Masquerade, the latter becoming a reliable training partner and friend. I contemplated in aiding him in this final exam, but that would be frowned upon. I also knew he was more than capable of handling himself.
That took up the idea for my bag and examined it, making sure everything was in order. My new name was David Snakeinabox, former Royal guard turned freelance bodyguard. Finding my identification to my liking; I looked at my birth certificate next. My father was John Snakeinabox and my mother was Eve Earlybloom. An odd name, but ponies usually have odd names, so it was fine.
I then turned my attention to ‘My’ mission files from my time in the Royal guard and began to memorize its contents. As an infiltrator, I have an eye for detail and near photographic memory, so this was relatively easy.
A small stack of books being placed beside me interrupted my focus. I looked over to them and then to their supposed it owner. She was a grey mare with large emerald green eyes. She wore armor that was similar to that of royal guard armor, yet it was strikingly different. The metals that were used in it gave it blue and purple hue. The armor was stylized with a hard lined, almost wavy design that heavily complemented her figure
Females in armor, my one weakness!
She smiled at me and asked, “Is this seat taken?”
I shook my head in the negative and she’s quickly took a seat beside me and started on the first book. The subject was of mixed unit tactics and combat strategies. She was definitely military, but her armor was too different to be a standard soldier, I guessed she was a member of some kind of Special Forces unit.
I felt her discomfort changed curiosity as she read a few lines. She then looked up at me and asked, “Are those mission reports declassified?”
I look down at my papers for a minute before looking back at her with a smile, “I certainly hope so, they are mine.”
By then she connected the dots and said, “You’re a guard aren’t you?”
I shrugged, ”Sort of. I was discharged a while back.”
I felt a hint of sadness coming from her, but it was swept under the rug fairly quickly, ”What did you do, moon your superiors?”
I grinned slightly as I shook my head ”Nah… I’d rather not bother you with my troubles.”
I extended the hose to her and said, “Snakeinabox, David Snakeinabox.”
“Snake in a box? Your cousin wouldn’t happen to be Jack, right?”
I blinked in surprise, does she know? I smiled nervously and said, “Uh…. Yes?”
She gave me a cheeky green and said, “So, he’s a Jack-in-the-Box?”
I should’ve saw it coming... It took a few moments for the joke to sink in, and then I laughed, not out of comedy, but of relief.
Despite this, I felt a hint of gratitude radiate off of her. I guessed that most ponies don’t like her jokes. She then took the hoof that was left hanging moments ago and shook it briefly, ”Seven-oh-seven.”
And there was my confirmation; she wasn’t using her real name, but a codename. She is definitely in Special Forces. I begin to wonder if I could press any amount of information from her.
I smiled at her and ask, ”So, what kind of guard are you? That armor isn’t exactly standard.”
By now, she was actually facing me as we spoke, ”I’m a member of the Lunar Guard.”
She chuckled at the confused look on my face and said, ”If you keep making that face, eventually it will stay that way. In all seriousness, some consider us an elite among the guard.”
“Elite… Then how come I’ve never heard of you?”
Her smile widened before she spoke, “Well, the answer is fairly simple. If I had to guess, you ‘retired’ before the return of Princess Luna. Before then, we were usually stationed on the outskirts of Equestria and many locations that now fall under the jurisdiction of the New Lunar Republic. Almost anywhere else, we did our shifts at night as most ponies were afraid of us.”
I gave another confuse look, but quickly returned to a straight face, ”Really? Kind of hard to imagine ponies being afraid of somepony as good-looking as you.”
I noticed a slight blush on her muzzle for a moment before she said, “Well, is not me necessarily. A lot of the guard consists of… Bat ponies.”
Bat ponies. That sounded pretty interesting, “I see.”
She nodded her before continuing, “Yeah, most ponies often associate bat ponies with Nightmare Moon, but that isn’t the case. Most were only able to get jobs in bat pony communities, or in the guard.”
I nodded. That was understandable, things that are perceived as strange is often associated with danger at a glance. She then gasps, “Oh! I’m sorry, I never even bothered to ask what you do.”
I waved away of concerned, saying, “I’m a bodyguard right now. I came here looking for work. Don’t have any yet, but it’ll happen soon. Besides I’ve been out of the loop for so long, so this information is refreshing. Please continue, I’d like to know more.”
I felt gratitude again, this time in a bit of a larger volume. She smiled as she put a hoof to her chin, “Well, I suppose I can tell you about some of the recently declassified things. You’ll probably understand some of it because your former guard.”
Gotcha…
She then added, "And… My current partners and I will be in town for the next few days and they’re too busy with errands to watch me while I work, perhaps I can convince them to hire you. It’ll be a win-win!”
Wait, what!
I was taken aback by her suggestion, it was crazy, but it made sense, depending on their jobs. She could be left alone for a time, but what is her job, and why would it be bad for a trained guard to be alone, other than the recommended buddy system of course.
But, it would be a great learning opportunity, not only about the world in general, her as well. Win-win is right, more than she knows.
“Well, what do you say?”
I grinned at her and asked, ”Sounds like a plan. When are we going to hold the neigh-gotiations?”
She giggled. A guard with a funny bone, even better! She stood up and put her books in her bag in motioned for the door, “Let’s exit stage left and move onto the next one. The faster we go, the sooner we can get to playing our roles.”
She is definitely the one. I put my papers back in my bag and followed her close behind. I couldn’t help but stare at her flank as we went. I really had a thing for females in armor.
Day 4 of the Exam
I popped my neck as we head as 707 and I walked through the busy streets of Baltimare, she was showing me around to some of her favorite hot spots that she had found during her brief stay here the past week. The first of which was a cheery Café. It was a little too bright for my taste, but the pastries were simply divine! They tasted just like love. I know that must sound odd coming from a Changeling, but there was nothing else I could compare it too. And the Macaroons… They were all right. 707 said she tasted better in Prance, but that couldn’t be helped, now could it?
As we walked to the next location on the list, I decided to ask, “So… How did you convince the guys to hire me?”
She gave a shrug and said, “I don’t know. I said your name and described what you did and they all of a sudden went as quiet as the library we met at.”
I stopped momentarily and asked, “Is that a good thing?”
She turned to me and smiled, “Meh… They get like that when they are thinking. Then they said it would be a good idea if I stayed close to you.”
That wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I simply shrugged and we continued about our way. I was certain I wouldn’t have any trouble, it’s wasn’t like my Father was that famous in the Pony world… Was he?
The second one we stopped at for quite a while once she noticed a particular Pony setting up shop for a show right in front of the fountain in the town square. I merely wanted to move on, but then I noticed the performer.
I muttered under my breath, “You crazy changeling… What are you up to Masquerade?”
707 looked back at me with a smile, “Hey David, why don’t we catch the show? It’s not everyday someone is bold enough to set up shop in such a public place.”
She then waved hoof in my face as I stared at him, “What’s the matter, is it the guy on stage? Hmmm… I don’t think he’s a thousand yards away, so…”
I blinked before looking at her, “I… I know him. His name is Façade.”
She grabbed my hoof and dragged me along, “If that is the case, why don’t we stick around for the show and say something to him afterward?”
I grinned nervously, trying to come up with a good way to down play the situation. I then smiled, emboldened, “I would say hello, but we aren’t exactly on the best of terms. We may be friends, but we had a disagreement with how we should use our talents.”
She gave me a puzzled look before turning back to the small show stage, deciding to drop the subject when I gave her a glare. As if on cue, the show started, with ‘Façade’ stepping out on stage, his red and gold mane tucked away in a top hat. He smiled as he looked out into the decent sized that had gathered and bowed, removing his hat, revealing that he had tamed his mane so it wouldn’t fall onto his face when he did so.
He looked back up at the crowd and said, “Welcome everyone to today’s show, brought to your by Masquerade entertainment. I hope you didn’t bring any drinks with you. Wouldn’t want you to spit up on your neighbors, now would we. And with that thought. Let’s get this show on the road. I am Façade, and I will be your guide.”
He reached into his hat and pulled out a candle on a small stand alit with a familiar green flame and held it out to the audience and said, “For my first trick, I will need somepony from the audience.”
He appeared to survey the crowd when he stopped at me. I could almost guess what he was thinking when he pointed a hoof at me, not even bothering to ask him through the mental link between us, “You sir, next to the grey beauty. Come one down!”
707 snickered as the crowd turned slightly towards me as I stepped up to the stage. He was lucky no one else could hear our mental battle just then, ‘What are you thinking, calling me up here?’
‘Can’t I call upon my best friend for some assistance? I need your help, and two changelings would make this go wonderfully.’
‘You still didn’t explain yourself…”
‘Remember mission 96?’
‘… So that’s what you are doing… Fine, but I’m not helping you any further then this, you need to handle your own messes from here on, got it?’
‘Thank you, I need the money for what I have planned.’
‘Found someone, eh?’
‘Yep…’
‘Alright then.’
He smiled at me as I stepped onto the stage, holding out the candlestick to me and said, “Alright folks, give this Colt a round of applause!”
I wasn’t surprised when no one did, but I didn’t mind, this was his time to shine. I took the stick and examined it for a minute before he continued, “Alright kind sir, you will now count to three, and when reach three, I will blow the candle out.”
I nodded before I counted up from one, “One… Two… Three!”
He blow on the candle and the green flame engulfed my form, eliciting a gasp from the audience. When the flame dispersed, I was an exact replica of him. We both looked around in confusion before he said, “Well this just doesn’t seem right, right Façade?”
I smiled and said, “Indeed it does Façade. Here, take the candle and I’ll blow from this angle, perhaps that will get the desired effect.”
He took the candle mere moments before I blew and said, “How would changing where you blow affect-“
I blew on the candle and the flame likewise overtook his form, turning him into a copy of what I was. ‘I’ looked around in a panic, shouting, “What the buck just happened!”
The Crowd like wise gave a similar reaction as I patted him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about it, I’m certain there won’t be any lasting effects. Just be sure to double check that you’re still a stallion.”
My comment caused the crowd to laugh at the confused look on ‘my’ face. I then gave the candle to one pony in the crowd and asked, “Would you kindly blow that out for us, it has caused enough trouble for one day.”
The Mare simply shrugged as I was heading back for the stage and blew it out, after which we both burst into flames, returning us to out disguised forms. Façade bowed to the audience with a tip of the hat as I feigned confusion, “Thank you, thank you. Now give our Colt friend a round of applause as he returns to his spot.”
I returned to the giggling 707 who asked, “Still a guy?”
I frowned as I walked past her, “Shut up…”
She frowned as she rushed after me, getting in my path, “Where are you going?”
I shrugged, “Remember the disagreement I talked about? I’d rather not get upset at him again for this.”
She stood there in silence for a moment before nodding and allowed me to pass. After some time, she looked at me and asked, “So, want to talk about the real reason you wanted to leave?”
I glared at her, “I already told you… We had a disagreement. I didn’t even know he’d be here.”
She returned my glare with an even creepier one, “I don’t like it when people don’t tell me the whole truth.”
Well… Crud!
I sighed as I motioned for the library, “Fine, but can we talk about it there?”
She snorted, “Well, I did have more places to show you, but I guess we can go to the library early. I had some books I needed to return anyway.”
We made our way to the library and I took a seat as she went to return the books from the other day. Just how she read all of them in a single night, I’ll never know…
Whens she returned I pulled out my papers from yesterday and opened it to where I left off, “Do you mind if I talk as I read?”
She rolled her eyes and answered, “As long as you don’t start to read aloud. I won’t allow it…”
I snorted as I began reading. After a moment, I said, “As you know, Façade and I had a disagreement… You see, before I underwent military training, I had another Master, one who taught me how to use rare spells, such as Transformation. It was the only spells I was able to learn and Master. My foalhood friend Façade likewise learned the skill, but we always bumped heads about it. I wanted to use it for combat, much like my father learned how to do, but he wanted to use it for entertainment. He even wanted me to join in his act, which, at the time, I was fine with. But as we grew up…”
“Your Career choices got in the way?”
I nodded, “Indeed. We’re still friends and talk on a regular basis, but it’s hard sometimes. We always wind up talking about the ‘glory’ days we shared and that lead to… My Father’s death... He died shortly after I began my advanced training.”
I felt a bit of Empathy come from her. Most ponies often confuse Sympathy for Empathy, but us Changelings can tell the difference. Empathy comes from experiencing the pain of others, while Sympathy does not. The both of them have a pleasant balance of Sweetness, Bitterness, and Sourness. It wasn’t much different in that regard, but I can tell all the same. I wanted to ask her whom she lost, but my eyes were drawn to a pale grey dragon eye pendant attached to one of the papers via copious amounts of tape.
I was surprised when she nearly pushed me off her seat to take a closer look, “Whoa… No way!”
I righted myself and asked, “What?”
She gently pulled it from the paper to take a closer look at it, “It’s an older model of the Special forces badge. It even has the numbers on the dial… And on the back!”
“Well, what does it do?”
She smiled as she pointed at the dial, “Well, each number on the dial corresponds with the number on the back of another badge, when a number is selected, the bearer can psychically call another bearer at any time.”
I blinked in surprise, “Really! Then why don’t you have one?”
She frowned, “Well… The magic fields they emit made the wearers nearly impossible to track, and there were only a couple hundred made… They were replaced quite a while ago as the magical drain can be a little hazardous if worn too often. Now we can be tracked easier and messages can be sent to us just as quickly, no matter where we are, without the drain too. Granted I don't wear mine often, but still.”
The idea of being monitored almost 24/7 seemed hard to deal with at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that a if a commander could tell where all his troops were, he could lead them more efficiently, much like how the Queen does with all the Changelings in the Badlands.
I nodded and held a hoof out to her, “May I see it. It used to belong to my dad.”
She gave it to me and I stared intensely at it, “So, your father was in Special Forces. That would explain why the others reacted to your name like that. Who ever he is, he must have been important.”
‘Right… He must have…’
Just then a crippling pain shot up through my fore leg that was holding the pendant and up into my head. It hurt, as if I had been hit in the head one to many times. I fell off the chair clutching my head as the world went dark. I heard 707 shouting, growing quieter as if she, “David? David? DAVID!”
I was no longer at the library… It was dark, and it was raining. I found myself clutching a dark teal pony to my chest as if my life depended on it. I looked around the stony surroundings I now found myself in, shouting, “Medic! Someone get a Medic!”
“S… Son…”
I looked down at the pony, my wet brown mane hanging off the side of my head, mimicking his as I stared into his darkening blue eyes, wiping away the blood that dripped from the side of his mouth, “Son… You will be… A great Infiltrator someday… Even better then I was…”
His head went limp as I began to cry even harder, “Father? Father!”
I heard a voice behind me, “Come on David, we have to go…”
I shook my head before looking at the Pony. He had a white coat with long blonde hair and pair of sunglasses as a Cutie Mark. I shouted at him before looking back at the dead pony in my arms, “No! I won’t leave him, not now…”
I then felt a tug on one of my legs, as I was being dragged away, presumably by the pony I had just seen, “No No… NO!!!!”
My grip on the Pony I held faltered and he dropped to the dirt floor. I clutched onto a small pendant around his neck and held it close to me once it came loose. I closed my eyes, refusing to look back at the pony as he dragged me away.
Day 5 of the Exam
I groaned as my eyes creaked open. I was alone, or at least I thought I was. I tried to sit up, but was swiftly pushed back down by familiar shape.
“Stay down, you still need to rest…”
I looked up at the figure and smiled as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. It was Seven-oh-seven. I felt her concern, but was unsure why she was like that, it didn’t see natural or at least she was trying to hide it. I asked her, “Why, did something happen?”
Her concern intensified, “You don’t remember? You touched your dad’s pendant and… It really messed you up, you’re sleep the whole day yesterday. I had Cain scan you, and he said your stats were really low…”
Scanned… Wait! Wouldn’t that mean they would see the real me. Unless… I looked at my hooves and was quite relieved; somehow I was still disguised.
She mistook my surprise as if I couldn’t remember more then just what happened and said, “You remember Cain right? He’s one of the Guards that I’m working with while I’m in Baltimare. Along with Dante but… He’s more of a joker. The only time he’s serious is when he’s in a fight…”
I looked up at her and asked, “I was out for a day, and only a day, right?”
She nodded, “Dante and I went to find you a doctor, but none would help you without proof of insurance and we didn’t have the money to pay him in cash. Went to the bank to see if you at any money we could, ‘Borrow’, and they said they would only accept the ID of a mister John Snakeinabox.”
We then heard the door shut. Somepony had just arrived, “Yeah you should have seen the look on her face; She was really worried. She must really like you.”
Seven-oh-seven picked up a spare pillow as the white maned Dante sauntered through the door. She threw it at him, shouting, “Shut up Dante!”
Dante ducked under the pillow, causing it to hit Cain who was following him close behind. He wasn’t amused… Dante stuck his tongue out at her and said, “Seems that it’s true.”
Cain slapped Dante on the back of the head at before walking over to me, “As Seven-oh-seven was saying. We weren’t able to request aid, so instead we were forced to return to our mission. Unable to find any leads, we came right back here. Dante noted that your condition started to improve as she drew near, so we had her stand by you all night.”
I looked up at her and smiled genuinely, that was dedication to the job; wasn’t I the one hired to watch her? Oh well, “Thanks seven. Can I get up? I think I can walk now?”
“No-“
Cain interrupted her, making Dante snort, “Actually, that would be a great idea, it would help if I get a better scan of him and laying down certainly didn’t help.”
My smile widened as Seven-oh-seven helped me to my hooves. Cain stared at me intently for a few moments before saying, “He’s clean. Whatever was sapping his strength is gone now. I took liberty of examining the pendant at the library, it appeared to have some kind of seal breaker on it.”
Seven-oh-seven put a hoof on her chin as Cain tossed the pendant to me, “A Seal breaker, what kind?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know. I never saw anything like it, but it appears to be inert now. Can you remember anything David?”
I look at the pendant moment before looking up at the purple clad grey stallion, “Well… I… I think that I had some kind of vision, but it felt more like a nightmare.”
He frowned, “Perhaps it triggered a memory, a repressed one, something so painful that you would beg to have it hidden.”
His words left me thinking about it for the rest of the day. Hoping to take my mind off of the problem, I asked Seven-oh-seven to take me to the bank. Perhaps I could find some answers there, along with picking up a few bits that my father might’ve left me. It was strange really the thought that my father and might have left me something at Equestrian Mutual, but then again, my father wasn’t exactly normal changeling standards. Perhaps she was saving it for a rainy day, or maybe he was saving it for me, but for what purpose?
I had every intention to find out…
We waited for what felt like hours as the line leading up to the reception desk moved on in front of us. Eventually we were able to make it to the front of the line, but that was when things went south. Suddenly the air was filled with unease as the emotions of the patrons around us turned from boredom and sadness to a mix of fear and dread. Something was very wrong…
After a few moments I try talking to the receptionist at the front desk, but was swiftly shoved aside by a male Unicorn. He then put a bag on the desk and said, “Put the money in the bag, and don’t try anything funny.”
I glanced at him, he was wearing a black jacket with some kind of strange heart like symbol emblazoned on the back. It was green… I looked around the rest of the establishment swiftly taking note of five other ponies’ brandishing knives, staring down the other occupants waiting to be served.
I then felt anger rise up beside me, it belonged to Seven-oh-seven. She was staring at the unicorn between us, it looks could kill he’d be dead a thousand times over, but I could tell she was holding herself back. Is almost as if she knew she couldn’t handle this on her own, not without innocence getting hurt, but she wasn’t alone… I was there and I wanted to make sure she knew that. I gave her curt nod, which she returned in-kind when she realized I was staring at her.
As if on instinct, we each took hold of the unicorn and use our combined strength to flip him off of his hooves. His sudden gasp alerted his comrades to danger, but we were not worried. I disarmed the unicorn at our hooves; taking away the weapon he held in its magic and threw it at the nearest enemy, knocking his knife away as Seven-oh-seven lunged for him, taking down and the swift motion. These ponies were a bunch of amateurs, dropping like flies. It only took us about a minute to end the fighting, but then we heard the cry of the small foal.
We turned our attention for him the earth pony he that we had just defeated to another unicorn standing at the door clutching is Fulton self with the knife in her neck. It was then that we noticed the local guards standing by the door; they were looking away as if ashamed of how things have just turned out. I pondered a moment what it meant but then I felt Seven-oh-seven’s anger explode as the Unicorn said, “Alright, no one move, and this kid walks away unharmed.”
It was obvious he had just struck a nerve. I had to keep her from doing something she’s regret later, so before she could do anything, I held her back in headlock whispering calming thoughts in her ear, “Nothing is going to happen… Everything will be all right… I’m here.”
It took a little bit of time, but she eventually calmed down, and that was when I released her. I then turned my attention to the Unicorn, who was laughing at the scene, “That’s right pretty boy, put a leash on her. Wouldn’t want the little one to get hurt would we? Boys, get up and finish robbing the place, I’ll handle this.”
It was my turn to laugh, “Stay down boys, this guy’s a joke… The next pony to move see’s what my friend here would have done to the Unicorn had I not stopped her.”
They all stopped in their tracks, they knew I was beyond serious, but the Unicorn however was not amused, “Get up, do you really think they’d let the innocent get harmed.”
“Who says I wouldn’t?”
My comment left the world silent as I took a step closer to him, “If your plan hinges on the idea that no one would touch you because of a single hostage, you have another thing coming.”
He held the knife closer to her neck, “Stay back, I’m warning you!”
“Are you? Huh! If you are serious, do it! I dare you, because that would just give me an excuse to blast you into oblivion, and no one would bat an eye. No, that hostage is the only thing keeping you alive right now, and if you think that would stop me from hurting you, then you are dead wrong.”
I continued to get closer to him, “You see, you pose a grave threat to my client, and as stated in my contract, I have a license to kill to keep her safe, and if that means shooting you through a hostage, then so be it.”
I was bluffing, sure, but form the look on his face, it was worth it. By now I was only a few feet away from him. He panicked, making the worst mistake he could have ever done; he pointed the knife at me, and away from his hostage, “Stay back!”
I smiled and closed the distance between us, taking the handle of the knife in my mouth and severing his magical ties to it with my own. I struck quickly, hitting him repeatedly on the arm holding his hostage, taking care not to hit her. His arm went limp and the foal plopped into an outstretched hoof as I went for the knock out blow. He fell in one strike.
Satisfied, I looked around to find this foal’s mother, who ran up to me and embraced her child. She was terrified, but the child simply was elated to be back in her mother’s embrace.
I turned my attention to the guards and barked and order, “Tie them up… Now…”
They scrambled to follow my command as I went back to the desk and asked, “Now… About that savings account…”
She hesitantly asked for my ID before handing me a large bag of bits. I gave her a few for her trouble and headed for the door, a confused and angry Seven-oh-seven following me close behind. Once we were far enough away from the bank, she said, “What in Tartarus were you thinking?”
I didn’t look back at her as I said, “I simply did what I thought would resolve the conflict without innocent lives lost.”
She ran ahead of me and stood in my path, “I know that, but how did you possibly think that could work? The Guards have procedures for this sort of thing, or have you forgotten?”
I snorted, “I’m not a guard anymore… Besides, didn’t you see the Guards back there? I bet those thugs had them paid off, they just stood by as we did all the work. In fact, I could tell you were troubled the moment it all started, but as soon as the hostage situation happened, you nearly went ballistic. Why? Had you attacked him in your blind rage, no doubt procedure wouldn’t have helped anyone.”
She became silent. I could feel her apprehension, so instead I continued, “It was that kind of thinking that got my team killed so long ago. I promised myself that no one would die on my watch, that I’d sacrifice my own life, my own morals, to get the job done. One cannot destroy evil without running the risk of becoming it… Remember that and hold on to your friends closely.”
I wasn’t sure where that sudden speech came from, nor did I care. I had nothing else to say. As I walked away, I heard her mutter, “Evershine…”
I stopped, “Her name was Evershine… She was killed in a robbery and there wasn’t anything I could do. I’ve started counseling for it, but… It’s hard… Letting go, I mean… I thought I could keep myself in check, but… I guess old habits die hard.”
I turned back to her now; she had her head hung low as tears fell to the ground. It hit me hard, just how badly this had affected her. I didn’t think that I’d ever see someone like her in this position, weak… Pitiful… It was unbecoming of her image. I hated it, and yet… I could understand her. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like I truly knew her pain. Why? I never did lose anyone… Except… My father…
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before hugging her. I heard that Ponies thought that hugs could help mend broken spirits. I didn’t understand it at the time, but after a few moments, I felt her return it. Her sadness didn’t melt away like I thought it would, but gratitude began to grow in her. Perhaps that was what it meant… The hugs…
“Hey!”
We looked up to see Cain and Dante rushing over to us. They stopped just in front of us and asked, “Did you hear, there was a robbery at the bank. Are you both alright?”
Seven-oh-seven pulled me closer before saying, “I think I am now…”
Her gratitude was higher now, but I felt something a bit more, something beginning to bloom. I knew that feeling. It was something that all Infiltrators aimed for when they go out on missions.
Love…
Secret Reports: Tskari's lament part 1.
Queen Chrysalis lay in her royal bedchambers, half asleep she stared at the stone ceiling above her. Her gaze is drawn to the door after light tapping was heard.
“Enter…”
At her command, the lone changeling entered, harboring a nervous expression on his face. The queen smiled at him, “Ah, Lieutenant, Glad you can return to the Hive a take a break from your busy schedule to grace me with your presence. Please, shut the door.”
The Lieutenant Shut the door behind him and step closer to her before kneeling, “You summoned me, my queen?”
With the flashing green magic from her horn, the constant buzzing noise that could be heard throughout the Hive grew silent, “Indeed, speak freely Tskari.”
Tskari nodded as he stood up, “Thank you my queen. I assume you desire an update on the status of operation ‘Wing Eater’?”
She shook her head slightly before stating, “Sort of... While John is the subject, it is more about his posterity.”
He frowned, “I assure you, David is unaware of his heritage. In fact, he thinks that he’s normal.”
She shook her head, “Not him… Only one survived, I assume you know what I speak?”
Tskari looked visibly shocked, “How… How will I tell him? Almost losing David nearly crushed him.”
“You can’t….”
He gave her a confused look, “My Queen?”
She motioned for him to have a seat on the bed before continuing, “As you know my life shall soon reach attend, and I have no heir…”
He gulped, “Is that why you called me?”
“So what if it is, John is away, you are his second. Besides as a queen, I can’t afford to play favorites, he had his time.”
He stammered, ”But I… I can’t… He…”
Tskari reluctantly sat on the bed next to her as she draped a wing around him, “Relax ‘Harmonia’, you’re not betraying his trust and neither am I. He knows what must be done; it is for the good to the Hive. I am certain he would understand.”
He looked at her with a broken smile, “My queen, what shall we tell John and David, surely they will find out eventually.”
She smiled at him, saying with a wink, “True, but we shall discuss this at another time. This is all about you now, Captain…”
“I thought you said you don’t play favorites.”
She kissed him tenderly before breaking it off, “I lied, but enough to talk… Now is not the time for such pleasantries.”
“But…”
She groaned as she tugged on his shoulder, “Come on… You infiltrators always change when you’re away from Hive for too long… What ever happened to my loyal servant?”
Tskari took that as his cue to kiss her, “I know where are my loyalties lie, I never left you…”
She growled before pouncing on him, eliciting a surprise gasp from Tskari as the natural illumination in the room dimmed.
Author's Note
Hello everyone and welcome to Magic Gear. I hope everyone enjoyed this first chapter as much as I liked writing it. I bet you all noticed Agent 707 by now, and yes, I do have permission to use her in this story. If you don't know who she is, I assure you, it is well work looking her up for.
Now, I must warn all of you who read this Fic... This shouldn't be treated as Pun Pony canon. I would be flattered if you did, but this is a fanfiction and is not connected to the Tumblrverse. Unless they Pun Pony team brings it up and says otherwise, this fanfiction is all it will be, a fanfiction.
I also must say, the plot of this story will be a little odd, compared to the norm, and I'm okay with that.
Please leave a comment below to tell me what you think of the story so far and to tell me if I'm missing a tag.
The Painful briefing: Mission 1 starts.
Location: Somewhere on the border of Hayseed Forest and Hayseed Swamp.
Date: Classified.
Time: 10:37 P.M. EST
It was a dark night in the forest. The only things to illuminate the dark were the pale moonlight filtering through the canopy above and the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of a fire that burned below. Around this fire lay two familiar armored ponies, Dante, and Agent 707.
Agent 707 smiled to herself as she stared at the vibrant orange bracelet in her hoof as Dante poked the small campfire with his sword, his eyes dancing impatiently between the flames and 707. They sat in silence, that is, until Dante snapped, “Alright… I’ll bite, why did you bring me here?”
She smiled slightly; barely looking away from the bracelet, “Don’t blame me. Cain was the one who got the message from HQ…”
He gave a sigh and stabbed his sword into the ground, “And he didn’t even bother to tell us why? I swear, that pony has communication issues.”
Agent 707 rolled her eyes and slipped the bracelet over her hoof guards and said, “Well, Bastion… I think he didn’t tell you because you wouldn’t have came with us if you knew we were going after a couple of Eco terrorists and rescue a couple of hostages.”
He jumped back, as if offended, “Of course I would have came, it is my job… But… Why send a couple of Lunar Guards if it was something so minor... Surely the Royal guard could have handled this.”
She shrugged, “The letter was pretty vague on the details…”
“Wait, you read it! I thought you’d be too busy gawking over that stupid bracelet to care about something like reading. Dang and we spent nearly three days out here too!”
707 was about to respond, but was swiftly cut off by Cain, who had appeared in their midst with a decent sized quantity of logs with him, “Dante, can you drop the subject. Miss 707 does not receive gifts that often, especially from someone she fancies. I am certain she is just as confused about his gift as we were.”
Dante smirked as 707 shouted, “I do not ‘fancy’ him! I just found him to be great company, and he wanted to make sure I knew that he felt that way as well.”
“Right… I saw the way you looked at him.”
707 sighed as she rolled over, turning away from Dante as Cain threw a log at him with his magic, “Enough… You’re just jealous that he actually managed to get her to lower her guard around him.”
Dante snorted, “Me, jealous? Impossible. I have more Mares swooning over me then I could ever want. Why should I care about one that isn’t impressed by my stylish spells?”
Agent 707’s face visibly changed from a look of discomfort, to anger as Cain and Dante began to bicker back and forth, “Stylish? More like a showing off, you have no power behind them.”
“That’s where you are wrong. I have power and speed on my side.”
“I’m smarter.”
“I’m taller.”
“I have a bigger-“
She rolled back over and shouted, “Can you two stop measuring horns and shut up for a minute? Sheesh, I’d like to sleep in peace…”
Cain swiftly nodded silently, while Dante chuckled, “You know… Now that she mentions it. I could have sworn I saw her staring at David’s horn a few times. I think she has a thing for big-“
This time it was 707 that threw a log at him, “I said shut up!”
He was about to respond, but the sudden extinguishing of the campfire and the audible sound of a click and clatter startled the group. Cain was the first to blurt out, “Grenade!”
The trio scattered as the metal cylinder began to spew out noxious fumes. By the time they could focus on where they were running, they were individually ambushed and knocked back into the mist. 707 struggled to get up and leave once more, but she found herself becoming sluggish. It was sleeping gas! She had to move, she had to do something to stay awake.
She was knocked back down again as soon as she was just outside the range of the dissipating smoke. One of their assailants said, “Got one.”
“Same here.”
“Here’s a third one. Let’s get them back to base.”
707 groaned groggily as she saw and unconscious Cain and Dante being hefted up onto the backs of two earth ponies. She then felt the hooves of another as the world began to go dark… The sound of a Manitcore’s roar shot through the darkness, startling the ponies, so much so that she was dropped to the ground as they all shouted, “Run!!!”
Through hazed eyes, she could barely catch a glimmer of green light before blacking out.
Location: Northwest Hayseed Forest, west of Baltimare.
Date: Nearly Two and a half days before the forest incident.
Time: 9:28 A.M. EST
It was a hot, humid day in the Hayseed forest as Jack and I searched the river that splits the forest in two. We were in the northern side just above the river. We had to cross it, it was too wide and there’re not many bridges over it, but it was the only way to get back home. We knew of a bridge nearby, but finding something that isn’t on our maps is pretty difficult.
I sent back to my farewell with agent 707 is a discussed exam with Jack. It was time for us to go our separate ways. Being a typical pony, she suggested we exchange gifts, something to remember each other by. Personally, I thought the idea was a waste of time, especially considering most of the shops would not open that early in the morning, but… I was sure my missions would take you to some odd places, so there was a slim chance we can meet again, and it would be wise to have an ally on the other side, so I agreed.
But that brought up another issue, what could I possibly get her? I could’ve got her flowers, but they wouldn’t last long. I pondered it for a time and eventually settled on an orange colored metal bracelet. I was certain that would last. I wasn’t sure why I chose the color orange; it just seemed to stick out to me.
She was delighted. I give a sigh of relief she joked about how silly a gift of flowers would’ve been. Her gift was pretty interesting. She gave me a book about the forming of the New Lunar Republic and the origins of the Lunar Guard. It was valuable Intel, which Jack was trying to mooch off of me. I didn’t like the idea of sharing the gift…
I ran into Jack sometime later as we were both going through the forest and decided that we should travel together, safety in numbers and all.
Jack was in the middle of his story as the river appeared within our sight. I actually tune did not about halfway through, I wasn’t exactly interested in his opinions on movies. My mind was still stuck on 707 I don’t really know how to describe how I feel. When I looked at her, when I thought about her, I felt nauseous, but in a good way, and there was a burning feeling in my chest. I should ask to Tskari if this is normal for infiltrators when I get back to the Hive, but there are other things that I have to deal with right now, first I had to get there.
I felt a sudden tug on the bed, holding me back.
“Hey!”
I was snapped out of my trance, finding myself precariously perched on the edge of the river, hanging out over the water. I almost fell in!
I looked up at Jack with a smile as he scowled at me, “Sorry, that heat must be getting to me more than I thought.”
As his teachers began to soften, he stated, “We should change back to our true forms, they’re far more resistant to this unbearable heat.”
I shook my head, “We aren’t far enough from the city yet for that. Let’s just get a drink of water and keep going a bit longer first, at this rate we should make it to the edge of the badlands with plenty of time to spare.”
He gave a shrug as I gently lowered my muzzle the water to quench my thirst. He eventually did the same.
We were about to head out, but were attacked by creature known as a Manticore, if you’re some beast with the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. It was both powerful and angry, angry that we were in its territory.
In a panic, we attempted to run away, but were forced into the river by the beast. We eventually passed by that bridge we were searching for before we are able to reach the opposite shore. Jack seemed worse off than I, so I decided that I should scout ahead and make sure there were no more immediate threats before we head out once more.
I was no more than ten minutes walking distance away when I heard a cry for help through the highs mind. Jack and him I assumed it was a newly arrived Masquerade, wearing danger. Whatever was causing trouble was in for a surprise. I changed into the Manticore that had attacked Jack and I a short while ago and ran into aid my comrades.
When I arrived, Masquerade was nowhere to be found as Jack lay on the ground, wounded and surrounded by hostile ponies in black jackets.
With great strength I rested, scaring the group witless. I brought down two swiftly, throwing them at their fleeing allies.
Within moments, we were alone. Feeling the coast was clear I requested that Jack revert to his true form so that he may conserve energy and I may be able to better assess his injuries. His carapace was cracked and his wings were torn, it was clear he needed help if he ever wanted to get back to the Hive.
I helped him to his hooves and looked around. Curious, I had asked where Masquerade was. Jack stated that he didn’t see him after he went down, nor could he sense his mind. The best-case scenario was that he managed to escape and the worst was that he was thrown into the river. Either way I was confident he would survive he’s too tough to die in place like this. My only concern was if his Horn cracked. A Changelings horn will heal quickly, they had to, but if that did happen no doubt they’d be confused and dazed for a time. If he does make it back to the Hive, he will be beyond late, but at least he’ll survive.
To my knowledge this river leads out to Horseshoe Bay, if his disguise held he might be able to get some help there. If not, I’m certain he’ll come up with something, he always was the clever one of the group. For now, I had to worry about Jack.
We were slow, but we were able to reach the badlands. There, Tskari and a medical team met us. It was odd, we didn’t send word for a team, but we were grateful nonetheless. The team took Jack to the Hive while Tskari took me off to the side and requested a status report.
I told him what had happened during the exam. He kept a straight expression as I explained the events in detail. Afterwards he said that he would keep much for Masquerade, but also mentioned that there was a new problem. He told me that a Scout reported that he received word from my brothers, Opaque and Compact, that they had been captured by a group of ponies and maybe executed shortly.
Tskari didn’t think they were found out, in fact, he thought they were being held ransom. For what purpose, he didn’t know. He then pondered whether or not he can spare a few soldiers to attempt to rescue mission, but decided against it. That is, until he spotted the pendant around my neck.
“… So you, have it then?”
It took me a moment to register what he had asked, before I responded with, “Oh! The Pendant, it was in my file. I wanted to ask you about it, but with recent events is must’ve slipped my mind.”
He nodded, “I can imagine your surprise. I had to be sure you are old enough to receive it, and you are. I will explain further, but time is of the essence, follow me.”
I nodded reluctantly and followed him through one of the caves that supposedly lead to the Hive, but it was odd, I didn’t recognize it. We eventually reached a decent sized cavern. Its walls were adorned with various weapons and mementos, all situated around a stone carving of the pony, about roughly my size in stature. It was wearing a similar suit that my father wore; no it was the suit that my father wore.
I looked up at Tskari and asked, “Where are we?”
He smiled at me as you remove the suit from the Stone pony and said, “This cave belonged to your father. Imagine it as if it were a home away from home. Used to send us things from the field all the time.”
Looking around the room, I had… almost a feeling of nostalgia. I was in a place filled with remnants of my father success. It was intoxicating!
“Catch!”
He tossed a suit to me and motioned for me to put it on. It was a loose it, I was certain that I can grow into it. I closed my eyes and took in my father’s familiar scent housed in its stitching. Content, I asked, “Why are you giving this to me? Why are we here?”
“Does any of this remind you of anything?”
I shrugged, “Should it?”
Now he shrugged, “I don’t know… Anyway, you should not familiarize yourself with the various pockets on the suit. I’ve decided that you are going on the rescue mission. Consider it your first mission as an official infiltrator.”
I blink and surprise, “I passed? How?”
He smirked, “Desperate times call for desperate measures, don’t you agree? Be sure to empty your bag and file your things away in those pockets of yours, and yes, they are bigger on the inside; they were enchanted to be that way. Your briefing will start in two minutes.”
My mind went blank as I check my pockets and stored all of my things in them that were in my bag. I took notes of the thin, yet flexible slits for wings of various sizes. I was certain that would be useful too…
I heard Tskari clear his throat before shouting, “Attention!”
I snapped attention seem a disguise father walking to the room. I shouted, “Officer on deck.”
I saluted, looking silently ahead as my pony comrades beside me did the same, “At ease.”
My father’s stern and commanding voice shook me to the core, but his next words brought a smile to my face, “Kept you waiting, huh?”
I couldn’t help it.
He walked halfway past our group of five, stopping as a slide projector turned on behind us.
“Alright Lionhearts, as you know, this is a sneaking mission.”
I smiled. Sure, I felt nervous, but the thought of being in the field with my father was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
He continued, “And as such, physical combat should be avoided at all costs. I do not doubt any of your combat prowess, but should anything happen, you will be left behind. Officially, the Princess well deny any involvement in this operation, this means there will be no support.”
We nodded, “In fact, we’ll have to procure our own weapons on site. To say we are going in naked would be an understatement.”
“Any questions?”
I shook my head.
“Pliskin, are you paying attention?”
I blink, I was once again in the room with Tskari, and my father was gone.
He said, “Pliskin, care to explain what just happened, I couldn’t read your mind just now.”
I looked at him and said, “I don’t know. I was at a briefing of some kind. My father was there…”
He remained silent as it continued, “There were others there, but I was certain they were ponies… And Tskari, you were there too. What was that? It happened when I first touched the Pendant too.”
He remained silent for a few moments more. When he broke the silence, he said, “I could tell you… But that wouldn’t help. There was an accident some time after you were born. We were able to save you, but not everything went according to plan… Your mind, it was… Broken. We tried to put new pieces in, try to fix it at your father’s request, but… In the end, it was scrapped. We decided to let your mind heal and see what happens. I’m sorry.”
I was silent for a time. These, memories… Could they be mine, or perhaps they were somepony else’s. Yeah… They could be somepony else’s, somepony that knew my father, or maybe, somepony that my father had replaced. It wasn’t unheard of for Changelings to outright replace ponies in a community. In fact, it was the most common practice infiltrators do.
He put a hoof on my shoulder and said, “Pliskin… I know this revelation must be painful, but for now, I need you to put this aside and save your brothers. They are you brothers. You can know that for sure.”
I looked up at him, tears welling up in my eyes, “How? First some pony's mind was put into me to try to fix me, and then my dads… Is any part of me, me?”
He sighed, leveling with me, “Calm down. Listen. I’ll be talking too you through that pendant of yours. I still have mine from the old days. I’ll talk you through it. You won’t be alone.”
I nodded slowly, “Okay… Where are they?”
He walked over to a map of Equestria and said, “Here, the reports said that they are in a fort near the border of the forest and Hayseed Swamp.”
I frowned as he pointed to their approximate location, “If things are as bad as you think they are, I won’t make it in time. I can’t fly fast enough.”
He smirked, “Indeed. You can’t, not as a changeling, but as a Pegasus, you should.”
It hit me; I could simply become a Pegasus. I’m not limited to just one form. I’ll thank him later for the reminder, but right now, I had to move. I was about to leave, but Tskari stopped me. He gave me a small pouch filled with three vials filled with a glowing blue liquid, “Here… Take these. Use them at your own discretion. The contents of these vials will boost your magic power for a limited time. I included a list of ingredients, but they are pretty rare, so keep an eye out…”
I blinked at him, “Why isn’t the rest of the Hive using this stuff then?”
“I just said it’s rare… And the side effect is a higher magic drain when using spells. Be wary, you wouldn’t want your disguise to fall at random, now would you?”
I shook my head with a smile as I once again took on my ‘David’ persona and modified it with a pair of Pegasus wings. I gave my new wings a few test flaps before taking off; I had no more time to waste.
Secret Reports: Tskari’s Lament part 2
“Come in.”
Queen Chrysalis looked at the door as Captain Tskari entered the royal bedchambers. He knelt down before her and said, “My Queen.”
A weak flash emitted from her horn before she said, “Arise…”
Tskari looked up at her and gasped, “My Queen… You…”
She looked visibly thinner, and certainly sickly. He could tell that she didn’t have much time left. She snorted, as if nothing was wrong, “Surprised Captain? It has been a while hasn’t it?”
He nodded slowly, “Are you?”
She nodded in response, “I am. Do not fret; my daughter has grown into a fine princess, and soon, a great Queen. But that is for another time. I heard that death has claimed John. Is this true?”
Tskari looked at the ground below him and muttered, “Yes…”
He looked up once more and spoke with more resolution, “He’s gone. But there is worse news. It’s David, he’s…”
“What is wrong with him Captain.”
He shook his head as he said, “We don’t know… We are still waiting for the medical reports to come in, but we do know that he’s suffering from a broken psyche. He saw his father’s death… Even worse. I think he was the one who did it.”
The Queen frowned, “Is he here?”
Tskari nodded, “He is… I feel so ashamed… I promised John that I would protect him, that I’d protect the next generation, and look what happened.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, “Quickly, bring him here. I will save John’s son.”
Tskari nodded as he headed for the door. He looked back at her and asked, “My Queen. I wish to know. He’s not yours, why spend what little time you have healing him?”
She smiled, “Oh, how naive you are. He is not yours either, and yet you took it upon yourself to bring him here to save him. Tell me, if you lost someone, even if they are not your children, how would you feel?”
“I’d… I’d be sad. But I won’t let it stop me. So long as there is someone to protect, I will give my life to defend them.”
Her smiled widened, “Good. So you understand the burden that us Queen’s carry. You Infiltrators always have the strangest lives… So close to us, and yet so far… Captain, promise me you’ll protect them. The Hive, our children… Keep them safe, as you are with John’s.”
Tskari shed a single tear as he nodded, turning to the door, “I will.”
The Queen gave a sigh of relief as Tskari left her alone for the time being, “Oh John… You certainly knew how to pick them. I wonder what the future will hold for young David. Will he grow up to be like you, a loyal soldier to the end, or something more?”
Author's Note
Here is the second Chapter. This one took a bit longer to to write, I even rewrote it twice, but this one was the best I have written so far. I hope you like it! And sorry for the cliffhanger at the beginning, that will be explained in the next chapter.
Agent 707 awoke with a start. It was dark, too dark… The familiar feeling of dirt and grass met her belly as she looked about. Curious she attempted to rise up to her hooves, but found herself unable, pinned it down by some mysterious force. She felt trapped!
She struggled against the cell that had contained her, and with some effort, she broke through. Huffing, she looked at what held her and to her surprise, it was just a simple cardboard box covered in twigs, branches, and patches of foliage.
She was certainly confused, even more so when she looked up to see a small fort off the distance, it was the one she was looking for. But how did she get here?
She looked around for clues, there had be some explanation for this. She took a step forward into her surprise she heard a metal clank underhoof. She moved her armored hoof to see a familiar orange band, her orange band. Perplexed, she looked at the band, the box, the fort, and then the band again. She smiled as she picked it up, it just dawned on her what had occurred.
She flashed back the last thing she could remember, a familiar flashing green, and the protective roar she heard. She muttered, “David…”
She had no idea why he had come to her rescue or even how he found her, but she was glad that he did. She looked at the fort as a frown grew on her muzzle. He had to have went there, but why? Could he have known about the hostages? Maybe, but he might’ve tracked to their attackers there and wanted to help Cain and Dante.
It seems more likely, but they barely knew each other. Why would David go in alone to help ponies he barely even knows? Perhaps he knew how serious things were.
707 nodded slightly, agreeing with this train of thought. It will simply take too long for either of them to get to the nearest guard outpost trade, especially if David had to carry her. The only logical conclusion would be to continue the mission alone.
She shook her head once more, no. She’s not alone. David is in there somewhere and she figured that David would’ve reached the same conclusion too.
Her mind was set; she’s going in…
The fort was fairly overgrown, making it blend in the forest after years of disuse; this was good. As silly as the idea was, 707 was able to use David’s shrubbery box to get past the front gate and into the complex. The guards at the front gate were a couple of diamond dogs and earth ponies. This made this sense, as the fort’s name was Rover, after the dogs that founded it. Could they be working with the terrorists? This wasn’t good, as it can be really large inside, making it really hard to find the friends and the hostages.
It wasn’t long before 707 had to abandon the box as vines gave way to dirt and cold hard stone. Naturally this made her exploration of the upper levels of the fort much more difficult. Luckily the guards seemed pretty stupid and it was easily distracted. A knock here, a stone throw there, and she was able to get through almost every situation without incident.
After a couple of detours and some backtracking, she finally found the dungeon. She smiled. From here, it was a simple job to knock out the Warden take his keys. Dante was the first to rouse, apparently hearing the struggle. Feeling a little smug, 707 twirled the ring of keys around her hoof as she sauntered over to the cellar door,” that’s the second time this week I saved you guys.”
I should put the key in lock, she continued, “Sit tight guys, Patience is-“
“Watch out!”
As the key failed to turn, she heard his warning. She instinctively went for her combat knife as a rope coiled around one of her rear legs. She attempted to cut herself down after she was swiftly hoisted up into the air. An alarm blared throughout the base. The trap must have set it off.
Dante groan as the other prisoners woke up, “707, what are you doing here?”
707 for Rhonda she attempted to cut herself down, “Oh, just hanging around.”
She swiftly fell to the ground with a thud and a clutter as a small group of mooks filed into the room. Having no choice she engage the enemy. Luckily for her, they were rookies whom she was able to dispatch quickly enough that she would be able to ambush the next two groups that came in, but as more arrived, she was quickly overwhelmed.
It took three ponies the hold her down, while three overs took cheap shot after cheap shot, weakening her. 707 was able to shrug off the blows in the beginning, but eventually she began to ache as they kept coming.
“Enough!”
A gruff voice rang out over the crowd as the room became silent. The way this gray stallion entered the room, the way he walked, the way every pony moved out of his way to turn off. This was their leader, White Diamond. He is wanted for murder, arson, foalnapping, arms dealing, and mooning the princesses.
He smiled as he walked over to her, “Every pony clear out. Find the other intruder while I deal with this… Spy.”
Every pony saluted him except for the ponies holding her down and left. Dante and the others remained silent as the stallion drew his sword, watching in disbelief, “It’s time to go…”
707 looked up at him defiantly, “Do your worst!”
The stallion snorted, “I will.”
To everypony’s surprise, White Diamond slew his own soldiers! He extended a hoof to a stunned 707 and said as he was engulfed in flash of green, “Kept you waiting, huh?”
Not too long ago-
David looked back at 707’s prone form one last time before he set the shrub box over her. Something about her resting so peacefully was calming to him. History of thought was interrupted by a light bushing, or was it a ringing? Either way, it was the signal that Tskari was calling him.
‘This is the Mare in the guard you met during the exam, correct?’
David responded, ‘Aye…’
‘What is she doing here?’
He frowned, ‘Perhaps she and her companions heard about the Foalnappings and was sent to investigate. My Brother said they were not alone when they were taken, right?’
Tskari responded, ‘Indeed. Perhaps you’re right. Her comrades were taken too, weren’t they? Perhaps she will attempt to rescue them when she awakens.’
‘Given how serious the guards take foalnapping, especially concerning their own, she will. I might as well I help out as our goals are the same.’
‘Hmmm… Very well, but be wary about getting too to them. As much as having allies and the other side is a good thing, remember this, you must not die for a pony. For the Hive!’
David nodded in affirmation, “For the Hive.”
He looked back at the box once more and then towards the ground. He placed 707’s misplaced band on the ground before rushing off. Tskari gave him one final piece of advice before he got too close to the fort.
‘Remember… We won’t be able to reach each other that easily if you have to switch forms. Only change if you absolutely have to.’
David’s infiltration was fairly easy as he simply shifted his form when security was at its highest. He was found it funny, as most of the enemy soldiers seemed like complete morons. One long quest for key cards later and he was able to find the bosses room.
He figured that if he impersonated the boss, he could walk around on the question. It was a brilliant plan, but he didn’t expect for the pony to be awake at this time of night. After he assumed the form of a guard, David stepped inside, ”Sir?”
White Diamond looked up from his papers and said, “Buck… I thought I said I didn’t want to be disturbed again.”
David hesitantly approached him and said, “I’m sorry to say this sir, but none of the guards at the front gate are responding. I fear we may have an intruder.”
The pony groaned as he got out of his chair, “An intruder huh? Perhaps it is the guard they got away. You reported that one had slipped by during a Manticore attack correct.”
David nodded, “Perhaps, but what if it was somebody else? Manticores are very deadly.”
White Diamond raise a brow as he stepped closer, “Are you claiming that intruder is one of our own? Who could it be?”
David stabbed him in the neck as his disguise faded away, “Me…”
White Diamond collapsed as Tskari contacted him again, ‘Be sure to check his mail and send it over. Who knows what information may hold.’
David nodded and went over to White Diamond’s desk and examined the papers scattered about. It appeared to be at the shipment ledgers that he was reading. Who the stuff is being sent to he couldn’t decipher, along with some of the message, but he was able to decipher a few of the things that were being sent:
Copper;
Steel;
Raw Aetherion;
Something about that last one resonated with him. He attempted to recall where he had heard of it, and then it hit him.
‘ “This is Aetherion.”
David frowned as he examined the odd glowing crystal in his hoof, “I know dad, but why would somepony have this stuff?”
He looked over at his father, John, and said, “Isn’t it dangerous?”
John nodded, it can be in its raw state, but when it’s processed you can boost a pony’s performance. It was even the main ingredient of a soft drink back in the day, but ever since it was used to stop WPII, its production has been prohibited.”
David stared at the Crystal intensively, “Hmmm….” ‘
‘David? David! PLISKIN!’
David snapped out of his trance, ‘What?’
‘Send it before the guards come.’
David nodded has he pulled out a can of dragon fire and sprayed the ledger, ‘Sent…’
After a few moments, Tskari asked, ‘Pliskin, I think you sent it to Canterlot…’
‘How can you tell?’
He could hear Tskari’s frustration, ‘It’s not here… Look at the can…’
David looked at the can and indeed, Tskari was right, “Horse apples!”
Almost as if it were timed, an alarm rang, “Alert, intruder in the detention Center.”
“Cow pie…”
David figured it must be 707 in trouble. With no time to waste, he shifted into White Diamond’s form and took his weapon before rushing to her aid.
Once she was safe, she punched his shoulder and said, “David? What the hay are you doing here?”
David tried to come up with a good response as he blasted the door off the cell with magic, but he found that none was good enough for now. Instead, he said, “I’ll explain later.”
Cain simply nodded as David removed the magic inhibitor from his horn. Dante was less enthused, “You better have a good reason for interfering with the official guard business.”
David said, he better come up with something soon. While 707 helped and Dante get their gear back and helped the other prisoners out of the cell, David talked with his two brothers, ‘You guys alright?’
Opaque spoke first, ‘Brother! If you mean ‘did we talk’, I did not.’
‘Neither did I… This shouldn’t have happened, but that boy slowed me down.’
David frowned, ‘Hey! I don’t blame you, and neither does Tskari, get a hold of yourselves. You’re to return to the Hive at once.’
Did you grumbled as they looked away. Cain cleared his throat and said, “David, these children are injured, we are going to need to work together if we are going to get them to safety.”
David nodded. It was the most logical choice at this point; it even gave him an idea of what to say later. It took some time, but the group was able to band together and eliminate the enemy threat. Once that was over Dante approach David said, “So, David… Why were you following us?”
David smiled, “Simple, I was never paid, so my contract hadn’t been fulfilled yet. You guys are hard to track down.”
Dante facehoofed, “Cain, you forgot to pay him?”
Cain sighed as he hefted a child onto his back, ”I thought you did.”
He groaned, “I guess we can arrest you as you’re supposed to be here… Curse technicalities… But I’m keeping an eye on you!”
707 huffed, “Lay off Dante. He saved us. He saved you…”
He sighed, “Fine.”
Cain set the other child on Dante’s back and said, “After we get these civvies back to Baltimare, how about you come with us to Canterlot? We can use ponies like you in the force.”
David blinked surprise, “What?”
707 nodded in agreement, “Come on David. I’m sure the princesses would loading hear about your heroics.”
She blushed slightly as she looked away, “I know I would…”
‘Do it…’
David was surprised by Tskari agreeing that he should go with them, but what he said next convinced him to go, ‘You wanted to know the truth about you and your father… Perhaps it is a good idea for you to go with them. I will cover for you.’
‘Thank you…’
Secret Reports: Night of the Watchers.
That night, Princess Celestia raided the fridge for a midnight snack when a sudden cry startled her. It was her sister, Princess Luna. She looked up from the fridge to see her trotting in to the royal kitchen, an odd paper floated in front of her in her magic, “Sister, we were busy raising the moon when thine student accidentally sent a letter to us. We nearly dropped it.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow at her, “Twilight, at this hour? Surely you are mistaken.”
She shook her head, “Nay, it is even written in an odd script… We cannot read it.”
Princess Luna gave her the letter to examine. After a few moments, her surprised smiled turned into a scowl, “Luna… This is not from Twilight… In fact, I don’t think this was meant for us to see.”
Luna’s frown started to match that of her sister, “What?”
Princess Celestia rolled up the letter and sighed, “I suggest we put the guard on alert. Code blue.”
Luna was taken aback, “Tis that bad?”
She nodded, her voice becoming stern, “Yes… I fear that there is a great danger on the horizon. I’ll contact an old friend regarding this matter, and you bring in the Watchers too, we will need their guidance.”
Luna frowned; it was not often when her sister appeared this serious, “It shall be done.”
The two sisters hastily went their separate ways, as there was much to be done. Luna wasn’t one to take orders when it came to those under her command, but if her Sister was that worried, she couldn’t afford to question something she had no knowledge of.
Author's Note
Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter, but I got hit with a serious case of writers block.
Luckily I was able to power through it. Anyway, I have great news. There will be another two special guests that will also be appearing in this Fic.
R&R and see if you can guess who they are.
Hint: They often 'hang out' with 707 back at the Nightguard HQ.
