The Royal Foalsitter

Cadance followed Fancypants out of the air port into the cloud city. After five minutes of very silent trot, her “new friend” turned in direction of a crowded restaurant. Although there were plenty of free tables outside the restaurant he went for the door, opened them and invited Cadance inside with a smile and slow wave of a hoof. He definitely wanted more privacy.

To Cadance surprise the indoor restaurant was crawling with ponies, despite the fact it wasn’t even noon yet. Princess noticed not only pegasi but also few unicorns and even a yellow earth pony among the restaurant clientèle.

The restaurant itself was big, clearly build to host large events. Cadance fast calculated that, although the early time of the day, almost two thirds of the restaurant was taken.

What caught Cadance attention was a large and very loud group of pegasi, at the counter, that simultaneously listened and commented some sport event that was reported from large speaker above them.

That will be it in terms of privacy, thought Cadance.

Fancypants lead Princess Cadance to a table and offered her place like a gentlecolt. Cadance noticed that, many ponies they passed on the way through the restaurant smiled or waved at Fancypants.

When Cadance took the place her host offered her, and Fancypants sat in front of her, the pegasi waiter appeared out of nowhere.

“How can I serve monsieur Fancypants.”

“The same as always and for my honored guest spécialité de la mezon,” answered Fancypants.

Waiter bowed and flew way with both speed and grace.When he was finally out of ears reach Cadance looked at Fancypants with disbelieve.

“I thought you didn’t wanted to talk in a public place. This is pretty public place.”

“This establishment belongs to a… friend. The building is magically enchanted to interfere with frequency of any eavesdropping spells and devices. Furthermore it is official Wanderbolts fan center club, so there are always ponies around talking commenting and basically generating a natural hum that makes normal eavesdropping very hard and easy to detect. To casual gossip hungry visitors  you are just one of my many clients. Look around just two ponies talking in a restaurant nothing news worthy, nothing suspicious.”

“… and SCORE. One zero for Stormhunters after brilliant pass from…” Roared the speaker and second later every table in the restaurant was engulfed by cheerful mood. Ponies rose up from tables and cheered loudly.

Cadance was caught totally off guard by this sudden burst of activity and observed the events with shock when Fancypants stood up from his seat and joined the cheering smiling and yelling “Go Stormhunters!”

When he sat down back his face was serious again.

"You wanna blend into a new city? You'd better be up on local sports,” said her host with a smile.

“Sooo… my aunt say you are a spy?”

“I prefer Operative. Cover operation specialist but now I have been asked to bodyguard and teach you Princess.”

“Aunt sent a Operative to protect me?”

"Operatives do a lot of bodyguard work. On any given day the average commando is more likely to be watching a VIP walk his dog than engaging the enemy in battle. Not glamorous, but part of the job."

“Do you work for Royal Intelligence  Agency?”

“No. Not every pony in my business work directly for the RIA.”

Cadance smiled at Fancypants. There were rumors in the intelligence about a group of ponies that worked outside the RIA chain of command directly for her majesty. Is he one of Aunts special friends?

“How is it to be a… operative?” She asked.

"Covert ops has its perks; you travel, make your own hours, and expense most of your meals. The downside? Lots of powerful organizations and ponies want you dead."

“You seem very open for a spy!”

“Well its part of what your Aunt asked me for. Consider it intense field training but don’t except much. Explaining the rules of covert ops is always a challenge. It's a world where good ponies look like bad ponies, and two wrongs do, in fact, make a right."

“Do you like to speak in riddles?”

“You will get use to.”

Cadance looked at him for a second and decided to end this farce.

“Listen Fancypants. I’m here to obtain a certain goal. It shouldn’t take that long for me to need a personal bodyguard and teacher. The entire errand will take me a day, maximum two days. As much as I appreciate your presence I don’t need somepony looking over my shoulder and pouring mystical spy wisdom on me. I know you owe my Aunt a favor and you will stick to your assignment but you have to know I’m in charge here and you will not treat me as some teenage apprentice!”

“Fair enough. I will ease down with the ‘mystical spy wisdom’, but I still insist on the guard part of my job.”

“Ok. Now that we are officially  pass the introduction, lets het down to business. Have you seen the Rainbow event yesterday?”

“You are referring to the Rainboom.”

“How do you…”

“I’m professional. Furthermore we are in Cloudsdale. There are things ponies can’t, or are too afraid to, put in official reports but information travel fast. Every pegasi in Cloudsdale recognized the  legendary Rainboom and if they didn’t they were informed by the ever present gossip. I can add one and one. Rainboom and mysterious request from her majesty the same day? There are no coincidences.”

Cadance looked at him with mixed fear and respect. Was this all so obvious?

“Do you have any information about the pony that was responsible for the Rainboom?”

“Unfortunately no. All I know is that RIA Hub in Cloudsdale is in high alert. That they started disinformation propaganda by spreading self contradictory information’s.”

“What kind of information’s are those?”

“All sort of speculations about the incident. From a accident in the rainbow factory, through Griffon provocation, to claims that some filly did it like that would be possible, right Royal Foalsitter?”

Fancypants smiled and looked deep into Princess eyes.

“To legitimize those information’s they Closed Rainbow Factory for Occupational Health and Safety investigation, locked down junior flight camp and presented official note in local Griffon Kingdome Consulate. Standard cover smoke operation if you ask me. That’s all I know for now.”

The Cloudsdale Royal Foalsitter department was working fast end effectively to cover the Rainboom origin. Now was time to take part in the search. Thought Cadance but to do that she needed to contact Storm Chaser the head of Royal Intelligence hub in Cloudsdale.

“Thank you Fancypants for your assistance and offer but I think I will manage on my own from now. If I will need your … expertise I will contact you.” Said Cadance firmly.

Fancypants wanted to say something but the young princess interrupted him.

“If you might now escort me to the RIA hub I would appreciate it.”

Fancypants smiled and bowed.“As you wish.”

Fancypants placed some bits on the table and went outside followed by Cadance.

Cadance knew that Cloudsdale RIA Hub was placed in the building of Cloudsdale Weekly newspaper, she had never been in that place so having a pony who know the fastest road there was better than asking ponies around. Furthermore Cadance had more time to admire the Cloudsdale while trotting next to Fancypants. The Young Princess visited Cloudsdale in the past but those were short visits with her Aunt and she never had the pleasure of spending any time to explore the cloud city. Cadance was surprised to pass many pegasi that trotted on the cloud made streets of the city rather than to fly.

After ten minutes of trot Fancypants stopped at a corner and pointed at a small building hovering on a independent cloud. The cloud and the building were connected to the city by a cloud bridge like a ship docked to pier.

“That’s Cloudsdale Weekly building. Unofficially RIA hub in Cloudsdale. Have fun Princess. If you get in trouble or will need my advice I’m at your service. You can find me in Rich's Barnyard Bargains Building. Ask for  Spell Able. That is my official cover in Cloudsdale. Good luck Cadance.”

“Thank y….”

In that very moment the Cloudsdale Weekly building exploded.

Explosion was so bit that the shockwave throw Cadance and Fancypants into the nearby building. The enforced cloud wall didn’t absorb the strength of the impact leaving both Princess and the spy incapacitated.

Cadance opened her eyes to a terrible view of fire and destruction. How a cloud building could burn she didn’t know but in all windows and on the roof there were green flames devouring the walls and everything that was inside.

Somepony yanked Cadance back on her hooves. Cadance couldn’t take her eyes from a window where she thought to see a pony engulfed in flames.

“Are you alright. Cadance! Look at me! Cadance are you alright!”

*slap*

Cadance awoken from stupor.

“Fancypants what…”

“Not now! We have to get away from here. I think you will need me after all.”

Fancypants dragged her away from the building.