Shadow Dancer laid flat on the couch with chewing gum in her mouth, blowing bubbles absent-mindedly as she half-listened to Shining Armor's lecture about the events that had transpired the day before.

"Listen, guys, you can't just go around leveling city blocks left and right, okay?" Shining Armor sighed with frustration in his voice as Blaster put up his hand. "Yes, Blaster?"

"Uh, why am I in this little meeting? I wasn't a part of the mission..." Blaster shrugged his shoulders in confusion as he looked at the others gathered around the coffee table.

"You're here so that the others can be your example of what not to do whilst on duty in Equestria," Shining Armor answered him as he stood in front of the television.

"That logic is somewhat questionable, Shining Armor..." Gizmo spoke up, clearing his throat as he began to refute Shining Armor's statement. "Based on the nature of Blaster's abilities, don't you think he would use his power in a more responsible way than others would due to its volatility?"

"Gizmo, he hasn't had any training with his armor yet," Shining Armor shot him a counterpoint as he crossed his arms impatiently. "How do you propose we utilize Blaster's unarmored, bunker-levelling abilities in an urban area?"

"You know, we could always just ask Blaster how he feels about the whole situation instead of making wild assumptions about him..." Shadow Dancer bluntly interjected the two bickering stallions after he popped a cherry-flavored bubble. She then turned to Blaster, to which he awkwardly began to shake his head and stutter.

"W-well... I thought that was pretty cool, right? Nopony died at as a result of our actions, so... yeah." Blaster shrugged his shoulders once again as he motioned over to the TV, grabbing the remote to turn it on. "I mean, the news hasn't stopped yammering on about the "mysterious rescuers" today. Look."

Everypony directed their attention to the television, hearing the dramatic tune of the local news station play out as the wavy CGI of the intro faded out into the actual news segment. Two mares sat at the table. The one on the left had a poufy mane that was half blue on one side and magenta on the other, sapphire blue eyes, a cream complexion, and a blue two piece suit. The other mare on the right had a mane of brilliant cyan and white streaks, and a mint complexion. She also wore a red two-piece suit that seemed to act against the other mare's outfit. Both organized the papers on their desk diligently before they looked up at the audience with determination— the same kind of expression one would often see any other cliché anchor use.

"Good morning Equestria and welcome to Canterlot News, my name is Sweetie Drops..." The mare on the left stated with a serious tone of voice.

"And I'm Lyra Heartstrings." The mare to the right added as a red bar appeared on the bottom of the screen with the caption, 'The Parliament Attacks'.

"Today we are going to be covering the story that unfolded yesterday in Canterlot, a story that many ponies in Equestria will be talking about for a very long time to come," Sweetie Drops said as she clasped her hands together anxiously. "As you know from our coverage yesterday during the brutal carnage that unfolded at the parliament building, Princess Celestia, Luna, and Twilight Sparkle were all safely escorted out of the building by special forces after the violence was quelled. However, two ambassadors lie dead after the incident, and many Equestrians are asking questions regarding the attacks."

"The one question that is on everypony's mind today is, 'who rescued our princesses'? Well, this may be an easier question to answer than we originally thought." Lyra cleared her throat as a blurred picture of Blue Thistle facing off against the mecha was shown onscreen, displaying a brutal bout. Blue Thistle's grunted to herself as she analyzed the photos. "The image you are seeing now is one of four unknown ponies who brought down the terrorists, and this mare, according to reports, effortlessly destroyed the mechanized monster that kept the military at bay during the attacks using only her bare hands. Many captured the fight from afar as it unfolded, one of which was a Canterlot celebrity, Trenderhoof. Our city correspondent Maud Pie is with him right now. Go ahead, Ms. Pie..."

The news segment cut to a live interview in the streets of Canterlot with Trenderhoof. Maud Pie held up her microphone to a hipster pony's mouth with uninterested, blank expression on her face. "Thanks, Mrs. Heartstrings. What happened, Mr. Trenderhoof...?"

"Oh, where to begin? Well, I was up on my balcony snapping some photos of the attacks, and out of nowhere, I see this military helicopter fly by, dropping four ponies down to the street! The one that I managed to capture on my camera was this huge mare who hit like a freight train..." Trenderhoof explained eagerly as he recollected his memories. "I mean, whenever she landed a blow on that machine I felt the shockwave from my apartment. It was like she had bombs strapped to her hands or something!"

"Do you think they were on our side, Mr. Trenderhoof?" Maud Pie asked.

"Well, it's hard to tell right now, but I think they totally are. I mean, why else would they beat up those terrorists and leave Celestia and the others alone? I think they're working for the government— they must be." Trenderhoof answered her as she pulled the microphone away slowly.

"There you have it, Canterlot. Back to you, Sweetie Drops," Maud Pie mumbled as the segment cut away to the newsroom.

"Thank you, Ms. Pie..." Sweetie Drops nodded as she cleared her throat. "The Equestrian Minister of Defence is still being quiet about the situation, but the ponies of Equestria hope to receive answers within the next few days."

Shining Armor shook his head slowly as he turned the television off "It was too soon, dammit. This was too sudden. We caused a huge stir."

"But at least they didn't brand us as the villains, right?" Blaster chimed in, trying to incorporate his optimism into the mix.

"True, but they didn't call us heroes either..." Gizmo countered Blaster with his pessimism as he rested his leg on one knee, adjusting his glasses.

"A good point, but we still caused a sizeable amount of property damage," Shining Armor gestured to Blue Thistle with a head-bob, implying the direction of his statement. "You caused the most out of all of them, Blue Thistle."

"I did what was necessary," Blue Thistle defended herself as she sat in her recliner. "I was given no parachute— the impact was going to happen no matter what, you know this. The fight stayed on Main Street at least."

"I agree with Blue," Shadow Dancer aided Blue Thistle's stance on the topic. "We kept the fight on Main Street, and damages were nothing compared to what they could've been."

"Aw... I'm out of tea," Fae stuck her bottom lip out like a whimpering puppy as she stared down into her empty mug, barely paying any attention to the conversation at hand as she sat still beside Blaster and Gizmo on the couch facing away from the bar.

"I'll get you some more, Fae," Derpy assured her as she grabbed Fae's glass and ran over to the kettle on the stove.

"Regardless, we still can't control the Minister of Defence's wishes... she's a little skeptical," Shining Armor sighed as he placed his hands in his pocket. "She's commissioned a third supervisor to watch over the operation as his personal informant."

"Who's the guy?" Shadow Dancer wondered.

"I'm not sure yet," Shining Armor replied as he fiddled with his blazer. "But whoever he or she is, they're bound to have ample experience, I can assure you that. He'll be arriving shortly. My best guess is in an hour or so."

"So..." Blaster got out of his chair, whistling in a painfully obvious fashion that was intended to make himself stand out a little more. "What should we do in the meantime...?"

"Yes, Blaster, we'll test out your armor." Shining Armor chuckled lightly as he saw Blaster do a victorious fist-pump.

"Woo-!" Blaster was cut off by the loud electronic buzz being emitted by his watch. He ran to the blast chamber "Oh shit, give me a sec..."

"Watch your language!" Derpy shouted at him as he opened the chamber door.

"So..." Shadow Dancer twiddled her thumbs as the edge of the couch as her eyes turned to Blue Thistle, who was absent-mindedly fiddling with her replacement top, which was a size too small in the bust region. "Do you want to grab a drink? I don't know if I'd be interested in watching the light show, I'm still beat from yesterday. How about you?"

"I do not tire..." Blue Thistle replied in her usual unexcited voice. "But... I do get bored."

"So... yes?"

"Da..." Blue Thistle nodded slowly.

As Blaster and the others reorganized themselves and exited the facility, Blue Thistle, and Shadow Dancer sat alone at the bar in silence. Shadow Dancer was unsure how to talk to Blue Thistle. She seemed so cold and distant; it was hard to get her to come out of her shell. But there were moments where Shadow Dancer saw glints of light in her eyes, brief moments of happiness. She wanted to reach out to her because she knew how it felt to feel alone or worthless. She knew pain and suffering. To add to the tension between the two, Shadow Dancer felt a strong attraction to Blue Thistle; she hated that part of their dilemma the most.

"So... what will you have?" Shadow Dancer asked as she looped around the island, reaching under it to grab alcohol.

"Gin..." Blue Thistle grunted as she rested her elbows on the table. "Straight."

"Odd... I was expecting vodka," Shadow Dancer joke as she grabbed a short glass and poured the clear alcohol inside, handing it over to the giant mare; the glass looked tiny in her large yet slender hands. "There you go."

"Thanks..."Blue Thistle nodded as she took a sip, barely fazed by the strength of the beverage.

"You're a drinker then...?" Shadow Dancer laughed lightly as Blue Thistle handed Shadow Dancer her glass to fill it back up again.

"Da..." Blue Thistle grumbled as she drank her second glass in less than two seconds. She looked down at Shadow Dancer's beverage; an amber liquid sat within her glass. "What are you having?"

"Cognac..." Shadow Dancer exhaled deeply after she took a long sip from her glass. "Ah... my favorite."

"Huh," Blue Thistle said as she reached across the island to pour herself a glass of cognac. She prepared to down the whole glass like a shot, but Shadow Dancer stopped her before she had the chance, placing a finger around the edge of her glass. "What?"

"You can't just down it like water, silly. You gotta savor it," Shadow Dancer instructed the impatient mare as she placed a finger under her glass and applied a tiny amount of pressure so that a small amount of liquid could enter her mouth. "How is it?"

Blue Thistle closed her eyes and took a moment to let the alcohol sit in her mouth before she swallowed; it was a combination of many flavors. She tasted dark honey, coffee, dates, cinnamon; heavy spices and sweets that flowed smoothly down her throat, causing an overpowering warmth to wash over her as she swallowed. She sighed, surprised that she actually enjoyed the taste of alcohol for once. It was a new feeling for her.

"How was it...?" Shadow Dancer wondered, though, based on Blue Thistle's expression she already knew the answer.

"Good..." Blue Thistle grinned sheepishly as she tapped on her glass.

"I'm glad you like it," Shadow Dancer beamed as she looped around the table again, sitting down next to Blue Thistle. "You know... you have a great smile. You should do it more often."

Blue Thistle blushed and covered her mouth as she processed Shadow Dancer's words, trying to adjust her facial expression to her grave norm. Shadow Dancer laughed lightly as she took a sip from her glass, closing her eyes as she took a moment to let her taste buds run wild.

"I'm just teasing you, Blue..." Shadow Dancer smiled as she finished off her glass of cognac. Her eyes hovered over to the large knife next to the cutting board that was left out on the table; this gave her an idea. "Hey... so since we're drinking... maybe we could play a little game?"

"Does it have anything to do with drinking?" Blue Thistle turned to Shadow Dancer as her expression returned to its neutral state.

"Nah, but it's challenging to play after a few drinks or so," Shadow Dancer grabbed the knife and held it above her left hand that laid flat on the table. "Ever play Five-Finger Fillet?"

"Niet, what is it?" Blue Thistle asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, all you have to do is this..." Shadow Dancer demonstrated, stabbing just a few millimeters in between each of her fingers in order; from the thumb to index finger— all the way back to her thumb once again as she worked backward and forwards over and over. "If you slice your finger, you... uh, you don't really win anything. But you do look super cool if you speed it up!" Shadow Dancer's face turned hot-blooded and determined as she sped up her pace, skillfully stabbing in between each digit without hesitation. As she reached a point where she could not go any faster, she stopped and put the knife back down, gesturing to Blue Thistle to pick it up. "Your turn."

Blue Thistle began sluggishly, taking care with every stab. Then she worked her way up to a leisurely pace. However, she soon slipped up as she let her confidence get the best of her. The blade shattered into bits as it struck her skin, launching bits and pieces of stainless steel across the island. Shadow Dancer snorted softly, then she broke into hysteric giggles as she rested her forehead on the table. At first, Blue Thistle was a little confused, but then she too found it hard not to chuckle along with her; Shadow Dancer's giggles were highly contagious.

Shadow Dancer calmed down as she saw Blue Thistle stroke her purple hair, causing the left side of her mane to be pushed back behind her ear, revealing all of Blue Thistle's face. Even without makeup, she was positively stunning— a natural beauty that even Shadow Dancer found hard to match. Her long eyelashes, her smooth face, they all seemed to blend together perfectly. Her sapphire eyes stood out the most about her, and they contrasted her gray complexion in such a mystifying and hypnotic way. Her smile nearly caused Shadow Dancer to melt inside, and her face flushed red. Her infatuation soon twisted into frustration, however, as she came to grips with what was happening.

"Fuck..." Shadow Dancer thought as she scowled and clenched her fists tightly, bowing her head and letting her hair conceal her expression. "This is just synthetic... I don't like mares."

"Are you okay?" Blue Thistle stopped laughing when she saw the obvious change in Shadow Dancer's demeanor.

"I'm fine... I'm just tired is all," Shadow Dancer got up off her seat. "I'm gonna hit the hay I think."

"Okay..." Blue Thistle said worrisomely as she watched Shadow Dancer wander up the stairs to her room without another word.

****

"Alright, Blaster. On three I'll release the drones into the air; you have to shoot them down, okay?" Shining Armor relayed the plan once again to the armored Blaster as he placed his index finger on the console nearby that was attached to a crate full of hovering drones.

They had set up target practice in a small, sunny clearing behind the facility, surrounded by willow trees and large rocks that poked out of the ground, ones large enough to cast shadows over the flat terrain of the area. Fae, Derpy, and Gizmo sat on the sidelines against the back wall of the base, watching their comrade as he tested his armor's efficiency.

"Okay..." Blaster took a few deep breaths as he fastened his helmet on his head, waiting for it to fully lock-in. "I'm ready!"

"You can do it, Blaster!" Derpy cheered her friend on as his armor began to clank and emit gusts of steam as he moved forward.

Shining Armor released the swarm of six drones from the crate with the push of a button, and they whizzed about in the air, trying to confuse Blaster. He narrowed his vision, activating his visor's built-in targeting systems. He locked onto one drone, then raised his right arm, opening his hand wide to let his energy pour into it. The red laser blast emitted a loud 'bamf' as it escaped the palm of his hand, incinerating the steel-reinforced drone into a molten liquid. What was odd about the beams of heat is the fact that there seemed to be no radiation that burned any other object besides the target; this was the armor using Blaster's abilities to control how the heat energy of attacks would behave.

"Whoa!" Blaster gasped as he looked at his steaming palm and back at the puddle of lava on the ground. "This is amazing!"

"His energy output is astounding..." Gizmo thought as he watched Blaster's suit absorb more and more of his energy as adrenaline put his powers into overdrive. "I wonder if he has a limit..."

"Go Blaster!" Fae clapped excitedly.

Blaster locked onto three targets at once, blasting them away with beams of energy from his hands and his visor, liquefying three other drones. He then honed in on another drone, searing it into a puddle as he kicked in its direction, releasing a laser from his hoof. Then, he directed his attention to a drone flying much higher than the others. With a single bound, he propelled himself into the air with a burst of energy, scorching a small patch of ground beneath his hooves as he rocketed towards his foe. With an enormous amount of energy, he shot upwards out of his visor, releasing a pillar of energy three meters in diameter; that attack didn't reduce the last drone to lava, it practically wiped it from existence.

"It was completely disintegrated!" Derpy gawked as Blaster landed on the ground with a thud.

"Total ," Gizmo said to himself confidently as he nodded.

"Blasty, that was so cool!" Fae practically screamed as she ran over to praise Blaster.

"Good job, Blaster... maybe we'll test sustained flight tomorrow." Shining Armor placed a hand on Blaster's shoulder as he exited his armor. "But I think that might be a tad trickier."

"Really?! Wow, that'd be awesome! I think I almost actually had it for a second there!" Blaster grinned as he closed the armor with the push of a button.

"Well, don't get too ahead of yourself. You don't have a computer to help you with flight so you'll have to learn on your own. " Shining Armor brought Blaster back to reality; he was reluctant to let him get an inflated head after such a successful test.

In the distance, they all heard a slow clap and the sound of hoofsteps on grass. A new, very pronounced and elegant voice spoke up. His proper Canterlot accent was dripping with narcissism. "Oh how very marvelous indeed. What an astonishing display of such raw unhinged power. You are truly one of a kind, Blaster..."

"Thanks... and who are you?" Blaster scratched his head as he turned to face the extensively dress stallion who was approaching them.

The stallion had long blonde hair, a spotless white complexion, and cobalt blue eyes. He was impossibly charming, and he had an air about him that exuded wit and grace. His suit was all white with a single red rose in his breast pocket, and he wore a gold wrist watch adorned with diamonds and brown leather shoes that could probably feed a homeless pony for a decade. It was not difficult for anypony who saw him to assume he was in the category of royalty.

"Oh, so she sent you, huh...?" Shining Armor scoffed, clearly disgusted by the presence of the stallion in front of him.

"Oh be nice, Shining Armor... I'm simply doing my job," The noble stallion smirked as he shot Shining Armor a smug grin. "I am Prince Blueblood... I shall be your other 'supervisor'."

Author's Note

Oh, my... wasn't that a twist?

As always, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next chapter!