The D.S.P.I.

Chapters

Orientation
Boot Camp
Operation Lost Hawk
Operation Red Night
Operation Frozen Grave
Operation Frozen Grave - Laid to Rest
R&R
This Means War
Regroup
Operation Vengeful King
Operation Burning Law
Project Firebrand
Operation Patient Serpent
Operation First Smoke
Operation Dying Snake
Operation Running Dog
Operation Silent Vanguard
The Door
Operation Patient Thorn
Fortification
Operation Glass Prophet
Operation First Hymn
Operation Stone Line
Salt in Old Wounds
Traitor's Due
Revenge
Debrief
Recruitment
Operation Skipping Stone
Operation: Rescue

Orientation

Of all the places Silver thought his new life would begin, this one was fairly low on the list.

Here he was, once more, in the most boring hallway in Canterlot, and in front of the most boring door in that hallway. The only differences today, however, was that he wasn’t guarding the door. Actually, nopony was guarding the door, and Silver could not remember a time when it wasn’t under some kind of watch. Yet here it was, completely unguarded.

The hallway wasn’t empty either. He had never seen so many ponies in this forgotten section of the castle. Eight other ponies were here, including three pegasus ponies, three earth ponies, and three unicorns, including himself. Many of them were cautious at first, but as time passed, it became obvious they were all here for the same reason, and conversations began in earnest.

It started with small talk. “So what brought you here?” “What do you think this is?” all sorts of pointless talk that certainly did not impress the guard. In fact, he didn’t speak to anypony at all. Not consciously, of course, but his guard training had simply taught him that silence was better than wasting time talking. You couldn’t hear anyone sneaking up on you if you were having small talk with your buddy on the other end of the door.

Of course, it really helped that nopony was really talking to him. He stood in the back, watching as the others all looked to the mysterious door and each other as they whispered and spoke with each other. Nopony noticed him, was all.

Well, that wasn’t perfectly true. One of the earth ponies did notice, and kept giving him dirty looks across the hallway.

Silver couldn’t figure out why, though.

“Hello?” a voice called him as a hoof gently poked his side.

He snapped to the source, and saw a coffee-colored, pegasus mare with a dark blue mane and equally dark blue eyes stared up at him. “Oh! Sorry, I...I just wondered if you heard me?”

The mare’s voice was as soft as the Princess’ own silks, and flowed like honey off of warm toast, and Silver would be lying if he said that she didn’t immediately grab his attention. “Um...no, sorry...I was...off in my own little world,” he admitted.

“I was just asking about you,” the mare said. “Like your name?”

“Dust,” he replied. “Silver Dust.”

“Silver?” she asked, smiling. “Pleasure to meet you, I’m Silk Star. Neon Kick and I were just talking about what we used to do before...well...this..”

A unicorn sauntered up behind her. The slightly shorter stallion wore a white jacket against his dark grey fur, and wore an obnoxiously large pair of sunglasses, even though they were inside and he probably couldn’t see the end of his snout, much less anypony else in the hallway.

He gave Silver a nod, and waited for him to speak.

Silver nodded. “Well, I used to be a guard,” he said, simply.

“Oh, a guard?” Silk asked, interested.

Silver nodded. “It wasn’t what I thought it would be,” he said, not really eager to share more than some slight dissatisfaction.

Neon the unicorn nodded. “Tell me about it,” he grunted. “I thought that following my dreams and becoming a musician would open up a world of opportunities and all that jazz. Instead, all I got was ‘Oh, he’s not as good as DJ PON3!’”

Silver’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong with being compared to DJ PON3?”

“If it’s the original? Nothing,” Neon said. “She was a pioneer in the field of electronica. No, the problem came when she handed off the mantel to that one mare, and all she did was copy the first one.” He sighed. “It’s sad, the name of one of the great musicians of the world has become a bastion of stagnation and plagiarism.”

Silk raised an eyebrow. “It sounds like you feel rather strongly about this.”

“Who doesn’t?” Neon asked. “The original DJ PON3 was a musical genius. Her stuff is basically considered classic. The crime here is that, for nearly the past two hundred years, her name is dragged through the dirt by every single one of her successors, and yet, somehow, she’s still one of the biggest names in the entire industry and everypony holds her up like some kind of expert on music, when all this one had done is copy the original’s style!”

And he went on.

And on.

Silver couldn’t believe how much this unicorn had to say on the matter. He just continued to rant and rant on the degradation of the PON3 name, and the horrendous injustice on how “the latest in a long line of thieves” had become the standard for a genre, before becoming a benchmark for the industry.

Silk gave Silver an apologetic look.

Luckily, Silver was a guard. He had years practicing a look that seemed interested, while being incredibly bored. The best part was, he would be able to recall any simple information without having to commit it to memory.

Silk however, was at a disadvantage. She had no such training, and had no choice but to smile and nod her way through the conversation.

Fortunately for her, the dragon came to her rescue once again.

“Alright, alright!” The dragon said, stepping through the mysterious door and into the hallway. “Show of hooves, are you here?”

Nine hooves went into the air as silence covered the small herd of ponies.

A quick count and Spike was satisfied. “Good. You’re all here. Now, before we go any further, I am to give you one last chance. If you want to leave, now is the time. After this there will be no chance. The information beyond is far too sensitive and one way or another, you won’t get out of this in any way other than a body bag. I’ve made you aware of the risks before, but, as Celestia is fond of reminding me, my organization needs to be absolutely sure that you want to be here. So, leave now, or forever hold your peace.”

No one said anything.

“Good! No cowards here!” Spike said with a nod. “Now, if you follow me,” he said, disappearing back into the door.

The ponies began to follow, filing through the door, but Silver would once more be lying if he said he did not feel comfortable going through the forbidden doorway. Much to his surprise, however, beyond the door was just another, simple hallway.

“Alright, fillies and gentlecolts,” Spike said, leading them further along into the hallway. “You are about to enter the most secure, and secret facility in all of Equestria.”

Silver couldn’t help but wonder how the secure the facility could be if you could access it through a hallway that was under guard by a single pony in the capital of the country.

And then, just as they were reaching the middle of the hallway, Spike stopped, and commanded the small herd to stop behind him. He reached into a pocket on his belt, and pulled his package of cigarettes. “Name: Spike the Dragon, with nine others.”

A gem above them hidden in the usual darkness, began to glow softly, and a green light flooded over all of them. “Confirm identity, please?” A soft, intelligent-sounding voice called from it.

Spike sighed as he heard the voice, and wistfully patted the still strange firearm at his side. It lasted less than a second, however, before he shook a new cigarette free. Holding it up, he studied the end for a second, before he shot a jet of green flame into the air, lighting the cigarette while the brightest flames licked the gem in the ceiling.

“Dragon fire identified. Confirmation complete. Welcome back, Commander,” the voice recited before the floor beneath them began to shift and drop.

Silver nodded. “Alright, you got me on that one.”

The floor dropped fifty feet into the ground, and it was filled with the excited chatter of seven ponies as they watched the hallway disappear above them.

Silver and the earth pony that had been glaring at him stayed silent, of course. The former for his training, the later for his intense glaring at Silver as they went deeper and deeper into the great Mt. Canterlot.

The hidden elevator slowly came to a stop, revealing a large room with a large, silver cylinder, coming to a soft, sloping point at either end.

“Meet the first marvel of your new home, the subterranean train, or the Subtrain, as some of the brains are calling it,” Spike said, before puffing his cigarette, which Silver realized did not smell like tobacco. “All aboard, everyone, this won’t take long.”

“An underground train?” Another pegasus said as she looked up at the great bullet-shaped vehicle. “Where does the smoke go?” Her coat was a soft gold color, and her eyes were light green.

“It runs on a mix of electricity and magic,” Spike answered, as he led them into the train. “No coal, and no smoke. Which is fine, since coal would not be a great enough of fuel for the speeds this thing will reach. Now stop gaping and get in here, Amber.”

She nodded, before following after the dragon as the herd began to file into the train.

Once everyone had taken a seat, Spike moved to the front, and hit a few buttons on a console. “Hold on, everypony,” he warned, before the train suddenly shot forward, flying through the darkness of the tunnel beneath the city.

It took a few moments for the ponies inside to adjust to the speed, but once they did, Spike walked back into the cabin. “Anytime now, Mandible.”

The earth pony that had been glaring at Silver looked up at the dragon with a raised brow.

“That was the deal,” Spike said. “You reveal yourself willingly or I drag you here in chains.”

The earth pony sighed before growling. “Fine...Let’s let the cat out the bag.”

A flash of green flame engulfed the pony, and one of the other earth ponies screamed like a filly when a changeling took his place.

Panic rippled through the train car. The mares screamed, the stallions panicked, and all eyes fell on the changeling. “My name is Mandible,” he said, sounding disgusted with the ponies around them.

And there was silence in the car for a very long time.

“Hahaha!” The laugh rang out in the car, and all eye fell on Silver. “That’s why you’ve been giving me those looks!” He laughed. “Long time, no see, Prisoner.”

The Changeling hissed.

“Alright, alright,” Spike said, taking a drag on his cigarette. “Settle down. Silver, you’re not a guard anymore, and Mandible, you’re getting your pardon.”

“At the cost of freedom,” he muttered.

“If you keep muttering, you can leave,” Spike said, drawing the pistol at his hips, “but we’ve been over what that means.”

“Yes, yes,” the changeling muttered. “Still don’t get why you wanted me to tell everyone?”

“Because they’re going to have to get used to scares,” Spike said simply. “On your first mission you’re going to meet such terrors that you may very well go mad from it all. I figure if they can’t handle a changeling, then they might as well not show up at all.”

“So what are we facing?” Silver asked.

Again the eyes went to the guard.

Spike raised an eyebrow expectantly. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Ever since we’ve met you, you’ve told us that we’re going to be facing great dangers, and all sorts of other things, but you haven’t actually told us what we’re facing.”

Spike said nothing, looking at Silver before the same, intelligent voice from the hallway spoke up. “We are approaching the station. Please hold on until the train has come to a full stop.”

Spike turned back to the control panel. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

===ᐁ===

The train silently slid into the station, leaving the total trip at no more than ten minutes.

Spike left the train first, followed by Mandible, a healthy gap, and finally the other eight passengers lead by Silver.

The station itself, was huge, a massive platform that dwarfed the train that pulled up next to it. The room began to curve around the track, forming a strange half-circle that domed at the ceiling. However, what really got the attention of the small herd was the massive shield that hung on the far wall.

The thing could have been wielded by a giant, and a troll could have hidden behind the giant, steel sign. A large, stylized, golden bird against a purple and white field with a blue border, and a six pointed star sat at the bottom of the shield. Other than that, the only markings on the shield were the four letters engraved in the upper rim of the shield. “D.S.P.I.”

As the herd all stood, staring at the massive shield, Spike spoke up. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, welcome to the Department of Supernatural and Paranormal Investigation. We are responsible for the security of Equestria against various supernatural threats. Have any of you heard of the Elements of Harmony?” he asked.

A couple of hooves went up.

“They started this,” he said. “Not directly, and not to the level of depth or secrecy as we do, but they started this. On the night they stopped Nightmare Moon, they laid the foundation of this department…”

He hesitated a moment, before sighing. “I just wish they could have seen it…”

There was silence for a moment, before he began again. “It is now your duty,” he said, “to defend Equestria against the secret threats and dangers that we face from day to day. You will be facing vampires, ghosts, zombies, lycans, maybe even an imp or two if it’s a bad year.”

Neon raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what? Zombies don’t exist!”

“You think they don’t,” Spike said, “and that’s because of the Department. Everything we do is to ensure that no one suffers from the terrors of the night. Nopony needs to die because of those things. Understand?”

Silver blinked.

A part of him felt like this was some great joke. Zombies and all that didn’t exist. Of course they didn’t exist, and he was familiar enough with the idea of hazing the newbies, and was beginning to smell that faint, suspicious scent of a prank in the making.

And yet, between the circumstances of meeting this strange drake, and the political authority that backed him, made him unsure. He knew all the codes, he had the reputation, and the confidence he wore facing anypony he came across gave him such a sense of terrifying power, that Silver was sure the Department was genuine.

Even if the presented mission and enemy were not.

“Is this a joke?” Neon asked, anger just barely held back by his confusion.

Apparently Silver wasn’t the only one who was unsure.

“Are you seriously joking with me? I quit my job for this!”

Spike took another long drag on his cigarette, before he flicked the butt away. He took a deep breath, even as Neon growled at his feet.

And then, in a single, swift motion, he dropped, coming to eye level with Neon Kick, even as the unicorn tried to back away in reactionary fear. His large, green, glimmering eyes stared into the reflective surface of Neon’s shades, and in a low, dangerous voice that almost made you feel the fangs in his mouth, said “I am not joking, and I am very tired of ponies asking me if I am. Understand, Rookie?”

Neon nodded, backing away from the angry, and very dangerous dragon. “Yes, sir…”

With a snort that shot more smoke into the air, Spike stood again. “Now, let’s begin the tour, shall we?”

There was a nod of assent, and the herd followed the dragon as he walked inside the small door beneath the shield. Once inside, they were met with the sight of a mare.

In pieces.

The body of a mare sat at a desk, typing away as her head sat in a jar of a green-tinted liquid. “Hello, Commander,” the head said as it sat in the jar. “Good to see you again.”

Spike nodded, even as the ponies behind him gaped with an open mouth. “Good to see you too, Caramel.”

The head bobbed in the liquid, perhaps a nod, before the body stood up, holding a sheet of paper in her hooves. “Another letter from the Princess,” the head said. “Another complaint from a citizen who now knows too much.”

Spike sighed, before taking the letter. “Alright, Rookies, this is Caramel Crystal, better known as the Headless Horse. She is in charge of all internal affairs. If you have any problems with requisitions, you speak to her. Any questions?”

The ponies still gaped.

Caramel’s head shook in the liquid, and she returned to her working, typing away. “Have fun with the tour, Commander.”

Spike nodded. “As you were.”

She continued to type as the dragon led the others further into the complex. “Our first stop is the main room,” he said, leading them forward through another door. A large cylindrical room, with a soft dome for a ceiling. Large arches stood against the sides, each labeled with large painted words, marking off rooms like “Quarters,” “Mess Hall,” “Armory,” and a few others.

Just as they entered, they met another mare, and, thankfully for the herd of ponies, she was all in one piece.

“Ah,” Spike said, before holding out a claw. “Everypony this is Velvet Storm, she’s the more...public face of our Department. She’s the one who meets with the Princess whenever we need something.”

She gave a salute. “Hello Commander. Is this the new Alpha team?”

“Hopefully,” Spike said. “I have to show them around.”

“New ponies?” a voice said behind the herd, and they turned to see a mare floating behind them.

Neon Kick leapt up into the air, screaming at the sudden appearance of the ghost.

“Siren,” Spike greeted. “Rookies, meet our resident ghost.”

The ghost saluted. “Sweetie Belle, Codename: Siren. Specter Class ghost, ready and willingly to serve!” she said with a smile.

“The sooner you get used to her the better,” Spike said, “it only gets stranger from here.”

“Have they seen Fluttershy, yet?”

Spike shook his head. “She’s still not back yet, but I’m sure they’re going to talk. First, though, we have to give them the tour.”

"Fluttershy?" one of the ponies asked.

"Resident vegetarian Vampire," Siren explained as she walked on the air above them. "It's a long story, now come on, you guys only have so much time!"

===ᐁ===

The tour was a long one, to be sure. The entire facility covered almost a mile of floor space, and Silver still hadn't seen it all. The "dock" and the personal rooms of the Commander and this rumored vampire were off limits for now, but Silver was sure he'd become very familiar with them given time.

He walked up to his room, a simple room with a steel door and his name on a plaque that could slide off the door with ease. He was sure it was some kind of sign in and of itself, but he did not linger on it. He needed rest tonight for the training that Spike warned them about at the end of the tour.

A quick look around revealed a bed, a desk, a television set into the far wall, a video crystal player, a bookshelf, lights, and a thousand other little diversions he could entertain himself with.

At the very least the dragon was honest. Anything they wanted was theirs while they were here, however long that may be.

As he lay down on his new, and very comfortable bed, the last words of his new Commander rang in his ears.

“Here is the sad truth of the matter, Rookies. You were not picked because you’re the best. You were not picked because you are the chosen ones. You were picked because no one will miss you, and you will save the world for it.”

And that was the last thing Silver heard as he slipped into the soft embrace of sleep.

Boot Camp

The first day of what the Commander called “boot camp” was tough. The physical aspect wasn’t nearly as bad for Silver as it was for everyone else, but he had to admit, the marksmanship section was grueling.

He had thought numerous times that the Guard lacked proper marksmanship training, mostly because flintlock firearms were still a rarity among the military and the general populace, but even if he had been trained, it would have only helped him so much with these.

“This is a pneumatic crossbow,” The Commander said, holding a strange weapon that barely resembled a musket. A long, wide tube sat to the right side, while a the trigger mechanism and a large yellow gem was to the left. “Powered by an elemental gem of air, this crossbow silently fires silver tipped, yew wood bolts. Silver for lycans, yew for vampires, refer to rule number four.”

“Silver kills lycans, not vampires!” the rookies answered, reciting the rule that had been drilled into their heads.

“Correct, too many died because they believed some watered-down romance garbage,” the Commander told them taking another drag on his cigarette. “Now I have heard some complaints that these are not more powerful than the ‘new’ flintlock available to the public, to which I have to say that we were using those almost ten years ago.”

He passed the pneumatic crossbow to Neon Kick, who stared at the weapon with a mix mistrust and awe.

He obviously never held a weapon before.

“While the flintlock has superior power and range, it loses speed, accuracy, and silence, both of which can be the difference between living till tomorrow, or taking a dirt nap by evening,” Spike continued, staring down the line. “You will practice with these crossbows until you can take them apart, put them back together, and hit a full magazine of bullseye’s. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” they answered.

“Then stop wasting time and get to work!”

And so began the most grueling marksmanship class Silver had faced. Admittedly, it was maybe his second in his entire life, but grueling nonetheless. While the pneumatic crossbow did not have much in the way of recoil, the power of the bolts as they slammed into the target was almost surprising.

It took some time to get used to the slight drop on the bolts, as well as the the sheer speed in the rate of fire that the pneumatic crossbow offered. Even so, despite the apparent accuracy of these weapons, Silver was having trouble, and wound up unloading half a magazine to the left of a target.

The crossbow simply fired far too fast, if he held the trigger down for longer than five seconds the magazine would need to be replaced completely. If he was off target when he fired, anywhere from five to ten bolts stuck into the side missing completely.

He was just not having luck with it.

And the second and third day was not better.

“Hold fire!” The Commander yelled on the fourth straight day of firing practice.

Silver sighed as he brought up his crossbow. At least most of the bolts hit the target this time.

Spike walked down the line, smoking another one of his paper cigarettes, and checking the targets. “Silver, stop re-aiming. Keep your groupings tight, then work on accuracy.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” he replied.

“Mandible, good to see you can finally hit the target now.”

The changeling grumbled something that sounded like a thank you, sir.

Silver took a second to snort out the scent of burning paper and stared down at his target again. As he waited for the Commander to order him to collect their bolts, he found himself wondering once more why the dragon insisted on smoking empty cigarettes. It took him a while to identify the smell of paper smoke in the cigarette, as he was sure that it would have to be something else. Yet here it was that—

“Silk,” the Commander said, nodding. “Now that is some excellent shooting!”

“Sir, thank you, sir!”

Silver looked over, to the mare’s target, and almost gaped at the tight group of forty bolts all piercing the bullseye.

“Do that again,” Spike ordered, handing her a full magazine.

Silk Star nodded, and took aim, firing her bolts in disciplined bursts, forty new bolts shot forward, each digging straight into the bullseye with ease, and Silver felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of her shooting. Spike nodded, impressed as she kept hitting the center of the target with every shot, until only the hiss of air sounded, signalling that the magazine was not empty.

“Do it again,” Spike said, handing her another magazine.

Again she fired into the target, and again her accuracy was spot on.

“One more time and I can move you up to the next training stage,” he said, handing her the last magazine.

Once more she emptied the magazine into the target, and once more Silver felt a twinge of anger at the sight of her marksmanship.

Spike nodded again. “We’re probably going to move you to sniper,” he said, as he looked at the target.

“Ah, so zees are zee new recruits, ja?” a new voice said, and all eyes turned to a mare that was making her way down the stairs. The yellow-coated unicorn smiled as she descended, her snout at a thirty degree angle in the air with a pair of large, fashionable sunglasses hiding her eyes. Her baby blue mane was hidden behind a hunter green cloth hat that clung to her head.

She smirked as she finally stepped down onto the firing range, and removed her sunglasses, revealing the two, blood red eyes beneath them.

Silver instantly felt captivated by those eyes. The depths of which almost swallowed him whole. His world simply became a great swirling pool of red and darkness. There was nothing beyond those eyes, nothing before, and nothing after. There was only those eyes.

And then, as if he was suddenly released, the world around him returned, and the new mare’s horn was in her hoof.

A fake.

“Ja, ja. Zees are fery strong, no? Zey schoult do vell,” she said, before a previously hidden pair of leathery wings stretched out from her sides.

“Ah, Fluttershy,” Spike said, giving her his attention. “I was wondering when you would get back.”

“Atatatata!” The pegasus chided as she held up her hoof. “Kommandant Shpike, you schoult know better by now. I am Dame Butter Streusel, and Dame Flutterschy vill shtill take some time to adjust. But don’ten sie vorry, Herr Shpike, you vill shtill receive your report.”

Spike gave a long-suffering sigh. “How long before the report?”

“At least until after lunch,” she said, removing the hat, and revealing the blue wig and her flowing pink hair beneath. “Ve schall zee, sough.”

Another sigh from the dragon. “Fine,” he said.

The vampire nodded with a smile, before walking away, heading back up the stairs.

Spike then stood, and said in an incredibly commanding voice. “But you will eat in the cafeteria.”

The mare froze, and Silver could swear a tiny little “eep” escaped her lips.

“What?” she asked, the strong accent gone from her now almost pitiful voice. Her posture had transformed from that of a confident mare to that of a tiny filly, hiding from the dark.

“I let you get away with it for long enough, Fluttershy. You’re going to eat in the cafeteria.”

“I…” she squeaked, and Silver wondered that had happened to the strong mare once known as Butter Streusel. “I…”

“Fluttershy,” Spike said, in an admonishing tone.

“O-o-okay…” she finally said, before backing away from the dragon.

When she finally left the room, Spike sighed. “That poor mare…” he then turned to the others and spoke. “Alright, rookies, break for lunch, when you come back, we’ll discuss team composition, and all kinds of good stuff, dismissed.”

===ᐁ===

The mess hall was a large room with a low, domed ceiling. A hundred and fifty feet long, there was more than enough room for everypony in the entire facility to sit down and eat all at once.

As it was, many of the long table were empty, but Silver did see a few familiar faces; Caramel Crystal, Velvet Storm, Fluttershy, and the almost-as-green team Gamma.

Team Gamma had apparently arrived two days before Silver’s own team Alpha, and while they did tend to stay apart, this massive brick wall of a pony named Chestnut had done whatever he could to be amiable.

Even so, Silver’s attention was being split between his team’s conversation, and the mysterious mare he had first met just minutes before.

“Luna’s Teeth, Silk!” one of the earth ponies in his team exclaimed. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied. “My uncle just owns a farm out by Baltimare, and I spent a few summers out there shooting his musket. It was pretty much the only fun thing to do out there...so I guess I just had a lot of practice is all.”

“Oh is that all?” Mandible sneered.

Silver rolled his eyes. “Easy prisoner,” he said.

“I hope you choke on your meal, Guard,” he answered back.

Mandible was perhaps the most problematic member of the team. He grunted, growled, and spat bitterness at every opportunity. Every other word he spoke was filled with vitriol and disgust, up to the point where he pushed everyone else away.

To be fair, though, Silver wasn’t the most social of ponies himself, and there were a lot of ponies on his own team that he still didn’t know the names of.

As they grabbed their aluminum trays with their plates of rice, oats, and salads piled high, Team Alpha quickly found a place to sit, and began eating away. All the while, however, Silver watched the neighbors. The Headless Horse, miss Caramel, had opened the top of her jar and dropped ground lettuce into the green, jelly-like liquid.

Velvet Storm sat alone, eating slowly as she enjoyed the salad with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.

And then there was Fluttershy. The pegasus with the leathery wings and the blood-red eyes stared, not at the blood pack he assumed would be there, but at four apples sitting on her tray. She didn’t make a sound as she stared at them, and didn’t so much as move for them, even as everypony around her ate.

Silver was fascinated with her as she stared at her food. There was an obvious hunger in her eyes as she stared at the apples in front of her, and yet she did not eat. She carefully lifted her hoof, and traced the gentle, sloping curve of the bright red apple, in an almost disturbingly loving way. She smiled as she watched her hoof trail against the soft, shiny surface of the fruit, and she licked her lips to wet her mouth, and revealed the fangs behind her smile.

And then, she suddenly looked up, and her eyes glanced around the room.

And then Silver saw those eyes once more. Those impossibly deep, red orbs that commanded his attention and sapped at his will.

“Look away.”

The words echoed in his head like a bell knoll, and he turned away out of a compulsion he could not explain. The second he turned away he wanted to watch again, eager to see the vampire that wanted to eat apples, and try to understand her shyness.

But he couldn’t. He had to stare at his tray. He literally could not turn around. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he tried to so desperately hard to turn and watch.

Then, his head finally sapped back, staring at Fluttershy and her tray.

Or at least...the tray.

Fluttershy was already gone, and her tray sat on the table, with only four desiccated apple, no larger than a core.

===ᐁ===

“A team is composed of eight different duties.” Spike explained as team Alpha sat in the training grounds next to the armory. “They are; Assault, the close quarters combat specialist; Sniper, long-range support; Medic, pretty self-explanatory; Heavy Weapons, again self-explanatory; Support, the all around; Scout, the guy who’s going to give you all the info you need; Demolitions, for when you have something big to get rid of; and Infiltration, guess who’s going to get that job.”

A few chuckles from the ponies in the team as a few glances were shot Mandible’s way.

Spike continued without losing a beat. “Each duty or class has their own special equipment and kit. Two of you have already found classes that fit your skills, so now the rest of you have to figure out your placement. First, you’re going to run through various tests and training regiments to figure out where you fit best,” he said, picking up a strange looking rifle.

“In the meantime, you all will continue using the pneumatic crossbows until you can consistently hit something in the morning, in the evening, you will work on trying to find your niche. But, as a taste of things to look forward to, Silk, catch.”

He tossed the rifle at her, and Silver looked at it with a curious gaze. It’s long, sleek barrel was encased in an angular, heavy-duty plastic casing. Down the rifle, closer to where the chamber should be was a gem, glowing a dull red like hot steel. Silk looked it up and down, feeling the weight of it in her hooves.

“That is a Thermal Shot Long-range rifle, or the TS longrifle for short. Unlike the pneumatic crossbows, the TS fires beams of heat-based magical energy. It has no projectile drop, and a far greater range than any other weapon here, and the only reason why it’s not the standard, before any of you get smart enough to ask, is because of the rate of fire. The gem takes too long to cool after a shot that powerful, so it’s not suitable for close range combat, where you can be surrounded by few dozen zombies.

“But,” Spike continued, as he grabbed a couple of bundles, “the important thing is, this is only the start of the equipment you get to get your hooves on here, so the lesson to learn is, the harder you work, the sooner you get your toys. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Then move out, Alpha Team.”

===ᐁ===

It took two weeks before Silver was given his class. He still had a few issues hitting things with his pneumatic crossbow, but his guard training did leave him with quite the proficiency in melee combat. The Commander did make a crack that maybe he’d hit something now that he’d be closer, but Silver was willing to live with that.

His special gear was the same bog standard pneumatic crossbow, but he did also a very nice short sword. A strange thing with a silver blade with a magically reinforced obsidian body. At first, he was incredibly confused by the stone composition in the blade, but he was soon informed by Sweetie Belle that obsidian was able to affect ghosts and such.

Apparently, that was part of rule 27.

“How many rules are there?” he asked.

“How many?” Sweetie answered, as she floated next to him. “As many as Spike wants at any given time. But he does have a few important ones that he repeats constantly.”

“Which ones?”

“Rule number one, typically,” she said, before turning on her back and continuing to float forward. “Whatever you do, don’t die. Then there’s rule number two, if you have to die, try to die in such a way that you don’t make the enemy stronger.”

“Make them stronger?”

“You know, becoming a zombie, vampire, lycan, being the last sacrifice to release a Great Old One, that kind of thing.”

Silver’s brow furrowed. “Does that happen often?”

“Often enough that it’s a rule!” she replied.

Silver looked her over, an eyebrow raised. “Are all ghosts as chipper as you?”

“Nah,” she said, righting herself, before she continued. “I’m not like most ghosts. I was a soldier here. I knew there was a good chance I wasn’t going to finish my business here, I was prepared for it.”

Silver shivered, suddenly very aware how cold it was in this hallway.

“No...most ghost think too much about how they passed. They all think about the one who murdered them, about how their life was stolen from them at their most vulnerable moment.”

The hallway was getting darker, but Silver could only stare at the ghost beside him as she appeared to swallow the light around her, her eyes now glowing orbs surrounded by shadow.

“No, all they think about is how everything they have was stolen from them, how the world has ceased to be their home. They think about how the stallion that murdered them still walks this earth as their own body rots in the earth if it’s not already gone!”

She was seething, and the hallway seemed to breath with her every word, shuddering as her anger filled the darkness around them. The very foundation of the world seemed to pulsate with her every word.

“And they think about how they want to kill them! How they want to strangle them! How they want to pierce his body with every single item in his house! How they want to kill him so that feels every single thing and I felt when he killed me!”

Her voice was that of a dark lord, resounding, terrible, and full of malice.

“I want to watch his life bleed from his eyes as I strangle him! I want to watch him struggle to breathe! I want to watch as his soul is yanked from his body and flies straight into the abyss!”

Silver was backing up slowly.

“I want him dead!” she wailed, and her voice screamed through his soul.

He backed up again, and as he did, he felt old wood touch his flank.

The ghost stopped suddenly, and the world went back to normal, but she was in his face, her big green eyes panicked and pleading. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Are you insane?”

He felt ethereal hooves pull him away, and he stared at the thing behind him that broke the ghost from her monologue of revenge.

And he saw a door.

A simple, wooden, red, triangular door with a simple candle carved into its front.

He blinked as he looked at it, confused for a number of reasons.

The first was the door itself. Every other door he had seen in the entire complex was a thick, steel door that opened by some hidden mechanism that slid them down into place. This was the first wooden door he had seen since…well since he got here.

The second was the absolute terror that had flashed in the eyes of the ghost next to him.

“W-what is that?” he asked, baffled and confused.

“That’s the door to the Commander’s room,” she whispered, as though they were the words of some dark tome.

“The Commander’s room?” he asked.

She turned to him, and she shook her head. “You know rule number one?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Rule zero: Do not, under any circumstances, enter that room.”

Silver blinked again. “Why? W-what’s in there?”

“You don’t need to know,” she said, gently pulling him away. “All you do need to know is that the Commander killed the last pony that went in there, himself. It was not a pretty death.”

Silver blinked once more, letting himself be dragged away by the ghost who so desperately wanted to get him away.

And yet, even as he was being pulled, he chanced one last look back.

And the little red door, with the little yellow candle burned into his mind stronger than the memory of the sun itself.

Operation Lost Hawk

Spike continued through the pages on his desk, longing for the days where the Department wasn’t so steeped in bureaucracy.

He took a drag on his cigarette, breathing in the paper smoke and letting it settle in his lungs before expelling it in a nice, smooth breath.

Another signature, and he moved on to the next form.

The door slammed open, and Velvet ran in, a panicked look on her face. “We have a situation!”

Spike moved without so much as blinking, shifting the papers to the side a clearing his desk. “What’s the problem?”

“We have zombies, Baltimare area.”

Spike nodded. “Get Manticore, Caramel, and Alpha Team to the situation room A.S.A.P.”

Velvet nodded, before rushing out of the room.

And Spike took another drag on the cigarette and sighed.

Time to test the rookies.

But why did it have to always be a trial by fire?

===ᐁ===

Team Alpha sat at their table, eating away while they laughed and talked among each other. With the exceptions of Silver and Mandible of course, both of whom stayed quiet, the first out of principal, the other out of sheer spite.

“And then he says to me, ‘You can’t park here, this is private property,’ and I tell him ‘I know it is, why do you think I’m here?’” one of the stallions regaled, recounting one of his worst experiences as a driver for private cart service. “So, long story short, he doesn’t know I’ve been called here, and holds me up for half-an-hour at the gate! He would have even held me longer if not for—”

The crackling of a loudspeaker broke the story in an instant, and a voice echoed over the mess hall. “Attention! Alpha Team! Report to the Situation room immediately! This is not a drill! Report immediately!”

Silver began spooning the salad from his plate into his mouth, trying to finish his meal as fast as possible, before shouldering his pneumatic crossbow. Everyone else in his team blinked, before they all quickly followed suit, stuffing their faces before running after Silver with all haste.

Weapons were shouldered, the last plates of armor strapped on, and food was frantically chewed as they ran through the facility, moving to the executive wing.

The situation room was a large, board-meeting-esque room with a large table dominating its center. A map of Equestria sat on the table, underneath a heavy pane of glass. Spike, Caramel Crystal, Velvet Storm, and Fluttershy were all there, waiting for them. The headless horse held up various forms for her head while Velvet was running about, setting forms, and looking generally panicked.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, seemed to command the room. She stood almost taller than before, and a scowl seemed to be branded on her face. She glared at the soldiers as they walked in, and even Silver was slightly unnerved by her.

Spike, however, simply sat at the head of the table, continuing to smoke the tobacco-less cigarettes. “Alpha Team, it’s time for your first mission. You’re going to Baltimare, to face some zombies. Velvet, fill them in.”

“Yes, sir!” she said, before turning to the collected soldiers. “We have a zombie outbreak out in the outer fields of Baltimare. Normally not a big issue, we could set you up in a building, and you could mow them all down by daybreak. Unfortunately, we have reports of a survivor in the area.”

The glass on the table shimmered, and the face of a pony magically formed and floated before them. “A pegasus named Cedar Leaf. He’s wounded, and unable to evacuate.” A flash, and his face disappeared, being replaced by a semi-transparent farmstead with three buildings, a barn, farmhouse, and a storehouse. “Our last report has him in an abandoned barn,” Velvet explained, as the building slowly disassembled, revealing the floor plans, and a glowing yellow dot.

“Your first priority is saving the civilian,” Spike said. “As such, heavy weapons, demolitions, and sniper classes are to stay close to his location. Assault, support, medic, scout and infiltration classes will be up front in the fields. Manticore,” he said, motioning to Fluttershy, “will lead the field team while I will lead the team inside.”

“You’re coming with us?” a mare from the team asked.

“No,” Fluttershy replied sarcastically. “I’m going to be leading you from my easy chair.”

Spike sighed. “Yes, we’re going with you, it’s the best way to give proper orders and stay up-to-date.”

“But what about you two?” the mare asked.

Fluttershy barked a laugh.

“Don’t worry about us. Now, unless there are any questions, we need to move out. We won’t have much time,” Spike said.

“That’s...actually my question,” Silver said, speaking up. “How are we going to get to Baltimare in time? Form the sounds of it, we only have a few minutes, or an hour at best before Cedar loses any chance of being saved. How are we going to make it?”

And Spike smiled.

===ᐁ===

It was a Delta-class Airship: Specialization Heli-ship, or DASH.

It was perhaps the strangest acronym Silver had heard, but Spike assured them that the long, thin, airship with the bright red envelope and the massive, lighting bolt-shaped prow was the fastest thing in the sky.

The cabin of the airship was surprisingly small, no bigger than a classroom, although a large portion of it was dominated by a coffin that Fluttershy immediately claimed. “Wake me when we get there,” she said, climbing in.

“Is that…” Neon Kick began, staring at the vampires as she slipped into the wooden box.

“Normal? For her it is,” Spike said, behind him as he stepped in. “Tinker?”

An earth pony stood at the front of the cabin, checking dials and flipping switches. “Ready, sir!”

Spike nodded. “Take a seat everypony, the DASH-1 can kick a bit.”

Alpha team obeyed, taking to the seats the ran along the sides of the cabin as the pilot pulled down a speaker mic that connected to a hidden PA system. “Good evening fillies and gentlecolts, my name is Tinker Bolt, and I will be your pilot this evening. It’s going to be a three minute trip to Baltimare from our HQ here in the San Palomino desert, so I would suggest that you buckle up. The Commander doesn’t need to scrape you off the back of the cabin.”

The airship suddenly jostled, as if coming free, and the whirring of gears could be heard outside. Silver turned, staring out the window behind him, and could see moonlight pouring through from above.

The DASH-1 floated into the air, lifting easily as they began to pass yard after yard of concrete. Silver blinked, and before he knew it, they had passed a set of steel doors, both five feet thick.

And then, in another second, they were off, disappearing into the night sky.

Neon was sitting next to Silver as the ship rocked and rumbled, speeding past the ground below. The DJ-turned-soldier looked carefully around the cabin, before he whispered to Silver. “Do you think we can trust Mandible?”

“What?” Silver asked.

“The changeling, do you think we can trust him?

Silver shook his head. “Of course not,” he said, simply, “but, he’s going to do his job.”

“He is?”

Silver nodded. “Let’s just say there are measures in place to catch him.”

“You sure?”

“How did you think we caught him in the first place?” Silver asked.

“Hey!” Fluttershy said, throwing the coffin door open. “I’m trying to sleep!”

And they said no more.

===ᐁ===

The DASH-1 was hovering over Baltimare in no more than three minutes of departure. Massive floodlights, connected to the hull of the ship, lit the field and farmhouse beneath it, leaving no shadows except those cast by the writhing forms of the zombies beneath.

The cargo bay door of the DASH-1, situated at the back of the cabin slowly dropped open, and ropes dropped to the ground below. The earth ponies and unicorns repelled to the ground, while those who had wings used them. Massive propellers turned sideways, holding the DASH-1 still in the air as the team hit the ground.

“Field team, follow Manticore, house team with me!” Spike said, speaking into a radio headset. “Thundercloud, report in!”

“Thundercloud reporting in, Commander,” Tinker answered inside the headset, heard by everyone present.

“Manticore?”

“Hear you loud and clear,” she answered, galloping into the field with Silver, Neon, Amber, Mandible, and the scout that Silver still could not name.

“Alright, Medic,” Spike called.

“Sir?” Amber Breeze answered.

“We will need you to fly back here when we need you, be ready for that.”

“Yes, sir!” she answered.

“Alright, rookies,” Fluttershy said, skidding to a halt, “Scout, run up ahead, see if you can’t find a source, or try to get the zombies coming to us.”

“Yes ma’am!” the scout said, before running ahead, horn shining as he leveled his pneumatic crossbow.

“The rest of you, form up. Get ready for the hordes.”

“Yes, miss Fluttershy,” Neon answered.

“Manticore!” Fluttershy growled. “The name is Manticore. I am not that spineless wimp!”

Neon blinked, pulling away from the sudden outburst.

She growled, again. “She’s a worthless wimp, and I’d be running this show, if she weren’t friends with the freakin’ god of chaos!”

Neon slowly backed away, quickly regretting ever speaking.

Another growl, and Manticore grunted. “Just shoot the zombies, alright?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” he replied.

Silver noted this, but said nothing, raising his crossbow and the silver and obsidian blade.

This was going to be an interesting night.

===ᐁ===

Spike and company burst into the room, his own, special pistol in his hand while his free claw stood outstretched.

The heavy weapons pony instantly turned, setting up his experimental mini-cannon to hit anything coming towards them. The Demolitions pony was outside, if she followed orders correctly, and was setting up mines and preparing her portable potion cannon with molotovs and acids.

Silk Star was setting up in the barn, checking her weapon to support the field troops.

All these action ran on the holo-magical eye display that R&D was trying to push for production. It also, quite nicely, gave him a nice readout and image of Cedar Leaf. “Are you Cedar?” he asked, addressing the cowering pegasus knowing full well that it was exactly who that was.

“Stay back!” the pegasus whimpered.

“Are you Cedar Leaf?” Spike repeated, trying to get an answer.

“I don’t want to die!” he whined.

Spike slapped him gently on the cheek, as though he were trying to wake him. “Hey! Hey! Listen to me! Are you Cedar Leaf?”

The pegasus’ eye slowly focused on the dragon before him, and a panic was glowing behind them. “Hah-huh-w-who are you?” he asked.

Finally responsive.

“We’re the DSPI. We’re here to save you, Cedar.”

“The who?”

“We are here to save you, do you understand?” Spike repeated.

“I understand?” he said, unsure.

“Good. Can you walk?” Spike asked.

“N-No…” he replied. “They broke one of my legs, and my wings are broken too.”

Spike swore. “Looks like we’re in for the long haul, fillies and colts. We can’t get Cedar out of here safely. We’re going to have to thin the zombies first.”

“Wasn’t that the plan anyway, sir?” the heavy weapons pony asked.

“The plan was pull him out, and then hit the zombs from Thundercloud,” he replied. “Now we need to do some pest control from the ground.” Spike readjusted the grip his handgun, with the six pointed star etched into the handle, before checking the firing crystal matrix.

“Alright, Twi…” he whispered to the gun. “Let’s go. After all, I need my number one assistant.”

===ᐁ===

Stainless Spur, Scout of Alpha Team, ran forward, holding his light pneumatic crossbow close to his chest as the undead shambled toward him. They weren’t as bad as the ones he had seen in movies, most were intact, and fresh. In fact, if you cleaned the blood from their mouths and the dead, glazed eyes, they could almost pass for the living.

The thing that gave them away, however, was the smell. A horrid mix of sewage, body odor, and rotting meat assaulted his nose at every turn, and Stainless Spur was doing everything he could to keep himself from gagging.

What he saw did not fill him with confidence either. Everywhere he looked there were zombies, and they were getting thicker the further in he went. The magically enhanced horseshoes he wore allowed him to zip between the zombies’ hooves, but as the crowd thickened, he was less and less willing to move in between them.

“There are a lot of them out here,” he said, nervously.

“Not a real surprise,” Manticore answered through his headset. “The important thing is where are they coming from?”

“Everywhere!” Stainless Spur said. “They’ve all but surrounded the farm, and—Sweet Celestia!”

A zombie had appeared out of nowhere, moaning and assaulting Spur’s nose with the awful reek of the undead. Spur practically spun on his hooves, and if it were not for his enhanced speed, he would have been caught in a crushing bear hug.

“Scout?” Spike’s voice called. “Are you still with us?”

“Yes, sir,” he answered, before firing a bolt into the monster’s head. “One of them snuck up on me is all.”

“They do that,” Manticore told him. “Keep your eyes open, that’s how they get you.”

“Where did they all come from?”

“Graveyards,” Manticore answered.

“What?” Silver’s voice asked over the line.

“Despite what you might have seen in the movies, Assault,” Spike said, “Zombieism is not a virus. Equestria has so many ley lines running through it that if anyone messes with magic, anywhere on the entire, dumb planet, we get the magic backlash. If there’s a necromancer in Cowmandu, or an oil spill of the coast of Saddle Arabia, our ground gets magically charged. Every now and then, it builds up and gets released in a massive, nation-wide burst that has a chance of kick-starting the electrical impulses in the brain of the deceased. The result is a mindless, incredibly primitive, pseudo-lifeform. The Zombie.”

There was a beat of silence across all lines.

“It didn’t use to be a big problem, not until about seventy years ago. That’s when Griffonstone’s electrical power demands skyrocketed,” the dragon explained.

“A-a...C-Commander, are you serious?”

Manticore laughed. “The rookies never believe it.”

“They don’t need to believe it,” Spike said. “They just need to shoot the creeps in the head. Scout, rendezvous with Manticore. Stick together, we don’t need to lose you to a random ghoul.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied, before he began running back.

Stainless Spur just wished they could use their names.

===ᐁ===

Silver’s blade cut through the air, and digging straight into a zombie’s brainpan. Sweat was running down his head, and a he couldn’t help but pant as the horde around him simultaneously moaned and staggered toward him and the farmhouse behind him.

When the horde had finally stepped completely into the DASH-1’s floodlights, Silver had been slightly perturbed by Manticore’s groan of disappointment. “Is this it? Celestia’s Crown, Scout! You made me think I was going to have fun here! This is like, three hundred zombies, max!” And then she just wandered off into the giant crowd of zombies, mumbling to herself.

On the one hoof, the fact that he hadn’t seen her since was more than slightly worrying, on the other, the fact that Commander Spike didn’t seem worried, meant that she was probably okay.

Probably.

A burst of fire from his pneumatic crossbow riddled another zombie as he tried to juggle his weapons. He was doing okay, honestly, he had already taken ten or so of the shambling corpses, without giving any ground. Neon was cursing behind him, almost panicking as he emptied magazine after magazine into the oncoming ghouls.

Amber was hovering nearby, eyes wide and on the verge of tears as she fired her bolts. Unlike Neon, however, she was doing her best to make her shots count. She was taking huge, almost exaggerated breaths in order to keep her shots steady and accurate.

The Scout, whatever his name was, was running back and forth, speeding along on magical horseshoes, and making sudden, close-range shots with his dual, light pneumatic crossbows, mounted on a special brace that kept his hooves free.

Mandible was nearby, cursing as he disappeared and reappeared thanks to his so-called “mirror cloak,” firing every time he came back to shoot a zombie in the face with his own light crossbow. “I was not properly armed for this!”

Silver suddenly felt a pair of hooves grab him, and he spun his head around just in time to see a zombie bearing down on him, mouth open and ready to bite.

And then the zombie’s head turned to ash as a bright, red beam shot by.

Silver pushed the body away, shaking, before he took a breath to try and compose himself. Silently, he thanked Celestia that he didn’t have time to scream, but he couldn’t convince himself that his heart was beating at a thousand times a second. “T-thanks, Sniper.”

“Just keep your eyes open, Assault,” Silk answered back.

Silver grimaced. He was supposed to be the veteran here. He was the one with the guard training. He was supposed to be better than this. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his sword tighter, and leapt forward, chopping into the zombie ranks with renewed fervor.

And then he heard laughing.

He fired another bolt into a zombie, narrowly avoiding another bite, and quickly looked around, searching for the source.

And then he saw the shower of blood.

A literal wave of visceral geysers burst into the air, and Silver had just enough time to see a blood-stained, yellow-and-pink blur burst by. Zombies went flying in the wake of the vampire, practically exploding as Manticore destroyed them.

What she was doing, Silver would never know, as she was simply moving too fast for his eyes to properly see. What he could see, however, was the smile of utter, terrifying ecstasy on her face. Punches from her caused undead torsos to disintegrate, and Silver could swear she literally ripped one or two of them in half with her bare hooves.

In a matter of a little more than a second, she had cleared the space around her of zombies completely, and smiled as a long, triangular tongue slowly pushed its way past her fangs. She licked the blood clean from her hooves, enjoying every drop of the crimson liquid, greedily slurping her hooves clean, and loving every second of it.

The sight was absolutely, morbidly captivating.

Silver watched, horrified and fascinated, and he did not look away until he heard a scream behind him.

The Scout had been standing still, perhaps as fascinated as he had been with Manticore’s display, and had not noticed a pair of zombies approach him. Another scorching shot from the TS longrifle turned one of the zombies into a burnt matchstick, but the other zombie was already on him. There was a scream, the sound of ripping flesh, and a moan, and the next thing Silver knew, the Scout was down, bleeding from where his leg once was.

Silver turned, firing a burst, and the zombie’s head became a pincushion. “Medic!” he cried as the zombie went down.

Amber was on him in a second, fumbling as she tried to find the proper syringe that had been strapped to her hind leg.

“Get him out of here!” Manticore growled, tearing her attention away from the blood on her hooves. “Take him to the Commander, he can rest at the farmhouse.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Amber cried, before pulling the stallion onto her withers, before flying for the farmhouse.

“Now,” Manticore said, with a smile. “Where was I?”

===ᐁ===

Amber burst through the doorway, flying past the heavy weapons pony. She panted as she prepared her syringes, stabbing him in his stump to try and staunch the flow of blood.

The heavy weapons pony cursed. “Hey, Medic, you might want to get upstairs.”

“What? Why?”

“You’ve brought some guests with you.”

Amber looked back, looking over the large pony’s shoulder, before she hissed a curse herself. A large crowd of zombies followed behind her, shambling behind moaning and hungry.

“I’ll take care of them,” he said. “Just get Scout upstairs.”

She nodded, before running inside, grabbing her patient and running upstairs. She slammed open the door to a room, fluttered in, barely recognizing the shivering form of Cedar Leaf hiding in the corner. Stainless Spur was falling in and out of consciousness, trying to hold on despite the pain and blood loss, and she did her best to keep him awake. “Hey, hey, stay with me!”

An explosion rocked the building from outside, and Amber fell to the ground. “Commander!” the Demolitions pony cried. “They’ve hit the perimeter I set up!”

Amber heard a sigh on the line. “I’ll be right there. Medic, keep Scout alive until I get there!”

She prepared another syringe, this one filled with synthetic blood. Hopefully enough to keep him alive.

“Medic! Answer!”

She jumped, before shaking herself. “Yes, sir! I understand!”

“Good.”

She shook, trying to keep it together, as the pony before her slowly died.

“Holy Celestia…” Cedar mumbled, staring at them both.

Amber kept working trying to keep him alive.

And slowly, so very slowly, the Scout began to mumble. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry…”

===ᐁ===

Spike’s pistol rang like thunder as he pulled the trigger, and a super-dense mana crystal, shaped like a needle shot at supersonic speeds, ripping through the line of rotting flesh and tearing zombies to pieces.

Spike’s number one assistant barked needle after needle, kicking back with enough recoil that it could dislocate the arm of a normal pony. Spike was no pony, though, and every shot of his tore through zombie after zombie with ease. “Demo! Acid grenade there!” he ordered, pointing at a large herd of zombies.

The demolitions mare nodded, before preparing her Portable Potions Cannon with a bottle of magically enhanced Sodium Hydroxide. The potion loaded, she took aim, firing a long, arcing shot that hit the herd of zombies dead on. The dissolved lye splashed into the crowd, and quickly began eating away the flesh, sped up to an almost terrifying degree by a magical catalyst that was never divulged to her. “I think I prefer the molotovs,” she said, watching as the zombies began to turn to sludge before her.

“Yes, because having flaming zombies is so much better,” Spike replied. “Fire a bait grenade over by the mines,” he ordered, pointing to the side.

She obeyed, loading a foul-smelling potion into her PPC for another arcing shot. The bottle smashed, open, and a small breeze carried the awful reek over the zombies. They all turned as one, before marching towards the impact zone, ignoring where they stepped and the resulting explosions as the mines erupted.

“Good job, Demo. Can you handle it from here?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered.

“Good, I have to check on—”

“Oh Buck!” the heavy weapons pony said.

“Heavy?” Spike called.

“I’m out of ammo!” he called out, panic in his voice.

“I’ll be right there!” Spike called. “Try to keep your distance!”

“I’m—I’ll—Ah! Celestia! Help!”

“I’m coming!” Spike yelled, before his powerful, draconic legs sent him flying forward, running towards the farmhouse with a speed that left the demolitions pony gaping.

Spike came skidding around the farmhouse, sending a crystal needle directly into the heads and chest of more incoming zombies as he ran. He ran to the door, and saw the bodies of twenty dead zombies, and the Heavy weapons pony, torn apart by the strength of the zombies.

He didn’t stop, leaping over the dead soldier, and running to the stairs.

He heard the the screams of both Cedar and his Medic. He leapt up, firing his way through the zombies that were crowding up the stairs. His one-of-a-kind pistol tore through the zombie and passed through them, digging into the wood and stone behind them.

He spun into the room, claws ripping through zombie flesh, and his pistol rang out as the needles pinned them to the wall.

“I’ve got you!” he cried.

“We’re done out here!” Manticore reported. “We’re moving to support you now!”

Spike didn’t answer, but his aim was true, taking down the last four zombies is just as many shots.

Spike turned to the ponies in the room. “Are you alright?”

“S-Scout’s dead…” Amber muttered.

Spike nodded. “Cedar?”

“I-I’m here…” he muttered.

Spike nodded. “Alright. Thundercloud, get us out of here.”

===ᐁ===

When they finally returned to HQ, Silver was tired. Spike had apparently gone to debrief Cedar, and made a crack about wiping his memory.

Although, Silver did have to admit that he wasn’t sure the comment had in fact been a joke, but he just couldn’t care about it now. The mission was a success, even though two ponies had been lost, and Spike had almost been proud of the numbers. “Not bad for a rookie team.”

But Silver didn’t really care, he was too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. He trudged to his room, dragging his kit behind him, and slumped onto his bed. He rolled over, pulling to the covers over his head, hoping to hide from the world for a few hours.

And then came a soft knock on his door.

Groaning, Silver turned over, and saw the Medic, Amber Breeze standing in the doorway. “Um...hi…”

“Hey,” he grumbled, sitting up. “What is it?”

“Um...I...I know you’re probably tired...b-but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight unless I tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“S-Stainless Spur...before he died, he...he wanted me to tell you he was sorry.”

“What?”

“I-I don’t know, he just wanted to say he was sorry, for letting you down I guess?”

“No, why apologize to me?” he asked.

She blinked, confused. “Well...you’re the leader.”

“What?” he asked, now awake. “What are you talking about?”

“Commander Spike said you were team leader.”

“He did?” Silver asked.

She nodded.

“I...I…What?”

“Why do you think he recruited you?” a voice said, and both ponies looked up to see Sweetie Belle hovering above them.

“What are you talking about?” Silver asked.

“You, you’re a guard. You’ve had proper training for almost a full year. You have experience and training that no one else does. When Spike picks guards, he picks leaders.”

“Well why didn’t he tell me?” Silver yelled. “This is important! I...I don’t even—” He caught himself from finishing the sentence. He had almost said that he didn’t even know everypony’s name in front of the Medic, er, Amber.

“Because you took to it well enough during the training exercises.”

“That’s not the same!” Silver said. “All these ponies are looking up to me, and I had no idea!” Like the scout, who had apologized to him for dying.

The scout whose name he did not know.

Sweetie sighed. “Well that explains why Spike was not impressed with your performance.”

“I didn’t—!”

“I’ll talk to him,” Sweetie Belle said, “but now you have no excuse.”

Silver just stared, now fully awake as the ghost disappeared.

And suddenly, the weight of that apology, the last words of the scout, meant so much more.

Operation Red Night

Alpha Team received a new scout in about two days. His team had not been as lucky as Silver’s, and almost all of them had been KIA’d on their first mission. His name was Spark Speed, although Silver noticed that almost everyone just called him Sparky.

They still did not have a replacement for their heavy weapons pony, but seeing as how he would have to come from another decimated team, Silver was not quick to wish for one.

In the time since finishing their last mission, Silver had been throwing himself into the team, learning their names, histories, and the like. Silk Star was a singer in some rundown bar, Neon Kick was a DJ in a club that had almost no one coming in, and Amber Breeze was a nursing student that was so deep in debt she couldn’t afford her next classes.

Lemon Bubble was the name of the Demolitions pony, and she used to be in child care, before an accident happened and she failed her psychiatric test after a minor bout of pyromania sparked up in her psyche.

Mandible was a mystery, and proud of it. He said nothing, revealed nothing, and was incredibly smug about how much he was hiding.

That really only left Sparky, and Silver was still trying to learn everything he could about the pegasus. He was short, shorter than Amber by a few good inches, but he made up for it in sheer attitude. Even a novice in psychology could tell he had small-dog syndrome, and Spike clearly had wanted to channel Sparky’s sass and attitude into speed, and according to the reports of his training he did a very good job at it.

Silver’s eyes scanned over the report of Sparky’s last mission, trying to study the stallion from his single time out in the field, when the loudspeaker crackled above him. “Alpha team, please report to the situation room.”

Silver quickly dropped the papers, grabbing his kit and making sure his armor was straight before booking it across the compound.

He was the first one into the room, after Spike, of course. The dragon simply nodded, noting his punctuality but not much more than that. The rest followed in after him, filling the room. Amber, Silk, Neon, Lemon, Mandible, and Sparky and filed in, each taking a seat around the table, until finally Fluttershy, or whoever she was today came in last.

“Alright, Alpha,” Spike said, once he was sure everyone was in. “I have a new mission for you.”

“We’re still down a pony,” Mandible noted.

“Good to know you can count, Mandible,” Spike grumbled. “This mission is going to be a little light. You shouldn’t need any explosives, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go along, Lemon.”

She nodded. “As long as I don’t have to watch melting zombies.”

“We have a vampire in Vanhoover,” Spike said. “He’s not strong enough to worry about, but if we don’t stop him he will become a problem.”

“So we find him, and shoot him,” Sparky grunted. “What’s the big deal?”

“If it were that easy, Sparks, then I wouldn’t still be here,” Spike sighed. “He’s hiding, and he’s doing a good job. There have been a few disappearance which could be linked, but we’ve only found one body. Exsanguinated, and bone dry.”

“A good sign, at least,” Fluttershy said, her nose slightly in the air.

Spike nodded. “He’s not strong enough to risk making a thrall, so he drained the victim.”

“Thrall?” Sparky asked.

“Thrall, sir,” Silver corrected for him.

“Aye, aye, Commander Hand-flank,” Sparky grunted.

“A minor vampire,” Fluttershy explained. “Created with only a single bite from a vampire, without killing the victim. It creates a vampire servant that has to follow its master’s every command, until the master is killed, or...some extraneous circumstances.”

“If a vampire is weak,” Spike continued, “the thrall may attempt to kill the vampire that created him. Chances are the drained body shows that our perp is not confident in his powers to risk one.”

“It won’t, however, make him easier to find,” Fluttershy noted.

“It never does,” Spike agreed, before his eyes turned to the changeling. “And that, Mandible, is where you come in.”

“I was wondering,” Mandible said dryly. “I doubt infiltration works well for zombies.

“You and…” Spike paused, looking at Fluttershy for a moment.

“Oh...uh…” she said in a quiet, hesitant voice. “I...I think it’s Diamond Dream’s turn.”

“Of course it is,” Fluttershy said, confirming her own sentence. “Besides, I handle vampires better than the others, it’s simply the logical choice.”

“Until you need to stake them,” she said in the rough voice of Manticore, “then you all come crawling back to me.”

“Fluttershy?” Spike said, questioningly.

“I’m fine…” she said in the quiet voice. “Just...just a small argument. It’s okay.”

Spike regarded her a moment, before continuing. “Mandible, you’ll be working with Diamond Dream to locate our Vampire before the rest of us swoop in to take him out. Do you all understand?”

“Yes, sir!” they all replied.

“Good, move out!”

===ᐁ===

Diamond Dream always thought Vanhoover was nice this time of year.

She and all the rest of her sat beside one of the city’s man cafes, enjoying a cup of cafe au lait, while dressed in a lovely pale green dress, a large, pale yellow sun hat, and pair of round, sunglasses.

The rookies were surprised to learn that vampires could move in sunlight, they always were. And, as always, she to explain that vampires do not turn to dust when they touch sunlight. They do, however, lose almost all of their powers and abilities, which is reason enough for most to avoid the sun like the plague.

She sipped her coffee, watching the crowd around her through the glare of the orb in the sky.

A stallion approached, carrying a cup in a magical aura beside him. “May I have this seat?” he asked.

“Of course,” she replied, motioning to the seat beside her. “Any luck?”

“Sadly not,” he said. “There just isn’t a pony around who knows where I can get one.”

She nodded. “A tragedy, truly,” she sighed. “It seems nopony knows where to find a decent silk vest these days.”

A voice crackled in her ear. “And why is the location of a vest so important?” Sparky grumbled. “Or better yet, why are you two having coffee while the rest of us stay cooped up in this hotel room?”

“Luxury, my dear,” Diamond said, looking at the stallion. “It’s all about luxury. A vest such as this would be lusted after by the most discerning eye, and would gather more of the common people to whoever would don such a thing.”

“What?” Sparky asked over the line.

The stallion beside her, Mandible in disguise, sighed.

Another voice, Silk’s, cut in on the line. “She’s saying that vampires like luxury, it attracts people to them.”

“There are other wonderful advantages to luxury, dear,” she said, staring at Mandible as though she were talking to him. “But none as great as the attention of the common pony, remember that.”

Mandible straightened, getting back into character despite the ponies droning in his ear. “If luxury is indeed the greatest of things, then I must wonder, why Vanhoover? Is Manehatten not the most luxurious of cities?”

“If every vest was made in Manehatten, then they would be easy to find,” she said, sipping her coffee.

“Yeah, so what about my other question?” Sparky grunted.

“If you go out there, dressed like that, you’re going to tip him off,” Silver said. “Mandible is good at hiding, and apparently so is Diamond Dream. They can hide and move without alerting the target. I doubt you can do the same.”

“Yeah, well what about the boss? A dragon sticks out like a sore hoof, and you can’t tell me otherwise.”

“That’s his business,” Silver said, and Fluttershy nodded her approval, even though none could see it.

“Well I’m not happy about it,” Sparky grunted.

“Noted,” Silk said with a frown.

Diamond sighed, before she lowered her chin and whispered into her headset. “You don’t need to be happy about it. It’s your job. Now, no more names. Security is important, ponies.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Diamond then raised her head, and smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t worry dear, there are plenty of shops to check before the night is out.”

“I just worry that there will be too many,” Mandible said, before he stood, ready to leave.

===ᐁ===

Silver watched over the room. For the past three days they had stayed in this tiny hotel room, all six of them, watching the city for any sign of their vampire. Silk was at the window, using the scope on her TS Longrifle to scan the horizon while the others sat at various instruments and maps, checking and re-checking with the infiltration agents to try and narrow down their search of the city.

Commander Spike did not stay with them. He showed up every morning asking for news, and asking to be kept posted before disappearing again. Running the Department, if Silver had to guess.

Likewise, Mandible and Fluttershy did not stay with them either. They had been moving through the city, never staying at the same hotel twice. This served both to keep the vampire becoming suspicious, and keep their cover of a rich couple touring Vanhoover.

“Shower’s free!” Amber said, coming in from the bathroom, drying her mane in a towel.

Neon was in right behind her, slamming the door as he claimed the bathroom for the sake of common decency and his bladder.

The pegasus medic strode into the room, mumbling to herself. “How come everytime I walk into this room, I feel dirty?”

“Because the whole place is a pig sty?” Lemon suggested, toying with a lighter in her hooves. She hadn’t opened it yet, but her constant toying with it was making Silver nervous.

“Yeah, probably,” Amber agreed, before she began putting her armor back on.

Silk swept her scope around once more, searching the cityscape for signs. A raven that clings to a cloud, a stallion that avoids glass and mirrors, or a pony that was perhaps a little too interested in their room.

Silver moved up beside her. “Anything?”

“No,” she answered, with a sigh, “Can’t see anyone after us, and I don’t think we’d be so luck at to him walk by.”

“It’s never easy,” Silver agreed. “Keep your eyes open, though.”

“Always,” she said, continuing her watch.

Moving over to the radio equipment and magic-sensing radar displays, Silver took a quick look around. The radar was showing hundreds of faint, green, signatures, the nearby residence of Vanhoover, but none of the bright ones that marked a magic user with abilities in the Gigaprimes.

About two months ago, he would have been sure that the only that would have blipped on this thing would have been the Princesses themselves. The very idea that a pony could have enough magic in them to have more than a Megaprime was ludicrous. Of course, that was before he met a mare who drank apples, transformed into mist, and could punch through an inch of steel without trying terribly hard.

Amber wandered over to the radar, turning a knob to flip through various locations, before finally stopping on a single screen. A bright dot stood out on the radar, shining brightly against the background interference of the ponies.

“Infiltration team, please confirm,” Amber said, speaking on the radio. “Confirm location, area C6. Repeat, confirm location C6?”

“Oh yes, dear!” Diamond answered on the radio, talking to mandible. “I love it, it’s certainly not the vest we are looking for, but I do adore it on you. ”

"Yes, dear, I do think you are right. I’ll take it, my good sir.”

“Roger that,” Amber answered after hearing to the affirmative, before she took her headpiece off and began flipping through channels again.

Silver nodded, before checking with Sparky, who sat down listening to the channels between the infiltrators, trying to pick apart their code for any sign of their quarry. The scout looked utterly bored, staring up at the ceiling on the verge of falling asleep as he listened to the two drone on and on about fashion.

That was fairly bad, Silver would admit, but is was going to be worse. Watching the scout slowly nod off was making him tired, himself. Silver gave the scout a shake. “Stay up,” he said, with a hint of a growl.

Sparky grumbled, before rolling on his hooves and stretching.

The thick clunk of the switching screens of the radar suddenly stopped.

“Silver?” she called.

Silver wandered over. “Names, Medic,” he warned, before looking over her shoulder. “What is it?”

“That,” she said, pointing to the screen.

Silver looked, before his eyes went wide.

The location read C6, and two glowing green points shone on the screen. Silver spoke into his headset. “Infiltration team, we have a possible sighting in C6. Please confirm?”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

A beat, two, and still no response.

The bathroom door opened once more, and Neon walked in, before suddenly becoming confused by the sudden tension in the room. “Um?” he began, only to be shushed by Lemon.

Another beat. A fourth, and then finally, finally an answer came.

“My dear,” Diamond Dream said. “I do believe we have found the vest we were looking for.”

===ᐁ===

“Alright, everyone,” Spike said over the radio headset. “One last time, just so we’re all clear. Manticore will approach the target in five minutes with the ‘offer.’ Assault, Sniper, Scout, and Infiltration will set up an ambush. If we’re lucky, Demo, Medic, Support, and I won’t need to be there, and I can take a nap.”

Silver nodded, checking and rechecking this pneumatic crossbow. Dusk had settled over Vanhoover, and the sun had just dipped under the North Luna Ocean, leaving nothing but a dying red glow in the salty air.

Fluttershy was going to lead their quarry to the docks. “A perfect place for hunters to meet, isn’t?” she would say, smiling just wide enough to reveal her fangs.

“Are we clear?” spike asked over the radio.

“We get it already!” Sparky groaned. “Can we get to it?”

“Do I need to remind you of what happened last time you rushed into something, Scout?” Spike asked.

Sparky went quiet, and even Silver felt the sting of the comment.

“That was not cool, sir.” Sparky said after a moment or two.

“Noted. Are you going to cut the sass?”

“Yes, sir,” he said, subdued.

“Good. So we all understand, yes?”

“Yes, sir,” Silver said.

“Good,” Spike said again. “Good hunting, Assault team. We’ll be right behind you.”

Silver nodded. “Alright, let’s find a place to set up. Scout, why don’t you go ahead and run through the docks. Find a good location for an ambush and report back.”

“Whatever,” he said before he ran forward, his magic horseshoes sending him flying forward, disappearing between the warehouses.

“Sniper, get us an aerial view, help Scout pick a place out, and find a perch,” Silver said.

“You got it, Assault,” Silk said, before spreading her wings and taking to the sky.

“Agent,” Silver said, turning to Mandible, who simply stared at him with raised eyebrow. “You’re with me. Keep an ear out for Diamond Dream’s radio chatter. If she says something, let me know.”

The changeling nodded, pulling his mirror cloak closer about himself, before together they walked down the wharf, waiting for an sign.

They plodded along, in silence, passing through the old, salt-encrusted buildings, and the fog that was beginning to form around them on all sides.

Past Warehouses 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, they walked, coming down to the end of the block, before turning, going up from 2D to 2A, when the changeling suddenly asked a question. “Why do we call Diamond Dream be her name?”

“What?” Silver asked.

“Well, we’re all called by our duties, but she’s an exception. I don’t get—”

“No, no. I understand your question, I’m wondering why you’re asking.”

“What?”

“Well,” Silver began. “You typically don’t talk much, especially not to me. You hate me.”

“I do,” Mandible replied, “but I suffer from curiosity. Besides, if there’s anypony here who would know it would be you, right? You are our fearless leader after all.”

“What makes you think I know?” Silver asked.

“Well how about the fact that you spent three days stalking the team?”

“That was not stalking!” Silver cried indignantly. “I’m the leader, I need to know how the team works!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mandible said. “I’ve heard it all before. Heck, I’ve said it all before. Can you just answer the question?”

Silver glared at the changeling for a moment or two, before he spoke again. “We go by the codenames because we’re still alive. There’s a lot that can be done to us, we can be captured and held hostage, or killed and they can pretend they have us hostage. Real names have a way of identifying ourselves without giving things away to the enemy. Not to mention the fact that vampires tend to hide in positions of power, and they can track us down through our history.

“Fluttershy, or Manticore, or whichever, doesn’t need to worry about it. Their history has practically been forgotten by the archives, and none of that can be used to hurt her anymore.”

Mandible grunted.

“Assault,” came Silk’s voice from over the headset. “We have a spot.”

“Where?” Silver asked.

“Fourth block, between warehouses 4E and 4H.”

“Roger, we’ll be right there,” Silver said, before looking to the changeling.

“I heard her, I heard her, seesh.”

===ᐁ===

Diamond Dream and her guest walked down the boardwalk onto the wharf. She said nothing, but continued to walk with an air of superiority and class.

Her guest, Sangery Lance, was a deliciously large earth pony. He carried himself like a lord, and had the bearing to earn it among those that he deemed unworthy. His coat was a dark, sanguine color, and his eyes, when not hidden by his enchantments, were the same crimson as all vampires.

“So, are you going to speak to me yet?” he asked, cautiously.

“Not yet, not yet, dear Sangery. Have a little patience,” she said, dancing through the growing fog. “There are eyes and ears out here yet, and though our prey is weak alone, you do not want for them to call upon their sun.”

He nodded, but looked around, growing increasingly nervous as they moved deeper into the docks.

“Ah, the sea,” Diamond said, sighing wistfully as she took a deep breath of salt air. “I’ve always loved the sea, always moving, yet never running. As free as water will ever be.”

Sangery sniffed the air. “It smells of pony.”

“Of course it does,” she replied. “They work here. They sweat here, bleed here.Their scent is as strong as the fish they catch.”

Sangery nodded, but kept moving cautiously.

They walked between the warehouses, the mare leading him deeper and deeper into the mist. “If nothing else can you tell me what you wished to talk about?”

“We are creatures of lust, are we not?” she asked. “Lust for power, wealth, blood, and the warmth of a companion in the night. Nor are you the only one in Vanhoover, and we all need warmth tonight.”

Sangery began to smile. “I get it...wonderful. I have to say, you have quite the command of the Equestrian language.”

“It comes with time, my friend,” she said, smiling as she danced in the fog. The October evening was chilly and clear, leaving the starlight above them unfiltered. Sangery watched as she danced, staring as her crimson eyes sparkled in the moon, and her form cast a shadow against the blue air around her.

It was captivating, enchanting, mesmerizing, fascinating. He could not look away as she led him further and further down the docks.

She spun and twirled, and Sangery followed, his gaze roaming over every inch of her body. Hunger grew in his eyes with every moment, and it took much of his control to wait for his promised reward.

And then she stopped moving forward, slowing her spin until she finally came to rest before her guest. She smiled, and brought a hoof up under his chin, and caressed him. “Oh, my sweet, pitiful fool,” she said, sweetly.

Sangery blinked.

“Not even strong enough to turn to mist,” she said, before she faded away, becoming one with the fog.

Sangery Lance had just enough to blink in confusion, when a crossbow bolt shot from the darkness.

His eyes saw it moments before impact, and he had just the time to shift toward the right, away from his heart. The silver-tipped yew bit into his skin, and he cursed as he felt it. The wood famous for growing through the bodies of the dead worked quickly, sucking the energy from him, out through the wounds.

He turned, ready to run, when he saw two ponies behind him, both armed with the pneumatic crossbows of the dreaded D.S.P.I.

He turned again, and saw another department agent, and the vampire who led him, her eyes hard and steely. He looked up, at the clear sky, and saw no one to stop him that way.

He took it in an instant, transforming into a bat, and taking wing. He flapped crazily, desperately trying to escape when his ears picked up a whisper on the wind. “Sniper?”

A scorching shot through the air, destroying the air around it, and slamming into one of his batwings.

He fell to the ground, transforming once more, and landed hard on the wooded decks.

“Well, you didn’t kill him,” one of the ponies around him said, before he pushed himself up onto his hooves.

His right foreleg was useless, burned to the point where the flesh almost slid off the bone.

He was not liking his odds.

He looked around, to the crossbow-armed ponies and hissed. “I will kill you all.”

“Not likely,” the steely voice of Manticore answered as she took a step forward.

“You! Why? Why are you helping them? They’re prey!”

Manticore’s face, normally serious and reserved, broke into an amused smile. “Prey? They are pery? Well, if I were a normal vampire, I suppose.”

He looked up at her, confused, and caught sight of her eyes.

Her deep, fascinating eyes.

“If I were a normal vampire, they would be my prey, but I am not normal. I can survive off apples if I want to, and I can mesmerize almost anyone I want if their will is weak enough, but that’s not my real power.”

She was walking toward him, and leaving herself open. He could strike. Take her hostage. Barter for passage or even the odds.

But he did not. He did not even move as Manticore’s eyes lay on him.

“No, the real impressive part is that I can drink blood. Any blood. Living or dead.”

Sangery’s eyes widened. Or would have, if he were not prisoner to her gaze.

“No, these ponies or not my prey. You are my prey.”

She was close now, staring into his eyes only inches away. With his wound he was no match for his strength, and his will and energy was being drained every second by the crossbow bolts in his chest.

Her hoof pressed against his side and he fell over, still staring into her eyes. Then she pressed harder, and he winced in pain before she finally looked away.

“You are my delicious, delicious prey.”

He tried to struggle, tried to break free, but his wounds weakened him too much. He could not push her away. Could not save himself as her snout and fangs grew closer and closer to his neck.

And so she drank.

And so he screamed.

===ᐁ===

“So…” Sparky said to the vampire once the rest of the team had arrived to deal with the body. “Why did we need to be here?”

“Vat do you mean?” Butter Streusel answered.

“You dealt with that vampire well, it didn’t look like you needed our help.”

She smiled. “Do not underestimate sie power of a vooden bolt,” she said with a smile.

“Sure,” he said, neither believing her, nor impressed, before walking back to the rest of the team.

Spike meanwhile stood by the desiccated body of the vampire and sighed. “Well...she did it, I was just hoping for something a little quicker.”

“Sir?” Silver asked.

“I wanted a clean kill,” he said, before grabbing the body by the hoof. “Ah well, he’s dead, and the rest of us are still on our hooves. Mission success everyone. Let’s head home.”

Silver nodded. “Alright, form up everyone! We’re heading home.”

The ponies gathered together, forming ranks to move quickly through the city back to the subtrain they had arrived on, while Spike dragged the vampire to the edge of the dock. Still holding it by the leg, reached back, and with all his draconic strength, threw the body into the air. It spun and cartwheeled, flying up into the foggy sky, before Spike took a deep breath.

A jet of green flame shot out, engulfing the body, before it splashed into the sea.

And the body continued to burn.

It quickly turned to ash as it floated on the surface, ablaze in dragonfire.

And Spike stared at it, his face hard.

“One day,” he whispered.

“One day.”

Operation Frozen Grave

Spike sighed. He always hated when he had to show up for Royal Court. While the opportunity to see Princess Celestia, his surrogate mother, was always welcome, dealing with the ponies that constantly surrounded her was not.

“Sir, please stay five feet away from the throne,” a guard said firmly, interrupting Spike as he gave his long list of budget items.

Spike looked over at the guard that spoke up and sent him a glare.

“He is aware of the rule, Brass,” the soft voice of the Princess said. “He is exempt.”

The Princess was as radiant as ever, in the two hundred and twenty years since his hatching, the Princess had not changed. She did not appear a day older, and no wrinkle blemished her face. Her coat, as white as driven snow almost sparkled in the light of her throne room, and her horn, long, and powerful, was enveloped in an aura of gold as she daintily held a tea cup aloft.

The guard nodded, and stepped back, allowing Spike to continue.

“New recruits, supplies, as well as all previous matters, brings the total expenses for the year to fifteen million bits.”

“Princess, if I may, this is outrageous!” a stallion said behind him. “That is far too much money for a...what do you do again?”

Spike sighed as the latest in a long line of bureaucrats tried to take money from him. “That’s classified,” Spike said.

“So you say, but this is the national budget we are talking about,” the bureaucrat said. “This is money that could be used to fix roads, build hospitals, create and distribute medicine! Don’t we, as representatives of the people to her majesty have a right to know where this money is going?”

Spike sighed. He had heard this argument a hundred times, and far more elegantly put. Every time it was the same. “Oh, we have a right to know!” “Oh we deserve the money more!” “Gimme gimme gimme!”

He really hated bureaucrats.

Spike looked up to the princess, who offered a sympathetic glance before speaking up. “I know what he does, and that is enough. Fifteen million bits is granted to the DSPI for the coming year.”

“Thank you, your Highness,” Spike said, bowing.

“B-but Princess Celestia,” the pony complained, “we could—!”

“If I deem your duties as crucial as his, then I will grant you the same funding,” the Princess replied coolly. “Of course, it would help if you were at least as trustworthy as him.”

The stallion went quiet, and the older, wiser politicians simply shook their heads.

Spike sighed once more, and excused himself from the throne room, and stepped outside, followed by Silver every step of the way.

The dragon looked back at the assault following him, before grunting. “Everything you dreamed it would be?”

“Yes, sir,” Silver replied.

“You were expecting that?” Spike asked. “You are just asking for pain, aren’t you?”

“I actually wanted to ask you a question, sir,” Silver said.

“Ah! Of course. That makes way more sense,” the dragon nodded, checking his belt.

“What happened to Miss Fluttershy?”

Spike stopped, and there was a long second of silence.

Finally, Spike spoke again. “So...what’s your question?”

Silver furrowed his brow. “I asked already.”

“No, no you did not,” Spike growled, before turning to face him. “You did not ask that, because you’re not stupid enough to ask that question. Try something else.”

“I was just curious, sir,” Silver said.

“And that will get you killed,” Spike grunted, before he began walking once more. “If you still haven’t learned any better by the time we get back, you can ask Fluttershy. Or Discord, if he ever comes back for tea. What’s your question?”

Silver sighed, before staring up at the ceiling. “Who’s our new Heavy?"

“Chestnut, from Gamma team. A little less than half of Gamma wound up annoying a Lycan we were trying to bring in for parole, and died because of it. Gamma is being broken up and repurposed, so you’re getting a new heavy, and he’s not going to be a rookie.”

Silver nodded. “Very good, sir.”

===ᐁ===

Chestnut was big. He was bigger than their last heavy by almost a foot, both height and width. He also constantly wore the biggest smile Silver had ever seen. “So you’re the new boss, huh?”

“Um...I guess you could say that,” Silver admitted.

“Good to meet you boss!”

“We’ve met before,” Silver noted.

“We have?” Chestnut asked, sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m bad with faces, and not so great at names either.”

Silver shook his head. “Don’t worry about it…”

“Yes, sir,” Chestnut said, smiling still. “So what are the orders today, sir?”

“Well,” Silver said. “Actually I was coming to get you for our next mission.”

Chestnut blinked. “Did...did I miss the announcement?”

“No, no announcement. It’s not an emergency, but we’re being called in,” Silver told.

“Oh, thank Celestia’s forehooves! I thought I was going deaf there a second! I’ll be at the situation room in a minute, sir.”

“Yeah…” Silver said, “good...you can...uh…lay off the sir stuff, though.”

“You got it!” Chestnut said, before he dipped back into his room to grab his equipment.

Silver shook his head. Maybe it was the giant earth pony’s smile, or his apparent slowness when it came to names and faces, but Silver was beginning to wonder if maybe they could get the heavy from a different team.

===ᐁ===

“This,” Spike said, as a magical holo-map hovered before them, “is Evenlight Manor, located on a hill just outside of the rural area of Manehatten. It’s famous for being ‘that old haunted house’ that everyone talks about. You know the kind. The one where colts throw rocks at the windows, and dare each other to touch the doorknobs. Just rumors right?”

The ponies of Alpha Team all stared at him from around the table, silent and waiting.

Spike grinned. “Of course not. We don’t deal in rumors.” He walked back around the table before sitting at it’s head, Sweetie Belle’s ghostly form floating beside him. “The house builder, a stallion by the name of Marble Moonlight, had some dealings with a cult. This is not a good sign, especially when he decided to sacrifice his young daughter to some crazed demon, and sealed his fate.

“Demons don’t actually want pure souls, they’re no good for them. The demon wasn’t happy, so he unleashed the daughter back on Marble. Now, that would be a nice enough story for us, but one of the things you learn here is that demons like to screw everyone over. So the daughter, a miss Primrose Gemlight, has been stuck haunting the the mansion ever since.”

Spike waited to make sure that everypony was on the same page. “Now, normally, Miss Primrose is rational and reasonable pony, but every now and then, the isolation and some residual magic of whatever curse has bound her to the house causes her to turn into a slightly manic, bloodthirsty ghost.

“One of our responsibilities, as the DSPI, is to care for the citizens of Equestria that have managed to resist the various urges of their transformations, and miss Primrose is one such citizen. Every six years, on the sixth day of June,the demon’s curse disturbs the remains of Miss Primrose’ body. Today, is the sixth of June, so your mission tonight is to enter the manor, find the crypt, and locate Primrose Gemlight’s remains, before returning her grave to it’s proper state.”

“What do you mean ‘find the crypt?’” Silk asked, staring at the holo map of the mansion. “Don’t we have a floor plan?”

“Of course we do,” Spike said. “It just doesn’t matter. Every time her body is disturbed, she changes the house. Not by any conscious effort on her part, mind you. She couldn’t even lead you through the house herself. That’s the bigger issue, here. Luckily, we have Siren,” he said, motioning to Sweetie Belle. “Her duty is to try and navigate the house and aid the scout in locating the crypt.”

“Of course that’s my job,” Sparky grunted.

“You’re a scout. That’s your only job,” Spike said.

“When do we leave?” Silver asked.

“You leave as soon as possible,” Spike said. “I am needed down in Las Pegasus with Delta Team, investigating a murder that may involve another vampire.”

“Another one?” Neon asked. “How many vampires live here?”

“Enough,” Spike said. “You’ll take a subtrain to our Manehatten hub, in half an hour. Be ready. Siren will be leaving with you, and she’ll lead you to the manor. You are to leave with Primrose Gemlight as alive as a ghost can be. Any more questions?”

“No, Sir!” Chestnut said with a smirk.

“Good. Move out, Alpha Team.”

===ᐁ===

The rural area of Manehatten, a large stretch of farmland that provided the city that did not sleep with thousands of pounds of grain, roots, and fruit that fed the city, was silent. On the outside of one of these farms, was a single hill.

Time and weather had not been kind to the hill, one whole hillside had been eroded away, leaving a side that was so steep it could be called a cliff. At the top of this cliff, along with a single, withered oak tree, sat Evenlight Manor.

“Huh...is it just me,or is it creepier in real life?” Neon asked as Alpha Team hiked up the hillside.

“Happens all the time,” Sweetie Belle told him. “Magical ecto-energies tend to throw people once they arrive. It tends to produce an air of nervousness and anxiousness in anyone who gets too close.”

“So...it is just me?” Neon asked.

“Basically,” Sweetie said, floating ahead “but not without reason.”

“Lovely,” Neon said.

“Siren,” Silver said as they all tread the ancient gravel path that crunched beneath their feet. “Do you have some kind of ‘spirit sight?’”

“I do, in fact,” she answered. “Although, not by that name.”

“What do you see?”

“Pain,” she answered. “A lot of pain. Insanity, loneliness, fear. This is by no means a good place.”

“Lovely,” Spark muttered.

“Do you see miss Primrose?”

“Yes,” Sweetie Belle answered. “She’s on the top floor. It’s her room I believe.”

“Do you think she’ll take visitors?” Silk said with a smirk.

They quickly climbed up to the ancient house, and before long, they all found themselves before the large, heavy, dark oak doors with Silver at the lead.

Under most circumstances, the door would have been an imposing piece of carpentry. Here, in the soon-to-be open maw of Evenlight Manor, it was nerve-wracking. The doors were almost terrifying, and stood so tall that even Chestnut felt tiny in front of them.

Silver took a deep breath, before he slowly knocked on the great door, doing his best not to shake.

His knocks resounded against the dark oak like the rumbling of timpanis, and the sound echoed in their bones. Silver could almost feel the sound shake his legs and rumble his rib cage. The silence that followed, however was worse.

The silence was deafening. It somehow rang in their ears, tolling like a bell in their minds even though there was not a sound.

The silence was so encompassing, that when the door creaked open, the sound of the rusty hinges seemed to roar in their ears. The open door stood before them, yawning with darkness, eager to swallow them and the light whole.

“Is the fact that my hair standing on end more of that ecto-energy crap?” Sparky asked.

“Yup,” Sweetie answered.

“Great,” the scout said, raising his pneumatic crossbow, and stepping inside.

The team quickly stepped in, and the found themselves in a large, foyer. The room was perhaps fifteen feet wide, with a second floor balcony. To the left and right were two sets of two doors, all identical, all impossible to see beyond. Directly ahead of them, on the far side, was a set of double doors, both carved from the same dark oak that the front doors were made of. Two set of stairs, flanking the set of doors at the far end of the foyer, led upwards, into the foyer, where three doors sat, one on the left, one on the right, and one right above the double doors.

The room itself looked destitute. Cobwebs hung everywhere, and a thick layer of dirt covered every surface. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, but for the dust and webs, Silver could not be sure if it were made of crystal or simple stones.

He was willing to bet it was the former.

“Alright, everyone, stay close,” Silver said. “Scout, Support, up front with me. Heavy, demo, on the back. Sniper, Medic, Agent, in the middle.”

They all nodded, and got ready. Chestnut and Lemon were obediently in the back, both the mini-cannon and portable potion cannon pointing back at the space behind them. Mandible, Amber, and Silk took up positions in the middle while Spark and Neon fell in directly behind Silver. Sweetie Belle joined the formation last, floating above them.

The house groaned in response.

“So,” Sparky grunted. “Where do we start?”

Silver looked up at Sweetie Belle. “Well, Siren? Anything we should worry about?”

“Not that I can see,” she said.

The assault shrugged. “Then that first door is as good as any,” he said, pointing to the right.

No arguments arose as they began to move to the first door on the right. Their weapons were raised, searching for anything that might move against them. Silver kept ahead, both his crossbow and blade out and ready, before he opened the door.

Silver, Sparky, and Neon swept the room, checking it over for any sign of life or unlife.

Nothing but dust and cobwebs met them. “We’re clear!” Silver said, before stepping in.

The team moved in, entering what seemed to be a study. Bookshelves lined with ruined titles, all destroyed by time and a the grey-black mold that clung to them. Between a pair of shelves on the left wall was another door, leading, if logic still had dominion here, to the second room on the right from the foyer. A desk sat in the middle of the room, decorated with a lamp, an ancient, dry inkwell, and a open book. A pony skull sat opposite the lamp, and a rune was painted across its forehead in dark brown ink.

It could have been blood.

Every inch of the room, from the rotting curtains to the worn, green rugs, was covered in that same dust and cobwebs from the room before. “Siren, is everything normal?”

“So far,” she answered. “This room is where it is supposed to be,” she said, floating down to the ground, and staring at the skull.

“That’s some good news,” Silver answered, before he moved towards the other door in the room. He passed the great windows that looked over the distant cityscape of Manehatten, and moved to the door that lead deeper into the house, his team slowly forming behind him.

He grabbed the knob, weapons ready, as Neon and Sparky flanked him, ready to fire into the doorway.

With a twist, it was open.

And Silver blinked as he found himself staring into Chestnut’s eyes.

He spun back, toward the door they had just entered through, and could just barely see himself staring at the back of his own head.

Silver slammed the door shut, and the door they had come through slammed just as loud.

Sweetie Belle gave a short laugh. “That’s always a fun trick.”

“Siren, what’s going on?” Silver asked.

“Spatial manipulation. Any ghost can do it in their own territory.”

“Can we get out of it?”

“Yeah. When a ghost kills you it needs to be violent. Locking you in a loop like this is just to get you panicked.”

“Good to know,” Silver said, before opening the door again.

Once more, he was staring into the same room he was still in. “Is there any reason to not walk through?”

“No, it might speed up the release,” Sweetie Belle told him.

Silver shrugged, and walked through the door.

There was a sight shiver that ran down his spine as he passed over the threshold, but beyond that, nothing happened as he crossed back into the room.

“Should everyone else go through?” Silver asked.

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “No idea. Each spatial manipulation is a case-by-case thing. Probably wouldn’t hurt though.”

“I’m glad you’re so sure about this,” Sparky muttered before stepping through the door. He shivered as he stepped out on the other side. “That was weird.”

Chestnut volunteered for the next passage through, followed by Amber, and Silk. Lemon was the next one to go through, and took a single step towards the open portal that defied space-time, when the doors suddenly slammed shut.

She jumped, surprised by the sudden sound, but recovered just quick enough to keep the various potions on her belt from agitating. “Is that supposed to happen?” the demolitions pony asked.

“It’s a sign that we should be able to get through,” Sweetie explained.

“Great,” Silver said. “You heard the lady, let’s move, everypony.”

The team reformed their marching order, support, scout, and assault at the front, medic, infiltration, sniper in the middle, and heavy weapons and demolitions in the back. “Are we ready?” Silver asked.

“Yes, sir!” they answered back.

He nodded. “Let’s move,” he said, before opening the door.

Nothing.

An open, yawning darkness faced them.

Silver had just enough time to blink, before he felt an odd pull toward the door.

Another blink, and he was becoming aware that forward was becoming down as gravity pulled him through the door.

Another beat, and he began to scream. Neon was falling with him, tumbling into the darkness, while Sparky’s wings spread, throwing him backwards into the room.

Another second, and Silk’s own wings were spread. “Silver!” she cried, leaping after him into the darkness.

And then the door slammed shut behind her.

“Assault!” Chestnut cried, shoving his way forward, before he slammed into the door, throwing it open.

And then, they stood in a lounge.

And Neon, Silk, and Silver were nowhere to be found.

Operation Frozen Grave - Laid to Rest

That’s it, Silver thought, I’m dead. I’ve gone and broken rule number one. I’ve died, I’m dead, it’s over.

This complete, encompassing darkness is death. This utter silence is death. The cold floor beneath him...was death? Probably? It did suck the warmth out of him with incredible speed, and left him feeling alone and desperate.

Then again, he was feeling stuff, and feeling stuff was typically a sign of being alive.

A moan escaped his lips.

No, not his lips, someone else's.

His guard training kicked in before anything else. “Sound off,” he moaned.

“Still here…” Neon groaned.

“Ow…” another voice called. “It feels like I crashed into a mountain.”

“Sniper?” Silver said. “What are you doing here? You were behind us.”

“Sir, saving your flank, sir,” Silk grumbled, as Silver heard the shifting of a pony behind him.

Silver grunted as he got to his hooves. “Well, that’s what you get for doing the medic’s job.”

Neon gave a short, hollow laugh, quickly followed by the sound of a horn ringing with magic. A light appeared, a ball of soft, ever changing light. It danced from orange to red, purple to green, and green to orange once more, throwing the room into long shadows against the multi-colored walls. “So where the heck are we, Boss?”

“Well,” Silver said, grunting, “it’s dark, it’s cold, and we’re surrounded by stone. So, probably the basement, if I had to guess.”

Neon groaned. “Why?”

“Well,” Silver said, “Siren said that the whole spatial manipulation thing was supposed to get us panicked. It could also be used to split us up, for the same reason, I guess.”

Neon groaned.

“Sniper,” Silver called, getting Silk’s attention.

“Sir?” she asked.

“Contact the rest of the team, try to let them know where we are while you follow behind me, Support keep the light ahead,” Silver ordered, before he began walking down the hallways. “Come on.”

“Come in, Alpha Team, come in,” Silk called on her headset.

No answer came.

“Um...Assault, I’m not getting anything.”

Silver nodded. “I was afraid of that. What about you, Support?”

Neon quickly checked. “Nothing.”

Silver tried once on his own, just to be sure.

Silence.

He sighed. “Well, it looks like communications are down for us, team.”

“Great,” Neon groaned. “Well, at least we’re closer to the crypt now.”

“Not necessarily,” Silver replied. “With the whole spatial manipulation thing, the basement could be in the attic for all we know.”

“Thanks, Assualt, you really know how to inspire confidence,” Neon said, rolling his eyes.

“It could be worse,” Silk offered.

“How?” Neon asked.

“Have you not watched a horror movie?” she asked. “The fact that we haven’t seen the ghost yet is a great sign. You always see the monster by this point, so we’re doing great.”

“That’s an odd take on it…” Neon said.

“Nah,” Silk said, “we’re going to be fine. Just remember, no sex, no drugs, no alcohol, and no going off on your own.”

Neon gave her a look. “It sounds like you’ve watched a lot of horror movies,” he said, sarcastically.

Silk beamed with her biggest, proudest smile. “Nightmare Moon Movie Marathon! Every Nightmare Night, haven’t missed a single one!”

Neon shook his head.

Silver nodded. “Can’t say the same.”

“It’s okay, it’s not an easy thing to do,” she answered with a smile.

“No, I’ve never watched a horror movie.”

“What?” Silk all but screamed.

“Not a one,” he said.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen a horror movie?” Silk asked aghast.

“Never watched one. I didn’t want nightmares as a foal, so I didn’t watch them.”

“Not even the old ones?” Silk asked. “Nightmare Moon on Elm Street? Camp Crystal Plains? The Ritualist? Seance?”

“Nope,” Silver said.

“Changeling? Changelings?” she continued. “Look, I’ll forgive you as long as you don’t tell me that you watched Changeling vs. Hunter.”

“Is that the one where changelings come from space?”

“You need some serious re-education,” Silk sighed.

“You…” a hoarse voice whispered, and all three ponies turned.

A mare floated behind them. Her skin seemed to glow a pale blue-green, and almost appeared to be made of tattered rags. She bounced before them, hovering like a buoy on the wind. The only part of her that seemed alive were her eyes, both shimmering a beautiful shade of hazel. “You should not be here...now you have to die.”

“We’re with the D.S.P.I.,” Silver immediately said.

“The...department?” the ghost asked. “Then...maybe you won’t die.”

Silver nodded. “We’re here to find your body and lay it to rest once more.”

The ghost nodded. “Good...Commander Spike was always so nice to me…but...I don’t know the way to my body…”

Silver nodded. “Don’t worry ma’am, we’ll take care of it.”

She nodded, before her body began to fade from view. “Thank you...Please...don’t die.”

Once she was gone, however, the three ponies turned back once more. “So…” Silk began again, “what about newer stuff, like Hacksaw?”

“Nope, never seen that one either,” Silver said, leading his team of three deeper into the basement.

===ᐁ===

Chestnut bust into the room beyond the study, his cannon whirring to life. “Assault! Support! Sniper!”

No answer, simply a lounge with a dusty pool table, and worn furniture.

The rest of the team ran in, with Lemon in the doorway, wedging it open. The ponies ran in, spreading out in the fan-like pattern their Commander had taught them.

“Where are they?” Chestnut asked.

“Somewhere else in the house,” Sweetie Belle told him, hovering behind the team as she did her best to shepherd them inside. “I can’t tell where.”

“I’m not reaching them on comms,” Amber said.

“Oh, no...they must be dead, what a shame,” Mandible said, snarkily.

Chestnut kicked the next door, sending it flying off its hinges. A short hallway met him, and he roared into it. “Assault! Support! Sniper!”

“Heavy!” Sweetie Belle cried after him. “Heavy, stop!”

He ran down the hall, and was about to hit the next door, when Sweetie Belle appeared ahead of him. She stood before him, mouth open wide, and screamed.

The sheer force of the cry halted the heavy in his tracks, and every pony behind them all covered their ears as the piercing wail washed over them. It shook them to the bone, and it sent shivers in their souls.

When the cry ended, the ponies finally began to recover, and they immediately faced the stern face of Siren.

“Stay together!” she growled. “If you go charging in like that, the house will kill you. If you stay together, you will be able cover, if you split, you die. Am I getting through to you?”

“B-but…” Chestnut said, standing, “but Assault, Sniper, and Support are alone!”

“They have each other,” Sweetie Belle said, “and that’s the best they have right now.”

“But what if they die?” Chestnut cried.

“If they die, it’ll be sad,” Sweetie Belle said, “but if all of you die? That’s a failure, and then more ponies will die. I need you to live, understand?”

Chestnut sighed. “Yes, Ma’am…”

The ghost nodded. “Alright, collect yourselves, and we’ll move on. Move into the same room all at the same time, and don’t get separated.”

The group gathered themselves once more, and Chestnut sighed.

He hoped the others didn’t die. He liked the new boss.

He just wished he could remember their names.

The filed into the next room, a dining room with a massive table. The plates were piled high with food, and decorated with enough silverware that the table top glistened. Fruit pies, oat dishes, fried grain patties, all sat, oozing oils and sugar so that it shone in the oddly beautiful light.

No one made a move for it.

At this point they knew better.

“Which door?” Lemon asked as she unbarred the door they just came through, and let it close behind them.

“I’m hesitant about using the double doors,” Sweetie said. “Double doors should only lead to double doors, even with spatial manipulation.”

“So we’re looking for another single door?” Sparky asked, taking lead again.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “That only leaves us with one option…” The door opposite them, on the other side of the table.

“Looks like it,” Sparky said, as the team began to move around the giant feast. They quickly bunched together, getting ready to enter the next room, when Sparky turned the knob.

The door did not open.

He tried again, still nothing. “It’s locked,” he said.

“Keep trying,” Sweetie told him.

“Uh...guys?” Amber said.

“Have you tried pushing it?” Mandible asked.

“No,” Sparky said, turning to the changeling with all the sarcasm he could muster, “I’ve never opened a door before. Please, tell me how!”

“Guys?” Amber called again.

They turned.

The food had spoiled since they turned around, or perhaps it had always been spoiled, and simply revealed itself to them after all this time. What’s more, it began to move. The mush of old, maggot-ridden fruit began to undulate and shake.

“Um…” Mandible said, as the food began to coalesce.

The mush began to rise, a terrifying mass of grey ooze stood on the table, forming pseudopod legs, eager to swallow the ponies alive.

“Heavy…” Sweetie Belle said as the creature rose before them. “Why don’t you work on the door.”

===ᐁ===

“What about The Wabalook?” Silk asked.

“Now I know you’re making that up,” Silver said.

“No, that one is a thing,” Neon said. “Monster from a children’s book comes out of the children's book and haunts a single mother and..what was, her nephew?”

“Something like that,” Silk said.

The discussion of horror movies had continued on for the past half hour. In all honesty, Silver was getting tired of it, but he did his best to add to the conversation, if for no other reason that to steady his nerves. Something in this house was pricking at his will, poking into her side, and shaking his resolve. Talking about movies he had never seen was certainly a distraction from it. That, and Silver was sure the others felt the same. “And it was called the Wabalook? That is the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, it certainly isn’t the weirdest movie out there…” Silk said. “There was that one that was about STDs…”

“It Chases?” Neon asked.

“That’s the one,” she agreed.

“What now?” Silver asked.

“It was weird…” Neon said.

“It kinda was…” Silk said. “I mean, I liked it, but it was weird.”

Silver nodded, before he took the corner, and froze. The other two were quick to follow, and likewise stopped at the sight before them.

A door.

A heavy, peaked, wooden door with a massive chain sealing it shut. Gigantic locks held the chains in place, and an arcane symbol, written in blood decorated it’s face.

“Support?” Silver said.

“Well…” he replied. “In my limited experience, that’s definitely a blood seal.”

He dropped his bag, and quickly searched his kit. It took him a moment or two, but he finally pulled a manual from his bag. “Blood seal, blood seal…” he muttered, flipping through the pages. “Ah, here we go. Alright, this looks like it is something called a four-element blood seal.”

“Does it it tell you how to break it?” Silver asked.

“Yeah, and it’s not an easy process,” he answered. “We’re going to need some of the four classical elements.”

“Of course we are,” Silk grumbled. “Why is it always the four elements? What’s so special about them?”

“It could be worse,” Neon said, flipping through the manual. “There’s one here where we would have to find a fresh blood sample that matches the seal.”

“Alright, so...I guess air is easy enough…” Silver said.

“My thermal crystal will probably get us our fire,” Silk offered, motioning to the longrifle on her back.

“I guess that leaves earth and water,” Neon finished.

“Do you think we can throw a rock at it?” Silk asked.

Both Silver and Neon gave her a look.

“What? I’m not a unicorn,” she huffed.

Neon flipped through the manual again. “Hang on, let me...just...check…” He flipped through a few pages. Then a few more. “It...says...it...says…”

He closed the notebook. “We...we throw a rock it…”

A beat.

Two.

“We what?” Silver said.

Silk began to smile.

“We...we throw a rock at it…” Neon repeated. “It’s...it’s in the the manual.”

“I…” Silver said, “I’m not sure how to…”

Silk smiled.

Silver sighed. “Support, go find us a rock.”

===ᐁ===

The monstrous ooze of moldy food was not going to go quietly. It roared, a giant maw of tarnished silverware drooling yet more ooze onto the floor beneath it.

Chestnut slammed into the door, throwing his shoulder into it again and again as the monster began to move for them.

Mandible was swearing up a storm, firing his light pneumatic crossbow ineffectively as the bolts slapped into beast, piercing it’s hide, but little else.

“Why does he have steak knives?” Sparky yelled. “We’re herbivores!”

Sweetie Belle, being dead, did not feel as pressed by the danger of the situation, and watched for a bit. “Well, there were rumors of Mr. Moonlight being a cannibal. We never managed to confirm those, however.”

“Help us!”Amber screamed, while Lemon stood to the side, trying to pick one of her potion grenades.

“Is mold acidic, or basic in nature?” She asked, even though she knew she would receive no answer.

Sweetie, however, took another second or two, before acting. Another wail tore into the monster, forcing its membrane to shake and wiggle at an amazing speed, but still, it did not stop, nor slow.

“What are you talking about?” Chestnut asked, punctuating each word with a slam into the door.

“You can clean mold with bleach!” Lemon said, before she grabbed one of the potions. “I just can’t remember if bleach acts like an acid or base!”

Chestnut slammed into door, and still it did not give. “Just shoot it with one, and if it doesn’t work, use the other!”

“What do you think I’m doing?” she asked, before aiming her Portable Potion Cannon. A satisfying thwump sounded as the glass canister fired directly into the ooze. The canister smashed open on contact, and a clear liquid splashed harmlessly against its body.

The ooze still did not slow.

“Buck! It needs the acid!” Lemon yelled, loading her next potion.

Chestnut slammed into the door again. “Anytime now!”

A long arm of ooze grabbed mandible by the gut. He screamed as the grey slime streaked cross his chitin. “It’s got me! Ugh! It’s disgusting!”

Thwump!

Lemon’s second canister flew forward, smashing into the ooze, this time followed by a hiss as the acid began to work. The ooze screeched, screaming with a voice it should not hear, a voice that made everypony present oddly aware of their teeth.

Mandible fell to the ground, dropped as the pseudopod writhed and curled in on itself. The changeling’s mouth hung open and it looked like he might say something, before he ran behind Chestnut, slamming into the door with the earth pony. “Get you fat flank moving!”

“Call me fat flank again, and you’re going to be guts on a windshield!” Chestnut grunted, before he threw his shoulder into the door once more.

The ooze still screamed, shaking the table and rattling the dusty, crystal chandelier above them, but they all knew it would recover quickly through some sixth sense they could not explain.

“If you would like to remain alive, I would suggest you move,” Sweetie Belle said, hovering above them.

“Really!” Mandible screamed. “Because I was totally planning to just stand here and let it eat me!”

The door still did not give.

The monstrous mold gnashed it’s sharp, silverware teeth, before it drew itself up, like a massive sentinel of goo. Lemon fired again, and another acid bottle smashed against the ooze’s skin.

It writhed again as the acid began to eat away at its flesh curdled.

Chestnut slammed into the door again.

Again.

Finally there was the sound of splitting wood, and the door came off it’s hinges.

“Move! Move!” Chestnut yelled, before he turned, firing his mini cannon as he stood in the doorway. Bullets made from both silver and cold iron screeched through the air as the team began to rush for the door.

Sparky flew in, followed by Amber, Lemon, and Mandible. Chestnut fired one last burst before he dived in, throwing the now free door back into the doorway, closing off the ooze.

And then, almost as if the door had never been torn from its hinges, it clicked shut.

There was a scream.

“Medic?” Chestnut cried, answering the scream as his world transformed to darkness in the blink of an eye.

No answer.

“Medic? Where are you?”

Nothing.

“Scout?”

Silence.

“Demo? Agent? Siren?”

And then he realized, he was alone.

===ᐁ===

“Okay,” Silver said, as he stood over his small fraction of a team, “we have a rock, a shot from the longrifle for fire, and we’re using the atmosphere for air.”

Both Silk and Neon nodded.

“That means we still need water.”

Neon nodded again. “It’s a shame Lem-er...Demo isn’t here. I know she carries Sun-blessed water.”

“That would be an expensive key,” Silk noted.

“Still, it would probably save us.”

“Yes, but she’s not, so there’s no point discussing it,” the pegasus said.

“So, brainstorming,” Silver interjected, trying to get them back on track.

Neon opened his mouth to speak, when a scream echoed behind them. All three ponies turned their heads and stared into the darkness.

“That...that sounded like our demolition’s pony,” Neon said.

“Get your kit,” Silver ordered, as he drew his silver and obsidian sword.

The others obeyed, shouldering packs, and prepping weapons.

“Support, grab the rock.”

“Seriously?”

Silver looked back at him. “We fell down through a door, I’m not taking chances, here.”

Neon shrugged, conceding the point, before he grabbed their little stone, and began following Silver back down the hallway.

Another scream, this time more masculine.

“That sounds like Scout,” Silk said.

“So it does,” Silver said. “Come on, let’s move out.”

===ᐁ===

Absolute darkness.

Chestnut stumbled in the darkness. His flashlight wasn’t working, his weapon provided no light. All there was was darkness.

Screams, all far away, echoed against unseen walls, and those faint, bone-chilling cries were the only reminders that he was lost in this void that surrounded him.

It was so, incredibly dark…

When the screams went silent, all he was left with was the ragged sound of his own breathing, which sounded far too loud, and the thud of his heartbeat ringing in his ears.

Why was it so dark?

Why?

Where was…

Was there…

It…

So dark.

His hooves were shaking around his mini cannon’s handle, and he quickly began to regret never praying late in his life.

He should have known better, growing up in a Celestrian school. He could still remember his his morning classes beginning with the same morning prayer over and over and over again until he almost swore he would never say that prayer again.

“Celestia is sunlight, warm and nurturing. Celestia is fire, severe and judging. Celestia is hope, everlasting and abundant.

“Kind Celestia, grant me mercy. Mighty Celestia, give me strength. Watchful Celestia, walk with me always.

“Grant me the warmth of dawn, the cheer of noon, and the serenity of twilight.”

He tried reciting the prayer aloud, but the words sounded far too loud for to actually speak those words.

Nonetheless, he prayed them, if only in his head, for the first time in years. The tiny prayer repeated in his mind in a tiny circle of mantras, turning over and over until he wasn’t sure which end he started from.

And then he heard a noise like booming thunder.

“Alpha Team! Alpha Team! Are you out there?” the words roared passed him, but he knew that voice.

“Assault?” he answered back, the sound nearly making him deaf. “Assault?”

“Heavy?” came back an answer.

“Assault!” Chestnut cried again, before a shaft of light shot into his eyes.

“Heavy!” Silver said, before he ran up to the great earth pony. “Where is everyone?”

Chestnut blinked wildly as the light stung his eyes, but he spoke nonetheless. “We ran into a doorway to escape this...ooze thing...and we lost each other.”

Silver nodded. “I was afraid of that, I think the house is getting harder on us…”

More light flooded around the heavy weapons pony as the support and sniper ponies came up around him.

“Do you know where the others are?”

Chestnut shook his head, before he set down his cannon. “Man, boss, am I glad to see you!” he said, taking out a flask and taking a swig. “I was getting worried I wasn’t gonna make it.”

All eyes went to the flask in his hooves.

“Heavy…” Silver asked. “What’s in your flask?”

Chestnut blinked. “Oh! Oh! No! No! It’s not what you think it is! It’s water! I sweat a lot! I need to drink a lot! It’s not alcoholic, I swear!”

The other ponies all looked at each other.

“Heavy,” Silver said, “when we get out of here, I’m putting you in for a medal.”

===ᐁ===

Amber swam in the darkness.

It was a complete and total darkness.

Or, at least, she had been.

She blinked as she stared up at the rough stone above her, and wrestled with the nagging sensation that too much time had passed.

Finally, she groaned, sitting up to find the others all surrounding her. They too were slowly recovering, as if from a dream.

She held her head, groaning.

And that’s when Chestnut, Silver, Silk, and Neon all turned the corner.

“What…” she asked, her mind in a haze. “Assault? What happened?”

“We got through,” Silver explained. “Heavy here got us through, we were able to put Primrose to rest.”

She nodded. “Oh, okay then…”

“There you are!” Sweetie Belle said, appearing through a wall. “Are you all alright?”

“Medic?” Silver asked.

“Give me...give me a couple of seconds, I’ll check everyone once the room stops spinning.”

===ᐁ===

The mission was a success.

When Commander Spike was notified, he was impressed that no one had died, and that they managed put Miss Primrose to rest in record time. Chestnut did not get a medal, but the idea to permanently add water bottles to all kit certainly was considered.

Silver was just happy to be home, where ponies would call him by his actual name. Dropping his kit down in the corner of his room, Silver climbed back up on his bed, with every intent to sleep.

This was then quickly interrupted by a knock on his door. “Silver! Silver! You in there?”

The unicorn sighed, and rolled back off the bed, moving to his door. “What is it?”

The door opened, and Silk stood on the other side, smiling. “Guess what I have?” she asked in a sing-song voice.

Silver remained unamused.

Silk still smiled, before she shifted her wings to reveal a film reel. “This is the original, uncut, unrated Changeling Movie!” she said with a squee. “Can you believe this? Apparently Miss Storm can get her hooves on any movie ever produced in Equestria for the past hundred years! I can catch you up!”

Silver blinked.

Silk kept smiling.

Silver stared.

Silk kept smiling.

“You’re not going to leave me alone unless I watch this.”

“It’s necessary!” she said, her smile finally breaking. “It’s like never seeing Star Mares.”

“Never seen those either.”

She stared at him, eyes wide. “You need serious re-education,” she said, grabbing him with her hooves and dragging him to the movie theater in the rec-room. “You’re coming with me!”

R&R

It was the third movie marathon that week, and Silver was beginning to feel like he was sitting in his own filth. He had not moved from his seat for eighteen hours now, and he was beginning to get antsy.

Silk, on the other hoof, was as enraptured as she had been eighteen hours before, a single kernel of popcorn sitting between her lips as she gaped at the movie screen, giant bucket of the buttery snack sitting on her lap.

Honestly, he would’ve left by now, if not for the death glare the seemingly comatose mare would shoot him whenever he began to get out of his seat. Of course, the truly impressive part was when she then returned to watching the screen, mouth all but hanging open as she ate her popcorn kernel by kernel.

Who does that anyway?

Why doesn’t she just grab a hoof full and eat them like a normal pony?

He watched as she lifted another, single kernel to her mouth, chewing slowly as she stared into the giant screen that held the image of a screaming mare, about to meet her doom.

If he was perfectly honest, all these movies were beginning to blend together. Whether it be ancient burial grounds, psychos, demonic dolls, it all seemed the same after a while.

They hadn’t had a mission for the week, and the days off were beginning to blend together. Commander Spike was offering jobs to the other teams, and Silver was beginning to worry about it. Did he do something wrong? Was their last mission not good enough? Were they being relegated to guard duty of the most boring door in the Department?

Silver didn’t know. It could have been just as likely that Spike was just giving them the week off.

So, instead, he was sitting here, watching boring movies to keep himself from flying into a panic about his performance.

And, if nothing else, the movies were definitely boring.

Honestly, watching Silk eat popcorn was just as exciting, and she was eating it wrong.

He watched, as yet one more buttery piece of popcorn came up to her mouth, and past her two...luscious...full...hypnotizing lips.

He blinked, and shook his head, trying to rid himself of that thought.

That was...weird, at the very least.

He needed to get out more.

===ᐁ===

When mealtime came around, along with a great case as to why they should leave the Department’s theater, Silk and Silver finally emerged, blinking in the light. Silver was quick to duck away and run himself through a shower, just to get the stench off of him.

When he finally returned to the mess hall, he saw all of Alpha Team sitting at the table, laughing as he came in on the tail end of yet another story. “And-and that’s why—” Neon said, trying his best to speak through tears. “That’s why there’s a fence around it!”

“They built a fence?” Sparky asked, laughing.

“They built a fence.”

“Hey, hey,” Chestnut said scooting over to make way. “Here’s the boss!”

Silver took the seat, happy to be sitting in some proper light. “Afternoon, Alpha team. What’s been going on?”

“Just enjoying the downtime, boss,” Chestnut answered.

Lemon nodded, as she threw her lighter between her hooves. “You have to love the vacation hours we get here.”

“Well, I’m not surprised,” Mandible grunted. “They have to give us something to keep us docile, considering we lay our lives down all the time…”

“Always the ray of sunshine, Prisoner,” Silver noted as he popped open a can of soda.

“One of us need to be the grounded, logical one,” Mandible said, “and quite frankly, I just don’t trust any of you ponies to have the mental capacity for it.”

Chestnut laughed.

Mandible shot him a glance.

“What? That was funny?” the heavy weapons pony said.

“You do realize I’m insulting you, right?”

“It was still funny,” Chestnut answered.

The changeling shook his head.

“So where have you two been all day?” Amber said, smiling knowingly at Silk and Silver.

“Watching horror movies,” Silver answered, as though it were obvious.

“Good horror movies,” Silk stressed. “If I’m going to reintroduce him to this, it needs to be the cream of the crop.”

Amber seemed slightly disappointed by the news, but continued on. “So how has that been going?”

Silk turned to him.

Silver sighed. “They’re...okay, I guess…” he said. “I liked maybe two or three of them, but I’m not the biggest fan.”

“Oh, don’t say that…” Silk said.

“I’m sorry, Silk,” Silver said, exasperated. “I’m just not that into them.”

The pegasus sighed, before she sighed. “Well, at least now you know how to have good taste.”

Silver smiled, and was just about to dig into his meal when a voice rang out. “Alpha team!”

They all turned around and saw Spike standing on a small balcony. “Report to training room 3 in five minutes!”

The others nodded, and quickly began to finish their mostly-empty plates, and finished their lunch as quickly as they could. Silver, meanwhile, blinked as he stared down at his own tray, stacked high with food.

He sighed, grabbed the apple off his plate and his can of soda. “So glad I’m got to eat something other than popcorn today,” he muttered.

Then again, at the very least, he knew how to eat it right.

===ᐁ===

“Welcome to the Danger Room, rookies,” Spike said, standing in the middle of a large, white-tiled room.

Silver had never been in training room 3 before. They had passed it back on orientation day, but the Commander never spent more than a passing sentence on it. Of course, if the perfectly blank room was as empty as it seemed, that would make sense.

Of course, the large yellow line that read “DO NOT CROSS” in big, bold, black letters quite a giveaway to the contrary.

“This room is perhaps the most technologically advanced room in all of Equestria. And as it name implies, it is also the most dangerous room in all of Equestria,” Spike continued, before he began to pace along the tiles. “Whenever a team manages to win a week of R&R, like you did, they need to spend one session in the Danger Room.”

A claw stepped one of the tiles, and in quickly shot up, revealing a strange nozzle beneath it. There was a spark, and a jet of flame shot out, burning orange in the air where Spike was. Or had been, because he had leapt into the air in the time it took to blink, leaving the flame to sputter uselessly.

He did not have time to rest as he landed, however, as a tile on the wall slid open, and stream of darts shot forward, all towards Spike. The dragon simply raised a claw to catch them in the air as they flew at him. “The point is to keep every member sharp and ready during times of rest. The last thing we need is for one of you to get just rusty enough that you wind up dead.”

A third tile shot up like a pedestal, and a ball and chain spat out and swung around, nearly taking out Spike’s legs.

But the dragon was fast. Far too fast for the traps of the Danger Room, and the ball did nothing but bounce along the tiles.

Spike dodged through the room, as darts, arrows, blades, and gouts of flame, a the while carrying on his conversation with Alpha Team. “Regardless of your performance in the Danger Room, you only need one session. If you do well, great.”

He spun around, catching a spear that had been thrown at him, and threw it back in a single motion. The spear slammed into the tile right beside the spear launcher, and it began to glow an angry red. “If you do poorly, well...then I suppose your medic will have a little more practice than she wanted.”

Spike then walked back, across the line. “Set difficulty to level one,” Spike ordered.

“Yes, Commander,” came a voice from the ceiling.

“And lock the door until they’ve completed the session,” he said, as he stepped through the doors, only for them to close behind him.

“Yes, Commander,” the voice repeated, as a very large bolt slid into place.

Alpha Team all stared at the door, before looking at the rest of the white-tiled room.

“Please cross the line, Alpha Team,” the voice said.

There was a beat.

“Well, he lowered the difficulty, right?” Sparky said. “It can’t be that bad?”

“Well,” Mandible said, “technically speaking, we don’t know how difficult it can be, without a sense of scale, anyway.”

Silver did his best to fight back a sigh, before finally speaking. Well, there are exactly two ways to find out.”

“Actually trying it, and…?” Silke asked.

“Um, hey!” Silver shouted, “Voice in the ceiling?”

“Yes?” it answered.

“What is the most difficult setting for this room?”

“It is not advisable to use that setting,” it answered.

“I understand that,” Silver said, “and I do not want to use that setting. I just want to know what is the maximum setting.”

“Maximum available setting is undefined.”

“Undefined?” Silver asked.

“Undefined: adjective, not clear or defined.”

“What? No, no,” Silver said. “I know what undefined means, I just...what do you mean that the maximum is undefined?”

“The Danger Room has no theoretical maximum,” the voice answered. “It is based off of an algorithm, defined by the late Princess Twilight Sparkle, which slowly builds difficulty over time. The inaugural session is typically used as a reference point, on which all future session are based.”

“I...see…” Silver answered.

“For reference,” the voice continued, “Commander Spike was using a level 50 program.”

“Level 50?” Neon said. “Somehow I expected him to be higher.”

“Level 50 is the highest recommended setting for normal ponies. However, it is Commander Spike’s recreational setting. His current maximum is 362.”

“Oh.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Well, level one can’t be that hard, right?” Chestnut asked.

“Ah, quit your whining!” Sparky said, crossing the line. “It’s level one, not—”

Clang!

Sparky was immediately silenced as a cast iron pan slammed into his face. Knocking him out cold.

Amber sighed, before she flew over, dragging his body back over the line.

“Spark Speed,” the voice said, “currently failing level one. Deadly foe is equivalent of grandmother with a frying pan.”

Neon snickered.

“If the rest of the team could proceed across the line,” the voice asked.

“Sure,” Silver said, “just let us collect ourselves.”

“Of course,” she answered, as Amber slowly brought Sparky back up.

“And...could you discount Sparky’s first try?” Silver asked.

“Deleting file…Complete.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. When you’re ready, Alpha Team.”

Gathering themselves up again, Alpha Team crossed the line.

===ᐁ===

“Well done, Alpha Team!” the voice from the ceiling said, as the ponies crawled back across the line. “You have reached level 20! Your chances of survival are 25% higher than average!”

Chestnut groaned, with a large, hypodermic needle stuck in his flank. “Make the room stop spinning…” he moaned.

Sparky, who had been hit with yet more frying pans, cradled his head in his hooves, trying to keep a headache from forming.

Amber had managed to got out mostly unscathed, but she looked liked she had suffered with the rest of them. Panting, she crossed the line, muttering about her kit having been completely used, before yanking the needle out of Chestnut’s flank.

“Ow…” he muttered.

“You did well!” the voice continued. “In three more levels you reach potentially deadly attacks, so level 20 is an optimal level for your training.”

“Good to know…” Silver said, following behind his team as they slowly made their way back to safety across the line.

“I will send a digital copy of your result to the commander, post haste. Congratulations once more, Alpha Team! Unlocking doors now.”

The door hissed, before sliding open, letting the ponies free.

Silver grunted. “Thanks—” he began before pausing. “Um...I...I actually didn’t catch your name,” he said to the invisible voice. “D-did I miss it or…?”

“Running introduction sequence,” the voice said, before continuing. “Welcome, Department Employee! I am TWI, and experimental, artificial, arcane-based intelligence. I am a tool in charge of the various security measures of the Department, as well as various administration roles, including power and emergency communiques. How can I help you?”

Silver looked up, blinked. “Um...no...Thank you TWI.”

“You're welcome,” she answered.

===ᐁ===

The next day, Alpha Team was enjoying lunch once more. Neon, Chestnut, and Sparky were swapping stories again, while the mare listened and laughed. Mandible, while he did sit with the ponies around him, did not interact, instead remaining quiet, and brooding.

Silver, meanwhile, was focusing on eating, because he was not going to let some surprise training exercise keep him from a meal.

A lull appeared in the conversation, and the team and a collective sigh escaped the ponies around the table. In the resulting silence, they all heard the clack of the claws on steel. A handful of the ponies looked around, to see Spike walking behind them, down into a hallway.

Neon watched him before nudging Silver, pulling the assault’s attention away from his meal. “Hm? What?”

“Do you know the Commander goes all the time?”

“What? You mean his room?” Silver asked, his mind thinking back to red, wooden door with yellow candle carved into its face.

“Yeah, have you seen it?”

“I’ve seen the door, sure,” he answered.

“Have you ever been inside?” Neon whispered.

Silver blinked, before he realized that everypony around the table was listening intently.

“No…” Silver admitted. “Sweetie Belle told me that Spike killed the last pony who entered it.”

“What?” Sparky whispered under his breath. “That’s crazy…”

“Makes you wonder what he’s hiding,” Mandible said.

“What makes you say that?” Amber asked.

“Everyone has something to hide,” the changeling answered.

“It..it is pretty serious, considering he killed a pony,” Lemon whispered.

“Well, you say that,” Silver began, “but we’ve all seen Spike in battle. I would not be surprised if he could snap my neck without really trying. It could have been an accident, and we just don’t know.”

Mandible smirked. “Aw...is someone making excuse for their boss?”

Silver raised a eyebrow in the changeling’s direction. “And I thought projecting was below you.”

Chestnut laughed.

“Look,” Silver said. “I think it should be pretty clear, that we should just avoid that room, alright? That just makes sense.”

“Totally agree!” Silk said, sitting beside him. “I mean, sure, he didn’t really respect our privacy when he recruited us, but I’m rather a fan of living.”

“Well, for as long as we can, anyway,” Lemon said with a smirk.

===ᐁ===

Cold hooves dug through cold earth.

They moved far beneath the ground, deep under even the Department’s headquarters.

They were given orders, and they were eager to carry them out.

They moved quickly, clawing through the rock and soil, as if their lives depended on it.

Or, at least, whatever remained of their lives.

They dug, slowly moving their way, driven by hunger, but still as strong as the day they started.

They were so very, hungry.

They stopped.

This was it.

This was the silver-laced concrete they were looking for.

Rushing water was just beyond the wall.

But it was not going to slow them down.

They were so hungry, and they were finally ready to feed.

===ᐁ===

Silver finally finished his lunch, and was returning his tray to its little collection station, when an ear-splitting klaxon blared in his ears.

“Danger! Danger!” TWI cried over an unseen intercom. “Security Breach! All members, active and inactive, must gather all gear and prepare for battle!”

Silver dropped the tray, and ran for his room.

At the very least he had a proper meal this time.

This Means War

Silver slammed into the room and grabbed his kit as quick as he could. He loaded a magazine of bolts into his pneumatic crossbow and ran, heading back to the mess hall with all speed.

TWI’s voice rang out again, through hidden speakers. “Multiple breaches detected. Areas A and C are in imminent danger. Teams Alpha, Gamma, and Omega, report to A. Teams Beta, Phi, and Tau, report to C!”

Silver took a sharp right, barreling down a hallway to head towards the Armory. He was the first one there, and what he saw was terrifying.

Ponies, or what once were ponies, climbed into the hallway. Their fur was basically gone, and their skin was a pale, disgusting grey. Their teeth, once flat, were ground down to thin, needle-like points, and their eyes were sunken into their heads. Their skin was stretched thin against their bones, and their lips were stained red.

He didn’t even think twice about firing into them.

Bolts slammed into the monsters, and they stumbled in the onslaught. The silver-tipped bolts pierced their thin, grey skin, and two of them fell to the ground.

There was not a drop of blood.

He fired until the magazine went dry, and was quick to reload.

And that was not quick enough. The monsters already began to recover, standing again, even though they were completely filled with bolts.

A string of cursing followed his reloading, and the beasts were quick to begin their advance. They stamped forward, moving toward him with hunger in their eyes and teeth bared.

Only for the heavy fire of Chestnut’s mini cannon to interrupt them. They deadly rounds bit into the grey skin, snapping bone in half as the heavy weapons pony moved closer. “Got your back, Boss!”

“And I’m glad you are!” Silver said, as a thermal shot scorched overhead.

“You need to stop running ahead, Assault!” Silk said, as her long rifle whined to cool. “I can’t keep saving your flank all the time.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” he replied, before he began to fire his crossbow once more.

Three of the beasts were down, hopefully for good now that they had been hit with something more serious. Unfortunately, whatever beasts went down there were three to replace them climbing from the breaches below.

Sparky shot by, unleashing a pair of bolts into the monsters, while Neon and Amber both shot into the room, firing their weapons.

“Molotov incoming!” Lemon yelled, before a glass bottle smashed into the mob, lighting them ablaze.

Mandible leapt up next to Silk on a catwalk, firing bolts from his light crossbow.

“Keep laying down fire!” Silver yelled. “Don’t let them get up!”

Chestnut laid down suppressing fire, aided with shots from Amber, Sparky, Neon, and Mandible.

Silk was slower waiting before one of those monster’s popped up above the lip of the hole in the floor before sending a searing shot over the heads of her teammates. The beasts’ heads fell, charred and cooked, and one of the monsters stopped to smell his now fried comrade.

The other teams, Gamma and Omega, finally appeared, laying down their own fire as all three heavies began to cover the field. Silk was joined by another two snipers on the catwalk, and together, they began to fry to ghouls where they stood. Sparky began running with two more scouts, and before long, all three teams were working together, each meshing together with his own duty.

“Hey,” a dark grey pegasus cried, sliding up next to Silver with his own obsidian/silver blade. “You guys doing alright?”

“Be doing better if you weren’t late!” Silver answered with a grin.

“You hear that boss?” the new assault yelled to the unicorn with the potion cannon, “They’re saying we’re late!”

Unicorn demo smiled. “Well I guess we’ll just have to hit the ghouls twice as hard to make up for it! Let’s go Gamma team!”

A cheer went up, followed by the air filling with crossbow bolts.

“You hear that, Omega?” an earth pony agent said, draped in her mirror cloak.

“Sir, yes, sir!” replied the last four ponies. They were bandaged, slower, and looked like they had recently gone through hell.

“Well I’m not going to let them do the job for us, even if we’re not back up to full. I say we double their kills, what about you?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” they answered, before they practically threw themselves at the enemy, the five ponies eager to prove themselves, injured though they were.

Silver’s radio suddenly burst to life. “Alpha Team, come in! This is Heavy of Beta Team!”

“Beta Heavy, this is Alpha Assault, I read you!” Silver answered, firing into the monsters.

“You’re the new guys, right?” the Beta team heavy asked.

Silver blinked. “New...ish?”

“Alright, you about these?”

“Info would be good,” Silver admitted.

“These are ghouls. Smarter than zombies, twice as hungry, and more importantly, intentional. This isn’t an act of nature, this is an attack.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Silver muttered.

“Go for head and neck shots!” the Beta Heavy continued. “Everything else is wasted ammo.”

“Roger that,” Silver said before he began yelling at his team. “Go for head and neck shots!”

“You got it, Boss!” Chestnut said, before he adjusted his aim to be slightly higher. Half-inch balls of sun-blessed silver slammed into the ghouls, ripping their skin and tearing them apart as every barrel of Chestnut’s mini cannon was beginning to glow red. “I can’t keep up the suppressing fire, my canon’s starting to overheat!”

“Support, Agent, Scout, Medic, Demo, keep them pinned while Heavy cools his weapon.”

“Yes sir,” Lemon said, before firing another grenade. It exploded in a shower of glass, and the liquid hissed whenever it touched the dead flesh of the ghouls.

“Sniper, keep knocking them out,” Silver ordered, before drawing his blade.

“Can do,” Silk replied, before another shot of heat and light slammed into a ghoul, leaving the air smelling of smoke and cooked flesh.

Silver jumped forward, bringing his obsidian and silver sword down into the skull of the monster in front of him, and felt it split the bone.

He ripped the blade away, and swung for the neck, cleaving it apart before he moved to the next ghoul, who swung wildly as he tried to attack the unicorn.

Silver ducked beneath the blow, and made his own, driving the sword straight between the eyes.

He really did love this blade.

“Teams Phi and Tau!” Beta Heavy cried into the leader’s radio channel. “I need back up, here! My team’s occupied, and I need to cool down.”

Silver thought about letting the heavy know he was still on the radio, but instead focused on striking another ghoul. His team and the others hitting the enemy hard, and were slowly gaining ground on the breach.

“Keep pushing forward!” Gamma demo yelled, firing potion grenade after potion grenade.

“You heard the stallion, push!” Omega Agent said.

Silver smiled, and began pushing with the rest, forcing the enemy back to the hole they dug through the concrete. “Let’s go, Alpha Team! We’re pushing them back!”

And suddenly a scream cut in on the radio, and all three of the leaders heard Beta Heavy’s last, panicked shriek.

“Calling all teams!” a new voice cut in. “This is Phi! We need support! They ghouls have something big over here, and we need back up. Beta Team is down, I repeat, Beta Team is down!”

Silver shared a look with both the Agent and Demo from the other teams.

“We’ll take care of this,” Gamma Demo said, before he fired a grenade into the hole.

Silver nodded. “Alpha Team! With me! Beta’s down, and they need backup!”

They picked themselves at his order, and quickly began to pull back, retreating from the room as the both Gamma and Omega Team took up the reins.

They left the room, turning to run through the hallway, and running straight for the training rooms. They quickly turned the corner, and were instantly met with the sight of three corpses littering the hallway.

“Always a good sign,” Mandible muttered, before they found themselves staring at the breach, and the monster responsible.

The beast was massive, five time larger than a pony, and three times as wide. Its chest and forelegs were massive, while its head was minuscule. Its skin was the same pale grey of the ghouls, but its muscles were massive, leaving the skin stretched thin and splitting across its body.

Phi and Tau had both taken heavy casualties, leaving both at half strength, and most of their comrades on the floor. Some already were missing chunks from their flesh.

“Demo, hit ‘em hard!” Silver yelled.

Lemon responded with an explosive round straight for the beast’s head, and fire and sound answered her.

“Move up, Team!” Silver ordered. “Move up and bring him down!”

Chestnut answered with the roar of his mini-cannon.

Silk took to the air, trying to find a good firing position, while the others began to move forward, firing into the beast. Silver-tipped crossbows dug deep into the monster’s skin, and the scorching shots of the TS longrifles seared its flesh.

“Hit it with everything you have!” Silver yelled, before a pony walked past him.

Fluttershy simply sauntered past Silver, as if the entire battles was simply not happening. She walked through the crossfire, completely unbothered for the silver and flying wooden stakes that filled the air around her.

“You know,” she said in Manticore’s voice, “for once, all of us were enjoying the time off. We were all happy for thirty minutes, and then you come along,” she said, speaking to the ghoul that was trying to defend itself against the onslaught of attacks the ponies were pouring on him. “If I’m honest, I’d be using words my hostess doesn’t like, so let’s just say peeved. I am peeved beyond belief, and I am going to make sure you feel every second of it.”

She hissed, baring her fangs, and spreading her leathery wings in fury, before leaping into the air, pouncing for the monster’s neck. Her teeth bit into the beast’s flesh, and she ripped the muscle free, tearing the ghoul apart.

She spat the flesh out as the beat moaned in pain, before growling. “I’ve always hated ghouls. You taste the worst.” She bit again, before tearing through the monster’s arm.

“Sniper!” Silver yelled.

“I have a shot!” Silk yelled, hanging from a pipe by her hind legs.

“Well, don’t keep Manticore waiting!” he told her.

“Roger, sir!” she answered, before a scorching shot fired straight into the ghoul’s head.

Fluttershy smiled as the ghoul screamed as his flesh bubbled. “Let’s see if you taste better cooked!”

She bit him again, ripping and tearing at him while the ponies around kept firing into it, trying to bring it down.

Silver’s radio crackled again. “Alpha Team, where are you?” Spike’s angry voice asked him.

“We moved to C to support Phi and Tau,” Silver answered.

“I already moved Manticore towards C! Omega has taken damage, and Gamma can’t keep these creeps down.”

“We’ll be right there!” Silver yelled. “Alpha Team, back to A!”

“But we just got here!” Sparky grumbled.

“Double time!” Silver yelled, ignoring the complaint, and leading them back across the compound. “Spike’s mad at us for moving.”

“Great,” Mandible replied, “so the boss is going to chew us out after this too.”

“Just be happy he’s not big enough to actually chew us out,” Lemon replied.

“Less talking, more running!” Silver ordered as they galloped back down the hallway.

They burst back into the lobby in front of the armory, and were met by a sea of ghouls. It seemed they were trying to overcome with quantity what the other side had tried to complete with quality.

Omega team was down to just their agent, firing her lone crossbow into the ghouls, while Gamma, down to seven ponies, tried to take on the hoard.

Luckily, the Commander was there. His strange flintlock firing its trademark, purple needles, and each one found its mark in a ghoul’s forehead. His free hand cut through throats, and broke necks with a furious, frightening ease.

“If you are assigned to a post, you stay there!” he growled as Alpha team entered the room, and Chestnut began firing his mini-cannon into the crowd of ghouls.

“Sorry sir, we were—” Silver began, before Spike interrupted him.

“Don’t apologize, shoot!”

Silver obeyed, firing his pneumatic crossbow into the crowd before drawing his blade.

Crossbow bolts and scorching blasts of magical heat filled the air, and ghoul bits and pony blood began to litter the ground.

But slowly, eventually, they pushed the mob back, beating back or killing the ghouls back towards the breach.

“Demos,” Spike called, as they moved closer to the edge of the pit. “Special Grenade designation 00-AB1!”

Both Lemon, and the leader of Gamma team both loaded a glass flask.

“Where do you want it, sir?” Lemon asked.

“The pit!” Spike yelled. “Where do you think?”

Both ponies answered with a shot into the breach, where a thick, clear, viscous liquid covered the ghouls in the breach.

A Spike took a deep breath.

Dragon fire caught the ooze, and it went up in an instant, transforming the breach into a massive bonfire. Ghouls transformed to ash before their very eyes, and the heat was so great it even began to melt the concrete.

The blaze lasted ten seconds, no more, but it was just enough to do the job.

Spike looked down at the scorched breach, and shook his head. Another puff of flame lit a cigarette, and he took another long drag before he spoke into his radio. “Manticore, how are we doing?”

“We’re pretty much finished here, Commander.”

“Roger that. Velvet Storm, can you order us some concrete and give me a report of our losses?”

“Right away, sir,” came the reply.

“The rest of you are dismissed until further notice,” he said, before he turned, and walked away.

===ᐁ===

It took three hours before a full report came across Spike’s desk, and he was not happy about it.

Phi and Tau were both down to half strength, and would probably have to united into a new team. Beta was gone, Omega was down to one person, and Gamma was down a pony. The only team that had managed to get through this attack was Alpha team, and the only reason they had done so well was the large amount of time they had spent traveling between point A and point C.

And that was just casualties.

The tunnels the ghouls dug were some fifty miles long, before reaching a collapsed section. With the point of origin unreachable, the only option at this point was to fill it back up, and seal it. The cost in concrete alone would be a fortune.

Of course, the meaning behind the tunnel was far more alarming.

The ghouls could not move quickly, not without tools, but searching the tunnel revealed nothing in terms of excavation equipment. Conservative estimates had the ghouls digging for twenty years.

This was a deliberate, intentional, and long-term attack, and it was an attack. This was an act of war. Someone, somewhere, wanted the D.S.P.I. destroyed. Someone with patience, and someone with the means to mobilize a small army of ghouls.

It...could it be Him?

Spike almost froze at the thought.

It...it…

It couldn’t be. Ghouls were below Him.

But He had the lifespan.

He had the power.

Spike claws clenched at the thought, almost ripping the report he held as rage began to flood his being.

He...if He were behind this…

Spike threw the reports down onto his desk, and stormed out of his office. The dragon fumed as he walked down the hallway, and smoke rose from both his paper cigarette and his nostrils, both thick and black.

If He were behind this...if He was somehow behind all of this.

Spike came down to the old wooden door, the one with the simple candle carved into it’s face, a replica from a bygone time, and entered, roughly.

The room was as dark as he left it, and filled wall-to-wall with his things. He ignored them all, however, as he walked up to the centerpiece of his hoard.

The smooth, crystal surface was almost glowing in the darkness, and Spike’s fury seemed to subside as he rested a claw along it.

It...it couldn’t be Him.

It didn’t seem like His handiwork.

He would be more precise, more devastating, and would leave Spike alive and cursing. The ghouls were too clumsy. They could have killed him and left the department alive, and that wasn’t how He played things.

Spike sighed, as he stared at the transparent magenta crystal beneath his claws.

If...if it wasn’t Him…

“Not yet…” Spike muttered. “Not yet…”

He stared at the crystal, and its center, before signing one more. “Soon…” he promised. “Soon.”

Spike took another breath, and let his claw slip off the immaculate, transparent surface.

He turned back to the room, in all its darkness, and all the memories that hung from wall to wall, the monument of everything...everything that was taken from him.

“Soon…”

===ᐁ===

Silver sat with the leaders of the last three teams. The demo from Gamma, named Chrome Shift, and the Sniper from Phi, named Hunter all looked down the briefing table.

Spike sat at the end of the table, frowning, cigarette still in his mouth. “Gentlecolts,” he said, addressing the team leaders. “This was nothing less than an attack on the department.”

They nodded, listening intently.

“And this, whether you realize it or not, means war,” Spike continued. “With this attack, the Princess has authorized me to activate all projects of the department, including some projects which have some...psychological effects on the subjects.”

Hunter and Chrome both frowned.

“We will also be receiving aid from both the Crystal Empire and the Griffonstone branches,” Spike told them.

“And what about us?” Hunter asked.

“You are going to be working,” Spike answered. “While we have been attacked, we have no idea as to who is behind this. The first thing we need to do is identify the threat, then we can begin to properly engage them.”

“So…” Chrome began.

“So you’re going to have a week. Heal up, prep yourselves, acclimate to your new arrivals, and then you’ll be sent on a few reconnaissance missions.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

“In the meantime, I’ll keep my ear to the ground, use my contacts. We’re not going to let this go. This, gentlecolts, is war.”

Regroup

“Clear!” Sparky yelled.

Neon and Silver then filled into the room, pneumatic crossbows leveled. They both crossed to the next doorway across the room. They took a moment to gather themselves before Silver opened the next door.

His crossbow swept across the room, and he found nothing. “Clear!” he yelled.

“Contact! Contact!” They heard Sparky yell into his radio.

Silver turned, leaving the room immediately as the team began to file in the hallway back for Sparky.

The sound of thunder roared as flintlock’s fired, and Sparky yelled in pain.

The lights went up, and Spike shook his head. “Sparky, stop running ahead.”

The pegasus growled, sporting a nice red welt covered in fluorescent purple paint. “I’m the scout! I’m supposed to run ahead!”

“You’re supposed to lead,” Spike said from his observation post above the mock building they were raiding, watching along with the other teams. “That means the others should be able to follow you.”

Sparky sent up a long string of curses.

Spike stared down, unimpressed. “Keep whining, but we’re going to keep running this until you can clear a room without getting shot. Gamma, you’re next.”

Silver sighed, before he led the team back up the steps to the observation deck.

Sparky muttered behind him. “It’s not fair. That target wasn’t there the last time.”

“That’s the point,” Silk told him, saving Silver the need to point out the very same thing.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grunted.

Mandible shook his head, obviously not impressed with his teammate.

Gamma got into position below them, and the lights dimmed as the exercise began.

For the past three weeks since the attack, Spike had been drilling them on urban exercises. “This isn’t the good ol’ days,” the Commander had told them, “where vampires took titles like count, and cultists hid in haunted castles. We’re going to find them in warehouses and office buildings. So you need to know how clear a room before they can get a spell off, because you won’t make it if you can’t.”

And so it had begun.

“Ivory! Watch those corners!” Spike ordered as Gamma’s scout dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the paintballs that flew over his head.

Chrome Shift, the demo and leader of Gamma team, answered with a timed grenade, bouncing it off the wall and exploding on the target.

“Good move, Chrome,” Spike called.

A shot took down their support in a burst of green paint.

“Thunderwing! Make sure the room is clear. Just yelling clear isn’t going to help anypony!”

The lights went up, and Spike ordered them back up. “You’re not leaving until I get a perfect run, ponies.”

Omega prepared themselves for their next run, as the ponyquin targets and they’re paintball turrets ran on rails to randomize their locations in the building as doors and walls switched up.

Sparky quickly lost interest. He turned from the team down below, and let his gaze wander over to Silk. “So, Silk...you doing anything later?”

She turned and glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, tonight. Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Not with you,” she answered.

Neon suppressed a snort.

“Hey, c’mon, don’t be like that babe.”

“Babe?” she repeated.

“Look, I’m sure we can do just fine,” Sparky said, sliding up next to her.

She moved away. “Look, I’m busy...I have...a ton of...training to do. I just can’t.”

“Look, babe,” Sparky continued, “let’s face face, I’m the best looking stallion here, and you’re quite the looker yourself—”

The whine of a TS long rifle sounded, and its barrel pressed against his chest. Whatever Sparky was saying died in his throat, as Silk made her feelings about this perfectly clear.

“Don’t call me a ‘Looker,’” she warned.

“Alright! Alright!” he said, “I get it! You’re busy! I’ll ask another time.”

Silver thought that perhaps the best time was never, but he kept quiet about it. Even if the idea did annoy him in an oddly specific way.

He wasn’t even sure why it annoyed him, but he did have a suspicion that was very quickly growing.

He...well...he might have a crush on Silk.

The thought wasn’t terribly surprising, especially with this sudden burst of annoyance and or jealousy, but still, he wasn’t really sure why.

She was a good mare, he would admit. She was nice, sure. She had a strange obsession with horror movies that he kind of understood. She had saved his life more than a few times during their missions…

And...apparently she was a quote-on-quote “looker.”

Honestly, he was not best judge on looks. He very rarely thought of ponies as “beautiful,” “handsome,” or even “ugly.” He had only the faintest awareness of the spectrum, when it came to his fellow pony. The only ones that really hit any obvious milestones were the Princesses, and well...they were the Princesses.

It was usually a strength of his. As a guard, he was expected to just stand still, regardless of what passed by him. It could have been the royal sisters themselves, and he’d have to stare straight ahead, ever vigilant.

However, if she was beautiful, it would certainly explain this subconscious draw toward her. It would also explain that weird moment in the theater...

Honestly, it made him feel better about this instant flare in his anger towards Sparky. It meant he wasn’t totally irrational, and subject to forces he didn’t truly understand.

He was also very happy to hear that Silver did not want to give Sparky the time of day.

She gave a final snort before she turned back to the exercise going on below them, standing next to Silver as they both stared over the catwalks.

“You don’t like being called a looker?” Silver asked, trying to keep things casual.

“Too many years in too many bars,” she answered.

Silver nodded. “Got it.”

He stood next to her in silence, letting her cool, before speaking again. “The rifle, though? I mean, he deserves a lot, but pulling a gun on him?”

“There is no such thing as overkill,” she answered.

“Well,” Silver began. “I can't really argue with the results.”

She smiled at that. “It’s a good policy,” she told him.

“At times,” Silver agreed. “At times.”

===ᐁ===

It was evening by the time Spike was satisfied with his teams. He let them go, off to enjoy an hour or so before he lights out.

A construction team had come by earlier, having been blindfolded for safety's sake, and began reconstruction on the floors in both A and C, and already things were looking expensive. Once they finished with the first layer of concrete, they’d have to add a layer of silver, which would have been bad enough, but the holes were too deep for a quick job.

He pushed these thoughts aside,and focused on his latest correspondence.

The letter on his desk had come from the Crystal Empire branch of the Department. The Crystal Empire’s branch had always been the experts on cults and other underground gatherings, and Spike quickly turned to them for any information. He was pleased to hear they have been keeping their ear to the ground and they offered all they knew concerning the various Old One cults, vampire worshipers, and necromancer covens that might have had the power to attack the Department.

He had already received information from Griffonstone’s D.S.P.I. equivalent, but they had to offer was that they were dealing with some sort of necromancer.

Spike was very tempted to answer with a letter that simply read, “No, duh.”

At least they told him that he wasn’t dealing with any of their problems. It was unique to their shore.

Between the two, and his own informants, he had narrowed it down to a handful of possibilities. At the top of the list was the Ashen Heart Organization. The Ashen Heart had been around for almost as long as the Department. They had originally tried to take over the world, but they slowly turned to a proper business, selling the...harder-to-get alchemical ingredients only available from the pits of alternate worlds. They had the power, certainly, and it was possible they had the motive, but they has also come to an agreement, and Spike wasn’t sure they were willing to risk that.

Still, it might do well to have a small conversation with the current CEO.

Next on the list was some no-name cult named the Crimson Covenant. It was possible, in terms of motive, but there was no way they could have pulled this off without backing. However, they were the new kids on the block, and that meant they weren’t to be taken lightly.

The Brotherhood of the Astral Skull was another possibility. The Brotherhood have been a problem for a long time. Originally founded by a vampire, the Brotherhood has tried numerous times to gain power for their founder/lord, including, but not limited to, blotting out the sun, trying to assassinate a minor lord and taking his title, and staging a thousand minor crimes across the country to fund an organized crime family.

Of course, Spike made sure to leave them with nothing, but it’s entirely possible that little miss Lily La Croix may have shifted her attention.

That’s how vampires work, after all. Obsession. They shift their focus, and everything becomes about the object of their attention. Even Fluttershy’s personalities suffered from it, and Spike had enough experience in the matter to know well enough. Whether is causing pain, gaining power, an unending unlife of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, vampires obsess.

If Lily decided to obsess about the Department, then she could easily gain the means and motive to attack.

Finally, there was the Followers of Shadow. The Followers were another Necromantic Cult, serving a now dead vampire. They could be responsible, if only because said vampire died by Spike’s own claw. On the other hand, the last time Spike met them, they were little more than a book club, only focusing on bringing the dead back to life, as opposed to reading through the latest romance book.

He didn’t want to rule it out though. It only takes one crazy, charismatic cult leader to redefine the objective, and revenge was always a fire-starter.

He sighed, before running through the list again. The Ashen Heart, the Covenant, the Brotherhood, and the Followers. Anyone of them could be responsible. Or it could be another organization, one that Spike and his informants hadn’t heard of.

And that scared him more.

If they could keep them out of the ears and eyes of his network, then they were a much bigger problem than the others.

He shifted his attention again to the other programs. Now these were the heavy stuff. The research that had been put into any one of these projects made the concrete and the silver lining look like a paltry sum. These were billions of bits, spent over decades of magical research.

Of these programs, the softer one took a longer time to repair, and the other…

Well, it would be a while, it seemed, before either of them really took off. Though, honestly, it was probably for the best.

The Princess had voiced her concern over these projects several times already, but every time she said anything, Spike returned with the very maxim that was responsible for the Department’s creation. “Better safe than sorry.”

Now that they were about to use them, to bring use their full force to bear, he felt uneasy. He had heard enough discussions about the line that separates the civilized from the monsters, and Spike was sure this began to blur the line.

He sighed, before he muttered his hope. “If we do this quick enough, we won’t have to resort to this.”

That was his only hope now.

===ᐁ===

“One more time, soldiers,” Spike said.

Silver nodded, holding up his pneumatic crossbow, his team at the ready. It was the seventeenth run on the fifth day of their urban breaching training.

“You may begin,” Spike said.

Sparky kicked the door open, pointing left while Silver took the right side. The hiss of firing paintballs sounded from the left, and Silver ducked as a handful of green balls flew over his head, returning a crossbow bolt in answer.

The bolt struck true, and turret went silent.

“Move in!” Silver ordered, and they quickly flooded the room.

Splitting up, they moved to the two other doors in the room, and quickly began to rinse and repeat their way through the compound. Up next to the door, use the wall as cover, scan corner to corner, shoot anything that moves, move on.

Mandible, along with Silver and his team moved into what basically amounted to a living room, when there was the sudden hiss of a paintball gun. “Get down!”

Silver slammed into the changeling, tackling to the ground as the wall to their left exploded into color.

“Did you forget you’re supposed to clear a room?”Silver growled.

“We did clear it!” he answered, before he rolled off the floor into cover. “You were there when we did!”

“And apparently, I can’t trust you!”

“Newsflash! I’m a changeling!” Mandible answered.

Both fired into the target, turning it into a pincushion.

“So I noticed,” Silver sighed. “We’re clear!”

“Clear!” Chestnut answered.

“Clear!” Lemon Bubble sounded.

“All clear!” Silk told them.

And the lights went up. “Good job, Alpha. Good job,” Spike said as he clapped from the observation deck. “Silver, that was good save.”

Silver shrugged.

“Mandible, you should know better, and because of that, you and your team are going to keep running this training all day tomorrow.”

Alpha Team groaned.

“For now, get some rest. Alpha Team, you are dismissed,” the dragon told them, before turning to Omega Team.

Alpha team, meanwhile, was eager to leave. Together, they wandered out of training room 5, moving back towards the mess hall. A few moaned, and groaned as sore joints and limbs complained against the near-constant training they had been facing for almost a full week now.

Yet...Silver stayed silent, his mind elsewhere. It were on the mare in front of him, armed with a very powerful magical heat rifle that could vaporize him given a good hit.

Coincidentally, his eyes were also on the mare in front of him, watching her walk and sway. Yeah...thinking back on it, she does look good, and...well, asking her out wasn’t technically possible, but...he could watch a movie with her...but...well…

He heard a grunt beside him, and turned to see Mandible walking beside him. “What?” Silver asked.

“Look,” Mandible said, “I’m a changeling. I do that whole eating love thing, and let me tell you, I can smell that pre-asking-someone-out nervousness, and yours reeks.”

“Thanks,” Silver grunted.

“Look, look,” Mandible said, shaking his head. “Take me it from me, just ask her, it’ll turn out alright.”

“Says the guy who, moments ago, said I shouldn’t trust him.”

Mandible smirked. “Yeah, well, this statement is false and all that.”

“You’re citing a paradox for your defense?”

“Reductio ad absurdum is a perfectly reasonable logical argument,” Mandible argued. “But seriously, go talk to her. You’re making me nauseous.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up…” Silver muttered before he sped up, pulling up alongside their sniper. “Hey, Silk.”

“Yes?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t…” he began, “you wouldn’t happen to have any more movies you’d like to watch?”

She blinked, and smiled. “Yeah, yeah. There are a few favorites of mine.”

“Well, would you like me to join you?” Silver asked.

“I wouldn’t mind,” she told him.

“Tonight then?”

“Absolutely.”

And Mandible smiled as he watched.

But Sparky did not.

===ᐁ===

Another few days came and went, and Spike felt that they had recovered enough to begin the offense again.

A knock sounded on his door.

“Come in,” he called.

“Guten Tag, Kommandant,” Butter Streusel said, entering the room. “I am here vis zee report you vanted.”

“Good, good,” Spike said, motioning to a seat. “What did the Organization had to say for themselves?”

“Zey deny eferythink, of course,” she told them. “Zey shpeak of zeir ingredients and zeir perfectly legal operations.”

“And do you believe them?” Spike asked.

Butter shrugged, “It’s possible. I am unsure sough…”

“Any evidence?”

“Nein…” she grumbled.

“Then they’re an innocent business for now.”

She offered nothing else.

“Alright, has Diamond found anything?”

“Perhaps,” Butter began, “I do not know.”

Spike sighed. “Fine, send her in.”

“Hello, Commander,” the vampiric pegasus greeted, accent gone, and a sultry smile on her lips. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes…” Spike agreed. “What have you found?”

“What? No ‘How are you?’ No ‘what have you been doing?’ It’s always business with you, Commander.”

“Diamond…” Spike began.

“I just want to know why I'm getting the cold shoulder, Commander,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes.

“You know why,” he said.

“Oh, come now, Spike, she’s been gone a long time and—”

“Another word about it, Diamond,” he growled, flame flashing from his nostrils, “and you will be in more trouble that you could even begin to imagine.”

Diamond decided not to push her luck. “The Brotherhood isn’t behind the attack. Miss La Croix is too busy running around to get her money back to attack us. She has neither means, nor time.”

“So that leaves the Covenant, and the Followers,” Spike muttered.

“So it does,” Diamond replied.

“Now, which one, is the question,” Spike said, before taking a drag on his cigarette.

“Well, if there was ever a time to find out, it would be now,” the vampire replied.

“What now?”

“The Followers have been moving lately, they’ve found Ceasar De Vile’s tomb.”

Spike raised an eyebrow, before pushing a button on his intercom. “Velvet?”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Send Alpha team to my office.”

Operation Vengeful King

The DASH-1 pulled over the rolling hills in the south of Equestria, purring like a great jungle cat. They were making excellent time, and Tinker smiled as the airship rumbled beneath her. Behind her, Alpha team sat in the cargo hold, along with Manticore’s coffin, waiting for the word to move.

They checked and re-checked their weapons, making sure their ammo was secure, yet easy to reach on their bodies.

Commander Spike had given them a very rapid briefing. A group named Followers of Shadow were closing in on the tomb of a powerful vampire. One they happened to worshiped, and perhaps wanted to raise.

Their job was to make sure that the vampire, or worse, didn’t get raised.

“Alright!” Tinker said as they began to slow the DASH-1. “Any closer, and they’ll see us.”

Spike nodded. “You heard the mare. We move out and hoof it from here.”

There was a groan.

“Come on, let’s go!” Spike ordered as Alpha Team gathered towards the cargo door, which opened slowly before them.

“You heard the dragon, let’s go!” Silver said, standing, holding his crossbow up.

Sparky growled. “Yes, sir, captain kiss up,” he muttered.

As the ponies stirred to their hooves, Spike knocked on the coffin lid.

Manticore opened it from inside. “Are we there?”

“Almost. We have to move on hoof for the rest of the way.”

She groaned, but moved, stepping out of her coffin.

“Alright, let’s move,” Silver order. “Go, go, go!”

The ponies repelled out of the DASH-1, landing on the ground and quickly setting up a perimeter. With their weapons pointing outward, they secured a small landing zone, just big enough for Spike and Manticore to land in between them.

The Macintosh hills were silent.

“Alright,” Spike whispered to the team. “We move forward, and keep silent. Once we locate the Followers, we determine their goal. If it’s trouble, we stop them. Try to arrest them first, if they gives more trouble, then we deal with them as necessary. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Silver said, nodding. “Scout, up ahead, Agent, with him, try and get close enough for some answers. Sniper keep an eye out for high ground.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” they answered, before both Sparky and Mandible broke from the group, heading up towards the east.

“Thundercloud,” Spike called into his headset, “do you read?”

“Sir, yes sir, Thundercloud reading you loud and clear,” Tinker answered.

“Be ready to move in at my word.”

“Roger that.”

“Let’s move,” Silver said, leading the team forward.

And the Macintosh Hills were still silent.

===ᐁ===

Mandible hovered just outside the band of cultists, listening to them as they chanted in a language that made his brain hurt.

The bright yellow runes burned his eyes, and the giant eyes painted on the rough, stone altars made him nauseous.

The lead pony, a unicorn with a crazed gleam in his eye led the chanting, and spun a wicked looking dagger that was both there and not there in his magical grasp. It also had a large jeweled pommel, shaped like an eye, of course, that may or may not have winked.

They were definitely up to no good. Mandible just didn’t know what kind.

Admittedly, this wasn’t what he was expecting when he had heard “Necromantic, Vampire-worshiping cult.” He imagined blood runes, fresh zombie hordes, and suicide pacts at worst. This...this looked like something else completely.

Still, he had a job to do.

Keeping still, and under the protection of his mirror cloak, Mandible crouched beside a large stone, keeping his ears peeled for any sign of information he could use. That alone was much harder to do with the chanting that droned in his head with the same force of a jackhammer against his chitin.

At this rate he’d go mad…

===ᐁ===

Sparky ran back to team, making double time on his enchanted horseshoes. “We’ve found them,” he said, dipping into his place in the team. “Up ahead, 156° south from our location.”

“Roger, what do you have to report?” Silver asked, keeping low so that he would not be so easily seen against the red clay, rocks, and tufts of tall, brown grass.

“They have some weird runes and eyes painted everywhere,” Sparky said, “they’re doing some weird chanting too.”

Both Spike and Manticore looked at each other. “Runes and eyes?” Spike asked. “Are you sure?”

“That’s what I saw,” Sparky answered.

Manticore sighed. “Idiots, can’t even keep their cult straight.”

“New orders, soldiers,” Spike whispered. “Move in fast, hit hard. Any chanters are to be taken down immediately. If you can take them out without killing them, fine, but top priority is stopping that chanting at all cost. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” Alpha team answered.

“Let’s move.”

===ᐁ===

Mandible only knew agony.

The chanting roared and droned in his head, as though it were trying to turn his brain to goo.

The constant, impossible syllables were trying to rip his sanity apart, and he could feel every tear and gash.

Everywhere he looked, an eye stared back at him, glaring into his soul with a stare that burned his psyche. Behind the eyes was that mark. That mark that spoke of things that could not be spoken of, that whispered things that should not be whispered.

The chanting filled his ears, surrounded him on all sides, dug into his mind with hooked claws and barbed teeth.

The eye watched, never-blinking, witnessing his suffering as Mandible bit his tongue and tried to stay silent.

“It hurts!” he cried.

Mandible looked up at himself and watched as himself who was not himself burn in yellow fire. “It burns! Can’t you see it burns? Don’t you feel it?”

He felt it. The fire was alive as it crawled along his skin, leaving a warm cold that left a burning frost on his body. It ate his body like acid, and kissed it like a summer breeze. It twisted his stomach, and emptied his lungs.

It was wonderful.

He knew it was wrong, but it was too lovely to ignore. He wanted it so bad, but dared not take it. He grabbed it with both hooves, but cursed himself in the same breath.

And then, to his horror, he discovered he was screaming.

A hoof pressed into his back, and he hit the clay so hard, it knocked the wind from him.

The jeweled eye, the pommel in the dagger stared at him as it was lowered into his field of view. “Well, well, well,” the leader said, staring down at changeling, whose mind suddenly cleared. “You see this, brothers? Our lord provides! We have a sacrifice!”

Mandible cursed as hooves grabbed him, and a blow to the head turned everything black.

===ᐁ===

They found the cultists.

Their altar stood on the highest hill, with pillars of stone, painted with yellow runes.

They hurt to look at.

Silver looked around at the other hilltops, trying to find the best place to begin an assault.

Spike, meanwhile, had his eyes on the altar itself. “They are…They’re actually going to do it…”

Silver whispered. “Sniper, see that tree?”

“The only tree around for miles?” she asked, pointing to the lone tree that stood on a hillside to the left.

“I think that’s your best vantage point,” Silver said.

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right,” she agreed, before she spread her wings, and flew, gliding close to the ground until she made it to the tree.

“Heavy, Scout, Support, I’m going to need you to stay close, we’re going to head into the valley, and charge from there. Demo, can you arc some grenades from here?”

Lemon smiled. “You better bet I can.”

Silver nodded. “Medic, stay with Manticore and the Commander, and back us up as you see fit.”

“Uh...Assault…we have a situation.” Silk’s voice crackled in over the headset.

“Go ahead, Sniper.”

“Our Agent’s on the altar.”

“What?”

“I repeat, Agent is on the altar.”

===ᐁ===

Mandible swallowed hard.

He tried, tried so desperately hard to keep his composure as the Followers of Shadow chanted around him. The eyes stared on, and the runes continued to burn, and while the changeling was doing his best to avoid looking at them, he spinning dagger in the magical grip of the leader held enough threat in its edge to make him worry.

The surprising thing about it was that Mandible didn’t even mind the dying part.

I mean, it was going to suck, don’t get me wrong, but the blood he was going to provide promised a much worse fate for everyone else.

He didn’t even understand what it meant, just that it was going to be bad.

Very, very bad.

Death was going to be a much better alternative.

The cult leader came up to him, smiling manically. “Well my little Lamb, it’s almost time.”

That’s another thing. If this guy could cut it out with all the “lambs to the slaughter” or the “sacrificial lamb” analogies, that would make this entire thing so much more bearable.

“Soon, my Lord shall return, and the tyrannies of the Sun and Moon shall be brought low to nothing,” the cult leader whispered. “Every eye across the world will see the power of Rno'chotsa, and they will know the truth. The truth that all of the other gods, the laws and morality of life, our very lives themselves are but lies, and it will all be thanks to you, my little Lamb.”

So much more bearable.

“It’s almost time...almost time...the world will see. They’ll see because of you. All because of you, my little Lamb.”

Oh gosh…when will it end?

The moon was high, and the chanting was coming up to a crescendo that reverberated in Mandible’s chest.

The leader smiled, and up came the dagger, with it’s awful, all-seeing eye.

A sudden ray of scorching heat tore into the dagger, and the leader leapt back in shock. The ray super heated the metal, and the air exploded. Mandible’s ears rang and his sight went white for a moment or two.

The ringing quickly faded, as did the field of white just in time to hear a cry from just over the edge of the hillside.”We are the D.S.P.I. We have you surrounded. Keep your hooves, horns, and wings where we can see them.”

The leader cursed. “The Department’s here. Do not stop the summoning!”

The ponies around him continued to chant, and the the leader stood over Mandible and sneered. “I haven’t forgotten you, Lamb. You are too important now.”

He went for his knife.

But nothing met his grip. He cursed again, and ducked beneath the altar, searching for his dagger.

Mandible blinked, and realized that he had just one chance to save himself.

So he did the only thing he could do. He began to gnaw through the zip ties that kept him bound.

===ᐁ===

“Hit ‘em hard!” Silver roared.

The chanting ponies did not stop, repeating their eldritch mantra with a zealous fervor that Silver wasn't prepared for. They didn't even fight back, they just redoubled their efforts even as bolts struck their sides.

Not that they needed to fight back. The evil yellow eyes painted on the stones had almost reacted to the sight of them, bubbling and boiling on the stone before they erupted into great, groping masses of slimy tentacles.

The tentacles, bathed in a light that was a color that should not be, and struck, whipping out against the incoming ponies, and stretching to lengths they couldn’t possibly reach.

But they did, of course.

Sparky, Chestnut, Amber, and Neon were all firing into the monsters, doing their best to keep them at bay, and pin the chanters to the ground so that they would finally stop that awful sound that escaped their lips.

“Sniper, do you have a shot on the chanters?” Silver yelled into his com.

“Still charging,” Silk answered. “There’s a reason I don’t like hotshots.”

“We need the leader alive,” Silver said, “any other time I’d let you take the shot.”

“Yeah, yeah. Still charging. You’ll know when I’m ready to shoot.”

“Good to hear!” Silver said, before looking back on the hill they were just on.

Manticore was there, stretching her legs, like an athlete preparing for a workout.

Commander Spike, on the other hand, was in the thick of it. He fired his powerful needle pistol, and his claws cut through flesh with ease. The little dragon cut the tentacles down as they appeared, and disappeared before they could get close.

It almost wasn’t fair.

Spike far outclassed the tentacles, moving faster than they ever could.

The only thing that was in their favor was their numbers, which seemed to be endless. Yet even still, Spike was cutting through them. He would be free to strike at the chanter before long.

Of course, if Manticore actually got to work it would be better.

“Heavy, keep pushing forward!”

“You got it, boss!”

“Scout, how’s the flank?”

“No better,” Sparky replied.

“Demo?”

“Last calculations are being made...alright! I have an angle! Danger close artillery in coming!”

A flash of light burst from the eastern hill, and a grenade smashed onto one of the stone, splattering acid that began to eat the rock beneath it.

The tentacles that grew from the stone began to hiss and writhe, trembling as their anchor into reality was being eaten away.

“Good hit!” Silver yelled. “Keep it up!”

===ᐁ===

Plastic tasted horrible.

Especially the plastic used for this zip tie.

It would not have been accurate to say that he didn’t care about the taste of this particular of the zip tie he was gnawing through, but it certainly wasn’t the most important thing on his mind.

No, the most important thing was living through this whole ordeal.

His fangs suddenly snapped through the first zip tie, and he pushed himself up to stare at his hind legs.

The idiots had fastened the zip tie through the holes in his leg.

He tried to lean forward enough to snap at them, but he was short by a foot. He sat back up, and began looking for his kit and the small obsidian knife that every pack came with. His eyes glanced around frantically, before the cult leader appeared back over the altar. “Where are you going, little lamb?”

He smiled, his eyes glinting with that evil insanity that threatened the whole world. The dagger came up, and stared into Mandible’s soul with it’s awful, topaz eye.

Mandible answered with a punch across the cultist’s mouth, leaving the dagger to spin, end-over-end into the air, before digging into the stone of the altar beside him.

Mandible didn’t even think as he grabbed it.

He moved forward, ready to cut the zip tie open with the eerily sharp blade.

“Yes. Now plunge me into his heart.”

Mandible paused, and stared into eye of the dagger.

“He tried to kill you. It’s only fair you return the favor, no?”

That...well...that sounded pretty good, actually, but…

“But what?” the dagger asked him. “The only thing you need to worry about are the fools around you, and what do you owe them? What obligation do you owe them? You are above them. You hunt them. You consume and wither them. You are more important than them, and if you complete the ritual, you will be more important than any other being in the world. Rno'chotsa always rewards those who serve him. Far better than what you receive now.”

It...well...the dagger wasn’t wrong.

He was a hunter of ponies.

He owed these ponies nothing.

He was being offered only his life, and anything more than that would be a better deal.

He looked down at the cult leader who was still recovering from the blow.

And...of course….there is always the promise of revenge.

“Do it. Complete the Ritual. Be worshiped as you deserve.”

It wouldn’t be hard.

Just a quick slash downward, and it would be over. The fool would be dead, and Lord Rno'chotsa would rule over the quivering masses form his topaz throne. His voice would speak in the Ancient tongue and how do I even know about that?

Mandible blinked, trying to shake thoughts from his head, but his gaze wandered back to the unprotected back of the cultist.

Just one strike.

He brought the dagger up, and it sliced through the plastic zip ties like air.

Now free, Mandible leapt to his feet, and off the altar.

And the dagger continued to stare.

===ᐁ===

A scorching shot tore into the air, catching a tentacle with full force, and knocking it aside for Silver to bring his blade up and around the base, removing it completely.

Manticore had finally joined in, ripping the tentacles in half as she waltzed into the fray.

With the vampire’s strength and speed aiding the battle, the tentacles posed no threat for Spike. Now able to move freely, Spike had leapt in, throwing powerful punches to the temples of the chanting cultists, to hopefully silence them for a while.

As the chanting died, and stones were being dissolved by Lemon’s bombardment, the tentacles began to fall back, losing numbers fast as the spell keeping the ritual active slowly died and the eyes that were their portals began to disappear.

Before long, the only thing left were the ponies and the stones.

Mandible stared down at the dagger in his hoof, and the leader of Followers of Shadow, who simply stared at the sky.

It was obvious that whatever was left of his mind had finally left him.

“Well, we won’t need to execute him,” Spike said, “but he is worthless to us.”

“No snacks, I imagine,” Manticore muttered.

Spike sent her a glare. “Funny,” he said, before turning back to Alpha Team. “Alright, round ‘em up. Thundercloud is incoming and will be ready to receive prisoners.”

“Yes, sir!” Silver said, before he began directing everyone. “Let’s move people.”

Mandible still stared at the dagger.

“Agent?” Spike called, walking up beside the changeling.

He looked over at the dragon, tearing his gaze away from the dagger.

“Hand it to me,” Spike ordered.

Mandible blinked, before he slowly extended his hoof with the dagger and its evil eye.

Spike took it, and did not look at the jeweled pommel. “Thank you, Agent. You did good.”

The changeling nodded.

Spike walked away, keeping the dagger out of everyone’s sight as they began to move the cultists into the newly-arrived DASH-1.

“Hey, Agent,” Silver said, approaching the still stunned Changeling. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah...I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

Mandible shrugged. “I guess. I mean, I didn’t end the world.”

Silver blinked. “Um...that’s good.”

“Yeah,” Mandible admitted. “It’s just…”

“What?”

The changeling hesitated.

Silver waited.

“Hey, you two, it’s time to move out!” Spike said from the open cargo bay of the DASH-1.

Mandible nodded, and turned, heading for the airship. “Just...nevermind.”

Silver slowly nodded, and the rest of Alpha team piled into the ship.

But Mandible sat silent.

Because, the truth was, even through the didn’t end the world, he was left with a singular, haunting question.

Why didn’t he end the world?

Operation Burning Law

She smiled to herself as she walked in Canterlot’s many hallways as she searched for Celestia’s little door, wings fidgeting in excitement. She moved, invisible to the ponies around her as she walked passed the innumerable Castle rooms, searching for the one that would bring her to Canterlot's darkest secret.

She chided herself for her enthusiasm. It was getting a little out of hoof if it kept her from finding the door.

After hearing the call from the Equestrian D.S.P.I., she had immediately began to mobilize her information network. If anything so much as whispered in her domain, she found out about it. The cults she was dealing with were tapped for information, and now it had finally paid off.

She had a name.

Now, yes, she could have been boring and sent a letter, but that just wasn’t personal enough.

Besides, it had been quite a few years since she had seen Old Uncle Spike, and a visit was long-overdue.

===ᐁ===

“Come on!” Spike yelled as he leaned over the “Do Not Cross” line in training room 3 as the Alpha Team worked through yet another session in the Danger Room. “You can do better!”

“Glad you have faith in us, sir,” Silver yelled, leaping over a stream of flame.

Spike grunted. “TWI increase difficulty by one level.”

“Affirmative,” TWI answered.

A large, bladed pendulum swung by. Ponies leapt side to side, dodging fire, bolts, and blades.

Spike nodded, apparently pleased with what he saw.

A chime sounded, and TWI spoke up. “Forgive the interruption, Commander, but Caramel Crystal wishes to speak with you, she insists that it’s urgent.”

Spike sighed. “Alright, everyone. You get a break. Unseal the room, TWI.”

The tiles ceased to move, and with a hiss, the door slid open.

Caramel walked in, her head and it’s container sitting on her back. “Commander, you have visitor.”

And right behind her, walked something that Silver would have never believed.

Which was ironic, considering his choice of profession.

A light pink alicorn walked into view. “Hey Uncle Pipsqueak, how’s it going?”

She looked no older than sixteen years, yet seemed thin and perhaps slightly tall for her age, only a step or two away from being considered lanky. Her mane, a lovely, well kept tuft of violet and arctic blue hair, was bobbed, hugging her head and letting her curls frame her face.

She wore some light armor, a few plates here and there to protect her otherwise naked body.

Spike looked her up and down. “Hey, Squirt.”

The alicorn frowned. “You can’t call me squirt. I’m taller than you.”

“Still younger, though,” Spike said, before he began rolling his neck and shoulders.

“So! You’re shorter than me!” she yelled, stomping into the room.

“Still older than you, too,” he muttered, before motioning Alpha team back behind the line.

Silver obeyed, still gaping at the appearance of a young alicorn.

“By twenty years!” she yelled. “That’s nothing! That’s like saying you're the older twin by two minutes!”

“Still older, Squirt.”

She growled, and Spike smirked.

Silver heard the sound of Spike’s pistol before he saw the dragon draw.

A trio of the magenta needles shot forward, yet the alicorn dodged each one, spinning around the projectiles as she took to the air.

In response, a flurry of beams shot from her horn, striking the tiles that Spike had been standing on milliseconds before. The tiles scorched under the magical energy, and that was when Silver suddenly realized that he had never seen the tiles discolor ever before.

The alicorn spun again, throwing her body into a drilling attack that started a small whirlwind. Another shot from Spike’s gun was sent spinning away by the sheer force of the winds, before the spinning alicorn moved to slam into the commander.

Yet again, Spike moved, flying to the left as the new pony slammed into where he had been standing. “Not fast enough, Squirt.”

“Don’t want to tire you out in front of all your people, Pipsqueak,” the alicorn answered, standing. “You’re getting old, after all.”

Spike raised an eyebrow, a smile threatening to show itself. “Well you should be careful, young’un,” he said, holstering his gun and changing his stance, keeping his claws open. “Don’t want your elders to show you up, now, do we?”

The alicorn smiled. “Like you could.”

The two slammed together, rocking the room as an incredible power shot through the gathered ponies. They could almost feel the blows as the two fought.

And then, with a move that Silver couldn’t even see, it was over.

Spike stood, his foot pinning the alicorn’s forehooves to her back.

She struggled, and pushed, trying to free herself.

Finally, she sighed. “You win.”

“Not good enough, Squirt. You know what you gotta say.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Not a snowballs chance in Tartarus, old man.”

“Say it,” Spike said, leaning forward, and causing her legs to bend at an angle they were not meant to reach.

She grit her teeth.

“Come on,” Spike said.

She grit her teeth once more, before a strangled cry escaped her lips. “Uncle!” she cried. “Uncle, uncle!”

“And don’t you forget it,” Spike said before releasing her.

Alpha team stared on, horribly, horribly confused.

Spike looked up, before he introduced the alicorn mare. “Alpha Team, this is my niece. Princess Flurry Heart.”

The alicorn groaned. “Do you have to introduce me as your niece all the time? It makes me sound like I’m four.”

Spike looked back at her and smirked. “You are to me, dear.”

She sighed, and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Spike shook his head. “Anyways, she is the first naturally born alicorn since Luna and Celestia, Princess of the Crystal Empire, and the head of the Imperial branch of the D.S.P.I.”

Flurry Heart stood. “I go by Skyla for undercover purposes.”

“Don’t call her Skyla,” Spike said.

“Come on, Uncle Spike, I call you ‘Commander.’”

“That’s because I’m the Commander. You’re Princess Flurry. That’s that. Anyways, any questions, Alpha?”

There was a moment of silence or two before Sparky spoke up. “A-are you really her uncle?”

“Yes, yes I am,” Spike said.

“H-how does that work?”

Spike stared at him a moment, before he began to smile. “How else?” he asked, before he began to walk out of the Danger Room. “How do you think alicorns are made. It’s not just pony DNA.”

Sparky blinked, before he suddenly yelled. “That makes so much sense!”

Silver watched as Sparky ran out of the room, as though he were a researcher that had just experienced Eureka. Then he turned to the Princess. “Is Commander Spike joking, because...that...seems odd.”

Flurry Heart raised her own eyebrow, before she smiled. “He could be. But he might not…”

===ᐁ===

“So what are you doing here, Flurry?” Spike said, as he walked her down to his public office.

“What? Am I not allowed to come see my uncle?” she asked, taking the seat opposite him and kicking her hooves onto the desk.

Spike pushed them off. “My desk. Yes, you are allowed, but you don’t. There’s always a reason.”

Flurry sighed. “Alright, alright. So I have some info,” she said, before producing a crystal cylinder.

Spike looked at it, before he turned back to the alicorn. “And since when have you taken the courier jobs?”

She smiled. “Just can’t pull the wool over your eyes, huh, Uncle?” A magical aura gripped the canister, and set it on his desk. “The data’s incomplete. I’ll need to check out the Crimson Covenant to be sure, and if anyone’s going to check, it needs to be the most powerful alicorn in Equestria.”

“Oh, don’t start that again,” Spike groaned.

“Celestia got taken out by the bug Queen,” Flurry said.

“1, Changelings. 2, she severely underestimated her opponent,” Spike answered.

“Yeah, and you know what happens when you underestimate your opponent. If Celestia underestimated bug queen, then she revokes all rights to being the greatest alicorn—”

“Don’t talk about your Great Aunt that way!” Spike grunted before staring her in the eyes. “Flurry, you’re my Niece. I love you, but if you talk about my Mom like that, I will bend you over my knee.”

Flurry sighed. “I’m not sixty anymore, Uncle Spike. That’s the kinda threat that’s getting weird now.”

“Then don’t talk about her like that.”

“Fine. Point being, I figured I’d do the job. It’s been awhile since I came down here, anyway.”

Spike sighed, and grabbed the canister, before popping it open. “So, the Crimson Covenant?”

Flurry nodded. “I’ve gotten reports that their leader, or at least the puppet that’s masquerading as one, has been ranting about the ‘evil of the alicorns,’ and all that crap.”

“Yeah, but so does every other crackpot on the street. What’s your point?”

Flurry smiled. “Simple. It’s his name.”

Spike opened the scroll, giving it a quick read, before he stopped short.

“No…”

“Yes,” Flurry said, putting her hind hooves back on the desk.

Spike pushed them off again. “No, there’s no way this is right.”

“It’s what my sources say.”

Spike shook his head. “If...if this is right…”

“It changes everything,” Flurry finished.

Spike just nodded.

===ᐁ===

Silver shook his head.

“I can’t believe it’s an actual princess…” Amber whispered.

Flurry Heart was everything anyone wanted to talk about at lunch. The idea that a Princess had just shown up to help them fight the monsters of the night.

“Like, is she even allowed to do that?” Neon asked. “Like, what if she dies, does the Crystal Empire just have to deal?”

“I don’t know…” Lemon whispered back. “Why does she run the D.S.P.I. in the Crystal Empire? Why doesn’t Celestia or Luna run this one?”

“What did the Commander mean by saying ‘naturally born’ alicorn? What does that mean?”

“Do you always talk behind your guest’s back?” a voice asked, and everyone turned to see Flurry Heart glaring at them.

Alpha Team went silent.

And then she smiled. “Oh relax. My soldiers have done far, far worse,” she said, pulling up a chair, and hovering a tray with her own food over. “So to answer your question, I was born as an alicorn. My mom, and my aunt, Princesses Cadence and Twilight, both rose to alicornhood.”

“You can do that?” Silk asked.

“Kinda,” Flurry admitted. “You need to jump through some hoops, and you only get a horn or wings, or whatever. It’s not really worth it.”

“Really?” Chestnut asked.

“Yeah, I mean, you might get a bunch of magical power, but if you don’t know how to use it then what’s the point, right?” Flurry asked.

“So you need to be born with it?” Silver asked.

Flurry raised an eyebrow and smiled. “That stallion gets a gold star.”

A series of chuckles sounded around the table.

“Yeah in order to be a decent alicorn you do need to be born with it,” Flurry said. “Besides, that’s where the immortality comes from.”

“Wait, wait,” Mandible said. “When you say Twilight and Cadence, do you mean Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, alicorn of love and Princess Twilight Sparkle, bearer of the Element of Magic?”

Flurry looked the changeling up and down. “Has there ever been another Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight?”

“So that’s why they’re not around anymore!” Chestnut cried, the revelation of their death offering something that hadn’t occurred to him.

Flurry shook her head, before turning to the others. “What were the other questions?”

“What would happen to the Crystal Empire if you died?” Neon asked.

Flurry snorted. “That’s a good one. Me, die.” She gave a soft chuckle before she finally said, “there’s supposedly a plan in place if that were to happen, but it’s been a hundred and thirty years now, so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about.”

“So what are you doing here?” Silver asked.

Flurry looked up at him. “What?”

“Well, it’s not everyday you show up, so why are you here?” Silver asked.

Princess Flurry stared at him for a long moment, before she spoke, her voice a low, almost conspiratorial whisper. “We have evidence to suggest that a very dangerous pony, Dark Crystal, has founded the Crimson Covenant. While this may not seem like much, Dark is now some eighty years old, and doesn’t look a day over twenty five.”

“Is he an alicorn?” Chestnut asked.

“No, he’s a necromancer,” Flurry said, “and quite possibly the same one who attacked your headquarters.” She paused a second, and looked over the ponies. “If that’s true then, we have a very big problem.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not just any necromancer,” Flurry told him. “He could raise an army in little over a day, and if he is as old as my sources say, then there’s only one possibility.”

A heartbeat of silence passed, and when Flurry Heart spoke next, her words seemed to carry the power of hammer strikes.

“He’s a lich.”

The PA suddenly crackled to life. “Alpha Team! Report to the briefing room immediately.”

“Well,” Flurry said standing. “Let’s go see what Uncle Pipsqueak wants.”

===ᐁ===

The briefing room’s magical holo-map revealed the city of Manehatten. When Silver and the others entered, Spike and Manticore were already there, pouring over documents as Alpha Team began to pour in.

“Aunt Fluttershy!” Flurry cried, flying inside through the space between the ponies and the door. “I have been looking all over for you!”

The pegasus almost seemed to jump at her name, before her bearing changed, and she began to desperately try to hide behind her own mane. “Um...hi...Flurry Heart,” she said, her voice just barely above a whisper. “H-How are you?”

“I’m doing well,” Flurry said, landing next to the yellow pegasus vampire. “What about you?”

“I’m okay,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too, Aunt Fluttershy.”

“How many Aunts do you have?” Neon asked.

Spike cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone, we have ourselves a situation.”

“Well obviously,” Flurry said.

Spike ignored her. “We have news of some zombie activity in Manehatten.”

“Manehatten?” Silver asked. “That seems odd.”

“It gets worse,” Spike said, before a rectangular section of the holo-map began to flash red. “The Manehatten graveyard occasionally has zombie problems, and typically they flood into the nearby sewers.” The flashing red highlight then spread to a series of tunnels that ran beneath the city.

“Normally,” Spike continued, “the zombies are sparse, and the sewers themselves make taking care of them like bobbing for apple without water. On any given day, I’d just arm you with a bunch of flamethrowers, and I’d just have you cook them out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case today.”

When no one interrupted, Spike resumed. “These zombies are being led.”

“What?” Silver asked.

“Exactly what I said,” Spike told them. “With a combination of ghouls and some kind of strange zombie that I have never seen before, these guys are being directed.”

“That’s terrifying,” Neon said.

“Yes it is,” Spike agreed. “Luckily, the sewers will help us keep them in check, and they’ll have a hard time overwhelming us. Now, even with these new threats, I’m not expecting a hard fight, but you do need to know that this isn’t a run of the mill mission. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Alpha Team answered.

Spike nodded, before turning to his niece. “You want to join us Flurry?”

The Princess smiled. “You couldn’t keep me away if you tried.”

===ᐁ===

Sparky ran through the tunnels, speeding past the river of waste that ran through the sewers. He rushed past zombies and ghouls that were chasing after him, speeding along as he led the horde behind him towards his team.

All he had to do was follow the laughter.

He was getting sick of it.

Silver knew he was making the moves on Silk, he saw it, and then made his own move anyway. That wasn’t cool. That broke like, at least two rules of Bro code.

He turned the corner, coming into view of Alpha team, all of whom were armed with flamethrowers for this mission only. And there were Silk and Silver, laughing at a joke that only twisted Spark’s gut in disgust.

He ran up, scowling as he approached the line of flamethrowers. “Here they come.”

“Alright,” Silver said, still smiling even though his voice went serious, “you heard the stallion, get ready to open fire!”

The zombies came, charging through the tunnels. At their head came the ghouls, who yelped in fear at the sign of the flames, along with the glowing green “Leaders” that the rest of the horde followed.

The flamethrowers roared, drowning out any other noise as the water at the zombie’s feet bubbled and steamed, and flesh crackled. Between the stone and the flame, the zombies were cooked.

But Sparky didn’t really care.

He just stared at Silver’s back.

Wide.

Open.

Defenseless.

“So the where’s the Princess?” Sparky asked, after the flamethrowers died down to the fierce glowing of their pilot flames.

“She and Manticore took the east tunnel,” Silver answered. “They said they had some catching up to do.”

Sparky nodded. So the Chaperones were nowhere to be seen.

It wouldn’t take much.

Just a tiny cut from his obsidian knife.

That would be all it would take.

But not yet.

Not here.

Not with his friends next to him.

Besides, there was always another day.

===ᐁ===

It took three hours to clean out the sewers, but Silver, Spike, and Flurry Heart were all happy with the time.

Of course, Flurry and Spike both saw something else in the attack.

“These Leaders aren’t normal,” Flurry said as she stood in his office.

“Really? I didn’t notice,” Spike muttered, sarcastically.

“My point is, this reeks of necromancy, powerful necromancy.”

“So it does,” the dragon admitted. “What’s your point?”

“My point is this is Dark’s MO. This is exactly what I’d expect of him.”

“I agree,” Spike said, “but I’m not going to take my eyes off the others until I know for sure.”

“Then you’re wasting our time,” Flurry grunted. “We could have already found the Crimson Covenant by now if we weren’t sitting on our hooves.”

A knock sounded on Spike’s door, and the dragon yelled. “Come in.”

Velvet Storm strode in, her pace a brisk walk as she carried in a set of papers. “We’ve found them, sir.”

Spike smiled, and turned to his niece. “I guess we can get off our hooves now, huh?”

Flurry gave a smirk, and nodded. “It’s about time.”

Project Firebrand

Alpha and Gamma were both taking some well-deserved time off. Both of them had been working hard to find any signs of the Crimson Covenant, and had mostly come up with nothing. Instead, the only thing they had come up with was the time Gamma ran into a lycan that was breaking parole and had to be restrained until Commander Spike could wade through that flood of paperwork.

The dragon shook his head. “Why'd you make it so tough on yourself, Cinnamon?” he muttered.

Cinnamon Toast was a nice pony by all accounts, ran a bakery in Northern Appleloosa. The now-bustling city enjoyed his cinnamon rolls, and he had no small number of friends there. The only issue is that he becomes a half-pony, half-coyote every month.

Cinnamon was doing his best, to be fair, he took the proper precautions, sealed himself in the proper vault with the timed door provided to him by Department’s Lycan Aid Program, but it seemed the coyote in him was a little too smart for the door.

Honestly, it was definitely one of the most interesting cases Spike had seen. He had seen a tiger, a bear, a boar, but never a coyote before. He and the eggheads in R&D still weren’t sure if the coyote was the background magic of the desert environment working on his lycanthropy, or if he was bitten by a very rare lycan and he was likewise a rare breed. Regardless, Cinnamon, who was already a smart pony, had become the most devious patient the Department had.

The poor guy was nearly impossible to hold now, but took a bit too much confidence from the weakened bloodlust, and refused to move away from his bakery. Now, he seemed to be paying for it. So far there hadn’t been any casualties, but Spike was beginning to wonder if he shouldn’t be moved to a more secure location.

His pen hovered over the check box, the one that could end Cinnamon’s normal life.

He didn’t want to. He really didn’t, but if Cinnamon didn’t start finding a way to keep that door locked, then he was going to be some serious trouble.

He sighed. “One more time, Cinnamon. That’s it.”

A knock sounded on his door, and Spike looked up to see Velvet Storm enter the office. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“The Bio program is ready.”

Spike nodded, before he signed the papers in front of him. “It’s about time, call in Alpha and Gamma. They’re going to have time off anyway.”

“Yes, sir.”

===ᐁ===

Alpha and Gamma Team were in the common room in fifteen minutes, standing at attention as they waited for the Commander to arrive.

Silver, as team leader, stood two steps ahead of Alpha, while Chrome Shift, the unicorn in charge of Gamma, stood next to him. Both teams were both the perfect picture of discipline, and Spike approved as he approached.

“Looking good, ponies. You just might make some decent soldiers yet.”

They continued to stand at attention.

“At ease,” Spike ordered, before he spoke again. “As some of you may or may not know, after the attack on our headquarters here, we were given permission by the Princess to activate some of our more experimental programs. Among these is what we’re calling ‘Project Firebrand’ where we have decided to fight Fire with Fire.

“If that sounds like a bunch of poetic garbage to you, then there might be some hope for you,” Spike joked. “Project Firebrand has been thoroughly tested, so it is theoretically sound, however, Celestia did have some misgivings, and so wants me to make this perfectly clear to all of you before I accept volunteers.

“What Project Firebrand hopes to achieve is the creation of more powerful soldiers through the use of DNA modification. As an example, if we were take the muscle density genes in a manticore, then you become stronger, and faster than you can possibly be, without becoming a massive monstrosity that makes Chestnut here look like filly in kindergarten,” Spike said, motioning to Alpha Team’s heavy.

Chestnut smiled.

“We have a few options to choose from, all gene sequences that we’ve isolated from various sources, including that of some of our enemies. They range anywhere from eyesight improvement, to the ability to transform into a bigger, badder you,” Spike told them, before he frowned. “Now there are a few problems. First and foremost is the time it’ll take for your original genetic material to flush out so that the new stuff can take over. The lifespan of cells ranges anywhere from four months to a year for blood, a little over a month for skin, to 25 to 35 years for bones, while brain cells last a lifetime.

“We do have a solution, however, it will cut the time down, but it will still take a few months to get the transformation complete. There’s also the possibility of cancer, which is bound to happen when you mess with genetic code. And then the other problem that this program creates is that you will be rendered sterile. Personally, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, since the chances that you guys are going to live long enough to actually have foals are pretty low, but, It’s another one of those things that you need to know.”

The ponies nodded.

“Now, I have some flyers with all the options and side effects, so you can read them over and make the informed decision that Celestia wants. If you agree, the whole team gets time off until you recover, so try and get a couple of you to join the program and be efficient with the department’s time. You have until the end of the week to make the decision. You’re dismissed, take a flyer on the way out.”

===ᐁ===

Silver re-read the flyer, not entirely sure if it was real or not.

It wasn’t that he thought the program was fake or anything, but the cartoonish type in bright yellow colors that read like some kind of early-TV advertisement that made him wonder.

“Amaze your friends as you turn invisible before their very eyes!*

See for miles with improved vision!

Face your enemies with newfound bravery with armored skin!

Talk to your Commander about Project Firebrand today!

*not actual invisibility.”

He shook his head.

As for the actual program, it sounded fairly useful. The subdermal armor sounded useful, as did the internal camo option, but Silver was still on the fence about the whole infertility thing. Now, yes, chances were his little swimmers weren’t going to be put to use anytime soon, and as far as vasectomies go this was probably the least painful.

Of course, there was also the “heightened risk of cancer,” that the Commander mentioned in passing.

“Have you decided?” Silk asked as she sat next to him for lunch.

Silver looked up at her, before he returned to his untouched meal. “Um...not really...I’m kinda on the fence about it. I mean, there is the whole cancer thing, not to mention the other side effects,” he said, referring to the long list of things that could happen to a gene-altered pony.

Loss of sense of touch was pretty high up there, and linked directly to the subdermal armor that was oh-so-tempting. Becoming far-sighted was listed next to the eye improvements. And of course, was all the cancers.

It was somewhat off-putting, if he had to admit.

“What about you?” Silver asked.

“Well,” she began. “I’m probably going to do it.”

“Yeah?” Silver asked.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story, but...well...I’m not going to lose anything if I go in,” she said, before she turned away.

“Oh…” Silver said blinking.

“It’s a birth defect,” she muttered. “It’s not…There isn’t some tragic backstory, I just...I just pulled the genetic short straw, okay?”

“No, no, I understand,” Silver said quickly, trying his best to be delicate. “I...just...never would have guessed is all…”

She nodded, and went back to her food.

Silver hoped he missed a landmine before he quickly tried to change the subject. “So...what are you thinking about getting?”

“Probably the vision enhancement,” she said. “The better I can aim, the better shots I can make. The better shots, the better I can keep you boneheads alive,” she added with a smile, as eager to change the topic as he was.

“Anything else?” Silver asked. “Cause, personally, the subdermal armor sounds awesome. Can you imagine taking a flintlock round to the face and just walking that off?”

“Yeah, but I don’t get shot at as much as you,” she told him. “Armor is much less important for me. But, the idea of the internal camouflage would certainly help.”

“That I can see,” Silver said. “Although I suppose the point is that I can’t. But the medicated bone marrow idea does have me intrigued.”

“What are you lovebirds up to?” a voice said, and they both looked up to see Mandible, staring at them with an eyebrow raised.

Silver blushed. “Excuse me?”

“You look like you're picking your dream house. What are you working on?”

“We’re talking,” Silk began, her voice sounding more than a little annoyed, “about this Project Firebrand, and the possible options we can take with it.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking about the medicated bone marrow and the subdermal armor,” Silver said. “It should help me stay alive.”

“And I’m thinking about the internal camouflage and the vision enhancements,” Silk stated.

“What about you,” Silver asked the changeling, “anything stand out to you?”

“No,” he answered.

“Why not?”

Mandible stared at the two of them with a deadpan glare. And then his skin erupted into emerald flame. “I wonder why?” the now-pegasus answered, before he changed back. “I have all the tools I need. If you need more to do your job better that’s your problem.”

“You’re all heart, Mandible,” Silver said.

“No, that’s what I eat, not what I am,” Mandible said.

“Unless you are what you eat,” Silk replied.

“Cute.”

===ᐁ===

“So, you’re the Alpha volunteers?” Spike asked as he looked the three ponies over.

Silver nodded.

He was kind of surprised to see Sparky here. He hadn’t heard anything about the program from Sparky, and could have sworn that he had basically no interest in the idea, but nonetheless, he was here, in line.

“Alright, then, just go ahead and tell me what you want, and we’ll get you set up,” Spike said.

“What? No waiver?” Silver asked.

Spike snorted. “As far as the world outside’s concerned, you’re already dead. You’d have to find a court that’ll take a dead stallion’s case, first. Let me know how that goes.”

“Good to know,” Silk answered.

“You’ll be fine,” Spike said, as he grabbed a clipboard. “Alright, Silver, what do you want?”

“I’ll have the medicated bone marrow and the subdermal armor, sir,” Silver answered.

“The stay alive pack,” Spike nodded. “Alright. Silk.”

“Internal camouflage and vision enhancements,” she told him.

“Good, good, better to hide, and better to shoot. Spark?”

“Internal camo and dense muscles.” He answered.

“An odd combination, but that’s what field tests are for,” Spike said, before he led them away to a new room where eight massive glass tubes waited for them. “So, here’s how this is going to work. You are going to be placed in one of these tubes, you will then have an anesthetic applied to you so that you don’t feel the six dozen needles that will inject your cells with the enzyme that will replace various sections of your DNA.

“After that, we’ll fill the tube with a solution that’ll promote cell growth, and the dying cells will be replaced with new cells with this new DNA. While we wait for that, we keep you asleep, and keep you fed on an IV, and monitor you to make sure you don’t become a horribly mutated mess. Any questions?”

“The chances of the horribly mutated mess?” Silver asked.

“Well, the enzymes are magically guided, but it's hard to direct anything at that size. But our tests came out with a 98% chance of success, so…”

“Uh…”

“You’ll probably be fine,” Spike said, before directed them back to the tubes. “Pick a tube, it’ll be your home for a month, so choose wisely.”

“Well,” Silver whispered to Silk, “that explains the cleansing he made us go through…”

She looked back at him, unamused.

Well, you have to strike out eventually…

They each picked a tube, and mentally prepared themselves, as IV drips were inserted into their legs, and breathing tubes were attached around their faces. They lay down in the back of the angled tubes, their backs against the cold glass, before one of the nurses came around with a needle, and carefully injected them with the magically-activated anesthetic.

“Sleep well, guys,” Spike said as he watched the tubes close and the ponies fall unconscious. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

===ᐁ===

Weeks went by.

Spike paced down the room, back and forth, as the clear, green liquid held the five ponies aloft in their tubes.

Only two ponies from Gamma decided to join Project Firebrand, but that was fine by Spike. The only major issue was all the work Phi was now stuck with.

Back up the room, checking clipboards, data points, and monitors as he watched the ponies’ vital signs.

All signs were clear. No unforeseen mutations. Everything was fine.

He checked his clipboards again.

“You’re caring again.” A voice in the back of his head whispered.

Of course he cared. This was a seven million bit investment, the culmination of fifteen years of research. This might even be the key to getting soldiers to retire without leaving in a coffin.

“No, you are caring about the ponies.”

Spike double checked a print out of the latest data set.

“You know what happens when you care about your ponies.”

Of course he knew. You don't live for more than two hundred years and not learn that ponies die. No matter what you do, and how much you love them, they are going to roll over and croak.

“They’ll be lucky if that's all that happens.”

This was also technically true. He had watched friends beg for death before the end, weeping as their dreams were ripped away before their eyes.

“So why care? Why do you keep doing thisto yourself, Spike? It'll only end in pain.”

It will. He knew it would.

“How long, then? How long until the Department has the new Silver Dust rifle? Or the Silk Star jet pack?”

He paused to look up at the five ponies, all floating in the green fluid that was slowly changing them into something new.

They reminded him of Her.

Appearing so blissful, yet trapped in a crystalline prison. Silently sleeping as the world moved on without them.

Silver bobbed in the solution.

Well, it's probably the ponies’ fault that he cares too much. The whole species was too dang charismatic for their own good.

===ᐁ===

Silver slowly became aware of the strangest sensation. There was a strange pressure on him, and yet despite that, he felt like he was floating.

A second later he became aware of the fact that he had just now made a conscious thought.

He slowly cracked open an eye, only to slam it shut as a liquid flooded into his eye and burned the whole way.

That really woke him up.

He grunted and rubbed his eyes with his fetlocks, swirling in the thick fluid that surrounded him. He tried to open his eyes again, this time, ready for the burning, and was only met with a blurry view of his own reflection.

He reached out and pushed, feeling cold glass at his hooves and back as he pressed against the tube.

He was starving.

The realization hit him like a sack of bricks, and his stomach roared in hunger.

He tapped the glass, just to try and communicate with the world outside his tube.

He felt the liquid shake as a tap sounded back.

And then he felt the suction. He felt his tail being gently pulled downward, and watched as the top of the tube began to fill with air. His head broke the surface, and he could see out of the glass.

Spike stared back at him from the outside, and waved.

The tube emptied shortly, and it popped open to let the ponies of alpha team slide out. The Department’s nurses moved quickly, removing breathing tubes and IVs to free the ponies.

“Good morning, ponies. Did ya have a nice nap?” Spike asked.

Silk sat up, and blinked as she looked around. “Oh...wow…” she muttered.

“What do you see, Silk?” Spike asked.

“The...colors...they’re...wow…”

Spike smirked. “Well, you and Sparky here will both be receiving some training over the next month so you can stretch your new muscles. For now, though, why don’t the three of you go eat. It’s been a month, and an IV can only do so much.”

===ᐁ===

“So…” Chestnut began as he watched the three returned ponies. “How was the gene manipulation?”

Silver, Silk, and Sparky didn’t answer.

They were too busy shoving food into their mouths as fast as possible. Any decorum they even pretended to have was out the window as they ate plate after plate after plate of food. Fruit, vegetables, grains, anything and everything that could fit into their mouths went down the hatch.

The team waited for answer.

They got none.

And Spike just smiled and shook his head as he watched. “Crazy kids,” he muttered. “Heh, listen to me, I’m sounding like an old man.”

“Vell you are one, Kommandant Shpike,” Butter said as she walked up next to him.

“I don’t remember asking for that opinion.”

“No, but you did ask for zee report. Zee sholdiers of zee Crystal Empire have been performing vell. Zere are no signs of any Covenant acktivity, but zey are keeping zeir eyes open.”

“Good,” Spike said. “Phi will be happy for the break.”

Butter Streusel and Spike both stared out over the cafeteria, as their soldiers ate their last month’s worth of rations in one go.

“I hope they do well,” Spike said.

“I hope so too, Herr Shpike."

Operation Patient Serpent

“Alright ponies!” Sweetie Belle said as the DASH-1 opened its cargo door. “We get in, clear the building, get out! Those are our orders, so let’s put some Covenant down!”

The DASH-1 hovered over the Las Pegasus skyscraper, and the squad quickly dropped to the roof. Silver landed hard, and raised his pneumatic crossbow to check the rooftop. “Sniper, what’s below us?”

Silk was exactly 453 yards away, on a different rooftop, her longrifle and new eyes scanning the floor below them. “I’m not seeing anything directly below from this side, but I do see a target one floor beneath that.”

“Okay, keep him in your sights, but do not engage until we have.”

“I know, I know,” she said, “-this isn’t my first rodeo.”

“Hey, Assault,” Lemon said as she loaded her flash cocktails, “Quit talking to your marefriend and get ready.”

“She’s not—I-it’s not like that!” Silver said, realizing that he was perhaps louder than he needed to be.

Also probably blushing.

“Oh, come on,” Neon said, pulling his mic away to talk without being heard by the mare herself. “We all know you joined Project Firebrand as her emotional support.”

“Enough chatter!” Sweetie said, hovering above them. “We’re moving in. Scout, Agent, take the stairs, I’ll go straight down and report back with what I see. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Silver said. “You heard the mare, Scout, move out.”

Sparky nodded, before his internal camo transformed him. His skin and fur rippled and shifted as the melanin in his skin was being altered by a new enzyme, and before their very eyes, he disappeared.

Not completely, you understand, but enough. A shimmer in the air was all the gathered ponies could see as Sparky made his way to the door, and slipped inside, down the roof-access stairs.

Mandible was better hidden, his mirror cloak making him completely invisible to the naked eye. Sparky was certainly good, but Mandible was better.

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Alright, if I’m not back in 5, something happened.” She said before she disappeared into the floor.

“Alright, like we trained, we wait for Scout or Agent’s clear signal and we move to the next floor. On his not clear signal, we wait for a regroup, and clear it room by room, secure the stairs to the next floor, and either hope that they don’t notice, or that they come to us so we can mow them down.”

“We get it!” Neon said. “We’ve done this for a month!”

“We cleared rooms a month,” Silver corrected. “A refresher on the process leading up to that won’t hurt.”

Las Pegasus was alive, even during the night. The bright, yellow bridges that allowed the earth-borne races to walk the cloud streets were filled with unicorns and pegasi eager to spend their bits at tables and shows. In a place that thrived on money so much, he was hardly surprised that the Covenant could buy the use of a few floors.

Of course, they were idiots, because the love of money does not mean you want to see the end of the world.

So a little bird came by Spike’s ear and sang him a pretty song of a bunch of ponies that were painting runes on the floor in the top four floors of the Royal Rose Casino.

The entire team suddenly heard a pair of clicks on the radio, the sound of a mic being tapped gently by a hoof. The first floor was clear. “Let’s move,” Silver said, leveling his crossbow at the stairs.

They moved slowly, coming down the stairs carefully so they didn’t make too much noise, they couldn’t count on the crowds or the slots to mask them so high up.

They fanned out into the floor, taking the halls at practiced points, double checking Sparky and Mandible’s work as they went. The first floor was clear.

Just as they finished, another tap was heard over the radio. One tap. The next floor was not clear.

Silver led the others back to the stairwell and waited for the scout and agent to regroup with them.

It took a few, long minutes, before Sparky arrived, and another long minute after that before Mandible showed up. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, raising his blood-drenched obsidian knife along with a new, ruby one. “There was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

“You’re supposed to wait, not give us away, Agent!” Silver hissed.

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine, I’m a professional,” he said. “Sniper can back me up on that, right?”

“I’m not seeing any activity,” Silk confirmed. “Just let me know when you’re in position and I’ll open fire.”

Silver sighed. “Alright, we move up, like we practiced.”

They began to move, with Chestnut immediately breaking away to secure the stairs from the floor below while the rest began to move out. They divided into two small fireteams of no more than three: Silver with Neon and Mandible, and Sparky with Amber and Lemon. Both took a corridor, and began to make their way down between the faux walls that had been set up as dividers for who knows what.

They slid forward, the agent and scout both leading each team.

“Scout,” Silk whispered into the radio mic, “You’re closing in on the first target, on the left. Once you make contact, I’ll take him out. Focus on any other contacts, don’t worry about the left.”

Three taps to the mic was all she needed for an answer.

From 453 yards away, through her 20x scope, Silk watched as the thermal signatures of the scout fireteam moved closer and closer to the lone covenant pony. She didn’t need the scope to see that, of course. She could make this shot with the iron sights now, but the scope was already keyed in, so she didn’t see a need to change it.

Besides, old habits die hard.

Sparky was closing the distance fast. He was going to hit the cultist in seconds, and the manure would officially hit the fan. She took a deep breath, and lined up her sights. This wasn’t a hard shot for her under normal circumstances, but with her eyes it was now as simple as a 5 yard shot. Still, she had to make sure it would take him down. None of this, ‘missed his heart by an inch’ stuff, this had to put the pony down.

Three seconds to contact.

Breath in.

Two seconds.

Breath out.

One.

A scorching beam of heat flew across the Las Pegasus sky, a red-hot shot that hit the window, passed through, and vaporized the cultist’s head before he even knew what was happening.

That was it.

Contact was made.

===ᐁ===

Silver and Neon both slammed into a room, sweeping their crossbows across it’s whole space with practiced precision while Mandible held the hallway. “Clear!” Silver yelled, before taking the lead, as Covenant cultists began to fill the hallways.

Thermal Shot rounds hissed through the window, setting the dividers on fire as Silk picked her targets.

The heavy, staccato thud of Chestnut’s mini cannon roared from the stairway, mowing down ponies as they tried to climb.

A pair of ponies moved into the hallway, scared out of their minds, and they both went down like sacks of potatoes. Another room to the right, and they slammed into it hard. Two bolts hit the ponies against the burning far wall, and a scorching ray shot through it like it was tissue paper. The sprinklers turned on, dousing everyone in water as the firefight continued.

Far below, an alarm sounded, and panicked screams filled the air.

Silver broke out, turning back down the hallway as another pony stood, flintlock pistol out and shaking.

Silver made it quick.

It sickened him to see what this covenant did to these ponies. Militarized and zealous beyond doubt and fear, they attacked and would stop either until they’re dead, or the ponies they’re shooting at were.

He slammed open another door, and was met with a flash of light.

“Assault!” Neon yelled as he filled the pony that just shot Silver in the face with bolts.

“Assault?” Silk’s voice called over the radio, worry filling her voice.

“Ow,” Silver said. “That’s going to be a headache tomorrow.”

“Hey, you’re not dead,” Mandible said, using his magic to pick the unicorn up, “that’s more than what most ponies can say after being shot point-blank.”

A sigh came over the radio from Silk’s side, before she spoke up. “Um, guys? I just saw a massive thermal signature appear on the fourth floor down.”

“It appeared?” Silver asked.

“Out of nowhere,” she confirmed.

A head suddenly appeared through the floor. “There you are!”

“What’s the news, Siren?” Silver asked.

“We have some friends coming up from a few floors down, we’re going to go home soon at this rate.”

“Friends?”

“You’ll see!” she said, before she floated away towards the stairs.

“We’re clear!” Sparky yelled from the other side of the burning dividers.

“We clear down here,” Silver yelled back.

“Uh...boss?” Chestnut said through the radio. “We, uh...you might want to see this.”

“I’m coming,” Silver said, nursing his head.

The team began to gather, getting ready for the next floor. All the way until they got to the stair case.

And then they stopped.

And they stared.

“What are you looking at?” A deep, growling voice emanated from the taller, red dragon at the landing.

Any answer that Silver and the others could have given him was then cut off by the smaller, teal one with a strange cane. “Garble, be polite.” She said, before turning to the ponies and smiling. “Hello there, allow me to introduce myself, I am Dragon Lord Ember, and this is my bodyguard, Garble.”

“Why are we going to ask for their help? They’re just a bunch of lousy ponies,” Garble muttered.

“Garble,” she said, chidingly. “Apologize.”

“Oh, come on!” He whined.

“Hug that pony and apologize,” she ordered, as she pointed to Silver.

Garble groaned, and climbed the stairs before he grabbed Silver, hoisted him in the air, and squeezed him. “I’m sorry and I hate you.”

“Garble…” Ember chided again.

The red dragon mumbled before dropping Silver.

“So Ember,” Sweetie Belle said as she floated past. “What brings you here?”

Ember smiled. “I want to talk to Spike.”

===ᐁ===

“What are you doing here, Ember?” Spike asked.

“I came to talk to you.” she said innocently as she twirled the Bloodstone Scepter.

“So you’ve said,” Spike noted. “But why?”

“What? I can’t come and help my Dragon Lord?” she asked.

Spike groaned, as if he head been waiting and dreading this very conversation. “I’m not the Dragon Lord, Ember, you are.”

The Scepter stopped spinning. “And yet we both know that you were the one gifted with the knowledge, secrets, and inner flame to rule them. I didn’t get those.”

“They aren’t that important, Ember,” Spike told her repeating his point from a hundred previous conversations.

She gave a snort, and a cloud of smoke began to fill his office. “Either way, I’ve decided I’d come by and see how you were doing. Shoot the breeze, and all that other crazy pony stuff.”

“Fine,” Spike grunted. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, I heard that you were dealing with some crazier ponies than usual, and it just so happens that we have some nutjobs down in the dragon lands that need taking care of.”

Spike sighed. “Ember, I’m not an asylum service.”

"I should hope not," she retorted, with a grim smirk. "We're looking for more of a 'dead pony removal service' than anything."

“Ember, look, it’s—”

“They’ve gotten dragons on their side, Spike,” Ember said. “I can’t give them orders.”

Silence fell over the office as the two dragons stared at each other.

“I need the real Dragon Lord, Spike.”

“That’s not me,” Spike said.

“You can’t keep running from this Spike.”

“I’m not running,” Spike growled.

“You are the real Dragon Lord, Spike. You can’t ignore that. You are the best Dragon Lord we could possibly have, and you are running from it. The dragons need you.”

“My family needs me,” Spike growled again.

“Family? You’re talking about your girlfriend under glass. She’s not family, she’s—”

“Leave. Her. Out of this,” the Commander ordered.

Ember felt her lips shut, and her throat tightened anytime she even thought about the mare.

“Th-th—” she hissed, trying to speak. “The-they’re holding you back,” she finally said, her vocal chords loosening once she said “holding.”

“They need me, Ember. I’ve told you this a hundred times. I cannot leave them. I will not abandon the country my family fought for.”

Ember snorted again. “I know…” she muttered angrily. “It’s just not fair that you’re going to let us fall apart when you’re the best Dragon Lord we can ask for.”

There was a long second of silence, and Spike sighed.

“Ember,” Spike began, “I made you the Dragon Lord because no one would listen to some runt that grew up with ponies, even if they had to. You listen, and that makes you the best Dragon Lord in history.”

===ᐁ===

Silver worked quickly and quietly, cleaning his pneumatic crossbow and checking the o-rings as he set his kit down in the corner of his room.

He’d just make sure that everything was as it should be before hitting the hay, and then it would be up at the usual time for yet more missions and training.

His door suddenly slammed open, and he jumped a full foot into the air, before he turned to see Silk standing in the doorway. “What’s this about me not being your marefriend?”

And just like that, Silver was in more danger than any of his previous missions to date.

“Uh…” he began.

“What is this about me not being your marefriend?” she repeated.

“I...um…”

She stepped into the room, slamming the door shut behind her and closing the distance. “Yes?” she asked.

“I...wasn’t sure if you wanted to move that fast?” he said, speaking slowly enough that he could test each word as he said it.

“And what makes you think I didn’t?” she asked, angrily.

“Um. I just didn't understand your intentions?” he offered, before he felt Silk’s lips press against his.

She pulled back, smiling with half-lidded eyes. “Have I made my intentions clear now?”

“Yup,” nodding stupidly.

“Good,” she said, before kissing him again, “and who am I?”

“My marefriend.”

“Correct answer,” she said, before she pulled him into a long embrace.

===ᐁ===

Garble was bored.

Why did the runt have to like ponies so much?

Why did the Boss like the runt so much?

Like, honestly, if he could get rid of the runt, all his problems would disappear. The Boss would stop all the sighing and whining she does when she thinks no one is listening. She would cut out this whole “talk and listen to each other” stuff she’s been pushing; and get back to some good, old fashioned “fight for what’s yours” negotiation.

He wandered around the runt’s little pony cave, so bored he couldn’t even sleep in the little guest bedroom that was offered to him and the Boss.

Besides, he had to go around and point out how stupid all this pony stuff was.

Like that empty room there, with the white tiles and the bright yellow line that said not to cross. First of all, why have an empty room? You could use that to store junk at least, but no, it just sat there empty. And then there was the line. Why have a room and not allow anybody to use most of it? That’s stupid.

Yup the whole thing was stupid. Stupid ponies.

You know what another stupid thing the ponies had? That stupid noise that kept ringing through the complex.

Garble, as bored as he was, figured he might as well spend time finding the source of the noise, if for no other reason than to point out how stupid it was to someone later.

He kept wandering, looking into the scorched rooms when he finally found Spike. He stood at a bench, with a variety of stupid pony weapons around him, and was taking aim at a bunch of targets at the far end of a long room.

“What are you doing up?” Spike asked without turning to face him.

Garble frowned. “I’m bored, and I can’t sleep in your stupid little pony beds.”

Spike gave a grunt as a response, before picking up a pneumatic crossbow. He didn’t say a word as he fired the silver-tipped, yew wood bolts ll down range, and hit the pony-sized target with ease.

“So why are you up, Runt?” Garble asked, so bored he decided he might as well ridicule the little dragon.

“I don’t sleep much,” Spike answered, before he emptied the crossbow and traded it for a small, hand-sized pistol that shot needles of hard magic.

Garble blinked.

That...that almost sounded cool.

We can’t have the runt being cool.

That’s just...not cool.

He needed something that he could pull, something that would make the runt show his true colors.

“So, are you and your pony friends going to come? Or did the Boss come all this way for nothing?”

“No,” Spike said.

“You’re not coming? Figures. I guess you’re too much of a coward to—”

“They’re not coming, it’s just going to be me,” Spike said, setting the handgun aside to pick up a TS longrifle. “My team may be able to take on one dragon. More than that, and it’ll be a bloodbath.”

Dang it…

Uh…

“Heh, whatever,” Garble mumbled, trying to play it off. “Look, if you’re playing it cool to impress the Boss, you can go ahead and drop it. She’s taken.”

Spike blinked, but did not stop firing as another scorching shot dug through the target. “Really? That’s news to me.”

“Yeah, she and I—”

Spike chuckled. “No.”

Garble paused. “What?”

“You are not her type,” Spike said.

“And how do you know what her type is?” Garble asked.

“How do you think?” Spike responded.

Garble’s eye twitched. “Listen, Runt.”

“No, you listen, Garble,” Spike said as he set the rifle down. “You’ve seemed to mistake me for someone that cares about your little crawl to alphadom. I don’t care. I’ve spent the last two hundred years fighting things faster than you, stronger than you, and most certainly smarter than you. You, and your pathetic little attempts to prove to anyone that you matter, mean nothing to me, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can move onto more important things.”

Garble blinked and snarled. “Shut up, Runt. You don’t get to tell me—”

Garble moved, his claw coming down on the smaller, purple dragon in a vicious strike. And then, the next thing he knew, he was on his back. By the time the red dragon blinked, he could just barely see Spike through the purple dragon’s back claws as he pinned him to the ground.

He couldn’t move. His head was stuck beneath Spike’s foot, and his arm was twisted awkwardly behind his back.

“Wow…” Spike said, so unimpressed that a computer has more emotion in its tone, “You’re not... even stronger than me.”

Garble tried, until he felt his wrist begin to bend at a threatening angle.

“Don’t. I don't want to explain to your boss that you fell down a flight of stairs and broke your wrist. Just listen, and maybe try to comprehend what I’m going to say if it doesn’t burn your brain out. I don’t care about what you do, just leave me out of it. Got it?”

And then Spike released the dragon and left, taking a rifle, and his number one assistant with him.

===ᐁ===

Silver slowly woke from his sleep.

The habit of waking early, that had been drilled into him as a Royal Guard just wasn’t going to give up easily, it seemed.

He shifted, and a moment later, Silk shifted beside him, still snoring away.

Yes, all things considering, she had defined their relationship rather well. Now all he had to do was let the Commander know.

Honestly, he was not looking forward to it. Chances were one of them was going to be switched out from someone in another team. That’s what the Royal Guard would do. No fraternization! Focus on your job!

Still, the chances of hiding a relationship like this were very, very small. It would not go over well if Spike were to found out—

His door slammed open. Silk woke up screaming, before literally trying to blend into the wall as her internal camouflage activated. Silver fell out of his cot, and blinked, bewildered and blinded as light flooded his room.

“Morning, Silk,” Spike said, before turning back to Silver. “Silver, if we’re under attack, you’re leading the defense until I get back.”

“Sir?” Silver asked, still wondering what was going on.

“I’m heading to the dragon lands. You’re leading the defense until I get back. Do I need to repeat myself again?”

“N-no, sir.”

“Good. You two have fun,” Spike said.

“You’re...not mad about it?” Silver asked, confused.

“Why would I be?” Spike asked. “You’re shooting blanks, she couldn’t use them even if they weren’t, and you're both probably going to die anyway.” Spike said, turning away and walking down the hall as he carried a TS Longrifle and a pneumatic crossbow on his back.

“Heck,” he whispered, “Maybe having someone watching your back just might save you one day.”

Operation First Smoke

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.”—Plato

===[ᐁ]===

Spike navigated the small air over the Celestial Sea, flying straight East from the San Palomino Desert.

The DASH-1, while arguably the more suitable craft for such a long voyage, was too big for the Commander's liking. It would gather too much attention, and did not have the maneuverability to take a dragon in a dog fight. So, instead, they flew a much smaller ship, the SCOOT.

He still needed to come up with a decent phrase to work for the acronym.

The SCOOT was not shaped like conventional airships, it bore no envelope, and had no deck. Instead, the body was shaped like a teardrop, with wings spreading from each side. Beneath the wings, there were ballast balloons and other mechanism to control altitude, and a smaller version of the DASH’s engine sat behind the bulbous cockpit.

Garble and Ember sat behind him in the small room-like cockpit, the former fast asleep while Ember sat nervously on her own chair. She glanced about, mindlessly picking at the giant bloodstone for which her scepter was named.

“Not much longer,” Spike assured her. “The Dragonlands are another forty minutes out.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Ember muttered quietly.

“Don't thank me yet,” he answered. “There's too much work to do and not enough time.”

She gave a small smile. “I understand that one.”

Spike smiled before he spun his pilot’s chair around, and walked to the back of the cockpit to the lockers that were built into the right wall. Opening it, he pulled out the longrifle and the pneumatic crossbow he packed and held them up to her. “Do you want the one that shoots super hot lasers from very far away, or the one that shoots crossbow bolts from a much shorter distance?”

She blinked, before a smile grew on her lips. “You sure know how to treat a girl,” she said before she looked between the two. “Um…ooh this is a tough choice…” she said.

Spike smirked.

“Lasers are cool…” she began, “but it's not really dragon-like to stay behind…”

Spike just smiled.

She growled at him. “Don't look at me like that! It's a tough choice!”

Spike nodded. “I know, I know.”

She reached out, first the rifle, then the crossbow, back and forth, back and forth, before finally taking the crossbow.

“No take backs,” Spike told her, before he shoved the rifle at Garble.

“Ah! What? I—”

“This is mine,” Spike growled. “You are borrowing it so that you don't hold us back, got it?”

Garble snorted. “Yeah, right, Runt.”

Spike ignored the jab and returned to the controls as the great volcano known simply as Dragon’s Lair began to peek over the horizon.

“We're closing in. Get ready, things are only going to get harder from here on out.”

===[ᐁ]===

The SCOOT hovered over the rough, volcanic rock and ash, before vertically landing in a small crater. It’s landing gear hissed as it hit the dirt, and the wings folded up to save on space as a the door to the small craft swung down.

The three dragons quickly made their way out, and they began to move, Ember leading the way down the mountainside to the den where the Covenant and the traitor dragons were last seen.

Ember had shared what she could about the situation. A handful of dragons, all from the previous generation turned against her and formed an alliance or pact of some kind with the Covenant ponies that were here.

She still didn’t know why the Covenant was here, although one attempt was made on her life. She kept it quiet, but the fact remained that someone wanted her dead.

Spike leapt over a resting boulder, and hit the ash on the other side, pistol raised, covering the cave opening behind him. “It’s clear,” he said.

“No duh,” Garble grunted.

Spike ignored him. “This is the cave?” Spike asked.

“Yep,” She confirmed.

“Arlight, marching order,” Spike said, “Ember you know where we’re going, you lead. I’ll watch your back. Garble, you have the Longrifle, so you’re in the back. Once we make contact with the enemy, you’ll stay back and hit them from a distance.”

“Who made you the boss?” Garble asked.

“I did,” Ember answered.

If Garble had an answer to that, he kept it to himself.

“Alright, let’s move,” Spike said, before they descended into one of the thousand volcanic vents that pockmarked the great volcano.

The vent was large, carved into a proper cave by giant, draconic claws, but still as smooth as obsidian. There was a great magic that had gone into that. Water was needed to turn lava into volcanic glass, but there was no sign of it here. Even then, it seemed the whole cave was carved from a single piece of obsidian, without a sign of pumice or basalt anywhere.

Ember slid down the volcanic glass, while Spike and Garble followed. It provided very little footholds and nearly no way to move down the vent without falling over.

It would take a large, old dragon to properly climb through the vent, their size allowing them to push against the sides and push their way out. It was a brilliant strategy to keep the younger, stupider dragons out, or at the least, keep them inside until the big ones got back.

Dropping deeper and deeper in, they finally came upon a large chamber this one carved from the basalt of the mountain, with veins of sharp obsidian poking through the walls, ceiling and floor. To the left of the chamber another large tunnel lead deeper into volcano, with a large archway as the door.

“This was the last place I saw them,” Ember told them as they began to spread out into the chamber.

Spike motioned for Garble to stay toward the wall. He rolled his eyes, but obeyed when Ember mirrored the signal. “Let me look around real quick,” Spike said, as he pulled a gem from a pouch on his belt.

The amethyst gave a soft glow, lighting the room slightly as Spike raised the gem to his eye. Through its enchantment, it began to search the chamber, and highlight any signs of life. Dried pony blood on a sharp chunk of obsidian, a small scale buried into the basalt, a lone hair forgotten by the door.

Spike smiled as he kept scanning the room. The Research and Development guys could try all they want, but Twilight’s spells still had them beat by centuries.

All the while, Ember watched. There was something fascinating about the way he worked. Dragons typically gained wisdom with age, an older dragon could likewise pick clues from the smallest hints left behind. Spike was special, though. He was given access to secrets of dragonkind by the Scepter. Secrets that only her father, the previous dragon lord could know. With those gifts, Spike was the equal of even the oldest dragons, but he was still young, and that is where he had the advantage.

Older dragons lose their sense of time, naps stretch on for centuries, counting the hoard take years, and they simply slow down for no other reason than the fact that they have the time. Young dragons still moved quickly, acting what the elders would call “rash,” and were closer to ponies and griffons and the like when it came to speed.

Spike, at this moment, was both. He had the wisdom and cautiousness of the elders, but at the speed of the rash youth. It was the best work a dragon could do, and the fastest speed they had.

He moved through the darkness of the vent with terrifying accuracy, finding things that no one else could find. The gem found what his own eyes could not, picking up tiny, almost impossible to see details that not even the draconic eyes of either Ember or Garble could see.

Spike paused, and pulled a short red thread from the stone, before he looked up. “We’re not alone.”

“Very astute, Commander,” a voice said, and the three dragons all turned to the source of the voice.

Spike had already drawn his pistol, aiming at the pony dressed in a ruby red robe who stood on the far side of the chamber.

Ember quickly raised her pneumatic crossbow and Garble did the same.

The stallion smiled, revealing a set of fangs that glinted in the darkness. A brilliant, garnet brooch was pinned to his cloak, revealing the pristine white coat of the stallion beneath, and the fine, satin vest that wrapped tightly around his barrel. “I’m surprised you didn’t bring your little toys, Commander.” His voice was as smooth as young red velvet, and his blood-red eyes almost shone like lamps.

“I figured it was time for the grown-ups to talk,” Spike answered, keeping his pistol leveled at the vampire.

“Oh?” he asked, amused. “So I suppose you’re here to work, rather than play?”

“Don’t draw out the metaphor. It’ll fall eventually and then you’ll just look like an idiot,” Spike said. “I’m here to stop you, and I don’t need kids getting in the way of dragons.”

“They’re not the only ones you need to worry about,” the vampire warned.

“Scum like you they can deal with,” the Commander answered. “It’s the giant, fire-breathing, pony-eating dragons they’re not ready for.”

The vampire hissed. “I am beyond you, dragon. I have taken these beings from their own lord. There is nothing she can do now, not even with the power of the Bloodstone Scepter. They are my minions to command.”

“It figures that it would be vampire magic,” Spike muttered to himself. “I’ll have to write that down somewhere so I can see this coming next time.”

“Next time?” The vampire asked.

“Yes, next time someone tries something this stupid, because there’s always someone who thinks they can take a failed idea, and do it better,” Spike said.

“Oh, no,” the vampire said, as several massive figures loomed in behind him from the tunnel. “I’m not the one failing tonight.”

Four dragons, each larger than houses, strode into the room, a blue, a red, a white, and a black. They all leveled their gaze at Spike and the others, fire sparking in their mouths.

In an instant, Spike’s mind began to work. The dragons, though dangerous, were still citizens, not of Equestria, but Ember’s and that was enough. They were out of the question, not to be targeted, and that left exactly one target for Spike to attack.

He shot forward, firing a salvo of magical needles at the vampire, but he was already moving.

Ember and Garble were firing at the dragons, the weapons doing next to nothing as they hit thick, nearly impenetrable scales.

But Spike was elsewhere.

His focus was almost solely on the vampire as they began to leap across the room at terrifying speeds. Hooves met claws as they traded blows, and Spike and the vampire practically flew around the room, propelled only by the muscles in their legs.

As Spike moved, his mind went to his opponent. Vampire, obsessive by nature, creature of lust, enhanced strength, enhanced reflexes, powers of transformation and control. Weak to yew wood, sunlight, and garlic. Attack the heart and head, be vicious, and focus, do not let it have space to attack.

He was an earth pony vampire at that. He could translate the magic that kept him alive into his own body rather than outward, making him faster and stronger. Of course, that left a problem.

Who was the vampire that enchanted the dragons?

Meanwhile, Ember and Garble were forced back, the elder dragons, while slightly slower than the two younger dragons, were attacking in dizzying patterns, attacking where they were, in very quick, short attacks that were nearly a single, fluid movement. Both Ember and Garble were practically pinned beneath the onslaught.

Spike dived, firing as he leapt beneath the vampire, sending up more needles at the earth pony’s unprotected belly. The vampire could not dodge, but even though the needles hit, they only did damage to that which was already dead.

It was obvious though, Spike had the Vampire on the run, his draconic anatomy being stronger, faster, and far better than anything this pathetic excuse for a vampire could bring to bear. The vampire simply couldn’t keep up, and, sooner or later, the needles would hit his heart.

Unfortunately, he was not the only dragon there.

A massive claw, bigger than his whole body, slammed into him and sent him flying across the chamber until he slammed into the far wall.

The red dragon, with massive orange spines loomed over Spike as he hit the floor. “You little fool,” the dragon hissed. “Do you think you can kill one of the masters so easily?”

Spike rolled to his feet.

“You are nothing, whelp. You have not even grown into your wings yet,” the red growled before slashing again.

Spike went flying again, gritting his teeth as the giant claw ripped into his back. He grunted as he landed.

“Just one of you?” Spike asked. “You seem confident.”

The dragon’s nostrils flared and smoke shot from them in an unamused snort.

Spike was back in his feet, bleeding from his back. “Just don’t forget, I may still be a pre-teen by dragon standards, I may be weak, and I may even be stupid compared to you, but don’t you ever forget, that I am a dragon.”

The dragon snorted. “Dragon? You are more egg than dragon.”

Spike smiled. His claw reached into the same pouch, and pulled flask. The dragon barely had time to move before Spike threw the flask with all his strength, and the entire room filled with light and noise.

Now dragons are, by nature, immune to such things as flashbangs, all dragons can “feel” the world around them through a sixth sense that they did not bother to describe. Even with their ears ringing and vision white, all the dragons gathered could still feel everyone in the chamber.

The only one at the disadvantage was the vampire, and that’s exactly what Spike wanted.

Spike shot forward, still bleeding from his back, running past the dragon for his target. He tore across the basalt and obsidian, raising his pistol, but not firing.

Not yet.

His vision was returning, the ringing was starting to dissipate. He didn’t have much time.

He was closing the distance. He was steps away now.

He raised his left hand, reaching out.

And then, just as the vampire could see, Spike grabbed him. His claws dug into the monster’s shoulder, biting into dead flesh. His pistol dug, barrel-first, into the vampire’s chest, and he fired.

Super-dense mana dug into the vampire’s heart, and the needle of magic shot out the other side.

The last thing he did was blink.

Spike tossed the body of aside, turning to face the dragon, before another massive claw slammed into him. He went flying, landing hard on the floor, and the next thing he knew, his world was darkness, and his name was echoing in his ears.

===[ᐁ]===

Ember had Spike draped across her back as she ran deeper into the tunnels. Garble was behind her, carrying both weapons as they moved. Back outside was not an option, they didn’t have a large enough ally to push them back up, nor the size to do it themselves, that left only down, deeper into Dragon’s Lair.

The dragons had overpowered them, it was obvious that was the case, they simply did not have the strength to combat the older dragons.

Her father had warned her about this. Whenever the Scepter was passed to the next generation, there was always at least one old dragon who refused to take orders. She had just never been ready for this.

They were moving deeper, and deeper, trying to hide from the fourteen dragons that had pledged their allegiance to whatever being held power in the Covenant. They were running down another, smaller vent, one that had intersected the giant tunnels that had been carved by whatever dragon owned this complex.

It was getting warmer, much warmer, as they ran down the vent, approaching the active core of the volcano.

“Come on, Spike, don’t die on me,” she whispered.

“Here’s a room,” Garble said.

Room was a generous term. It was little more than a widening in the tunnel, just large enough for the three of them to lie on the ground.

She lay Spike down and quickly put pressure on his back, trying to stop the wound that was far larger than her claws. “He said he had medical supplies in his belt pouch,” Ember said to Garble. “Check it for me.”

“Sure waste time on the—”

“If you finish that sentence, I will kill you myself!” She growled, still trying to stop the bleeding.

Garble said nothing, but went to his search, looking through the bag.

His eye did glance across the handgun that Spike still clutched.

But Ember did not notice. Her focus was on Spike and Spike alone. “Don’t die on me, Spike, not now…”

===[ᐁ]===

He was dreaming.

He knew he was dreaming, because she was alive.

She glided to him, smiling with that same smile that took his breath away ever since he first met her.

“And what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

She gave a small smile, and shook he head. “You can’t leave, you know.”

Ah, it was this dream. He never really liked this one. “I know.”

“You have to avenge me,” she told him, growing larger as blood seeped from her throat.

“I know…” he answered.

“You can’t leave me,” she hissed, growing yet larger as blood kept pouring from her throat.

Spike tried to move, tried to run, or something, he wasn’t sure, but his body had transformed into glass. Any move would shatter him into a thousand pieces.

“Let go!” She yelled.

The blood pooled into a sea, coming up to his chest as it flooded the world.

“Let go!” she yelled again.

It rolled over his head, and Spike was soon drowning in the crimson liquid.

“Let Go!”

===[ᐁ]===

“Let go!” Garble yelled as he tried to pry the handgun out of Spike’s hand.

The Commander’s grip had been like iron ever since he was knocked out, and Garble was severely wishing that wasn’t the case.

The dragons had found them. They were digging down the vent, getting closer and closer and leaving nowhere to go. Garble had emptied the longrifle, while Ember stood behind, holding the Scepter close to her, begging it to give her the power to send them back.

Spike groaned, as his eyes fluttered open. “What’s happening?” he asked.

“We’re going to die!” Garble yelled, “now give me your stupid gun!”

Spike did not, but instead turned to Ember. “Can we escape?”

“No,” she said, “We’d have to swim through the lava, but we’re too deep. We won’t have air.”

Spike sighed. “I guess we don’t have much choice then.”

He stood, bracing him against the wall as the spray bandage on his back crackled. “Spike?” Ember called.

“Give me the Scepter,” he said.

“Spike?”

“I really didn’t want to do this, but I guess we don’t have much choice.”

Ember slowly nodded, and passed the Bloodstone Scepter.

===[ᐁ]===

It was an old power.

A terrifying power.

In his voice was the power to command armies. The ability to demand obedience. There was nothing he could not do.

He could end it.

He could end it all.

He could end all evil with this power.

First Equestria, he could practically ask for the throne, just a week, that would all it would take. Celestia would probably give it to him, he was practically her heir anyway.

A week and he could fix it. He would burn the ancient tomes, the books that talk of demon pacts, ancient spells, and elder gods. They would be the first.

Then he would begin a search, and oh there would be an outcry about the search. Every home, every building, every floor, every room, until every vampire, lycan, or shapeshifter was found.

The outrage would be severe, but no one would argue with a dragon.

Those that wished to live a normal life would be moved, a small quarantine town, far from everyone else. The rest would be executed.

Yet more outrage, but they would be safe.

Burials would be banned, there would be forced cremations across Equestria. No more zombies. Everyone would be safe.

Anyone that resisted would be cowed. Even Discord would be at his beck and call if he could find the changeling’s throne.

Then he’d turn his eyes to the rest of the world. With an army of dragons and the might of any other country he controlled, the entire would come to heel beneath him. Nothing would be able to stop him.

He would be the greatest tyrant the world had ever known.

But the world would be safe.

The Department could dissolve, and ponies like Silver and Silk could go and live out their natural lives as a happy family.

Vampires would not sulk the shadow, preying on the unwary.

Lycans would not be forced into the far corners of the world for fear of ripping their own families to pieces.

Zombies would not raise from the darkness and consume whatever they could find.

They would all be safe.

And his friends, all of them, would be avenged.

Spike grit his teeth as he walked up the vent.

It was easier to let go of this power back when he was younger, when he had friends and a home to go back to. It was easier then, when he did not need the power the Scepter offered him.

Now it was already harder.

He kept climbing, going to reach the dragons that were coming at him halfway.

They forced him to take this power, and now they were going to face it.

Hopefully it worked.

He stopped, listening to the stone as the dragons clawed into the rock.

And then Spike spoke. “Enough!”

===[ᐁ]===

Ember waited, breath caught in her throat as silence echoed from the vent.

Garble sat against the far wall, checking the lava below and weighing his options.

The silence stretched.

And then a figured began to approach from the darkness.

Spike was back, carrying the scepter in his hand. “They’re free,” He said, before handing it back. “They’re off hunting the vampire, and I’m going to stick around until they find him, I’m not going to leave until the problem’s fixed.”

Ember smiled, tears in her eyes, and hugged him. “Thank you, Spike,” she whispered.

“Are you crying?” he asked.

“Just shut up and let me hug you,” she said.

Spike smiled. “I guess…”

But he still gripped the Scepter.

===[ᐁ]===

As the pipsqueak was climbing into his little ship thing, Garble was glaring at him. What, in the Fiery Name of Tiamat happened? What did the Runt do to get those dragons to stop, huh? What did he do that the Dragon Lord couldn’t?

He watched as Spike, still limping with the spray bandage on his back. Ember and the other dragons were looking on, and he just couldn’t take it anymore.

This was ridiculous. Perfectly absurd. This was outright wrong. No, he wasn’t going to let this sit.

“Hey, Runt!” He yelled, just as Spike climbed into the cockpit of the little flying machine.

Spike turned to him.

“Why you, huh?” he asked, angrily. “Why did she come to you? Why not anyone else?”

“Garble!” Ember yelled.

Spike raised a claw, and just stared at the glaring dragon.

Garble continued to stare.

“Garble,” Spike ordered, “Shut up.”

Magic that could not be seen slammed down on Garble’s mouth, and he stared, with wide eyes as Spike smiled and walked away.

And then, as the little airship began to rise, only one word went through Garble’s mind.

“Oh.”

Operation Dying Snake

It took a week for Spike to recover.

Caramel Crystal kept him up to date best she could, relaying the events since he had left for the dragonlands to the best of her ability. “Silver’s kept the teams on their toes, but there have been more than a few times where he and Miss Silk have, ‘disappeared for a bit’, if you get what I mean.”

Spike sighed.

A little known fact about the Headless Horse is that she had a bit of a propensity for gossip mongering. She’d argue that it was the whole “accidently made myself immortal” thing that caused her to take a sudden and somewhat extreme interest in other ponies’ lives, but Spike was sure that she always like to run the rumor mill.

“Now what I didn’t see coming was that little Amber girl and, what’s his name? Chestnut, I think? Honestly, I never saw it, but the moment I did, I knew they were perfect for each other.”

Spike nodded and smiled, listening as a single thought echoes in his mind.

“I could have fixed it by now.”

As Caramel went on about the various relationships of the stallions and mares in the team, Spike stretched the muscles and the new skin on his back. Say what you will about dragons, but they can hit hard. If it weren’t for the medical facilities of the Department, he would have been laid up for far longer than what he had.

He could only imagine that it would make the accusation that was repeating in his brain all the worse. Spike rolled his shoulder, feeling the new skin stretch and tighten. The scales were still new and small, so he’d have to be careful on that side for a bit, befor he’d recover.

“Now on Gamma Team,” Caramel began before Spike interrupted.

“Caramel, before we talk about Gamma, I need to know what the Covenant’s been up to.”

“Oh, them?” She asked from inside her jar while her body sat nearby, typing away as she simultaneously worked on various requisition forms. Her body handed her head a quick note, and she quickly read it off.

“The Crystal Empire says they have no new news, the griffons don’t have anything, and Dragon Lord Ember says all is quiet in the dragonlands.”

Spike nodded, and went quiet. This was...well it wasn’t unexpected. With their operations in the Dragonlands severely hampered, the Covenant would have to regroup. They’d have to re-plan and re-evaluate for the sudden loss of resources and forces down there.

Of course, Spike was counting on them falling back to a hideout that maybe he could track, but sadly it seemed like they scattered like roaches. He wasn’t happy about that, but it couldn’t be helped.

He might have to tap his Canterlot contacts for some info.

“You haven’t heard a word I said, have you?” Caramel asked him.

“Of course I have,” Spike said. “Onyx Gale and Ruby Blitz. They’re together now, you totally didn’t see it coming, but I don’t know why. I saw it the second they saw each other.”

“What do you mean you saw it the second they saw each other? It came out of nowhere.”

“It was obvious,” Spike scoffed.

“It was not,” she answered.

Spike smiled and shook his head.

===ᐁ===

Alpha team was summoned to the briefing room, and Spike met them at the table. “I have a mission for you, Alpha team. Nothing intense, I still need to recover a bit, but we’re going to need some fire power.”

Silver listened intently, Silk sitting next to him as he processed what the Commander was telling him. The Department had a number of hidden assets in Canterlot, and Spike planned to use them.

There were some ground rules. These assets were essentially civilians, and would need protection if Spike’s presence garnered any attention.

And then Silk “accidentally” brushed her tail against his thigh and ruined his concentration. A tiny smile graced her lips, as Silver shot her a glare.

“We’re not taking the full kit. We don’t need to scare anybody, especially not the assets. So, you’re going to be limited to our smaller crossbows. That includes you, Chestnut, Lemon.”

Both ponies nodded.

“We leave at 18:30, no later. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the team replied.

“Good, move out. Amber, you need to see Caramel when we’re done here. She has something for you.”

“She does?” the medic asked,

“It’s for you and Chestnut.”

“What do you…” she began, before blushing furiously. “Oh!”

“Now let’s move. Come on!” Spike called, breaking up the gathered ponies.

Alpha Team scattered, leaving Amber and Chestnut to take the rear, blushing all the way to their rooms.

===ᐁ===

The subtrain pulled into the Canterlot station like a giant, silent cat. As it slowed using unseen mechanisms, the doors slowly opened.

Alpha Team quickly moved out with Spike at the lead. The ponies wore no armor, but Mandible did take a disguise. The only thing they wore were the holsters to the smaller, hoof-held pneumatic crossbows that Spike had prepared for them. “Alright, ponies, stay close and keep your socializing to a minimum, remember, you’re dead ponies.”

Silver nodded, understanding the orders perfectly.

Silk walked up next to him. “This’ll be fun. It’ll be the first time I’ve been to Canterlot since I started working with the Department.”

“No fun until we talk to the assets,” Spike said as he led them up to the elevator that had brought them down all those months ago.

“Yes, sir,” Silver answered, speaking for the group.

“I…” Spike began. “I might let you have a few moments, but only after we complete the mission.”

“Then let’s go!” Neon said, taking the charge before suddenly realizing he had no idea where to go.

“Easy there,” Spike said. “Just follow.”

===ᐁ===

The streets of Canterlot were alive. Unicorns, Earth ponies, and pegasi all wandered the streets, along with a few brilliantly-colored changelings, those that had followed King Thorax in the reformation.

Mandible grimaced at the sight of them, and pearlescent changelings stared back, some able to pick the disguise out in a moment.

“Well if it isn’t the walking lollipops,” Mandible grunted.

“Easy, there,” Silver warned. “You don’t want them turning you in again.”

“Traitors, all of them,” Mandible mumbled.

“Come on, ponies. No time to stay and chat,” Spike told them.

Brilliant, neon lights marked the streets and buildings, advertising shops, restaurants, theaters and shows. The smooth, paved road was almost soft beneath their hooves, and Spike led them all through the maze concrete, neon, and old, retouched limestone.

Spike walked the streets like he owned them. He didn’t even bother checking the street signs as he led them around corners and alleyways. He led them down shortcuts and paths that Silver didn’t know existed, and then before he even realized it, they were in the ritziest part of town.

“Uh...Commander?” Silver said as the neon faded to classical wrought iron fences and lampposts. “Who is our first asset?”

“She’s a musician,” Spike answered. “She’s been rather successful, and has done a very good job of staying in the public eye, despite her issues.”

“Issues?” Neon asked.

“You’ll see them, trust me,” Spike offered, before they suddenly stopped before the wrought iron gate of a massive mansion. It sat on the nearby hill, overlooking the street like a massive bird of prey, glaring down from its perch.

There was a dark, almost oppressive air that surrounded the house. Yet at the same time, there was also something oddly open about it, like it wanted ponies to come up and enjoy whatever it had to offer.

Spike walked up to the old, iron gate, and pushed the small, silver button on the oddly modern panel on the side. A buzzer sounded, and a rough, male voice came over the small speaker. “Can I help you?”

“Is the DJ in?” Spike asked.

“She’s not taking any more visitors tonight, sir.”

“That’s fine,” Spike said, “just let her know that Spike’s here.”

There was a long silence on the other side of the speaker before the male voice spoke again. “I’m sorry, was that ‘Spike,’ sir?”

“Yes it was.”

“I’ll let you in, right away, sir,” it said suddenly.

“Thank you very much, be warned, I do have some friends with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The gate gave a loud, annoying buzz and Spike pushed the gate open as it unlocked. “Alright, everypony, let’s go, just stay off the grass.”

Up they went the long, long pathway, where wild rose bushes flanked them every few feet. Beyond the roses were fields of orchids, carnations, and blood red tulips. Finally, they came upon the massive, oak door that served as the portal to the massive house.

And then it opened, and a brown-coated mare smiled as she looked down at the dragon and her party. “Hey, hey! Spike my man! It’s been a while.”

“It’s DJ PON3?” Neon asked. “Oh, I feel dirty just being associated with her.”

The mare looked down at him. “You have a problem?”

“You’re nothing like the original,” Neon said.

The mare blinked, before she smiled, and chuckled to herself. “Alright, alright, come on in!” she said, laughing all the way.

Spike shook his head, and walked inside as they all moved into the large mansion.

“You caught me before I could take a shower, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a second.”

“It’ll be fine,” Spike said. “In fact, we can come back later and—”

“Oh, no, no, no,” the unicorn mare said as she looked at him over her small, red sunglasses. “This is the first time I’ve seen you in fifty years, I’m not letting you go without dinner, at least.”

Spike shook his head. “If you insist.”

“Wait, fifty years?” Neon asked.

“Yo, Waist Coat!” the DJ called.

“Yes, Miss?” a voice said from behind the team, causing Neon to leap into the air.

“Take my guests here to dining room. I’ll be down shortly.”

“Yes, Miss,” he answered. “If you will follow me.”

Spike followed, and the team came after him, following them all to a large dining room. “Dinner will be served shortly, good sirs,” Waist Coat said. “Would you care for anything in the meantime?”

“We’ll be fine. We’re here on business, sadly,” Spike answered.

“Of course, sir,” Waist Coat said, before he backed out of the room.

“So what’s the DJ’s story?” Neon asked.

“What do you think her story is?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking,” Neon told him.

Spike just smiled and took a seat.

There were a few moments of silence, and the team all took their seats, waiting for the DJ to return.

Finally, she returned, and Silver blinked as he saw her.

Her electric blue mane hung wet by her face as she wiped her face with a towel, and her coat was now a pristine white. Her cutie mark had even changed, from a vinyl record to a purely black pair of eighth notes. Her sunglasses were hovering in an aura beside her face, and when the towel came down, she smiled, beaming with her blood red eyes and a pair of gleaming fangs. “Spike, my man! It’s been years!”

“Just a few,” Spike agreed as the mare walked up to him, giving the dragon a hung once she got close. “How are you doing, Vinyl?”

“I’m doing just fine, just fine,” she said.

Neon looked like he saw a ghost. And he had seen ghosts.

She smiled as she took a seat beside the dragon, just in time for Waist Coat and a number of other servers walked into the room, laden with trays full of food and drink. Waist himself brought the DJ her own tray, where a single blood pack and a straw waited for her.

“Thanks, Waist, you’re the man.”

“If you say so, Miss.”

“Of course I say so,” she said, before raising a hoof for him to bump.

Waist raised his hoof, but kept his face perfectly neutral as she bumped it.

As dinner was served, Spike turned to his team. “Team, this is Vinyl Scratch, she’s an old friend of mine.”

“Really old,” she confirmed with a smile as she stuck her blood pack like a juice box.

“She’s been around for a little more than two hundred years, and she’s one of our civilian assets.”

“It’s my job to keep my ears to the ground, and let you all know when I hear something going on,” she said, before glancing over at Neon. “You know, when I’m not copying my own work.”

Neon shook his head. “I...I never knew…”

“Kinda the point of rubbing pounds of makeup into my coat,” she noted.

“An immortal DJ would lead to questions,” Spike pointed out. “Questions that don’t need to be answered, if you get what I mean.”

“Yeah, but I have to say picking a new identity is a real pain,” she said. “Not to mention all those ponies that want the next DJ PON3 to be an earth pony.”

“They’ll just have to be disappointed,” Spike said. “How’s Octavia?”

Vinyl sighed. “She’s...she could be doing better.”

“Is she having another gothic phase?”

“Oh, she swallowed that hook line and sinker,” she said. “She’s always going through a gothic phase, the difference is whether or not she decides to haunt the nearest opera house.”

“You’re keeping an eye on her?” Spike asked.

“That’s what the roses are for,” she answered.

“W-what do you mean by that?” Lemon asked, speaking up for the first time.

Vinyl glanced over at Spike. “You haven’t told them?”

“It doesn’t come up often enough to teach,” the dragon explained.

Vinyl shook her head, before she addressed the demolitions mare. “You can lock a vampire in her coffin for the night by placing a freshly-cut, wild rose on the lid.”

Lemon blinked. “What?”

“Where do you think the romance stereotype came from?” Vinyl asked.

“Man, it’s nice to have someone else explain something for a change,” Spike remarked.

“You’re just lazy, is all,” she said.

“Maybe,” Spike admitted. “Now, while it’s great catching up, we are here for work.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “It’s all business with you. What’s up?”

“We’re looking for some ponies called the Crimson Covenant, have you heard of them?”

Vinyl winced. “Can’t say I do,” she said, “...but I have heard of somepony trying to get his friends together.”

“Where?” Spike asked as his face hardened.

“I didn’t get a meeting place, I’m not that good, sadly. I just know that a bunch of ponies are meeting up.”

Spike sighed. “Unfortunately that’s all we know as well. It’s making things difficult.”

“Sorry about that,” he said.

“Don’t worry, you’re not the only civilian asset we have.”

“Just the first one you tap,” she answered with a smile. “Well, if your nights are going to be long, then I invite you to stick around long enough to eat - if you can afford the time.”

Spike sighed. “We shouldn’t, but...it has been a while.”

Vinyl smiled and sucked on her blood pack.

Silver sighed, and turned to the plate of steamed vegetables in front of him. Honestly, it would be nice to eat something that wasn’t prepared by the Department’s cook, or Hayburger take out.

He picked up his fork, and smiled.

And then, just as the first bite was halfway between the plate and his mouth, the entire room shook. The plates rattled, the glasses shook, and plates fell to the ground with a crash. A second later, a thunderous roar echoed through the dining room.

Spike was already moving, sprinting to the front of the house with every ounce of his draconic speed. Alpha team was soon to follow, running out to Vinyl’s yard, where they saw the source of sound.

A massive plume of smoke rose from Canterlot city, lit by a red-orange light that was hidden by the buildings.

“By Celestia…” Spike muttered.

Alpha team stared at the massive plume. Silver shook his head, mouth wide open.

And then Spike spoke. “Alpha Team, new orders! Move in, help any ponies that need help, and find the source of the explosion. If the Covenant’s not behind this, I’ll eat my crest.”

“You heard the Commander!” Silver yelled. “Let’s go!”

The team of ponies rushed forward, down the stairs, past the roses, and out onto the paved street.

===ᐁ===

They hit the epicenter of the explosion, staring at the wreckage that was left behind by what could only be a bomb. Carriages were upended, windows blown out, and ponies lay on their sides, bleeding and moaning as shrapnel dug into their flesh.

“Medic,” Silver called, “do you have you medkits?”

“It’s the one thing I brought!” she said, reaching into a saddle bag.

“Head to the wounded, get them up so that the paramedics can get them to a hospital.”

Amber was already flying towards them, landing beside the closest, bleeding mare.

“Heavy, Scout, start moving the wreckage away, put those muscles to good use, Scout!”

Chestnut and Sparky rushed the carriages.

“Sniper, get up and call out anything, suspects moving - or ponies buried beneath rubble, we need an eye in the sky.”

“You got it,” she answered, before flying straight up into the sky.

“Support, Demo, you’re—”

“Silver?” a voice called, cutting through the sounds of chaos around them.

The ex-guard turned, and his eyes fell on his old Captain, Gleaming Armor. The two shared a long look in the orange glow of the fires that surrounded them, burning with the screams of ponies echoing behind them.

He turned back to Lemon and Neon. “Once Medic treats them, do your best to escort the injured back to the paramedics. Carry them if you have to.”

“Silver,” the captain called again.

“Go!” he said, before turning to the Captain.

The Captain looked shocked to see him, with a touch of annoyance hiding in her face.

Silver’s face was impassive.

“What are you doing here?” the Captain asked, stepping toward him.

“Doing our job.”

“Your job? This is EUP guard business,” she said, a biting edge returning to her voice as she stepped closer.

“We have reason to believe this falls under our jurisdiction, Captain,” Silver replied. “Of course, that doesn’t matter right now, does it?”

“You’re right, we have to save the civilians, so get out of the way so we can do that,” she ordered.

“With all due respect, Captain, we’re already ahead of you. Pulling my team out right now would only risk more lives.”

Gleaming looked back, where Sparky single-handedly lifted a carriage out of the way, only for Amber to fly in, use her spray bandages to seal wounds, autosplints to set bone, and pull them out of the way with Lemon and Neon’s help.

“Alright, so you can stay, but if your people keep my people from doing what they need to do, I will put you through hell.”

Silver smiled. “I would love to see you try, Captain.”

===ᐁ===

There were three casualties. Three of Celestia’s own citizens had been killed in a bomb attack, and Spike only had to step onto the scene to know that it wasn’t just any bomb.

It was a special, crystal-based bomb that ate the lifeforce of the closest five ponies, before transforming every ounce of it into an explosion.

Three of them were the casualties that Spike had put into his report. The other two were the shriveled, desiccated remains of a pair of Covenant Cultists, still dressed in their crimson cloaks. Spike made it a point that they didn’t count.

It was a declaration. A statement that the Covenant wasn’t afraid of a little collateral damage. It was a warning to back off, to leave the Covenant alone or innocents would be hurt.

Spike wasn’t happy about it.

He read over the report again, glaring as his eyes read it.

This wouldn’t stand.

After all, if there was one thing Spike hated, it was when the innocent were dragged into war.

“They could have been saved. All you had to do was take it.”

Operation Running Dog

Silver never knew that the Department had autocarriages.

He also didn’t know that there were autocarriages that could move off road.

He was just learning so much tonight.

The stout, sturdy autocarriage leapt over the muddy hill as they chased their quarry. Spike was at the wheel, driving like a madman before he yelled into his communicator. “Sniper! Do you have a visual?”

“On thermal,” she answered. “He’s running fast, half a klick ahead of you.”

“Roger that!” Spike called as the autocarriage leapt over the peak of the hill, and slammed back into the ground, jostling the ponies in the back of the open-topped vehicle. “Call him again, Assault!” Spike ordered.

“Cinnamon Toast!” Silver called through the bullhorn. “Halt! This is the department!”

“He’s not stopping,” Silk reported.

Spike growled. “Demo! Spring the trap!”

“Yes sir!” she answered, before a set of explosions roared ahead of them. Spike spun the vehicle, passing through the spaces between the trees and charged towards the explosions, even as another set of explosions erupted in the trees ahead of them.

“They’re working like a charm, Commander,” Silk said as she flew above them. “They’re leading Cinnamon straight to the bottom of the cliff.”

“This ain’t my first rodeo, Sniper,” Spike said in a slight drawl. “Just keep your eyes on him, our work’s just getting started.”

The autocarriage made another leap, landing hard on its wheels. If this were any normal carriage, then those same wheels would have shot through the floor of the cabin, but the superior suspension allowed them to bounce harmlessly across the forest floor.

More explosions sounded ahead, and there, just ahead of them in the trees, a shock of chocolate brown hair was caught in the spotlight.

“There!” Neon said, as he spun the spotlight he was working to try and center on the lycan.

Spike floored the gas, and the carriage weaved through the trees, barely missing the trunks by inches as the Commander spun the wheel.

Silver’s hooves clenched around the tiny little handlebar by his door, as if it could save him from death.

Another sharp corner, the carriage began to drift sideways, sliding on the leaves that covered the ground before they finally halted.

A small box canyon of sorts acted as a dead end, leaving the only exit blocked by the team and the carriage.

Neon spun the spotlight again, and centered on the beast that was caught in the trap.

Standing as tall as the princesses, a massive, bipedal monstrosity glared at them with tiny, bloodshot eyes. It’s chocolate brown fur, decorated with cinnamon-colored swirls across the terrifyingly muscular monster was the only thing that still connected it to the pony this monster once was. He bared a snarl filled with three-inch fangs, and razor-sharp claws clenched and unclenched around an invisible pony neck.

It growled and grunted, puffing out its chest and reveled in its massive, bulging muscles.

Spike ignored these.

He simply frowned as he stepped out of the vehicle, and shook his head. “Cinnamon, Cinnamon, when will you learn?”

The lycan roared in answer. It’s breath smelled of death, and bits of meat flew out of it teeth as a wind rushed passed them.

Again, Spike ignored this.

“You know what happens when you run, Cinnamon. It means you’re trying to bite the alpha, and we both know the alpha bites back.”

The lycan snarled, and Spike loosened his belt, and let his pistol swing free of his hip.

The rest of the squad took their positions, raising their silver-tipped weapons and leveling them at the lycan as he was forced back against the wall.

Spike took one last inhale before his muscles began to coil. “And I am the Alpha.”

The small dragon launched himself at the lycan, the smaller, reptilian body slamming into the muscular canine like a wrecking ball. They both landed hard on the ground as the wrestling match began. Claws met claws and jaws snapped shut as they rolled in the leaves and dirt.

Silver and the others waited, their weapons leveled.

The dragon rolled the lycan under him, slamming the massive, furry beast into the ground, but the lycan only growled in answer.

“Bad dog! I am the alpha!” Spike roared.

Again Spike threw the beast, slamming him into the dirt, and the lycan went scrambling to get it’s paws under him.

Spike wouldn’t let him, throwing himself onto the lycan’s back.

Claws, muscles, and flame were dragged against scales and fur, and still the fighting waged on.

Silver, Silk, Neon and the others watched on, waiting for any sign that Spike needed help.

Finally, Spike pinned him. Grabbing the beast’s leg in one hand, he forced the beast’s knee into the dirt, and forced him down.

Cinnamon tried to claw away, tried to force himself up and out.

But Spike didn’t let go. “I am the Alpha, Cinnamon!”

The lycan kept scrambling, trying to get his feet under him.

“No!” Spike yelled. “I am the Alpha!”

Neon raised his pneumatic crossbow.

“Not yet!” Spike said, glaring at his assault. “He has to have no fight left in him. Not yet.”

The lycan kept clawing, slowly becoming more and more frantic as his small eyes began to grow wide fear.

Spike held him.

And then finally, finally, the lycan went still.

“Now, Support,” Spike ordered, before the unicorn fired a single dart. The silver-tipped hypodermic needle pierced skin, and the clear fluid that was held in the small vial was quickly emptied into the lycan’s blood.

The beast struggled for a second, before the needle did its work, and Cinnamon hit the dirt, asleep.

Spike sighed, releasing the lycan’s leg even as he began to shrink. “Alright, guys...get him in the back, let’s get him home, so we can get on our way.”

“Yes, sir,” Amber said, as she hovered over the beast that was still transforming into a pony, before lifting him bodily into the air.

Spike watched, keeping his eyes on Cinnamon as the medic carefully set him down in the open back of the carriage.

“He would have been safe. He would have been quarantined. He wouldn’t have gotten free. All you had to do was take the staff.”

Spike climbed back into the vehicle as the team began to gather and pile into the back. “Let’s go team.”

===ᐁ===

“I’m so sorry!” Cinnamon said, the small pony now standing smaller than Silver. He seemed oddly quiet now that he wasn’t a massive canine that was going to rip the nearest thing it could find to pieces. “I’m so, so, sorry.”

“It’s alright, Cinnamon,” Spike told him as he stood in the doorway of the baker’s home.

“I was locking up,” Cinnamon explained. “I was getting the vault closed, when I suddenly realized that I needed to grab one of the...suppressants. I-I thought I had time, but the second I stepped out of the vault it happened. I...oh...I hope I didn’t hurt anypony?”

“No one was hurt,” Spike said. “We were in the area when your alarm went off. We caught you before you got to anyone. You were lucky tonight.”

Cinnamon shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Commander Spike.”

Spike shook his head and offered a small smile. “Hey, at least you’ll be good for a couple more hours, right? You’ll have some time to get things in order.”

The baker sighed. “I think I’ll just lock myself up in the vault. I’m not going to risk this anymore tonight.”

Spike nodded. “Alright. Want us to check up on you in the morning?”

Cinnamon sighed. “I guess...I probably messed up something else anyway…”

“Hey, don’t—” Spike began only for Cinnamon to close the door. The dragon shook his head. “You’ll make it Cinnamon, you’ll make it.”

Turning, he went back to the Department’s autocarriages, where the team waited for him. “He’ll be fine till morning. We need to get going.”

“Yes, sir,” Silver answered before the whole team slid into the seats, waiting for the vehicle to begin driving forward.

“We don’t have much time, we need to get there before daybreak,” Spike said.

They had one more civilian asset that they needed to tap.

Madam White, a ghost of some kind that was once a fortune teller has been sticking around for decades now. She still performed her fortune teller bit, but now that she had a more direct line to the spirits, she was more accurate than she had ever been.

Spike had offered his help once he found her. Tried to find out what her unfinished business was, but she politely refused, and offered her services.

Honestly the Madam worried him a bit. She offered her help but asked for none in return, she even outright refused help offered to her by any department worker.

The only exception was Sweetie Belle. The two had a strange report that Sweetie would not explain. She kept her silence, and continued to offer aid, but Madam White always gently refused.

However, once more it seemed that the Department would need her services again. Every other asset, every network of information had come up with nothing. There were no signs of the Crimson Covenant after their attack on Canterlot. Even with the Royal Guard helping the Department look for them, there had been no signs at all.

All he had left was Madam White, and Spike had learned long ago that spirits were vague at the best of times, and outright cryptic and misleading at worst.

But now he had no choice.

He drove out of the city and floored it once he hit dirt.

Madam White would be gone with the dawn, and even if spirits were the most misleading of beings, they were all he had.

===ᐁ===

The autocarriage slowed to a stop in front of the old, raggedy tent. It looked not unlike a circus tent, peaked with a small, white pennant that stood in stark contrast of the faded stripes that ran down the sides. They were red and white once, though now the red was a faint pink, and the white was the color of plaque.

“Spread out, team,” Spike ordered, and they moved to obey. “Do not enter the tent. I’m going alone. I just need you to secure the perimeter, am I understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” They answered.

Spike nodded, holding tightly to the grip of his number one assistant as it sat in its holster.

He nervously gulped down a final breath of fresh air, before he finally stepped inside.

A thick, heavy, and heady incense filled Spike’s nostrils. The softly smouldering rowan bark mixed with cinnamon and rosemary assaulted his sense of smell so that it almost gave him a headache within seconds of smelling it.

Waving the smoke away from his nose, he walked in. Ducking beneath the charms and totems that hung from the ceiling. The Madam had admitted that they held no power, but they disturbed Spike nonetheless.

“Hello, Commander, I have been expecting you,” a wizened, breathy voice said from inside the smoke.

Waving yet more smoke away from his head, his eyes finally fell on the old, robe-clad mare.

Heavy wrinkles hung around her eyes and mouth, leaving long creases all across her face in a mess that could only be described as the fingerprint of time. Her robes and the headdress she wore was tattered on every edge, with frayed threads hanging like spiderwebs.

Her white fur made it impossible to tell if her hairs were greying, but Spike was sure that if she had a any other color, she would be silver now.

The only thing about her that seemed new or young, were her eyes. Those cerulean orbs bore so deep into his soul that he could almost see his secrets laid out before her, and even though that was disquieting enough, there was something about them that was far, far worse.

They reminded him of...

“You have come back to me, young Commander, as I was foretold,” the ancient ghost mumbled.

“I have. I need your help,” Spike answered.

“Always help, yes, yes. Never to say hello, never to stay.”

Spike watched her as she made her way to the table, decorated with a tattered, silk tablecloth and a dusty crystal ball. “Has Sweetie Belle been failing in her visits?” Spike asked. “She’s supposed to keep you company.”

“Not the same as the living, no. Never the same,” she replied, before she sat at her table. “Come then, come. Let us see what the dead wish to say.”

Spike stepped forward, sitting in the small chair opposite the ghost, who stared into Spike’s eyes.

They looked exactly like hers…

The charms began to shake as all the ghosts still left in this world moved to speak to tortured soul before the dragon.

“Why do you summon us?” the Madam mumbled as the dead began to speak through her.. “What is the meaning of this? Leave us be.”

Spike waited.

“Just a moment, just a moment. To keep the living alive,” the fortune teller whispered.

“I will speak then, let the others go.”

“So be it, come, speak to us then,” Madam White said, before turning to Spike, her eyes sparkling in the darkness.

“What do you wish to know?” the ghost asked, now pulled from its wandering place.

“What do you know of the Crimson Covenant?” Spike asked.

“The living who serve the dead, and the dead serving their king. They hide in their shadows, they kiss their wicked blades, and stab at the dark to lap at the blood of their victims.”

Spike nodded. He knew this. The Crimson Covenant was populated by vampires.They had cattle beneath them, but they were vampires.

“The shadows are thick, and reach far into the past. They grasp and grab anything they can, but crave amethyst above all.”

Amethyst? Did he mean literal gems or something else? “Where are they now?” Spike asked.

“Far in your past, and near in your future. They cling to the darkness of the great cities, and the darkest caves of the world beyond. They hide from you at every turn, such is their design. Do not be deceived, it is your attention they crave.”

“And I would give it to them,” Spike said. “Just let me know where they are.”

Madam White simply stared at him with her massive, sad, blue eyes.

“Look to the East. The city where the Founders rang the first bell in defiance of the old world. They hold the secrets of the sanguine pool. They hold the shadows as black as night. In the dregs of their sewage you will find them.”

Fillydelphia. They were gathering in the Fillydelphia sewers. Spike had his answer. “I have what I need. You may release the ghost.”

Madam White nodded, and the ghost left, back to wander the earth and fulfill its business. Released, the fortune teller then turned to the Commander and sighed. “So it is done.”

Spike nodded. “We’ll make sure that they’re stopped. No one else is going to die by their hooves. I promise.”

“Good, good. You are yet the savior you always were, Commander.”

The words had a bite to them. It was subtle, almost as if she didn’t mean the sarcasm in them.

Honestly, Spike wasn’t sure.

She could have been sincere and his own conscious was the source of the vitriol. After all, he hadn’t done anything to the Madam. He had done nothing but help the ghost through every means he had. He had done nothing to deserve that sarcasm from her.

At least, as far as he knew.

The terrifying thought that there was something he had done, that he was somehow responsible for whatever business she had not taken care of, hovered in the back of his mind. It taunted him with a terrible, terrible prospect that it was all his fault.

It was his fault once again. Another pony dead because of him.

She could have been avenged. Her and everyone else. You just had to be tyrant for one week.

“I’ll see you soon, Madam,” Spike said back.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” she said. “I wish it were so.”

Spike looked over at her. “Can you not see it?”

The Madam smiled and shook her head. “No, no...you know how this work. Vague and immediate events only.”

Spike shook his head, and began to move. “Goodbye, Madam White.”

“Farewell, Commander,” she answered. "Until next we meet."

As Spike walked out of the tent, the sun was just coming over the horizon. The golden rays of Celestia’s sun peeked over the hills and filled the valley with a growing warmth as it dispelled the mist that surrounded them.

Alpha team was waiting for their Commander, and they slowly began to relax at the sight of him. Spike sighed, and pulled one of his paper cigarettes and lit it with a puff of flame. The smoke rose into the air, disappearing with the mist as the sun continued to rise.

He turned, and sighed as the last, gossamer threads of the tent disappeared before his eyes.

He took a long drag, and focused back on his team. “Alright, Alpha Team. I’m giving you a choice. Gamma’s trying out their own Firebrand, and Phi’s still out in Vanhoover. Do you guys wanna hit the Covenant's base for a change?”

Silver smiled. “That’s why I signed up, sir.”

Spike nodded. “Then we’re heading to Fillydelphia. We’ll rest for the day, and then it’s time for some payback.”

Operation Silent Vanguard

A red-cloaked mare moved through the sewer, her hooves clopping lightly against the flagstones that paved the raised pathways beneath Fillydelphia. Keeping close to the walls and hugging the shadows at every turn, she walked quickly, making her way to a large service door that sat in the wall ahead of her.

She knocked on the heavy, steel door before a glowing eye made of mana made its existence known, floating through the door’s surface. It gave the mare a scrutinizing once-over before it faded away.

The door finally opened, and a stallion, wearing the same red cloak, stepped out into the sewer.

“Sister, are you alright?”

“I was waylaid, nothing more,” she replied in a hushed whisper.

“Come inside, quickly,” the stallion said, and both ponies slipped inside.

The stallion led the way, down the hall, leaving the mare for just a second as she closed the door and fiddled with the lock. It took a moment, but she quickly caught up, closing the distance between the two of them.

“What waylaid you?” the stallion asked.

“I thought I saw the dragon around town. I went the long way around.”

“The dragon?”the stallion asked. “You saw him?”

“I thought I did. I wasn’t sure… but I wasn’t going to take a chance.”

“I hope that was enough, if you were right.”

The mare nodded, and kept walking, staying as close to the stallion as possible as they worked their way into the Covenant’s Fillydelphia base.

The long-abandoned service tunnel lead to a large, open room, filled with podiums decorated with occult scrolls and tomes of dark rituals. Blocks of candles, fused together by melted wax, lit the room as the stallion led the mare up a set of stairs to a raised dais, upon which a throne was set.

“My master,” the stallion said as he bowed before the throne, quickly followed by the mare, “Sister Sable has returned.”

“She is late,” the pegasus on the throne said as he drank from a golden goblet, encrusted with Red Spinels.

“Forgive me, Master,” the mare said, “but I thought I saw the dragon from the department, and so I took the longer way around to be sure I was not followed.”

“And you returned here anyway?” the pegasus asked, shifting his leathery wings and glaring at the mare with his blood-red eyes.

The mare quailed before the vampire and tried to speak again. “I...I had to warn you, my master. I simply could not let this danger go unnoticed.”

“Unnoticed? Do you think I am blind?” the vampire demanded.

“No, Master, no. I dare not.”

“And you will dare not again!” the vampire growled. “Now go to my chambers to await your punishment.”

“Yes, my Master,” the mare answered, before she began to move.

As soon as she passed the throne, however, she reached up to her ear, and tapped twice.

An explosion echoed from the hallway beyond the main room, and a sudden burst of red-hot silver flashed down the hallway as Chestnut’s mini-cannon cleared the way.

“You fool!” the vampire said, turning to face the mare as he leapt from his seat.

Mandible met him with a smile and a crossbow bolt to the heart.

“One down,” he said with a smirk.

Alpha team burst through the end of the hallway, throwing cultists aside as they leveled their weapons. “D.S.P.I.!” Silver yelled. “Put your horns, hooves, and wings where we can see them!”

The room, however, erupted in chaos. Pegasi took to the air while earth ponies and unicorns ran this way and that, trying to take cover behind the massive blocks of wax and podiums.

A sudden blast from a magical beam opened up the line, streaking down from above and behind the enemy as the nearly-invisible Silk picked her next target.

Spike leapt forward, rolling through the crossfire without a hint of fear as the enemy slowly gathered itself for a counter attack. Flintlock pistols came up, and the cultists moved to fire, only to meet Spike’s claws.

The room quickly cleared, with only a couple of ponies offering surrender. Silver and Neon quickly secured the prisoners as Chestnut and Lemon took the corridor that led deeper into the facility.

Spike spoke into his communicator. “Manticore, how is it on your end?”

“Well, considering that I’m snacking on a pretty sad thrall here, I’m doing well,” she answered.

“Just be sure to save some room for dessert,” Spike said. “With any luck we’ll take out the head vampire today.”

“Oh, I’ll be ready, trust me. I am famished.”

“Roger that,” Spike said, before he began to gather the team. “Alright, get ready, team.”

They formed up on the next corridor, leaving the bound ponies off to the side while the dead were left where they lay.

“On three,” Spike said, before counting down. “One, two, three!”

The team charged, with Lemon and Chestnut at the lead. With the demolitions pony firing grenade potion after grenade potion off into the darkness ahead of them. As explosions rocked the hallway, the team charged forward.

They burst into the next room, laying down a fan of bolt fire.

“Keep them pinned!” Spike yelled as his old, practiced eye quickly took in the scene.

Thirty cultists, armed with their ruby daggers, a handful of muskets, and a runeblade which definitely needed to be confiscated, took positions around the room. They had a number of makeshift cover, barricades made from broken machinery and discarded sheet metal offered some resistance to their silver-tipped crossbow bolts, but Chestnut’s mini-cannon would rip through them without too much difficulty.

No, the largest problem was them vampire standing boldly in the open.

It was another pegasus vampire, which meant that she would most likely be rather adept at transformation magic. This was immediately proven when four of the quarrels simply passed through her, as though she were mist.

He hated pegasi vampires.

“Focus on the covenant, I have the blood sucker!” Spike yelled as he leapt forward, into the crossfire.

“Roger that!” Silver yelled. “Heavy, priority on the sheet metal!”

“You got it!” Chestnut yelled, before his mini-cannon swept across the flimsy cover the cultists had erected. Silver fire ripped through the cover, and cultists went down screaming.

Spike leapt forward, his handgun roaring as it fired its unique, and powerful ammunition at the vampire. The needles dug into the mist, and they reacted, transforming their phase and landing solid blows against the mist.

The vampire screamed in pain as the needles bit deep, stopping in her as though she were solid.

“You’re not hiding from me!” Spike yelled as he closed the distance, and putting the barrel directly against the vampire’s chest, only for a solid hoof to bat it away.

“Who’s hiding?” the vampire yelled, before a powerful kick sent the dragon flying backwards.

Spike rolled back to his feet, and the vampire pounced, fangs bared and hissing.

They rolled, struggling just barely beneath the line of fire that whistled above them from both sides. Spike’s claws dug deep into cold, dead flesh while the vampire’s fang tried to pierce through the dragon’s scales.

Another handful of cultists died.

Spike drove his hand into the monster’s chest, only for it to dissolve into mist once again. She slipped through Spike’s grip, and she flew towards Alpha team.

He had just enough time to stand, before the true weight and terror of the situation dawned on him.

Every member of alpha team had their crossbows aimed directly at the vampire, but no one dared to shoot. The cultists were too busy reloading fire, and that was the only reason why no one was dying yet.

The vampire had Chestnut pinned, and even though the large earth pony was struggling against his bonds, he could not overcome the vampire’s unparalleled strength.

“Move again, and I’ll rip your pony here into pieces,” the vampire threatened.

Amber had frozen solid.

Chestnut tried to struggle again, pushing against the vampire, but she simply slapped him with her free hoof, knocking him unconscious with the blow.

“I am not playing around, Dragon,” the vampire warned.

Spike glared, his eyes darting between her, Chestnut, and Amber, who looked on in horror as the vampire’s grip tightened around Chestnut’s throat.

Spike frowned, and shook his head. “That’s a bad move, blood sucker, cause I don’t care what you do to him.”

“Then why haven’t you shot me, yet?” the vampire asked, smirking all the way.

The cultists began to level their muskets.

Spike grit his teeth and leveled his pistol. “Because I don’t like wasting ponies.”

The vampire’s smile slowly disappeared.

Silver looked between the vampire and the Commander, wondering if the boss was truly thinking about letting Chestnut die.

Spike simply stared into the vampire’s eyes, his emerald green meeting the blood red with every iota of fury he had. The vampire looked on in kind, cool, almost apathetic anger doing its best to hide the growing nervousness in her eyes.

A second passed.

Another.

“Well, I guess I don’t have much choice then,” the vampire sighed.

She ripped Chestnut’s forelegs from his body, and Spike fired into the shower of blood. The whole team unleashed their bolts, ripping into the monster, only for a wisp of mist to fly out of the way, dodging the magical needles while taking the bolts without so much as a blink.

“Medic! Stop the bleeding!” Spike ordered.

Amber was on him in an instant, using her spray bandages and hypodermic needles as tears fell from her eyes. She worked frantically, trying to stop the bleeding on both sides.

But Spike and the others didn’t have time to think about it as the cultists opened fire, slamming into alpha team’s line.

Amber almost didn’t see the incoming fire, until the muskets spat smoke. She dived into Chestnut’s bleeding body, trying to shield him from the lead balls that came flying at them.

A second passed, and the medic looked up to see Silver standing before her, with bloody pits in his skin that revealed the armor underneath. “Get him to cover, Medic! Now!” He ordered, blade drawn and pneumatic crossbow outstretched.

She nodded, and pulled him to the side, tears still in her eyes but momentarily forgotten.

Silver launched forward, swinging his silver and obsidian machete like a pony possessed. Silk’s thermal shot screeched across the room, as her wings propelled her into the shadows. Neon’s crossbow hissed as he fired, and Lemon's close-range explosives rocked the room. Mandible slashed with his salvaged daggers, and fired his light crossbow. Sparky ran through the room, dipping into and out of sight as his camouflage changed patterns with every step.

But for Amber, it didn't matter. Of course it didn't matter. Chestnut was dying.

She heard the vampire laugh, but she couldn't bring herself to care about her.

Chestnut was still dying.

The part of her mind that retained whatever professionalism it had noted that losing both forelegs meant his body would fall into shock very quickly, and that little could save him from that. In response, her body moved. She administered the proper elixirs at the proper dosages, she checked the bandages, her hooves worked automatically, lead by muscle memory as her training went to work.

“D-d-don’t...don't die, Chestnut. Please don't die…” she muttered under her breath. “Stay with me, please…”

The vampire laughed again, floating above their heads as a cloud of mist. “Oh, you pathetic little fools, my master will eat your souls and gnaw on your bones! You cannot stop him, you cannot stop me! Nothing can save you from the coming darkness! Ha ha!”

“Well what's going to save you from me?” A voice asked behind her.

The vampire spun, and her eyes fell on the figure of Manticore, who glared with angry, starving eyes.

Manticore’s hoof grabbed at the mist, her own magic as a pegasus vampire manifesting itself, and threw her to the ground as though she were solid.

The vampire landed hard, and the thing once known as Fluttershy pounced on her like a large, starving cat, eager for its next meal.

They rolled across the battlefield, and with the vampire finally distracted, Spike could focus on the cultists, and they felt every single blow of his claws and assistant alike. They went down, chests split open or skulls riddled with the magical needles of his weapon.

Manticore wrestled with the vampire, using her overwhelming strength born of a life spent wrestling bears, until finally, the Covenant vampire’s neck was exposed. Manticore bit down, fangs digging deep into supple flesh, and the vampire screamed.

It was not a scream of pain. It was a wail of abject terror. Her eyes went wide as she struggled and pushed, trying to throw Manticore from her throat.

“Delicious,” Manticore said around the flesh in her mouth, drinking deep of the congealed, dead blood of the vampire.

“Get off! No! No! Stop!” she screamed.

But Manticore’s jaw was a spring trap, and nothing could escape her fangs.

“Stop! Please! No!” she cried, giving a final push before she finally shoved Manticore away, as well as a chunk of her own throat. The vampire scurried away, her neck open and exposed as it bled. Her mouth moved, but only a whistle of air moving through her open windpipe could be heard.

Manticore laughed as she spat out the cold, dead, flesh. “Aw...look at the little hunter, realizing she’s not as high on the food chain as she thought. Now come on, get back here and feed me. It’s only fair.”

The vampire screamed again as Manticore descended on her once again, and the screams of terror filled the room once again. The screams were bone-chilling, and soul-wrenching, tearing into the souls of the gathered team.

Spike ignored it. He had a more important job to take care of. “Thundercloud, come in.”

“Huh? Commander?” Tinker’s said, coming in confused over the communicator.

“I need an emergency extraction on my location. Prepare medical teams.”

“Sir, yes sir!” She answered.

“Team, help Medic move Heavy out of here, we’re going to do everything we can to save his life!”

“Yes, sir!” They answered, moving in quick, careful moves to move the pony.

Manticore’s feast continued, but Spike ignored it. He had a life to save.

===ᐁ===

Chestnut was in a haze, a blurry darkness the surrounded everything.

Someone was yelling somewhere, he wasn't sure where, but he could tell they were yelling.

One of them was very angry.

“It’ll...be...moment,” one of the voices said, just on the edges of his hearing.

“You...do this!” the other voice said.

“...Need...permission...in...right mind…”

“...Cruel...be in a lot of pain…”

The voices were becoming clearer, and the world slowly became sharper, falling into focus as he opened his eyes.

“I need...awake, Amber,” the first voice said. “He needs...know.”

“...Can’t do this!”

“I have to.”

He recognized the voice this time. That was the Commander.

“I won’t let you do this!”

That was Amber.

“You’re too late,” Spike said, before the dragon’s face appeared in his field of vision. “He’s already waking up.”

“What?” Amber cried.

“Alright, Chestnut, listen to me, the faster we do this, the better. Do you understand?”

Chestnut slowly nodded. “Yeah, yeah...I..understand…” he muttered, before he tried to reach for his head.

“You’re stable,” Spike continued, “you will live, however, you’ve lost both forelegs.”

Chestnut blinked, before realizing that his leg should have reached his head by now. That, and a sharp pain was beginning to grow along his sides.

“As of now, you’re useless to me. Normally, I let you go, and you live the rest of your life being taken care of by the crown.”

The pain was starting to grown sharper, and Chestnut was beginning to shake.

“But with the attack, you have another opportunity. There’s another program, and in order to join, you were going to have to lose your legs anyway. You can go, or you can join the Auto-hydraulic Jack program, and keep fighting. Make a choice.”

The pain was making him grit his teeth.

“The sooner you decide the faster the pain will stop,” Spike said. “I hate to do this to you, but I need to know what you want done.”

Chestnut groaned as the world became agony.

“Commander!” Amber added, worried as the obvious pain forced Chestnut to silence. “He can’t focus with the pa—”

“I’ll do it,” Chestnut said with a grunt. “I’ll join.”

“Chestnut,” Amber said. “You’re not thin—”

“If it means I can watch over Amber, I’ll do it,” he growled.

Spike nodded. “I understand,” he said, before he flipped a switch on a console nearby.

The pain began to fade.

“When you wake up next, things will have changed. The process already will be underway.”

Chestnut nodded, even as the world was already fading to black.

“You’re going to be the first, Chestnut. The first…”

Chestnut didn’t hear the last word that Spike said. It was lost to whatever was flooding through his veins, but regardless, Chestnut had his own idea of what he would be.

He would be Amber’s protector.

The Door

Silver sat down at the mess hall table, and set down his tray full of food onto the table in front of him. He was the first member of Alpha team to arrive for lunch, and this was due in no small part to his eagerness for a moment alone.

No one had seen Chestnut for a week, and the last member of the team to see him had been Amber, as Spike had him carted away. The Commander had admitted that their heavy weapons pony was still alive and breathing, but he had been sequestered away in one of the medical wing rooms under strict orders that no one but the authorized medical personnel was allowed in or out. With no witnesses to his condition, the team was to accept the Commander's word as fact, at least in theory. However, as Silver quickly learned, theory and practice are two very different things.

At some point during the last week, every member of the team had approached him for some news concerning Chestnut’s health. They had each individually spoken with him, with the sole exception of Amber. Instead, the poor mare had shut down, hardly speaking to anyone beyond one-word responses. Silk was doing her best to comfort her friend, but it was taking more patience than either she, or he himself had.

He sighed, and sat down, sinking into his bench seat like it was an overstuffed easy chair, and eagerly enjoyed the silence.

“Hey, Silver!” a voice cried.

Every time…

Trying to hold back an annoyed sigh, Silver turned toward the source, and saw Neon approaching fast. “What?” Silver asked, trying his best to keep any possible annoyance from his voice.

Neon quickly covered the distance, sitting beside the squad leader without even getting his own food. “Any word on Chestnut?”

Silver shook his head. “No, Neon, nothing yet.”

The support sighed. “Haven’t you talked with the Commander?”

“Of course I did,” Silver replied. “He just hasn't told me much.”

Neon groaned. “This is awful. I can't take the waiting.”

Silver sighed and nodded. He could understand that, he had spent most of his time in the guard waiting, always waiting for something to happen. “You learn how to deal with it, eventually.”

“I can't stand not knowing,” Neon groaned.

That was another thing Silver could relate to. He could even remember the captain's speech, the one she gave to the young guards who wanted to know for sure before they acted. Or at least, he remembered most of it.

“Look, Neon,” Silver said, racking his brain for the overhead words the captain had used, “-you can't know for sure, nopony can. Trying to always know for sure is going to freeze you up. In the meantime we need you here, to act accordingly.”

Even as he was speaking, he knew he was butchering the speech. It lacked the captain's sheer, charismatic stubbornness, that unwavering commitment to rush the enemy down and beat it until it stopped moving. That kind of bullheadedness made practically every speech she gave about the values of endurance, patience, and steadfast strength.

That and she probably had spent more time practicing.

“Just relax, Neon. We need you focused on the here and now.”

Neon groaned. “I’m going to have to ask him.”

Silver glanced at him. “You think Commander Spike would tell you sooner than tell me?” he asked.

Neon sighed. “No...I’m just...I just hate waiting.”

“Look, if you want, we can go see the Commander together.”

Neon nodded. “Alright, alright…”

“Just let me eat, real quick and we’ll go.”

===ᐁ===

With a meal in his belly, which was eaten with a nervous Neon standing and staring on, the two unicorns went off to find the Commander. The various persons that inhabited the body of Fluttershy said that she had not seen the Commander for a few days now.

Caramel said that she thought she had hear him earlier, but by the time she had spun her head in her jar to look, he was gone.

Sweetie Belle hadn’t seen him either, even after poking through a few walls to check.

Not even Velvet Storm, the most orderly pony in the entire Department, in charge of every meeting, every requisition, and every schedule, didn’t know where Spike was.

They searched the entire complex together, checking the training rooms, his office, the medical lab, engineering, everything that they had access to. Every hallway, every recreation room, everything was subject to a quick search for the dragon until finally they came to the door.

The wooden door with the candle carefully painted into it’s face.

Both unicorns stood before it, staring up at the door to the room that no one was allowed into. Silver knocked softly on the old door, and the hollow thud of his hoof on the wood echoed in the room beyond.

No answer came.

“Well…” Silver said, “I guess we need to keep looking.”

“Keep looking?” Neon repeated. “Where else could he have gone?”

“Well it’s not like we can go in there,” Spike said.

Neon grunted something that sounded very similar to “We can...we just don’t.”

Silver turned to face the support pony. “You know he killed the last pony that went in there, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what Siren said,” Neon answered, referring to the ghost by her codename.

“I’m willing to trust her on that,” Silver said, before he began to head down the hallway. “Come on, he might have gone to talk with the Princess. He may be gone for a couple of hours, but if we leave a note on his desk—”

The sound of a wooden door swinging open interrupted him, and Silver spun just in time to see Neon disappearing through the door. “Neon!” Silver yelped, before he chased after the support pony into the dark room.

“Neon! Neon, are you crazy!” he whispered frantically as he stepped inside the room.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust, but Silver was not quite prepared for what he saw. The room was large, but covered in clutter to the point where it was almost claustrophobic. He could hardly see the walls for all the stuff that filled the room, and Silver wasn't sure that any actual light in the room would help him with that. A desk dominated the space in front of the room, and Neon was staring at the various knick-knacks that at strewn about it.

“We’ll be fine,” Neon insisted. “The Commander doesn't waste lives, remember? Besides, I’m curious, I want to know what he keeps in here.”

“You are out of your mind!” Silver whispered. “We need to get out...of…”

Is that an old Wonderbolt outfit?

It certainly looked like one, sitting there in a glass case and clinging to the body of an old ponyquin. The old spandex almost looked new, and the only thing that betrayed its age was the design, which Silver knew was discontinued nearly a hundred and forty years ago. Beside the suit were a number of awards, including an old set of Golden laurels that read “Best Young Flyer” along the stems.

Silver looked away, trying to refocus, only for his eyes to fall on something else that caught his attention.

A bonsai tree grew from a tiny pot, and small fruit that looked like apples hung from its branches. Beside the tree, in a large, glass case, was a cowpony hat, sitting lonely, but protected in its home. A pair of work boots, too small for anyone but a foal were set beside the table that held the small collection, so shiny that they might have been worn once.

Everywhere he turned, Silver saw more, almost themed sections in the eclectic collection of clothing, pie tins, pinecones, and more, spread throughout the room with reverence.

“Neon, we really need to get out of here. He’ll know if we’ve touched something, I can feel it,” the assault whispered.

“Woah! Memory gems!” Neon said, holding open a small chest of sparkling gems that played life scenes across their facets.

“What did I just say?” Silver hissed, before he brought a hoof down on the lid of the chest.

“Hey! Careful! My hooves were in there.”

“We need to—” he repeated, before something caught his eye.

Hidden from the door by a divider of stuff, Silver found himself staring at what looked like the edge of another gem, that shone with a soft magenta light. He leaned over, followed by Neon, getting a better view of the gem and its sheer size.

It was longer than a pony, and came up to their barrels if it were to sit on the floor. Instead it was on a short table, lined with a deep, purple velvet that cushioned the gem with a delicate touch.

Yet more than the gem’s colossal dimensions, and its eerie, mystical glow, there was something else that held their curiosity. Something that neither of them could truly see, but that the facets of the gem hinted at.

Silver desperately wanted to leave. He wanted to get out of the room so fast it left a trail in the dust. Yet, as he found himself staring at the gem he could not help but feel captivated. The depths of the gem were distorted by a hundred thousand facets along its sides.

There was something in there. They could tell.

“Okay, we check out the gem and then we leave,” Silver said.

Neon gave him a look, and a small, victorious smile.

They approached the massive stone, getting closer with each careful step until they finally stood next to the massive stone.

The top of the gem was a single facet, a perfect window to the inside, and what they saw took their breath away.

A mare lay still in the crystal. Her forelegs were folded across her barrel, and her face was calm and serene. Her coat was a pristine white, and, if Silver looked hard enough through the side of the gem, he could see the trio of bright blue diamonds on her flank. Her mane was a perfect, royal purple, and styled in royal style that spoke of elegance.

There was but a single flaw upon her features, a dark, red band across her neck, but beyond that, she was the picture of grace and beauty.

She was beautiful.

Her eyes were closed, as if in sleep, but her chest was still. She made no move, and Silver quickly began to wonder if she was actually dead, simply preserved in this strange, glowing, magenta crystal.

Neither of two ponies spoke, simply staring at the mare in the crystal. They had no words for her, for the nameless mare that was forever caught in this gem.

“What are you doing in here?”

The voice froze both ponies where they stood. Neither spoke, neither moved.

They both knew who spoke.

“What are you doing here!” the voice roared, furious.

And they felt that wrath.

===ᐁ===

Alpha team was enjoying lunch, or trying their best to, anyway. Their recent loss left a dour atmosphere over the entire team, and they ate their meals in relative silence.

Amber and Silk sat together, trying to eat while both of them worried. No one had seen Chestnut, in a week. Silver, or Neon hadn’t been seen for almost an hour either. It was starting to worry the sniper.

Then the entire mess hall exploded into chaos.

Silver and Neon were set skidding across the mess hall floor. A table was pushed aside as they landed hard on the concrete floor. Both were suffering from a dozen different cuts along their bodies, and Silver’s subdermal armor was exposed.

And bearing down on them came Commander Spike. He took slow, methodical steps, and his eye were afire. “What were you doing in there!”

Manticore looked up, and began to move, running up to get between the unicorns and the furious dragon.

Spike shoved her aside, his eyes never leaving the two ponies that were barely holding on to consciousness. “You could have broken something!” He yelled, stepping closer. “I can't replace them!”

Silver pushed himself up. “Commander! Commander, I’m sorry, we didn't—”

“You could have ruined something! You could have destroyed the only thing I have left of them! You’re not supposed to go in there!”

Manticore grabbed the dragon, trying to hold him back as he continued to stomp forward.

She barely slowed him down.

“We didn't mean to, we didn't touch anything!” Silver yelled.

“That's all I have left!” Spike roared.

“Spike!” A new voice called, and Sweetie Belle shot through the floor, standing between them. “Spike stop it!” Her voice was a sorrowful wail, and the sheer force of it kept Spike at bay for a moment.

“It's all I have!” Spike said, ignoring them all.

Sweetie closed the distance, arms wide open before she embraced him. “It’s not all you have, Spike. I’m here…”

Whether it was the freezing chill of Siren’s touch, or the words themselves, Spike stopped. He seethed quietly, furious but the flames in his eyes had dimmed.

Finally, he pulled away from the ghost and pointed a claw at the two ponies. “Get them medical attention,” he growled, before stomping away.

Everyone else in the room breathed a sigh of relief, before Sweetie Belle turned to the barely conscious Silver. “You are an idiot.”

===ᐁ===

All things considered, Commander Spike could have done much worse. While Silver's subdermal armor had protected him, Neon had no such protection. Even so, while the cuts were deep, they missed all vital points. After a few spray bandages were applied, and a few growth stimulants to speed up the healing process, they were ready to leave.

The head of the medical team led them out, letting them both know that he would get the a few days leave from active duty. They both quickly thanked him, before they turned and stood face to face with Manticore.

Or one of her softer personalities, at least. “Are you two alright?” She asked.

“We'll be fine, Ma’am,” Silver answered.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Yes Ma’am,” Neon answered.

“Okay,” she finally said, before she looked down the hall towards The Door. “S-Spike wants to see you in his room,” she said, pointing down the hallway.

Neon glanced toward The Door. “He...he does?”

Manticore nodded. “He needs to talk to you,” she said.

Silver slowly nodded, and began to move.

“Is he still mad at us?” Neon asked.

“Very,” she replied, “but as far as he’s concerned, you’ve been punished enough today.”

“Neon,” Silver called. “Let's not keep the Commander waiting.”

Neon frowned, before he quickly caught up with the unicorn that now seemed bent on suicide.

“Are you crazy?” Neon whispered as he stood next to Silver, who continued confidentially to The Door. “He’s going to kill us.”

“If he was going to kill us, he would have,” Silver said. “ This...this is something else.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” Neon said with a sigh.

They finally came to the door, and Silver gave it a firm knock. “Commander? We’re here.”

There was silence for a long second, before an answer came back. “Come in.”

Both ponies entered the room, and were marginally surprised to see it as dark as before. The desk that sat in the middle of the room was empty, but after a few seconds of searching they found him, sitting next to the giant gem, with a claw gently stroking the side. He didn't look up as they approached, didn't even acknowledge that they were there. All he did was speak.

“You came here, but you had no idea what you were doing,” he said, sorrow tinting his voice. “You had no idea what this room means to me, and the damage you could have done. So now, you’re going to learn why this room is so important, and what it means to me,” he said with a sigh.

There was a long silence.

“This room is why the Department exists,” Spike said at length. “I started it because of my friends, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They were off fighting monsters, saving the world, and I was young and wanted to do my part.

“It started well, I put down a few zombies, caught a lycan. I was doing well, Twilight was proud of me, Rainbow Dash was impressed. Everything was nice, you know, despite the whole ‘dealing with monsters’ thing, but the best thing was that it impressed Rarity.”

Spike dragged his claws against the top of the gem. “Looking back, it was the confidence boost. I wasn’t ‘little baby Spike’ anymore, I was a dragon coming into his own. I was starting to act like an adult, and so everyone started treating me like one. It was great, for a bit, but then everything went wrong, and it was that same confidence of mine that let it happen.

“In short, I met a vampire. A very powerful one. His name is Valentine Ebonbite, and I was not ready for him. Of course, I was young, stupid, and riding a high of confidence, so I took him on.”

Spike sighed, before he finally drew his eyes away from the gem to look at them. “He...I don’t know, was amused at first? He toyed with me, led me on a merry chase, we danced the dance, fought some fights, he even let me win a few on occasion.” Another sigh escaped his lips. “I fell for it. I fell for it hard.

“Then one day, I either got too close, or he grew bored of the charade, and he simply approached me one day and told me to stop. I, of course, thought this was some kind of last ditch effort to get me off his back, so I didn't let up. I messed up one of his operations, and I have been the center of attention ever since”

There was a long second of silence.

“Do you know what vampires do? Do what they will always do no matter what?”

“Suck blood?” Neon asked.

“Obsess,” Spike said. “Vampires always obsess. From that moment onward, I had Valentine’s undivided attention, and he made me pay for every second of it.”

Another second passed in silence, and Spike’s eyes drifted back to the gem, and the mare inside.

Finally, Silver spoke up. “What happened?”

Spike didn't answer at first, staring into the magenta depths of the massive jewel. “He attacked my friends,” he finally said. “Never lifted a hoof against me, just destroyed my friends lives.” He turned from the gem and pointed to the Stetson in the glass box. “He started with Applejack.

“Applejack was the bearer of the Element of Honesty, and she lived and breathed by an honest day’s work. Her goal in life was to make Sweet Apple Acres the best Apple farm in all of Equestria, and she did an amazing job at it, too. By the time I started going out to deal with the things that go bump in the night, Sweet Apple Acres was on the verge of becoming the apple supplier to hundreds of bakeries across the country. With hundreds of them being harvested by her own hooves,” Spike said, almost smiling as he remembered.

And then it disappeared into a frown. “So he broke her back and paralyzed her from the waist down. It was a miracle that she could still use her forelegs, really. That didn't matter, though. You know how difficult it is for a mare who has done everything herself, to deal with living in a wheelchair? She hated it, hated it with every ounce of her being. This mare, she didn’t like asking for help before she couldn’t walk. Now that she was in a chair, she had to prove she was capable. She wasn’t of course, but she’d never admit that.”

Spike sighed again. “It took the concentrated effort of her brother and sister to keep the farm afloat, and...well, I don’t know what really became of her other than the fact that she died of old age.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Neon asked.

Spike sighed and shook his head. “The last time I saw her alive...she...she said somethings. She blamed me, and, to be fair, I blamed me, and I didn’t have the courage to see her ever again.”

Neon blinked, feeling uncomfortable.

“Then came Rainbow Dash,” she said, pointing to the wonderbolts outfit. “She worked her entire life to be Wonderbolt. Flying was life for her, she flew everywhere she went, inside or out, and called herself the ‘fastest flyer in Equestria,’ and had the skill to back it up. It took her years, training, and winning dozens of competitions before she finally made it in, she followed her dream.

“That lasted about a year and a half before Valentine ripped her wings off.

“She was devastated,” Spike continued. “She fell into a depression, and tried to commit suicide by jumping off of Canterlot tower at least twice. Fluttershy did her best to help her out, but she was never the same after that.”

Spike gave a slight chuckle. “Now, you know what happened to Fluttershy. By Celestia, I’m still not sure you guys have ever met the real Fluttershy.

“Valentine tried to turn her into his thrall, but, because of this little misadventure we had years ago, she became this strange vampire fruit bat/vampire cross. She went completely feral from the shock, though, and the only reason she doesn’t growl at every passing pony is because Discord split the trauma between the four or five personalities she now has.”

Then Spike went quiet again. “Then came Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was the cheeriest pony you ever met. She smiled all the way through the return of Nightmare Moon, to hear Twi tell it. She loved to meet new ponies, make new friends, and make them smile.”

“How did she go?”

“Old age. In the far end of nowhere, as a hermit by my order,” Spike sighed. “I tried to protect her. Tried to keep her in protective custody. So I threw her somewhere where nopony would find her, nopony would write, and she’d be alone until her dying day, all because of me.”

He stared into the gem, and rubbed a single facet of the massive crystal. “Then came Rarity. She was the worst one. After Pinkie and Fluttershy, I did my best to keep Rarity under guard. I kept the guard with her at all times, she barely have a moment of privacy, but she was protected.

“She didn’t appreciate it. Of course she didn’t, I knew she wouldn’t but it was all I could do. She became furious with me, kicked the guards out, and refused to see me. Probably as some kind of punishment, and that’s when he ripped her neck open.”

“It wasn’t too deep, but she’d bleed out in a few hours, and he must have put something in her, because she was in pain. A lot of pain. Far too much pain, and I did the only thing I could. I brought her to Twilight, and Twilight froze her in crystal.”

He dropped his face against the jewel, and shook his head. “She’s been with me ever since, all two hundred years. I don’t even know if she’s alive in there. She could be conscious, in pain, asleep, I don’t know.”

Spike turned, and stared at both ponies for a very long time. “Valentine has taken and pushed away almost everyone I know. This is what I have left. This is all I have left. This is a reminder to me of why the Department needs to stand. This is why we exist.”

Operation Patient Thorn

The remainder of Alpha team listened intently, eyes wide to Silver and Neon’s story. They absorbed every word of Spike’s tale, and stared as two unicorns revealed what they saw in the room behind The Door.

They had even drawn a crowd, ponies from Gamma Team and Phi both listening as they revealed the Commander's biggest secret.

They had no sooner finished before every pony around them flooded them with questions.

“What about Princess Flurry?”

“What happened to Princess Twilight?”

“Does Rarity feel anything? Is she asleep?”

“Guys, guys,” Neon said, speaking over the crowd. “We don't know, the Commander didn't tell us.”

“He didn't tell us what happened to Princess Twilight. All we know is what the history books tell us,” Silver answered. “Old age with no heirs to her throne.”

“Yeah, but she could have been poisoned!” A pony from Phi said.

“She could have been, but he didn't tell us.”

“She was totally poisoned,” another pony agreed.

“If you want to theorize, you go on ahead,” Silver said before a smile crept onto his face. “Just don't let the Commander catch you.”

As though the warning had been a set of magic words, the entire room went quiet, and the teams quickly went mute.

Silver smiled. “By the way, I feel like I should mention that fact that the Commander has released Chestnut’s location.”

“Where!?” Amber asked, hooves slamming into the table.

“It’s hard to explain, but he can have visitors now,” Silver said. “I can take you there if you want.”

“Just go!” she said, before she leapt into the air over the table.

Silk giggled. “Don’t hold Silver hostage too long, a new movie came out that I want to see with him.”

“No promises!” she yelled back, before dragging Silver from out of the cafeteria.

Silk shook her head, taking another bite of her ice cream as she smiled, the teams slowly dispersing now that the news of what happened in the Commander's room had been revealed.

And then, once she was sure she was alone, Silk finally let herself cry.

That had been too close. Far, far too close.

===ᐁ===

Chestnut had been sequestered away into the most obscure corner of engineering. A single medical room, armed with the best equipment that the Department had. Of course, this hardly mattered to Amber, who was more concerned to see that Chestnut had no legs at all.

“What did they do to you?” she asked, nearly screaming.

“It’s fine,” Chestnut said.

“Fine? You had two less legs than when you came in!” she responded.

“It’s all part of the procedure, Amber.”

“Procedure? They cut your legs off!”

“And they’re going to get me new ones,” he said.

“New legs! You had two perfectly good ones last time I saw you.”

“You’re too upset about this,” Chestnut said. “Calm down.”

“I’m too upset?” she asked. “You’re not upset enough! You look like a kidney bean, for Celestia’s sake!”

“Thanks, dear. Thanks for that.”

Silver stepped forward. “How are you doing Chestnut?”

“Could be better, all things considering. My nose itches.”

Honestly, that was better than what Silver was expecting. He had expected Chestnut to at least be shaken by the loss of his legs, but the heavy weapons expert seemed to take the whole thing in stride. It was as if losing them had been no more traumatic than losing his keys.

Silver’s magic quickly enveloped Chesnut’s nose, and he sighed in relief. “Thanks, Boss. You’re a good pony.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s appreciated,” Silver replied before a took a good look at his heavy weapons pony.

At his withers and flanks, his legs had been completely removed, leaving only a metal plate in each place. Each plate shimmered, with a single yellow gem that almost seemed to crackle with energy.

“So what are they doing about your cutie mark?” Silver asked.

“The Commander said I’d keep it, not sure how, though,” he said.

“They took your cuite mark too? How are you so calm!” Amber asked.

“The Commander said it’ll be fine,” Chestnut told her.

“The Commander got you to sign up for this dumb thing while you were under the influence of painkillers! He manipulated you into this!” she yelled.

“No, he didn’t. The Commander’s just trying to help.”

“He nearly killed Silver and Neon just a few hours ago.”

“What?” Chestnut asked, before turning to the assault. “That’s not true, is it?”

“It’s complicated,” Silver admitted. “But, as someone who’s gone through a different program, I can tell you it’s probably going to work out.”

Chestnut frowned. “If you say so, Boss.”

“I’ll look out for you, Chestnut,” he said. “I’ve got your back.”

Chestnut smiled again. “Thanks, Boss.”

“You’re not going to get him out of this program?” Amber asked.

Silver looked at her. “It’s kind of late for that, considering. If I was going to pull him out, I would have done it back when he still had legs.”

She glared at him, while Chestnut laughed.

“Glad to know you’re doing okay, Chestnut,” Silver said.

“Glad to know you care, Boss,” Chestnut replied warmly as the unicorn left the two alone.

===ᐁ===

The Commander said it would still be awhile before Chestnut would be ready for combat, and with the Department still down to three teams, Alpha would need to move soon. However, given all of the issues Alpha team had to deal with in the past few days, Spike allowed them an opportunity.

They had to make a decision. They could go out a man down, or they could split up and join the other teams as further support.

The decision was easy enough to come to, and the vote went through in a few seconds. Silver agreed to it for his own reason. Personally, he thought that some inter-team relations building would be good for everyone.

And, of course, as the leader of the team, he’d have to go first.

“How ya’ doing, Silver?” Chrome asked as Silver walked into hanger of the DASH-1, ready to take Gamma team to their next mission.

“Better now that I’m not the one in charge,” Silver admitted with Silk standing at his side.

“Yeah, lucky dog, you,” the demolitions pony muttered, before smiling wide. “Well it’ll be nice having a few more ponies to shoot vampires.”

“Vampires?” Silk asked.

“I don't brief my ponies until we’re on the way. I find my assault remembers better when I told him five minutes ago.”

“Doesn't leave much time for questions, does it?” Silver asked.

Chrome shrugged. “It works for me.”

“If you two are done,” a voice said behind them, and both ponies turned to see Spike joining them in the hangar, “we have a job to do.”

“Sir. Yes, sir,” they answered in unison, before falling in step behind the dragon.

“Silver, Silk,” Spike called as he walked. “You’ll be functioning under new callsigns for the duration. You will be known as A2 and S2 for Secondary Assault and Secondary Sniper respectively. Chrome is still the leader of this team, and you will answer to his authority while you work with him. Am I understood in all points?”

“Sir. Yes, sir,” they answered.

Spike simply nodded, before climbing up the loading ramp of the DASH-1. “Gamma Team, we’re moving out!”

The team gathered and quickly piled inside the massive airship while the pilot went through her final checks.

“Take it away, Demo,” Spike ordered.

Chrome nodded before he stood in front of his team. “Alright, team, here’s the lowdown after Alpha’s sting operation not that long ago, we have the Covenant on the run. We’re going in to finish the job.

“The Commander’s picked up news about a Covenant cell fleeing, and we’re going to wipe it out. Initial reports indicate at least twenty members, but we're not sure how many of them, if any, are vampires, so be warned that any of these idiots may be able to rip your arms off, and Chestnut does not need the company.”

Silver frowned at that one.

“Speaking of Alpha team, we have ourselves some guests. Silk and Silver will both be joining with us today, so don't make me look bad.”

Gamma team chuckled.

Chrome waited a second before continuing. “Silver’s call sign will be A2 if you need his help, and Miss Silk will answer to S2. Just play nice, alright?”

“ETA is 4 minutes,” Tinker said over the comms relay.

“You heard the lady, ponies,” Spike said. “Get ready for a landing.”

===ᐁ===

The purring engines of the DASH-1 squealed as it landed. The landing ramp opened wide and Gamma Team and their guests flooded out of the ship’s belly, hooves hitting concrete hard.

Thunder rumbled above them, and the downpour splashed against the concrete and threatened to sweep them away in a flash flood.

They quickly fanned out, weapons up and ready as they found themselves facing a large storage compound. The corporately owned warehouses, out in the middle of nowhere, stood like squat giants, staring down with glowing, window eyes into the shadows between them.

“S2, do you see anything?” Silver asked.

“No thermal signatures that I can see. Might be the rain,” Silk said.

“Alright, ponies, spread out,” Chrome ordered, “keep your eyes open. We don’t know what’s out there. Scout, get ahead and clear a path for Agent.”

The scout, a unicorn named Ivory Jet began to run forward, his enchanted horseshoes sending the once track-runner flying down the concrete.

The infiltration specialist, an earth pony mare named Moonlight, smiled as her gene-enhanced skin began to shift and shimmer before her internal camouflage went to work to blend her into her surroundings.

“Assault, A2!” Chrome yelled, and Silver took a moment to get used to being ordered so suddenly, “you’re the vanguard, Support, on the left, Medic, Sniper, S2, in the middle, Heavy at the back, I’ll take the right side. Move out.”

They began to march, forming a vaguely-militaristic formation before they began to move forward. Silver kept his crossbow leveled, searching the area around them as they began to move closer and closer to the large warehouses.

Ivory spoke up over the comms. “Contacts in building 3B. I repeat, 3B.”

“Roger, preparing to infiltrate,” Moonlight said.

“Pulling back to the squad,” Ivory said.

“Roger.”

Spike moved through the formation, watching with his handgun drawn as the ponies began to zero in on the warehouse labeled 3B. He moved quickly, offering a gentle touch to the shoulders to tell them he was moving past.

Another few seconds went by, and Ivory came back, taking the right side while Chrome shifted into the middle.

“I have four contacts,” Moonlight whispered into her com. “Two offer thermal signatures.”

“Two vampires, two mortals,” Spike muttered.

The team made a mental note, but continued, pushing forward towards the warehouse. Chrome pointed, directing his ponies to various points, while Silver and the other Assault, a pegasus named Onyx prepared to breach the door.

“Update,” Moonlight said. “Two more contacts above. Mention of one more.”

Chrome nodded, setting a charge, before pulling back. “Prepare to breach, in 3. 2. 1.”

An explosion ripped open the warehouse doors, and the assaults rushed in, firing into the red-clad ponies that stood in the open. Through the smoke, two thermal shots shot upward, slamming into the ponies that walked on a catwalk above.

A rain of pneumatic crossbow bolts fanned into the warehouse, even as the two remaining visible ponies cursed. “It’s the Department!”

“Pin those vampires down!” Spike ordered, before Chrome answered with a sun-blessed molotov.

The magically-white flames erupted, consuming the vampires and burning them to ashes within seconds.

“Put that out!” Spike roared, before the flames exploded again, burning bigger and brighter.

They consumed the vampires utterly, burning like magnesium in the presence of undead flesh.

Ivory ran through warehouse, almost a blur with the aid of his magic horseshoes, grabbing three different fire extinguishers before running off to grab more. Gamma team ponies grabbed the extinguishers, and began to spray the foam into the flames.

The flames tried, but with the growing number of extinguishers that were suffocating it, it could not burn forever, and eventually went out.

Spike sighed before turning back to Chrome. “How many times have I said, not to use that one indoors.”

“Sorry Commander, must be my inner arson,” Chrome said with a grin.

Spike glared, and sighed. “Just don’t do that again.”

“Oh, come now, Commander,” a voice said from the darkness, “there’s no need to act like that.”

Spike spun, hitting the ground on all fours, eyes wide and searching for its source.

The team raised weapons, taking a cue from the feral, searching stance of the commander.

A deep, velvety laugh echoed in the room.

“Where are you?” Spike growled. “Where are you, you son of a—”

“Oh you don’t need to worry about that, Commander. I’m not going to hide forever,” the deep, rumbling voice told him, before a figure appeared on the catwalk above. A tall unicorn with a grey coat and a brilliant, red, heart-shaped ruby on his flanks. A faint smile played at his lips, and his eyes were a deep, engulfing red that threatened to swallow them all whole. “Hello, Commander.”

In that second, Silver knew exactly who that was. There was an undeniable air of power that radiated from every single pore of his body. He was stronger than any vampire Silver had ever met, to the point where he could physically feel the vampire’s power. He was a hunter, a noble, a king that was beyond what mere mortals can achieve.

Of course, barely a second later, it was confirmed by a furious, enraged roar.

“Valentine!”

The floor rocked as Spike leapt into the air, trailing green flame, as he cleared that catwalk’s hand guards. Spike moved, wreathed in emerald flame, and swung with everything he had, moving too fast for any of the department pony’s eyes to see. Flashes of green that could only be Spike fire-engulfed claws swung like a tornado of light, but wherever they struck, Valentine was gone.

Always one step ahead, always a fraction of an inch away, Valentine simply slid out of way of every blow, moving so fast that Silver could swear he was merely teleporting out of the way.

For the gathered ponies below, the fight was impossible to see. There was only a pony that was sliding down the catwalk, and a brilliant green fire.

“I have to say, little Commander,” Valentine said, staring into the flame with his blood red eyes, “I’m surprised you brought your kids along, I thought it would be too dangerous for them.”

“Shut up and die!” Spike answered back in a roar.

“Now, now, calm down, Commander,” Valentine warned, “-losing your temper isn’t befitting a dragon of your stature.”

“Just die!”

“Then grow a pair a kill me!” Valentine laughed. “Come on, you little monster, kill me!”

This time Valentine moved, swinging his own hooves to meet Spike’s flaming claws. Thunder sounded with each blow, yet neither of them slowed.

“Come on! Hit me, you little monster! Hit me!” Valentine yelled.

The thunder rolled as the blows came faster, crashing into each other in a crescendo of sound as each tried to land a single blow. A second passed, and then another, until the entire warehouse shook with the sound.

Then finally, finally, it ended. With the sound of a lightning strike, the flaming ball of green fire was sent flying across the warehouse, the flame shedding off the young dragon as he slammed into the far wall at breakneck speeds.

“Tsk, tsk, Commander.” Valentine admonished. “Tsk, tsk.”

Spike was pulling himself from the wall. Trying to free himself from being buried in the concrete.

“First blood goes to me again, and you know what that means, don't you, Commander?”

“Leave them out of this!” Spike roared.

“It means I get to kill one of your little kids,” the vampire said, turning his gaze down on the team of ponies on the warehouse floor below.

When his eyes passed over them, Silver felt his body freeze. Terror locked his joints in place. The power in his gaze alone felt on par with the horrid, bloody monstrosities that he had seen cultist try to summon from beyond, and Silver felt honestly, truly afraid.

His body screamed at him, roared for him to move, but his legs were far to terrified to move. His hooves were carved marble, his body was solid lead. He would not move.

He was alone in the gaze of Valentine Ebonbite.

A flaming claw slammed into the vampire’s face, breaking his gaze, before Spike yelled “Get to the ship!”

Back in control of his body, Silver turned to see the cowering mass of Gamma team clinging to the far wall. “Move, ponies! Move!”

The tore off, rushing out of the warehouse, before Spike leapt down, spewing flame. Green fire caught the crates, boxes and tarps that stood by the walls, before burning red.

“Where are you off to, Commander?” Valentine asked, half his face burned down to the skull. “We have business.”

“Burn in Tartarus, monster!” Spike yelled, before unleashing his breath once more.

The fire engulfed Valentine, burning brighter in the presence of undead flesh. Valentine’s skin cracked and peeled, his fangs and exposed bone blacked, but he walked, as calm as though it were a Sunday evening.

Spike breathed again, his fire spewing across the warehouse until there was not a foot that was not covered in flame.

“Is that it, Commander?” Valentine asked, slowly burning away to a black skeleton with a brilliant, pumping red heart. “Is this all you have for me? Because Tartarus is far warmer, I assure you.”

Spike turned, and ran, leaving the warehouse to burn as he ran to catch up with team. “Thundercloud! That ship better be off the ground by the time I get there!”

“Yes, sir!” came Tinker’s reply.

His claws raked the dirt as Spike ran, his lithe, reptilian body slithering through the air as he closed the distance between him and the DASH-1. It hovered a foot off the ground, the loading ramp open and waiting as Silver and Chrome stood, hooves outstretched.

Spike leapt up, into the waiting hooves, and the ramp closed behind them, locking them in.

The DASH-1 pulled away, floating into the sky while its engines began to whine.

“You did it, Commander! You got him!”

Spike shook his head. “I bought us time. Not much more than that.”

“You bought us time? He can’t burn?” Silver asked.

“If it was that easy, this would have been over a long time ago.”

===ᐁ===

From the center of the still burning warehouse, the blackened skeleton of Valentine watched as the form of the airship flew through the air, disappearing like a shooting star.

His lipless fangs smiled as he watched his enemy escape, with a debt between them, nonetheless.

Well, that would have to be settled another time then.

But soon, very soon.

And all the while, the glowing, ruby heart of the vampire known as Valentine was beating, always beating, even with no blood to pump.

Fortification

The second they had touched down, Spike had began to fortify the headquarters. “I am not letting that scumbag get in!” He had roared, before going off himself to erect concrete barricades.

The teams were quick to follow, setting up killing fields, choke points, checkpoints, defensive cover and more. They were making the whole headquarters into a fortress.

It actually confused Silver a bit.

“Aren’t we safe just because vampires can't enter a home without being invited?” he asked, setting up another barricade.

“He can be invited by anything. All he needs is one ghoul that knows how to speak to let him in. We're going to make sure the ghouls don't set a hoof inside.”

That was a better answer than he expected, honestly.

The floor was reinforced with grates and steel, automated Thermal Shot turrets with their best, albeit prototype targeting spell matrix gems.

Large, triangular barricades were set with their long, hypotenuse slant facing where the enemy would be coming from. “Hopefully, it would keep the enemy from using the barricades against us,” Spike told them. “That, and it’ll hopefully roll any grenades they throw back at them.”

“Grenades? I thought we were dealing with ghouls?”

“Have you ever seen a ghoul use a grenade?” Spike asked.

“No sir?”

“Well I certainly don’t want to.”

The logic was almost self-evident.

Almost.

In two days time the headquarters had transformed from - secret underground base - to a full on military bunker. There was not a hallway that was not covered by some firearm at all times. It was impenetrable, if Silver had to say so himself.

“We did a good job, team,” Silver said to Alpha Team.

“I’m just glad we’re getting back to shooting things.” Sparky muttered.

Wiping the sweat off his face, Silver smiled. “You know, I’m almost proud of this.”

“Good, cause there's more to do,” the Commander said, walking up behind them.

“More?” Neon asked, almost scandalized at the thought.

“More,” Spike confirmed.

“But sir,” Silver began, “-this base is practically impossible to assault. They couldn't get past—”

“You can't get past the defenses and turrets, but we're dealing with something way beyond you,” Spike grunted. “We're not done. Not by a long shot. We're going to be at this for the next week.”

“A week of this?” Sparky groaned.

“Yes, a week,” the dragon said. “Now, I have some silver oil for you to apply to the floor and walls. Let's see them dig through the floor again.”

Silver sighed as Spike began to walk away, leading them away to their next job. “Well, you heard the dragon, let's go,” he said.

===ᐁ===

Defenses weren't the only thing the teams were preoccupied with during the week. Gamma and Phi both had been given a full briefing on Valentine, and Alpha was now waiting for their own to begin any second.

The team was gathered in the briefing room, waiting on Spike to show up and give them the full story on what was happening, spread across the whole room.

Sparky sat at the table, half asleep. Being the team’s only heavy lifter until Chestnut got back, he had been given most of the lifting work when it came to the defenses. Lemon sat opposite him, reading over a list of a new potion grenades types that Spike had been reserving for this. Mandible and Neon sat to one side, playing cards as they waited, and Amber was by herself, sighing.

“I guess we’re all here,” Silk said, walking up next to Silver.

“All but Spike,” the Assault said.

“Oh, don’t tell me you forgot me already,” someone said.

The team turned to see Chestnut, rolling in on a wheelchair.

“Chestnut!” Amber cried, before she flew across the room to hug his neck.

“Hey everyone,” Chestnut said, rolling forward.

“Naw, couldn’t forget you, Chestnut,” Silver said. “There’s too much empty space without you. How are you doing, man?”

“Better,” the Heavy said. “I can move now, but I’m kinda stuck in a chair for a bit. But check this out,” he said, before he held out his new arm.

The steel and brass limb looked like something out out of a science fiction comic. Gears and wheels clicked and spun along the joints, while the almost skeletal body of the arm hissed as pistons worked. It moved as fluidly as a living leg, and it even reacted to Silver’s touch.

“Wow,” the unicorn muttered, “that’s a pretty piece of work.”

“It get’s better,” Chestnut said. “Pull it.”

“Pull it?” Silver asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, pull it sideways.”

Silver obeyed, and the arm came free. “I think it was a little loose,” Silver said, before the arm moved in the unicorn’s magical grasp.

Silver stared up at it.

It waved at him, and Chestnut smiled.

“I…”

“It’s attuned to me,” Chestnut explained. “That’s why it’s taking so long. Everything else is ready, it’s just my legs now.”

“Okay…” Silver said, still trying to process the whole thing, and returned the leg back where it belonged. “Why do you need removable legs that you can still control?”

Chestnut smiled. “You’ll see soon enough.”

“Alright everyone, time for business,” Spike said, walking in suddenly.

The team took their seats, and the changeling gave Sparky a nudge, waking him from his nap.

“As I’m sure you’ve heard,” Spike began as the room fell silent, “Gamma Team recently ran into a vampire that has been confirmed to be Valentine Ebonbite. Now Ebonbite is a very powerful vampire, but in this briefing I’m going to do my best to give a sense of how powerful he is.”

“Can’t be that hard,” Sparky muttered to himself.

If Spike heard him, he didn’t acknowledge him. “According to our best sources Valentine was a native of the Crystal Empire. He was a mage in the service of the royal family, and eventually began to search for a means of immortality.”

“As one does,” Mandible said with a smirk.

“So he delved into necromancy,” Spike continued. “He eventually decided that being a vampire was his best bet. However, instead of doing the traditional thing and going to get bit, he decided that he was going to try a different route. He took a vampire, killed him, and crystallized the vampire’s blood into a gem.

“Then the madman decided to replace his heart with the gem,” Spike explained. “This gave him vampirism, but also gave him an incredible head start in power.”

“Any idea why he wanted to do it that way?” Mandible asked.

“The best we can guess, he didn’t want to risk becoming a thrall, so he cut out the middlepony. Either that, or he found out that his way would allow him to use the vampire’s power as his own. Or he did it to combat the weakness of vampirism. We’re not sure, all we know is what other vampires have told us.”

“And what else have they told us?” Silk asked.

“Well, they have a strong suspicion that Valentine may have inspired Sombra to action, if that means anything to you.”

“Wasn’t he a villain that the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony fought?” Neon asked.

“He was,” Spike said. “Enslaved all of Crystal Empire before the girls and I stopped him. Anyway, Valentine. Valentine had escaped the original sealing of the Empire after leaving the royal court. Since then, he’s been focusing on his powers of necromancy and with his new heart, there was very little that could be done against him. Rival vampires either left him alone or died, and that was just the start.”

Spike took a moment, sighing before he continued. “Moving on to more modern events, he has taken an obsessive interest in the Department, and has created multiple ‘games’ that determine whether or not various employees live or die. He has very little respect for mortal pony life.

“As for weaknesses,” Spike continued, “...stakes are useless because he has no heart to impale. We already know silver isn’t any good against vampires, and he is resistant to fire. He can grow back from nothing but his heart, sunlight stops his powers, but he still has more than a thousand years of necromantic study, and could raise an army of the undead in broad daylight. The only that keeps the madman from moving openly against Equestria as a whole are the Princesses themselves, which keeps him, and the vampires with actual brains working in the shadows.”

“So basically he’s just tougher?” Sparky asked.

“He’s far more than ‘just tougher,’” Spike grunted. “If the vampires were to have open war, he would be the undeniable winner. The only vampire I could even imagine being able to go hoof to hoof with him would be the First Vampire herself, and even then, I’m not so sure.”

The briefing room went silent for a long time.

“Valentine is the greatest threat the Department has ever faced. Yes, there may be some creatures that are stronger, or faster, but Valentine was smarter, and it made him tougher than everything else we have ever faced.”

“So how do we take him down?” Silver asked.

“Destroy the heart,” Spike said. “Although, as you can probably guess, that's easier said than done. He has it enchanted to resist everything from crushing force, chipping, fire, ice, electricity, silver and more.”

“So we can't break it?” Chestnut asked.

“No, there's always a limit to resistance enchantments. We can break it, but it will take extreme effort to do so. The hard part is getting the heart. I haven’t gotten it in the past two hundred years,” Spike said. “But I promise you, the second we do, we will finally be able to end this.”

===ᐁ===

Fortification continued, day by day, building on top of every new level to be more and more defensible. It was almost ridiculously excessive, if not for the sheer resilience of the monsters Silver had seen. Of course, that didn’t stop him from feeling uncomfortable, knowing that the tiny IR card he was now forced to carry was the only thing between him and death by high-caliber rounds.

When the week had fully passed, only then was Spike confident enough to begin missions again. Silver had gone out again, and come back. Sparky and Neon had a mission with Phi, and Amber and Lemon went together on another mission with Gamma.

Chestnut, meanwhile, got his second arm, and was beginning to “calibrate” them with trips down to the firing range. That’s where Silver found him on the Monday after, sitting in his motorized wheelchair as he fired a pneumatic crossbow. “How’s it coming, Chestnut.”

“Oh, hey, Boss,” the heavy weapons pony geeted. “It’s going pretty good. I think my aim’s better with these new legs.”

“Aim’s more about your eye,” Silver said.

“That’s not what the target’s saying,” Chestnut said with a smirk.

“So are you going to tell me what the removable legs are for, yet?” Silver asked.

Chestnut smiled. “Oh- that’d ruin the surprise boss.”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going to keep quiet about this?”

Chestnut smiled and reloaded.

“Alright,” the assault pony said with a smirk. A moment passed, and then another before Silver spoke up again. “How’s Amber treating you?”

“She’s still upset that the Commander took my legs, and mad at me that I’m not upset, but other than that she’s treating me well. She says my arms are too cold, though.”

“We can’t win every time.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Chestnut emptied another magazine of bolts into the target against the far wall. “I’m telling you, Boss, the arms made my aim better.”

Silver shook his head. “If you say so, man. You going to join us for dinner?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be with the whole team.”

“Not the whole team. Sparky’s off with Gamma tonight on another mission, but Amber and the others are here.”

“Close enough,” Chestnut said, before he backed away from the counter and wheeled over to the weapon rack. “Alright, let’s go.”

Silver nodded, and the two began to head back towards cafeteria. “You know, I have to ask… is it true what the girls are saying about you, Boss?”

“Depends on what they’re saying about me,” Silver replied.

“I heard that you stared down Valentine.”

Silver frowned. “No...no that’s true.”

“Really?” Chestnut asked. “I mean, it sounds like something you’d do. Stand in front a thing like that.”

“I was standing because I was to afraid to move,” Silver admitted.

Chestnut blinked. “You? Scared, Boss? I don’t believe it.”

“That’s probably why they think I was being brave.”

“You were honestly scared?” Chestnut asked, like he couldn't wrap his head around the idea.

“Yes, Chestnut, honestly.”

The earth pony cyborg shook his head. “Then why tell me that? You could let everyone think you're a hero if you wanted to.”

“Honestly Chestnut, I prefer ugly truth over unearned praise. I’ve known too many real heroes to do otherwise.”

===ᐁ===

Sparky and Gamma were preparing their strike.

They had tracked another Crimson Covenant cell down to a building in the middle of the desert south of old Equestria. The tiny house, little more than a room by itself, led to a staircase that descended into a series of tunnels and underground chambers that threatened a lot of close quarters combat.

Sparky was looking forward to it, it had been a while since he used his knife. The magically reinforced obsidian blade was ready to slip between flesh, and maybe stab another vampire or two.

“Now come on, focus. You have a job to do, Sparky.”

“Alright. Team, get ready,” Chrome Shift said, as he loaded molotovs into his potion launcher.

Gamma checked their rounds, magazines and crossbows, checking and re-checking their arms just to make sure they didn't jam. The click-clack of the crossbows being reloaded echoed for a second or two before Chrome nodded. “Alright, let’s move.”

The team moved, inching toward the small building that was being guarded by two cultists armed with muskets. The only one who stayed behind was the Sniper, who took careful aim at her target.

Sparky waited at the back.

They moved closer, Gamma’s Scout and Assault inching forward with their crossbows trained on one of the guards.

A second passed. Another.

And Gamma made its move, in a perfectly timed, simultaneous attack, two crossbow bolts slammed into one of the guards while a thermal shot vaporized half of the face of the other.

“Move in, move in, secure the stairs.”

Gamma worked like a well-oiled machine. Sliding over to the muskets, and setting them aside while the others stood next to the stairs, setting up a secured area while the team gathered itself.

“Okay, we’ll move down, and begin to clear the complex. Remember what the Commander taught us. Ready to move on my mark.”

Sparky smirked. “Just keep making my job easier.”

Chrome took a second, a deep breath, and motioned with his hoof. Time to move. Gamma began to drop into the tunnels beneath the building, and the temperature immediately dropped as they entered the concrete catacombs.

Sparky kept his focus as they went down, slowly making his way toward the back. Deeper and deeper down they went, and they made contact, but Sparky didn't.

Sparky was in the back, and with a thought, had activated his internal camouflage.

Effectively invisible in the darkness, Sparky moved away, heading down side passages and empty rooms to try and get around Gamma and the firefight happening a few rooms away.

He searched the rooms, looking for the thing that could grant him what he wanted. He ran past empty room after empty room, checking high and low it.

“What are you looking for, little pony?” A voice growled in the darkness.

Sparky spun, leveling his crossbow out of habit at a Pegasus with bat wings.

Sparky smirked. “Perfect, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Talk to me?” The vampire asked. “That is a very dangerous thing to do.”

“Not as dangerous as talking to your boss,” the scout said with a smirk.

The vampire regarded him a moment or two. “You wish to speak with Lord Ebonbite?”

Sparky nodded. “I want to make a deal.”

===ᐁ===

Only a few rooms away, the fighting was fierce. Musket fire and silver tipped crossbow bolt flew through the air at terrible speeds, leaving the air between both sides as little more than a crossfire of whistling metal.

The heavy weapons pony kept trying to provide suppressive fire, but every time he moved, the cultists would focus their fire on him. “I need a moment!”

“Give me a second!” Chrome yelled, loading a potion into his launcher. He slid the potion home and turned into the hallway.

Thunder sounded, and Chrome went flying backwards.

“They have a cannon!” the sniper shouted from cover.

“Demo is down!” the medic yelled, staring at Chrome’s upper body. His hind legs had been torn off, leaving him with only his forelegs which still gripped his weapon. “Someone take out that cannon!”

A sudden streak shot across the room, and a volley of bolts shot forward, ripping the enemy cannon team to pieces. Sparky stood amongst them all, standing like some sort of angel. “We have four vampires a few rooms down. We're going to need backup.”

“You heard the pony!” The agent yelled. “We're outgunned. Pull out! Thundercloud, be ready for extraction!”

Gamma began to move, the heavy weapons pony pulling Chrome’s broken form onto his back as they sounded the retreat. They ran up the stairs and into the sunlight.

Yet Sparky waited at the top of the stairs, and stared into the darkness behind him.

Two, hungry red eyes stared back at him from the shadows.

A single, long, understanding look passed between them.

The scout nodded, and moved on.

Operation Glass Prophet

Chrome was in rough shape.

He was finally stable, but any normal doctor would have told him that he was never going to walk again. His hind legs had to be amputated to his knees, leaving only a pair of bandaged stumps for him to walk on.

Luckily, the Department didn't have normal doctors.

After giving his express permission, Chrome enrolled into the same program as Chestnut, and Alpha team’s heavy was ready to walk him through each step as they prepped him for his first surgery.

Still, with Gamma’s leader down for the duration, the restriction on Alpha team had to be lifted. “You guys can take a team mission again,” Spike had said. “With the next recruiting day still months away, I can't afford not putting you on the field.”

Silver understood, although he was still incredibly cautious about sending his team out where a monster was waiting for them. It didn't help that Chestnut still wasn't back in fighting shape. He had three legs now, complete with his cutie mark etched into the hind leg, but that was still too few for the “Auto-hydraulic Jack” program to be effective.

So Silver delayed. He waited and waited as long as he could before he finally, finally relented. He had picked a “delivery” job, a hopefully easy job creating an armory stockpile in case one of the teams were stuck outside the base.

“Let's go, Alpha team, we have a job to do.”

Ponies moved this way and that, preparing their load for deliver.

The only trick was that the info network suggested that there could be a Covenant cell nearby.

Hopefully the cell was either non-existent, and merely the result of a wild rumor, or they were weak, and would go down without much difficulty.

They had taken out cells before, it was possible.

Silver just hoped he was right.

“Leaving already?” Chestnut asked, and Silver looked up to see the earth pony roll up in his wheelchair.

“Yeah, we won't be long, though,” Silver said.

“Better not be,” the heavy said with a smirk. “Amber and I have a date tonight.”

“She’ll be back, don’t worry. You going to be okay by yourself?”

“Yeah, I’ll just spend a little time sitting in the cafeteria while I wait for you to get back.”

Silver nodded. “I’ll send Amber your way once we land.”

“Oh, you won't have to. I’ll be right here once you get back,” Chestnut replied.

Silver blinked, and was about to say something, when Silk called over. “Hey, Assault, we’re ready!”

“Who said you were waiting on me? Load her up, and let's go.” he turned back to the wheelchair-bound pony. “You’ll be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, just get out of here and do your job.”

Silver smiled. “Will do.”

===ᐁ===

With the DASH-1 hovering in the air, Silk scanned the ground below them. Ponies ran back and forth, moving large crates as they tried not to trip over their crimson robes.

Covenant ponies crawled over the small, abandoned Celestial cathedral that was supposed to serve as their backup armory.

“They’re everywhere,” she said.

“Of course they are,” Silver groaned.

“They’re too close to the church to bombard,” Spike noted.

“We can still try,” Silver said.

Spike shook his head. “If we run them out, they won’t come back here, it’ll make the building more secure.”

The DASH-1 barely purred as it hovered above the cathedral. It’s lights were off, and its engines were running silent. This kept the ship all but invisible to the ponies on the ground, who continued to move, unaware of the Department sniper staring down at them with her incredible eyes. “There’s another one.”

“What do you mean another one? Here are dozens of them,” Silver asked.

She glanced at him, mildly-annoyed. “There’s a different one. He’s covered in silver.”

“What kind of silver?” Spike asked.

“A crown, a silver belt, just tons and tons of jewelry.”

“Any weapons?” Spike asked.

“Um...a silver knife that he’s swinging around?”

“Does it have any runes on it?”

“A few,” she said.

“One that looks like a set of teeth?” Spike asked.

“Uh...yes...yes there’s one there,” she said.

Spike groaned. “Of course Valentine would have a priest…”

“What?” Silver asked.

“Every now and then someone’s ego gets big enough that they think they’re an honest to goodness god. When they do, well, what else is there to do but hire a priest?”

Silver blinked. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately.”

“So what?” Silk asked, hefting her longrifle. “Do we take him out or not?”

Spike sighed. “We can...and nothing would make me happier than dropping Valentine’s ego a bit. Unfortunately, it’ll make him come against us all the harder. That’s something we almost definitely do not want.”

“So do we find another cache location?” Silk asked.

“You will,” Spike said. “I have some unfinished business.”

Silver had just enough time to open mouth before Spike leapt from the open cargo bay door.

Both ponies watched as the dragon landed, his handgun barking it’s hard-mana needles at the cultists, tearing skin and clothing apart with ease.

Silver sighed.

“We're going in?” Silk asked.

“We're going in…” he answered. “Thundercloud, touch down, we have to get the Commander back up here.”

“Roger that,” Tinker answered before the DASH-1 began to drop.

“Get ready, team. LZ is hot!” Silver yelled, before Silk took to the air, flying for the tower with all speed.

“Demo!” Silver called. “I need you to open up the LZ!”

Lemon ran up, eager to send a very familiar, white-hot grenade into the Covenant ranks. The sun-blessed Molotov erupted into a bright, white light, and more than one cultist burned in the holy flame.

A red thermal shot vaporized another cultist head, and between the fire, Silk’s pinpoint shots, and the rampaging dragon, the DASH-1 one landed without trouble. “Let's move, team!” Silver ordered, and Alpha Team quickly poured out of the cargo bay.

Neon rushed forward, bolts flying from his pneumatic crossbow, as Sparky followed close behind. Mandible and Amber took the right side, while Silver and Lemon took the left. With the sudden, three-pronged attack from the front, the cultists ran, trying to form proper ranks.

These results were quickly ended by Spike’s own claws. In minutes, the cultists were torn to pieces, and the forces that were surrounding the cathedral were utterly destroyed.

With the initial cultist force down and out, the tea! Moved forward, catching up with Spike.

“I thought I said to find a new cache location,” Spike noted.

“Sir, we will, sir. However we decided it was prudent to first eliminate any possible chance of the enemy following us,” Silver said.

Spike narrowed his eyes, before the sudden, frantic yelling of a madpony inside caught his attention. “Rise up, my brothers! Rise and defend yourselves from those who would leave us blind! Rise to protect the name of the Great Guide! Lord Ebonbite will take us through the darkness, we are only asked to stand!”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “They worship a vampire, but call us evil?” he asked.

“It takes a special kind of pony to be a cultist, Assault,” Spike explained. “Now get in there!”

The Celestial cathedral, according to tradition, had one door, facing the East. It would be a tight, and no doubt deadly chokepoint for the enemy to take advantage of.

Luckily, they had a pony just for that job. “Agent, get in there and secure a hoofhold!”

“Shall I serve you tea as well?” He asked, before his mirror cloak hid his body in a strange, almost magical shimmer.

“Sniper, try and find a spot behind us to shoot from, we’ll need you focused on taking the ones ahead of us out.”

“Already ahead of you, Assault,” she replied in a sing-song voice.

“Alright, Demo, open us up with a stun potion,” Silver ordered.

“Gladly,” she replied, loading the proper grenade.

“Breach in 3, 2, 1!”

The doors exploded inward, and immediately the air was filled with smoke and whistling lead as the Covenant ponies fired their muskets. This lasted half a second before the space between them exploded in white light and sound.

The cultists screamed, firing blindly as the brilliant flash burned into their eyes. Silver caught a few bullets, but other than the hole in his skin, his subdermal armor protected him. Still, he dove for cover, hiding behind a long empty stone basin.

“Charge!” Silver yelled, feeling like an idiot as he did, while the first line reloaded.

The priest stood at the altar, which had been defaced, as though to make Ebonbite’s claim all the more legitimate. “Defend yourselves, my children, defend the name of our Lord Ebonbite!”

He was silenced with a perfect thermal shot to the face.

“They took the priest!” a cultist cried. “Avenge him!”

The crossfire was as hard in the chokepoint as Silver thought it would be. The lead was flying, the muskets were roaring, bolts were leaping across the space, and there was not a single, safe square foot of air as the cultists and Alpha Team both laid into each other.

And then the backstabbing began.

Silver couldn’t hear them over the musket fire, but he saw that the cultists were screaming at each other. They were angry, pointing hooves, and yelling before they drew their weapons on each other. Silver almost didn’t believe it when he saw the cultists shooting each other.

“Push forward!” Silver yelled, hoping that the distraction on the Covenant line would be enough for them to push through.

The Department ponies pushed forward, passed into the sanctuary, firing bolts and pinning ponies left and right. In seconds, the Covenant ponies were taken care of, leaving little more than bodies ready to be cremated.

Mandible deactivated his mirror cloak, reappearing amongst the bodies. “You know, convincing them that their friends stabbed them was almost too easy,” he said with a smirk, before his face changed to one of the bodies around him. “Brick? What are you doing Brick? Arg!” He chuckled to himself before his face changed again. “Like, they turned on each other so fast that these guys have to have some serious trust issues. Sorry, had trust issues.”

Silver raised an eyebrow. “You’re certainly taking a lot of enjoyment out of this,” he noted.

Mandible shrugged, smiling all the way. “Old habits, you know?”

Spike walked up. “Well, at least we cleared up this mess,” he grunted. “Of course, now I think about it, they may have too much interest in this cathedral. We may need to move to a different location anyway.”

“Well, if nothing else, we stopped what they were going to do here,” Lemon said, while Amber flew over to take care of Silver’s bullet wounds.

Silver nodded. “Besides, it could have been worse. They could have had a stronger force, could have been more dug in, any number of things.”

“Yes...I could have been here.”

Everyone froze at the sound of rumbling, deep voice.

Spike spun, drawing his weapon and searching the shadows.

Valentine laughed. “You’re just so easy to startle, Commander.”

“What do you want, Valentine?” Spike demanded as motioned the others to get out of the church as fast as possible.

“Why that’s simple, Commander. I drew first blood last time. You owe me a life.”

In a single moment, everything went wrong.

Spike had just enough time to turn, eyes wide in horror as he realized what was about to happen. Alpha team was still backing out of the chapel, keeping their eyes on the shadows, checking behind only after Spike had moved.

By then it was far too late.

A face, half skull, half flesh, was among them. The grinning, fanged smile of Valentine as his hooves reached out for a neck.

Silver had enough time to blink, before Valentine was gone, carrying a pony up with him. A strangled, feminine cry sounded, along with the weak flapping of wings.

“Let her go!” Spike yelled, firing shot after shot at the vampire.

He simply weaved out of the way, dodging each attack as he carried his captive up into the air, out of reach.

Fire form the team shot upwards after him, all trying to stop the vampire and save their teammate. They might as well have been throwing tissue paper.

Valentine laughed, before he tossed the mare into the air. Immediately she threw her wings open, trying to catch the wind before the blood-red aura of Valentine’s magic.

Valentine shook her about, throwing the mare about like a rag doll. “Now, now, Commander. You should know by now that it is my job to make sure anyone that walks with you dies. And I don’t leave a job half-finished.”

With that, he squeezed, and Amber Breeze, medic of Alpha team, felt her windpipe crush. She clawed at the magic around her throat, but by then, she had already breathed her last.

The whole room exploded in panic.

More shots rocketed up to the vampire, trying to hit him as he danced out of the way.

He let Amber fall, still faintly struggling to breathe as Valentine stepped into the shadows.

She hit the ground hard, too busy trying to breath to spread her wings. Silver rushed to her side, fumbling to grab her first aid kit that was secured to her belt.

He finally pulled it free, and wasted no time opening it. A dozen different tools stared back at him, and his lack of training made him hesitate.

Only for Spike to pick up the slack. “Call Thundercloud closer!” He ordered, “prepare for emergency evac!”

“What about Valentine?” Neon asked.

“He’s long gone,” Spike said. “It’s just us now.” He grabbed a small, plastic tube from the kit, and stabbed it into her neck. A slight spray of blood shot upward, hitting Spike’s scales in a fine mist. Her chest immediately Rose, filling with air again.

Silver ran out, yelling into his comms as he tried to reposition the massive airship.

“I’m ordering you to stay alive medic,” Spike told her. “Training a good medic takes too much time.”

She was breathing heavy, and her eyes were unfocused.

A bloody foam began to dribble from the tube, and Spike cursed as he carefully drew his claws down her side. He felt every rib, until he felt one give, still over her lungs.

Spike had seen this enough to know exactly what happened.

The fall broke a rib. A very important rib.

He cursed again, before he began yelling over his communicator. “Get here faster, Thundercloud. Her lungs pierced. She’s bleeding fast, and it's choking her!”

“Touching down now, sir,” she replied as the DASH-1’s loading lights turned on.

“Grab a stretcher and get the medic on board!” Spike yelled.

Alpha team moved as fast as they could, rushing to save their medic. “Let's move, let's move!” Silver said. “It's our turn to save her flank, let's go!”

They ran up the loading bay door, and Silver and Silk quickly secured her in place as Spike yelled into the cockpit. “Back to HQ, full speed ahead! We’re saving this mare!”

“Sir!” Tinker answered, before the loading bay door closed shut.

The DASH-1 lurched forward, picking up speed as they slowly raised in the air.

===ᐁ===

Chestnut read his book, trying to figure out what a “sconce” was, when the massive steel doors began to open.

He looked up from his novel. They were back already? That was fast. Maybe the Covenant cell had already backed out before the team got there? Ah, it didn’t matter as much, the point was they were back.

Setting his book in his lap, he began to make his way toward the landing dock.

“Ah, Guttentag, Chessnut,” a voice said as he pulled into the hallway, and he turned to Butter Streusel walking up behind him.

“Hello, Miss Streusel. What brings you here?”

“Ah, vell it is mein day off, und it is mein turn to be outside,” she explained. “So, vee decided to take zee valk around zee department.”

He nodded. “I might take one of those myself here soon.”

“Ah, of course. You only need one more leg, Ja?”

Chestnut nodded. “Yup, one more and I can walk again. Of course, the suit’s what going to be real fun.”

She chuckled to herself. “I’m shure. Vell, don’t let me keep you, dear, go und zee your beloved.”

Chestnut smiled again. “Always.”

The earth pony began to wheel himself down a ramp, through a set of doors, and finally came down to the landing bay.

The DASH-1 was just touching down, and the loading door hissed open.

Chestnut smiled as Alpha Team began to walk down the door-turned-ramp. “Hey, everybody, good to see you back.”

No one answered him.

The earth pony’s smile began to fade. “Guys?”

They didn’t look at him.

“Guys?” he asked, concern growing with every second. “Guys?”

Spike and Silver came last, and they were the only ones that could even look him in the eyes. “Chestnut…” Silver began.

“Where’s Amber?” he asked, a growing sense of dead building in the pit of his stomach.

“Chestnut,” Silver began again. “Valentine was there.”

A couple of nurse ponies ran up to the cargo bay.

“What happened?” he asked, his mouth going dry.

“He was out for blood,” Spike said. “He felt that he was owed a life, so he was trying to take it.”

The nurse ponies walked out, carrying a stretcher with a figure, covered by a sheet.

Chestnut took a long, shaky breath.

“I’m sorry, Chestnut,” Silver said, “we tried everything we could, the DASH-1 just wasn’t fast enough to get here in time.”

Chestnut said nothing.

“Chestnut,” Silver began, before Spike laid a claw on his shoulder.

“Just...let me take care of this,” Spike said.

Chestnut simply stared at the open cargo bay doors.

Silver frowned, but conceded, and walked away, leaving the wheelchair-bound earth pony, and the dragon alone.

Spike said nothing, but merely set a claw down on his living back, and sat beside him.

Neither moved, nor said a thing for hours.

Spike sat there, patting his back while Chestnut simply stared at the empty cargo bay.

Finally, finally Chestnut spoke up. “Is this what he did to you, Commander?”

“Over and over again,” Spike told him.

“Then I’m going to kill him. For both of us.”

Operation First Hymn

They had a new mission.

With the general plan of “kill Valentine once and for all, especially now that he launched a terrorist attack,” the whole Department was focusing its efforts on finding the vampire in question. The whole research team was dedicated to try to discover some way of tracking him, while the teams were spreading out all across the country to try and find any trace of him.

Alpha Team was gathered for a mission to the Macintosh hills. “Why aren’t we heading for the ship?” Sparky asked.

“Chestnut, he’s finally ready to get back into the action,” Silver told them. “That and we’re meeting our replacement medic, too.”

“So we can leave without a heavy, but we need a medic?” Sparky asked.

“Hey, I’m not going to argue with that,” Neon said with a snort. “I need someone to patch me up.”

Silver led the team down to the briefing room, where their medic was waiting.

According to the dossier that passed by his desk, the medic’s name was Cotton Swab, and he was what Spike called a member of the “reserve” promising recruits that Spike left alone unless he failed to meet minimum recruit numbers.

Most reserve recruits manage to escape service, but every now and then, some poor unlucky sod gets pulled into the Department, and Cotton pulled the short end of the stick this time.

It doesn’t help that Spike typically filled the reserve with medic hopefuls.

They stepped inside the briefing room, to meet a white-coated pony. “Um...hi,” he said as he watched the heavily armed ponies entered the room. “You...are all way more armed than I thought you’d be…”

“You get used to it,” Silver said. “Have you gone on any missions?” he asked.

“Uh...not really…” he said. “I mean...I went through some training but—”

“Oh no...he’s a rookie…” Sparky groaned.

“Hey, at least we’re just fighting ponies this time around,” Silver said.

“What do you mean ‘just ponies?’” Cotton asked.

Lemon groaned.

“Somebody brief him,” Silver ordered before Mandible slid up beside the medic.

“Oh, you are going to have so much fun, kid,” the changeling said with a grin.

“Wait...you’re a black changeling?” Cotton asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

“Hey now, that’s racist.”

Silver lead them on, out and around through the complex until they finally came to the landing pad, where the DASH-1 waited for them.

Well, the DASH-1 and a massive hulk of machinery.

“What’s that?” Silk asked.

The team slowly approached the massive hulk of metal, trying to figure out what exactly it was before Chestnut walked up to them, answering them as he carried one of his metal, detachable legs on his shoulder.

“That is the Auto-hydraulic Jack Exosuit VI.” he answered, walking up to them, and getting their undivided attention. “And it’s what I’m going to use to become a living tank.”

“I’ve got to admit that sounds really cool,” Neon admitted.

Chestnut stepped up to the large machine, before he inserted his arm into a recess on the machine’s side. A piece of it came to life, and it began to move as if it were Chestnut’s own arm. He quickly moved over to the main body of the exosuit, inserting his legs into each arm until his torso was by itself, and then locked into place by his massive arms.

Neon gave a low whistle as Chestnut now towered over them in a massive robot suit. “That’s...pretty cool.”

“Oh, this is just the start,” the heavy replied without a smile, before he raised one of his arms. The massive fist that sat at its end rotated, revealing Chestnut’s new firearm.

While what he first used were called autocannons, this monstrosity lived up to the name. Three literal naval cannons, welded onto a rotating cylinder with a belt filled with cartridges powder and balls feeding the chamber.

“It’s a little slower,” Chestnut said. “But it’s going to do what I need it to.”

Silver frowned, slightly. Chestnut must be taking it hard. This didn’t seem like him at all.

“Are you ready, Alpha team?” Manticore said as she walked down towards the airship.

Silver nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We have our new medic, and our heavy is back and heavier than ever.”

The vampire nodded, before she looked the exosuit-clad pony up and down. “I’ll say he is. Good to know that the suit works after all this time.”

Chestnut nodded. “Just point me in the right direction, boss.”

She smiled. “I believe that was the idea. Now enough wasting time! Get in there so we can do our job!”

“Ma’am! Yes, ma’am!” Alpha team yelled, before they marched toward the DASH-1.

This was almost immediately followed by Cotton Swab yelling at the top of his lungs. “She’s a what?!”

===ᐁ===

The trip was short, as expected of the DASH-1, yet despite that, the trip seemed to drag on. This was mostly because everyone had to spend the whole trip convincing Cotton Swab that Manticore was not going to eat him.

It took far more time to convince him of that than Silver cared for, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it.

Chestnut had stayed silent, though. Crouched and hugging his knees in order to fit in the cargo bay, the heavy weapons pony sat away from the others, simply waiting on the door to open.

Silver wasn’t sure what to do about the poor stallion. Should he take him aside? Should he sit and talk? Would the big guy even listen?

Poor guy was a mess.

“ETA is thirty seconds!” Tinker said over the comms.

“Alright, everyone!” Silver said. “Get off your flanks, and get ready to land. We have a facility to clear!”

The entire team got to their hooves, and Cotton Swab double checked his harness. Manticore, meanwhile, slid on a pair of sunglasses, which is to be expected for a vampire during the afternoon.

The job was simple. Infiltrate the Covenant facility, take out the cultists, keep a couple for interrogation, and locate any and all documentation that may lead to discovering Valentine’s location. While Silver was initially skeptical of the presence of any kinds of records for them to check, Spike was quick to remind him that keeping up appearances took too much paper and effort to easily hide.

So they found their target, a large warehouse out in the middle of nowhere with a number of offices that could easily hide some kind of paperwork.

The massive airship pulled into a hover, floating above the concrete fortress, and the cargo door opened wide. Rappelling ropes began to drop down, and Alpha team began to make their way to the door. The pegasi leapt into the air, and Silk quickly looked for a vantage point to begin her overwatch.

Silver and Chestnut were the last two off.

The assault looked up at the pony now encased in steel, brass, and clockwork, before he spoke. “Are you alright, Chestnut?”

The Earth pony looked over at him with furious, but sad eyes. “I will be soon enough.”

He said no more, and leapt down to the earth.

Chestnut hit the ground with a thud, and his fist twisted over to reveal his cannons. The first cultist that turned the corner to investigate immediately lost his head to a cannonball that ripped through him with the sound of thunder. “Valentine!” Chestnut roared. “If you’re here, we need to talk!”

Silver landed soon after, joining the rest of the team and Manticore in a corner of the complex. “It looks like Heavy’s giving us a distraction, the rest of you with me.”

Chestnut heard them in his ear, but ignored it. His focus was elsewhere.

A musket ball ricocheted off his side, and Chestnut raised his cannon toward the source of the shot before the artillery blast discouraged any further attacks.

The cultists were running.

At first they had come his way, but after the second shot had torn a hole through a wall, they were quickly beginning to reconsider. The line of red-clad ponies broke, and they rushed for cover, heading to ground before the massive machine.

Chestnut simply walked forward, the bipedal machine stomping down the concrete street like a titan of ancient lore. He stomped forward, neither turning nor slowing as he marched, only occasionally firing a shot at whatever idiots were too brave or too stupid to fire on the massive exosuit.

He stomped until he finally came to large, two story building, but didn’t even slow as he raised his left hand. A set of thrusters roared to life, and a series of powerful hydraulics hissed before a massive, teeth-shaking punch tore through the wall.

Ponies scattered like roaches before the brass and steel giant as he walked through the space where a wall once was. “Valentine!” Chestnut roared again, as he reached out for the nearest, and slowest cultist. He grabbed him like a ragdoll, and held him in front of his face. “Where is he?”

The cultist answered with a machete that hit armor uselessly.

Chestnut tossed him aside, throwing him into the wall. “Where is he!”

Another cannon shot caused the cultist to scatter again, leaving only another wall in Chestnut’s path.

He dealt with it the same way he did the first. Another jet-powered punch tore through the wall, and Chestnut kept marching toward the center of the compound.”

Silk watched it all through her enhanced eyes and whistled. “So...uh...the Heavy’s now a one-pony siege weapon…”

“Ix-nay on the Evy-hay,” Silver ordered.

Chestnut roared again, before he stomped on a cultist, popping the pony like a balloon before another cannon shot tore a cultist in two. “Give me Valentine!” he roared to the sky. “Give him to me! We have a score to settle!”

He picked up another cultist and tore him in two. “Give me the vampire!”

And as the Heavy tore through the ponies and building in front of him, the rest of the team was on the move.

===ᐁ===

The cultists were scattered, and this left them vulnerable. Every time Alpha team turned the corner, they met a terrified Covenant pony, and they quickly moved to subdue them. Sometimes, this was successful. Other times it was partially successful, after the liberal application of a crossbow bolt to the back of the head.

They kept moving around the compound, hugging the outer wall as Chestnut raged not far away. Every now and then, an explosion would shake through the concrete, and debris would fly through air and land nearby.

“You know,” Mandible said, as he heard another scream, “I really didn’t pick Chestnut out as the guy who would go on a total rampage.”

“You mean he’s not always like this?” Cotton Swab asked.

“No, he’s normally pretty easy going. Nice guy. Total teddy bear,” Mandible explained. “I mean, he did beat three other Department ponies to death with their own legs but…”

“He did not…” Lemon said with a sigh.

“Are you just out to ruin my fun?” the changeling asked.

“I’m trying to keep the rookie from having a nervous breakdown,” she grunted.

“Uh...can...can I be called something other than ‘Rookie?’ It keeps giving me flashbacks to my time in nursing school…”

Both Lemon and Mandible glanced at him.

“Can I motion to call him Rookie forever?” Mandible asked.

“Seconded,” Lemon replied, before turning back to look ahead of the team.

“Sounds good to me,” Manticore said from the front of the group.

“Wait...no…” Cotton began, before being completely ignored.

Before he could complain further, Silk’s voice came in over the coms. “Manticore, come in Manticore.”

“I read you, Sniper,” she replied.

“I have a noticeable heat signature in the central building,” Silk said.

“The one that Heavy tore a hole through?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What kind of signature?” Silver asked.

“Something big, very big,” Silk answered. “Like, big enough that I’m worried.”

The vampire and the Assault shared a look. “Alright, we’ll check it out real quick,” Manticore growled, “keep your eyes open for any cultists dumping documents. They’re the priority.”

“Roger,” she replied.

“Alright, you heard her, into the warpath,” Manticore ordered.

They began to move, rushing towards Chestnut’s path of destruction, before Cotton Swab spoke up. “So...if she’s a vampire, then how is she walking in sunlight?”

Mandible groaned. “How...how are you this hopeless?”

===ᐁ===

They moved into the building, covering each other like Spike had taught them, moving through the rubble and holes that Chestnut had left. The wreckage was everywhere, along with a few corpses and other messes left by the rampaging pony.

Of course, the more “intriguing” sight was the massive, steel ball that sat in the middle of the main room of the building. It stood twice as tall as a pony, and was just as wide, and covered in yellow warning symbols. The second they saw it, both Manticore and Lemon swore.

“What? What is it?” Silver asked.

“A bomb,” Lemon said. “A very big and active one if it’s giving off enough heat for Sniper to pick it up.”

“It’s armed?” Neon asked.

“That's what I just said,” Lemon answered, approaching the massive explosive.

The team shifted nervously.

Sparky backed away.

“Alright, Manticore, how’s your disarming skills?”

“Leave that to me, Darling,” Diamond Dream replied as the vampire’s stance shifted as someone else took the reins. “I can deal with this.”

“Socialite and explosives expert,” Silver muttered. “Who knew?”

Lemon opened a panel, and her eyes went wide. “Oh boy…”

“What is it, dear?” Diamond asked.

“Well, this has enough napalm to burn this whole place to the ground, and enough propellant to get it there.”

“So if that thing goes off, we all burn to death?”

Lemon nodded. “I mean, it’ll look cool, but it's not going to be good.”

“Can you disarm it?” Silver asked.

“Provided I’m not getting shot at,” she said.

Silver nodded. “Alright, everyone, you heard Demo. Secure the area, and give Demo all the space she needs so we don't die in a fire.”

“Yes, sir!” They answered.

Silver then spoke into his com. “Sniper, move up and cover us, we’re a little out in the open here, and we could use some good eyes.”

“Roger, what about Heavy?”

Silver didn't answer right away. “He’s...he’s keeping the others off us, just leave him alone.”

There was a beat. “That's not healthy…” she said.

“Look, we’ll talk about it later, okay, this is him dealing with it.”

“Oh, you better believe we’ll talk about it later, sir. Moving forward.”

Silver sighed. “Roger that.” He took a second to gather himself, before turning back to the team. “Support, ready smoke grenades, those are going to be our only cover in the holes. Medic, set up next to support, keep your eyes and ears open for anypony that needs your attention. Agent, you’re with me on the South side. Scout, your with...Scout?”

And Sparky was nowhere to be seen.

===ᐁ===

The missing pegasus slipped through the buildings, moving as fast as his enchanted horseshoes could carry him. His internal camouflage changed as he moved, blending him into the concrete grey surroundings of the compound, and keeping him out of sight of any cultist that might not know about the deal he struck.

He moved toward the most Southeast point, as he was directed, and kept his eyes open for the marked building he was told he would find.

“Scout! Scout where are you?” Silver yelled over the com.

“I think I’ve found the building with the documents,” Sparky answered. “I’m moving to complete the mission objective.”

“That does not give you permission to leave us to die!” Silver growled.

“Re...t...break...up…” the Scout said, trying to sound as if his coms were cutting in and out.

“Get back here, Scout, that’s an order!”

Sparky didn’t answer, he was “being blocked” now, he had to be in order for this to work.

“Scout! Scout! Scout respond!” Silver barked, before the sound of a musket going off in the background took his attention away from the AWOL soldier.

That would be good enough.

He ran down the street, hooves pounding against the concrete, before he found it. A simple, out of the way building that was indistinguishable from the other with the exception of a strange, cross-like mark over the door.

Rushing inside, Sparky quickly ran up the stairs. The room at the top of the stairs was as the vampire he met with described, with a few computer processors and a desk, along with the terminal he was told would be there. The black screen with green text sat there, next to a set of falsified documents that would lead the Commander right where Valentine wanted him.

It was exactly what Sparky was looking for.

He set his pneumatic crossbow down, and pried the rubber shock absorber off the stock to reveal a slot bored into the resin parts of his weapon. His feathers carefully reached into the slot, and he slowly pulled out a thin, wide disk.

He slid it into the waiting port and quickly began to type in the open chatroom.

Guest: I’m here

WouldYouBe: I see. Do you have the disk?

Guest: Right here with all the information you need to get into the complex.

WouldYouBe: Perfect. If you can simply send that my way, then I will guarantee your safety during the coming events, immortality, and all the women you could care for.

Guest: Right on it.

File sent.

Guest: Don’t you still need to be invited in?

WouldYouBe: Don’t you worry about that, I have plans. Now, one final thing before you go.

WouldYouBe: Destroy this terminal.

Sparky obeyed, smashing the small computer to bits before grabbing the documents.

“Assault! Come in Assault! I’ve located the documents!”

“Scout! Where have you been? We’re under fire and we need all the hooves we can get!”

“There was a signal jammer, I took it out while securing the documents! We have what we need.”

“Just get back here!”

Sparky smiled. “Sir. Yes, sir.”

===ᐁ===

The firefight was in full swing. The cultists were armed with muskets and flintlock pistols, and their firing was quickly filling the area with smoke so thick that either side was having trouble seeing the other.

Alpha team had the superior weaponry. Their pneumatic crossbows allowed them to fire multiple rounds without having to reload, and their silent fire meant that the enemy was not necessarily expecting a silver-tipped bolt to slam into them face-first.

Of course, the cultists had numbers. Their need to reload was mitigated by the fact that there was no way Alpha Team could get rid of them in time.

Luckily, Silk had a perfect view of their backsides. She had to fire, move, and fire again, continuing to hide with her internal camouflage so she couldn’t be seen by the small team of cultists that were trying to hunt her down.

Another thermal shot from the end of her longrifle vaporized a cultist’s brain, and she quickly took off for a new position. “Sniper, any sign of our runaway?” Silver asked over the sounds of the firefight.

“Negative,” she answered. “I’m not seeing him.”

“Great...I’m going to strangle that pony when I get my hooves on him.”

“Speaking of, wouldn’t it be nice if you did your job and got Heavy back here?” she asked as she landed on her next perch and lined up a shot.

“He’s...he’s broken up about it,” Silver said.

“And we’re going to be just plain broken if you don’t grow a pair and order him back here. You’re not in a good place, Assault, and you need your heavy weapons pony now more than ever. I get that he’s hurt, but you need to do your job and get him to do his job before we’re filled full of holes.”

Silver sighed. “Fine...fine,” he grunted, before he switched channels to Chestnut’s. “Heavy. Heavy we need you on our position ASAP.”

“I’ll get there,” came the half-hearted reply.

“No, Heavy, when need you here now. We’re pinned and there’s a bomb that could take out this whole place, and everypony in it. We need you here.”

There was no answer.

“Heavy, pl—”

“Grenade!” Neon yelled, before pouncing on Silver and dragging him to cover.

An explosion rocked the two unicorns, and Silver was very glad his mouth was open when the pressure wave washed over him, filled with shrapnel though it was.

He leapt back up, firing a bolt into the cultist line. “Lemon! When’s that bomb clear?”

“You try to disarm a massive ball of napalm in the middle of a firefight!” she answered.

“Well hurry up, and you won’t have to worry about it!”

“Boss, don’t tempt me, I like fire and I will gladly set this thing off just to watch the flames.”

“Good to know, as you were.”

Silver fired again, trying to keep the cultists at bay. This wasn’t looking good for them. It wasn’t bad yet, but it was not good.

A musket ball tore through Mandible shoulder, and he screamed as he went down screaming, before being immediately covered by the medic who was also screaming as he panicked.

And there went their Northern front.

Which would have been covered by the Scout if he was still here. Wonder who’s fault that would be?

“Support, to the North!”

“What about you?”

“Just go!” Silver yelled.

Yeah, this was just getting better by the second. “How many am I facing, Sniper?”

“Too many,” she answered, before a thermal shot tore through another cultist. “Too many minus one, now.”

“Thanks for that,” he said, raising his pneumatic crossbow again.

And then the massive steel and brass figure of Chestnut landed in front of him, his cannons were firing and spinning so fast the metal was turning red, and his rocket-powered fist slammed into anything that was too close to him.

“Oh, thank Celestia,” he muttered, before turning back to the North. “Our back’s covered, put those cultists down!”

A blur shot past, and more cultists dropped, crossbow bolts stuck in their backs. “Hey, Boss…” Sparky said with a smile. “Missed me?”

“You better hope I do!” Silver answered, before aiming in his general direction, and nailing the cultist that was sneaking up behind him.

Sparky blinked at the sight, but said nothing as the pony beside him died.

This would not be the last time.

Operation Stone Line

“Here,” Spike said, pointing at the holographic map illusion that was being projected over the briefing table.

The leaders of the three teams, and their seconds sat around the table, listening to the Commander as he explained the situation. Even Chrome was among them, sitting in a wheelchair with three new mechanical legs.

“According to the information secured by Alpha team,” Spike said offering a nod to both Silk and Silver, “Valentine has hold up here, in this mansion just outside of Appleloosa.”

The map shifted, transforming into a 3D topographical image of a lone house on a single hill outside of the bustling town. The house was massive and opulent, perched like a massive bird of prey on the hill, staring down at the skyscrapers not too far away.

“Our plan is to come in, breach the house, and gun down anypony that’s not our own. Capturing them alive is not an option, killing them will be hard enough as it is. All three teams will be coming, and we're going to need every ounce of firepower we have if we're going to bring Valentine down.”

“Is anypony going to be watching the base?” Chrome asked.

“Manticore and Siren will stay behind. She’ll deal with anything short of a full-scale assault,” the Commander answered.

Hunter, the Sniper from Phi spoke up next. “I’m not terribly confident leaving just the two of them behind to protect the base. Maybe Phi should stay behind?”

Spike shook his head. “No, we need every gun we have pointed at Valentine. He’s too strong to bring anything less.”

Ivory Jet, the Gamma scout spoke next. “What about Chrome? Is he staying behind?”

“We’re going to expedite construction on his last leg. We already have a backup AJ Exosuit waiting for Chestnut, Chrome should be able to use that.”

“Glad to hear it,” Chrome said. “This wheelchair’s getting boring.”

“So here’s the breakdown,” Spike said, grabbing a laser pointer. “Phi, you’ll be securing the outside. If Valentine makes a break for it, it's your job to pin him down. Gamma, Alpha, the both of you will be coming inside with me. Gamma will take the first floor, if clear, you’ll follow Alpha team up to the second floor. There, Valentine should be waiting for us.”

“Will we have any special equipment for pinning the vampire down?” Hunter’s second, the agent named Shade asked.

“I’ll see if I can’t get you some sun-blessed nets. It's not the best, but it’ll be better than nothing for stopping him.”

Shade nodded.

“Any other questions?” Spike asked.

Looks went around the table.

“Good. You have three days to prep your teams,” Spike ordered.

The leaders nodded. The plan was set.

===ᐁ===

In exactly three days, the teams moved. All gathered in the DASH-1, Alpha, Gamma, and Phi sat at the ready, crowded as they were sitting between the massive exosuits.

Tinker flew the overcrowded airship with ease, piloting it over the Appleloosa plains and canyons to the lone hill on the south side of the city. “ETA forty seconds! Prepare for drop!” she yelled through the communicator.

“Alright, ponies!” Spike yelled. “You heard the mare! Get your harnesses ready and get ready to fall hooves first into Tartarus!”

Alpha, Gamma, and Phi were already hooking themselves up, with the exception of the massive AJ exosuits that began to move towards the door without pausing to hook themselves up to the rappelling ropes.

“Get ready, Alpha team!” Silver yelled over the rumble of the engines. “We're leading the charge, so we get first pick of the targets!”

“Like Tartarus you do!” One of the ponies from Phi called.

The teams chuckled lightly before Chrome spoke up next. “Well, you heard him, if that's not a challenge, I don't know what is!”

The cargo bay door opened, and the whipping wind slammed into their ears. The pegasi took off first, flying off into the night sky as the DASH-1 began to hover over the mansion.

“Let's go, ponies!” Spike yelled. “Go, go, go!”

The remaining teams dropped to the ground, most rappelling down while Chestnut and Chrome merely slipped into freefall, landing hard in a crater as they hit the ground. Alpha, Gamma, and Phi followed seconds after, landing in a moment and throwing every weapon up to aim down at the lone mansion.

Phi quickly spread out, covering the ground at every angle, while Gamma and Alpha rushed for the main door. Chestnut smashed the door open with a massive, rocket-powered fist, the oak splinted with the single blow and they ponies rushed in after the massive exosuit-ed pointmen. Gamma quickly spread out, checking the first floor while Alpha rushed the stairs.

Chestnut had to climb the wall up, his mass cracking the floor around his massive hooves. They slammed into the rooms, each pony taking a room and clearing it like they had trained.

“Clear!” Silver yelled.

“Clear!” Silk called in over the coms.

“Clear!” Lemon.

“Clear!” Cotton.

“Clear!” Mandible.

“Clear!” Chestnut.

“Clear!” Neon.

A beat.

“Scout?” Silver commed.

No answer.

“Scout?”

No answer.

“Scout, come it!”

===ᐁ===

Tinker pulled the DASH-1 into a hover over the mansion.

If things went south, it was her job to unleash all the big guns on the house to obliterate it. She kept telling herself that she wouldn’t need to do it, that Commander Spike and the team would be fine, but still the idea scared her.

Yes, the Commander had pointed out that if Valentine got out, there was a good chance they were all dead anyway, but the thought of pulling the trigger on the others didn’t feel right.

And then she felt a cold pneumatic crossbow barrel press against her jaw.

An invisible hoof flicked past her ear, and her headphone communicator came off with a gentle push.

“Hey there,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t panic. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tinker’s jaw clenched.

“I just need you to fly back to the base, and then you can come right on back and save the Commander and everyone else. No harm done.”

“Why?” Tinker asked.

“Because I said so, and if you don’t then I’ll shoot you, and no one will come back to the poor stranded Commander. And trust me, he’s going to need the evac.”

===ᐁ===

“The first floor’s clear!” Chrome yelled over the squad leader’s channel.

“The second floor is clear too,” Silver called, “that and my Scout’s gone AWOL.”

“Outside’s clear,” Hunter said.

“There’s nothing here.”

“Alpha,” Spike said, speaking into his own comm. “Alpha is this AWOL scout the same one that found our intel?”

“Yes, sir.”

Spike sighed. “This is a trap. Everyone pull back. Thundercloud, prepare for evac.”

Silver switched channels. “It’s a trap! Pull back everyone, we’re getting out of here!”

They didn’t hesitate for a second, the team rushed back down the stairs, following Gamma back outside, just fast enough to see the DASH-1 fly away.

“Thundercloud! Thundercloud, come in!” Spike yelled into his communicator. “Thundercloud we need evac!”

There was a beat, a second, and then Spike cursed. “I’m not getting a response. This is not good.”

“It gets worse, sir,” Moonlight, the Gamma Agent said. “I’m seeing shapes on the horizon.”

Silk looked up, using her own eyes. “Sweet Celestia, there’s hundreds of them.”

Spike cursed again. “What are they?”

Silk checked her scope. “Ghouls.”

Spike cursed once more. “Alright, everyone into the house! I want that thing fortified yesterday!”

The ponies rushed in, with Chestnut and Chrome flanking the front door. “Snipers!” Hunter yelled, raising his Thermal Shot Longrifle. “With me on the roof!”

“Demos, get ready to fill that field with as many explosive that you’re carrying!” Chrome yelled.

“Assaults, Supports, and Scouts, get in that house and find a firing position!” Silver yelled. “Medics, get a triage set up, and prepare to receive! Heavies, take the doorway and prepare to lay down covering fire!”

And all the while, Spike growled. Someone was going to pay for this, and they were going to pay dearly. He brought up his hand cannon, his number one assistant, Twilight’s very last gift to him, and kissed it. “He will pay for this, I promise he will.”

With this one last moment and this strange ritual complete, the dragon retreated to the mansion.

It took moments for the highly trained teams to fortify the mansion. They quickly found defensible walls, broke windows for covered firing positions, and set up killing fields for the incoming ghouls to walk into.

The mansion was set, and the teams were ready. All they had to do now was prepare themselves for the coming tide of ghouls.

It started with the Thermal Shot. Red-hot shots fired across the field, picking off ghouls at long range as the Snipers picked their targets.

Yet the ghouls continued to shamble closer.

Not long after that, the demolitions ponies began to fire grenade after grenade into the encroaching crowd. Sun-blessed Molotovs burned white in the crowd, consuming ghouls whole in moments.

Yet the ghouls got closer.

Then the others began to fire. From their various perches across the mansion, they fired into crowd on undead, shooting at everything that moved.

But the ghouls didn’t stop.

“They’re not stopping!” one of the Gamma ponies yelled.

“That’s because there’s a lot of them, Support. Now shut up and keep firing!”

“Do we even have that many bolts?”

“We’ll worry about that when we get to that.”

Crossbow bolts shot through the air, finding their marks in the mob of ghouls, but doing little against the crowd. Wave after wave of ammunition crashed down on top of the Ghouls, but they didn't even slow.

In fact, they began to pick up speed.

The hooves of the undead mob began to thunder in the air as they broke into a gallop. Bolts began to fire faster as a slight panic began to spread through the Department ponies. They kept their cool, they stayed as calm as they could, but the incoming monsters had lit a fire under their trigger discipline.

The snipers were firing as fast as their longrifles would allow, lighting up the sky with brilliant red beams that cut through darkness and ghoulflesh alike.

They were less than ten yards away before the other two heavies opened fire. The sun-blessed auto-cannons mowed down the front line like they were grass, and the heavies continued to fire until they carved a trench out of the enemy mob.

They kept firing until their barrels went red for the heat, but the second they stopped, Chestnut stepped in front of them, creating cover with his massive bulk. His own auto-cannon picked up the slack, firing cannon-ball sized bullets that tore bodies from legs in long lines down the ghoul formation.

Chrome and the other Demos kept firing their own potion grenades, peppering the ghoul line with explosions that thunder against the rolling hills around the town of Appleloosa.

And then Spike left the building. He simply walked out in front building, and leveled his weapon at the oncoming horde. He fired, sending purple crystals of hard magic into the incoming horde, they struck hard and true.

“Where is he?” Spike roared as he fired again. “Where’s Valentine!”

Ghouls dropped like flies, and Spike just kept firing as they popped up.

The teams continued to lay into the rest, firing bolts, bombs and thermal shots into everything thing that moved that shouldn’t be moving, but the ghouls were almost on them now, and there wasn’t much left.

The heavies fired another burst of sun-blessed lead, before Chestnut suddenly yelled. “Get inside!”

Chrome and the other demos leapt into the exosuit-sized hole, before Chestnut turned and wedged himself into the opening, back facing the ghouls. Holding out his arms, he motioned to the other heavies.

It took them a second or two to figure it out, but they quickly climbed up onto the robotic limbs and used them as a platform to fire over Chestnut’s shoulders into the ghouls that now swarmed the house.

Glass shattered, and a scream when up. “They’re trying to come through!”

Silver and the other two assaults answered the call, rushing downstairs with their silver and magically-strengthened obsidian blades drawn. They spread out, ramming blade-first into any ghoul that thought it was a good idea to crawl into the house.

“Heavy!” Silver called. “Where’s the Commander?”

“He’s still outside!” the Heavy on Chestnut’s arm answered. “He’s also doing a real good job.”

“Keep an eye on him!” Silver ordered.

“You got it, Alpha!”

Silver rushed to the next room, bringing his blade down on another Ghoul that was trying to climb into the house, before rushing to the next window.

Above them the rest of the teams were firing down into the ghouls, with the demos rushing upstairs to fill the ghoul ranks with fire. They shot and fired everything they had into the ranks, throwing explosives, fire, and anything else they could grab until their potion launchers were empty.

“We’re out of potions!” Lemon yelled.

“Running low on bolts!” Neon said into the comms.

“Already?” Silver asked as he drew his blade across another ghoul’s throat.

“There are plenty of targets out here, Assault,” Neon said, “and we’ve been hitting a lot of them.”

“Commander!” Silver called. “We’re running low on ammo!”

Spike sighed. “Well we don’t have much choice on the matter. We don’t have a way out.”

“Yes you do!” a new voice called across the channel.

“Thundercloud?”

“I was held hostage by a traitor,” Tinker rolled. “The base is under attack! I can’t support Manticore, so I’m coming back for you!”

“Good to hear that you’re alive at least,” Spike said, leaping over an ghoul before shooting it in the face.

“ETA in three minutes.”

“See you soon then,” Spike said, before rushing for the house. “Alright, everypony! We’re getting an evac!”

Spike quickly began to ready the team for their departure, filing everypony on the roof while still trying to keep the first floor secured.

It took a little bit of work, but he pulled it off, and the teams hadn’t suffered any real casualties. It had gone far better than it had any right to, if Spike were honest.

But these thoughts were overshadowed by the terrible thought of why Sparky had betrayed them? What was he offered? Why let Tinker go so she could pick them back up?

And worse still, what was Valentine doing at the base?

Salt in Old Wounds

Something was wrong.

This much was obvious to the four Fluttershy splinters that had the intelligence to realize that the DASH-1 should not be coming back yet.

Their radar had picked up on the massive airship coming back, but Tinker was not responding to radio calls.

Something was very obviously wrong.

Fluttershy, Manticore, Butter, and Diamond all were on edge as they patrolled the hallways of the Department, ready for anything. So far, everything was fine. The turrets beeped softly as the searched the corridors for any sign of intrusion, the doors were locked, and would only open for an approved member of the Department.

Things were fine, but something was wrong.

She knew something was happening, even before the DASH-1 had turned around. The Beast, the dark, feral, and final part of her that yearned to slake its thirst, was more active today. It growled and paced in the back of their mind, very awake, and very agitated.

She walked carefully down the hallways, searching for the problem her instincts knew was there. She hoped that Spike was okay, despite herself. If the DASH-1 was coming back without him, then that meant something dire indeed.

Manticore insisted that this was an attack of some kind. It had to be, there was no other explanation. Diamond disagreed, and pointed out that it could be a supply run, from the Commander. Butter then injected that Tinker would have answered radio contact then, if nothing else, but at the same time, they couldn't be sure of an attack.

The Beast merely growled.

Fluttershy eventually found her voice, and made an attempt to try and calm them. What was happening didn't matter as much as making sure everything here was safe. Spike could take care of the ponies, so she had to take care of the base.

“Siren,” Manticore called. “Siren, you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you,” the spectre said as she poked her head through a wall. “You know I hear everything that happens in here.”

“Then you know about the DASH-1?” she asked.

“Yes,” she sighed. “I’m trying to check up on it, but you called me away.”

Fluttershy immediately apologized, but Manticore refused to let the words pass her lips. “Then why’d you let me stop you?”

Sweetie Belle groaned, before she slipped away back through the wall.

So Siren was checking it out, good. That made it easier. Siren would take care of it, and the rest of them could focus on the base, and keeping the perimeter.

The Beast growled.

With every step, Manticore tried to push the growing worry of the others aside. Things were fine. Siren was checking it out. All she had to do, was focus on the base.

Unfortunately, dealing with Fluttershy’s stress was a full-time job. “It’s fine,” she whispered, trying to get their attention. “We can handle anything that comes our way. We are fine.”

The Beast roared.

Somebody shut that thing up! Put it back to sleep, it's distracting.

“Yes, besides, you have so much more to worry about.”

All but the Beast froze at that voice. Even Manticore felt her heart grow cold at the sound of their vampiric voice.

“I need you to let me in.”

The Beast took control.

No! Stop it!

Manticore tried to take it back, wrestling with the Beast for control of their limbs, but the monster was awake now, and it would not relinquish this chance without bloodshed. Manticore was shoved back, thrown to the back of her mind with such strength that it gave her pause.

Butter, Diamond, and even Fluttershy rushed in, trying to win back her body as the Beast began to prowl.

“First, my dear,” Valentine said into her mind, “I need you to deactivate the defenses.”

No! You can't do that!

The Beast was already moving, slinking in the shadows as she moved.

No! Stop it! You're not allowed to go to the defense interface!

She doesn't know what that means, she just needs to stop!

Manticore ripped the command of the body away, halting their progress for a second or so.

“No, my dear. It's time to show the others your true strength. Obey me, and drop the defenses.”

The Beast obeyed. It took back control in a second, mentally tossing Manticore like a rag doll out of the proverbial pilot's chair.

Stop her! Stop her, stop her, stop her!

The four gathered together, throwing all their strength at the Beast, trying to tear it away. The tugged, yanked, heaved, and struggled, struggled against the inhuman mental strength of the Beast.

When did it get so strong? How? When?

Doesn't matter! Just get it off!

The body of Fluttershy leapt through the hallways, past the labs, engineering workshops, medical facilities, and everything. Past the barracks, past the mess hall, all the way up to TWI’s computer room, and the defense terminal.

Finally, they took control, with Diamond at the helm, and she spun on her hooves to run as far away as possible. She skid across the concrete, trying to escape, only for the Beast to wrest control back again.

Years! Centuries spent asleep, but now! Why is it so strong?

The Beast prowled back into the room, and took to the terminal.

“Deactivate the defenses.” Valentine ordered.

We...we don't know the code! Ha! We don't know the code!

But Valentine knew. He knew, somehow, and the Beast typed the code, as it was instructed.

TWI’s voice spoke up. “Manticore, it is unadvisable to deactivate the turrets at this time. Are you sure you want to proceed?”

The Beast, as wild as it was, had orders. So, with difficulty and slow, deliberate sounds, it spoke. “Y-yesssss…”

The Beast made one ast keystroke, and the defenses whined to silence.

“Turrets deactivated,” TWI said.

“Good. Now, invite me inside.”

The Four threw themselves at the Beast with renewed vigor. They could not, dared not let him in. There was no redemption from that sin. No saving grace from this danger.

And the Beast was still walking.

They tugged, and pulled, and begged, trying to get their body to stop, if only for a second, so that they could stop this tragedy before it began.

But the Beast would not stop.

They all marched closer to one of the few emergency exit doors that accessed the surface, while the Four continued to pour their strength into dragging the Beast back into the shadows of their mind. They had to do something to stop this, but they were weakening, they lost strength with every grasp they made toward the monster.

No! No! No! No! We can’t do this! We mustn’t!

The Beast brought the body up to the door, and opened it without a second thought, revealing none other than Valentine himself.

“Well?” he asked. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“Come...in…” The Beast grunted.

And Valentine did, stepping into the Department, with his ghouls following behind him. “Well done, dear. You’ve done perfectly. Now I have but one more job for you before you can return to your sleep.”

The Beast waited, listening intently for its next instructions.

“Make sure the ghost leaves us alone,” the vampire ordered, before his army began to pour in through the door.

The ghouls yelped and howled as they rushed into the darkness, eager to bring their teeth against anypony they saw.

And the Four could only watch through their eyes as they doomed all the workers and the non-combatants to a death by ghouls. Manticore cursed in the darkness, all these years of anger and hatred wasted the second they were within arms reach of the monster that birthed them. Diamond was shaking in fear, trying to keep herself small and undetectable in case his eyes fell on her. Butter was still trying to get the Beast under control, pulling and yanking at her while Fluttershy did her best to help.

All these ponies would die because of the Beast, the least she could do is hit the alarm before it was too late.

But it was already too late, and the Beast was leading them out, onto the surface to face Sweetie Belle.

===ᐁ===

The ghouls ran, drooling at the thought fresh meat to consume. They started in the labs, breaking down the door with their unleashed, undead strength, and ripped the scientists apart. They were easy pickings, and hardly stood a chance against the sharpened teeth of the monsters.

One of them did manage to hit an alarm though, not that anyone was listening.

With their feast in the labs finished, they quickly moved heading for the workshops next.

They ran, eager and hungry, they slammed into the doors with their terrible strength. They threw everything they had at the large, locked doors, before they finally broke through.

Unfortunately for them, they immediately ran into Velvet Storm’s blunderbuss.

Tearing the head off of one ghoul, before kicking another, Velvet and the engineers unloaded the old, obsolete flintlocks the Department never got rid of. The first wave of ghouls went down, before Velvet yelled. “Patch up those doors! We’ll hold them here! The Commander’s not that far away, we can make it!”

The ghouls slammed into the door, howling got flesh.

“Gonna have to do better than that!” Velvet yelled as she took another loaded gun and fired into the gathering crowd of ghouls.

“I wouldn’t taunt them so much,” Caramel said from her head jar as he body reloaded a flintlock. “After all, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in this room that’s immortal.”

“Well brag about it, why don’t you?” Velvet yelled.

The engineers quickly barricaded the door, tables, chairs, leftover steel, and more were all shoved against the doors while a hooful more held their flintlocks high.

“It's time to hold the line, gentlecolts,” Velvet ordered. “Time to make our stand! They will come to this line and no further! We stand!”

===ᐁ===

The DASH-1 hovered over the landing pad, and Valentine stood nearby, watching as Sparky stepped off of the cargo door. The moment he was off, the airship was moving, pulling away from the Department with all speed.

“She's going to pick up the Commander. We have ten minutes, if that,” Sparky said to the vampire.

“Let her go,” Valentine said, “It matters not, I have my own goals here, and the good Commander won't be able to stop me here.”

“You're going to wipe the Department out in ten minutes?” Sparky asked. “That's impressive.”

Valentine smiled. “No, no you’re not thinking right yet. Why kill them when you can keep the alive as cattle? No, the ghouls are simply here to keep the others out of my way.”

“Wait, so we’re not wiping out the Department?”

“We're cutting the head off the snake, boy,” Valentine said with a cold, hungry smile. “Now, take me to his office.”

Sparky stared at him for a moment, before he gave a wry smile himself. “Right this way, sir.”

The vampire followed the scout deep into the compound, down stairs and hallways before finally coming to the lone, wooden door with a candle carved into its face.

Valentine opened the door, and walked into the small room, where a thousand tiny knick-knacks from an age long past met him. An outfit that belonged to the mare whose wings he ripped out, the hat of the one he broke, a balloon that should have deflated long ago, and more.

He ignored these. These were secondary.

He was after a grander prize.

He walked up to the desk, where a set of gems sat in the open. A glance into their faces revealed a number of scenes between the six mares that Spike loved, and that was enough.

He picked them up in his blood-red magic, and slowly crushed eac gem until they were little more than dust.

First the white, then the orange, then the blue, then the pink, the purple, and finally the yellow all crunched in his grip.

Then he looked up, and found what he was looking for. “Well, well. It has been some time hasn't it, Miss Rarity?”

===ᐁ===

Manticore finally took control back, and slumped to the rocky floor beneath her. She gasped for air, exhausted by the effort of taking control back one more time.

Now she just had to deal with Siren.

“What was that about?” The ghost yelled. “What possessed you into thinking that giving me the Stare was a good idea?”

“Not me…” Manticore gasped. “Valentine.”

There was a beat of silence. “What?”

“Valentine, he’s here…”

“He...he’s here? Right now?”

Manticore nodded.

Siren’s chest began to open up. Wounds from her death began to appear and ooze. Her face hardened, and she ground her teeth as her eyes went blood red. “V-Valentine…” she growled, as the night of her murder flashed through her mind.

“Valentine!” She roared, throwing all the fury of her death into her being. “Valentine!”

She dove into the ground, passing through it for the Department below, leaving Manticore where she lay in the dirt whimpering to herself.

“I’m sorry, ladies,” she whispered to the others. “I’m sorry.”

===ᐁ===

Valentine had his prize, and he gladly left the rest. Sparky walked next to him and the crystal coffin that hovered next to the vampire. A smile adorned the unicorn’s face, and his fangs glinted in the light. “You have done well, Mr. Spark. Done very well, in fact,” Valentine said with a grin.

“As long as I have a chance to drown in mares, we’re on the same page.”

“Excellent. Then perhaps I should mention that I have one final job for you before I induct you into the ranks of the living dead.”

Sparky frowned. “I thought we were square?”

“We are, we are my friend, you have earned your new estate already, but the transformation takes time, time neither of us have. Instead, I ask that you do this for me, that you remain here as my eyes and ears, and in return, I will provide you with an estate to begin your empire in.”

Sparky narrowed his eyes. “I suppose that's a fair deal.”

“Of course it is,” Valentine said with a smile. “Unlike the Commander, I treat my partners as equals. If you work for me, then I shall pay you equally.”

He held out a hoof, offering it to the pegasus that was standing beside him. “So, do we have deal?”

Sparky met his hoof. “Deal.”

===ᐁ===

Velvet fired into the tide of undead flesh. They had ripped a hole in the door, and were currently trying to claw the rest of it open. The engineers were throwing everything they could at the ghouls, but the monsters simply ate the bullets and continued to beat their way in.

“Keep bringing us ammo!” The headless horse cried as she handed a recently reloaded flintlock to another one of the defenders.

“We don't have anymore!” One of the engineers yelled.

“What?” Velvet yelled. “Why? We should have more!”

“We’ve been converting most of it into auto-cannon ammunition!” another pony cried. “Whatever’s left of its in processing!”

Velvet cursed.

They were dead ponies.

They couldn't fight off these monsters, not with eight or so shots left. They were doomed, and that fate was soon hovering over the engineers like a cloud.

They were dead.

Soon to be eaten alive.

Their flesh would be swallowed, and their bones gnawed to nothing.

And...and…

Was it getting colder?

A shaky breath from Velvet left a puff of steam hanging in the air, and she shivered as she felt the cold, two hundred-year-old wrath of a furious ghost.

“Back away from the door,” she said, before she nearly leapt off her own barricade. “Back away from the door!”

A piercing wail shot through the air, and every engineer there dropped to the ground, covering their ears as Siren's voice tore through the building.

The ghouls stopped their banging against the door, before screaming as something tore them apart. The hallway beyond thundered, and a thin layer of frost formed on the surface of the doors as a terrible, terrible scream echoed beyond.

“Where is he! Where’s Valentine! I will be avenged!”

Gusts of freezing wind wafted in into barricaded room, followed by a strange, ethereal, furious heat that they could not explain.

“I know he’s here! Where is he!” Sweetie’s voice roared from the hallway. “Where is he!”

Velvet listened as the ghost took two centuries of vengeance on the ghouls outside. She shivered at the thought of the fury the otherwise sweet poltergeist held, and shook her head. At least they would survive this.

It was hardly a comforting thought, but it was all she had.

===ᐁ===

The Commander and the others arrived only a few minutes later.

He rushed out of the DASH-1, weapon drawn, and the teams followed after him, all searching for enemies to gun down.

Instead, they found a pile of dead ghouls, already being piled by the survivors.

And then Manticore told him that Valentine had walked in.

The dragon’s heart went cold, and his blood froze in his veins, before he ran for his room. He ran to the old wooden door with a candle on its face, and pushed it open. It creaked on its hinges, it’s back burnt to charcoal.

He felt his heart drop when he saw the ashes.

Everything had been burnt to cinders. There was nothing left.

They were gone.

His friends were gone.

Taken again by that thing.

Taken by him.

“Vaaaaallennntiiiiiiine!”

Traitor's Due

“Sparky did this.”

The single, three word statement carried a terrible weight to it. The entire team had to take this single thought, and each one of them had to digest exactly what it meant.

Sparky hadn’t been the nicest pony around, no one was going to argue that, but he had been a part of the team. They had been willing to die for him, even if he was a jerk, but this?

He had betrayed them. Turned his back on them. Left them all to die while he and Valentine threw the entire headquarters into chaos.

Silver looked around at his team, watching the slowly transition from shock, to hurt, to anger. They were angry, furious that they had been betrayed, but it went deeper than that, and no one portrayed that better than Commander Spike.

The dragon sat in the ashes of the shrine to his friends. He did not move, but simply stared at the warm embers that surrounded him. A few stray flames popped up amongst the ruin, but it didn't matter anymore. It was all ash.

Silver looked back to his team. “Sparky did this, so we’re going to have to clean it up.”

Mandible nodded. “Yeah, yeah we do.”

Chestnut was the second to agree. “There ain’t no excuse for this behavior.”

“He was our teammate,” Lemon said, before checking to make sure she had enough molotov potions.

The others nodded.

“Then it’s agreed,” Silver said. “When it comes time to deal with him, we will. In the meantime, we have to start fixing this mess.”

The team nodded, and quickly split up, heading around the compound to try and repair the massive damage done by the invading ghouls. After the team split up, the only two Alpha team members remaining were Silk, and Silver. “This is crazy,” she muttered.

“I know,” Silver said, before he pulled Silver into a hug. “This is crazy. Very crazy, but we have a job to do.”

She nodded, before she pushed him away. “Then we better get to it. I’ll head to the training rooms, see if there were any survivors there.”

Silver nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

===ᐁ===

Spike sat in the ashes.

It was all gone.

The memory gems were crushed, the apple bonsai was burned, the wonderbolts suit was ashes. Rarity was missing.

They were all gone.

Everything was gone. Everything that once belonged to his friends, every keepsake was now nothing but the ashes he sat in.

They were gone, and it left such a hole in his heart that he felt like he would burst.

How dare he? How dare Valentine do this? How dare he defile sacred ground and take that which he had taken once before. How dare this monster do this?

This was too far. He went far too far. This was unforgivable, far more than anything before. This...this was…

Spike stood.

It was time.

Time to end this once for all.

Either Valentine would die, or he would.

This had gone on far too long.

No more.

===ᐁ===

The training rooms were a wreck. Nopony had gotten around to cleaning this area of base yet, and once the defenses had re-initialized, the clean up was quite considerable. Blood was everywhere, along with severed, almost desiccated limbs and bolt-filled torsos of now-dead ghouls.

A select few had even gotten into a few of the danger rooms, and likewise, their bodies were decorating the rooms once their difficulty level had risen to astronomical heights. A select few ghouls were still alive, but she had her Longrifle, and enough charges to vaporize anything that got too close.

It helped that most of them couldn’t move without getting a leg smashed or chopped up.

She shook her head as she continued to move down the hallway, taking the occasional potshot at a ghoul or too. “Anyone read me?” she asked, speaking into her communicator.

“Yeah, I read you, Sniper,” Silver replied.

“Wait, are we still on the mission?” Neon asked. “We should still be using codenames?”

“It’s a new mission,” Silver said. “Besides, if Sparky on the loose, we could have bug on the line.”

“Yeah, but...if he’s on the loose, then they know all our names anyway, don’t they?” Lemon asked.

“They have to,” Mandible agreed. “He’d be an awful spy otherwise.”

“Well, you are the Agent, Agent,” Chestnut said, his tone carrying a joking tone to it, as though he thought he said something incredibly clever.

Silk shook her head. “So, I had a point, guys.”

Silver coughed, trying to get their attention. “Team, our Sniper’s trying to say something.”

“Oh, you just want her to talk because you're sucking on her face,” Mandible said with an audible smirk. “Which is delicious, by the way. If you're not opposed to me sitting in on a session I wouldn't mind.”

And Silk pulled her comm out.

That was far more than she wanted to hear, and her report wasn't vital enough that she would risk hearing anymore.

Shaking her head, she refocused on the hallway in front of her. Taking her thermal shot in her hooves, and using her wings to push herself forward. Past yet more training rooms, and more dead and half-dead ghouls met her.

Another shot here and there kept her job from becoming too boring as she moved, but it was slow going, clearing each room by herself meant she had to open the door at a distance, and swing through the hallway just to make sure there was nothing in the room before finally moving inside to double check.

Her progress was the very definition of slow going, but it was what she needed to be safe. The last thing she needed was to be caught by surprise.

Checking room after room, she brought her down to the very end of the hallway, and to the last training room. She swept her long rifle around one side of the room, followed by the other before finally stepping inside. Giving the room a careful look around, she found nothing more than a single ghoul, spread out over several hundred square feet.

Well, that made things easy.

She lifted her comm, about to call in the others and let her know they were clear, when a crushing grip slammed down on her hoof, and threw her across the room.

She slammed into the white tile walls, and dropped to the floor.

She looked up, blinking as a figure shimmered into view in front of her.

“You know, I’m kind of disappointed the team made it out. You especially.”

Her eyes focused, leaving the figure of Sparky the pegasus, coming out of hiding as his internal camouflage faded to his natural coat.

“I mean, there you are, ignoring the best thing that happened to you since your baby-maker got wiped clean, and instead, you pick Silver.”

Silk blinked. “What?”

“And you know what? I figured out it’s not even your fault. That Changeling has obviously worked out a deal for the guard, and you’ve been strung along without even knowing what’s happened.”

Silk blinked again. “What?”

“But now I’ve committed to this, so I was hoping that the ghouls would take care of you for me.”

“Wait!” Silk said suddenly. “Did you seriously betray us, did you seriously let ponies die because I didn’t go out with you?”

Sparky shook his head. “No, no, Silk, that’s not it at all,” the pegasus said, stepping closer to the mare. “The fact that you didn’t go out with me just shows me that this whole department is being manipulated to a much darker goal.”

“Are you delusional?” she asked.

“I am the best this department ever had,” Sparky replied harshly. “I have always been the best. I’m the fastest, the smartest, the strongest, but I’m not the leader. I’m forced into being second best to that unicorn you call a boyfriend.”

Silk couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“But you know, I’m used to that. No where else has ever really acknowledged my greatness, so I figured it’d just be more of the same. But then I realized that there was something wrong. All you girls have been next to me this entire time, and not one of you noticed, and that’s when I realized you’re all being brainwashed.”

Silk gaped at him.

“The...the amount of stupid coming off of you legitimately shocks me.”

“See!” Sparky roared suddenly, fury pounding through each word. “See! Even now you’re so far under their spell you can’t even see reason!”

Silk’s eyes went to her Longrifle that had been knocked from her grip, and now lay behind the raving Scout, before she quickly returned to Sparky. “Under a spell? It’s more like your head is so far up your own flank that you can’t—”

He grabbed her, and his genetically enhanced strength clamped down on her windpipe. She gurgled, trying to breathe before Sparky tossed her across the room like a rag doll. She slammed into white tile, and Sparky growled.

“Looks like you’re still not free,” the traitor said, looming over her with his terrible strength. “I guess there’s no other way to help you now.”

Silk gulped, and reached for the small, magically-reinforced obsidian knife. “Well, I’m going to do my best anyway.”

Sparky shot forward, carried by his enchanted horseshoes, and slammed into her at high speed. Silk felt her ribs crack as Sparky brought his super-powered hoof into her torso, instantly making her regret not taking the subdermal armor when she had the chance.

Another hoof came flying at her face, and it was only through sheer luck that she managed to drop just in time to miss having her face caved in.

She brought her back legs up to kick, and received another bone-cracking blow to her barrel.

Sparky grabbed her throat again, holding her up and choking her as he shook his head. “Sorry, Babe. I don’t like breaking works of art, but I’m just going to have to make an exception.”

Silk gasped, trying to breathe. The wind had been knocked out of her once already, and it was getting harder to breathe with every second. The edges of her vision were going dark, and her lungs were beginning to burn.

And all the while Sparky stared at her with a smug, satisfied smirk.

Taking stock, she figured she had one more kick in her. She had to make it count.

With a massive kick, she slammed her hoof into Sparky’s soft underbelly, and straight into the his most delicate parts. No enhanced strength or muscle could protect himself against such an attack, and in a moment, for just a moment, Sparky’s grip faltered.

Silk dropped to the ground, and after delivering another low blow, she shot forward toward her longrifle.

Groaning, Sparky turned, trying to find the mare as she left, but she was gone, disappeared from sight.

===ᐁ===

It was late. The sun was down, and Spike was out in the wilderness. He was far outside of Canterlot, heading toward the forest that once sat at the foot of the mountain.

He was going to find him.

He would avenge them.

He would avenge all of them.

He’d finally bring that vampire to justice.

All he had to do was find him.

Deeper into forest he ran, his number one assistant sitting loose in its holster, ready to come up at a moment’s notice. He ran, keeping the image of his destination fresh in his mind until he finally found the old, dilapidated circus tent with its faded colors.

Spike ran up and burst through the tent. “White! White, I need your help.”

The ghostly medium looked up at him from her table, staring at him with brilliant blue eyes. “What do you request of the dead this night?” she asked.

“I need Valentine,” he growled.

The Madam smiled. “So the living require the dead to track the dead. Perhaps you need more ghosts to haunt your house.”

“Where is he, White?” Spike asked, all respect gone as fury burned in his eyes. “Where is Valentine?”

Madam White looked up at the dragon. “Why such rush from you? You do not visit me and then demand results, why?”

Spike almost didn’t answer her. He almost demanded that she obeyed, that he bow to his whim for no other reason than he was a dragon, but he caught himself, he let his rage smolder a moment, before finally he answered. “He has Rarity.”

Then she understood.

She turned to her crystal ball, opening her ears to the dead around as they cried out answers that only they knew. For a moment, she simply searched and listened, before finally she spoke again. “He has gone north, far north, that is all I can see.”

“It’s not enough!” Spike roared, trying to keep his voice down. “I need more.”

“It will come at a terrible price.”

“I need to know.”

Madame White nodded. “So be it.”

And with that, she tore the veil between the world of the living and the dead in two. The wail of those cursed to wander the world ripped through Spike’s draconic soul. Specters of the damned filled the room, barely more than most with glowing eyes and dark, empty voids for mouths.

They tore through Spike, leaving him feeling cold and empty before a number of figures stood before him.

One was an earth pony, bleached white as a spirit, but Spike immediately recognized her as Applejack. “North, beyond Canterlot.”

Another spirit, with massive wings, and could only be Rainbow Dash despite her pure white mane and tail. “Beyond Cloudsdale and Nieghagra falls.”

Another spirit, another one of the hundreds of Department ponies that died at the hooves of Valentine over the years. “In the crystal mouths, south of the the empire.”

Amber was there with them. “He lives in at the peak of Northsheer Mount, in the Granite Keep.”

The spirits stood there, their very faces wracking him with guilt and physical pain, before they spoke together, in a single, discordant voice. “Avenge us.”

The hundreds of ponies swirled around him, their faces blending together in a swirling vortex of ethereal white, singing their new chorus in a cacophonous chant of those two words. “Avenge us. Avenge us. Avenge us!”

And Madam White shut the door. The ghosts disappeared, stolen back to their realm, leaving Spike breathless, gasping for air as ice clung to his scales.

“Now you see,” the old ghost said. “You see both your answer and the price for asking it.”

Spike shivered, raising a shaking claw to wipe the ice off his face. “Th-th-thank you…” he muttered, before he slowly walked out of the tent.

Madam White watched him go, shaking her head.

This would finally end.

Either with Spike going to rest, or the others.

Now it was up to fate to decide.

===ᐁ===

“Sniper? Sniper? Do you copy?” Silver asked, nearly yelling into his com. She had dropped off suddenly and went quiet for a long time. While not necessarily something uncommon for the team’s sniper, the fact that she wasn’t answering any hails at all were starting to worry the guard. “Sniper, respond. Please, respond!”

Chestnut, Cotton, and Mandible were already diverting their attention to find her, checking the various rooms and hallways for any sign of their wayward team member. “Sniper! Sniper where are you?” Silver yelled, as he yelled, slamming into an open room.

“Keep yelling, Assault,” Mandible said in a deadpan. “She’ll definitely hear you and come running.”

“What else am I supposed to do, smart aleck?” Silver barked back. “She’s not answering the coms!”

“Uh, Boss?” Chestnut began.

“So yelling so literally everyone can hear you is better?” Mandible asked. “I thought we were going to try and keep this whole traitor thing as quiet as possible.”

“Boss?” The heavy began again.

“Yes, but I need to know where she is, first!” Silver growled.

“Boss?”

“What is it, Heavy?” Silver roared.

“I found her.”

“Oh.”

A moment of silence echoed over the line for a second, before Silver resumed command. “What’s your location?”

“She’s in the mess hall. She’s a little beat up, so she’s resting here on one of the tables.”

“I’ll be there in a second,” Silver said, taking off for the cafeteria.

“I’ll beat you there,” Mandible said.

Silver didn’t respond, and was mildly annoyed to see that the changeling had, in fact, beaten him there. He decided to ignore this for the moment, and turned to Silk, who lay resting on the table. “Silk, what happened?”

She glared at him from the table. “Oh, I’m fine, thank you for asking,” she growled, before she spoke up again. “It was Sparky. He’s still around, invisible, and an absolute nutcase.”

“Sparky’s here?” Silver asked, before cursing.

“And what? He tried to kill you?” Mandible asked.

“No, no. He wanted to share a cup of tea and some scones, of course he tried to kill me!” Silk roared from the table, before groaning as she reached for her ribs.

Mandible nodded. “Alright, first things first, set up a base-wide buddy system.”

“Buddy system?” Silver asked.

“I do my best work on solitary targets. Staying paired up increases risk for any infiltrator, trust me, I know.”

“Alright, buddy up then. Make the announcement, I’ll take Silk to the med bay, see if we can’t get her taken care of.”

Mandible nodded. “Sure, Boss.”

Silver tried to lift Silk off the table, only for her to growl at him. “I can still walk,” she said.

“But you’re hurt,” he offered.

“My ribs, not my legs,” she said, very annoyed with her cracked bones.

As they continued to argue and bicker as they made their way to the med bay, the changeling slid up next to the heavy. “Hey, Chestnut, could I talk to you?”

“Hm? What about?”

Mandible smiled. “Just follow me.”

The changeling quickly led the heavy down a few hallways, leaving the metal-limbed stallion to thud-thud-thud behind him. The changeling went down hallway after hallway, taking random turns and occasionally searching the halls for a sign that Chestnut couldn’t see.

Finally, they came to a final room, and Mandible quickly turned to the earth pony behind him. “Lock the door, please.”

Chestnut obeyed, though he was slightly confused. “So what did ya want to talk about?”

“I’m sure you both want to know,” the Changeling said, before he turned and stared into the empty room, specifically, directly a single point on the wall.

Chestnut blinked, utterly confused.

“And now you’re thinking to yourself, ‘He’s bluffing. There’s no way he can see me,’” Mandible said to the spot on the wall, smiling the entire time. “Of course, you’re wrong, because I can feel the little bit of panic that’s been wafting off you ever since I started walking in your direction.”

Chestnut blinked again, as his mind slowly put things together.

“So here’s what’s going to happen, Sparky. I’m going to hold this door closed, and Chestnut’s going to deal with the guy who tried to hurt my main food source, and was probably responsible for Amber’s death.”

Chestnut blinked again, before his eyes went dark.

“N-now hang on,” Sparky said as he glanced at the earth pony with a face of black rage. “I wasn’t with Valentine back when that happened, I was—”

And the excuse was caught in his throat as a powerful, robotic hoof crushed his windpipe.

Mandible watched as Chestnut slowly beat Sparky to death, his own enhanced strength doing nothing against the robotic power, and black rage of the earth pony.

The changeling watched, and as he did, he wondered. Was he doing this because you don’t mess with a changeling’s food, or because this is what traitors deserve.

He finally decided that it really didn’t matter anymore.

Revenge

“We attack in one week,” Spike said.

The gathered teams could only blink as they sat around the briefing table, trying to decipher exactly what the dragon was saying. “A week?” Silver asked. “That seems kind of far from now.”

“I now, but I’d rather you be prepared for this fight than not,” he said, before pointing to the illusionary image of the old castle built into the side of a mountain. “Besides, we’re not sure what exactly Valentine has in his castle. This is a vampire who has had more than a thousand years to fortify and defend his lair, the dangers there are probably as innumerable as they dangerous.”

“Good to know,” Mandible grunted, “and for the record, I appreciate the fact that I’m not going to have to try and disarm everything in front of us blindly.”

“Noted,” Spike said, before he continued, pointing at the castle. “The truth, though, is that he’s right there, waiting for us. He wants us to come, and I’m willing to bet our entire budget on the fact that he’s laying traps for us right now.”

“So how are we getting in?” Silver asked, while suppressing a yawn. “What’s the plan of attack?”

They hadn’t slept since they left on the last operation. Silk was still getting her ribs checked, and Sparky’s death had only been reported a few hours ago. Between everyone gathered in that room, they had maybe three hours worth of naps between them.

“I don’t know,” Spike said. “You’re going to be in charge of that for the assault next week.”

“I’m in charge?”

“Yes, do you have a problem with that?” Spike asked.

“No, sir, I’m just surprised. I thought you’d want to lead the charge on this, consider...well...you know…”

Spike looked up for a moment, and stared at the leader of Alpha Team for a long second, before he finally allowed himself a small smile. “I appreciate the thought, Silver,” he said. “Unfortunately, I am too close to this, so I’m trusting you with the mission.”

Silver blinked. “I...um...I’m honored, sir?” he said, still unsure if this was actually happening.

The dragon nodded. “Glad you think so,” he said, turning back to the others. “The fact remains, however that this is a fight that needs to be fought with all your combined might in order to win.”

Neon Looked up. “Why do you keep saying ‘your strength,’ don’t you mean ‘ours?’”

“I’m not talking about what I need to do. I’m talking about what you need to do,” the dragon said in a soft growl. “I know what I need to do when I get there. I’m asking if you do. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Neon replied.

“The fact is, this is big. Bigger than anything the Department has ever done before. For the first time in my life, the Department’s goals are mine, and so you are about to face the greatest fight of your life.”

Silence reigned for a moment.

“So, if there is nothing else, then I will leave you to plan,” he said, before stepping back and out of the room.

Silver groaned, before turning to Manticore, “How do you think we should approach this?”

The vampire did not answer immediately, in fact she was silent for a long time, before she finally spoke in a small, quiet voice. “I-I don't know. I don't have a clue on what to do this.”

Silver blinked at the oddly gloom-and-doom tone of he voice and moved on. “What about you, Jet?”

The Gamma Team Scout shook his head. “I’d be willing to bet that every hallway in that mess is trapped. Approaching it from the gate would require an army. If we approach from above, we might have a better chance, though.”

“Unless, of course, his throne is in the center of the castle,” Moonlight, the Gamma agent pointed out.

“If it is, then this is a fight in every direction,” Mandible continued. “Traps no matter which way we go.”

“If we could get inside the wall, we might find the palace, and the throne room easier,” Jet added. “Of course, that means getting inside, which could be equally as problematic if he’s prepared for a siege.”

“There’s also the problem of who’s going,” Lemon said. “Any one of us demo ponies can bust through the walls, but we just learned that sending the whole force can be disastrous at worst.”

Hunter, the Phi leader spoke up. “I think it’s best if my team stays,” he said. “Clearing rooms has never been Phi’s specialty, and the last thing you need is somepony holding you back.”

“Of course, that means we’re bringing less guns,” Chestnut said, his metallic hooves flexing as he sat by the table. “That means less guns pointed at the target.”

“Which is a point,” Hunter said, “but I believe Lemon is correct in suggesting someone watch the base. Leaving it open a second time is asking for trouble.”

“But the Commander did say we needed all the help we could get,” the Gamma assault said. “Leaving the base behind might be bad, but if we’re leaving here without everything we need to knock Valentine down, then we might as well not go.”

As the conversation continued, and the parties in the war room focused their attention onto the problem at hand, they quickly became oblivious to the purple shadow that slipped away into the halls.

Spike slipped down, out of sight of anyone, with a single, focused goal in mind. His will was set for this now, and nothing was going to stop him. Not cowardice, not fear, not even the measly need for survival that had held him back for so long. It didn’t matter now, because Valentine had crossed a line.

He had Rarity.

The questions that constantly surrounded the dragon, the fear of her well-being inside the crystal meant nothing anymore. Was she dead? Then he’d retrieve her body. Was she alive? Then he would rescue her.

It was time to continue on with his lifelong mission. It was now or never. Spike had no one left to hurt, and nothing left to lose. This was everything, here and now.

With only a wooden stake, and his number one assistant at his side, Spike slipped into a SCOOT, and buckled himself into the driver's seat. No one else was coming. No one would know until it was too late. If he failed tonight, then the Department would finally clean up the vampire a week later, but Spike had run out of patience for this.

There was no more waiting, no more excuses. He was going to stare Valentine down, and stab him in his ruby heart, and he was going to do it now. Nopony else would suffer, and nopony else would distract him.

It was time to end this.

He waited a moment, just a moment, searching the control rooms of the hanger for any sign of anyone who could stop him, before he madly began flipping switches.

A remote signal to the cargo bay doors was sent, and they opened, slowly, with only enough space for his three-man vessel to slip through and away. Quickly punching in the coordinates, and a flip of the autopilot switch, Spike then leaned back and pulled his his handgun from it’s holster. “Soon, Twi. They’ll all be ready to rest soon.”

An hour passed, and the terrain passed quickly beneath, changing first from the dry, air desert, to the forests and plains of central Equestria, to the tall and towering mountains of the north. It was almost time. After two hundred years, it was almost time.

Spike glared at the castle where his old enemy had resided, a small holdfast built onto the side of the mountain, sitting on small peak where only the most foolhardy invaders would try to lay siege.

Today, that invader was Spike the Dragon.

The SCOOT screamed as it fell through the air, pushed by it’s pilot into a terrible dive. It spun and fell from the sky, like a giant, terrible missile aimed directly for the main building beyond the wall.

Yes, there would be traps, yes, the hallways and doors would be dangerous. So obviously, the best decision was to make his own door.

Spike leapt from the back of the SCOOT the moment before it made impact, smashing into the keep wall and throwing masonry out across the courtyard. The dragon quickly leapt up, into the hole caused by his own wreckage, and immediately opened fire into the first vampire he saw.

A needle of magic slammed into the undead pegasus so hard and so fast that he didn’t even have the time to turn to mist. Another shot hit a vampire earth pony in the heart, ending him in a moment while a third was just slow enough to let its victim cry out “invader” before his existence was ended.

The dragon strode forward, his mouth spewing flame like an old, terrible, demonic boiler. Brilliant, orange-red flames engulfed vampires whole as he walked down the hallways, leaving ash and destruction in his path.

“There he is!” a unicorn vampire cried, casting a spell, only for a needle to smash into his horn, and another to pierce his heart.

“Valentine! I’m here!” Spike roared, his voice echoing in the castle as it unleashed all his power and fury into the cry. “I’m here for you Valentine! It ends today!”

“For lord Valentine!” an earth pony vampire cried, rushing Spike with supernatural speed, only to slam into Spike’s waiting claw. He growled as he twisted his open claw, his talon ripping the vampire’s heart to pieces before he let the dissolving body drop the flagstones.

“Where are you!” Spike roared.

Only a handful more of vampires dared to stand before him, but they were pitiful compared to Spike, and much less to their master. The dragon cut through them like a blade, and though his fury drove him forward, he knew that they were nothing, and should be treated as such.

His number one assistant roared as it ended another unlife, before he finally reached the massive doors of the palace throne room. They were open, and waiting, and decorated with unicorn figures and beautiful mares. Spike turned to face the room, glaring into it to see the vampire sitting on a throne at the far end of the room.

Beside him sat Rarity, locked in her gem.

“I have been waiting for you, Commander.”

Spike simply opened fire.

His handgun roared as it spat shot after shot into Valentine's head and chest. The distilled and solidified magic slammed into him, pinning the corpse to the back of his chair.

Valentine blinked, needles digging deep in his chest, before glancing up at the one between his eyes. For a second, there was silence, and Valentine’s eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head.

A moment passed.

Then his mouth twisted into a smile, and his gaze snapped back to the dragon. “You never fail to amuse, Commander.”

“I’m here to end it, Valentine.”

“Of course you are,” the vampire replied, “and you didn't even bring your kids along. I’m so proud. You’ve finally taken responsibility for your mistake.”

“My mistake!” Spike cried. “My mistake? My only mistake was thinking that you were tougher than I gave you credit for!”

Valentine laughed. “First of two mistakes, Commander. First of two,” the vampire corrected. “The second mistake was thinking I’d leave them out of it,” he said, motioning to the mare caught in the crystal.

Spike grit his teeth.

“Of course, I’m a monster, so you should have known better, shouldn't you have?”

“Another word out of you, Valentine, I swear.”

“You swear what? To kill me? After all this, I’m still not sure you can. So what else? To sic your children on me? Yes, I’m terrified of a horde of children that will throw their lives away at your order. Or maybe you intend to die and rob me of what little amusement this charade offers? That, perhaps would hurt the most, I think.”

Spike did not answer, though he raised his weapon.

“So the third option, then? You disappoint, Commander. I thought better of you.”

“Shut up and die, Valentine.”

The vampire sighed. “If I must, but first, a gift for you, Commander.”

“No, no gifts! No tricks! Just you and me to the very end!”

Valentine smiled. “Oh, but Commander, I think it's only right that we have a little reunion.”

With the ring of magic and a crack of thunder, a spell was cast, and the gem that held Rarity in place cracked.

Spike froze.

Another crack, and the gem began to fall apart.

With a third and final fissure, the gem shattered.

For a second, the mare stood there, as young and beautiful as she had been two hundred years ago. For a second, her chest raised, breath gracing her lungs for the first time since she was captured. For a second, Spike felt his heart leap as the one he loved all his life was finally free.

Then she began to scream.

Her neck gushed blood, and she fell to the ground in pain.

Spike’s mind shot back to that night two hundred years ago, where he found her screaming on the floor of her boutique, clutching her wounded neck.

He moved toward her, only to be thrown across the room as Valentine landed his first blow. “Now, now, Commander, pay attention. We don't want to let the lady down, do we?”

Rarity screamed.

It was that same terrible scream that haunted his nightmares and plagued his memories. He tried to turn on the vampire, but Rarity’s cry broke his concentration like a pane of glass.

She’s been alive all this time. Had she been conscious? Was she aware the entire time? Had she been in pain?

Valentine sent another blow down on the baby dragon, and Spike slammed into the ground. He rolled, firing his weapon up at the vampire, before unleashing his breath onto him. Valentine leapt back, escaping the cone of flame with only a single hair of his mane singed.

Was she okay? Where was she hurt? Was this the same wound or a different one? Did the old one never heal?

A spell sent twelve thousand pounds of force down on the Commander, and Spike felt the tiles crack beneath him. “Come now Commander, don't let her down now.”

Oh Celestia, she was alive! Everyone she knew was dead. If she made it out of here, she’s have so much to adjust to. Could she get out of here?

“You're going to let us down, Commander!” Valentine called.

Spike slowly began to push up against the spell that was trying to crush him. He raised his handgun, taking aim even as he was being shoved down into the stone.

A shot rang out, followed by another, but Spike knew they were useless, they missed his heart.

“Come on, Spike. Stand and be the hero, cut me down and save your beloved. Only one of us is leaving here today.”

Spike kept firing, before he used every ounce of his strength to force a leg beneath him. With another Herculean effort, Spike freed his other leg, and he forced himself to stand.

Rarity’s hoarse and ragged scream continued to echo around the room.

Spike fired again and again, trying to wound the vampire with just a single shot to his heart.

He missed every time.

“Is this it, Commander?” Valentine growled, stepping forward. “Is this all you have to show? I bring you an audience out of time, a chance for someone to witness your vengeance, and you can't even hit me!”

Spike took aim again, but his eye glanced back at the mare behind him.

She was rolling on the ground, gripping her neck as tears flowed from her eyes.

“Hit me, Commander! Hit me!”

Spike fired.

And he missed.

Valentine sighed. “Oh, Spike, you disappoint me again,” he said, walking forward as Spike took aim again, only for his arms to be magically shoved up into the air, before his weapon was ripped from his grip.

“I had such high hopes for you, Spike, yet you fail me here, at the very end. It's so disappointing.”

Rarity still screamed, and Valentine slowly walked up to her as he held Spike in place. “All this work and time put into you, and you fail me utterly. Simply pathetic.”

Spike struggled against his bonds as Valentine stood over the mare, but he couldn't move, couldn't break free.

“I suppose I’ll just have to find someone else,” he said with a sigh, before his magic tossed the dragon across the throne room. Spike slammed into the masonry, scattering stones in all directions as he was thrown through the wall.

“If you want something done right,” Valentine muttered, before he turned to the still screaming mare. “Ah, well. I suppose I might as well put you out of your misery.”

He hovered over Rarity, his hoof ready to come down and silence her screaming for the last time.

And then there was the sound of thunder.

Covering the distance in the moment it takes to blink, Spike was already on the vampire, claws digging deep into his undead flesh.

Valentine had just enough time to smile before he was thrown back, and sent flying into the opposite, but much closer wall.

He did not smash through the masonry like Spike did, but there was a meaty thud as he impacted, and he laughed as he slid to the flagstones. “There you are. There you are.”

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Spike growled, hunching over the mare like a great cat crouching over its prey.

Valentine laughed, sitting up as his bones knit together. “There you are. I was afraid I broke you too soon.”

Spike merely growled again.

“Now, the fight can truly begin.” Valentine grinned, and his skin began to split. Angry red line ripped across his body as the muscle beneath was exposed to air. They began to bulge and tighten, audibly groaning under their own weight. His face convulsed, transforming entirely into that of a wolf, with his horn still protruding from his forehead, now red, engorged and crystalline like a ruby obelisk.

Ruby claws burst from his hooves, and wings like a demon’s erupted from his back. And finally Valentine looked every bit the monster he was.

“Well, Commander? Are we finally going to end this?” he asked, his fangs snapping as he glared at him with his brilliant, blood-red eyes.

Spike growled back, still standing over Rarity. “Just die.”

Valentine smiled. “One of us certainly will.”

There was a flash, and they were on the move. They leapt at each other, their bodies thundering from the impact, leaving only a blur to trail behind them. Claw met claw, fang met neck, muscle was matched with muscle.

Spike used everything he had. Every ounce of his strength, his speed, his draconic instinct to protect what was his was poured into this last fight.

He had to win.

The ruby claws ripped into his gut, tearing away scales and leaving draconic blood to splash on the flagstones. The needle-like teeth dug into his arm, pulling muscle from bone.

Within seconds, Spike was shredded.

But the dragon left his own mark.

In his jaws was Valentine’s front left leg, already turning to ash in his mouth. The back right leg was little more than goo, the bone splintered and shattered into pieces no larger than a bolt head.

But these were already healing, the vampire’s flesh smoking and sizzling as its regeneration came into play.

Spike was not so lucky.

His wounds continued to bleed, and his breathing was heavy.

But he had to win.

He had to.

They leapt at each other again, ripping and tearing at each other, throwing fur, muscle, scale and ash all across the room.

Spike had ripped another leg from the vampire, but he was already growing the first on back. Meanwhile, he himself had been torn apart. Blood was flowing freely, and he could feel his strength fading.

And Valentine’s smile faded. “No? You don’t have enough do you?”

Spike didn’t answer.

Valentine sighed. “Then this was all for naught. Shame. Well, if nothing else, when I end you, I will send your beloved right after.”

Spike growled, before his legs gave out from under him.

Debrief

Spike grumbled as he walked up into the Castle, report in hand. Celestia would order a copy of this one to be hand delivered. Couldn’t let him stay behind and deal with Valentine’s death and Rarity coming back, no, he had to come up and tell her everything.

“Right this way, sir,” the guard said, leading Spike up to the solarium where the Princess was waiting for him.

As if he didn’t know where that was.

Up the stairs of the southern tower, to the room that sat like a bulbous growth on its side, the guard led him, and when they finally arrived he knocked three times on the door, exactly as he was trained to.

“Who is it?” the Princess’ voice called.

“Your Highness, the dragon whose audience you requested is here,” the guard said.

“Let him in,” she said.

The guard nodded, even though she couldn’t see him, and let him in. “Sir,” he said, motioning for Spike to head inside.

Spike sighed, and did so, refusing to acknowledge the guard that was a little too much by the book.

Celestia sat in the sun, lounging on a series of overstuffed cushions with a book in front of her. “Ah, Spike. There you are. Did you bring your report?”

“You better believe I did! I did not just cross half of Equestria to deliver a report that’s still sitting on my desk.”

“Well…”

“And if you mention that time forty years ago again, I swear!”

Celestia smiled as she closed her book. “It was forty-five years ago.”

“Don’t even!” Spike warned, before throwing the folder down in front of her.

The Princess caught it effortlessly, and hovered it in front of her, spreading the pages. “Let’s see. First of all, Rarity is alive, or at the very least a vampire. I’d imagine that news made you happy.”

“As well as finding out that your friend is now an undead can make you happy,” Spike said. “Still, I do have to admit that it’s nice to talk to her again.”

“Has she made any moves to return to civilian life?”

Spike shook his head. “She said she couldn’t stand being anypony but herself. She’s decided to try for a desk job at the Department. Which is probably for the best since we’re a little low on ponypower at the moment.”

“And have you set her up properly?”

“Finding blood will be a little harder than supplying apples, but I can arrange for some shipments.”

“Good, good. Make sure to expedite that, she needs to get her strength back. You may use my seal to do so.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Spike said, standing in front of her before moving to lean against a window.

She nodded, and scanned through the papers again. “You’ve taken care of the mole?”

“Didn't need to. He was practically ripped to shreds by some of the team ponies.”

Celestia nodded. “Repairs?”

“Underway. Structural damage was a minimum, it’s the loss of personnel that really hurt.”

She nodded, flipping through the pages. “And let's see...Valentine. He’s dead then?”

Spike grit his teeth and looked out the window. “Yup.”

“Good,” she said, looking over the report.

Spike growled. “You were right again…” he muttered with a sigh. “The moment the tide began to turn, he practically leapt at our blades and claws. All that to die so easily,” he growled, claws tightening until he drew blood from his palm.

Celestia said nothing.

“It's a shame he was too much of a coward to do the job for me.”

“And you know what fate is left for those who fall to self slaughter,” Celestia said gently.

Spike sighed.

He knew.

“He still started down this path on his own.”

“And he realized what monster he became,” Celestial said. “The fact doesn't change that he won. He got what he wanted.”

Spike sighed. “I know. I know…”

“Then you know the problem hasn't gone away, either?”

Spike sighed. “No. Now every thrall that was under him is freed, and while that’s good news for Rarity, the chances of every other monster deciding to turn over a new leaf is slim to none.”

The Princess nodded. “We have traded one large problem for many smaller ones.”

Spike smirked. “At least I still have a job, right?”

Celestia smiled, before she continued to read the report in silence.

Spike waited. “Alright, thank you Spike. It's good to see you taking everything well.”

He nodded. “Yeah...it's good to see you too, Celestia.”

She packed up the report and handed it over.

The dragon took it, gave his thanks, and began to walk away. “Oh, Princess?”

“Yes Commander?” She answered, opening her book again.

“You know the retirement program we talked about?”

She looked at him in surprise. “Someone made five years of service?”

“No,” Spike answered, “but there is a pair of ponies that might be able to forge a life from here.”

“Really?” She asked. “Who?”

“Silver Dust and Silk Star,” Spike told her.

“Really now? Well, I’ll just have to see what can be done about that.”

Spike nodded.

“By the way, Spike,” she said as the dragon stood in front of the doorway. “Apparently there's this strange, heavily equipped rescue team that gained quite a bit of popularity back when that carriage bomb went off in Canterlot. In fact it’s gained so much popularity that the guard has had a flood of new volunteers, all wanting to join the Department with all the cool toys.”

Spike blinked and turned to the Princess. “And what does that entail?”

“Well, you know I won't turn down a volunteer…”

Spike nodded. “I see.”

“You're dismissed, Commander.”

Spike nodded, and pushed open the door.

The guard from before was waiting for him. “Sir?”

“Just take me back to where you found me. I can make my way back from there.”

“Yes, sir.”

They walked slowly, down the tight, spiral stairs of the large tower, before Spike turned. “Guard.”

“Yes, sir?”

“What’s your name?”

Recruitment

Thunder roared in his ears.

He panted as he held her in the rain, running through the muddy streets as the downpour continued to surround him.

It wasn’t enough to stop the blood pouring from her neck.

He cursed his tiny body as he ran through the tiny town of Ponyville, panic rising as the mare he loved slowly died in his claws. She screamed in pain, drowned out by the rain and thunder as she writhed in pain. Still, he waddled forward, towards the massive, crystalline tree-palace that stood on the outskirts of the town.

Twilight could help.

He knew Twilight could help.

Lightning flashed, and in that moment, the little dragon could see the blood staining her fur, dripping into the mud beneath them.

“Don’t die on me...don’t you dare die on me,” he whispered as he ran.

She could not hear him over the sound of the storm, and her own moans of pain.

“Twilight!” the tiny dragon yelled as he burst through the palace doors, his clawed feet slapping against the cold, stone floor. “Twilight! Twilight! Help!” He ran through the castle, shouting as the mare in his claws bled onto the floor. “Twilight! Twilight!” He ran passed the hundreds of doors that flanked the crystal hallways, screaming as he ran.

The mare’s screaming picked up, surging as a new pain began to flood her body.

“Spike?” A mare’s voice called, echoing through the halls, and the little dragon ran towards her.

“Twilight! Twilight! Help!”

He ran further and further into the palace, before bursting into the throne room. All six thrones sat around the magic, cutie-mark map, four of them dusty and unused, and just behind them stood the purple Princess of Friendship. “Spike?” she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes before she saw her friend in the dragon’s claws. “Spike! What’s going on?”

“Twilight!” the dragon called, holding the mare up to her, bleeding all the way. “Twilight, you have to help her!”

“I—” she began stepping back in shock as the mare continued to bleed.

“Twilight! You have to help!”

The mare was screaming, drowning out both of them as the dragon begged.

“I-I—”

“Twilight, please! You have to do something!”

“I-I don’t know—”

“Twilight, please! Help me!”

The mare kept screaming, pain flooding her mind.

“I don’t know if I can!”

“Help!”

The mare kept screaming.

“I-What—”

“Save her!”

“But I—”

“Anything, Twilight! Anything!”

There was a ring of magic as Twilight prepared a spell. “I don’t—”

“Just save her!”

And there was a flash of light.

===ᐁ===

Two hundred years later, and Spike could still remember that night. He could still feel her die in his claws. He never forgot. He could still hear her screams, even now, as he sat at his desk, working through more and more stacks of paperwork.

He quickly read through another report, his eyes darting over the paragraphs of legalese, before he quickly signed at the bottom, and moved on to the next form.

A mare, grey fur with a purple mane, took a step inside his office. “Sir, the new Team Gamma has arrived.”

“Good,” Spike said, signing another form. “Do they need their orientation?”

“They do, Sir,” she replied.

“Alright,” he said, signing yet one more form. “Gather them up, I’ll be there to give them the tour in a second.”

She nodded, but lingered.

Spike noticed. “Was there something else, Velvet?”

“Well…” she began, “Alpha team has failed to meet their check-in time.”

Spike sighed, before checking his calendar. “Three years, two months. New record. Steel Charge would have been happy.”

Velvet nodded. “He would have.”

Spike shook his head. “Alright...well...I suppose I’ll have to scout more talent.”

She nodded as Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes from his desk drawer.

He pulled one free, lighting it with a gust of flame. “Alright, Velvet, go lead Gamma team around, I have to take a walk.”

She nodded. “Sir, yes, sir.”

===ᐁ===

Silver Dust sighed.

Of all the posting in the entire Royal Guard, he had to get the most boring one. He stood just outside a door in the most boring hallway in the entire palace. His only orders were to make sure no one entered that door, although what lay beyond was still the biggest mystery among the guards.

Even the oldest guards there didn’t know what was behind the door that Celestia herself forbade anyone from checking inside. Likewise, it was her order that no one was to enter this door in this incredibly obscure hallway in the palace, and so, he stood.

Alone.

Bored.

He could have gotten the post by the front gate, he could have gotten the throne room, he could have even gotten the post in the Canterlot Server Rooms, and that would have been better. Sure, if they came under a cyber-attack, there wasn’t much the grey-coated unicorn could do, but at least there would be other ponies to look at.

He almost wished someone would burst through the hallway with ill-intent just so he wouldn’t have to stare at the blank, far wall for a change.

And then suddenly the door opened.

Silver almost jumped as the door swung silently into the hallway, and nearly swore as a purple and green dragon walked out.

He was just a bit taller than Silver himself, especially if you were to count the great scale crest at the top of his head, but his emerald green eyes were fierce, and vicious. He stood on his back legs, and his forearms hung loose by his side, next to a large leather belt with a strange-looking flint-lock at his side.

He absentmindedly chewed the cigarette in between his lips, as his eyes danced over the guard.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” the dragon said, simply.

Silver blinked, and tried to stay still, facing straight ahead. Indecision was filling his head. Is this dragon supposed to be here? Yes, no one was supposed to enter, but Celestia had explicitly never said anything about anypony leaving. Even when she was asked about it.

“What’s your name, soldier?” he asked.

Silver stayed silent. The dragon had no authorit—

“Authorization code C3-42,” the dragon said with a sigh.

Silver blinked again. “S-sir, Silver Dust, sir.”

The dragon nodded. “Thank you,” he said, before he began to circle the guard, looking him up and down as he did. “Standard-looking guard,” he muttered to himself. “What was your class position?”

“Sixth, sir.”

“Sixth?” Spike said, nodding. “Not bad. Not good, but not bad.”

Silver regarded the dragon carefully as he continued to circle. The emerald green eyes seemed to weigh him, analyzing him and comparing him.

And then the dragon said just one word. “Maybe.”

And then the dragon walked away, as though nothing had ever happened.

Silver watched him go from the corner of his eyes, blinking wildly, and still unsure if this dragon was supposed to leave.

By the time he came to a decision, the dragon was already gone.

===ᐁ===

Spike moved through the castle, and headed straight to the Canterlot Server rooms. A flash of his badge at the ponies guarding the door, and he was inside. He walked among the great, six-foot tall computers that were heart of the very first wired communication system.

Spike still remembered the day when this was all the pet-project of one of Celestia’s students in her school for gifted unicorns. The idea of using an electronic medium to store data was an old one, and even when Spike was young they had video games in massive arcade cabinets. The idea of connecting them, however, to type up a document on one terminal and send it to another, was mind-blowing when it was first proposed.

After receiving a royal grant from Celestia herself, that stallion went to work to build the first computer network in this very room. It worked, and ever since, private servers began popping up, nodes in the giant, nation-wide network that now connected almost every computer to each other.

Now if only Spike could remember his name.

But Spike did not come here for either that stallion’s name, nor for Network access.

He came here for something else.

Beyond all the servers, and all the maintenance consoles, sat a single terminal connected to the wall. It booted up quickly, taking Spike to a log-in screen in white, block letters against a black screen.

“WARNING: ACCESS OF THIS TERMINAL WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE INCARCERATION WITH NO CHANCE OF PAROLE.

PLEASE LOG IN:

USERNAME:

PASSWORD:”

Spike quickly logged in, ignoring the warning as he accessed the secret Royal Archives. The information of every pony in all of Equestria was stored here in the digital archive, relations, birth certificates, social security numbers, anything and everything for anyone to assume the identity of any citizen of the kingdom was in there, and as such, Celestia made sure it could not be accessed through the network, nor through any other means but physically being there.

The words “WELCOME, COMMANDER SPIKE” greeted him, and the dragon ignored them as he opened his own personalized search engine. He entered his parameters, and saw with interest that one of the many names in the list was none other than Silver Dust.

His interest peaked, Spike accessed his file, and quickly read through it. No parents, no known associates, young, spent most of adult life in the guard.

Spike nodded.

Maybe indeed.

Still, that was one, eight more to go.

===ᐁ===

Silk Star sighed.

Her little singing act just wasn’t bringing ponies in anymore, and that was not looking good for her paycheck.

“Twenty bits! You’re paying me twenty bits?”

“One for each pony you brought in, Silk,” her boss said, cleaning a mug as they argued over the bar.

The pegasus flared her wings. “I can’t live off of twenty bits!”

“You should have thought about that, when you signed the contract, babe,” the large earth pony said, looking through the bottom of his glass.

“How am I going to make the next two weeks on twenty bits?”

“Not my problem, babe.”

Silk growled, before swearing.

A lot.

In fact, if it weren’t for the signing of on her coworkers, the entire club would have heard her screaming.

And all the while, her boss just shrugged, as if nothing was wrong at all.

She threw the cheque back at him, furious, before she began to storm off, only to be stopped by the sight of a dragon staring at her. “Miss Silk Star, I presume?”

She hesitated a second before her anger returned with her courage. “Look, buddy, if you want an autograph, then—”

“Actually, miss, I’m here to offer you a business opportunity,” he said, before taking a long drag on his cigarette.

The smoke smelled...odd.

“What, what do you want, then?” Silk asked, still incredibly annoyed.

“Sign with me, and you get free room, free board, free utilities, and anything you want at the drop of hat,” Spike said with a smirk.

Silk blinked. “What’s the catch?” she asked, cautiously.

“You might die,” he said. “Very quickly.”

She blinked. “That’s...that’s…”

Spike sighed. “The direct way almost never works. Come on, let’s find a table, and we’ll talk about the specifics, alright?”

Silk followed, curious and just desperate enough to try.

===ᐁ===

Spike stepped down into the dungeon, ready to make a deal.

“Um...sir?” one of the guards said, shifting nervously as the dragon stood next to him.

“Yes?” Spike asked.

“Are you sure about this?”

Spike took a long drag on his cigarette. “I’ve dealt with worse.”

The guard nodded, but he was definitely not put at ease.

“Just open the cell,” the dragon said, “if he get’s rowdy, I’ll take care of him.”

Hesitantly, the guard obeyed, opening the heavy iron door as he keyed in the proper password for the digital lock.

And Spike stepped in without a moment’s hesitation.

The cell was cramped, not nearly tall enough for a pony, much less a dragon. Still, Spike managed, before coming upon a set of stocks. A pony-sized platform, covered in iron arches with thick, heavy chains and manacles, held tight to a lone, furless figure.

Large holes were in his legs, and his long, gossamer wings were bound as well, leaving almost no room for the poor creature to move.

“Hello Changeling,” Spike said, addressing the creature as it’s large, luminescent eyes centered on him.

“Who are you?” the changeling asked.

“Despite my best efforts some two hundred years ago, your best and last hope.”

“What do you want?”

“Why don’t we start with a name?” Spike asked. “Start simple and all that.”

“Why should I? Why should I trust you?”

“Well, for one, I offer you freedom,” the dragon said, and he smirked as the changeling raised an eyebrow.

“Now, for the second thing,” Spike said, sitting down, “let me tell you about my friend Thorax.”

===ᐁ===

Silver Dust sighed as he returned home that evening, and hung his helmet on the coat rack.

His shift had been awful. Other than the dragon showing up, nothing interesting had happened, and while he would normally love the interruption from the most boring post in the castle, he couldn’t help but worry that perhaps, he had made a terrible mistake letting him go.

The paranoia of failing the Princess’ direct order was filling his mind even after he threw off his armor and slumped in his couch.

He just hoped that he’d still have a job in the morning.

With his armor off, his coat went from grey to its natural white, and the swirl of silver dust on his flank was almost impossible to see. He sighed as he slumped deeper into his couch, his grey mane spreading messily across the armrest.

“You know,” a voice said, and Silver shot up as he searched for it’s source, “this isn’t the worst apartment I’ve seen.” Spike stood in Silver’s kitchen, flipping through mail as Silver gaped at him. “But it’s still pretty bad.”

“What are you doing here?” Silver yelled, leaping to his hooves.

Spike didn’t even look up. “I was sure that a guard’s salary could pay for more than this,” he said, separating a letter from the others. “Ah, wait. That’s why. Is there a reason why your bills are astronomical?”

“What are you doing here?” Silver asked again.

“No, seriously, you should probably speak with your landlord.”

“Get out!” Silver roared as a stun spell shot from his horn.

It slammed into the wall directly behind where the dragon was a second ago, leaving a smoking scorch mark on the wall.

Silver blinked, shocked.

Y-you can’t dodge a stun spell. They move at supersonic speeds. That...that shouldn’t have happened.

Spike, who now stood a foot to the left of where he had been finally looked up from the mail, eyebrow cocked, and face unamused. “You know...I have seen more powerful unicorns refuse to face weaker dragons. Now luckily,” he said, placing the letters back on the counter, “I’m looking for that kind of stupid bravery, and that’s mostly why you’re still alive right now.”

Silver took a step back, still terrified at the dragon’s horrifying speed.

“So, let’s start again, shall we?” Spike asked.

Silver said nothing.

“Look, I’m not going to mince words, your life isn’t really going anywhere here. A glance at your bills is enough for me to know that.”

“Hey, my life is fine, thank you,” Silver said.

“You’ve had two disciplinary actions in the past three weeks,” Spike said, unimpressed. “Both related to unruly behavior towards a fellow guard.”

“I...th-that’s…”

“In fact,” Spike continued, ignoring the unicorn’s protest, “those little actions have been what’s led you to your current, boring post. The ol’ Captain is hoping that sticking you in empty hallway will cool you off.

“Now, here’s the thing. One more disciplinary action, and you’ll get a free shrink visit, but I’m willing to bet I can figure you out without even so much as a couch and notepad,” Spike said with a grin.

“Like to see you try,” Silver grumbled, his anger re-gathering as he glared at the dragon.

“You joined the guard,” Spike said, pulling his cigarette from his mouth as he began to talk freely. “You joined young even. You waited to hit seventeen before joining up saying that your birthday was going to be a few months, against your recruiter’s better judgement.”

Silver blinked.

“Don’t be too impressed, all of that is a matter of record,” Spike said. “No, the trick is figuring out why you joined. Why does a seventeen-year-old orphan with his whole life ahead of him join the Royal Guard? Well, with a look at your record, a few of your issues with your other guards, and all of this, I’m going to take a guess.”

The dragon smothered the butt of his cigarette into the fake stone of Silver counter. “You want to do more. You joined the guard to help stop crime, save ponies, you wanted to be a lone defender of good and justice against the darkness of this world and the next. That’s what you wanted to be, and instead, you got to guard hallways and send loiterers on their way.”

Silver was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

“You didn’t get what you wanted, and now you feel frustrated. It’s not quite bloodlust, but it almost as bad. The frustration of not being able to defend ponies when that was all you wanted to do, drives you crazy. You want to help, but you can’t. And that makes your life an absolute hell. Sound right to you?”

Silver said nothing.

Spike smirked, before sending a jet of green flame into the butt, and sending the butt and ashes away, off to some unknown place. “Well, then do I have an opportunity for you.” He reached back into mail, and pulled out a letter. “These are your discharge papers. If you want, you can turn these in the next day to the Captain, and you’re free to come to me. Once you do, I will give you what you want. I will make you that sentinel of light that you’ve always wanted to be. You will be that hero that constantly faces death and danger to protect the innocent ponies behind their safe little walls and homes.

“Come to me, leave all this behind, and you’ll get what you want,” Spike finished, sliding the letter forward. “That’s what I offer you, Silver Dust. I offer you your dream.”

Silver stared at the letter, mouth dry and eyes wide.

His discharge letters sat before him, the ultimate out to all the crap in his life. And he just...stared at them. He wasn’t sure when the dragon left him, but when he finally grabbed the letter in his magical grasp, he was alone.

Just him and his ticket out.

If he took this, there was no way he would be able to get back in, but if he didn’t then he would be stuck here for a long time.

He had to come to a decision.

And his stomach was doing flips the entire time.

===ᐁ===

“Present arms!” the voice barked.

Silver stood at attention, his spear up and at the ready as the Captain of the guard made her inspection for the morning. A short, white mare wearing purple armor strode down the line, giving her best glare as she walked down the line. Captain Gleaming Armor, despite being almost five inches shorter than any of her recruits, could and would still beat the living daylights out of any of them.

And she made sure they knew it.

“Soldier! Do you call that armor polished?”

No answer came.

“There’s a scratch a down the entire flank! You will sit down and polish that thing until you can see my face in it, understand?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the soldier answered, before she came down to the end of the line, and gave Silver Dust a long, hard stare.

He said nothing.

“You know your patrols today. Get to work, Celestia be with you.”

The line began to disperse, and the guards were beginning to get to work, but Silver remained behind.

“I was afraid you would do this,” Gleaming said, frowning as she saw the single guard. She stood before him now, staring up at Silver with a frown on her face.

Silver said nothing.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. “That dragon could sell cloud to a pegasus, so I need to be sure that you’re sure about this.”

Silver still said nothing.

“Anyone who’s gone with him has never come back,” she warned.

Still nothing.

“It won’t end well for you,” she said.

Up came the envelope.

Gleaming shook her head. “This is a mistake, Silver,” she said, offering her last warning, before he handed his papers to her.

And, with a sigh, she took them. “Turn in your equipment to the quartermaster. I’m sure the old drake will find you.”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am,” he replied, before he began to walk away.

“And Silver,” she called as he walked away.

He looked back towards the Captain of the Guard.

“Good luck,” she wished. “You’re going to need every ounce of it.”

Operation Skipping Stone

The DASH-1 shot through the air like arrow. The briefing was short and sweet, and Alpha Team was still raring to go after the easy mission they had the previous night. In short, the Covenant had located an old site of ancient power, surrounded by thirteen standing stones, and chances were, they were planning something terrible.

Fluttershy opted to stay behind this time, but Spike and Flurry Heart both stood in the airship's cabin. “We seriously need one of these,” Flurry muttered as they flew north towards Galloping Gorge and the Unicorn Range.

“Then buy one,” Spike said. “You have the entire Imperial budget.”

“Yeah, because a city-state empire makes so much…” she grunted.

“Sounds like an excuse to me,” Spike said.

“Hush.”

Tinker spoke over the intercom. “We’re closing in on their position, but it doesn’t look like there’s a good LZ for the DASH-1, it looks like you're going to have to rappel out.”

“Don’t worry about us, Thundercloud. Alpha Team knows what they’re doing.”

“Roger that, Commander,” the pilot answered, as she pulled around. “Turning to run silent,” she said as she flipped levers and the powerful whine of the engines died down to nothing.

“Alright ponies, let’s move, we have some climbing to do out there.”

The large cargo door dropped open, slowly yawning open as they faced the mountain side of the Unicorn Range.

“Let's go, ponies!” Spike yelled, before he grabbed one of the ropes that had automatically dropped from the roof above the door.

Alpha team followed his lead, grabbing the ropes and rappelling down to a stone ledge.

“Keep the meter running!” Flurry cried as she hovered next to the cargo door, before she dived for rock ledge, pulling up just in time to keep herself from splattering against the stone.

Spike drew his weapon. “Ready? Let’s move.”

===ᐁ===

They moved carefully, walking along a terribly thin mountain trail. The pegasi hovered trail, with Flurry leading them as Spike and the others carefully navigated the stone. It was hardly wide enough for a single pony to walk down, and with the entire squad traveling the trail, every loose pebble threatened to send them all to their deaths.

Silver stayed silent, running through the rules that Spike had laid down.

First and foremost, do not touch the altar.

“And don’t climb on top of it either, Mandible,” Spike joked.

The changeling had muttered something rude in response.

The second rule was to not touch the standing stones.

Third rule was far easier. Leave one alive for questioning.

The sound of loose rock sliding caught his attention, and he looked back to see Chestnut beginning fall sideways, towards the cliffside and the great, open space that sat beside them.

Amber dove in, crazily flapping her wings as she tried to push the Heavy Weapons pony back onto the ledge. She pushed and shoved, and with the help of Neon pulling him, they just barely managed to get him stable.

Once his hooves were under him, he sighed. “Thanks, Medic, Support.”

“Just don’t take me with you, big guy,” Neon said.

“Just keep on the straight and narrow,” Amber told him.

Silver sighed, keeping quiet as they continued on their way, trying desperately to avoid the drop that yawned beside them.

They moved further into the mountains, and continued to walk along the dizzying heights that shadowed them.

“We’re almost there,” Spike whispered, before Flurry spoke over the communicator.

“Sniper, Agent, Medic, Scout, with me, we’re going around to offer assistance on the other side,” the alicorn said, before she led the winged members of the squad down in the open darkness below them, before they flew forward, ahead of them.

Spike then spoke in a whisper. “No talking from here on out, we don’t need any echos giving us away.”

Silver nodded, as did the others as they slipped into silence.

They continued forward, this time without their pegasus entourage, as they pushed through a hidden pass. It was an agonizing pace without their winged companions, and Chestnut took extra care, moving slowly as he tried to maneuver his massive auto cannon so it wouldn’t scrape against the stone or push him over the edge.

Finally, they saw the stones.

On a massive, natural platform, a strange stone plateau that was reminiscent of clearing in a forest, stood the thirteen standing stones. The perfectly round platform seemed naturally carved, if not for the perfection in its curve, and the smoothness of the sides that disappeared into the darkness below.

The full moon peeked past the mountain tops, and filled the platform with silver light. The thirteen stones cast long shadow that stretched into the darkness, and in the center was a single altar, decorated with a brilliant, red banner.

Thirteen ponies, each standing in front of the equidistant stones, droning in some terrible language as the moonlight kissed their bright, crimson robes. In the center, however, were two more, one, a unicorn mare tied to the altar, and a fourteenth cultist, wielding his own knife.

This knife was far different from the one Mandible found. It had no eye, but rather, its entire blade was carved from ruby. The handle was decorated with tear-shaped garnets, each surrounded in gold. Its wielder did not spin it, like the mad man from a few missions before, but rather it sat, perfectly poised over the white-furred neck of his sacrifice.

The mare whimpered quietly, gagged as she was, and her two, blue eyes welled with tears.

Spike’s breath caught in his throat as soon as he saw her.

“Sir?” Silver whispered, only to be silenced by a quick wave from the dragon.

And then the dragon moved. He charged the circle, leveling his weapon before a single shot tore the dagger from the cultist’s grip. “D.S.P.I.! Wings, Horns, and Hooves where I can see them!”

The leader hissed. “Kill them!” he ordered, before he pulled a tome from behind him.

The thirteen cultists from the stones began to move, drawing swords and flintlocks as the unicorns began to prepare spells.

Silver sighed. Well, this isn’t going to end quietly anymore.

A sudden burst of light and heat rained down above, and Silver looked up just in time to see Silk above them, her TS Longrifle ready to put a hole through another cultist skull.

Silver roared. “Move, ponies! Move!”

Flintlocks roared, filling the air around them with thick, grey smoke that made it hard to see, and whistling lead shot past his ears as he dove for the open ground.

Silver could see the leader of the cultist chanting from his tome, hear him intone his spell, even as Chestnut began covering the area in automatic fire.

His silver, sun-blessed bullets simply slammed into an invisible shield, stopping a foot away from the leader as he chanted away.

Sparky, Mandible, and Amber began firing from behind, shooting their crossbows from the air, and catching a good number of the cultist by surprise.

The leader continued to chant, coming to a crescendo.

Spells, smoke, and steel filled the air as Alpha squad poured into the clearing. The cultists threw everything they had, falling as fast as Alpha Team’s bolts.

Spike leapt into the air, flying through the air towards the altar, and the mare that lay there, screaming through her gag. “I gotcha!” he yelled, landing next to her and slicing her binds away with her claws as he leveled his weapon at the cultist leader’s face.

And then the leader’s spell finished.

The emptiness around the platform erupted to red.

Giant geysers of red shot into the air, and the sky above them became crimson.The remaining cultists that lived began to scream, turning to pools before their very eyes. They oozed, and flowed down, towards the leader, gathering around him as he smiled maniacally.

“Crap,” Spike grunted, before he picked up the mare, and leapt away from the altar.

The cultists gathered, transforming the leader before Alpha Team’s eyes as they slowly, instinctively knew that they stood in a place between places.

A monster began to form, five stories tall, with tough, sinewy muscles on long, thin, lanky arms and massive claws. A massive pony skull crested the top of the monster, and it howled like some kind of rabid dog.

“What’s the plan, Commander?” Silver asked.

Spike opened his mouth.

“Leave this one to me,” a voice said, as a pink blur dropped from the sky.

Flurry Heart stood in front of them, giving the biggest, cockiest smile Silver had seen as her horn shimmered with a golden light.

The monster looked at her, cocking its head as it regarded the alicorn, before it’s left arm exploded.

It howled in pain, before Flurry shot forward, an aura of gold surrounding her. The aura sliced at the ropy cords of muscle, causing them to snap and whip through the air.

Spike growled. “You can't just take that thing by yourself!” He roared, before signaling Amber over and handing the would-be-sacrifice over.

“Watch me!” Flurry laughed as the monster took fast and powerful swipes at her as she danced around him.

Spike began yelling. “Heavy, fill that thing with silver! Assault, Sniper, everyone else, shoot that thing down!”

Alpha Team lept into action, pouring every ounce of firepower they had into the beast. The Monster screamed and howled as Lemon hit the beast with grenades, and the whirring of Chestnut’s auto cannon filled the beast with silver bullets.

All the while Flurry heart flew around the monster, mere inches from its stringy flesh as she dug blades of magic into the exposed muscle.

The monster howled again, and from bright red muscle surrounding its chest opened to reveal a massive bloodshot eye. The eye glared at them, pouring all its hatred into the gathered ponies, before it unleashed a crimson beam of heat that would have torn a pony apart if not they did not leap out of the way.

Spike answered with his number one assistant, firing straight for the pupil.

The needles of solidified magic slammed into the eye, and the beast howled in pain as Flurry flew above it, arcing with her blades of magic above the massive pony skull. “You’re going to have to do better!”

The beast raised its right arm, and spoke a word in a language that no one there could understand. Flurry could feel the magical energies ebb and pull around her, but she was not ready for the bolt of lighting that arced through her back and struck the extended finger of the monster.

She screamed.

The bolt of scarlet lightning ran down the monster’s arm, electrifying the monster’s body, before it began to split apart, transforming into a thousand pony-sized copies. The monsters charged, filling the clearing with their awful shapes and howls, before they swarmed the Department ponies.

Spike cursed, staying close to the now-screaming mare, before he began cutting down the monsters that threatened to take them down.

“Flurry! Flurry!”

“I’m okay,” she yelled back, even as she hovered erratically through the air, recovering from the thousands of volts that had run through her body.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to take everything on by yourself!” Spike yelled as Alpha Team tried to push back the tide of monsters.

They were not doing well. While they were not faster than the trained soldiers, they were powerful, and were quick to push Alpha Team back.

Silver’s blade sang through the air, and was firing his crossbow indiscriminately into the horde of monsters in front of him. A claw bit into his while another cut his face, missing his brain by inches as his honed reflexes kept him alive.

The other thing that saved them was Chestnut’s auto cannon. The high-speed, rapid fire bullets tore through the ranks of the monster’s, shattering bones and ripping muscle apart with ease.

Unfortunately, these were not zombies. They had minds, or at least one mind between them, and it was sharp enough to recognize a target.

The swarm began to concentrate there, slowly piling at Chestnut’s hooves as he slowly emptied his auto cannon. A mound of bodies, both living and dead began to grow in front of him, but he didn’t back away.

And then a vicious claw dug into him.

The blow went deep, up to the wrist, and Chestnut’s auto cannon went silent.

“Chestnut!” A voice cried from above, and Silver looked up just to watch Amber dive for him, emptying her crossbow into the mass of red flesh.

She’d never make it.

“Medic!” he cried, as he tried to move, trying to close the distance between them.

And that’s when Flurry arrived.

Having apparently recovered from the bolt to her back, she dove to fallen body of Chestnut, her golden blades of magic digging into the monsters’ brains as she landed. “Don’t you dare!” she roared, before the blades shot outward in a tornado of magic and atomically-thin edges that divided bones and tissue in perfect segments.

“I’m trying to show my uncle that I’m a responsible team leader, and I can’t prove that if you’re killing his ponies!” she roared, before she dove through the monsters, tearing through them like a hot knife through butter.

The monsters fell by the wayside, even as Amber opened her medicine kit, and tried so desperately hard to save Chestnut as he lay bleeding on the floor.

“Don’t die on me, now, Heavy,” she said, as she poured a healing lotion on the wound before reaching in and holding the cut closed. “We still need you down here.”

Chestnut glanced over at her, his eyes trying to focus as blood continued to gush out of him, before he grunted. “Don’t cry now, I ain’t worth the tears,” he muttered in his delirium.

“Shut up!” Amber yelled. “You are too, worth it!”

Silver stood, trying to pretend that he couldn’t hear as Amber yell and scream at him to stay alive.

“I’m not…”

“Yes, you are!” Amber yelled. “You are worth it, and you are going to live, you hear me?”

Chestnut gave a resigned smiled. “Yes Ma’am.”

Silver shifted his attention, focusing on Flurry Heart and the carnage she carved ahead of her.

She cut a swath through them, slicing the monsters as where they stood.

And then, in a flash, it was all gone.

The walls of red water were gone, the beasts were gone, all that remained were the thirteen stones, the altar, and the ragged body of the leader, panting heavily as he lay in a gory puddle of red goo.

“Alright, buddy!” Flurry said as she hovered above him, smirking. “Time to fess up!”

The leader smiled. “Go to Tartarus…” he said, before he fell backwards.

And then he died.

===ᐁ===

Flurry sighed.

Well, this mission could have gone better. Between nearly losing their Heavy, and having the trail go cold, this whole thing was nearly a bust.

It didn’t help that she vaguely felt that the whole thing was her fault.

The heavy was being carried up by the DASH-1’s sky crane, lifting him up as he lay on a stretcher.

The medic followed him the entire way, flying beside him.

And that bucking leader died before she could get any actual information out of him.

She sighed again, before she hovered over to the gathered squad, watching as their teammate was taken up into the airship while Spike spoke to the poor mare that had been tied up just hours before.

Now that was whole separate can of worms.

The Support looked over at her, before he whispered. “Um...Miss Flurry?”

“Yeah?” she answered, hoping that he wasn’t going to ask what she knew he was going to ask.

“Do...when the commander ran in like that...was it because he saw a mare in danger, and tried to save her, or...was there more?”

Flurry looked him in the eyes. “No. There was no other reason than a mare being in danger. That’s it.”

She could tell the unicorn didn’t believe her.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, look,” she began again, glaring at him. “Are you allowed into Uncle Spike’s room. His personal room, are you allowed to go in without being killed?”

The support blinked. “Um...I…”

“No,” the Assault said, walking up to her. “No, we’re not.”

“Then Uncle Spike’s not ready to talk about it. Just leave it alone, okay?”

There was a long, unbroken silence.

She sighed again, already feeling like an old mare, before she spoke again. “Look, I don’t...I only barely know what happened. It was before my time, and it took years before he opened up to me, and I’m the only living family he has, besides Celestia. It’s...very personal, to say the least.”

The Assault nodded. “Don’t worry about it, Neon. It’s just the commander’s thing. He has secrets.”

Neon sighed. “I guess we all do.”

===ᐁ===

Spike sat in his office, going through the various forms that would give Ivory, the mare he pulled off the altar, any necessary care and/or therapy she would need to deal with the fact that she had nearly been sacrificed for a blood ritual to bring a horde of monstrous terrors to the world.

Personally, he thought she was taking the whole thing rather well.

A knock sounded on his door. “Come in,” he said, before Flurry Heart walked in.

“Hey, Uncle Spike,” she said dejectedly, as she walked in.

“You seem chipper,” Spike noticed sarcastically.

“Look, I’m sorry Uncle Spike,” she said.

Spike leaned back. “About what?”

She sighed again. “I shouldn’t have taken the big guy alone, and because I did, your squad didn’t have my support, and you nearly lost your heavy. Not to mention the fact that we didn’t get the info we were looking for.”

Spike nodded. “Well, at least you know when you have a problem. Then again, I suppose you should have learned something after a couple of hundred years.”

“Thanks, Uncle, you always know what to say,” she said in a deadpan.

“It’s a gift,” he said. “That being said, it’s not as bad as you think.”

Flurry raised an eyebrow and listened.

“For one, the Heavy’s going to make it. He’ll be out of action for a bit, but he will make it.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said.

“And second,” Spike said, reaching down below his desk for the large red tome that the leader used, “this isn’t just any spell book. This is Crystal’s.”

Flurry blinked. “Like, Dark Crystal’s?”

“The very same,” Spike said. “In short, Flurry, you were right, like you always thought you were.”

Flurry blinked, and smiled. “Well of course I was right about that, the Empire does have the best info network known to ponykind.”

Spike smiled, and shook his head.

Operation: Rescue

As Silk was slowly making her way back to the war room, where the others were waiting, her eye caught sight of the Commander stepping into a SCOOT.

She watched him as he powered up the small flyer, and saw him disappear into the night.

Most importantly, though, she saw the fury in his eyes.

The moment he left, she ran for the war room, and burst into the room. “The Commander just left.”

These four words were met with blinks and empty stares as they all tried to understand what exactly she just said.

“The Commander left, he’s taken a ship and flown away,” Silk repeated.

Everypony there all slowly turned to look at the table, with the magical hologram of Valentine's castle.

“Oh, no.”

And then the room exploded in activity. The teams scrambled as they grabbed their kit and gear, before rushing for the door.

“Who’s going?” Silver asked.

“We’ll hold the fort,” Hunter said. “If you guys don't make it back, we’re the last line.”

“Chrome?”

“With you to the end,” he said as he checked his metallic arms with Chestnut a few steps behind.

“Plan of attack?” Mandible asked.

“Follow the Commander’s mess, and go in through that way,” Silver said.

Manticore’s voice popped in over the intercom. “Attention! Attention! Rescue mission to leave in t-minus two minutes. All personnel prepare for urgent rescue mission! Code V! Code V!”

Alpha and Gamma teams ran for the hangar as alarms and klaxons began to sound. Engineers began running this way and that, carrying equipment that the assistance personnel was once in charge of. Crates of ammo, medical supplies, the towering exosuits, all of it was rushed onto the DASH-1’s landing pad, and Tinker Bolt, the pilot, was throwing on her equipment as fast as possible. As the Auto-Jack ponies slipped their limbs into their suits, the rest of the team began stuffing their pockets full of supplies.

“This is not a drill, ponies, not a drill!” Silver yelled.

They rushed forward, getting everything into place, moving crates, weapons, bolts, stakes, incendiary grenades and more.

To their credit, they were ready in fifteen minutes, but that was fifteen minutes late.

Gamma and Alpha piled into the back of the DASH-1, and Tinker just finished warming up the engines.

“Did Manticore get you the coordinates?” Silver asked.

“Have them right here,” she said, before the engines began to growl. “Lifting off! Buckle up everypony, we’re going a little fast on this one!”

“You heard the mare! We’re kicking this into overdrive! So strap yourselves in, ready your crossbows, and kiss your butts goodbye!”

The DASH-1 began to float upwards, toward the opening bay doors, the engines already whining as the magitek engine began to chug faster than it had ever before.

It would be hard, even with the engine in overdrive, to catch up with the smaller, faster SCOOT, but by Celestia, they were going to try.

===ᐁ===

Spike growled, before his legs gave out from under him.

Valentine, the monster, stood over him as Rarity screamed until her voice went hoarse.

“Not bad, Commander,” he said with a grunt as his foreleg slowly reformed. “Unfortunately for both of us, it wasn't enough, was it?”

Spike spat at him, flames leaping from his mouth to char Valentine’s face.

He didn’t even scream, he just sat there until the flesh was seared black. “What’s worse is that I think you could have done it, too. If I gave you another century, maybe two. That’s all it would have taken, wasn’t it?”

Spike reached out and tried to claw at him.

“But I moved too quickly. Damn my impatience,” he muttered. “Forgive me, Spike, I should have given you more time.”

Spike pushed himself forward, hate burning in his eyes.

“You were the perfect specimen, and I ruined it by jumping the gun. It happens every time.”

“I’m not finished yet!” Spike roared, dragging himself forward for one last blow.

“You were close, Valentine, close and you ruined it.”

Spike didn’t care what he said, he only drove his powerful claws into the monster’s flesh, and ripped it apart.

Valentine didn’t even care.

“You should have given him more time.”

Spike clawed him again, tearing a hind leg off, before Valentine turned.

“Forgive me, Spike,” he said. “All this and I’ve ruined you now.”

Spike raised his claw a third time, but Valentine’s ruby claws slapped them aside.

“Everything I’ve done to you wasted. I am sorry Spike.”

The dragon raised his claw again.

“At least now your suffering will end,” Valentine said, before he raised his own claw for the killing blow.

At this moment, two things happened, almost simultaneously. The first was a crack of thunder, sounding from back toward the door. The second was the grenade the size of a soda can slamming into Valentine’s chest at subsonic speeds.

The vampire was thrown back a few feet, before the grenade exploded, throwing fire and shrapnel into the air before Cotton Swab and Prim Rose, the Gamma Medic, descended on Spike like madmen, applying the spray on bandages, and injecting him with synthetic blood.

The thundering of massive, mechanical hooves rumbled behind him, and Spike looked up to see Chestnut charging in his massive Auto-Jack suit. The earth pony-turned machine slammed into the still recovering vampire, and forced Valentine to defend himself as Chestnut poured all his strength into crushing him.

“Gamma medic, secure the hostage!” Silver’s voice called out, before Prim ran forward to Rarity, who whimpered as pain thundered through her body.

“Gamma, secure the Commander!” Chrome ordered, as he loaded a magnesium incendiary into his grenade launcher.

Within moments, Spike was surrounded on all sides, protected by numerous ponies that had suddenly appeared in Valentine’s castle.

Silver then slid next to him, with the Commander’s handgun in his magical grasp. “Sorry, Commander, but we decided to move up the time table a bit.”

Spike glared up at the unicorn. “If I hadn’t lost so much blood, I would have smacked you for that.”

“I know you would, sir,” Silver said, handing over the magical firearm. “Luckily, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try once we get out of here.”

Spike took it. “I hate you all,” he said.

“Noted, sir.”

As Spike stood up, he took a moment to gather himself before he shouted.

“Alright! Demos, cover that area in as many explosives as you can throw! Heavies, fire every shot you have into the explosions! Everyone else, throw your bolts into him! Alpha Heavy on three!”

“Three!”

The massive mech lept backwards as Chrome and Lemon began pouring molotovs and magnesium down on Valentine. White and vermilion flame exploded over the ruby-clad monster. Heat and flame could be felt in the back of the room, and Valentine burned.

A moment later, the heavies began pouring their sun-blessed bullets into the flames, hoping to hit him in the storm of fires and lead.

The silver-tipped bolts came next, the yew shafts burnt to a crisp almost instantly, while the heads shot into the mess, hopefully tearing the flesh and heart apart.

And then Valentine came.

His flesh simply sloughed off his body, charred black from the heat. The flame blackened bones, and the beating, terrible ruby heart that had grown into terrible thing that gave the skeleton claws and wings and more.

“Hit him hard!” Spike ordered.

And they did.

Yew wood shot forward as waves of the pneumatic crossbow bolts slammed into him. It hit the flesh as it tried to grow back, causing a reaction that made it hiss and dissolve.

“Commander!” The thing yelled, its skull smiling wildly.

“Keep firing!” Spike yelled, before he drew the stake he still carried at his side.

Silver saw it, and drew his blade.

The dragon began running toward the skeleton, his weapons raised. Shot after shot of the small, but powerful handgun slammed into the skeleton, digging into bone. “Valentine!” he roared.

Valentine raised his claw, ready to bring it down on the dragon.

And a single, magically-reinforced obsidian blade caught his open arm.

In a single moment, a moment that seemed that drag on forever, Valentine watched as Spike drove the stake into his heart, followed by his claw. For a brief moment the heart held. For a second, the stake didn’t penetrate. Then it ran him through, first the stake, then the claw, and they all felt the heart shatter.

In that last moment, the three of them stood there, Valentine, Silver, and Spike.

And Valentine gave a sigh. “It’s finished then, is it?” A chuckle escaped his teeth. “Then my work is over, and I can finally thank you, Spike the Dragon.”

And then he was silent.

And just like that, two hundred years of vengeance had finally ended.

===ᐁ===

The DASH-1 was back in the air in fifteen minutes. Rarity was in a stretcher, being pumped with so many painkillers it could kill...well...a horse.

Spike merely stared at her as Tinker piloted the ship back to the Headquarters. He stared at her, watching her breathe for the first time in two hundred years. He sighed, it was over.

Finally, finally over.

“You alright, boss?” Silver asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “It was a little faster than I thought it was. His Demon form must have slowed his regeneration abilities.“

Silver waited a moment. “Well, you know, it's just like what the guard book says about revenge. Most of the time it doesn't feel like it pays off.”

Spike smiled. “I literally wrote that part,” he said.

“You did?”

Spike nodded.

“Oh. Well, what about the extended consequences of the act?”

“Wrote that too. We're going to have to deal with all the thralls that are now perfectly free again,” Spike said. “With Valentine's death, every thrall he ever gave birth to are free. Fluttershy will be happy for that, at least.”

“Oh, well, that should be easier to deal with, right?”

“Walk in the park by comparison,” the dragon said with a smile. “I just hope I get to say goodbye to Sweetie.”

“What? What about Siren?”

“Her unfinished business was avenging herself and Rarity. Valentine was responsible for both. She could very well have moved on by now.”

“I…” Silver began, unsure how to continue.

“We both knew it might happen,” Spike said. “Two hundred years is a long time to deal with impermanence.”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it, sir.”

Spike nodded. “I’m fine, Silver,” he said. “I’m just processing everything.”

“Yes sir.”

Spike nodded, before his eyes turned back to Rarity, who lay asleep on her stretcher.

She was alive.

By Celestia, she was alive.

===ᐁ===

Once the DASH-1 landed, Spike ordered Rarity to immediately be taken to the intensive care unit. As Gamma took her, taking her stretcher with all the care they could manage, Siren floated up to the great ship.

“It's done, then?” She asked.

Spike nodded. “Your sister’s alive, and Valentine is dead. You’ve been avenged, but I’m sure you know that by now.”

She nodded. “I know, but I wanted to wait to hear you say it.”

Spike smiled, and nodded. “It's over. It's finally over.”

Sweetie Belle smiled, ethereal tears dripping from her face, before she reached out and hugged him tight. “Goodbye, Spike.”

“Goodbye, Sweetie Belle,” he answered as his arms wrapped around her.

“Don't keep Rarity too long, I want a turn with her too,” she said with a laugh.

Spike smiled back, before she simply dissolved in his grasp.

Spike let his arms drop as the faintest sensation of warmth filled his chest and touched his cheek. “I’ll miss you,” he said, trying to hold back tears. “But I’m glad you can finally rest.”

Manticore walked up a moment later. “He’s dead then?” She asked.

Spike nodded. “You're free.”

Manticore smirked. “Of one voice. I still have a few others to deal with.”

Spike nodded, before he sighed.

Now there was work to be done.

===ᐁ===

Spike had another stop to make.

For the past two days he had been scrambling to finish the warnings to the other Department branches, as well as general updates as to what happened. Admittedly, this would have been a slightly faster process if he wasn't worried about Rarity.

She was basically in a coma. The doctor insisted that she was resting, though her heartbeat was a little slow. Still, Spike pushed through, forcing himself to fill out his paperwork, and deal with the needs of his team.

Still, he was missing his favorite, undead confidant.

Still, he could not ignore this last duty. With Rarity recovering, and Sweetie Belle gone, he had to let one other pony know that the job was finished. One more ghost needed to know that her work had finished Valentine.

As Spike approached the old, dilapidated tent, he found Madam White waiting for him.

The old ghost smiled as he approached. “Then it is done. Souls and bodies finally at peace. The living and the dead are both released.”

“Madam White,” Spike greeted.

“Come in, then, share the tale of your victory,” she said, motioning him inside her tent.

“I didn’t come give you that news, Madam,” Spike said.

Her brilliant, sky blue eyes stared back at him. “Hm? Then for why are you here?”

“I just wanted you to know that Sweetie Belle has moved on. She’s passed through the gate.”

She stared at him. “Is that all you wanted to say?” she asked suddenly. “I knew that the moment she passed.” She snorted. “Here you stand in the middle of good news and frown. What has come over you, I wonder?”

Spike blinked. “Well…”

“Your enemy is dead. Your friend has found peace, your love is avenged, what more could you ask for?”

Spike blinked again, before a faint smile graced his lips. “Y-yeah...I suppose you’re right.”

And Madam White smiled herself. “Finally. It’s about time you smiled.”

Spike had half a second to look confused before Madam White unraveled her turban. It fell at her hooves to reveal an old, but wild mane. Her robe likewise fell, revealing her tail to be just as curly, with streaks of pink laced through it. But the most damning of all was the cutie mark that decorated her flank with three balloons.

“All I wanted to do was see my friends smile one last time,” Pinkie Pie said, staring into the shocked face of Spike.

“P-Pinkie?” the dragon said, shock running through his veins.

Had Madam White been Pinkie this whole time? How had I not noticed? How could I still treat her like this? Why was she a ghost? Did she really have unfinished business? Had she been wandering these past two hundred years just to see him smile?

Spike suddenly felt very sick. “P-Pinkie, why didn’t you tell me it was you? I...I would have...I…”

She drifted forward and enveloped Spike in a hug. “I know, Spike. I know you would have. I know you would have done everything you could to help me. But I wanted a genuine, and happy smile, nothing forced for my sake.”

“P-Pinkie...Pinkie, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to send you away,” he said, tears starting to form in his eyes. “I didn’t want you die alone.”

“I know you didn’t. You just wanted to keep me safe.”

“I didn’t know, Pinkie! I didn’t know!” Spike cried.

“Hey, now...that’s enough of that,” she said, her voice calm and gentle. “You’ve shed enough tears for all of us. It’s time for you to smile now.”

“I didn’t want you to be alone, Pinkie. I wanted you to live!”

“We all have to go sometime, Spike, you know that,” she said, as she began to disappear before his eyes. “Now come on,” she said, wiping his eyes. “You’re the Commander, can’t have anypony see you cry now, can we?”

“Pinkie, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I know you are, Spike,” she said. “And I never once blamed you for it. Just remember to smile for me every now and then, okay?”

Spike looked up at her, even as she began to move on, as her form became more and more intangible with every passing second. “O-Okay. I’ll smile more, Pinkie, I swear I will.”

She smiled back at him, kissed his forehead, and disappeared, leaving Spike alone in the forest, where no one could see his tears.

===ᐁ===

Coming back to the Department headquarters, Spike was smiling the best he could. It was the third day now, since Valentine’s death, and the teams were back up and training, getting ready for the thralls that would soon flood the world without their master to bend them to his will.

“Clear! Clear! Clear!” their voices cried from the room-clearing training room, as they virtually cleared room after room.

“Good work, Alpha, Phi, you’re up. You need the most practice.”

“Rub it in, why don’t ya?”

Spike listened, but kept moving. He had to get back to his office. He still had work to do.

Velvet Storm was waiting for him. “Sir, you wanted me to report on Miss Rarity’s condition.”

“I did, what news do you have?”

“Well…” she began, before hesitating. “She’s awake, but…”

Spike didn’t bother hearing another word. Walking past her and down to the medical wing, Spike moved with a singular and unshakable purpose. He strode down, and did not slow nor stop until he was finally in front of her room.

That door gave him pause.

He stood before that terrible, single door, the door that separated him from the mare he loved, and the mare he had doomed to a death-like sleep for two centuries.

He waited a moment, just a moment more, before he gathered his courage and walked in.

Rarity was sitting on her bed, staring at the wall.

“Rarity?” he called to her.

Her ear flicked, showing that she heard him, but offering little more than that.

“Rarity, it’s me, Spike. Are you alright?”

“What happened?” she asked.

“You were hurt,” he answered, meekly. “Very badly. I never had the time to save you, so I took you to Twilight. She put you to sleep, and you’ve been here for the past two hundred years.”

She didn’t react, at least not openly. “What happened to Sweetie Belle?”

“She died more than a hundred years ago. She tried to avenge you.”

Still no reaction.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“The San Palomino Desert,” Spike answered. “We’re in the Department of Supernatural and Paranormal Investigation headquarters building, some hundred feet below ground.”

Still nothing.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked this time.

She did not answer.

“Are the others dead, then?” she asked.

“All but you and Fluttershy, but she’s a vampire now, so that hardly counts,” he said, hoping that she heard the joking tone he added to that.

A moment of silence passed.

“I suppose you want to me say you were right. That I needed the bodyguard?”

“No. I don’t care about that anymore. I’ve suffered over the decision long enough for both of us. It’s fine.”

Another second of quiet.

“I think I want to talk to Fluttershy for a while,” she said.

“I can bring her in,” Spike said, turning the doorknob.

“And, one more thing, Spike.”

Spike turned, ready to answer.

She stared at him with sad, hurt, brilliant, blood red eyes. “Why am I so hungry?”