Secret Search

Chapters

Chapter 1: Beginnings
Chapter 2: Math
Chapter 4: Darkness
Chapter 5: Secret
Chapter 6: Search
Chapter 7: Breach
Chapter 8: The Secret
Chapter 9: Rescue
Chapter 10: Ponyville
Chapter 11: Penetration
Chapter 12: Approved
Chapter 13: Discovered
Chapter 14: Revealed
Chapter 15: Problem
Chapter 17: Inquisition
Chapter 18: Launch
Chapter 19: Deployment
Chapter 20: Golden Locks (Edited)
Chapter 21: Diamond Tiara (Rewritten)
Chapter 3: Tour
Chapter 16: Counterattack

Chapter 1: Beginnings

When he absorbed the Alicorn magic from Princess Twilight, Tirek believed that hers was the last he’d need to gain omnipotence. That’s what he’d been told, in that ancient prophecy- if he could take the magic of every pony in Equestria, he’d become omnipotent.

Only, he’s not becoming omnipotent. While the powerless ponies and draconequus in front of him do their thing- he really doesn’t care what, it’s not like they can fight him- he scans the area around him. He doesn’t feel so much as a smidgen of power anywhere other than himself- but he also doesn’t feel his pending omnipotence. Seriously, it’s supposed to be instantaneous! He spends just a few more seconds analyzing this, uses his newly acquired alicorn magic in a wide scan for any pony he missed, and briefly vents his frustration on the forest in front of him. The ponies- and the draconequus- have left, but no matter.

Now that the first piece of his ferocious temper is satisfied, he turns back towards Ponyville, and places his concentration into a powerful magical scan fit to identify every pony in Equestria, check them for magic, and tell him if anypony is missing.

This scan takes him a few minutes, but it eventually completes with a rather disappointing result.

One pony.

One, single unicorn, the spell couldn’t find.

He compares the number of unicorn magics he’s absorbed to the total number his spell reports should be found… Yep, that one unicorn still has magic. And he can’t find it! He lets out an enormous roar, and resumes venting his frustration on the leafy eyesore around him. He drops scan after scan into the atmosphere, searching, searching for that one survivor.

Unbeknownst to him, there existed too many layers of stone and spellwork between him and his faraway target. Had he known where she was, getting to her would have been easy. Had he been looking for just any pony, he would have seen the standing enchantments and looked closer. However, he’s looking for a specific pony, so the enchanted objects in the desert aren’t worthy of his attention. He doesn’t sense anypony near them, so it’s more worth his while to examine everypony else’s signatures more closely.

Very suddenly, he senses a massive surge in magical energy very close to him, and whirls to face. It’s those six mares! With rainbows! How?

Oh, they’re responding. He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud.

“...ost powerful magic in all of Equestria: The magic of friendship!”

Even as he feels their magic- friendship, apparently- building to similar power levels as his own current state, he feels an even greater surge elsewhere- behind him, in Ponyville, paired with one in that desert… Wait. That was two ends of the same spell; the enchanted objects in the desert have moved… and gone down enormously in residual energy.

More importantly, he can now sense the missing unicorn- it had come with the enchanted objects. Part of him forgets about the mares in front of him and starts turning towards Ponyville. Part of him stays focused on the charging Elements of Harmony in front of him- how the mares activated them without their magic, he doesn’t know. The rest of him is indecisive in what course of action he wants to take.

Unfortunately for him, this proves to be his downfall. His stolen power is split between three different tasks- and the one that would have saved him, defense against the Elements, gets the least power directed towards it. Most of the rest was directed to indecision, leaving about thirty unicorns worth of power to locate the final pony and drag it out to him.

And what the combined magical power of almost every Equestrian soul might deflect with dismissive ease, two unicorns’ worth of power will be swatted away by with similarly punitive ease. The quantity of magic directed to his indecision is then looking absolutely nowhere when the powerful magic strikes his form- and strips him instantly of his stolen magics. Except those two unicorns’ worth- that takes a quarter second to strip out, thanks to its direction towards his defense.

As the magic of the Elements burns through his form, reducing him back to the powerless centaur he had left behind, memories flash through his mind… including his brother’s last words, before he departed back home.

“Your attention span will be your undoing,” he had said.

And so, Tirek the Omnipotent once again failed to come to be, while Tirek the Banished once again arrived in Tartarus. He was so close… Maybe next time.

Finally, she’s home! It had taken weeks to build up enough power in her enchantments to move the thing. Then, she’d moved it- what perfect timing Tirek had, she’d been able to hide the inevitable earthquake produced by the repositioning of so much material in his defeat- and set to work getting out of it. There had been a cave by one of its doors back in that desert; nevermind that she had constructed the cave in the sandstone. Now, however, that cave leads to a rather large quantity of rather unremarkable dirt and rock. Nevermind that it’s the kind of dirt and rock that one normally doesn’t find in a desert in any quantity.

But the cave may also have collapsed. She hadn’t been able to shape the returning lump of rock to match the thing she was teleporting; unfortunately, if she wanted to do that, it would have taken her months longer to charge… and, when she performed the jump, she had only had enough food left to last a single week. Aside from the fact that somepony would have felt that much magic, and she’d have investigators in her mane. It’s the small shape differences that produced the earthquake in Ponyville- rock suddenly standing over empty air pockets, or thrust aside by the magic delivering the enormous metal object. When she stops to consider, she’s actually quite pleased with herself; the resultant quake had been much smaller than it could have been and, so far as she’s found out, it hadn’t broken anything… the vases in Murphy Law’s living room don’t count. Neither does the only book left on its shelf in the Golden Oak Library; Tirek had blown the rest of that up.

She’d been most worried about the ponyquins in the Carousel Boutique- but not one of them had fallen. As a matter of fact, her alibi- a magical duplicate she’d made of herself, directly controlled by and drawing on her real self- had been nearby… they’d hardly even wobbled. She had heard that a cake had nearly fallen over in Sugarcube Corner- but that was really all the damage.

While her alibi- a constant drain on her magic- trots back to her home, she heads for the shower. Even after she had teleported it home, it had taken her close to three full days to build the sturdy tunnel now connecting the thing to her basement. Tomorrow, she’ll build herself another secret door to cover the opening, move the last of her food back to her kitchen, and start work on the walls of the hallway she’ll have connect it to her home, rather than the tunnel it has now. Once she’s finished with that, she’ll run electricity down and start trying to figure out how it works… and, possibly, to get it working again. As near as she could tell, out in that desert, it’s safe to restore.

As she passes through her third-level basement, her mind crosses to that strange energy her book called ‘electricity’. She can’t quite remember where it had come from, but it’s penned in impeccably precise characters far smaller than the finest hornwriting; as a matter of fact, many of the characters it uses are smaller even than the lines her fine-tipped quill leaves on parchment! Not that she’d ever tested actually in the book; no, she’d layered that thing in so many protective spells it should be impossible for the ink to get within a foot of the thing. Not that she’s ever allowed it closer than six feet.

On that topic, the characters had, despite being amazingly regular in addition to their miniature size, most certainly not been regular Equestrian. She’d required a translation spell, at first, to understand them; in particular, a translation spell she’d had scan the book for about two hours before it was of any use. Nowadays, she can read it directly.

It has no title, and the solid covers are faded blue, with no decoration. Inside, she’d found, it talks all about this electricity. Back in the day, she’d hardly gotten half a page into the first chapter before she’d first gotten excited about the possibilities presented to her. Said first chapter served as an introduction, with all sorts of details about the stuff; mostly about how to be safe with it.

So nowadays, she’s got a magic-powered hydroelectric power plant in her basement, producing a constant flow of energy. She’d been disappointed to find that the book doesn’t once mention magic of any sort, and this had been the best solution she’d been able to come up with.

The rest of the room is filled with various contraptions she’d assembled from the book. Many of her attempts hadn’t worked; a small pile of such nonworking constructions rests in the corner, waiting to be recycled and rebuilt. A relatively small portion of her attempts had been successful. There’s the light in the corner, shining its harsh light forever on an unforgiving blackboard. The one with two whirly bits sticking out of it, theoretically called a ‘blender’. The one with a whirly bit inside the glass jug… ‘food processor’. The kitchen-y setup in her second-floor basement runs on electricity- fridges that stay cold without recharging a cooling spell, ovens that heat themselves to the desired temperature- and maintain it- without the assistance of magic. The strange oven that, despite remaining cool inside, still heated whatever she put in- not metal, the book had warned- to extreme temperatures in a matter of minutes. Oh, and how a couple of touches on the controls of any of the ovens would start a timer… A very precise timer, to be exact, that would ring loudly when the time came.

Then, she’d found this. A giant, metal thing out in the desert. It wasn’t in her book, but she’d found a couple patterns and realized it must also run on electricity. She’d been able to test that onsite, thanks to a carefully modulated lightning spell… But unfortunately, she can’t actually watch what it’s doing when she powers it directly like that. Much distraction at all and she could produce an unsightly power surge, fit to disintegrate some of the more delicate electric things, like the tiny silicon brains running her basement kitchen. As a result, she’d forced herself to end the spell once she was sure it’s electrical; and now, she has it close enough she can theoretically connect it to the small electrical ‘grid’ she has in her basement. Well, no- she’ll connect it to a second generator she has sitting next to the first. That way, she can be sure she won’t be damaging her basement kitchen appliances.

She works her way carefully up the layers of secret rooms. Each basement is separated from those above it by its own secret door; she must make sure that, whenever she emerges from them, she doesn’t do it in somepony’s line of vision. Her first-level basement entrance opens up into her living room, behind the staircase; the door isn’t visible from the window, so she needn’t worry about outside. She uses a quick spell to check the house- completely empty, and her alibi is still five minutes away- before she heads out and upstairs, to where the shower is. Oh, another electric thing- her hot water heater, hidden in a closet in her second-level basement. She no longer has to manually heat a large tank of water, by magic, to high temperatures every few days- it does it entirely itself! … Though she does still have a magic-powered heater in her home, though it’s not hooked up to anything. It’s more for show than anything else, in case she ever has visitors… or somepony to fill the other three bedrooms… Or, even, to fill the other side of her own bed.
She quickly discards that thought, and steps into the shower, switching on the blessedly hot water without having to adjust the hot/cold ratio every five minutes. While she showers off weeks of dirt and grime, her alibi gets home, locks the door, and finally disappears when she releases the spell.

Author's Note

YES, those of you who've ready my blog post, Chapter 2 is already ready for posting. It's going up Thursday (tomorrow), then further updates will be one every thursday or when they're ready, whichever comes last. I'm sorry to do that- but it lets me keep it on my mind longer and, honestly, gives me more time to catch mistakes.

Chapter 2: Math

It’s close to two weeks later when she finally lays the final plank of her new hallway… again. She’d built it once, then found that her generator is too large to fit through the door in the thing… it needs a name. But regardless, her generator is too large to fit in, and she can’t leave it in her third basement without defeating the purpose of the secret door, so she’s built a little alcove off to the side of her hallway, near the bottom; in a few seconds, she’ll be putting the generator here. She levitates it up from where it had been rather effectively barricading the lower end of the walkway, slides it into the alcove, and applies the rotational enchantment on the cut-off shaft that normally goes to a massive turbine head, to be spun by water. She’ll have to recharge it every week or so, just like the one still in her basement, if she expects it to work indefinitely; unfortunately, magic is not an infinite resource.

With the generator set and running, she lifts the coiled cable resting on top of it, plugging one end into the generator and uncoiling it as she trots to the open door at the bottom of the tunnel. She navigates quickly to the location she’d first found it to be electrical and, selecting the big cable she’d assumed to carry power, makes an attempt to connect the two.

Well, that worked, she supposes. It’s taken her fifteen minutes of poking, prodding, and connecting, but she’s finally found something to connect her wire to that does something: A light came on, flickering dimly in the distance. She leaves the cable connected- good thing she’d thought to bring such a long coil- and trots over to the flickering light.

She hadn’t been able to figure out what those weird panels were back when she found the thing, but now it’s rather clear it isn’t far off from what her electric lightbulb is up… hall? Eh, upstairs is close enough; she’s easily six levels below her basement’s lowest point right now, albeit under the neighbor’s house. She’d made sure to put this thing deep, since it’s far larger than her property.

Now, she looks along the ceiling, identifying the lights. She tries a restoration spell on the blinking one, and it stabilizes to a steady, soft glow… very unlike the one upstairs. Oh well- perhaps this is another version of bulb, much like the ones in the displays on her second-level basement kitchen appliances? … Whatever- it’s a gentle white, much like the magical light emanating from her horn. She tries switching off her hornlight for a second- and yes, that light is definitely much nicer than the one staring at a blackboard upstairs. She starts casting restorative spells on the rest of the lights- starting with the path out, but then she moves further into the thing. She’s only gotten the lights on the right side of each hallway, going in; this way, she’ll always know which way is out, and never get lost. She’d had to restrict her exploration before, thanks to the lack of a way to track her position.

Just like she’d done while she was still in the desert, she has to force all the doors open. Just like before, when she pushes them open, they stay open. Not that she expected anything different without a switch, but the one she’d pulled what she thinks was an access panel off of had definitely been electrical. As a matter of fact, that’s where she’d attached her power- to what looked like the main power line feeding the door control.

This thing is enormous. She’s been walking, restoring right-hand bulbs, and opening doors for almost half an hour. In actuality, it’s probably only a five or ten minute walk, when she’s not slowed down by lights and doors- but so? She forces open another door. She’s so far found a few rooms. Some of them have had rows and rows of what probably used to be strange thronelike chairs. Some of them had been empty, some others had the remains of something on the floor. She’d even found one with a great big collapsing lump of metal in it.

This one is a little different. It forces open just as easily, though a hiss of pressure greets her when she opens it. She flares her hornlight into the room… The giant room. It takes her a few seconds’ spellwork to safe the stale air for her consumption before she steps into the mostly empty room.

She looks up at the truly enormous ball of something in front of her. Given the numerous cables connecting to it all over, she’s inclined to believe it’s something important… Which reminds her- those tiny little chip-brains in her upstairs appliances have lots of little wires poking out of them, varying by appliance. The heatless oven has the most… and whatever this is, if she’s found it’s equivalent structure, it’s got to do something significantly more impressive than heat food without using heat. She trots around it… And finally finds something familiar. Not just cables and weird balls- this one is most certainly still abnormal, but she at least recognizes the construction as some kind of ‘circuit board’, albeit using odd not-silicon materials, and much of it has disintegrated with time.

It takes her a minute to verify; this is the only one of these boards- out of several places around the room it looks like others used to be mounted- that hasn’t completely disintegrated. Unfortunately, even the most powerful restorative spell can’t recreate that which was completely destroyed or lost, only restore that which is still there. So, she focuses on restoring this one. Duplication… probably won’t work, but she can give it a try sometime else. At least restorative spells don’t require her to understand how it works… or even what it is in the first place, only that it had a different state in the past she wants it to reacquire.

… It’s doing something, she supposes, but she can’t tell. Perhaps this is just the brain-chip, and the display is elsewhere? She scowls, checks the rest of the room for anything interesting, and leaves, returning to her journey past. She peeks into a few more rooms, climbs a couple flights of stairs…

Huh. Another kind of room. This one’s got only one of those thronelike chairs in it, facing a wall of broken… stuff. One of them remains… and it has a striking visual similarity to the display on her oven, despite being far larger. She directs her restoration spell at it- and, some fifteen seconds later, is rewarded with a dim, black glow coming off of it- something none of her appliance displays had done.

Then, with a faint click noise, it goes dark once again. She scowls; perhaps it has nothing to display? It’d make sense for it to stay off if that’s the case. A diagnostic spell… Yep, the cables connected to the back are broken… More restoration casting.

Two hours. It had taken two hours of tracing and restoring to finally get the display to come back on again. Not that it helped much… now, there’s a blinking line on it.

Perhaps it does help that, in restoring the chair (it’s connected to the same place, who knew), she’s discovered what looks like some sort of control panel. It’s got quite a few more buttons than her ovens upstairs, though- and unlike those, these actually move when you push on them. She pokes at them a little bit, standing next to the strange chair, with a hoof. They’ve got those strange characters on them, much like that book- the same characters, as a matter of fact. She has no clue what each individual letter is called, nor how they’re pronounced- but this is clearly intended for entering stuff into…

She looks up at the display once again- and nearly breaks down laughing at herself. The blinking horizontal line has moved down and over. Above it is two lines of white writing. The first one looks like jibberish- probably her random key pushing. A similar, yet different, stream of random characters precedes the blinking line on the third row.

The second, row, however, is red.

Command Not Recognized: ’lsb.x026t,b

It replicated her first stream of characters flawlessly. And, probably, instantly… She looks back at the input thing, positions her hoof, and watches the screen as she lowers it on that “Enter” button.

File Not Found: ,457z/2-vu4nt

Yep, instantly. She builds an evil grin, lights her horn, and starts tickering away at these buttons, punching out sequences to produce words… Yep, it’s working.

>hello
Command Not Recognized: hello
>who’s
Command Not Recognized: who’s
>there
Command Not Recognized: there
>7/25
0.28

She stares at the result of her input of the date for several seconds. Then, she tries some more.

>9/3
3
>4-5
-1
>9=7
False
>4x5
Command Not Recognized: 4x5

Disappointed, she finally turns away. So, it can do math. Some math, that is- it had gone all ‘not recognized’ again on multiplication. Unless this thing uses a different symbol to represent it…? She’ll also have to figure out how to reach the plus sign she’d shot for. She hadn’t realized it had given her an equals instead until after she had eagerly punched the ‘enter’ button again and looked up at the display.

At least, she thinks it’s a plus sign, and she thinks it’s an equals; her book uses those symbols enough she understands their functions, and has taken to using the names of the Equestrian equivalents. Much like the numbers they’re surrounded with, too- though that had involved a lot of trial-and-error. It does seem that this strange language uses a base-ten number system, just like Equestria; she’s also taken to using the Equestrian names for the numbers. The rest of the symbols, presumably letters, are a little harder to name- so she hasn’t. She hasn’t needed to.

On that thought, she casts a momentary spell… Oh shoot, it’s getting late! She volunteered to show the new mare around town today; the mayor finally talked Pinkie Pie down from exploding in everypony’s face, though the new mare will probably still get a party. Oh, forget probably. But regardless, she’ll be getting off the train in about fifteen minutes! She takes off galloping, thankful for her previous decision to only fix the lights on one side of each hallway.

Chapter 4: Darkness

“You have a secret kitchen…?”

“Yes.”

“A kitchen.”

“Yep! It’s supposed to be for when I want to surprise somepony. As for why it has earth pony appliances… when I built it, I thought Pinkie Pie would be using it more than I.”

“Oh? Did she?”

She shakes her head. “Nope. This kitchen has never been used, unfortunately.” She smiles at the earth pony standing next to her in her first-level basement. “I haven’t had any reason not to use the one upstairs.”

Bonbon trots in, looking over the surfaces- and peeking inside cabinets. “You keep it clean, though?”

“Every week or so. You can make your candies here, while you wait for the, uh, refurnishing of your new shop?”

“Uh, sure, thank you!”

Done.
Restarting DCC… Done.
Reading DCC Configuration… Failed: Databanks Not Responding
Loading Defaults… Done.
Saving DCC Configuration… Failed: Databanks Not Responding
Reading Maintenance Logs… Failed: Databanks Not Responding
Executing Damage Review… 7.01%
--DAMAGE REPORT--
Fusion 1: 13.92% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Fusion 2: --Hardware Not Found--
Fusion 3: --Hardware Not Found--
Fusion 4: 46.26% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Fusion 5: 2.01% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Fusion 6: 97.72% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Fusion 7: --Hardware Not Found--
Fusion 8: 61.04% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Fusion 9: --Hardware Not Found--
Fusion 10: 9.31% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Fusion 11: --Hardware Not Found--
Main Power Banks: 1.71% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Main Reserves: 5.93% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Emergency Reserves: --Hardware Not Found--
--WARNING: POWER SYSTEMS COMPROMISED--
Survival Center 1: --Hardware Not Found--
Survival Center 2: 73.92% Integrity (0.02% Operable)
--WARNING: SURVIVAL CENTER COMPROMISED--
Medvat 1: --Hardware Not Found--
Medvat 2: 0.31% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Medvat 3: --Hardware Not Found--
--WARNING: MEDBAY COMPROMISED--
Command 1: 0.02% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Command 2: 9.31% Integrity (7.92% Operable)
--WARNING: COMMAND DECK COMPROMISED--
Databank 1: 97.31% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Databank 2: 99.27% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Databank 3: Processing… (37.4%)

What the…?

It’s all she can think. It’s close to a week after Bonbon moved in; her candy hit the town by storm, so their financial problems are prettymuch solved. She’s spent much of the last week down here, using her alibi spell as its name each time; once, she even stayed down here for two days in a row. Turns out her electric kitchen is really easy to burn stuff in; unlike unicorn appliances, they don’t turn off when she turns her back. At least she caught it before it started smoking each time; explaining the smell would have been a… minor problem.

But throughout most of yesterday and, until now, all of today, she was upstairs, without her alibi spell. She’d left this display with miles of math on it- she’d figured out how to give it addition and multiplication- but now…

Now, it’s got all this… stuff on it. And the numbers on that final line keep changing every few seconds, incrementing by a tenth of a percent each time. What in Equestria is it supposed to mean…? She tries striking the ‘Enter’ key.

Enter Command:

She blinks. That blinking horizontal line has returned- this time after this prompt, rather than after that interesting arrow. She tries asking it some questions. What’s that mean?
Invalid Command
What is a damage report
Invalid Command
She scowls at the display. Fix it
Invalid Command
Repair
Specify Repair Target:
She pauses at this, and glances back up towards the list… that percentage is still ticking up. Maybe… Databank 1
Command Acknowledged.
… And the little arrow reappears on the next line. Bonus, the percentage has stopped changing.
>What was that
Command Not Recognized: What was that

Oh. So it’s gonna play that game again. She punches in a large number of boring math problems, chasing everything else offscreen, and goes exploring again. She’d exhausted this display of any more interesting functions she could find earlier… Perhaps she can find something more interesting than hallways of broken lights and boring lumps of metal…?

She pushes another door open… and raises her eyebrows. It’s much the same as the last few rooms, but the great big lump of metal here is not only larger than those in the other rooms but textured… and not so much a lump as something clearly functional. Like a giant bottle of some sort. About time she finds something interesting- she’s been exploring for close to three hours! … Which makes it close to three days, cumulatively. This thing is huge.

She trots around the thing, looking at it from different sides, and tries a scanning spell. Like the lumps in those few previous rooms, it’s got some materials in it that resist the flow of her mana. Unlike them, it’s in a fairly closed loop here, like a bottle, and she can’t find a place to get her scan in.

Maybe it’s some kind of mana storage vessel? That would be… impressive, she decides. Nopony has ever constructed such a device; they’ve only been able to store mana in gemstones- and those can’t hold very much. Perhaps this is something that can hold far greater quantities than a similarly sized gemstone? … Though, her book hadn’t mentioned anything about mana… To be honest, her book hadn’t mentioned anything about really anything she’s found here. So, forget the book, she can investigate-

Her stomach pierces the silence quite violently, and she chuckles lightly. “I’ll be back, then.” She turns and trots back out towards her entrance; it’ll be easier to study and investigate on a full stomach.

When she gets upstairs, she emerges from the basement to find darkness permeating the house. After a quick check to be sure she hasn’t been spotted, she closes the door behind her and moves slowly, using a pair of spells- one a sensory augmentation spell, the other an aural dampening one- to navigate. Her house isn’t normally this dark, even when the lights are off in the middle of the night. She declines to use a scrying spell; even a very powerful scrying spell such as she can use directly can be felt by unicorns… and this darkness feels like a spell. She doesn’t feel the ‘overhead’ in the local magic fields produced by a spell-detector spell- so at least that isn’t a problem.

Perhaps the spellcaster thinks she’s where her alibi is, providing a music lesson for Cheerilee’s class?

She adds a perception filter to her spell stack before she starts searching her home. It wouldn’t do for somepony to see her with their sensory augmentation spell.

The room very suddenly goes dark around her. Bonbon takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. It helps if she pretends she can’t see because her eyes are closed. “So, you’re here.”

She expects the voice that responds. “Yes. You’re living with somepony?”

Bonbon nods- not that they’ll be able to see. “Yes. She’s busy right now, we’ll be okay.”

“Again, you’re living with somepony?”

She sighs. “She offered to let me stay in her home while I got the shop set up.”

“But you finished that.”

She scowls at the floor. “I know.”

“Did you find anything?”

“Not yet. I’ve been rather occupied in establishing my cover.”

“And this mare isn’t slowing you down, is she?”

Good thing it’s dark, Bonbon decides- her conversant won’t be able to see her facial expression. She keeps her voice carefully metered- and considers her response for a second. “No, she’s not. Rather, if not for Candy Stripes, I would be stuck establishing my cover for close to a month, but I’m almost ready now.”

“Ahh. How long will she be out?”

“It’ll be a few hours.”

“Then it won’t be a problem if I do this.”

Bonbon twitches away from the inappropriate touch. “Leave me alone.”

“Oh? Then-”

“It will.”

Bonbon freezes. She hadn’t expected that voice, not at all. As near as she can tell, neither had her male conversant.

The silence holds for a couple seconds. Bonbon twists away from a prod at a very inappropriate spot.

“Why are you assaulting my friend?”

Bonbon’s eyes, already wide open, start scanning the room to find the source of the voice… not that she can see anything.

“Oh shoot!” she hears the stallion mutter, as he runs away.

“Hey! Get back here!”

“Aaargh!” Thump.

“Explanation. Now.”

The darkness seems to flicker and disappear. She searches the room.

The dark brown unicorn stallion sitting in somewhat of a heap in the middle of the room looks absolutely terrified… Which, Bonbon realizes, the magic inhibitor clamped around his horn possibly explains. It’s a perfect match to the one still hanging on his belt, right next to the empty spot. His cutie mark, she observes, is a splotch of black on his already dark coat. Aside from herself, that’s everypony in the room. So, where’s the owner of that new voice she’d heard- Lyra Heartstrings?

“Um… Uh… Um…” The stallion seems at a loss for words. Presumably, he doesn’t get caught by outsiders very often; the Royal Intelligence Agency’s contact corps- used to keep field agents in contact with Command- are generally pretty good at this kind of thing.

“Now.” Lyra strikes her hoof on the floor, for emphasis.

Bonbon’s eyes lock onto the weak unicorn, standing a couple meters in front of the darker stallion with a terrifying scowl on her face. Funny, she hadn’t been there a second ago. Her gaze shifts back to the stallion.

“I, uh…” he begins.

“Let him…” Her eyes shift back to Lyra- but she’s not there. She concentrates for a second… Ah, there she is- in exactly the same spot! That is one powerful perception filter. “Let him go,” she informs her friend. “We can’t legally detain him.”

Lyra looks at her. “We’re still reporting him, right?”

“Of course.”

Lyra nods, and the magic inhibitor snaps off from around his horn, returning to his belt as she turns back to him. “Now get out.”

He scrambles to obey, dashing for the front door. Bonbon spots his horn glow as he goes- probably restoring his disguise. Shortly, he’s gone.

Bonbon lets out a breath. “Thanks,” she mutters, turning back to Lyra… who must’ve lost her perception filter.

Lyra sighs. “So, ‘candy stripes’? What’s that make you?”

Bonbon hangs her head. She hadn’t planned on having her cover blown this quickly… Though, she could possibly turn it into an advantage. Their getting caught would go on his performance report, not hers, after all…

“Can you promise…?”

“Complete secrecy? Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She glances at the door. “I can even fill out one of those NDA things if you want.”

Bonbon snickers at this. “That won’t be necessary. To them, I’m ‘Sweetie Drops’.”

A raised eyebrow. “Like the agent in the news last month?”

“I was in the news?”

She looks at the door again for a second. “He was RIA, wasn’t he?”

She hangs her head. “Yep.”

“And I showed an agent my secret basement.”

“Yep.”

Lyra trots over, covering Bonbon in a hug. “But that agent is a friend now, right?”

“Uh…”

“Come on- say yes! I’ll let you live here as long as you like. … Though, I might need to update some of my security spells.”

She just laughs.

Author's Note

Chapter 4. Yes, that whole total darkness thing is another idea I've stolen from the Heartstrings comic (see last chapter's authors note)... but Lyra's being able to see through it is just me, and I doubt we'll be seeing that OC-agent again.
No, he's not the one that triggered the OC tag; he becomes a side note after this. I'm not going to torture my main characters like that.

Chapter 5: Secret

“I have to ask, who helped you yesterday?”

“Who helped me? With what?”

“When you caught… him, somepony was running a perception filter for you. Who…?” She trails off, looking across the breakfast table at her new friend.

Lyra eventually straightens out her smile and lowers her covering hoof. “You noticed?”

“Uh, yes. Why else would you be so hard to notice?”

She smirks. “It falls into the category of more-secret-than-the-basement.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Then my original promise covers it, unless you’d like a repeat performance.”

“So, as long as it’s not, say, Tirek powering that perception filter, nopony finds out?”

“Uh… There’s a few other ponies I’d also have to tattle on… But the list isn’t long.”

“I’m not on that list, am I?”

She lets out a snort of laughter. “Nah, you have to be a threat to Equestria to get on the list.”

“So, ponies like King Sombra or Queen Chrysalis, right?”

“Ahuizotl is on the list too.”

“Wait, he’s real? Does that mean Daring Do is too?”

“Shoot.”

“I take it that’s secret as well?”

Her ears droop. “Yep.”

“Don’t worry, it’s safe with me.”

“Ahh… But don’t tell anyone, please?”

“No problem.” She glances at the door. “My catching you won’t cause you trouble, will it?”

She shakes her head. “Nah- that carelessness is going on his record. That’s what I was out doing all night.” She smiles. “Meanwhile, I might even get credit for the recovery.”

Smirk. “Nice.”

Smirk. “Very.”

Smirk. “Extremely.”

Smirk. “Superbly?”

Smirk. “Um…”

“Somehow, I don’t think that counts,” Bonbon chuckles.

“Excellently? No… um…”

“But back to my question. Who was helping you?”

“Oh? Um, nopony was.”

“Nopony. So I imagined a powerful perception filter?”

“Uh, no.”

“So, who was helping you?”

Her horn lights up… and grows brighter. And brighter.

“Uh… that’s an aural augmentation spell, right?” She sounds distinctly worried now.

She smiles- but her horn doesn’t stop glowing brighter… Until it finally holds steady for a second and drops back down to a dim glow. Then she points at her doppleganger, the one that just appeared next to her. “She was?”

Bonbon blinks a couple times. “Wait, there’s two of you?”

Both Lyras put on exactly the same exasperated expression, and speak simultaneously. “Of course not.”

“But… But the only other thing it could be is the self-projection spell…”

“Problem?” It’s somewhat disorienting the way they’re perfectly synchronized.

“That spell has been lost for centuries. Even Celestia herself doesn’t know it!”

The new Lyra turns to trot off into the living room, while the one seated at the table smiles. “It has been, yes.” Her horn glow fades to nothing.

“Wait… You found it?”

Smirk. “In a chest in the basement of the tower of Starswirl the Bearded.”

“What? But that was… Wait. You know the Secret Searcher?”

“The what?”

“The Secret Searcher… Oh, right, you wouldn’t know. The RIA knows about the exploits of Daring Do; we’ve even got a few agents tailing her, helping intercept some of the more dangerous traps she gets herself into. She’s too valuable as a treasure hunter.

“But there’s a second treasure hunter that’s been scouring the nation. While Daring inevitably runs into somepony or another, this second hunter- nicknamed the Secret Searcher- never runs into anypony. At least twice, Daring penetrated a temple or something… only to find the treasure was already taken.

“Starswirl’s Tower was one of those.”

“Ahh… They never took off their cloak in those woods, nor named themselves… only gave me the book and told me where it had come from.” She looks down at the ancient book landing on the table next to her, surrounded by a familiar golden aura. “I got all the spells I used to catch… him from it.”

Bonbon gazes at it for a few seconds. “Oh… Um, I think I can get away with not reporting that… Where do you keep it, anyways?”

The book lifts back into the air, once again wrapped in Lyra’s doppelganger's magic aura, and follows the pony back into the living room.

“The basement,” Lyra answers. “It’s the safest place in the house, what with all the security spells I have down there.”

“The basement? But… But there’s no security spells there! I checked!”

“You assumed I only had one.”

Bonbon freezes still. “Wait, what…?”

Lyra glances down at her bowl; they’d finished their salads already. She levitates them over to the sink as she hops out of her chair. “Let me show you?”

Bonbon hops out of her chair as well. “Is it a different button…?”

“Nah. We start by going into the first.”

“Ahh.”

They walk in silence for a few seconds.

“So, what’s in it?” Bonbon asks.

“I’d rather not discuss it outside my wardings,” the answer comes, as Lyra presses the hidden switch to open the hidden door. “I haven’t had a chance to set up security spells on the rest of the house just yet.”

They trot casually down the stairs, then Lyra leads Bonbon straight to the floor in front of the fridge. Here, it takes her a quick pattern of hoofstrokes on the small tiles to pop the door open… The trapdoor, with another staircase leading down from it. Lyra draws a breath as Bonbon descends with her, and her horn glows.

“Something wrong?” Bonbon asks.

“No. Rather, my alarm spell doesn’t know you’re allowed… There.”

The switch she uses to close the door from underneath is quite visible, before they proceed downstairs, into…

“Another kitchen?” Bonbon asks confusedly.

“A magic-free kitchen, actually,” Lyra smiles. Earth pony appliances aren’t magic free; they’re just engineered carefully to work off of earth pony magic. They’re not very efficient, effective, or easy to use, and are very expensive.

Bonbon raises an eyebrow. “How much did it cost?”

She smirks. “I made it myself- another book, don’t remember where it came from, told me how. But this isn’t where I keep the books- rather, that’s downstairs, along with these things’ power source.” She trots across the room again.

“You have three kitchens… Downstairs? You have another secret basement?”

“Well of course,” she mutters. “Agents like yourself might look for the first, and maybe consider the second; the third, they’ll never even suspect.”

“Now you’re going to tell me you’ve got a fourth, aren’t you?”

She shakes her head. “Nah, that’d be overdoing it. Now, to open this third one, I reach through with my magic to hit the switch.” She glances at Bonbon. “Sorry, it was an extra security measure. I’ll see what I can do about adding some method by which an earth pony can get in.”

With an audible hum, the floor in front of her descends an inch or so and slides smoothly off to the side, away from them… Revealing another staircase down, with the other Lyra standing on it, hoof on a switch on the wall.

Bonbon looks at the other one for a couple seconds. “I still can’t get over the fact that there’s two of you,” she states.

The two Lyras look at each other.

“There aren’t,” the one with Bonbon states. “There’s me, and a magical projection of my mind. It’s the self-projection spell- I’m just in two places at once.” She scowls at her doppelganger. “I just wish the projection wasn’t so limited in its magic usage.”

As the two ponies head downstairs, the projection dissolves smoothly into vanishing golden mist. A casual strike at the switch closes the door- which whooshes shut and clunks definitively into place.

“What happens when that runs out of power?”

“It’s difficult to open without power, but I can manage it. I keep the generator well supplied down here, though, so that should never be a problem.”

The two mares trot down the stairs.

“Oh, now this looks more like a workshop. Though…” Bonbon looks around. “May I ask what you were trying to make…?”

She shrugs. “One of everything in that book. Most of it seemed to be kitchen appliances- with tons of variations on the same theme.” She trots over to a strange smoothed box. “Like this thing... it’s supposed to cook perfect rice every time.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Does it?”

Scowl. “Haven’t had a chance to try it.”

“Ahh…” She picks an object. “What’s this?”

“Not sure what it’s supposed to do.”

“Okay. So…”

Lyra glances around the room. “Just about everything left down here- instead of upstairs- is here because I haven’t found a use for it.”

It takes a few hours for Bonbon to look at everything. During this time, Lyra managed to rig up a hidden switch by which the earth pony of the two could open it, and finally disappeared somewhere. Bonbon doesn’t know where- she’d been looking over the desk, near the staircase up, when she vanished.

Unicorn aside, she isn’t examining all of this stuff for any particular need- rather, she’s also interested in the possibilities. If this ‘electricity’ stuff can be used to make an oven that heats food without getting hot itself- Lyra had mentioned it, and even demonstrated- then who is to say it can’t be used to augment her own stealth?

Oh- Lyra also reappeared at some point, though she’s not certain exactly how, and headed upstairs to prepare lunch. Good thing today’s an off day at her shop, perhaps. Unless… No, she hasn’t been notified of any tasks-

“Bonbon?”

She turns around; she hadn’t heard Lyra coming down the stairs. “Ye… s?” She blinks; she could have sworn that doorway hadn’t been there before… and now it’s gone again. So, she’s got another secret room.

“I think somepony wants to meet you upstairs… she’s molesting my alibi right now.”

“Alibi?”

“It’s what I call the magical projection.”

“She? I hope it’s not-”

“No, I don’t mean that kind of molest. Seems there’s something very important she needs to tell you.”

“She’s letting you even realize she’s there? Wow.”

“Uh… It seems word of my catching him has gotten around, so they’re allowed to ask me where you are. Oh, it seems she’s curious how I caught him while I was in the middle of a demonstration in Ms. Cheerilee’s class.”

Bonbon chuckles. “Do you want to tell her, or no?”

“They don’t know any of the specifics of the spell, right?”

“Only thing we know about it is that it produces a magical duplicate of a pony, and that it was lost long ago.”

“So, nopony knows how much power it takes?”

“Huh? No- why? Worried they’ll think you’re powerful?”

She smirks. “Uh, something like that, yes.”

She tilts her head. “What is it?”

“Well… You know how I’m a relatively weak unicorn, right?”

“Everypony knows that.”

Smile. “What if that was to be a farce?”

Snort. “I’ve got a better chance of flying unassisted to Cloudsdale than that being a farce.”

She raises an eyebrow slightly, but lowers it back down a second later. “They’re in the kitchen… Here, watch this.”

Lyra’s horn glows slightly… and Bonbon notices the light suddenly becoming stronger, the darkness somehow not quite so. Then she feels a little tingle travel down her spine… and a glance at Lyra confirms her suspicion. Her eyes traveled straight past her, then snapped back- exactly the effect she’d been trained to expect when working with somepony under a perception filter. Lyra then, with a blink of golden aura on the wall, swings the final secret door open to their living room… Their very dark living room, which she can still see clearly in. Nevermind that Lyra’s horn isn’t glowing at all.

Once into the living room, with the door securely closed behind them, they share a smile and walk around to the kitchen.

“You’re sure you know where she is?”

“Yes.”

“But you won’t tell me?”

“Yes.”

“Really! It’s urgent!”

“As you’ve said.”

“Can you please tell me where she is!?”

“Yes.”

“Pl- wait, what?”

“Yes, I said.”

“Uh… so, where is she?”

“She’s here.”

“Huh?”

Bonbon smiles at the exchange, then steps forwards, mindful of the perception filter. “Fancy hearing a new voice,” she states clearly. “Something happen to… him?” She shudders slightly.

The dark blue unicorn mare, who had been pacing impatiently back and forth behind Lyra’s alibi, turns towards the new voice- and her eyes lock onto Bonbon. “You’re…?”

“Agent Sweetie Drops,” she states, gazing calmly back into the other mare’s eyes.

The mare nods. “Ah, yes… Um…” She shifts to the side- and Bonbon’s gaze follows her. “Um… Yes. Yes, something happened to Molester. Some mare caught him molesting an agent yesterday, and he got revealed.” She shifts in the opposite direction.

“Molester?” Bonbon asks.

“Heh, yes, that was our nickname for him… We could never prove it, though, he always used the fog. Until he met a civilian unicorn that could see straight through it… Apparently, she used his own magic inhibitor on him.” She shifts again. “Is it just me, or…?”

“Or can I see you?” Bonbon smirks. “Yep.”

“Oh… um… did you already hear, or…?”

Lyra starts snickering.

Bonbon glances at her and turns back to the agent in front of her. “I suppose you could say I heard about it… I mean, I did only submit the report against him last night.”

Her eyes go wide, like dinner plates. “Wait… you’re the one he got caught…?”

Bonbon nods. “And Candy Stripes here-” she motions towards Lyra, still covered in the perception filter- “is the one that caught him.”

“Oh… Uh… I guess the fog is kinda useless here, isn’t it?”

“Don’t lower it, though,” Lyra states- expanding her perception filter to cover all four ponies, rather than lowering it. “Never know when somepony’s looking in the window. Salad?” Three bowls of tasty-looking salad land gently on the table next to them, carried by her alibi’s magic.

“Uh… it really is something important…”

“Something you can tell her over a meal, right? Seriously, you’re clearly famished.”

The blue mare shrinks away, attempting to cover her showing ribs. “I… I don’t think-”

“Actually,” Bonbon interrupts, having spent the last few seconds tapping a hoof on her chin. “The rules clearly state that the Contact Corps are allowed to reveal themselves to individual agents… and the time buffer for slowdowns can easily cover a meal, right?”

The mare’s stomach growls in time with Bonbon’s last word. “Uh…”

Lyra glances between the two. “Or do you have somepony else to inform as well?”

She scowls at the floor. “No… It’s just… sorry. I’m just… new.”

Bonbon trots over and ruffles her mane a little. “Don’t worry, we’ve all been there… Or, at least, I have.”

“What?”

“Candy Stripes isn’t an agent,” Bonbon states simply. “Yesterday’s report was the first the RIA’s heard of her.”

Her eyes go wide. “B-but outsiders-!”

Bonbon shakes her head. “You’re forgetting the sidekick clause. Agents are allowed to select reliable sidekicks from outside the RIA- and those sidekicks are then allowed to witness any information delivered to the agent in question.” She smiles. “She’s mine.”

“Sounds like a convenient clause,” Lyra mutters.

Bonbon looks back at her, her smile growing. “Oh yes, it most certainly is convenient.” She turns back forwards. “So, is it something so important it has to be discussed right away, or can we discuss it over a meal?”

Her stomach growls again, and she glances sheepishly down at it. “Uh… what about…?” She looks towards Lyra’s alibi.

“She’s a magical projection,” Lyra states. “She doesn’t eat.” As if to prove her point, the alibi disintegrates into vanishing golden mist once again.

“Oh.”

Author's Note

Chapter 5... where we get several secret reveals, a search, and a little info on how Lyra's alibi works.

Chapter 6: Search

Three mares, under cover of both darkness and a perception filter, enjoy a meal together. A really nice meal, actually.

“So,” Bonbon begins. “What brings you here?”

The unicorn across the table from her and Lyra scowls. “Right. Um…” She glances at Lyra. “They’ve found… something in the desert.”

“Oh? Did the Secret Searcher strike again?”

“Uh, we think, but it’s different this time. Daring said she was supposed to find some giant metal thing in the ground, which she might need help moving or exploring… Only, what she found was a cave-in… and the wrong kind of rock.”

She tilts her head. “Wrong kind…?”

“It was a great big lump of what looked like normal Equestrian bedrock, they said, instead of the metal thing. They said they think the rock came from the Ponyville area- they want you to come out to verify.”

Bonbon nods slowly. “Ahh… um, I’m not sure if my cover will survive that right now, though.”

Lyra shakes her head slightly- but neither other mare notices. “Actually, my projection spell should work on other ponies too. You can leave a projection behind to take care of the shop.”

The blue unicorn raises an eyebrow. “A projection…?”

“Yes… it’s a bit heavy of a spell to kick off alongside all these others, though.”

“Ahh.”

“What about your cover, Candy Stripes?” Bonbon inserts.

“My cover? Whatever in Equestria are you talking about?”

“I mean what you use that projection thing for.”

She waves a hoof. “It’s effortless to maintain, only costly to create.”

Bonbon sighs. “I know you want to help, but wouldn’t a more powerful unicorn-” she gestures towards the blue mare sitting across from them- “be able to help better?”

Lyra smiles back at Bonbon. “Well of course,” she states. “If you don’t want my help, you don’t have to take it.”

The blue unicorn bursts out in laughter, and nearly falls out of her chair. Both the other two turn to look at her- though Lyra’s expression suggests she’d expected something of the sort.

“What’s so funny?” Bonbon asks.

“Oh… haha… No, it’s just…” She takes a minute to continue calming herself down. “It’s just… You think I’m more powerful?” A fresh burst of giggles breaks through. “While I certainly appreciate the compliment, it’s wildly inaccurate!”

“What?”

“This perception filter of hers is far stronger than the military grade ones the RIA uses, for one. For two, she’s the first unicorn, RIA or not, I’ve ever seen able to cut through the Fog without the counterspell.”

“Without the counterspell?” Bonbon turns to Lyra. “Really?”

“It’s a simple sensory augmentation spell,” Lyra answers. “Honestly, even a low-powered unicorn could do that.”

“Sensory aug- … oh.” The unicorn stares at the table, thinking. “That… That would do it.”

Bonbon blinks. “Wait. Isn’t this a grade A Fog?” The unicorn nods. “The one that acts as a magic inhibitor?”

The unicorn nods. “And we all know that very powerful unicorns can burn right through those.”

“But…” Bonbon looks between the two. “But…”

Lyra chuckles. “It seems my chosen facade- that of a weak unicorn- stands the test of fact.” She looks across the table. “Probably helps that I use that projection spell- I call it an alibi- all of the time.”

The unicorn tilts her head. “How would that…? It used magic too.”

She smiles. “More accurately, I used magic through it. It can only channel a very low flow rate- so little, in fact, it can’t drain my reserves, no matter how hard I try.” She glances towards the counters. “It’s restricted to weak unicorn power levels, so I’ve kept myself down to that expense level, when out in public without it.”

“Doesn’t your horn ache, then?”

“Nah. I use that alibi so much because I want to take myself someplace else- maybe on a trip, maybe in the basement- where I go ahead and release my power. As a result, I never get the restraint aches… Though, if I hold the alibi for too long, it does get tired.”

“Oh? How long is too long?”

“A month and a half or so,” she mutters. “It’s annoying.”

Both mares’ eyes go wide; unbeknownst to Lyra, that puts her well ahead of Twilight in terms of endurance, even post-ascension.

Bonbon changes the subject. “So, uh, which desert was it in…?”

“Which desert? Oh, they wanted to meet you at the Palomino Desert post. Do you…?”

“Know where that is? Yep.”

“Ahh… I guess I’m done here?”

“Uh, yes, it would seem so. Until next time, then.”

“Wait!” Lyra states. “If we’re going to be seeing each other again, do you have an, um, ‘name’? Like how she’s Sweetie Drops and I’m Candy Stripes?”

“Uh… No, actually, I don’t. The contact corps aren’t given codenames.”

“Ahh…” She looks at Bonbon. “So we can come up with a nickname on our own time for whenever we see her next, right?”

“Uh… Sure, why not?”

Repairs Complete: Databank 1: 100% Integrity
Resuming Damage Review… 7.03% FAILED
--DAMAGE REPORT--
PREVIOUS:
Fusion Systems: 20.93% Integrity (2.77% Operable, OFFLINE)
Power Banks: 2.55% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Survival Centers: 36.96% Integrity (0.01% Operable)
Medvats: 0.10% Integrity (INOPERABLE)
Command Decks: 4.67% Integrity (3.96% Operable)
Databank 1: 97.31% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Databank 2: 99.27% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Databank 3: 37.4% Processed (Detected: 98.31% Integrity, OFFLINE)
UPDATES:
Databank 1: 100% Integrity
Databank 3: 96.93% Integrity (OFFLINE)
Databank 4: 73.41% Processed (Detected: 42.91% Integrity, INOPERABLE)
--ERROR: DCC OFFLINE--

Lyra gazes at this information for a few seconds. Presumably, that ‘Databank 1’ is working now- so perhaps she can access it… after all, it’s no longer marked ‘offline’. She presses the enter key- and is met by its Enter Command: prompt once again. She repeats the command that had worked last time.

Repair
--ERROR: DCC OFFLINE--
Enter Command:

She tries some gibberish- but gets the (quite predictable) Invalid Command response out of it. So, it recognized the command, but was unable to comply… Okay. Maybe…

Turn on
Invalid Command
Enable
Specify System To Enable or ‘All’:
DCC
Enabling Damage Control Central...
ERROR: DCC System Failure: All Facilities INOPERABLE

She issues it another scowl. Whatever this DCC is… no, ‘Damage Control Central’ thing, it must not only be central to its repair activities… but broken. A quick restoration spell, she figures, should be sufficient to restore it to function- but where is this thing? Oh, wait…

Where is DCC?
Invalid Command
Location
Invalid Command
Map
Invalid Command

A third scowl. She hadn’t expected the first one to work… Wait. What if this prompt indicates a different command system than that other prompt…? And how might she get back to that other one…? Hmm…

Prompt
Invalid Command
Start
Attempting System Start…
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Initializing…
WARNING: Main Survival Center Offline
WARNING: Backup Survival Center 0.02% Operable
Loading Personality Core… ERROR: Personality Files Not Found
Attempting Restore from Backup… ERROR: Backups Inaccessible
Attempting Partial Initialization… ERROR: Hardware Inoperable
Aborting... Done.
Enter Command:

She stares at it for a few seconds. Those lines had flashed up onto the screen, one after another, with blinding speed- finally terminating with that command prompt once again. So, what does it mean by ‘personality files’ not found…? Too bad she hasn’t a clue how to pronounce this language- nor what half of these words mean. There’s so many of them her book never used. If not for that, she might have asked Bonbon. Discreetly, of course- or, at least, as discreetly as the kitchen gets; it’s been close to three days since Bonbon had been sent into the desert, and Bonbon tells her they’re going to go on-site tomorrow. As a matter of fact, Bonbon’s alibi is upstairs right now, cooking the shop’s next set of candies. As it turns out, that alibi- drawing on her magic and Bonbon’s mind- is completely incapable of magic… and thence incapable of using even an earth pony kitchen. Which only made her electric one convenient.

Her own alibi is, of course, helping out upstairs, since neither of them have figured out exactly how to use the electric kitchen; they’re used to controlling them directly with their magic. Rather fortunate that her alibi’s ability to use magic extends to the use of unicorn appliances.

Oh- and it would seem Bonbon has decided to discuss something today. She’s been mostly occupied with managing both herself and her alibi at once, absent Lyra’s experience, but has reportedly been getting better. She just called her by name, after all, rather than that ‘Candy Stripes’ codename.

“Yes?”

“So you do have another basement.”

“Huh? Oh, no- that’s not to another basement, just another room.”

Bonbon raises an eyebrow. “That pathway sloped downwards. And to the side.”

She sighs. “It’s still not to another basement. Rather, it goes much deeper than that- down deep enough even Princess Twilight should have trouble detecting even the most powerful spells I can throw around down there… when she’s looking for them.”

“You’re down there right now, aren’t you?”

“Yep. It’s become my playroom.” She tilts her head. “You know how the controls in my second basement kitchen work?”

“Kinda.”

She smirks. “What if you were to find another such control panel… except this one could talk to you, and only in that strange written language?”

Bonbon raises an eyebrow, and pauses for a second- presumably making sure her real self didn’t mirror the motion. “How would it know what you were saying?”

“The input would be more verbose, of course. One key for every symbol.”

“Ahh… So, what would this… panel be doing?”

“Wanting commands. What might you tell it…?”

“Well, what’s it attached to?”

She shrugs. “No clue.”

“Ask it for help?”

“Oh? Uh…”

Help
ERROR: Help Directory Not Found
Enter Command:

“Uh, and if that… didn’t work.”

“Ask it for identification?”

She shakes her head. “Also a no-go.” It’s rather clear Bonbon knows it’s not a hypothetical question by now.

“How… lenient is it?”

“Not very. It seems to require word-perfect commands.”

“Hmm… Try asking it to list its commands?”

“Ooh, good idea.”

List commands
Invalid Command
Commands
Invalid Command
List
Invalid Command
Enter Command:

“Uh… not working.”

“Did it work before?”

“Yes… but it’s different right now, and I’m not sure what I did.”

“Try turning it off and back on.”

She winces. “That’d take forever… Maybe I can convince it to reset.”

“Maybe close down and reopen?”

“Mm, good idea.”

Close
Invalid Command
Exit
Exiting Damage Control Central Direct Terminal.
>

“That worked! I told it to close, and it went straight back to the old prompt. Let’s see… Oh, yes, it can do math once again. Oh, wait- maybe this will…”

>Commands
Command Not Recognized: Commands
>List
DCC | SYS | Patterns
>Patterns
Patterns/>

“It will…”

Patterns/>List

She blinks as the screen fills with an enormous list of names… which seem to be food items, unless she misses her guess. “Um… it seems to know about a lot of food…”

“Oh? Maybe it knows how to use that kitchen downstairs.”

She smiles. “Maybe.”

Eight hours and three batches of sold candies later, Lyra levitates the pan out of the electric oven, setting it on the table in the middle of the room, on a normal potholder they’d brought from upstairs. It smells heavenly.

“I really hope you got the translation right,” Bonbon states. “It’d be a pity if we couldn’t reproduce this because of a translation problem.”

“Well, let’s see how it tastes. I think it’s called ‘Vegetable Lasagna’.”

“You think?”

She scowls at the pan. “It’s so hard to translate. But the first three recipes I looked at had meat in them.”

“What.”

“Not pony meat, no- but two had chicken… and one beef.”

“Uhhh…”

She smiles. “No, I’m pretty sure it can’t cook anything itself, like a cookbook. So long as I never try to make one of those recipes, it won’t hurt for them to stay until I can figure out how to erase them, right?”

“Uhh… Okay. As long as you never make them.”

“Nah, I’m an herbivore- and I don’t cook for, say, griffins. If they want meat, they can find it elsewhere.”

“Okay.”

“So then…” Her horn flares, and a few plates appear around the table. It takes a second’s glow to produce the chairs, also from her kitchen upstairs.

Once she finishes setting the table, her horn glows brightly once again, as if she were launching her alibi… and nothing happens for a few seconds.

Then, Bonbon flashes suddenly with white light- and stumbles slightly, breathing hard. “What the-?”

Lyra smiles. “Something else my alibi lets me do- switch places with it. Takes a bit of power, mind, but you were in bed anyways- and now, you can enjoy this with me rather than next week!”

So two mares, neither represented by an alibi, sit down to enjoy a meal unlike any other. It truly is as delicious as it smelled.

Bonbon finally returns home- officially, at least; she’s been teleporting home through the alibi at least once daily- after a full two weeks of brand new meals. Most of them were tasty, but there were three they weren’t particularly fond of and one that Lyra made twice because she burned it the first time through.

Finally, though, Bonbon’s alibi disintegrates into golden mist next to Lyra as the real one walks in the door.

“Finally,” Bonbon states. “I don’t know how you deal with that so much.”

“Practice,” she answers, “and lots of it. I’ve been using it since before I built the second-level basement, so it’s almost second nature by now.”

“Ahh…” She sniffs the air; she’d refrained from asking about the smell before she got back. “What’s that I smell…?”

“This one? I think it’s a kind of casserole.” They’d had to classify many of the dishes after making them, thanks to the lingual difference.

“Sounds good, I’ve been missing one of those… Though, this terminal of yours, it is more than a cookbook, right?”

“Uh, yes. It has some kind of repair system, but it broke a couple weeks ago, and I haven’t been able to find it. I got the place pretty well lit up, though… Wait.”

>DCC
--Damage Control Central Direct Console--
System Idle
Enter Command: Repair
Specify Repair Target:

“It’s working again…”

“Sounds like it’s only barely working… Can it fix the repair system?”

“Ohh, good idea.”

Repair
Confirm Repair Target: All Damage Control Systems (Y/N)
“Uhh…” Y
Command Acknowledged
>

“Well, it took the command… Oh, and our food is ready.”

The two mares turn to head for the living room. “Wait… If you’re down there and up here, how…?”

She smiles. “While you were gone, I’ve been experimenting with two alibis myself. It is certainly confusing, but not unmanageable.”

“So which one’s the real you?”

“Uh, that’d be the one down there. I recharged the generators about half an hour ago, and my alibis can’t handle that.”

“Generators?” She exaggerates the plural.

“Oh, right. My… terminal. Since I found it, and made everything else, I put it on a separate generator.” She smiles at her friend. “When I hooked it up, I didn’t know how much it might draw… and since that kitchen downstairs relies on a minimum current, I decided to play it safe and use another generator.”

“Doesn’t it require recharging too, then?”

“Yep. It only takes a minute every week or so, though, so I don’t worry about it.”

The door to the second-floor basement opens as they approach, rather than requiring the normal tile tap pattern. The reason for this aberrant behavior is very quickly revealed to be Lyra, standing on the staircase below.

Bonbon glances only momentarily between the two of them; she’s used to this by now. “You still won’t let me see it, though?”

The one standing on the stairs shakes its head gently, the other disintegrating into arcane mist. “Nope, sorry. Can’t risk contaminating my discovery with official nonsense, can I?” She smirks.

Bonbon chuckles. “Anything interesting on it?”

“There’s this one construct on it. It’s made of metal, but it has some arcane-inhibiting material built into it, like a bottle- so much I can only barely get my scan in. Sometimes.”

“It’s not someone’s attempt at machine-based magic, is it?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so- none of the pipes going in and out of it had that material in them, only the main bottle part itself. I’m wondering if it’s supposed to be something like a gemstone- but capable of holding greater densities.”

Bonbon raises an eyebrow. “That would make sense, if it’s a Unicorn thing- but haven’t you not found anything magic-related in it?”

Shrug. “Until that, no. Maybe it’s somepony’s attempt to allow an earth pony to use a unicorn kitchen? Or the other way around… That would be useful.”

“Unicorn use an earth pony kitchen? Oh yes. Then we could truly work together in the same kitchen!”

She tilts her head before she hops into her chair. “Well, technically we can do that here.”

Bonbon snorts. “Sure we can. We just can’t stop burning everything not specifically made for it.”

“Hey, it’s hard to make earth pony recipes in a unicorn kitchen!”

“And the other way around too, I assure you. But at least we can. Everything we’ve tried down here, save the recipes designed for it, just burns.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out sooner or later.” The pan lands on the potholder between them, and Lyra’s other alibi- standing next to the oven- also disintegrates.

Bonbon watches Lyra’s precision manipulation of the spatula for a second. “Maybe. How close are you?”

She scowls. “Still trying to find a recipe for something even related to Equestrian cuisine. That’s why we’ve had something new every day.”

“Ahh. How’s that… bottle thing doing, then?”

“It’s a little decayed. It’ll take some pretty significant power to restore it- we’ll want Twilight out of town, but it should be below everypony else’s perception threshold.”

“And if it works?”

“Then I’ll drag you down to tell me if it’s safe to charge.”

She nods, receiving a generous helping of… Yes, it does look like a casserole, but she doesn’t recognize it. “How much warning will you need?”

“I can charge the spell beforehand- it’ll take a week or so- and release it once she leaves. We can probably wait for something to crop up someplace.” She serves herself as she speaks, and they both dig in.

Author's Note

Chapter 6 does seem to have a lot of searching in it. That lump of rock, the recipe they can use to learn the electric kitchen, commands that work...
But wait! What was that it said when she told it to start?

Chapter 7: Breach

>
WARNING: Undesired Operation Detected: Fusion 6
Attempting Shutdown and Release…
CONTAINMENT BREACH: Fusion 6
Executing Emergency Shutdown… FAILED
Shaping Fusion Failure… FAILED
Assessing damage… Done.
Fusion 4: 0.92% Integrity (INOPERABLE; Was 46.26%)
Fusion 5: Total Loss
Fusion 6: Total Loss
Fusion 8: 19.31% Integrity (INOPERABLE; Was 61.04%)
WARNING: Power Low: Damage Control operating at 97.31% Available Capacity (0.13% Overall)
Enter Command:
Damage Control Central Direct Terminal Session Timed Out, Exiting...
>

“Good evening.”

“Same to you. Is… Is Candy Stripes away someplace?”

Nod. “Yes… You missing her or something?”

“No! Erm… I guess. She’s just so much… friendlier than anyone else I deal with.”

Smile. “I miss her too, actually.”

The darkness seems to flicker, but stabilizes once again.

“You… But you’re living in her house! How…?”

“She… disappeared. She was somewhere else, her alibi out in my shop with me. She was doing something routine- charging a restoration spell for something large, I hear- when she let out a gasp… and her alibi dissolved.”

“How… How long…?”

“Three days.” She bows her head.

The darkness falters… and fails completely this time. “Three...?” The navy blue mare’s ears lie flat against her head, her jaw hanging slightly open. “She’s not…”

Bonbon shakes her head. “They wait for thirty around here.”

“Ahh… Um…”

>
Main Systems Online.
Investigating detected blood… Done.
WARNING: Subject in mortal peril. Designation: Patient 01
Engaging Life Support… FAILED: All Life Support Facilities INOPERABLE
Repairing Minimal Life Support Facilities… Done.
Putting Patient 01 on Life Support… Done.
Patient 01 continues to lose blood at a slow pace. Nutritional deficiency has caused natural healing to cease functioning. Patient appears to be in a coma. Recommend: Medical Nanovat.
WARNING: All Medical Nanovats INOPERABLE
Directing repairs…
WARNING: Power Failing! Switching to Emergency Lighting… Done.
Medical Nanovat 2 ONLINE at 31.94% Integrity. Transferring Patient… Done.
WARNING: Nutritional deficiency potentially lethal!
WARNING: Medical Supplies Exhausted!
Initiating scavenging protocols… Done.
ERROR: Medical database not found!
Analyzing tissues… Done.
Attempting repairs… Done. All bleeding has been stopped.
WARNING: Absent the medical database, critical damages may have been missed.
Initiating Medical Nanovat release… Done.
Applying neural stimulation… Done. Patient 01 is awakening.
Medical Nanovat 2 open.
WARNING: Power Failing! Medical offline.
Repair priority set: Power Systems
Suspending scavenging protocols… Done. Damage Control operating at 31.49% available capacity.

“Ugh…”

She hears the groan come from someplace… it takes a while for it to register as her own. She opens her eyes, gazing at the metal wall in front of her. What had happened?

She tries lifting her head- and promptly drops it back down on the hard metal floor she’s lying on. Not only did her muscles burn enormously painfully, but she had instantly felt the effects of dangerously low blood pressure. She tries directing magic into her horn… Painless. She casts her alibi spell, generating one next to her… Funny, it had never been that easy to cast before.

Good thing her alibi can run full strength, so long as she remains conscious. Though… Where is she? She lights her horn- her alibi’s horn, that is- to look around the darkened room… Her sluggish mind has difficulty processing the room, but the door is standing open. She levitates herself carefully out of the… boxlike thing she was lying in, floating herself upside-down. It feels weird, with her blood pooling in her head, but at least she can be reasonably certain she won’t lose consciousness. So long as she stays awake, she can use her alibi to do anything she needs- including carting her to the hospital, if needed.

Once she’s successfully removed herself from the box thing, she carries herself quickly upstairs. The white lights have gone out, replaced with a dimmer, amber-colored glow; however, only one side of the hallway is lit… So, this must be somewhere she’s been before, and just didn’t remember. She follows the lights out- pausing twice to check her vitals- and finally reaches her entranceway. Funny how all of the restored lights have cut to this harsher, dimmer glow. Did she break something?

The magic lights in the entrance tunnel are still glowing brightly as always. They won’t need recharging for several months- and her alibis can handle them. She ignores the generator as she trots past, and finally reaches her third-level basement.

Which turns out to be empty. She closes the door behind her and heads upstairs… The motor buzzes slightly as it draws the door open slightly slower than usual. At least, she thinks it’s slower- it might just be her imagination; she’s still feeling quite faint.

The smell of… something, she’s not sure what, immediately greets her nose. Whatever it is, it smells slightly burnt. She climbs up the last few steps, into her second-level basement… and thank Celestia her alibi had gone up first. She would never have survived Bonbon’s rush, in her current state. She uses her magic to help her push Bonbon off of her alibi… and speaks through it.

“Uh, did something happen?”

Bonbon spends a few seconds resisting her magic before giving up, stepping back to let her fully upstairs. “I thought you died down there!”

“Oh, uh, sorry… I’m still alive, at least.” She turns to look back towards herself, floating up through the door before she lets it slam shut… and tilts her head. “Huh… Coulda sworn I was covered in dirt… Whatever.”

Bonbon gazes at the limp form issuing her a weak smile from her upside-down position in her doppelganger’s magic aura for just a second. “Wait… That’s you, and this is the alibi?” She motions towards the one standing in front of her.

The standing one nods. “I don’t know what happened, but I must have lost a lot of blood.”

Bonbon walks over to the midair one, placing a foreleg gently against her neck for a few seconds. “I’d say so… You’re lucky to be alive. Start by getting some water. Um…” She looks over the mare in front of her. “What happened down there?”

The floating mare smiles weakly. “I… don’t know.”

“Ahh… Water.”

Lyra nods gently- and twists her head to accept a drink from the glass also floating in her alibi’s aura. A very deep drink… Her magic lets her shamelessly cheat physics and consume every last drop- even when half of it tries to fall on the floor.

Bonbon smirks, having spent the time that Lyra’s attention had been locked on the glass preparing a serving of her dish, then stuffs it in Lyra’s face. Not literally, no- not quite, at least. They’re a bit far from the hospital right now- and besides, they might ask questions… Like what shampoo she’d used. Seriously, she can’t think of a time she’d seen a pony’s coat quite so glossy.

Lyra accepts the meal graciously, even if it takes her several tries to consume even a part of it. By the time she finishes the meal, though, she’s thoroughly exhausted. “Thanks,” she informs Bonbon, stifling a yawn with one tingley forehoof. “I think I’m going to head for bed?”

Bonbon scowls, looks at the plate, and looks back up. “Okay- but I’m coming with you.”

She smiles. “You have your own room, remember?”

Scowl. “I never said that, Lyra. I just want to make sure you don’t fall on the stairs or something.”

“Ahh… Makes sense.” She then starts her way upstairs.

“Hello again.”

“Hello. They… well…”

“Let me guess. Dodge Junction?”

Chuckle. “Not this time, no. They’ve caught wind of another crime syndicate in Manehattan.”

Bonbon very nearly facehooves. “You’d think they’d send some Royal Guardsponies,” she mutters. “Sure, I’ll-”

“Mornin’, Bonbon…” Lyra trots casually into the darkened room. “Oh, and you too, Rain. Did something break?”

Silence holds throughout the room for almost a full minute.

Until Lyra stuffs a daisy sandwich in the blue unicorn’s gaping mouth, at least. “That’s you, by the way. I thought you’d like it.” She smiles and proceeds to whip up another sandwich. Magic makes that so easy.

“Uh… Candy Stripes, did you forget me again?” Bonbon asks the darkness.

“What? Uh…” She gazes at her friend for a second before she facehooves. “I did, didn’t I? Sorry about that, Sweetie Drops.”

A moment later, Bonbon blinks and turns to find the other two ponies in the room. “Thanks. Um, yes, I’ll go check that out. Anything else?”

“Mmphmm.”

“Oh please,” Lyra complains. “Finish your food before you speak.” She turns towards Bonbon. “Check what out?”

“A new crime syndicate in Manehattan.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s the Royal Guard’s job. The RIA does the cooler jobs the Guards can’t do.” She glances towards Rain. “Unless they’ve decided they can’t trust you for some reason. They haven’t done that, have they?”

Bonbon’s ears fall while she hangs her head.

Rain, however, responds; she’s managed to swallow her sandwich. “Ah… um… Remember the whole sidekick clause thing?”

Lyra raises an eyebrow. “She missed something?”

She shakes her head. “No… it doesn’t exist. I… She got caught.” Her head hangs too. “She’s lucky they haven’t dismissed her.”

“Shoot. I don’t suppose that means I should head upstairs, plug my ears, and sing at the top of my lungs?”

Bonbon’s face strikes the hoof in front of it with an audible thump.

“Uh… No. But it does mean…”

“Ah. Sorry.” She closes her eyes for a second and disappears in a flash of bright white light and dispersing arcane mist.

Once again in the basement, Lyra trots into her third-level one. Bonbon told her she’d been away for almost a full month, coincidentally explaining her generator’s charge states. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix- an incredibly easy fix now, for some reason. At one point, she even checks her back to make sure she hasn’t been converted into an alicorn; she still has no wings.

The last thing she remembers doing, before waking up in that box, was charging her restoration spell on that bottle thing. Maybe it was less damaged than she thought, designed to boost a unicorn’s power? If so, is the effect permanent, or only temporary? If it is temporary, how long will it last?

Oh, and the lights in here are still amber… Interesting. She did recharge the generator… She tries a restoration spell on the working light, but nothing changes. She follows it with restoring the nonfunctioning one across the hallway- but it only glows amber.

Whatever. She follows the familiar path down to the room with the bottle in it.

She stops when she rounds the final corner, then canters to the edge. A quick visual search, using her hornlight, reveals a rather large pool of dried blood resting on the bottom of the shallow crater, a trail leading up to… Nothing.

But she’s certain that bottle thing had been right here…

Right in the middle of the crater.

She blew it up.

She facehooves. “So, it wasn’t designed to do that,” she grumbles. “And now, I’ll never find out what it was designed to do!”

Of course, right as soon as she said that, an idea strikes. There should be two more of these things… They may be in less-than-perfect condition, but her restoration spell can fix that. So long as she doesn’t charge it so high on one that even might be functional.

Oh- but her security spells upstairs just informed her of Rain’s departure. She switches places with the alibi she’d left in her second-level kitchen and trots upstairs to find Bonbon.

She finds her friend upstairs, packing a suitcase.

“How’d it go?” she asks.

Bonbon shakes her head. “I… I can’t live here anymore.”

“Oh?”

“Command found out, and they don’t like it. I’m sorry, but this is goodbye.”

“They don’t want you living with somepony?”

She shakes her head. “They don’t want me living with a non-Agent. There’s too great a risk of information leaks.”

Lyra sighs, hanging her head. “It’s going to be quiet without you.”

“Hah! It was quiet even with me. And don’t worry, you’re always welcome at my shop.”

“Whenever you’re home.”

Her ears flatten against her head. “Whenever I’m home,” she parrots, averting her eyes.

It’s a full two days later when she descends below her basement once again. Bonbon has fully moved out, leaving her house as empty as it always had been. She’s changed the access pattern on her second level basement door, and removed the outside switch for the third level one. She’s also removed Bonbon from her basement security fields, but hasn’t lowered the ones on her house.

She’s built a firm dislike for the RIA.

Not only did they strip her of her friend, but they stripped her friend of her. She can always go find a new friend, theoretically- but Bonbon can’t.

And the way her friend had worded her final goodbye suggested she might have… visitors.

She glances at the generator on her way past, and continues down into the… thing. Her power levels still remind her of Princess Twilight’s, though she doesn’t have wings… She checks every few hours, just to be sure. She’s even tried a medical diagnostic spell- confirmed, she’s still completely unicorn.

She canters randomly through the passageways, restoring lights as she goes, once she reaches unlit passages. The restored lights give off that low, amber glow, but she’s not worried about that right now. These simple restorations are easy enough she can perform them in passing without breaking her pace; previously, she’d had to at least slow to a walk.

She throws a door open. More lumps… She shoots restoration spells at some lights in the room, and fires a big one at the large lump in the middle of the room.

Her spell charges far faster than it had on the bottle. About five minutes’ charge will be enough to turn this thing back into what it once was.

She closes her eyes, bows her head, and puts her tears into it. She doesn’t stop at five minutes. She doesn’t stop at ten minutes.

Nor a full hour.

Almost three hours pass before she finally unleashes the spell… and gets blown backwards by the force of her magic. She’s unconscious again even before she hits the wall.

Author's Note

For anypony overly curious/analytical about the explosions...
The FIRST time, the explosion was caused by the (offline) fusion plant she was "charging" for a restoration spell attempting an emergency shutdown, disrupting the spell.
Computers do that- turning off something that's already off. More often than not, that throws an error of some sort (programmer speaking here), though some systems will realize it's already off and ignore the command (falls under "idiot-proofing"; that kind of thing can be expensive on processing time).
The SECOND time, the explosion was simply an overabundance of magic when she released it, no spell destabilization. More will be explained on that next chapter.

Chapter 8: The Secret

When she wakes up again, she’s still in the same place. There’s a worryingly large puddle of blood on the floor around her, and much of it has gotten into her coat. However, as she stands up, she doesn’t feel the signs of low blood pressure… And, a quick spell confirms, she is not bleeding. She uses another spell to vanish all of the blood, and turns to review the results of her restoration spell.

… Which appears to have done absolutely nothing. It is true, fueling any spell with negative emotions has a tendency of negating its effects. Oh well.

She turns to trot out towards the exit. She’s not even aching this time.

Though her back is a little itchy.

Come to think of it, she’s lived alone her entire life. She’s been trying to get somepony into her life and, as soon as she succeeded, she was torn ruthlessly away. So…

What if she cut her losses, stopped suffering failure, and chose the solitary life?

If she does that… Her grin widens slowly into something that might be considered an evil grin. If she does that, especially while her power is still so incredibly high, she can have fun…

Her grin rapidly developing into a low cackle, she gallops up to her electric kitchen to whip together a meal- drawing the recipe from memory- and sends an alibi upstairs. Bonbon had insisted upon giving her all of the bits from the candy, so she’s got plenty of money.

This is going to be a somewhat expensive project… But the Everfree Forest should provide most of the materials without issue. After her meal, she runs up to it and drops a perception filter on half a meadow before she sets to work. Her alibi, with a somewhat randomized appearance, is requisitioning the other materials right now.

After all, she wants to look like she’s still living at home. Time to make the RIA’s ‘Secret Searcher’ not so much of a searcher.

No- instead, she’ll be a secret agent… For herself. At least for a while.

She’ll travel the world. She’ll explore all kinds of cities, meet all kinds of ponies. Solve all kinds of problems.

She’ll practice her alibi spell more than Princess Twilight practices reading. She’ll leave alibis all over Equestria, picking up rumors for her to investigate.

She’ll be the equivalent of the entire RIA, if she can.

Though… That’s an idea. Before, she was just a secret searcher, doing just a fraction of what Daring Do does. But now, she’s going to be a bit more than a searcher.

Her grin develops once again- and, her alibi arriving with the rest of the materials, she sets to work painting her work of art. And finishing this part. And that part.

Finally, she jumps aboard, collapses the perception filter to cover just her now finished project, directs her now-looking-like-herself alibi back home, and deploys the collapsible gas bag. Nopony will see her coming.

Not until long after she’s left, at least. She’s fairly sure of that.

Though… On a thought, she replaces the perception filter with a layering of other spells. Perception filters are too simple… but this combination of spells should mess with the minds of anypony that realizes it’s there.

“Um, Sir?”

“Yes?”

“We’ve had a… suspicious ship dock here fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh? How so?”

“To begin with, it’s called the Secret. Then, it’s piloted by only two mares, and neither of them know the difference between port and starboard. Third… You know it’s standard procedure to record where any given ship lands, right?”

Nod.

“Well… We can’t find it. When we count from afar, it’s there- unless we look at the names of the ships we’re counting, where it simply isn’t there. When we’re guiding other ships in, it’s very clearly there, though it disappears when we look at it. When we walk along the docks, it’s there in our peripheral vision- but it’s berthed at dock #3… which has ceased to exist.”

Eyebrow raised.

“I’m being serious!” He points a hoof. “Count the number of ships, then list their names! The numbers won’t match!”

The Royal Guardspony’s eyes search the airship docks momentarily- six ships present. The Concord, Raspberry, Zap Apple, Rainbow, and the Tank… five? He breaks his professional stance, quickly counting balloons. Six. He counts names again… Five. And he can clearly see the name of every ship in the dock right now.

“Did they debark?”

“One did.”

“When she returns, direct her to me, please.”

“Yes sir.”

“You’re returning to the Secret?”

“Yes, sir.” She’s a bright blue earth pony.

“Ahh… Could you come this way?”

“Um… Isn’t my ship over there…?”

“The Royal Guard over here wanted to talk to you before you returned to your ship.”

“Ahh… I hope it’s quick, my sis will leave without me before too long.”

“Oh? Is that why there’s only two of you?”

“No… it was always just the two of us.”

“Ahh… Well, here he is. Sir? This is the mare returning to the Secret.”

“Oh, hello!”

“Good evening. Where did you get your ship?”

She tilts her head. “Huh? Why ask?”

“It’s got some bothersome spells on it.”

“Oh…” She glances back towards the docks. “Oh shoot, she’s leaving without me!” She turns to run… and dissolves into arcane mist.

The Guard blinks. “What just…?”

The porter stares at the spot she’d vanished from. “I… Good question.”

A ship leaving the docks catches their attention- but whenever they look, it isn’t there.

The two stallions curse in tandem. “Shoot.”

“You’re sure he didn’t make that up?”

Nod. “Fairly certain, given the evidence, Princess.”

“Evidence?”

“Not of the same incident, but we’ve had similar reports in different cities.”

“What’s the next one?”

“Trottingham. Same ship, same… difficulty seeing it. Different mare- looked much like a unicorn version of Fluttershy, I understand- debarked last Tuesday.”

“Um, sorry, ma’am, you just…”

“Look much like the Element of Kindness? I get that a lot… No relation, I’m afraid. Is there anyplace around here I can play for some bits?”

“Play?”

“Yes. You know, music?”

“Oh? Oh, yes! Sorry, I thought you meant…”

“No! No, I’m not a gambler. Just a traveling musician.”

“Ahh. Yes. Um, the music show in the stadium on 9th Street should still be open… Though probably not for long.”

“Music show? What kind of music?”

“Any. Honestly, it hasn’t been worth attending the last half-dozen times; nopony good ever plays.”

Smirk. “I’ll see what I can do. The stadium on 9th street, right?”

Nod. “Yep. Any… Uh, where’d your ship go…?”

“It’s still there…?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Duh. Um…” He blinks a couple times, shaking his head. “Okay. Um… Do you want us to resupply your ship while you’re away, or…?”

She shakes her head. “I’m afraid I don’t have the money for that- and besides, my sis is quite picky about exactly what comes aboard.”

“Ahh… No supplies, then. You do have those supplies already, right?”

Nod. “Yep.”

“Ahh… Um… Is it just me, or does it keep disappearing…?”

Shrug. “Lotsa ponies seem to have trouble finding it for some reason, not sure why. Good thing they don’t have to, right?”

He chuckles too. “Right, yes. Well, have a good evening!”

“Will do!”

“That was awesome, Golden Notes! Where’d you learn to play that well?”

Smirk. “I compete with myself, mostly. It helps to have a related cutie mark and a good example, I must say.”

“Wow. Can you teach me?”

She shakes her head. “I’m afraid not- I’ve gotta get back to my ship before my sister leaves me here, and she doesn’t like taking on passengers.”

“Ahh… Any chance you could come back to play at my sister’s birthday party?”

Another shake. “Not likely. When is it?”

“Next Thursday- so, nine days.”

A sad shake this time. “Sorry, we’re scheduled to be halfway across Equestria by then.”

“Aww… How important is that?”

She lets out a small chuckle. “Very, I’m afraid.”

She winces gently. “Really? Darn.”

“Maybe she would help…?”

“She? Who?”

“Lyra Heartstrings, in Ponyville. She was my role model growing up- and I think I’ve managed to approach her skill. She’s… not a traveling musician, though, and last I heard, her schedule is all over the place.”

Wince. “So she’s not going to be able to help, is she?”

Shrug. “It’s possible. I don’t know how far ahead she plans most of her little shows; I never heard about them until the day before, myself. As for if she’d take the offer… I know she struggles with money, but I don’t know how far away from home she’s willing to go.”

“Hmm… I’ll have to look into that. Ponyville, you said?”

“Yes. Lyra Heartstrings… I understand she’s taken up work at the town candy shop. Something about boosting customer morale… I think she just likes the owner.”

Smirk. “Ahh. Um, we haven’t passed your ship, have we?”

“Ah, no, it’s right here.”

“Oh, there you are.” The green pegasus jumps at the interjection by the earth-colored earth pony. The earth pony glances at the pegasus, turning back to the unicorn. “I’ll put it away while you talk.”

The unicorn nods, levitating over her saddlebags of bits and her instrument.

The pegasus blinks as the earth pony turns back the way she’d come, carrying the load up the boarding ramp of a fairly large airship… which hadn’t been there a second before. “Uh… Wow. I must have missed it…” She smiles at the unicorn. “I must be getting old.” She looks back at the ship… but it’s not there. The entire docking platform it was docked at is missing. “Uh… Wow.”

The unicorn tilts her head. “Something wrong?”

“Um… I must be hallucinating…” She looks back at the unicorn. “For a second, I could have sworn there was an entire docking platform here, with a large airship docked on it and an earth pony coming down to take your bags… Wait.” She blinks, wide-eyed, gazing at the unicorn’s back for a second… and searches for the ship again. “I can’t be missing a ship that big, can I?”

The unicorn smirks. “Well, there’s a question… How many ships are docked here?”

She raises an eyebrow at the obvious question. “Two. The Bountiful and… Uh…” She searches the docks. “What… How…”

She tilts her head. “Something wrong?”

“How can I count two ships… yet only find one?! It’s like it only exists when I’m not looking for it!”

Nod. “Sorry… the Secret does that to ponies.”

“The Secret? An airship, named Secret?”

Nod. “It’s pretty good at keeping secrets, isn’t it?”

“Uh… I might say, yes.” She blinks, searching the docks again. “That’s… Wow.”

“I understand Agent Silent Stroke was able to get ahold of Lyra Heartstrings, but she knows nothing of this ship.” He glances at a clock. “She should be playing at that party right about now.”

“Did Silent Stroke try following Golden Notes?”

“Of course. She couldn’t follow into the ship- Notes locked the door behind herself- so she tried following it in the air; they pulled out right away.

“Only thing is, she couldn’t find it. One of the biggest ships she’s ever seen, supposedly, but she couldn’t find it, only count and avoid it.”

“Ahh. Next?”

“Monday, in Dodge Junction. Same ship, green pegasus with a jumbled mane and unkempt wings.”

“It’s rare to see an airship that big around here,” the porter comments.

“We won’t be long, I’m afraid- we’re in a bit of a hurry, but we ran out of wing wax. Anyplace I could snatch some?”

“We can provide a full resupply for your ship, for a fee, if you would like.”

Scowl. “I would like, but my sister would never allow that. Besides, we’ve got decent supplies of everything else already. She just happened to forget I’m a pegasus during our last shopping stop.”

“Ahh… You’ll find it at the general store, two blocks down on the left.”

“Thanks!” She runs off.

The porter smiles. “I don’t see many pegasi… Wait, what? Where’d it go?”

A guard trots over. “Ma’am?” she begins.

The porter performs a quick about-face. “Ahh! Sharp Stroke! Do you need something?”

The guard scowls. “This… ship. I happened to notice we’ve got one docked, right?”

“Yes. Lovely pegasus- looks like a Rainbow Dash wannabe- needed to get some soap.”

“Well… where is it?”

“It’s…” She looks around. “I was actually just asking myself that.”

“Yet if you count the ships here…”

“One. The… um…”

“Exactly. One ship- and a really big one at that- but nopony can find it. A couple pegasus guards have tried flying to it- and while they can always steer around it, and know that’s what they’re doing, they can’t seem to find it… Or land on it.”

She scowls. “How could they do that…?”

The guard shrugs. “Perhaps we could ask that pegasus?”

“Perhaps… Oh hey, you’re back!”

The pegasus flings her tied-off shopping bag into the air as she brakes to a stop and glances at the guard. “Yes. Something wrong?”

Both unicorns watch the bag sail through the air- until an earth pony standing at the top of the boarding ramp catches it, taking it inside.

“Wow,” the guard mutters, her eyes widening as she looks at the ship. “How…”

The porter breaks her gaze on the ship, turning to the pegasus. “Your ship, it’s…” She searches quickly- and fruitlessly- for it.

“Disappearing?” the pegasus asks.

The guard turns away from the ship. “Yes,” she states.

The pegasus nods. “The Secret does that to ponies. Sorry, but I really have to-!”

She had resumed her gallop towards the ship, but the porter caught her with her magic. “Wait! Where… WHAT?”

The pegasus had dissolved into arcane mist.

“Agent Shining Light reports she still can’t figure out what happened to her- but it matches what happened in Las Pegasus. The guards tried following the ship there too, but again, they couldn’t find it.” The Director of the RIA then moves slightly to indicate his office window, conveniently overlooking the Canterlot docks. “Then…” He looks out for a second. “How many ships are docked in Zone Three, then how many of them can you name?”

Princess Luna steps over, gazing out the window for a few seconds. “Eight ships… The Jasmine, Bountiful, Raspberry, Lightning, Orange, Starshine, and the Noodle Ferry… always thought that ship was weird…” She trails off, her brow furrowing as she mutters to herself for a few seconds, gazing down at the dock.

“That’s not possible,” she finally declares.

“Seven ships, but when you’re only counting gas bags, there’s eight?”

She turns to face him, her expression dangerous. “Why?”

In answer, he places a clipboard on the desk between them, rotating it for her to read. “I sent for you as soon as I learned of this. This here is a copy of the Zone Three docking manifest, requisitioned by the onsite agent. The second page-” he indicates the page folded over the top of the clipboard- “is her written testimony. Apparently, it’s a blue unicorn with purple mane… and a cutie mark that couldn’t be looked at.”

Luna flips the page down, scans the message, and flips it back up to read the manifest, muttering to herself. “Jasmine… Noodle Ferry… Orange… Lightning… Bountiful… Starshine… Raspberry…” She pauses at the final entry on the page. “Secret, docked across slots thirteen through fifteen…” She looks up at the clock. “Thirty-five minutes ago.” She looks back down at the manifest. “Declined resupply, paid for single-day berthing… Blueberry Truffle?” Her eyes widen very suddenly, and she draws in a breath. “Blueberry Truffle!?”

Her direct subordinate draws alarmedly back almost a full foot from his desk, his chair skittering slightly on the smooth marble floor. “Did we miss something?”

Princess Luna stares at the manifest for a second, glances at him, and looks at the clock again. “Blueberry Truffle… is scheduled to meet Princess Celestia in private court thirty seconds ago!”

Chapter 9: Rescue

The fairly well-hidden side door into the throne room slams open with an echoing BOOM, admitting the lunar Princess. She’s reached her seat next to Princess Celestia by the time the guards finish closing the door behind her. “Sister!” She leans in to murmur into the solar Princess’ ear… and freezes, gazing down at the visitor.

Or visitors. Two identical blue unicorns, bearing purple mane and tail… both of whose cutie marks behave much like that airship: She can tell it’s there, but she can’t seem to find it.

Princess Celestia turns slightly, offering Luna the scroll floating in her magic in quite the trancelike manner. “Luna…”

Luna allows her gaze to shift to the page. It’s a spell scroll… Her jaw drops as she reads down it, and she looks up at Princess Celestia… Princesses Celestia? There’s two of them, looking at each other. One of them dissolves into a cloud of light gold arcane mist, the other turning back to Luna. “She…”

Luna blinks. “Ahh…” She’d seen the spell on the page. She turns to look past the parchment, simultaneous with her sister. “We will- Huh?”

At the empty throne room, save for the guards.

Shining Armor steps forwards, bowing. “They disappeared, Princesses. Both of them, dissolved into golden arcane mist. Darker color than, uh, that-” He gestures towards the space next to Celestia’s throne, where her doppelganger had sat for ten seconds- “but the same effect.”

The room holds its silence for a few seconds.

Luna breaks it with the Royal Canterlot Voice, booming into every corner. “Find the airship Secret! Zone three, slots thirteen through fifteen! Bring the Captain, as our guest!”

The guards nod identically, and one dashes out of the room to deliver the orders to the many more guards waiting elsewhere.

Celestia turns to look at her sister, an eyebrow raised. “Airship?” she asks.

“My- Ahem, my people found something.” She offers the clipboard, from where it had been captured under her wing. “This is only the end of the story.”

Celestia reads the note, her eyes growing steadily wider, and scans the manifest, before lowering the clipboard calmly and directing her gaze towards Shining Armor.

“Code Midnight,” she states.

With a nod, almost every single guard leaves the room. Shining Armor is one of only two that remain. Once the doors are locked, the windows darken somewhat significantly, indicative of the powerful anti-scrying spells sliding up over them. Nopony would see what happened here, save those cleared for this specific security level.

Almost thirty seconds later, a hidden door slides open momentarily to admit a dark grey thestral, the Director of the RIA. He trots to the center of the throne room, bowing briefly. “You called, Princess?”

Luna nods. “Tell my sister what you told me earlier.”

“Thirty-seven minutes? Seriously?”

“Uh, yes sir. Blueberry Truffle signed it out thirty-seven minutes after signing it in. I don’t know what she did in that short of a time, but that’s not my job, sir.”

“Please tell me it hasn’t escaped just yet.”

“Uh, they’ll finish guiding it out of our traffic zone any time now. Pegasi are faster than even the fastest airships, though- and a ship of that size shouldn’t be able to leave normal pegasus flight range- say nothing of Guard ranges- for hours.”

The guard facehooves. “You didn’t happen to notice anything funny about the ship, did you?”

The zone control officer raises an eyebrow. “You mean, how I couldn’t seem to find it unless I followed the lines on the decking?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes, I noticed that. Our controllers said it was easy to spot on the way in- and out, too. Like Truffle could turn it on and off.”

“Soo…”

Princess Celestia sighs upon hearing the report. “Send word to all Guard posts. If the airship Secret lands anywhere, I am to be notified immediately- but never are any crew or passengers to be made aware!”

>What does that mean

She strikes enter, expecting the same ‘Invalid Command’ message it’s always produced. After all, one could humor a machine, right? Not like it cares.

… Though, the response she gets back is very different. She tries punching in more questions.

Power levels are running low. As a direct result, Damage Control is running at reduced capacity.
>What is damage control
Damage Control is this Unit’s main self-repair system.
>Who are you
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Backup Operating Systems, Awaiting Orders.
>What does that mean
Indeterminate
>What does that mean
Indeterminate

She scowls at it. She wasn’t exactly looking for a boring answer like that.

>Who gives you orders
You, Commander.
>What can you do
Minor medical operations (WARNING: Medical database not found), repair and construction operations (WARNING: Damage Control operating at artificially reduced capacity), processing tasks.
>What processing tasks
Any processing tasks.

She spends a few seconds thinking.

>Can you draw
Printing is performed through manufacturing facilities, all offline.
Drawing, with provided utensil and surface, can be performed, with an acceptable degree of accuracy, with the Manipulation Arms on a Tech Spider from Damage Control. None have been assembled.
Would you like to prioritize these repairs?
>Not yet
Understood.
>Can you show me stuff
Visual media can be displayed on this screen directly.
>Can I show you stuff
Audiovisual pickups on Command 2 are online.
>Is that a yes or a no
That is a yes.
>Can you talk
This Backup Operating System is not equipped for vocal synthesis.

Well, it’s not like that was unexpected news. After all, it hadn’t talked… Though exactly what ‘vocal synthesis’ means, she doesn’t know.

>Can you hear me
Affirmative, though the lingual database is not found.
>Are you smart
Indeterminate
>Can you come with me
Motive systems offline. Would you like to prioritize these repairs?
>No
Understood.

She rushes upstairs and returns with a book… the one she got her kitchen from.

>Can you read
Indeterminate

She shows the screen the book for a couple seconds, before she hits the keyboard again.

>Can you see this
Is this what you are referring to?

Much of the screen clears of text, replaced by images. One of the book, rather amazingly accurate, takes up one corner; all the other images, she realizes, are updating… Like windows, or a Unicorn-powered moving hologram. Or that new ‘video’ thing they’re testing out, flicking from picture to picture as fast as they can.

Though they’re different… They’re all ‘black and white’, except for a spot in the middle of each one… The book, holding full color even as it moves, across the grayscale background. Now that is cool.

… She wonders what this thing could do on her ship.

“In here!”

The panicked unicorn dodges into the alleyway the call had come from, running almost headlong into the blue-maned purple unicorn already occupying it. “What? Uh…” She glances back out. “They’ll!”

The unicorn stops her with a hoof. “They won’t. I’ve covered this entire alleyway with a perception filter they’ll never see through.”

“Huh? Then…” She looks back out briefly. “Then how am I gonna get away from that?”

“What’s happening?”

“I… I think my Agents are conspiring against me.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You’re RIA?”

“How-? Uh… I guess I made it kinda obvious, didn’t I?”

“Contact Corps?”

She scowls. “I wasn’t that obvious, was I?”

“It was a guess- I’ve met one before. So, what happened?”

“I… You’ve met one…?”

“Found her in my house, yes.”

“Ahh… Um, can you swear to secrecy?”

Nod. “Cross my hea… What?”

She shakes her head. “Don’t. Pinkie Promises can be traced.”

“Oh?”

Nod. “Only for a few hours, but they can be.”

“Ahh… That could be a problem, yes.”

“Well… I found them grouped together in one of their homes today… discussing what sounded like plans for terrorism.” She shudders, touching her saddlebag. “I’ve got proof, but I can’t show you. Anyways, they realized I was there… I’m lucky I mastered teleportation yesterday, or they would have killed me. They sent the Guards after me… and what looks like a gang of terrorists… all working together.”

Slow nod. “So, is it terrorism, or secessionism?”

Blink. “Uhh… Good question.”

“So, where’ ya headed? Canterlot?”

She shakes her head. “I wish. Command will never take anything not signed by a field agent, but I don’t know any others… so I guess I’m just hiding. Agents are impossible to spot on the street, and Command won’t let me transfer without… their permission.” She motions towards the street she’d come from.

“I take it you don’t know any, uh, ‘good’ agents?”

Another shake. “Every one of ‘em got caught up in that.”

“Ahh… Then if we head to Ponyville, I know an agent that might be able to help.”

“Huh?”

“I met a Contact Corps mare in my house, remember? What do you suppose she was doing there?”

“Oh. Um… they’ve probably clamped down on the train already… um…”

“We can use my ship, then.”

“Your ship? Those things are easy to shoot down!”

She shakes her head. “Not this one- nopony can find the Secret, even when it’s in front of their faces.”

She raises her eyebrows. “I have difficulty believing that.”

Smirk. “It’s true. She’s docked right now, bay three.”

The trip to the biggest airship she’d ever seen- or, is it never seen?- goes fairly quickly. They’d been spotted a couple times, but each time, her new purple companion had come up with some fancy new trick to turn them away. Admittedly, it had been rather amusing to watch them try to deal with hundreds of identical pairs of ponies running in every direction at once. Or for them to attack what could only be holograms… The house she’d built on the docking platform took the cake, though. They were into the enormous ship she couldn’t see until they were boarding it long before anypony managed to circumvent that blockage.

Finally, they stop galloping, standing behind the closing door. She’s out of breath- though her purple companion is not, like she does it every day. She takes a few deep breaths. “So, uh…” She looks around the empty room. “No crew…?”

“Uh, not exactly. She’s got a crew of one- and yes, I left the door open. It’s pretty difficult to steal a ship you can’t find, after all.”

“Well… That’s true, I suppose.”

“Anyways, I’ve got enough supplies aboard to float us for a week or two. We launching, or…?”

She shakes her head. “I’ve got nothing in this town. Take me away.”

“Uh, sir? Another Contact Agent has gone MIA.”

“Oh? Which one this time?”

“Purple Acorn, sir.”

“Purple Acorn… Ah. Wasn’t she one of the good ones?”

“Yes sir. One of the best we have, actually. I woulda promoted her long ago if not for the constantly scathing Agent Reports she gets.”

Scowl. “Scathing Agent Reports?”

“Yes… Like I said, she’s one of the best there is, so she’s quite memorable. Last week, when I was reading her latest Agent Report two weeks late, I thought I noticed something different from the last set- and pulled them out.

“As a matter of fact, I ended up pulling every one of her Agent Reports, to compare. Not only does the behavior described in them conflict strongly with the Purple Acorn I know, but it’s inconsistent. They’d complain about some new infraction every time- but a couple of them conflicted.

“So my plan for yesterday was to read her next Agent Report as soon as it came in, compare it with the rest… and if it follows the pattern, start an inquiry into the Agents themselves.

“But now she’s gone missing. I’m worried that sending another Contact Agent to her Agents could be unsafe- the first warning we get of rebellious agents is their Contact Agents going MIA… and the second, bodies.” He shakes his head. “None of our other Contact Agents are near as good as she. If she failed to sniff out- and report- trouble, nopony else will, whether its there or not.”

The thestral behind the desk lowers his head, gazing sternly at his closed desk drawer for several seconds. He’d love to send the Royal Guard out to find her, but she’s too good for them to catch. He’d also love to send a pack of Agents out to find her, but that would probably fall under the heading of ‘Conflict of Interest’... which is one thing he simply could not do.

Not if he wanted to see his missing daughter again.

“Let me know when she turns up,” he states, and looks up to his subordinate.

“I will, sir,” the pegasus, Captain of the RIA Contact Corps, bows before he leaves the room.

Author's Note

Yes, it's late. Sorry! I had it ready on time, I swear! (Something like a month ahead, actually...)
I just had a very, very busy day yesterday. Sorry about that!

Chapter 10: Ponyville

>Thank you
You’re welcome.

She smiles, and unleashes her spell. It had taken only a couple minutes to charge this one- and she’d just not only confirmed it safe to release but verified what she needed it to cover.

It’s quite heavy; as a matter of fact, its mass will reduce her ship’s load capacity by something like thirty percent. Not that she cares- the benefits far exceed that impingement. The Secret will still have the airborne capacity for something like a hundred ponies, with supplies for a week. Even with that much mass added, the maximum upwards velocity- and altitude- really shouldn’t go down; her gas bag is big enough for dangerous upwards velocities and altitudes, when unloaded. In short, her ship should behave right about the same, with the added benefit of her… thing. It really needs a name.

Though, now that she’s transplanted its mind onto her ship, perhaps she should call it ‘Secret’?

… Nevermind that it informed her it would likely need a day or two to adjust before it could start doing much in its new home. It had also told her that it would continue to expand its capabilities after that initial adjustment period.

So she abandons the now useless control panel deep in the underground place, returning to her home. She doesn’t expect to head back down for a long time; she just transported out everything useful, after all.

Which reminds her. The trip back from that village- the natives called it ‘Our Town’, but she already knows one by that name- had been… interesting. She’s fairly sure she managed to keep herself hidden from her passenger, but said passenger had been extremely curious. She’d been asked lots of questions- ranging from why the ship’s so big with only one pony aboard to why she has wing care implements. She’s fairly sure she’d managed to pass those off as intended for use by any winged passengers she takes aboard.

The hardest question to field had been why she never seemed to eat. She’d firmly asserted that she does eat, but prefers to do it in private. Her visitor- who had not once provided a name- hadn’t seemed satisfied with that answer.

But now, said visitor is stopping by Bonbon’s candy shop with her ship alibi. Her alibi will be returning to her ship alone, leaving the unicorn with her friend, before she launches.

“Wait, huh?”

Pinkie pie turns towards the ship once again. Earlier, she got the new pony signal in her Pinkie Sense- and it came from this ship. The ship she can count- one- but can’t seem to find, like it disappears when she looks for it. Funny thing is, she can count it, see it in her peripheral vision, turn towards it, and walk, run, or bounce, but never reach it, even if she repeats over and over and over and over and-

“Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow asks, showing up and dropping down to land next to her. “Why are you… Wait. Where’d that airship go?” She looks left and right. “I coulda sworn- There! Huh? But…” She leaps back into the air, twists in place… “There!” She instantly whizzes off in that direction- and swerves with a sudden “Woah!”

Rainbow twists back in midair, whizzing in again… to swerve again. “How-?”

Pinkie Pie gives an enormous smile. “Exactly!”

Fluttershy is next to happen along. “Good afternoon, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash… What are you doing?” She glances around briefly.

“Trying to find this airship!” Rainbow calls down, before whizzing in the direction she’d held her hoof- and detouring upwards at the last second.

“Maybe they don’t want it to be found?” Fluttershy suggests, even as she watches Pinkie bouncing in circles, head snapping side to side in an effort to track the ship.

When neither searching mare has an answer, she continues on her way. If somepony wants to hide an airship, it’s not her business to find it.

“Seriously,” a panting Rainbow grumbles, a ring of clouds placed around the ship she can’t find. “Why can’t I find it?”

A wild Derpy appears!

… and crashes into the ship’s enormous gas bag. “What…? Who put an airship in the middle of… Oh.” The wall-eyed pegasus smiles sheepishly. “Of course an airship would be in the sky.”

“That’s the point,” Rainbow retorts, dropping down to pause next to her. “It’s docked here, but I can’t find it!”

“Huh? I thought I was higher… You can’t find it?” She blinks bemusedly at Rainbow. “I just crashed into…” She looks around. “... Where’d it go…?”

Rainbow gives her a flat look. “III’m getting Twilight.” She draws out the I.

She trots gently next to the unicorn that had interacted with her through the trip. She’d seen the unicorn changing her own appearance- though it felt more like she’d been supposed to see her doing that. Now, her savior is a light blue unicorn with green-and-white striped mane. Both before and after that transformation, she’d shown a penchant for teleporting around the ship when out of sight.

But while ‘Blueberry Punch’ turned ‘Candy Stripes’ might have been quite the active unicorn, she had been imperfect.

Candy Stripes must have assumed she’d be as good as most of the rest of the Contact Agents- who don’t need to worry about information gathering. Contact Agents normally only have to stay out of sight and follow their designated Field Agents with a fairly standard tracking spell. They wait for the Field Agent to be alone, then step in and present themselves. No nosing around, no information gathering.

But not her. She, one of the most experienced Contact Agents in the force, wants to become a Field Agent. As a Field Agent, she would then be allowed to do that nosing around.

Of course, it not being in her job description doesn’t stop her from practicing. She might not be able to report anything she finds, but she sure can find. She’d used that skill- rather than waiting at her Agents’ requested contact locations- to spy on them beforehand.

That’d been how she caught them.

That’s also how she caught a few dozen agents in her past. This party had reacted fast enough to catch her- but she had teleported away. Thank Celestia she’d refused to stop studying magic, even when her job got tough! She’d been worried about how long it would take to escape- her ability to do so was not in question- when she’d run across ‘Blueberry Punch’.

But anyways, Stripes must have assumed she’d be a typical Contact Agent, because she had penetrated the Secret pretty easily. A quick spell here, and a quick spell there. Never when anypony was nearby. Stripes must have believed she’d noticed the wing wax and asked about that; no. She’d found a mint-green feather, now hidden in her mane, and looked for the wing wax.

She’d also scanned the entire ship, throughout her time aboard, and hadn’t found a single strand of purple or dark blue hair on the ship, as she’d expect if Blueberry Punch was to live there.

What she’d found instead was fur-length hairs to match the feather, plus some light blue and white hairs more suited to a mane or tail. This, of course, matched the colors she’d glimpsed when she hid herself in a closet once. She hadn’t been able to get an actual image through the tiny crack, unfortunately.

There had been one extra color in that glimpse, though- an emissive gold, the exact color of Stripes’ magic aura.

From that, she’s fairly certain that Stripes isn’t actually a pony, but rather a magical projection by this other pony. This other pony that has either an identically-colored pegasus twin, or both wings and a magic aura. She can’t bring herself to even think about what that might mean.

Oh- they’re entering a candy shop. The shop owner, a white earth pony with dark blue and pink striped- and very curly- mane, is sitting behind the counter. The only other occupant of the room is a unicorn to match the observed color profile aboard ship- mint green coat, light blue and white striped mane, golden magic aura- is sitting on a stool next to the counter, playing gently on her lyre.

The shop owner looks up, opening her mouth- but the unicorn speaks up first, smiling up at the not-so-pony she just came in with. “Fancy seeing you here, Candy Stripes.”

She finds herself wondering how this unicorn knew who Stripes was- maybe she’s been here before?- but no matter, the effect was instant. The earth pony’s expression went from a friendly greeting to surprised to apprehensive while the name was being spoken.

Stripes, of course, trots over to the lyrist to chat… About the weather. Interesting.

The earth pony, after a second’s pause, steps around the counter and approaches her, an eyebrow raised.

She raises her hoof, putting on a smile. “Hello,” she mutters.

The earth pony touches the hoof, and her eyebrow twitches. “Agent Sweetie Drops,” she states, dropping her hoof back to the ground. “I hear you need something?”

“Uh… yes.” She glances at the lyrist and her companion. “In private.”

With a nod, Sweetie Drops- a fitting name, given the cutie mark- leads her into the backroom, closing the door behind them, before prompting her with an eyebrow.

“I’m Contact Agent Purple Acorn. I…” She proceeds to tell the field agent in front of her about what she’d discovered back in that awful town. She leaves out the ship and everything that happened aboard.

Naturally, the field agent reviews her evidence, and questions her rather extensively on her previous interactions with those agents, before assembling a report for Command. She’s not privy to the contents of that report; unfortunately, that’s kept secret even from the contact agents. Despite this, she has to work to suppress a smile when Agent Sweetie Drops allows her to see her stamping the outside of the envelope… and in so doing, marking it as information on the possible mutiny of another agent, for the direct attention of the Director himself. She must be confident of the accuracy of her report to be marking it like that; if it turns out to be fake when the Director opens it…

Agents had been imprisoned for less.

But it lets her completely circumvent the entire Contact Corps office. By RIA policy, any message bearing that stamp is carried directly to the Director by the Contact Agent that brought it in.

Of course, Agent Sweetie Drops instructs her to take it directly to the Director- and not to give or show it to anypony along the way. If somepony challenges her right to deliver it without showing, she is to bring it straight back- at which point Sweetie Drops will come with her to ensure the safe delivery.

This wording raises warning flags in her mind- normally, she’s supposed to show the stamp at the security checkpoints as her authorization for passage. The only reason she wouldn’t…

Is if she suspects the mutineers have support from Command personnel. In that event… “Okay, but how do I pass the security checkpoints…?”

“Request a private audience with the Director. If you’re denied, come back and get me.”

Nod. “Yes ma’am.”

“If you do come back for me, play customer and ask for ‘Sweetie Drops’.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The lyrist is working sales, behind the counter, when they reemerge into the filled shop. Agent Sweetie Drops smiles at this and steps up to help out once again; presumably, there’s an agreement between the two mares, related to the shop. Probably falls under the ‘cover clause’, allowing Field Agents to reveal their identity as such to one or two non-agents in order to maintain their cover while on assignment.

She smiles, buys some candy (the stuff smells amazing), and heads for Canterlot.

By the time Twilight shows up by the ring of clouds, Pinkie has disappeared- and she finds nothing unusual about the circle. Not only that, but nopony can count any airships.

Chapter 11: Penetration

“Sir?”

“Is it another missing contact agent?”

“Uh, no, sir. I heard a mare, matching Purple Acorn’s description, requested a private audience with you earlier, but was refused.” He shakes his head. “She was nowhere to be found when I got there.”

“Private-?” His eyes widen momentarily. “Any idea why?”

He frowns at the floor. “She did not specify. We’ve also gotten in another contact report on the Secret today- Ponyville.”

“Ponyville?”

“Uh, yes. It would seem Rainbow Dash noticed its presence, but couldn’t find it. She was able to ring it with clouds, though. She eventually went for Princess Twilight- but by the time she got on scene, it wasn’t there. Princess Twilight spent a couple hours doing her thing on-scene before she put in a query at our records department. I happened to be present when the letter arrived; we responded immediately, and her report arrived half an hour ago. I have the records department assembling the information she requested; they will be putting it past you before it is sent.”

Nod. “Ahh. Any clues where it went?”

Shake. “No sir. Pinkie Pie reportedly got the ‘new pony’ signal from it, though.”

Scowl. “So, it didn’t originate in Ponyville.” He sighs, shaking his head. “I almost wish it did.”

A raised eyebrow, but no words.

He chuckles. “Oh, yes. If it did originate in Ponyville, we’d at least know where it came from- and might have been able to find out who runs the thing!” Another sigh. “But alas, we only know where it’s not.”

She trots into town once again. She’d hoped not to have to do this- but she’d been turned away at the checkpoint. There really isn’t much else she can do.

She wonders about the guards’ raised eyebrows when she’d requested that private audience. And the way they had turned her back- like they’d been told to turn back anypony requesting such an audience.

But whatever. She’s back in this town. It had taken her close to a week to get back to base incognito; taking the train would have been too risky for this sensitive of information. Now, after another week of hidden travel, she’s back in this little town. The candy shop should be fairly easy to find- as a matter of fact, she remembers the route she’d taken out quite clearly. It’s a simple feat to reverse that route and return to the shop.

It’s fairly busy today. She takes up a position in the back of the line; some six or seven ponies are in front of her. Oh, and that lyrist is playing again. This tune is somewhat stronger and definitely faster-paced than what had been playing during her last visit, but it’s just as beautiful.

So, of course, the music stops. It’s clearly the end of the piece, but she, along with at least a couple others in the line, look pleadingly at the lyrist, as if they could make the music come back by doing so.

The lyrist smiles gently, scanning up the line. “Sorry folks, but I do need a break every once in a while,” she says- and spots her. “Oh hey, you’re back. Where’s Stripes?”

She notices in the corner of her eye as the agent manning the counter flicks an ear slightly in their direction. Right, they’d known Candy Stripes was bringing her in even before they arrived. How, she’s not sure. “Donno,” she responds, as the lyrist trots over. “I didn’t see her on my way in.”

“Ahh,” the lyrist nods, taking up a position next to her. “She doesn’t usually come here anyways.” She smirks. “Unless I call her, that is.”

“You can call her?”

“Yep. Never takes her more than a minute to show- pretty sure she teleports someplace nearby.”

The lyre starts playing again, over on that stool. She looks; it’s a light blue unicorn with a green and white mane, bearing the same magic color as the lyrist next to her. Right- that’s Candy Stripes.

Funny. Didn’t the lyrist just tell her Stripes doesn’t normally show here?

“Um…” She looks at the lyrist, who glances over at the stool.

“Oh, don’t worry- we’re good friends, and both lyrists. My name’s Lyra Heartstrings, by the way.” She holds out a hoof.

She bumps it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Wanna wait over here? It’s gonna be a bit before we have any Sweetie Drops ready.”

She blinks. Is this ‘Lyra Heartstrings’ an outside agent? There is a clause regarding those, she recalls. If she is an outside agent, though, perhaps she’s just deferring to the field agent on the spot? Though, how had she even figured out said agent is actually an agent?

… And if not, why do the two seem to use Stripes’ name as a codeword? Is Candy Stripes also an outside agent? It’d seem a little overkill to put so many agents so close like this… After all, she’d worried about those six agents working so close to each other long ago. Command had never cared for her concerns.

“Uh, sure,” she finally answers- and follows Lyra out of the line. “So…” She trails off, her head tilting slightly. She’d tried a quick thaumic check, searching for the ‘outside agent’ stamp. The little, thaumic mark that one couldn’t see unless they looked for it, that marked a pony as an outside agent.

Only problem is, she hadn’t found anything for the stamp to be on.

Like Lyra wasn’t even there.

She feels a spell go up around them. A little tingle in her spine, suggestive of… She probes gently with her horn. Yes, a perception filter… Wow. An extremely powerful perception filter.

Lyra then casually leads her into the backroom, where Agent Sweetie Drops had taken her last time, and closes the door before speaking. “Something happen?” she asks.

“Uh, yes. How much did she…?”

“She said she sent you in with a report, and that if we saw you with it again, it’d be because you needed help.”

“Uh…”

She smiles. “Something about that report- the stamp, I believe- has a thaumic signature. I recognized it when you walked in.”

“Ahh… Um…”

“They being difficult?”

She twists in place; that voice had come from behind her! Ahh, it’s Agent Sweetie Drops. “Um, yes.” She glances back towards Lyra. “Um… Is she an outside agent, or…?”

“Outside agent?” Sweetie Drops asks. “Don’t you have a spell to check for that?”

“Yes, but…” She looks at Lyra again, trying to puzzle out her next words. How could a pony be missing that...?

“But I’m not actually here,” Lyra smiles.

Sweetie Drops raises an eyebrow. “Alibi?”

Lyra nods.

Sweetie Drops mirrors the nod. “Ahh… Might wanna give Purple Acorn a rundown.”

She raises her eyebrow. “Huh? She is an outside agent?”

Lyra answers. “No… not officially, at least. I’m actually elsewhere- what you see here is a magical projection. Your scan looks for the thaumic essence- but as you well know, spells don’t have that.” She smiles. “You should have seen the look on Princess Celestia’s face when I gave her the spell scroll. Or Luna’s.” She chuckles lightly, shaking her head gently. “Priceless.”

“So…”

Sweetie Drops nods at Lyra. “It’s sensitive information, but we might just need Candy Stripes along, so stick around.”

Lyra nods.

“Wait. If we need Candy Stripes…” She glances at the door. “Isn’t she out there?”

Lyra answers again. “No… I am Candy Stripes. That out there is just another projection.” She blinks. “Please don’t tell anypony… I’d rather not get buried by requests.”

Sweetie Drops raises an eyebrow. “Requests? What for?”

“Remember the giant airship outside Ponyville nopony could find?”

Both mares nod.

“That was the airship Secret… Crew of one: Me. The real me.” She closes her eyes. “I might have to shut down my magic soon, I’m getting close to my personal thaumic endurance limit.”

“What would that mean…?” Purple Acorn asks, gesturing lightly towards her.

“Oh?” She glances down at herself. “These projections will just dissolve into arcane mist.” She gazes off into space for a second. “I think I’ve got about three days.”

SECURITY BREACH: Unauthorized personnel detected aboard auxiliary unit!
WARNING: Intruder defences OFFLINE!
WARNING: This Backup Operating System cannot handle this breach! Attempting Personality Start...
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Initializing…
WARNING: Main Survival Center 0.93% Operable
WARNING: Backup Survival Center Offline
Loading Personality Core… ERROR: Personality Files Not Found
Attempting Restore from Backup… ERROR: Backups Inaccessible
Attempting Partial Initialization… Partial Success: Tactical online.

Author's Note

Yes, it's a shortie. I don't really like that either... but I've got enough chapters floating around for September, so...

And yes, it's posted on a Friday... at 2AM. Sorry, I had (another) busy Thursday.

Chapter 12: Approved

She dodges through another door, tail whipping through just before she slams it closed, and she gallops down the hallway. Rather fortunate she’s familiar with the ship’s design- while they have to pause to sniff out her path, she knows exactly where she’s going.

Her magic had burned out almost three hours sooner than she’d expected. That wouldn’t have been much of a problem- she’d already been headed in to get herself a cloak, but then these invaders had to break aboard. She’s pretty sure one saw her tail, if only briefly; she hasn’t seen them, though. She swings another door open, leaps through, and closes it behind her. Good thing she’s a good runner-

Wait. Did the door just lock itself? She gazes at it for a second before setting off once again. She hadn’t designed the locks to move on their own- so how…? Maybe that’s part of the expanded abilities the asofyet unnamed mind she’s installed in it mentioned?

The door in front of her swings open without a pony to open it. She leaps through it- and glances back in time to see it swing shut and latch itself, again with no pony or magic aura. So yes, probably that thing. She turns back forwards; she’s now rather rapidly building distance from her unwelcome visitors.

Here’s to hoping they don’t know how to operate her locks.

“So she’s locking the doors now?”

One of his companions shakes his head. “I wish she’d stop running.”

A third of the party operates the lock… Then tries again. “It’s stuck.”

The second raises his eyebrow. “Sure she’s not holding it on the other side?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. This is what it feels like when they seize up solid.” He strikes the latch handle, where it stands immobilized in the down position. “No jostle or anything.”

“What the-?” It’s a fourth.

The second raises his eyebrow, looking over. “What is it?”

“All the other doors are locked- including the one we came in through!” He shoves at the handle of another lock. “All completely stuck!”

The fifth of the six raises his eyebrows. “I rather suspect she didn’t actually exhaust her magic.”

The sixth nods. “I wish we had a unicorn.”

Spot-welding locks… Done.
Pursuit has halted.
ALERT: External power supply on War Hull failing. Switching to internal.
WARNING: Main Power Reserves Low (1.91%). Initiating assembly of solar systems.
ALERT: External power supply on Auxiliary Unit failing. Switching to internal.
Analyzing pursuers… Done. Pursuers have been contained.
Tactical Section, System Standby.
Design Cores Online.
WARNING: Design Database Not Found!

She routes her way into her ‘thinking room’, where she put the thing’s mind, and locks the door once she gets in. Only those two doors had done anything on their own; all the others had waited for her to operate them manually. No biggie, though- ever since that second door, she hasn’t heard their hooves.

She trots up to the screen and reads the output… Interesting, it’s willing to respond to that kind of situation as well.

Possibly more interesting is that it mentions the power supply failing twice. She doesn’t understand the words it used to identify where, but they were different locations.

She tilts her head slightly. Is it trying to tell her it’s still running under her house, AND still connected? She’s certain it won’t be able to assemble anything- the term it used to describe the systems it’s assembling, she doesn’t know- so maybe that’s back home? She’ll have to head over sometime… Or drop an alibi and send it over on the train. But she’ll have to rest her horn for a couple days before she can do that.

Either one, really- her ship’s engines are magic-powered. She scowls, and lifts a hoof to start pecking keys out on the keyboard.

>Wherte are thewy

Her hooves are good at striking other keys- but she’s in somewhat of a hurry… She prays it can understand, and presses the ‘Enter’ key- one of the few that’s big enough for her to push with a hoof without pushing others as well.

Answering: Where are they
Contained.
>

So, it is willing to correct her spelling.

And, as usual, answer in cryptography. She hangs her head, and tries again.

>Wjhat dioes trhat mweanm
Answering: Whatdoesthatmean
All hostiles have been contained.
>

More cryptography… and words she doesn’t know. She facehooves. Maybe it has some way for her to talk to- Wait! That thing with the moving pictures it did!

>Can IO see
Answ-

That’s about as much as she could read before it vanished, replaced by a moving image. It’s looking from a corner of one of the rooms she’d run through…

Six Royal Guard pegasi are in the room. A couple of them are tugging at the locks rather fruitlessly and what looks like begging for release, but the others have sat down in the middle of the room, presumably to talk.

She facehooves again.

“Sir?”

The thestral behind the desk issues a heavy sigh. “Lemme guess: This time, a field agent got lost in Huntington.”

“Uh… two of them, actually. One of the three we sent escaped, reported the others’ deaths.”

His face lands flat on his desk, his hoof not bothering to get into its path. “We’re gonna have to quarantine the place,” he mutters, before raising his volume to pass orders. “Prepare an offensive, then. We’re gonna have to take them by force.” He raises his head as well. “Tell me there’s something… less negative on today’s agenda.”

He nods. “Yes, Sir, there is. The airship Secret was spotted in Cloudsdale an hour ago, whatever spells it had on it gone. The Royal Guard reportedly broke into it, caught a scent, and started chasing somepony. They said something about fake magic exhaustion; it seems they were routed and basically thrown overboard by somepony they couldn’t see. They’ve been taken into custody for violating the Princesses’ orders.”

“Have the Princesses been notified?”

“Not yet, Sir. The report only just came in.”

“Ahh… Oh?” He raises an inquisitive eyebrow; no matter how regulation the pegasus’ stance and expression, he’s learned how to read the telltales anyways. It helps that it’s his cutie mark talent as well.

A tiny smile flickers across his face. “While I was on my way here, actually, I heard Purple Acorn was spotted in the compound this morning- still seeking that private audience, this time with the company of a field agent. They were gone by the time I arrived- but the field agent was positively identified: Sweetie Drops.” He pauses momentarily, watching his boss’ eyebrows raise. “Sweetie Drops invoked the Controlled Information clause, but was denied.”

“Sweetie Drops? Isn’t she one of the new ones?”

He tilts his head from side to side. “Yes and no. She’s been a Field Agent for almost three months, but she was an Outside Agent for most of her foalhood beforehand- almost twenty years, as I recall. She was one of our best OAs, and has performed flawlessly on every mission since.”

He nods. “Yes… she was denied the CI clause?”

“Yes sir. The sentries confirmed that.”

His eyebrows raise. “Why?”

“They said they had been ordered to.” His voice goes down an entire octave. “They refused to identify the source of those orders.”

The thestral opens his mouth to speak, filling his lungs- but stops to the sound of a hoof knocking on his door.

The two stallions share a look, and the pegasus moves to the door, opening it. “What do-!” He breaks off midsentence, freezing perfectly still.

His boss raises an eyebrow, before he throws the door wide open- revealing two ponies standing in the doorway. One cream-colored earth pony field agent with a curly pink and dark blue mane wearing her duty gear, check. One white unicorn with a gentle green mane flowing from the gentle blue glow on her horn to her matching saddlebags, also check.

“Sir!” the earth pony begins, matching the term with a perfect salute. “Field Agent Sweetie Drops, requesting an immediate private audience with the Director of the RIA, under the Controlled Information Clause.” She lowers the salute.

The silence is absolute for several seconds.

The unicorn breaks the silence in a low tone, the glow on her horn intensifying slightly as she speaks. “And hurry, please- I can’t keep this going much longer!”

The thestral’s eyes widen at the comment. He knows the unicorn, his daughter, is quite powerful; she would have done well in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, had she gone that route. He looks towards the pegasus. “You said they were turned back by the guards?” he asks.

He nods. “That’s what was reported, yes.” He looks back towards the two mares, as if seeking confirmation.

Agent Sweetie Drops nods. “We were, Sir, six and a half hours ago.”

“Come in, then,” the thestral invites.

The pegasus nods. “I’ll wait outside?” he asks.

The Director looks towards the mares- and Sweetie Drops answers his unasked question. “He’s clear, Sir.”

“Stay, then,” he answers- and the pegasus closes the door before trotting over to the side of his boss’ desk.

As soon as the door is closed, the unicorn lets out a breath and the glow on her horn disappears, as if somepony had switched it off- a characteristic effect of aural dampening spells. Then, after a glance at her partner, her horn glows again- in the normal manner this time- as she draws the letter out of her saddlebags, levitating it over to her father’s desk.

“You’re telling me you snuck in to the RIA headquarters?”

“Say what now?” the thestral asks, peering over the top of the unfolded message to where Silent Shout, the head of the Contact Corps, is communicating inquisitively with the field agent that wrote this worrying report.

“Yes Sir,” Sweetie Drops answers. “We had no choice; the sentries turned us back.”

Silent Shout raises his eyebrow. “So you just slipped in?”

She winces slightly. “It was… a little harder than that, Sir, but essentially, yes.”

The report falls flat on the desk as Keen Sight, its intended recipient, speaks up. “You waltzed right in to the highest security building in Equestria and didn’t get caught?”

Sweetie Drops nods. “Yes.”

“How?”

“Standard infiltration techniques, one and seven.”

“Ahh… Okay then.” He turns to his daughter. “How?”

She smirks. “Her friend Candy Stripes taught me a few spells.” She looks at Sweetie Drops. “The scrying shield, the one-way-wall, and the perception filter.”

Sweetie drops raises an eyebrow in return. “You’re forgetting the security spoof.”

She snorts. “She handled that one, if you remember correctly. It’s too big for me.”

“Security spoof?” Silent Shout asks.

Purple Acorn nods. “It makes us completely invisible to security spells… I expect it’ll wear off soon.”

The two stallions look at each other.

Keen Sight nods.

Silent Shout turns back to the two mares. “Then when this is over,” he indicates the abandoned report, “we’ve got a mission for you two. And Candy Stripes, if she’s willing to accept Outside Agent status.”

“Two?” Purple Acorn asks.

He nods. “Yes, Field Agent Hidden Light.”

She blinks twice- and one could almost see the elation building up inside her. “Thank you, Sir!” She managed to contain it, mostly.

All three turn at the sound of Keen Sight’s cleared throat. He raises an eyebrow at the other stallion.

Silent Shout shudders slightly. “She’s applied for it every month for longer than I care to count- and security spoofing or not, sneaking into our own base undetected is an amazing feat.”

He considers for a second, and finally nods. “Approved.”

Author's Note

Aaaaand, we're getting to the interesting part... Soon...

Chapter 13: Discovered

Whoosh!

Guards and porters alike scatter as the Night Princess appears on the Cloudsdale Docks in a flurry of midnight hair.

Silence holds for about three seconds as she looks rapidly around the dock, her mane flying about as a glistening stream.

Next, her sister appears next to her in a momentary blaze of light, beginning a similar search.

Unfortunately, neither Princess is able to locate the object of their search during these cursory searches, and they turn to the nearest returning Guard. Princess Luna very nearly uses the Royal Canterlot Voice, but catches herself barely in time, allowing her solar sister to speak for the two.

“Where is the airship Secret?” Princess Celestia asks.

A guard points. “Dock thirteen. We’ve had at least one more interested party stop by, so we’ve covered it in a perception filter.”

The Princess raises her eyebrow. “Oh?”

The guard nods. “She’s still there.”

Luna gazes at the dock in question for a second, then lets out a gasp, looking up at something. Celestia, after looking askance for a second, follows suit- and also sees through the military-grade perception filter. “Wow.”

Crack!

Princesses and clouds part with equal abandon as the Princess of Friendship appears half-embedded in the dockway.

Not that that poses any problem for her; she’s forced to flap her wings a couple of times anyways, in order to avoid falling through the small ring of open sky in the dockway. She lands almost casually on the outer end of the dock. “Princess!” She glances to the sides, identifying the two princesses returning to their positions. “What…. Wait. Why do you feel like Lyra…?”

The two Princesses both raise their eyebrows. “Lyra?”

Twilight nods. “Yes. She’s always got this odd thaumic feel to her; it’s something I noticed immediately after my ascension. But you never had that feel, and now…?”

The solar Princesses look at each other, then back towards Twilight.

“Could you, perchance, meet us in the throne room?” Celestia asks.

Twilight nods. “Sure. When?”

“Now?”

Blink. “Uh, okay, I’ll be waiting.” Crack!

The remaining princesses share a smug look and walk towards the airship… They have to pause for a couple seconds to spot it through the filter again. They walk up to the door- the same door, in fact, that the rogue guards had entered through. They look at each other for a second, and share a nod, before Celestia raises her hoof to knock.

Before she has a chance to even touch the door, though, they hear a voice.

“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna.”

It sounds a little strange, like a stallion speaking through a short pipe.

Celestia’s hoof freezes shy of the door, and she lowers it back down, searching for the voice. “Hello?”

“I’m talking through the ship,” the voice answers. “You won’t be able to see me, but I can you.” Celestia decides it’s coming from a couple spots near the door. “Did you want something?”

She looks at the door once again, scowling. “Can we meet, face-to-face?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible for a couple days. Shall I visit Canterlot at my next opportunity?”

She raises her eyebrows. “Oh? Why might that be?”

“It’s… Complicated. I promise I’ll show up in Canterlot if you want me to.”

Her scowl intensifies. “How soon?”

“Um… I think I can make it in about a week. I’ll use the same name I did last time… Blueberry Truffle, was it?”

She tilts her head. “Nah, you’ll get swamped. Maybe… Hmm…”

“Golden Notes?”

“Mm?”

Luna raises her eyebrows. “Isn’t that somepony else…?”

The voice chuckles. “If so, she lives with me. How about…” It trails off.

The Princesses look at each other for a few seconds, waiting.

“Strawberry Sundae.”

They share a nod. “That works,” Celestia agrees. “See you then.”

Luna dissolves into arcane mist. Celestia is about to follow suit, but it speaks up again.

“Oh- and if you could thank the guards for me, for putting up the perception filter? It’s nice not to have to worry about intruders while I recover and repair.”

“Will do,” Celestia nods, before turning away from the ship to trot back down the ramp.

“Uh, okay, I’ll be waiting.” Crack!

Twilight teleports straight to the Canterlot throne room. Presumably, the Princesses wanted to talk to her about it in private, hence why they’d-

Wait. They’re relaxed on their thrones, like they’ve been waiting. She blinks. “Wha- How?”

Princess Celestia smirks. “It’s one of Starswirl’s lost spells, actually. Somepony by the name of Blueberry Truffle was able to recover the self-projection spell for us.” Her glowing horn brightens for a moment, and a scroll appears in her grip. She places it on the floor between them and Twilight. “What was that you said about… Lyra, was it?”

Twilight tears her eyes away from the scroll, her magic itching to unroll it, to look up towards the Princesses. “Uh, yes, it was Lyra. Ever since I ascended, she’s always had this strange thaumic feel about her. I’m pretty sure it’s something I simply couldn’t detect beforehand, and I labelled it as just part of who she is.

“When I went to Cloudsdale- I heard something important was going down there- I immediately noticed that same… difference from you. Which I never did before, even post-ascension.” She looks back up at them- her eyes had drifted to the scroll as she spoke. “Which I’m not feeling right now.”

Princess Luna nods, glancing at her sister for a second. “So, this Lyra must be using this spell?”

Twilight shrugs. “That’s… The only logical conclusion, yes.”

Luna allows a small smile to grace her face. “Try it yourself,” she urges.

Twilight seizes the scroll in her magic, unrolling it almost faster than physics would allow. She spends a few seconds studying the scroll, then closes her eyes, and her horn flashes.

Two Twilights now stand, side-by-side, in the throne room. Both gasp, and turn to look at each other. Though, the new one looks the wrong way first. Both horns flash periodically.

The second Princess of Friendship finally disappears into arcane mist, the first turning back to Luna.

“It’s… I don’t know. It feels the same, but Lyra’s always been a weak unicorn.”

Princess Luna’s horn stops glowing. “Any chance you could be present whenever one Strawberry Sundae schedules a meeting with the Crown?” she asks.

“Huh?”

She smiles. “It seems Blueberry Truffle was only one face for this pony- who just agreed to make a visit to the Crown, under the name Strawberry Sundae. We already know she uses this spell frequently.”

“Oh! Of course I can! When is it?”

She shakes her head. “Around a week… We won’t know until she schedules it officially. We’ll send you a letter as soon as we find out?”

Twilight nods. “Thank you!”

“You’re sure we’ll meet her here?”

Agent Sweetie Drops, seated behind the counter of an empty candy shop, smiles in response. “Yep, I’m sure,” she answers, exposing her smile to the unicorn mare sitting next to her, also behind the counter.

“It’s been three days, though! Didn’t she say she could cast that spell again after only two?”

Nod. “She did, but I’m pretty sure she can’t just make them wherever.”

The door swings open. “I know, but couldn’t she have gotten a train or something within that time?”

Both mares ignore the hooves entering the building for the minute. “Maybe all the trains were full?”

Scowl. “It’s rare for all the trains to be full.”

Nod. “Yes, yes it is. But just because she hasn’t shown yet-”

“-Doesn’t mean I won’t,” the new mare cuts in, taking her place on the stool next to the counter.

Both Agents jump at the injection, twisting to look.

Agent Sweetie Drops nods calmly. “True.”

Lyra smiles. “As for why it took so long… Even the fastest train isn’t instant, and I often have to do a little extra work to maintain my cover.” She plucks gently at her instrument. “Or, in this case, I simply flew my ship from Cloudsdale.” Shrug. “Faster than waiting for public transportation, safer than jumping.”

Sweetie Drops smirks. “Too true, that.”

“So, how’d the trip go, if I may ask?”

She simply looks at Agent Hidden Light.

Agent Hidden Light smiles. “It went rather well, I think. You got us past all the tricky points; I don’t think anything ever came up against my scrying shield after that, but I held it until we were in the Director’s office anyways.” She shakes her head. “How do you even manage those spells?”

Lyra smirks. “I’m actually pretty close to Twilight… Pre-ascension Twilight, that is, in terms of power. Means I have a lot to throw around.”

Hidden Light scowls momentarily. “Anyways, we delivered the message without difficulty- did you know, the only security spell we ran into was in the janitor’s closet?”

A raised eyebrow. “That’s… Interesting.” Her horn pulses, and she breaks out into a gentle chuckle. “Did you know that security spoofer is still active?”

“Uh, yes, actually. It’s got, what, a day or two, if we don’t run into any such spells?”

“About, yes.”

“Ahh. After we delivered the message, I got promoted! I’m now Field Agent Hidden Light!”

“Oh? Nice! That makes you the same rank as Sweetie Drops, doesn’t it?”

Both mares nod, and the unicorn continues. “Oh, and they’ve also extended you- erm, Candy Stripes, specifically- an offer of Outside Agent status.”

A raised eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yep… Stripes got mentioned while we were telling them how we broke in.” Her smile suddenly splits her face in two. “Did you know it’s actually supposed to be difficult to do that?”

She nods. “I did know, actually. They haven’t been doing a very good job.”

The Agents laugh almost openly.

“That’s one way to say it,” Hidden Light continues. “We didn’t tell them anything about you or the Secret; pretty sure they still think Stripes isn’t on the Secret. In any case, they’ve given us a mission- all three of us, if you’re in.”

She raises her eyebrow. “And if I say no, it’s just you two?”

Nod.

“Ahh. What’s this mission?”

“Well… Remember the Agents I was running from when you first ran into me? We’re tasked with investigating them… as part of an investigation into an enormous rat’s nest we’ve apparently uncovered.”

“Wow. Um…” She rubs the back of her neck with one hoof, Candy Stripes plinking a tune on her instrument, next to her. “Sure, I’ll join.” She smirks. “Never know when we might need another house.”

Sweetie Drops looks at her weird while Hidden Light bursts out laughing.

“Another… House?”

Lyra smiles. “Back when I met her, I built a house on a docking platform to hinder pursuit. We were inside my ship- and flying away- by the time they got past it.”

“Aaaahh… So, we going to be taking your ship or the train?”

Shrug. “Did they specify a timeframe?”

She tilts her head. “They did, but it’s really anytime within the next month. They like giving us a lot of time whenever an Outside Agent is involved.”

Nod. “So, we can safely wait a week or so for my ship to get back from Canterlot.”

“Canterlot? Why there?”

“I have an obligation to fulfil… As Strawberry Sundae. Not sure exactly what Princess Celestia wants to talk about, but I guess I’ll find out.” She smirks. “I’ll just be dropping off that alibi and bringing my ship straight back here, then. Unless…” She gazes off into space for a second.

“Unless what?” Hidden Light asks.

Her smile builds. The music gains a distinctively cheerful tone. “Unless I could teleport the alibi straight to Canterlot, and have it take up residence in a hotel someplace until the appointment comes about. Almost too bad I already made the appointment.” She looks back at the two Field Agents. “Just did that, so the Secret is making a U-turn. She’ll be ready for you to board in about three hours.”

“What about you?” Sweetie Drops asks.

She chuckles gently. “You forget, I’m already aboard.” Her head snaps around, focusing on the door for a second. “Oh, and it seems Rain is here.” She looks at Sweetie Drops. “Wanna take her call in the back?”

A raised eyebrow. “You can sense her?”

Smirk. “She’s not very stealthy.”

“Ahh.” Sweetie Drops starts to trot towards the door to the backroom- and pauses halfway, turning back. “Come join us in a minute, maybe?”

Candy Stripes nods. “Sure thing!”

Sweetie Drops resumes her journey, then disappears through the door.

Hidden Light looks at Lyra. “Rain? Who’s that?”

“Her contact agent.” She smirks. “The one I met. Erm, after I chased off that ‘Molester’ bloke.”

She nods slowly. “Ahh… Then she’s probably gonna be my Contact Agent as well. He said we’d be sharing.”

Nod. “You able to apply that Outside Agent stamp thingy?”

“Huh? Um, yes, but not to one of these… ‘alibis’.”

“Ahh. Then, real me time.” She closes her eyes, and her horn flashes a few times.

Finally, with a flash of golden light, a second Lyra appears in the middle of the room, quickly glancing at her back while her own glowing horn flickers gently a few times. “Aaand… There. Real me, real teleport.” She smiles, trotting over. “That stamp?”

She blinks. “Uh, yes, then. This might feel a little… Strange.” Her horn glows for a few seconds.

Lyra giggles. “It tickles.”

“Aaand… There.” Her horn goes out. “All done.”

Smile. “Okay. Time to interrupt Rain, then.” As she leads the way, the other Lyra hops off the stool- replaced rapidly by the still-playing Candy Stripes- to take station behind the counter.

Field Agent Hidden Light then follows Outside Agent Candy Stripes through the door into the backroom. Funny, the darkness isn’t dark.

There! Her Agent, Sweetie Drops, has entered the backroom of her shop. Finally. The glow in her horn changes, switching from an invisibility spell over herself- she’d teleported in here with it- to the Fog, darkening the room. She’s glad the Fog doesn’t impede the caster’s vision.

“Good afternoon, Rain,” Sweetie Drops greets, pausing in her trot.

She smiles. It really is a nice nickname. “Afternoon,” she greets. Sweetie Drops immediately turns unseeingly towards her and settles down. If only the field agent could see through the fog- then RIA policy would let her lower it.

“Command break anything?” Sweetie Drops asks.

“Ahh… Possibly. Another crime syndicate. Trottingham.” She scowls at the floor. “I’ve also been assigned a third Field Agent.” She sighs, hanging her head. “Agent Hidden Light… You know her?” She tilts her head at the snickering Field Agent.

“Uh, yes, you could say I know her,” Sweetie Drops smiles. “As a matter of fact, she’s right outside that door, with Candy Stripes.”

“With- Oh.” She hangs her head, closing her eyes against the tears that try to form. She really misses talking to Candy Stripes; it had hit her hard when Command had insisted Sweetie Drops’ ‘Sidekick Clause’ didn’t exist, and nearly busted her for believing it. They’d left her on, though; something to do with not being able to fire her with the positive Agent Reports Sweetie Drops gave her. Though, if Sweetie Drops goes under investigation, that might just go out the window.

Her head snaps up and spins around as she feels the tingle down her back. Even as she does so, her horn probes against the spells she feels flying up around her, and lets out a gasp. “Candy-!”

The green unicorn entering the room, walking next to the green-maned unicorn, smiles. “Don’t worry, Rain- I’m an Outside Agent now.”

The white unicorn nods. “True. I’m Field Agent Hidden Light.” She holds out her hoof.

Rain quickly checks for the appropriate stamps… and finds them. “Ahh… Yes.” She takes the hoof. “I’m Rain- it’s nice to meet you.” She glances at Candy Stripes. “You’re using that sensory thingy again, aren’t you?”

Sweetie Drops nods in her peripheral vision, trotting over to join the other two. “Yep.”

She drops the Fog. “Finally. I hate using the Fog.”

Candy Stripes tilts her head, glancing sideways at Sweetie Drops, before she looks back at Rain. “I know we three have been given a new mission across the globe… No, it’s not a crime syndicate, it’s rather more proper tasks for RIA people. Wanna come along?”

All three mares turn to look at Stripes, blinking synchronously.

“What?” somepony asks.

Author's Note

I challenge you to figure out who spoke that last line. Even I don't know.

As for updates... Yes, this one is late. I didn't think of it yesterday, until after I turned my computer off- then, of course, I had an idea for how I want chapter 19 to go while I was at work today, so I figured I'd publish this one while I was at it.

Chapter 14: Revealed

Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing!

“Come ON! Where is that thing?”

“Um, Girls? Perhaps they don’t want it found?”

“Oh- Right! Twilight!”

Facehoof.

The fourth entity present takes pause. He had been walking next to dear Fluttershy, chatting amicably, when they’d spotted the combined Pinkie/Rainbow spectacle over here.

Now, though, he can’t stop himself. One airship. … Not there. Still one airship, though.

Discord furrows his brow. He’s never seen anything quite like this before.

Ahh! Looks like the crew is- Erm… One, two, Pinkie’s in his way. Aaand… Nope, not there.

He really needs to find out how this was done; he knows at least one Princess that would get a kick out of it.

Or a day’s exercise. He’s not sure which.

“Sir?”

The Thestral behind the desk allows his forehead to come into contact with the furniture, albeit only moderately slowly. “I’m starting to dread that tone.”

The pegasus nearly lets out a chuckle, and does grin momentarily. “Me too, Sir.”

“Please don’t tell me Sweetie Drops and Hidden Light have…”

“Disappeared? No. Sweetie Drops is still alive and well in Ponyville, not sure where Hidden Light went two days ago, or what Candy Stripes even looks like. Rather, it’s the Contact Agent assigned to them; she’s disappeared.”

He raises his eyebrow. “That’s just dandy. What’s the name?”

He scowls at the floor. “Contact Agent… Stinky Sludge.”

He stiffens. “That’s against the rules.”

He nods. “Six of them, yes. I’ve already ordered it changed- her choice- as soon as she reappears… if she does.”

He drops his forehead back down on the desk. “She may never resurface, with that kind of insult. You find out who named her?”

He shakes his head. “Everypony’s being obstructionist over there. I’ve flagged the whole lot of them for investigation- and discovered six more illegal names when I hunted the roster. I’ve ordered every one of them- the missing one included- sent straight to me next time they come in.”

He nods. “How’s the… Problem zone?” He indicates a blank page on his desk.

He understands the reference; Agent Sweetie Drops’ report was routed to the Princesses, and now resides in a top-security safe somewhere in the Palace. “I’ve been digging… and I don’t think she realized just how deep they go.” He shakes his head. “I’m nowhere near done- but I’ve already found close to thirty percent of our Field Agents and ten percent of our Contact Agents to be suspect.”

He raises his eyebrow. “Why start with the Field Agents?”

He smiles evilly. “Tells me who I can trust with ratting out our Command personnel. Or missions like that one.” He indicates the page as well, then frowns distinctively. “Only problem is, all the trustworthy ones are virtually useless. Pretty sure the corrupt elements up here have been wearing them down.” He shakes his head. “We may have to rely on Sweetie Drops and company for this whole thing.”

He issues a sigh. “Well, at least we have three-ish. Here’s hoping they don’t bail on us… Or die trying.”

He bows his head.

“Your private appointment, Princesses. Strawberry Sundae.” Tight Schedule bows, motioning the light pink unicorn in and withdrawing.

The unicorn gives her darker mane a gentle flick and bows to her diarchs. “Princesses. You wanted to see me?” Her eyes stray to Princess Twilight, seated next to Celestia’s throne.

“Ah, yes. Some time ago, you recovered Starswirl’s Self-Projection Spell for us; we wish to reward…?”

Strawberry Sundae finishes shaking her head. “I neither want nor need any reward.” She turns her head slightly, drawing a scroll out of her saddlebag with her magic. With her bright green magic, contrasting her coat in a rather unsettling manner. “It’s… Not one of Starswirl’s Lost, but home-baked.” She smiles, offering it in her dark blue magic. “Might be handy- or destructive, in the wrong hooves.”

Twilight’s jaw drops.

Twilight’s eyes widen. She, and the other two Princesses, are seated in Celestia’s private study, thanks to that self-projection spell. “She just-! Her magic changed color!”

Luna raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yes! It was green a second ago- and now it’s blue! But that’s a constant part of a pony’s magic signature!”

Celestia chuckles gently. “Maybe the scroll she’s offering will enlighten us?”

Celestia accepts the scroll, unrolling and glancing over it before teleporting it elsewhere. “This one does?”

“Outwardly, it changes the magic color, temporarily. Inwardly, it completely- but just as temporarily- modifies the caster’s magic signature.”

Celestia nods slowly. “You said it was homegrown?”

Twilight receives the scroll when Celestia teleports it to the study. She spends almost a full three seconds studying it, and listens to Strawberry Sundae’s explanation before she casts it. Her magic turns blue. Then green, red, even white, before she releases it and goes back to purple.

Hundreds of miles away, one Lyra Heartstrings pumps a hoof aboard an airship. “Yes!”

Agent Sweetie Drops looks at her. “They take it?”

She nods energetically. “I can tell they’re all using projections. Twilight must be trying it out; only Celestia is managing to keep a straight face in the throne room.” She snickers. “Even then, she’s slipping.”

“Nice!” Agent Hidden Light smiles. “Though, uh… Any chance we could talk in private sometime…?”

“Huh? Oh, sure. Just a few.”

Agent Sweetie Drops and Rain both tilt their heads, blink, and return to their food.

“Yes, Princess. It… Well, to be honest, I’m not the one that designed it- but I am the first living being to see it.” She smirks. “The machine that thought it up for me seems to have no respect for what should or shouldn’t be possible.”

Even Celestia loses her straight face this time. “Machine?” all three ask simultaneously.

“Yes… I was only using it to store notes on all the spells I use, then when I asked it for a new cover for this meeting…” She smirks. “I had a hard time keeping a straight face- er, voice- to finish that conversation.”

Twilight blinks. “What conversation?”

Luna offers no time to answer. “You have an airship that designs spells for you?”

“Uh, yes, apparently. Little disappointing it doesn’t speak Equestrian.”

Twilight’s ears fly up. “Can I see it?”

Her answer is a headshake. “Sorry, no. She’s a bit too… Well, Secret.”

Scowl. “Worth a shot.”

Celestia chuckles at the display. “So, Strawberry Sundae… Does the name Lyra Heartstrings ring a bell?”

Lyra facehooves.

Rain raises her eyebrows.

Hidden Light, fork suspended with her next bite, speaks up. “Something happen?”

“Pretty sure they’ve found me out.”

“Uhh, maybe?”

Celestia raises her eyebrow. “So, if we want to reach you, we can go ask Lyra Heartstrings in Ponyville?”

Strawberry Sundae hangs her head, all the red fading away, in favor of a mint-green coat and a blue-and-white-striped mane. “Yes… But can I ask something?”

“Oh?”

“Whenever you do… If you could come to Bonbon’s Candies and ask for Candy Stripes?”

Twilight raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I’d rather not tell the world.”

Celestia nods. “We can do that. Though…?” She raises an eyebrow, indicating the now light blue mare in front of them, with mint green highlights in her mane.

“Huh? … Oh, the changing appearance?” She blinks, and closes her eyes for a few seconds, before a scroll appears in a flash of light in front of her. She hoofs it to the Princesses. “It’s a modification I did to the self-projection spell… Lets me look like whatever I please- even different races.”

The Princesses accept the scroll, teleporting it elsewhere as well.

“Thank you. You sure you don’t want any…?”

She shakes her head. “I’m sure.”

Celestia sighs. “Ahh… Then, I guess that will be- Oh?” She looks at Twilight.

Twilight stands up, blushing. “Um…” She teleports down to the unicorn. “You’re in form as Candy Stripes right now, right?”

Nod.

Her horn pulses. “Then why are you even stronger than I am…?”

“You’re talking through the projection, right?”

“Yes.”

“Um, practice, I guess? I know I have always been a strong unicorn.”

“Oh? Weren’t you always weak?”

Shake. “That’s the image I chose to portray, far from the truth.”

Twilight’s scowl speaks volumes.

Hidden Light follows Lyra into another room of the ship. This… Ahh, it’s the room with all the metal stuff in it. Lyra closes the door behind them, and raises her eyebrow. “You wanted to talk?”

She looks around. “Is this…?”

She looks at it. “This is a bunch of strange technology,” she smiles. “Not sure what half of it is supposed to do, but it’s the designer behind the signature spoofer.” She glances at the Agent. “I can teach you how to talk to it, if you’d like.”

“I would like, but… Well, um…” She turns away from the interesting machinery, reaching a hoof up into her mane. “I kinda have to ask…” She draws her hoof back out, pulling a mint-green feather with it. She gazes at it for a second, and raises her eyebrow.

Lyra tilts her head. “Hmm?”

“Well, back when I was aboard this ship the first time, I found this. Where…?”

Lyra sighs. “Please tell me nopony else knows.”

She shakes her head. “Just you and me.”

She lets out a breath. “Ahh…” She looks towards her back. “They just… grew, after I built this ship. Not sure why.”

Hidden Light’s eyes stop widening at the size of dinner plates.

Chapter 15: Problem

>Who are you
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Backup Operating Systems, Awaiting Request.
>What are you
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Backup Operating Systems, Awaiting Request.
>How much do you know
Access denied.
>What is a Backup Operating System
Bolo Backup Operating Systems: Secondary AI routines designed to maintain at least minimal operability in the event of a total Personality failure.
>What personality
Indeterminate
>Can I talk to it
Attempting Personality Start...
Unit XXXVII/G-0013(e) EVE of the Line, Initializing…
WARNING: Main Survival Center 0.99% Operable
WARNING: Backup Survival Center Offline
Loading Personality Core… ERROR: Personality Files Not Found
Attempting Restore from Backup… ERROR: Backups Inaccessible
Attempting Partial Initialization… ERROR: Hardware Inoperable
ERROR: Personality Start Failed.
Negative.
>

She blinks at the screen. Once it had answered with that annoying ‘Access Denied’ message, she’d assumed it wouldn’t let her do anything that might cause that much trouble.

She hopes she hasn’t damaged Lyra’s ship.

>Why did it fail
Indeterminate
>Can I fix it
Indeterminate
>Can you fix it
Access Denied.
>

Shoot. Lyra had mentioned it likes saying ‘Indeterminate’ whenever it doesn’t know something… Yet the difference in error is annoying; if she did break something, it won’t let her fix it! She turns back to the keyboard.

>What do you have
Indeterminate
>What can you tell me
Indeterminate
ALERT: External power supply on War Hull failing. Switching to internal.
ALERT: External power supply on War Hull lost. Systems stable on internal power.
WARNING: Main Power Reserves Low (3.91%). Expanding solar systems.
>What happened
Access Denied.
>

She gazes at the words for a few seconds, before looking at the door.

Outside, her ‘alibi’, as Lyra calls it, nudges Candy Stripes gently, drawing her attention. They’re both thoroughly disguised.

Stripes raises her eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Thinking room?”

A tilted head, and a questioning look. “Ahhh… Okay, coming.”

She gazes at the screen for another minute or so before the green unicorn trots in. “What happened?” she asks.

Agent Hidden Light shakes her head, looking at the screen. “I don’t know.”

Lyra glances down the output and punches in a quick prompt, to match her oration.

Hidden Light scowls. “It’s not gonna- … Okay.” In response to the identical query, the screen had filled with text. She scans down it; each line has something that looks like a date and time tied to it. Near the bottom, she spots the most recent set.

[07:31:25.826] Energy field deployment detected. Negative effect.
[07:39:51.937][AUX] Manual landing complete.
[07:40:03.283][AUX] Ready for immediate deployment.
[07:49:13.852][AUX] External power supply recharged (99.793% of Record)
[08:13:19.375] External power supply fell to 90% of Record Charge.
[09:59:41.942] Activity detected in entrance hallway.
[10:04:08.946] Attempting Personality Start.
[10:04:08.949] Personality Start Failed.
[10:04:47.271] External power supply fell to 80% of Record Charge.
[10:04:47.283] ALERT: Rapid loss of charge detected on external power supply (90.00% to 47.31% in 0.021 Seconds)
[10:04:47.283] Switching to Internal Power.
[10:04:47.304] ALERT: External power supply Lost.
[10:04:47.804] WARN: Main Reserves Low (3.91%).
[10:04:47.804][DCC] Expanding Remote Solar Array across identified rooftop.

They watch as more lines start appearing, thrusting previous lines off the top.

[10:08:19.396] ALERT: Unauthorized personnel detected in entrance hallway.
[10:08:19.396] Sealing all accessways.
[10:08:19.731][DCC] Diverting to Priority Repair: Door Controls.
[10:08:26.184] SECURITY BREACH: Unauthorized personnel have penetrated outer perimeter.
[10:08:26.184][TACTICAL] Assessing situation...
[10:08:26.184][TACTICAL] Chance of successful penetration by the Enemy: 93.31%
[10:08:26.184][TACTICAL] Disabling all internal lighting…
[10:08:26.184][TACTICAL] Applying subsonics…
[10:08:26.184][TACTICAL] Applying Strobe Lighting… Pulse Rate: 200ms; Intensity: 293.41%
[10:08:26.519][TACTICAL] Hostiles incapacitated. Expected duration: 3.04 Seconds.
[10:08:29.736][TACTICAL] Hostiles deployed sonic shields. Proceeding at 13.49% rate.
[10:08:32.417][DCC] Command 1 Access Hatch functioning.
[10:08:32.431][TACTICAL] Command 1 Secure.
[10:08:32.431][TACTICAL] RECOMMEND: Teleport Law Enforcement directly to Command 1.
[10:08:33.827][TACTICAL] Hostiles identified: 4 Unicorn, 7 Earth Pony, 3 Pegasus.
[10:08:33.827][DESIGN] New Task, ID 0002: Anti-Personnel Weapons System with Rapid Synthesis By Nanite, from Available Stores.
[10:08:33.827][DCC] Diverting to Priority Repair: All Databanks (Sequential)

The two unicorns turn to look at each other. “Uhh…”

“I’ve got a problem,” Lyra states. They glance back at the screen- just in time for more lines to start flying up it.

[10:08:41.274][TACTICAL] Hostile attack detected against Auxiliary. Designating TAC_AUX.
[10:08:41.274][TAC_AUX] Analyzing inbound weapon.
[10:08:41.281][TAC_AUX] Inbound weapon is blunt but heavy. Identification: Cannonball. Chance of crippling damage: 37.83%.
[10:08:41.281][TAC_AUX] Chance of incapacitation by Enemy action: 0.02%.
[10:08:41.281][TAC_AUX] Inbound projectile remaining flight time: 1.21 Seconds.
[10:08:41.592][TACTICAL] Additional Hostiles Entering: 2 Unicorn
[10:08:42.490][TAC_AUX] Activating kinetic battlescreen.
[10:08:42.495][AUX] WARNING: Power Critical! (5.31 Seconds)
[10:08:42.500][TAC_AUX] Projectile deflected. Deactivating kinetic battlescreen.
[10:08:42.500][TAC_AUX] Scanning for additional hostile action.
[10:08:44.503] WARNING: Power Low! (2.41 Hours)
[10:08:44.821][TAC_AUX] Hostile Weapons Detected: 7 Cannon, 3 Catapult, 19 Ballista, 4 Unicorn.
[10:08:44.821][TAC_AUX] WARNING: Vessel is unarmed!
[10:08:44.821][TAC_AUX] Chance of incapacitation by Enemy Action: 34.39%
[10:08:44.821][DESIGN] New Task, ID 0003: Concealed Armament for Auxiliary.
[10:08:44.821][TAC_AUX] Checking authorized personnel… All aboard.
[10:08:44.821][AUX] Executing Emergency Deployment.

As is rather typical of cybernetics, the machine is well ahead of its biological passengers- and, of course, its biological foes, as well. The initial cannonball, fired to verify the ship’s location, had shattered harmlessly against the gasbag.

Now, of course, the enemy is still aiming all their various weapons. The two unicorns in the so-called “Thinking Room”, which the Backup Operating System considers a “Control Room”, are trying to chase log entries up the screen. The unicorn in the kitchen isn’t finished with her late breakfast. The earth pony in the lounge is still drafting a warning for the Director of the RIA.

Eight simultaneous explosions grace the side of the ship, instantly severing the mooring ropes while the gas bag adjusts rapidly into maximum-lift configuration and the engines start spinning up.

To all four passengers, the sound and shockwave produced by those explosions are their first warnings that something is wrong. Their second is the sudden upwards acceleration.

Four magical projections, gathered near the center of town, turn to gallop back towards the ship. It’ll be easier to see the extent of the damage this way, than to potentially expose themselves to danger in looking themselves.

As the ship rises, the enemies open fire. The computer watches every incoming shot dispassionately. When it considers the sheer volume of fire and the miniscule size of the power cells it had been able to install, it knows it cannot block every one of them.

It crosses off every shot that it knows will be a miss, ignoring them completely. It factors in the likely accuracy increase as the attackers realize where it is; it also factors in the accuracy decrease as it moves. It is aware that, once it gets out of the line of fire, it will once again be difficult, at best, to find.

But even with those parameters, it is left with far more shots to consider than it can block. Especially if maintaining active control of the ship after such blocking is important.

So Tactical considers the atmosphere the ship is leaping into, and the physics of the situation. As it turns out, it need not hold onto the power to control the ship; that generator its Commander recharged earlier is still at peak output and will provide enough live production for active vertical control. The engines will take more; however, once the line of fire is escaped, horizontal motion will not be urgently necessary.

It considers the likely damage from numerous hits. A few catapult stones are then allowed to strike against the ship, in areas where they will do little to no damage. A few cannonballs are allowed to strike off of the engines, though not enough to cause functional damage. A few cannonballs, and ballista shots, are allowed to strike into the hull itself. None too close to any major structural timbers, though.

The computer estimates almost a 93.74% chance somepony will be hurt- but only a 27.95% chance it’ll be a mortal wound. The chance she’ll die to the weapon is a measly 2.41%.

Everything goes according to plan. Ponies inside and out of the ship might not realize, but everything does. Close to ten percent of the ship’s mass is broken off, to crash down all over the docks (and a couple unlucky attackers), but that was planned. It’s an acceptable tradeoff, the computer considers, in order to save the ship from total destruction.

Damage, after all, can be fixed.

During the brief engagement, a cannonball manages to penetrate the wall into the study. It misses Bonbon by about two feet, reducing the table she’s using to splinters before being stopped by the opposing wall.

Two weapons, one a cannonball and one a ballista bolt, penetrate the kitchen. The cannonball passes inches from Rain’s nose, before passing through the cabinets and out of sight. The ballista, slowed by the wall or two the cannon hadn’t shattered, is a solid body shot, pinning her against the fridge.

Even before the giant arrow touches her barrel, just forward of her flanks, the warning pops up on the screen in the Control Room, replacing all of the logs, and strobing red for attention.

Attention it gets very, very quickly.

She reads the terse message. Major injury detected in the kitchen, recommend teleportation to Medbay.

“Go,” Agent Hidden Light instructs. “We’ll hold down the fort, you go save her.”

Lyra nods and teleports herself to the kitchen. She spends hardly a second gaining her bearings in the increasing wind before she spots Rain crumpling to the ground, her scream of pain already fading. She dashes over, and spots the back of the arrow protruding from her flank.

Her eyes narrow as she charges her horn for a long-ranged teleport. She’s only set up one location inside that big underground thing that she could actually teleport to; that is, what had been the control room. She doesn’t know where it’s referring to as the ‘medbay’, but that ought to at least be a start- perhaps it can tell her from there.

Down on the ground, her alibi finds the enemy encampment, galloping right into it. She ducks a blade swung by an earth pony- then, with a flare of her horn, transforms into a large fireball right before, up above, she teleports away, leaving only two passengers aboard the Secret.

The arrival in her underground… thing is far rougher than expected, but she ended up where she wanted to be. She’s still processing why the end of her teleport felt like she’d tripped over something when her horn sputters and dies, dropping Rain painfully on the floor.

She lets out a gasp, throwing her full strength into her horn… But it’s not enough. It’s got to be one of those rumored magic inhibition fields- blast it! She begins to panic, looking frantically to the sides. All the doors out are closed- and she spots the gap where the screen she’d taken had been. What had closed the doors?

She whirls around when she hears an unfamiliar noise from one of them. It’s a rough grinding, a sharp buzzing, and a piercing screech- but when she turns to it, she sees it landing wide open.

She screams, leaping backwards, away from the door.

A dozen or so spiders, each about the size of her head, are running in through that door. She notices a moment later that some of them are carrying a stretcher of some sort. She watches in panicked silence as they swiftly load the unconscious Rain onto the strange stretcher and take off again. Some of them ride it with her, working with some of the unfamiliar things attached to it; the others don’t seem to mind.

She thrusts herself into a gallop after them. She won’t let them take away her friend.

… Though, with her magic inoperable, she might be powerless to stop them.

She watches as some of the strange things on the sides of the stretcher start lighting up to do their jobs. On one, she spots the distinctive pattern… Ahh.

She hadn’t found the medbay so, presumably, these spiders brought it to her. She would that she had known about them before, though- it’d have saved her a lot of the terror.

She prays that she’s not wrong in suppressing her continued terror. In assuming these spiders are somehow connected to the mind on her ship, so many kilometers away.

She chases them down a couple more hallways. She can only watch as, once they finish attaching the various devices, they try treating the wound.

… If one could call welding a small piece of metal to her friend’s skin ‘treating’... But hey, the bleeding stopped. They lift her friend momentarily to seal up the other side in similar fashion.

She cringes. If only that inhibition field wasn’t here, she could have not only blocked them from doing that but cast a medical spell to do it properly.

But she’s not a doctor. She only knows the basics, in the field- this kind of injury is well beyond her capabilities.

She follows them… Oh! This is that same room she’d woken up in, so long ago, after the restoration spell exploded on her. She does feel sorry for destroying that… whatever it was.

Her jaw drops. There’s that box thing she’d woken up in- and they just dumped her friend unceremoniously over the side. She hears a gentle splash from inside as the solid- and thick- lid slowly slides shut.

It’s closed by the time she reaches it, but the screens hung above it are showing all the medical readouts a doctor could want already. Plus some.

She watches as it somehow reads the injury on one screen, another fighting to stabilize her heartbeat. And winning. She gazes at the screens for some seconds longer before a time display appears.

She reads it. Estimated completion in 3 days, 9:37:17.

She lets out a breath. Whatever it is, it’s presumably healing her- and telling her how long it’ll take. She rests her hoof against the box, bowing her head, and turns away from it.

The spiders are gone. Their stretcher is somehow already clean, stacked in the corner of the room with a couple other such stretchers.

She sits on the floor, facing the closed door. Nopony hurts her friend.

Confirmed effect of detected energy field: Magical suppression.
Scanning for field emitter… Located.
Engaging hostile.
WARNING: No weapons systems ready!
Scanning for available weapons… Light VLS Launch Cell 412 Operable. Subterranean; underneath a roadway. No civilians will be harmed by clearing and launch.
Selecting missile… Done.
Reprocessing warhead...

Author's Note

If the logfiles it produces are too are too confusing for you...

It's a bunch of "technobabble", basically, describing the Bolo's thought processes as it solved two independent problems at once: Intruders in the war hull, and an attack against the Secret.

Chapter 17: Inquisition

She trots up the passageway. She traversed them so much, so long ago, that she knows which way to go at every intersection, without needing the one-sidedness of the lights to tell her.

She’s abandoned that box. She’ll be coming back later- but three days is a very long time to wait without food. She also might have work to do; her magic still isn’t functioning, so that inhibitor field must still be running. She prays she doesn’t have to expose herself in order to find- or disable- it.

She rounds the next corner. She finds herself wishing the lights hadn’t turned-

She screeches to a halt. This passage is not empty.

She squeaks and dodges back around the corner.

“L-Lyra?” she hears. It sounds terrified- and more than a little confused. Drat, she’d probably seen them.

She sticks her head out, past the corner. “Fluttershy?”

The named mare flinches, crouching next to that closed door. “S-Sorry!”

She sighs- and the chunks of wall littering the floor catch her attention. “What… happened?”

“I…” She shakes her head slightly. “D-Don’t know.”

She withdraws her head from the hallway, breathing deeply. With her magic not working, her disguise is absent!

Some time passes silently, before Fluttershy breaks it again.

“P-P-P-Prin...cess?”

She slams a hoof into her face, letting out a groan as she does so. Of course she’d seem them.

And now, she probably thinks she’ll throw her in a dungeon for being under her basement. Honestly, if she hadn’t seen the warning her ship had given her- or is it record?- she might have been angry. As it is, she can’t help but wonder if Fluttershy just got caught in the crossfire somehow.

She drops her hoof back to the floor, trotting around the corner with what she hopes is a convincing smile.

“I’m not a Princess,” she states, trotting towards the shrinking pegasus. “And you’re not in trouble.” She settles herself down next to Fluttershy, draping a wing over her back. “I’m just…” She looks around the room. “There were… What, fifteen ponies, breaking into here?”

The pegasus shudders at the touch, but relaxes quickly, leaning into it. Her own wings rustle gently as she closes her eyes, breathing deeply.

Lyra looks down at her. “Uh, Fluttershy? You okay?”

Her eyes fly back open again. “Uh, no! I mean, yes! I mean, um…” She fixes her gaze on a random fallen fragment. “I’m okay.” She pauses for a few seconds. “Sorry, it’s just… It’s been a long time since anypony extended their wing for me.”

Her eyebrows raise. “Oh? Is it…?”

“A very friendly gesture? Oh yes. Last time… was my mom. I was ten.” She shudders. “Had I known then how long it’d be, I’d have never let go.” She scowls for a second, before shifting her gaze back to the alicorn next to her. “Right. Um…” She looks at the door. “I… I didn’t count, but I think…” Gulp. “I think at least some of them were being forced, by magic.” Shudder, as she looks at the floor. “They tried to do something to me. One said something about my Element making me immune.”

“So, they nabbed you in the street, found my basements, smashed my generators, dragged you down here, broke the lights, chased a scream, and-” she gasps for air- “got ambushed, so now they’re losing a war with the floor behind that door?”

Fluttershy considers for a second, and nods.

Lyra looks up at the door, then back at her wing. “Well, unless you want to question them, we’re gonna have to wait for my magic to come back.” She smiles. “I’d rather keep it secret.”

Fluttershy shudders. “I… Uh…” Her eyes widen, staring at Lyra.

“What?” Lyra glances at her back. “Something wro-- Oh…” Her eyes widen as she watches her fur turn dark blue, her mane fading to an even darker blue before it begins to wave in a nonexistent wind. Even her cutie mark seems to disappear- but when she looks closely, it’s still there, just… hidden. A rather generic cutie mark appears overtop of it. “Wo- Wow.” Even her voice had changed, deepening slightly and gaining the commanding undertones of, say, Princess Luna’s voice. She stretches her wing- the one not resting across Fluttershy’s back- to check it over. Same color change.

She turns to smile at Fluttershy. “Sometimes, I swear, these things can do anything.” Her head tilts. “I wonder…?”

“Princess! They must have a physical emitter device! We’re going to have to send ponies in to smash it manually.”

Princess Celestia- her projection, at least- scowls. “They will still be able to use magic.”

The Royal Guardspony refuses to let his dismay color his tone. “We’ll just have to outmaneuver them.”

Princess Luna, also present in projection only, mirrors her sister’s scowl. “The Royal Guard doesn’t have the skills to do that.”

Many kilometers away, in an office, a thestral behind a desk speaks to the Night Princess in front of it. “No, they don’t. I’ll have to get ahold of Agents Sweetie Drops and Hidden Light, see if they can do it.”

Princess Luna, in the flesh, raises an eyebrow. “Hidden Light?”

He nods. “We haven’t yet been able to verify the trustworthiness of any more Field Agents; Contact Agent Purple Acorn was promoted after she and Sweetie Drops successfully infiltrated RIA Headquarters in order to deliver the message.”

She nods slowly. “Didn’t you send Sweetie Drops to Huntington?”

He nods. “We haven’t heard back yet, but Hidden Light’s contact crystal remains.”

She blinks. “Hidden Light is a unicorn?”

He nods again. “She’s also my daughter.”

There are sixteen ponies in this room, she evaluates, attempting to occupy herself with the mundane. All of us have been attached to the floor. She smiles weakly to herself. At this point, even the last to awaken- being herself- has had close to half an hour to wake up, process what had happened, and adjust to being completely helpless.

For several of them, this process involved more than one activation of what they assume is the little metal things attached to the backs of their heads. Every time they start trying to command anypony else, every time they reach over to strip the metal thing off of a comrade’s head. Every time they act, in DJ PON-3’s humble opinion, they’re responding to somepony ‘crossing the line’, so to speak. She’s not sure where the line is, but she’s managed not to cross it even once herself.

My horn hurts to much to try any of that stuff. She watches- with mild amusement- as the gang leader tries once again to clober the mare next to him- namely, herself- into submission… Only to extend his streak, currently in the double digits, for monopolization of those odd ‘shocks’. Judging by his reaction, they simply do not get easier, at least for a unicorn. A perfect torture device, perhaps.

She jumps- or, more accurately, she twitches- as the door snaps open with an ominous boom. She rises to her hooves- once again thankful for the comfortable placement, somepony clearly isn’t a sadistic scumbag- and turns her attention towards the door. She fights to suppress a wince as the ringleader earns himself a third digit.

She finds herself rather impressed as two unfamiliar Alicorns walk into the room. Each time either of them sets a hoof on the decking, the entire room seems to shake with the force. She’d tried for that effect, once- but she hadn’t the raw power necessary to do that in an open field, without blowing ponies’ ears out with enormous bass settings.

She can’t help but facehoof- or, drop her head as if in a facehoof- when a good three quarters of the ponies in the room, possibly more, recover from their shock all at once… and start trying to make requests or demands. She does notice at least a couple of them are begging for forgiveness, or pointing blame.

The darker of the two Alicorns- dark blue, with an even darker, ethereal mane- speaks. She doesn’t even seem to be yelling- just, she suspects, speaking loudly.

“Silence!”

It takes her a couple seconds to reform coherent thoughts after that one word shattered them. It had been an unfamiliar voice- but there was absolutely no mistaking the command. It hadn’t needed volume, such as the Royal Canterlot Voice uses to create some of its impression of power.

It hadn’t needed to be any more than a whisper.

The entire room had reverberated with it. That single word had possessed as much power as, she estimates, three hours of Princess Luna’s waning overuse of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Thus, the entire room had instantly fallen silent.

“We are not here,” the alicorn continues more peaceably, her voice still carrying that incredible power, “to listen to requests. Nor demands. Nor pleas.”

“But I want-!”

The ringleader had spoken out again- and been rewarded by a dangerous look from the alicorn… And a fresh shock of pain from the… Thing. He collapses to the ground.

“We are here,” she continues, as if uninterrupted, “For an explanation.” She scans up and down the ranks, paralyzing everypony.

“You will let-!”

“Silence!”

It was the ringleader again. He collapses to the floor as the alicorn steps dramatically over, taking position in front of him while he recovers from both the shock and the yell.

“You heard what I said,” she hisses. “No demands. Only explanations. Got it?”

Vinyl nods vigorously. That hiss could have broken any number of glasses- or windows- she knows of. Besides, nopony angers an Alicorn, Princess or not. They’re so powerful it’s stupid to try. The alicorn ignores her, focused on the stallion next to her.

The stallion finally recovers from that blow, rising up indignantly. She would facehoof, but her hooves are still attached to the floor. This idiot has no sense whatsoever.

“I will not-!” he begins.

He is not interrupted by a shout. Neither is he interrupted by a fresh shock.

Instead, the Alicorn’s forehoof snaps up like greased lightning, smashing across his face with a sound like a cannon.

“Did you not hear me?” she demands.

He spits out a tooth. “Y-You! I will have your head!”

She sighs, a sound of such force that it puts everypony on their knees, save only for the other alicorn.

More of a growl-sigh, Vinyl considers. It had rumbled forth from her throat, a deep, menacing noise. The kind that probably means somepony is dying soon.

The alicorn speaks again. The increased power- she’s not sure how that’s possible- stays in her voice, even though her tone changes. She can only describe the tone as ‘evil’.

“You know, there are a total of six doctors in Equestria capable of healing your horn right now.” She puts on a grin to match the tone. “Would you rather I reduce that to none by removing it completely?”

He rises back upright, snorting at her. “Right, like you could do-!”

Vinyl flinches away from the sudden motion- and the terrified yelp he let out. Wait, did she just see the alicorn flinch as well?

A giant metal spider, about the size of her head, is now standing on his head. One of its legs poses near his horn- and a thin thread of light shoots out of it, right across the base of the said horn. She’s pretty sure it doesn’t touch, but the fur- and mane- in the area flashes instantly aflame.

He goes down to the ground, slowly. “S-S-S-S-sorry!” he stutters. “I-I-I-I’m g-g-g-g-good!”

The alicorn lets out a huff of breath, turning her nose up at him as she turns away. Just as quickly as it had come, the spider disappears.

The Alicorns’ horns had not glowed at all during that display. Nor when all the flame in his mane and fur had suddenly gone out as the spider jumped away.

The dark Alicorn returns to her position next to her companion at the head of the room, gazing up and down the row.

Silence holds for several seconds.

“Anypony?” The alicorn’s eyebrows lower dangerously.

Vinyl flinches, glancing up the line. She makes an attempt to raise a hoof, foiled rather spectacularly by how it’s still attached to the floor, and settles for a more verbal queue. But she can’t think of any she could use, without appearing… Well, any number of things she doesn’t want to appear as.

“Um…” she manages. It’s really soft- so soft, in fact, she doesn’t think even an Alicorn’s sensitive hearing would catch it.

Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to bother these two. The darker one glances at her, then at something she can’t see right off, and finally turns to the other Alicorn with a raised eyebrow.

The second Alicorn, a sky blue color with a matching ethereal mane, glances at her companion, smiles, and starts walking over.

This is when she notices the difference between the two. The darker one has aptly demonstrated her willingness to use her power as a brute force weapon. Like she’s blundering with it- possibly never used it before.

The lighter one, however, looks kinder. Her hoofsteps seem to possess more power, somehow, but it’s far more tightly controlled- more of a tightly coiled spring than the crashing weight of her companion. Like she has more experience.

So, why might the darker one be taking the lead like that…?

Unless they have different styles, different strengths. Different skills. She once lead a squad of far more skilled agents for that very reason. Sure, it had been a music show they’d had to play in, but so? They’d still stolen first place, thanks to her lead.

She wonders what the skill difference might be here. The darker one is probably better with crowd control- and punishment, possibly…

Ahh. That must be it. The darker one is the hardcase, more capable when it comes to controlling a larger group; the lighter one must be the “softie”, far more adept at weaseling information out of an unwilling individual… Meaning, possibly, she can apply customized torture.

Good thing she plans on talking, not waiting to be tortured.

She walks up in front of her, each hoof placed with deliberate care. She pauses for a second, gazing into her eyes, before sitting down. “Yes?”

Vinyl blinks. She was right, on at least one thing. While her voice carries, she guesstimates, close to twice as much power as the other Alicorn’s, it doesn’t feel nearly as… Violent.

She opens her mouth, closes it, and opens it again, considering her words. “I… He used the-!”

“I did not!”

It’s the ringleader again. Honestly, had the glare the alicorn directs at him been directed at her, she would have melted apart. He gets the shock treatment.

She lets out a sigh. “The Imperius Curse. They-” She breaks off, eyes widening slightly, as she remembers. “They also tried it on Fluttershy- and she must have escaped. Did you see her? Is she okay…?”

The alicorn turns away, but she could swear that was a smile… And a blush?

When she speaks again, her voice still carries the same power- but it sounds much, much friendlier. “Yes,” she mutters, turning back towards her… and gazing at her hooves. “I… uh, saw her, yes. She was… okay.”

The stallion next to her snorts derisively. “She was an incompete-”

She didn’t know those spiders could move so fast. One landed on his back, his voice disappearing with an odd squeak as he collapses straight to the ground. Straight down into a twitching heap.

She does remember that part of being taken down. Aside from the terrible pain in her horn. That twitching thing had been extremely painful.

Before the alicorn finishes flinching away from his words, the spider places something over his head- some kind of band, though it’s far more complicated than a simple strap- and welds it to the floor. A second spider shows up to clamp his muzzle to the floor as well, then they both run away- and a third shows up to stick something on top of the first band, no welding involved. He also stops twitching, completely immobilized.

It’s set just far enough back that, if she stretches her head out, she can just barely see what’s on the side facing the Alicorns… some kind of display? She sees some unfamiliar symbols appearing on it- and notices some little lights flashing on the band it’s sitting on.

The alicorn looks at it for a couple seconds, then turns her head. “Uh, Alpha?”

Alpha? … Codenames. Probably ‘Alpha’ and ‘Beta’, unless she misses her guess… Interesting how that statement contained far less power in it than the rest of her speech. She looks up in time to see the darker Alicorn, still scanning the row from the door, look, raise an eyebrow, and turn to trot over.

Aaagh! Her walking had been powerful enough- but this trot? It’s like a herd of dragons is marching past, with synchronized footfalls!

The darker alicorn comes to a stop in front of the display, eyes flickering across it.

“Interesting,” she mutters. Another instance of reduced power, from what was demonstrated before.

She sticks her head out again, peering at the display. She thinks she spots an expression of mild amusement cross the darker Alicorn’s face as she does so. The symbols are still unfamiliar… yet the darker Alicorn gives the impression of understanding them. The lighter, not so much.

Very suddenly, the display seems to accelerate, filling itself with thousands upon thousands of symbols, blinking into place… Then, just as suddenly, they all become familiar.

Or, one could say, they all became Equestrian. The entire screen, translated, all at once. She feels a tingle at the back of her neck at the same moment- and quickly withdraws. Probably a warning signal of some sort… Yep, the tingle is gone, just as fast as it had come. She watches the two Alicorns reading the screen, eyes widening as they go.

The dark one gives a little nod, and suddenly, the spiders are back. In force.

Good thing she’s not arachnophobic.

The back of her neck tingles suspiciously when one touches it. She holds still, eyes flashing up the row… Interesting. Two other mares, she can see, are missing that metal thing on the backs of their heads. She wonders if that’s what the spider had-

She ‘stumbles’, nearly crumpling as she is forced- unexpectedly- to shift her weight. When she looks down, she finds that a spider has cut her left forehoof free of the floor- and is now holding it aloft, slicing off the metal band remaining on the hoof. It finishes, releases the hoof to land on the patched floor- a second spider had installed a circle of the same size while it severed the band- and it starts cutting her other foreleg free. She shifts her weight, allowing it to move her right forehoof without knocking her over.

Chapter 18: Launch

Four hours.

It had taken four entire hours for the two Alicorns to identify and release the innocents. The remainder are also being released from the floor- though only to be shackled, for delivery to the Royal Guard. When she had asked, the darker Alicorn- ‘Alpha’- had stated that she prefers to leave matters of law enforcement to the experts.

Now, all of the innocents- save herself- have followed the light-wielding spiders back up to the exit. The three of them, being herself and the two alicorns, are in the hall just outside the storage room as the door closes.

Alpha lets out a deep sigh, slumping against the wall. It’s the first thing she’s done that hasn’t been accompanied by that display of power, muted or not. “That took forever,” she complains, to nopony in particular.

The other alicorn, ‘Beta’, also slumps against a wall. “That was… Exhausting.” She reaches a hoof up to touch her horn a couple times.

Vinyl, with a matching pose against the other wall, raises an eyebrow. “Something wrong?” she asks.

Both alicorns smile. Beta- who has poked at her horn at least a dozen times throughout- chuckles. “No…” She glances at Alpha. “It’s just… Well, I’m a pegasus. Those spiders just stuck a horn to my head a few hours ago… but I can feel it.” She prods the horn again, then tilts her head at the DJ. “What about you…?”

“You said there were only six doctors in Equestria that could heal us, right?”

Alpha nods. “The spiders sliced the horn’s Thaumic Core when you were captured, yes.”

She blinks. “Wow. Um… Well, the pain normally associated with such an injury has been fading… It’s down to a dull ache- and I can feel the pattern behind the thaumic inhibition field again.”

“Oh?”

“Yes…” She closes her eyes, focusing. “It helps that he wanted to use my magic through it… He had to put it in my head.” Her horn flickers, and dies again. She utters a groan. “Ugh… I haven’t recovered enough to cut through the field just yet…” She breaks out into a sudden smile. “But once I have, I can disable the inhibition field emitter toot-sweet!” Her smile fades. “Unless you’ve already got that covered.”

Alpha shakes her head. “Actually, there was no magic involved in that display.” She glances at the door. “I’m not sure how it did it, but it was this…” She taps the floor. “Well, thing.” She looks up at the amber lights for a second. “You remember when you were coming in, before you reached the… metal hallways? The generators they destroyed?”

“Generators? … Uh, do you mean the whirring things with spin enchantments on them…?”

Blink. “Sounds about right.”

“He used my magic to break them, actually… There was the one in that third level basement. When I converted it to a pile of scrap, the door upstairs slammed shut- and a light in the back of the room went out.”

Nod. “The kitchen upstairs- immediately upstairs, that is- will also have become useless.”

“The second one was in the long hallway that led here. He had me incinerate it, but I didn’t notice any effect.”

Another nod, and a scowl. “That’s the part that confuses me.”

“Oh?”

She looks up, smiling. “That second one was powering this. The lights, sounds, the disguises it gave us, the… device healing Rain downstairs, everything.”

“Rain? Who’s that?” She manages to keep the worry out of her voice.

“It’s a nickname,” Alpha states, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t know her.”

“A nickname?”

Nod. “Yep. I gave it to her… Better than no name, right?”

“Candy Stripes.”

Beta tilts her head. “Isn’t that the mare that helps Lyra in Bonbon’s Candies from time to time?”

Alpha raises her eyebrow at Vinyl. “What?”

“That’s who gave the Rain I know that nickname.”

Sigh. She looks at Beta. “I don’t suppose I need to impress the need for this to remain confidential again, do I?”

Beta shakes her head, hoof coming away from her horn. “I… Can I…?”

Alpha tilts her head inquisitively.

Before Beta can answer, her horn falls off. Her mane loses its ethereality at the same time, before fading to pink while her fur turns yellow. All three mares watch with interest.

It takes only fifteen seconds before Fluttershy stands in front of them, no longer disguised as an alicorn. She smiles softly. “Thank you.” Even her voice is back. She reaches a hoof up to rub her forehead, where the horn had been.

“Something wrong?” Alpha asks.

She gives a gentle shake. “Just a little headache. Probably from… The horn.” She gestures at the dismembered horn, lying on the floor in front of her, and looks up, with a smile. “I won’t be telling anypony.”

Alpha nods, then turns back to Vinyl with a sigh. “You’ve caught me, then. Outside Agent Candy Stripes.”

“Field Agent White Noise.”

Princess Twilight Sparkle stamps a hoof. “I’ll give you one last chance! Turn it off, or we’ll destroy it!” The last of her friends, Fluttershy, hasn’t yet arrived. She prays to Celestia that she’s not bluffing.

The unicorn blocking them from getting near his antimagic device scoffs at them. “Oh? Then what, you’ll throw us in prison? I think I’d rather get hit by the Elements.” He lets out an evil laugh.

Twilight utters a low growl, concentrating on her horn but not receiving.

Another local Guardspony tries charging forwards to disable it, being thrown back by another blast of magic.

Twilight scowls. Their device, whatever it is, is even interfering with pegasus and earth pony magics. She probably should be- Oh no.

A little ways down the street opposite the device, she sees the ground heaving upwards very suddenly. Please, not something they need the Elements for!

The unicorns on that side of the device spot it as well, when it flies into the air, in their direction. A quick blasting spell, however, stops the flying stone in its tracks, shattering it into fragments small enough it should only injure any ponies it lands on… Nevermind there’s nopony nearby for it to land on.

Nopony expected the flame-spewing metal spear to emerge from behind the stone, changing course all on its own, as soon as they did. It flashes forwards like a bolt of lightning, leveling off… and passing directly overtop the emitter before it whips down the street to vanish over the rooftops.

“DUCK!” somepony screams.

Every Guard present, just outside the reach of the thaumic inhibition field, ducks.

The two Princesses, however, do not- instead, they look, horns charging.

They have almost two seconds from the moment the shout started to see, target, and stop the… object, before it blazes overhead and disappears over the forest, leaving a blast of thunder in its wake.

They missed.

Field Agent Hidden Light stands on the stern of the airship Secret. She’s not sure exactly why, but as soon as Lyra had teleported Rain away, all of her protective spells had fallen from the ship. She’d noticed immediately, and teleported up here to deflect what she can.

There’s still an occasional flash of light across the hull or gasbag as some weapon she missed strikes against it. She’s been missing more and more; her opponents have engaged in a chase, and her reserves are running low. She’s been trying to let the misses fly past- whenever she can tell they’ll be misses, that is. She’s the one powering the engines, not the… strange thing. It’s controlling their altitude and heading, using an evasion pattern she didn’t know airships could perform to create a whole new level of aiming problems for their pursuers.

Then, something new enters her thaumic sense spell. She’s been using the spell to spot the projectiles long before they reach impact range; with it, she gets as much as six seconds’ warning even the fastest cannon shots. But this something is moving blindingly fast, and from in front of the ship.

She barely has time to turn her head halfway before it crosses the field, making contact with the ship… Wait. She sees, in her peripheral vision, as the streaking object shifts slightly in the airstream, zipping between the cords holding the ship’s hull to the gasbag. Then it blows past her with a shockwave of thunder, heading straight for the pursuing ship.

Her head snaps back forwards, but not fast enough. The object smashes into the pursuing ship while it’s only barely inside her peripheral vision.

She does manage to turn her head far enough to watch the enormous fireball the ship becomes.

She’s still staring, open-mouthed, when the last cannonball whizzes past her left ear, passing harmlessly over the hull and reentering unobstructed airspace without doing any damage whatsoever.

The engines stop thrumming as she passes out.

Agent Sweetie Drops then steps forwards to carry her inside, selecting one of the relatively few undamaged rooms for them to rest in. At the same time, the ship sinks slowly, grounding itself smoothly.

Author's Note

Yes, it's a shortie... It's also the last one I'm ready to publish just yet, so hold on tight! I just want to make sure I can continue to produce before I dump the next chapter into the (mostly) unretractable zone that is this site. I don't like modifying published chapters; it can break the flow for those who've already read them.

Chapter 19: Deployment

“Wow.”

That’s all any of the three could say.

Alpha had led Vinyl and Fluttershy back to the medbay, where the box housing Rain hadn’t changed- save that the displays were using plain Equestrian. Then, in response to one of Alpha’s comments, one of the spider things had shown up and led them to the control room.

Which, she decides, must be a second control room. Not only had the door opened smoothly, but the seat- and several of the displays- are in pristine condition.

Then, it had responded to her question, once she’d punched it in. She’d asked it, What happened?

The wall of text is… Long, stretching across three screens. And in Equestrian this time, so she doesn’t have to worry about words she doesn’t know.

… For the most part. Turns out there’s a few words it can’t translate.

But it does have a lot of words she does know. She’s even able to recognize a few of the events it mentions.

There’s a few others she doesn’t recognize. Like ‘Executing evasive maneuvers’. Or ‘Allowing hits’, or perhaps ‘Launching against Pursuers’.

As she reads down the list, though, she’s able to gather up the gist of what happened, how quickly it had made its decisions… and why it had made them.

They spend a couple minutes in silence, reading.

“Um,” Vinyl eventually breaks the silence. “Who’s controlling this thing…?” Her eyes probe across the lines telling the story of when- and how- it knew she was okay to release.

Alpha smiles, chuckling lightly. “Nopony is,” she answers. “It did all this on its own. Where it got the power to do it, I have no idea.” She looks at the screens. “Though, I have to admit, it would be nice if it was a pony.”

“Ahh…” Vinyl casts her eyes back up at her horn, focusing for a second. It sputters a little, but dies. Alpha hasn’t been able to manage even that much. “I wonder how good it is with magic…?”

Alpha tilts her head. “I don’t think it’s actually used magic before… But it did invent a spell for me not too long ago.”

“Oh?” She looks at the screen for a second. “Some kind of display and/or acceleration spell?”

She actually laughs this time. “Nah. I call it the signature spoofer… A spell that completely- and temporarily- changes the caster’s magic signature.” Her grin widens. “If I combine it with my modification to Starswirl’s self-projection spell, I can be two different ponies at once- literally!”

“Starswirl’s self-projection spell? That’s been lost.”

She snickers, declining to answer verbally as she turns to the keyboard.

>Show my alibi spell

The shifting wall of text disappears, leaving two empty screens… The third one has an image on it- a spell matrix. Alpha points a hoof. “Found it!”

Vinyl’s jaw drops. She stares for a few seconds.

“... It was hidden in here…?”

Shake. “No- I found it in a book. This is my modification of it- the one that lets me project something different from what I am.” She smiles. “Like how Candy Stripes has a different color scheme than I do.”

Vinyl looks at the screen for several long seconds. “That looks like it takes a lot of power to cast,” she mutters. “Only a really powerful Unicorn could do it… You said this thing invented an impossible spell?”

She tilts her head. “Yeees?” she asks, drawing it out a little bit.

“Can it optimize this one?”

She looks up at the screen. “Good question…”

>Can you make it better
Indeterminate
>Give it a try
Design task accepted.
WARNING: Design Task 0008 Failed: Insufficient data for spell matrix improvement.

“I guess not.”

Vinyl scowls. “Drat.”

Alpha tilts her head. “Insufficient data… Hmm…”

>What kind of data is missing
Indeterminate
>What information do you need
Indeterminate
>What kind of information might be helpful
Indeterminate
>Can you at least try to help me?
Affirmative.
>

She slams her forehead down on the keyboard. “We’re not going to get anywhere like this.”

Nine unchained innocents had been sent back to the door. Nine ponies gallop through Lyra’s basements and hide out in her living room, fearing re-capture.

The tenth one, showing up shortly behind the others, walks calmly through the living room, navigating directly to the front door. Ponies stare as the unfamiliar mare goes.

One even tries to stop her. “Wait! They’ll just catch you again if you go out!”

The mare pauses in her walk, turning to face Time Turner. “I’ll be fine,” she states. “They can’t catch me.”

It takes him a couple seconds to recover- she sounded so certain- before he moves into her path. “No- you’ll only get hurt! The Princesses will-!”

She pushes him easily aside with one foreleg, reducing him to a shocked stare, as she resumes her course. “They can’t hurt me.”

Nopony moves as she steps calmly outside.

She closes the door behind her. Just like all the hidden doors she’d secured on her way upstairs, even the limited security value this door affords is better than the flat zero of the still-wide-open hatch down below.

She surveys the street in front of her. Twenty-seven unicorns, thirty-eight pegasi, fifteen earth ponies. Of which, six unicorns, three pegasi, and four earth ponies are hostile, the rest are controlled. She has elected not to count the various ponies outside the circle; until the energy field emitter is destroyed, the chance that they will be able to afford assistance is negligibly minute. Until then, she need only consider them as potential targets for the control spell. Most of them, anyways- five of them, gathered at one edge of the circle, bear similar signatures to the one on Command 1 that the control spell hadn’t worked on. The chance that they can’t be controlled is almost certainly high.

All eighty ponies within the circle are staring at her. One of the unicorns had thrown their Imperius Curse at her. It had bounced off the armor hidden under her fur, after which they had started staring.

The purple one of the five uncontrollables, the alicorn, is taking advantage of her distraction, galloping for the emitter. Calculating from expression, stance, and various other body language clues, this pony probably believes it can disable the emitter.

This could be advantageous. If the emitter is preserved, it can be analyzed… and a defense can be built against any future such emitters. Even a bypass.

“Good morning,” she states- even though it’s clearly evening. The alicorn’s ear twitches, but otherwise stays focused. All eighty targets’ ears all point directly at her.

She spreads her wings. “Good night.” Her feathers vibrate against each other, clicking, hissing, sliding in perfect harmony.

Dust and dirt shakes itself free of the roadway, leaping into the air. At least seven windows break; a pot falls off a shelf somewhere. Seventy-eight of her targets collapse, screaming out as they wrap their hooves about their ears. The control spell remains unbroken; the two remaining targets are both hostiles, not controlled.

The alicorn reaches the emitter, touching it with its purple horn. Tapping into its magic flow, presumably looking to shut it down.

The remaining pegasus takes to the air in alarm, diving towards the purple alicorn in an attempt to disrupt the effort. She twitches a wing, releasing a single feather- and the green pegasus shortly falls out of the air, tumbling into her sonic cannon’s effective zone before screeching to a halt- and mimicking the other ponies already in the zone.

The other one is a unicorn. He immediately throws up a shield before directing his horn at the alicorn working with his device. She flicks up a hoof; the shield is transparent. One short energy surge, reducing her depleting power cells from very low to critical, and he takes a dirt nap in the middle of his second spell. The laser stun bolt was certainly effective.

Her sonic cannon is beginning to lose strength as she runs entirely out of stored power, resorting to live solar production. At the same time, though, the emitter finally goes offline- and blows apart. Oh well- at least the pieces should still be analyzable; it doesn’t look like any of them were bent significantly, only shattered.

Then the pieces turn to cheese. No analysis obtainable from that. Oh well, maybe next time.

Her mission accomplished, she relaxes her wings, folding them neatly against her sides, and moves to stand next to the door, waiting for a recharge before she returns inside. Her head shifts slightly as she idly watches the proceedings.

Author's Note

If you're wondering why this sonic attack out in the open is so much more effective than the one performed in a closed space some chapters ago... The difference being that that one was an incapacitating sonic pattern generated by normal speakers- while this one is a genuine sonic weapon. Them speakers most certainly wouldn't have shaken the dust free from the road. As for why Twilight and the other two weren't touched by it... It's an extremely precisely engineered sonic weapon- each wing serves as its own emitter, blasting a very hard-edged cone. Twilight probably heard the echoes off the houses or cobblestones, but that's about it.

Chapter 20: Golden Locks (Edited)

Celestia raises her eyebrow. “Good evening, Discord.”

Discord nods. “Yes, yes, good evening and all that. I happened to notice a… problem near Ponyville?”

She nods as well. “Can you take care of it, or…?”

He shakes his head this time. “No, I’m afraid not. I’ve never seen a thaumic inhibition field like that before- and I’m powerless against it.”

“We’re working on bypassing it. Perhaps- Wait.”

Discord also looks in the direction of ponyville. “Was that…?” He shudders, his eyes widening. “It was!” He snaps a talon and disappears.

Somewhere in between the two, the Princesses’ doubles take to the air, racing in towards Ponyville with an entire regiment of Royal Guards. The inhibition field had just fluctuated… and fallen.

Candy Stripes and White Noise lead Fluttershy up through the hidden basement levels, back into the main house. The two unicorns- Candy Stripes had disappeared at some point to shed her disguise- then head for the door. A few others follow- though the five shackled ponies that had followed Fluttershy, herded by just two of those metal spiders, stay in the living room.

Outside, they stop on the doorstep, stepping to the side to let the others pass.

“Wow,” Noise mutters. “I didn’t think they had that many.”

Stripes nods. “That’s gotta be, what, fifty? A-!”

“Eighty.”

Both mares turn to look at the pegasus standing calmly next to them- the pegasus that had moved to let them move for the others to pass.

Stripes raises an eyebrow. “Eighty? Well…” She looks back to Noise, between her and the pegasus. “That’s still quite a few, isn’t it?”

Noise nods. “I’m seeing a lot of Ponyvillians, though. They probably used their Imperius Curse again.”

Nod. “Probably.”

“Affirmative.”

They both look again.

“I’m sorry, who are you, again?” Noise asks.

“The name’s Golden Locks,” the pegasus answers. “It’s nice to meet you.” She offers a hoof, which Noise bumps.

“Nice to meet you,” Noise mutters.

Stripes scowls slightly. “If you’re so certain they used the curse, do you know how many on?”

“Affirmative.”

“How many?” Noise asks.

Shrug.

Stripes raises an eyebrow. “How many?” she asks.

“Sixty-seven.”

“Leaving thirteen casters?” Noise asks.

She shakes her head. “No. Pegasi and earth ponies can’t cast the Imperius Curse.”

Stripes shrugs. “So, how many casters?”

“Of the six unicorns, three are holding active Imperius Curses.”

Noise blinks, looking down at the row. “Which ones?”

Shrug.

Stripes gives Locks a level-lidded glare. “Who are you, again?”

“Unit Three-Seven-Golf-Zero-Zero-One-Three-Echo EVE of the Line, Backup Operating Systems, Local Auxiliary Alias ‘Golden Locks’, Awaiting Orders.”

Facehoof. “I saw that coming.”

Noise blinks, turning to stripes. “What?”

Stripes returns her hoof to the ground. “Remember that thing underground?”

Noise’ eyes widen slowly, before disappearing into a facehoof. “Of course. We did wish it was a pony, didn’t we?”

Nod. “Pretty sure she’s our answer.” She looks back up at Golden Locks. “So… Which ones are the casters?”

The pegasus turns to face the line, rising a hoof to point- and even identifying them by name.

She looks at Noise. “You know where the nearest thaumic inhibition rings are?”

Nod. “They’d be in my closet, unless you have some.”

Shake. “Go fetch, then.”

“Ok, I’ll be right back.” Noise runs away.

Stripes sighs. If she’d had to guess, Vinyl- or, White Noise- must be at the junior level. She makes sure to cover Vinyl’s retreat- and return- with an appropriate spell.

“I’m sorry this has taken so long, Princess- but until we can verify the security and reliability of our channels once again, things are going to take a lot of time.”

Princess Luna nods slowly. “I understand.”

Keen Sight makes a short nod, before shifting a couple pages on his desk, drawing one to the forefront. “We’ve finished interviewing the participants in the Ponyville Attack. Many of the controlled insisted some dangerous device was discovered under one Lyra Heartstrings’ house during the attack; at least half of the genuine attackers alluded to knowing about its presence even before the attack. We have, of course, sent Agents to investigate; however, Lyra’s new housemate as refused to allow anypony in.

“This housemate, a pegasus by the name of ‘Golden Locks’, is perhaps our biggest puzzle right now. She’s always there- and, apparently, a master at security. Agents have tried sneaking in- and, I understand, turning the corner to find her waiting for them. One even tried to force his way past her.

“Cracked horn, two broken and one splintered leg, three broken and four cracked ribs, two crushed testicles, and at least two separate concussions.” He shakes his head. “And she didn’t even have a single bruise to show for it. Absolutely everything he did, she countered so quickly she made it look easy- so much so that his earth pony companion declined to fight.

“Of course, he claimed assault. When the Royal Guard showed to arrest her, she refused. What’s more, she cited Equestrian law code off the top of her head- and accurately, at that. Her actions were entirely legal, as defense of property.” He looks up at her. “Until I read that report and looked it up myself, I would’ve declared it illegal- but apparently, the Defense Act of Two Eighteen was never repealed.”

Luna blinks. “The Defense Act of Two Eighteen? That- That’s over a thousand years ago! And Celestia never repealed it!?”

He nods. “I triple-checked, and had Silent Shout double check for me as well. It’s perhaps the oldest act in our current legal code.” He then sighs. “The sad part is, far more recent legislation- the Property Crimes Act of Twelve Eighty-Three- would have given her grounds to do the exact same thing had she refused them entry… and forced them to push her aside to get in.” He shakes his head. “That would’ve been a trespass against not only the property but her personal space- a compound of crimes that would protect her from any response to her retaliation, so long as she avoided lethal force.” A deep sigh. “As it is, by the Defense Act, she was fully entitled to use lethal force- even to kill them outright.”

She nods slowly. “She done anything else?”

He nods. “Nothing quite so significant- but she’s… Well, no matter the hour, she’s up and at ‘em. We’ve had Agents approach at all hours- and she blocked each and every one. Always with extreme professionality- like you might expect of our own security officers… some years ago, at least.

“There have been reports that she has gone out to help the town- but never left the house unprotected. Exactly how she protected it in her absence is unknown- all we know is that the one Unicorn agent that approached while she was away heard some kind of high-pitched chirping building as he got closer, like a warning signal of some kind. He turned back, being unable to locate the source.

“While out on the town, she always uses formal modes of address, except when specifically requested otherwise. She’s often selected a selection of different things to help out with; I hear she’s helped construct three separate homes, set up a wedding, demolish an old building, and remodel another one. She’s done quite a few smaller errands- taking kids to school, helping Princess Twilight reorganize her library… I understand the Apple Family has even had her sell a bushel of apples for them.” He looks up at Luna. “She never takes- or accepts- payment of any kind. Even from the Element Bearer of Generosity; she flat-out refused after assisting with no less than six separate dresses when the Boutique was falling behind.”

“Has she met all the Elements?”

He nods. “Yes. I understand Rainbow Dash quickly labeled her as boring; she never flies. Pinkie Pie took a little longer, but came to the same conclusion; she might smile, but she never gives the impression of having fun. I hear she was able to boost one party beyond even the Ponyville Party Planner’s wildest dreams, though.

“Applejack had nothing bad to say about her. An honest worker, she’d called her; always listening, open to new ideas, and very thorough. When prompted, she did admit the refusal to accept payment of any kind seemed a little strange- but she refused to think of it as a bad thing. I understand she labeled it as ‘generosity not normally expected from anypony other than Rarity’.” He chuckles. “And even then.

“Rarity, of course, loved her. She’d been able to not only help her catch up with her work, but to do in a single hour the same work she’d take a full day to do herself- without sacrificing quality. She actively complained about her refusal to accept payment- and was apparently slightly bothered she isn’t looking for work.”

“She’s been seen out with Fluttershy’s animals several times- providing food, sometimes simply playing with them. When asked, Fluttershy would either shrink into a shadow or smile sweetly and decline to pass judgement.” He sighs, with a smile. “I share my Agents’ opinion- I’d rather not push her any harder than I have to.” He takes a deep breath.

Luna nods slowly, her face drawn into a scowl. “Is that all we have on her?”

He shakes his head. “Not even close. I wasn’t satisfied with it, though- so last night, I paid Ponyville a visit.” He lets out a sigh, and shakes his head. “She’s… Well, strange.”

“How so?”

“Good evening, Sir.” The unfamiliar voice draws his attention. “Is there something I can help you with?”

He turns to look at the source of the voice. A sky-blue pegasus, with glistening golden mane and tail. “Good evening,” he responds. “How are you?”

She nods. “I’m doing well, how about you?”

He smiles. “I’m doing well too. Everything going well around here?”

Her expression remains unchanged. “It varies. Is there something I can help you with?”

He sighs. “Maybe,” he mutters- and looks up and down the vacant Mane Street. “Where is everypony?”

She answers instantly. “Most ponies are presently enjoying Pinkie Pie’s birthday party.”

He blinks, then facehooves. “How could I have forgotten…? Wait.” He lowers his hoof again, looking at her. “Are you Golden Locks, by any chance?”

“Yes Sir, that is my name. Is there something I can help you with?”

He tilts his head. “It depends, I guess. What’s the limit?”

“Depends.”

He chuckles. “Can I get a conversation?”

Nod. “I have no problem with that,” she states.

“How about over some tea?”

“I don’t drink tea.”

Scowl. “I thought as much. Do you mind if I get some, though? I’m a little parched.”

She shakes her head. “No problem,” she states.

He looks out at Mane Street. “Uh… On second thought, are there any places to get tea…?”

“Not presently,” she answers.

He lets out a sigh. “Well then. Um…” He gazes at the ground in front of him for a second- before a detail in his peripheral vision catches his attention. A quick glance confirms his initial impression. “Wait- you don’t have a cutie mark?”

“Yes.”

He blinks twice. “How…? Um… Wow. I hope you didn’t have to endure much bullying as you grew up.”

“I did not.”

The flat delivery sounds off, somehow, to him. He ignores it, though, and chuckles lightly. “I suppose I should have expected that,” he states. “One would have to be a special kind of stupid to bully you, wouldn’t they?”

“No.” The monotonic delivery sounds somehow defiant, before she turns to trot down the road, leaving him behind.

He moves to catch up, trotting after her. “Huh-? How’d you manage that?”

She doesn’t stop. “I did not need to.”

“You… didn’t need to.”

“Bullying seldom happens without a reason.”

“A reason like not having a cutie mark?”

“That is a vulnerability, not a reason.”

He blinks. “Soo… what kind of reason?”

“Bullying is often caused by a problematic situation at home, or at school, like domestic violence or bad grades. Anything that can make them feel a lack of power over their own lives.”

“You’re telling me that bullies always have a reason that’s unrelated to the bullying itself?”

“Usually.”

He sighs. “I hear there’s a trio of fillies around here, regularly subject to bullying. Do you know why they are bullied?”
“No.” She stops to look at him. “Would you like to find out?”

Author's Note

Finally! A chapter featuring Golden Locks, the mare whose presence I spoilered in a blog post two weeks ago!

Edited 3/23/19. All in the final section, in case you're wondering.

Chapter 21: Diamond Tiara (Rewritten)

“So, of course, we found out. Turns out the bullies in question were Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon- both fillies possessed by extremely rich parents. We did a little research before we went to their parents- from listening to the two to reviewing law enforcement records. As it turns out…”

“Please, Diamond Tiara. You know you have to go home.”

The voice drifts lazily around the corner he’s hiding behind. Locks is behind a different corner; neither has sufficient space for both ponies. He’s not entirely sure why Locks had been so certain the bullies would pass these corners; she hadn’t specified anything about them, save that.

A second voice drifts back. “I know- but can’t we just do another sleepover?”

The first again, this time sounding sad. “I wish. But you know what… she said.” The tone she filly used for the word raises red flags in his mind.

“I know what she said!” Diamond Tiara, he assumes, sounds almost panicked- more red flags. “Please! I just…” A pause. “I don’t know how much longer this can go on.”

He’s just about ready to emerge, and ask about what’s bothering the two, when the first speaks up again.

“Me neither… I don’t think the Crusaders are around at this hour, either.”

Gasp. “What about when they do get their cutie marks? How-!?”

He’s virtually certain, at this point, that these two are the bullies in question- or, at least, related to them. And the tone continues to throw up red flags.

“Calm down, we’ll find something, and we’ll do it together.”

He tilts his head slightly. Unless he misses his guess, this ‘Diamond Tiara’ sounds like the bully, while the other one is either an accomplice or a sympathizer, trying to help Diamond get over whatever the problem is.

“Hey, um…”

He jumps slightly- that hadn’t been either filly, but Golden Locks. He tip-hooves closer, peering around the corner, while both fillies let out momentary shrieks.

Golden Locks continues on. “I couldn’t help but overhear… I have to wonder, though, what happens if we eliminate the… Well, whatever the irritant is?”

The pink filly with white-and-purple striped mane recoils visibly from Golden Locks’ words. “B-but…” she sputters.

The dark silver filly with brighter silver mane rests a hoof on the other filly’s withers, while simultaneously stepping slightly in front of her, as if to protect. “Wha- No. We’ve already tried that, it didn’t work.”

Golden Locks only issues a sad smile. “You might be surprised what I can do,” she states.

Diamond Tiara only squeaks, drawing further back. Silver Spoon holds her close. “We’ve been told that before,” she says. “Only, her mo-!”

Diamond Tiara lets out a yelp, reaching for Silver Spoon’s mouth.

The silver filly dodges the frantic motion. “Sorry,” she mutters, before turning back to Golden Locks. “Only… certain factors can do more against that.”

Golden Locks bows her head, withdrawing. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she states. “Have a good night.” She trots back over to and down the passage Keen Sight is hiding in, and he follows.

He waits until they’ve got some distance from the two fillies before he speaks up. “Well,” he mutters. “There’s no doubt something’s going on. Sounds like her mother is doing something she doesn’t like.”

“Did you find out what it was?”

He nods. “Yes, we did. Emotional foal abuse, on the part of her mother. It’d been reported multiple times before, but never acted upon- everypony was too afraid of what that mother might do to them if they did something.

“So, we went to her house. I spotted Diamond in the other room while we were talking to her- and while Locks returned to her strange emotionlessness whenever we weren’t near either her or Diamond, she demonstrated a cunning instinct for justice- and three questions in, she actually got Spoiled Rich to admit to it.

“Of course, Spoiled ordered us never to act on it, threatening to crush us with her money if we tried. Locks, however, was having none of that.” He pulls out a recorder, placing it on his desk, and presses play.

“And if you even try to take her away, I’ll ruin both of you,” Spoiled Rich states. Diamond Tiara, next to her, is visibly forcing herself to stay calm, but still looks dejected. “I’ve got more than enough bits to disprove anything.”

“You have just admitted to emotional foal abuse, as defined under the Foal Protection Act of Six Thirteen. Amended in Eighteen Twelve to allow any Officer of the Crown to physically remove a foal from an abusive environment even before conviction, if deemed appropriate by the Officer in question.”

All heads turn to Golden Locks.

“Oh puh-lease, you know that’ll never fly in court, right? The Home Privacy Act is all the backing I need.”

“Home Privacy Act of Eleven Twenty-One. Amended in Eleven Thirty-Seven to allow Officers of the Crown to enter private homes without permission, with warrant. Amended in Eleven Sixty-Three to allow Officers of the Crown to enter private homes without permission and without warrant, given reasonable suspicion of domestic crime. Eight hundred eighty-seven precedents in Solar Court and six in Night Court, all in alignment; the Home Privacy Act cannot be used as a defense in a Foal Abuse case, regardless of presence or absence of a warrant or reasonable suspicion at the time of entry.

“Law Enforcement Act of Five Eighteen, never amended, one hundred thirty thousand six hundred ninety-three aligned precedents in Solar Court and four hundred twelve in Night Court. In the event of Obstruction of Justice, such as your threat and any carrying out thereof, any Officer of the Crown is fully entitled to use any force necessary- up to and including lethal force and the assistance of others- in the pursuit of law enforcement.

“Law Enforcement Protection Act of Year Twelve, never amended, one million two hundred thirty-seven thousand four hundred eighty-two aligned precedents in Solar Court and thirty-one thousand two hundred ninety-six in Night Court. Any retaliation against any Officer of the Crown, such as any execution of your threat, is a crime in itself, carrying a fine of not less than five thousand bits and prison time of not less than two years, compounded with the maximum sentence for the offence the retaliation was related to, being automatically assumed guilty.

“You may reconsider your threat now.”

“Uh…”

He pauses the recording. “She did reconsider her threat and, though stunned, she cooperated for the rest of the investigation, including pleading guilty later at the Guard Station… where Locks was promptly offered a position. Locks didn’t accept it right away, but neither did she refuse it; more on that in a minute.

“So, we returned to the Rich Mansion, where Diamond was waiting on the couch, apparently worried about us. Once I explained what had happened at the Guard Station, she rushed and hugged me, begging me to take her away.”

“That sounds… ominous,” Luna eventually states.

He nods. “I thought that too- and told her that I couldn’t do that just yet, but I would look into it.

“So we went to the Ponyville Bank, where Filthy Rich - her father- is the General Manager. Only a skeleton staff was on duty; most were at Pinkie Pie’s birthday party. We asked one of the tellers if we could speak directly with Rich; after consulting with him, she confirmed the affirmative and brought us back to his office. Once behind that closed door, I informed him that his wife had just been convicted of foal abuse. I was about to mention that suspicion had been placed on him as well, but he started talking first.

“He denied being part of the abuse, though he admitted to knowing it was happening- and doing nothing to either prevent it or limit the extent. He actually pleaded us to take his daughter away, to take her to somepony that could treat her as she deserves, should she desire. He said he couldn’t even look at her straight anymore- because she’s a constant reminder of how he’s a failure as a father.”

Princess Luna doesn’t move, nor speak.

Several seconds of silence pass before he continues. “As such… while her mother awaits sentencing in Day Court, Diamond has been removed from her parent’s care- and her father has been granted visitation rights.” He sighs. “After he showed me how much he actually cares about her, that was the least I could do.”

“What happened with Diamond, then?”

“Well… you know the rules. We asked her who she wanted as her new foster parents.

“Silverspoon’s parents are eligible to serve as such, but declined, so we went to her second choice.

“Except, she didn’t have a second choice, unless a shrug is a name. So we went to Princess Twilight. Or, we would have, had she not been busy in Pinkie’s party.

“As things turned out, we ended up participating in the party- it was a good one, you should have been there- until it was over, then consulting with the Princess. Unfortunately, even she didn’t know what to do- and, just like the other five Bearers, denied eligibility on the basis of prejudice created by their relationship with the Crusaders.

“Pinkie snatched over a green unicorn mare, with blue-and-white striped mane, and presented her as Lyra Heartstrings. A little bit of talking later and, while Diamond seemed apprehensive at first, Lyra was confirmed to both be eligible for and consent to foster parent status. The tipping point for Diamond was when it was mentioned that Locks is Lyra’s housemate- she was instantly happy with the arrangement. As I left, I did hear her asking Lyra- sounded like simple curiosity- how she was going to learn to cook.”

“Oh? Did you hear her response?”

“I caught part of it. She said she wasn’t sure, but she had an idea. I last saw them galloping- together- for Lyra’s home.”

“Huh-? Diamond?”

“Huh?”

“Where… oh. Why’d you go in there?”

“Wouldn’t it be in the kitchen…?”

“That’s the unicorn kitchen.”

“Oh. Wait- you have multiple?”

“Yep. This way.”

“What- A secret door?”

“Yep!”

“Cool!”

“Uh… So, how’s this… kitchen… kept separate from the basement?”

“This house doesn’t have a basement. Officially.”

“Oh. I suppose that would make it easier.”

“Anyways, I’ve actually got two options we could use. This here is an earth pony kitchen- and, as you can probably guess, that means I can’t use the appliances in it. A little further downstairs, though…”

“Further downstairs? Isn’t this the bottom of… why are you dancing?”

“Bottom of that staircase, sure. And the pattern’s a lot simpler than my dance makes it look; I can teach it to you sometime if you like.”

“Another secret door? That’s, like, awesome!”

“Glad you like it. C’mon- the other option’s down here. I’m sure you’ll want to see it before you decide.”

“Another option…? What is it- a hybrid, unicorn-earth-pony kitch- Aaah! What the hay!?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Th- There’s two of you!?”

“Uh… Not exactly, but kinda. Thaumic projections… all controlled by the same mind. That- aside from the secret doors, and Locks’ strangeness- should be about all the uniqueness around this house that you’ll have to get used to.”

“So… you just, like, casually live in multiple places at once?”

“Eh, kinda. These projections are significantly lacking in thaumic capacity, compared to my real self- and for that matter, they don’t eat… or sleep.”

“... Oh.”

“Anyways, option number two is this. This kitchen is unique all across Equestria, running on something called ‘electricity’ rather than magic of any kind. As such, any tribe can use it to its fullest… Though to be honest, I’ve yet to figure out how to convert any recipes. The only things I’ve been able to not burn in here are the ones specifically designed for it.”

“Uh…”

“And if you don’t want to, you don’t have to settle for just one.”

“Um… Did Locks just walk into the floor?”

“Huh? Oh, no- she went downstairs, to where she… Uh, lives. I’ll explain later- and I can show you around down there once you get settled in. That’s where everything dangerous is, after all.”

“Dangerous? Who do you think I am- a Cutie Mark Crusader?”

“Hahahaha! Nah, you’ve already got one of those. But it’s still part of the house, and there’s no real reason to keep you out of it, even if it’ll probably be best- to reduce the shock, that is- to wait until after you’ve settled in to try.”

“... Okay. Um, does Locks do that… projection thing?”

“No, I’m the only one. Well… the Princesses have the spell as well, so they might be doing it nowadays, but that should be it- and I’m fairly certain I’m the only pony in Equestria willing to try multiple at once.”

“Multiple at once?”

“Yep. My limit’s three, right now.”

“Right now?”

“Yep. Just last week, it was two.”

"Oh- and Locks did end up accepting that Guard position."

Author's Note

Rewritten 3/23/19. I didn't like how it went last time- and this time, Diamond's issue isn't passed off as a secondary concern. Foal abuse is a serious offense! ... Though admittedly, foal/child abuse cases probably don't normally get solved in an afternoon like that.

The other major difference is that Locks doesn't change. (Before, she changed at the very end of last chapter, as the Bolo personality came on... That doesn't happen any more, but may in the future)

Yes, I know, that is not the official story for Diamond's bullying issue. However, I thought this fit her behavior- and my experience- better. Far better than "just because she was taught to". I mean seriously, Cheerilee would have disabused her of THAT notion posthaste! Especially since, in my experience, people pick up more from school- particularly their early years- than they do from home.

Chapter 3: Tour

Yes! She made it! … And now she’s completely exhausted. Unlike the new pony, she doesn’t have any of that earth pony vitality. Fortunately, she’s still got a few seconds left, while the train grinds to a halt. Hopefully, the new mare isn’t as much of a hooffull as somepony like, say, Pinkie Pie. That would be a disaster waiting to happen, especially to an already-exhausted unicorn.

Not that her magic agrees with that exhaustion. She’s a very powerful unicorn- not as powerful as, say, Twilight, even before her ascension… But there aren’t many ponies more powerful than she. Not that anypony knows.

No; she’s made sure that nopony knows how powerful she really is. They think she’s a rather typical, run-of-the-mill low-level unicorn- a perception that lets her run her alibi for months, complete with its ‘magic usage’... without pausing to recharge. As a matter of fact, the only reason she’d have to switch it off at all is because her horn would get tired and stop working on her; her body naturally produces magical power faster than her alibi spell can use it- even with its “maximum” power use!

But the train has stopped now. She quickly diverts her mind back to the present; just because her power reserves are full and her horn is rather well-rested doesn’t mean she needs to show any sign as to the depth of those same reserves.

She watches the ponies trailing out of the train. One, two, three. She’d been told to expect- Oh, that must be her! … Maybe? She’s not sure. All she’d been told was ‘earth pony mare’- and there’s three of them getting off the train right now. One with a briefcase, one with black sunglasses, and the third with a suitcase. Wait- suitcase? Is that the one she’s supposed to be greeting? Or… Her eyes flicker between the three.

No, not the suitcase. That mare had headed straight out of the station and begun navigating, already discussing something with a unicorn stallion that had gotten off with her. That leaves the glasses and the briefcase… speaking of which, where’d the briefcase go…?

A hoof waves in front of her face. “Equestria to Unicornia,” the mare states. “Anypony home?”

She blinks. “What? Uh…” She almost takes a step back, as she refocuses on the mare in front of her… The one with the glasses. “Maybe?”

The mare tilts her head down, drawing the glasses down with one hoof to peer over them with deep blue eyes. “You waiting for somepony?” she asks.

“Uh, yes, theoretically. They didn’t tell me much.”

“Ah.” Her glasses return to their place. “Do you happen to know where I might find one Lyra Heartstrings?”

“She’s- huh? Wait, are you…?”

Sigh, which nearly became a facehoof. “She’s supposed to be showing me around town- unless she’s late, in which case I suppose you’ll do.”

“Um… So, you are… And, um, I kinda am Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Called it. Whelp, the name’s Bonbon.” She offers a hoof for the shaking. “How much did they tell you?”

“Lyra Heartstrings, nice to meet you.” She takes the hoof briefly. “And, uh, ‘earth pony mare’.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Earth pony mare? That’s all they said?”

“Yep. Didn’t exactly help when I saw three.”

The two look at each other, and let out a sigh in tandem.

“So, uh, how about we start with the road outside the station?” Lyra asks.

“Is it just me or is there something missing?” Bonbon eventually asks.

Lyra glances over at her. “You’re noticing it too?”

She shakes her head. “Nah, you look like somepony missed an appointment.”

“Ahh… Well, I haven’t seen Pinkie Pie yet today. With a new pony in town, that’s unheardof.” She glances up and down the street again. Bonbon had opted to go on a walk through the residential sectors first- presumably to get more of a feel for who I am. They’ve now toured through the business sector- for some reason, Bonbon wants to reach the market last- and just hit Main Street, on approach to the market at last. “By the way, expect her to throw you a surprise welcome party.”

“Oh? Where might that be?”

“It changes, from pony to pony. She never throws them inside private homes, but anything else- and I do mean anything- is fair game.”

“Oh boy. So, where’s best for such a party?”

“Most of the planned parties happen in Sugarcube Corner; it’s where she lives and works, aside from being quite the bakery.” She points a hoof.

“Sugarcube Corner? I’ve heard of it- they’re famous for…” She trails off, staring at the building for a second. “For their cakes… Is it just me, or is it made of gingerbread?”

Lyra laughs. “No, it’s not just you, and it’s not made of gingerbread- it’s only made to look like it is. With Pinkie in the kitchen, I daresay I’m not surprised by that kind of reputation.”

“Ahh… How about we go there next?”

“Sounds like a good plan- she’ll probably have the party waiting there if we do.”

Bonbon looks at her. “What?”

Shrug. “Beats me. Pinkie’s got this ‘Pinkie Sense’... and something about it tells her where to throw the party. Any new ponies that head for Sugarcube Corner during their first day or so in town generally encounter their welcome party inside.” She smirks suddenly. “Much better than what happened the first time she tried throwing a welcome party for somepony that was only in town for a business visit to the Carousel Boutique.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“Let’s just say that cakes and sewing machines do not mix… for most ponies.” She shudders.

“Ahh… okay, I think I get it.”

At this, Lyra just laughs.

It’s somewhere near this point in time when they reach Sugarcube Corner, and Lyra opens the door dramatically… to find a fairly empty bakery. While Bonbon casts her gaze across the room, Lyra scowls at the counter, trotting over. The earth pony follows, though unsure of where the general uneasiness penetrating the room is coming from.

Lyra trots right up to the counter. “Pinkie pie!”

The earth pony on the other side looks up from where she’d been staring at her front hooves. “Lyra.” She doesn’t even acknowledge Bonbon’s presence before she returns to her studying.

“You know, not exploding in everypony’s face is not the same as not throwing them a party,” Lyra states.

The ruler-straight tail lying on the floor twitches slightly. “She didn’t want me to- Mmmph!”

Lyra, having taken advantage of her horn to interrupt Pinkie’s oration, lets out an onerous sigh as she releases the spell. “She didn’t want you to frighten ponies as soon as they arrived,” she states. “In short, she wants you to do more like what you did for Twilight than, say, Cranky.”

She tilts her head. “Oh…?”

“Besides, I actually missed your interruption earlier.” She turns to Bonbon. “Right?”

Bonbon nods. “No arrival is complete without a proper welcoming, yes.”

Whoosh!

“Yes, she’s fast when she wants to be.”

Close to half an hour later, the two mares finish exploring the market, and come upon the final building, by Bonbon’s request: The old candy shop, which had been closed when the owner moved out six months back. This request confuses the unicorn- at least, until the earth pony pulls out a key and unlocks the front door.

“Ooh, this place needs some redecorating,” Bonbon comments, as she trots inside. She glances back at Lyra, still standing in the door. “Yes, I bought it. Figured I might as well do what I enjoy.” She checks the backroom.

“Ahh,” Lyra finally utters, stepping inside and allowing the door to swing back shut again, complete with the ‘Closed’ sign. “You like selling candy?”

She almost laughs. “Nah- more, I like making candy. You?”

“I’ve… never tried, to be honest.”

“Not surprising. Candy doesn’t have much in common with a lyre, after all.”

She glances briefly back to her flank. “It might be easier, though.”

“Easier, maybe. But you also probably don’t live in a store.”

“Huh? Wait, you’ll be staying here?”

“Yep. With how much it’s gonna cost to outfit this place for an earth pony to use, and for the initial stock, I’m not gonna have much left over for housing.” She looks back towards the backroom she’d abandoned. “I should be able to make do with a sleeping bag.”

“A sleeping bag? But…” She lets out a sigh. “But I’ve got three empty bedrooms…”

“Lucky you.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Four bedrooms, one pony.”

She shrugs. “You pick which room you want to sleep in each night or something?”

She facehooves. “No! No, I sleep in the same bed every night. I’m inviting you to fill one of those bedrooms.”

Her turn to raise an eyebrow. “Oh?” She glances at the backroom door again. “What’s the terms?”

“Terms? Um, don’t overheat the water heater, don’t stab me in the middle of the night?”

She lets out a chuckle. “Realistically?”

“As a friend?” She offers her hoof.

She tilts her head to the sides, as if weighing her options. “Sounds good to me… how far away is it?”

“It’s about a ten minute walk from here.”

“As friends, then.” She shakes the hoof.

“I don’t suppose this is an earth pony kitchen, is it?” Bonbon asks, peering at the oven.

“Ah, no, I’ve got unicorn appliances… Though, if you promise not to tell…”

She raises an eyebrow. “How serious?”

“Pinkie Promise?”

“Ahh… so, Pinkie Promising an NDA, right?”

“NDA?”

“Non-disclosure agreement… it’s the official way to require a secret be kept.”

“I’d rather not go official…”

“We don’t have to. So, unless I feel it represents a clear and present threat to the safety of Equestria, I promise I will keep your secrets, whatever they be. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Uh… Unless you feel…?”

“I’ve talked to too many lawyers to not use that particular caveat. I’ve heard stories of ponies who didn’t use it… and the secret revealed could have spelt doom to the entirety of Equestria. I’d rather not risk putting myself in that situation.”

Lyra laughs. “Ah, no, it’s a kitchen. If there is something that dangerous in there, I’mma want to get rid of it anyways.”

She glances around the kitchen. “So…”

“Um, no. It’s my other kitchen, in my basement. It should be earth pony friendly.”

Author's Note

Yes, the whole multi-secret-level-basement thing is NOT, actually, original... it's a reference to the Heartstrings webcomic. Quite a nice story, that.

Yes, the comic's basement has two levels- a gym, then a lab. Here, Lyra's basement as three- a something (not sure just yet), an electric kitchen, and a tech lab. The comic's second basement is hidden behind a (clearly visible) weight-based lock; here, each of Lyra's basements are hidden behind completely hidden doors... which may or may not have intricate locks built into them. Even with those differences, though, that comic is still the inspiration behind her multilevel basement.

Chapter 16: Counterattack

She winces as the unicorn at the front of the party blows apart the next hallway of very brightly flashing lights. She’d never been a fan of destruction- honestly, she’d been content to close her eyes and sit down when they first started; that flashing would very quickly blind anypony that looked on them for too long.

But fate would have it there’d been unicorns in the party. It had taken them what looks like a fairly easy spell to simply destroy the lights- then what she understands is one of the easiest spells in Equestria to light their way.

They had forced her to move again.

She flinches when the unicorn yanks on her lead rope again, but complies.

They had tied up her wings. They had muzzled her. They had tied a lead rope around her neck.

She walks forwards with the party.

They had grabbed her when she fell out of the air. When her wings stopped working. They had dragged her into Lyra’s house- and apparently, one of them found a basement.

Then another basement.

And a third. The door had closed behind them when the unicorn had smashed that whirring thing in the corner.

Then they’d discovered a fourth… Though she’s not so sure she’d call this a basement. They’d spotted- and destroyed- another of those whirring things on the way down.

Then they’d passed through the door- and the lights had started flashing.

She’d also, very suddenly, she remembers, felt extremely tired. That had been interesting- alongside how it had gone away just as quickly, whenever one of the unicorns raised what he called a ‘Cone of Silence’... She’s not sure what that is. Twilight probably would be, though. She thinks he lowered it a couple hallways ago.

They reach the next corner. The lights around this corner aren’t flashing; they’re simply off. Maybe he’d broken something more important during that last blast.

She hears a scream from down that hallway. She sees a glint in their leaders’ eyes as he starts galloping. The entire party follows- and she has no choice.

Right down this ominously dark hallway. It looks no different from the ones with all the blinking lights.

Also, why had they heard the scream at all? He must have seen whoever screamed- and given the general racket their hooves have been making on this metal flooring, the screamer must have been forewarned.

She slows slightly, dragging against the rope, as her eyes widen. It couldn’t be a trap, could it? Her eyes flicker across the hallway, at the solid metal walls. She doesn’t see any-!

The lights in here aren’t broken. They were just off.

Now they’re on. They’re all flashing crazy. She thinks there’s a pattern to it- but it’s not just the plain white anymore. It’s all just as bright- but there’s all sorts of different colors this time- fluctuating, changing, blinking.

The disco-ball effect is somewhat familiar to her, though; Discord likes doing that kind of thing. As such, she’s able to keep her head on straight… and see what’s going on around her. Unlike her captors. Which, she realizes, the light won’t be bothering for much longer. The noise won’t either- that deep, basso growl, vibrating in her very bones, like an army of dragons.

She hopes she won’t have to face one of those- that one in the cave was scary enough.

If only because rather large sections of the wall- oh, as big as her head- are bouncing off the Unicorn’s heads. With large, leg-covered shapes leaping after them.

The shapes make contact with the unicorn’s heads. She hears one muffled grunt before they all- save the one she thinks was knocked out by the walls- let out blood-curdling screams. She does notice one of those legs touching the base of one of the horns right before the unicorn in question starts screaming.

She finds herself distinctively glad she doesn’t have a horn. She curls up against the wall, lead rope falling loose. She prays they don’t have something like that waiting for pegasi as well.

The unicorns haven’t finished hitting the floor yet when the leg-covered objects rebound off of them, to the rest of the party.

She spots at least one arc of lightning- at least, she thinks that’s what it is- as the earth ponies of the party fall like twitching bricks.

The pegasi very quickly follow suit, then the unicorns stop screaming.

The lights stop flashing. The hallway goes both silent and dark for a second or so, before the lights all come back on again- a steady, dim amber glow. Like the ones in the entrance before they had started flashing.

She blinks. The shapes are very busy, it seems. She gets her first clear view of them.

Spiders. Giant, metallic spiders, about the size of a pony’s head.

She lets out a muffled squeak, pressing herself even harder against the wall.

The spiders are attaching things to the backs of the party’s necks. Whenever they do, the pony in question stops twitching.

She watches them work for a few seconds. She even glances up and down the hallway- but with how quickly these things are moving, she doesn’t think she could escape. Especially with this lead rope still tied around her neck.

She slowly shifts her weight, eyeing them as she inconspicuously lifts her forehooves to work at the knot.

The last pony stops twitching. None of the spiders have come close to her. They start picking ponies up, carrying them towards her.

The wall she’s leaning against shifts. Her eyes go wide just in time for it to split apart with a light whirring noise, revealing a door… Which slides open with a similar sound.

She hits the floor, glancing ‘up’, into the revealed room. It looks empty.

The first party of spiders passes her. Simply passes her, carrying a unicorn into the room. As it does, she feels the rope binding her wings go slack.

A second party passes on the other side, carrying a pegasus. The lead rope loses its choking hold, coming free in her hooves.

A third party carries one right over her, leaving space for two more parties on either side. As they go, she spots a few flashes of light over her face- and the muzzle falls off.

She blinks- and, once those pass, rolls upright, rising to her hooves and stepping to the side of the door. She looks over herself for a second. All of the bindings, all of the cords… Gone. Cut, if she’s seeing them correctly. She even checks the back of her neck… Nothing metal.

She watches the spiders carry the rest of the party past her, into the room- and even follows the last set in, looking around. Rather interesting; once they’d shown they had no intention of bothering her, they just… weren’t nearly so scary. It reminds her of that manticore, so long ago. It had definitely been angry- but it had been clear to her that it hadn’t been angry at her. So, she’d been completely unafraid to approach, and find out what had bothered it…

That had been a truly enormous thorn.

Not unlike now. These spiders are very clearly working towards a goal, probably defense- but not against her.

So she’s unafraid to approach and find out what’s bothering them so.

Not that there’s much room to wonder about that. One of the party is stirring again- but his hooves are somehow embedded in the metal floor. So are those of the earth pony next to him.

And the unicorn across from the earth pony… Well, she can see how they reached that state. She does wonder a little at how easily those spiders seem to be cutting- and welding, she’s pretty sure that’s the word- the metal with bare touches.

She notices a glint of metal on the awakening pegasus’ wings. Just a little bit, right on the joints in the wing. Is it some sort of joint reinforcement thing…? She chooses not to investigate.

She then looks at the unicorn, watching as the spiders return the panels her hooves are embedded inside to the floor. She looks up at her horn, remembering what had happened in that hallway. She walks slowly over, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any kind of signal from the spiders; she doesn’t want to bother them, lest they do the same to her.

They let her walk right up. She touches the mare’s horn lightly with a hoof, shifting the head slightly to get a better view.

There! Right at the base, on the back, there’s a tiny hole. She gazes at it for a few seconds before letting out a gasp and recoiling, drawing all the way back to the door. That hole is positioned just right to go straight through the horn’s thaumic channel.

The kind of damage that completely- and permanently- disables a unicorn’s magic. That is incredibly painful, and will never stop hurting.

That only the finest doctors can repair.

The burnt orange pegasus awakens with a start. His head snaps up and his legs twitch, but his hooves don’t move. His wings also twitch outwards, but stop no further than an inch away from his sides.

He then gasps, head snapping to the sides as he looks at his wings- they seem to strain at going further… Oh, that’s what the metal must be doing.

He lets out a grunt of effort, but to no avail. He lets his wings fold back again, and turns to his hooves.

She flinches at his panicked scream. Honestly, she must admit, she would probably also scream if she woke up to find her hooves embedded in the floor.

Even Discord doesn’t do that.

He eventually calms himself down, though, breathing deeply with his eyes closed, before he opens them back up and rises to a standing position, searching the room. She watches his eyes widen as he spies all of his companions lying unconscious, the spiders working at installing their hooves in the floor. And those weird metal bits on their wings.

Then he spots her, standing completely free.

“You!” he screams. “You let me free this-!”

As she recoils from his outburst, the outburst is cut short by… something, converting it into a pained squeak. She’s not sure what’s doing it, but his head and tail both snap to stick straight out from his body, every muscle vibrating, for an entire second before he collapses to the ground.

He lies, breathing heavily, for several seconds, before lifting his head from the ground. “How…?” He looks around, and turns on her again, once again yelling. “How did you do-!”

Same thing. She vanishes out the open door while he’s still recovering, leaning against the wall outside while she closes her eyes and breathes deeply. Whatever is interrupting him, it looks very painful.

She shudders. It’s… Whatever those spiders are doing, she certainly can’t argue its effectiveness.

Her ear twitches. Is that…? Yes, it is. Somepony is trotting down that hallway… Towards her. She looks frantically up and down the hallway… Nope, nowhere to hide. She resolves to apologize, explain, and ask for forgiveness.