Scootaloo turned sharps around her desk and put her face so close to the private rank Earth-Pony he could feel her breath on his cheek. This Ponys report was very sketchy. She waited for a second before barking out a question.

"What do you mean Spike has returned!" yelled Scootaloo.

"I saw him with my own eyes. We were viewing the Ponyville marsh for signs of activity from Twilight's camp, suddenly Spike and Starlight Glimmer were there in the ruins," replied the private.

"Suddenly they were just there?" asked Scootaloo as she circled the stallion.

"I can't explain it, they must have a way to sneak around," said the private.

"Sneak around? With Spike's size?" asked Scootaloo with a doubtful tone.

Scootaloo stopped and leaned in close again. Her behavior was intended to make the private uncomfortable, to throw him off his game. If he was lying, it would increase the chances of his slipping up. Scootaloo was sure he was lying, she just wasn't sure why.

"H-he was smaller like he was back before the war," replied the private.

"Then what happened after you saw them?" asked Scootaloo.

Scootaloo returned to the chair behind her desk and hopped into the seat while she listened. She did not believe this Ponys story. She couldn't figure out what he could gain by lying about it though. Everything the Pony said made her think he was a bad double agent.

"Twilight and Trixie showed up, they came in with rolling fog and they captured Starlight and Spike," the private explained. He could tell his Lieutenant did not believe him.

"They captured Starlight and Spike-" Scootaloo clapped her forehooves together. "-just like that? No fight?"

"Yes ma'am, they captured them and then disappeared into the everfree swamp using the fog," replied the private. "I swear it ma'am I saw it myself."

Scootaloo looked at the private straight in the eyes. The last thing she had time for was a liar or spy. She also knew a development in the scales of power such as this could not go unchecked; if it was all true she needed to know the details. It was difficult enough for them to keep Starlight and Twilight in check, their magic was incredible, the last thing they needed was Twilight with the power of the amulet or Spike on their hands.

"You may leave, but you are confined to your quarters," Scootaloo told the private before shifting her focus to the military police guard behind the private. "See to it," she told him.

The two officers left the room and Scootaloo sat back in her char. She had many questions that needed to be answered. Why was Spike small again? Why would Starlight be out without her army or amulet, and how could they get captured so easily even without those things. What was Spike doing with Starlight, to begin with? Was any of this even true? The last question was the only one she felt fairly sure of the answer too. No. How could it be true? In the end, she decided to send out a team to get more information; they simply could not afford to not know for sure.

Scootaloo walked into the briefing chamber with her head held high. The team of Ponies she had formed for the mission immediately quieted down. Despite her age and flying handicap, Scootaloo had proven herself to be a capable and formidable officer. Her base knew better than to disrespect her.

The team consisted of two Earth-Ponies and a Unicorn. Both Earth-Ponies, Brick and Sandy, were dark brown with tan manes and tails; they were twins with matching cutiesmarks, one had a shovel and the other had a pickaxe. Before the war they had been archeologists, now they were private first-class intelligence-gathering specialists. The Unicorn, Vivid Shine had a grey coat and a darker grey mane and tail. He was younger than the others, accept Scootaloo. His cutiemark displayed a stage light; before the war, he had been a special effects coordinator.

"Listen up gamma team," Scootaloo barked at them. They immediately took their seats and gave her their full attention.

"We received a very strange report from our scout in the Ponyville marsh tonight. According to this report Starlight and Spike have been captured by Twilight and Trixie. Your task is to infiltrate Twilight's camp and find out of this is true. Regardless of the circumstances, you are not to attempt anything other than gathering intel." she explained.

"Ma'am, wouldn't we have known if Twilight, Starlight, Spike, and Trixie were fighting? The last time those four were in the same location Manehattan was transformed into a wasteland," replied Vivid Shine.

"According to this report there was no fight, Starlight did not have her army or her amulet, and Spike was small again," said Scootaloo.

"Spike? Small!" laughed Brick.

"This report sounds very sketchy ma'am," Sandy added.

"I agree, but even if the scout misunderstood what he saw, or it's turn out to be a lie, we still need to investigate. If it is true... it will complicate things even more," replied Scootaloo.

"Yes ma'am!" the squad shouted together.

"Everything else is at the intel station, good luck," said Scootalooo.

The team stood back up and saluted Scootaloo. She walked with a strong and stern form, her expression was solid and serious. She needed to be this way. The war had taken a lot from everypony, but it had taken everything from her. Her friends and loved ones were gone, some dead, some lost; the last Pony she had seen was Rainbow Dash before she led the Wonderbolt charge in the Great Last Stand. Nopony had heard from or seen Rainbow Dash since. She hadn't seen Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle since Ponyville was destroyed, years before the Great Last Stand.

When Scootaloo got to her quarters she quickly stripped herself of her uniform and climbed into the shower. She turned on the water and lifted her face into the stream feeling the mixture of cool and hot water stream down her face and neck, then down along her body and small feathered wings. As the water combined to a comfortable tempurature she sat and thought hard about the Ponies she missed. The shower was the only place she allowed herself to do this; the hot water masked her tears.

Author's Note

This story got held up a bit, I meant to have this chapter out on the 3rd.

I hope to have Chapter 3 out tomorrow, to put me back on my intended schedule.