The Covert Mare Corpsby totallynotabronyChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1Author note: Welcome to another story from the Battleships Universe. Cover art by Doctor Whooves. Please enjoy. The Covert Mare Corps Mexico City, 2012 The old hotel smelled like dirt. There were other underlying scents that Sweetie Belle tried not to think about. It was not a great place to stay, but hopefully the mare would be checking out soon. The next time she visited, better lodging would be found. The white unicorn lay prone on the hotel bed cradling an awkward human weapon. Her eye was to the telescopic sight of the rifle, where she had kept a single target sighted in for nearly half an hour. There was a much nicer hotel across the street. A large ballroom faced Sweetie Belle’s position. A few of the windows near the ceiling were open to take advantage of the pleasant evening. It was through one of the openings that the mare was aiming. A bullet passing through a pane of glass might be deflected. A quiet voice that was marred slightly by static spoke in her ear. “Melody, this is Wheels. Flower is in position. I’ll let you know when the time comes.” Two buildings away and at a significantly higher altitude sat an orange-coated pegasus. Listening to her earpiece, she heard a reply. “Wheels, this is Melody. Roger that.” Wheels’ given name was Scootaloo. She clung to the sloped roof beneath her, also hanging on to a pair of binoculars. From her position, she could look down through the windows of the ballroom and see most of the crowd gathered on the floor, or at tables around the perimeter. Scootaloo brushed a little of her purple mane back and raised the binoculars again. She peered at a mare wearing a fancy party dress that matched the pink ribbon that was tied in her crimson mane. The dress concealed most her her pale yellow body and the cutie mark on her hip. She was the one called Flower. The pony in the ballroom sat at a table with a fat man in an ill-fitting tuxedo. The two did not appear to get along. Scootaloo frowned a little, remembering some of the problems he had caused in the past. Hopefully the human would be on his best behavior this night. Apple Bloom, alias Flower, glanced at the stage at the front of the room. The special guest had not yet arrived. Beside her, Malcolm shifted his considerable bulk and looked uncomfortable, which is how he had looked for most of the night. The mare’s arrival at the event had caused a minor stir, but every person in the crowd had mostly forgotten her. After all, ponies had been public knowledge for two decades now. “I’m getting tired of waiting,” said the earth pony, enunciating carefully. It had taken considerable speaking practice to quash her natural accent. “I’m just here to point him out for you.” The man shrugged. “It’s not my fault he decided to come late.” “Well, it was you who helped him hide his finances,” pointed out Apple Bloom. “It’s lucky that you’re getting out of this at all.” A man stepped up to the podium on stage and tested the microphone before he began speaking. In the broken Spanish the pony knew, she could tell he was heaping lavish praise on someone. People began to clear the center of the room and return to tables. The mare tensed, sensing the moment of action was near. Another person walked out from behind the stage curtain. He was tall and trim, wearing a sharp suit and a pleasant-looking smile. This was Thomas Lakes, the founder of Food Aid Universal. FAU was an established charity organization that brought assistance to impoverished areas. Lakes had invited celebrities, politicians, and the wealthy to the ballroom that night to raise money for a new aid center in the area. “The man himself,” said Malcolm from the side of his mouth. Apple Bloom fought to keep her face expressionless. “The head of a major charity organization?” “I never asked his name, and he didn’t want me to know,” replied the man. “I may be as surprised as you are.” Apple Bloom hesitated, but decided to go ahead. The signal was innocuous, but distinctive enough to be noticed. She leaned forward to take a sip of her drink, blinking twice. The mare’s sensitive ears caught a muted sound from across the street combined with a simultaneous twang of high-tension steel. The cable holding a chandelier to the ballroom's ceiling had been neatly severed, and the fixture plunged to the recently vacated floor. It worked perfectly as a distraction. Back at the hotel, Sweetie Belle began hurriedly breaking down the rifle. She’d made a perfect shot as always, her magic control of the trigger giving an advantage over any human. The rifle’s suppressor came off the barrel, which came off the action. The stock folded in and everything fit into a small suitcase. The mare walked downstairs, putting on a grumpy look. At the front desk, she shouted, “I don’t know what’s going on across the street, but I’m tired of the noise!” An apologetic clerk offered another room, but the pony would have none of it. She threw down enough money to pay the bill, and stomped out. Outside, Sweetie Belle put her earpiece back in. “Wheels, this is Melody. I’m clear.” The reply came quickly. “Melody, it's Wheels. Flower and I are converging on the target.” Sweetie Belle told the other mare to stand by for pickup and got into a sedan the three of them had rented. With its modified interior, it was obvious at a glance that a pony drove it, but that couldn’t be helped. The unicorn pulled out onto the street and headed for a predetermined meeting place. From the rooftops, Scootaloo saw the car begin to move. She spread her wings and stepped off into space. There was the familiar rush as the mare traded gravity for speed, tracing a catenary curve - the quickest way to build velocity for horizontal flight. The pegasus was not a fan of math, but she knew how to get the most from her body. Pulling up to skim over the hotel roof, Scootaloo dropped down the other side and took up a concealed position near the back doors of the ballroom. When the chandelier came crashing down, Apple Bloom had been one of the first to move. Thomas Lakes had either been planning for disaster or was just really afraid of loud noises. He turned and fled backstage. The mare charged after him, hoping the crowd would assume she was merely evacuating the building. Apple Bloom heard a door slam open. She navigated a maze of backstage equipment and caught the exit door seconds later before it managed to close itself. Running footsteps sounded on the pavement outside. It was a good thing Lakes was wearing dress shoes, but the mare could have run him down anyway. She didn’t have to, however, as a winged shape materialized out of the night sky and dropped onto the fleeing man. Scootaloo crammed a bag onto Lakes’ head. As distinctive and easy to remember as most ponies were, it was important that she and her two cohorts were not seen. The man struggled underneath her. As a lightweight pegasus, the mare’s main advantage was speed and agility, not grappling. Luckily, Apple Bloom showed up just then to help. The earth pony easily held down the prisoner. Seconds later, a car pulled up and the trunk popped open. The two ponies tossed Lakes in and took seats in the passenger compartment. Sweetie Belle glanced up from the steering wheel. “How was it?” “No problem,” said Scootaloo, flashing a smile. “Ah’m gettin’ tired of always bein’ the inside pony,” complained Apple Bloom, her speaking accent relaxed. “But you’re good at it,” pointed out Sweetie Belle. “You don’t have to like it.” “Story of my life,” muttered the earth pony. Scootaloo checked a map. “We’re going to stop and get gas before we do the rest, right?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “I have a nice place picked out to get Mr. Lakes kicked out.” There was a moment of silence, and then the three mares cracked up laughing at her inadvertent rhyme. For a moment, the three of them felt like fillies again, back when life wasn’t so complicated and all they needed was each other. Apple Bloom was the first to get serious again. “So it’s the standard scare-and-scram?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yep, just like we talked about. Once we drop him, we’ll get back through the doorway to Equestria. We’ll debrief there.” Thomas Lakes’ organization, Food Aid Universal, had been quietly implicated in narcotics deals. It usually would not have been a concern for any citizen of Equestria, expect that some of the dealing was going on across the two dimensions. There were a number of things that could be done. If Equestria operated like the United States, Lakes would probably be in custody at some interrogation center. Less savory countries would probably just order his death. Ponies prided themselves on taking the high road, however, and merely kidnapped him to prevent his attendance at a meeting with some of his business partners, thereby ruining his credibility and making him think about his life choices. The plan was to dump Lakes out on the side of the road, shaken up but unhurt. First, though, the three mares had to stop at a gas station. The signs on the pumps were in Spanish, but the buttons for different octane ratings had regular numbers. Even if they accidentally picked one of the more expensive grades it was no big deal because the government was picking up the bill. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went inside to examine the wares. They hadn’t had much time when setting up the operation to check out interesting local things. That was something all three of them agreed on: traveling and having new experiences was the best part of the job. Scootaloo came in when the pump shut off. The other two mares had collected a few things to buy and brought them to the register. Outside, a pickup truck drove up, pausing near the rental car. A man leaned out the window and threw something to the ground. The truck took off. “What in tarnation-” Apple Bloom started, but was cut off by the explosion of a grenade directly beneath the car. Shrapnel broke a few of the gas station’s windows, and the car’s punctured fuel tank began to catch fire. The pool of burning gasoline spread out, making any approach to the car impossible. The three ponies stared at each other in shock. Clearly, Lakes had more enemies than just them. There was no time to think about it, though. They ran. The Puerto Interdimensional de Ciudad de Mexico was not far away, and the ponies were able to get there on hoof. It was lucky that the Mexican regulations regarding the dimensional doorways were more relaxed. Three mares wanted for not returning their exploded rental car were able to slip through. On the other side of the doorway was Canterlot. The terminal building was busy, even at night. The three of them found their way through the crowds and outside. The familiar building where their operations were run from was nearby, but they didn’t go in right away. It was always important to make sure there weren’t any followers. They split up but stayed close, watching the area around each other. Apple Bloom stopped at a coffee shop to buy some late-night joe, which she had developed a taste for during her time in the army. Scootaloo paused at a convenience store to pick up a can of Monster energy drink, which had been her primary beverage ever since the company had sponsored her while she competed in the X Games. Sweetie Belle thought about getting something to eat, but decided to cook for herself later. Once the three mares were satisfied, they entered the building, which was the Human Services of Equestria headquarters. Such a facility was needed as more and more people were beginning to live and work in Equestria. HSE was not affiliated with the special activities that Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle performed, but it made a nice cover. The trio went downstairs and through a security checkpoint. Their Human Services ID’s had quite a bit more clearance than standard ones. Deep beneath the building was a small room with secure communications gear and other, more dangerous hardware. Sweetie Belle looked at the weapon rack sadly, knowing one was missing. Her rifle had been abandoned in the burning car. It was not traceable back to Equestira, but it had been one of her favorites. Apple Bloom pulled off the party dress and discarded it near where other clothing hung neatly. Some of the clothes were for looking good, while some were for protection, and still others were for concealment. Scootaloo gave the earth pony a disapproving look for being careless with the dress, but turned away, logging into a computer. After verifying her information, the mare opened a connection to another machine. Down the street from the HSE building was the castle where the two Princesses of Equestria lived. It had been retrofitted over the years with new technology, but no renovation had been as extensive as the one that was required to install human-sourced electronics. Princess Celestia’s office had been one of the most reworked rooms in the castle. Most of the additions were tastefully hidden. In a small alcove off the main room sat a desktop computer. The machine received a query from another. Security was checked and access was granted. At that time of night the Sun Princess was not available, and her computer instead sent back a video that had been recorded previously. In their underground headquarters, the three mares crowded around the computer screen as Princess Celestia’s face appeared. “I’m afraid that I’m not able to meet with you tonight.” The white regal pony always managed to look prim and proper, no matter the situation or time of day. She’d had thousands of years of practice. “Your debrief will instead be handled by First Sergeant Bedrock of the Royal Guard. If there are any problems, contact Captain Peachtree.” Celestia smiled subtly. “Please don’t skip the chain of command by going directly to Colonel Shining Armor. Good night.” The video ended. Scootaloo put in a code for contacting another computer. Within seconds, a stallion of the Royal Guard was on a live connection. “Good evening ladies.” He glanced to the side, perhaps at a clock. “Beg your pardon, good morning.” The three mares laughed. They had worked with Bedrock before, and much prefered him to Peachtree. The First Sergeant was an experienced older soldier. He was coated with grey beneath his golden Guard armor, heavily muscled, and also highly intelligent. “It might as well be morning now,” said Sweetie Belle. “The evening didn’t go so well.” The three mares filled in Bedrock with all the details of the mission. They knew his computer was recording the conversation, but the stallion also took notes. He asked a few questions and supplied more information that the Guard had been able to gather. “So you have no idea who threw the grenade?” asked Bedrock. “Needless to say, this is a problem.” “We know why we wanted Lakes,” said Apple Bloom. “But we didn’t want him dead.” “I’ll try to get this sorted out for you, ladies,” promised Bedrock. “Get some sleep.” • • • Ponyville, 2009 Scootaloo clocked out at the end of the day. Being a weather pegasus had plenty of benefits and guaranteed that she got lots of exercise, but after the career she could have had, the job was more than a little unfulfilling. Today, though, there was no time to think about what a broken leg bone had cost her. He friend Apple Bloom was coming home to Ponyville. Before departing her home in Cloudsdale, Scootaloo stretched her legs in preparation for spending time on the ground. Her left rear leg hurt a little above the hoof, as usual. As she went out the door, the mare glanced at a small trophy case that hadn’t had a new addition to be displayed in years. The centerpiece was a silver medal from the X Games. She’d won it almost four years previously, and had been a favorite for the gold the next year. Instead, she’d shattered her leg on a hard landing in the Freestyle competition. The mare sighed as she closed the door. She wouldn’t have a scooter wheel for a cutie mark if she hadn’t been good at extreme sports. Now, there was a limp in her walk and she was pushing clouds around for a living. She didn’t even own a scooter anymore. The orange pegasus started down through the sky towards Ponyville. At the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle was closing up for the day. She finished locking the cash register and waved as the last employee departed. The unicorn supposed that it was nice to be in a leadership position. She was in charge of the Ponyville shop. In the twenty years since the doorways had opened, her older sister's business had expanded quite a bit. Rarity operated the main store from New York City, in the United States. At first, running a shop seemed fun, but Sweetie had grown bored of the monotony. Her special talent was in singing, not clothing. She’d never exploited the double-eighth-note cutie mark on her hip, however. There had either been no time with running the shop, or never the right connections to spread her voice to a larger audience. Sweetie stepped out the door of the Boutique and locked the door. Her friends were gathering, and she didn’t want to be late. The mare smiled with pleasure for what felt like the first time that day and hurried on her way. A jostle in the rails brought Apple Bloom out of her nap. She glanced out the window of the moving train, seeing familiar scenery rushing by. The mare yawned and sat up, adjusting the pink bow in her mane that she’d put on for old times’ sake. She hadn’t worn it for most of the last four years. It wasn’t allowed by regulations. Looking back on it, Apple Bloom remembered the exact reason why she’d joined the Equestrian Army. She’d wanted to leave Ponyville and look for a life unrelated to apples. Her cutie mark, a pink flower of an apple tree in bloom, was completely relevant to her special talent. The young trees responded better to her care than any other pony. It wasn’t what Apple Bloom wanted to do with her life, though, regardless of whether she was good at it. So one day she made the decision to leave the family farm, figuring the best way to see a lot of both worlds was to go with the military. Instead, she’d spent most of her time in Afghanistan helping with some war that Equestria didn’t start. The train pulled into Ponyville Station on time. Apple Bloom collected her duffle bag and stepped down onto the platform. She’d purposely been vague about her time of arrival, and nopony was there to meet her. Turning towards Sugarcube Corner, the mare headed out to meet with her two closest friends. There were a lot of good memories at the bakery. The three mares had spent a lot of time there as fillies. Mr. and Mrs. Cake still owned the place, and even with their children helping out, they still worked as hard as always. Pinkie Pie, arguably the hardest working baker ever, was still a legend around Ponyville. She’d left in the nineties to work at the White House. Bill Clinton himself had recruited her. The Cakes had been sorry to see her go, but the recognition of being a former employer of the famous Ms. Pie brought in plenty of business. Pumpkin Cake looked up from the cash register as the mares came in. “Oh hey, it’s good to see you three. Apple Bloom, how long has it been?” “A mite too long,” she replied. “Can we have a table in the back?” “Sure thing,” the younger mare replied. “Oh, your brother was in here earlier. He said he was looking for you to come in on the train.” “Yep, Ah’ll find him,” Apple Bloom said quickly. She followed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo away from the front of the shop to a more secluded place to sit. “Is your family still sore about you leaving?” asked Scootaloo in a low voice. “Don’t know,” muttered Apple Bloom. “Haven’t talked in awhile.” The three of them sat quietly for a moment. Through mail and phone calls, they’d been able to keep up on each other’s lives. There was not much new to talk about, but it was nice to just be together. “So what are you going to do now that you’re out of the army?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Not sure,” admitted Apple Bloom. “Ah’m goin’ to Canterlot tomorrow, maybe Ah’ll start there.” “Me too!” said the other two ponies simultaneously. Apple Bloom blinked. “All three of us?” “I got this letter,” said Scootaloo. “Yeah!” agreed Sweetie Belle. “So did Ah.” Apple Bloom frowned. “This is mighty strange, all three of us gettin’ one.” The three mares looked at each other. “What do you think it’s about?” asked Scootaloo. “The wording was kind of vague,” said Sweetie Belle. “I don’t have any idea why anypony at Human Services wants to have a meeting.” The trio shared a look. Scootaloo smiled mischievously. “I want to get to the bottom of this. Are you with me, girls?” Sweetie Belle grinned. “Of course.” “Hell yeah!” said Apple Bloom. The other two looked at her, surprised. She ducked her head. “Sorry. Bad habit Ah picked up.” “All right then,” said Sweetie. “I’ll get us tickets on the next train to Canterlot. I think mentioning you, Apple Bloom, should make it a little easier for me to convince my sister to let me take the day off.” At the mention of sisters, Apple Bloom's face fell. “Is something wrong?” asked Scootaloo. “Aren't you excited to see your family later?” questioned Sweetie. “Um, not really,” admitted Apple Bloom. The other two gasped. Scootaloo demanded, “Why not?” “We haven’t talked in a long time,” said Apple Bloom. “How long?” chorused the other two. “Uh...since Ah left.” The earth pony couldn’t meet the surprised gazes of the other two mares. “Four years?” shouted Sweetie Belle. Pumpkin Cake, who had been on her way over to take the three mares’ orders, quietly turned around and went back to the kitchen. “What happened?” asked Scootaloo. “Come on, talk to us, Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom continued to stare at the table. “Ah didn’t want to work on the farm, and things got a little outta hoof.” “What was different with you?” asked Scootaloo. “Didn’t Applejack leave the farm a while ago?” “Yeah,” said Apple Bloom. “She had a useful talent outside of apples, though.” Apple Bloom’s sister Applejack worked as an investigator for the Royal Intelligence Service. She was good at getting the truth and gauging honesty. “That doesn’t sound like the whole story,” observed Scootaloo. Apple Bloom gulped. “Right. Uh...Ah said some things Ah shouldn’t have.” The two other ponies stared at their friend. “Promise us that you’ll talk to them,” said Sweetie Belle. “Okay,” mumbled the earth pony. Chapter 2Los Angeles, 2012 Malcolm stared out the peephole on his hotel room door. One of the three mares outside called, “We don’t have all day!” The fat man sighed and unlocked the door. “I swear, I didn’t know they were going to kill Lakes. I got out of Mexico City as fast as I could.” “But do you know who ‘they’ are?” asked Sweetie Belle as she and the other two trooped into the room. “I have a couple of leads,” admitted Malcolm. He closed the door. “We’re waiting,” said Scootaloo. In a few minutes of searching, the man managed to piece together a small stack of paperwork. “Here. Probably better that you have it anyway.” “Just how many shady characters have you on their payrolls for your accounting skills?” asked Apple Bloom. Malcolm laughed. “I think that falls under client-practitioner confidentiality. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a trip to pack for.” He opened the door and got hit with an incapacitating taser. The three ponies watched him fall, thin wires protruding from his chest. The man holding the stun gun stepped into the doorway, surprised to see the mares. With a quick beat of her wings, Scootaloo tackled him, the par of them ending up in the hallway. Previously unseen other men grabbed at the pony, trying to pull her off. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle leapt into action. The earth pony kicked the first man she came to in the stomach. He flew backwards, hitting the floor. The unicorn menaced another attacker with her horn, distracting him with a light show before driving a hoof into his groin. Scootaloo freed herself and twirled on her front legs, smacking the last man upside the face with a rear hoof. Malcolm coughed, starting to get up. “I thought only Chuck Norris could roundhouse kick people in the head like that.” “I had good training,” explained the pegasus, looking at the pile of incapacitated assailants. “We need to get going,” reminded Sweetie Belle. “I can’t stand,” whined Malcolm. His legs were still shaky from being shocked. Apple Bloom nosed under his arm and then rather forcefully lifted him clear of the floor. It was no trouble for a fit earth pony. The three mares and their unhappy companion left the hotel and piled into a rental car. It was slightly amazing that they could get their hooves on enough fake IDs to keep them from running afoul of the rental companies. Something always seemed to happen to the cars. “So while we have time, why don’t you explain who wanted Thomas Lakes dead?” suggested Scootaloo. She was crammed in the back seat with Malcolm. “Um, well, I think it’s a little ironic that he was one of the good guys,” said the man, shuffling his paperwork. “Or at least one of the better guys.” “He died because he was too nice?” asked Apple Bloom from the front seat. “As you know, his organization was implicated in smuggling,” said Malcolm. “It’s my opinion that Lakes was either trying to cut back on it, or stop it completely. His business partners didn’t take too kindly to it.” “I guess we’ll just have to find them,” said Sweetie Belle. Malcolm handed the paperwork off. “Drop me at the corner, if you’d be so kind.” The unicorn stopped the car and he got out. Scootaloo examined the files as the three mares pulled away again. “There are a lot of names here.” “Just start at the top of the list,” suggested Apple Bloom. “Where are we going?” The pegasus consulted the papers. “Colombia.” • • • Canterlot, 2009 “Well, this is it, but I don’t see who we should be talking to,” said Sweetie Belle. She and her two friends stood in front of the Human Services building. “Pardon me, ladies,” said a deep voice. A stallion stood behind them. He looked buff and his mane was cut short. Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, recognizing a military pony when she saw one. He wasn’t wearing any kind of uniform, however. “Yeah?” said Scootaloo. “My name is Bedrock. I’ll be escorting you on your tour of HSE.” He watched as the three mares looked at each other, reaching the unspoken agreement to go forward with finding out why they had received the mysterious letters. With their consent, the stallion led them into the building. After swiping an ID card, they went past a restricted-access door and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, there was a door. This one was even tighter security, with a code that had to be put in. When the door swung open, the three mares gasped and sank to their knees. “Come in,” invited Princess Celestia. The regal mare waited in dark chamber, the only thing inside was a computer terminal. “I suppose you’re wondering why I asked you to come here.” Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and then nodded their heads at the Princess. Celestia smiled. “I’d like to offer you all a job.” Still, the three mares did not speak. Meeting the Princess unexpectedly had shocked them into silence. Scootaloo fidgeted a little. Sweetie Belle caught her eyes drifting to the floor. Apple Bloom realized she was standing at the military position of attention and forced herself to relax. “It’s unfortunate that Equestria needs this position filled,” said the Princess. “I don’t like shadow games, however it’s sometimes necessary to use subtle action behind the scenes.” “Are we talkin’ about somethin’ like black ops?” asked Apple Bloom, catching on. The Princess smiled humorlessly. “Something like that. I believe you three have the skill set and attitude to be very good at it.” “What…planting bombs and stuff?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Assassinations?” cried Scootaloo. Celestia’s eyes went wide. “No! I like to think Equestria has more moral fortitude than that. I promise that I will never order you to kill someone.” Sweetie Belle gave her a curious look. “Someone…?” “That’s correct.” Celestia nodded. “This will be external affairs, outside of Equestria.” “Earth.” Apple Bloom had spent much of the last four years there. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. “Wow,” murmured Sweetie Belle. It was a lot to take in. She knew Rarity expected her to run the Ponyville shop, so she couldn’t walk away at will. And anyway, how was she qualified for this? Scootaloo said nothing, staring at her hooves. After the X Games, she didn’t think there was anything on the other side of the doorways for her. Worse, what if someone recognized her distinctive appearance? Princess Celestia looked at the three mares, frowning. There had to be a better incentive to get them to agree to the job. But what? “I’d like to show you something,” said Celestia. “Hold still.” Bedrock stepped back as the Princess’ horn glowed with strong magic. In a flash of light, she and the three mares were transported somewhere else. The room was small and unadorned. From behind the door, there were sounds of ponies working. Celestia opened the door, briefly consulting a small electronic device. “What’s that, Princess?” asked Apple Bloom, ignoring the dozens of ponies using desks and workbenches behind the door. “It’s a Blackberry,” she explained. “I was checking to make sure I hadn’t missed anything while I was underground and out of signal range.” “Looks cool. Where’d you get it?” asked Scootaloo. Celestia laughed. “I had a meeting with President Obama last month, and he convinced me to try one. I suppose it’s useful, if a little impersonal. Tech Support tells me the iPhone might be better.” “Did somepony say my name?” asked a stallion, poking his head out from behind a desk piled high with electronics. “Just talking about cell phones, Mr. Support,” said Celestia. Turning to the three mares behind her, she suggested, “Let’s find a place where we can discuss this new job.” The Princess led the three mares through the room. Each of the workers seemed to be working on something high-tech. Sweetie Belle paused for a moment, staring at a device that resembled a syringe hidden inside a pen. Her eyes narrowed. That’s exactly what it was. There were a few empty desks. The Princess sat, gesturing for her guests to sit as well. “Now, I want to ask you all a very serious question. What do you want out of life?” The three ponies did not respond. Celestia prodded, “Apple Bloom, what did you do in Afghanistan?” “Ah, uh, sat in a hole and waited for somethin’ to happen,” responded the earth pony. “Sweetie Belle, how do you like working at the boutique?” asked the Princess. “It’s all right. I’m already manager, though. Not much opportunity for advancement.” The unicorn sighed. The royal pony turned to Scootaloo. “Do you make lots of friends at the weather factory?” The pegasus nodded, casting her eyes downwards. “Yeah. We talk about…weather.” “Do you see those ponies over there?” asked Celestia, nodding towards the various workers making gadgets. “Their work is secret. Nopony knows what they do. All their job satisfaction comes from knowing they helped Equestria today.” “Ah still don’t understand how you think we would be good at this,” commented Apple Bloom. The Princess nodded. “A pony’s talent in life goes beyond cutie marks. As I understand it, none of you three are working in fields that make use of yours?” There was silence for several seconds. Sweetie Belle said, “I think we’re going to need some time to think about this.” “Take as much as you need.” Celestia smiled and got up. She turned to go, but Apple Bloom called after her. “Wait! Ah don’t have anything to go back to. I want to do this.” The Princess briefly arched an eyebrow, as if saying Are you sure there’s nothing for you at home? She smiled however, and nodded. “Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I’m in.” Sweetie Belle looked at her two friends. “I suppose I could recommend a replacement at the boutique.” She smiled. “Very well,” said the Princess. “The basement room where we first met will be your base of operations. You’ll be provided with the means to fit it out as you desire. I know you’re all very creative young mares. This will be a very unconstrained employment. I tell you the what, and you figure out the how. If you need anything that you can’t get on your own, let me know.” Three credit cards magically appeared, presumably from the same place Celestia’s Blackberry had disappeared to. “Those are American Express Centurion cards!” Sweetie Belle eyes were wide. “Princess, do you really trust us with unlimited charge accounts?” Celestia smiled. “I said that I would let you figure things out on your own.” The three mares said goodbye to the Princess, thanking her again. They left the room, discovering that Celestia had merely transported them to another part of the HSE building. “This is sure a lot to think about,” said Scootaloo. “Sure is,” agreed Apple Bloom. “This is about the last thing I expected,” added Sweetie Belle. “It's a far cry from our Cutie Mark Crusader days, right girls?” They laughed. “More like the Covert Mare Corps now,” chuckled Apple Bloom. “I think there have to be more than three members to be considered a true Corps,” said Sweetie Belle. “What’re you, a dictionary?” Chapter 3Author note: It's kind of like getting four chapters in one! Canterlot, 2012 Setting up for a new operation usually involved a stop by the headquarters in the basement of the HSE building. The three mares entered their abode and began packing gear. The room was decorated—in a way—with clothing, accessories, weapons, and communication equipment. A few personal items had been placed here and there. A photograph of the Eiffel Tower. A piece of black fabric. A bullet on a necklace chain. “How should we pack?” asked Scootaloo. “It’ll probably be warm,” answered Sweetie Belle. “Colombia ain’t the warmest place we could be goin’,” observed Apple Bloom. The unicorn shrugged. “Well, based on intel, we’ll probably be doing this at night. It’ll be a little cooler then.” The three ponies gathered the gear they thought would be needed. It wasn’t their first operation and they had some experience with what to take. • • • Canterlot, 2009 The bare walls echoed with the voices of the three mares. “What in the world are we going to put here?” asked Scootaloo. The subterranean room was empty, save for the computer terminal. “We can do whatever we want,” Sweetie Belle told her. “Princess Celestia gave it to us to use how we see fit.” “Ah don’t know where to start.” Apple Bloom looked around. “We don’t know what we might need.” “Could the Princess get us some kind of spy training?” asked Scootaloo. “She told us to ask if we needed anything.” “Apple Bloom, you know something about fighting, right?” said Sweetie Belle. The earth pony shrugged. “Just ‘cause I was in the army doesn’t mean I know everything about combat. Maybe we could get some of that training, too.” “And languages!” added Scootaloo. The three of them began to quickly talk and make plans. The black-colored Centurion cards they had been given were about to get a workout. Somewhere in Colombia, 2012 Sweetie Belle stretched low, a few pieces of underbrush piled on top of her. There were no proper hills in this part of the world, only a small rise among the trees. The laser rangefinder she had gave the distance to target at a little more than seven hundred yards. The unicorn regretted not getting one that gave multiple options for unit output, but fortunately her rifle was also set to function on a yards-based system. The weapon was quite large and was not silenced. At the distance the mare was posted, she shouldn’t have a problem with exfiltration once the mission was over. Also, she would need a little more force than if her target was a soft one. The XM500 bullpup sniper rifle had been hand-assembled by the Barrett Firearms Company in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was considered by many to be too large and unwieldy for regular use, and the powerful .50 BMG ammunition certainly didn’t help. However, if you wanted to make a difficult shot from almost half a mile away, there was no better weapon. Sweetie picked up a small mirror with her magic and used it to check her camouflage. She had been careful in constructing her cover because certain plants, like grass, could wilt within hours and render her disguise ineffective. She would probably be in position for longer than a few hours. The mare stared at a cluster of buildings through the optics on her rifle. Some men stood around, most of them armed. It seemed pretty obvious that they were doing something illegal—and probably drug related. Still, Sweetie’s job was to stand by and observe. She carefully memorized as many details as possible while the sun began to go down. Her friends were counting on her to be aware of the area. Later, as the glow faded from the horizon, the earpiece Sweetie wore came to life. “Melody, this is Wheels. Stand by, they’re getting ready to move.” The unicorn confirmed that she had received the message and tightened her grip on the rifle. A concealment spell she’d cast earlier covered the glow of her magic. “This is Flower, they’re on the move.” Sweetie trained the scope on the truck. A night vision scope would have only helped so much, and barely at all at such a long distance. She had to guess where her target was based on the headlights. The truck rounded a bend in the road. “Now!” The rifle thundered. An ounce and a half of lead zipped toward the target, covering the distance at several times the speed of sound. It was a perfect shot, like always. “Melody, Flower here. Clean kill! We’re approaching now.” Sweetie nodded to herself. The truck sat dead in the road, its engine block shattered by her bullet. • • • Camp Pendleton, 2010 The grass under her face was not great. Sweetie Belle chewed some while she plotted her next move. The stalking range at the Marine Corps base was used for the final phase of sniper training. It was not unheard of for the Marines to host foreign military members at their school, but a pony raised more than a few eyebrows. At least the mare had proven herself. Over the last several weeks, she’d been doing better than average, especially at concealment. While Sweetie’s magical talent was not related to disguises, she could add enough extra to her hoof-made ghillie suit to become virtually invisible. While the mare’s body—and horn—could not physically get as flat to the ground as a human, she had still crawled up to the firing line without being detected. With a radio, she reported ready. A neutral instructor came by, stopping within ten yards of the prone pony. At the observation post Sweetie was sneaking towards, a small sign was posted. “It says ‘USCM’,” reported the pony, showing that she was close enough to see it. Sweetie wondered why it wasn’t “USMC.” Probably trying to trip her up. “Correct,” the instructor told her. He checked his radio. Now that he was within ten yards, it was the observation post’s job to talk him closer. If they steered him to within a foot of the shooter, she failed. Apparently, Sweetie could not been seen from the post. The instructor never came closer than three yards. He ordered, “Take your first shot.” Sweetie pulled the trigger, hitting a human-shaped metal target. Once again the post tried to talk the instructor onto her position. When she couldn’t be located, he told her to fire a second shot. Seconds passed. The instructor’s radio chirped. He looked around, still not seeing the concealed pony. “All right, come out. You passed.” The closing ceremony of the training program was attended by far fewer than had entered the course It had a 60% dropout rate, after all. Each of the graduates was presented with a bullet on a necklace chain. It was a powerful symbol of Marine Sniper School, and a keepsake that all of them would treasure. A road in Colombia, 2012 Scootaloo squinted from the bushes. It was dark, but the camouflage netting concealed her orange coat. Her purple mane was pulled back, both to keep it out of the way and to deviate from her usual appearance. The mare wore a black combat jacket that was long enough to cover her cutie mark. In the distance, she saw headlights cut through the night. That would be the transport truck moving. The pegasus called it out on the radio and got a confirmation from Sweetie Belle. Now they had to wait for the right moment. As the truck’s engine grew closer, Scootaloo heard her companion, who was hidden across the road from her, call out another warning on the radio. As the truck drew near, the orange mare keyed her radio and called, “Now!” There was a loud thunk and the truck stopped dead. Scootaloo was out of her hiding place in a flash, rushing forwards. Two men jumped out of the back of the vehicle with assault rifles. The pegasus leapt into the air and kicked the first one in the chest, using her wings to create extra force. Shoving him into the other man, the pony twisted and disarmed both before tossing the pair into the road. Before they could recover, Scootaloo was already at the driver’s door. She slammed it closed as he started to get out, reaching through the open window and hauling his head out. It was easy to keep the man pinned with his neck on the sill. The pegasus looked across the cab of the truck where a second man was being hauled out by another mare. She received a quick nod from the other pony, who dragged her prisoner into the trees. Scootaloo shoved the man back into the truck and zipped away. The whole attack had taken just seconds. • • • Tel Aviv, 2010 “Why are you learning human martial arts?” asked the Israeli solider. The orange pony shrugged. Truthfully, it just made sense. She might have to fight humans. “Do you realize that this will not be quick, easy, or painless?” The man smiled. “I’m in good shape, I’m quick, and I’ve been studying Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and a little Kung Fu,” answered Scootaloo. “Well, Krav Maga is a little different.” The soldier shrugged. “It’s not defensive, it’s meant to end fights as quickly as possible.” The pegasus nodded. She felt ready. Weeks later, Scootaloo didn’t feel ready. She expected to be attacked by an instructor at any moment. She had learned to be always alert and ready to fight. Her movements had gotten sharper and more reflexive, but there was still a lot to learn. Despite that, it was useful in more areas than just fighting skill. Scootaloo’s exercise routine hadn’t fallen off since leaving the X Games, but she had known there was room for improvement. She was still no Rainbow Dash, but her fitness had gotten better since beginning. The mare had her eyes on a black belt. If it took a little pain and suffering, that was fine. As the instructors liked to say, think how much of that you’ll be able to cause. The Colombian jungle, 2012 Apple Bloom had transported the man for quite a distance. She wanted to have a private conversation with him, after all. The mare had quickly bound and gagged him at the truck and carried him away from the road. If intel was correct—and it should be—this man was Francois Theriault. While a native of France, the man had connections all over the world. How he had come to be in Colombia was not Apple Bloom’s concern. She had more important questions to ask. He didn’t want to cooperate. The mare silently cursed the pony reputation about being nicer than people. It took quite a lot of convincing to get Francois to see her side of things. Scootaloo showed up shortly and stood watch. She didn’t speak French, and therefore could not participate in the interrogation. Apple Bloom finally managed to get what she wanted and stuffed the gag back in the man’s mouth. He stared at the two ponies. They gave them a look and turned away. If he wanted to get back to civilization, he would have to walk. The two mares met up with the third a few hours later and several miles away. Sweetie Belle asked, “What did we learn?” “Well, Ah threatened to extradite him to England, and after that he seemed to want to talk,” said Apple Bloom. “He told me what’s goin’ on.” The earth pony’s friends leaned closer as she told the story. “Food Aid Universal was being used by the cartels to smuggle drugs hidden inside their shipments. Thomas Lakes was trying to stop it, and they killed him. Meanwhile, our friend Francois was handling things on this side of the ocean.” “This side of the ocean?” asked Scootaloo. “I take it the real management is somewhere else.” “So where are we going next?” asked Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom sighed. “South Africa.” • • • Paris, 2010 The pony fluffed her scarf against the cold. The woman across the table from her smoked a cigarette and stared unpleasantly at her coffee. Apple Bloom asked in stuttering French how much longer they were going to sit there. Checking her watch, the woman said that it wouldn’t be too much longer. The human was an agent for DCRI, a French nationwide law enforcement agency. Apple Bloom was in training with them to gain experience and learn to speak the language. She’d interned with several agencies in Europe already. The agent extinguished her cigarette as a blonde woman walked by. This was the criminal they were after. The pony and the woman got up, heading for the target. A black van sat idling at the curb. As the blonde drew even with it, the door snapped open and two men grabbed her. Apple Bloom and her companion pushed from behind. All of them piled into the van and it pulled away. “Julie Kenrick, visitor from across the channel,” explained one of the men in heavily accented English. Apple Bloom knew that the snatch-and-grab relied on speed. Ms. Kenrick wasn’t missed yet, and they had to act fast. Suddenly, a cell phone rang. One of the agents grabbed it out of their detainee’s pocket. “She needs to answer it, or they might figure out we grabbed her!” said the pony, not bothering to speak French. “Can’t trust her.” “Let me.” The pony held out her hooves. Reluctantly, the man handed over the phone. Punching the answer button, the mare put it to her ear. “Hello?” The French seemed surprised. The pony’s usual ridiculous accent seemed to have morphed into a perfect mimic of someone from the British Isles. Apple Bloom listened. “I’m on my way. Tell me the address where I’m going again, just to make sure I have it.” After a few more minutes, the mare ended the call and smiled. “Ah know where the rest of ‘em are. Let’s get goin’.” Chapter 4Western Indian Ocean, 2012 The three mares checked their equipment as a battle chariot was prepared to transport them ashore. The ship cruised along slowly, although this close to the South African coast, even in the middle of the night, trying to be any more covert would probably draw more attention. TMS Ponyville had formerly been a US Navy destroyer. The doorway technology was still not able to transport a five hundred foot warship to Equestria, so it was permanently homeported on Earth at Rota, Spain with a few other vessels, most of them from the United States. The ship’s spacious helicopter hangar had been converted to accommodations for the embarked pegasus air unit. While Scootaloo would have been able to fly ashore by herself, she couldn’t carry both her friends. Besides, the chariot would allow them to bring more equipment. The sailors seemed curious about the three mares but understood the need for security and did not approach. That was fine—it gave them more room to talk. “Do we have everything we need?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Weapons, check,” replied Scootaloo. “Communications, check,” said Apple Bloom. “Supplies, check,” noted Sweetie Belle. “Let’s go.” The pegasi pulling the chariot made a few checks of their own and after getting clearance from the flight deck controller, they spread their wings and lifted off into the night. While the ship was obvious, the small chariot would not draw too much attention. It had been made of radar-cheating material, not that there was much electronic coverage on this section of coastline. They were coming in clandestinely, which meant no marker lights. The ponies flying wore night vision headgear. While it didn’t involve the government directly, South Africa might be a bit concerned about a foreign operation on their soil. Sometimes these things couldn’t be helped, and the only thing to do was simply not get caught. The money trail had led to a South African mine. While the connection was not exactly clear to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, it was to somepony, and that was reason enough. “Ah still don’t understand why they’d put the office underground,” grumbled Apple Bloom. “It’s almost like they were building a supervillain lair on purpose,” remarked Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle studied the blueprints carefully. They had to get down the mine shaft and then figure out how to collect incriminating evidence. She was still thinking it over when the chariot bumped down to a landing. “Thank you gentlecolts,” said Apple Bloom. The Navy fliers said a farewell and took off for the ship. The three of them picked up their gear and made for the mine entrance. They had been dropped off inside the security perimeter, and had to be careful of guards. The mine was closed at the moment, but using the main elevator would still draw attention. Apple Bloom prepared a rappel rope for herself and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo preferred to hover. The ride down was quite long, and the rappelling gear had generated a lot of heat through friction by the time they reached the office level, more than two hundred feet below the surface. The rest of the mine ran more than a thousand feet deeper than that. With help from Scootaloo, the two ponies on the line swung over to the side of the shaft and found the manual override for the elevator doors. After passing through another set of doors that sealed out the dank environment of the mine, they found themselves in the office. It was a dark, but the lights of a few computers ran. The task after that was fairly simple. They planted a logger in every keyboard they could find. The devices were borrowed from the American NSA. They consisted of small bits of conductive material that picked up the individual signal each keystroke made and recorded them. When the logger was retrieved later, the signals would be compared to each keyboard manufacturer’s system of input, and once a match was made everything the logger had recorded could be read as plaintext. And there was the hardest part of the operation—coming back to get the loggers. They had to get in undetected twice. Getting back up the shaft the first time was tricky enough. A small rachet device was clipped to the rope. Concentrating hard, Sweetie cast a come-to-life spell that slowly began to reel herself and Apple Bloom towards the surface. The unicorn was panting with exertion by the time they got there. She had time to rest, though. They would have a few days of downtime camping in the South African wilderness. • • • Singapore, 2011 “Are we ready?” asked Scootaloo. “Yep,” answered Sweetie Belle nervously. “Ah suppose,” said Apple Bloom. “Let’s go.” The three of them walked into the terminal dispatch building. It served as the headquarters for one of the largest shipping centers on earth. Cargo from across the world passed through. The trio of mares approached the receptionist. “Good morning,” said Apple Bloom in a professional voice. “We spoke earlier. The three of us have come to take delivery of a container.” It took a moment for the woman to realize who she was talking to. Apparently, she hadn’t been expecting ponies. “Right, we’ll get that for you.” The containers were the primary method for shipping goods worldwide. Most were metal boxes about eight feet wide, eight and a half feet high, and twenty feet long. The particular container that the trio of mares had claimed was not actually theirs. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” muttered Sweetie quietly as the human arranged the paperwork. “Princess Celestia said she’d give us something easy for a first job,” Scootaloo said. The three of them chuckled quietly. Nothing so far had been easy, but at least they were reasonably prepared. It had taken a lot of effort and hard work before they felt ready for anything the Princess could ask. “You can meet the truck outside,” said the receptionist. The ponies thanked her and left the building. In a few minutes, a truck pulling a trailer with a container on it appeared. Getting back in the taxi they had arrived in, they directed the driver to a warehouse complex in another part of the city. The container truck dutifully followed. The loading docks outside the warehouse were abandoned at the moment. The container trailer was backed up to them and the truck unhooked. A bored-looking stallion in a small delivery truck waited nearby. After seeing off the taxi, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle cracked open the container doors. Inside were several pallets of Chinese Yuan bills. There had been some east-Asian crime moving into Equestria, but hopefully taking out a piece of the cash flow would slow it down. With the help of the driver, they got the money transferred into his truck. It would probably be taken to a safe location to be disposed of. “Well, that wasn’t too difficult,” noted Apple Bloom. “Easier than Ah was expectin’.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we just had to get fake IDs, spoof the port inventory system, convince the company we were legitimate, and make off with the loot.” “It still worked,” pointed out Sweetie Belle. The three of them slapped hooves on a job well done. It was clear that they had what it took to succeed. The future looked bright. Chapter 5South Africa, 2012 It was actually a very leisurely wait, despite the conditions. The three mares only had to lay around in the scrub outside the mine security fence and give the spy gear time to work. Aside from watching out for security patrols, it gave them all time to relax. They had already planned for extracting the information when it was time, and it shouldn't be too difficult. After that, they could go home. They all checked their equipment and weapons, despite the lack of use. They kept watch on the off chance that extra intelligence could be collected. Mostly, it was just nice to enjoy each other’s company. Sweetie Belle stretched out on her sleeping bag beneath the camouflage tarp they had rigged for shade. “It’s nice to have some time to unwind.” “You can say that again,” agreed Scootaloo. “Sometime surveillance jobs are better than others.” “It’s almost like camping,” noted Apple Bloom. “Heck, aside from the exotic locale, it’s almost exactly like that.” The other two nodded, remembering the last time they had gone camping… • • • Sweet Apple Acres, 2009 The old treehouse was still there. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked up at it in the gathering darkness. “This thing must have been built really well,” commented Scootaloo. “I mean, not only did it survive your sister, Apple Bloom, it survived us.” The three of them laughed. With all the Cutie Mark Crusading, they’d eventually found their cutie marks, but in all honestly it had been a little underwhelming, sort of like one more birthday when you already had dozens behind you. Sweetie hadn’t really minded working with her sister instead of going out on her own into the music industry. It had kept the two of them close. Scootaloo had a good moment in the spotlight, and had retired at the top of her game. Apple Bloom had not really enjoyed her time in the military, but at the time she joined it seemed better than staying home. The house where the earth pony’s family still lived was not far away. The three of them had come from there. Scootaloo and Sweetie had been with Apple Bloom, just to give her the courage to knock on the door. Four years was a long time to cut off ties from your kin. Apple Bloom had already forgiven them for whatever they had argued about so long ago. They had forgiven her, too. The reunion was a perfect end to the day. Tomorrow would be the start of something new for all of them. After agreeing to work for Princess Celestia, the three mares had begun planning how they would handle the tasks she gave them. Training was first on the list. Soon, Sweetie Belle would be leaving for California, Scootaloo would go to Israel, and Apple Bloom was prepared to start a tour of Europe. But tonight the three of them were together. It was just like old times. Carefully they climbed into the rickety tree house, spreading out their borrowed camping gear. The paint on the walls had faded and peeled. Most of the decorations still showed however, including an image that featured the acronym that three young fillies had proudly given themselves to represent their bond. The trio of mares lay down for the night. It was peaceful, and they were together. While that might not always be true in the future, it didn’t diminish their friendship – no matter what they called themselves.
Chapter 1Author note: Welcome to another story from the Battleships Universe. Cover art by Doctor Whooves. Please enjoy. The Covert Mare Corps Mexico City, 2012 The old hotel smelled like dirt. There were other underlying scents that Sweetie Belle tried not to think about. It was not a great place to stay, but hopefully the mare would be checking out soon. The next time she visited, better lodging would be found. The white unicorn lay prone on the hotel bed cradling an awkward human weapon. Her eye was to the telescopic sight of the rifle, where she had kept a single target sighted in for nearly half an hour. There was a much nicer hotel across the street. A large ballroom faced Sweetie Belle’s position. A few of the windows near the ceiling were open to take advantage of the pleasant evening. It was through one of the openings that the mare was aiming. A bullet passing through a pane of glass might be deflected. A quiet voice that was marred slightly by static spoke in her ear. “Melody, this is Wheels. Flower is in position. I’ll let you know when the time comes.” Two buildings away and at a significantly higher altitude sat an orange-coated pegasus. Listening to her earpiece, she heard a reply. “Wheels, this is Melody. Roger that.” Wheels’ given name was Scootaloo. She clung to the sloped roof beneath her, also hanging on to a pair of binoculars. From her position, she could look down through the windows of the ballroom and see most of the crowd gathered on the floor, or at tables around the perimeter. Scootaloo brushed a little of her purple mane back and raised the binoculars again. She peered at a mare wearing a fancy party dress that matched the pink ribbon that was tied in her crimson mane. The dress concealed most her her pale yellow body and the cutie mark on her hip. She was the one called Flower. The pony in the ballroom sat at a table with a fat man in an ill-fitting tuxedo. The two did not appear to get along. Scootaloo frowned a little, remembering some of the problems he had caused in the past. Hopefully the human would be on his best behavior this night. Apple Bloom, alias Flower, glanced at the stage at the front of the room. The special guest had not yet arrived. Beside her, Malcolm shifted his considerable bulk and looked uncomfortable, which is how he had looked for most of the night. The mare’s arrival at the event had caused a minor stir, but every person in the crowd had mostly forgotten her. After all, ponies had been public knowledge for two decades now. “I’m getting tired of waiting,” said the earth pony, enunciating carefully. It had taken considerable speaking practice to quash her natural accent. “I’m just here to point him out for you.” The man shrugged. “It’s not my fault he decided to come late.” “Well, it was you who helped him hide his finances,” pointed out Apple Bloom. “It’s lucky that you’re getting out of this at all.” A man stepped up to the podium on stage and tested the microphone before he began speaking. In the broken Spanish the pony knew, she could tell he was heaping lavish praise on someone. People began to clear the center of the room and return to tables. The mare tensed, sensing the moment of action was near. Another person walked out from behind the stage curtain. He was tall and trim, wearing a sharp suit and a pleasant-looking smile. This was Thomas Lakes, the founder of Food Aid Universal. FAU was an established charity organization that brought assistance to impoverished areas. Lakes had invited celebrities, politicians, and the wealthy to the ballroom that night to raise money for a new aid center in the area. “The man himself,” said Malcolm from the side of his mouth. Apple Bloom fought to keep her face expressionless. “The head of a major charity organization?” “I never asked his name, and he didn’t want me to know,” replied the man. “I may be as surprised as you are.” Apple Bloom hesitated, but decided to go ahead. The signal was innocuous, but distinctive enough to be noticed. She leaned forward to take a sip of her drink, blinking twice. The mare’s sensitive ears caught a muted sound from across the street combined with a simultaneous twang of high-tension steel. The cable holding a chandelier to the ballroom's ceiling had been neatly severed, and the fixture plunged to the recently vacated floor. It worked perfectly as a distraction. Back at the hotel, Sweetie Belle began hurriedly breaking down the rifle. She’d made a perfect shot as always, her magic control of the trigger giving an advantage over any human. The rifle’s suppressor came off the barrel, which came off the action. The stock folded in and everything fit into a small suitcase. The mare walked downstairs, putting on a grumpy look. At the front desk, she shouted, “I don’t know what’s going on across the street, but I’m tired of the noise!” An apologetic clerk offered another room, but the pony would have none of it. She threw down enough money to pay the bill, and stomped out. Outside, Sweetie Belle put her earpiece back in. “Wheels, this is Melody. I’m clear.” The reply came quickly. “Melody, it's Wheels. Flower and I are converging on the target.” Sweetie Belle told the other mare to stand by for pickup and got into a sedan the three of them had rented. With its modified interior, it was obvious at a glance that a pony drove it, but that couldn’t be helped. The unicorn pulled out onto the street and headed for a predetermined meeting place. From the rooftops, Scootaloo saw the car begin to move. She spread her wings and stepped off into space. There was the familiar rush as the mare traded gravity for speed, tracing a catenary curve - the quickest way to build velocity for horizontal flight. The pegasus was not a fan of math, but she knew how to get the most from her body. Pulling up to skim over the hotel roof, Scootaloo dropped down the other side and took up a concealed position near the back doors of the ballroom. When the chandelier came crashing down, Apple Bloom had been one of the first to move. Thomas Lakes had either been planning for disaster or was just really afraid of loud noises. He turned and fled backstage. The mare charged after him, hoping the crowd would assume she was merely evacuating the building. Apple Bloom heard a door slam open. She navigated a maze of backstage equipment and caught the exit door seconds later before it managed to close itself. Running footsteps sounded on the pavement outside. It was a good thing Lakes was wearing dress shoes, but the mare could have run him down anyway. She didn’t have to, however, as a winged shape materialized out of the night sky and dropped onto the fleeing man. Scootaloo crammed a bag onto Lakes’ head. As distinctive and easy to remember as most ponies were, it was important that she and her two cohorts were not seen. The man struggled underneath her. As a lightweight pegasus, the mare’s main advantage was speed and agility, not grappling. Luckily, Apple Bloom showed up just then to help. The earth pony easily held down the prisoner. Seconds later, a car pulled up and the trunk popped open. The two ponies tossed Lakes in and took seats in the passenger compartment. Sweetie Belle glanced up from the steering wheel. “How was it?” “No problem,” said Scootaloo, flashing a smile. “Ah’m gettin’ tired of always bein’ the inside pony,” complained Apple Bloom, her speaking accent relaxed. “But you’re good at it,” pointed out Sweetie Belle. “You don’t have to like it.” “Story of my life,” muttered the earth pony. Scootaloo checked a map. “We’re going to stop and get gas before we do the rest, right?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “I have a nice place picked out to get Mr. Lakes kicked out.” There was a moment of silence, and then the three mares cracked up laughing at her inadvertent rhyme. For a moment, the three of them felt like fillies again, back when life wasn’t so complicated and all they needed was each other. Apple Bloom was the first to get serious again. “So it’s the standard scare-and-scram?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yep, just like we talked about. Once we drop him, we’ll get back through the doorway to Equestria. We’ll debrief there.” Thomas Lakes’ organization, Food Aid Universal, had been quietly implicated in narcotics deals. It usually would not have been a concern for any citizen of Equestria, expect that some of the dealing was going on across the two dimensions. There were a number of things that could be done. If Equestria operated like the United States, Lakes would probably be in custody at some interrogation center. Less savory countries would probably just order his death. Ponies prided themselves on taking the high road, however, and merely kidnapped him to prevent his attendance at a meeting with some of his business partners, thereby ruining his credibility and making him think about his life choices. The plan was to dump Lakes out on the side of the road, shaken up but unhurt. First, though, the three mares had to stop at a gas station. The signs on the pumps were in Spanish, but the buttons for different octane ratings had regular numbers. Even if they accidentally picked one of the more expensive grades it was no big deal because the government was picking up the bill. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went inside to examine the wares. They hadn’t had much time when setting up the operation to check out interesting local things. That was something all three of them agreed on: traveling and having new experiences was the best part of the job. Scootaloo came in when the pump shut off. The other two mares had collected a few things to buy and brought them to the register. Outside, a pickup truck drove up, pausing near the rental car. A man leaned out the window and threw something to the ground. The truck took off. “What in tarnation-” Apple Bloom started, but was cut off by the explosion of a grenade directly beneath the car. Shrapnel broke a few of the gas station’s windows, and the car’s punctured fuel tank began to catch fire. The pool of burning gasoline spread out, making any approach to the car impossible. The three ponies stared at each other in shock. Clearly, Lakes had more enemies than just them. There was no time to think about it, though. They ran. The Puerto Interdimensional de Ciudad de Mexico was not far away, and the ponies were able to get there on hoof. It was lucky that the Mexican regulations regarding the dimensional doorways were more relaxed. Three mares wanted for not returning their exploded rental car were able to slip through. On the other side of the doorway was Canterlot. The terminal building was busy, even at night. The three of them found their way through the crowds and outside. The familiar building where their operations were run from was nearby, but they didn’t go in right away. It was always important to make sure there weren’t any followers. They split up but stayed close, watching the area around each other. Apple Bloom stopped at a coffee shop to buy some late-night joe, which she had developed a taste for during her time in the army. Scootaloo paused at a convenience store to pick up a can of Monster energy drink, which had been her primary beverage ever since the company had sponsored her while she competed in the X Games. Sweetie Belle thought about getting something to eat, but decided to cook for herself later. Once the three mares were satisfied, they entered the building, which was the Human Services of Equestria headquarters. Such a facility was needed as more and more people were beginning to live and work in Equestria. HSE was not affiliated with the special activities that Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle performed, but it made a nice cover. The trio went downstairs and through a security checkpoint. Their Human Services ID’s had quite a bit more clearance than standard ones. Deep beneath the building was a small room with secure communications gear and other, more dangerous hardware. Sweetie Belle looked at the weapon rack sadly, knowing one was missing. Her rifle had been abandoned in the burning car. It was not traceable back to Equestira, but it had been one of her favorites. Apple Bloom pulled off the party dress and discarded it near where other clothing hung neatly. Some of the clothes were for looking good, while some were for protection, and still others were for concealment. Scootaloo gave the earth pony a disapproving look for being careless with the dress, but turned away, logging into a computer. After verifying her information, the mare opened a connection to another machine. Down the street from the HSE building was the castle where the two Princesses of Equestria lived. It had been retrofitted over the years with new technology, but no renovation had been as extensive as the one that was required to install human-sourced electronics. Princess Celestia’s office had been one of the most reworked rooms in the castle. Most of the additions were tastefully hidden. In a small alcove off the main room sat a desktop computer. The machine received a query from another. Security was checked and access was granted. At that time of night the Sun Princess was not available, and her computer instead sent back a video that had been recorded previously. In their underground headquarters, the three mares crowded around the computer screen as Princess Celestia’s face appeared. “I’m afraid that I’m not able to meet with you tonight.” The white regal pony always managed to look prim and proper, no matter the situation or time of day. She’d had thousands of years of practice. “Your debrief will instead be handled by First Sergeant Bedrock of the Royal Guard. If there are any problems, contact Captain Peachtree.” Celestia smiled subtly. “Please don’t skip the chain of command by going directly to Colonel Shining Armor. Good night.” The video ended. Scootaloo put in a code for contacting another computer. Within seconds, a stallion of the Royal Guard was on a live connection. “Good evening ladies.” He glanced to the side, perhaps at a clock. “Beg your pardon, good morning.” The three mares laughed. They had worked with Bedrock before, and much prefered him to Peachtree. The First Sergeant was an experienced older soldier. He was coated with grey beneath his golden Guard armor, heavily muscled, and also highly intelligent. “It might as well be morning now,” said Sweetie Belle. “The evening didn’t go so well.” The three mares filled in Bedrock with all the details of the mission. They knew his computer was recording the conversation, but the stallion also took notes. He asked a few questions and supplied more information that the Guard had been able to gather. “So you have no idea who threw the grenade?” asked Bedrock. “Needless to say, this is a problem.” “We know why we wanted Lakes,” said Apple Bloom. “But we didn’t want him dead.” “I’ll try to get this sorted out for you, ladies,” promised Bedrock. “Get some sleep.” • • • Ponyville, 2009 Scootaloo clocked out at the end of the day. Being a weather pegasus had plenty of benefits and guaranteed that she got lots of exercise, but after the career she could have had, the job was more than a little unfulfilling. Today, though, there was no time to think about what a broken leg bone had cost her. He friend Apple Bloom was coming home to Ponyville. Before departing her home in Cloudsdale, Scootaloo stretched her legs in preparation for spending time on the ground. Her left rear leg hurt a little above the hoof, as usual. As she went out the door, the mare glanced at a small trophy case that hadn’t had a new addition to be displayed in years. The centerpiece was a silver medal from the X Games. She’d won it almost four years previously, and had been a favorite for the gold the next year. Instead, she’d shattered her leg on a hard landing in the Freestyle competition. The mare sighed as she closed the door. She wouldn’t have a scooter wheel for a cutie mark if she hadn’t been good at extreme sports. Now, there was a limp in her walk and she was pushing clouds around for a living. She didn’t even own a scooter anymore. The orange pegasus started down through the sky towards Ponyville. At the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle was closing up for the day. She finished locking the cash register and waved as the last employee departed. The unicorn supposed that it was nice to be in a leadership position. She was in charge of the Ponyville shop. In the twenty years since the doorways had opened, her older sister's business had expanded quite a bit. Rarity operated the main store from New York City, in the United States. At first, running a shop seemed fun, but Sweetie had grown bored of the monotony. Her special talent was in singing, not clothing. She’d never exploited the double-eighth-note cutie mark on her hip, however. There had either been no time with running the shop, or never the right connections to spread her voice to a larger audience. Sweetie stepped out the door of the Boutique and locked the door. Her friends were gathering, and she didn’t want to be late. The mare smiled with pleasure for what felt like the first time that day and hurried on her way. A jostle in the rails brought Apple Bloom out of her nap. She glanced out the window of the moving train, seeing familiar scenery rushing by. The mare yawned and sat up, adjusting the pink bow in her mane that she’d put on for old times’ sake. She hadn’t worn it for most of the last four years. It wasn’t allowed by regulations. Looking back on it, Apple Bloom remembered the exact reason why she’d joined the Equestrian Army. She’d wanted to leave Ponyville and look for a life unrelated to apples. Her cutie mark, a pink flower of an apple tree in bloom, was completely relevant to her special talent. The young trees responded better to her care than any other pony. It wasn’t what Apple Bloom wanted to do with her life, though, regardless of whether she was good at it. So one day she made the decision to leave the family farm, figuring the best way to see a lot of both worlds was to go with the military. Instead, she’d spent most of her time in Afghanistan helping with some war that Equestria didn’t start. The train pulled into Ponyville Station on time. Apple Bloom collected her duffle bag and stepped down onto the platform. She’d purposely been vague about her time of arrival, and nopony was there to meet her. Turning towards Sugarcube Corner, the mare headed out to meet with her two closest friends. There were a lot of good memories at the bakery. The three mares had spent a lot of time there as fillies. Mr. and Mrs. Cake still owned the place, and even with their children helping out, they still worked as hard as always. Pinkie Pie, arguably the hardest working baker ever, was still a legend around Ponyville. She’d left in the nineties to work at the White House. Bill Clinton himself had recruited her. The Cakes had been sorry to see her go, but the recognition of being a former employer of the famous Ms. Pie brought in plenty of business. Pumpkin Cake looked up from the cash register as the mares came in. “Oh hey, it’s good to see you three. Apple Bloom, how long has it been?” “A mite too long,” she replied. “Can we have a table in the back?” “Sure thing,” the younger mare replied. “Oh, your brother was in here earlier. He said he was looking for you to come in on the train.” “Yep, Ah’ll find him,” Apple Bloom said quickly. She followed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo away from the front of the shop to a more secluded place to sit. “Is your family still sore about you leaving?” asked Scootaloo in a low voice. “Don’t know,” muttered Apple Bloom. “Haven’t talked in awhile.” The three of them sat quietly for a moment. Through mail and phone calls, they’d been able to keep up on each other’s lives. There was not much new to talk about, but it was nice to just be together. “So what are you going to do now that you’re out of the army?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Not sure,” admitted Apple Bloom. “Ah’m goin’ to Canterlot tomorrow, maybe Ah’ll start there.” “Me too!” said the other two ponies simultaneously. Apple Bloom blinked. “All three of us?” “I got this letter,” said Scootaloo. “Yeah!” agreed Sweetie Belle. “So did Ah.” Apple Bloom frowned. “This is mighty strange, all three of us gettin’ one.” The three mares looked at each other. “What do you think it’s about?” asked Scootaloo. “The wording was kind of vague,” said Sweetie Belle. “I don’t have any idea why anypony at Human Services wants to have a meeting.” The trio shared a look. Scootaloo smiled mischievously. “I want to get to the bottom of this. Are you with me, girls?” Sweetie Belle grinned. “Of course.” “Hell yeah!” said Apple Bloom. The other two looked at her, surprised. She ducked her head. “Sorry. Bad habit Ah picked up.” “All right then,” said Sweetie. “I’ll get us tickets on the next train to Canterlot. I think mentioning you, Apple Bloom, should make it a little easier for me to convince my sister to let me take the day off.” At the mention of sisters, Apple Bloom's face fell. “Is something wrong?” asked Scootaloo. “Aren't you excited to see your family later?” questioned Sweetie. “Um, not really,” admitted Apple Bloom. The other two gasped. Scootaloo demanded, “Why not?” “We haven’t talked in a long time,” said Apple Bloom. “How long?” chorused the other two. “Uh...since Ah left.” The earth pony couldn’t meet the surprised gazes of the other two mares. “Four years?” shouted Sweetie Belle. Pumpkin Cake, who had been on her way over to take the three mares’ orders, quietly turned around and went back to the kitchen. “What happened?” asked Scootaloo. “Come on, talk to us, Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom continued to stare at the table. “Ah didn’t want to work on the farm, and things got a little outta hoof.” “What was different with you?” asked Scootaloo. “Didn’t Applejack leave the farm a while ago?” “Yeah,” said Apple Bloom. “She had a useful talent outside of apples, though.” Apple Bloom’s sister Applejack worked as an investigator for the Royal Intelligence Service. She was good at getting the truth and gauging honesty. “That doesn’t sound like the whole story,” observed Scootaloo. Apple Bloom gulped. “Right. Uh...Ah said some things Ah shouldn’t have.” The two other ponies stared at their friend. “Promise us that you’ll talk to them,” said Sweetie Belle. “Okay,” mumbled the earth pony.
Chapter 2Los Angeles, 2012 Malcolm stared out the peephole on his hotel room door. One of the three mares outside called, “We don’t have all day!” The fat man sighed and unlocked the door. “I swear, I didn’t know they were going to kill Lakes. I got out of Mexico City as fast as I could.” “But do you know who ‘they’ are?” asked Sweetie Belle as she and the other two trooped into the room. “I have a couple of leads,” admitted Malcolm. He closed the door. “We’re waiting,” said Scootaloo. In a few minutes of searching, the man managed to piece together a small stack of paperwork. “Here. Probably better that you have it anyway.” “Just how many shady characters have you on their payrolls for your accounting skills?” asked Apple Bloom. Malcolm laughed. “I think that falls under client-practitioner confidentiality. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a trip to pack for.” He opened the door and got hit with an incapacitating taser. The three ponies watched him fall, thin wires protruding from his chest. The man holding the stun gun stepped into the doorway, surprised to see the mares. With a quick beat of her wings, Scootaloo tackled him, the par of them ending up in the hallway. Previously unseen other men grabbed at the pony, trying to pull her off. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle leapt into action. The earth pony kicked the first man she came to in the stomach. He flew backwards, hitting the floor. The unicorn menaced another attacker with her horn, distracting him with a light show before driving a hoof into his groin. Scootaloo freed herself and twirled on her front legs, smacking the last man upside the face with a rear hoof. Malcolm coughed, starting to get up. “I thought only Chuck Norris could roundhouse kick people in the head like that.” “I had good training,” explained the pegasus, looking at the pile of incapacitated assailants. “We need to get going,” reminded Sweetie Belle. “I can’t stand,” whined Malcolm. His legs were still shaky from being shocked. Apple Bloom nosed under his arm and then rather forcefully lifted him clear of the floor. It was no trouble for a fit earth pony. The three mares and their unhappy companion left the hotel and piled into a rental car. It was slightly amazing that they could get their hooves on enough fake IDs to keep them from running afoul of the rental companies. Something always seemed to happen to the cars. “So while we have time, why don’t you explain who wanted Thomas Lakes dead?” suggested Scootaloo. She was crammed in the back seat with Malcolm. “Um, well, I think it’s a little ironic that he was one of the good guys,” said the man, shuffling his paperwork. “Or at least one of the better guys.” “He died because he was too nice?” asked Apple Bloom from the front seat. “As you know, his organization was implicated in smuggling,” said Malcolm. “It’s my opinion that Lakes was either trying to cut back on it, or stop it completely. His business partners didn’t take too kindly to it.” “I guess we’ll just have to find them,” said Sweetie Belle. Malcolm handed the paperwork off. “Drop me at the corner, if you’d be so kind.” The unicorn stopped the car and he got out. Scootaloo examined the files as the three mares pulled away again. “There are a lot of names here.” “Just start at the top of the list,” suggested Apple Bloom. “Where are we going?” The pegasus consulted the papers. “Colombia.” • • • Canterlot, 2009 “Well, this is it, but I don’t see who we should be talking to,” said Sweetie Belle. She and her two friends stood in front of the Human Services building. “Pardon me, ladies,” said a deep voice. A stallion stood behind them. He looked buff and his mane was cut short. Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, recognizing a military pony when she saw one. He wasn’t wearing any kind of uniform, however. “Yeah?” said Scootaloo. “My name is Bedrock. I’ll be escorting you on your tour of HSE.” He watched as the three mares looked at each other, reaching the unspoken agreement to go forward with finding out why they had received the mysterious letters. With their consent, the stallion led them into the building. After swiping an ID card, they went past a restricted-access door and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, there was a door. This one was even tighter security, with a code that had to be put in. When the door swung open, the three mares gasped and sank to their knees. “Come in,” invited Princess Celestia. The regal mare waited in dark chamber, the only thing inside was a computer terminal. “I suppose you’re wondering why I asked you to come here.” Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and then nodded their heads at the Princess. Celestia smiled. “I’d like to offer you all a job.” Still, the three mares did not speak. Meeting the Princess unexpectedly had shocked them into silence. Scootaloo fidgeted a little. Sweetie Belle caught her eyes drifting to the floor. Apple Bloom realized she was standing at the military position of attention and forced herself to relax. “It’s unfortunate that Equestria needs this position filled,” said the Princess. “I don’t like shadow games, however it’s sometimes necessary to use subtle action behind the scenes.” “Are we talkin’ about somethin’ like black ops?” asked Apple Bloom, catching on. The Princess smiled humorlessly. “Something like that. I believe you three have the skill set and attitude to be very good at it.” “What…planting bombs and stuff?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Assassinations?” cried Scootaloo. Celestia’s eyes went wide. “No! I like to think Equestria has more moral fortitude than that. I promise that I will never order you to kill someone.” Sweetie Belle gave her a curious look. “Someone…?” “That’s correct.” Celestia nodded. “This will be external affairs, outside of Equestria.” “Earth.” Apple Bloom had spent much of the last four years there. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. “Wow,” murmured Sweetie Belle. It was a lot to take in. She knew Rarity expected her to run the Ponyville shop, so she couldn’t walk away at will. And anyway, how was she qualified for this? Scootaloo said nothing, staring at her hooves. After the X Games, she didn’t think there was anything on the other side of the doorways for her. Worse, what if someone recognized her distinctive appearance? Princess Celestia looked at the three mares, frowning. There had to be a better incentive to get them to agree to the job. But what? “I’d like to show you something,” said Celestia. “Hold still.” Bedrock stepped back as the Princess’ horn glowed with strong magic. In a flash of light, she and the three mares were transported somewhere else. The room was small and unadorned. From behind the door, there were sounds of ponies working. Celestia opened the door, briefly consulting a small electronic device. “What’s that, Princess?” asked Apple Bloom, ignoring the dozens of ponies using desks and workbenches behind the door. “It’s a Blackberry,” she explained. “I was checking to make sure I hadn’t missed anything while I was underground and out of signal range.” “Looks cool. Where’d you get it?” asked Scootaloo. Celestia laughed. “I had a meeting with President Obama last month, and he convinced me to try one. I suppose it’s useful, if a little impersonal. Tech Support tells me the iPhone might be better.” “Did somepony say my name?” asked a stallion, poking his head out from behind a desk piled high with electronics. “Just talking about cell phones, Mr. Support,” said Celestia. Turning to the three mares behind her, she suggested, “Let’s find a place where we can discuss this new job.” The Princess led the three mares through the room. Each of the workers seemed to be working on something high-tech. Sweetie Belle paused for a moment, staring at a device that resembled a syringe hidden inside a pen. Her eyes narrowed. That’s exactly what it was. There were a few empty desks. The Princess sat, gesturing for her guests to sit as well. “Now, I want to ask you all a very serious question. What do you want out of life?” The three ponies did not respond. Celestia prodded, “Apple Bloom, what did you do in Afghanistan?” “Ah, uh, sat in a hole and waited for somethin’ to happen,” responded the earth pony. “Sweetie Belle, how do you like working at the boutique?” asked the Princess. “It’s all right. I’m already manager, though. Not much opportunity for advancement.” The unicorn sighed. The royal pony turned to Scootaloo. “Do you make lots of friends at the weather factory?” The pegasus nodded, casting her eyes downwards. “Yeah. We talk about…weather.” “Do you see those ponies over there?” asked Celestia, nodding towards the various workers making gadgets. “Their work is secret. Nopony knows what they do. All their job satisfaction comes from knowing they helped Equestria today.” “Ah still don’t understand how you think we would be good at this,” commented Apple Bloom. The Princess nodded. “A pony’s talent in life goes beyond cutie marks. As I understand it, none of you three are working in fields that make use of yours?” There was silence for several seconds. Sweetie Belle said, “I think we’re going to need some time to think about this.” “Take as much as you need.” Celestia smiled and got up. She turned to go, but Apple Bloom called after her. “Wait! Ah don’t have anything to go back to. I want to do this.” The Princess briefly arched an eyebrow, as if saying Are you sure there’s nothing for you at home? She smiled however, and nodded. “Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I’m in.” Sweetie Belle looked at her two friends. “I suppose I could recommend a replacement at the boutique.” She smiled. “Very well,” said the Princess. “The basement room where we first met will be your base of operations. You’ll be provided with the means to fit it out as you desire. I know you’re all very creative young mares. This will be a very unconstrained employment. I tell you the what, and you figure out the how. If you need anything that you can’t get on your own, let me know.” Three credit cards magically appeared, presumably from the same place Celestia’s Blackberry had disappeared to. “Those are American Express Centurion cards!” Sweetie Belle eyes were wide. “Princess, do you really trust us with unlimited charge accounts?” Celestia smiled. “I said that I would let you figure things out on your own.” The three mares said goodbye to the Princess, thanking her again. They left the room, discovering that Celestia had merely transported them to another part of the HSE building. “This is sure a lot to think about,” said Scootaloo. “Sure is,” agreed Apple Bloom. “This is about the last thing I expected,” added Sweetie Belle. “It's a far cry from our Cutie Mark Crusader days, right girls?” They laughed. “More like the Covert Mare Corps now,” chuckled Apple Bloom. “I think there have to be more than three members to be considered a true Corps,” said Sweetie Belle. “What’re you, a dictionary?”
Chapter 3Author note: It's kind of like getting four chapters in one! Canterlot, 2012 Setting up for a new operation usually involved a stop by the headquarters in the basement of the HSE building. The three mares entered their abode and began packing gear. The room was decorated—in a way—with clothing, accessories, weapons, and communication equipment. A few personal items had been placed here and there. A photograph of the Eiffel Tower. A piece of black fabric. A bullet on a necklace chain. “How should we pack?” asked Scootaloo. “It’ll probably be warm,” answered Sweetie Belle. “Colombia ain’t the warmest place we could be goin’,” observed Apple Bloom. The unicorn shrugged. “Well, based on intel, we’ll probably be doing this at night. It’ll be a little cooler then.” The three ponies gathered the gear they thought would be needed. It wasn’t their first operation and they had some experience with what to take. • • • Canterlot, 2009 The bare walls echoed with the voices of the three mares. “What in the world are we going to put here?” asked Scootaloo. The subterranean room was empty, save for the computer terminal. “We can do whatever we want,” Sweetie Belle told her. “Princess Celestia gave it to us to use how we see fit.” “Ah don’t know where to start.” Apple Bloom looked around. “We don’t know what we might need.” “Could the Princess get us some kind of spy training?” asked Scootaloo. “She told us to ask if we needed anything.” “Apple Bloom, you know something about fighting, right?” said Sweetie Belle. The earth pony shrugged. “Just ‘cause I was in the army doesn’t mean I know everything about combat. Maybe we could get some of that training, too.” “And languages!” added Scootaloo. The three of them began to quickly talk and make plans. The black-colored Centurion cards they had been given were about to get a workout. Somewhere in Colombia, 2012 Sweetie Belle stretched low, a few pieces of underbrush piled on top of her. There were no proper hills in this part of the world, only a small rise among the trees. The laser rangefinder she had gave the distance to target at a little more than seven hundred yards. The unicorn regretted not getting one that gave multiple options for unit output, but fortunately her rifle was also set to function on a yards-based system. The weapon was quite large and was not silenced. At the distance the mare was posted, she shouldn’t have a problem with exfiltration once the mission was over. Also, she would need a little more force than if her target was a soft one. The XM500 bullpup sniper rifle had been hand-assembled by the Barrett Firearms Company in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was considered by many to be too large and unwieldy for regular use, and the powerful .50 BMG ammunition certainly didn’t help. However, if you wanted to make a difficult shot from almost half a mile away, there was no better weapon. Sweetie picked up a small mirror with her magic and used it to check her camouflage. She had been careful in constructing her cover because certain plants, like grass, could wilt within hours and render her disguise ineffective. She would probably be in position for longer than a few hours. The mare stared at a cluster of buildings through the optics on her rifle. Some men stood around, most of them armed. It seemed pretty obvious that they were doing something illegal—and probably drug related. Still, Sweetie’s job was to stand by and observe. She carefully memorized as many details as possible while the sun began to go down. Her friends were counting on her to be aware of the area. Later, as the glow faded from the horizon, the earpiece Sweetie wore came to life. “Melody, this is Wheels. Stand by, they’re getting ready to move.” The unicorn confirmed that she had received the message and tightened her grip on the rifle. A concealment spell she’d cast earlier covered the glow of her magic. “This is Flower, they’re on the move.” Sweetie trained the scope on the truck. A night vision scope would have only helped so much, and barely at all at such a long distance. She had to guess where her target was based on the headlights. The truck rounded a bend in the road. “Now!” The rifle thundered. An ounce and a half of lead zipped toward the target, covering the distance at several times the speed of sound. It was a perfect shot, like always. “Melody, Flower here. Clean kill! We’re approaching now.” Sweetie nodded to herself. The truck sat dead in the road, its engine block shattered by her bullet. • • • Camp Pendleton, 2010 The grass under her face was not great. Sweetie Belle chewed some while she plotted her next move. The stalking range at the Marine Corps base was used for the final phase of sniper training. It was not unheard of for the Marines to host foreign military members at their school, but a pony raised more than a few eyebrows. At least the mare had proven herself. Over the last several weeks, she’d been doing better than average, especially at concealment. While Sweetie’s magical talent was not related to disguises, she could add enough extra to her hoof-made ghillie suit to become virtually invisible. While the mare’s body—and horn—could not physically get as flat to the ground as a human, she had still crawled up to the firing line without being detected. With a radio, she reported ready. A neutral instructor came by, stopping within ten yards of the prone pony. At the observation post Sweetie was sneaking towards, a small sign was posted. “It says ‘USCM’,” reported the pony, showing that she was close enough to see it. Sweetie wondered why it wasn’t “USMC.” Probably trying to trip her up. “Correct,” the instructor told her. He checked his radio. Now that he was within ten yards, it was the observation post’s job to talk him closer. If they steered him to within a foot of the shooter, she failed. Apparently, Sweetie could not been seen from the post. The instructor never came closer than three yards. He ordered, “Take your first shot.” Sweetie pulled the trigger, hitting a human-shaped metal target. Once again the post tried to talk the instructor onto her position. When she couldn’t be located, he told her to fire a second shot. Seconds passed. The instructor’s radio chirped. He looked around, still not seeing the concealed pony. “All right, come out. You passed.” The closing ceremony of the training program was attended by far fewer than had entered the course It had a 60% dropout rate, after all. Each of the graduates was presented with a bullet on a necklace chain. It was a powerful symbol of Marine Sniper School, and a keepsake that all of them would treasure. A road in Colombia, 2012 Scootaloo squinted from the bushes. It was dark, but the camouflage netting concealed her orange coat. Her purple mane was pulled back, both to keep it out of the way and to deviate from her usual appearance. The mare wore a black combat jacket that was long enough to cover her cutie mark. In the distance, she saw headlights cut through the night. That would be the transport truck moving. The pegasus called it out on the radio and got a confirmation from Sweetie Belle. Now they had to wait for the right moment. As the truck’s engine grew closer, Scootaloo heard her companion, who was hidden across the road from her, call out another warning on the radio. As the truck drew near, the orange mare keyed her radio and called, “Now!” There was a loud thunk and the truck stopped dead. Scootaloo was out of her hiding place in a flash, rushing forwards. Two men jumped out of the back of the vehicle with assault rifles. The pegasus leapt into the air and kicked the first one in the chest, using her wings to create extra force. Shoving him into the other man, the pony twisted and disarmed both before tossing the pair into the road. Before they could recover, Scootaloo was already at the driver’s door. She slammed it closed as he started to get out, reaching through the open window and hauling his head out. It was easy to keep the man pinned with his neck on the sill. The pegasus looked across the cab of the truck where a second man was being hauled out by another mare. She received a quick nod from the other pony, who dragged her prisoner into the trees. Scootaloo shoved the man back into the truck and zipped away. The whole attack had taken just seconds. • • • Tel Aviv, 2010 “Why are you learning human martial arts?” asked the Israeli solider. The orange pony shrugged. Truthfully, it just made sense. She might have to fight humans. “Do you realize that this will not be quick, easy, or painless?” The man smiled. “I’m in good shape, I’m quick, and I’ve been studying Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and a little Kung Fu,” answered Scootaloo. “Well, Krav Maga is a little different.” The soldier shrugged. “It’s not defensive, it’s meant to end fights as quickly as possible.” The pegasus nodded. She felt ready. Weeks later, Scootaloo didn’t feel ready. She expected to be attacked by an instructor at any moment. She had learned to be always alert and ready to fight. Her movements had gotten sharper and more reflexive, but there was still a lot to learn. Despite that, it was useful in more areas than just fighting skill. Scootaloo’s exercise routine hadn’t fallen off since leaving the X Games, but she had known there was room for improvement. She was still no Rainbow Dash, but her fitness had gotten better since beginning. The mare had her eyes on a black belt. If it took a little pain and suffering, that was fine. As the instructors liked to say, think how much of that you’ll be able to cause. The Colombian jungle, 2012 Apple Bloom had transported the man for quite a distance. She wanted to have a private conversation with him, after all. The mare had quickly bound and gagged him at the truck and carried him away from the road. If intel was correct—and it should be—this man was Francois Theriault. While a native of France, the man had connections all over the world. How he had come to be in Colombia was not Apple Bloom’s concern. She had more important questions to ask. He didn’t want to cooperate. The mare silently cursed the pony reputation about being nicer than people. It took quite a lot of convincing to get Francois to see her side of things. Scootaloo showed up shortly and stood watch. She didn’t speak French, and therefore could not participate in the interrogation. Apple Bloom finally managed to get what she wanted and stuffed the gag back in the man’s mouth. He stared at the two ponies. They gave them a look and turned away. If he wanted to get back to civilization, he would have to walk. The two mares met up with the third a few hours later and several miles away. Sweetie Belle asked, “What did we learn?” “Well, Ah threatened to extradite him to England, and after that he seemed to want to talk,” said Apple Bloom. “He told me what’s goin’ on.” The earth pony’s friends leaned closer as she told the story. “Food Aid Universal was being used by the cartels to smuggle drugs hidden inside their shipments. Thomas Lakes was trying to stop it, and they killed him. Meanwhile, our friend Francois was handling things on this side of the ocean.” “This side of the ocean?” asked Scootaloo. “I take it the real management is somewhere else.” “So where are we going next?” asked Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom sighed. “South Africa.” • • • Paris, 2010 The pony fluffed her scarf against the cold. The woman across the table from her smoked a cigarette and stared unpleasantly at her coffee. Apple Bloom asked in stuttering French how much longer they were going to sit there. Checking her watch, the woman said that it wouldn’t be too much longer. The human was an agent for DCRI, a French nationwide law enforcement agency. Apple Bloom was in training with them to gain experience and learn to speak the language. She’d interned with several agencies in Europe already. The agent extinguished her cigarette as a blonde woman walked by. This was the criminal they were after. The pony and the woman got up, heading for the target. A black van sat idling at the curb. As the blonde drew even with it, the door snapped open and two men grabbed her. Apple Bloom and her companion pushed from behind. All of them piled into the van and it pulled away. “Julie Kenrick, visitor from across the channel,” explained one of the men in heavily accented English. Apple Bloom knew that the snatch-and-grab relied on speed. Ms. Kenrick wasn’t missed yet, and they had to act fast. Suddenly, a cell phone rang. One of the agents grabbed it out of their detainee’s pocket. “She needs to answer it, or they might figure out we grabbed her!” said the pony, not bothering to speak French. “Can’t trust her.” “Let me.” The pony held out her hooves. Reluctantly, the man handed over the phone. Punching the answer button, the mare put it to her ear. “Hello?” The French seemed surprised. The pony’s usual ridiculous accent seemed to have morphed into a perfect mimic of someone from the British Isles. Apple Bloom listened. “I’m on my way. Tell me the address where I’m going again, just to make sure I have it.” After a few more minutes, the mare ended the call and smiled. “Ah know where the rest of ‘em are. Let’s get goin’.”
Chapter 4Western Indian Ocean, 2012 The three mares checked their equipment as a battle chariot was prepared to transport them ashore. The ship cruised along slowly, although this close to the South African coast, even in the middle of the night, trying to be any more covert would probably draw more attention. TMS Ponyville had formerly been a US Navy destroyer. The doorway technology was still not able to transport a five hundred foot warship to Equestria, so it was permanently homeported on Earth at Rota, Spain with a few other vessels, most of them from the United States. The ship’s spacious helicopter hangar had been converted to accommodations for the embarked pegasus air unit. While Scootaloo would have been able to fly ashore by herself, she couldn’t carry both her friends. Besides, the chariot would allow them to bring more equipment. The sailors seemed curious about the three mares but understood the need for security and did not approach. That was fine—it gave them more room to talk. “Do we have everything we need?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Weapons, check,” replied Scootaloo. “Communications, check,” said Apple Bloom. “Supplies, check,” noted Sweetie Belle. “Let’s go.” The pegasi pulling the chariot made a few checks of their own and after getting clearance from the flight deck controller, they spread their wings and lifted off into the night. While the ship was obvious, the small chariot would not draw too much attention. It had been made of radar-cheating material, not that there was much electronic coverage on this section of coastline. They were coming in clandestinely, which meant no marker lights. The ponies flying wore night vision headgear. While it didn’t involve the government directly, South Africa might be a bit concerned about a foreign operation on their soil. Sometimes these things couldn’t be helped, and the only thing to do was simply not get caught. The money trail had led to a South African mine. While the connection was not exactly clear to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, it was to somepony, and that was reason enough. “Ah still don’t understand why they’d put the office underground,” grumbled Apple Bloom. “It’s almost like they were building a supervillain lair on purpose,” remarked Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle studied the blueprints carefully. They had to get down the mine shaft and then figure out how to collect incriminating evidence. She was still thinking it over when the chariot bumped down to a landing. “Thank you gentlecolts,” said Apple Bloom. The Navy fliers said a farewell and took off for the ship. The three of them picked up their gear and made for the mine entrance. They had been dropped off inside the security perimeter, and had to be careful of guards. The mine was closed at the moment, but using the main elevator would still draw attention. Apple Bloom prepared a rappel rope for herself and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo preferred to hover. The ride down was quite long, and the rappelling gear had generated a lot of heat through friction by the time they reached the office level, more than two hundred feet below the surface. The rest of the mine ran more than a thousand feet deeper than that. With help from Scootaloo, the two ponies on the line swung over to the side of the shaft and found the manual override for the elevator doors. After passing through another set of doors that sealed out the dank environment of the mine, they found themselves in the office. It was a dark, but the lights of a few computers ran. The task after that was fairly simple. They planted a logger in every keyboard they could find. The devices were borrowed from the American NSA. They consisted of small bits of conductive material that picked up the individual signal each keystroke made and recorded them. When the logger was retrieved later, the signals would be compared to each keyboard manufacturer’s system of input, and once a match was made everything the logger had recorded could be read as plaintext. And there was the hardest part of the operation—coming back to get the loggers. They had to get in undetected twice. Getting back up the shaft the first time was tricky enough. A small rachet device was clipped to the rope. Concentrating hard, Sweetie cast a come-to-life spell that slowly began to reel herself and Apple Bloom towards the surface. The unicorn was panting with exertion by the time they got there. She had time to rest, though. They would have a few days of downtime camping in the South African wilderness. • • • Singapore, 2011 “Are we ready?” asked Scootaloo. “Yep,” answered Sweetie Belle nervously. “Ah suppose,” said Apple Bloom. “Let’s go.” The three of them walked into the terminal dispatch building. It served as the headquarters for one of the largest shipping centers on earth. Cargo from across the world passed through. The trio of mares approached the receptionist. “Good morning,” said Apple Bloom in a professional voice. “We spoke earlier. The three of us have come to take delivery of a container.” It took a moment for the woman to realize who she was talking to. Apparently, she hadn’t been expecting ponies. “Right, we’ll get that for you.” The containers were the primary method for shipping goods worldwide. Most were metal boxes about eight feet wide, eight and a half feet high, and twenty feet long. The particular container that the trio of mares had claimed was not actually theirs. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” muttered Sweetie quietly as the human arranged the paperwork. “Princess Celestia said she’d give us something easy for a first job,” Scootaloo said. The three of them chuckled quietly. Nothing so far had been easy, but at least they were reasonably prepared. It had taken a lot of effort and hard work before they felt ready for anything the Princess could ask. “You can meet the truck outside,” said the receptionist. The ponies thanked her and left the building. In a few minutes, a truck pulling a trailer with a container on it appeared. Getting back in the taxi they had arrived in, they directed the driver to a warehouse complex in another part of the city. The container truck dutifully followed. The loading docks outside the warehouse were abandoned at the moment. The container trailer was backed up to them and the truck unhooked. A bored-looking stallion in a small delivery truck waited nearby. After seeing off the taxi, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle cracked open the container doors. Inside were several pallets of Chinese Yuan bills. There had been some east-Asian crime moving into Equestria, but hopefully taking out a piece of the cash flow would slow it down. With the help of the driver, they got the money transferred into his truck. It would probably be taken to a safe location to be disposed of. “Well, that wasn’t too difficult,” noted Apple Bloom. “Easier than Ah was expectin’.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we just had to get fake IDs, spoof the port inventory system, convince the company we were legitimate, and make off with the loot.” “It still worked,” pointed out Sweetie Belle. The three of them slapped hooves on a job well done. It was clear that they had what it took to succeed. The future looked bright.
Chapter 5South Africa, 2012 It was actually a very leisurely wait, despite the conditions. The three mares only had to lay around in the scrub outside the mine security fence and give the spy gear time to work. Aside from watching out for security patrols, it gave them all time to relax. They had already planned for extracting the information when it was time, and it shouldn't be too difficult. After that, they could go home. They all checked their equipment and weapons, despite the lack of use. They kept watch on the off chance that extra intelligence could be collected. Mostly, it was just nice to enjoy each other’s company. Sweetie Belle stretched out on her sleeping bag beneath the camouflage tarp they had rigged for shade. “It’s nice to have some time to unwind.” “You can say that again,” agreed Scootaloo. “Sometime surveillance jobs are better than others.” “It’s almost like camping,” noted Apple Bloom. “Heck, aside from the exotic locale, it’s almost exactly like that.” The other two nodded, remembering the last time they had gone camping… • • • Sweet Apple Acres, 2009 The old treehouse was still there. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked up at it in the gathering darkness. “This thing must have been built really well,” commented Scootaloo. “I mean, not only did it survive your sister, Apple Bloom, it survived us.” The three of them laughed. With all the Cutie Mark Crusading, they’d eventually found their cutie marks, but in all honestly it had been a little underwhelming, sort of like one more birthday when you already had dozens behind you. Sweetie hadn’t really minded working with her sister instead of going out on her own into the music industry. It had kept the two of them close. Scootaloo had a good moment in the spotlight, and had retired at the top of her game. Apple Bloom had not really enjoyed her time in the military, but at the time she joined it seemed better than staying home. The house where the earth pony’s family still lived was not far away. The three of them had come from there. Scootaloo and Sweetie had been with Apple Bloom, just to give her the courage to knock on the door. Four years was a long time to cut off ties from your kin. Apple Bloom had already forgiven them for whatever they had argued about so long ago. They had forgiven her, too. The reunion was a perfect end to the day. Tomorrow would be the start of something new for all of them. After agreeing to work for Princess Celestia, the three mares had begun planning how they would handle the tasks she gave them. Training was first on the list. Soon, Sweetie Belle would be leaving for California, Scootaloo would go to Israel, and Apple Bloom was prepared to start a tour of Europe. But tonight the three of them were together. It was just like old times. Carefully they climbed into the rickety tree house, spreading out their borrowed camping gear. The paint on the walls had faded and peeled. Most of the decorations still showed however, including an image that featured the acronym that three young fillies had proudly given themselves to represent their bond. The trio of mares lay down for the night. It was peaceful, and they were together. While that might not always be true in the future, it didn’t diminish their friendship – no matter what they called themselves.
