The Division 2 - From Ashes

Chapters

Prologue - A Parallel Purpose, Part One
Chapter 1 - Parallel Purpose, Part Two
Chapter 2 - Lost in the Rain
Chapter 3 - Mission 1 - CIA Headquarters, Part One

Prologue - A Parallel Purpose, Part One

Ponyville, Realm of Equestria

Castle of Friendship, 6:00 AM

As Princess Twilight Sparkle's eyes flickered open, and she roused herself from her slumber, she was immediately caught off guard by the sound of pots and pans clattering from downstairs, which was coupled with the aroma of a hearty breakfast being in progress.

"Spike!" Twilight called out. "Where are you? What's going on?"

Hearing no response, she slipped out of bed and descended the azure crystal staircase that led to the ground floor of her new castle. Now that she was closer, the voices of her friends and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony could be heard.

Except…something was off about their voices. They seemed…exhausted…maybe even sleep-deprived, Twilight thought to herself.

"Something odd is going on here…" she said quietly. As she opened the door, she was immediately swept up into a tight embrace by the last pony she'd expected to see in Equestria at the current time.

"Sunset?" Twilight dropped her jaw as she looked her student over while quickly returning the hug. "What happened? Why are you back in Equestria?...and why do you look like you just tumbled down a mountain?"

"That's a long story." Sunset sighed, motioning to the other occupants of the room, which after a few seconds, Twilight recognized them as the Elements of Harmony's human selves, which included her own doppelganger. "I wanted to come back alone, but they all insisted on going whether I liked it or not."

"Well, I'm glad that you all came nonetheless." Twilight smiled. "What's wrong? Did something happen back at Canterlot High?"

"Yeah, something did happen, and as a result, the world pretty much ended about seven months ago." the human Applejack said in a dire tone of voice. Twilight did a double-take as the words "the world ended" processed through her mind.

"What exactly do you mean by "the world ended"?" Twilight said after a few moments.

"We'll tell you, but not just yet. Can you get Princess Celestia and Princess Luna here as soon as possible? They'll want to know as well, I'd bet." Sunset replied. "Look, it's a really long story, and none of us have had school, a square meal, or a hot shower in months."

"Is it that bad?" Twilight asked, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah, and it's worse in some places." the human Rainbow Dash called back. Twilight nodded gravely, and as she set off to find Spike, Sunset returned to her chair and gave off an exhausted, long pent-up sigh of relief.

====

About twenty minutes later, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Equestrian Elements of Harmony were now sitting across from Sunset, the human Elements, and Princess Twilight, outside on the castle's expansive back patio.

Sunset and Princess Celestia had exchanged some much needed words of forgiveness earlier, while Princess Luna had helped the human Elements come up with new names for themselves. After all, it would certainly be tough to explain why there were two separate versions of Applejack or any other Element Bearer all of a sudden to anyone in Ponyville.

It didn't take as long as Princess Luna had thought, as the humans had already made a few changes to their appearances to help themselves stand out. Applejack had kept her stetson, but added a ribbon around the brim. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie had cut their hair short, and Rainbow Dash had tied her hair back into a short tail.

They had also come up with some ideas for names; eventually, they settled on Rainbow Burst, Gentle Breeze, Apple Jay, Elusive, Diana Pie, and Eventide Sparkle for the human Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight.

"So, now that names are squared away,..." Princess Luna said as Celestia and Sunset returned to the patio. "What exactly happened on Earth that you need us to know about?"

"Well…it started about seven months ago." Sunset began. "In New York City, there was this new bug starting to spread during Black Friday weekend."

"What kind of insect was this?" Princess Luna asked, then it clicked. "Oh, you're referring to a disease. My mistake. Is this normal on Earth?"

"Not really, or at first it seemed like that." Sunset replied. "We thought it was a new kind of the flu, but…from what we saw on the news, people started dying really fast from it, and it wasn't just in New York. Whatever it was, it was spreading in over twenty-two cities in the US and in twelve others internationally."

"Manhattan soon went under quarantine, and that's when everyone found out it wasn't the flu. It was a form of smallpox that we'd never seen before. This wasn't an accidental release, either. This was an attack on a global scale."

"Smallpox?" Princess Celestia asked. "I'm not familiar with that disease."

"It's the deadliest disease in mankind's history." Eventide Sparkle clarified. "It was supposed to have been eradicated back in the 1990's. It's killed more people than AIDS, Ebola, and the list goes on."

"From what the CDC could tell, this "Dollar Flu" or "Green Poison" was lethal in ninety-eight percent of cases, and it could spread while incubating. Essentially, it spread far faster and killed a lot quicker than normal smallpox." Sunset continued. "The government formed the JTF, the Joint Task Force, to try and keep order, but things went to hell pretty fast."

"Countless gangs of thugs roamed the streets, the federal prison at Rikers Island experienced a mass breakout, this PMC group called the Last Man Battalion took over the United Nations, and sanitation workers armed with flamethrowers and firebombs started burning anything they thought was infected, people included." Sunset said, making all three Princesses drop their jaws. "People started turning on each other to survive. Central Park had to be converted to a mass burial ground, there were gas line leaks, power went out across the entire island of Manhattan…it was not a good time from what we saw."

"And that's all that we know from what happened in New York, because the internet, TV, and cell service went out not too long after that." Sunset sighed. "Things weren't looking good in Canter City either."

"At least two-thirds of the apple trees died over christmas." Apple Jay sadly reported. "Both Canterlot High and Crystal Prep closed down, and basic supplies were hard to get. Food, water, raw materials, everything started to run out quickly. We were able to use our magic to keep going for a few months, then it started to stop working as well."

"Things were starting to look up recently, since the apple trees started growing fruit again, a few convoys of travelers were able to give us a bunch of supplies, and then some off military-looking folks came through a few weeks, though they didn't stay long." Gentle Breeze said. "After that, we came here."

"The military came to Canter City?" Twilight asked, surprised.

"Well, we're not exactly sure who they were." Rainbow Burst replied. "There were only three of them, and they all wore this weird orange wristwatch. Not only that, they had guns and body armor galore. This one guy had a crossbow, another had a grenade launcher, and the third had a giant sniper rifle."

"Plus a bunch of sci-fi gadgets." Diana Pie added. "They were really cool, because they helped us out with a bunch of stuff, until their gadgets stopped working. They left the next morning."

"They said they were heading to Washington DC, and they needed to be there ASAP." Elusive added. "Strange thing is, they said that others were doing the same, and that if DC fell, the rest of the world would go with it."

"Funny thing is…" Eventide said, drawing everyone's attention. "I talked with the guy with the crossbow before he left. I asked if he was in the US Army or something like that. He just smiled and said "I'm SHD", and after that, he and his friends left."

"SHD?" Twilight asked,confused. "I've never heard of that before, whatever it might be."

"From what I could hear over the radio, the SHD, or Strategic Homeland Division was responsible for restoring peace to Manhattan alongside the JTF." Sunset replied. "Apparently these Division agents were like knights in shining armor for practically everyone they met. Ever since they retook Manhattan from all the bad guys, they've been working with communities and settlements nationwide. I don't know much else about them, unfortunately."

"What about the President?" Twilight asked.

"President Waller died of a heart attack, his VP committed suicide a few months after that. Speaker of the House Andrew Ellis was sworn in, but he was aboard Air Force One when it was shot down over DC." Sunset replied. "I also heard rumors that even Ellis is dead now, but I'm not sure."

Princess Celestia nodded, and was silent for several minutes. Twilight could tell that she was in a state of deep thought, and weighing her words carefully. Then, she turned to her Sunset and the human Elements.

"Thank you for telling me all of this." Celestia in a resolute tone. "Now, in light of this calamity on Earth, I must return to Canterlot and mobilize our Guards. Rest assured Equestria will come to the aid of your world. For now, we must prepare ourselves."

"Sister, are you certain of this course?" Princess Luna asked. "We haven't mobilized such a force in many years. Not to mention that we don't have the supplies or logistics to support it at this moment!"

"Leave that to me, sister." Celestia replied. "I already have a few ideas to remedy that problem. For now, Luna, please alert Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor that I need to speak with them. Sunset, as for your and your friends, you are welcome to make arrangements to stay here in Equestria."

"Thank you, Princess." Sunset smiled, with the human Elements showing joy and relief clear in the eyes and expressions. "We'll do whatever we can to help."

"I know you will." Celestia replied. "Come, Luna, it's time we get to work."

As the two sisters teleported away, both sets of Element Bearers, Sunset, and Twilight headed back inside Twilight's castle to get some much needed rest.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 1 - Parallel Purpose, Part Two

"So, Sunset…" Twilight ventured, looking over at her friend, who was laying on the couch while she waited for her clothes from Earth to dry. "How do you think today went?"

"I'll get back to you in a bit on that one." Sunset sighed in reply. "I'm just glad we were able to work out housing so quickly. Not to mention that I finally feel safe for the first time in months."

"I agree." Twilight nodded. After washing and drying several loads of laundry from each of the human Elements, the Equestrian Elements came over to get to know their counterparts, and decide who would be staying with who. As much as Twilight wanted to host the humans, there simply wasn't enough space for seven to sleep and live comfortably at a time in her castle.

At first, the human Elements wanted to stay with their counterparts, but Sunset wisely suggested they not, as it would raise way too many questions and unnecessary drama in town. Zecora's arrival and its aftermath, for one, was a perfect example of this.

Eventually, the housing situation was figured out, and the Elements were split as follows; Applejack and Rainbow Burst, Fluttershy and Elusive, Rarity and Apple Jay, Pinkie Pie and Gentle Breeze, and Twilight would host both Sunset and Eventide Sparkle.

Everything seemed to be planned out perfectly, until a second, unforeseen opening of the Mirror portal drew everyone's attention. To their surprise, it was the human world's version of Spike who had come through. Just as the canid-Spike was settling in, the dragon-Spike walked in with a message from Princess Celestia, saw his doppelganger, and immediately passed out.

Once the young dragon came to, and after a rather awkward conversation about how he had made it to Equestria, and why his doppelganger was a dog, and not a dragon or human, the two Spikes headed to a separate room to work things out between them.

It didn't take all that long, Twilight had to admit, before both Spikes found common ground over comic books, their own experiences as a dog and dragon, and to both Twilights' chagrin, having to deal with their older sisters' habits and quirks. The Equestrian-Spike even gave the human-Spike his new name…"Spur".

"What? It sounds cool, and it's kinda close to my name, yet far away enough that we won't get confused." Spike had stated when asked about his reasoning for his choice.

After sending another letter to Princess Celestia about this development, all of the pairs of Elements decided they should tell whoever they lived or worked with about the "Twinzies-issue", as Pinkie Pie decided to call it, because "Saying or calling it "our alternate selves from a parallel world came to Equestria and need a place to stay-issue" would take too long!"

The introductions, which happened at the Castle of Friendship, went as smooth as one might have hoped, although the Cutie Mark Crusaders had to be strictly warned that they were "distant relatives", and telling anypony that didn't need to know the full scale of what was going on was an enormous no-no.

Granny Smith, on the other hand, once she found out that there was not only a parallel Applejack, but a parallel version of herself, Applebloom, and Big Mac, wondered something out loud that made everyone present drop their jaws and laugh till their sides ached.

"If there's an entire Apple Family here, and another entire Apple Family there…cripes, we'd better book a hotel or something, or we're not gonna have enough room at our next family reunion!"

Once the laughter settled, and everyone calmed down, it was now getting quite late, so the pairs of Element Bearers headed out to get some proper sleep. Eventide Sparkle and Spur soon headed to the upstairs guest room, leaving Twilight and Sunset as the last ones awake.

"It's been quite a day, hasn't it?" Twilight said, trying to stifle a yawn and only managing to suppress it in her voice by about half. "I guess we should see if we hear more from Celestia or Luna in the morning."

"Yeah, hopefully." Sunset replied, lying down on the couch to stretch her legs. "I'm still a little worried, though. What'll the plan be when we get back to Earth? Or, what if somepony brings the Green Poison back to Equestria? Twilight, that stuff practically ended the world as we knew it on Earth. I'm scared to think about how we'll handle it here if that happens."

"Sunset, listen." Twilight said, placing a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Those are good questions to ask, and there'll be a time to ask them properly. Now's not that time, and I'm certain that we'll deal with any problems when the time comes. So…don't worry, alright?"

"Sounds good." Sunset nodded. "I'd better turn in. See you in the morning."

"See you then." Twilight replied, and she turned the light out as she exited the room. Sunset gave a sigh of relief, and was soon sound asleep and feeling better than she ever had in the last seven months.

====

At the same time, in Canterlot, Princesses Celestia and Luna looked at each other in a frustrated and tired manner, best described by the words "I really wish he would stop talking right now".

This was so because after the two of them officially told their ministers of the situation on Earth, and of how they intended to mobilize an expeditionary force to support what remained there…to their relief, many were open to the idea, while others needed more convincing. After a very long discussion, the matter was presumed to have been agreed upon. After finalizing a letter to be printed in the morning papers, the attendees were ready to retire as they got up from their chairs.

Then, they promptly had to sit back down as Prince Blueblood and his posse of supporters barged in against both verbal and physical methods of prevention from the Solar and Lunar Guards stationed outside.

"Again, I must ask you, Princesses, why should we care at all? These matters on "Earth" are of no importance to us, and we'd be wasting resources and time that could be better spent on far more pressing matters!" he concluded. "This whole "Expeditionary Force" is just a smokescreen to take us to war, and I will not stand for it!"

"Unfortunately, nephew…" Celestia spoke in a dark tone that made everypony present back up slowly in anxiety, her nephew included. "The minds of my sister and I are made up. Equestria will not sit idly by while others are in need of aid, whether or not they come from our realm or another."

"Furthermore, you know nothing of the matter at hand, yet you speak as if you do. Which I assure you is not the case in the slightest. My former student, a Canterlot-born Unicorn, has lived in that world for years, and in their hour of need…she came home to ask for our help in saving her home."

"Would you have done the same for her, Blueblood, if you were in my position?" Celestia asked.

"Well…of course! I would…" Blueblood started to speak, only for Celestia to scoff loudly in response.

"You're lying, Blueblood." she said. "For all the years you've been alive, you have done nothing but grow fat on luxury and the tidings of the nobility. If there ever was a moment that you actually did something beneficial to anypony other than yourself, it would be news to me."

Blueblood opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it.

"Listen to me very carefully, nephew." Celestia said, her tone relaxing in his severity. "I don't want to hear any more about this from you or your cadre, and before you see yourself out…allow me to explain my position on this, so that you might better understand my point of view."

"Luna, Ministers, Guards, and…visitors…you may leave as quietly as you can, and you are not to speak a word regarding any of this, until an official statement can be made by my sister and I in the morning."

As the Guards showed everypony out and closed the doors, followed by Princess Luna teleporting out, Celestia sighed and looked at her nephew, who sat down to listen.
"When I reunited with my former student, Sunset Shimmer, I looked into her memories without her noticing. What I saw scared me, Blueblood. It scared me beyond what has ever frightened me before. A once prosperous, interconnected world that I had once hoped to visit…was reduced to a shadow by a rampaging plague, all overseen by one person."

"Now, look out the window, Blueblood. Describe to me what you see."

"I see Canterlot's middle section, full of activity. The lamplighters are going around, some of the citizens are heading home or to nightly entertainment…" Blueblood replied, unsure of where this would lead to. "Among many other things."

"Good. Now, imagine that lovely scene like this." Celestia sighed. "There are abandoned carriages lying broken in the streets, with bags of refuse and waste stacked so high they reach the windows of buildings on the first story, because there is no one left to collect and dispose of it. There is debris and wreckage everywhere you step, from wood to broken glass."

Now, imagine that Royal Street Park in the lower district of Canterlot, has been converted into a burial ground because of the sheer numbers of the dead, who lie unmourned in body bags."

"Those that did survive have turned on their fellows in order to keep themselves alive. Armed rioters and thugs patrol the streets, taking by force what they cannot collect themselves. Those that resist their actions are often killed without mercy."

"There is little to no presence of the government or any kind of law enforcement. The lights are perpetually dark, and basic utilities such as water are cut off. The citizens must scavenge to survive and live another day."

Blueblood's jaw dropped in horror at the image in his head.

"Are things really that desperate there?" he whispered.

"Yes, and that was only one city, a small taste of what happened. Their world was far more developed, populated, and advanced than ours. Imagine the consequences if that were to happen here." Celestia continued. "However, even in the darkest of nights, the dawn still comes."

"Sunset has told me that since the plague began to recede, for about seven months, their world has slowly begun to put itself back together. Then, there are those that are brave enough to defend their fellows against whatever threatens them. They are strong, swift, skilled, and brave…but they need our help, for they cannot fight their battles alone."

"That is why we are going to aid Earth, my nephew." Celestia finished. "To show that there are those that will help when one asks for it. To show that they are not alone in their struggles. To bring healing to a broken world."
"Do you understand now, Blueblood?" she asked, and Blueblood nodded slowly. As he stood up to leave, he sighed and spoke quietly.

"If that is the case…then I shall do what I can."

"That's all I can ask of you." Celestia replied. "Now, I am very much in need of rest, and I must prepare the announcement for the Day Court in the morning. For now, please keep this discussion to yourself."

"As you wish."

As Blueblood left without another word, Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and she teleported out of the room to her bedchambers for some much-desired sleep. After all…tomorrow would be a very busy day.

Author's Note

Update!

Next time - A preview of the Division's side of things at the White House, and the Equestrians prepare to deploy.

Chapter 2 - Lost in the Rain

Earth, Washington DC

The White House, Medical Wing

It was raining steadily outside, and the weather seemed to match the mood of the Division and JTF personnel that remained at the White House. The Black Tusk assault that occurred only two weeks ago had been a severe blow to morale, and many of the staff were significantly less optimistic than before about their chances.

It was even more so for the Division Agents. Their SHD server had nearly been destroyed, and the Black Tusk had successfully captured the Perfusion Bioreactor, a critical piece of technology. Not only that, it was now common knowledge among civilians and the settlements that the White House would no longer be as secure as it once was.

Coupled with the Black Tusks’ capture of three key Division staff members, the loss of Captain Frederick Lewis, and the deaths of many JTF and civilian militia, it seemed that nothing would make the mood any more dour.

Agent Jacob Samuels certainly shared that feeling, as he lounged by a windowsill in the medical wing, near Bardon Schaeffer’s hospital bed. He and his squad of Agents had been the first to return to the White House during the assault, and it was still fresh in their minds how they had nearly lost so much, all in one night.

“Are you still with us, Sheriff?”

Agent Samuels turned to see Manny Ortega approach, and he stood up to acknowledge the White House’s Coordinator.

“I’m here.” Jacob replied. “What’s up?”

“Just checking in.” Manny replied. “How’s your team doing?”

"They're fine, Manny." Jacob sighed, getting up and off the windowsill. "It's never been like this for us before. Our home was attacked, we lost the Perfusion Bioreactor, a lot of good people died…and Lewis went with 'em. There's so much that’s wrong with our current situation right now…I just don’t know where to start."

“Agreed.” Alani Kelso added as she stepped forward. “Right now, we’ve got something to take care of.”

“What might that be?” Agent Samuels asked. Kelso simply held up her SHD Watch, tapped its screen a few times, and a 3D-holographic map appeared. Manny and Agent Samuels recognized the displayed building as the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Virginia.

“About ten minutes ago, there was an energy surge in Langley that we traced back to the CIA headquarters.” Kelso said. “ISAC also detected an unknown type of radiation from the epicenter of the blast.”

“Radiation? What kind of blast are we talking about?” Manny asked.

“Some kind of lightshow, but there was no real damage to the building itself from what our surveillance drones could tell.” Kelso motioned to the hallway outside, and the three of them stepped out of the medical wing. “Without Cindy though, it was hard to tell. It wasn’t nuclear radiation, however. We would’ve noticed if it was.”

“Yeah…probably.” Manny gave a slight scowl. “What else?”

“We also intercepted some kind of radio signal coming from the site.” Kelso added. “Whoever’s there must’ve stumbled onto something. Whatever that might be is anyone’s guess.”

Manny was silent for a few moments.

“Sherriff, take your team and head over to Langley, and see what’s going on. Kelso, monitor them from here. I’ll see if I can reach anyone over there on the radio, maybe we can get a clue about whatever’s happening.”

“Got it.”

“Roger that.”

As both agents headed out, Manny looked over at the still-comatose form of Bardon Schaeffer, and gave a sigh of exhaustion.

“Let’s just hope this is worth it.” He murmured before he then began the walk back to his office.

Two Days earlier…
Equestria, Ponyville Staging Area

Castle of Friendship

As the Elements stood on the balcony of Twilight’s castle, watching several Solar Guards move crates of supplies onto carts, Sunset Shimmer poked her head out of the doorway, catching Princess Twilight’s attention. The Elements had been taking a refresher with some hot tea and some of Pinkie’s cupcakes, but it seemed now that break-time was over.

“What is it, Sunset?” Twilight asked.

“Prince Blueblood’s here, and he’s got a coffer full of bits with him. Says he came to help however he could.” Sunset replied. “You wanna handle this, Twilight?”

“Yes, I’ll be there momentarily.” She said, heading past Sunset and down the stairs that led to her Castle’s main hall. “I wonder what Princess Celestia bribed him with in order to get his support.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say “bribed”, Twilight.” Sunset replied. “Blueblood, to put it honestly, may be a pain in the flank at times, but he keeps his hooves clean and his nose out of trouble.”

“What makes you say that?” Twilight sounded surprised. “He was absolutely horrible to Rarity at the last gala we attended.”

“First, you do have to admit Rarity’s expectations were really unrealistic regarding that particular evening.” Sunset sighed. “Second, I’ve had to work with Blueblood before, when I was Celestia’s student, and honestly…he’s too tethered to what others think about him. I’ll give him credit, he’s a good negotiator and a whiz when it comes to organization and setting up events.”

“Really?” Twilight stopped walking and looked at her friend in shock. “I didn’t know that.”

“With all due respect, Princess…” a voice said from behind them. “There’s a lot of things my fellows don’t know about me, and yes, Sunset Shimmer’s analysis is accurate. I…do have trouble setting myself apart from what others expect of me.”

“Anyway…shall we get to business?” He asked, and both Sunset and Twilight nodded. As they stepped into the main hall, two Solar Guards approached with a clipboard and pen at the ready.

“Prince Blueblood, we just received your contributions.” One of the Guards said. “We just need your approval for the transfer.”

“Ah, yes. There we go..,.” Blueblood said, signing his name onto the document on the clipboard. “What else is there?”

“A stallion by the name of Filthy Rich is here, says that he needs to speak with Princess Twilight immediately.” The other guard said, turning towards Princess Twilight. “Apparently a trio of mares are causing a panic in town, saying that we’re going to war…and generally acting out in hysterics…what should we do? Most of the citizens are ignoring them, but I don’t know how long that’ll be the case.”

“Thank you, I’ll handle this myself.” Twilight nodded, giving a sigh of frustration as she moved to the doorway.

“Does this happen all that often in Ponyville?” Blueblood called out.

“Too often.” Twilight responded as she exited the castle, and headed for the town square. Blueblood then turned to the two Solar Guards, who straightened up, waiting for their next orders.

“Judging from the Princess’s tone of voice and the current circumstances, think it best if we all took a ten-minute break.” Blueblood said. “Hopefully we’ll all be rested and refreshed by the time Princess Twilight comes back.”

“Yes, sir.” The two Guards nodded and quickly headed towards the back patio.

“So, Sunset…would you mind telling me about what exactly happened in this other world? My aunt told me a few things, but I think I am missing some of the finer points of the situation.”

“Sure thing.” Sunset nodded as they both sat down on a nearby couch. “Just brace yourself, it’ll take a while, and a lot of it won’t be pleasant.”

“If it’s in line with the mental picture my aunt showed me…I’ll take your word for it.” Blueblood replied as they settled in. “However…there is one thing that I want to know first and foremost.”

“Shoot.”

“How exactly did you come to inhabit this world in the first place?” Blueblood asked. “I know that you were once Celestia’s former student, but one night, I heard there was a disturbance involving you, and I never saw you again after that.”

Sunset sucked in a breath as she began, telling Blueblood of that fateful night in the Crystal Empire, her days at Canterlot High, all the adventure she had with the Human Elements..and eventually, the Green Poison outbreak in Manhattan, and the collapse of civilization on Earth as they knew it.

The entire time, Blueblood was mostly silent, only asking a few questions regarding Sunset’s story, or for clarification on a few Earth-based subjects, such as the Internet or the usage of firearms.

As Sunset finished her story, Blueblood looked at her sympathetically, and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that all happened.” He said quietly. “Anyway…we should get back to work. I reckon that it has been far more than ten minutes.”

“You got that right.” Princess Twilight said, approaching them both in a much more relaxed manner. “It’s been nearly an hour, but you were so deep in conversation that I didn’t want to disturb you both.”

“Well, thanks for that.” Sunset replied. “Ready to get back to work?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Blueblood nodded, and they all headed outside to the backyard, where the long task of getting everything ready awaited them. After all, a task like saving a world didn’t come with a schedule.

Author's Note

UPDATE!

Chapter 3 - Mission 1 - CIA Headquarters, Part One

Langley, Virginia
On approach to the George Bush Center of Intelligence

Thirteen hours later…

“Alright squad, listen up. As many of you have already heard, there was an unknown energy pulse from the headquarters of the CIA. Our job is to investigate the pulse, recover any intel, and if necessary, extract civilians or anything of value.” Agent Samuels called out to his team over the radio. “We hit the ground in two minutes!”

“Check!” Agent Marcy Kendall replied as she inspected the scope of her Tactical .308 marksman rifle. “Any signs of the Black Tusk?”

“None so far.” Agent Laura Barrents affirmed, as she steaded her grip on the Blackhawk’s door handhold. “Ever since the attack on the White House, they’ve been settling down their operations, at least for the moment.”

“Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Agent Shane Moseley huffed as the Blackhawk began to descend. “Looks like we’ve hit our stop.”

As the six Division Agents disembarked, the JTF pilot gave them a thumbs-up as their helicopter departed for the White House. Once all six Agents gave him a thumbs-up, Agent Samuels led them towards the doors of the target building. In the calm morning breeze, a torn American flag, and one bearing the logo of the CIA flew loosely in the light.

Agent Samuels pulled one of the main doors open, and the six Division Agents got a good view of the devastation inside the building. Much of the glass in the windows and on display cases had been smashed, there was debris and building materials scattered everywhere, and a small measure of water covered the floor in more than a few areas.

“This place has seen better days, but then again, we all have.” Agent Oliver Grant mused, moving the mounted flashlight on his Military MK46 down a darkened, debris-laden hallway. Upon seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary, he lowered his weapon…only for Agent Kendall to hold up a closed fist as she stepped into a nearby atrium.

“Something wrong?” Agent Samuels asked, aligning his Custom P416 to cover his fellow Agent’s right flank. “What's up?”

“Not sure.” Kendall replied. “I thought I heard two people talking, but now, it's all clear."

“So we’re potentially not alone here.” Agent Jason Travers adjusted his stance and grip on his Vector SBR .45 ACP. “Try pulsing, maybe it’ll pick something up.”

Agent Kenall nodded and tapped a switch on her SHD Watch, and through their ScanTek contact lenses and ISAC Brick, their surroundings were illuminated by an hgh-frequency soundwave. There were several flashes of orange light as the pulse covered the area, and then faded away.

“Nothing, no contacts detected.” she replied, viewing the message on her HUD. “Must’ve been my imagination. Let’s keep moving.”

“Hold up a moment.” Agent Samuels said, moving to the front of the group and motioning to a nearby hallway. “Your pulse didn’t pick up contacts…but ISAC's detecting a large heat source not far from our position. Let’s pick up the pace…we might not be alone after all.”

As the Agents moved down the hallway with their weapons ready, they didn’t notice a pair of human figures watching them from an upper balcony with wide eyes and shaking hands…

===

“Rainbow Dash, we really shouldn’t be doing this!” Apple Jay whispered in a frightened manner. “It’s bad enough that we snuck away from camp, but going out this far is just asking for something worse to happen.”

“C’mon, Apple Jay, this is all new to me!” Rainbow Dash replied in a hushed but excited manner. “I just wanna take a look around, what’s so bad about that?”

“Because one of the main things that Princess Twilight said to all of us was that we’re trying not to be noticed and to keep a low profile?” Apple Jay scolded. “Geez you’re just as stubborn as Rainbow Blitz when she tried to fix her motorcycle by herself! She nearly blew out the engine by just from trying to change the oil!"

“I’m not that stubborn, trust me on that.” Dash replied. “Also…what’s a motorcycle?”

“Goddamn it, Rainbow Dash!” Apple Jay swore, until she noticed a second set of humans arrive. As she shoved her Equestrian companion down, she moved to get a better look at them. They were mostly clad in black, with some gray or white highlights here and there. Their faces were all concealed in some way, whether it was a balaclava or a standard facemask.

Two of them carried backpacks stuffed with grenades, along with a MK32 Launcher, and another hefted one with small drones attached to it. The leader, who didn't wear a pack, but was just as heavily armed, held up a closed fist. The other soldiers immediately stopped, and their leader leaned into his shoulder.

"Control, this is Blazer." the man said into his shoulder radio. "We've arrived at the objective, and are beginning our search now. Be advised, potential Division presence on site…I copy, but no guarantees on that one, Control…Understood. Commencing now."

"Listen up!" the soldier called. "Buddy up, and take a hallway. We'll rendezvous at the primary rally point. Keep a low profile. If the Division gets wind of us, disengage and call for reinforcements before attacking. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the other soldiers called back, and they split up into three groups of two, heading down a separate hallway. Once they were out of sight, Apple Jay turned to Rainbow Dash with an expression of fright on her face.

"We need to get back to camp and warn everyone else that we've got company ." she growled to Rainbow Dash, who nodded back at her. "Let's go!"

As the two of them headed back to their base camp as quietly, yet as fast as possible, they didn't notice the glint of a sniper's scope up on the roof of the atrium.. The one behind the trigger steadied his grip carefully, as he knew his orders were to observe the new arrivals, not engage them directly.

The figure, completely clad in black and gray, wearing a ballistic mask with three slashes in white and heavy combat gear, picked up his rifle and headed towards the stairway, beginning his descent into the building's underbelly.

====

"Apple Jay, Rainbow Dash, where have you two been?" Princess Twilight called out as the sidetracked Equestrian and human came into view. "We were scared that you were lost, injured, or worse!"

"Yeah, now's not a good time for that, Twi." Rainbow Dash hurriedly placed a hand to Princess Twilight's mouth. "We're not alone here. There's two groups of people looking for us."

The eyes of everyone turned to the two of them in an alarmed manner, as Apple Jay began to explain.

"We were on a balcony in some kind of atrium, and we saw both groups enter. The first one may have been more of those Division Agents, judging by what they were wearing, and they had those glowing orange wristwatches. I think the other guys, who were mostly wearing black, arrived a couple minutes after that. I really don't think we should stay here much longer."

"I agree." Prince Blueblood added from where he sat near a supply crate. He no longer wore his usual suit and tie, but a long-sleeved gray shirt and a blue down jacket. "If these groups are both looking for us, that means twice the risk of being caught."

"Though…" Sunset Shimmer added, "Since neither of those groups knows where we are right now, if we leave, we could run into either of them. IT also goes without saying we'd need to move all our supplies with us. That'll take a while, and if we leave them behind, there's no promise we'll get them back."

"Okay...lemme think for a moment." Twilight said, turning away to get some privacy, only to freeze up in her tracks a few moments later.

"Twilight, what's…wrong…" Rarity asked, only to trail off as a red laser dot appeared on her chest, then moved upward to her head. As more dots appeared, Twilight slowly began charging her magic to place a magical barrier, her hands beginning to glow…only for a bullet to fly past her, almost grazing her right ear.

"Whatever you're doing, I suggest you stop before things get ugly…." said a male voice, authoritative and intimidating. The second group of figures emerged from all around, their guns at the ready.

"Who are you?" Twilight asked, trying to conceal the fear in her voice.

"You can call me Blazer." their leader replied. "I suggest you come with us quietly, or we'll make you."

"That's not going to happen!" Rainbow Burst snarled back. "You show up out of nowhere and aim guns at us, and you expect us to just go somewhere with you guys just because you said so?"

"I'm not going to ask again." Blazer replied, placing his Tactical MK16's laser sight right on Rainbow Dash's forehead. "You come with us, or we will treat you as a threat."

"We'll take our chances, thank you." Princess Twilight replied, her hands were strangely being kept behind her back. Blazer sighed and motioned for his men to advance. As they drew closer, Twilight immediately threw up a barrier, making Blazer and his soldiers flinch visibly. One soldier fired two shots at the shield, and the bullets fell straight to the ground on impact.

"You're not getting through this barrier." Twilight replied with a smirk. "Now, how about you and your friends go back to wherever you came from, and leave us alone?"

Blazer leaned into his shoulder radio, and spoke quietly into it. After a few moments, he motioned to his squad, who immediately took up a half-circle formation.

"What are they doing?" Eventide asked, only for her question to be immediately answered, as a volley of gunfire erupted. Twilight braced herself, focusing everything on keeping her shield up. She quickly realized that one or two bullets wouldn't harm it, but six soldiers unloading entire magazines of ammo at her was a different case. She began to sweat from the effort, and just as she was about to reach her limit…there was a gunshot from the left side, and one of the soldiers fell to the ground.

"It's an ambush!" one of the soldiers cried out. "We've got a man down, going to him!"

"Find them and waste 'em!" Blazer ordered as his soldiers took cover. The increasing amount of gunfire aimed towards the soldiers kept their heads down and their attention diverted, allowing Twilight to regain her focus. Then, a small metal object landed amongst the soldiers, and detonated in a blinding flash. One by one, the soldiers strayed from cover and were shot down immediately. Blazer was soon the only one left standing, and as he surveyed his surroundings, he felt something press into the back of his head.

Blazer spun around, and came face to face with the Division Agent known as "the Sheriff" by the JTF. Blazer tried to draw a pistol, only for three shots to erupt, and he fell to the ground. As the Equestrians watched the man approach, along with five others that had been hiding in the shadows, Sunset caught sight of their glowing orange wristwatches.

"You're all Division agents, aren't you?" she called out, and the lead agent nodded before speaking.

"We are. Now that first introductions are out of the way, we need to get moving." he replied. "Once the Black Tusk realize they lost a squad, they'll send plenty of reinforcements. We may have the firepower to match them right, but not for a prolonged engagement. Pack your things, let's get going."

As the Equestrians nodded and began packing up, Twilight cast a spell over the crates that had already been unloaded, which shrunk them down to the size of a playing dice. The Division Agents raised their eyebrows, but didn't say anything as they knew they'd get answers later. Once everything was packed, Twilight turned to the lead Agent and gave a thumbs up.

"Alright, let's move!" the Agent ordered, and the Agents took point as the combined group left the area, heading through the hallways that led to the entrance, and an extraction helicopter.

Author's Note

Update!