The Equestrian Intelligence Agency

by General Soarin

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Spitfire, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash
Length: 19863

When several of the Bearers Of Harmony disapprear without a trace, Princess Celestia fears that something sinister is going on, and orders the EIA to find out what is going on and put a stop to it.

The Equestrian Intelligence Agency, or EIA for short. One of the most well known governmental organizations thorough Equestria, the EIA was formed by Princess Celestia after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, and specializes in espionage and dealing with high stakes situations.
When several of the Bearers of Harmony mysteriously disappear from their houses, Princes Celestia fears that something sinister is brewing, and orders the EIA to find out what happened to the Bearers, and put an end to any evil plans that might threaten Equestria. Will the Agency be able to find our missing heroes? Or will the entire world of Equestria be thrown into darkness? You'll just have to read the story to find out.

Cover Image is by the DeviantArt user pyrestriker
I will only take it down if Pyre wants it down.

This story is cowritten by: spitfire101
All chapters labeled with a J are written by him. Every other chapter is written by me.

Editor: Mitsubishi Colt

This is my first ever fanfic on this site! Yay! :twilightsmile: I am going to ask that you please drop a review in the comments as you read the story so that I can improve the story as I go along! Anyway, I do hope that you enjoy the story, and I'll see you soon!
Bramble

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Hello mares and gentlestallions, and welcome to The Equestrian Intelligence Agency. You have probably been drawn here by the fact that I am rewriting this story, making it better using the skills that I have aquired over the past couple of months. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor, and I will see YOU. In the near future. Bye!
General Soarin' (9/22/13)

Published 2013-01-14 03:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-06 22:07:42 UTC

Prologue

"There better be a good reason why you woke me up," growled Princess Celestia as she took a seat on her royal throne. Moonlight filtered through the various windows in the room, basking the room in a bright silvery light.

Standing before Celestia's throne was a cyan Pegasus mare with magenta eyes and a distinctive rainbow-colored mane. The pegasus was dressed in a plain black suit and red tie, and had a pair of black shades hanging from one of the suit's two pockets. She slowly dipped her head in respect to the Princess before finally opening her mouth to speak. "Several of the Element Bearers have gone missing, Princess," announced the cyan pegasus.

Princess Celestia frowned before turning her gaze to one of the stained-glass windows. "What exactly do you mean by the word 'missing,' Agent Dash? How do you know they didn't just go on a simple evening stroll together and forgot to tell you about it?" asked the Princess, no emotion in her voice.

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "I don't think Twilight's team would call in a code red if she just went out for a late-night stroll with our friends," she replied, a very serious tone in her voice.

The Princess turned her attention back to Agent Dash before slowly nodding in agreement. "Well, that definitely signals that something went wrong, because Twilight's team wouldn't just call a code red if she went for a walk. Give me a situation report," ordered the Princess.

Agent Dash cleared her throat before telling the Princess everything that had happened. "Like I told you before, Twilight's team sent out a code red signal just before midnight, and requested that I get to the library ASAP. I told them that I would be there within several minutes, then threw on my suit and sped off to help them with whatever problem they were facing. I arrived at the Library only to find out Twilight was missing, and her team knocked out cold. I quickly sent a message to Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy's teams asking if they were having any problems at their posts while I looked for evidence that told me what happened. Of all the teams that were watching my friends, only Fluttershy's team managed to reply to my message, informing me that Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully in her house, and everything was normal.  I figured that Fluttershy's team would soon drop out of contact, so I ordered them to wake Fluttershy and move her to our safe house in the Everfree Forest while I checked on the other teams. After that, I sped off to check out each house, only to find them all in the same state as Twilight's, with each friend missing and the teams knocked out. I then ordered several other teams to move in and secure each house while I traveled here to inform you of the news."

The Princess was silent for a few moments before slowly getting off her throne and sighing deeply. "Something sinister is going down, Agent Dash... and I am going to find out what it is and put a stop to it!" exclaimed Princess Celestia as she stomped her hoof on the ground.

Rainbow Dash nodded before letting out a quiet yawn. "Is there anything that you need me to do, Princess? Or is it okay to go home for the night?" Rainbow asked.

Princess Celestia gazed at Rainbow Dash for a few moments before slowly nodding her head. "If you really want to do something else for me, you could relay a message to Director Armor for me. Keep in mind that this offer is purely optional, if you are really tired and want to call it quits; after all, you've been working hard ever since midnight trying to figure out what happened to your friends, and you look like you could use some rest. I could simply just send someone else to relay the message if you want."

Rainbow Dash shook her head,  reassuring the Princess that she could deliver the message before going back to her house. Princess Celestia slowly nodded, before clearing her throat. "Very well, Agent Dash; it's your decision, after all. Inform him of the current situation with the missing Bearers, and tell him that it is the EIA's job to discover what happened to them, and to rescue them if they are in any danger. Good luck Agent Dash. Now, off you go to the Director's quarters."

Rainbow nodded her head in understanding before giving a quick salute to the Princess and speeding out of the room. Princess Celestia sighed deeply to herself before slowly trudging back to her bedroom, leaving the vast throne room in an eerie silence.

Chapter 1: Briefing

"Welcome Agent Hawk, please have a seat." Greeted the Director of the EIA as the brown pegasus that was standing in front of his desk slowly took a seat. After receiving word of Princess Celestia's demand to find the missing Bearers of Harmony, EIA Director Shining Armor decided to give the mission to one of the best agents that he could offer: a brown pegasus stallion named Agent Sky Hawk. Agent Hawk is well known throughout the Agency as a pony to turn to when you need something done, and is not someone to mess with. He is well respected among fellow EIA Agents, and is a seasoned veteran having served with the Agency since it's creation.

Agent Hawk looked curiously at the Director, before finally opening his mouth to speak. "If you called me in Director Armor, then that must mean that something really bad has come up." He stated, no emotions in his voice. The Director nodded, before tossing a file on the desk. "Four of the bearers of Harmony have recently disappeared without a trace, and Princess Celestia is concerned that something sinister is going down. She has ordered that I launch a top priority operation to find the Bearers and stop any evil plans that are encountered. You are the best agent that we have, there for I am giving this mission to you. Keep in mind, that the fate of all of Equestria might be on the line here." explained the Director, as Agent Hawk picked up the case file. He read through it, before returning his silent gaze back to the Director.

"Sounds like what I do all the time Director. Good idea assigning the mission to me, I will not fail you." He replied slowly, as he placed the case file back on the desk. The Director nodded, before taking out a pot of tea and two cups. "You're going to a partner for this mission, for she could be extremely helpful." Announced the Director, as he poured tea into both of the cups. Agent Hawk laughed, before grabbing a cup and taking a sip. "You know me Director, partners usually just slow me down. Besides, I'm more than capable of performing this mission by my own." Agent Hawk retorted. The Director chuckled for a bit, before shaking his head gently. "Yes, but this is no regular pony that will be joining you. She should be able to keep up with you easily." he replied. Agent Hawk rolled his eyes, before finishing his tea.

"Well, who is my new partner anyway?" Agent Hawk replied, obviously annoyed by the fact that he had to deal with a partner. The Director chuckled softly to himself before pressing a small red button under his desk. The door to the office swung open, and someone walked into the office. Agent Hawk also chuckled, before slowly turning his chair to face the new arrival. "Well, hello there new-" He began, before stopping at the sight of his new partner, a surprised look on his face. Standing there was none other then his only rival in the entire EIA: Rainbow Dash. A sly smile came on her face as she slowly walked over to the shocked agent, and she sat down in a chair next to him. "Why hello Agent Hawk."

Chapter 2: Finding The Trail

Agent Sky Hawk

Ponyville Library

1 hour after launch of Operation Harmony

(J)

"For the eleventh time Rainbow, I will speak with the team, not you! I know Twilight is your friend and all, but Director Armor gave me control of this operation." shouted Agent Hawk, as he landed gently in front of the Ponyville Library. Agent Hawk was not at all happy with the Director’s decision to pair him up with Rainbow Dash, but he knew that orders from the Director had to be followed.

After giving Agent Hawk his partner, Director Armor then proceeded to give Agent Hawk the mission specifics. Agent Hawk was to find the Bearers of Harmony, and stop any evil plans that involved them. He had access to everything that the Agency could give him, and had access to all Agency files that related to his mission. Once Agent Hawk had his mission specifics, he started flying to the Ponyville Library to question the EIA team that was posted there on the night of the disappearances.

“Fine, but keep in mind that they're my agents, and they have had a hard time so you better not go hard on them" Agent Dash replied in a harsh tone. “I will do what needs to be done.” replied Agent Hawk as he walked in to the library. As they entered the library they were welcomed by two grey and two green stallions. “Team you all know why I am here.” “Yes, Sir” they all replied. “So how is going to tell me what happened here?” asked Agent Hawk, authority in his voice.  A grey stallion stepped forward and Hawk trotted over to him.

“What is your name Agent?” asked Hawk, as the Agent gave a quick salute. “My name is Hedge, sir.” replied the stallion, a deadly calm in his voice. Agent Hawk gave the agent a quick look over, before slowly nodding his head. “And why are you the one to tell me what happened here tonight?” asked Agent Hawk. Agent Hedge gave the senior agent a small frown, before looking at Agent Dash. “I am the leader of this team set to guard Twilight Sparkle, sir.” He replied curtly.

Agent Hawk nodded, then turned to face the rest of the team. “Could you please tell me what has happened here Agent Hedge?” questioned Agent Hawk. Agent Hedge looked at his team, before returning his gaze back to the senior agent. “I am sorry to disappoint you sir, but none of us can remember what happened.” Replied Agent Hedge, a hint of nervousness in his voice.“What do you mean, you cannot remember! You must have at least seen the attacker!” said Agent Hawk, a hint of frustration in his voice. Agent Hedge started shaking, and he shrank back a little bit. “I am terribly sorry sir but we all got knocked out before we even knew what had happened.” He replied. Sky Hawk gave Agent Hegde a death stare, before he took a step toward the frightened Agent.

“What kind of agents are you? Letting the enemy easily knock you all out and take your objective. You don’t deserve to call yourself agents.” shouted Agent Hawk, disgust in his voice. Rainbow quickly thrust herself in between  the senior agent and the team, and gave Agent Hawk a hard stare. “Agent Hawk I can assure you that my teams are of the best ponies the EIA has. And I am sure they would never let the enemy close to Twilight without a fight if they had the chance to do it.” Stated Rainbow, a deadly calm in her voice. Agent Hawk muttered something inaudible, before turning around. Rainbow let out a sigh of relief, before glancing over to her team. “If none of you have anything else to say about this horrible incident that has taken place here, then I would like you all to get back to EIA and deliver full report to Director Armor. I am sure he would like to know what happened to his sister” said Rainbow. Agent Hedge nodded, then ran as fast as he could out of the Library, the rest of his team following closely behind. Rainbow and Hawk lingered in the Library for a bit, and tried to look for evidence of what happened. However, they ended up finding nothing, and headed off silently into the dark night towards Rarity's Boutique to talk to the team sent to guard Rarity.

They arrived at Rarity's Boutique, and immediately saw the team having a huge discussion. When the team spotted Rainbow and Hawk trotting towards them, they quickly lined up and welcomed them. Rainbow smiled, before walking over to the leader of the team, Bon Bon. “Ah, Agent Bon Bon, it has been too long since we last met. Agent Hawk, come over here and let me introduce you to one of the best agents I have -  and the leader of this team - Agent Bon Bon.” Rainbow exclaimed. Both Agent Hawk and Bonbon looked each other over, before Agent Hawk finally cleared his throat.“ I want to keep this brief, so would you be so kind and give me a full report on what happened here Agent Bon Bon?” said Agent Hawk, a forced calm in his voice. You could tell that he was really annoyed with the whole situation.

“Yes, Agent Hawk I will tell you what happened. We detected several shady ponies heading towards the boutique but sadly we did not have time to react  before we got knocked out. But I heard one of them  talk about a pony named Laurence before I fainted.” explained Bon Bon a serious and professional tone in her voice. Something sparked in Rainbow’s eyes, and she gazed absently at the ceiling. “Hmm, Laurence... where have I heard that name before?” muttered Rainbow to herself, as she paced back and forth. Agent Hawk looked at Rainbow with a look of curiosity on his face, before he cocked his head to the side.. “What do you mean Rainbow? Where have you heard that name before?” asked Agent Hawk. Suddenly, Rainbow’s face lit up, and she whipped around to face Agent Hawk.  “I think I saw it in the briefing of a search and rescue mission yesterday! Agent Laurence was part of the Force Reconnaissance Division, and he disappeared without a trace three days ago.” Exclaimed Rainbow. Agent Hawk grinned, before turning and walking for the door.  “Then we must get back to Director Armor, and report this right away. This just may be an important clue, thank you for your help Agent Bon Bon.” replied Agent Hawk, as he walked out the door, spread out his wings, and took off towards Canterlot. Rainbow  lingered for a few seconds, before quickly saying goodbye to her team and took off after her partner.

Chapter 3: Escalation

Agent Spitfire

Equestrian Intelligence Agency

Special Operations Division, Alpha Team

Equestrian Intelligence Agency Main Headquarters, Canterlot, Equestria

2 hours after the launch of Operation Harmony

“Soarin, have you been going through my sweets draw again? I told you to stay out!” shouted Spitfire, as she stormed into the sky blue pegasus stallion’s room. For the third time that week, the golden pegasus mare had found her stash of sweets raided, only this time somepony had stolen everything in the draw, leaving nothing behind. When she found out about her raided sweet stash, Spitfire had torn apart her room in a desperate and angry frenzy to find her sweets.

Soarin was sitting at his desk that overlooked Canterlot reading a vanilla file on a EIA Agent named Starburst. He put down the file, before turning to face the annoyed Spitfire. “It wasn’t me Spitfire, I’ve been in my room all afternoon evaluating various pegasi from the Agency to recruit for the Wonderbolts. You can even ask Fleetfoot, she’s been providing me files.” He replied, before gesturing toward the door that lead into his study. Spitfire growled, before storming over to the door to the study and knocking furiously on it. “FLEETFOOT! GET OUT HERE NOW.” She screamed angrily. A few seconds passed, before a pale blue pegasus mare with a white mane answered the door.

“What’s going on Spitfire, it sounds like you got both your wings cut off!” exclaimed Fleetfoot, as she stepped out of Soarin’s study. Spitfire gave Fleetfoot a death glare. “Is it true that you and Soarin have been in here all night evaluating agents? Someone went through my sweet draw and stole EVERYTHING.” shouted Spitfire, obviously annoyed at the whole situation. Fleetfoot chuckled, before nodding. “Yes, we haven't moved since 3:00 this afternoon. In fact, we should probably get something to eat. We skipped dinner!” She replied, as she walked past Spitfire and put a few files onto Soarin’s desk. Spitfire let out an annoyed growl before walking toward the door. “Someone is going to pay if I can’t find my sweets by-” Spitfire began, before a distant explosion interrupted her.

Alarms started blaring, and the lights in Soarin’s room flickered out. “Explosion in the main generator room, half the building is currently dark. We’re under attack, all agents proceed to emergency posts. This is not a drill! I say again, this is not a drill!” shouted someone over the intercom system, as several more explosions rocked the building. The three Wonderbolts in the room quickly threw on their night vision goggles, and ran into the hallway. “This is Agent Spitfire to Director Armor’s team, I need a situation report ASAP!” shouted Spitfire over the radio, as she ran toward the Director’s office. The radio was silent for a moment, before it sputtered to life. “This is Agent Firestreak, everything is fine up here. The office is secure, and we’ve dispatched several agents to check on the generators. How is your team Spitfire?” Replied the agent on the other side of the radio. Spitfire let out a sigh of relief, before getting back on the line. “We’re all ok here, just a little surprised that someone is attempting to attack one of the most strongly guarded buildings in Canterlot. Do we have any idea what we’re facing here?” She replied, as the team continued running for the office. “I’m getting mixed reports, but from what I’m hearing it’s mainly squads of highly organized unicorns. I can get-” started Agent Firestreak, before the radio cut out.

Spitfire stopped, and checked the radio to see if it was on before flipping on her mike. “You can get what?” She asked, a little bit of confusion in her voice. The radio was silent for a moment, before the radio sputtered to life. “Change is coming to Equestria in the near future. By now, your director is dead, and your Agency crippled. I suggest you go home and bunker down for a bit, because all will change. L out.” Spitfire stopped for a moment, before running even faster towards the office. They reached it a few moments later to find it strangely empty. Spitfire strode over to the hoof scanner next to the door, and scanned her hoof. “Please provide vocal authentication.” stated a robotic voice. “Senior Agent Spitfire, SOD Alpha team. Override Sierra 117.” There was no reply for a few moments, before a loud whooshing sound rang out. “Welcome Agent Spitfire. The Director is currently unavailable, but you are welcome to look around and wait for him. Also, remember protocol 185.” The robotic voice replied, as the door swung open. They walked slowly into the room, and the three agents couldn’t hide their shock.

Several other agents were sprawled around the office, and the Director was sitting at his desk staring blankly ahead. Spitfire rushed over to the Director and checked for vital signs, and was surprised to hear him mutter something. She made out a word that started with Lau before the Director ceased breathing and his head slumped forward. “I failed you director. Requiescat in pace.” Spitfire murmured, before she closed the Director’s eyes. Suddenly the sound of a radio interrupted the silence in the room. “The Royal Guard just arrived, we’re driving back the hostiles. Agent Firestreak, how’s your situation?” Exclaimed someone over the radio. Soarin walked over to the live radio, and picked it up. “I’m sorry to say, but Firestreak is dead. We could use you guys back up here.” He replied solemnly. The line was silent for a while, before a sigh was heard. “We’ll be up momentarily, standby.” stated the pony on the other end, before the line went dead again. Suddenly, Spitfire spoke again. “Soarin, Fleetfoot, stay here and brief the the team when they arrive. I got to go intercept Agent Hawk and tell him about this evidence that we just recieved.” She ordered, before running over to the window overlooking Canterlot. Soarin opened his mouth to say something, but Spitfire was already gone, leaving the cool night air to slowly drift into the dark office.

Chapter 4: Revelation

Team Hawk

Outside Canterlot, Equestria

3 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

J

“Roger that. Hawk out.” Said Agent Hawk and put the radio back into the saddlebag. Rainbow looked at him and saw a worried expression in his face and asked “What was it?” “It was Command. They said that Main HQ has been attacked by unknown enemies.” replied Hawk as he started to fly even faster. Rainbow flew up next to him. “EIA HQ is the most secure building in Equestria, it can’t be possibly anything that bad. It's probably just some fellow Agent who is trying to play a twisted joke on us.” she said and laughed nervously, not completely believing in her own words. “I am not so sure about that Rainbow. There is a powerful force that we yet don’t know on the move right now..” Hawk replied, worry in his voice as they floated through the air towards Canterlot.

They saw the smoke before they saw the city. It was like a huge black cloud that covered the city and blocked the view. Rainbow did a sudden stop and took her binoculars out from the saddle bag and tried to see where the source of the smoke was. She gasped and went silent. Hawk also had his binoculars on his hoofs. “I guess it was not a bad joke after all” Rainbow said and dropped her binoculars which fell towards the ground. She started to fly as fast as she could towards Canterlot when she noticed that Hawk was not following her. She flew back and shouted at him “What are you waiting for? They need us over there and we need to know what happened!” Hawk pointed his hoof on something that was moving towards them. It was a pony but there were smoke and thunder following her trail. “It seems that we are going to get a visit by a Wonderbolt”

Rainbow looked after her own binoculars but remembered she had dropped them in the shock of seeing HQ in flames. She looked over to Hawk and saw that he still had his binoculars and while he still was using them she grabbed them out of his hoofs. “Hey! You could have asked.” said Hawk, an angry tone in his voice. Rainbow put the binocular to her eyes and looked through. “ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh” was the only thing Rainbow managed to say. “What is it?” Hawk asked bluntly. “This is not an ordinary Wonderbolt. This is THE CAPTAIN of the Wonderbolts, also known as Spitfire.” exclaimed Rainbow with an overly enthusiastic voice. “How do you know that? All I could see was the smoke.” asked Hawk. “First of all I have been a fan of the Wonderbolts since I was a little filly in Cloudsdale. My favorite performer was, and still is, Spitfire. She has style, coolness, awesomeness and the speed like nopony else on the team.” replied Rainbow. Hawk could see it in Rainbow's eye that she dreamed of being a part of the Wonderbolts.

Spitfire was exhausted when she reached Agent Hawk and Agent Rainbow. They quickly saluted the senior agent. “Why do we get the honor to meet the Captain of the Wonderbolts?” asked Rainbow, barely hiding her excitement. “The …” was all Spitfire could say before catching her breath. She stopped for a moment, before taking a deep breath. “The Director... is dead.”

Both Hawk and Rainbow’s faces was filled with sorrow and grief. They had landed on a cloud big enough for them all and said nothing for a while until Hawk broke the silence “How is this possible? The Director is one of the most protected ponies in Equestria, if we look away from the princesses.” “We don’t know. The attackers were well organized and knew where to strike. They seemed to have all too good knowledge of the building. I believe that we have a traitor amongst the Agency.” Spitfire stated, before punching a hole in the cloud and looked down upon the smokey Canterlot. “Any idea of who is behind the attack?” asked Rainbow. “No we have no idea, but the second before the director died he muttered something that started with Lau.” muttered Spitfire, still looking through the hole she had punched in the cloud. Hawk and Rainbow were silent, before Hawk shifted himself into a more comfortable position. “Maybe it is Laurence.” suggested Hawk. Spitfire looked up and walked over to him. “What do you know?” She asked with a tone that would even make a Dragon answer. “One of the teams in set to guard the bearers heard one of their attackers mention a pony named Laurence. And Rainbow here recall reading about somepony named Laurence in a EIA file. We were on our way to HQ so we could read it.” replied Hawk, before taking a step away from Spitfire. Spitfire looked at him, before slowly shaking her head. “Well you are too late. During the attack the enemy hacked the database, and locked it down.  Nothing can be accessed until the tech division regains control, and they tell me that won’t happen for a couple of weeks.” she informed him, disappointment in her voice as she sat down again.

“Well ummm” muttered Rainbow, as scratched the back of her head. Hawk and Spitfire looked at her and asked simultaneously “What?” Rainbow shrank back a little bit, before clearing her throat “Well… I kind of have a copy of every file that the Agency ever had.” Rainbow replied in a somewhat nervous tone. Hawk and Spitfire were silent for a few moment, before Spitfire finally spoke. “And how did you get that? Did you steal it? I should probably take you back to Canterlot and send you to prison for doing something like that.” Spitfire said in a threatening tone as she took a menacing step towards Rainbow. Rainbow shook her head fiercely, before clearing her throat.. “Hold on there. I did NOT steal anything, I did it under orders from the Director.” Rainbow replied. Spitfire snorted, before Hawk took a step towards Rainbow as well. “And why would he trust you? Your rank is not even close to being trusted with something this important.” Hawk asked, malice in his voice. Rainbow sighed, before turning to face the burning EIA headquarters. “Director Armor entrusted me with the data because he felt as though I could handle having it.” She replied. Spitfire and Hawk went silent for a few moments, before Hawk finally nodded. “If you have the backups, then where are they?” asked Spitfire, all hostility gone from her voice. Rainbow pointed to her shades, before slipping them on and tapping the side of it with her hoof. “Execute program Echo Delta Alpha, authorization code 875-020-079.” Rainbow said loudly.

There was a beep, before the right side of the shades started glowing and showing various files and documents. Rainbow stood still for a few moments, moving through the files by flicking her eyes back and forth until she finally stopped. “Ahh here it is, Agent Laurence, part of the Force Reconnaissance Division. Born in Canterlot, and was pretty successful in life.” Rainbow exclaimed, as she read through Laurence’s file. Hawk and Spitfire waited patiently, before Rainbow suddenly cringed. “What is it?” asked Spitfire, concern in her voice. Rainbow took off her shades, before glancing over at the Wonderbolt captain. “Laurence was apparently very interested in the Lau theory, which basically states that the Bearers Of Harmony posses the power of the elements, and that their power could possibly be extracted and used as a very strong power sources. It’s a fairly old theory.” explained Rainbow. Spitfire nodded, before she tried opening her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a burst of static from Rainbow’s earpiece. “This is Agent Vinyl Scratch, I’m calling a code red. We’re under attack by multiple hostiles, requesting immediate assistance!” Shouted somepony over the radio. Rainbow’s ears perked up, before her wings shot open. “That’s the leader of Fluttershy’s team! We gotta help her!” Shouted Rainbow, before she jumped off the cloud and shot off in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Agent Hawk and Spitfire glanced at each other, before quickly following after Rainbow, leaving the smoky city of Canterlot behind them.

Chapter 6: The Toll

Team Hawk

Equestrian Intelligence Agency

4 Hours after the launch of Operation Harmony

Everfree Safehouse, Everfree Forest, Equestria

The battle at Fluttershy's cottage had been short but brutal after the three elite fliers arrived. Fluttershys team had holed itself in and apparently enlisted the help of many of the timid Pegasus’ animal friends who in turn proved to be too distracting and focused for the kidnappers to follow through on their plans.

Rainbow Dash was slightly worried. Sure, they had made it in time and fighting off these goons had been fun and all, she just felt something was...off. She excused herself from Sky Hawk’s side and wandered off a little, always making sure to stay within a safety parameter. The cyan mare scowled a little. Had she really been slower? Or were her hoof to hoof fighting skills really that bad? As long as Dash could remember she had been the absolute best in physical exertion.

Doubts began to settle in her mind. Maybe she wasn’t in such a great form the last few days. She had pulled a few all-nighters working for the EIA and practicing a few stunts. While they were mostly for her cover Rainbow Dash was very determined to prove to herself she could do this sort of tricks. After all she had chosen her profile to look like this.

She muttered in a low voice to herself “Good going, Featherbrain. If you hadn’t worked on something as lame as your stunts again, you would have noticed something going on around your friends. Maybe you could have stopped them!” while hanging her head and fluttering around.

A few feet away Sky Hawk and Spitfire traded glances. “You know,” the mare began “maybe you should talk to her. She seems really down, probably because of the whole situation with her friends. I also noticed that she was struggling quite a bit more on our flight to Fluttershy's cottage. Are there any latent diseases showing their head? We need her at her best after what happened to Director Armor.” Sighing the stallion turned to her and answered “She is a professional. As much as it hurts me to say this, her feelings for her friends would never let her become so distracted, just like I would. Or you, for that matter. Would...would you talk to her? From what I understand Dash seemed to idolize you quite a bit when she was younger. It would help her into admitting her pain and that’s always the first step. I will talk to Fluttershy in the meantime and see if her condition has raised enough to talk to her too. Dash will need all the help she can get if something DOES happen to her friends.”

With a sigh Spitfire nodded and went off to talk to Rainbow Dash. Sky Hawk had a lower rank than her but he was the assigned boss for this task and that made his words orders to the professional stunt flyer.

The brown stallion trotted over to Fluttershy and started to talk “Hello Fluttershy. I am Sky Hawk and I wanted to ask you a few questions.” He asked with a calm and soothing voice and was glad that the pegasus before him pulled herself together. “Okay.” whispered the mare, with a voice so tiny that Sky Hawk had to focus really hard on listening to hear her.

“May you tell me what happened to you? Anything you remember would help us out, even the smallest detail.” the orange maned stallion continued. Fluttershy took a few minutes to collect herself and started her tale “It all began somewhat around yesterday. You see, I’m able to understand my animals around me really well and care for them a great deal. But sometime yesterday I had trouble understanding Perry. That’s um, my platypus friend who likes wearing hats. And after that, it gradually got harder and harder to listen to other animals. Just before the attack happened, I even had problems understanding Angel Bunny! I was so devastated. But when somepony seemed to jump at me from some bushes, Angel helped me nonetheless. The other animals, even Mr.Bear who is a bit grumpy at the moment joined and helped me. I was so scared every animal or pony to be hurt but then Vinyl Scratch suddenly was there and ushered me inside the cottage. She and some other ponies helped my animal friends and soon these other ponies left...what did they want? Why would they attack me? Did I do something wrong?”

Consoling the sobbing mare, Sky Hawk answered “You did nothing wrong there, Fluttershy. These ponies were hired by a bad pony and tried to ponynap you. We don’t exactly know what they want you for, but we will do all we can to find that out. Do you or your animal friends need any help in the meantime, were any of you hurt?”

Sky Hawk knew that not to be the truth, but nothing good would come from worrying Fluttershy unnecessarily. For her security to withstand any more attacks, she needed to stay put in her cottage. There was no way they could protect her from forced teleportation spells and the likes if she traveled around. Magic was tricky like that, sadly. After hearing Fluttershys answer, Sky Hawk called some ponies to help her with some of her animal friends and then trotted off to think about the whole story. There was a little bit about it that simply bugged him. Wait, didn’t Fluttershy say she had trouble understanding animals lately? The ponynappings started around the same time her problems started too. That could not be a coincidence!

But Rainbow Dash didn’t show any kind of...oh Celestia, how could he have overlooked it! Rainbow Dash had troubles flying lately! It just usually never showed because she was this good at it! Maybe her powers had dropped the same time as Fluttershys? But would the Elements of Harmony really cause such a thing? They only worked for the good, after all!

Now in full thinking mode, Hawk sat on his haunches and pondered the whole problem further. Maybe...and that was assuming Laurence wasn’t as crazy as everypony in the agency believed, maybe the elements were more than a powerful tool for the six of them. Maybe they shared some kind of connection through it. In a way it even made sense: After all, the elements had to make sure it’s bearers were protected or else they wouldn’t be used nearly as often. But if they protected the bearers in a way and they didn’t notice anything - and after extensive tests performed on Rainbow Dash they had noticed nothing different with her - maybe their special talents or powers simply increased more? Maybe Dash had been faster because of the elements. It would explain her Sonic Rainbooms...the first recorded appearance had Dash with the power of youth and the filly had been totally exhausted days afterwards. Yet the second time it happened, she rescued her friend Rarity AND three Wonderbolts at the same time and still did it. That meant...that meant the elements really DID strengthen the bearers and it just wasn’t noticeable in any way ponykind could imagine. Maybe the princesses knew but then again...there was little time in this case as it was. A formal request with the princess took at least five days, now that Twilight Sparkle had disappeared. So they had to solve that problem on their own, it seemed.

Sighing he watched Spitfire appear with a frown on her muzzle. Before she had a chance to tell him anything he answered “I guess I figured out what Agent Dash’s problems are.”

“You did?” came the surprised answer. After all, even the cyan mare herself had had no clue as to what had happened. “Yes,” sighed Sky Hawk, “It seems the case is even more urgent right now. The Bearers lose their strength if they don’t stay close together. Furthermore they all share a connection. I believe Laurence is using this connection for his Lau theory. Spitfire, we need to hurry. Who knows how long these two will last? Or the ponynapped bearers? I have a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling...”

Chapter 7: A Break Before The Storm

Team Hawk

Equestrian Intelligence Agency

EIA Ponyville Headquarters, Ponyville, Equestria

5 Hours After Launch of Operation Harmony

“Did your message get through to Celestia?” asked Spitfire, as Sky Hawk walked into the small lounge, a somewhat tired look on his face. “Yeah, it should get into her hooves in a couple of minutes.” He replied, as he plopped down on a red couch. Spitfire flashed a small smile, before she sat down next to him.

“Well, while you were off filing that report, Rainbow went into her office a while ago, and she’s been in there ever since. I’m guessing she’s either sleeping or looking through case files.” She replied, her voice somewhat distant. Sky Hawk sighed, before gazing back at the ceiling. “She’ll probably be fine. We’ll just need to find Laurence and reunite the Elements, and soon. Nothing that we can’t handle.” He replied in a reassuring tone. Spitfire nodded, before she turned to look out the window.

“You know, I’ve heard a lot about you from various mission files. What exactly prompted you to join the Agency?” asked Spitfire, a certain curiosity in her voice. Sky Hawk was silent for a few moments, before breathing deeply. “I joined to serve Equestria, and be the best that I could possibly be. After serving in the Air Force during the Griffin War, Celestia saw my potential, and sent me a letter inviting me to join the newly formed EIA. I decided to accept the offer, and ended up doing a lot more than I expected to. I’ve completed countless missions, and have earned the trust and respect of my fellow agents. It makes me proud to know that I’m helping Equestria be a better place.” He explained, a mixture of emotions in his voice. Spitfire nodded, before turning to face the brown stallion again. “And how well do you know Rainbow?” She asked.

Agent Hawk snorted, before facing the Wonderbolt captain. “Pretty well actually. That mare has been a pain in my plot ever since she joined up a few weeks ago. She competes with me over just about anything, from getting to early morning training faster to seeing who can take out the foreign leader the fastest. Mostly I’ve been annoyed with her, though I’ve also got a certain respect for her. She always does a good job when it comes to completing missions, even if she’s trying to do them better than me.” He replied, a mixture of annoyance and pride in his voice. Spitfire smirked, before shifting herself into a more comfortable seating position. “Well, you’ve dealt with her for this long. You know, I think I’m starting to like ya. Why don’t we hang out after this operation ends?” She exclaimed, genuine interest in her voice. Agent Hawk pondered for a moment, before shrugging. “Sure, why not? “ He replied curtly. Spitfire smiled, before turning to face out the window again.

“I have a bad feeling that things are only going to get worse in the future. He already has the power of four of the Elements, it’s only a matter of time before  he gains control of the other two.” she murmured, a hint of despair in her voice. Agent Hawk growled, before shaking his head. “For as long as I still breath, Laurence will NOT get his hoofs on Rainbow. She’s my partner, and that bastard will not take her away from me.” He replied, an angry tone in his voice. Spitfire was shocked to hear the fierceness in his voice, but she quickly dismissed her feelings and placed a hoof on Sky Hawk’s shoulder. “Don’t worry Sky Hawk, he won’t get his hands on Rainbow. We’ll stop his plans, no matter what the cost.” Spitfire replied, a supportive tone in her voice.

Sky Hawk smiled, before slowly closing his eyes. “I may not be part of the elements, but I’m feeling really tired.” He muttered. Spitfire laughed, before looking at the brown stallion. “You’ve flown from Canterlot to Ponyville, then back to Canterlot, before finally ending up back in Ponyville. That’s quite a lot of flying, even for a EIA agent. Maybe if Rainbow Dash still had her boost, she wouldn't have a problem doing that, but it’s certainly going to be hard for you.” She replied. Sky Hawk snorted, before shifting into a more comfortable position. “Well Spitfire, I would like to see you go farther without resting.” He retorted in a slightly annoyed tone. Spitfire literally fell straight off the couch laughing, which elicited a growl of annoyance from Hawk. “I’m a filippin Wonderbolt pal. Hay, I fly those distances all the time in pre-event exercises!” She exclaimed, as her laughter started to subside. Agent Hawk opened his eyes again, before glancing over at the Wonderbolt. “I swear, just because you’re a Won-” Hawk began, before he was cut off by somepony screaming.

“SWEET CELESTIA, MAKE IT STOP!” It was Rainbow. Sky Hawk was up in an instant, and immediately started running for Rainbow’s office, with Spitfire in tow. They quickly reached the office, and Sky Hawk kicked open the door. Rainbow was writhing on the floor, beating on her head with her hooves, her eyes glowing bright red. Sky Hawk attempted to step into the room, but Spitfire’s hoof stopped him. “Wait! We should make sure she doesn’t lash out at us!” She exclaimed. “I’m helping her now, or she might hurt herself!” Sky Hawk shouted, before roughly shoving Spitfire out of his way and quickly walked into the office. He approached Rainbow, before she suddenly lunged out at him, causing him to jump back. “Tsbz bxbz eqpn nf Kbvqfmdf! J xjkk mps bkkpx zpv sp dbosvqf nf bt xfkk!” She shouted in a mysterious language, now back on her hoofs. Sky Hawk cocked his head to one side, before stepping forward. “Rainbow, what the buck! What’s wrong with you?” He asked, a deep concern in his voice. Rainbow growled, before rushing forward, knocking Sky Hawk off his feet. “J tbjc tsbz bxbz! J xjkk avdljmh tsba zpv je zpv dpnf bs nf bhbjm!” She screamed, a hidden blade unsheathing from her left sleeve. A shocked look came upon Sky Hawk’s face, before he cleared his throat. “Put the blade away Rainbow. You don’t want to force me to do something I’ll regret.” Sky Hawk warned, his voice wavering a little bit. Rainbow stepped forward, before her limbs suddenly gave way underneath her. The glow in her eyes started to dim, and she soon passed out. Sky Hawk just stared at Rainbow’s limp form, before he slowly sat down. “I can’t do this. Rainbow almost stabbed me for Celestia’s sake!” He murmured to himself, as Spitfire entered the office. She walked over to Agent Sky Hawk, before she placed her hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we can do this. Don’t give up on me now.” Spitfire stated, a supportive tone in her voice. Sky Hawk opened his mouth to speak, when another agent appear at the door. “Agent Hawk, you need to come with me. Princess Celestia just arrived, and she’s looking for you.

Chapter 8: Celestian Intervention

Team Hawk

Equestrian Intelligence Agency

EIA Ponyville Headquarters, Ponyville, Equestria

5 Hours After Launch of Operation Harmony

"Thank you for coming Agent Hawk, I have something very important to discuss with you today.” announced Princess Celestia, as Sky Hawk and Spitfire took their seats on the opposite end of the conference table. After making sure that Rainbow was in the hands of the HQ’s medical team, Agent Hawk was escorted by two Royal Guards to a conference room to meet with the Princess. Spitfire tagged along, stating that everything in this operation also fell under her jurisdiction as well, since the Director had been murdered by Laurence’s forces.

The conference room was silent for a few moments, before Agent Hawk cleared his throat to speak. “What is it that you need, Princess?” He asked, guarded curiosity in his voice. Celestia smiled, before clearing her throat as well. “I just received your letter about Laurence, and wanted to ask you what you’ve got on him so far.” She replied, genuine curiosity in her voice. Sky Hawk tapped on his glasses, before activating it’s file browser. “According to what Rainbow sent me, he was born in Canterlot, and lived a somewhat normal life. It says his parents, Dark Wing and Hazel were executed on charges of treason.” Sky Hawk began.

Celestia wrote something down, before she let out a small cough. Sky Hawk looked up at Celestia and raised an eyebrow, before looking back at the file. “Anyway, he managed to graduate from the Canterlot University of Advanced Studies, and ended up getting a job teaching magic at the school. He also served in the Equestrian Marine Corps during the Equestrian-Griffin War, and lost his entire squad in the siege of the capital (Great Aerie). He resigned after the war ended,  and returned to his teaching job for about four years before being recruited by the EIA. That’s practically it.” Sky Hawk finished, before turning off his glasses. Celestia sat there for a few moments, before she stood up. “Laurence sounds extremely dangerous, and I want to approach this situation with care. I’m sorry that I have to do this, but I’m placing this case under the Royal Guard’s jurisdiction. The EIA will give up any progress in the case, and then move on.” announced Celestia, making sure to channel as much authority in voice as possible.

Sky Hawk and Spitfire just stared at Celestia, their jaws wide open in shock for a few seconds, before Spitfire shook her head. “I’m sorry Princess, but what did you just say? Why the hay would you remove us from the investigation this late in the case?” She asked, utter disbelief in her voice. The Princess looked at the two agents for a few moments, before sitting back down. “Laurence is an extremely dangerous pony, and I want elite operatives working on the case. I know the EIA has elite operatives, but I’m putting ponies that I can fully trust in charge now. Please don’t take this personally” Celestia replied, her voice flat. Sky Hawk closed his mouth, before he stood up, his legs shaking a little bit. “With all due respect Your Highness, but you can’t just remove us from this investigation like that. Because of Laurence’s actions, we lost our own DIRECTOR, plus countless other agents in the attack of our Canterlot HQ. This mission is officially personal to me and every other agent in the Agency.” He stated, a forced calm in his voice. Princess Celestia frowned, before closing her eyes.

“I know that he killed the Director, and I know it’s personal, but I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not suggesting that the Royal Guard take over, I’m ordering that they take over. You don’t have a choice Agent Hawk.” Celestia replied, a hint of hostility in her voice. By now, Sky Hawk stopped trying to hide his rage, and he slammed his hoof on the table. “Princess, I will not allow you to remove me from this investigation, only to give it to the Royal Guard to buck up! Because of Laurence, my partner almost STABBED me, and now she’s weaker than ever! I will be the one to kill that motherbucker, not the Royal Guard!” He shouted, fury in his voice.

The room went deathly silent for a moment, before Celestia slowly stood up again. “I suggest you sit down Agent Sky Hawk, before I have my guards make you sit down.” She said quietly, her voice a harsh whisper. Sky Hawk defiantly remained standing, but when the Royal Guards took a threatening step forward, he growled and sat back down again. Spitfire shifted uncomfortably in her chair, before she gulped. “I’m sorry..... He’s just stressed right now, he needs time to unwind and get over this.” She exclaimed, a mixture of emotions in her voice. Both Celestia and Sky Hawk stared at the orange mare for a few moments, before Celestia growled. “I’m going to make this very clear, so that it gets through your thick head Agent Hawk. You will no longer work on this investigation, and you will move on! I will not tolerate your defiance, and I will have you thrown in the dungeon if you do that again. Do you understand me Agent Hawk?” shouted Celestia, pure rage in her voice. Sky Hawk glared at Celestia for a few moments, before he slowly nodded his head in defeat. Celestia forced a smile on her face, before turning to face the door. “Good. Now I wish both of you a good day.” She stated blankly, before jerking the door to the conference open and walked out, followed quickly by her Royal Guards, leaving Agent Hawk and Spitfire sitting silently in the room by themselves.

Chaper 9: Loss Of Kindness

Fluttershy

Ponyville

5 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

Fluttershy huffed. She wasn’t used to flying, so that had taken a lot out of her. She had heard this voice not long ago. It urged her to join her friends and told her the way. She just needed to make sure she wasn’t seen. While Fluttershy wasn’t a pony known for bragging,secretly she enjoyed being totally silent in her trot. And with all that ruckus somepony had made with shouts, she had had no trouble slipping away unneeded. Then she was told to fly for a bit so there was nopony able to track her later. Though finding it odd, Fluttershy did all she could to ensure she could meet with her friends. After all, they must be terribly lonely and might be scared or even hurt. After all she had heard what had happened. They had escaped. But Fluttershy would find them and help them.

Just then she heard a sound. There was somepony close! She dove into her bushes and waited with baited breath. She didn’t want to be caught now! But it was just Ditzy Doo flying by nearby. Flinching a bit as the mare crashed into a tree, the yellow pegasus nearly went out of her hiding place to help that mare but remembered her purpose. No, it hurt her to see Ditzy hurting herself but Fluttershy needed to be there for her friends. If she closed her eyes she could still recall her friends bodies, full of bruises and writhing in pain. They looked so scared, so alone. They needed her help!

Blinking, she noticed she was alone again and darted for the next hiding place. A somewhat thick tree...although she wouldn’t want to impose on the tree’s feelings if it minded his own size. But she was fully capable of cowering beside said tree with nopony able to see her. Looking around she waited again if anypony came into her field of vision. But nopony came. Starting with a nervous, fast paced trot she went into the direction she was told to go. It was at the edge of town. There was this one pony with a grey coat and an orange mane. This one pony would help her getting to her friends.

Closing her eyes she saw them again. They were whimpering again. What did her friends do to deserve such pain? Unconsciously speeding up her trot into a slow gallop she raced to this pony. She stopped only the shortest amount of time possible between some pegasi flying together through the sky to avoid notice. There! She could make out the pony from her mind in the distance. Just a few more minutes and she would be reunited with her friends!

But she suddenly stopped as she heard a startled voice “Fluttershy? What are you doing here?” Had she been spotted? She looked around and saw a sleepy Scootaloo huddled close to a bakery she passed. What was that filly doing out here? Didn’t she need to be at home? But...

Swallowing once, Fluttershy started flying again. Even if she was seriously worried about Scootaloo being away she had to help her friends first. The voice urged her on and all too soon she literally crashed into the pony she was supposed to find.

“What the..!” came a surprised shout from the mare before her eyes settled on Fluttershy. “Oh you. Why did you crash into me? Don’t you have eyes?” said the mare before her. “Oh...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” Fluttershy started before being interrupted by the mare. “Yeah, I don’t care that much. Just stay still for a second, okay?” “Um okay...” muttered a dejected Fluttershy before suddenly being hit hard in the head by a rock. From behind. Swirling around as she fell, she noticed the mares horn glowed in tune with the stone. “Wha...” she mumbled before she fell into unconsciousness. “Well, how nice of you to drop in.” the unicorn said smiling cruelly. Resisting the urge to smack the blonde pegasus with the stone. Well too much anyway. “And now we will visit Laurence and your dear friends.” she said, concentrating on her teleport before whisking the both of them away.

Chapter 10: Breaking Point

Team Hawk

Equestrian Intelligence Agency

EIA Ponyville Headquarters, Ponyville, Equestria

5 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

(Mitsubishi Colt)

As soon as Celestia had left the room, Sky Hawk jerked around and leveled Spitfire with a downright chilly glare. “Why were you on Celestia's side?” He spat towards her. As she tried to answer “I was just...,” only to be interrupted by the stallion again “You were just WHAT? Not worrying about Rainbow anymore? Agreeing with Miss Sunshine on simply dropping the case? Giving up? Don’t you get it? She doesn’t want us to solve this case! There was something fishy going on with Laurence's parents and I intend to find out what!”

Sky Hawk basically shouted Spitfire down. Even though she was his senior, even though she was a famous flyer, she felt like a little filly being scolded. She backed up against the wall and looked him right in the eye as she admitted “I...I didn’t want you to be labeled as a traitor. If the Princess labels you a threat, she will hunt you down. Please, Hawk...please let the matter drop. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Even while he was in mid-rant, Sky Hawk lost some steam after that. He saw Spitfire starting to shed some tears and actually felt horrible. He calmly trotted closer to Spitfire and lifted her lowered face with his hoof. He gently said “Look, I know that it is scary. And I admit that Laurence is a bigger problem than anything we ever had to face. But I promised to take on this job. It cost us our Director and at least a good dozen of our best agents. We very nearly lost Rainbow Dash earlier! This madpony needs to be put down. No redemption in prison or community service is going to be enough in this case. I will find him and I will put him down. And if I am kicked out of the agency from doing that, then I will do it on my own.”

Spitifire gasped. “You would betray the agency simply because you want REVENGE?” she asked, getting angrier near the end. “Or is that just about your ego? After all you said YOU will put him down. YOU are willing to betray the agency simply because you can’t let go. The director died, yes, but I WON’T LET YOU USE HIS DEATH FOR THIS! DID YOU REALLY THINK SHINING ARMOR WOULD WANT YOU TO PLAN A MURDER? EVEN IF IT WERE FOR JUSTICE? AS YOUR SUPERIOR I WILL FORBID YOU! YOU WANT TO LEAVE? FINE! YOU’RE FIRED!” Spitfire basically screamed the whole house down.

An observer outside would have noticed how quiet it had gotten after that statement. He or she would later even make a relation to the world holding it’s breath for one moment. Would the observer have spied through the window, he would have noticed the look of betrayal and hurt on Sky Hawk’s face. He would have noticed the slight tremble in his stance. If the observer would have listened closely he even would have heard the stallions quiet, forced words. “Fine...” he said, slowly turning and trotting out of the door. There was a bigger tremble here and if anypony would know him well, they would have noticed that Hawk was doing his best not to cry.

But there was no observer outside. In fact, the whole place right outside Fluttershys hiding place was deathly quiet. The brown pegasus slowly trotted away with his head held high. Tears were streaming over his muzzle, dripping into his nostrils and running their course all over his face. Sky Hawk’s sense of smell was quickly filled by the salty odor. He needed to walk a bit since there was no clearing nearby and the thick forest was too dense for him to fly off here. Sky Hawk sighed. Now he was truly alone...no agency, no Spitfire, no way to track the bastard Laurence. Any tracking device he could have used was property of the agency. With a quiet sigh, the orange maned pony noticed that his whole life revolved around the agency. It was all he could do and all he wanted to be. Every promotion had filled him with pride, every solved case had let him sleep better at night. And now...now everything was gone.

He had reached a near clearing now and started his ascent. Even his wings stung right now and Sky Hawk let out a toneless cry of sorrow and pain. To any observer it might have sounded a bit like a birds cry of pain. The pegasus didn’t notice the sun starting to rise behind him, he simply flied onward in a randomly chosen direction. Before him, everything was still a dark grey, clouds mixed with the retreating night sky had created a shadowy trail, almost looking like a road to certain doom. Sky Hawk didn’t notice and he wouldn’t have cared if he actually did. He simply flew away, as far away from the place he lost everything, a trail of falling tears trailing behind him.

&&&

Back at the barracks of Ponyville HQ, Spitfire too was shedding tears. What she had done right now was something she always had avoided. She had to choose between her love and her duty in her line of work. And although Spitfire was sure to have done the right thing...it still hurt. It hurt losing Sky Hawk, it hurt being accused of giving up, it simply all hurt. Spitfire was close to quitting herself and flying after Hawk as fast as she could.

Spitfire sighed. She couldn’t do that. Someone had to look at their junior, Rainbow Dash. The mare had been of the newest recruits in the entire agency but had raced to the rank of top agent faster than anyone. She might have personal flaws but she worked harder than anypony to finish her missions perfectly.

And so she had accepted Celestia's decision despite any consequences. “It feels like losing though,” muttered the yellow pegasus. Suddenly, the door was slammed open. Rainbow Dash had appeared. “Spitfire! I’ve got important information regarding Laurence! Where is Sky Hawk? He needs to hear this too!”

“He is...Sky Hawk left the organisation, Rainbow Dash. He wants to pursue Laurence even though Celestia openly forbade us from searching in this case earlier.” Spitfire admitted, causing Rainbows mouth to fall open in shock. “But...but I know what Laurence is planning to do NEXT! We could catch him in the act! Remember what happened to me earlier? That mule tried to take me over with his mind! But I showed him who’s boss! And I just got done sorting through all the things he tried to tempt me with! He TOLD me, Spitfire! He told me that he’s attacking Celestia! He told me that he only needs the Elements for one time! He needs them for revenge. He said something about avenging his parents...” Rainbow Dash confided her findings to Spitfire.

Spitfires eyes teared open and she gulped once. That were major news! Even if they didn’t continue working on the case, ‘Special Protocol 001’ stated that any and all planned attacks on a princess were to be reported immediately. And since Spitfire was the highest ranking officer and Rainbow Dash the one who discovered the news, they both needed to fly to Canterlot for reporting ASAP. ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ thought Spitfire while she took to the air with Rainbow on her side. She was prepared to help the weakening bearer of the Element of Loyalty, should the need arise.

Chapter 11: The Final Phase

Laurence

Fort Ashton, Griffin Kingdom

6 Hours after Launch Of Operation Harmony

“Finally, the moment to take down Celestia has arrived. I don’t know about you Dragonfire, but I’m incredibly excited about this moment.” exclaimed Laurence, as he strode into the room that was containing Archimedes. With Fluttershy’s element safely within Archimedes, Laurence now had enough power to launch the final phase of Operation Lau, which was to teleport into the royal palace, and confront Princess Celestia herself.

Dragonfire nodded, before throwing a metal belt and a set of hoof guards over to him. “Don’t worry Laurence; I’m sure as hell excited about this as well. Anyway, Archimedes is set to teleport you into Celestia’s personal quarters, and to drain Celestia’s magical energy into you. Just press the button once, and you should feel your magical energy increase. Press it three times in quick succession, and you’ll be brought back here.” Dragonfire explained, as Laurence put on the belt and gauntlets. Laurence nodded slowly, before clearing his throat. “Alright, sounds good. You may start the machine when ready.” He stated, before walking over to the spot in the center of the room. Dragonfire nodded, before pressing a button on Archimedes.

The machine made a beep, before motors started whirring up, and lights on the machine’s user interface started up. “Start-up sequence initiated. Switching to Elemental power.” Announced a robotic voice, before the machine beeped again. Laurence patiently listened to the machine whirring up, before Dragonfire walked over to him.

The two unicorns looked at each other for a few moments, before Dragonfire sighed deeply. “Do me a favor, and be careful, okay? You mean a lot to me, and it would pain me greatly to lose you.” She said softly, her voice wavering a bit. Laurence smiled, before placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry Dragonfire, I’ll be fine. With the power of Archimedes on my side, the chance of defeat is extremely small. Even if they DO somehow defeat me, I can always teleport back here before they can finish me off.” He replied in a reassuring tone. Dragonfire looked at him for a few moments, and opened her mouth to speak when the robotic voice of Archimedes interrupted her.

“Startup sequence complete. Operational Template ‘Lau P3 Custom’ has been loaded. Awaiting authorization to launch.” It announced, as a green light on Laurence’s belt flickered on. Dragonfire sighed deeply, before slowly walking over to the control panel of Archimedes, and turned to face Laurence. Laurence quickly slapped his hoofguards together, and watched silently as two silver blades slid out. He swung them around for a few seconds, before tapping the hoofguards together again to retract the blades, and turned to face Dragonfire. “Alright, you know the plan. As soon as I teleport, evacuate the base except for a few members of the science team. I also expect you to leave as well Dragonfire, and get yourself back to your house. With luck, we shall see each other again in a few hours.” He stated, authority in his voice. Dragonfire nodded, before saluting, and put her hoof on the control panel. The machine beeped again, before it started humming. “Assistant Commander Dragonfire’s hoofprint identified. Commencing teleport.” Announced the voice, as Laurence’s belt started flashing green. Laurence closed his eyes, before sighing deeply to himself. Suddenly, there was a loud triple beep from Archimedes, before Laurence felt himself suddenly lurch violently upward. With a loud POP and a brilliant multi-colored flash, the black unicorn disappeared from the room, leaving behind a small, rainbow colored circle where he once stood.

§§§

Celestia turned off the valve, before sticking her hoof into the bath water to test the temperature. After the events at the EIA’s Ponyville Headquarters, the Princess immediately went to her private quarters to cool off, and had ordered the guards to prevent anyone from seeing her.

Celestia let out a deep sigh as she withdrew her hoof from the bathwater, before slowly removing her hoof guards. How could Agent Hawk do that? I am the ruler of ALL of Equestria! She thought to herself, as she slowly removed the rest of her armor. She lingered on her crown, gazing at it for a few moments, before placing it gently with the rest of her armor and climbed into the bathtub.

The water felt heavenly to Celestia, and she immediately felt her muscles relax before letting out a drawn out sigh. True, she had been openly defied by one of the top agents in the EIA, but Celestia knew she could deal with it quickly. The only hard part was finding a way to make Sky Hawk’s death seem natural. Celestia thought for a moment, before her mind drifted to her nephew, Prince Blueblood. He had a special talent in making a death look natural, and Celestia knew that he would do a job for her for free. Celestia smiled as she pictured all the creative ways that Sky Hawk could meet his unfortunate demise. One scenario involving Cyanide pleased Celestia the most, as she pictured the brown pegasus fiercely struggling for air, before hitting the ground like a sack of bricks, dead. Sky Hawk deserved to die for daring to defy the ruler of all Equestria.

Sitting in the bath, Celestia felt her thoughts going back to when Laurence’s parents had tried to defy her. Back then, Celestia was careless, and she didn’t bother trying to hide her actions. She had them executed quickly and quietly by way of unicorn squad, and didn’t bother to destroy the documentation of the whole ordeal. When the EIA was formed after the return of her sister, they had gathered all the documentation, but never looked back at it and deduced that something was wrong. Celestia just needed to find a way to destroy the evidence, before the EIA could look at it thoroughly. The EIA may not suspicious of her actions now, but if Celestia didn’t act soon, they soon would be.

Celestia was thinking about the EIA, and how it had progressed from it’s founding when her thoughts were violently interrupted by the sound of hooves suddenly hitting the floor in her roof. She opened her mouth to ask who was there when the door leading into the bathroom blew open, and a black unicorn stallion with red eyes stepped into the bathroom. He smiled at Celestia for a few moments, before clearing his throat. “So we finally meet again Celestia.” He stated, a sinister tone in his voice. It was time for the confrontation.

Chapter 12: What He Stands For

Private First Class Red Hawk

Equestrian Army Reserves

1st Reserve Regiment, C Company

Sky Hawk’s House, Canterlot, Equestria

6 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

Red Hawk knew that something went wrong for her brother, but she didn’t know what. Sky Hawk had arrived back at their house about half an hour ago, and had been unnaturally quiet. The reddish brown pegasus mare tried to ask her brother why he was so quiet, and received a simple response from Sky Hawk saying “Agency business”, before vanishing into his room.

Normally, Sky Hawk was very open to his sister, telling her about everything that had happened during the day and sharing any concerns that he had. Today however, he was quiet, and had spent no time in going to his room, where he isolated himself. Red knew something was bothering her brother, but she also knew that she was not going to get any information from Sky Hawk. Red decided it was best to wait for her brother to open up to her, and sighed before walking away from the door to Sky Hawk’s room, when she heard a sound that she had never expected to hear.

The unmistakable sound of sobbing wafted through the door, and Red could feel a immense feeling of concern rising in her chest. For the first time in many years, Sky Hawk was crying. Red knew that her brother was a very serious pony, who always had control of his emotions. Red’s concern took over, and she found herself unlocking her brother’s room with the master key, before stepped inside.

Sky Hawk was curled up on his bed, his head buried in his pillow as he cried. His mane was messy and unkempt, and there were used tissues all over his bed. Red carefully walked over to her brother’s bed, before placing her hoofs on his shoulders, and started shhing him. It took a few moments for Sky Hawk’s sobs to die down, and he looked blankly at his sister.

“What’s the point of serving one’s country, when your country doesn’t respect you?” He asked quietly, as he wiped some tears from his eyes. Red chuckled softly, before shaking her head. “Sky, we both know that Equestria appreciates what you do, even if the public doesn’t really know your name. It’s ponies like you that help keep Equestria peaceful, no matter what the cost. You of all ponies should know that.” Exclaimed Red, a supportive tone in her voice. Sky Hawk shook his head, before slowly getting out of the bed. “You don’t understand Red. Equestria doesn’t want my help. It’s blatantly obvious that Laurence is going to strike in the near future, yet Celestia takes the Agency off the case, and gives it to the idiots in the Royal Guard!” Sky Hawk retorted, frustration mounting in his voice. Red looked at her brother in shock for a few moments, before walking over to him.

“Celestia took you off a case? What was it on?” She asked, general concern in her voice. Sky Hawk looked up at his sister, before sighing deeply to himself, and walked over to the window. “I don’t know if you heard, but a few hours ago the Element Bearers went missing. Celestia found out about it, and ordered the EIA to investigate, under the codename Operation Harmony. I was placed in charge of the operation, and received Rainbow Dash as a partner. We did some snooping around, and we discovered that the disappearances were linked to a EIA agent named Laurence. However, EIA headquarters was attacked, and things have been steadily declining since then.” Sky Hawk explained. Red was silent for a few moments, before slowly sitting down. “So….you think that Laurence will strike again soon?” Red asked, concern in her voice. Sky Hawk nodded, before sitting down. “It’s obvious that he’s going to strike, though I have no way of finding out. Not only did Celestia remove the EIA from the investigation, but I was also discharged from the Agency as well. Everything has gone wrong.” He replied, his voice filled with sorrow. Red placed her hooves around her brothers shoulders, and gave him a small smile.

“Sky, there’s no need to worry. The EIA wouldn’t fire their best agent, it’s probably just temporary.” Red stated, a soothing tone in her voice. Sky Hawk shook his head, and opened his mouth to speak when he heard someone pounding the front door downstairs. Both siblings got up at the same time, before Red pushed her brother back. “I’ll get it.” She stated simply, before walking out of the room, and down the stairs.

Red slowly opened the front door, and peeked outside. Standing in front of the door was a sandy brown pegasus mare with magenta eyes, and a brown saddlebag strapped over her shoulder. The mare took a deep breath, before clearing her throat. “Is Sky Hawk home?” She asked curtly, her voice void of emotion. Red shook her head, before stepping outside of the house. “He’s busy at the moment, but I’m his sister. What can I do for you?” Red replied, making sure to keep her voice cheerful. The other mare sighed, before taking out a clipboard from her saddlebag.

“Sign this.” She stated simply, as she handed the clipboard to Red. Red quickly took the quill off the clipboard, and signed the piece of paper before returning it back to the mare. The mare placed the clipboard back inside her saddlebag, and pulled out a box, before giving it to Red. Red nodded in thanks, before taking the box, and went back into the house, closing the door behind her.

She wasted no time in getting the package back to Sky Hawk, who took the package, and placed it on the bed. The only marking on the box was Sky Hawk’s address, and a strange symbol that showed a sword with a snake coiled around it. Sky Hawk hesitated for a few moments, before taking a knife, and opened the box.

Inside was a folded piece of paper, and a solid block of black metal with a small circle on it with the EIA seal on it. Sky Hawk looked at the box for a few moments, before taking out the note and opened it. The note was written in a fancy cursive writing, and had the strange seal on the top right hand corner of it. Sky Hawk frowned for a few moments, before shrugging, and read the letter.

Dear Sky Hawk,

I heard about your discharge from the EIA, and I just wanted to say that this is something that the Agency will regret. You’re one of the best agents that they have, and they throw you out during some of Equestria’s darkest hours. Change is coming very soon, and Laurence will strike in the near future. Inside this package is a set of EIA Mark V Advanced Combat Armor, which is located in the magically compacted black box. Only you can open it, all you have to do is place your hoof on the EIA seal, and the box will return to normal size and open. As soon as you get this message, I want you to throw on that armor, and head to Celestia’s private quarters. Laurence is planning on confronting her soon, which provides you a chance to kill that bastard and save Equestria. I’d love to explain how I know this information, but I’m running out of time. Maybe I’ll meet up with you, and explain everything, but right now I gotta wrap this up. Good luck, and may fortune guide you.

Best Regards,

L.H

PS: Don’t ask about where the armor came from, I had to go through many Agency loopholes just to get it to you. It should be equipped with reinforced hoofblades, just double check to make sure for me!

PPS: If you see Spitfire, make sure to call her a bitch. She deserves it after what she did to you.

Sky Hawk reread the letter a few times, before finally shaking his head, and put the note down. He had no idea who this LH pony was, but he did know that they had access to the best combat armor that the Agency could offer. He reached back into the box, before pulling out the small black box, and placed it on the bed. Red watched anxiously as Sky Hawk slowly lowered his hoof onto the EIA seal on the box. There was a click, before the box suddenly grew rapidly in size, growing to the size of a footlocker. With another click, the box opened, and Sky Hawk peered into the box.

Whoever sent the package had not been kidding when they said they packed the Mark V Advanced Combat Armor. The armor was painted a sheer black, with the helmet and wing armor being painted a blood red color. On the armor’s flanks, the seal of the Special Response Division was painted in fine detail. Sky Hawk gawked at the armor for a few moments, before slowly reaching down to touch the armor. As soon as his hoof touched the armor, it broke into several pieces, and started magically assembling itself around his body, eliciting a cry of surprise from him. 10 seconds later, the helmet piece finally secured itself, and Sky Hawk quickly ran over to his mirror, and started looking at himself. Excited gibberish started coming from Red, as she watched Sky Hawk test out his newly acquired armor. The armor itself felt surprisingly light on Sky Hawk’s body, and he now had access to two advanced hoofblades, which he swung around a few times, before retracting them back into his gauntlets.

Red calmed down a few minutes later, before smiling at Sky Hawk, and gave him a hug. “Wow Sky, you look awesome!” She exclaimed. Sky Hawk chuckled, before slowly pushing his sister away. “That’s the effect of wearing Mark V armor. Now if you’ll excuse me Red, I must hurry to Celestia’s quarters if I’m going to catch Laurence in time.” Sky Hawk replied, as he turned on the HUD in his visor. Red nodded, before giving Sky Hawk another hug. “Be careful Sky, it would be devastating to lose you.” She stated, general concern in her voice as she let go of her brother. Sky Hawk nodded, before walking over to the door. Turning his head back to face her, he quickly said goodbye before walking out of the room.

Chapter 13: Confrontation

Laurence

Royal Palace, Canterlot, Equestria

6 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

(Mitsubishi)

Holding back a surprised gasp, Celestia turned to face Laurence fully. “Well, we finally meet, Laurence. You DO know that official meeting times are over?” she stated with a superior tone in her voice. Laurence just snorted before starting to chuckle. His chuckling got louder and louder until he was fully laughing at Celestia. “Do you still think you can pull this with me, Celestia?” he taunted. Then his demeanor started to get slightly different...like he just became a predator just waiting for his prey to be captured and killed. “You know how easy it was to make this meeting here happen? Nopony around, and you are as harmless as you ever will be, simply perfect.”

Starting to frown at Laurence’s laugh and only frowning deeper and deeper with his words, Celestia stood up. “So you think I’m defenseless just because I’m taking a bath? Or because there are no guards around? Don’t you forget who you are talking with!” She rose to the air with a few flaps of her wings, conveniently aligning herself with the rising sun. The sun seemed to shine brighter behind her, blinding Laurence for a moment, as Celestia dried herself with the rays of her sun.

Then she leveled a cruel smile towards Laurence. “You know,” she began to boast “it has been such an awful long time before somepony was dumb enough to simply attack me. I hardly get any chance to fight anymore. I should thank you. How about you choose the way you die afterwards? Do you want to die like your parents by unicorn squad? Or perhaps something exotic like being fed to Cerberus?”

Quickly getting outraged, Laurence shouted “You will pay for that! Do you think I didn’t prepare? I will show you that your powers are worth nothing against my rage!” He then smiled evilly and pushed a button on his belt he wore. Suddenly Celestia felt weaker. Like a lot weaker. Her form began to shrink forcefully until she was just as big as anypony else and her powers...her powers! They were leaving her! Falling to the ground she managed to wheeze out “How did you...?” while glaring at Laurence. If there was one thing she despised it was being weak! How dare that little unicorn do that to her?

“How fitting. An alicorn, all sprawled before me on the ground. Tell me, Celestia, how does it feel to be weak? To be powerless? That nothing what you do matters? Right now you are feeling what I felt. The same hopelessness. The same weakness. Do you like that? That was the result of your actions. You didn’t like the Lau-theory? Well, right now you are getting weaker because of it!” Laurence slowly trotted closer, enjoying this situation immensely. Finally he could act on his revenge!

Closing in on her he lowered his head to her ear “You know, I have all the Elements in my hoof now. Did you know how easy it was to break Twilight? All the colts at the barracks greatly enjoyed her efforts she provided for us. She even stopped crying after a few days. You should see the look in her eyes. Nothing...as if her mentor simply abandoned her. And you know what? You did. If you had taken better care of your student, this would never have happened.”

The princess of the sun was seething. How did this...this peasant talk down to her? And what he did to Twilight was inexcusable! Seeing him so close she tensed and after his last word her forehoof stuck out and caught him at his throat. While that bastard staggered back coughing, Celestia struggled to stay up. This...Lau energy draining her felt terrible but if one thing was certain then this: Laurence was going to die today.

Celestia drew all her energy into her horn, before charging up a large beam of magical energy to launch at Laurence. The black unicorn recovered, and quickly charged up a beam of his own. Both ponies shouted, and launched their magical beams at each other, both beams connecting violently, as it became a battle to overcome the other’s magical energy. However, it didn’t take long for Laurence to overpower her, and she felt herself flying towards the bathtub, crashing violently into it and spilling a lot of water over the floor. A huge wave of pain washed over the Princess, and her breaths started coming out in shallow breaths. Laurence slowly walked over to Celestia, before laughing again.

“Did you really think you could win, you whorse?” Laurence boasted proudly. He reared back to finish Celestia with one last shot before he was suddenly tackled from the side! Neighing in surprise and groaning as he hit the wall, Laurence shook his head. What had happened just now? All he saw was blue... Snapping back into focus he finally saw a wheezing but incredibly fierce looking Rainbow Dash on him, with a hoof prepared to strike.

Snatching the Pegasus in his magical aura before the hit connected, Laurence couldn’t help but smirk. The final element was finally his! Preparing a teleportation of Dash got interrupted as Laurence had to strike a bolt of lightning!

Looking up he frowned as he saw a rain cloud drifting over him. Looking back down above it was Spitfire. But just as Laurence started shooting his magic at that annoying mare, he was hoofed from his side.

Apparently Celestia had struggled to launch one final attack and then fell over, knocked out. The now released Rainbow Dash walked over to her princess, and checked if she was okay. And just as Laurence was ready to attack the two of them, Spitfire rammed him from behind.

Tumbling into the two other ponies, all Laurence could make out was a flurry of yellow and blue hooves. He was actually a little hurt right now. Using an aggressive blast, he forced all the other ponies off him. Celestia got thrown at a wall and Rainbow Dash and Spitfire flew into the next room.

In that room stood an incredibly enormous bed in which Dash was crashed into. Spitfire wasn’t so lucky - she crashed against a nightstand. Groaning, the Wonderbolt stood up and still dodged the next three magic shots from Laurence’s horn. The fourth though caught her and hurled her against the wall. And then she was blasted by magic over and over again.

Spitfire saw Laurence talking something but through all her pain and the black haze of his magic, she was unable to hear anything he said. As he let up, Spitfires whole body screamed of pain. Every muscle seemed torn and her wings were bent at unnatural angles and some of her fur was missing.

Before she was finished sliding down the wall, Laurence’s magic caught her again, this time with Dash at her side. Laurence’s laugh was malicious as he looked at the two broken mares. “And now we see how much pain you can really endure.” he told them.

Both mares braced themselves, when they suddenly heard a crash. All three ponies turned to see a pegasus dressed in black armor crash through the balcony window, before landing with a thump on the floor. The newcomer was silent for a few moments, before suddenly unsheathing their hoofblades. “Time to die Laurence.”

Chapter 14: Finale

Sky Hawk

Royal Palace, Canterlot, Equestria

6 Hours After Launch Of Operation Harmony

Sky Hawk didn’t waste any time in rushing Laurence, and managed to send the black unicorn flying across the room into the opposite wall. However, Laurence quickly managed to recover, and jumped back onto his hooves.

“Who are you to try and stop me? I’m doing Equestria a favor!” Laurence shouted, stomping his hoof on the ground. Sky Hawk chuckled, before shaking his head. “Both you and me know that you’re doing this for yourself. As for my identity, you really don’t need to know. After all, you won’t be alive for long.” He replied, a taunting tone in his voice.

Laurence growled, before quickly charging up a spell. “Take this!” He shouted, launching it at the armored pegasus. Sky Hawk quickly rolled out of the way, before darting forward and smacked Laurence as hard as he could. The black unicorn was stunned for a few seconds by the blow, before quickly retaliating with another spell. This spell hit its target, and Sky Hawk stumbled backward.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that if you want to do any damage Laurence.” Sky Hawk stated, a mocking tone in his voice. The black unicorn frowned, before quickly unsheathing his hoofblades and charged at Sky Hawk. Sky Hawk simply rolled out of the way, before quickly lashing out with his hind legs, launching Laurence across the room towards a rather confused Spitfire. She let out a yelp before scrambling to get out of the way. Laurence smashed into the wall, before sinking to the floor, a look of great pain on his face. Blood began to trickle out of the black unicorn’s mouth, as he slowly stumbled to his hooves.

“You’re good, let me tell you that. But I’m still destined to win.” Laurence explained, as he charged up another spell. Sky Hawk lunged toward him, before a large blast of magical energy hit him. He was sent flying into a large bookcase, sending a number of books falling down on top of him. It only took Sky Hawk a few seconds to recover, and he was back on his hooves again within no time.

Sky Hawk shook his head, before giving his hoofblades a quick swing. “Alright, playtime is over.” He stated simply, before rushing the black unicorn again. Laurence attempted to hit Sky Hawk with another spell blast, but missed completely. Before he knew it, Laurence was sent flying to the floor. Sky Hawk put his hoofblade to Laurence’s throat, before smiling. “I’m going to enjoy this Laurence.” Sky Hawk exclaimed, as he thrust his hoofblade into Laurence’s stomach. Laurence let out a cry of pain, as he struggled fiercely against Sky Hawk in an attempt to get free. Sky Hawk laughed at Laurence’s struggles, before pulling out his hoofblade.

“You’re a fighter Laurence, but it won’t get you anywhere. I’m going to break you, organ by organ until you take your last breath.” Sky Hawk exclaimed, as he hit the black unicorn with the blunt edge of his hoofguard. The black unicorn growled, before unleashing a sudden blast of magic. Sky Hawk was caught completely off guard by the attack, and was sent flying again, slamming into the wall at full force. Sky Hawk felt his muscles lock up as immense waves of pain washed over them, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Laurence chuckled before slowly getting back onto his hooves. “Why does the Agency send fools to fight me? I have to admit sir, you are good at hoof to hoof fighting, but no matter. I’m still going to break you, limb by limb.” Exclaimed Laurence, as he slowly walked over to the armored pegasus, flinching with every step. Sky Hawk growled, before slowly getting to his hooves again.  “You will try.” Sky Hawk stated, before rushing at Laurence again.

Laurence was prepared this time, and caught the charging Sky Hawk with another spell blast, stopping him instantly. Sky Hawk skidded across the floor, before finally stopping at the foot of the bed. Laurence walked over, before laughing again. “You amuse me Agent. Now DIE!” Laurence exclaimed, as he charged up another spell on his horn.

However, Laurence was soon caught by surprise when Sky Hawk suddenly burst up from the ground, and slammed his hoof into Laurence’s jaw. There was a sickening crack, as the black unicorn’s jaw shattered due to the impact, before Sky Hawk struck Laurence again, this time against his torso. Laurence collapsed like a sack of bricks, before Sky Hawk rolled him onto his back.

“This is for everypony that lost their life because of you Laurence. I hope you burn in Tartarus for all eternity.” Sky Hawk exclaimed, before shoving his hoofblade through Laurence’s windpipe. The black unicorn gurgled for a few seconds, before finally going limp. Sky Hawk retracted his hoofblade from Laurence’s neck, before wiping the blood off, and retracted it.

Rainbow Dash and Spitfire were both silent for a few moments, before Spitfire stepped forward. “Who……who are you?” She asked, her voice wavering a bit. Sky Hawk turned his head to face her, before trotting over to her. “The agent you fired.” He replied simply, taking off his helmet. The Wonderbolt captain  stared at Sky Hawk in shock for a few moments, before throwing herself on him and gave him a huge hug. Operation Harmony was finally over.

Epilogue

Rainbow Dash

Royal Palace, Canterlot, Equestria

1 Hour After End Of Operation Harmony

(Mitsubishi)

Today was a big day. They finished a mission so big, it literally shook Equestria to its core! Rainbow Dash lived for moments like these. She always wanted to make an impact, always wanted to put her hoof into Equestria’s history books. With her inside they might even be interesting! Grinning a little, Rainbow Dash trotted over to Sky Hawk. “Hey, Hawk! When are you gonna tell me where you got this armor?” she called out to him, prompting him to look at her.

She could practically feel his exasperation when he answered “For the last time, Agent Dash, it was sent to me anonymously! I don’t know where exactly it is from! Now please, let me prepare for the occasion. I had little contact with Princess Luna before and I want to leave a good impression.”

Holding back a laugh, Rainbow provided some tips. “She really likes to use her Royal Canterlot Voice, so you can score some points with her if you admit you want to listen to it for a while.” Sky Hawk was going to need a new set of ears afterwards!

Seeing him nod, the cyan mare prepared for her newest prank in her mind while she stretched her wings. With the Elements of Harmony all together, Rainbow Dash felt as awesome as ever. The only thing that bastard Laurence hurt more was her wings. She would need to rest them for a few days. It already felt like hell and made her more anxious than everything ever.

The door opened; the time for the meeting with Princess Luna had arrived. All of them trotted inside, the agents strategically positioned around them so they could be shielded from any attacks, just as learned. When they came to a stop, they only saw Luna sitting on her throne, not Celestia.

The other Elements were worried, but Rainbow Dash would fill them in later. How Princess Celestia had played with the lives of ponies all the time. How she had murdered Laurence’s parents and brought this upon herself. How even the bearers of the Elements were influenced by her hoof. How she lost her wings and horn. How she went from Princess Celestia, Alicorn of the Sun to Celestia the Earth Pony with a sunny butt. Hopefully they would take the news well. Honestly, she feared the most for Twilight.

Sudden loud shouting interrupted her train of thought. All of the ponies who knew Luna shielded their ears, but Sky Hawk and Spitfire looked like the Slendermare was chasing them. Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice had that effect on ponies. After some loud shouting and begging from the two, and a sheepish look from Luna, the meeting went on.

“...and because of this, we decided to grant some distinctions to all ponies involved. Step forward, Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. You are granted the Royal Equestrian Medal of Valor for defending our beloved Equestria from a threat greater than anypony could have imagined.” Seeing Spitfire sputter was awesome! Was she so surprised about this? But, like the awesome mare that Spitfire was, she shook it off fast and accepted the medal with a dignified smile.

“Now step forward, Rainbow Dash!”

What? Princess Luna is going to give me a medal too? Awesome!

“You persisted against odds nopony ever before had to endure and went into battle greatly weakened, just to serve your country. Because of this, we will grant you too the Royal Equestrian Medal of Valor. Such loyalty must be rewarded even if it is your Element.”

Rainbow Dash had to admit that she squealed like a little filly. I received the same medal as Spitfire! And I get to stand next to her for the rest of the meeting! This day is simply perfect!

Beaming, Rainbow watched the medal hanging around Spitfire’s neck. Rainbow saw a few more agents being honored... heck, even Agent Scratch got one and she’d barely done anything! However, Rainbow noticed there was one pony left in the agency that didn’t receive any kind of reward but did contribute greatly in this case: Sky Hawk. Did Princess Luna forget about him?

Glancing to the side, Rainbow could see Spitfire was even more nervous than her. Maybe she needed to use the little fillies’ room? On closer examination, she kept glancing between Luna and Sky Hawk. Maybe she was worried about him too?

“Finally, there is one last pony I need to honor today. With great pleasure I pronounce Sky Hawk as the new director of the Equestrian Intelligence Agency! Sky Hawk, step forward.”

Wait, what? Sky Hawk gets to be my boss? Rainbow Dash thought. With a glance at Spitfire, the performer of the Sonic Rainboom had to force herself from gagging. The mare she looked up to, the professional flyer and the living dream of many pegasi was swooning about Sky Hawk? What?

Shaking her head in disgust, Rainbow looked forward to Sky Hawk. He just sat there on his haunches, for once completely baffled. Seems like he can be shocked by some things. Dash snickered at her thought,  then yelled at Sky Hawk, “If you are not going to take that job, I’ll get it!”

That shook him awake, and he approached the Princess of the Night. “If you really think that I can serve Equestria best with this assignment, I will gladly accept. However, there is one condition.” He then turned to Spitfire. “Spitfire, will you be my marefriend?” he asked, with an unsure expression on his face.

THUNK! Looking to the side, Rainbow Dash saw Spitfire lying there unconscious. She fainted upon hearing his question? How lame! Rainbow Dash thought.

Shaking her head, the mare looked at Sky Hawk’s face and promptly started to laugh. He looked so stupid right now! Pinkie Pie joined her and even Applejack and some agents chuckled alongside them.

After that, the induction of Sky Hawk went down formally. Spitfire woke up sometime afterward beside Rainbow Dash, but didn’t say a word the entire time. She did look incredibly thoughtful, however. All in all, it was a pretty awesome day. They partied the whole day long and went on the train afterwards. Although flying was faster, Dash was glad to be with her friends again. Looking into the sunset, the mare thought, Now THAT was a good mission. I wonder what the next assignment will bring.

Alternate Ending 1: MitusbishiColt1

Spitfire lay in the hospital. She had been hit hard in the battle. Who knew Laurence had been this prepared, this powerful, this...overwhelming? She and Rainbow Dash had hurried after Celestia after the distress signal had been called. Even though Spitfire had been adamant about going alone and let the rest of their team defend Dash, the cyan mare had powered through her weakness and insisted on coming. Her Loyalty demanded it.

Snorting a little bit at this line, Spitfire suddenly winced. She had hurt her muzzle quite hard and had some hairline fractures there. The unicorns were already trying to fix up some spell for that but it still hurt. She looked at the new picture in her room. Since Spitfire had been small, she always remembered the hospital rooms fixed with some pictures of Celestia. Now there were pictures of Laurence. She really hated that jerk. So there had been some problems with his family because of Celestia! So what? Most ponies simply grew up and accepted their losses! But no, Laurence couldn’t. Shifting a bit under her covers she wished her uniform back. Well, any of her uniforms at least. This hospital gown was...unpleasant in comparison to the outfits she usually wore.

Back then, Dash and her nearly had finished Laurence before they had been interrupted. By his reinforcements of course. That bastard of a pony wouldn’t do anything on his own now, would he? Suppressing a snarl at her thoughts because that would only hurt her, Spitfire sighed instead. It was almost like a fairy tale in a sense what had happened. In the last possible moment, then when Dash had been captured and Spitfire had been beaten, he had appeared. Sky Hawk. Like a mighty brown phoenix he swooped down through a window, crashed into her attackers and charged Laurence. It was...majestic in a way how he weaved and shifted under Laurence's attacks but the two pegasi had been too even in their power, too close in fighting skill to finish their fight fast. Laurence had backup and his backup was strong. Spitfire did everything she could to keep him safe but they were only two ponies against a whole battalion. They had been forced to flee and so Laurence had taken over.

It was sad. They had been so close but in the end it didn’t even matter. They had been too weak, too few and last but not least, too powerless to win. Sky Hawk had carried her when they fled. He was bleeding from several bruises and cuts but he carried her. It was shameful, Spitfire was a professional flyer but when he did it...Spitfire had simply snuggled into him and had felt safe. He had made her feel safe when she had trouble flying. Sighing once more, Spitfire looked over to the next bed. Sky Hawk lay there. He had carried her all the way to Manehatten, to some good friends he had, only to break down from his wounds. He had gotten emergency treatment from the nearby hospital. After a look at her, she had been treated too. She explained the events that had happened. Of course she didn’t tell everything. She was no novice in that situation. She just told the situation of 50 ponies attacking them and the both of them holding out for half an hour before fleeing.

There had only been a knowing look from the nurse that treated her after the story. Well, if she left the situation out of that, combined with how popular she was...Spitfire blushed. Yeah, the story sounded really corny like that. Well, not that she minded with Hawk but...

Letting out a sigh, Spitfire relaxed. That had been two days ago. Sky Hawk hadn’t woken up in that time and Spitfire was worried about him. The only other thing that kept some of her attention had been the ‘new royal crowning’. Laurence had crowned himself a long-lost prince. Seems like everypony forgot to mention Blueblood in their story though. Whatever had happened to that pony?

Suppressing a groan, Spitfire shifted again. She hated lying down for several days. She hated doing nothing, hated hospitals, in short she absolutely hated it here. Too bad she was forbidden from leaving. After her first attempt they locked the windows and door with some spell. The only good thing was that Spitfire wasn’t alone. Without Sky Hawk here she would go crazy here. If only he would wake up!

Closing her eyes in pain - she had frowned again - Spitfire stretched a bit. Laurence sure had been busy. Most, if not all pictures of Celestia had been torn down and burned. Any mention of Celestia had been taken away and replaced by Luna of all ponies. The ‘official records’ of the Nightmare Moon incident sounded now like this: Princess Luna send her personal student, Twilight Sparkle, to Ponyville to meet her soon to be friends and loyal element bearers. Together they defeated Nightmare Moon and turned her into Princess Luna who, in her weakened state, released Princess Luna of her prison and allowed the sun to shine once again. Now, that Princess Luna was free, she forgave Princess Luna from imprisoning her and let herself (instead of her sister) live with her in the palace. Princess Luna thanked her personal student, Twilight Sparkle and her fellow element bearers for giving her herself back.

Ridiculous. Absolutely stupid. But everypony believed it. Why? Laurence said so. Luna was the ‘official’ ruler but with his crowning and her social awkwardness he basically ran the whole country. And everything he said was believed without any protest. How could all this ponies simply forget their beloved princess? Their story even looked false, for Tartarus’ sake!

Rolling to her side she looked over to Sky Hawk. Was he...he woke up! Thank Celestia, Luna and Faust! Her prayers had been heard! Hearing his groan and his question were they were, Spitfire smiled a sad smile. “We are in Manehatten, in a hospital your friends trusted. Sky Hawk...we lost. Laurence won, he is the new ruler of Equestria right now. You know what this means. Our entire organization is against us right now for defying their rightful ruler in his glorious plans.” Spitfire said, spitting her last words out with distaste. She saw him shifting to her and finally saw his lovely brown eyes again. “I’m glad you’re alive, Spits.” he said, an odd smile on his face. “I wouldn’t have forgiven myself for letting you alone with Laurence. Did you...did you find any notice of Dash or the other elements? Anything that could maybe help us?”

Spitfire sighed. “Sky Hawk, you don’t understand. We lost. We lost everything. We have no base loyal to us. We have no teammates willing to fight the good fight but the two of us. We have no hope of breaking into the royal palace and attacking Laurence undetected and even IF we did, he is our boss now. There is nothing anypony could do, not even you. We even lost Dash, for Luna’s sake! There is simply no way we could turn this around...” she said, staring with pleading eyes. Subdued and silent she continued “Please, Sky Hawk. You are hurt. Please rest and let this case rest. At least for a while. I...I can’t bear to see you hurt.” Choking a bit and blinking any tears away she simply stared at Hawk, awaiting his decision. He looked into her eyes for a long time, before sighing. “Okay, I at least wait until we are both rested before lifting another hoof against Laurence. But we got to save Dash, Spitfire. We owe her at least this much. Her and all the other bearers too. Okay?” he finally said, his voice for once full of emotion. Nodding only once Spitfire couldn’t help but grin. Even if there was no EIA anymore, even if there was no justice in Equestria anymore, she still had Sky Hawk. Together they would save the elements and then...well Spitfire always thought about retiring.The stunt flying was nice but lately the thrill had been steadily getting less and less. Maybe Dash could take over? Celestia knows Soarin would love that idea...and if she retired, maybe Sky Hawk would live with her? It would be a well deserved retirement after all the stress of the last days. Smiling a bit Spitfire snuggled into her covers. Now this was a nice idea to look forward too. Maybe Hawk would agree?

Alternate Ending 2: Bramblestar

Alternate Ending: The Ultimate Price

Sky Hawk

Canterlot Maximum Security Prison, Canterlot, Equestria

1 Year After Laurence’s Takeover

“Get up! Your time is up.” Shouted a guard, as he rapped on the door of Sky Hawk’s cell. The brown pegasus inside sighed deeply to himself, before slowly getting on his hooves. After a year of waiting, Sky Hawk’s time was finally drawing to an end, and the pegasus was ready.

From what Sky Hawk had heard, the downfall of the Princesses had been swift. Laurence managed to somehow get into the Royal Palace and killed Celestia, before moving to confront Luna. Fearing for her life, Luna had no choice but to hand power over to Laurence, effectively giving him control over the entire nation.

With the Equestrian government effectively under Laurence’s control, he was quick to establish himself by forcing Luna to make him an alicorn, before turning her into his personal slave. After becoming a alicorn, he then enacted martial law, before going on a manhunt for potential opponents to his throne. His list included Princess Cadence, Prince Blueblood, Mayor Mare, and Sky Hawk. Sky Hawk was lucky enough to be thrown in prison, while others on the list were murdered in gruesome ways.

With his place at the top of the government now secure, Laurence began to establish new laws across the land. Some of his new laws included swearing loyalty to Laurence, governmental control over the media, and the removal of Celestia from Equestrian culture and history.

As Sky Hawk trotted along with the guard, his thoughts went back to Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. Both mares had tried to stop Laurence, but failed and were immediately captured. Laurence made sure to broadcast both executions on national television, and warned that anyone who tried to stand against him would meet a similar fate. After the executions, Sky Hawk fell silent, refusing to talk to anypony, no matter who it was.

The guard stopped in front of a large door, before opening it slowly. The door lead into a large auditorium, where a large crowd of ponies were waiting. The guard stepped inside, before pointing to a large stage at the front of the stage. Three ropes dangled from the ceiling above the stage, with a trapdoor under each one. Sky Hawk sighed, before slowly shambling down the side of the crowd toward the stage.

The crowd went silent as they watched the brown pegasus walk slowly toward the stage, before stopping in front of it. A guard roughly grabbed Sky Haw, before dragging him onto the podium, and secured the center rope around his neck. Sky Hawk felt a tear roll down his cheek, before the door leading into the auditorium opened again, and three royal guards walked in. The crowd all turned to face the newly arrived guards, before one of them stepped forward.

The guard was a dirty gray mare with an orange mane, and she had blood red armor instead of the characteristic golden armor. She looked around the room for a few moments, before clearing her throat. “Laurence, the leader of all Equestria enters the room!” She shouted, before stepping aside. A second later, the black alicorn in question entered the room, before slowly walking to the front. The royal guards slowly followed behind, one of them carrying the Equestrian flag.

As soon as Laurence reached the front of the room, he turned to face the audience, and raised his hoof. Everyone in the audience raised their hooves as well, before shouting “Glory be to Laurence! Glory be to Equestria!”. As soon as the crowd finished, Laurence lowered his hoof, before clearing his throat. “Welcome mares and gentlecolts. Today, we shall witness the execution of a traitor to Equestria. This pegasus conducted operations against me, and now faces the death penalty. Let this be a reminder to all that I will not tolerate opposition.” He announced, his voice filled with authority. Everyone in the audience cheered, before Laurence raised his hoof again.

The room went silent, before Laurence lowered his hoof again, and turned to face Sky Hawk. “Sky Hawk. Will you redeem yourself, and swear total allegiance to me?” Laurence asked, his voice filled with malice. Sky Hawk remained silent, before shaking his head. Laurence shrugged, before walking over to his prepared seat in the front row. “Very well. Commence with the execution.” Laurence replied nonchalantly, before taking a seat. The prison guard that was next to me nodded, before walking over to a large lever on the edge of the stage.

Sky Hawk looked up toward the back of the audience, before a look on disbelief came on his face. Sitting in the back of the audience was Spitfire, Rainbow, and his sister Red. Sky Hawk had watched them all die, how could they possibly be sitting in the back of the audience watching him? Sky Hawk blinked a few times, yet they still remained in the back. Suddenly, Spitfire whispered something to the other mares, before the three mares got to their hooves.

They just stood at the back of the auditorium for a few moments doing nothing, before Rainbow’s hoof snapped to her head in a salute. Spitfire saluted a few seconds later, before Red finally saluted too. Sky Hawk just stared for a few moments, before slowly returning the salute. Laurence silently watched Sky Hawk, frowning, before nodding to the guard at the lever. The guard returned the nod, before finally pulling it.

With a loud clunk, the trapdoor fell out from under Sky Hawk, and he dropped down. A loud snap rang out, followed by an eerie silence. Laurence watched Sky Hawk’s body swing slowly from left to right for a few moments, before craning his head to peek at the back of the audience. There was nothing but 3 empty chairs

Prologue (Revised)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

(ANNOUNCEMENT) Voice Actors Requested!

Hello, and sorry that this isn't Chapter 10. As of now (March 10th), I've gotten some of it done, but don't worry, I'll get it out soon. Recently, I've been working on making a voice over with Scootareader, but we've run into a tight spot. We need someone to voice the following characters: Dragonfire, Rainbow Dash (Maybe), Fluttershy,  Fleetfoot, Soarin, Spitfire, Laurence, Agent Bon Bon, Agent Hedge, and Vinyl Scratch. If you're interested in playing a role, then please send me a private message, and I'll evaluate you and add you (If you're good enough.) Thank you, and I'll see you all soon!

Write On!

Best Regards,

Bramble

Chapter 5: Explanations

Laurence

Fort Ashton, Griffin Kingdom

4 Hours after Launch of Operation Harmony

The black unicorn sat at his desk, staring at a picture of two ponies smiling at the camera. For Laurence, it had been a hectic four days since his mysterious “disappearance”. He had spent over 350 thousand bits building an army of earth and unicorns, and had spent millions more on buying equipment needed to carry out his mission successfully. However, after the capture of four of the Element Bearers and a successful attack on the EIA Headquarters in Canterlot, he knew that his money had been well spent. Laurence’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted when somepony knocked on the door. Laurence growled to himself, before putting the picture back on his desk, and pressed a button.

There was a loud beep, before the door leading into his office slowly opened, and a unicorn mare with a dirty grey coat and orange mane walked in. She quickly saluted, before clearing her throat. “I’ve got good news and bad news. What would you like to hear first?” She asked, no emotion in her voice. Laurence got out of his seat, before turning around to look at the large map of Equestria behind him. “I would like the bad news first Dragonfire.” He replied, making sure to channel as much authority into his voice as possible. Dragonfire nodded, before she pulled out a piece of paper from her knapsack. “Charlie Team reports that we’ve failed to capture the

Element Of Kindness. Her escort was too strong, and held off our forces with the help of reinforcements.” she reported. Laurence was silent for a moment, before he turned around to face Dragonfire. “It was the Element of Loyalty, wasn’t it?” He asked, his voice flat. Dragonfire nodded, before looking at her paper. “Not only her, but the famous Agent Sky Hawk as well.” She replied. Laurence sighed, before turning back to the map. “I’ll deal with them later. Anyways, you said there was good news?” He said flatly. Dragonfire put away the piece of paper she was holding, before clearing her throat again.

“The eggheads down in the lab told me to tell you that Archimedes is ready for use. Whatever the hay that means.” She stated. Laurence turned to face Dragonfire, and laughed. “Archimedes is the key to Operation Lau. We needed the Elements to power Archimedes.” Laurence explained, as he pulled out a file from his desk. Dragonfire stared at Laurence, before walking over to the map of Equestria. “But what does it do?” She asked, curiosity in her voice. Laurence was silent for a moment, before putting down the file onto his desk. “Archimedes is a machine that is powered by the Elements. It will allow us to teleport to anywhere in Equestria, and allows us to bring anything to us. It also can amplify a unicorn’s power by up to 500%.” Laurence replied, as he put on his standard issue Agency Sunglasses.

Dragonfire nodded, before she slowly walked over to Laurence. “I’m also curious to hear why you’re launching Operation Lau now. I know you’re eager to kick that whorse Celestia out of power, but why are you doing this now?” She asked slowly. Laurence looked at Dragonfire for a few moments, before sitting back down at his desk. “It all started when I was a foal. My parents made the unfortunate decision of speaking out against Celestia’s monarch, so they ended up getting executed. I was mad at practically everyone for a few years, but I eventually cooled down and forgot about the whole thing. Then about a week ago, I received a cease and desist letter from her highness ordering me to stop researching the Lau theory or face treason charges. I was beyond mad; after all I spent all this time gathering materials and ponypower needed to finally execute the Lau theory to get a new clean power source for all, only to get a letter from Celestia ordering me to stop! So I decided to finish my plan anyway, and told you to mobilize our army of mercs. And that brings us to the present.” Laurence explained,

Practically spitting out the name ‘Celestia’ each time. Dragonfire looked at the map, then back to Laurence.

“I can understand that. Anyway, do you need anything, or should I go? I have to deal proper punishment to Charlie Team for not completing their objective.” asked Dragonfire. Laurence wrote something down on a piece of paper, before putting the paper in an envelope and handed the envelope to Dragonfire. “Take this to the eggheads in the lab, and tell them that I will be down soon to observe the activation of the machine.” Laurence ordered. Dragonfire nodded, before grabbing the envelope and placed it in her knapsack. “I’m off to deliver your message, I’ll see you soon.” Dragonfire stated, before turning and opening the door out of the room and walked out. Laurence smiled to himself, before he picked up the picture on his desk again. “Mom, Dad, I’ll make you proud. I promise.”