The good new is that Canterlot's not even an hour away. The bad news is that we can't use the roads after about half-way. What we were going to do was ride up the side of a mountain, get to a peak overlooking Canterlot, and then jump in. We were each equipped with wingpacks (surprisingly enough, they actually exist today) and parachutes. We would fly in and split up, Phoenix would land at a sniper point, Coal would circle around to underneath the city, and I would land in the city and make my way into the castle. The night court should be active, so I shouldn't have to worry about meeting the Princesses, as long as I stayed away from the throne room thing in the middle.

Now, I know that what we are doing is technically an act of war, but if they never know about it, then it's perfectly fine. And I can always use the 'this is how we did it back then' excuse... to a certain point. The ponies, although technically our allies, were the strongest force other than us, although pacifistic. They could use 'magic' and claim that the only reason there was still water on this Earth was that they could essentially stop the sun's aging. I don't understand how they did, but it was disturbing nonetheless.

The drop went without hitch. It was actually quite fun, as I haven't used a wingpack in ages. In addition, Coal reported in quite quickly after he landed, meeting the changelings. I landed inside the grounds of the castle, and Phoenix got to her covering location as I landed.

It was a dark night, the moon was just a crescent in the sky, and my muffled footsteps were hidden by the sound of various other night creatures. I landed somewhere outside, near a pool of water. I had three cans of spray-on plastic explosive and the detonators for each. I just needed to place them near the main supports of the castle and be done with it. That means to pillars I saw in the throne room. I also needed to hide the explosive, perhaps disguise them as decorations or something.

I activated my adaptive camouflage as I neared the door to the castle itself. I had a silenced, air propelled tranq pistol, but I didn't want to use it. Two guards, both dark colored pegasi with bat-like wings, stood at either side of the doorway. Their armor was a dark purple, and in the center of their chest, a silver crescent moon sat. The door was closed, this could be a problem. If I opened the door and they were there, it would be quite obvious that I was there. They were most likely familiar with the idea of invisibility.

I could make this look like a robbery, if I had to knock them out. I could throw a rock somewhere, lure one out, knock him out, then lure the other one too, or just sneak up on him, and then sneak inside, plant the charges, and steal a painting or something on my way out. I suppose the right diversion would leave the charges unnoticed, if I hid them well enough. Yeah, that would work.

I crept over to the side of a flower bed, and I picked up one of the rocks lining it. If I let him see his friend get knocked out, he'd know it was invisibility. The ponies don't know that we have it yet... I'd need to hide it.

"Muse." I spoke into my comms. "Hide all information about adaptive camouflage and invisibility and stealth from the ponies in our archives."

"Acknowledged."

Good. I tapped the rock against the one next to it, and I was pleased to see both guards stiffen, the one closer to me look at me for a second, or at least the rocks, and then lower his spear and move forwards. Where would a pony hit if they were going for a knockout..?

I took two steps forward, then moved to the side and let him pass. I then closed my fist, and slammed it down on the back of his head. He crumpled beneath my blow, and I stepped quickly towards the other guard, whose eyes narrowed as he lowered his spear also. He started scanning the area, and I jerked my right arm, the air behind it wavering. He fell for it, charging at the spot where my arm was, and I grabbed his spear as he passed, pushing it to the side. One step past me, and I put a tranq dart in his ass. I caught his body as it fell, and I plucked the dart out of him. Then, I hit him on the head, like the other, so he would bruise. I didn't need them knowing he was tranq'd.

I crept up to the doors, and after testing them, opened them into the palace. Left or right?

The front of the palace was directly ahead of me, so either should work. I went right. I followed the hallway around, and it ended where I though it would. It was a side entrance to the throne room, where I was surprised to see quite a few ponies. It seemed as if there was something going on.

As I got a closer look on the Princess, I realized it was Luna. It must be night court. Regardless, my job still stands. There were two huge pillars supporting the roof, and I made my way over to the backside of one, the ponies focused on their Princess. Invisibility rocks.

She was talking about some sort of tax law as I reached the pillar, not a single pony looking at me. I had the luck of being in the shadow, as the room was softly lit by moonlight, which seemed to be enhanced, and a torch, here or there. I quickly pulled a silent drill out of a pocket in my suit, packed for this occasion, and began to drill a hole, two inches in diameter, in the squared pillar, three feet on each side. By the time I had finished, the pony in front of the Princess was responding, saying something about how the 'tax was too high', even though she was wearing pure silk and gold jewelry. Fucking nobles.

I removed a can from my pack, and I fit a focus tube thing on it, like a straw, and I began spraying the explosive into the hole. It filled up quite well, and I evened it off with my knife. The hole, one foot deep, into the pillar, took the entirety of a can, the explosive compressed into the hole. With one set, I pushed the detonator into the putty-like substance, and then covered it with a little bit of the drill shavings. It looked like stone. Good.

I made my way over to the other pillar, and I did the same. The Princess had responded, and when the noble bitch had tried to talk back, the Princess got mad, and spoke with a voice that could be weaponized. I swear I had to turn off my helmet's audio input for a moment there. But I managed to get the charges set. Now, to find the stuff to steal.

I distinctly recall seeing a variety of paintings and stuff in a side hall, so I should probably go there. They, odds are, had some sort of alarm, so maybe I should just steal something out of the hall, not the museum thing.

I began to head back towards the exit. There was a painting or two of the royal family on the way in. I just hope they'd be valuable enough to warrant a break in. Whatever.

I pass back to the hallway where I cam in through, and lo and behold, on the wall, there are a line of oil on canvas or acrylic on canvas (probably oil, like the ponies would know what acrylic is yet) paintings of various royal figures, events, and combinations of both. Jackpot.

I slip my knife out of its sheathe, and targeting just the portraits of the current rulers, because they can actually be replaced, I cut the canvas along the edge of the frame. Much easier than taking the entire thing. After the third or so painting, I roll them up and slide them into my pack, held in place by straps. I then take off, for the exit.

"Phoenix. I'm on my way out, charges are set. I had to disguise break-in as robbery, cover my exit." I spoke into the comm as I turned the last corner. I activated my adaptive camo as Phoenix spoke back. "Acknowledged. Be advised, there is a heat signature approaching the location of the two nappers. Looks like a pegasus."

"Got it." I reached the doors, and I opened them and stepped outside. A lone guard was making his way around the far side of the flower bed where the two were knocked out. I quickly made my way behind him, and like the first pony, I slammed my palm (the bony part underneath my pinkie finger) on the back of his head, and like the first pony, he crumpled underneath me.

"I'm on my way out. Head for the RR's, I'll be there shortly.

They were at the top of a mountain. Shortly was actually quite accurate, due to the fact that Canterlot had passages up to that peak. There was apparently some sort of observatory at the top, so hot air balloons were actively moving up and down, even at night. It was child's play to stowaway on one and reach the top, near where we jumped in from, and hike the rest of the way(like a km). By the time the sun rose, we were halfway to our mountain. I burned the paintings back at base, we didn't need to be accused of stealing either. Regardless, we made the papers, but the headlines read 'Castle broken into, royal portraits stolen, Blueblood outraged', and stuff like that.

That, however, was not even the most interesting part. Apparently, the griffins were in the process of delivering a cryopod to us. They would be here the next morning. After a dinner of sorts, courtesy of Coal, who also successfully rendezvoused and planted his charges, we hit the sack to get ready for the next pod. Yes it was fried chicken, and by God was it good.

Author's Note

I'm not going to be able to write a lot over the next three weeks, and after one after that, I won't have computer access for two more.