My Little Mission:Impossible - State of Grace

1. Impossible Ponies

Celestia headed for the house she was using through her alias, taking only the time needed to bathe and then change into one of the outfits – still wonderfully stitched and fitted, despite their basic simplicity – and headed for her desk. She used her horn to pull a peppermint candy stick and absently sucked on it, enjoying the taste, while bringing a folder from the desk she had prepared. She opened it, and placed the contents, a group of large portfolios with full-color images on the front, taken from either pictures of the subjects or from various magazine covers. The first was a human, which puzzled Celestia, since she didn't remember adding any humans to the folder in the drills she'd conducted in earlier months.

She had a pleasantly smiling face and a long dark... mane? Celestia chuckled and set the dossier aside. The next dossier showed Fluttershy standing with wings raised in front of the Preserve. Celestia closed her eyes and used her magic to invoke the messaging enchantment of the dossier, before setting it down again, on her right. The next was an older male human with greying hair, which brought a confused look to Celestia's face for a moment, before she read the name that was something to do with “Phelps”, and upon opening it, was first surprised pleasantly and then saddened by the contents, closing them with a shake of her head, setting it on her left with the other human.

Next was an image of Applejack, with the title “Apple Farms” and “Since there's been apples!” She chortled softly and nodded, invoking the dossier as she had Fluttershy's. The next two were of a blue unicorn, which Celestia recognized then disdained, and a white stallion unicorn with an arrogant smirk which made her almost grimace, before setting aside. Her next was of Rainbow Dash, the image of her wearing the prize crown she had won years earlier, being carried off on the shoulders of her friends, and she smiled again and nodded, setting her with the first three.

Twilight Sparkle was next, an image made of her with her peers at the Advanced Magical Academy, for her formal induction, with the words “Equestria's Brightest” below them. Celestia smiled and nodded again, invoking the dossier, then added it to the growing stack. A similar treatment was given to a Pinkie Pie Party Invitation that showed the bouncy earth pony with all four legs in the air and a happy smile, surrounded by balloons and streamers and cakes, with Celestia chuckling a little at the sight of Pinkie's seemingly ever-present good mood. Rarity's glamor photo showed her in a large and complex outfit, posed effectively and seeming almost to sparkle before Celestia's eyes.

This final invocation, and the dossiers were stacked. She took a deep breath and let it out again, slowly, taking up all of the dossiers and returning them to the desk. She was almost certain for a moment that she heard something like a drumbeat when she did, but she dismissed it and sat in her parlor to wait.

She didn't need to wait for very long. A rainbow-streaking pegasus appeared in her window within moments, followed by a flash of purple light from near her front door, which she opened with a simple nod from her couch, and the familiar faces of Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, the latter carrying her ever-present assistant Spike, appeared through the doorway. She had only turned away for a moment, and there was already a pink-coated face pressed almost comically at the bay window, giving Celestia, Dash and Sparkle alike a start and made Spike break out in floor-rolling laughter. This had the bouncing pink pony rolling onto her back and breaking into hoof-kicking guffaws. With an eyeroll, Dash walked over to the locked door that led to the modest balcony, and was promptly bowled over by the bouncing and laughing Pinkie Pie who shouted “Hi Dashie!” while giggling and more or less pinning her down.

Dash looked up with a half-smile, “Uh, hi Pinkie, can you um... Get offa me?” Pinkie giggled and made a mock serious face for just a moment, then let her friend up, to chuckles from Celestia and her student alike. They sat together and traded stories, Dash telling about her latest aerial maneuvers, and Pinkie talking about the party she had thrown, and eventually some chat from Twilight about her studies, when there was another knock at the door. The purple mare of magic looked towards it curiously, to see Fluttershy enter, not more than a step behind Applejack, and the two were already laughing together.

“Ah'm mighty glad to see ya again, Fluttershy! How's that preserve comin' along,” came the familiar friendly drawl, accompanied by a companionable pat on the yellow pegasus' back. The gentle-voiced pegasus pony answered with a smile and a small hint of pride that Celestia could detect, “Oh! It's coming along wonderfully, Applejack. We've been helping the cockatrices keep fed without them leaving anypony for statues, just because they were nearby. We even had a little help from the Institute of Advanced Magical Studies,” she nodded to Twilight, who blushed a little, but smiled back, “and they helped us with some things that protected us from being petrified.” Applejack laughed, “From all I heard, y'all didn't need too much help with that, sugarcube.”

Laughter broke out among all of the friends then, even from Fluttershy herself, who was blushing despite herself. “Wow, Fluttershy,” Spike said, once he had more breath, “I heard that you'd stared down a cockatrice way back in Ponyville, but I didn't ever quite believe it until now. That's pretty awesome.” He smiled at her and she gave him a slightly questioning look for a moment, then nodded, laughing herself. “I just... Hate it when anyone threatens my friends, ponies or otherwise, Spike.”

The blue pegasus and purple unicorn overheard this and nodded, Twilight giving a little shudder. She remembered Fluttershy's insane-sounding bellow from the Great Galloping Gala years earlier, and the tone of genuine worry that had come from her mentor when she had said simply “Run.” “It's true. Wasn't that what led to the founding of the preserve in the first place?” “Hey, yeah. I heard you've had all kinds of animals there,” piped up the rainbow-maned mare.
Before the yellow-coated and now blushing pegasus pony could respond, there was a firm knock at the door. Celestia turned her head and opened the door with some ease, and a very well-dressed Rarity came in, looking ready for the most formal ball in Equestria. “Why hello, everypony, it's very nice to see you all once more!” A series of greetings followed, ranging from smiles from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, to a small dragon all but leaping into her for a warm hug.

The mood brightened more with the presence of all the old friends together again. Pinkie Pie took to bouncing, saying “we're all here! We're all here!” Celestia waited for the din to die down and rose, lifting the three images over to a table that was situated neatly between comfortable chairs and the couches.

“Shocker Blaze,” said Rainbow Dash, sounding both a little angry and astonished. “One of the few to get their flank kicked out of the Wonderbolts. The jerk kept getting into fights with the other 'Bolts, especially Soarin'. Couldn't keep it together, so Spitfire kicked him out... Hard.” Dash laughed, a little mirthlessly. Applejack and Rarity exchanged a look, then the former spoke, “He sounds like a bad seed, sugarcube. Sounds like he liked fights even more than y'all did.” The rainbow-maned flyer looked back at her and then towards the floor, nodding. Fluttershy and Twilight tried speaking at the same time then, but it ended in giggles and Dash snouthoofing.

“I know who Drake Forester is, um,” Fluttershy squeaked, now having the attention of all of the other ponies. Student and mentor both raised hooves and encouraged her, winding up smiling and chuckling softly, having unconsciously mirrored each other. “He's not a gentle pony,” Fluttershy continued. “He's always the kind that shouts and yells at animals. I can always tell. He tried more than once to work at the Preserve, but he was too angry for the work we do.” She made a slightly sour face at the image and nodded.

Celestia nodded to her and spoke in a soft, but serious tone, “Fluttershy, he's been seen with a young dragon. Older than Spike is,” she explained, her eyes turning to the small green dragon who looked surprised for a moment but much more serious and a little angry. “But he is not yet fully grown. Beyond Forester's proximity to a dragon, and your experience with him,” she said while turning back to face the now somewhat dour-faced pegasus zoologist, “we don't really know anything more about him beyond the company he keeps.”

At this, everyone looked first at the last image, which was a glamorous facial shot of a unicorn, and with eerie synchronicity, they all found themselves looking at the small purple form of Twilight Sparkle, who was sipping some of Celestia's fine, strong tea. “What? I don't remember everypony that uses magic in the entire country,” she said with a soft giggle. Spike laughed aloud at this, “Man, Twilight, I bet you have a book on unicorn magicians somewhere.” Rainbow took Spike's cue and broke into her own slightly squeaky laughs, until Rarity rapped a hoof on the table.

“Come now friends. Twilight is brilliant, but this time I think I might actually be the unicorn in the know.” The apple-flanked farmer opened her mouth to speak at this and gave her a somewhat incredulous look. After a moment, she simply closed her mouth and nodded. “She's a model with training in magic, darlings,” continued Rarity. “Her family has lived in this vicinity for oh, a generation or three. They're very respectable, the Digitas.”

“Actually,” continued the coiffured and bejeweled fashion designer, looking thoughtful, “I've seen her modeling work – it tends to be predictably themed, magic and fireballs. Oh! Not that sparkles and comets are unsuitable for the right unicorn, Twilight dear,” she said with a smile and her eyes on the purple mare, “but she seems to be a single-trick sort of pony-model.”

Celestia nodded, having been listening intently. “Good, my little ponies. Now. Twilight? Rarity? Do we have some idea of where they are?” They looked to each other for a moment and nodded, the very well-dressed mare speaking first. “Prestigia lives in one of the few castles on this coast, Celestia. She hosts the occasional fashion show or large to-do there once in a great while.” “Xenophinia?” piped in Twilight with a slightly zealous look in her eyes. “I read a book about the modern construction of castles.” She spoke with some speed, causing her less-magically inclined friends to look at each other and Spike to roll his eyes a little.

“The Digitas developed a lot of tandem operations with the stonemasons, so that a lot of the castle and the grounds are kept in excellent condition, reducing the effects of sunlight and weather to a minimum. They also set up a series of wards at regular intervals around the castle's perimeter so that no wild animals come closer than a few hundred yards, if they're over a certain size. They also made good use of persistent light charms, and there was even something about a room that had some kind of moving art on one wall.” The celestial former princess half-smiled in wonder, at how thoroughly her student had assimilated all of this in a relatively short amount of time.

The level-headed and apple-flanked pony spoke up then, her tone slightly more thoughtful. “Sounds like there's an awful lot of magic floatin' around over there, sugarcube. Think we'll be able to check it out?” Rarity smiled and giggled, “Just watch me work. I'll set up a meeting and actually sound out the place if you need me to, ladies. It will be a pleasure.” Spike then gave all the appearance of an extraordinarily happy cube of ice that seemed to melt directly into the couch underneath him, eyes a little crossed. Celestia spied this and covered her mouth with a hoof, trying not to laugh herself.

The always-upbeat voice of the pink party pony piped up “wait a minute, we could throw her a party!” Rainbow Dash snouthoofed again and grunted. Twilight looked more thoughtful and then nodded, “Actually that might work out – if she wants a big fashion show and party... Rarity, Pinkie? I think you might have something there.” Spike gave a slightly doubtful look at them, “Are you sure? I mean. What if she decides to do something besides serve you guys tea?” The indigo-maned fashionista flashed the small dragon a smile and nodded, “You're right, Spike. They might try something with Pinkie and myself. In fact, I would be very much surprised if she did not.”

Spike gave her a more serious look, but could not help returning the smile. “I get it now... You two are kinda obviously there to do more than stick shiny clothes on her and dance to the beat, so you're going to,” his thought was finished by the smiling pink pony, “to get ourselves into a little trouble. So, we can get right out of it, when the time's right.”

Pinkie started bouncing at this idea, to Celestia's chuckle. “Excellent as always, my little ponies. Coordinate with one another and see what you can find out.” “I'm gonna go check the place out, not just the castle, but the stuff surrounding too,” added the smirking cyan speedster. “I bet there's a hangout outside of the castle, too; Usually is, especially if the grunts wanna chill out away from the boss.” She chuckled. “Trust me, I know.”

The purple-coated unicorn looked to her and laughed too, giving an approving bob of her head. “Sounds like a good idea, Rainbow. Just keep clear of the castle's airspace. If I were a paranoid unicorn with a castle,” she began, and was ribbed by a smiling Applejack which led her to give first her, then the others a questioning look and then followed more laughter, “OK, OK, I'm not that paranoid, girls, come on. But I'm saying that in her place, I'd have a pretty nice security perimeter set up not only around the castle, but over it too.” The resident professional flyer looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled, “I didn't think of that one. You rock, Twi.”

She brohoofed the unicorn, while Celestia looked on, smiling. They all moved out, sharing a warm grouphug by the door, while Rainbow Dash said, “So great to be workin' with you gals again.” The soft voice of the lemon-colored pegasus piped up, “I'll check out the wild areas near the castle, and I bet Applejack can get in with the groundskeepers. Um. They're usually friendly.” Applejack laughed and nodded, “Ah'll give it a looksee, sugarcube, see what's growin'.”

They all had to stop and stare as a large fancy carriage pulled up. Rarity laughed softly, “What? Did you think I would come in something simpler? No no, dears. I want there to be no doubt that Rarity has arrived, when she does.” Applejack and Fluttershy exchanged a glance, while Pinkie Pie bounced. “Ooo! Do I get to ride?” Rarity smiled a little wider, “in fact, I was going to insist on it. I need my party pony as well as my own reputation, if we're going to throw a fashion show and party.” Twilight laughed and nodded, “Well, they're definitely going to know it's you. Be careful you two.”

Equestria's foremost pink party pony smiled and bounded into the carriage at once, saying, “Don't worry, Twilight! I'll make sure nobody gets to being a Meany McMeanypants to Rarity!” Rarity flashed Pinkie a quizzical glance and sighed, before mounting the carriage, the quartet of strong and dignified earthponies drawing it picking up and trotting her off down the road, while Fluttershy took to the air, flying up and over with more ease than her friends had seen her display in the skies over Ponyville.

Dash took off too, flashing the purple-coated mare a salute and leaving the signature rainbow trail behind her. “Just us now, sugarcube.” Twilight smiled and trotted alongside the friendly farmer pony with her young dragon assistant in his usual spot on her back. “It's a long trot from here, Applejack, so do you want to teleport or...?” She looked a bit pensive. Applejack laughed, “Naw, don't go worryin' over mah innards, Twilight. We can take a little trot t'gether for a while, y'know? Ain't gonna run the whole dang'ol distance though, unless y'really wanna.” Spike spoke up, “Yeah, that teleport spell can sure shake up a good lunch if you're not careful.” Twilight laughed, and after a few miles, they disappeared in a flash from the long road leading away from the hills overlooking Trottance, as Celestia watched them go.

“Good luck, my little ponies,” she whispered.

For all her speed, it did take Rainbow Dash some time to make it northwards to the area of the West that she remembered well enough to navigate. Once she was in sight of the castle however, it was extremely easy to find. She skirted around it, coming no closer than a few hundred yards, then she looked for and found the small nearby town of San Stallion. If town was the right word. A single road and a few small buildings, but she spotted the place at once, since there were already a few ponies standing around near the doorway, sipping something that she couldn't quite make out from the air. So she did what came naturally, and went in for a closer look.

Applejack, Twilight and Spike appeared with a purple flash and a soft piffing sound within a mile of the town, heading along a long, winding road that lay between it and Xenophinia. The two ponies paused and Applejack laughed, “Shoot, Twilight, these parts are awful purty.” Twilight looked at the large green trees lining the road and looked one direction, then the other, then examined the road underneath their feet, while Applejack looked on, puzzled, “Now, just what in the hay... Oh! Looks like wagon tracks, big ones too.”

Spike was looking around too, seeming a little greener than usual and with a hand on his stomach, he kept quiet for the present. Twilight looked up and smiled, “That's right. I was wondering which direction,” “They was goin'. Yeah,” Applejack finished with a nod. “Lookin' like they're headed that way.” She pointed a hoof, along what Twilight believed was the northward track. “Mmm. We better find a place to keep our heads down, Applejack, and soon.” Applejack herself trotted and got up the slight hill that was alongside the road, while her friend watched, looking puzzled.

She looked around, having found what looked like it had been a farm once, and also spotted what looked like an old tool shed not far from the treeline. She moved to the edge of the hill and offered a hoof, “Looks like we might have found a little place.”

Rarity's fancy coach took the turn from the small town of San Stallion and turned north, as Twilight and Applejack scouted out an old and seemingly uninhabited farm, and Rainbow Dash dipped from her altitude to see what there was to drink, to see, and with a smirk, to possibly beat the blazes out of. The fashionable pony's bouncy pink riding companion was looking out one of the windows, making happy and fascinated sounds at the rows of trees the lined the path that led to Xenophinia.

It did take them time, but they reached the massive front gates, which were promptly opened to Rarity's both well-known and luxurious carriage. Her quartet of strong stallions drew her up alongside a pair of well-dressed attendants, one of which stood close and opened the door to the carriage, standing aside, appearing respectfully aloof. Rarity appeared from the carriage in a smooth motion without bounce or making a single sharp sound from any of her hooves, causing the attendants themselves to give a bow, while a third, this a deep purple stallion with a smoothed dark brown mane in the black finery of the head of a household.

“Welcome, Madam Rarity. Lady Digita has prepared a reception room for you and your staff. With your permission?” He gestured with a raised hoof, bowing a little to Rarity and pointing towards the large and intricate entryway which stood open, under two towers wrought with many intricate designs and frescoes. With a regal nod, she followed, a bouncing Pinkie Pie not far behind, drawing strange looks as her outfit jingled with each bound. They were led down fantastically ornate hallways lined with carvings of gold and wonderfully-polished wood, that even the sometimes vain and style-crazed indigo-maned mare simply stared at in wonder, her bouncing companion smiling as always, managed just one word for the trip to Xenophinia's prepared reception area. “Beautiful,” said Pinkie Pie.

It did not take Fluttershy's well-experienced eyes and ears very long to lead her into the thick forests north of the castle's grounds. She remembered what Twilight had said concerning the air over the castle, so she skirted it and the road below, flying low over the tree branches. The fresh scent of them made her smile and wish she had a little more time. She spied a clearing something around a mile north of the castle's highest glittering white rampart, circled by a ridge. Her snout caught the scent of acrid and vaguely familiar smoke on the wind and heard the low rumble that she was searching for, not without it sending a little shiver up her spine.

The soft-spoken winged mare that so many in Equestria thought incapable of considering the slightest harm to any swooped into the brush and landed with stealth and skill that any airborne bird of prey would have been proud of. She inched her way through the greenery, wary of any sound and the loud rumbling came again, alongside another sound. “It sounded like a deep raspy voice speaking,” she considered silently. She could not make any of it out, not even after she crept closer. She did hear a voice then, and from alarmingly close, this a mare's, with an edge of steel. “Pegasus, you're trespassing.” She saw a bright blue wave of energy wash into the green in the shadows under the trees, before it felt as if the whole forest fell on her.

Rainbow Dash's closer look began at the doorway of the local house of drink and merry-making. Her fast approach drew the eyes of the two standing on the simple wooden slatted walkway, which was well-worn by many hooves. The larger of the two, a red-beige stallion sipping at something when the rainbow trail descended dropped the cup of honey-mead from his mouth and nudged the smaller light brown stallion next to him, causing him to grunt in annoyance. “Now why did you do that?” He asked, turning his head somewhat, in time to catch the cyan speedster's fast trot up to the walkway.

“Sup, guys?” She said with a smirk, going neatly over the two much larger ponies on her way into the white-washed doorway that led behind them. The smaller of them said, “Where in the hay did she come from?” The larger shook his head. “Dun' know, but you can bet your tail there's gonna be trouble.” The inside of the door and the nearer half of the modest building appeared to serve as a general store, with sacks of seeds and such, and a variety of goods. The large beige stallion came in the front door, Rainbow Dash spying his crate and shovels cutie mark. “Afternoon,” he said in a pleasant tone, “Looking for some supplies, or just something to wash the dust out?” He assumed the place behind the counter at the back of the store, smiling pleasantly.

Twilight, Applejack and Spike were sitting more or less together in the small shed, while Twilight concentrated, horn glowing a soft bright purple. She shook her head and sighed. “I'm sorry, Applejack, I can't sense Fluttershy, or Pinkie, or Rarity either. The castle's got too many defensive wards for me to risk pushing my awareness spell too far, unless I want Prestigia knowing exactly where I am.” “Shoot,” said the strong, kind voice of the apple-farmer. “I hope they're all okay, Twi. It's about time I started my part in this here little shindig.”

She embraced the purple magician and gave Spike's head a friendly rub. “Y'all take care now, both of ya.” She trotted out, leaving the two friends alone. Twilight took that moment to rummage around the shed a little. Her companion and assistant asked, “What are you looking for here? All I see is dust, cobwebs and junk.” Without hearing him, she lifted bits of twisted gardening and farming equipment one at a time, saying “No” to every one, save the last, a trowel.”Perfect!” Looking even more puzzled now, “Doing some gardening or something? I got no idea what you're going to do,” her young dragon assistant said, his arms raised for emphasis.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were aware of the size and opulence of the reception area. Both were set on large divans, one a rich scarlet and gold, the other a cream color with silver highlights. Once the wonder of the setting had worn off – which itself took some time, since there was a great deal to see, as the walls and ceiling were both intricately carved and highly polished, the wood itself seeming infused with gold. The indigo-coiffured mistress of fashion spoke first, as they had been left alone, once the servants had guided them there. “No service? None at all? That seems uncharacteristically rude.”

She looked around her surroundings, and spied a small bell. She raised it up and gave a vigorous jingle of it using the deep glow of her magic. Pinkie was still looking around at all of the seemingly thousands of carved figures, coats of arms, busts and so on that lined the walls and gave one ornamentally carved wall not very far away from their seats a strange look. She bounded up to it and proceeded to examine it very closely, with all the attentiveness of a jeweler hard at work. “Something funny about this wall...” She said, sounding characteristically dramatic. A pair of finely-clothed unicorns strode in then, one bearing a plate of sandwiches and the other several decanters and glasses. They gave low bows and departed with well-practiced dignity.

Fluttershy awoke in what appeared to be a large, natural cavern, warmed by a large bonfire in the center. Her head ached, and her hooves were heavier than she remembered. With a start, she sat up sharply and her head ached formidably. “Easy now,” came a stallion's voice from not far away. “Her stun charms don't do lasting harm, but they really do a number on your equilibrium and coordination for a few hours.” She thudded her rump back onto the ground, eyes clearing again after a moment. The wild-maned earth pony that looked back brought everything into sharp focus.

“YOU!” She shouted and was on her feet with a jerk, going to the limit of her chain in an instant, able to move no more than a few feet closer to him. “What have you done to me? And what have you done to my friends, or that dragon?!” Her breath was a bit raspy and quick, and it took her several long moments, giving his eyes the same formidable stare that had intimidated cockatrices, dragons and even errant fillies. His voice came much more uneven, “I... didn't do anything to them! I..” She cut him off with a bellow through bared teeth, “Liar! Then why I am chained in here?!” It was when he stumbled and she heard the clink of chains that she realized that he was chained here too.