Some time before the First Changeling Invasion

Moonless darkness and waves of rainfall shrouded Canterlot that night. The streets were empty because of the torrential downpour that plagued the royal city. The buildings that housed shops and families were shut tight and darkened to the world except for an occasional glimmer of light emanating from a window or the lamps that lined the streets.

Most of the residents would be asleep at this late hour. One of the few ponies to be excluded from the comfort of a spouse and a bed was Crescent Sparkle. The unicorn was in his private study at home, sitting at his dark oak desk with a hoof under his chin and an expression of exhausting boredom etched on his face.

He had been up all night and for most of the day as well. It had been very hectic. After having gone through his usual wake-up routine, which consisted of bathing, grooming, and breakfast, Crescent had to be in Ponyville early for a meeting with Mayor Mare and several town officials. Mostly, it dealt with the increasing demand for security and defense for the equally increasing prominence of creatures and no-do-gooders that threatened the town on a frequent basis.

It wasn’t all a waste. The unicorn had the opportunity to catch up with Time Turner, or Doctor Hooves as said stallion preferred. The eccentric Earth pony had been up to his usual escapades of daring adventure, having dragged several ponies in over the years as his temporary assistants. The Doctor eventually had settled down, having a few children, though he didn’t go into any further detail with his marital status.

It must have been a complicated relationship between the Doctor and the poor mare that was unfortunate enough to get caught up in this. Crescent had nothing against the Doctor, absolutely not; simply the former had doubts about the latter when it came to relationships and what he considered his job.

Crescent never got much further than that with his old friend. Duty called when the meeting at town hall had concluded, which led the dull blue unicorn to his next event of the day: an audience with the Princess of the Sun herself. It was no doubt an honor to be summoned by Princess Celestia, everypony believed, but that was not often the case. Summons meant politics that rarely invoked genuine interest the community.

The father of Twilight Sparkle was a libertarian. He preferred a state that had a lack in nose-shoving from the regime and a prominence of self-government. That didn’t imply Crescent held a strong dislike towards the Goddess of the Sun, definitely not. It was more so the high level of interest the Princess held for his daughter.

Sure, Twilight was unusually skilled in magic, which was the catalyst for her admission into the School for Gifted Unicorns and for Celestia’s garnered interest, but that didn’t mean Crescent whole-heartedly approved. He wanted a simple life for Twilight, not the life of an immortal princess.

He knew too much for his own good because of his job.

He couldn’t complain, though; Crescent had seen enough in his youth to take on this position. Besides, because of the Princess his daughter had been introduced to the concept of friendship and was a hero in the hearts of ponies across the country since the return and subsequent defeat of Nightmare Moon.

That brought a small smile to Crescent’s face as he leafed through the paperwork on his desk. That was actually from the last event of the day. Following the audience with the Princess, which was behind locked doors so that was classified to anypony not present, Crescent had been called in for the life-draining, daily indulgence in examining the extra-terrestrial.

To clarify, it was life-draining as in it was physically exhausting. Most of the time, the team he was assigned usually pursued life that was either dangerous or alien, from xenocidal Daleks and faceless, suited ponies with tendrils on their back, to manticores and parasprites. Today’s pursuit was a deviation from that norm, as it was a fairly intense situation that required Crescent to step away from his administrative duties and be on the field.

It was a long chase in the streets of Canterlot that had run him ragged. Apparently, it was a griffon in possession of an artifact that was definitely not of Equestrian origin. The griffon, whom one of the local pegasi identified as Gilda, had quickly abandoned the object once she was cornered and escaped custody.

As of the time Crescent had left the hub to resume administration, the artifact was still under analysis. That left him with said paperwork and additional paperwork from the day’s calamity to sign and reply to before the next morning.
Which was what he was doing now. The middle-aged unicorn sighed as he flexed his hoof in the same receptive motion, quill gripped and scribbling across the parchment. He had forgone magic about halfway through the stack of scrolls when he became aware of his slacking cognitive abilities. He would rather not scratch a nasty mark on any important document if his telekinesis faltered, so the unicorn went with the hoof. Crescent was definitely tired, but he had a brief moment of glee seeing he only had several more scrolls to read through and apply his signature to before he could turn in for the night.

Crescent glanced at the aged bronze fob watch on his desk. It was eleven o’clock. It shouldn’t take too long. Maybe about thirty minutes tops before he was done. With renewed vigor, Crescent read the next document with gold eyes of intensity.

Twenty minutes, seven scrolls, and a small ink splatter later, Crescent had finally finished. He sighed in relief as he vacated the red, plush cushion of the swiveling chair and cantered out of his study.

The Sparkle Estate was not a true estate by any means. Of course, Crescent Sparkle and Twilight Velvet possessed a considerable fortune, but that did not mean they threw their bits left and right. The couple was conservative when it came to finances; they bought necessities first, then gingerly put bits in towards coveted goods.

So rather than a gargantuan mansion with fountains, hedges trimmed into the shapes of animals, and the stereotypical imagery of a financially-blessed clan, the Sparkles lived in what some would call and apartment suite. There was a den at the entrance of the residence, with the study tucked away to the right and a kitchen in the back. A set of stairs in another corner of the den led to a small hallway, which in turn led to Crescent and Velvet’s bedroom, a guest room that originally served as the Shining and Twilight’s domain until recently, and a bathroom.

It was overall simple and had an atmosphere comparable to that of a library and a café, with the rooms painted with earth tones and the furniture sharing a similar color scheme. The walls were ornamented with artwork that added to the ambience, as did the slight scent of mocha always apparent.

No wonder Twilight has a fascination with books.

Crescent stood in the room for a moment to enjoy the atmosphere. It relaxed him. He moved on towards the stairs. He had just laid a front hoof on the first step when he heard the sound of a hoof knocking on wood.

The stallion sighed in exasperation. He had no inkling of who it could be at this hour, let alone this torrential weather. It was no doubt neither of his children; last Crescent had heard, his daughter and Spike had not announced any plans for a visit and his son was on assignment Celestia-knows-where. As for Velvet, she was fast asleep upstairs.

Rolling his eyes, Crescent strode over to the door and opened it with a little more force than he intended. Behind the door was a pegasus mare with a dark blue coat, brown eyes, and a short blonde mane with bangs that were swept to the left. She was soaked to the bone, even with the hooded poncho she wore.

“Administrator Sparkle?” she asked in a lightly husky voice.

“Yes? “ Crescent answered warily.

The mare saluted with a hoof, which revealed the sleeve of a military trench coat that was a darker shade of blue that her fur. “Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, sir.” The pegasus lowered her hoof, face remaining as emotionless and stoic.

“How may I help you, Lieutenant?” Crescent asked.

“I need you to come with me, Administrator. There is something you should see.”

The unicorn raised an eyebrow. Late hours, heavy downpour, and a Royal Guard was at his doorstep. Obviously there was something going on in Canterlot.

But he had to ask. “What is it?”

The Lieutenant replied, “We don’t know, sir. That’s why I need you to come with me. The rest of your team is being escorted to the scene as we speak.”

Oh. It was one of those situations. If the local authorities were unable to make heads or tails of a lifeform or an occurrence, then the burden was forwarded over to Torchwood.

Torchwood: outside the government, beyond the Royal Guard. The stallion had to grin inwardly. If Shining ever uncovered the truth of Crescent’s occupation, he’d never hear the end of it.

A voice other than the Lieutenant’s spoke up from behind. “Honey? Is everything alright?” The stallion turned his head to face his wife. Her violet-and-white striped mane was disheveled and her drooped ice-blue eyes made apparent the grogginess she was slowly overcoming.

Crescent allowed a brief moment to appreciate the adorable sight of his wife in this state. He then returned to the matter at hoof just as quickly by trotting up to Velvet and laying a quick peck on her lips. He then proceeded to say, “Work-related business, dear. It will probably be a few hours before I come home.”

Rather than reply with the cliché of “Yes, honey, everything is alright”, Crescent had decided to keep the answer as neutral as possible while imply the positive. In reality though, nothing was alright. If a member of the military was at his home with orders to bring him, the administrator himself, along for a late night investigation, then not a single thing was alright. But he had to keep up the act to keep his wife from worrying too much.

Had she any idea what he did for a living, Velvet would be beyond worried; she would watch him like a hawk.

“Okay,” said Velvet, her voice still holding traces of doubt despite the small smile she wore. “Be careful.”

“I will.” Crescent gave her another quick peck and trotted back to Lieutenant Hawkeye, grabbing a grey poncho off the coat rack with his magic as he did so. Once he had slipped into the raingear, the unicorn spoke to his pegasus subordinate. “Lead the way, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir.”

They two had left the complex along with a guard that was keeping watch at the entrance. The rain hindered their efforts at seeing where they were going, despite the lamps that lined the cobblestone street. Taking the initiative, Crescent Sparkle illuminated the darkness of the streets with a light from his horn.

It took the trio some time before they arrived at the scene of the crime. Several poncho-garbed guard ponies were thronged around a building, most of them unicorns also providing illumination to pierce the veil of heavy rain. The remainders of the squad were another pegasus and an earth pony that were apparently awaiting the arrival of Torchwood.

The pegasus nodded at Crescent. “Administrator.”

Crescent took a quick glance at the guard’s rank emblazoned on his armor and returned the nod. “Lieutenant.” The Administrator took a look around and noticed a lack of certain group within the cluster of guards. “Have you heard from the others?”

The Lieutenant shook his head. “Not yet, sir. They should be arriving any moment now, though.” As if on cue, an escort of earth pony guards emerged from around a corner opposite the direction Administrator Sparkle and his armed entourage had arrived. In between the twin columns of guards were a brown-coated mare with a dark pink mane and a thick cloak, and a pale blue stallion with a suave white-and-grey mane. The stallion had a pink umbrella supported over himself and his companion via his magic.

The Administrator greeted his associates with a simple hello once they joined the rest of the group. “No word from Jack?”

Pierce sighed in disappointment. “No. Knowing him, he is without a doubt with another pony.”

Crescent shook his head. “We might as well get started.” He turned to the armored pegasus stallion. “Lieutenant—,”

“— Ghost—,”

“— could you explain what you’ve uncovered so far?”

Lieutenant Ghost nodded and motioned for Crescent, Pierce, and Candy to follow, with Lieutenant Hawkeye bringing up the rear. The group trotted towards the building. Crescent got a better view of what had happened as they drew up to front doors—at least, where the front doors used to be. Rather than a twin set, a gargantuan hole was blown out of the building, which had littered debris inside and out. Some of the building was suffering additional damage from the soaking precipitation from above.

The administrator’s eyes widened. How in Tartarus did this happen?

The Lieutenant and company entered through the hole and into what was a shop. Crescent had never been to this particular establishment, but from what he could gather from the strewn about broken pottery, old clocks, and other aged artifacts, he concluded that this was an antique shop.

Ghost spoke. “From what we’ve gathered from witnesses here, a mare entered the shop and attempted to purchase an artifact on a shelf behind the counter. The clerk refused, said it was only for display.” He gestured to the damage to the interior. “The mare was hell bent on getting it and refused to leave until she did so. He wouldn’t allow it and that’s when it gets interesting.”

“She had to be a unicorn to do that sort of damage,” said Pierce, nodding his muzzle back in direction of the hole in the wall behind them.

“That’s where you’re wrong, sir,” Ghost countered with a grim tone. “She wasn’t a unicorn. She wasn’t even a pony.”

“Then what was it?” asked Candy Mane.

Ghost remained silent for a moment before answering. “None of us really know. Some of the patrons claim the mare transformed into an insect-like creature with wings and a horn in a burst of green flame. It then went rampant and escaped with the relic—“

“—via the hole in the wall that was created from what can be assumed as a detonation spell.” Crescent finished.

“An insect with wings and a horn?” Candy Mane asked aloud at no pony in particular. “I haven’t heard of anything like that.”

“Neither have I.” Pierce added, “Though the database back in the hub should give us what we need. We can research it once everything here is wrapped up.”

“Don’t need to,” said a masculine voice. The group turned and saw a dark blue stallion in a dark blue-grey military coat. He had a spiked, sky blue mane and equally blue eyes. The mystery pony tapped his left hoof with his right, indicating a leather band with buttons and a screen. “I got what we need right here,” he added with a grin.

“Captain Harness.” Hawkeye and Ghost saluted.

Crescent’s brow furrowed. “Why the delay?”

“Simple: We took our time. Flying in this kind of weather isn’t the best course of action, so we had to walk, Administrator Sparkle.” Captain Harness retorted with a light tone and smile some would take as conceited.

Crescent rolled his eyes as Jack entered and fiddled with his vortex manipulator. A lot more than the weather slowed the captain down. The administrator would write him off in a heartbeat if his hypothesis was correct. It was no secret that the renowned Captain Jack Harness slept around. Not with just mares or stallions, but any other creature that was sentient and consenting.

He could never understand how the pegasus got around. Maybe it was the charming smile that he usually pulled off. Crescent had seen it the few times he and Jack had gone to the bar after a long day’s work. The Captain would eye somepony, trot up to her (or him), and greet them with a hoofshake, a charming smile, and the introduction of “Well, hello there. I’m Captain Jack Harness.”

I swear he could even bring a boulder to blush.

He would then be gone for the rest of the night with the pony of his liking. The last time Crescent and Jack had gone for a couple of drinks, the latter simply explained that he shagged. If he found anypony he liked, he would be frank and offer a night’s worth of pleasure. When asked why he did it, Jack just said that it was fun and that it felt great. Anypony has the right to a great time.

To be honest, that sounded a lot like another ethical omnisexual Crescent had been fortunate enough not to be banged by.

How did ponies like them do it? Sex was meant to be between a stallion and a mare and that was that. Crescent could never understand how anypony could simply breach the barriers of sexuality and engage in the act with … well, anyone other than what he believed to be the norm.

The Administrator shook his thoughts away and brought himself back to the present moment. He was on duty and he had a mystery to solve.

Crescent saw Jack still pressing away at the buttons of his vortex manipulator. The latter noticed his gaze. “It malfunctioned on the way here.”

Deciding to get more answers and make the best of their time, the Administrator asked Hawkeye a question. “What have you accomplished as of now?”

“As the Lieutenant mentioned, we’ve asked witnesses for their take on the incident. They have been escorted to the station for detailed testimonies.”

Pierce then asked with a somber tone the one dreaded question that had been avoided successfully until now. “Casualties?”

“One.” Hawkeye gestured to Ghost, who in return stepped aside from his position near the counter. A blue, blood-stained cloth was draped over a body. With permission given inaudibly, Crescent, Candy, and Pierce walked to the tarp and pulled it aside to reveal the body beneath. “The victim is Apple Fritter,” Hawkeye informed, “Earth pony female, mid-twenties. Member of the Apple Family. Resident of Appleoosa and worked on the orchids.”

“Poor girl,” said Pierce as he leaned in to examine the still form. Crescent and Candy leaned in over his shoulders to get a better view of deceased Apple. The mare in question was lying on her side, eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. Her green mane was tied in two pigtails that graced her neck and her pastel brown fur was covered with some dust and a few small chunks of brick. A small pool of blood was present beneath her head and neck.

Pierce reached into the saddlebag he had on his back and pulled out a pair of gloves. Once he put them on with is magic, the unicorn stallion laid his protected hooves on Apple Fritter’s body and began inspecting it for signs of injury.

As he did so, Candy turned her gaze on Lieutenant Hawkeye. “Does she have any family in the area? Like a spouse?”

“Yes. Her husband was with her during the incident. Meadow Song,” the pegasus mare remained silent before she continued. “He was … distraught when we had to escort him.”

Crescent’s ears folded down slightly. He couldn’t blame Fritter’s husband. Had it been his wife caught in this calamity, Crescent would have great difficulty maintaining his composure. He couldn’t bear to see Velvet suffer, let alone watch her die in some freak accident.

All of this for a knick-knack? “You mentioned the unknown mare demanding to purchase an antique before the incident. What was it?” inquired the Administrator.

“The shopkeeper said it was an amulet.”

Captain Jack cantered over to the congregation. “It wouldn’t happen to be the Alicorn Amulet, would it?”

Crescent raised an eyebrow. “What do you know about it?”

“It’s one hay of a relic with several legends surrounding it,” began the Captain, “Some say it was crafted with thundersteel forged from the heavens and crystals originating from the mythical Crystal Empire. It can empower the wearer with magical abilities beyond imagining, even if the user wasn’t a unicorn.”

“Abilities beyond that of even the Princesses?” Candy had to ask.

“I wouldn’t say that, but no doubt on par with them. Besides, the problem with the amulet is that it corrupts one’s will while in use, which renders the wearer more dangerous and less willing to rid of it. I doubt anypony would have used it for long if they found out that tidbit.” Captain Jack focused on Crescent. “But why do you ask?”

“I believed it to be a legend for much of my life.”

“It’s legitimate,” said the Captain with a solemn tone, “I can vouch for that.”

This was beginning to arouse another one of Crescent’s doubts for the pegasus. Not only was he, dare he label him, a whorse, but also very secretive about his past. The administrator barely knew anything about Captain Jack other than his connections with Doctor Hooves. “You’ve seen it before? In the flesh?”

Captain Jack’s bravado faltered. “Yes.” His tone was firm. “And I’d rather not talk about it.”

Before Crescent could steer the discussion into a verbally aggressive direction, Pierce piped up from his medical examination. “Jack, Administrator, you might want to see this.”

Said ponies, along with Candy, Hawkeye and Ghost, looked down at the limp form of Apple Fritter, who was now positioned belly-up.

“She’s suffered some trauma to the back of the head and her lower back. Some visible bruising—,” Pierce guided his audience with a hoof to the blotches of black and blue that were visible through her tan coat, “—but nothing that would kill her.”

“Then how did she die?” Candy asked.

“I cannot say for sure. It’s like …” Pierce trailed off.

“Like what, Pokey?” asked Crescent.

The unicorn locked eyes with his superior. “It’s like the life was drained out of her.”

The room remained silent, save for the continuing storm outside. It felt as if it also dropped several degrees at that very moment. Crescent shuffled his hooves hesitantly before breaking the brief silence. “If the amulet is capable of this sort of magic—.”

“It’s not.” Jack interjected. “It’s limited to reducing or advancing age when it comes to biological magicks.”

Crescent’s patience was wearing thin. “Captain, if you have anything valuable information regarding the Alicorn Amulet, I suggest you pass it on to myself and the rest of the team.”

“I’d be more concerned with who or what our mystery attacker is,” Jack said neutrally.

“You are implying it did this on its own?” Crescent gestured to the body.

“Yes. Before you get the wrong idea, just listen. I’ve seen a lot of things and right now I want to deny what is most likely the reality of the situation. But considering the evidence piling up …” Jack sighed. He was hesitant in sharing what he believed was the truth about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Crescent stared at the Captain with firm, gold eyes. “Tell us.”

Jack returned it with cold, blue eyes. “This remains between all of us in the room until it is definite. Understand?” The other members of Torchwood and the two lieutenants nodded in confirmation. “We might be dealing with an imminent invasion.”

“From whom?” asked Lieutenant Ghost, his voice barely containing his eagerness.

Captain Jack opened his mouth to answer when he was cut off by loud horrid gasp that made everyone jump. They all looked down to see Apple Fritter sitting up and taking deep heavy breaths, eyes wide open and glazed.

Ghost quickly recoiled to the ceiling via his wings. “Bloody Tartarus! She’s still alive!”

Apple Fritter quickly shifted her head left and right as if she was looking for something or somepony. Her breathing was ragged, but was no longer making the high-pitch squeals that were gasps. Her body was shaking. Not violently, but noticeably to where Pierce had to lay his hooves on her chest and the back of her neck to calm the mare down.

“Can you hear me?” Pierce asked in a gentle tone. “You’re safe. Nopony can hurt you. Relax.”

From his point of view, Crescent could see the apple farmer slowing down her rate of breathing as she was instructed. Apple Fritter seemed to be more alert of her surroundings considering she was focusing on the stallion who had physical contact with her.

“Where … am ah?” the mare breathed. She still shook.

“The antique shop,” answered Pierce.

It was another moment before Fritter spoke. “Is Meadow here?”

Captain Jack answered her question. “He isn’t, but he is safe, too.”

“Can ah see him?”

“Soon,” was all he said to her. He then spoke to Pierce. “We’re taking her to Canterlot Medical.” He trotted off and out of the hole. Pierce took a moment to cast an amber sphere around his patient, which lifted her up into the air. The unicorn then followed his superior with Fritter magically in tow.

Ghost slowly descended from his perch on the ceiling. Once his hooves touched the floor, he commented with a hint of surprise, “I’ve seen my fair share of miracles, but this one tops them all.”

“Pity this is one of the few times we see a happy ending.” said Candy.

“I rather we not tempt fate just yet,” Crescent responded. His earth pony subordinate made a slight sound of amusement. “What?”

“Like father, like daughter. You’re never satisfied until you see it to the very end.” She earned a similar sound in return.

The tempo of clip-clopping halted the brief friendly banter. A carriage pulled up to the gaping hole, splashing water from a sizable puddle in front of it. The drivers were two unicorns whose horns were ablaze with individual spheres of white light that pierced the dense veil of rain.

Captain Jack leaned his head out of the rear. His face was neutral as he spoke to Crescent. “Pierce will stay with our miracle mare overnight for observation. I’ll head back to the hub and gather what I can about the attacker.

“Lieutenants, if you could have Apple Fritter’s husband sent to the medical center as soon as possible, that would be great.”

The two guards nodded and exited through the doorway, leaving Candy and Crescent. The Administrator gave the Captain a serious look. “You said you knew who it was.”

“I do. But you don’t. That means a few hours skimming the database for whatever you need to know about it.”

“And where does that leave us?”

“I have this all under control, so I suggest you two take the rest of the night off.” Normally, Crescent would tell Jack he didn’t have the right to give him orders, being of a lower rank on the team. But two things influenced him to act otherwise.

First, Jack was keeping a lot in the dark about the mystery attacker. He normally kept secrets, but was a little extra stingy on this topic. Considering, though, the pegasus implied he knew enough to claim he could handle the situation from here and have everything ready for tomorrow (or the next day) for the rest of the team, then Crescent was fine with it.

They may be at odds with one another, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t work together.

As for the second, Crescent really needed that night to himself. Judging from the clock by the counter, it was a few minutes past midnight. The unicorn had a long day that was made longer than necessary because of the events of the past half hour. If Velvet was still awake … oh, he was definitely in no mood to argue. He could already feel the softness of her mane and fur, the warmth of her body, the tight and wet—.

“Fine then,” Crescent agreed. “But I want copies of the testimonies and everything else sent to me as soon as possible.”

“You got it.” Jack shot his soaked head back into the military carriage as it was pulled away from the shop and into the darkness of the cobblestone streets.

Candy Mane sighed as she pulled up the hood of her cloak. “Another night with Torchwood. Good night, Administrator Sparkle.” She then trotted out of the doorway and went back to her home. Crescent followed suit, giving his farewells and good nights to the Lieutenants and their unit.

As he walked through the rain-soaked streets in his equally drenched poncho, the unicorn stallion frowned. Captain Jack spoke of an imminent invasion. From what, Crescent didn’t know. He trusted Jack enough for him to take over, but that trust could only go so far. In his opinion, Crescent believed others within the military should be made aware of the threat. He could leak this to his son, him being the Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard and all.

But would it be worth it?

For all they knew, this mystery attacker could be an independent character and have no connections with the invasion. Hay, Jack may even be preparing for a worse-case scenario that will not happen.

This was Captain Jack Harness, though. A pegasus with origins as shady as his sex life. A stallion who claimed not to exaggerate what he said, no matter how ludicrous. A character that possessed seemingly infinite knowledge detailing anything that was not of this world.

And a pony who was right more often than not. Much more often.

Crescent covered his mouth with a hoof when he yawned. He quickened his pace. It was getting late, and Crescent preferred not to waste as much time as he could. He had a warm bed and a gorgeous mare awaiting his arrival, and the unicorn had more than adequate sleep on his mind.

---TORCHWOOD ESOV---
JOHN BARROWMAN Captain Jack Harness
GARETH DAVID-LLOYD Pokey Pierce
ROBIN ATKIN DOWNES Crescent Sparkle
ALYSON STONER Candy Mane
BONNIE ZACHERLE Twilight Velvet
COLLEEN CLINKENBEARD Hawkeye
CRAIG FAIRBRASS Ghost
ANDREA LIBMAN Apple Fritter

Author's Note

A big thanks to story pre-readers Gallant Venture and MrMinimii. I'm glad y'all were able to review the story and give me pointers.

Comments, criticisms, and queries are highly appreciated and desired.