Five years later.
The sun shone magnificently in the Canterlot skies without a single cloud in sight. The weather team chosen had consisted of specially selected pegasi straight from Cloudsdale to ensure that today, and the rest of the week for that matter, was going to be perfect. Not a single detail in the sky's clarity would be missed and it was all organised for the most auspicious and anticipated event of the year. The Wonderbolts were in town for their final show of the season before Winter Wrap-Up. A performance rumored to be an air show that everypony would remember.
This was in no small part due to Rainbow Dash’s first major performance as the new captain of their team. Her talent and pure showponyship had quickly made her an icon throughout Equestria in her two year tenure as a Wonderbolt. Ponies all around the main arena where the show was to be performed had come dressed for the occasion, sporting Rainbow Dash flags and t-shirts as if she was the only Wonderbolt they had truly wished to see.
A light grey pegasus with a black mane and the cutie mark of a scroll behind a silver shield headed on hoof through the bustling outside square of the arena. The throngs of crowded vendors and sitting areas had never been as busy as they were today since everypony was capitalizing on the event. Stopping outside a rather long queue for cider, the pony reached into the pocket of his overcoat to check if he had brought his money pouch.
“You think they’ll run out?” a feminine voice from behind him asked.
“Only if I’m buying,” the pegasus replied, turning his head to the side.
Behind him stood an attractive mare named Firefly. She wasn't sporting any Rainbow Dash merchandise but she was holding a small flag with the previous Wonderbolt captain’s cutiemark on it. She smiled and passed it to him.
“Remember when you used to have such a fancolt crush on Spitfire?” Firefly chimed with a grin.
The pegasus took the flag into his hoof and placed it behind his ear. “I try not to,” he chuckled. “How ya been, darlin’?”
“’Darlin’?’” she asked with a barely suppressed grin. “Why you haven’t called me that in ages, Agent Hat Trick.”
“Some things never change, I guess,” Hat Trick shrugged. “It’s been years since I last saw you. So… uh… what brings you here?”
“Same thing that brings you here… agent,” Firefly said, gesturing to a giant billboard that hung over the main entrance to the stadium. It bore an artist's rendering of Rainbow Dash flanked by two other Wonderbolt flyers, Fleetfoot and Soarin, just as she is about to perform a sonic rainboom. “You know, all her friends will be here today. Twilight, Applejack… That means all of us are here too. In some form or another.”
“Right,” murmured Hat Trick. “I've just been so busy lately, I… haven’t really kept track of old friends. Not that its any excuse, but keeping an eye on Miss Captain of the Wonderbolts has been really hard lately. What with all the fan attention she's been getting recently.”
“Oh...” Firefly looked at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. Was it sadness?
“And then of course Rainbow Dash’s security has been so tight, it’s been hard keeping an eye on her without raising too much suspicion,” said Hat Trick, ignoring the look she gave him. "With her new found celebrity status, I haven’t been able to just waltz behind her everywhere.”
“Well… I watch over a Princess, Hat,” she replied with the hint of a snarky comeback. “I can’t exactly hide in her royal compact now can I?”
Hat chuckled, causing her to smile once more. Perhaps she was simply just pulling his hoof.
They reached the front of the queue and Hat offered to buy her a pint to which she graciously refused. “I’m on the job, sweetie,” she booped his nose, “aren’t you, too?”
“Let’s say it’s my day off,” he pulled out his ticket to the show. “Besides, she’s got the best security money can buy.”
“That she does… I’ll see you around then. Take care… agent Hat Trick.” Lightly kissing Hat on the cheek, Firefly turned and pranced towards the main entrance leaving him feeling a pang of regret as he watched her leave, a strew of old memories with her resurfacing.
“That’ll be 10 bits, sir.”
“What?” he stammered, turning to the vendor. “Oh yeah, sure.”
After paying for his beverage, Hat decided to take a small walk to the fountain area. Sitting down, he took a large sip, immediately calming his nerves and relaxing him a little. How long had it been? Two years since he had last seen Firefly? Two years he’d been away from her and not thought about her once. Did that make him a bad pony? No. It was the work. It had to be. It was what he was good at and she knew it. Besides, she had responsibilities of her own. It was just... unprofessional.
Perhaps the feeling was mutual and all this was simply a coincidence. She had been candid enough. Friendly even. She knew the risks just as much as anypony when it came to their line of work and feelings tend to get in the way of objective thinking. She had to know that. Or had she sought him out just to see him again? Even if only briefly? Hat finished his cider rather quickly, stood up, feeling a little warmer, and made his way to the main entrance while gazing up at the billboard. Yes. That was his charge, and it made him happy. At least, that's what he told himself.
The pony checking tickets had just admitted a group of colts before turning to Hat with a bored and almost vacant expression on his face. Hat passed him the slip of paper and was ushered through into a narrowing corridor leading into the opening of a large arena. He passed through and finally laid his eyes on the site of the Wonderbolt show.
Complete with rings of varying heights and floating obstacle courses designed to challenge the flyers to perform impossible feats, It amazed him how anypony had the skill to manoeuvre through these courses like they did. Gazing at his own wings as he climbed the stairs of the slowly filling stands to his seat, he wondered if he could one day have a go at pulling off one of these obstacles. Of course he knew he was a competent flyer, but being able to master the twists and turns of this course as well as Rainbow Dash required a whole new level of talent.
Finally Hat found his seat in the upper stands and plonked himself down. The seats here were filling with ponies rather quickly now and he soon found himself sitting next to an old pegasus on one side and a family of unicorns on the other.
Luck would have it that the colt of the family would be right next to him crying about not being able to get a Rainbow Dash T-shirt.
“We’ll get it on the way out, kiddo,” said the father.
“But Ah want it nooow!” cried the colt in anguish.
“We can’t get it now, we just sat down.”
“Its fine, honey,” said the mother. “I need to go fetch some napkins for our apple candies. I can quickly scoot over and grab one.”
She stood up and headed back down the stairs. The father turned his head to Hat, smiling at him awkwardly as if to apologize. Hat returned a smile then focused straight ahead of him.
The arena’s expansion was vast and he could see the main boxes on the opposite end where very important ponies would sit to watch the show. He could just make out the royal suite where he assumed Princess Luna and Celestia would be. Twilight Sparkle would likely be there too, hell, even Firefly herself if she was audacious enough. Then again, she was always good at blending in with high society. Twilight could shake Firefly’s hoof multiple times and still have no idea who she was. The stands sparked to life as a single pegasus flew in from one of the box suites landing on a podium in the middle of the arena.
“Mares and stallions! Fillies and gentlecolts!” The pony announced through a megaphone. “Welcome to this year’s final show of the Wonderbolts! It’s with great honor that I announce the arrival of none other than the previous Wonderbolt Captain… Spitfire!”
The crowd cheered and hoof stomped as Spitfire flew in from bellow the central podium and around the stadium, landing on another podium raised above the commentator. Hat felt his cheeks redden as he pulled the flag out from behind his ear and began to wave it along with the crowd.
“Fleetfoot!”
Another Wonderbolt appeared from an entry point onto the arena. Flying low around the ground and on the outskirts of the stands. She quickly waved to her fans and landed on another podium opposite Spitfire.
“Aaaaaaaaannd RAINBOW DASH!”
The crowd erupted with thunderous stomping as the cyan pegasus flew up into the air from behind the arena and rocketed around the stadium so quickly that she was up in the air and waving from above before the crowd could even cheer her extravagant arrival. She flew back down and landed on a podium in-between the other two.
“I give you… THE WONDERBOLTS!”
The show had kicked off with some of the most spectacular displays of flying Hat had ever seen. His eyes had never left Rainbow Dash as she flew in and out of her obstacles with ease. Hat knew he should have spent more time surveying the area for possible threats but for the first time in years it was nice to simply just… watch her.
The show continued with some amazing synchronized team flying and a couple of occasions where lucky pegasi from the audience were invited to fly along with them. The show finally ended off with the moment everypony had been waiting for. The little unicorn beside Hat had practically wet himself in anticipation for the announcement of Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom.
She had reared herself and flew high into the cloudless sky. The crowd then began to die down and silence grew among them as Dash arched gracefully in the air and thundered back down gaining momentum. Faster and faster she flew as a rainbow colored tale line began forming behind her. The air around her seemed to distort as she reached the moment where she tore through an invisible barrier.
The sound that followed was deafening as a massive rainbow colored flash illuminated the sky. The sonic wave created by it blew back the manes of everypony in the audience.
It was then that Hat noticed it.
Somewhere in the back of the farthest and most deserted corner of the stands a dark shadow was illuminated by the flash. There, standing in the brightened corner, was a large and demonic creature. It was taller than any alicorn Hat had ever known and much balkier too. Its horn was shaped almost like a blade, its massive wings furled neatly to its sides and its eyes were a luminescent green. The creature sent a chill down Hats spine as its head followed Dash.
And then it was gone. The dark shadow had been cast back over the corner of the stands and what looked to be there, wasn't there anymore. The cheering and stomping crowd had made it hard for Hat to get a second look. But it had been there. His muscles tensed and his wings had begun to unfold. His head shot back to Dash doing a victory lap of the arena and landing with ease back on her podium, Spitfire and Fleetfoot flanking her. Nopony had seemed to notice the figure but Hat.
The announcer had flown back down to the center podium to say some final words but Hat wasn't listening. He shot a glance at the royal suite. Had Firefly seen it too? And for that matter, had any of the others? Because if Firefly was here, and the mane six were here watching their friend perform, it stood to reason that the other Protectors would be here too.
Hat stood up and made his way down towards the nearest exit point. There were quite a few other ponies doing the same thing too, making his planned swift exit almost impossible. Yet, there was no need to cause any unwarranted panic on a whim. He would simply find Firefly and ask her if she had seen the same thing he had. He was certain it wasn't just a trick of the light, something that big and distinctive looked as if it had come out of a horror film. His mind continued to reel over what it was as he made his way down to the main entrance and back out to the plaza.
The main body of the crowd was beginning to make its way out of the arena now. Hat trotted back over to the fountain and stood watching the entrance. There was no way he was ever going to simply spot Firefly leaving. This was hopeless, he had to try and contact her. Reaching into his overcoat pocket, he tried to feel around for a crystal orb the size of a marble, but it wasn't there. The one day he chose to leave his magical communicator at home.
“You’re getting sloppy, agent,” he muttered to himself darkly.
Deciding he was less likely to randomly bump into her again, Hat turned to leave. He didn't live too far from here and maybe he could get home in time to contact Firefly before she left for anywhere outside of Canterlot. Then again, why would she? She lived here too. Hat felt another pang of guilt for his inability to remain in contact with somepony he had once, and still did, called a friend. He would have to make his way out of the arena complex before taking flight as it was technically a no fly zone. So with a hint of impatience, Hat took a brisk trot through the slow paced exodus of ponies towards the main entrance gate.
As he shuffled through pony after pony, his thoughts started to linger on Rainbow Dash. Here he was, running away from the situation when he should be there making sure she’s okay. Wasn't that his job after all? Then again, it would be hard trying to explain flying in and grabbing her to his superiors on the offed chance he may have seen a threat. Not to mention exposing himself to her. Then his thoughts lingered on the image of the thing he had seen. An alicorn. To his knowledge only four of them existed and they were all mares. What he saw had the distinct features of a stallion. A very large stallion with wings that must have been twice the length of Hat’s body. And what was it doing here? The more he thought about it the less sense any of it made.
Hat finally reached the exit and unfolded his wings along with a few other pegasi. Bending his legs, he launched himself into the air and immediately felt the freedom of the skies above him. Being a pegasus had to be one of nature’s greatest gifts, he thought as he felt the cool air rush against his face. He gathered speed and flew in the direction of one of Canterlot’s residential districts.
Hat’s apartment was located on the mountain side of Canterlot. It was a modest and quiet area where the neighbors tend to keep to themselves, for the most part. The local tavern was just a few blocks away and the Library that Rainbow Dash frequented happened to be in the same area. This lifestyle suited him perfectly. But the only problem was that it was temporary.
Hat went wherever Dash went and since she was now the Captain of the Wonderbolts it meant she would be moving back to Cloudsdale. Not that he minded, particularly, but some places are best left in the past. His life before being a Protector was less than fortunate. Losing his mare and filly had knocked him down and he had wondered if he would ever be able to get back up again. Living away from where it all happened helped him a bit. But the prospect of returning was weighing down on him more and more every day.
He landed outside his building, headed inside and upstairs to apartment 18. His home for the past 5 years. He fiddled with his keys, found the right one and unlocked his door. The stale smell of alcohol in tobacco hit his nose as he made his way inside. His apartment was sparse and a little cramped. One small bedroom, a bathroom, a study and a small kitchenette that shared space with a dining room. The area may have been modest, but living in Canterlot either meant you had money or a shoe string budget.
Hat walked straight from outside, into his lounge and towards the study. The room had a small window with curtains drawn shut, a desk with a bunch of files and papers strewn across it and a wall behind it covered in a collage of pictures of Rainbow Dash and scribbled notes on her activities. Anypony seeing this would be more than a little worried about how detailed it was. Every daily routine and every major event of her life was all cataloged here in organised chaos. Hat arrived at his desk and started searching through the stacks of files for his magic communicator. Then finding the small clear orb under a file labelled “Winter Wrap-up”, he placed it on an empty part of the desk.
“Ping Firefly”, he said clearly.
The orb turned white and began to glow as he waited for a response. He waited and waited until finally the orb turned green and Firefly’s voice emanated from it.
“This is Firefly”, she said casually.
“Hey darlin’”, he said back.” You still there at the arena?”
“Hat? Miss me already?” she teased.
“I thought maybe we could meet up for a quick drink later. Ya know? For old time sake.” This was not entirely untrue. Seeing her again under more relaxed circumstances may help him think straight. Besides, seeing a giant, monstrous alicorn wasn't exactly something he wanted to blurt out over a communicator when he had no idea if anypony else may be listening.
There was a slight pause, then…
“Sure, Hat. I’d like that…”
“Should I come to you or would ya maybe wanna meet me at the bar down from where I stay?” he asked.
“Which one is that, again?”
“Ermm, remember that night when you, me and Halcyon were celebrating our graduation?” he said hesitantly. “The night where she left early and it was just… us?”
“Vaguely…” she was starting to sound uncomfortable. “I’ll find it. When do you want to meet?”
“Sundown. See you then?”
Another pause.
“Sure. See you then.”
The communicator went white then clear again. Hat turned and trotted to his couch in the lounge and plonked himself down. She hadn't seen it. There was no hint of worry or urgency in her voice. Everything was fine. But he could at least mention it to her, maybe even get her thoughts on the matter. But the thought of trying to explain seeing a demon to someone as pragmatic as Firefly seemed a moot point. On the other hoof, he could at least look forward to drinking with an old friend again. He guessed.