Friendship is Deception

by Your Antagonist

6 Part 2: ....Misconceptions Ensue

The veil is off, the secret is in the open, and all the attention is focused on the proverbial elephant in the room. Look up, and notice the other party slowly coming to terms with what has presented itself; their reaction to this tender instant will forever immortalize this moment in infamy, or acceptance. What they do next may surprise you... or not....

Mayor Mare stood out the door of her office in Ponyville City hall after having a little 'pep talk' with her favorite designer to help her remember her place. She noticed as of late that there had been a certain hostility growing ever more evident in Rarity's eyes every time she went to visit; when the blackmailing first started, the look in the ivory unicorn's eyes only held fear and obedience: the essence of a hopelessly dominated pawn, which was exactly what Black Anarchy needed to further their goals.That younger Rarity, who would have done anything she was ordered to without question as long as her precious sister was safe, was slowly starting to show signs of potential mutinous intent, and it needed to be nipped in the bud lest she become a problem.

With a sigh, the Mayor dropped the issue from her mind and craned her neck down to draw the key to the door from under the mat in front of the door. She ceased the act when she noticed the door stood slightly ajar, ‘I swear to Luna I locked this door before I left,’ She nudged it open with her head and proceeded into the room cautiously; a good sized window adjacent from the door provided illumination, and she began scanning the walls lined with shelves containing various nick-knacks and books, to her plants in the far corners of the room. Her gaze finally dropped to the floor and she noticed a long, brilliant red carpet overlapped her modest hardwood floors and made a pathway to her desk. She noticed that the chair to her desk was turned around facing the window, and though she couldn't see who was sitting there, the pointy tip of a very peculiar dark blue hat gave away the intruder's identity. ‘Oh Luna not her...’

A shrill voice broke the silence, single-handedly crushing any hope the Mayor might have had about it being some random messenger wearing an identical hat. "Greetings, simple politician; today your paltry little office has been graced by the presence of the one and only Great and Powerful Trixie!"

‘Sigh...Why her? I'd rather have dealt with the ill-tempered bi--’ The Mayor's train of thought derailed as the chair turned around to reveal the source of the voice, as a blue unicorn mare who had sent a bolt of light whizzing past Mayor Mare's head. She blinked it off and then affixed a glare to the self-proclaimed great and Powerful Trixie: "Okay, why are you here? I'm awfully busy preparing for the Royal Council Representative election, and I only have 3 more days to prepare, so please make this quick, as every second counts."

Trixie scoffed at the blunt remark but continued: "Well, if you must know, Trixie was hoof-picked by the master himself to deliver a message."

"I think you mean you were hoof-picked to come here and irk me because the master couldn't tolerate your obnoxious and relentless boasting in third equestrian," chided Mayor Mare with a smug grin.

Trixie flushed a slight shade of crimson for a moment before regaining her composure and clearing her throat. "Trixie will forgive your ignorance, and will give you the message anyway: you are to contact Cross-Eyed Eagle and have any and all loose ends cleared up. After doing so, you will have the honor of accompanying Trixie to Canterlot to meet with the master."

"Fine, fine, just get the hay out of my office; the air is beginning to grow stagnant from your abhorrent smugness. Before you go, I imagine that you've nowhere else to stay, so please allow me to extend Ponyville's famous hospitality and relocate you to a more fitting locale, such as a common gutter, or the cave of that ursa you brought upon my town last time you were here," Mayor Mare grinned as she caught a sneer from Trixie, who was rising from the chair and making her way past the Mayor when she opted to bump shoulders and directed into the older mares eyes an immediate death glare.

"If you weren't such a vital asset to Black Anarchy, Trixie would---Argh!" Trixie bit her lip and proceeded to Trot out of the office down the hall to one of the empty spare bedrooms that were often reserved for newcomers to Ponyville without any place to stay.

‘At least she'll stay out of my mane for a while.’ Mayor Mare walked over to her desk, opened a drawer, and withdrew a large folded up black cloth with red patterns. She moved over to her window and hung the cloth like a curtain from the rod above the window. Fully unfolded, it displayed red pointed star with several evident fissures flowing through it. This was the symbol of the Shadow Organization Black Anarchy, though to the rest of Ponyville it would look like an ordinary flag from the Mayor's hometown as she had convinced them. Only a select few individuals would know what it really stood for, and not too long after she placed it up, the seemingly least competent of those individuals had crashed through the window, warranting a sigh from the Mayor.

"Get up you, I have a mission for you that needs to be executed immediately. Your target is her," Mayor Mare threw a picture at the bumbling gray Pegasus that stood before her. She was less than pleased that she would have to utilize an assassin of her nature to eliminate a her favorite plaything, but they were only means to an end after all.

The Pegasus stared at the Mayor and somehow at the painting on the wall of fruit, and requested skittishly: "Okay, but... can I.... have a muffin first?"

Mayor Mare face-hoofed, "Just get out of my office."  

The Pegasus snapped a salute and proceeded to fly out of the window she had just destroyed, but not before entangling herself in the flag that still limply hung from the rod that remained intact through the initial destruction.

‘It's going to be a long 3 days,’ Mayor Mare thought to herself.

Rainbow Dash was currently en route to Sweet Apple Acres, having just returned from the EIB Ponyville office. It had been so long since she checked in last they almost arrested her for wearing the Crossheart Syndicate saddle bags when she walked in. Fortunately the Chief recognized her as an undercover agent and cleared up the massive miscommunication between herself and the agents she was threatening with physical violence and job related reprimands. After giving 3 month's worth of oral reports (as if she would write them herself),  she made the request to break cover and aid a one Violet Page of the RCIA. Rainbow learned about Twilight's secret life a little after the Nightmare Moon incident, in fact she almost forced both her and Twilight's cover to be blown when she accused her of being a spy that first time in the library. It was a little ironic she had knowledge of Twilight's secret occupation while Twilight knew nothing of Rainbow's because of the difference in security clearances between the EIB and the RCIA.

Reluctantly the Chief allowed her to reveal herself only because had he said no, she probably would've gone over his head and played hero anyway; at least this way he could credit any meritorious achievements she accomplished to his quick decision making which would definitely look good on his file for another promotion. She didn't stop here with the request for reveals however, she also informed the chief of rising tensions between the Crosshearts and the Apple Family. She reasoned that if she could make peace with the Apple Family they could prove to be an invaluable resource in this little shadow war against the Crosshearts. The Chief was hesitant to go along with this at first but he knew that if he didn't say yes she would have done it anyway.

After having both requests for information reveals cleared, she left the filly she rescued in the Chief's care (against his protests about being horrible with kids) and set off to Sweet Apple Acres as her first destination.

As she progressed flying overhead the road to the acres, she noticed a Pink blur further along the road hopping along in the same direction she was flying. She recognized the blur immediately as Pinkie, and decided to cut her off and possibly convince the party pony to return to Ponyville Central. Rainbow was going to need privacy for this divulging of classified information.

"Hey Pinkie, hold up!" Rainbow called from overhead as she began to make her descent to the road.

"Oh hey Dashie, what's up?" Pinkie shouted enthusiastically as her friend a couple yards in front of her.

"You may not want to see Applejack today, she's.... uh... pretty... sick... Yeah she's awfully sick today." Rainbow lied through her teeth, but it was for a good reason.

"Golly Rainbow, yer a worse liar than ma'self, and that's sayin' somethin," called a familiar voice from behind Rainbow.

Applejack clopped down the road with Fluttershy trailing lazily in the air behind her. Rainbow turned to face her friends. ‘Buck, this isn't good, I can't tell Applejack with Pinkie and Fluttershy hanging around’ "Oh hey Applejack, how are yo--Gahh!!"

Rainbow didn't finish that greeting because at that moment pain erupted in her face, and all she saw was a flash of Pink and stars in her left eye

Pinkie thought something was wrong when Rainbow Dash claimed that Applejack was sick, and Applejack plain as day walked up right at that moment. She had been hoping to see Applejack to pick up a fresh Apple Pie to celebrate the destruction of a Crossheart headquarters, and it looked like she might still get that pie.

"Mmmm... pie.... Wait, focus brain, something isn't right"

"Focus is for the weak my child, I am Jed of the Gatorfolk"

Stop it brain and focus!

You dare to command Jed? Such insolence will not be tolerated!

Ignoring Jed's... errr.... her brain's ludicrosity  she focused on Rainbow Dash as the pegasus turned to greet Applejack, and noticed rainbow's saddle bags, and the emblem that was embroidered on them. She felt a sudden burst of rage and betrayal brought upon by the emblem.

Ahh, Jed sees the dilemma here.... Combat Mode Initiated. Make her pay my child.

Pinkie's hair fell straight and she made a snap decision to assault Rainbow Dash with a flying kick to  side of the head, which resulted in sending Rainbow tumbling to the ground.

Rainbow picked herself off the ground and rubbed the side of her face with her left hoof before inquiring what the hay had just happened. "Pinkie, what the hay was that for?! I thought we were friends!"

Rainbow noticed the Pink pony was trembling with excitement, but her face wore an expression of rage and her Mane had become straight as opposed to it's normal bouncy consistency. "You.... you... work for the Crosshearts!? You're no friend of mine," Hissed the enraged Pink Pony. Rainbow hadn't anticipated Pinkie was even remotely aware of the Syndicate's existence.

"Wait an apple-buckin' minute now," Applejack interjected trotting up next to Pinkie "Rainbow y’all associate with them Crosshearts?"

"Well..." Rainbow began to spit out.

"No need for y’all to explain, yer silence says it all," Applejack adopted a defensive stance next to Pinkie, and the two Earth Pony mares simply stared Rainbow Dash down their eyes full of malice. "You don't understand!" Rainbow cried out, but it was too late as the two Mares had already began to Rush her.

Rainbow fortunately had earned a black belt in Karate from a kindly older stallion in her youth, and probably could have easily taken Pinkie by herself, but adding Applejack to the equation doubled her problems. Pinkie opened the assault with a cartwheel carrying brutal momentum but horrible aim; Rainbow side-stepped her and was preparing to punish her for the failed attack, but as she reached a forehoof out to grab Pinkie's exposed neck for a slam, Applejack had taken the forward momentum from her gallop and intentionally let her legs collapse from underneath her resulting in a slide kick that knocked Rainbow off her feet, and on her flank. Pinkie recovered from her missed attack, and cantered over to the fallen Rainbow Dash, reared up on her hind legs and began to rain stomps from her forehooves directed at Rainbows head.

"umm... please stop fighting," pleaded a soft voice.

Rainbow dodged and rolled along the ground until she saw her opening, and flapped her wings along the dirt road resulting in a cloud of dust that assaulted Pinkie's eyes. Taking advantage of the temporarily blinded pony, Dash planted her forehooves on the ground, spun her body in a circular motion and swept Pinkie to the ground with her rear legs. She began to recover, but just as she made it to a stand she was tackled backwards by Applejack, who had opted to ram Rainbow with her head.

"Could you please stop fighting now?" called the soft voice from before, a little louder.

Rainbow finally recovered and prepared to go 1v1 with Applejack. She prepared herself for any kind of rush AJ might pull, and as if on cue Applejack began galloping full speed, Rainbow preparing to use that momentum against her. However, Applejack skidded to a stop inches away from Rainbow, side-stepped quickly left while pivoting 180 degrees, wrapped her right forehoof around Rainbow's throat, her left around Rainbow's waist, and proceeded to pick up the pegasus, supporting both their weights on her hind legs, and leaned backwards; resulting in Rainbow hitting the ground hard on her neck.

"Stop fighting now..." The soft voice was now raising to an audible level, and a hint of irritation was evident in the tone.

Rainbow recovered from the heavy blow quicker than Applejack, and decided she would mount her retaliation here; she began to flap her wings to gain height, proceeded to turn that upwards motion into forward momentum, and, as Applejack turn to face her opponent, she saw a blue blur and felt her body take an impact akin to one of Big Mac's kicks, followed up with several slightly lighter blows to her face that built up over time, resulting in wide-spread pain. The flurry was finished by a solid hoof to the nose which sent her back to the dirt. It was going to take more than that to drop Applejack, who was presently being joined once again by Pinkie Pie.

"Yer not bad fer a thug Rainbow," Applejack complimented while spitting out blood, "it's a shame I gotta take ya out though."

Rainbow regained her breath and attempted to use this standstill to clarify the situation "Applejack listen to me, I don't want to fight you, and you don't understa---"

Pinkie Pie had cut Rainbow off again "SHUT UP! I trusted you, I even called you my friend, and I find out you work for that sick organization I've dedicated my life to destroying?"

"You don't understand!" Rainbow cried out again as Pinkie charged.

“I SAID BUCKING QUIT WITH THE FIGHTING NOW!” An angered Fluttershy bellowed, loud enough to be heard in Appaloosa. She was exhibiting 'The Stare', as the group called it, and aimed it at Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who merely slumped out of their fighting stances into a shaking fearful state where they stood. Fluttershy maintained the stare for another few seconds before dropping it and she turned to a bewildered Rainbow Dash, and flashed a patient grin at her. "Now what were you trying to say Rainbow?"

"uh...I uh... yeah..." Rainbow attempted to regain her composure from the fact she had just been saved by Fluttershy, and even more surprising that Fluttershy had been able to control both Pinkie and AJ so easily. "I was trying to tell you guys you've got everything all wrong, I don't work for the Crosshearts. Well I do but I don't....ugh... Look, I'm with the Equestrian Investigation Bureau alright? I was undercover for a few years, and I've been doing a lot of background work to shut them down for good."

"Well why didn't you just say so Dashie?" Pinkie asked innocently, her hair regaining its natural fluff.

Dash shot an unamused look at Pinkie "I don't know Pinkie, maybe because you kept attacking me?"

"Oh right.... I'm sorry Dashie!!"

"Sorry for what, and what happened to you guys?" a new voice called out. The voice belonged to one of two cloaked figures that were walking up to the four mares.

A new challenger approaches. Come my child, Jed will aid you in combat. Go for the legs...

"STOP IT BRAIN!!" Pinkie shouted attracting the attention of the other five mares who shot her confused glances.

"Right... Anywho, y’all are...?"  Applejack inquired

"Oh Sorry," the figures removed their hoods to reveal a puzzled looking Twilight and Rarity. "What happened to everypony?"

"Why're y’all dressed funny?" Applejack pressed the pair for info.

"Twilight, I need to tell you... well I guess everypony now... something important," stated Rainbow

"Rainbow darling, we've been looking everywhere for you as well," said Rarity

"Everyone..." Fluttershy attempted to interject but she was drowned out by the sea of voices asking questions and progressively getting louder. "Please, let's all take turns..."it went unheard under the cascade of voices. She sighed dejectedly in defeat and sat down on her haunches and listened as the conversations went slowly nowhere.

"Hey-hey-hey! Guys, my tail is twitching!" Shouted Pinkie who had taken to hopping around like a mad mare.  The others paid no heed to this warning as they were too busy trying to speak over each other. "I really mean it, something's gonna fall!"

At that moment a blue unicorn stallion who was making his way down to Sweet Apple acres to place an order on a shipment of apples happened to notice 6 mares arguing with one another, and attempted to help diffuse the situation before things got out of control.

"Excuse me ladies, is there something I can---" In a way the blue unicorn had achieved his goal of ending the civil quarrel of the six mares, but perhaps not in the way he'd intended or would have even predicted. Whatever light and life the unicorn had was immediately stripped from him in an instant. All he could hear was a loud crack in the distance followed by whistling that drew eerily closer every millisecond before his very being was disintegrated and replaced by a cloud of dust combined with a burning scent that flowed from a small impact crater.

The 6 mares immediately jumped after seeing the explosion of dirt and rocks replace the stallion who had wandered over, for a purpose that would be forever shrouded in mystery. However the miniature explosions only continued one after the other, some further from the group, and some a few feet away, which prompted the mares to run for the trees in the orchard. The explosions stopped for a while, which Twilight took as an opportunity to investigate the explosion site which was littered with craters at this point. Upon walking up to the edge of the treeline, Twilight stopped and noticed something shining dully out of the impact crater. Not wanting to go back into the road, lest the explosions start again, she reached out with her telekinesis and moved the shiny object closer to herself, and proceeded to study it as she returned to her friends who were rambling mindlessly about what just transpired. Upon investigating the object she reached a conclusion:

Using her most authoritative speaking voice she announced to the other 5 mares "Girls, I know what caused those explosions, and I know what we're dealing with."

The other five now focused their attention on Twilight giving her the silence necessary to convey her findings.

Levitating the shiny object in front of her she announced: "We've been marked by a Sniper."

Chapter 6 End.