• Published 15th Apr 2012
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Deus Ex: Equine Revolution - Melon Hunter



Twenty years after Luna's return, Equestria advances with augmentation technology and burns with civil unrest. And in the shadows, a hidden conspiracy carefully pulls the world to their own whims...

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Chapter 7: The Helping Hoof Of Mercy

Deus Ex: Equine Revolution

By Melon Hunter

Chapter 7: The Helping Hoof Of Mercy

Bon Bon sat on the floor, stunned by the view in front of her. Ever since Slipstream’s shock at hearing about the soul gems, she had suspected there was something hidden down here. And true, there were plenty of illicit surgeries in any Equestrian city. But there was nothing quite like this.

Mercy had been built within an old market building: a vast, five-storey structure with a large courtyard open to the sky. Nets and other camouflage had been stretched over the top of the square hole to keep away prying pegasus eyes, and lanterns full of fireflies lit the space with a soft glow. The atmosphere was filled with the voices of ponies, some quiet and reserved, others loud and anxious. Everywhere she looked there were Augs; nearly every pony sported a physical implant of some description.

Signposts showed the way to various locations within the clinic, everything from Neuromancy to Therapy to Aug Rejection Treatment. Ponies of every kind made their way through the clinic, across the courtyard and the walkways above it, and along the balconies of each of the five storeys. It was vast, easily as large as the primary MANE clinic and twice as busy. And completely hidden away.

“You beat MANE at their own game,” Bon Bon said, turning her head to Slipstream and retracting her lenses. The pegasus scuffed at the floor sheepishly.

“Yeah... pretty much. I guess you realise why I wanted to keep this secret, huh?” he said.

“It doesn’t excuse you trying to drag me off unconcious,” the unicorn said irritably, “but I understand wanting to keep this a secret.” The stallion seemed to perk up a little at that.

“I know. I’m sorry. I get a bit... defensive of this place. They helped me a lot.” Slipstream beckoned to her, and they began to make their way through the throngs of ponies to a staircase. “Celestia only knows what would happen if Alpha Wave knew of the scale of this place.”

Bon Bon suddenly felt a slight mental pressure, remembering Twilight was still waiting upon her and wanting to see what the cream pony had found. Twilight, what I’m about to show you stays between us, OK? This has to stay under wraps.

If you insist... She opened the link, allowing Twilight access to Bon Bon’s senses. The augmented unicorn felt a thrill through the mental link from her superior. This is... this is... incredible! A whole community of Augs, right here in Canterlot, independent of MANE?

They could still be influenced by the Dreadnoughts... Bon Bon replied.

Maybe, but this looks far too large and too organised to be a gang endeavour. Whoever’s running this knows what they’re doing. Bon Bon moved her sight to Slipstream, who was waiting for her at the foot of the staircase, tapping his forehoof. Friend of yours?

An informant. He’s taking me to the head of this place. I get the feeling the teleporter from last night must be here. The leader spoke to me and recognised me. And her voice sounded familiar... I can’t place my hoof on it, but I swear I’ve heard her before.

Whoever it is, stay safe. Don’t take untoward risks to get those soul gems yourself. As long as I know where they are, I can work something out.

I’ll try. The pegasus is gonna be talking to me, so I’ll need to concentrate on him.

Of course. Twilight fell silent, continuing to observe through Bon Bon’s senses. The augmented unicorn walked over to the waiting pegasus, and they began to climb the stairs.

“So... how does this place get by? Keeping it a secret from MANE and the Dreadnoughts?” she asked.

“A bunch of illusion enchantments around the building itself. It’s funded by a bunch of wealthy ponies who have some sort of quarrel with MANE, so there’s no real paper trail, just donations to a ‘charity’,” Slipstream said, waving a hoof about. “And the clinic’s spread through word-of-mouth. That’s how we keep MANE out of this. It never appears to be more than another litttle black market place to them, not worth the trouble of shutting down. As for the gang... they know about this place. And tolerate it.”

“‘Tolerate it’? I didn’t think Dreadnoughts were that forgiving.”

“More like different markets,” the pegasus said with a shrug. “Mercy helps ponies down on their luck, pulls them up. We supply neuromancy and entry-level augs, but anypony wanting real quality go for the black market instead. Not to mention this clinic buys black market supplies and gems from the ‘Noughts. Quite the happy relationship. Not to mention Charity.” He visibly shuddered.

Bon Bon remember the vast, silent stallion who had greeted him. “Who is he?”

“One of the three ponies who run this clinic. Not their real names, I bet, but they call themselves Hope, Faith and Charity,” Slipstream said. “I’ve no idea what Charity is, seeing as he always wears that cloak to conceal his body, but Faith is the one who spoke to you on the intercom. A unicorn with a bit of an ego problem, but a good enough pony. I don’t see Hope around often. She deals with the medical side of things. A pegasus, and a shy one at that.” He shook his head slightly. “Charity has a bunch of thugs and contacts under his command. I guarantee you, somepony makes a threat from the Dreadnoughts, they disappear pretty sharpish.”

“I’ve never seen you as terrified as when you saw him, Slipstream,” the mare said dryly. The pegasus gave her a sour look. “I don’t blame you, frankly. Last time I saw a pony that size...” She trailed off, remembering the last moments she’d spent as an unaugmented pony. Bon Bon felt sick to the pit of her stomach, thinking of the monsters in the aug harnesses, the screams of her colleagues...

Bon Bon...?

“...are you OK?” Slipstream was looking at her in concern. “You kinda zoned out there...”

She blinked a couple of times, waving a forehoof for emphasis. “Sorry. Just... a few unhappy memories. About the augs.”

The pegasus nodded in appreciation as they began walking again. “I figured you didn’t choose to be that way. Although—and forgive me if I’m wrong—weren’t you an earth pony, last I saw you?”

Bon Bon instinctively brushed her full-bodied mane aside, touching the black horn on her forehead. “Prototype,” she said simply. Slipstream grinned and spread his wings.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go drawing attention to it. I had the same problem.” They had reached a set of vertical steel bars that blocked access to the floor above. Slipstream nodded to a security guard, who took a keyring from his belt, unlocking a door in the barrier. They stepped through, the guard re-locking the door behind them.

Bon Bon, you really shouldn’t be using telekinesis around ponies like this! He knew you pre-augmentation! Twilight sounded more concerned than exasperated.

Sorry. I forgot myself. I’ll try to be more discreet. She turned her attention back to the pegasus. “Prototype wings? What happened?” To her surprise, Slipstream’s face fell.

“Well, it all goes back to that merc company. I did join up, and went out to the Griffon Kingdoms. Got a good posting protecting one of the Galefeather clan leaders. Not the chieftan himself, but a close advisor. Anyway, things were going well for the first six months. I saw off a couple of assassination attempts, I was made head of security for this griffon, then... this.” He twitched a wing.

“Accident?” Bon Bon asked, moving around a group of labcoat-clad ponies descending the staircase. He shook his head.

“Attack. I was coming out of a bar—it being a night off for me—when suddenly something lands on top of me. I just feel this agony in my wings... like they were on fire, then nothing, just a pinching sensation in the bases. Then, the weight shifts and there’s this griffon in front of me, practically made of augmentations. She grins, and her talons are red hot and stinkin’ of hot metal. And between them are... what’s left... of my wings.” He let out a huff of breath and closed his eyes. “She’d clawed them straight down, then amputated them with the talons. Cauterised, too, so there was no hope of them healing up and being stitched back on. They were nothing but tatters and scars.” He opened his eyes again, walking out of the top of the staircase onto the floor.

The unicorn continued to listen with a grimace. “What happened then?”

Slipstream gave a mirthless snort. “She made some quip about ‘clipping my wings’, then threw them down on me. I wasn’t listening too hard, being in shock and all. Anyway, while I’m incapacitated, she flies off. Next I hear, the griffon I was sworn to protect is dead, almost certainly by the one who attacked me. I got dishonorable discharge for letting my protection target die.” He shook his head as Bon Bon opened her mouth to speak. “Never said they were fair with dismissal. So, crippled and with no money, I come back to Canterlot. I fall in with the Dreadnoughts again. Only thing I could really do to get by.” His mouth twitched. “Well, that and becoming a police informant again.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bon Bon said. “It’s not easy, losing parts of yourself like that.” She regarded the scars where the stumps of Slipstream’s wings met his augmentations. “So, these are prototypes?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I tried getting regular wing augs off the black market, but every body shop I went to said my stumps were too badly damaged for installation. Either I’d have to have the stumps removed entirely and risk further trauma, or find something that didn’t place too much stress on the nerves.”

“They don’t need neuromantic enchantments?”

“Some, but far less than most augs. Hope and Faith have been working a lot on low-neuromancy implants. Everypony wins,” the pegasus said. “The Augs who took MANE treatment and subsequently couldn’t afford it can have those augmentations installed instead, cutting down on rejection rates and the amount of soul gems they have to go through here.” He flexed his wings, looking back at them. “These wings were an attempt at helping crippled pegasi. They may not be as able as the ones MANE or the Dreadnoughts could sell you, but I only need a soul gem every other week as opposed to once every couple of days. But yeah, I had to stay cooped up here for tests. Being a guinea pig was a small price to pay for flight.”

Has it really come to this? Homebrew augmentations made specifically to be low-neuromancy? Twilight’s thoughts carried a tinge of horror.

MANE already guard their neuromancers closely enough, and charge accordingly, Bon Bon replied. I doubt they have a tenth of those resources here. We’re so busy chasing the future we forget those left behind.

Perhaps... We might be able to remedy that our own way, though.

The cream unicorn was distracted from Twilight’s musing by the sight of another pair of hulking earth ponies, each one sporting large, jet black leg augmentations. The pair glowered down at Slipstream and Bon Bon silently, blocking the corridor beyond, a single door at the end.

“She’s my guest,” came a voice from a speaker in the ceiling, the intonation identical to what Bon Bon had heard outside the clinic. “Do be so kind as to let her through.” As the guards stood aside, Slipstream looked to her nervously.

“Guess I have to leave you here,” he said. “That’s Faith’s office. I don’t know what she wants with you, just...” His eyes flicked up at one of the larger ponies. “Don’t get on the wrong side of her. She seems calm enough, but she uses Charity like an attack hound sometimes.”

Bon Bon nodded her thanks and trotted down the corridor. She’s not the only one. The unicorn temporarily blotted out the connection, unwilling to let her private thoughts about Twilight actually reach the pony in question.

Her forehoof pushed the door open to reveal a medium-sized office. A desk messily covered in paper and with a computer monitor was in the centre of the room, in front of a large, tinted window that looked down upon the courtyard five storeys below. It was also decorated with a few other personal effects, including what looked like a replica of Star Swirl the Bearded’s peaked hat. In the corner, the cloth-covered mountain that was Charity lurked silently, a pair of golden eyes glowing as they surveyed her.

Behind the desk stood a unicorn mare, gazing down at the scenes through the window. Faith. Her light blue coat was remarkably clean for one who lived in Lower Canterlot, and her long, silvery mane tumbled down her shoulders. Her tail was similarly overgrown, trailing behind her. Bon Bon squinted at the mare’s flank, seeing what looked like a crescent moon and wand.

Before Bon Bon could say anything, the other mare turned around, showing her face. Her left eye, gleaming like a chip of amythest, crinkled in a smug smile as she regarded Bon Bon. Her other eye was obscured by the long mane, although she did nothing to push it out of the way. Suddenly, the cream unicorn made the connection, remembering the face alongside the voice.

“You?” Bon Bon said incredulously. “You’re the head of this place?”

“I’m glad my reputation precedes me,” Trixie said dryly.

“You did indirectly lure an Ursa Minor into my home town. And you returned a couple of years later and turned it into your personal fiefdom for a week. You’re not exactly a forgettable pony,” the cream mare retorted. She frowned and tried to ignore Twilight, who had let out an outraged squawk when Trixie had turned around.

“Oh, yes. Well, I believe I paid off the damages... eventually.”

“And how did you go from failed conjuror to heading up an illegal clinic in the streets of Lower Canterlot?” Bon Bon asked, trying not to be sidetracked.

“I could ask how a sweet maker became a heavily augmented special operative, or how a shy librarian mage became a princess, then renounced it to become the head of one of the most powerful augmentation companies in the world,” Trixie said. “Twenty years does a lot to a pony.”

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t explain why a pony who only ever thought of herself would suddenly become so philanthropic. Nor why a mare who dubbed herself ‘Great and Apologetic’ still holds enough of a grudge against her old enemy to taunt her.”

“‘Taunt her’? ‘Old enemy’?” Trixie chuckled. “I let you in here on an understanding that we would be able to converse like full-grown ponies, not throw accusations like foals.”

“The unicorn who stole the soul gems must have told you about me. How would you know what I looked like otherwise? Not to mention using the Mare-Do-Well costume...” Bon Bon said uncertainly. The blue mare took a mocking bow.

“Don’t presume to think that Twilight Sparkle is the only unicorn in Equestria who can cast more than a single school of spells,” she said sarcastically. “I stole the soul gems. I saw you running into that room, playing the hero, thinking that everything would all be better if only you stopped the bad ponies. And I knew that Twilight would be watching at every instant, one way or another.” Trixie swept back her mane. In her right socket was not an eye, but a smooth, green glass orb. She stared straight into Bon Bon’s eyes. “And I know she must be watching now. A single operative from Sparkle Industries just happens to go looking for Mercy, right where I teleported to yesterday? Do tell me if I’m mistaken.”

Bon Bon stared down the other unicorn. “That’s not the issue here.”

Trixie smirked and continued, “Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, are you proud of what you’ve done?” A blue hoof swept toward the window. The mental link was tellingly silent. “And as you know, Faith isn’t my real name. Neither was Hope born Hope. In fact, I think you know her by quite a different name.” She smiled quietly to herself as she picked up a photograph from her desk with magic. It showed a hospital bed, with a little filly tucked up beneath the covers. And next to her, a butter yellow pegasus, with pink hair, and three butterflies upon her flank. A wave of sorrow came crashing through the mental link.

That’s why I used the Mare-Do-Well costume. Because you’ve caused your friends to forsake you for your enemies, and broken the country you swore to protect, all with your self-righteousness, Twilight. Do you understand now?” There was no triumph in Trixie’s voice, merely world-weariness. From the Hydra, equal parts horror and regret. Bon Bon steeled herself and responded.

“How did you even know about the costume?” She waved a hoof at the fabric. “I mean, I’m surprised anypony remembers the Mare-Do-Well. I know I didn’t until I saw you dressed up as her.”

Trixie shrugged. “Fluttershy brought it with her to the clinic. I asked what it was for and she told me. Despite her secrecy, she seemed happy enough to talk about her days in Ponyville. Happier times, I suppose.”

“So, you brought me here just to use me as a conduit? To accuse Twilight and humiliate her?” The cream pony felt only irritation for Trixie, for all her talk of ‘no taunts’.

“Partially...” Trixie said carefully. “I recognised your external lenses as a Sparkle Industries implant for combat operations. I reasoned that Twilight would be watching through a Hydra implant. I would apologise if I’d talked at a mare who hadn’t actually been listening, but I hardly think that’s the case.” Her mouth twitched, and Bon Bon felt uncomfortable, as though she were being evaluated on a deeper level. Social implant, perhaps?

“What else, then? The soul gems? Do you want to negotiate?” The cream mare gave a nervous glance to Charity. Zantos may have given her the skills to fight regular ponies, but she doubted she would survive a fight with the augmented hulk without gaining a few scars.

Trixie snorted softly. “I had hoped seeing this place would soften your heart somewhat. Negotiate away the one resource we’ve run dry of? Give up the gems, when we can’t make or buy them fast enough? Don’t you understand? Yes, I enslaved your town for a week, but can’t you see Twilight Sparkle helped enslave the entirety of Equestria?”

“Twilight has no more love for MANE than you, Trixie. And the reality is, unless you give those gems back, the rest of Canterlot will be hammering on your door as well,” Bon Bon snapped.

Trixie gave her an odd look. “Oh, come on. As though MANE can’t create more—”

“The neuromancer’s dead. And the primary clinic’s in tatters after your ‘friends’ were finished with it. Not to mention a dozen ponies nearly got killed as hostages. Are you really that proud of yourself after last night?” Bon Bon had expected an angry reply, or perhaps some form of excuse. To her surprise, Trixie took a step back, horror evident in her one natural eye. The blue mare gave an uncertain look to Charity, who merely shrugged.

“Wh...what?”

“Haven’t you heard what happened in the MANE clinic last night?” Bon Bon asked quietly.

Trixie’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I... heard some news, but I assumed it was a fabrication. All I did was teleport into the clinic!”

The cream mare rubbed her forehead in frustration. To her chagrin, she remembered the discontinuity between the Everfrees and Black Dawn members. Everypony involved had been expecting something different. “How did you hear about this raid? And what did you think was happening?”

Trixie opened her mouth to speak, before giving Bon Bon a careful glance. “I’d rather you not relay this to Twilight Sparkle.”

Oh, the shoe’s on the other hoof now. Twilight sounded as though she wanted to leap down the mental link and pummel Trixie herself.

She’s got a social implant, and a powerful one at that. At least, it seems that way from how assertive she’s being. I think she’ll be able to tell if I’m lying.

Nonetheless. Her superior’s tone made it clear there was nothing more to discuss.

The cream unicorn let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. You’re only talking to me,” she said, careful to keep her downtrodden tone so that Trixie didn’t suspect Twilight’s continued involvement in the conversation.

Trixie narrowed her eyes, but seemed to relent. “All I heard was that there was going to be an anti-aug demonstration outside the clinic, through Charity’s informants. They said that all security systems would be down, and that it might be... prudent to take advantage of that.”

“And the gunshots, screaming, and me barreling through the door to the soul gem room didn’t clue you in that something had gone wrong?” Bon Bon deadpanned. The remark earned her another glare from the blue unicorn.

“Those demonstrations rarely go as planned. I thought things had perhaps gotten out of hoof—” She raised a hoof to stop Bon Bon’s retort. “Nopony thought it would be a Black Dawn raid. I... re-distributed those gems, yes. And I knew enough about the security hack to wear the costume for the cameras. But I would never work with those animals in Black Dawn.” She spun on the spot and waved a hoof at the window. “Look at this place. I built this up from scratch. Why would I ever ally with ponies who would happily burn it to the ground?”

Bon Bon let out a sigh. “I’m only running with what information I have. I’m not saying you outright agreed to help them; practically every pony in there had a different idea of why they were there.” She looked back up at Trixie. “But now you know what was going on there—”

“I’m not giving the gems back,” Trixie cut in. “I can’t. More and more ponies come to us every day, and we can barely keep on top of things as they are.”

“You said you were able to make soul gems? How? A neuromancer, hidden away somewhere?”

“Every unicorn who comes here is asked to donate some magical energy back. There are a few here who are able to actually weave the energy into enchantments, myself included,” Trixie explained.

Bon Bon frowned at Trixie. “What do you mean? Soul gems can only be produced by unicorns with neuromancy as their cutie mark talent.”

The blue unicorn shrugged. “Necessity is the mother of invention. These gems and their constituent enchanments aren’t nearly as good as MANE-grade ones, but they’re all we have. Too many ponies here for any other form of neuromantic treatment.” She looked at Bon Bon, her natural eye glinting. “If we can have a way to create more efficient enchantments, then we’ll be able to stay on top of things. And perhaps we won’t need those stolen gems so badly any more. Maybe you should ask Twilight?”

Fascinating... They figured out how to hack together neuromantic support? This community goes far deeper than I thought it would.

Are you willing to give them the enchantments? More importantly, are you able to?

Yes, I’ve done more than a little unofficial personal research into neuromancy. It shouldn’t be too difficult to catalogue it. It would be highly illegal, though...

I’m pretty sure my current job is on the bounds of legality, Twilight, Bon Bon shot back.

Granted, I’m none too concerned about stepping on MANE’s hooves. But this would be betraying Celestia and Luna’s trust too, and giving away free treatment when some ponies still have to pay a small fortune for it. Twilight sounded reluctant to even list the facts. On the other hoof, I can’t see any other peaceful solution to this, and I can’t say this clinic is an inherently bad thing...

Then what do you suggest?

There was a long pause as Twilight contemplated. Bon Bon began to feel slightly uncomfortable in her silence. Trixie sat at her desk, her cheek resting lazily on an upraised forehoof. Finally, Twilight spoke again.

I’ll agree, on two conditions. First, she tells me everything she can about Fluttershy. If they became friends as well, and if Fluttershy and I fell out of contact... I want to fill in the gaps. I want her back. Twilight sounded hurt, betrayed, even. Second, I want to know how this clinic was founded. Perhaps there’s some future in a structure like this, outside the Canterlot slums. For now, getting those gems back is the only way to keep Alpha Wave from doing anything more drastic, and the only way to keep this situation from spiralling out of control.

I’ll see what she says. Bon Bon cleared her throat, and spoke up, “Twilight would be willing to make that trade... provided she gets a little information out of this.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes at her. “Like what?”

“How this clinic was founded, and how Fluttershy came to you.”

The blue unicorn raised her eyebrows and smirked. “Well, I should have guessed as much. A little history lesson, huh?” She turned back to the window. “Well, there’s nothing too complex to it. Ten years ago, I damaged my eye with one of my show spells. I could have waited a few months for a healing ward to fully restore the vision, but I was an impatient mare, and I could hardly perform shows without depth perception.”

Bon Bon frowned, wondering where Trixie was going with her story. Truthfully, the silent, threatening presence of Charity was making her more uncomfortable by the moment, and she didn’t want to stay longer than absolutely necessary.

“I was living in Manehatten at the time, and T & S—or, the Rich Institute, as it was still known back then—were performing clinical trials for a new eye prosthetic they had produced. I was impatient enough to go for it, and for a while, everything was perfect. I had a shiny new eye, along with augmented vision, and all the free neuromancy I needed.”

“Right...” Bon Bon said.

“Until nine months afterwards, when the trial was suddenly pulled. Along with the funding. And I was left to try and sort out my own finances. In my desperation, I ran to Canterlot, thinking I could secure a show that was well-paid enough to keep my neuromancy going. I was so... sure of myself... I ignored the burning sensations in my eye socket, the nausea, the headaches and twinges. You know, all the usual symptoms of augmentation rejection.” Trixie wore a mirthless smile. “Next thing I know, I’m waking up on a MANE operating table, with my fancy implant dug out and a bandage over my socket.”

“The one service they offer that’s free, huh?” Bon Bon asked quietly.

The blue mare nodded. “Yes... and also the consultation that told me my optic nerve was so badly degraded by the rejection, I would never be able to have another implant installed. And of course, nopony wants to see the conjuror with a big, scary eyepatch... Within a month, I was down here, doing whatever it took to survive. One thing I can be thankful to the Dreadnoughts for: they always have a job going if you’re desperate enough.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Bon Bon said.

Are you, though? It’s surprising just how many ponies fall through the gaps to end up here... particularly the number who thought they were perfectly secure in their homes,” Trixie said, scuffing at the floor, her mouth twisting. “Some of them were able to put together support networks, but they were small and disparate.”

“So how did somepony like you end up leading a clinic like this?” Bon Bon asked, cocking her head.

“None of the do-gooders had a real strategy. I’m an egotist; I’ve always been aware of that. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try and get praise through philanthropic means. I thought I could succeed where others had failed, become a hero these ponies needed.” Trixie smirked.

I’m beginning to regret asking her this. I wanted the clinic’s history, not her life story, Twilight said in disgruntlement.

Bon Bon waved a hoof at the blue unicorn impatiently. “Spare me the self-aggrandising. How did you found the clinic?”

Trixie raised her eyebrows, but continued, “Once I managed to gather these various ponies, it was surprisingly simple. I think they just needed somepony to give them the courage to come together, to defy both MANE and the Dreadnoughts.” She waved a hoof to the window. “We found an abandonded market building, and pooled resources and connections. For a time, all we did was try and help ponies down on their luck as best we could.”

The cream pony nodded. “So, when did the clinic become more than that? And where did the names come from?”

Trixe smiled. “An idea from the original Hope. We would have a codename for the clinic, and one each for the heads of medicine and security, and the leader. I’m the original Faith, but there’s been a couple of Hopes and Charities. As for the evolution of the clinic...” She pointed at her false eye. “It began as an experiment. I found an orb the size of my eye and cast a scrying enchantment upon it. With a little refinement, I was able to see through both the orb and my remaining eye. A fully functional ocular implant, with no neuromancy required. And that got me thinking: what other ways could we install augmentations? Cut back on neuromancy? New ways of thinking... When you’re no longer tied into a method that kills ponies if they don’t pay for treatment, you end up taking some radical new approaches.”

How did I know that would translate into a dig at me? Twilight grumbled. Still, this is incredibly interesting. We could learn so much from this place, if Trixie’s co-operative...

“Slipstream was very proud of his wings. I can see that what you’re doing is a lot of help to a lot of unfortunate ponies.” Bon Bon mused. “So, that’s that? Experiments and philanthropy?”

“And staying secretive enough to avoid the ire of MANE. Stealing those gems... I never thought the clinic would grow half as big as this.” She stared into Bon Bon’s eyes. “Promise me these enchantments. I can’t let this clinic fall apart.”

Bon Bon nodded. “I’m sure we can. After Fluttershy.”

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “She never really said much about her past. Came here about a year and a half ago, and refused to ever speak about what she’d done before then. All I can say is she must have had some extensive medical training—she rose to the position of Hope in barely six months—and was staunchly anti-augmentation.”

“Anti-aug and working in an augmentation clinic?” Bon Bon asked incredulously.

Trixie nodded. “Well, Mercy is strictly philanthropic. I think for a bleeding heart like Fluttershy— the Element of Kindness of all things—there was little thought given to augmentation politics when so many ponies were suffering from conditions she could heal. I mean, practically every worldly possession she brought with her was turfed back into the clinic. But, I know little of her past, and she’s spent the best part of two years hidden down here.” She frowned. “So I was incredibly surprised that she was so very adamant that she spoke in public last night. I think she was under the impression she could tame the riots... Or maybe she decided it was time to reveal herself to the world at large again. I couldn’t possibly say.”

“That’s it?” the cream pony asked. “Surely she had a journal, or a computer that she kept? Perhaps we could find the reason she wanted to attend the protests, or—”

“No.” Trixie scowled at Bon Bon. “No. Twilight may not like it, but Fluttershy is my friend now. I’ve kept her privacy for as long as I’ve known her, and will certainly not let Twilight Sparkle’s puppet root through her personal items looking for a reason why she left. Twilight had her chance, and she pushed away her friends for her precious augmentations. I am not betraying my friend’s trust, and I am certainly not trusting you of all ponies to try and find her.”

“You mean you don’t want Fluttershy to be found?” Bon Bon frowned. “It could be the work of a moment to find out why she left.”

Trixie scowled at her. “I trusted you enough to let you in the clinic. And now all you want to do is go digging for why Fluttershy left? Twilight already has her reasons, and she can stay out of this. As can you.” She snorted, and flicked her head toward Charity. “You can leave. Now. Tell Twilight she can expect the soul gems to start flowing back once I get the enchantment instructions. But you...” She glared at the cream unicorn. “Step hoof in my clinic again, and you will answer to Charity. Now get out.”


Dumped out on the streets of Lower Canterlot, Bon Bon paced back and forth, fuming. She’d been spared some dignity in not being escorted out by one of Charity’s brutes, but the conclusion was the same, anyway. Going back into Mercy would mean jeopardising the fragile bargain between Twilight and Trixie, not to mention her own safety...

...which meant that Twilight’s request to her was completely baffling.

Twilight, are you sure you want me to do this? Aren’t the gems more important?

Did you see how vitriolic Trixie became as soon as you mentioned Fluttershy’s past? There’s something more here. I don’t like having to ask this of you, but I’m very suspicious now... Hidden past, medical knowledge, and speaking at the protests? I. Need. To. Know.

Fine. Consider it done. Now, I need to concentrate. If Colgate’s available, I’d appreciate having her on stand-by.

I’ll do that. Good luck. The mental link finally cut out, and Bon Bon let out a sigh. She couldn’t help but feel that Fluttershy’s involvement in the clinic incident was running Twilight ragged, and that the normally rational unicorn was placing too much significance on the pegasus’ reappearance. But then again, she couldn’t deny everything surrounding the events of the previous night rubbed her up the wrong way, Trixie’s and Fluttershy’s roles included.

And so, she found herself in the market square where Zantos was waiting. The zebra spotted her quickly and walked toward her, a head higher than most of the ponies who flowed around him. The upright crest of his mane bobbed as he looked down at her. “So, how did your mission resolve?” he asked. “Did you move as a shadow?”

“Actually, as it turned out, the clinic leader was expecting me. So I walked straight in,” Bon Bon answered. “We have our soul gems, and a little more knowledge on why one of Twilight’s old friends suddenly came back.”

The zebra frowned at her. “You say you triumphed, but your voice does not lie. I believe events did not end as you wished they did.”

Bon Bon nodded with a sigh. “You’d be right to believe that. I was allowed to leave peacefully, but I’ll return on pain of being dragged away by the monster in charge of security, and probably ending the bargain we worked out about the gems. And now Twilight wants me to go back in there to steal some intel.”

“Ah.” He nodded appreciatively. “So, of course, there’s only one solution I see here.” Zantos grinned.

“Remain unseen?” Bon Bon said, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. The zebra nodded again, and clapped her on the shoulder.

“I’m glad to see you’ve taken your training to heart,” he said.

“So, uh... do you mind being a living coathook?” When Zantos looked at her in perplextion, she explained, “You’d be surprised how easily a change of clothes can make ponies not notice you.” He shrugged and nodded, and Bon Bon began to get changed.

Her magic levitated her saddlebags to the floor, and off came the coat and the jumpsuit. She pulled the two halves of the body armour out of the first saddlebag and put them on, one on her back and one beneath her belly. They clipped together, the vest just covering the seams where her augmented limbs met the remmants of her organic body, along with her cutie marks.

Next, Bon Bon removed her folded tranquiliser rifle and an accompanying holster. She strapped the holster around her waist, placing the rifle within, and tucked a box of darts into a loop on the belt. A few hairbands floated out of a pocket of the longcoat, and she used them to tie back her candy-striped mane into a ponytail, keeping one spare to tie the tip of her tail. Finally, she retracted her lenses with a snick to expose her golden eyes. “See what I mean?”

Zantos looked at her in surprise. “I do. At a glance, you would not resemble the pony who left the clinic. So...” He looked at the discarded clothing. “I suppose I’ll be taking care of this for now?”

“If I’m found out and turned to a pulp by the security ponies, I’d appreciate it if you donated it to a foal’s charity. Not that I’m expecting that to happen.” Bon Bon pulled out her stun gun, remembering the weak shock it had given her. “Except this. If you could get it fixed up for me, it’d be very useful.” She stared up into his green eyes, remembering herself. “Sorry. I don’t mean to order you around.”

“It’s fine!” The zebra laughed. “Don’t worry, I shall watch over your possessions. That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Yeah... friends.” Bon Bon smiled, and bumped her forehoof against Zantos’. He took her bundle and melted away into the crowd once again. The unicorn turned around and huffed, looking back at the clinic. There had to be some way inside without Trixie seeing her...

Her answer came after a few minutes’ prowling about in the alleyways beside the clinic. A ventilation shaft poked out of the wall, a ways above head-height. Bon Bon found a few discarded cardboard boxes, arranging them into an impromptu pile. She climbed them, pushed open the cover with a hoof, and clambered inside. As she crawled along the shaft, the unicorn reached out mentally to Colgate.

You called? Colgate asked.

Could I ask you a favour? Bon Bon replied, slowly shuffling through the vent. I need the blueprints for the building I’m in down in Lower Canterlot.

OK, checking against your location now... Should only be a moment, as long as the place was built with planning permission. Anywhere in particular you need to get to in the building?

Yes, but I don’t know where that is. When a wave of confusion travelled down the mental link, she clarified, Twilight wants me to find and hack a specific pony’s computer. Unfortunately, I was ‘politely’ asked to leave before I could find out where it is.

Damn... Colgate paused for thought. Would there be any unique network traffic this computer might have? Equestrinet sites this pony might have visited? Any identifiers, perhaps?

Bon Bon pondered how much to tell her. It would probably become swiftly apparent that Fluttershy was the subject anyway once the computer was hacked; Colgate was nothing if not canny. Colgate, it’s Fluttershy’s computer. Anything with her name on, anything about the riots last night, and possibly anything pertaining to anti-aug activists, although that last one may flag up a lot around this place.

Wait, wait, Fluttershy?! What’s she got to do with this place?

Long story. I should let Twilight decide how much to fill you in on the details. It’s her friend, after all. But she has a lot of information sequestered on a computer here, and Twilight wants to know what’s on there.

Right... The usually bouncy unicorn sounded stunned. Sounds like there’s gonna be some trouble brewing with the boss...

You’re telling me. Bon Bon paused as she reached the end of the shaft. Just before popping the cover open, a wireframe model of the building popped up in her augmented vision, gradually zooming down to the floor she was on. Her heart sank as she realised just how many rooms and passageways there were in the clinic; the chances of happening upon Hope’s office without being detected would be slim-to-none.

There’s the map, anyway. I’ll run some network searches, but it might take a while. If you could narrow it down further—traffic flags or physical location—I’ll be done a lot quicker.

Understood. She pushed open the vent and crawled out into a small room. Shelving units held all kinds of odds-and-ends, mostly pieces of augmentations, presumably held in reserve for repairs and replacements. It was dim, and a faint layer of dust covered the shelves; evidently, nopony came in there frequently. Bon Bon figured she could afford to wait until Colgate came back to her with the network analysis.

As she looked around the chamber, she spotted a faint rainbow sheen, glowing out from beneath a sheet. She walked over and pushed the gem aside with a hoof. It revealed a soul gem, placed atop a note. ‘Consider us even,’ it said. Bon Bon noted it had been written on a torn piece of newspaper, the date printed on it from nearly four months prior. She debated internally for a moment, before picking up the gem. Likely as not, the recipient had died out in the mean streets of Lower Canterlot before collecting it; somepony else could make better use of it. She wrapped it in the paper and put it in an empty loop on her rifle holster.

Any luck? she asked Colgate.

Still running. There’s a lot of computers networked to the nearest node, although I reckon most of them are just used for administration, if this is a clinic.

I’ll see if I can narrow it down. Bon Bon walked over to the door and opened it a crack. When she was sure nopony was looking, she quickly stepped out, trotting down the corridor swiftly, lest anypony wonder where she’d come from.

Once out into an intersecting corridor, the unicorn lost herself in the crowd, walking through the floor in a random fashion. Despite shedding her previous outfit, she was well-aware her appearance would not stand much scrutiny to anypony who had been alerted by Trixie. Bon Bon saw a desk, staffed by a pink earth pony mare in a blue jacket. She was stamping papers with her hoof, and looked up hurriedly when Bon Bon approached her.

“Hello there. How may I help you?” the earth pony asked.

Bon Bon concentrated, making sure her voice was altered from the normal one she used. “I’m, uh, a little lost,” she said, taking care to project a slightly ditzy persona.

“Oh dear! Well, what might you be looking for? This is the Neuromancy department here, and, well...” She eyed up Bon Bon’s various implants. “Is that what you’re looking for?”

“Oh! Uh, no... I was told to give a letter to a pony named Hope?” Bon Bon replied, the pitch of her voice rising toward the end of her sentence. “Do you know where she might be?”

The pony frowned. “Well, her office is on the fourth floor, but patients aren’t allowed above the third, I’m afraid.”

The unicorn shrugged. “Oh well. Guess I’ll just give it to one of the security guards or something. Thanks anyway!” She walked away from the desk quickly, the receptionist bidding her farewell as she did so. Fourth floor, Bon Bon thought.

Gotcha. There was a pause. Okay, that’s much better. A lot less noise there. Right... I’ll mark out the most likely computer on the map. No guarantees, but I doubt that’s the wrong one. Oh, and mind the security guards, if there are any; that computer probably won’t be easy to break into.

I figured as much, Bon Bon replied. I’ll head up there now. She walked over to the nearest staircase, trotting up the steps until she reached the third floor. The stairs above that were blocked off by heavy steel bars, with a locked door in the middle. A mechanical lock, to her chagrin. Just the same as the one leading to Trixie’s office.

With a snort of annoyance, Bon Bon exited out onto the third floor, keeping her head down as she consulted the wireframe map. There’s no indication of that door on this map, she thought.

Well, yeah, this map is of the building when it was planned. Anything these guys have done to it won’t show up.

Should have guessed. The cream unicorn continued looking through the map, but it appeared the only ways up to the fourth floor were the four main staircases running up each corner of the building. I guess all the ways up will be blocked, then.

Likely as not, if it’s off-limits. What about the vents?

There’s nothing that leads between floors, far as I can tell. Bon Bon scowled. Let me take a look around, see what other options I have. There must be a set of keys somewhere...

Bon Bon continued walking about, anxious not to stay in one place too long and be caught out. She knew staying exposed in the corridors was dangerous, but nothing was going to be achieved by hiding away in an abandoned room. As she entered a section labelled ‘Therapy’, she felt a hoof prod her in the shoulder.

It belonged to a bored-looking pony with a red bandana wrapping up her pink mane, a baton strapped to her waist by a belt. The guard levitated out the nightstick, her orange hoof never leaving Bon Bon’s shoulder. “Just a second, missy,” she drawled.

“What’s the matter?” Bon Bon adopted the ditzy tone again. She felt a pang of anxiety; had she been discovered already? “I’m a little lost.”

“I bet you are.” The other unicorn raised her eyebrow, her tone that of a pony who’d dealt with an unruly patient countless times before. “I don’t see an appointment slip anywhere on you, and I really don’t see why you’ll be needing to bring a weapon in here.” She pointed to Bon Bon’s holster with her baton.

“It’s... non-lethal?” Bon Bon offered. Her gaze dropped to the guard’s belt, where a keyring was hung. Perfect.

“Sure, and I’m the Queen of the Changelings,” the guard muttered. “C’mon, I’ll take you to the security office, and we can lock it up until you get out of your session, ‘kay?” she said slowly.

“Alright...” Bon Bon followed in feigned reluctance, calculating how best to steal away the keys without the guard noticing, and how not to lose her tranq rifle either. The orange unicorn pulled out her keyring, unlocking and opening a door into a small, windowless office. A large chest was against the far wall, which the two ponies approached. The guard disengaged the lock and shoved the lid open; the container was filled with a plethora of weapons, everything from simple clubs to firearms and even a pair of fang lances, each one with a numbered tag tied to it.

“Just drop it in there. I’ll put a number on it, and you can come get it when you’re done,” the unicorn said. She waved a hoof at the chest, keeping her eyes on the weapons within and ignoring her charge. Bon Bon levitated out her tranq rifle and unfolded it, pointing directly at the guard. “Or just, y’know, leave it here. I’d rather not see more trouble on the streets than’s already th—” She yelped as the rifle let out a puff of air, a dart embedding in her flank. Her head whipped around. “What the hay?!

“Oh! Uh, sorry. Trigger slipped,” Bon Bon said, shrugging.

“Y-you dumb, st-tupid...” The other mare’s leg’s wobbled, and she crumpled against the wall, whining as the tranquiliser took effect. “I-I’mmm gonnaaa...”

“I’ll get some help, okay?” A final moan and a snore from the guard’s mouth told Bon Bon she could drop the act. At least when the unicorn woke up, she’d think her unconciousness would be the result of an accidental weapon discharge by a careless pony. Hopefully she wouldn’t think there were any ulterior motives behind it.

The cream unicorn broke the rifle and reloaded, then gently pulled the spent dart out of the dazed unicorn’s flank. She left the unfortunate pony in a curled-up position; no need to cause her more discomfort than necessary. Bon Bon pushed the chest shut and took the keyring off the guard’s belt, placing it on her own instead. She slipped out of the room, folding her rifle into the holster and quietly shutting the door behind herself. She cycled through the keys until she found the one to lock the office.

Bon Bon trotted quickly through the corridors back to the stairwell, and walked up to the locked metallic door. She cast a furtive glance about, checking that nopony was in the immediate vicinity, before cycling through the keys in the keyring. A particularly bulky key looked like it fit; Bon Bon levitated it into the lock, and it turned with a satisfying click. She let out a sigh of relief and moved through the door. She left it unlocked, in case she were too quickly discovered.

She consulted her map of the fourth floor. The staircase was in the north-eastern corner of the building, with Fluttershy’s office being in the centre of the west wing, looking out onto the central courtyard. There was a corridor running through each side of the rectangular floor, with rooms either side. It would be easy to simply trot along and round the corner to the office... if the floor had been left unguarded.

As she trotted out of the staircase, Bon Bon noticed two mares standing halfway down the corridor. They both had their backs turned to her, one an earth pony wearing a security guard’s collar, the other a pegasus wearing a doctor’s coat. Deep in conversation, neither noticed Bon Bon’s entrance. She tagged them quickly with her tracking spell, wondering how she could get past the pair.

Bon Bon noticed a small opening halfway between her and the pair on her right, and began quietly walking toward it, keeping her eyes on the two ponies. She slipped into the smaller corridor, the conversation ending just a moment later. The unicorn held her breath and pressed herself against the wall as the two triangles in her augmented vision came closer. The doctor walked past, thankfully not spotting her, but the security guard hung about just around the corner.

To her chagrin, Bon Bon realised the guard was standing at her post, and now she was trapped in the little corridor. Except... she looked down, and saw an air duct by her hindleg. The unicorn’s horn flared, and she quietly slid the cover open before crawling inside. She emerged into a small room that served as some kind of office; there was a desk with a mountain of paperwork atop it, a couple of shelves filled with tatty medical books, and a window with blinds closed.

Bon Bon dispelled the tag on the doctor, who was now a floor below, keeping her eye on the security guard’s triangle instead. She paused a moment, pondering how to get the mare to move from her post. Casting her eyes about, she found a paperweight and tossed it into the open air duct, causing a loud clonk. There was a muttered curse from outside, and the triangle moved toward the source of noise.

Once the guard was out of the way, Bon Bon quietly opened the door and scurried to the right before she could be spotted. She skidded to a halt as a trio of ponies came around the corner, each consulting a clipboard held in the telekinetic grip of one of them. She spotted another short corridor was on the other side of the room she’d just exited, and she dived into it.

“My results have no bearing on your experiments, Sunflower!” one of the group exclaimed.

“What would you know? You’re just trying to discredit me so you can take my resources and use them for your own department!” another, presumably Sunflower, snapped back. Bon Bon cautiously peeked around the corner, looking up and down the corridor. Behind her, the guard her returned to her post, looking confused. In front, the trio were having an animated argument, blocking off the route to Fluttershy’s office. Fortunately, a doorway was right in front of her, leading into a file storage room. Inside, sets of free-standing shelves sagging under the weight of years of paperwork.

A window ran the length of the room, so Bon Bon was forced to crouch down, pressing herself against the wall as she moved to prevent being seen. Outside, the argument raged on between the three doctors, growing more and more heated. She ignored the squabbling ponies, focusing on the door at the other end of the room. Checking her map, the unicorn realised it would lead her out into an open space at the corner of the building, with only the staircase there as cover. Worse, the three ponies were standing right at the corner of the main corridor. It was as though everypony on the fourth floor was inadvertantly making it as difficult as possible to traverse the building.

She opened the door slowly, taking care not to make the hinges squeak. Across the hallway were stacked a group of crates and pallets. Perfect for hiding behind, except for the three-metre gap between Bon Bon and the nearest crate, one of the arguing doctors facing straight toward it. The unicorn placed a tag on the pony, waiting for an opportunity to move. It came as the medical pony turned her head away to answer a snapped question, Bon Bon winding up and leaping across the gap, gracefully rolling to a halt.

“Hey, what was that?” A shard of ice stabbed into Bon Bon’s stomach. Damn it.

“What was what? For Celestia’s sake, Splint, do ya have so lil’ faith in yer position ya gotta try distracting us with some made-up spook when we gotcha on the ropes?” the third of the trio said.

“I swear I saw something,” Splint muttered, coming closer to Bon Bon’s hiding place. The unicorn shuffled around a crate, watching the triangle over the alerted pony’s head like a hawk. The doctor looked around for a moment, and Bon Bon held her breath, knowing any movement would give her position away now that Splint was almost on top of her, until... “Hey, maybe they went in here.” The doctor had turned to the still-open door.

“Or, you’re still seeing things and one of the secretaries was raised in a barn,” Sunflower quipped.

“Hey! Ah was raised in a barn, and Ah shut doors behind me!” the accented pony retorted. The three returned to their quibbling, only this time over birthplaces. Bon Bon rolled her eyes, moving along the crate wall. Once she had passed the staircase at the corner, she crouched down, checking her map. From the looks of it, a nearby vent high up the wall led to a duct passing straight over Fluttershy’s office.

Unfolding her forehooves, Bon Bon tugged and pushed a large crate into place beneath the vent opening. The three ponies’ blazing argument could be heard along the corridor—not much chance of them seeing her. She shoved open the cover with magic and hopped up on the container, before reaching up and pulling herself into the duct.

Bon Bon crawled along the silvery tunnel, gazing through the grilles she passed. One room she looked at seemed to be some sort of laboratory, with bits of half-assembled augs and tools lying about amongst charts and graphs and scribbled data. The likeness to the labs at Sparkle Industries wasn’t lost on her. Maybe a little shabbier, but still...

She shook her head. No point in getting caught up on musing about the past. Bon Bon struggled around a tight corner, keeping her map up in her augmented vision. She was passing over the corridor right now, and there was a grille right in front of her, just over Fluttershy’s office. Perfect. The unicorn closed the distance and pushed open the cover. She gradually climbed down from the hole, falling in an ungraceful heap upon the floor.

Picking herself up, Bon Bon looked around the office. It was fastiduously tidy—not a single piece of detritus to be seen. The wastepaper bin was empty, the desk clear except for a computer, the glow from the screen providing the room’s only illumination. The lack of mess felt faintly eerie to the augmented unicorn, as though Fluttershy had known she wouldn’t be returning here.

Bon Bon trotted over to the shuttered window, pressing a small button beside the pane. The blinds gradually opened, lighting up the room and showing the scenes below in the courtyard. The crowds outside moved about, and she could see the rock of the mountain above through the camouflage nets. Quite the view. She turned back to the desk. Searching through the drawers yielded little; they merely contained stationery, and to the unicorn’s surprise, an ice-skating boot. Dismissing a search for any kind of physical journal as futile, she turned back to the computer, concentrated, and opened the hacking interface. A large network of nodes opened up in her vision.

Bon Bon, wait. Colgate’s sudden intrusion made her jump.

What is it? she asked.

This computer’s security is... odd, Colgate mused. I recognise this network shape. It appears on a security system that’s higher-level than your augs should be able to access.

You mean I don’t have appropriate hacking software? Bon Bon asked dryly.

Hey, the hacking augs take time to integrate into your system, just like any other! Colgate retorted. It’s just that you shouldn’t have been able to get the interface up like that... strange.

Well, I’m not going to complain about getting a free pass. And maybe we should sort those hack augs out before it causes me an inconvenience, Bon Bon said, turning her attention back to the interface.

Despite Colgate’s assertions, the security algorithm didn’t take long to fall, the red node winking out in a blue flash as Bon Bon’s hacking overran it. Once broken into, the computer reverted back to its usual interface. The cream unicorn looked through the file systems, only for her eyes to widen as she realised that every file in the system was empty. Colgate, maybe this is the wrong office... she said uncertainly.

Try the mail. It’s not unheard of for ponies to wipe their files when leaving the office and leave a backup locked away somewhere. It’s kinda paranoid if you ask me, but that may have happened here.

Bon Bon nodded to herself, navigating to the mail. She opened it, noticing a plethora of unread mail in the inbox. It was mostly from others in the clinic, but a couple of names stood out: a ‘poster.paint’ username coming in from an official MANE address, and an address labelled as ‘Elusive’. She sorted out the chaff, first focusing on the MANE sender.

A list of mail came up, the oldest dating back to just under a year and a half ago. Bon Bon opened the first.

Fluttershy, I appreciate that you trust me enough to have kept in contact with me after leaving. I have to say, it was brave of you to go before you were ratted out to Sparkle Industries, but you must be careful. Alpha Wave is on the warpath; she’s threatening to close down the Analysis Laboratories until you are found. I think she was hoping to use you as leverage against Twilight Sparkle.

Bon Bon skimmed up through the mail, to one sent a couple of months later.

You’re still in Canterlot? And in that sort of place? I can’t say that’s wise, Fluttershy. What if you’re found out? Or get caught up in some gang war?

She flicked up further through the list. There were various replies from Fluttershy mixed into the mail, gradually changing from fawning and apologetic to more curt. The pony sending the mail had apparently grown more and more worried about Fluttershy’s state, ending in a final mail sent six months ago, just after the attacks at Sparkle Industries.

You’re still telling me you’re safe? After what happened at SI the other day? Are you INSANE?!

Fluttershy, I just want to help. I can’t believe this is the same sweet pony I was friends with. You’ve held me to a vow of silence, and you’ve forbidden me from seeing you. What am I supposed to do? Just let you get killed by some terrorists?

Please come back to me, Fluttershy. I still love you.

She looked at the reply that had been sent. Please leave me alone. There was silence for six months, then a frantic flurry of mail from the previous night, begging Fluttershy to tell them if she was alright, what had happened, where she was... and then a final one about something quite different.

Hey, Fluttershy?

If you’re still there and just ignoring me—and I hope to Celestia that’s all that’s going on—we’ve got the strangest situation. A MANE agent just brought a corpse in. Apparently, it’s one of the raiders from the clinic attack last night. They want us to analyse the body, but it’s giving off magical signals like I’ve never seen.

You’re the best in the business at aug removal and analysis. I know that. We need you here. If you can read this, please come back. I want this pony out of the labs as fast as possible, before some mysterious attack we get done in too.

And I want you back.

Bon Bon repressed a shudder at the language used. Fluttershy evidently hadn’t picked the best pony to stay in contact with from her last job. However, that gave the unicorn an excellent paper trail. So the dead stallion’s body had been moved from the police station to the Analysis Labs...

Colgate, would you be able to dump all of the inbox and sent mail into storage and get it to Twilight? I’ve found something interesting.

Sure. I’ll connect through your Hydra link. Might take a moment... A little progress bar appeared in the corner of Bon Bon’s vision. There we go. What have you found?

Apparently, our friend from last night—the possessed unicorn—is at the Analysis Labs. And those labs used to employ Fluttershy, Bon Bon said.

Seriously? How in Equestria did Fluttershy stay hidden there? Colgate asked.

Canterlot’s a big city, Bon Bon mused. Besides, the Labs are only a subsidary of MANE; they’re not directly connected. No reason for her name to show up anywhere. Although, from the look of it, she was trying to keep her presence in the city a secret from Alpha Wave after she left abruptly...

Huh. That’s probably not gonna sit too well with the boss...

You’re telling me. However, she already knows Fluttershy was down here; I doubt there’s going to be anything more upsetting in this pile, Bon Bon said. I might as well keep looking until the transfer’s complete.

She moved over to the ‘Elusive’ address’s mail, wondering why it kept showing up. The first one came not long after Fluttershy’s flight from the Analysis Labs.

My dear, if everything you’ve told me is true—and I have no reason to doubt it—then, please, come back to us. I know you’ve been hounded for your view on augs, but there’s no reason to shy away; we’re all open-minded, and we’re all still your friends.

Wherever you are, stay safe, at least. Promise me that.

She tried to find the mail that the message was replying to, but infuriatingly, there was no trace. “What happened, Fluttershy?” Bon Bon murmured to herself. She continued through the history, the messages following the same trajectory as with Poster Paint: requests to come back, requests to stay safe, requests to reveal where she was hiding.

Bon Bon couldn’t help but feel a little anxious at the wording of these messages, too. Not for the creepiness of the language from Fluttershy’s former collegue, but the all-too-familiar usages of ‘my dear’ and ‘darling’. Her heart sank as she alighted upon a message from a couple of days ago, sent about the time Twilight was activating her horn aug.

Twilight knows about your involvement in the protests tonight. She’s already getting her—or should I say our—operative ready to protect you, but my dear, you have to understand that you’re walking into the manticore’s den. These ponies protesting are not going to suffer rationality gladly, and I won’t be surprised if this demonstration breaks out into a riot. And if it does, you’ll be right in the centre of it.

Please, don’t do this to me. I’m already worried sick about what might happen tonight. Fluttershy, your presence in Canterlot is already known to Twilight, and she will find you now. I can only assume your break from cover stems from a desire to make yourself known again... but I want to be sure that you want to come back.

We all miss you dreadfully. And I promise, we will get our friends together again, regardless of this dreadful augmentation debate. But I can’t do that without you.

Yours truly,

Rarity.

Bon Bon felt her blood run cold. Rarity knew Fluttershy was here in Canterlot the whole time?! And after Twilight said she’d lost contact years ago... She re-opened the mental link to Colgate. Uh... Colgate, how long until the mailbox is fully transferred?

Just done now! It’s all been sent to Twilight. Why? You sound kinda... worried.

It turns out Rarity was in contact with Fluttershy in secret for the past couple of years. And we just sent their entire conversation to Twilight, Bon Bon replied dryly.

Oh. Oh dear. Colgate paused a moment. But that’s not your problem, BB. Twilight wanted the truth, she got it.

I suppose. Bon Bon felt a small jolt of alarm run through her as she noticed a triangle in her augmented vision gradually coming closer. Her ears pricked up as the faint thumping of a heavily augmented guard came closer. I’ve got bigger problems. She looked up at the duct she’d entered through. It was well away from the desk; she could climb back into it, if there was time to stack the office furniture beneath it. Judging from the jangle of keys from outside, that wasn’t the case. She swiftly closed the mail program and locked the computer, before ducking behind the desk.

“I’m telling you, Charity, we got an alert off’ve Hope’s computer! Somepony’s been using it!” came a voice from outside.

I’m trapped, Colgate. Guards are about to come through the door, and it’s the only way out, Bon Bon informed her, feeling a faint panic rising.

Hey, you’ve got a thousand and one tricks up your sleeve, Colgate replied. You remember how to access your aug activation interface, right? I definitely recall there being an invisibility augmentation in your implant list.

Bon Bon brought up the menu in her vision, revealing a bewildering array of menus and sub-menus: options, whether or not to activate them, magic consumption. She quickly navigated through to the section labelled ‘stealth’, the sound of jangling keys from the frustrated guard in the background putting her heart in her mouth.

She came to the aug Colgate was talking about. Damn it, I can’t unlock this aug! My body’s isn’t acclimatised enough yet!

Well... if you’ve got a soul gem, now’s the time to use it. Colgate sounded equally anxious, also able to hear the guards through Bon Bon’s hearing.

And where would I get a— She felt a jolt run through her as she remembered the gem she had picked up earlier. Bon Bon’s hoof shot to her belt, and she tugged out the soul gem, tossing the wrapping away. Her heart leapt as she heard the key turning in the lock, and touched the jewel to her horn, crouching behind the desk. Come on, come on, come on...

“Must be in here somewhere,” said the guard, as he walked in. The gem’s rainbow sheen faded away as Bon Bon’s horn absorbed the enchantment, and the aug menu showed the first-tier invisibility aug as ‘activated’. She let out a tiny sigh of relief, concentrated, and activated the spell.

It felt as though somepony had suddenly wrapped her in a skin-tight suit, a slight pressure building across her body. Bon Bon could feel the strain—this was not an aug that treated the user’s stamina kindly. She waved a hoof in front of her face, amazed to see nothing, even though her mind knew the limb was there.

The unicorn stood up from behind the desk. The guard looked straight through her, frowning, and Charity glowered at her from just beside the open door, still clad in his cloak. She began to move slowly across the room; invisible though she was, sound could still give her away. Bon Bon walked carefully past the guard and the hulking, augmented pony and turned the corner.

She was already feeling tired from the mere seconds she had been invisible, and by the time she had reached the crates she had hidden behind earlier, Bon Bon felt as though she’d run a marathon. The unicorn slumped down, sweating and panting, the enchantment finally giving out and rendering her visible again. A frustrated cry of “Well, they must be here somewhere!” came down the corridor from the guard.

“Fan out. Can’t have gotten far. Look for a mare with a blue-and-pink mane,” came a rumbling reply. Charity. Bon Bon curled up behind the crates, keeping as quiet as possible until she heard hoofsteps going past once more. She felt her eyes begin to droop.

Bon Bon? Hey, wake up! She jolted back to wakefulness at Colgate’s voice.

Sorry, I just wore myself out from using the invisibility aug, she replied. How long was I out for?

Only a couple of minutes... but, gee BB, you sure know how to make a pony worry. Colgate sounded relieved. You okay?

Yeah... think I’m gonna need to get a bunch more of Pinkie’s cakes after this, though, she thought, feeling the faint prickle of oncoming aug fatigue. Time to get out of here.

She got up unsteadily, yawned, and made for the nearest staircase, unlocking the barred door back into the public area. Bon Bon wondered whether to take the keyring back to the unconcious guard, but the episode in Fluttershy’s office had persuaded her otherwise. She decided to keep them, just in case Twilight ever needed her to return here.

Bon Bon swiftly trotted down the stairs, occasionally colliding with the wall as she stumbled from tiredness. She knew that soon, she would need to deal with the fallout from the mail archive: the body at the Analysis Labs, Rarity’s secret knowledge, and Fluttershy’s own mysterious past.

But for now, Bon Bon fled through the main doors of the clinic out into Lower Canterlot, toward Zantos, her items, her nest, and some much-needed rest. And then, she would be ready for whatever tomorrow brought.

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Augmentation Activated

Skin: Trickster Invisibility AugmentA first-generation visual manipulation implant, the Trickster bends light around the user to make them completely invisible. The implants require less magical integration than higher-tier devices, but come at the price of a higher magical strain while in use. A lower-strain alternative gives the user an ‘active camoflague’; blending into the background while still staying somewhat visible. The implants can be upgraded to put less strain on the body, or to disguise the user in other ways.

Author's Note:

Many thanks to Burraku_Pansa of WRITE and to Darth Rex for pre-reading, and to KibugamiKenzo for the incredible cover art.

Questions, comments, critiques? Get in touch at melonhunter42@gmail.com