Equestria's Secret Service

by EdwardJ

II - The Plan

---

Chapter Two

"Equestria no longer has a formal military force; what was has since dissolved into the multiple militia and town guardships of today. Though few of these organizations work together, Equestria remains at peace with her neighbours. This is due to the fact that, even though the fractured armed forces present a vulnerable target, Princess Luna's Service still remains strong, working behind the scenes to dismantle enemy plans before they can gather strength..."

~Excerpt from "Equestrian Histories," by Scarlet Quill
Archived history teachings

"Autumn! What are you doing back so early?" A deep-blue pegasus mare with falling raindrops on her flank ran up to the cloaked pony, her blue-and-white mane flowing behind her. "I figured you'd be gone for two weeks, at least."

"Dew," he said, turning to face her. "Perhaps you can help me. I need to find the pony in charge of the follow-up to the Morlan Mines; I have an urgent update on the mission."

Dew cocked her head to one side. "Follow-up? Autumn, it's been four days. Nopony is going to send a follow-up after just four days; you know this."

"But... surely you received Sly's message?"

Dew shook her head. "Not that I know of. I don't think there has been any new word on the mines since your team left." Autumn was silent. She knew him well enough to know what was going on behind his mask, and it worried her. "What happened out there?"

"...I need to deliver this report. Where is Keystone?"

"Keystone?" Dew balked. It was one thing for Autumn to be back so soon, but to go straight to the Commissar? Whatever happened out there, it had to be big. "She's... in a meeting." She paused, but only for a moment. "This way."

She led him down the hallways of the Royal Palace, bringing him to the main conference hall used by the Service. All along the way, ponies stopped and whispered. 'Isn't that Autumn?' 'He shouldn't be back yet, should he?' 'Where is he going now?' A few followed them all the way to the closed doors of the hall, where Autumn marched up to the pegasus guard. "I have an urgent message that must be brought to the attention of Keystone," he said. "Let me pass."

"No-one is to enter the room until business is concluded."

"This must be heard; the fate of Equestria may hang on this."

The guard's eye rolling was barely noticeable. "Heard that one before." His head turned, slowly, until he was looking Autumn in the eye. "No admittance."

"I see." Autumn's voice was level and calm, and he seemed set to wait. He had never been much of an aggressive pony, so it surprised Dew when he simply shouldered past the guard and barged into the closed meeting. By the guard's reaction, he hadn't expected it either.

"H-hey! Get back here!" The armoured pegasus followed his ineffectual shout into the room. Dew trotted in after him, concerned; Autumn was acting strangely. What happened out there?

In the centre of the room was a large triangular table; the point farthest from the door cut flat to allow the head seat to overlook the three sides. Ponies from the three major branches of the Service sat at the three sides, and all had turned at the commotion at the door. There, Autumn was kneeling before the assembly while the guard tried to make apologies. What caught Dew's attention was that Keystone wasn't there. Looking down from the head of the table was an all-white unicorn, his golden eyes carefully regarding the cloaked pony who had interrupted the meeting. Golden Lock, thought Dew. Why's he here? Where's Keystone?

Golden Lock held up a forehoof, and the guard immediately went quiet. The unicorn spoke very slowly and deliberately, his voice carrying over the assembled ponies. "This is a closed meeting. I had hoped that the orders of your superiors was good enough reason to stay outside, but it seems I was mistaken." He leaned over the table. "Pony, you'd better have an exceptionally good reason for me not to have you whipped."

Autumn stood, and looked Golden Lock in the eye. "Equestria is under dire threat from the Morlan Mines."

There was a murmur from the table as ponies turned and whispered to each other. Golden Lock didn't move, but when he started speaking again his voice was even and level. "Very well; I'm listening."

Autumn gave a quick nod before starting. "Vice-Commissar; Fillies and Gentlecolts of the council; I bring important news.

"Four days ago, myself, Spotter, and Sly were sent to investigate reports of diamond dogs gathering at the Morlan Mines just outside of Equestrian borders. When we arrived, we found the mine well guarded, and it took the better part of a day to gain access. Once inside..." He paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "Lordship, council members; the mines hold a dog tribe numbering in the thousands, led by three shamans."

Shocked whispers erupted from around the room, and Dew turned to find that, with the door still open, curious ponies had wandered in. Turning back, she found that though the council members were whispering fervently to each other, Golden Lock remained unmoving, his golden eyes fixed on the pony before the table.

"While there, we bore witness to a strange ritual," Autumn continued, staring unblinking back into the unicorn's eyes. "The Shamans cast several spells over a plate of food; food for a pony. Spotter said that a Shaman had then instructed the dogs to take it to an alacorn." A few gasps and mutterings were heard; Dew found herself too engaged to care. "I followed to where it was taken and discovered a captive pegasus, heavy with foal from a unicorn father. She told me the dogs want her foal; I believe they are trying to breed an alacorn.

"Before this discovery, Sly had gone to send you a report, but she was found; it felt as though the entire tribe had been sent after her, the way the mine shook. Afterwards, I saw the dogs bring her broken horn back into the mine; I could not find Spotter."

Autumn paused, looking to the floor; it was never an easy thing to lose comrades. His silence was echoed by all the ponies in the hall. Finally, he drew himself up and continued. "After that, I knew I had to get back to the palace as soon as possible. I had assumed that Sly had sent the report before she... was found, but it seems that was not the case. Therefore, instead of updating the report, I am here giving it. Lordship; council," he finished.

The council turned inward and whispered to each other for a moment, slowly growing silent as they all looked up toward Golden Lock. At the head of the table, the unicorn sat like a statue. His expression was unreadable as the whole room waited with bated breath for his answer. As the silence stretched into minutes, a growing unease was felt. Ponies gave each other worried looks, nervous chuckles were heard and quickly silenced, and nopony dared to speak. In the middle of the room Autumn stood, a statue himself. When Golden Lock finally spoke, his words were ice.

"How long did you spend in the mines?"

A pause. "Two days, your Lordship."

The unicorn tapped on the table several times. "You interrupt us for games?"

Autumn blinked. "Your Lordship?"

Lock pointed at Autumn. "You bring wild tales before us and expect us to take them seriously? A gathering of thousands of diamond dogs, three Shamans, and a heart-breaking tale of a captive pegasus, there to give birth to an alacorn." He snorted. "That aside, you stand before us a mere four days after you say you left. Two days in the mine, and two days on a journey back that takes five on hoof. How would you explain that away?"

There was a pause before his answer. "I can move when the need arises."

"'When the need arises,' of course. Pity your flank doesn't show a blur, else I might have believed you." He shook his head. "Any foal could tell you there is no truth to be had here."

"Your Lordship," protested Autumn, "what would I have to gain by bringing you false reports?"

"Ah, what, indeed? Let us consider a moment." His voice dripped with contempt as he leaned forward, crossing his hooves on the table in front of him. "You," he began, "are Autumn, a pony not unknown to us. A talent of hiding, and very good at it, if the tales are true. A useful talent, I must say: to be able to sup with the enemy and them never know you are there. But then, your allies can't find you either.

"I suspect you never left for the mines. Perhaps you hid in the palace for a few days, waiting for the right opportunity to come into daylight and scare us all. Why, at the numbers you describe, the entirety of the Secret Service would have to go and meet this threat, as well as the whole Royal Guard." He leaned over the table. "And with the palace empty, you would have a golden opportunity to pick through the royal secrets." He cast a baleful smile down the table.

Autumn remained still. "If I wanted your secrets, I would already have them."

The unicorn laughed. "A foolish statement; it takes much more than being able to hide to get at our secrets. But, of course, with everypony gone-"

"Were you not listening?" Autumn interrupted. "It may not be necessary to send a large force. We would-"

"Not a large force, you say? For an enemy of thousands?" He shook his head. "As amusing as this has been, I've had enough of this farce. Leave, before I have you confined to quarters." He waved his hoof in a dismissive gesture.

"Your lor-"

"DISMISSED, pony. Do not force me to have you escorted from the premises." Autumn was quiet a moment, then he gave a quick bow, turned, and walked out the door. Three steps later, everyone lost sight of him. "Off to trouble, no doubt," spat Golden Lock. He turned to one of the unicorns sitting at the table. "Inform the palace guards to keep an extra eye out; we cannot have anything go missing now. The rest of you," he said, turning to the gathered onlookers, "this show is over. Get back to your duties."

The assembled ponies began to shuffle out, whispering quietly to themselves. Dew stood outside the door until the last pony had left, closing the door behind him. As he trotted off, she turned to the unicorn standing beside her. A pretty mare, her coat spoke of fresh cream and her bright red mane looked like fire against her neck. Her flank was marked by a rainbow encircling a star. "Well, Gleam, what do you think?"

"I believe Autumn," said Gleam without hesitation. "I've never known him to lie. Goldie, though... sometimes I think he forgets what he's doing here. He should have at least agreed to investigate further."

"But," said Dew, "if what Autumn said is true, then another investigation would just waste valuable time. Action is what is needed now, not deliberation."

"Oh, you'll get no argument from me; I'm just saying that Goldie is a bit of an old pony, and action isn't something he supports a lot of. Keystone would have listened, I'm certain."

"Yes, that reminds me: where is the Chief Commissar? I thought she would be the one leading that meeting."

"Not sure, really. Rumour has it she was called away for some really important mission or some such." Gleam smiled and leaned in close. "But as for Autumn... personally, I am most curious to hear his plan."

Dew smiled. "Well, then, we had better move quickly, shouldn't we?"

Gleam hopped to attention. "Yup!" She trotted off, smiling and humming to herself. Dew watched her go, then turned and went in the opposite direction.

She walked down the familiar royal halls, watching the tapestries as they passed. The halls were cavernous, easily over fifty meters of grandeur. She could fly the length of them and never worry about running out of room. It helped her to remember that. This part of the palace was inside the mountain itself, carved from the living rock. There were no windows to let the sunlight in; instead, light simply existed, a magical glow with no apparent source. Even after all this time, it still felt a little eerie to her.

The door to Autumn's room was open slightly, so Dew walked inside. Here, the luminescence was less pronounced; Autumn had always liked the dark, and so he had gotten some unicorns to dim the glow here. Rather than making the room feel unwelcoming, it had a quiet warmth to it, like drinking tea in candlelight after a long day. The room itself was rather spartan: a bed, a standing cabinet, a writing desk, and a phonograph were the only pieces of furniture visible, though she knew there were some chairs stacked in the closet. The walls were bare save for a single picture frame above the desk; inside it was a map of Equestria. There was no sign of Autumn.

Dew closed the door behind her. "That was quite a performance you gave," she said to the empty room. "I quite liked the part where you can 'move when the need arises.'" She flapped her wings a bit for emphasis. "Or was that too much, you think?"

"What kind of pony does he think he is?" came an angry growl. "I bring him truth, and he throws it in my face! Is this what the Service is becoming? Willing to let Equestria fall just for a few laughs at me?" There was a loud thump, and the quills on the desk rattled.

Dew was taken aback; it had been a long while since Autumn had been this angry. "No-one is laughing, Autumn."

"Aren't they? You saw them; they were practically crawling over each other in there, eager to be pleased by my humiliation. This is-"

"Autumn, stop!" Her voice echoed in the bare room, and a few seconds of silence followed. "They were not there to laugh; they were curious. You burst in on a closed meeting with a high-importance report. How can you expect them not to want to hear it? Stop being afraid of them."

"What makes you think I am afraid?" His voice was barbed.

"Because," Dew said slowly. "You're still hiding."

There was a pause, then a quiet sigh, and Autumn emerged from the shadows. His hood was still down from when he interrupted the meeting, showing his mask in its full glory. He seemed to have calmed a bit; his voice was traced with sadness more than anger when he spoke. "I was a foal all over again, being mocked before the entire school. What happened? I thought we left these schoolyard games behind us when we grew up. What does it take, Dew? What does it take?"

She wrapped her neck around his, quietly urging those memories away. "We're not on the playground anymore; nopony wants to laugh at you. Golden Lock may be a bully, but the rest of us aren't those callous schoolfoals willing to praise any mockery that isn't pointed their way." She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "If anything, he alienated himself more than you."

"No-one stepped forward." His voice was soft, and Dew had to strain to catch his words. "They were all content to simply watch; even you. What am I to make of that? How is that any different?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "We were afraid, too." She spoke just as softly, pulling his attention to her words. "He's our Vice-Commissar, and he could easily extend his beating to anypony who stepped in to defend you. You know me, I'm not... I'm not exactly Service material. Lock would have no reservations about removing me if I upset him. The rest of them may not have the courage to face him directly, but they are behind you. Don't lose faith in all of us for one pony who lets his power go to his head. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

Autumn took a deep, slow breath, and Dew saw the anger melt away. "I... I can understand that. Thank you, Dew, for... for being here."

She smiled. "You wouldn't have it any other way."

He chuckled quietly, a soft smile coming to his lips; it vanished quickly as he hung his head. "He is dooming us," he said, his voice heavy. "He will not act, and Equestria lacks the power to fight them head-on. There was still a chance, but now..." he shook his head. "So many will die."

"So what will you do?"

He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Do?" he asked. "What can you expect of me? I hide. I cannot... just..." Slowly, his eyes wandered over to the standing cabinet. "I could..." He walked over and began filling the pockets on his vest with miscellaneous assundry. "I will have to keep my promise, then." He turned back to Dew, who still stood in front of the door. "Please, I need to go."

"Just like that?"

"I cannot afford to wait."

"You won't succeed on your own; you do know that, right?"

"I have to; who would help me? You said it yourself: they are afraid. I have no authority to command them; even if I did our glorious Vice-Commissar is planning on grounding me, and you are blind if you think that he has no support. If I stay and try to convince others to join me, it may become too late to leave. If I do not leave now, I will not have any other chance, and Equestria will fall." He looked at Dew, who hadn't moved. "Please let me leave."

Dew shook her head. "Weren't you listening? Golden Lock may have support, but he hardly speaks for all of us. The others may be afraid to face Lock directly, but they will help you. You don't need to convince anypony to join you, you just need to ask." She gave him an imploring look. "You have allies right here, Autumn; don't turn them away."

He sighed. "What can you expect me to do? If I announce my intention to return to the mines and ask anypony who wishes to follow me to do so, Golden Lock will hear of it and will not hesitate to place me under house arrest, and that if he is feeling benevolent. Taking the time to garner support one pony at a time takes too long, and only the worst can come of it. I need to leave now." Even as he said the words, he stood and waited, making no move to push Dew out of the way.

"Listen to me," Dew said, stepping away from the door and closer to him. "You don't have to try to take all the burdens yourself. I'm your friend, Autumn, I want to help you." She looked to the floor. "That's... that's what I'm here for." Silence descended on the room; Dew could hear her own heart beat. Several strained seconds passed before she spoke again. "It's just..." she looked back up at him. "This affects all of us, not just you; surely you can see that. You don't have to do this alone."

He smiled. "The two of us, is it? No offense to your skill, but I do not think the odds improved. I would rather you stay safe in this."

She shook her head. "No, not just me; I'm not the only one who would follow you." She smiled. "Come with me, and I think you'll find the odds very much improved."

His ears perked up. "How many?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't asked anypony yet. I had to make sure that you weren't going to disappear too soon. It's hard work, keeping tabs on you."

"Then-"

"Oh, don't worry so much! Gleam has been taking care of that for us. I'd say she has rounded up a good number of ponies by now. Care to take a look?" Autumn stood there, seemingly stunned. "I told you," she said, smiling warmly. "You're not alone here."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Dew... thank you."

"Autumn," Dew said as he moved for the door. He stopped and looked at her. "We're going to need a story."

"What do you mean?"

She faced him. "It was cute when you interrupted the meeting, but somepony is going to wonder how you actually did get back in two days. You may want to tell them something if you want them to continue to trust you."

He sighed. "Right, of course. Thank you; I would not have thought of that."

"Honestly," she said, pushing past him; "What would you do without me?"

* * *

Gleam was waiting for them outside one of the palace's privacy rooms. "Oh, good! You found him! I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry about that," Dew said, looking to the privacy room. "How many did you get?"

"Fifteen volunteers in total," Gleam chirped, smiling. "Nine unicorns, five earth ponies, and even one pegasus."

"A pegasus?" asked Autumn. "You did tell her we are going underground?"

Dew looked sharply at him while Gleam laughed. "'Him,' actually, and of course I did; do you think I'd leave that part out? He knows where we're going, and he still volunteered." She leaned in close. "Perhaps he hopes to impress some forlorn captive, hmmm?"

Autumn shook his head. "He would be disappointed, I think; she has a lifemate."

"Oh, well, he'll find that out soon enough, I suppose." She cocked her head Autumn's way. "Incidentally, do you know how many of them are looking forward to meeting you and seeing you in action? You should get out more; make more friends."

"Shall we get going?" Dew interrupted. "We don't have a lot of time, remember?" She opened the door to the privacy room, and found it was empty. "Where is everypony?"

"Packing, and getting dressed," Gleam answered simply. "Should be here any minute now."

Dew sighed; so much for getting out in a hurry. Still, with fifteen volunteers, that brought their total up to eighteen for this highly dangerous and possibly suicidal mission. Better odds, she hoped, but whatever Autumn's plan was, it had better be a good one.

They waited in the privacy room for the others to arrive, which, one by one, they did. Seeing them made Dew feel a little foolish for not thinking to grab her saddlebags or camouflage, but she wouldn't have the time now. She looked over at Autumn, and remembered that he had been filling his pockets. "Autumn, where are your saddlebags? Didn't you just come from the field?"

"They were left behind. I will explain once everypony is here."

Dew settled down, waiting for the others. As they arrived, almost all of the ponies went over to Autumn, trying to talk to him. He gave them all the same answer: wait until the others are here. He stood over by the corner, she noted. Even after reminding him that there were only friends here, he still was keeping himself distant. She sighed inwardly; old habits, she supposed.

Finally, when the last pony arrived, Autumn detached himself from the shadows and gathered them all up in the middle of the room. "I..." he began, "I want to thank you all for doing this. You are no doubt aware that this is going to be a difficult mission, and you risk a lot by coming here, so... thank you."

"Don't mention it," said one of the earth ponies.

"Yeah," one unicorn added, "We're all here to help keep Equestria safe; this is what we do." There were assorted murmurs of approval at that, and Autumn gave a small smile.

"Never-the-less," he continued, regaining his composure, "this is a dangerous mission. The first thing we must do is get out of Canterlot before Golden Lock can stop us." He pulled out a map and pointed to a location on it. "This spot is safe, and a good distance away from the mines. With the Shamans there, we cannot get too close, so this is our safest entry point via teleportation. We have ten unicorns here; will you be able to make it this distance with all of us?"

The unicorns checked the map while quietly discussing the situation; Gleam spoke for them. "Not in one go. We can get close; probably within twenty miles or so." She indicated the proposed area on the map. "We would need a moment to rest before the final push, of course, but we should be able to get there in an hour or so."

Autumn looked at the area Gleam had indicated; it was inside the Everfree forest. "Hmmm... I do not like the idea of sitting exposed in the forest." He pointed at another location, closer to Ponyville. "What about here? If we arrive here, would you still be able to get us to the safe zone in one jump?"

Gleam looked it over. "Sure, but that's still in the forest. What's different about there?"

"A friendly face," answered Autumn. He looked up at the assembled ponies. "Well, then. We will make the first jump as soon as the unicorns are ready, hopefully soon." He emphasized the last word with a pointed look at the unicorns, who immediately began mixing their powers and preparing the teleport spell. "At the halfway point, be polite; Zecora is a friend of Equestria, but it is unlikely she will be too happy about a group of eighteen ponies dropping in unannounced. Do not take advantage of her hospitality. If she offers, accept food or drink graciously, but ask for nothing.

"Secondly, we shall discuss the plan at the safe point; do not bother asking for it sooner." He looked over at the unicorns; the spell was beginning to take shape. "Any questions before we leave?"

"Yeah," one earth pony piped up. "How did you make it back in two days?"

Autumn looked to the floor. "I... got lucky. I enlisted the aid of two pegasi who happened to be in the area. I asked them for speed, and they dropped me off outside the city."

"Why didn't you just tell the Vice-Commissar that?" the pony asked again.

Autumn gave a nervous chuckle as the spell enveloped the group. "A-heh. Well—"

There was a loud slam. Standing in the now-open doorway was Silent Scroll, a member of the
council, flanked by two pegasus guards. "What do you think—"

And then they were gone.

* * *

"I should have expected this," Autumn was saying. They had arrived in the Everfree, off-course and spread out. A few ponies were still missing after all those who landed nearby had gathered. Nopony could be blamed for that, of course; blind teleportation has always been a tricky thing, even dangerous if not prepared for. The fact that the group had ended up only a little scattered was a good deal, considering the distraction that Silent Scroll had provided when he burst into the room. Right now, however, getting their bearings was a secondary concern. Dew was organizing search parties while listening with half an ear to Autumn.

"Can he track where we went?" he asked Gleam.

"Sure, it's possible. Would take a bit of time, though."

"Is it possible to hide our trail, or to create a false one?"

"On this end?" Gleam considered for a moment. "Not to create a false trail, but it could be possible to disguise or destination. It wouldn't cover the whole trail, mind you; he would still be able to figure out our general direction."

"How soon can you have it done?"

She cocked her head to one side. "A few minutes at most, but doing it is draining. We'd have to take more time to recover; we might not get out of these woods tonight."

"Better to be delayed than stopped. Please have it done."

Gleam sighed and nodded. As she turned to the rest of the unicorns, one of them spoke up. "What's the point, though? It doesn't take a genius to figure out where we're going. Even if we hide here, he'll just cut us off at the mines."

Dew looked over at this outspoken unicorn. A mare, pale plum coat, happy pink-and-blue striped mane, and a quill-and-star cutie mark. She knew the unicorn's question had merit, but it seemed to her to be very close to giving up. They had barely started, and this mare was thinking of running away already? She fought the feeling down; it was plain that the council knew of their group, and it would be a safe bet that they would tell Golden Lock. The Vice-Commissar was a dangerous pony, and not just because he was a powerful unicorn; he could kick them all out of the Secret Service. The fact that he knew that ponies had left against his orders had only increased the danger of this mission; this was no time to be infighting.

"I am aware," answered Autumn, "but if we make it to the mines before he catches us, he will see the danger for himself. If that happens, then he will have no choice but to support us. If he stops us before then... well, I don't think we could talk our way out of that."

The unicorn paused, then turned back to the rest of the group. But then, Dew thought as she watched the unicorns preparing their magic, the danger of Golden Lock finding us has always been there. Why did she join us if she was afraid of that? Again, she pushed the thought aside. She's here, and she's here to help; let it go.

"Did you plan for this?" Dew asked as she came up beside Autumn. "Not the scattering of the team, but the idea of Lock following us to the mines?"

"I admit, it was a thought I had entertained when I thought I was going alone. Seemed dangerous then, and more so now." He looked to the canopy. "I honestly hope we can make it to the mines; it is getting to be a challenge doing just that."

Dew followed his gaze. It was midday, but on the forest floor it seemed like twilight. The treetops swayed in the wind, letting small slivers of sunlight twinkle and dance in the gloom. She had never liked the forest; everything always had an unnatural feel to it. She shivered. "I don't like this place. Where's your friend?"

"Hard to say. She lives somewhere near here, but we arrived in a bit of a mess. I fear I have not taken the time to scout the area." He paused. "We do have ponies scouting out right now, yes? We need to make sure we all made it."

She smiled. "Yes, I took care of that while you were talking to the unicorns. We had three ponies who never turned up, all earth ponies. The two remaining earth ponies are searching together, while our young pegasus is looking best he can from the air. They will meet back here in a few minutes. Our unicorns, as you know, are all working on hiding our trail."

He nodded, and they waited in silence. Waiting had always been the hardest part for Dew. She knew better than to confuse 'motion' with 'progress,' but sitting still always made her feel as though something wasn't being accomplished. When the unicorns came over and informed Autumn that the trail was obscured, he thanked them and bid them to wait and rest. Though he hid it well, Dew had known him long enough to see that he was worried. She wanted to comfort him, but knew that he would only turn her away; a lifetime of keeping secrets and hiding from everypony cuts deep into a pony's habits. Instead, she just sat beside him and waited.

There was a crashing noise above them as a mint green pegasus tumbled through the canopy. He hit the ground awkwardly and stumbled, flaring his wings to keep balance. After his ungraceful landing, he ran over to Autumn.

"It's a mess out there! The trees are too thick to see through and I swear the birds thought I was after their eggs or something. One of them snuck up on me; almost got my eye."

Dew chuckled. "You are probably the only pegasus who almost got shown up by a bird."

"Hey," he responded defensively, "the birds are wild out here. I can't help it if they've never seen pegasi before."

"Did you make note of any landmarks?" Autumn asked quietly.

Camlock paused. "Yeah, um... there's a clearing to the north, maybe two klicks out; looks to be a swamp. Small village to the east, about a klick out. South by south-east there's a really tall mountain, lots of klicks out; hard to tell at this distance. The forest just continues to the west; can't make much out that far."

Autumn closed his eyes while he considered the information. A cry came from the woods, and all heads turned.

"I heard you los' something!"

Coming towards the gathered group were four earth ponies. Dew recognized the two in front as Forte and Last Leaf, the ponies she had sent off in search of the others. The two behind them, then, had to be two of the lost ponies; one was still missing.

The four walked up to Autumn. Forte, a charcoal-coloured stallion with a crossed-lances cutie mark, spoke. "Foun' these two wanderin' a ways off. Well, foun' one, and th' other foun' us. Either way, figured we ought get 'em back here afore tryin' to delve deeper into the forest; they needed ta know where we are."

Autumn nodded, but said nothing. He looked around the forest, lost in his own thoughts. "So... I guess we'll be off, then," Forte said. "Still got one more pony to find."

"Do you know the missing pony?" Autumn asked, still looking away.

"Eh?" The charcoal pony stopped a moment. "Oh, yes; she'd be Maple Song. Cute little filly; got a coat like rubies, and her mane is cream white, so she ought be easy to spot."

There was a rustling noise, and a growl emanated from somewhere in the forest. Autumn turned to the ponies. "We cannot stay here; the forest does not like intruders. We must try to make it to Zecora's. Do not hide your tracks; let it be a simple matter for Maple Song to find us; easier for one to find seventeen than elsewise."

"Such wise words, and true indeed; you would do well to pay them heed."

Everyone looked over to the source of the strange rhyme, and there they found a zebra. Beside her, there was an earth pony with an embarrassed smile. "Hi," Maple Song said. "I'm back."

Autumn got up and bowed his head. "Good to have your safe return. Zecora; I am glad to see you here."

"And I am surprized to find you back among these trees; what brings you and your friends this deep into the Everfree?"

"An adventure," he replied. "Forgive us for intruding, but we need a place to rest before the unicorns can teleport us out. I know your hut is a safe haven in these woods, and so..."

Zecora smiled. "Of course you may, Autumn, my friend; a helping hoof I will gladly lend."

He bowed again. "My thanks, Zecora; we are in your debt."

"Speak not to me of debts, Autumn; I tell you again, you do not owe one." With that, she turned, and began walking back into the woods. After a moment, the rest of the ponies followed.

"This your friend, then?" Dew asked, coming up beside Autumn.

"She is."

She looked the zebra up and down. "Exotic," she said dryly. "How did you meet her?"

"Like you, she saved my life. I... have not yet repaid the favour."

So that's how it is, she thought, watching the group follow after the strange-looking pony. Autumn never had made friends easily, but when it came to a life, well... that was a debt he would never let go of.

* * *

The second jump brought them out in the open plains, out North-Northwest of the Morlan Mines. Here they set up a temporary camp in the tall grass, hidden from the casual eye. Zecora had been kind to them, taking them all back to her hut and giving them some food for the trip. She had even supplied the unicorns with a draught that helped them recover their magic more quickly. Autumn insisted that he pay for her aid, but Zecora would not hear of it. In the end, Autumn had discreetly left some bits in a pot by the door.

Autumn wandered the camp, helping where he could and answering some questions, getting to know some of the ponies who signed up for this mission. Most of the ponies were asking about the plan, but Autumn would tell them to wait until after the hard work was done. Dew watched him move; she could tell something was bothering him, even as he hid it from everypony else. She hoped it was just mission stress.

Half an hour later, eight ponies were gathered in the command tent, while the others saw to the smooth running of the camp. Big as it was, it had been disguised well, looking like nothing more than just another patch of grass in this sea of green, and with the night falling, there was little chance that anything seeing it would think twice. Its utility was still limited, however; once they entered the barren flatland, even the smaller tents would be easily spotted.

Autumn led the meeting, while Dew, Gleam, and five other ponies listened intently. Dew knew most of the ponies present, at least by reputation. Forte was a good, strong earth pony, talented in the art of combat. Of all the ponies here, he had probably seen the most dangerous missions, and seen them through to completion. When the going got tough, Forte was the pony to handle it.

Maple Song was a small mare, and her cutie mark, three maple trees with leaves swirling around them, belied her talent of tracking. There were few who could read the subtleties of a trail as well as she could; she would say the forest sings to her.

The other three were unicorns, and while Dew didn't know a lot about them, they all bore the star in their cutie mark which told of some type of magical talent. Constellation, she knew, had been all over Equestria, and her service record was phenomenal. She had never managed to push the ranks very well, but she never seemed bothered by that, either. Dew had heard that she liked where she was, and had no intention of trying to make a fuss about it. The other two were newer to the Service, or Dew had not yet come across them.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts," Autumn began, drawing Dew's attention back to the matters at hoof, "I know I have no authority to command you, so I thank you for accepting my lead. What we are about to do will not be easy. I welcome input from you all once you have heard my plan." He nodded to Dew, who placed the map in front of him. "As I have said, we spotted three Shamans in the mines. We are here." He pointed with his hoof. "I believe this is the maximum distance where I believe we can use magic safely. After we leave here, the going will get tough. We must move carefully to avoid patrols, so I do not expect to make it to the mines before nightfall tomorrow."

"A full day's march?" asked one unicorn. Dew noted that she was the same plum unicorn from earlier. "Shamans can't detect our magic anywhere near that distance."

"A necessary precaution, Celina," answered Autumn. "A single Shaman may not be able to detect you, but three together? We have no idea what they may be capable of."

"But didn't you get much closer with magic the last time? If they could have detected you at that distance, don't you think they would have?"

"Last time they had no idea we were coming," Autumn replied. "However, we were discovered, and Sly was found. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that they may be expecting more forces. Under such conditions, they may be keeping a more vigilant watch on the surrounding area." Celina was about to speak up, but Autumn didn't give her the chance. "I do not like the idea any more than you do, Celina; every day delayed is a day the dogs gather strength, but if we move too quickly and attract notice..." He let the rest hang there, unspoken. Celina didn't say a word.

He turned back to the rest of the gathered ponies. "Once we have arrived, we will check the mineshaft my team used before; if it is still open and unguarded, that is our way in. If not, we will scout the area and find an entrance. We will then break up into smaller teams and make our way inside. Most teams will be tasked with monitoring and intelligence gathering; those teams will need to keep everyone appraised of dog movements. I will-"

"How can you expect us to do that?" Celina interrupted. "You're playing it overly cautious, and for that I know that you won't let us use magical communication. How are we supposed to 'keep everyone appraised'?"

He looked her squarely in the eye. "I would ask you to create a new code, one that uses only small, short bursts of magic to-"

"How can you expect that to work?" shouted Celina. "No message can be sent over a small burst of magic; you can't even send anything comprehensible!"

"Then perhaps you could learn a system that uses letters instead of words," Dew said suddenly; she was growing tired of this unicorn's bickering. "Is that too hard to do?"

"Oh, for the love of-" Celina turned to face her. "You have no idea how magical communication works, do you? Well, we don't send words, or even letters for that matter."

"Uh," one of the other unicorns hesitantly volunteered. "Celina?"

"It's a sending of emotions; of feelings and concepts." Celina paid the other unicorn no mind, continuing on her rant against Dew. "A bunch of little things that add up into a bigger picture."

"Celina?" the other unicorn ventured again.

"And unlike words," she continued, "you can't just break it all down into individual pieces; the whole thing would just fall apart if you tried."

"Celiiiiiiiiiina!"

"And furthermore... WHAT?"

The unicorn's tone suggested he was stating the obvious. "We can do it. Not sending letters, exactly, but we can work of tiny impulses of magic. It would just..." He shrugged. "...you know, be limited, and it'd take some time learning it, really."

Celina was looking daggers at him while Autumn spoke. "Good. Please put it together, and familiarize yourselves with it during the march." He turned back to rest of the ponies. "While most teams will be gathering intelligence, I will lead the team to go rescue the captive pegasus. Once she is free and out of the mines, we will regroup and make our way back to Canterlot."

There was a pause. "Wait, wait." Celina again. "That's it? Just rescue the pegasus and and go home? What about the dogs? What about this threat to Equestria?" She looked around. "I mean, I'm all for charity cases, but isn't there something a bit more important going on?"

"If this plan works," Autumn answered, "then the dogs will disperse."

A murmur ran through the assembled ponies before Celina spoke up again. "What do you mean by that? Rescue the pegasus and the dogs leave?"

He was quiet a moment, and Dew could see he was gathering his thoughts. The rest of the ponies looked on anxiously. Finally, "As I told the Vice-Commissar, I believe the dogs are trying to make an alacorn, though for what purpose I cannot say. I believe that the Shamans are working together for this common goal. If we remove the objective, then they will revert to infighting, and ultimately tear themselves apart and disperse."

"But," said Celina, "an alacorn is not made by simply pairing a pegasus and a unicorn; their plan can't work."

"What matters," stressed Autumn, "is not if their plan is feasible; what matters is that they think it is. So long as they think they have chance at this, they will continue to work together and continue to gather support. This must be stopped."

"If that's the case, then couldn't we just wait for events to unfold? When the foal is born, they will see it isn't an alacorn and then disperse themselves, won't they?"

A heavy silence settled on the assembly. Dew took the moment to confirm that she really didn't like this pony, and decided that she was likely going to be a problem; she would have keep a close eye on her. Autumn exhaled slowly, and the assembly waited with bated breath for his response. "That," he said coldly, "is a possibility. However, it is important to remember that the Shamans are casting some kind of spell over the food they are giving their captive. Even if what they are doing proves fruitless, imagine what might happen if the foal is born with even the appearance of an alacorn. Even if it is a failure, it could encourage the dogs to try again, and again, and again, until they get a success." He stepped closer to Celina. "That aside, would you honestly condemn an Equestrian pony to the cells of a diamond dog mine? Would you really risk more ending up beside her?"

Celina looked around her nervously; Dew noted the look of fear in her orange eyes. "I... I... of course not, I just... I'm just trying to understand the whole plan, is all." She paused a moment. "What... what will you do if it doesn't work?"

Autumn responded with silence. He turned his back on the assembly and walked to the flap covering the opening of the tent. "It would have to," he finally said. "Shamans are violently territorial by nature, so if we remove the one thing that holds them together, then how can they not start infighting? However, should they not, then I would hope that the testimony from the ponies here would convince our leaders that this threat is real. After that, I suppose it would be on their backs." He turned back to the assembly. "We would need one of the teams to stay behind in the mines; a team of watchers, to report if the dogs do disperse or not. I should not have to tell anypony here that it will likely be the most dangerous part of this mission, but perhaps the most important."

The tent remained silent while the ponies digested this. With no further questions, they divided the eighteen ponies into the teams they would be using in the mines. Afterwards, Autumn dismissed the assembly, reminding them that Golden Lock would likely be out there, and that they must try to avoid him until the mines themselves. They left with instructions to tell the others the plan. Dew watched them all go, then noticed Autumn was gone. She went looking for him, and found him on the outskirts of the camp, watching the sun set while the grass bent to the wind. "I'm not sure I trust Celina."

"Why not?" asked Autumn.

"Just a feeling, really; like she's trying to give up, like she doesn't believe we have a chance. I'm worried that she won't co-operate with the mission."

He looked over and smiled. "Everypony here volunteered to come, remember? She is here to help; she chose to be here for that." He turned back to the setting sun. "Every one of us is risking a lot out here, and we don't even know for certain if my plan will work. If this should fail, then there will be nothing at all to show for it, not even commendations of service. We are all here without orders, and the Vice-Commissar may even say against them. If he catches us, who knows what he will do." He sighed. The sun kissed the horizon, and the red sky was slowly darkening. "The odds are against us, Dew; Celina probably sees that. She is worried, and understandably so. Give her a chance."

Dew thought about that. It was true, the plan did have a ring of desperation; too little intel, too much theory. It had been three days since Autumn and his team had last seen the mines, and a lot could happen in that time. She trusted the plan, though; it made sense, in that sick, perverted kind of way that she figured the dogs thought in. "Maybe you're right," she said; Autumn didn't answer.

As the last tip of the sun vanished, she sat down quietly next to him, and together they watched the stars come out.

~ * ~ ~ * ~ ~ * ~

Clear Skies was bleeding. The night before, she had taken one of the pills to fight magical ailments, and had awoken in the darkness to her unborn thrashing violently in her belly. Painfully, she had clutched her stomach and sung sweet songs to her foal through her tears, but the kicking never stopped. Lying in the black of her cell, she couldn't help but wonder if this was her fault.

Eventually, one of the dogs had come by to change the torch. When he saw the condition she was in, he dropped the torch and ran off. The torch sputtered on the floor, struggling to stay lit. She lay there in the dim light, crying, singing lullabies, and whispering apologies until the dog returned with the Shaman.

The Shaman immediately opened the cell and came over, waving his staff over her, eyes closed and whispering a chant. A light blue spiralled horn, newly hanging from his staff by a thin sliver of leather, drew small circles over her head. When he opened his eyes he saw her belly bucking to the foal's kicks. He turned to the other dog and yelled something in that rough language of theirs, and it dropped to all fours and sprinted off. The Shaman knelt beside her and stroked her belly; it took Clear Skies completely off guard. His eyes had a look of concern in them, and his touch was almost affectionate. He stayed there until the other dog returned with a plate of food.

The Shaman took his staff and waved it over the plate, muttering something under his breath. He pushed the plate towards her. "Eat. Make feel better." She pulled herself to the plate and ate everything on it. The whole while, the Shaman watched her. He stayed with her after she had finished, watching her carefully. Over the course of what felt like hours, her foal slowly calmed down. She was still moving, but it was quieter now; just a gentle twitching of a fitful sleep.

The Shaman didn't leave until he was sure that the foal was calmed. "What you do? Why this happen?" he had asked, but when she didn't answer he had left, giving some instructions to the dog still standing outside her cell. Her foal had never stopped moving since. She had dumped the rest of the pills the first chance she had, but even so, she was still afraid of what the dogs were doing to her food. They had taken to coming by every few minutes to check on her, so she had to carefully hide the rations she was eating and the dumping of her meals they brought, even as she took to drinking the water they provided.

The pain in her belly was sharp, but she hadn't ever considered the full extent of what it could mean until she felt the blood running down her legs. She didn't know how bad it was, but she knew that her foal must have done some damage while she thrashed. There wasn't a lot of blood, so she guessed that it wasn't serious, but it still worried her. What would the Shaman do when he found out? There was no doubt that he would; she had no way to wash herself, so it was only a matter of time.

She lay down to sleep as a dog wandered by her cell, looking in curiously. She could still feel her foal moving, and she hoped that sleep would come easy. She watched the torch burning on the wall, and silently prayed that help would come soon.

つづく
To Be Continued...

Comments

[The Questioner]

Very realistic. I especially like your usage of the Golden Locks character.

One minor error I noticed: Nevertheless doesn't have hyphens in it.

~Xanadu

[Nicknack]

I have to say that, so far, this story is excellent (it's Sunday afternoon here, I've only gotten to chapter two, and I have other matters to attend to today before I can continue this). Your hook, pacing, and—even though I noted a few rough patches—style are all exceptionally done. Had I bought this story in a store, (which admittedly, implies it been about humans, not ponies), I would so far feel that I've received my money's worth in the form of a thriller / military spy novel.

I sincerely fear that I am enjoying this story far too much to provide critical feedback.

However, one thing I finally noticed in this chapter was a glaringly out-of-character moment for Autumn:

He looked over and smiled. "Everypony here volunteered to come, remember? She is here to help; she chose to be here for that." He turned back to the setting sun. "Every one of us is risking a lot out here, and we don't even know for certain if my plan will work. If this should fail, then there will be nothing at all to show for it, not even commendations of service. We are all here without orders, and the Vice-Commissar may even say against them. If he catches us, who knows what he will do." He sighed. The sun kissed the horizon, and the red sky was slowly darkening. "The odds are against us, Dew; Celina probably sees that. She is worried, and understandably so. Give her a chance."

This is, because so far, I've learned four important things about Autumn:
1) He's incredibly introverted, which comes from a childhood of bullying—one that Dew was there with him.
2) He's intelligent and resourceful, though somewhat socially aloof, however...
3) His emotions sometimes get in the way of his judgment—i.e., leaving behind his saddlebags that could very well begin a war, misreading the council's reaction to him.
4) He is incredibly loyal to the few individuals he trusts.

All of these make me think that he's far too trusting and empathetic towards someone he barely knows. I mean, if they're out in the boonies and his best friend is warning, "Hey... this person's acting screwy," it makes a ton of sense for this character to tell the new character, "Hey, fuck off, then." Heck, the plan so far even allows for that—teleport her home, let her tell Golden Lock where they're at, and boom, suddenly, there's a second armed force in the area to help rescue Clear Skies.

Still, I'll put on some +3 Goggles of Suspend Disbelief, and continue this story with high hopes.