One pony gains the Fifth Freedom, the right to protect the other four by any means.
Ponies start disappearing, businesses are destroyed, and a group calling themselves "The Architects" are claiming responsibility. The Equestrian Guard has no leads, no suspects, and no idea what to do. The Princesses turn to a special section of the Equestrian Security Agency: Third Echelon. Officially, they do not exist, all their operatives are disavowed, and all their actions condemned. They have access to a tool trusted to no one else: the Fifth Freedom, the authority to uphold the law by breaking it, to protect information by stealing it, to save lives by taking them.
The Griffon Kingdoms; this amalgamation of separate-yet-unified city-states was home to some of the fiercest warriors on Equis. With the heavily disputed border between Equestria and the battle hungry Griffon Kingdoms most would think war would be inevitable, however having the leader of your country being the one who moves the sun is very strong deterrent. No, open war was never in the plans, a secret cold war though; that's a different matter entirely.
In a dark chamber several figures gathered around a table, the room was locked and the only source of light was a lamp above the table.
"What is the next issue on the agenda?"
"Equestia has just recently raided the armory at Grifdovia, destroying our latest prototypes."
"Can you prove it was them?"
"Of course not! You know how they operate, everything is denied nothing we have proves it was them, even though we know it was."
"You said they raided the armory? Did they find out about the claw cannon?"
"What do you think they were looking for? That was at the center of their destruction, we lost all the data, all the blueprints, everything!"
"This was their third attack in as many weeks, what is making them so bold?"
"It must be those damned Elements."
"Those fillies from that small town?"
"They're not just fillies, they are connected to the most powerful artifacts on the planet."
"They why haven't we taken them out yet?"
"I'm in agreement with the representative form Primaire, if they are such a threat they must be dealt with."
"Unfortunately we can't, they are necessary to our defense as well."
"WHAT!"
"How could they help US?"
"Because, they are the ones who defeated Nightmare Moon when she returned, and then Discord when he did the same. If another force returns and they do not have the Elements then I fear we may all die."
"you've made your point, the Elements are out of our reach, but we cannot let Equestria go unpunished. With the council's permission I have an idea in mind. Me and my associates are not officially part of the Kingdoms, and I know of several Equestrians who are less patriotic than others."
"What do you have planned Vogon?"
"Let me operate freely and I can convince Equestria it needs you to defend them. They will need your weapons, your prototypes, they will have no choice but to let you develop the power to defeat them."
It was another idyllic Thursday morning, but then again when you can actively control the weather such a statement actually means nothing. Nonetheless it was very enjoyable, while there wasn't any cloud cover scheduled for today it wasn't very bright outside, that was more due to the village being located in a clearing in a dense forest than any fault of the sun. Hollow Shades has never had a very sunny day but those who lived there preferred it that way. The sun was just a little to oppressive for this group, thus the desire for a village with plenty or tree canopy. Now the trees weren't too think to block the moon, quite the opposite on clear nights you could not find a better view of the moon. Oh, and the plentiful supply of fresh fruit never hurt.
Now today was a school day so the village was quiet except for the birds and the few ponies at the market in the middle of the clearing, but that's how Snap Fisher liked it. He was currently standing in the middle of the river that runs next to Hollow Shades, waiting for a fish to foolishly wander close to him. Other ponies used fishing rods, but not him, he preferred the old fashioned way. It was a contest of speed and skill instead of waiting for a fish dumb enough to bite a hook. He didn't eat the fish he caught, he much preferred fruit like the rest of the village, no it was just a hobby of his.
Despite the fact that his cutie mark was of a fish jumping out of water, he didn't actually fish for a living. There just isn't much demand for fish, sure the local pet shop would buy some and maybe the occasional griffon traveler, but aside from that the only use for fishing is for sport. Fisher had to find a different profession for his income, and he found that in the Royal Guard. In a strange twist of fate the skills he developed for catching fish, patience, quick reflexes, and speed all carried over to the ancient art of patrolling the street and snatching anyone who would try to disturb the peace. He managed to reach the rank of Lieutenant-Commander before he retired.
It was only a few months ago, when he lost his wife and had to care for their daughter alone. When he received the news he gave his resignation letter, collected his daughter, and moved from Canterlot to his old home of Hollow Shades. He needed something familiar, somewhere comforting to deal with what was now his life. What did he know about being a father? How could he deal with bringing up a filly alone? Filly, his daughter was almost a grown mare, he had been absent for most of her life, busy with the Guard and his duties.
He had spent long enough in that river for today, it was getting late in the day and he needed to pick his daughter up from school. Fisher waded to the shore and started to pack up the remains of his lunch and a snack for his little filly. He made his way casually down a path he had created last week, leading him through the trees and past his house into the village proper. It's a rather quaint village, but for those living there it was plenty, there were only about 2,000 residents so there was no need of any large malls or fancy mansions. All the houses were well-built and reserved giving the whole area a very cozy rustic feel.
The path Fisher took through the village proper and into the marketplace. As he wandered though he greeted and was greeted by several familiar faces, there were the Biscotti twins, a pair of Unicorn stallions from Canterlot who much preferred the small town to the stuffiness of the upper-crust. Cranberry Biscotti was a vibrant red with a dark green mane while Nut Biscotti was a deep brown with his mane being even darker. Of course, Fisher was also accosted by the local branch of the Apple Family, Apple Crumble.
"Well hey there Snap!" she called out, her voice only slightly showing the usual Apple twang, being rather distantly related.
"Hey yourself kiddo." Fisher replied giving her a once over, her walnut coat even darker then normal due to the dirt she must've gotten on it from working earlier that day.
"So, on your way to go pick up your daughter?" Apple Crumble continued, giving a toss of her lime green mane the process, removing a bit of residue in the process. "How about I give ya a few apple for her, my treat." She finished, smiling warmly.
"How could I say no to that?" Fisher added, returning her smile. Soon after, with apples safely in his saddle bag he reached the school house. It was probably the largest building in the village, being that it also worked as a theater, community hall, and the homes of the teachers. As Fisher approached a bell rang out giving him just enough warning to take cover before a stampede of children pounded past him caring nothing for his personal safety in their quest for freedom. When the dust settled Fisher found who he was there for, a small unicorn filly with a dark rose coat and a lavender mane.
"Daddy!" she yelled as soon as she spotted him, rushing over and leaping to wrap her forelegs around his neck.
"Hey Sam!" Fisher answered, catching his daughter and sitting as the same time, so as not to fall over and make a fool of himself.
"Daddy." Sam pouted as soon as he put her down, stomping a little hoof in a display of frustration that was more adorable than anything else. "Mommy always called me by my name, Smaudre Lumos."
"Yes well," Fisher started, trying not to laugh at her cute display "She also could pronounce it correctly and with a straight face."
"Oh dear," Sam rebutted, laying a foreleg over her head and striking a pose not unlike one would see a noble mare do at the sight of dirt on her dress. "What ever shall I do with you?" Fisher couldn't handle it, it was too much, it broke him.
"PFFT HAHAHA!!" He put quite eloquently. "I guess you'll just have to suffer with my poor peasant speak." He added while trying to wipe the tears from his eyes and finding it hard to breathe. " Well if we're quite done I've got some fresh apples for you when we get home and finish your homework."
"Well I guess I'll get them right away 'cause Miss Abacus didn't give us any homework for the weekend!" At this point Sam was just a ball of energy conveniently shaped like a filly, for she knew what came next.
"Well if that's the case then hop on kiddo." Fisher crouched down to allow his daughter to obtain a perch upon his back. He stretched his leather wings and took off for their home. Incidentally those wings were the reason he moved to Hollow Shades. This was not only the village of his birth, but also the largest settlement of Thestrals, or Bat Ponies for the common folk. It was the only city in Equestria where there were more Thestrals than any other species of pony.
As he flew low over the village Fisher's dark grey coat caught some of the warmth of the sun, his yellow vertically slitted eyes slid about halfway shut, both from the enjoyment of the flight as well as from sensitivity to the light. In this moment, with his daughter on his back squealing with pure bliss, all was right with the world. This feeling remained with him up until he landed outside their house and he let down his (slightly disappointed) daughter.
"All right lets get you those apples then." Fisher said as he opened the door. "do you want any honey or—" Fisher froze halfway through the door, for sitting there at his dinner table was somepony he thought he would never see again.
"Hello Commander." The mare addressed him, standing to her hooves and straightening out her uniform. "Its been awhile, hasn't it"
"So Grim, you mind explaining exactly why you're here?" Fisher looked up from the papers he was working on, one of the duties he had as assistant to the mayor of Hollow Shades. Gold Grimme was busy trying and failing to get the wrinkles out of her uniform, a result of Smaudre Love giving her the "Mandatory Greeting Hug" how the filly hadn't gotten a cutie mark in vocabulary or borderline criminal cuteness was beyond anypony's guess. Grim, as she insisted on being called, was a amber unicorn with a red mane and blue eyes. She and Snap Fisher had occasionally worked together when he was still in the guard, Grim was an agent for the Equestria Security Agency and Fisher still had no idea what exactly she did.
"What, can't a friend drop by to say hi?" Grim answered, giving Fisher a sly grin over her shoulder.
"First," Fisher replied icily "We aren't friends, just working acquaintances. Second, if you did just 'drop by' you wouldn't be in uniform, you forget that I know you hate that thing." Fisher ended by giving her his own sly grin, hoping this time she would actually tell him. Grim sighed, walking over and taking a seat across from him.
"You're right of course." She began, knowing full well he would take anything less that a complete confession. "I'm here on business, from the princess."
"Really?" Fisher arched his eyebrow in interest "Which one?"
"Both of them actually." Grim countered, taking satisfaction at the surprised look Fisher gave at this revelation.
"What do the Princesses want with me?"
"They want to give you a job." Grim added, watching Fisher closely for his reaction. "A very important one, and you'd be working with me." Fisher narrowed his eyes at this.
"What kind of job?" He inquired already disliking where this was headed.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Grim evaded. "All they told me was to come here, ask you to come and they would fill you in on the rest." Fisher pondered on this, one the one hoof he was not a fan of the cloak and dagger Grim seemed to bring everywhere with her, but on the other he couldn't very well turn down the Princesses without first hearing what they had to say.
"Very well." Fisher relented at last. "I'll hear what this job is."
"Great!" Grim smiled immediately standing and heading for the door. "Let's go I've got—" "Tomorrow." Fisher interjected, causing Grim to stumble slightly at his comment.
"What?" Grim blinked, seeming to have a hard time understanding the concept of that single word. "But you just agreed and we need to get going." she protested, not believing that he could possibly have anything more important to do.
"Yes." Fisher agreed, serving to further frustrate grim with his double talk. "However I cannot just leave on what will most likely be a several day trip to Canterlot on a whim. I'll need to get a leave of absence from the mayor, and I need to make sure I can set Sam up with her aunt and uncle for a while." Grim stirred on this for awhile, before realizing that he was right.
"Fine." Grim grumbled, still not happy with having to put off her return. "I'll go talk to the carriage drivers and we'll get some rooms at the inn. However! We are leaving immediately after lunch so if you aren't finished by then, tough luck!"
"Works for me." The Thestral got up from the paperwork in front of him. "The Inn's on Pine St. its the large building with the green roof." He cracked his neck and headed out of the room, intending to wash up then head for bed. "I trust you know the way out?" He added just before he left, turning his head to look at the mare.
"I think I'll manage." Grim responded derisively making her way outside seeing that nothing more would be accomplished tonight. "Just remember!" she insisted right before she closed the door. "Right after lunch, no later!" Fisher grunted his affirmation as she closed the door, as soon as she did he let out a long sigh, wondering just what was in store for him tomorrow.
The next day came quickly, rather too quickly for Snap Fisher's liking. After foisting his daughter unto his sister and her husband he managed to get the mayor to agree to let him take an unspecified number of days off, having a summons of sorts from the Princesses played no small part in accomplishing this. Soon enough it was midday and the time of departure was upon him. Having not established a meeting point he thought it best to wait by his house, being the one place he knew Gold Grimme could find him.
"Ready to go then?" A voice called, he turned his head and saw Grim along with two Guards in their gold armor pulling a sky carriage. "If not then too bad, I'm not going to let the Princesses keep waiting and you agreed, so no backing out now." Grim added, marching up too him before loading her self into the sky carriage for immediate departure.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Fisher responded, taking his place alongside Grim in the carriage. "It may surprise you but most other ponies also hate making the Princesses wait." Before the words were out of his mouth the Guards got up speed and leaped into the air taking the carriage along with them. The passengers setting in for what could possibly be a very long and awkward flight.
As the scenery passed by Fisher took this opportunity for inflection, he hadn't thought of it last night or that morning but he couldn't help but wonder just what he would be in for. The forest was quickly replaced with the Foal Mountains and before long Canterlot came into view. The pilots began to descend giving the passengers time to wake up, straighten themselves and otherwise prepare for landing. They touched down with a click-clack of hooves followed shortly thereafter by the clunk of the carriage wheels hitting the cobblestone path in front of Canterlot Castle. As the two passengers disembarked they thanked the Guards for their trouble and began trotting up to the entrance of the Castle proper.
"Where exactly are we meeting the Princesses?" Fisher inquired, wanted to know the plan so not to wonder the whole time.
"In Princess Celestia's study." Grim answered, not slowing down or giving him any other kind of acknowledgment. Fisher gave a grunt of understatement and the two approached the Guards at the door.
"Halt." one of them addressed the two in the usual manner of door guards. "State your business." Grim rifled in her uniform while he was talking, looking for something.
"Agent Gold Grimme, ESA." She responded at last, showing the guard her I.D. holding it in her blue levitation field for his convenience. "And this is Snap Fisher, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Night Guard, retired. We have a meeting with the Princesses." The guard looked at her I.D. then her, then back to the I.D. after a bit he seemed satisfied with its authenticity.
"Very well," he told them, both him and the other guard moving to open the doors as he talked. "The Princess is almost finished with Noonday Court, she will be with you shortly." Fisher and Grim nodded their thanks and walked through the now open doors. The castle entrance was predictably crowded with petitioners for the Princess forcing the two to skirt around the edges of the hall until they found the corridor off to the side leading them deeper in and toward the Princess's study. They passed statues, paintings, many a window giving a grand view of Canterlot city and the land below. Also along the way were a few more checkpoints where they had to show prove they weren't crazies there to cause a ruckus. The guards took even longer checking Gold Grimme's I.D. and Fisher had to fish his out of the saddle bag he brought along (one can never be too prepared). After a good half hour of this they finally reached the Princess's study, but before they could enter the hit a rather small snag.
"What do you mean we don't have an appointment?" Grim asked, her face betraying her utter disbelief. "I talked to her just yesterday!" Despite her attempt to browbeat the guard into letting them in he remained solid in his determination to do no such thing.
"Just what I said." The guard responded, seeming to take joy out of the fact that this seemed to only aggravate the amber unicorn further. "Princess Celestia has not informed us of any meeting she has with the two of you. I can't let you in without her express permission."
"Well I'd better give it then I suppose." a voice added, causing both Grim and Fisher to turn around and bow respectively. "It would make our discussion rather difficult if they couldn't get in to talk to me." Princess Celestia smiled, taking enjoyment at her own joke and trying to relieve the stress from the area.
"Of course Princess." The guard bowed his head and took that as a order to open the door for the three of them.
"Now then my little ponies." The Alicorn addressed the two who had come to see her. "Let's take this inside shall we?" She moved into her study with Grim and Fisher following. As he walked in Fisher took note of the decorations of the room, or rather the lack thereof. There were a few maps and a picture or two but aside from those the room was utilitarian in nature, hardly something one would imagine a princess would use.
"Would you like some tea?" The question caught him off guard, looking across the desk he now sat in front of he saw the Princess holding holding a teacup expectantly. "No thank you your majesty." He responded waving a leathery wing.
"Very well, lets get to matter at hoof then." Celestia taking a sip from the cup before resting it on the desk."I'm sure you're very interested to know why you're here."
"A little your majesty." Fisher admitted, granted he was a good deal more curious but left it at that.
"Well, we would very much like to hire your services in a very sensitive manner." She admitted, still not giving him much to go on.
"And what exactly would that be your majesty?" Fisher tried to prompt her.
"Its a rather delicate matter." The Princess continued skirting around the matter, looking like she was trying to find a good way to broach the subject, and not finding one. "Frankly, we'd be asking you to help spy for us." She finally dropped, having failed to find a more delicate way to put it to him. Fisher's eyebrows shot up in surprise, not having expected that answer.
"I'm sorry?" He replied, forgetting the honorific in his bewilderment. "You want me to what?"
"Precisely we'd be asking you to infiltrate areas of interest to determine hostility." Celestia added, try to sugar coat it again seeing he was less than enthusiastic with the premise. "You displayed an aptitude for this kind of work while in the guard and we would like for you to at least hear this out." She finished, hoping that had calmed him.
"If that was the case," the Thestal responded. "Then why not ask me while I was still in the guard?"
"Because this is a sensitive matter and we did not wish to draw attention to thee." All heads turned as Luna entered the room. "We waited so that thine involvement could be concealed as just a 'paid consultant'—is that the term?" The night princess added.
"Paid consultant?" The retired guard asked.
"Yes." The diarch of the sun answered. "To cover up your involvement you would be officially labeled as a consultant for Thestral concerns to the ESA."
"But—"
"Please," she interrupted. "Before you decide, I have something I'd like show you."
The group left Princess Celestia's study and walked to a different part of the castle. The trip took them through many seemingly identical hallways, past many guards who bowed and let the four pass. Soon enough they left the castle itself, but not onto a main road. They instead took a side path that ran past the gardens and ended before a nondescript building that at least one of them recognized immediately.
"The Equestria Security Agency?" Snap Fisher squinted at the building, making sure he wasn't mistaken. "What do you want to show me here?"
The group approached the building and proceeded through the double doors revealing what the outside hid. It was a rather large lobby, the symbol of the ESA engraved on the granite floor while behind a large curved desk a Earth Pony receptionist sat up noticing their arrival.
"Princesses!" The clerk exclaimed. "We weren't expecting a visit."
"We're here to show the Lieutenant-Commander around the center." Celestia explained.
"Of course," the blue stallion behind the desk replied while shifting some papers out of sight. "I'll buzz you in and let the director know you're here." A loud buzz could be heard while the door to the right of the clerk opened. The door closed behind the group leaving them in a corridor that was decidedly less fancy, consisting of solid concrete with lights embedded on the walls spaced out periodically.
The corridor seemed to go one forever, the whole time Fisher began to feel more uncomfortable with the silence. Just as he was about to speak up, to ask again where they were going, they reached their destination. A large steel door, not unlike what would be found in a bank vault, barred their path. The Princess of sun turned her attention to a device next to the door and just seemed to commence a staring contest with it. This served only to confuse Fisher more, but before he could do anything there was a very loud noise as the door began the long process of unlocking and opening.
When it was finished, what it revealed caused Fisher's jaw to drop as his mind went blank. The room was filled, there were ponies everywhere talking and reading displays of every kind imaginable. The room was dimly lit but well enough that looking at the displays did not strain the eyes. Fisher walked inside and looked all around him, he had never seen anything this advanced, it was clear a control center of some kind but for what he had no idea.
"Lieutenant-Commander Snap Fisher." He turned to look at the white Alicorn who had addressed him. "Welcome to Third Echelon."
