Twilight and Shield aren't having good weeks. Shield has to deal with fashion and Twilight has to deal with training, how will they deal with these situations?
Twilight's been having a rough week. First she learns that Cadence is leaving and next that Spike has gone missing, leaving him stranded in a dragon's lair with little chance of coming back soon. In an effort to speed things up she accepts training from Shield, who promises to take her on the mission if and only if he's convinced that she will survive. But there's also the fact of having to deal with Shield's other team members, who are arriving at Ponyville in order to celebrate this Commissioner's birthday.
Fortunately for her, Rarity is more than ready to to lend a helping hand. And she'll need it if she wants to convince everyone that her mission to save Spike is important.
Twilight woke up at eight in the morning, as was part of her daily routine. She then turned to look at the bed in front of her, the bed that had been unused for at least two weeks. That's when Twilight felt a stab of misery seep through the bright morning. It had been a week since Spike was scheduled to return, and she hadn't received any information regarding the young Drake. Before she could think of anything she heard her cellphone ring, and upon grabbing it from the wooden nightstand she answered. "Hello?" she asked, still not fully awake.
"Rise and Shine sleeping beauty!" came the loud voice of Shield Heart, and judging from his voice he was over yesterday's letter. "we've got stuff to do!"
"Really? Like what?" she asked.
"Well, Cadence is leaving today." he said in a condescending voice. "I guess that's something if you care for her. Then there's also training in the afternoon, in case you want to join us."
Twilight's brain kicked into gear at the sound of the first bit of news. "What?" she exclaimed.
"Yup, her vacation's over and she's gonna return to Canterlot today. Her train leaves at noon, so you've still got time in case you want to take a hot bath. I'd do that if you can. They say it's great for bad mornings. Actually," she heard the incontestable sound of sniffing. "I think I should take one and see if it actually works. Anyways, see you later!" and he hung up.
Twilight put the phone down and stared at the window. Another loss, and so soon. She shook her head. "No, Cadence is just going back with Shining. And I'm sure Spike is already on his way here." she said to herself as she walked over to her closet. But then the maternal part of her brain began nagging: What if he's in trouble? And as ridiculous as it was, and it had to be, she just couldn't shake it off.
What if Spike was in danger? What if he was alone in the wilderness and she was just sitting here like a lazy woman? What if Princess Celestia was secretly testing her to see if she had any initiative? What if... and she then froze. She was starting to lose it, and she knew she needed help. But what if she was overthinking it? What if Spike was just taking some time off? What if Spike had actually abandoned her... and she then snapped back to reality. She couldn't keep speculating, but she was going to need answers, answers that could only come from the Princess of Day herself. And to do that she had to look presentable.
She slipped off her pajamas and entered the tub of hot water. And to her surprise, Shield was right. The hot water seemed to melt her fears away, letting her think clearly of a solution to her problem. She knew Spike was supposed to return a week ago, he was supposed to have been sent off on a royal mission with the Drake Tribes. But he was only to deliver a message and stay a while, not enough for a week but these missions always assumed more time was needed. But now he had taken even longer than permitted and Twilight wasn't getting any information on new developments.
She began mulling over how she should address the Princess, she could just ask outright but she thought it would be better to apply some finesse. Or it would be just easier to just ask, save her the trouble of preparing an entire speech just for one question. Maybe she could just use the mirror to scry her teacher and ask the question, right now there wouldn't be any major events so the Princess should have the time. But you never knew with royalty, things could always change in a second.
She ended her bath and dried herself, combing her hair and dressing in the usual manner. She brushed her hair and took a deep breath before standing in front of the mirror she had next to her desk. Grabbing her wand she waved it while saying: "Mirror Mirror on the wall, show me the Princess in the Hall." a small raspberry bolt erupted from her wand and hit the mirror. The bolt dissolved, causing the mirror to create ripples from the center.
A couple of rather uncomfortable seconds passed and the mirror stopped reflecting Twilight and showed Princess Luna in her usual midnight blue dress. The Princess was rubbing her tired eyes as she looked at the librarian. "Good morning Twilight Sparkle, how may I be of assistance?" she asked, trying her best to look awake and alert.
"Princess Luna, I wasn't expecting to see you." said the young woman as she looked at the Princess of Night. "Is this a bad time?"
"Of course not Twilight, it is just that my dear sister has decided to leave me in charge of the castle while she sleeps in. Is there anything that you need?" asked the Princess with a yawn. "Night Blade, has my sister been awoken?"
"Yes milady, her highness is bathing as we speak." said a male voice from outside the field of view. "Would you like me to tell the kitchen to prepare some dinner?"
"Please do, tell them toast and jam will suffice." she paused for a moment. "Oh, and could you be kind enough to bring me a cup of chamomile tea? I am certain my sister will delay herself yet again. I swear that she does this on purpose. Last week she had me wake up two hours before my shift."
"Yes milady, right away." said the voice as its footsteps left.
"I'm terribly sorry about that, but I have been incredibly busy with all the preparations going on. can I help you with anything?" asked Luna as she tried to look as gentle as her sister.
"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to bother." said the librarian. " I just wanted to ask Princess Celestia something, but I wouldn't want to be a bother."
"It is no problem, please: speak your mind." the princess said eagerly.
"I just wanted to know about Spike, I'm worried about him. But don't worry, I'll try to contact Princess Celestia later.."
"I can tell you of his fate." replied Luna coldly.
"You know what happened to Spike?" asked a surprised Twilight. Last time she checked, Celestia was the one calling the shots.
"Of course, seeing as though I am overseeing all matters of national security I should know of the fate of Spike." she replied as she made herself comfortable. "But I am surprised that Shield failed to inform you about his latest assignment."
"What does he have to do with Spike? Spike is with the Drake Tribes, right?"
"Initially, yes he was sent to confabulate with the Tribe Leaders until some, complications, arrived." replied the princess with a sigh.
"What sort complication? Did the leaders disagree with something?"
"No, I fear it was much worse." Luna's expression had now turned somber. "They suffered an attack by a renegade wyvern, one that managed to kidnap Spike and a group of dignitaries." as she mentioned this Twilight's face suddenly lost color and her legs began to lose strength. "Twilight, listen to me. I know that this weighs heavily on you, but you must stand strong. Shield Heart is already assembling a rescue team as I speak. In two weeks time he will rescue Spike and the dignitaries."
Even though the words were meant for comfort the azure-haired librarian felt hopeless. her emotions began to win over her logic and her legs gave away. "Why wasn't I told of this sooner?"
"I am sorry for breaking it up like this, but the truth is that we only found out yesterday. Had it not been for Spike we would still be questioning his whereabouts."
"What?"
"Yesterday we received a transmission from Spike's communicator beacon, and he only had enough time to report his situation. Twilight, do you want help?"
"Why do we have to wait for two weeks? Don't you have his location? And why do you need Shield?"
The princess raised a hand to calm Twilight. "We are having trouble pinpointing their location, the dragon is smart and it manages to slip away just as we reach it. We suspect that it is looking for a place to rest for the time being, but some of the employees back in the NSA believe that there is more to this creature. We are still working on it, but we will catch it eventually." she sighed. "What makes matters worse is the fact that Shield is still under suspension and therefore powerless to act, and he knows how to fight this monster."
"But aren't there any other options? Something we can do? Why do we even need Shield?"
"Because he alone knows the Jägers and how they operate, that and also the fact that the damned Jägers only work with Shield."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Jägers are our special Monster-Hunting Division, mostly stationed in Cloudsdale, Tall Tale and Vanhooover due to the usual amount of monsters that live in that area. And since Shield has been with them on various missions, they have requested that Shield be put in the mission or else they refuse to go. They say it isn't so dangerous right now, so they're being picky about it."
"So why can't you just put Shield in the mission if he's so important?"
"Because of the cursed politics that plague us, the Codex Arbites clearly states that no agent that has been suspended may partake in any operation that has been issued by The Royal Crown lest the Noble houses vote to permit an exception."
"So? Why haven't the nobles voted yet?"
"They have, out of the three Great families and the eighteen Ancillary Families these were the results: Two Great Families and three Ancillary Families voted for the exception." said the Princess with a disappointed look. "Shield is a notorious individual among the Canterlot Nobility."
"So you're saying that the only thing that stands between Spike and his rescue mission is Shield's friendship with the only group capable of pulling off a rescue mission?!" asked Twilight incredulously.
"That is correct." Luna responded as she covered her eyes with her left hand.
"And the nobles refuse to grant Shield the permission to take on the mission to rescue Equestrian diplomats just out of spite?"added the librarian incredulously.
The princess merely nodded in agreement.
Twilight unleashed a short, but loud, grunt of anger. She had to think really hard about the logic behind this. Diplomats were among the most important people in the social hierarchy, so it would make sense to send a rescue team as soon as possible. She had to admit that part of the blame belonged to these jägers, but if they knew how to do their job and their only demand was to have Shield it would make sense to accept their demands. After all, no one else will do it.
"Believe me when I say that I share your ire, these nobles have become a burden over the thousand years I was way." Luna said. "I am sorry, but that is about as much as I can do for you at the moment. If you want more information, I suggest you have a talk with Shield Heart. He is the one who could reveal more light on this matter."
"But..." Twilight blurted out. "can't you do anything at all? You're one of the Princesses that rules Equestria! There must be some sort of override you could use!"
"I am afraid that there is nothing we can do. The Codex clearly indicates that the only override belongs to the nobles, and it does as much as possible to exclude us. It is obvious that my sister never believed that there was going to be a need to ignore certain rules when they would only endanger our subjects."
"So that's it? You're powerless to stop this?"
"Unless we want to impose our rule and appear as tyrants," sighed Luna "we are powerless." At that moment, Twilight's skin lost a shade of color. She knew that Celestia would do everything in her power to avoid imposing her rule, and if the librarian asked for this favor it would probably be rejected with good reason. "I suggest you speak with Shield heart. At this point he is the only one who can do anything. He's been put in charge of assembling the team, although such a task appears to be bootless from my perspective."
"Wouldn't assembling a team be a priority?" questioned Twilight.
"He has done similar operations in the past, so there is no doubt that he already had a team assembled even before we delivered the mission." replied the princess. "I hope my words have served to quell your troubles."
"Thank you for your time princess, I'll see what I can do to help Spike. If you happen to learn about anything..."
"You need not worry about it. If there is any new development I shall inform you immediately." the princess added with a thin smile. She sighed with relief as she stood up and cracked her neck. "Now if you will excuse me, I must go and scold my sister." and with a snap of Luna's fingers the image was distorted.
Twilight grabbed a chair and sat on it, her mind racing to formulate a plan for the day. She had thought that Spike was having a vacation, and he just forgot to tell her. But having been kidnapped by a dragon? The idea had never crossed her mind, but now that she had heard it it made sense. There was a reason behind Shield asking her Spike's name, because he had read the letter and probably didn't want her to interfere.
And so she came up with a plan. If Shield didn't want her to interfere, then it was his bad luck. "Shield is going to tell me what's going on, and I don't care what he has to say against it!" She boldly declared as she stormed out the library door and headed for the Commissioner's home.
Shield Heart lied down on his new, and incredibly comfy, bed with his cellphone on his hand. Yesterday was somewhat of an awkward day. He first sees Braeburn, fights those timberwolves, meets up with Ed, then he realizes that Fire let Hawk Eye go on her own, then the nightmare-inducing Top Priority letters. And just to top off the events, Cadence tells him that she's returning to Canterlot. Aside from her usual I need to be with my husband argument, which he could respect, she mentioned that she wanted to talk to Princess Celestia about some event. He felt like he should have paid attention, but his mind was looking for some excuse that could save him from the Ib'Xian water torture that was The Grand Galloping Gala.
As much as he wanted to think that this was just a way for his father to get back at him for getting suspended, his father didn't have that sense of humor. Shrugging off the fear of thinking of his father, he decided to look at the other Top Priority letter he got, the one that sent him on a mission. As he removed it from its envelope he considered reading it again.
After three seconds he put the letter back down. There was no change in the contents, sadly. He felt as if the letter was written as an insult or some sort of prank. The letter ordered him to tell Twilight about the mission, insisting that she has a right to know that her drake friend was caught by a category 2 wyvern that uses floo fire to carry its load. He could understand why it would be a good idea, but he didn't get why it was mandatory? He knew Shining, and if she was half the person the Captain was, she was going to demand that she join the rescue mission.
And like he was ever going to let that happen. The girl had little combat experience, and besides, she's the Element of Magic. According to what he learned at the Academy that was the most important element. And how exactly did you extract five VIPs from the clutches of a dragon? He'd done rescue missions, and he had certainly fought dragons, but he never knew that it was possible to do both. And now he was supposed to carry an essential VIP to boot? He laughed at the idea.
But still, Twilight had her uses, she was a mage almost on par with Celestia and her brains were something the geeks would swoon about. And with this in mind it would be impossible to keep the matter hidden from her for long, since she has an actual reason to be part of the team. So maybe he could force her to take some sort of commanding role, but his brain refused to concentrate on the matter any further.
"Might as well try out that hot bath while I'm at it." he said as he lifted his lazy body up.
"Minotaur Tackle!" Came a high-pitched roar as the door immediately burst open and he was tackled back into bed by a white midget.
"What's the big idea!" he protested as the small burden, still dressed in pajamas, pinned him to his bed.
"You just got pinned!" said Hawk Eye enthusiastically, her body struggling to keep him stapled to the bed. "You owe me a sundae!"
"If you don't let me go I will unleash The Radioactive Armageddon." he threatened with a grin.
"You wouldn't dare, Cadence is still here." she snapped.
"Are you willing to gamble your nose on it?" he said with an evil voice. The girl's emerald eyes widened in horror. She sprung out of bed leaping as high as she could before the smelly maelstrom began. But she never had a chance as the room became filled with the fetor of methane and sulfur.
"Oh dear Celestia, go see a doctor!" replied the little girl as she covered her nose with both of her hands. She managed to bolt out of the door, tears running down her face to protect her from the putrid smell.
"Ha! Warned ya!" he replied as he closed the door and began choosing his attire. But he stopped the second his brain suggested a new idea: Sparring. Two trained people had just arrived and he might as well restart his groove or else he'll make a fool of himself in the training sessions later that day. And maybe also during the tests. He waited for a spell before moving down the stairs
He grabbed his usual training shirt, pants and sneakers and walked out his room. He walked down the stairs and noticed that his living room was already populated.. He then turned to the kitchen, which was showing signs of activities. To his not-surprise he saw Fire cooking, his hands busily working the frying pan. "Since when do we allow a pyro near the stove?"
His friend sighed, not even bothering to turn to see him. "Crys asked me to make breakfast, so I thought I might as well try and beat your record."
"HA!" exclaimed Shield as he turned his head sideways and put his fists on his waist. "No woman has ever bested me in the kitchen, why should you fare any better!"
There were currently two other people aside from the demented commissioner, and both were left speechless. After fifteen seconds of uncomfortable silence Fire spoke up. "I'm not sure if I should even try to respond to that. Worst still, I don't even know if responding to your obviously controversial comment is even useful."
Shield looked extremely disappointed. "I was trying to liven up the mood, killjoy."
"By making a joke so bad that a part of my brain had to commit suicide? C'mon, you know how to make better jokes." replied his friend. "Anyways, where are you going? Out for a little run?"
"Actually I wanted you to join me in a sparring session but it appears as though you have been afflicted with the apron." Shield sighed as he turned to face his little sister. "Don't worry, Pup will make a decent sparring opponent." and without any order the little girl jumped from her current bed and ran up to her room. Three minutes later she had changed from PJ's to a white tank top with pink shorts.
"Ready to learn your lesson brother?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Always my dear sister." he replied as he turned his back on her and walked toward the basement.
Once they were inside the clinical room, Shield did his best to make the room as spar-worthy as he could. He had what he needed, but he was forced to take down the firing range if he wanted to make enough room for their punches. The mat was a simple white foam mat with a large black circle. Inside this outline was a large six-point star that touched the circle. They proceeded to warm up, stretching legs and making sure their ligaments were ready to be exploited.
After warming up, they donned their sparring armor. The gear was colored red for him and white for her. They took positions in opposing corners and prepared their defenses. "Ready? Three. Two. One..." he said before jumping out of the way as his sister darted with a sliding kick. He attempted to counter with a stomp, but she rolled out of the way and delivered an unsuccessful left roundhouse.
Shield mustered some strength and delivered a successful jab to her chest, punching the air from her lungs and sending her a couple of centimeters back. She quickly recovered and reset her defense. The soldier charged once again, but his attack was foiled by a leg sweep. As he stumbled to the ground he pushed himself out of the way of an elbow drop. He tried to ax kick his sister, but she merely dodged the blow.
"Think fast!" he exclaimed as he followed with a jab to her face. She ducked, bending her head back dramatically. But her theatrics were cut short instantly as a foot removed her steady footing. Shield moved in for a takedown, but his sister was fast. She rolled once more and attacked with a aerial left roundhouse. As the soldier blocked it she used his exposed side to score a kick. To her surprise the hit connected, rocking his head back as the foam boot struck his chin. He fell to the floor, where he was immediately pinned down.
"Is that fast enough?" she asked smugly. She then proceeded to tap his nose using hers. "I booped your nose!". Shield merely winked and hugged her, moving into a sitting position despite Hawk's intent on keeping him on the ground. "HEY!" she squealed. "I pinned you! You can't get back up!"
"C'mon pup, it's time for round 2." he said as he un-fused his little sister. "We're just getting started." She reluctantly stepped back, keeping her guard up every second."Ready? GO!" he yelled as the two began again. Shield threw a right cross punch, which was blocked promptly by her arm. "So how did you do with your science project?"
"Great, I scored first place again. But there really was no other way. That idiot Gem bought his stupid project." she replied as she delivered three side kicks. "I mean really, how in the heck is a ten year-old boy supposed to build a working solar-powered rifle?"
"Did your Telekinetic Cannon work?" he asked, throwing two roundhouse kicks.
"Nope, never could get that gem to work. I think I needed to find a gem more powerful than topaz. Or maybe I should have watched the spelling." she replied. Her kicks were starting to chip away at his defenses, and she was moving to punches. "I ended up building a sparkle cola volcano that threw chunks of ice. It was beautiful."
"Good, so how did you do on your exams?" he asked, delivering a flurry of kicks.
"Nines across the board, except for geography. That one I got a seven point two." she replied, dodging two blows and retaliating with an uppercut.
"A nine in language arts? You really expect me to believe that? You barely scored an eight last month!" he taunted as his fists attempted to break through her defense. Hawk kept defending, occasionally feinting a kick to get him to stop. "C'mon! we both know you can't spell controversy!" With an infuriated grunt his sister unleashed an all-out attack.
"Yes I can!" she yelled as she began coordinating her attacks with each letter she said. "C-O-N-T-R-O-B..." the moment she said that letter she received a swift slap to the back of her head. "What gives?" she asked as she tried to continue her assault.
"Controversy has a v, not a b. " he said smugly as he blocked a kick to his shins. "Just make it easier on yourself. Tell me what your actual grade was." he continued blocking attacks, never letting his sister realize that she was gaining an advantage. "I won't be mad if you admit that you failed..." he began before receiving a deadly blow to his ribs. "What was that for?"
"For thinking that I would fail!" she replied incensed. "I? Who am number.." and she was silenced by a light punch to her left shoulder.
"Quit whining and tell me the truth." he quipped as he dodged a spinning kick.
"Fine! I scored an eight, you happy?"she replied dryly as she ducked under a cross punch.
Shield merely chuckled as he backed away from a snap-kick. "Of course my sister! Your pain is the honey of my life." he teased as he went on the offensive. Each move tried to move his sister to the corner. "Focus pup! I'm almost done with you!" he sneered as he prepared for a final barrage.
With his right fist high in the air he prepared for the ultimate strike, his sister bravely preparing a defense. "ALICORN..." he yelled, raising his fist as high as he could. But to his ire, he never could finish it. As he concentrated on dealing the final blow, the door swung open to reveal a surprised Cadence.
"What in Equestria's name are you doing?" she demanded as she stopped dead on her tracks. With her appearance, Shield failed to notice the white aura enveloping a Hawk with a fiendish smile.
"Candy? What are you doing here? Now's not a good time...." he replied, before his sister took a step forward, coiled down and sprang upward, slashing her fist through his chest all the way to his chin.
"Pegasus Uppercut!" she exclaimed as she finished her move. Shield was thrown back, landing on his back and simulating his death. The girl landed on her right knee, gracefully bowing to her spectator as she did.
The princess of love was flummoxed. She had come to the basement to have a word with her half-brother, and she had found him about to pound his adopted little sister to dust. And in the brief seconds she had taken form him had cost him his conscience. For being a girl about to be knocked out, Hawk reacted rather quickly to the opening. "What is going on here?" finally asked Cadence, hoping to make some sense out of what she was seeing.
"We were sparring, Shield was gonna win until you distracted him with your stunning good looks." said the little girl with a devilish grin. "Thanks by the way!"
Cadence was forced to contain her cheeks from blushing. "What makes you say that?"
"Shield always told me that your face has the paralyzing properties of a basilisk's stare." she said, her devilish words contrasting her face. " Or I think he said you had the face of a basilisk. I can't remember which one." she added quizzically. She turned to look at Shield, still on the floor, who could only muster the strength to mouth: I'll get you for this.
Cadence seemed to understand what was happening, as the cheeky grins from Hawk were very hard to hide. She knew what they were about to do would be considered uncouth, "How long are you going to stay glued to the floor?" she asked.
"About ten minutes, why?" he answered, the voice sounding worried.
"Oh, just curious, that's all." responded the princess. The stage was set, and she couldn't contain herself. Her old childhood friend was stuck for ten minutes, and no matter what he did he was going to stay down. And that meant that he couldn't run away from the judgement of sins past. The chance would never present itself again. And so, she took it.
Twilight Sparkle knocked twice on the Commissioner's door, her mind racing to think of the appropriate manner in which to ask him for information he was unwilling to give. The door opened to reveal a smiling, blue-haired man with a frying pan and a grease-stained apron.
"Twilight Sparkle! What a surprise!" said Fire Storm with enthusiasm as he tried to veer the pan away from her. "I imagined you were gonna come later, like at noon."
"Hello mister...." she began, but was stopped by the soldier as he pinched the air.
"Please, call me Fire. We're friends, and friends don't use titles or do they?" he said warmly as he returned to the kitchen. Twilight followed him in, noticing that his fiancee was busy with some boxes. "Anything that we can help you with in this sunny day?"
"I just want Shield to tell me some things, mostly personal stuff." she said innocently. "Is he here?"
"Yeah, he went to the basement about half an hour ago with Hawk Eye to spar for a while." he said as he flipped a pancake. "Why don't you tell me about these questions you have? If it's about his psychology you might want to start with us," he said as he poured batter onto the pan. "unless you want to know about the letters that he received."
"How did you guess it?" asked Twilight in surprise.
"Shining used to brag about your curiosity, and the prospect of receiving two top priority letters is anything if not intriguing. So, am I right?"
The librarian paused for a moment, this man's memory must be incredible if he can remember something that must have happened twelve years ago. That, or Shining was very proud of his sister. "Did you read both letters?"
"Seeing as though I have some interest in both letters, I did in fact read them. Though I'm not sure if you want to know about them..." responded Fire as he set the brown pancake on a platter.
"I spoke with Princess Luna, who informed me that Shield is in charge of a rescue operation in two weeks."
"And you want to tell him to back off? I don't think you can change his mind about it." said the soldier as he reached for the cookie jar and extracted a snickerdoodle, which he promptly popped into his mouth.
"I actually want him to include me in the team he's going to take." answered Twilight with an air of authority. Fire began choking on the bit of cookie on his throat for a while, before clearing his throat with some coffee.
"You're joking right? Please tell me you're joking!" he exclaimed through coughs. An empty box fell to the ground, as the teacher was unable to comprehend what had just been said.
"I'm serious. I want to be on that mission, and nothing will make me change my mind."
"You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?" he asked, his face not even bothering to hide the worry.
"Four dignitaries and my baby brother have been kidnapped by a dragon and Shield is the one who's going to lead the rescue mission. I think I have a good grasp of the situation." she responded calmly.
"Is that so? And how exactly do you plan on convincing Shield that it's a good idea to take an untrained civilian into a war zone? I hope you don't plan on just telling him you have a right because you have something at stake. Ysmir knows that excuse never worked on him." he replied as he poured more batter. "In fact, let me save you the trouble of asking him. Drop your idea, now."
Twilight's heart had never felt such ire as she did in those moments. This man was looking down on her as if she was a child! Her! One of the women responsible for the end of Nightmare Moon and Discord! It was ridiculous! She had faced tougher monsters than this soldier could possibly dream of, and yet he dared treat her like a little girl? She was going to have to prove her determination.
"I won't give up so easily! Spike is in danger and I refuse to sit here sucking my thumb while a group of maniacs try to save him!" she bellowed as she slammed her fists on the counter. Her now-bruised hands demanded that she relax, but she wasn't planning on it.
Fire stopped his cooking for a second and looked at her. "That's right, that little kid that got captured is under your care. Sorry, totally forgot that crucial detail. I mean, it totally makes sense." he said with a rather confusing tone. Twilight didn't know if it was sarcasm or if he was actually conceding.
"So wait, you can see the logic of my argument and changed your mind?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course I do! You are obviously planning on getting burned alive by that dragon!" he snorted. "That or you plan on blasting the mutated lizard with some sort of friendship cannon. After all, that's what you always do. And I imagine you'll want to call Princess Celestial so she can lend you the Elements while we're at it."
Twilight's temper was about to reach temperatures higher than hell itself, but she tried to keep it under control. "What makes you think that I'm going to use the Elements against the dragon?"
Fire looked at her with mocking surprise. "Oh, so what talents do you want to bring to the table?" he paused for a second, as if he expected the librarian to remain shell-shocked forever. And would have been spot-on if Twilight hadn´t taken three minutes to compile a list of her strengths
"I happen to have vast knowledge of a wide range of schools of magic, and my spellcasting is amongst the great according to Princess Celestia´s standards." she stated, her voice slightly wavering. She still didn´t feel comfortable showing off her abilities, but if that´s what it took to convince this man she was going to put up with it.
To her surprise he merely lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, I guess magic is cool. So, how many destruction spells can you cast under pressure within a five-second time frame?" Once more the Princess´s most prized student was shocked at the question. "Unless you were planning on stunlocking a two-ton dragon for at least fifteen minutes while you´re getting shot at from ten different directions because the dragon has draugs watching its back." the amethyst-eyed student didn´t respond.
"Honey, don´t be so harsh, she´s trying to do her best to join you! Granted, she may not be extremely qualified right now but I´m sure she could be useful if she took a crash-course." intervened Crystal as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "And anyway, even if she can´t be in the front lines I´m sure you can give her some sort of support role. Right?"
"I'm sure we can, but I'm sure our friend doesn't want to stand in from of a holo-map overseeing us." He replied as he turned the stove on again. "And in order to convince Shield of that he's going to want something more other than raw magical prowess."
"I'd prefer if I had a more active role in the operation." Said the librarian as she nervously twirled her thumbs.
"Then you should start reading about military strategy," he declared as he adds a ninth pancake to the stack. "Or you could try your luck now and head downstairs so you can get Cadence's help. But you'll then have to read about military strategy though, at least so you can understand half the jargon he says. And try brushing up on some buffs while you're at it."
"Buffs?" She asked quizzically. "You mean spells like Tower´s Defence, Pegasus´s Embrace and those kinds?"
"You can survive if you know Steelflesh, but if you know those buffs you mentioned then you can be classified as a low-level asset." he said.
And so Twilight decided to head down to the basement, and with each approaching step she could hear the tortured laughter of a man. She quickened her pace, not sure what to make of the noise. As she placed her biometrics on the door she heard the sound intensify. The second the door opened she realized what was causing such a ruckus. Shield was apparently glued to the white mat on the former shooting gallery. If they were outside on a winter day Twilight would have guessed that he wanted to make a snow angel, but here he was just stretched out as Cadence and the little Hawk Eye ran back and forth along his body, tickling his unarmored body with malicious intent.
"What´s going on here?" asked Twilight, but her voice was drowned by the laughter, both from the tortures and the tortured.
Cadence managed to see her amidst her running, and she immediately straightened her hair. "Oh hey Twily, what a surprise." Hawk refused to stop, taking full advantage of the body that lay in front of her.
"What are you doing? And why is Shield not getting up?" she asked with a puzzled look
"Because, hahaha, Hawk, hahaha, cheat..." Shield couldn't contain his painful laughter any longer.
"I DIDN'T CHEAT! I BEAT YOU FAIR AND SQUARE!" roared the little girl as she frantically wiggled her fingers in his armpits. "IT WAS YOUR FAULT FOR LOOKING AT CADY!" she then turned her face to meet the librarian. "brother lost a sparring duel against me, and because he lost he earned a ten-minute timeout."
"And why are you blaming Cadence? And also, why did you call her Cady?" asked Twilight, unconsciously letting a hint of jealousy slip through her tongue.
The little girl let out a broad grin. "Because she was by babysitter of course! She used to take care of me back when I lived in Canterlot and brother wasn't around to take care of me. And Shield was about to pound me to jelly, but he just had to look the other way. And once he stopped looking at me," she said, then she slammed her left fist against her right palm. "BAM! Took him out with the ol' Pegasus Uppercut, a move patented by me."
"How can your Pegasus Uppercut be ol'? when you're he only one who uses it?" asked Twilight, almost thinking as if the girl was acting too heroic for her size. Hawk appeared to have taken it as some sort of insult, as she rushed to grab her bow and in the split second it took her to grab it she fired a pink bolt at the librarian. Twilight barely managed to dodge the arrow, letting it grace the top of her head. "What was that for?!"
"DO NOT QUESTION THE QUEEN'S WORDS!" roared the little girl. "MY WORDS ARE..." her ranting was interrupted by a violent tug by Shield using his right hand. "Why did you interrupt me?"
"Where's Koro?" he asked with a strained voice. The girl's eyes immediately widened .
"Oh no! I forgot about Koro-chan!" she then dropped the bow and bolted through the door, screaming "Don't worry Koro-chan, I'll save you!"
"What just happened?" asked Twilight as her brain tried to compile the events into a cohesive story, but she just couldn't.
"My sister appears to have forgotten about her pet, and I needed her to get out of the room as quickly as possible." he replied as he began to undo the velcro straps of his armor. He removed his helmet and imitated tossing his short hair fabulously to the wind. It was curious, but Twilight thought she could see more strands of silver in his head. "I think we have some things to talk about." he grabbed two folding chairs and set them one after the other. " Please, have a seat." And he sat on one of the chairs with his chest pressed against the back of the chair.
Twilight obliged, feeling a little uncomfortable. "As a matter of fact we do." she said with a deep breath.
"Anything you'd like to say before I begin?" Shield asked with a cheeky smile.
"I would like you to tell me all about your mission. And I don't want to hear about how much you hate the Grand Galloping Gala, I want to know what you're going to do with the diplomats that got kidnapped by the dragon." she stated as she neatly put her hands on her lap. "And I want to offer my expertise for this mission."
Shield smacked his lips and looked around. Cadence was still there and was a little too startled. "Twily, what are you talking about? What diplomats and why?"
"Your sister here has somehow found out that a group of diplomats were sent on a mission to have a discussion with the Drake Clans and the Dragon Herd during the Dovah Summit." Shield stretched his muscles. "And with the diplomats was a little young drake named Spike. And it was thanks to this brave little boy that we learned about the whole capture. He risked his good standings with the wyvern that got them and gave us some useful advice."
Cadence appeared to be having trouble calculating the actual meaning of it all. "So that's why you want to be in his mission? And when's the mission."
"In two weeks time, they'll use this assignment as a substitute of a test. Which is a relief, I thought I would have to sit through one of those torturous interrogation sessions they dare call psychological tests." he said in a jeering tone.
Cadence turned to her sister-in-law. "Twily, you don't actually plan on going on that mission right? You wouldn't last a second against a dragon!"
Twilight's ire was reignited. "Why is it that people always assume that I'd be useless in a situation like this?!"
"Because you don't have years of combat experience, nor do you possess the instincts required to survive in a high-tension environment such as a battlefield." his smile faded. "I've seen soldiers with years of training cower at the sight of a battlefield. Those young soldiers said they could go on forever, but they crack the second they hear the trumpet of an oliphaunt."
Twilight took a step back. "You mean you've seen actual oliphaunts in the wild?!"
"Yeah, and they're a real pain in the backside when orcs and goblins somehow manage to tame them. And don't even get me started when ogres somehow manage to capture a herd of them."
"Wait, didn't you just say that ogres and goblins could tame them?" asked the librarian with confusion.
"Yeah, and when ogres do it it gets even worse." replied Shield as he still looked at her face. "Oh, you think I'mm repeating myself twice right?" she nodded. "Look, there's a big difference between an orc and an ogre. An orc is about our size, has a couple of brain cells and likes to raid and pillage villages. Ogres on the other hand, are the world's way to saying screw your miserable life. They're big, strong, dumb, and they get bigger, stronger and smarter the more they fight. And that's all they ever do. They want to reproduce? They kill each other. They want money? they decapitate someone. So yeah, imagine something about two heads taller than you driving a three-story mammoth."
Twilight gulped at the thought. "How many times have you faced that nightmare?"
"Meh, about five times. At least we brought tanks for thee of those fights. But enough about that, I doubt a dragon, much less a wyvern, could be able to control a beast of that size." he then stood up, his hands reaching for his white pistol. "So, are you sure you want to come?" The librarian nodded in response. "Once we land on the Area of Engagement I can't guarantee your safety, nor will I be able to voucher for your safe return."
It took Twilight a while to really think things through, but in the end she said: "Spike is my brother, and he is also my friend. If he's stuck in Tartarus, it's up to me to help him get back. If I can't do that then I couldn't call myself the Element of Magic. I don't care about the dangers, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that I'm on that transport so I can get him back here safe and sound."
Shield chuckled, walking in front of her and gently slapping her shoulder. "We'll see about that rookie." and then he left the room, letting both Cadence and Twilight to think about what just transpired.
After her hasty retreat, Hawk Eye was busy searching for Koro. She really felt stupid for forgetting about her friend, and her mind tried to find a way to ease his anger. "Fire, where's Koro-chan?" she asked distressingly.
"He's still in his cage in your brother's room. Don't worry, I'm sure he' fine." replied Fire calmly as he set a stack of twenty-something pancakes on the table.
"What? No!" protested Crystal. "I just cleaned this house, and I won't dare risk having Koro chasing Ed and wrecking the room. If you want to set him free you're going to have to set him outside." The woman continued inspecting the various boxes, out of which most were labeled with Hawk Eye's name.
With a polite bow the girl immediately jumped up the stairs, reaching for his brother's room. Gently opening the door she failed to see the cage. Aside from his bed, a TV, the Gamesphere, a wardrobe and a steel weapon's case, there wasn't any cage in sight. Then she heard a slight whimper. As her ears perked up, she scanned the place once more. That's when she noticed the cardboard boxes behind the steel case. Sneaking her way thought, it only took once to realize your brother loves setting cryo-traps to become paranoid, she climbed over the box, and the soft sound was produced once more.
She began grabbing boxes, tossing the empty ones aside and setting carefully the others. After a couple of seconds she saw her prize. A beige cage with a sticker that read Stasis-Chamber. The cage only had a sealed hatch on one of the sides, as the cold container required to be isolated from all outside contaminants. Mustering her childish strength, Hawk Eye picked up the cage and headed downstairs and didn't stop until she was at the backyard. A quick scan later she rotated the valve to de-pressurize the cage. Slowly, and praying to Ysmir that she wouldn't be attacked, she opened the door. As soon as the opening was big enough, a cream-colored fur bullet blitzed out and tackled the girl. The creature then proceeded to lick Hawk anywhere it could, mostly on her face.
"How are you Koro?" she asked as her arms embraced the little dog. Koro responded with a few licks and a struggle to free himself from the clutches. Hawk obliged, letting the shiba inu roam around chasing his tail. After a couple of seconds, the dog barfed on the grass. "I'm sorry, I should've remembered to set you free earlier." she apologized. But the dog did not seem to care that it had been forgotten in a stasis cage. "C'mon then, we got a new house!"
"Twily, are you sure about this?" asked Princess Cadence for a fourth time in a row. She was still paralyzed in one of the many folding chairs, her arms crossed around her chest.
"Yes Cadence, I'm sure of it. I refuse to just sit here and expect a maniac like Shield to do something about it. What if he kills the dragon and everyone that isn't a soldier? Or if he just so happens to shoot a bullet in such a way that it kills Spike? No, if I want to make sure Spike gets here alive I'll have to get him." declared Twilight Sparkle as she folded her arms. "Don't worry about me, I'll find a way to learn my way around the battlefield."
Cadence looked away from the amethyst eyes. "That's what I'm worried about. Twilight, I've seen people head into battle. And every single person has been deformed by the field. I don't want that happening to you."
"Everyone? Are you including my brother?"
"Yes, especially Shining." said the princess somberly. " I still remember when he returned from the Battle of Foal Mountain, the way he talked, it was" she shuddered "I try not to remember it."
"But how bad was it? Princess Celestia told me that the generals made some bad calls and they took casualties, but it can't have been..." Twilight stopped, Cadence seemed to be taking this a little too hard. "Are you all right? You look a little pale."
"I don't want to talk about that. I just want to warn you, once you step into the field you will never be the same. I know that you mean good, and you're right. I really wouldn't trust Shield with a mission this delicate. But I really don't want you to become like him." and with those word Cadence left.
Twilight was grateful that Shield had left the room, if he had heard the conversation he probably would have cracked some joke about the Royal Guard being weak. But she was still uncomfortable with her former babysitter's reaction. It wasn't a real battlefield, it was just a pickup mission. If they were lucky they'd probably not even have to fire a single bullet. She took a moment to look at the racks, and shuddered. "maybe I'll get lucky and I won't get one of these."
Once she was back on the kitchen she was immediately greeted by Fire and a large stack of pancakes. "Hey there! You hungry?"
"No thanks, I had an early breakfast." she replied as she shook her head. The soldier merely shrugged as he grabbed one of the larger discs.
"Hey pup!" he said in a raised voice, calling for the attention of the little girl walking into the house. "Catch!" the blond girl immediately jumped, catching the pancake with her mouth as if she were a dog. "Nice!"
"So where's Shield?" asked the librarian as she eyed a particularly tasty apple in the shiny fruit bowl Rarity bought.
"He's taking a shower, but he's probably done by now... and speak of the Devil." he said as he looked at the stairs. Shield was wearing another of his double-headed eagle t-shirts, although this one was white with the logo in black.
"And he shall appear" said the blond soldier said, he then took a good whiff of the air "don't you just love the smell of stacks of pancakes in the morning?" following close by was Edgar, Shield's black raven. "Do we even have maple syrup for these beauties?" he then turned to look at a cream ball of fur next to his sister. "Oh, look! You actually brought Koro along. I guess that explains the stasis pod I found in my room. And why haven't you taken a shower pup?"
The girl was busy finishing the disc that was thrown to her, but she then responded: "I was busy making sure that Koro-chan was fully recovered. You know how he gets when he's in that pod."
"Fine, eat your breakfast and then hit the showers. We're leaving at eleven hundred, and we won't wait." and with that he grabbed a plate and served himself five pancakes, and with a surprised look he grabbed the bottle of syrup and drowned his breakfast in it. "Why don't you sit? Sure beats eating your apple on your feet." Twilight followed as suggested, and Hawk Eye followed soon. She devoured four pancakes before gulping down a glass of milk and sprinting to her room. "Isn't it curious how the mind of a child works?"
Celestia's student just sat on her chair, unable to think of anything. She didn't consider herself an expert psychologist, but she was sure that anyone could see that his head had more than a couple of loose screws. The thought of seeing him in action was terrifying. What were the odds of Spike not getting back alive? The man was a total mess! Not two minutes ago he was all somber, but now he just sighed at the sight of his sister. "So you said that training begins at five in the afternoon?"
"Yep, that's right. You and miss Rarity are in for a civilian's workout, so I suggest you decide whether or not you're joining our mission."
"But I thought you said you'd train us."
"I will, but if you really plan on going on with us I'm gonna have to give you the Crash Course just so you can have a chance of making it alive."
"So what's the difference? Wouldn't it make sense to train us both with the same program so that either of us could survive in case of an emergency? Not only that, but it would be easier if you taught us both the same thing rather than teaching two different courses at the same time."
Shield stammered for a minute, his brain apparently trying to come up with a convincing argument for her. "Please don't question my decisions." he replied as he got up and left for the study. "C'mon Koromaru, let's continue reading those reports. Hopefully Ed will remember to wake up in time and he'll be able to begin his patrols by midday."
"What's up with him?" asked Twilight, befuddled by his expression and sudden departure.
"Eh, Shield's probably just trying to look all cool. He's got to be pissing his pants by now." said Crystal as she began eating her breakfast.
"Why would he be afraid?"
"Because Shield isn't exactly a good teacher. And the idea of having to teach two of Celestia's friends doesn't exactly sit well with him, seeing as though he can't just throw you into a forest and tell you to find your way back home." replied Fire as he began cleaning up the table.
"Isn't that method a little too extreme? What if a recruit got lost?"
"Then Shield would come pick him up and send him home with a pat on the back while saying Thanks for participating in a smug tone. But he does it out of the kindness of his heart, last thing he wants is to learn that someone got killed due to the soldier being unfit. It saves him the trouble of having to worry about his leading skills."
Twilight's brain immediately went berserk. "I've had enough of this!" she exclaimed as her fists assaulted the table.
"Of what?" asked both Fire and Crystal, their faces not bothering to hide their confusion.
"I though Shield was supposed to be this monster that made so much damage that sensible people hated! But now I'm supposed to believe that he's nice to children and also has no idea how to lead people into battle or teach them despite him being a top-ranking officer in the army? Do I look stupid or something?"
Fire merely chuckled for a while. "You won't get Shield because he's mad. As in almost deserving to be interned in an asylum."
"Then why is he in control of the Legion?" asked Twilight.
"Because: he isn't. We all know better than to trust a maniac, so we put people that are actually competent in strategies in charge. Shield is just the guy we send in so that the soldiers can keep their morale up. That and we use him for all sorts of spec ops."
"But he's a Brigadier! And according to military structure he is one of the most, if not the most, high-ranking soldier! If he's not in charge of things then why does he even have that rank to begin with!"
"Because everyone loves a psycho that charges head-first into an enemy horde while screaming at the top of his lungs. That and also because he always finds a way to become the center of attention during a fight. And any veteran knows that the less bullets flying in his direction the better. So with that in mind he's been getting promotions so that he stays in the army and feels like he has a family. Childish? Yeah, but it has worked so far. And we don't fix what ain't broke." Fire procured a sheet of paper from his pocket, and after unfolding it various times he handed it to the librarian.
Twilight grabbed the paper and read it. It was a timetable recording the arrival of three people: Moondancer, who was arriving that day at noon, the next day Thunder Storm was coming in the Canterlot morning, followed by Cherry Blossom from Dodge Junction later that day. "Why did you hand me this?"
"That is the list of the rest of our wolf pack. I give you the schedule in case, and I'm sure it will be, that you want to greet them personally and give them a warm welcome." he replied as he crossed his arms and released a smile. "I suggest you do meet them, I'm pretty sure that they'll be some of the most interesting people you meet."
The train station was mostly deserted, only about ten people were there, and only one was apparently traveling. As the morning Canterlot train stopped, several looked out the window to gaze at the town. But no one got out, the passengers stayed in their seats.
"When you get to Canterlot could you say hi to my brother for me?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she hugged Princess Cadence. She paused for a second. "Oh, and please don't tell my brother about you-know-what. I really don't want him to come all the way back here to scold me."
"Sure thing," she replied as she turned to look at the amethyst-eyed librarian. "But you have to promise me that you'll take care all right? And promise me that you'll think about you-know-what."
Twilight merely nodded, and then did Princess Cadence grab her suitcase and entered the train. She waved goodbye as something caught Twilight's eye. She turned a quick gaze but she saw nothing. Dismissing this disturbance as a leaf, she returned to wave Cadence goodbye. Shield and Hawk Eye also waved goodbye, though their smiles were a little curious. Once the train was gone, Shield sighed heavily.
"You can come out now Moon." he said calmly, turning his head afterwards to see a woman appear from thin air. Her body was clad in a dark blue cloak, which was tied together with a silver brooch right above her sternum. The rest of her pale-skinned body was relatively unclothed by comparison. She was wearing a white tank top bearing the black two-headed eagle of the Vanhoover Steel Legion. Her midriff was bare, revealing a well-toned stomach. Her hips were clad in black shorts, and she wore black sneakers.
On her feet were two duffle bags marked with a silver raven, although each bag had a different color. There was a large and bulky red bag, a small but rather long bag painted in black.
As this woman pulled her hood back she shook her dark blue hair, she scratched the light blue streaks near the center. Holstered to both sides of her hips were two odd pistols, and a steel rapier to her left. She turned to face Shield, disregarding Twilight Sparkle entirely. With a quick slap to his left cheek she jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him. As she jumped the librarian was able to notice that the belt had several small daggers holstered on the back.
After this woman finished unlocking her arms she faced Hawk, and immediately hugged her as well. "I missed you so much little pup! But shouldn't you be back in Fenris finishing the school year?"
The little girl managed to free herself, taking a deep breath before she answered: "The warden let me go, in fact she's staying in our new safe house." The woman with the blue hair sighed and turned to look at Twilight.
"I am sorry for not properly introducing myself miss Twilight Sparkle," she said as she bowed. "I am Commissioner Moondancer of Hollow Shades, Leftenant of Hollow's Ranger Corps."
Twilight began to ask this woman how she knew her, but immediately stopped. "Let me guess, Shining never shut up about me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Moon chuckled. "Guess I don't have to explain myself after all. Good, makes things easier on everyone."
"Were you hiding under a cameleloin cloak?"
"Yeah, I wanted to see if Shield was still able to..."
"Just admit you were hiding from Cadence." snorted Shield as he grabbed the two bags of luggage she had brought. "you might as well ask her to help you fix that enmity you have with Cady."
Twilight's ears flickered at this comment. "You're in bad terms with Cadence? How is that even possible?"
"Let´s just say that she never was part of our wolf pack. That and I may have gotten her into trouble due to a mischievous past that may or may not have included impersonating her in an attempt to raid Princess Celestia's personal Cake Vault. But if such an event did indeed occur then it was at least twelve years ago, plenty of time for a woman of her stature to just get over this bloody mess." said Moondancer as she veered her eyes to the sky.
"So, seeing as though you don't have your handy-dandy DMR I think you got a part of my message." said Shield as he nudged the party to move away from the tracks and grabbed the red duffle bag.
"Oh, I got the whole thing. That's why I'm unarmed, same as you." replied the lady. "And where's that apron-wearing oaf? He said he would be here to pick me up!"
"Fire's back at the safe house finishing the last details on decoration and security." replied Hawk as she began her cheerful stride. "Maybe you can help us with Ed's nest, seeing as though brother will be too busy trying to train this lady right here." she then pointed her thumb at Twilight, who was walking behind her. This got Moondancer's attention as she grabbed the black duffle and placed it behind her right shoulder.
"You serious? Shield's training her? But she's alive and well!" exclaimed Moon as she grinned at Shield.
"We haven't started yet, I'm still giving her and her friend a chance to back down." responded Shield calmly as he looked at his phone. He chuckled for a moment before hurriedly typing his answer. "Apparently Amaranthe wants me to tell her what the team build will be." he chuckled. "Cute."
"You haven't finished the builds yet?" asked Moon sarcastically. "You lazy sod! You're supposed to hand those by tomorrow!"
"Oh, c'mon! Not like you weren't expecting me to not do them. We all know who's going anyways: us, Team Valkyrie and I was thinking of either Hammergeddon or The Ghosts."
"And don't forget about me, I'll be going too." replied Twilight as she upped her pace to be on level with Shield. Her words stopped Moon on her tracks.
"You? Why the bloody hell would you have to go?" she asked befuddled.
"Because the kid who told you about the kidnapping just so happens to be my little brother." said the librarian.
"So?"
This time it was Twilight's turn to be perplexed. "So? Spike is extremely important to me, and I want to be there to make sure that nothing bad happens to him!"
Moondancer seemed to contemplate the answer, but her face showed too much confusion for the student to think that she would be on her side. "I think I get it, but I don't want you getting mauled to death. Unless you get through crash course and somehow impress all of us, I won't let you drop out of that Albatross." She turned to look at Shield. "And I think I speak for all of the Wolf Pack when I say this."
"I think we should talk about this later, for now she still has a long way to go." he said, turning his head toward Twilight. "For the meantime could you please call your friend Rarity and tell her she has about an hour to start the physical assessment to see how much work we have ahead of us." he said calmly.
"So, what's gonna happen about Hawk? I imagine she's gonna move here with you." asked Moon.
"Of course!" intervened thee girl as she happily jumped onto her brother's back. "I'd never leave my brother behind!"
"I still have to make arrangements for the transfer, but that's the idea." he added as he tried to hold his sister. "But with her grades I'm sure it'll go smoothly, heck I'm sure her grades will get better." A second later he turned around to the sound of a bird crow. It was Edgar, his right leg was tied with a small message. with another caw the raven landed on his right shoulder. Shield untied the message and quickly read it. "Did you message your friend miss Twilight?" she shook her head. "Well, don't bother. Apparently your seamstress friend is already awaiting our arrival."
To most people it was a beautiful day in Ponyville, the sun was up, the birds were singing and the town was full of its usual laughter. Any regular human being would appreciate this day, for the heat of the sun was enough to brighten anyone's day and it allowed. And even people could hope to get a tan if they wanted to.
But this day was nothing short of a nightmare for Shield. He was not a person to live in the heat, his pale skin now drenched in sweat was enough proof of that. He preferred a cloudy day, a day when his biggest danger wasn't being cooked alive. People might say that it was his fault for carrying his crimson duster, but what was he supposed to do, not wear it?
But the sweat in his face wasn't all about the heat. No, the worst part was the azure-haired librarian next to her. Why in Equestria she wanted to join his merry band of asskickers was beyond him. Maybe it was female logic, but who could say. The truth was that her being there was the worst nightmare he could think of. Any civilian is a giant liability on the field of battle, especially when it's against a monster. But there was no way he would be able to get rid of her. The second he pulled her out he was sure the Princess would just put her back in, and slap Shield's hand in the process.
"So Moon, did you happen to bring me that overcoat I asked for?" he asked his friend as she pressed the brooch under her chin.
"Sorry, but they sent it to Cherry. You know how requisition orders go." replied Moondancer with a shrug of her shoulders.
Shield sighed, letting his annoyance be heard. "Great, so here I am, standing in the middle of a town so hot that it evaporates clouds wearing a wool coat and a dragonscale vest. How do you people manage to stay solid?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Then take off your coat if it's so hot. I don't understand why you keep complaining to such a simple solution. Or at least undo the buttons, sheesh."
"I would, but I'm wearing my vest and I'm sure people wouldn't like it if they saw me walking around with a dragon's skin. And I also brought Ash and Snow, and I don't plan on getting harassed by anyone today."
"Is it really necessary to have your guns with you at all times? I mean, half of your problems would disappear if you simply stopped acting so... irrational."
This time it was Hawk Eye who looked surprised. "Are you serious?" Twilight could only look in surprise at the girl's attitude, who was even shaking her head in disappointment. "This girl can't be serious. I refuse to believe that the Princess has such low standards of intelligence. I just... can't"
"C'mon, don't be so hard on her." Intervened Moon, her hand caressing the girl. "She's just thinking like a civvie, that's all." she then proceeded to scratch the blond head.
"If it's so simple they why don't you explain it?" retorted Twilight.
"It's easy, really." replied the little girl. "How can you expect a soldier to do his job if he lacks the tools he needs? If a bounty hunter came after your head he'd be powerless to blast him into dust. If an army of shamblers came through he'd have to run home before doing anything, and by then they'll have already destroyed the park..." she wasn't allowed to continue as Shield raised his fist in a gesture of silence.
"At ease Hawk, we don't want her against us. She's just baffled by our customs. Give her time, she'll see the genius behind it. Hopefully." he replied as he lowered his hand.
"But... but..." she stammered. "but I'm just..."
"I said at ease. Her brain is not tuned to the sound of war, but after our training course she'll be able to make snap decisions like a soldier. If not she'll die trying." replied Shield as he walked up the street where his house rested. He thanked Ysmir for the cloud on top of him, but then he realized that the cloud was following him. He looked up to see why he had a puff of evaporated water trailing him.
A head poked out, Eyes peering at the librarian. "What'cha doin' Twi?"
"Nothing yet Rainbow, and why are you here? Shouldn't you be taking care of the weather?" replied Twilight as she stared at Rainbow Dash.
"Do you see any clouds in the sky?" asked the tomboy condescendingly. Twilight simply shook her head. Rainbow turned her head at Shield "Hey man, how's it going?" He merely grunted. "What's his problem?"
"Your job." answered Hawk Eye as she turned to face the cloud.
Rainbow scoffed. "What's my job got to do with his broody attitude?" The soldier grunted in displeasure once more.
"He's boiling himself to death because you destroyed all of the clouds." replied the little girl. The tomboy drew some breath, but Hawk spoke first: "He can't take the coat off because reasons"
"So anyways, I kinda wanted to talk to him. It's about our friend Whiplash." said Rainbow as she motioned her cloud to follow him as she disembarked. As she landed she noticed Moondancer, to whom she merely extended a frienldy hand. "Hey how's it going, I'm Rainbow Dash."
Moon met her hand. "Aside from this blistering heat, fine. What's this about Whiplash though? I can't see the connection."
"She's apparently from Cloudsdale, and they met years ago." said Shield as he blasted his face with Snow's cold bullets. "God, I didn't realize that would actually work!" he sighed in relief as he opened his coat and shot his stomach repeatedly. The pistol slides soon burst open, hissing out jets of scorching air.
"Why don't we just go home so you can freeze to death with your A/C?" asked Moon. "Last thing we want is you spending all of your ammunition just trying to keep yourself cool."
"No kidding?" he replied condescendingly. "Me waste valuable ammo? Do I look like Cherry to you? I'll recharge the pack later."
"Look!" intervened Hawk as she joyfully pointed at the thatched house. "That's our new safe house!" Moondancer followed her finger, and gestured in approval.
"Nice place, definitely better than Catachan I'll give you that." Moon said. "So, what's this base called?"
"I don't know yet, though I was thinking of either Caliban or Tanith. What do you think?"
The dark blue-haired woman rubbed her chin. "Caliban Forward Command or Tanith Forward Command, I'd go with Caliban if I were you."
"CFC," though the blond soldier. "I like it! Once we've got the whole crew here we'll baptize this place and make it official!"
"Sorry to interrupt your dreamhouse ideas." intervened Rainbow Dash. "But I kinda wanted to ask you about Whip's fighting style, cuz sooner or later she and I will have a fight and I wanna be sure that I can kick her butt." Her sentences were responded with laughter from the male Commissioners. "Hey! What's so funny?!"
"Sorry, but you're gonna need more than tips if you seriously plan on taking down Cloudsdale's Guardian Angel. You'll need months of training to even dream about hitting her." he replied. "There's no way you'll get past her flails unless you can casually break the speed barrier."
"Ha! I can make Sonic Rainbooms whenever I want!" she scoffed. "Heck, I can probably punch you so fast you won't see me coming!"
"Really?" asked the soldier incredulously. "You think you can punch me?"
"Pssh! I know I can." she replied.
"I don't believe you." said Moon. "In fact, I'm willing to bet that you can't touch even a single hair on his blond and punch-worthy head."
"Oh yeah, And what happens when I win?"
"I'll tell you all the ways in which you can beat Whip to a pulp." said Moondancer. "But if you lose you'll have to make it rain on his house for an entire week."
"Deal"
"NO!" protested Shield. "NO DEAL!" Rainbow and the other Commissioner stared at him. "It's my face that's getting punched, I should be the one to decide if I take the hit or not."
The caped woman smirked. "You're afraid she'll be able to do hit you, right?"
"Of course!" he replied as he began ascending his porch.
"So then.. wait, WHAT?" came the surprised reply from Moon "You're joking right?"
"Of course I'm not." he replied in a very dry tone. "Unlike you, I tend to read on people of interest. One of which is clearly this woman. She has the record for fastest Seraph alive."
Moon paused for a minute. "Where did you read that again? I usually read the Legion Files whenever I'm bored, but I don't remember anything about this girl." she pointed her thumb at Rainbow Dash.
"The Canterlot Guard Report. They made a special twenty four-page document about these women last year." he replied, allowing his comrade a simple oh. "They released it last year, after the return of Nightmare Moon. Didn't you get a copy?"
"I did, but I was too busy to be bothered." she replied as Shield opened the door. "Thanks. Hey Fire, how's married life treating you?" She asked as she removed her shoes and cape. She also droppped her black bag.
Fire Storm gave an emotionless chuckle. "Nice to see you too Moony. How was your trip?"
"Fine and..." she began, before her eyes fixed on the young woman with violet hair. She turned to look at Shield. "Who's the beauty?"
Shield patted her shoulder. "She's Rarity, a friend of Twilight's. She's been kind enough to handle all the remodeling this house has needed. So if you like the look this place has it's her handiwork." It was at this moment that the seamstress looked behind her and realized what was happening. She patted her white pants and straightened her hair, extending a hand to greet the newcomer.
"Oh hello! So nice to meet you." she said with her melodious and cheery voice. But to her surprise Moondancer never met her hand, instead she kissed her on the cheek.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Leftenant Moondancer, and I love the way this place looks." Moon then released the buckle holding her sword. She swung the belt at the nearest couch and dropped her body onto the sofa. "Bloody hell. Who knew that train travel could be so exhausting!"
"No clue, now could you be so kind and get settled?" said Shield as he dropped the red duffle bag. "We've got stuff to do before lunch."
"Well then good luck." replied the blue-haired soldier. "I'm gonna rest for today, so go do whatever it is you do here and leave me alone. Unless you plan on going to a spa. If you're going there I'll come with you."
"We're not going to a spa." replied Hawk. "We're going for pizza, right big bro?"
"Of course we are! But first you'll have to enlist in the local school." A rather disappointed sigh erupted from the girl. "Hey, no school means no pizza. Now say your goodbyes while I look for something that won't roast me alive." barked Shield. He turned on his heel and took a step towards the stairs.
"Oh, wait a second, I brought you a little present." sang Rarity as she presented a large white box to Shield. Tentatively, he opened the box to reveal its contents: a lava trench coat. As his hands coursed through the red fabric he realized that this was really comfortable coat, and he also deduced that it would be perfect to stave off this heat. He shed off his old duster and tossed it over the discarded belt.
Shield quickly extended the coat and waved it like a toreador's cape, sliding his arms in as he tried to keep the graceful motion. He straightened the lapels and raised his hands above his head.
"I thought you might like it, especially since your other coats are better suited for the cold climates of the north. I would suggest you avoid using trench coats at all, since it really gives you an antiquated look."
"Thanks for your opinion, but the coat stays." replied Shield as he tried refitting the straps of his guns. "Okay then, so I'm guessing you're staying." he directed his head toward Moon.
"On second thought," she lifted herself up and faced Rarity. "do you happen to know where's the nearest spa?"
"Well of course!" Rarity said, she eyed her small golden wrist watch and headed for the door. "In fact I have to go there in a couple of minutes to meet up with a friend."
"Would you mind if I tagged along?" questioned Moon, her body unwilling to move. "I'll pay for my own expenses and you won't even notice me."
"Oh you needn't take it that far. I'll just ask Fluttershy, but I'm sure she won't mind." replied Rarity as she opened the door to the outside world.
"Who would have guessed that a town this small would have a Starbeans Cafe?" said Moondancer as she gulped down her large mocha frapuccino, her hands gripping the plastic cup with a certain passion. "I haven't had one of these beauties for at least a year!"
Rarity and her had been walking toward the spa, but were forced on a detour the second the Commissioner had caught a glimpse of the legendary coffee company. After her quick purchase they returned to the dirt roads, her pace a tad more accelerated than Rarity's.
"So, are you from Vanhoover?" asked the seamstress after a cough.
"Well no. I was born in Canterlot and I've been stationed in Hollow Shades for about three years. But I was stationed in Van for about four years. Really nice place, and the best part was that there was a Starbeans every three blocks. And unlike Hollow Shades, more than one competent Spa House."
"So what's Hollow Shades like? I've heard some stories, but I've never had the privilege of going there." said the seamstress as she sipped her cappuccino.
"Shady, for starters." chuckled Moon. "It's a nice place, all things considered. The trees are tall and old, and so strong that we find it easier to just build stuff around them rather than dreaming of taking them down. And it's rare to see a car, most either use either motorbikes or fly."
"So you build your city up? That's got to be difficult to get around." Rarity asked as they made a last turn toward their destination.
"No, all trees have these giant elevators that take you up and down. That and you can get used to it."
"So what is your connection to Shield? Aside from being a fellow Commissioner that is." They passed through the glass doors and came up to the reception area, "I mean, Fire has this sort of his mature close friend. So I was wondering what sort of role you play in his life." she paused, finishing her coffee.
As Rarity nodded to the receptionist, who knew well what she wanted, she turned to face the only person sitting down in the waiting room. To Moondancer this particular woman was larger than she appears. Clothed in a sweater a tad too big, a white blouse and a lime green skirt that covered her feet. "Hello Fluttershy, how has this day treated you so far?"
"Well, okay, I guess. Nothing new, though my bruises are hurting even less now. So I guess you could say that it's going good." the woman turned to look at Moondancer. "I didn't know you were going to bring company." she added.
"I know, and I'm sorry I forgot to tell you. But she's a friend of Shield who just got here and I thought it would be a good idea to take her around town and maybe relax after such a journey." said Rarity as she grabbed her friend's arm.
"Wait, if I'm interrupting something then I can just stay here and wait for you to start. Not like I'm in much of a hurry." intervened Moon as she removed her cape.
"No, it's all right. I was just a little surprised. That's all." Fluttershy said as she backed away from Moondancer.
"In that case, would you care to join us?"
"Of course! Anything to get me out of this grime."
A couple of minutes passed as the trio of women were removed of clothing and outfitted with white towels. Afterwards, they were directed to the massage tables, where very delicate hands struck at every knot on Moondancer's back.
"What do you do to have so many knots?" asked Aloe as she unmade a particular tumor on her left shoulder-blade. "I haven't seen this many knots since the big wedding."
With a moan the ultramarine-haired woman twisted her head. "Mmm, yes... that's the spot. Just like the doctor ordered." After a couple of seconds her eyes opened, her pupils scanning for danger. "Sorry, I dosed off for a second. What did you say?" she asked and released a moan as her eyes rolled up and her right trapezius muscle became free of knots.
"She was inquiring about your line of work." Rarity said.
"Oh, right. I'm a Ranger. And yes, it is a stressful environment." she replied before releasing yet another moan.
"Well, I've never massaged a soldier before."
"Then I'll forgive you if you happen to pull a muscle." Much to Aloe's surprise and relief, the rest of the session went on without any event, and once her customers had entered the sauna she made sure to run for the mud and cucumbers.
While inside the vapor chamber Moon could feel her pains melt out of her body, the urge to beat Shield senseless oozed out of her pores and her brain could finally tell her to relax. "So how much damage has my friend caused so far? I'm betting at least a thousand bits."
The train station was once again an empty place, with only a man in a red coat, two women and a little girl to populate the place. They all looked a little sleepy, especially since it was eight in the morning and the sun peeking through the mountains. Shield Heart was keeping his right hand near his ribs, his fingers staying a couple of millimeters from his sidearm. "So I hope you enjoyed our light jog Rarity, because tomorrow we won't take it so easy on you."
The violet-haired seamstress simply smiled: "Oh please, I always jog five kilometers in the morning, so today's exercise was just a faster experience. Although it was a surprise that Twilight refused to join us, I believed that she would want to begin her conditioning as soon as possible."
"Actually," intervened Hawk as her index finger touched her lips "she went for a jog with Fire and Crystal. I saw her at the doorway a while ago."
"Makes sense, Fire is probably the one to take care of her condition training. I really don't have the patience required to properly train her." Shield said, his ice-blue eyes scanning the platform.
"Why are you so anxious? Are you expecting trouble?" asked Rarity with a raised eyebrow and her right index below her mouth.
"Always," he replied. "But I'm just getting ready in case the train comes with an unexpected surprise..." he paused as the screech of a braking train filled the station. The engine blew its whistle and released streams of smoke. out of the ten coaches visible only one swung its doors wide open, the emerging figure obscured by smoke.
The silhouette was that of a broad person with well-defined muscles, he or she had very short hair, and it appeared to be of a crew-cut fashion. The shadow stepped through the steam, revealing a man wearing a white wife beater two sizes too small. His denim pants were secured by a black leather belt with a golden bio-hazard symbol on the buckle. The belt also holstered two gold plated hand cannons. And his pants were also aided by suspenders, which held several 40 mm grenades.
His chiseled face was covered in a rather thin layer of stubble, his eyes hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. "Ladies, get your raincoats and umbrellas, cuz this Storm's gonna make you wet." he exclaimed, leaving a grin on his face. Both Shield and Moondancer sighed and dropped their heads in unison. "Say, where's that excuse of a man that calls himself my brother?"
"He's back at base, tending to our new recruit." replied Hawk. "Why didn't you come with him in the first place?"
"Cuz Thunder Storm don't take orders from that woman." he replied as he ignited a cigar and closed the black lighter. "You should know that by now pup." he lifted a duffle bag so heavy it appeared as if it was about to burst with his left hand, on his right he carried a two-headed battleaxe and slung to his shoulder was grenade launcher painted with grey matte paint. A pair of yellow wings suddenly erupted, revealing white streak patterns in a similar fashion to his hair.
He took a step forward and attempted to whistle through his cigar. "Well, they didn't tell me that I could find nymphs in this town." He added as he lowered his sunglasses to make eye contact with the seamstress.
She met his pearl white eyes and replied: "I am Rarity, and it is a pleasure to meet you sir." Shield immediately placed his right arm in front of her and forced her back. "I believe you must be Count Thunder Storm, the eldest of the Storm family."
"That's right babe, I'm everything your heart desires." he added with cocked eyebrow.
"For the love of humanity could you please shut up?" yelled Moon. "It's not even been five minutes and you have already managed to give me a migraine."
"It hasn't even been three..." muttered Shield. "Didn't you get my message?"
"Which one?" asked Thunder, once again cocking an eyebrow.
"The one that told you not to show off your guns on broad daylight." Shield say dryly.
"Oh yeah, I did get it. But how was I supposed to do that? I can't just cut off these." Thunder said as he flexed his arms.
"Why me?" sighed the man in the trench coat. "You need to hide them. This town doesn't like any sort of weapons."
"Don't worry, I got a plan that'll make my things invisible."
"You do?" and Thunder responded by flexing all of his muscles, prompting his tight shirt to burst into shreds.
"Behold Ponyville, the magnificent body of Thunder Storm!" Count Storm shouted as he showed off his pectorals. "No one will pay any attention to my weapons when these babies are in full view!"
"I'm not sure why you're still alive..." mumbled Shield as he trudged away from his nudist friend.
.oOo.
The walk through town went slightly better than expected, most women merely stared at him while others sniggered at Thunder's endless supply of pick-up lines. And to everyone's relief there was no showing of violence anywhere. No signs of Thunder's macho pride in danger or signs of infuriated women trying to crucify him.
Once they were home Shield forced Thunder to the basement, once the Count had put on another of his super-tight wife beaters of course. This left the violet-haired tailor with the rest of the crew.
"I see you've met my brother." Fire Storm said from the balcony above, his hands resting on the wooden rails.
"Yes, I have. I must say, I find it hard to believe that you are siblings. Your mannerisms are very distinct."
"Almost as if we were not brothers?" he added, a grin on his head.
"Almost." she replied. "While your personalities are vastly different you still utilize the same level of vocabulary."
"Still, it's hard for people to take me seriously. More than once have women thrown shoes at me just for being his brother, and I have no idea how many times I've been held at knife-point for something by brother did."
"Yet you fight alongside him."
"Yeah, I guess that's why we're brothers." he sighed. "Anyways, follow me to the backyard and we'll start with CQC 101."
"Hold your breath and pull the trigger." Shield Heart exclaimed at Twilight as she fired a mulberry bolt at the target dummy. the bullet hissed through the air and singed the left ear. The mannequin raised its left arm and fired a pearly white at the librarian, hitting her square in her padded breastplate and forcing her to land on her backside. "Dammit, I told you not to go for the head!" he cursed as the rifle bounced off the floor.
"But a head shot is the best way! I need to avoid taking damage." she replied, getting back on her feet and bringing her Vulkan rifle to bear. Shield insisted that she used a standard Vanhoover rifle, saying that starting with a pistol was gonna be too slow for their pace. But she was starting to think that the pistol might have been the best option. This rifle was heavy, and aiming was proving to be harder than she remembered.
"Try for the eyes once your aim is on what I consider average. For now, aim for the body. It's safer and you'll have a better chance of hitting your target. And if you're lucky you might disarm them." he replied as he extended his right hand. She accepted it and pulled herself back up.
The basement door hissed open and allowed Fire Storm to enter the scene. "Hello there soldiers, how fares your training?"
"Bad, your friend keeps shooting me every time I miss."
"Well, he'll stop if you give up."
"I need to be on that plane to rescue Spike, so if that means I'll suffer a bit I really don't care."
"Then you're already halfway through. Now you just need the skills to back your will."
Shield picked up the discarded rifle and smiled. "Dropping your gun after getting shot won't get you on the ride back." he added as he flipped the safety and threw the weapon at her. Twilight almost fumbled the rifle, but managed aim it and released a burst of five mulberry bolts at the hostile dummy. Three managed to scorch the torso, while another one grazed its left cheek. The mannequin released another blast, but it missed as the librarian managed to duck the projectile. "There might just be hope for you yet rookie."
"How about you stop using that heavy weapon and try this one instead?" asked Fire as he handed her a Hermes-pattern assault rifle.
She grabbed the rifle, and weighed it. Although she had used it before, it felt like holding a feather after spending two hours holding the Vulkan rifle. They heard a sudden scream and skin getting slapped particularly hard.
"I guess that's my cue." muttered Fire, sprinting for the door.
"Y'know," Shield said "if you're gonna ruin my routine you might as well go full circle!" The sound of a second slap made both the Commissioner and Twilight wince.
.oOo.
Rarity had come to train under the watchful eye of Moondancer, but she was not home. Apparently she and Thunder went to hunt cockatrices for a barbecue they were planning. So as she paced to the kitchen she was startled by a sudden pinch on her posterior. She immediately spun on her heels, and found herself face-to-face with a grinning Thunder. Her palm struck his cheek faster than the blink of an eye.
His smile resisted the palm strike, despite the slight bleeding her manicured nails had caused. "Totally worth it." he said out loud, earning him a slap to his left cheek. The scars were nearly symmetrical, a fact Thunder seemed pleased once he patted his scars.
"You pig!" shrieked Rarity as she kneed his crotch. Thunder immediately dropped to his knees, his hands protecting his manhood. "I was willing to put up with your cheesy pick-up lines, but this is beyond the pale!"
Moondancer approached, guffawing as she approached her downed friend. After a few seconds of forced laughter she slapped the back of his left shoulder blade with tremendous force. "See what happens to your brother when you're not around to watch over him?" she said to Fire, who was ascending the basement stairs.
"I didn't see anything. I just heard a loud slap. Actually I think I heard two." he glanced at his brother, then stared at the seamstress's hands. He noticed the drops of blood, contrasting her navy blue nail polish. "Let me guess, you pinched her." his burly brother nodded eagerly. "And it was totally worth the two slaps." another nod. Fire simply sighed in exasperation. "You're the living proof that Ysmir exists." Thunder regained his footing and chuckled.
"Please, with these plates," replied Thunder as he flexed his pectorals, the flexing causing his shirt to burst into shreds, "I am invulnerable to any sort of permanent damage."
"Look, I don't have time ti deal with you right now, go to your room and get another shirt." Fire said, pointing to the stairs. Thunder hesitated, instead raising his chest against his younger brother. "NOW." He still held his ground. Fire sighed, lowering his head and rubbing his nose bridge. "Fine." he lifted his hand, with his fingers ready to snap. "One," nothing, "two," Thunder began taking steps back, "Two and a half," and Fire snapped his fingers. Sparks erupted in front of Thunder, and a small blue flame materialized itself.
"Fuck," Thunder swore under his breath. The flame opened a pair of white eyes, and after what sounded like a giggle, released a blue fire bolt that dissipated without leaving a scorch mark. "Fine! I'll go to my room, just call that cutesy shit off!" The burning entity kept harassing him until the blue-haired pyromancer snapped his fingers again and it returned to his palm.
Fire chuckled turning to face his visitor: "Leave it to Essy to keep my brother in check."
"Is your brother really this immature, or is it just a ploy?"
"Sadly enough, he's yet to actually end puberty." he replied.
.oOo.
As soon as Shield stopped at the entrance of Ponyville's train station once more, killing Pabu's engines. He removed his helmet, a piece of armor that he would not have worn had it not been for his sister's unstoppable nagging. As he ascended the wooden steps of the station he sighed in relief. To his luck, no one had asked to acoompany him to pick up his last friend. Though he preferred if this luck had followed him the previous day. He knew that any female that managed to get near Thunder had a ninety percent chance of getting hit on, while the lucky ones were protected by the unlucky ones.
But dismissing his complaints, he turned to look at the timetable and then to his pocket watch. If the universe was giving him apples, that was a miracle he was in no position to refute.
The train screeched its way to the platform, inviting several people to exit the platform. But to his surprise his friend was nowhere to be seen. He strained his eyes, but nothing new was revelealed.
"Mr. Heart!" said a young female voice from behind. He turned to notice that it was Derpy, holding a letter with his name stenciled to the front in large red letters. "This just came in."
He opened it, and began reading through the contents.
Aniki: I hope you don't mind that I told the train crew that you're gonna be picking up my luggage. I was bored and took Gurren for a spin. Don't worry, I'll be at home by the time you get here.
Commissioner Cherry Blossom
"Great." he murmured to himself, approaching the last coach.
"Mr. Shield Heart?" asked the conductor with a raised eyebrow.
"That is correct. Were you expecting me?"
"Yes sir. Miss Cherry said that you'd be getting here expecting her."
"Of course she did."
"Here, this is all she left for you. She took her big case with her when she told me she'd ride that motorcycle to Ponyville." the conductor said as he pulled out two suitcases from inside. "Just sign here that you got them" Shield grabbed the clipboard and signed. "That'll be all then, good day."
Shield grabbed the bags and walked back to Pabu with his head making an effort to drop. His ride back was uneventful, except for a phone call from Hawk asking if she could hang out with Sweetie Bell. His answer was yes.
.oOo.
Twilight eyed the books in Shield's study, trying to see what sort of literature he read. There was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, most of which she'd never really heard of. What caught her attention were a couple of binders labeled: Mission Debriefings. They seven voulmes, each marking the years of the assignments. Probably. She reached for the first volume, year 994 PNM, but her hand stumbled upon an invisible wall. She tried grabbing a copy of Aquilax, but it was also protected by a barrier. She pulled her wand and began murmuring a dispelling hex when she heard an engine rev. Alarmed, she quickly left the room. "Is he back already?" she asked aloud, hoping that Crystal would answer, since both brothers went out to train Rainbow and Moondancer was coaching Rarity.
"I doubt it. The engine didn't sound like Pabu at all." she replied. Then the doorbell rang three times. Crystal tapped her tablet and brought up the security feed, later tapping a button to open the door.
Outside the house stood a short person, covered in a sepia hood held together by a cherry blossom flower cast in silver. She was clad in tan jumpsuit a size too big, with machine pistols strapped to her sides and a large iron scythe sticking out of her back. Her black low-heeled, steel-toed boots . The hood was lowered to reveal a woman with long salmon hair, narrow eyes a small nose and mouth and a headset with two prongs: one hovered over her right eyebrow while the second hovered below her lip.
"Cherry! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the train station?" Crystal asked.
"I left the train to ride Gurren, but don't worry, I let him bring my luggage." Twilight looked through a window to see a large crimson motorcycle, with wheels easily twenty five centimeters of with, and fifty in diameter. The front is a curved metal plate covering the front wheel and merging into the main chassis, which is a bit wider. The seat stretches from the front to the back. The back was a symmetrical copy, with only a large metal crate tied to the back.
"Then why didn't you tell him?"
"Oh, I sent him an urgent letter. And since my calculations are spot on, he got it when he arrived at the train station."
"Did you ride around pretending to be Skull Rider again?"
With a click of her heels Cherry's boots began to unfasten themselves. Soon, she left the boots and began walking on white socks. "Only when I passed near the school." she replied with a grin as her clothing became mottled with black. Soon, she was clad in dark colors and a bone white scythe. She pulled out a skull bandanna over her nose. "I've come for your soul!" she roared, aiming her pink eyes at the librarian. Her head was now in front of Twilight, invading most conceptions of personal space. "Who are you?"
Twilight failed to speak, still paralyzed by the half skull talking to her. The eyes were particularly disturbing, since the more she looked, the more that one of the eyes seemed a to have a light circle in the iris.
"Back off Cherry." Crystal replied, as she pulled her back. "She's a friend."
"Name?" Cherry pulled her bandana away.
"Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's student." Crystal replied as she placed a hand on the librarian's shoulder.
"What is she doing here?" she then unclipped her hood.
"She's under Fire's wing."
"Oh, so she's a neophyte?" asked Cherry as she headed to the kitchen.
"Sort of. She's not permanent."
"Too bad, she looks like good support. Are you helping us on the dragon mission?" She looked at Twilight, opening the cookie jar.
"Uh, yes. Wild guess?" Twilight answered
"No. It is the only mission in the near future. There is no reason why you would go to another one." Cherry was now biting a chocolate chip cookie.
"Were you reading and driving again?" Fire's fiancee asked, yanking the jar from her. "And who gave you permission to eat cookies? Last time I checked you still had diabetes!"
"These's aren't sugar free?"
"Of course not! There's no Super Healthy here!"
"No wonder they tasted like heaven!" she replied before gnawing on the cookie.
"From now on you won't eat anything without my say so."
"Fine."
"So as you can see Twilight, my fiance's team is composed primarily of freaks."Crystal said as she put the cookie jar over the refrigerator. "Good luck getting your brother back."
