She always hated coming here.
Twinkler never liked visiting the parliament hall; the ponies here were always so stuffy, so cold. But then again, who was she to complain about that sort of thing, being that she and her siblings were mercenaries for hire? But, she and her family had long been of use to the government, eliminating things and ponies that the royal council felt were a threat. So, she could easily put aside her discomfort, for the sake of the profit to be made.
"Hello? Anypony here?" Twinkler asked, calling out into the darkness and shadows. "I received a message you had a new mission for me, so I came as quickly as possible."
The country Twinkler and her siblings served was Equestria, a nation far to the south of the Confederacy of Ponyland. It was the largest unified equine kingdom on the planet, and was seen as the source for all the great friendship and magic in all of the lands. While the Ponyland Federation was more powerful than Equestria with it's mighty magical artifacts, the Equestrians were considered the more civilized of the two pony nations, with more complex and powerful magic, and were generally friendlier than their barbarian neighbors.
"Ah, Twinkler... so glad you could make it." A mare in a dark hood and robes announced, emerging from a secret panel along the wall. "I trust you have taken the usual precautions to ensure you were not followed?"
"Don't worry, your ladyship, nopony followed me here; I know how important you keeping this stuff a secret is." The yellow mare with the gold and fuchsia mane smirked. "Though I don't understand why you keep covering yourself up in that disguise, nopony is ever going to discover we're making these 'business transactions'."
"It is of the utmost importance that nopony ever discover that a member of the senate is hiring an assassin to take care of Equestria's... more discreet problems." the mare in the hood replied. "Our loving and tolerant population would demand my removal from office, and our beloved alicorn queen would order my immediate arrest and trial."
"Well, we don't have to worry about that, now do we?" Twinkler replied, cracking her hooves. "Now, what is this job you want me and my siblings to do?"
"We have received word from our spies, that the Ponyland barbarians that they are actively seeking out the mythical pony pals, the only non-equines to ever attain cutie marks." The parliamentarian replied, still looking around nervously to make sure they weren't being watched. "I want you and your siblings to journey north to the Ponyland-Equestrain border city of Rainbow Falls, and find out if the barbarians have found the pony pals. And, if the legends are true and those blasphemous creatures have been found, eliminate them!"
"No problem, your ladyship! If those 'pony pals' exist, we'll splat them like bugs." Twinkler grinned, relishing the thought of violence. "But, why in Celestia's name does the esteemed Equestrian parliament care about a bunch of critters with cutie marks?"
"Because, cutie marks have always been one of the most sacred part of our culture, it has always been a symbol of our destiny to guide the other races of world." The hooded pony replied bitterly. "It's bad enough the zebras and those barbarians are born with them, but if the other races were to learn it was possible to earn a cutie mark, it would undermine our prestige and place as leaders in the world!"
"Still, going into Ponyland... that's a dangerous job... even more dangerous than when you had me start that war between Yakyakistan and Saddle Arabia." The mercenary shook her mane. "It's gonna cost you extra, and you already know our services don't come cheap."
"I know, I know... ten million bits for the elimination, then another five million for expenses and the risk involved." The hooded figure snarled. "I'll throw in a five million bonus for any and all collateral damage and casualties you can cause in Rainbow Falls during the operation... those traitors deserve it for withdrawing their city from Equestria, and joining the Ponyland Federation. An example must be made,you understand."
"No problem, though we're going to charge extra for every stallion, mare, and foal we manage to turn into glue." Twinkler grinned evilly. "Anything else we should be aware of?"
"Yes, according to my spies, Princess Majesty herself is the one undertaking this mission to find the pony pals." The cloaked bureaucrat replied with a snort. "I obviously cannot ask you to hunt down and eliminate the heir to Dream Valley -we don't have enough bits in the treasury to pay that bounty- buuut, if she were to accidentally get hurt or killed during your little operation, a nice little extra could make it's way into your bank account..."
"What?! Princess Majesty? As in, the princess Majesty whose mother possesses the golden crown? The reality warping artifact that is the most powerful magical tool on the whole damn planet?!" Twinkler stamped her hoof. "There is no way in Luna's name I'm risking my family's life by killing her! Those Ponylanders would declare a blood feud that will end with my siblings and I's heads mounted on their wall." The yellow mare stamped her hoof stubbornly. "If we encounter the royal brat, we're just knocking her out!"
"Oh, very well... it sure would've eliminated a problem for me and New Equestria, though." The hooded politician sighed. "Those Ponylanders deserve every bit of misery they can get!" She began to rant. "We holy Equestrains are the descendants of that glorious pony race, the ancients. Those barbarian's ancestors stole their lands from the ancients, and drove into the south, where our blessed Equestria stands today!" The cloaked bureaucrat snarled. "The more suffering I can cause those filthy Barbarians, the better!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just make sure the bits are in my account when we get back to Equestria." Twinkler rolled her eyes, trotting discreetly out the side door. "And don't you worry, I'll send those pony pals and the ponies of Rainbow Falls on a one-way trip to the glue factory!"