A black unicorn stallion with aqua eyes and an electric-blue mane looked at his subordinate, a unicorn mare with a lemon-chiffon coat, deep purple eyes and a mane of amaranth, purple and violet. Both wore stylish suits, and in the case of the mare, expensive eyeglasses imported from Italy.
And at the moment, neither looked happy.
“So, that’s what the Princess wants,” Masquerade Protocol, Director of the Clandestine Operations Duty Executive, spoke to his subordinate, Moondancer, Deputy Director for CODE Operations. “That’s what she gets.”
Moondancer took off her glasses, rubbing them against her suit; while she knew it was going to clear up her vision, she doubted it would the comprehension, because what her boss was telling her was simply that – incomprehensible. “Masq? How familiar are you with everyday human gadgets?”
“Don’t bother with them unless I have to,” he growled. “I’m an old stallion who still likes to do things the SMILE way, you know that. Tartarus, if it wasn’t for the fact that I have to look at some of the classified material on this computer, I’d completely ignore it. Gimme a magiscreen any day.”
“Well, you might do that, but Patch and I are far more familiar with human tech. And what you’re talking about? It’s impossible. If we were talking Zebrababwe, sure. Griffonica? Okay. Here, Inari or Donkonia? Yeah, it’d be a stretch, but we could do it. But you’re talking about the United States – the most wired of all the countries on a whole Faustdamn wired planet!” She waved a foreleg around for emphasis. “You’re better off asking Archmagus Sparkle which particular thaumion she uses when she uses her magic!”
“That’s nice. Now, if you want to convince Princess Luna that it is impossible to keep her daughter’s picture off the interwebs—”
“Internet, Masq, not interwebs. And we don’t know what Princess Luna the Younger’s human form looks like!” She groaned, rubbing the base of her horn; that headache was really kicking in now.
“What’s that phrase our CIA liaison keeps saying? Oh yeah – ‘not my monkeys, not my circus’. This is your problem now, Moony. You take care of it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting at 10AM with Baroness Riwoche regarding research documents. You’re dismissed.”
Moondancer walked out of his office, past his secretary and into the open hallway before she said in a mocking tone, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting at 10AM with Baroness Riwoche regarding research documents. Heh, like you’re fooling anyone, you old coot – wonder how bad the divorce will be when your wife finds out.” She shook her head and sighed. She had other things to do, like heading to the palace complex.
As she headed toward the building’s front door, she ran into a streak of luck. Coming through the door, the anti-changeling detectors and the other safety scanners – and carrying a bag of donuts and carafe of coffee from Donut Joe’s – was her counterpart, Patch In, the Deputy Director for CODE Intelligence. A sky-blue stallion with a white-and-orange mane and yellow eyes, he had been a construction stallion in the days pre-humanity, and to be honest, he still looked out of place in a suit. But it had been his personal interest in gadgets and human technology that had brought him to the attention of FROWN, and when CODE was created, he worked his way up the ladder quickly.
“Hey Patch, what’s up?” Moondancer asked.
“Eh, running late,” he told her. “Had to drop the kids off at school since the wife had early plans. Why, what’s up?”
“Your schedule free today?”
“Pretty much – I’ve got a meeting with some reps from British and American intelligence. They wanted to see if they could recreate the changeling detector devices using technology. I’m guessing you want me to let a subordinate handle it?”
“I have a meeting with BXI in an hour in Geneva, but our boss just did a wonder blunder and I was wondering if you could cover for me. I need to go argue with Princess Luna and clean up his mess.” She then explained her meeting with Masquerade, and when she was done, the stallion was wincing.
“Yeah, better you than me. Sure, I can do the meeting – I know the BXI director personally anyway, so it’d be nice to see him again. You go do what you gotta do, mare.”
She gave him a smile. “Thanks.” With that, she teleported off towards her destination.
Moondancer looked at Raven Quill. “What do you mean Princess Luna is unavailable?”
Raven adjusted her own glasses. “Exactly that, Director Moondancer. She has taken a week off to spend time on Human-Earth with her fiancé and daughter. In fact, she gave most of her office the week off, and I’m pulling double-duty for her secretary.”
Headache rising… she moaned inwardly. “Okay, then is Princess Celestia available?”
Raven shook her head. “No, the Princess has taken the day off as well for personal reasons. Frankly, I wasn’t about to ask.”
“Princess Cadance?”
“She might be in, but given that her son is a newborn colt, I suspect she and Prince Dusk are at home. If you’d like, I could contact her office and see if she’s there.”
“No, no, that’s fine,” Moondancer groaned. “I guess I’ll come back later. Right now I need to go find the infirmary.”
“The infirmary? Whatever for?”
“I need an analgesic spell for my headache and I can’t remember how to cast one!” She then walked out of the office and groaned, “Does anypony actually do any work here?”
“I’ve often wondered that myself,” a familiar voice chuckled and Moondancer turned around.
“Twily! Hey cuz, what are you doing here?” Moondancer asked. She tried not to feel a little jealousy at seeing her cousin’s youth restored by the Elements; Moondancer was actually six months younger than Twilight and now Twilight looked as if she were in her mid-twenties once more.
“I was just dropping off some paperwork at Cadance’s office,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “She’s the acting regent this week and I don’t need the documents signed anytime soon, or else I’d take them to her place. Anyway, what’s up with you?”
“My boss is an idiot, Luna is being unrealistic and I’ve got a splitting headache,” she groaned. “And I haven’t had any coffee this morning.” She then felt a soothing sensation in her head as Twilight’s horn glowed a gentle green. “Thanks,” Moondancer said. “I can never remember that spell.”
“Hey, what’s family for?” Twilight commented, and it was at this point that Moondancer noticed the unusual teenage filly next to her. She was white with a mane similar in cut to both Twilight and Moondancer’s, but in tones of indigo, fire-orange and magenta. She also wore a necklace that had three stars on it, which Moondancer recognized as her aunt Velvet’s cutie mark.
Then Moondancer noticed the purple saddle carapace and diaphanous wings.
“Oh, that’s right!” Twilight chirped. “You two haven’t met yet! Moony, this is my daughter, Dawn.” She then turned to the teen. “Shining Dawn, this is my cousin, Moondancer.”
Dawn bowed. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“So you’re the pepsis that gave us the information,” Moondancer said.
“Yes, but I prefer to be called a flutterpony instead. That’s what Princess Rosedust of the Flutter Protectorate is called, and since she and I are pretty much the same, I think it’s a better term than a reminder of a changeling queen that nearly destroyed the world millennia ago.”
“That works for me,” Moondancer stated as her stomach growled. “Well, I guess I skipped breakfast, too.”
Twilight laughed. “C’mon, I was just about to take my filly out to lunch to celebrate. You’re welcome to join us.”
Dawn blushed. “Mom, it was no big deal, really!”
“Sure,” Moondancer replied. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“…and so that’s the issue,” Moondancer said as she took a sip of an interesting Sumatran coffee blend imported from Human-Earth. “Luna wants us to sanction trying to censor the entire internet on both worlds to prevent Luna the Younger’s image getting out there, but we don’t know what her human form looks like and even if we did, all it will take is for some media outlet to get a picture of hers from a friend’s Facebook account and that defeats the whole purpose!”
“I don’t think Luna meant to take it that far, Moony,” Twilight told her. “I suspect she just asked for Sterling’s image to be kept out of the media as much as practicable, and even that’s a tough job. I suspect Protocol just told her yes without thinking about anything she said.”
Moondancer sighed. “Now that you mention it, that does sound like something Masq would do. Well, I’ll talk to my folks and Patch’s folks and we’ll figure something out just in time for the boss to take credit.”
“Told you, you should’ve stayed in the Guild. You’d be more appreciated there.”
“Yeah, but I like field work. Whether monster hunting when I was with SMILE or catching Iranian spies now, it’s fun work and I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. Besides, being an officer’s wife isn’t for me, though I love Flash and our children. Speaking of which, did I tell you Cottonfluff just gave birth? Being a grandmother has its benefits.”
“Must be nice,” Twilight replied.
“Mom, I’m only a few weeks old, could we please not focus on that?” Dawn asked, blushing.
“Wait – a few weeks old?” Moondancer wasn’t sure if she’d heard that right – Twilight’s daughter looked too big even by changeling standards to be under a few years at minimum.
Twilight nodded. “When Chrysalis hatched Dawn’s clutch, she speed-grew them because she needed the troops. Even though she’s actually just six weeks old, I’ve had her legally declared thirteen years old, so she can have a normal life.”
“A life I’ll have without Chrysalis,” Dawn commented. “And I hope I’ll never see her again.”
“You won’t have to,” Moondancer intoned. “She’s dead.” Twilight and Dawn looked at her in shock and said, “We haven’t made the information public yet, but a team of Destriers hit the Badlands with the intent to take her out. They found the gored remains of a queen – the exoskeleton was mangled, but it matched the colors of Chrysalis’ hive. We’re pending other methods of identification before we make the announcement. We also want to find out who is in charge of the Changeling Empire now if this turns out to be true.”
“I’ll be happy to offer a blood sample or anything I can,” Dawn offered.
“I’d rather you didn’t, dear,” Twilight told her.
“But Mom, it’s what Dad would’ve done.” Seeing the look on Moondancer’s face, Dawn explained. “Technically Mom is my paternal aunt. Biologically I’m the foal of Chrysalis and Shining Armor.”
“I see. Well, don’t worry about it, Dawn,” Moondancer assured her. “We have enough samples from changelings dating back to the First Battle of Canterlot. We’ll identify her that way.”
“Once that’s done, will you bury the changeling remains?” Dawn asked. “They didn’t ask to be the spawn of a tyrant. I don’t want them to suffer.”
Moondancer looked at her cousin’s daughter with a newfound respect. “You’re a changeling princess as well, aren’t you?”
“Technically all pepsis and flutterponies are. Why?”
“Because you act like one – noble and caring,” Moondancer said gently. “Once the identification is done, I’ll see what we can do. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you.” Moondancer saw Dawn flicker her wings slightly, which she assumed was a changeling gesture of respect.
“Well, enough of that,” Twilight replied. “Let’s talk about my filly’s accomplishment!”
“Mom!”
“No, sweetie, I’m proud of you! You aced the entire pre-mark curriculum graduation test! Now you can enroll in post-mark studies!” A thoughtful look came over the lavender unicorn’s face. “Now I just need to enroll you in school in time for the fall. I’m wondering if I should enroll you in Gold Standard’s School for Gifted Unicorn Excellence. I could also enroll you in the Princess Gemstone Academy in Cirrusburg, but then you’d have to board and I want you home at night – call me a selfish mom.” Another thought crossed her mind. “What about the Magic Academy?”
“Can’t I go to school in Ponyville? You said it’s a wonderful place.”
“It is, but I want my little filly to have the best education she can. It worked out for me.”
“Twily, you and I were taught to be brainiacs by your mom,” Moondancer reminded her. “That’s why we aced every test in the Academy, you know. Besides, I’m not sure you’d want Dawn attending the School – the students there are the foals of spoiled Canterlot brats, i.e the nobility. And as you said, Cirrusberg is too far. Imagine if she had to attend the Rolling Stone Institute for Earth Ponies in Manehattan. Now that’s far.”
“I guess I’ll have to think on it, then. I suppose we have plenty of time.”
Moondancer was about to say something when her cellphone went off. Floating it to her ear, she answered. “This is Moondancer.” A barely-audible voice chattered on and she nodded. “Okay, okay. I’ll be there. My day’s shot as is.” She then hung up the phone and looked at Twilight. “Sorry, but I gotta go. They’re about to do confirmation tests on the exoskeleton.” She then turned to Dawn. “Any requests if turns out to be her?”
“Yes,” the teenager said in a hard voice. “Launch it into the sun and let ponydom know that she doesn’t deserve the respect she never gave her own brood.”
Twenty minutes later, Moondancer arrived at the subterranean test center. “Here, brought you your favorite, Doc.” She set a box of Mildbon’s Premium Chocolates on the table, then grabbed one of the labcoats hanging on the wall. “Now, what’ve we got?”
A black and gray gryphon approached her: Dr. Grady Gearbox, one of CODE’s best forensic scientists. “Thanks, Moony. What would I do without you?”
“Leave your lab and force yourself to endure sunlight and other unspeakable horrors?”
He laughed. “Same old Moondancer. How’s Flash doing? And the kids?”
“He’s in Vegas, on Human-Earth, testing out the new fighter we’re building. I’ll let him know you said hi. And Cottonfluff just gave birth, so I have more grandkids to play with. How’s the dating life?”
Grady shook his head. “Eh, you know me, I’m horrible at socializing. Fortunately, I think Gavra’s a keeper – she’s a gorgeous gryphoness.” He pawed her over a pair of goggles. “Well, time to get down to business.”
She slid them on while he did the same and walked over to a set of magical devices. She then focused on the pile of armor-like chitin in the glass encasement. “You sure this is going to work?”
“Are you kidding? This is cutting-edge Derptech gear. Had Hazy Jane out here yesterday working on making sure everything was up to spec.” He reached over and pulled a switch. “She’s obsessed with technology working like it’s supposed to. And believe me, I know obsessed.”
“Oh really,” she deadpanned while she watched a giant crystal fire a beam of rainbow magic at two smaller glass enclosures with changeling cadavers in them. The rainbows split in two, then focused on the larger glass enclosure. The two beams passed through, then surrounded the remains, lifting them into place until the equivalent of a skeleton stood there. The beams turned green and began to holographically fill in the rest until a glowing green simulacrum of Chrysalis stood there.
Grady looked at Moondancer. “Tests confirmed, boss: it’s her.”
“Then she was ousted in a coup,” Moondancer said aloud, “and somepony else is in charge of the Changeling Empire. That means a new unknown, and a potentially dangerous one.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah – there were changelings that did the assassination attempt in Singapore a few months back,” she told him. “That wasn’t Chrysalis’ MO. Which means we have a new player, and one who has a new rulebook.”
It was then that the remains of Chrysalis did something unexpected: the exoskeleton pointed its head down, and fired a thin beam of light at the ground outside the enclosure. The beam coalesced into a hologram of a changeling princess, looking terrified but still speaking: “Gre…greetings inferior beings! My name i-is Gaster and I speak on behalf of his Greatness, the…the Changeling Emperor, He of whose name you are n-not yet worthy to know.”
Grady and Moondancer looked at each other with surprise. A male, in charge of the Empire?
“He…he says that you will know him soon enough, and when you do, you will beg for mercy. But until th-that day, cower in fear for his greatness.” The image of Gaster looked at the camera, and thus Moondancer and Grady, with a gaze of both fear and sympathy. “He w-w-will let you know when it…is time.” She looked off camera, then back with a look that said run now! “He also said to let you know…Queen Chrysalis prepared a deadmare’s spell in case she was ever caught, dead or alive.”
“Oh, colt of a harridelle,” Moondancer groaned.
A strange laughter began. Both turned to see the empty exoskeleton that was Chrysalis, laughing at them with a macabre, ghostly laugh. At the same time, a green star began to form in the center of the chitin, and as the laughter got louder the point grew brighter.
“CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES!” Moondancer shouted and Grady moved into action, rushing around the lab, pulling switches. Thick steel doors began to lower from the wall, but there was no guarantee they were going to lower in time.
“Let’s get out of here!” she shouted, grabbing her friend in her magic field, then teleporting away, out of the building. They both barely managed to pull out of teleport safely across the street before they saw the ground crack open, spilling out burning green witchfire while a blast of deadly emerald light tore into the sky, accompanied by Chrysalis’ dying laughter of revenge.
Grady ripped off his goggles and spat, “Crap!”
“What’s wrong?” Moondancer asked him.
“The chocolates were still down there!” he moaned. “Now I’m going to have to go out and actually buy some!”
After a long day of paperwork and making sure her subordinates were okay, Moondancer stumbled into her home far later than she’d have liked. She already knew that Flash wasn’t going to be home, so she’d have to sleep alone; right now she could use the comfort.
“Hi, Mom.” The unicorn turned to see a white pegasus with a flowing light blue mane and pink eyes. In her forelegs, she carried a foal in swaddling. “Thought I’d bring Nightdreamer to see Grandma.”
Suddenly the weight of the day vanished. “Cotton, honey, you could’ve just gone home.”
“I know, but it’s a couple of days flight to Horseshoe Mountain and Highflight says everything’s going okay, so I could spend some time with you. Besides,” the mare said with a smile, “that way he gets to know his grandmother.” As Moondancer approached, Cotton passed her son to her mother. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No, I was just going to order a pizza and call it that.”
“Nonsense – I’ll cook. You just take care of that little bundle of joy,” Cotton said, slipping into the kitchen.
Moondancer looked at her grandson and his little blue face as he dozed. “You know what, Dreamer?” she told him softly. “Your Grandpa and I do a lot of dangerous things, but we do it all because of you. And you make it all worthwhile, little one.” She nuzzled him gently and he cooed softly.
Moondancer was as asleep as her grandson when Cotton came out of the kitchen to let her know dinner was ready.