Simple events that have been going around on the inhabitants of Canterlot city have barely been noticed, but they don’t really know that there was always a high-tech government body watching each of its citizens. And out of that government body comes an agency that makes sure to contain information that is sure to cause panic. They make sure talks of new phenomena that entered the city in the later part of year 2017 was heavily regulated. Digital information can be deciphered out of its most encrypted state, and it can be translated, before the information that comes out of it is given a purpose, whether it serves as a threat or a benefit. To that agency, it was a benefit and a threat; a benefit to those who try to not cause panic to neighboring states, and a threat if it lands in the wrong hands. Because of this, it was eventually concluded that events concerning Canterlot City were to be treated as non-threatening, but in exchange must be protected.
February 21, 2018... a Wednesday... 0915 hours...
Just at a distance away from Canterlot High’s front courtyard was a parked white Heavy SUV. A light-brown haired light-orange eye-colored man who wearing a black suit was on the driver’s seat, while another man younger than the first with white hair and blue eyes was more energetic because of his hand and finger movements. The first was patient as he looked at the courtyard.
The older man in his age of 29 years looked at the other who is 24. “You know you didn’t have to come with me, Chadwick.”
Chadwick shrugged while he looked at his companion. “Could be an opportunity. How many times last year has it been since you’ve been in contact with Celestia?”
“Since last year,” the other man replied. “Well... Longer if you think of our history. She was offered a position to be an analyst, but she’d rather in her experience be a teacher for real. Can’t blame her.”
“Isn’t she a Principal?”
“Yeah, next to the VP, Luna. Though... Celestia’s the type who gets things done. She sometimes teaches, but she’s mostly the principal she’s definitely working for. Remember. Institutions tend to have better folks who work hard if they’re motivated.” The man replied this before he opened the driver side door of the SUV. “Wait here, Chadwick. Won’t be long.”
“Charlie, wait. You need me.” Chadwick said that, but received a glare in exchange. “Tch. Fine.”
“You sometimes trip with your two left feet, Chadwick. That’s unbecoming of an agent, but I tolerate it because you’re something else. Now... wait here.” Charlie then got out of the SUV before closing the door, walking towards the front courtyard sighing on what he had thought of Chadwick. He thought of the younger agent as someone who’s capable. It’s just the smallest things about how Chadwick trips because he doesn’t watch how he walks. Shaking his head, Charlie shook off the thoughts as he went the double glass doors of the school before entering inside.
The connecting hallways of the school were empty, so he knew more or less that the students were in class. He then reviewed in his mind of what Canterlot High is to him. It’s big and it has its own dorm rooms, since since some of the girls here were only enrolled but were not given homes in the city or the residential spots. Looking around, he passed the trophy case that signals the students of the school were earning achievements, both for themselves and for the school. That’s while they all know of what the school’s students had experienced several months prior. And it’s what he wanted to discuss about with a notable principal in the school. When he approached what he believed was the principal’s office door, he knocked first just before he heard a woman’s voice from the other side telling him to come in. Invited, Charlie opens the door and peeks his head in. Seeing the woman seated behind the desk with long hair having multiple bright colors divided vertically, and her purple eyes looking at a newspaper. He saw her writing something on one part of the newspaper using her pencil, and he figured she was answering puzzles.
The woman spoke first when Charlie was about to say something. And she was still looking at her newspaper before getting something from her desk. “Welcome. Just a minute.”
Charlie quietly sighed before coming in and gently closing the door as he saw the woman look for something in her desk. “Principal Celestia?”
Celestia hears him call out to her before she held a brush and brushed her hair to smooth it out. And when she looked up to him, her face instantly was filled with shock. Looking at him in the eyes, she began to glare and stood up from her seat. “Special Agent Darwin,” Celestia said a little aloud than how she speaks. “Y-You’re here-? What are you-?”
“Just... call me Charlie.” Charlie then approached and took a seat in front of the principal’s desk. “And... I have to very much get straight to business.”
“Slow down, Charlie. First off... We talked about this. No one knows in the school knows who you are and they could ask questions. You said yourself that you’re not going to come, yet here you are.” Celestia had a tone a little raised because of what she felt: annoyed. She brushed her hair while taking away the newspaper in her desk drawer. She sat back down and sighed. “I was hoping we wouldn’t meet like this. You could have called.”
Charlie then took something out of his suit and held a folder. It catches the attention of Celestia before he replied. “First off... Don’t worry about me. I slip in and out of buildings unnoticed and I know how to keep my tracks covered. And second... This might just be the only time I would show you this.” He then hands the folder to her, gently sliding the folder on her desk before seeing her hold it. And when she opened the folder, she winced at what her sight showed her. “I couldn’t risk sending them without being intercepted by a rival internet hack. So I had to do things the old fashioned way.”
Celestia was clearly seeing colored pictures, of distant images focused on two particular girls, who she recognized as her students in Canterlot High. One had orange and yellow highlighted hair while the other had dark purple and light indigo highlighted hair wearing glasses. And from what the pictures describe, they were the only pictures taken, and were taken at multiple locations, in a sweets cafe, out in the outdoors, and just at the school courtyard. “Wait a minute... Are they-?”
“Keep looking,” Charlie said.
And Celestia browsed into the photos deeper before she came across bigger photos that in all purposes, made her feel nervous. She saw a picture of a tree-bark dome out in the woods, a picture of rainbow lasers reaching to the sky, and some blurred pictures of winged humanoids that weren’t all clear. Though in some smaller photos regarding the winged humanoids, she can see the notable ones were Midnight Sparkle and Daylight Shimmer. “What is this?”
“That, Principal Celestia, is a collection of photos that were decrypted from another source’s hard drive, one whose owner had actually been working for quite an individual here in Canterlot City... Mayor Lisa Warren.”
“What-? You’re not telling me she’s onto us, are you?” Celestia asked this out of nervousness.
“Just... Listen first. Look, you called on favors which caught my attention and I’m doing this to protect the school, and its students, and Canterlot City for that matter. Mayor Warren’s role in collecting information is purely of another purpose. We didn’t even know she was collecting info privately, and this was since several months ago. Celestia... I’m just making sure you’re aware of it yourself, knowing this school had face its fair share of attacks out of abused magic.
“Warren’s trusted private investigator made sure to keep the drives encrypted since he’s former military. He doesn’t like any of his data being exposed just like that. But if the Mayor knows her employees and wants accurate info, she’s got a reason. And for whatever reason, I can’t intervene. Not yet.”
“Charlie?”
“Principal Celestia, I’m gonna frank with you. I only have two teams in my disposal who are covering for you, with myself included as operational leader. It’s not in our extension to immediately exploit any of Mayor Warren’s assets unless we got authority or orders that we’ll even compensate on what we got. She’s an upstanding citizen of the country. With that said, I’m going to give you heavy advice. If you ever feel a presence of them observing you, best you prepare yourself and your students. You told me specifically that those seven girls were the source, the immediate danger, and the immediate saviors of other students here. We don’t know Warren’s play is after observing, but we’re sure she’s going to use what she found one way or another for something. But with lack of evidence... We can’t find any conclusion. For that, I’m sorry.” Charlie ended what he needed to say and stood up from his seat. “I suggest you burn those photos after you’re done with them.”
Celestia was looking seriously at the photos even after Charlie had given her advice on what she needed to do. Then she raised her eyes to his and kept a firm stance on what she believes. “Not yet.”
Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“If my students are in a certain form of danger, I’d still have to allow them to continue their lives as usual for as long as it would last. But as you said, it’s best I prepare them if the worst comes. Charlie, I’ll have to keep the photos.”
“Hm. You’re gonna show the girls?”
“Well... I have a plan to break it down slowly at best. And... I know the first of the seven who I could talk to. Best you’re here to talk to her too to explain things.” Celestia said this and immediately saw Charlie take a small step back. This made Celestia feel a little disgusted. “Charlie, you’ve got to help. You’re giving me this much help, so it’s impossible you can’t be unknown to the girls. One way or another, secrets can’t remain secret.”
“Celestia, do you even know what the heck you’re saying?! Of course secrets can’t remain secret! But I’m higher up than Mayor Warren and the food chain!” Charlie replied with his voice a little higher than usual to make a point. He then continued. “I’m just making sure to cover all bases here. If I jeopardize myself-”
Celestia stands up and puts the folder down to interrupt him, letting some of the photos scatter off the desk as she looked at him, having this emotion of fear somehow drawn on her face. “Please... I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. This is for their protection too, as well as the school’s. They treated everyone here like family. And that protective barrier we’d create will make it more probable we’ll all endure in spite of what the world would think. Charlie... This isn’t just their secret we’re protecting. It’s the secret of the school that chose to make it a secret for them, a token of gratitude after what they’ve done. It’ll be harder if I do this without you. Please.” She paused to see that Charlie himself couldn’t react properly. She even saw him look away and she walked off the desk before stopping front of him. Putting her hand on his shoulder, she sees him look back at her. “You’ve got to see reason. Deep down, I see the girls like they’re my daughters, especially Sunset Shimmer who’s changed ever since.”
Charlie has his doubts but he witnessed in her eyes that she’s more than just expressing sincerity. She has a point. If he doesn’t intervene to closely assist her in talking to the girls and making himself known, how would he be protecting them, in light of the Mayor’s investigating party keeping both eyes on Canterlot High? He sighs and tells her answer, in a form of a question. “What’s that plan you got in mind?”
At this, Celestia smiled. “Listen carefully,” she said.
1218 hours...
Just outside at the Canterlot High statue at the front courtyard, one side of the square platform became liquid thanks to it becoming fluid with a dimensional gate’s opening. Out came a girl wearing casual attire, having dark purple hair and highlighted light-indigo strands. She smiled before muttering to herself. “Finally, I’m back.”