//------------------------------// // The Final Alliance // Story: A Just Cause // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "Halt! Somepony is approaching down the path from the other direction." Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor thus stops his command of Operation Just Cause on the path between Canterlot and Las Pegasus. The command was marching in two lines, Lieutenant Vanguard leading his squad in one line while Acting Lieutenant Excelsior managed the ex-Hornpoint prisoners in a chain gang in the other. The time was late in the afternoon, the operation members determined to get as close as they could to the rebel-held Fort Alpha while Princess Celestia's daylight still shone over the arid land around them. As the traveller approaches closer, Shining Armor and those travelling with him can distinguish more and more features. First, they can see he's an earth pony stallion, orange in color and wearing a black hat as well as a cloak patterned in black, grey and white. As he gets closer, they can see the stallion also has a poofy brown mane and tail partly concealed by the clothing he's wearing, as well as a rubber chicken balanced on his back. The latter prompts Shining Armor to give an eyebrow raise back to Vanguard and Excelsior, both of whom just shrug back in response. When Shining Armor turns his back toward the approaching stallion, he sees the stallion stopped in front of him, slowly raising a forehoof in a salute, chomping a party favor as if a cigar, green eyes glowing fiercely in a glare under the hat. The Lieutenant Captain gives a puzzled look in response briefly, then clears his throat and asks a question: "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My real name does not matter, sir, but I will tell you the codename Princess Celestia has me operating under: 'Quesadilla Polka'." the saluting earth pony stallion answers, the ferocity of the glare unchanged. "Codename? Are you on a mission the princess gave you?" Shining Armor naturally responds. "I am under a codename because if the flying rebels ever found out about who I really am, they would have my head." the earth pony stallion answers. "I, along with Boneless on my back here, have dedicated my whole life to spreading joy and laughter around Equestria. The rebels put a bounty on my head when they took over the area, so I had to flee south to around Appleloosa for a while and work there, to help with the new peace treaty. But I knew your squad was coming, so I returned to fulfill a promise I had made to myself and others. I want to join your operation, and get rid of the rebels once and for all." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A somewhat surprised Shining Armor looks back briefly at Vanguard and Excelsior behind him, who mimic his surprise and puzzlement back at him. The rest of the command, having heard Quesadilla Polka's words, exchange whispered comments of surprise and confusion. Lacking anything hard to go on, Shining Armor turns back to face Quesadilla, and sees the determination of the stare unchanged even with the salute temporarily dropped now. This prompts a cautious statement from the unicorn Lieutenant Captain: "Are you absolutely sure about this, Quesadilla Polka? I cannot guarantee your safety, and I have already lost good ponies to the attacks of the rebels." "Sir, I am here because I know who I am, and I know who you are." Quesadilla Polka begins responding, his tone very firm and determined. "I know the sister you have in Ponyville, and her friends. And I also know one of those friends made me who I am today. I don't know when or even if I will ever meet that friend while I am still alive, but if I did not show courage and stand beside another one so deeply touched by the magic of that group, what kind of stallion would I be? If I don't have the courage now, will I ever have the courage then, meeting her again, sir?" Shining Armor lets out a low hum after hearing the passion of Quesadilla's speech, then looks the earth pony straight in the eye after the latter uses a forehoof to temporarily push up the hat hiding his gaze. Shining is surprised to find the glint in the green eyes of the earth pony - the same one he carries, where the amicitia magic has transformed and empowered a pony to do extraordinary things in the name of friendship. And the sight of that glint settles the issue for Shining, despite the whispering concern of Vanguard and Excelsior behind him. "Your offer has been accepted, Quesadilla. You will serve as part of the operation under the command of Lieutenant Vanguard. Welcome aboard, brave stallion." Shining Armor affirms with a smile. "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. I promise I won't let you, or her, down." Quesadilla replies, misty tears forming in his eyes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "How very sentimental. Too bad your little alliance won't last very long." comes a stallion's voice from the left of the party, dripping with sarcasm and contempt for what he was seeing. All eyes focus on the source of this voice, and every single one is surprised by what they see. The surprise grows even more when two more ponies emerge from behind the first one, each on a different side, to sit beside him, forelegs crossed in an X over the chest. "Aten! Or maybe I should say, Agent Snake!" Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor exclaims, horn glowing to generate a magic barrier as Quesadilla Polka scurries behind him for protection. "I see that the passage of time and the unkemptness of my appearance hasn't tricked your eye." the traitorous ex-Lieutenant Captain comments, referring to the scraggly beard and sideburns, colored a dirty red, that had grown during his months in the wilderness. This was complemented by the shaggy nature of his mane and tail, and if it wasn't for the nubs of wings left over from the surgical removal that had previously been done Aten could've passed for an earth pony. "Maybe so, but what are they doing here with you? They are the last ponies I expected to see with you!" Shining Armor exclaims again, pointing toward the two flanking ponies, who look exactly like Lieutenant Troilus and Guard Upper Class Lyacon, only with a more unkempt look to them. The Hornpoint prisoners watching in the chain-gang are now whispering intensely in surprise at what they are seeing. The exclamation brings out a mocking laughter from Aten, and then the start of a monologue: "Prince Blueblood and those unicorns you have in a line are all complete fools! I have two shape-shifters in my command, and there's a whole army where they come from! My rebel forces easily brought in the real Troilus and Lyacon when they were sent to look for us, and drop in a pair of replacements that were designed to bring the prince and other hostages right into our waiting trap! Now we have the prince as a hostage, and Celestia will have to pay dearly to get him back!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The shocked Shining Armor looked over at the ex-Hornpoint prisoners, and finds they share his shock - it was obvious none of them had any idea that the entire movement was a sham, and some of them begin sobbing, including the ex-Guard Lower Class Petronius at the head of the chain gang. They had thrown away their futures and lives because of listening to the confusio magic, but couldn't know at the time that the ripple effects would extend far beyond the effects on their own lives. "There is an army, Lieutenant Captain. I have them aimed into taking Equestria by replacing those within, one by one, until the kingdom falls to their deceptions." Aten starts again, his eyes glowing a sinister green. "The process has already begun, and even if I don't live to see its conclusion you can be assured that the Agents of Chaos will have their revenge from beyond their grave when the shape-shifters enslave the citizens of Canterlot and all Equestria!" All three enemy stallions then begin laughing in a mania, taking on an increasingly bright green glow as they do so. The laughter descends into a hissing, and the glow becomes so bright that everyone watching is temporarily blinded by it. When the glow fades, all three have vanished without a trace! "Where did they go?!? Did anyone see anything?!?" Shining Armor calls back to his command, dropping his previous barrier as he does so. A guilty, awkward silence spreads through the ranks as they realize the three enemies are nowhere to be spotted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The silence continues for a minute, Shining Armor debating about what to do next and his command stewing in a mixture of horror, shame and guilt of varying degrees. With the sun still descending fast, he wondered if a night assault on Fort Alpha would even be worth trying. But, and again to his surprise, it is Quesadilla Polka that breaks the silence. "We have to attack the fort as soon as possible, sir. We have to. There is no other choice. More ponies will die if we don't." the orange earth pony stallion all but pleads, taking off his head to make the bright green pleading eyes clear to everyone around him. The passion seems to ripple through the rest of the crowd, slowly pushing aside the grip of doubt and dismay, and finally Shining Armor gives a nodding ascent to the request of the newest addition to his command. Quesadilla Polka responds by taking the rubber chicken pet still on his back and putting it on his head, such that the hat would conceal it from view when put back on, and spitting out the party favor in his mouth. "We have ponies that need to be saved. Let's get dangerous!" Quesadilla Polka exclaims, and with confidence returning he marches beside Shining Armor as the entire Operation Just Cause begins again down the road toward Fort Alpha, and whatever destiny awaited those involved...