I lowered the binoculars and ducked down as the four targets emerged from the store after an hour of waiting.
I didn’t know what Assured Accounting did to deserve a personal visit from three Division-P inquisitors and a changeling captive, but I could hardly care. What mattered is that the patrol was now out in the open, and moving once again.
“All lings in position?” I asked quietly.
Next to me, Froghopper gave an affirmative. We were sitting on top of a roof across the street and down a number of buildings from the targets. Behind us, more buildings down, several changelings waited in alleyways to spring the trap. Past the inquisitors, changelings waited in more alleyways in case the patrol headed away from us instead of towards.
Peeking up, I saw that the inquisitors stopped to chat with one another for a few minutes. In this quiet backroads street in the outskirts of Fillydelphia, there would be no spectators to the ambush. None on the street or sidewalks, at least. That was as clear as we were going to get.
Finally, the three unicorns set off, coming our way. The changeling fell in line behind two and in front of the third. No doubt he felt my presence the moment I came within a several-mile radius of the city. From the looks of it, he did not tip off the unicorns. When I spied on her using the binoculars, I caught her looking in my direction a few times. He refrained from giving anything away, and threw out looks around the street to not tip off the inquisitors that something was up.
“Get ready, they’re coming our way” I commanded.
Froghopper nodded and waved a hoof behind us. A messenger passed the signal on to the team below and past us. When the ponies were across the street, I gave the command.
“Havok!” I whisper-yelled before teleporting away.
The changeling yelped in surprise when I appeared next to her and tackled her to the ground. Relying on my changelings to protect me if any of the inquisitors tried anything, I began to teleport once again.
Sure enough, after a yell of surprise, they quickly reacted to the armored unicorn who teleported in on their patrol. Three stunning spells were absorbed quite spectacularly into a green bubble shield that appeared around us. That was all the inquisitors had time for before I pulled us away in a blaze of orange flames, very similar to the flames that appear when I disguise myself.
We appeared back on the rooftop, but without the changeling’s collar. My teleport spell was bright, flashy, and very recognizable. Further, it left any enchanted objects behind when it was used. That last fact was normally completely restrictive when I had Unbroken Radiance on, but in this instance it became the lynchpin of this ambush.
In the street, the inquisitors were furious. Angry yelling, pointing, and quick-thinking led them to the conclusion of using a tracking spell on the changeling I had in my forehooves. Unfortunately for them, that was when the changelings launched their attack.
The sounds of spellfire and surprised screams and yelling were accompanied by the sudden wave of fear that the inquisitors and hidden onlookers felt. Even in the building right below me, I was sure ponies rushed up to the windows to see the sudden fight taking place.
I slumped down and looked over the changeling. She had curled up in my forelegs, covering herself as much as possible.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Hallux, Your H-Highness,” she whimpered.
I refrained from hissing in anger when I saw that her carapace was marred with different scars. It takes a lot more force to puncture chitin than it does skin, but that doesn’t seem to deter the Division in any way.
“Are you well, Hallux?”
“N–no, Y–Your Highness.”
“You’re shivering.”
“J–just starving, Your Highness.”
I frowned, “They don’t feed their captives?”
“Not m–much, Your Highness.”
I patted her on the back, eliciting another whimper.
“There there, Hallux. You’re back in good hooves. We’ll get you–”
A pegasus-disguised changeling flew up and landed on the roof behind me, above the street.
“We have them, Sir. No injuries on our side.”
“Understood. Let’s clear out before the fuzz arrives. Even if they’re on my payroll, it’s best to avoid unwanted attention.”
The changeling saluted and flew off to pass on the message.
“Come, Hallux. It’s time to leave.”
“Where are we going, Your Highness?” She asked as she rose to unsteady hooves.
“To the Fifth Hive.”
The carts unloaded the last of the bound inquisitors, hauling them quickly to the designated pods. The warehouse that stored these ponies was dark and completely sealed up. My airlock design ensured that the light of day never reached the interior, and more importantly, no pony could ever get a glimpse of the inside.
We had several locations such as this across Manehattan’s outlying manufacturing and commercial districts. Similar locations in other cities were used for storage and distribution of alcohol and on occasion love. These fortresses were special, more secure and closely guarded than those.
Within the select few reinforced warehouses, the podded ponies were kept. Most were from Count Double Dealing’s doom. A few were from other instances of discovering changelings. But now, with the addition of no less than fifteen Division-P inquisitors hauled in from across the country, this particular warehouse was now a quarter full. With the Gala approaching, I wondered if it would get any fuller before I would be forced to release the ponies.
For a concession, of course. I wasn’t about to give up something for nothing. But I left that kind of thinking for the future, and instead focused on the present. Five changelings had been rescued from the patrols today, the first day of action. One unicorn had died in a battle in Baltimare. The zealot refused to be captured, and once she realized the inevitable, she tried to take as many changelings with her as possible. Admirable, but a wasted effort. Two changelings received burns, but were otherwise unharmed.
‘I imagine that Cadence will blame me.’
The changeling teams had all reported back with their captives in tow, so I ordered a round of extra rations to be given to them all. The support staff for the operation also got a round; just because they were not in the line of fire didn’t mean that their duties were any less important.
I chuckled to myself as I left the warehouse, satisfied with today’s efforts.
‘Tomorrow’s papers are going to be very, very interesting.’
“I feel fine, Luna.”
She rolled her eyes as she continued monitoring me with… magic, I guess. Dream magic was still a complicated subject that I knew only the basics of. I didn’t need to be an expert to know that whatever it took to scan my mind, it didn’t require her to be snuggling up against me in the dream parlor.
But I wasn’t about to complain.
“That is good to hear, but Cadence reports otherwise. You had a conversation with her last night?”
I grunted in response, “She told me what she learned about Division-P.”
“And?”
“And… what?”
“What other topics did you two speak of?”
‘Oh great, here we go.’
“Count Double Dealings,” I mumbled.
“Cadence was very concerned for you, Phasma. You scared her.”
“I did? I guess I did.”
“You had an outburst. A moment of intense anger. Cadence said your eyes glowed green. I doubt that that was an intentional manipulation of your form in her dream.”
‘They did what?’
“They did what?”
Luna’s horn dimmed as her spell finished, “You need to avoid strong triggers of anger for the next… until I get a chance to help you in person. Understood?”
“I mean, I’ll try,” I offered her.
“That is the most I can hope for. Now, what is this about Division-P?”
“They’re moving against the Fifth Hive. As of yesterday, the Fifth Hive has unwillingly joined the War for the Sun. The E.U.P. may be focused on quarantining the Fourth Hive and finding a way to break in, but Daybreaker’s Division-P is now focused on tracking us down and capturing us.”
Luna tapped my chest, “You have managed to make it this far without joining the conflict. If you can end it quickly and without bloodshed, then do so. The sooner you withdraw from it, the better. For more than one reason. Otherwise, try to bide your time until the Gala. Use whatever delaying tactics you can think of.”
“Already on it, Luna.”
“I trust that you are not going on a maddened spree, letting your emotions and spells run wild?”
“Only one pony died yesterday, during a suicidal gambit to kill as many changelings as they could. They didn’t get any.”
“Unfortunate but unavoidable,” she buried her head underneath mine.
‘Ah, the pros of having an outdated marefriend. Or at least a ruler who actually has experience ruling. Her views on war are a bit closer to humanity’s than Cadence’s.’
“This was just the first day of fighting, however,” I reminded her. “Time will tell just how bloody this conflict turns out to be.”
I waved her billowing mane out of my face, and then pressed it down against her as I lay a hoof across her neck. Taming the lavender beast was a daily challenge for me.
‘Soon, we’ll be doing this in the real world. Me, Luna, a big bed, and the ability to sleep in without receiving a report that our kingdoms are in danger somehow.’
“Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum,” Luna voiced my rapid heartbeat. “What has gotten you so excited?”
“Thinking about you,” I said as I nuzzled her.
Luna chuckled, “There will be plenty of time for excitement like that later.”
“Not like that,” I said quickly, my face feeling a lot hotter, “I meant actually being together. No, I said not like that!” Luna just batted her eyelashes at me. “Luna… what am I going to do with you?”
“Oh, I suppose we’ll find out. I have a lot of ideas, though.”
“You are insufferable!” I chuckled.
I watched Luna rise and fall on my chest, her blissfully relaxed and sprawled across me.
“Do you think Celestia will like me, Luna?”
“Mmm. You make me happy, Phasma. That is enough for her. Beyond that… I believe so. So long as you keep that sense of humor, I think you two will get along well. Also, as long as you both work together on your duties as rulers. You two could very easily clash on how you plan to go about merging our kingdoms.”
“Merging? I don’t plan on doing that. Not exactly.”
“Exactly. You two will possess opposing desires of sorts. I digress, I do believe you will like her, and that she will like you.” Luna hummed, “I have to say, being the smaller pony in a relationship is a new experience for me.”
“Always the big spoon?”
“More often than not. This is new and not unwelcome.”
“Hmmm…. So, doctor’s orders are that I have to watch my anger?”
“Yes, dear,” Luna insisted.
“While I am at war?”
“Yes, dear.”
“And fighting for my life?”
“Yes, dear.”
“... That’s not going to be easy.”
“Ruling is never easy,” Luna mumbled, dozing off. “Besides, you have your friends and I. What is the worst that could happen?”
I gasped and lurched upwards, “Don’t–!”
Daybreaker slammed the folder onto her desk. Even turned away from her own mane, she could see it’s flaring and sparking from the light it cast onto her study. That fact alone signaled to all who could see that Daybreaker was not in a conversational mood.
“When I desired results, this is not what I had in mind, Lord Artful. One of my little ponies is dead. On your orders, no less.”
Lord Artful Acumen bowed slightly, not acknowledging the fact that they were actually Daybreaker’s orders.
“A thousand apologies, Your Highness. This operation came with risks, we knew this. The results obtained were worth the price paid,” the unicorn claimed.
“Is this so?” Daybreaker voiced her doubts.
“It is, Your Highness. The final piece of the puzzle has been revealed. Lone Wanderer's report suggested the presence of Hydra plus level threat operating within Equestria. Then came Rocky Mountain’s picture and Rogue Hurricane’s report, and well, it is quite obvious just who this threat is. With Team Harmony’s reconnaissance, we traced three shell company’s presence within the alcohol blackmarket, and that they were likely operated by changelings. With Operation Beehive, we know that Prince Phasmatodea is not only alive and operating within Equestria, but that he has implanted agents all across the Principality. Finally, thanks to the heroic sacrifice of Inquisitor Counter Position and the rest of the teams, we have an idea of this rogue changeling’s ability to mobilize. Now we can start constricting his area of operations, slowly narrowing down his nest’s location.”
“And with it, acquire the means to win the war, once and for all,” Daybreaker smiled.
“As you say, Your Highness. Inquisitor Counter Position might have saved Equestria.”
Daybreaker flicked a hoof. Lord Artful Acumen took the signal to leave, and bowed as he did so. With him gone, the burning alicorn was left alone in her office. She looked down at the grainy, black and white photo and the attached report.
Prince Phasmatodea was relaxing socially with the thestral elders, within their keep’s walled garden. But Daybreaker had inherited Celestia’s spy network, and had no intention of disbanding it. With eyes everywhere, she had finally found proof that the mysterious royal was alive.
But of course he lived. Epitaph needs him to.
“You will have a different purpose for me, little Prince. I will find you. And you will bow to Equus’s rightful ruler.”
I groaned and cursed as I laid back down on the sofa. Luna stayed upright, glaring at me.
“Why are you so superstitious?”
“You realize that it’s me who’s going to have to pay for that remark, right Luna? You just made my life more miserable in some unseen way. Panar damnit, it’s not going to be pleasant.”
She batted my chest before lying back down on top of it.
“I am sorry if I freaked you out. Now apologize for flinging me into the air.”
I rolled my eyes, “I’m sorry for sending you flying. Even though you deserved it.”
“I deserved it?” She asked as she tried getting comfortable again.
“Yeah. Besides, you landed back on me, so I would be the one who’s bruised. If I decided I wanted to hurt within my own dream. Which I don’t, so there’s no hurt feelings. I forgive you, Luna.”
“Hahaha! Glad that will not weigh on my conscience!”
“So, we’ve concluded that I’m still suffering from minor possession. How are you doing?”
“Mmmmmmuch better now, Phasma, much better. I look forward to the days where I am able to unwind with you properly, and when of course I will have my sister back. These nightly sessions tide me over in the meantime.”
“I enjoy them, too. I love you, Luna.”
“I love you too, Phasma.”