Starlight and Sunset Shimmer stepped through Discord’s portal onto a rocky cliff, the portal quickly flashing closed behind them. Below in a ravine, surrounded completely by snow capped mountains, was Starlight’s old village.
The homes were lined up on either side in two straight rows. A light dusting of snow, like powdered sugar, covered the roofs, a kiss of winter’s inevitable coming. The few visible trees around the village were nearly bare, their leaves scattered about on the ground.
“Wow,” Sunset muttered, “this place looks…”
“Like a cookie cutter town,” Starlight finished with a sigh, “I know.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said you did your best to make everything equal.”
“Yeah, my horn was sort of crooked back then,” the light purple pony confessed as she led the way towards the road. “I thought the town ponies would have changed things but they once told me the perfect lines help serve as a reminder to always cherish their individuality.” She stopped and added, “Which I took away from them.”
Sunset placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, I’ve done my fair share of regretful things too. I have to walk through my school almost every day. It wasn’t that long ago I was a major bully strutting through the halls. But the students of Canterlot High forgave me and I have a feeling these ponies forgave you too.”
“They have,” Starlight admitted, “Though sometimes I can’t understand why.”
“I can totally relate to that.”
They shared a glance and grateful smile before Starlight waved her hoof.
“Come on; let’s go let them know they’re about to become the base for a multi-creature army.”
Their approach was spotted several paces away, a pony on the edge of town sharing the news of Starlight’s return. By the time they reached the village, half the occupants stood waiting for them.
“Starlight!” Double Diamond, a white stallion wearing a purple scarf, cried her name with an energetic smile. “It’s so good to see you!”
She was instantly enveloped by the villagers, each of them hugging or giving her a hoof-pat on the back. Feeling rather overwhelmed, Starlight had to force herself to take a deep breath and not teleport away.
“We weren’t sure if you’d been taken prisoner by Tirek!” Night Glider cried, pulling back and searching her eyes. “You are okay, right?”
“I’m fine,” Starlight assured before motioning for Sunset to come closer. “This is my friend, Sunset Shimmer. We have urgent news from Princess Twilight to share with all of you.”
There was a gasp and several of the ponies began backing up, staring at them suspiciously.
“Princess Twilight?” Night Glider repeated.
“She’s okay now!” Starlight hastily explained. “I promise, she’s not evil anymore and neither are we.”
“We were able to rescue her,” Sunset plugged in, stepping bravely forward. “Please, there’s a lot we want to explain but we should probably find a safer place to do so.”
“Is the underground council chamber still available?” asked Starlight.
“It is,” Party Favor answered. “I’ll call a town meeting and make sure everypony gets down there.”
“Thank you.”
Fifteen minutes later the whole town was secured in a large room located under the village’s only clothing store; it had been the sturdiest spot of ground to build such a large space. Starlight nervously shifted on her hooves, watching the room full of ponies from just off stage. Sunset stood beside her.
“Hey, you okay?” asked the fiery haired pony.
Starlight swallowed. “Yeah. I’ve improved a great deal but being in front of so many ponies still tends to set me on edge.”
“You’ve got this,” Sunset assured. “Just remember that you’re addressing friends, not an unknown crowd.”
Starlight smiled. “Thanks, Sunset.”
The yellow pony nodded before gently nudging her forward. Starlight took a deep breath and made herself known. The small chatter in the room died almost instantly.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said, smiling reassuringly. “I don’t know exactly what you do and don’t know so I’ll give you the facts to clear things up.”
She quickly recounted the princesses' overthrow as well as Twilight’s restoration and Discord’s crucial involvement in their safety. Her friends gasped and cheered in all the right places, completely captivated by her tale.
“How can we be sure we can trust the Lord of Chaos?” somepony shouted from the back. “Wasn’t he Tirek’s ally before?”
“Yeah!” several ponies shouted.
“Discord has made his fair share of mistakes but so have I,” Starlight reminded. “All of you welcomed me back despite what I did to you. Some might find Discord’s actions far worse but the fact remains that he’s changed. He’s on our side and I can give you my personal guarantee that he will always be a friend to ponies from now on. Please remember, if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be standing in front of you right now and the rest of Equestria’s protectors would be slaves to Tirek the same as our princesses.”
Most of the crowd seemed appeased but a few still held skeptical frowns. Starlight could only hope that, in time, their suspicions would be proved unnecessary.
“This is why Sunset and I are here,” she said, deciding to move on. “We need your help.”
She revealed Twilight’s plan of using their town as her army’s temporary encampment. The town ponies were shocked at first but then very eager to lend a helping hoof in preparing for their coming guests. A few concerns were voiced about the coming winter but Starlight assured them that, if all went according to plan, Tirek would be defeated well before any Hearth’s Warming festivities were underway.
The rest of the day was spent overseeing preparations. Sunset and Starlight used an intense amount of combined magic to build an underground base big enough to hide what they hoped would be a large army. If any bigger dragons decided to participate, they’d have to dwell in the caves in the mountains but the rest of their allies could easily fit in the cavern they’d made. With a duplicate spell, they had enough pillows and blankets for every creature and a substantial amount of food.
“Everything looks great,” Starlight said tiredly, walking over to Sunset who looked dead on her feet. “I just finished talking to Double Diamond. A few ponies have volunteered to stay up near the cave that Twilight and the others should be entering from to guide them safely to the village.”
“That’s good,” she muttered, repressing a huge yawn. “I’ve double and triple checked our fortifications. The earth is holding just as we’d hoped. With the amount of spells we put up I don’t think it’s ever going to cave in.”
Starlight nodded before releasing her own yawn. “We should get some sleep. Sugarbelle’s cousin has a place for us to crash.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m ready to hit the hay,” Sunset yawned.
They dragged their hooves out of the underground base and up into the chilly night air. Shivering, they trekked over to the bakery and gratefully got out of the cold the second Sprinkle Glaze, Sugarbelle's cousin, opened the door. The teal unicorn quickly shut the door behind them.
“Thanks for letting us stay here,” Starlight said tiredly.
“No problem,” he said, ushering them into a small guest room. “It’s not much but the bed has a pull out mattress underneath and the bathroom is just down the hall."
The room was small and quaint. A single nightstand with a lamp stood next to the bed and a couple pictures of different pastries lined the walls. A siren's call seemed to be coming from the bed and Starlight wished nothing more than to plop down on the mattress and drift off.
"Is there anything else I can get you?” Sprinkle Glaze asked.
“No, this works great,” Sunset assured.
"Okay. Well, if you need anything, I'm the door just after the bathroom."
"Thanks," Starlight smiled.
The door closed and the two unicorns happily fell onto their beds, Starlight taking the top, Sunset the floor.
"I don't know about you but I'm magically exhausted," Sunset muttered, fluffing her pillow.
"I'm going to sleep like a rock," Starlight assured. "Ready for lights out?"
"Mm-hmm," Sunset mumbled, already half asleep.
Starlight flicked off the light and settled back onto her pillow. The mattress wasn't as comfy as the one Discord made for her but, for how tired she was, it was like sleeping on a cloud. She rolled over and, within minutes, was fast asleep.
Discord's choice of portal location, Twilight decided, was logical but disgusting. She, Mirror Rarity, and Mirror Applejack immediately gagged the second the portal closed behind them. Surrounded by dumpsters, the smell of garbage was rancidly potent and overwhelming. Twilight quickly led the way out of the back alley into a street bustling with pony life and fresher air.
"My poor nose!" Mirror Rarity cried in anguish.
"That smelled worse than a fresh helping of manure and that's sayin’ something," said Mirror Applejack.
"It was terrible," Twilight agreed, "but I think Discord was wise to open a portal there since so many ponies seem to be mulling around."
The streets weren't as busy as Manehatten but there was certainly enough traffic to make a sudden portal appearance impossible to miss. Twilight and her companions easily joined the throng heading towards Baltimare’s port. The fresh salty air quickly cleared their noses from the previous stench as the three of them walked down the cobbled street.
All around them tall buildings reached for the sky with smaller shops and restaurants wedged in between. The landscape reminded Twilight of books on an overfilled library shelf. The whole place felt crowded and she found herself wishing to be back in Ponyville where everything was more widespread.
"Now remember," she said as they walked, "my name is Rosy Stardust; Rosy for short."
"Got it," they said together.
"And Rarity, you should be slightly in the front since we're supposed to be pretending we're here on your business."
"Oh, right," Mirror Rarity muttered, trotting slightly forward while Twilight moved to be on her right with Mirror Applejack on her left. "Um, where am I supposed to go?"
"Just keep heading towards the water," Twilight advised. "Once there, we'll start looking for a place to stay. Remember to only look for inns you would find classy or posh. Nothing cheap."
"That I can do," she said with confidence.
As they continued walking down the street, Twilight started to notice they were getting a lot of double takes and many ponies were whispering and pointing at them. Something wasn’t right. She strained her hearing, focusing on a couple sitting outside a cafe, the two ponies doing nothing to hide the fact they were talking about them.
They were drawing closer to the couple’s table when somepony hissed quietly behind them, “Keep walking. Don’t look back. Head for that alley just up ahead.”
Twilight frowned, her ear twitching backward but doing as told, Mirror Rarity and Mirror Applejack skittishly following her lead. That voice sounded oddly familiar but Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on why.
The three ponies casually walked into the alley before Twilight whipped around to face the new potential threat. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Tempest?” she cried.
The dark purple pony narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her. “How do you know who I am?”
Twilight stepped forward. “You once told me on an air ship to “Open up my eyes”.”
Tempest’s eyes widened. “Twilight?” she whispered, looking hopeful but cautious.
Twilight nodded but said, “Actually my name is Rosy Stardust. I’m a newly hired assistant to Rarity.”
“That’s right,” Mirror Rarity stepped in. “I’m looking to open a new store here in Baltimore, I mean, Baltimare! Rosy is here to help me find a good location.”
“And I’m here to ensure she gets a good honest deal,” Mirror Applejack quickly added.
Tempest frowned. “Your cover story is believable but your nerves betray you. Next time somepony asks questions, display confidence.”
Twilight stepped in. “It’s alright, girls. Tempest is an old friend of mine.”
“Well, landsakes, Twili- I mean, Rosy!” Mirror Applejack grumbled. “Ya near plum gave me a heart attack!”
Tempest’s frown grew and she raised a questioning eyebrow to Twilight as to why she felt the need to explain to her friends who she was when they’d already met.
Twilight smiled. “It’s a long story.”
Tempest glanced over her shoulder. “I’d like to hear it but not here. Follow me.”
The four ponies traveled down the alley until they reached the other side. Tempest stopped at the end and looked both directions as well as up before venturing out into the street. Her pace was quick as she guided them through what quickly became a market filled with ponies. Expertly, the purple pony grabbed three cloaks off a merchant stand, slipped some bits to the owner, and covered her companions.
“What-?” Twilight began but the taller pony just shook her head and muttered, “Not yet.”
If Twilight didn’t know that she could trust her completely, she would have thought Tempest was leading them into a trap. The way her eyes shifted and her body moved proved that any moment she was expecting to have to use the special skills she’d used while in the Storm King’s service. Every pony around her seemed a little more on edge, giving her a wide enough berth for the others to quickly pass through the crowd behind her.
Eventually they left the market and entered a neighborhood filled with identical brick houses that were literally stuck together; the only indication of individual residency were the steps leading up to each apartment door. Tempest turned up the steps about halfway down the street, pulling out a key and opening the door to apartment 617. She quickly ushered Twilight and the others inside, scanning the area before shutting the door and bolting it closed.
“Tempest,” Twilight tried again, “What is going on?”
“Not yet,” Tempest said, walking over to a cupboard under a set of stairs and opening the door.
Another set of steps appeared and she motioned them forward. Mirror Rarity and Mirror Applejack looked to Twilight. The light pink princess took a deep breath and decided to do as asked, her eyes filled with silent questions. Tempest was the last to go down, closing and locking the door behind her.
Twilight was prepared to see a pony’s typical basement filled with boxes and other keepsakes but what she found was a fully furnished apartment. Her brows furrowed further with confusion.
The floor plan was mostly open, with large thick pillars supporting parts of the ceiling scattered about the room. The furniture was used to separate the living and dining room from the kitchen, the colors muted brown, beige, and orange. Two doors leading to a back bedroom and a bathroom were directly across from the main entrance. There was a small window in the bedroom but the rest of the lighting was from various lamps.
"Forgive me, princess," Tempest said, leading the way into the living room. "I would have answered your questions sooner but you never know who can be trusted these days. Most ponies say they are loyal to the princesses but the fear of Tirek easily sways them towards betrayal. Now that we are in a secure location, maybe we can answer each other's questions."
Twilight settled on the chair opposite to Tempest's while Mirror Rarity and Mirror Applejack took the couch.
"Alright," Twilight agreed. "Let's start with you and then I'll fill in everything that's happened to me."
Tempest shook her head. "I'm afraid I need to hear your side of things first, Your Highness."
"Why?"
"Frankly, I'm still debating on whether or not I can trust you," she admitted.
Twilight, at first, was offended by that comment but, after thinking it over, logically it made sense. Last anypony heard, she was still Midnight Sparkle. If Tempest was ever going to trust her, she needed to be upfront about everything -minus the private conversations with Flash and Amity, that is.
"That's fair," she finally agreed.
"Hang on there, partner. Twilight, are you sure we can trust her?" asked Mirror Applejack, eyeing Tempest with suspicion. "She hasn't exactly got the vibe of an honest person -I mean- pony."
"Yes," agreed Mirror Rarity. "How do we know she hadn't led us into a trap?"
"We don't," Twilight said, "but I trust her. Will you two trust me?"
Mirror Applejack frowned but nodded. "Fer now."
Mirror Rarity nodded too.
Twilight sent them a reassuring smile before turning back to Tempest. "I'll give you a brief summary of events."
"Go on," she invited.
Twilight gave a precise yet short account of what had happened to her and her friends as well as revealing her companions true origins.
"Discord and Fluttershy have been restored?" Tempest asked, the intensity in her gaze slightly unnerving the secret princess.
"Um, yes. The Rainbooms helped them just like they helped me."
Tempest's cold outer shell finally cracked and the unicorn relaxed, a weary sigh causing her shoulders to sag.
"Thank Celestia," she muttered. "The last report from FP stated that the two creatures had gone rogue and the princesses were unsuccessful in capturing them. It's nice to know we don't have to worry about a chaos beast and an untamed vampire pony on top of everything else."
"Who's FP?" asked Twilight.
“The leader behind the EIA.”
“What’s the EIA?”
“Equestria Intelligence Agency,” Tempest explained. “We’re a secret operation that gathers military and political information that may or may not affect national security.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened as Mirror Applejack said, “So you’re basically a spy?”
“Basically,” Tempest confirmed.
“WHAT?!” Twilight gasped, her mind reeling with this new information.
Equestria had a spy network? She’d read plenty of books involving fictitious government agencies but to know that their own country actually had one… such a secret forced Twilight to accept a most dreadful revelation: Celestia had kept this from her. But why? She’d been a princess for years now. Shouldn’t that qualify her to know about things such as this? What else could Celestia possibly be keeping from her?
Tempest put a comforting hoof over hers. “Twilight, this agency is only revealed on a need-to-know basis. Not even Princess Luna knows of its existence.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “What?”
“If the network is ever discovered, and the princess’s involvement is made known, Celestia alone wants to take the fall. She doesn’t want any of you other princesses being held responsible.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “And just what, exactly, does the EIA do?”
“We’re spies, Twilight,” Tempest stated. “We spy on other nations, we gather information that may be a threat to Equestria, and we keep tabs on any and all potential threats.”
“Like Discord and Fluttershy when they were mindless beasts,” Mirror Rarity realized.
Tempest nodded. “I will have to let Fancy know of their restoration- and yours, Twilight. I think all of us will be relieved to know we have three less hostiles to find and deal with.”
“Fancy?” Twilight’s jaw dropped again. “As in Fancy Pants? He’s the leader?”
“He has been for years,” Tempest revealed. “His status places him in the perfect position to execute the princess’s orders and keep the network informed of any tidbits other visiting nobles tend to let slip.”
Fancy Pants was a spy. No; he was the spy. And he was right there, at this very moment, in the heart of Canterlot! He knew everything that was going on. Tirek didn’t change him because Daybreaker suggested using him as a means to keep the nobility under his hoof. Tirek didn’t realize that a rat was literally woven into his wickedly crafted net! Was it possible that Fancy Pants, through his network of spies, was forming his own kind of resistance? Wait. Why wouldn’t Daybreaker report him? Maybe she wanted to lull him into a state of false security to make him think that she was ignorant of the things she knew before? It’s what Midnight would have done; Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
“As much of a relief it would be to let everypony know we’re okay, I think it would be best to keep me and the others' restorations a secret,” Twilight said.
Tempest frowned. “Why? Your recovery would bring many ponies hope! We honestly thought we were on our own.”
Twilight shook her head. “It pains me to say it, but you need to keep it that way.”
“But why?”
“Because Daybreaker knows all about Fancy’s secret life,” Twilight revealed. “None of us forgot who we used to be when we were changed. Daybreaker may be aware of every plan you’re making. Tell me, what are you doing in Baltimare, Tempest?”
“Originally I was stationed here to keep an eye on some gang activity,” she answered, “but my orders recently changed. I’m now here for the same reason you are: to take out Tirek’s envoy and warn the hippogriffs of the potential threat to their nation’s security.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Envoy? What envoy?”
Before Tempest could elaborate, there was a flash of light and a miniature Discord appeared on Twilight’s snout. The princess cried out and reflexively smacked him off her nose.
“Ouch!” Tiny Discord grumbled, twirling twice through the air before righting himself. “Now that’s not a very nice way to greet a friend, is it?”
“Discord?!” Twilight cried, staring down at the little draconequus. “What-?”
In a flash Tempest was standing over the newcomer, her broken horn pointed right in his face. “How did you get in here?” she demanded. “This place has every possible known magical security there is.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Chaos cannot be stopped by logical spells.” He pushed the broken horn away and raised a single fluffy eyebrow. “And who are you supposed to be anyway?”
“This is Tempest,” Twilight quickly explained. “She’s a friend. Now, what are you doing here? Has something happened to Fluttershy?”
“Oh, no, no, no, we’re fine. I’m just popping in to deliver a message and a warning,” he said. “Flutters and I just learned from Thorax that Tirek is sending out envoys to every ally invited to the Royal Summit.”
“I know,” Twilight said. “Tempest just shared that.”
Discord’s interest in the dark purple unicorn returned as he turned back to look at her. “And how would you know about that?”
“I can’t answer that,” Tempest said. “Classified information.”
Discord’s interest instantly deflated. “Oh, I see; you’re one of Celestia’s EIA spies.”
“You know about the EIA?” Tempest and Twilight cried in unison, the former in outrage, the latter in shock.
Discord scoffed. “Please! The amount of ‘secret meetings’ Celestia had in that garden while I was stone were enough to clue me in on your agency’s standard MO. No need to worry your oddly fish-like mane however; I’m not about to interfere with your operations. At least, unless any of you are foolish enough to actually spy on me or Fluttershy. If I even catch a hint of spy activity anywhere near her or myself I’ll turn every single one of you into anchovies and feed you to my tree shark.”
Tempest didn’t know how to respond to that so she kept silent. Twilight, however, knew that Discord was dead serious from the tone of his voice. His usual lilt had dropped an entire octave and his eyes had temporarily glowed red. She hoped Tempest and any other spy took his threat to heart.
“Discord,” she said, “now isn’t the time for threats. Tempest, what can you tell us about this envoy?”
Tempest glared down at the Lord of Chaos before turning to answer the princess. “Are you familiar with the bat ponies?”
“I know they mostly dwell in Mt. Canterhorn and work as Luna’s guards during the nighttime,” she answered.
Tempest’s expression was grim as she revealed, “Well, it would seem Tirek has slightly changed their diet. He’s made them thirst for blood, like vampire ponies in fictitious works.”
Twilight paled. “Like what he did to Fluttershy.” She glanced at Discord whose lip was curling angrily.
“Sort of,” Tempest elaborated. “According to FP, your friend became completely savage while the Night Guard have just had a severe change in diet. That and their every desire is to serve and carry out Tirek’s orders. They are the envoy he has selected. They have orders to use whatever means necessary to bring the allies to Canterlot. I have been tasked by Fancy Pants to take out the envoy before Queen Novo’s arrival.”
Twilight felt like she was going to be sick as she asked, “Is the envoy already here?”
“Not that I’ve seen. I’ve been watching the Port for almost a week since I know that’s where they are expecting the queen.”
Twilight turned to Discord. “Have you seen any bat ponies in the changeling territory?”
Discord shook his head. “No but I can do a perimeter check.”
Twilight nodded. “This information needs to be passed to the others. Discord, can you-?”
“Already on it,” he said. “I’ve been filling them in on our conversation; I sent them all tiny me’s as well.”
Impressed by the magical connection and mass projection the Chaos Lord could make while using a duplication spell, Twilight expressed her thanks before adding, “Can you also provide each of us a way to communicate when our envoy is taken out? We can’t afford to have anypony slip back to Canterlot to warn Tirek of our involvement.”
Discord snapped his tiny claws and a wristband appeared on Twilight’s left foreleg. “There. All you have to do is talk to the band, stating your name. Then declare your success or failure. If successful, the band will grow green and your cutie mark will appear. If any of you fail and stand in need of help, the band will glow red along with the specified cutie mark. Cordy or myself will then come to your assistance.”
“That’s ingenious, darling,” Mirror Rarity complimented.
Discord slightly puffed out his tiny chest and tilted his head up at the praise. “Why, thank you, dear Rarity. I must say, it’s nice to know my magic is appreciated by humans, at least.”
Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes and coughed into her hoof. “Discord? I also need you to warn the others of possible ponies trying to take down the envoys. I don’t want them hurt but they need to stay out of it.”
“But, princess-” Tempest began.
Twilight cut her off. “I suspect these envoys might have two missions instead of one.”
“What do you mean?” asked Mirror Applejack.
“If I’m right,” Twilight muttered, beginning to pace, “this might be a clever way for Daybreaker to root out some of Celestia’s spies to capture them.”
“Whatever would she want with them?” asked Mirror Rarity.
“To enslave them to Tirek,” Discord answered, as if the answer were obvious, “To strengthen the army he already has.”
Twilight nodded. “When evil, I knew that Tirek’s biggest goal was to take over all of Equestria. In order to do that, he has to take out our military and any others who might be in the crown’s employ. The princesses know of those who fit in that category and those that still need to be taken down. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wonderbolts had all been changed.”
“They have been,” Tempest confirmed, her eyes sad and dim. “As well as all the royal guards.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed with worry and her heart leapt in sudden fear. “Tempest, have you any news about the Crystal Empire? Are their armies…?”
Tempest shook her head. “They’re fine. Surprisingly, Heartbreaker can’t get into the city. None of the princesses can. We suspect the Crystal Heart is behind a magical barrier keeping them out.”
Twilight released the breath she’d been holding. Flash was safe. “The Crystal Heart is a powerful artifact. I’m not surprised it’s defending the city.”
“While your coltfriend’s safety is good to know, is there any further reason for me to stick around?” Discord asked. “I do have other things to do, you know.”
He was knitting a small red tube into existence, his knitting needles clicking quickly together.
Twilight’s face flushed at the word ‘coltfriend’ and she refused to meet Tempest’s curious eye as she quickly answered, “No, I think that’s it. Thanks for all your help, Discord. I honestly don’t know how we’d be able to accomplish all of this without you. Your chaos magic has seriously been a lifesaver.”
Discord’s jaw and knitting needles dropped, his eyes widening in surprise. Clearly, her lack of retort and the sincere compliment instead had completely thrown him. She couldn’t help snickering into her hoof.
“What’s the matter?” she probed, slightly smug for making him speechless.
“You just-” He shook his head and quickly waved his hands. “You know what, nevermind. If you don’t need me anymore, adieu, princess.”
He twisted up into a little ball before flashing out of existence. Twilight’s lingering smile was a little sad yet hopeful.
Someday, you’ll truly know that I’m your friend, she promised.
She turned back to Tempest. “While I appreciate every effort you’ve been making, I need you to leave Queen Novo’s envoy to us. Can you get a message to Fancy Pants? He needs to know that his actions may very well be known to Daybreaker. She cannot know that my friends and I are on the offensive. Please don’t mention anything about us to him or anypony else.”
“Twilight, I can’t just sit here and not help you. Let me assist in taking out this threat.”
Twilight frowned. She didn’t know how many vampire bat ponies would show. Her magic could easily win a fight but the risk of any slipping away and alerting Tirek to her and her friends would not be in their best interest.
“Alright,” she reluctantly allowed before putting a grateful hoof on her shoulder. “You’re a great friend, Tempest. Thank you for all your help.”
The dark purple pony smiled. “It’s my pleasure. You’re all free to stay here, if you’d like. The upper floor is just for show but there are a couple beds up there. If we want to magick them down here, we can all sleep in a secure location.”
“Oh, we don’t want to put you out, darling,” Mirror Rarity began.
“It’s honestly no trouble,” Tempest said. “ Besides, as a servant to the crown, I protect all royals. As you’re here, Twilight, it is my duty to protect you.”
Twilight blushed slightly, feeling slightly awkward but appreciative of the fact. “Thanks,” she weakly laughed. “Um, just don’t go treating me like a princess above ground, okay? I’m supposed to be just an ordinary unicorn right now.”
“Of course,” Tempest smiled. “There’s some food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. I’m going to send that message of warning to FP. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything about you or your friends.”
She disappeared into her bedroom and the others made themselves comfortable. Mirror Applejack went into the kitchen to whip something up for everypony while Rarity chatted with Twilight about the ingenious way ponies partook in fashion based on what she’d seen on the streets above as well as what she was wearing. Twilight smiled and nodded every so often, trying her best to listen.
Tempest returned a few minutes later, just in time for an early supper.
“Fancy wasn’t very happy,” she sighed, settling into a chair. “He wanted the name of the pony who brought me the information.”
“What did you tell him?” asked Twilight, helping Mirror Applejack bring over a platter full of sandwiches to the table; the ‘mare’ still struggled with carrying things with her hooves.
Tempest shrugged. “I told him it was a golden source that needed to remain anonymous.”
Twilight rested a hoof over hers, sending an apologetic frown. “I’m sorry to cause any tension between the two of you.”
“It’s not your fault,” she assured. “Everypony is on edge these days.”
“I’ll say,” Mirror Applejack muttered, carefully lowering herself into the last free chair. “Those ponies on the street were strung tighter than a fiddle. I don’t know about y’all but I was more than grateful to get inside.”
“Unfortunately, Applejack, we can’t hide in here forever,” said Twilight. “We have to make sure we don’t miss the hippogriffs.”
“Although, it may be best for them to remain underground,” said Tempest, indicating the mirror ponies.
“Why do you say that?” asked Mirror Applejack.
“Because there are wanted posters for all of you, well, the pony versions of you, throughout Equestria,” Tempest revealed.
Twilight’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“That’s why everyone was looking at us!” said Mirror Rarity in dismay and understanding.
“And why I stepped in when I did,” Tempest said. “In this city, I’m working undercover as a private investigator. I have several police contacts. I figured once ponies saw you with me, they would back off, thinking I was taking you to the nearest station.”
“What’s to stop someone from reporting they saw us with you?” asked Mirror Applejack.
“I… have a certain rapport,” Tempest said, unable to meet Twilight’s eyes. “Old habits die hard.”
Twilight frowned. “Tempest, you haven’t hurt anypony, have you?”
“Yes but not like how I used to,” she quickly answered. “I just roughen up thugs until they talk. It’s part of the spy life.”
Twilight didn’t like that answer one bit but now wasn’t the time to think on the EIA’s missions and protocols.
Deciding to let it go, she said, “While that bothers me, we need to focus on the here and now.” She set down her half eaten sandwich. “I’m not comfortable leaving Applejack and Rarity here alone. It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she added hastily at the looks on their faces, “it’s that I don’t think any of us should split up more than we already have. We need to stick together.”
“But they’ll instantly be recognized the second they go up there,” Tempest argued.
“Not necessarily,” Twilight muttered, a smile beginning to light her face.
“I know that look,” Mirror Applejack said, worry wrinkling her brow, “it’s a little different on a pony face but you’ve got the exact same look our Twilight gets when she has an idea.”
“My goodness, you’re right, darling,” Mirror Rarity agreed, “She does!”
“What are you planning, Twilight,” the cowgirl demanded.
“A long time ago, our Rarity was in charge of an event in my hometown,” Twilight explained, “But she became distracted from her duties because of a visiting stallion. She ended up completely changing her demeanor and appearance in an attempt to impress him. You see, the stallion was interested in Applejack and Rarity got jealous. She dressed up as a farm pony and pretended to be a hayseed. To knock some sense into her, Applejack pretended to be a fashionista. It totally worked, by the way.”
“And you want us to do something similar?” Mirror Rarity cried, aghast. “Forgive me, Twilight, but I am not one to roll around in the mud. And Applejack isn’t exactly a friend to the ways of fashion.”
“Excuse me, Rarity,” Mirror Applejack snapped, “But it sounds like you’re saying I don’t have what it takes to be a fashionista.”
“Well,” Mirror Rarity weakly chuckled, “you clean up quite well, darling, but we all know you abhor frills and lace.”
“While that is true, if it’s for the sake of the mission, I’d be willing to wear some fancy-smancy get-up,” Mirror Applejack declared, her green eyes igniting with determined fire. “If anything, it seems to me yer the one that has a problem steppin’ into a pair of cowgirl boots.”
“I do not have a problem with it!” Mirror Rarity cried defensively. “I was just stating that fashion is my thing!”
“While “rolling around in the mud” is mine?”
Mirror Rarity was about to angrily protest when Twilight got between the two.
“Enough!” she snapped, throwing out her hooves. “We don’t have time for petty squabbles! We’ve got a job to do! If you’re willing to disguise yourselves you can join Tempest and I tomorrow. If not, you’ll have to remain here. The last thing I need is to worry about springing either of you out of some jail before Tirek and the others come calling.”
The two ponies shared a glance, a mixture of guilt and lingering frustration marring their faces.
Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “Just, think about it,” she muttered, finishing her sandwich and pushing away from the table. “I’m going to go magic the beds down here.”
“I’ll come with you,” Tempest offered.
The two unicorns went upstairs, leaving the mirror ponies alone.
“Are they going to be okay?” Tempest asked as she guided Twilight towards the upper rooms on the second floor.
“If they’re anything like our Applejack and Rarity, they’ll be fine,” Twilight said. “They may bicker like foals but their friendship is solid. They just needed a moment without an audience.”
After slightly adjusting the protective enchantments on the basement to allow for teleportation spells, Twilight and Tempest managed to move the beds and themselves down to the basement. When they reappeared, surrounded by the beds, Mirror Rarity and Mirror Applejack were waiting for them. Each looked a little sheepish.
“Twilight, we’re sorry,” Mirror Applejack said while Mirror Rarity nodded emphatically. “We didn’t mean to cause a stir.”
“Both of us can get rather carried away when it comes to defending our passions,” Mirror Rarity confessed..
“The point is, we’ve made our peace and would be willing to do whatever is required,” the disguised cowgirl declared.
Twilight smiled. “I’m glad. I’m sure we can whip up something to help you both blend into opposite roles.”
“I have a closet full of disguises, if you’re more comfortable wearing clothes,” Tempest offered, finishing recasting the protective spells over the apartment.
“That would be most helpful,” replied Mirror Applejack while Mirror Rarity squealed with excitement, “Lead the way, darling!”
There was a small round of laughter as the ponies spent the next couple hours before bed looking over the options in the closet. After the upteenth outfit, Mirror Applejack made a decision on a nice frilly dress with a sunhat while Mirror Rarity donned a hat, plaid button up shirt, and jeans.
Twilight inspected the looks and nodded. “The only thing you need to do is change up your hairstyles and I think you’ll be set.”
Neither of them looked thrilled by that news but they’d already committed and, therefore, reluctantly agreed.
“I’ll come up with something,” Mirror Rarity promised.
“As will I,” Mirror Applejack sighed.
“I’m sure that whatever you decide will be great,” Twilight smiled. “Now, we should all probably get some sleep.”
“You three should sleep,” said Tempest. “I need to go meet a source at the police station. I still have a fake job to uphold, afterall.”
“Alright,” Twilight frowned, slightly concerned. “Be safe out there.”
Tempest smiled. “Don’t worry, princess. I know my way around the Baltimare nightlife.”
A while after Tempest had left, Twilight lay on her bed, thinking of everything they’d learned from the dark purple unicorn. Though having no personal contact with any of them, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for the bat ponies. A diet like theirs sounded awful. She and her friends would have to be very careful when dealing with them. If caught, they could drink their blood until they passed out.
“We have to be on guard at all times,” she muttered to herself.
Mirror Rarity sleepily looked up from her pillow. “Did you say something, darling?”
“Oh, um, no,” Twilight said, blushing slightly. “Nothing at all. Goodnight, Rarity.”
Mirror Rarity yawned and settled back into her pillow. “Goodnight, Twilight.”
Twilight mentally berated herself for talking out loud. Twisting onto her side, she released her own deep yawn. She really needed to get some sleep.
Her worries ended up plaguing her for another hour before she finally managed to drift off.