OPERATION MAD MAGE
Reported by Agent 1187, Callsign “Sorcerer”
Following the arrest and capture of Wizard and Blue Jay, Agent Pixie and I formulated a planned rescue operation in order to secure the secrets of our mission in Equestria as well as obtaining the members of the Birds. The plan involved myself and agent Pixie as well as agents Barbarian, Warlock, Bard, Artificer, Time Machine and Muffin Factory.
The first phase of the operation was to secure the Birds and Wizard. Using my connections with Pale Horse (Princess Twilight Sparkle), I managed to convince the Beholders (The Royal Guards and members of the RESC) if I could interrogate Wizard. And since he shared a cell with Blue Jay, all that was left was the extraction.
In one of the cells within the dungeons of Canterlot, Spike brushed Rainbow Dash’s mane in comfort as the cyan pegasus sobbed in his arms. She has not stopped crying for several days since their imprisonment nor has she slept in paranoia that they will finally come for her baby.
Spike for his part had signs of a rough interrogation all over him, from superficial bruising to a spike missing on his head; all due to being dragged off on several occasions for questioning. He sat there quietly, all emotions drained from his face as he continued to stroke Rainbow’s mane, wondering if this is the end for both of them. Well, he figured he would die after they broke the information out of him and he knew it would kill Rainbow once they start experimenting on her baby.
What he didn’t expect was none other than Starlight Glimmer entering the cell.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to cast a sound dampening spell. I can’t have vital information leak to common knowledge,” she said to the guard stationed at their door.
The guard nodded and without a word closed the cell door.
“Spike, Rainbow, how are we all doing today?” said Starlight, smiling casually.
“Leave us alone, Starlight,” Rainbow sobbed under her breath, clearly exhausted from crying, “Nothing you say will convince me that this is for the greater good.”
Starlight sighed as she pulled out a strange device from her saddlebag. “Well that’s a shame, Rainbow. Today seems to be a very good day for an adventure. Don’t you think so, Wizard?”
Spike arched an eyebrow. “That all depends, Sorcerer. Are we facing the Squizard?”
Starlight gave a smirk, “Oh, no my good Wizard. We’re escaping the dungeons.”
Spike returned the smirk, “You’ve got a plan then?”
Tossing a device to Spike, Starlight answered, “Theran Teleportation Gizmo. This’ll zap you into Trixie’s wagon.”
“Wait, what’s going on here?” Clearly confused, Rainbow finally raises her head to look between the two of them.
“We’re getting you out of Equestria, Rainbow,” answered Starlight, “Me and several others have already made preparations to smuggle you into our secret portal site, which should allow you safe passage into Thera. The same goes for your family and the rest of the Element Bearers.”
Rainbow stared at her in disbelief. “Y-you can get us out of here?” she exclaimed with hope. Then a thought came across her, “What about Twilight? Wouldn’t she flip once she finds out you saved us?”
“Oh believe me, she’s too preoccupied with whatever side project she’s been on about to care. Seriously, she’s been so irritable these past five years that she wouldn’t care less unless it has to do with Celestia. Besides, Spike here will provide me with the perfect alibi.”
“What do you have in mind?” Spike asked.
Starlight’s smirked grew wider, “I need you to replicate your Dragonfire and knock me unconscious, just for good measure.”
The extraction was simple; Wizard was to duplicate his message spell to make it appear as though an outsider delivered the teleportation device. As they receive it, I was to be knocked unconscious while they make their escape into Pixie’s base through the device.
“Finally, you made it! Trixie was expecting you guys minutes ago!”
Rainbow Dash gawked in disbelief, “Trixie?! You’re in on this?!”
The unicorn smirked, “Of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie planned this rescue operation after all. Well, some of it.”
“Focus Trixie,” snapped Spike, “What’s the plan?”
“Oh, right. Grit your teeth Spike.”
“What?”
Without a warning, Trixie fires a spell at Spike, knocking him back to a shelf, toppling over as it falls with him.
Rainbow Dash gawked in disbelief. “W-what did you do that for?” she shrieked, taking a defensive stance.
“Relax, it’s all part of the plan,” Trixie waved off nonchalantly before continuing with a pout, “Besides, Trixie wanted payback for killing her Level 20 Wizard in our last game.”
“Urgh, it wasn’t my fault you decided to pick up an obviously cursed item,” groaned Spike as he stood up from the blast.
“YOU SAID IT HAD A DC CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW OF 15!!!!”
“Hey! No discussions of the game off the table!”
The two were surprised by Rainbow who snarled at them before it finally clicked.
“Oh right, I forgot you were our Rogue before Discord was gone.” Trixie’s head drooped in mention of their missing friend before shaking herself off, “Anyway, the idea is this; we need to create a scenario for your escape. You and Spike teleported in out of nowhere, The great and Powerful Trixie reacts and blasts him to the shelves out of instinct. You then tackle me, then he tackles me, there’ll be a struggle, and then you tie me up and gag me.”
“That’s the cover story anyway,” continued Trixie after a pause to let the information sink in, “We need to make this as convincing as possible to mask our involvement. Basically, we trash Trixie’s wagon a bit, Trixie gets a bruise from Rainbow’s punch, you guys tie Trixie up, blindfold and all, and finish with the both of you hauling flank to the Everfree. Everypony will think you planned to use my wagon as an emergency escape for months and will be too busy to look for your trail while the other players rescue your friends. Classic misdirection.”
Rainbow’s ears perked up, “Wait, you mean you’re going to rescue-?”
She was interrupted by an explosion from a distance.
“Ponyfeathers!” Trixie gawked, staring out her window, “They already started! Quick, we need to move!”
After ransacking Trixie’s wagon and a hesitant buck to her right torso from Rainbow, the two began to tie the magician up.
“Make it as tight as you can. We need this as convincing as possible.”
“Why can’t you just use your magic to tie yourself up?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Can’t risk that; they’ll scan for magic signatures on the ropes. Just use the good old fashioned way.”
“Wouldn’t they question you if we don’t block your horn?” Spike asked with concern in his tone.
“Do you have a horn suppression ring with you?”
Spike shook his head.
“Exactly. The idea is that you take me by surprise and disorient me enough for me to be too shocked to react. Besides, you can temporarily shut down a unicorn’s magic by blinding them. Ponies will buy the alibi that Trixie was too disorientated to concentrate on her spells to escape.”
“Huh, you really thought about all this,” said Rainbow, quite impressed at the well thought out plan.
Trixie grinned proudly, “Hmph, Trixie will take that as a compliment.”
Rainbow and Spike proceeded to bind and blindfold her. Just before they finished with her gag she stopped them.
“Wait, I almost forgot to tell you. The rendezvous is in Maud’s cave. You all can sort your escape to Thera from there.”
Spike nodded in affirmation, “Thanks Trixie, we’ll never forget this.”
“Save it when you get out. Now hurry, you’ve got about an hour til they trace the teleportation to this wagon. Go!”
They put on her gag, made for the door and checked to see if the coast was clear. They noted that they were at the outskirts of Ponyville, just next to White Tale Woods. Seeing no creature around, they hightailed from the wagon and into the woods.
While we extracted Wizard, Barbarian, Warlock, Bard and Artificer extracts Woodpecker, Mockingbird, Nightingale and Hummingbird respectively from their homes. Along with their families.
A door burst open, startling Applejack from her sleep. More than a week has passed since the RECS apprehended Rainbow Dash and Spike. Since then, she and the remainder of her friends were locked in house arrest. Since then, war has finally broken out between Equestria and the Nations of Thera. And since then, Applejack has been jumping at every shadow, every bump, every knock at the door, every bark Winona shouts to approaching strangers within their property. She was afraid. Afraid that they’ll finally take her away from her home, afraid of what they’ll do to the rest of the girls, afraid of what they’ll do to her family.
All that fear and tension turned into a sigh of relief when it was none other than Big Mac who burst through her room with a determined expression in his eyes.
“Big Mac, ya scared me,” spoke Applejack as she clutched her chest, resisting a forming panic attack, “Whad'ya wake me up for?”
“Pack your things, sis,” replied the stoic stallion, “We’re leavin’.”
Applejack’s eyes widened. Before she could say a word, a large bag was tossed next to her bed.
“No time for dillydallying, Applejack!” called out Granny Smith, “You git your flank packin’ pronto or we’ll drag ya with nothin’ but your hat to whatchamacallit!”
A number of questions ran across her mind as she proceeded to pack her things; mainly being where would they go?
“Granny Smith, can’t ‘Ah bring mah Cutie Mark charts with me?” She heard her little sister Apple Bloom from downstairs.
“Absolutely not!” came the Apple family matron’s stern reply, “Bare essentials only! Leave whatever sentimentals and junk behind!” There was a pause to which Applejack could only guess would be Granny Smith trying to comfort Apple Bloom. “Ah don’t like it either, sweetie pie, but where we’re goin’ we can’t carry everythin’ with us. ‘Sides, when we Apples first came to this here land before it became Ponyville, we carried nothin’ but the saddlebags on our backs. Where we’re goin’ is a start of a new chapter for our family.”
“Could we at least pack the photographs and family logs with us?” Sugar Belle, Big Mac’s wife, was heard nearby, “It would be a shame not to bring years of family history with us to remember.”
A sigh was heard from Granny Smith, “Ah suppose it would be wrong to leave those behind. Just leave them fancy trinkets though. Ain’t no point bringin’ family jewellery if it’ll weigh us down.”
Before Applejack could ask Big Mac, she flinched as Granny Smith appeared at her door with a haggard expression.
"Jacqueline Butter Apple, 'Ah told d'ya ta get your flank packin' yesterday!" the old mare all but snarled at her, clearly lost all her patience, "That was twice now, ya hear? There won't be a third!"
"B-but Granny-"
"NO BUTS! This ain't for discussion! We do not have the time nor the place! Now haul yer ass, on the double or 'Ah will hog-tie you and drag you kickin'!"
This startled Applejack. Only rarely has she heard the good Granny Smith cuss; and when she did, you could bet that she was mighty furious. Last time she remembered that was a brief argument with Grand Pair five years ago and she let him have it for all of Ponyville to see. One could hear a pin drop after her consecutive cussing across town. And for her to be like this now could only mean that she means business and that there was no arguing the matter.
Promptly after grabbing all their essentials, the whole family assembled in the living room as they awaited the matron’s next orders.
“Sugar Belle, Apple Bloom, Applejack; y’all grabbed what ya needed?” Granny Smith eyed each of them sternly.
“Yes ma’am,” Sugar Belle nodded, “I’ve packed up all the family photographs, family tree and journals like I suggested.”
“I’ve brought my travellin’ clothes and saddlebags,” replied Apple Bloom before hesitantly adding, “and my copy of my published book “Finding your Cutie Marks”. I could at least bring a copy of what me and the Crusaders took three years to put together.”
“Dat’s fine ‘Ah suppose,” sighed Granny Smith as she turned to Applejack who still hadn't had a chance to voice her questions, “Applejack, ‘Ah know ya well enough that you’ve got questions, but try to save it til we make our getaway.”
This surprised Applejack. “Getaway?”
“Big Mac, open the hatch.”
“Eeyup.”
Big Mac stepped on a protruding floorboard, opening a trapdoor in the middle of the room leading to an underground tunnel. Applejack’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Months ago, Big Mac an’ his weird friends came together an’ set this whole thin’ up,” Granny Smith answered her granddaughter’s unspoken question, “Told me it was for in case somethin’ this crazy be happenin’ in Equestria. ‘Ah told him he was playin’ too much of those games, wastin’ bits on a worthless underground maze and should be spendin’ more time with his family. Turns out he was right an’ was onto somethin’.”
Big Mac grabbed a lantern with his teeth and led the way into the tunnel, followed shortly by Sugar Belle, Winona and Apple Bloom. Applejack stood there, jaw still agape from the revelation.
Granny Smith nudged her forward, “Don’t worry ‘bout your friends. From wat Mac told me, they’ll be joinin’ us shortly. Now get the move on, ‘A’ll follow behind ya.”
What the hay is goin’ on here? Are we escapin’? But where?
“Ganny, are we all set?” she heard Big Mac ask.
Applejack blinked. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't realise she was already inside the tunnels. What she heard next however ran her blood cold.
"Eeyup," Granny Smith sighed in painful resignation, "Set the charges Mac."
Before Applejack could protest, Big Mac pushed a wired lever. The tunnels shook as a deafening roar of an explosion erupted above them. The house, the barn; they blew it all up! She turned to her brother, her sister and her sister-in-law; all wore the expression of sorrow and resignation. Apple Bloom tried to hold back tears but ultimately failed as she sobbed quietly as Winona attempted to comfort her. Sugar Belle nuzzled Big Mac assuringly, consoling the silent stallion. Big Mac returned the nuzzle, his lips quivering from held back tears.
Without another word, Big Mac held out a radio, "Dungeon Master, this is Barbarian. Woodpecker secured, approaching rendezvous."
Shock, horror, anger and sorrow was all that Applejack felt as she turned to the old mare, silently demanding an explanation.
"It needed to be done, Applejack. Old Pappy, Bright Mac an' Pear Butter may be rollin' in their graves for losin' the farm, but A'd sooner spit on an apple than ta lose another family."
"Sorry Miss, but Sugarcube Corner is closed," a Royal Guard firmly stated.
"That's alright, sir," a thin orange coloured stallion approached the guard, "Ms Scratch is just here to return Pinkie's party cannons."
The albino unicorn with purple shades and headphones grinned with a salute to the guard.
"How many party cannons?" asked the guard, eyeing the large crate suspiciously.
The silent DJ lifted two hooves up.
"Let me check, just to make sure," the guard stated, moving towards the crate's lid and opened it, revealing two of Pinkie Pie’s party cannons and a sack of what he presumed was confetti. Satisfied, he wordlessly gestured the unicorn in as he opened the door.
About half an hour later, Vinyl came back into view as she made her way to the shop’s exit with her now “empty” crate.
However, just as the mute DJ attempted to leave, she was quickly stopped by the guard. “Hold it,” he scowled suspiciously, “before you leave I need to ask you a question.”
Mr and Mrs Cake tensed up behind the door, worried that he might have caught on to their plan.
“Could I have your autograph? I’m a big fan,” the guard grinned sheepishly as he produced a CD cover.
The couple breathed a sigh of relief.
Moments later as Ponyville disappeared from view, Vinyl Scratch gave a light tap to the crate. The crate then burst open to reveal Pinkie Pie gasping for air and two foals with oxygen masks sticking their heads out.
“Pumpkin, Pound, are you two okay?” Pinkie turned to the foals, squishing their faces together in her forelegs.
“We’re fine, Aunty Pinkie, but would you mind letting us go?” the unicorn, Pumpkin, muttered out from her squeezed muzzle.
“Oh, right. Sorry, let me take off those masks.”
While Pinkie tended to the Cake Twins, Vinyl pulled out her radio communicator.
“Ah, Warlock. Did you retrieve Mockingbird?” the dispatcher sounded.
Vinyl nodded.
“Are you outside of Town?”
Vinyl nodded.
“Wait, did you bring the Twins with you?”
Vinyl hesitated.
“... Warlock.”
Vinyl begrudgingly nodded.
“Sigh, remind me to inform Muffin Factory and Time Machine to check on the Tavern and make sure that the Barkeepers get an alibi. Meet us up at the rendezvous.”
Vinyl nodded and promptly put away the radio.
“Wait, how did they understand what she’s saying if they can’t see her through the radio?” Pound the pegasus asked, confused at the whole exchange.
“Really? I understood everything she said,” Pinkie said with a shrug and smiled.
Seeing that this line of questioning will only produce more questions, both Pound and Pumpkin filed that under the "Don't ask, it's Pinkie Pie" folder in their brains and decided to move on.
After disposing of the crate and making their way into the Everfree Forest, Pumpkin looked back to Ponyville; concern written in her eyes.
Vinyl placed a hoof over her shoulder, offering the filly a knowing nod.
“She says your mom and dad will be okay,” said Pinkie, translating for the silent DJ, “we’ll protect them however we can.”
Pumpkin turned to her brother who shared the same look of worry and returned to the two mares, “Will we see them again?”
Vinyl sneered a confident grin.
“You betcha!!!” yelled out Pinkie before she was silenced by all three of them. “Hehe, oops.”
Without another word, they entered the forest. As they did so, a large explosion was heard from a distance and a huge fire was seen in the middle of the town.
“Will that mare just shut up?!!”
A Royal Guard stood outside of Carousel Boutique covering her ears from the noise within. For the past three days Rarity had been crying out loud for all of Ponyville to hear, screaming at the top of her voice that her life was over. Almost in a loop.
“Need some help again?” a light grey earth pony mare with a treble clef Cutie Mark approached the guard.
“Ms Melody!” the guard exclaimed in relief, “Oh thank Celestia, you’re here! Please, she’s at it again! You’re the only one in town that seems to know how to shut her up!”
“I know, I know. Let me do my magic and deal with this nonsense,” she said with a tired sigh as she knocked at the front door, “Sweetie Belle, it’s Octavia. I’m here to see your sister again.”
The door promptly opened, revealing a young white unicorn mare, her eyes reddened from either stress or crying. “Hi Octavia,” Sweetie Belle said worriedly as she led the cello player in, “Thanks for coming by. I can’t seem to shut her up anymore and she seems to be getting worse; and to be honest, I’m not even sure you could help her now.”
Octavia smiled reassuringly as she gave Sweetie a gentle pat on her mane, “Not to worry dear, I’ll see what I can do.”
As soon as the door closes behind them, the facade breaks as the two softly giggle to each other whilst they approach a phonograph in the shop’s main room playing Rarity’s cries of sorrow on a loop.
“By the way, those eye dyes from Zecora aren’t straining your eyes, are they?” Octavia asked as she turned off the phonograph.
“Pfft. Oh no, they actually feel less itchy,” Sweetie Belle waved it off as she led the way towards the basement, “I have to say, I’m a little impressed you guys planned all this in less than a week.”
“I am more impressed at how you managed to burrow a tunnel underneath my Boutique in less than two days.”
Both eyes turned at Rarity who was waiting for them in her basement, surrounded by luggage.
Sweetie Belle facehoofed, “Rarity, I told you not to overpack! Bare essentials only!”
“But these are bare essentials,” Rarity protested, “These are my best gowns, dresses, supplies and designs; I can’t just leave them here to burn with the boutique! Besides,” she pointed at Sweetie Belle, “half of them are your things.”
Sweetie Belle blinked. She turned to Octavia, “Wait, you didn’t tell her?”
“Me? She’s your sister, I would think that would be your responsibility.”
Rarity’s ears perked up, “Tell me what? What’s going on Sweetie Belle?”
The younger sister sighed, “I can’t go with you Rarity, not like this.”
Rarity stared at her sister in disbelief, “Sweetie Belle… Why?”
Sweetie Belle shook her head, “There are too many things I can’t leave up to chance once we set things in motion. First is an alibi for Octavia; it’s one thing for you to take your own life and the shop with you, it’s another if you kill me with you. Twilight will suspect something out of character if you commit murder-suicide along with arson and will immediately investigate the basement, the tunnels and Octavia. And with the entire plan moving all at once, it won’t take a genius to connect the dots.
“And secondly,” she stepped forward, placing a hoof over Rarity’s shoulder, “I can’t just leave Mom, Dad and Scootaloo. I know we should have brought Mom and Dad with us, but you know as well as I that they can’t leave Equestria. As for Scootaloo, it’s bad enough that Rainbow and Apple Bloom have to go. I can’t leave just one Crusader left in Ponyville. Besides,” Sweetie paused and gave a reassuring grin, “she and I will be instrumental for what’s coming.”
Rarity teared up, tackled her sister into an embrace and cried real tears this time, “Take care of everypony and yourself for me, alright?”
Sweetie Belle teared up and returned the embrace, “Only if you watch over everyone on your end.”
“I will Sweetie, I promise,” Rarity broke the embrace and gestured, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
They giggled at the exchange before Rarity made her way to the tunnel with fewer bags, “Well, I must be off. You two give them a performance of a lifetime, you hear?”
“Will do, Rarity,” nodded Octavia, “Remember, as soon as you reach the caverns at the end of the tunnels, set off the charges and the tunnels will collapse behind you. Hopefully, the planned explosion will be enough to mask the collapsing tunnels.”
Without another word, Rarity entered the tunnels as Sweetie Belle and Octavia burst out the front door.
“Help! Guards!! It’s my sister; she’s gone crazy and-”
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the boutique, shattering the windows as flames suddenly burst within the building.
And with a rehearsed cry that would make her sister proud, Sweetie Belle screamed, “RARITY, NOOOOOOO!!!!!”
The zebra Zecora quietly approached an isolated cottage at the outskirts of the Everfree woods. She walked past three Royal Guards who were assigned to watch the cottage’s inhabitant, lying unmoving by the entrance.
“Fluttershy? It is I. Please come out, the way is clear from my scout.”
No reply was given.
Steeling herself, the zebra cautiously trotted into the cottage.
The chosen rendezvous is Golem’s cave which is the central terminal to the underground tunnels we built below Ponyville. Once all parties gathered, they immediately made their way into the Outpost, but not before blowing up the cavern to conceal their trail.
There was also another issue that arose…
“Maud!!!”
Pinkie leapt into the deadpanned earth pony who returned the embrace.
“It’s good to see you too, Pinkie,” Maud replied in her usual monotone.
“Guys! It’s good to see you all again!” Rainbow wept, embracing her friends who were present.
“Ah’m glad y’all made it in one piece, Sugarcube,” replied Applejack as she nuzzled the prismatic maned pegasus, holding back tears of her own.
“I… I thought I would never see you all again!” sobbed Rarity in her exaggerated wailing, “I thought they would do all sorts of horrendous atrocities to you, your foal and- Gasp! Spikey, your spike! What other horrible tortures have they done to you?!!”
“I’m fine Rarity,” Spike blushed, “it’s just a spike. It’ll grow back.”
“Um Rarity,” Apple Bloom approached the fashionista, “where’s Sweetie Belle?”
Rarity frowned sadly, “I’m afraid to say that Sweetie Belle chose to stay behind. She said she couldn’t leave our parents and Scootaloo behind.”
“Oh, I see.” Apple Bloom frowned slightly before shaking her head with a smile, “It’s for the best, ‘Ah suppose. Can’t leave just one Cutie Mark Crusader in Ponyville after all.”
Rarity returned her smile, “Funny, she said the exact same thing.”
“Ah, noble Apples. Thine good to see thy family safe and sound once again.”
The voice caught most within the cavern’s attention as the entire Pie family made their appearance.
“Iggy, Big Momma Q! So nice to have this family reunion,” Granny Smith grinned toothily at the Pie parents, “‘Ah take it y’all were responsible for them tunnels ‘neath Ponyville?”
“Thine family is only partially to thank,” Cloudy Quartz Pie replied, “Thy should thank mostly to our eldest, Maud, who did most of the work.”
“I simply laid out the tunnel’s network and told where the hired diamond dogs to dig,” Maud flatly replied.
“How’d you manage to keep this all quiet?” asked Pinkie.
“Classified,” replied Maud.
“Spike, Big Mac, Vinyl, Maud, who are y’all, really?” asked Applejack who still wanted answers, “What is all this?”
“I’m more curious to know how you got our families involved in all this,” inquired Sugar Belle.
Before any of them could answer, a familiar Zebra entered the room.
“Zecora!” they called out in unison.
Big Mac noticed her exasperated expression as well as a certain detail. “What happened, where’s Fluttershy?”
… Hummingbird was missing.
“I do not know,” gasped Zecora, trying to catch her breath, “but I fear the worst. It seems I was not there first.”
“What do you mean?” asked Rarity, anxiety clear in her tone, “What happened?”
“I came to the cottage to pick up our Hummingbird, but as I approached her dwelling I heard not a word. Not a sound, not a peep, not a flutter of her or her companions. What I smelled instead was the stench of carrions.”
A collective gasp of horror sounded as the group began pressing answers from Zecora.
“LET ME FINISH!” shouted the zebra, silencing the group, “A few animals along with several Royal Guards’ corpses were all I could find. Everything else was left behind. The cottage had signs of ransacking, as well as signs of struggling. It appeared that Fluttershy and her animals put up quite a fight. However,I could not find any trace of their flight.”
“Wait, you mean Fluttershy escaped?” gawked Rainbow Dash.
Zecora shook her head. “While I do not doubt Fluttershy and her animals’ power, there was something else I smelled in her cottage that was worse than blood,” she paused as she grimaced at the implications of her next word, “Gunpowder.”
Big Mac, Vinyl and even Maud gasped. Their faces paled as their blood ran cold at this new information; their worst fears realised.
“Maud,” a Limestone Pie cautiously poked her eldest sister, concerned from her rarely seen expression of anxiety, “What’s happening? What’s going on?”
All questioning eyes (including Spike’s) turned to the usually expressionless mare as her eye’s pupils ceased dilating. She closed her eyes and sighed with finality, “New World Order.”
“The human terrorist group?” Apple Bloom perked up, “What do they have to do with anything?”
“Doesn’t matter,” stomped Big Mac, “we need to get out of dodge, now!”
“W-where do we go?” asked Rainbow.
“The last place they’ll ever think of finding us.”
Thankfully, Agent Artificer had enough sense to keep radio silence after her failed retrieval of Hummingbird. From the gathered reports after she reunited with the rest of the Players, they maintained radio silence until they reached the extraction site where Agent Time Machine along with other collaborators awaited their arrival.
“You’ve got to be kidding me; The Castle of the Two Sisters?!”
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and their chosen families who weren’t aware of their destination gawked with mixed reactions of bewilderment and incredulity at the chosen site of extraction. Awaiting them was one Doctor Time Turner, Ponyville’s resident horologist and inventor. Those among the group who were privy to this underground resistance expected to see the earth pony, what they didn’t expect however were his companions.
“Smolder?” Spike spoke out in a surprised tone.
“Daring Do?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with equal surprise and utter excitement.
“Yo, what took you guys so long?” Smolder raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.
“I’m more curious as to what you’re doing here,” retorted Spike as he points an accusatory finger at the two.
“Funny, I thought you knew, considering you were the informant,” the famous archeologist replied, “We were granted access to investigate and excavate the Castle’s secret chambers for months now. It was how we made contact with the Dungeon Master after all.”
“Wait, you’re part of the Players?”
“Yeah, Callsign Rogue,” Daring Do smirked and pointed to Smolder, “and she’s my intern.”
“You got that right,” the dragoness snorted proudly.
“Pardon me, but as much as I would like for everypony to play catch up we need to get you lot inside,” Time Turner guestured them in, “Can’t have you out in the open when the Royal Guards are probably on high alert for you now.”
As they entered the ruins leading into an underground labyrinth, Applejack spoke out, “Alright, now that we’re all outta earshot from unwanted ears, mind telling us who aren’t in the know ‘bout what’s goin’ on?”
“I agree with Applejack,” added Rarity, “I’ve only known bits and pieces from what Sweetie Belle tells me after we were incarcerated. Something about you all being an underground resistance group against the Princesses.”
Spike sighed after noticing several eyes on him, “Two years ago, after the School of Friendship shut down, I was cleaning out Twilight’s desk when I came across a file containing plans for Thera’s conversion to become a pony society. Deciding to know what was going on, I did some digging.”
The dragon paused, snorting out fire from his snout from remembering before he continued, “I found pieces of the truth behind the war. Particularly, the so-called death of Discord, the creation of the portal to Thera, and most damning of all, the history of Equestria’s declining birth rate. I’ll tell you the details later, but the short version is that this war wasn’t the first time Celestia and Luna used the conversion potion.”
“Wait, what?!” came (almost) everypony’s dumbstruck reactions.
“Eeyup,” affirmed Big Mac, “Had the same reaction when he told us.”
“Wait, you told Big Mac and not us?” asked Applejack.
Vinyl gestured to Pinkie Pie to which the Party Planner nodded.
“It wasn’t just Big Mac,” she explained, “The entire O&O group got wind of it after Spike broke down crying. When he finally opened up and told us the whole thing, we formed a network of contacts across Equestria and soon after Thera and beyond."
"Wait, you knew about all this, Pinkie?" exclaimed Applejack.
"Well, I didn't know all the details until after our get-together with Rainbow," Pinkie replied innocently with a tilt of her head and her signature smile, "I was told not to know too much since I was one of the Element Bearers."
“Also technically, it was me and Derpy who formed this little network,” interjected Time Turner as he pulled a latch to a secret passageway into a hidden chamber.
“You?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at that, “How did you get involved? Last I checked, you and Derpy weren’t exactly O&O players.”
“Well, see, it started seven years ago,” started Time Turner as he continued to lead them through the chamber, “Derpy and I were part of a secret society of studying ancient and arcane technologies lost to time. Originally there were five more members including our project leader, Daniel Goodshot; a Chronomancer of sorts. Don’t really know.
“Anyhoo, for two years we’ve been studying an ancient race that actually existed in Equus before the Age of Unification. We were making a headway with a breakthrough due to an artefact we found. However, just before we could test our findings, our project leader vanished along with our other members, leaving just me and Derpy to pick up the pieces.
“We had an inkling as to what had happened to them a few months later after we heard of the portal opening between Thera and Equestria. It was through the artefact that we managed to get into contact with the Players and Thera.”
“Let me guess, the Princesses had something to do with their disappearance?” asked Rarity.
“Well, not exactly.”
Before Time Turner could elaborate, they reached a dead end. The earth pony leaned and prodded the brick wall before pushing a protruding brick, which caused a small opening to appear, revealing two bright golden eyes staring back at them.
“Roll Perception for traps,” demanded a familiar voice from the other side of the wall.
“Don’t bother, I cast Find Traps,” replied the earth pony.
Grunting with approval, the voice closes the opening and within a few moments, the wall opens up to reveal an all too familiar mint coated unicorn mare with a lyre Cutie Mark, grinning widely at them.
“Welcome back, Time Machine.”
“LYRA HEARTSTRINGS?!” the Element Bearers stared gobsmacked at the mare in disbelief.
“Judging from that reaction, I take it the mission was a success?” she smirked with satisfaction.
“Unfortunately, not completely,” Zecora shook her head sadly, “We couldn’t find Fluttershy and her disappearance made our worst fears clarify.”
“Big Brother?” Lyra narrowed her eyes in realisation.
“Eeyup,” nodded Big Mac.
“Dammit, the Director is not going to like this.” She gestured to the group to follow her in as the wall closed behind them. “Well, at least you brought Wizard and the rest of the Birds safe and sound. Come along, the extraction is ready for you.”
“Extraction? From underneath the Castle?” Rarity asked incredulously, “Begging your pardon, but I don’t see how we could escape into Thera through another underground labyrinth, if that is our destination.”
Time Turner smirked, “Remember when I said about how my project leader disappeared along with our colleagues?”
“Yes?” Rarity nodded.
“He and the rest of our colleagues simply returned home.”
Just as the group processed that information, they were led into a giant room surrounded by electrical coils and magical crystals, all connected to a giant door made of an obsidian-like material standing in the middle of the chamber. The room was swarmed with ponies, dragons, griffons… and humans with their ally alien species. All either grabbed in lab coats or (for the case of most of the humans) in military uniforms.
The uninitiated of the group stared in awe at the sight; mostly at the large ancient obsidian gate that towered before them.
“Dungeon Master,” called out a human officer holding a radio, “HQ says Thera is ready to bring them in.”
“Good, open the portal,” ordered Lyra, prompting the scientists to activate the device.
“Since when were you Dungeon Master?” asked Spike.
“Since the old one left for important reasons,” Lyra replied promptly, “He didn’t want his cover to be blown so he left me in charge.”
Just as she finished, the gate lit up with a bright flash, almost blinding the onlookers. As the light dimmed, the group watched in amazement at the void within the portal resembling bodies of stars, galaxies and nebulas swirling within.
“Bless my bones,” breathed Igneous Pie.
“Is… Is that a Starcatcher Portal?” stammered Rainbow Dash.
“Eeyup,” chimed Lyra.
Applejack’s eyes surveyed across the room, processing the situation before her as she finally asked her unanswered question; “Who are you people?”
“We are the Ponyville Players,” declared Lyra in a clearly rehearsed speech, “A cell of operatives whose purpose is to monitor and interfere with Equestria’s side of the war.”
“Equestria’s side?” asked Pinkie, “You mean, there’s more of you monitoring Thera’s side?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
A figure was seen entering from the portal. It was an amber-coated unicorn mare with a fiery mane, wearing a black jacket military uniform. She and Spike shared a glance and nodded to each other affirmatively.
“Hello everypony, I am Sunset Shimmer,” the unicorn introduced herself, “And let me be the first to welcome you all to the S.G.I. The Secret Global Intelligence.”
Wizard, Barbarian, the Birds (apart from Hummingbird) and their chosen families were extracted through the portal where they will be transferred into the Theran Authorities and apply for political asylum. Warlock, Artificer and Time Machine continued with their operative duties to ensure they cover all traces of our involvement. Bard and Nightingale’s sister managed to convince the authorities of Nightingale’s apparent suicide while Muffin Factory managed to provide an alibi for the Barkeepers in regards to their foals and Mockingbird’s disappearance. We chose foalnapping to be the cover story.
As planned, the Beholders and the Pale Horse traced Wizard and Bluejay’s escape into Pixie’s home where they found only our diminutive agent gagged and disoriented. So far they bought our alibis.
Despite the failure of retrieving Hummingbird, the deaths of Beholders assigned to monitor her at the very least diverted suspicion towards Big Brother Operatives as the cause of simultaneous events, including the destruction of Sweet Apple Acres, of which the public believes caused the deaths of the entire Apple family. Regardless, resources are now diverted into tracing and locating Big Brother within Equestria in efforts to retrieve Hummingbird and disrupt their operations. Due to all this, Operation Rrakkma is now on hold until the threat of their interference is resolved.
Despite all the complications, we are pleased to report that Operation Mad Mage was a success.
END REPORT