This was an important job, the most important in her forced retirement, and Agent Sweetie Drops knew it. She moved stealthily to the mission objective, jumping from shadow to bush to alley to barrel.Invisible , indetectable.
"Hello, BonBon!"
"'Sigh', hello Dizzy"
The most sneaky a bright yellow horse at midmorning can be.
Abandoning all stealth, Sweetie Drops walked to her destination. It was not what she expected. More than a house it seemed like a prison barracks.
After making sure that anyone was watching her she tried to enter the house. Sadly the front door was closed but that was not an obstacle for an agent of S.M.I.LE.
First, she tries to open the lock with her tools. After the last of her very expensive tools broke she tried the windows. All of them have iron bars in them. The upper patio door didn't even exist and the chimney was protected by even more iron bars.
Sweetie Drops could easily make a hole in the wall but that wasn't professional, and professionals have standards.
Then an opportunity appeared, literally.
"Hi, BonBon!" A pink eldritch god normally known as Pinkie Pie opened the door from inside, exited, and closed the door . Sweetie Drops only glancing a look at a fireplace with a large shield and a sword put in it
." Are you here to help me prepare the Welcome to Ponyville party!?"
Agent Sweetie Drops brain rattled a little inside her cranium for Unwanted Pinkie Exposure but she was a professional.
" Of course Pinkie, what other motive would I have for being here ?" Nailed
"To grab your mail silly"
"Mail?"
"Yes," Pinkie materialized two envelopes from her hair. "I was starting to prepare the party when I found this. One's for me and the other is for you and somepony named Sweetie Drops.
The yellow mare's blood grows cold.
" And what is it said in your letter Pinkie?"
The pink menace put on a pair of screaming orange reading glasses and started reading.
"Dear Pinkie Pie
Please, for the love of God, don't throw the party in my house, prepare it in the park or something.
With love, Carlos
PS: My favorite cake is chocolate and cookies."
Pinkie put her letter away and gave the other to the open-mouthed candy maker.
" I'm going to prepare that party right away. I will see you there, bye! “ and disappeared behind a conveniently placed tree
'How in the love of Celestia did this Carlos know that Pinkie Pie could try to prepare a surprise party in his home?' Sweetie Drops thought with dread eyeing the letter addressed to both of her identities.
" This is bad, really bad "
Opening the letter, she read it slowly, then again, and a 3 time
'Dear Agent Sweetie Drops or Bon Bon
My name is Carlos Payá and I'm a human stranded in this town. I do not have any evil or hostile intentions against you in particular or anyone in general but plis, don't enter my house without my permission. If you wish to talk with me I'm currently job hunting or talking to the Mayor. I will answer all the questions you have in person to you or to Her Majesty Celestia. And be assured, your secret is safe with me
Carlos'
After a second of heavy thought, the mare exasperated 'This is above my pay grade" and with a quill and paper from her saddle bag, she writes a report to her highest superior.
The sun shone through the window of the hospital room where Carlos was sleeping and slowly moved to his eyes. After a bit of turning, he opened his eyes and realized something.
"This is not my bed " They were in fact, two small beds put together. Carlos then feel a phantom ache in his head and arm, an IV cord attached to it.
"Men, that mare hit me hard"
On the right side of the room was a big window and a bedside table with his clothes neat and clean and his phone beside them. On the other side of the room were the room door and a big mirror.
Carlos checked the hour on his phone and realized he was out all day, the light of the sun slowly hiding behind the mountains.
After checking himself and seeing that he didn't have any more injuries and his modesty was protected by a hospital gown he took his phone and opened an app in it and waited for someone to come.
He didn't wait for long before a white unicorn mare with pink hair and the cutie mark of a smiling sun entered.
"Oh, you are awake! Hello, my name is Sunny Skies and I'm your doctor"
Carlos looked at the mare and then at the big mirror. Slowly he smiled.
"It is a pleasure meeting you, Doctor, my name is Carlos Payá and I want to thank you for looking for me"
" It wasn't a problem, even with your biology has been something a bit alien to us "
" I'm the first human you heal?"
" Human? If that is the name of your species then yes. If I'm sincere your simple existence is gonna be a big shock for the medical and scientific communities "
Carlos's eyebrows rose
"Why?"
"Well, you don't have practically any TOON?"
….
"What"
"Tersoroxid oretia nimbus, or TOON for short, is a still mysterious element that all living things have that permits higher thought processes and capabilities. A mouse has between 0' 1 and 1 Cart of TOON and sentient beings have between 10 and 80 Cart of TOON .
Carlos blinked perplexed at the unicorn
"No me puto jodas"
"What?"
"Nothing"
"Well" Sunny took a paper holder that Carlos hadn't seen in her before and consulted something, " The other analysis we did in you said that you have barely any magic, is that normal in your species?"
"No, we don't have any magic at all"
Sunny brow furrowed in thought
"We also detected a lot of scarred tissue and mended bones, especially prominent in your pawns.."
"Hands, they are called hands"
"Hands and lower back"
" Yeah, that sounds correct"
Sunny eyes moved to the man
"Are you a soldier of some kind? This seems like battle scars"
"Ha, I wish. I was a rugby player "
"Rugby?"
"A sport that is basically a 15 versus 15 brawl with a weird ball in it"
" That doesn't sound safe or healthy"
" It isn't, but it was glorious" Carlos's smile faltered "At least when it lasted "
Seeing the question in the pony face he continued
" 9 years ago I was a good player, a very good player indeed. I was even considered a titular player in my national team. But in one tournament I had a very painful lesion in my back. After that come 5 long years of operations and medication only to be able to walk again without screaming in pain. I lost my opportunity to fulfill my dream of representing my home , my teammates, my crush and, bueno, sorry for rambling"
Sunny digested slowly all this information.
"How old were you?"
"15, now I'm 24"
All of the information Sunny gathered from his patient coincided with her analysis, a battered body cut short at his peak.
" Did you have any more ailments"
"Deixa'm pensar…Yes, I have ADHD, chronic depression, dermatitis, PTSD, trauma-induced memory problems, and more things I'm sure I'm forgetting"
The doctor was shocked
" Yes, I know, I have an eventful life"
"But how? You are so young "
"I had bad luck"
In the pony eyes, Carlos saw something he hadn't seen in a long time, pity and understanding. After that, the doctor asked in a velvet voice
" And now what are you gonna do?"
"Live, one day at a time "
"Don't you want to go back home?"
"Yes, but is too dangerous"
" I'm sure the Princess can help you and "
" No, you don't understand. Is not dangerous for me, I dangerous for you"
"What?" Carlos face put in a serious mood absent in all the conversation before.
" I'm going to be sincere with you Sunny Skies, humans have a lot of good qualities and did a lot of good things but we also commit the worst of crimes upon ourselves and our planet. Me returning home open the possibility of others following my steps and I can't let that happen"
Sunny's face darkened.
"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself and your happiness only for the possibility of something bad happening to a world and people that you barely know?"
" Without a doubt" The bearded man's words rang like steel and unseen to him a green glow emanated from his eyes
Seeing this Sunny heart stopped for a second
"I .. understand" With barely contained emotion the doctor disconnected the IV port
"A nurse will come and give you your medical prescription, then you are free to leave " Without saying another word the doctor leaves the room.
Blinking like an owl Carlos thought
'Que conyo acaba de pasar? '
At the other side of the one-way mirror Agent Bon Bon finished taking notes as Sunny Skies entered the room.
" Instructions your highness?"
Where the petite pink-maned unicorn was before now an imposing white alicorn occupied her place.
" Normal surveillance"
"What!? Your Highness this creature is a risk for.."
"My orders are clear "
"Yes your highness"
With a flash of magic Celestia manifested a quill and parchment into existence and after a bit of writing gave it to the agent.
"Deliver this to the mayor and return to your post "
And with this, she teleported back to Canterlot.
In the solitude of her private room, the ruler of Equestria threw her regalia away and jumped into her bed. On the bedside table, her more recent family photo rested, she took it and cried.
She cried in anguish because her errors had condemned another poor tortured soul and at the same time all her guilt and sacrifice in the grooming of her own son were null and unnecessary.
Her only hope was that Spike would forgive her someday.