//------------------------------// // Polka // Story: Sweet Dreams Are made of ... // by Scriblits Talo //------------------------------// “The lunches, the long talks, the benches we sat on, none of that was real!?” Lyra's  words stung that day, a piercing pain in my gut, my heart. When was the last time I had gotten to do something real? For the longest time, I had been living a lie, and finally… Finally, the truth was out, I had let somepony in on my secret, and something in my life could be true. Even now the potential for dire consequences makes me shutter, but having said that, I had let my best friend in on my darkest secret, and suddenly it felt like I could truly live, no longer strangled by the cruel embrace of silence. Better yet was having a friend at all, even better than the freedom of truth was the feeling of having my friend accept me again, the feeling of being in her embrace. I never wanted to lose her again.-Redacted I stepped into the record store fighting the urge to clench up… or more likely to fight something, as the door shut behind me, its bell ringing in the silence, its sound a sharp contrast. Professionalism. I had seen some horrible things, but I couldn't let it show. Nopony could Know. I was here in this store, just a curious candy merchant asking about some old music, nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely not a representative of a secret society bearing no allegiance to anypony, creature, Nation, organization, or otherwise.Completely clandestine and intended for the protection of all Equestria and the better good… definitely not all that… Was I sweating, could anypony see me sweating? Breath. Ok. I'll admit it. I was rusty, out of practice. I hadn’t undertaken any missions in years… not sense… not sense the bugbear incident.  I shuddered. No, No I couldn't think about that now. Just a pony looking for a record. I approached the unicorn Mare at the counter… “Hello” She looked at me… or at least I think she was looking at me as it was impossible to tell through those thick shades. I had to get me a pair of those. But I doubt she heard me as over her ears she wore a pair of noise-canceling Headphones, pumping out the sickest beats I had ever heard… honestly I needed to add some of that to my heist playlist. Despite, and perhaps largely because of her sick beats she likely wouldn't be my greatest source of information in this scenario. I nodded at her, and whether or not she heard me... “Im just going to look around” I glanced around the store. Ah, there it was. I approached the rack, one labeled in rather an obvious script as  : Polka I only knew of two ponies that would listen to Polka intentionally. I approached the shelf, scanning my hoof across the various titles, a surprising number of them composed by Cheese Sandwich… Polka Party Polka Poka All Night Long 300 Polka tunes for accordion accompaniment Mandatory Fun Brahms’Slumber Polka: Serenading Sheep to Sleep” Cheeseapalooza Brahms. I didn’t know a single party-pony who would listen to Braums, that had to be it. I mouthed the record case. First giving a light nod to the distracted cashier I stepped into the listening booth and slid the soundproof door shut behind me. With some struggle (EarthPony problems)I managed to unseal the record and slide it out of its sleeve placing it on the player. Setting the needle down I listened intently to the recording. The record began to spin, and the somehow soft serenade of accordion-filled beddy-bye music began to play from the speaker. I listened for a moment, to its bobs and sways… struggling not to fall asleep myself… Come to think of it, I hadn't slept well in weeks. Then just before I thought I could stand it no longer I skipped to the very end of the record, setting the needle down with my mouth, and trying not to drool all over the vinyl. Hopefully, the music had done its job and knocked out any pony who was attempting to overhear the one-sided conversation I was about to engage in. Although tired, my training gave me an edge. The record spun on, and a voice began playing over the speaker. “Good Morning Special Agent Sweetie Drops.  We have gained intel that the Princess of the Night, Princess Luna will be holding a sleepover three nights from now in Castle Canterlot. We have intel that a host of fiendish Shadow-handlers have escaped Tartarus and are making their way back to Equestria. As you well know vaulted within every pony's dreams are the shadow of nightmares, horrific things which if the SH gets ahold of can wreak mass destruction on all lands. Naturally, every power in Equis wants their hooves claws, and whatever else on these Shadows, and what secrets lay in the subconscious of everypony, more over the master shadow that connects them all. With the recent escape of the SH, the use of these nightmares is Imminent, and no pony's thoughts are safe. Your Mission Agent Sweetie Drops, should you decide to accept it, would be to infiltrate the dreams of Princess Luna, gain access to the wider network of dreamers, and seek out nightmares in order to discover the true location of this master shadow. You must get to it and dispose of it before any other power can take control of it and bring the end to Equis. While you work other forces will be working on the outside to attempt to detain and dispose of the Shadow Handlers. As always you have carte blanche as to method and personnel, but of course, should you or any member of your force be caught or killed, the princesses will disavow any knowledge of your actions…  Oh and Agent… it is your choice, but this time I would suggest you bring a friend, the sleepover is friendship themed and requires a plus-one… ,well that, and you probably could have used some backup for that bugbear. As usual, this recording will decompose one minute after the breaking of the seal. I hope it’s a welcome back Drops. It’s been a while." My heart began to rise... One minute, one minute, how long had it been?  I slammed open the door and jumped out of the booth sliding prone hooves over my head. 3 2 1 A small explosion behind me. The white mare at the counter continued jamming out, noticing none of this.