From Agent Sweetie Drop’s perspective, the operation was F.U.B.A.R., though the pony would never use the changeling term to describe anything– well, anything at all. It was not her fault that they were captured. In fact, if it were up to her and only her, she would have been well on her way back to her marefriend in Ponyville by now.
But no. Instead of being sent in to infiltrate the burgeoning Manehattan Mafia, as it had come to be called, she was sent in with a partner. Her entire Modus Operandi was working alone and the first time she didn’t, everything went to Tartarus. Sweetie placed all the blame squarely on the shoulders of her ‘partner.’
Daisy Cutter.
‘The name fits her well.’
Daisy was not a clever mare. Or, more accurately, Daisy was not an inconspicuous mare. True to her name, Daisy Cutter had gotten them exposed and captured within hours of infiltrating the Manehattan Mafia. Why ‘Distant Embrace’ had decided to personally assign a second Agent to the operation, Sweetie could only guess; it was likely to do with how ‘Distant Embrace’ had changed in the past few months. The changes were obvious to the ponies that knew her.
Regardless, Daisy Cutter had been assigned and Daisy Cutter had ruined everything.
“Crushing everything underhoof,” Sweetie angrily cursed under her breath.
She was tied up with rope and left in a dark basement. Judging by the muffled sounds of the city outside, she placed herself somewhere around Sumbawa Houses in the Southeast section of Manehattan.
“I can hear you, you know,” Daisy muttered back.
Her oh-so-skillful partner had also been tied up with rope. The two had been tied up with the same rope, in fact. Taking the blessing for what it was, Sweetie was working hard to take advantage of the Mafia’s incompetency. A small blade worked across the inside of their bindings, pushed along by a hoof. If she could cut through the rope, she would free not only herself but Daisy Cutter as well. Despite what misgivings Sweetie had about the pink-white pegasus, having a second pony watching her back as they escaped would be a blessing.
“Incoming,” Daisy whispered.
Sweetie Drops froze just before the door at the top of the only stairs flew open. Blinding light poured out and a trio of ponies walked down the stairs. The old wooden stairs creaked and groaned under their weight as the ponies slowly entered the basement. A magical light above Daisy and Sweetie flicked on, forcing Sweetie to squint as her eyes adjusted to the new brightness.
There was a blue unicorn stallion, a green earth pony mare, and a black pegasus mare. The unicorn seemed to be the leader of the triad, as he walked with his nose high when he glared down at the Agents.
Once again, Sweetie Drops noted that his Cutie Mark was uncovered– as were the Marks belonging to each of the mares. Either these ponies had magical disguises on, or they were utterly incompetent. Sweetie was leaning toward the second option, considering she was bound up in physical rope and almost nothing more.
She carefully cataloged each of their appearances, Cutie Marks, and voices as they spoke.
“You two picked the wrong gang to mess with,” the pegasus chuckled.
“You picked the wrong mares to mess with,” Daisy Cutter countered.
The unicorn rolled his red eyes, “You two were the ones who came all this way to find us. Now, dontcha’ know that breaking and entering is illegal? As is stealing, assault, and… You get the idea.”
The gangsters spread out across the room, sticking to the edges of the light cast from above Sweetie.
“We were just escaping the rain,” Sweetie countered. “Can’t a pony take shelter from the cold, unrelenting rain?”
“I doubt this place even belongs to the likes of you,” Daisy growled at the gangsters.
‘Even if it does belong to them, they’ve certainly abused any sort of lease agreement.’
“You hear that, cuz?” The pegasus chuckled. “We’ve been profiled by these uppity Canterlot-borne white coats. We gotta leave and slum it in the sewers, now.”
Sweetie briefly glanced at her slightly-pink-but-mostly-white partner. Unlike Sweetie, the pegasus did have a Canterlot accent. It was hard to hear most of the time, but present if you knew what you were looking for.
“It’s misty rose, not white,” Daisy muttered.
“Why were you two poking your noses where you shouldn’t be?” The earth pony mare questioned. “Who do you belong to?”
Daisy huffed up, “We don’t belong to anyp–”
“Why don’t you tell us who you belong to first?” Sweetie interrupted.
“If you have to ask that question, then you really shouldn’t have come here,” the unicorn tutted. “Now, if you answer our questions, we’ll let you go without much hassle.”
Sweetie frowned. The stallion’s tone lacked sincerity, and his body posture betrayed hostile intentions. Whatever happened down in this dark basement, they certainly wouldn’t be leaving without a fight.
‘Another angle.’
She let her ears flop backwards, “Look, we didn’t think this place was marked or owned.”
“The lights are on,” the earth pony pointed out.
Sweetie shrugged– as much as she could while tied up, “Yeah? Common trick to keep ponies like us out. But the front door had too much crud in the way to be used often, so we thought…”
The unicorn shook his head, “We’re being polite right now. We’ll ask again, for your sake. Who do you work for?”
Daisy kept silent. Sweetie thanked Celestia for that miracle.
“They ain’t the Scrappies,” the pegasus scratched her chin. “Nor can they be Saints.”
The other two ponies chuckled, with the unicorn adding, “Now that was fun.”
‘Scrapyard Scrappies, South Street Saints. Active in the Western neighborhoods and southern boroughs, respectively. Those areas have been quiet for the past few weeks…. Did these crooks do something to them? I’ll have to remember that and follow up on–’
“Iron Ponies,” Daisy said, managing to effectively sound afraid.
The earth pony frowned, “Who?”
“Iron Ponies,” the unicorn repeated, carefully studying them.
“Never heard of ‘em,” the earth pony grunted.
“Runners,” was all the unicorn said.
That got the pegasus shaking her head, “Pretty sure we got all the runners in the region. None of ‘em would dare set hoof in Manehattan.”
“Thought the competition was weak here,” Sweetie said, building on Daisy’s surprisingly effective lie.
“Well, T?” The pegasus asked the unicorn.
‘T. Sure wish these boneheads used their full names, as well as showing me their Marks. Heh, maybe his name is Tea or something.’
Tea the unicorn shrugged, “Not my job to know that. Iron Ponies are few and far between, we haven’t made any deals or fights with ‘em. So… Iron Ponies, eh? Perhaps we can come to an understanding. You,” Tea said, nodding towards the pegasus, “go tell the boss we got this handled after all.”
‘Honey biscuits, it’s working! So far, at least, but this is a hay of a lot better than Daisy dragging us into the mud!’
“Given the last mess you made, I somehow doubt that.”
All heads turned towards the stairs. They creaked under the weight of a newcomer. He slowly entered the basement, face lit up by a lit cigar hanging from the front of his muzzle. Sweetie took in the details offered by the cigar’s glow and the meager glow provided by the magical light as he stepped down and stood in front of the little congregation.
‘Pegasus, dark gray fur, gray-blue mane, large coat covering the Cutie Mark– no such luck there, dark blue eyes, wearing a mask and some kind of fedora… Something to work with, but this guy’s at least got the bare minimum covered. Boss. Boss… middling grunt herder, or somepony high up? Let’s see, how can I find that out…’
“Have we met before?” Daisy asked.
‘Once again, the newbie is following a script leading Celestia-knows-where. Fine, keep them occupied while I think of the real plan.’
“No,” the masked pony said.
“I… don’t believe you,” Daisy insisted.
The gangster glared at her before half-turning towards the pegasus, “Report.”
“Iron Ponies. Or, at least, they claim that. Found ‘em breaking into the building. I was about to give ‘em the ol’ razzle-dazzle. We can always use more runners.”
“Not these two,” the boss shut him down.
Sweetie took her chance, “Whoah, hold on, buddy! IF you’re talking about making bits– which I’ve got a good ear for– then our door is open! Metaphorically speaking, of course…”
“Are you from Canterlot?” Daisy questioned the black pegasus.
The pegasus plucked the cigar out of his mouth and puffed out a lungful of smoke. Sweetie coughed from the obnoxious fume– but she did manage to get a good look at the cigar. It was from Colta.
‘That’s ritzy. Very ritzy. A high roller, without a doubt. What’s someone with wealth like that in a place like this? Something isn’t adding up. Something huge. Maybe Daisy is actually onto something… If this guy’s from a Canterlot clique, that could explain the bits he’s literally burning away.’
“What’s your name?” He asked Daisy.
“Daisy Cutter,” Daisy answered.
Sweetie flinched.
‘Idiot, what are you doing?! You don’t give out your real name, ever!’
But there was nothing Sweetie could do to save the newbie now. She just had to hope that Daisy didn’t dig her grave too deep for her to climb out of.
“Weren’t you raised with manners?” Daisy asked. “A lady has introduced herself to you, you should return the greeting.”
“Ten bits says she’s some rich daughter of a unicorn noble,” the pegasus mare whispered to the earth pony.
The boss used his other wing to take off his hat as he stepped closer to the tied-up ponies.
“You may call me Oroboros,” he bowed.
‘That’s not a pony name. Sounds almost mythological… Rogue Hurricane should be able to find out the meaning when I get the chance later.’
“Oroboros,” Daisy repeated. “Hmm… No, I am certain we have met before, but where?”
Oroboros snorted, “I assure you, the only way you’d forget me is if I let you. Though, now that you mention it… I believe you have something on you. Something that doesn’t belong to you. Tch, typical Canterlot aristocrat, taking anything and everything they can.”
Daisy flustered, “I am not–”
“Upper district,” Oroboros insisted. “You’re masking your accent– though imperfectly– which means you’ve received some training, but not too much. You’re a new initiate, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Daisy said coldly.
“But why give you the pendant, and not the more experienced of the pair?” Oroboros wondered, his eyes settling on Sweetie. “Somepony’s daughter, indeed. Not even Division-P can escape the nepotism that plagues Canterlot.”
Sweetie’s blood ran cold.
‘Division-P?! How does he know?! What’s he talking about?! What pendant– neither of us are wearing anything like that!’
Oroboros breathed in deep– his lit cigar falling from his mouth as he inhaled the smokey air. He chuckled as he stamped out the embers.
“I’m afraid that the two of you bit off more than you can chew. Thal, ice them. We'll get our answers later.”
“No!” Sweetie yelled.
She pressed the knife still held in her hoof against the rope and strained with all her might against the bindings. One of the coils snapped, but the unicorn was already charging up a spell. If Sweetie didn’t hurry–
Her vision went white. Blinking away the spots from her eyes, Sweetie found herself lying on her side against the wall on the other side of the room. A hot, wet trickle from her nose signaled which part of her found the wall first.
On the other side of the room, Daisy Cutter was standing up with her wings splayed wide. The chairs that the two of them had been tied to had been blown to bits. A groan on her left made Sweetie realize that three of the four gangsters had also been blown away by whatever happened.
Oroboros stood in front of Daisy Cutter, foreleg raised to block his eyes.
“What…” Sweetie mumbled, getting to her hooves.
“I know you!” Daisy yelled. “I have seen your face, your soul, your composition! Wretched thing, you dare oppose me?!”
“Go!” Orobors yelled at his prone subordinates. “All of you! Flee the city!”
“You dare turn your back on me?!” Daisy yelled. “Know my strength and kneel to your rightful ruler!”
“I bow to no one!” Oroboros yelled back.
Another white flash– this time, Sweetie had managed to cover her eyes. When she lowered her foreleg, she saw errant flames scattered across the basement. The heat washed over her like a wave, causing her to stagger backwards. She saw that Oroboros’s coat and hat had burned away, exposing his coat of dark gray fur and a Cutie Mark of two interlocked spoked wheels. His mask remained in place.
Daisy flickered out of existence. Rising from a crouched position, the Sun Incarnate burned bright with the fire of the sun itself. Princess Daybreaker bared her fangs at her challenger. Around her neck, a green amulet fizzled with the energy of a failed spell.
‘Distant Embrace? The Princess?! What is–’
“I name you Sloth!” Princess Daybreaker proclaimed. “You hide in the shadows, but there is no place that I cannot see! No darkness remains unlit in my presence! Cower and beg for your life, shade, or I will dash you across the stones!”
The sound of hooves scrabbling on stones pulled Sweetie’s attention away for just a moment. Two of the gangsters were carrying the unicorn towards a corner of the room that held a second stair, this one obviously leading up to some sort of back door. Sweetie made to follow, but the sight of the Princess’s enraged form stole her focus.
Oroboros glared up at the alicorn with teeth bared in return, “I name you Wrath, witch of Locksdale! Come, show me what passes for fury amongst your misbegotten kind!”
Princess Daybreaker forged a shield and spear from flame in the blink of an eye. Oroboros matched her with a hammer of black magic that was almost larger than he was. The green glow emanating from his eyes was unmistakable; the pegasus was somehow using Dark Magic, and was fully intending to fight the bucking Alicorn of Day!
‘Those ponies were right, it’s time to get the buck out of here!’
As the hammer made of void slammed against the wall of flames that Princess Daybreaker held, Sweetie Drops scrambled for the exit.
Licks of flame wormed their way up from the basement stairs as Daybreaker sauntered up them at her own pace. I pulled myself further into the shadows of the first floor, stealing away the light from the room. Its flames were extinguished by the time Daybreaker finished her casual climb, leaving her like a lone candlewick in a pitch-black room.
Her eyes locked onto where I stood in the darkness.
“I am the light,” Daybreaker pronounced. “Where I go, the darkness flees! I am above pathetic parlor tricks!”
But by the time she hurled her spear of blue flame at me, I had already dashed across the shadows to the other side of the room. Her head tracked my movement, keeping her damned shield between us.
I sent a score of blackened arrows her way. They burst upon her shield to no effect, the Nightmare cackling at the display.
“Do you not see how outmatched you are?! This is your death. Save me the trouble: surrender, and I might spare your worthless hide.”
But I had already retreated up the next set of stairs to the second floor. At my command, the drones had abandoned the base– and would quit the entire city, given enough time. It was my duty to give them that time.
“Cur! You achieve nothing by running!” Daybreaker called out after me, taking the stairs with far more speed than before.
A blade of black magic cut through the air, leaving behind orange sparks as it hurtled towards her hooves. Daybreaker leaped up and forward, clearing the blade without issue. However, her hooves caught on the now broken remains of the stairs. Daybreaker’s eyes widened as she fell to the ground with a grunt.
She recovered quickly, but it was my turn to cackle.
“You think this is a game?! I’ll have your skull as a trophy, blighted shade!”
I laughed, “You’re gonna have to be quicker than that!”
Her scream accompanied a halo of flame that enveloped the alicorn. She lit up the second floor with a baleful red glow. The torn wallpapers burnt away like kindling as she lit the communal room on fire. Sofas, chairs, and tables were charred in her wake.
‘If I don’t deal with that, she’ll bring the whole building down on top of us!’
Forced to engage, I sprung towards her, hammer leading the charge. She caught the faux God-Splitter with the edge of her shield, deftly knocking it aside and robbing my charge of most of its potency. I contorted my body mid-air to avoid the tip of her spear. Daybreaker, on the other hoof, could not avoid my own attack. My reckless lunge had achieved a solid haymaker to the side of her muzzle, staggering her. And, importantly, my proximity had allowed me to leech away the heat and light from her personal campfire that covered her.
I used the split second to catch myself in a roll and hop up to my hooves behind her. Her eyes followed me, her mane of fire whipping up an inferno once more.
“Kill the Nightmare!” Oestridae screeched from behind Daybreaker.
“What does it look like I’m doing,” I muttered.
A blue ball of fire burst from her horn and aimed directly at my chest. Creating a slanted barrier, I bounced the ball away from me and towards the nearest window. It shattered the glass in its rapid journey, shedding licks of flame like they were flower petals. When it hit the building across the street, the whole place shook from the impact.
‘Well. Sucks to be whoever used to live there.’
The prospect of some ponies burning up in her redirected attack fueled the rage within Daybreaker. She screamed at me, and charged.
Daybreaker’s spear was already hurtling towards me. Dodging it was no issue, but it came at the cost of being completely unprepared for the edge of her flame-shield that was thrown right where she knew I would hop to. The searing edge slammed into my shoulder, burning fur and searing flesh. The pain broke my concentration, and I lost the chain spell that I was conjuring up.
Daybreaker followed up with the classic Focused Will blast, forcing me to duck. The red laser beam cut a hole straight through where my head was a second before. She yanked her head down, pulling her aim down with it. I scuttled forwards, towards her, in a posture no normal pony could accomplish with their skeletal structure. Daybreaker’s surprise was a delicious reward, but the horizontal slash with a new blade of black magic was an even better one. Blood gushed from the cut on the inside of her left foreleg, splattering across me. Once again, I stole away the heat and energy from her personal flame, leaving her in encroaching darkness again.
“Finish her!” Chrysalis hissed. “Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“Kill!” I agreed through gritted teeth.
Daybreaker responded stomping down onto my chest with her remaining good forehoof. It was no ordinary strike, neither, as the amalgamation had put considerable magical force behind the blow. My pony disguise did not have the fortitude of an alicorn, and my rib cage had broken with enthusiasm equal to the floorboards beneath us.
We fell though, down to the first floor. I landed on my face, still wheezing and unable to breathe from the blow. Daybreaker glided down, gracefully setting down with her injured leg curled up
underneath her.
Daybreaker glared down at me, baring a grin that showed off her fangs, “All that effort, and you only scored a single cut. Yet for my effort, you lay beneath my hooves, drowning in your own blood. Was it worth it?”
‘I’m not going to die! I can’t die! I refuse!’
“Kill or flee!” Oestridae called out to me from the darkness. “Now or never!”
I reached for what magic I had and constructed a teleport spell in my mind’s eye. For the second time, as I lay defeated, I plotted to snatch survival out from the jaws of defeat. The dark magic flowing through my veins was already stealing away the pain that wracked my chest and shoulder.
“Oh, I don’t think so!”
Another Focused Will laser beam, red and yellow and aiming straight for my head. I was forced to divert away the magic from my teleport into a shield spell. The black barrier lasted for only a fraction of a second, taking the entirety of the blast before fading away.
I had magic to spare, but not enough to take many blows like that. And I had no way to defend and cast the teleport spell.
Daybreaker grabbed me by the bottom of my jaw with her injured leg. Blood spilled from her wound as she ignored it and hoisted me up by my head to look me in the eyes.
“I admire your tenacity,” Daybreaker boasted, “but this charade is over now. There is no room for dissidence. No room for a second symbiote, plotting to ruin everything. No, Equestria must be strong to face the darkness, and you cast shade where you walk. Any last words?”
Once again, the darkness morphed into someone standing behind Daybreaker. It was the Prophet this time, the twisted changeling king dripping black ooze from every orifice.
It whispered with a breathless voice, “Pride comes before the fall. I have seen Pride’s tricks, and I know them well. This is not the day we die again.”
My eyes strained to refocus back onto Daybreaker as I readied myself to answer her question.
“... Fuck you,” I spat out.
She blinked, “I don’t know what that means.”
I dissolved in her grip. But it was not her raging inferno that ripped me apart, no, it was the dark magic that burned across my whole body. With a scream of pain, I turned into nothing but a shadow, and flew from the building. I left behind nothing but my plain white Oroboros mask, which clattered to the ground, announcing my departure.
In her rage, I saw Daybreaker burn the building to the ground behind me.