//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - An Unexpected Development // Story: The Birth of a Magical Unicorn // by SweetSunnyBuns //------------------------------// Raven sprinted the entire way the castle, her shawl whipping behind her as she raced through the crowds and past startled taxi ponies, sprinting around and through them on the busy street. She didn’t dare look back until she made it to the guard post, getting a nod from the Royal Guard as she slipped her hood down on the way through.  Sprinting the last of the distance through the mostly abandoned castle grounds, she entered the castle proper and raced down the halls past startled maids and guards heading straight for the Royal Apartments.  Once there, the guard at the door nodded, opening the door with his magic to let her in. She nodded in thanks as she hurried inside, collapsing before the mare she had been rushing to see. “Raven!  Are you okay?  What happened?  And why are you out of breath?  Did everything go well?” asked Celestia as she sipped her tea at her desk. “Nightmare. Bucking. Moon,” panted out Raven. Celestia dropped her tea in shock, the ceramic cup shattering on the floor below.  “What did you say?” Celestia asked quietly. “I saw Nightmare Moon!  The idiots stole an artifact from you and summoned Nightmare Bucking Moon!  She greeted them and promised to aid in their efforts to overthrow you!  I rushed here as fast as I could,” gasped Raven. Celestia quickly stepped out from behind her desk and took her friend and seneschal in her forehooves.  “You saw her!  You saw my sister?” she asked incredulously. “She was summoned. It was a summoning spell, she was only there ethereally, but she was there! She saw them, she was talking to them, exhorting them!” Raven added. “Tartarus take it!  They must have stolen the Orb of Chaldis,” fretted Celestia. “This is not good.” “No, not good at all!” agreed Raven, catching her breath. Celestia hugged Raven. “Well done, my friend. Okay.  Forewarned is prepared. Did Luna see you?” she asked. “Only in my disguise.  I had my shawl on the entire time.  My figure, head and cutie mark were covered. No one recognized me I'm sure of it,” replied Raven. “”Good.  We have that advantage. They know we know now.  Did they give a timeline at all?” Celestia asked. “Only soon.  I was discovered right after that and had to run for my life,” answered Rave. “You’ve done well. Once again you’ve gone above and beyond your duty. Raven, I would be lost without you,” comforted Celestia. “But Nightmare Moon!  I know you said she was returning in a decade or so as the magic binding her banishment weakened. I guess if they could actually summon her that must be why. But what unholy mischief will she work with the help of those fools?” asked Raven. “I don’t know. But I do know this… We will be ready,” responded Celestia. Raven gave her Princess a detailed accounting of her outing, starting with her incursion into the House Platinum followed by her surreptitious discovery of Lord Imperious Urge and Princess Blaisant’s plot to overthrow her, then related the story of her shocking discovery of the ally they’d recruited for their efforts. “I’m just glad you got out unharmed. I really worry for you when you take these kinds of risks,” replied Princess Celestia after Raven finished her report. “I’m a trained, if honorary, member of your Mage Corps. I’d like to think I bring something to the table besides my bookish smarts,” Raven replied. “You do, of course. But if anything happened to you it would be devastating,” acknowledged the Princess. “So I’ll just keep being careful,” smirked Raven.  “Given what I’ve learned, I believe we should just ignore the bait of Prince Black Tea’s claims.  We should keep our focus on the real threat, the machinations of the Unicorn Supremacists backed by your fallen sister.” “Completely agreed,” nodded Princess Celestia.  “Do we have anyone embedded with their organization?” “No, and that’s why this came out of left field.  If I hadn’t stumbled on Imperious Urge meeting his contact we still wouldn’t have known anything about this,” acknowledged Raven.  “Harmony is looking over us.” “Thank Harmony,” agreed the Princess.  “Okay, if we don’t have any assets to keep us apprised of their plans, how will we keep tabs on their progress?” “I could infiltrate their ranks,” proposed Raven. “As I alluded to before, I need you in your role here. If you were outed I would likely lose you permanently.  I can’t risk that, Raven.  You’re too valuable to me here. Celestia thought for a moment.  “See if any of your other assets can be reassigned.  We need to know what is going on with that cabal,” answered Princess Celestia. “Fine. I’ll see who I can redirect,” sighed Raven. Celestia turned to her friend with a grin.  “Raven, if I didn’t know better I would think you liked working out in the field,” smiled the Princes. “A bit.  You have to admit I am good at it.  And it did get us some very necessary intel,” lead Raven. “And whomever you place in that role will continue your good efforts,” placated the Princess, closing off that discussion. Raven nodded, already mentally sorting through her available assets. Raven arrived at the gate of the Mage Corps Training center.  She was quickly escorted onto the base by one of the Staff Sergeants. “So Miss Inkwell, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” inquired Sergeant Swift Wings, one of the few non-unicorn staff in the Mage Corps. “I need another asset.  I’m looking for a deep and critical placement and wanted to discuss our needs with some of the more qualified recruits,” answered Raven. “Our?  So this is one of those requests of course, I’ll take you to the hall then gather them to meet with you,” acknowledged Sergeant Swift Wings.  She led Raven to the recruit hall then left to gather the candidates. Raven sat quietly waiting for them as she read through the notes.  When they had all gathered, she looked up. “Greeting candidate,” she acknowledged the waiting recruits.  “As always, what you hear here stays here. “We have a developing situation and need a pony capable of going deep undercover within the KMA.  They are currently planning a coup against our Princess.  We deem the threat posed by this development credible, and need somepony capable of infiltrating their ranks to keep us apprised of their efforts. “Are any of you interested and qualified for this placement?” One of the stallions in the back row raised his hoof.  “I think I might be, Miss Raven,” he replied. “Comet Tail, right?  What are your qualifications?” Raven asked the stallion.  He had blue eyes, a blue mane with a light yellow coat and a shooting star cutie mark. “I’m already a member of the KMA, though inactive since I was recruited into the guard," replied Comet Tail.  Raven’s eyebrow went up. “My parents were members and signed me up as soon as I was old enough.  I stopped going when I ran away to join the guard.  I wanted nothing to do with them or their beliefs.  But as a member, I’m sure if I came back with a credible story about being tossed from the guard they would take me right back,” explained Comet Tail. “Okay, that works. We’ll come up with a credible story for your dismal from the guard as well as set you up with a job to complete your cover,” acknowledged Raven.  “Anypony else?” The other recruits all shook their heads, so she dismissed the rest calling Comet Tail over.  She briefed him on what they knew and what was required of him.  Once that was complete she dismissed him, telling him to prepare to be released from the guard tomorrow morning, and that she would have a plan packet for him with information on his cover job and contact information. Nodding, he left her as she began the paperwork to put their plan in place. The next morning Comet Tail woke up to a pair of guards standing over his dorm bed.  “Get up private!  You’re being suspended!  Pack up your kit and move out!” Seeming dazed and confused, Comet Tail packed up his bag, clearing out his dresser and bed.  Following the two guards he was led to the base commander’s office.  While he waited outside the office he saw Raven leave.  Catching his eye, she gave him a slight nod. A few moments later he was escorted into the commander’s office and forced to stand at attention between the two guards. “Private, I can’t begin to express my disappointment in your behavior,” the commander began.  “The complete disrespect you’ve shown your superior officer cannot be tolerated.  Just because she is not a unicorn is no excuse for a lack of professionalism.  We have no place in our ranks for those who cannot maintain professional decorum.  You are dismissed, private.  And don’t come back.” Comet Tail saluted, taking the proffered separation papers from his new ex-commander, placing them in his bag.  He followed the guards out of the office and to the base gate where he was unceremoniously dismissed.  Finding a quiet cafe a few blocks away he went through his separation folder.  He noted with satisfaction Raven had slipped in a photo of and contact details for his covert liaison as well as details on his new employer and job description.  Placing the papers back in his bag and finishing his coffee, he left to find and introduce himself to his new employer. “It’s covered,” stated Raven as she entered Celestia’s office on returning from her morning meeting with the base commander.  “A unicorn mage, Comet Tail, is being dismissed right now from the guard and is about to meet with his former KMA associates.  Once he is situated he will begin providing us with information on their activities.” “Excellent,” replied Celestia looking up from her paperwork.  “I look forward to his reports.” “I will keep you apprised,” promised Raven, leading her Princess off to her first meeting. Comet Tail checked the papers one more time before knocking on the door.  Putting the papers back in his saddle bags, he waited for the door to open. “Yeah, waddya want?” snarled a grizzled old stallion on cracking the door open.  “Whatever you’re selling we ain’t interested. Beat it.” He went to push the door closed, but Comet Tail stuck his hoof in the door blocking it. “Sorry old fellow.  I’m here to see Firefly about a job.  Can you let me in and take me to her?” he asked. “Waddo I look like, yer valet?  Find her yerself,” growled the old stallion as he let him in.  Comet Tail entered, nodding to the old pony as he shut the door and ambled back over to the couch where he was listening to a drama on a large radio console. Looking around Comet Tail saw a sign on the back halfway that read No Admittance.  Trotting down the hall, he found a closed door at the end with a sign saying Management Only. He knocked on the door. “You know Scruffs, if you’re going to keep bugging me I can find something for you to do besides watch the front door,” called out a voice from inside. “Like what, maybe escort ponies back to your office?” snarked Comet Tail.  There was a thump then hooves trotting towards the door.  The door opened revealing a light magenta pegasus mare with a cerulean mane, gray eyes, and a firefly for a cutie mark.  She looked Comet Tail over. “Comet Tail?” she asked. “Firefly, I take it?” he replied. She pulled him inside and shut the door.  “Have a seat,” she offered as she trotted back behind the desk and sat. Comet Tail sat in front of the desk.  “So, reporting here for my jobs,” he replied. Firefly answered.  “Technically, we’re a distributorship for the local breweries, keeping the local taverns supplied with their craft.  Truthfully, we’re that and the other job you know about.  I’m your contact for filing reports and assignments.  I expect this assignment you’re about to take will last a while.  I’ll file your reports and let you know if there are any further updates to your assignment. “Your day to day job will be making deliveries of craft to the local pubs.  You’ll pull the wagon and load and unload the craft. Scruff, who you met on the way in, will be along to help.  He can tell you where the different clients like their deliveries stored, where each of the taverns are, and how to get there. Just don’t expect much more of him.  The only thing that works on that old stallion is his mouth, and even that only when he gets cranky,” she supplied. “I noticed,” grinned Comet Tail. “If you need to file a report and I’m not here just drop it into the slot in this top drawer.  I’ll process it when I get back. The drawer is locked and warded, so anything you put in there isn’t coming back out until I take it out.  It’s as safe a dead drop as you’ll find. “Any questions?” she asked. “When do I get started,” Comet Tail asked. ‘With deliveries?  Tomorrow morning, bright and early. Be her half an hour after sunrise and expect to work like a packhorse,” answered Firefly. “For the other matter? You start now.  When we’re done here, I need you to find your old contacts and spread the story of how you were drummed out of the Guard.  You don’t need to lay it on thick, but you’ll have a sympathetic ear with the KMA members.  Get invited back into the coven, start attending the meetings, and leave me a daily update with anything you find out.  If you find something urgent that can’t wait for a drop or daily update, find me and I will take care of it.  Don’t blow your cover, keep it real, and brace yourself for a long haul.  Got it?” she finished. Comet Tail nodded. “Great.  See you tomorrow after sunrise.  Go get your stuff done, agent,” Firefly dismissed him. Nodding, Comet Tail left, shutting the door behind him. “So that’s what happened.  Thanks to that entitled feather duster, I’m out.  How lame is that?” groused Comet Tail to his friend as he nursed his beer. “Wow, that was harsh.  So what are you going to do,” asked the unicorn mare beside him.  “Do you want to come back to the KMA meetings?  I bet they could help.” “I guess.  Yeah, why not.  I got a job lined up to start tomorrow, so I won’t starve or anything.  But still, drummed out because some little featherbrain didn’t like my attitude?” Firefly nodded.  “That hurt.  Sure, I haven't been to a meeting in a while. When’s the next one?” “It’s tonight.  You can borrow one of my spare robes if you want to go.  We can stop by my place and get it on the way,” the mare offered. “Sounds good to me,” agreed Firefly.  “What do you want for dinner?  My treat.  Might as well do something with this severance.” “You’re a good friend, Firefly.  Sorry you got tossed out of the Guards, but it’s good to have you back in the neighborhood.  Let’s just get hay fries and a sandwich from the grill.  That way you can regal me with all your stories as a guard,” answered the mare. “Sure.  There were some good times,” agreed Firefly.  “I’ll go get the food.  Want another ale?” he asked. “Sure,” the mare replied.  Firefly went to the counter and ordered their dinners with a huge side of hay fries.