//------------------------------//
// Scouting with a Gator 
// Story: Zapfilly 
// by a3V 
//------------------------------//

Edited on November 28th, 2012. Because Fancypants is one word, not two.




"Rarity, the belt is too tight."

"Hush, Sweetie. It needs to be tight otherwise your costume would fall apart! Or even worse, tear! There is no way I'm going to let you do whatever that Top Hat wants you to do without some form of protection."

"He just wants me to Zap some stuff. How hard can it be?"

Rarity gasped. "Sweetie! Remember the unicorn safety oath? 'A unicorn must, at all times, treat their magic as if it is dangerous and volatile magic.' Magic is highly unpredictable, and there is no way to determine what a spell might do."

"I don't know, Rarity. It sounds like Top Hat really knows what he's doing. And did you see his office? He's obviously really influential."

"Well, until Twilight can verify the authenticity of this Chromatic Coalition, I'm afraid I will have to accompany you on this little outing." Rarity levitated a pale blue hat onto her head, and stepped in front of a mirror with a pose. "Tell me, darling. Does this hat look good with the colors of the night sky?"

Sweetie Belle responded by Zapping Rarity's hat, turning the various purples and blues into the familiar bright colors. Rarity stomped a hoof and turned to face her sister, steaming in the face. "Honestly, Sweetie Belle! What did I just say?!"

"Sorry, Rarity! I couldn't resist. The hat looks way better now, by the way!" Sweetie Belle donned her dark blue domino mask and hopped off for the kitchen. Her first assignment had been delivered the day before via an unmarked manila envelope. Inside was a dossier containing Gummy's agent information, as well as several photos depicting their first area of operation: the Ponyville Hospital.

Sweetie Belle swept her gaze across the various photos. Most of them were fairly mundane, and looked as if they were shot from the outside. She took a long drought from her juice box as she moved the pictures aside one by one, until she came across a plain white letter addressed to her. Did Rarity notice this? Sweetie picked it up with her hooves and flapped the paper a few times to straighten it out.

Dear Sweetie Belle,

Congratulations on your (temporary) status as an agent of the Chromatic Coalition. Gummy has notified me that you went to the Element of Magic to try to verify the existence of our organization (emphasis on "our", because your welcoming package of rainbow jelly beans comes next week). That is admirable of you, and very forward. I appreciate a little initiative from you; treating the job so seriously is something anypony can appreciate.

Your first assignment should be a simple one. Agent Gummy has identified an object infected by the Grey within the confines of the Ponyville Hospital. I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but you shouldn't be! Fillies should be outside doing fun things, like pirouetting or jumping off of cliffs or whatever Monocle says you kids do these days. Being stuck in a hospital is one of the worst things a pony can experience!

Unfortunately, we're actually sending you into the hospital, and there won't be any lollipop from the doctor this time. There might be one from me once you finish this mission, but they're the low-sugar kind. Sorry. Anyways, one of the doctor's utensils is the object in question. Clever, huh? Stainless steel is grey all the time, but if you're looking for the Grey, it takes a skilled eye to point it out. Luckily, Gummy's been doing this for years, and he'll be going in with you to identify the object.

I should also mention that we'd really appreciate it if you stayed silent about this. Like, nonchalantly point it out to friends sort of silent. We want to create that mysterious air of secrecy around our organization. Helps morale and all that, and it gives us an excuse to wear spy equipment. I'm a bit too fat to fit into any of that anymore, but I still like to wear the goggles.

Also unfortunately, none of our equipment comes in filly size. You're quite lucky Rarity offered to make you a costume. Ironically enough, no one in the Coalition knows how to sew. Regardless, I believe it is very important that you adopt stealth on your operations. It's not the Coalition's business to let everypony on about the Grey, and you seem like a very trustworthy filly.

Good luck out there! Gummy will meet you behind the hospital in the treeline.

-TH

PS: Don't try to eat all the jelly beans to try to get your cutie mark. Monocle tried it once and it gave him some pretty bad stomachaches.

"I'm ready to go!" Rarity bounced out in a heavy coat and matching hat set. "Sweetie, darling. We should set out at once! I've already contacted mother and father as well, to make sure they know too. Celestia forbid a filly run around by herself doing all manners of dangerous things!"

"Are you trying to blow my cover, Rarity? I'm supposed to be super-secret! See, it even says right here in the letter Top Hat wrote me!" Sweetie Belle levitated the parchment into Rarity's hooves, and she gave it a brief look.

"My goodness, dear. Jelly beans? Oh no, that simply will not do. I hardly think such an amount of sweets is good for you anyhow. Now come along, dear!" Rarity folded up the letter and tidied up all the documents, placing them into a nearby cabinet. "We shouldn't keep your partner waiting."





"Oh, good heavens. I totally forgot who your partner was."

Rarity and Sweetie Belle stood in the forest behind Ponyville hospital, the cover of night aiding their movements behind the building. As was befitting of a small town, only a security guard and a few staff were on duty during the nights, which Rarity noticed would make getting in and out easy.

Gummy sat on the ground, as silent as ever. He wore a beret similar in style to Top Hat's, except his was adorned with various battle honors and a six-pronged medal as the centerpiece of the hat. Rarity raised a suspicious brow as she leaned in to get a closer look at it.

"The Elements of Harmony! What in the world are you doing with a medal showing those?"

Gummy opened his mouth to reveal a small blue stone sitting in between his gums. The stone began to glow and vibrate for several seconds, intensifying until it shot out a small magical projection in the shape of Top Hat. The projection stood still for several seconds before it tapped on something outside of the scope of view, and promptly cleared its throat.

"Ahem. Is this thing on? Hello?"

"Good evening, Top Hat. We are at the location you mentioned in the file. Your task certainly sounds easy enough, but I elected to come along anyways to make sure nothing happens."

"Don't worry, Miss Rarity. Agent Gummy is trained in triage and field medicine. Your sister has nothing to fear."

"Field medicine?" She glanced upward into Gummy's purple eyes. "What in the world does your job entail to be trained in field medicine?"

"Now, now, Miss Rarity. We all have our ups and downs on the job, and it just so happens that we literally go up and down quite often. Gummy has grapplin' equipment to get through one of the second story windows; the map should have outlined an empty room to get in from. Agent Gummy will take care of the rest, so I'll leave you to it. This is an easy operation, so please don't get caught or anything."

"Roger that, Mister Top Hat!" Sweetie saluted the hovering projection before Gummy spat out the rock onto the ground, nodding his head slightly at the filly and crept along the open grass towards the wall. Sweetie followed in his steps and crouched to lower her profile, joining the alligator as Rarity look on with skepticism.

The projection flickered the stone landed next to Rarity, and both she and Top Hat watched as Gummy procured the grappling equipment and propped himself up on two legs, executing a perfect throw into the open window above. As Sweetie Belle followed Gummy inside the hospital, she turned back to the still-active projection rock.

"So... Gummy."

"Indeed. He's been here longer than I have. Even I don't know much about him. He's been very helpful thus far, and last I talked to him he was very enthusiastic about helping Sweetie Belle with her first mission."

"Enthusiastic? Goodness, you must be able to read him quite well. Normally any other pony who sees that little reptile would be hard-pressed to find any lick of emotion in his face."

"Actually, he's rather easy to read. The key is to watch his eyes."

"And you say he talked to you?"

"Yes, indeed. He's the chattiest alligator I've ever come across, and that's quite a feat. Anyways, the movement plan is behind that bush over there." Top Hat pointed to the bush Gummy was hiding in earlier. "And there's also a pair of binoculars. You should be able to track their movements accordingly. I'll be off now, so good evenin' to ya Miss Rarity."

Rarity picked up a dark green pair of binoculars and tilted her head back, raising the device up to eye level. She could see Sweetie open the door of the room she had entered, and lost track of her after that.





"Gummy, I'm kind of scared." The hallways were illuminated with a candle at intervals, giving the building an eerie and dark atmosphere. Only the quiet pattering of Gummy's feet and Sweetie's hooves along the tiled floors echoed through the area as the two moved towards the front of the hospital.

Gummy stopped walking and turned around to face Sweetie. He blinked once as he stared at the filly, which confused her. Was Gummy trying to talk to her? Was this actually Gummy's method of talking? Was he actually trying to calm her down?

"Uh..." Sweetie Belle glanced around, trying to find a distraction. In a way, his stare was working wonders in calming her down... by making her feel really awkward.

Gummy tapped the floor twice with his right foot and motioned towards a nearby door. The two stood side by side as Sweetie Belle used her magic to open the door, revealing a very empty surgery room with a single light from the ceiling bearing down on the operating table. A gleam from the trolley next to the table attracted Sweetie's attention, and she followed Gummy towards the center of the room.

The alligator hopped onto the table without care, turning around to face the trolley. Turning his head backwards, he procured a pair of tongs, with rubber handles and a rainbow crest emblazoned on its base. Taking the tongs in his mouth, he picked up a syringe and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor with a clack, before storing away the tongs in some unseen pocket dimension.

Sweetie Belle eyed the syringe, looking for a difference. Surely this was not the Grey she was tasked to look for? Was it something that had to be coaxed out? She took a hoof and brought it closer to the syringe, before a green claw wrapped itself around the hoof, stopping her from getting any closer.

Gummy shook his head, pushing Sweetie Belle farther away from the syringe until she reached the door. He made a flamboyant gesture, pointing to her horn, then to a gem that he had placed on the ground, finishing off with his attempt at emulating an explosion.

"You want me to Zap the syringe?"

Gummy shook his head again, pointing at the gem on the ground with two pronounced movements.

"The gem? Why do you want me to shoot the gem?"

He brought a claw up to his face, and tapped the location of the wrist as if he were wearing a watch.

"Oh, right." She had forgotten that her usual Zap only worked for a limited duration, and wondered as to how the Coalition dealt with the Grey. Did they combat it with skilled unicorns? How widespread was the Grey that it necessitated the creation of the Coalition? And how in the world did Gummy get this job?

Those questions could be answered later. Sweetie focused her inner magic towards her horn, feeling the familiar sensation of electricity run through her veins. She felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, and focused her vision on the gem. In only a few seconds, she would Zap the beam, which would presumably Zap the syringe!

"Ahh!" The rainbow aura forming about her horn sputtered out, lighting the room up with various colors. Sweetie Belle turned her head to the door, hearing the sound of hoofsteps from down the hallway. She had to finish this, and quick!

As Sweetie Belle attempted to focus her magic once again, Gummy sat near the door observing the filly. She was young; indeed, she was too young to properly control magic, even with the guidance of Twilight Sparkle. There was a chance that she would be able to Zap the syringe in time, but to a seasoned veteran like Gummy, it just wasn't enough. He lived life fast and loose, always on the edge, and there was no space in his schedule to leave things to chance.

He hid his beret and walked out into the hallway, and saw the security pony waving his flashlight around at the end of the hall. Just as he suspected. He put on his best stupid face and walked forward into the light, causing the security pony to stop in his tracks. The stallion raised a brow, and in response Gummy blinked. His distraction was working, and he could feel his sense of pride emerging. All those years in the espionage academy did him well, if his previous operations were any indication.

A loud blast rang out from behind Gummy, and he took that as a cue to chomp onto the stallion's tail. As the pony thrashed about, Gummy could see Sweetie Belle, out of the corner of his eye, sprint back to the room they came from. He promptly detached himself from the security pony, who continued to thrash about unaware that Gummy had left.

Sweetie Belle waited by the window as Gummy ran in and slammed the door, waiting for instructions. He balled up his right claw and smacked it into his left claw twice, then pointed at the window. The security pony wouldn't be distracted for long, and they had to double-time it!

Rarity gasped as she saw the two jump out from the window, with Gummy holding the rope in tow. How incredibly dangerous! She turned to shout at Top Hat, but realized the stone had went inactive. Oh well, she thought. The next time Rarity would see Top Hat, she would just have to give him a piece of her mind in a manner befitting of a sophisticated mare.

Gummy pulled the rope off its perch and followed Sweetie Belle back into the treeline as a beam of light emerged from the window they had escaped from. Rarity looked over at Sweetie Belle to find her sheepishly grinning, and Gummy placing his beret back on his head.

"Honestly, Sweetie Belle. What in the world did you do in there?"

"I had to Zap one of the syringes in an operating room. It didn't seem too serious."

Rarity pointed a hoof at the guard, still looking about, and whispered to Sweetie in a hushed tone. "You alerted him, didn't you?! I knew this was too dangerous for you!"

"But Rarityyyy! This could be a way I could get my cutie mark!"

"Perhaps so, but I will have to discuss safety options with Top Hat. I do not want you getting injured, Sweetie." 

"Ugh. Fine." Sweetie knew better than to argue about safety, of all things, with Rarity. Since it was an issue that directly affected her well-being, her parents would be notified about any concerns this occupation might cause.

"Antics aside, how did you enjoy it, darling? Was it as adrenaline-filled as expected?"

"Totally! My Zap didn't work right the first time, and Gummy had to run distraction outside! I bet he used some special alligator martial art to totally fight that guard! I know I heard him screaming, so Gummy must have done some sort of super-special move, like an uppercut!"

Gummy maintained direct eye contact with Rarity, who raised a brow. Somehow, she could tell he was saying "that's not how it went, at all."

"... yes. Well, if our business is concluded here, perhaps it would be wise to return home before the ponies inside come looking for us?"





"Are you insane?"

"Please, Miss Rarity! It was never my intention to—"

"Your intentions are irrelevant! Sweetie Belle could have been hurt in there, you know that? Not to mention she was trespassing! I should have known better than to trust the likes of you, having a filly go around breaking the law just to fight something that probably doesn't even exist!"

"I understand your concerns, but we—"

"Let me tell you something, Top Hat. Sweetie Belle and I may not see eye-to-eye sometimes, but that does not change the fact that she is my sister. And since she is my sister, she is my responsibility, and as her older sister, I will not simply stand by while you put her in these situations." Rarity took a deep breath and closed the distance between her and Top Hat, glaring straight into his pupils. "And with Celestia as my witness, if any harm comes to her, I will end you. Do you understand?"

"Crystal clear, ma'am." Top Hat nervously chuckled.

"Good." Rarity brushed off her mane and moved back to her cushion. "Now, I hope whatever else you're planning on having Sweetie Belle do doesn't involve breaking and entering, or anything of the sort."

"Well, this one should also be fairly easy. It won't involve any trespassing, and it's entirely outside. However, it is quite a distance away, and I know Sweetie is probably still recovering from her most recent mission."

"How far away would it have to be that it requires Sweetie to rest?"

"I guess it's not too far, and you'll be able to travel during the day. Nopony goes out there anyways, so Gummy will easily be able to meet you there with the rappelling equipment."

"Rappelling? Are you having her jump off a building again?"

"Hmm? The next mission isn't in a town. The location of the next object is in Ghastly Gorge."

Rarity's eye twitched.





"More tea?"

"Uh, sure. I guess." Sweetie Belle watched Monocle's light blue aura lift the teapot and pour more tea into her small cup, only half-empty. "How come you're so different from your dad, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Father was always a bit eccentric in Canterlot. Mother usually had to take care of me whenever he was out completing missions, so I guess her mannerisms rubbed off on me."

"So he was pretty busy all the time?"

"He's quite busy even now. Of course, his company is far more favorable than the upstarts in Canterlot." Monocle rolled his eyes and took a sip from his own cup. "Quite elitist, even the foals."

"So how come you were hanging out with Diamond Tiara during school?"

"I think it must be the monocle. It makes all the fillies think I'm from some rich family, which I'm actually not. We're just a bit more well-off than others, and just happen to live in Canterlot. And know a lot of nobility. And work for the Princesses."

"Rarity is always talking about how she wants to make it big in Canterlot."

"Your sister is a wise mare. Canterlot is the center of Equestria, in more than one way. It is the place to gain recognition and favor across the entire nation, if not only for all the traffic that moves through there."

"I guess that makes sense." Sweetie rolled around the projection stone in her hooves. "I guess since you guys work for the Princesses, you get all the fancy new stuff to use, too."

"That is indeed correct. Fancypants is actually the one in charge of funding a lot of Equestria's magical research ventures, and even some outside of the border. I hear the griffons are working on new safety equipment for use by both nations."

"You sound a lot like an egghead, you know that?"

"I'll let you know I actually take pride in that."

The door to Top Hat's office burst open as Rarity stomped through a storm of papers, marching straight up to Sweetie Belle and giving a loud "hmph" as she turned away from Top Hat. "Come now, Sweetie. We must be leaving."

"Uh, okay?" Sweetie Belle hopped off her cushion and followed Rarity to the door. "Thanks for the tea, Monocle!"

"You're quite welcome! Feel free to come back any time!"

Rarity closed the door to the Hat residence and motioned for Sweetie Belle to follow her. The older mare had been quite insistent on visiting Top Hat the next day, to discuss Sweetie Belle's "occupation" in the Chromatic Coalition. Sweetie could tell from Rarity's body language that there was an argument of some sort, or at least some form of disagreement.

"Is something wrong, Rarity?"

"Everything is quite fine, darling. Top Hat and I merely discussed a few safety concerns regarding your next mission. As well as, uh... payment."

"Payment? Payment for what?"

"Payment for your work, darling. I must say, it's strange having your little sister earn more bits than you do in a whole week."

"Wow, that must be a lot! I'm going to spend it all on candy! Or, no, wait! You can use the bits, Rarity!"

"Whatever for, darling? It is your money, after all, although I'll have to discuss it with our parents first."

"You can totally use it to buy more gems and stuff, to use for your dresses! I don't think I can really use that much money, and I really want your next fashion show to do well."

"Oh, Sweetie! How nice of you!" Rarity wrapped a hoof around Sweetie, and hugged her. "But perhaps we should let our parents decide, hmm?"

"But the last time I saw mom and dad handle money they went out and bought that vacation package during Sisterhooves Social!"

Rarity deviously smiled and whispered in Sweetie Belle's ear, "Then perhaps we could take a small part of that money and do something fun, like make a quiche?"

"A quiche? Well, I am kind of hungry."

"Then let us be off!" Rarity whisked Sweetie Belle away towards the market to seek fresh ingredients for a day with her little sister.