Princess Luna of the Night watched as the loyal and ever devoted captain of the royal guard left her private study, his mind still no doubt ringing from the hand of cards that his little sister whom he adored so much had been dealt.
She shook her head in remorse. In any other world, Twilight Sparkle would have been the greatest unicorn of an era, maybe even the next. There may have even been a great and near unfathomable destiny awaiting her. But now? Now she was a renegade sorceress that could that could very well be a very great threat, even if the small filly herself hadn’t known it.
Her first fear, of course, was the thought of her own sister, Corona, the Tyrant Sun, capturing her and forcing her into being an apprentice to counter Luna's own pupil, Trixie Lunamoon. She quickly sided on the thought, however. If there was anything that being thousands of years old had taught her, it was that there were a million shades of grey. And this Twilight didn’t seem so much evil as she was simply a mare that made some bad choices. And we're all guilty of that, I think.
Then a very wry and slightly entertained smile appeared on the millennia old alicorn's countenance. "I trust you heard all of that, Director?"
A pure white unicorn stallion with an expertly maintained blue mane and mustache, adorned in the attire of a well-dressed socialite and one of the best rapiers that bits could buy stepped from the shadows of the princess's private study, a fairly serious expression on his face as he always had on moments like these. "Yes, Madam. What were you intending to do concerning this young 'Twilight Sparkle'?" His name was Fancy Pants, deputy director of the Shadow Bolts, second only in its command structure to the princess herself.
"Send an agent to follow Captain Shining Armor while on leave." She grimaced at the thought of doing such against one of the ponies she trusted above all others, but realized she had no choice in the matter. He may conduct his own search for her after all, and this Twilight Sparkle had to be held accountable, even if her own brother wasn't willing to be the one to do it. "But request a more experienced operative, one that won't be easily spotted. Alienating the captain will only prove to be counter-productive in these trying times."
Director Fancy Pants nodded, knowing that even if the good captain would be wary about being tailed, and chances are thought he would be, making it so overt could shake others faith in him, and a shaky command structure was one of the last things that Equestria needed, what with the imminent return of Corona looming over head and all. "Will you be sending a separate cell to search for the young mare independently?"
"That was my intention, yes..." She trailed off, curious at the question plied by her loyal right hoof. She sided the thought, though, as she pressed onward. "I believe that this may be the perfect first assignment for team of rookie Shadow Bolts fresh from their apprenticeships."
"Madam?" A very confused look appeared on the veteran spy’s face, unsure of that request and why it was even posed. "Are you certain? A team of veteran Shadow Bolts might be more well suited against this newly found sorceress, especially one of her caliber, and should allow for a much faster apprehension."
"I am sure, my friend," she sighed as she prepared herself for a more in depth response. She knew he would ask why and, since the 'bolts were his responsibility, he deserved an answer. "With Corona out there, we must not give this young Twilight Sparkle a reason to seek her out for protection and shelter. And I fear that sending a team of veteran agents might result in some less than satisfactory results." She took a breath, then continued. "However, an idealistic team might be more inclined to take her in peacefully, and perhaps earn her trust and friendship in doing so."
The pure white stallion nodded in understanding, although he was far from satisfied with the reality of the situation. And while the princess of the night understood that, as her deputy director, it was his solemn duty to defend the light from within her shadows; Fancy Pants had to understand that he was still ultimately subservient to her whim, even if she didn't always execute that authority over him. "I understand. Whom were you planning on sending on this quest, Madam?"
And then his royal mistress took on a Cheshire grin of royal proportions. "I had a few ideas in mind, Director." From within her fine mahogany desk, a series of folders appeared, each holding the files of the newest graduates from the Shadow Bolts nearly yearlong apprenticeship.
"Madam?" He honestly didn't know that she kept those in there, and given the sheer volume of times he was in here discussing the 'bolts, that was an accomplishment.
She finally looked at him in the eye as she used her violet-blue aura to levitate the first folder, and as he accepted, she relished the near priceless shock on his face. "Midnight Strike, Madam? Is she not a bit to-"
"Green, Director? Most rookies are," she began looking through the next dossier as she began another explanation. "But she also knows Twilight Sparkle better than most, having been her upper-class-mare mentor in the academy."
"But isn't she a might to close to this case personally?" She carefully noted the professional agents concern, glad to see that his years of experience had not been in vain. "Her connection to Twilight might end up clouding her judgment and-"
"Which is exactly what I'm hoping for, Director. Only Shining Armor knows her better," She removed that folder from her right hoof's hold and relinquished unto him the second. "And a connection like that will be obligatory in bringing her home."
Then she shot him a smile of hybridized cheer and antagonism. "Now will you help me finish this team roster, or will you just continue to complain about my decisions on this cell?"
"Very well, Madam..." He finally gave his own wry grin as a result. "I did have one thought on that..." He began to use his magic to sift through all the manila folders and files, finally finding the one he had been searching for. "How would you feel about Des-"
"No," stated the princess flatly.
"Madam? Is there any reason why no-"
"Because I. Don't. Like. Descent." It also seemed like she was trying to spell it out for him. "I'll grant you he IS effective, but I prefer not to leave the fate of Twilight in the hooves of somepony that would bring her in like any other criminal from Foalbokin... plus, he has no soul." Well, now the millennia old princess was just being childish.
"Ahem, yes well..." as Fancy Pants cleared his throat out rather suspiciously, it became painfully obvious that he'd heard about that little fiasco in Los Pegasus a few months ago. "He may have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, but if you would only hear me out..."
She sighed with an air of resignation, knowing full well that, while Descent was, indeed, effective in the field, she simply didn't like him. "Very well, Fancy Pants." She folded her front hooves together, bracing herself. "Thrill me."
"When we found Descent in one of the worst dregs of Equestrian society, and he was a challenge, true, but the skills he has adeptly forged in his life upon the streets has become boon to his work as an agent." His voice almost dripped with a subtle pride.
"Just because breaking and entering worked for your wife when she unofficially joined the Shadow Bolts doesn't mean it would work the same for him, Fancy."
"He is one of the most dutiful agents we have, Madam." Well, that part was true, at least. He never has failed a mission.
"And getting empathy out of him is like squeezing water from stone... and not the kind of stones found in Aquastria, Director." Then she threw aside the she bore towards her friend and ally of many years and began to wear the trade-marked Luna Equestris smile. The one she only wore when she got a half-cocked idea and a twinkle in her eye. "But I will indulge your request for adding him to the team so long as you indulge mine..."
"I'm listening... hesitantly," he knew he didn't have a choice, though, and that she was only being polite. The immortal alicorn could make him wear a pink and robins egg blue evening gown if she really wanted him to. She just didn't want to... most of the time.
"The last team member of this roster, my choice," she pulled a single file from a hidden compartment within her desk. Under her service for 22 years and she still managed to surprise her right hoof. "Simply to appeal to my desire to see the mare returned home safely."
An indigo enveloped aura floated to the middle-aged stallion. His eyes opened wider as he bared witnessed his royal mistresses choice. "Madam, I cannot disagree more fervently with this choice."
The princess of the night lifted a single intrigued eye brow, having a feeling that the noble director wouldn't be terribly pleased, but still somewhat surprised that he made his feelings on her choice known so overtly. "And why is that, Director?"
"Silver Wing, grandson to previous agent to hail from the House of Silver, Sir Silver Bolt. The stallion who mentored me," he paused to make sure that the princess was following this, then continued. "Obtained a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages, including Caballerian, Cavallion, Griffon and Crystal Imperial. Apprenticed to High Roller for two years. One of the best graduates of his generation..."
"And he failed his first solo mission under pretenses he wished to keep private from most other operatives. I've read his file, Director," then she turned to see a face that spoke of a building storm of wrath. "Fancy?"
"Princess, he deserted the bolts after his first assignment," he sighed wearily at the corner his out-burst had forced himself into. "I studied beneath his grandfather, Luna, and to see him leaving after a single, first failure..." Princess Luna finally saw through the facade of rage to see something else: disappointment. "To see somepony with as much potential as Silver Wing and to bear witness to how he could have been so much more than what he allowed himself to be. So much more than merely a lowly mercenary..."
As his flaring temper weakened and his tirade was brought to an end, the princess began to muse something. If only for a moment, Princess Luna wondered what would happen if her own student, Trixie Lunamoon, rebelled against her for what she thought was right. Then she quickly sided the thought. That would never happen in a thousand ye-. Wait, she cut off her thought mid thought. She's rebelled for asinine reasons before and I'm still not convinced the Ice palace incident was a complete accident.
Princess Luna sighed. Even with all of his experience working with them and their near essential need to exist as an occupation in many instances, the leader 0f the Shadow Bolts still held little more than sheer and unbridled disdain for mercenaries. He considered them lower than most precisely because of how they could choose conduct their business if they wished. If they left a contract, the worst thing that could happen to them personally was not getting paid, and as far as Deputy Director Fancy Pants was concerned, they were little more than thugs that lent out their skills to the highest bidder. This would explain exactly why he took Silver Wing’s desertion so personally, even if there had been extenuating circumstances surrounding them.
"Fancy," because they were using first names now, apparently, "You know that New Maredrid wouldn't keep him down forever. Even if he only chooses to serve as a freelance agent, you know he would never turn his back on Equestria. Not permanently," she began pleading with her best friend, hoping he'll finally see the wisdom in her words. "In fact, he has taken it-"
"It's not about New Maredrid, Princess." Luna allowed the rude interruption to pass. The director hardly had any time to himself since Corona's return, and he'd only barely been able to scrape enough resources and time together so that he'd be able to visit his daughter down in Ponyville. "But we should not be encouraging somepony with his potential to operate were we cannot see." Princess Luna could feel the pain drip from her closest friend's voice.
"And here I thought that the Shadow Bolts saw everything..." The princess rang out sarcastically.
It didn't even register. "The boy should be wearing the black and violet of a Shadow Bolt, not the badge of some oath less mercenary." Fancy Pants sighed, the recognition of defeat finally setting in. "I won't be able to deter you from this decision, will I, Princess?"
"I'm afraid not, Director," she returned to her work by pressing the page with her royal seal. "And besides that, with everything that has been happening from within the Night Court of Me," she allowed the small joke its way as it aided in easing the tension between the princess and the director. "And with the return of Corona, perhaps we need more like Silver Wing."
"I understand," And with one final sigh, Deputy Director Fancy Pants of the Shadow Bolts accepted his defeat and bowed his head to his princess, taking the three set of files and the document verifying the authorization of the mission out of her aura and within his. "I hope you know what you're doing, Madam."
"Fancy?" The princess raised a concerned eyebrow at her oldest and closest friend."
"Should your sister return in force with Twilight Sparkle at her sid, even unwillingly, there may be nothing in all of Equestria that could stop her." His voice dripped with fearful urgency.
"Well then," she gave him a fox-like confident grin, as if she knew everything that would transpire within the next few weeks aleady. "We'll simply have to make sure that doesn't happen, now, won't we?"
Finally resigning himself to the whim of his princess's wisdom, he gave her a small bow. "Of course, Luna. Would that be all?"
"That would be all, Fancy Pants," and then almost as an afterthought she thought to add something else out of courteousness. "And please, enjoy your leave in Ponyville. Enjoy your time with your daughter. You've more than earned it-" she looked up to see that, in the instant she hadn't been paying attention, he'd left, simply disappeared like a cloud of black smoke at midnight. Princess Luna bristled as a large shiver of annoyance sped down her back. "I hate when he does that."