//------------------------------//
// Chapter Seven 
// Story: Battle For Equestria 
// by Cutiemarkcrusader 
//------------------------------//

	
The two stallions sat on Rainbow Dash's sofa awkwardly. Rainbow Dash had insisted that they come inside at once to explain their proposition. The white stallion looked around the living room as they waited for Dash to reappear. She had gone into the kitchen shortly afterward, saying something about getting them some tea.

"Sandalwood," the white pegasus whispered, "Why hasn't she come back yet?"

Sandalwood being a rather patient pegasus just shrugged his shoulders, "It's only been about…"

"Ten minutes," the white pegasus hissed under his breath.

"She'll be back soon, Milky Way."

Milky Way sighed impatiently, brushing off some dust from his flank. His parents had been astronomy nerds and were the slightest bit disappointed in their son's cutie mark. It wasn't related to the moon, the stars, or astronomy. His cutie mark was just a shadowed cloud. At least it had something to do with the night sky, his parents had thought.

Milky Way's eyes hovered upon a bowed figure approaching them. She was a thin pegasus with flowing pink hair. She locked eyes with Milky Way for a split second before blushing heavily and running back to the kitchen.

"Who was that?" Sandalwood said with his head tilted curiously to the side, "Did you see what she was carrying?"

"I didn't even know she was carrying anything," Milky Way admitted. They were silent for another while longer.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy quickly handed Rainbow Dash a large, blue bottle. Rainbow took it from her and poured for a few seconds into the two glasses of tea she had prepared. Fluttershy looked over her shoulder as Dash gave her back the blue bottle.

"Do you really have to do this Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy whimpered slightly, "It's not really neces-

"What are those two doing?" Rainbow interrupted.

"Well, they were both sitting down together, kind of stiffly, and weren't talking. It was quite awkward to watch really. I think they suspect something though."

Rainbow Dash frowned, "Suspect something? Do they suspect us of suspecting them of something? And aren't you suspecting them of suspecting us of suspecting them of-

"I get it Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy sighed as Rainbow Dash cackled.

Rainbow Dash set the two cups of tea on a tray and handed it to Fluttershy. Fluttershy turned the slightest shade of pink as she went back into the living room. Milky Way eyed the cups of tea that Fluttershy silently laid out for them. Sandalwood took one of the cups in his hooves and began to sip at it politely. He motioned for Milky Way to do the same.

Milky Way begrudgingly took a cup and sipped at it, watching the quiet pegasus scurry away. Suddenly the pegasus named Rainbow Dash stepped in front them. She had on a sly smile as they continued to sip their tea. Milky Way put his down at once while Sandalwood finished the whole cup before doing the same.

Sandalwood smiled back at Rainbow Dash, "I loved the tea."

"Thanks," Rainbow's smile didn't vanish, "Now, you were saying something about a proposition for me?"

"Oh yes," Sandalwood nodded eagerly, "We heard that you were fired from the scouting team. Is that true?"

"Yeah…" Rainbow Dash's smile faltered, "How did you know about that?"

Milky Way shrugged, "We have a few ponies that hang low by the tower, getting information where they can. It's no big deal, really."

"Well, we are an anti-scouting group," Sandalwood chimed along.

"Yeah, your armbands kinda make that obvious."

"Really?" Sandalwood blinked up at her innocently.

Rainbow's smile vanished completely as she did a double take at their armbands. They were the normal black on white scouting uniform ones now. Rainbow Dash looked up at Sandalwood with wide eyes.

"How did you guys change it?"

"It's reversible, Milky Way boasted, "It's a different pattern design when you flip it inside out."

"That and you did take ten minutes to come back from the kitchen," Sandalwood's eyebrows arched.

"The kettle broke," Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes defensively.

"Anyway, we've heard much about you from other ponies, and we want you on our team," Milky Way said with an air of pride.

"What do you guys do? Are you some club or something?" Rainbow Dash asked, clearly not impressed.

Milky Way gave a snort, "We do the opposite of what the scouters do. We actually help them. Why do you think the pegasi have had so much trouble trying to find pony encampments? Why do you think ponies all of a sudden have fireball-throwing technology? Who do you think supplied them?"

"Ah," Rainbow Dash laughed weakly, "So, you guys are to blame for my second degree burns."

Sandalwood's face flushed, "It wasn't our fault. You were wearing a scouting armband; therefore they thought you were the enemy. We're sorry. But we already know that you're not one of them. You don't agree with the pegasi ways. You want to make a difference instead of actually helping the enemy. Right?"

Rainbow thought for a second or two. She liked the idea of this so far. Being a spy was tough work, and wasn't even getting her results. What were they trying to find out? Nothing, that's what. An almost silent cough interrupted Rainbow's thoughts. She turned to see Fluttershy staring at her from the kitchen. She had an uncomfortable look upon her face.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Hold on a moment."

She made her way to Fluttershy, "What?"

Fluttershy whispered frantically, "Rainbow Dash, you can't do this. If you get caught…"

"Look, I really want to do this. Besides, we're helping ponies in the encampments if I do this. I need to. I can't stay cooped up all day because it gets us nowhere."

"Do you think I like being cooped up in that library?" Fluttershy hissed, "I want to help too, believe me I do, but I can't. Or I am by not helping. I-uh, this sounded a lot better in my head. What I'm trying to say is that we are helping by doing our jobs and I suggest that you get another military job."

Dash gave Fluttershy a stern glare, her magenta eyes glinting, "No. I'm joining them. Besides, they can't lie to me."

Fluttershy gave an exasperated sigh, "You didn't have to give them that serum, Dash."

"Well it doesn't hurt them in the slightest. It adds some trust to the conversation. Now if you excuse me, I have to ask them a few questions before the serum runs out."

Rainbow Dash turned on her hoof and trotted back to the sofa, leaving Fluttershy on her own.

"Sorry about that," Rainbow Dash waved her hoof vaguely, ""Now I have some questions to ask. Is this a paying job?"

"It can be if you want. In fact me and Milky Way were getting paid a few weeks ago," Sandalwood blurted out.

Milky Way shot a look of anger and utter horror at his friend. Sandalwood looked slightly confounded about this slip of information.

"That's okay, I'm not in it for the bits. What job will I have exactly though, if I do agree, that is?"

"You can have a say in what you volunteer for. Sometimes it depends on what the boss thinks. Right now, you may have a job delivering supplies to different pony encampments," Milky Way replied in a rushed voice.

It was his turn to look just as shocked as Sandalwood. Sandalwood just sat wide-eyed at his friend's rushed words. Milky Way slowly brought up a hoof to his mouth.

"Well, that's all I was really looking to know," Rainbow Dash smiled, "But I will think it over for a day or two. Or maybe just a few minutes. I'll be right back."

Rainbow Dash passed Fluttershy in the hallway on her way to the bathroom. Fluttershy glared at her from behind. Her voice was meek, but it had power to it.

"Rainbow Dash," she said, "You cannot do this. We can earn money in different ways. But this...it'll just blow our cover completely."

"Relax," Rainbow smirked, "I'll be careful."

"No, you won't," Fluttershy put her hoof down, causing a tiny puff of dust to rise from the floor, "I know you better than you know yourself. Sure you're loyal, bold, and hard working, but you are also reckless. You get impatient and you rush things. And right now you are rushing into this."

Rainbow let out an angry puff of breath, "Get off my case, Fluttershy. Seriously, do you really think I'm not capable of thinking things through? I'm not a little filly anymore."

Rainbow Dash turned back to the living room, brushing past the yellow pegasus. Sandalwood and Milky Way were both standing up when she re-entered the living room.

"I'm in. Sign me up."

"Good," Sandalwood relied, "Oh, and what was in our tea?"

"That's none of your concern. Although truth serum doesn't hurt, does it?"

"So, that's why the tea was so good," Sandalwood smiled, "If a tea is too good, that means something is up. In this case it meant that you were drowning out the bitter taste of the potion."

He gave her a short bow and another one to Fluttershy hiding in the shadows. She shrunk back slowly. Milky Way just gave a nod in Rainbow Dash's general direction. They both left without another word. Fluttershy let out an angry snort before she locked herself and Angel into the bedroom.

"That...was strange," Sandalwood gave a small chuckle.

The two pegasi took to the sidewalk, walking past the other houses down the block.

"Hey, Sandalwood?" Milky Way said slowly, "What do you think about that other pegasus? The yellow one with the long hair?"

"Aww, having feelings for a certain somepony?"

"Shut-up," Milky Way snapped, "I meant, what was she holding when we left?"

"I'm not sure," Sandalwood paused, "But it was rather furry, wasn't it?"