As night fell, a week had passed and the trio sat around the fire built inside the cave, Bon Bon had a small radio and was fiddling with the dial picking up various communications.
"One week," Bon Bon looked at Lightning Dust who was eating a can of beans, "You think that mattered on the frontline?"
"I hope so, the sooner I can stretch my wings the better!" Lightning Dust replied looking at the little filly handing her the can to finish, the filly happily snatching it up with a nod of thanks she gobbled down the rest of the beans. When the can of beans was empty she placed it in the corner next to the other cans. Bon Bon stood up and made her way to her pile of camouflage.
"So whats the food situation?" Dust asked, Bon Bon prodded her chin with her hoof,
"I need to make a run into town, there's an old sporting goods store in town, they should have some preserved food." Bon Bon put her hat over her messy mane,the tattered uniform and vest, and threw on a white poncho covering her back and her now curl-less tail, Bon Bon sighed at the sight of the grey hairs in her mane, pushing them out of sight and into her hat she threw on an empty saddlebag and loaded her fake leg with a shell and headed to the door, Lighting met her outside,
"Going into town that's kinda dangerous," Dust said concerned, "you sure we cant just get some berries and things?"
"No we take anymore we will give away our position, I'm ready to take the risk, I'll be back before sunrise." she waved goodbye to Aniseed and the two ponies went back into the hideout.
--Town:2 hours later--
As Bon Bon forced open the door of the rundown sporting goods store, she noticed a sign 'BY DECREE OF THE ROYAL QUEEN CELESTIA ALL ASSETS ARE NOW PROPERTY OF THE EDI'. She couldn't believe they were afraid of a sports store, the store looked as if it was simply abandoned one day, the shelves remained untouched, as Bon Bon made it to the outdoors/camping aisle and she spotted the preserved food she was looking for, packing her saddlebag with the food she placed as much as she could and placed the remaining food to look as if it was not touched in case somepony else needed it or she was followed, then in the distance a loud crash could be heard and flashlights shone on the roof and down the hall, Bon Bon quietly ran to the back of the store and vaulted the counter and kept low,
"I saw her, I know I did!" A male voice said,
"Me too, I can see those bits already!" another voice said,"So what are you gonna buy?"
"Let's worry about finding her first!" The first stallion said.
"Right, so you hear some big mercenaries are coming in to the area soon, I guess Dash put a bounty that caught the attention of a few notable ponies."
"You hear that one mare from Ponyville, Screwloose, used to be in the same squad as Drops before she went insane?" Bon Bon's eye widened ignoring the rest of the conversation the two were having,
"Screwloose?!" Bon Bon remembered her old squadmate, reckless and considered collateral damage a record to beat, if she was looking for her, Aniseed was just as much danger as she was, she had to get out of town. On the wall on a rack was a black crossbow that folded into a compact square that rested on a hoof-mounted rail that covered the arm Bon Bon slid on the rail sleeve and grabbed the Crossbow placing it on the rail snapping into place with a click. The noise getting the attention of the duo,
"What was that?" they said in unison, walking towards the noise
"Buck!" Bon Bon muttered scrambling behind the counter looking for the bolts, she found a box of bolts and a quiver, quietly she took the bolts out of the box and into the quiver slinging it over her back she thew a empty can on the other side of the store, the two ponies took the bait and she silently made her way out the back before the two could notice her presence. Bon Bon walked through the alleyways, the sound of pegasi zipping over the city, Bon Bon peeked her head out of the alley and noticed little yellow eviction notices covered the doors of the buildings, the silence gave Bon Bon the chills, the silence was disturbed when four trucks stormed down the street and stopped, multiple ponies and griffons stepped out of the trucks and passed around their weapons, Bon Bon brought up her scope and examined each of the ponies, Mercenaries.
"Great," then Bon Bon's old squadmate jumped out of the driver seat and with a scream ordered her men,
"WHAT THEY HAY IS GOING ON HERE, WE PLAYING AROUND!?"
"We just got here!" a griffon said, Screwloose shot her head to the team,
"Who said that, WHO SAID THAT!?" The merc team silenced,
"I'm not mad, I'm not, lets try this again, who said that?" she asked her voice changing from one of pure rage to a calm and loving tone,
The Griffon stepped forward, "I di-" but was cut off when she pulled out a pistol and shot the griffon in the head,
"Anyone else have a question?"
"Yea, can I have his share?" one of the ponies said, Screwloose busted out in laughter,
"I like you! Yea you can.." in a tone as if he had said the greatest joke in equestria. Then the two ponies from the store could be heard exiting and talking with eachother,
"Yo, who are these pricks?" Screwloose said,
"Prolly looking for Drops like us," one of the mercs said, Screwloose placing a cigar in her mouth, "Eh, let's kill these Buckers." the group opened fire on the duo, Bon Bon took cover and ran the other direction running towards the woods, she covered her tracks and waited in a tree for the rest of the night to ensure nopony followed her back, when the sun rose Bon Bon made it to the cave and said the code words to enter, as she did she was welcomed to the sight of Lightning Dust fast asleep in her corner of the cave, and a griffon with goggles and a messenger bag hanging upside down in a net. Aniseed stood guard by the hanging griffon with a proud smile.
"Bonnie look what I caught!" She said with pride
"Whoah, how'd you do that!?" Bon Bon said in disbelief, The griffon speaking up in a flat tone,
"She cheated."
"Did not! I just hit him with a rock."
"Cheated."
"Both of you, knock it off!" Bon Bon said to the filly hunter and her catch, approaching the two she patted Aniseed on the head with a smile,
"Good job."
"So you promote this kind of behavior?"
"In moderation," cutting the griffon down she grabbed him by the tail before he could move, "hold on there, gimmie a name."
"Ringo, now let go of my tail!"
"Promise not to run?"
"Fine," he said looking down in shock by the sight of Aniseed with another rock in her hooves, "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT ROCK!?" Aniseed raised an eyebrow,
"We're in a cave." she said,
"Touche."
"So what's in the bag?" Bon Bon spoke up,
"messengers secret."
"Hand it over." Bon Bon said,
"No I will not hand ov-" her leg made a click signifying it was ready to fire, "don't make this hard."
"Woah woah, Alright!" giving the bag over to Bon Bon who dug through it.
"Tape, half eaten apple, instant coffee, I'll take that, a mug, and a letter." she said opening the letter, the letter was in a code that could not be deciphered by her, but it bore the Lunar insignia,
"Well that doesn't help me.."
"Nope, now if you don't mind I have a message to deliver!" he said tapping the small stopwatch on a chain.
"Fine, but I'm taking your coffee, tape and the bits you got."
"WHAT!? Is this a robbery?"
"In a way, I'll pay you back."
"You're a weird mare."
"I get that a lot."
"I'm not surprised."
As the now robbed griffon left the cave embarrassed, he stealthily left the area, if any griffon or pony heard he got knocked out by a filly he would never hear the end of it. After a days flight to the Lunar Coalition Base in Ponyville he landed by one of the tents, entering he saw Backfire and Sifty looking at a map, Canvas and Hilt playing chess in the corner. Backfire looked up from the map and a smile grew on her face
"Ringo!" Backfire happily yelled, the two doing a secret handshake that they had done since they were young,
"Back, its so nice to see you! How are things?"
"Alright, could be better, have a seat." She pulled out a chair and pulled out a pot of coffee and a mug, Ringo pulling out his mug. The two spent the day talking about how they have been, and when the current events came in as the topic, Ringo figured he could share with the small group.
"Promise to keep this a secret?" Ringo said.
"Sure," Backfire said, "Won't we guys?" the three stallions nodded an oath of silence.
"I got mugged again.."
"How old?"
"A kid, eight,nine, and a older mare."
"AGAIN!?"
"Yea again and the worst part she held me up with A LEG GUN!? Who has one of those?"
Canvas and Hilt looked at each other then at Sifty,
"What did she look like?" Canvas asked.
"I dunno, I was busy being robbed!?" Sifty walked up to Ringo,
"What. Did. She. Look like." he asked in the most serious tone Backfire had ever heard,
"I'd answer the question if I were you Ringo." Backfire said, surprised at the sudden seriousness.
"Blue and pink mane, tan coat." Ringo said,
"You don't think?" Backfire looked at Sifty
"I'm going to find out." Sifty said putting on his vest and placing his machete over his back.
-Meanwhile-
The Transport War-bird stormed towards the bunker of the Queen the engines turned forward for a speed boost. McTalk sat impatiently with his Ivory Guard. The best Unicorn soldiers in Equestria that followed his words and his alone, McTalk read over the letter.
///////TOP SECRET////////
TO: HIGH COMMANDER McTALK.
FROM: EDI COMMAND
YOU ARE TO REPORT TO THE COORDINATES AT **REDACTED** IMMEDIATELY FOR BRIEFING
////EDI COMMAND////
The War-Bird reached the Bunkers entrance and the rotors pivoted to a hover and landed the Ivory Guard created a perimeter around the War-Bird a scientist in a lab-coat approached McTalk with a salute he greeted the commander.
"McTalk! Thank you for coming things have gone from bad to worse!" The scientist said his eyes sagging from lack of sleep.
"I am a VERY busy pony, This better be Celestia herself who wants me!"
"That's just it sir," looking around and whispering in McTalks ear, "Something happened with Celestia." The snide McTalk's face went to one of confusion,
"What did!?"
"Follow me." he lead McTalk to the elevator to the bunker one of his guardsmen joined them as the rest stood guard by the War-Bird,
"What happened?" McTalk said in a flat tone.
"Well, Five months ago after the battle where she lost the amulet she has been very," pausing to think of the correct word, "delusional."
"How so?"
"Yelling at herself, canceling orders as soon as she made them, but this, this is something I've never seen before!" He said his face one of confusion.
"What did she do?"
"She encased herself in some magic cocoon of sorts, the only thing we could find that sounded anything like this were from the logs of Starswirl and some old archaeological digs." the elevator reached the end and it opened and right in the middle of the room Celestia floated in the large crystal cocoon that glowed like the sun,
"When did this happen and what is it?"
"Yesterday she was screaming louder than anything I've ever heard sir, then the Bunker just lit up and when it dimmed she was as she is, as for what it is like I said from the logs we found when an Alicorn is weakened they go into a meditative state to 'heal' if you will, what I've read is that this is the only time you can truly kill an Alicorn, as is why there are so few, they were once a mighty race until Discords arrival where he caught them in their weakened state leaving the last sisters 'born' as Alicorns, the rest were made sir. It's all rather fascinating!"
"Yes, fascinating, how long until she awakens?"
"Thats the problem, if I read this correctly this 'Seraphic Sleep' varies on how bad the injury whether it is physically or mentally she seems to have the capability to raise and lower the sun but other than that she is in no state to lead."
"So who will lead the nation!?"
"That's why I called you here sir, you are the leader of the EDI now.."
McTalk's face went to one of concern to a sinister smirk as he looked at the comatose queen.
"Then let's inform my people of the situation.."