//------------------------------//
// The Plan 
// Story: The Voice of the Sun 
// by Lev the Lurker 
//------------------------------//

	“See you all tomorrow!” Raindrops shouted behind her as she finished her shift at the weather station, briskly trotting out the door before any unexpected work could catch her. It had been a good day, with no sudden emergencies or huge workloads dropped on her back, and the looming sense that another shoe had yet to drop spurred her out of the building at brisk enough pace that she almost missed the teal unicorn waving her down.
“Hey, Raindrops, wait up!” The jasmine pegasus came to a stop at the sound of her friend’s voice and waited for her to catch up.
“Oh, hey Lyra,” said Raindrops as the musician trotted up to her. “What’s up?”
“Trixie came by to see me earlier while I was playing in the park,” explained Lyra. “She said that we all need to meet her at her house and asked me to find you after you got off work. Oh, and also to bring snacks,” she added with nod at her saddlebags.
“Well, at least if you’re bringing the food it’ll be edible,” said Raindrops with a shrug. “Any idea what she wants to talk about?”
“No clue,” said Lyra, “But she seemed pretty frazzled about something, so it must be important…or unimportant, you know her.”
“Well, it’s a good thing she decided to have a panic attack on a day when Rainbow Dash actually decided to do her job,” muttered Raindrops.
“Thank Luna for small blessings,” said Lyra cheerily.
“Yeah, I guess, but at least this explains why I’ve been feeling anxious all day.”
“What do you mean?”
“Meh, it’s probably nothing,” admitted Raindrops with a dismissive wave of her hoof as the two approached the Residency. “Just figured that today was going so well that something had to go wrong eventually.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” chuckled Lyra playfully as she started to open the door. “It’s just Trixie being Trixie, what’s the worst that could happen?” The two mares had barely enough time to step inside before the door slammed shut behind them, and a stallion wearing a purple uniform trimmed with gold stepped forward.
“Dame Heartstrings, Dame Raindrops,” announced the strange unicorn, his horn glowing with magic as the lock behind them clicked closed. “By order of Princess Luna Equestris, you are to be sent to the Griffon Kingdoms.”

My little pony, My little pony
Ahh ahh ahh ahhh...
My little pony
Friendship never meant that much to me
My little pony
But you're all here and now I can see
Stormy weather; Lots to share
A musical bond; With love and care
Teaching laughter; It's an easy feat,
And magic makes it all complete!
You have my little ponies
How'd I ever make so many true friends?


“Wait...what?!” shouted Raindrops in surprise. “But...but...Who's going to cover my shift at work?!”
“Can Bonbon come?” asked Lyra curiously. “Because, honestly, she could use a vacation, plus there are some really neat ruins that I'd love to play some pieces in, and, well, a romantic serenade in an ancient palace while watching the sun set...Though I guess having Raindrops there would make it a bit awkward, but hey, the more the merrier.” The other unicorn glared at them from behind golden goggles.
“I suggest you take this assignment more seriously,” he said with a trace of anger.
“Then maybe you should explain the situation more fully before issuing orders, Agent Haymaker,” said another unicorn that neither Raindrops nor Lyra had expected to see.
“Twilight?” said Raindrops as the lavender mare stepped forward. “What are you doing here?”
“She's here to help with the...whatever it is that Haymaker is here to get us to help with,” Trixie explained with a wave of her hoof. “And that’s about all that I know at the moment; Luna sent me a letter earlier this morning telling me to get us all together and to expect a visitor, but it didn't say anything about him being a Shadowbolt, and this is the first I've heard about anyone being sent to the Griffon Kingdoms.”
“Well, now that everypony’s arrived, hopefully our guest can begin to explain exactly why we’re all here,” suggested Cheerilee.
“Very well,” said Haymaker, his voice steady and businesslike. “But first: are you sure that adequate anti-surveillance wards are in place, Representa—I mean, Dame?”
“Of course,” said Trixie. “Silencing spells are just another one of the Great and Powerful Trixie's many specialties, and I made sure to boost the building's soundproofing spells for the meeting."
"Wait, your house has soundproofing spells?" asked Lyra, intrigued.
"Well, usually just the standard one for all official government buildings in case sensitive material needs to be discussed, with a little bit of my own personal tweaks added in, but it's still enough to muffle a small train exploding."
"Wow...Also, I don't know if you're planning on being out of town anytime soon, but if you ever need someone to watch your place while you're gone, Bonbon and I would be more than happy to--a"
"No,” said Trixie flatly. “So, Agent Haymaker, if you would?” The Shadowbolt nodded, then turned to the seven assembled mares.
“Corona’s agents are starting to make their move,” he said simply, and the rest stared at him with varying degrees of shock.
“What?” asked Carrot Top, surprised. “You mean Zecora and Spike?”
“Actually, Spike’s no longer with—”
“Don’t forget that big dragon and the phoenix,” added Cheerilee before Twilight could finish.
“Among others,” agreed Haymaker. “Corona has attracted more than just monsters to her banner.”
“Wait, seriously?” asked Lyra incredulously. “What kind of pony would be crazy enough to follow Corona?”
“Mostly the crazy ones,” said Haymaker in a flat, serious voice. “There have been small Sun Cults in Equestria’s major cities for decades, mostly rebellious youth and ponies with far too much free time trying to act edgy, though thankfully the Longest Day scared most of those nutjobs straight. Unfortunately, it seems that a few of them are actually insane enough to believe that having Corona return would be a good thing, and they’ve been slowly spreading their message and gaining recruits ever since.”
“I still find that hard to believe,” said Raindrops with a scowl. “I mean, aside from the solartics, what kind of idiot would buy into that sort of thing?”
“You’d be surprised,” Haymaker said with a slight shrug. “Ponies who’ve been wronged by the Night Court and want revenge; the overly-ambitious who see this as a way to rise to get in early with a new Queen; mercenaries who’d do anything for a sack of bits; the disillusioned who feel like Luna has abandoned them; and the desperate, who feel like they’ve got nothing to lose.  It’s not a lot, at worst a couple thousand, but Corona has drawn them in like moths to a flame.”
“A couple thousand?!” shouted Carrot Top worriedly. “And there wasn’t anything you could do to stop it?”
“It took us a while to realize the full extent of what was actually happening,” explained Haymaker. “Since then, we’ve started to crack down on the more visible members, but there’s no telling how many have fallen through the cracks. We’ve been able to identify their leader, a pegasus calling himself the Voice of the Sun, but he fled the country before we could make an arrest.”
“Okay…well, that’s terrible and all, but what does this have to do with us?” asked Lyra.
“I’m getting there,” said Haymaker. “Now that anyone in Equestria who was likely to join Corona has been recruited, the Voice has focused his attentions outside of our borders. We’ve gotten reports that he’s been sending envoys to our neighbors, trying to convince them to side with Corona in a war against Equestria.”
“But that’s insane!” exclaimed Carrot Top. “I mean, sure, we’ve always had our differences, but no sane country would side with the Tyrant Sun!”
“You forget that outside Equestria, Corona isn’t nearly as feared or even remembered,” said Cheerilee with a sad shake of her head. “To some of them, it might not seem all that different from supporting one side over another in a fight for succession. Granted, one side in this case is completely, obviously insane, but wars have started over crazier things.”
“But still, shouldn’t that be a diplomatic issue?” asked Cheerilee. “Why are the Shadowbolts getting involved?”
“Unfortunately, our usual ambassadors are finding themselves…overshadowed,” said Haymaker with a grimace. “To the point where these envoys are posing a threat to national security, however…”
“You can’t move against them directly, because the other nations technically see them as official emissaries from a foreign ruler,” explained Trixie, her voice grave. “And arresting them could spark an international incident.”
“Which would play right into Corona’s hooves with sparking a war in her favor,” nodded Haymaker in agreement. “Which is why the Shadowbolts have crafted an alternative plan: send a pair of the Elements of Harmony to  the Griffon Kingdoms, where we have confirmed the presence of the Voice of the Sun, attempt to convince the Griffons to not only reject Corona’s offers, but to stand united with Equestria in the fight against the Tyrant Sun.” A long pause followed Haymaker’s statement, with all six mares staring at the Shadowbolt in stunned silence.
“What?!” they all finally screamed in unison.
“Wait, so let me get this straight,” said Raindrops as she raised a hoof. “Corona is probably going to attack sometime soon, and your brilliant plan is to split up the Elements, the only thing that can stop her?”
“Yes,” said Haymaker simply.
“And not only that, but you want to send to a place where Corona already has minions who have been somewhat successful in swaying the locals to her side?” added Cheerilee. “And you want us to confront said minions?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Have you gone to the sun?!” screamed Trixie. “I’m starting to think that you’re one of Corona’s followers to come up with a plan as suicidal as that!”
“I assure you, my office has thought it through, and we have determined that this is the best course of action for Equestria,” answered Haymaker calmly.	
“And if Corona decides to just forget about diplomacy and take the opportunity to attack the pair while they're separated from the rest of us?” asked Cheerilee.
“A very good question,” said Haymaker as he glanced at Twilight with a confident smirk. “Miss Sparkle, if you would?”
“Then she'd be flying straight into a trap,” said Twilight with academic calmness. “While the two of them are making themselves visibly vulnerable to Corona, the other four elements and myself will wait at one of my family's estates in Latigo near the border, which is connected by telegraph to the Equestrain embassy in the Griffon Kingdoms. At the first sign of Corona's appearance, or any other serious trouble, I'll be able to teleport the rest of the Elements to the embassy so that you six can group up and take out Corona.”
“You can teleport five ponies that far?” asked Lyra, impressed.
“With a pair of arcane beacons serving as spatial anchors between the embassy and my family's estate, then yes,” explained Twilight proudly. “And don't worry, we've already thoroughly tested them in conditions far in excess of what the plan requires; I've been working on it with the Shadowbolts for a while now as part of my parole.
“Okay, so that's what we'll do if she attacks us there, but...what if she attacks Equestria while we’re gone?” asked Carrot Top.
“Then she'll be attacking us when we are most prepared to handle her,” explained Haymaker. “Both Princess Luna and Princess Cadence have been fully briefed on the plan, and will be waiting to respond at a moment’s notice as soon as a threat from Corona is detected. The Tyrant Sun will face not one, but two other Alicorns, as well as the full backing of all the might that Equestria’s military can bring to bear. Those are the best terms of battle we could hope for, and even if Corona proved to be stronger still, then the Princesses should at least be able to delay her long enough for you six to regroup and join the battle as well, using the Elements of Harmony against her once more.”
“What if the two are attacked by just Corona's minions, or taken hostage?” asked Ditzy worriedly.
“We’ve taken every possible precaution,” Haymaker assured them. “In addition to the garrison of guards regularly stations at each embassy, we will also be sending each of you with a squad of Shadowbolts as an escort. In all honesty, you’ll be safer out there, under our direct watch, than in the middle of a small farming town.”
“But you're still treating us like some kind of evil mare bait,” scoffed Raindrops. “What if Corona sees through your clever little trap, huh? Have you thought of that? Because she's crazy, not stupid.”
“Even if Corona doesn’t make her move, this is still an important diplomatic mission,” said Haymaker calmly. “As the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, as well as Knights of Equestria, your presence in taking a stand against Corona’s followers should go a long way towards convincing our neighbors to side against the Tyrant Sun. As the mares who actually defeated her the last time, you are a reminder that Equestria and Harmony will prevail against even the powers of a mad alicorn.”
“Then why not send us all to the same place one at a time?” asked Raindrops. “Why risk splitting us up?”
“Because sending the full Elements of Harmony, the only magic powerful enough to defeat the Tyrant Sun, would be a show of force no better than any of Corona’s threats,” said Trixie with a sigh, not liking the statement even as she said it.
“Precisely,” agreed Haymaker. “Send too many, and it’s an act of aggression against a potential ally. Again, I assure you that my department has thought this through as thoroughly as possible.”	
“But…who’s going to take care of Golden Harvest while I'm in Latigo?” asked Carrot Top
“As Knights of Equestria and official emissaries of Princess Luna Equestris, you will each be granted a stipend to cover any expenses incurred by serving your duty to your country. This will include hiring field hands to look after your farm, as well as childcare services for Miss Dinky Doo.”
“Okay...so maybe you have thought of everything,” relented Raindrops reluctantly. “Or, at least mostly everything. But still, why are you sending me? Why not, I don't know, Trixie and Cheerilee? They're a lot better at this diplomacy and spy stuff.”
“Yes, but you have apparently already gained a reputation amongst the Griffons for your strength as well as friendly relations with one already, which we are hoping to capitalize on in our negotiations.”
“You mean Gilda?” asked Raindrops, remembering his last experience with one of the half-eagle, half-lions. “I wouldn't exactly call getting into a fight 'friendly relations'...”
“Then apparently you haven't spent much time with Griffons,” said Haymaker dryly.  “And as for Dame Heartstrings, we feel that her talent as a musician, as well her training in court culture and etiquette, may prove useful when interacting with the Griffon clans.”
“Um…but isn’t that kinda what Trixie’s job is supposed to be?” asked Carrot Top sheepishly. “The court stuff, I mean. Her singing is terrible.”
“Hey!”
“True, but Dame Lulamoon doesn’t have the most…flattering reputation amongst the clans,” started Haymaker before turning to the Representative.
“But he smelled like a moldy old rug! How was I supposed to know that they hated water that much!?”
“Well then, what about Cheerilee?” asked Lyra. “I’m sure she knows way more about Griffons than I do.”
“Let me guess,” offered Cheerilee. “Outstanding warrant?”
“Basically,” said Haymaker with a shrug. “We’ve been trying to get it cleaned up quietly, but it takes time to make those things go away discreetly, though an attack by a mad alicorn would definatly be the perfect opportunity for certain documents to go ‘missing’.”
“Meh, works for me,” said Cheerilee as she playfully bumped Lyra on the shoulder. “Looks like this is your rodeo.
“So I was the third choice?” said Lyra sarcastically. “Gee, thanks…”
“You’re not exactly painting the most confident picture here, bub,” said Raindrops, unamused.
“If you're not willing to accept the mission, then we could always send somepony else in your place,” said Haymaker with a shrug. “I heard that Gilda had another friend in Ponyville, a pegasus named Rainbow Dash, I believe? Maybe she'd be more willing to go on such an important, sensitive diplomatic--”
“Really?” said Raindrops flatly. “That trick? Listen, I never said I wouldn't go; I just wanted to make sure that you're not sending us on some poorly planned, idiotic suicide mission. If Equestria needs me and Luna thinks I should go, then I'll go. Just don't try to guilt trip me into it, got it?” Haymaker stared at her for a moment, expressionless behind his golden goggles, then chuckled.
“Element of Honesty indeed,” he said with an approving nod. “Glad to have you on board, Dame Raindrops. And what about you, Dame Heartstrings? Are you willing to participate?”
“As third string?” said Lyra with a smile and a shrug. “Sure, why not? It actually sounds pretty fun. Plus, someone is going to have to watch Raindrop's back.”
“Splendid,” said Haymaker before turning to the other mares. “And I take it the rest of you are up for your role in the plan?”
“Free vacation to Latigo to stay in a viceroy's mansion? Of course we're in!” exclaimed Trixie, and her friends nodded in agreement.
“Yay!” shouted Twilight, jumping up and down and clapping her hooves. “Oh, we're going to have so much fun! I better make sure to find some books on stake-outs and slumber parties. Oh, and some board games!”
“Miss Sparkle, need I remind you that this will be part of your parole?” asked Haymaker firmly, and the lavender unicorn quickly came back to earth.
“Oh, yeah, right, hehe,” she said sheepishly. “But this will still give me a chance to study friendship.” Haymaker glared at her. “Academically, of course. In the name of national security.”
“Right...” said the Shadowbolt, unconvinced. “Anyway, now that you've all been briefed on the basics, you'd best prepare for departure. Dame Heartstrings, Dame Raindrops, be ready to depart tomorrow morning. As for the rest of you, I need you to quickly gather whatever you will need for an extended field duty assignment and meet me at the train station in one hour. Dismissed.”
“Okay, but,” said Lyra as she held up her saddle bags filled with treats. “What did I need to bring snacks for?”
“For the train ride, of course,” said Trixie as she wrapped the bag in a blue aura and carried it with her up the stairs while shouting “Rooooooooadtriiiiiiip!!!!”
“Well,” said Carrot Top with a sigh. “This is going to be...interesting...”