//------------------------------//
// Parting Ways 
// Story: Fortune Favors The Bold 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
//------------------------------//


Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and SIG Sauer went their own ways at the entrance of the throne room. Twilight headed for her suite, SIG Sauer travelled to his cabin, and Bronze Star proceeded towards his quarters.

As he trotted through the hallways, Bronze Star noted that several of the guards gave him odd looks. He could hardly blame them; this was the first time they had ever seen him without his wings and horn. However, he was not concerned that they would mistake him for an imposter. He was still dressed in his royal attire, and everything else about his appearance was the same, including his cutie mark. That was more than enough to ensure the guards that he was in fact their prince.

Fifteen minutes later, Bronze Star arrived at his room. He removed a key from his vest with his left front hoof and used it to unlock the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. After closing the door behind him, he quickly went to work packing.

"Alright, let's see here…" he muttered to himself, "What to bring, what to bring…"

According to his mother, he was only supposed to remain in Ponyville for a few days, if not just overnight. However, he always liked to be prepared, so he gathered up enough supplies to last him for a week. But even that was not very much. For a stallion who had everything in life given to him, Bronze Star actually managed to get by on very little. He preferred it that way, as he also believed in being conservative.

He knew he would not be needing a lot of apparel in Ponyville, as the majority of the citizens did not wear clothes on a regular basis. Bronze Star just took three outfits: one of his training uniforms, a business suit, and a set of casual garb. The shirts to these outfits all had two holes in the back where his wings would have been. Those would have to be patched up in the near future, but he decided to wait until he got to Ponyville to handle this.

For obvious reasons, he would not be bringing along his royal attire. He saw it ideal to change out of it while he was in his room. Once he had his other clothes assembled, he quickly got undressed. He placed the two pairs of soft shoes at the base of his bed, hung the vest on a hook on the wall to the side of his bed, and placed the crown on the nightstand next to his bed.

Other than clothing, Bronze Star did not have much more to pack. First, he went into the washroom and collected some toiletries like toothbrush and toothpaste. Then he went back out into the main room and approached a desk on the wall opposite his bed. He gathered up some quills, ink, and parchment, as well as a clipboard and knapsack to hold them all. Next, he approached a chest near the balcony and acquired some bags of money and a belt of tools from it.

After this, he trotted over to a bookcase and removed three books. One was entitled A Traveler's Guide to Ponyville. Bronze Star felt this one could help him incorporate himself into the town. Another was called Legends Of Pre-Equestria Lore. This was one of his personal favorites. It was a compilation of many interesting myths and factual occurrences from an era in the distant past. The third one was labeled The Noble of the Horseshoes. This was another one Bronze Star always enjoyed; it was an epic tale of a band of ponies who came together to defeat a merciless dictator by destroying a horseshoe containing all his power. Originally, it had been released in three installments, but Bronze Star's version had all three in one volume.

Bronze Star carried all these objects over to his bed and set them down. Then he reached under his bed, pulled out a suitcase, placed it on top of the sheets, and opened it up. He then loaded all his supplies into the case, making sure to stuff it so that he would not waste any space. As it turned out, he managed to fit all his supplies into this one suitcase. He even had about an inch of room left on top. That gave him an idea to bring along one more thing.

He reached under one of the pillows on his bed and pulled out another key. Then he walked over to a cabinet next to his desk, used the key to unlock it, and slid it open. Inside were dozens of assorted folders. Bronze Star flipped through them until he found two particular files near the center. He removed these file, shut the cabinet, and locked it back up.

Bronze Star went back over to the bookcase, placed the key between one of the three new spaces in the shelves, and moved another book over it. He always hid this key in a new spot after he used it.

Then he trotted over to his suitcase, carefully placed the folders on top of the contents, shut the lid, and fastened the clasps.

Bronze Star was now finished with packing. All he had to do now was wait. There was still an hour and twenty minutes until the committee was supposed to leave.

Bronze Star spent most of this time pondering on how he would present himself to the residents of Ponyville. If he was going to be their ambassador for any length of time, he had to prove he was qualified for the position. He stood in front of the mirror and practiced saying things such as "Good morning, sir. My name is Gold Streak. I am the new ambassador to Ponyville. Pleasure to become acquainted with you."

Then he remembered that Ponyville's mayor was a mare. Saying 'sir' would have been imprudent.

After rehearsing these lines for about a half-hour, Bronze Star decided to take a break and step outside. There was a door opposite the entrance to the room that connected to a balcony. He walked over to this door, opened it, and stepped out onto the platform.

Bronze Star's room was located on the front of the castle. He had a fantastic view of the city from it; probably the best one in the whole castle. He never got tired of this spot. He could spend all day studying the city from a bird's eye-view without getting bored. He approached the end of the platform, rested his front hooves on the rail, and stared out into the distance.

At first, he enjoyed the sight in solitude. Then he received some unexpected company. Ten minutes after he went outside, a shadow briefly passed over Bronze Star. He gazed up and noticed a hawk was flying about a hundred feet over his head. The hawk swooped down from the sky and flew directly towards him. When it got close enough, it broke off its path and hovered in the air above his head. Then it slowly descended and landed on the rail next to Bronze Star.

The hawk may have appeared menacing, but he was quite friendly to those he knew. It just so happened that he knew Bronze Star very well. He happened to be the prince's pet. Bronze Star smiled at the bird and said "Hello, Colonel. I was hoping to see you."

The hawk's full name was Arthur D. Hawkins, but Bronze Star liked to refer to him as "Colonel." There was a very interesting reason as to why that was. When he first started training with SIG Sauer, Bronze Star liked to imagine that he had a partner during some of the exercises. He personally believed it would be childish to have an imaginary friend, so he decided to get an animal companion. He settled on a hawk, as he admired them for their allegiance, ferocity, and dexterity. Hawkins became his pet shortly after. When they were alone in his quarters, the prince occasionally pretended the two of them were in a combat situation together. He called his bird "Colonel" to make it seem more realistic. Bronze Star had ultimately outgrown these fantasies, but he kept using the title to address his pet.

Colonel bowed his head lightly to show he was pleased to see the prince as well. However, he immediately noticed there was something different about his master. His wings and horn were missing. Bronze Star noted the hawk's concern and informed him "No cause for alarm. I'm just changing my look for a while. What do you think of it?"

Colonel tilted his head to the side and studied his master from this angle. A moment later, he flapped his wings in place, which meant he was unsure what to think.

Bronze Star scoffed and told the hawk "Don't worry; this isn't permanent. I'll be using magic and flying in the sky with you again soon enough. For now, I'm staying like this. However, that's not half as interesting as the reason why I am. You want to know why?"

Colonel nodded his head. He was clearly intrigued by his owner's appearance, and he was curious to learn why he did not have his wings or his horn at this time.

"My mother's given me a very important task," Bronze Star expounded, "As you know the Summer Sun Celebration is tomorrow. The main ceremony will take place in Ponyville. But before my mother arrives there, she'll have a committee go ahead and survey the town. This year, I'm on the committee. You're looking at the new temporary ambassador to Ponyville."

Although he could not give an articulate response to anything Bronze Star said, Hawkins could understand him perfectly. He was a very intelligent and empathetic animal. His master had often confided in him when he felt he could not confide in anypony. He had shared many personal secrets and desires with Hawkins, one of which was his yearning to visit another town. This wish was something Hawkins could easily relate to; he took great pleasure in having wide open spaces to hunt and soar through. Obviously, the prince was elated by the prospect of travelling to Ponyville. He was content that his master was content.

"Now, the Celebration will be over by tomorrow night, so I probably won't be gone very long," Bronze Star apprised his pet, "Do you think you'd be able to hold the old fort down while I'm away?"

The hawk vigorously nodded his head. He always enjoyed looking after his master's room for him whenever he was away. While all the doors to Bronze Star's quarters were sealed tight whenever the prince was out of the room, there was a small space that appeared above the balcony in periodic intervals. This opening showed up for five minutes every three hours. It was about two feet in diameter; just big enough for the hawk to pass through with his wings outstretched. Nobody else had this kind of free access to Bronze Star's room.

"I know I can trust you," Bronze Star professed, "You're so good at keeping watch that I'm beginning to think I should recommend you for the Royal Guard. Imagine that, huh? That'd be something. Seriously, though; I don't think there's ever been a more reliable animal in this castle than you."

Colonel did not care very much for praise or admiration, but he took great pleasure in the knowledge that Bronze Star thought so highly of him. In his mind, the prince was more than just his master; he was his friend as well. Definitely his dearest equine friend, if not his dearest friend altogether.

Bronze Star turned to stare at some mountains in the distance and thought aloud "There's something you should know, though. I'm not entirely certain how long I'll be in Ponyville. This is supposed to be a short-term assignment, but if they are unable to find an ideal replacement, I may stay on as ambassador for an extended period of time. If I'm there long enough, maybe you could come and stay with me."

Colonel screeched in gratification at this suggestion. In a way, he shared his master's desire to travel. He did not have a wish to visit a new town, but he always liked seeking out new territory to scout and rummage for prey. Plus, he was interested in discovering what Bronze Star would be doing as the ambassador to Ponyville. He found that his master's work was always interesting in some way.

Bronze Star sighed in enjoyment and continued to admire the view of the city. He could see the ponies rushing through the streets on the ground below. There were far too many to even attempt to count them, but that was alright with Bronze Star; their number was of little importance to him. He was certain that the streets of Ponyville would be less busy, but not by much. At any rate, it would not be long before he joined their company. He would no longer be a mere observer; he would be a full-fledged partaker instead.

He wanted to enjoy the scenery while he still could. So he spent the next several minutes watching the city and all the activity. A multitude of sounds and noise could faintly be heard from the streets, but the balcony to Bronze Star's room was nice and quiet. He rested his chin on top of his folded front legs and leaned against the support of the balcony. He stayed in that exact position for nearly a half-hour, and he barely moved a muscle in all that time.

Then out of nowhere, he heard a loud thumping noise, causing him to jerk to attention. Colonel speedily rose off the rail and bore his claws defensively. He and his master gazed inside the room, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

Several seconds later, the thumping noise came again. This time, Bronze Star and Colonel were able to pinpoint the source. It was coming from the other side of the main entrance. They quickly realized that this loud thumping noise was just the sound of somepony knocking on the door.

Bronze Star eased down and called out "Come in!"

A moment later, SIG Sauer entered the room. He had changed out of his exercise uniform. He still wore his belt, and he was carrying two black saddle bags; one on either side of his midsection. He immediately noticed the prince was out on the balcony. He grinned in his direction and proclaimed "Hello, Your Highness. I hope I'm not intruding."

"You're not, SIG," Bronze Star assured him, "The Colonel and I were just admiring the view. Care to join us?"

SIG Sauer shrugged and commented "I suppose so."

The pine green stallion sauntered across the room towards the balcony. On the way, he spotted the suitcase on the bed. He passed under the arch, approached the disguised Alicorn, and leaned on the rail next to him. They stood in silence at first, and then the Unicorn stated "I was coming to check up on you to see if you were almost ready. Since you're all packed up, I guess I don't really have to ask."

"Nope, I'm ready to head out at any time," Bronze Star affirmed.

"Good, we're leaving in about twelve minutes," SIG Sauer revealed, "That'll give us enough time to further discuss that matter we discussed earlier."

"You mean our scheme to capture Material Study?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Correct," SIG Sauer replied, "All nine members of my team have been informed that you've given the green light on the plan. Since Walther is next in the chain of command after me, I've given him provisional control of the unit. If they encounter any setbacks while we're in Ponyville, he'll be sure to apprise us. But he doesn't expect any problems; this is a relatively simple operation."

"It's supposed to be, at any rate," Bronze Star remarked, "Still, we cannot assume that it will be that easy to arrest Material Study. He may appear harmless, but looks can be deceiving, and nothing and nopony can be taken for granted."

SIG Sauer lightly nodded his head, turned to his front, and glumly thought aloud "I cannot deny that policy. If anypony knows it to be true, it would have to be me."

Bronze Star knew very well what the pine green stallion meant. He patted SIG Sauer on the shoulder and told him "I'm sorry if I reminded you of… that event."

"It isn't your fault, sire," SIG Sauer insisted, "I don't even know why that thought came to my mind. I'd like to say 'Let's just forget about it,' but how could I forget about that?"

"I don't think you should ever forget," Bronze Star declared, "But what you should do is take pleasure in the fact that such a thing has not recurred in the time since then."

"You're right, Your Highness," stated SIG Sauer. He stood up straight, retained his normally stern expression, and said in an impassive tone "I apologize for exhibiting that moment of weakness."

"It wasn't weakness; it was civility," Bronze Star debate, "And you don't have to apologize to me for that. Remember, if you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm willing to listen."

"I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty," SIG Sauer assured him, "But you shouldn't bother yourself. I'd hate to make my problems your problems."

"SIG, you may be my trainer, but I am still your prince," Bronze Star pointed out, "Since you're my subject, one of my royal duties is to make your problems my own and help you resolve them any way I can."

"I would be a fool to argue that, sir," SIG Sauer admitted, "I guess it's only right that we be there for each other."

"My thoughts exactly," Bronze Star said brightly. They stood in silence for a little while longer, and then the gold stallion inquired "Has Bellerophon been brought up to speed on the operation?"

"Yes, I spoke with him just before I came here," SIG Sauer answered him, "On that subject, I have something for you."

SIG Sauer then removed one of the saddle bags on his back and handed it to Bronze Star. As he did, he elucidated: "When I told Bellerophon that I was going to see you after our meeting, he asked me to bring this to you. Inside the bag are all the documents you'll need as the ambassador to Ponyville. All of them have 'Gold Streak' as the label."

Bronze Star placed the bag on his back and pronounced "Thanks. I was beginning to wonder when I would get those papers. Out of curiosity, what's in the other bag?"

"Just some more documents," SIG Sauer disclosed, "They're for me, though. I'll need them to prove that I'm licensed to oversee security matters. It's also got some equipment and weapons, which I only plan to use in case a crisis emerges."

"Are you expecting one to?" enquired the prince.

"Nope, but one can never be too sure," the pine green stallion responded. After another few seconds of quietness, he declared "We should probably get going soon. We wouldn't want to miss the transport."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. He turned to Colonel and gestured him to come forward. The hawk lifted himself off the rail, glided towards his master, and landed carefully on his shoulder. Colonel had talons as sharp as razors, but he handled them with extreme care so that he could avoid jabbing Bronze Star with them. Once he was perched on the gold stallion's shoulders, the prince and his trainer turned around and trotted back inside. Bronze Star proceeded to shut and bolt the door to the balcony.

Then he went to retrieve his suitcase. Since he would have had to pick it up with his moiuth, SIG Sauer used his magic to carry it for the prince. Bronze Star turned to his pet hawk and told him "Well, Colonel; looks like you're in charge for now. I'll 'report in' soon. Until then, keep this place secure, alright?"

Hawkins nodded his head sturdily. After that, he rose off his master's shoulder, flew across the room, and landed in an open cage which served as his bed.

Bronze Star and SIG Sauer left the room together. The gold stallion was sure to close and lock the door on their way out. Once it was sealed tight, he turned to his trainer and asked him "Where are we headed now?"

"Landing Platform 4," SIG Sauer apprised him, "We're travelling to Ponyville by chariot. Twilight Sparkle and Bellerophon are already there."

"Well, we should not force them to wait on us," Bronze Star advised.

"I concur," said SIG Sauer.

Without another word, the two stallions trotted down the hallways towards Landing Platform 4. They arrived there about six minutes later. They were just in time; the committee was supposed to depart in less than one minute. Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle and Bellerophon were right there. They were standing by a large gold chariot in the center of the platform.

Twilight Sparkle was embracing a large white stallion. He had a blue mane with an aqua stripe, azure eyes, and a dark blue shield with six-edged violet star as his cutie mark. He was Twilight's older brother and the current Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor.

When they came apart, Shining Armor smiled down at his sister and told her humorously "Try not to have too much fun in Ponyville without me, L.S.B.F.F."

Twilight Sparkle gazed up at him sadly and professed "I'm not worried about having too much fun. I'll miss you, B.B.B.F.F."

He smiled, rubbed her cheek with his right front hoof, and told her "I'll miss you, too, Twilie. But promise me you'll at least try to enjoy yourself."

"Alright, I will," Twilight Sparkle assured him.

There were three other people on Landing Platform 4 at this time. Two of them were members of the Royal Guard. Both of them were white Pegasi in full armor, and they were harnessed to the front of the chariot. They would be flying the committee to Ponyville. The third person was a short baby dragon with purple scales, green spikes, and a tan hide. He was Spike, Twilight's assistant.

At this time, Spike was the only person seated in the chariot. He let out an impatient groan, turned to face the ponies, and beckoned them "Hurry up, you guys. We've got a schedule to keep!"

Bronze Star lightly rolled his eyes and bluntly remarked "Whatever you say, Spike."

After storing their luggage in the chariot's trunk, Bronze Star and SIG Sauer opened the door to the chariot and climbed in. Twilight Sparkle followed them shortly after, and Bellerophon closed the door after her.

"Aren't you getting in, Bellerophon?" enquired Spike.

"No, there's only room for four, Spike" the tall palomino Pegasus pointed out, "Due to my height, I doubt I'd fit with three of you anyway. I'll just fly alongside the chariot."

"That's fine, as long as you can keep up, Bellerohpon," SIG Sauer wittily professed.

"Oh, I'm quite confident I can get around on my own, SIG Sauer," the chief of staff retorted. He spread his wings, fluttered them energetically, and shot up into the air. For a brief moment, he seemed to have vanished, but in a flash, he reappeared a hundred feet in front of the chariot.

Although he spent most of his time standing at Princess Celestia's side, Bellerophon was definitely not lethargic. Even the best of the famed Wonderbolts could not outfly him. He smugly grinned and yelled to his colleagues "Now we must hit the air. We've got a long day ahead of us."

The three ponies and the dragon saw no reason to linger for any longer, so Bronze Star ordered the two stallions at the front of the chariot "Let's get going."

The two armored Pegasi extended their wings and sprinted down the platform with the chariot in tow. When they arrived at the edge, they dove off, took to the sky, and flapped towards Bellerophon. When soon reached the palomino stallion, he joined them and flew in the direction towards Ponyville.

Spike turned to the gold stallion and stated "So, Bronze, Twilight told me about what you're doing. I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised."

"About what?" asked the prince.

"I can't believe you'd give up your wings and horn just to travel somewhere," Spike clarified, "That's a lot to sacrifice for a little vacation time."

Bronze Star scoffed and stated "First off, this is work, not vacation time, Spike. Second, having magic and the ability to fly may seem like a big deal to you, but I can do without it for a while. I have to if I'm going to blend in with the citizens of Ponyville. Third, this change is totally reversible; I don't intend to be an Earth Pony forever. And fourth… I assume Twilight's also told you that I've changed my name for a while, too. For the time-being, you should call me 'Gold Streak' or just 'Gold.'"

"Okay, I get ya… Gold," Spike tentatively responded.

Bronze Star smirked at the baby dragon. However, his smirk faded slightly when he turned to Twilight Sparkle.

The lavender Unicorn had moved to the back of the chariot and placed her front hooves on the side. She was gazing back towards the landing platform, where Shining Armor was still standing. The Captain of the Royal Guard planned to watch the chariot until it faded into the distance. Even though the white Unicorn had encouraged his sister to be happy, he was still sad to see her leave so suddenly. He really was going to miss her while she was gone. Just as she would certainly miss him and their parents.

Bronze Star easily detected the hint of sadness in Twilight's eyes. He moved over to her, placed his hoof on her back, and told her "Don't be so morose, Twilight. I understand what you're going through. This is my first time to another province, too. Just keep this in mind: even though you'll be away from everypony in Canterlot, Spike and I are still here for you."

"Thanks, Bronze… I mean, Gold," Twilight said over her shoulder, "But I'm not distressed because I'm leaving my family. I'm distressed because… I'm worried that they won't be safe while I'm gone. You see, I'm almost certain that something's going to happen tomorrow. Something that will affect the lives of everypony in Equestria. Something that will change the course of history. And there's no telling if anypony will be able to stop it."