//------------------------------// // Strings of Fate: Mercury Team (β) // Story: Strings of Fate: Core Series // by Dissoriented //------------------------------// It had been a good period of service in the Equestrian military, albeit a short and boring one. Drills all day long with no enemy to fight made for some uninteresting soldiers. For all their training, they weren’t being put to very good use. Vance kept true to his promise, writing Fluttershy every week. Her reply was usually the high point of Vance’s own week. Vance’s squad never made much of an impact on him. They were either hot-headed colts looking for action where there was none, dropouts of little intellectual or cultural value to Equestria, or those who felt a pressing need to serve their country but didn’t have the guile for politics or the creativity for the arts, which Vance most easily related to his own predicament. It was of great relief to Vance when a silver unicorn approached him one day with a tantalizing offer. “Excuse me, are you Corporal Vance of the 8th Phalanx?” inquired this stranger. “Yes ma’am!” Vance eagerly replied with a salute. “I work for a higher echelon of the Equestrian military, and they’ve concluded your skills are wasted in the Army. I’ve been sent to offer you a position of Sergeant in a new squad of commandos being formed. This is a highly classified group and you can never tell anyone outside our branch of its existence. Other than that, you will get a large pay raise and you are free to spend your off-duty time as you see fit, provided you stay in accordance with our rules.” she explained. This was it! A chance to prove his mettle and really make an impact! Vance pondered this decision for an extremely short time. Accepting this new post meant he could get the freedom to visit Fluttershy whenever he wasn’t on call, but it also meant he would have to keep an entire portion of his life a secret from her. To him, the benefits outweighed the costs. “I accept your offer!” Vance proudly declared. “Excellent! Take this briefcase and go to Canterlot on the next train. Enter the coffee shop just off to the right when you leave the train depot. An informant will meet you there at booth #3 to give you further instructions. Do not open your briefcase until you arrive at the safe house.” she said, handing him the briefcase and a train ticket. Strings of Fate: Mercury Team Without so much as a good-bye, she turned around and promptly left, disappearing as fast as she had appeared. Vance was a bit befuddled by this, but decided to himself that was normal behavior of a secret military branch. Vance hastily packed his things and left immediately. He followed the directions to the letter and went to booth #3, where a light blue earth pony wait sitting. When he sat down and introduced himself, the other pony promptly placed an envelope on the table and left. It read: Good. Now that you’ve made it into Canterlot, exit the building and take a right. Go 5 blocks and take another right. Go another three blocks and turn left down an alley way (it should be obvious). At the second door, knock seven times. When you are asked a question, respond with “I bear a message.” Vance again did exactly as the letter asked of him. It wasn’t kidding when it said the alley way would be obvious, it was the only one he’d seen the whole time. He went to an unassuming door and knocked seven times. “Why are you here?” said the doorpony. “I bear a message.” Vance slowly replied with uncertainty. After hearing several tumblers jostling, the door opened. Vance cautiously entered, unsure of what he’d find. The hallway was dark, and very little light was offered by the door. All he could see was a small staircase spiraling downwards into more blackness. “Follow the light.” said the doorpony, shrouded in shadow. Vance nervously went down the steps, each one creaking very loudly in comparison to the dead silence around him. When he reached the bottom, he saw a hallway with a light at the end. He continued onward towards the light. He saw it was emanating from a much more ornate-looking door. With a small gulp, he gently opened the door and looked inwards. What he saw was utterly amazing. It was the most garnished room he had ever seen! Strange contraptions he never saw before coated the far wall in giant, glowing screens. The technology here was far more advanced than anything he’d ever dreamed of. He made his way down from the small overlook he had entered in on, and noticed there were other ponies in here. A mustard earth pony snoring quite loudly in a reclined chair, an orange unicorn over at a workbench mumbling to himself, a white unicorn over at one of the smaller mechanized wonders he’d yet to examine, and a blue pegasus reading. Oddly enough, it was the orange unicorn that noticed him first. “We have a GUEEEEeeeeest!” he erratically shouted with a deep opera voice, bounding over to Vance with an unexpectedly rapid pace. “Pleased ta meet’cha! I’m Stitch, Mercury Team’s demolition expert and resident loon!” he said with a twitch in his left eye, which was a pale oval of gray as opposed to his orange right eye. Vance, taken aback by the unexpected enthusiasm, stared wide-eyed, stuttering as he tried to put together a response. Luckily for him, the white unicorn stepped in to establish a bit of sanity as Stitch cart wheeled back to his workbench. “Ah, pauvre. Forgive Stitch for his personality. You’ll get used to it… eventually. I’m Vie, Mercury Team’s medic and most likely the only real Prench mare you’ll ever meet. Bienvenue to our ‘humble’ dwelling.” she added without a trace of emotion. Vance had heard of the Prench, but never studied too deeply into them. What he did know was that long ago, there was a schism from the main Equestrian populace following the rise of Celestia and Luna. They formed a new republic called Prance, and ever since relations have been lukewarm. The mustard pony was still asleep and the other pegasus was setting down his book. “Hey. I’m Cook, the team cultural expert and, well, cook.” said the pegasus, smirking. “Sleepy over there is Cameroon. She’s our scout and navigator.” he added. Suddenly, the giant screen dominating to wall flickered to life, showing a light green unicorn with square glasses. Cook prodded Cameroon awake and she quickly came to full attention. “This thing working?” he said, tapping the screen twice. “Ah, good. Hello, Mercury Team! I’m Oculus, your liaison to Command. While you’re at the safehouse here, I’ll relay missions to you face-to-face. Well, figuratively speaking, of course.” he continued with a chuckle. “When you’re out in the field, I can relay commands to you and keep you all in contact with each other with the earbits you’ll find in your briefcases.” “Yeah, yeah, enough with the gizmos. Just get to the fun part!” Cameroon impatiently demanded. “Right, right. Uhh… *fiddles with the machinery* Ok, here we go. Your first assignment is to head to an ancient ruin and await further orders there. Your goal is to extract something of value, but Command’s not telling us what it is just yet.” “Wait, why are we being sent in? Isn’t this more a job for an archaeological team?” Vance inquired. “Maybe they want us to blow the whole place to bits when we’re done with it!” Stitch maliciously pondered while rocking his chair from side to side. Everypony, including Oculus, just stopped and stared at Stitch for a bit. “Yeeeaaah, so like I was saying, the reason we don’t have civvies going in there is because the area’s contested by the Griffon Confederacy for some reason. Sending in professional excavators would attract too much unwanted attention. The Confederacy has no information regarding what might be within these ruins, so that gives us the upper hoof. We’re paradropping you in from a high altitude at night to avoid attracting too much attention from the Confederates. Instructions on where to go for pickup should have appeared in your mailbox by now. I’ll contact you again with further instructions when you hit the ground. Oculus, out.” he said, and then the screen went black. “Well this is exciting!” Cook remarked. “Hay yeah it is! Dropping into unknown territory, risking our lives, looking for ancient treasures! What more could you want?” Cameroon complied with tenacity. “A location of where we’re going would be nice.” Vie remarked coolly. Vie had a point. They were going to a ruin that was ‘somewhere.’ Vance watched unmoved from his chair as Vie went over to what was definitely a mailbox standing in the middle of their loft. She opened it and found nothing. “Oh cieux…” Vie remarked in disappointment. As she was turning around, however, a brilliant flash of bright green fire erupted in the mailbox itself. Vance was initially concerned it was something malicious and got to his hooves, ready to act. Vie, remaining casual about the whole situation, turned around and found the documents that should have been there. “NEAT! I gotta get me one of those things!” Stitch remarked with glee. “Ah! Here we go! It says here to meet with the Royal Guard standing watch at the south gate in an hour.” Vie read. “Well we haven’t got much time. We’d best get going.” Cook said. ~ After quickly gathering their things and Vie talking Stitch out of bringing enough explosives to level half the city, the group set out to meet their mysterious contact. Vance stayed out of their conversations. For all he knew, this cadre had been friends for years until he intruded, although really the only ones with a previous relationship were Cameroon and Cook. They met with their contact, who asked for the documents to verify. Vie handed him the papers and then after the Guard did a bit of cautious peering around to ensure his presence would not be missed, he led the group to an awaiting chariot with some heavily-laden beefed-up pegasi attached to the cart. The Royal Guard showed them inside a small shed which contained winterized clothing for them all. “Oh great, a winter Op.” Vance said with sarcasm. He never really liked winter. “You’re dropping into the Ancient Wastes. Command will relay…” the Royal Guard said before Stitch broke in. “A TUNDRA? There’s nothing flammable in a tundra! How do you expect me to work in these conditions?!” “Wow! The Ancient Wastes? Such a vault of cultural significance!” Cook said, dreamy-eyed. “Yeah. Command will relay further orders once you’ve touched down. You two,” the Guard said towards Vance and Cook, “no wings on this Op.” Vance never made much use of his wings before, but now he felt nervous. Nothing but whatever was in the backpack he was given would slow his descent. With little time remaining, they donned their winter gear. Thick coats and boots and balaclavas and even ushankas for the hay of it. They boarded the fairly cramped chariot and no time was wasted before they took off. As the sun was going down, Canterlot became nothing but a gleaming marble blot on a vast green landscape. Vance was barely able to pick out Ponyville amongst the rage of colors stirred into a frenzy by the orange haze of the setting sun. His mind drifted to Fluttershy and stayed there for most of the trip. He was brought back to reality thanks to Cameroon’s hoof. “Have a nice nap, princess?!” Cameroon ironically shouted over the blasting wind. Vie was already peering over the edge, waiting for the signal from the pegasi pulling the chariot for them to drop. After several minutes of looking over a vast frozen wasteland, one of the pegasi up front made a motion and Vie tumbled out of the sky. Stitch eagerly followed in pursuit, cannonballing as he did. Before jumping out himself, Vance heard Cameroon and Cook consoling each other. Without the luxury of wings, Vance would have to rely on this ‘parachute.’ Looking below, Vie fell into an ocean of clouds, disappearing into the giant fluff balls. Vance tried to copy her rock-solid descent with his legs spread out in all directions. He sunk into the cloud floor as well, only to zoom past Vie already with her parachute out and straight into a raging blizzard. “Well this can’t be good.” Vance said to himself, trying to calm his nerves to no avail. He desperately grabbed at the straps of his pack, pulling whatever he could to open it. He finally got it open and the resulting vertical pull knocked him out. ~ Vance’s vision returned to him, blurred and dazed. While recovering his bearings, he felt himself being dragged through the blizzard. Looking down as to who was yanking him by the tail, he realized that they all looked the same in this burdensome winter gear. Still, at least he wasn’t freezing… for the most part. He laid his head back, going along with the pull to give himself time to recover. The blood was still swirling around in his head. He faded out again. ~ When Vance awoke again, he could easily see that wherever he was, it wasn’t out in a merciless snow storm. Groggily, he lifted himself up. “Ugh…” he moaned. “Well look who finally decided to wake up!” Cameroon said with scorn. “You’re lucky Cook found your sorry flank.” “What? I couldn’t just leave him there! He could’ve died!” Cook defended himself. “Would’a served him right, not knowing how to open a parachute…” Cameroon muttered under her breath. Vie, catching that bit, frowned at Cameroon’s pragmatic callousness and approached Vance, checking him over for injuries. “Good to see you’re still alive, Vance.” she flatly stated. “Well with the way my head’s spinning, I’m not sharing your optimism at the moment.” he retorted. “That will clear in a bit. Anyway, Oculus contacted us again and guided us here. Apparently we’re in some city once ruled by the Ancients.” she said. “Yeah. They want us to look for some big crystal, or something.” Cameroon added. “Not just some crystal, it’s THE Iliaki Krystallo! It’s Ancient for ‘Sun Crystal.’ Oh, this is gonna be so exciting!” Cook said with much enthusiasm. “Cook, you egghead…” Cameroon jokingly added with a playful smirk. “Hey, where’s Stitch at?” Vance asked. “Well, despite our protests, Stitch went, or should I say, flipped further into the caverns. We’re hoping he’ll be back soon. Otherwise, we’re going to need an escape plan in case he gets happy with his toys. Le fou…” Vie replied. “Well let’s not wait for Stitch to generously offer to make Equestria a new quarry. I think I can walk straight now. Let’s get going.” Vance said. The four of them proceeded down a tunnel mixed with both ancient pillars and ice coatings. Vance could still hear the maelstrom above him, signifying they weren’t that far beneath the surface. As they continued on, Vance looked in wonder at the glistening ice somehow refracting light around the lifeless cavern, giving off brilliant shades of bluish-green. From the looks on everypony else’s faces (well, except Vie’s), they had never seen anything like it either. They walked down a gently descending slope, going deeper and deeper into the tundra’s bowels. They came upon a sign on a pillar carved out of stone. It was in writing that nopony seemed to understand. Η ΠΟΛΗ ΤΗΣ ΩΚΕΑΝΟΥ “Huh, well this is strange.” Cook said. “It looks old enough to be Ancient writing, but I don’t understand half the letters used here…” he trailed off, murmuring to himself while analyzing the lettering. “I’m making a partial guess here, but I think the last word says ‘Oceans,’ or something along those lines.” “And this helps us, how?” Cameroon asked. “Well it tells us this might have been a port, which gives us a hint as to how this city might have been organized. It’s likely the deeper we go we should see the layout…” Vance had lost interest at that point. He started walking forward again in hopes to get the others to follow him so they could get what they came for and leave. After Cook had finished giddily trying to explain the city’s organization to deaf ears, the other three generously decided to join Vance further down the corridor. Soon they had entered a massive dome-shaped cavern, which was quite the oddity, considering there were many ancient stone-hewn building half-encased in the ice walls. “Guys! You see how massive this place is? Do you have ANY idea how many lemons I could store down here? No more hours-long lines for me! NO MORE!!!” roared Stitch, somewhere in the dome. “Stitch, if you’ve got anything that can go boom, set it down.” Vance bargained. “Ooh, a betting stallion, eh? What’s your offer?” Stitch asked. “For every ruin you don’t destroy, I will spare one of your lives.” Vance said. “You drive a hard bargain, Stubbs, but alright.” Stitch said, emerging from one of the buildings. “Good, I- wait. Did you just call me ‘Stubbs?’” Vance asked. “Well with those stubby wings of yours, how can I NOT?” retorted Stitch. Vance glared at Stitch, who merely maintained a statue-like smile. Vance lost the staring competition and the group began to explore the encased city. “Any idea what might’ve caused all the ice around this area to melt while still under the snow?” Vance asked. “Perhaps it is the giant, heat-emitting Sun Crystal centerpiece.” Vie said, pointing to the large, bright, orange decoration placed atop an intricately designed stone pillar. “Yeah, I can see the logic in that guess.” Vance said before facehoofing. “So, any ideas on how we move it?” “Want me to kick it down?” Cameroon offered with anticipation. “Unless you would prefer to set yourself on fire, you should let me handle this. Unicorn magic is best suited to this task.” Vie said, chin raised. Vie started to use her telekinesis to move the gem. As it turned out, a rock the same size as an average pony was pretty difficult to lift, even with magic. Some progress was made, when Cook noticed something back near the entrance to the cavern. “Uh, guys? I think we have company.” Cook said nervously. “Oh for Celestia’s sake… Step aside!” Vance said, his patience exhausted. Vance glared back up the corridor and spotted several figures, but at the moment couldn’t distinguish what they were. “Who do you think they are?” Cook said, peering cautiously over Vance’s shoulder. “Not sure. Could be a pickup crew waiting for us, could be griffons. Only one way to find out…” Vance trailed off. “Uhh… what are you doing?” Cook asked. “HEY!!!” Vance shouted. Whoever they were, Vance had their attention now. Vance waited patiently to see what would happen next. Before he was even aware of it, five griffons were racing down the tunnel towards them. “OH CRAP!” Vance shouted, diving out of the way with Cook to evade a griffon barreling right at them. In all the excitement, Vie had lost her focus, and the Sun Crystal came crashing down onto the cobblestone roadway beneath, making a small crater in the process. Vance tried to take to the skies to bring the fight to the griffons, only to crash face-first into a nearby wall, thanks to his wings being constricted, though Cook latching on to his tail probably did not help the matter either. “Who the hay are these guys?” Cameroon said, unsheathing a machete. “Confederate commandos!” Vie exclaimed before firing off a magic bolt. Vance spent most of his time leaping around, trying to evade attacks. Cook, who never was partial to combat, hid under an ancient cart that was partly frozen into the ground. Vie and Cameroon had managed to defend themselves quite adequately, with Cameroon’s machete skills and Vie’s magic deterring the griffons for quite some time. “Thanks for finding the treasure chest for us, ponies! Now we’ll take that burdensome treasure off your hooves!” said a griffon. “You? Take our new chandelier? Never!” Stitch proclaimed triumphantly. “I challenge thee to a duel, whelp! That is, if you have the courage to face me alone!” *twirls fake moustache while grinning* Quite aggravated by Stitch’s taunt and challenge, the griffon chased after Stitch, trying to corner him, but Stitch always managed to slip away, possibly by tearing the very fabric of space-time itself to evade capture, or just by being sneaky. After several frustrating failures at trying to mangle Stitch, the griffon just plain lost it. “Hrrrrrg! WILL YOU SHOW YOURSELF ALREADY?!?!” the griffon screeched. Stitch popped his head out of a barrel right next to the griffon. “Excuse me, could you hold this for me for a bit?” Stitch politely asked the griffon, handing him a lit ceramic grenade. “Oh, sure. No problem.” the griffon replied, nostrils still flaring. “Thank you!” Stitch replied, waving the griffon farewell while sinking back down into the barrel. In a poof of feathers and smoke, the enemy had taken the first casualty. The other griffons were distracted by this, allowing Cameroon to get in a fatal strike with her machete. Soon, the griffons were stricken with panic, making them easy targets for Vie to throw bolts of magic at, and in Stitch’s case, peanuts. Now only one griffon remained. “I won’t forget what happened here today! You can count on it!” the sole griffon exclaimed before flying back out the entrance tunnel. “Well I’m glad that’s over.” Vie said. “I’m not. Two more and I get a free panda bear toy!” Stitch said, invoking an exhausted sigh from everypony else. “Geez, tough crowd tonight.” “Let’s just get the crystal and get out of this Celestia-forsaken place.” Vance said. Despite apprehensions from the entire team, Stitch assisted Vie in telekinetically removing and carrying the Sun Crystal back to the ruin’s entrance. ~ As they exited the ruin, they looked up at the night sky above, the Aurora Aether dominating the sky. “That’s strange, I thought it would be daytime by now…” Vie wondered aloud. “Oculus, we have the crystal secured. PLEASE tell me we’re getting picked up.” Vance asked. “I sure hope so. Cab fare’s probably through the roof out here.” Stitch interjected. “Retrieval crews have been dispatched. ETA is approximately 30 minutes. Sit tight.” Oculus started. “Did you run into any trouble from the Confederates?” “Yes. A squad of griffons attacked us as we were attempting to retrieve the crystal. Only one managed to escape.” Vie reported. “I see.” Oculus said with a long pause. “Well good job, Mercury.” Mercury waited until several pegasi similar to the ones that flew them in glided in, towing two chariots. They loaded the gigantic crystal into one of the chariots, while Mercury piled into the other. “Something’s not right. It should be daylight by now.” Vie said. “You sure we didn’t just get our times mixed up when in the caverns?” Vance asked. “It’s unlikely, but I suppose not impossible…” Vie pondered. It appeared Vie’s guess was wrong, as sure enough the sun was cresting over the edge of the horizon by them time they had reentered Equestrian airspace. What was peculiar to note was how fast the sun seemed to be moving, as if it had been delayed and needed to catch up. As they were landing, Cameroon unexpectedly blurted out a question to Stitch. “Ok, I can’t take it anymore. What the hay happened to your eye?” Cameroon said, noting Stitch’s pale gray left eye. Everyone but Stitch stared at her, mouths agape, even Vie was shocked at her insensitivity. Nonetheless, Stitch replied, seemingly unaffected. “What?” Cameroon said ingloriously. “Phosphorus accident, Cammy! Word to the wise: don’t be easily distracted if you’re hoof-crafting fireworks!” Stitch replied mirthfully, immune to Cameroon’s callousness. By the time they had landed and returned their gear, it was already near midday. Nopony but Vie spent much time confused about this issue, and the first thing they did was get some well-earned lunch. ~ Over a decent span of time, Mercury had gone on a multitude of missions. They settled a border dispute with Cattleonia. And by ‘settled,’ I mean ‘pretty much obliterated any opposition.’ They uncovered an information leak the Confederacy was exploiting and promptly sewed it up. There was also an ordeal involving flesh-eating parasprites that none of them would be able to clean out of their minds anytime soon. All this and much more. Vance stayed true to his word, visiting Fluttershy whenever he could. Much as it pained him, he had to withhold all his adventures from her ears. Though even with that being the case, Fluttershy still proved invaluable at relieving Vance from the tensions of being a commando. Although he could not indulge his life, she could indulge hers. Vance learned of her newfound friend Twilight Sparkle (and even managed to be introduced to her, although that went over quite poorly), a milder parasprite infestation, her own problem with griffons, and a dragon, among other things. Vance was quite content to see that not only could he maintain his relationship with Fluttershy even with his demanding occupation, but that she was finding ways to fill any voids his absence might have left. For him, it looked as though life continued to get better and better. How he wished it could remain that way forever. How he wished it could. ~ The shrouded six shuffled into the meeting room and began their procession. “Mercury Team is proving to be very useful pawns. They’ve secured our needed components and have silenced those who might reveal our existence, all without realizing the ramifications of their actions. We can begin building the Helios Cannon.” - Pony 4 “Do you think they’re ready to hunt down Hermes?” - Pony 1 “Hermes is a devious foe. Even with Mercury’s skill, he will prove challenging to capture.” - Pony 2 “You take much pride in your project, Selene.” - Pony 3 “Capturing Hermes is a secondary objective. Our primary goal is to stop him from threatening our plans. If that means terminating him, that is what we must do.” - Pony 6 “Why not train Eosphorus and attach him to Mercury Team? Surely the combined skills of Mercury with the power of an Agent, even an inferior one, will be enough to ensure Hermes’ defeat.” - Pony 5 “Enough! We will give Mercury Team a test. Send them to dispose of Hesperus at the upcoming Gala. If they accomplish that without drawing suspicion, then we may proceed with attempting to frame Hermes as a traitor. Protogenoi watch over us.” - Pony 1 “Protogenoi watch over us.” - Selene and Ponies 3-6 ~ Mercury gathered around at the table as Oculus popped on. “Got a doozey of a mission for you guys this time! Turns out there’s somepony pretty high in Canterlot society a lot of important people would like to see disappear. Command’s pretty scarce on the info at the moment, but they know the target will be making a showing at the Grand Galloping Gala next week. They’re already making other arrangements to get a diversion going so you can have a chance to take out the target without making it look intentional. All you guys have to do is infiltrate the Gala and eliminate the target and this mission’s in the bag!” Oculus said, pumping his hoof. “The Grand Galloping Gala? How does Command expect us to sneak in there? They can’t get us some tickets?” Vie inquired. “Sorry Vie. I don’t explain the orders, I just relay them. Oculus, out.” As the group debated various ideas on how they were supposed to get into one of the biggest events the Equestrian high-brows hosted, Cameroon sighed. “…I can get us into the Gala.” she said with disdain. “YOU?!” Stitch exclaimed. “I would’ve expected Prenchy or Pretty Colt, but geez, Cammy, I didn’t know you blackmailed somepony!” *Cameroon grumbles* “That’s good to hear, Cameroon. You’re sure you can get us in?” Vie asked. “Yeah. I got, well… I’m a noble.” Cameroon said, almost with shame. “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed!” Vie said with amusement. “Wow. That’s… pretty surprising, actually.” Vance said. “The plot thickens! Dun dun duuuun!” Stitch joked. “Ugh, I hated that life. I was only a showcase for my parents to dress up to impress everypony. My sister took it the other way.” Cameroon explained. “And she’s our ticket in?” Vance gathered. “Bingo. Give me a few days to set up a meeting.” ~ It was the night before the Gala. Oculus hadn’t squeezed anything out of Command about who the target even was yet, and that had Vance concerned their performance would suffer without a clear idea of who they were gunning for. As per Cameroon’s request, Vie, Cook, and he met with Cameroon in a small park after nightfall. Stitch had mysteriously vanished on them, giving no clue as to where he went off to. Under normal circumstances they would have concern, but then again, this was Stitch they were talking about here. As they approached a pony cloaked in shadow, Cameroon popped out of nowhere and joined them. “Alright, my sister’s just up ahead. Hey, where’s Stitch?” The other three all shrugged indignantly in unison. They approached Cameroon’s shadowy sister. “It’s good to see you, Roo-Roo.” the stranger said. “You too, Tavi.” replied Cameroon. The figure stepped out of the shadows and turned out to be none other than Octavia. Cook was the only one stunned by this revelation, as Vance didn’t know her fame and Vie kept her usual blank expression. “I got you the tickets and the outfits. Why do you need them on such short notice?” Octavia inquired with a hint of concern. “We’re on vacation, so we decided tonight we’d live it up a bit.” Cameroon answered through a poorly-forced smile. “You never were good at lying. I’d ask further, but I don’t think you’re allowed to tell me. And a part of me says I don’t want to know.” Octavia said. A moment of silence passed. It seemed that although these sisters had wildly different personalities, somehow they still confided in each other. “Y’know, mom and dad are still waiting to hear from you.” Octavia added. “Tavi, there’s a reason I’m part of a covert branch. Just… tell them I said hi and that I’m all right.” Cameroon said, disgruntled. After exchanging the tickets and wardrobes, Cameroon and Octavia hugged each other tightly. “Take care of yourself out there, Roo-Roo.” Octavia said with sadness. ~ The night of the Gala. Stitch was still MIA, but by now the remaining four thought this was a more preferable situation. Stitch’s antics could blow their element of stealth. In order to best prepare themselves to blend in with the snobbish crowd of nobles, Vie and Cook took to viciously cleaning up the look of the whole team. Much to the chagrin of Vance and Cameroon, Vie and Cook quite giddily set to purging every physical trace of their military roles. Vie actually found enough amusement in her torturing of Cameroon that she was able to crack a smile several times, even giggling. Vance found out the hard way that Cook was quite merciless with a comb. As Zero Hour approached, they donned their costumes. Cameroon, despite her entire life being to the contrary, was quite well fitted for the elegant gown she was wearing. A nice emerald dominating the dress, as was her standard secondary color, and trimmed with black. Vie wore a pink and red dress to match her hair perfectly and had it trimmed with white. Vance and Cook, being males, wore pretty much the exact same thing: black tuxedos. “ACK! Do you have to pull it so tight?” Vance gagged as Vie strangled him with his bowtie. “Aw come on, it’s not that bad!” she replied without concern. “Exactly how many ponies have you killed like this?” he asked. “Only one. Well, maybe two, but I didn’t read the obituaries that week.” she said calmly. “Somehow that isn’t comfor-GYAAH!” he said as Vie pulled tighter. Once Vance had finished restoring his capability to breathe, Vie plopped a top hat on his head and handed him a showcase monocle. “Really?” he said. Vie just smiled and nodded once. Realizing any resistance was doomed, he adjusted his hat and stuck the monocle in his left eye. With their ensembles now complete and no longer attempting to kill them, the four ponies all met in the meeting room. With their entire means of entry perfectly set up, they set out for the palace as the sun was taking its leave. ~ On the evening before the Gala, Stitch walked down the streets of Canterlot dressed up all spiffy to avoid drawing attention, a particularly difficult feat for him, but his goal was cause enough for him to set aside his usual chaotic manner. He walked to the University of Canterlot and asked where he could find the wing for unicorns. After receiving directions, he hastened towards the mare’s dormitories. Scanning the directory, he found his target. He made his way to the corresponding room and knocked. “Who is it?” came a voice from inside. “It’s me.” Stitch replied. A tense moment of silence passed by. The filly he was talking to knew exactly who he was and what he was here for, but was reluctant to confront him. Finally, she sighed heavily and opened the door a crack. “What do you want, dad…” she said. “I wanted to check up on you. I was in town and I…” he started. “I’m fine. Now go away.” she said sadly. As she was trying to pull the door shut, Stitch telekinetically held it in place. “Wait. Can I talk to you? Please?” he pleaded. After a brief moment, the door opened. Stitch entered the dorm. “Thank you. I know I haven’t been the best dad ever, but…” he began. “Yeah, that much is obvious.” the young mare replied dryly. “Look, I’m sorry, ok? I should be here for you, but I’m not. My job’s demanding.” he defended himself. “That’s your excuse? You haven’t seen me since you dumped me here!” she snapped. “And how do you think your bills get paid, huh? I wanted to give you a good education so you could live your life however you wanted, and to do that, I have to work my flank off!” Stitch shouted back. The mare buried her face, now awash in tears, into her front legs. “Wait, I’m sorry! Please don’t cry! I’m so sorry Gumdrop. Please…” Stitch said. Stitch reached his hoof out, but a moment later retracted it. With a sullen look of defeat, he began to leave. “Wait…” Gumdrop said. “Dad… I’m…” Stitch put his hoof up to her mouth. “It’s ok. I know.” Gumdrop hugged the only family she had tightly. “Promise me you’ll visit again sometime soon?” she asked. “As soon as I’m able.” Stitch promised. Stitch left, sure that he would see his daughter again soon. ~ They had arrived fairly early, but they wanted time to set up and get a layout of the area should things go sour. Besides, it appeared a good number of ponies had shown up ahead of schedule too. The entry went off without a hitch and all of them were allowed in. They entered the main ballroom, and saw Octavia already masterfully working her cello. Cameroon seemed to relax a great deal upon seeing her sister again. “Alright, Oculus, we’ve waited long enough! We’re in the palace and we’ve scoped the place out. Now tell us who the target is!” Vance demanded with a hushed shout. “Okay, okay! Don’t choke on your bowtie!” Oculus snapped back. “No promises.” Vance dryly replied, invoking an eye-roll from Vie. “They’ve given me a name. Your target’s ID is ‘Hesperus,’ but physical details are sketchy. They don’t know what she’s wearing or her location at the moment. What I can tell you is that she’s a unicorn and she’s very important.” Glancing around the room, about three quarters of all the unicorn mares in attendance could fit that description. “Yeah, we’re gonna need more details than that, Oculus.” Vance said, slightly annoyed. “I’m working on it! Command’s not being too forward with the details here. Sounds like their scouts are doing a pretty sloppy job.” Oculus said with a strange hint of pride. “Until I can get some more information, just… try to blend in with the crowd. Do some mingling, eat some finger sandviches, stuff like that.” “What the hay’s a ‘finger’?” Cameroon said confused. “Alright, I’m getting some more info…” Oculus said slowly. “Looks like she’s got connections to the Royal Family. Wow. Whoever she is, she must be into some deep, incriminating stuff.” “When you actually get some helpful intel, THEN contact us.” Vie added remorselessly. The band of misfits then tried their best at mingling. And it went about as well as you hoped it wouldn’t. Vance, still not adapted to social interaction, walked around admiring the palace’s architecture and art. Whenever somepony tried to strike up conversation with him, he was as conversational as when he first met Fluttershy. Cameroon was constantly fiddling with her gown, her anxiety apparent. This attracted some… curious glances from several aspiring bachelors. Cook helped himself to the miniature foods like he was a living self-help booklet. His voracious hunger for Canterlot’s finest snacks was noted by more than a few ponies, and Cook soon took notice himself, his face turning as red as Vie’s eyes. And finally, Vie, not wanting to reveal her Prench heritage and potentially caused a scene, awkwardly stood in a corner. An admiring stallion attempted to court her, only to run head-first into her brick-like emotions. He quickly backed off, humiliated, Vie all the while never letting the laughter past her teeth. This torment continued into the first hour of nightfall. Then things really started to get strange. A team of six heroes, supposedly responsible for reinstating the recently returned Princess Luna, had arrived. Like Mercury Team, they did not fit in at this party at all. Just as Vance was starting to feel a semblance of normality, in burst a pink pony, bounding about the room and seemingly defying the laws of physics. “Wow. If Stitch ever had an equal…” Vance noted. “I GOT IT!” Oculus suddenly screamed in their ears. “Hesperus is wearing a blue gown and is currently assisting Princess Celestia with the formal greetings!” “Thank you, Oculus. Can you requisition Command for four hearing-aides?” Vance dryly replied. Ignoring Oculus’ grumbling, Vance set out to see this ‘Hesperus’ to get an idea of how they were going to take her out in the middle of a ballroom. Vance was fairly sure that sending Vie to give Hesperus an extreme neck massage while she was standing right next to Princess Celestia herself wouldn’t fly too well, so now they had to think of how to lure her away from safety. He walked to the entrance to the ballroom to see Princess Celestia and this ‘Hesperus’ alongside her. “Wait a minute…” Vance quietly said. “That’s Twilight Sparkle…” “You know her?” Vie said from her corner, relatively close to the door. “Yeah, she’s one of Fluttershy’s friends.” Vance said. “Who?” Vie replied. “Erm… nevermind. The point is, she’s Celestia’s protégé.” “So what’s holding you back?” “Well first off, if we’re working for the Equestrian military, then we’re under Celestia’s command, right? Secondly, why would Celestia want her own student offed? Unless…” Vance paused for a long time, having finally unraveled the mystery. “Uhh… Vance? What’s wrong?” Cameroon said, approaching from behind. Vance turned around slowly to face his two team members, Cook’s attention caught by the aforementioned pink pony, who was now harassing the orchestra. “We’re not working for the Equestrian military.” Vance replied in shock. The two mares were struggling to wrap their own minds around it. “Oculus, are you there?” Vance called in. Static. ~ In a small break room, two security officers were casually relaxing, trying to enjoy some doughnuts. “Dang. It’s just not the same since Krispy transferred. I don’t think I can go back to store-bought anymore.” one of them lamented. Suddenly, a panicked green unicorn rammed through the door, panting heavily. “They’re on to us!” ~ “So what do we do now, Vance? Vance!” Vie asked, slapping Vance back into reality. “Wha-? Oh, erm… Ok, grab Cook and let’s get out of here. We need to leave Canterlot now.” Vance ordered. “But what about Stitch?” Cameroon asked. “I don’t know what happened to him, but we can’t let that concern us. We have to-” Vance was trying to lay out his plan, when everything went to utter madness. As if one energetic pink pony single-hoofedly trying to start a rave wasn’t chaotic enough, suddenly the door leading to the palace grounds burst open, and an odd menagerie of animals swarmed the ballroom. After the dust of their entrance had settled, Vance saw what he thought he’d never see. “Mother of Celestia…” Vance said while removing his monocle. “You’re… going to LOVE MEEE!!!” Fluttershy screamed. Vance’s jaw hit the floor. With no time to recuperate, he was swept up in a tidal wave of woodland critters away from the rest of his team. “Meet at the train station!!” Vance shouted to the other three while he was being carried away by a horde of animals. Eventually the terrified torrent of squirrels and ducks dropped Vance off, and he wasted no time in sprinting for the train station. Vie and Cameroon scooped Cook out from under a table and proceeded. ~ Stitch reclined in his chair, slowly sipping a glass of cheap wine from the bottle he stole from a closed shop several minutes ago. He was doing very un-Stitchy things, like contemplating the meaning of life in the vast expanse of the universe. He then resumed thinking of where he stood in the cupcakes vs. muffins debacle. Stitch didn’t look the part, but if he took life seriously he could be wearing a white lab coat and living underground most of his life. Suddenly he heard somepony racing down the street below the balcony Stitch was relaxing on. It was Vance. He chucked the bottle off the edge of the city, got a running start, and dropped right beside the tuxedo-wearing pegasus. “Well fancy seeing you here, fancy-looking buddy!” Stitch comically stated. “Not now, Stitch. We’ve got to get the hay out of the city!” Vance said, short on breath. “Wait, where were you this whole time, anyways?” “I had some stuff that needed stuffying.” Stitch reflected. “Fine, I’ll ask later. Right now, we need to hijack a train.” Vance suddenly decided. “Aww… did Cook cozy up to you yet?” Stitch teased. “Wha-? No!” Vance snapped back, still oblivious. Vance and Stitch reached the train station a while before the rest did. The train was prepared to be lifted when the others did show up. “Sorry we’re late, Frère. We got a bit lost along the way.” Vie explained. “I told you to leave directions to me, but nooOOoo!” Cameroon sneered. “Need I remind you we’ve got several Royal Guards chasing us from a couple blocks back? We don’t have time to point hooves here!” Cook yelled. “Just get in the dang train! Stitch and I rigged it up, so we can roll out once you get your flanks on board!” Vance snapped. “Stitch is with you? Where the hay was he?” Cameroon asked, annoyed. “Cammy, remember what happened to the pony that asked too many questions?” Stitch said benevolently. “No.” Cameroon said impatiently. “Me either.” Stitch said malevolently, that manic twinkle in his left eye. Cameroon took the hint and decided it would be best for her health not to press further. The last time she underestimated Stitch did NOT go well for her, and she still had the scar to prove it. The train began to leave the station as several exhausted unicorn Royal Guards were trying to run after it. Mercury Team huddled around in the engine room to plan their next step. “Ok, so let’s recap what’s happened. We’ve spent the past Celestia-knows how long going on missions for the benefit of a shadowy organization that didn’t want us to know about it. We’ve gathered relics and claimed resources for them, along with silencing enemies of the ‘state.’ And now we’re stealing a train with no established destination in an effort to flee Equestria.” Vance said heavily. “You forgot the part abo-” Stitch started. “Stitch, s’il vous plaît. No jokes now.” Vie said solemnly. “Your loss.” Stitch said, reclining back against the wall. “I don’t know what the hay we’re going to do, but I’ll think of something. I always do.” Vance said with confidence. “Everypony try to get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.” ~ While the others were dozing off, Vance found himself a nice spot on top of the train. He couldn’t sleep, there was far too much to think about. Who was behind this? What were they after? Why Mercury Team? Vance didn’t notice Vie gingerly make her way atop the train car to talk. “Can’t sleep, Frère?” she asked. “Huh? Oh. Naw, I got too much on my mind to sleep. Apparently we’ve just been pawns in a much larger game this whole time. Makes me wonder if all we’ve done is going to come back later to haunt us.” he prophesized. “Oh don’t think like that. There’s no way to know for sure. Assuming the worst just leads to wasted nights.” she insightfully added. “Heh. Maybe you’re right. But still, if they’ve been pulling our strings for this long, what else are they capable of? Weaponizing the weather? A giant mind-control device? Animatronic pony legion?” he continued. “It’s too much to contemplate.” The two sat on the train for a bit, taking in the night wind and the lunar lights. “Alright, something’s been bothering me. Earlier Stitch mentioned something about Cook. I’m probably gonna regret this, but is there something going right over my head?” Vance asked. “You mean aside from everything else that already does?” Vie joked. “Seriously. You’re the best mind splicer I know. What’s going on?” Vance glared. “Well if you really want to know, Cook has had the tendency to act… differently when you’re around. He’s more submissive and tends to rely on you instead of taking action himself. When I first met him, I thought he would display that behavior towards Cameroon or myself even, but no. Does that say it clearly enough for you?” Vie explained. Vance felt a chill run down his spine as his mouth juxtaposed itself into an awkward shape. He was right when he said he’d probably regret it. “Alright, so what about Stitch then? Anything incriminating or mentally scarring about him? I mean something we don’t know already?” Vance continued. “Well other than him bordering on psychotic, he’s hiding something. I can’t determine what, there’s too much chaotic thought going on in that little head of his. I’ve never seen a specimen like him before. He’s impervious to conventional psychological observation.” Vie lamented. That was… not what Vance was expecting to hear. He never thought of Stitch as being the secretive type. Maybe there was a mad genius hiding in that silver and golden mane of his. “And Cameroon?” Vance pressed. “Easy. Emotional trauma over her cutting family ties. She was very close to Octavia, and now those emotions are blinding her to the sensitivity of others.” Vie deduced. “Huh.” Vance quipped. “Never thought of it that way. Alright, how about me?” “You’ve got your own skeletons that you want to stay hidden from us. I have a good idea as to what they are, but for your sake, I’ll not tell just yet.” Vie said slyly. “To be honest, though, you didn’t make it hard to deduce.” “Ok, then how about you?” Vance asked with a smirk on his face. “And ruin all my fun? I don’t think so!” Vie playfully deflected. “Bonsoir, Vance. Try to get some sleep.” Vie hoisted herself up and carefully made her way back inside. Vance wondered if Fluttershy would like to meet Vie. He looked back towards the moon, watching it glide across the sky as the hours passed, until finally it began to settle in the distant west. ~ After a mostly sleepless night on the roof imploring the moon for assistance, Vance went up the chain of cars to find the others, save Cameroon, who was half sleeping on a bench and the other half on the floor, had already woken up and tended to the train. Vance made his way to the front of the locomotive. “What’s our status?” he asked. “We recently passed through a town called Appleoosa. Cook is in the caboose, taking inventory. I presume you know where Cameroon is?” Vie said. “Cameroon is diligently keeping watch over the dreamscape.” Vance said. “Don’t mind me! Just digging some coal! Diggy diggy coal!” Stitch sang. “You know, you could just use your magic to do that.” Vance pointed out. “But then I don’t get to use the shovel! Tell me when I get to use a shovel! TELL ME!” Stitch exclaimed. “Good to see the betrayal of our employers hasn’t got’cha down, Stitch!” Vance replied. Suddenly, a shrill scream reached all the way to the engine. “That sounded like Cook. Stitch, stay here and guard the engine! Vance, let’s go make sure Cook hasn’t seen a spider!” Vie ordered. The two ran back to the caboose, passing by Cameroon who had finally awoken for the day’s festivities. “Wuzzat? I’m… muffins…” Cameroon muttered in her daze. Vie telekinetically blasted the door open in time to see a pegasus, clad in a black flight suit, a tan vest, and green goggles, holding Cook’s mane in one hoof, raise a serrated knife to Cook’s throat. “Help… me…!” Cook said through flowing tears. The fiend pulled back the leg holding the knife before any of them could do anything. The next thing Vance knew Vie had magically yanked the knife from the black ops pony’s hoof and proceeded to eviscerate him with it. Vance had to cover his eyes. “NOPONY MESSES WITH MY COMRADES!!!” Vie screeched, breathing heavily. “Oh sweet Celestia! Cameroon!” Vance said, remembering Cameroon all alone in her car. They rushed back to the car with Cameroon in it to find her barely defending against three black ops with her machete. Before they could react to Vie’s frenzy, one of them found their comrade’s knife firmly entrenched in their face. The other two promptly jumped out the windows, waiting for a better time to strike. “Travíxte pros ta píso! Omadopoíisi!” Vance overheard one saying as he was leaving. The trio wasted no time in getting up to the engine room to make sure Stitch was safe. As Vance had half-expected, they found Stitch perfectly fine. After stepping over what little remains were left of the two black ops that had made an attempt on his life, the remaining four discussed what to do next. “Alright, so Cook is dead and we’re surrounded by some of the toughest fighters we’ve ever encountered.” Vance started. “So how are we getting out of this?” “Divide et impera, as your Equestrian generals of old times would say.” Vie chimed in. “We each take and hold a car and whittle down their numbers until they’re wiped out or retreat.” “Who are we dividing? Us or them?” Vance added. “Well I can’t think of anything better, so we’ll go with that plan!” Vie charged ahead down several cars, shortly followed by Cameroon. Vance was about to go when a black ops jumped him from above in-between cars. Luckily, Vance had spotted him a half-second before, giving him enough time to avoid a knife to the gut. Vance pulled the surprised pegasi down hard onto the little platform conjoining the two cars. They struggled for a while, almost equal in strength, until Vance finally got the upper hoof. He claimed the altitude and gave the black ops several hard punches to the face, the last one hit so hard it pushed the assailant’s body beneath the train. The train lurched from the surprise speed bump. “Wow. I am NEVER doing that again!” Vance quipped as he pulled himself back into the engine room. As the situation was rapidly deteriorating, Stitch approached Vance with one final desperate idea. “Stubbs, we’ve had some kick-flank times together in Merc, but it looks like if we don’t do something about it now, none of us will make it out of this to remember. *takes a deep breath to compose himself* I’ll blow up the rail and take the whole train out, hopefully with these black ops scumbags still inside.” “Have you gone completely insane this time? Not only would that kill us all anyways, but you don’t even have the time to set up a bomb!” Vance pleaded. “Well, one well-placed stick of short-fuse dynamite thrown just in front of the train might do the trick.” Stitch replied, that crazy twinkle shining in his left eye. “It’s been an honor, sir.” *salute* “I’m staying too.” Cameroon interrupted, a black ops slumping to the floor right behind her. “These guys will just escape and hunt you down if somepony’s not on here to keep ‘em busy. I’ll hold them off while you and Vie make a break for it.” Vance, knowing there would be no use arguing with the headstrong earth pony, smiled in gratitude as tears began to gather in his eyes. “We won’t forget you. We’ll find out who’s behind this and make them pay for what they did.” Vance stammered through partial sobs. “Vance, wait. I want you to have this. Get it to my sister.” Cameroon said, handing Vance her emerald necklace. “She needs to know…” Vance nodded and took the necklace and swore to himself to guard it with his life. Stitch opened the window of the engine, stick of dynamite in mouth. Vance and Cameroon rushed back to find Vie holding her own against three black ops. “Vie, it’s time to go.” Vance said with a hint of remorse in his voice. Vie, understanding what he meant by the sound of his voice and the look of fear in Cameroon’s eyes, only nodded somberly before eliminating another black ops. The remaining enemy reinforcements popped in through the windows. Vance looked out the sides and it appeared the skies were now clear. The tracks above the ravine were fast approaching and Vance knew he and Vie needed to leave now. They bid the bravest earth pony Equestria never knew a fond farewell and they ran to the caboose. They jumped into the desert brush as the crack of dynamite filled the air. The next was a sickening sound of buckling wood and twisted metal. ~ With Vance and Vie making their way to the back, Cameroon was now faced with several enraged black ops. In that moment, time seemed to have stopped. She realized what needed to be done and embraced Death, becoming a whirling scythe that slashed and maimed its way with relative ease through some of the most fearsome enemies one could ever encounter. Leaving only trails of casualties and grievous injuries, she made her way to the front car just as Stitch had chucked his last bomb. The sound dissoriented them for a bit, and they next found themselves floating in the falling train. “I’m sorry, Tavi.” “I’m sorry, Gumdrop.” they said simultaneously. In this chaotic time consumed with violence and death, the two hugged each other tightly, teary eyed, having finally found something they had never known before: Peace. ~ As Vance and Vie gathered themselves together, then came the inevitable crush of the train hitting the bottom of the ravine. They both remained motionless for a bit, a time of acknowledgement at what Stitch and Cameroon had sacrificed to let Vance and Vie live. Vance then dragged himself to the cliff’s edge and looked down onto the burning wreck of scrap metal and pine. Vie joined him and they both sat down to pay their penance. After a few minutes, Vie broke the silence. “They were the bravest ponies anypony could ever know.” Somehow this didn’t console Vance. “So,” he began, “what do we do now?” “Oh, I think I’m going to see if I can regain my status as a Prench citizen. I think I’ve had enough of Equestria for a long time. Would you care to join me, Frère? It could be like one of those cheesy spy films with the two agents joining forces and going rogue.” she said with her rare smile. An odd time to be showing it. “Heh. Well that does sound appealing, but I made a promise long ago that I still have to keep.” Vance said, reflecting on Fluttershy. “She’s lucky to have somepony like you.” Vie added, kicking a pebble. Vance chuckled at how easily Vie could pick apart his mind. The duo got up and headed back to Appleoosa. They took a carriage back to Ponyville and hugged each other goodbye. “Perhaps one day we will meet again, mon doux.” she said, giving Vance a quick kiss on his cheek. Vance waived her off as the conductor called for all passengers. He watched as Vie rode away to parts unknown. It was currently dusk and soon the sun would be completely gone. He slowly meandered his way back to Fluttershy’s cottage, pondering all he and the rest of Mercury Team had gone through in their time together. Ancient cities, terrifying foes, and a conspiracy rotting in the heart of Equestria itself. Vance knew he could not escape the role he would play in all these things, but for now he was content to become drunk on the euphoria of the moment. He suspected that soon this mysterious organization would realize he had not perished alongside Stitch, Cameroon, and Cook and would probably send assassins after him who would not be above endangering everyone in Ponyville he held dear to get to him. He arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage and saw she was sleeping on the couch tonight. “She must have been thinking about me.” he whispered to himself, a bit fat-headed from having cheated Death tonight. Seeing she had no blanket on her, Vance quickly grabbed one and gently placed it over her. Realizing that soon all he cherished would be at risk, he cozied up next to Fluttershy’s gentle figure, resting his head on her side. He usually was up by the crack of dawn, so he figured Fluttershy would be none the wiser to what he was doing. As he began to slip into unconsciousness, Fluttershy opened her right eye and peered discreetly over at Vance. A coy smile creased across her face as well as they both fell into sleep. ~ The next morning, Vance awoke on the couch… alone. Noticing this, he became flustered and embarrassed. He began to think of ways to explain this to Fluttershy aside from his attraction towards her, when she walked in carrying a large platter of food and a heart-melting smile on her face. “Morning, sleepyhead!” she said with her usually cheery demeanor, but with something else underneath. “You looked just awful when I saw what shape you were in, so I took care of your wounds and made you a breakfast fit for a hero!” Vance looked down at his body to notice his wounds had all been cleaned and bandaged. “Fluttershy, I-” he began. “Oh no no no! You should eat your fill first, I insist!” she said, smiling from ear to ear. He looked at her again, a bit unsure, and she gave her signature *squee* to show she was insistent on him doing as she requested. He then ate everything in front of him, Fluttershy staring him down all the while, that smile never leaving her face. What happened next was totally unexpected. Fluttershy took the initiative and laid her head right on his chest! The surprise and excitement caused Vance’s wings to instantly spring open, his right wing nearly punching through the couch. He was paralyzed as Fluttershy, the pegasus who saved his life and became his reason for living, was now affectionately snuggling up to him. His head nearly burst into flames from the flustering he had been given, but slowly came to relax little by little, accepting her cozy embrace. He and Fluttershy just laid there for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, Fluttershy glanced up at him, her eyes piercing into his soul, her smile destroying his heart. He stared back for about a minute, and then the two of them went upstairs… ~ The shrouded six shuffled into the meeting room and began their procession. “Mercury Team has been disposed of.” - Pony 3 “A shame, really. They were useful pawns.” - Selene “The clean-up crews report Hermes destroyed the bridge they were traveling on with an explosive. They noticed something amiss, however. Aside from the two squads we had sent, there were only two bodies discovered amongst the wreckage. One was later found swept a ways downriver, but there is currently no trace of the remaining two.” - Pony 6 “Was Hermes among those found?” - Selene “It is currently indeterminable if Hermes perished in the wreck, though it is likely he did.” - Pony 6 “Selene, are you showing concern? I have not seen any trace of emotion in you for a very long time.” - Pony 1 “Hermes is an asset, Hyperion. A tool to be used and nothing more. My only concern is that our investment of time and finances may have been wasted in a lost cause.” - Selene “If you say so. This meeting is adjourned. We shall now look into potential candidates to begin Phase 1 again. Protogenoi watch over us.” - Hyperion “Protogenoi watch over us.” - Selene and Ponies 3-6 ~ Vance stared out at the moon, now unmarred by the facade of a unicorn. Something had occurred in his time with Mercury, and supposedly Fluttershy had a part to play in it. He decided he’d save that question for another day. He glanced over at Fluttershy, sleeping peaceably in her… erm, their bed. These times of peace would soon be fleeting. He could feel malevolence worming its way into Equestria. Looking back out at the moon, Vance became determined to prepare himself. He then went back to sleep, exhausted by his newfound intimate relationship with his Flutterlove. He couldn’t stay. He would have to leave, at least for a while. Roam Equestria’s borderlands and visit exotic locations until some of this ordeal blew over. It’s not like he had a choice in the matter. If he stayed, he’d be endangering everypony’s wellbeing. His mind was now set. He was leaving tomorrow. ========== Bonus points to: Keystroke: for being my pre-reader Author’s notes: Hello, everypony! Dissoriented here with a few post-script items to add: The 2nd in the Strings of Fate series, and I personally had a blast writing it. Mercury Team was my first batch of OCs, all of them my own. Had the planned course of the series not demanded otherwise, I very much would have liked to keep them all alive, but the plot I’ve already formed doesn’t allow for it. Rest assured, they’re not my only OCs, and this is definitely not the last time you’ll see Vie. Your OC killing, faceless writer, Dissoriented Disclaimer: “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” and its derivatives are the intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not, nor claim to, have the rights to any and all intellectual property this story uses and is partly based on. Any attempt to claim ownership has resulted in a manhunt by those black ops ponies, so that was plenty of incentive to not do it.