Hidden Laboratory
Undisclosed Location
Zest slowly opened his eyes as he heard the soft hiss of the door and the sound of shoes on metal, a faint wisp of warm air tickling his bare skin. His eyes slowly re-focused, though not fast enough to prevent the slight wave of nausea that rolled through his stomach as the light poured down on him.
“Good afternoon, Zest,” Scaglietti said as he leaned over him, his face slightly shadowed. “I trust you’re feeling better?”
Zest grunted, but didn’t move as Scaglietti walked around his table. The scientist carefully removed the inter-venous and inter-artery feeds from his arms and legs, letting the thin needle-tipped tubes dangle down on either side of the table before they retracted. The monitoring patches on his bare chest were next, coming free with a rip of adhesive. A faint keening noise made Zest’s head throb as the holographic displays went into emergency mode, just before Scaglietti switched them off.
“You can sit up now,” he said, chipper and pleasant. “Unless you’d like some help…”
Zest shook his head and slowly sat up, rubbing his head slowly. “How long?”
“How long have you been unconscious? A while.” Scaglietti busied himself with a hovering holographic monitor, going over the data from his treatment. “Seventeen hours this time. That’s almost twice as long as the previous session.”
Zest grunted again as he slid his legs off the side of the table. “You sound concerned.”
Scaglietti turned to face him, his arms crossed. “A little. It’s not as though I didn’t expect it. Your body isn’t repairing itself as it should. The rate of degeneration is increasing as I predicted. At this rate I’ll have to formulate a new repair serum to keep your body functioning.”
“How long?”
Scaglietti shrugged. “Depends. If you don’t use any magic and live a peaceful life, you’ll probably have another year. A year and a half at most, assuming optimal conditions. Otherwise… well…”
Zest grunted in reply. Not much else he could say to that.
“There is still time, of course,” Scaglietti continued. “Even with the cellular degeneration, I have sufficient genetic and magical data to quickly produce an artificial-“
Zest glared at him, causing Scaglietti’s voice to falter. He sighed irritably and ran a hand through his purple hair. “It’s your decision, of course.”
“You know my answer,” Zest replied. “Why do you keep asking?”
Scaglietti grimaced. “You’re an excellent specimen, Zest Grangeitz. It’s just a shame to let someone like you go to waste. It seems so… inefficient to let you just die again when I could just as easily produce a new-“
“I’ve already defied the gods of death once,” Zest replied with a grunt as he slid off the table, stretching his arms and rubbing the needle marks. “I don’t intend on cheating them a second time.”
He watched as Scaglietti did his best not to sneer. The fox-faced scientist turned away and tapped on the hovering, holographic keyboard, his pokes sharp and precise. “Miss Lutecia will be joining us soon. I asked a favor of her while you were undergoing the procedure. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
Zest frowned at the scientist’s back. “If you put her in danger-“
“Of course not. She was merely serving as back-up for two of my Numbers. Honestly, you think I’d let her come to harm?”
He paused as Zest approached him, his bare feet slapping on the cool metal floor.
“We talked about this,” Zest growled, his voice low and angry. “Lutecia isn’t one of your minions. She-“
“She undertook this of her own free will,” Scaglietti interrupted, turning and looking up at him without a shred of fear in his eyes. “I did nothing to persuade her, if that’s what you’re implying. We’ve been working together for this long, and yet you still don’t trust me? Shameful.”
“I trust you about as far as I can throw you, Scaglietti,” Zest replied. “If she gets hurt…”
“Yes, yes,” Scaglietti waved dismissively. “We’ve been over the threats already. You’ve made yourself quite clear. Miss Lutecia, shockingly enough, is more than capable of taking care of herself. You, of all people, should know that much.”
Zest grunted softly. “Fine.”
Scaglietti nodded, then smiled that oddly hollow smile. “Now, onto other matters. How about I fetch you some clothes and some proper food? After all, it’s the least I could do for a friend.”
“I am not your friend, Scaglietti.”
“Nonsense.” Scaglietti replied, that smugly chipper tone of voice returning. “Of course you are.”
Zest shook his head. Better just let him have his little delusion…
---
“Ahhh, always good to be home!” Quattro stretched her arms above her head as she, Cinque and Lutecia made their way down the gently curving hallway, the yellow light emanating from the floor glinting off her rather dusty and battle-damaged dress. “Thank you for the teleport, Miss Lutecia. I’d have hated to have to fly home looking like this.”
“It was no problem,” Lutecia replied softly.
Cinque snorted. “Trust you to worry more about your looks than anything else, Quattro.”
Quattro hmphed softly and tossed her hair. “Unlike you, big sis, I actually take some pride in my appearance. After all, we Numbers are a shining example of the Doctor’s brilliance.” She paused, adjusting her glasses as she favored Cinque with one of her more friendly-looking smiles. “Or at least, I am.”
Cinque apparently didn’t take her expression well. The shorter girl scowled up at her, her good eye narrowed before she looked away.
Hmph. Quattro shook her head as they approached a junction in the hallway. Just goes to show some people can’t be satisfied by being next to greatness…
“Quattro! Cinque!” A mature voice called out from down the hall.
“Ah! Tre!” Quattro put on her best sugary smile as Tre approached. Unlike Cinque, she actually considered Tre to be her superior. Of all the numbers, she, Tre, Due and Uno were all blessed by the Doctor with a portion of his genome. Quattro looked up to Tre both figuratively and literally. Tre stood a foot taller than Quattro, her short-cut violet hair framing a slightly angular but attractive face and narrow golden eyes. She was well-muscled and broad-shouldered, clearly built for battle. The two-toned blue armor suit she wore clung to her body like a second skin, and her neck armor was embossed with a golden ‘III’. “We’re back with the Doctor’s package.”
“I see,” Tre replied curtly. “Good.”
“I see you’re ready to depart,” Cinque said, glancing past Tre. “On a mission with Sette and Deed?”
Quattro blinked, adjusting her glasses as she registered the other two Numbers standing just behind Tre. Both Sette and Deed were only a few inches shorter than Tre, but still enough to loom over Quattro and Cinque. Sette’s pale pink hair was held back by an armored head-band marked with ‘VII,’ and her attention was focused entirely on Quattro. Quattro really didn’t like the look of those pink eyes. Deed, meanwhile, was almost plain by comparison, with shoulder-length and straight brown hair, her dark eyes almost hidden by her bangs. Her armored collar bore a golden ‘XII,’ and her armor-suit had obvious shoulder and hip plates. Like Sette, Deed was giving Quattro an unfriendly glare.
“Correct,” Tre said. “The Doctor tasked us with the retrieval of another Relic. This should be quick.”
“Oh, of course!” Quattro smiled cheerfully, resting a hand on Tre’s shoulder. “If there’s anyone who could bring back a Relic safely, it’s you, big sister.” She then glanced past Tre, her smile tightening slightly as she glared at Sette and Deed. “And you’re even taking some of the newer models out with you. How generous of you…”
Sette stepped forward, standing closer to Tre than Quattro liked before she brushed Quattro’s hand away. “I volunteered to aid my dear sister, Quattro,” Sette said, her tone cool. “After all, some of us are focused on the mission.”
Quattro’s smile became frigid. “A-hah-hah… how cute. Still so eager to please, little sister. Tell me, does the Doctor know about how close you and Tre are?”
Sette’s cheeks turned red. “Why you… you… four-eyed little…”
“That’s quite enough, Sette,” Tre said firmly. Sette quickly stepped back, bowing her head slightly. Tre then turned back to Quattro and gave her a pointed glare. Quattro swallowed nervously and took a step back, looking away from Tre’s eyes and doing her best to look small.
Tre nodded in satisfaction. “You three should report to Uno about your mission. Excuse us.”
Deed glanced over at Cinque, quickly exchanging a nod with the silver-haired Number before she fell in behind Tre and Sette.
Ugh… Quattro glared at Sette and Deed as they faded into the distance. I knew I should have edited out those stupid personalities of theirs while they were in bio-stasis… but if the Doctor wants them to develop naturally, then that is his will…
“You know,” Cinque chided her, “if you keep poking at Sette like that she’ll probably break something important to you. Like your glasses. Or your back.”
“Oh shut the…” Quattro paused as she looked at Lutecia, then coughed. “Shut your mouth, sister dear,” she continued in as sweet a tone she could muster. “Now, why don’t we go and report in? I’m sure the Doctor will be happy to see what we’ve brought him.”
“And I can see Mister Zest,” Lutecia said quietly, finally breaking her silence.
“And you can see Mister Zest, Lutecia dear!” Quattro smiled wide and clapped her hands. “I’m sure the Doctor has him feeling all better now!”
Lutecia looked up at Quattro with those dead red eyes, then nodded and started walking. Cinque followed soon after.
Ugh… Quattro grimaced as she pushed her glasses up her nose. I’m surrounded by fools. I don’t see how Uno and the others can put up with this.
---
“Quattro! Cinque! Miss Lutecia! Welcome back, girls! I see the mission was a success as well!”
Scaglietti’s wide smile was a little unnerving to Zest, as was his overly cheerful voice. He moved quickly over to his minions, extending his hands out to accept the briefcase Cinque was holding.
Cinque, to her credit, looked about as unnerved as Zest felt. However, it was just for a moment before she recovered her poise. “Yes, Doctor,” she replied, folding her hands behind her back. “There were some… issues, however.”
“Oh?” Scaglietti turned his attention on the smaller Number. “What sort of issues?”
“A group of Bureau thugs interfered,” Quattro said snidely, giving her hair a dramatic toss as she did so. “However, they were no match for my talents… or Cinque’s for that matter.”
Cinque glared at Quattro, then turned back to Scaglietti. “The Type Zeroes were there.”
That caught Zest’s attention. The Type Zeroes? They don’t mean…
“Oh?” Scaglietti quirked an eyebrow. “Both of them?”
“Yes, sir. Both Zero-Alpha and Zero-Beta.”
“Interesting…” Scaglietti’s wide smile turned a bit pensive, the mask of good cheer dropping. “Did either of them activate an IS?”
“Negative,” Cinque replied. “However, I ordered a retreat rather than stick around much longer. I didn’t want to risk possible damage or capture.”
“Excellent thinking, Cinque. Don’t you think so, Zest?”
Zest grunted softly, then nodded. He extended a hand as Lutecia walked over to him. The girl grabbed his hand gently and pulled close to his side.
“Hmph…” Quattro shook her head. “We could have handled those obsolete prototypes, easily…”
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss the Type Zeroes, Quattro,” Scaglietti chided as he reached over and clumsily ruffled Quattro’s hair. “True, their augmentations aren’t quite as advanced as the ones you and the other Numbers have, but they have advantages that you lack.”
Quattro pouted. “As if whoever made them could ever compare to your genius, Doctor…”
Scaglietti chuckled and ruffled her hair again. “Of course. Now, run along girls. Make sure to report to Uno for debriefing.”
Zest watched the two leave, then knelt down beside Lutecia. “Are you alright?” His voice was soft.
Lutecia nodded. “We had some problems, but Garyu kept me safe.”
Zest nodded and gently stroked Lutecia’s cheek. “That’s good… Agito was worried about you.”
Lutecia nodded again. “Where is she?”
“Resting,” Scaglietti interrupted as he set the case onto a nearby table. “I gave her a check-up while Zest was undergoing his treatment. She should be her usual perky self soon enough.”
“I hope whatever it was you sent Lutecia after was important, Scaglietti,” Zest growled softly as the briefcase flipped open.
Scaglietti reached down and slowly pulled out a glass and steel containment cylinder, the insides faintly glowing with amber light from the containment field. Inside was what appeared to be a chunk of horn, about the length of Zest’s thumb and glossy red-and-black. Zest couldn’t help but feel a faint shiver run down his spine at seeing it.
“Oh yes,” Scaglietti cooed, his eyes wide. The expression on his face was almost rapturous. “Very important.” He shivered before slowly turning the cylinder about in his hands. “And so… very… beautiful…”
He then paused before coughing and setting the cylinder down. “If the two of you don’t mind, I have one more little errand I need you to run for me.” He smiled thinly and raised a hand as Zest began to speak. “Now, now, this won’t be anything dangerous. I just need you two to deliver something for me to one of my associates off-world.”
Zest grunted. “Fine. What is it?”
“Well…”
---
Hotel Augusta
Central Mid-Childa
Same Day
“So that’s the situation, then?”
Twilight nodded to Chrono. “Seems so. Mr. Jasper and his cohorts are currently in custody, but their clients escaped. The summoner’s gone as well.”
Shamal sighed, looking a bit embarrassed as she gingerly adjusted one of her rings. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect them to bypass my teleportation wards so easily. I would’ve made them stronger, but that would have involved raising a Gefängnis der Magie…”
“Nobody’s blaming you, Shamal,” Twilight quickly assured her.
“Indeed,” Chrono added. “I honestly didn’t expect there to be a summoner on site, especially one as powerful as the one Lightning Squad fought. At least we’ll have physical descriptions to work off of…”
Shamal nodded, then glanced to the side as she closed her eyes. “Signum and the others are searching the immediate area in case they appeared nearby…”
“Good. They’ve probably already teleported away, but maybe we’ll get lucky.” Chrono rubbed his forehead. “Keep tabs on them, Shamal. Twilight, I think you have a debriefing to attend to?”
Twilight nodded, then quirked an eyebrow at him. “What about you, Chrono?”
“I get the fun job of talking to the manager about the suite that just got blown to smithereens,” Chrono replied irritably. “Which is about as delightful as it sounds.”
Twilight winced. “Yeah, I’ve been in that situation before. At least they’ve probably got insurance…”
“Yeah… anyway, don’t let me keep you.” Chrono gently waved them off. He let out a groan as both Shamal and Twilight left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
After all this, I’m probably going to need a drink. I just hope Acous is buying.
---
“So,” Fate said as she stared across the table at the older stallion in the hotel’s mostly empty restaurant, her hooves pressed together before her, “that was the real reason you were here?”
Fancy Pants nodded and gently lowered his teacup. “To be totally honest, I had wanted to attend the auction without any ulterior motives. Unfortunately, my… work intruded, as you well know.”
“I was under the impression you were retired, Fancy,” Fate replied.
“A Kingmaker never truly retires until they’re dead, Captain,” Fancy replied with a smirk. “But you already know that. However, I was merely here in an advisory role. My apprentice…”
“Properly Posh, correct?”
“Yes. Properly Posh was investigating Mr. Jasper’s little side business at my behest. A little bit of a practical exam, as it were.”
“More like throwing him into the deep end, don’t you think?”
Fancy chuckled. “Posh is a clever colt. Reminds me of how I was when I first joined the business. At any rate, he needed a challenge, so I gave him one. He did quite well ingratiating himself into Jasper’s little inner circle. Had it not been for his little flub with the telepathy, he would have gotten away easily.”
Fate shook her head. She was starting to regret about learning Celestia’s private army of celebrities-cum-secret agents. True, it was handy to know about her opposite numbers of the Day Court, as it were, but sometimes she felt she was better off not knowing just how many of the tabloid darlings were actually weaponized philanthropists.
“I’ll make sure that Posh winds back up with you, sir,” Fate said as the stallion sipped his tea.
“There’s no need to worry about that,” he replied, giving a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Captain Harlaown will take care of that.”
“Ah. So he knows…”
“He knows enough.” Fancy Pants’ cup clinked gently against its saucer. “Her Majesty has made her support of this little endeavor well known to us. If your children ever need help in Equestria…”
“I’ll be sure to ask, but I’d rather not compromise your position unless necessary.”
“Of course.” Fancy Pants’ smile shifted from pleased to genuinely happy as he looked past her. “Ah, my darling swan, how kind of you to join us!”
Fate turned back to find Shamal standing there nervously, a faint blush on her cheeks. “I assume the Captain’s finished talking with you and Twilight?”
Shamal nodded. “Um… Twilight should be debriefing the Forwards soon…”
“Then I’ll excuse myself.” Fate nodded politely to Fancy, then slipped off of her seat and trotted off. Shamal quietly took the chair she had vacated, reaching over and resting a hand on one of Fancy’s hooves. She tried to ignore the tiny pang of envy at that gesture.
---
“…so, to sum up,” Twilight concluded as she addressed the Forwards in an unused meeting room in the conference center, “we’re quite satisfied with your performance today. True, there were a few bumps and mistakes made, but they’re ones we lived through and won’t make again. After all, any mission you can walk away from is one you can learn from.”
Teana didn’t reply to that, holding her tongue and staying at rest with the other Forwards. Scootaloo was still covered in dust and powder from the debris, while Spike had a very obvious scar on his cheek. Erio and Caro were looking a bit nervous, while Subaru was doing her best not to squirm.
“We’ll be returning to base once we’ve finished things up here,” Fate added. “Once we do, I expect full mission reports from everyone. We’ll also be doing individual debriefs so we can get details on the escapees. Until then, take a rest and collect your thoughts.”
“Though, Private Spike,” Twilight said as her eyes landed on the tall purple dragon, “could I have a word with you in private?”
Spike swallowed nervously, but nodded and followed the purple pony out of the room. Fate shook her head, then nodded politely. “Dismissed.”
Teana saluted alongside the others, then sighed as she walked over and slumped into a chair. Now that the adrenaline was out of her system she felt… exhausted.
Ugh… I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I screwed up that badly. Teana rubbed her temples as she brooded. If I’d just been a little quicker on the draw, I wouldn’t have been grabbed, and then…
She paused mid-thought as she felt a hoof poke her side. She glanced over at Scootaloo. “What?”
The orange pegasus smiled sheepishly. “Uh… I just wanted to, ya know, thank you.”
Teana blinked. “Huh?”
“For the save. Shooting that knife out of the air. I mean, you saw what it did to the ceiling. If that thing had hit me, well…”
Teana grimaced. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m your squad leader. I was just doing my job.”
“Yeah, but…”
Teana flopped back. “Look, just make sure to keep an eye on your surroundings next time, okay? I can’t be looking out for you all the time.”
Scootaloo paused, mouth slightly open as her expression shifted from gratitude to irritation, then finally to disdain. “Well, buck you too, then,” she muttered before she trotted off, her feathers bristled and tail swishing violently.
Teana sighed as she watched Scootaloo walk over to Subaru. Yeah… smooth move, Teana. Way to go. Good job as usual.
Subaru reached over and patted Scootaloo on the withers, then glanced over at Teana and gave her a weak smile and a thumbs up. Teana nodded in response, then leaned back and closed her eyes.
And as usual, Subaru picks up the pieces, just like in the Academy. Hell, have I ever really gotten past that point?
“Hey, Tea…”
“Nngh?” She sat up and shook her head. “Huh? Wha?”
Subaru grinned at her. “Tired?”
“No, just running on fumes. What’d you need?”
“Uh, well,” Subaru gestured over to the door. Teana blinked as she saw the familiar face of Ginga Nakajima leaning around the corner. “Sis wanted to talk to you about some-“
Teana quickly sprang up from her seat and strode over to the doorway. “Yes, ma’am?”
Ginga gestured for her to step outside, then shut the door carefully behind her. She paused, giving Teana the once-over before smirking. “Relax, Lanster. You’re not in trouble. You’re acting like you just got called into the Commandant’s office.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” Teana took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerve. It didn’t work. “You… wanted to speak with me, ma’am?”
“Yeah. I just wanted to thank you for your help today…”
Teana shifted slightly, hugging her arms about her waist as she did so. “Thank you, ma’am… though I have to apologize for the incident earlier. If I hadn’t gotten-“
Ginga shook her head and held up a hand to stop her. “If it’s about what happened during the bust, it’s fine. You did well.”
“Ma’am, if I hadn’t been so reckless, we would’ve been able to catch all of them…”
“Maybe, but if you really were reckless you’d probably have done something really dumb, like actually attacking a suspect in the middle of a crowded hallway filled with rich people. You’re fine.” She held up a finger. “Ah, ah… and before you say anything about that, I should say this. You’re young. You’re still in training. You’re bound to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes in the field. What’s important is that you learn from those mistakes. Got it?”
Teana swallowed, but nodded. “Yes ma’am. I will, ma’am.”
“Good.” Ginga reached over and clapped her firmly on the shoulder. Teana winced slightly. Apparently heavy-handedness ran in the family… “You’ve got good instincts, Lanster. If you ever need anything, just call me. Or have Subaru do it, whichever.”
“R-right.” Teana smiled wanly. “It was a pleasure working with you, ma’am.”
“Same here. I’ll let you get back to your squad, alright?”
“Right…” Teana nodded as Ginga walked off. She exhaled softly, then pushed the door open. She walked past Subaru, ignoring the slightly smug smile on her blue-haired companion’s face before she leaned against the table.
I did well, Teana thought to herself, her grip on the table tightening. I did alright. Passable. Satisfactory… but that’s not good enough.
Her gaze slid over the other Forwards. Would any of them have gotten captured like she had? Subaru would have handled herself. Scootaloo would’ve been too fast. Same with Erio. Caro would have had the good sense not to get close. Spike… well, Spike was a dragon. Getting into a grapple with him would’ve been suicide.
And then there was her. The outlier. The only average one.
“You know what,” she said loudly, interrupting her own thoughts, “we should probably see if we can’t get something to eat. Stars Squad? Lightning Squad? What do you guys think?”
“I’m not sure we can afford anything at this place,” Erio said over the sound of Caro giggling.
Teana sighed and shook her head. “It’ll be my treat, alright? Just a snack to tide some of us over until we get back to base.”
---
Spike followed Twilight down the hall, his tail swishing in time with his scarf as he walked. “Um... Twilight? Is there something…”
Twilight gestured for him to follow her into a nearby empty room, her horn flaring up as she slowly and deliberately twisted the handle on the door. Spike swallowed, but followed her inside. There was a soft click as Twilight shut the door behind her, still facing away from him.
Uh oh… Alarm bells started ringing in his head. “Uh… Twilight?”
“Spike,” she said, her voice harsh and clipped, “deactivate your Device, please.”
“Uh, right.” He reached up and touched Ritterherz’s gem. There was a flash of green light as the Device disengaged, his body shrinking down to its normal size before it re-formed into its belt-shaped Standby Form. “Is there something-“
Twilight turned and sprang at him, quickly pulling him into a fierce hug, her nose buried in the crook of his neck.
“Ack! Woah there. Easy Twi…” He returned the hug, then gently stroked her withers. “Are you alright?”
“Do I look alright you big, scaly idiot?” Twilight sniffed, pulling away and rubbing her eyes. “When I heard you were hurt I nearly had a heart attack! What were you thinking?!”
“I was just doing my job…” Spike shuffled, hiding his hands behind his back.
“You were…“ Twilight paused, then took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. Spike counted about six breaths before she continued. “Yes… I suppose you were doing your job. And you did very well, I should say. It’s just... I didn’t expect you’d actually get hurt.”
Spike sighed, scratching at one ear frill. “I was kinda surprised myself. But it’s just a shallow wound. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” Twilight leaned forward, eyes widening. “No big deal?! From what I heard that attack cut through your shield, your Knight Armor, and your scales! If it had been a few inches inwards, you’d be dead! Even a single inch might have severed the muscles of your jaw or nicked vital blood vessels! And that’s before you take into consider-”
Spike sighed heavily and held up his hands. “I know, I know, alright? Look, Twi… we both knew something like this would happen eventually, right?”
“Yes, but…”
Spike held up his hand. “Twi, I’m not just a baby dragon any more. I’m a Knight. I knew when I got into this I might end up getting hurt. I mean, I’m a dragon, but dragons can still get killed, right? So… yeah.” Spike shrugged and hugged himself. “I chose this path myself. I knew what I was getting myself into.”
Twilight paused, then slumped and took a seat on the carpeted floor, ears folded back. “I know… It’s just… you’re still my baby dragon. I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt… or worse…”
Spike smiled weakly, then walked over and hugged her. “Hey, it’s alright, Twilight. I’m still here. Don’t worry, the next time that stupid bug-thing shows up, I’ll be ready for him. I’ll roast him like… like… uh…” Spike tapped his chin with a finger. “Uh… like something really roastable?”
Twilight laughed weakly, then nuzzled his unscarred cheek. “That’s my number one assistant… now, let me take a look at that wound.”
“Uh, sure, be my guest.”
He tilted his head as she turned it with her hooves. “Whatever that… bug thing is, it’s clearly enhanced in some way. Even a magical blade has difficulty piercing dragon scales… at least, most of the ones I know of do. And this one did it after punching through two layers of defensive spells.”
“The creepy girl called it ‘Garyu,’ whatever that means.” Spike blushed as he felt Twilight’s magic tingle across the scar.
“Garyu’s probably its name.” Twilight hmmed softly. “Make sure to note it in your report. I’m sure the Bureau’s got a database on summoned creatures somewhere.”
“Hope so… Hey, Twi?”
“Hmm?” Twilight blinked and tilted her head.
“Do you mind if I keep this?” Spike traced a claw down the healed wound.
“Why would-“
“Well, it’s a scar.” Spike blushed. “And… well… now I’ve got one too… just like…”
Twilight sighed softly. “If it’s that important to you, then fine. Just make sure to tell Shamal that when you get your check-up.”
“Thanks, Twilight.” He reached up and hugged her neck, nuzzling her as he did so. He felt her arms slip around him and pull him close.
“I’m very proud of you, Spike,” she said softly. “Just… be careful next time.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
---
Chrono did his best not to let his exhaustion show as he walked into the hotel’s bar. It was mostly empty, save for the bartender and a few of the less sociable hotel clientele. The man he was looking for, however, gave him a cheerful wave with one hand, his free hand clasping a tulip-shaped glass of bourbon.
“Acous,” Chrono said as he approached the green-haired Inspector.
“You look like you’ve just run a marathon, Harlaown,” Acous replied. The sphere of ice in his glass clinked as he took a sip. “Have a seat. Have a drink too; I’m paying.”
Chrono sighed and took a seat. The bartender approached promptly, a pristine white towel folded over his forearm. “What would you like, sir?”
“I don’t suppose you have any Equestrian Cloudberry Wine?”
The bartender nodded. “We do have a selection available, sir. Would you prefer the Cloudsdale Stratus ’54, or perhaps the Los Pegasus Azul ’51…?”
“A glass of the ’54, please.”
“Excellent choice sir.”
Acous quirked an eyebrow as the bartender stepped away. “Never took you for the wine type, Harlaown. Especially not something as exotic as an Equestrian vintage.”
Chrono shrugged. “Rainbow Dash got us a couple of bottles as a wedding present. It’s not something I indulge in every day, but after what I’ve just been through I could use a bit of a comfort drink.”
“Ah,” Acous nodded as the bartender returned with a bottle for Chrono’s inspection. The cork was promptly removed and the pale blue fluid poured into a waiting glass. Chrono made a show of swirling and sniffing it, before nodding in approval.
“To surviving another day,” Acous said, extending his glass to Chrono as the bartender slipped away.
“Amen.” Chrono clinked glasses with him and took a sip, barely noticing the smoothness of the alcohol as he swallowed. It did, however, burn like sugar-coated lightning as it slid down his throat. “Now,” he said as he lowered the glass, “business.”
“Always to the point, Harlaown,” Acous said with a sigh, turning around to lean back against the bar. “Well, I did a bit of digging like you asked.”
“Mhmm?” Chrono glanced down the bar at the bartender. Thankfully, he was far enough away that he probably couldn’t hear them.
“As it turns out, the items in question were reported missing about four months ago,” Acous continued quietly, his normally cheerful expression vanishing as he swirled his glass. “According to an internal investigation, the seeds were scheduled to be transported to a Bureau Containment Site on AW #12, Fedikia for further study. However, when the first transport arrived, several items were discovered missing, including the shipment of seeds.”
“How?”
“Good question. Nobody knows.” Acous sipped his drink. “Thankfully, only a third of the seeds were missing. They were separated into different shipments for security reasons, naturally.”
Chrono exhaled a sigh of relief. The idea of anyone getting ahold of the entire set of Jewel Seeds, much less Scaglietti, was enough to make his blood pressure sky-rocket.
“Still, that just opens up more questions than answers,” Acous continued. “Unfortunately, the investigation is still ongoing.”
“And nothing will probably come from it,” Chrono replied darkly.
“I’m inclined to agree with you.” Acous sighed. “But here’s the thing. The ones who signed off on the transfer were appointed by none other than our good friend, the Lieutenant General.”
“And let me guess, they were promptly fired or shipped off to some position in the middle of nowhere?”
“Gee, how did you know?”
“Lucky guess.” Chrono took another sip of his wine, wincing at the burn. “Have you found anything else I’ve asked you about?”
Acous glanced over at him, then slipped a hand into his pocket and produced a small data stick. “Here’s what I’ve got so far. Nothing concrete, mind you, but what little I’ve managed to dig up doesn’t look very good.”
“Thanks.” Chrono slipped the data stick into his jacket. “I’m sorry to put you in this position…”
Acous shrugged. “If it were anyone other than you, I wouldn’t be risking my neck like this. Then again, I guess I’m lucky enough that I haven’t attracted any attention from this mysterious shadow group you’re interested in.”
Chrono shook his head. “I don’t think you’re their type, Acous.”
“Too pretty?”
“Too principled. Plus, you’ve got connections.”
Acous chuckled and shook his head. “I’m usually not thankful to have my sister’s reputation hanging over me, but I think I’ll make an exception in this case.”
“Just be careful.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I will be.” Acous drained his glass, then stood up. “You take care of yourself, Harlaown. Don’t work too hard, alright?”
Chrono snorted as Acous patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll try.”
---
Long Arch Training Facility
Late Afternoon
“Alright everyone,” Twilight announced as the Forwards exited the helicopter, “good work today. We won’t be holding practice sessions today, so once you’ve finished your reports you’re free to do as you will. However, I expect all of you to rest up and be ready for training first thing tomorrow morning, understood?”
She smiled as she heard the chorus of agreements. “Excellent! Until then, dismissed!”
Twilight saluted them, then promptly turned and began trotting off, keeping pace with Fate’s slightly longer stride. Looks like things turned out better than expected, right?
Somewhat, Fate replied, her mental voice sounding a bit tired. I’ll admit, they’re showing improvement over when they first joined…
That’s all we can really ask for, Fate. They’re kids; talented kids, but still kids. We can’t expect miracles from them on a daily basis. I’ll be satisfied if they maintain their current rate of improvement.
“Special Instructor Sparkle, may I have a moment?”
Speaking of miracles… Twilight slowed, then turned around to face Teana. You can go on ahead if you like, Fate.
She asked for you, sis, Fate replied as she continued walking. She’s all yours.
Twilight smiled up at Teana. “Yes, Private Lanster?” She could read the stress in Teana’s body language; the stiff legs, the squared shoulders, the slight tightness in her arms as she folded her hands behind her in faux parade rest.
Teana inhaled and tried to steady herself. “I… would like to request supplementary training.”
Twilight blinked. “Supplementary training?”
“Yes, ma’am. I believe that my performance in the field today wasn’t up to expectations…”
Twilight huffed. “If this is about today, then I’ve already talked to Master Sergeant Nakajima about your performance. She spoke highly of you. Not to mention that you helped save one of your squad mates by intercepting an oncoming attack. Excellent marksmanship there.”
Teana glanced down slightly, avoiding Twilight’s gaze.
Huh… that didn’t have the expected effect. Twilight frowned. Let’s try something else then…
“Do you disagree with my assessment, Private Lanster?”
“No, ma’am… I…” Teana huffed softly. “Never mind, ma’am…”
She turned to walk away. Twilight frowned, then teleported in front of her, causing Teana to step back in surprise. “Teana,” Twilight said, her ears folding back as she dropped the ‘teacher’ voice, “I can tell something’s wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what the problem is.”
Teana recovered her composure, then tucked her hands into her pockets and looked aside. “Permission to speak freely, ma’am?”
“Granted.”
Teana heaved a soft sigh. “I… I screwed up during the mission. I got myself held hostage. I made a mistake and I wasn’t prepared...”
“Teana, it’s alright to make a mist-“
“No it’s not!”
Twilight stepped back slightly as Teana stomped her foot, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes intense. Teana paused, then seemed to gather herself. “S-sorry, Special Instructor Sparkle… but it’s not alright. I could have gotten myself hurt because of my carelessness. I could have gotten my team hurt. I can’t let that happen again.”
Twilight nodded solemnly. “I understand, Teana.”
Teana blinked. “You… do?”
“You’re not the only one who beats herself up over her mistakes. Trust me, I know how it feels to know that you screwed up.” Twilight shook her head, then looked up at her. “I assume you had something in mind, Teana?”
She nodded. “Close quarters combat, ma’am. Ideally both armed and unarmed…”
“I see…”
“I’d be willing to train after regular practice, ma’am. Or before, as long as I have your permission.” Teana leaned forward slightly, her eyes pleading. “Please, ma’am…”
Well… I did allow Subaru and Scootaloo special training to get Scootaloo’s Cloud Road working… Twilight sighed, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll talk to Zafira about it. He’s the one in charge of close quarters combat.”
“Thank you…”
“But!” Twilight held up a hoof. “You need to realize what exactly you’re getting into. You’re asking for additional training on top of the practice and drills we’re already performing, which are already rather demanding. I can’t let you risk your health just because you’re not advancing as quickly as you like, understood?”
Teana nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. And just so we’re clear; if Zafira or I think you’re overdoing it, we won’t hesitate to pull the plug. Are we clear, Private Lanster?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Twilight gazed up at Teana, looking at those earnest eyes and that intense expression before she sighed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll see what we can do. Was there anything else, Private Lanster?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then you should probably get to work on your report. Dismissed.”
Twilight shook her head as she watched Teana jog off. Why do I get the feeling I just made a huge mistake?
---
That Evening
“I don’t like it, Mistress.”
Trixie quirked an eyebrow as Zafira worked the heavy punching bag over, the wolf-man’s fists thudding heavily against the canvas. “Really? I’d have thought you’d be happy to have another pupil.”
Zafira grunted and launched a rapid series of body-blows to the bag’s center. “This is different. Lanster is not like Spike and Subaru. She’s fragile.”
“I think you mean ‘weak,’” Trixie replied.
“No. Fragile. There’s a difference.” Zafira drove his fist into the bag, sending it rattling backwards on its chain. “Weakness is physical. Weakness I can work with. Weakness can be turned into strength over time. Lanster is a normal human, but she isn’t weak. She is fragile; a strong enough shock would topple her.”
Trixie hmmed, crossing her forelimbs as she lounged on the bench. “I think I get what you’re saying…”
“She’s much like you in some ways, Mistress.” Zafira glanced back at her.
“Hmph. Are you saying I’m fragile, dear wolf? I’ll have you know my ego is as unyielding as the very stones of the royal palace!”
Zafira snorted. “And perched just as precariously, Mistress.” He turned and slowly stretched out his bare arms. “But that’s not what I meant. She’s rather… proud.”
“Hmph,” Trixie turned her nose up. “Trixie will admit, the girl has some skill, so a bit of pride is warranted. However, she has no… confidence. No panache. Strictly utilitarian and boring. She and I are nothing alike, though I’m doing my best to fix that.”
Zafira shook his head. “I’m not so sure the cosmos can handle two of you, Mistress.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. But that’s beside the point.” Trixie frowned at the Guardian Beast. “If you had concerns about training her, then why did you agree? You could’ve just said no.”
Zafira let out a slightly lupine growl. “Declining would have shown poorly on me as a teacher, Mistress. And it would’ve reflected poorly on you.”
Trixie giggled. “Sounds like Lanster’s not the only one with an over-abundance of pride.”
“It is merely a reflection of my Mistress’ own,” Zafira replied as he picked up a towel and slung it over his shoulders, his dark skin glistening with sweat. Trixie felt her ears fold back as she smelled his scent; a mix of human musk and wolf-smell that made a tiny, primitive part of her brain just a little nervous.
“Hehe, well…” Trixie recovered her aplomb as quickly as she could manage. “It’s not like my pride is unwarranted. After all, Trixie is one of the most talented, most beautiful, and most successful unicorns in the Saint Church…”
“If only because you’re the only one,” Zafira said as he sat beside her, letting her rest her head in his lap. A large hand rested on her back as he gently stroked her coat.
“Details, details,” Trixie smirked slightly, squirming a little. “You’re getting handsy, my dear Guardian Beast. What do you want?”
Zafira paused, then let out a grunt as his ears folded back, his tail swishing slowly. “Was it that obvious?”
“You forget, Zafira, I know you.” Trixie smirked, her horn igniting as her magic stilled his hand. “You always start petting me when you want something but are too stubborn to ask. So, what is it?”
Zafira huffed. “Very well. I wish to visit the Empire soon.”
“Oh? Ohhh!” Trixie giggled. “Sounds like someone’s missing a certain orange-haired she-wolf.”
Zafira growled deeply. “Mistress…”
“Oh come now, Zafira. I think it’s cute.” Trixie giggled louder and rolled onto her back. “So, have you finally worked up enough nerve to court her yet? Maybe given her tail a sniff?”
“Mistress…”
“What? It’s not like I haven’t noticed. Ooh, we’ll have to ask for Fate’s permission though. After all, it’s polite to ask the parents if one wants to date-”
Zafira growled menacingly. “If you weren’t my Mistress, I would be tempted to bite you right now.”
“I know. I’m just teasing you, Zafira.” Trixie reached up and gently poked him in the chest with a hoof. “But yes. Once we have some free time, I’ll schedule a stop by the Crystal Empire.”
Zafira grunted softly and glanced away. Much to Trixie’s amusement, however, she noticed his tail was wagging.
“Now, I think you need a bath,” Trixie said, pushing against his chest again. “You smell like a sweaty dog.”
“Were you expecting something different, Mistress?”
---
The Next Day
Subaru let out a loud yawn as she heard her alarm go off. She reached out and slapped a hand onto the clock to silence the insistent beep of the alarm, causing the plastic casing to bend slightly.
“Mmmf… Tea…” She sat up and rubbed her eyes before shuffling over and climbing down from her bunk. “Wakey wakey, Tea,” she said as she made her way over to the closet to change out of her pajamas.
No response. Not even the familiar groan of dismay.
“Tea, come on,” Subaru said as she turned back toward the bed as she pulled off her pajamas. “You can’t still be aslee- huh?”
Teana’s bed was empty, the sheets pulled up and the bed roughly made.
Huh? Tea’s not in bed. Then where… Subaru looked around the room, then quickly stepped outside. “Tea? Tea? Tea, where are you? Tea!”
There was a hiss as one of the other doors slid open. “Ugh… you really shouldn’t be yelling this loud in the morning,” Scootaloo muttered as she ambled out of her room.
“Scoots, have you seen Tea?” Subaru paused as Scootaloo looked at her, then looked back at her room, then gave her a flat look. “I guess not.”
“Nope. Why?”
“She wasn’t in her bed when I woke up…”
Scootaloo yawned as Subaru shuffled anxiously. “Maybe she just got up early for some reason?”
“Well… maybe.” Subaru shook her head. “But Tea really isn’t a morning person. I usually have to wake her up. She never gets up early…”
“What’s going on? Is something the matter?”
Subaru looked up as Caro walked toward them, wide awake and hair still slightly damp from the shower. “Uh, morning Caro…”
“Teana’s gone missing,” Scootaloo replied as she plopped down and let out a loud yawn. “You seen her, Caro?”
“Teana? Oh, right… I saw her this morning after I got up. She was in her training clothes and was heading out towards the lobby when I came out of my room.”
Wait, Tea got up before Caro did? And she was dressed? Subaru frowned. “Uh, Caro, did Tea say anything to you?”
“Well,” Caro ruffled her hair gently with the towel in her hand. “Not really, but she was in her training clothes. I think she’s probably outside…”
“Great! Thanks Caro!”
“Hey!” Scootaloo said as Subaru started to turn away.
“Huh?”
“Before you go looking for her, you might want to put some clothes on.” Scootaloo gestured to Subaru with one hoof. “Don’t wanna be running around in your underwear, after all.”
Subaru blinked, then glanced downward at herself, then let out a nervous giggle. “Eh-heh… r-right.”
Subaru could hear Scootaloo sigh in irritation and Caro giggle as she quickly slipped back into her room. A quick change of clothes later, and Subaru was quickly bolting down the stairs two at a time.
This is really weird, Subaru thought as she jogged towards the door. Why would Tea do something like this without-
The barracks doors hissed open just as Subaru approached. Subaru managed to skid to a halt right as Teana walked through, the orange-haired girl stepping back in surprise. “Gah! Subaru! You scared me!”
“Tea!” Subaru panted softly. “Sorry… I just… well, you weren’t in bed when I…”
Teana waved a hand gently. “Eh, relax, it’s not a big deal.”
“Huh?” Subaru blinked. “It’s not? But… where’d you go?”
“Just… doing some early exercises,” Teana replied as she opened the can she was carrying. “Nothing major or anything, just felt like getting some work in.”
“Oh! Okay.” Subaru giggled, eliciting a confused look from Teana. “Sorry. I was just worried when you weren’t there for me to wake up, you know?”
Teana nodded and took a long drink from her can, then grimaced in distaste. “I know. Sorry about that. Didn’t want to wake you… anyway, I’m going to rinse off really quick before we get breakfast.”
“O-okay.” Subaru watched her walk by, then scratched her head.
Okay, so Tea went outside to exercise or something… I guess that makes sense. Kinda. Maybe. She paused. She also had a can of coffee with her. That’s weird; Tea hates coffee. Is something going on?
---
That Evening
“Ugh… You’d think Twilight would take it easy on us today,” Scootaloo muttered as she skated down the bridge beside Subaru and Teana.
“She’s probably catching up for yesterday,” Subaru replied as she stretched her arms over her head, the towel around her neck bobbing gently as she walked. “Besides, it’s not like we had a full combat scenario today…”
“Yeah, and you didn’t have a couple hundred pounds of ceiling fall on you.”
Subaru giggled softly. “Oh please, you’re fine.”
Scootaloo pouted, then glanced over at Teana. The orange-haired girl seemed distracted, her hands tucked into her pockets and her gaze distant as she walked. “Hey, carrot-top!”
“Huh?” Teana seemed to zone back in. “What?”
“You’re awfully quiet over there. Did Trixie work you so hard you can’t even talk?”
Teana blinked, then shook her head. “No… I was just thinking…”
“Really? About what?”
Teana shrugged. “Well… uh… stuff. Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Come on Tea,” Subaru said as she reached over and flopped an arm onto Teana’s shoulders, “you can tell us. What’s on your mind?”
Teana shrugged again, gently pushing Subaru’s hand away. “I just requested some extra training, that’s all…”
“Extra training? Cool!” Subaru grinned excitedly. “What kind?”
“Unarmed combat. Apparently I’m going to be meeting with Knight Zafira here in a while.”
Scootaloo whistled softly. “Sheesh, you must be a masochist or something.”
“Hah, hah. Funny.”
“No, seriously. I’ve seen how hard he goes with Spike and Subaru. Zafira’s no joke.”
“Oh come on Scoots,” Subaru said lightly, though she did look a little worried, “Tea’s tough. I’m sure she can handle it. Right, Tea?”
“Right…”
“Ooh! I know!” Subaru grinned and held up her other hand. “How about I join you? That way, we can both-“
“No.”
Both Subaru and Scootaloo blinked as Teana gently shrugged the former’s arm off her shoulders. “Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather this just be one-on-one.”
“Oh… uh… right!” Subaru gave Teana an uncertain smile and a thumbs up. “That can work too… I… uh… guess I’ll see you back at the barracks later?”
“Yeah.” Teana quickened her pace, leaving Subaru and Scootaloo behind.
“Is it just me,” Scootaloo looked up at Subaru as the blue-haired girl watched her friend pull ahead, “or is she crankier than usual?”
“Well…” Subaru frowned and rubbed the back of her head. “Maybe she’s just got a lot on her mind. I’m sure she’ll be fine. I mean, it’s not like she’s going to do something stupid, right?”
Scootaloo gave Subaru a flat look, then shook her head and skated off. “Yeah. Sure.”
---
I’m really starting to regret getting that sandwich, Teana thought to herself as she stepped into the training room. The faint smell of canvas and wood paneling reminded her of the gym at the Academy, though it was missing the overwhelming stink of sweat and the constant noise. Her sock-clad feet thumped against the wood as she walked, the butterflies in her belly fighting against the turkey sandwich she’d devoured on the way over.
Zafira was waiting for her. The Guardian Beast was seated on the practice mat, carefully working a set of wrappings around one wrist and between his fingers. He glanced up as she approached, his red eyes studying her. She paused and came to parade rest, her hands folding behind her back.
“Private Teana Lanster,” she said curtly and formally, “reporting for training, sir!”
“You’re early,” Zafira replied.
“Yes, sir!”
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, sir!”
Zafira grunted. “At least you’re not a complete fool.” He picked up a pair of rolled up wraps and tossed it over to her. “Sit. Prepare.”
Teana caught the rolled up strips of fabric, then did as ordered. She quickly unrolled them and began wrapping her hands and wrists. Just like in the Academy…
Zafira watched her in silence as she worked, then nodded as she presented her hands for inspection. “Good.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I assume you’ve gone through basic Strike Arts training, yes?” Zafira grunted as she nodded. “Good. A proper foundation, if nothing else. On your feet.”
Teana quickly climbed to her feet. Zafira stood as well.
“Much of what are called ‘Strike Arts’ are based on a mixture of various fighting styles gathered from across the worlds aligned with the Bureau,” Zafira said as he began to slowly walk around her. “If I recall, the Ground Forces trains its members in the fundamentals of Strike Arts for the purposes of self-defense. Basic combat techniques with a focus on strikes and avoidance, correct?”
Teana nodded as Zafira came to a halt before her.
“That isn’t what I’m going to be teaching you,” Zafira continued. “We will be focusing on more… practical matters. How to escape grapples. How to disable an opponent that’s stronger than you are. Where to aim and what to hit to deal the most damage possible. It’s similar to the tactics I taught to Spike, with some obvious differences. I expect you to work hard, and do as I tell you, when I tell you. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, let’s see what you already know.” Zafira took a few steps back and lowered himself into a fighting stance, hands open and guarding his chest.
Teana swallowed, then followed suit. Her feet were shoulder width apart, her hands raised in a defensive stance level with her nose, her weight centered and her breathing steady.
His stance is solid, she thought to herself as she eyed him. I’m not really familiar with his fighting style, but if he’s taught Spike then I at least know a little of what he can do.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Zafira said.
Teana inhaled slowly, then rushed him. Her quick jabs were blocked by his forearms, while her low kicks smacked against his calves and thighs without so much as nudging him off-balance. He moved back as she moved forward, ceding ground to her without comment.
Sheesh… hitting him is like punching concrete! Teana grimaced as she quickly drew back, resuming her stance.
“Your form is solid,” Zafira commented, “but basic. Much quicker than Subaru or Spike. Much less telegraphing than your squad mate. However, you lack power.”
“That seems to be a running theme with me,” Teana replied, lunging in again for another attack. This time, however, his hand snapped out and grabbed her arm by the wrist. She found herself spun around and slammed onto the mat with a loud thud.
“Aggression doesn’t make up for a lack of power, I’m afraid,” Zafira replied.
Teana grunted softly, then slowly pushed herself up to a seated position and glared up at Zafira. The wolf man quirked an eyebrow at her expression, then gestured for her to stand.
“Now, let’s begin the lesson proper.”
---
The polishing cloth squeaked as Subaru rubbed it along her Revolver Knuckle, her fingers pressing in firmly as she buffed out the smudge on the Device’s finger guards. She nodded in satisfaction as she inspected her work.
Alright, let me see… She reached over and dragged over her checklist, running down the list with a quick glance. ‘Clean Revolver Knuckle,’ check. Now I just need to change into my PJ’s and get to bed… once Tea gets back.
Subaru glanced over at the wall clock and watched as the glowing numerals slowly ticked over to 2300 hours. “Huh… she should be back soon…”
The soft hiss of the door interrupted Subaru as Teana slowly walked in, looking a little haggard. Subaru quickly got to her feet as Teana staggered over to the bed. “Tea? Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Teana muttered as she peeled off her shirt. “Just tired. Scootaloo wasn’t kidding about Zafira. Nnngh…” She winced as she rolled her shoulders slowly. “I feel like I’m back in Basic Training all over again.”
“Maybe you should hop in the bath for a bit? No need to go to bed all sore, you know…”
“I’ll just take a hot shower. Not enough time for a bath…” Teana got to her feet and reached into her pocket, setting Cross Mirage’s Standby Form on the desk as she passed by.
“Not enough time?” Subaru blinked. “Wait, Tea, are you going to get up early tomorrow too?”
Teana grunted in reply.
“Uh… Tea? Are you really sure you should be doing that?” Subaru smiled nervously. “I mean, Special Instructor Sparkle did tell us not to overdo…”
Subaru paused as Teana shot her a glare, then held up her hands defensively. “I’m just… being cautious, you know? I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine, Subaru,” Teana growled as she walked over to the door. “Go ahead and hit the sack without me. I’ll try not to wake you up.”
“But Tea,” Subaru reached out slightly as Teana left, the door hissing shut behind her. “Ugh…” She sighed, ducking her head. “Me and my big mouth…”
---
The Next Day
“Good morning, everyone,” Twilight said cheerfully as she stood beside Shari.
“Good morning, ma’am,” came the reply.
“Now, I have some exciting news for everyone,” Twilight continued before she gestured to Shari. “After some discussion with Shari, I’ve decided that we’ve reached the point where move on to the next stage of your training.”
There was a soft, but noticeable collective groan at that.
“Now, now, this is good news!” Shari grinned, almost bouncing in place from excitement. “Fate, Twilight and I will be unlocking new functionality for your Devices on a case-by-case basis. Not only will we be increasing your Devices’ performance output, we’ll also be releasing the form limiters, allowing access to new functions for your Devices!”
That seemed to have the desired effect. Twilight smiled as she listened to the Forwards mutter amongst themselves. Subaru looked pleased, while Spike and Erio shared a small fist-bump.
“We’ll be expanding your training regimen in the coming days to take these new abilities into account,” Fate added. “After all, we want you to be comfortable with the new forms before you use them in the field.”
“Until then, we’ll continue with training as usual,” Twilight concluded. “Everyone, break off into your assigned groups.”
The Forwards scattered, as did the instructors. Twilight trotted over to Teana, glancing up at the orange-haired girl. “How are you this morning, Private Lanster?”
“Fine, ma’am.” Teana checked Cross Mirage’s magazines as she spoke, not meeting Twilight’s eyes.
“Did your first session with Zafira go well?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Teana replied, slapping the magazine home with a firm ‘click.’
“Not feeling tired or anything?”
“No, ma’am. Perfectly fine. Ready for my lesson, ma’am.”
Twilight frowned slightly. She looks surprisingly alright for someone who’s only been running on… about three hours sleep? Four? “Teana…”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You’d tell me if you weren’t feeling well, right?”
“Of course, ma’am.” Teana glanced away, checking her other pistol. “Do I look like I’m sick, ma’am?”
“Well, no…”
“Then with all due respect, ma’am,” Teana interrupted as she holstered her pistol and dusted off her hands, “we should probably get to work.”
Twilight’s frown deepened and her ears folded back. “Duly noted,” she replied flatly. “Though I appreciate the candor and enthusiasm, Private Lanster, I’ll remind you not to be quite so insubordinate.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” It certainly didn’t sound like an apology. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do.” Twilight blew a stray bit of mane out of her eyes then nodded. “Very well, let’s get to work then. We’ll be working on your dual-pistol exercises today…”
---
Teana turned quickly, each pistol tracking a separate target. She shifted about, making use of her peripheral vision as she picked off the flying spheres of light swirling around her.
“Good! Now, let’s try a new set.” Twilight swished her burning horn as the targets shifted, quickly taking on new flight patterns. “Just remember Teana, always keep all of your senses open. Look, scan, aim, shoot!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Teana quickly turned and leveled her pistols, blasting a pair of targets out of the sky. She quickly turned again, firing a Variable Shot through the air and arcing it into the flight path of another target.
“That’s it! Keep it up!”
---
“Basic illusions are all well and good,” Trixie lectured as she paced before Teana. The unicorn’s horn was trailing sparkling motes of light as she spoke, the fragments forming into tiny white-and-blue fireflies that bobbed lazily in the afternoon sun. “However, you can’t just rely on those all the time. It’s never wise to use the same trick on the audience twice. That’s Trixie’s Rule Number Three, in case you’re wondering.”
“Doesn’t that contradict what you said before about letting your audience do the work?” Teana grimaced as Trixie smirked at her.
“Not at all! Sometimes, you need to put on a real show. You need to dazzle the audience. You need to make them stand in awe at your skills! Otherwise, you might end up getting hit by the things they throw at you. And trust me, your audience will have worse things than rotten tomatoes and cream pies. Now, to business! I want you to impress me, Miss Lanster. On your feet!”
---
“On your feet, Lanster!”
Teana quickly scrambled to a standing position from where she’d landed on the mat. Zafira was standing there, arms crossed, a scowl on his face.
“Whenever you’re fighting a larger foe, you cannot afford to fight fair. A larger opponent will use their strength and mass against you in order to put you down. Now, let’s go through this again. What are the key areas you need to aim for?”
---
Teana had gotten up well before Subaru was awake. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and quickly got ready, rushing through her morning prep in order to fit a few more minutes of practice in before the others started getting up.
The grass outside the barracks was slightly slick as Teana readied Cross Mirage. Hovering spheres of light sprang into existence several meters ahead of her, slowly circling and swaying in the air as she took aim. Each trigger pull set off a soft ‘ping’ as the target registered a hit and flashed out of existence. Her eyes were narrowed as she shot down each target.
The drink machine was waiting for her when she finished. One swipe of her card and a can of coffee later, she was ready to meet the others.
---
Three drones on your right, guys! Teana knelt and took aim. I’ll lay down suppressing fire while you…
No need, Carrot Top, we got this!
Teana watched as Scootaloo vaulted through the air, a sharp cone of purple light forming on one of her hooves. There was a noise like a jackhammer as she struck, the spell punching cleanly through one of the drones, then promptly spun and kicked another into the air. Subaru followed through, spiking the drone into its companion before landing and giving the pegasus a fist-to-hoof bump.
Teana growled under her breath. Focus less on celebrating and more on your surroundings! She turned her attention elsewhere. Lightning Squad, do you require any assistance?
Negative, Erio replied. Spike and I are cleaning up the last few drones right now.
Well… good. Keep doing that…
---
“Hmm…” Trixie slowly walked around Teana. Teana’s eyes were clenched tight as she concentrated, the orange spell circle around her thrumming with power. “I’m curious about something, Lanster.”
“Yes?” Teana tried not to let her stress show.
“Do you really need to keep your eyes closed like that when you’re crafting an illusion?”
“My eyes are closed because I’m concentrating,” she replied tersely.
“Mhmm.”
Teana jerked slightly as she felt a horn prod her beneath her left ribs. Her eyes snapped open as the illusion she was forming vanished in a scattering of orange mana. “What was that for?!”
“The thing about concentrating that hard, is that it leaves you open,” Trixie replied. “You can’t handle a crowd if you’re just sitting there like a lump on a log.”
“But-“
“But nothing! This is about improving your skills, Lanster, so suck it up! Now, this time, I want you to craft the illusion and keep your eyes open!”
“Yes, ma’am…”
---
“Rrrgh!” Teana squirmed in Zafira’s grip. The wolf-man’s arm was firmly wrapped around her neck, just tight enough to hurt but not so much that she couldn’t breathe.
“Focus, Lanster,” Zafira growled softly. “Remember your targets. The weak, soft spot that you need to focus on.”
Teana squirmed, then drove her elbow into Zafira’s side, right where his kidney should be.
“Good! Again!”
Her elbow stabbed in again.
“Again! Harder!”
Elbow hit side again.
“Good.” Zafira released her, letting her stumble slightly as she escaped. “Remember, your fists aren’t your only weapons. When fighting for your life, there is no such thing as a ‘cheap move.’”
---
Ping. Ping. Ping… Ping.
She ground her teeth together. Her eyes were burning, and her grip was uncertain. She almost missed that target.
She took a deep breath, then knelt down and grabbed the can of coffee and swallowed it, doing her best to ignore the taste. I don’t see how Subaru can stand this stuff, but I need the caffeine…
---
Twilight loosed another volley of shots. Teana quickly took aim and fired, her Variable Shots quickly intercepting the bolts with each pull of the trigger.
One shot, however, missed. The incoming Corona Shot streaked towards her. Teana dove and rolled to her feet as the blast landed in her previous position. She took aim again, kneeling this time. She tried to ignore Twilight’s slightly raised eyebrow.
---
“Focus, Lanster!” Trixie glared imperiously into her open eyes. “A performer must sweat and bleed for her craft while making it look effortless!”
Teana held her tongue. She could see the others practicing past Trixie’s big head and ridiculous hat. Scootaloo and Subaru were racing through a mock urban course, while Spike and Erio were sparring under Zafira’s watchful eyes.
“Focus, Lanster!”
---
“Again! Did I tell you to stop hitting, Lanster?” Zafira growled.
Teana made a strangled noise in her throat as she reached down between Zafira’s legs and clenched her fingers hard. The wolf-man only winced slightly, but nonetheless released his hold.
“Good. But that’s not the point of the exercise Lanster. Now, let’s do this again. ”
---
Ping… ping…
Teana’s hands were trembling as she took aim again. The white lights flickered in her vision as she drew a bead on the hovering targets. The trigger clicked softly as she squeezed it.
---
“Teana, are you feeling well?”
Teana nodded to Twilight. “Fine, ma’am… I’m fine.”
Twilight frowned up at her, then sighed softly. “I’m just concerned. You seemed to be moving slower than usual…”
Teana quietly cursed her bad luck. “Just having an off day, ma’am…”
---
The illusion faltered and flickered out. Sweat rolled down Teana’s neck as she slowly knelt down onto the ground, her stomach groaning softly.
Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “Giving up, Lanster?”
“N-no, ma’am… just need a second to catch my breath.”
“Hmph… take a few minutes then. Trixie is nothing if not merciful.”
---
Teana stumbled and landed in a sprawl on the practice mat. She slowly pushed herself up, even though her limbs felt like jelly.
There was the sound of heavy footsteps as Zafira walked over to her. The wolf man crouched down beside her, his nostrils flaring slightly and his red eyes focused on hers.
“…We’re done.”
“S-sir?” Teana gulped as he stood up.
“I said we’re done. You’re in no shape for practice tonight. Go back to the barracks.”
“Sir… I’m fine.” She slowly got to her feet. “I can contin-“
There was a sharp whoosh of air as Zafira moved. Teana suddenly found a very large fist hovering a scant few millimeters from her nose.
“This is not up for debate, Private Lanster,” Zafira growled softly as he withdrew his fist. “Leave now, and return to your room.”
Teana stared at him, then nodded and turned away. Her fists clenched as she exited the gymnasium.
---
Teana’s footsteps echoed slightly as she walked towards the barracks. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms, while her jaw was clenched in anger, both at herself and at the world.
I’m such an idiot… now I’ve shot myself in the foot with Zafira. She quickly turned the corner and walked down the smooth concrete path leading towards the barracks. How in the hell am I going to catch-
“Oi, Lanster.”
Teana stopped as she heard the familiar voice. She spun around as a familiar, flight-suit-wearing man approached, his hands tucked into his pockets. “What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Woah there,” Vice raised his hands defensively, “no need to get hostile. I was just saying hi, that’s all.”
“Yeah, right.” Teana glared at him. “Shouldn’t you be back at the hanger with your buddies or something?”
“Nah. The guys’re playing cards right now, and I don’t feel like losing my paycheck. Again.” Vice chuckled, then made a show of looking around. “I was just looking for the source of the target lights, that’s all.”
Teana paused. “Target lights?”
“Yeah. Basic training spell? Creates little glowing spheres for target practice?” Vice made a little shooting motion with his right hand. “Saw them this morning while I was doing my usual jog around the base. You wouldn’t happen to know about that, would you?”
Teana stared at him, then huffed and turned away. “Why should I tell you? What do you care?”
“Well, I was just wondering. Somebody getting up that early to practice marksmanship is either really behind or really putting pressure on themselves…”
“Oh shut up.” Teana snapped as she turned and glared at him. “What do you know about pressure, huh? A grease monkey like you wouldn’t understand what I’m going through! So just… just go and hop in your helicopter and buzz off! Got it?”
Vice slid his hands into his pockets, and his expression became neutral. Teana could feel his gaze on her as all pretense of friendliness melted away like an ice-cube in summer. “Okay,” he said flatly. “A word to the wise, though; the people who think they’ve got something to prove tend to be the ones that make the biggest screw-ups. Trust me on that.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
Vice shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m just a grease monkey.” He turned on his heel and walked off, hands still in his pockets. “You have a nice night, Lanster. Sleep well.”
“Tsh…” Teana turned away and stalked off. Who does he think he is?
---
“Oh, come on Subaru, even you’ve got to admit Teana’s losing it.”
Subaru didn’t reply as she walked downstairs, her hand sliding along the railing. She could hear Scootaloo following behind her. “Scoots, Tea’s fine. She’s just working through her stress…”
“Uh, yeah. I don’t buy that.” Scootaloo’s tail brushed the back of her head as she vaulted over her and landed at the base of the stairs. “Not for a second. You’re honestly telling me you see nothing wrong with how she’s behaving? She gets up before Caro does, comes in nearly at midnight and she’s been avoiding us even more than she usually does! That doesn’t set off any alarm bells?”
Subaru glanced at Scootaloo, then looked away. “I… I’ll admit, Tea can get weird sometimes, but she always has a reason. Usually.”
Scootaloo face-hoofed. “Like what, exactly?”
“I… well…” Subaru paused, scratching her head. “I don’t know…”
“Exactly!” Scootaloo stomped a hoof. “Even I can see she’s being a moron. And if Twilight catches wind of her habits, who knows what’ll happen. Come on Subaru, you’re the only one that can talk to her about this.”
Subaru sighed. “Look, if she’s really-“
There was a soft hiss as the door to the barracks opened. Both Subaru and Scootaloo turned as Teana stalked in.
“Well, look who it is, the lady of the hour,” Scootaloo said as Teana slowed her pace. The pegasus glanced over at Subaru, then gently hip-bumped her before continuing. “Decided to join us?”
“I’m really not in the mood, you oversized feather-duster,” Teana growled. “I’m just here to pick up a few things. That’s it.”
“Too bad, ‘cause I think Subaru has some things to say. Don’t you, Subaru?”
Subaru winced slightly as Teana glared at her. “Tea, are… you alright?”
“Fine. Just fine. Now get out of my way, Subaru.”
Teana began to push past her, only for Subaru to step into her path. “I said-“
“I heard what you said, Tea, but you don’t look so good.” Subaru narrowed her eyes slightly. “Have you been feeling dizzy? Any weird aches or pains? Are you feverish or-“
“I said I’m fine, Subaru. Now get out of-“
“Tea,” Subaru reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder as she tried to push by, “I’m being serious. You’re pushing your body way too hard. You’ve been getting sub-optimal amounts of rest, you haven’t been eating as much as you should, and I’m pretty sure you’ve been drinking coffee to keep your energy up. At this rate, a crash is inevitable. You’ve probably been showing symptoms of-“
“I said I’m fine. Now leave me alone, Subaru.” Teana pushed her hand away sharply. “I’m giving you an order as your Squad Leader. Drop it.”
“And I, as your friend, am going to ignore that order,” Subaru replied firmly. “Twilight told us-“
“Shut. Up. About. Twilight!”
Subaru stopped as Teana snarled at her. “Listen to yourself; Teacher’s Pet, just like you were at the Academy! Except this time you get to be right under your most favorite pony in all the world! What’s the matter, humans not good enough for you anymore, Subaru?”
“No, I just…” Subaru stepped back.
Teana stepped forward, her eyes hot with rage as her voice became louder. “Am I not good enough for you anymore? You think I wouldn’t notice how quickly you replaced me with a pony! You and Scootaloo, best friends, and you’ve only been around each other for, what, a month? Was that all it took for you to decide to just throw me away?! Well?!”
“Tea, I-“
“Hey, cut it out!” Scootaloo stepped in and pushed Teana back with her head. “I thought you were her friend!”
“Oh, shut up!” Teana snarled as she glared down at the mare. “This was probably your plan all along, wasn’t it? Not bad enough that you have to steal the show, you also have to steal my only friend too? You ponies are all alike; all cute and innocent on the outside but devious on the inside! I bet you-”
“Oh, for the love Celestia’s fluffy wings, stop acting like a rutting martyr you whiny, pig-tailed bitch,” Scootaloo snarled back. “You don’t get to blame all your problems on me just because your stupid brother got killed by a pony!”
Teana stepped back as if she’d been struck. Scootaloo’s eyes went wide and a hoof clapped over her mouth as she realized what she’d just said. A ringing silence filled the air.
“You…” Teana’s hands clenched into fists. “You… arrrrgh!”
“Tea, wait!” Subaru cried out as Teana pounced on Scootaloo. The orange pony squawked as the both of them went sprawling, Teana flailing at her even as they rolled around on the floor.
“Don’t you dare call Tiida stupid you… you…!”
“Get offa me, you maniac! Ow! Gah! Subaru, help!”
“Tea!” Subaru quickly dashed over and grabbed Teana around the waist, easily pulling Teana away and lifting her off the ground.
“Let go of me!” Teana squirmed in Subaru’s grasp. “Let me go, Subaru!”
“Tea, stop! Please! We’re all friends, right?” Subaru’s smile was desperate. “It was just a mistake. She didn’t-“
“We’re not friends, you idiot! Now let… me,” Teana swung an elbow around, slamming it into Subaru’s nose, “go!”
Subaru’s head turned slightly, slower than it should have. And slowly, Subaru let her arms go slack. Teana slid down her front and landed on her feet before turning around to face Subaru. She was panting heavily, her hair a mess and her face red from exertion.
Subaru slowly turned to look at her as blood trickled down from one nostril. That just made the hurt look on her face even worse. Tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. “We’re… not friends anymore?”
Teana stared at her as her anger slowly melted away, then turned and fled, pushing past Scootaloo before running up the stairs.
“Get back here you bitch!” Scootaloo shouted at Teana as disappeared from the stairwell before turning back to Subaru. “Uh… you… you alright?”
Subaru didn’t look at Scootaloo. She nodded numbly as she wiped her nose.
“Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an orange-haired bitch I need to buck into orbit.”
“Scoots, no…”
Scootaloo paused as she looked back at Subaru. “What? But…”
“No. No more fighting. No more.” Subaru let her arms hang at her side, her eyes hidden by her hair.
Scootaloo huffed. “Fine. But she’s not getting away with this. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m going to tell Twilight what happened. You… you cool with that?”
Subaru nodded.
“So… you’re not going to stop me?”
Subaru shook her head.
“You, uh, wanna come along? I mean, I’d get it if you don’t…”
Subaru nodded again.
Scootaloo inhaled, then sighed. “Right. Let’s get going.”
---
Twilight slowly closed her eyes and swept a hoof over the holographic display. “Raising Heart, end playback. Save the recording and forward it to Captain Harlaown’s desktop.”
“YES, MASTER.”
Twilight shook her head and looked over at a rather stone-faced Fate. “Go ahead,” Twilight said with a sigh, “you can say ‘I told you so’ if you want.”
Fate sighed as well and rested a hoof on Twilight’s withers. “I wasn’t planning on it. But really, you had to know this would happen eventually. Why else would you have them monitored?”
“I’d hoped things wouldn’t get quite this bad. Guess I was wrong.” Twilight rubbed her head gently. She was starting to develop a headache.
“So, what’re your plans?”
“First, get some aspirin. After that, I’m going to meet with Subaru and Scootaloo. Meanwhile, I need you to tell Chrono.”
Fate nodded. “Done.”
Twilight glanced at her, then quirked an eyebrow as Fate smirked slightly. “What?”
“As bad as this sounds, sister, I’m actually looking forward to Vita’s reaction to all this.”
“Fate, if you tell her anything, I’ll have no choice but to do terrible, unspeakable things to you in retaliation.”
“Consider me properly terrified,” Fate replied as she stood. “I’ll go talk to Chrono.”
Twilight shooed her away with a wave of a hoof, then inhaled through her nostrils and counted to ten as she heard the door shut. “Alright Twilight,” she muttered to herself, “This is a friendship problem. You can work with friendship problems. You’re good at friendship problems. You got this.”
Hopefully she did have it. Otherwise, Stars Squad would be better named ‘Falling Star Squad.’