//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Truth 
// Story: TEK: The Beginning 
// by Jet Fly 
//------------------------------//

“Finally, we get some answers and not some two-bit fib," Shade whispered to Jet as they followed the Princess down the seemingly endless maze of hallways back to the castle.

“You know how much I hate lies."

“Calm down. I'm sure the Princess has a completely logical reason for all of this. It has to be big. But yeah, I'm excited too. We're finally getting what we came for," Jet whispered back as the trio finally made their way back to the familiar white walls and marble floor of the castle.

“Come, I am sure you both have many questions. Let us go to my private quarters. What we must discuss is of utmost importance, and could very well decide the fate of Equestria."

“...What...?"

Both stallions deadpanned as they momentarily stopped in their tracts to take in what the Princess just said. Jet stuttered as she turned to Shade.

“S-she can't be serious... can she?"

“Only one way to find out."

Shade's frown grew deeper and he continued to make his way back to the Princess, who had covered a lot of ground during their pause. Jet lingered back for some time until he finally shook his head and took off into the air to catch up.

After finally making it to Princess Celestia's room, she quickly closed and locked the room door. Though Jet couldn't tell, Shade felt a magical barrier work its way around the room.

“Why so much security, Princess?"

Shade let a small smirk show on his face.

"Scared that somepony will hear us?"

But the look on Celestia's face told him that she was all business, and in no mood to joke. The smile on his face fell back into his usual grim frown after seeing her state.

“What we are about to discuss is top secret, and is only known by myself and a select few. The real reason I held the trial was because..."

She trailed off as Jet and Shade leaned in closer in anticipation.

“...I needed to find the best pair of ponies this school could offer. I needed to push them to their very limit. To see how they worked under pressure. To see how they worked together. To see if they had what it takes."

Celestia made her way over to a small projector as she explained. Jet remained confused.

“But Princess, you still haven't told us why were here. All of this, for what?"

“Before I tell you why, you must first come to understand."

Taking the small projector in her magic, she activated the machine. She then closed the curtains so that they could see the picture it displayed on the wall clearer. The illuminated picture on Celestia's wall was quite strange. It was unlike anything Shade had ever seen. But Jet almost immediately recognized it.

“A Changeling?"

“Indeed."

Shade, however, was completely lost.

“...Um... What's a Changeling?"

Taking the honor upon himself, Jet answered him.

“A Changeling is a quadrupedal, insectoid-pony-like creature. They almost always travel in swarms. They have tough outer scales covering their entire body. But what makes them really unique is that they feed on love, literally as their food source. And the fact that they can change their shape and size to change into almost any animal they want separates them from anything else in nature. A pony, a cat, a dog, pretty much anything. They do this to find those whose love they can feed off of."

“I-I don't understand..."

“Think of it this way: let's say you have a very special somepony you love very much. You give this pony all your love. In reality, this pony could be this-"

Jet gestured to the image.

"-simply pretending to love you back. But in reality your just a food source. It takes your love, and magically transforms it into usable energy."

“That's... really creepy. To know that someone you love could be a bug thing..."

Shade shuddered as he imagined Fluttershy possibly being anything like that.

“Yeah, it is creepy. But they haven't been spotted in about a century..."

Celestia frowned as she began to explain more.

“That's what makes this image so important. A long time ago, I banished the Changelings to a faraway land, and it has remained that way for a long time. But... this picture was taken last week, near the Everfree Forest."

Jet's eye widened drastically.

“WHAT? T-THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! Because when there's one..."

Jet trailed off as the realization dawned on him. Celestia completed the equation for him.

“...There are hundreds. This image could signify the beginning of a war. But it's not just the changelings. Manticores, Dragons, Cockatrices; they are all major threats. I'd usually send the royal guard to take care of such situations, but they can't always handle some of the tasks needed. And while the elements of Harmony are very capable, I don't always want the public to know about such things, to prevent mass panic, and they are still very new, having just brought my sister back. That's why I need something more. An elite team of warriors who can take care of threats quick and efficiently. And be able to infiltrate hostile territory to gain information. But to the public, they will be regular everyday ponies, carrying out their business. This team will be called the Taskforce of Equestrian Knowledge, or TEK for short. That's why I held the trials - so I could find the perfect ponies for the job."

Shade and Jet soaked in Celestia's words for a moment, coming to understand what she explained.

“So, let me get this straight. You want me and Shade here to fight evil and protect the country in the name of justice and everything that's right."

The Princess nodded at Jet's question.

“Can we have a moment?"

“Of course. This is a lot to take in. Remember, you are not inclined to do anything. I will not force you to do something you don't want to do. But, I would greatly appreciate your bravery, and all of Equestria would benefit from it. "

Celestia made her way to a corner of the room, leaving Jet and Shade to discuss with each other.

“I think we should do it," Shade frankly stated after Celestia was out of earshot.

“You seem pretty confident. But why? Don't you know we could be killed? I'm not too sure..."

Shade closed his eyes and sighed deeply before responding.

"Jet, look... I never told you about this, but after I left home, for two months I had to fight to survive in the Everfree Forest. I saw and did some things that still haunt me, and I would never wish such tortures on anypony..."

Jet was almost speechless at hearing this. Shade NEVER talked about when he left Ponyville.

"Wow, Shade... you... you never talk about what happened before you came here..."

"It's not a story I like to tell. My point is, if I had an opportunity to protect somepony from such things, I would. Now we both have this opportunity. We can save lives, Jet. Sure we won't get a lick of credit for any of it, but does it really matter? We're helping ponies, and that's what really counts."

“Whoa... your right. But before we agree to anything, let's see what we'll have to do, where we'll do it, and how we'll do it."

Motioning for the Princess to come back over, Jet asked what this job would mean, and what would happen if they accepted the offer.

“You would secretly train here for a year and a half after your classes - learning to fight, work together, and use powers you never thought possible. After you graduate, I will assign you both two separate places to go to try to find other worthy members to join TEK. Then you and your fellow members will become stationary at one location. I will assign you missions personally, and you will answer to no-pony but me, and perhaps my sister when she comes to terms with modern society. You will all be given monthly pay from myself, and any other help you may need. You will also be given unrestricted access to the Canterlot Archives and library."

“That sounds... really well thought out, Shade, are you sure you want to do this?"

Shade nodded with a determined look on his face.

“For the first time in a long time, I'm actually positive of something."

“Well then, we accept your offer Princess."

“Excellent!" Celestia said with a giant smile.

“I knew you both would accept! You two are a rare breed. Smart, strong, and confident. I always secretly knew you two were the right ponies. You make quite the capable team."

Shade and Jet both looked at each other and nodded.

“Where do we start?"