The last rays of sunlight streaked across Ponyville as the guests filed out of Town Hall. It had been a long day for all of us, especially for our resident heroines. For me, these past several hours had been…revealing, to say the least. I’ve known all along that the Bug Bear would find me one day, but it didn’t soften the blow one bit. I made the split decision of telling my best friend Lyra what I’ve been hiding all this time. She deserved the right to know. She was upset at first of course, but we managed to work it out before the wedding of the century began.
She accompanied me on the journey home and neither of us said a word. The distant chatter and music were the only sounds that reached my ears. There are still a lot of things running through my mind, and a bitter taste begins to work its way inside my mouth.
“Heeey, silly fillies!” Pinkie Pie shouts, bouncing past us. Long streamers covered her body, some dangling from her tangled mane. "You guys are totally missing out on the tug of war between Celestia's and Luna's guards!"
Lyra and I snort as Pinkie bounced away. It’s almost hard to believe that somepony that just spent an entire day fighting off a monster could still contain all that energy. She would make a remarkable spy…
We come at the crossroad that signifies our parting of ways. She lived down the road on the left, and I on the right. Lyra opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “Lyra, you can never tell anypony else what I told you today.”
Lyra laughed. “Well, duh,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like I was planning to!”
I move in front of her and lean in, making sure I had her full attention. “I mean it. This job I have…it’s a dangerous one. I’ve made a lot of enemies in my run, and they never hesitate in trying to destroy me.”
Lyra frowned. “I thought as much.” Her eyes gazed off into another direction before focusing back on me. “You know, I wasn’t prepared for somepony close to me to live a precarious lifestyle like that. It’s wasn't like Twilight, or Applejack, or Rainbow Dash. Any one of those mares could get seriously hurt one day and never come back, and everypony knows it, deep down.”
Tears start to bloom in the corners of her eyes. “And now I find out that you’re in just as much danger as they are whenever you leave? You’re like the sister I never had… I can’t lose you like that! They have a duty to Equestria, not you!”
My expression softened. She always took things harder than I did. “I…I’m sorry, but…I do have a duty to Equestria, Lyra. I swore an oath. I’m dedicated to what I do. The only difference is that the only ponies that know about it are just a select few.”
She sniffled as I gave her a warm hug.
“If any monster or creature against me finds out who I am, and knows that you’re my best friend…they’ll use you to get to me. And I can’t let that happen. I won’t.”
After a while, we slowly break apart. “Do you understand now?” I ask gently.
Lyra wipes her eyes with a shaky hoof. “….No,” she sighs. “But I want to…I really want to…”
Smiling, I drape an arm over her shoulders. “Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? Maybe you’ll feel better about it in the morning We’ll talk more over breakfast. Discreetly, of course.”
“...Table two?”
I nodded firmly. “Table two. I promise.”
When I get home, I’m exhausted. I’m not even kidding, like, I don’t even have the energy to make a small taffy treat. I managed to drag myself through my bedtime routine and hit the sheets. My bed felt like a cloud. The bug bear could come back and attack me right now, and I wouldn’t even care. My eyes close for awhile, and I was about to fall asleep when…
Knock knock knock!
Horse apples.
“We’re closed!” I called, throwing a pillow over my head. “Whatever it is, come back in the morning!"
And by morning, I meant afternoon.
Knock knock knock!
With an irritated groan, I got up and went all the way up to the door in a huff. “This had better be g—"
My tongue went numb the minute I opened the door. It was a pizza pony levitating a flat cardboard box. Her voice is as flat as soda when she speaks. “Delivery.”
My senses heighten to a hundred. This…can’t be happening. My throat is as dry as sandpaper, but I manage to croak out, “I’m sorry…you’ve got the wrong house.”
The pony nods. “My mistake.”
I stare as the pony trots away. When the last of her tail disappears, I close the door shut and lean against it, panting hard. In all these years of hiding, I never thought that this would happen again. I didn’t think I’d be found. But I was wrong. Very wrong.
I’m being summoned to Canterlot.
The ride here was like a walk through a clouded dream. Faces were nothing but colored blurs to me, and every move, every step forward, made me feel like a puppet on strings. The sensation couldn’t be closer to my own reality, it seemed.
I walk through the clean, polished streets of Canterlot inconspicuously. It was still very late at night, but a lot ponies were still milling about. Not like back at home, where the only reason for going out at such an hour would be a social meeting, or going out for a midnight snack, or just late night stargazing.
No, this was nothing like comfy cozy little Ponyville where everypony knew your name. This was the upper class, full of upper class ponies, who have deadlines, meetings, appointments. In Canterlot, there was always somepony you have to meet, somewhere you have to go, things that need delivering—nothing can wait until tomorrow the time is now.
I’ve become more like them than I realized. I suppose I can’t help it, being born here and all. The night grows chillier despite the scarf tied around my neck. I come up to my destination, noting that the lights were still on. Despite the warm glow the building gives off, it failed to put me at ease. I adjust my dark hat and push the door open. The bell jingles, and a stallion behind the counter looks up from polishing a bowl. He smiled that knowing smile as I step inside.
“Miss Sweetie Drops. Been a long time.”
I smiled upon hearing my real name. “Doughnut Joe. It has, hasn’t it?”
“Still like Raspberry frosted Doughnuts with sprinkles?”
I took off my hat and placed it on the counter. “You remembered.”
“Of course.”
I followed him into the back room behind the milkshake canisters, which was filled with boxes of toppings such as chocolate chips, nuts, candy and sprinkles. Doughnut Joe closed the door behind him with his magic and locked it. Then he turned on the single light bulb that hung in the middle of the ceiling.
We both drop the act when we stare into each other’s eyes. “You’re in a lot of trouble, Agent,” he said curtly.
I blinked. “For wha—"
“Cut the act, Drops!” he interrupted loudly. “Explain this. How does a top-notch spy such as yourself reveal yourself to another pony after six years of deep cover?!” A shocked gasp escapes me before I can stop myself. His stern eyes bore into mine as he waits. “Well?”
“I-I…how did you know?”
“Headquarters found out.”
I shake my head. “There is no headquarters. Not anymore. It was destroyed by the Bug Bear, remember?”
“It was. Until four years ago, when Side Step came out of hiding and rebuilt the whole thing.”
My mind starts to reel. Side Step used to be the head operator of the agency. He was…pretty ruthless when he was in charge. There were only a few ponies that he was somewhat nice to, me included. And I didn’t even like him. But one thing I can say about Side Step, he was a good leader. He made sure that everypony did their job, and did it right.
“S-Side Step is back in power?”
Joe nods. “And his trust level is even lower than you remember. He usually sends his personal spies to keep a close eye on his agents.”
“And one of them overheard me,” I groan.
“What were you thinking?”
“I… guess I wasn’t.” I admit.
Joe snorts. “You got that right. Remember what Princess Celestia told you on the first day? The number one rule that she entrusted you to follow?!”
I look away, ashamed.
“Complete deniability! And you go and gab about it to your gal pal about it in plain sight! Do you know how foolish that makes you seem?”
“…Pretty foolish,” I said quietly.
“And now we’ve got bigger problems on our hooves.”
My head snapped up. “What, am I made?”
“No. Your identity is safe, for now. But Sweetie…” He shakes his head slowly. “Ponies up in HQ are not happy with you.”
I shift my weight onto my right hoof, trying to mask my growing fear as much as possible. “Well. They kept their presence a secret for all these years without so much as a card. I’m not very happy with them either.”
“Listen to what I’m saying to you, Agent,” Joe hissed. “They don’t want to be found out about under any circumstances. Now that a random citizen of Ponyville knows about what we do…Sweetie, they’re considering a hit job.”
Ever know that feeling you get when you fall from some great height, and when you land, that weird numbing, tingling sensation jolts its way up your legs? I felt it then, all over my entire body. I didn’t even notice how far I had stumbled backward. “They…they can’t…”
“Yes. They can,” Joe sighed. “It hasn’t been made official, but its under heavy consideration.”
“I have to stop them!” I cried out, lunging for the door.
I stop abruptly when he grabs my arm. “You can’t, Sweetie…”
I yank and twist my arm, but he has an iron grip on me. “Let go, Joe!”
“You’re in enough trouble as it is!”
“I DON’T CARE!” I screamed, tears forming in my eyes. “Lyra’s innocent, she’s just a unicorn! She won’t tell anypony—she’s my BEST FRIEND, I WON’T LET THEM KILL HER!”
“They don’t care about that, Sweetie Drops,” Joe said softly. “To them, she’s a threat.” I continued to fight against him. “You’re not supposed to know about this!”
I stopped pulling, knowing it was useless and started to sob. “Then why…why tell me, Joe?”
He immediately pulled me into a strong hug. “Because you’re the only pony in this agency I can trust. You’ve been there for me…countless times before. Felt like I owed this one thing to you.”
I buried my face into his apron. Joe, Doughnut Joe, my handler for as long as I’ve been a spy. Being sompony as young and inexperienced as I was, I had to work my way up the ladder. When everypony else doubted me, he gave me the confidence to grow. He gave me my assignments, taught me everything I know now. He was my rock, and he always will be.
“If you try to stop this, Sweetie…it’ll put you in more danger than ever before,” he whispered tremulously.
I stare up into his eyes and nuzzle him. “I know.” We slowly pull away, and I open the door before looking back. “Thanks for the memories, Joe.” With that, I bolt out, retrieve my hat, and exit the Doughnut Shop. I break out into a full gallop, earning strange looks from ponies as I pass. I couldn’t care less. I can still save her…I know I can.
“Well, this changes everything, Lyra,” Berry Punch quips. I bite my lip and turn away. “How long has she been working for them?”
“Years,” I reply quietly. “She didn’t say how many.”
Berry gives a light laugh. “Well, three years, five years, what does it matter? What matters is that we’ve got the dirt on her. This is a truly a golden opportunity Lyra!”
I look up indifferently. “For what?”
“For what? It means we can actually take them down! Our agencies have been at war for decades, both have only been able to deliver subtle blows to one another over the years, but now…now the answer to our problems lies within Special Agent Sweetie Drops.”
I wince at the mention of my friend’s real name. “I-I had no idea she was a spy, especially not for them,” I stammer.
“Oh, don’t trouble yourself about that,” Berry said dismissively. “The good part is, now that she’s revealed her secret identity to you, we can use her as a source for information.”
I look up at her, shocked. “You’re asking me to betray my best friend?”
Berry stares at me before breaking out in laughter. “B-Best friend! Hahaha! Oh, Lyra, grow up! She’s not your friend period! She’s a means to an end, and nothing more. Get it together, Hotstrings.”
My voice leaves me. Yes, I’m a spy too, working for the very agency that Bon Bon is fighting so hard against. Instead of fighting monsters, we set them free. It might sound wrong, but it didn’t seem that way when I was first recruited. I really had no choice, with my parents working for that exact agency.
They trained me before they retired. They told me that they wanted me to become the best of my ability. But it wasn’t the secrecy of it all that drew me in. It was the cause. Monsters and creatures of large stature have been treated horribly in Equestria, and when Princess Celestia locks them away, we’re the ones that turn them loose. That’s why so many monsters are roaming free like they are today, especially the Bug Bear.
When I was a filly, I always thought we were helping innocent creatures that couldn’t help themselves, but as I grew up, I realized that it was doing more harm than good. But I couldn’t leave. Nopony leaves until their bodies aren’t able anymore, like my parents.
I’m not a fighter, to be honest. So when our leader needed sompeony to move into a small town to serve as an insider, I took the job right away. I didn’t have to do much pretending to become one with the community. I blended in perfectly, just like I had hoped. Whenever a monster is set loose, much like the dragon in the cave, the Ursa minor, and the chimera, I would sit a certain way so that a pegasus ally from far off into the clouds could see if the job was successful or not. I mostly just worked, and didn’t have many friends until Bon Bon came into town. And I always thought she was the normal one out of us two…
When she told me her secret identity, I played it as cool as possible and went along as the confuzzled friend that didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. And I was! But inside...I was panicking. I knew what this meant for me and her, and how much trouble we could really get into.
“Please, Berry,” I say. “Don’t make me do this to Bon Bon, she—"
“Why are you fighting me on this? And you’re still using that name. It’s fake, Lyra, an alias. She deceived you, and yes, I’ll admit she got me too. But you’ve been a part of this much longer than you’ve ever known Sweetie Drops. Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft…”
She saw the disdain expression that was sure to be on my face and sighed. “Look. You think it’s easy for me, playing the town drunk for all these years?”
I swallow hard and shake my head no.
“No, it’s not! But it’s all for a purpose, Lyra. What we do is important, more important than any bond we’ve forged with these ponies during our time here.”
She comes closer and uses her hoof to lift up my chin. “I’m not asking you to do anything drastic. You’re still a young mare. I know she’s important to you, but you have an obligation Lyra. All I’m asking is that you keep playing the wide-eyed innocent friend who’s always there to listen whenever she feels the need to vent.” She looks at me pointedly. “Understood?”
I bit the inside of my cheek before croaking out, “Understood.”
Berry smiled and released my chin. “Good. Now go home and get some rest. You have an important breakfast with her tomorrow.”
Walking through the darkened streets of Ponyville, I have to admit, I was pretty conflicted. On one hoof, I have a duty to an agency that I practically grew up working for. On the other hoof, I have a friendship, a strong bond with a pony that has been there for me when I needed her most. But my parents always used to tell me to follow my gut and listen to my heart before anything else.
So what does my heart say?
I set my jaw determinedly. I’ve made up my mind. I can’t betray Bon Bon, I just can’t. Tomorrow, at table two, I’ll tell her the truth. Who knows? Maybe we can put our ingenious spy-heads together and come up with a plan. And maybe even come up with our own secret agency!
I smiled to myself. I could see that happening.
But I what I didn’t see was the sharp spear speeding towards my head.