//------------------------------//
// Change of Plans 
// Story: Celestia's Clandestine 
// by Ashtree and Tealove 
//------------------------------//

		"Stop them!" Thunderclap roared then the building burst into an echo of booming gun shots.
"Go!" Bon-Bon cried, pushing Tealove off the staircase when she hesitated, causing the mare to tumble t the ground and crash into a dazed heap.
"GO!" 
Tealove scrambled to her hooves then lunged after Big Mac and Bon-Bon as her heart pounded wildly inside her collapsing chest. Not one word but this could form in her brain-DEAD. The ponies ran, Tealove dove behind tables and chairs as bullets rained down on them, she desperately looked for something to use as a weapon, but (thanks Bon-Bon!) a grappling hook wasn't going to cut it. Then somepony shrieked. 
"BON-BON!" Tealove cried as one of the night guard stallions took her friend around the neck, raised his gun, Tealove charged, then-
"NO!!"
Bon-Bon's ragged cry echoed through the building and it stabbed at Tealove to hear it, but Bon-Bon hadn't been shot. Tealove had. Straight through the head. 
"TEALOVE!!!" Bon-Bon gave a blood curdling scream, but to her friend, the sound was muffled and the world seemed to be growing distant as she fell down, down, down, until she made contact with the ground in a splash of blood. 
Tealove was instantly enveloped in an unbearable pain, pain so sharp and overpowering that, at the same time, she could barely feel a thing. It was as if the mare was being put under, lowered slowly into a deep, heavy sleep that would never allow her to wake, to see the light of day. Tealove struggled to open her eyes as the tormenting noise around her grew fainter, but it was as if her eyelids were weighed down with the very demons of death, forcing her to out from her marred body. She felt herself rising, mane flowing, then, like a punch square in the muzzle, Tealove was clean, whole. 
She opened her eyes and was almost blinded by the celestial light surrounding her. White. Everywhere. With just a hint of gold. She was alone. Silence. Slow motion as if she were stepping through water. No sign of life. Nopony. 
"Hello?" Tealove forced the words from her throat, but even  that sound was muffled as if she were taking into a pillow, "Is anypony there?"
Her mane and tail flowed behind as Tealove slowly trotted on what seemed to be just air, she searched hopelessly for a way back to the Brokes, back to her friends, but had no clue what had happened. (Saw Bon-Bon, see gun, run forward....wait....) then it hit her (I'm dead) and just as it dawned on her, a burst of black light spun onto the blank canvas, sucking in the pure white surrounding it and pulled Tealove closer to its depths. 
"No!" Tealove clawed desperately at the non-existent ground, but the endless black was drawing her closer, licking at her heels, growling hungrily as Tealove screamed for help- then it stopped. The suction released and the mare was left lying in a disgruntled heap, somehow managing to be amused seeing as her mane was still flowing above her, then a movement within the black light caused her to jump back onto her hooves. (What is-?) 
Bon-Bon. Big Mac. The Brokes. The whole scene was taking place in the swirling black hole's center, allowing Tealove to oversee the destruction from a bird's eye view. 
The mare's heart clenched when she spotted Flare amidst the hub bub, bucking Big Mac in the face, spraying blood across the slek floor. Tears quickly rose to her eyes, then she caught sight of Sugar Kiss on the staircase balcony, acting as a sniper. Tealove instantly began boiling with rage (how could I have ever trusted her?! Everything she gave, everything she helped with, all the things we told her!), but when one of her bullets grazed Bon-Bon's leg, Tealove cried out, broke down and started crying. It was what she saw next though that stopped her heart.
In a pool of crimson blood was a mare in a skin tight, black suit- (me). It was true. She was dead.
"So. Are you gonna do anything now?"
Tealove choked on her tears almost jumping out of her coat, shrieking with surprise. 
Only inches from her side was standing a tall, slender, gray mare with a flowing mane of green, lue, black and yellow. Her eyees sucked Tealove straight into their deep silver-blue shine, her hooves were splattered with what seemed like black paint, the same pattern at the tips of her large, strong wings. Tealove couldn't even breathe.
"M..."
The beautiful mare seemed to glow as a small smile spread across her face.
"Mom?"
"Cute-Tea."
"Mom!!" Tealove burst into tears and flung herself into her mother's arms, sobbing so hard it hurt, and soaking in the warmth, the love and the sweet rain and pine tree scent she'd spent countless years longing for. Tealove felt her mother's wings pull her closer, then a single tear from her loving mom's face dripped to her daughter's shoulder and Tealove began crying harder. 
"Oh, Love," her mom breathed gently into Tealove's ear, "You've done so good...I couldn't be prouder."
It took Tealove several minutes though to be able to form a sentence without bursting back into tears, "I can't believe..I'm so..Mom! Oh, I love you so much more than I made it look! I'm sorry for all the times I didn't let you kiss me before going to school, and the times I got mad at you for calling me Cute-Tea in public, and when I-"
"Oh, Tea," her mother laughed heartily (oh, she never was one to let emotional moments last), "I know you are! And I honestly don't care..I just..am so happy to see you! And hug you! And..hear your voice."
Tealove struggled not to break down again, "But...oh, Mom, why did you let yourself die?! I can never forgive myself for letting you-"
"No," her mom interrupted, "I let myself die. Because I knew you had lots more to do in life than I did."
"But..." Tealove's lip began trembling, "all those years of crying myself to sleep..ugh," she quickly wiped her eyes, "Sorry, I'm just...having a hard time not being mad at you or..exploding into tears."
"I know how you feel," her mom nodded with grin, "I had to deal with that for ten years raising you, so-"
"Hey!" 
The two began giggling, adding some bright color to the endless white masterpiece, then the older mare gave her daughter a little shove.
"Oh, hush, child, you know I love you."
"I'll try to remember that," Tealove sniffled away her frown, "So where's dad?"
"Ah," her mother looked upward, "Off serving his mission in a lesser glory. I was given specific instruction to come and talk with you..."
"Ah," Tealove echoed, looked up at the white sky, confusion, "So..he's not coming to see me?"
"Oh, Cute-Tea," she pulled her filly close, "He's going to be heart broken when I tell him after he returns, but he's off doing the work..to help ponies like you so one day they'll be able to live in the highest glory..forever with their families...you understand?"
Tealove wiped her nose, "Not really,...but I'd want him to do that for my family, so..when can we go see him?"
"Dear," her mother's expression softened with sadness, "I haven't come to welcome you to this place."
Tealove's heart skipped a beat. (She can't be sending me back...I don't belong there! Not as much here at least..but my family! Mom and dad and Aunt Raz-ama-taz and Grandpa Ivory...but Bon-Bon. Big Mac...surely they'd understand..and they're sure to join us here soon enough! Oh, Tea, you horrible hay bag! Wishing your friends to die...but they'd..understand...)
Tears slowly began welling back into her eyes.
"Tealove," her mother firmly said, wrapping her wing tightly around her daughter, "You have much to do, so much to do! You have no idea what's left for you, and I know that's..scary at times, but..oh, Cute-Tea..."
The two embraced as Tealove let out another stream of tears.
"I'll be sure to tell your dad that..you say hi," the mother promised, smoothing back the mare's flowing mane, "But this isn't goodbye. You know I'm always-"
"I know!" Tealove angrily sobbed, "You're always there! In the house, in my heart-well, I can't live like that anymore! You're..you're never there for me!!" 	
The older mare waited until Tealove had cried herself dry and was left to just hiccup, then she whispered carefully into her ear, "Tealove. You have no idea how many lives you've changed just by staying alive. You've made mistakes, you've felt that and loads more pain, and you've enduring years, years that I regret, alone."
Tealove trembled as her mother took her hooves and locked into her gaze.
"But you know what else you've felt?" her mother asked, "Love. Power. Bravery. Hard work. Sacrifice. Loyalty. Friendship because family wasn't there, and you know what? That's all that matters."	
The younger mare, feeling no older than a school filly, sniffled, "But..I never-"
"You are strong, Tealove," her mother confirmed, "Stronger and more powerful than many mares I know...and when you're up here, you know everypony, so..nopony can do what you can do. You are irreplaceable and necessary to this mortal plan. I believe in you. Your dad believes in you. Everypony, and I mean everypony, believes in you, is cheering you on, and we're always here for you. True, you can't see us, but.."
Tealove's lip began quivering again, but her mom put a gentle hoof under her chin to stop it.
"Guardian angels."
Tealove wiped her eyes, "What?"
"Guardian angels," she repeated, "For every good deed you do, for every pony you help, you gain one more Guardian angel. One of your relatives, in fact, and they watch over you, protect you as long as you choose the right. They can guide you, prompt you with their whispers, and they're always there for company..so you're never alone. Do you understand, Love?"
This time, Tealove soaked in her mother's words and managed a nod, "Yah..I do..but..Mom? Are you one of my..Guardian angels?"
Her mother smiled," Of course I am, Love. And I'm always there, always watching, listening..and you'd better be good or I'll have to report you to-"
"Mom," Tealove gave the mare a gentle push, but quietly giggled with her. Then the realm fell silent. Except it wasn't silent.
From the swirling black hole came the muffled sounds of Big Mac and Bon-Bon's battle back in Equestria. Tealove gazed down at her friends, watched the tears and blood fly, saw the way Big Mac dove to protect her body from being covered by a bookshelf that suddenly collapsed. She felt her mother's warm fur brushing against her shoulder. 
Then Tealove turned to face her.
"I'm going," she whispered.
This time her mother's eyes filled with tears, "That's my Cute-Tea."
Tealove allowed her mom to squeeze her one last time, then she took on last breath of her rain and pine tree aroma and turned back to the black, pooling light. 
She took in a deep breath, gazed down at the world she was about to return to, then she peered back at her mother. The graceful mare seemed to fading, growing to match the white landscape. Tealove gave a gentle smile. Her mother returned the farewell with a grin then by lowering her head to a bow. Then Tealove returned her attention ahead. She didn't glance back to see if her mom was still watching because she knew she was, even if she couldn't see her.
And with one last breath, Tealove plunged into the black depths of her future. 

Tealove gasped, choked for air. Her head throbbed, but only the slightest. Her legs felt like jelly, she was the dirtiest she'd ever been in her whole life, but she was alive.The sharp, metallic scent of blood filled her nose. Splinters of wood and shards of glass paved the ground also scattered with bullets. Gunshots, cries of pain, screams of rage, the rash of wood, the shatter of glass all filled the thickening atosphere. She was ready.
In one swift movement, Tealove rose to her hooves, ran blindly into the fight, screaming her battle cry, then she instantly collided with Thunderclap. 
"Tealove!" she heard Bon-Bon exclaim, but all the mare's attention was on her dumb struck opponent. 
"What the-!?" the black stallion stammered, but was cut off when Tealove bucked him straight in the gut. 
"Go!" Tealove screamed to her friends who'd been frozen with shock, and before she could give more direction, she was tackled to the ground by Sugar Kiss.
"Coming back from the dead, are we?" she snarled and punched her viticm's eye. 
Tealove's vision burst burst into a million colored pixels then she blindly kicked out and by the yelp Sugar Kiss gave, she'd hit on target. 
“Stop!” somepony bellowed as Tealove rose to her hooves over a cowering Sugar Kiss, then Flare bucked her with bone breaking force straight in the flank. 
Tealove’s legs instantly gave out and she collapsed only to be hit again in the chest. She gasped for air, head spinning, then Flare rose a third time to strike, but was clubbed in the head by Big Mac and fell to the floor, unconscious. 
“Stop them!!” a strangled cry from Thunderclap echoed as Big Mac pulled Tealove toward the exit where Bon-Bon was holding a beeping, black metallic disc.
“Go!” the mare shoved her two friends into the small stone chamber by the door as the two Broke guards charged toward them.
“Come on!” Tealove called to Bon-Bon as their pursuers raised their guns, her disc’s beeping growing faster, but Bon-Bon waited until the stallions were only feet away, then she threw the disc like a Frisbee as hard as she could. 
“RUN!” 
But before the three could get farther than the brick alley exit, the whole right wall exploded.Fire, smoke, and rubble shot out and Tealove was slammed against the opposite wall, but she hadn’t hit brick. Her head was against fur scented with fresh apples, one large, protecting hoof was wrapped around her and when the mare dared to look up, Big mac was looking right back at her. 
Tealove suddenly went limp in the stallion’s arms. The warmth, the safety, everything seemed to be perfect, but that was until the night guards burst from the explosion. 
“GET THEM!”
The ponies shot down the alley, dodging bullets, then they broke into the streets and galloped, full speed, into the traffic. The skid of tires, the flash of lights, and the scream of angry drivers filled the cold night air as the chase continued into deserted streets that weaved the ponies through the city. They skid around corners, slammed into walls, plowed over trash cans, then the sirens of police cars were added to the screaming night. 
Tealove’s heart was racing. Her limbs felt like they were going to fall off, her heart couldn’t pump blood fast enough, she was going to faint. The noise around her echoed within her pounding ahead, she began to stumble over her own hooves, then the police car skid onto the street, joining the chase. 
“Stop in the name of Celestia!” a mare’s voice blared from behind them, but Big Mac didn’t even slow down, so Tealove pushed on, fighting off the sickening urge to puke. Dots were splashing into her vision as the three swung around another corner and then- dead end. 
The asphalt cut at Tealove’s hooves as she skid to a stop, almost coming nose to nose with a brick wall. The police car spun to a stop then  three cops galloped out to join the two Broke guards. Bon-Bon, Big Mac and Tealove pressed close together as five guns were pointed at each of their heads.
“Outnumbered again,” one of the guards snarled.
“End of the line, you three!” the lead police mare barked, “Now come quietly or we’ll fire!”
“Bon-Bon,” Tealove warned under her breathe as the other mare began fiddling with her belt.
“Quiet!” the police shouted, “You there! Set down those weapons or-!”
PLOOF. 
The alley exploded into a rainbow of multicolored smoke. Tealove coughed violently as cries arose from their attackers, then Big Mac took hold of her hoof, which Tealove was surprised to see was glowing. 
“What are you-?”
Big Mac’s eyes were alight, his hooves above the ground, and with a giant blast of gold, a swirling portal was formed on the wall behind them. 
"Jump in!" the stallion shouted as the smoke began to fade, then the police ponies saw what was happening.
"STOP!" the lead mare commanded.
Tealove hopped into the portal after Big Mac, Bon-Bon following her, then the light started shifting, spinning and morphing their bodies into the brightness as the dark alley slowly faded and their hotel room began to appear at the opposite end of the vortex. Tealove just started to relax when Bon-Bon screamed.
"You're not getting away!!" It was the police, holding onto Bon-Bon's hind hoof and pulling her back toward the alley.
"Help!!!" she shrieked as she began slipping from the portal's light.
"Hold on!!" Tealove shouted and lunged to grab Bon-Bon's hooves, then began pulling as hard as she could, "Big Mac, help!"
The stallion quickly came to her assistance, but at the same time, the other two police and night guards were rushing forward and now had a hold on both Bon-Bon's legs.
"I'm slipping!" Bon-Bon cried.
"Just hold on!" Tealove ordered, but she felt the portal sucking her away from its entrance, farther from her friend.
Bon-Bon struggled to kick out at the ponies pulling her back, but that only caused Tealove to loose her grip and was soon only holding onto one of Bon-Bon's hooves.
"It's..shutting!" Big Mac shouted as the portal began closing in on Bon-Bon.
"Then..make it stop!!" Tealove screamed back, but it was too late. The portal pulled her back. Bon-Bon's hoof slipped and the last thing Tealove heard was a scream, saw the mare fall to the cement ground, then Tealove and Big Mac were thrown onto the carpet of their suite, tumbling back until they crashed into the wall. Then the golden portal was whisked away and all was dark.
It took her a moment to process everything, then Tealove jumped to her hooves, "Bon-Bon!" she shrieked, running in circles where the portal had been just seconds ago, but it was gone. Bon-Bon was gone.
"No, no, no, no," Tealove sunk to the ground, choking on tears, "Mac! What are we going to do?! We have to go back and-!"
"It's too late," the stallion cut her off miserably, "They'd have already taken her off..no clue where."
"We at least have to try and rescue her!" Tealove pressed, "Maybe they'll put her in jail, or...what if the Brokes have her?! We should check the prison first...I have no clue where that is, but...or the Headquarters! Except it exploded, so..."
Big Mac placed a hoof on the mare's shoulder. Tealove looked into his eyes and quickly fell silent. She knew his answer. 
There was nothing they could do. Nothing except wait and hope that Princess Celestia knew what to do. 

****************************************************************************************************************

Canterlot castle. The library. Princess Celestia's mane was quite frizzed, tied back in a pony tail. Countless books were strewn across the ground, pages crumpled from excessive flipping. (Yah, I was never much of a reader myself.)
Tealove stood by, watching from beside a tapestry sewn to depict Star Swirl the Bearded banishing the sirens. She didn't even remember having the feeling she usually did whenever she was sucked to some place else in Equestria. She had just gone to bed, crying herself to sleep, and then-bang-there she was. (Hm. Can't tell if this is a dream or another vision-thingy.)
Tealove watched as Celestia took three more books no thinner than a special edition dictionary off of a shelf (oh, thank Celestia I'm not a princess) and set them down on her podium to begin further reading. While the Princess read, Tealove ran a hoof down the spines of the books closest to her, reading each title down the line. 'Yackyackistan and You', 'Yams are Magic', 'Yellow Sunshine, Gold Tomorrow'....then somepony entered the room. 
"Your Majesty," Beach Mark dipped into a deep a deep bow, "There's news!"
The Princess quickly straightened then , sounding groggy, said, "Good..is it from the three?"
"No," Mark swaggered forward with a scroll floating at his side, "Nothing from them in quite a while, but this one is even more exciting! It's the chief of the Arabians asking about the renovations on their water fountain plaza transporting the crystal falls to their springs. They'd like to be updated on the progress!"
"Beach Mark," Celestia firmly whinnied, taking her letter, "You know how I feel about you reading my mail."
"Oh, but it's for your own protection, your Majesty!" Mark exclaimed as if it were a crime to not read one's mail, "Don't want any harm coming to Equestria, now do we?"
"No. We don't," Princess Celestia replied as her eyes darted across the parchment the she reached for a quill, "Big Mark, could you fetch me some ink? I'm afraid I used the last on-"
"Princess!!" Mark cried suddenly.
A black figure swiftly rose from behind Celestia, clubbed her across the head, cutting off the Princess's cries, then the pony flung a potato sack over her head and ran off the balcony as blood seeped through the bottom of the sack and-"
"No!" Tealove sat straight up with a jolt, causing her back to crack and blood rush to her head. 
She was in bed, in a tangle of sheets with her pillow somehow now on the ground. A book was also on her lap titled 'Yams are Magic'. (It was real. And I was there. Sucked in! Like Sugar Kiss said...) A light sweat covered the mare. She scanned the room, thankful to see Big Mac still asleep in Bon-Bon's bed, but at the same time her heart sank. Bon-Bon was still gone...and now the Princess!
"Big Mac!" Tealove shook the stallion desperately, "Wake up, wake UP! It's important!"
"Whudduhm?" he mumbled, rolling over to turn his back on Tealove.
"Big Mac!" Tealove sighed, exasperated, then resolved to writing a letter to Canterlot castle, alerting the kingdom of the kidnapping of their Princess (I also made sure to mention Bon-Bon's captivity. Isn't the world so lucky to have me?). 
Once she'd finished tying a perfect bow around her parchment letter, Tealove copied what she'd seen Bon-Bon once do and took her communication pearl (after ripping Flare's necklace to shreds and shipping it off to Yackyackistan while trying not to burst into angry, miserable tears) and rolled it through her scroll. Tealove focused her thoughts on Celestia and Discord, then, as the pearl fell through the letter, the parchment was set to green flames, and once the pearl dropped out of its opposite end, the scroll was whisked out the window in a blur of green.
Now that that was taken care of, Tealove felt just a little more calm, just relaxed enough to take a nice, long shower and put her worries back to the second row seats of her brain. By the time she was ready to seize the day, Big Mac had gotten up and made the two a small breakfast on their suite's balcony. And even though the yolks of his fried eggs had popped, even though they didn't have a garnish, even though his muffins were lopsided with an uneven distribution of chocolate chips and blueberries, Tealove enjoyed every bit of it.(The fact that he even tried to make breakfast was absolutely adorable.)
There was a fresh, chilly breeze in the air, birds were twittering, cars were zipping by and the sun was making the whole world glow a gorgeous gold. (Huh. I was expecting there to be no sun since Celestia is kidnapped...)
"So have you heard anything from Bon-Bon?" Tealove asked only halfheartedly as she cut into her mini muffin.
The stallion just shook his head, "Her pearl's been disconnected, bu' I sent a letter to the Princess an'-"
Just at that moment, a swirl of green flew onto the balcony and spun to form a scroll of parchment. Tealove jumped up (well that was a fast reply!) then flattened the parchment on the able and quickly scanned the letter. The she read it again.
"What's it?" Big Mac asked.
"It's...well, just not the reply I was hoping for. It's from Celestia and she told me not to worry..because she'd perfectly safe...and she know where Bon-Bon is!! Oh, thank goodness she's safe, but...I guess it was just a dream..except how in the hay would a book about magic yams pop into my sheets if it weren't-" due to the look Big Mac was giving, her, Tealove decided to move on.
"Ahem...then she said she wants to meet with us at Cherry Stark for an..information exchange."
"Mm," was Big Mac's response, then he took their dirty dishes back into the suite for cleaning.
"Wait!" Tealove trotted after him with the teaspoons and saucer, "You know where that is, right? Because I have no clue and if the Princess wants to-"
"I' been there alright," Big Mac scrubbed grimly at Tealove's china plates (which I totally packed in case of an emergency) "An' it ain't a pretty place tuh be."
Only about an hour later (what? I had to make myself look presentable for the public!) Big Mac and Tealove were trotting down a very narrow street that seemed to be almost completely abandoned.The sky was gray, the gutters were streaming with water and Tealove just almost hear a muted trumpet singing in the background. 
The mare nervously readjusted her (oh so fashionable) sunglasses then tightened her trench coat's belt. Big Mac was dressed the same way, and even though Tealove had insisted that their 'disguise' would give them away, he'd just smiled and pushed her into the bathroom so she could change into her new beige look. (At least I got to wear an amazing, old fashion, detective like dress underneath. With a scarf. That made me feel a little better.)
As the two turned a corner, Tealove spotted three cloaked ponies taking part in some kind of exchange, but they quickly separated when Big Mac and Tealove trotted past and when they turned down another street, two mares in veils and scarlet trench coats were seen trading velvet sacks that were trailing blue dust, but swiftly turned their back on the two passerby. (Well, now we don't seem very out of place. This place is like spy heaven!)
"What kind of neighborhood is Cherry Stark?" Tealove asked under her breath as they passed a little filly whose face was shadowed by a hood and was selling a box of kittens for something called Ivory Leaf Syrup. 
"One where ya' can't trust nopony," Big Mac gruffly replied, then became stiff as he looked toward a darkened corner, "There she is."
If it weren't for Big Mac, Tealove would have passed right on that corner. It was a similar scene to all the rest in Cherry Stark-a tall mare in a long trench coat, hat and sunglasses was leaning against a brick wall that had a small dribble of water weaving through the seams. The mare was obviously a unicorn, but Tealove had a hard time believing that was their Princess and had to stifle some laughter. 
"Princess Celestia," Big Mac nodded his head as they drew close.
"Wonderful to see you two," the mare replied sweetly, "I've got the newest information on where Princess Luna and Bon-Bon have been taken, so I think you'll be quite happy to read this," she took a file folder out from behind her that had the words 'FOR YOUR HOOVES ONLY' printed on the front in big black letters. The tab was labeled with what was apparently to whom it was addressed to, 'Mac...Big Mac'.
"Really?" Tealove snorted as Big Mac took the folder and tucked it deep inside his trench coat, "Is that what you're known as in the spy world?"
"Eyup," was the surprising reply. 
"Oh," (Well then..wasn't expecting that.)
"Thank ya', Princess," Big Mac nodded in farewell.
"You're mission will soon be done, so don't loose hope," Celestia whispered, "and good luck."
The ponies separated then, when they'd turned a corner and Tealove was sure nopony was around to hear, she asked, "I think it's now appropriate to have the world call me Love...Tealove."
Big Mac decided not to argue and replied instead with a chuckle.
When the two returned to their suite, Big Mac instantly opened up Celestia's file and spread its contents across their writing desk. Tealove peered down at the letter which was written in bullet points, the picture displaying an unknown stallion in a white tuxedo and a fancy invitation asked the ponies to join the Brokes for a 'find your inner democrat' seminar.
"Why would she give us-?"
"Manehatten," Big Mac suddenly said as he scanned the set of notes.
"What?" Tealove leaned in to examine the letter, but then the stallion returned everything to its folder and said,
"Pack your bags, Tealove. We're headin' for Manehatten."