//------------------------------//
// E.S.S 5 - From point A to point B 
// Story: E.S.S (Equestria's Secret Service) 
// by Power Hors3 
//------------------------------//

E.S.S: 5
From point A to point B

The small meeting of the three agents was held once more at the restaurant. Sweetie Drops and Muffins were there before Alloy came in, trying to hold back a smile.
“What's gotten into you?” Sweetie Drops asks him.
“Nothing, heh, so the meeting what's been going on?”
“Hmm, okay. Well the thing with your mission, I've already informed Muffins here about it. Now, the most import part of this will be what to do if Starlight surfaces and our possible recruitment.” Sweetie says.
“What does Sugar Belle do?” Muffins asks Alloy.
“She a baker.” Alloy responds.
“Any...other skill? Stealth? Fighting?” Sweetie asks.
“Well, no, but she's a really good baker. Here I brought back 2 muffins just for you two from her.”  Alloy takes out a baggie that has the muffins and gives it to them. Muffins instantly approves, eating it almost as quickly as she sees it. Sweetie nods a bit.
“I say we let her in!” Muffins proposes.
“I don't know, her food is good, but how will that benefit us?” Sweetie asks them.
“It's food BonBon! And it delicious!” Muffins protests.
“It's not enough...” Sweetie says. 
“Ha, I new you'd say that BonBon” Alloy smiles.
“Oh goodness...what did you do??” Sweetie asks.
“Something good! Follow me.” Alloy leads them out.
“Alloy! We can't always be seen together, ponies may think we're up to something” Sweetie says as she catches up to him.
“Don't worry, I got that covered. Just wait till we get there.”  Alloy assures her. 
“What is it??” Muffins asks.
“You'll see just wait.” Alloy says again. Eventually they walk about 3 miles from the restaurant, arriving at a grassy spot by a tree. 
“We're here!” Alloy stops and turns to them.
“Green pasture? I'm kind of full already.” Muffins says.
“A tree? What are we going to build a tree house?” Sweetie smirks.
“Yes!” Alloy laughs.
“What?” Sweetie asks, now even more confused.
“This tree will be the front lawn, oh we could put a sign here for the place!” Alloy continues.
“Alloy, are you okay?” Muffins asks. Sweetie Drops face hoofs.
“I'm more than okay! Aren't you two excited??”
“All I see is a tree Alloy.” Sweetie says.
“Oh, that's not all! There will be a building up here in less than a month!” Alloy starts.
“A building...Alloy you didn't...” Sweetie begins.
“I did! All with my own money, no cost will be brought upon you two” 
“Hey...uh..what's going on??” Muffins asks them.
“I'm making us a new office” Alloy stands by the tree.
“Woah!!! That's going to be great!” Muffins jumps up and down. Sweetie smiles.
“You've done it again Alloy. Thanks for this huge contribution. Now, what's the office going to be dealing with? Is it just E.S.S 2?” Sweetie asks.
“Nah, it'll be undercover as a construction planning offices. The back area will all be for our new E.S.S.” He smiles.
“You've got it all figured out don't you?” Sweetie smiles a bit.
“That's sorta right, we just need to find employes to work there for the construction offices, like secretaries, janitors, oh and we need to advertize!” Alloy says to them in a speech like stance.  
“I'll print stuff out for employment and put it in everyone's mail!” Muffins comments.
“Perfect! And do you know who will be the office kitchen keeper and main office personal?” Alloy asks them both. 
“Ah, I see now. Sugar will be working here and maintain it” Sweetie says, “Wow Alloy, I'm truly impressed. You know, this will also cover for me finding work here, I'll pretend I work for the construction offices here.” She smiles.
“And all of us will have our own big offices!” Alloy announces, “Hmm, I still need to work out the blueprints for this place, I should have that done by tomorrow.” 
“Hey now, don't over work yourself now.” Muffins says.
“No need to worry Muffins, I have nothing else to do, this is perfect for me” Alloy smiles.
“Heh, we'll leave you to it then. Now onto Starlight.” Sweetie says.
“Well, I'm sure she's out to seek for revenge. It's the typical thing that could happen, and the six live here in town so, let's continue watching over them, but make sure we ourselves aren't being watched.” Alloy recommends.
“Exactly, but if she does try something what do we want to do?” 
“Can't say, if we interfere it could blow all our covers here.” Alloy says.
“She's good at magic too. I think it's best if we just watch and if things get out of hoof then we defend.” Muffins smiles.
“It's the only thing we can do with such a limited staff.” Sweetie agrees.
“I'm going back to the town Sugar lives in tomorrow.” Alloy says, “I'll leave the blue prints ready for you tomorrow Muffins. I'm mailing them so you should receive it at the station tomorrow, all you have to do is hand it to the ponies coming in for the construction.” 
“That's all?” She asks.
“Yep, it has my signature on it, I'll have already paid for everything by then, since I'll go to the bank today.” Alloy assures her.
“Busy all the time.” Sweetie comments.
“Hey, you know me. I have to have something to do or I'll be getting into trouble” He sticks his tongue out, “I'm off now gals. You two have everything under control here.” 
“Be careful out there, we'll be have Sugar answer some questions when she joins” Sweetie says to him.
“Mhmm! And bring a good amount of food too!” Muffins hugs him. Alloy nods.
“I shall. Byeee” He teleports away.

The next day the train speeds away once more from Ponyville at it's rapid pace. Alloy is hyped up for everything that was happening, for the building, for the progress, for Sugar.  He had mailed the blueprints to Muffins and paid for it at the bank, so he expected the office would begin it's construction soon. All night he had toiled on making them causing him to be tired at the moment, he had also packed enough supplies for him and Sugar to make the journey back. He was quick to fall asleep till the train's last stop.

When he got off it was around noon that day, the desert area was as hot as ever, making him wear a wet cloth piece atop his head. When he arrived in the sub-tropical forest it was lightly sprinkling from the skies. There was no weather control here, and in most parts outside of Equestria, so a small sprinkle turned into a hard down pour of water which completely soaked Alloy. He ran to find some sort of shelter, which he found under some trees. There was no strong signs of thunder, so he remained there for at least an hour shivering. The rain ended, resuming to the previous sprinkling it had started with. Once he got to the bridge, he slipped on moss sending him skating to the center of the bridge. He got up in pain, but continued, having no real big damage. Eventually he reached the little cliff that over-viewed the small town. The hour by then was later than the first time he had arrived before, still he made his way into town. The layout looked kind of the same, except he noticed that there were more decorations on the houses. He could already smell the aroma of Sugar's baking, picking up his pace. 
He knocked on Sugar's door, which she opened up quickly and gave him a hug.
“Alloy! You came after all!” She smells him, “You need a shower” She chuckles.
“Sorry about that, the road was much more hazardous this time.” He smiles and enters her home, placing his pack near the entrance.
“Oh my, you must be weary and hungry, do you want something to eat?” She asks.
“That would make my day” He grins. She nods and goes to the kitchen, returning with a half sliced pie with a fork.
“Thanks” He sits where he is and eats.
“Did your group agree on allowing me to join?” She asks as he eats.
“Well, yes, I was pretty convincing, but..” He swallows a piece of pie, “They'll be have some sort of test for you”
“A test? Do you know what it's about?” 
“Nope, all they said was they were questions. Have you given this all any thought, you know, joining and all?”
“Oh yes, all the time since you left.” She says.
“You're sure you want to join?” 
“Yes, I've already packed my things”
“Very well, we usually have an oath we take for this kind of circumstance, but...that was old E.S.S, we'll have to create a new one, heck I think we need a new organization name.” Alloy says.
“A new name, oath, and a new member! How exciting to be joining in so early and be part of the history.” She says with enthusiasm.
“Heh, it is, I'm going to hit the shower now, I won't take long” He takes some clothes out from his bag and heads over to the bathroom.
After a brief 7 minutes he comes out looking like his normal clean self again. He takes his pack over to the couch and sits down and closes his eyes. Sugar sits next to him.
“When are we heading out?” She asks.
“Tomorrow in the morning, do you have all lose-ends tied up?” He opens his eyes.
“Yes, they think I'm moving to Equestria for a business opportunity. It's not a lie right?” She smiles.
“Heh, nah it's not, it's true.” He looks at her, “It's a big decision”
“I know” She leans on him, causing him to want to move away, “What's it like in Equestria?” 
“It's beautiful, the weather is controlled by the pegasi, everyone is friendly as far as I've experienced, well maybe the cities have a little attitude, but it's over all good” He chuckles. 
“I can't wait. I wanted to ask you if you have a place for me to stay once we cross over.” 
“Oh...I completely overlooked that hehe” 
“Perhaps with you?” She asks. He instantly wants to say no, but she had offered her home to him so it would be a jerk move he thought. Still it would be awkward having her this close to him all the time.
“Sure thing, you can stay with me for sometime before we find you a new place to live” He smiles.
“Thanks Alloy it means a lot to me” She hugs him for a while. He forces a smile.
“No problem, hey I'm pretty tired from traveling, I'm going to sleep now. We have a long journey ahead tomorrow.” Alloy says. 
“It's getting late isn't it? Heh, couch is all yours, I'll be up stairs if you need anything” She gets up from the couch. 
“What're you planning on doing with this house?”
“I think I'll keep it as a backup, the fridge only has water and enough food for our breakfast tomorrow. I told my friend here to look over it for me.”
“All planned out too” Alloy smiles.
“Yep! Hehe goodnight Alloy” She goes upstairs.
“Goodnight” He says so she can hear it. Alloy lays down on the couch and stares at the roof. He was eager to make his new E.S.S bigger, Sugar would be the newest member. He really feared for her safety, so much that he thought of appointing her just to do office work as he has said to Sweetie and Muffins. That was one of the reasons Alloy liked working alone, he hated having the risk of someone else getting hurt and more now since it was him that had gotten Sugar to join. His house had an extra room that was a mess since it was used as a storage, he'd have to clean that place out once he got back, put a bed there, and have Sugar move in. He could buy her a place to live like an apartment or something, but it was too late to mention that to her, so he feel asleep.

In the morning Sugar woke him up before his alarm did. She had thrown a large pack from the top of the stairs. 
“Oops, sorry” She smiles, “Good morning, I'll get breakfast started”
“Heh, alright” Alloy sits upright on the couch and stretches. He goes into the restroom to groom up and brush, once he got out he could smell the delicious smell of toast and eggs. 
“Come on and eat” She pulls a chair for him.
“Looks and smells good.” He sits down and eats.
“How long will the journey be?” 
“About all day, it depends on how the weather is” 
“Okay” She eats as well.
“What did you do here after I left?” He asks.
“Me? I began to pack my things and I spent all the rest of the time baking out my inventory, selling most of it so I could have some bits to buy stuff when I go with you.” She smiles, “And I told everyone I was leaving the town, so they all said their goodbyes, I also spent some time with my friends, and now we're here” 
“Nice, hey are you allergic to cats?”
“I don't know why?”
“I have a cat at my house, her name is Colla”
“Oh, I'm sure I'm not” She says. They finish they're meal and put on their packs, lock the doors and windows, and head out.

It is a windy day with a hot feel to the breeze. The town goes out to say they're last goodbyes, some of them wonder about the stallion she's going with. Most of them didn't know him, some knew him only by Blur Red, Sugar's friends were the only ones that knew his name, but still not enough about him.  Alloy himself didn't mind they're concerns, he was focused on other things. They left town and in little time reached the subtropical forest, it was moist from yesterday's rain and today's heat evaporating it. Along they way they talked about simple things, Sugar was interested in Alloy missions. 
“So who are the members of the agency?”
“Muffins is a gray pegasus, BonBon, as she goes by is a yellowish mare.” Alloy says.
“Why'd you choose Blur Red as your alternate name?”
“I've used it before since I'm kind of redish and Blur is just the first thing I came up with” He chuckles.
“Will I have to get a name change too?” She asks excitedly. 
“It's really up to you, though I think BonBon will ultimately decide that for you.”
“So BonBon is your boss?”
“Not entirely, she's the best agent though, that's why I go along with it. Since we're a small group we usually talk about it and come to an agreement, so in a way we're all our own boss.”
“Ohh, okay, what name should I choose if it comes to that?”
“What name do you like?”
“I don't know, I'll need to give it more thought” 
“Heh, alright we have a lot of time to think about it.”
“You live in Ponyville right?”
“Oh, no, that was part of the make up story. I live in Cantorlot”
“The capital of Equestria...wow.” She says in amazement.
“It is a grand place, it has nice weather, it's mostly a safe place.”
“So we're going to have to get up and take buses and stuff to work?”
“Yes, will that be a problem?” He asks considerately.
“Oh no no no, I love the idea. I've always wondered how it'd be to take a bus to work, it feels like a more normal city life. I've heard about it from other ponies, how cities were. All my life I have lived in small towns, never once rode on a bus before” 
“This is all new to you, I'll do my best to make you feel comfortable.” 
“Thanks Alloy.” She smiles. They walk through the rest of the forest by mid-day. The desert area is cooler than the day before, still Alloy provides shade for Sugar by levitating a cloth piece over her head. 
He knew he must treat all females with respect, his mother had told him this every day, and so had his father. His father had said if you don't respect a mare, you have no respect for yourself. It seemed to work out for Alloy, he was always as kind as possible when around them, though sometimes his kindness would be mistaken for having love interest. At those times he'd usually tell them straight up that he was just doing what was right. Anyhow, most of Equestria was run by females so it was best to stay on their nice sides, especially the royalty. 
They reached the tracks and Alloy places his pack down.
“Will there be a train coming?” Sugar asks.
“Not unless someone's coming this way which is rare. So we'll be walking some more till we reach a town. Want a little break?” 
“Heh yes please” She puts down her pack taking out a bottle of water and chugging it down.
“Sorry about the long walking, I would've brought a carriage here but all the companies I know of don't extend their reach all the way here.” Alloy pardons.
“It's okay Alloy, you've done the best you can” She takes out a doughnut, “Here have this, you look famished.”
“Are you hungry? If you are you should eat it” Alloy says.
“Nah I have enough in my pack” She smiles giving it to him.
“Heh, alright” He eats it. After a 10 minute break they get back up on there way. Eventually, around 3pm they reach the same small town Alloy had been at before. Sugar takes a bathroom break, so Alloy looks at his map, placing a black dot on the small town. From here they'd take the train to Cantorlot instead of Ponyville. And so went the plan, the boarded the train and left towards Cantorlot. 
“Do you have any parents left?” Sugar asks.
“Yes, they both live in Cantorlot in a big house.” Alloy says.
“I never really got to know mine, I was put up for adoption at an early age.”  
“Who'd you live with?”
“Most of my childhood was at the orphanage, then when I was 18, I took a grant from the government and went to collage for cooking/baking. I was already good at it so I passed easily.”
“Collage hu? Hehe” He chuckles.
“What's so funny?” She asks.
“I bought myself out of collage, I didn't like it. I learned everything too quickly and found out that what I was learning I was learning better from my father.” He smiles.
“You're wealthy then?” She laughs a bit.
“In some sense yes, kind of, it's mostly money from my father.” He chuckles a little.
“Spoiled little boy aren't you?” She snickers.
“Nah, I pull my weight, I used to go along with my father and mother on their business inquires so I got used to it and eventually helped them out, and hey you gotta take advantage of what you have.” He says with a smile.
“Ah okay” She smiles. The train ride last another 2 hours and Sugar falls asleep on Alloy's shoulder. Alloy looks out the window seeing the landscape pass by. He wondered about the office's progress, and of this test Sweetie Drops and Muffins were preparing. He'd have to worry about it more tomorrow, there was no point in going to Ponyville since by the time they got there it'd be late, and then they'd have to return to Cantorlot. It was a long journey, he didn't want Sugar to get exhausted then do this test and possibly fail because of her tiredness. 
Another hour passed and the train ride ended, Alloy gently woke Sugar up.
“Hey Sugar, we're here” He says in a soft voice.
“We are…?” She opens her eyes and looks out the train window seeing all the castle buildings. She gets up quickly, amazed. Alloy takes her bags for her and they board off the train. Sugar runs on ahead of Alloy, admiring the sites.
“Don't get lost now” Alloy says to her. At this time the streets are beginning to be lighten up by rows of elegant lights, impressive to anyone new. Alloy eventually had to take her hoof and escort her to his home.
“Alloy! We need to go out to see all the lights.” She nearly begs. Alloy sets the packs down.
“Aren't you tired?” He asks.
“I had a good sleep on the train, come on lets go pleassse.” She says again.
“Oh okay, it's still early enough.” They walk out his house and trot from street to street looking around at every little thing.
“That big castle! Is that were Celestia and Luna live??” She asks.
“Ever since I can remember, you want to go there don't you?” He smiles.
“Yes!” 
“It's closed from visitors right now, but tomorrow they open it up at 9am.” He says.
“Aww dang. Can we go tomorrow??”
“If we have time heh, remember, we need to introduce you to the crew and do that test.” Alloy says.
“Right right, lets head home” She agrees. 
They arrive home and Colla springs out onto Alloy's head, hissing viciously. Sugar hurries and levitates the cat off of him, so Colla runs off into one of the rooms.
“I haven't feed her” Alloy smiles.
“So that's Colla” She laughs. Alloy goes into the kitchen and serves the cat food. Colla instantly rushes and devours the food.
“Let's see...I have a spare room, but it's all trashed up.”
“I can sleep on the couch” Sugar says.
“Oh no, I can't have that. You take my bed, it's much more comfortable than this old thing. I'll sleep on the sofa” Alloy offers.
“You sure?” 
“Definitely, I would hate you to feel uncomfortable here.” He tosses his bag onto the couch, “My room is the one all the way at the end, it has a restroom inside so you have everything you need there to make yourself at home.”
“Thanks again Alloy!” She hugs him tightly.
“Have a goodnight, I'll wake you up if you oversleep, heh, it being a different time-zone and everything for you.”
“Okay, goodnight” She looks at him for a bit, smiles, then runs off to her room. Alloy sighs a bit then gets on the couch. He sits on the couch and turns on the T.V to see the night news. Nothing to drastic is happening, the reporter spends most of the time discussing the Princess's castle, tomorrow's weather, and politics, so the usual. He hears a noise and lowers the volume, the noise is Sugar singing in the shower, she sounds beautiful. Alloy smiles a little, and turns off the T.V. He pulls a leaver on the sofa which folds it back letting him rest his legs. He lays down and falls to sleep shortly after.

End of Chapter 5.