Deep in the caverns below Canterlot, hunched over a stone shelf "desk" illuminated by a single candle, Agent Snake in the Grass reads a letter coded in his organization's "chaotic" cypher, a frown passing over his face. Rendered in plaintext, the letter went as follows:
"We are requesting immediate support. We have been affected by poison joke and are unable to safely leave our hideout in the Everfree Forest. Our current supplies are dwindling rapidly and any attempts at raiding in Ponyville would be disastrous. Requesting an Agent to be sent with emergency resupply as soon as possible!
- Agents P1, P2"
Snake grumbled under his breath. He couldn't fault the other Agents for the dilemma they were in - poison joke exposure was a serious risk factor in the previous operation that had failed - but was annoyed that the apparent effects had precluded the raiding that the Agents were using previously to keep themselves supplied. Having to send supplies from Canterlot was riskier, but now needed because Snake needed those two Agents in Ponyville regardless of whatever it cost to keep them there. Fortunately, Snake had a solution to this problem.
"I'll give Agent X this job. His special talent is perfect for this kind of operation. I'll write a note to Agent 4 to fetch him." Snake says to himself, using a hoof to push aside the note and then pull down a fresh piece of paper to write on.
"Agent X" was both Snake's best and least known subordinate in the Agents of Chaos. This Agent claimed his special talent was the capability to imitate any grown stallion's appearance (and in a pinch any grown pony if the mission didn't require verbal communication with others). Snake had never seen Agent X's true appearance - the Agent claiming that it was for security reasons - and was only able to see through his current disguise with a special sign X gave when in contact with another Agent. But despite that fact, Snake would trust no one else with such a sensitive mission...
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MEANWHILE, IN THE EVERFREE FOREST...
"You know P1, I really hope that letter got to Snake. We only have a supply for a few days in the fort, and if we run out we'll probably end up manticore food or somethin' nasty like that..."
"Quiet, P2! It's bad enough we have glowing stripes to cover up, and your yammering is not helping!"
Agent of Chaos P1 lets out an exasperated growl as he and his partner P2 try their best to conceal themselves in the brush surrounding Zecora's treehouse, hoping to surprise the zebra and raid her pantry for whatever foodstuffs, strange or no, she had. One reason was the need, the other for revenge for Zecora indirectly making them looking like fools as well as causing their poison joke affliction.
The smell of apples wafted out of Zecora's window and into the nostrils of the two spying Agents - the result of an apple-based recipe Zecora was trying for the first time. Unaware of the spying Agents, Zecora put her new concoction out on a windowsill to cool, humming some kind of tune as she worked.
The two Agents were eyeing Zecora's dish hungrily and working on how best to snatch it when a small round creature flew into their field of view. The small creature, a round bug around the size of a typical pony's hoof, landed on the dish, it's transparent wings and precociously cute expression making it seem quite harmless.
What happened next, though, thoroughly shocked the Agents. Before anyone could react, the small insect (which they later learned was called a "parasprite") stretched its mouth comically wide open and swallowed the whole dish in one gulp! The Agents heard Zecora let out something that might've been a startled cry, and then yelps of alarm as the bug puked out what looked like another of its kind right on the windowsill!
Zecora shouted what the Agents could only guess was profanity in the native zebra language (which they couldn't understand) as she rushed over and shooed the two bugs away from the window. As soon as the bugs were gone, the two Agents caught a glimpse through the window of a great deal of alarm and worry on Zecora's face.
"Hmmm..." Agent P1 contemplated as one of the bugs flew over to in front of where the two Agents were watching, letting out a cute chirruping sound as it stopped in front of them, perhaps hoping for more food. P1 and P2 look over at each other, and the glimmer of a mutually-acquired idea passes between their expressions.
"Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin', P2?" Agent P1 says to his partner with an evil grin on his face.
"I'm thinkin' that's a very good idea." Agent P2 replies, now wearing the same evil grin on his face too.
"Forget about the raid. With any luck, Ponyville will be clueless to the chaos-causing potential this bug can generate! Let's see if we can get it to follow us there." P1 states.
"Yeah, but once we get it there, what pony do we target to start the mayhem?" P2 naturally asks.
"The yellow pegasus, the one bearing the Element of Kindness. There's no way she'd squash it on sight, and once it gets food we're good to go." P1 answers.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" P2 exclaims.
They did not know at the time just how successful their strike would be using the parasprite, nor how much delicious chaos they would unleash upon the citizens of Equestria. It ended up affecting not just Ponyville, but Canterlot and the Wonderbolts as well. How, you ask? Read on and find out!