"Good morning, Philomena. How are we doing today?" Princess Cadance asks as she stops by the cage containing the old phoenix in the royal aviary, where she had been summoned for a special meeting with Captain Gibraltar.
The old bird responds with a sniffling noise, running her beak through her feathers. Cadance notices with concern some fiery red feathers scattered below Philomena's perch on the cage floor - already the phoenix was beginning to lose the normal bird-of-prey regality and take on the "sickly parrot" appearance that would deceive Fluttershy later.
"I see we've lost a few more feathers... too bad Twilight isn't here, she would be fascinated by the whole rebirth process..." Cadance says to herself, eyeing the loose feathers at the bottom of the bird cage.
"Your Highness?" a masculine voice calls behind Cadance, prompting the latter to look behind her to see where the voice came from.
"Oh, sorry Captain, I was checking on Philomena while I was waiting. What are we doing here in the aviary anyway, and why you just need me?" Cadance asks in return after noticing Captain Gibraltar flanked by two Guards Upper Class, one unicorn and one pegasus, behind her.
"Celestia already knows what I am going to show you. This meeting is more informational than anything else, but Celestia did want one of these things in the royal menagerie. Observe." Gibraltar explains, pointing to the small birdcage covered in a white sheet and being levitated by the unicorn escort guard's magic.
Cadance moves closer, observing the cage intently as the cover is whisked off by the unicorn guard. Underneath is revealed a parasprite of a dark blue coloration, that chirups and smiles back at the curious Cadance.
"Is this one of those parasprites I've been hearing a lot about? It doesn't look so dangerous..." Cadance comments as she continues to observe the flitting dark blue orb of an insect.
"Appearances are quite deceptive, as you will see now." Captain Gibraltar comments, pulling a piece of "hardtack" Royal Guard ration out of the saddlebag he is wearing and levitating it using his unicorn magic into the cage beside the parasprite.
Cadance's look remains curious as she returns her attention to the cage containing the parasprite - the thin sheet of bread barely fits through the bars of the cage but is still bigger than the parasprite itself. The younger alicorn is quite surprised then to see the parasprite comically open its mouth to swallow the sheet of bread in one gulp, then shortly after vomit up a chartreuse-colored copy of itself beside it in the birdcage!
Cadance is stunned for just a brief moment, and then manages to get out one word as her face contorts into disgust: "Ew."
"'Ew' indeed." Captain Gibraltar replies in a very dry tone. "Why Celestia wants one of these ticking time bombs here in the castle is beyond me, but she had me order Lieutenant Steelwing to send one back anyways..."
"They multiply just by feeding them?" Cadance asks the Guard Captain, trying to make sure she was understanding the situation correctly.
"Correct. That's why there was the swarm in Ponyville - somehow one of them got out of the Everfree Forest into the town, where they proceeded to multiply rapidly and terrorize the entire town. Twilight Sparkle's misfired spell trying to stop them didn't help matters. In the end, the Laughter Bearer lead the swarm into the Everfree Forest, which is where the original one of the pair in the cage now was founded and captured to take back to Canterlot." Captain Gibraltar explains, referring to Pinkie Pie by her associated Element of Harmony instead of her proper name.
"Hmmm... maybe Aunt Celly just wants one for the board of inquiry?" Cadance speculates, continuing to stare curiously at the pair of parasprites smiling back at her.
"Still, it's very dangerous to have even one here. And why she can't just show footage... it doesn't make sense, Your Highness." Gibraltar replies, shaking his head as he speaks.
"Aunt Celly sometimes works in ways that only she herself seems to understand. There must be a reason she's doing it this way, even if we can't understand what it is." Cadance answers in a tone that belies the confidence normally associated with such words.
Captain Gibraltar observes Cadance with a face showing his confusion, and then shakes his head again before replying: "I'm sure whatever Celestia's reasons are, we will find them out in due time. If there are no other questions, I will take the cage back into secure storage now."
"There are no other questions, Captain. You are dismissed." Cadance replies affirmatively, some feeling of relief showing on Gibraltar's face.
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A LITTLE LATER, IN THE MINES BELOW CANTERLOT...
"Is everything ready, Agent 4?" Agent Snake, disguised as usual in cloak and stockings, asks the pegasus stallion beside him in the cavern "office" situated below the city, cut off permanently from Celestia's sun and Luna's moon.
"Yes sir, it is." Agent 4 replies affirmatively.
"Good, send them in. I cannot wait to see the glorious prize we have won to use against harmony!" Snake eagerly orders.
Agent 4 pushes open a false rock wall leading into an old mineshaft and gestures unseen figures forward. A bewildered and disoriented unicorn stallion, wearing the uniform of a Guard Upper Class and magically levitating a birdcage containing two circular objects inside it, is prodded forward into the room by two pegasi stallions with pikes - each pegasus had wrapped a wing around the shaft of the pike to wield it.
"We'll just take that right off your hooves now." Snake says to the captive unicorn as Agent 4 uses both forehooves to yank the cage out of the magic "grasp" of the unicorn stallion.
"Bow, horned one!" Agent 4 exclaims next, prompting a sharp prod from the pike-wielding pegasi that causes the unicorn stallion to drop flat on the ground.
"Close enough. Agent 4, secure the cage with the parasprites. Don't give them any food unless I explicitly order you to, understood?" Snake says to Agent 4.
"Yes, sir!" Agent 4 replies, giving a salute with one forehoof and cradling the birdcage with the other while standing on his hindlegs. He begins hovering just above the ground, and flies out of the room and into the darkness of the mine tunnels.
"Which one of you is X?" Snake asks the guards, and one goes to his haunches in response. Snake is pleased, and the captive unicorn horrified, to see the sitting pegasus crosses his forelegs over his chest - the indicator of Agent X being present.
"Excellent work, Agent X. With these parasprites under our command, we have the power to make one mighty strike - not the whirlwind itself, but the one that will sow the seeds of the whirlwind." Snake exclaims, his red eyes glowing bright with eager anticipation. "X, you are to assume the identity of the unicorn. The real deal will be dehorned and tossed in with my herd - I'm sure they'll appreciate the company of a different stallion for once."
Agent Snake watches as X grunts out an acknowledgement and touches a forehoof to the sides of the unicorn stallion. A greenish glowing ring of magic passes over X's body, and when it passed completely over X his appearance had been changed from a pegasus to match the unicorn stallion he had just touched. The captive unicorn can only watch in shock as he is lead away to his fate.
Agents Snake and X share a sinister smile - both of them know what to do with the parasprites, and the target that would be affected by them...