Eq. Divided: Whitegold's Silent Wing

by PurpleFire18

One Chance at Happiness

It had been two days since the attack on the Wall and Sky Dreamer was still recovering from his foreleg injury. Almost as if luck was on his side, he had no orders from his superiors and that allowed him to spend those two days with his daughter. On the third day, however, he received a very unexpected and almost unwelcome visit. Standing in front of the door was none other than Decoy, the changeling that both got him in trouble and gave him the solution to one.

"...If I may be so bold to ask, what in Equestria are you doing here, changeling?" Sky Dreamer asked, intrigued by the changeling's appearance but at the same time wary of it.

"Whitegold high society gave me freedom to walk in Manehattan, yet they do not trust me. My debt is not with them, however, it is with you. I ask to be your servant, Silent Wing."

The request was met with nothing but disapproval from Sky Dreamer. "Are you insane, Decoy?! If they do not trust you, why should I of all ponies? Besides, I am not going to have servants, ever."

"Your distrust is understandable, but you can trust me. You gave me freedom, I am on your side."

"Absolutely not! Look, you can't just ask me to let you in when-"

"Woah, since when are you friends with changelings, partner?" said a very familiar voice.

"...Great, speaking of untrustworthy ponies." Sky Dreamer brought a hoof to his face.

"Very funny, Sky." Lucky Shot walked up to the pegasus and the changeling, eyeing the changeling suspiciously. "Who is this?"

"...Lucky Shot, Decoy. Decoy, Lucky Shot. What do YOU want?" Sky Dreamer said, not amused in the slightest.

"I heard about the attack on the Wall, I came as soon as I could to check on you, partner."

Sky Dreamer forgot he wasn't comfortable with the visit, even if it was brief. "That's nice of you, Lucky."

"So what does HE want?" Lucky Shot asked while looking at Decoy.

"To serve," Decoy said flatly.

"He wants to be my servant because I released him from prison in exchange for Cult information..." Sky Dreamer said, attempting to sound calm.

"...Now that's a risky game. Knowing you, you're not going to let him, are you?"

"Of course not. Why would I?"

"Well, he could be useful! You never know!"

"He is a changeling! One of the most deceptive and untrustworthy species in Equestria!"

"Hey, I told you not to judge by appearance, Sky. Give it a shot, it can't be THAT bad!"

"I promise to serve faithfully, Silent Wing. Your will is my command." Decoy bowed down as if greeting a superior.

Sky Dreamer sighed heavily. "Fine...but first things first, my daughter can't see you like that."

As soon as Sky Dreamer finished talking, Decoy transformed into an earth pony stallion with the clothes of a butler, with the addition of a mask. "Is this better?" he asked, no longer in his strange accent nor voice.

"...A little...both of you, come in." Sky Dreamer walked back into his house, followed closely by Lucky Shot and Decoy behind them. "Keep a close eye on him," he whispered to Lucky Shot, to which the mercenary nodded in agreement.

Sky Dreamer decided to get introductions out of the way quickly and to tell Starsong of this new "butler", and to make sure Guardian wouldn't blow his cover so quickly, even though the eagle wasn't there at the moment. Before he could call her, Starsong, being the curious filly she was, found them first. "Oh, Starsong, this is...Decoy, Lucky Shot's brother."

"What?" both Decoy and Lucky Shot said at the same time, looking at Sky Dreamer, before cocking their heads and raising their eyebrows as if accepting that unexpected background story.

"Oh my gosh! So you're uncle Lucky Shot's brother? Does that mean I can call you uncle as well?" the little filly asked.

Before answering, Decoy looked over at Sky Dreamer, who shook his head in disapproval. "No, it is best you don't, little one."

"See, he is actually offering himself to be our butler, Starsong." Sky Dreamer looked at Decoy. "We were just on our way to my office to discuss the terms and conditions of his employment."

"Oh, OK!" the filly said.

"Let's go, friends. I'll be back with you later, Starsong." Sky Dreamer kept walking with the mercenary and changeling, being careful not to act suspiciously until they were in his office. "Take a seat if you like, gentlecolts." Decoy was quick to take a seat, and Lucky Shot sat down beside him, keeping an eye on him as he agreed to do, Sky Dreamer quickly sitting behind the desk and looking at Decoy with a serious look. "If you really want to be my servant, then you will have to prove your loyalty." He looked at Lucky Shot and pointed at him. "Look at Lucky here. He's a mercenary, he does what anypony tells him to do without question if there is money involved, but he wouldn't sell me even for an entire gem mine."

"Now, if the price is TWO gem mines I'd think about it," Lucky Shot joked, to Sky Dreamer's annoyance.

"Lucky Shot...do me a favor and spare me your sense of humor."

"Do us both a favor and buy one."

"I understand, master. Loyalty above all else. Though, if I may ask, what drives Lucky Shot to be so loyal to you?" Decoy asked, keeping calm despite the humorous conversation.

Sky Dreamer did not like being called "master", and this was evident in his expression. "...Lucky Shot, this is something only you can answer, so if you please..."

"Let's just say Sky here has a certain...charm, if you may call it that. He is one of the kindest and most generous ponies I know, and I have seen what he has had to go through with this war. I don't know, after witnessing all those things, it's really difficult not to want to be his friend. It's one of those things that when you have them, you don't wanna let them go." Lucky Shot tipped his hat at Sky Dreamer. "I'm one of the few ponies he can truly trust with everything. In fact, I've been alternating roles of hired mercenary, moral support and adviser...Not to mention getting some sense of humor into his life, which he clearly needs."

Sky Dreamer had been proud of his friend up until that last part, even though he knew it was true. "...Right. So, do you understand, Decoy?"

"Yes, master."

"Good, now if you wouldn't mind, I have some questions for you..." Sky Dreamer prepared to interrogate his new butler when Guardian came in through the open window holding an envelope. "Guardian? Back already?" he asked, surprised to see his eagle. "And what is this?" He took the envelope from the eagle's beak and took a look at it to see who sent it.

"What is it, partner? The General? The Mistress?" Lucky Shot asked, interested in the envelope.

"...It's from Leaf Heart..." Sky Dreamer said with greater surprise.

"Mother of the sun...Well, what are you waiting for? Read it!" Lucky Shot told his friend.

As Sky Dreamer read the letter, his face went from showing surprise to something that surprised even Decoy. Upon finishing the letter, Sky Dreamer's face had a tearful smile, one that Lucky Shot had very rarely seen from him.

"...Partner? You ok?"

"Master, is everything alright?"

"...Leaf Heart...She accepted..."

"Accepted what?" Lucky Shot asked, now more interested than ever.

"...She accepted my offer to leave Appleloosa and start a new life with me, here, in Manehattan!" Sky Dreamer said with an enthusiasm that only his daughter had seen.

Lucky Shot was speechless, but Decoy smiled. "Congratulations, master. What will happen now?"

"...I believe you wanted to prove your loyalty?" Sky Dreamer asked the changeling.

"Of course."

"Then two things. One, don't call me Master, Boss is fine, but not master. Two...I have the perfect test for you."

***

Later that same day, Sky Dreamer visited the General's office, though unlike other times, he was not going as Silent Wing. This surprised the praetorponies guarding the door, but with or without outfit, they knew that he was allowed in. Upon seeing him, the General was not sure whether to show contempt, sympathy or neutrality. "Evening, Fancy Pants." Sky Dreamer sat in front of him.

"...Sky Dreamer. How is your leg?" the General asked with certain hostility in his tone.

"Much better, thank you. Look, I don't want to waste either of our times, so we will make this quick. I need that favor you owe me."

"Oh? You want me to intercede for you and make your punishment for disobeying direct orders much more bearable?"

"No, but now that you mention it, any word on what the Mistress decided?"

"No, she is busy with other things at the moment, but word of your actions has reached her."

"Good, for some reason that puts me at ease. Look, I really need you to do me that favor, and I am not speaking with my general right now."

The general sighed and smiled, albeit slightly. "What do you need, boy?" he asked in a much friendlier manner.

"I need you to order a fake assault on Appleloosa to cover the rescue of an important pony."

The general was surprised at the request, to say the least. "Beg your pardon? You want me to order an attack on Appleloosa so that you can rescue somepony? Is that what you are asking me?"

"Yes, Fancy Pants."

"...I am not sure how to respond to that. Is this pony important to Whitegold?"

"No, but to me she is."

"...I see." The general put his hooves together as he thought about the request deeply. "...It is a crazy idea the one you propose, Sky Dreamer. But, I owe you, so I guess I can do you this ONE favor. I will have to remember not to let you get favors out of me in the future. Alright, I will do it. But, you will have to give me two days to plan a safe route, both for attacking and escaping once your rescue is done, and to find a squad of infiltration specialists among the Nighthooves."

"Thank you so much, Fancy Pants, but the squad is not entirely necessary."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"I know the safest route to the pony's residence, and I will take Decoy with me."

"...Decoy? Who is Decoy?" the general asked, confused.

"The changeling that I released from prison in exchange for information."

"Ah, that creature. Is it still around? I thought it would leave Manehattan when we allowed it to leave the Wall."

The general's words made Sky Dreamer feel somewhat calmer. At least it made it possible to believe that Decoy was not sent by Whitegold's leaders to spy on him, which was one of the reasons he did not trust him. "...Yes, he is my butler. I beg you not to ask, I will explain some other time."

"Have it your way, then. This operation will be difficult to hide from the Mistress, so for the sake of both of us, I hope you know what you are doing, and that this doesn't fail."

"I won't, you have my word."

"Good. I will send a messenger to get you when the assault is planned out."

"Thank you again, sir. Good night." Sky Dreamer quickly turned to leave without waiting for the general's reply. Once outside, Guardian landed on his back and he whispered to him. "I know it's a long trip and you hate it, but you will have to go to Appleloosa again tonight and deliver the news to Leaf Heart. I promise it's the last time I'll ask you to do it with so little time between flights, ok?" Though not glad to hear he had to return to Appleloosa, Guardian made a sound that Sky Dreamer interpreted as a signal that he agreed. "Is Lucky Shot still at the house?" After a similar sound, Sky Dreamer continued. "Good, as much as Decoy wants to be loyal, I am not leaving him alone with Starsong OR my things...I just hope I am right about him, or else everything is over..."