Operation-Stealing the Dawn

02:00:00
Canterlot Castle

Moonlight Storm,

You have been assigned to a three pony team. As of this moment, you three are now under the title of alpha squadron of the Lunar Guard.

A package has been delivered to the Equestrian throne to the Princess of the sun. We are unsure of the contents of the package, but we believe it to be of great consequences to the lunar throne if it were to arrive. At the moment, it is stored in the main kitchen refrigerator. The reason for it’s location is still unknown. Our best guess was that it would receive less attention from the staff.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, infiltrat the Celestial kitchen and recover the package. Once doing so, return it to the quarter of the Lunar Princess. You are allowed to use any means necessary, including lethal measures if required. There will be the usual guard patrolling the halls, and potentially an extra set of security guarding the kitchen. This mission is of the utmost importance, do not fail us.

Princess Luna

Moonlight had just finished reading the document she was given before leaving the barracks. She and her team were prepped for the mission and knew the costs at hand. At the moment, she, Thunder Ark, and Night Charge were in an elevator headed towards the royal kitchen. The elevator stopped one floor before the kitchin.

“Well, I guess this is my stop.” Thunder called as hes disembarked from the elevator. As the door closed, the earpieces buzzed before his voice cut in again. “Give me five minutes to get an eye on the kitchen. Wait for my signal, then you can have your fun.” Moonlight eyed Night. The dark pegasus eyed her back.

“You ready?” She asked.

“As ever.” he replied, pressing elevator ascension button. “Yourself?”

“I’ve been ready all night for this.” Moonlight replied with confidence. Truthfully, the navy blue unicorn was a bit nervous. If the mission failed, this possibly could mean an Equestrian civil war.
A burst of static came over the com line, breaking her train of thought. “Ok guys, I got a good view of the kitchen. They were right, there are a pair of guards guarding the door and three standing next to the target.”

“Oh what fun this will be.” Night taunted, humming to a hearth's warming eve song.

“Night, cut the chatter. Thunder, you call it.” Moonlight ordered, ready to open the metal doors.

“Ok, three. Two. One. Mark!”

“Two queens and two jacks. You?” Sunstreak announced to his companions. He and his two fellow guards were playing a few rounds of poker while on the night shift for kitchen.

“Ha, nines over sevens!” Gold Brass declared, moving for the pile of bits on the table. A spear abruptly blocked his path.

“Hold on,” The third guard, Thunderstone, said before laying down his hand. “Straight flush.”

Sure enough, he had a 5,6,7,8, and a 9 of diamonds.

“Darn you, Thunder!” Sunstroke called as the guard levitated the large pile of coins to his side of the table. A large heavy clang broke his attention and caused the bits to clatter to the floor.

“What the buck was that?” Brass asked.

“How would I know?” Sunstroke replied.

“Hey, Sun. Since you lost the most, you check it out.” Thunderstone ordered.

“Just because you dealt me a lousy hand doesn't mean-”

Thunderstone ignited his horn, levitating Sunstroke from his chair. With a flick of magic, he was flung through the double doors oc the kitchen.

“You do realise it was probably one of the door guards dropped his spear in his sleep, right?” Brass commented.

“Ya, I just thought the rook could scare the Tartares out of them when he flies through the door.” Thunder replied, returning to his bits.

Thunder watched the show unfold from his vantage point from the south tower. Just as planned, the team had neutralised the guards at the doors to the kitchen and were preparing to breach the doors. Watching from his vantage point, he was able to view the windows to the kitchen and the hall leading up to them. Due to the lack of light, he had acquired a pair of enchanted binoculars that allow him to see in info-red. A burst of commotion came over the comm line, causing him to cringe at the excessive amount decibels. Once the line cleared, he stood from his post and regained sight of the team.

“Could someone tell me why me why me ears are bleeding?” Thunder moaned into the mic.

“Why didn’t you mention they were sending a guard at us? We nearly got exposed!” Moonlight yelled over the radio, causing Thunder to keel over in ear pain again.

“I didn’t see anything because they were playing poker. The one with the bits was cheating.” Thunder replied, regaining himself.

“Whatever. Do you have eyes on the package?”

“No, just the two remaining guards sitting in their chairs.”

“Good, they don’t suspect a thing. Night, clear these bodies while I take out these two.”

As three heat signatures dropped from the hallway window, Thunder watched as Moonlights heat blob burst through the door and began kicking the flanks of the two unsuspecting blob. Even for it’s lack of clarity, the sight of one blob taking out two others was still rewarding. With what looked like a backflip hind leg headshot, one blob smashed through the kitchen window to the rocky resting place below. That was followed swiftly by its counterpart, meeting the same fate as the first.

“That was rather well executed,” Thunder commented.

“Thanks for the compliment, but let’s get this op done.” Moonlight replied. “I’m opening the refrigerator.”

From his vantage point, Thunder watched as Moonlight pulled out a box. “Is that the package?”

“Looks like it. Get ready to move out; all we need to do is return this to Luna’s-”

“Moon! I have a heat sig right behind you!” Thunder yelled over the comm line.

Moonlight turned, knife held in an aura of magic, to meet a terrified chef carrying a coffee mug in his own own magic. Both ponies stared at each other, nethor flinching. Finally, the chef looked to his cup, then back to moonlight.

“Don’t you dare...” Moonlight warned.

Without warning, the chef flung the cup at Moonlight’s face, making her scream in pain from the burning liquid. After wiping most of the seiring coffee off her face, Moonlight watched as the chef ran out the second set of doors yelling out at the top of his lungs. “Guards! Guards! Killers in the kitchen!”

“Damn!” Moon cursed. “Team, things are about to get loud. Thunder, get back over here and regroup for extract-”

“I got targets over here!” Thunder yelled over the mic. “There’s too me-” The line cut out. From her view, Moonlight saw the solar troops storming over Thunder’s watch location. She could only assume the worst.

“Moonlight, grab the package and run! We don’t have much time before the guards arrive.” Night ordered over the comm system.

After a second of hesitation, Moonlight strapped the box to her back and charged through the kitchen doors. No sooner had she done so did the squads of guards enter through the opposite entrance.

As Moonlight ran, Night was hot on her hooves. “Look’s like we might make this one out alive, hu Moonlight?” Night yelled before the door behind them burst open to the solar guards. “Spoke too soon.”

Magic few by the two as they made their way to the elevator. Once there, the night-guards were home free. However, fate had a different idea. One blast of golden magic struck the side of Night, bringing him to his knees. Moonlight turned to him.

“Moon, go on without me. The fate of Equestria is in that box. Get it to Luna. Go.” Night replied before turning to the approaching guards. He flared his wings and charged at the pack, slowing them the best he could.

Moonlight didn’t let his sacrifice be in vain. With all her might, she ran into the metal box, rapidly pressing the ascension button. The guards were closing in on the lone pegasis. A blast of magic was shot straight for her. Moonlight closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

It didn’t come.

All that arrived was a metallic ding of the shot deflecting off the outer door. Her heartbeat slowed as she began to relax. The mission was coming to an end. All that was left was to deliver the package to her princess. She just hoped it was worth the cost it came with.

Luna heard a knock at her door. Not hesitating to answer it, she ran over and opened it to reveal the captain of her night-guard.

“I trust the mission was a success?” She asked.

“It was,princess. I have the package.” Moonlight levitated the box from her back to present to Luna. The princess took hold of it in her own aura, relieving the unicorn.

“Good job, Moonlight Storm. Return to the barracks, you have earned a good night’s rest.” Luna replied before closing the door.

“Princess?” Moonlight asked. Luna opened the door again.

“Yes, Moonlight?”

“Was it worth it?”

“The possession of this box has earned us peace for our nation. I am sorry that it had to obtained at the loss of your men.” Luna explained, lowering her head.

“I understand, princess. Good night.” Moonlight pardoned. Luna once again shut the door and levitated the box over to an awaiting table.

Softly tugging on one of the strings binding the box, the package opened without hesitation. What lay inside was what made the mission all worth it.

Celestia’s personal cake, imported from beyond the far north mountains.

“So, Tia,” The night goddess spoke to herself. “I guess your cake is worth dying for.” She levitated a pre sliced piece and took a bite, enjoying the taste of success.

Author's Note:

I came to the idea of this while raiding the family Christmas cookie supply. Funny, huh.

this is my first one-shot, so a comment would be appreciated.

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