Short: Wetwork
Five years ago, there lived a Prince in the independent state of Boraelia. This prince had a plan, a very simple plan- crush the changeling hive that had caused so much havoc in the independent states for so long, and then turn around and use the good will that was sure to pour in to unify the independent states into one kingdom, then crown himself King. Create a dynasty, live the high life- why hadn't anyone thought of this before?
The answer is that many had, and many had met their end as he was about to. Queen Chrysalis had many eyes and ears all over the continent, and as soon as they heard a threat she had ways of... dealing with it.
Changeling Eta-Zeta had arrived at the castle of Prince Prickletree early in the morning. He had been assigned the identity of one the guards, whom was currently passed out in a ditch having found out first hand that when a mare asks you for a good time, it's best to just keep walking. This was his first real mission, and nothing was going to stand in his way. He would carry out his orders precisely and efficiently, and report home his success. Finally he would become a Gamma, and earn the respect of his superiors, and the Queen.
After a long days march Eta-Zeta finally spotted the tip of Prince Prickletree's castle through the trees. The independent states were in an incredibly diverse area that made up the lower half of the continent, and everything from arctic tundra in the far south, to the desert in the north, made up it's geography. Boraelia was the second most northerly state, and while it didn't occupy much space it's rolling temperate hills had a far longer growing season than most states, selling this food had made it rich. This money was put to good use, as the Prince had spent the last few years building up his military to unprecedented scale.
The trouble with power was it tended to attract suspicion as to what you were going to do with that power. This Prince, apparently, only wanted more. At some point power can no longer be earned, it has to be taken, and he was going to find out just how zealously those with power defended it.
Eta-Zeta ducked off the road into the trees, removing a few things from his pack to ensure he was prepared for his mission.
Firstly, a steel dagger in a sheath, which he had stolen from the guard he was to disguise as. As well as completing his disguise, it would have other uses if need be.
Secondly, a short dossier on the guard he was to disguise as. Zeta quickly memorized the key points- birthdate, favorite colour, etc. To most outsiders it would seem trivial to track these things, but it was important for a well prepared agent to know absolutely everything about the assumed identity. It was unlikely to come up, but forgetting your own birthday was a one way ticket to a dungeon. His name was Halberd, earthpony. he had a grey mane with a light blue coat. Birthdate the fifth of March, favourite colour was red. He liked to read comics in his spare time, and had a thing for one of the maids. Left hoofed, cutie mark of a halberd (as expected) Zeta knew all this and more, it was burnt into his memory.
Thirdly, a second sealed dossier- his escape. If he was found out he could use it to quickly assume an identity, and run. The incredible difficulty of memorizing another beings shape; size, colour, voice, etc, all required intense amounts of memorization. This meant that even the most elite changeling agents could only 'hold' a single disguise at a time. While it was possible to invent a general disguise, or approximate one based off personally seeing the target, without the specific information it was impossible to be exact, and suspicion would be immediate if your voice was off even slightly. Escape dossiers also included a set of contingency targets, so that the agents failure to succeed at their primary goal might yield something of use.
The fourth, and final, item was his specific orders. He had known to get here, and had been instructed to open and then destroy these orders on arrival. The paper would seem to most to be blank, but with a little bit of magic the wording could be read. Zeta had sucked the guard nearly dry in their encounter, he would probably be out of it for a good week. You either got magic through love, or you stole it outright violently. Zeta chose the later.
"Eta-Zeta, your target is the Prince himself. Execute him, and then light the lamp placed in the fourth floor east window. A second agent will perform a similar task, and with any luck Boraelia and Polis Major will find themselves at war. We'll be watching you, do not let us down.
-Eta-Eta."
Zeta grinned, this Prince wasn't exactly known to be kind to his subjects, he would be serving the hive while doing them a favor. The paper vanished with a green flame, and Zeta packed slung his back over his back, and the dagger he strapped to his leg. Taking a deep breath he was covered with a green glow, and then changed from a lowly peasant into a respected member of the palace guard, black armour with red trim covering him. A disguise like this, with armour covering, would quickly drain him- he would probably only get five or so hours before fatigue set in. The armour was, of course, no use against weapons either. It might not look like it, but that armour was his own skin. It might feel like metal, and sound like metal, but that was only an illusion. If you stabbed it, it would bleed.
Zeta was mindful of this as he continued down the path, the only way a changeling agent was expected to win a fight was to have the smarts to avoid one. Or, if that failed, to overwhelm the enemy with a screaming horde of changeling warriors. Their training focused on the martial arts, and in battle they would rapidly change identity to confuse their enemies. More often then not the enemy would rout out of sheer confusion. Life in the south was harsh, but the Hive had long since held it's own against the other nations. To the north was Equestria, and not the Hive nor the other states dare wake that sleeping beast. Not, of course, unless they were sure of victory.
Despite having been on the march for nearly a full day at this point, Zeta was full of adrenaline and anxious to prove his worth. He quickly cantered down the path towards the castle, soon coming up on the moat. The drawbridge was lowered, which would thankfully save him a little time. Another guard waved at him from his post on the other side.
"Welcome back Halberd, have a good time in Equestria?" The guard shouted across.
Zeta put on a smile, and trotted across. "That's right friend, three days, three nights, a hundred bits of gold," He shouted back.
The guard started laughing, Zeta panicked for a second- he hadn't expected that response. He could feel some sweat on his brow, but fought back the temptation to wipe it off.
"You're talkin' like a 'robot' from one of your comics, you been out in the sun too long?" The guard asked, squinting forward at Zeta. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah... it's been a long walk..." He trailed off awkwardly, glancing from side to side.
The guard snorted. "Well then get some rest- you're on duty tomorrow, remember?" He said.
Zeta awkwardly shuffled past. "I uhh, yeah, rest. I'll uhh... yeah!" He mumbled, and quickly dashed inside the castle.
Once inside he sighed, relieved. Glancing back to make sure he was out of sight he wiped the sweat off his brow and continued on down the carpeted hall. Zeta had studied the blueprint of this place, and knew the Prince's quarters was on the third floor. He would be having dinner at this time in the evening, which was perfect. He could slip in... and wait.
Quickly finding the Prince's quarters, with no further ado, Zeta gently opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind himself just as gently. Taking a look around Zeta suppressed a laugh, the amount of ornate decoration in the room was worth more than the castle grounds. A golden visage of the Prince himself jutted out from the equally golden bed frame, a dresser with gold trim stood at the end of the room, and worth more than any of this- a manticore rug occupied the floor. It was an ugly piece, but worth a million bits by itself easily. He also saw something on a table beside the bed, it looked like a small map. Zeta approached and had a quick look at it.
It was a war plan, and a hilariously direct one at that. A red line ran from Boraelia east to the Hive, and a note in the margin read "2,000 should do it, conscript the local population for front line units."
His entire plan was to take 2,000 soldiers north to the Hive, and attack directly. Zeta didn't even really need to kill this Prince, he seemed to be well on the road to that himself. He put the map in his bag, might prove useful somehow. A noise outside the door startled him, and he quickly dove under the bed, thankful it was so high off the ground. He quietly lay under there, listening to footsteps approaching outside.
"... you're sure you can trust her? I th-"
"Be quiet you idiot, there's ears everywhere!"
The footsteps disappeared down the hallway, and Zeta sighed with relief. Rolling out from under the bed he spotted a wardrobe, and dropped his disguise so he could stuff himself inside.
He unsheathed the dagger, and waited.
In the time he waited Zeta simulated what he would do in his mind, over and over. Would he strike unseen, and escape silently? Perhaps a quick one liner, or maybe try and get some useful information first, could prove his worth back home. Better than all this, why not suck him dry of magic before leaving? Magic was useful, and it felt good to have your fill of it.
The sound of a lone quad of hooves came down the hallway, and the door opened, and he watched as the Prince entered the room, and moved to his dresser to, apparently, style his mane.
"Some kind of brother I have, I swear he just wants my position..." he said to himself, and reached down to pick up a brush.
"At least I have you, you always understand. Soon you'll be King, and maybe even..." He paused, and stared into his own eyes.
The mirror, he'll see me with the mirror! Get away from it you vain idiot!
Zeta had an idea, and with a tiny bit of magic energy disturbed the map on the desk, causing it to flutter to the ground. Prince Prickletree glanced over.
"I really have to get the servants to find out where the draft is coming from," He mumbled, and trotted over. As he bent down Zeta quietly opened the wardrobe and stepped out. His heart beat rapidly as adrenaline filled him, he was so close. The Prince grabbed the paper, and as he came up to put it on the table found a dagger across his neck.
"Don't scream," Zeta ordered.
"Alright, alright! Just... relax, alright? Maybe we can work out a deal?" He pleaded.
"What could you have that would interest the hive?" Zeta asked.
Fear. Fear was almost as good as love in that it meant your victim was weak, you could suck the magic right out of them, and it would only enhance the effect. Zeta breathed in deep as it filled him. The feeling was akin to taking a warm bath, except the warmth was inside.
"Gold? Servants? I...." He trailed off, shuddering with fear.
"Information, who are you working with?"
"Commander Luna! She wants the Hive gone, she said if I did it I could..." He never finished the thought.
Cut.
Zeta released him, letting his body flop to the floor. He dropped the dagger beside it and resumed his guard disguise. For a moment he stood there, looking down at his handiwork. Prince Prickletree was certainly not the most noble of ponies, or people in general for that matter, but did he really have to die? Zeta felt... cold. He pushed the lifeless body under the bed, and steeled himself with the knowledge that had this stallion lived, it would have led countless innocents to their deaths, and created a problem for the hive as well. He knew the risks.
He knew the risks.
Zeta did too, and he quickly left the room behind him. It didn't take much time to find the window on the fourth floor. As expected there was a torch, which he lit. The window was wide enough to fly out, and since the sun was setting he figured it would be the best way to get out. Glancing back he...
Princess Luna?
"A charming tale, but it's time to wake up," She said.
Wildcard was startled awake and bumped the meeting table, the rest glancing at him.
"Good to have you back with the living, Ambassador. Long night?" Spitfire asked, apparently interrupted as she stood ahead of blackboard filled with names, numbers, and vague looking symbols. She held a pointing stick in one hoof, pointed at the Ambassador at the moment.
He cleared his throat, noting Luna grinning at him from across the table.
"Sorry, continue," he said.
Spitifire frowned and resumed, gesturing with her stick at a circles series of names.
"We know the risks, but I think the prize is worth it. If the elements of the fleet here can draw them out, then the Pheonix craft can intercept and destroy a large portion of their staging grounds near Baltimare. Combined with a Legion assault we could take half the city in one fell swoop," She finished, and turned towards the others. Celestia never said much in these meetings, and sat back in her chair with her assistant First Class beside her. Wildcard caught a glance, and they shared a smile.
"I approve, it would give my colts some needed morale, we haven't taken the offensive in a week," General Massé said.
"I agree, it would be good to take the initiative for once, we've been too defensive since this started," Luna added.
They all turned to her sister, awaiting the final decision. While ostensibly they were all equal, nobody did anything Celestia didn't approve of. Or, at the very least, allow reluctantly.
"Approved, get it done," She said.
Wildcard had no input, he was generally only involved in these meetings as a gesture of good will towards the Hive; rarely was he involved in the actual decisions. When he was it was generally to the tone of "have your people do this", and then he simply called home afterwards. Home, in turn, rarely sent him anything other then a 'yes' or 'no'. He spent most of his time managing petty squabbles between the ponies and immigrant changelings, almost always to do with pay. Everyone wanted their labour, nobody wanted to pay for it, and it was hard to explain to the workers what pay even was. Adding to that was the increasing difficulty of keeping track of all the changelings; they were required to register and report with the local guard, but with the war stretching the guard thin this task had been relegated to confused recruits of the new 'National Police Service'. It was like dealing with a bunch of children. Ponyville had nearly had a riot when word went around that changelings were working the orchards, having 'removed' a large amount of fruit bats in doing so. Princess Twilight Sparkle had solved that problem however. If Wildcard read the following report right, she had done it with a bit of musical theatre. A Princess without a realm, Twilight was an interesting character.
Princess Celestia sat forward, glancing around. "If there's no further business, I suggest we adjourn for today," She said. The group nodded and collected their assorted paper, Spitfire quickly erased her plans and was the first out. Wildcard got up, but a quick gesture from Luna bid him stay. General Massé took off after Spitfire, Celestia and First Class afterwards. First Class blew him a kiss as she left, causing Wildcard to melt into his chair with a sigh.
"You two seem quite taken with each other, I suspect your Queen would disapprove, you're quite different than your comrades." Luna said.
Wildcard crossed his arms, mindful to tread the minefield that was talking with Princess of the Night carefully.
"How so?" he asked.
"You, unlike your comrades, have a heart,' She explained.
"I'm sure in time, the rest of my people will learn to embrace our alliance," Wildcard suggested.
"I'm not so sure. I quite suspect your Queen is only using this to further her own hunger for power, how exactly is what eludes me. Obviously she needs Equestria for protection during the war, but beyond that..."
Wildcard agreed, and he quite suspected that his position- and possibly his life- was only secure until the war was won. Beyond that there would be a reckoning, and he would need friends to protect himself.
And his family, he would have a family soon. Never in his life had the idea even occurred to him.
"In any case, that brings me to why I've had you stay behind," Luna said, and flipped through the pile of papers before her to bottom, sliding a folder over. Wildcard leaned forward and flipped it open.
The first thing that stood out was 'attempted murder', he closed it without any further examination.
"So you've found a few skeletons in my closet, is anybody really surprised?" Wildcard asked.
"Surprised? Not at all, not myself. Others may be however, and when wars end certain documents become unclassified, matters of public record and historical fact. It would truly be a shame if your new life her started with certain uncomfortable revelations..."
Wildcard met her gaze. "You can't prove I had anything to do with any of this."
She smirked. "You can't prove you didn't, A good word from the Night Guard declaring your 'clear innocence' would certainly help allay the fears of... certain others."
"Why are you bringing this up? Why now?" Wildcard asked, deeply afraid what the answer might be.
Luna clacked her hooves together and slunk into her chair, this had the effect of somewhat shrouding her face in darkness. Wildcard wasn't had by the effect.
"I require your services," She said.
"I'm an Ambassador now, Princess. I'll also remind you that I'm not a citizen- you have no sway over me."
"Oh don't give me that 'I've retired' business. We're at war, and you've already made your abilities clear when you shot down a griffon attack ship. You keep a crossbow under your desk for the moons sake!"
Wildcard leaned forward, putting his hooves on the table.
"Fine, you know what? Fine. You want Eta-Delta back I'll give him to you- but I want something in return."
"I'm listening," Luna said, unphased.
"I want a title for myself, and First Class. There's also a small plot of land in the desert, but we can discuss that later. If I do this for you, I want you to ensure our safety, publicly, forever."
"You shall have it, I assume this has something to do with your child?" Luna asked.
Wildcard betrayed his emotions for barely a second, but it was enough for her to notice. She smiled and raised herself to meet him.
"I assure you, Equestria will allow no harm to come to her, or her child. In the past we had an 'adoption policy', but that idea is dead. I will not allow it to happen again," She said.
"Then I assume my own safety rides on me accepting this 'offer'."
"Correct, I will make you a noble and the nation will stand at your back. If Chrysalis wants to harm you, she'll have to deal with the whole of the nation- if you work with me," Luna said.
It was everything he needed, and in the end he would probably be helping the war effort. Maybe, in the end, it was the universes way of making him atone.
"Deal." Wildcard said, reaching his arm forward.
Luna shook it. "Good, I'll have somepony speak to you shortly," She said, and released him.
Wildcard flopped back in his chair while Luna quickly gathered her papers and departed.
She glanced back from the doorway.
"Just out of curiosity, how many?" she asked.
"Eight." Wildcard replied.
She whistled, and left down the hallway.
He slammed the table, fuming. "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" he shouted.
Luna strode down the hall, with a wide grin on her face having accomplished everything she had wanted. Wildcard would serve as an excellent tool if she needed some direct 'intervention'.
She wondered if he realized the risk from his own people. If they found out he was doing this work, or just how loyal he had become to Equestria, then alliance or not they would replace him. The only reason they didn't, she assumed, is at the moment it would be more trouble than it was worth. It was somewhat ironic that she would have to ensure his well being, protecting a changeling from other changelings, how times had changed.
Interestingly, it seems he had been kept in the dark as to the larger scale of his leaders plans from the start. When that prince was executed (Luna would have to note that case as solved), his brother inherited the throne and declared war on the neighbouring state. As soon as this was over, the Hive attacked with an overwhelming number of warriors and sacked them both. Polis Major had been razed to the ground, and none had dared cross the Hive since then. Thinking on it, it was perhaps a way to secure their position in the south before setting their eyes on the north- Equestria.
Did Chrysalis have further plans?
Pondering away, Luna was startled to bump into her sister.
Luna looked up to find her sister frowning down at her.
"What was all that about?" She asked.
Luna stuck her chin into the air, responding in the proper tone of leadership.
"I was securing a strategic asset," She replied.
"A 'strategic asset'? That's a living breathing person you're talking about, our friend." Celestia said sternly
"What I do to protect the nation is none of your business, sister," Luna said, her voice up an octave from before.
"You're slipping, Luna You may own the night, but don't let the darkness own you," Celestia warned.
"I assure you, sister, that I command the darkness, not it I," Luna said, looking up to meet her sisters glare.
"You're not listening. If you sacrifice what Equestria stands for then we've already lost," Celestia said, staring down at her sister.
"I'll do what I must to make sure there continued to be a nation!" Luna said, her voice up an octave.
They glared at each other, horn to horn. A very faint outline of magic energy swirled around both.
Celestia blinked.
"We will discuss this at another time," She said, and turned away, quickly disappearing down the hallway.
Luna sighed, and peered down at the cracks the pair had left in the stone floor. Once again she had let her emotions take control of her, and once again she had almost come to blows with her own sister. This crisis was bringing out the worst in everypony.
She had barely been back a year from her millennial exile, the event leading to that having been dubbed "Luna's Treason" by history.
It's not treason if you are the government!
Perhaps, now the elements were gone it would be possible to...
No, no don't go down this road. Not again.
She shook her head and strode the opposite way down the hallway. Rest, rest was what she needed. Celestia would mind the day.
Wildcard, having spent a good half hour milling around the castle finding breakfast and tea before reluctantly arrived at his office. The guard outside paid him no mind- Wildcard didn't even have any idea which of the pair it was. They operated in 12 hour shifts, and while ostensibly under his command he was careful not to let them have much leeway. When off their shift they reported to the guard, and were not to leave Canterlot. Like all the changelings they were required to wear a red medallion inscribed with their 'registration number' when not om duty. It had been quite a lot of work to register and manage the changelings, but thus far the only problems had been minor.
Well, aside from the war, anyway.
"Morning Lyra," Wildcard said, striding to his desk. With a swift movement he opened the locked drawer while spinning to sit in his chair, dumping his notes from the meeting (which were actually just doodles) inside before closing it with his leg, which then came to rest with it's partner on top the desk.
"Mornin' Wildcard, got a message for you," Lyra said, and with nary a glance back flung a letter through the air, which landed delicately before Wildcard. She was so skilled at this by now that it even landed forward. Wildcard glanced down at it, taking a sip from his tea.
"Mezza Luna? I don't know any Mezza Luna..." Wildcard mumbled, tearing the letter open.
Inside was a paper with only tree words on it, Wildcard sighed and slumped in his chair.
"Send Her Out."
Careful not to show how deeply he was dissatisfied with the state of affairs, he quietly put the note in his locked drawer, and cleared his throat to get Lyra's attention.
"Take a break Lyra," He ordered.
She immediately stopped typing and got up, trotting to the door.
"Super secret stuff huh? I get it." She said, glancing back with a smile before leaving into the hallway. Wildcard could always count on the fact that Lyra could be trusted, and understood her position in things.
Mere seconds after she left a bat pony walked in, and kicked the door shut behind her. She looked rather aged, and wore battered armour that had probably been with her for a generation.
"Mezza Luna, I presume?" Wildcard addressed, not moving from his comfortable position.
"That is I, yes. I heard you had accepted Her Highness's... offer," She said, coming to a halt before his desk.
"If you can call it that, felt more like a demand, alongside some thinly veiled threats and the shocking revelation that I, a known changeling spy, have..." He paused, and looked at her flailing his hooves. "spied for the changelings!"
"Oh please, as if you're totally on the level even now. You're skimming hundreds of untaxed bits for your personal gain during a war, I should have you arrested for fraud," She threatened. Wildcard was beginning to sense a theme in the way the Night Guard did things.
"Oh fantastic, another 'revelation'. That's perfectly legal, and I'm not even a citizen! I pay taxes to the Hive, not to you. Good luck arresting the Ambassador on sovereign territory by the way." Wildcard noted.
"Stuff it Wildcard, you know full well you're breaking the law..."
"Which law? How? Need I remind you I have diplomatic immunity? Oh! I forgot to mention the blanket amnesty!" Wildcard broke in.
Mezza Luna loudly cleared her throat, glaring at him
"You'll find your 'mission' outlined here, get it done and maybe we can slide a few bits your way," She said, producing a folder which she tossed on his desk.
"And if I refuse?"
She simply responded with a laugh, and turned to leave.
"We'll meet again, Wildcard," She said, and left Wildcard with his folder.
"I look forward to it!" He shouted after her, sarcastically.
He took a deep breath, and opened it. On top of a smaller, sealed, folder was his orders.
"Agent Orange (Fantastic, he had some sort of code name now!), your task is to identify and, if possible stop, possible griffon attempts to ally with the Independent State of Snowy Cove. Night Guard Intelligence has been unable to intervene due to the war, and formal diplomatic relations haven't existed for centuries. With your unique capabilities you can get in where others couldn't, and do what needs to be done. On arrival rendezvous with Agent Yellow in the Snowmare Tavern within the city of Snowy Cove, identify with the key phrase: Iron and Copper. Agent Yellow will provide any further instructions, and provide you with tools you may need.
-Agent White"
He shook his head, this was not sounding like a walk in the park. Snowy Cove was nearly a days travel away by air, and he would have to do it while being mindful of both other changelings and anyone else. He opened up the second folder, and covered his desk with tea on seeing what was inside.
It was a changeling contingency dossier. A small note was attached.
"Use only outside Equestrian Territory."
Fantastic! He was now holding the most dangerous object in the world, and that was their only advice. This explained why they had decided it would be him, and not anybody else, to do this. Why they wanted to keep this mission from the Hive was an interesting question, probably because Luna suspected Chrysalis of plotting against the alliance.
He didn't blame her really.
He swung out of his chair, grabbed his coat, and with a quick note to Lyra he was out the door. Best get this business done as soon as possible.
There was one other thing he grabbed, leaving tape dangling from the bottom of his desk. He hoped not to use it, but a lifetime of this sort of work had proven one thing: be prepared for anything. His first stop was the throne room, where Celestia was, as always, tending to the business of the state. First Class was at her side as always, but they didn't seem to be very busy. Relieved, Wildcard stood in the doorway and beckoned her over. With a quick glance to her Princess, who replied with a nod, she came over to him.
"What's up Wildcard?" She asked.
Wildcard took a moment to savour her presence. As beautiful as always, and with a now noticeable bump that marked their child. She smiled warmly at him, and he felt that sensation of warmth inside. An observer might even think he was glowing, literally.
"I've got to go away for a few days, on business. I just wanted to s-"
She embraced him tightly, entangling the two in a kiss. When she released him she laughed, he was quite clearly glowing now.
"They should send us to the front, all I have to do is kiss you and we could take on the entire griffon army!" She joked.
"Wouldn't be fair to the griffons. Now I've really got to go, I just want to say goodbye, and I'll probably have to cancel our date Saturday," He said, frowning.
"Really? What sort of work could possibly take a whole week?" She asked, meeting his eyes with a concerned look.
Wildcard sighed
"Princess Luna has me doing some 'field work', I thought I was done with this crap but with the war on I'm apparently an asset, to be used as such." he explained.
"That's terrible of her! I could talk to Celestia, may-"
Wildcard shook his head. "No, we've all got to do our part, and I suppose this is mine. She's promised us landed titles if I succeed."
"So that Queen of yours...?"
Wildcard nodded. "We'll be untouchable, and so will our foal," he explained.
First Class grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, why would you be worried about our foal?" She asked, clearly worried.
"I'm not, not anymore. The Hive has had an... 'adoption policy', in the past."
"Now that's terrible! We'll have to bring her to justice one day for these c..."
Wildcard glanced away, which she noticed in an instant and twisted his head over to meet her gaze.
"You never told me about your career, before all this." She said.
Wildcard took a deep breath, this was happening.
"I don't like to think about it, I'm not that person anymore."
"Wildcard..."
"I did what I was ordered to do! The Queen orders, and you obey, there's no questioning the morality- you just do it!" He struggled to glance away, desperate to not meet her gaze, but she held him firm.
"Have you... killed?" she asked.
"Yes," He responded simply. A tear began to bead on her eye, he was held firm and unable to do anything but stare into them.
"Could you... do it again?" She asked.
Wildcard swallowed, "Yes," he replied painfully. It was the utter truth, he could and would kill to protect her.
First Class released him, and turned away.
"Go, go do what you need to do," She said, waving a hoof behind her. Wildcard sensed it was unwise to say anything more, and departed silently. The warm feeling inside was replaced with cold. A deep cold, the sort of cold that no physical heat could cure.
He steeled himself for the days ahead, and took flight once outside the castle. In his jacket he had everything he needed, and a small chunk of gold he could barter with if he needed. The cider deal had been amazingly fruitful, and his investment equally so. At this point it was looking like once the war was over he would be a very rich stallion indeed. With a title, and a little land, he could start a noble house.
That is, assuming they won the war.
It was early morning in Canterlot when he began his journey south. If he flew non-stop it would take him somewhere around a day to get there, but he was exhausted from the latter night- which he had spent desperately trying to explain to a frantic citizen of Baltimare that no, her husband was not replaced by a changeling- he was just cheating. For whatever reason the refugees always took their grievances to him, despite living in the Hive at the moment with the actual Queen of the Changelings right there. Perhaps she intimidated them.
Again, he couldn't really blame them.
The next few hours flying low over the San Palomino Desert- careful to steer clear of any inhabited areas- he daydreamed about what the future might hold. If they won the war, and Luna fulfilled her promise, then they would live a peaceful life in Equestria, himself and his wife. He had put off proposing to her because of how busy they had been with the war, but perhaps it was unwise to wait. It was quite possible that they would lose, they were after all two weeks in and hadn't even taken Baltimare back. Wedding First Class would send the clear message home that he had truly 'gone native', but Chrysalis would be an utter fool to try anything now. The Hive needed the protection of the Wonderbolt fleet far more than Equestria needed the Hive. Without the fleet the griffins would annihilate the entire hive almost immediately. His new title would also ensure that Equestria would be unable to dodge aiding them, they would very publicly have the full protection of the state.
There was, as always, the idea of Chrysalis somehow allying with the griffons, but then that same fleet would take the place of the griffons, and she would essentially commit suicide by going against Equestria. The Magnificent itself was, after all, designed specifically for this. A fact that he had ensured remained hidden from his 'comrades'.
With the sun beginning to go down, fatigue set in long before the desert itself neared its end. Thankful for his herbivorous nature Wildcard spotted an outcropping of grass and set down, he could take his fill here and then rest through the night. Ponies of ancient times had to worry about carnivores, but other than magical beasts those had been purged from the continent long ago. The grass was dry, and somewhat stale, but a small muddy puddle of water that sustained it also solved his thirst. It didn't taste good, but his survival training said it was good enough to keep him alive, and that's what counted.
Using some more of the grass to make a small bed for himself, he lay down and stared at the stars before falling asleep, alone in the desert. The stars were beautiful tonight, and not a cloud in the sky obscured them.
Wildcard returned to the beach in his mind. He had long ago developed the ability for lucid dreaming, and this was where he came when he needed to collect himself. It was a place of peace in his mind, and represented the place in the badlands where he and First Class had first admitted their love for each other. Perhaps one day, when peace returned, he could build a ranch there. A perpetually evening sun reflected off the gently rippling waters of the lake, and he lay with his hooves at the waters edge, gently massaged by the waves.
"Wildcard"
He was surprised to hear a voice behind him, and rolled on his side to see Luna standing there.
"This better not be business, my mind is private property," He warned, he had the ability to remove her if he wished.
"Not business, not entirely I just had a question or two that I wanted to ask away from prying ears."
"That's business!" Wildcard growled, turning back to the waters.
"Yes, I suppose you are right. I shall make my intrusion quick," Luna said, and sat beside him.
"It's quite a nice place," She commented.
"Just get on with it," Wildcard demanded.
"Fine. I need to know if you have any evidence of your Queen acting against the alliance," She said.
"Evidence? No. Suspicions? Oh I got suspicions. Zeta's escape for one, how they let him go is beyond me- it should have been impossible."
"I see, would it be possible for you to gather evid-"
She never finished the thought, Wildcard tossed her far into the waters ahead and she vanished below them with a huge splash.
"My dream." He mumbled to himself.
Wildcard awoke, feeling something poking at his backside. With the reflexes of a trained soldier he had his crossbow out of his bag in a flash, standing with it leveled against...
"It's a rabbit Wildcard, get a hold of yourself," He breathed, putting his crossbow back in his pack. The low morning sun heralded the day, and after a quick breakfast of more stale grass, he continued off south. In the far distance was the Crow Pass, and beyond that lay the independent states. Snowy Cove, thankfully, was the furthest north and lay just west of the other end of the Crow Pass. In his flight he took out the dossier he had been provided and began to memorize it.
Treebeard. Occupation: Forester. Stallion, Earth.
Height: 5' 5''
Cutie Mark: Tree, see photograph.
Mane Colour: [UNTRANSLATABLE] (Basically green)
Coat Colour: [UNTRANSLATABLE] (Brownish)
Voice Signature: [UNTRANSLATABLE] (Boy, this guy wasn't much of a stallion)
Residence: Small cabin north of the city of Snowy Cove.
Living Family: None
Known friends: None, basically a forest hermit.
Chance of contact: Nearly zero, rarely leaves the forest.
Available Resources: Small bank account, may or may not be empty at any given time. Known to have a small supply of gold in his cabin.
Additional Notes: Favourite colour is green, birth date is March 22nd 952. Spends his spare time knitting. Probably born in Snowy Cove, but lack of family or medical record keeping in the city has made this difficult to confirm. Do not get too friendly with the populace, they will suspect something is amiss if the local hermit starts getting too friendly.
Below these was a handwritten note scrawled in.
"Original has vanished, Cabin remains unoccupied with a small amount of supplies inside for any agent on mission out here. Be wary of an ever increasing tab at the local tavern. The next agent to use this identity is recommended to pay it, immediately, or risk a confrontation. Also advised you bring a coat."
Well, there went his gold.
Spotting a flock of geese above Wildcard put another bit of his training into use. Birds were smart, and if you fell in line with the flock, kept careful track of their patterns, and were willing to ride in the front for a bit first, they would allow you to ride in their wake. It was a tried and true method for getting across the continent. This conferred the double benefit of being able to disguise as a goose. Never before approaching the flock, or they would see you as a threat and... bite.
Wildcard gingerly, slowly, raised himself in front of the lead goose. He could almost hear it sigh as it was swept up in his own wake, and for an hour or two he led them in the morning sun. They were heading south a little early this year, but perhaps that's because the war had spoiled their grounds in the north. Having been accepted, Wildcard shapeshifted into a (significantly larger) goose. It was an odd feeling, but also somewhat relaxing. These geese had no conception of politics, war, or even morality. All they did was fly, eat, procreate, and move on to the next world. Eventually another member of the flock moved up to the tip of the V, and Wilcard was able to slip back into the second position. He sighed with relief as the burden of flight became almost non-existent.
As the sun reached midpoint in the sky, the flock entered the Crow Pass. This was the only entrance to the independent states this side of the continent, and it was a large of part of why they were so. The long desert to the north prevented any sort of major connection between the north and the south, and as soon as one was planned one of the states would claim the pass for itself. Dozens of wars had been fought over it, all ending in the abandonment of those plans. Flanking the pass was the huge mountain range of the Palisade Mountains on either side. The mountains were huge enough that it was almost impossible to fly over them- the air simply got too thin. Thus the pass was the only way to enter on the continent proper, the other solution being to go around to the oceans. This was the hive's entry point- along the east coast.
Wildcard spared a glance down at the changing scenery. Almost immediately the desert disappeared and was replaced by thick deciduous forest. This forest had given Borealia it's name, but that was one of the many short lived nations that was lost to history. Nothing lasted longer then it's leadership down here, and it was a never ending cycle of a great person uniting the states, and then the splintering that followed their passing. The only one to remain the same through time was the Hive, owing in part to it's isolated location in a far western valley, but mostly due to the ferocity of it's warriors and constant 'threat management' of it's agents. The war had complicated that, with most agents being recalled to lead warriors in direct combat.
Coming out of the pass, Wildcard departed from the flock with (what he thought) was a respectful honk. The reply of the others faded away as he flew eastwards from here, noting that it was starting to get colder. Thankfully he was wearing a coat, and while it was thin it would do well enough.Barely visible in the distance was the end of the mountain range, and along with it the western coast. Snowy Cove lay there, and was named for the snow that covered the mountains near it- The city itself was rarely snowed in. Cross ocean trade with the Zebra Empire made it of moderate importance to the region, the griffons setting their sights this far east did not bode well.
It wasn't long before the coast, and the cove, were visible on the horizon. Wildcard veered north and flew low over the trees, looking for any sign of this cabin. It could be a valuable tool if he was the only that knew about it, any further missions in the south could be based out of there. Assuming, of course, it still existed. This dossier was clearly dated, and lacked the deep details most did. Snowy Cove was so far east that the Hive didn't care about it much, other then to monitor inter continental trade. It was a dull mission, but every agent did it. Wildcard had done it for an entire year before his first mission.
Eventually Wildcard spotted a trail below, and followed it up the mountain. The air got colder and a thin covering of snow began to cover the ground and evergreen trees. Finally he found it: an ancient looking cabin covered with snow behind a worn down fence. He came down gently, blowing some of the snow around. His hooves sunk into the snow, and his movement towards the cabin would better be described as 'swimming'. Crunching his way towards the door he was happy to find it unlocked, and it swung open with a muffled creak. Stepping inside he shook himself off, and lit his horn to provide light and warmth.
It was a rather bare cabin, with a basic kitchen at one end, and a cot on the other. In the middle was a wood burning stove. Wildcard decided to check out the kitchen first, and found it incredibly dusty. A small note had been left by the previous occupant.
"Enjoy, I tried to leave the place clean enough. I know cove watch is pretty boring, but there's a mare at the tavern that can help... pass the time."
Wildcard crumbled it up and tossed it in a nearby bin. Outside the grimy window he could see the pinkish light of evening. A howl of hunger from his stomach set him to his first task- find some food.
Taking some time to stow his dossier under the mattress, he looked under the bed and found a small lockbox. He didn't have the key, but lock picking one of many skills he had been trained it. With only a momentary flash from his alicorn the tumbler clicked into position, and he opened it. Inside was a second note, a small nugget of gold, and a sheathed dagger.
"Replace if used, other agents need to use the place too."
He pocketed the gold, strapped the dagger to his leg, and departed from the cabin. Outside he immediately assumed his disguise, and left his coat visible on top. Crunching through the snow he leapt over the gate, not bothering to clear the snow to open it, and trotted down the path towards the city. For a second he thought of taking to the sky, but he had gotten a 'grounder', an earth pony, and that would break his cover wide open.
By the time he arrived at the city, having started to eye the berries growing near the end hungrily. He knew for a fact that these would put him in a.. strange state of mind, but it wasn't time for that. Many an hour of his youth had been spent staring out at the ocean with a few of these berries, drifting in and out of reality.
He felt something else, other then his hunger. For the first time in his life he actually felt lonely. He had been on lone assignment plenty of times before, but he always had his duties pushing him forward. Now he had something more, he had friends and even found a love back home. Equestria truly was his home now, and that he was out here doing this proved his loyalties well enough. Perhaps that was part of why Luna had him doing this, he was about to wed a rather important pony after all.
The sound of a sword being unsheathed startled him to attention, a guard stood ahead of him on the path, the city gate behind him and his sword levelled at Wildcard.
"State your business," He demanded.
"Need to buy some supplies," Wildcard responded quickly.
The guard squinted at him, looking him over.
"Oh! Treebeard! Why didn't you just say so!" He exclaimed, sheathing his sword.
"Go right on in, but be careful- with the war up north we can't be too vigilant," he said, and stepped aside.
"I'll keep it in mind," Wildcard said, passing him into the city.
Snowy Cove wasn't a very large city, but it was large enough that it had become the seat of power in the region. It's ruler was known as the Patriarch, and it was a title passed from stallion to colt. Interestingly the colt didn't have to be a son, only chosen by the current leader. The city had never tried to grab land or tussle with it's neighbours, happy enough to get fat off overseas trade. Cobblestone roads ran through wooden buildings surrounded by a thick wooden wall, and near the waterfront a line of taverns looked over the ocean- entertaining sailors was big business.
Wildcard strode through the evening crowds, he supposed a stop at the Snowmare would sate his appetite while also leading him to the deep cover agent. He quickly found the place, and opened it to find a surprisingly clean and well lit establishment, a few zebra sailors enjoying themselves at scattered tables.
Taking a seat at the bar, he tapped it to get the barkeeps attention.
"Ah, Haven't seen you here in years Treebeard, I imagine you'll be having the usual?"
Wildcard threw the die of fate. "Sure."
"A mug of cider and a skinned pineapple, coming your way," The barkeep said, and with a swift motion filled a mug before darting into, and out of, the backroom. In mere moments his dance was complete, with the food and drink on the counter.
"What do you even do out there?" He asked.
Wildcard glanced around the room. "Prospecting, looking for gold but I mostly find..." In the corner he spotted a pony sitting in the shadows, reading something.
"Iron and Copper," he replied. The mysterious pony looked up and caught his gaze. With a quick nod he left a few bits on the table and left out a side door.
"Well that's great," The barkeep said, tapping him on the shoulder. When Wildcard turned back he found a gun in his face.
"That means you can pay your tab, now." he demanded.
The room silenced itself, Wildcard had been in this situation before. With a swift motion he tossed the gold nugget at the stallion, who stumbled to catch it. In his moment of distraction Wildcard reached forward, and with a deft motion turned the tables.
The barkeep caught the nugget, and seemed to not notice that his own weapon was staring him in the face.
"Keep it," he said, staring at the chunk of gold. "This will pay your tab, and then some. I could buy myself a ship and get off this continent, leave the rest of you to your fates."
Wildcard carefully emptied the five small rounds out of the guns magazine, pocketing them while putting the gun in his bag. Such a weapon was seldom seen up north, but around here they were a fact of life.
"You really think Equestria is going to lose?" He asked, starting to hungrily devour the pineapple.
"Oh no- they'll win, Celestia herself could probably kill the entire griffon population if she wanted to, but what are they going to do when they have won?" He asked in turn.
"Enjoy peace?" Wildcard suggested.
He laughed. "Turn their armies south, invade us while going on about 'harmony', happened to the Changelings you know- they got annexed."
Well that was a new perspective.
"I thought they were just allies, but I've been in the mountains for so long this all might as well be a faerie tale."
"They got invaded, and now suddenly they're 'allies' with the Equestrians, and fighting side by side in the war? They're a province now, and Celestia probably did something to their Queen to make her loyal. Celestia is trouble, mark my words. Nobody is that perfect," he explained.
Spotting something to the side he left Wildcard to finish his meal in peace. If the barkeep was representative of the general populations outlook towards Equestria then the alliance had far deeper problems down here then he thought. If the griffons managed to unite the populace in fear of an Equestrian invasion they could open a second front in the south of the Hive, it would be an incredible disaster.
He now understood why Luna had sent him under such secrecy. If Chrysalis learnt of this she could very well switch sides, the combined weight of the griffons, changelings, and independent states would utterly overwhelm Equestria. Wildcard would have to keep his wits about him if this was to be avoided, more then his own life rested on ensuring Equestria emerged victorious.
Finishing his meal he departed quickly, knowing that it wouldn't be for the last time. In the street there was no sign of 'Agent Yellow', he shrugged and left the city as the evening turned to night after buying a few apples from a street merchant. A gentle rain fell in the city, which turned to snow as he made his way back up the mountain. Taking a moment to collect a few of the berries along the way, he arrived to note a set of fresh footprints.
Pausing for a moment he loaded the gun, and he held it in his hoof as he crept through the snow, mindful to step only where the other had, negating the loud crunch of the snow. Closing on the door he stopped, and aimed the gun at it.
"Show yourself!" Wildcard shouted.
After a moments pause the door slowly creaked open, he cocked the hammer and steadied himself.
"It's just me, Agent Yellow!" A gruff voice shouted through the open door.
"Prove it!" Wildcard returned.
Agent Yellow poked his head out, mindful of the gun pointed at it. Wildcard studied him for a moment and recognized him from the bar.
"See? You've gotten paranoid over the years Treebeard, I didn't even know you were a spy," He said, and ducked back inside.
Wildcard sighed and slipped the gun back in his pack, leaving only one round off-chambered. This was going to take some explaining.
He closed the door behind and shook himself off, thankfully his comrade had started the fire, and it was quite cozy inside. Agent Yellow looked quite old now that Wildcard got a good look at him, he probably fulfilled a similar role to what he had years ago.
"So where have you been all these years, Treebeard? Certainly wasn't here," He said, sitting beside the fire.
Wildcard sat opposite him and warmed his hooves by it. "You've heard about the alliance right?" he asked, the floorboards creaked as they expanded, warmed by the crackling fire.
"Oh yes, I was quite shocked- but I suppose it's better to have them on our side then the griffons. All we need now is griffon allies opening a second front. I'm glad Her Highness takes the situation down here as seriously as me," he said.
"All right well, first things first," Wildcard said, and dropped his disguise.
Wildcard was shocked to note the agent was entirely unphased.
"Well that does explain how you came back from the dead, I saw him drown years ago," He said.
"Really?" Wildcard asked.
"Yes, I was probably his only friend- name's Greymane by the way- and I saw him lost to the sea on a fishing trip a few years back," he said, and this was followed by a wave of his hoof. Wildcard heard a click behind him and turned to see a second stallion removing a gun from the back of his head.
"Can never be too careful, I hear you've got a changeling traitor running a muck," he said, as the other stallion departed out the door. Wildcard hoped desperately that whoever it was could be trusted.
"It's true, which is quite a shock for us really, nobody has ever disobeyed the Queen like that before." Wildcard noted.
"You can call me Wildcard by the way, Who's your friend?" Wildcard asked.
"Town guard, told me you were in town so I followed you ever since you walked in here. This is my turf, I've got eyes everywhere," he said. Wildcard was decidedly impressed
"If you're so capable, what do you need me for?" Wildcard asked.
"Well, here's the situation. Griffons sent an ambassador her a few weeks ago, and he's been having long conversations with the Patriarch. Rumor around town is that they're going to sign an alliance soon enough, and if Snowy Cove throws it's weight around it's quite probable the other states could follow suit. His son, however, absolutely hates the griffons..."
"So kill the Patriarch, easy enough. I still don't see why you need backup." Wildcard commented.
"I'm a known factor out here, if I do anything they'll know it was me almost immediately, and all I would do is further inflame things while getting my own head lopped off. No, I have a better plan- kill the ambassador," He suggested.
Wildcard never thought he would here those words directed at himself.
"Kill the ambassador, and it looks like his son did it. His father is seriously unlikely to give him up, so the griffons are likely to declare war on Snowy Cove themselves, diverting resources from the northern front. I like it, but I still don't see why you need me," Wildcard said.
"I'm a known factor, like I said. Adding to that you have the ability to really make it look like his son did it, I've spent the last few weeks making one of those 'dossiers' you use so much. It's probably not perfect, but all you have to do is get in and get out," He said, sliding a folder around the fire.
Wildcard opened it, finding hastily scrawled and scatterbrained notes on a few pages of loose leaf. Still, it would probably be enough if he could just get a good look at this son.
"Sounds reasonable enough, anything else?" Wildcard asked.
Greymane stood and brushed himself off. "Can't think of anything, just make sure to get out of here quick when the job is done, they'll be checking for changelings," he warned, and opened the door to leave.
"Good luck, Agent Orange," he said, and closed it behind him as he let.
Wildcard sighed, and tapped the folder with his hoof. This was all too familiar. Once again he had to put out a brush fire before it turned into an inferno, the only thing had changed was who he was doing it for. He took off his coat and bags, leaving them on the floor, and dropped himself into the cot.
The irony of having to kill an ambassador was not lost on him as he settled in to sleep. He would need all his wits about him, and his senses sharp, tomorrow. He pulled the thick sheet over himself and smothered the fire with a magical field, quickly falling asleep in the pitch darkness of an overcast night.
Once again, the beach; The everlasting twilight soothing his soul. the water calmly lapping against his hooves. Rolling over on his back he looked back, and a building began to take form. The outside walls made of hive-stone, contrasted with wood outlining the roof. A small overhang over the door, with a chair below so one could gaze on the lake. Windows here and there opened up that way too. It really was perfect.
A son, or a daughter?
When Wildcard awoke the morning sun streamed through the grimy windows of the cabin, the dance of dust in the air highlighted in it's rays. Before he got dressed he realized he hadn't taken a shower in days- and the cabin didn't have one. Still, there were other ways a quadruped could clean himself. He sparked up the fire and leapt on the door into the snow, rolling around in it until he was good and wet (and quite cold), then he came inside and shook himself off. Taking some time to dry his fur by the fire he felt this was good enough, and in any case a 'rugged mountain man' like the late Treebeard was unlikely to be too clean anyway. Eating a few apples, and tossing a few more in his pack for later, he left the cabin.
On his walk towards the town he read over that 'dossier' Greymane had provided. It was sorely lacking in critical details like coat colour, mane colour, voice signature, etc, but it did have some useful information. The Patriarch's son was a unicorn, named Typhoon, with a cutie mark of said oceanic storm. His mother had passed giving birth, further evidence of how backwards it was in the south. He had excelled in his studies, having been taught by the Zebras, and would one day probably prove to be a capable head of state. His only friends were his teachers and a few in the guard, apparently he didn't see much in his peers. The rest of the information detailed a few trivial, but important, aspects. Typhoon walked with a slight limp in his rear right leg he had gained in an accident, and he always held his head high when he walked. A blurry photograph bookended the report. Wildcard would have to see, and hear, the colt in person before he could properly disguise. A further note added that there was a small cave that exited to a beach, the servants used it to come and go. A hasty map of the estate of the Patriarch was also attached, but it was full of holes.
Wildcard passed into the town, exchanging a nod with the gatekeeper. He couldn't help but feel the thrill of conspiracy, today he would change the fate of an entire nation with one deft stroke. He grinned and strode through the street, the surrounding mass of ponies totally unaware of his presence. A good spy was a super-weapon, and Wildcard had proven to be a very good spy.
The Patriarch lived in a gated compound overlooking the cove, it had it's own dock with a large yacht docked. Wildcard paused some distance away and started to consider his entrance strategy. Looking around he saw a few workers milling around the yacht, and here and there a guard watched out intently. He could tell from their hardened stances that these guards weren't to be trifled with. Greymane's suggestion of the servants entrance was probably the best strategy, so Wildcard trotted down to the sandy beach, finding a worn path leading around the estate. Around the back Wildcard spotted an earth pony, sitting on a barrel and smoking something.
Wildcard coughed, and the startled stallion tossed his smoke out to sea.
"Hey man, you scared me!" He exclaimed.
"Wait a second, you aren't one of the se-" Wildcard silenced his protests by tossing a ten bit coin at him.
"Alright, cool. You want in? By my guest," He said, gesturing towards the cave to his side.
Wildcard approached him, looking him over intently. Brown coat, brown mane, brown everything. His cutie mark was a chain-mail glove.
"What's your name?" Wildcard demanded.
"Squire, my name's Squire man, and you're creeping me out," He said, leaning backwards as Wildcard hovered over him.
Wildcard towered over him, refilling his magic reserves through his fear. Grabbing the pony by the shoulders he stared into his eyes, taking a deep breath as he took it all in.
"Take the day off," He ordered. The pony scrambled away, and galloped down the beach.
As soon as he was gone, Wildcard assumed his form. He still wore his coat and bags, but figured nobody would really care about that. He was now just a lowly servant, and had his way in. Checking himself, sure to double check he had the proper cutie mark, he started down the damp, dimly lit, cave. At the end was an ancient wooden door, and as soon as he opened it a voice screeched at him like a harpy inside, setting his hair on end.
"Squire! Typhoon's been calling for you for half an hour, says he wants his new armor fitted!" An ancient fossil of a mare shouted at him from behind a counter, an assortment of pies lay on it while she kneaded dough.
"And take this with you, poor colt hasn't eaten anything all day!" She ordered, prodding a plate with a sandwich on it.
Wildcard grabbed it and made a hasty retreat into the hallway, He put on a fake air of confidence as he walked down with it, plate balanced in one hoof. Glancing around to ensure nobody saw him, he lifted the bread and crushed one of the berries amongst the flowers. Wandering along the halls he found that all the rooms inside the estate seemed to be the same, there was no obvious sign of which the son was in. The mares reference to armour probably meant he was in the armoury or something, but where that was the map had no idea, it only marked the general outline of the estate itself. Eventually he came across a distracted looking servant hauling a pack on his shoulders.
"Hey buddy, you seen Typhoon?" Wildcard asked.
"He's in the armoury, man get a grip he's always in the armoury," The other servant said, pushing past.
"And that's uhhh..."
"In the basement, you're gonna get fired if you keep this up, " she warned.
Wildcard took the advice to heart and went back around to where he remembered finding a set of stairs leading downwards. Below he found a cool wine cellar with a pair of huge iron doors at the end. That, he assumed, was the armoury. It was unlocked, so he opened the door and went right in.
A zebra was inside, leveling a rather large weapon towards the doorway. The young Typhoon stood next to him.
"State your purpose here." The zebra demanded.
Wildcard glanced to his side, and with a swift motion placed the tray down, and a hoof in his bag.
"I don't know what you mean, I'm just a-"
Click
"Try again," He said, tapping the weapon.
"Fine," Wildcard said, kicking the door closed. "I'm here to kill the ambassador."
The zebra, to his mild surprise, lowered his gun. Wildcard in turn released his hoof from the bag, thankful this hadn't come to violence.
"Good, that's well within our interests,"
"Well that's good to know, I didn't even know you had interests in the region- and how did you even know?"
The colt laughed. "Do you think I'm that dumb? All servants have to check in with a password- the person you passed in the hallway was one of mine, and he's standing outside right now waiting for my signal. Leave, and die," he explained.
"My youthful friend here speaks the truth, and as for our interests- trade. We make millions off trade with the independent states, and we have a proposition for you," he said, gesturing Wildcard over.
"Oh and drop the disguise, you aren't fooling anyone in here," the zebra added.
Wildcard sighed, and joined them around a small table at the back of the room. For an armoury he noticed this room was rather bare of weapons, instead it was mostly maps and stacks of scrolls.
"My name is Vizitane, and I represent Zebra interests in the region," The zebra said from across the table.
"I assume the griffons are harming these interests?" Wildcard asked.
"It's simple really. The patriarch has recently started raising an army to fight with them. He's paid for this by raising taxes- on our trade. Not only that, but griffon control of the continent would be.. dangerous," he explained.
"So, what's your plan here?" Wildcard asked.
"Do as you said, and kill the ambassador. Once you've done that- kill the patriarch too. We have elements ready to ensure a quick transfer of power- to his charming son here."
Wildcard was horrified, this was becoming far more than he had bargained for. He turned to the colt, whom was watching this intently.
"You want me to kill his own father?!" Wildcard exclaimed.
"He's no father of mine. That fossil of a stallion is too obsessed with his own power to even know I exist. He's even delegated most of the actual ruling to me, only caring about his absurd notions of conquest," He said, there was a deep anger in his words.
"Even so, do I really need to kill him?" Wildcard asked.
The zebra nodded. "If you don't he'll just hand his son over, he's grown up with us all his life- I don't think he even knows the colt's name," he said.
Wildcard turned again to Typhoon, who also nodded.
"He's no saint, Eta." He said.
Eta, the name of a changeling agent. It had been a long time since someone had called him that.
"Fine, I suppose if I refuse..."
"You'll be a gift to the griffons." The zebra said.
"What about Griffon retribution? They're going to be angered greatly by this- might even decide to send troops down here,"
The zebra laughed. "The war really does have your agents stretched, doesn't it? They already have, most of the independent states have secretly signed treaties. Those that haven't... will be in for a shock."
"So is the Zebra Empire willing to get involved militarily?" Wildcard asked.
"Yes, we just need a c-."
"Hold on, this changeling has a cutie mark!" Typhoon exclaimed, Wildcard flinched when he prodded his flank.
"Yes I know, he's the changeling Ambassador to Equestria- didn't you notice his interest in foreign affairs?"
Typhoon nodded. "I did, I didn't know what to make of it."
"Mind this colt, everything has a meaning. He wants to know if we can be roped into an alliance with the Equestrians, and open up a second front," The zebra said, and turned to Wildcard.
"The answer to that, is yes. Equestria falling would be a terrific loss not only to trade- but the Emperor has long since owed your..." he leaned back and scratched his head, "Has Celestia started calling herself Queen yet, or does she still insist on calling herself a 'princess'?" He asked.
"Princess." Wildcard replied.
The zebra laughed, and glanced over at Typhoon. "Note this too, she's afraid others will think her power hungry if she finally takes the reigns for herself. The lesson is she shouldn't care," He said, and turned back to Wildcard.
"When you return, you can inform the 'princess' that we will be coming, in force, as soon as the Griffons give us a plausible casus belli."
"Which will be them attacking Snowy Cove in retribution for the unfortunate killing of their ambassador,"
"Exactly, after making it look like he- for whatever reason- killed the patriarch, he will be found dead in his room. My friend here will take the credit, and open the gates for our fleet. When the Griffons come they will find thirty thousand zebras ready to meet them."
Thirty Thousand. That was nearly half the size of the current army Equestria had fielded. This would be a huge boon to the war effort.
"This is all good news, but why not get involved sooner?" Wildcard asked.
The Zebra frowned. "An unfortunate law prevents us from attacking without being attacked first," He replied, and once again turned to the colt.
"Note that too, never pass a law you can't repeal."
He nodded, and they both turned to Wildcard.
"So we got a deal?"
Wildcard nodded, and with a handshake the fate of two people was sealed.
The son left first, followed closely by his zebra mentor. Wildcard waited a moment and resumed his servant disguise before leaving, taking a look at the map on the table- the Zebra had handily marked out the patriarchs quarters as well as the griffon ambassadors. He headed out that way.
Not long later, noticing that the same servant he had passed earlier passed him a few more times, he arrived outside the ambassadors office. Taking a deep breath, checking his arms, he cracked open the door and slipped inside. The ambassador sat at his desk at the far end of the room, it was pointed outwards towards a window- unwise. Wildcard unsheathed his dagger and crept up with the silence of a trained professional.
He reached over, and put the dagger to his neck. To his surprise, the aged griffon sighed.
"So it's time to face the music, eh?" He said, un-moved, dropping his quill.
Wildcard remained silent, and held the griffon in a green field to ensure he couldn't move.
"You knew the risks," he said.
"Who are you trying to convince?" The ambassador asked.
Wildcard remained silent.
"We've all got to face our demons some day, and I'm ready to face mine," he said, and was taken with a fit of coughing.
"Are you?" he asked.
He never got an answer, and Wildcard departed shortly with his form.
The Patriarchs quarters wasn't far from the ambassadors office, and as soon as he approached the guard at the door nodded and left. Wildcard wondered how long this conspiracy had been brewing. Deciding for the theatrical he kicked the door open with his gun drawn, a servant was serving lunch, and ran out screaming on seeing him.
"Patriarch!" Wildcard shouted with the Ambassadors voice.
He threw over the table, leaping forward while drawing a sword. Wildcard noticed that he was heavily armoured, and suddenly regretted his entrance.
"Ambassador? What is the meaning of this?" He shouted.
"The alliance is off!" Wildcard shouted.
The Patriarch desperately lunged forward, but never made it to the end of the room. Wildcard threw the smoking gun beside him, and resumed the servants disguise. It was horribly off- all the changing had confused his shape-shifting abilities, but he was still able to weave his way through the chaos in the halls and out the servants exit. Galloping out to the beach a trumpet blared, and from a ways off he could hear a shout.
"The Patriarch is dead! Long live the Patriarch!"
Wildcard had quite enough of Snowy Cove, and abandoned his disguise to take wing and leave- quickly. He soared up to the sky and flew east, his mission finally accomplished.
With incredible speed he came on the Crow Pass near evening, fatigue began to catch up to him as he entered it. He was able to coax his wings to get him as far as the desert, but his wings gave out, and he fell out of the sky into a field of short grass. It was a nice enough field, so he decided to rest there. He also found, to his delight, a few close-by apple trees. he ate some of the fruit, and pocketed ten more. Taking water from a small pond he settled down to a restless sleep under one of the trees.
When he awoke he found himself cold and wet, shivering in the late night. Groggy, tired, and sore, he nonetheless managed to coax his tired wings to lift him into the sky, and continued his way north. To his misfortune the rain seemed to follow him, but this had the effect of providing wind at his back that propelled him forward. With the mornings sun he was able to find a landmark he remembered, and set down nearby.
It was the lake. It stood out from the short grasses of the badlands plains, while the railway was also visible a few hundred meters away. Wildcard gazed on it, and then trotted up to the ground nearby. He dug ten small holes, and then moved back to the first. In each he carefully deposited the seeds from an apple, and covered them up with the muddy dirt. After taking a moment to admire his work, he departed and continued his way to Canterlot.
When he arrived a few hours later he was cold, wet, muddy, and exhausted. Shaking himself dry in the castle foyer he strode through the halls to his office, a few guards glancing at him as he passed. When he walked in Lyra was working as always, and his guard stood ever attentive. Tossing his bags down on the floor he plopped himself in his desk.
Lyra spun over and smiled at him, holding his head in a green field of magic.
"You look like crap," She said.
Wildcard sighed, unicorn magic was unlike anything else.
"I'm sure I do, and thanks for the help," He said.
"Don't mention it, Wildcard," She said, releasing the field.
"By the way, you'll be shocked to find out nothing happened while you were 'out', except this bat pony keeps coming by asking me if you're back yet," she added.
Wildcard leaned back in his chair, he would have some explaining to do, but he had accomplished his mission objectives- in his own way.
"I'm sure she won't be long," he breathed, reaching in one of the drawers for a bottle of cider.
To his mild surprise the next person to enter the room was Luna herself, if she had come to see him in person this late in the day she must really be interested in his mission.
"Ambassador, I've been awaiting your return most eagerly," She said, and nodded to Lyra. She quickly departed and closed the door behind her.
"I did as asked- the Griffons won't be allying with Snowy Cove any time soon," Wildcard said, leaning forward on the desk.
"Good, good- but there's more I'm sure," Luna said, sitting across from him.
"The bad news is the griffons are going to open a new front in the south- they've allied with most of the independent states. The good news is that Snowy Cove is decidedly against them- and the Zebras will be entering the war," Wildcard explained.
Luna nodded.
"So long as you have fulfilled your end of the bargain, I will honour mine. You will have your title and citizenship, as well as your love. Inform me when you are ready to proceed, and it will be done," she said.
"You can brief us all on your exploits tomorrow at the next meeting, until then- get some rest," Luna said, and opened the door to leave.
"Good work, Wildcard," She added, leaving down the hallway.
Lyra returned shortly, smart enough not to question any of this. She set back to her work while Wildcard lay his head down at his desk, his rest was soon interrupted when a hoof gentle raised his head.
"You look like crap," First Class said, smiling down at him.
"You should see the other guy," Wildcard said, returning hers with a weak smile of his own.
She plopped down in front of the desk.
"So it's done?" She asked, holding his head up.
"For now, yes. You'll hear all about it at the meeting tomorrow. We've got our protection," Wildcard said.
First Class nodded, and plopped a large binder on his desk.
"Speaking of meetings, here's what you missed," She said, pushing it towards Wildcard.
He slumped into his chair, and with a swift motion pulled two glasses out his desk along with a bottle of cider.
"Thirsty?" He asked, pouring them both full.
"Sure why not, Celestia's meeting with one of the Zebras all day- privately," She said, taking her glass.
Wildcard noted how fast the Zebra's worked. He also flipped on the radio, but instead of the expected smooth jazz a jumble of static, and what sounded like an air raid siren, came through.
"...total chaos in Manehatten, streets falling into the ground..."
There was a pause as whoever was speaking broke into a run, surrounded by screams of fear and a rumbling series of explosions. Wildcard and First Class shared a worried look. Wildcard turned up the volume while Lyra looked on from behind.
"It's not safe here, get out of the str-" Flash Sentry, or so Wildcard believed, shouted in the background before the feed turned to a series of buzzing pulses.
"CIVIL DEFENSE UPDATE. CITIZENS IN: MANEHATTEN, FILLYDELPHIA, HOLLOW SHADES- REMAIN IN YOUR HOMES OR PLACES OF BUSINESS AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE. THIS IS NOT A TEST"
Wildcard slumped in his chair and downed his glass, glancing at the calender he noted the day. The room rumbled as the fleet over the city began to scramble.
Friday.
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Ah, and now I see we've jumped back into the past. Less confusing, at least.
"North" should be "northerly". You also have a stray "it's" that should be "its" here.
"Hoard" should be "horde."
Ooo, a surprise twist! Now was this just a dream, or a memory, I wonder? (Ah, I see that it's a memory. Interesting!)
Now THIS is the kind of subtle manipulation I'd expect from Luna, not the heavy-handed stuff with Spitfire earlier. The use of both stick and carrot, and the way she manipulates the situation is just what I'd expect from a thousand year old warlord. (Warlady?) Nicely done!
Why is this in bold?
Think you left something in there that should have been removed. And I suggest "Celestia said sternly."
Can you clear this up for me? Do you mean that the hive steals babies like that? I've only seen one pony/changeling hybrid mentioned, and he was stolen by/given to the changelings. Calling it an "adoption policy" when that term is clearly meant to be ominous sounds weird to me, adoption is a positive thing in my mind, not something horrible.
That whole bit was very interesting! I'm a sucker for that sort of odd, quirky world-building stuff. Changelings flying with geese for long-distance flights is cool.
Hive's. Still seeing the occasional possessive issue.
Oh dear. "Boreal" means "northern". As in Aurora Borealis. Even if we allow for boreal to be used in the south as well, what is a boreal (polar!) forest doing next to a desert? Everything you say in describing this country suggests it's practically artic, but he went south from Equestria. So he went over the equator? And then kept going? Almost all the way to the pole? By wing, in only two days? Plus going "so far east" that the Hive didn't care about the place? (And if they didn't, why have they had a long series of agents there taking this one pony's place?) That's a heck of a lot of flying!
Hear
Except when he forgets the cutie mark.
Overall a great chapter. I enjoyed getting a bit of Wildcard's past, and the action was a nice switch up from the meetings, politics, and speech-making we've been seeing.
4126552
How the heck did all those drafting notes stay in there? Goddang.
Replaced "Boreal" with "deciduous", probably works better anyway.
Adoption Policy is supposed to be tip-toeing around the fact that, yes, Eta-Eta isn't the only hybrid born in Equestria, only the latest. They policy had been to allow the changelings to 'adopt' them back.
Snowy Cove was early on supposed to be a really cold place, since I wanted to go with snowy...ness at the time for whatever reason. Then I realized "Hey hold on, this is near the equator"
So I kinda fiddled with it, and eeeehhhhh.
Eeeehhhhhh
The hive doesn't care about Snowy Cove, it just provides them an easy way to keep track of the Zebras. They don't care who runs it.
Which I don't believe I explained at all.
Whhooops.
Corrections corrected!
6270969
The Zebra's are also in a position to make an imperialist land grab hmmmmm.