Change In Plans
Bronze Star found it somewhat perplexing that his secretary and her husband were smiling at this time. Nevertheless, a small smirk slowly appeared on the gold stallion's face, as well.
He wryly observed "So, now we both know each other's secret."
"Yes," Rough Rider sardonically remarked, "And it took you long enough to discover ours."
Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "How long have you been aware of mine?"
"For almost as long as you've known me," Dapple Rhomb disclosed.
Haywood McCrank gradually walked around the rectangular table and approached the head of it. He moved behind the young prince and rested his front leg on the back of his chair. He looked down at the olive stallion and the purple mare, and he pronounced "You've got a lot of explaining to do."
"We've already surmised as much, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider calmly stated.
Bronze Star glared at the two spouses and mumbled heatedly "Start at the beginning of everything. How did you learn my true identity? I demand to know."
"If you want the whole story, it might take a while to go over everything," Dapple Rhomb claimed.
"Well, take your time," Noble Edict bade her, "We've got all damn day."
There was a short period of silence, and then Rough Rider divulged "Our organization monitors all activity in every part of the country. We pay attention to certain minor details that most other ponies take for granted. Naturally, we take notes of everything of precedence, as well. For instance, before the last Summer Sun Celebration, Prince Bronze Star frequently appeared in public to make a speech or announcement. The topic typically varied; it could have been anything from healthcare reform to revising the draft for the military to upcoming holidays. Regardless of the subject, Bronze Star would always make one speech and one announcement once a week without fail."
"However, after the Nightmare Moon fiasco, Bronze Star abruptly stopped making these public appearances," Dapple Rhomb continued for her husband, "Of course, we weren't the only ones who noticed that. The Royal Guard announced that they had chosen to reduce the prince's public appearances because they felt so much exposure would ultimately become a hazard to his safety. Although the common ponies bought that excuse, our people didn't. We were certain that something else was going on."
"By this point in time, we had already learned of the murder plot," Rough Rider explicated, "As soon as we found out that it would take place here, our organization decided to have two members move to Ponyville so they could observe the locals. Obviously, those two ended up being me and my wife."
"Living here gave us nearly unrestricted access to the whole town," Dapple Rhomb elaborated, "We were able to monitor everything and everypony without drawing attention. However, when we realized the full scale of the murder plot, we worried that we were not equipped to avert it by ourselves. All we knew was that if the murder occurred, it would yield consequences for the entire nation. We had to ensure that there was a zero-percent chance of the killers succeeding. In order to do that, we would need additional resources. After much debate and reflection, we gave in and did something unprecedented: we reached out to the government."
"The only question was who in the government we would reach out to," Rough Rider muttered, "We couldn't approach just any official. A bureaucrat would have spent days analyzing and cross-examining our information just to ensure that it was valid. He would have also shared it with too many of his colleagues. We needed somepony with status and influence. Somepony who was capable of keeping secrets. Somepony who would take our warnings seriously. Somepony who always looks out for the well-being of the ponies in this country."
"It turned out that 'somepony' was right in front of us," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, looking to Bronze Star, "To be precise, you were right in front of us."
"Well, I AM everything you just described me as," Bronze Star avowed, "Still, you haven't explained how you knew I was more than just the newest ambassador from the capital city."
"Like we said earlier, we noticed that you stopped making public appearances just before the Summer Sun Celebration," Rough Rider recounted, "Your arrival in Ponyville perfectly coincided with that event. A few of our colleagues had been in town during the Celebration, and all of them noticed the striking resemblance 'Ambassador Gold Streak' bore to the youngest member of the Equestrian Royalty. Your coat, your mane, your eyes… even your cutie mark. You don't have to be a genius to see the connections."
"All the same, we didn't want to make any premature judgements," Dapple Rhomb stated, "We needed a way to confirm that you were in fact who we thought you were. Luckily, we easily had the means to do such a thing."
"What means?" Bronze Star demanded.
"Isn't it obvious?" Rough Rider asked rhetorically, "Like you, we appreciate and recognize how much you can learn from a blood test."
Bronze Star's eyes widened in astonishment, and he uttered quietly "The party… when you offered me that baton…"
"That's right," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, nodding her head, "When the hidden knife in the baton cut your hoof open, it was no accident. We arranged for that to happen."
"Then you gave me that linen so I could clean up the blood," Bronze Star recalled, "I wondered how that blade could have cut my skin so easily. In order to have accomplished such a feat, the metal would have had to have been military-grade steel. I did not believe that was the case, as ordinary civilians have no business using military-grade steel. But you two – and the ponies you work with – are hardly 'ordinary civilians.' And let me guess; when you went outside to throw the bloodied linen away, you didn't really put it in the dumpster, did you?"
"No, I put it underneath the dumpster," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "Shortly after, Rough came along and collected it."
"I picked it up right after my meeting with Colgate," Rough Rider went on, "After my meeting with Berry Punch, I left Ponyville and rendezvoused with our colleagues. Our forensics experts ran a complete test on the blood sample, and they confirmed that it was not the blood of a Unicorn, a Pegasus, or even an Earth Pony. It was definitely Alicorn blood."
"So I see," Bronze Star muttered bluntly. There was a brief interval of quietness, and then he commented "Now I know how you uncovered my identity. Next you can tell me how you broke into my room at the castle and planted that letter without anypony noticing."
"That required a little more careful planning," Dapple Rhomb expounded, "Actually, a lot more. But we managed to pull it off. Right after we confirmed that you were in Ponyville, we were determined to deliver that letter to your room ourselves. We knew it would not be simple; it would require plenty of skill and the perfect opportunity. So we spent the following three weeks composing a meticulous plan. All the while, we kept an eye open for the most ideal circumstances to carry it out."
"During those three weeks, I remained in Canterlot while Dapple stayed here," Rough Rider explained, "In addition to the time I spent working, I spent plenty of time familiarizing myself with the capital city, particularly the castle. She, on the other hoof, spent her time familiarizing herself with you. From a distance, that is. Most of what she picked up from you was just extraneous material, but shortly before she joined me in Canterlot, she acquired some VERY useful news from you. She overheard your conversation with him at the train depot; the one where you gave him the key to your room in the castle and asked him to pick up a few things from it."
"After that, I became Spike's best friend for the week," Dapple Rhomb cheekily remarked, "By spending a lot of time around him and getting on his good side, I was able to 'convince' him to get me and Rough Rider in one of the castle's tour groups. That was how we got inside the building."
"I figured that out on my own," Bronze Star murmured candidly, "But how did you get into my bedchamber? It's one of the most secure rooms in the castle."
"That was the tricky part," Rough Rider muttered, "We knew in advance that the only way we could get in there was through the main entrance. We also knew that it's guarded 'round the clock by two officers of the Royal Guard, and that the lock was incapable of being picked. Plus, our group would only spend a very minor percentage of the tour in that section of the castle."
"So how did you pull it off?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.
"Firstly, we had to get the key to your room," Dapple Rhomb illuminated, "That was where Spike came in. We did have several chances to steal the key from him before the tour, but the likelihood that he would realize it was missing was too high. Aside from that, we couldn't take the key to a locksmith. The smith would know right away that it was from the castle, and they would report it immediately."
"That's true," Bronze Star conceded, "Also, it is completely impossible to make copies of keys that unlock doors in the castle. They are specially enchanted that way to avoid security breaches."
"We're aware of that," Rough Rider commented, "With all that in mind, our only option was to 'borrow' the key from Spike while we were in the castle. So the day before Dapple and I went there, she talked him into meeting up with our group sometime during our tour."
"Halfway through, he showed up," Dapple Rhomb mentioned, "Once he did, we executed our plan. When nopony was looking and Spike's back was turned, I opened his backpack, grabbed the key, pulled it out, and closed the backpack up again. I was so quick and graceful that he didn't feel a thing."
"Remarkable," Bronze Star muttered, resting on his front leg, "What about the guards? How did you get past them?"
"We created a diversion," Rough Rider replied simply.
"What sort of diversion?" the gold stallion queried.
Rough Rider smirked and said slyly "Why don't you ask Noble Edict? She was there, too, after all."
That much was true. This was back when Princess Celestia had summoned Noble Edict to Canterlot to properly thank her for the role she had played during the Summer Sun Celebration. The red mare did not expect to be put on the spot like that, but her seven colleagues turned to her, hoping she could elaborate on Rough Rider's statement.
"Do you know what he's talking about, Noble?" Copper Hollow enquired.
Noble Edict thought back a bit, and then she murmured "This was the day before Spike went back to Ponyville, right?"
"Correct," Bronze Star affirmed.
"Well, then it was also the day after Princess Celestia made me a Lady of her court," Noble Edict thought aloud, "I spent most of that day in the throne room with the princesses, SIG Sauer, and Lord Bellerophon. A number of the Canterlot Elite and the Royal Guard were there, too. By the castle's standards, it was a relatively uneventful day. In fact, the most exciting thing that happened was that… mishap with the chandelier."
"Bingo," Dapple Rhomb affirmed.
"That was you?" Bronze Star presumed, "When I went back to the castle, I noticed a chandelier was missing from the ceiling, and I remember Shining Armor telling me that it had collapsed a couple weeks earlier. They never found out how; he just told me the support broke."
"It didn't break; I severed the link," Rough Rider enlightened the others, "After Dapple took the key from Spike, I slipped away from the tour group and made my way to a corridor that adjoined Bronze Star's bedchamber. I made certain nopony was around, and then I climbed up to the ceiling and cut the cable to one of the chandeliers. I hid right after the crash, and when everypony else came to investigate, I casually rejoined the group, as if I had been there all along."
"Well, unless my memory is faulty, I didn't even see you when I arrived on the scene," Noble Edict recalled.
"Good; I was hoping to avoid your notice," Rough Rider claimed.
"Wait; you climbed up to the ceiling?" Bronze Star noted, "Are you part ape or something?"
"No, but I AM an expert at scaling walls," Rough Rider disclosed, "Everypony in our organization is. Remember that note you left us outside the window to your second-floor bedroom here in the embassy? The one where you decided to work with us? How do you think we got up there?"
"Actually, I did wonder about that," Bronze Star admitted.
"Well, now you know," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, "Anyway, the crash was very effective. It attracted everypony within fifty meters. Including the two Royal Guard officers that had been posted outside your room. Shortly before the crash, I had snuck away from the group, too. By the time I got to your bedroom, the guards were gone. All that remained was to enter your chamber, plant the letter in your filing cabinet, and leave."
"How'd you know how to open my cabinet?" Bronze Star inquired.
"She overheard your conversation with Spike, remember?" Rough Rider reminded him, "So she overheard you telling him that the key to the cabinet was behind a volume in your bookcase."
"Compared to the risks we took with the key and the chandelier, delivering the letter should have been fairly straightforward," Dapple Rhomb muttered, "But there was still one thing we did NOT account for: the possibility that your room was still occupied."
Bronze Star scoffed and stated "Ah, yes. I can imagine your surprise when you realized Arthur was there."
"Well, I can assure you; he was even more surprised," Dapple Rhomb mumbled grimly, "So surprised, in fact, that almost the literal second he saw me, he attacked me."
"Sounds like him; that's how he generally deals with intruders," Bronze Star contended, "Still, I would have thought you'd be prepared for that. I mean, since you overheard my conversation with Spike, you should have known that Arthur was there."
"I didn't overhear the entire conversation," Dapple Rhomb told him.
"Oh, okay," Bronze Star acknowledged, "So what happened next?"
"Before I even had a chance to defend myself, he gave me this," Dapple Rhomb revealed, pointing to the scars on the side of her neck, "I resisted the urge to scream in pain, and I fought back. As you know, I have excellent reflexes and reaction time, as does everypony else in my organization. With proper focusing, I managed to seize Arthur by his wing, and I bent it backwards."
"In two places," Bronze Star angrily added in.
"Yes," Dapple Rhomb confirmed, "That was the only way I could ensure that he would break off his assault."
"You almost tore his wing off," Bronze Star disclosed crossly, "Fluttershy tells me that he could have lost his ability to fly. He's damn lucky that he didn't. So are you. Otherwise, I would be treating you with a lot less courtesy and patience right now."
"I apologize for disregarding the well-being of an animal," Dapple Rhomb said sarcastically, "My only concern was delivering the letter. Arthur was little more than an obstacle to that objective."
"You really are astounding," Haywood McCrank scathingly uttered, "Let's review your actions from that day. Pickpocketing, destruction of private property, breaking and entering, cruelty towards animals… all done to deliver one letter. You two belong to a very peculiar bunch of vigilantes."
"The ends justify the means, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider perceived, "Everypony in our organization could tell you that."
"Anypony with a sense of justice could tell you that, too," Copper Hollow debated, "Doesn't mean they have to take it to heart."
"Well, we do," Dapple Rhomb countered, "Anyway, after my… 'scuffle' with Arthur, I found the key in your bookcase, used it to open your filing cabinet, and placed the letter in the very back. After that, I locked the cabinet back up, returned the key to its hiding place, departed from the room, sealed the door shut, and returned to the tour group."
"I had gone back to the throne room by then," Noble Edict recounted, "Tell me; how'd you explain the state of your neck?"
"Fortunately for me, everypony was still gathered around the collapsed chandelier," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "I pretended to trip near the base of it, and I acted as though I had accidentally landed on a shard of glass. Rough Rider and several others promptly came to my aid. Some ponies suggested calling for a doctor. In all the confusion, I managed to inconspicuously return your bedroom key to Spike's backpack. Eventually, I got my neck bandaged. Shortly after, the tour resumed, and Rough and I behaved casually until we left the castle."
Bronze Star reflected on everything he had just heard, and then he rubbed his chin and pronounced "I have to admit; that is a very extraordinary plan. The amount of detail and intricacy that you put into it is incredible. There's only one thing I don't understand. Why didn't you just send the letter to the embassy? I mean, you had no way of knowing when I would go back to Canterlot. Aside from that, it would have been a Tartarus of a lot easier."
"Two reasons why," Rough Rider elucidated, "Firstly, there was no way we could safely deliver the letter to the embassy without running the risk of exposure. If we mailed you the letter, we would have had to put a stamp and address on the envelope. Even if we excluded a return address, you would have been able to trace it back to its sending location. We could have left it at the front entrance without a stamp and address, but that would have been a telltale sign that somepony in town left it. How long it took us to get you the letter was irrelevant. All that mattered was that we got it to you discreetly."
"Ironic, seeing as how you were hardly discreet in the letter," Bronze Star observed, "So that's one reason. What's the other?"
"The other reason is a little more straightforward," Dapple Rhomb continued for her husband, "Anypony could have trotted up to the embassy and slipped an envelope through the mail slot. We needed to emphasize that we are not 'anypony,' and we needed you to take us seriously. In order to do that, we had to show you the full extent of our capabilities. That meant we had to send you the envelope through the most difficult method we could pull off."
"You certainly proved your point," Bronze Star commented, "I wish I could say I'm impressed. Alas, I cannot. As astonishing as your little stunt was, you broke about half a dozen laws to accomplish it. Not to mention the fact that the people you represent routinely violate the policies that have been set forth by both the local and federal governments."
"Well, that does come with the turf when you're a vigilante," Rough Rider cheekily declared, "Apart from that, what does it matter to you if we violate some of those policies? I mean, you're one of the few ponies in this country who could break pretty much any law and get away with it completely."
"The difference is that I choose not to," Bronze Star pointed out, "I don't need to abuse my above-the-law status to get things done. Instead, I rely in the principles of integrity, allegiance, and trust. Those are the things you really need to protect a nation."
"How much integrity, allegiance, and trust do you need to deceive an entire town for over eight months?" Dapple Rhomb audaciously refuted.
Bronze Star glared at her furiously. She was obviously referring to how he had come to Ponyville under a false name and title, and how he was still keeping up with this charade. After a moment, he smirked and muttered sardonically "Not an entire town. You two know who I really am. So do the seven other ponies in this room. And that's not all. There's Twilight Sparkle. Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Granny Smith. Big McIntosh. Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Consider that."
"That's what; less than two dozen individuals in a settlement of thousands?" Rough Rider noted, "That's like being in a class of a hundred ponies and sharing a secret with just one of them."
"Aside from that, your claim that you never have to break the law is questionable," Dapple Rhomb muttered, "Isn't impersonating a politician one of the most serious felonies in Equestria?"
"Yes, it is, but seeing as how I come from a family of politicians, I never really impersonated one," Bronze Star pronounced, "You can try to contradict my claim all you'd like, but you won't. Throughout my entire stay in Ponyville, I have not engaged in any wrongdoing. That's far more than I can say for you two."
"That's merely your opinion, sir," Rough Rider contended.
"As it turns out, his is the only one that matters here," Copper Hollow argued.
"Whatever," Dapple Rhomb commented. There was quietness for about a minute, and then the purple mare wryly pronounced "So, can we leave now?"
"You're kidding, right?" Noble Edict spat angrily.
"We've already given you a full confession," Rough Rider pointed out, "What more do you want? An apology?"
"No, I'd say we're past that," Haywood McCrank professed, "We're also past letting you two go around unsupervised."
"Oh, we are, are we?" Rough Rider asked rhetorically, his wicked grin returning to his face. A similar grin reappeared on Dapple Rhomb's face, too.
"I wouldn't be smiling if I was you," Bronze Star recommended.
"Why shouldn't we?" Dapple Rhomb countered, "We're not worried, sir. If anything happens to us, our people will withdraw their support to your task force. You'll be totally on your own to solve this case."
"That's not a very compelling threat," Bronze Star pronounced, "Lately, we've been managing just fine without you. Ever since Whitetail Woods, most of the biggest developments in the investigation have been made by us, not you. So the loss of your assistance would not cause any irreparable damage."
"You may want to rethink that perspective," Dapple Rhomb suggested, "We were the ones who brought this plot to your attention in the first place. We helped you get the task force running. We provided you with the best leads. We advised you to search Whitetail Woods. I even helped you spot those assailants in the Woods when I gave you that tip to constantly look up during the Running of the Leaves. If you ask me, your group's the one that's been less helpful."
"Then why has the information from your side been declining in quality over the past few weeks?" Haywood McCrank inquired.
"You're the investigator, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider mentioned cockily, "You deduce why."
"The way I see it, there are four possibilities," the indigo stallion conjectured, "For one, this could be your way of getting back at us for refusing to show you the three clues we found in Whitetail Woods."
"Really?" Dapple Rhomb mumbled in disbelief, "We're not the type to hold a grudge. Sure, we were annoyed that you didn't allow us to examine the objects ourselves, but even if we were desperate to see them, we wouldn't have resorted to extorting you. We would have just continued to protest."
"Guess again," Rough Rider leered.
"My next theory is simple," Haywood McCrank announced, "Perhaps your organization has hit a roadblock in your search, and you're currently unable to amass as much intelligence as you used to. So you're 'rationing' what little information you DO have in your updates to maintain your credibility."
"That's not our style," Rough Rider apprised him, "Unlike you, we do not have to worry about maintaining an image or reputation. So regardless of how little information we accumulate, we are not ashamed to share it with you. If we found nothing, we would not resort to fabricating info, either."
"That brings me to my third hypothesis," Sir Haywood went on, "Maybe you've begun to doubt our ability to carry out this investigation. So you're cutting back on information to test us."
"That's ridiculous," Dapple Rhomb stated, "While you may question our motives and capabilities, we never once questioned your competence. If we truly were that skeptical, we would not have even bothered to reach out to you. There is no such 'test.'"
"That leaves only one explanation," the federal investigator proclaimed, "You have found something special. Ideally, something you don't want us to see, but something you'll have to show us eventually. So in order to prepare us for it, you've chosen to temporarily cut back on the information you send us. Overtime, you'll gradually produce greater amounts of info, and once you feel we are ready, you'll share this special thing with us."
This time, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider did not say anything to counter Sir Haywood's observations. Instead, they looked to each other nervously. Although their smiles had faltered, another smile quickly appeared on the indigo stallion's face. He muttered "That's it, isn't it? You've picked up something you're reluctant to share with us. Not because of how it would affect you, but because of how you think it will affect us."
After about a minute of silence, Rough Rider sighed and murmured "You're correct, Sir Haywood. We have acquired something like that."
"I thought so," Sir Haywood acknowledged, smiling in satisfaction.
Bronze Star leaned forward and queried "So what is it? What are you hiding from us?"
"With all due respect, I don't know if you're ready for it, sir," Dapple Rhomb uttered uneasily.
"I don't care what you think," the gold stallion sharply retorted, "Tell us right now, or so help me, I'll bring Arthur down here and reintroduce him to you."
The others were surprised by that threat, particularly Dapple Rhomb. While she was not necessarily intimidated by it, she could tell that Bronze Star was being absolutely serious. Ultimately, she sighed and said frankly "Very well."
Dapple Rhomb then pushed her chair back and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Rollin Fields inquired.
"To my office," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "The 'special something' is in my desk. I assume you'd prefer to see it rather than just have it described to you."
"Yes, that would be better," Noble Edict conceded. She looked around the room and announced "Copper, Almond, Paisley, go with Dapple to her office. Only stay there for as long as it takes for her to get what she needs. If she tries anything, use whatever force you deem necessary to restrain her."
"Got it, Noble," Copper Hollow asserted. Almond Wheeler and Paisley Branch nodded in agreement.
The copper stallion unlocked the door to the meeting chamber and held it open. Almond Wheeler left the room first. Dapple Rhomb trotted out next, followed by Paisley Branch. Once all three of the mares were through, Copper Hollow exited as well and shut the door.
Cassia Sprig moved over to the door and stood there in Copper Hollow's place. Rollin Fields remained by the windows, and Noble Edict and Bronze Star stayed in their chairs. Sir Haywood McCrank continued to lean against the back of the gold stallion's chair; he kept a close eye on Rough Rider. He still had a myriad of questions that he wanted to ask the olive stallion. He decided that for now, those questions could wait.
A couple minutes later, Dapple Rhomb, Copper Hollow, Paisley Branch, and Almond Wheeler returned to the conference chamber. When everypony was back inside, Copper Hollow shut the door and locked it up again.
Dapple Rhomb sat back down in the chair next to Bronze Star's. She placed a large, yellow envelope on the table in front of her.
"An envelope, huh?" Bronze Star murmured irately, "Practically every major breakthrough in this investigation has involved an envelope of some sort. What's so unique about this one?"
Dapple Rhomb slid it towards the gold stallion and beckoned him "Look at who it's addressed to."
Bronze Star gazed down at the large envelope and picked it up. The front of it was blank, but when he flipped it over, there was a caption. He read it aloud: "To the group that convenes in this building every other day."
Nearly everypony in the room became somewhat uneasy when they heard that. Bronze Star gazed up at Dapple Rhomb and demanded "Where did you get this?"
"A few days after the Running of the Leaves, it showed up here at the embassy," the purple mare explicated, "On that day, both you and Sir Haywood were out on the town. I was the only one here. I don't know who left the envelope or when it was left; it just showed up in the mail receptacle. I found it when I checked the receptacle in the late morning, and shortly after, I decided to hold on to it. So I hid it in my desk, figuring that would be the last place anypony would look."
"It certainly would have been my last choice," Bronze Star proclaimed, "But are you saying that the subtitle on the back of the envelope was ominous enough to convince you that the task force couldn't handle whatever's inside?"
"No, but the subtitle incited me to open the envelope," Dapple Rhomb apprised him, "It's the contents that encouraged me to withhold it from the task force. Take a look inside, and maybe then you'll understand my reasoning."
"We'll see about that," was all Bronze Star said in response.
The young prince turned to the yellow envelope and held onto it with his two front hooves. A few seconds later, he turned the envelope upside down and shook it lightly. Over the next several seconds, seven small white envelopes fell out. They landed in a neat pile in front of Bronze Star.
He placed the large yellow envelope off to the side and focused on the smaller white envelopes. He picked up the one on top and looked at the front. He looked over his shoulder and pronounced "Copper… this is for you."
"What?" the copper stallion said in perplexity, stepping up to Bronze Star.
The gold stallion passed the white envelope over to Copper Hollow. Sure enough, his name was written on the front of it. The envelope's seal had not been fastened, so he did not have to tear it open. Copper Hollow pulled up the top flap and removed about a dozen rectangular pieces of stiff paper. When he saw the one on top, a look of confusion came across his face. He started flipping through the papers. He went slowly at first, but he soon quickened his pace, and the expression on his face gradually changed from bewilderment to anxiety.
When he was finished leafing through the papers, he muttered apprehensively "Oh, my Celestia…"
"What is it, Copper?" Noble Edict queried in concern.
Copper Hollow placed the rectangular papers on the table so that the others could see them. The papers turned out to be photographs. There were all of two middle-aged Earth Ponies, and based on the background, all of them had been taken in Ponyville. Copper Hollow was in a few of these photographs, too, but the middle-aged mare and stallion seemed to be the primary focus.
"These are pictures of my mother and father," the copper stallion expounded nervously, "Notice they're not smiling or looking at the camera in any of them. In fact, there's nothing to indicate that they're posing for the pictures at all."
"So the photos were taken without their consent," Haywood McCrank noted, "Perhaps they were taken without their awareness, too."
He gazed down at the other six letters on the table, and he proposed "Let's see what's in the others."
Bronze Star nodded and turned the letters onto their fronts. Each one of them had been addressed to a different member of the task force. The gold stallion's was labeled as "Gold Streak." Sir Haywood McCrank was the only one who did not receive an envelope.
The other six members of the task force proceeded to take their respective letters, open them, and shuffle through the contents. Like Copper Hollow, the six ponies each received about a dozen photographs. All the photographs were of somepony close to the pony they had been mailed to.
The pictures in Paisley Sprig's envelope were of a teenage Unicorn stallion. He was her younger brother.
The pictures in Cassia Sprig's envelope were of a Pegasus stallion in his late twenties and a small Pegasus filly. They were her husband and daughter.
The pictures in Almond Wheeler's envelope were of an Earth Pony stallion in his early thirties. He was her first cousin.
The pictures in Rollin Fields' envelope were of an Earth Pony stallion and an Earth Pony mare; both less than thirty years old. They were his younger son and his younger daughter.
The pictures in Noble Edict's envelope were of a middle-aged Earth Pony. She was her aunt.
Lastly, the pictures in Bronze Star's envelope were of the Apple Family, particularly Applejack. There was even a picture of when he and the orange mare had gone swimming together at the pond.
Five minutes later, the six ponies were finished looking over the photographs. At that time, most of the task force was undergoing an unpleasant combination of worry and anger.
"What is the meaning of this?" Cassia Sprig demanded.
"Evidently, somepony has developed a strange interest in your loved ones," Rough Rider declared.
"Is this supposed to scare us?" Almond Wheeler snapped furiously.
"How the Tartarus should we know?" Dapple Rhomb retorted.
"Since you saw it necessary to keep these from us, you must have some idea of what their purpose is," Copper Hollow proclaimed.
"Well, they're not letters," Rough Rider pointed out, "But they're clearly meant to convey a message of some sort,"
"That's rather observant," Paisley Branch pronounced, "A little too observant, actually."
"I agree," Rollin Fields coincided, "For all we know, your people could have taken these pictures just to mess with our heads."
"No, they didn't," Sir Haywood McCrank interjected, stepping forward, "The vigilantes had nothing to do with these photographs. This is definitely the work of the Vermane."
Everypony looked over at the indigo stallion, and Noble Edict said uneasily "The Vermane sent us these?"
As Haywood solemnly nodded his head, Copper Hollow asked him "How do you know, Sir Haywood?"
"Because they've done this before," the federal investigator disclosed, "Take a seat and I'll explain."
At his request, everypony quickly pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Once they were all settled, Sir Haywood himself took a seat at the head of the table that was opposite Bronze Star's chair. He spent about thirty seconds looking around at the other nine ponies, and then he announced "This isn't the first time I've had prior knowledge of one of the Vermane's plots. In the twenty years I've been pursing them, I've managed to catch wind of more than a dozen of their schemes well in advance. In some of those cases, Dread Naught was not my only co-investigator. You see, sometimes he and I reached out to some of the law enforcement officials in the town where the murder was set to take place. We actually found that we were much more efficient when we had our own team to assist us, but involving others in our search was always a huge risk, and not just on our part."
"How so, Sir Haywood?" Noble Edict enquired.
"Somehow, the Vermane always found out what we were up to," Haywood McCrank elaborated, "No matter how cautious and alert we were, they always caught on. Most of the time, they just let us be, partly because they did not view us as a genuine threat. However, there were times when we managed to come very close to stopping the Vermane, and whenever that happened, they did this."
At that, he gestured to the dozens of photographs that were now spread across the table. Then he added in "I had been hoping to avoid this. But alas, despite my best efforts, it happened anyway."
"What exactly IS this, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow inquired.
"This is the Vermane's way of giving a warning," the indigo stallion explicated, "By taking these photographs of you and your loved ones, they're demonstrating how they have eyes everywhere, and that they could be anywhere. By sending you the photographs, they're essentially saying 'Back off, or suffer the consequences.'"
"You mean there's a chance that the Vermane will come after us?" Almond Wheeler supposed anxiously.
"No, they won't lay a hoof on any of you," Haywood McCrank asserted, "But they WILL target the ponies in these photographs."
The seven members of the task force stared at him, completely stunned. Paisley Branch whispered hauntingly "You can't be serious…"
"I am," Sir Haywood candidly proclaimed, "The first time this happened, Dread Naught and I were working with the sheriff of Trottingham and a number of his deputies. A month after we began that investigation, the Vermane sent us pictures of at least one family member or good friend of everypony on our detail. Originally, we assumed it was just a ruse meant to scare us away. But we were very wrong. Not long after, the ponies in those photographs became involved in a string of deadly injuries. The sheriff's fiancé was even found beaten and raped in her own home."
He paused for a moment, and then he went on with "Before long, the sheriff and his deputies withdrew from the investigation. Agent Dread Naught and I were left to prevent the murder by ourselves. Needless to say, we failed."
Again, there came a brief interval of silence, and after that, the indigo stallion declared "Ever since then, whenever the Vermane send us photographs of certain ponies, we take the threat extremely seriously. They never send me or Dread Naught any pictures; most likely because all the ponies he and I care about are in Canterlot, and, therefore, cannot be touched. However, all the ponies we've worked with received pictures of at least one pony close to them. Once the pictures arrive, about eighty percent of our assistants leave the investigation. The remaining twenty percent is bold enough to stay around, but before long, at least one of the ponies in the photographs they received became gravely hurt. Because of that, almost every case ended with Dread Naught and me working alone."
"This one won't, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star professed, rising out of his chair, "I'm not going to let a bunch of dishonorable, cowardly murderers scare me away. Their threat is futile. I can keep the Apple Family safe, and Applejack is more than capable of looking out for herself. So you can count on me to stand by your side until the plot is over."
"I appreciate that, Your Highness," Sir Haywood muttered gratefully, "But can you speak for everypony here?"
"No, I can't," Bronze Star admitted, sitting back down, "Maybe we should hear everypony else's thoughts on this."
"Precisely what I was thinking," Haywood McCrank conceded. He rested his front legs on the table, and he gazed around at the nine ponies in front of him. He took a deep breath and announced "I'm certain some of you are annoyed or furious that I didn't mention this earlier. I can assure you that I did not put you or your loved ones in any danger by leaving this information out. I knew they would be safe as long as no photographs turned up. You see, as reprehensible as the Vermane are, unless the victim is one of their targets, they never attack anypony without giving a warning. But now that they've sent us one, you can no longer take the safety of your loved ones for granted. Now that you know this, some of you are bound to have second thoughts about being on this task force. I cannot blame you; you have every right to be wary. I am not going to mislead you; these threats are genuine. If you continue working on this task force, you could be putting your loved ones at risk. They could be injured, go missing, or even die at any time. With all that said, I cannot force you to stay here. So now you must all make a decision. If you are willing to see this thing through to the end despite the danger your loved ones are in, then stay here. But if you are unwilling to accept these risks, then please leave now."
There came yet another period of silence as Sir Haywood McCrank waited for his colleagues' responses. Although Bronze Star was determined to stay with Sir Haywood, none of the others was as decisive as the young prince was in this matter.
The six security officers looked around at each other, as if each of them was expecting one of the others to speak up first. All of them were at least considering the idea of standing up. After all, they were very close to their families, especially to the ponies in the photographs they had received. However, they had been on the task force for more than half a year. In those six months, they had become a very tight-knit group, and all of them had even come to view the other ponies on the force as a type of second family.
In a way, one could say that they had to choose between their two families; one being their business family, the other being their immediate family.
Ultimately, Paisley Branch let out a deep sigh, rose out of her chair, and told the indigo stallion "I'm very, very sorry, Sir Haywood. But since my parents are always away, I practically raised my little brother on my own. He's dearer to me than anypony else in this town. I'd never forgive myself if he got hurt because of me. I'd hate to trot out on you all like this, but I'm afraid I must."
"Alright, Deputy Branch," Sir Haywood acknowledged.
A few seconds later, Cassia Sprig stood up as well and pronounced "I don't want to abandon any of you, either. But I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my husband or daughter. They're everything to me. If leaving this task force is the only way I can ensure their safety, then that is what I must do. I hope you understand, Sir Haywood."
"Trust me, Deputy Sprig; I do," Haywood McCrank assured her. He looked around the room again and enquired "Anypony else?"
He patiently waited for a response as he gazed back and forth between Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict. To his amazement, none of them stood up or spoke out. They just sat up or leaned back in their chairs, as if they were determined to stay there.
"My cousin's tougher than he looks," Almond Wheeler disclosed, "He's on the security force, too, and he's an expert in hoof-to-hoof combat."
"My son and daughter are well-aware of the dangers of the world," Rollin Fields professed, "I raised them to be mindful of everypony they see and meet. They are both heedful and intelligent, and they know how to avoid the wrong types of ponies."
"While I love my parents, I'm not too worried about them," Copper Hollow expounded, "Both of them are highly respected in this community. If anything bad happened to them, I can almost guarantee that the entire town would be outraged."
"My aunt is the only member of my immediate family who's still around," Noble Edict declared, "She knows that my job is a dangerous one, but she told me that she'll always be proud of me for selecting it. I've devoted my life to protecting other lives, and she believes that as long as I do it correctly and never lose sight of what's right, nothing else matters."
"So you're all in?" Sir Haywood said, a note of relief in his voice. The four ponies nodded in affirmation. After that, Sir Haywood muttered "Very well. Paisley, Cassia, you may leave. Copper, let them out."
Copper Hollow got out of his chair, trotted over to the door, unlocked it, and held it open. The cobalt blue Unicorn and the periwinkle Pegasus sorrowfully said their good-byes and left the meeting chamber. Once they were gone, the copper stallion shut the door and relocked it. Then he returned to his seat at the table.
Rough Rider scoffed, turned to Bronze Star, and told him "How do you like that, Your Highness?"
"Like what?" the gold stallion asked in bafflement.
"They say the average Earth Pony has a bigger backbone than the average Unicorn or Pegasus," Rough Rider clarified, "Based on who chose to stay, would you say it's true?"
Paisley Branch was the only Unicorn on the task force, and Cassia Sprig was the only Pegasus. Other than Bronze Star, everypony else on the task force was an Earth Pony. So were Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider.
Noble Edict was disgusted by the olive stallion's observation. She snapped angrily "They're fearing for their loved ones. You can hardly blame them for leaving. If my aunt wasn't such a fearless mare, I might have left with them."
"Nopony ever accomplished anything without facing a few perils," Dapple Rhomb proclaimed, "To get anything done, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. That's why we kept those photographs from you; we knew some of you would be unable to accept those risks."
"I'm amazed you can say that so nonchalantly," Almond Wheeler commented.
"I'm guessing they've never been on particularly good terms with their families," Rollin Fields conjectured.
"Wouldn't surprise me," Noble Edict remarked, "After all, most married couples generally don't make a living through such… shady means."
"Now that you mention that, there's one thing that still needs some clarification," Bronze Star thought aloud. He looked at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, and he muttered "I want the truth about your marriage. Is it for real? Or was it just part of the act like everything else?"
For the first time since their confession, Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb were outraged.
The purple mare mumbled angrily "I can't believe you'd actually say that."
"Well, since basically everything else about you was a lie, I feel I'm entitled to ask it," Bronze Star sharply contended.
"No, our relationship was not a farce," Rough Rider spoke through gritted teeth, "Despite what you may think, Dapple and I really do love each other, sir. When I proposed to her, it was not in public where everypony could see it and regard it as a performance. Instead, I asked her in private."
"How romantic," Bronze Star uttered sarcastically, "But did your wedding take place before or after you joined your organization?"
"Before," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "The ponies who recruited us were initially a little skeptical about bringing us into their organization. One of their requirements is that all of their members must be capable of keeping family separate from business. We managed to convince them that we could do such a thing."
"Honestly, I'd say we actually do a better job of that than most of our colleagues," Rough Rider debated, "A lot of them have distanced themselves from their own families, and many of them are single. In fact, we're the only two ponies in our entire organization who are married to another member."
"Several of the other members see our marriage as a liability," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "We view it as an asset. Especially since Rough and I were close friends long before we ever joined the vigilante group."
"Oh, so you haven't been in it for your entire lives?" Bronze Star assumed.
"Of course not," Dapple Rhomb rejoined, "Did you think we were born into our organization like those Nightmare Moon cultists?"
"No, though the thought did cross my mind," Bronze Star pronounced, "After all, you seem just as committed to your cause as those lunatics are to theirs."
"Those ponies are renegades and insurgents," Rough Rider muttered tensely, "They're nothing more than criminals. You cannot possibly compare them to us. You may regard us as criminals, as well, but in the long run, we are merely idealistic keepers of the peace."
"Yes, I have come to accept that your only objective is to maintain security in the land," Bronze Star perceived. He slowly leaned forward and stated "And I truly believe that you two really want to enforce justice on those who deserve it. That's why I believe that we can continue to function as allies. You're going to help us with the investigation."
"What do you mean?" Dapple Rhomb queried.
"There will be no more of this 'indirect collaboration,'" Bronze Star declared, "Starting today, your group and mine will be working together face-to-face. Until this investigation is over, both of you will attend every meeting here at the embassy. Every time we meet, you will tell us everything your group has recently learned, and once we are satisfied, we will allow you to pass along our own findings to your people."
"That's pretty much what we've been doing so far," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, "The only difference is that Rough and I will be working as liaisons."
"No, that will only be a minor part of the investigation," Bronze Star proclaimed, "The majority of it will involve us actively working alongside one another to dig up new leads, new information, and new suspects. Our relationship will be a genuine partnership instead of just a symbiotic affiliation."
Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider seemed astounded by the gold stallion's proposition. Rough Rider smirked and muttered "A minute ago, you looked as though you were about to burn us at the stake. Now you want us on your team?"
"I was already under the impression that my team and yours were the same one," Bronze Star commented, "But that is the general idea. I need you to be our cohorts."
"Is this a request or a demand?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.
"Either way, you'd be wise to accept it," Bronze Star advised.
"What happens if we refuse?" Rough Rider queried.
"Then I'll have you taken into custody right here and right now," the gold stallion stated, "Once that happens, we'll 'coerce' you into aiding us. And trust me; we'll be a lot less lenient with you then."
Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb could tell that the prince was not bluffing. He was clearly willing to go to whatever length he deemed necessary to get them to cooperate.
"You don't give us a lot of options, Your Highness," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "Basically, you're telling us that we could either sit at this table or sit in an interrogation room."
"Your only other alternative is to sit in a cell at the barracks for an indefinite amount of time," Bronze Star pronounced, "I'd prefer to have you work with us by your own volition. That would be the best arrangement for all of us. So I'll make you an offer. If you voluntarily agree to work with us, I will not have you arrested at all. I will allow you to continue living in your house without any surveillance."
The olive stallion and the purple mare found that offer quite appealing. Considering what they had just been through during this confrontation, it almost sounded too good to be true.
"You'd actually let us stay in our home without any supervision whatsoever?" Dapple Rhomb assumed.
"Yes, that's the general idea," Bronze Star affirmed.
The olive stallion and the purple mare slowly turned to each other, as if they were having a wordless conversation about what they should do. Ultimately, they both turned back to Bronze Star and lightly nodded their heads. This indicated that they were freely agreeing to work with him fully.
Bronze Star smiled and muttered "Good choice. I can guarantee you that after this meeting, you'll still have a house to go back to."
"That's a bold decision on your part," Rough Rider commented, "I'm amazed you trust us that much."
"So am I," Dapple Rhomb mentioned, "After all, what's to stop us from fleeing the town in the middle of the night or something like that?"
"Oh, don't worry; I've already devised a method to ensure that that won't happen," Bronze Star wryly revealed. He turned to the indigo stallion and bade him "Sir Haywood, if you would…?"
Haywood McCrank nodded, rose out of his chair, and trotted over to the other side of the table. When he was at Bronze Star's side, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small plastic bag. Inside of it were two objects that looked like legbands.
As he opened the bag and removed the long, thin objects, Sir Haywood turned to Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb, and he instructed them "Hold out one of your front legs."
The olive stallion and the purple mare tentatively complied with the indigo stallion's order, and they both extended their front right legs. Sir Haywood took one of the legbands, wrapped it around Rough Rider's front hoof, and fastened it tightly. Then he did the same thing to Dapple Rhomb's front hoof with the other legband. Once he made sure that both the legbands were firmly clasped in place, he reached into his jacket again and pulled out a wooden tablet. He used his left front hoof to hold it in front of himself, and he calmly pressed his right front hoof against the surface of the tablet.
The moment he touched the tablet with his right front hoof, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider both let out a groan of pain and clutched their own right front hooves. Then they saw something that startled them immensely. Although Sir Haywood had pulled the legbands pretty tight, they now looked as though they were digging into Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's skin. The legbands were fused with their flesh.
"What the buck…" Rough Rider muttered in shock.
"What the Tartarus is this?!" Dapple Rhomb yelled heatedly.
"A little insurance policy," Bronze Star apprised them, "These legbands were created with a certain form of magic. A very potent, heavily concentrated, rare form of magic."
"This device is designed to hone in on and locate that magic," Haywood McCrank continued, raising the tablet into the air, "In other words, it can keep track of the legbands' exact position, right down to the nanometer."
"So as long as you two wear these legbands, we'll know precisely where you are at all times," Bronze Star pronounced, "There's nowhere you could go where we can't find you."
"You can't be serious," Dapple Rhomb uttered in disbelief, "This is demeaning."
"Well, too bad," Bronze Star scathingly retorted, "This is also nonnegotiable."
"How are we supposed to explain these to our people?" Rough Rider queried, "And everypony else, for that matter?"
"Simple; you don't," Bronze Star proposed, "Even from up-close, they look and feel exactly like ordinary legbands. Just pass them off as that."
"But make no mistake; they are hardlyordinary legbands," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "We haven't even told you the best part about them yet."
"Then what, pray tell, is the 'best part?'" Rough Rider said irately.
Sir Haywood McCrank grinned and explained "If – after the legband is activated – the wearer puts too much distance between themselves and this tablet, the tablet sends the wearer a 'warning.' By that, I mean the legband pumps fifty thousand volts of electricity into the wearer's body for ten seconds."
Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were downright petrified to learn this. Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Almond Wheeler, and Rollin Fields seemed a little surprised, as well.
"Don't worry; that dosage isn't enough to kill you," Bronze Star bluntly stated, "But it IS enough to give you the sensation that you're being electrocuted."
"To get a more realistic idea of what'd be like, imagine receiving a prolonged blow from a Taser," Haywood McCrank commented, "That's the best and most accurate way to describe it. That's also how we can make certain that you won't try to run away."
"How much distance are we talking about here?" Dapple Rhomb enquired, "How close do we have to be to avoid that?"
"Right now, I have the tablet set at five meters," Haywood McCrank announced, "You couldn't even leave this room without getting shocked. But before this meeting ends, I'll recalibrate it to ten miles. That should give you plenty of freedom to move about Ponyville and continue with your normal, everyday routine. If you ever need to go anywhere outside of the town, you must get permission from me and the prince first."
"And don't even think about taking the legbands off by yourselves," Bronze Star warned them, "Not that you could, seeing as how they're ingrained into your skin. Even so, you should know that any attempt to forcefully remove the legband will also result in you getting shocked."
"So unless you can bring yourselves to amputate your front hooves, those things aren't coming off until I say so," Haywood McCrank asserted, holding the tablet up high. He almost sounded as though he was taunting Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. He was not, but he did feel enormous satisfaction at that instant.
Bronze Star leaned forward again and asked "Are we at an understanding?"
Evidently, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were less than pleased with having to wear the legbands. All the same, it was a better arrangement than getting arrested and being detained in a holding cell. So once again, they looked the gold stallion in the eye and nodded their heads.
Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement. He sat up straight in his chair and pronounced "Now here's what you're going to do. Contact your people as soon as possible. Tell them your current situation, and inform them that you'll be answering to me from now on. Be sure to mention that if they have a problem with our new relationship, they can discuss it with me directly. If they have a problem with THAT, then they can solve this case on their own. I want them to know that I'm the one who's calling the shots now."
"We'll be sure to convey that message, sir," Dapple Rhomb reassured, "It could be a while before our people receive it, though. To preserve their cover, they only make themselves available to us at certain times of the week"
"Well, luckily, I'm a patient stallion," Bronze Star pronounced, "As long as you contact them by the end of the week, I'll be content."
"I can definitely reach them by then," Rough Rider insisted.
"Good," was all Bronze Star said in response, "I look forward to the beginning of our new alliance with them."
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I don't get it, why is this story has so little upvotes? It totally deserves more!