Ponies Protecting Ponies: The Return of Chaos

by Venates

Chapter Five: Same as it Never Was

"You can't just poke him! He's probably got internal bleeding!"

"But we need him awake!"

"That doesn't mean you can just–"

"Doctor Hooves."

Hooves blinked a pair of eyelids that felt ten times heavier than normal. He looked around at the ponies hovering over him. "Oh, hey," he said with a weak smile. His gaze rolled onto a newer face. "Luna got bigger," he said with a small giggle.

"Help me prop him up."

Two muzzles on Hooves' back brought him to a seated position. His head felt magnetized to the ground. He tried to take in his surroundings, but two ethereal manes and the distant hodgepodge of colors where his hometown once stood made him feel nauseous.

"What are we–"

Hooves yelped with pain and grabbed his hind leg. The tightly-wound gauze he felt reminded him of what had transpired.

"This is becoming sub-optimal extremely quickly," Hooves muttered through clenched teeth.

Carrot Top sighed and smiled. "Glad to see you awake, Doctor."

"Have I missed much?" Hooves asked, his eyes shut tight.

"Not too much," replied Bon Bon. "Doo is back on recon — begrudgingly — while the rest of us–" Bon Bon looked around and took a deep breath. "While the rest of us figure out what to do next."

"And let me guess," said Hooves with a heavy grunt. He gently released his leg. "You could use my help in coming up with something?"

Bon Bon looked at Hooves with curiosity. "Well, we do have... something. Star?"

Amethyst stood up and walked toward Hooves sheepishly. She presented his broken device. "I made what repairs I could," she said. "There's no way this thing is operational though."

Hooves took the device from her and studied it. "All things considered, you didn't do a half-bad job," he admitted. "Though you did cross the amplifier with the throughput. That would definitely cause an explosion."

"Then I'm glad we didn't use it," said Amethyst through a grimace.

"Screwdriver?"

Amethyst floated the tool into Hooves' outstretched foreleg. He pried part of the paneling loose, but as soon as he leveled the screwdriver, he dropped it with a yelp of pain and grabbed his leg again.

"Problematic," Hooves uttered angrily.

"Can't you do anything?" asked Carrot Top, turning to Luna and Celestia.

Celestia shook her head. "Bones that severe need time to mend. He needs to go to a hospital."

"I think that's Ponyville General tap-dancing on the horizon," said Lyra. Only Amethyst turned to see if she was joking or not.

"Yes, and the pain-killers are further complicating matters," said Hooves as he stared at one of his forelegs. "Unless extra limbs are a part of the healing process."

"How many did you take?!" demanded Carrot Top, her eyes and nostrils wide.

"I lost count at 'too many,'" replied Hooves.

Bon Bon groaned. "Can you at least do something?" she asked. "I hate to press on you when you're injured, Doctor, but we are running out of–"

"We're out of time!"

Bon Bon slapped her face. "Of course."

Derpy bolted onto the scene as fast as her wings could carry her. "Twilight and her friends are coming back into town!"

Hooves turned to the pegasus. "Were they grey?" he asked her.

Derpy's eyebrows scrunched. "Um... No? Are they supposed to be?"

"No more questions," said Bon Bon with a step forward. "If we don't stop them soon, Discord will tear them to shreds!"

Celestia and Luna looked to one another and nodded. "Then we are out of options. Miss Bon, Miss Top, please help Doctor Hooves onto my back. Miss Star, ride with Luna and try to help Hooves finish his repairs." She turned to Derpy last. "Make sure he doesn't fall off."

The ponies moved without hesitation. Bon Bon and Carrot Top carefully raised Hooves onto Celestia's back while Derpy helped from overhead.

"Hey, Derpy," said Hooves with a small smile. "I found Dinky. She's okay. She's in the Town Hall with the others."

Derpy smiled. "You have no idea how much that is off my mind, Doctor," she said.

Celestia spread her wings.

"Wait!" said Hooves. "I have to tell you, I–"

"It can wait, Hooves!" shouted Bon Bon. She trotted around to Celestia's front. "Package secure." Celestia nodded. With Luna and Amethyst in tow, the winged ponies took flight straight toward Ponyville.

"What about me?" Lyra asked. Bon Bon and Carrot Top turned to her. "What should I be doing in all of this?"

"Didn't you quit?" asked Bon Bon without humor.

Lyra did not answer.

"...Form a perimeter around Hooves and the others. We can't let anything distract him."

Lyra snorted and smiled before giving what may have been the first honest salute of her career.

---

"How much longer, Doctor?!"

"Give him some space! He's trying to concentrate!"

Hooves looked up and smiled. "Thank you, Amethyst. I see you've learned a thing or two about the stress on my shoulders."

Amethyst smiled and shrugged.

From their vantage, the ponies could see deep into Discord's makeshift checkerboard valleys, a dismal throne seated at the center. The Spirit of Chaos laughed and guffawed at every random creation spawned from his snapping fingers.

Celestia shifted her weight restlessly. "We are risking Twilight Sparkle and her friends' lives by doing this," she said. "We should be stopping her from even getting so close!"

"Twilight and her friends are the only way this thing will work now," said Hooves as he squashed a part into place.

"She wouldn't even be in this mess if it weren't for you anyway."

Celestia turned in shock to Amethyst. "I beg your pardon?"

Amethyst turned and met Celestia's gaze. "You're the one who inflated her ego by saying that only she could defeat Discord. And she actually thinks she can do it because she already defeated one monster." Amethyst turned to Luna. "Uh, no offense."

Luna nodded.

"You are beginning to sound like Miss Heartstrings, Miss Star," said Celestia coolly.

Amethyst shrugged. "I suppose she was going to rub off on me at some point." She looked at Celestia again. "Doesn't mean I'm right." She looked back out. "Doesn't mean I'm wrong."

Derpy spoke up. "Maybe we could wait to play the blame game until after this is all over?" she called from above.

Hooves nodded but did not look up from his work. "Yes, please, some quiet would be nice."

Luna peered over to an assortment of trombones sticking up from the ground like trees, playing whatever sour notes appeased them.

"Tranquility is hard to come by here," Luna said.

Something smacked into Celestia's head.

"What is the meaning of–?"

A flurry of flying pigs rained down onto the ponies. Derpy yelped and dove to the ground. One of the pigs morphed into a giant sewing needle and flew straight at Celestia's head. Before she could react, a golden glow ripped it from her sight.

"Get off your fat flanks and do something!" called Lyra Heartstrings, her horn bright and dangerous.

The others looked out to see her, Bon Bon, and Carrot Top in combat with a variety of different entities. Everything from malformed rodents to mobile playing cards were descending on their position.

"Go," Celestia said to Luna. The moon princess nodded and raced into the fray as Celestia raised a magical barrier around herself and the ponies near her.

"This should dissuade most attacks," said Celestia over her shoulder.

Amethyst nodded as she handed Hooves another piece. He reached out for it, then shuddered before his leg fell limp. Sweat dripped down his body, and he strained for breath.

"I... I can't..."

"Yes you can!" Derpy flew in behind Hooves and gently kept him upright. "You have to! I know you can do it!"

"Sky's... fading..."

"It just changed to night," said Amethyst. "Again."

Hooves shook his head. He blinked a few times and stared at the device. "...I've been putting half of these parts in backwards," he said.

"...WHAT?!"

Another piece sprang loose and landed near a quickly approaching Twilight Sparkle. Discord hadn't yet noticed them, but he wouldn't be ignorant for much longer.

"...What are we supposed to do now?!"

Hooves chuckled. "I'd say pray, but–" He jerked his head behind him. "Our local deity is right there, and she wants me to fix it."

Amethyst and Derpy looked at one another in horror.

---

"This looks like it goes into this, right?"

"No, of course not, see the red tape?"

Hooves struggled to stay conscious as Derpy and Amethyst scrambled to try to put his device back together on their own. It was almost amusing watching the two of them work together.

A shame they were all about to lose everything they hold dear.

Hooves gave his head a good smack. "Okay, back up. Let me have another go at this thing."

Amethyst looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure? You said yourself that you were building it wrong!"

"We quite literally have nothing to lose," said Hooves. He pulled the device close and picked up his screwdriver.

"We are running out of time!" Celestia said to them over her shoulder. Distant shouting was audible, and a few flashes of magic energy shot from beyond their dome. "The others are struggling to keep the forces of chaos at bay!"

Hooves took a deep breath. Twilight Sparkle shouted something at Discord. Hooves closed his eyes. Discord taunted Twilight.

Hooves exhaled slowly as diagrams and notes took shape in his mind.

"I can do this."

Hooves' forelegs moved in a flurry of brown. Parts snapped into place and pieces clicked together. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he did not wipe. He only had a precious few seconds. Very precious few seconds.

He made them count.

Four solid bangs on the device's panels and he held the machine aloft.

"I've done it!" declared Hooves to the heavens. He looked around expectantly, waiting for the praise and excitement of his peers.

The world around him was utterly ordinary. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and all of the buildings in town were fixed in a single position.

Derpy and Amethyst looked at Hooves as his device fell apart into more pieces than before.

"Either I quintupled my device's efficiency," Hooves began slowly, "Or I have completely sobered up." He fell onto his back. "Either way: more meds, please."

---

Celestia read and signed forms in her throne room in silence. She had dismissed her attendants for the day, giving them time to prepare for the evening's ceremony. That's what she told them, anyway.

The throne room's doors opened softly. Celestia pondered privately about how seldom they were thrown without great force anymore. "Come in," she said.

Bon Bon approached Celestia's throne at her own pace. She didn't say anything, but withdrew a stack of papers once at the foot of the throne.

"A full report on our last mission," said Bon Bon. "As requested."

Celestia nodded.

Bon Bon continued, "You'll be interested to know that Doctor Hooves' findings on Twilight Sparkle's power surge can be found on page thirty-seven." She flipped through the document. "It includes a graph of her exponential magical growth over the past few months, current suspected potential, and projected growth over the next two years."

"Thank you, Bon Bon," said Celestia. She set aside the form she was working on and drew the report to her with her magic. She flipped through it as well. "This is quite detailed," she mused.

Bon Bon nodded. "Hooves worked on it obsessively. Sparkle utilizing his crystals at full capacity without the aid of an amplifier is–"

"Unexpected," Celestia finished.

Bon Bon nodded again.

Celestia sighed and set the report aside as well. "Thank you for delivering this to me, Bon Bon," she said. "But you didn't need to come all the way here in person."

"I was in town," Bon Bon said with a shrug. Then she withdrew another parchment. "Besides, this I wanted to give to you directly."

"What is this?" Celestia asked as she wrapped her magic around the new sheet of paper.

"My letter of resignation."

The letter stopped mid-flight as Celestia looked at Bon Bon with wide eyes. "I'm afraid I don't understand," she said. "Over the last few months, you quickly rose to be one of the most accomplished chief handlers in PPP history! Why would you leave?"

Bon Bon sighed and paced. "Over the course of our last mission, certain things... came to light," she said.

Celestia closed her eyes. Her mane kept most of her face obscured. "You drank from one of the archive potions," she said, barely over a whisper.

"Yes," said Bon Bon, her face static. "And I'm sure, knowing that, you find me ill-suited for carrying out further executive commands."

"Given the circumstances–"

"There's more," said Bon Bon, halting her pace. "For the past several years, I have refused to allow Doctor Hooves to be committed to a mental institution despite repeated — and highly professional — insistence that it was the best course of action in his interest." Bon Bon met Celestia's gaze. "I told myself that what I was doing was because I cared about his well-being, but the truth of the matter is I did it for my own sake. Because he was an important asset to my agency."

"It's my understanding that Hooves' mental stability has vastly improved," said Celestia. She tilted her head. "Surely that would mean–"

Bon Bon shook her head. "I cannot, in good conscience, continue to lead these ponies without their best interests at heart." Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Bon Bon continued, "I also cannot continue to take orders from someone with the same fault."

Celestia narrowed her eyes and studied the mare carefully. "I see."

"Derpy Doo will act as interim handler until a replacement can be found," said Bon Bon, turning to leave. "And, unlike Lyra Heartstrings, I will accept whatever the council deems best when handling my departure." She looked over her shoulder. "I do not wish to be seen as a threat to Equestria."

As Bon Bon made her way to the exit, Celestia spoke to her one last time. "Miss Heartstrings still needs to complete her new hearing based on recent events," she said.

"Yes," said Bon Bon, slowing for a moment. "I'll be interested to see how that goes."

---

"Thank you for coming with me, Star."

Lyra and Amethyst walked through a field past a series of heavy stones. Amethyst watched each one as it passed, but Lyra stared ahead.

"It's the least I can do," said Amethyst. "Do you really think the sentence will stay the same?"

Lyra sighed. "Hooves gave a really good testimony. I think Bon Bon's report also resonated well. But some things just can't be ignored."

Amethyst didn't respond.

The two mares stopped in front of a curved stone, not altogether different from the rest in the field.

"I wasn't even sure I'd remember her name," said Lyra quietly. Amethyst looked at her and then at the stone itself. She took in the name and dates written upon it.

"Reminiscence."

"Has a nice ring, doesn't it?" said Lyra with a weak smile. She coughed. "Star, this was my first trainee. She's the mare I helped through the agency before I met you."

Amethyst blinked and looked at the stone again. Her mind reached back and pulled something from the Gala.

"I'm her..." Amethyst licked her lips. "I'm her replacement?"

"No, Star..." Lyra shook her head. "Rem was... a difficult memory for me. The biggest failure of my life. The biggest regret." She turned to Amethyst. "You brought me the hope that I could try again. That I could still do something worthwhile with my life."

"We faced and lived through both Nightmare Moon and Discord," said Amethyst with a chuckle. "Clearly we turned out okay."

Lyra gave a meek smile. She reached out a hoof and touched the gravestone's surface. "I don't even remember what mission I sent her on. All I can remember is the fear. The regret. I was too easy on her during training. The mission was supposed to be simple. Then something went south, and–"

Amethyst put a hoof on Lyra's back and the mare went silent. Lyra lowered both her hoof and her head to the ground.

"I don't want to forget anything else," said Lyra in a low voice, "and I'm not even sure what memories are real anymore."

"Well, I'm pretty sure my memories of you are real," said Amethyst with a pat on Lyra's back. "And even if they aren't, the feelings they give me are. You've been a great agent, Lyra." Amethyst smiled. "And a really great friend."

"Oh, shut up," said Lyra with a cracked voice. She gave Amethyst a soft jab. "I did a lot of yelling at you over the last few weeks, in case you forgot."

Amethyst smiled and said, "And yet those few moments didn't make me hesitate when you asked me to come here, did it?"

Lyra gave a raspy chuckle. "Seriously, quit it. You're going to make me–" She shuddered and fell to the ground. Amethyst sat with her and rubbed Lyra's back.

"This is my last chance to say good-bye to her," said Lyra through a sob. "To all of you. Your last memory will be me being a blubbering mess."

"Don't worry," said Amethyst, a tear in her own eye. "I'll take special care to remember all the times you were a jerk to balance it out."

Lyra gave a weak chuckle before turning and giving Amethyst a hug. Amethyst hesitated, but returned the hug in earnest.

Meanwhile, Hooves and Derpy watched them from afar. Derpy rested her forelegs on the back of Hooves' wheelchair.

"What do you think they're saying?" asked Derpy.

Hooves smiled. "Whatever it is that needs to be said," he answered.

Derpy hummed as one of her eyes scanned the fields around them; even here she couldn't turn off her need to work.

"Perhaps I'll make a similar visit once we're back home," said Hooves. He scratched the cast around his hind leg. "I don't think I ever did see where they buried Iron Ore."

"That..." Derpy swallowed. "That sounds... nice."

"Would you care to join me?"

Both of Derpy's golden eyes rotated down to meet Hooves'. He smiled at her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, breaking their eye contact. "I don't think it would be–"

"Derpy." Hooves reached up and held one of her front hooves. "I know what he meant to you. And you know what he meant to me. But he isn't really gone." Hooves nodded at a crude drawing on his cast. "We have Dinky. We have a constant reminder of all the good he brought us."

Derpy gave a sad smile. "Yes, I suppose," she answered.

Hooves gave her hoof a pat as he turned back around in his chair. "There is one thing I still don't understand though," he said.

"What's that?"

Hooves looked back up at Derpy. "Why wouldn't you tell me I'm an uncle?"

Derpy sighed and looked back at Amethyst and Lyra. It was several moments before she answered.

"The fraternization rules," she said quickly. "I was afraid that... that if everyone knew that Iron Ore and I..." She took a deep breath. "I was afraid that I would be expelled from the agency."

Hooves studied her for several moments. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense," he said as his gaze moved forward again. "Goodness knows, leaving the agency hasn't been very good for Lyra at all."

Derpy shook her head. "No, it hasn't. And I think Bon Bon went to Celestia about quitting herself this morning."

Hooves hummed. "Yes, and I get the feeling that Carrot Top may not be far behind her."

Derpy sighed and shook her head again. "What are we going to do, Doctor?"

A brown hoof reached up and patted Derpy's cheek. "We'll find a way," Hooves assured her.

---

"More tea?"

Twilight nodded vigorously and Celestia poured more chamomile into her cup. The morning warmth drifted pleasantly through the sun room's windows.

"Thanks again for taking some time to spend with me, Princess," said Twilight. She blew on her cup before taking a sip.

"The pleasure is mine, Twilight," said Celestia with a smile. She refilled her own cup. "Considering recent events, I can't think of a better way to unwind than to spend time with my favorite student."

Twilight beamed and took another sip. "Actually, if you don't mind, I was hoping to ask you a bit about The Elements of Harmony."

Celestia hesitated, but her smile didn't break. "Of course, Twilight," said Celestia as she raised her own glass. "What is it you wish to know?"

Twilight set her cup onto its saucer. "Well, there's something I haven't quite been able to figure out," she admitted.

Celestia hummed and took another sip.

"The Elements don't seem to follow any sort of rule or pattern in their use," Twilight explained. Her eyes moved across an invisible set of notes. "When you and Princess Luna used them against Discord the first time, he was turned to stone. Then, when you used them against Nightmare Moon, she was trapped in the moon." Twilight counted the two stories on her two front hooves. She hesitated before moving to her back ones. "But when my friends and I used them against Nightmare Moon, she instead reverted back to Princess Luna. And against Discord he turned to stone again?" Twilight shook her head. "Repeated cases should bear similar results with only minor changes in variables, but I just can't figure out where all these different results are coming from!"

The morning heat beat across Celestia's neck. "I see," she said simply.

"I was hoping..." Twilight stirred her tea. "I was hoping you could tell me a little more about how they work. You know, in case we have to use them again."

Celestia took a long sip from her tea and set it aside. "What do you remember about using them?" she asked, her focus elsewhere.

"Against Nightmare Moon, nothing much," Twilight admitted with a shrug. "To be honest, I don't remember thinking about much at all. But with Discord..."

Magenta eyes rotated onto Twilight. "Yes?" Celestia asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I know it seems silly, but..."

"Go on," prompted Celestia.

"Well, one of the letters you sent back to me," Twilight began, "It was about the time a cockatrice turned me to stone. It was all I could think about. I wondered if Discord felt the same way I did when he was turned to stone the first time."

"I see," said Celestia. She raised her teacup and took another sip. "Perhaps The Elements saw into your mind, and perceived it as the most desirable outcome."

"Maybe," said Twilight absentmindedly. She shook her head. "I don't know. That still doesn't seem right."

No response came from Celestia as she took another sip.

"There's one other thing I wanted to ask about," said Twilight. She tilted her head. "While it's on my mind."

Celestia nodded.

"Why the ceremony yesterday?" asked Twilight. She raised her two front hooves. "I mean, don't get me wrong, my friends and I are all thrilled and honored to have been a part of it." Twilight replaced her hooves and leaned forward. "But why was there a ceremony? We didn't need to have one when we defeated Nightmare Moon, and she was just as dangerous!" Twilight leaned back again, defensively. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything."

Celestia closed her eyes and took a very deep breath. Twilight waited patiently for several minutes. Finally, Celestia set her tea aside and looked to Twilight with the most honest gaze she could muster.

---

Ponyville's PPP agents waited impatiently in one of the Canterlot office's more secure meeting rooms. Lyra paced, Derpy preened, Carrot fiddled with her hair, Hooves wrote hurried notes, Amethyst rubbed scuff marks off the floor, and all the while, Bon Bon watched.

"You guys don't have to be here," Lyra reminded them without looking up from her worn path. "I can tell you're all bored."

"There's a difference between bored and worried," said Carrot as she pulled at a difficult knot.

"We want to be here, no matter what," added Amethyst.

Lyra nodded but still avoided eye contact.

Bon Bon grunted. She turned to Derpy. "Any idea what you'll do on your first day as interim chief?" she asked.

Derpy shook her head. "I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact half of you guys may not be coming home." She pulled a difficult feather and massaged the skin beneath it. "I don't know how we're ever going to maintain surveillance on Twilight."

"I doubt we'll need to worry about that," said Hooves. He placed his good hind leg under his broken one, giving it more elevation. "I think it's been proven that she can fend for herself at this point."

Amethyst looked at Hooves with wide eyes. "I didn't even think about that!" she said. "The only reason I was stationed in Ponyville was to watch her..." She looked at the floor and mumbled. "I... I could get reassigned..."

Nothing was said for several moments.

"Would... would PPP even have a point in Ponyville anymore?" asked Carrot. She looked around at the others, but none met her gaze. "It's not a terribly big town, after all. If Twilight winds up handling every threat–"

"PPP will always have a purpose," stated Bon Bon. "Even if Twilight doesn't need protection anymore, she can't be everywhere at once."

Carrot sighed and resumed working on her hair.

Each head in the room shot forward as the conference room doors opened. A much taller figure than what they were built for stepped forward.

"Princess Celestia," Carrot Top muttered.

Celestia nodded at the sound of her name, and met each pony's eyes in turn. Lyra was last.

"You..." Lyra licked her lips. "You're here for me, aren't you?"

Celestia shook her head. "I'm here for all of you."

A few of the ponies stepped back.

"Please, do not be afraid," said Celestia as her muscles relaxed. "I simply wish to speak to you."

"What was that? I can't hear you over the sound of my heart attack."

"Lyra, shush," Bon Bon chided. She turned to Celestia and nodded.

Celestia nodded back and continued. "It's come to my attention that many of you are finding the idea of continuing work for this agency to be..." Celestia hesitated. "...Undesirable."

No one in the room argued.

"...With that understanding," Celestia continued, "I have made a decision that I hope will appease these transgressions, at least to some degree."

Still no responses.

The alicorn turned behind herself and spoke. "You may come in now."

---

"You lied to me!"

Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. "Twilight, please calm down."

"You've been lying this whole time!" ranted Twilight, her tea long forgotten. The sun room's warmth grew unpleasant. "Has anything in my life been real?! Do my friends even like me, or are they spies too?!"

Celestia's eyes furrowed. "Twilight, sit."

Forces beyond Twilight's control brought her squat onto a pillow in front of Celestia. The unicorn looked at her with wide eyes.

"I am sorry, Twilight, I just..." Celestia raised a hoof to her forehead and clenched her teeth. "I just need you to listen."

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but stopped at the sight of a speck of water rolling down Celestia's cheek. "Okay, Princess," Twilight said softly but with little kindness. "I'll listen."

"Thank you, Twilight." Celestia raised her head back and took a deep breath. "To begin, yes, your friends are real. I never knew them before Ponyville's Summer Sun Celebration." Celestia lowered her head back down and met Twilight's eyes. "Their love for you is genuine."

Twilight blinked a few times and sighed. "That's... really comforting, actually."

"You have a grand destiny ahead of you, Twilight Sparkle," said Celestia. She tilted her head. "Even I don't know what's in store for you. What I do know is that I needed to do everything in my power to keep you safe. To let you become the pony you're someday destined to be."

"So that's what all of this was?" asked Twilight, indignant. "I'm just some... tool kept safe in its box until I'm needed for something?"

Celestia shook her head. "You are so much more than that, my student. You are smart, and brave, and–"

"Stop," said Twilight, waving her hoof. She brought it to her forehead and closed her eyes tight. "How am I supposed to believe I've ever been anything other than a pawn in something bigger?"

A soft "plink!" of water caused Twilight to open her eyes again. She looked over and saw a second drop roll from Celestia's cheek and into her tea.

"Despite what you may now think," said Celestia softly, "You are so much more to me than that. You are not just my student. You are my daughter. You are my friend. And even without a destiny ahead of you, I still would have done anything to keep you safe."

Twilight broke the eye contact between them and brought her tea forward again. She tried to take a sip, but flinched when she realized it was cold. "But why all of this then?" Twilight asked. "Why send me to Ponyville to make friends in the first place?"

"Ponies will look up to you someday," Celestia answered. She used her magic to heat Twilight's tea again. "Your strength is growing, and it won't go without notice for much longer. I needed you to understand what it's like to care for ponies different than yourself." Celestia poured her tea into a plant and refilled her cup. "I need you to know how to be a good leader."

"Like you?" asked Twilight as she took another sip of her tea.

Celestia shook her head as she raised her own cup. "No," she said. "Better than me."

---

"Um... hi."

Six ponies looked at one they had only ever seen from afar.

"Um... yeah..." Lyra turned away from Twilight Sparkle and back to her former co-workers. "Does anypony else think this is weird?"

There were a few nods. Bon Bon stepped up to Twilight and stuck out a hoof.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance," said Bon Bon. "Formally."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and shook Bon Bon's hoof.

"I don't think you ponies are ready yet to trust me again," explained Celestia as Bon Bon retook her seat. "And I can't say that I blame you for it. Twilight was equally concerned with she learned of this agency."

"How did she find out?" asked Lyra.

"I told her," said Celestia simply.

The PPP agents looked at one another, then back to Celestia.

"Recent events have shown me just how much trouble so much lying can lead to," Celestia continued. She moved a wing so Twilight would quit inching behind it. "A thousand years of navigating these tapestries has been... exhausting." She took a deep breath. "That is why I've come to the decision that, starting today, Ponyville's Ponies Protecting Ponies branch will be separated from the agency, acting as an independent entity with its own command hierarchy."

"What?!"

The others turned to Carrot Top.

"You can't just cut us off!" Carrot said, nostrils flaring. "You mean we'd have to keep operating without help from Canterlot? Without resources? Without–"

"Without having to answer to me," Celestia finished. "Or Dent, or anypony else from any of the facilities."

Carrot shifted her weight, but did not respond.

Derpy turned both of her eyes onto Celestia. "Why?"

Celestia said nothing, but pushed Twilight forward with her wing.

"Er..." Twilight swallowed. "Princess Celestia has asked that I help... facilitate... er... lead... the organization," she finished with a grimace.

Bon Bon shifted her gaze between Twilight and Celestia. "Are you serious?" she asked, indignant. "Twilight Sparkle has none of the training required to act as chief handler, or even an agent for that matter! You want these ponies to follow her?"

"I'm right here, you know," said Twilight gruffly.

"Your concern is valid, Miss Bon," said Celestia, stepping forward again. "But I believe you'll find she has an incredible talent for strategy and resource management, and, perhaps most importantly–" Celestia smiled at her student. "She isn't me."

"That's actually a pretty decent selling point," joked Lyra.

"She's your student," said Bon Bon to Celestia, taking a few steps forward. "She's put you on a higher pedestal than all of us. Why should anyone feel any less concerned taking orders from her?"

"Because her lies cut me just as deep," answered Twilight. Attention reverted back to her. She sighed. "Look, I know none of you have any good reason to trust me. I would be hesitant as well. But from what Celestia has told me–"

"Wait."

Lyra stepped forward, studying Twilight intently.

"Say that again."

Twilight blinked. "'From what Celestia has told me'...?"

Lyra smiled. "She's okay in my book, guys."

Derpy looked to Amethyst, who shrugged.

"Um... thank you," said Twilight as Lyra retook her seat. "From what Celestia has told me, you are some of the greatest ponies who have ever worked here. I owe my own life to you as well, and on more than one occasion." She shifted her weight. "I'm not looking to replace anypony, or change how everything works. I just hope you can keep me in the loop on things, and that I can call you guys if I ever need some help."

"Sounds like you'll need someone to keeps things going in the meantime," said Bon Bon.

"I nominate Bon Bon," said Derpy with a smile.

"What?" asked Bon Bon, turning to face Derpy. "I just quit! You're interim–"

"Yes, I'm interim chief handler," said Derpy, rising to her hooves. "And with that authority comes the ability to nominate candidates for roles, does it not?"

"But–"

Derpy shook her head. "I'm flattered, Bon. Really, I am. But you've always been the best choice for the job."

Carrot nodded her head in agreement.

"But–"

"You do have quite the resume," Twilight added. She floated six pieces of paper in front of her. "And every stated reference on your performance is absolutely glowing."

Bon Bon shook her head. "You don't understand. I didn't always make the best decisions while in office. I–"

"Learned from them."

The others looked at Doctor Hooves. He shifted his cast and rotated his wheelchair.

"I know you feel guilty about everything concerning me," said Hooves, his eyes not wavering from Bon Bon. "But I've forgiven you. And I think the fact that you've taken so much responsibility for it shows that you are a mare who can keep her agents' best interests in mind." Hooves leaned back in his chair. "Though I may recant that if you ever have me properly institutionalized."

Bon Bon sighed and looked at the ground. "I'm not talking my way out of this, am I?"

Carrot Top gave her a wink. "Afraid not."

"What about Lyra?" asked Amethyst.

Lyra raised an eyebrow at the pink unicorn. "What about me?" Lyra asked.

Amethyst didn't look at Lyra as she clarified, "Well, can she join again too?"

Lyra shook her head. "I don't know if you remember, Star, but me leaving was kind of a big ol' thing," she said. "They're having a hearing to figure out whether or not to wipe my brain, remember?"

"Well, technically..." Twilight put her collection of resumes away. "With the separation of the Ponyville branch, you're no longer within their jurisdiction." She smiled. "You're in mine."

Lyra raised another eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Twilight beamed. "A full pardon. All charges dropped in recognition of outstanding service on behalf of Equestria."

Lyra was rocked to the floor.

"This is so great, Lyra!" said Amethyst through her intense hug. "You can come work with all of us again!"

"Peachy," came Lyra's muffled voice.

Celestia smiled and took her leave as the others gathered around Lyra and Bon Bon to welcome them back, and to properly introduce themselves to Twilight.

"So I think you should know," Carrot said to Twilight quietly, "There's a little fraternization rule that I think you'll agree is quite out-of-date..."

Amid the excitement, Derpy helped Lyra back onto her hooves.

"You know," Derpy began with a smile, "if you really want to leave, I don't think any of us could stop you."

Lyra popped her back and stretched her front hooves. "I try to leave one time and yet another thousand-year-old monster starts threatening the lives of my friends," she said. She gave her back legs a good stretch as well. "Could you imagine me being gone if another one of these uglies pops up again? Nah. I'm right where I belong."

THE END

Author's Note:

Story pre-reader: Flutterpriest

Comments

[QuartzScale]

I liked it. I didn't know how this was going to resolve after all the lies came out but it seems things are better now. Now comes the bigger things in this world. There's still the Canterlot Wedding, The Crystal Empire, Magical Mystery Cure, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Twilight's Kingdom, Cutie Map, Cutie Remark, The Crystalling, and To Where and Back Again.

I'm really interested in how the PPP would handle that now that the organization is back together again.

[HorseWordFan]

A satisfying conclusion. Definitely hope to see more of these, I really do. You've got what could well be a top-notch series here.

I hope you submit this one to EQD, because that's how I found the first one myself. This needs more eyes on it.

[Venates]

7954838
7956810

Happy to see some satisfied customers! I will say that I do have plans for the future of the series. Plans that hopefully don't take two years! I plan on making a blog post regarding that in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for it!

And, LordGraygem, I've spoken with EQD, and they feel this story is too tied to the original to garner its own individual post. But you can look for it in a future Updated Stories post!

[QuartzScale]

7956933 I look forward to it. This had been an enjoyable romp. I'm really curious how the wedding would turn out now that Twilight has here own spy network.

[ididntthinkidlikethis]

I think they are going to need more help.

I think there are a lot of very fun possibilities with this AU. First off, now that Twilight is the one the Ponyville PPP answers to, will her friends end up involved? I don't know if it would be to all their tastes, but Rainbow and Pinkie would likely get a kick out of it. Pinkie might get along a little too well with Hooves, actually...

Seriously though, I read the first one years ago, only got around to reading this sequel now. It was a fun world to revisit.

[Venates]

8181833 Really glad you enjoyed it!

[Kichi]

Do you plan a sequel with Chrysalis or King Sombrero?

I did not read this or the previous story because I was not sure.

[Venates]

8512722
I do have a partial outline for the next story, taking place during the wedding in season two. I'm still figuring out a few plot points though, and I won't force the story until I have something I'm really happy with.

[Kichi]

8516255

How is going? Any luck with the plot?

[PaulAsaran]

You can has review!