Starry Skies: Shadowbolt Agent

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Costumes and Accessories

Back at the castle, Starry Skies and Mimic headed up to Star's room while Princess Flurry Heart went to find Twilight. As soon as the door was closed, Mimic's magic encompassed it, locking it thoroughly and creating one-way soundproofing. She then did the same with the window. With that done, Mimic set down her box and saddlebags. A groan escaped her as she stretched out before turning her attention back to the items, pulling them open.

"Okay," she said as she started to search the box, "first thing first: the wedding present."

Out came a smaller box, wrapped in silver paper with a large pink bow on the top.

"Here you go. One custom sculpture from Crystal Creations, made to your specifications. It looks pretty good." She passed it to Star. "I was extra careful with it the entire way."

Star took the gift and set it under the desk for now.

"Did you get my Mare-Do-Well costume?"

"Yeah," Mimic answered as she pulled out the purple outfit. "Why do you want it though?"

"Figured it might be a little useful. Plus, Rainbow Dash caught me in my Shadowbolt uniform once already. She'll be looking for that now. Only reason that I was able to escape was because of that stallion that was using the dressing dummies like puppets. Plus, I really don't want to have to distract her with a kiss again." Her face scrunched as she stuck her tongue out.

"Oh," Mimic gasped out, eyes wide. "You kissed her? How scandalous. I didn't know you had a thing for older mares."

"I don't," Star replied. "It was the only thing I could think of to distract her long enough to escape. An idea for which I blame you."

"Yeah," Mimic giggled out. "That is definitely something I would do."

She then turned her attention to the saddlebags.

"Anyway, you also got a new Shadowbolt uniform." She pulled the outfit from the hidden compartment and held it up. "Doctor Cog is still working on the name. I'm calling it 'The Lightning Strike Special.'"

"Lightning Strike Special?" Star repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The lightning bolts aren't just decoration anymore. Now they are able to absorb and store energy. Then you -- the wearer -- can activate them to release a bright flash of light, blinding everypony and giving you a chance to escape."

"That might be useful."

"We also grabbed you a variety of things that you carry with you in your civilian identity and not draw attention. Including... this."

It was a small object with a silvery color to it. It was a thick piece of metal, made into the image of a shooting star. On the other side was a clip that could snap together, holding it in place.

"A hair clip?" Star asked.

"Not just a hair clip," Mimic said with a grin. "It's also... a small saw blade and lock picks. Turn the star."

"What?

Mimic grabbed a hold of Star's face, hooves squeezing her cheeks as the were pressed nose to nose.

"Turn the star," Mimic repeated, eyes wide and twinkling. "Do it!" She pulled Star closer. "Doooo iiiiit!"

"Let go of my face," Star said tried to say. Unfortunately, the pressing of her cheeks and snout distorted her face and made it very hard to speak clearly.

Once Mimic let go, Starry Skies returned her attention to the hair clip. Pressing her hoof down on the star, she turned it. There was a small metallic click as the star's contrail popped open, revealing a dual-edged serrated saw blade. Inside was also a small compartment filled with lock picks.

Star closed the blade and put the pin in her mane.

"Here's hoping I won't need it."

After collecting several other small, easily concealable items, the two of them moved on to the folders that Princess Luna had sent along as well. There was very little useful information in them. Mostly just rumors and speculation. This was especially disappointing since it meant that either they had not been able to get any agents into the cults, or they had, but the agents had been compromised (be it joining fully or being discovered) and had never been able to send in a report.

One file was about a group that seemed to worship Discord, believing that he had changed them into what they were for a purpose. Another went in the opposite direction: claiming it was not Chaos that made them but Harmony. Not all of them were obviously cults either. One was more of a school up near Manehattan, where ponies with unique abilities could go to learn to control them and work together. There was also one that was more of a paramilitary group, who claimed to want to see the government toppled and replaced, but seemed more interested in going out in the woods and getting drunk. One of the files was on a group that did have some cult-like indicators, but was not definitively noted as such. That group believed that the rise of various legendary villains over the years -- starting with the return of Nightmare Moon -- were the warning signs that something greater was coming: a threat that would bring about the end of Equestria, and it would be up to the survivors to build a new land for ponies to live in.

Deciding to take a little break, Starry Skies and Mimic slipped the folders under the mattress and made sure the rest of the supplies brought were "properly stored." The spell around the door and window disappeared as the two of them left the room, heading downstairs.

"YOU'RE BEING RIDICULOUS!" they heard someone shouting from downstairs.

The two of them froze, ears up and eyes wide as they listened. In the wake of the shouting, the silence was extra noticeable.

"I DO NOT THINK IT'S FOR THE BEST!" the voice -- which Star now recognized as Flurry Heart's -- continued. "I AM NOT GOING TO BE CHASED OFF JUST BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE THREAT!"

Star jumped off the stairs and flapped her wings, flying down toward the main floor and the direction of the shouting.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN!"

"If somepony went to the effort to steal it, they must have a plan to use it," a second voice -- Twilight Sparkle's -- said loudly.

"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE!"

Taking advantage of the pause, Starry Skies threw herself into the room.

"What's going on?" she called out. "I could hear yelling from my room."

"They could probably hear it all the way back to Canterlot," Mimic added from behind the doorway.

"Back to Canterlot is exactly the problem," Flurry Heart growled out.

"Star," Twilight said calmly, "you're Flurry Heart's age. Maybe you could talk some sense into her."

"Talk some sense into me?" Flurry snapped. "If anypony here needs sense, it's you! Star, tell her."

"BEFORE I TELL EITHER OF YOU ANYTHING," Star shouted before continuing in a normal tone, "I need to know what is going on first."

Everything turned quiet as Flurry Heart and Twilight Sparkle both turned their full attention to Starry Skies. Star stood there, looking at the two and waiting for one of them to speak.

"Okay," Twilight said. "Somepony broke into Zecora's hut last night." She held up a hoof. "She's fine. Was out with a friend of hers for the night and was nowhere near the place when it happened. However, the place was thoroughly searched, but only one thing was taken: The Alicorn Amulet."

Everything turned silent as Twilight let that sink in.

"Okay," Mimic called out. "Well it's been nice to meet you all, and this has all been very interesting, but I need to get going. I have a train back to Canterlot to catch. So good luck with..." she made a waving motion with her hoof "...all of this, and maybe we'll get to hang out and get to know each other some other time."

She then placed a hoof on Star's shoulder.

"I will see you back in Canterlot after the wedding."

If Star did not actually know better, she would think that Mimic was sincerely afraid of staying now.

Captain Lulamoon was not going to be happy about this.

"Actually," Princess Flurry Heart said, "if Twilight gets her way, we might just end up on that train with you."

"What?" Star and Mimic both said.

"As I said," Twilight explained, "the only thing taken was The Alicorn Amulet. That means whoever took it was looking specifically for it. Whatever reason they have, I sincerely doubt it could be a good one. As such, I believe that you all should return to Canterlot until the day of Spike's wedding. If anything happens, you will all be safely out of Ponyville."

"And I for one am not leaving," Princess Flurry Heart declared. "Especially for something that could possibly happen."

"Flurry--"

"No. I know you mean well, Twilight, but I am an adult and future leader of The Crystal Empire. I will not let a threat -- an uncertain one at that -- frighten me, let alone coerce me into running away. That is not the kind of ruler I am going to be, and that is not the reputation I am going to have."

With a sigh, Twilight turned to Starry Skies.

"I believe you can see the problem now," Twilight said. "Can you please talk some sense into her?"

"I doubt it," Star replied. "Besides, I'm staying too."

"Yes!" Flurry shouted, pumping a hoof in the air.

"What?" Twilight cried out, eyes going wide.

"Well this sounds like a family conversation," Mimic said. "So I'll leave you all to it and be on my way. Star, Princess Flurry Heart, Princess Twilight Sparkle." With that, she walked toward the door, leaving the three of them.

"What do you mean you're staying?" Twilight yelled, wings flaring out behind her. "Don't either of you get how serious this is? How dangerous?"

"Considering I either wasn't born yet or just a baby when it happened, no," Star replied. "But the way I see it, the safest place to be is close to you. You've beaten it before, and you weren't even an alicorn then."

"I didn't 'beat it,'" Twilight retorted, her ears pulling flat. "I just managed to trick the pony wearing it into taking it off, and that was with help from my friends. Plus, it was the second time I had met Trixie. I had a pretty good idea what she was like and wanted. I don't even know who took it this time, much less what they want or why."

"All the more reason for me to stay," Flurry Heart jumped in. "If something does happen, then there will be another alicorn to help you out. I may not be as powerful as you, but I'm pretty good with my magic."

Twilight looked between the other two ponies. Her ears pulled back further and eyes narrowed as her jaw clenched.

"You know, being the oldest princess and Sparkle family member here, I could order you to leave," she growled out.

Starry Skies bit her lip as she tried to hold back a smirk. Twilight must have been getting desperate to bring that point up. It had been something that she had brought up before, but never actually gone through with.

"Yes," Princess Flurry Heart conceded, "but I still won't do it. Which means that you'll have to arrest me and have me escorted under armed guard back to Canterlot." She grinned. "And not only would that technically be an international incident between two kingdoms, but it would also mean that you would have to explain to Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Princess Luna , and Princess Celestia why I was arrested for Civil Disobedience."

Star could not hold back the slight snort that escaped her.

Throwing back her head, Twilight let out a groan of frustration.

"Ugh, fine." She rubbed at her forehead. "You can stay. Just... Just be careful. Your parents would kill me if something happened to you." She then turned to Star, eyes narrowing. "That goes doubly for you. I don't want to deal with Mom and Dad being angry. Got it?"

"Got it."