Stages Of Life

by TheEquestrianWing

Counterbalance

Mauser and the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment reached the hospital wing in a matter of minutes. There were two more officers of the Constabulary Contingent posted at the entrance. Mauser spoke to them for a minute, and then he and the Regiment were given clearance to enter.

The area was bustling with all sorts of activity. Bronze Star was obviously still in surgery, as the curtains were still drawn around the operating table. Purple Heart had been at work for a couple hours, and he had rotated his nurses twice already.

Princess Celestia was standing nearby. She was looking over the latest progress report on Bronze Star's condition, which she had received only minutes earlier. Princess Luna was right next to her. This time of night, she would typically be on the top of the Astronomy Tower, guarding the night. However, she had come down from her post when she learnt of the attempt on Bronze Star's life. She was there out of concern for both her nephew and her sister.

Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash had remained in the hospital wing with the regal mare. They were still clad in their Gala ensembles, despite how unkempt their dresses became when they left the Castle earlier on. All of them were very worried for Bronze Star's well-being, Applejack most of all.

There were no other officers of the Military Enforcement Corps present in the hospital wing. There were, however, nine officers of the Royal Guard stationed around the room. They were nine of only eleven officers Shining Armor could still fully trust with Bronze Star's life. The other two were busy elsewhere, and all the other officers were being investigated by the Corps. Following the incident with Blade Bearer, they were taking no chances.

Lord Bellerophon was in the hospital wing, as well. When the Firebrand Regiment came into the room, they were quickly approached by the tall palomino Pegasus. When he was within earshot, he muttered quietly "Has everything been taken care of?"

"Affirmative," SIG Sauer told him, "Unfortunately, Catalyst-2 was lost. Other than that, no other hitches were encountered."

"And no trace was left behind?" Bellerophon presumed.

"Not one," the pine green Unicorn confirmed.

"Excellent," Bellerophon commented.

Mauser paid no mind to that exchange of dialogue. He was aware that his father's work was classified as top secret on a regular basis. He would not bother asking questions he knew he would get no answers to. Bellerophon, on the other hoof, was well-aware of the Firebrand Regiment's activities. He had just spoken with the pine green Unicorn in code to confirm the success of their last assignment.

SIG Sauer gazed over in the direction of the operating table. He queried uneasily "How's he doing?"

"He took three projectiles to the front of his torso," Bellerophon disclosed, "He's been in surgery for about an hour and a-half. The Surgeon General has given a rough estimate that another six hours will be required for the remainder of the operation. The prince's condition hasn't worsened any, but it hasn't improved very much, either."

"I suppose we should be thankful for that much," Walther thought aloud.

Bellerophon nodded in agreement. He then looked around at the other members of the Regiment. He noticed that Ambit Dexter was being held up by Koch and Glock, and that he was not moving. He inquired apprehensively "Is there something wrong with the Commodore?"

"He suffered a concussion," Peacemaker disclosed, "But he should be alright. We should probably lie him down before we do anything else, though."

"Here, I'll take him," a new voice offered.

Strangely enough, SIG Sauer recognized that voice, too. He looked over his shoulder and saw a 20-year-old Unicorn mare trotting towards them. She had a chartreuse coat, a cerise and jade stripped mane, peach irises, and an otoscope for a cutie mark. She went up to Glock and Koch, and they carefully transferred Lord Ambit from their front legs to hers.

As she moved the moccasin stallion to one of the beds, she realized that SIG Sauer was gazing at her. She looked to him and smiled sweetly.

After a moment, he smiled back and offered "Need any help, Alpine?"

"Nope, I got him, Dad," the chartreuse mare asserted as she gently set Ambit Dexter down on his back.

She was SIG Sauer's until-recently teenaged daughter, Alpine Sauer.

Alpine was a student at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. She had been going there ever since she was eleven. After she finished her compulsory education, she had chosen to continue studying at the School so that she could earn her college degree there. She had chosen to take the school's medical program, as her aspiration was to become a doctor.

Alpine was in the same year as Twilight Sparkle. They were about to complete their sophomore year of college. Naturally, Alpine had not been among the group of medical students that Purple Heart had accompanied Purple Heart to the hospital wing; she would not get her license for another two years. She had not even attended the Gala.

Both Alpine and her brother had been asleep at the time of the attempt on Bronze Star's life. Mauser had been in his bunk at the main base of Military Enforcement Corps, and Alpine had been in her dorm on the School for Gifted Unicorns campus.

Mauser's platoon had been the first one to be summoned to the Castle. Once they were assembled there, they were informed of the situation. Before reporting for duty, Mauser took steps to have his sister brought to the Castle, as well. He argued that she would be of tremendous help to Purple Heart. While that was true, Mauser's real motive for calling in this favor was to guarantee Alpine's safety. He had always been protective of his sister, especially since their mother died.

Normally, the staff of Canterlot castle did not grant favors such as this one so soon or so readily. However, there were a few advantages Mauser had on his side. Mainly, there was the fact that his father was Bronze Star's trainer, and both he and Alpine were close friends with the prince, as well.

Mauser had been unable to see Alpine when she was escorted to the Castle, but a half-hour ago, his lieutenant assured him that she had arrived safely. Now he was able to confirm that himself.

The last time SIG Sauer and both of his children had been together in a medical ward was ten months ago in Ponyville. On that occasion, it had been them and Bronze Star coming to see him. Now he and the gold stallion had switched places. But if he had the opportunity, SIG Sauer would switch them back without hesitation. Such was his dedication to Bronze Star.

"I hope you're not too tired," Bellerophon said to the officers of the Firebrand Regiment.

"Not after this, no," SIG Sauer declared. There came a few murmurs of agreement from behind him.

"That's good," the chief of state muttered, "With Purple Heart's staff currently indisposed and the Royal Guard under tight scrutiny, we're severely shorthoofed right now. We'll need every capable pony we have to pitch in."

"You can count on us," Walther decisively claimed. The others merely nodded in concurrence, and Bellerophon in acknowledgment.

"Shall we remain on standby and wait to receive our orders?" SIG Sauer presumed.

"No need for that; I already know where each of you will be of most use," Lord Bellerophon pronounced. He looked around at the group and professed "Major, Lieutenant, Dr. Purple Heart could use two extra pairs of front hooves. Sergeant, Inspector, Specialist, see if you can reinforce the building's defenses. Captain, Brigadier, take charge of the Royal Guard and the Constabulary Contingent. Special Agent, General, go around the Castle and keep your ears open; for all we know, there could be others here who mean the prince harm."

Peacemaker, Koch, Beretta, Heckler, Ruger, Glock, Carabine, Caracal, and Walther respectively accepted those commands and went to carry them out. Those of them that had been carrying some of the team's equipment set it down on the ground first.

SIG Sauer was the only one who had not been given any instructions. He was also the only member of the Firebrand Regiment who was never addressed by the rank he had held before he joined the Regiment. That was partly because he had had so many titles throughout his career, and partly because he had not been officially employed by any organization when Bronze Star recruited him.

"What would you have me do, my lord?" SIG Sauer enquired patiently.

"Actually, Sir Haywood McCrank requested to speak to you," Bellerophon apprised him.

"About what?" the pine green stallion muttered in interest.

"He just said the topic relates to some business he recently had in Ponyville," the palomino stallion revealed.

SIG Sauer was a little perplexed at first, but realization quickly dawned on him. He stated assumingly "You mean THAT business?"

"Correct," Bellerophon affirmed.

Sir Haywood McCrank had been living in Ponyville for the past nine months to conduct a top secret investigation. Neither SIG Sauer nor Bellerophon had been very heavily involved in his investigation, but they were both quite aware of what he was up against and what was at stake.

"Okay, where is he?" SIG Sauer inquired.

"Last time I saw him, he was in a private cell near the buffet table," Bellerophon thought aloud, "He had Commander Swiftdrive and Lieutenant Commander Comet Frost guarding half a dozen staffers from a number of companies. Truthfully, I think the two of them would be of better use here; they're both among the few officers that Captain Shining Armor can vouch for. At any rate, as I recall, Lady Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Rough Rider, and Dapple Rhomb were with Sir Haywood, too."

"Guess I better go find them," SIG Sauer mumbled frankly.

"Actually, I could do that for you, Dad," Mauser proposed, "I just saw Sir Haywood about twenty minutes ago; I'm certain he's still in that cell. Plus, I have to get back to the ground floor, anyway. My lieutenant will not be pleased if he found out I left my post for too long."

"No, and Commander Hard Hull would be even less pleased," SIG Sauer contended.

"Very true," Mauser concurred, smiling cockily. As he started towards the door, he declared "Soon as I find Sir Haywood, I'll send him and his companions your way."

"Got it," SIG Sauer avowed.

After his son departed from the hospital wing, SIG Sauer turned back to his daughter.

Alpine was checking Lord Ambit Dexter's heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure. She was pleased to discover that they were all within normal parameters.

"Take care of the Commodore, Alpine," SIG Sauer beseeched her, "Odds are we'll be needing him before sunrise."

"He'll be in good hooves, Dad," Alpine assured her father, "I'll make sure he's awake before we decide to declare war on anypony."

She meant that as a joke, but SIG Sauer could not ignore the possibility that the War Council would probably have to convene before long. If and when they did, drastic measures would have to be taken to counter the attempted murder of Bronze Star and the threat it posed.

SIG Sauer knew it would be at least fifteen minutes before Haywood McCrank and the others got to the hospital wing. He decided to pass the time talking to other ponies. Lord Bellerophon and Alpine were preoccupied with other tasks, so he decided to seek somepony else out.

The pine green Unicorn trotted over to the eight mares and the baby dragon who were gathered near the operating table. None of them were shedding tears, but to say that Bronze Star's current state saddened them was an understatement.

Princess Celestia was so distraught that she looked almost unresponsive; Princess Luna had her hoof on her sister's shoulder as if to console her. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were sick with worry. All of them had managed to retain some degree of composure; Rainbow Dash had the most, Rarity the least.

As for Applejack… her expression was almost unreadable. She sat on the edge of one of the nearby beds and stared almost fixatedly at the operating table. There was almost no emotion in any part of her countenance. If one did not know better, they may have assumed that Applejack was actually disinterested or indifferent to Bronze Star's ultimate fate. SIG Sauer, however, did know better. He was all too familiar with the expression on the orange mare's face. Nearly a decade ago, he had seen it every day for months. In his mirror.

Applejack was easily the toughest of the six mares, but every pony had a warm and tender side. SIG Sauer knew for a fact that the farmer was no exception. She had coaxed out a facet of Bronze Star that SIG Sauer had never seen before. He had spoken often of how she made him feel so… alive.

SIG Sauer decided to speak with her first. He stepped next to her and said softly "How you doing?"

She did not respond at first, but Applejack gradually turned to the pine green Unicorn and answered him quietly with "I'm doing okay."

She then turned back to the operating table and added in "Considerin'…"

SIG Sauer sighed, placed his front hoof on the orange mare's, and told her "If it makes you feel any better… I know how you feel."

That was quite true. Eight years ago, SIG Sauer had been the head of Field Operations for the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency. One day, his wife Wysteria had been murdered by his then-partner. The pine green Unicorn had firmly placed the blame for her death on himself, even though nopony else did. Even Alpine and Mauser did not blame him for the loss of their mother.

Still, the pine green Unicorn had been a wreck after Wysteria died. He never turned to alcohol or drugs to ease the pain, but he had distanced himself from everypony he knew. He quit his job at the Agency, and he refused to work anywhere else for a while. In his efforts to cope with his pain, he had almost turned into a social outcast.

It was not until Bronze Star established the Firebrand Regiment that SIG Sauer felt a renewed sense of purpose and regained his will to go on. That was what prevented him from following Wysteria to an early grave. In a way, the prince had saved his life.

Applejack heard SIG Sauer's last statement, and she seemed to be reflecting on it or something of the sort. She remembered that Alpine had once told her about Wysteria's fate long ago. As an orphan, Applejack could imagine how hard it must have been on her and Mauser, but she not seen that lost from SIG Sauer's point of view until now. She commented "I know you do. But at least you didn't have to be kept in suspense for several hours before… it happened."

"Be thankful Bronze Star's still alive," SIG Sauer advised her, "My wife wasn't even given a chance to fight for her life."

"You're not the only one who's experienced loss, Mr. Sauer," Applejack snappily mumbled, "I watched both my parents die at the same time. So don't expect me to be glad that Bronze only might die."

SIG Sauer was alarmed by both the sharpness in Applejack's tone and the knowledge of her parents' whereabouts. He found himself somewhat speechless, and he was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake in trying to counsel her at that time.

"I'm sorry," Applejack abruptly stated apologetically, wrapping her front hoof around his, "I know you're just tryin' to comfort me. It's just…"

"It's alright," SIG Sauer assured her, smiling a bit, "Like I said, I know how you feel. If you need me for anything, you can come to me at any time. Trust me, it helps to have somepony who's been through this sort of thing once before to talk to."

Applejack could not help but grin slightly at the middle-aged stallion. He had known Bronze Star a lot longer than she had, and he was clearly just as upset by the gold stallion's predicament as she was, yet he was more concerned with her emotional well-being than his own. She could fully understand now why Bronze Star viewed SIG Sauer as the closest thing he had to a father.

Ten minutes later, the doors to the hospital wing were thrown up once more, and five ponies filed inside. They were Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Sir Haywood McCrank. Lord Bellerophon had been standing close to the entrance when they came inside. He approached them, pointed out SIG Sauer to them, and together, they all swiftly trotted over to the pine green stallion.

SIG Sauer had remained with Applejack and her friends. He had talked with all of them, but he had not moved from the orange mare's side. When he noticed Bellerophon and the others, he bade the six mares "Excuse me."

When he intercepted the chief of staff and the new arrivals, Sir Haywood saluted him respectfully. SIG Sauer returned the friendly gesture, and he muttered "You wished to speak with me, Sir Haywood?"

"Yes, Mr. Sauer," the federal investigator affirmed, "Princess Celestia is demanding an explanation for what happened to her son. I can give her one, but I haven't yet."

"Why haven't you given it to her?" SIG Sauer queried, baffled.

"There were a few related issues I had to resolve first," Sir Haywood informed him, "I've been handling them for the last hour and forty minutes. I've reexamined some critical factors of the case, and I've consulted a number of ponies who have been involved in it. The princess has given me until Bronze Star is out of surgery to present my explanation. Fortunately, you're the last person I need to see before I'm ready."

"What do you need from me?" SIG Sauer asked him.

"Nothing special," Haywood McCrank replied, "I would simply prefer it if you were there when I gave my explanation."

"Why?" the pine green stallion muttered in interest.

"Two reasons," the indigo stallion elaborated, "Firstly, you are experienced in averting all types of crises, just as I am. After I give the entirety of my explanation, you may have a solution to remedy the mess we're in. Or at least assist me to think up one. Secondly… I am confident the princess will not react well to certain parts of my account of the events that led up to this moment. Since you are also well-versed in surviving hopeless scenarios, I'm hoping you can help me get through that conversation with her."

SIG Sauer could not tell if Sir Haywood was being serious or comical with that last statement. Either way, his remark was a strange one. Despite how well-known Sir Haywood was for being eccentric, he never made jokes in dire circumstances. So it was very unlikely that he was joking. However, it was equally uncharacteristic of him to make such a grim and pessimistic assumption as the one he had just made. He seemed to be implying that Celestia might become enraged by his explanation, and that if she did, she would take her wrath out on him or somepony else. While SIG Sauer himself had no desire to ever witness Celestia's wrath, he knew she would never vent her fury on a loyal subject.

At any rate, regardless of whether Sir Haywood was japing or not, SIG Sauer decided to humor him. He stated in reassurance "No matter what happens, I've got your back."

That seemed to set Haywood McCrank's mind at ease. He gestured for SIG Sauer and the others to remain where they were for a moment. Then he went over to Princess Celestia and pronounced "Your Highness, I'm prepared to give you a full explanation now."

Straightaway, Celestia turned towards the indigo stallion and commented "Very well, Sir Haywood. Begin at your leisure."

Haywood McCrank was a little stunned by how candid the white Alicorn sounded. "I was hoping we could go somewhere more private for this discussion. There are far too many ears in this room."

"I am not leaving my son, Sir Haywood," Celestia adamantly countered, "Besides, is your explanation likely to remain a secret after I've heard it?"

Haywood actually had not considered that. However, the regal mare raised an excellent point. If the parties responsible for this disaster were to be apprehended, many more ponies would have to be told of it sooner or later. Ultimately, Sir Haywood gave in and murmured "As you command, Your Highness."

He turned around and gestured for SIG Sauer, Bellerophon, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Rough Rider, and Dapple Rhomb to come forward. They approached thusly, as did Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Spike, and Princess Luna. Haywood McCrank found himself in the center of fourteen ponies and a baby dragon. He did not crave this attention, but his only choice was to deal with it.

Haywood McCrank proceeded to give a full account for everything that had happened that night, as well as everything that had precipitated it.

It all began nineteen years ago, when one of his colleagues at the Intelligence Bureau – Agent Dread Naught – had been investigating the death of a wealthy entrepreneur in San Franciscolt. Initially, the entrepreneur appeared to have died of a heart attack. However, there were certain factors about his death that Dread Naught found bewildering.

Namely, a trio of stallions had been seen prowling outside the entrepreneur's house less than a half-hour before he expired. The witness who saw those stallions was unable to give a specific description of them; only that they were wearing full-body jumpsuits, and they were an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus.

In the end, the cause of the entrepreneur's death had been verified as a heart attack, and the investigation was called off. Even so, Dread Naught was unwilling to file the case away. The mysterious nature surrounding it had intrigued him.

When he returned to the Intelligence Bureau's headquarters in Canterlot, Dread Naught had gone to Sir Haywood McCrank and shared the file with him. After Sir Haywood looked over the details of the case thoroughly, he shared his colleague's suspicions that the case was not as simple as it appeared to be.

After a while, they put the case away, but they always kept it in the back of their minds.

A couple months later, Sir Haywood was tasked with investigating a death in Fillydelphia. This one was seemingly accidental, but the case bore an odd resemblance to the one from San Franciscolt. Shortly before the victim was found, three stallions in jumpsuits had been sighted in the area; one from each of the three major races.

From then on, Dread Naught and Haywood McCrank kept an eye out for any and all future cases that shared this feature. Of course, it was very unlikely that all of those cases would wind up on their desks, but since they knew what to look for, they were adequately prepared. To their surprise, a similar case occurred at least every two or three months.

At one point, they got the idea to dig through the Bureau's archives. That was when they discovered that the entrepreneur's case was far from the first one that took place under those specific circumstances. In actuality, these bizarre cases had already been going on for nearly two decades. None of them had ever been conclusively solved or explained, but they all mentioned a trio of shadowy figures near, around, or on the scene.

Only a few of those cases had been reported as a homicide, and even those that remained unsolved.

Before long, Dread Naught and Haywood McCrank came to the conclusion that all of the cases – including the suicides, the accidents, and even the natural causes – were actually murders, and that they were the work of organized crime.

Over a year had passed before they were able to find a motive for all of those murders. Sir Haywood found a series of bank accounts that had been set up by anonymous sources. Each time one of these special murders occurred, a huge sum of money was deposited into one of those accounts, and it was exchanged through several complimentary accounts; each one in a different bank. The money trails had no apparent beginnings or ends, but in each one, the money switched hooves so many times that even a few bits could become a small fortune by the time the trail finished circulating.

These banks were all over the country, and the money trails were completely untraceable. Furthermore, none of the victims had anything in common with the others. They varied in age, gender, race, status, social standing, location, and every other manner. In other words, the victims were totally random.

When Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught realized all this, they also realized just what they were up against. They were not dealing with a couple of greedy, ambitious thugs. Instead, a whole guild of professional, unprincipled assassins and bounty hunters was behind all of these murders.

It occurred to Dread Naught and Haywood McCrank that almost anypony could have been a member of this guild. For that reason, they had chosen to never share their information with another agent (or anypony else). Until they knew whom they could trust, they would limit the knowledge of the guild's existence to the two of them.

Of course, investigating the guild without any additional assistance proved to be quite trying. They were unable to identify any of the guild's members, or even draw up a list of suspects. They could not even learn the guild's name. All the same, they wanted to be able to call the guild something. One day, Sir Haywood referred to them as vermin (a fitting label, all things considered), which led to Dread Naught getting the idea to label the guild as the "Vermane." Sir Haywood hated puns, but he agreed to the suggestion, and the name stuck.

For seventeen years, they worked tirelessly to uncover and stop the Vermane. They never managed to get even close to succeeding. They managed to learn a few of the guild's planned assassinations in advance, but their efforts to prevent the murders were wasted. No matter what the two elite federal investigators did, the Vermane always beat them to the chase.

Haywood McCrank and Dread Naught could only devote so much of their time and resources to the Vermane. They had many other cases to attend to, plus they had to allow themselves some time for a personal and social life. Often, they were forced to put their investigation into the Vermane on indefinite hold.

Last year, however, they had a breakthrough.

At this point in Sir Haywood's explanation, some of the other present ponies began to contribute to the story. Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb were the first to do so.

They tentatively revealed that they were not just a salespony and a secretary by trade. They actually belonged to a covert organization that had devoted itself to protecting Equestria and all its inhabitants. This organization was not bound by any laws or guidelines, other than the ones it made for itself. Because of that, their organization was essentially a vigilante group.

Normally, Celestia would have been shocked to discover something like that. But this was hardly the most surprising revelation that had been addressed during the explanation. So other than raising an eyebrow, she gave no conspicuous reaction to the knowledge that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were vigilantes.

At any rate, the two spouses discussed how a year ago, their organization had acquired some very unsettling intelligence. They had discovered that a murder was going to occur very soon. The details they had were vague; there were only two things they were certain of. One, the victim was either living in Ponyville, or would be in Ponyville after the Summer Sun Celebration. Two, the murder would shake the very foundation of Equestria and yield terrible reprecussions for the entire nation.

When the vigilantes realized the gravitas of this impending threat, they had decided that they would be unable to prevent this crime without outside help. After very careful consideration, they decided to seek out somepony in the government.

As luck would have it, Bronze Star had moved to Ponyville the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. He had been posing as Canterlot's ambassador to the town, and he was passing himself off as a civilian. He had even used an illusion spell to hide his wings and his horn. Although nearly everypony else bought his act, the vigilante group was not convinced. They conducted a small test, and upon its completion, they confirmed their theory that Bronze Star had relocated from the capital city to a small town.

Consequently, the vigilante group had chosen to reach out to Bronze Star, as they knew how deeply he cared for his subjects, and that he would never turn away a plea for justice or aid. So they sent him a letter – which they went to great lengths to deliver – and begged him to ally with them. After he received that letter, he decided to accept their request almost right away.

That was when Haywood McCrank entered the scene. Bronze Star recruited him to assist in the investigation with the vigilantes. Other than the two stallions, the only other ponies who knew about the vigilantes' letter were Noble Edict, SIG Sauer, Bellerophon, Glock, and Captain Shining Armor. Of those five, the four stallions barely contributed anything more to this matter; they had their own affairs to see to in Canterlot.

Noble Edict, however, was instrumental in what happened next. When Sir Haywood moved to Ponyville to begin looking into the murder plot, he, Bronze Star, and Noble Edict decided to form a task force. That way, they could conduct a proper investigation.

Five more ponies from Ponyville's secret force were added to this task force. As Noble Edict's second-in-command, Copper Hollow joined straightaway. The other four were some of her deputies; their names were Paisley Branch, Cassia Sprig, Almond Wheeler, and Rollin Fields.

The first four or five months of the investigation were relatively fruitless. The task force and the vigilantes exchanged information and notes with each other frequently, but they never acquired any definite leads, clues, or suspects.

Haywood McCrank was certain to mention the day when they found their first major clue. Using a trio of dice, he had discovered the relevance of the number three in the investigation. That was when Sir Haywood officially began to suspect that this case might bare some similarity to a number of his previous cases.

In the meantime, one of Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb's coworkers – a stallion named Shakedown – made arrangements for the two of them to physically move to Ponyville. While Rough Rider was busy travelling throughout Equestria to make sales and gather more intelligence, Dapple Rhomb bought a house in Ponyville and got her job as Bronze Star's secretary.

The task force found their first hard evidence on the day of the Running of the Leaves. They had encountered three of the Vermane in Whitetail Woods, and while they had failed to capture them, they managed to get three distinctive objects off of them.

Haywood McCrank had an even stronger reason to believe in the validity of his theory then. He decided to mail those three objects to Dread Naught so he could catalogue them.

When Dread Naught sent those objects back with a comprehensive report, he was able to confirm Sir Haywood's theory. That was when Sir Haywood confirmed that this murder plot was indeed the work of the Vermane.

The investigation only became progressively more hazardous and risky from there. Also, Bronze Star had revealed his identity to everypony on the task force by this point in time. That brought them closer together, incidentally. Despite the increase of danger, the task force held together.

Soon after, Rough Rider finally came to Ponyville to reunite with his wife and assist her with the vigilante business. Not long after that, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank unmasked them as members of the vigilante group. Once that happened, Bronze Star proposed a more open alliance between their two groups.

To everypony's astonishment (and delight), both factions were quite amenable to having this form of association between them. However, they began to receive some ominous warnings from the Vermane. These warnings came in the form of some photographs of the task force's loved ones.

Those photographs had been enough to dissuade Cassia Sprig and Paisley Branch from continuing to work on the task force. Everypony else stayed around.

A little while later, Agent Dread Naught decided to come to Ponyville and assist the task force directly. When Bronze Star asked the vigilantes for some additional aid, Shakedown was also sent to join them. Both stallions proved their worth several times over. In fact, Shakedown produced an invaluable lead that enabled the task force to track a few members of the Vermane all the way to Detrot.

When the task force made that discovery, they decided to divide their numbers in half. Five of them would go to Detrot and pursue this new lead; the other five would remain in Ponyville and continue the investigation from their base of operations.

Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Dread Naught, Rough Rider and Shakedown were in the first group. Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rollin Fields were in the second one.

While the first group was away, the second group made another startling discovery. They learned that all of the Vermane's victims were somehow connected to six companies in two large business conglomerates. The CEOs of those six companies – along with their boards of directors – happened to be in Ponyville to attend a conference at the time. Celestia had attended the conference, so she knew a bit about this part.

Sir Haywood had developed another theory that some of the staffers on the six companies' boards of directors may have been members of the Vermane. At that point, the others were unwilling to rule out anything, so they gave the Superintendent's hypothesis some serious consideration.

The half of the task force that had gone to Detrot had managed to get their best piece of evidence yet. But the collection of his evidence had come at a terrible price. They had been ambushed in their flight from the city. Shakedown was killed, and Dread Naught had to sacrifice himself so that the others could get away.

Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Rough Rider had gotten on a train to Ponyville safely, but three of the Vermane had snuck aboard. When they were about halfway to Ponyville, they launched an attack on the passengers of the train, which turned into a full-out massacre. Rough Rider, Almond Wheeler, and Copper Hollow each managed to kill one of the three members, but Rough Rider and Almond Wheeler sustained some critical injuries. Over half of the train's passengers had been wounded in some way, as well. Luckily, there was a surgeon on the train at the time; he was a surgeon from Detrot named Dr. Billow Health. He was able to sustain all of the wounded individuals until they reached Ponyville.

Other than the three members of the Vermane, Almond Wheeler was the only pony who did not survive the aftermath of the train massacre. Everypony on the task force and everypony on the town's security force had been devastated by her loss, but the one who had been hit hardest was Almond Wheeler's cousin, Cashew Lane.

On the bright side, Almond Wheeler, Dread Naught, and Shakedown's deaths were not in vain. From the information the task force picked up in Detrot, they were led to believe that Noble Edict would be the victim of the murder plot. Based on the content of a personnel file, the Vermane had planned to kill Noble Edict on her thirtieth birthday. Working together, the task force not only long prevented the Vermane from succeeding in their deplorable scheme; they also sent them away limping and hemorrhaging.

After that, it appeared as though the danger was over. However, Haywood McCrank was not about to have everypony lower their guard. Six of the staffers from the aforementioned companies had disappeared the day after the Vemane had moved against Noble Edict. That compelled the task force to believe that at least a few of the companies' staffers were members of the Vermane. Because each of the six aforementioned companies would be sending one of its staffers each to the Grand Galloping Gala, there was still plenty of cause for worry. Anything could happen at the Gala.

Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow had already planned on going to the Gala. As a precaution, each of them had come to the party armed. They also wore very small communicators that could fit in their ears; they could converse with each other without being overheard and without even being in the same room.

The Gala itself did not present any threats to their safety. No immediate or significant ones, at any rate. However, two hours after the Gala ended, Sir Haywood discovered that Noble Edict was not the intended target after all; she was merely a decoy. When he confronted the staffers from the six companies, he realized that Bronze Star was the true target.

Unfortunately, Bronze Star had not been with the other five ponies when they made this discovery. The communicators enabled them to give him a warning, but they were too far away to reinforce or protect him. Even so, they had started galloping to his bedchambers as quickly as their legs could carry them.

It was Bronze Star who discovered that the three assassins sent after him were Cashew Lane, Billow Health, and Sir Verse A. Till. He had engaged the three of them in a swordfight. He managed to kill both Cashew Lane and Billow Health, but he kept Verse A. Till alive for questioning.

That was a very wise decision on his part. Sir Verse A. Till was the assistant to the Chairpony of the War Council. He had been working under Lord Ambit Dexter for many years. If persuaded to talk, he would be a much more valuable source of information than either Billow Health and Cashew Lane.

The real tragedy came about when Bronze Star prematurely assumed he was out of harm. That was when Blade Bearer thought it would be a good idea to commit treason. After eliminated Hammer Shaft and Stone Cracker, he had shot Bronze Star three times. He kept him alive after that only so that he would suffer. Blade Bearer intended to the conclude job by slitting the gold stallion's throat.

Haywood McCrank had arrived just in time to prevent that. He recalled that just before he, Blade Bearer had boasted about framing a former officer of the Royal Guard for a crime he had committed. Her name had been Clear Crest. SIG Sauer then interjected and claimed that he had recently acquired some evidence which suggested that that was in fact true. Be that as it may, that issue was of little consequence to Celestia at that time.

Haywood McCrank wrapped up the story by mentioning how he had reached Blade Bearer before he could finish what he started. After pulling the traitor away from the prince, Sir Haywood had stabbed Blade Bearer until his torso was a red ruin.

He left out one or two minor details. Thankfully, Noble Edict and Copper Hollow left them out, too. He went straight to the part where they had focused on getting help for the prince. Everything else they had done afterwards was already known.

Celestia had listened to Sir Haywood's explanation in relative silence, only stopping to ask a question or raise a point every now and then.

When he wrapped up his explanation, Celestia stood in meditative silence for about a minute. Then she murmured "This is all very remarkable, Sir Haywood. Tell me; how long have the Vermane been at large?"

"No less than thirty-seven years, Your Highness," the indigo stallion informed her.

"How long have you been pursuing them?" Celestia enquired.

"About nineteen years," Sir Haywood recalled.

"Why do you suppose you have not found them yet?" Celestia uttered.

"I have no excuse," Haywood McCrank told her, "Except that I have not tried hard enough."

"In a way, you are right," Celestia debated, "You are bound to protect the principles this country is founded on, and you are sworn to protect the innocent at the same time. Sometimes, it is not possible to do both. Having to choose between them would be an unenviable task. However, you could learn a lesson from these two."

At that, she turned to Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, who seemed somewhat taken aback. Celestia bluntly continued with "There are times when thinking like a vigilante is more practical and useful than thinking like an officer. This is one of those times."

Sir Haywood cocked his head in interest and queried "What are you saying, Your Highness?"

Celestia turned back to the indigo stallion and stated in a very serious voice "What I'm saying is this: I want you to do whatever it takes to locate the Vermane as soon as possible. I mean, whatever it takes. Even if you have to violate every code of ethics and morality, I want the Vermane found. As long as they are allowed to roam free, Bronze Star will never be safe. Is that understood?"

Haywood McCrank stared at her in stunned silence for a minute, as did everypony else there. Even Princess Luna was alarmed by her sister's rigid command.

Nevertheless, Sir Haywood sternly proclaimed "You have my solemn vow, Your Highness. I will find the Vermane through any and every means necessary."

And he would. The sight of Bronze Star lying on his back had strengthened his resolve. Even if he had to do horrible things, abominable things, unforgiveable things, Sir Haywood McCrank of the Intelligence Bureau would not rest until all of the Vermane were brought to justice.

Comments

[Samellan]

Time to show those Vermane what's what!