Primordial Conflict

by Jumping Jack

Chapter 30: As The World Caves In Pt. 1

As The World Caves In

I don't know how long I've been out. I felt the auto wagon slow to a halt and I tiredly opened my eyes. I rubbed my eyes and yawned before looking back over my seat. My friends were passed out as well. I then looked next to me and saw my dad eye me. He then motioned with his head before stepping out. I furrowed my brow worriedly before stepping out and trotting around to the other side. We were on the outskirts of Hoofington. The city below us over the outlook cliff radiated with their lights and crystal neon signs. The sun setting in the horizon under the clouds. I saw my dad leaning over the railing, levitating out the flask and taking a swig of it before putting it back in his coat. I hesitated. What should I say? Already, this is awkward more than it should be. Face the day, Fie. I took a deep breath and walked over to him. I leaned over the railing and looked down at the city of Hoofington. My dad removed his hat and looked down at me, our manes blowing in the cool wind.

"It's been a while, Quiet Fire." he said. I nodded softly, gripping the railing a little tightly. "You look well enough. Must have been a little overwhelming walking into a den full of baddies." I sighed and nodded again. We were quiet for a moment before I broke the ice.

"Dad... listen... I..." I began, but wavered. My dad looked at me coolly and stoically as he waited patiently for me to gather my words. I rubbed the back of my head nervously. "Mom's been... pretty worried about you." I finally said. My dad cast a sideways glance at me before looking back out into the city.

"You've talked with Cloud?" he asked in a not-so-surprising tone. I nodded.

"Yeah... I did... and I..." I took a deep breath. "I apologized to her. We've made up and now we're... friends." I saw my dad seem to softly relax his shoulders.

"That's good to hear. What made you change your mind?" he asked. I looked back to the auto wagon and my dad nodded. "Quite the journey, wasn't it?" I nodded before looking back out to the city.

"It's been... eye opening for the most part. But... it's also been the worse ever." I laid my chin on my forelegs. "We went through so much and it felt like it all happened so quickly. When we were overseas... something happened to my friends and I..." I sighed. "I need to get better. I need to be the best pony for them. But in order to do that, I needed to stop being so selfish and to even do that, I needed to apologize to mom... Blitz and Heart." I then looked at him. "And to you." My dad was quiet. His expression contemplative. He then put his hat back on and looked at me from under it.

"Still looking for answers, I imagine." he said. "You still have a long journey ahead of you, kiddo." I furrowed my look.

"And what about you? What kind of deep shit have you gotten yourself into? You're a private detective? What happened to the force?" I asked. My dad adjusted the collar of his coat before speaking.

"The force were limited into what they can provide. So, I went solo." he said. I shook my head a bit.

"That's not a very compelling story, dad." I replied. He nodded.

"Not much else needs to be said about it. There are just things that I can do the force couldn't, spread out as they are." he said matter-of-factly. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.

"Did mom even talk you out of this crazy idea?" I asked. My dad didn't skip a beat.

"She expressed her distaste, but she knew who she married." he replied. I slumped and shook my head. I then hesitated again before speaking.

"How long have you've been at this?" I asked. He looked at me with a quizzical brow. I motioned to him. "Being solo? How long have you've been at this? What kind of case are you on? What about Blitz and Heart? Have you've heard from them?" My dad tipped his hat.

"Been at it for several months now. Took a case that seemed innocent at first, but then a series of events led me to sniffing out a lead that could possibly tie into a plot to put all the muscle baddies at the top of the food chain." He said. "As for Blitz and Heart. They have been managing. Blitz is no longer in his poor position. He's, in fact, working for a company that handles organizational events here in Hoofington. Your sister is under the same company. Equestrian Ministries Incorporated." I darted my eyes before rubbing my chin.

"Hang on... Equestrian Ministries Inc...? Aren't they the ones who've been under fire for all the ancient magic being messed with?" I asked. It then dawned on me. Dad must have not noticed my look, but he nodded.

"Indeed. I am in fact investigating into EMI. That mare you managed to take hostage? She's part of a representative branch of EMI. Their cleanup crew, so to speak." He then looked at me and narrowed his eyes. "And something tells me you know a bit about what I'm talking about." I lowered my head slowly. I then nodded and turned to him.

"Dad? You ever heard of the Triad?" I asked. My dad rubbed his chin.

"The name sounds familiar." he replied. I nodded before rubbing my foreleg.

"W-well... they are a shadow organization that express cult like tendencies but are indeed a very organized militia. They do a lot of study on ancient magic from ages past." I rubbed the back of my head. "The uhh... High Seas incident was a cause of such one." My dad met my eyes and turned to me.

"So... you being a demi-god isn't just a coincidence." he said. I balked and waved my hoof in dismissal.

"N-no! I mean... it's partially a reason. But me having a pyromaniacal element in my head is contrary to the matter." I motioned out to the city. "New Years was a big turn of events for me that I didn't see coming. I didn't ask for it, but somehow I got thrown into the realm of gods." I snorted. "You wouldn't believe half the cosmic crap I've gone against." My dad shook his head.

"I've been around Equestria for a bit. I've encountered those spectral monsters. And I have come across some strange monsters behaving in unusual fashion. So, what did you find out while overseas?" he asked. I sat on my haunches. My dad studied me before sitting on his own. I then told him everything. How I started in New Years leading up to everything to now. I even mentioned my dreams and encounters I've been having. The top of the sun had just dipped over the horizon as night began to surround us when I had finished. My dad remained quiet throughout my whole story. Only asking questions when he felt it was right to do so, which I appreciated more than I thought. My dad then took out his flask and opened it. He eyed me before levitating it over to me. I blinked and took it in my own magic. "You're right. If you weren't my daughter, I would have thought everything you said was just the insane ramblings of a mad mare." He then wiggled his hoof at the flask and I studied it. I then took a deep breath and pulled from the flask. The beverage was once again, sweet like honey but a warm aftertaste. I coughed and levitated the flask back to dad, who took a pull himself.

"What is that stuff?" I asked. My dad smiled softly and swirled the liquid in the flask.

"I call it Liquid Relaxant. But others call it honey gin. It's a beverage I've learned from a good friend of mine. Said to ease the achiness and burnout feeling of high stress and pains." He explained. "It's recently become a favorite of mine. I heard it's an import from overseas. Honey extracted from a certain flower that can only be found in Pony Land." I suddenly balked and upon instinct, batted the flask hard over the cliff. My dad blinked in confusion before I sat up and felt like I was going to hurl. Which, I did. Thank Celestia my experiences were sickening. I panted once I was finished and looked to dad.

"Dad! Why are you drinking that stuff!?" I exclaimed. He looked at me in confusion. I shot out a hoof. "Didn't I tell you in my exposition that we encountered a flower that has been considered a muscle relaxant but also contains hallucinogenic properties?! I thought I made it clear that I was tripping out for several hours when it sprayed the pollen on us!" My dad rubbed his chin.

"But you also said if it can be extracted the right way, it'll be like a relaxant. So, technically, we were drinking a non-harmful form of the extraction. However, you should know that beverages are comprised of more ingredients than just where they are extracted from." he said. I winced and lowered my hoof. I sighed and bowed my head.

"Sorry... I'll get you a new flask..." I said. I then saw him levitate out another flask and shook it out to me. I slumped. He stuffed it back into his coat before standing up.

"I understand your concerns, Fie. And if you think EMI is a cover up for the Triad, then I believe you just saved me a whole load of digging. Now the point of the matter is, how can I expose it to the public." He said, rubbing his chin. I sighed and shrugged.

"Beats me. Thi still isn't sure how they manage to do it. Maybe it has to do with Supreme Chief Sonata." I snorted. I then blinked and looked at him.

"So... what were you talking about to that General Lilac pony?" I asked. My dad shrugged.

"Nothing definitive. The late Marrow Bone made it a bit difficult to get anything out of her really. And unfortunately, I've missed my chance in getting another audience with General Lilac. Though, I hear she is scheduled to arrive in Hoofington as an ambassador to Pony Land. EMI is planning on hosting an open gala, sort of like the one in Canterlot, at the Tri-Mourn Tower." He explained, motioning to the massive skyscraper. "But open is just a saying for all the big leaguers that really run this place. From the Scrap Lands to the High Society. General Lilac plans to give a speech and spread the word of a new concept from Pony Land. And all the big leaguers are going to be the first ones in line." His look turned grim. "Fie, I am not going to sugarcoat it. But if this Triad group is up to no good and plan to have all the big players gathered, that can mean one thing. Equestria is going to be under a lot more fire than just political standing and primal conflict." I lowered my head. I felt my frustration grew into anger. I looked towards the tower and heard several clicks in my mind. My dad sighed. "I wished I could have done better for Blitz and Heart. I'm still trying to convince them, but they seem to enjoy being EMI workers. I'm just glad your mother is safe from all of this." I then put my hoof on his chest.

"But she isn't going to be unless all of us aren't back with her. She misses you and you owe her coming back alive with Blitz and Heart." I said. "I was an awful daughter slash sister to you all. I lashed out when I thought you guys were just burdening me with what you all wanted out of me. But I realize that wasn't the case now. This past month has been a living nightmare and I am always thinking to myself that this is just karma finally kicking me in the ass for what I did to you all." I shook my head. "I tried to fight it. I tried to run away from it. But it always kept rearing its' ugly head around. It's thanks to somepony I love that told me I just had to hit harder and face the day. Because reality is going to hit hard." My dad studied me before giving me a soft smile. He put a hoof on my shoulder.

"Then we'll just have to hit it back even harder." he said. I looked up at him and smiled. He then brushed my mane. "Hope you aren't taking after me with growing your mane out." I gave a soft chuckle.

"Mom said the same thing. I think she wants you to get a manecut." I said. My dad smirked.

"I don't buy it. She loves the long locks." he said. I laughed before hugging him, nuzzling his chin.

"I missed you, dad." I said. He pet my mane.

"Welcome home, Fie." he replied. I then pulled away from him and then saw his look. He was debating something. I tilted my head and arched a suspicious brow.

"What is it?" I asked. My dad then stood up and adjusted his coat, motioning to the auto wagon.

"Fie. This is something I probably will regret showing you, but I feel like you have a right to know." He then opened the door of the auto wagon and I climbed in before he climbed in after me. My friends were still sleeping. He turned on the auto wagon and we turned back around, heading back into the city.

---

The moon was already high in the clouds as we drove past the glowing lights of the city. We eventually turned down a dirt path that led up to a Church of the Sisters. I always found it odd that there was a place that worshipped the entities that were real ponies living in Equestria currently. I've never gone into the church, or really this place for that matter. But it's not my first-time seeing Churches of the Sisters scattered about. My dad stopped the auto wagon and sighed. His look showing he was bracing for something. I narrowed my eyes worriedly before stepping out. I tossed my hood up as it was much colder here than anywhere else. I saw my dad trot forward after adjusting his collar and I followed him. The snowfall was light and I was surprised the moon's light was able to shine through the clouds. My dad trotted past an iron gate that was open and he slowed his pace to a walk. I looked up at him before noticing that we were walking past graves. I felt my concern rise. Where is he taking me?

My dad then stopped and turned to a snow covered grave. I tilted my head in confusion. Seeing his look, I cautiously walked forward. When nearing the grave, I could make out some engraved writing covered in snow. I carefully brushed the snow off and I stepped back in horror. No... there was no way... I wasn't reading this right. But... there was no denying that name.

Here lies Table Top.
A loving stallion and a dear friend.
May his soul be guided to peace by the sisters.

I sat on my haunches in horrified disbelief. I didn't know how to respond. How to react. This can't be... Table Top is... dead? I heard my dad's hooves crunch through the snow over towards me. He removed his hat and put it to his chest.

"It was four years ago. I got a call that there had been a home invasion. Suspect still in the house and armed. The chief of police didn't respond well to the pressure of it all. The ponies inside were still being held hostage. When the call came in to finally make a move, I shot the pony who was already stringing the poor stallion up. It... was a visceral sight. One that I wouldn't even wish on my mortal enemy." He closed his eyes, as if he was praying to somepony. I continued to sit in horrified silence. I felt myself begin to shake as more clicking could be heard in my mind. "We found that the pony was a mass serial killer that has been on the loose for a while. Her breakout that was suspiciously funded by a gang. Knuckle Head's gang. That mare you saw is a part of that gang. It just made sense to investigate this all. The pieces were scattered, but it's thanks to your information to me now that I might be able to help these poor souls to rest." He put his hat back on his head. "I'm sorry, Fie. You shouldn't blame yourself for any of this. You couldn't have known things would turn out this way. It's not your fault." I felt a small nip in the back of my mind. Those words began to echo.

My dad put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder. "I'll give you some time to collect yourself if you have to. Just keep this in mind that I'm working as best I can to prevent anymore stuff like this from happening." He then walked back up to the road. I couldn't say anything. I just sat in quiet grief. I put a hoof to the tomb softly and brushed the newly collected snow away. How could this happen? Why did it happen? And why him of all ponies? He never hurt anypony. Never deserved any bad stuff to happen to him.

You rejected him.

"But... I didn't..." I spoke.

You made a fool out of him.

"No... I was just..." I felt my vision begin to blur.

You didn't lend him a hoof after. Why are you feeling bad about it?

"He was... he was my friend..." I shuddered. I then began sobbing.

You think your life was shit? It isn't just about you, Quiet Fire.

The voice was right. What have I done? Table Top didn't deserve any of this. He deserved better. I began to shiver. It was strangely colder than usual. I was beginning to feel heavy. The snow collecting on me felt like an embrace I whole heartedly deserved. I'm such an awful pony. I don't know how long I stared at the tomb of my once foal hood friend. Despite the last bit of our friendship being an awful accumulation of bad happenstance, we were best friends. We hung out so often and I always looked forward to seeing him and the others. It was that thought that finally snapped me out of my daze. The others... I wiped my eyes and finally stood up, walking back to the auto wagon. I saw my dad leaning against the wagon. Snow was also collecting on him. When he saw me, he finally pushed himself off the wagon and brushed himself off.

"Ready to go?" He asked. I only nodded slightly before peeking out from under my hood.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my tone sounding a little defeated. My dad tipped his hat before stepping into the auto wagon. I trotted around and got into the passenger side.

"Well... to get you guys some proper medical care and maybe a hay burger or two at the corner diner. After we are rested, we'll decide what to do from there." he turned on the auto wagon and we took off from the Church of the Sisters. I couldn't think properly. My mind was going back to the grave of my now deceased foalhood friend. I quietly and depressively watched the sights of Hoofington breeze by us as my dad took us into an emergency building. My dad woke up my friends and when they painfully got out of the wagon, they were greeted by nurses that happened to be outside. They led Thi and Cloudchaser in and sat them down on two gurneys in the hall. As they were getting tended to, Flitter and Scribble were tended to by other nurses with light shining in their eyes and sticking their tongues out. We stayed in the emergency care for a good half hour before Thi limped against a crutch while Cloudchaser had a wing cast. Apparently, the bullet clipped her wing bone and dislocated it. Scribble and Flitter were only emotionally tired.

I didn't blame any of them, but seeing as they were smiling at me, I felt relieved. My dad paid for their aid, then took us down to a neat little hayburger joint that maintained the vintage olden days of Equestria. Thi happily slurped a smoothie while Cloudchaser and Flitter shared an ice cream. Scribble had a salad and my dad helped himself to a hayburger. I stared at my untouched hayburger and wedges.

It's not your fault.

Those four words continued to echo through my head. The small chatter from my friends were beginning to drown out and replaced by a ringing noise in my ear that steadily grew louder.

It's not your fault. It's not your fault.

Over and over, high and low. The world was looking a bit greyer than I remembered it. I could hear my own breathing. Heavy and shaky. The words kept echoing until everything quieted and only a deafening silence droned.

It has always been your fault.

"Fie?" A voice snapped me out of my daze. I looked up and hesitantly to my sides. I saw my friends looking at me worriedly while my father gave a look of complete understanding as he slowly chewed his hayburger. He then sighed and put it down.

"Fie... I know it was too much. I'm sorry to have shown you, but I felt like you had every right to know. There was nothing you could have done. You weren't aware and no pony blames you." he explained. I only quietly nodded softly. He rubbed the back of his head. "You know, Pocket Protector is still around. He currently lives in the Wooden District with his aunt." he said. I remained quiet a bit before speaking, my head never turning.

"What about Point Dexter?" I asked. My dad shrugged.

"Heard he got married and moved out of Hoofington. Don't really know where he went, but all for the better if you ask me." he explained. That didn't make me feel better even though I was relieved to hear that he got out of this shit hole of a city. I then stood up.

"I'm going to go wash up." I said, walking over towards the restroom. I entered the mare's room and stood in front of the soap scum-stained sink. The mirror splattered with whatever scum on it and what looked like week-old lipstick drawn on the mirror hinting at a good time. I washed my hooves, feeling a certain itch on them. I scrubbed them furiously before taking a bit of water and splashing my face. I then looked into the mirror and I saw Din staring back at me. She grinned.

What a day it has been, vessel. I can hear all the cogs turning in here. She said happily. I didn't say anything. I only felt my frustration increase. This damned power element is really starting to piss me off. This whole damned city is getting on my nerves! Din cackled and the amber gem floated in front of us. Your distaste for this pathetic mortal city does make me curious. I can feel all the heartache. All the guilt building up. What was it one pony said? That we all deal with our frustrations in our own way? All the ones responsible for your grief are going to be gathered in one place. Why not take them all out in one fellow swoop? It'll save all the thinking for other matters. She put a hoof to her chest. As much as I detest you, I am imprinted with the damned serpent's bylaws. Her eye glinted. One of them is to protect the vessel at any cost, unless given the circumstance deemed to be impossible. Another is to listen and aid our vessel in their desire, no matter what it may be. Justice. Revenge. Anything you can think of. I am only merely wanting to help you, dear vessel. If not for my sake. Then for those that you deem worthy of protecting?

I looked between her and the gem. I don't know what took over me, but I tapped the gem and it began to crack a bit. Din grinned maniacally. I stopped and examined my hoof. I felt a strange flow of energy. My hoof felt like it was on fire. I flexed it before feeling a warmth flowing through me. I almost felt sick to my stomach from it. I heard Din sigh and when I looked back at the mirror, she swished her wing and the gem disappeared.

Like I said, dear vessel. We have all the time in the world. There were several more clicks that followed her words. I can wait just a little bit longer. But those ponies who will do nothing but torment and slay their own kind for their own benefit. Now we don't sound so evil anymore, do we? Din faded from the mirror and my reflection returned. I punched the mirror hard, causing it to crack and shatter. I panted heavily as all the anger began to well up. I slowly backed away from the sink and looked at my shaky hoof. Whatever I did, I felt a sense of new energy. I shook my hoof as the tingly feeling of punching the mirror replaced my sense before I stepped out and saw my friends and my dad still sitting at the table. My dad noticed me and waved with a small smile. My friends poked their heads over the chairs and saw me walking back to them. I closed my eyes under my hood, making it hard for them to see. I just have to play it cool. Get what information I can. And then I'll go from there. I then rose my head and smiled.

"I feel much better." I lied. My dad narrowed his eyes but my friends looked relieved. I put a hoof on the table as Cloudchaser spoke.

"So... what now?" she asked.

"I still want to check up on Blitz and Heart. This will also be a good time for dad to scout out the Tri-Mourn Tower. At least, get a lay of the area." I looked to him. "I know you are probably going to try and talk me out of it, but I want to help. If we can get Blitz and Heart to leave town and dad gets to bring the ponies to justice, I'd say I'd feel a lot better after." I sighed and rubbed the back of my hooded head. "I also do feel I owe Table at least something for what I put him through last." I then pointed at dad. "So, don't think about talking me out of it. I want to help you." My dad shrugged.

"I was actually going to ask for your help anyway." he said.

"Yup! I'm not taking no for an- say wha?" I cocked a brow at him. He nodded.

"You and your friends have shown me that you are all capable of pulling your weight and able to read the room in an intense situation appropriately. That, on top of everypony's reputation of being wandering heroes who have helped clear the roads and villages in need, asking for everypony's help here would be monumental." He sighed. "I got a little cocky with Viper. That's what got me caught. But now, with the information provided by Quiet Fire, I think it's safe to say we should put this case to a close." I don't know what I expected. I looked to my friends, who were exchanging glances. Thi winced as she leaned forward.

"Screw it! I don't mind a little R&R. And, I get to stick it to those Triad punks where they would least expect it." she said with a grin. Flitter sighed.

"Shooting up a Triad gathering isn't R&R, Thi." She said. Thi pointed at her.

"Not with that attitude." she said. My best friend everypony. But it did make me smile and relieved to see that high spirits were still in the room. I then saw Cloudchaser looking a bit solemn as she uncomfortably shifted her dislocated wing. She caught my look and gave me a reassuring smile. The sparkle in her eyes seemed to be dimming down more and more. I heard more clicks in my head. I have to be better. For everypony's sake. I clutched the hidden pendent from my mom. I have to get everypony out of here. This whole damn city can rot for all I care. My dad leaned in.

"Two days from now, all of Hoofington's biggest players from the underbelly are going to be at the top of the world. General Lilac will be in attendance, representing Pony Land. Whatever they plan to reveal at that time cannot be a good thing." He said. Thi snorted.

"It could be that new drug they were experimenting." she said. "Poor Flitter was a victim to the proto testing." Flitter furrowed her look grimly and rubbed her neck.

"Now that you mention it, I've been feeling stranger than usual." She said.

"Is something you don't hear pretty often from you." Cloudchaser replied, cocking a worried brow. Flitter nodded.

"It's just... I keep hearing these whispers in the back of my mind. It's almost as if it is calling me. I... I think it's this king I keep hearing the whispers talk about." She explained. Scribble rubbed his chin before blinking and pulling out a slightly withered Pocketgold flower sample. It was no longer gold but a tinge of grey. He placed it on the table and we leaned back a bit, just in case.

"So. This is that flower then." My dad said, poking it with a hoof. Scribble nodded.

"I did some testing while in Canterlot and on the train in between our session breaks. I noticed it was starting to turn color. It also seemed to be reversing itself back into a bud. Other than that, it just had the normal properties of a flower you would find in typical botany books. But there was one thing I noticed on the little antennas poking out at the center. They have this strange looking gloss to them. It could be the honey that the Bugbears extracted from them. The petals also excrete a liquid sap that vanishes like cotton candy. It gives it a strange aroma that is like sugar but you can taste it in your mouth like cough syrup." He explained. "My saddle bag was a mess and it was hard to clean off." He shrugged. "It was a nice bag." Thi rubbed her chin.

"And the pollen is pretty much the hallucinogen. How does a flower like this exist at all? It doesn't seem to have any properties to that of a normal flower." she said. Scribble shrugged.

"Might be the same explanation for Poison Joke. A parasite plant that only wants to have a laugh. Perhaps this plant wants to make ponies feel good?" he suggested. I shook my head.

"My trip wasn't pleasant." I stated. Thi furrowed her look and nodded.

"I definitely don't want to be a dog again." she stated. Flitter rubbed her forelegs.

"At least you didn't hallucinate a massive blob of shadows and a big pair of green eyes commanding you to fight a Queen Bugbear." she said. My dad rubbed his chin.

"Why that particular hallucination?" he asked. Cloudchaser sighed.

"Sombranite was included in the experiment. I think they were planning on using it as a catalyst to trigger the conditioning effect." she said. Scribble nodded with a hint of surprise.

"That's... actually correct, Cloudchaser." He said. "Considering they can easily make it an over-the-counter relaxer and cheap to make, it'll be no surprise they'd mix in liquid Sombranite to trigger the effect. It's a word that err..." he cleared his throat. "A certain set of words that we shouldn't really say around Flitter. Let's just call it unspoken words for now until we can find a way to reverse whatever effect it has. And some tests to make sure we can actually do that without hurting Flitter and possibly curing her." Cloudchaser put her hoof around Flitter, who was looking a bit gloomy from the suggestion. I heard a few more clicks. I have to be better.

"Then, we spend the rest of the day tomorrow casing the Tri-Mourn Tower. See what we can gather." I said. My dad closed his eyes in thought.

"Not much to stake out. Anything past the tenth floor is employee only. The bottom floors are just rooms for inquiries, job hiring, some wedding and party planning, community events and other stuff to rent out. The gala is going to be at the very top." He said. "I was planning on probably getting some disguises. We can blend in with Knuckle Head's gang, since I've been running into them mostly." Thi rubbed her chin.

"Not a bad idea. Count me in." she said with a smirk. Scribble put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Unfortunately, you are going to have sit this one out. You still haven't fully recovered. And we need you when things start getting really hectic." He said. Thi frowned at him.

"Excuse me, dad. I can do what I damn well please." she snorted. Scribble cocked a brow.

"You are greatly hindered by your crutch and lack of mobility at the moment. You, yourself, even said that you always come prepared. Being prepared means you walk out of there alive. And considering you are crippled right now, that isn't being prepared." He pointed at her. "I don't care how badass you make yourself out to be. But you are just a pony like us. I'm not going to have a friend die on my watch." He stared down Thi. My eyes widened as I saw her study him and then sigh and wince as she leaned back into her seat.

"Alright, fine... But I need to at least shoot something." She mumbled. Scribble motioned to the window.

"Try popping a few birds. That'll ease your troubled mind." He said. Thi blinked and looked at him. The sisters and I couldn't help but laugh. My dad looked between us before smiling softly. He then rubbed his chin.

"Now that I think about, we could definitely use a get away driver and a comm pony. We can err... borrow from the force a surveillance wagon and have you and Scribble scry us out a path and listen in on to the big bads." He said. I looked at him.

"But dad... isn't that breaking the law?" I asked. My dad nodded.

"Like I said. The force couldn't provide what I could alone. I'm trying to save ponies. Not doom them." He said. He then looked to me and the sisters. "You three would be under guise as Knuckle Heads. Neat suites. Packing arcane tech like no tomorrow. Hopefully, Viper won't sniff you all out, which should be fine since she doesn't pay much attention to grunts. That, and you girls are going to undergo a bit of a different style." He tapped his hoof on the table. "I know somepony that can alter your coat and mane. Viper already knows what we look like, so it's better she doesn't notice any slight details. Fie, we'll get you some contacts for your eyes." I furrowed my look.

"What about you?" I asked. He leaned back and adjusted his coat.

"You girls are going to have to smuggle me in. I'll be your captive." Cloudchaser balked.

"Wait... we're just going to turn you in to the ponies that want you dead?" She asked. Thi shrugged.

"I mean, it's about the same as we did with the cargo ship." She stated. I shook my head.

"But the cargo ship had the Black Whiskers that made everything a little difficult to manage. There won't be pirates this time." I stated. My dad nodded.

"Don't worry about me. It'll just get me closer to them. And with any luck, it'll get Viper away from the festivities and make it easier for you three to slip in." He leaned in. "I'm counting on everypony here to follow the plan. Sneak in, find out what they are up to, gather the evidence and we'll go from there." He said. "But for now, we should get some rest. It's been a long day and I know everypony could do with some proper sleep." He then stood up from the chair and my friends followed suite. As they filed out, I put a hoof on Cloudchaser. She looked at me along with Flitter.

"CC? Can I talk to you alone?" I asked. Cloudchaser tilted her head, but Flitter smirked and pat the back of her sister.

"Don't worry about me, sis. I can walk myself to the wagon." she said. Flitter trotted after the others and my dad nodded to me before stepping out. Cloudchaser turned to me and rubbed the back of her head.

"What's up, Fie?" she asked. I rubbed my foreleg shyly before looking at her.

"Are you... feeling alright?" I replied. Cloudchaser smiled and pat her chest.

"Perfectly fine, Fie. I'm ready to face the day. Though, I'll admit. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about looking like a different pony." She said. I then sat down and took one of her forehooves into mine. I clasped my other hoof over her's and she blinked in confusion. I met her gaze.

"Cloudchaser. Your eyes are telling me something different." I stated sadly. Cloudchaser studied me before adverting her gaze. "You aren't... you right now. What happened back in the castle?" I asked. Cloudchaser pulled her hoof away from me softly before sighing.

"Nothing you should worry about right now, Fie. We have to focus for tomorrow and I don't want my own issues to ruin it." She stated. I shook my head and put a hoof on her chest.

"I do worry. You're my friend and I want to be better for you. I've been so selfish that I just thought everything would be alright. But it isn't. I'm not stupid enough, Cloudchaser. I know Flitter is going through a tough time and you are trying to be the best you can for her and to us. But if it is at the expense of your own health, that's something that won't help anypony." I put a hoof to her cheek and her eyes widened. I smiled. "I'm always open to talk. Vent to me. After all. You were the one that told me we deal with our own frustrations in our own way. Why not with a friend?" Cloudchaser studied me. she adverted her gaze again and softly tapped the bottom of her cheek.

"I..." She began. I lowered my hooves and waited for her to speak. She was struggling with her thoughts. Eventually, she sighed and rubbed her foreleg. "I'll... think about it. I'm exhausted right now, Fie. Can you wait until we are done with tomorrow?" She asked. I smiled and nodded.

"I have all the time in the world." I said, clutching my hidden pendent.

---

The next day was something I wished would have been a whole lot better. I didn't sleep well enough. The nightmare I had was me standing in front of Table Top's grave. I was digging up his grave for some reason. I was compelled to do so. The voice echoing around me. "It's not my fault" was on loop in many varying pitches. I hit the casket and dropped the shovel. I fell to my hind knees and dug away the dirt. The casket had caved in from the weight of the earth and I began pulling away at the lid. I then came face to face with the decrepit and rotten, skeletal face of my foalhood friend. He was unrecognizable. What did he look like while I was off being a mess of a pony? Did he get better before everything fell apart? What would it have been like if we met now? The voices kept echoing around me as I stared at the corpse. I felt my breathing heavy and the ringing in my ears get louder and louder. The whole world was beginning to turn grey. As the voices got louder and louder, everything went quiet. Table's head then turned to me and spoke.

"It has always been your fault." I woke up soon after. I yawned tiredly as we were back at the diner. My eggs and toast uneaten. I sat next to Cloudchaser, who seemed like she also hasn't slept well. Flitter sat next to us while Scribble, my dad and Thi sat across from us. I could tell that we were getting looks from them. My dad then sighed and looked up from his oats.

"If we are going to be doing this, we'll need everypony to be in tip top condition. Fie, Cloudchaser. You both can sit this one out." He said. I looked up and furrowed my brow.

"What? But I thought we were going to be staking the place out?" I asked. My dad shook his head.

"From the looks of it, you both aren't in the best state of mind. And considering what happened yesterday, I feel you two need a bit more time to gather yourselves." He then glanced between us. "Don't worry. The plan won't be executed till tomorrow. And I'm sure the others are willing to pick up the slack." He then looked to Thi. Thi frowned.

"I agreed to sit out of the high paced action. I never said anything about the pre-planning." She stated. My dad smirked and nodded.

"Fair enough." He said. "Thi, you'll be helping me gather the surveillance wagon. Scribble, I want you to gather these supplies." He pulled out a rolled up scroll and pushed it over to him. Scribble unrolled it and scanned the contents before rolling it back up and stuffing it in his saddle bag, nodding. He then looked to Flitter. "Flitter. Think you can wander around the lower floors of the Tri-Mourn Tower? You'll see a lot of ponies going in and out, but you'll be able to tell which one is a ganger. I recommend a casual hood and clothing to hide yourself. There will be See Bee hives in certain corners of the building. So, try not to act too suspicious. I just want you to take note of the area and see if you can find out where a good way would be for us to enter in from when we start moving. Think you are up to that task?" He asked. Flitter smiled and pat her chest.

"Never done infiltration stuff before. But it wouldn't be my first time going undercover. It's just like the cargo ship." She then rolled her hoof. "It'll be nice not to be the paper pusher for once." She then looked worriedly at Cloudchaser, who seemed to study her in concern. Flitter pat Cloudchaser's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "CC, I understand you're worried about me. But I'll be fine. If it'll make you feel better, I can have ear plugs in so no pony will say my trigger words by chance." She said. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

"I-I know, sis. I just..." She then put a hoof over her's. "Just promise you won't do anything reckless." Flitter suddenly laughed softly before patting Cloudchaser's mane.

"That's my line." She giggled. My dad put his hat on and stood up.

"Might as well move now. Fie, Cloudchaser. We'll meet back here in the afternoon. Just walk around the block a couple of times. Probably visit some of the tourist traps close by. Don't be late to meeting us." He said before tipping his hat and trotting over to the door. Scribble and Thi scooched out of their seats and they walked (Thi limping with her crutch) out of the diner. We scooched over to let Flitter out and she waved at us before trotting out the door. Cloudchaser and I stood quietly as we watched them get into the auto wagon and drive off. I glanced at Cloudchaser and she glanced at me. She then rubbed the back of her head.

"Err... well, this was unexpected." She said. I darted my eyes in thought before smiling.

"I don't think it's that bad. I actually know a few places around here we can go check out." I said. Cloudchaser gave me a soft smile. I then took a hold of her hoof and pulled her along. "Come on, CC. Let's just take a moment to get a breather. Take our minds off of everything for now." We exited the diner and started walking down the road. I did my best to get Cloudchaser involved as much as possible. Anything to reignite the sparkle in her eyes. We went to a library close by and browsed the Neighponese section. We began talking about the shows and comics we knew about and then found ourselves interested in something new. A story about paranormal detective that winds up turning into a filly again, but able to keep her smarts while solving murder cases via the help of her murdered husband's spirit. It was rather interesting and compelling at the same time. We then passed by the game aisle that had plenty of board and card games of certain franchises. I smiled and pointed at the O&O box. A collector's edition with several campaigns spanning all five generations. Cloudchaser couldn't help but talk about her thoughts on the game.

Which made me happy to hear that she managed to enjoy something that, despite looking complex on the outside, could get her to really rack her brain. When we exited the library, we trotted down to the next block that led out towards a shopping district. A Prance looking setting that had a lot of fancy sounding restaurants, boutiques and what I would guess were apartment buildings. We browsed a boutique and I happened to see a neat looking outfit ensemble that I thought would look good for spring wear. I even jokingly teased Cloudchaser that certain dresses would look good on her. She seemed a bit hesitant about it, but she eventually tried on one dress and I was stunned at how she looked. She looked like a completely different mare. She blushed as I complimented how it definitely brought out her pretty cool style. We left the boutique without buying anything and trotted over a bridge. I then stopped Cloudchaser and pointed as a gondola traversed under the bridge. There was a river that flowed in from the surrounding mountains and crossed several miles of Hoofington before heading back out to sea. It was surprising that the river wasn't frozen over. But since the gondola was open, I pulled Cloduchaser along and we trotted over to a side dock where a gondola pony was resting. He greeted us and when I gave him the bits to ride us up to the canal and back, he helped us in and pushed away from the dock.

We casually drifted down the river, looking around at the sights we passed. When we came to an opening in the canal, I looked down at the murky river water. My reflection staring back at me. I then saw Cloudchaser's reflection peek over the gondola.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having the time of my life." I said happily. Cloudchaser looked at me.

"Really?" she asked. I gave her a worried but reassuring smile.

"Sometimes, you just gotta' remind yourself that you are a pony first and foremost." I said. I heard more clicking in the back of my mind. I have to be better for her. Cloudchaser looked contemplative now.

"Remind myself, huhn?" She said softly to herself. I looked worriedly at her before leaning in and putting a hoof on her shoulder. She looked at me and darted her eyes in thought. She then sighed and sat to face me. "Alright, Fie. If you want to know what happened, I'll tell you. I figured that somepony would have told you at some point." She rubbed her foreleg. "As a Wonder Bolt, it's a part of my duty to uphold peace for Equestria. We are a precision flying unit that does more than flashy air shows and other stuff. I managed to get in while Flitter got a desk job. I beat her by like two wingpower." She explained. "Ever since I was a filly, it was my dream to be one. For a time, I did do well, but I guess overconfidence caused me to slack off more than I thought. I've already told you all of that, but I just want to reiterate that I wasn't always the most active pony. And being stuck in the reserves, I never got a proper shot at anything. I was lucky enough to be Lead Pony in the Wonder Bolt Academy. But of course, I was in the same class as Rainbow Dash. She went through a whole ordeal with a very rude and stuck up pegasus that didn't care about the other's well-beings. Always strived to be the top.

"I did bring my concerns with Captain Spit Fire, but she only told me what she told Rainbow Dash. That some ponies like to push themselves a little harder. After that, Rainbow Dash ended up saving the day and her friend's life when the pony decided to make a tornado in the air to clear all the clouds while Bulk and everypony else were still trying to bust their own clouds. The day ended happily. But following Rainbow Dash after that whole ordeal and making it into the reserves, I saw my dream began to soar away along with Rainbow Dash. She became their ace flier and I was stuck at the bottom." She snorted and kicked the side of the gondola softly. "I don't usually hold a grudge against anypony, but seeing Rainbow Dash succeed like that, I found myself sinking lower and lower into a rut. And I guess for a time, I told myself that my shot will happen one day and that I should just focus on my own thing. Which wasn't much in the weather factory." She pointed at me.

"When you came along and saved Bulk from the lackey, I was already set on trying to make up for lost time. And seeing how you continued to strive forward despite having everything thrown at you all at once... I began to have second thoughts again." She chuckled. "Imagine my surprise when you suggested my sis and I to join you. I still had my doubts, but the past month told me that this was something I did want to do for myself. And I was, for once, happy with myself." Her smile wavered. "When you guys got taken by the Raptorians, that's when reality hit me the most. The fate of Equestria relied on your life and while I was on the ground, Flitter was the one who sprang into action. My sister. The paper pusher Wonder Bolt. And now she has become an experiment for a shadow organization and a ticking time bomb." She then grit her teeth as I saw the anger in her eyes. "I hated myself. From that very moment, I could only think about getting you both back safe and sound. Not just as a Wonder Bolt. But as a sister and friend. The pony who experimented on her... I..." She smacked the edge of the gondola, causing it to shake, but the rower was able to keep us steady, his head bowed as he was being mindful to not pay much attention to our conversation. "Wonder Bolts are supposed to save lives. I should have been better. But I just... couldn't bear the thought. Under all that pressure, I caved in. I took a life, despite being warned." I remained silent.

She took a moment to gather her words.

"I can't stop thinking about what I could have done in that situation. How I could have handled it better." She bowed her head. "I'm a Wonder Bolt for Celestia's sake. If these bad ponies are going to continue doing these awful things… And I’m forced to take lives… I just…” she sighed. “I never imagine what it’s be like. And that pony’s horrified face as I watched them… it keeps coming back. I wasn’t looking at the very pony who experimented on my sister. I was looking at one of us. A fellow pony. And I… turned my back.” I put a forehoof over her own and held it up.

“Cloudchaser, what mattered was that you wanted to protect your sister and I. You did your duty. You upheld the Wonder Bolt creed. That pony would have done something worse if you haven’t gotten to her before. Any later and she might have not been able to regain her own senses.” I looked at her with concern. “Thi is right about them. All of them. She warned me as well and I… I chose to ignore it because I thought everything would be okay… that I would be okay if you were around me.” She looked at me quizzically. I took a deep breath.

“Cloudchaser… There’s been something I’ve been wanting to tell you for the past month. But… I’ve always been too nervous to bring it back up. And I… I know it’s not the correct time either and I feel we still have to focus on other things. But…” I could feel my heart racing. I have to be better for her. For all of them. I bit my lip and nearly choked on my words. “I… I’ve always… Well, not always… but uhh… recently…” Cloudchaser tilted her head. Come on, Fie! Face the day! Just remember that you should be satisfied with the answer. The worst she can say is that I’m a complete failure of a friend. I sighed and lowered our hooves.

“I’m such an idiot…” I began. Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.

“Come on, Fie. Just spill it already. You already made it this far.” She said with a soft smile. I hesitated and clutched the pendant. I then braced myself as I took another deep breath.

“Cloudchaser! I like you!” I blurted out. I felt my face suddenly hot to the point I was whistling out my ears. Cloudchaser blinked and smiled.

“I like you too, Fie. But what is it you really want to tell me?” She asked. I then flicked her forehead and she hissed a bit, rubbing it with a confused expression.

“No, dummy!” I said, feeling my heart race once more. “I-I like like you! Like, really like you! I have been since we first met!” I blurted out again. Cloudchaser studied me. She then blushed and adverted her gaze, rubbing the tip of her hoof softly against her cheek. I braced myself again before continuing. “When I delivered you your letter after New Years… I don’t know why, but upon seeing you I just… fell. There was just this sparkle about you that I couldn’t help but look away. I-I hoped to have stayed around to get to know you better but I was on the job.”

I rubbed my foreleg. “When you comforted me during my darkest moment, I just… I just had to be around you and when the opportunity presented itself, taking into account your own struggles, I wanted to… well… I did want to help. But I also just wanted to be near you.” I motioned to her. “You’re so pretty. And cool. Pretty cool!” I then wavered and sighed. “Thi called me out on it one day and when I suggested to spar, I was indeed just sating my own selfish tendency. It was… honestly surprising that it worked out. And I was happy that you were able to tag along.” I then bowed my head.

“I’m so sorry, Cloudchaser. I know it was so out of the blue without you and your sister’s consent. Dragging you both into this ordeal. I… I’m at fault for getting her captured. I’m the one responsible for getting her into that state. And I…” I felt my vision blur a bit. “I am the one at fault for making you lose that sparkle…” I sniffled a bit as the words began to echo back in my mind, followed by more clicking. “I was warned so many times and I ignored it. And now… both of you are in a state that I don’t know how I can fix… I don’t know if you even want my help anymore because of it… I… I’ll understand if you reject me for all the trouble I caused… I should have known better that rose tinted glasses wouldn’t work out…” I turned my head as a tear fell from my face and I wiped it.

I caused this pony suffering. I’m the one responsible for all of this.

It’s always been your fault.

The voice echoed and several more clicks sounded, followed by an amused hum. I then felt a reassuring hoof on my own and a gentle hoof on my cheek. I turned to face Cloudchaser. Our gaze met.

“Fie…” she began. Her look serious. I braced myself once more. I deserve whatever rejection she can put out. I’ve already screwed this up anyway. “Thank you.” She said. I blinked, looking at her with nervous confusion. She then smiled. “Thank you for allowing me and my sister to really shine in our lives.” She nodded softly. “Of course… we knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk. But we’ve always appreciated it all. We never thought we would be able to make much of a difference to anypony. Let alone Equestria. You gave us the courage to really fight for our Equestria.” She blushed as she adverted her gaze a bit. “I’ve always found you to be pretty cool too. How you continued to help those in need and how you continued to look forward. It’s really hard to believe I made you to be able to do that. But I’m also… glad I was able to start fighting when I comforted you.” She then pulled away a bit before rubbing the back of her head.

“A-as for your confession… I have to… think on it a little more. I honestly… had a feeling. The way you looked at me. The amount of teasing I was getting from Flitter. I didn’t think much of it because… well… again, it’s really hard to believe I was the one that got you to strive forward. And I wasn’t really sure how I would feel about it all.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “I’m… still trying to figure that out. But I’m glad you told me how you feel.” I softly clutched the pendent.

“S-so… it’s a maybe?” I asked. Cloudchaser shrugged.

“It’s not a no. But again… I just need more time to think.” She said. I did feel relieved to hear that. And I was also relieved that this turned our better than expected. But I was still left unsatisfied.

It’s not just about you, Quiet Fire.

I sighed but smiled.

“It’s a start.” I said. We began chatting about Flitter. Just a small gossip thing to get back at her for teasing both of us. We left the gondola ride and I was feeling peppier than usual. It wasn’t a no. That made me excited more than I would like to admit. We spent the rest of the morning wandering around the block, talking about the history of the Wonder Bolts. It was an interesting bit of information to hear, especially from a non-military pony like myself. I wonder if I would have learned about the U in EUP if I did end up becoming a Canterlot Guard.

We returned to the diner and waited the last hour as we saw the auto wagon pull up and my dad stepped out with Thi, Scribble and Flitter. Flitter and Scribble dug around the trunk chest of the auto wagon while my dad and Thi entered the diner.

“Hope you guys didn’t have too much fun.” Thi said with a smirk. Cloudchaser and I looked at each other before giggling and I waved a hoof.

“Got to visit Prance while you were away.” I said with a small hoof wiggle. My dad studied us and his eyes glinted. He smiled softly.

“Now that everypony seems ready, we can go over the plan once more. We’ll also get ready for tomorrow as well. We’re going to head on over to the cosmetologist place.” He said. I smiled and clutched the pendant. I then furrowed my look as I just had remembered something. I then reached into my saddle bag with my magic and levitated the parcel to my dad. He blinked and took it in his own magic.

“Mom wanted me to give this to you. Once this is over, we’ll convince Blitz and Heart to head on over to Canterlot where you would all be closer together.” I said. My dad looked at the parcel.

“I’m not leaving until I have everyone of the big bads behind bars.” He said. I stood up and put a hoof on his chest.

“Dad, this has to stop. You’ve spent your entire life on the force and even went solo for a time. You’re one pony. You aren’t a vigilante superhero, even if you can back that up. It doesn’t matter what you do. There will always be somepony else to take the place. This place will soon be a Triad capitol when they actually start invading. I’m not going to have you become part of the watch list.” He eyed me, narrowing his look. He then unwrapped the parcel and he pulled out a locket. He studied it a bit before clicking it open. His eyes widened a bit. I happened to peek over. On one side was the marriage photo of my parent’s wedding and the other side was me and my siblings in our younger days together. We looked… surprisingly normal.

He sighed and closed the locket before putting it around his neck.

“Your mother is never good with words. But her actions were always as strong as her heart.” He said with a small smile. He glanced at me. “Perhaps, we can catch Blitz and Heart on their breaks. I’ve managed to keep tabs on when they do so.” I gave a soft sigh before nodding with a small smile.

“Hopefully, they won’t be too harsh with me.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m not expecting them to forgive me. But if we can convince them to work in Canterlot, we’ll be much better off on worrying about your big baddies.” My dad nodded. I was expecting him to tell me if they have any remote feelings I should be warned about, but I’m guessing he wanted me to figure that out myself. He isn’t a helicopter dad. But he always made his presence known where it counted. We spent lunch time going over the plan once more once Scribble and Flitter were done with hiding some suspicious stuff. They had already smuggled a surveillance wagon and had positioned it somewhere in a storage unit close by the skyscraper.

Once we finished lunch, we piled into the auto wagon and my dad drove us down the freeway. I looked up at the slow passing Tri-Mourn Tower. My eyes fell onto the massive ball like dome at the top of the tower. The architecture curling like tendrils holding it up. Tomorrow, the big bads as my dad puts it, are all going to gather at the very top. Wining and dining while a Triad general is going to unveil whatever plan that could make or break Equestria entirely. I began to hear a clock ticking in my head followed by several clicks. Din hummed unnervingly pleasant.

I have alllll the time in the world.