(18) Breadcrumbs
“Commander Shawns, are you listening to me?”
The C.O. of the most decorated and most experienced mobile task force in the Foundation turned back to the most powerful man in the Foundation, then nodded. “Yes, sir,” He spoke with a monotone voice, “You said that you think I am mentally unstable.” Shawns’s eye twitched.
05-1 laughed, “I wouldn’t say that... I am just merely concerned about your stability,” The 05 flipped through a manilla folder detailing various missions that MTF Alpha-1 has been on. “You have yet to fail a single mission. However, your last mission to Afro-Eurasia proved to be... difficult, somewhat.”
Shawns tightened his grip on the edge of his seat, “Sir? I don’t see how it was difficult, we completed the objective and we got out.” The MTF commander stiffened defensively. “We got it done, and we got out.”
“With fifty percent casualties,” The 05 stated bluntly. “You know we need to evaluate you and your team after a loss that… substantial.”
“We knew the risks, and we accepted that when we went in,” Shawns said, he gazed at the clock, he was going to be late, “Am I done here?” He asked, nastiness in his voice. “I have to attend to my team, get their heads back in the game.” Shawns fidgeted in his seat, “There are reports of some 939’s in the mountains.”
“Not necessarily,” 05-1 said, “I want to make sure you have your head in the game, commander,” Shawns narrowed his eyes, “You were close, with Major Kate Lowe? Correct?” He looked down at the file, “She was killed on her first mission while on your team, by a Griffin that caught you off-guard?”
“Yes, sir, she was killed by a griffon. But we were just comrades in arms, commander. Nothing more.” There was no emotion in his voice as he spoke, “Nothing else.”
The 05 shut the folder and placed it in a neat stack on the side of his desk, “I just… you were not acting like this before your mission. I think her death has affected you, and, well… I know what that can do to a man.”
“I’m sure you have, sir.” He emphasized the final word of his sentence, “is there anything else you wish to discuss?”
“I read the report given by Major Maddix, she was killed by a griffon, and she died while you were carrying her back to your encampment,” 05-1 leaned forward, toward the MTF commander, “I am truly sorry, Shawns.”
“I am too,” Shawns cocked his head, “I heard Pi got into a scrap with the ponies,” He paused for a moment to pick his words, “I heard we got exposed. Who was in charge of that blunder, you?” Shawns knew the buttons to push on the older and slower man to force this meeting to end.
“Yes, I was,” his superior replied, “but they followed their orders and avoided unnecessary killing. They followed our orders, Shawns, and the loss of a loved one does not excuse that.”
‘Damn, we’re doing this then,’ Shawns thought to himself. ‘I thought I could at least kick the face of one more pony before…’
“You and your team have been invaluable to capturing and containing escaped anomalies, and because of your service, we gave you and your team a high degree of freedom.”
The 05 leaned forward, a frown forming in his face, “but, upon reviewing your body camera footage from several of your most recent missions, we’ve found that you have been abusing that freedom,” the MTF commander sighed, “MTF Alpha-1 has the highest creature damage ratio of any other team, by a large margin. Indiscriminate killing of other species, Griffons, the Equines, it needs to stop. Your team has also blatantly refused our orders of remaining incognito, instead, you pursued a more... violent and deadly method on your missions.”
Shawns moves forward, “Cut the crap and get to the point, what did you do?” He knew there was going to be some new restriction or regulation placed on him, “Just tell me already.”
“I am sorry commander,” The 05 shook his head, “Until further notice, the 05 have decided that you and your team are to be put on probation. You will not be slated for any missions in the coming months.”
‘Great.’ Shawns thought. ‘Just great…’ it wasn’t hard to get mad at the thought of having no missions. It was what he and his team lived and breathed. And so soon after loving the love of his life, to a primitive no less.
The 05 studies his reaction, blinking several times, “Get your head in the game, commander. Dismissed.”
‘Great,’ Shawns stood up from the chair and saluted the 05 before walking out of the office. As he turned around, a smile slowly formed on his lips, ‘Just perfect.’
The 05 opened up his laptop, and began typing away a message to 05-9.
05 possibly compromised. Shawns was not as mad as I thought he would, He also knew that Pi-1 was engaged with the ponies in January, Alpha 1 possibly compromised. I am reassigning MTF Pi-1, Epsilon-11, and Alpha-9 to you, I think you can trust them. They should leave within the week.
He thought for a moment. Weighing his options.
Should the 05 be compromised or killed, you will enact code Zephyr-1 as you see fit. I will transfer the appropriate permissions to your files. Confirm you received this message, then delete it. Stop sending progress reports.
- 05-1
Flurry and Luna ended up being in the clouds of the Crystal City. The Lunar Alicorn was laying on the fluffy puffs with her niece laying next to her. It was peaceful.
“I suppose there is some good news,” Luna replied to Flurry’s earlier question, “We have been questioning both Sombra,” Flurry’s feathers stood up at that name, “and Chrysalis. They have both apparently encountered the humans and their creatures in the past.”
“Really?” Flurry looked up at her aunt before looking back down at the clouds. “I mean… I guess that’s good news?” She semi-asked and stated.
“Flurry,” Luna smiled, “The good news is that they’ve told us the location of one of their bases,” Flurry’s eyes widened and gazed up at the older Alicorn. “We depart in a few hours.”
Flurry should be happy, or at least relieved they are making progress, but, “What if you run into those… creatures?” She asked, “They… aren’t exactly friendly.” Flurry’s mind was turning, ‘What am I talking about? The humans… or the monsters?’
Luna looked at Flurry Heart. The smile that was on her face faltered. That was not the reaction she was expecting, ‘Perhaps,’ Luna thought, ‘With everything that has happened, Flurry has changed?’ It wasn’t entirely unlikely, being foalnapped, experimented on, and forced into a foreign and hostile environment can change a pony.
Luna gave her a reassuring smile, “I can assure you, we will take all proper precautions on our expedition.” Luna wrapped a wing around Flurry, “Nopony need be injured.”
“Y-yeah, I guess so…” Flurry replied. “Hey, Luna can I ask you so-?”
Luna gazes back down.
Flurry was gone, as was the dreamscape she was in. ‘Dammit,’ Luna thought. She reached out with her magic to Where Flurry’s dream was previously, nothing. ‘Something must’ve woken her up,’ Luna reasoned. She dispelled the magic keeping her in the dream realm and found herself back in her guest room. Luna turned to the window nearby. The sun had already risen above the periphery of the window.
The Lunar Alicorn turned to the door behind her and walked out and into the well-lit hallway. Not only was the sun shining through the windows, but magical fires were lit along the hallway. Another added precaution since the attack in the palace. As she let the door closed behind her, two of her Nightguards, who were guarding the door, fell into a formation at her sides and followed closely behind.
The walk to the war room gave Luna time. Time to think. About Flurry, the humans and their creatures. Ever since revealing them to the world, the Griffonian Empire, Olenia and a dozen smaller princes and barons have been clambering to the borders with their vast armies. Each of them all wary of this new power. ‘Perhaps we should establish some sort of alliance,’ Luna mused in her head, ‘In order to combat the humans and their creatures. A United front would be best.’ Luna was taken out of her thoughts as she reached the war room.
The two thestral guards each took up posts on the door and allowed the Princess to enter unabated. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the magical three-dimensional map in the center of the room, not unlike the one in Princess Twilight’s castle in Ponyville, except this one was of the northern Crystal Empire instead of all of Equestria. There was only one other pony in the war room, Princess Cadance. She was intently studying the giant magical map. So intently, in fact, her head was on the map.
“Princess Cadance?” Luna asked, no response from the Pink Princess. Luna moved closer to her form.
The Pink Princess’s eyes were closed. Sleeping. She was sleeping. ‘Oh the pranks that sister would play on you,’ Luna thought with a smile appearing on her lips. ‘But… we have work to do.’ She took one of her wings and shook the sleeping princess. “Cadance,” she cooed, “we have work to do.”
“Uhhhhh…” The princess groaned, “Five more minutes…”
Luna shook harder, “We bear good news dear Cadance. about your daughter.”
Luna has never seen a pony wake up faster. Before Luna could even blink, Cadance up in her muzzle, “News about Flurry Heart?!” She nearly screamed, “Is Flurry okay? Is she hurt? Were you able to contact her? Did she say where she was? Do you know where she is?” With each question, Cadance was stepping closer and closer to Luna, who in turn walked backward to avoid them colliding.
“Cadance!” Luna said to the wide-eyed and slightly unhinged ruler of the Crystal Empire, “Please calm down, we can explain if you give me the chance to.” Luna stopped moving back, “Now calm down.”
“I AM CALM!”
Luna deadpanned at Cadance. Realization of what she did hit the Pink Princess. “Um… sorry,” she breathed in and out, “what did you say?” She asked, “Something about Flurry?”
Luna smiled at the pink princess, “Yes, I am happy to say I was able to find her in the dream world.”
Cadance breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at the floor, “Thank goodness,” she looked back at Luna, “How was she?” Cadance asked, “Was she okay?”
Luna looked at Cadance, ‘She wasn’t,’ was what Luna wanted to say, ‘she’s sick, and the things holding her don’t know what they’re doing.’ Her mind was telling her to give up the truth.
But she couldn’t.
“She was fine, perhaps a bit shook up,” Luna offered with a false smile upon her lips, “And a botched sleeping schedule. She only entered the dream realm at eleven in the morning.”
Cadance nodded, “Thank you, Luna.” She walked up and hugged her adoptive aunt, “really.”
Luna returned the hug, “I am merely doing my job.” Lunar felt a pang of guilt, “Has Shining Armor made any progress with Sombra?”
“Last he said, Sombra was willing to give us the location of the place he escaped,” Cadance explained, “But there was a… condition.”
Luna gave a questioning look, “What was it?” She asked, “He’s not asking to go is he?”
“Celestia no,” Cadance said, “It was… something else…”
The door to the war room opened, “Absolutely not!” Shining Armor ordered.
Both the princesses in the room stared blankly at Cadance’s husband. He blinked, “Did you not have some ridiculous idea that is completely irresponsible?” The two Princesses blinked, confused.
“Um… no.” His wife replied, “We were talking about Sombra’s condition,” she explained, “which you haven’t told us what it was.”
“Oh,” he removed his helmet and placed it on the giant circular table, “Well, he requested that he find us his um… His lover’s things, if at all possible.”
“That’s it?” The Lunar Alicorn asked, “truly?”
“Yes,” Shining Armor replied, “He was being unusually reasonable.” The prince walked around the table, lighting his horn with magenta magic. “Sombra says,” magenta ‘X’ appears on the map, “That this is where he escaped from.” The ‘X’ was placed at a central location at the base of the Crystal Mountains, on the banks of two icy rivers that are also in the area. “The base will be hard to reach, even if the weather permits it.” Shining Armor explained, “If anything, we will only send Pegasi on this, Earth ponies, Unicorns and Crystal ponies will be easily spotted on approach.”
Luna nodded, “Not to mention the long march up there. It would be below freezing.”
“And they’ll need to escape quickly if they get trapped,” Cadance added.
There was a short pause in their conversation.
“Alright.” Luna stated, “I’ll leave immediately.”
“Absolutely NOT!” Shining Armor ordered. The prince blinked in confusion, “I guess I was just a bit early,” Shining Armor muttered under his breath.
He turned back to the Lunar Alicorn, “Princess Luna, Out of concern for your safety, I cannot allow you to go on this mission.” He said with resolve. “The risks here are immense. You’d be going in blind with little to no support.” Shining’s rant continued, “And the night is going to fall soon, so, unless you don’t lower the moon, which will just cause more problems…”
Cadance also tried to speak up and voice her objections, but was put down by Luna.
“Oh Really?” Luna asked sarcastically and glared at the former Canterlot guard Captain, “I don’t see how you will stop me: My Nightguard are ready to depart at a moments notice, they’ve been itching for a fight for over month, I have made up my mind,” Luna listed, “and, simply put, you cannot order me to do anything. And as the timing of this mission, we must leave immediately, time is of the essence, it could mean getting your daughter back earlier or not. These things have already taken enough from us,” Luna glared at the prince, “Do I need to go on, Shining Armor?”
“...” Armor sighed in resignation, “I… I guess they won’t be expecting an attack during the night…” He said to himself as if trying to convince himself of the mission “Are you going to need anything?”
Luna put the tip of her hoof to her chin, “Rations and water, and to be in the safe side, for a week,”
Shining Armor got out a notepad and pen and began to write things down, “Blankets, and sub-zero sleeping bags,” Shining Armor nodded and wrote it down, “Tents and general camping supplies.”
“Is there anything else?” Shining Armor asked.
“No, I think that will be all, Shining Armor,” Luna stated, “Unless there was a recommendation from you?”
The Prince shook his head, “No, I didn’t think there was.” Luna turned to Cadance, “Would you be joining us on this Cadance?”
“Huh?”
“What!?”
“It is a valid question,” Luna replied, “Cadance is an Alicorn, she can accompany us and can greatly assist us in the assault,” Luna turned to Cadance’s confused husband, “And if we capture anypony, I’m sure she’d want to be the first pony to receive the information.”
“Well… um,” Cadance looked at her husband, then back to Princess Luna, “I think I can, I don’t really do well with… violence though, but I’ll help in any way I can.” Cadance looked back to her husband, “I’m sure you can survive without me for a few days.”
“Good then,” Luna said before Shining Armor could voice any objections, “We leave in two hours then,” a smirk came to the blue Alicorn’s lips, “and we will be receiving the tour by nightfall.”
The air was bitter, cold, and absolutely freezing. Cadance shivered against it as she flew alongside Luna. Even wearing the warmest of sweaters and jackets and windbreakers, the ruler of the Crystal Empire still could feel the wind piercing her coat and chilling her skin. She shivered again. ‘Maybe I should’ve stayed back,’ Cadance imagines herself back at the palace, eating a hot dinner with her family, sleeping in her own warm and cozy bed next to Shiny. She shivered again, ‘Get. Ahold. Of. Yourself. Cadance!’ She chastised, ‘It’s going to be okay, we’ll get her back, She’ll be okay,’ Cadance breathed in and out slowly, a calming technique Fluttershy taught her. She felt herself slow down, or at least begin to calm
“Princess Cadance?”
The named Alicorn turned to her right, “Oh… um Princess Luna,” she gave a smile at her adoptive aunt, “Is there something you want to talk about?”
“Yes,” Luna replied as stoically as ever, “I was wondering about your condition.”
“My condition?” Cadance asked, her eyes wandering around to the various Nightguard, “You mean how I am holding up?” Cadance turned back to Luna, “I’m fine, just didn’t sleep that well.”
Cadance felt her begin to ask again, “Really, I’m fine now.” Cadance looked forward, “Why did actually want me to come with you?” Cadance preemptively asked, “It wasn’t because you needed me to come, you were more than capable of completing this mission with just you and your guards.”
Luna turned her gaze forward as well, “You had not left the palace since that night. I was worried.”
Cadance sighed, “I haven’t I guess,” Cadance began to go into her mind.
Cadance sighed again, “I just... I just can’t face my ponies,” The Pink Alicorn turned to Luna, “I failed, badly… and it cost me my daughter, I…” she Cadance tried to keep tears from entering her eyes, “That night, when all of this started, I said that we shouldn’t have warned Flurry. I just thought this was another one of Twilight’s misadventures, you know… one that will be solved after a few days, or turn out to be some sort of cruel prank,” Cadance choked on her sobs, “If I had… If I had just taken Shiney seriously or if I had done anything, we might’ve avoided-“
Cadance held back more tears, “It’s my fault… and I just couldn’t face my ponies after such a failure. I failed, as a ruler, and as a mother... I mean... what kind of ruler can I be if I can’t even protect my own family?” Cadance couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and began to cry into her hoof. The cold and frozen air hitting her as they flew, only making her tears feel like ice against her face.
“A changed one, dear Cadance,” Luna replied, “I can assure you, that after we get Flurry back, you will never make the same mistake again.”
Luna sighed, gaining Cadance’s attention. “When I was freed from Nightmare Moon, I… I honestly felt like I shouldn’t have been allowed to live. I had caused pain on an insurmountable scale across Equestria and the world. I thought that I had failed my nation and my sister. But, my sister had convinced me otherwise, that I could overcome my failure and rise above it.”
Cadance's weeping wavered, “Trust me when I tell you Cadance, despite however hard this may seem right now, you will overcome this, you will be a better you, and you will be happier for it.”
“And if… if Flurry doesn’t come back?”
“She will Cadance,” Luna reassured, “We will make sure of it.”
Cadance couldn’t tell how much time had passed, only that it was long enough for her tears to slow to a crawl and her sobs had been stifled. A thestral stallion flew next to Luna, “Thank you.” Luna replied before turning to Cadance, “We are going to continue on hoof from here.”
“Okay, got it.” The tears that had been flowing from her eyes had finally tapped out as she began to descend along with the thestrals and Luna. The Ruler of the Crystal Empire looked through her somewhat blurry eyes to see the peaks of the Crystal Mountains in the distance, no more than a few miles from where she was flying. The view was breathtaking, the sunset off to the west gave off cascading orange, yellow and pink. Cadance was so mesmerized, that she barely saw the ground approaching her.
They all landed though, with little complication, upriver from the fork where the Foundation base was located. Princess Luna took the lead with Cadance following behind her then the troop of thestrals. The snow was cold. Or Brisk and refreshing, as the Sergeant Dark Shield always says. “Better Bundle up, Princess,” She spoke in a semi-sarcastic tone, “It’s a bit of a hike.”
“Is that it?” Cadance whispered to Princess Luna from a hunched down position on the snowy mound. “It doesn’t look in good condition.”
‘That is an understatement,’ Princess Luna thought, “Perhaps, but there is no doubt this is the facility he was talking about,” There was no doubt about that, on the side of the largest stone structure was a faded, but visible logo, one that Luna had seen in both the Unifrom of the human Agent and the Dreams of her great-niece. Luna looked to the West, the Sun was about to go under the horizon, ‘We are pushing this a bit close to moonrise I suppose.’
Luna looked off in the distance, at the clouds, she sighed, ‘That is no doubt a blizzard,’ She looked back in the base, ‘We can’t outfly it, we need to take the building.
The Lunar Alicorn turned to her left and looked at her three Squad leaders, “Squad’s one and two, take the main building through the roof and ground, breach on my signal, if there is anything locked up, leave it locked up, we don’t fully understand what we are dealing with.” A Thestral Stallion, Shimmering Stone, and Mare, Bright Night (Or was it Knight? Luna always forgot), nodded, and took off, their squads behind them. She looked at the third Squad leader, Dark Shield, “Princess Cadance will accompany you and your team and clear the smaller buildings off of the base.”
“Of Course, your majesty.” The Thestral mare bowed her head, looked back to her team, giving them a silent order, then looked at Princess Cadance. “Shall we follow you, Princess?” The squad leader asked.
“Oh, um, no, I trust your judgment.”
“As you wish,” She replied. “Shall we engage?”
“Yes, let’s… go…” Cadance said. The Thestral, followed by her squad took to the skies, Cadance glared at Luna, who gave a playful smirk and a wave with her hoof. After that, Cadance took to the skies, following the team.
Luna looked back at the final squad, the Thestral Stallion fidgeted, Luna, tried to remember his name, “Sergeant Time Wise, was it,” He nodded, “Stay with the and guard the supplies, we will need them when we take the base.”
He bowed his head, “Of course your majesty.”
With that, Luna took flight and moved towards the roof of the largest stone structure. The princess looked down and spotted something, ‘Skylight,’ She told herself as she moved towards it. Shimmering stone, along with three of his nightguard was looking through the apparatus. “Your majesty,” Shimmering Stone turned around as she hit the roof, “We don’t see any movement in the base, and-”
As Princess Luna took a step forward a glimmer of the sun reflecting off of the roof caught her eye, “Broken glass?”
“Yes, your majesty,” Stone said, “It was broken before we got here.”
‘Perhaps it is abandoned then?’ She asked herself. Luna looked back to her guard, “Be prepared, I am about to give the signal,” He bowed his head, then turned back.
‘Oh Ancestors help us,’ She prayed. Her horn filled with vibrant and blue magic. ‘Give us strength.’ She released it into the air. The Princess turned back to Shimmering Stone and his team just as they entered through the skylight. Luna flared her wings and jumped in after her team.
“Well,” one of Shimmering Stone’s guards, a mare, began to say, “That’s… not what I was expecting.”
Luna let her eyes adjust to the darkness, and then she saw what her guard was getting at.
Thirteen human skeletons, each sitting in a chair on an elevated platform.
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AH YES, THE CORPSES OF THE 05 COMMAND
10307438
*Former
10307440
This is the 05 Command we're talking about, this can be anything! Can it be 13 random D-BOIs? POSSIBLY! IT CAN BE ANYONE!
Jokes aside, huh.
im just waiting for the foundation to be pushed to the point they relese all the scp's as a final FU with an explanation of what they do
10307520
Depending on your head canon, they have already released the SCPs
I am currently taking a short (1-2 weeks) break to reevaluate the story and recharge. SO, I am doing that by...
Well, it says here that I am writing an Equestria at War Story...
Is that even a break?
Well. It should be out soon anyway.
This fic is like a drug addiction.
10327956
I didn't actually know that, cool and thanks dude
I am thinking of changing my schedule to release two chapters at the same time, what do y’all think?