Guarded Emotions: The Final Season

by Alabenson

Point of No Return

“My point is that this isn’t something that I can just improvise or play be ear. It needs to be absolutely perfect, and that requires very careful planning. You understand, don’t you?” Moonwhisper asked.

“Frankly, I think you may be worrying about this more than you really need to,” Starlight Glimmer replied. “I mean, yeah, this is a really big decision, but you’re almost full on Twilighting over this.”

Moonwhisper shot Starlight a dirty look. “I really can’t say that I altogether approve of using Twilight’s name as a verb. In any event, given Twilight’s typical attention to detail I feel a certain level of preparation is mandatory. After all, if I were to do this in an improvised manner then Twilight might see that as reflecting on how seriously I take our relationship. Twilight…what we have together has been the best thing to ever happen to me, and this needs to reflect that.”

“Okay, I get it, Twilight’s super important to you and you want her to see that. I just don’t think you need to fixate so much on getting everything perfect. Trust me, Twilight’s going to care a lot more about the message than the details for this. Speaking of, where is Twilight, anyway? I haven’t seen her all day, or Spike for that matter,” Starlight said.

“Twilight and Spike went to Canterlot to settle a minor issue. It seems Twilight has an overdue book from the Canterlot Library and she wanted to deal with it as soon as possible.” Moonwhisper paused before giving Starlight a pointed look. “More or less what you would expect from somepony who places a premium on details.”

Starlight was about to counter that somepony that detail obsessed probably wouldn’t have allowed a library book to become overdue in the first. Before she could, however, Starlight found herself cut off by the sound of somepony knocking at the castle’s front door. “I wonder who that could be?” Starlight said as she got up to check the door, Moonwhisper following behind. As Starlight reached the door, she opened it to reveal a lanky, oddly dressed unicorn with a yellow coat and a curly mane.

“Hel-” Before the unicorn could even get a single word out, Moonwhisper slammed the door in his face with as much force as he could muster.

“Moonwhisper!” Starlight cried out. “What in Equestria do you think you’re doing? You don’t just slam a door in somepony’s face like that.” Starlight immediately opened the door back up, revealing that the cheerfully smiling unicorn hadn’t moved an inch.

“-lo.” Once again, the unicorn was cut off as Moonwhisper slammed the door in his face a second time.

“Miss Glimmer, while I appreciate your stance on showing basic courtesy to guests of the castle, I can assure you that in this instance it’s not necessary. That…thing isn’t worth the effort,” Moonwhisper said as he glared angrily at the closed door.

“Okay, now you’re being completely ridiculous. I’m opening that door and you’re going to apologize to whoever that is and then we’re all going to talk like civilized ponies,” Starlight snapped.

What followed was a brief tug of war as Starlight repeatedly opened the castle’s front door only for Moonwhisper to immediately slam it such each time. None of this seemed to bother or even phase the unicorn standing outside, who persistently tried to get a word in each time the door briefly opened. “Could-” SLAM! “-I-” SLAM! “-please-” SLAM! “-come-” SLAM! “-in?”

Moonwhisper halted himself from slamming the door shut once again and glowered at the unicorn on the doorstop. “There’s no chance that you’re going to just go away, is there?”

“I can’t say I was really planning on it,” the unicorn replied cheerfully.

While Moonwhisper continued to stare daggers at the unicorn Starlight pushed her way in front of him. “Well, while Moonwhisper tries to remember how basic manners work let me introduce myself. I’m Starlight Glimmer, and you are?”

“A pleasure to finally meet you, my name is Greater Good. I’m-”

“One of the most dangerous and morally bankrupt ponies in Equestria,” Moonwhisper interrupted. “Well, you may as well get in here. The sooner we get whatever it is you came here to do over with the sooner you can leave.”

Greater Good practically skipped inside at this invitation as Moonwhisper grumpily led him to the castle’s map room while Starlight followed behind. “Sorry about how Moonwhisper’s behaving, he’s been under a lot of stress recently and I think it’s starting to get to him,” Starlight said.

“Oh, that’s alright,” Greater Good laughed. “Moonwhisper’s always been like that around me. Actually, this has been unusually civil by Moonwhisper’s standards, he hasn’t even threatened me with bodily harm yet.”

“A situation that I can rectify very easily,” Moonwhisper growled. “Why don’t you share with Miss Glimmer what you do for a living?”

“Alrighty, I’m the head of the Equestrian Intelligence Division,” Greater Good replied. “Though you’re probably referring to the wetwork portion of my duties.”

“Wetwork?” Starlight asked. “What does that mean, you work with water or something?”

“It means he’s an assassin,” Moonwhisper snapped.

“The Royal Assassin,” Greater Good corrected. “Well, technically that position stopped existing a few hundred years ago when Princess Celestia reorganized all the military and intelligence positions, but the duties for the role now fall under my position as EID head, so…”

“Greater Good here has a long history of permanently eliminating potential threats to Equestria, with or without Princess Celestia’s permission or even foreknowledge. Usually without,” Moonwhisper added.

Starlight was silent for a moment before letting out a nervous laugh. “Oh, I get it, this is a joke, right? I think you may need to talk to Pinkie Pie about your sense of humor, though. Not everypony really appreciates humor that’s that dark.” Even as the words left her mouth, however, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told Starlight that Moonwhisper was being deadly serious. “You…you’re not joking, are you? This can’t be real, I mean, Princess Celestia wouldn’t really…”

“If it makes it any easier for you to take, I’ve always found it easier to aske for forgiveness than permission,” Greater Good said with a smile. “And, if I’m being honest, I really haven’t had all that much to do these past few years. Princess Twilight’s been doing a terrific job at lightening my workload.”

“And yet, with all that free time on your hooves you couldn’t manage to deal with the Storm King before he attacked Canterlot,” Moonwhisper snorted. “The one time your methods of dealing with problems would have actually been appropriate you’re nowhere to be found.”

Greater Good let out an exaggerated sigh. “That’s just the thing with my line of work. If you to everything right than nopony ever notices, but the one time somecreature slips by you because they spend all their time on a flying ship and you’re not a pegasus…” Greater Good turned to Starlight. “For example, have you ever heard of Krastos the Glue Maker? Hydia the Slime Witch? Majesty>” Starlight silently shook her head in response, which made Greater Good puff out his chest in pride. “And you’re very welcome for that.”

“Alright, that’s enough patting yourself on the back for being a murderous little sociopath,” Moonwhisper said as the trio finally reached the castle’s map room. “Why don’t you explain just why you felt the need to come here so you can leave.”

“Ah, right to the point, I just love that about you. Well, after the unpleasantness involving Sombra I’ve decided to look into how we’re set to handle a few other potential threats. Like everypony’s favorite changeling, for example,” Greater Good added while giving Starlight a meaningful look.

“You mean you still haven’t tracked Chrysalis down then? I though the changelings were helping you figure out where she was hiding,” Moonwhisper remarked.

“Hold on, are you saying that Thorax is helping you track down Chrysalis so you can…” Starlight’s voice trailed off as she found herself unable to even finish her sentence.

“Well, I don’t know about Thorax, but Pharynx has been very supportive of our efforts,” Greater Good replied.

“Ooh, yeah, that makes a lot more sense,” Starlight replied. “I could definitely see Pharynx getting involved in something like that.”

“Anyway, while I go about snipping those last lingering loose ends I though it might make sense to move our back-up plan to Ponyville. You know, to make sure you have it on hoof in case…well, just in case.” It was hard to put a hoof on why, but there was something about Greater Good’s tone that sent a cold shiver down Starlight’s spine. “I’ve already made the arrangements to have the case moved from Canterlot to here, I’m sure you’ll take good care of it. And before you ask, no, you don’t get a say in any of this. Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time and that look in your eyes tells me you’re starting to contemplate where you could hide my body, so I think I’ll show myself out.” As Greater Good hopped up and made his way out the door he paused for just a moment. “By the way, just a tip from a professional, always make sure you dig the hole first.” With that, Greater Good quickly skipped out the door before either Moonwhisper or Starlight could respond.

“So…are you going to tell me anything about what this back-up plan actually is?” Starlight asked after a minute or two passed.

Moonwhisper remained silent for another few moments before finally giving his reply. “No.”

Comments

[Dxinsider]

Ooooo this looks like fun.

[Onyx Quill]

Well, that escalated quickly...

[Alabenson]

10074115
Fun fact; I actually came up with the concept for Greater Good all the way back when writing the first Guarded Emotions story, but I kept editing him out.

[Onyx Quill]

10074757
I wouldn't be surprised if Starlight used to be on Greater Good's hit list before her reformation.

While Moonwhisper continued to stare daggers at the unicorn Starlight pushed her way in front of him. “Well, while Moonwhisper tries to remember how basic manners work let me introduce myself. I’m Starlight Glimmer, and you are?”

“A pleasure to finally meet you, my name is Greater Good. I’m-”

In fact, I'm about 97% certain she was.