Meet the Team: Pony Fortress 2

by The Usurper

Meet the Sniper

The tall, monolithic Canterlot Mountain, its shadow falling long across the valley, towered over everything else, living or not. Canterlot Castle, the impenetrable fortress that stood upon an outcrop far below the peak, cast its own admittedly smaller but no less imposing shadow on the side of the mountain. This shadow was made far more intimidating by the spires of the palace that rose easily three times as high as the walls themselves, giving one the impression of enormous, ever-watchful sentinels that kept silent vigil over the city. This implied threat to potential enemies was further enhanced by the presence of more than two dozen defensive cannon emplacements spaced out at even intervals along the walls.

Those emplacements, however, were far from Canterlot's only defenses. It was no secret that the capital of the Equestrian Solar Empire was well protected, but only a select few were truly aware of the extent of its military might.

Diana was one of those few.

She gazed at the piece of paper in her hooves that detailed Canterlot Castle's military resources. Well over a hundred thousand well trained, well armed soldiers remained within those walls, and despite good defenses being the priority in the capital, it still possessed a fair number of potent siege weapons in its arsenal, although what role these weapons would play in a defensive strategy was largely unknown, and likely unviable.

Diana peered over the edge of the paper. Canterlot is very powerful. She mused. So powerful, in fact, that nothing should stand in the way of a full assault by its troops.

Of course, as is the case with most supposedly unstoppable forces, there was one thing which resisted its wrath.

Why is the BLU base in Canterlot Valley still there? By right it should have been wiped out ages ago. Diana took a look at the valley through her binoculars, and confirmed that the base was still whole and not destroyed in the least. The REDs managed to get quite far last time before Big Mac and Fluttershy stopped them. There's no reason to give up now.

Unless they really were that incompetent. But if they were then Celestia wouldn't have hired them to begin with. Besides, having the Sniper on their side gave them a very big advantage to begin with.

Speaking of the Sniper...

Diana turned her attention to the skies above Canterlot. A black speck in the distance headed towards her, growing in size as it came closer. She squinted a little bit and made out the vague shape of a trailer, pulled by two armoured pegasi.

Ah, there she comes. Best be prepared.

Brushing off whatever dust had settled on her coat and mane, Diana waited patiently as the trailer approached, One of the pegasi's ears pricked up, listening attentively to whatever noise he had picked up on, and both began to pick up speed immediately after.

Detected some threat, perhaps? Diana pondered. Or maybe they just got a new order. The Sniper's head poked out from one of the windows lining the side of the trailer, and she waved a hoof at Diana before ducking back inside.

Friendlier than I thought she'd be.

Eventually, the pegasi, clad in full Imperial royal guard armour, landed beside Diana. The trailer they were pulling touched down, its wooden wheels creaking slightly as the full weight of the vehicle pressed down on them. The door swung open, and Diana acknowledged the presence of the Sniper with a slight incline of her head.

"Diana." She smiled. "We meet again."

"A pleasure." The earth pony nodded. "I didn't expect you to fly here, though, much less in a trailer."

"Technically I don't even need the trailer any more - or at least once I learn how to use these." She unfurled the wings that had been tucked neatly beside her earlier.

Diana whistled, impressed. "When did you get those?"

"Not too long ago. The Administrator gave them to me. He called the process apotheosis." The Sniper gave Diana a curious look. "What do you suppose that means?"

Diana shrugged. "Maybe alicornism is comparable to godhood."

"Perhaps. In any case, I do believe that we have an interview to begin, no?"

"We do." Diana agreed. "Is there anywhere you wanted to go in particular?"

"There is. And this trailer is going to take us there." The Sniper turned around. "Trixie?"

"What is it?" A voice called from inside the trailer.

"Can I use your trailer for a little bit? There's more traveling that needs to be done."

"That means extra rent!" Trixie replied.

The Sniper sighed. "Fine, fine. Whatever will get you out of that thing so we can-"

"Get out?" Trixie asked incredulously. "Whoever said anything about getting out?"

"But you said-"

"Trixie allowed you to use her trailer, Twilight Sparkle. She said nothing about letting you have it all to yourself."

"But there'll be fighting... and killing... and..."

"And?"

"Do you remember the Pyro from last time?" The Sniper snapped.

Trixie shut up.

The Sniper sighed. "Thank you. Are you going to get off now?"

Trixie remained silent, apparently pondering her response. "No."

"Why not?"

"Trixie trusts you to protect her." She muttered stiffly.

"That is at once very touching and irritating." The Sniper shook her head and boarded the trailer. "Are you coming, Diana?"

"Of course." She followed the Sniper through the doorway. "So, Sniper, where are we going?"

"Further down the mountain." She replied. "And please, call me Twilight. That's what all my friends call me."

"Am I your friend already?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Does friendship mean so little to you?" Diana asked.

"Not at all. It's just that everypony means much more to me than you think." Twilight turned to the armed pegasi pulling the trailer. "Bring us to Outcrop B at Canterlot's south face."

"Yes, my lady." Both the guards bowed, "Your wish is our command."

"Yes, yes." Twilight sighed. She turned to Diana. "I try to get them to be friendly with me, but it never works. Honestly, I think I'll never get used to this pseudo-worship."

"I can imagine. But it can come in handy, if you play things right."

"It might be, someday." Twilight agreed. "But I'd rather not have them hanging around when I'm sniping, at least."

"Of course." One of the guards responded immediately. "We will leave once we have brought you to your destination."

"Thank you." Twilight shut the door behind her. "We'd best be moving quickly if we want to get there in time."

"In time?" Diana asked. "In time for what, exactly?"

"The assault on Canterlot Valley, of course. What else?"

"If that assault had happened earlier, the BLU base might not still be around." Diana pointed out.

"Can't be helped." Twilight shrugged. "It takes a while to recover from apotheosis."

"I wouldn't know, so I'm just going to have to take your word for it."

"Are we leaving yet? I'm getting impatient." The azure-blue unicorn at the other end of the trailer complained. "The faster I can get this over with, the better."

Twilight groaned. "Okay, fine. Guards, you may take flight."

"At once, my lady." Both of the pegasi took off in unison, pulling the wagon close behind them as they headed towards the outcrop.

Diana took the opportunity to observe her surroundings. The trailer itself was fairly cramped, encompassing only two small rooms not two meters across. One was the bathroom, tucked away in the corner, and the other was the bedroom which also doubled as a dining room and kitchen; the bed sat at one end of the room and a mini-stove at the other, with a small table at the centre.

One thing she noticed was that the floor, ceiling and walls were all painted a drab, unassuming brown which spoke of a humility that was wholly uncharacteristic of the Trixie she had come to know over the past few minutes.

Unless it was Twilight who had chosen that colour. But she was only a tenant, after all, and Trixie didn't seem like the type to take other's interests into account

So either her uncaring behaviour was merely a façade that hid a warm heart underneath, or Twilight was a lot more persuasive than she had given her credit for.

Diana wasn't sure which one was true, but she was willing to bet on the latter.

"I see you've taken an interest in our abode." Twilight said amiably from behind her.

Diana turned around. "I'm just curious, that's all. Say, where's your second bed?"

"The other bed?" Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "There is only one bed."

"But they're two of you."

"Yes, so what are you sayi..." Twilight's face suddenly coloured itself with fifty shades of red. "...Oh... Oh my Celestia..." She buried her face in her hooves. "You misunderstand, she... she sleeps on the floor."

"She gave you the bed and agreed to sleep on the floor?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

"She claims that she charges extra for it." Twilight explained, her cheeks still burning red. "Whether she really does... I don't know."

"I see." Sounds like love to me. "You don't suppose she cares for you more than she lets on?"

"How can that be?" Twilight laughed good-naturedly. "You saw for yourself how she treats me. And not to mention that we're both mares!"

"Something as insignificant as gender should not stand in the way of true love." Diana countered. "And besides, Equestria is more open-minded than it was a thousand years ago."

"Maybe, but perhaps we'd best discuss this later." Her horn flashed, and a Huntsman appeared beside her in a burst of teleportation magic. "I think we're almost there."

"How can you tell?"

"Look out the window."

Diana cast a glance to her right and noted the BLU base growing ever larger in her field of vision. "Well, we must look to our weapons."

"I've got mine. What about you?"

"In here." Diana reached into her saddlebag and withdrew a sharpened fire axe.

"Ah. That old thing." Twilight's eyes sparkled. "I remember it."

"You should."

"Indeed. And you, in turn, should remember my Huntsman."

"I do." Diana sighed. "Perhaps a little too well."

"We're here, my lady." One of the guards announced from outside the trailer. "Outcrop B is clear of hostiles."

"Excellent. Thank you for your services." The door, under Twilight's magical control, slid open, allowing both her and Diana to exit the vehicle. "You may leave now."

"Of course." Both pegasi took to the sky, leaving the other three ponies behind.

"How are you going to call them back?" Diana asked.

"I won't need to." Twilight told her. "I expect they're watching us from somewhere else, just in case I am in danger." She shook her head. "I just can't get rid of those two."

"At least you have someone looking out for you." Diana remarked. "Every day is a solo mission for me."

"Are you two done talking yet?!" Trixie asked. "I've been waiting for the longest time."

"You shouldn't have come here if you were so prone to impatience." Twilight shook her head. "You should know that a Sniper's job involves vast amounts of patience."

"Well... I... uh..." Trixie stammered. "...I... I thought this would be faster!"

"I doubt it. You've come with me to snipe before... and you never complained."

"I am now!" Trixie stomped her hoof.

"The question is: Why?" Twilight took a step forward. "What's different this time?"

Diana suspected that she already knew, and she could almost see the gears turning in the Sniper's head as she reached the same conclusion herself.

"Trixie." Twilight breathed. "Are you..."

"No!" Trixie retorted in a panic, with perhaps just a little too much volume. "I'm not jealous, and I'm NOT attracted to you!"

An awkward silence ensured. Diana wondered if she should say something, even if it was only to break the said silence, but past experience told her that she would be better off not involving herself in this.

"Um..." Twilight was blushing furiously. "...Uh... okay then..."

"Yeah..." Trixie's face had turned a similar hue. "I'm... I'm telling the truth."

"I... um... know." Twilight coughed. "Yes..."

"...Uh." Trixie remained silent after that.

Another long while passed before Diana cleared her throat politely. "...Perhaps it is best if we continue this interview now."

"Trixie... agrees." The azure-blue unicorn shook her head, trying to dispel the last vestiges of the blush from her cheeks.

"As do I." Twilight regained her composure much faster, just as Diana had expected. "Shall we?"

"Of course." Out of the corner of her eye, Diana caught a glimpse of Trixie's mouth hanging half-open, as if she had something to say - in all likelihood, she did - but eventually a hoof pushed her lower jaw up and she trotted back into her trailer, muttering something under her breath.

"Well, that was... bizarre." Twilight said.

"I'm inclined to agree. Now what was it I was telling you earlier?"

"I know, I know." Twilight sighed. "I don't have any idea how this is going to go, though, so I suppose it's something I'll have to think about."

"So, what are you going to say to Trixie?"

"I'll think about that later too, but I'll have to do it eventually. The awkwardness of living with her will be unbearable otherwise." Twilight turned her attention to the edge of the outcrop. "But that's for later. For now, I have a few mercenaries to put out of action."

"Wait." Diana held up a hoof. "I just realized something."

"What?"

"We're up on a ledge."

"So?"

"And you're using a Huntsman."

"Your point being?"

Diana shook her head. "Somehow I think using a standard Sniper rifle might make things a little easier for you."

"Who said anything about wanting to make things easier?" Twilight grinned. "You don't know me as well as you think you do."

"Apparently so. From what I know, you're crazy about efficiency."

"I am. But I also want to learn."

"Learn?"

"I'm not just a mercenary in Princess Celestia's army." Twilight said. "I'm also her faithful student in the study of advanced arcane magic."

"And she still makes you the Sniper on top of that?" Diana asked.

"No. I volunteered."

"You volunteered?" Diana raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it already busy being a magic scholar?"

"Maybe, but I can set aside the time." As Twilight spoke, her horn shimmered, and an arrow slid itself into place on her Huntsman. "Magic isn't the only thing in this world, after all."

"It's impossible to be proficient at everything in the world."

"What about the things that matter, then?" Twilight countered, pulling the bowstring taut as she did so. "I nearly outmatched you the other time at the BLU base. Remember that?"

"Very well." Diana nodded.

"There are very effective combat applications of magic. It's up to me to bend spells to my will to make it usable in battle."

"So you're saying... fighting skills are the things that matter most."

"When you're at war, that tends to be true."

"I'm guessing that..." Diana put a hoof to her lips in contemplation. "You're treating this as a test and a learning experience. You're building your skills up to the point where you will be a devastating force in combat someday in the future, when real war erupts."

"Real war?" Twilight asked with a grin. The bowstring magically locked itself in place in the perfect firing position. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Diana replied. "This battle between the mercenaries of RED and BLU... between the Solar Empire and the New Lunar Republic... one day, the mercenaries aren't going to be the only ones fighting."

"And there are only so many respawn points to go around." Twilight nodded. "When that time comes... I've got to fight, and I've got to make sure that I do not die."

"Why?" Diana inquired. "You have a respawn point of your own."

"A point I won't need if I never die." Twilight explained. "Then somepony else can use it. One more unbroken family - one more immortal soldier for the Empire. How can that be bad?"

"It can't... Assuming, of course, that you don't die." Diana said. "How can you be so sure of your invincibility?"

"I can't. Not yet." She grinned, and released her grip on the bowstring. The arrow flew away swiftly on wings of death. "But soon, I can."

A scream, a howl, and far away, a Heavy toppled to the ground, dead.

"Why do you have so much conviction? So much loyalty to the Empire?" Diana pointed at her. "You're a mercenary. The entire point of kind of job is that you fight for money."

"A mercenary in name is not the same a mercenary at heart." Twilight rested her right hoof on her heart as the bowstring pulled itself taut again and another arrow slipped into place. "I guess you could call me a patriot."

"A patriot..." Diana mulled over these words. "Does the outcome of this war matter so much to you?"

"Very much. Not because of my studies... but because of the Princess herself."

"The Princess herself?" Diana asked.

"I'm sure you're aware of the reason behind the mercenary war, no?" Twilight said.

"I am. A difference in ideals, so to speak."

"Yes. Celestia wants her Empire, her autocracy, her one-pony rule."

"And Luna wants her Republic, her democracy, and her government of everypony." Diana nodded in understanding. "So you subscribe to Celestia's ideals, then."

"I do. Imagine how utterly inefficient a democratic Equestria will be. Everypony making the decisions... that's madness! How will anypony get anything done?"

"Yet the Republic still seems to be running smoothly." Diana pointed out.

"Only because it is still fully committed to winning the war against our Empire. Plus, the state of emergency they're in has been allowing Luna to wield ultimate authority until such a time when the war is over." Twilight snorted. "The very fact that such absolute authority has to be invoked to fight this war properly already shows the inherent weakness of the Republic."

"So... you fight for Equestria."

"For Equestria." Twilight agreed. "And for the Solar Empire."

"And now your motivations are made clear. But there is one thing I still don't understand." Diana gestured to the Huntsman. "How will using that up here instead of a rifle possibly teach you anything useful?"

"Another thing about myself." Twilight winked, and the arrow shot out towards the valley. "I can't resist a good challenge." Once again, the projectile met its mark, and another BLU team mercenary went down.

"Why not? This isn't about efficiency of learning any more, is it?"

"It is about learning... well, a little bit, that is."

"How so?"

"Using a Huntsman requires great accuracy, correct?"

"Yes, why?"

"Sniping from here with it thus proves conclusively that I have more than enough skill to do the same close up."

"Yes... but why do you need more than enough?"

"Because you never know when a situation tests you to the maximum of your abilities." Three arrows loaded themselves in her Huntsman.

"Can you really land all three?" Diana asked.

"Let's see, shall we?" Twilight winked, and she let slip the arrows of doom.

Diana lifted her ear and listened for the screams. One... two... where's the third?

"Oh well." Twilight sighed. "Only got two of them. It just goes to show that nopony's perfect, huh?"

"Hitting three enemies like this would have been near impossible anyway." Diana shrugged. "I'm already surprised you got two under these circumstances."

"Near impossible, but not completely impossible, is it?" Twilight grinned madly. "So long as it's possible... I'll do it. Trust me."

"I'll wait to see the day." Diana replied, and sat back to watch the show.

In the next three minutes, Twilight fired arrow after arrow, and nearly all of them ended up lodged in some poor mercenary's head. Judging by that killcount alone, Diana suspected that BLU was losing, and badly too.

"Say, do you think they saw me?" Twilight asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Diana snapped out of her reverie. "Saw you?"

"Arrows are easy to trace to their source." Twilight reminded her. "Sometime or other somepony's going to realize that we're-" She ducked as an arrow sailed right over her head, embedding itself in the cliff wall behind her. "...here."

"What now?" Diana asked, getting ready to leave. Changing sniping spots is currently the most logical action to carry out, after all. She paused. But then again, the challenge of it all-

"We're staying." Twilight motioned Diana to sit down. "But you already figured that out, didn't you?"

"I was getting there." Diana admitted, taking her place beside the unicorn. "But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kill their Sniper." Twilight replied calmly.

"And after she respawns?"

"I'll kill her again."

"And when she gets her teammates to help?"

"I'll kill them all." Twilight shrugged. "It's not impossible."

"But it's certainly very near to it." Diana warned. "Can you really do that all by yourself?"

"Not yet. Not with my current level of talent. But with my team's support..." She loaded an arrow. "This'll be a walk in the park."

"I can't exactly say that I share your confidence." Diana said. "Mind if I stand back?"

"Of course not. I won't expect somepony to want to stick around when arrows are flying left and right. Especially considering your bad history with those arrows."

"Yes. Now, I-" An arrow whizzed past her head. "...I'll just go."

"Alright." Twilight retaliated quickly with an arrow of her own, getting a rewarding shout of pain in return. "Don't let me stop you."

"Not that I was going to." Diana backed away, and her head snapped up when something solid met her rump where there she have been air. "Is that you, Trixie?"

"It's me." The blue unicorn confirmed. Diana turned to face her. "I was wondering if I could ask Twilight something."

Diana eyed her suspiciously. Her facial expression, the glint in her irises, the body language she was giving, all pointed towards one inevitable conclusion. She knew what Trixie had come for.

It would be best to let Twilight handle this one. "There's-"

"Somepony who wants to talk to me. Yes, I was listening." Twilight never took her eye off of the valley below. "What is it?"

"I just had a simple question to ask." Trixie said. "About the rent."

"Mm." Twilight replied absently. "If I could say something first?"

"What?"

"You're very bad at this." A flash not a few centimeters away from her eyes disoriented Diana temporarily, and as she blinked the spots away from her eyes she managed to catch the final moment right before Twilight's Bushwacka buried itself in the surprised Trixie's back.

"I would ask why..." Diana began.

"...but you already know the reason." Twilight finished for her, watching the fallen unicorn as her disguise dissolved around her, revealing the body of the BLU Spy. "You were aware that she was a Spy and you didn't tell me or try to stop her?"

"I'm still interviewing you." Diana reminded her. "It's my job to gauge the extent of your abilities. All of your abilities. You may realize that spychecking is among them."

"I suspected as much." Twilight shook her head.

"A few more things." Diana continued. "Your observational and deductive skills, for one." She pointed at the body. "Do you see what knife she dropped?"

"The Eternal Reward." Twilight said.

"Correct. Do you realize what that means?"

"It means that..." Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "No."

"So-"

"NO!" Twilight vanished in a burst of teleportation magic, and Diana followed her to the only destination she could have chosen. A second was all that was required to traverse the distance between her and the trailer, and a swift kick launched the door off its hinges and onto the floor. Cold, emotionless eyes took in the scene before her.

Twilight cradled the near-motionless head of Trixie in her hooves, muttering something in her ear softly as her horn, burning with a lavender fire, summoned objects from around the room and added them to an ever-growing conglomeration in the air above her, surrounded by her purple aura.

Letting her actions do the talking for her, Diana wordlessly approached, crouching down beside the large, bleeding gash In Trixie's back and reaching into her saddlebags. The hoof emerged with a matchbox and an accompanying match.

Diana jerked her hoof sideways, allowing the match to brush against the side of the box, and a flame erupted at the tip of the stick. She flicked her hoof sideways, extinguishing the fire, and then pressed the glowing red portion of the match against Trixie's wound, watching silently as the gash began to blacken. Another hoof stood ready to resolve any unexpected complications as the cauterization took place.

"...Diana?" Twilight finally asked.

"Yes?"

"Are you responsible for this?"

"If I was, I wouldn't be helping you, now would I?"

Twilight shut up, but, as if to make up for the silence, the swirling mass above her head intensified in speed. Looking up, Diana began to notice several objects beginning to press up against others, transforming the big mess of small items into a somewhat smaller mess of bigger items. But these bigger items, in turn, melded with others, and a clear shape manifested itself in the midst of all the chaos.

Having successfully cauterized the wound, Diana stood up and was immediately greeted with the sight of a wooden platform sinking onto the floor of the trailer, nudging aside table and bed alike as it neared the ground.

She recognised it immediately. That... that's... She was the last thing to move out of the way as the makeshift respawn point, lacking the wooden walls that had encased it before, landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

"It's the same one from before." Twilight answered before Diana had a chance to say anything. "I repaired it and saved it for a good time..." She sighed. "I always thought that I'd be the one in danger... but even the best of us predict wrongly from time to time."

"Even the best of us." Diana echoed in agreement. "And even the worst of us can be right once in a while."

"Occasionally." Twilight flicked a switch on the side of the respawn point. "Perfection, in the end, is impossible."

Diana looked Twilight square in the eye. "And now, do you realize what is wrong with your wish to become unbeatable?"

"Yes. All this time... I was so focused on becoming invincible that I forgot that such a thing will be forever out of my grasp."

"And so..."

"My point still stands. I will become as powerful as I can... but my respawn point must remain mine."

"Unless?"

"Unless..." Twilight gazed at Trixie's limp form on the floor. "Unless somepony else needs it more."

"She's still alive." Diana offered, noticing the direction of her stare. "Not for long, though. I'd give it a few minutes before it's all over."

"That's more time than I need." Twilight half-smiled. "Step back, and let a real scientist handle this."

"Scientist? I thought you were a mage."

"It comes with the territory. Magic is just a different variant of science." Twilight said.

"If you say so." With that, Diana sat back and watched the unicorn work her magic, both figuratively and literally, with the device in front of her. Wires crossed, sparks flew, and several times the entire contraption shook and vibrated so violently that Diana raised her hooves to shield herself from the anticipated explosion. But seconds turned to minutes, and at long last Twilight sat back with a contented sigh.

"Done?"

"Yes." Twilight shook her head wearily. "How's Trixie?"

"Almost gone. Her pulse is extremely irregular and weak."

"Then all we can do now is hope that I did this properly."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "There's a chance that you didn't?"

"Maybe only about one percent. But it is a chance nonetheless."

"I'd bet on those odds." Diana shrugged.

"When it comes to life and death, one can never be too sure." Twilight sighed. "Especially if it concerns somepony you care for." She noticed Diana's knowing smile out of the corner of her eye. "Now don't go around getting any wrong ideas. I'm only grateful to her for giving me a roof to sleep under."

"And charging you rent for it."

"She's got to pay for my meals somehow. Her pay is probably less than a fifth of mine."

"Why didn't you buy your own house, then?"

"The idea of a mobile home appeals to a Sniper like me."

"Then couldn't you have bought your own?"

"I... don't know how to cook."

"Really?" Diana nearly laughed out loud. "The unstoppable, team-obliterating Twilight Sparkle can't cook?"

She blushed. "I was too busy learning how to kill."

Diana's attention was diverted from the conversation by a very loud, electric noise coming from the respawn point, An moment later, Twilight, her blush having dissipated near instantly, leapt upon a very surprised and confused Trixie, wings outstretched to envelop the latter in a big, feathery hug.

"Gah! What's... what's happening?" Trixie asked. "And can you please stop smothering me?!"

"Sorry, I'm just so happy that you're alive!"

"Wh... what? Did something happen?"

"I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you all about it." Diana interrupted. Both Twilight and Trixie turned to her. "As soon as I conclude this interview in a few minutes." She gave the azure-blue unicorn the sweetest smile she could. "Then I'll be out of your hair. Forever. Never again to steal Twilight's attention away from you."

"Now wait a second." Trixie objected. "I never said I wanted-"

"Come on, Twilight." Diana interjected. "Let's go now."

"Anything you can ask me outside, you can ask me here." Twilight retorted. "Go ahead."

Diana sighed. "Fine. Number one: Just to confirm. You're not actually using Jarate with your Bushwacka, are you?"

"No. I wasn't really expecting to get into a melee fight all the way up here."

"Right. Number two: You realize that your team probably lost the battle down there because of your lack of involvement, right?"

"It's not definite. But it is a possibility."

"Nonetheless. You seriously jeopardised their chances of winning by withdrawing from battle."

"Are you trying to tell me," Twilight's eyes burned with cold fury, "that the choice I made was the wrong one?"

"I never said that. I'm just asking you if it was worth it."

"Battles can be fought again. This base will be here the next time we attack. Trixie wouldn't have been if I hadn't decided to save her."

"A fair point." Diana conceded. "Number three: Remember the other time when you and Zecora had captured me during the first invasion of the Canterlot Valley base?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"RED team - or Zecora, at least - seems to follow the orders you give out. I was under the impression that neither team had a clear leader."

"We don't have an official leader, true, but I'm an... unofficial one."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "When did that happen?"

"A while ago, when I took out the entire BLU team by myself by luring them into a trap. The rest of the team apparently decided to leave all tactical decisions to me from then on."

"I see." Diana nodded, scribbling furiously as she jotted down notes on her manuscript. "I think that's about all. Thank you for your time, miss Sp- I mean, Twilight. This has been-"

"-a most enlightening interview, but I'm afraid I have to take my leave now." Twilight grinned. "Is that what you were going to say?"

"Close to it, yes." Diana admitted. "Am I really that predictable?"

"Not all the time. Only when you're thinking about something else while talking." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "What notes are you making, anyway?"

"A rough transcript of our conversation for the Administrator. He's... particular about these things."

"Well, I can't say working with him would be easy for me either. I've heard stories about him."

"Stories may just be stories, but they tend to be closer to the truth than you think." Diana smiled. "Farewell, Twilight Sparkle. We will meet again one day soon."

"One day." Twilight said.

"Hey, didn't you say you'd be out of my hair forever?" Trixie demanded.

"And you still claim you're not jealous."

Trixie shut her mouth very quickly.

"Alright, I've got to go. Send my well wishes to the rest of RED team for me."

"Of course. And give the Administrator my thanks for hiring such a good interviewer." Twilight replied.

"Now you're just flattering me." Diana just grinned as she stepped out of the trailer. A brief glance upwards revealed the two pegasi flying at full speed towards the trailer, their silhouettes dark against the bright sun.

Diana took a few steps forward, nodded at what appeared to be empty space, and trotted away. Behind her, the decloaking sound of the Dead Ringer rang softly through the air, accompanied by the distinct sound of metal sliding through flesh.

Only a single guard stepped into the trailer.

---

Potential Elements of Harmony

Honesty: Applejack

Loyalty: Rainbow Dash

Laughter:

Generosity: Zecora

Kindness: Fluttershy, Zecora

Magic: Twilight Sparkle

Interviews remaining: Rarity, Pinkie Pie

---

"So, I'm curious. How did you manage to get off that outcrop without breaking your neck?" The Administrator asked.

"I had to climb along the side of the cliff." Diana explained, glancing at the ever-present computer screens behind the draconequus at the same time. "It took a while, but I eventually managed to reach the top and re-enter Canterlot."

"Ah. And what of the BLU Spy I sent with you?"

"With her cloaked, I smuggled her into the trailer easily enough, and later on when she was out of sight she switched her Cloak and Dagger with the Dead Ringer and did the real job." Diana nodded. "This is the first time I really think that conflict was able to give me more insight into somepony's character."

"Good. What about your analysis?"

"Right here." Diana produced her notepad, ripped out the first few pages, and handed them to the Administrator. "She's a potential Element."

"As I suspected." The Administrator scanned the document. "Magic, huh? I'll keep that in mind..." He frowned. "Laughter's still blank?"

"Do you actually expect one of the merciless killing machines to be capable of laughter?"

"I guess not." He shrugged. "Still, we'll see. Who knows? Maybe one of them is a maniacal, mentally unstable murderer who finds their handiwork hilarious."

"Oh great." Diana muttered. "I guess I already know who that's going to be, then."

"You still have one more interview before that." The Administrator, having suddenly appeared behind her without warning, patted her back reassuringly. Diana almost flinched, but she was a bit too used to that to be shocked.

"Not very comforting. That's still too close to rest easy."

"Oh come on, she's not that bad, is she?"

"Just you wait and see." Diana murmured. "The stories I've heard about her are... very horrendous."

"But they're just stories, right?"

Diana spun around and looked the Administrator square in the eye. "Stories may just be stories, but they tend to be closer to the truth than you think." She sighed. "And, at times, the truth is far, far worse."

"We can think about that someday in the future." The Administrator hung his arm around her neck. "But for now, just rest and relax. I'd say you deserve it."

"Thanks." Diana flashed him a fatigued smile. "I guess I'll just be getting back to my room now."

"One more thing." The Administrator said. "Remember the thing about the Medic?"

"What she's trying to hide from you?"

"Yes, that. I'll be taking care of it soon, and I'll need your help with it after the interviews are over."

"Alright." Diana sighed tiredly. "For the good of the world?"

"For the good of the world." The Administrator agreed. "Now go and get some sleep. Your interview with the Spy is the day after tomorrow, and I'd like it if you wouldn't collapse from exhaustion."

"Good night, then." Diana dragged her tired hooves towards the exit. "See you tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams." The Administrator called after her as she closed the door. A moment later, he let his back hunch forward, clasping his hands in deep contemplation.

It's almost over. Two more. The Spy and the Pyro... He shook his head. And yet this disturbance, this inevitable wrench in my carefully crafted plans, draws closer and closer each day. I wonder if I can finish the task I've assigned myself before the time is up.

I wonder If I'll ever get to see him again.

He gave a deep, long sigh, and collapsed back into his armchair. One day...

One day. He clenched his fist. Before it's too late.

---

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Almost. We can move out within the month, if you want."

"No. We're staying put for now. I can see that the Administrator is about to do something drastic."

"... How can you tell?"

"I've been watching him closely. I think I have an idea of what he's planning to do. It will give us a great advantage when it happens... but only if it happens. We will not confront him until the time is ripe."

"As you wish. I will relay your orders at once."

"Good. Even though Celestia and Luna will never agree to help me... maybe he will, being someone of wisdom."

"Can we be sure that he will support us?"

"... No. But I will try. And if he doesn't cooperate..."

"... we will use force, if necessary. All the force we need. The world will burn, if that's what it takes."

---

Dear Diary:

I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. How did we manage to win that battle? If their Sniper had kept up the pressure, we'd have lost for sure. I suppose we're just lucky then. Not that it matters much in the end - after Princess Luna's orders to retreat to the now-fortified Crystal Empire, there's no longer a need for the Canterlot Valley base to exist. I think Rarity's going to give the REDs a little more trouble tomorrow before we evacuate completely though, so that's a bonus for us.

On a side note... my interview is getting closer and closer. But I'd really rather not think about that right now. It's just going to make me sadder, and, well, there's no point in that.

I guess I have to stop writing now. It's past midnight and there's still the base-moving operations to take care of. Hope I don't fall asleep on my hooves.

Good night.

Pinkie Pie

Comments

[_CheckMate_]

So Trixie can respawn now?(or did the spy go back and take care of that?)
I can see her running the shop if you ever reach the MvM stage

[Reisentanith]

I cant wait to see this go beyond the Meet the _________ Videos and take on a life of its own.
Also where is SAXTON HALE! ?

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I'm not a crazed gunmare dad I'm an assassin. Well the difference being one is a job and the other's mental sickness.

Dad? Dad. Put. Put mom on the phone.

[Firamoon]

3237163

He is currently going dive bomb your house...

[Reisentanith]

3237346 Dang it and I just paid the rent for the month too.

[Crimson Dawn]

This story is really interesting. To me it feels like Diane is Pinkie Pie which has a lot of hints outside of just the name. However we also see another Pinkie Pie or at least hear about her. Makes me wonder whether Pinkie was split in half to make her easier to control? This would satify the hints I am seeing but would also allow there to be this other entity. Guess I will have to wait for now.

[The Usurper]

3239336
Impressively insightful, and your guesses are most interesting. However, this story's canon has already been fixed, which means that it's too late to use any ideas of yours in here. On the plus side, though, you'll get to see how well or how badly you've guessed when it comes to Meet the Pyro. (Which isn't that far away; Spy's already half done.)

[Crimson Dawn]

3240071

Diane certainly has some interesting hints being given so far. Her hair was one clue. The fact she uses a Pyros weapon and seems to think it is significant seems to be a hint as well. We know something happened with a Pyro in AJ's story and Fluttershy operated on a pony a while ago. In that time frame Diane does not remember anything. All we see of Pinkie are her diary, a remark about a Pinkie promise (with the fear of breaking it), and possibly her picking up Twilight. We also get an off hand remark that Diane sees her coming in a battle but we do not see her again and nobody mentions anything about her being there which makes you wonder whether that was in Diane's head. Pinkie is an enigma and it is strange that she alone has not really been seen or talked about in this story. The administrator seems to be partial to chaotic ponies and Pinkie would fit that as well (though it is a small sample size so could be a coincidence). That one pyro did not like the fighting and oddly at first neither does Diane and if I recall correctly she did not like thinking she had helped AJ defeat somebody at first.

I am looking forward to this and since I know nothing of the game that is being referenced I am 100% in the dark here. I am enjoying this and I hope that Pinkie is significant in this like I think she is.

[The Usurper]

3240315
You know, I was hoping to appeal to those how play Team Fortress 2 when I was planning this story, but to have someone who doesn't even play and still follows my story... it makes me feel good. I must thank you for that.

On another note, you should play TF2. You can download it off Steam for free, so no loss there. And it's also really fun! (In my opinion at least)

Also, the clues you've picked up... it may be good to remember that there are two teams: RED and BLU (It's all explained in TF2) so there are 2 different Pyros - and by extension two different Pinkies, something which will be explained in the future - and when you're collecting clues it's important to note which Pyro they're talking about.

Finally, if the clues you've picked up are correct - I'm not saying they are - then it would suggest that Diana is related to the Pyro in some way, if she isn't the Pyro herself. The question then would be: Which Pyro? BLU or RED? I'd like to know what you think, because you've come closer than anyone else so far with your guesses, though this is not so much because you're 100% accurate but rather because nobody else really cares enough to guess.

[Crimson Dawn]

3240351

That explains a lot and in fact helps with some confusion with what I was having in some parts. At times I swear one character was on one team and then they switched. I was beginning to wonder if I misread or there was a lot of team switching going on so that makes sense. I will have to read through it again to reacquire the right info. Off the top of my head I believe it was the blue pyro that was messed with the administrator so you would have to think that was the case. Might also explain why Diane ended up helping the Blue team in that one chapter though there were other vlaid reasons as well (though it felt even more helpful than normal if that made sense). Still that was without going through the story again actively thinking about that so it could be very wrong.

NOt that it matters you are just going to tell me in the story at a later date anyway lol.

[The Usurper]

3240643
True, you'll soon know everything. Soon. Hopefully.
Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Fortress_2#Plot
This has most of what you need to know in 5 fairly short paragraphs (except the robot part, haven't gotten there yet) and other than that:
http://www.teamfortress.com/movies.php
The 9 videos under 'Meet the Team' are the ones this story is based on. You may notice that the similarities between these chapters and those episodes are steadily decreasing - I think - and Meet the Sniper is now incredibly different from my latest chapter. Still, background info's never bad. Most of the time.

[Dr_X--Raven]

Raven: ............. Is Diana breaking Fluttershy's trust?

Dr. X: ............ Um-

Raven: Oh, it. Is. On.

[Spy Named Rarity]

I really love this fanfic, as a long-time TF2 player (you can probably tell by my username :3), I think you have done an excellent job portraying the ponies as the 9 loveable mercenaries. I would love to see this idea expand beyond the 'Meet The' videos, and I eagerly await 'Meet the RariSpy' and 'Meet the Pinkie Pie-ro' :)

[The Usurper]

3242297
Thanks! While I've decided that this story will, in fact, end with the 'Meet the' videos, there are already plans for a sequel.

I have to cover MvM somehow, don't I?

[Spy Named Rarity]

3246493 Hmmm, somehow I think Sweetie Bot will have something to do with that :P

But seriously an MvM chapter or fanfic will be great :D

[Crimson Dawn]

3240765

I did watch the videos and they were entertaining. Makes me wonder if the modification was to her mask. Makes you also wonder is she is different while wearing and not wearing it. Also makes you wonder if that was in Dianes bag (assuming that they are the same which may not be true).

[The Usurper]

This is it, everyone. Meet the Spy is complete and now pending review. It should be up by this weekend, tops.

The epic finale is on its way. The time is almost upon us.

The time when we unmask the Pyro.

Good luck.

[Sergiovan]

Weeeeeeeit... Is Twi only in RED team? If so, who is sniper in BLU team?

[The Usurper]

3262709
They're two snipers, so they're two Twilights. Don't worry, it'll be explained soon.
Think cloning.

[Sergiovan]

3265090 Now you are thinking with clones...

[Fiddlove Enfemme]

3265090 Magical Mirror Pool/Changelings/ Time Travel, Right?