Shadowbolts: The Hunt for Twilight Sparkle

by Commando-Scarecrow

There was an Entrance. It was Rather Dynamic

"Ugh..." A silver-grey pegasus with a silver wing as a cutie mark whined as he bounced a ball back and forth from his office's plain vanilla colored wall, papers strewn random places, trying to keep his mind occupied in his small office located in the middle district of Canterlot. The state of his work space was actually kind of ironic, considering he'd only graduated from the Shadow Bolts about a year. Granted, he did leave after his first real mission gone awry. But something like New Maredrid has a tendency to do that to a pony.

"I am sooo bored." He complained while swinging back and forth while in his black swivel chair. His voice had only the slightest hint of being from the south, as if he'd lived there years ago and still carried only the smallest shard of that previous life with him. His name was Silver Wing, and he was a freelancer.

"I almost hope somepony walks through that door right now with a contract and gets me out of here and into something exciting and vaguely dangerous which turns into something very dangerous that will keep me occupied for the next few months were I can meet new ponies and save some other ponies..." He let out a small laugh as he realized just how weirdly specific that wish really was. "But it's not like somepony is just going to waltz through that door and offer a high paying assignment like that. I ain’t that lucky."

And then, almost as some form of ironic providence, he heard the bell ring as the door to his service office was opened. And through it walked a light blue earth pony with a blonde mane of maybe 29 years. There was something very concise and proffesional about the way he carried himself. Not confidence, per Se, but an almost mechanically perfect stance, like it had been drilled into him a thousand times over. Obviously, he was a Shadow Bolt, or at the very least he worked for them. "Is this the Royal Silver Mercenary Head Quarters?"

A small twinge of irritation crept up the silver stallion's spine. "No," he answered in a tranquil annoyance. "This is the Royal Silver Office of Freelancing Services." This is going to be fun, he thought to himself sarcastically. He'd always been adamant about the freelancer/mercenary terminology. "Watcha need, friend?"

"Agent Washing Tub, Shadow Bolt representative/negotiator.” He extended his hoof to shake, which Silver accepted. “Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna, has an assignment for Sir Silver Wing, Baronet of the House of Silver," a manila folder was placed on the firm oak desk that Silver Wing was sitting at.

Five points for me. He sighed once. He always did prefer to downplay that he was actually of noble birth. But then he did have that one ancestor that did some really awesome stuff a few generations ago. Actually? He was kind of proud of that. "You’re lookin’ at ‘im," he answered almost as if he was ignoring the fact that the stallion before him was a government agent. He grabbed the folder, leaning forward to show that he was now paying attention. "What's the mission?"

"All the details are within that folder. But, suffice it to say, there is a rogue sorceress that needs to be apprehended. Class five." The agent’s voice remained stoic. For good reason, though. Most unicorns never made it to class three. But class five? Well, that's some pretty heavy stuff right there.

"Let's see here... top in her class... graduated a year early... went on a very long road trip to learn as much as she could for the past few years..." He looked up to consider something. ”Does she have family? Or were you left in the dark for the integrity of the mission?”

"I have been given several details concerning her in case there were any more questions you needed answered.” He sounded off with almost no emotion. “She's the daughter of Viceroy Night Light and the sister of Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Canterlot Guard." It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Classic Shadow Bolt training was what it was, though. Each and every agent had to learn a perfect poker face to be effective at some point.

"And were they close?"

"I believe so," a small wrinkle of curiosity appeared on the operatives face. "Why?"

Silver Wing only shrugged. "Family's important." He placed the folder back on the table, knowing he would look back through it later. "So what's the price tag on bagging this 'Twilight Sparkle'?"

"The princess is prepared to offer you twenty thousand bits for this mission."

"Holy-!" He fell out of his seat as a response to that price tag. For the past four months, since he'd entered the 'private market', he'd been on dangerous missions, sure. But those were just acting as a fighter-for-hire jobs and some bounty hunting, like taking in low level scum from places like Maradice city and Foalbokin. None of them even got over nine thousand. But 20,000? The princess must have really, REALLY wanted this mare in the right hooves. "Are you kidding me?!" A blank stare did all the answering for the stallion,

A smile crept upon Silver Wing's face, his crystal blue eyes' fox like twinkle being kept in check only by his signature goggles. Oh this is going to be fun. "And would that price be negotiable? For say..." he rubbed his chin as he looked upward. "Up to thirty-five thousand?"

"I am allowed to go no higher than twenty-five thousand," he responded, sure of his haggling skills.

We'll see about that. "How would you feel about thirty-five thousand?"

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty-five."

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty-five"

"Twenty-five thousand." He tried to switch it up on him.

"Twenty-five thousand." He stared blandly and un-entertained at the silver maned stallion. It didn’t work.

"Twenty-five thousand it is.” Not as fun as I thought. Ah well, he thought to himself. Win some lose some. It’s not like he even needed the money from this job, anyway, thanks to his family’s holdings on Mt. Kilimarejaro. Although technically they were his Grandfather’s... who happened to make Silver Wing his rightful heir. There were certain perks to being a noble. But still. 25,000 bits? That could buy a whole lotta cool stuff.

"Glad that you can see reason," he placed the contract in his saddle bag. "You are to rendezvous with the rest of your cell members at 2:00 am sharp at this address."

"Two o'clock, eh?" Silver gave the colt hiring him a half cocked and intrigued smile paired with an interested raised eye brow. "That should give me just enough time to set everything up for my new squad mates." A Cheshire grin appeared on his face as a wild eyed scheme began to ruminate within his skull. "Have my two accomplices been informed of this mission yet?"

"I was going to inform them next." His eyes squinted at the silver stallion. "Why?"

"I was hoping to maybe get the rendezvous to a predetermined place at a specific location at an address that I wouldn't mind-" he began to inelegantly beat around the proverbial bush.

"Just spit it out."

"You know that warehouse on Jade Street?"

He understood now. He wanted to meet them there. "I'll see what I can do," The rather irritated representative’s eyes went narrow like a piece of fine thread at the self-exiled noble. "What are you planning?"

Which the grey stallion just responded with a wave of his hoof. "Don't worry about it. Nothing that will leave any permanent damage." Then he extended his right hoof for a shake. "Alright, Secret Agent Colt, we here at the Royal Silver Freelancing Office humbly accept this mission and its guide lines to bring in this rogue wizardress, Twilight Sparkle. We appreciate your patronage."

He gave a half smile only as a courtesy as he accepted the hoof-shake. "Good luck, Sir Silver."

"Mister Silver," he corrected.

"You'll need it." And then he left the office, happy to have this part of his day concluded with.

As the greyish colt got out of his comfortable swivel chair, his mind raced with what he could do with that much cold, hard cash. And then he got up and looked around for some of his favorite supplies. "Now then," he announced to himself. "Time to break in my new best friends."

...

Two Shadow Bolts, neither wearing the signature black and violet regalia of their clandestine organization, stepped from the shadows that the early Canterlot morning provided for them. On the left was a very dark grey, almost pitch black, pegasus mare, with a black mane accompanied by a single yellow streak going down the length of her hair and tail, bearing a thunder cloud cutie mark on her flank.

On the right stood a grey stallion pegasus with a blue mane, yellow eyes and a solid boney wing in his flank. They approached each other cautiously, both realizing the standard protocol for introducing themselves to another Shadow Bolt they'd never met before.

The mare spoke up first in a nomadic Romaneigh accent. "Initiate hoof-shake protocol. What is the pass code?"

"Pass code." He sighed in annoyance. Princess Luna must have been feeling whimsical the other day.

They shook hooves and the black mare opened up again. "I’m Midnight Strike. Research specialist and field medic. My friends call me Midna."

"Descent. Tracking and infiltration.” He then offered his name, but nothing else. “I assume you’re here for the tracking mission of Twilight Sparkle, Ms. Strike?" the grey pegasus looked up at the warehouse with an almost dreary expression. "Let's get this thing moving."

She was jilted by the rather cold response of her comrade, but shook it off easily enough. "So is this your first mission without a mentor, too?"

They both made their way into their designated meeting place with their cell's third and final member. Not much was said about him except for his facility with languages and his combat skills. At least, nothing from the past year. And especially nothing on a mental evaluation at all. "It is," he answered halfheartedly

"This Twilight Sparkle seems like she could be kind of a big deal," they walked through the large doorway and saw every manner and almost every size of crate. Some looked like they'd seen some damage and some looked like they were intentionally placed there to provide somepony with an excellent ambushing position. But in the middle of Canterlot? I swear I've seen this somewhere before. Maybe in a book?

"Which is exactly why we were brought in, Ms. Strike," he answered flatly. Clearly, he wasn't here to make any friends at all. "To, and I quote, 'capture and apprehend the credible threat and the rogue mare, Twilight Sparkle, using any non-lethal means available and necessary to capture the mare in question.' If they expected any less work then Director Nightingale would have brought the Royal Guard in on this instead."

"Kind of harsh..." she chided at her comrade.

He turned to meet her in the eye. "You're not denying it."

"They are soldiers, Descent. Their theater of service is an entirely different beast than espionage."

He then moved on to another topic. “This is a trap."

"I'm sorry?"

"2:00 am in the morning. Wooden crates everywhere. Perfect for a sneak attack." He looked back at his partner. "We've obviously been set up."

"Are you sure?" She couldn't help but disagree with her partner. "This seems more like an overly theatrical set up than a trap. It's two in the morning, true. But we're also at a warehouse. Only a fool would prepare so obvious of a rouse to kill us."

"No... I've seen this before," the once nomadic mare couldn't help but think it had something to do with his back ground. Each Shadow Bolt was given at least some information on their partners past, while leaving out major personal details. For Descent, it had said something about his former life in a street gang. Midnight assumed that's where he'd seen it before. "It's so obvious. That's why it would work. Nopony expects the obvious."

"But wouldn't he have needed some internal help to set this up?" She could see him processing what she was saying. "So wouldn't he or she have been told that all field agents would have had this type of thing drilled into them?"

"You're... over thinking this." The grey colt shook his head and perked up his ears, indicating exactly how intently he was trying to pay attention. "Besides. Even if you were right, what kind of idiot would spend these kinds of resources on a simple 'theatrical stunt'?" He looked around the warehouse, hearing vague noises that sounded vaguely like wind barely brushing past a pair of wings and hooves that had only the most deft touch. "See that large tower of wood?"

She couldn't open her mouth lest she burst into laughter.

"Very mature, Ms. Strike," he turned to her as he said that, and then back to the pile of crates stacked upon one another. "It's the perfect location for a sniper with a crossbow. And this whole building is flawlessly planned for an ambush." There were scattered wooden crates everywhere, not just where he pointed out.

“I'm telling you that this is just an act. Besides.” She argued back. She was placed in charge of this mission for a reason after all. “Weren't we supposed to have met a mercenary here to help us in our assignment?"

That sudden realization hit the grey pegasus like a ton of bricks, then disappeared. His head suddenly jolted to the right. "Did you hear that?!"

"Hear what?" She asked almost innocently. "Mr. Descent, surely you don't think-" then she shut her mouth as soon as she thought she saw movement. "Maybe you were right..."

But the admission went unnoticed. In the shadows of the storehouse, the two pegasi stood at the ready, now very aware that they were not the only ponies here. Backs only meters apart, they both used their razor honed eye-sight to scan back and forth and to and fro what or whom it was that had decided to join them here in this private meeting. "Where are you..."

A shadowy figure in a dark cloak then answered from right between the two royal agents. "Here." But before Descent could turn to meet the new challenger, he disappeared into air and shadow. “Or maybe here?” He appeared behind Midnight Strike now, moving out of sight but not out of mind just before she could see him. “But really…” they both turned their heads as they finally caught a glimpse of the pony that had somehow caught the drop on them.

“I’m here!” From on high, he landed on atop the great tower of wooden crates with such force that it exploded into a thousand pieces, setting off a flurry of fireworks all around him in a glorious display of silver, blue, and orange flames. He threw off his black cloak in an overly dramatic fashion, revealing a silver stallion with a pair of goggles around his neck. He popped his hooves and flared his wings as if to show off his feathers. A voice with only the vaguest and slightest country twang rung out from amidst the majestic fires. “I hope you two packed your bags!” pause for dramatic effect. “’Cuz you’re about to get whooped all the way down to Maradise City!”

The two Shadow Bolts looked at one another and realized something: it was going to be a long night.

Author's Note:

Take me down to Maradise City were the grass is green and the mares are pretty...

I freaking love classic rock

Comments

[_CheckMate_]

Agent Washing Tub? Is that Caboose I hear?

[Commando-Scarecrow]

2485621

[Talon and Thorn]

Take me down to Maradise City were the grass is green and the mares are pretty...

I freaking love classic rock

Classic!

Oh I feel old now.

[Walabio]

Nice reference to S02E19 “Putting Your Hoof Down” during the negotiations. Unfortunately, Merriwether Williams wrote the episode. Both she and Dave Polsky write too darkly and cynically for the show. In an episode by Merriwether Williams, expect all of the ponies to be flankholes, Ponyville to be a deathtrap, and resqueing ponies from certain death in the deathtrap of Ponyville to be considered a bad thing. At least Merriwether Williams is not as bad as Dave Polsky:

Dave Polsky wrote the antiscientific episode S01E15 “Feeling Pinkie Keen” and the episode glorifying genocide S03E03 “Too Many Pinkies”. ⸘How does Dave Polsky manage to get such disturbing episodes on the air‽

One does not have to be dark and cynical, even if one covers heavy subjects:

Meghan McCarthy wrote S02E25 "A Canterlot-Wedding Part # 1" and S02E26 “A Canterlot-Wedding Part # 2”. These episodes had an whole Changeling-Invasion, but are still bright and optimistic. Merriwether Williams and Dave Polsky just cannot write well for MLP:FIM.

[Commando-Scarecrow]

2486202 Don't feel bad. Most of the music I listen to is classic rock and I'm still in college

[Blackbelt]

Ah, the classic bugs bunny trick gone wrong.

[Enderstorm]

Agent Washing Tub

lolwut