Chapter 1

Prologue

Luna had gotten her wish. An entire city to rule as she saw fit. It was Celestia’s test. A test to see if she had truly reformed. A test to see what kind of ruler she could be. She quickly found out.

Within weeks of the proclamation, the citizens of Whinnyappleous, were treated to a visit from their new monarch. A visit which turned out to be permanent. Luna gave a grand speech telling the citizens about the beginning of a glorious new age for Equestria. A new age that would begin here. The public cheered.

She went on to say that from this day forward, since she was the Princess of the Moon, that her new home city would reflect that. And so time itself would be sped up inside the city limits to remove the day. From dusk that day the city would be one of eternal night. This the public did not cheer. Many of them left in droves. Luna expected that.

It was shortly thereafter that posters and advertisements began appearing in all of the populated hubs of Equestria. Offers of new beginnings in Luna’s new ‘city of night’. The offer of good paying jobs, and new homes with low rents pulled the lower middle class in in droves. Luna expected that as well. This was what she wanted. Ponies who were hungry for a better life. Ponies who didn’t care whether it was daylight or dark.

But it wasn’t just ponies that Luna invited. She extended her offer to any and all intelligent species. Griffins, Diamond Dogs, Minotaurs, Dragons, even Changelings. All were welcome in Luna’s city. Her vision, she said, was of a “Harmonious future, where all races stood as equals”. This statement was greeted by many as the true essence of friendship that Celestia had been speaking of for years. Only a minority took it as a rock being thrown toward her sister, who only seemed to be concerned with the pony race.

What wasn’t remarked upon in the beginning, was the long term effects of the passage of time inside Luna’s city. With time passing twice as fast inside her dome of night, it meant that all of Luna’s various projects were coming to fruition in half the time as they would have on the outside. Within twenty years ‘suntime’, the city of Whinnyappleous had undergone technological advancement far ahead of any other city in Equestria.

Luna’s ideals of ‘clean, safe, sources of energy’, had led to the wonders of M.I.S. (Magically Induced Steam). All it took was a simple water boiling spell that any unicorn could perform, to power any and all steam driven turbines.

Soon there were free transportation for all, from city run steam buses. All home and streets were lit by steam driven electric generators. All Luna ask in return was that once a year, each ponies donated just a few of their bits to pay for the labors of the ponies who dedicated their time to maintaining the spells. This the population agreed to gladly. It was the least they could do to show their appreciation to all those who made their lives easier.

The next great advancement was ponaudio. From a tall metal tower that stood on the top of Luna’s new castle, ponaudio waves could be broadcast to any ponaudio receiver within the city limits. And Luna provided receivers for free to all the citizens. All she ask in return once again, was just a few bits per year to pay for the upkeep of all the equipment, and once again the citizens considered it a small price to pay for what they were given in return. At any time of the night, any pony could turn on their ponaudio and be greeted with a variety of entertainment. Audio dramas, and comedies, sales at their favorite stores, and music of every type. All for free.

Yes, on the surface of it, it seemed Luna had done it. As far as the majority of Equestria knew, she had created a utopia of easy living in a city where all species coexisted side by side in peace and harmony. Her popularity had risen higher and higher. The side effect of this of course, was that Celestia’s popularity had begun to decline. But Celestia sat unperturbed inside her castle at Canterlot, she knew from experience that things were seldom as they appeared on the surface. And in this, SHE was right...

Chapter 1

Sundays Aren’t Fun Days

It was Sunday, four in the secondnight. The absolute worst time of the secondnight, on the absolute worst day of the week. Meh, why did Luna even still call it ‘Sun’ ‘day’, there hasn’t been either one in over twenty years. A human once wrote that Sunday four in the evening was ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul’. I hate humans. Won’t try to deny it. Round ‘em all up, and send them back through the portals I say. But just this once, I’d have to agree with one.

I was sitting in my office. The spring of my well worn office chair creaking faintly as I rocked it back and forth, with just a hint of impatience. This earned me a glare from my secretary, who was using the magic of her horn to remove what I dearly hoped to be only metal slugs from my side.

The slugs, painful as they were, were not the main thing on my mind at the moment. Neither was the tooth sitting on my desk that had formerly resided comfortably inside my lower right jaw. In my line of work these things are considered an ‘occupational hazard’. I’m a private eye, if the magnifying glass on my flank didn’t tip you off.

There’s about a hundred or so of us out there. Well, a hundred or so from week to week. Some of us drop off the grid, some of us fall victim to those ‘occupational hazards’ I mentioned, but always there’s some young buck or filly, bright eyed with a sense of justice, who comes along to fill their gumshoes.

In this city, it only takes a month or so to weed out these optimists. Either they cut and run for another, safer, city like Manehatten, or Fillydelphia, or they stay on and become hard and bitter. I’ve been a P.I. here for ten years, if THAT tells you anything.

I flinch involuntarily, as my secretary/nurse lifts another bullet out of my side with her magic. For the hundredth time I silently thank Luna that she still sticks around.

“I swear Johnny, this is the last time. The last motherbucking time!” she says, her eyes brimming with tears as she works. It’s those tears that hurt me worse than anything those diamond dog goons could do to me. Tears that spill for my sake. Tears I don’t deserve, and never will.

She stops working and let’s out an involuntary gasp. I can tell it’s something bad. And I’m pretty sure I know what it is.

“Wood?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

“Yes,” she replies, trying to regain her composure. “It’s going to be bad Johnny. I’m sorry.”

I take a long pull from the bottle of hard cider that sits on the edge of my desk, wait a moment, and then have another.

“Do what you have to do, Ori.” I say, stroking her mane.

Wooden bullets. Gods I hate diamond dogs. Leave it to them to develop the most nasty type of slug to use in one of Luna’s M.I.S.P.P.L.’s (Magically Induced Steam, Portable Projectile Launcher). A simple metal slug leaves a nice neat hole in front, (not so much out the back), but those sun damned diamond dogs came up with a wooden one with a small crystal shaft in the center that splinters as it enters the body. It’s almost always non lethal, but it’s a bitch to remove. You have to cut all the little jagged hunks of wood out. Luna’s policing force have taken to calling them ‘spite rounds’. This was going to hurt. A lot. Buck you, diamond dogs.

I try not to think about it. Instead I focus on the mane of my secretary, one of the few ponies I can trust in this night cursed city. Ori was pure class. As the alcohol finally starts to kick in, my thoughts drift back to the night we met.

I used to play piano at a local nightclub (in this city, they are ALL nightclubs), before I managed to get my P.I. license approved for work in Luna’s city.

She came into the club late one Friday secondnight. I knew immediately that she was new in town. She kept looking at the patrons. Not staring at them, for which I gave her credit, just looking at them, surprised to see them all in one place. It was the usual crowd for a Friday. Lots of earth ponies, (the majority of ponies who took up Luna’s invitation for a better life), a few unicorns like myself, and one or two pegasi who were slumming for the night. But it was the bars other patrons that had caught her attention. There were two minotaurs arm wrestling in a corner. A changeling chatting up a particularly lovely griffin, several diamond dogs were getting fresh with one of the waitresses, who responded by dumping a pitcher of cider over the fat one’s head before stomping off. There was even a human sitting in a corner table with something I couldn’t even identify. It looked like a large round ball of pink fur. He (the human that is), was actually a semi-regular, and one of the biggest jerks I ever met. But he was fair about it. Hated his own race as much as any other. And it was for that reason that he was the only human I even came close to liking.

I knew why he was here. One of his friends was singing tonight. In the old days she was a real big deal. But like Luna, she had reformed. I heard that she and the human and that pink thing, had recently moved to the city. Later when I asked him why, he said it reminds him of home. I refrained from asking why he didn’t just go back there... like I said, I almost liked the guy.

Anyway, Ori walks into the bar, looks around for a bit, goes up to the bar and gets a drink. By this time I get the nod from the stage manager, and start playing the opening number as the curtain parts and Queen Chrysalis walks slowly out on stage. She’s wearing a low cut, sinfully red evening gown, with sequins. As the opening bars of ‘Unforgivable’ come spilling out of my piano, she begins to walk out into the audience.

She looks at all those assembled before her and smiles lasciviously as she sings,

“Unforgivable,

That's what you are,

Unforgivable...

Tho' near or far.

Like a lingering taint that clings to me,

How the thought of you, does these things to me.

Not ever before,

Has someone been more...

Unforgivable,

In every way...

And forever more,

That's how you'll stay...

That's why, darling, it's so regrettable,

That somepony so unforgivable,

Thinks that I’m...

Unforgivable, too...”

As the interlude begins, she starts making her rounds from table to table, her form changing to whatever each patron she approaches wants to see the most.

“Howdy Diamond Jim,” she says to the fat diamond dog, who recently received a cider bath. “How’s the luck tonight?”

“Ruff,” Jim replies, earning him a laugh, and a smile.

“And how about you big fellah,” she says, approaching a huge muscular Pegasus, with tiny wings. “Having a good time?”

“YEAH!” he shouts in reply.

“That’s good, just don’t pop a vein on me now,” she says toying with his mane, causing the completely white Pegasus to blush crimson.

She trots back onstage as the interlude ends to finish,

“Unforgivable...

In every way,

And forever more...

That's how you'll stay.

That's why, darling, it's so regrettable,

That somepony so unforgivable,

Thinks that I am...

Unforgivable, too...”

A thundering of applause resounds off the walls as Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, takes a deep full bow, all the while sucking in the excess love and adoration of all those around her. Beside me I hear the rustle of fabric as someone settles into the single seated table that the barkeep wedged in beside the piano, to get that one last extra bit from a customer. A quick glance to the side informs me that it’s the new girl from the bar. What’s more, she seems to be looking more at me than at the stage. Interesting...

“You play quite well,” she says, sipping her drink. Something with more fruit in it than alcohol.

“Thanks,” I say, still more focused on what I’m doing than what she’s saying.

“I’m Ori by the way,” she says, trying to keep the conversation alive.

I miss a note for the first time that I can remember. Not that I haven’t heard more unusual names than hers. You’d be amazed at what some parents will do to their children. No, see I got this thing, a talent. I can always tell when someone is lying to me. It doesn’t matter what species they are, or how good at it they’ve become, it’s just something I know. This comes in real handy in my current profession, and in my REAL profession as well.

So when this fresh of the bus young thing sidles up to me and says her name is Ori, and that little voice in my head starts saying ‘she’s lying’ and ‘telling the truth’ at the same time, it catches me off guard. VERY interesting...

“They call me Johnny,” I say by way of reply.

“Well Johnny,” she says, “would it be terribly forward of me, if I offered to buy you a drink?” She asks, trying to sound casual about it.

“Sure,” I say, “if you are still here when I finish my shift.” I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge her interest as I continue to play. She offers up a smile, and turns to watch the show.

Between sets we engaged in small talk, ‘what’s a nice mare like you, yadda, yadda,’ neither of us really saying anything. It was more about the body language. And with a body like hers, she could have been speaking zebra and I would’ve got the message. Finally after what seemed like a week, my shift ended. As I rose from my piano stool, she rose with me, grabbing her coat.

“What about that drink?” I ask. I was actually looking forward to trying that fruit filled concoction that she had been nursing for the last few hours. It was making me hungry.

“Why don’t I make you one at my place?” she says.

Suddenly my appetite increased dramatically, and the fruit became optional. I started toward the door, but she stops me with a hoof on my arm.

“Is there another way out of here? She asks. “Something more... discreet?”

Oh ho, somepony cares about their image. Doesn’t want to be seen strutting out with the piano player. My eyes drift over her once again. Her rich mocha coat, eyes like emeralds, that dark brown mane, and an ass you could bounce a ten bit coin off of.

“Sure,” I say. “Allow me to escort you to the stage door in back.” Hey, I got no shame. If this dame was any hotter, the sprinklers would go off.

We emerged into the back alley. The sole source of illumination was the light directly above the door. No sooner had the door closed and our hooves hit the cobblestones than a low guttural voice emerges from the darkness.

“Annnd gotcha.” it says.

From the deeper gloom of the alleyway a middle aged diamond dog in one of the most tastelessly tacky suits I've ever seen, moves to the edge of the circle of light thrown off by the streetlight above. Flanking him on either side are two other diamond dogs. These specimens are about a foot taller, bulky and muscular, and by the looks of things about as bright as the alley they emerged from. Their naked brutish forms just screamed ‘goon’.

Standing where they were, at least a lunge and five paces out of reach, you could tell they had done this before. Not to mention that they were blocking the only way out of the alley. Well, the only way out of the alley for THEM.

Their appearance had an immediate effect on my companion.

“B-but how did you find me? I was sure that no one followed me here.” She said, her voice desperate.

The older diamond dog in the back merely tapped the side of his nose.

“Lady,” he says, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. “You may be long on looks, but you gotta be short on brains. This nose has been tracking your scent ever since you left dat apartment you been stayin at. Now word has it that you been sticking YOUR nose, where it don’t belong. My boss, he don’t like that. He’s a real PRIVATE kind of guy. So he pulls me inna his office and asks me real nice like if I, and a couple of my friends, would be so good as to track you down and kill you, just as a warning not to do dat no more. I’m like sure, nothing good on the ponaudio, so here we are. Now your friend here, him I got no steer with, if you wanna go, then go. Or stay and play da hero, and we kill youse too. I’m good either way, take a minute an talk it over.”

By Celestia diamond dogs are stupid!

I whisper to Ori, “when I give the word, just teleport out of here.”

“I-I’m not really good at that.” She whispers back in a frightened tone.

Oh for the Love of Luna, the things I go through to make the ‘plot’ thicken.

“Fine,” I whisper back, “just stay put ‘till I get there,” I say, and then I do something very few unicorns can do. I teleport someone else away, and stay where I was. This DID NOT sit well with my new friends.

The dog in back rips his fedora off his head and throws it down on the ground in front of him, stomping on it in anger. Really, it can only improve the look of it.

“You dirty no good yeti bucking son of a goat!” he says, reaching into his blazer and pulling out a large caliber M.I.S.P.P.L., and pointing it in my direction.

I am insulted. Some of my former friends were goats. As for the yeti thing, well... it was a party... and it was dark... and I had too much cider... Way too much cider...

“My young friend, two things are about to happen.” The poorly dressed dog was saying. “First, you are going to tell me where you sent the dame. Then, we are going to kill you... A lot.”

“Shouldn’t that be OR you’re going to kill me a lot?” I ask.

“Look wise ass,” he says, losing his patience, “evidently you don’t know who you’re dealing with. There are worse things than being beaten to death. I’ll have youse know that I am the right paw dog for da ‘Butcher’ himself!”

Oh Luna’s Sweet Nethers of Darkness! So much for just teleporting away.

“Really?” I say, sounding impressed. I concentrate for a moment and silently teleport, but not too far. The next thing Mr ‘fashion sense’ feels is the cold brass muzzle of my M.I.S.P.P.L. pressed against his cheek.

“Well I’m Carmane Santihaygo... Guess where I am?” I say, before splattering the wall with diamond dog brains and really cheap cologne. As his headless body falls to the pavement I quickly move directly between the two goons.

“Hi fellas, how’s the health plan?” Almost as if they were operating with one mind, (which is half a brain more than I gave them credit for), they raise their own weapons in unison, and point them at either side of my head. As their paws squeeze on the triggers I teleport back to my original position, just in time to see a large hole appear in each of their chests. “Sheesh, apparently it’s great.” I add.

Gods diamond dogs are dumb.

I take a few moments to take stock of the situation. In Whinnyappleous there is a short list of beings that you did NOT get on the wrong side of. Luna was at the top, but ‘The Butcher’ was only four names lower. He was almost an urban myth. No pony knew his real name, or where his base of operations was. But he was here, in this city. All the carnivores in the city knew about him, when they wanted meat, he was the only game in town. And it was widely known that Pony was definitely on the menu. They say life is cheap in Manehatten, heh, in Whinnyappleous it was sold by the pound.

I look at the mess around me. Not too bad. No way to hide the scent trail that led them here, but in about thirty minutes when all the performers leave, they’ll be no way to pick out mine and Ori’s scents. Going to have to clean up the bodies though. No help for it, I’m going to have to do something I shouldn’t. I case the rest of the alley to make absolutely sure there is no one to see what I’m about to do. Even a career homeless would go screaming to Luna’s tower if they witnessed what was about to occur. Once I am satisfied I’m not being watched, I unleash the ‘Creeping Death’ spell on the corpses, and again on the brain splattered wall.

Now the slow version of this spell causes a slow and agonizing death to the victim, as everything organic it comes in contact with disintegrates into free oxygen. It’s amazingly good for interrogation. I used an accelerated version, that quickly removed all traces that the trio were ever here, except for the few non organic items that they had been carrying. I threw the belt buckle and zipper from the cheap suit in a nearby trash can, kept the guns, and then stopped still, looking at the golden mound left over as the last of Mr. ‘fashion sense’ dissolved into the ether.

Holy crap! Holy Goddess Crap! Bits. LOTS of bits. Lots of high denomination bits. Hell, I’d never even seen a five hundred bit coin before, let alone a PILE of them. There was far more here than for a simple hit. I was looking at a pile of blood money pure and simple. The payoff for ponies lives. Lives that were turned into food for diamond dogs, and wendigo’s and... humans. By all the gods, THAT was what I hated about humans the most. A lion, or Ursa, or even a diamond dog was just following it’s nature. It was born a carnivore, it HAD to eat meat. But a human... A human had a choice. They could chose a vegetarian lifestyle if they wanted to. And I heard that on the other side of the portal some of them do. But I have yet to see one of them in THIS city chowing down on a hayburger. Sick twisted bastards every one of them. CHOOSING to consume the flesh of other animals. It sends a shudder down my spine just thinking about it. I looked down at the pile of shiny clean bits, I could practically hear the wail of lost souls drifting up from it, crying for justice. Then I scooped them all up and stuffed them in the pockets of my suit. Well of course I kept them. Lost souls don’t need to pay the rent, and I had an identity I needed to establish, but if it helps, I felt really bad about doing it. Besides that I had the feeling that some of this was going to be needed for a large bribe very soon.

I did a quick scan of the area, made sure I didn’t miss anything, and then teleported home. Ori was still there, good. She was sitting quietly on my thrift store sofa, trying to compose herself. I wasted no time shattering that.

“You set me up!” I accuse, startling her. I learned quiet teleportation as part of my training before I came here. Like the ‘Creeping Death’, I’ve found it very useful, especially when you want to catch someone off guard. I expected a denial from her, or maybe her bursting into tears, instead I get the truth. Or at least that’s what the thing in my head was telling me.

“Yes, I came to that club to see you specifically. And yes, I knew those thugs were after me, but you have to believe me, I DIDN’T know that they followed me to you.”

That last part rang true, and it calmed me down somewhat.

“Alright. Let’s say I believe you. Why were you coming to see me of all ponies, I don’t know you, never set eyes on you before. Believe me, I’d remember. And how in Luna’s Darkest Night did you get on the wrong side of ‘The Butcher’?” I ask, as I fall bonelessly into the chair across from her, the adrenaline rush from recent events finally beginning to ebb away.

“I am on,” she says, almost dramatically, “a mission from Maud.”

I wait a moment, expecting more. When I don’t get it, I force myself to ask. “Okay, and who is Maud?”

“You don’t know?” she asks startled. “I assumed you did, it was her and Celestia that told me to make contact with you when I got here.”

“Celestia?!? Oh hells no,” I think to myself. “She wouldn’t. No, no way. There’s no way that she would jeopardize all that work, all those months of training and sacrifice, all the effort to get me in here unnoticed just to help out some charity case.” I was apparently lost in mental rage for longer than I thought, because the next thing I hear is.

“Are you okay? Did you remember something?” Ori (and that name is still open to debate), asks, her voice sounding concerned.

“It’s nothing,” I say shrugging it off. “Look just tell me from the beginning. Why are you here?”

“Alright. It’s simple enough. A little over a week ago... suntime, I guess is your term for time passing on the outside, or a two weeks ago darktime, if you prefer.” she says, trying to appease. I wave her to continue. “Anyway, my younger sister decided to move to the city. She kept seeing all the pony propaganda that Luna was displaying all over Equestria. After our father Apple Butter, died in the last Changling ‘peacekeeping initiative’, our mother Maud, moved us back to the family farm. Now I’ll be the first to admit it was boring, but to my younger sister who had only known the high society of Canterlot, it was positively stifling.

She would spend hours every day trying to persuade mom to move back. But mom could be as stubborn as a rock at times. She wanted nothing more to do with the Canterlot that she blamed for taking her husband away, and she was determined that her daughter was going to have no part of it as well. It was not long after that posters and fliers had begin to circulate about what was going on in Whinnyappleous. In almost no time Cocoa, that was my sister’s name, changed her focus to the idea of starting over here. She tried and tried to get mom to leave, but she remained adamant. As far as she was concerned, the farm was going to be where she stayed until her dying day.

Well, like I said, a little over a week ago ‘suntime’, we woke up to find that she had gone. She left a note saying how much she loved us, but that she was moving to Luna’s city. She told us she would write as soon as she was able. Mom became frantic with worry, and so did I. Cocoa was barely older than a filly, and she was going to try to make it on her own in an unknown city? She had to find her somehow, so she called up her sister.”

“And who was her sister?” I ask, interrupting. She looks at me like I have lost my mind.

“Oh come on now. You HAVE to know who her sister is! Every pony knows Pinkie Pie. One of the six heroes that defeated Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, Discord, Tirek. What, were you raised under a rock?” She asks me scandalized.

Finally the bit dropped. Maud PIE, sister to Pinkie Pie. No wonder Celestia got involved. Aside from being heroes, those six were her personal friends. She’d never refuse a request from one of the six. And Ori here was a blood relative of one of them.

“Ori isn’t your real name.” I asked, taking a stab in the dark.

“Well, kind of,” she replies. May real name is Shea. Shea Butter. But I didn’t want to use my real name here in case my sister was trying to hide from us, so the name I registered as was Ori. It means the same thing.” She adds.

“That explains it,” I think to myself. That’s what the thing in my head was reacting to. It’s kind of like the ‘Derpy, ‘Ditzy Doo’ thing. But she’ll always be Derpy to me... seven more years, just seven more years...

I shake myself from my thoughts, “go on,” I say.

“Well, two days after my mom contacted her sister, a letter arrived from Celestia herself. She told us to make contact with you once we go to the city, and that you would take care of the rest. That you were good at this sort of thing.” She looks over at me as I facehoof, silently cursing Celestia. “Well, mom had been getting on in years, and Whinnyapplous was a long way from the farm, even by train. So I told her that I could handle it on my own.” She eyes me critically for a moment. “Now before you say anything, I’m no frail filly. I was born and raised on a rock farm. I’m plenty strong and tough. Strong as any full bred earth pony.” she says proudly.

I shake my head. Why does every pony from mixed parents feel the need to prove themselves? “So then what happened?” I ask, diverting the subject.

“Well, mom was reluctant at first, but she knew that unlike my sister, that I could take care of myself. I made my way to the city, registered as Ori, and found myself a place to stay. Now looking back I probably should have looked you up as soon as I got here. But well, I wanted to at least TRY to find her on my own. Just a few days, I told myself. If I couldn’t, then I would come and find you.

So I started my search, asked around the bus hubs, and restaurants, showed pictures of her to Luna’s policing force. With no results. On the second day I started checking the less reputable places, the liquor stores, and the night clubs, just on the outside chance that some pony had seen her. It was while I was asking patrons in line outside of a club, that a voice called to me from an alleyway. There was a homeless pony just outside of the lights from the street. He had seen my sister! Two days ago she had stopped and given him a few bits for soup. My sister always had a kind heart. But, the pony said, as she had left, he saw that she was being followed by some very tough looking ponies. He said they worked for somepony called ‘The Butcher’. I asked him more about this ‘Butcher’, but he shark away from me, and just said “you stay away from him missy, he’s bad, real bad. If your sister got mixed up with him, then she’s already dead.”

Now I became alarmed. I thought the worst that could have happened to her was that she was out of work, maybe without food or a place to stay. I had no idea that this city was so... dangerous. Well, now that I had a lead, I started making inquires on where I could find this ‘Butcher’. That was yesterday. This morning when I was coming back from breakfast I saw those three toughs outside my apartment. That’s when I knew I was in over my head, and came looking for you. You weren’t home when I finally made it to the address that Celestia gave mom, but your landlady told me where you worked, so I came there. I was going to wait until you got off work and came here to tell you all this, but they were waiting for us. You know the rest.”

I nodded. “They probably got tired of waiting, and busted in your place. Once they had your scent, they just circled around until they picked it up and followed you here.”

“What am I going to do? Those goons will just find me again. I have to find my sister!” she says frantically.

“Calm down. Calm down.” I reply soothingly. “You don’t have to worry about those three any longer. They are gone, and won’t be back,” I tell her truthfully. (Well unless you count accidentally breathing them, in the air).

I get up and walk to the fridge. I buy my hard cider in bulk, saves time and money. I pull out a half gallon jug, grab two mostly clean glasses and pour us a drink.

“I-I’m not really a heavy drinker.” she says, accepting the proffered glass in spite of her words.

“Just sip it, it’ll help calm your nerves,” I say. “Just sit here for a little while, listen to the ponaudio if you like.” I say indicating the set on a side table. “I’m going in the other room and get in touch with my boss. Then after that, I’ll see what I can find out about your sister.” I tell her this and feel bad. I already know what happened to her sister. But if I just tell her, without doing ANYTHING, then she won’t believe me. And besides, I really did want to have a few words with my boss. I make sure she understands how to work the ponaudio, and then make my way into the bedroom and lock the door.

I sit at a small desk next to my dilapidated bed, both also from the nearby thrift store, and begin to write.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that diamond dogs were really, really stupid, and also that they have no fashion sense.

Also, WHAT THE BUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!?

Are you TRYING to blow my cover? Do you WANT to get me killed by the ‘Butcher’?

I’ve got a clueless half unicorn sitting on my sofa who thinks I’m going to somehow find her sister for her. The only way I’m going to find her sister at this point is if I buy up all the illegal hamburgers in town and do an identity spell on them! And now, NOW, I’m going to have to contact ‘The Butcher’ and make sure he doesn’t put a hit on me, oh, and somehow get him to call off the one on the still living sister.

SERIOUSLY... WHAT THE BUCK?!?

P.S. Thank you for the muffins, they were delicious as always. Please deduct the price of a red velvet cake from next weeks pay stipend and enjoy it.

Yours under threat of death,

D.”

I reach into a drawer in the desk and pull out a simple white candle. I place it in a holder on my desk and light it. Moments later I let the letter burn, as the magic of the candle sends it directly to Celestia. I wait, watching the flickering of the candle flame. Within five minutes, the flame rises as I get my reply.

I deftly snatch the letter out of the air with practiced ease, and by the light of the candle I begin to read.

“Dear Tenacious D,

Yes, diamond dogs can seem to be silly creatures at times from a pony perspective, but they are as the creator made them, so one shouldn’t make disparaging remarks based on their nature. That being said, feel free to make disparaging remarks on INDIVIDUALS as you see fit.

Also, I’M YOUR BUCKING BOSS! THE DAY YOU GET WINGS TO GO WITH THAT HORN AND A CROWN AROUND IT, THEN YOU CAN RUN YOUR MOUTH! UNTIL THEN IT’S

“YES MA’AM, NO MA’AM, MY YOU ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING YOUNG AND SEXY TODAY, PLEASE HAVE SOME BUCKING CAKE!”

“Look my lovely, I was asked to do this by Pinkie Pie herself. And before you say a word, yes, there may or may not have been cake involved. But the point is, there was no realistic way I could turn down her request for help. And if I sent anyone ‘official’ inside, it would draw attention to our operation, and risk upsetting the apple cart. So be a good little colt, and sort it all out wont you? Now just this once, because it’s a favor, I have added an extra thousand bits to your account, which you can withdraw immediately as needed to smooth over matters with ‘The Butcher’. He’s been on THE LIST for awhile now, but you are not allowed to ‘do anything’ about him until our objectives are met. After that however, I will add a rather large bonus to your account the moment his name is checked off it.

Oh and another thing. DO NOT sleep with the sister. I’m serious about this. She is a blood relative to one of the six, and under no circumstances is your bloodline allowed the chance to mingle with one of theirs. To make sure you take me seriously on this, CIRIX METRAXIS ENUM.”

Oh, that sneaky flying rat. I look down as the spell lifts off the page, activated by my reading it, it moves down to my arm and the runes of previous spells flair into visibility. Painlessly the new spell weaves itself into the pattern that already exists, and then they all fade away. I return to reading.

“Hah, by ME you are sooo easy! That was an addendum to your death spell. You now have an INCENTIVE not to sleep with her. If it really becomes a problem, I’ve enclosed some pictures to make things easier for you. ;)

P.S. Thank you so much for the cake. In your next shipment of muffins, expect some wonderful coffee beans that one of my traders has found in a place called Jamareca. I think you will find it to your liking.

Thinking of you fondly,

DJ Big Momma C.”

Ooh, new coffee, I perk my ears up. She certainly is a thoughtful malicious flying bitch queen. Now I need to do something really nice for her for her next birthday. Hmm, what do old ponies like? I causally glace at one of the pictures she sent. My face goes beet red. Apparently what old ponies like is the same thing YOUNG ponies like. Freeow! That’s a keeper...

Tucking the letter and pictures under my mattress, I silently teleported three blocks away and thirty feet down. I was on the 113th street undertrain station platform. The undertrains were another wonderful innovation of Whinnyappleous. Fast moving steam powered trains that ran underneath the city itself. Below the train level was the vast network of the Whinnyappleous sewer system, and below THAT was ‘The Shaft’. The Shaft ran vertically straight down over a mile and then branched out into the vast network of the copper and tin mines where the materials for all of Luna’s steam powered technology came from. I had no intention of going any lower than I was though. I was looking for someone, and it only took me a moment to find him. Actually, it looked like he had spotted me first because he was making his why through the crowd in my direction, when he got to the edge of the stairway where I was standing he carefully began tucking the wallets and coin purses he picked up along the way into the many pockets of his tattered coat. He was the only pony I knew whose cutie mark was that of a hoof with a bit stuck to it.

“Evening Easy,” I say. Much like myself that isn’t his real name, but in his case he just liked being called ‘Easy Money’.

“Johnathan! To what do I owe the pleasure of such esteemed company?” He says by way of return.

I shake my head. Even after all these years in Luna’s city he still talks like the Hayvard professor he used to be. Why he is here as a common grifter is a mystery I never solved. His I.Q. is off the chart, he could name his post in either Celestia's or Luna’s cabinet, and I told him as much. He just laughed at me and told me he was EXACTLY where he was always meant to be. Thing is, he said it with such certainty and conviction that I have to assume he must be right. I mean hey, he’s smarter than I am, whose to say he isn’t right?

“I need a favor Easy. A bad nasty, really wish I wasn’t about to ask for it favor. And you are the only pony I know who can get it done.” I say grim faced.

“That’s not a good look for you Johnathan.” He says shaking his head. “That’s the look of fear combined with altruism. The first is good and healthy in this city, the second will get you killed.”

“Yeah, I know, but I got no choice. By proxy I am on...” Jeez, this time I was the one pausing dramatically, “A mission from Maud.”

This caused an immediate reaction from my friend. Without another word he grabs the lapels of my jacket and drags me deeper into the shadows. “Maud Pie has a mission for you of all ponies?” he asks in disbelief. “Whole story. You, spill, now.” He says piercing me with his gaze. Over the course of the next few minutes I tell him the whole thing, excluding the parts about Celestia, my real job, and my ‘special’ abilities. He listens intently, only interrupting to clarify certain points. I lie when I have to, he knows when I do, he also knows that if I am lying then it’s because I have to, and I know he knows this. Conversations between the two of us invariably end with me getting a headache, he of course has no problem keeping up.

“So, let me see if I can deduce why you have come to me,” He says finally. “You need me to get word to the Butcher that A. He wont have any more problems from a certain curious young mare. B. Three of his henchmen will no longer be returning. C. That you are both VERY SORRY for any inconvenience that you have caused him, and D. If he would be so kind as to let both matters drop, that a large cash gratuity would shortly find it’s way into his possession. Does that about sum things up?” he asks.

I simply nod in agreement.

“The only question I have left is how large a gratuity are we talking about? The goons he lost wont really bother him, he has more goons than he can count... literally. I mean they just keep breeding down there... however the loss of face, now THAT he wont like. I’m not sure you can afford the cost of forgiveness on this one.” He says sadly.

I name an amount. It’s the entire thousand Celestia gave me, as well as over half the blood money I found on the bodies. I still had enough left over, if I was smart with it, to finance my Detective Agency. Of course that all depends on what happens in the next few hours. “And he isn’t really losing face,” I add wheedling, “his goons said that the hit was just a warning not to go snooping into his business. I think we can safely say that it won’t ever happen again.” Well, not that The Butcher will ever know about it, I think to myself. Something must have shown on my face, because Easy gave me one of those long looks of his.

“Riiiight.” he says. “Well, putting it that way, and giving the rather generous amount of compensation that I will in no way inquire as to how you came to posses. I think that it might be enough for you to squeak by.”

“When will I know for sure?” I ask. I don’t want to be pushy, but until I know otherwise, I have to assume I am in some pony’s cross hairs.

“Meet me here in say, two hours. I’ll either give you good news, or a head start.” Easy reaches out a hoof and shakes mine, his hoof comes away with one of the five hundred bit coins I recently acquired.

This isn’t the safest thing I ever asked him to do, and it sure isn’t the safest thing I ever did. Technically speaking The Butcher didn’t know a thing about me. The easiest thing I could have done was kill the goons, take the money, teleport back home, kill the dame, and fugeddaboudit. And maybe if my training had stuck better that’s what I would have done. But there’s this annoying thing in my head that forces me to be stupid. It starts with a ‘C’ and ends with me needing a long drink. So with nothing else to do I teleport back. I open my bedroom door and return to the living room, an excuse ready on my lips for what has taken me so long. Turns out I didn’t need it. What I did need was to go to the fridge and get out another bottle of cider. This was due to the mysterious disappearance of the entire half gallon that I had left out on the table. It didn’t take a massive amount of my detective skills to deduce that the culprit was most likely the unconscious mare sprawled across my sofa. Apparently Miss ‘I’m not really a heavy drinker’ had ‘sipped’ away an entire half gallon of Granny Apple’s Black Label. From the way she was sawing wood, she’d be out until secondnight the next day.

I sat down in my recliner, cool cider in my glass. I took a long pull and regarded my sleeping companion. She shifted her rear in such a way as to draw my attention. I had... a very impure thought. The runes on my arm flared a sickly green. Oh buck me with Tirek’s horn! Celestia had been serious! She actually tied my death spell to this dame. I felt... well... violated. That death spell was a very personal thing. Between me and the princess. To whore it out to just any pony that came along.... Ori shifted in her sleep again. The runes flared... again. BUUUUCK! I still had the better part of an hour and a half to go. Part of me was hoping that the Butcher refused my request and sent a hit pony along to the meeting just to put me out of my misery. I turned away and stomped back to my room, got out a pen and parchment and began to write...

“Dear Sick Twisted Sunbitch...” An hour and ten minutes later I finished with “...the gardener, the Canterlot Philharmonic, AND my third grade magic teacher... SIDEWAYS!” I glanced at the time, crumpled up the entire letter and destroyed it with my magic. Hell no I wasn’t sending that to the princess... Deep down she was a really sweet and caring pony... plus, she could kill me on the spot... slowly.

I teleport back early. Find myself some deep shadows and wait. Easy comes back a short time later. I make sure he hasn’t been tailed, and then reveal myself.

“Fortune smiles on the faithful and the foolish.” He says with a smile.

“And I am?” I can’t help but to ask.

“YOU are the third thing... lucky.” He says still smiling. “Naturally I didn’t speak to The Butcher himself. But I got word to a guy, who got word to a guy, who knew a guy, that could get word to a guy...”

“Stop...please,” I say holding up a hoof. “If you do the whole thing at some point we will have gone through the entire city census. Long story short.”

“You and your friend are free and clear. Long explanation short, He seems to think that one of the boys you vanished had been skimming off the top. It didn’t take him long to realize that the money you are offering as a bri- I mean gratuity, was probably his to begin with. One might almost say that you did him a favor.” Easy says, letting the word hang.

I knew a double edged sword when I saw it. I hold up both hooves and respond, “no, no. Nothing of the sort. Even is what we are, very clean and even. No favors of any kind are due.” This seems to have been the right response, because Easy let’s out a huge sigh of relief.

“You my friend, are very wise for your age. I will relay your message back up the line. I’m sure he will be as happy to see the end of this matter as you are.” Easy says patting me on the shoulder.

“Somehow I doubt that very much.” I say. “Now to go back home and figure out what I am going to tell the mare that is sleeping on my sofa.”

Easy cocks an eyebrow, I shake my head, his eyes widen for a moment in surprise. Before he can say anything smart, I teleport home. I seriously need to work on my reputation.

The next day I fill Ori in on the events of the previous night, once again avoiding any mention of my boss. She was pissed.

“You PAID them OFF!” oh, yeah, she did pissed off really well. “What the buck is wrong with you? We had a lead, we could’ve gone to Luna’s Policing Force. He’s got my sister somewhere and tried to have me killed. You think I’m just going to walk away? Hells no! Where is this person you used to get word to The Butcher? I’m going to drag him back up that chain all the way to the top even if I have to do it dragging him by his D-”

“SHUT... UP!” I roar, loud enough to interrupt her tirade. She stops, shocked. “Now SIT DOWN!” I roar again. She sits down without thinking, barely hitting the edge of the chair. I can do pissed really well too. “Now take your hooves out of your ears and listen to what I have to say. Yes, I paid him off. I did that so we wouldn’t be killed in our sleep. No, Luna’s policing force wouldn’t have lifted a hoof to help us because ‘officially’ no such being as The Butcher exists. And even if he did exist, he has enough people behind him to turn this city into a war zone if Luna every tried to remove him. And HE isn’t even the most dangerous being in this city that would get involved if a war broke out. Your sister,” I start to say, and then change gears. “I’m sorry Ori, but your sister is long dead.” I expect her to break down at this point, but the only reaction I get is a firmly set jaw, and a look of grim faced determination. I know that look, she isn’t going to let this go.

“And what about you?” she asks, catching me off guard.

“What about me?’ I reply, honestly curious.

“You aren’t a bad pony. You saved my life. You went to bat for me and bribed them to let us go. You didn’t have to do that, you could have just walked away. You aren’t going to just let this go are you?” she asks, looking into my eyes, searching for something. She wants to see justice, vengeance, righteous indignation... something that I just don’t believe is there anymore.

But then I feel it. That spark. That pure blue white light that has burned inside of me since before my parents died and left me all alone on the streets of Canterlot. Buck me, it’s still there... After all this time, and all the crap I've slogged through, it's still there... And then the whole world moves inside me.

“No.” I say, it comes out as a whisper. “No,” I say again louder this time. “No I ain’t just going to let it go.” I return Ori’s gaze, and I feel something inside me that shakes me to the core. I say the stupidest thing I have ever said since I came to this city. “I promise you Ori, I can’t tell you how, or when, but he WILL pay. I will bring his entire sick twisted meat eating organization down on his head. And then when he knows his ruin, only THEN will I kill him.” It was a crazy, childish, foolish thing to say. I meant every word of it. Somehow I would find a way. Leverage, bribery, Hell maybe just a big bucking bomb in his train car, but somehow I knew I would find a way to succeed.

Ori decided to stay. Oh she went home, explained things to her mother as best she could. They held a funeral minus the coffin at the edge of the woods on Maud’s family farm. Ori asked me to go with her, so I did. I met Maud, and the Pies, including Pinkie. It was the first time I ever saw her, even in pictures, with her hair down. It made my heart hurt. Celestia was in attendance. After the funeral was over I made my excuses and Celestia teleported me back to the castle for a visit. By the time I left we were both in better spirits. I took a train back as far as I could, enjoying the sunlight. It had been many years ‘darktime’ since I had seen it. It was warm and good. I could almost feel the taint of the city burning away in Celestia’s loving light. But I knew I had to go back. I now had more than one duty to fulfill. I told Celestia about the promise I made, and she gave me her blessing. The Butcher moved higher up on The List. I had picked up a few new spells that had come out since I had been away, and I was looking forward to trying them out.

I met Ori, a day later. She was packed and ready to go. We teleported to the outside of Whinnyappleous. The huge dome of night blotted out the skyline as far as we could see. I had been gone long enough that I didn’t want to go back. But I had a job to do.

See the thing is, Luna isn’t evil. She isn’t Nightmare Moon. She genuinely believes in what she is selling. A city of peace and harmony. With technology to make every pony’s lives better. She wants it dark in there? Well, that’s her aspect, it’s not so bad, many beings prefer the night. But just like anywhere else, where there is a system, there will be beings who seek to exploit it. I have counterparts in Manehatten, The Crystal Empire, Canterlot, even Ponyville. Highly trained operatives, with specific objectives. It’s hard, it’s dangerous, and the rewards are few and far between. But we WILL save this world, and kick ass while doing it...

“That’s it, all done,” Ori says wearily, tossing the last shard of wood into a bowl on the desk. The wounds in my side close as Ori’s healing magic does it’s job. She’s learned a lot since she’s got back. It makes my job a lot easier. She begins to sterilize my missing tooth, preparing to restore it to my jaw. This isn’t going to feel good either. I take another pull of cider, and let my mind drift off to what got me into this condition in the first place...

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

The Royal Treatment

Was it only a week ago? Gods it seems so much longer. Of course it really IS longer inside the dome, but after awhile nopony notices. I was sitting behind my desk working. At Monday nine in the firstnight, that meant eating a muffin and drinking coffee. I’m a bit tight with my bits, I’ll admit it, but not when it comes to food. My coffee was real Jamarecan Blue Mountain coffee, and my muffin was a Derpy’s Big Blueberry, imported all the way from Ponyville. By the Gods that mare can bake! I fully intend track her down, woo her, and marry her, as soon as my age catches up with hers.(Seven more years, just seven more years).

The name on my office door reads ‘Johnny One Note- Private Investigations’. That is not my name. Never has been. The name that I used to get into this city was Johnny Appleseed, which caused one of the humans at the immigration desk no end of amusement for some reason. I used to play piano at a local nightclub (in this city, they are ALL nightclubs), before I managed to get my P.I. license approved for Luna’s city. The ‘One Note’ got added after a particularly bad bar fight in which both my fore hooves were broken, and one of my forelegs. There wasn’t much of Luna’s peace and unity that night, especially for the minotaur that did it, heh, not after I got done kicking him in the coconuts until he could hit that one really high note.

My secretary Ori came into my office. She was looking pensive, not a look I was used to seeing. Before I had a chance to inquire, she spoke up.

“You have a visitor, in the waiting area. She says she wants to hire you.” Ori said, in a nervous tone.

Ori had settled in well as my assistant. She was good at her job, and more importantly, she was sharp. Given a year or so and she’d be capable of running the place without me, and that included the legwork (there’s a pun there, but I can’t touch it without runes flaring menacing on my foreleg). So when she comes into my office looking unsettled, it’s enough for me to pay attention.

“What’s got you spooked Ori?” I asked. “Is she giving off a bad vibe. We’re flush at the moment, so if you don’t like the look of her, just send her packing.

“No can do boss.” She replied, her manner becoming brittle, “One does not send the ruler of the city ‘packing’… it’s bad for business.” She adds in gallows humor.

Ruler of the city? HERE? Luna, Princess of the Night, ruler of the Dark City of Whinnyappleous, and one of the most feared and respected beings on Equestria, was here…in my ramshackle office… wanting to hire me… oh this was bad… really, really, bad.

I took my feet of the desk, and wasted a few moments trying in vain to make both myself and my office presentable. Although I knew it was a waste of effort, my body went through the motions anyway, as my mind ran a mile a minute trying to figure out why, out of all the ponies in the city that Princess Luna had come to me. There were at least half a dozen PI’s with longer runs, and better reps, than myself. And nicer offices too, I reflected, looking around at the thrift shop furniture that I had been so proud of acquiring only months before.

"Well, there’s no help for it Ori. Please send the Princess in.” I said with a reluctant sigh, as I settled back into my chair, facing the door. I waited, my nerves on edge, as Ori made her way back into our tiny lobby. I had an idea why she had singled me out, but I hoped I was wrong. I couldn’t afford a conflict of interest between her and my ‘boss’. Such a thing could end up with me very, very dead. I had no other choice but to sit there and just hope for the best. Moments later there she was. Princess Luna herself, in all her glory.

Ponies always make a habit of underestimating her. She’s younger and smaller that her sister Celestia, and, let’s face it, cuter. But what they all fail to realize, is that she is still thousands of years old. And has spent those thousands of years immersed in the politics of royalty. She plays the game on a level that meant that a raised eyebrow could cost some pony their head in the old days. She’s so sharp that you could cut yourself on her gaze if it turned on you the wrong way.

She settled into the chair opposite me without waiting to be asked. A breach of etiquette, a bad sign. Then she smiled at me, and every alarm bell in my head went off all at once. It took all my pose not to visibly wince at her. This was the smile of a hunting cat that had cornered a small mouse which had just somehow inexplicably found itself covered in tuna flavored catnip. I fought a sudden urge to squeak…

“Johnny One Note, what a charming name. Or is it Appleseed,” she adds nonchalantly, “or perhaps…” she begins, as she slides over a folded slip of paper.

Without preamble, I unfold it and glance at what is written on it. Three simple words. My real name. A total of four living beings including myself, know this piece of information. Well, make that five now. I carefully fold the paper again, then eat it. Cinnamon flavored... classy.

“Ori, I want you to take the rest of the day off… with pay,” I say. This is a bit of code between us, if I hadn’t added the ‘with pay’ part, she would have left and come back with all the muscle and/or police she could rapidly lay hoof on. Adding the ‘with pay’ meant that everything was cool, but I needed some serious privacy. She has gotten to know me well enough to know that I keep certain parts of my life to myself, but that’s all she knows about it. Which is good, cause I really like Ori. It would suck to have to kill her. Also, she makes really, good coffee.

She gives me the nod, and I wait until I hear the lobby door click and lock behind her, then I face my guest once more.

“All right your highness,” I say, dropping all pretense. “You’ve proven beyond all doubt that yours, are in fact, the biggest. I choose not to ask how you found out that name, but I would like to inquire how many others know of it, just for my own piece of mind.”

“No need to concern yourself on that regard Mr. Appleseed. May I call you Johnny?” she asks, I nod acceptance. “You won’t need to go on any killing spree’s, I got my information on you directly from my sister herself. We may have a mutual problem in the works, and after consulting her, she sent me to find you. She asked me to pass along the following message. She says as she passes over a much larger sheet of paper, also folded, sealed in wax with her sister’s royal seal.

I broke the seal, and as I did so, I noticed a familiar, personal enchantment, which caused the runes on my foreleg to glow briefly. Well, if nothing else, I knew that the letter I held wasn’t a forgery, only Celestia herself could do that. I began to read…

Dear favorite minion (at the moment),

If you’d bother to light your candle before bed, even briefly, I COULD have given you a heads up on my sister’s upcoming visit. You’re habit of only calling me when things have gotten completely out of hand is not only annoying, but also hurts my feelings. Don’t you miss me? You’d BETTER miss me...

Anyway, Lulu came to me about a problem she has, that is remarkably similar to one of your most recent disasters. It seems one of AppleJack’s relatives Babs Seed, has gone missing from the city. Sound familiar? Well, Applejack went straight to my sister, and she had her entire policing force, as well as the city’s top PI’s go over Whinnyappleous with a fine tooth comb, and none of them turned up anything. What’s interesting is that even with hairs from Babs to use in location spells, there is still no evidence of her anywhere, and before you ask, that includes inside the food. Now perhaps it’s only a coincidence that close relatives of two of the six heroes have gone missing in Luna’s city, but if not, we could be looking at a situation. Consider this a chance for you to make up for Cocoa. I want you to help out my sister in every way possible until this situation is resolved.

Hugs, and kisses,

The Best Princess… Celestia

P.S. Hey, just for clops and giggles, ask sis if she still wets the bed… Go on, I diamond dog DARE you….

My face goes beet red at the last, as I quickly fold the note.

“What?” Luna says, quick on the uptake. “What did she say? Did she say something personal again?” Wordlessly, I slide back the paper. I watch her eyes until she gets to the very bottom. I’ve never actually seen a princess go apoplectic before. It’s a sight I won’t soon forget. I also never saw a note incinerated with black fire before either. This I will ALSO not forget...

“THOU SHALT FORGET THY EVER READ THAT ADDENUM!” Luna says using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

I rub my ears uselessly attempting to stop the ringing. “Of course, your highness.” I say, trying to sound professional.

“And in the outside chance you had wondered,” she says, her voice returning to normal, “I have not now, nor have I ever wet the bed, that was always Celestia trying to put the blame on me. She’d switch mattresses with me with her magic, and then put on that baby kitten face, and mom just ate it up with a spoon. She’s totally getting a mane full of fleas for her next birthday. But I digress…

In any event, my sister has told me about the tragic events that occurred with your secretary recently. And she assures me that if any pony can locate the missing Babs, that it would be you."

She passes me a slim manila envelope. “This contains all the information we have been able to gather concerning Babs, since her arrival in the city a year ago. There’s not much to go on I’m afraid. I can only hope that you are able to find something that the others have missed. I am aware of the fact that you are… one of ‘those’ ponies,” she says hesitantly. “I have no problem with you operating in my city. I have never had anything to hide from my sister. Feel free to go wherever the investigation leads you. Aside from information on Babs, you will also find inside that envelope a writ stating that you are working directly for me, and to allow you access to anything you need in my name. Consider it to basically be a key to my city. Turn over as many rocks as you need to bring Babs home safely,” she says, steel in her voice.

I regard the envelope in my hand gravely. I spend a few moments considering my response. With her of all ponies, anything I say at this point will bind me, so I chose my next words carefully.

“Your highness,” I say in measured tones. “I will of course do everything in my power to locate Babs. I’m sure by now that you’ve been advised on the fact that in most cases, when a pony goes missing in your city the body is made... unrecoverable.” I hesitate over the last word. One doesn’t simply tell their ruler that most of her missing subjects are turned into food for the carnivorous citizens that she is trying to integrate into her utopian society.

Luna looks at me sharply. “I am quite aware that my city has recently developed a ‘rat’ problem. Rest assured that extraordinary efforts are being made to quietly root out and remove ALL of these vermin from my city. I knew before ever inviting the carnivorous races to join my utopia, that they would continue to have the need for meat, but that meat need never have been that of a sentient race, of ANY kind.” She says, her voice rising with anger.

Even without my special gift, I could tell that she was serious. I would really hate to be the ‘Butcher’ in the near future. “Your highness, I would consider it a great personal favor if, when you find that rats nest, you might offer me the chance in helping you with your... extermination efforts.” Her eyes met mine. Looking into her sister’s eyes was like staring into the sun itself. Celestia’s radiance was blinding. But looking into Luna’s eyes... It was like looking into infinity. There was a dark beauty there, a grace, and a strength that could be frightening. Oh crap... I was getting horny. What? I can’t help it, I’m attracted to strong mares. Fuggeddaboutit...

“Done,” she says with a satisfied smile. Apparently whatever she saw in my eyes met with her approval. “So how do you plan-” she began to say but my head jerked back in alarm.

No, this wasn’t an expression. My office is shielded with alarm spells, set to trigger depending on certain situations. The ringing in my head told me instantly that hostile magic was being used against me. No time to think. “Princess, we’re under attack!” I yell throwing myself into her and trying to teleport to the other side of town.

Now teleportation magic is something of my specialty, well that and destruction magic, levitation magic, tracking ma- look, lets just say I’m good at magic. Well, trying to teleport the princess was like trying to teleport Naga Parbat... Aww c’mon, you know... famous mountain in the Camelayas? Sheesh, what are they teaching in schools nowadays. Point is, she wouldn’t budge, and by extension neither could I. I stood there, by her side as a ring of explosive devices suddenly appeared out of the air encircling the inside of my tiny office.

Buck me. I’m going to die. I closed my eyes, and waited for the end. I had enough time to think. “This is it. I’m REALLY going to die. But... I don’t WANT to die. There are still things I never got a chance to do. See the world, write the great Equestrian novel, Triplets, I never got to bang triplets, oh buck me! Now I’ll never get to marry Derpy, all those wonderful muffins... gone.” I interrupted my own mental diatribe. “Why am I not dead? Shouldn’t I be dead? Maybe I should open my eyes... But then the bombs will see me and go off.” “Shut up you bucking moron, and stop panicking...” the more rational part of my mind insisted, “‘then the bombs will see me’, by the gods, you can be so stupid sometimes, open your eyes, you bucking idiot!”

I cautiously opened my eyes. I was still standing next to Luna, the ring of bombs still surrounded me in mid air. I un-cringed and looked around me in awe. The were moving, slowing dropping from the air, but incredibly slowly. Luna’s doing, has to be. WOW!

“Sorry to interrupt your teleportation spell. But I thought we could gather more information, by examining the threat, rather than it’s effects. This isn’t the first assassination attempt made on me since my arrival.” She says, as she walks closer to the nearest explosives. “Crude looking,” she says. “I think this was more of a warning than anything. There isn’t enough explosives here to ruffle my mane, let alone kill me.” I look around at the ring of ten explosive packages, each with enough power to level half this building. I try to come up with something clever to cover the fan pony awe I feel at this moment for the princess standing by my side.

“Well, I really appreciate you not letting them destroy my office. Insurance is high enough as it is in this neighborhood.” I say, as I move a hoof toward one of the devices. I noticed the crude mechanical timer on it’s side as it strains to click over to the next second.

“I wouldn’t breach the field if I were you,” she says, staying my arm. “If you do, the spell breaks, and time resumes it’s normal flow. I’m afraid you will have to gather what information you can from here.” she says casually, as if she didn’t just save my life... again.

I put behind me another burst of panic at having nearly died again, as my training kicks in. She was right, these things were crude. The timer’s were purely mechanical, and the explosives were the type used in excavation. There was no way these were smuggled inside the city, Luna’s border’s were extraordinarily tight. And there was only one place inside the city they could have originated from.

“Undertown.” I say in conclusion. “These were taken from the mines below ‘The Shaft’.” I say looking back toward the princess. She was standing stock still. Frozen in shock. “What is it?” I say, becoming alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

At my words, she comes back to herself. “I was studying the magic they used to send these here,” she says. “I noticed something was odd about it. It is clearly a very crude version of a unicorn teleportation spell, but... but it wasn’t cast by a unicorn. Or, if so, a unicorn unlike any that has ever existed. No, the... thing that cast this spell is an abomination, it shouldn’t even exist.” She shudders to herself and falls back into her seat.

What the bucking hells? Unicorn spells only work with the magic of a unicorn’s horn. That horn acts like the ponaudio tower that sits on top of Luna’s castle. It focuses magic from deep inside a unicorn’s body. No other creature can use unicorn spells, it just isn’t possible. I glance around me as a flicker of light catches my eyes. All the explosive devices begin to go off at the same time. I watch in morbid curiosity as they explode in slow motion. Like flowers made of fire, their blossoms open and begin to expand outward. Luna rises once more, and with a wave of her hoof they all vanish.

Curiosity got the better of me. “Where did you send them,” I ask.

Luna gives me a very evil grin. “Let’s just say, that it will no longer be necessary for me to gather fleas for my sister’s next birthday.”

Oh... Buck... Me... “I suppose I am going to receive a letter in the near future.” I say falling into my chair, rubbing my temples.

“I would expect so,” the princess says, her smile turning impish. “Oh, and when you do, please ask Sunny how that new diet is going... you know, since her secret cake room has just undergone radical renovations.”

My jaw falls open. “No... you didn’t... no, NO WAY... Not the CAKE room! It’ll be war! She’ll muster the legions! Fire will rain down from the skies! This place will be a flat plane of rubble strewn with salt! She’ll-”

“Just have Discord fix it.” Luna says, interrupting my panic. That’s three panic attacks in one day. This princess seems hells bent on trying to give me a heart attack. Freow! And all this time I always figured it was the OTHER one that was going to be the death of me.

“Please keep me informed on the progress of your investigations,” she says calmly, as she removes several candles from her clutch, and passes them to me. I hold one up. Midnight black, with tiny silver stars. Well, no way I’ll mix these up with Celestia’s.

“Of course,” I say, regaining my composure, as I escort her to the door.

She turns to me before she leaves, “oh and be sure to put out all these candles you’ll be using before you go to bed Johnny, playing with fire can be very dangerous.”

The thought skitters across my heart for the barest of instants that the princess of the night may have just flirted with me.

“You do know how to properly extinguish a candle don’t you Johnny?” She says, with that tiger’s smile again on her face, “you just purse your lips together, and blow... on... the... wick.” And with that the door closes, and I’m left with my own thoughts.

Chapter 3

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Chapter 3
When You Go Looking for Trouble...

I waited the space of three heartbeats before I made my way back to my desk, and fell back into my chair. I’ll say this much for the princess, she knew how to make a lasting impression. I took a sip of my coffee, now cold. I didn’t care, even cold it’s still the best coffee in the world, and I could feel it’s caffeinated goodness cutting through the ebony fog left by my guests final words.

I regarded the slim envelope before me, but before I opened it, I took out a notepad and replayed the princesses visit from start to finish in my head. One of the things you have to learn as a detective/spy is to be able to spot what ISN’T there. The first thing I noticed was that the princess had traveled here alone. None of the Night Watch was with her. The Night Watch were originally her royal guard, but when she moved to the city and took over, she expanded them into her policing force as well. There was an academy adjacent to the royal palace. The best of the best were assigned to her personally, the rest were assigned area’s of the city to patrol, they worked out of stations that were set up throughout the city. I have to give her credit, it was a good set up. The law abiding citizens felt safe seeing them on patrol, and the less than honest ones were at least somewhat deterred from plying their trade openly.

But none of the Night Watch were with her. That meant that this little endeavor was off the books. Which tells me that Luna was having trust issues with somepony. A fact worth remembering. Another little piece of evidence that supported this was that although she said she wanted to ‘hire’ me, no mention of payment was made. The moment she slid me the note from Celestia, I knew this was going to be on her tab and not Luna’s, but it also lent credence that Luna wanted no record of our little visit to be on any of her books.

Next came the explosives that were used. Even if I didn’t have a photographic memory spell sealed to my foreleg (among others), a pony just doesn’t forget what death looks like when it’s hoovering before his eyes. The bombs were crude, my earlier assessment was spot on, they were excavation explosives used in the mines. But I had noticed something else. There were scratch marks all around the timers and casings. Something with claws, who was unfamiliar with using those timers had been the one to set them. Which oddly enough ruled out my first choice of suspects, diamond dogs.

Diamond dogs, like earth ponies, made up one of the majority of species that immigrated to Luna’s city. Luna’s idea of treating every species as an equal had greatly appealed to them, and many others who had been treated, shall we say, LESS than well in the past. Whole packs had been hired at fair wages to different jobs throughout the city, but the majority signed up for what they did best. Digging. Luna had chosen her city well. Miles deep beneath it there were large deposits of copper and tin, as well as gemstones, and other metals. But copper and tin were what she wanted, so that she had a steady supply of bronze with which most of her steam powered technology was based. Iron and other metals corroded under constant exposure to steam, and silver and base copper were too soft. But the alloy bronze was perfect, not only was it cheap and plentiful, thanks to the mines, but when shined, it was quite beautiful as well. Before long, the elegance of bronze accents had begun to show up throughout the city, wherever it could replace other metals. Some ponies inside the city were already calling it the city of bronze, instead of the city of night.

So when the diamond dogs found out there was a need for miners, and that they would get paid with a generous portion of the gems they unearthed, the packs signed up in droves. Before long they had excavated their own living spaces underground, which they were allowed to use rent free. Not long after, this network of caverns became known as Undercity. Luna was quick to make it known however, that Undercity was still a part of her kingdom. And that all of her rules and guidelines would still be enforced. Some of the toughest and most experienced members of the Night Watch patrolled Undercity, but surprisingly it had one of the lowest crime rates in all of Luna’s domain. Gradually ponies came to understand that most diamond dogs just wanted to be treated with the respect shown to every other sentient species. There were some bad eggs of course. But that could be said of any race, especially ponies. Still, old prejudices took time to shake, and my first instinct when I saw those explosives was to think ‘diamond dog’. But say what you will, they knew there business. And none of them are clumsy when it comes to explosives, that’s a fast track to retirement... permanent retirement. So I was pretty sure our would be assassin wasn’t a member of their race. That left what? Eight or nine others that I could think of off the top of my head. Not really narrowing the field much.

Feeling like I had exhausted that line of thought, I finally opened the envelope Luna had given me.

The first thing I extracted was the writ she spoke of. True enough, it gave me clearance to go wherever I wanted, and even to confiscate whatever I deemed as ‘evidence’ in regards to my investigation. All nice and legal, with her royal seal. Oh, yes, there was temptation here. For a moment I felt like Trottum with the ‘One Ring’. “Ah, my precious,” I said, stroking the gold filigree of the paper for a moment, before removing the rest of the contents. There wasn’t much here. A bio and a picture of Babs, some photos of her apartment with notes attached. A list of relatives, coworkers, and friends. A name on the list caught my attention. Someone I knew by reputation. I’d have to pay her a visit later.

I took out the picture of Babs and studied it. Nice looking earth pony. About late twenties in suntime years. Something about the eyes, she’d seen some things. Tough, smart, could take care of herself. At least that was what my gut told me. I looked though the bio. Lived alone, moved here from Manehatten three years ago suntime. Worked as a waitress at an upscale place called 'La Carrousel'. Gah, I hate Prance style cuisine. Clean record, never got into trouble. But something didn’t fit. I was having the whole ‘why was she here’ vibe. There was something I didn’t know. And I wasn’t going to find out what it was from here. Time to hit the streets. Oops, almost forgot...

The last thing I did before leaving my office was to reluctantly check my messages from the boss. I always hated doing this when I haven’t for a few weeks. All it takes is for me to accidentally miss just one of her messages, for her to start bombarding me nonstop with missives. Which, considering the fact that these candles were supposed to be for emergency correspondence only, seemed to me to be the height of hubris.

But, after all, she WAS the boss, and also I couldn’t help but feel at the same time, that she must be lonely. Add to that the recent destruction of her cake room, and I couldn’t help but feel obliged to make a call to her as soon as I could, which meant now. I proceeded to open each of the drawers in my desk in a certain order. After I closed all but the last one I heard a familiar click as one of the secret compartments of my desk slid open. This particular one contained a supply of Celestia’s special white candles. I removed one, as well as a white gold candle holder from the drawer.

Normally what I was about to do, I usually did from the comfort and security of my apartment. But I had the feeling that home would be a long time coming today. I placed the candle in it’s holder, and lit the wick. It was only a matter of seconds before the first missive arrived, followed a moment later by a second. I decided to wait until the flow of messages stopped before I began reading. I was pretty sure that most of them said about the same thing, except of course the most recent. I wasn’t looking forward to THAT one.

Then suddenly, after the fourth message arrived, a huge gout of flame erupted from the candle and an expensive looking office chair appeared out of thin air and rolled across the floor on it’s tiny wheels, finally coming to a stop on the other side of the room.

“What the hells?” I found myself saying aloud, as I stared wide eyed at the now unmoving piece of furniture.

I got up and made my way toward the chair, as more messages continued to arrive by candle flame. I had to admit... this was one gorgeous chair. Genuine manticore leather with deep cushions, and an assortment of levers designed to make it adjust to almost any position. It was quite possibly the most beautiful piece of furniture I had ever laid eyes on.

Was it a gift? Did Celestia send me a token of appreciation for all of my tireless efforts, and long years of devoted service? I was just reaching out a hoof to stroke the backrest when the smell hit.

“BLEEECH!” Oh by Celestia’s Bountiful Breastplate that was just... straight... nasty... Gahh, it was like a civet cat was doing the ‘bump n yowl’ with a skunk on a pile of rotten garbage. What the hells kind of present was this?

I went back to my desk. The messages had stopped appearing. Starting with the first one I began to skim the contents. As I thought, most of them were just fluff, with a few useful bits of intel sprinkled in. Then I got to the fifth one.

Dear Mr. Too Busy To Write Me Back,

Don’t know when you’ll get this, but sorry about the chair.

I accidentally ‘butt messaged’ you by mistake.

You see, one of my guards, Root Beer Float had recently showed me this trick where you can light your f-”

I slammed down the letter onto the table... REALLY?!? I forced myself to count to ten. Then I flipped the paper over to the blank side, and began writing.

Dear Smellestia,

You mean to tell me that out of all of your agents, and all of your students, you just happened to ‘randomly’ pick MY candle to use for your backfire experiments?!? REALLY?!?

Well, just so you know, I am totally keeping the chair. Expect a fumigation bill for reimbursement in the near future.

P.S. And you wonder why I don’t check my candle more often? Who wants to take the chance of being randomly assaulted with smelly office furniture.

P.P.S. Btw, what the HECK have you been eating? Cabbage stew with a side of onions and garlic? DANNNG!

P.P.P.S. Aww, you know I don’t mean it. That IS a pretty cool trick. (Still keeping the chair though).

Sincerely,

Tegens Meum Capistrum

I lit the letter and sent it off, and jotted down a note for Ori for tomorrow. ‘New chair in my office, DON”T throw it out, just pay someone to have it cleaned. J.A.’

Then I quickly went through the rest of Celestia’s correspondence. The next to the last letter was her warning that her sister was coming, and why. And the most recent was the one I had been dreading.

Dear Soon to be Dead Underling,

If you can spare a moment from your busy schedule, I would be very curious to know just why exactly, ten explosive devices were teleported into my refrigerated private cake room... DIRECTLY FROM YOUR MOTHERBUCKING OFFICE!

Thanks to you I now owe Discord a favor. Do you have ANY idea what THAT means?

You have exactly ten minutes to give me the best damn explanation of your life before I activate your death runes. HAVE A NICE BUCKING DAY!

Sincerely,

Nine minutes and counting...

I checked the time stamp on her message and looked frantically at the wall clock, then added the time difference for inside the city and I still had... FORTY-THREE BUCKING SECONDS?!? AHHH! I quickly turned the page over and wrote as fast as I could,

Dear Sweetest, and Most Beautiful of All the Alicorns,

It wasn’t me! Luna did it! I swear!

Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a motherbucking cupcake in my eye!

Really, really, don’t want to die atm, still working on your case.

Please have Pinkie Pie make you an MMMM on me,

Sincerely...

hoping you can read this really fast.

I fired off the message as fast as I could, and tensely waited, looking at the clock.

As the final seconds ticked away and I found myself NOT enduring a horrible lingering death, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Moments later one final message appeared.

Dear Loyal Subject,

The lesson we have learned today, is that one should always make a little time to talk with those we love and cherish. Because one can never be sure how many opportunities we may have left to do so.

After all, no pony lives forever, especially those that make a habit of PISSING OFF THE BOSS!

Sincerely...

Looking forward to that MMMM.

P.S. And it was extra spicy Appleloosan chili, if you really must know.

I slowly began rubbing my temples with my hooves. This was the life I led. If the bad guys aren’t trying to kill me, my boss is trying to kill me. Gods, Twilight didn’t know how lucky she had it. I was sorely tempted to reach in the OTHER drawer of my desk. The one containing a fifth of very hard cider, which usually came into play after reading letters from the boss. But I was on a case, and the legwork wasn’t doing itself.

I spent a few minutes destroying the messages, and putting everything up, before I donned my dark gray trench coat and fedora and hit the streets. By the time I got outside a light rain had begun to fall. Unlike in the outside world, there weren’t a lot of pegasi that chose to make their home here, so short of a major storm, Luna just let the weather take care of itself. I made it in time to catch the local steam bus. I settled into a warm, cozy seat in the rear, and let the ‘chug, chug’ of the steam driven pistons lull me into a state of relaxation. I looked out the window and by the light of the passing street lamps, I watched as ponies, and other beings went about their nightly routine.

This was something I could spend hours doing, just watching. (Gods, not like that you pervs.) It gave me hope for the future when diamond dogs and changelings walked down the street past ponies and zebras, and none of them even noticed each other. People, were just people here, no matter what their species. I couldn’t help but think that Luna was on to something with this whole set up.

Before long the steam bus arrived at the corner of the block that Babs had her apartment on. I went to the front desk, and told the manager I needed the key to her place. In a glance I knew his type. Sour and self important. This was HIS building, and he was the ‘man in charge’. After the morning I had, I didn’t feel like playing the ‘mine is bigger than yours’ game, so I just flashed him the writ from princess Luna. Heh, that did it. Suddenly he’s all smiles and apologies, and ‘is there anything else I can do to be of assistance?’ I was so very tempted to ask him to hop on one foot and sing the anthem of the Crystal Empire... you know, just to see if he’d do it. I mean he DID ask... but I had a lot of stops to make, and despite the joy it would give me, I just didn’t want to waste anymore time. I let the frog hop back on his lily pad, and made my way upstairs to Babs’s apartment.

I carefully removed the black tape with yellow stripes from the door, unlocked it, and let myself in, turning on the lights as I did so. The place looked the same as in the pics, everything all neat and tidy. Babs had even made the bed before whatever happened to her. I didn’t waste time going through the same motions as the Watch. Luna was taking this seriously, so I was sure their wouldn’t be any slip ups. Instead I came at it from the angle of ‘what if this were MY place’. Devious bastard that I was, let’s say I had something to hide. Where would I put it. Hmm... The three places all people think of are ‘in’, ‘under’, or ‘behind’. Which is why I didn’t look under the furniture, behind the pictures, or in the toilet, mattresses, or seat cushions. The Watch would’ve already done that. Let’s see now, Babs was an earth pony, so no teleporting something inside the walls, or flying up to the ceiling fixtures. If she did hide something, it would be somewhere she could get to quickly if she had to, but somewhere the Watch wouldn’t have thought to look.

Then it hit me. Babs was from Manehatten. I went to her bedroom closet, sure enough, several sets of fancy looking shoes and boots were in the bottom. I picked the set that looked like it had the most use, turned them over and checked the heels. I was expecting one, but two of the heels were false. One had a key to a safe deposit box, and the other some spending money. No pony that has lived for long in Manehatten carries their bits around in plain sight. No, what you do is put a few in a cheap coin purse, so that you’ll have something to give the nice mugger when you are invariably stuck up. If you don’t have anything for the nice mugger, then ‘bad things’ will happen to you. Best to just pay a small ‘mugging tax’, and let the matter drop. If you have to carry money in Manehatten, you do what this street smart young pony did. My opinion of her went up a notch, as I added the key to my key ring.

I spent another hour casing the place in case Babs left any other surprises, but came up bust. I put things back the way they were and left, replacing the tape across the door. My plan was to let Ori dig around tomorrow to find out which bank that safe deposit box key fit. My next stop tonight, would be where Babs used to work. I returned the door key to the manager, who was still at his post. While I did, I got directions to 'La Carrousel'. Turns out it was only four blocks away. I exited the building and pulled up the collar of my coat, and decided to just walk there. I had only gone two blocks before I picked up a tail. No, I said ‘a’ tail, not a ‘piece of’. I meant that I was being followed. And badly. Some pony was about twenty paces behind me, and every time I stopped so did he. And when I made an excuse to turn around, he was pretending to read a newspaper. Honest to Celestia he really was. Gods... The next side alley I came to I casually went into, then as soon as I was out of sight, I quietly teleported five paces behind him. He was a pale coated earth pony, with a black stringy mane. His cutie mark was hard to make out at this angle, but seemed to be a book of some kind.

As soon as he went into the alley, I tapped him on the shoulder with the barrel of my M.I.S.P.P.L. “Looking for someone pal?” I asked, leveling the gun at his face.

My would be stalker whirled around in surprise. He saw my gun and backed up against the wall next to him.

“W-what... um, n-no, I was just going for a walk.” he said

“Riiiight.” Sweet Luna, I was not in the mood for this. “Okay, just to save us some time, let’s get the obvious out of the way. You were following me, and you suck at it. You were walking while trying to read a newspaper. Who does that?”

“Perhaps I like to read on my way home.” The pony answered defensively.

“You were trying to read a newspaper, while walking down the streets of Whinnyappleous... IT’S BUCKING NIGHT!... IT’S ALWAYS BUCKING NIGHT!” I yell, stating the very obvious.

“Well, I just hold it there until I pass under a street light.” he says unconvincingly.

“You’re wearing sunglasses.” I say.

‘Well, my eyes are really sensi-” he begins.

“IT’S... BUCKING... NIGHT!” I yell again. “Oh screw this!” I say in exasperation, as I press the trigger on my M.I.S.P.P.L. three times. Three quiet chuffs of steam erupt from the muzzle, and a hole appears in the wall behind him on either side of his head and one between his legs.

This finally has the desired effect.

“Okay! Okay! Yes, I was following you. I admit it! Now please put the hole making thing away, I can’t help but feel that it enjoys it’s job far too much.” The pony says with a shudder.

“Oh, you have NO idea.” I reply, a feral grin spreading across my muzzle. “So let’s just cut to the chase shall we? Who in Equestria are you, and, on a more personal note, how can you possibly be so completely inept at following people?”

“Ah, well you see, um, both questions actually have the same answer,” he said, his muzzle breaking into a shifty grin. “You see... I’m the distraction.”

I suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of my head, and then I was falling, as the night went out...

Chapter 4

View Online

Chapter 4

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of…

I leapt from one rooftop to the other. The city sprawled out below me, streetlights glittering like glowing diamonds in the mist covered streets. The night air was cool, but I couldn’t feel it. My entire body was covered in a living ebony carapace. Nannysprite technology they called it. Millions of tiny nanosprites, all linked together, all telepathically controlled by the large one on my back, it’s needle like fangs piercing my spine, linking my thoughts and nervous system with its own. I scanned the rooftops thought my sprite eyed black helmet, looking for heat signatures I could never detect on my own. I continued my search, effortlessly jumping from one rooftop to the next with my strength enhanced armor. There, two buildings away, nearly a dozen or so heat signatures. Six ponies, two diamond dogs, a minotaur, and two something else. Not sure what, but they were huge, and radiating heat like a furnace. With a grunt of effort, I activated my suit’s chameleon mode, and shimmered into invisibility before silently teleporting downwind of the gathered beings.

I boosted my hearing slightly. Yeah, there he was, Axle Grease. Most notorious gang lord in all of New Buck city. He was standing slightly in front of the other five ponies, facing the minotaur who was flanked by the two diamond dogs, further behind the trio were the hulking forms of the two other heat signatures, hidden by the shadow of a neighboring skyscraper. The minotaur was passing Axle Grease a large briefcase, while Axle Grease was passing a smaller case back in return. If my intel was correct, there was no way Axle Grease could be allowed to leave this rooftop with that case.

I mentally ran through my options. I could try for a snatch and grab. Run in stealthed, grab the case and teleport to safety. But that meant leaving both parties alive, just to do this all over at a later date, when I might not be able to find them. I could take out the leaders with a couple well placed shots from here. But that would risk the case hitting the ground, and the chance that the contents would spill contaminating the whole area. I didn’t have a big enough bomb to take out everyone, well not and be sure all the contents of the case were atomized. Ah, who am I kidding, I knew how I was going to handle this the moment I landed on the roof. I teleported behind the shadow of the stairwell that led to the lower floors. Quickly I told my suit to cease it’s chameleon mode that made me invisible, and then activated the secondary which allowed me to disguise myself as any of my preset aliases. For all intents and purposes, I looked like a naked earth pony, albeit, in my opinion, a very handsome one. Pulling one of my many false ID’s from a rear pocket of my suit, I held it before me as I boldly stepped out of the shadows.

“Everybody freeze! I said, as I walked into view. “Equestrian Special Service. You are all under arrest!” This met with the expected results.

After a moment of stunned incredulity, both Axle Grease, and his minotaur counterpart gestured toward their respective groups, and I now had over half a dozen crossbows, and dart guns leveled at my body. Two unicorns in the rear of Axle’s group were using their magic to maintain a shield around the whole roof top.

“No worries boss,” the taller of the two said. “Ain’t nothing getting in or out of here. The roof is secure.”

Axle Grease set down the case, and slowly approached me, looking me over as he did so. Perfect.

“I have no idea what you thought was going to happen,” he says sneering at me with disdain. “But you are obviously very new at this. Now drop any weapons you got hidden on you, and get down on your knees. Me and my associates have a few questions we’d like to ask you, and we’d BETTER like the answers.”

“Well, it’s pretty plain to see that I’m unarmed,” I say, making a show of turning around in place, “and it so happens that I also have a few ques-“

“ARE YOU DEAF?!? I SAID get DOWN on your KNEES!” Axle roars, losing his temper.

“Okay, in the first place, there’s no need to shout. I’m standing right here. And in the second place… I’m not you’re momma last night!” I shout back before vanishing from sight.

“Where’d he go? Did he teleport?” one of the goons says.

“No way,” the tall unicorn replies, “This place is sealed tight, and he’s an earth pony. He must be invisible somehow, maybe a preset spell he triggered.”

“I’m on it!” The other unicorn says, bathing the area with the light of his horn.

I smile to myself as the light passes harmlessly across my armor. He’s using a magic nullification spell. Too bad my suit is organic, and isn’t using magic of any kind. Not like I knew more than a few basic spells anyway. A deficit I hoped to remedy in the future.

A warning sounded in my mind from the controlling sprite on my back. I didn’t have much energy left in the suit, I’d better make this quick. Nannysprite tech is a wonderful thing, but it’s powered by my body. The little sprites eat all the sweat and dead skin, etc. from my body and use it for fuel. When there isn’t enough to go on, they can, in times of dire need, draw sustenance from the control sprite on my back, which in turn feeds directly from my body though those two needle like fangs sticking into my spine. This is a last ditch option however, because it will rapidly deplete the users energy reserves, and in extreme cases can be fatal. Personally I avoid the ‘life tap’ at all costs. It scares the hay out of me having a giant bug eating me from the inside out, brr. No, best to just finish this quickly.

I dance about invisibly between ponies and dogs with practiced ease, tapping them in passing with my claws, each of which contains a powerful poison. Nothing fatal, but strong enough to put an Ursa Minor down in agony if I needed to. Before long however my poison reserves had been depleted, and I still had the two unicorns, and Axle Grease to go, as well as the two huge beings that still haven’t moved from the shadows. What the buck was that all about? They didn’t even flinch when I put their boss minotaur on the ground screaming in pain. They just stood there.

I got another warning from the bug on my back, only thirty more seconds of stealth before it would have to life tap me. I quickly made my way to the two unicorns, and used the last dregs of poison in my claws to put them down. It was a gamble taking them out first, but Axle Grease was an earth pony, and as long as I was between him and the stairwell, he had no way out.

With both unicorns down, I used my magic to teleport the case that I had been keeping my eyes on throughout the entire fight over to a nearby roof top. With ten seconds to go, I dropped my cloak. I was standing in front of the stairwell, the light of the full moon bathing me in all it’s radiant glory. Axle Grease stared at me in wide eyed terror.

I knew what he was seeing. A shiny black carapace in the shape of a pony. Two oversized luminescent eyes staring eerily toward him. These were the eyes of my control bug, which made up part of my living helmet. It was so disturbing watching them move from my back up over my head, each time I put this suit on.

I spoke, and when I did, mandibles on either side of my muzzle moved in response.

“Axle Grease…” I said in dark chilling tones.

“Uhhh,” the terrified earth pony said, as I slowly made my way toward him.

“You lost.” I said, stating the very, very, obvious.

“Uhhh,” he said once again. By now I was close enough to see him trembling. Trembling so hard he could barely stand. By the Gods, I was eating this up.

“And now, I am going to wring ever last secret from your mind…” I say, grabbing him, and pulling his face inches away from my chitin encased muzzle.

“Ahhhh…” he says weakly, unable to even scream.

“By... eating… your… BRAIN!” I intone, in a voice straight from the depths of Tartaros, all the while clacking my mandibles menacingly.

I watch as Axle’s eyes roll into the back of his head, as he falls to the roof top, unconscious. I have only a moment to grin to myself before something smashes into the side of my head, knocking me halfway across the roof.

“UNACCEPTABLE!” a voice bellows at me, as one of the two figures advances toward where I have landed. The other one scoops up the unconscious form of Axle Grease like he was a baby colt and with a mighty leap sails off into the night.

I shake my head to try to get it to stop spinning, as I feel the vibrations beneath me. A steady thooom, thooom, thooom, as the other creature makes it’s way toward me. Now freed from the shadows, I can make out the creature clearly. It was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, it looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. What lips it had were tattered and bloody. Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, it gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.

I read about one of these in a training manual… What was it? Big Hoof, Sasquach, Yeti, no that wasn’t it… I barely dodge in time as a massive fist impacts the space where most of my body occupied a moment before, I manage to focus enough to teleport to the other side of the roof, but the effort causes a spike of fiery pain to lance through my head. Crap, concussion. Can’t risk using magic again, without the risk of permanent brain damage. As the creature turns and sees where I have gone, the memory in my brain finally sparks. By the beauteous black buttocks of the night goddess!!!

WENDIGO! Oh, I am SO bucked!

Wendigo. Cursed cannibal creature of the north. Strong as a Yeti, bloodthirsty, vicious, and able to track it’s prey almost anywhere. I try desperately to focus enough to teleport, but the pain causes my vision to become spotty. It was between me and the stairwell, so that was out. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, I was going to have to FIGHT it. I nearly lost control of my bowls at the thought. Then realizing what I was wearing, I did so anyway. A second later a voice in my head told me that power levels were now at thirty nine percent. I made a mental note that if by some miracle I survived the next ten minutes, that how I recharged my armor at this point was NEVER going to go into my report.

Although all this happened in a matter of seconds, the wendigo was almost on top of me again as I used my augmented muscles to leap high in the air, executing a perfect double flip which would land me behind the beast where I planned to buck the legs out from under him. (That’s buck like an apple tree, not… never mind). Unfortunately what actually happened, was that the wendigo jumped into the air, caught me by my rear leg, and proceeded to smash me repeatedly into the roof like a toddler with his first Wonderbolts doll. My armor did an excellent job of keeping me from going splat, but the concussive force was scrambling my brain like an egg.

Just as I was resigning myself to a rather inglorious death, the roof below us gave way, dumping us down into the apartment below. As fate would have it there was a wall partition between where myself and my dance partner landed. I ended up belly flopped into a large porcelain bathtub, and the wendigo was in the room adjacent roaring in pain for some reason. As I tried to rise to my hooves, a familiar voice spoke to me in my head.

“Got an idea boss.” The command sprite said into my mind. “Wendigo’s track by scent.”

“Yeah, so?” I sent back.

“Wendigo doesn’t have YOUR scent. Only mine.” He sent back.

This was true, the nannysprite suit was completely self contained.

“Get out of me boss, and turn on the water, and go hide in the back room. I’ll take care of the rest.” The command bug said confidently.

I instantly knew what he was planning. I hated it. I told him so emphatically.

“C’mon boss, there’s no other way, and no time to argue… haul hooves!” The bug insisted.

He was right, I could hear the wendigo in the next room, finally rising to it’s feet. I only had seconds.

“I-I’m sorry,” I say through the link, then I quickly shed my armor.

It rests limply in the tub for a moment, then it fills itself out into the shape it would be had I still been wearing it. I turn on both water taps, and plugging up the sink, I turn it on as well. As I turn to leave one of the arms raise from the suit. I clasp it in farewell. As it lets me go I find a small parasprite in my hand. Far too large to be a nanosprite, I realize in a moment what it is. An infant command bug. A child of the one from my back. Fighting back tears I make my way into the back bedroom from the door opposite the one the wendigo has begun to tear off its hinges. I hear a roar of rage, as it steps into the room. Then through the cracks in the door I see a flash of blue, and smell the scent of ozone. Then the floor shakes as the body of the wendigo crashes down upon it.

I slowly open the door. On the floor of the bathroom in an ever increasing pool of water is the still form of the wendigo. In the tub is the charred remains of my nannysprite suit. It fed on as much water as it could, then released all of it’s energy in the form of a massive electrical discharge, killing them both. Numbly I made my way out of the bathroom, down the hall, and through the living room. In the kitchen I found what I was looking for, a bottle of very hard cider. I never had been much for drink, but I needed one now. I sat the little sprite on the counter, and poured myself a tall glass.

“I’ll take one of those,” a voice as soft as midnight silk said over my shoulder.

I turned around, and there before me was Luna, princess of the night.

“W-what are you doing here?” I asked, my mind numb in shock. She wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t here bef- wait… “This is… a dream?” I asked, as things began to fall into place.

“Yes Johnny. A particularly vivid dream, I might add.” She says as she pours herself a generous glass, and begins to sip.

I look about the room, perfect in every detail. As swiftly as the thought forms in my mind, Luna speaks.

“This is more than a nightmare isn’t it Johnny? It’s a memory.” Luna says, not as a question, but as a statement of fact.

“Yeah,” I respond gulping cider, “a memory from one of my earliest days as an agent.”

“So,” she says, as if she had all the time in the world, and no other ponies dreams to visit. “Nannysprite technology. Want to tell me about it?” she asks casually.

“Ah, that would be after you went on your... um, extended vacation.” I say somewhat uncomfortably. “Celestia threw herself into all sorts of projects after you were gone. Between Discord, you, and other threats to the kingdom, she was frantic to explore as many options as possible to help keep her people safe.”

“Ponies safe,” Luna amended. “People implies OTHER sentient races.” she said sternly.

“Ah, yes, well then, um, ponies safe.” I say, trying not to offend her. “In any event, one of the discoveries that one of her biologists made, quite by accident, was during his research into ways to control parasprites. He found that parasprites communicated telepathically with one another, and swarms of them shared a kind of ‘hive mind’. Also that their size was largely determined by their environment. She had set up a farm governed by some of her most empathic earth ponies who began specialized breeding programs with parasprites. My former suit was one of the results. It’s parent had been cross bred with certain other species to breed in the desired traits. The large bug on the back was the ‘Nanny’ so to speak, and telepathically directed all the millions of tiny ‘nano’ sprite drones, that linked together to make up the suit. I called him ‘Bob’, he was my partner... he was my friend. My only friend...” I say sadly, taking another gulp of cider. Suddenly an odd thought weasels it’s way into my fore brain. “Luna, why exactly am I suddenly telling you classified Canterlot information?”

“My, my, you caught onto that. I’m very impressed. Simply put, you are in a dream, and in the world of dreams, I make the rules. Up until your assignment, I never looked closely at your thoughts, well, no more so than any other pony in my city, but since you are, in essence, working for me at the moment, I took it upon myself to keep an eye on you when you fall asleep. It seems I was justified in doing so.” She says, not at all appearing to be upset. In fact, she seems rather pleased with me for some reason.

“Well, since I seem to be forced to be so forthcoming, I should probably tell you two other things.” I say, pouring myself another cider, and fighting hard to sound casual. By my teacher’s turgid tushy, the last thing I need is Luna wondering what ELSE I may know.

“And what might those be,” she asks in return, sounding equally as casual.

“Well, in the first place, Celestia abandoned all sprite research after a visit to Ponyville some years back. It seems a certain Pink Party pony accidentally pointed out a huge glaring vulnerability in her tech, in the fact that parasprites lost control of themselves when subjected to varied sonic oscillations.”

“Beg pardon?” She says, raising one elegant eyebrow.

“Music.” I simplified. “Parasprites becomes slaves to music. Celestia was quite surprised to see the basis of her latest battle armor being led out of town by a prancing Pinkie Pie proudly playing a parasprite polka.”

“Would you care to repeat that three times very fast?” She asks, a twinkle of merriment in her eyes.

“Not especially, no.” I reply. “In any event, although the Princess covered it well, secretly she was quiet upset, and made up an excuse to cut her visit short. After she left she quickly paying a visit to the head pony of her parasprite R & D department. Then after saying... um... ‘not nice things...’ she told him to scrap the project entirely. Then she reportedly spent the rest of the afternoon in her cake room... in consultation with captain carrot cake and the marzipan militia. By all accounts, she then lost the battle with will power, but won the war against baked goods.”

Luna smiles at me, a crescent of amusement. “I see now why my sister shows you so much favor, you’re verbosity is a breath of fresh air. Hmm, but what of the second thing you wished to say?” she asks, as she raises her glass to her lips.

“Ah, as to that... Well you do realize that when I wake up, I will have to report to your sister any and all information that you have taken from my mind.” I state matter-of-factually. "Threaten me you may, but this is part of my job, and I have no leeway. I'll have to tell her."

“No, actually you wont.” She says sipping her cider daintily. “When you wake up, you will forget this entire conversation ever happened... Just like the last time.” she adds impishly.

“Last time?!?” I say in alarm my head jerking upright, my ears erect.

“Kidding, kidding. I’m only kidding. This is the first time we have talked like this.” she says, throwing up her hooves in mock surrender. “Although, I must admit, you do have some interesting thoughts rattling around in here.” she says with a feral grin.

Thinking of that, my most recent memory returns to me.

“Wait a second. Before I fell asleep... I was tailing a pony. Or rather he was tailing me. I lured him into an alley, and started to question him, then I felt a pain in the back of my head, and everything went dark. I was suckered.” I forced myself to say. No sense denying the truth.

“Perhaps,” Luna says calmly. “But for you to be here means you are still alive. Whoever did this wants you alive for some reason. Have you learned anything new since last we spoke?”

I quickly fill her in on where I had been, and a description of the pony I was following. I tell her my conclusions about the explosives, and was just about to mention the name I recognized on the list when everything started to fade away.

“Looks like you are waking up Johnny. I wish I could do more for you. But if I don’t hear from you in the next twenty four hours, I’ll start a pony hunt for you, and fill in my sister. Good luck Johnny! Oh, and since you won’t remember any of this, I must admit to finding you to be a VERY fascinating pony.” She says, that feral grin returning. Those are the last words I hear from the princess, as I struggle back into the world of consciousness.

Chapter 5

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Chapter 5
An Offer I Can’t Refuse

The first thought I had upon waking was to wonder how exactly did the drum section for the Canterlot Philharmonic manage to fit inside my head. The follow up was to wonder why each of them were playing Throughbred Zeppelin’s ‘Pony Trick’ drum solo all at the same time. Both of these thoughts became moot however once I opened my eyes and found myself staring down the barrel of some pony else’s M.I.S.P.P.L.

Yup, now I was fully awake.

“Mr. Appleseed,” a voice said from over my shoulder. “So glad you could join us.”

“It seems I wasn’t given much choice.” I reply, not looking away from the goon with the gun. He was a pegasus with a sickly green coat, and a dark red mane. From they way he was sitting, I couldn’t make out his cutie mark. He lacked the usual slack jawed continence of your average goon. No, this one was alert. Crafty. I’d have to watch this one. The voice behind me spoke again.

“Please forgive my associates for their rather clumsy invitation to join us. I would have much preferred to go through more civilized channels, but time sadly is of the essence. And there is too little of it to spend on making and keeping appointments.” The speaker finally moved into my line of sight as he walked over to a small writing desk, pulled out a chair and sat facing me.

He was a pony... I think. But a really really large one. Quite possibly the fattest pony I have ever seen. Look, I mean this guy was big. Like ‘I save money by going to buffets every day’ big. Put it like this, each gesture he made took an extra minute for the wobbling to stop. That at least explained his rather deep, although wheezy voice. I caught a glimpse of his cutie mark before he sat down, it was of two scrolls wrapped in a red ribbons. A moment later, another pony entered the room bearing a tea tray which he placed before that large guy. Him I recognized, he was the one who was tailing me... my ‘distraction’. I turned my attention back to the pony with the gun.

“This is going to go a whole lot easier if your friend would find another place to put his toy.” I said, as I scanned the room I was in. It was an upscale place. Good furniture, nice rug. This was good. I probably wasn’t going to be shot here. Had I awoken to say, an empty warehouse, or the back of a cart out in the country, I’d be a bit more concerned. I guess this means Luna was right. Wait Luna? Why would I think that? Something... something in the back of my mind, I almost had it, but my train of though was derailed as the fat guy spoke again.

“I couldn’t agree more. Blackjack, please put away your weapon. I wouldn’t want Mr. Appleseed to get the wrong impression. After all we are all civilized ponies here. Care for some tea Mr. Appleseed?” He asked.

“No thanks,” I replied. “And you can call me Johnny, Mr.- ?”

“Gutson, Canasta Gutson” he replied. “I believe you already met my associate Mr. Rook, and the gentlepony in front of you we just call Blackjack.”

“Charmed,” I say, inclining my head. Now that I had my wits about me I had already figured out half a dozen ways to safely deal with this situation, from the pedestrian idea of just teleporting home, to the more intense dismantling the entire room and everypony in it (except myself of course). Not that I had any intention of doing either, it just gives me comfort to know that I had options. No, these guys wanted me here for a reason, and I wasn’t going to leave until I knew what it was. Time to show off a bit. I cracked my neck and rose to my hooves before speaking.

“All right Mr. Gutson, I will assume that all of your names are aliases, considering that none of your cutie marks resemble cards. You said your time was short, so let’s see if I can help to move this along. You wish me to retrieve something. An artifact of some history, and you need me to do it quietly, off the books. It’s here in the city somewhere, and you have already exhausted all the purely legitimate means at your disposal, so now you are getting desperate.

“H-how? How could you have known all that?” Mr. Rook asks, his face a mask of shock.

“It’s my job Mr. Rook.” I say, pacing the room. “Mr. Gutson, for example. His cutie make indicates a scholarly life, but his size, and the fact that he is a pony of refined taste, as evidenced by his choice of tea, and tea service, says that he is by no means poor. One might suppose a dealer in antiquities? One could further assume by his choice of companions that these dealings are not always on the right side of the law. You Mr. Rook on the other hoof, are NOT accustomed to these types of things. Judging by your pallor you don’t see the sun much, and since none of you three are natives to this city, one can assume you stay indoors more often than not. Seeing your cutie mark is that of a history book, and that you are associating with Mr. Gutson here, I deduce you to be a researcher, perhaps for a museum. My guess would be the Canterlot Natural History Museum. As to the rest? Simple logic. The fact that you are after something, and want me to find it is the reason you knocked out, and coltnapped a detective instead of killing him. The fact that a museum researcher and an antiquities dealer are both here in person, means that it’s quite old, quite rare, and quite valuable. The fact that your desperate is obvious, by your method of getting me here. And the fact that you are on a time table indicates that some pony else is involved, that is after the same thing. How am I doing so far?”

From his seat Mr. Gutson begins applauding, not a particularly pretty sight as the flab under his forelegs jiggles madly with each clap. Of course I could have told them the real truth... that I bribe a pony at the border checkpoints every week to inform me every time a pony of interest enters the city. Thanks to the photographic memory spell rune on my leg, I knew exactly who they really were. But doing things this way not only made me seem more impressive than I was, but also just seemed to be more fun.

“Bravo, Mr. Appleseed! Bravo! Ah, I mean Johnny of course.” He says correcting himself, as he pours another cup of tea. “Well, I must admit, you are correct in all particulars, but what about Blackjack? You seemed to have overlooked him.”

“Oh? Well, he’s just a goon. Muscle. A gunsel. No one important.” I say, waving a hoof dismissively over my shoulder, not bothering to turn around. I know what I’d see, one really bucking mad goon. Good.

“Quite.” Mr Gutson says, squeezing a wedge of lemon over his cup. “But very useful, you have to admit. A pony in my position isn’t often required to do his own legwork. No, better to hire somepony suited for it. The right tool for the job. So far Blackjack has proven to be up to the task.

And now Johnny, we come to the crux of the matter...”

Mr Gutson rises to his hooves and begins to pace the room. I can only hope that wherever we are that it’s on the ground floor, otherwise any pony in the rooms below must think there is an earthquake going on.

“Johnny you brought yourself to our attention when young Blackjack here spotted you going into the apartment of Miss Babs Seed. Naturally we wasted no time in finding out exactly who you are. Much to our surprise it turns out that you may be exactly the type of pony we need to conclude our business in the wretched town of darkness.” He says, glance out the window into the perpetually darkened streets.

“You see Miss Seed used to work as an associate of Mr. Rook. It was while she was on a visit to see her old friend in Manehatten, a little over a weeks ago, that she first deduced the value of the um, object in question. Mr. Rook had recently come into possession of certain artifacts acquired during an excavation at the ancient Palace of Two Sisters. He had asked Miss Seed her opinion on several of them during her visit. Apparently she recognized one of the pieces for what it really was.

Later that night the museum was broken into, and the artifact was removed. When Mr. Rook tried to contact Miss Seed the following day, she was nowhere to be found. Eventually we learned that she had immediately fled back to this city. One can only assume that she had made contact with a buyer somewhere in the city, and had made plans to make a sale. Unfortunately, as best we can determine both herself, and the object in question have gone missing. This, as they say, is where you came in.”

“I’m beginning to understand.” I said as the pieces fell into place. “You believe that whoever hired me, is this ‘buyer’ you are referring to. You think that between the three of you that I am the one most likely to track down this maguffin of yours, and when I do, you want to be the one to buy me off.”

“A rather crude, but accurate summery, Mr. Appleseed. What do you say?”

“I want five hundred thousand bits, as a ‘finders fee’ for your little object, plus daily expenses, and freedom to do things MY WAY. That means no tails, no shadows, and no more knocks on the head. You might damage a finely tuned instrument... on my skull.”

Mr. Gutson didn’t even blink. “Done. But why, may I ask did you agree so quickly? I would assume my... competition’s offer would be somewhat more... substantial, than what you have just proposed.”

Sweet Celestia’s sun bonnet! Five hundred thousand bits and not so much as an eye twitch? What the hay am I into here? I had hoped to outrage the pony, distract him with some haggling, perhaps get a few more details obliquely. But it looks like I was going to have to play the hoof I was dealt. Time to pony up.

“To be honest Mr. Gutson, I was only hired to find the dame. No mention was made about your little bauble. So in that regard you would be the only one I would be doing business with. I assume you have no real interest in the pony herself, other than locating said bauble, so I don’t really see a conflict of interest. That being said,” I lean forward and look directly into his eyes. “What is it?”

“Indeed sir? Gutson says in mild surprise. “Well, I must say I find that to be somewhat of a relief. Perhaps she has yet to make contact with whomever she intended to sell the object to.”

“What... is... it?” I repeat slowly, enunciating each word, and adding a touch of impatience.

“Mr. Rook, as it is your area of expertise, could you please give ah, ‘Johnny’, a brief history lesson?

Inwardly I groan, as Mr. Rook visibly warms to the topic he is about to launch into. I so hate lectures. And lectures about ancient relics are about as boring as they get. I briefly consider asking Blackjack if he’ll hit me upside the back of the head again, but decide against it... Because I’m pretty sure he would.

“Mr Appleseed, how much do you know about Princess Luna’s history before she became Nightmare Moon?” Rook inquires.

“So there’s a Princess named Luna?” I say by way of reply, causing Rook to facehoof, and earning me a long suffering glance from Gutson. Much as I enjoy being annoying for annoyance’s sake, I had an actual reason for being flippant. Now he should be more focused on the topic at hoof rather than rambling on about every little thing ever minor noble did to goad Luna into her bid for power. I mean really, it’s a dead topic. Luna came back, Luna got better, her sister forgave her, let’s all move on.

“Mr. Appleseed,” Mr. Rook says with obvious disdain, “in the interest of not overburdening your mind, I’ll be brief.”

‘Perfect’, I think to myself.

“During the years before Luna’s transformation, both she and her sister had occasion to acquire themselves pets. As immortals, they didn’t want to go through the loss of a companion after a relatively short time, so they both decided to get a phoenix as a pet. They found two, one of red and gold, the other a nightfire phoenix of purple and black. Celestia named hers Philomina from ‘filia luminis’, or ‘daughter of light’, Luna named hers Philautemnox from ‘filius autem nox’, or ‘son of night’. He being a male pheonix, Luna simply called him Phil.

Shortly after Luna’s transformation and banishment to the moon, her pet phoenix became unconsolable. He would fly frantically about her former master’s room setting everything ablaze, or would sit for weeks at a time continouesly going through his molt cycle.

Celestia, could not bear to see her sister’s pet in such agony, so she placed a stasis spell on him, intending to revive him when and if her sister were ever returned to normal. She placed Philautemnox in Luna’s room on a perch at the foot of her bed. And insured that her room and possions were never to be disturbed.

Unfortunataly in the months following, those of Luna’s royal guard, the Night Watch, who had still remained loyal to their princess, broke into her former quarters and removed everything of value. They and other loyalists fled to the island of Mareta which lies to the south of Bitaly. There they attempted to rally an army to stage a coup, and force Celestia to return their princess to them. This of course failed miserably, and the island was raided, which ended in many arrests.

But despite all of this, the phoenix as well as many other of Luna’s personal belongings, were never recovered. One lone prisoner had this to say upon his interrogation.”

“The phoenix Phil, represents all that we stand for, the eventual rebirth of our beloved princess’s reign over all of Equestria on the night she returns to this world. You shall never find him, for he has been disguised to appear as any normal statue, and he and thousands of other lookalikes have been shipped across all of Equestria! Search all you want sun worshippers, but the symbol of the Night Goddess will forever be beyond your grasp.”

“Oh by the goddess!” I say in disgust, interuppting the researcher’s diatribe. “Are you honestly going to stand there and tell me that what you three have been after all this time is the legendary Maretese Phoenix?!?” They all look at me, their expressions unchanging. “You have got to be kidding me. It’s a myth! An old mare’s tale, it doesn’t exist!” I say rising to my hooves, and facing Gutson. “I thought with the exception of Blackjack here, that you were ponies of rational intelligence. You can’t honestly expect me to believe that you came all this way chasing a fairytail?”

“I assure you Mr. Appleseed,” Mr. Gutson says, no trace of levity in his voice, “that we are quite serious.”

“Among the artifacts uncovered at the Two Sisters dig, where several large chests marked with the symbol of the Night Watch,” Rook interrupts. “Upon opening them, the items inside match several of the items depicted in Luna’s bedroom on various paintings and portraits. We now believe that the Night Watch never actually removed her possessions from the castle grounds, but instead simply buried them, planning to unearth them again after their princess returned.”

“You know, you could simply take them to Luna herself for confirmation.” I say as an offhoof remark.

“Don’t be insulting,” Gutson fires back. “Any attempt to officially verify our findings would result in the immediate confiscation of everything we have discovered so far.”

“And that would result in a massive lack of profits for yourselves. Not to mention putting yourselves in a difficult spot with your buyer, whom I assume is funding your little adventure at the moment.” I say.

“Quite. Our buyer, although very generous when one meets with success, is not one to be very forgiving of failure.” Gutson says wiping his brow. He’s been standing for five minutes now, he must be close to exhaustion.

“So you honestly believe that the phoenix exists. And you believe that somehow Babs recognized it, and brought it here. And this is what your willing to pay me five hundred thousand bits, plus expenses to find?” I ask, making sure I have the terms down.

“Yes Mr. Appleseed. Five hundred thousand bits, plus whatever expenses you require to find, and deliver to us, the Maretese Phoenix.

Unbelievable! And I thought diamond dogs were stupid. If word gets out about this I’ll never live it down. I’m a legitimate, moderately well respected detective, Gods, what would my peers say? I might as well start the search for Al Capony’s Vault while I’m at it, or Blackbit’s pirate treasure.

“All right. I’m in.” I say, reaching out and shaking Gutson’s hoof. What? It’s half a million bits! I’d paint myself blue, wear a couple of pasties, and fly around pretending to be Rainbow Dash for half that much.

I concluded my business with them shortly after that. I didn’t trust any of them of course, and they’d be a fool to trust me, but I thought we could manage to do business, at least on the surface. Providing of course, that I could somehow manage to turn up a mythical object. On that note I teleported home, and poured myself a tall cold glass of cider. I turned on the ponaudio, and went to fetch a couple of candles, one white, one black, and some parchment and my quill. I intended to find out right up front just what kind of wild phoenix chase I just agreed to.

Hey, Gutson just said I had to BRING him the phoenix. If it does exist, I had no intention of letting him KEEp it. For one thing, neither one of my bosses at the moment would be very happy if I let THAT bird fly the coup. And for another, I used to have a pet once my own self. A cute little kitten named Scraps. I know how I felt after I lost him...

(Gods I loved that kitty. But one day I came home from school and Mommie told me that he accidentally fell down our well, and went thru a portal to kitty heaven where the mice are slow and fat. I had no idea up until then, that the portal to kitty heaven was at the bottom of our well. I remember the one time I decided to go after him. Sheesh, did mom pitch a fit. She explained that the portal only worked for kitties and that I’d just drown instead. Seems like I spent years trying to learn that stupid metamorphosis spell. Never could manage cat... I wonder if the portal is still up? Oh never mind, back to work...)

It was just about time for one of my favorite shows on the ponaudio, there were many Luna themed shows out there but this one was my favorite, it’s a story about a rich unicorn who had witnessed the brutal slaying of her parents as a foal, and devoted herself to fighting crime dressed as a batpony. As the opening theme to ‘The Dark Knightmare’ started to play, I began composing my letters to the princesses.

Dear Princess Celestia, (the other of course said Luna),

Today I was solicited by three ponies under the aliases of Canasta, Rook, and Blackjack. They apparently saw me while I was investigating Babs’s hotel room. They were also seeking our missing pony, not for herself mind you, but for an artifact they believe to be in her possession. They offered me an inordinately large amount of money, for acquiring them said object. They indicated that their unnamed buyer would reward them handsomely for success, or punish them terribly for failure. This situation may, or may not be related to her disappearance, and or the attempted bombing that took place in my office. Although I could see how this object would be worth a great deal of money to a collector, and how that might be a motive for kidnapping Babs, I can’t see how bombing my office during Princess Luna’s visit, comes into it. But still, I can’t ignore the possibility that the two events might somehow have been connected.

Now to the crux of it. These three ponies have convinced themselves, that somehow Babs has got her hands on the Maretese Phoenix. Yeah, I know, laugh all you want. But they honestly believe it to be real, and that it was unearthed outside the place of Two Sisters from some Night Watch chest that was buried in the ground.

Now as crazy as all of THAT sounds, these guys are actual artifact fences working out of the Canterlot Natural History Museum. I’m going to slow play them until I am able to weasel out the name of their buyer, but I wanted to make you aware of them in any event.

That’s all at the moment.

Sincerely,

wishing I COULD give them the bird... (but, you know... hooves)

I flared off the messages as the first commercial break came on. Before the announcer had finished telling me how vitally important it was for me to buy his cereal (Bunches of Honey’d Oats, or something like that), the first of two letters appeared, followed closely by the second.

I read Celestia’s first.

Holy Bucking ME!

They found it? They actually think they found it?!?

Listen you, do NOT buck this up! If that bird is in that city, FIND IT!

I hereby authorize everything. Blow your cover if you have to, use your alpha rune if you have to, you are officially off the chain. If that bird is in Luna’s city, find it! And for the love of me, DO NOT under ANY circumstances mention any of this to Luna. It broke her heart when she came back to the castle after the six restored her to normal, only to find out what happened to Phil. We cannot risk raising her hopes, just to dash them again if this turns out to be false. I’m serious here, keep your bucking muzzle shut.

P.S. I sincerely hope for her sake that you can, in fact, find her pet. It would mean the world to both of them to be reunited. Succeed in this task, and I promise, that I will finally grant you the one thing that you have always been hounding me about. Fail, and then you’d better pray to somepony higher than me, that Luna never finds out a thing about it...

Sincerly,

Celly

I look at the other letter that has arrived. The one with Luna’s unmistakable seal on the outside.

Oh buck me...

Chapter 6

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Chapter 6
Me and My Shadow

I was in the office early the next first night. I’d like to say it was because I’d went to bed early and gotten plenty of sleep. But opposite day still wasn’t a legal holiday, so I couldn’t. I sat at my desk, Luna’s letter open before me, as I waited for Ori to arrive. She always showed up a half hour before I usually did. She’d come in, put the coffee on, scan the papers for any items of interest, and set up my schedule, such as it was, for the day. She should be in any minute. To pass the time I read Luna’s letter one more time, any hope that the words had changed somehow were quickly dashed.

Dear Johnny,

I am both shocked and overjoyed to receive your missive. It’s obvious that all of the faith my sister had placed in you was justified. In only one days time in your hunt for our missing pony, you managed to find a lead on a case that has been cold for over a thousand years. I’m sure by now you have received some correspondence from my sister to verify that yes, the Maretese Phoenix does indeed exist. Judging from the fact that she has so far failed to contact me, I can only conclude that she doesn’t wish to raise my hopes against dear Phil’s recovery. I would imagine she has instructed you to do the same.

That being said, I cannot tell you how happy I am that you have chosen to make me aware of the situation. Rest assured I will not mention this fact to my sister, nor will you be put into a position where you will be forced to chose what information goes where.

This is because I have decided that, due to the increasing importance of our objectives, you shall no longer bear the sole responsibility of completing your assigned task. I am assigning you a partner.

Now I know you may harbor some misgivings over this, but let me assure you that the pony I have in mind will in no way hinder your efforts. She is, in many ways, just like you. Consider her to be my version of one of my sister’s operatives. I will let her debrief you tomorrow. Expect her in your office at the start of your day.

Also, to be clear, although you will be her superior in this operation, she will report directly to me. From this point forward, anything you have to say to me, you can say to her. She has already been briefed about her status, and has been ordered to follow your lead in all things, unless directly ordered otherwise by myself. I expect you two will get along just swimmingly.

Sincerely,

Luna

I put down the missive as I hear the outer door open. Noticing the lights are on, Ori makes her way into my office.

“My, somepony’s here early.” She says with a smile. “Have a busy day yesterday entertaining the royalty?”

“Ori, you don’t know the half of it. Pull up a chair, but not the fancy on over there, and I’ll fill you in.”

Ori casts a curious glance at the chair in question, as I quickly bring her up to speed on the events of the last twenty-four hours.

She whistle’s appreciatively. “You sure pack your day full of minutes boss. So I’m guessing you wanted to tell me a few things before we lose our... privacy?” She asks, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Our ‘guest’ should be arriving shortly. And Ori was right, there were several things I needed to talk to her about before Luna’s spy... I mean, my new partner, arrived.

I dug out the key I found from Bab’s apartment, and gave it to Ori, and told her what I wanted done. Then I told her the name of the pony that I recognized from Bab’s list of associates and friends, and had her begin a search for her current whereabouts. The last thing I told her about was the chair. Yes, I’m keeping it, and yes I wanted it cleaned, preferably today.

I had just settled into my first cup of coffee, and had begun examining the first night paper that Ori had brought in with her, when I heard the door to the outer office open once again. I glanced up at the clock. Nine on the dot. A moment later Ori walked into my office.

“Johnny, I believe the pony you were expecting has arrived.” She said, an odd look on her face.

“Send her in Ori, we might as well get this over with.” I say in return, placing my paper aside.

No sooner had Ori cleared the door, than the pony in question walked in. Surprisingly, it was a she. She was tall for a mare, almost my own height. A unicorn, like myself. Her coat was a dark storm cloud gray, and her mane was black as midnight. She wore a stylish black dress with petticoats of the type that was currently the rage in Whinnyappleous. She was lithe, and walked with confidence. She worked out, you could tell by the way she moved. And then there were her eyes. There was unshakable confidence there. An almost mocking pride. She was arrogant. Hmm, Luna said she was one of her agents, obviously not a desk clerk this one. Certainly not hard on the eyes.

She sat down without waiting to be asked. No manners on this one either. They must take lessons from their boss.

“Mr. Appleseed.” She says, extending a hoof in greeting. “I was sent her to assist you by direct order of Princess Luna. I assume you were expecting me?”

For a brief moment I considered kissing the extended hoof, but I somehow doubted that old fashioned chivalry would go over well with this one. Instead I settled on a brief hoofshake.

“Indeed,” I say in reply. Luna did inform me to expect your arrival this morning Mrs...”

“Moonlight Shadow.” She says.

“Charmed. And please, just call me Johnny.”

“Very well, in that case you may call me just Shadow.”

“How apropos.” I say in return, “since you will be my shadow for the upcoming endeavor.”

The faintest of smiles quickly flits across her muzzle.

“Mrs. Shadow, may I be completely honest?”

“I would hope for nothing less,” she says leaning forward attentively.

“Mrs. Shadow. According to this,” I gesture briefly at the missive from Princess Luna, “you were sent here to be my partner for the duration of this case. To be frank, I neither want, nor need a partner. And even if that wasn’t the case, I cannot, despite whatever level of competency you posses, consider you one.” I hold up a hoof to forestall any protest. “Allow me to finish please. A partner in my profession is a being you trust implicitly. Someone whom you are willing to place your life into their hooves without a moments hesitation. That level of trust has to be earned over along period of time, and no decree, from no matter how high a source, can alter that fact.

I acknowledge the fact that we both have to work together on this case. And I will share whatever information we uncover equally between us. That being said I have neither the time, nor the inclination to school you in my methods, or shepherd you out of harms way. I will assume that as my counterpart, you already understand the dangers of this city, and I expect you will be able to take care of yourself if a situation arises. I also expect you to follow the letter of Luna’s request in that you don’t go off on your own, and that you will follow my lead, and not step out of line. This is my investigation, and I fully expect you to handle things MY way. Do we have an understanding Mrs. Shadow?”

I look her directly in the eyes during my diatribe. Her expressions tightens, as I continue. By the time I am finished I can tell it is taking much of her self control to maintain her decorum.

“It’s Miss.” She says.

“Beg pardon?” I say momentarily caught off guard.

“It’s Miss.” She repeats. “Miss Shadow. I detest the word Mrs.. It makes you sound like you have a muzzle full of bees.” She says before smiling mischievously.

Well I’ll be a son of a mule. SHE was studying ME the whole time. By the goddess, I think she’ll do.

I smile back in return. “Of course Miss Shadow, I shan’t make the mistake of misjudging you in the future.”

“Oh I rather doubt that.” She says in reply, in a voice that makes my heart jump just a little. “So, shall we go over what you already have? I have the report Luna gave me, but I’d like to hear whatever insights you may have, as well as what you think our next move should be.”

I spend the next few hours going over almost everything with her. I say almost, because I have a hunch about something, and I’m not about to trust somepony I just met, especially not another spy. She listens attentively, asking all the right questions. She’s done this before. Well, at least Luna didn’t stick me with a rookie. I look at the clock and see it’s almost what outsiders would consider ‘noon’.

“Care to grab a bite?” I ask.

“I could eat. What did you have in mind?” She says in return.

“La Carrousel.” I say, grabbing my coat.

“Ugh, I hate Prance cuisine. Could I twist your leg and talk you into a hayburger?” she asks back.

My opinion of her goes up a notch. “Not this time I’m afraid. La Carrousel is the place our missing pony was working at up until her disappearance. I think we should drop in.” I note a brief look of disgust on her face. “Fine, There’s a ‘Five Ponies’ on the way, best hay burgers and fries in town.” I say holding open the door.

I stop at Ori’s desk on the way out. She hasn’t got back from the errand I sent her on. I leave a note on the desk explaining where I was going, and then Shadow and I hit the streets. ‘Five Ponies’ is only two blocks away, so we just walk there. We take our orders out to the steam bus stop and make small talk while we nosh. By the time the bus shows up, we’ve finished our meal. The bus is packed this time of day and the only two seats available are separated by two rows and on the opposite sides of the isle. I let Shadow take the front seat, as I setting in the back next to a zebra couple holding a small colt. He sits on his mother’s lap fast asleep as she gently rocks him in her hooves. The father has his head in a book. Something about genetics on the cover. Looks thick and dry. Give me a sci-fi or fantasy any night.

I take a few moments to discreetly observe Shadow. Despite her designer dress, she looks perfectly at home on a crowded bus filled with the rank and file. I can’t help but feel that she’d look that way no matter where we were. Part of an agent’s training was to do just that, look like you belonged. I try to imagine what sort of training she’s had. Couldn’t be like what I went through, she still looks sane.

My thoughts drift back. All the way back to Celesta’s School for Gifted Unicorns. It was a totally different world. I was so green back then. All I wanted was to be the best in the class. But that wasn’t going to happen. No, no matter how good I was, Twilight was always just a little better. Oh sure, I developed faster in practical application, but when it came to magical theory, and spell matrices, she had me hooves down. I suppose it was inevitable that we’d develop a thing for each other. That night in the library, that first kiss...

It was then that I noticed Shadow staring at me. I must have been looking at her this whole time. I blushed furiously, looking away. Goddess, where did that come from? A moment later the bus came to a stop. Our stop. I quickly got up with Shadow and the others and made my way outside.

We could see ‘La Carrousel’ from here, just a little ways up the block. We began walking toward the restaurant. I felt compelled for some reason to explain myself in the bus, just as I was about to speak Shadow’s name an explosion threw us from our hooves.

We shakily got ourselves upright. The restaurant we had been making our way towards was on fire. All of the glass of the windows and doors lay shattered across the street outside from the force of the explosion moments before. Neither of us said a word as we began to sprint toward the front of the building.

A steam bus that had been passing by the front of the restaurant had taken the brunt of the explosive force and had fallen on it’s side. Ponies had begun to crawl of the shattered windows and onto the street to join other ponies that simply stood there dazed and bleeding, obviously in shock.

As I turned to issue instructions to Moonlight, I noticed that she was no longer by my side. Up ahead I saw her poke her head out of the damaged bus, as she handed up an injured pony into the waiting hooves of a former passenger on the edge of a window frame. I shook my head in disbelief. Teleporting into an unknown situation, and a barely perceived location? Was she insane?

She was just climbing out of the bus as I passed it by, heading into the entrance of the ruined restaurant. Tirek having a throw down with Sombra couldn’t have caused as much devastation as what I saw in what was left of the dining area. I carefully made my way through and over piles of flaming debris as I moved toward the kitchens. I had been prepared for the worst, but surprisingly there were no bodies in the outer area. Apparently they must close after the lunch rush to prepare for the first night crowds.

The kitchen area was another story. Judging by the blast pattern the explosion must have occurred somewhere back there, and the force of the blast having nowhere else to go blew outwards through the front taking out the thin divider wall from the kitchen and the dining area. It must have been one hell of an explosion to decimate the dining area and still have enough force to turn over a bus.

I started to step through the opening in the blown out wall, and then paused one hoof still in the air. What I saw before me was something I hoped to never see again. The sight of those that were dead I took in stride, my job didn’t allow for anything less. It was the living that were still in that room...

‘La Carrousel’ employed a large staff. Waiters, waitresses, chefs, sous chefs, assistants, and gophers (the ponies that went and fetched things, not the actual animal.) Not to mention the various others required to keep a restaurant afloat in a sea of competition. To carry that analogy one step further, it looked like the competition had come about and put a full broadside across her hull. The few survivors were sinking fast.

There were bodies everywhere. No, there were pieces of bodies everywhere. I was still frozen in the middle of the blown out wall. My body was in the present surrounded by flaming wreckage, the smell of blood and burnt flesh hot in my nostrils, but my mind was lost twenty years in the past. The classroom, the screams, the blood, so much blood, and Twilight... The look on her face as she stared at me. A mixture of horror and loathing. I knew in that instant, that she would never look upon me the same way ever again.

I was shoved from behind.

“What are you doing? Moonlight yells, “I can hear the screams from out in the lobby. Stop standing around and HELP them.” She says shoving me inside.

I stumble forward. My hooves step in a pool of blood. It’s warm. Moonlight pushes past me, going over to a mare missing a leg, her eyes wide in shock. Moonlight looks around frantically for the missing limb. Finally she locates it, but it’s been destroyed beyond hope of repair. She turns back to the stricken mare. She uses her magic to stop the flow of blood and seal the wound over. She looks back at me angrily. I haven’t moved since I entered the room.

“What are you waiting for?!?” She yells at me, her frustration and anger rising. “Hurry up and use your magic to help theses poor ponies. I can’t save them all on my own.”

“I can’t,” I say quietly, not meeting her gaze.

“What do you mean you can’t?” she all but roars back.

“I mean I can’t!” I shout back. “I’m not able to. I’m a render, not a mender, I don’t HAVE any healing magic!”

She looks at me for a moment. The disappointment in her eyes perfectly mirrors that of Twilight so long ago.

“Then what good are you?” she says finally, before turning away and moving to the next almost dead pony.

I look around at the living and the dead. The one rapidly becoming the other. As tears began to form I force myself to move forward. Nearby I see a rack of aprons that had remained mostly undamaged. I concentrate for a moment and rend them all to to tattered strips. I carry them in the air behind me as I move.

I force myself into detachment as I go from pony to pony. I may not have healing magic, but I know basic first aid as well as emergency field surgery. I had no tools except what I could improvise, but if I could save even one pony I knew I had to at least try. The first one I came to was missing an eye. He had half of a metal salad tong embedded in his shoulder. He was unconscious, but breathing steadily. I was glad he was out. This was going to hurt. I braced my hooves against him holding him down, and pulled the tong free with my magic. I let it bleed for a few moments since I had no way to sterilize the inside of the wound, then I packed it with apron pieces until the bleeding stopped, and bound it as well as the empty eye socket.

I moved onto the next one. She was a waitress, very pretty, but already dead, I shook my head sadly, and moved on. After her was a colt. He barely looked eighteen, an apprentice to a chef by the looks of what was left of his clothing. One leg was at an odd angle, and he had a deep long gash across his chest. He was looking at me and smiling, obviously still in a state of shock.

“Je suis sûr que ce ne est pas aussi mauvais que ça en al'air.” He says, grinning like a fool.

“Pas du tout,” I say in reply. “Mais garder avec moi pendant que je essaie de vous amener jusqu'à cousus. ”

I cast about looking for something I can use as a needle. The goddess must be smiling upon me because I find a whole kit of trussing needles as well as spools of cooking twine of various thickness. I pick the smallest of each, and levitate a bottle of cooking sherry from across the room over to the young colt.

“Excellente. Je ne pouvais vraiment utiliser un verre dès maintenant!” He says.

“Désolé ami, ce ne est pas pour boire. Je crains que cela peut piquer un peu.” I say in reply before pouring half the contents across the open wound.

“AHHHH! Putain, ce est pas comment on bénéficie d'un xérès...” he says, before mercifully passing out.

I use some of the sherry on the thread and go to work, making a neat row of close packed stitches across his chest, then I set his broken arm, using two wooden salad spoons as a splint and binding them with apron strips before moving on.

The next victim was a high ranking chef, you could tell by the height of what was left of his hat. It was missing half of the hundred pleats, that smart ass part of my mind that never fully shuts up wondered if that meant he could now only make fifty varieties of eggs. He was breathing heavily and clutching his side, a thin trickle of blood was seeping from his muzzle with every labored breath. I carefully unbuttoned his white double breasted jacket. Raising his undershirt I could see an ugly purple bruise along his side. I gently probed the area eliciting a gasp of pain as I felt around. Three broken ribs, likely punctured a lung. This I could not fix.

“Moonlight, this one needs you!” I shout, “punctured lung, broken ribs.”

She looks over at me, her gaze softening somewhat as she sees what I have been doing.

“Switch with me, the ones along this wall were farthest away from the blast.” She says as she hurries over. She’s smart, she puts me where I can do the most good with what I am able to do.

After thirty agonizing minutes the Helping Hooves finally arrive. They are Luna’s emergency response teams. They have their own customized steam buses which contain everything from first aid to field surgery as well as firefighting equipment and water tanks. Close behind them comes the Night Watch. I find the captain of the watch, and show him both my credentials and the writ from the princess. I persuade him to allow us to investigate the source of the blast before they come in with their own team. Whatever objections he may have had were washed away after reading Luna’s orders.

It doesn’t take a detective to find where the blast originated. It was just behind the kitchen proper in the small break area where the staff had their lockers containing their personal items. The coolers and freezers were on the other side and the thick steel walls insured that the blast was directed outward from here toward the front of the building. Even so the steel of the walls had buckled from the force of the blast attesting to just how strong the explosive was. Needless to say there was almost nothing left intact.

I consider my options. Before I can make a decision however, I decide to check something first.

“Moonlight, what forensic spells do you know?” I ask.

“Caballiopometry, hemotypografry, dactyloscopy, which is useless of course for ponies,” she says, “let’s see a spell to detect fibrous anomalies, the past/present spell of course, the luminescent fluids spell, also-”

“Past/present spell. Where you can use traces of the remains of a place to show us a vision of what things looked like in the past? That’s an extremely complex and difficult spell. You can cast that?” I ask, impressed despite myself, hells I sure couldn’t cast it.

“Yes of course. Give me just a moment to prepare.” She says her gaze becoming unfocused.

While she is getting ready, I go out and find the captain, and fill him in on what we are about to do. By the time we return, Moonlight is ready. She looks at me and I nod back and she begins the spell. After a few moments a ghostly overlay begins to form about the room we are in. Moonlight wrinkles her brow and the overlay begins to change. It takes me a second to understand what I am seeing. The overly of the room is showing events in reverse. As we watch the explosion moves backwards in on itself. After another moment the blast is sucked in to a familiar looking ring of underground explosives. The same kind that was teleported into my office, only this time there was no Luna here to save anypony. Time inches backwards, and we see the ring vanish, and what looks to be the manager of the restaurant close a locker and then back away from in toward the kitchen an empty box is floating beside him by the magic of his horn.

“Stop that image.” I say, as the scene before me comes to a halt. “Now play it forward slowly.”

Slowly the manager approaches the locker again and opens the door wide.

“Freeze it.” I say again, and the image ceases it’s movements.

I walk over behind the image of the manager and peer into the open locker. On the back wall of it is a picture, obviously taken from one of those photo booths. It’s a picture of a cream colored earth pony, and beside her with a hoof around her shoulder is Babs. Just like I thought. This was Bab’s locker. The manager was probably cleaning it out. Assumed since she hasn’t shown up or answered any calls that she must have quit.

I study the contents of the locker as best I can, not being able to touch anything. Her uniform hangs on the inside of the door. On the inner shelf lies a book about archeology. Nothing else in there that I can see. Hold on, there’s a business card inside the book being used as a book mark. I snort in frustration, it’s too far inside the book to make out anything. But then an idea occurs to me.

“Moonlight, run it forward, just as slow as you can.” I say, without bothering to turn around.

The scene creeps forward at a snails pace. Suddenly two small red lights appear at the back of the locker. After a moment I realize that they are from two tiny glowing red eyes, eyes that are not looking at me, but rather at the manager preparing to reach inside the locker. Suddenly the eyes wink out, and a now familiar ring of explosives appear in mid air. Without preamble they explode in a shock wave of slow moving death.

I ignore the disintegrating form of the manager as he comes apart from the blast, instead I focus all my attention on the book in the locker. I’m hoping to get insanely lucky. And for once I do. As the concussive force of the blast impacts against the locker, the book is jarred upwards, the card flies free, and I have less than a second to read it’s contents with my photographic memory spell rune before it is atomized along with everything else in the room.

“Okay Moonlight, let it go,” I say as her face relaxes and the room returns to normal.

“Well?” The captain asks expectantly, “What have you learned?”

“I’m sorry captain, that’s classified at the moment. I’ll let your department know as soon as I am able.” I say, knowing that this will NOT endear me to the Night Watch.

He scowl’s at me, but says nothing as I make my way out of the restaurant. Luna’s writ will keep him off my back, which at this point is a very good thing.

“I take it you found a lead?” Moonlight asks, trotting up beside me. “I’ll assume that you will be willing to share it with ME at least.”

“Of course,” I say as we round the corner, heading uptown, away from the carnage.

“It seems Luna wasn’t telling me everything.” I say, as we come to an empty steam bus stop.

“What do you mean by that?” Moonlight asks, a hint of iron in her voice. Hmm, somepony is very protective of her boss.

“I mean, that Luna never mentioned the fact that she had dealings with Babs.” I say in reply.

“What gives you that idea?” She asks, “something you saw in her locker? What was it?”

Before I can answer a steam buss pulls up. It’s side emblazoned with a familiar ad. I point to the ad, and smile grimly.

“That.” I say.

She looks over at the advertisement. A picture of princess Luna with her hooves around the shoulders of two competent looking scientists. “Night Industries R & D, Keeping your future bright, in the city of night.”

“Oh... buck.” She mutters.

Chapter 7

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Chapter 7
Revelations

Neither of us spoke as we entered the steam bus. The driver looked like he had something to say as he took in our apparel, bloodied as it was, but the glare I gave him made him change his mind.

Normally I would have just teleported us back to my office, but after the dregs of adrenaline had worn off I found myself spent both mentally and physically. It was that room. I knew that I shouldn’t be THIS tired. But the truth was I was still replaying events over and over in my mind, both those of today, and from all those years ago.

As we sat beside each other, listening to the chuff, chuff, of the steam engines, the images interposed themselves over the view of the bus’s interior. Blood, so much blood, so many pieces of pony. And Twilight, always Twilight, with that look of horror and revulsion on her face.

Nopony ever thinks about how quickly their life can change. That morning, all those years ago when a young colt woke up to a future as bright as Celestia’s sun, but before the evening was over, it would turn as black as a moonless night. This morning all that those ponies at the restaurant had to worry about were who would show up late, and how big the tips would be by the end of their shift. Now half of them would wake up in the hospital tomorrow, and the other half would never wake up again.

These were the thoughts running through my head right then. Not the case, or the clues, or the dry cleaning bill. Innocents had died. Again. And if I had done things just slightly differently, they would not have... again. All I had to have done was NOT cave in to Moonlight’s request for lunch. If we had just gotten there sooner, then I would have been the one to open the locker. I would have immediately recognized those explosives from the first time, and teleported them away. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Tartarus, I don’t know... All I do know is that if I had to chose between them and me, I would have chosen me every time.

I rub my temple with my hooves, and when I look up I find that Moonlight has been staring at me. Sheesh, that’s not at all creepy. I raise an eyebrow, as if to say ‘what?’. She answers my unspoken question.

“I-I’m sorry.” She says hesitantly. “What I said before, in the kitchen. You were just standing there, not moving... and all those ponies...”

“Just stop.” I say holding up a hoof. “I froze. You have nothing to apologize for. Seeing the inside of that room... It drug out a memory of a long time ago. One I keep trying to bury, but keeps finding it’s way back. That’s no excuse though, I froze. It’s like you said, ‘what good was I?’ If anything I owe you an apology, and my thanks for putting my head back in the here and now.”

“Is it something you want to talk about?” She asks, her voice soft and understanding.

She seems genuinely concerned, but I horde my pain like a dragon hordes treasure.

“No, but thank you. Let’s just say that some years ago I made a mistake. A mistake I can never undo. That room should give you a pretty good idea of the kind of mistake I’m talking about.” I lean back and rub my temples once again. “Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with me. Do you have any idea how many beings I’ve had to kill since I started as an agent?”

“One hundred and fourteen,” She replies deadpan. “It was in your file.”

I sigh deeply. “I was being rhetorical,” I reply. A small part of me notes that whatever her sources are, they weren’t able to obtain a copy of my ‘other’ file. Her total is woefully low.

“Sorry,” she says.

“Fuggeddabouddit,” I reply with my old accent. “Let’s just get back to the office, get cleaned up, and call it a day. We need to meet back up first thing in the morning. You and I need to pay a visit to Night Industries.”

“Um, about that,” she begins, caution creeping into her voice. “I really don’t think Luna would appreciate an agent of Celestia’s running around loose in her main research and development facility.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I reply. “But the fact is, the trail leads right to their doorstep. Also Luna gave me that nice writ to go ANYWHERE that has bearing on my investigation. Add to that, I’m getting pressure from my own boss to finish this case quickly. Bottom line, like it or not, that’s where we are going. If it helps, I can promise not to go snooping around any areas that are not related to the case. And I think you know I’m too much of a professional to blab any secrets to the public.”

“But you will still be reporting to Celestia.” Moonlight prompts.

“Unavoidable.” I retort. “I’m trying to go up the middle here, but Celestia is my boss, just like Luna is yours. If, in the course of my investigation I were to discover something that could become a potential threat to her kingdom, I have no choice to report it.”

“You always have a choice.” She replies in a quite voice, not looking at me.

The steam bus pulls up to our stop. I don’t say anything as we get out and make our way back to my office. By the time we get there I have made up my mind to tell her something about myself. Heck, I figure if we work together long enough she’s going to find out anyway, and maybe this way she’ll understand my position a little bit better.

We trot inside and I throw my coat and fedora on Ori’s desk. “Back in the bus, you said I always have a choice.” She looks up at me and nods. I take her hoof and place it on my barrel. Through my coat it only takes her a moment to feel the hard metal of a rune set under the outer layer of my skin. For a moment it flares a soft blue at her touch. “No Moonlight, I don’t have a choice. I gave up all my choices a long time ago.”

“A spell rune?” she asks in shock. It’s my turn to nod. Instead of pulling away she begins to trace her hoof across my barrel, it only takes her a moment to find the next one, then the next one, then the next one. She continues her explorations for a few more minutes. Her eyes going wider as she begins to recognize what some of them are for.

“How... how many? They seem to be everywhere.” She says as she finally removes her hoof. This is a shame, I was starting to really enjoy it.

“At this point around seventy-eight percent of my body is covered in spell runes.” I say as I settle back into one of the guest chairs.

“Seventy ei-... by the Sky Stallion! How could you endure it? Each one, melted into your flesh... that many... it must have been sheer agony! Is this what it means to work for m- Celestia?” she says in horror.

“Now, now, calm down.” I say, raising my hooves. “It’s not like I was forced or coerced. We are all volunteers. And it didn’t happen all at once. I had time to heal before the next one was added. Also, not all of them are permanent. Some she added to the base set as time went along. But the thing is, some of these spells are extremely powerful. Celestia isn’t foolish enough to just let us run around with them unchecked. If we want those spells, part of the price is a geas that we allow her to place on us. It’s different for each of us, but the bottom line is, that there IS a bottom line. If we cross that invisible line, our death runes will activate automatically, and then all that magic will cause our bodies to explode like the interior of that restaurant. We can also choose to self destruct if we are captured, and of course if she so chooses, Celestia can activate them at any time herself. As you can see, it’s quite the incentive to do our jobs properly.”

One look at Moonlight and I can tell she is horrified.

“H-how many others?” she stammers out. “How many more like you are there?”

“That’s classified.” I respond.

“But... why? Why would you allow something like this to be done to you? Surely you realize that the magics those runes hold, leak magic into your body. Not even the most sophisticated spell rune is one hundred percent stable. And that many runes. Your body will become saturated with conflicting magical harmonics. It’s a miracle that your body hasn’t torn itself apart.” She says, staring at me as if I might explode any minute.

“Let’s just say I have a work around.” I reply. “I am in no danger of exploding, at least not from that. And before you ask, no, I don’t plan on going into details.” I say holding up a hoof to forestall that line of inquiry. Assuming Luna’s agent is as trained as I am, then I had to be careful of making any off hoof remark. Sometimes Celestia loves me like a son, but she’d throw me INTO the sun if she ever found out I let any of her secrets slip out.

Almost as if she was reading my mind, Moonlight asks. “And you don’t think your boss will be upset when she finds out you have given away what could be a huge tactical advantage by telling me all of this?”

“Not really,” I say casually. “It seems to me that you’ll find out at some point regardless, given the direction our investigation seems to be heading. Also, at least in this endeavor, we are on the same side, and I feel a... ‘partner’, should know what to expect when the cow chips are down.” Partner. Gahh, I hate saying that word again. But really, it’s the only term that fits. Thankfully at least it isn’t permanent.

“I see.” She responds.

She sits there quietly for a few moments. I assume she is integrating everything she just heard into whatever her mission profile is. I don’t think for a minute that Luna told me even half the truth about her. For all I know her instructions are to kill me as soon as I finish this case. Which would totally suck... for her.

Finally she stands facing me. “Johnny. I just can’t figure you out. On the one hoof, you are cold and calculating, and almost relentless when in pursuit of your goal. Yet on the other, you have trouble when others are suffering. You’ve killed more sentient beings than half of Luna’s agents combined, but you freeze at a blood filled room. You are literally the equivalent of a walking magical bomb just waiting to go off, and yet you act like you don’t have a care in the world. Do you have any idea how much damage that much high level magic would cause if it all went up at once?”

“Yes, actually I do. You, on the other hoof, do not.” I say rising to my hooves as well. “I know down to the thaum, what would happen. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that it won’t. No innocent pony will ever be harmed by such a thing. That possibility has been eliminated.”

I say this last with finality. She needs to know I am serious, otherwise she might try to do something foolish. Like try to lock me away in some underground bunker until they can rip the runes out of my living flesh. That wouldn’t end well for any of us.

She studies me again. Time seems to come to a stop.

Finally she says. “I’ll have to report this to Princess Luna.”

“Fine,” I say. I expected no less.

“And the fact that you plan to visit Night Industries.” She adds.

“Do what you have to do.” I reply. “But if Luna decides she wants to try and do a quick tidy up tonight, and ends up ruining my chances to solve the case, it’s safe to assume that my boss will be very curious to know what could have possibly been so important as to jeopardize not only the chances of recovering her pet, but the life of a young pony as well. And it’s a safe bet that if she starts thinking down those lines that you’ll soon find your city full to the brim with ponies like me. Ponies you know nothing about.

So my ‘advice’ agent Moonlight Shadow, is to convince your boss to let me do my job with a minimum of interference. It’ll get me out of her mane all the faster.”

“When seeing the facts from your perspective, I am forced to conclude that you are correct.” She says ridgedly. “I will inform the Princess of your... ‘suggestion’,” she says as she makes her way to the door. “Expect me back here by nine o’clock. I’ll inform you of any changes the princess may wish to make to your plan.”

And without another word, she walks out the door, not quite slamming it behind her. I’ve put her on the spot with her boss. Good. I haven’t been thrilled walking a tightrope between Celestia and Luna ever since I was assigned this fools errand. Maretese Phoenix... bah. If it wasn’t for the missing pony, I’d tell them both where they can go looking for their missing bird. First clue... it’s dark. Second clue... it smells most recently of chili.

Hmm, speaking of which... I open the door to my office, and turn on the lights. In front of my desk is Celestia’s... I mean MY new chair. I trot over to it, lean in close, and take a hesitant sniff. Oh... smells nice. Not only cleaned and polished, but they added some of that spray stuff... what was it called? Fabreezy? Yeah, that was it. Well, at least one thing went right today.

I wasn’t about to ruin all the hard work that somepony did on my new chair by flopping down in it in my current condition. I was feeling rested enough for a teleport home. I needed a shower. And something to eat. And lots of somethings to drink. Time enough to test drive this beauty in the morning.

Nine firstnight came far to early for my liking. By the time I struggled out of bed I was almost late. I grabbed my spare duster and fedora, threw some oats in a bowl and teleported to work. Ori had a fresh pot of coffee waiting for me, and a fresh muffin was on my desk along with the morning news. I had made it with fifteen minutes to spare, so I quickly began eating while my eyes scanned the pages.

There was an article there about the restaurant. The Night Watch were quoted as saying the cause was an ‘accident’ pending further investigation. No mention of Moonlight or myself, or any pictures of either of us. Good.

At nine on the dot Moonlight arrived. She was wearing a new dress, still black. No hat this time. She seemed much more relaxed. Either the chat with her boss went well, or a good night’s sleep had worked wonders. I was more worried about the former, than the latter.

I drained the last of my coffee and stood up. “Ori, expect us to be gone the better part of the day. You have the bridge.” I quipped

“Aye, aye captain.” She replied, not quite stifling a grin. We both listen to the same shows on the ponaudio, so she got my Star Trot reference.

I didn’t want to waste the time it took for a steam bus to get us there, so as soon as we were out in the hallway I took Moonlight’s hoof and teleported us. Night Industries R&D was the last set of buildings you came to on Star Lane. The road continued forward from here to the main courtyard of Luna’s Castle.

I stood there for a moment, just staring up at the imposing edifice. Forever bathed in the light of the full moon, it was at once both beautiful, and intimidating. Whoever the architect was, he had manage to capture the presence of his mistress perfectly in stone.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Moonlight asked, at my side. “The spires, and minarets. It’s like a fairytale castle.”

“Indeed.” I reply. “To be honest, I always found the one in Canterlot to be excessively biased toward Celestia. It was a ‘sun’ castle. It’s nice to see her sister’s taste’s have a chance to be expressed.”

Moonlight looks at me oddly for a moment. “A surprising thing to say, considering who your master is.”

“I have NO master.” I say, a little more strongly than I intended to. “I have a boss, that I have willingly pledged myself to. You may think there is no difference, SHE may think there is no difference, but if she were to ever betray herself to her ponies, she would find out otherwise.”

“Like Nightmare Moon.” Moonlight says, almost to herself.

“Exactly.” I respond. “I am loyal to Celestia, as long as she is loyal to her people. If that were to ever change, my loyalties would always remain with the ideals that she strives so hard to attain.”

“You are a very... complex, pony.” She says finally.

“One of the nicer things I have been told about myself,” I say inclining my head toward the front door of Night Industries. “Shall we?”

“Very well, if we must.” She says, forcing a look of resignation onto her muzzle.

We trot in side by side. I’ve never been inside the place before. White walls, vaulted ceilings, glass and brass accents everywhere. Very high tech looking. I walk over to the main receptions desk. A bright looking young mare greets us with a wide smile.

“Welcome to Night Industries Research and Development. My name is Silver Lining, how may I help you?” she inquires in a happy voice.

She looks so happy and perky, it makes me really hate myself for what I’m about to do, but there may be a pony’s life on the line, so I force myself to push on.

“Mrs. Lining,” I say, earning a slight frown from Moonlight, (I remembered too late that she hates ‘Mrs.”), I realize this will be a terrible inconvenience to you, but I’m afraid that we need to see Dr. Brass.”

Moonlight’s head jerks up with a start. I purposely never mentioned the name on that business card that was in Bab’s locker to Moonlight. I had no intention of allowing her time to head off what I had planned. This was because of who Dr. Brass was.

Dr. Brass Tacks was the pony responsible for single hoofedly inventing the Magically Induced Steam engine, and most of it’s applications in Luna’s city. Dr. Brass, as everypony called him nowadays, was also the head of Night Industries Applied technologies decision. If there was a new toy or piece of tech released to the citizens of Whinnyappleous, you can bet it was Dr. Brass that put it there. Aside from Luna herself, he was the most important pony in the city.

As expected, my request caused the chipper receptionist to deflate, albeit only slightly.

“I’m sorry sir,” she said in apologetic tones, “But Dr. Brass is unavailable to see guests. And I’m afraid that making an appointment is out of the question. He specifically requested that he not be disturbed for the remainder of the week.”

“And I suppose next week...” I left the question hanging.

“He will come to my desk, and request not to be disturbed again for the remainder of that week as well.” She says, trying to maintain her good nature.

Clearly she has had to deal with this sort of thing before. She fully expected me to lose my temper, rant and rave, or at least storm off. I felt really bad for her, considering I was about to do something worse. At this point what I should do is put on my mask, and force myself to be cold and efficient. But this pony was just doing her job as best she could. And I was about to put her in a bad place with her boss. So instead I placed a small shield around the two of us and spoke quickly.

“Silver. May I call you Silver?” She offers a quick nod. “I just placed a small shield around us. A cone of silence. For the next few seconds, nopony can hear what we say, even through those little listening devices under the lip of your desk.” Her eyes widen at this, clearly I wasn’t supposed to know that they monitor her conversations. “Now in a moment I am going to show you an official document, but before I do, I want you to know that this is nothing personal between you and me. You have to do your job and I have to do mine.” I take her hand and hoof her a business card discreetly. “If something happens to you because of today, please give me a call. I’ll do everything I can to make it right.” She gives me a confused look for a moment, but tucks the card into her sleeve in such a way that nopony else could have saw.

‘A-all right,” she stammers, “but what is this about?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that. I’m about to drop the shield, are you ready?” I ask. She gives a small nod in return.

To anypony else except Moonlight who was standing right beside me, it would have merely looked like I had dropped my voice, trying not to yell at her inside the building, and she of course had done the same. As for the listening devices, they would have simple heard nothing. Well up until now.

“I’m sorry to hear that Mrs. Lining, but you see in this case, I cannot take ‘no’ for an answer.” I pull out Luna’s Writ from the pocket of my duster, and place in on the desk in front of her. “I have full permission to go anywhere I see fit in this facility, so like it or not, I WILL be meeting with Dr. Brass, the only question is, will somepony escort me to him, or will I have to do a room by room search?”

Her eyes go wide as she reads the document I’ve placed before her. “I-I’ll need to speak to my manager-” she begins to say as she reaches for the intercom. But before she can complete the gesture two immense security ponies trot up to either side of the desk.

“Ah, you must be our escort. If nothing else, Night Industries makes efficient use of it’s time. Now if you two gentle ponies will be so kind as to escort me to Dr. Brass.” I say taking a step forward.

Instantly the two are blocking my way. “It’s time for you to leave Mister.” The taller of the two say.

“This letter I have says otherwise.” I hold it aloft in front of his eyes with my magic.

“Sir, I really don’t care what your paper says,” he says while trying to rip it out of the air between us. A move I anticipated by making sure the magic surrounding it rendered it untouchable. After a few frantic grabs he continues. “All that concerns me at this moment is how much blood we will have to clean up between here and the front door.”

I shake my head for a moment. “Boy’s I don’t have time to play today, I have a full schedule ahead of me, so let me make this simple.” I form two small perfectly unbreakable spheres around their heads with my magic. Before they can so much as lunge at me, I teleport the remaining air from inside of them, out into the lobby. Then after they both collapse into unconsciousness, I let the bubbles fade. I simply stand there waiting for who they send next.

Moonlight, who had up until now been merely standing silently beside me finally speaks. “Is this going the way you expected?” she asks.

“Pretty much.” I reply.

“So what happens next?” she says nudging one of the guards with a hoof.

“One of two things I’d expect.” I say. “Either they have called the Night Watch by now, or they are going to send out a flunkie to see if I can be reasoned with. Given just how important Dr. Brass is, I would guess, Night Watch. And considering there is a doughnut shop half a block away...”

“FREEZE!” A voice behind us shouts. “Throw down your arms, and put your hooves in the air!”

“You do realize that those are three completely contradictory statements right?” I say over my shoulder, as I begin to turn around.

He raises his M.I.S.P.P.L. and points it at my head, before yelling “DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!”

“I’m not your moth-” I begin before Moonlight shoves a hoof in my mouth.

She puts her other hoof on my shoulder and pulls us both down to a kneeling position, while she floats her ID out of her carry bag and levitates it over to the officer. His eyes then go wide as he realizes just who she is, and who she works directly for. He lowers his weapon as we rise to our hooves.

“S-sorry about that ma’am.” He stutters. “We just received a call about somepony killing two security guards. Did they somehow break the law?” He asks indicating the ponies sprawled on the floor.

The two dead guards in question begin moaning and waking up. Before things can get out of hoof, I trot over to the officer.

“I believe that there has been a misunderstanding.” I say, passing him my writ. “As part of my investigation for Princess Luna, we came here to speak to Dr. Brass. Unfortunately the ponies in this building seem reluctant to accede to the princess’s wishes. I don’t suppose that you would be able to help us with that?”

During my little speech the Patrol pony had given my writ the once over. He fishes something out of a pouch on his belt, and passes it over the paper. He then passes the writ back to me, almost reverently.

“Of course sir. I will personally see to it that no pony here impedes your work for the princess.” He says as he offers me a salute.

By now the guards have risen to their hooves, and have caught the tail end of our little diatribe. A quick word between them and the shorter of the two hurries off into the inner office. While the other guard hurriedly explains his version of events to the officer, suddenly a well groomed pony in a lab coat emerges from the inner office and all but runs toward the receptionist’s desk.

“Officer, just a moment if you please!” The pony all but shouts as he hurries toward us. “I am Dr. Double Helix, please give me a moment, and let’s see if we can sort out this situation eh?”

Double Helix speaks to both the receptionist and the taller security pony as the officer stands nearby and listens. After a few moments he turns to myself and Moonlight.

“I am terribly sorry that you both have been put to such inconvenience.” He says apologetically. “I can assure you that our security policies were never meant to interfere with any pony who has a legitimate need to see anyone in our facility. This misunderstanding was merely due to a rather overenthusiastic member of our security force.” He adds, glaring at the taller security pony. “I’m sure that we can clear all of this up, and help you with your problem without the need to detain a member of the Night Watch any further.”

I decide to let him off the hook. We bucked the tree, and this was the apple that fell out. Whether he was a worm inside or not didn’t matter, because now that we were officially ‘noticed’, they really couldn’t get rid of me until I was satisfied. And I am very difficult to satisfy when I want to be.

“Yes officer, I think that we should be able to sort things out now.” I say, smiling my used cart sales pony smile at him. “I really do appreciate all of your help in clearing this matter up for us.” He thanks me before trotting away, no doubt wondering what exactly he did to help us, other than pointing a gun at my head. Heh, sometimes that’s all the help I need. I turn to the Doctor.

“Doctor Double Helix... hmm, is it alright to refer to you as Dr. Double?” I ask.

“Oh perfectly fine,” he says with his muzzle, but not with his eyes. No he doesn’t like that at all... Dr. Double it is then.

“Well, Dr. Double, as I was saying to your receptionist, I need to speak to Dr. Brass immediately. It concerns an urgent matter to the crown.” As I say this I hold up my writ for inspection once again. He barely glances at it before replying.

“Of course. Luna is after all the owner of our company, not to mention our sovereign ruler. Unfortunately you have come as he is right in the middle of a very delicate experiment. He is working in a sealed environment and wont be able to leave it for at least another half hour. Word has been sent to him informing him to come to his office as soon as he is finished. In the meantime, could I offer you a tour of our establishment? I’m not sure if a look around will help you in any way, but if nothing else it will pass the time until Dr. Brass is able to speak to you.”

Moonlight has a rather stunned look on her muzzle. This was obviously not what she expected to hear. I weighed my options. If Brass was up to something, thirty minutes was a long time to cover it up. On the other hoof, a free tour of one of Luna’s most secure facilities would be quite the feather in my cap with Celestia. And thinking about it realistically, even if I were to force the issue, Dr. Double could still give Brass enough time between now and when I actually found him, to clean up any dirty laundry he may want to hide.

“Dr. Double, speaking for Miss Moonlight and myself, I’d say that we would be delighted to take you up on your offer of a tour.” I turn and give Moonlight a broad smile. The look she offers back could melt steel.

“Excellent!” He says, as he guides us into a steam powered elevator.

I hide me unease. These things always make me nervous. Tiny coffin size box, suspended high in the air by a thin cable. I don’t need a seapony in a white jumpsuit yelling ‘it’s a trap’ to make me suspicious of the whole thing. But the ride goes off without a hitch, and as the doors open once again, the three of us look down the long corridor ahead.

Freeoow! And I thought the lobby had looked high tech. All along either side of the hallway were rooms with thick clear glass walls facing us. As we walked along we could see dozens of ponies, griffins and other beings in lab coats all hard at work on various projects. I picked my metaphorical muzzle off the floor and concentrated on what Dr. Double was saying as we slowly walked past different rooms.

“This floor is devoted to projects that will soon be released to the public at large. Most are in the final testing stages. For example, in the room to your left you’ll see one of our latest triumphs. We are calling it ‘Ponvideo’. Much like ponaudio does with sound, ponvideo does the same thing with images." Dr. Double says, pointing into the rooms interior with a hoof.

“As you can see, we have a performer, ‘Otctavia’ I believe her name is, playing the cello. In front of her is a camera of sorts that can take pictures up to thirty frames a second. But the pictures aren’t printed on paper. Instead the images are then sent directly to the receiver you see on the other side of the room.”

Sure enough, on the other side of the room was a bulky square box, and on the glass front of it was a small ‘Octavia’ playing the cello, perfectly synchronized with the real one. DANG!

My mind started filling with all sorts of ideas for how this invention could be used, for both good, and bad, and... well... at this I broke off that train of thought before a blush could spread across my muzzle.

“That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.” I admitted frankly. “What are your plans for this invention?”

“Oh all sorts of things,” Dr. Double responded with a huge grin. “Combining ponaudio and ponvideo, we can send plays instead of just audio dramas into everypony’s home. Nature documentaries, travels to exotic locations, and news and current events. Actors will no longer have to travel from place to place to entertain the masses. Great musicians can be heard across entire cities instead of just playing for a few hundred. And important messages can be sent back and forth by just looking into a receiver and speaking. If the two ponies at either end had both a receiver and a pickup, they could speak to each other as if they were in the same room, hundreds of miles apart from each other.”

“I am literally awestruck,” I said. Which was true. This technology could change the way the whole world interacts with each other. “And you say this will be made to the public, in the near future?” I ask.

“Oh yes,” Double replies. All that’s left to do is fine tune the synchronization between the ponaudio signals and the ponvideo. And that should be no more than a few days away at most. Then Luna plans on distributing receivers to all the ponies in Whinnyappleous. And much like ponaudio, it will only cost them a few bits per month to enjoy all the programs that Luna plans to have produced.”

Octavia has finished her performance, and has risen from her chair. She trots over to the ponvideo receiver. On top of it is a small box. The technician presses a button on the device, and a little red light blinks for a moment. Then it stops. The technician presses another button, and suddenly on the screen, the small Octavia reappears, and begins playing the same piece the real one had been playing moments before, from the beginning. My eyes start to bulge.

“Wait, hold on. You mean to tell me that you can somehow record ponvideo the same as you do ponaudio? You could record an entire play, and just play it back whenever you want?” I say, excitement filling my voice.

“Well, yes... and no. The process itself works quite well, but the film that we use to record it on is highly flammable. If exposed to a moderate amount of heat, it can literally set itself on fire. Until we can find some way to make a safer film, recording technology will not be released to the public.” Double says sadly. “However it can still be used in at least laboratory conditions, such as this one, and in certain special cases. For example, Octavia has insisted that as part of her payment for her services, we allow her to have copies of her performances, and a player for her own personal use. She has been clearly instructed on the dangers of the film itself, and has promised to keep it stored in a cool place away from light or heat.”

We continue to watch Octavia watch herself for a few more moments, before trotting further down the hallway. The rest of the floor is filled with many other interesting things. Special fertilizers to allow crops to grow in the eternal night of Luna’s city. New applications for the steam engine. Advances in alchemy, and thaumaturgry. But to me the most fascinating thing seem to be ponvideo. Celestia would toss her cake if she knew what Luna had managed to achieve. And yet, instead of hording it, and keeping it a military secret, she was going to give it to her citizens, almost for free. Not for the first time was I impressed by how the night princess operated.

By the time we had gotten to the other end of this floor, it was well past the thirty minutes we had allotted for until Dr. Brass became available. As we trotted back toward the elevator, I realized what had just happened. The good Dr. Double had dazzled me with things I had never seen before, but were essentially not secret, as most all of these would be made public soon. I couldn’t help but wonder as the doors closed, that if all of this was what I was ALLOWED to see, just what was going on on the other floors of this building...

Chapter 8

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Chapter Eight
Dr. Brass

The elevator dinged as we arrived at the top floor of the building. Unlike the previous floor, this one was decorated in tasteful earth tones. The plush carpet felt welcome on my hooves as I and my companion were escorted past several doors along the corridor, until we found ourselves facing a final door at the end.

The door opened into a small waiting are where we were greeted politely by another cheerful office assistant seated behind a large mahogany desk.

“This is where I take my leave of you,” Dr. Double said inclining his head slightly. “A pleasure meeting you,” he says turning toward Moonlight, before making his way back outside.

“Apparently I didn’t make a lasting impression on the good Doctor,” I say in an amused tone to Moonlight.

She favors me with a wry grin. “Oh, I wouldn’t say THAT, quite the opposite I do believe.”

“Excuse me please,” the pony behind the desk says. “If you’ll just give me a moment, I will go inform Doctor Brass Tacks that you are here.”

“Of course,” I reply. “Thank you very much.”

The pony whose name I never got inclines her head before making her way into the inner office. She quickly returns.

“Doctor Tacks will see you now, please step inside.” She says, still smiling cheerfully. I’d be creeped out by all the smiling, if it weren’t for the fact that everypony, (with the exception of Doctor Double), seemed to be giving off a genuinely happy vibe. If I ever live to need another job, I’m definitely putting in a resume here.

We enter the inner office, more like a studio apartment. The furniture was modern, all smooth and sleek curves. The paintings on the walls were all cubist, and the view behind the large desk we were approaching was breathtaking.

Luna’s castle was almost eye level to us and was back lit by the full moon. To be able to sit in this office and face such a stunning display every day... I admit I was feeling more than a little bit of office envy.

Movement from the chair that was facing outwards toward the view caused me to shift my attention, as the occupant spun around casually to face us.

My first impression of him was ‘confidence’. Here was somepony who was completely self assured. Secure in the knowledge that whatever situation he found himself in, that he would find some way of mastering it. He looked upwards at us, and spoke in measured tones.

“Well Mr. Appleseed, you’ve certainly gone to great lengths to see me in person, and judging by your lovely companion, I can assume that your reasons must be quite serious. So. What can I do for you?”

His voice is melodic, despite the serious tone in his voice. I decide to dial back on the flippancy. This was one of the few times my instincts were screaming ‘tactful’ in my ear, so for whatever reason, I decided to play this soft.

“I apologize for any difficulty I may have put you, and your staff through Dr. Tacks. I assure you I would never have done so if the situation was not so dire. Literally a matter of life and death sir.”

“I see.” Dr Tacks replies his face turning grave. “In that case you need never worry about my convenience. If some pony is in danger, I will of course, do everything in my power to help. Consider both myself and this establishment your disposal, and please Dr. Tacks was my father, Dr. Brass is fine. I’m used to it. Now how may I help you Mr. Appleseed?”

“Johnny is fine Dr. Brass, and my companion is Miss Shadow, or Moonlight. As for why we are here.” I pull out a photo of Babs and hoof it to the Doctor. “Do you recognize this pony sir?” I inquire.

He looks at the photo intently, before responding. “Yes, yes I do. A Miss Babs Seed. I met her several weeks ago. She was working at a Prench restaurant. She made quite an impression on me. After our first encounter, I made a point of always sitting in whatever section she was assigned. A remarkable young pony. I could tell right away that she was wasting her potential working as a waitress. I gave her one of my personal business cards in the hopes that I could lure her away and convince her to come work for us here. But she never contacted me, and the last few times I went there she was never to be seen. Has something happened to her?”

“That’s what we are trying to find out. Miss Seed has gone missing, and the restaurant she was working at has suffered a rather extensive accident yesterday.” I wasn’t going to tell Dr. Brass about the explosives for several reasons. One of which being that until the case was closed, everypony, no matter who they were, was a suspect in my eyes. “You say it’s been some time since you last spoke to Babs. Could you tell me, did she tell you anything about herself? Or her life outside of work? Any details may be important.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer.” Dr. Brass says regretfully. “The few times we spoke were while she was waiting on me, so we never had time to do more than exchange pleasantries. She seemed to have one close friend, that she talked about, but she never mentioned her name. It was always in context. ‘My friend and I went to this new club, or I stayed over at my friends house last weekend’,things like that. She never mentioned any hobbies, but it seemed to me that she was a very intelligent pony by the way she spoke, so I’m sure there was more to her than the ‘party girl’ persona that she seemed to feel she had to project. I do remember her asking me once if I had any interest in archeology, by when I said no, she never brought it up again. I wish I could be more helpful, but I’m afraid I never really had the chance to get to know her.”

I nod somberly. Little things were clicking together in my mind. As much as I wished I could justify asking Dr. Brass a few more... ‘personal’ questions, I knew that there was no way I could do so without insult. And since he was being sincerely forthcoming, I saw no reason to go down that path... at least right now. “Is there anything you would like to add Moonlight?” I say turning toward her.

“No, I believe that covers everything. But if you can think of anything else, or if by some chance she contacts you, we would appreciate it of you would contact us as soon as possible.” She says, handing him a business card of her own.

“Of course. And if either of you need to speak to me again, I am leaving standing instructions to all of my staff to allow you in, no questions asked. Mercy? Would you please inform security as to my wishes on the matter, and then if you would, please escort my guests back to the lobby.”

From seemingly out of nowhere a female pony steps into view, and proceeds to use the Doctor’s intercom to call security. All kinds of alarm bells go off in my head. Somehow she had to have been in the room with us the entire time. And yet I sensed her presence not at all. I glance to the side at Moonlight, and notice she wears a similar surprised expression on her face. She didn’t notice her either.

Obviously this was not your normal everyday unicorn. I studied her for a moment. Light blue coat, about my age, I couldn’t see her cutie mark from the way she was turned. She looked very familiar for some reason. The Doctor called her ‘Mercy’, this nagged at my memory as well. Then the pony finished speaking and turned toward us, and it all came crashing into place.

“Solace... Merciful Solace.” I whisper aloud, my muzzle falling open. She hears me.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m surprised you remember me. It’s been quite some time.” She says, favoring me with a small smile. “You’re looking well. And you’re calling yourself Johnny now? How’s Twilight?” she asks, not bitterly like I would have expected.

I answer in a daze. “I wouldn’t know. She hasn’t spoken to me since that incident back at school. Yes, I go by Johnny now, ever since back at the school I haven’t used... that other name. You’re looking...” I take a moment to allow my eyes to pass over her. It was then I finally noticed her legs. All four ended at the upper joints. All four from those joints down were clad in bright brass prosthesis of some kind. The front two ended in what humans would call hands. I took all this in in less than a second, and finished my sentence without a noticeable pause, “...well,” I say. “Those are new,” I say gesturing at her new limbs.

“Oh yes,” She says raising a hoof and showing off her articulated fingers. “The latest in pony prosthesis. Dr. Brass made them for me. Thanks to him I can walk again, have a normal life again. Finally be able to live a normal life. All those years since the accident at school, and I can finally start to live once more.” She says happily.

I turn to Dr. Brass. “Doctor. Mercy is... was, an old friend of mine from years ago. I-I can’t thank you enough for doing this for her. This means more to me than I could ever say.” I tell him, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill from my eyes.

“Johnny it was my pleasure. He says warmly. “Mercy came to this city, like so many other ponies, because of the promise of a new start, a new life. These new limbs I have created for her, and many others like her, are just my way of helping to keep that promise. The mechanics are really quite simple. Tiny M.I.S. motors in the limbs themselves are linked by magic to the wearers mind. They function just like real legs would. And they are much stronger and more durable. The optional hand claws that I had originally designed for griffins and diamond dogs are becoming all the rage for many of my pony clients.”

“Doctor, out of all the amazing things I have seen today, this... this leaves me speechless.” I say.

“Johnny Appleseed at a loss for words? My dear doctor, today you are witnessing a TRUE miracle,” Mercy says to him with an impish smile.

“Now Mercy,” he chides, “be gentle with our guest. His colt like wonder is one of the reasons I enjoy my work so much. Try not to tarnish it too badly.”

“Of course not sir. I would never tarnish your brass,” she says deadpan, raising a brassy hoof in mock salute, before ushering us toward the door to the outer office.

We make our way back to the elevator, enter, and Mercy pushes the button for the lobby. As the doors slide closed, I finally say what I have been waiting for ever since I recognized her face.

“Mercy. Oh Goddess Mercy... I-I’m so sorry. They never let me come back. To see everyone... the survivors. Aside from Twilight I was never able to contact anyone, and she of course isn’t speaking to me. To see you here, alive and walking. It’s just so... it’s like a miracle. Please, have you seen any of the others? Can you tell me anything about our classmates? Celestia still to this day won’t say a word.”

She turns to face me, as the smile falls away from her muzzle. “I’m not surprised.” She says, her tone grim. “You probably had no way of knowing, but the entire incident was covered up. It was called a failure in one of the instructor’s spells. Your name was never mentioned. All of the survivors, and the families of those that didn’t, were paid quite a lot of bits from the royal treasury as compensation for our losses. However one of the documents that we had to sign was an agreement to never discuss what happened with anypony.” She turns away, and faces the door.

“It’s been a long time since I saw any of our classmates. Some, like me who were in pretty bad shape, were given private rooms in various hospitals, all paid for by the crown of course. The ones still able to get about and take care of themselves all drifted away. None of us really kept in touch with one another. To be honest, I think we all just wanted to forget that day ever happened. So, you said you weren’t allowed to see any of us. Were you in trouble? Did they arrest you?”

“Well, I wasn’t ‘arrested’ formally. I was isolated for a long time. The head doctors, the psychiatrists, had to work me through all of my guilt and trauma. That took a couple of years. But even after they declared me ‘sane’ they still forbade me any contact with any of the survivors. They were afraid I’d have a ‘relapse’.” I say bitterly. “You have no idea how much I wanted to reach out to you all. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I-,” it was then that the door dinged open, and we were facing a lobby full of ponies, who were glancing at the express elevator in curiosity. I shut my muzzle as we quietly made our way to the front doors. There I tried again. “Mercy, could I... could we see each other again sometime?” I asked, as I fished out one of my business cards, and held it out to her.

“I’d like that,” she says, smiling at me as she reaches for it with a shiny brass claw, and deftly takes it from my hoof. “Give me a few nights until my next night off. I’ll be in touch.” She says.

“I look forward to it,” I say before the doors close between us. As I turn to face the street, I see Moonlight looking at me.

“Well, that was certainly interesting.” She says, gesturing at the retreating form of my former classmate. Did I detect resentment in her tone? “Accidents, cover ups, I’d very much like to hear the rest of the story between you two,” she says.

I was about to speak, when I noticed a steam bus pulling around the block. “Let’s find us a seat first. Then I’ll tell you as much as I’m able,” I reply.

It didn’t take us long to get settled in the bus. At this time of night, between shifts, it was practically empty, so privacy was not an issue. I tried to organize my thoughts. I was obviously going to have to tell Moonlight something, but by no means did I intend to relive ALL the events of that day, so very long ago, when the course of my life changed forever. We were partners, at least for now, bu there were things I considered too personal to share with somepony I barely knew. And besides, my main focus was on the brief conversation I just had with Dr. Brass, and all the things he told me unawares. These were the things I needed to discuss with agent Shadow, NOT the mistakes of my past. Still, my encounter with Mercy left me no choice. I would have to tell her enough to satisfy her curiosity, or else, knowing her, she would go digging on her own.

“This isn’t easy for me to talk about,” I say, trying to ease into it. “Forgive me if I don’t go into too much detail. These things are in no way related to our case, and they are personal, and painful.”

She nods to me encouragingly.

“It was years ago, back when I was still a student at Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. I was in the advanced magical applications class along with Mercy, Twilight, and most of my school friends. Back then Twilight and I had a thing going between us. Part of that was a friendly rivalry in our school work. She was always just a hair better than I was at magical theory, and I was just a shade better at application. We were in class that day, learning to use healing magic to repair wounds and burns.

Several patients from Canterlot General Hospital had volunteered to allow us to treat their minor wounds. It was a common practice back then, and the patients were well compensated. Trained medical ponies were always on hoof to make sure everything went as it was supposed to. This usually involved a doctor or a nurse being linked to the students mind, guiding them in the use of their magic to ensure that the student properly learned the techniques being used.

Twilight had already finished treating a pony who had lacerated her foreleg, and she finished the procedure flawlessly. She gave me a smirk as we passed each other, as I moved up to the dais and the next patient in line. He too had a minor laceration where he had a butcher knife slip and cut a long shallow gash down his leg. All I had to do was heal it. A simple enough spell.

But what none of us knew that day was that the nurse I was linked with was... damaged.”

“Damaged?” Moonlight said uncomprehendingly. “What do you mean by that?”

“Her mind... it was damaged. They later found out that she had been stealing various drugs from the hospital. She had been abusing them and they had been slowly deteriorating the control centers of her brain. Apparently she was prone to random seizures and fits, and had been hiding the effects of her drug use for months. Of course none of us knew any of this until much, much later.

What happened next was... well, I don’t have words for it, but I’ll tell you what I remember first, and then what I was later told. I had begun the healing spell, or rather the nurse had begun it with my magic through her link. I was more or less a passenger, learning the spell as my magic was casting it. Then suddenly I felt a tidal wave of force slam though the link into my mind. Suddenly the thin trickle of magic emitting from my horn became a flood as raw magic forced itself out of me in an explosion of power.

I blacked out for just a moment as the link burned itself out. When I opened my eyes, I rose weakly to my hooves. There were only two small areas of the entire room not covered in blood and gore. The area where I stood, and the one around Twilight Sparkle. To this day I am amazed at how powerful she was.

She had less than a second of time to erect a shield, but she did it. And she saved the lives of the four other students that were close enough for her to shield as well. But the look on her face as she stared at me. That look. Oh Goddess, that look of revulsion and horror. At the time I was still in shock. I looked around at the rest of the room. It was a charnal house. Pieces of ponies everywhere. And blood, so much blood. But not a drop on me. No, not one drop. My hooves were clean.

And that’s what Celestia declared weeks later after the investigation was concluded. My hooves were clean. The blame fell squarely on the shoulders of that nurse, who eventually confessed her drug abuse. So I was in the clear right? Not my fault right? So I suppose that’s why I was separated from the rest of the survivors, and not allowed to contact them anymore. That’s why Twilight never spoke to me again, and I lost my best friend and first love. That’s why I was taken out of school. Y’know, because that’s what you do to an INNOCENT pony, right?” I say bitterly.

“My name, my REAL name, was stricken form the school’s records. I’ve had several since then. But only a hoofful of ponies even remember who I was. Twilight does...” I trail off.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Moonlight says, taking hold of my hoof. “No pony that knows anything about magic could blame you for that.”

“No pony? Really? Well tell that to the freakin element of magic! Tell that to her! Because SHE still seems to think I am a horrible MONSTER. A slayer of the innocent! You get Twilight Sparkle to come into my office and tell me that I’m innocent, and THEN...THEN I’ll believe you.” I say, nearly shouting at this point as I jerk my hoof away.

“And this is why, at the restaurant...” she says, trying to change the subject, instead of lashing out at me in return.

“Yes,” I say more quietly. “That’s why I froze. That’s why I never tried to learn any more healing magic. I just stayed with what I was good at. I told you before, I’m a ‘render’, not a ‘mender’.”

The remainder of the bus ride was spent in silence. Once or twice Moonlight looked as if she were about to speak, but each time the words died before leaving her muzzle.

When were arrived back at my building we made our way quickly into my office. I greeted Ori as we came in, she was sitting behind her desk, not even pretending to work as she polished her hooves. I allowed an evil grin to cross my muzzle as I made to smear her freshly coated hoof that was resting on her desk. Without missing a beat she reached her right foreleg under the desk and pulled out ‘Betty’ her Ponyville Slugger hoofball bat. And laid it across her lap, a grin of her own emerging. My hoof retreated quickly.

“Hold all my calls Ori,” I said, trying to sound professional as Moonlight and I entered my office.

“I’ll do my best to fend off the continuous onslaught,” Ori quips back sarcastically, causing Moonlight to giggle out loud.

I just shake my head, as I settle into my new, stink free, office chair, and gesture for Moonlight to take my old one.

“Why does this one smell of stale cider?” She asks me, grinning all the while.

“Special scent. I have the cleaners spray it on all of my furniture. Reminds me of home.” I fire back deadpan.

“You’re home was in a barrel of rotten apples?” She says, equally sober faced. “Well, that certainly explains a lot.”

“You ain’t kidding!” Ori adds from the outer office.

“Aww, stifle it!” I say in mock irritation. To be honest I’m secretly glad that the mood had lightened. Maybe now we could focus on the case, and I could drop all of my ancient and bloody baggage.

“Well,” Moonlight says in a more professional tone of voice. “What did you think of Night Industries, and our illustrious Dr. Brass?”

“Freeow!” I say honestly. “Color me impressed! Luna has done some incredible things there. I can hardly wait until that tech becomes available to use. I need to remember to see if I can get two sets, one for here and one for my apartment. As for Dr. Brass, he was as exceptional as I was led to believe, but at the same time unexpectedly...well... mortal.”

“Well, of course he is mortal. He isn’t an alicorn, or a spirit, but I don’t think that is what you’re getting at, mortal in what way?” Moonlight inquires.

“Ah Moonlight, you’re forgetting why we went to see him in the first place. To find our his connection to Babs Seed.”

“And it seems to be a dead end, he was simply trying to offer her a job. Just what I would expect from a pony as generous as Dr. Brass.” Moonlight says, nearly reverently.

“A job?” I say, chuckling to myself. “Oh my poor naive Moonlight,” I add, shaking my head.

“Naive? In what way?” She asks confused.

“Oh you sweet, and innocent girl,” I say patting her head. “He was offering her a job, because he was interested in her. And by that I mean romantically. You know, when a boy pony and a girl pony-”

“I understand the word ‘romantically’,” she says swatting my hoof away. “But what makes you think a pony as upstanding as Dr. Brass would use his position to pick up a waitress in a restaurant?” she adds in irritation.

“{Sigh,} Oh Moonlight didn’t you notice how his behavior changed when he was speaking about her? How regretful he sounded at not being able to ‘get to know her better’. For that matter didn’t you notice how his voice softened when he was speaking to YOU? Sheesh, for an agent you seem remarkably clueless,” I say sitting back and crossing my hooves, a self satisfied grin splayed across my muzzle.

“WHAT?!?” She explodes. “He... I... what?!?” her face goes red in embarrassment.

“By the goddess, you really DIDN’T know!” I say, somewhat surprised myself.

“Y- you are mistaken,” she finally replies. “Dr. Brass is like a brother to m-to us... the city, to the city. He doesn’t have those kinds of feelings.”

“Moonlight,” I say more gently. “He’s a mortal pony just like you and me.” She flinches at my words. “He has normal pony feelings just like any of us. It’s not a sin. If anything it means that he’s in the clear as far as I’m concerned. That means we have to move on to our next lead.”

“We have another lead?” Moonlight asks, as she regains her composure.

“We still have several. I’m merely taking them in order of importance.” I open my desk and take out the folder Luna gave me. I pull out the list of Babs coworkers and friends and pass it to Moonlight. I point to a name on the list. “Does that name look familiar to you at all?” I ask.

She looks at the name and her eyes go wide. “Oh goddess. Her?!? And I suppose that’s who we are going to see next?”

“Yup,” I reply cheerfully. I’m not surprised that Moonlight knew that name. There are a hoofful of ponies that everyone in Whinnyappleous knows of, if only by reputation. Luna is one, Dr. Brass is another. Both are well respected members of the community. On the other side of the equation are ponies like ‘The Butcher’, whose names are whispered about in infamy. Ah, but then there are those that straddle the line. (Heh, straddle...) And the most notable of those names is Cherry Tart. The most famous ‘pony of the evening’, in a city of ONLY evenings.

Moonlight looks at me distastefully. “Must we really go speak to this... this..”

“Escort? Hooker? Prostitute? Princess of Pango Pango?” I finish for her, as her face goes redder and redder. “And yes, we must.” Then a sly thought occurs to me. “On the other hoof, you could just stay here with Ori, if it makes you uncomfortable. I am more than capable of giving Miss Tart a thorough investigation on my own. Yes, the more I think about it, an in depth interview with her will, I’m sure, meet with pleasing results.”

Moonlight is already out of her seat, her face is as red as an autumn sunset. She scowls at me in obvious irritation. “Let’s just get this over with!” She says.

I smile at her retreating form. This promises to be the most fun I’ve had all week.

Chapter 9

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Chapter Nine
You Don’t Have to Put on the Red Light...

We hailed a steam cab, and Moonlight looked away red faced and embarrassed as I told the cabbie our destination.

“Did we HAVE to take a cab?” She whispered harshly to me.

“Yes we did.” I whispered back, “The public bus lines don’t run into that part of town. It makes me think that Luna feels the same way as you do about our ‘red light’ district. Either that or she would go broke from all the free transportation there and back ponies would be making all night long.” I add in amusement.

If Moonlight blushed much more I believe it might become permanent. She seems to have a real problem with the idea of ponies paying for ‘companionship’.

Personally I file it under the ‘live and let live’, part of my mind, right next to the part that says ‘if they aren’t hurting anyone, it’s none of my business’. It’s a dark city. A permanently dark city. A pony alone in the daytime will find all kinds of way to distract themselves. A pony alone in the night, every night, when even their ‘days’ are nights? You get lonely. A lot.

I myself live alone. But I’m seldom lonely. There are too many things to do, and not enough hours in the night to do them. My spare time is usually always full. But there are those rare occasions when I have nothing to do for an evening. These times can be pretty bad. Maybe you try to read, you listen to the ponaudio, you putter around doing all the chores you put off because they never actually HAVE to be done. And then, inevitably, you are caught up, and you sit there, alone, and think. The ‘Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul’ {shudder}. So yeah, I can easily understand why, at that point, a pony would plunk down his hard earned bits to spend an hour or two in the warm embrace of somepony else who will allow him to forget the ‘cold and empty dark’ for a time.

“Ah, it seems we are almost there.” I say, giving Moonlight a nudge.

Less than a block up ahead everything changes. A straight line of bright lights cuts directly across the upcoming road before us. On one side (the one we are currently on), the normal city streets and buildings with their neat and orderly constructions and billboards. Small pools of light from the street lights provide the only illumination. Ah, but looming up before us...

Suddenly we are through, and on the other side. I wince and shade my eyes, as I always do when I first arrive on this side of town. The few rare times I’ve had to teleport here, I’ve had to wear my old sunglasses from outside, or risk going glare blind.

Gradually my eyes begin to adjust. Beside me Moonlight seems to be recovering as well. Since I’ve been here before, I watch her face and all the expressions and emotions that play across it. First of course, is wide eyed shock. Every single individual building in the red light district has their own display of lights and colors, no two EVER repeating. Each one trying desperately to be the one to capture any potential customers that enter this part of town.

I watch as Moonlight’s expression goes from shock to amazement. Not only are there lights, but the architecture of many of the buildings has also been altered. The more tasteful ones resemble famous places and structures from across Equestria. The less tasteful ones resemble various parts of (mostly female), anatomy. The funny part, to me at least, is that pretty much anything goes. So let’s says you just plunked down a hefty sum to have your two story building made over to look like Celestia’s castle. Very tasteful little fantasy. Ah, but then your neighbor has his building redesigned to resemble Celestia’s plot. A somewhat less tasteful choice. Put them side by side? Pure hilarity. Architects in this part of the city must make a mint, what with all the constantly changing styles. All paid for of course by those beings that are only seeking somepony to love, if only for a brief time.

Finally Moonlight manages to speak.

“It looks like something Discord threw up.” She says, never taking her eyes off of the ever changing styles of buildings. “How can there be so MANY places for... um, the same thing.” She asks, not wanting to say what that ‘thing’ was.

“Well, for starters, it’s not really the same ‘thing’.” I say. “Only the first twenty or so we passed at the edge of the district are, what you might call, ‘general practitioners’. Most of the upscale places are specialty shops. Each one has their own theme, and all of the beings that work their tend to live their role.” I say, pointing out at a cement building that has been redone to resemble a Saddle Arabian tent. The name above the main entrance emblazoned in a hot pink neon reads ‘The Sultan’s Harem’. “That place for example, probably has some elaborate fantasy scenario about the customer having his way with the harem of the sultan of Saddle Arabia. I’m sure that there are Bactrians, and Dromedaries as part of their staff to make the experience more ‘authentic’.

She pulls a face before recovering.

“I am aware that some ponies have um, ‘relations’ outside of their species. But it’s never been anything I personally have ever had any interest in.” She says, trying to process all the different types of architecture we are passing while this new thought plays across her mind.

It doesn’t help that half of the names clamoring for her attention are basically bad jokes. We pass the ‘Dog Pound’, and she gives a little shudder, the ‘Shepard’s Crook’, and she just shakes her head, then a sci-fi themed building where the designer thought it would be a good idea to have what looked like several different vehicles (and I use the term loosely), crashing into it from all angles, ‘Time Traveler’s Strictly Cash’. I counted two different upright boxes of some sort, a sleek looking metal steam car, a beautiful representation in brass of H.G. Welara’s ‘Time Machine’, and what looks like a huge red metal bone with the words ‘Crimson Dwarf’ in white stencil on its side. At this, Moonlight just cracks up.

“Oh those poor poor ponies that have to work there!” She exclaims between laughs.

“Hey, any pony, or other being, working there are doing so by choice. Every last one of them are probably sci-fi fans. After all, if you don’t enjoy your ‘part’, you won’t be able to pull it off convincingly.” I say, as my own attention is drawn to a squat black building with none of the fancy lighting surrounding it. I just make out the name as we speed by, the ‘Shadow Conspiracy’. Ah, that might be worth remembering...

“Hey,” Moonlight says, not so lightly punching my shoulder. “Mind on the job, mister.”

“Says the pony who looks like she’s going to her first carnival.” I retort, causing the redness to return to her cheeks.

“Look, I just want to get there, take care of this business with Miss Tart, and get out as quickly as possible.” She says in irritation.

“Well, some ponies are like that, in and out as quickly as you can, no time for pillow talk... seems a bit cold if you ask me though,” I say, earning a much harder punch.

“Look Johnny, this will all go much easier if we can just skip your innuendo.” She snarks.

“Right. Gotcha. No ‘in-your-end-oh!’, you can count on me.” I say adopting a perfectly blank muzzle.

Before she can start an all out brawl the cab pulls up in front of our destination. We step out and I pay the cabbie, and then I trot up beside Moonlight and together we look at the spectacle before us. Out of all the grand and gaudy buildings we have passed, this is by far, the grandest and the gaudiest. What would normally be an imposing looking three story edifice, complete with towers at each of the four corners, and beautiful flying buttresses (it’s architecture, remove thy mind form the gutter{sheesh}, some ponies), instead now looked like something off of that ponvideo viewer we saw back at Night Industries. But instead of a screen, the entire outer facade of the building changed every minute or so, displaying just about every erotic enticement I have ever heard of, and several I most definitely have not.

On top of the building, in huge blue neon letters was the name, ‘House of Dreams’. By the sky stallion, if just the building was this impressive, Cherry Tart must be one of the wealthiest ponies in Whinnyappelous.

“This is...” Moonlight begins, but trails off at a loss for words.

“Incredible? Amazing? Spectacular?” I prompt.

“Scandalous!” She finally says. “To use one’s architecture to put on such a shameful display.” She says gesturing at the building in question wildly with her hoof. “Look, just look at that one. What can she possibly intend to do with a jar of mayonnaise and a garden rake?” A moment later we found out. “Oh by the goddess! Burn it with fire!” She says looking down at the cobblestones under her hooves. “I cannot unsee that.” She says rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hoof. “Just guide me inside, I don’t intend to glace upwards until we are through the front door.”

I do as she asked, all the while thinking that of the outer walls were like this, then I can only imagine what we were likely to see INSIDE the building, but once inside it was I that was in for a shock.

The lobby we trotted into looked like the inside of a five star hotel. Tasteful furniture, a fountain, an open bar, plenty of comfortable seating, and carpet so plush my hooves had already fallen in love and were filing separation papers.

For a moment I thought that Moonlight had teleported us into another building out of sheer embarrassment. We trotted up to the counter, which did look exactly like that of a five star hotel. It was then that Moonlight stopped moving, staring at the receptionist. It was Luna.

“W-what?” She stammered.

“Hello,” She said, smiling warmly. “And welcome to the House of Dreams. Judging by your companion’s reaction, I assume that this is your first visit. I can assure you that it won’t be your last.

Here at the House of Dreams, we specialize in ‘you’. Anything you can imagine, any secret fantasy deep within your heart, any dream you always yearned to be real, we here can, and will, provide. If you’ll just take a moment to fill out this questionnaire, and health information, one of our specialists will be with shortly to discuss the details of your dream come true.” She says, proffering a rather lengthy questionnaire, which I take out of reflex.

Much as I want to inquire further, I reluctantly remind myself that I have a job to do first. Almost regretfully I pull out my ID, and Luna’s writ, and I present them to... well... Luna.

“As much as I really want to take you up on your offer, both my companion and myself are her on business for the crown. We need to speak to Miss Cherry Tart as soon as possible.”

‘Luna’ examines the proffered documents, her eyes going wide.

“A-are we in trouble?” she asks, her voice beginning to rise. “I told them that posing as Luna was going too far, but they insisted. I mean I always did a much better Twilight.” She says as her form blurs, and before us now stands Twilight Sparkle.

“Changeling.” Both Moonlight and myself say simultaneously.

Oh sweet Zacherle, out of all the ponies she could turn into, she just had to pick Twilight... And she was right, she was perfect in every detail. The hair, those eyes. Eyes that were looking at me imploringly, and not filled with hate or revulsion. It made my heart hurt.

“Please, could you become somepony else?” I asked, “anypony else?”

Her shape blurs, and now I am facing myself. I see that face in the mirror enough to recognize it, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen it eyes wide in fear before.

“Please mister, I was just trying to make a living, they told me it was fine-” she says desperately, before I cut her off.

“Just calm down... um... lady?” I say, raising a hoof. “Nobodies in trouble. We aren’t here for anything like that. We just need to speak to Miss Tart about a friend of hers. To my knowledge, it has nothing to do with your... ‘business’.”

She let’s out a deep breath. “Whew, gotta admit, you had me a bit worried there. I’m sorry, I’m fresh out of the hive, still getting used to all the rules. I’ll go speak to Miss Tart right now. Please, make yourselves at home, have a drink, or something from the buffet, I’ll be back as quick as I can.” She says before hurrying off.

I notice Moonlight staring at her retreating figure, still clad in my body. “See anything you like?” I ask deadpan.

“Well Johnny, I hate to see you leave, but I do like watching you trot away.” She says with a smirk.

It was my turn to become red faced. “R-really now? Did that just come out of Miss Modesty?” I say, trying to cover my blush.

“This place must be getting to me.” She mutters back. “Let’s go find us a drink, I suddenly feel that I need one... possibly two.”

“Agreed. Although I should probably stop at one, I’m already seeing double.” This earns me yet another smack from Miss Shadow...

Chapter 10

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Chapter Ten
Say you... say me...

I was nursing my second Maretini when our skittish receptionist returned, still clad in my form.

“Miss Tart has been informed of who you are, she said to bring you to her office right away.” I informed myself, with eager looking eyes.

I let loose an involuntary laugh. Unsurprisingly Moonlight was also chuckling.

The receptionist looked at us in confusion. “What? What did I say?”

“Oh my dear, it wasn’t WHAT you said, it was the way that you said it.” Moonlight said, fighting back tears. “Oh Johnny, so fresh faced and eager to please.” She said, before cracking up again.

“Oh... I see.” The receptionist replied, understanding beginning to dawn. “I-I still have a lot to learn. I guess that’s why they only let me work the front desk. {Sigh}, I try and I try, but I’ll never get this whole ‘pony’ thing down pat.” She says, making her version of my face look downcast and despondent.

“Hey now,” I say quickly. “None of that, you keep frowning like that and you’ll give me wrinkles.” I say lifting her/my chin with a hoof. “You’re doing an excellent job of being me. In fact that’s why we found it so funny.”

“Huh?” she replies in confusion, “what do you mean?”

“Well, Moonlight is seeing emotions that I have never expressed in front of her before. As for myself, I’ve never had the opportunity to see myself in action before. I find it QUITE entertaining.” I assure the young changeling.

This immediately perks my other self up, and she begins chatting away as she leads us to the elevator. Instead of going up however, she presses the button marked B4, and the elevator quickly begins to descend.

“So, um... Miss? Sorry, I never got your name, why exactly were you so despondent about working the front desk?” Moonlight asks, making small talk. “I would have thought that to have been preferable to... um, the ‘other’ duties this establishment would have you do.”

“Ah, well my hive designation is B-8-T-E, which stands for ‘Base level eight trainee, for equines’. But the boss calls me ‘Betty’. As for those ‘other’ duties Miss Moonlight, that’s where all the really GOOD food comes from. All drones do there very best to qualify for the ‘personal service department’.” My other self says earnestly.

“Base level eight trainee for equines.” I repeat aloud. “I surmise that base level eight has something to do with your body type, and perhaps personality? Trainee speaks for itself, but am I given to understand that there are different drone types... uh... ‘trained’, for different races?” I ask.

“Correct in all regards Mr. Detective.” She responds cheerily, smiling with my face in a way that makes me want to laugh all over again. “Base level eight, translating as best, I can basically means petite, perky, sensitive and sweet. Luna was at the upper limit of my body mass limit. So she was quite a stretch for me. Not to mention maintaining the proper attitude. But it’s all on the job training. Once I pass my final exams they’ll move me to my own den, and only give me customers suited to my type.”

“Your ‘type’,” I repeat. “But I always thought a changeling could match anyone, change into anypony.” I say rubbing my chin. A move that our host duplicates much to Moonlight’s amusement.

“Oh, outer appearances we can all generally match, as long as the size isn’t too large or small. But maintaining the proper personality, now THAT can be difficult. Especially if it’s somepony the other pony knows well. That’s why I would be a terrible choice to mimic say... Sombra, for example. I tend to smile too much, and it’s hard for me not to be sweet and sympathetic. That would totally ruin a pony’s Sombra dominance fantasy.” She says earnestly once more.

“Betty, I don’t know about any pony else, but I would pay a weeks worth of bits just to come here and have you say ‘Sombra dominance fantasy’ while looking like Johnny over there.” Moonlight says gesturing at me with a free hoof. As they both share a laugh at my expense.

“Har de har har...” I retort, “and it’s ever so much MORE amusing seeing me laugh at myself.” I add.

Before either one of them can respond the elevator ding’s and the doors open. Both Moonlight and myself take an involuntary step back. A move that has not been lost on my doppelganger.

“From your reaction, I’ll assume that this is the first time either of you have been inside a changeling hive.” She says, making my other face giggle. {Shudder}, okay, that’s disturbing. “Just follow me, and stay close, it’s easy to get lost down here if you don’t have the right scent receptors.” She says setting off at a trot.

We quickly catch up to her retreating form, all the while gazing at the walls and ceiling around us. Everything is composed of a green organic looking material. Actually, as our gazes took in more and more of the hive, it was more like every shade of green. From the bright luminescent green that provided our illumination, to the deep forest green as the materials thickened into the support of the walls. We passed dozens of round side tunnels that were scattered randomly into the walls, as we made our way deeper and deeper into the hive. Finally after a dozen twists and turns we found ourselves facing a beautiful mahogany door set into the wall before us.

“Miss Tart is waiting for you inside. Don’t worry. I’ll be right outside to escort you back whenever you are finished with your meeting.” My other self says, as she opens the door and steps back.

Giving her a smile of thanks I step inside, followed closely by Agent Shadow. The office of Miss Tart was in stark contrast to the one Dr. Brass has. No windows in this one for one thing. I suppose no one wanted a view of dirt and earthworms. For another, although both the desk and furniture ran toward the elegant, the mass of paperwork make it look more like the office of an overworked accountant than that of a madam. This was obviously a working office, make no mistake. And it looked like the pony we came to see was still in the middle of her work.

“What do you mean Tabitha is unavailable?” Miss Tart all but yells into her intercom. “She’s STILL getting smooze out of her mane? Well get Cynthia to cover for her. She’s also a C-5, and tell her to hurry up, Penny Pincher is a bad enough tipper anyway! Love may be enough for you girls, but I need bits to keep this place running!”

Cherry Tart finally turns to face us, and gestures for us to sit down.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, she forces a smile onto her muzzle and says “So, what can I do for YOU today?”

“Miss Tart,” I begin. “My name is Johnny Appleseed, and this is my associate, agent Moonlight Shadow.” I pull out my credentials as Moonlight pulls out hers, as well as the writ I have from Luna. We are conducting an investigation into the whereabouts of a missing pony. I’d appreciate anything that you could tell us about a pony named ‘Babs Seed’.” As I say her name I study her face intently. I get the exact type of reaction that I was expecting.

“WHAT! Babs is MISSING!” She exclaims, rising to her hooves. “Since when?” She demands,” How long ago?”

“Anywhere from one to two weeks at a guess.” I reply. “There was a formal investigation not too long ago, your name was on a list along with other ponies she was associated with. No one from the Night Watch has contacted you before now?” I ask, despite already suspecting that I knew what the reply would be.

“NO!” She fires back. “This is the first I’ve heard of any of this! Please, I knew she hasn’t been around lately, but she told me she’d be busy. She said she had made a big find, and that she might not be around for awhile, but she never would give me any details. I KNEW something was fishy. She always tells me everything. Please, tell me what’s going on. I’ll help you in any way I can!”

I rise from my chair, and step around to her side of the desk.

“You and her,” I say, my voice softening. “Were a couple.”

Moonlight gasps, as Cherry replies, “Yes. She was... IS... my special somepony.” Cherry says, her voice starting to break as she lowers her head into her hooves and rubs her temples.

“I thought so. She had a picture of the two of you together in her work locker. It was taken in a photo booth. I may not be a living example, but I know love when I see it.”

She reaches inside a drawer of her desk, and removes a photo. Wordlessly she passes it to me. I can tell it was taken at the same time as the one in Babs locker. From the looks of it, it was the next one of the line.

“That was the night... the night we told each other that we... that we...” She breaks off as tears start to fall down her cheeks.

Damn. Of all the memories I had to dredge up, it was the night of their confession. Way to go Johnny. Way to be a real horseshoe.

“Calm down, calm down Miss Tart. She hasn’t been missing for that long. And Luna herself has appointed Miss Shadow, just as Celestia has appointed me, to help find her. You have all the resources of the Canterlot royalty behind you. We WILL find your mare.” I declaim confidently.

Cherry looks up at me, as she tries to regain her composure. “S-sorry about that. it’s just... you hear things, about... about ponies that go missing.”

I immediately cut her off. “I know what you are about to refer to, and I can promise you that every magic at our disposal is telling us that that is NOT the case. Believe me, that was the first thing that the authorities checked, and they were VERY thorough.”

“Oh thank Luna!” Cherry says, relief flooding her voice. “We have Griffins and Diamond dogs, as well as human clients... some of the things we hear... {shudder}.”

I place a hoof on her shoulder, as Moonlight joins me on the other side of the desk.

“Miss Tart,” she says gently. “Please, I know it may be difficult. But we need to know everything you can tell us about Babs Seed.”

“O-of course.” She stammers, wiping her eyes.

“Well, I met her just a little less than a year ago. I had a dinner reservation with the former Queen, Chrysalis at La Carrousel, and she was running late. I spent a few minutes at my table indulging in my favorite hobby. Pony watching.”

“Pony watching?” Moonlight asks.

“Oh yes. I’d go to a park, or a mall, find a comfy seat, and just watch the daily antics of all the so called ‘normal’ ponies, as they go about their lives.” Cherry says, a grin briefly appearing on her muzzle.

“By ‘normal’ ponies, are you implying that you are a changeling as well, by any chance?” I ask. If so she’s far better than her receptionist. I never even considered her to be anything other than a pony. Just a gut feeling.

“Oh no, Mr. Appleseed. I can assure you, I’m one hundred percent pony.” She says in reply. “No, I just never considered myself to be all that ‘normal’ by common pony standards. Too much of a free spirit, too ‘out there’, as they say. So I’ll sit and watch as other ponies take their lives so very seriously. It just makes me want to shake my head y’know?

Well, anyway, I was sitting there, sipping my water, and I was watching this poor waitress, obviously new, being dressed down by a customer in Prench, who was complaining about his soup being cold. They were at the next table over, and I could see and hear everything.”

“Cold soup? At THAT fancy Prench restaurant?” I say incredulously.

“Oh wait until you hear the whole story.” She says, grinning once more.

“So apparently they where having some sort of ‘dishes from around the world’ promotion. And what that stuck up Prench pony had before him was clearly a bowl of Gazpacho soup. The Prench idiot obviously had no idea that Gazpacho soup is SUPPOSED to be served cold. And here he was, berating this poor waitress. I mean, not only was it NOT her fault, but it was obvious that she knew little to no Prench, and was having a great deal of trouble responding.

Well, just then I felt a tap on my shoulder and there at my table was this beautiful unicorn, whom I knew to be Chrysalis in the disguise that she always used when we went out. So I whisper in her ear an idea that just occurred to me. A moment later Prancois Hollande trots up to the table and, in expressive prench, demands to know who is being so rude as to disturb his meal.”

“P-Prancois Hollande?!?! Really? You had her impersonate the President of Prance?” I say, laughing despite myself.

“Oh yes. Chrysalis thought it was great fun. She doesn’t get to use her Prench accent very often. The reason for that, is that she does a terribly exaggerated prench accent. It was all I could do to hold back the laughter as she addressed that pompous bastard.”

Putting on her worst Prench accent Cherry intones, “Vous vous plaignez de quoi? Votre Gazpacho est froid? Vous crétin! Gazpacho soupe est censé être servi froid. Attention everypony! Voici le poney qui aime gaspacho chaud!”

“Bwahaha! Oh, that was beautiful. Being dressed down by the president of Prance, inside the most upscale Prench restaurant in Whinnyappleous. So, what did the customer do?” I inquire.

“Well, first he whips around all angry intent on telling off whoever is interrupting his rant. Then he sees the President of Prance, and he shuts up and stands there all wide eyed, and after being prompted once more explains his problem. Well, after Chrysalis gives him his tongue lashing he just falls into his seat in shocked embarrassment. Then Chryssi says “Vous êtes le plus grand embarras à la France depuis Hooflivier Giroud!” Well, that did it. After hearing him say THAT, the poor guy passes out right on the spot... into his bowl of soup!

So there the poor waitress is, her customer passed out, into his soup, and then the manager trots out and prepares to give her a tongue lashing of her own. But then Chryssi, still in her Hollande disguise, explains to him about the customer, and tells him that he has taken a shine to this waitress. Then she goes on about how what an excellent waitress she is, and how marvelous the food is, and how he will be recommending both to all of his colleagues when he returns to Prance. And by that point Babs pretty much has a job for life. So he/she asks the manager if it would be all right for the waitress to come dine with us, and of course it is, so he brings an extra chair over to our table, and Chryssi escorts the still confused Babs over to join us. See, the whole time Chryssi was talking to them, she was doing it in Prench, so Babs had NO IDEA what was going on the whole time!”

Both Moonlight and myself can’t help but to laugh as we imagine how bewildered poor Babs must have been!

“Oh that was one heck of a way to meet somepony,” I say. “So how did that all pan out?”

“Well, an extremely confused Babs sits down with us. Chryssi, still in her Hollande disguise orders a bottle of Ponier-Jouet, directly from the manager, who doesn’t even bat an eye before replying ‘Oui monsieur. Compliments de la maison, pour compenser cette canaille qui a perturbé votre repas.’ It was all I could do to keep my jaw from falling open, let me tell you.” Cherry says shaking her head at the memory.

“Freeow! No wonder. That stuff sells for fifty thousand bits a bottle! And he just GAVE it to you... And to think I saw Chrysalis on stage not too long ago.” I say shaking my head in wonder. “I should have talked her into taking me out to dinner.”

“Ah, well... I don’t know how to break it to you Johnny, but I doubt you’d be her type. I just don’t feel a lot of ‘love vibes’ coming off of you... no offense.” Cherry adds hastily.

“None taken,” I assure her in return. “And I guess you’d be right about that. Anyway, please continue,” I prompt her.

“Well, so after the manager leaves, I quickly explain what she missed out on. She takes a sharp intake of breath when I explain that the pony both the manager and the customer was in awe of was the President of Prance, but I quickly explain to her that the pony across from her is really Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings.

I won’t lie, I kinda expected her to freak out all over again. Most ponies still don’t want to be anywhere near a changeling, and we were talking about one of the most notorious changelings ever known. But instead, Babs goes all ‘fanpony’ on us, and starts asking Chryssi all kinds of questions. Heh, you’d think I had just introduced her to Mustang Bieber. Well Chryssi is lapping it up, she hasn’t had anypony fawn all over her in years. Not only that but it quickly became obvious that Babs had a good head on her shoulders. She was intelligent and witty, not stuck up at all, all three of us hit it off right from the start.

So, anyways, after dinner we exchanged info and started hanging out together. Hitting up bars, a lot of karaoke. Looking back I think that’s where Chryssi got her interest in becoming a singer. I mean you wouldn’t think fangs and a snake tongue were conducive to having a good set of pipes but she could really belt out a tune y’know? Between you and me I think she copies vocal cords on the sly... I’m just saying.

But anyway it was all going great, then after about three months Chryssi starts hanging out with us less and less. She’d always come up with these lame excuses. Finally I cornered her one night and just asked her point blank why she was avoiding us. She gets all red faced and embarrassed and finally admits to me that it was becoming a ‘conflict of interest’.

Well, I start to act like I don’t know what she’s talking about, but she’s having none of that. Since I forced her hoof she just tells me point blank, ‘you’re falling in love with her’. Well, now it’s MY turn to be hugely embarrassed, but before I can say anything, Chryssi adds, ‘and she’s falling in love with you too’.

Well, you can imagine, I was floored. I mean, I hadn’t even come to terms with having feelings for a mare. I mean, as a filly I was always into colts, and when I got older I was always on the hunt for stallions. I never even thought I could have those kinds of feelings for another female. But me and Chryssi were tight. She helped set me up my business. I mean this is still technically HER hive, I’m just sort of the manager. Point is, I knew I could trust her not to lie to me, so if she said I was really in love, and not some little crush, then I knew it was the real deal.

But remember, I also had just been given the second shock of my life, and that was knowing that the pony I loved loved me back. I just sat there for who knows how long. Chryssi sitting across from me, occasionally taking a deep breath of all the extra love I’m just pouring into the ether by the gallon.

Finally she says, ‘okay girl rein it in! By Celestia I’m going to be fat as a hippo if I hang around you while you’re like this’. Then we both put on these goofy grins, and she comes over and throws a hoof around my shoulder and gives me a big hug. I think we sat there for another hour, just kinda drunk on love. Though I admit the occasional belch from Chryssi almost killed the mood.”

Both Moonlight and I are grinning openly. She’s probably remember some old flame. Personally I was finding the mental image of Chryssi sitting on a couch, occasionally scratching herself, and then letting out a huge belch to be hilarious. (And If I’m being honest, somewhat sexy. What that says about myself, I don’t even wanna know.)

My thoughts are interrupted, as Cherry resumes her story.

“So after that Chryssi keeps badgering me to tell Babs how I feel. I didn’t know it at the time, but it came out later she was doing the same thing with Babs. But apparently we were both being stubborn as Equus mulus. This didn’t sit well with Chryssi, because in the first place, she could literally ‘see’ the love between us, so to her everything else was just wasting time. And in the second place, she just really wanted to see her two friends ‘get it on’.”

Moonlight looked at Cherry scandalized, while I just chuckled in amusement.

“Just think about it for a moment agent Shadow. She’s a changeling, to her it would basically mean having her two friends take her to an all you can eat buffet. I doubt she’d even pay attention to all of the ‘biological stuff’ that would be going on in the background.” I say, trying NOT to have a mental image of what that couch would look like at that point... and failing. What Cherry says next doesn’t help.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” She says. “Every pony has at least one ‘kink’ deep inside them. It just so happens that Chryssi is a terrible voyeur. As a matter of fact-”

“Okay, I’m going to stop you riiiight there.” I interrupt, before I develop a more ‘obvious’ interest in the story. “If you could Cherry, please focus on Babs for now.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. Well finally it got to a point where Chryssi took matters into her own hoof, and went to see each of us disguised as the other, and told us to meet the other at this big Hearts and Hooves Day event going on down town that Saturday second night. Now I should have suspected something from the start, but ‘Babs’ really seemed like she wanted us to go, and she said it would be the three of us, so I said to myself what the hay.

So of course when I get there, Babs was there by herself sitting on a bench. I sat down next to her and asked her if she had heard from Chryssi. She says no. About that time a bouquet of red and white carnations lands between us with a card attached. We look up and see Chryssi blowing us a kiss before flying off. Well, by that time we both have figured out that we’d been set up. I’m muttering something unprintable about changelings while I tear open the envelope and we both lean in together to read what’s on the card. It was pure white parchment paper, with four words on it in letters of gold. ‘GET ON WITH IT!’, was what it said.

Well, naturally we were both beyond embarrassed, so we kinda sat there for a bit, the silence becoming long and awkward. Finally, just to break the ice, I reach over and pull a carnation from the bouquet, and start nibbling on the petals. ‘Well,’ I say, ‘if nothing else Chryssi has good taste in flowers, and I WAS starving’. Well, that helped, so now Babs pulls one out and starts munching, and we sit there going back and forth until there was one left, I mean leave it to Chryssi to get an odd number of flowers in a bouquet right? So Babs, after hesitating a moment says ‘W-well, we could share the last one’. And she leans in and takes a nibble out of her side. So, well, I do the same, and the next thing you know we both go for a bite at the same time and our muzzles brush together.

We both pull back at the same time, eyes wide. Then Babs takes the stem from my hooves, and tosses it aside as she gives me this sly smile, then she starts leaning forward again, and somehow I find myself doing the same, and we both kinda sorta got all kissy for an eternity or two. Until we hear a voice from on high yell ‘YES!... FINALLY!’

And we’ve been seeing each other ever since. I thought at first she might have a problem with what I did for a living, but she was totally cool with it. If anything I was the one more often put out, what with her trips back and forth to Manehatten. She has this hobby see, archeology. She even knows the head of a museum. That’s actually the last word that I had from her. She went to Manehatten to see him, then a few days later I got a letter from her telling me she would be another week, that she was onto something big, the ‘find of a lifetime’ she said. And that was the last I heard from her. Or from anyone about her for that matter. I just assumed that she was still working on whatever it was that she was talking about. Then you two show up and tell me she’s missing.” Cherry finishes, the look of concern returning to her face.

“Can you think of anypony else she may have contacted besides yourself?” I ask.

“Just Chryssi, but she would usually just go through me to leave a message for her. What about her work, have you tried there? She replies.

“Ah, yes, we have.” I reply evasively, not wanting to give anything away. “They seem to have been under the impression that she had quit.” Which was technically true. The manager WAS about to clean out her locker, before it cleaned itself out in the most thorough way possible.

“No way. Babs would never quit that job. Ever since that day with me and Chryssi she had the manager eating out of her hoof. No way she would give up a gig that soft.” Cherry replies adamantly.

I was about to add something else, when all three of us were thrown violently from our hooves, as the whole floor shook, and dust from the ceiling rained down on us.

“What in Tartarus was that?” Cherry says, her eyes going wide. “Did we just have an earthquake?”

“Can’t be,” Moonlight replies. This is one of the most geologically stable cities in all of Equestria, it was one of the reasons that Luna chose it.”

Almost as if in direct contradiction of Moonlight’s statement, the floor and walls shook again. Not as bad as before, but this time we could all hear the muffled sound of something impacting on the ceiling.

Then I remembered, we were four floors underground. Oh Goddess, the building was collapsing.

“Quick, is there any other way out of here besides the elevator.” I say, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

“There’s a service tunnel at the back that connects all the subfloors to the outside. Why, what’s going on.” Cherry asks in confusion.

“What’s going on is I think your building is collapsing.” I state. “We need to get everybody out that exit as quickly as possible.”

“No, no way, how could my building be collapsing. I used the best architect in all of Whinnyappleous, this building was guaranteed to stand for two hundred years.” Cherry states in disbelief.

Before I can reply, a loud grinding noise shudders its way through our hearing. Looking up we can see cracks start to appear in the ceiling. We didn’t have long.

Fortunately, that was all it took to convince Cherry, who pulled a fire alarm set into the wall of her office. The alarm claxon drowned out the sound of the ceiling cracking.

“How is that even working?” Moonlight asked. “For that matter if the building really is collapsing, how are the lights even on?”

"All my wiring was installed underground. I didn’t want the power poles cluttering up the view of my building.” Cherry replies, as we all hurry toward the rear stairwell.

When we got there, the hallway was packed with over fifty changelings, who were trying in vain to clear the doorway. We could tell as we approached that it was a lost cause. Huge chunks of rubble blocked it off, and a cloud of dust hung in the air.

Moonlight looked at me. “We could try to blast our way through.” She said, more as a question, than a statement of fact.

“Doubtful,” I say in response. “If I were to guess, I’d say we’d have three floors of rubble to get through. It’d be easier to tunnel through the wall, except I don’t think we’ll have time for either. I’d say all we can do is t-”

This time, I’m the one cut off by a much louder cracking sound. As I look up a jagged crack begins to run from the stairwell ceiling back down the hallway. As we look in horror, the ceiling slowly begins to sag.

“NO!” I shout, bracing all four legs and desperately start channeling magic up into the ceiling.

Buck me! This is seriously heavy. I won’t last long unless I cheat, but before I try that, I yell to Moonlight. “I’ll hold the ceiling, you teleport as many as you can at a time up to the surface. Go with them to make sure they are safe, then come back for the next load. Don’t worry, I got this!” I say, lying through my muzzle.

“Are you insane!” Moonlight yells back above the noise. “You can’t possibly hold up that many floors worth of debris, your skull will explode from trying. We need to get out now and take as many as we can with us.”

I only have moments before I need to start cheating, no time to pull punches. “Really?” I yell back harshly. “Fine then. Look around you and pick out who gets to live, and who dies. Go ahead… I’ll wait. Not like I’m doing anything here!”

Moonlight gives me a look of pure hate, as she turns toward Cherry, and the receptionist who still hasn’t given up looking like me. What she sees is over fifty very scared beings, some of them beginning to cry. She whips her head back around to face me. Her face still filled with rage.

“FINE!” She yells, in a voice worthy of Luna. But you damn sure better be holding up your end of the deal when I come back.”

I laugh weakly, “heh, hold up… good one Shadow. Now get the Hells out of here.”

Moonlight and Cherry quickly begin getting the swarm organized into groups of six, the maximum that Moonlight can teleport through that much debris. Finally freed of distractions, I could start up a very complex bit of last ditch magic.

Three of the runes embedded in my body begin to glow, as I start tapping reserves of power. Two of these three store up kinetic energy every time I move and store it for future use. I can convert the energy into magic, or use it to enhance my physical body. I start channel these reserves through my horn to help support the ceiling. I could tell, it wasn’t going to be enough.

Moonlight was only on her second load of changelings, and I had already used up twenty percent of my stored juice in the first rune. Some quick calculations let me know I was going to come up woefully short on energy from my two kinetic runes. And that was where the third rune came in.

How much do you know about anatomy? No, not the tab ‘A’ into slot ‘B’ part. I’m talking the interesting parts that we don’t ever think about because we don’t want to freak out every five minutes. Here’s a fun fact. We are only about ten percent ‘us’. The other ninety percent is made up of various parasites and symbionts that share our bodies with us.

Everything from the plants in our intestines,(five hundred different species of bacteria in our intestines alone,) that help us break down food, to the viruses and bug larva that we inhale every time we breathe. Each of us is basically a ‘colony’ animal. (I try to balance this with the fact that our bodies are also around forty percent stardust… so that’s kind of cool).

Reason I bring this up is, that as the landlord of this property I call Casa de Johnny, I’m about to call the rent due… All of it. As Moonlight comes back for another group of changelings I feel the first storage rune go dead, it’s energy depleted. As the second shoulders the load I begin to use the third rune to channel energy into the depleted one.

This energy is being stripped from basically every living thing inside my body, along with anything else that isn’t absolutely necessary to keep me alive. All the parasites go first, then, reluctantly most of the symbionts. I save a few cultures of intestinal plants and bacteria from my wrath, on the outside chance that I live though this. If I do, I probably would like to be able to eat again.

Down through my body from head to hoof I go, like a grim reaper, culling every source of energy I can. All the excess fat cells are drained dry, not a lot there, that’s what I get for staying in shape. Sweet Celestia, if I get out of this everything I eat for a week will be fried in vegetable oil… even the cake.

I notice Moonlight flash back and out again. I have no idea how far along she is. It’s taking all my concentration to hold up the ceiling and fill up my runes at the same time.

It doesn’t matter. Every minute I can hold out means that many more lives saved. That’s all that matters.

First rune is filled, and just in time, my second one is flickering. I switch the first back on and continue channeling power as I struggle to find something left to fill the second one with. My skin has already begun to sag. Between the loss of life forms and fat cells I’m looking pretty emaciated at this point. But I have to keep going.

Okay, what else? What do I have left to work with. I guess I can do without the musculature at this point. I ease myself into a sitting position and drain my muscles dry.

What else. Hmm, follicles aren’t necessary, really they are just cosmetic. I feel a chill draft, as I suddenly become a bit lighter. I don’t look down. I may sound glib inside my head, but I really don’t want to see all of my coat, mane, and tail, lying on the floor beneath me.

Behind me I hear someone gasp. I can only imagine what I must look like at this point. A skeleton covered in loose folds of skin. Skin that is being pulled downward by all the metal runes embedded in it, now visible for all the world to see. So many runes left untapped, but totally useless for holding up a ceiling. I really need to send Celestia a letter about that. Even my most powerful trick, my alpha rune would be totally useless right now. If only I could tap into the magic in them without using them.

Crap, the first rune is already sputtering. More of the floors above must have collapsed onto the pile adding more weight. As it goes out, I swap over to the second one again, it’s only got about a ten percent charge. Crap, won’t be long now. Moonlight winks back in and back out. One more group saved. See Johnny, isn’t that worth a little hair? Six more lives… yeah, that’s a fair trade.

Ah, the second rune has started to flicker. Guess this is it. Well, it’s been a good… well, it’s been an INTERESTING life. Only real regret was Twilight. I wish I could have somehow-

Suddenly Moonlight reappears, her body covered in dripping ichor.

“You look like crap,” I croak out, my voice thin and wheezy.

“Oh YOU are one to talk,” she says, scooping me up like a baby colt. “Time to go home Johnny,” are the last words I hear before blackness engulfs me.

Chapter 11

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Chapter Eleven
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars...

I regained consciousness... or so I thought. I really wasn’t sure. I couldn’t see.

Why couldn’t I see? I hadn’t damaged my optic nerves during the ravaging of my system for energy. I couldn’t move either. But that could mane anything. I all but destroyed my muscle tissue, that much I remember. Oh Goddess, and my hair. I’m bald, completely bald, and all my runes are exposed. Funny that, I should feel cold, but I don’t. Actually I feel quite warm. Actually I felt good, really good. Oh crap, am I dead? Am I just a disembodied spirit? Is that why I can’t see, or move. Am I in some void without any reference points, and am just floating throughout eternity?

“Johnny.” A voice says out of the nothing. A very familiar sounding voice.

“Johnny.” Another voice says, this one also familiar. Ahh, the warmth seems to permeate my entire being. Are these the spirits of my family, here to guide me into the afterlife?

“Momma?” I tentatively ask the void.

“Bwahaha! Harken sister, he believes that you are his mother! Truly this explains much.” The other voice remarks.

“Obviously sister, that remark was in response to your voice. Most likely due to your stern and matronly demeanor.” The first voice replies.

Oh, Goddess. Now I recognize them. I’m not dead at all. Although being with both of them in the same room, I may soon wish I was.

“Celestia... Luna, why can’t I see you?” I manage to ask, my throat dry and cracking.

“Ah, he does know who we are. Be at ease Johnny. Your eyes are heavily covered so you wouldn’t be blinded by what is occurring.” The voice of Luna says. “My sister has been bathing you in her radiance she she arrived. She’s almost done restoring your body as best she is able. We should be able to remove your restraints and eye coverings within the hour. In the meantime, is there anything we can do? I’m sure you have questions.”

“Water please.” I beg. Moments later I feel something pushed against what I have to assume is my lips. I mimic the effort of opening them and feel the smooth surface of the small tube being pushed inside. I try to remember how to suck and swallow, and I must have been successful because I feel a cool wetness making its way inside me. It feels really good. I take my time and do it some more until I am almost nauseous, then I stop and try to speak again.

“What happened.” I ask simply. “Did everyone make it out? Where’s Moonlight?”

“Moonlight is currently busy on a special task I am having her perform,” the voice of Luna hurriedly informs me.

“As for the rest, I will tell you everything that she had put in my report. Starting with the fact that you, all by yourself, somehow managed to keep almost six floors of debris suspended above you and over fifty survivors, for nearly nine minutes.”

“Nine minutes?” I croak out. “It seemed like hours. Only nine minutes...” I say my voice drifting off.

“Only nine minutes!” Luna explodes. “You shouldn’t have been able to last even one! Sister, what have you been feeding this pony? If I didn’t know better I’d say you ripped the wings off an alicorn when my back was turned.”

“No sister,” Celestia replies, a hint of steel in her voice. “He’s all pony, with a side of mule thrown in. As for his diet, it must be all ‘stupid pills’ for him to try a damn fool stunt like that. By the sky stallion Johnny. Those runes were never meant to be used like this. You wrecked your body almost past the point of repair. If it wasn’t for Moonlight’s quick thinking in summoning us, you’d be very, very, dead right now.”

“But did we save them all?” I ask once more.

“Yes Johnny,” Luna replies. “Moonlight got them all out before she came back for you. But, there’s something you should know.”

I tense up, I could tell I wasn’t going to like whatever she was about to say.

“That last trip, before she came back for you,” Luna begins gently. There was a changeling, a receptionist, who was, at the time, wearing your form.”

“Betty,” I whisper.

“Moonlight got her out, along with Cherry and the last of the survivors. But when they arrived on the surface, somepony shot her. It was a head shot, and with a high caliber M.I.S.P.P.L. Betty’s head literally exploded. She’s gone Johnny,” Luna says in a grim tone.

I remember now. When Moonlight came back for me she was dripping in ichor...

“Did you find the killer?” I ask.

“No Johnny. Moonlight could tell the direction that the shot was fired from, but she had a choice to make. Try to capture the shooter, or save you. Speaking for both her and myself, and my sister as well, she made the right choice.” Luna says in a tone that brooks no argument.

“The shooter thought Betty was me,” I say. “I’m guessing Moonlight didn’t teleport me outside then.”

“No, she took you both directly to your office. Then Ori contacted Celestia, while Moonlight summoned me. I sent her back to secure the crime scene and then I tried to stabilize you until my sister arrived.” Luna explained.

“This means that the killer probably thinks I am dead. After seeing what he thought was my head explode, I’m sure he got out of there as fast as he could. He wouldn’t have stayed around the length of time it took for Betty to revert to her normal form. Wait! By Zacherle just wait!” I shout, as what happened finally sinks in. Was that whole thing... did they destroy that entire building... just to try and kill me?” I ask horrified.

“No Johnny,” Celestia says gently. “After reading your reports, I think the main objective was for whoever it was, to keep Cherry from giving you any information about Babs. The killer, seeing both of you at the same time, most likely decided that killing you would be like cutting the head off of the snake. You were most likely a target of opportunity.”

“Meaning if poor Betty hadn’t been looking like me, then Cherry would have been the target.” I say bitterly.

“Most likely.” Luna says.

I tired to hold it together in front of the boss, but inside I was rapidly filling up with a combination of sorrow and rage. Betty had said it herself, she was fresh from the hive. She was young and eager, her whole life ahead of her. Hell’s I didn’t even know what she really looked like. Now I never would.

Luna had been speaking while I had been wrestling with these thoughts. Not even knowing what was being said, I interrupt her anyway.

“How many dead.” I ask in a flat tone.

“Eleven ponies, three diamond dogs, four griffins, two zebras, a dromedary, and twenty-six changelings.” Celestia says, reading off the tally.

“Forty-seven PEOPLE,” Luna clarifies, with an icy undertone.

“And Betty,” I add bitterly.

“And Betty,” Celestia agrees. “I know what that tone of voice is implying Johnny. This was NOT your fault.”

“How can it NOT be?” I ask in exasperation. “She looked exactly like me, that was why she died!”

“Did you force her to look like that? Did you tell her to specifically mimic YOUR appearance?” Celestia asks sternly.

I hesitate, “well no, but-”

“No buts,” she says, cutting me off. “And her death isn’t due to her choice of figures, it was due to the son of bitch that bombed a building and shot an innocent person in the head! If you want someone to focus your anger and frustration on, focus it on them!” Celestia finishes in a near rage.

“Calm yourself sister,” Luna admonishes, “or else you’ll have to add sunburn to the list of Johnny’s injuries.”

“Oh sister, believe me, this IS calm.” My boss says, sounding anything but. “If this wasn’t your sovereign demises, I would raze every den of inequity with solar fire until they gave up those responsible, then I would banish them to the sun. THAT is how I cleanse the impurities from the guilty.” She says vehemently.

“Sister, your righteous indignation does you justice, but please allow me to handle this in my own way. It will do me no favors to have my big sister having to come in and take care of my city’s problems.” Luna admonishes gently.

“I know Lulu,” Celestia replies in a calmer tone, “and I would never overstep my bounds in front of the rest of the gentry, that would weaken both our positions. “I just... well... Johnny...”

I try to head of where this is going. “Isn’t it about time to get these coverings off of my eyes?” I ask.

“Y-yes. Of course. You should be healed enough that I can dim down the radiance to tolerable levels. By all means, let’s get those off.” The boss says, regaining her composure.

The bandages and restraints are quickly removed, as Celestia dials back on her healing solar rays. I’d never admit it, but I think I will really miss it. It was like floating all warm and safe in a place free of pain and filled with love. Must be what the womb was like, I’d imagine.

I wince slightly as the last of the bandages are removed from my eyes. Then blink several times as the fuzzy blobs of two alicorns slowly come into focus.

I must have still been feeling the intoxicating effects of Celestia’s healing magic, because before I can think better of it I say, “wow, I keep forgetting just how beautiful you two are...”

Celestia’s magic winks off as both mares turn their heads and blush involuntarily.

“Sister, whatever you are doing, keep it up,” Luna says mischievously. “I believe among other things you have healed his tongue and turned it silver.”

“Oh no sister,” Celestia replies. “That’s Johnny’s default setting. It’s one of the reasons I keep him stationed as far from Canterlot as possible. Otherwise I’d be up to my horn in little Johnnys and Jeneane’s from all of the noblemares that used to follow him around.”

I offer a small grin in reply, as I try to sit up enough to asses the damage. Luna and Celestia are both quickly by my sides, one holding up my head while the other props up a pillow behind it. Wow, talk about the ‘royal’ treatment. A pony could get used to this.

Well, that was the thought I started to think until I looked down and saw the price I had paid for my luxury. All I can say is, at least I looked better than I must have when they dragged me in. My skin was no longer hanging in folds. Celestia’s magic replenishing the lost tissue and muscle. My coat was still struggling to regrow, my runes still somewhat visible. My mane and tail were still gone. I could use an illusion to cover this up, as well as my runes if I needed to, but dang it, I miss my hair. I mean I’ve seen ponies that shaved their heads before, but it just looks so unnatural on me... Still, at this point the last thing I should be worrying about is my hair. I’m lucky to be alive. I need to be more thankful. Speaking of which...

“Luna, I can’t thank you enough for keeping me together and getting the boss here so quickly. You saved my life, and I will always be grateful.” I say sincerely, causing Luna to blush once more.

“I-indeed, sister,” Luna stammers. “You spoke truth when you said that this one was a charmer. Now if you’ll both excuse me, I have several matters that need attending to back at the palace. This is, of course, just my excuse to let the two of you have some time to catch up by yourselves, without having to censure yourselves in my presence.” She says, giving us both a broad wink before teleporting away.

As soon as she’s gone I begin to raise my hooves, but before I can say anything Celestia cuts me off.

“Wait for it...” She says.

We sit quietly for a few moments before Luna suddenly reappears, looking expectantly in my direction. Seeing me just sitting there quietly, I notice a look of disappointment cross her face before being quickly concealed.

“Ah, I seem to have misplaced my agenda,” She says quickly. “I thought I might’ve left it here. Oh well, obviously not. Sorry for the interruption.” She says before teleporting out again.

I begin to raise my hooves once more, but I stop myself seeing Celestia hold one up of her own.

“Wait for it...” she says once more.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Luna once again appears, still looking expectantly at me.

“Lose something else sister?” Celestia asks sardonically.

“Oh, I um, seemed to have misplaced my... tiara?” Luna finishes lamely.

“It’s on your head sister.” Celestia says in an even tone. “Lucky for you I found it, so that you can take care of all those ‘royal duties’ you need to be attending to.”

“Ah, yes... Thank you sister. Dear me, how my mind is wandering today. Well then, I’ll just be going...” Luna says, vanishing once more.

I look over at my boss, and raise one half grown eyebrow questioningly. This time she nods and smiles.

I smile in return, as I raise both hooves invitingly to my boss, my mentor, and so much more. The solar princess wastes no time in coming to my side and pulling me close.

“Johnny, you stupid, stupid, pony.” She admonishes, right in my ear. “Why do you keep doing things that make me worry about you?” She says, nuzzling my cheek.

“Well, your skin is so smooth,” I say, caressing her muzzle. “I just thought a few worry wrinkles would make you look more matronly.”

“This from the pony who was nothing BUT wrinkles when I arrived?” She snarks back, nibbling my ear, as she runs on of her hooves over my bald head.

This sends a tingle all the way down my spine. Hmm, maybe being bald ISN’T so bad.

“I’m guessing THIS is what Luna was hoping to pop back and witness?” I ask, as I begin to nuzzle her in return.

“No,” Celestia replies with a grin. “But THIS is,” she says, as she acquires my full and undivided attention for the rest of the evening...

The next morning I awoke to find myself alone, in my own bed. I wasn’t surprised by this. The thing that me and the boss have between us is both more and less than what other ponies share. She’s not my special somepony, and I am not hers. Although I may be the closest thing to it she will allow herself. First and foremost, she is my boss. Below that she allows herself as much as her heart can bear. She knows that like the others, someday she may have to kill me with my death rune. I know this as well. So we try to maintain a certain distance from each others hearts. At the same time though, we both are mature adult ponies who share a similar emptiness inside. And, as often as we are able, we do our best to fill that void in each other. It’s all we can do. Sometimes it’s enough.

But neither of us like goodbyes, so her not being here isn’t a surprise. What is however, is the scroll on my bedside, tightly rolled up and bound in ribbon, with a much smaller note attached to the outside. I open the smaller one and begin to read.

To my most flexible and able subject,

By the time you read this I will be back in Canterlot, safely out of your reach... for now. You should be able to go about your duties once more, although I will waste my breath and ink by suggesting you don’t overdo it for a few days. (Yes, Johnny, I’m laughing along with you at that). Just to save you some time, we have confirmed that the explosives used in the bombing of the brothel were the same type that were used in the restaurant, and my cake room, (thanks once more for that by the way).

Please keep me informed as to the continued progress of your investigation.

On a completely unrelated note, (and I use that last word literally), I reluctantly have enclosed the following message. Rest assured, I have not read it beforehoof, as can be attested by the still intact seal and marker spell upon it. I do however, feel I should explain why you have it.

When Ori got in touch with me, I was in the middle of a meeting with somepony. Naturally, I told them that I had to leave, that it was an emergency. When I returned, she was still there waiting for me.

She naturally asked where I had gone and why, and being that I have never lied to her, I told her a much abbreviated version of the truth. That being that you were near death, and that I rushed off to save you. I did not however tell her where you were, or what you were doing. This was for your sake, as much as hers. The last thing you need right now is more complications in your life. However, if, after you have finished your current assignment, you wish to go speak to her, I will allow you to do so.

But Johnny I caution you, not as your boss, but as your friend and mentor. Before you speak to her again, you need to understand what you really feel about her. You need to look inside yourself, past your guilt, past your honor, and duty, and see yourself honestly. Otherwise, all that you will accomplish is to add to the pain that both of you feel.

All that being said, once she found out who I went to see, she all but begged me to send you the enclosed message. I don’t know the contents, but I can only hope that they will not add to the burdens your heart already has to bear. If you need to speak to me after you have read it, please don’t hesitate to do so. Remember Johnny, you are very dear to me.

Your immortal boss,

Halfway through the letter, I had already deduced who the other message was from. My hooves were shaking as I put down Celestia’s explanation. I picked up the other scroll, turning it in my hooves, examining the ribbon, the royal seal from the princess of friendship. Yes, it was real.

This was a letter from Twilight.

All these years and never once had she tried to reach out to me. She knew I was still alive I’m sure. She was Celestia’s protege, surely she knew I was still working for her somewhere. I expected something before now, some message telling me how she could never forgive me for what I had done. That’s what her eyes said that day. That I was a monster, that she couldn’t bear the sight of me. In the months after the accident I still had some hope, some foolish shred of hope that she could somehow find it in her heart to forgive me. But I never heard another word from her... until now.

I looked at the letter in my hooves. I wasn’t ready for this now. Tartarus, I may never be ready for this, and yet I watched my hooves untie the ribbon, and break the seal, almost of their own accord. And there by the candlelight in my dingy apartment, in the darkest city in all of Equestria, I read the words that changed my life.

“Dear Duskwind,

When Celestia returned and told me where she had gone and why, I could hardly believe it.

I knew in my head that you were still alive out there somewhere, working for her, but to have word about you in such a fashion... that you almost died... well, it was not how I wanted to find you again.

Celestia won’t tell me the details of your situation, or your current whereabouts. All she would say is that if it wasn’t for you, over fifty people would have died. Since she said ‘people’ instead of ‘ponies’, I can only assume you must be in some far off land. But that does nothing to lessen what you have done. Over fifty people. I’m so proud of you Duskwind.”

S-she’s proud of me? Shocking enough to see my real name after all of this time, but Twilight is PROUD of me? My hooves are shaking so badly I can barely read, but I force myself to continue.

“It’s been so many years since I last saw you. Since the day of that terrible, terrible accident. I will never forget the look in your eyes as they carried you past me. You looked so broken, so empty. I couldn’t see anything of the pony I knew in your eyes. All I saw was an empty void. And seeing that on the pony I loved, frightened me to the core.

I knew that what had happened must have been incredibly traumatic. They wouldn’t let any of us see you. Then, afterwords, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to ever see me again. That look in your eyes. I still shiver at the memory. For months after that I waited. I kept hoping that you would snap out of it. But I never heard from you again.

I tried to keep up with your career as best I could. I knew that you were training under Celestia to be a part of a special unit. But details were few and sketchy. Even my brother Shining couldn’t find out anything, and he was as close to the grapevine as anypony. Eventually my duties to the princess sent me to Ponyville, and I’m sure you had to have heard about all the craziness going on in THAT little town. But you never came to visit, and you never wrote to me.

I know you have moved on since those days so long ago. But this may be my only chance to tell you, so I have to take it while I can.

I never stopped loving you Duskwind. What we had together was the most beautiful thing two ponies could share. No pony has ever gotten as close to my heart as you did. I used to think that time and distance might lessen the feelings I had for you, but they never did. I’ve done some amazing things since you saw me last, and I’ve made some good, good friends. But there has always been a piece of me that was missing. And that missing piece was you. And seeing as this my be my only chance to do so, I just had to tell you so.

I can’t pretend to understand what all you must have gone through. And I know I don’t have any right to ask, but if you would please send me a response to this. Just to let me know that you read it, That’s all I will ask.”

Always yours,

Twilight Sparkle

I carefully place the letter on my nightstand, and lie back in my bed. I stare at the ceiling, as tears begin leaking out of my eyes. Moments later I am bawling like the fool that I am. Great wracking sobs, I wail into the eternal night of Luna’s city.

All this time. All this time she still loved me. All this time she had remained true to me, and what have I done since then?

I wail once more into the night, and the darkness swallows my cries as it does the thousands of other lost and broken souls in this city.

I have fallen so far since then. Booze, and one night stands, and so many dead. After that day I dug out my heart, and threw myself into whatever job Celestia would send my way. The darker the better. All so I could try to blot out the sight of her horrified eyes as she looked at me that last time. And all this time I had been wrong.

She had been there all along. Waiting for me, just like I had been waiting for her. But I was so caught up in my own loathing and self misery I was too blind to see it.

I looked down at my body. All the runes seared into my flesh still visible, as well as the scars from countless battles. I had taken the pony she loved so much, and turned him into THIS.

I reach for the bottle of cider I always keep beside my bed and bring it up to my muzzle. The sour tang of stale cider hits my nostrils before I take a sip, just like it always does, only this time it’s assaulting the nose of Duskwind, and not Johnny ‘bloody’ Appleseed. I fling it across the room in disgust, another sob escaping me only to be drown out by the sound of shattering glass.

I wipe at the tears in my eyes, and deep inside I feel something change. No, not the tears in MY eyes, in Johnny’s eyes.

I realize now what Celestia meant in her letter. 'Look inside yourself, past your honor, and duty'. What she should have said is past my ‘horror and self loathing’. All the things I’ve done were so I could run away. Run away from a pain I couldn’t deal with. But with one letter the core of that pain is gone. This one letter is like a slender ray of hope. A thin and brittle chance to reclaim who I was, and what I lost. And by all the powers that be, nothing was going to stop me from taking that chance.

I reach for the nightstand once more. This time removing parchment, quill and ink. My hoof is steady and firm as I write:

My Dearest Twilight,

Your words mean more to me than I can say. There are a great many things I need to tell you, but for reasons I cannot explain here, I will need to do so in person.

However, there are several things I want you to know that cannot wait one day longer.

I haven’t moved on Twilight. It would be a lie to say that I haven’t been intimate with other ponies over the years, but I have never been in love with anyone else. My absence from your life has been due to a misunderstanding of cosmic proportions, which I want to discuss with you in detail, as soon as I am able. But know this. Duskwind still loves you with all of his heart, and he will be coming to see you as soon as he is able.

As to that. I am currently on assignment for Celestia. (Don’t bother asking her, she’s not going to explain). However, she has given me permission to come and see you as soon as my current task is complete. Know that that day cannot come soon enough, and you will be in my every thought until then.

You’ve waited for me this long my dearest, please just wait for me a little longer.

Still yours,

Duskwind

I use the wax from the candle on my nightstand to make a crude seal, and then add a sealing spell that Twilight will recognize. I take another piece of parchment and write a quick note to Celestia, asking her to pass my response to Twilight. In it I let her know that everything is fine, but that I plan to take her up on her offer to allow me to visit Twilight after this current crisis is all over.

I wrap these two messages together, fire up Celestia’s candle, and send them off.

Moments later I drag myself from the bedroom, make my way to the bathroom, turn on the sink, and begin to wash the drying tears from my face. I stop and stare at the reflection in the mirror. Johnny Appleseed is staring back at me as usual. But behind his eyes, I can faintly see the shadow of a pony named Duskwind.

“You just stay back there Dusk,” I say to myself.

This is ‘Johnny’s’ town. And Johnny still has work to do. A missing mare, both a restaurant and brothel full of innocents to avenge... and Betty.

You just stay put a little longer Dusk. Johnny needs to do what he does best. But after that, you got a date with an alicorn princess. And heaven help anyone that tries to get in your way between now and then...

Chapter 12

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Chapter 12
Perspectives

(Duskwind/ Johnny Appleseed...)

I was in the office early the next firstnight. I’d put on a pot of coffee and was already well into my first cup as I scanned the latest edition of the Whinnyappleous Post. Despite the promise I made to myself the night before, I was not feeling like the same Johnny Appleseed that last sat at this desk. No, there was an undeniable taint of ‘Duskwind’ coloring my thoughts. I was happy, and I had no right to be.

People were being killed left and right, and I had a case I was no closer to solving. I needed to get to the bottom of this quickly before more innocents were harmed. There was no reason at all I should be feeling anything other that sadness and rage. And that was there, brimming with potential violence, ready to be set loose the minute I caught the ponies responsible. But underneath it all, where the old pain used to be, the pain that drove me forward all of my life, in that place there was now hope.

I admit, I didn’t really know what to do with it. At least not now. The best I could come up with was to ignore it until all this mess was over, and if I survived try to figure it out then.

It was while I was musing over these thoughts that Ori came in. To her credit, I think she was more surprised to see me drinking coffee, than she was to see me here at all. This is because all the previous times I was in the office before her, it was due to me staying here all night, and in those instances my beverage of choice was usually flammable.

I was about to call her into my office, when I heard the outer door open once more. A moment later Moonlight trotted up beside Ori, and gazed into my office in shock. What? Was I really so much an oddity at this point? Ah, I forgot. No mane, no tail, peach fuzz still not covering my runes yet. Goddess, what Ori must be thinking, I never trusted her about the runes before now. Dammit Duskwind, this is your fault. I’m slipping. You’re making my thinking sloppy. {Sigh} well, I need to talk to Ori anyway. But first I needed to talk to Moonlight.

“If you both are done enjoying the show,” I say, trying to sound angry, “I’d like to speak to Moonlight alone. But don’t make any plans Ori, you and I need to have a little talk when I get finished.”

“Y-yes sir,” she says, quickly leaving the room.

I think I may have scared her a little too much, but then again, if I were anypony else right now, she would have good reason to be. She’s realized that she did something she shouldn’t have been able to do. That means that she knows, that I know, that she knows things that she shouldn’t. If this situation was just slightly different, that would mean that I would have to ‘terminate’ her employment with my company... among other things.

Moonlight glances at the retreating form of Ori, for a moment, then turns back to me as I gesture for her to sit down. The expression on her face was a mixture of concern and relief. I imagine the concern was for Ori, but perhaps a little was for me as well. After all the last time she saw me I was in less than stellar shape. What happened next was all Duskwind... I couldn’t help it.

“So, like the new look? I decided to wear it short today.” I say, running a hoof through an imaginary mane. I thump my stub of a tail against the back of the chair for emphasis.

She just kind of froze for a moment. Shock and amusement warring inside of her, after a moment amusement won out.

“{Bwahahahaa}, Oh Goddess Johnny... really?!?” she asked. In response I merely thumped my tail stub some more. “S-stop that” she stammers out, as a second wave of laughter explodes from her.

“Stop what,” I say calmly as I fold my paper, by now my tail has a good rhythm going.

“I give up,” she says in exasperation, as she waves a hoof in my direction, “you’re hopeless.”

“Not the first pony to ever tell me that,” I say sipping my coffee.

“I take it by you’re juvenile attempt at humor that you are fully recovered?” She asks.

“Successful juvenile attempt at humor,” I correct, “and yes, for the most part. At least well enough to get back to work.”

“You know about... Betty,” she asks, her voice sobering.

“Yes, I’ve been told,” I reply, my jovial manner dropping away. “I also know that you let the killer get away so that you could come back and save me.”

“I stand by that decision,” she says defensively, in a tone that says she wont be backing down on this point.

I hold up a hoof. “I won’t be disputing your decision.” I say placatingly. “It already has the support of both our bosses. “I will however expect you to deal with the consequences of those actions, by helping me bring swift justice to the bastard that did it.”

Her face starts to cloud up. “Just calm down Moonlight, calm down. I’m not mad at you for your decision. In fact...” I pause and look directly into her eyes, “Thank you Moonlight, really. You saved my life, and I am sincerely grateful.”

“Wha... W-what? Who are you, and what have you done with Johnny?” she stammers incredulously.

“Heh, more like what has Johnny been doing with me,” I reply enigmatically.

“What does that mean?” Moonlight asks.

“Hmm, oh nothing, just thinking to myself.” I say absently. I pass her the firstnight’s paper. Pointing with a hoof to the article on the front page. It’s about the bordello. “You can read this if you want, the salient points are how many that died, and a mention that a private investigator, one Johnny Appleseed, was found dead on the scene as well. The cause of the explosion was listed as due to a break in a gas main. Interesting considering that the explosion occurred ABOVE where we were, and as Cherry already told us, she was using underground power cables to power the lights and air.” I say, tapping the relevant passage.

“Someone doctored the article,” she says without hesitation. “Someone didn’t want the cause of the explosion made public.”

“Correct, but it goes deeper than that. Consider all the facts Moonlight.” I say, rising to my hooves and beginning to pace. “Let’s start with the investigation. Supposedly before I was called in, the night watch had launched a thorough investigation into the case of our missing Babs Seed. During that time no members of the watch were attacked, no bombs gone off, nothing. Now add to the fact that although Cherry’s name was on the list of Bab’s friends and acquaintances, she was never called in for questioning, nor had any member of the watch come to see her.

Now let’s look at the bombs. The first one was while I was talking with Princess Luna. This was an unofficial visit, she came alone, without guards, and yet some pony knew about it, and teleported enough explosives inside to level the block. At first I thought, like she did, that it must have been an assassination attempt on her life. But as she said, the amount used wasn’t nearly enough to destroy her. It was however enough to destroy me, and my office, and any evidence that Luna might have brought to me. Our mystery bomber wasn’t trying to kill Luna, they were hoping to either take me out, or if we bolted for safety, then take out the file that Luna had brought along with all the info she had gathered on Babs. It was an act of desperation, with only a marginal chance of success, which means for them to take it, the stakes had to be very high.

The next set of bombs were used when the manager was about to clean out Babs’s locker where she worked. Obviously our bomber didn’t want something that might have been in there being found. A something that might have linked Babs to whoever it was that was doing this.

But,” I say, pausing my pacing. “There were no bombs planted at Babs’s apartment. Why? The obvious conclusion is that bomber already knew that there was nothing to incriminate him there. But how could that be? Night watch investigators are some of the best ponies in the world at forensic magic. How could our killer know that there would be nothing left to incriminate him.”

Moonlight’s eyes widen in alarm as she sees where I am going with this.

“And then there was the last bombing. Babs’s special somepony. Why didn’t our killer try to take her out before now? Why was there no investigation on her? Why did it happen on the night we came to visit? You know the answers as well as I do by now.” I say, looking intently at Moonlight.

“Somepony knew we were going to be there.” She says, following the logic chain. “Somepony knew that Luna was coming to see you. Somepony knew that Bab’s apartment was clean, because that same pony wash there during the investigation. And that same pony kept the investigators from snooping around where they didn’t want them to go.” She cups a hoof to her muzzle in shock. “It shouldn’t be possible, but all the evidence points to only one thing. I have a traitor in the night watch!” she says, rising to her hooves in rage.

“Now, now, calm down. Technically YOU don’t have a traitor in the watch, your BOSS has a traitor in the watch. She hoof picked each member herself remember? Out of the best of the best, she personally chooses the members of the watch, and then the best of those become her personal guards. You may be higher in rank, but that doesn’t mean it was your fault.” I say, trying to mitigate her fury.

“Y-yes, you’re right of course. I just... tend to take these things personally. Luna is my everything you see. It’s like finding out you have a family member who’s been plotting against you.” Moonlight explains.

“Believe me, I understand completely. I share a similar situation with Celestia.” I say. “But also consider this. The bomber, whoever it is, thinks that I’m dead. The pressure is off of us at the moment. They will assume that you will report back to Luna, and that she will try to find somepony else to track them down, and by then the trail will be so cold that no pony could find them. Instead, I want you to use this,” I say, pulling out the file Luna gave me. “Investigate all the members of the night watch that were involved in the original investigation. One of them is beyond a doubt involved with the bomber. While you’re doing that, I’m going to the undercity in disguise and track down whoever is supplying our killer with his explosives. Had it been a one time thing, I could see a box slipping through the cracks, but as much explosives as have been used, someone will have to have gotten a large shipment. That means some being knows something, and I intend to find out who, and then what.” I say with grim determination.

“Well, it seems we both get to look forward to a very dirty night.” Moonlight says, as she looks over the list of potential traitors in her hooves.

She starts to leave, and then almost as an afterthought, she turns around and trots over to me.

“Johnny... back in the bordello... when you told me you were going to hold up the ceiling until everypony was safe. I- I thought you were committing suicide. No pony should have been able to do what you did. I realized as I came back each time to take the next group to safety, that no matter how fast I was, very soon I would try to go back, and there would be no ‘back’ for me to go to, that you would be dead... crushed. It was then that I realized there were... things I had wanted to say to you, things I wanted you to know.”

“Moonlight,” I say in confusion, “what are you trying to tell me?”

She moves closer to me, I can feel her breath on my muzzle. I can smell her, her scent is that of some exotic night flower. Before I can react, she brushes my lips with hers. It only lasts a moment... it only lasts an eternity.

“I’m just glad to have you back,” she says, before vanishing in a burst of ebony magic.

I fall back, and just barely manage to land on the edge of my desk. I’m supposed to be a detective. I had no clue that was coming. She was beautiful. Strong, exotic, smart, the kind of pony way out of my league. I never even considered that a pony like her, could feel anything for some slob like me.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. This was a complication I did not need right now. I had a case, I had a chance to get Twilight back. This... thing, it just could not be. And yet, if I had known about how she felt BEFORE I read Twilight’s letter... Johnny Appleseed would have thought he had found his soul mate. An equal. A partner to share the endless night with.

Then the voice of Duskwind rises up inside of me like a lion and roars ‘you already have a soul mate! Her name is Twilight Sparkle!’ And he’s right. Twilight is all I/he ever lived for. Faugh, this is getting me nowhere. I need to focus on the case in front of me. This is no time for me to be getting soft... for ANY pony.

“Ori, please come in here!” I say, returning to my seat.

(Ori...)

My name is Shea Butter, but I usually just go by Ori. A long time ago I came to this city in search of my sister. Instead I found a new life and a job working for one of the toughest, and yet at the same time, most compassionate ponies I have ever met. He just summoned me into his office. I believe he intends to kill me. That’s not a figure of speech by the way. I’m pretty sure I’m about to die.

I rise from my seat, and get out from behind my desk. I take one last look around at what I have considered my own little kingdom, before making my way into the inner office where the boss is waiting on me.

I don’t know all the details, or even most of them. But what I do l know is that my boss isn’t what he appears to be. I mean, on the surface he’s the perfect hard boiled detective, just like one right out of a book. But for awhile now I’ve been noticing things. I’ve put together as much as I could. I know he secretly works directly for Celestia. I also know he isn’t afraid of ending somepony’s life. That much I witnessed firsthoof. I’ve also figured out that whatever it is he really does for a living, that it’s a secret he will kill to protect. And now he knows that I know something I shouldn’t.

When Agent Shadow brought Johnny in two days ago he looked worse than a corpse. The fact that he was still breathing was a miracle past understanding. Without even thinking about it I called Celestia. She was here in moments, and never even spared me a glance, let alone question why I was using one of Johnny’s candles to call her, or how I knew about them. All she was worried about was Johnny.

I’ve had two days to think about things while Johnny was recovering. There’s no way either of them have forgotten about it. There’s no point in trying to run away. If anypony could find me, it would be Johnny.

“Ori, did you hear me?” Johnny calls from inside his office.

Well, no sense trying to drag this out.

“Be right there boss.” I say, taking the last few steps I have left of freedom.

I open the door, and try to maintain my usual cheerful nature. Not an easy thing to do when my boss, who is my best friend, may be about to send me to my maker. Oh well, at least that means no more half hour commutes to work every morning...

“Sit down please Ori,” Johnny says, not unpleasantly.

Jeez he looks so strange without hair. And I don’t even want to know about all those weird metallic tattoo’s he has all over his body. I never figured the boss to go into that kind of thing. His coat is coming in pretty fast, but I can still make out the tats. It must be some kind of weird metallic ink, it can’t really be metal, otherwise how would his fur grow over it?

“Is my flank really THAT interesting?” He asks with a grin.

Oh goddess! He caught me staring! Part of me wants to tell him ‘yes it is’, because... well... yes it is. But whatever my last words may be, I don’t want them to be that.

“Sorry boss,” I say, “the um... artwork, just caught me off guard.”

“Heh, I’m sure.” He replies. “Look Ori, I’m going to be very busy for the foreseeable future, places to go, people to beat up, but before all of that, there’s a little something that you and I need to address. Do you know what I am referring to?” he asks, suddenly becoming all business.

No sense beating around the bush about it.

“You want to know how I got in touch with Celestia when you got hurt. And most likely want to know why I knew to call her instead of the local Helping Hooves.” Well, that’s done it. On the outside chance he was referring to something else, I’m sure I’ve focused his attention squarely on me.

“Yes Ori, the answer to those two questions are EXACTLY why I called you in here. And a lot of things may be riding on your answers, so, if you don’t mind, please explain yourself.” He says, steepling his hooves together under his chin. He seems so calm. Almost casual. But his eyes are still and hard. I imagine they looked like this the night he took care of those diamond dogs outside the club. That was the night we met. The night I got my first inkling that this was a pony who didn’t flinch at what he had to do. If I wasn’t about to die, I’d probably find it VERY arousing...

“I-it was an accident,” I say, trying hard to keep my voice from shaking. “It was months ago. When you were working on the Lily Belle case.” He nods at me to continue. “I came in that Tuesday firstnight. You were passed out on your desk. There was a tall white candle on the corner of your desk. I was pretty cross with you, all it would’ve taken was for you to fling your arm, and the whole office would’ve went up like a matchstick.

Well, I was just going over to blow it out, when all of a sudden a scroll appeared out of the fire. It scared the hell out of me at first. I knocked it off of the desk, sure that it was going to set the rest of your mess on fire, but there wasn’t even a singe mark on it. Well, you were still out, and I was curious, So I unrolled it and read it.”

Johnny gets a blank look on his face, he's about to do that freaky perfect recall thing he does. After a moment he says...

“Dear Johnny,

I am both relieved and saddened by your news. I know that you did everything you could to save Lily, and return her to her parents alive and unharmed. Despite the fact that she lost her life, at least you were able to recover her body. I know this doesn’t seem like much, but at least her family will be able to grieve. They wont waste years of their lives harboring the false hope that one day their daughter will somehow return home alive and well.

I’ve read the details of your report concerning what you did to the criminals responsible. Although I commend you on your thoroughness, it isn’t necessary to include ALL of the details of their removal from society. However that being said, I completely understand and agree with your methods. No being deserves what those bastards did to poor Lily.

Enclosed you will find your usual bonus for services rendered. Please try not to spend it all on booze Johnny. Also attached you will find a new spell that I believe you may find useful. It’s a voice amplification spell which can be tuned to any pony’s specific voice. Very useful when trying to overhear a particular conversation in a crowded room. Please sign and return a copy of your receipt for my personal records, and let me know what you think.

Celestia

P.S. On a more personal note I just finished writing the latest chapter of my new erotic novel. Tell me how this sounds...

‘Annabelle struggled against Stetsons powerful grip, knowing that she shouldn’t succumb to-’,”

Johnny breaks off mid sentence as we both go red faced. “Ah, I don’t suppose the rest is relevant.” He says rubbing the back of his bald head. “I remember waking up the next morning. The message was there, but the receipt page was torn. I assumed I must have sent it back before I passed out and just forgot about it. I’m guessing you sent back the reply, and kept the candle?”

“Yes Johnny. By then I was quite good at forging your signature. I knew you’d forget about it. I’m not sure why I kept the candle at the time. Part of it was curiosity. Obviously you knew Princess Celestia personally. And obviously you were keeping secrets from me. I guess back then I just wanted proof that what I saw was real, and not some made up fantasy. I-I’ve been known to do that from time to time.” I say with embarrassment. “As time went on, and you never mentioned the candle, I finally got the nerve up to light it once more. When nothing came through I was both relieved and disappointed. I mean I had no idea what to do if another letter for you showed up. I had some vague plan of putting it on your desk before you got there with the candle blown out next to it. But that never happened.

Instead, I wrote a letter to Celestia. It was in your handwriting. And it was short so she wouldn’t notice anything in what was said. All I did was ask her how her erotic novel was going. To be honest what she sent the first time was pretty steamy reading, but it was pretty good, and I guess I just really wanted to see if she would respond. Oh, and by the sky stallion did she ever! The next thing I knew fifty three pages of parchment came through, the final a personal note saying how surprised she was that I took an interest in it and to let her know just what I/ Johnny, thought of her latest efforts.

Well, after that it kinda sorta became our regular thing. I mean your Saturday secondnights were like clockwork when you weren’t on a case. You’d go out until 2am, then pass out until 2pm the following secondnight. So every Saturday evening, I’d light the candle and wait for a new piece of her novel.”

I stop speaking and notice Johnny’s reaction for the first time. I don’t know what I expected, anger, rage, a look of betrayal at least. But the bald fool is sitting there red faced, and is silently laughing at me! Seriously?!? I mean tears are running down his cheeks... I can tell he’s having trouble breathing. Okay, that’s it. Death is one thing, but I ain’t gonna sit here and be laughed at.

“What the BUCK is so funny?” I yell. This only makes him start laughing out loud instead of to himself. “Johnny Appleseed! You stop that right now! We both know this isn’t funny. I came in here expecting to die, NOT to be made a fool of!” This sobers him up some. I wait there fuming until he can regain his voice.

“I know, I know Ori. And walking into my office was one of the bravest things I ever saw. I’m not making fun of that. But you have to see this from my perspective. Those candles are attuned to Celestia’s particular magical signature. Just like the ones she has for me are attuned to mine. Her enemies would pay a fortune to get there hooves on one of those, just so they could disassemble the spells and try to find a weakness in her magic. They are quite possibly the most sought after magical artifacts in all of Equestria... and you were using them to... to... read bad romance fanfiction?!? {Bwahahaaa}” and with that he’s off again.

I start to rise, but he waves me back down with a hoof. “Sorry Ori, I’m sorry. I’ll be good.” he says calming down.

I know this can’t be easy for him. He’s putting it off, trying to stall, but we both know I can’t be allowed to know what I do. To be honest I’m really touched that he’s fighting so hard against himself. He really must care deeply about me.

“Ori, I feel at this point that there is something I should tell you.” He says, becoming more serious. “When I send a message to Celestia, she not only reads the paper and ink that I send it on. She also reads the impressions of the pony who wrote it. It’s a spell we both use to safeguard our missives just in case some other pony managed to get a hold of one of our candles. Ori, she knew it wasn’t me responding from the very first time you sent back that receipt.”

WHAT?!? She knew? All this time she knew?!? Oh sweet Zacherle!

“B-but she never said...” I stammer out weakly. Why am I not dead? I should already be dead? What the buck?

“No, she never said anything to YOU. But she sent me a package the following day, express mail from Canterlot. Inside was a letter saying how somepony else sent back a receipt in my name, along with a new set of candles with a different spell key. I messaged her back saying that nothing was missing and that the spell she had sent me hadn’t been tampered with. She kept the original candle and lit it once a day, hoping that somepony would try to use it again, and she could then send a tracking spell back through it to whomever had managed to steal it.

We both figured that whoever it was must have been a pretty high level spy to be able to get past all my wards and mess with my stuff without leaving ANY trace. Believe me I used every trick I knew trying to find any evidence that somepony had broken in. But the only ponies I could detect where you and me. And I KNEW that YOU weren’t a spy.” He says, openly grinning again. “You can’t imagine Celestia’s surprise when she finally got a nibble on that candle one night. When that message came through she was primed and ready with all kinds of nasty spells. But then you asked... asked about her NOVEL of all things... by the sky stallion Ori, you have no idea how close you came to cosmic death!

Well, naturally she traced back the spell to you. You can’t imagine the relief we both felt. Well, mine was a bit more short lived than hers. I got quite the tongue lashing for allowing you to find my candle.

We discussed the situation, and eventually concluded that if you had kept your muzzle shut this long, then we could trust you to continue to do so. And it wasn’t like you were doing anything nefarious. To be perfectly honest, I think the boss just really liked the attention. You’d have no way of knowing, but she has a pretty lonely life.” Johnny says frankly.

“T-this is... I... I don’t know what to say.” My head is swirling around. I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling for a moment, trying to get my head around everything I just heard. “So, I’m NOT going to die? I mean this isn’t all some elaborate trick to keep me off my guard?” I ask, hope beginning to form in my chest.

In response Johnny reaches into his desk, pulls out a candle and holder, sets it on his desk, and then pulls out pen, ink, and parchment. He takes a moment to write something before passing it to me. I hesitantly take the page from him, and begin to read.

“Dear Celestia,

I hope this finds you well, and full of cake. I made it back to work today, and will soon set out to try and lay my hooves on the person responsible for all the recent bombings. More on this later.

I’ve also made agent Shadow aware of my theories concerning the source of the information leaks. She’s currently gone to play ‘whack a mole’. More on this later as well, just as soon as she reports back in.

In other news, Ori and I just had a most revealing chat. She seemed quite pensive when I asked her to come and see me this morning. Due of course, in no small part, to your recent visit. (Personally I just don’t see why other ponies find you to be so intimidating). After our conversation, she seemed to be quite out of sorts, I was wondering if you might have any words of wisdom to share to help ease her mind.

Sincerely,

Johnny”

I handed the message back to Johnny, who without another word sent of off through the magical fire. We sat there for a moment silently. Each of us lost in our own thoughts. Suddenly the candle flared, and a small mahogany box appeared, the lid inlaid with a beautifully carved feather. On top of the box were two notes, one addressed to Johnny, and one addressed to me. Johnny passed me mine, and then opened his own, and leaning back in his new office chair, began to read. Wasting no time, I broke the seal on my own, and began to read as well.

"Dear Shea Butter, or if you prefer Ori,

It was a pleasure to finally get to meet you in person, even though the circumstances at the time were dire. I cannot thank you enough for getting in touch with me. You literally saved Johnny’s life.

For that you have my eternal gratitude. And unlike other ponies, when I say ‘eternal’ I mean it! Since you are reading this, I suppose our little game of pretend is over. This makes me both sad, and happy.

Sad that our naughty little Ori finally got caught, but happy to be able to speak with her as the mare she is, instead of both of us pretending I was speaking to ‘Johnny’. In regards to that, I assume that your little purloined candle must be just about spent. To that end you will find the enclosed box of specially made candles just for you. Take good care of that box Shea, it’s spelled to your own personal aura which you have been sending me bits of for quite some time. If anypony other than you tries to open it, the results will be quite... pyrotechnic. That phoenix feather on the lid isn’t just for show, and

Philomena was quite cross with me when I appropriated it from her.

Looking forward to sending you my newest chapter this Saturday!

All my best,

C”

I put down the letter, and run my hoof across the inlaid feather on the top of the box. I’m giddy. I can’t help it.

“Better?” My boss asks, from across the desk.

I nod yes, not trusting myself to speak yet.

“Happy?” He asks.

“Mmmhmm,” I managed to respond.

“Happy enough to get me a couple of those banana nut muffins from the bakery on second avenue?” He asks.

“Don’t push your luck,” I say, rising to my hooves and making my way back to my desk.

My name is Shea Butter, my friends call me Ori. I made a new one today, and I get to live to tell the tale...

(Moonlight Shadow...)

The name I currently go by is Moonlight Shadow. I am one of the three most dangerous ponies on the face of Equestria. And I am currently pissed off.

It seems these past few days that has become my default setting. And it all stems from the night I met a pony named Johnny Appleseed. Well, that isn’t his real name. No more than ‘Moonlight Shadow’ is mine. But in this time, and this place, he IS Johnny, and I AM Moonlight, and for better or worse, that’s the hoof we are dealt.

I am currently half a block away for what I laughing call Johnny’s office. I could have teleported all the way to my destination, or anywhere else for that matter, but I wanted time to think. Effortlessly I shift into my shadow form, and flow from shadow to shadow down the dark filled alleyways toward home.

The shadows, normally so cool and comforting, are for once, not helping at all. I’m still pissed. “Blast you Johnny, it’s been one thing after another, ever since I met you,” I mutter to myself, as I continue onwards.

I suppose in all honesty that I shouldn’t be mad at him. All he did was show me there was a traitor in my midst. It’s not like he put him there. I suppose I SHOULD be grateful to him. “Blasted pony… has to be all smart and sexy…” I mutter again. And that voice! Goddess! You just want to stroke his mane and listen to him read the dictionary… or at least all of the naughty bits… “And then I went and kissed him. By the sky stallion, what was I thinking?!?”

I step out of the shadows of a maintenance door, on a rooftop. I pause to gaze at the beautiful full moon. Every so often the weather ponies will waft a thin band of clouds across its surface. The effect is striking. Oh how I love the night. Such dark and tranquil beauty. I feel like I could leap from shadow to shadow forever.

I shake myself free of such thoughts. That freedom is forever denied me. And even this short romp is keeping me from the fulfillment of my current duties. No, for better or worse I am bound to Johnny until this assignment is over, or until he is dead.

To think I originally thought this would be easy. Like a vacation, I told myself at the time. Considering my normal night to night duties, the idea of being a unicorn detectives partner seemed like a breeze. Track down a missing pony, find Phil… After all it’s only one city. And really, the only reason I agreed to this insane partnership in the first place was so I could get my hooves on Johnny. And that should have been the easiest part!

From what intel I could gather he’s bedded more mares than a mattress company. And I know that I’VE got the goods… Tartarus, I AM the goods. Luring him away from Celestia should have been easy. He’s already working in this city, he LIKES it here. Binding him into service of the Night Princess, would have been quite the coup for me. And I suppose, if I had to be honest, the fact that he’s hot as hell doesn’t hurt.

Faugh, who am I kidding. I wanted that pony the moment I saw him. And not just for his looks. He’s a smart, devious, little bastard. A survivor. In any other age he would be a warrior general. He struts around this city like it is his. The wise know to avoid him, and the stupid he quickly crushes. All this I knew before I met him. But I was unprepared for who he really was.

He cares. He genuinely cares about people. People, not just ponies. And that’s a distinction his boss still has trouble with. When they hurt, he hurts. You would think that kind of compassion would be crippling him trying to do the job he does. But Johnny just turns that into the sharp edge he uses against his foes. Files say he can be as vicious as the scum he comes up against. Good. It’s no more than they deserve. But it makes things that much harder for me.

Seducing a pony is one thing. It can be fun, almost a game. Falling for a pony is another thing. A very dangerous thing. Falling for what is essentially the enemy, THAT is the most dangerous thing of all. If I could have kept it on the surface, I would have been fine. But that idiot keeps doing these stupid heroics that make me all weak in the knees.

Buck me, he held up a freakin building! Could I have done that? I’m not sure. Would I have done that? Oh hells no. I would have followed my training and nabbed the ponies of interest and let the rest be squashed flat. That is what a cold and ruthless agent does. But that isn’t what Johnny is. Hells, I don’t know what Johnny is… all I know is that he’s stirring up things inside me like I never felt before.

Without thinking I smash my hoof into the bricks of the doorframe, causing several of them to turn to powder. I’m still pissed. But I’m going to borrow a trick from Johnny, and use that anger, use it to ignite a fire that I’ll bring to the Night Watch.

Johnny doesn’t realize just how personal his information was to me. It was like a knife in my gut. After all that I have been through, and all I have accomplished, to find out that one of my own could be turned. No, this will not stand! I will not let the name of the Night Princess be sullied. No pony turns traitor on Luna. And before this night is over, every member of the watch will know that as a fact...

Chapter 13 (Interlude-1)

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Three hundred years ago

“Attention! Officer on deck!” The weary sentry barks dutifully, although in this case 'deck' referred to a resin coated chamber nearly a mile below ground.

“At ease. Everypony at ease.” Princess Celestia says as she enters.

All of the ponies in the room visibly sag. To say the fighting had been intense, was a gross understatement. It had taken a week to break through the defenses and storm the main hive. Five more days were spent clearing passage after passage. Five days of ambushes, traps, and unending darkness. Then after all of that to find THIS. It left a pony feeling bitter. It robs a pony of his compassion, and makes him just want to burn the whole changeling race to ashes.

Celestia surveyed the faces of the ponies before her. These were her officers. Her veterans. These ponies had seen more battle than any since the loss of the Order/Chaos War. Celestia was used to seeing what the effects of battle had on her subjects. She had sadly seen it all to often. But never before could she recall seeing such a mixture of hate and despair before. What had Princess Chrysalis done? What line had she dared to cross in the name of conquest and uniting the hives that could make her most hardened ponies come so close to losing control?

“They are in there I take it?” Celestia asks, pointing a hoof at a thick iron clad door at the back of the room. "The ones you told me about in your report".

A door in a changeling hive is unusual enough. But even a casual glance at this one and the viewer could tell that whatever was behind it, they wanted to make sure it could not get free.

“Yes Princess.” General Steel Shod, replies, then hastens to add, “but I should caution you, one of our soldiers had opened a cell when he first arrived. It was an honest mistake, she thought she was setting them free you see, that she was saving them. She had no way of knowing… NONE of us had any way to know what would happen when she… when she-” the General breaks off with a shudder, putting his head in his hooves.

Celestia braces herself for the worst. “And this soldier, where is she now?”

“Private Sterling Silver your highness. And what's left of her is still inside. With that THING!” He says vehemently. “It was all we could do to manage to seal the door back up. I doubt it has freed any of the others. I don't think it really cares about them, or anything other than itself.”

Princess Celestia moves toward the door.

“One other thing, your highness,” the General says as he and his staff begin backing away toward the other side of the room. “After we sealed the door and the noise died down, we could distinctly hear the sounds of bones breaking, trust me, it's a sound any pony that has seen battle knows all too well. But then we also heard the sounds of what seemed to be that of an animal feeding. I worry that after that… creature… finished killing poor Silver, that it may have… may have...”

“I see.” Celestia said, still facing the door, her expression becoming gaunt. Very well General. I'm going inside. After I do, seal this door behind me. I'll let you know when to open it once more.”

“No your highness.” He said surging to his hooves. “There is no way that I, or any of us, could allow you to face that thing on your own. At the very least a contingent of guards should precede you, to try and keep it at bay. And who knows for sure if it HASN'T freed any of the rest. There are dozens of them in there.”

“General, I appreciate your concern for my safety, but if you wish to continue to lead my armies you WILL NOT contradict my orders again!” She finishes hotly. “This war has taken a toll on all of us. Too many ponies will be waiting in vain for their loved ones to return from this siege. I will not add to that total by one more pony! I'm an immortal. The worst that can happen is that I take hurt from this, and any such hurt as I do take will heal within a matter of hours. Trust me General, there is nothing on the other side of this door that can do me any lasting harm.”

“Y-yes Princess, of course. We shall do as you say.” The General motions with his head and two burly earth ponies move to stand on either side of the door.

Celestia takes a calming breath and opens the door with her magic, bracing herself for attack. Silence is the only thing that rushes to meet her. Silence, and the darkness within.

Celestia steps forward into the room, and with a nod to the ponies outside, they quickly seal the door closed once again.

She ignites her horn, casting light into the chamber before her. She stands at the entrance of a long corridor. To either side, rows upon rows of barred cells stretch forward for as far as her light can illuminate.

The nearest cell on her left side is open. On the floor in front of it Celestia can see what had once clearly been a large pool of blood. Now only the smeared outline of it remained. Celestia turns to face the open doorway of the cell. Doing so, her light fully illuminates what is inside.

There before her is a cell barley large enough to hold an adult pony standing upright. Matted, bloody straw is strewn about haphazardly. Most noticeable is the pile of freshly cleaned bones. Pony bones. Celestia can see gnaw marks on the remains of the poor unicorn's horn. Almost as if what had been attacking her was trying to get at the magic that was once inside it. Behind the pile of bones, Celestia could finally see what she had come here for. What this entire raid had been about.

The information she had received from her spies had been correct. The full horror of what Chrysalis had done had barely begun to register before the figure that had been crouched low behind the bones of it's last kill suddenly launched itself at the princess.

Celestia had been prepared for this. Or so she had thought. She caught the figure easily enough in her magic and held it aloft, but she had been completely unprepared for the raw savagery of it as it struggled against her. It thrashed and clawed and hissed and spat.

“Are you completely feral?” Celestia asked in growing horror. “Is that what Chrysalis had intended?”

The figure stopped struggling. “Chrysalis? Princessss? You know Princessss?” It said in a low hissing voice.

Celestia was so startled she nearly lost her grip as the creature bobbed in her magic.

“Yes.” She said thinking quickly. “Yes I know Princess Chrysalis. I am a Princess myself. Princess Celestia.”

“Cel-essia,” the creature hissed. “But you are pony. Like that.” It said pointing at the pile of bones. “You no sssssmell like changeling. You a pony!” It accused, beginning to struggle once more.

“Stop that!” Celestia said, her shout echoing down the corridor, causing other captives to stir. “Yes, I am a pony! A good and decent and kind pony!” She shouts, shaking her captive in her magic. She sends a surge of magic through her horn, and suddenly there appears an object in the air. Something she teleported all the vast distance from her private chambers in Canterlot. She holds the object up before her captive.

“I am a good and decent pony!” She shouts once more. “But what does that make you?!?” She says forcing her captive to stare at it's reflection.

“Sssstop it!” It says thrashing even harder. “Lying pony! You no Princess! You try to trick. Isss not me! Isss not me! I am changeling! Ssssspecial changeling! All of us here ssspecial changelings. Princesssss Chrysalissss told us so!”

Celestia backs out of the cell and closes the door. The lock engages with an audible click. Wordlessly she lowers the still struggling pony to the floor of the cage, then she shouts to the guards who open the door.

The others come inside and file around the Princess making sure that she is safe. The Princess turns and addresses General Shod.

“I was wrong General.” She says sadly.

“Wrong your highness? How so?”

“I said there was nothing in here that could do me lasting harm.” She turns and faces the cell once more. “I was very, very, wrong.”

Inside the cell, the bedraggled form of an earth pony filly, glares with eyes filled with malice back up at the regal from of Celestia. Her mane, matted with blood, her hooves cracked, and her tail knotted and tangled, she nevertheless radiates more blinding hatred than any creature Celestia has ever encountered.

General Shod looks from the caged filly before him, down the hallway at the rows and rows of other cages.

“What are we going to do with them all?” He asks, almost to himself.

“Save them.” Celestia replies firmly. “Even if it takes a thousand years, we are going to save every last one of them.”

Twenty-Three years ago

“Yes your highness, all the tests resulted in 100% success. There is no reason why we cannot begin the process on actual ponies now.”

“I understand your eagerness to begin Professor Turing, but you must understand, these ponies will not be the docile creatures previously used in your experiments. You need to realize that although they have the bodies of cute innocent fillies, their minds have been destroyed and replaced with that of bitter hate filled beasts. Beasts loyal to the changeling empire.” Celestia said as they began wheeling the first of the stasis crystals into a secure barren room.

Once the crystal was in place in the center of the room, the heavy main door swung shut. Celestia, Professor Turing, and several medical ponies, went into an adjacent room. There they could observe the proceedings through a thick one way glass.

“I can only image what it must have been like for you to have discovered these poor victims deep in the bowls of that accused hive.” Professor Turning says, as he stares intently at the amber stasis crystal before him. “But I am confident that we may, at last, finally be able undo the damage Chrysalis has done to them. Please undo the sealing spell whenever you are ready.”

Celestia stares at the crystal before her. She knows who is inside. A young filly that that she hasn't seen for hundreds of years. A young filly that wanted nothing more than to end her life and feed on her flesh. A filly that she promised long ago that she would do anything to save. Taking a deep calming breath, Celestia ignites her horn, and a thin stream of magic passes through the glass and into the stasis crystal.

Before those assembled, the crystal begins to melt away, revealing the sleeping form of the filly inside.

As the last of the crystal liquid drains away into the floor grating, the filly begins to open her eyes. For a moment she seems at peace. She rises to her hooves and looks at the room around her. As the filly came to full awareness, Professor Turing and his staff became aware of the full meaning of Celestia's words.

“What issss thiss place? Where am I?” The filly dashes toward the room's only door and begins pounding on it and tearing at the insulated padding that covers it. “Free me! Return me to my Princess! Free me now and your deaths shall be swift and merciful, force me to escape on my own and your suffering shall be beyond imagining!”

The ponies, all but Celestia, took a step back from the glass, looking at the filly in horror.

“Now do you understand Professor Turing? This is what you are here to undo. Providing your spell does what you claim.” Celestia said as the young pony continued to rip and tear at the door.

“Y-yes of course.” Turing replies, somewhat taken aback. “I can assure you Princess that our latest spell can, and will, permanently remove the effects of Chrysalis's conditioning. “But I remind you, there is no telling how deeply she will be affected by it's removal. With the conditioning gone, there is no way of knowing how much of a mind this pony will have left. She may be left with the mind of an infant, she may have to learn everything all over again. How to walk, how to talk, we have no way of knowing.”

“But she will be free of Chrysalis. She will be her own pony once more.” Celestia says, still staring at the raving filly before her. “Do this for me Professor. Free her and all the rest. Do this one thing, and I will see to the rest my self.”

“As you command Princess.” Turing says, bowing low.

He straightens himself, and turns back to the window before him. Never in his life had he seen a pony behave so much like an animal. Like a beast. The long years he spent working on this project for the Princess now seemed completely justified. To save these poor fillies and colts. There could be no higher calling.

He ignites his horn, and focuses all his concentration on the intricate spell formula that has been his obsession over the last decade. Rote by rote, piece by piece he recites it in his mind flawlessly, and after the last rune is in place, he releases it through the glass, and into the still struggling filly.

The effects are immediate. The filly falls to the floor, as a black miasma curls outwards from her noise and mouth forming a small black cloud momentarily over her head, before it finally dissipates into nothingness.

After a moment more, the filly opens her eyes again, and returns to her hooves. She looks around in confusion, finally staring at her refection in the two way mirror. She reaches out a hoof to touch the face in her reflection. Then she brings her hoof back to her own face. She rubs her muzzle for a moment as she stares at herself reflecting back.

“Hello?” she says, seeming for a moment to be speaking directly to Celestia herself. “Hello? Can anypony hear me? I-I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am. Please if anypony can here me… please just let me hear your voice. I-I don't want to be alone. Something makes me scared to be alone. Please… please anypony...”

Professor Turing turns to speak to Celestia, but she has already left the room. Less than a moment later the door before them is thrown open, startling the filly at the glass, who begins to cry. A moment later, the filly is snatched up into Celestia's hooves, and is hugged to her chest.

“It's okay. It's okay. You don't have to cry.” Celestia says, tears of her own falling down her cheeks. “You aren't alone. You are with ponies that love you. You'll never be alone again.”

“Who are you? You're so warm, and smell so nice. A-Are you my momma?” The filly says returning the hug she's been given.

“If that would make you happy, then yes, I'll be your mother.” Celestia says, her heart on the verge of breaking.

“Momma! I've missed you so much! I don't know why, but it seems like I was gone away for a long, long, time.” The filly says, her voice breaking.

“It's okay.” Celestia says, stroking her mane. “Everything is okay. Momma is here, and she will never let you go again.”

Sixteen years ago

“You know you don't have to do this. You don't have anything to prove. Not to me, not to anypony.” Celestia says, looking down at the young mare standing proudly before her.

“I know Princess. But this isn't about proving anything to any OTHER pony. It's about proving it to myself.”

“You know the day you stopped calling me mom was like a dagger through my heart.” Celestia replies.

“Heh, you can't use that one on me any more. And don't try to change the subject. Almost all of the other colts and fillies that you saved are signing up as well. We ALL have something to prove. Tell you what. If I somehow fail the entrance exam, I'll never bring it up again. I'll give up all this 'agent' business and settle into a nice domestic job. Maybe a candy store or some such. Surely you can at least give me a chance? Pleeeeeeease, for me? Mommie?”

“By the Sky Stallion, stop! Stop with the pouty pony face!” Celestia says with mock severity. “All these years and you can still push my buttons. My sweet, sweet little Bon Bon.” Celestia says, mussing her young ward's mane.

“Moooom cut it out! And don't call me your little Bon Bon! Not that Sweetie Drops is much better.” She adds under her breath.

“I heard that young lady. And I'll have you know I thought long and hard before giving you that name. I was sitting there at dinner with you and was going over a list as long as your foreleg when-”

“You glanced up and saw that I had eaten all the candy first and still had one piece sticking to my muzzle...” Sweetie Drops finishes. “Mom you've told that story like a bazillion times. You have no idea how much I wish I could go back in time and eat something else like apples, or muffins, or even a pear.”

“Hmm... Pear Drop? Well if you really want-” Celestia begins.

“No, no no. I'm good, I'm good. 'Pear Drop'? Sounds like I'm clumsy. No thank you. Now can you just give me a hug and a kiss, and let me go try out for this thing?”

Celestia heaves a huge dramatic sigh. “Well if I MUST.” She says, embracing her daughter and giving her a peck on the forehead. “But try not to be too disappointed if you don't pass. Sargent Iron Clad is known to be VERY tough on new recruits.”

“I know mom. I heard.” Sweetie Drops says with a wave, “I also know you paid him twenty bits to go extra hard on me,” she says watching her mother's jaw drop in shock. “That's why I paid him fifty to treat me like every pony else.” She adds with a wide smile.

“That's my girl,” Celestia thinks to herself, before, “Hey! Wait just a minute, where did YOU get fifty bits?!?”

“Same place you did mom, royal treasury!” Sweetie says, before galloping down the corridor at full speed giggling all the way.

Fifteen years ago (Sweetie Drops)

I hate this. Why did I ever decide that I wanted to become an agent? No, that's not fair. I still want to become an agent, I'm just tired of getting my plot handed to me every other day by the seniors.

'Oh Sweetie Drops, you're a natural at hoof to hoof combat. Oh Sweetie Drops you're far too skilled to be training with the ponies in your class, you need something that will CHALLANGE you'. Yeah right. Nothing like the 'challenge' of taking on ponies with almost twice the experience and training. And of course THEY don't like it any better than I do. Having to fight some freshmare pipsqueek.

Oh great, here comes the dish of the day. A unicorn. Which means less strength at least, and he wont be allowed to use his magic. Maybe I'll have a shot at winning this one.

“Sargent Iron Clad. Long time no see. I don't suppose you remember me?” The cocky young unicorn says to my teacher.

“Oh, I remember you alright Duskwind. And it hasn't been anywhere near long enough.” Iron Clad responds in clipped tones.

“Oh c'mon. You can't still be mad about that throw. I threw you one time. One time in three years.” Duskwind wheedles.

What the buck? This skinny little unicorn threw Iron Clad? No way. No freakin way!

“We were at the Gala. You threw me into the punch bowl. And then made that horrible pun about 'spiking the punch'.” Iron Clad replies, with the barest hint of a grin on his muzzle.

“Well, I don't really see how that was MY fault.” The unicorn replies, his own grin firmly in place. “You were the one that always said 'an agent is prepared for trouble at ALL times. Danger can come from any direction at any time.' I just assumed that you would have countered with a leg bar, put a heel into my muzzle, and leg swept me into the hors d'oeuvres cart.”

“What? Are you mad?” Iron Clad replies in shock. “They were serving those little cheesy pinwheel thingies. They are my absolute favorite! If anything I would have went for a shoulder throw, causing you to land squarely in the bean dip. Dreadful stuff! Gives me the wind something awful.”

“Ah-HEM!” I say, loudly before the two of them reminisce their way into the soup course. “Mare here. Waiting to beat ponies up. Aaaany time now.”

“Oh hoo. I think I LIKE this one.” The pony known as Duskwind says coming up to stand in front of me.

Hmm, about a hoof taller than me, not counting the horn. Not very muscular. Tight ass though… wait. Did I just think that? Never mind. And is that cologne? Is he wearing cologne to a fight? What kind of stuck up pansy is this guy?

“You uh, like what you see?” Duskwind asks me. Drat he caught me looking.

“I'll like you better on the ground.” I say by way of reply. Dang it! That sounded better in my head.

“Oh you'd best not to let your guard down with this little lady.” Iron Clad says, his grin becoming a smile. “There's a reason she's sparring with the seniors. When it comes to hoof to hoof combat, she's a regular timberwolf.”

“Oh really?” Duskwind says cocking his head to the side. “Doesn't look all that much to me. Reckon you're just trying to throw me off, old sire.”

“Wanna bet?” Crap, did I just say that? It just slipped out. I mean, the arrogance of this guy.

“A bet? Sure I'll place a bet with you little mare.” He pauses to think a moment. “How about this? Winner shaves the losers mane off. Completely off. Unless of course you don't think you can pull off the 'bald' look?”

“No worries there 'mate'. I wont be the one with my head shining in the breeze. You might want to buy a cap, I hear there's a cold spell coming.” Well that's done it. No backing out now. But I think I'm getting a feel for this guy. How he thinks. And he's not much bigger than me, I can take him. Yeah. Yeah, I can take him. Bring it on smooth talker, bring it on.

“Well now, sounds like we have ourselves a grudge match.” Iron Clad says moving off to the side. “Alright then, forget falls and points. Rules for this match are simple. Last pony standing. If you pass out, give up, or are unable to continue fighting, you lose. Ponies ready? Fight!”

We circle each other for a moment. His cockiness is gone. Like he flipped a switch. He's serious now. About time. What is that stance? He's up on the edge of his hooves as he moves, and he's turned himself to the side. It makes sense, smaller target area. He knows something I don't, a different way to fight. Hmm. That means he expects me not to know it. And THAT means he expects me to fight him like any other trainee. He's not attacking. He wants me to make the first move. Which means he already has a counter in mind. So, what do I give him? Oh wait. Yeah… oh yeah, that's good… yeah that'll work. First I need to clear my mind. There we go, like a still pond...

I stop circling the unicorn. He stops as well. Then with a smirk, I turn my back on him. And stand there.

I can hear him behind me, his breathing has changed. He's completely confused. I stand there unmoving. I hear him, he takes a single step forward. Goddess, come on… you can do it… But then he steps back. Horse-apples.

“Hahaaaha. Oh that's good. That's very, very, good.” He says to me, staying right where he is. “Not knowing what fighting style I planned to use, you force me into attacking you. Better still you turn your back on me knowing full well which attacks anypony would make on you to exploit the situation to it's fullest. And I'm sure you already have every possible attack already countered in your mind. By Celestia, I'm starting to really enjoy this. All right, turn around, I'll fight by using standard training techniques, no fancy stuff. Word of honor. Let's see which one of us has the best grasp of the basics.”

“Fine by me,” I say turning back to face him. Alright, plan 'B' then. Let's see just how good he is.

He leads with a standard hoof strike to my temple. Easily countered, but I try to make it look clumsy, like I could barely match his speed. He wheels into a side kick, which I manage to block, although not as easily. He's pretty quick. Thing is, I'm an earth pony, and he's a unicorn. He's not hitting me with enough force to do more than give me a bruise. I use a flat hoof strike toward his chest at about three quarters as fast as I could really hit him, I want to see his speed. He doesn't even try to block it and I knock him back about three hooves. I had put a fair amount of force in that hit despite it's slowness. He just grins at me.

“Kid, that is the lamest attempt at trying to suss me out I have ever seen. For one thing the fact that Iron Clad is having me fight you means that you HAVE to be better than this. For another I have no intention of doing MY best if you are only going to go at this halfway. If you want to see MY best, you're going to have to show me YOUR best.”

“Really?” I say getting cocky, “how do I know that ISN'T your best? Maybe Iron Clad just sends me his worst seniors so that they could be humiliated by a freshmare? Going to be a pretty big blow to your ego after I win. And all the stinky cologne in the world won't be able to cover up the stink of THAT kind of shame.”

“That cologne,” he says flatly, “was a gift.” Oh dear, I think I hit a nerve.

“Well whoever gave it to you is two for two. Bad taste in cologne as well as colts.” I say, disdainfully.

Yup, that did it. Here he comes…

Jab, feint, haymaker, foreleg, head kick, leg sweep. Dang, he's getting faster. But I can still block him without-{WHAM}. Oh you son of a whorse, you DO NOT hit a mare there. That's it, it's bloody well ON!

I cut loose. Forget 'mind like a still pond', it's time for a bloody MONSOON. I don't even try to hold back. Block left, block right, aaaaand HEADBUTT. Boom, that rocked him, how you like them crabapples? Now while I have half a second, one to the gut, two to the gut, aaaand Shoryuken! Yeah! Ya dang skippy! That ought to finish this. Yeah it ought to… but he's still standing. Son of a- How? How is still upright?

He's grinning at me. Blood is oozing out of his muzzle, I did some damage all right, but he's grinning at me. Oh crap… he's coming at me again. Defense Sweetie, defense!

Block, block,{wham}, I'm okay… that hurt but I'm… block, block, dodge, {wham}, I-I'm okay, think I lost a tooth but I'm {wham}, oookay… I felt that, yeah that hurt, need to start getting some of that back… Take small, give BIG. Dodge, {wham}, haymaker! Yeah, he felt that, oh sh- {wham}. Alright, ALRIGHT buck trying to dodge! It's all or nothing time! {Wham}, bam! {Wham}, bam! {Wham}, bam!

I'm not going down… I'm NOT going down… I... AM... NOT... GOING... {WHAM!}, BAM!

Hey. Sky. Pretty clouds. Wait, why am I lying on the ground? Did I fall asleep? Oh crap, what if Iron Clad catches me? I try to sit up, but the sky gets mad at me and starts swirling around and somehow I'm flat on my back again.

Next thing I know Iron Clad is next to me helping me to sit up. The first thing I notice is a unicorn sitting across from me. By the Sky Stallion! It looks like his face has been used as a hammer to build somepony's barn with. What could h- oh wait! It's coming back to me… all of it. Oh Celestia. I lost.

Crap, not my mane! Goddess, mom will never let me here the end of it. Nopony will let me hear the end of it. And the friggin agency ball is only three months away. Arrrrgh!

And to top it all off, that stupid unicorn is grinning at me again.

“Okay. That was a lesson well learned. A very painful lesson well learned. Never underestimate a smaller opponent. I guess I deserved to lose. Congratulations.” He says, still grinning like a fool.

“Lose? What do you mean lose? I was the one who lost.” I say, confused by his words. Maybe he is concussed. Still, I won't try to get out from under it. A loss is a loss.

“Actually, you both lost.” Iron Clad interjects. “That last exchange laid you both out. And as I said at the beginning, if you are knocked out or unable to continue fighting, you lose. I reckon that means the clippers for BOTH of you.” He says with a sly grin of his own, before adding, “unless you can come to some OTHER sort of arrangement. Entirely up to you of course.” He says before wandering off, leaving us to look stupidly at each other.

The unicorn breaks the silence first.

“Hmm. Ah, well, I don't really see how we need to both lose our manes to what essentially was a tie. I mean without a clear winner… well, it hardly seems in the spirit of things.” He says, rubbing the back of his head.

“Yeah. I see your point,” I agree quickly, thinking about the upcoming ball. “I mean if all we are is even, there really doesn't seem to be a point to it. I have to admit though, you really know your stuff. I honestly thought I was going to take the win there.”

“Yeah, so did I. I knew earth ponies were powerhouses, but your technique was flawless. Well, right up until the end there when we both just decided to slug it out.” He admits.

“Well you DID give me a crunchy taco,” I say reproachfully.

“Yeah, I admit that was a bit uncalled for. All I can say in my defense is that it's a standard tactic when fighting stallions. It was really just automatic reflex,” he says, his face going an unflattering shade of red.

“Yeah well, no real harm done.” I say, trying to diffuse his embarrassment. “But how in Equestria where you still standing after my rising uppercut? I don't get to pull that off very often, but when I do it's usually a fight ender.”

“I threw my head backwards as you made contact, lessening the full impact of the blow. It's part of a series of techniques I learned from an alpaca instructor of mine. Tell you what, if you happen to be free for coffee, I could go over a few of them with you, just for educational purposes of course.” He says, that stupid grin of his returning.

“Well,” I say, pretending to hesitate. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn a few new moves, my mother always says to never miss an opportunity to learn something new.”

“Your mother sounds like a very wise mare.” He says, taking my hoof and helping me up.

“Oh you have NO idea.” I reply, as we limp toward the barracks side by side.

Fourteen Years, Nine Months ago (Sweetie Drops)

“What do you mean you can't go to the ball with me? Things were going so well between us. It's that Sparkle mare isn't it? Why? What in Equestria can you possibly see in her? She's an egghead. A bookworm. All she does is study, she doesn't even have any friends. She's cold, frigid. You'll never be happy with somepony like that.” I can't believe he is doing this to me. We were building something together. Something special. And that stupid bookworm has to go and ruin it!

“It's not like that Sweetie Drops. SHE isn't like that. Sure that's all that most ponies see when they look at her, but deep down she is one of the kindest, most loving mares anypony could ever ask for. I'm sorry if you took things the wrong way. I honestly didn't know you felt this way about me. I thought we were just really good friends. I always sort of considered you like my little sister. I never EVER meant to hurt you.” He's being sincere. He's telling me the truth, I can tell. But I don't want to hear it. Not any of it.

“Just go!” I yell. “Go to the ball. Dance with your MAREfriend. Go and get married and have a bunch of foals. See if I care!”

He starts to speak once more, but I cut him off. “Just go. PLEASE just go!”

That does it. He leaves. I see him look back just once. There is so much pain in his face. For a moment he seems to be wondering if he made the right choice. For a second my heart skips a beat, hoping he will come running back to me. Tell me he was wrong, and promise to love me forever. But he doesn't. Instead he turns away, and walks slowly back to the barracks.

I tell myself that this is it. That I will never speak to him again. Stupid stallion. Stupid Twilight Sparkle. Just wait. He'll be back. He'll come crawling back to tell me how wrong he was. I give it a month tops. Then after I make him grovel for an appropriate amount of time, we can finally get our lives back on track. But Goddess... it hurts so bad. Stupid, stupid Duskwind!

Fourteen Years, Three Months, Two Days ago (Celestia)

“We've managed to isolate every pony that has any knowledge of the accident. We were fortunate that word hasn't spread any further than it did inside the school. The question now is, what are we going to do about it?” Iron Clad sounds nervous. Rightly so in this case. He knows better than any pony the plans I have for Twilight.

“There's no possible way we can just sweep this under the rug. Too many ponies were hurt. Too many ponies died.” I say, stalling for time. I need to come up with something fast. I can't keep a lid on this for long.

If only it wasn't Twilight. If it were somepony else… ANY pony else. Wait. Wait just a minute. But no, I can't do that. It's wrong, it's incredibly wrong. How could I do something so unfair? But then what other choice do I have? Twilight has the seed inside her, the potential to become another alicorn. A pony like her only comes around once in a hundred generations. I can't let her lose this chance because of some foolish accident of fate. And that's what this was, an accident. She didn't intend for it to happen. It was that stupid instructor's fault. It could have happened to anypony. Yes, anypony…

“Iron Clad, I need you to go into the high energy magic department. I need you to find Professor Turing and bring him to me at once. And above all else tell NOPONY about what happened. Great Zacherle I'm going to fix this. I will fix this. Even at the price of my own heart.”

Fourteen Years, Three Months, One Day ago (Sweetie Drops)

“Sweetie Drops. I need to speak to you a moment.” The voice is my mom's. I know it can't be good if she is interrupting my class.

I follow her out into the hallway, and then down to one of the training rooms which is currently empty. She motions for me to sit on one of the benches, and when I do, she joins me. She doesn't look right. She… oh crap, she's been crying. A lot. What happened?

“Sweetie… there's no easy way to say this. Look I know you haven't been on the best of terms with Duskwind.” She begins. My chest starts to tighten. I dread what I am about to hear.

“There's been… an accident.” Oh Sky Stallion, I can't hear this. I know I was still mad at him, but he can't be… can't be…

“He's not hurt… physically. But a lot of other ponies were. A lot of his classmates were… killed. It was… an accident. He didn't mean to do it...” Oh Goddess! Duskwind killed his own classmates? Impossible! He would never- "It was his instructor. She was teaching him a healing technique. There was a surge.”

“Goddess. I need to see him. Where is he? I need to see him right now.” I say, my voice becoming strained. He must be tearing himself apart. He needs me. I don't care what we said, he needs me right now!

“No Sweetie. No pony can see him right now. He's undergone significant physiological trauma. There's no telling how long it will take him to recover.”

“All the more reason for me to see him. He needs me mother! He needs me there. I can help him get better, I know I can!” I'm all but pleading now, but somehow I know it wont do any good. I know that tone in her voice all to well. It's her 'for the good of Equestria' tone. And that means she's already made her decision. Her next statement confirms it.

“I'm sorry Sweetie. This is for the best. The best for every pony.” She's crying again. I've never seen mom cry so much. I knew she cared for all of her subjects, but seeing her like this, all but breaking down, I start to realize just how much weight she must be carrying on her shoulders. I hug her tightly as I begin to cry as well. We stay like that for a long, long time.

Fourteen Years, Two Months, ago (Sweetie Drops)

"What do you mean he's gone? Gone where? When?!?" I can't believe this. How could he just leave? I know we weren't on good terms, but...

"I'm sorry Sweetie. But I have to respect his wishes. After the accident he just wasn't the same. As soon as he was able to, he bought a ticket on the first train out of Canterlot. He made it very clear that he didn't want anypony to know where he was heading."

If it was any pony expect my mother saying this I wouldn't believe it. This is so unfair! What do I do now? Do I tell mom how I feel about him? If she knew I loved him would she rush off and drag him back? No, that's foalish. If he wanted to stay for me he would have. I guess... I guess it really is over.

Ten Years, Six Months ago (Sweetie Drops)

“Mother, whats going on? I was told to report to you as soon as possible. My team is dismantling the war room, and all of our staff are shredding documents like there's a confetti shortage, what is happening?”

“Sweetie, there's not much time to explain, but I'll fill you in as much as I can on the way to your room.”

My room? What's all this about? Mom is… panicky?!? Okay, that's freaking me out.

“The short version is, that bugbear you captured? It's escaped from Tartarus. It still remembers your scent, and is hunting you down even as we speak. It's only a matter of time before it tracks you to the agency. I've already declared code 'Firestorm'. Every trace of your department in the agency is being destroyed, and all of it's operatives are being reassigned to other departments or given deep cover assignments in different cities all across Equestria.” Mom says as we make our way to my room and she flings open the door.

“When you say ALL operatives, are you saying?” I leave the statement hanging, and sure enough, she drops the other horseshoe.

“Yes dear, that means you too. I'm going to mask your scent and am sending you to a town called 'Ponyville'. I know compared to Canterlot that it's going to seem quite tame. But trust me, I expect big things to be happening there in the very near future, and when they do I want the pony I trust the most to be on the scene.” Ugh, she's giving me the 'your my special pony look', oh mom, so mushy.

“Ponyville eh? Well, I suppose a change of scenery would do me some good. But are you sure you can manage the place without me?” I say, catching her in a hug.

“Well,” She replies mussing my mane, and hugging me back. “I suppose I'll just have to do the best I can.”

Today (Bon Bon, the agent formerly known as Sweetie Drops)

“Bonnie! Bonnie!”

Oh by the Sky Stallion! The one day I get to sleep in, and Lyra just HAS to go and wake me up. Honestly that mare could drive a dozen stallions crazy. Good thing for her that I'm no stallion.

“I'm in here Lyra. Sleeping. Like all good ponies should be doing on a Saturday morning.” I say, trying to make her feel guilty. But she's having none of that.

“You mean Saturday EVENING. It's almost six o'clock. Honestly Bonnie, on the weekends you turn into the laziest mare in Ponyville. I don't know what kind of agent you used to be, but you must have spent a lot of time in Slotheram.”

“Hey, I'll have you know that sloths are some of the most enlightened beings on this planet.” I retort. “Their whole philosophy about peace, love, and the joys of all natural herbs is one I came to embrace wholeheartedly.”

“Yeah, I can totally see THAT.” She replies, undaunted by my superior reasoning skills.

“Fine, fine. So now that you have stolen me away from the sweet embrace of Morpheus, can you at least be so kind as to tell me what's got you tail in a twist? I'm guessing what? Dress sale at Rarity's Boutique? Oh wait, did Doctor Turner finally finish making your mechanical 'hands'?” I chide, knowing full well that Time Turner has been working on Lyra's foalish obsession for over a month now with nothing to show for it but a lot of excited conjecture.

“No, no, no, Bonnie, better than that! I have,” She pauses dramatically, “gossip!”

“Gossip?” I say, perking my ears up, and sitting upright. Gossip in THIS of all towns is usually exciting, and ALWAYS juicy.

“Oh yes indeed, sweet, sweet, incredibly juicy gossip,” she says in confirmation.

Oh yes, now she has my undivided attention. “Okay, oh roomie and best friend of mine… spill it!”

“Okay,” she says, her voice becoming even more excited. “You are not even going to believe this, but I heard this from Rarity herself.”

One of the Mane Six? Oh ho, this DOES sound promising. I settle in to listen as Lyra begins her story.

“Well it's like this. I decided to have a little 'me' time down at the spa today. I was relaxing in a nice mud bath, when suddenly I began to hear voices coming from the tub on the other side of the partition behind me. I could clearly make out the voices of Rarity and Fluttershy.

Rarity could barely contain herself. She was telling Fluttershy that she had found out a big juicy secret about one of their friends by accident and she was simply dying to tell somepony.

Well, she swore Fluttershy to secrecy then she began to spill the dirt. Apparently she had gone to see Twilight Sparkle at her castle early this morning to see if she could borrow Spike tomorrow to help her go gem collecting. Something they apparently do quite often. Well, it seems that according to Spike that Twilight was sleeping in this morning. She had apparently stayed up quite late the night before. It seems that she had received a letter that had left her in quite a tizzy, and she had quite a bit of Applejack's special cider to celebrate.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I interrupt. “Lyra, are you telling me that Twilight Sparkle, the poster mare for abstinence and sobriety, went out on... a bender?”

“Hey, I'm just saying what Rarity said that Spike told her. But wait till I get to the REALLY juicy part. See apparently this made Rarity really curious as to just what was in that letter, and although I'm sure he didn't really want to, it didn't take long for Rarity to convince Spike to let her have a look at it. And get this. Twilight Sparkle has a coltfriend!”

“What?!?” I say, shocked to the core. “No way! No freaking way! Twilight Sparkle? Marefriend maybe, I mean she spends all her time around other mares. But I never once saw her alone with a stallion. And you KNOW how observant I am.”

“Oh I know, believe me I know. And if I didn't know it was an 'agent' thing, I would have been jealous about it a long time ago. But just listen. Apparently this stallion isn't her coltfriend right now, but used to be a long time ago. Apparently there was some kind of misunderstanding between them. One of those 'tragic mistakes of the past' that you read about in cheesy romance novels. Thing is, he apparently works for Celestia, and said that the next time he gets time off, he plans on coming to see her. Isn't that incredible? All this time Twilight has had a secret special somepony. No wonder you never see her out on dates. All this time she's been saving herself for her long lost love. Isn't that romantic Bonnie?

Um, Bonnie? Bonnie? You okay Bon Bon? You look like you did the day that bugbear came to town. Is everything alright?”

“This long lost coltfriend of Twilight's,” I say, trying to keep my voice controlled. “You mentioned that he's working for Celestia. Did Rarity happen to mention what his name was?

“Oh yeah, in all the excitement I forgot to tell you. She said his name is Duskwind. Why? Is that somepony you used to know back when you lived in Canterlot?”

“Lyra, pack a bag. You and I are going on a trip to Canterlot.” I say, my anger rising with every word.

“Canterlot? Bonnie you never even talk about your time there. Does this have something to do with this 'Duskwind' pony? You knew him didn't you? What's going on? What is this all about?”

“Lyra, I'm asking myself the very same thing. But I promise you this. By this time tomorrow, I fully intend to find out.” Oh yes, somepony somewhere in the agency must know what's going on, and I fully intend to get some answers. Then mommie, you and me are going to have a long, long, talk. And after that, Duskwind and I are going to have a much overdue reunion.

Author's Notes:

See, I told you I wasn't going to give up on this story.
I want to mention that ever since 'Slice of Life' I knew that Bon Bon would have to be a part of the story. Can you imagine what was going through my head when they went and made canon the entire idea of Celestia having a secret agency working directly for her almost exactly like the one I had already wrote about? At first I thought they had to be kidding. But nope, it's for real. (Yay!)
I realize that there are a lot of shifts in perspective in this chapter, that's why I took the time to go back and indicate whose perspective is being represented in each time frame that goes into first person mode. Hopefully it wont be a point of confusion.
Also, sorry it's taken me this long to get back to this story. I have every intention of seeing it through to completion, no worries there. I had/have the first part of Moonlight's next chapter finished, but I need to make a lot of revision on it. I just haven't been satisfied with it so far. But hopefully I can move things along for both Johnny/Duskwind, and Moonlight, before the arrival of their unexpected guests. ;)

Chapter 14

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Chapter 14
Inquiries

(Moonlight Shadow)

It took me about thirty minutes to make my way to the 113th precinct station of the Night Watch. I took my time and ordered my thoughts, and glanced over the file that Johnny had given me, by moonlight.

My night vision is beyond exceptionally good. I can see in total darkness. I can do quite a lot with darkness. The night is my friend. But the darkness I'm hunting for tonight is the kind that makes me sick to my stomach. The darkness in other ponies souls will do that.

There's a traitor in the watch. MY Watch. I've always considered the Night Watch as a sort of extended family. Ponies of darkness, living by a code, protecting the weak, and punishing the wicked. We were pure! Pure as the night we lived in. But now that purity has been tainted. No, this will not stand. Not another night, not another hour. There's a rat in this precinct, and I intend to smoke him out. And the best way to smoke out a rat, is with a nice big fire… time to make a good first impression.

The 113th station was situated in one of the better parts of town. As such, it usually didn't have the volume of crimes passing through it's doors that say the 23rd, or the 49th did. In fact, on this particular night, most of the detectives and officers were at their desks, getting caught up on the ever present piles of paperwork that accumulate on all law ponies desks. Thus it came as quite the surprise when both of the main doors were flung open with a bang, and tendrils of utter darkness began to flow into the room.

All eyes turned toward the doorway which no pony, no matter how good their eyesight, could see out of. It was as if a wall of absolute darkness was pressed flat against the door frame. Before any pony could react, two eyes appeared in the darkness. Even without a reference point, it was clear to see that these were not the eyes of a happy pony. No, far from it. It was obvious that these eyes belonged to someone who was very, very, angry.

As several of the braver officers began to rise to their hooves, a piece of the darkness detached itself and trotted into the room. It was darkness absolute, devoid of any feature. It stood there in the shape of a pony, absorbing the stares of all present as easily as it absorbed the light. Then, in the blink of an eye, the darkness resolved itself into an actual pony. A well known actual pony. Any pony in the room that had not been afraid before, instantly became so now.

“Sargent Sable Shade.” The pony said, in a voice that seemed to herald doom to all that heard it.

The desk Sargent nervously trotted up before the newcomer. “Yes ma'am,” he said crisply.

“Do you know who I am Sargent?” The figure asked, still in a dangerous tone of voice.

“Oh sweet Luna, of course I know who you are ma'am!” The Sargent said, a dam of pent up words breaking as he began to babble. “Every pony in the Night Watch knows who you are ma'am. The pony second only to Luna herself, the most elite of the elite, an inspiration to members of the Watch all across the city! I don't suppose I could possibly have an auto-”

“THERE WAS A CRIME COMMITTED!” Moonlight loudly says, cutting off the Sargent's remarks. “A CRIME COMMITTED IN THIS DISTRICT!”

“W-well yes,” the Sargent stammers, “although the neighborhood is reasonably decent, there will still always be ponies who try to flout the authority of the Watch. Ponies wh-”

“THIS CRIME WAS COMMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE WATCH!” Moonlight says, as all the doors and windows seal themselves shut.

The ponies in the precinct begin to look around at each other nervously. Every pony is guilty of something. Filching office supplies, using the badge to get a free doughnut, even a meal, maybe a discount at the store, or brothel. Every pony is guilty of something. And right here, right now, the scariest pony in the city had just sealed them all in a room, and was looking for someone in the Watch.

Moonlight pulls a page from a manila envelope she is carrying. She glances at it briefly before speaking. “Ebon Shard, Shooting Star, and Glitter Mane, I want you in front of me RIGHT NOW!”

Almost instantaneously two ponies, a Pegasus stallion, and a mare, are standing before her.

“Shooting Star!” The stallion says snapping off a smart salute.

“G-Glitter Mane,” the mare says nervously, snapping off a salute of her own.

Moonlight waits a moment longer, before speaking once more. “Sargent,” she says in a quieter voice, that still manages to sound as dangerous, if not more so, than she was before. “I'm not seeing Ebon Shard. Is he off duty perhaps? “She asks sweetly.

“N-no ma'am.” The Sargent replies weakly.

“Ah, then he must be out on patrol, chasing bad guys no doubt. When do you expect him back then?” Moonlight says, her voice tight with barely restrained anger.

“W-well, you see,” the Sargent says fidgeting, he isn't on patrol tonight. T-technically he was assigned desk duty tonight.”

“I see.” Moonlight replies, those two words filled with enough ice to sink a fleet of cruise ships. “Is he perhaps invisible then?” She inquires.

“No ma'am.” The Sargent says in a voice that says he has seen his doom, and knows there is no way to avoid it.

“Indeed. So, if I am to understand you, Ebon Shard, a detective from this precinct, who is, in fact, supposed to BE in this precinct, at this time, is in fact not? Would you be so KIND Sargent, to tell me exactly where he IS then?” Moonlight says as she moves within inches from the Sargent's quivering muzzle.

“I-I-I w-we… we don't exactly k-know where he is… maa'm.” The Sargent forces out. “H-he's been missing for days now. We sent somepony to his apartment, but it was cleaned out. It looks like he just up and left. Quit without notice. N-not a word to anypony.” The Sargent says, perspiring heavily.

“Really.” Moonlight says flatly. “How very interesting. Sargent, I'll be borrowing one of your interrogation rooms, as well as Detectives Mane and Star.”

“Y-yes ma'am, of course ma'am.” The Sargent says, relief creeping into his voice.

“Oh, and you as well of course.” Moonlight says, almost offhoofedly. “Find someone to cover your desk, and meet us there momentarily. And DON'T dawdle. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I will consider unsealing all the doors and windows.”

“Yes ma'am.” The Sargent replies in resignation.

The four ponies make their way into the inner hallway of the precinct station. The three officers trot nervously down the hallway until they come to a door marked interrogation room one. There the three paused and turned to face Agent Shadow.

“Sargent, I would like you in the control room please. I want you to record a complete account of the following interrogation of Detectives Mane and Star.” Shadow says, as she opens the door to the interrogation room.

“Um, excuse me Agent Shadow, but could you explain what all this is about? Are we being charged with some sort of crime?” Detective Star asks pensively.

“That is as yet to be determined Detective Star. As of this moment in time I am merely wanting some questions answered. Honestly. My methods of asking you these questions may seem a bit… unorthodox. But I assure you that they are necessary to ensure that you are telling me the truth. When I have concluded our 'interview', if I am satisfied with what I am told, then I will fill you in on everything. If, on the other hoof I am NOT satisfied… well, let's just say that in that case we may have to move on to a more… intense line of discourse. The choice lies entirely in your hooves detectives.

“Ah, I see.” Star replies clearly more nervous now than ever. “And, um, which of us would you like to ah, 'speak with' first?”

“Oh, no need to keep you separated, please, you may both enter and make yourselves as comfortable as you can. I'll be with you both momentarily.” Shadow says, gesturing for the detectives to enter the room.

She then turns and faces the Sargent.

“Sargent Shade,” she begins, causing him to stiffen up in fear. “Sargent, the reason I asked you to accompany me, is that I am going to be bringing you into this investigation. I am doing this for two reasons. Number one my boss, the Princess, always spoke very highly of you. She hasn't forgotten your service to her before your injury forced you to take a desk assignment. Given your history, I am making a personal judgment call in my assumption that you, of all ponies, could not possibly be involved in the events that have brought me here today. It is a measure of my trust in you that I am extending you this courtesy.”

“Yes ma'am. To my Princess I am loyal to my death. I thank you for your trust in me. I can assure you it is NOT misplaced.” The Sargent says, saluting crisply.

“Thank you Sargent, and at ease. The second reason I am involving you in this investigation is that I want a clear record of the events that transpire here today. Despite the irregularity of my interview, I want no pony to be able to say that the testimony these two ponies give is false. I want your scanners to record that at no point in my interview am I using any form of mind control on those two, and that any answers they may give are entirely their own.”

“Of course Agent Shadow. That is standard operating procedure for all of our interrogations. And rest assured, our instruments are finely tuned and calibrated. They can tell the difference between ponies being 'persuaded' to talk, verses ponies that are being told what to say. And as officers of the watch, they automatically wave their rights in regards to what manner of interrogation techniques are used against them in the course of an internal investigation. So, in essence, you are allowed to use, ah, 'torture', if you feel that it is warranted.” Sargent Shade says worriedly.

“No Sargent. Despite a certain amount of aggression I am feeling at the moment, I have never needed to result to torture to get the truth from any pony.” The Sargent visibly relaxes. “My reputation it seems is a two edged sword. It saddens me to think that ponies consider me to be the stuff of Nightmare Moon.”

“Ah, no insult was intended Agent Shadow. I can assure you that all the members of the Night Watch have nothing but respect for you. We all hold you in the highest regard. It is no exaggeration to say that you have set the standard as to what all other members of the Watch aspire to be.” The Sargent stops, realizing that he sounds more like a fancolt than a hardened veteran.

“Ah Sargent, you make me feel young again. When this is all over I will have to make sure that you get that autograph that you were about to ask for before I so rudely cut you off earlier. Perhaps even a picture.” She says breaking character with a wink.

“Yes, well,”the Sargent stammers, a blush creeping up his neck. “Well, I think we may be able to find a photo of you somewhere around the precinct to sign… a FILE photo,” he adds, realizing his mistake.

“Of course Sargent, of course.” Shadow says, letting him off the hook. “Now if you don't mind though, I'd like to begin that 'chat' with Detectives Star and Mane.”

“Yes Agent Shadow. Allow me five minutes before you begin, and I will have all of the scanners and recording equipment up and running.”

“Thank you Sargent. Five minutes will be just enough time to 'warm them up' as they say.” She says with a nod, before she opens the door and enters the room.

The room Agent Shadow enters is a standard Watch interrogation room. A table sits longwise across the center of the room. A single chair on one side, two in this case on the other, one having been taken from those along the wall. Behind the two detectives is a large one way mirror. On the other side is the control room. Inside the control room Sargent Shade sits behind a complex bank of controls. He quickly switches on several recording devices and magically enhanced scanners. As the machines power up he spares a glance through the mirrored glass. Detectives Mane and Star are looking decidedly nervous. That, in and of itself is no reason to suspect they are guilty of anything. Anypony in that room right now with Agent Shadow would have every right to be scared out of their wits.

Agent Shadow was almost a legend among the Night Watch. Few ponies ever even got to see her. She was Luna's favorite and protege, and if rumors were true, was set to be the next alicorn should such an event ever warrant another one. She was incredibly powerful, as well as being skilled in all forms of combat both mystical and mundane. Luna only ever sent her out on the highest priority missions so for her to be here today something huge must be going on.

“And now I'm right in the middle of it.” Sargent Shade mutters to himself, as the system boots up. “And I was just three weeks away from retirement.”

Moonlight walks into the interrogation room and closes the door. She moves around to the opposite side of the desk from the two detectives and sits down.

“Very well. Detective Shooting Star, and Detective Glitter Mane. You two along with Detective Ebon Shard were assigned to investigate the disappearance of an earth pony mare, a Miss Babs Seed. I understand from this report that Detective Shard was lead detective on this investigation, is that correct?” Moonlight asks, in a very calm and businesslike manner.

“Um, yes, that's correct,” Glitter Mane replies. “So this has to do with the missing pony then?”

Moonlight puts down the notes that she had been reading and leans forward across the table, putting her muzzle mere inches away from Detective Mane's. “In a broad sense Miss Mane.” She says her tone turning dark and hostile. “But more specifically it has to do with a traitor, or traitors to the Night Watch. This in and of itself is enough to incur my ire, but when you add to that the fact that the aforementioned traitors are also responsible for nearly a hundred deaths in the last few days, and I think you could liken my attitude closer to raw FURY.” Moonlight nearly roars, causing both the other ponies to lean back in their seats. “Now I am about to ask you both a series of questions. And make no mistake you WILL provide me with honest answers, and when I am finished you had best pray to Luna, Celestia, or any other power you believe in that I LIKE what I hear. Otherwise there wont be enough of you left to put in my morning coffee, which is fine by me, because I take mine BLACK.”

As Moonlight utters this final word, tendrils of inky darkness begin to seep from her mane and tail. As they begin to spread across the floor they begin to flow from her faster and faster. As the two horrified Detectives helplessly look on the blackness begins to rise from the floor, filling the entire room. Within a matter of moments all that can be seen inside of the entire midnight cube, are two eyes that shine with the light of the full moon.

Inside the control room Sargent Shade activates a magic filter built into the one way glass. Suddenly he can see the three ponies once more. Or rather he can see Agent Shadow once more. The two Detectives look, for all intents and purposes, like shadows of their former selves. Each one of them seemingly coated in a skin tight covering of darkness. Almost as if they were dipped in tar, or covered in ink.

Inside the room all Mane and Star could see was utter and absolute blackness. Blackness that seems to have form and weight. It felt like being covered in silk, warm living silk. And shining with inner light before them were those eyes. Those intense, disturbing eyes. They looked… hungry.

“Very well detectives, now we shall begin our little… discussion.” A voice floated across the void and arrived at their ears, seemingly from out of nowhere. “I should mention that once encased in my darkness that everything about you is instantly known to me. Every beat of your heart, every drop of perspiration, every little movement of your eyelids, or twitch of your leg. This technique is, in my opinion, the ultimate lie detector. Every little tell of your body is transmitted instantly to me through the darkness. That being said I'd advise you to keep your answers both honest and forthcoming. If not, well, let's just say that if you lie, things could become… unpleasant.” Suddenly the darkness surrounding the two ponies constricts, forcing the air out of their lungs momentarily.

After giving the two a moment for their heart rates to return to normal, Moonlight begins once more.

“Now, on to the matter at hoof. Concerning the night of the Babs Seed investigation. Ebon Shad was the lead detective, am I correct?”

“Yes ma'am,” Shooting Star replies promptly.

“Did anything strike you as… irregular during the investigation? Anything out of the ordinary?” Moonlight prompts.

“Well, thinking about it, not especially. We secured the scene, ran our standard forensic spells, took hair samples from the brush on the victim's nightstand for use in tracking spells. As I recall, the apartment was tidy. No signs of somepony leaving in a hurry, no signs of a struggle. As a matter of fact, the whole investigation was done in record time.” Star replies, beginning to relax.

“Well, I suppose that could be considered unusual.” Detective Mane adds.

“And what do you mean, Miss Mane?” Moonlight asks, focusing her eyes on the mare.

“W-well, all I meant to say was, that things went unusually well that night.” Glitter Mane says, nervous under the scrutiny of those twin glowing orbs. “It's just that Ebon Shard has a reputation around the precinct for being a bit lax. There's been times when he's had accidents at crime scenes. Usually only two Detectives are assigned to investigate, but with Ebon Shard along, it wasn't a big surprise they wanted three. What was surprising was that he was given lead. I guess he must've realized how important that was, because I had never seen him perform his duties so well, or so professionally before. He practically conducted the entire investigation by himself.”

“Indeed. And I assume that he spearheaded the rest of the investigation as well? Checking all of Bab's known friends and associates?” Moonlight asks.

“Of course, Shooting Star replies. “He was lead investigator after all.”

“Yes, of course.” The eyes reply. “And about that, given his history, how exactly do you suppose he became lead investigator? Was that something his chief did to try and boost his morale perhaps?”

“Oh no,” Shooting Star replied. “The chief hated Ebon Shard. He would have booted him out of the department long ago, but apparently Shard had connections.”

“Connections?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Glitter replied. “Rumor has it that Ebon is in good with somepony high up in Luna's cabinet. The two times the chief tried to have him dismissed, word came down from on high to reduce his sentence to a couple of weeks unpaid time off. Rumor also has it that this 'Bab's investigation' was quite a big deal, and that he received the orders to lead the investigation from Luna herself.”

“Oh REALLY!” Moonlight nearly shouts, momentarily losing her composure.

The two ponies feel the darkness around them going cold.

“Well, if nothing ELSE, let me assure you detectives, that Princess Luna, up until this moment, has never even heard of Detective Ebon Shard. And what Luna knows, I know, and vica versa. That means everything we have just discussed she has also been privy to. Now bearing that in mind, I have just a few final questions to ask the two of you. First, and most importantly... ARE EITHER OF YOU TRAITORS TO PRINCESS LUNA!” She yells catching them off guard, and causing the two detectives to shrink back in fear.

“NO!” Shooting Star shouts.

“N-no ma'am, NEVER ma'am.” Glitter Mane adds.

“And have either of you obscured, falsified, or otherwise tampered with evidence, leaked knowledge of a case, or in any way caused facts about this particular case to be learned by anypony not already involved?”

“No ma'am!” both ponies say in unison.

“Good.” Moonlight replies, her voice returning to normal, as the darkness fades from the room. “Sargent, secure those recordings and then join us please.”

“Yes ma'am.” Sargent Shade replies though a microphone.

Moments later the desk Sargent makes his way into the room and takes a seat with the two detectives across from Moonlight.

Moonlight rubs her temples for a moment before beginning once more. “All right you three, I realize that must have been very stressful for you all, but I assure you it was completely necessary. Even with, or including, Shard's absence, it has become glaringly obvious that he is the pony I am looking for. And this is why.”

Moonlight begins to explain what has gone on during the course of her investigation. The other three quickly see where she is going as it becomes obvious that one or more ponies in the investigation had been deliberately doing everything possible to prevent them from finding Bab's.

“With you two in the clear, it HAD to be Shard.” Sargent Shade says says pounding a hoof on the desk. “No other pony had access to the evidence. It's all sealed up in the evidence room, and any pony trying to access it would be noted and logged. And I'm willing to bet that if we check it, no such log will exist. Also, Shard was the one who filled out those reports in the first place. We have no way of knowing if he tampered with any of it. There could be other ponies Bab's knew, other leads. No wonder the tracking spells didn't work on the hair samples that were found. He either switched them out or lied about the results. I NEVER liked that guy.”

During the Sargent's rant, Moonlight had been thinking silently. “Very well, I have come to a decision. As of right now, you three are the only ponies in this precinct I am sure of. I don't have time to check every single pony that works here, although I can assure you that after this is over, every member of the entire watch is going to be screened. But for right now, I have need of your services. Sargent Shade, I realize that field work isn't something you were ever looking forward to again, but I want you to go back to Bab's apartment, as well as the other crime scenes. I know it's a long shot, but I want you to see if you can find anything that the rest of us have missed.”

“Yes ma'am,” Shade says with a barely suppressed sigh.

“Detective's Mane and Star. I want you two to do a thorough investigation on Ebon Shard. By the end of the week I want to know everything there is to know about our missing detective. Friends, associates, marefirends, coltfirends, I don't care what, and if you can manage to clap him in irons and drag him before me, I'll see to it personally that you get a promotion to Luna's personal guard.”

“Yes ma'am!” Star says snapping off a salute.

“Of course ma'am. We'd track down that traitor for free ma'am!” Mane adds in anger.

“Excellent. I will be in touch, and the necessary paperwork will be sent down from the castle shortly. As for myself I plan to follow up on Shard's supposed 'connection' to Luna. Sargent Shade, do you have a copy of the orders placing Ebon Shard in charge of the Babs Seed investigation? I'd also like the letters that kept Shard from being dismissed as well.”

"I'll just need a moment." The Sargent says, as he gets up and makes his way out of the interrogation room and quickly down the hall to the records room. More than one pony raises their head as he passes by, but he doesn't stop to satisfy their curiosity, not with Moonlight Shadow waiting on him. The Sargent trots over to a row of file cabinets, and quickly rummages through them. After a few moments searching he returns with a file bearing Ebon Shard's name, and passes it to Moonlight.

“Interesting.” She says looking over the orders placing Shard in charge of the investigation. “This is definitely the proper form, no sign that it is a forgery. And it does bear the signature of Luna's consigliere. As do these letters recommending that Shard not be dismissed. Hmm, it seems that he will be my first stop when I get to the palace. I'm very curious to know exactly how the name Ebon Shard came to be on these articles. If it is alright with you Sargent, I'd like to take them with me.”

“Of course Agent Shadow. First however I'll need to make a copy to keep for our records and I'd like you to sign a receipt for the originals, also for our records.” The Sargent says pulling out the necessary paperwork.

“Of course Sargent, there has been enough playing fast and loose with the rules as it is.” A few moments later the Sargent returns hoofing Moonlight the originals and placing the copies and her receipt back in the files.

“Thank you Sargent. I won't delay you three any further. I'll stop back by the station for your reports by the end of the week. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get word to my partner about what we have discovered. Good hunting to us all.” And with that Moonlight disappears with a clap of imploding air.

“Did she say partner? When did Moonlight Shadow ever need a partner?” Shooting Star says, rubbing the back of his head, as the three make their way back up to the front desk.

“I have a better question,” Glitter Mane says as the Sargent steps around his desk and sits down with a sigh. “Sargent, Agent Shadow didn't think twice about adding you to the investigation. She never questioned you once. No offense but how is she to know that you aren't in on it with Ebon Shard? Why didn't she have any doubts about your loyalty?”

Now Shooting Star is looking at the Sargent as well. “Uh, sir, she does have a point. Not that I'd ever question Agent Shadow's judgment and all.”

The Sargent shakes his head wearily. “Well youngsters, it looks like it's time for me to unpack my adjectives.” And with that the Sargent opens up the bottom right drawer of his desk and begins pulling out a series of small clamshell boxes, opening each one, he sets them on the desk facing the two detectives.

The two silently read the names on the series of citations and medals arrayed before them. “Medal of Valor- The Changeling Invasion”, “Distinguished Service Award- The Tirek Assault”.

“Certificate of Bravery, Purple Heart, Honorary Wonderbolt… Sweet Luna Sargent, what in Equestria are you doing down here with us?” Detective Mane asks in shocked awe.

“Waiting to retire youngster.” Shade responds crisply. “I devoted my entire life to the service of the Princesses, and I don't regret one day of it. But there comes a point where a pony slows down, a point when he just can't stay on the front lines any more. Rather than having me make a fool out of myself, trying to keep up with ponies half my age, Luna allowed me to work out my final term here. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm still fighting the good fight in my own way. I only have three weeks left to go, then it's off to retirement in the south seas. Already got myself a boat picked out and everything.

But it seems that I'm needed for just one more case. To be honest, the old blood is starting to stir again. I may not be able to run laps with you kids out on the track, but I reckon when it comes to protecting the princess from some pony traitor, I'm still as good once, as I ever was.” All the while the Sargent had been speaking, he had been pulling other things out of his desk. A big bulky Mark 1 M.I.S.P.P.L., a silver spell bracelet, and an antique magic magnifying glass. He then packs up all his awards back into his desk and steps out from behind it, popping his back and cracking his neck. “Well, what are you two waiting for? We've got a city to save!”

Chapter 15

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Chapter 15- Miner Difficulties

I spent a little more time at my office, setting up my affairs for the next week or so. I sent a scroll to Celestia informing her of what I'd be doing, and had left Ori instructions on how to reach me if she absolutely had to, otherwise she knew I planned to be gone for an indeterminate amount of time.

I made my way toward the industrial section of the city. I teleported from my office to about a mile or so away from my destination, and trotted the rest of the way by hoof. I wanted to be seen you see. I was disguised as a mottled brown and black earth pony. I used this disguise about once every three months or so at irregular intervals to make my way into the Undercity. I worked a long time to establish myself down here as a part time drudge for hire. My cover was that I had a semi-regular job in the city as a construction pony. But that I also had a bit of a gambling problem. When money got tight I would come down to the Undercity and hire on a work crew for about a week or so working for hazard wages to get me back on my feet. This gave me an excuse to come and go from Undercity without appearing suspicious. I used this alias to snoop around every so often for info. And, if I was being fully honest, every so often I would also do it just to kick back and unwind from the stress of being Celestia's favorite errand pony.

Most people think that diamond dogs are vicious, smelly, stupid, meat eating barbarians, with no culture, class or manners. Actually only most of that is true. You're average diamond dog is roughly as intelligent as your average pony, (of course in my experience you're average pony isn't all that bright either). The main difference is that a diamond dog tends to be more straightforward. They have less guile, less deceit. This is because what most ponies fail to understand is that at least fifty percent of a diamond dogs perception and communication is done with visual cues and their sense of smell. They see no need to state the obvious when they speak with one another, so the subtle nuances of their interaction with others go right over a ponies head.

For example, if I were a diamond dog, and I ran into another diamond dog coming home from a night spent working in the mines, verbally I might say something like “Howdy,” and he might respond with “Evening,” and we'd pass each other and be about our business. But in the language of scents and twitches the conversation would be more like:

“I see you have spent an exhausting evening digging in the lower east tunnels, and hauling tin ore. I hope the pocket of natural gas that was breached didn't cause anyone any harm. I'm glad to see that the gash on your leg hasn't become infected, and I must say that the new perfume your wife is wearing reminds me of the good old days back in the Everfree where I used to play in the sunlight as a pup.”

“Yes, it was quite a long day, but I'm sure your day mucking out the sewer line under 118th street wasn't any better. I note that they are using a new batch of herbal shampoo in the decontamination showers, I'm glad the lobbyists got that approved. And don't think I haven't noticed traces of her perfume lingering on your fur buddy, I'd advise you to go sniffing around a different house on Saturday nights unless you want to come down with something far worse than a case of rabies.”

It's for this reason that I didn't try to mess around with using illusions to make myself look like a diamond dog, or even metamorphosis spells. Even if I crafted the perfect illusion, or changed my body to perfectly mimic one of their species, it wouldn't fool them for a second. There is no way I would ever smell right. Even if I used magic to hide my scent entirely. If anything, that would make them more suspicious to have a being in front of them with no scent at all. Diamond dogs may be stupid to the ways of ponies, but there is no way a pony, no matter how magically gifted, is ever going to fool the nose of a diamond dog.

It didn't take me long to make it to the other side of the tracks. That isn't just an expression by the way, the industrial section of Whinnyappleous is criss-crossed with more train tracks than anywhere else in the city. This is the part of the city where everything is made. Cotton is brought in from the farms outside of the city and made into cloth. Ore and gems are brought up from the mines and refined, they even have something called a cannery. Apparently they have figured out a way to keep food from spoiling by sealing them in cans. I've seen a section in the grocery store just for 'canned goods'. I must admit, the idea of having fresh peaches in the middle of winter does sound quite appealing. And it must seem that way to other ponies as well, since I see the cannery has expanded into the lot adjacent to it.

If Luna ever dropped her spell, and time resumed it's normal speed, I wonder what our city would look like to the ponies outside? Some fantastic futureland no doubt. But I digress.

Just down the block from the cannery, situated on the corner but well back from the street, was one of the public accesses to the Undercity. It was a large industrial size elevator. The stink hit me before the doors even opened. Oh yeah, I should mention that, the Undercity isn't known for it's hygiene. Quite the opposite. The very fact that I DON'T stink will label me as a topsider. There isn't a lot of traffic between topsiders and the Undercity mainly because for Undercitizans to be allowed up top, they must first undergo a decontamination shower to get the stink off. This is mandatory, no exceptions. Then of course, sooner or later they must return home, and their lack of stink will make them the focus of ridicule. For this reason there actually exists a small but profitable 'stink' business working the areas outside the entrances to the Undercity. They specialize in... well... stink for sale. I really don't like to think about it.

On the other side of the coin, topsiders seldom want to visit the Undercity because the smell usually is bad enough to cause them to pass out. Even with the filters provided to the public for free at every station, the smell is still very… noticeable. 'Stink' merchants also usually have a sideline of industrial grade nose filters and deodorants for visiting topsides.

Thankfully I had no intention on going into the Undercity proper. I was just going to the mines, with a quick stop on the way to register myself at the labor office.

The labor office was crowded, as usual. Diamond dogs, ponies, humans, and even a griffin, were all impatiently waiting in long lines. These were the people that had no permanent jobs. They came here every week for short term employment, hoping each time to be picked up by a crew. Sooner or later, if you were a good temp, some crew would hire you on for good. But at least half the beings here would never make that cut. Either for being too unskilled, too old, or just plain lazy, they would come back week after week, taking whatever jobs came up and making the best of it. It sounds harsh I know, but there are more job openings down here than in it's counterpart topside.

The mines are always expanding, and there is always a need for grunt work. More often than not a topsider comes down here looking for work, and if he's any good ends up staying. This is because, stink aside, the pay is very very good. All work in developing sections of the mines is considered 'hazard pay', because of all the additional risks. And a month of 'hazard pay' down here is more than anypony usually makes in six months topside. Of course it's called 'hazard pay' for a reason, and the death toll in new mine sections usually averages around fifteen to twenty percent. This is why usually only the brave or the desperate sign up for it.

Before long the inexorable tide had bore me to the long sought sign-in desk. Amanda was working tonight, and she recognized me (or rather my alias), immediately.

“Long Shot? I knew you come back soon. Been too long. What happen THIS time?” The portly diamond dog asked in amusement.

{Sigh}, “oh, the usual. Betting on the ponies. The WRONG ponies. I swear, I'm beginning to think they are all conspiring together just to make me lose.” I say, feigning exasperation.

“Is true,” She replies conspiratorially. “Is all big plot by mining commission. They want to keep you working tunnels, make them rich. Every time you bet, they pay off pony to lose, then you come back.”

“Amanda, I knew it was a bad idea to give you those mystery stories. It's making you paranoid. But back to why I'm here, do you have anything, um, hazardous open?” I asked, trying to sound a little desperate.

“Well, is one crew, Big Tom's crew. He be glad to see you, but half of crew is new. Mine shaft collapse last week. We not usually put pony on crew with that many new dogs. You know why.” She says, lowering her voice so as not to be over heard.

I certainly did know why. And if I was any other pony, or wasn't working on a deadline, I'd avoid the whole thing. But I had to get a hazard assignment. That was where the explosives were used the most. And there were people I could talk to in supply. If I took a regular digger shift, there would be no way to talk to them without looking suspicious.

“I get what you're saying Amanda, but I have like a uh… pressing need, for a lot of funds in a short amount of time.” I reached into the quickly grown replica of my mane and pull out a well hoofed paperback book. “Would this help to ease your conscious at all?” I asked passing it over.

“Is new Sam Spavined book?” She asked, eagerly hopeful. “Long Shot, why you do this to me? You good pony. Me like you. If not for deadbeat husband, me would take you home and sire many puppypoines on you. And you come and ask me to try and kill you. Over and over. Long, you need to stop this. They ponies up there,” she says pointing at the earthen ceiling, “they help you shake gambling. Shake like fleas. Only it gone for good.”

Oh Amanda, you have no idea how much it hurts me to do you this way. But it's for the greater good. Next month I'm buying you a subscription to the 'Mystery of the Month club', I think to myself.

“I know Amanda, I know,” I reply trying to ride the line between appreciation, and the desperation of an addict. “But I really need this job. Please? This one last time? I just need to pay off some leg breakers and that's it. Done for good. Honest.”

“Long, you say this every time. Then you go away, and me think maybe, maybe this time he make it. But then you always, always come back. Me never know to be mad at you or relieved. But me no want you legs broke either, so here.” She says passing over the job assignment and location. “Just do me one favor. Don't get killed.”

“Believe me Amanda, that is the one thing I plan to avoid.” I say sincerely, before I make my way out of the ever increasing crowd.

I make my way to one of the elevators that leads down to the mines, and press the button to the lowest floor. From there I navigate the twists and turns indicated on the map until I come to a vertical shaft leading down into the darkness. There is an old cage style single person elevator at the edge of the shaft. Next to it are mining helmets with light crystals on them, and a variety of digging tools for different species. I select a tooth pick made for earth ponies. No, it isn't for cleaning your teeth, it's a specially designed pick for earth ponies to use with their jaws. It definitely took some getting used to the first time I was here. I had to keep fighting my unicorn nature to simply levitate it with my horn. But after a day or so I managed to figure out a workaround. Magic on the sly as it were. Now to the dogs that knew me, I had a reputation as being one of the hardest working ponies in the mines.

Thankfully the pick was relatively clean. I wiped it off any way with a rag from the rag bin, and tuck a few of the rags into my mane. It was nice to have my mane and tail back, even though it was only temporary. As soon as the spell wore off it would all fall out again, and my coat would return to it's original color.

I select a miner's helmet made for a unicorn and fit it over my invisible horn. I take a moment to craft the illusion that the hole in it is gone, making it look exactly like it's earth pony counterpart, then I enter the cage, and press the 'down' button.

As the cage buzzed and slowly descended I took a moment to examine the walls of the shaft. Excellent. This was very new work. Less than a week old. This shaft was made quickly and not as well as I would have expected. They must have discovered a new seam of ore, and are following it until the vein widens out for excavation. This is exactly what I was looking for. My only problem now will be the new dogs.

I knew the leader of this crew pretty well. Big Tom and I have worked together several times. He was gruff, he was tough, and he didn't take any crap from his pack. If you did your job well, he was good as gold. Screw up once too often, (and too often that was only once), and he'd beat seven shades of night out of you before sending you back topside. This was because if you screwed up down here, you could end up getting not just yourself, but every member of your crew killed. He and I got along just fine.

Only thing is, according to Amanda, at least half this crew were new. Oh, not new to the mines. That would be suicidally stupid to send greens down to the most dangerous part of the mine. I'm sure these dogs were from other crews. But it all amounted to the same thing. A dog pack had an alpha. That alpha in this case, was Big Tom. All the other dogs below him were expected to find their own place in the pecking order. Now in his old pack, I had already established myself, and I was usually left alone. And I'm sure the dogs that remember me will give me my space. But if what Amanda said was true, half these dogs would be looking to place themselves 'above' me. And that just wouldn't do. Low dog gets given all the scut work, and although I wouldn't care myself about that, I also wouldn't be able to move freely about during downtime. No, the best thing I could hope to do is figure out who among the new dogs was highest in rank and start from there.

The cage had lurched to the bottom, jarring me from my thoughts. There was a single tunnel before me, with light crystals evenly spaced along the wall providing small pockets of illumination. Up ahead I could hear the sounds of picks, and the booming voice of Big Tom shouting orders. I folded up my map. I wouldn't need it anymore, there was only one place left to go. Slowly I made my way down the shaft, taking the time to examine the hastenly raised support beams. This crew was too new. The construction was barely adequate at best. They must really be putting pressure on Tom to make an experienced foredog like him skimp on safety like this. What could they be after so badly? Copper and tin prices remained steady on the stock market. I had heard rumors that the big corps had been hiring crews to scout out some new kinds of ore, but I had never been able to find out anything more than rumors about them. It was on my to do list to investigate further when I had the time. Could I have accidentally assigned myself to one of those teams? If so I might be able to kill two griffins with one stone.(A very racist saying from the bad old days, and also fiendishly difficult to actually achieve. Believe me I know).

Before much farther the mine shaft widened out into a large cavernous area that was being laboriously excavated by Big Tom's crew. It only took me a moment to locate the foredog himself, due to him constantly barking orders to the crew. Give the dog credit, even with his back turned, he still smelled me coming, despite the stink of the mine.

“By Luna, is that Long Shot I smelling?” He said, not bothering to lower his voice, causing all the dogs in the room to look up momentarily. “Oh sweet merciful Moon, it is! The Great Alpha has finally answered one of my prayers, and sent me a decent miner right when I needed one the most!”

Tom rushes over to me and gives me an honor that scandalizes all of the newbies in the room. He gives me a long lick on one side of my muzzle. Disgusting? Yes. But a tremendous show of respect from an alpha to a subordinate.

“Listen up you newbies.” He says clutching me to his side like a brother. “This pony be Long Shot. Him hardest working pony in the mines. He worth any four of you newbies put together. Now that him here, we can finally meet quotas again. Him going to be in charge of section four from this point forward. You newbies pay attention to him. He keep you alive. You listen to him, and he teach you how to dig!”

This last statement was a HUGE insult to any diamond dog. A pony showing a dog how to dig? Big Tom must be having all sorts of trouble with these guys for him to use me to piss them off. Between that and making me a section chief he pretty much guaranteed that I was going to have problems with every dog in here I didn't know. He confirmed this with his next statement.

“Sorry bout dis Long.” He said in a much quieter voice. “These new dogs all tink dey hot stuff. They get pulled off of other crews for dis 'special project'. Ting is, dey all act like maverick ponies. Dey all dink dey know what's best and won't hardly listen none ta any dog else. I dun busted three heads since de cave in last week. Dat usually enough for normal dogs, but dese guys all thick. None of dem see da big picture. Dey slowin us down wit dere complaining, an gripin, when dey should be follwin orders an workin. Ting is, I can't say nothin bout it to da boss accounta dat shaft collapse last week. If dey tink I can't run my crew no more, then dey bust me back down and give it to anudder dog. I can't take no loss in pay. Connie just had her litter last month. And no way I can feed da eight of us on a digger's pay, even if it is hazard wages.”

I quickly got the picture. What Tom wasn't saying was, if I were to put these dogs in there place instead of the alpha, then they could never raise their snout to him again, unless they went through me. And Tom knew from personal experience that I was a really hard pony to get through. Tom is, in my opinion, way too smart to be wasting his time down here in the dirt. But his pa was a digger, and his pa before that, and Tom was considered the pride of the litter after he made foredog, so I know that nothing I say would ever make him leave.

“I get what you are saying Tom.” I responded quietly. “Pecking order?”

“Pecking order.” He confirmed. “All dat aside. I'm really glad you is here Long. De bosses got us down here for something special, and they want it pretty quick. You musta seen the rush job on the shaft coming in here. It's all for dis.” He says, reaching into his overalls and pulling out a small piece of ore.

He tries to pass it over, but as I am reaching for it I get a good look at the sample and jerk my hoof back like it was burned.

“By the Sky Stallion Tom! Are you crazy? That's Uranusium. Do you want to die?” I say, looking around the cavern in a panic.

Great Zacherle, is that what these dogs were after? We had to get out of here! Uranusium is some quirky metal that emits invisible energy call 'radiation'. Not very harmful in and of itself. But it also emits a gas called 'Radon' which, in high concentrations, such as found in an enclosed mine, can very easily make a person sick, and or die.

“Calm down, calm down, is no radon in here. Bosses fix, see?” He says pointing a paw at some kind of strange skeletal tower in the center of the cavern.

“Okay. I see it. But what exactly does 'it' do?” I ask warily.

“Is some new magic boss ponies send down. It suck up all radiation from Uranusium. It suck up all radiation from Radon. It collect in little lead bottle at bottom. When bottle full, it emit a signal. Pony come down in funny suit and switch out for new bottle. We been here a week and no dog has got sick. Little tower work good.” He says proudly.

Although a little more at ease, I'm still very confused. “Okay, so magic tower keeps us safe. But what in Equestria do they want Uranusium for? Aside from making things glow, I don't see the use in it.”

“Ah you not here since news. Month ago, some pony find that if you deplete radiation from Uranusium, it become very hard and strong. Stronger than steel. Boss ponies in big rush to mine as much ore as they can. But very few veins of it in mine. We find this one by accident in collapse over week ago. They send me more dogs to get as much as we can, as fast as we can. Is big bonus if we make quota. Now that you here, maybe we can.” Tom says hoping to reinforce his earlier point.

I have no choice at this point but to play along. But I fully intend to run a few tests myself before we bunk down for the night. Magic tower or not, I won't rest easily until I determine this place is safe on my own.

Tom gets me settled into my new section. As I expected, every dog here is new to me. This won't end well I can tell. I make sure that everyone knows who I am, and that I've worked with Tom long enough to know how he wants things done, and that I expect everyone to pull his or her weight. I got a few grunts at that and more than one set of eyes rolled, but they all at least made an effort to work for now, and that let me concentrate on my own little patch of heaven.

Over and over my pick struck the cavern wall. The insulation of the specially made pick kept it from jarring my teeth, but what no one else saw was the tiny blots of magic that were being shot out of the point of the pick just before contact with the wall. In that tiny microsecond, a special variation of my dissolving spell would shoot into the rock and spread, dissolving long fissures deep inside. Then when my pick actually struck, these fissures would split causing chunks of the wall to break off and fall to the cavern floor. To an onlooker it merely looked like I was a really strong earth pony, able to seemingly tirelessly crack sections out of the wall. Once I had enough to fill a couple of good sized buckets, I would shovel them up and carry the buckets to a nearby mine cart and dump them. Once the cart was full, some dog or another would push it back the way I came in and load it onto the cage, where it would be sent up the shaft for processing. And this is how miners spend a 'good' day. None of us wanted to have a 'bad' day. That involved sections of walls collapsing onto somebody, random gas pockets erupting, discovering an aquifer behind where you had been patiently digging, oh there were all sorts of things that could give us a 'bad' day. And we all knew that sooner or later, before this job was over, that we would have at least one.

The hours passed by in tedium. Occasionally I would raise my head to check on the rest of my section. They were barely plodding along. Every other section had already cleared nearly double the amount that we had. I didn’t bother to say anything to them yet. I knew that all this would be settled at lunchtime. And I was right.

No sooner had Big Tom called lunch, then the rest of my crew, as well as all the other newbies, came over to 'sit' with me during my meal. I unpacked my lunch, (two daisy sandwiches, and one of Derpy's muffins with a thermos of coffee), and began to eat. As I had hoped, the biggest, smelliest, (and from the look of him, stupidest), of the newbies had something to say.

“Haw, look Jingo, little pony eating plants. Him must be sick. Work too hard for little pony.” The mass of muscle says. I'm surprised he can string that many words together, his brain must be overheating even as he speaks.

“Ya Bruno,” the scrawny dog called Jingo adds, “dogs only eat plants when sick.” He points a paw at me. “You must be one sick puppy.”

This passes for the height of humor among the rest who all start barking laughter. I calmly finish my sandwich, and start on the second.

The dog known as Bruno scratches his chin for a moment. “Yeah, pony must be sick. Sick pony no good in mine. Sick pony no good in charge. Tom not smart making pony in charge. Tom bad alpha. Bruno put sick pony down. Am doing a favor for poor sick pony. Then Bruno take over as alpha. Bruno lead good.”

This was what I had been waiting for. As Bruno reached for me with one of his oversized paws, I used the hoof I wasn't eating with to grasp it and twist. While doing so, spell runes flared to life unnoticed beneath my quick grown fur, and I easily brought Bruno to his knees, crying out as I held him there without breaking a sweat. Then, making a show of slowly putting down my sandwich, I got to my hooves, still holding onto Bruno, grasped him by the scruff of the neck with my other front hoof, and casually threw him across the cavern to smash face first into the rock.

Without sparing the others so much as a glance, I sauntered over to Bruno and leaned against the wall smashing his head onto the floor with my lower hoof as he had started to rise.

“All right you maggots listen up!” I say, raising my voice for the first time. “I'm about to teach you puppies the pecking order! There's YOU,” I smash Bruno's face into the dirt, “the DIRT,” I do it again, “the worms IN the dirt,” once more, “ME,” a final time, “and Big Tom. Any questions?!?”

“Yeah,” Jingo says, slow on the uptake, “we no take orders from stu-”

Unfortunately whatever else he was about to say is lost to history as I threw his buddy Bruno at him, knocking them both back several hooves in the opposite direction and cutting off his air as Bruno lands across his chest.

“Any MORE questions?” I ask, but this time even the slowest dog has caught on.

I didn't expect to have any more trouble out of my section, or from any other newbie here. After a moment all of my 'old' friends bring their lunch over and join me.

“Hah, me knew the minute me saw you this would happen. Right fellas?” A spotted diamond dog named Bigalo says.

“Yeah, we was all waitin fer you ta show de newbies de 'pecking order'. Haw, haw, haw,” another buddy of mine named Dirk chimes in.

“Seems like it was jus yesterday dat you taught ME de pecking order.” Bigalo says, settling in next to me. “I learnt that one pretty quick. Ain't no pony in dese here mines tough like our Long Shot!”

Grunts and barks of agreement are shared among the old timers. I glance over my shoulders and see that most of the newbies have gotten the message. The ones that haven't will before long. Tom may be a gruff so and so, but he does his job right, and keeps his crews alive. And now every dog here understands that he has me watching his back. Things should settle down pretty quick from this point forward.

And as far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better. I've got more important things to do down here than teaching puppies how to dig. Someone is sending explosives up topside to whoever has been trying to kill me. The sooner I find out who, the sooner I can finally put them down.

Chapter 16

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Chapter 16 - Celestia's thief

The next few nights saw things calming down a bit in the mine. The newbies still chafed at being ordered around, but none of them wanted to see a repeat of the performance the other day. Bruno, after he came to, became my new best friend. This wasn't entirely unexpected, the same thing happened with Bigalo the last time. Bullies usually act the way they do because they are afraid of losing face. Once they have actually lost face, it's almost a relief to them. Now that the burden of 'tough guy' is off of their shoulders, they can settle in and support the new top dog, or in this case, top pony. However, Jingo wasn't taking this transition well. Whether it was personal loyalty to Bruno, or just a prejudice against ponies, he was the only one of the newbies who refused to fall in line. At some point he could be a problem. But, as long as he did the bare minimum of labor required, there was nothing I, or Big Tom, could do about it. Miners didn't have to like each other. We weren't here to make friends. We were here for the money, plain and simple. And we did a dangerous job to get it. As long as a miner did his job, he was free to hate whomever he wanted to.

I saw the pony in the 'funny suit' come in night before last, to switch out the lead bottle on the magic tower thingie. It was a funny suit indeed. I seem to remember seeing something similar back in my days at Celestia's school. They wore them in the High Energy Magic building on occasion. I need to ask her about that when I get out of here. I performed my own tests off shift and sure enough, there was no radiation, or Radon, for that matter, anywhere to be found. That tower works really good. I tried to scan it but it was shielded. Not sure if the shield was for radiation, or prying eyes, but I wasn't going to risk bringing it down just to find out. I'd report to Celestia everything I could tell about it, and let her and her big brains go from there. I do love giving them new puzzles to solve. Although according to the boss, the feeling isn't mutual.

Last night I got my first break. Big Tom told us we were going to have to blast our way through a granite obstruction, a pretty large one. He didn't want to send his good workers up for the explosives, and he sure didn't want to send the newbies, so I volunteered to go get what he needed. I could instantly see the relief in his muzzle. He trusted me not to blow myself to bits, because he knew I had a certain amount of fear about diamond dog explosives. He knew I'd be as careful with them as if they were a newborn pup. And believe me I would.

It isn't that I don't trust diamond dogs to make explosives. I just don't feel comfortable around any explosives that I didn't make myself. All explosives are dangerous, but the stuff the diamond dogs use scares the crap out of me. I'm not sure exactly how it's made, Twilight Sparkle could tell you, but I do know it starts with a special kind of salt. Then they use 'science' on it and it becomes a liquid. A very unstable liquid. If you tapped a jar of it, it would explode. If a sound vibrated a jar of it, it would explode. If you looked at it funny… alright, that might be a slight exaggeration, but my point is, this stuff is deadly. The dogs soak sawdust in this stuff, then wrap the sawdust tightly into paper tubes. Then they use the tubes to blow crap up. Thing is, after a while, if you haven't used the stuff, the liquid will seep out of the tube and crystallize. Then, once again, any little anything will set it off. I have a tremendous amount of respect handling it. And I always keep a shield of magic around it, ready to teleport it as far away as I can. I doubt my shield is strong enough to protect me if it ever were to explode, but I keep it there for my own peace of mind. Call it my security blanket.

The only good part about being sent to fetch the 'boom sticks', is that I get to talk to the dogs at the supply depot. One of the things I did as soon as I set up my Long Shot identity, was to ingratiate myself with all the dogs in charge of procurement in the mines. These were the dogs that knew what was REALLY going on. And like people in supply everywhere, they loved to gossip. Trade them a bit of dirt from topside, and they would gossip about anything you wanted to know. Usually I'd fabricate something out of thin air to use for currency, living in the Undercity they had no way to confirm or deny it, but this time I could pay them in cold hard facts. Facts I wanted them to spread around as much as they could down here.

As soon as I made my way back out of the mine, I replaced my nose filters with fresh ones at the nearest station. It doesn't take them long to go bad down with all that mine dust, and where I was going, my nose would need all the help it could get.

My writ from Big Tom got me past scrutiny at the explosives building. A concrete bunker set far apart from the rest of the supply depot. There were only ever two people that worked the desk there. An old dog with a classical diamond dog name 'Grr-ark-snuffle-bark-aroo', but everyone called him Scruffy. The other being was a human who went by the name Carl. As I mentioned before, I'm not a fan of humans, for reasons I have already stated. Carl was… tolerable, unless you had to watch him eat. I could see why he was down here with the dogs, he fit right in. Lucky for me Carl wasn't on shift.

“Evening Scruffy, how's it wagging?” I ask, smiling hugely.

“Slow and low, as you very well know,” comes the reply. “Well, if it isn't my favorite jittery pony. Come to once again risk life an limb with some of my little toys?” He says, with barely a trace of accent.

Scruffy is a very well educated diamond dog. He was the one who actually came up with the current explosives the dogs used every night in the mines. It was small wonder that he was put in charge of their distribution and care.

“Hey Long, wanna see somethin cool?” He asks with a feral grin.

“Um, no… no I'm good.” I say holding up both front hooves for emphasis. Scruffy's ideas on what is cool usually would scare the fur off me.

“Aww, c'mon, be a sport, just have a look eh?” He says, pulling a glass domed display out from under his desk and setting it on the counter.

Inside rests a crystal. I look at it in pure terror, it's one of those explosive salt crystals.

“S-Scruffy, what exactly are you planning to show me here?” I say, considering all my options.

If I teleport out, I'll blow my cover and lose any chance of tracking the explosives back to who took them, on the other hoof, I would still be alive. I LIKED being alive.

“Oh calm down youngin, all I wanted to show you was this.” Scruffy reaches back under the counter and pulls out a tuning fork. Before I can react he strikes it on the counter and points it directly at the crystal, smiling at me the whole time.

Still paralyzed with indecision I stare wide eyed at the crystal. Which does absolutely nothing.

After a few moments more of it continuing to do nothing, I finally find my voice.

“S-so it's a fake then?” I ask, still in 'terror mode'.

“Nope not at all, it's the real thing all right,” he says, tapping the dome with his paw, causing me to flinch. “Oh by the great Terrier youngin, you got ta be the most flinchy pony I ever did see. It's safe. Totally safe. I came up with it myself. Totally stable crystals. Even the most clumsy dog can tote this stuff around and not blow all of his friends ta glory. Pretty cool eh?” He says, resting his arm on the dome.

“Y-yeah,” I reply trying to unfreeze myself, “that's… totally awesome.”

And it was. Once my brain started working again I realized all of the implications that such a crystal could have on the mining industry. And then of course on the military industry. Crap. I was going to need a sample to take back with me to send to Celestia. If the dogs outside of the city got hold of this, and they would, it would only be a matter of time until the griffins, minotars, and every other race started using it. Better that Celestia be far ahead of any of them before this becomes public. Of course, better still if it never BECAME public.

“That's amazing Scruffy. And you came up with this yourself? I'm guessing that's what I'll be taking back with me today. It's a load off my mind, let me tell you.” I say, not having to fake the relief I put into my voice.

“Well, now hold on, hold on.” He says hurriedly. “Yeah, I made this stuff, but it was by accident. That fool Carl had left a box go bad in the back and crystals were already forming on it. He was walking by me while I was experimenting with various chemical reactions on my worktable. I saw the crystals on the outside of the box, and lunged across the table to try to stop the fool before he jarred it. In retrospect that was a dang fool thing to do, but at the time I just reacted. Anyway I spilled chemicals everywhere including onto the box, soaking the already formed crystals on the outside. I managed to stop Carl, got him to stand stock still, and then we carefully took the crate out back for disposal. We placed it in the 'box' for detonation.”

I knew about the 'box' out back in the cleared lot. It was specially made just for getting rid of this stuff when it went bad.

“So we stuck a primer inside one of the sticks,” he continues, “moved back and set it off. Ka-BOOM!” He yells for effect, making me jump once more. I hate when he does that. “Well, we go back to clean out the box and guess what we see? All the crystals that had been on the outside of the box are still there. There was enough explosives in that box to blow up a building, and yet the shock of that explosion didn't set off the crystals on the outside of the box.”

“Are you sure that the chemicals you spilled on them hadn't rendered them inert?” I ask.

“Silly pony, that was the first thing I checked.” He chides. “I took a small crystal put it back in the box, and ran a wire to it. Then I moved back and sent a small charge through it. Sure enough, KA-BOOM!” he yells once more, still making me jump. “But the funny thing was that that tiny crystal made an explosion just as big as the whole crate did. Isn't that amazing?”

“Yes, totally.” I respond my gut sinking. There was no way I could let this go, it was just too dangerous. “So,” I ask casually, “have you been able to recreate your accidental success?”

“Sadly no. I've run tests on the other crystal fragments however, and have determined that they are totally stable unless stimulated by an electrical charge. This is the final remaining piece of crystal. I've put in a request to the palace for an audience. If I can talk to Princess Luna about what I've found, perhaps she can have one of her magic ponies analyze it and determine how to duplicate it. It's all I can think of myself. I've tried everything else that I could.”

Relief washes over me like cold water. If Luna finds out what Scruffy has, then there is no way it's getting into the wrong hooves. Then I stop for a minute and think. On the OTHER hoof, if I were to manage to claim this little rock for Celestia…

“Well, enough fun and games youngin. I'm guessing some alpha sent you for some ordinance. Let's see your work order.” Scruffy says, shaking me from my thoughts.

I pass over Big Tom's list. Pretty standard stuff. As expected Scruffy asks me what I was hoping for.

“So Long, any juicy tidbits from topside?”

“Well as a matter of fact, I do have some recent news. Seems there has been a couple of explosions that were set off in the city. Now one of 'em in the red light district was said to be from a gas main. Funny that, since the place ran on electrics. But the other one was at a really fancy restaurant. And guess what they found on the scene? The place was bombed by someone, and the stuff that the bomber used? It was a standard ring of diamond dog explosives used for right down here in the mines.” As I say this I am paying particular attention to Scruffy.

He immediately stops what he is doing and returns to the counter.

“Explosives from here?” He says shocked. “How sure are you about this information youngster?”

“Really, really sure,” I reply. I was on the other side of the street when it happened. I came in to help get people out, the investigators were talking about it, I heard it all with my own two ears.” All of this was true, just not quite in the way that he thinks.

“But that just don't make no sense.” Scruffy replies. “You know me Long. I keep careful track of all of my inventory, there's no way I wouldn't notice if any of it went missing. And trust me, none of it has gone missing.”

The next question I ask is a risky one. It wouldn't do to make Scruffy suspicious of me, but it's a question only he can answer, so I couch it in a way that he more or less has to ask himself.

“Well, we know that nobody on a crew could have done it. They'd never get any explosives past the checkpoints in the mine.” This was true. Everybody gets checked after their shift. The bosses don't want anyone sneaking out any unreported gems or ore that they might happen to come across. They can't have the miners amassing a private fortune bit by bit at the companies expense. “And the miners are the only way that any of the explosives could get topside, so I just can't see how it could have happened.” I say, feigning ignorance.

“Weeeeell,” He says after a moments thought. 'Bingo' I think to myself. “There is one other way, but I just don't see how they did it. See, I recently received a large order for explosives from Night Industries. You know, the big corp. that works for Luna? I'm not sure exactly what they are using it for, but that is the only request I've had from topside in over a year. All I can figure is that this bomber fella must have stolen some of the explosives from that shipment. But I don't see how. That Night Industries place has more security than the Princess's palace. I ought to know, at one point or other, I've been to both.” He says with no small amount of pride.

I had known that Scruffy had met Luna once before, this much he told me himself. It was when she requested him to go over plans for the original mining tunnels. What I had not known was that he had been to Night Industries, and I said as much.

“You've been to Night Industries? Freeow, that's a fancy Dan place if ever I saw one. Isn't that where Dr. Brass works?” I say, making myself sound impressed.

“Yup,” he responds. “Matter of fact I met the pony myself while I was there. He had invited me to join a think tank on different forms of energy and their potential for use in the future of the city. He was very interested in my discoveries in the use of nitrates. Very smart pony. We got along quite well.”

“Well color me impressed. Someone I know has actually met Dr. Brass in person. You are quite the big dog Scruffy.” I say, making him flustered for a moment.

“Bah, I'm just an old dog that has learned a few new tricks,” He says as he finishes gathering the rest of the supplies Big Tom has asked for. “Still, if I can figure out this stable explosive crystal… well, then maybe I might have a moment or two in the spotlight.”

“Yeah, good luck with that Scruffy,” I say as I make my way to the door, waving to him as I leave.

“Yeah, and luck to you youngster, stay safe down there!” He says waving back as the door closes behind me.

I feel bad for the old dog. He's given me exactly what I wanted to know, and I plan on repaying him by making sure his discovery never sees the night or day. Sometimes, well MOST times, my job makes me be a right bastard. But I console myself with that idea that by doing so I'll be helping to save countless lives. That's got to count for something right?

I take my payload back to the mine and turn it over to Big Tom. The following night they began blasting out the new section. I work as hard as any other the rest of the week, making sure to keep the dogs in my section in line. I think that most of them will be alright after I am gone. They are finally working as a team. This is good because I am planning to leave just as soon as my weeks pay is processed.

“I'm sorry ta see ya heading back topside Long.” Tom says, signing my time sheet for the week. “Wish you'd decide to sign on for another week or two, we could really use you.”

“Yeah, well, you know how I get if I'm down here too long Big Tom. Mine starts closing in on me, I start getting the shakes. Besides, I need to get this money to a couple of ponies as fast as I can. I kinda don't want them to come looking for me. Things tend to get broken when they have to go looking for somepony.” I say, sounding a bit nervous for effect.

“Dese guys must be some major bad news if they make a pony as tough as you nervous Long Shot.” He says, worry creeping into his gruff voice. “You just go on back up an do what ya gotta do. We'll still be here whenever you wants ta come back.” He says clapping a paw on my shoulder and offering me a smile.

Tom is a good dog. And I wish him the best, but right now I need to get my pay, and get back to my office as quickly as possible. But before that, I need to do just one more thing.

As I exit the shaft and enter the cage, I hit the up button. As soon as I am out of the line of sight from the bottom, I make myself invisible. I'm really glad I recharged both of my kinetic runes during all that mining, because I was going to need to stay invisible longer than I would normally have the magic for.

Invisibility is a higher order spell. Keeping just one person from noticing you isn't all that hard. You'd just cast an aversion spell on him, then every time he happened to glance your way, he would feel compelled to look in a different direction. But it would be impossible to cast an aversion spell on everypony, one at a time, on say, a busy city street. That's where invisibility comes in. The basic idea is that you make a picture of what is behind you and put it in front of you, so that anyone that looks at you sees what is behind you. Yeah, that's the basic idea. Now imagine doing that 360 degrees, continuously, in all directions, at all times, as you move. THAT is invisibility. And it takes a large amount of magic to do it for just a short amount of time. Fortunately, not only do I have a considerably large natural store of magic, I also have two fully charged kinetic runes as back up. This should last me plenty long enough for what I planned on doing.

The cage rattled to a stop on the top floor. Silently I made back up and out of the mine. I passed several dogs on the way, but I had used another handy spell to completely hide my scent. Very useful in this case. I still had a hoofful of pebbles in case I needed to distract a dogs sensitive ears, but so far, so good.

After I left the mine, I made my way back to the supply depot. I waited until another dog passed through the security gate, and made my way inside undetected, along with him. A few moments later I was back at Scruffy's explosives depot. I had to wait nearly twenty minutes before someone finally went inside for supplies so that I could sneak in with him. Then I simply moved out of his way and waited.

Carl was working the counter today. Good. That meant I wouldn't have to do anything to poor Scruffy. Not being a fan of Carl, this would be easier on my conscious. I waited until the customer left. Then I made my way silently behind the counter. Carl settled into an old worn office chair at Scruffy's desk, and began to read the nightly news paper. I quietly created an invisible dome around his head, then slowly reduced the amount of oxygen inside. After a few moments he went unconscious and I released the dome.

I then removed the domed glass case from under the counter, and took out Scruffy's 'stable' explosive crystal. I reached into my mane and removed an exact replica made from quartz crystal that I had found in the mine and had tinted to match the proper color. I placed the fake in Scruffy's case and put it back under the counter. I then put Scruffy's crystal into a wad of rags that I brought with me from the rag bin, and placed it into my mane.

I was making my way to the door when it suddenly opened before me. I had to dodge out of the way as Scruffy made his way inside. He spied Carl a moment later, and slammed his paw on the counter, causing Carl to jump awake.

“Gol dang it Carl! I ain't payin ya ta fall asleep on the job! I swear you have got ta be the laziest human being in Equestria.” Scruffy rants, as another customer makes his way inside.

I don't waste a moment, and seize this chance to make my way outside. I could still hear Scruffy complaining as I exited the compound, heading back to the labor office to collect my paycheck.

An hour later I am on the surface once more. I shook my pseudo mane once to get rid of the last of the water from the decontamination shower. I make my way into a nearby alley, and making sure no one is watching, I remove the wad of rags I had kept hidden from the checkpoint dogs with magic. I take a moment to examine the crystal, and with a quick prayer that Scruffy was right about how stable it is, I teleport back to my apartment. I've got about eight hours until my office normally opens up. That's enough time for a normal shower, a meal, and what is, for me at least, a full night's sleep. First thing in the morning I've got quite a bit of info to send to Celestia, including a very important package. Then it looks like I will have to pay another visit to Night Industries. I'm very curious to find out if they have had any explosives go missing recently.

My evening plans went off without a hitch. Due in no small part to the fact that no pony knew I was home. The next morning I had a quick breakfast, sent my report, along with the crystal to Celestia, and then teleported to my office building. As I was climbing up the stairs, I knew instantly that something was wrong. For one thing, all the lights were on, and I could here the voices of Ori, Moonlight, and at least one other pony I didn't recognize. And none of them sounded happy. For another thing there was blood all over the floor and the outer door to my office.

I readied a combat spell and burst into the room, prepared to rain death upon any intruder present. Looking around the room at all the dead and dying ponies, I realized that I needn't have bothered. Someone had already beaten me to it.

Chapter 17

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Chapter 17 (Interlude-2) Palaces and Princesses

Whinnyappleous was already a thriving, bustling, city before the Princess of the Night was given rein over it. It was during the transition of power that the residents of the city got their only sight of the new castle in the daylight, and even then, they only saw the completed building for one day before the shroud of everlasting night fell, casting it forever in darkness. In Canterlot several paintings and pictures of Luna's new abode could be found adorning various walls, all of them taken on that one brief day before Luna's spell took effect.

Visiting dignitaries marveled at its elegant beauty. Cast entirely in black marble, it's eclectic spires and minarets were accented in silver. Silver trim was also around every window and doorway, reflecting whatever light was available, causing the illusion that the entire castle was edged in quicksilver light. This effect was only heightened once the city was cast into darkness, with only the moon to offer illumination on Luna's masterpiece. Just as she had planned.

(Princess Luna)

It went without saying that I was quite angry with the results of 'Moonlight's' interrogation of the two detective ponies. No pony knew of the actual nature of our relationship, but I admit she came close to letting it slip when she lost her temper in there. Still, she got the answers I needed, and that was the main thing. Now it was time for the Princess of the Night to get involved directly. Something that I had hoped I wouldn't have to do, but in this instance it would be for the best.

I called my maid to have my consigliere, Ink Blotter, summoned to my chambers. He was here in a matter of moments.

“Yes Princess? You sent for me?” He said, bowing low.

“I.B. you've been working for me since you graduated school.” I begin in a measured tone. “I've known you since you were a colt, ever since your father earned a place in the guard back in Canterlot. Tell me, art thou happy working for me?”

“W-what? Of course Princess. I was never happier than the day you promoted me to your personal staff. Serving under you has been a joy. Why do you ask my Princess? Has my work been unsatisfactory? Have I offended you somehow?” His tone is all I needed to hear. He isn't false in his sincerity, I would know.

“Offended me? Well, that remains to be seen. You see during the course of a recent investigation, I've turned up documents that could only have come from this office. Documents that have your signature on them. Documents that, until now, I have had no knowledge of whatsoever. Before this goes any further Ink Blotter, I would very much like an explanation for them.” I hoof over to him the documents in question, and study his face as he examines them. His emotions are quite easy to read. They start out as confused, then surprise, then quickly turn into anger. Interesting, in all the years I have known him, I can't recall ever seeing him angry before. As a matter of fact, he seems very close to rage. Fascinating.

“Princess, I assure you, these documents are fake.” Ink Blotter replies, anger rising in his voice.

This is, from him, is a very interesting statement. He knows as well as I do that all correspondence from my personal office is done on specially made parchment. I have boxes of them made in advance with my royal seal, and a personal magical signature imbued in each one. It is impossible to fake. Furthermore they are kept in my office safe, and no pony less than another alicorn could break the protections spells surrounding it, which makes these forms impossible to steal. And the only other pony, aside from myself, that is ever allowed to use any of it in my name is the one standing here before me, claiming that what he holds are fakes. Why? He knows better. He must realize I've checked them before calling him in here. Hmm...

“Thou sayest these documents are fraudulent.” I say, falling back on old Equestrian. A sure sign to him that I am quite angry. “Yet we both know this cannot be so. Explain, if you please.”

He holds up one of the pages of letterhead, and points a hoof toward the lower right hoof corner. “Watermark.” He states flatly. “See Princess, right there above the watermark those tiny letters and numbers, EE-103? The letters represent the batch number, and the number is the number of the page. If you'll check over our records, you'll see that at no point ever have I used any of that batch of letterhead. I've never even seen that batch number. And if you'll check back through our receipts, you'll see that every box we have ever received has the batch numbers and amounts on them going all the way back to when we first switched off of hoofmade stationary. Princess, I use this stationary every day. I order it for you when supplies get low. You can check with the manufacturer, we have never had this batch number in your castle. As for my signature, that could be forged by almost any pony that has come across a copy of my hoofwriting. Princess, these are not mine.” He says once more, his voice full of earnest anger.

I examine the letterhead once more, staring at the tiny numbers he has shown me. I can honestly say that I have never noticed them before. It takes only a moment to confirm that all of the letterhead that I have confronted him with all bear the same batch designation 'EE', and that the numbers are indeed different. I spend a few moments examining random correspondence from the last few months. He's right, there are different batch letters, and numbers. They change almost weekly. I have a lot of correspondence. I know Ink Blotter too well, he wouldn't have offered up the option of checking the receipts, if he didn't know that he was right. I realized I felt a wave of relief at this thought. I still trusted him, and my instincts were seldom wrong.

“Ink Blotter. Few times have I ever been so pleased to have been wrong about something. I had hoped that somehow, someway, there would be a reason for you to retain my trust. Although I confess, I could not see how before now. Oh fee! I'm really not good at this. Ink Blotter… I'm sorry. I apologize for slandering thy good name. I-”

“Please Princess… please stop!” He says shaking his head in denial. “A Princess doesn't apologize to a servant. Please, it is unseemly! Say rather that I was able to point out a previously overlooked option, other than my possible treason. And despite this, I would still rather you conduct a full investigation that will absolve me of any lingering doubt that you may have.”

I was very grateful that Ink Blotter had said that. I fully intended to investigate this matter regardless. I hadn't lied to him when I told him I was grateful that he had found another possibility other than him being a traitor. Had he not, he would have quickly found himself in the worst of my dungeons, awaiting a long grueling interrogation. This option is still on the table so to speak, despite my gut feelings, pending upon what I find out next.

“As you say Ink Blotter. So, supposing the fact you you are not a traitor to me, we must then trace this problem back to it's potential source. Only one company manufactures my personal stationary. It's the same company that supplies most everything we use in the castle on a daily basis. And considering the government contracts, contacts, and influence we provide them, until today I would have said they were beyond reproach. But obviously, somehow, some way, they are responsible for these documents. So my next step is to find out how and why. Expect agent Moonlight Shadow to be paying you a visit before the night is out. I want her to go over every receipt and batch number of stationary that we have received. I'll be having her make a list of them and note any discrepancies or gaps in the letter or number sequences. I'm looking to see if batches or boxes have gone 'missing'. If none of them have, then it looks like agent Shadow may be making a return visit to Night Industries.”

“Of course Princess. I'll put myself at her disposal.” Ink Blotter says, bowing low once more.

This was not something 'agent Shadow' was going to look forward to doing. But I had to be absolutely sure before I decided to go flexing my authority against Night Industries. My word was still law, that went without saying. But Night Industries was almost single hoofedly responsible for all of the advances my city has made since my arrival. Medicine, technology, quality of life. They were far too important to my plans for me to simply raze them to the ground and sow that ground with salt. No, if it turned out that an investigation was warranted, it would have to be a stealth mission. Just Moonlight and Johnny. If any two ponies could get in and out without being noticed, it would be those two.

Of course, on the other hoof, if it DID turn out that Night Industries was dirty, well… there were always other playing pieces on the board. It might set my long term goals back a century or two. But I have plenty of time. I've waited over a thousand years after all, a few hundred more won't be a problem. And then dear sister, then you will finally see just what I have always been capable of.

(Princess Celestia)

“You know something Blue? I think I'm just about tired of the gold trim.” Celestia says between petitioners, from atop her royal throne.

Blueblood chokes briefly on his tea. “I-I'm sorry. Did you say you were tired of the gold trim? Surely you jest Auntie. Who could ever get tired of gold?”

“Me Blue… me. I've had to look at gold and white for the past eleven hundred years. It's boring. Gold and white, gold and white. So plain. No style. It's boring.”

“It's regal!” Blueblood counters. “It's a symbol of grace and purity. And a reflection of yourself I might add.” He says, pointing a hoof at her armor.

“Yes, I know, the 'perfect, pure Princess', at least to the public. But it's gotten old. I want something different. How would you feel about… blue.”

“Me?” Blueblood asks confused.

“No, not you, I mean the COLOR blue. We take all of the gold trim down and repaint it a nice blue. I'm thinking Lapis, or Azure, or perhaps...Midnight? Yes, Midnight blue I think. Redo the armor, the throne. White and Blue, yes, I think it would look stunning.”

Blueblood pauses for a moment. Over the years he has gotten used to his aunt coming up with some crazy idea out of thin air that he usually has to spend days talking her out of for her 'image's' sake. It got to be almost a game between them. But for once, he actually found himself nodding.

“Auntie, to be honest I think it's a wonderful idea. It would give the old castle a brand new look. And I have to agree blue and white DO look good together.”

“Well then it's settled. After we finish with the petitioners, I'll have Hindsight send for some decorators. With any luck we can have the whole thing redone in less than a month.” Celestia says excitedly.

“Mmmhmm.” Blueblood replies absently. “A month you say auntie? Isn't that about the time you expect your sister to return for a visit to celebrate her birthday?” He asks suspiciously, strolling over to examine one of the paintings of Luna's castle. “White and Midnight blue was it? Why, that's the exactly opposite of the color scheme of auntie Luna's castle. What an interesting coincidence.” Blueblood says tapping a hoof to his chin thoughtfully.

Before Celestia can frame a reply, a scroll suddenly materializes before her. She deftly plucks it from the air and holding up a hoof to forestall her great nephew, she begins to read. Her eyes widen in shock, “faith and belestia Shamus! Has the time finally come for your revenge?” Then she drops the scroll to the floor, and turns toward the Prince.

“No time to explain. I have to leave for Ponyville RIGHT NOW. Blue, you are in charge until I get back. I'll send word if I'm gone for more than a day.” And with that the solar princess teleports from the room, leaving the suddenly surprised newly minted ruler pro tem of Equestria, to fall absently to his knees in shock.

“Me? In charge? Auntie actually left ME in charge? The one thing that she said not even Discord could ever force her to do? Left ME in charge? Hah! In your face Fancy Pants!” Blueblood turns to the nearest royal guard. “Point Blank, please tell the remaining petitioners that court will be in recess until auntie Celestia returns. Then please have someone send for Hindsight, I'd like to relay auntie's wishes to him regarding her plans for the redecoration of the castle.”

“Yes sir!” Point Blank replies, firing off a smart salute. Inside however he can't help but think to himself. 'Well, I must admit I am impressed. Sixty seconds on the clock and he hasn't managed to do anything stupid. In fact, those were very sensible and non selfish orders he just gave. Perhaps I have been misjudging the royal prince.'

“Oh, and Point Blank, see if you can arrange to have Fancy Pants and his charming wife to come by while I am discussing those renovations with Hindsight. It would gall him to no end if he thought I actually had a hoof in redecorating the entire castle.” Blueblood cackles gleefully.

'Ah, never mind', Point Blank thinks, before exiting the room. 'The world once again makes sense'.

After the guard leaves the room, Blueblood reaches down and picks up the scroll that Celestia had dropped. He examines it curiously. “Code: Emerald Dawn,” he reads aloud. “What in Equestria does THAT mean?”

(Bon Bon)

“It stands for a leprechaun uprising from the Everfree Forest.” Bon Bon explains to Lyra as they make their way around to the rear of the palace grounds.

“Leprechaun uprising? You mean those cute little fey creatures in the green three piece suits that are forever burying their pots of gold all over the forest? Why would they ever stage an uprising? Aside from their pot burying fetish, they are the laziest creatures in the Everfree.” Lyra says as the two edge themselves behind a row of hydrangeas.

“Well, to be honest, I doubt they ever would. But my former agency had contingency plans in place for basically every potential magical and non-magical threat to Equestria. Also, mom has a particular phobia against a certain leprechaun living in the Everfree. It wouldn't take much for her to believe that he has rallied his brethren for revenge.”

“Revenge? Against Celestia? But why?” Lyra asks, as Bon Bon moves around a section of blocks hidden behind the hydrangea in a particular order. Suddenly, part of the wall slides open to reveal a secret passage, which closes back up as soon as the two are safely inside.

“Well, remember how Celestia and Luna used to live in that palace in the Everfree forest?” Bon Bon asks, as they make their way down the corridor. “Well, back then no one had even heard of the two soon-to-be rulers of Equestria. So where do you think they found all the money to build their new castle? And why do you think they built it in the Everfree of all places?”

Lyra stops walking as her eyes go wide. “Wait. Wait one second. You mean to tell me that Celestia built her empire, and her palace, all from stolen leprechaun gold?”

“Now, now. Not STOLEN gold.” Bon Bon chides. “However, tricking leprechauns out of gold has been a completely legitimate and legal means of acquiring funds going all the way back to prehistory. It just so happened that one leprechaun in particular was very very bad at three card monty, and mom was very very good.”

“Three card m- Your mom was a crook?!?” Lyra all but shouts. “Unbelievable, our whole diarchy is based on an alicorn swindler! I think I need to sit down a moment.”

“Well, hold on for just a minute, we're almost there.” Bon Bon says, pushing a block in the side of the wall which opens up into a room down in the depths of the castle. “Ah, there we go. Glad to see I haven't lost my way around here.”

“Indeed.” a new voice says, coming into view, holding a high caliber M.I.S.P.P.L. in the grip of his magic. “Then I'm sure you'll remember your way back to the dungeons.”

“Aren't you being a little overly dramatic Fact Finder?” Bon Bon replies nonplussed. “All these years, and the first thing you say to me is a threat? C'mon, how long has it been?”

“Not long enough.” The stallion called Fact Finder replies. “But apparently too long for you to remember the rules. No unauthorized ponies are allowed in the vault. No exceptions. And the only pony currently authorized to be here beside myself is the boss, or, if she is out if of the castle, the next highest ranking pony. And since no other high ranking pony even KNOWS about the vault, that means just Celestia. Now if you'll excuse me for just one moment, I will inform her of your presence, and then call the guards to escort you to a nice comfy cell.”

“B-Bonny? I don't want to go to prison, Bonny.” Lyra says worriedly.

“Relax hon, no one is going to prison. Just give it a minute.” Bon Bon replies with confidence.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” Fact Finder says into his viewing crystal. “She should be dealing with petitioners for the next two hours… what? An emergency trip to Ponyville?!? Well, who's in charge then? WHAT! THAT twit?!? Oh no...” Fact Finder looks fearfully over his shoulder at a very smug Bon Bon.

“Hmm, so mom's gone on a trip has she.” Bon Bon says, grinning evilly. “Oh, and did I hear that the current ruler pro tem is Prince Blueblood? My, my. Now let me see if I remember the 'Blueblood Protocols' correctly. I believe they went something like “Under no circumstances is that bloody twit to ever be allowed to be in charge of the agency, no matter what! If, and it's a very big IF, I ever were to loose my senses and leave him in charge of Canterlot, control of the agency will fall to the next highest ranking pony. I don't care if it's the bloody janitor, just keep Blueblood's hooves out of here!” Isn't that what mom said Fact Finder? I'm sure YOU would remember.”

Fact Finder's head falls, and his shoulder's slump. “Yes ma'am.” He says in defeat.

“Oh goody.” Bon Bon responds happily. “And remind me, with all the other princesses not here, who would be the highest ranking pony left? His adopted daughter I think… now what was her name?”

{Mumble, mumble}. Fact Finder grunts incoherently.

“I'm sorry, could you say that again for my friend? A little louder this time” Bon Bon asks sweetly.

“Sweetie Drops.” Fact Finder grinds out.

“Why that's right! Imagine that! Little old me! Well I'd best get to work then. First order of business is to take care of your intruder problem. Swift justice, that's what I'M about! All right, in the case of Agent Sweetie Drops, and her beautiful sidekick Lyra Heartstrings, I find the defendants not guilty. As for their wrongful arrest, I sentence their accuser one 'Fact Finder' I believe his name was, to going to the royal kitchens, and bringing the defendants a banana split apiece. And make it snappy!” Bon Bon says imperiously.

“Are you serious?!?” Fact Finder shouts angrily. “I am a highly trained agent in the service of her majesty! Also, do you have any idea how long it will take me to make it through all those secret passages to get to the kitchens? No pony is supposed to even know I exist outside the chain of command. If a guard sees me, he'll toss me out on my ear!”

“Well I'm sure a 'highly trained agent' won't have any trouble dodging a few palace guards. Tell you what, I'll authorize a banana split for yourself as well. Call it 'hazard pay'.” Bon Bon says regally.

“FINE!” Fact Finder says, turning to stomp away. But not before asking “Um, can I have sprinkles on mine?”

“Sorry, sprinkles are for authorized ponies only.” Bonny says with a wicked grin, causing Fact Finder's face to cloud up once more. “Kidding! Just kidding! You can have sprinkles. Sprinkles all around.” She says grandly.

“Well then,” Fact Finder says calming down, “I'll get right on it ma'am.” Then he disappears down yet another hidden passageway.

“That pony always did have a sweet tooth,” Bon Bon says before quickly tapping in a combination and throwing the door to the vault wide open. “Now, let's get down to business before he gets back.”

“You set all that up to get him out of the room while we dug around.” Lyra says in awe. “You are one sneaky pony!”

“Well, not all THAT sneaky. Fact Finder knew what I was doing. But also, since I AM technically in charge, he can't get in trouble for it. Also by sending him away, he can honestly say later on that he has no idea what I was doing in here. This keeps him off the hook, and I'm sure he's grateful for that, although he'd never show it.” Bonny says as they begin to trot down the lengthy passages that make up the vault's huge underground interior.

“So,” Lyra says after several minutes of walking. “Just what IS all this stuff?” She says gesturing at all of the rows and rows of shelves as they pass.

“Ah, well the Vault is kind of a combination holding cell, experimental laboratory, and storehouse. See, all the things the agency captures, confiscates, or discovers will sooner or later end up here. Despite our seemingly easy access, it is one of the most secure underground facilities in all of Equestria.” Bon Bon remarks, turning down corridors seemingly at random.

“Riiiight,” Lyra says sarcastically. “That's why there was only one guard.”

“Who? Fact Finder? No silly, he wasn't a guard. He was the researcher on duty for today. This place doesn't have any guards.” Bon Bon says shaking her head.

“No guards? But what keeps someone from cracking the vault and taking whatever they wanted?” Lyra asks in disbelief. “I mean I know the door is big and all, but you can't tell me that somepony couldn't crack it.”

“Well, actually I could. I mean it was designed to be uncrackable. It has a chaos lock on it. But that really doesn't matter. No being that isn't supposed to be here, or, like you, who is along with an agent, would ever get anywhere near it. What you didn't see outside, or don't in here for that matter, is that every flat surface is covered in runes. Death runes. Just about every nasty, violent, and /or creative form of death known to pony kind.” At Lyra's skeptical look, Bon Bon trots over to the nearest shelf and runs her hoof across it. Almost like an after image strange green runes flare briefly to life at her touch before fading back to invisibility.

Lyra yelps in surprise.

“So you see hon, we really have no need for ponies to keep it safe.” Bon Bon says with what looks like a wicked grin.

“By Celestia, what in the world do you have stored in here?” Lyra asks barely suppressing a shudder.

“Bad things,” Bonny replies, “very bad things. For example see that row of statues?” She says gesturing at a section of shelves with built in display cases.

Lyra trots over to them reading the nameplates of each one. “Guerdon- Spirit of Revenge, Mayhem- Spirit of Slaughter,( https://sites.google.com/site/quixoticsstudy/home/the-cellar/her-magesty-s-assassin ), {shameless self plug}, Ouroboros- Spirit of Gluttony, Mort- Spirit of Embarrassment, Faze-Spirit of Confusion,” and then she came to an empty display case, “Discord- Spirit of Chaos. Wait you mean all of these statues are...”

“Yup,” Bonny confirms, “each one is another Spirit, just like Discord, and equally as powerful. Celestia hopes to one day reform the rest of them. Personally I think it's a fool's hope, but then again mom always did think long term so, who knows?”

Lyra backs quickly away from the self, as the two move further down the corridor.

“By the Sky Stallion Bonny, is everything in here as dangerous as those?”

“No, no… not EVERYTHING,” Bon Bon amends.

Suddenly she stops dead in here tracks.

“No, no way! It can't be!” She says before rushing over to a new section of shelves.

“What? What can't be? What are you talking about?” Lyra says, quickly catching up to Bon Bon.

As she makes her way to Bonny's side she can see what has caught her friends attention. Inside clear glass cages she can make out two of the biggest, fattest, parasprites she has ever seen. On the cage in front of Bon Bon a name plate reads “Lindana”, and the one next to it bears the moniker “Angry Ed”.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Bon Bon says excitedly. “I thought they were all destroyed after the Pinkie polka incident. I don't believe it! Lyra, I need a bobby pin. We are getting these guys out of here.”

“What? Those bugs? Why? Aren't they dangerous?” Lyra replies in alarm.

“Dangerous? Oh yes, very, very, dangerous,” Bon Bon replies offhoofedly, taking the proffered bobby pin and setting to work on Linda's lock.

“Then WHY are you trying to set them free!” Lyra says in alarm.

By now all of the shouting had caused the bug name Lindana to awaken from her slumber. It blinked its eyes a few times before focusing on the pony in front of it. Lindana's eye widen in surprise, and it begins to hop up and down excitedly, as Bon Bon finally manages to open the lock on her cage. Without wasting a moment the bug quickly leaps out onto Bon Bon, and as Lyra watches in horror, it scuttles around under the back of her mane and extends a long needle-like talon, and inserts it directly into Bon Bon's back.

“Ohhh yesss!” Bon Bon yells, not quite in pain. “Oh, you make it hurt so good!” She says throwing back her head.

Suddenly thousands upon thousands of tiny parasprites come from underneath the bug called Lindana, quickly covering Bon Bon from head to tail.

“Bio-link re-established.” A strange flat voice emanates from the vicinity of Bon Bon. All systems are green, nanny-sprite armor configuration at optimal condition. Now syncing bio-component memories. Warning: due to long term downtime, this process may take several minutes.”

“W-what… what's going on? Bon Bon! Are you okay! Say something, speak to me!” Lyra yells frantically.

“What? Oh, Lyra… yes, I'm.. okay.” Bon Bon says, in a somewhat disoriented voice.

“Okay? You don't SOUND okay. Just what is going on?” Lyra says, staring helplessly at the black clad pony before her.

“O-Okay, this might take a few minutes.” Bon Bon says, trying to focus on the moment as memories are being exchanged rapid fire back and forth between her and the bug known as Lindana.

“See, a long time ago, there was a program to test out a new kind of power armor. Living power armor. They grew special parasprites in a lab for it. I was one of six ponies who was given one to test in the field. There were two unicorns, two pegasus, and two earth ponies. Each of us had a parasprite partner. Mine was Lindana. Overall the program was a success. Despite some losses during the testing stage.”

“Losses?” Lyra said worriedly.

“We lost one pegasus to the 'life tap' ability. At the time we didn't realize how dangerous it could be. His bug partner committed suicide shortly thereafter, horrified at the mistake it had made. We lost one bug, 'Bob', when he sacrificed himself to save his pony partner. And we lost a unicorn and bug when the unicorn was forced to activate his alpha rune. We had no idea what the consequences of doing that inside power armor were, until he tried it. We were lucky that he was fighting in the badlands at the time. The blast took out everything in a five mile radius.”

“But that leaves three bugs, there are only two here.” Lyra says looking over at Angry Ed.

“J- just a minute, the memory swap is almost complete. I may have an answer momentarily.” Bon Bon says, her eyes staring off into space.

“Memory exchange complete. Agent Sweetie drops now designated as agent Bon Bon.” The black armored head turns to face Lyra, it's huge insectile eyes unblinking, and mandibles clicking as it speaks. “Hello friend Lyra, it is a pleasure to...to.. It's so totally cool to meet you! I'm Lindana, and I want to have FUN!” It says, suddenly sounding like a young mare instead of a cold flat insect.

“Oh, there we go, it's sooo great to have you back!” Bon Bon says, trotting in place. “I had no idea you guys were down here, or else I would have sprung you years ago.”

“It's cool Bonny,” Lindana replies, “I can see what they told you in my head now. Totally uncool splitting us up, just because we have a thing for music. I mean W.T.F. who doesn't like music, am I right?”

“Totes true!” Bon Bon says. “Oh Sky Stallion, I just flashed on what happened to Derek. Oh Lindana, I'm so sorry!” To Lyra Bon Bon explains, “Derek was the other parasprite that was in here. The took him to be experimented on, to see if they could correct the musical weakness that parasprites posses. He didn't survive. That's why we have to get Lindana and Ed out of here, before they decide to do the same to them.”

“Okay, so you need to jimmy the lock on Ed's cage, and we can take him outside and set him free.” Lyra says retrieving the bobby pin Bon Bon dropped earlier.

“Um, yeah… about that.” Bon Bon says, as the helmet she is wearing flows off of her head, letting Bon Bon look Lyra in the eyes. “I'm afraid it isn't that simple.”

“Why? What do you mean?” Lyra asks.

“Well, see Ed was once bonded with a pony. This particular strain of bug can live completely independent up until that happens. But once it bonds with a pony, it undergoes a biological change. It lives as a symbiont with it's host. If it doesn't receive certain nutrients from it's host body every week or so, it will die.” Bon Bon confesses.

“It's true,” Lindana confirms. “Right now we have a host pony that comes by once a week to feed us and then leaves. He’s actually due later this evening. If Ed doesn't get the nutrients he needs before midnight, then he will die of starvation. That's why we both sleep as much as we do. They figured out the bare minimum amount they need to feed us to keep us alive. Any more, and we might have the strength to escape on our own.”

“So, wait, are you saying that if we free Ed that he would have to bond to somepony to survive? You mean me don't you! You want ME to bond with… with...” Lyra says, unable to continue.

“Now, now, no pony is forcing you to do anything that you don't want to do.” Bon Bon says reassuringly. “Just give it some thought while I find the files I was looking for. If you decide you aren't able to handle the idea, we will just leave Ed here. I doubt they will do anything to him anytime soon. Especially if they discover he is the only bug left. We can come back and rescue him later.”

Lyra falls silent, as the two, now three, make their way deeper into the vault. The shelves and shelves of wondrous and terrible artifacts and beings hold no interest for her now, as she considers what her best friend has asked of her. Eventually they make it to the archive section, and Bon Bon busily beings to root through the massive amounts of files.

“Goddess, these files are totally a mess. It doesn't look like any pony has organized them since they were stored here. Fact Finder has some explaining to do the next time I see him.” Bon Bon says in vexation.

“Um, Bonny, I totally doubt that files would be what Fact Finder would be concerned with if he saw us now.” Lindana said with a playful tone.

“Murrrer” Bonny replies with a file in her mouth and one in each hoof.

“Um, Lindana? Excuse me, but… could I ask you some questions?” Lyra says hesitantly.

“Oh, like totally,”she says, peeling her head off the back of Bon Bon so she can face Lyra directly. “Like, what do you want to know?”

“Well, um in the first place, what's it like. I mean being connected to a pony. I wish you were able to tell me Bon Bon's perspective as well though...”

“Oh, like I can totally do that, we share the same memories after all. Okay so like for me it's like I can suddenly be able to think all these like deep thoughts and stuff. See, like, as a bug, all I really think about is eating, sleeping, and having sex. But like when I bond with a pony… BOOM! WHOOSH! BAM! All these majorly impressive thoughts and ideas are like right there. Philosophy, science, magic. It's like totally Rad! Oh, and like just being connected to Bonny is like having this really smart older sister to go out and have fun with all of the time. I really totally missed that while she was gone.” Lindana says with a note of sadness. “Oh so like from Bon Bon's perspective, well first there is this stinging pain, not too bad, but like yeah, noticeable, when we first link up. Then it's like the same for her, like having a sister in her head. We share the same thoughts, and can like totally talk to each other mind to mind at like the speed of thought and junk. The pony host is always like totally in charge, unless she somehow were to get knocked out. She thinks what she wants us to do, and I help her do it. Oh, and there's like so much we can do together that we can't do apart. We can fly, and turn invisible, and we are like really strong! And she can order my nanny-sprites to make themselves into all kinds of things. There's like a ton of stuff we can do! But only while we are bonded.”

“I-I see.” Lyra says thoughtfully. “Um, just one more question, if you don't mind.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Lindana says.

“The other bug. Um, why is he called Angry Ed?”

“Oh, well see, he wasn't always called that.” Lindana admits. “Ed's partner was a Pegasus agent. And they were very close. After they were separated, Ed would always ask whoever came through for any news about him. About a year and a half ago, our temporary host linked with him to feed him, and Ed saw in his memories that his old partner had died while on assignment. Worse yet, the way he died would never had happened had he still been bonded with Ed. Ed went wild with rage, yanking himself out of the host, and causing him to be sent to the hospital. Ed has been angry and violent ever since. They keep him on starvation rations just so he never gets strong enough to hurt anypony else. It's really a shame. Ed was as happy and fun loving a bug as I was. He was just so attached to his partner. They were best friends. I only wish there were some way to help him.”

“Hmm. What was his partner's name?” Lyra asks.

“Blazing Star,” Lindana replies, “why?”

“Well, I was just thinking. I know how I would feel if suddenly Bonny didn't come home one day. I could never rest wondering what happened to her. And I wouldn't be able to get on with my life without being able to say goodbye.”

“Ah HA! Found it!” Bonny interrupts triumphantly.

“Good job Bonny,” Lyra says, as Bon Bon gets to her hooves. “Now before we go, you need to go back in there and find a file on a pegasus named Blazing Star.”

“What?!? But I just now finished finding Duskwind's file! Give me one good reason to go through all that again!” Bon Bon Says crossing her hooves across her chest.

“Because your BEST FRIEND asked you NICELY.” Lyra says in tones of icy steel.

“Ah. O-okay. Sure thing,” Bon Bon says quietly, as she gets back on the floor and begins to search.

“Okay, that was like totally impressive and junk.” Lindana says to Lyra. “I've like seen Bon Bon face down a Bugbear before, and not even blink.”

“Well, Bonny and I have been friends a long time now. She knows I wouldn't ask her for something that way unless I thought it was really important.” Lyra says with a grin. “Also, she knows how I get when I don't get my way.”

“Hmm. Accessing memories...” Lindana says intrigued. “Oh sweet Luna!” She says visibly shuddering. “Okay, I am like totally going to stay on your good side! For like, ever!”

Many minutes later. “Okay, okay, here is your stupid file. Can we go now?” Bon Bon asks, trying to shake the dust off of her exposed mane.

“Yeah, we just need to make one quick stop first. I need to talk to Ed.” Lyra admits.

“Ed? So like you are actually considering it?” Lindana asks in wonder.

“Well, that will be up to him.” Lyra replies.

Bon Bon just shakes her head. “Lyra, every day I find another reason to like you. You are one strong, caring, and compassionate pony.”

“And that's why I deserve sprinkles. Hopefully my banana split won't have melted by the time we get back.” Lyra says with a smirk.

Moments later they make their way back to the parasprite cages. It takes Bon Bon only a moment to pick the other lock. She lifts the lid, and carefully lifts out Ed and sets him on the shelf before them.

“Ed? Ed. Wake up, it's me Lindana. Bon Bon and her friend have come to rescue us. “C'mon Ed,” Lindana gentle prods, “it's time to go.”

Very slowly the bug known as Ed opens his eyes. He takes a moment to focus on the beings before her. First the unknown mint green unicorn. Then on Lindana ,clad around her partner Sweetie Drops. Lindana extends a small tendril to Ed which he accepts, allowing them to communicate through her link.

“So. You finally came to save your partner.” The masculine voice of Ed emits from Bon Bon's armor. “Took you long enough.”

“Now Ed, be cool.” Lindana warns. “She totally had no idea that we were even still alive.”

“Whatever.” Ed replies disdainfully. “You got your partner back, good for you. Now get out of here while you still have a chance.”

“Not without you Ed.” Lyra interjects.

“And who in Tartarus are YOU supposed to be?” Ed snaps back.

“My name is Lyra Heartstrings. Bon Bon, or as you call her, Sweetie Drops, is my best friend. They told me what happened to you Ed. I want to help you.”

“Oh DID they now? Well, if they DID tell you everything, then you already know that I CAN'T be helped. So just shove off will you? Leave and old bug to die.”

“I can't do that Ed.” Lyra says sadly. “And I can help you. I can help you get to where your partner is buried. I can help you say goodbye to him.”

Ed's eyes go wide. “Y-you would do that? Do you have any idea what you are offering? You are offering to bond yourself to me. Our minds would join as one. We would know everything about each other. EVERYTHING. Why would you offer to do such a thing for a bug? A bug you don't even know.”

Lyra wordlessly uses her magic to retrieve her lyre from her mane. She sits on the floor before them, and begins to play a haunting melody in the style of her homeland. Then, she begins to sing.

I hung me harp up on the willow,

when I first made this Ponyville town,

My broken heart by fair Edami,

still fresh and raw when I came to town,

I learned a trade from Flim and Flam,

two scoundrels of the first degree,

and within the year, I was so despondent,

that Doctor Hooves well knew me,

Oh, Cloudsdale floating in the sky,

Oh, Cloudsdale, the rose was there for me,

I hung my harp high upon the willows,

of Horseshoe Bay, by the sea,

On Heartshwarming day, I burned the work down,

I found myself without a dawn,

Oh, but I had more than any silver,

Cos' I had a friend in yon Bon Bon,

In Everfree wood we'd wander,

On the Sister's steps I would recite,

"Take your harp down from the willows",

said Bon Bon, and she was right,

Oh, Cloudsdale floating in the sky,

Oh, Cloudsdale the road was there for me,

I took my harp down from the willows,

Bon Bon, I bow to thee,

Bon Bon, I bow to thee…

Lyra lowers her harp, facing her best friend.

“You DO understand.” Ed says in wonder.

“About true friendship? Aye Ed, I really, really, do.” Lyra confirms, extending her hoof toward him.

Ed disentangles himself from Lindana, and slowly, reverently, crawls up Lyra's arm. He makes his way behind her head and carefully, gently, inserts his talon into the base of her neck.

A moment later a soft voice speaks to Lyra from inside of her own head. “Hello Lyra. In a moment we will begin exchanging memories. It will take a little while since this is our first time. But before that, I just wanted to let you know what I thought of your beautiful ballad.” Suddenly a rush of mental images and emotions fill Lyra's mind causing her to blush, and tear up simultaneously.

“T-thank you Ed. That means a lot to me.” Lyra finally responds.

“No Lyra, thank you. Thank you for offering me one last chance, to live again.” Ed replies softly.

“Bio-link confirmed. Now syncing bio-component memories. Warning: This process will take several minutes.” Ed says in a loud neutral tone.

Bon Bon and Lindana make themselves a seat out of a nearby box and settle in to wait. Suddenly a voice interrupts them from over Bonny's shoulder. “Here.” The voice says, passing up a banana split.

Bon Bon turns to see Fact Finder standing behind them, tears flowing down his face.

“You must have heard Lyra's singing. Yeah, she has that effect on me too.” Bon Bon offers.

“Just shut up and eat. I never saw nothing, I never heard nothing. I never came back here, and as far as I know, no pony had ever gotten near the vault today.” Fact Finder says gruffly.

Bon Bon sets her dessert down, and turns, taking Fact Finder by the back of the neck, pulling him roughly toward her. Before he can react, she seals his muzzle to hers in a passionate kiss. Minutes later as they pull apart, she says, “and THAT never happened either.”

Fact Finder takes a moment to regain his composure. “No... no it didn't.” He says, before trotting off back toward the entrance of the vault. The last thing Bonny can hear from him is his distant muttering of, “drat, that mare melted all of my ice cream!”

Bon Bon smiles to herself, her thoughts interrupted a moment later by, “memory exchange complete. New partner designated Lyra Heartstrings. Hello on every level Lyra, my name is Edward, but you can call me Ed. I hope we will do great things together.”

“I-I'm sure we will Ed. I'm sure we will.” Lyra says, still reeling inside from the flood of a lifetime's worth of memories, that have suddenly become a part of her. “Okay Bonny. You got what you came for. Now what's the plan? Still need to talk with your mom before we go?”

“I'm afraid that little talk with mom will have to wait awhile, at least until we can find our partners someplace safe to hide. No, first we'll go pay our respects to Blazing Star. It's the very least we can do. Then after that, we are going to Whinnyappleous.”

“Whinnyappleous? Luna's new domain?” Lyra says in surprise.

“That's right. Duskwind is somewhere in Sin Whinny itself. And I won't rest until I find him!”

Chapter 18

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Chapter 18 Collision Course

I rushed into my office, prepared for a fight. But nothing could prepare me for the sight that met my eyes. Two ponies were on the sofa in my outer office. Both had been shot repeatedly. They were being tended to by a grizzled older pony, who seemed somehow familiar to me. Ori and Moonlight were caught in mid argument, both startled to silence by my arrival. I nearly tripped over the body of a unicorn stallion on the floor, unfamiliar, and clearly dead. I could just make out the body of yet another pony I lying in the doorway to my inner office. If he wasn't dead yet, he soon would be judging by the blood pooling out from under him. I looked around the wreckage of my office. Furniture strewn about, blood splatter and bullet holes everywhere.

“By all the Gods and Goddesses! What in Tartarus is going on here?!?” I yell, causing the ponies on the sofa to gaze blankly in my direction, and the older pony to rise to his hooves, pulling out a vintage M.I.S.P.P.L. in one fluid motion, leveling it at me. “Oldster,” I snarled, “you have three seconds to put that thing away before I make you eat it. Now who are you three, who are the stiffs, and why the hells are you all bleeding all over my office?”

“Wait, YOUR office? You are Johnny Appleseed? But you're supposed to be dead!” The old pony replies, lowering his weapon only a fraction.

“Never mind that now,” Ori interrupts. “we need to get those two to a hospital as quickly as possible. Otherwise they are going to die.”

“I already told you NO!” Moonlight fires back. “It's not safe there. They are most likely still targets.”

“And I already told YOU, that its better that they are LIVING targets, than safe corpses!” Ori yells back into Moonlight's face.

I look back and forth between all the ponies in the room. Out of all of them, the oldster looks like the most level headed at the moment, so I turn and address him. “Okay. I obviously don't know the situation here, but I think I grasp a few of the most important bits. First off, we all seem to be on the same side. I draw this conclusion because my friends haven't shot you, nor you them. Secondly, the two on the couch must also be good guys, since you were caring for them when I came in. Judging by what I can see they were gut shot, which is bad, but it looks like you got them held together for the moment. Good work.”

“Thanks,” he says in reply. “Sargent Sable Shade, Night Watch, 113th street station. These two are my colleagues, Detectives Shooting Star, and Glitter Mane. Your assessment of the situation is correct in all regards, and you have no idea how glad I am that you are still alive and kicking. We need to have words about this. Soon.”

“Understood. But right now it seems our top priority is keeping your friends alive. Ori and Shadow seem to be at loggerheads about sending them to a hospital. Something about them being targets?” I say.

“Yeah, that unicorn you nearly tripped over was the shooter. A real professional. I took a nick in the shoulder myself. We think he was sent to take out Glitter and Star because they were snooping around after a missing detective, one Ebon Shard. We are almost positive that Shard was the mole in the Night Watch. Moonlight is convinced that they will send someone else after them to finish the job. That's why she won't let us take them to a public hospital.”

“But if we don't those two with DIE!” Ori interjects, earning another glare from Moonlight.

“Okay, okay, everypony just calm down. I think I can offer up a third option. Everypony just take a breath, and give me a few minutes. I know a couple of ponies that can help. Sargent Shade? Keep an eye on these two for just a little longer. I'll be back as quick as I can.”

The Sargent hesitates before responding. “Youngster, I don't know you at all, but my gut is telling me that you're dealing straight with me. I'm gonna trust it here. But get back as quick as you can. I don't know how long these two can make it.”

I nod in reply and teleport myself away, leaving Ori and Moonlight glaring at each other.

The place that I am going is halfway across town, in a neighborhood that could safely be called 'bad'. It takes me four teleports to get there. I could have made it in three, but I was going to need all of my strength to manage to get back with the ponies I had in mind.

I make my way into a seedy two story apartment building. There is no lock on the front door. Hasn't been for years. I pass a pony and a griffin passed out on the floor of the hallway. This is what passes for a waiting room here. The door at the end of the hallway has a cardboard sign taped to the front of it. 'Doc Suture. Pediatrics, Surgery, and Veterinary Medicine. Knock before entering.' I knock briefly, then barge right in. As soon as I do I end up looking down the barrel of a crudely made pipe gun. It's long and ugly, but I know from experience that it is also deadly.

“Nurse Cane, a pleasure as always.” I say, not daring to move anything but my mouth.

“Johnny One note?” She says, lowering her weapon, “but you dead. I see'd it in da papers. You done pushin up de daisies. They done had a fun'ral for you an everything.”

“I got better. Look Nova, I need to see the Doc right now. I got two ponies gut shot, and they don't have long. I'm going to need you both to come back to my office and patch them up.” I say explaining my situation as quickly as I can.

“Dang Johnny. It must be pretty bad fo you ta come down here for us 'steada goin uptown with it. Doc's just finishin up with his current patient. He should be done inna minute.”

Suddenly a loud scream cuts through the air from the back room.

“Oh don't be such a baby,” the voice of Doc Suture can be heard in reply. “Ribs grow back.”

“No they don't.” I say to Nurse Nova Cane deadpan.

“Sheesh, even I know dat. But see de guy de Doc is workin on is a real bad piece o' work. Word is he's been sendin orphan ponies down de line to da 'Butcher'. He come to de Doc bout a pain in his gut. He gonna leave wit worse dan dat. Doc puttin on o' dem trackin crystals de Watch uses in him. We ain't got no use for da 'Butcher' round dese parts.” Nurse Cane says darkly.

I nod my head in grim agreement. As far as I'm concerned nothing the Doc could do to one of the 'Butchers' hired goons is bad enough. But if the Doc can get a lead on where the bastard is at, I'd make sure that Luna sent every member of the Watch straight down his throat, with me leading the way. A few minutes later Doc calls Nurse Cane inside to help him sew the guy up. I can her her telling Doc that I'm out here, and why. A few moments later the Doc emerges himself, stripping off a pair of bloody surgeons gloves.

“Johnny Appleseed! As I live and breathe! Good to see you again my boy.” He says, grabbing my hoof and shaking it, his smile wide.

“Good to see you too Doc. Wish the circumstances could be better. Nova get you up to speed?” I ask.

“Yes, yes. She's packing my travel bag now. I just gave my current patient enough morphine to keep him in happy la-la land for the next six hours. That should be plenty of time to take care of your friends, one way, or the other.”

“Grim Doc, really grim,” I reply.

“Sorry Johnny, just being honest. Didn't mean anything by it.” He says contritely.

And that's true. He really didn't mean anything by it. He just sees so many that don't make it, that it's made him kind of numb. To be honest, it really isn't fair. He does the best he can to run a sort of 'free clinic' down here for ponies that can't afford the big fancy hospitals. People just donate what they can to pay him back. But that means that he can't always afford the things he needs to do his job. And THAT means that sometimes ponies die. Personally I don't see how he hasn't cracked by now. But every day he just keeps going on. He still saves more than he loses, but anyone that knows him knows that he takes each loss personally. Sooner or later, even he will crack. And when he does, the slums will lose one of their best ponies.

But that day isn't today. Today he still has ponies to save.

“All right Johnny. Nova and I are ready to go. I'm guessing you are going to have to teleport us there.” The Doc says unhappily, clutching his bag to his chest, as a pigeon lands on his shoulder. “I suppose it would be alright if Archimedes comes along? He won't take up much room.”

“That's fine Doc.” I say with a grin. I knew the Doc wouldn't go anywhere without his feathered assistant and confidant. I also knew teleporting made him queasy.

“Flyin' rat.” I hear Nurse Cane mutter, putting a hoof on my shoulder.

“Shush, just ignore her Archimedes.” The Doc says, putting a hoof on my other shoulder.

I take a deep breath and let it back out. It took me four teleports to get myself here. I plan to take the three of us, four counting Archimedes, back in three…

I manage to make it back with all of us intact, although the Doc is looking decidedly green. He has never been a fan of teleportation, despite being a unicorn, and having no problem with other types of magic. Nova and Archimedes look no worse for wear, and despite his discomfort, the Doc moves immediately to the two ponies on the sofa. Nova turns and takes in the scene.

“Dang Johnny, you throw de wildest parties. Glad we didn't git no invites.” She says with a low whistle.

“Yeah, well I wasn't invited to this one myself. Would any pony care to explain what in Tartarus was going on before I arrived?” I ask the room in general.

Moonlight steps forward. “Well I guess I should start,” she says explaining who the two ponies bleeding on my sofa are, and about Sargent Sable Shade.

I KNEW I remembered him from somewhere. But that was before my photographic memory runes were implanted. I didn't even know he was still alive. But then again, to be fair, he thought the same of me until minutes ago. Moonlight didn't trust her three detectives with that bit of info, that told me that right now, she wasn't completely trusting any pony in the Watch.

I turned to speak to Sargent Shade. “So Moonlight sent you back over the crime scenes, following the same clues I did. Were you able to turn up anything new?”

“No I didn't.” He says in disappointment. “The trail was too cold. And I'd be willing to bet any evidence that could have been found was cleaned up by Ebon Shard. My last lead was your office. I had read that you had died in that incident at the brothel. I assumed that your office had been closed afterwords, but I had to consider that you might have found some evidence, or lead, that you hadn't shared with anypony else. I got here a few hours ago, all the lights were out. I went to jimmy the lock on your door, but found that somepony had beat me to it. I crouched low and pulled out my gun, and made my way inside. The door of your inner office was open and I could hear somepony making a lot of noise. It seemed like he was searching for something, and he was definitely in a hurry. I was making my way toward the doorway, when he suddenly turned around and started toward the outer office. He saw me and went for his piece, but I was faster. I put one in his shoulder. A 'warning shot' so to speak, but it didn't even slow him down. He raised his gun and got off a shot, barely missing my head. I had no choice at that point but to put him down. It took three more shots to do so though. That was one tough pony.”

I went over and had a look at the pony he shot. I shook my head and let out a low laugh. I knew this pony. “Looks like you finally went bust Mr. Blackjack,” I say, not at all moved by his demise.

“You knew this pony?” The Sargent asks.

“Yeah, a bit of unfinished business I had intended to wrap up after this case was over. He was muscle for a small group of ponies who were bribing me to find Babs and an artifact they thought she had. Strictly small time, not the ponynappers. I assume that Mr. Gutson read about my demise, and sent his boy here to see if I had found out anything, just like you were doing. But that doesn't explain our other dead body, or why your colleagues were here.”

“Ah, well, that was my fault I'm afraid.” The Sargent admits, holding up a very old spell bracelet. Those used to be given out to earth ponies and pegasi in the guards to communicate with each other over long distances. By modern terms they were poorly made, and had to be recharged by a unicorn once a day. No pony used them anymore. “I called them after the shooting. I assumed he had something to do with what we were working on, and I wanted to compare notes with what they had found out so far, so I called them and told them to come here while I searched the place. They showed up in less than an hour. Unfortunately they were not alone,” Shade said, gesturing to the unicorn in the trench coat on the floor. “He was tailing them, and I can only guess that when he saw us all grouped together in the same room, that he decided to take us all out at once. I happened to be facing the doorway when he came in. I shouted a warning, but he had already teleported. He took down Shooting Star in less than a second, then teleported out, but he was back a second later firing from a different angle. I had already dropped to the floor and was moving behind the sofa when he fired, so I only took one in the shoulder. Glitter Mane managed to get off a couple of shots, but wasn't able to score a hit. She joined me behind the couch and we hatched a plan. As soon as the shooter teleported in, Glitter Mane threw up a barrier to keep him from teleporting out again. We figured that from our position behind the couch he could only come at us from one direction, and I would take him down when he did. But this guy was a pro. As soon as he ported in, Mane threw up her barrier, but he wasn't anywhere in firing range. He had taken up position inside the inner office. He then began dragging our sofa out of the way with his magic. Glitter Mane was unable to do anything but maintain the barrier, and I couldn't manage a clean shot, and our cover was being yanked away an inch at a time. That's when Mane made a risky decision. 'Get ready to fire' she told me, then dropped the barrier, and before the assassin could teleport, Glitter Mane stood up, and catching sight of him, teleported him into the center of the room. He was momentarily caught off guard, and I fired as fast as I could, but he still managed to put two in Glitter's gut before he went down. I don't know who he was, but he was one of the most dangerous ponies I ever faced.”

I knelt down beside the assassin. No pony I had ever seen before. Then I noticed something. Two odd bulges in the back of his trench coat. This triggered a memory from a long time ago. I looked at the pony again. No. No way. It couldn't be. It was impossible. A yell from Moonlight shook me from my thoughts.

“What in the name of Luna are you doing?!?” She yells, drawing my attention.

I look up at what has shocked her so. Oh. That. Yeah, I guess the first time you see it, it does look kind of hellish.

“Calm down Moonlight. It's going to be fine. The Doctor knows what he's doing.” I say placatingly.

“Calm down? Knows what he's doing? What is that hellish contraption?” She says, still yelling.

The contraption in question is something the Doc came up with himself. It's a small steam powered generator, which focuses electricity through magical healing crystals. The healing energy then passes up a series of wires into a small cage that fits atop Doctor Suture's horn. He then amplifies this with his own magic, and sends a healing stream of energy down into his patient. The reason it seems so hellish is the Doc's own flare for theatrics. He uses red crystals, thus making the energy it emits crimson, and he tends to cackle a bit when it does it's job. This has earned him a certain reputation in the hood. Needless to say, the residents don't bother the Doc with something as simple as a head cold.

I could see that the Doc had already removed the bullets, and the stream of energy from his horn had stopped the flow of blood. The wounds were already closing, and Nurse Cane had begun to clean up all the mess. After a few moments more, the Doc turns off his machine, and addresses us.

“The operations were a success. I've removed the bullets, and repaired the damaged organs. This is the good news. The bad news is that they have both lost a lot of blood, and regenerative magic has depleted much of their nutrients. They are going to be bedridden at least a week while their bodies work to restore themselves. But still, better a week in bed, than an eternity in the dirt.”

“Thank you both so much!” Ori says, rushing over and giving the Doc a hug, causing him to blush as crimson as his healing magic.

“Ahem, well, yes.” He says, trying to regain his composure. “Just doing my job Ori, as you well know. And now, if you will all excuse me, I have a very special patient waiting for me back at my office. Johnny, I trust some sort of remuneration will find its way to me before long?”

“Count on it Doc. And you wont be disappointed. Are you sure I can't teleport you three back? It would only take a few minutes.” I offer.

The Doc blanches for the first time this evening. “No, no… that's quite all right. I think the fresh night air will do us all some good at this point. Besides, Archimedes needs a chance to flex his wings. Isn't that right Archimedes?” The pigeon in question obligingly coos, as the three make their way out into the hallway and down the stairs.

“That was… interesting.” Moonlight says watching them depart. “I can honestly say I've never seen healing quite like that before. I obviously need to get out into the city more often.”

“Frankly, you'd be surprised what all you'd find.” I say. “Speaking of which, I've heard from the Sargent why these three were here, but what exactly are you doing here Moonlight?”

“Well, to be honest, I had just finished up an assignment from Luna. We had tracked down some information on how Ebon Shard had gotten assigned to the Babs case. Apparently forged documents had been responsible for keeping him where he was for quite some time. I confirmed that the only place that the documents had to have come from was Night Industries. I had met up with Ori for breakfast, and was accompanying her to the office to leave you a copy of my report for when you returned.” She admits. “When I got here the Sargent had just started first aid on Glitter Mane and Shooting Star. I did what I could to help, and then Ori and I got into an argument about their safety. That's about when you showed up.”

“Night Industries eh? Interesting. I traced the explosives used in both the attack on Luna, and the restaurant back to a shipment that was sent to Night Industries as well. It seems everything is pointing back to them. Looks like we are going to have to pay them another visit. A much more covert visit.” I say grimly.

“Agreed. I'm not sure how many ponies are involved, or how far the corruption has spread, but obviously, the answers we seek must be found there.” Moonlight pauses in thought. “However I still don't feel that Star and Mane are completely safe from danger. Whomever hired this assassin may have hired others. We need to find someplace safe they can stay until they recover.”

“Well,” Ori says hesitantly, “I suppose they can stay at my place. A week isn't that long, and I do have a spare bedroom.”

“Hmm, its true that with everyone thinking Johnny is dead, that no one would think to look to his secretary to be harboring two detectives he doesn't even know. But I would still feel better if he had a guard.” Moonlight says.

“I'll take care of that,” Sargent Shade pipes in. “I'm not going to be any use at infiltration at my age. And besides these are Watch ponies. We are all family in the Watch. Trust me ma'am. I'll make sure they are safe until this is all over with.”

Moonlight smiles. “Very good Sargent. It is good to see that for every disgrace like Ebon Shard, there are still Shining examples like yourself that does the Watch proud. Ori, do you think you can accommodate the Sargent as well?”

“Sure. As long as he doesn't mind using a pull out sofa. But I will need to make a trip to the grocery store to stock up on food. I didn't expect guests, and my stores are running low.” She admits.

I was about to tell her to take some bits out of petty cash, but the Sargent beats me to it.

“Don't trouble yourself my dear.” He says gallantly. “I'll take care of that for you. Among my many, many, talents, you'll find that I am an excellent cook. Tell me, what is your favorite style of food? Nipponyese? Prench? Haytalian?”

“Well, I always was partial to Haytalian. Just about any kind of Haytalian.” She admits.

“Say no more. After we get my friends settled, I'll make a trip to 'Little Haytaly'. You just can't get fresh ingredients anywhere else.”

By the sky stallion. A week of Haytalian and my secretary will be the size of a house. I think to myself.

“Ori, I'll teleport us to your living room, if it's all right.” Moonlight says. “I don't want any pony in the street seeing these three.”

“You need my help?” I ask.

“No, I got this. It's kind of a 'Watch thing', if you take my meaning.”

“I understand,” I say. “I'll be here cleaning up until you get back.”

Moonlight and Shade get Man and Star upright, and Moonlight teleports them all away, leaving me here with the blood and bodies. Believe it or not, there is a service in this city that will take care of the mess, and even make minor repairs, but the bodies are my own problem.

I drag Blackjack out of the doorway to my inner office, then I have a look inside. He's made a mess, but fortunately I don't see any real damage. The outer office on the other hoof is going to need some work. Luna may not be too happy about it, but I'm sending her the bill for this one. It was her boys that led the hit pony to my office. I think it's only fair that she can pay for the damages.

Speaking of the hit pony, there is something I want to check out while no one else is here. I go over and grab the bottom of his trench coat, and lift it up off of his back. I see just what I thought I would see. Something that can't possibly be there. I'm about to take a closer look, when I hear voices coming up the stairs.

“Are you SURE this is the right place Bonny? It looks like a dump.” the first voice says.

“Hey, this is the address in the folder. And the file was up to date. I'm sure it looks better on the inside.” A second voice replies. “Wait, hold on Lyra. This... this is blood. And the doors been forced open. Armor up. Right now!”

Before I can process what I'm hearing the door bursts open, and I see two very familiar Nanny-tech suits rush in. Well, one rushes in, the other is more of a hesitant trot.

“Lindana? Ed?” I say in surprise. “What are you two doing here?”

The pony wearing Lindana turns and looks at me. Then letting out an excited squeal she launches herself across the room, pinning me to the floor. “Johnnnnny!!!”

It was then that I here a small implosion of air, and Moonlight say, “I've got everypony settled in, but I thi- Wah? What is going on here?” before I find myself being passionately kissed… by Lindana… mandibles and all...

“EWWW!!!” I hear two ponies shriek in unison from far away. To be honest, after the first few seconds I kind of lost track of everything else. I mean look, I'm no prude. I've been involved with more sentient races than I care to admit to, but this is the first time that I had ever been kissed by a bug.

Thing is, she was REALLY good at it. No, I mean REALLY good at it. Her mouth has parts that a pony just doesn't. WOW! I could feel a completely involuntary physical reaction beginning to occur.

Stunned minutes later, she finally pulls back, and I can hear her say, “by Tartarus Lindana, you stole my kiss! Get off of my head right now!” Then another voice. “Hey, don't blame ME! The moment you saw him you completely flooded the bio-link with the idea of kissing him. I just did what you told me to do! Wow! This pony is like, A-mazing!” Then the first voice, “ARGHH! Just get off of my face right now!”

Suddenly the armored head retracts, showing me a pony I hadn't seen in many, many, years.

“Sweetie? Is that YOU?” I manage to ask, before once more my mind goes far away, as I receive yet another seriously, passionate kiss.

'Y'know', I think to myself, 'today started off pretty badly, but things are definitely looking up'.

That is until the voice of Moonlight cuts through my fluffy pink clouds of thought, with a voice like frozen steel. “SWEETIE?!? And just who IS this SWEETIE of yours Johnny Appleseed?!?”

Chapter 19

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Chapter 19- Introductions

In my defense, I was being pinned to the floor by an earth pony in power armor. I mean it wasn't like I had any way to escape. What? Teleport? Well sure, if I was able to concentrate. But considering I was being soul kissed by a very attractive mare, mere moments after having my world rocked by a world class kiss from a pony sized insect…

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. At least until Moonlight Shadow stops glaring ice daggers at me. It doesn't help that Lindana keeps offering advice on technique, causing whoever is wearing Ed to giggle uncontrollably.

Thankfully, Lindana's badgering managed to have a effect on Sweetie Drops, because she finally pulls back in frustration.

“Thanks so much for killing the mood Lindana.” Sweetie says, pouting.

“Um, Bon Bon, I think before you make a statement like that, you might want to read the room first.” The pony inside Ed's armor remarks.

Sweetie Drops finally decided to take a look at her surroundings. The bullet holes, the blood, the bodies, and must noticeably, the fuming mad form of Moonlight Shadow.

“Um, are we interrupting something?” She asks, still straddling my waist.

“Yes.” Moonlight says coldly. “Yes you are. Now if you have a free minute now that you are finished giving Johnny a dental examination, would you mind explaining just who, or what the two of you are? Oh and as a follow up, WHAT THE HECK YOU ARE DOING KISSING MY PARTNER!”

“Partner eh? That's a new one, I thought the great Dus-ahem I mean Johnny Appleseed, was always the lone wolf. That reminds me um, 'Johnny', you shouldn't call me Sweetie anymore… well not unless you want to get kissy again.” She adds coyly. “I go by Bon Bon now.”

“Right. Okay 'Bon Bon', would you mind terribly climbing off of me? I'd like to get some circulation going in my lower half again.” I say, thrashing in vain.

After a few moments I began to get feeling back into my legs. I stood up long enough to make my way over to the bullet ridden sofa, and collapse into it.

“Alright, now look. I'd had a pretty messed up morning so far, and it doesn't look like that will be improving anytime soon. So before this goes any further let's get some introductions out of the way, and then maybe you can explain what you two are doing here in decommissioned power armor.”

“Oh, okay sure.” Bon Bon says, somewhat mollified. “It's just that I was so excited to finally see you again. But okay, I guess you deserve an explanation. Um, but what about her?” She says gesturing at Moonlight. Some of this stuff is still what you would consider 'classified'. I know she's not on my good side at the moment, but I don't think mom would like me just spreading it around.”

Unfortunately Bon Bon had a point, depending on what she had to say. There are some things I definitely did NOT want agent Shadow to take back to her boss. Ugh, this won't end well.

“Ah, Moonlight. If you don't mind could you maybe give us some time to talk this out? Just until I hear what she has to say? Professional courtesy?” I add lamely.

The look I get in return is so black it makes her coat look like diamonds. “FINE!” She says, before teleporting away.

Oh, this will surely not end well for me.

“Lindana, do a passive sonar sweep, to make sure she is gone.” Bon Bon says, all professional for once.

“Sweep complete. No other living sentient beings present other than the five of us.” Lindana returns, sounding equally professional.

“Oh knock it off,” I huff. I'd know better than you if I was being ease dropped on. I've got more magic on this place than Celestia has cakes in her cake room. And besides, if Moonlight says she's giving us space, than she is. I trust her.”

“And just who exactly IS she anyway? And since when do YOU take a partner.” Bon Bon fires back.

“SHE is to Luna what I am to Celestia.” I say flatly. “And as to why she is my partner, we are on a joint investigation for BOTH royal sisters at the moment. And as you can see by the bodies on the floor, things are getting messy. So before I can get back to it, I need to deal with the four of you. Now it's my turn to get some answers. So… spill it.”

“Fine.” Bon Bon says, settling into the nearest chair. “Well it goes like this. Ever since your accident, mom has conspired to keep me from finding you, or finding out what happened to you. After my department was shut down, I was reassigned to Ponyville. There I made friends with a wonderful mare, who was kind enough to let me move in as her roommate. Johnny, this is Lyra Heartstrings.”

The armor retracts from Bon Bon's companion to reveal a gorgeous mint green unicorn. She smiles at me, with an unsure expression on her face as if she doesn't quite know how I will react. Her innocence is so unexpected, I am momentarily thrown off my game.

“Ah, a pleasure to meet you Miss Heartstrings. I'm sorry that you have somehow ended up in the middle of whatever scheme Bon Bon has concocted.” I say, offering her a wry smile of my own.

“Oh. No, it's fine.” She says quickly. “I knew when Bon Bon saw that letter that there was no way she could let things lie. I fully expected SOMETHING to get out of hoof. It is Bon Bon after all.”

“HEY!” Bon Bon rounds on Lyra. “Who's side are you on? And what do you mean out of hoof? So far everything is going to plan.”

“Riiight.” I interject. “And that plan is?”

“Well, she says, her face reddening, as she suddenly begins to sound coy. “See, Lyra overhead a conversation between Rarity, and Fluttershy, two of the Elements of Harmony?” Seeing my nod, that I understood who they were she continues. “Well, apparently they were talking about a letter that Twilight had recently received.”

“Oh Celestia, I see where this is going.” I say rubbing my temples.

“That's right. Your name. The first time in years I ever heard mention of it.” Bon Bon confirms. “Naturally Lyra and I were on the next train to Canterlot. I worked out a plan to break into the Vault, and got your file. This told me where you were, and who you are now...” She hesitates a moment before continuing, “among… other things. Before we left we rescued Ed and Lindana. Since Ed needed a pony to survive outside of lock down, Lyra volunteered. There are things I needed to tell you Johnny. And I don't know how much time I have before Celestia finds out what I've done. Please, let me say what I have to say, then, if you want me to leave I will. No questions asked. Please?”

I bite off whatever sarcastic remark I was about to make. She was being completely serious. I've only seen her like this once before. The night I accidentally broke her heart. Even though I didn't mean to do it, I can't help feeling that I owe her this much at least.

“Alright. It's obvious you have gone through a lot to come here and see me, getting into who knows how much trouble with Celestia. Go ahead, say your piece. Whatever it is, I'll listen.”

Her face relaxes for the first time since her arrival.

“You don't know how much that means to me Johnny. You really, really don't. A day hasn't gone by that I haven't regretted the things I said the night of the dance. You got hurt, and no pony would let me see you, or tell me any details. All I ever wanted was see you just one last time. To tell you I was sorry for acting like the spoiled brat that I was. I fell for you so hard Johnny. And I got jealous of Twilight so fast. I just can't help but to think that if I had behaved differently that I might have had a shot. That I could have shown you just how awesome I was, how much I loved you, how right I was for you.

But I never got that chance. My 'mother' saw to that. I read your file Johnny. ALL of it. There are things in there that you didn't know. That none of us knew outside of my mother and one other pony.

When I first read your file during the train ride here, I was convinced I had to tell you everything. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was still thinking like that spoiled brat from back then. That I would just be selfishly deciding what was best for you, without giving you a choice. Well, I'm NOT that pony anymore. So this time I WILL give you a choice.” Bon Bon takes out a bulky manilla envelope and places it on the corner of Ori's desk. “So here's the deal Johnny. If you want things to remain how they are right now. Your job, your relationship with Twilight, with Celestia, all of it. If you like the way things are, then just destroy that envelope unread. On the other hoof, if you feel that you need to know the truth about what happened to you all those years ago. Then open it and read it. But Johnny, if you do, nothing will ever be the same between you, Twilight, or my mother, ever again. So before you make that decision, you need to ask yourself what is more important to you, Twilight, or the truth.”

I study Bon Bon's face. She is being completely honest with me. Completely sincere. I'm not the type for premonitions, but as I cast my gaze at that simple envelope, I can't help but feel a shudder of fear pass through me. There's something bad in there. Really bad. Bon Bon is right, this isn't something I can just decide on the spur of the moment.

“Bon Bon, I...” I stop, shake my head, and let out a long sigh. “Bon Bon… Sweetie, you come into my life out of nowhere, during a really bad time, and drop a bombshell that I just can't wrap my mind around.” I take the envelope, trot into my office, quickly go through the sequence of moves needed to open my hidden drawer, and put the envelope inside. I close it back and trot back into the outer office. “For right now Bon Bon, I have decided to wait on that decision. At least until this current case is over with.”

Bon Bon actually looks relieved at my words. Sweet Celestia, just what is IN that thing?

“Fair enough Johnny. Fair enough. All I would ask is that when you finally make that decision, one way or another, that you let me know. I just want to know for my sake, no other reason. You can find me in Ponyville. Practically everypony knows each other, so I'll be easy to find.” She rises, and makes as if to depart.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, slow down. Where are you going in such a hurry? You just got here.” I say, scrambling to my hooves.

“Wha...” She says, clearly surprised. “B- but I thought… I mean, all I wanted was a chance to apologize. I mean, I know that after what I said back then that you had to hate me pretty ba-”

I cut her off with a kiss. Twilight would understand I think. (Well, I hope she would anyway.)

“Wha- what… what was THAT for,” she asks breathlessly, her face blushing furiously.

That was Duskwind apologizing for hurting a good friend a long time ago. For making her suffer for years and years until she risks her career going rogue just to try and help a pony that hasn't done one thing to deserve it. Bon Bon, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I truly suck at relationships. I honestly thought that once I explained my feelings for Twilight, that everything would be okay between us. And maybe they would have been, if I hadn't taken your feelings so lightly. Hate you Bonny? You're my best friend in the whole world. My B.F.I.T.W.W. And you come in here asking for MY forgiveness?” I get down on one knee in front of her. “Bonny, the one who should be begging for forgiveness here is me.” I take her hoof in my own. “Will you Bonny? Will you forgive a stupid moronic pony for hurting his best friend?”

“Oh Johnny, YES!” Bonny gushes. “Yes of course I will!”

And of course it was at that moment that Moonlight chose to return, Ori in hoof.

“WHAT!!!” They yell in unison.

“Wait, I can explain! It's not what it looks like!” I yell struggling back to my hooves.

“Oh no Johnny. It's obviously MY fault.” Moonlight says, grinding her words out between her teeth. “See I foolishly thought that you had to be finished with your little PERSONAL talk with your little SWEETIE. Obviously I was premature. Something YOU might have to look out for in the future!” She says, pointing an angry hoof toward Bon Bon, before teleporting away.

Oh Sweet Celestia. Tonight just gets better and better.

“Um… boss?” Ori asks in a daze.

{Sigh}, “What is it Ori.”

“Um, am I going to have to budget for a wedding? I mean I know cash is kinda tight until we get paid for this current job, but I know this really great wedding planner down on twenty-third street, an-”

“No, Ori, no.” I rub my temples in vain once more. “No wedding Ori. We are just friends. That's all.”

“Ah, I see,” she says, still sounding like she doesn't. “It's just that Moonlight mention some other kissing. And something about you soul kissing a bug as well. But then again she wasn't really making much sense the way she was pacing around and shouting.”

Oh boy… it's the night of the dance all over again. Whatever happened to my simple, peaceful life? Ponies shot me, I shot them back, then I go and have a drink or six and wake up next to some member of the opposite sex and/or species. Sure, it wasn't a PERFECT system, but it worked.

“Alright ladies. Take a few minutes to get acquainted. I need to go fix this with Moonlight. Ori, if I'm not back in thirty minutes, go get Doc Suture again.” I say then teleport myself over to Ori's.

It took almost the full thirty minutes to explain the situation to Moonlight. Minus of course any information about what Bon Bon brought me. I gave her time to recompose herself, and then we returned to what was left of my office. It only took me a moment to almost wish I hadn't.

“And there he was, leaning on my doorway crying like a baby. “Oriiiiiiii! Sh-sh-she wouldn't let me go Oriiiii, an, an her claws were HUGE!” Ori bugs out her eyes in exaggerated fear, as she tells Bon Bon one of my less than shining moments.

“BWAAHAHAAAA!” Oh my gosh! That's PRICELESS!” Bonny is laughing so hard tears are falling down her cheeks. “And you mean to tell me that he never KNEW she was a diamond dog?”

“Are you kidding me? He was so hammered that he told me that she was a yeti.” This causes yet another bout of uncontrolled laughter at my expense.

“Okay, okay. Enough BONDING ladies. I can tell that Ori has done an excellent job of keeping you entertained.”

“Johnny Appleseed.” Bon Bon says, clapping Ori on the shoulder. “How dare you put your employee through so much trouble? This poor mare deserves a bonus for half the things she told me you put her through. And I don't think a raise would be out of the question either.”

“Here here!” Ori chimes in.

“Okay, that's just about enough!” I say stamping down my hoof in emphasis. Unfortunately that was right on top of poor Blackjacks deceased body, which made the obligatory squishing sound.

This set everyone in the room to laughing, except for myself. “Aw c'mon.” I try in vain. “Have a little respect. The poor guy is dead.” I say, raising my hoof from his chest, causing him to offer a low whistle as his lungs draw in air.

“Oh Johnny really?” Moonlight says disdainfully. “Bad enough all the mares, but now you got this poor dead guy chasing after you?”

That one did it. Even I had to laugh. Although I'm sure I'm going to Tartarus for it.

Once the laughter finally died down, I got down to the business at hoof.

“Alright, from what we were saying before Bon Bon and Lyra showed up, it seems obvious that we are going to need to plan out a stealth mission into Night Industries. Now this isn't going to be easy. Night Industries is the most state of the art advanced complex in Whinnyappleous. Maybe even in all of Equestria. Aside from a ton of security guards, they will also probably have every type of magical defenses known to ponykind. Also, if what I saw during the tour is any indication they will probably also have those ponvideo cameras set up so that they can see who all is moving around in the building.

“Ponvideo?” Bon Bon asks, but I hold up a hoof to forestall her for the moment.

That is why I think we need to have an edge. Which is why I have decided to bring Bon Bon and Lyra in on the case.

“What?” Lyra and Moonlight say in unison.

“Yay!” Bon Bon says, giving me a quick hug.

“Johnny,” Moonlight begins, offering me a scowl of disapproval, “I strongly disapprove of the idea of bringing outsiders into this. I don't know these ponies. And we don't have the luxury of time for me to determine their strengths and weaknesses. I can't count on them.” She says, her tone brooking no argument.

“Well, it's true that I may not know Miss Lyra very well, but I do know Agent Bon Bon. Her, I trust.” I say equally as stern. “And if Bonny trusts Lyra, then that's good enough for me. Also Bon Bon, Lindana, and Ed are all fully trained agents of Celestia, just like I am, and while Lyra is wearing Ed, Ed can run the suit with her permission, so she won't be a liability. Something else to consider Agent Shadow, is that these suits were perfectly designed with this sort of infiltration in mind. Being organic they will pass completely undetected by countermeasures designed to detect magic, and their chameleon camouflage, will keep them completely invisible to guards and ponvideo cameras. Like it or not, these two are our best bet of getting somepony inside to disable the wards so that the rest of us can sneak in.”

Moonlight sits quietly for a moment, thinking, weighing the options. “You're right.” She finally concedes. “But I still don't like it. These four will be you're responsibility Johnny, if anything happens to them it's on your head.”

“I am totally okay with being on Johnny's head.” Lindana says from Bon Bon's shoulder. “That was FUN! Let's do that again.”

“That's NOT what she meant.” Bonny says crossly. “But then again...”

“Um, Bonny, I don't know about this,” Lyra interjects. “I mean, I'm just a musician, not a spy like you all are.”

“Ah, fuggeddaboutit.” Ed says, from her shoulder. “Stick with me kid. I'll do all the driving. It'll be fun, you get to be all secret agent pony, sneaking into the big bad corporation. Trust me, I did this all the time, it'll be a breeze.”

“Well, if really think I can handle it.”

“Absolutely.” Ed assures. “Remember we are linked now. I know everything there is about you. And I gotta tell ya Lyra, you are selling yourself short. There's a lot of potential inside of you, just waiting for a chance to be let out. Just give this thing a shot. You might surprise yourself.”

“Well… okay. If you say so Ed. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me, that link works both ways. And I will admit, I HAVE always been curios what it would be like to do some of the things Bon Bon has told me about. Alright, count me in.”

“Yes!” Lindana says happily. “Oh just wait Lyra, the four of us together, sneaking into a maximum security facility. This is going to be so much FUN!”

I roll my eyes. Same old Lindana. The worse the pressure of an assignment, the more she enjoys it. That is one masochistic bug. It makes me miss Bob. Those two would mock argue for hours. I shake my head, no time to think about the past, I need to tell them what ELSE I discovered.

“Okay, before we start planning out details. There is one other thing we need to talk about.” I trot over to the unicorn assassin pony that shot up Mane and Star. “I'm not sure what to make of this, but it can't be anything good.” I reach down and strip off his trench coat. Then I roll the body over onto it's stomach. There, clearly visible on its exposed back, are what I noticed earlier. Two, small, vestigial wings.

“W-wings? What mockery IS this!” Moonlight shouts in anger.

“How is this possible?” Lyra asks, “He's a unicorn with tiny wings. Is he an alicorn?”

“No he is NOT!” Moonlight says, her eyes blazing.

“I'm not too sure WHAT he is,” I admit. “I ran into a pony once with tiny wings like that at a gym in Ponyville. But despite their tiny size, that pony was a Pegasus. Still when he put on his rain coat, you couldn't tell that he wasn't an earth pony, and a big one at that. “As far as I know he isn't a cross between a Pegasus and a unicorn. Children from mixed marriages are either always one, or the other. This...pony, doesn't make any sense.”

“Wait a moment. In Luna's report about the attempted bombing in your office, she said that the magic used to teleport the explosives was a unicorn type spell, but NOT cast by a unicorn. And this… this THING was using unicorn magic to attack my detectives.”

“And he was sent after them because they were nosing around looking for Ebon Shard,” I say, adding the pieces together. “And Ebon Shard was put and kept in his position by using false paperwork that came from Night Industries. Now we HAVE to get inside that complex. What in Equestria are they doing in there?”

“I used to think I knew.” Moonlight admits bitterly. “But now I see that both the Princess and I have been kept in the dark. The irony is not lost on us. I don't know what foul deeds they are hiding from us Johnny. But whatever it is, I have a bad feeling about it.”

Chapter 20

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Chapter 20- Insertions

We spent the next several hours doing what spies usually did. Disposing of bodies, cleaning up blood, and knocking my office back into a semblance of order. Of course the latter was only what I usually did, but since I had company, I wasn't shy about letting them help.
Blackjack was sent to the morgue, since he was nothing more than a hired goon. The still unknown assassin however was sent to the palace to be examined by Luna's personal scientists. Not before I managed to secure some dna samples myself to send back to Celestia.

After those trivialities were seen to, we could then focus on what we did best. Espionage. Moonlight procured a set of blueprints from the city archives detailing the layout of the Night Industries main complex. We had no illusions that this blueprint would be wholly accurate, but it gave us a starting point, and hopefully we could fill in many of the blanks ourselves before the operation.

Bonny was already making observations. “This layout doesn't scan with the info you gave us on your recent visit Johnny.”

“In what way?” I inquire.

“Well for one thing it doesn't show that elevator you used at all. Also, the blueprints only show one basement level and no sub-basement levels at all. Are you sure you saw those on the elevator panel?”

“Photographic memory runes don't lie. There were buttons for SB1-SB4. Right above those was a key slot with a red border, and above that was B1. Obviously you would need a key to make the elevators go lower than the basement, and I would be willing to bet that any stairwells would have similar security, if not more.”

Okay, given that there were no such restrictions on the other floors, we can assume that whatever we are looking for are on those other four levels.” Bonny says confidently.

“Well, let's not rule out Dr. Brass's office.” I interject. “I'd still be willing to bet there must be some worthwhile tidbits to be found in there.”

“On this I'd have to agree with Johnny.” Moonlight says. “And even if that doesn't turn out to be the case, Luna wants me to plant a few listening devices in there anyway. She is beginning to have doubts about the pony running her company for her.”

“Fair enough. I'll leave Dr. Brass to you then,” I say. “What else are we looking at Bonny?”

“Well it's a safe bet that the original schematics for their power systems are worthless. From what you two have told me they probably are generating their own power. If I were to guess, I'd say that was what their basement level is used for. That way it can be serviced without having anypony having to go into any of the restricted areas.”

“Makes sense,” I say.

And that is where we have our opening,” she says rubbing her fore hooves together wickedly. See, I don't care what type of power system they're running. No matter how clean burning it is, they have to have a dedicated ventilation system for it. Once we locate that, then me and Lyra can use it to make our way down to the generators. Then it's all a matter of what we need at the time. Shutting off the security, sealing the electronic doors, or, worst case, killing all the power to the building. Get me to those controls, and this place will be all yours.”

“I like how this one thinks.” Moonlight says to me, which is the closest Bonny has got to her speaking to her directly all night.

Glad to see things are improving.

“Bonny and Lyra's armor can make them virtually undetectable by magic and science.” I explain, “so we'll send them in first to disable all the electronic security. It's a safe bet that their security monitoring station will be on the same level with the generators so that they can keep an eye on them in case of some mishap. After you two disable the electronics, take out the security team. I guarantee one of them will be the one maintaining the magical defenses, and they should also be carrying a key for the elevator. Once those ponies are out, then the place should be safe for the rest of us to enter. Once Bonny gives the all clear, Moonlight will head up to Dr. Brass's office. I'll meet up with Bon Bon and Lyra, and we will check out the use the security pony's key to access the lower levels and find out just what Night Industries has REALLY been up to.”

I give them a few moments to mull it all over.

“Seems like as good a plan as we can make given the circumstances.” Moonlight finally admits.

“Really? 'Cause this is like a way more detailed plan that Bonny and I used to have to work with,” Lindana says happily.

“Stifle it.” Bon Bon mutters crossly.

“Oh that's right,” I tease, “I remember how Bonny used to be at all those simulations. “Go in all hooves a blazin' and fight until the last pony!” Wasn't that how most of your mission plans went?”

“Hey, it worked didn't it?” She fires back. Then more softly, “at least six times out of ten.”

“I like those odds!” Lindana chimes in.

“Yeah… no. Let's just go with the plan we got okay?” I say, before Moonlight can cloud up once more.

We spent a little time fine tuning the details, geared up, and teleported our way to an alley adjacent to Night Industries. That's where our first little glitch cropped up.

“Fly? Whaddaya mean fly? No pony said anything about me having to fly!” Lyra said in a near panic.

“Now, now, calm down.” Bon Bon said with a hoof on her shoulder. “It's not that big a deal. Ed and Lindana do this all the time. It's perfectly safe.

“Bonny, I am a unicorn. A UNICORN. If Celestia had meant for me to fly, she would have made me an alicorn princess.”

“Is there a problem,” Moonlight said crossly, trotting up to the pair.

“No, no problem,” Bonny assures hastily. “Just a little performance anxiety. Lyra isn't really a fan of heights.”

“Isn't a fan of- Oh by the Sky Stallion! Really!” Moonlight explodes.

“Hey, there's no call to be RUDE,” Bonny says coming between Moonlight and Lyra. “Lyra will be just fine. Just give me a minute to talk to her alone… away from you...” she says pointedly.

The two walk off to themselves, and Moonlight rejoins me.

“Don't you think you were a little harsh back there?” I ask. “You have to remember, this is Lyra's first time doing anything like this. Maybe you should cut her some slack.

“Cut her some slack? Do you hear yourself?” Moonlight retorts. “What we should do is cut her out entirely. She has no business being here. This is a job for professionals.”

“Right, right… professionals. A monster hunter, a semi-sober P.I., a spy, and two bugs. Yep, that certainly sounds like the perfect infiltration team. Stable Team Six is probably green with envy right about now.” I say dripping sarcasm.

“You KNOW what I meant.” She fires back. “Lyra is a civilian, Johnny. You send her in there and she's going to get hurt. And there isn't a thing I can do to stop it.”

“Ah ha! So THAT'S what this is really about. You don't want Lyra to go because you're afraid of what might happen to her. Because you won't be around to protect her.”

“Is that so wrong Johnny? To want to keep an innocent pony safe?”

“No Moonlight, it isn't. But you have to understand, Lyra is an adult. And she is capable of making her own choices. You aren't aware of it I'm sure, but those bug suits are a lot more advanced than you are giving them credit for. They were designed to be able to take control of the pony wearing them in case something happened to them. If, for example the pony lost consciousness, the suit is more than capable of completing the mission and returning with the pony intact afterwords. Lyra is safer in that suit than we are every night walking down the street. And Ed is every bit the trained agent that Lindana or myself is. All he needs is a host.

Now Lyra volunteered of her own free will to be that host. And she also volunteered to come on this mission. And if she suddenly decides to drop out of it, I won't hold it against her in the least. But until she does, I want you to treat her with the same respect that you would give me, or agent Bon Bon. Now is that going to be a problem?”

I wait tensely for Moonlight's reply. I didn't like to speak so harshly to her, but it was the way she said what she did that just really struck a nerve. It was like when those Canterlot nobles looked down their muzzles at Earth ponies, or even Pegasi. As if to say just because they were different, that somehow that made them inferior. I never did have any patience with ponies like that, and it bothered me to think that maybe Moonlight felt the same way. Her next words reassured me however.

“I'm sorry Johnny.” She admits. “It's not a lack of respect for Lyra that made me say that. If anything I think she's incredibly brave to just jump into something like this out of the blue. I- I just don't deal well with the idea of one of my comrades being in danger. That's one of the main reasons I normally work alone. At first I felt the same way about you Johnny. But you quickly proved to me that you were quite capable of taking care of yourself. I suppose it's only fair that I give Bon Bon and Lyra the same chance that you had.”

“I feel much better for having hear you say that Agent Shadow,” I say offering her a smile.

A few moments Later Lyra and Bon Bon return. Lyra looks at me confidently.

“Alright everypony, let's do this.” She says, her jaw set, and her eyes narrowing.

I cock an eyebrow at Bonny, she nods back once. Must've been a very motivational speech.

“All right you two. We'll keep an eye on the rooftop from the top of this building. As soon as you have disabled their security, and obtained that key, send one of you back up to signal us.”

They agree, and a moment later the two are once again encased in sleek black armor. For a second we watch as they unfurl their wings, Bonny's a large pair of black batpony wings, and Lyra's a pair of black pegasus wings with red highlights underneath, Blazing Star's signature pattern. Ed would probably never change that pattern, the pattern his former partner insisted on.

Then they both shimmered into invisibility, and with a whoosh of air, I knew they were gone. I looked to Moonlight and with a nod we teleported to the top of the fire escape, and, peering over the edge of the roof, checked for sentries or cameras from Night Industries. There were cameras stationed on every corner of the opposing roof, pointing downward, and two more pointing directly toward the roof of the building we were perched on. Soundlessly we settled down onto the steps of the fire escape to wait.

(Lyra)

Oh Celestia, I can't believe I let Bonny talk me into this. No, that isn't really fair, I suppose that deep down this is what I've wanted for a long time now.

I used to listen for hours when Bonny told me stories of her old life as an agent. And although I never said anything, I suppose it's only natural that I was a little bit jealous. I mean, she was this glamorous spy, this monster hunter. She's had all kinds of training to do all kinds of things. She was hoof picked by Celestia herself, heck technically she's Celestia's daughter, a 'princess by adoption' kind of thing.

I never really understood that, and Bonny would never go into any details. Must have been some big top secret kind of thing, although Bonny always gets quiet when I bring it up.

Anyway, none of that matters anymore. I'm flying! I'm actually flying in the air! Bonny is being really patient as Ed teaches me how this all works, along with everything he is capable of, but I can tell through the link that he thinks I'm learning fast, and that he really enjoys being airborne once more.

Poor Ed, he's gone through so much. He was hurting so bad when we first linked up. But it seems like ever since we got to this crazy city that he has been perking up. From what I can tell, this place is the kind of city he's been bred for. Dark all the time, potential danger around every corner. It's all just like some dime store suspense thriller.

I guess it all caught up with me at once when Bonny asked me to fly. For a minute there I had to wonder just what I thought I was doing. I mean I'm just a Ponyville pony. But Bonny was able to bring me back to myself. To remind me why we were roommates, why we were best friends. Bonny believes in me. She honestly does. And if somepony as special as her has that kind of faith in me, then I have to as well.

And here I am, walking right along with all these professional ponies. Murders, espionage, missing ponies. Bonny is happier than I've seen her in years, and THIS time I'm right beside her to share in the adventure! {I am so glad I met you Ed.} I send through the link.

{And I as well Lyra. I thought I was doomed to spend my last days being dissected in that vault. And then you came along. This wonderful mare who could see into my heart. And not only did you set me free, you helped me fly again! If only Blazing Star were here today, he would have been so happy to have met you.} Ed sends back, the joy he feels as the night wind flows along his sleek form transmitting to the link back to me.

{Judging by your thoughts, he must have been a wonderful pony Ed. It may take me some time to learn, but I promise you that I'll do him proud.} I send back confidently.

{You're a natural at this Lyra,} he sends back, and since there is no way for us to lie to each other, I can't help but smile. {You're natural empathy allows our link to be strong, and I have been teaching you everything I know at the speed of thought. By the time this mission is over, you'll know every trick and technique Star and I have ever developed. All you'll really need then is experience.}

He can't hide the twinge of worry this last thought gives him. And part of me agrees. Knowing something mentally is one thing, putting it to use is quite another. I've never had to hurt anypony before, and I have absolutely never considered doing half the things I am being taught how to do. A few of these techniques make me feel decidedly nauseous. Celestia forfend if I ever had to actually take another beings life. I honestly don't know what will happen if that moment ever comes. Ed assures me that every pony in Celestia's organization has felt the same way. That there is no shame if it turns out to be something I cannot do. Hopefully it will be a long time before I ever have to find that out.

We crest the top of Night Industries. I reflexively glance to the side, looking for Bonny and Lindana, but of course they are as invisible as Ed and myself are. Ed assures me that both he and Lindana are aware of where each other are. It's a bug thing I guess. We circle the top of the building twice, taking note of the cameras and magical detection spells they have in place. The living visor over my eyes shows me these things clearly, as if they we lit up with neon. An 'x' appears in the upper right hoof corner of my vision. It's our objective. Three large ventilation shafts, with fans attached to the sides to help draw out the hot air being generated far below. I take a second to just look at the air coming out from them. Though Ed's visor I see so many colors. Red for heat, purple for what is being identified as noxious gases,(tolerable levels the display tells me), and traces of other things differently colored, that are also being explained automatically as I watch. Ed is simply amazing! And I tell him so.

{Aww, please don't make me blush Miss Lyra, you'll set off the thermal sensing spells.} He sends back.

I can tell by the link that he is only kidding, although he does seem happier by my praise. He has been alone for so very long. If nothing else, I'm really glad I was able to help him be free.

I feel contact through the back of my suit. And then something is sent to me through Ed's link. {Hi Lyra! Isn't this fun!} Lindana sends, and I can feel a little of Bon Bon through the link as well. They both seem very happy that I am here with them. {Yes, yes it is!} I send back, projecting my joy at being here with them all. {Ed and I have determined that the middle vent is the one we want. The heat, steam, and certain other chemicals are consistent with what large M.I.S. generators would produce. Allow me a moment to take care of the grating and we can proceed inside. Okay?} Lindana sends back.

I quickly agree and move to the side. A second later a stream of green liquid comes from seemingly nowhere, and quickly begins to dissolve the grating. Ed tells me it is a very powerful acid that all parasprites use to help digest what they eat. It makes quick work of the grating, and I can hear Bonny and Lindana as they make their way inside. A moment later, Ed and I follow after.

Once inside, Ed and Lindana drop their camouflage and we can see each other once more. We are making our way straight down a vertical shaft, using our hooves to brace ourselves on either side of the inside of the conduit. The trip seems to take forever, but thanks to Ed I never seem to get tired. These suits really are amazing.

After a few minutes I being humming an old tune in my mind to help me pass the time as we descend. I don't know how long I was doing it before I felt a hoof strike me sharply from below. It was then that I realized that Ed had stopped moving.

{Lyra, please don't DO that!} I feel through the link, all Bonny, and no Lindana this time.

Slowly Ed begins to stir, as if waking up from a trance. I quickly realize what must have happened. {Sorry!} I send back to Lindana and Bon Bon. I feel what can only be described as a 'silly Lyra' feeling pass back through the link, as the hoof withdraws.

{You okay Ed?} I ask, as he begins to move once more.

{Yes Lyra, sorry about that, it's just your humming was so… enthralling.} He sends back in embarrassment.

{No, it's my fault. I send back, equally embarrassed. I forgot about the whole 'music' thing.}

{It's quite all right.} He replies. {Not something we want to make a habit of during a mission, but perhaps after it's all over, maybe you could treat me to some more?}

I can read his longing through the link. {Of course,} I say, without hesitation. {I'd be honored to preform for you Ed.}

I can tell this makes Ed very happy, and I smile inwardly. I do have to remember to break myself of the habit of humming when I'm bored though, that could get us in serious trouble down the road.

The rest of the trip passes without incident, and before too much longer Bonny comes to a halt. Looking over her shoulder I can see another set of grating, and on the other side of that what must be a huge generator. Ed assures me that the temperature is quite hot, but not anything that he cannot compensate for.

Bonny takes a minute to make her best guess as to where we should break out at. Judging by where the ventilation shaft was located, as well as the original building schematics she is hoping that her right side will be facing toward that wall and not into the main part of the room. We go invisible once more, and Lindana spews more acid which quickly eats out a hole large enough for us to fit through. Bonny makes her way out, and I take a deep breath preparing to follow. This is it, time to be a spy.

(Bon Bon)

We emerge for the duct work silent as the night. I was right, nothing on this side but bare wall. I take a moment to examine my surroundings. Two massive M.I.S. generators fill most of the room. Directly in between them hugging one wall is a room with a door on either side. Zooming in my vision I can see the words 'security and control' on a plaque on the nearest door facing me. It looks like Johnny was right as well. He always was really good at planning out these things.

I reach out a hoof and find Lyra and Ed. I send through the link my intentions. She and Ed go to the far door and keep any pony from escaping, while me and Lindana come in through the door closest to us. I can hear an echo from both Ed and Lyra, amusement back through the link 'Hooves a blazing' in Johnny's voice. I send back a mental scowl, and send a count down to them, but inside Lindana I grin.

Lyra is doing so well with all of this. Any other pony would have probably freaked out with what all has gone on in the last few weeks, but Lyra has just taken it all in with a grain of salt. She's only had that one moment of panic, when she found out she was going to fly, and of course little miss 'oh look at me, I'm Agent Shadow, I'm all professional and cool', had to act like a total jerk, and make poor Lyra feel worse. Fortunately, I was able to cheer her up. Remind her of just how special she was. I wonder if she knows just what plans I have in store for her and Johnny and me when this is all over? I doubt it. But even if she did, I'm sure she'd be okay with it. After all, one thing she's always known about me is that I ALWAYS get my way.

I feel Ed and Lyra moving off as the air next to me stirs. They are counting down the same as Lindana and I are. I quickly move to the nearest door to the control room. Thermal vision shows Three ponies in the room. Two unicorns and an earth pony. The energy readings from the unicorns show that they are the ones maintaining and monitoring the magical security measures that we bypassed on the way in here. I could see two control runes embedded in the control board in front of them. These would be linked to all the other ones throughout the entire building. If any of the wards were tripped throughout the complex, those runes would let these ponies know where. That must mean that the earth pony was monitoring the cameras and other mundane devices along with the generators.

Glad to see that I haven't lost my touch. What I told Johnny was the truth, we take this room, and I can disable all the security for the whole building. We'll have the run of the place.

I make myself ready to enter the room, them I remember that I'm not doing this by myself, that I have Lindana once more.

{Lindana, you still remember the recipe for sleeping gas that we used on that bugbear?} I query through the link.

{Of course, I never forget my recipes. Oh, wait. Are you NOT going to just bust in and hope they can't reach the alarm in time?} She sends back.

{Well of course I wasn't going to just bust in.} I totally lie,(although I'm sure she knows it anyway). {I've gotten much more mature over the years. Please mix up a nice large batch of gas, extra strength and shoot it through the keyhole please.}

In a matter of seconds, every pony in the room is unconscious. I open the door and flap my wings until the gas is dispersed, not that it would affect myself or Lindana, but I don't think Ed has built up an immunity to it yet. I'll give him a sample before we go upstairs so he can start working on that.

Once it's clear I make sure there are no cameras or security measures inside the control room. (There almost never are. I always used to wonder about that. Shouldn't THIS room be the most secure in the building? But it never is). Then I open the far door, and drop stealth. Lyra and Ed make their way inside and we quickly tie up the three ponies with silk secreted from Ed and Lindana. I take two magic inhibitors from a compartment in my armor and place them on the horns of the two unicorns, then turn and study the control panel.

The magical runes might be a problem, but the electronic devices were easy to disable. I turn to Lyra.

“Lyra, I'm going to need some assistance here. We need to turn off these two control runes. From the layout of those two panels, they control all the magical alarms for the whole building. Thing is, I'm not a unicorn. Is this something you are able to do?” I ask, trying not to seem concerned. I knew coming in here that Lyra would be the only one of us who could handle this part. Now it was all up to her.

“Give me a second.” She says as she studies the panels in front of her.

Right about now Ed is showing her everything he can about the energies those runes are emitting. Every bit of his skills and knowledge are being fed into my best friend. A few moments later, the horn on Lyra's suit begins to glow, and a second after that the runes go dark. First one, then the other.

“Whew,” She says as Ed flows off of her head. “That will be giving me a headache for a bit.”

I rush over to her and give her a big hug. “Lyra, headache or not, you just made all the diffidence between a mission success, and a mission fail. I'm SO proud of you!” I say hugging her again.

“Aww, don't try to butter me up. I'm sure you had a backup plan in case I couldn't do it.” Lyra says, playfully punching my shoulder.

I just stare back at her.

“Wait… you mean you DIDN'T have a back up plan?” Lyra says in shock.

“What do YOU think.” Lindana interjects. “Remember this IS Bon Bon we are talking about.”

“Oh my Goddess!” Lyra exclaims. “You mean this whole plan came down to just me?!?”

“Breath Lyra, breathe.” I say patting her on the back. “I wasn't worried for a minute. I KNEW you'd come through. Right Lindana?” I say, mentally prodding her for the answer I wanted.

“Oh yeah, like of COURSE. We totally knew you could do it.” Lindana says laying it on thick. Luckily Lyra was still too much in shock to notice.

I let Lyra have a few minutes to calm down as I quickly rifled through the belongings of the three ponies. I found what I was looking for in a matter of moments. Three identical key chains, with three sets of identical keys. These should be the master keys for all the doors and elevators in the building.

I told Lyra to stay here while I went back for Johnny and 'stuck up pony'. I quickly made my way back up the ventilation shaft, and signaled across to the building Johnny and Shadow were waiting at. A second later they teleported over and we made out way back down the shaft to Lyra.

“That was really good work you two.” Johnny said, taking in the three unconscious ponies. “I was especially impressed at how Lindana said you took them all out. Very smart. Very professional.”

“But of course.” I reply. “You'll find that I have gotten quite good at what I do in the years you have been gone Johnny.” I say smugly.

He smiles at me before turning to Lyra. “And an excellent job taking down those control runes Lyra. I know Ed helped with the background info, but to pull that off on your first time out shows you really have what it takes. If you were an agent, I'd put a commendation in your file. Nice work!”

Lyra practically beams at the compliment. I offer a smile and a 'hooves up' of my own. She deserves it.

But our joy at our success is short lived, as Johnny gets back to the matter at hoof.

“Alright everypony. We made it past the first hurdle, but now things get serious. All of our leads on this case keep dead ending here. Somewhere in this facility are the answers to all of our questions. Why they kept Ebon Shard in the Night Watch as a spy. Who was responsible for the attempts on both my life and Luna's, that resulted in the deaths of all those people at both the restaurant, and brothel. What was that unicorn with those tiny wings. And most importantly, who ponynapped Babs Seed, and why.

These are the answers we are after ponies, and by Celestia, I don't intend to leave this place without them!”

Chapter 21

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Chapter 21- Dark Secrets

(Moonlight Shadow)

We split up shortly after we met up in the generator room. So far everything was going according to Johnny's plan. I won't lie the appearance of these two new ponies in armor didn't sit well with me. One was a civilian who had no place being involved with any of this. The other one was Celestia's adopted daughter. True, she was a trained agent, but Celestia would have kittens if she knew that Sweetie Drops was here. Worse yet, there was no way that we could let her know right now, not in the middle of this operation. And then there were the bugs. The living power armor. No matter what, news of those needed to be kept tightly under wraps. And then there was the kissing. Blast it Johnny, why? I was starting to feel…

The ding of the elevator woke me from my thoughts. I was using magic to make me invisible. The doors opened to the hallway outside of the office of Dr. Brass. I stared at the door to his outer office for several minutes, my thoughts churning. I didn't know what to believe at this point. Was Dr. Brass a part of this? Or was he being deceived like the rest of us? I had to know. I respected Dr. Brass. I trusted him, believed in him. Could he really have been deceiving us this whole time? I didn't know. But by Tartarus I intended to find out.

I had been inside here before, so I quietly teleported myself inside the outer office. The same secretary was still seated behind he desk, busily typing away on some type of typewriter that was connected to a ponvidio display somehow. I used a simple sleeping spell to render her unconscious. The I locked the door to the outer office, making sure that no pony else would wander in.

I teleported into the inner office. The lights were out, and the office was quiet. Dr. Brass must be elsewhere, perhaps doing his experiments once more. I was fine with that, I wasn't quite ready to confront the pony himself. Not until I was satisfied with either his guilt or his innocence.

I dropped my spell and made my way around his desk. Out of habit I lit up my horn and made sure there weren't and booby traps on it. Once I was satisfied, I began my search.

The first thing I noticed was that despite it's size, Dr. Brass's desk was quite spartan. One would almost say unused. I opened the first drawer, and got my first surprise. Inside it were several pictures in frames. The sort that usually sit on top of a desk. There was one of a jovial looking mare, his wife if I remember. The second was a two part frame, with older faded pictures in them, a stallion and a mare, his parents no doubt. The final one was a family picture. It was set in a park somewhere, the ponies from the two part frame were sitting on a checkered quilt serving food to two young colts, twins. I could just make out the cutie mark on the one on the left. It was Dr Brass's. The one on the right must have been his brother. It was a really heartwarming photo, just one more reason I wanted to believe in his innocence.

Beneath the photo's was the usual assortment of pens and pencils. Notepads and sticky notes. I used an old Watch trick, taking a pencil, I gently rubbed it across the surface of the top sheets of the sticky note pad, and the others. Each had revealed a message that had been on the page before it. The sticky note pad had 'meeting with Luna, 7pm' on it. The notepad had 'It has come to my attention that several discrepancies in our inventory have been noted during our last audit. From this point forward, the heads of all depar', then the writing trailed off the page. So Dr. Brass had noticed that things had been going missing. That was a point in his favor regarding his potential innocence.

I looked through the other drawers. There was a place in one where file folders used to hang, but it was bare. Just as the other drawers were. This desk was just for show. I used my magic to scan the rest of the office. There were no hidden safes in the walls, but there was a hidden passageway concealed beneath a section of floor tiles, I was making my way toward it when a voice called out from behind me.

“I wouldn't go in there Miss Shadow. I very much doubt you'll like what you find.”

I turned, silhouetted by the light from the desk, I made out the metallic gleam glinting off the limbs of the pony before me. It was that pony from before, that assistant of Dr. Brass. “Mercy. Merciful Solace.”

“Ah, you remember me. I'm glad. So few ponies know my name before their demise.”

“Demise? Really? It seems to me some pony is getting rather ahead of herself,” I say smiling at the unicorn advancing toward me. “And isn't it a bit extreme to be threatening me? After all, this office, this building, it all belongs to Luna, technically we have the same boss. Now I am in here on Luna's behalf, so before this goes any further I have just one thing to ask you. Who's side are YOU on?”

“Oh I think Miss Shadow, that we both know the answer to that.” She says leaping into the air aiming a kick directly at my head.

(Johnny)

Shortly after joining up with Bonny and Lyra, Moonlight took one set of keys, and left to go check Dr. Brass's office. Meanwhile the rest of us made our way to the elevator, and using a master key, made our way to the first sub-basement.

I didn't know what to expect when the doors opened up, but it wasn't what I saw. We exited the elevator into a large open room. Bonny and Lyra were stealthed, and I was using an invisibility spell. Bonny did a quick scan of the room and reported that we were the only ones here, so we dropped our stealth and had a look around.

Along the walls of the room were huge tanks reaching almost to the ceiling. I read the names on them aloud as I passed them. “Mirror Pool Water. Changeling Blood. Source A-1, Source B-1, Source C-1, Source D-1, Source E-1, Source F-1,” then the sequence repeated but the numbers had changed, 'A-2, B-2,' and so on. The back of the room was divided into two sections. Each was a cube shaped room with a single door each. The one on the left had a door plate that read 'Orientation Room'. The one on the right was labeled 'Primary Source Room. Authorized Personnel Only!'

We made our way to the first room, the 'Orientation Room'. I open the door and trotted inside, Bonny and Lyra close behind me. I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at. Well, I mean it sort of looked like a reclining chair. Sort of. It was green and black and the texture of the surface looked like the hide of an alligator or some scaled lizard. Coming up from the back like a stinger on a scorpion, exactly like a stinger on a scorpion, was a curved tendril of carapace, that ended in some sort of clawed cap. It was exactly the right size to fit over the head of a pony. I was just reaching forward to touch it when behind me Bonny screamed and fell to the floor clutching her head.

“K-Kill it! Kill it, kill it, kill it!” She yelled, still clutching her head.

“J-Johnny… D-do what she s-said.” Lindana stammers, detaching herself from Bonny's head. “There are f-fragments in her head. F-f-fragments of m-memories. J-Johnny please! You h-have to k-k-kill that thing!”

For a moment I just gaped at Bonny, I had never seen her like this, it's like her mind was gone. She was wailing like a lost soul. Then my brain finally kicked me in the plot. I whirled around and cut loose with my Creeping Death spell. The same one I last used on the Butcher's goons so long ago.

It was still as potent as always, but as I watched the chair thing dissolve, something flashed in my mind. It was like a memory, but a memory I didn't have. Someone else's memory? Something similar to this chair, but metal? An argument. A pony in a lab coat… During? No, not During, but similar. And Celestia… she was there she was yelling at the other pony… then she pulled a lever and… and… nothing.

I shook myself out of whatever it was I was seeing, and focused my attention back on Bon Bon and Lindana. Bonny had quieted down, Lyra was stroking her mane and making soothing noises, and Lindana was looking up at me.

“Thank you Johnny. That was… very painful. For both of us. Bon Bon is almost back to normal, she'll be able to speak to you soon.”

I wasn't in the mood to wait when my best friend had just undergone something that traumatic.

“What was it Lindana? What was that… thing? And why did Bonny react that way to seeing it?”

“Johnny, I don't have all the answers, but I'll tell you what I can. When Bon Bon saw that… that horrible thing, it triggered long buried memories. Well, not really memories, more like the remains of memories. Fragments. Pieces of memories that were long ago destroyed. I'll tell you all that made sense. The first piece was of a filly. Judging by her coat and mane, it must have been Bon Bon, but it was before she was called that. Before she was called Sweetie Drops. Her name was… was… ugh, I can't remember. Anyway she was playing in a park, then the next fragment she was flying over the ground, but not willingly. She was crying, being carried by something. The next fragment she was in a dark place. There was green and black on the walls. Then, there was that thing. That thing that you killed. Just now. And a creature. It was a changeling! Little Bon Bon was being strapped into the chair. And that changeling was telling her horrible things! And the chair… the chair made her believe them! And-”

“ENOUGH!” Bonny yelled forcing herself upright. “Stop Lindana. Just stop talking about it!”

“It's okay Bonny, it's okay.” Lyra said gently as she took Bonny by the hoof. “Johnny totally destroyed that thing. It's gone. Forever! Let's just go outside okay? You don't have to think about it anymore. It's all over and done.”

Bon Bon allowed Lyra to guide her out of the doorway. “Y-yes, your right.” Bonny says in a shaking voice. “It's all over. All… over.”

I turned back to the remains of whatever that chair thing was. 'Orientation room' indeed. If there wasn't a need for secrecy I'd blow this whole floor to ashes. I looked down at the pile of dust which was all that remained of their mind control device. I kicked once, scattering the ashes, and made my way outside.

Bonny seemed to have recovered enough to put on a brave face. I cupped her muzzle in my hoof for a moment, and offered her the best smile I was able to give. I wanted to tell her to wait here while I checked the other room, but I knew what she would say, so I didn't make less of her courage by asking.

I trotted over to the entrance to the second door. I had no idea what a 'primary source' was, but anything that was labeled restricted sounded like someplace I really wanted to check out. It took only a moment to find the right key, and we made our way inside. What I saw next made me stop in my tracks.

There were ponies in this room. Seven of them. Along the far wall there were six vertical tubes. Each tube contained a pony, and each was filled with a strange liquid. On a small plaque atop each tube was a letter A-F. Off by itself on a side wall there was one more tube with a pony inside. This tube had no letter, but I recognized the pony inside immediately.

“Dr. Brass.” I whispered.

Just what was going on here?

“Johnny,” Bon Bon said at my side. Now that we are so close, Lindana is picking up faint life signs from the ponies in these tubes. They're all alive Johnny. These tubes are keeping them alive, but in some kind of sleeping state. At least that's the way it seems to Lindana.”

“Can we get them out? Wake them up?” I ask, looking at the control panel next to Dr Brass's tube.

“Lindana says she thinks so. She said there was something crudely similar to this in Celestia's vault. She's sending me what she thinks should be the 'wake up' cycle, but she isn't one hundred percent sure. Do we want to risk it?”

I stared for a moment at the pony in the tube before me. Do I gamble? Do I risk a ponies life for the answers I needed? I knew that Duskwind wouldn't. But he wasn't here right now.

“Do it.” I said, not daring to blink.

Lindana inputs a sequence of commands on the control panel in front of me. I pay close attention as she does, in case I ever need to remember how to do this. I watch as the fluid drains away through a grate in the bottom of the tank. A moment later the front of the tube hisses open, as the occupant coughs and sputters, spitting out the remaining fluid in his mouth.

He rubs his eyes, and blinks for a moment, adjusting to the light. Then he sees us.

“Who, who are you? D-did my brother send you? Are you here to finally kill me?” He says, his voice resigned, and not at all afraid.

I step in front of him.

“Sir, I have no idea who your brother is, but we are not here to kill you. If anything, we are probably here to save you. Depending of course, on what you have to tell us in the next few minutes.”

“Save me? Save me!” He says, his face becoming animated. “Oh thank Celestia! Oh thank you sweet Celestia!”

“Trust me, she's not all that sweet,” I say deadpan. “Now I don't mean to press, but we are on a rather tight timetable. I assume that I have the pleasure of addressing Dr. Brass. The REAL Dr. Brass. Now I need you to tell me as concisely as possible, exactly what in Tartarus is going on in this place!” I say, my voice raising of it's own accord.

“Yes. Of course… of course. Where to begin? Well, to start with, the pony that has been posing as me? He's my brother. My twin brother. Brass Buttons. But let me tell this from the start. Yes, that would be best I think.

My brother and I were born in Appleloosa, to strict but loving parents.”

“Doctor, I hate to rush you, but we are really pressed for time. Cliff notes please.” I say, trying to sound tolerant.

“Alright, alright. The short version. My brother's talent led him to become a tailor. At first, I wasn't sure what my cutie mark meant. But I found that I always had the need to understand things. To get down to the 'brass tacks' as it were. This led me to my interest in steam powered locomotives, and later to my development of the M.I.S.P. engine. When I heard of what Luna was planning to do here in Whinnyappleous, I knew that this was where I had to come. Luna was building the future, and I knew I could be an important part of that.

I managed to gain an audience with her, and showed her my invention. She was very impressed, and we discussed the many ways that it could be applied to improve the lives of her subjects. She formed her own company, Night Industries, and issued patents under my name for everything I could develop. For awhile things were going very well. But a side effect of all of my accomplishments, was my popularity. I kept having to be pulled away from my work to make all of these silly public appearances. I was a celebrity, when all I wanted to be was a scientist.

That's when I had my idea. I secretly contacted my brother, and persuaded him to come to Whinnyappleous. My idea was that I would pay him a generous salary to do nothing but stand in for me at public functions. We cover up his cutie mark with a replica of my own, and who would know the difference?
And it worked out perfectly. He was the face of Dr. Brass. Friendly, kind, and always happy to speak to the public. Meanwhile I was free to pursue my work undisturbed.

That was, until three years ago. One night I was pulling an all nighter in my lab, when I was struck from behind. I woke up in one of my own suspension tubes, that I was developing for exploring deep space. A pony stepped before me. It was my brother. He smugly told me his plan. To keep me here, out of sight of everypony, and replace me as Dr. Brass. The fame had gone to his head. He ranted at me at how unfair it was, that since he was my twin, that he deserved the same fame and glory that I had. The fool. He could've had all of that anyway. I never wanted it! But he wouldn't listen. He activated the controls, and I was out.

It was six months later that he woke me up to gloat once more. But this time he wasn't alone. He had another pony with him, a geneticist. This time his ranting was more delusional. Now he had plans to take over the city. They were going to plant spies in all the levels of Luna's government, from the Watch, all the way to the nobility. Then when the time was right, he was going to loose an army on Whinnyappleous, and take over the city in one fell swoop. He then started bragging about eventually taking over all of Equestria, but by then I was laughing openly at him. I called them both delusional. Mad fools that were living in some dreamland. They would be caught before they ever got close to their goals. My brother just laughed at me, and shut me down once more. But then, three months later when he woke me again, I found I couldn't laugh at him anymore. He showed me a device. He said he acquired it from a changeling hive. He said their queen forbid it's use anymore, and they were willing to sell it to Dr Brass for 'research purposes'. I had heard about this terrible thing from Princess Celestia. It was a mind control device. I gazed upon the repugnant thing in horror. Brass Buttons was serious. He really intended to take over the city. And with this device he could. But that wasn't the truly horrifying thing. No, that came later. When his partner showed me his contribution to my brother's plans. He had been ponynapping innocent ponies off of the street. He had found a way to combine different strands of pony d.n.a. together. He was creating ponies. But not normal ponies. No. He was creating horrible freaks of nature. Trying to combine strains of pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony d.n.a. Things that could not be done. For, as I'm sure you know, if say, a pegasus and a unicorn, were to have a baby, the baby would either be one or the other. Never once has there been a pegasus with a unicorn's horn. The three different magics are incompatible with each other. One or the other will always be dominant. The only exception to this is the alicorn. And even then that only occurs under certain circumstances which causes a pony to reach an ascended state, or if one or both of it's parents were an alicorn.

All this is commonly known. But this fool choose to ignore all common sense. He's desperately trying to 'breed' alicorns. With science! I've seen horrors. Horrors I tell you! This pony must be stopped. My brother as well. We have to get out of here and warn the Princess!”

I thought about everything he said. And he was right, we needed to warn the Princess. Just not the one he was thinking of. “From what you have told me, there is no way we can be sure of any of Luna's ponies. We have no way to know which ones have been compromised. What we need to do is get you out of the city altogether and get you to Princess Celestia as fast as we can.”

I helped him to his hooves, and we made our way to the other tanks that I had passed by when I recognized him. This time I took the time to look inside. There were two of each race of ponies inside. Two pegasi, two unicorns and two earth ponies. My jaw dropped open in shock. I recognized two of them.

“That one, that one right there!” I said pointing to one of the earth ponies. “That's Babs Seed, the missing pony we have been looking for! And this one,” I said pointing at one of the others, “That's Cocoa Butter! My secretary's sister! The one that had gone missing, so long ago! Dr. Brass why are these six ponies in here?” I asked, a growing horror forming inside of me as one possibility occurred.

“This is what my brother kept bragging about. This is the core of his army. His 'source material'. In his deranged state he decided that the best stock to use for his experiments were ponies that had the same d.n.a. as the six hero's that wielded the elements of harmony. He sent out his minions into the city to capture any pony closely related to them by blood. Sadly, ponies go missing in this city all the time, so no one found it overly odd that these six specifically had been ponynapped.”

My mind was a churning mixture of joy and anger. Finding these ponies alive after all this time was fortune beyond measure. Ori would be overjoyed to know that her sister was still alive. But what Dr. Brass had said still filled me with rage. He was right. Nopony noticed that these six were gone. Except that it was my business to notice such things. That was one of the reasons Celestia put me in this city in the first place. But no, I didn't notice. I never connected the dots. Not even when two of those dots had been staring me right in the face the whole time.

“We've got to get these ponies free.” I said turning to Lindana and Bon Bon. She gave me a quick nod, and began inputting the same sequence of commands she used to revive Dr. Brass. It took us a few moments to get everypony upright and lucid. Once they were all coherent, I explained to them what happened to them, and my plans to get them to safety.

"We need to get you all out of the city, without being noticed, and to Celestia as fast as we can. She'll be able to keep you all safe until we can root out all of the spies that the fake Dr. Brass has planted all over the city.

Bon Bon, Lyra, I need you two to escort these ponies to safety, but first I need you to make a side trip to Ori's apartment and collect our ponies there. The way things are now, no place in the city may be safe. Have Ori send a message to Celestia explaining what is going on, and have her take a candle with her to let Celestia know where she can meet you after you get out of the city. After you pick up our friends you need to make your way to the 113th street undertrain station. There you will find a black and while piebald earth pony in a tattered coat, with a cutie mark that resembles a hoof with a bit stuck to it, who goes by the name of 'Easy Money'. Yes, this is all a facade, no, do NOT ask him about any of it. Just tell him that Johnny Appleseed wants him to get all of you safely out of the city undetected. If he has any questions introduce Cocoa Butter and tell him that she's the 'mission from Maud'. He'll understand. Once out of the city, you all need to get to Celestia as fast as you can, she'll get you all to safety.”

“Should I even ask what YOU intend to do Johnny?” Bon Bon asks.

“Me? I intend to borrow a page out of YOUR playbook Bonny. I'm going to go down there, 'horn a blazing' and take the rest of this place apart!”

Chapter 22

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Chapter 22 – Confrontations

I helped Bon Bon and Lyra get everypony safely out of the building. They were in no condition to even consider going up the ventilation shaft, so we went with the simplest most expedient method. We trotted out the front door. What? The security was down, Bon Bon and Lyra could stealth, and there were more than enough unicorns with us to use a simple aversion spell on the secretary and the two guards stationed at the door.

Once I had seen them to safety, I teleported back to the room we had rescued them from, and made my way back to the elevator. Since I had never been to the floors lower than this one, there was no way I could simply teleport down. Moving from one place to another through nil space is incredibly risky.

You need to have a fixed point in your mind to arrive at. Back in the bad old days when such magic was first being developed, only the brave and the extremely foolish would test the limits of what could, and could not, be done. They learned what would happen if you teleported to a location where another object was present. (Explosion.) They learned what happened if you tried to teleport to a location underwater. (Explosion.) They learned what happened if two ponies tried to teleport the same object to two different places at the same time. (Really BIG explosion. And a lot of radiation for some reason.)

But aside from explosions and dead apprentices, they did make a few interesting discoveries. For example, if you had an incredibly detailed picture in your mind of, say a room, with the shadows of a tree falling across the floor. Then when you teleported to that room, you’d end up being there at the soonest time to you that most resembled when the room looked like that. Meaning you’d travel in time. If, that is, you were powerful enough. It was written that one of Clover the Clever’s apprentices, Wisenhimer, theorized that if you had sufficient power, and sufficient imagination to visualize clearly, then theoretically you could create your own version of paradise in your mind, and teleport yourself there to it. This line of thought was quickly abandoned after he tried to put it into practice, and was never seen again. Did it work? Or did he blast his essence across all of nil space? Who knows? All I know is, I’m not going to be the one to find out. No, I’ve got four legs, I’ll just trot into the unknown, thank you very much.

I got in the elevator used the security key once more and pushed the button for the next floor down. Right before the door opened I used an invisibility spell. I didn’t like the idea of the drain this would put on my magic, but I had no idea what I would be facing. So far the only ponies we had encountered were the security guards two floors up, so I was pretty sure that there weren’t a lot of ponies allowed down here. Still, it was only a matter of time before I encountered somepony, and until I knew everything I could, I didn’t want to blow my cover.

The doors slid silently open, and I quickly made my way into the new room. The first thing I was hit by was the smell. By the Sky Stallion, this place reeked. It was one of the most horrible smells I could describe. It was the smell of rotting meat.

This entire floor was one vast room. Inside it was row after row of tubes like the ones we saw upstairs. Far on the other side of the room I could hear sounds of voices. I made my way down to the last row on the left, farthest away from the sounds, and, checking that nopony was there, I dropped my invisibility. This room was long, and I didn’t want to burn up all of my magic before I got to the other side.

I slowly made my way down this row of tubes toward the voices I heard, spells ready to stealth or fight if I should encounter any one. I couldn’t help but to peer into the tanks that I passed by. But by Celestia I wished I hadn’t.

Of all the words I could use to describe the contents, the ones that best fit were ‘living nightmares’. Only the truly deranged could create such horrors that I saw. I now fully understood what Dr. Brass was talking about.

There were ponies in those tanks. Twisted amalgamations of ponies. Some had stunted wings, some had horns where wings should be, some had a wing or a horn growing from places neither should grow from. I saw lipless muzzles growing from ponies chests, all bared teeth. And then there were the eyes. I don’t want to talk about the eyes. Let’s just say the numbers that I saw trotting down that stinking corridor varied from between zero and sixteen. And the placement of them seemed completely random. If Discord were to have a nightmare, I imagine it would look like the contents of this room.

I wanted to stop looking into the tanks before I had crossed even half of the room, but I just couldn’t. Each fresh horror seared itself into my mind, but I couldn’t look away. That was because at the core of it, these were still living beings. They hadn’t asked to be created. They didn’t ask to be made into what they were. Tartarus, I didn’t even know if they had a soul. They were made things. Made out of different bits of different ponies. But they were still living things. Horribly twisted and deformed, experiments of a madpony. Living things that knew only misery, if they knew anything at all.

My rage built with every step of my hooves as I made my way to the last tube on the row. Now I could hear the voices clearly. I peered around the corner, and nearly threw up on the spot.

At the end of each row there were large wooden tables. Tables with a row of nice sharp knives hanging off of them, and a hose attached to a spigot on the side of each. Only the two tables toward the center of the room were in use. This is where the smell was coming from. Past the tables in the center of the room farthest from where I came in, a loading ramp could be seen going up and out of sight. A steam truck had backed itself down the ramp and was parked with the doors open. There were two griffins working the tables. The would expertly cut up what was being brought to them, then wrap the cut pieces in thick white paper, then pack the bundles into crates, and cover them with ice that was provided from large drums that were next to each table. Then two other griffins would nail shut the crate and carry them into the back of the truck. I don’t know how long I stood there watching. Watching tubes being drained, and then watching the contents just trot itself up to the chopping block, it’s gaze vacant, like it was asleep. Then… the griffins.

I never wanted to kill any being so much in my life. And I was just about to blow my cover and do so when a pony trotted up to them. I had been so focused on my rage, that I didn’t even hear him. I recognized him immediately. It was Dr. Double Helix. He spoke to the griffins as they were finishing up and rinsing off the tables, the remaining blood washed away, and draining into drains in the floor.

“This is the last load for the night, sir.” One of the griffins, a manager by the look of him, was saying to Dr. Double.

“Good. This should keep the dogs and griffins happy for another week. I’ve noticed that requests for ‘pony’ have been dropping off lately.” Dr. Double says in a leading fashion.

“Uh, yes sir. I’m afraid so. There has been increasing pressure from the Night Watch. And last week one shipment was seized. Naturally no one would talk, and the ones that seemed iffy had… accidents.

“Excellent,” Double replied. “Their fear of the Butcher will keep them in line. And even if it didn’t, I’ve taken steps to cover our bases. Nopony will be able to track any of this back here. Nopony has any idea who I am.”

‘I do you son of a bitch’. I thought to myself, as the griffins finished loading up, and driving up the ramp. Right now I had no interest in them. Tracking them back from this end would be no problem later. No, for now all my rage was focused on the pony that had just turned to make his way back out of the room. All this time, all the ponynappings, dead end after dead end, trying to find who was behind it. Who the Butcher really was. And paying him off. Paying blood money just so I wouldn’t be taken out in the night by beings unknown. All the while, all this time, it was him.

I wanted to kill him. More than anything else, I wanted this pony dead. But no. Oh no. As agonizing as the Creeping Death spell could be, it wouldn’t give any satisfaction to the family’s of all the missing ponies. It wouldn’t redress all the suffering that he has cause to the beings in the tanks all around me.

No, this pony was going to be dragged out into the light. He was going to be held up before Luna and Celestia and everypony in Equestria. And if I know the diarchy, as well as I did. The example they would make of him would be far worse than anything I could ever do to him.

He was here, alone. There was a ramp right behind me. I was going to take him alive, make sure he couldn’t escape, and then come back and finish my mission. After that I was going to personally drag him in front of the princess’s and watch the bastard burn. Hopefully in bright solar fire.

He had not even crossed half of the room as I finalized these thoughts, and pulling out my M.I.S.P.P.L., I stepped out of the shadows to face him.

“Dr. Double Helix! You are under arrest. You have the right to sit the buck down, and shut the buck up. Anything you say can, and will, cause me to punch your teeth out. So I advise you to come quietly. I advise that, but I really, really, hope you don’t.”

Dr. Double whirls around, clearly surprised. “Johnny Appleseed? But you’re supposed to be dead!”

“Really? You mean like Disco? Because I hear that, much like myself, it’s making a comeback, and I gotta tell ya, I’m all about ‘Stayin Alive’.” I say full of smarminess, but then I get serious once more. “Now you and I are about to take a little trip. We can do this the easy way, or the really bucking hard way. Please pick the hard way, oh please say you do.”

“Ha! Hahahahaaa! Are you serious? Are you really bucking serious? Look at you, Mister grubby P.I., thinks he knows things, thinks he can do things. Thinks he can interfere with my plans. I’m the Butcher of Whinnyappleous! Parents tell their foals stories about me to scare them into line. I’m weeks away from taking over this entire city. And just who do you think YOU are?”

“I’m the pony with the gun.” I say simply.

“Oooh, a gun! That’s some scary stuff! He says, then, before I can blink, he crushes it with his magic. By the Sky Stallion, this pony was fast! Too fast. “Foolish toys. Dr. Brass wastes his time tinkering with such gadgetry.” He says in disgust. “Do you want to know the future Johnny? It’s right here. All around you.” He says with outspread arms, pointing to the tanks that surround us.

I couldn’t help myself. “This? THIS!” I yell. “These twisted abominations are what you call the future? Just how mad are you?”

“Mad? Don’t be stupid. Each one of these I grew. Each one brings me one step closer to perfection. And once I achieve it, I’m going to save the world!” He says, his eyes shining with joy.

“What? Save the world? From what? What in Equestria are you talking about?” I say, totally lost in the rantings of the clearly delusional.

“You don’t see it, because you are a part of it.” Double says bitterly. “Think Johnny, think. We have three pony races going back to the beginning of time. Three races, all with their special gifts. The earth tribes with the gift of nature, the pegasi, with their gifts of weather, and the unicorns, with their gifts of magic. All different, yet all equally special. Or so it should be. But no. Century after century the unicorns have dominated the rest of the races. Even to this very day the unicorns consider themselves royalty. They lord themselves over the other races solely on the basis of their horns and magic. The only exception? The only fly in the ointment? The alicorn. The perfect embodiment of all three races. Power, unity, perfection. Even the stuffy unicorn nobles defer to them, despite their grumblings.”

I feel compelled to point out the obvious. “Um, pardon me interrupting your rant, but this all sounds really hypocritical coming from the mouth of a unicorn such as yourself.”

“Hahahahahaaa! Unicorn? Oh no Johnny, I’m not a unicorn. I’ve never been a unicorn.” Dr Double then sheds his lab coat, and does the impossible, he unfurls his wings.

“A-alicorn?” I manage to say, my jaw falling open.

“Yes Johnny. You see now? My mother was an earth pony. My father, a pegasus, was the son of a pegasi and a unicorn. Before my mother knew she was pregnant with me, she used to work in one of the mines in Whinnyonah. She was trapped under a shaft collapse and it was half a day before they could get her out. During that time she was exposed to uranusium radiation from the collapsed debris.

I can only conclude that it was something from that radiation, that allowed the barriers between the different types of magics to erode. The result was that, when I was born, I was a true blending of all three of my heritages. A natural born alicorn.

My mother, used to the discrimination from the unicorns that she had to deal with all of her life, made my father and myself keep my true nature a secret. Since we couldn’t hide the horn, they simply told everypony that I took after my grandfather, and I wore a coat or other coverings almost every day of my life.

As I grew older, my powers in all three magics grew stronger and stronger. I was better at natural magic than an earth pony, stronger too. When I took to the skies when no pony was around, I could fly faster than anything in the air, and I could conjure a cloud with only the smallest bit of moisture. As for my unicorn magics, I have literally moved a mountain. True, it’s not the sun or the moon, but it’s still more than any unicorn could do.”

“Another alicorn.” I said, stunned. The implications of this were swirling in my mind. What would this mean for Equestria? Are you… immortal?”

“I have no idea.” He said frankly. “It’s never come up. I suppose only time will tell. But back to my point Johnny. Somehow, someway, the walls between the races fell when I was born. And what happened once by accident, I intend to do again, and again, on purpose! I devoted my life to biology and the study of genetics, and the things that affect them. Radiation, poison joke, mirror pool water, changeling d.n.a., I’ve used any and all of these things in my experiments. When that fool Brass Buttons approached me with his ridiculous schemes of taking over the city, I smiled and nodded, and played along, knowing that he would be able to provide me with the funding and resources to complete my work. But as my progress grew, and then with his acquiring of the changeling mind control device, I realized that his idea might not be so foolish after all. If we could manage to take over the city, I could expand my operations a thousand fold. What might take hundreds of years of trial and error could be completed in a matter of decades. Think Johnny, in less than your lifetime, everypony yet to be born could be an alicorn! In two hundred years this world could be a paradise of the truly equal!”

I thought about it. Yeah, I thought about it alright. I thought about hundreds of thousands of ponies created and destroyed in a madpony’s pursuit of perfection. I thought about a world where no pony had any heritage anymore, any diversity. I thought about what a world full of alicorns might decide to do with all of that power. Would any other race be able to stand against them if they decided to take over the world? And I thought about the power itself. Luna controlled the moon. Celestia controlled the sun. All that power had to come from someplace. Could the world handle an entire species with that kind of power?

I thought about all these things, but only briefly. None of it changed the fundamental fact that this pony ponynapped and killed dozens if not hundreds of ponies to get where he is now. Not to mention those poor creatures in the tanks. No, he had to go down... Hard.

Unfortunately, him being an alicorn complicated things. There was no way I could subdue him, well, not as I was, and I still had no intention of using my alpha rune unless there was no other alternative. Fortunately for me, there was.

Before he could begin his rant once more, I cast the nastiest version of my Creeping Death spell I knew. The fast acting version… right at his horn.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH! What have you DONE to me!?!” He screamed clutching in vain at his temples.

A moment later though, the magenta glow of his magic enveloped the base of his horn, it slowly made it's way upwards until it came in contact with my spell, then it extinguished it as if snuffing out a candle. But as he straightened up, I could tell that some damage had been done. The top inch of his horn had been raggedly dissolved, as well as some of the front had been eroded. I didn't know if he could regenerate the missing bits, but without them it would hamper his ability to focus his magic properly.

“You mother bucking son of a goat. How DARE you mar my perfection! HOW DARE YOU!” Double screamed, his composure shattered.

He tried to cast a spell of some sort but it scattered and fizzled across the room, sparks bouncing off the tubes nearest to him. He fell to his knees in fresh agony, clutching his temples once more. Whatever he had attempted was obviously too powerful to use with a damaged horn.

“I'll kill you! Kill you! He gestures toward his discarded lab coat, and a device flies from it's pocket directly to his outstretched hoof. Simple telekinetic magic was still within his abilities it seemed. “Now die you underdeveloped cretin!” He says pressing a button on his device, even as I strike him with a massive bolt of pure magic, staggering him back, but still not managing to knock him off of his hooves. That would be his earth pony strength and stamina.

Suddenly all around me tanks began to drain. Lots of tanks. Far too many tanks.

“Oh… buck… me.”

Freakish, horrific shapes began to emerge from the emptying tanks. Fifty… a hundred, no, more than a hundred. Add to that the deranged psychotic alicorn standing before me. The odds before me were becoming ridiculous, and I knew then what I must do…

“Why exactly are you putting a hoof to either side of your face?” Dr. Double inquires curiously. “Is that some strange cultural sign of surrender that I'm not aware of?”

For the briefest of moments I grin. “SOLAR FLARE!!!” I shout, as my horn shines a hundred times brighter than the noonday sun, causing every being that was looking at me to become blinded.

I turn quickly on my hooves and run like mad up the ramp recently vacated by the earlier steam truck. Between the higher level spells like Invisibility, Creeping Death, Mana Bolt, and the Solar Flare that I had just used, I was going to need time to get my magic back. And until I did I knew I didn't have a hope in Tartarus of surviving what was behind me.

“After him!” I heard the voice of Dr. Double shout. “Find him! Kill him! Bring me his head!”

‘No Hearthswarming card for you this year’, I think grimly as I redouble my speed. I didn't want to admit it, but I was beginning to become the tiniest bit concerned.

(Moonlight Shadow)

'Oh… buck… me.' I thought for the fifth time, as I barely managed to dodge yet another kick to my head. Stupid bucking steam powered cyber pony was fast as Tartarus. She crashed into Dr. Brass's desk as she went by me, totally demolishing it, and then got up without so much as a scratch. Those artificial limbs made her freakishly strong. Almost as strong as an alicorn. And she was attacking so quickly that I had yet to have time enough to fire a spell off, which was obviously her intention.

I had managed to put a little distance between us as she was disentangling herself from the remains of the desk, and had the beginnings of a spell forming when she pointed one of her metallic brass hoof claws at me.

Instinct was all that saved my life. I was already ducking low and to the left when I heard the now familiar chuff of M.I.S.P.P.L. fire, and then the crash of glass as the window behind me shattered outwards. Sweet Celestia, that wasn’t some hoofgun caliber weapon. She had a freakin cannon built into her hoof! A cannon! I dodged again, a split second before the section of floor I had been crouched on exploded into flying shrapnel which ping’d off of the walls in every direction. Fortunately for me some of it blew back in Mercy’s direction causing her to throw up a hoof talon to keep it from her eyes. I had a split seconds worth of time, and I wasn’t going to waste it. Time to borrow a page from Celestia’s book. Suitably modified for my own personal use of course.

“Why exactly do you have a hoof on either side of-” Mercy began, before I cut her off.

“LUNAR ECLIPSE!!!” I shouted, plunging the room into utter blackness.

“ARGHHH! I’m blind!” She screamed.

I watched her flailing around, trying to land a lucky strike. Although the entire room was filled with inky blackness, I could see just fine. Some ponies might consider this an unfair tactic to use in a fight. Those ponies can feel free to write me a letter of complaint at any time… I can always use more toilet paper.

I waited until I had an opening then darted in with a quick hard jab to the sternum. Then quickly leapt away as her return swing missed me completely. Then I clamped my muzzle shut to keep from screaming because I had nearly broken my hoof.

“That was quiet a punch.” Mercy said smugly, the effect somewhat diminished due to the fact she was facing toward the wall. “I bet that really hurt. Did you break a hoof? Here, let me put you out of your misery.” She said before swinging wildly once more.

Friggin armored, steam powered, psyco bitch mare… This was becoming annoying. She had found the wall, and put her back to it. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Suddenly she thrust out her other hoof against the wall, and began swinging it in a slow arch. I could hear the rapid chuff, chuff, and pings of impacts. Oh come on now! She had a Gatling gun in her other arm! Really?!?

I crouched low to avoid her fire, but a shot must have ricocheted off of something because I took a hit from behind in the shoulder. I let out an involuntary grunt of pain, that I quickly stifled, but it was too late. I had given her what she was after.

It took her less than a moment to bring both hooves to bear, firing from the cannon and the Gatling gun simultaneously. I threw up a bubble shield, as bullets and shrapnel began careening everywhere and what was left of the window behind me was completely obliterated. She started trotting forward, firing the entire time. I knew if I dropped the shield, even for the half second I would need to teleport away, I’d be turned into mincemeat.

Everything she knew about me told her I was still in front of her. My grunt of pain had given her my direction, and she would’ve heard the implosion of air if I had teleported out. She kept moving steadily forward, as I backed closer and closer toward the opening where the floor to ceiling window used to be.

The crunch of glass beneath my hooves caused her to grin and swing an arm blindly in my general direction, bullets bouncing off of my shield as I moved back once more. She knew I must soon be running out of room. She knew I couldn’t drop my shield. Everything was telling her that she had won.

Which is why it came as a complete surprise to her when she took that one step too far, and fell head first out of the window, splattering bits of brass and pony all across the sidewalk... Moron.

As I lowered myself back down and inside the room, I shook my head and smiled ruefully. Mercy had made me do something that ‘Moonlight Shadow’ wasn’t able to do. Impressive. I had to actually cheat to beat her. On the other hoof, no pony knows that I did it except for myself, and the pain in my shoulder told me I wasn’t going to be loosing any sleep over it. Thankfully Johnny wasn’t here. He would have most certainly noticed, and would have had questions that I would not want to answer.

I collapsed the darkness behind me as I dropped my shield, then I leaned out the window for one last look at my deceased foe. It was then I saw the unmistakable form of my partner Johnny Appleseed as he darted across the path of a streetlight, galloping faster that I had ever seen him move before. I nearly called out to him but was silenced by what I next saw. Coming out from the bottom of the building beneath me came a continuous stream of what I could only refer to as nightmares.

It was difficult to make out many details, even with my better than average vision being augmented by maigic, but what I was able to discern caused me to recoil in horror. Each of what I saw was basically pony in shape. But had apparently caught the Sky Stallion on a bad day when they were being made. None of them had the right amount of anything. Too many horns, too many wings, not enough wings, not enough eyes, FAR too many eyes, too many mouths, too many… um… stallion… bits, (ahem). And were those… tentacles? What the what? It look like a Neighponese Horror Manga had thrown up on a bunch of marathon runners. And they were all chasing Johnny with blood in their eyes. In some cases literally. (Eww).

I didn’t know what in Equestria was going on, but I knew one thing that sent a shiver of dread down my spine. Judging by the amount of creatures that were in pursuit, if they caught him, there was no possible way that Johnny could survive.

(Doctor Double Helix)

The pain had finally receded. I reached up my hoof and gingerly touched the surface of my restored horn. Healing my horn with magic that needed my horn to use was a very slow and painful process. That was a very clever unicorn to attack me there. And whatever spell he used was terrible indeed. It’s a shame there would be no way to learn it from him after he is torn to pieces. Still, given the fact that he should already be dead, I suppose I shouldn’t take any chances.

I trot over to a special row of tanks on the far right side. These are reserved not for created ponies, but augmented ones. Ponies that have pledged their services to me in exchange for the hope that I may someday be able to raise them to my level of perfection. Without preamble I open the second one I come to, and wait for the pony inside to emerge. After a moment to regain his wits, he speaks.

“Is it time? Have I been made perfect?” He asks, not knowing how short a time it has been since he was last out.

“Not even remotely.” I retort angrily. “And I am tempted to refrain from giving you any further treatments.”

“B-but why? I’ve done everything that you’ve asked of me. I’ve betrayed my princess. I’ve lied, I’ve killed, what more can you ask for?”

“What more? No Ebon Shard, I’m not asking for more. I’m asking that you finish the LAST task I assigned you with. Johnny Appleseed is still alive. He was just here, threatening me, attacking me! He dared to attempt to mar my perfection! Even now my creations are hunting him through the streets of the city. I suggest you pick up your rifle and join them, only this time make SURE that he’s dead. Because if you don’t, then the only perfection you will ever achieve is when my chef serves you medium rare at my next dinner party.”

Ebon Shard recoils in horror, as well he should. My threat as ‘The Butcher’ is not an idle one. And several of my associate ponies in the underworld, as well as myself, have acquired a bit of a taste for unicorn.

He gathers his gear and quickly departs, moments before that fool Brass Buttons emerges from his lab below. He’ll want to know what’s going on I’m sure. I’ll have to think of something to placate the old fool. At least for now. But once we have control over the city, he’ll soon find himself in a tank alongside his brother. Then this entire city will be the Butchers playground. And after that, all of Equestria!

Chapter 23

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Chapter 23- Alpha and Omega

Clouds had blotted out the stars as I came pelting up out of Night Industries and onto the street. I wasn't breathing hard yet, runes that augmented my strength and stamina had flared to life moments after I began my mad dash. Behind me I heard something impact the sidewalk, it sounded like a combination of a sack of wet meat and copper pots, but I didn't waste time turning to look.

I needed two things if I had any hope of surviving this night. Distance and time. Time so that my kinetic runes could recharge, and distance so that I could formulate some sort of strategy for dealing with the monsters that were already in pursuit. So far, although the former were charging up just fine, I had yet to come up with any ideas on the latter.

It's true I could probably teleport far enough away to lose them, or go invisible and let them run past me, but either one of those options would mean letting them all run wild throughout the city. Ponies would almost certainly be hurt or killed. Right now they had only one target, and that was me. I had to figure out a way to take them out. But there were just too many of them.

I felt something wet on my muzzle. Rain had come once more to the city. Sweet cleansing rain to wash away the city's sins. Heh, how I wish that was the case. I don't know if it was the rain, or the adrenaline, but a strange calm suddenly washed over me as I galloped through the night. As my eyes scanned the street before me, plotting out ways past steam buses and pedestrians, I flashed back seemingly randomly, to scenes from my past. Past assignments, memories of my former friends, memories of Twilight. So many years. So many brushes with death. And I still, even now, consider all the good I've done worthwhile. I've made some terrible decisions. I've done some terrible things. But I've never doubted that because of my actions, ponies were saved. That, even if it was only by a little bit, that I've made the world a better place. Oh Celestia, has it come to this? Am I REALLY flashing my life before my eyes? How cliché. What I should be focusing on is- 'SWEET ZACHARLE'!

I mentally scream, as one of the horrors that had been pursuing me suddenly appears in front of me. I act without thinking pushing off the asphalt sideways, then landing with my back two hooves on a nearby bench, then pushing off of that onto the horror’s right shoulder, kicking the back of his head as I leap off of him, continuing my sprint.

“Barkour!” I yell, as his skull bounces off the pavement.

Thank Celestia we had training in the Prench Diamond Dog art of Barkour. The military training program used to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without assistive equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Barkour involves seeing one's environment in a new way, and imagining the potentialities for navigating it by movement around, across, through, over and under its features. Add that to the runes that augment my speed and agility, and it gives me an incredible advantage in situations of pursuit.

Of course my trainers never ran scenarios involving mutant pony horrors that can teleport, I think to myself, as another one of them shows up right in front of me, causing me to swerve into a nearby alley. I can hear ponies scream up ahead and then suddenly a pony shaped silhouette descends from the sky, back lit by the street lamps behind him.

I leap upwards snagging the lower rung of a nearby fire escape ladder, narrowly avoiding the winged shaped that passes below me only to crash into the side of the dumpster in front of him. I land on my hooves and sprint out of the alley, only to be confronted by yet another monstrosity. They must be closing in en masse. I swerve past him, and make it half a block before a pony with a spiked mohawk steps out in front of me. It takes me a moment to realize that it isn't a mohawk he's sporting, its a vertical row of unicorn horns, and they all start glowing, blocking off the entire road in front of me, forcing me to sprint down yet another alley. As I clear the alley, I suddenly realize where I am. Before me stretches the beginning of Victor's Memorial Park. Acres and acres of trees, flowerbeds, and memorials, dedicated to the brave ponies that fought in the last changeling war. I veered hard to the left, angling to get back into the city, not wanting to be caught out into a mostly open area.

Or at least that was what I intended to do, before yet another monster barred my way throwing up another shield. I turned around and began to sprint the other way, only to find yet another one blocking my path, also with a sickly purple shield in place.

I was out of options, they had me almost boxed in. I fired up my horn to teleport me back into the city, only for nothing to happen. I looked around frantically, my jaw dropping open in shock. There were dozens of monster ponies all around me. On the fire escapes of the alley, emerging from the shadows, all of them working in tandem creating a shield around the whole area keeping me from teleporting away.

With no other choice before me I galloped as fast as I could into the park. It was only when I noticed a lack of pursuit that I realized what had happened. I had been herded. Driven here. They were just playing with me this whole time, like a cat with a mouse. They could have taken me down at any point, but deep in their twisted psyche they wanted to play with me first.

I skidded to a stop, panting heavily. The rain began to come down harder, adding a chill to the night air. My breath was steaming in the night air. The trees whispered a warning, as all around me monsters began to emerge. Several of the ones with horns flashed magic into the air, creating a vast dome all around us. I knew I was trapped. The cats had finished their play, and it was time for the kill. I moved in a slow circle, absently counting monsters. I was caught in the middle of a hundred and five. The night was heavy, and the air was alive, and I knew there was no way I could push through.

(Far away on the other side…)

I had pursued Johnny and the horrors that were chasing him as fast as I could get down from Dr. Brass's office. To Tartarus with the mission, if those things caught up to Johnny, he was as good as dead.

I managed to catch up with them at Victor's Park. There the creatures had erected a vast dome of sickly purple magic. It was the same type of magic that had teleported those explosives into Johnny's office, that had almost killed him and Luna. I aimed my horn and fired off an energy bolt. Much to my shock, it ricocheted off of it harmlessly. They must have linked all their magics together. I focused all of my efforts and fired off another, much more powerful blast, with no more effect than the first. By the Sky Stallion! How powerful were these creatures? I fired off blast after blast, but nothing was working. I began to feel a sick feeling from deep within my chest, a totally unfamiliar feeling, a feeling of helplessness.

(Meanwhile, caught in the middle of a desperate fight…)

The cool night wind was whispering through the trees. It was a sorrowful and grieving sound. Almost as if they were apologizing for their part in my misfortune. For the hundredth time I mentally reexamined my options. I had exactly two. The first was to fight and die valiantly. Taking as many with me as I could. This had two major drawbacks. The first being the dying part. Really not found of that. The second, but more altruistic thought was that as soon as they were done with me, who knew how many more innocent lives they would claim before reigned in by their master? And who knows how many more lives HE would claim to further his experiments? So no, option one wasn’t looking two good.

That left only option two. And to be honest, it scared me more than the first. Option two would be to activate my alpha rune. Then somehow live through what followed. And then return to deal with Double Helix and Brass Buttons. The ‘living through what followed’ was the tricky part. OF the three agents that had ever been forced to activate their alpha runes, the first died instantly. The second went completely insane, taking out several miles of the badlands in the process, and the third was completely fine. Until that is, several months later when he committed suicide. Each use of an alpha rune was considered a ‘test’, in the sense that it allowed further refinement after each use. The wizards in charge of creating these runes assured me that after the lat time all the bugs had been worked out, and that they were ‘confident’ that the next time any pony used one, they would be fine. I would feel more reassured by this except that was the same thing they said after the last time, and the time before that. I could tell when I was being lied to you see, and their assurances were nothing more than a placebo. To even consider using an alpha rune, a pony would have to be in worse than a life or death situation.

Something just like this for example.

The pony creatures began approaching from the tree lines that surrounded me. They trotted slowly forward, unhurried. They wanted to see what I would do. Would I try to flee? Would I try to fight? Would I beg for my life? Truthfully, if I thought that any of these options had even the smallest chance of working, I would have considered it. But I knew better.

As I gazed into the distorted faces and muzzles leering at me hungrily, I knew I would find no mercy here. Whatever trace of decency they may have had in the past had been destroyed by that living machine from the changeling empire. Love was replaced with hate, kindness with blood-lust, empathy with carnage. No, as warped and hideous as their appearance was, it was what I saw in their eyes that frightened me the most. I knew I had no choice. For them as much as for me, I had no choice.

I reached up a hoof to my chest, right in the center. I felt the rune flare into life, a vibrant green glow. Then, moving my hoof in the proper sequence, I activated my alpha rune. The creatures before me stopped. Curious as to what I was doing. There was no fear on their part, they knew I had no chance against them. In that they were right.

The color of the rune changed from green to sky blue as it began to activate. I could feel it shifting, moving on my chest. In seconds it had turned completely upside down and settled back into my flesh. Then, metallic bands came forth from it from all sides. Each one made it’s way to the nearest rune, and seamlessly connected itself to it. The bands from that rune stretched forth connecting it to the next one. This process continued on until all of my runes had been connected into one. Any pony that was looking at me at this point would see what appeared to be a vast metallic horseshoe with little spurs on each end surrounding my body. Scholars would see something different. My alpha rune had finished its job, and it’s blue glow died away. Now all that was left was to activate my final rune. The conduit for all the power of every rune that had been seared into my flesh. All that power focused to one purpose, to channel an even greater power into my body.

Standing there, in the endless night, before an unbeatable army or monsters, thunder and lightning arcing through the sky, I grinned a terrible grin. It was the grin of the hunter suddenly revealing itself to the hunted. They pushed me to this, it was not by choice. But if I had to risk it all on this one last play, then by the Goddess, I was going to make the most of it.

I threw back my head and laughed. I laughed like a madpony, the rain and the lightning accenting my apparent mania. And truth be told, perhaps in that moment I was mad. Mad with the realization of the mad world I lived in, that had driven what was once a loving and caring unicorn to become the figure of vengeance that now stood on this sodden ground.

The creatures before me were confused. My actions were not at all what they expected. I was sure in a moment however that they would shrug off their confusion and attack. Unfortunately for them, it was already too late. I activated my last rune. My Omega rune.

Describing what happened next is both extremely difficult, and very simple. The simple answer is that for all intents and purposes, I died.

Right, too simple. Let’s go the long way then. Far away, at the moment I activated Omega, Princess Celestia would have felt a tug. Maybe her mane briefly stopped flowing, maybe she even said my name. I’d like to think so, but it isn’t very likely that she even really noticed. What happened then was an infinitesimally small amount of her power was channeled from wherever she was into me. Say one one-thousandth or less. Not even enough to make her flinch. That’s what happened on her end.

On my end, God was suddenly inside my head, and God was me, and I was all. That pony that was named Duskwind, and sometimes went by the name Johnny among others? He was a tiny speck of dust inside my head. I was God, and God was fire, and fire was good! My entire body burst into flames. My mane and tail were blue hot fire, my coat was alternating patterns of flames.

I barely even noticed. My eyes. My eyes could see everything! Everywhere! I looked around myself at the creatures that surrounded me unmoving. No, they were still moving, it was me. My reaction speed, my thinking, my movements, were faster than the limitations of time. Everything around me appeared motionless, I took a single step, and I stepped free from the shackles of the fourth dimension. Time had no hold on me. I was free of it. Free to contemplate… everything.

I had a single thought. And in that thought I understood everything. The brief flickers of light that represented the lives of the creatures around me. The galaxy, the universe, all universes, the multiverse, the macroverse, the outerverse. Just by gazing outward I could see it all. The grand tapestry. I understood. I knew what Celestia was doing, right here, on this world. I saw what she hoped to change here, and by doing so change all the worlds surrounding this one. Nothing was hidden from me.

Then I looked inward upon myself. And I understood. I, the God Duskwind, was going to die. Very, very, soon. All the mighty magics Celestia forged into my runes could only contain this tiny fraction of herself for a short period of time. This knowledge, this omnipotence, would be gone in an eye blink.

Contemplating that loss, the return to that tiny fragmented being that I used to be, caused me to scream in frustration. Barely noticed was the results of my scream, which rent the heavens asunder, shattering Luna’s spell of darkness, evaporating the clouds above me, and sending a bolt of Celestial fire across space, grazing a gash into the surface of the moon.

This was why no other pony could handle using this power. It wasn’t the godhood, it was going back afterwords. Better to die, like this, knowing, than to return to that tiny bestial form.

I prepared myself for death. Using every precious moment to understand as much of the infinite as I was able. My thoughts spun faster and faster as I gazed into the fabric of the grand tapestry, the joy of unbridled understanding cresting higher and higher. But then, then I saw it. The flaw.

There was a black thread running throughout Celestia’s grand design. I was three whole seconds away from annihilation. More than enough time to understand what it was. Or so I thought. I wasted over half a second following it back and back. It was elusive. It was like a parasite. If ignored it began eating away at the pattern Celestia was trying to create. If it was confronted, it sacrificed parts of itself, but some part of it always seemed to remain. I followed the thread of it forwards. Not far, just a few million years, from when Celestia first started meddling with what was, and making it into what is. I followed it forward, to when it created Discord, a major setback to Celestia’s plan. Forward still to when it sought to suborn Luna, yet another setback, but Celestia was untiring. She restored her sister, reformed Discord, and used his chaos to add new color to her weft. I followed forward still and suddenly I found myself staring at… myself. Duskwind, colt, pony, God. I saw my entire life. My parents, my school, the accident, Celestia changing the threads of my fate with Twilight’s. Twilight not leaving the school in horror after killing those ponies. Twilight being forged into Celestia’s pattern, making it stronger, proof against the darkness.

But I also saw all the other me’s that I could have been. Duskwind the alicorn prince. Duskwind the palace guard. Duskwind the consort to Celestia, to Luna, to Berry Punch, to Sweetie Drops, to Derpy. (Wow, I got really fat off of those muffins.) I also saw a lot of dead Duskwinds. Quite a lot. Too many. And for every dead Duskwind, there was another huge patch of darkness on the pattern. I was a little over two seconds down when I finally understood. I mattered. My life mattered. It didn’t matter what Celestia did, changing my future with Twilight’s. I still mattered. As long as I was alive, just by existing, I would lessen the darkness in my world. I was who I was, it was my nature.

Well crap. I guess I can’t let myself die then… Well... that sucks. Okay, fine. I won’t die. I still had what? Half a second to go? Plenty of time…

I swung my horn before me, fire unimaginable flew from it in a scathing arch, incinerating everything in its path. I turned in a full circle, igniting all of my foes, turning them into pillars of ash. Although I was using all the control I could muster, the park surrounding me was still destroyed, the fires sending bursts of heat skyward as trees ignited. I lifted my hooves from the ground where they had been fused up until now, in a mix of lava and glass, and took two steps forward. My fiery hoofprints still remained, fires that may well burn forever. Knowing I had only a barest slice of time left before my body ignited and burned itself away, I cast my horn skyward, and with one last roar, I sent the power of God back from whence it came.

The tiny speck that was ‘Duskwind’ suddenly found itself alone in the vast cavern of his own head. He quickly filled up that space, and I was ‘me’ again. I frowned in disgust as hard as my frail meat body could. I was nothing. I was on my knees, panting heavily. I had to breathe. Soon I would have to eat. Soon I would have to sleep. I shuddered. This body would age. It would die. It was unfair! I was God! Ageless! Perfect! everything that tiny fool Double Helix wished he could be. I understood him now. He was no God. He was just a freak of nature. Just another twist of dark thread on Celestia’s pattern. He was nothing compared to her. No one was. If she and her sister did not choose to bind themselves into near helplessness, they could destroy this planet with a flick of their manes. But her pattern was that precious to her, that she chose to limit herself. Both of them did. And they lived within those limits for thousands of years.

I heaved a sigh. If they could do it, surely so could I. After all, I was only a God for less than a minute. Nowhere near all of the millennia that those two have seen. I heaved myself to my hooves, and took stock. Ugh. Not only were my mane, tail, and fur gone, but all that remained of my runes had melted. Fair enough I guess. I could never use them again anyway. No, the alpha rune was a one way trip. No more enhanced pony. Now I was just an ordinary unicorn. One who was not very good at magic. Matter of fact, I doubt I could even manage to teleport home. A moment later, I found that that would no longer be a problem.

Suddenly, what felt like a sledgehammer slammed me in the chest. Before I could even fall, the same hammer hit me five more times. I fell to my knees once more. Almost absently, I reached a hoof to my chest and felt something wet. Raising it to my eyes, I could see by the light of the fires still surrounding me that it was blood. My blood.

I had been… shot? Suddenly I felt very heavy. My eyes were having trouble seeing anything. It was all blackness. Like black threads packed tightly together. I fell to the burned ground, but I didn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel anything. I tried to speak, managed to get out one final word. “Why?” and then… nothing.

(Moonlight Shadow)

I had been blasting away at that stupid barrier to no effect. I was just about to do something I shouldn’t. I was just about to break the rules, but then stupid Johnny beat me to it.

What exactly he did I do not know, but I know I intended to have words with Celestia about it later. Strong words. One second he was Johnny, staring down unbeatable odds. The next he was... Celestia. But male. Very, very, male. He burned with her fire. He WAS fire. He threw back his head and screamed, and the sky shattered, and the clouds burned away. He blasted a scar across the moon with barely a thought. The next moment he incinerated everything in sight. Had I been a second slower with my shield he would have gotten me too. Then he throws back his head once more, and all of Celestia is gone, and there sits Johnny once more, bald and bare.

Just what in Tartarus did Celestia do to him? I was tired of being put off, being fed the truths he wanted me to hear. This time I intended to find out everything. I rose up, and began to trot toward him. I was looking right at him, when suddenly a glint from further past him caught my eye. It was from the other side of the park. My enhanced vision could see it clearly. It was the scope on a sniper rifle.

I started to cry out, but it was already too late. I saw the muzzle flash first, then my eyes returned to Johnny. Blood cascaded from him, in what appeared to be slow motion. I saw him hit five more times before his body collapsed limply onto the ground.

I was by his side in less that a heartbeat. He was looking in my direction, but I could tell that he could no longer see me. He said one last word, barely a whisper… ‘why?’ Before the light went out from his closing eyes.

I turned my hate filled gaze back across the park, to the rooftop from where the sniper had his perch, but he was gone. Gone, just like before, when that poor changeling lost her life for no other reason than she looked like Johnny.

I vowed vengeance on that pony. Even if it took my entire life. I would hunt that pony down and have my revenge.

But not now.

I bent down and lifted the limp form of the pony I had grown to love. All the words left unsaid adding more to his weight, yet he was still just as light as a child. I carried him from the fires of his own making. I carried him off into what remained of the night, before the first of Celestia's dawns would return. I carried him away, as his Moonlight Shadow.

Author's Notes:

Way way back when I decided to make this story more than the one shot it had started off as, I had this chapter in mind. When Luna first sent Johnny a partner I had already seen most of this chapter in my head. When I gave her the name 'Moonlight Shadow', every single reader should have saw this coming. Thumbs up to those that did. For those who have not heard the song, or got the reference, it's a song originally created by Mike Oldfield called Moonlight Shadow. I came across the techno remix for DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), several years ago. It was the first time I ever heard the song. The story in the song was awesome, but it seemed to me so unfinished. What happened before the events in the song? What happened after? I crafted stories in my head for years, ever time I listened to it. The one I thought I was going to write (because I play way too much World of Warcraft), was a lone gnome on the shores of Darkshore, surrounded by murlocks. But although I could see that scene in my head, there was no good story to fit around it.
When I decided to continue this story, the song returned to my mind once more. It seemed to fit so perfectly. If ever there was a place for Moonlight Shadow, this was it. To be honest, I hope other brony writers, (better ones than myself), will consider using the song in their own stories. I'd like to see more stories about it. Below is not a link to the original, nor any of the hundred or so newer remixes, (many as good or better than the version I know), but to the version I heard for the first time all those years ago. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK4PI7yBTho

Chapter 24

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Chapter 24- Down Among the Dead

(Celestia)

“Oh Johnny, one day you’ll be the death of me.” I said to myself silently, as I took flight in my chariot, my spare following closely behind me.

Minutes before I received an urgent message from Ori, frantically requesting that I meet them outside Whinnyappleous as quickly as possible. It seems Johnny had done it once again. Not only had he found the missing Babs, but Ori’s long lost sister as well.

On top of all that he apparently uncovered a major conspiracy centered around Night Industries. The very company on the forefront of Luna’s plans for the city.

I shook my head in wonder. I was going to have to reward that pony somehow. Even though it would surely go to his head.

Suddenly I felt a tug, a strong one. A tiny fraction of my power detached itself and flung itself skyward in the direction I was traveling. I knew immediately what had happened. Some pony activated their ‘Omega Rune’. This saddened me greatly. So far no pony that had done so had survived more than a week afterword. Ponies just couldn’t survive the loss of Godhood that such power bestowed.

A moment later a soul link was forged. This was something I never told my agents about. It was a safety I had included with the use of the Omega. Whomever activated it would form a soul link with me for the rest of their lives. This way I could monitor what they did with my power, and I could take steps to stop them if they ever tried to misuse it. The pony in question would never even know it was there despite what they considered their new found omnipotence. They were lucky. If they knew what true omnipotence was, it would shatter their minds.

It took less than a moment for the soul link to form. As I peered into the mind of my agent I was saddened once more to find that it was Johnny who had used the rune. Oh Johnny, I was going to lose you wasn’t I? Tears formed on my cheeks and were whisked away by the cool night wind. This was a loss I was not yet prepared for. As I watched him step out of time, I did so as well, my mind working at a feverous pace, trying to find a way to save him. But Johnny was already ahead of me. He deduced what was happening to his body, understood what happened to the others, and all on his own, decided to give up his power and try to live with it’s loss. Amazing! Such force of will. I watched proudly as he destroyed his enemies with but a thought, and then send his godhood back to me with the next.

I was so proud of him. Such selflessness. Oh yes, I would indeed reward him. Perhaps even raise him to an alicorn. He certainly has proven- wait! What was that? What was this pain?

I returned myself to Johnny once more. He was holding a hoof up before his face. It was covered in blood. His chest, there were holes. Someone had shot him, several times. NO! NO, NO, NO! He was dying! I was too far away, I couldn’t reach him. I felt the last of his life draining away. I screamed one word, it echoed off the mountains and sped it’s way down the link with such force that it ended up being the last word Johnny ever said.

“WHY!!!”

(Dr. Double Helix)

Finally, the last of the damage that annoying unicorn did to me has healed. My perfection is complete once more. If only the damage he has done to my operation could be as easily repaired.

That fool Brass Buttons has scurried back to his lab on the floor below. I grow so weary of his constant criticisms, of his useless toys and even more useless chatter. Still, as distasteful as I find his presence, he had at least voiced valid concerns.

Apparently Mr. Appleseed, with the help of ponies unknown, have managed to free Dr. Brass, and worse yet, free all of my precious specimens. It could takes months if not longer to locate such prime genetic material as closely linked to Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Add to that their families will be on their guard, making it that much harder to capture any close relatives. Fortunately my stock of their genetic material wont be depleted for at least another hundred experiments yet. It may possible that I will crack the alicorn code before then. But even if I don't, it will still add numbers to either my minions, or meat for the Butcher's table.

However, the escape of Dr. Brass will cause a more immediate concern I suppose. I had hoped to have more time before we enacted our plan to seize control of the city, but this will mean pushing that timetable up dramatically.

Wait, what was that? That flare of light from outside. And did the sky just… shatter? No, not the sky, that was Luna's spell of eternal night. Just what in Equestria is going on out there? There, another flash of light. It seems to be coming from the direction of Victor's Park. Could this have anything to do with that pesky private detective? It's been more than long enough for the hundred or so minions I dispatched to have run him to ground. And where is Ebon Shard? He should have reported back by now.

Almost as if summoned, I heard the crack of displaced air as a unicorn teleports into my chambers. It is the prodigal pony himself, Ebon Shard, his sniper rifle hanging from his back. He sees me and makes his way over to deliver his report.

“Well, what happened?” I ask impatiently.

(Ebon Shard)

Not for the first time I think to myself that I have made a horrible mistake. I was a washout as a guard for Celestia, and barely qualified as a security pony for Night Industries. If it wasn't for Brass Buttons influence I would have never made it into the Night Watch. I shouldn't have let him talk me into it. He's had a hold on me ever since.

Then there was Dr. Double Helix. His offer sounded almost too good to be true. He could fix me, make me stronger, better, perfect, like he was. And like a fool, I fell for that as well.

Months and months of being painfully experimented on. Sure I'm a stronger unicorn now, and my speed and reflexes have improved, but I've yet to see the wings I was promised. I'm yet to ascend to become an alicorn. And then there was tonight.

I was sent to kill a pony. A very slippery pony that I thought I had already taken care of. I tracked him to Victor's Park, and watched what I thought would be a slaughter as Helix's creations had him surrounded. It was a slaughter all right, but not in the way I had expected.

What I saw next was almost too much to witness. This pony, this average little unicorn called down the power of the sun! He transformed into some kind of fire god! It was incredible, magnificent! The most beautiful thing I ever saw. His cry smote the moon! He laid waste to Helix's creatures with barely a thought. Then... he cast his power aside! He gave it up, and changed back into his frail weak body. Unbelievable! Why?

Without even knowing, I had raised my sniper rifle. No, what was I doing? I had to speak to him, I had to know how he did what he did. But I couldn’t stop myself. My body was moving on it’s own. I watched myself sight him through the scope, and pull the trigger, over and over. I killed the closest thing to perfection outside of Celestia. It was then that I understood what must have had happened. Helix had got me inside his machine at some point. He programmed my mind to obey him, and to forget. I had no way of knowing what memories were real, and what he wanted me to believe.

Without conscious thought I found myself making my way back to his lab. I had to report on my mission. I had to tell my 'master' that I had done as he requested. That I had killed God.

This whole thing was a horrible mistake. I followed a false god, and now I had fallen. My body, which I had hoped to make perfect, wasn't even my own anymore. I was no better than a trotting dead pony.

(Moonlight Shadow)

Tears. How long has it been since I’ve shed so many useless tears? How long has it been since I have let myself feel what I feel for this pony?

He’s so light. Even without a mane, tail, or hair on his body, I would have though he would be heavier. I’m moving through the shadows as fast as I can without jostling him. I don’t know why I bother. Even though he’s still warm, he’s already dead.

What I’m doing is foolish. Pure emotional foolishness. But I have to try, I have to be sure. I look down at the pony in my hooves. Streetlights glint off of the melted remains of his runes, still seared into his flesh. They glisten off of the blood which has stopped flowing from his chest after his heart stopped beating. I want to stop. To cry out in anguish. But I force myself onward. To a hope that isn’t even a hope at all. Just confirmation of what I already know.

Finally I arrive at my destination. It seemed to have taken an eternity, but Johnny’s corpse is still warm, so it couldn’t have been more than minutes.

I rush through the fetid hallways as fast as I can, and kick open the door to the ‘office’ of Doc Suture. His nurse leaps up in surprise, beginning to lift a crudely made weapon. I rip it from her grasp, and fling it through the wall, causing plaster to rain across the unswept floor. I step toward her, lifting her off the floor with my magic.

“Get the Doctor NOW! Save this pony’s life!” I yell, before dropping her onto the floor.

She rises to her hooves, and for a moment I think she is going to attack me, then she gets a look at who I am carrying.

“Johnny?” she says in a whisper of shock. “Oh sweet Celestia!” Then she bolts into the inner office.

It was only a matter of moments before Johnny was laid out on the doctor’s table. Doctor Suture was lightning fast as he examined him. Then suddenly he stopped, and his shoulders slumped.

He turned to face me slowly. “He’s dead.” he said, his eyes drooping and his tired voice filled with regret. Then he looked me right in the eye, and I could tell that anger was replacing his sorrow. “What in Tartarus happened to him?”

(Johnny?)

I opened my eyes… I think. I mean, I used the normal mental process for opening my eyes, but not only didn't I feel the normal semi-wet feeling of my eyelids retracting from my eyeballs, but I could not see anything. All that seemed to be before me was blackness absolute.

I tried to speak, and much as before, although I used the right commands, I could neither feel the thrumming of my vocal cords as sound emitted from them, nor could I hear anything. Nothing at all. Well, that is until a voice cut across the void. A dark deep, and raspy sounding voice, sounding almost distracted and yet still somewhat disdainful.

“A new arrival? And just when I was finally beginning to enjoy my solitude once more. Typical. And, judging by your reactions this must be your first time,{sigh}, an even greater delight. Please, quit your pathetic barking,” the voice says lethargically, “you sound like a dog. Your problem is that your mentality hasn't fully adjusted to your new state of being. Be still for a few moments, you'll soon find your sight and other faculties restored.”

I took the advice of the scary sounding being, mainly because there was literally nothing else for me to do. Thankfully, he was right. After a few moments my vision returned, and I was able to take my bearings. Before me I saw a pony and not much else.

The pony had a dark gray coat, and a long black mane and tail. He wore a cape and some type of armor. He also had a long curved horn. The horn, and the fact that his eyes were glowing were pretty good indicators that this was no normal pony. In fact, he seemed to be vaguely familiar somehow. Trouble was, without my photographic memory rune, I couldn't quite remember why. Fortunately he cleared up that little mystery for me.

“I suppose you’ll have questions. Yes, they always have questions. My name is Sombra, Ruler of the Crystal Empire. This place we are currently residing is Limbo. Call it the thin line between what we were, and what we will become. I'd imagine your next question will probably be something like 'how did I get here?' Although I am not privy to the exact set of circumstances which led to your arrival, I can at least answer the 'how' of it with some certainty. You are here young soul, because you are dead.”

Suddenly, my last memories came rushing back. The battle, Godhood, frailty, being shot… a lot. Death. I was dead. I was dead, and my sole companion in this formless Limbo was one of the most vile, evil villains in all of Equestria's history.

“Oh Tartarus”, I say aloud.

“Very likely,” my companion replies almost absently.

(Doc Suture)

“So let me get this straight, Johnny somehow, someway, channeled the power of the sun goddess, and transformed into some sort of fire pony. Then he destroyed Luna’s spell of darkness, disfigured the moon itself, then laid waste to Victor’s Park and some sort of army of pony monsters. The he returned to normal, and was shot to death by some shadowy assassin pony who disappeared into the night. Miss have you happened to ingest any illicit substances in the last twenty four hours? I’m not judging mind you, but as a doctor I feel compelled to point out how dangerous and potentially fatal such things can be.”

“The only potentially fatal thing in this room at the moment is myself!” The night black pony fired back. “I assure you doctor, everything occurred EXACTLY as I described. An as soon as poor Johnny is seen to I plan to track that pony down and rend him asunder! His remains won’t even fill a spittoon. I’ll strip the flesh from his still living body, then I’ll cover him in brine. Then while he ferments in pain I’ll have a custom made set of branding irons commissioned. The largest of which I will personally shove-”

“Yes, yes, hot fiery vengeance,” I interrupt, before she becomes more graphic. “But what I need you to be certain about is this, you say Johnny was channeling the power of Celestia. The goddess herself. Are you SURE about that?”

“What? Yes, of course I’m sure. I’ve seen Celestia use her magic up close. I’d recognize her unique magical signature anywhere. For a few moments it was like Johnny was a miniature version of her.”

Nurse Cane gives me a look. She’s been with me for years. Long enough to know how my mind works. Long enough to know that I can sometimes, just sometimes, go a little too far in my personal pursuits. I can’t help the near manic grin that spreads across my muzzle.

She, of course, sees it. “No Doctor, you can’t! It’s not right! He’s dead! He’s dead and that’s the end of it!”

“Well… MOSTLY dead.” I say, leaving the room and then quickly gathering up some equipment from the closet.

“What do you mean MOSTLY dead?” The pony that calls herself Moonlight Shadow asks me.

“He’s dead!” Nurse Cane shouts. “I know what you are thinking, and I want no part of it. I’m leaving Doctor. For good this time! You’ll rot in Tartarus for your dark perversions, but you’ll do it alone!” She says as she storms out, rattling the door on it’s hinges.

“Meh, don’t worry about her.” I say dismissively. She does this at least once a week. She’ll be back after she cools off. In the meantime, I’m going to need your help. We haven’t much time, so you’ll have to follow my instructions quickly, and to the letter.”

“My help? She asks in confusion. “With what?”

“Oh nothing too stressful. You are just going to help me bring back the dead.” I try to hold it in, but a chuckle still escapes my muzzle. Even to my own ears it sounds somewhat manic. That’s fine. If I succeed, I plan to allow myself a full blown cackle. No other doctor would even dare to attempt what I’m planning. Sure it’s a stone’s throw away from necromancy. And yes, there is a decent chance that if it all goes wrong we may be facing some horribly twisted zombie pony. A soulless monstrosity been on destroying all life. Ah, but on the OTHER hoof…

(Johnny?)

After a period of time, I managed to calm down. How long that was I have no way of knowing. I was floating in a limitless void. It may have had color, it may not. Sometimes it seemed white, other times gray, other times a pastel yellow. When I mentioned this, my companion absently said that it was all based on perception. That in this realm, everything was only as real as you wanted it to be. I also didn’t seem to have a body. Just a formless white misty cloud of being. I assume this is what they call a soul. This I also questioned the pony known as Sombra about. His reply was that I could take the form of anything I wished. I just had to concentrate hard enough. Easy enough for him to say considering my brain, (or lack thereof), is still scrambled from my arrival to this non-place.

I suppose I should say a little more about him, after all he was quite famous. He was currently floating on a large elaborate throne. The cushions were red velvet, the wood dark, almost black. It was quite ornate, with the figures of ponies and dragons and gargoyles and griffins adorning every inch of it. I couldn’t quite call it garish, more old world regal. The pony on the throne by contrast sat with his head propped up on his hoof. His gaze was thoughtful, introspective, and totally not focused on me. It was like I was some bothersome fly buzzing around him as he was trying to concentrate on some vast intellectual puzzle. Or at least that was how it appeared to me.

He would respond if I spoke to him, but when I ceased to speak, so did he. It seemed I was a distraction that he did not want or need. For some reason, deep down I was a bit fearful of what would happen if I ever truly got his undivided attention. It was as if some inner instinct was warning me against doing so. This caused me to curb my normally smarmy nature and only ask him brief questions that I felt were too important not to.

“So. What’s the alcohol situation here?”

(Moonlight Shadow)

“So you’ve done this kind of thing before? Successfully?” I ask, watching the doctor put together what looks like a larger and more powerful version of his healing apparatus.

“Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of success,” he replies absently. “I mean, despite minimal damage to my office, and a great deal of cleaning due to splatter, I survived, and so did Archimedes,” he says gesturing toward his pigeon which was perched on the edge of the ceiling light shade. “So from my perspective, I’d call that a success.”

“I feel like I should be arresting you.” I say, suddenly becoming alarmed.

He cackles to himself. “No, no I don’t think you want to do that.”

“I’m pretty sure I do,” I reply, taking a hoofstep toward him.

He stops everything he is doing, and looks me in the eyes for the first time. “Miss ‘Shadow’. What exactly do you know about magic?”

The question catches me off guard, and before I can reply he continues.

“Never mind. You’ll just offer some some foolish diatribe about spells and their usage. What I asked Miss Shadow is what do you know about magic itself. What it essentially is!” He begins to pace on his side of the table as he warms to the topic, still fiddling with his machine as he does so. “Magic, Miss Shadow, are tiny little miracles of probability alteration. If I were to teleport an orange from on side of a table to the other, what I am in fact doing is lowering the probability of the orange existing on one side of the table to zero, and raising the probability that the orange exists on the other side of the table to one hundred percent. A unicorn has the ability to use a constantly replenishing source of special energy that occurs inside their bodies. This energy directly affects the nature of probability. Literally anything is possible for a unicorn to learn how to do as long as they have enough knowledge and energy to do so. Those are the only two limits. Knowledge of the subject, and how big their own personal energy pool is.”

I interrupt. “Wait, so you’re saying that with this device to help you, you can bring Johnny back to life by changing the probability of him being dead to zero, and to him being alive to one hundred? You can actually DO that?” I say in shock.

“Oh no, no. Not a hope in Tartarus. Between the amount of damage, how long he’s been dead, and various other factors, the odds of him becoming whole and hale are so ridiculously large I’d never have a hope of bringing him back.” He says, before returning to his machine.

Despair crashes down on me once more. “Then what in Tartarus are you doing?” I say, my voice choking with emotion.

He stops once more, his face softening with compassion. “Oh my dear, I only said that I could not bring him back. Not by myself, with this device alone. But think, think about it! Johnny was, for a few brief moments, just like Celestia. An alicorn is infinitely more powerful than a simple unicorn. Every cell of his body was saturated with god-like power. And even though he sent it all back to Celestia, a residue of that power still remains within him. Probably forever.

What I am proposing we do is to use my device to tap into that residue of goddessness. That near limitless potential that is saturating his very being. That power should be more than enough to restore Johnny. Providing of course that there is still even the tiniest spark of life remaining. Hence what I said about needing to work fast. Ah, finished. Yes, this looks like it could work.”

“Then by the Sky Stallion just do it already!” I yell, my mind reeling between despair and hope.

He looks at me blankly. “Oh no Miss Shadow. I can’t do this. Why do you think I said I needed YOUR help.”

“W-what do you mean?” I ask, as he moves forward and presses the horn cap in my hooves.

“Why, you yourself said it. Celestia, just like every pony else, has her own unique magical signature. I’d never be able to activate the remains of her magic. Perhaps Johnny could, since it is fused to his body, but for obvious reasons that isn’t going to happen. No, the only other pony that could possibly have even a chance of activating another pony’s magic would be a relative. And a close relative at that. Say, for example, a sister?” His knowing look scythes across the table in my direction.

“I have know idea what you are implying.” I say back evenly. “To the best of my knowledge Celestia only has one sister, and that would be Luna. The nearest closest relative after her would be Candace. But if Luna is who you need, give me just a few moments and I will summon her from the castle. She would be more than willing to help if it meant a chance to save Johnny’s life.” I say, turning toward the door.

Doctor Suture grabs my hoof. “No, No, there’s no time for that. If Johnny is to have a chance, we need to take it now. I SUPPOSE if Luna isn’t available to help us, then we will just have to rely on you anyway. Your magical abilities are far stronger than mine. Yes, I’d say if any pony in Whinnyappleous has a chance of awakening the remnants of Celestia’s magic, that it could only be you.”

I start to protest what he is implying once more, but he cuts me off.

“Stop, just stop. I don’t care. Just put this on your horn, and let me power up the machine. We are only going to have one shot at this, so be prepared to give it everything you have.”

I try to quell my uncertainty and fear. Ponies lives have depended on me before, but not like this. I have to find my resolve, my self assurance. Johnny needs me. I’m the only one that can save him.

“Systems are ready, power is on. Alright Miss Shadow, here’s what I want you to do...”

(Sombra)

There is somepony else here.

I think.

Hmm, POTENTIALLY there is somepony else here. Providing of course that I didn’t imagine him up myself subconsciously. On the other hoof, if I were to imagine a companion for myself I’m sure I could do a better job of it than this blathering idiot. Hmm, on the other other hoof if I were to subconsciously summon up a companion then perhaps it WOULD be someone like him. Someone so vastly different from myself as to make for a contrasting dialog. On the other other other hoof, it is just barely possible that he is, in fact, real. And if THAT is the case perhaps I can use him as a means of escape. Interesting.

Well, I suppose that since I am out of hooves, that it would be best to find out one way or another.

“All right, I’ve made up my mind.” I say sitting upright on my throne, startling the potential pony before me out of his inane chatter of useless questions.

“Y-you have?” he manages to stammer out, without a bit of respect or regard to the fact that he floats before a King.

Potential proof number one that he isn’t real. For what pony living or dead would fail to fawn before King Sombra?

Unless…

Unless somehow this pathetic excuse for a pony’s soul is also royalty? Is that possible? He sounds so, so… ordinary. Of course I have no way of knowing just how long I have been in this place. And he IS the first other being I have encountered here. Perhaps this is the section of Limbo has become reserved for royalty. That would explain the decided lack of other ponies here recently.

I suppose it would be best to simply ask.

“You there, chattering spirit. Are you a King?”

(Johnny)

King? Did he really just ask me that? He went from being lethargic and all but unresponsive to suddenly becoming animated and giving me his undivided attention. And he asks me if I am a king.

Okay Duskwind, don’t be stupid here. Think a moment before you respond. On the one hoof, if I tell him the truth, given my knowledge of his reign over the empire, he’d probably decide I wasn’t worth his notice. Or worse yet, he might try to make me into one of his slaves. Bound to serve him eternally in the afterlife. {Shudder}

On the OTHER hoof, do I really have the balls to try and put one over on one of the most evil beings ever known? Knowing that the moment he discovers I’ve been lying to him I will probably face a tortuous and very slow punishment?

Ah, who am I kidding. OF COURSE I’m going to lie to him. When am I ever going to have another opportunity like THIS come along?

“King? Don't be foalish! No king reins while Celestia draws breath. I am the royal Prince, next in line to the throne, were something to ever happen to her or our my beloved aunt Luna. But why would you even have to ask such a thing? Doth not mine regal bearing, and royal inflection make it glaringly obvious?” I say with all the disdain I can muster. “Shall I be forced into the tedious process of listing my linage? I assure you it traces it's way all the way back to Princess Platinum herself!”

“Indeed?” Sombra replies with a raised eyebrow. “Remarkable! To think my cousin's proud line has diluted itself all the way down to the spirit I see floating before me. By the Sky Stallion! How much time must have past since my last demise… It only goes to show that strict breeding simply must be maintained. Upon my next resurrection, I shall be sure to implement harsh breeding policies to insure a strong stock, both for the royal line, and for my slaves”

Well, if nothing else, I've managed to get his undivided attention. I might as well play this out.

“I would be insulted sir, had those words been spoken by a pony of worth, as opposed to the mere cast off branch of the family tree. A long dead branch I might add.”

“Hahahahaaa. Well spoken. At the very least Platinum's line has still maintained their sharpness of wit. Well, then scion of Platinum, name yourself, and manifest your physical form. It's only a matter of will, surely a pony such as you purport yourself to be isn't lacking in willpower.”

Uh-oh. This could be a problem. But then again, Sombra did say that everything here is shaped by a ponies will. I suppose I don't have any choice but to try at this point.

I focused my mind on an image. An image of a unicorn of noble linage and regal bearing. Then I began to feel something about me begin to warp and shift. It was working! I concentrated on that image as hard as I could even as I spoke the words out loud.

“Prince Blueblood, at your service.” I say as the form of Celestia's hated nephew coalesces around me.

I execute a formal bow. Low enough to acknowledge that the pony before me bears regarding, but not quite low enough to signify the respect due to a king.

“Prince Blueblood eh? Sombra says, floating over to me, inspecting my borrowed looks. “Yes, yes, I DO see the vestiges of Platinum's line in you.” He says raising my chin up in his hoof to examine me.

I slap his hoof away absently, as if swatting a fly.

“One does not paw a Prince of Canterlot,” I say with a full measure of disdain in my voice. “Were we in the palace, the severed remains of that hoof would even now be on it's way to the royal taxidermist to be stuffed and mounted as an example to others.

A flicker of immeasurable rage passes across Sombra’s muzzle, but he masters it. I’d wager that aside from when he was destroyed, no pony would even consider standing up to him as an equal, let alone actually striking him.

I’m putting all my eggs in one basket with this play. It all hinges on him considering me an equal. And to do that I can’t let myself be seen being frightened or intimidated. Fortunately, if ever there was a pony that could match Sombra’s arrogance, it is the likeness I am using now. Prince Blueblood is practically a legend around Canterlot. His nose is stuck so far into the air that pegasi use it to navigate by. And I’ve been forced to endure his company enough times at court to be able to mimic him well enough to fool at least the likes of Sombra, who has never even met him before now.

“Interesting. You certainly comport yourself like royalty. But not so much like the last dregs of nobility I was forced to endure before I conquered my empire. There’s a fire in you Blueblood. You lack the softness of the pampered. Yes, yes indeed. I am no fool Blueblood. You seek to deceive me with your words!”

Oh sweet Zacherle, he’s on to me. Crap, crap, crap…

“Yes, how presumptuous of you, to seek to fool me. You say no king can rein while Celestia and Luna sit upon their thrones. You think to mislead me away from your obvious ambitions.”

“Ambitions?” I say, confused.

Drop the pretense Blueblood, I see through your weak playacting. You seek the dual thrones for yourself! Admit it!”

Waah?!? O-Okay, I can work with this.

“It seems I have underestimated the keenness of his Majesty’s insight.” I say, bowing once more, lower this time. “You have found me out.”

“Of course I have. Your inane babble when you first arrived had me thinking you were some peasant. But then you couldn’t resist me calling you out when I deduced that you were actually royalty. And your reaction to being touched without permission. Those soft whimpering fools I used to deal with would not have dared to strike me so, royalty or not.

Time has not dulled the keenness of my eye, or the sharpness of my whit, no, no indeed. So you seek the diarcy do you?”

Okay, round two. Time to dance.

“It shall be mine! Too long have we been forced to endure Celestia’s wasteful ways. Ponies have grown soft and weak under her rule. And she herself has grown complacent. Mighty weapons have been found and forged since your reign King Sombra, but what has been done with them? Have we expanded our borders? Have we conquered new territory? Does the hooves of our armies strike fear into the hearts of the lesser races when we stride forth into battle? No, no, and no again!

Peace, and love and friendship. That is the core of the religion she espouses! And how long will it be before every other race in Equestria sees us as weak, and soft, and ripe for conquest!

Only I can see clearly through the shroud of pink and white covering Canterlot. Only I understand what MUST be done! And once I have overthrown my dear aunts, then it will be I KING Blueblood, that shall lead Equestria into a new age of pony rule!”

By the Sky Stallion that was overblown. Hopefully though, Sombra is old school enough to actually believe me. I stole most of it from one of the speeches from the main villain from that Batmare ponaudio serial they play every Sunday firstnight. What was her name? The Jester?

“Yes, Yes! You DO understand! For far too long have the pony tribes been led by weak minded fools! Only I had dared to forge and empire based on strength and fear! Had those treacherous alicrons not bested me in the past, by now my empire would have spanned the globe!

Join me Blueblood! Join my cause! Sooner or later one of us will have the chance to return. When that days comes let us pledge to find the means to resurrect the other and usher in a new age of conquest! Quickly now prince, what say you, will you join with me?”

I pretend to consider his words, trying not to show my revulsion at his almost manic gaze.

Suddenly something happens. A point of red and black appears above me. Even as I watch it begins to expand itself. Now it is a whirlpool, a vortex of ebony and scarlet. It swirls above me, and I can feel the force of it. It’s tugging at me, pulling me inside, and I can no more fight it than I could try to fight the might of the ocean.

“Blueblood, this must be it! Something is trying to pull you back! Quickly, swear to me, swear that you will see me restored! Swear this Blueblood and your reward will be great! The very world will be ours!”

I look back at the diminishing form of Sombra, as I am drawn into the maelstrom. Dang it! I just can’t resist.

“Actually, now that I think about it, it’s probably best if I leave you here for right now. More world for ME to conquer don’t you know. But don’t worry, once I have taken over the world, I’ll be sure to bring you back to life. After all, every king needs a good court jester!”

Oh THAT did it. Now he’s REALLY mad.

“A thousand curses upon you Blueblood! This isn’t the end of this, mark my words! I WILL return to the land of the living! And when I do, so help me, the first thing I do will be to hunt you down!

And rest assured, once I get my hooves on you, the agonies I inflict upon your wretched and broken body will make you beg for the release of death once more! Do you hear me Blueblood? I will k-”

Then his voice was lost to me in the roar of the vortex. I honestly have no idea what is going on, or where this thing is pulling me to, but one thing’s for sure, it has to be better than where I just was.

(Moonlight Shadow)

By the Sky Stallion! How much longer? I had been pouring everything I had into Suture’s stupid contraption for nearly thirty minutes, and so far nothing has changed.

Johnny is still lying there, cold and still. No. No! He CAN’T be dead. There must be something left, just one tiny spark… anything. I grit my teeth and bear down, straining myself well past my limits. I don’t care if I burn myself out, I don’t care if it kills me, I won’t let him go! I won’t!

My eyes blur from my tears. They fall down onto Johnny’s unmoving form, spattering on his face. By all the true gods, there must be something, some way! How can I just let him go? How can I go on without the pony I L-

“Sheesh Moonlight, knock it off. Are you trying to give me a bath?”

…

Johnny?!?

Author's Notes:

Okay first off, sorry this took so long. I blame it on three things. Firstly Sombra did not want to be written as I wanted him to be. My original take on him was one of a distant and absent minded Sombra who had been in the void for too long. But no, that just wasn't how his personality played out. To that end, I feel really bad for Prince Blueblood if Sombra ever manages to get free.
The second two things were health related. I went to one doctor to get my eyes checked. (Yes I had to get glasses). But then had to go to another doctor because my bp was insanely high. (This scared de heck out of me because it was never like that before). The second doctor says it may have been caused by the medicine my other, other, doctor had been giving me for the pain of my fractured spine. So he took me off of my pain meds, and put me on bp meds. And told me to up the protein and get rid of carbs and sugars. (No more potatoes and rice?!? Waaaah!)
So anyway, lot of personal junk. Sorry bout all of that. I'll try to get the next chapter out faster.

Chapter 25

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Chapter 25- Vengeance

(Moonlight Shadow)

Everything just stopped. Or maybe it was just me. All I remember for sure was looking down and the sight I saw caused my jaw to drop open and my magic to sputter to a stop.

Johnny’s eyes were open and he was looking up at me. His whole body was glowing. A bright yellow radiance that filled the whole room. All the while he just kept looking at me with this cocky grin on his face as if to say ‘yeah, back from the dead, no biggie, now give me a REAL challenge’.

I was about to say something. Probably something mushy and romantic that he would hold against me for years to come, but then he started to change.

The glow from his body intensified. His fur began to grow back. The remains of his metal runes fell away from his body and healthy skin took their place which was quickly covered over. His mane and tail grew back, long and luxurious, and his entire body seemed to me to be more toned, more fit, as if it had been optimized.

He sat up on the operating table, even as the glow began to fade. His sardonic grin softened, became more genuine. I leaned forward without even realizing it. I was going in for a kiss that would rock his world, but then the mood was killed by the nearly insane cackling of Doctor Suture.

“Mwahahahaaa!!! They called me mad! They said I was crazy to think that any pony could do it! But I’ve proven them all wrong! In your MUZZLE Equestrian Board of Medicine! Pull MY medical license will you! Hah! Hahahahahaa! How do you like me now! I did it, I raised the dead! Ahahahahaaa!”

(Johnny)

My first thought was I was drowning in the ocean. That the strange vortex that had sucked me into it’s maw had flung me out into the sea. When I managed to open my eyes I realized that the salt water that was raining down onto me was caused by Moonlight’s tears. She was standing over me with a frankenpony contraption on her horn that could only belong to Doc Suture and she was pouring magic into it all the while crying a river down onto my face.

I was really touched.

And really wet... Eww.

“Sheesh Moonlight, knock it off. Are you trying to give me a bath?”

Oh, the look on her face!

On the other hoof, I had just come back from the dead. I suppose that any pony would wear a similar expression.

Hold on… wait a minute… I just came back from the dead! Holy Celestia! I’m alive! Woohoo! I could feel my grin softening. I was alive. I was dead, but now I’m alive. And oh my stars is she leaning in to kiss me? No, No I shouldn’t. I need to think about Twilight. Oh smeg, it looks like there is no stopping her now…

“Mwahahahaaa!”

Thank Celestia for small favors. Doc’s ravings seem to have broken the spell. I’d better get up and figure out the situation. My body may feel better than it ever has, but unless things have drastically changed, there is still a mad would be alicorn that needs to be stopped. As well as the bastard that shot me. HIM I want to send on a visit to Sombra. Oh Sweet Sky Stallion, Sombra! Ugh, I suppose I need to get a message to Celestia about that. I’d hate to be Blueblood if Sombra ever manages to get free. Okay, first thing first, need to get my bearings.

“Um, sorry to interrupt the manic ranting and all, but I need to know. Just how long was I, ahem, dead?”

“Doc Suture stops in mid rant. “Hmm, let’s see now. Eleven point three minutes for the procedure, then there was the examination, Moonlight attacking my nurse, estimated travel time from Victory park, I’d say roughly Thirty-two minutes, give or take five minutes for pointless grieving.”

At that Moonlight cuts him a glare that could melt steel. I need to head THAT off quickly.

“All right Doc. I hate to resurrect and run, but there’s a mad pony on the loose, and we are the only ones available to stop him in time.”

“What? No, no, no no! I need to run tests, need to record my findings. This is the most important procedure in medical history! You can’t just leave.”

“Sorry Doc. The tests will have to wait. The fate of the city is at stake, monsters, wanna be alicorns, that sort of thing. Not sure what the bill is for bringing somepony back from the dead, but whatever it comes out to, send it to Celestia. Trust me, she’ll cover it. Moonlight? It’s time to go, and we need to hurry.” I say, as I all but drag her out into the hallway.

Once we are well out of earshot, I ask her, “Um, this is a little embarrassing, but would you mind teleporting us back to my apartment?”

“What? Oh, of course Johnny. Of course you wouldn’t be feeling one hundred percent. That’s totally understandable after being, well, dead and all.” She says in sympathy.

“Uh, no. That’s not it. Actually I feel better than I’ve felt in my entire life. Not only has my body been healed, but even all my old scars and aches are gone. I think actually, that I am literally in perfect health.”

“Then, what’s the problem with teleporting?” She asks curiously.

“Ah, well, to tell the truth. I’m not really all that good at magic.”

“WHAT? But, but, all the things I’ve seen you do! You held up an entire building for Celestia’s sake!”

“Well, not exactly. See most of all of that was just skillful usage of my spell runes. I’m really good with magical tools. But as far as raw power, I’m pretty weak on my own. Without my runes all I have is my training, which is still pretty impressive by itself, but magically I’m not going to be a match for anypony at this point.”

Moonlight looks at me strangely for a moment. I think she just realized that this image she had of me as this unbeatable super pony was just a fantasy. Instead I am merely a regular unicorn, who had an impressive bag of tricks.

“I… see.” She says finally. “Well, getting us back to your place wont be a problem. But what will we do once we are there? I saw those monsters you were fighting. I assume there will be more than was sent after you. And you mentioned a would be alicorn? And then there was the assassin, not to mention the fake Doctor Brass. And now with you helpless...”

Okay, THAT was unfair. I wait until she teleports me back home before I reply.

“Helpless you say? Helpless? Agent Shadow if that’s what you think of me, then you obviously don’t know me at all. You actually based my worth on the amount of magic I was slinging around? Really?”

“W-what? No, no, that isn’t what I meant. I-it came out wrong, of COURSE you are more than just your magic.”

“Damn right I am!” I say from the kitchen, as I open the cupboard under the sink. Then I proceeded to have a word with my garbage disposal.

“You awake Junior?” I ask softly.

“Huh? Pop, is that you? Yeah, I’m awake, what’s up?”

“Feel up to a little action this morning?”

“What? Really? Heck yeah I am. All this sitting under your sink is starting to make me fat. You really got a job for us? Something I can finally cut loose on?”

“Yes son I do, today’s the day you get to make your old man proud. Both of us. Now climb aboard and let’s get suited up!”

“You don’t have to ask me twice!”

And with that my garbage disposal waddles out from under my sink, and crawls its way up onto my back. Sheesh, he HAS gotten bigger since the last time we did this. That’s fine with me. Bigger in this case means stronger, and the stronger Junior is, the better.

I feel a brief sting as he extends himself into my body. “Bio-link confirmed. Proceeding to sync memories. This may take a few minutes.”

“So mature you sound. It’s hard to believe that this is the same baby command bug that Bob gave me all those years ago. You were such a cute little thing.” I chide.

“Memory sync complete. And oh look, I have access to all those memories of YOU as a colt. Just where IS that pastel blue blanky you used to carry around everywhere you went? I’m sure you still have it. Remember how it always kept those monsters in the closet at bay?”

“Hey, don’t give me sass about that, Mr. Sky was awesome!” I retort.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Okay Pop we are tuned in and turned on.”

I could feel Junior’s nannysprites covering my entire body even as he spoke, in less than a minute I was fully encased in thick black armor.

“Let’s do this!” he says enthusiastically into the neural link.

“Johnny, I can’t hear you very well from in the kitchen. Were you talking to somepony?” Moonlight asks from the living room.

As I step toward the entrance way to the living room Bob Junior blares the opening to Black Saddle’s song ‘Iron Mane’ from the speakers. Just as it gets to the good part I can’t help but to add my own voice…

“I AM IRON MANE!” I say, clomping heavily into the living room.

Moonlight’s jaw falls open and her eyes go wide as she all but falls onto my sofa. Inside my armored helmet I am grinning like a fool.

And with good reason. See Junior doesn’t really take after his dad. Bob’s exosuit was sleek and lean, born and bred for stealth and speed. Junior on the other hoof is like a walking tank. His armor is five times as strong as Bob’s, and his enhancement of my strength and speed are comparative. Also, thanks to all those ponaudio serials he’s been listening to, his arsenal is nothing short of fantastic. He would forever be asking me to bring back little tidbits of this and that for him to eat. Each time he did he would learn it’s chemical composition and be able to reproduce it at will. His most recent morsel was a tiny fragment of that stable explosive crystal that I sent to Celestia. He’s been chuckling to himself ever since.

“W-what in Equestria am I looking at?” Moonlight asks from the sofa.

“Second generation Nannysprite technology.” I reply flexing an armored foreleg. “All the abilities of the old, with all the enhancements of the new.”

“Celestia kept up with the program after all.” Moonlight says, taken aback.

“Celestia doesn’t know anything about this, and I plan on keeping it that way! Junior was given into my care by a dying partner. There’s no way I plan to let the lab boys back in Canterlot get their hooves on him.”

“You tell ‘em Pop,” Junior’s pre-adolescent sounding voice chimes in.

“I see.” Moonlight says, regaining her composure. “And this nannytech, it’s strong enough for the two of us to storm Night Industries?

“This suit is strong enough for ME to storm Night Industries alone.” I retort. “Junior here is strong enough to rip a wendigo in half.” I say, remembering back to when I finally tracked down Axle Grease, and Junior got his revenge for his father. “The only reason I haven’t trotted out Junior before is that I wanted to keep him under a low profile. I’d rather not word of his existence got out. But since we have a bit of a situation at the moment with all of my usual arsenal gone, I don’t really have a choice.”

“Very well.” Moonlight says, rising to her hooves. “What’s the plan?”

(Bon Bon)

“What’s the plan?” I ask Celestia, as we load the civilians and the injured onto her chariots.

It had been a harrowing last hour, ever since we made our escape from Night Industries. Easy Money was exactly where Johnny said he would be, and yes, he was able to provide us a ‘discreet’ way of leaving Whinnyappleous, but it involved tunnels and Diamond Dogs, and the back of smelly steam trucks. Add to that, coaxing along a bunch of scared and frightened ponies, and making sure those two injured officers didn’t over tax themselves. Let’s just say that I was never happier to see mom than I have been in years.

But as for mom, she looked terrible. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were wet. It looked like she had been crying all the way here. What in Equestria could have happened?

“Mom... Are you okay?” I ask as she lands.

“No.” She replies tersely. “No I’m not.”

“What happened?”

“Later.” she says harshly. “Let’s get this taken care of first.” she says, going over to the others, her face transforming into one of compassion and caring.

I’ve seen her do this before. Mom has put her mask on. Her ‘public’ face. Something truly terrible must have happened to her on the way here.

“Okay. What’s the plan?” I ask, as we begin to load the civilians onto her two chariots just as she catches sight of Sable Shade, helping his colleagues onto her spare.

“Sable Shade?” She asks in surprise. “I had been wondering what you had been up to since moving to Whinnyappleous. Still have a muzzle for trouble I see.”

“Totally not my fault ma’am.” Sable says once he gets the detectives settled. It literally came out of the darkness and found me. I was actually looking forward to a nice peaceful retirement.”

“Riiight.” Mom says sarcastically, as she rolls her eyes. If I recall correctly, not only were you the most decorated pony in my Solar Guard, but you were also the most reprimanded.”

“Just trying to keep things balanced out ma’am.” He manages to say with a straight face.

“Well, in any event, I’m glad to see you here.” She says as she rummages in a side compartment on the inside of her chariot. A moment later she extracts a quill and a blank scroll with her magic and begins to write. After she is finished she inscribes it magically with her seal.

“Here, takes these to Hindsight and Fact Finder respectively as soon as you arrive in Canterlot. Fact Finder will verify that they are genuine, and Hindsight will assist you in any way you need.”

“Assist me?” Sable Shade says in confusion. Assist me with what?”

“I just granted you authority over the Solar Guard. I want you to assemble the Flare, Lightning, and Firestorm brigades, and have them join me in Whinnyappleous as fast as they are able.”

“You aren’t coming back with us?” He asks.

“No. You should be safe enough with the guards that have accompanied me. Myself, Sweetie Drops, and her armored friend are returning to Whinnyappleous as fast as we are able.”

“Why? What else has happened?” I chime in.

She pauses and takes a deep breath to steady her nerves.

“Johnny got in over his head. His enemy attacked him with an army. He was forced to use his alpha, and omega runes. And although he defeated his attackers… A-although...”

Mom stops, unable to go on. I’ve never seen her like this. EVER. I began to feel a dreadful horror creeping up on me. Like my subconscious realized something but doesn’t want the rest of me to know. But then mom manages to finish what she was saying, and my world fell apart.

“Johnny’s dead.”

(Johnny)

“You are SO dead Johnny!” Moonlight all but yells as she dangles beneath me. “I could have simply teleported us back.”

“We’ve been over this Moonlight. By now Night Industries is probably on full alert. They will have every magical detection device they own scanning for intruders. Fortunately, Junior doesn’t USE magic, and his stealth mode rivals the best invisibility spells out there. Trust me, they’ll never see us coming. Well, unless you keep squirming around until you fall to your death.”

“I’m squirming around because I’m covered in thousands of tiny living nannysprites. And I wouldn’t fall to my death if you and Junior wouldn’t be flying so blasted high.”

“What can I say? Junior doesn’t get out much. And he hasn’t gotten to use his new turbine propelled flight engines yet. What did you call them Junior? Flutters?”

“Jetters.” Junior corrects. “They cause a jet of high powered air making me able to fly faster than the fastest Pegasus. I’ve been working on the design for awhile since my armor makes flying with wings really slow and ponderous. But ever since you gave me that crystal sample, I’ve had all kinds of applications for it’s energy output. Thanks a lot Pop.”

“Don’t mention it kiddo, glad you are having fun with it.”

“Am I suppose to understand ANYTHING the two of you have been saying?” Moonlight snipes testily from below.

“No worries Mrs. Shadow. Just guy stuff.” Junior says feigning innocence.

“Boys and their toys.” She mutters as she starts squirming once more. I can’t help but wonder if Junior is having his sprites irritate her on purpose.

In a matter of minutes we have flown our way back to Night Industries. It took me a few MORE minutes to locate the hidden ramps that led down to The Butcher’s slaughterhouse. I suppose I had been taking those photographic memory runes for granted along with all the others. Being a mere mortal was obviously going to take some getting used to.

Still we did eventually find it. Just before we made our way inside I couldn’t help but to notice that a patch of the sky to the east had begun to get lighter. Then I remembered what I had done. I had shattered Luna’s time spell. Dawn would soon break upon Whinnyappleous for the first time since Luna took over. Ugh, I was going to have some explaining to do. I did NOT look forward to that conversation.

I held Moonlights hoof to maintain contact and keep her cloaked in Junior’s stealth field as we creeped our way inside. To my surprise nothing seemed to have changed in the half hour or so since I was gone. I had to assume that Dr. Double considered me dead, and that his plans still had time to come to pass. This suspicion was confirmed as we got closer to the other side of the room where we could hear two ponies talking.

“And are you sure that is EVERYTHING?” The first voice asked. Clearly Dr. Double’s voice.

“For the fourth time YES! That’s everything I know about Johnny Appleseed! I have no idea how he was able to transform himself! Maybe I COULD have learned something, if you hadn’t forced me to kill him!”

This was a pony I didn’t know, but considering what he was saying, I felt I would very much like to.

“And while we are on that subject Doctor. You may be interested to know that I tried very hard NOT to kill him, but SOME how my hoof pulled the trigger anyway. You wouldn’t know anything about that would you?”

Wait, this was interesting. So was my assassin really my assassin?

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d finally figure it out Ebon.” Dr. Double says smugly.

“So you admit it! Some how, some way, you managed to get me into that brainwashing machine of yours! How long? How long have I been your puppet?” The pony I assume to be Ebon Shard yells.

“How long? You simple minded buffoon! You were mine from the very first time you came to me for treatment! You think I used that crude Changeling machine of Brass’s for my work? Don’t be naive. That monstrosity is nothing more than a hammer. The device I constructed, once I understood the principles of the original, far surpassed it in every way. Haven’t you ever wondered how I control all of my experiments? My mind control device is built into every tank!

Yes, I can see you understand now. Ever since you came to me for help for your weak and sickly body, you have undergone subtle mental conditioning, even as my chemicals did their work. In the end you were improved in every way, both mentally and physically.”

“What are you talking about? What did you do?” Ebon asks wide eyed, filled with horror.

“Why, I did what you asked. I made you better. Stronger, faster, more powerful. But what use were all my physical gifts when your mind was still so stunted. Justice, morality, honor. They held you in shackles stronger than steel. Ah, but I did away with all of that. And I did it so skillfully that you never even noticed. Do you think the old Ebon Shard could stomach killing any pony? Let alone become the best assassin in the city? Of course not. He was a member of the Night Watch. And a particularly squeamish one at that. Ah, but now you kill for me without a thought. Obey my orders and don’t think twice about why. Even now, despite knowing everything, you’ll still do whatever I say, you can’t help it. Your will is mine!”

“No! I refuse to believe it! I can think. I can reason! I’m no ponies dog! Least of all yours!” I see Ebon lunge toward Dr. Double, as I silently cheer him on.

“Sit!” Double says simply. And Ebon immediately lands rump first on the floor.

“Foolish unicorn. You are mine, body and soul. Once I am sure you know nothing more about Appleseed I will simple order you to forget that you ever discovered your conditioning. Then things will go back to the way they were before you went out to kill him. Who knows? Perhaps first I will order you to lick my hooves, just to keep you in your proper place. Perhaps I will make that a compulsion. Yes, that sounds fitting I think. But first, tell me once more everything that happened after you left the building in pursuit of Johnny Appleseed.”

I think I have had just about enough of that kind of talk. “Hey Junior.” I sub-vocalized. “You think you could blow out Ebon’s eardrums from here with a sonic attack?”

“You thinking if he can’t hear Double’s orders then he won’t have to follow them?” Junior asks.

“I give it a fifty-fifty chance that it’s only spoken commands.” I reply. “Either way it couldn’t hurt to try. Wait until my signal then fire it off. I think it’s about time that we go on the offensive.”

“You got it boss.”

“Moonlight, this guy is dangerous. He isn’t anywhere near Celestia’s or Luna’s true power, but he’s way more powerful than any normal pony. We need to incapacitate him before he can free any of his horror show army from these tanks. Then we need to destroy the creatures in these tanks somehow while they are still dormant.”

“Actually, I have an idea about that boss.” Junior interjects.

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“Well, while we have been sitting here my sensors have been analyzing the tanks around us. The creatures inside them are kept dormant by the liquid in the tanks, and alive and able to breath by a supply of liquid oxygen that permeates the other chemicals. If I can hack into the controls for the tanks, I can adjust the amounts of liquid oxygen being fed to them.”

“So, you could cut off their air supply and kill them all at once? That’s brilliant!” I say with pride.

“Ah, well, we COULD do that I suppose.” He says reluctantly. “But on the OTHER hoof, we could saturate each and every tube full of liquid oxygen, then cause a small electrical short...”

“Oh sweet Celestia!” I exclaim as realization dawns on me at what he’s suggesting.

“What? What would that do?” Moonlight asks. “I don’t understand.”

“Liquid oxygen, when added to a suitable material such as carbon, becomes EXTREMLY explosive.” I explain. “Like twenty times more powerful than dynamite. Junior is proposing that we turn this entire floor into one huge bomb.”

“What?!?” No! We can’t do that! Who knows how many innocent ponies work here?” She whispers back harshly.

“No, I don’t think you understand. Count the tanks. An explosion that big would take out more than this building, it would likely take out everything for a half mile radius around it.”

“One point seven square miles around it.” Junior says with pride.

“Absolutely not!” I order. “We are NOT going to bomb Whinnyappleous!”

“But Dad...”

“No ‘buts’ son. Your real father would be ashamed of you! We are here to PROTECT the innocent. Not set off bombs that would accidentally kill who knows how many of them! You need to start thinking about the consequences of your actions, not just about how big an explosion you can make.”

“I-I… I’m sorry. You’re right, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I- it’s just that I don’t get to go on missions with you much. I just wanted to make you proud. Blow up the bad guys, save the day. I’m sorry...”

“Oh son, of course I’m proud of you. You don’t have to blow up a city block for that. I’m proud of you just for being you.”

“Thanks Dad.”

“Are we done?” Moonlight says impatiently. “If so I’d like to focus on the problem in front of us.”

Is she… jealous? She sounds jealous. Weird.

“So here’s what I have come up with while you were bonding over NOT killing everyone in a two mile radius.”

“One point seven mile radius.” I interject.

“Whatever!” She huffs. “Listen. After Junior hits Ebon with his sonics, keeping him from taking orders, I’ll attack Dr. Double and draw him away from the controls. Then Junior hacks the controls, locks Dr. Double out of access to them and shuts off the air.”

I was feeling left out of this plan.

“I’m feeling left out of this plan.”

After Junior finishes with the controls you can give me backup IF I need it.”

“Wow. Sounds better than one of Pop’s plans.” Junior says impressed.

“Hey! There is nothing wrong with my plans. I make really GOOD plans.” I say defensively.

“Very well,” Moonlight says. “Then what is YOUR plan?”

“My plan is… that we go with Moonlight’s plan.”

“Really?”

“What? It’s a good plan. No sense wasting it. Now let’s get a move on. Junior, take out Ebon’s hearing. Moonlight, better cover your ears.”

Junior wastes no time directing an extremely amplified version of a bat ponies sonic screech directly at Ebon Shard. Both he and Doctor Double fall to their knees clutching at their heads. As soon as the sound waves die down Moonlight sheds her nannysprite cocoon, and steps into view. She shouts some challenge at Doctor Double which I can’t quite make out due to my still ringing ears, and this was in spite of the soundproofing in my armor.

Obviously Double still understood her however because his perfect equine features curl up into a snarl, and he shouts and order for Ebon to attack.

Ebon however, who had looked up toward Doctor Double at the sweep of his hoof, just sat there on his knees unmoving. After a moment a smile slowing spread across his muzzle as he realized what had been done. He looks over toward Moonlight, nods, and gives her a hooves up sign. Then he crosses his forelegs, looks back toward Doctor Double, and gives him a loud rasberry, causing Double’s face to go red with rage.

He wastes another moment yelling orders at Ebon, apparently he was used to being instantly obeyed. Ebon merely sits there, not helping, but not hindering him either. I assume that Double had already put orders into his head against ever harming him. It’s what I would have done.

Unfortunately for Double, the last thing he should have done was turn away from Moonlight. Before he can finish his rant, Moonlight had grasp him in her magic, and flung him into the nearest wall. No, I mean that literally. She flung him INTO the wall. For the next few seconds all we could see where his rear legs wriggling frantically, as he tried to extricate himself. Ebon gave her a round of applause.

It was time for me to move.

Dropping my stealth, I made my way over to the control station for that Double had used to free his monsters to attack me. Ebon saw what I was doing and came over to me.

“I don’t know who you two are,” he said too loudly, due to his lack of hearing, “But I owe you both my thanks.”

I nodded at him, and went to work. One hoof of my armor formed into an ax, and I began ‘hacking’ the system. Once I had a large enough hole, Juniors nannysprites made their way inside and began to work on the controls. If I wanted to, I could have seen everything through their tiny eyes down the link I had with Junior, but I trusted him to do the job, and I wanted to keep my own eyes on what was going on in case we were needed.

Ebon was still talking.

“My name, in case you didn’t know, is Ebon Shard. I gather you understood that I was being controlled by that mad pony trying to get himself out of the wall.” He gestured toward the lunatic in question, which was almost free. Moonlight was being sporting, waiting until he got himself out to attack again. She’s a better pony than I was. I would have blasted ‘Creeping Death’ right up his-

“As I was saying,” Ebon interrupted my train of thought, “I can’t thank you enough. I’d love to help you take him down, but I find that I can’t lift a single hoof against him, or betray any of his secrets. Nor do I know of any way to break his control.”

I remembered the original changeling mind control machine, and what had happened to Sweetie Drops. I pick up a clipboard off of the control station and a nearby pen and write, ‘There is a way to break his control. After we finish with all of this, I will take you to Celestia, she has seen this sort of thing before.’ I show him what I wrote, and watch his expression change to one of pure joy.

“Oh merciful Goddess! This is more than I could have ever hoped for! Listen, I may not be able to betray Doctor Double, but nothing keeps me from talking about anything else. There’s some thing you need to know. Double ISN’T the real danger...”

I listen intently to Ebon’s terse message. Somehow I should have saw this coming. When he finishes, I give a quick nod, letting him know I understood. Then I turned my attention back to the fight.

Double had extricated himself from the wall and shed his lab coat. He rose onto his back hooves and flared his wings. I assume he was trying to invoke awe into Moonlight at the sight of an unknown alicorn god.

Moonlight was having none of it.

During the time it took for Double to free himself, she had been gathering up all of the knives from the various rending stations that were used to butcher up Double’s experiments. She now proceeded to hurl them at him one at a time, at great speed, with her magic.

Double quickly raised a shield, and the first three bounced off of it harmlessly. That was when Moonlight increased the power of her throws. The impact of the next two were audible. The third shattered his shield, and the next four pinned him to the wall beside the hole where he had just freed himself from. He screamed as blood ran thickly from his damaged wings. In a rage he tore the blades free with his own magic and sent them flying back toward Moonlight, as he quickly healed his wings.

Moonlight didn’t even bother with her magic, she just swatted them aside with her hoof.

Double seemed shocked. So far he was on the losing end. Something I’m sure he wasn’t used to. He pointed his horn at Moonlight and did… something. I’m not exactly sure what. The air around Moonlight blurred and shimmered for a moment. The beginnings of a smirk had formed on Double’s face, but died as he saw that whatever he was doing was having no effect on Moonlight.

Instead, Moonlight merely smiled in return, and made two quick slashing motions with her hoof. The air around Double blurred briefly, and a moment later he screamed once more as his two neatly severed wings fell to the concrete floor, blood gushing from their stumps.

“This… this is impossible!” He roared. “I am an alicorn! I am perfection! How are you, a lowly unicorn, able to DO this to me?!?”

Moonlight did not even bother to respond. At least not verbally. Instead she swung her hoof, again and again, and again. First one leg, then another fell to the floor. Followed by the last two. Her next swing took of his horn, and the next his tail.

She trotted up to him, and looked down at him in scorn. I barely registered Junior telling me that his job was done, and the monsters in the tanks were no more. Even Ebon was looking horrified at Moonlight’s grim visage as she proceeded to ‘butcher’ The Butcher.

“Y-you can’t do this to me!” Double said, his voice cracked and his muzzle trembling. “I- I am a God. A GOD!”

“You kill and torture and twist good ponies into evil. This by itself proves you are no God, you are a demon. But then you dared to try to kill one of MINE? One of the ponies that I love and cherish? For that you’ll find no mercy in my heart. Instead all that you have earned is a cold, cold, demise.”

Moonlight’s eyes gleam like the moon itself, as she raises her head for a moment before she glares down at Doctor Double’s helpless form once more.

“GELID STARE!” she shouts.

Immediately Double’s body frosts over where he sits. Blood is frozen in mid-spurt. I could literally hear the grinding sound as his flesh and blood body instantly freezes itself solid.

With a contemptuous snarl she strikes out with a forehoof, shattering Double’s body into a thousand icy shards.

“And that is how justice is mete out in MY city.” She says, looking down at Double’s shattered remains.

The silence stretches out for several seconds, before Junior manages to say...

“B-boss?”

“Yes Junior?”

“Let’s be sure to never, ever, EVER, make Moonlight angry with us.”

“Duly noted Junior. Duly noted.”

Chapter 26

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Chapter 26- By the Dawn’s Early Light

“She just destroyed him… like it was nothing! How is that possible?” Ebon Shard asked me, a little too loudly due to his damaged ears. “I mean every pony in the Watch has heard stories about Agent Shadow, but none of us really believed all of them. I mean, she just took down an alicorn for Celestia’s sake!”

“Not for Celestia’s sake. For Luna’s!” Moonlight says trotting over, causing Ebon to cringe and try to hide behind me like a scared filly. Noticing this Moonlight remarks, “Well at least one of the villains knows their place.”

“Calm down Moonlight. Ebon is NOT a villain. He’s as much a victim here as those poor creatures in the tubes.”

“Sorry. It’s just hard for me to forgive him after he essentially murdered you.” She replies.

Johnny shoots a frantic look back toward the cowering Ebon. It’s obvious from his expression that he had no idea what he and Moonlight were talking about. Johnny moves closer to Moonlight and whispers “Best not to mention who I am under the armor. As far as Ebon knows, Johnny Appleseed is dead. Even though Doctor Double is done away with, all the orders he put in Ebon’s head are still in place. IF he knows it’s me in here, he would be forced to try to kill me.”

“And there’s no way to undo his conditioning without Celestia’s original spell.” Moonlight says worriedly.

“Well, I’m not so sure about that.” Johnny says slowly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the original changeling machine that the fake Doctor Brass used, wipes the mind clean and forces an imprint of whatever type of slave that Chrysalis wanted into it’s place. But this new technique of Doctor Double leaves the mind intact, but forces the subject to obey Double’s commands. His VERBAL commands.” Johnny adds for emphasis.

“So what are you saying? That you have found a way to undo Double’s efforts?”

“I think so. I want to try it. If it doesn’t work we’ll have too deafen him again, but if it does then we will be able to learn everything he knows about Double’s part in the fake Doctor Brass’s plans.”

“Wait, wasn’t THIS,” Moonlight says gesturing around her at the room full of now deceased monsters, “their master plan?”

“Not from what he was able to tell me during your all to brief fight. He isn’t able to betray Double. At least not yet, but he was able to give me some details about what the fake Doctor Brass has been up to, and that was enough to send chills up my spine. I think it’s worth the risk to try and free Ebon, to see if we can learn more. Trust me, from what I’ve learned, we don’t want to go further downstairs without all the information we can get.”

“Alright,” Moonlight agrees reluctantly. “But if it looks like he is going to try to harm you, I’m going to put him down… hard.”

“If you MUST. But try not to be TOO hard okay? Like I said, he’s a victim.”

During all this, Ebon had come out from behind Johnny. He had tried to follow the conversation as best he could, but lip reading was a skill he never learned. At best he was able to determine they were talking about him. Between the twin shocks of learning that he had been made unknowingly into a puppet, and then having to witness Doubles gristly demise, to say that Ebon’s nerves were on edge would be an understatement.

Johnny said something to Moonlight, and she pointed her horn directly at Ebon. It emitted a brief glow, and suddenly Ebon could here the sounds of their breathing echoing in the still room.

“You restored my hearing? Thank you, thank you very much.” Ebon says, facing the pair.

“Yes, but there's still on more thing we need to do. Ebon, if you could leave the room for just a moment.” Johnny says, gesturing toward a nearby door that led to an emergency stairwell.

“What's this all about?” Ebon asks, confused.

“Nothing that won't take more than a moment. Just please step into the stairwell, and close the door. One of us will call you when it's safe to return.” Johnny says, gesturing once more.

“Well, all right. If it is important.”

“Just trust me Ebon. It is.” Johnny encourages.

The two wait until Ebon has left the room and closed the door.

“All right Johnny, what's the plan?” Moonlight asks.

“I need you to lie down prone on the floor, then I am going to put my hoof on your-”

“Johnny!” Moonlight yelps. “We barley even know each other! I mean if we weren't surrounded my dead mutants, with the fate of the city on the line...”

“What? No! Not THAT way! On your back. Your back Moonlight. Sheesh! I'm going to make it look like I have defeated you.”

Defeated me? I don't understand.”

{Sigh}. “Just hold on a second. Junior? Have you heard enough of Dr. Double's speech to be able to duplicate it?” Johnny asks.

“Sure thing boss. I assume you want the camo to match?

“You know me so well. Do it kiddo.”

A shimmering occurs over Johnny's suit, and a moment later the appearance of Johnny Appleseed is gone to be replaced by that of Doctor Double Helix.

“Mwahahaha. Bow before me lesser beings, for I Doctor Double Helix have returned.” Junior says, perfectly mimicking the voice of the deceased Doctor.

“Dial it down Junior. We don't want Ebon in here just yet.” Johnny says from inside. “Alright Moonlight. Do you see where I'm going with this?

“Clever Johnny, Very clever.” Moonlight says as she slowly abases herself on the ground before the disguised Johnny. “How's this?”

“Too sexy.” Johnny replies. “You need to look defeated. Rub some of that concrete dust on your face, and muss up your mane a bit.”

“Better?” Moonlight asks, after she has finished.

“Hmm, still awfully sexy. But in a defeated way. It'll do,” Johnny says at last.

“You always say the sweetest things.” Moonlight replies, batting her eyelashes.

“Riiiiight. Okay, do you think you can manage to yell for help convincingly?” Johnny asks, as he carefully places his hoof down on the middle of Moonlight's prone form.

In response Moonlight puts a hoof over dramatically to her forehead, and shrilly cries out. “HELP! Ebon please help me!”

“Drama queen,” Johnny mutters as the door behind him crashes open. “Well, time to see if this will work. Junior, here's what I want you to say...”

“Agent Shadow, what's going on? I heard you scream a-” but that was as far as Ebon managed to speak, before the disguised Johnny turned to face him. “D-Doctor Double? But… but you're dead! She killed you!”

“Witless clod! Did you really think that a puny being such as this” Junior says, pressing down lightly with his hoof, causing Moonlight to offer up a fake weak scream, “could ever defeat the likes of me?!?” “I am perfection! The pinnacle of Equine form! No mere unicorn could ever hope to defeat me! Now come to me Ebon Shard. Come and kneel before your master!”

Still in shock, Ebon's body moves as if on it's own, and comes to kneel before the disguised Johnny.

“Now listen closely Ebon Shard. I want you to obey my commands to the letter. Do you understand?”

“Yes… master” Ebon spits the words out reluctantly.

“Excellent. My first command is for you to remember anything that I ever told you to forget.” Ebon's eyes blink for a moment, as previously hidden information rushes back to him. His eyes turn hard, filling with hate. Obviously Dr. Double had made him do something really bad, and then told him to forget about it. “Alright, my second command is to forget any and all commands I have given you before two minutes ago, except for the one about not harming me, and that you must obey me. You can remember what they were, but you will not obey them any more. This includes all the changes that I made to your personality.” The reaction this time takes longer as years worth of manipulations become unraveled. After a few moments, tears leak from Ebon eyes. “My third command and final command is for you to close your eyes, and count backwards from ten to zero. Once you reach zero I want you to open your eyes, and obey no beings commands ever again, unless you choose to of your own free will. Your will will be your own. Forever. Now start!”

Ebon closes his eyes and starts counting backwards. Johnny soundlessly returns to his natural state, and helps Moonlight up.

The two wait patiently until Ebon finishes and opens his eyes once more. He blinks for a moment and looks around.

“Agent Shadow, you're okay? What happened to Doctor Double? I have a burning desire to speak to him!” Ebon says with an edge in his voice.

“Well, time to see if this works,” Johnny says, before retracting his helmet to reveal his features for the first time to Ebon.

“Johnny Appleseed? Ebon says in shock. But you're dead! I killed you.”

“That you did. I remember it well. The question is, do you want to kill me now?”

“What? Ebon asks in surprise. “No, of course not! I want to tell you, I-I'm so sorry about that night. I tried so hard to stop myself, but my hooves moved on their own. I never wanted to kill you! I wanted to talk to you, so badly. But then...”

“Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay.” Johnny soothes. “Moonlight, I think we have our answer. It seems our friend Ebon is one hundred percent cured.”

“What do you mean cured? What's going on?” Ebon asks thoroughly confused.

“Well I think it's now safe to tell you.” Johnny says, taking a step back. “The Double you were just speaking to wasn't Double, it was a double.”

Moonlight facehooves herself, hard. “Oh Celestia, you've been saving that one haven't you? For how long? Dare I ask.”

“From the minute I first heard his name. I knew if I was patient enough I'd get to use it sooner or later.” Johnny says grinning wickedly.

“Okay, I know enough to realize that that was a really bad pun. But you're saying the one I just spoke to was a fake?” Ebon asks.

In response Johnny's form shimmers once more, and his armor once again replicates Double's alicorn form, minus the helmet that Johnny isn't wearing.

“Just a trick of Junior's here. He also perfectly duplicated Double's voice. I reasoned that if Double was controlling you with verbal commands, that you would accept any commands as long as you thought they were from him. And since those included never obeying any commands again, then once you accepted that, then it wouldn't matter if you knew it was me after the fact because you would already be free of his control.”

“But what if, once I knew it was you, I then rejected everything you told me as Double and returned to his control?”

“That all depended on how his conditioning worked, I gave it about a fifty-fifty chance” Johnny admits. “But I reasoned it was better we found out now, than say ten years later at a picnic when someone said something like, 'remember the time back when Johnny pretended to be Double' and then you suddenly go on a rampage. Also if it didn't work, then me or Moonlight would've knocked you out until Celestia could fix you later on. One way or another Ebon, we WERE going to save you.”

“Honestly, I can't thank you enough!” Ebon enthuses. “The things he made me do… so much. I-I don't know how I can ever atone...”

“Ebon,” Johnny says grabbing him by the shoulders. “The important thing to remember is, that it ISN'T YOUR FAULT! Double was controlling you. As for atonement, I have a few ideas about that, the most important of them at the moment being, what can you tell us about what's REALLY going on here? What was Brass and Double's master plan?”

Suddenly the floor begins shaking beneath their hooves.

“Oh, no!” Ebon cries. “It's too late! He's already begun!”

“Too late? Begun what? Are they self destructing the building?” Johnny asks, trying to maintain his balance.

“No. No, it's much worse than that! Brass Buttons has opened up the hidden access ramp to his underground facility. Listen! Let me explain what they were planning!

See it all started when Buttons and Double first started working together. Buttons never had an original idea in his life, but he was always quick to take advantage of other ponies ideas. Double's plan to make a perfect pony race under his control appealed to Buttons, but he never did agree on how Double went about it. Double was all about trying to 'improve' pony kind with genetic tinkering. Buttons thought this was a waste of time. You see by then he had access to all of his brother's equipment. He was sure that technology was the answer. His assistant Mercy was one of his first successes. He replaced all of her missing limbs with M.I.S.P. motor driven hydraulics, wiped her mind and armed her to the teeth. He had grand plans of making entire armies of cyber ponies, incapable of feeling pain, and totally loyal to only him. Double thought him raving mad, but was willing to let him play his games as long as Buttons was able to supply him with a lab, and all the supplies he needed for his work. Buttons on the other hoof thought Double was a deluded egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, but he tolerated Double so long as he was supplying Buttons with the one thing he needed in quantity.”

“What was that?” Moonlight asked.

“Brains, Agent Shadow. Pony brains.” Ebon replies.

“Ewww.” Moonlight replies.

“Indeed. You see each time Double finished with one of his experiments, he had the remains cut up and sold to the Whinnyappleous black market under his guise as 'The Butcher'. The brains however, Buttons claimed for his own. He had his brainwashed scientists use a combination of the technology used for damaged limb replacement, and the preservation techniques that the real Dr. Brass had been developing for space exploration, to create an army of cyber ponies. All metal, except for the living brain inside. A brain that Buttons had wiped and put under his control.

Then, about half a year ago the two were arguing once more about which of their ideas would bear fruit first and then Double hatched a scheme. He would foalnap key ponies in positions of power and brainwash them as sleeper agents. Then he would unleash his army of failed experiments on the city. The sleeper agents would hinder Luna's Watch at every turn, ensuring that the mutants would run rampant over the city. Then when things looked at their worst, Buttons, assuming the identity of the real Dr. Brass, would reveal his army of cyber ponies. They would sweep the street and eliminate all of Double's failed experiments. Afterwords Buttons would declare Luna and her Watch incompetent and unable to keep the city safe, and would demand she step down. Buttons would then take her place, with Double acting as his chief adviser. The first thing they would do is eradicate the 'Butcher' using me as a scapegoat. (a fact that I only knew about, once you restored my memories). Once he had the people behind him, then he would expand his operations, sending cyber ponies into other cities, replacing their police forces as well. Then he would begin the process of foalnapping and subverting those other cities officials until he had enough control to finally move against Canterlot. It would have been an invasion from within. Inside ten years they had planned to control all of Equestria!”

“Madness! Insanity!” Moonlight says incredulously.

“It… could actually work.” Johnny says in reply. “Insidious. Double's mind was more advanced than I gave him credit for. But, with Double dead, and his monsters all slain, what can Buttons hope to accomplish?”

“I'm not sure. I do know that he has camera's set up to monitor Double's work, just as Double was keeping an eye on him. Camera’s connected to the generators in his own lab, separate from the rest of the building. He has to know what happened here today. I have no idea what he hopes to accomplish, but I do know that he wouldn't open the secret access to his lair, unless he was making his move.”

“He must be desperate. With his brother freed, and Double out of the equation, all he can hope for is to try to seize power by force. What can you tell me about his forces? What are we going up against?”

“I don't really know anything specific.” Ebon Admits, rubbing his head. I was Double's right hoof minion, just as Mercy was Button's. I was only ever in his lab when I was running errands for Double.

I got a brief look at a schematic once, which Button's engineers had left out. All I can say for sure is that their bodies are completely machine. And their brain casing is protected from both magical and physical attacks by something called an Oscillating Harmonic Matrix. I remember in Double's lab when they tested one of his creatures against one of Button's cyber ponies. Double ordered his nightmare to focus it's attacks on it's brain. The magic shredded before it even struck the clear dome surrounding it, and when the monster tried to rip it off with one of it's tentacles, (don't ask), it was ripped to shreds as well. I do know that the shield only protects the brain though. I assume that it would require a larger power source than a cyber pony could easily carry to protect it entirely. The monster WAS able to damage the cyber ponies body somewhat before it was slain. But keep in mind that Double's creations were many times stronger than the average pony. And even though it managed to inflict some minor damage, it was still slain in the process.

“Well, fortunately for us, we aren't just any ordinary ponies.” Johnny says flexing an armored hoof. “We need to access his lair. I assume it's on the final floor below this one?”

“Yes, the elevator will take you to the entrance to his lab, and beyond that his production line.” Ebon admits.

“All right, we need to get down there and see what we're up against. If he's about to march on the city, we need to find out a way to stop him, and fast. Let's go!”

The three ponies make their way back into the elevator, and descend to it's lowest level. The door opens to reveal a long corridor lined with doors.

“Follow me, I've been here several times before, I know the fastest way to engineering, any information about Buttons creations will be in there.”

Ebon quickly leads the trio though a maze of interlocking doors and corridors.

“Sheesh, what was this place before Double took over. It's like a maze down here.” Johnny says, as he has Junior map their progress.

“This used to be where Brass Tacks had all of his research and development laboratories.” Ebon says. “Luna spared no expense to recruit the top minds from all over Equestria to come and work here. There were ponies, griffins minotaurs, even a diamond dog or two. But then after Buttons replaced his brother, all non pony scientists were gradually phased out. That was one thing both Buttons and Double had in common, they were both after a perfect PONY race. And they felt all other races were inferior.”

“How incredibly racist.” Moonlight says with derision. “It completely goes against Luna's ideal. When she took over this city, it was to make it a shining example of how all races could live together in harmony.”

“Yeah, that's why they were both targeting Luna. She was the opposite of everything they both stood for. And one of the only things that united them in a common cause. Had they actually succeeded together in toppling Luna, I'm sure it wouldn't have been long before there was an all out war between the two of them. With the innocents of the city caught in the middle. At least with Double dead, we wont have to worry about THAT scenario. Ah, we're here, the engineering wing.”

A set of double doors were opened and the trio rushed in, all sense of stealth discarded.

“Where is everypony? There isn’t a soul to be found.” Johnny said as they made their way past the empty workstations.

“I honestly don’t know. Usually there are dozens of technicians and scientists in here.” Ebon replies, shouldering his sniper rifle.

“What’s down that way?” Moonlight asks, pointing past the rows of cubicles toward an open space at the end of the large room.

“That’s where they have their model decompression chambers. They test what would someday be our space suits, and airlock seals. Beyond them is the doorway to Button’s assembly room.”

“Why is there a yellow light blinking on that one cube shaped room while all the others are dark?” She asks.

“What? Quickly, we have to get down there!” Ebon shouts, as he rushes toward the end of the room, leaving his companions to catch up to him.

“What’s going on? What’s that mean?” Johnny asks, his armor allowing him to catch up to Ebon effortlessly.

“Yellow means that the air is being removed from the chamber. Red will mean that it’s gone. Buttons must be tiding up loose ends. That’s why we haven’t seen any pony else in here!” Ebon pants, as they arrive at the door to the chamber.

Ebon’s theory proves true as all three can see through the thick plexi-glass window dozens of ponies tightly packed inside. Their faces blank, and their eyes empty.

“We have to shut this down and get them out of there!” Ebon says frantically. “But I don’t know anything about these controls.”

“Can’t we just smash them, or the door?” Moonlight asks, igniting her horn.

“No, the explosive re-compression might kill the ponies inside, not to mention possibly us.” Ebon says. “We need to find a way to reverse what’s going on safely.”

“I think I can take care of that.” Johnny says confidently. “Junior, I know how much you like all this modern tech stuff. Think you can get inside the controls and undo whatever is going on?”

“Oh heck yes!” Junior says enthusiastically. “Just one second Pop.”

“What the heck kind of armor IS that?” Ebon asks, as Junior’s nannysprites make their way into the control panel. “It talks and acts like it’s alive.”

“Oh, it is,” Johnny replies absently, as Junior whispers a real time play by play as his sprites do their work.

“But why are you even wearing armor? I saw what you did in the park, you were a GOD!” Ebon says in awe.

Johnny chuckles in reply. “A god? Not even close.” he says dismissively. “That wasn’t even one thousandth of the power Celestia or Luna have. That was Twilight level, or Cadence level at best. And that was a one shot deal. You should know, you shot me dead not a minute later.” He adds with a grin.

“Uh yeah… sorry about that. Hey, wait a second. You WERE dead. I shot you six times, and I know I didn’t miss. I NEVER miss.”

“No, you didn’t miss. Six rounds right in the chest. Nice grouping I might add. Nope, I was dead all right. Off on a boat, counting worms, cashed in my chips and bought the farm. Kicked the bucket, took my last bow, and was ready to put on a pine overcoat. I was room temperature.”

“Are you done yet?” Moonlight asks in exasperation.

“With the euphemisms, or the controls?

“BOTH.”

A hiss and a release of expelled air gives Moonlight her answer as the light on the hatchway turns green, and the door slowly swings open.

“Well, looks like these ponies at least won’t be joining the choir invisible.” Johnny says grinning, until he catches Moonlights expression. “Okay, I’m done.”

The three can see that the ponies inside are breathing normally, but they are still standing still with vacant expressions on the faces.

“Hmm. Buttons must have commanded them to get inside and not move. Then he just closed the door, and let the machine do all the work, all efficient like. I hate to say it, but it might be best if we leave them here, at least until we can get Celestia to free them from Buttons control.” Johnny says.

“But can’t you free them the same way that you freed me?” Ebon asks.

“No. Sorry Ebon. But the machine Buttons used on these ponies was different from the mind control that Double used on you and his other victims. Button’s used the original changeling machine. There is literally nothing left of the personality these ponies originally possessed. Even when Celestia removes their conditioning, they will still never be the same again. They will all literally have to start their lives all over. Sure they will retain whatever knowledge they have. But as far as who they used to be, what drove them and made them who they are, all of that is gone forever. They will be blank slates, that will need a lot of love and care before they can grow into whoever they will become.”

“That’s monstrous!” Ebon says in anger. “What kind of pony could do such a thing to another living being?”

“A very sick and twisted one, and one who WILL be brought to justice!” Moonlight says, with steel in her voice.

“You said that through there is his production facility?” She asks pointing to a doorway set between two chambers.

“Yes. It used to be where build prototypes of all sorts of things that Night Industries was working on, but lately all it’s been used for was Button’s cyber ponies.”

“All right, let’s go.” Moonlight says, igniting her horn once more.

Ebon unshoulders his sniper rifle, as Johnny’s helmet reforms around his head.

“Alright, everypony,” Johnny says, his weapons systems coming online, “no telling what to expect inside. Civilians take down in a non-lethal manner if possible. Cyber ponies take down hard. And if you catch sight of Buttons, try to take him alive. Preferably in a LOT of pain. But if you have to take him out, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Agreed.” Moonlight replies.

“All right, here we go.”

Johnny kicks the door open and rushes inside. Junior quickly scanning the room for threats. He manages a few steps before stopping before the glaring light striking him in the face. Moonlight and Ebon come to a stop beside him, also blinded by the light searing into their rapidly blinking eyes.

“Where in Celestia is that light coming from?” Ebon asks, his eyes frantically trying to adjust.

But Johnny, wearing his helmet, has already engaged his filters, and can make out what his companions have yet to be able to adjust to.

“Celestia indeed.” Johnny says, as he looks upwards toward the open ramp leading from the huge empty room up into the heart of the city. “What we are seeing gentleponies, is the first dawn ever to be seen in Whinnyappleous, since Luna took over. And if we fail, it may very well be our last.”

Chapter 27

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Chapter 27- Good Ponies Go to War

The light streaming in through the open ramp leading into Buttons lair hurt my eyes. After years growing accustomed to the eternal night of Whinnyappelous, the light of Celestia’s dawn fell harsh upon me. This feeling only intensified when I remembered that it was my fault that it was happening in the first place. I was the one that shattered Luna’s spell. I was the one who brought the searing light of the sun into a city that took comfort in the shadowy night.

Buttons was gone, and so was his army. We had already ruined the plans he had in place with Dr. Double, the mad pseudo-alicorn geneticist, currently lying in a million pieces upstairs. I was thinking that Buttons must be desperate, he’s moving on his own, with however many minions he has, to try and take the castle by force.

At first I thought that it was a foolish move. That Luna’s police force, the Night Watch, would mobilize and intercept him long before they reached the palace. But as I squinted in the glare of the rising sun, I realized that he just might have a chance after all, and that it was all my fault.

“The sun,” I said aloud, not realizing I had spoken.

“What about it? You broke Luna’s spell. But she can recast it when this is all over.” Moonlight says, trying to make me feel better about it.

“No, you don’t understand. I’ve given Buttons an opening.” I quickly explain what I mean. “Think about it. Right now all the ponies, griffons, diamond dogs, changelings, and every other being in the city is seeing dawn for the first time since Luna took over the city. Aside from the Undercity, night has been banished from Whinnyappelous. People are going to be confused. People will panic. There will inevitably be rioting, looting, and every other problem that occurs when large groups of citizens succumb to paranoia of the unknown. Luna’s Watch-houses will be swamped with people demanding answers, and the ones in the street will have their hooves full trying to maintain order. Buttons can just march his cyber ponies right down the street to the palace and lay siege, and it’s ALL MY FAULT!” I say, smashing my hoof into a nearby table, crushing it with my armored arm.

“Hey, go easy Pop, that’s me your smashing around.” Junior says in my ear.

“Sorry,” I whisper back.

“We don’t have time for self recriminations,” Ebon Shard says, as he begins checking over the contents of the room. “We need to see what we can find in here. Information on his creations, weapons capabilities, vulnerabilities, anything we can find to give us an edge in fighting them.”

I snap out of my momentary self anger. “You’re right. Everyone spread out and search. Look for anything we can use. We need to get after them as soon as possible.”

“My little guys can help.” Junior says from my back. Quickly my armor disappears and returns to the large black command bug on my back. It detaches itself and moves to a corner of the room, where the thousands of returned nannysprites once more spread out from it following their new commands to help us search.

“That is incredibly creepy.” Moonlight says, stopping her search for a moment to watch.

“You get used to it after awhile,” I reply as I began sorting through papers. “Although I will admit the first time I had those thousands of bugs crawling all over me, it freaked me right the buck out.”

Moonlight shudders and then returns to her work, trying to put that mental image out of her mind. I’d wager that she might be needing a visit from Luna to keep visions of nightmare bugs swallowing her alive at bay. If, that is, she wasn’t busy trying to save her kingdom from an army of bright brass cyber ponies.

“Everypony!” Ebon shouts. “I found those schematics that I had seen when I was here before ! These are the blueprints on how the cyber ponies were built!”

Quickly Moonlight and I join Ebon at what appears to be the head engineer’s desk. On it, amid a scattering of papers, Ebon has unrolled a set of schematics.

“It’s all here,” I say excitedly, as I scan the blueprints before us. “Weapon systems, power relays, everything! Junior, you need to come over here and scan these!”

“In a minute Pop!” Junior replies. “I think I found something. Something… weird.”

“Fine,” I say distractedly, as I go over the weapon systems. Built in retractable machine guns, shock generators for close combat,some type of rockets in their hooves for flight, and… a suicide bomb built into their chests? By Celestia, these things were walking bombs. And the yield was incredible! If Buttons has enough of these made, and he gets them close enough to the palace, he could wipe it off the map! We had to get out there and stop him.

“Junior! Quit messing around and get over here! We have to get after them, now!”

“Almost done Pop, this security isn’t like what Buttons had usually- wait, got it! Now let’s see what… BY THE SWEET SAVORY CAKE ROOM OF OUR SOLAR SOVERIEGN CELESTIA! WOOHOO!” Junior shouts, causing the rafters to ring with his audio enhanced voice.

I was just about to yell at him to knock it off, when a section of the wall near him retracts, to reveal a hidden chamber. Moonlight, Ebon, and I make out way across the room, while a smugly happy command bug recalls all of his nannysprites from the control panel, and scuttles his way up onto my back once more.

I barely feel the sting of the interface, my attention has been completely drawn to the contents of the newly exposed chamber before us.

“Junior,” I ask quietly. “What am I seeing here?”

“Oh, Pop, I’m really, really, gland you asked.” Junior says with excitement. While my nannysprites were rooting around, I found a control panel that had no use whatsoever. All it’s controls were non-functional. It was obviously a fake. Inside it was a secondary control panel, with security the likes of which I had never seen. Well, you know me Pop, I just had to have a go at it. Professional pride and all.”

“Riiight,” I say, still distracted by what lay before me. I think I may have started to drool.

“So after I got through the security, I found a file explaining what this was all about. You see Brass Tacks was working on plans for space exploration. He was designing rockets, fuels, space suits, suspended animation cells...”

“We already know all that Junior,” I say trying to hurry him along to the good part. Sweet Goddess I hoped these were all functional.

“Right, well, what you DIDN’T know, until your great and marvelous partner stumbled across it, was that Brass Tacks had also been working on various types of weapons to use for self defense, in case they ran into trouble in the great unknown. In this room are the prototypes designed by Brass Tacks himself, to protect ponies from every conceivable threat he could imagine. WORKING prototypes I might add, complete with ammunition for testing purposes. And the best part is, Buttons doesn’t know anything about it. Brass kept this hidden from everypony. He didn’t even inform Luna yet. He was worried that she would want to use some of them for her Watch, and he though that they were way too powerful to be used on Equestria.”

“Way… too… powerful,” I manage to say, running a hoof along the sleek brass barrel of cosmic death sitting before me, labeled BBG-666. Yes, I was in fact starting to drool.

A hoof lightly smacked me upside the head. “What is it with colts and their toys?” Moonlight says, before offering Ebon the same treatment to break him from HIS revere. “Junior, give us a rundown on what these are, and what they can do, and lets get out of here. Every moment we waste Buttons and his army are getting that much closer to m- to Luna’s palace.”

“This one’s mine!” I say hefting up the very heavy BBG-666 in my hooves. “I don’t know what it does, but I can hear it calling to me.” I say, gently caressing its barrel. “Isn’t that right? Whose daddy’s precious little girl? That’s right, YOU are! Wanna go with daddy on a trip? See lot’s of new ponies and blow them all up? What’s that angel? You DO? Oh, you are just sooo sweet. Yes, you are.”

“Oh for Celesta’s sake! Junior, what the Tartarus is that thing anyway.” Moonlight says in disgust.

“Designation BBG, model six hundred and sixty-six. ‘The Doombringer’. Designed to be a weapon of last resort to be used in hostile alien environments of class Omega four or higher. Representing the pinnacle of Night Industries research and design, the BFG 666 is the most advanced firearm ever designed. Fully self contained and deployed as a hoof held weapon, it is capable of an excessive amount of firepower. The BFG 666 contains sophisticated friend or foe technology that discriminates targets in real time.

Each projectile contains a small but very powerful magical shard that actively maintains targeting and delivers a stream charge down each beam to soften targets before detonation. The detonation stage of the projectile is devastating. Targets within 15 meters of the flashpoint are not likely to survive. While not recommended for small quarter combat, the BFG 666 is ideal in the field and against multiple targets. The only foreseeable defense is small arms ballistics. If the projectile is destroyed before exploding, the magical shard cannot process the final fusion reaction, resulting in a ‘less than optimal’ detonation. The weapon is recommended for medium to long-range combat, as firing at a target up close will severely damage the user due to the weapon's blast radius. Moreover, the longer the projectile exists undetonated, the longer the time it will have to attack other enemies within the vicinity with its rays. The BFG is also recommended for usage in areas with heavy enemy presence due to its targeting system, as the other weapons specialize more in single-enemy combat. Caution, do NOT overcharge the weapon, as it can overheat and explode, killing the user instantly.”

“Precious, my precious,” I say holding onto it tightly. “It wantses to be used yes, yes it does.”

“Oh knock it off,” Ebon says, a hint of jealously in his voice. “And what exactly does BBG stand for anyway?”

“Big… Bucking… Gun.” Junior replies deadpan.

“Of course it does,” Moonlight says while facehoofing herself. “And what are all these others then?”

“Most of the small arms were made to be used in different atmospheres and gravities. But there are a few other weapons that you might be interested in. This one,” Junior says, “The Farsight rifle, is a hybrid of an X-ray scanning device coupled with a rifle that can shoot through solid objects. The scope can lock onto and track life sources, though the device does not pan as fast as a running enemy can move. The Farsight XR-20/20, is a very powerful railgun that can fire through any wall or other obstacles. The primary mode is aimed manually. The X-ray sight means the user can see, and fire through walls for targets. Be aware that while zoomed in, it's impossible to see things near you. The secondary mode actively seeks out and tracks targets while aiming. However it does this slowly, and can be outrun.”

“Mine, all mine, no swapsies!’ Ebon says, as he quickly snatches up the oiled blue weapon, sticking his tongue out at me the whole time.

“Don’t pay attention to him baby, he’s just jealous.” I say softly to my BBG.

“Ahem, also we have several of Dr. Brass’s prototype plasma grenades, as well as these.” He says, pointing to yet another set of futuristic weapons. “The ‘Selective Concussive Relativistic Pummelers’. Or known colloquially as ‘Sucker Punch’. These close combat weapons each have twin M.I.S.P. pistons, which are controlled by hoof grip, inside the armored gauntlets. When activated, each gauntlet has enough concussive power to punch a pony sized hole though a reinforced concrete wall. Designed for use primarily in close combat situations, these gauntlets can turn even a non-earth pony into a one being wrecking machine.”

“Oh I can think of SEVERAL uses for these.” Moonlight says, grinning wickedly, as she steps forward to claim her prizes.

In my ear Junior whispers, “I’ve also taken the liberty of making copies of all the schematics on these weapons for future upgrades to my systems.”

“That’s my boy,” I whisper back. “Prioritize the manufacture of ammo for my Big Bucking Gun. I noticed that it only came with three rounds.”

“You got it Pop. Major destruction is my favorite hobby.”

“Alright, we’ve got some new toys to play with. Let’s grab those schematics and get out of here. Who knows how close Buttons has gotten to the palace by now? We need to catch up to them as fast as possible.” Moonlight says anxiously.

“Actually,” Junior pipes in, “I think I can help with that as well.”

A beep chimes on the control panal and yet another hidden door slides open. Inside it is a four wheeled vehicle. It had large knobby tires made of rubber, no doors, and a roll cage on top which sported a multi-barreled M.I.S.P.P.L. machine gun. And of course the entire thing was made of bright and shiny brass.

“It looks like a Puma. A shiny brass Puma.” I say staring at the gleaming metal.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s clearly a warthog, see how the roll bar on front looks just like tusks?” Ebon replies.

“Oh for the love of Luna, will you two just shut up, get in, and get the heck out of here?” Moonlight shouts in frustration.

“You two take the… whatever it is,” I say.

“Space rover, Pop. It was meant to explore aline terrain.” Junior supplies.

“Rover? Sounds a bit racist toward diamond dogs. I still think it looks like a Puma. But whatever. You two take the ground transport, Junior and I will attack from above.” And with that I deploy my wings and Juniors jetter engines send us soaring into the air and out of the bay doors.

“I gotta say son, these new wings and engines sure put out a fair turn of speed.”

“Yeah Pop, only thing is, when we hover in place we lose a LOT of maneuverability compared to the old Pegasus or bat wing style of flight.”

“Can your armor compensate for that? Can we handle taking hits from these new cyber pony guns?”

“Yeah, we can handle multiple rounds for a short period of time no problem. And given time my nannysprites can repair whatever damage we take. But if we are stuck in a sustained barrage for more than a few minutes, we’re going to be in trouble. Those cyber ponies carry some sort of armor piercing rounds. Nasty stuff.”

Junior sounded worried. And Junior NEVER sounds worried. I was beginning to wonder if we could handle what we were rapidly flying into. Then Junior went and made me feel worse.

“Um… Pop.”

“Yeah son?” I asked, hearing uncertainty fill Junior’s voice.

“Um. You know how my systems use a variant of bat pony echo location to help identify targets and to navigate in close quarters?”

“Yes son. Very useful. I am guessing that you have located the enemy?”

“Um… yeah, you could say that.” Junior replies. Did I hear a tremble in his voice?

“Junior, if you have bad news, best to just go ahead and spill it. That way we can plan for how to deal with it as a team.”

“Right. O-of course. Whew. Okay, here goes. So my sonar is picking up roughly five hundred or so cyber ponies approximately one point seven five miles ahead on a direct course toward the castle.”

“Five hun- Sheesh, no WONDER you sound worried, that’s going to be a problem. A big problem. I thin-”

“No Pop.” Junior interrupts. “That’s NOT what worries me.”

“Five hundred cyber ponies armed to the teeth isn’t what’s worrying you? Sweet Celestia! I’m not going to like this am I?” I say, bracing myself for the worst.

“No Pop, you really aren’t. See marching along with them is… um… well... well, it’s pony shaped, but… um...”

“Pony… shaped? Okay son, out with it already.”

“It seems to be a vehicle of some sort. That is Pony shaped. It seems to be using the same technology as the cyber ponies artificial limbs. According to my scans, all the controls are routed to a cockpit in the ‘head’ of the pony.”

“Controls in the ‘head’? Junior just how big is this fake pony for someone to be able to ride in the head of it?”

“It is approximately one hundred and fifty hooves tall, and it’s body is proportionate to it’s height.” Junior replies weakly.

“One hundred and fif- Junior, that’s ten stories tall!” I all but shout.

“Yes Pop, a ten story tall metal pony, armed to the teeth, and piloted by Brass Buttons himself. For what it’s worth, I am also detecting the mostly metal pony known as Merciful Solace inside as well. And they are leading their army of cyber ponies right toward Luna’s front door.”

“Sweet Celestia! Junior we have to fly back and let Moonlight and Ebon know what we’re up against. We need to figure out some sort of plan.”

“Way ahead of you Pop. That rover they are in has a two way ponaudio system. I’m patching us into it even as we speak.”

Seconds later Junior had established contact, and I quickly filled them in on the location and nature of the threat we were about to face. Sadly Junior confirmed what I had already feared. That my on-board armaments were just too low yield to do more than cosmetic damage to something that size. Ebon’s gun was looking like our best bet to take it down. If he could sever the linkages in the legs of the machine it should just topple over. But I doubted Buttons would just sit idly by while he did that. It was going to be up to me to distract them while Ebon did his thing. Meanwhile Moonlight would try to get ahead of them in the Puma (that’s what I’m calling it, no matter what the other two say), and try to hold back the cyber ponies with the turret gun until Ebon and I could return and help her.

I must admit, as far as plans go, this one was crappy. Even by my standards. But time was running out, and none of us could come up with anything better. So while my two friends raced away looking for a good sniper point for Ebon, I flew up into the clouds and made my way as fast as I could to cut off the approaching army.

Fortunately for me, the people of Whinnyappleous were all streetwise and knew trouble when they saw it. There wasn’t a pony, griffin, or dog to be seen on the streets ahead. That meant we could throw down for real, and not worry about any innocents getting hurt. Of course, finding an ‘innocent’ in Sin Whinny is like looking for a virgin in a co-ed campground. “Highly unlikely’ would be putting it mildly. Still, these were all citizens of Equestria. And it was my job to protect them or die trying. And after the last time I died, I REALLY wasn’t looking forward to doing it again any time soon, so I’d better bring my ‘A’ game, or what was left of it, to the table. Gods I really wish I had a spare Omega rune right about now.

“Pop, we are now almost directly over Buttons’s giant pony robot. But...”

“Junior, what’s wrong? Does he have some way to detect us this high? I felt sure the cloud cover would be enough without engaging ‘stealth mode’.”

“No Pop, it isn’t that. It’s… there’s some kind of… sound. I know your pony ears can’t hear it, it’s really high pitched. But it’s modulating… a strange rhythm, very… soothing?”

Oh sweet Celestia, no! “Pull up Junior! Go higher, as fast as you can!”

“O-okay pop. I’m… on it.”

Tense seconds pass as we fly straight up into the sky. From the height the morning sun is blinding once more. As we are bathed in it’s warm light Junior finally speaks to me once more.

“I-I’m okay Pop. I can’t hear it anymore.”

“Oh thank Celestia! I thought I lost you there for a second. Stupid weakness to music. But how in the world did Buttons know? All information about nannysprite armor is a closely guarded secret.”

“Well Pop, I don’t think he actually DID know. See remember when we found out how the brains of cyber ponies were being protected by a Oscillating Harmonic Matrix?”

“Yeah, but only their brains, the bodies of cyber ponies were too small to carry a shield generator large enough to protect the whole… By the Sky Stallion! You mean to say that Buttons has protected his giant pony-bot with the same kind of shield?”

“I think so Pop, and judging by the range of sound waves emanating from it, I would say that the shield generator he is using must be HUGE. Plenty big enough for him to protect the entire machine.”

I needed to see this. If this was true I had no idea what we were going to do about it.

“Junior, find me a clear patch of sky, engage stealth mode, and fly us as close as you can without being affected.”

“Will do.”

It took us very little time to fly ahead of the slow moving machine. Brass Buttons army of cyber ponies were marching well ahead of it, still on course for the palace. We got about a half mile ahead of it before Junior said he couldn’t get any closer without beginning to feel the effects of the harmonic.

I had him maintain that distance and used his imaging abilities to zoom in for a closer look at what we were dealing with.

“Dear Goddess, the EGO of that pony.” I muttered aloud.

Buttons had made his pony bot in his own image. One might have argued that it was his brother, Brass Tacks that had built this technological achievement, save for the fact that proudly displayed on both of it’s metallic flanks, was Brass Buttons’s cutie mark.

“Look down at the street Pop, in front of where it’s walking.” Junior said, pulling me back from my thoughts.

It only took a moment to see what he was talking about. Each time his machine took a ponderous step forward, anything that was in it’s path was instantly vaporized. That must be the outer edge of his shield. It looked to extend no more than a few hooves out from it’s metal body. Very close, almost form fitting.

“Junior, you can detect the sound waves coming off of that thing. Any way to tell if any of that pony bot is unprotected, or any spots where the shield is weak?”

“Sorry Pop, I already tried that. There are no gaps or weaknesses in the shield. It’s a perfectly impenetrable dome, that surrounds the pony-bot completely. If anything comes in contact with it as it moves, it is completely ripped to atoms.”

“Is there any way to overload it?” I asked as I watched it wade between sky scrapers in it’s slow trot down main street. “What if we dropped a building on it?” I mused.

“I don’t think it would work.” Junior replied. “It would be like dropping an ice cube into a smelting furnace. It wouldn’t even scratch it.”

“So Ebon’s gun?”

“Useless,” Junior said sadly. “Pop, I think… I think we lose.” Junior forces the words out. “I can’t come up with any way to beat this thing.”

“Son,” I say, forcing confidence into my voice, “we haven’t lost while we are still able to think and fight. Patch me through to Ebon and Moonlight.”

Moments later I have filled them in on the situation. We decided to get them up ahead of the army as well, and make an effort to at least take out the cyber ponies, until one of us came up with an idea on how to handle the pony-bot. By now the cyber ponies were the better part of a mile ahead of the ‘Buttons Bot’, plenty of room for me to land safely beside my two companions and join in the battle.

When I landed, Moonlight was on the turret gun of the ‘Puma’, and Ebon was laid out ‘sniper style’ on the hood. I considered using my BFG, it would be perfect for this kind of fight. But it only had three rounds of ammo, and I wanted to save them just in case we found some way of getting through Button’s shield.

“Junior, what have you got for me to use against cyber ponies? I know our standard armaments aren’t going to do much good.”

“I’ve managed to generate two hundred armor piercing rounds for our M.I.S.P.P.L’s, and nine plasma grenades from the schematics we found in the lab. BFG ammo will take far longer than we have. There’s a magical component in them that is really hard to replicate. All our other weapons won’t really be of any use, so after these are gone we’ll have to go hoof to hoof.”

“Gotcha.” I say priming a grenade.

“And remember Pop, their heads are protected by tiny shield generators. So don’t waste time shooting them in the head, or trying to punch them there.”

Crap, I had almost forgotten about that. That and something else.

“Wait Junior, didn’t those schematics say they were carrying bombs in their chests? Can we set them off?”

“No can do Pop, those things are two part bombs that will remain inert unto their components are mixed together. I imagine that Buttons has them programmed not to do so until they reach the palace, and then they will probably try to suicide bomb it. This strategy has a probability of 89%”

“Interesting, and the other 11%?” I ask.

“Ah, well, there’s an eleven percent chance that they will detonate themselves on contact with an enemy.” Junior admits reluctantly. “But that’s a really small chance,” he adds, “and would be a stupid waste of a soldier.”

“Junior, we are talking about a pony who builds a giant robot version of himself, complete with cutie mark. Stupid doesn’t even come close. Could we survive an explosion of one of them up close?”

“Uh, if you mean ‘we’ as in ‘you and me’, then yes, we could survive ONE explosion. I repeat, ONE explosion, although we’d most likely take heavy damage from doing so. Also there is no way our friends would survive, nor could we handle it if more than one of them went off. Still, I feel confident in the 89% chance that they wont explode.”

“I see.” I said, looking at the approaching mindless horde. “Junior, take a letter.”

“What? A letter? Now? And how am I supposed to send it?”

“You wont. Just take down what I am saying, and then make a small little box inside yourself to put it in. Make it as indestructible as possible. Got it.”

“Pop, you’re starting to scare me, but okay. I’m ready.”

“Dear Twilight Sparkle, if you are reading this...”

Chapter 28

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Chapter 28- Rumble in the Streets

(Moonlight Shadow)

This is looking bad. Fancy guns or not there’s no way the three of us can take out this many cyber ponies. And that’s not even considering that giant metal pony thing. I may have no other choice left. But if I do it, there’s no going back. The experiment ends, and ‘Moonlight Shadow’ will be no more.

No, no, not yet. I’ve gotten used to this life. I’ve been able to have an existence I never thought possible. And then there’s Johnny… No. I’m not ready to give it all up just yet. Not as long as there’s even the slimmest chance that we can win. But then again, if it meant losing Johnny… well, then I really would have no choice.

(Ebon Shard)

How in Equestria did it come to this? I was a good cop. Not a GREAT cop mind you, but a decent one. All I ever wanted was to be someone my family could be proud of. Sunny Skies has been wanting me to quit the Watch ever since we got married. Get a safer job, she said. You don’t want Autumn Dusk to grow up without a father, she said. But how could I quit? Being on the Watch was everything I ever wanted. To help ponies, to protect them and keep them safe. And look how that turned out. Brainwashed and turned into a bloodthirsty killing machine. That bastard Dr. Double hasn’t even let me go see them in over a week. They are bound to be worried sick. And here I am, facing down an army of metal monsters with the greatest Agent that Luna has ever had, and some crazed detective in a living armored suit. Goddess, if I survive this, I’m putting in for a long, long, vacation. Somewhere sunny, maybe a cruise. Yeah, after all of this the least Agent Shadow could do is to send me and the family to Jamareca.

Yeah, like we have a hope in Tartarus of living though this. Sunny, Autumn, I’m out here for you. I hope you know just how much I love you…

(Johnny Appleseed)

“...all my love, Duskwind. Did you get all that Junior?”

“Aww geez Pop. That was so beautiful. I’m so proud of you.”

“Now, now. Don’t start crying. You’ll fog up our sensors. Just seal that away as best you can. And with any luck, somehow I may be able to tell Twilight all that in person.”

“I really hope so Pop. She’s one lucky mare.”

Heh. Yeah she’s lucky all right. Lucky she’s not here right now, staring down bright metal death. What to do? No way we can take them all. And I’m sure as soon as we fire the first shot that they will stop their nice orderly march and try to swarm us. Hmm.

“Hey Ebon!” I yell.

“Yeah?”

“Look, I need you to do something for me. You are, forgive me for saying, the least powerful member of our group at the moment.”

“Gee thanks. Care to say that WITHOUT your armor?”

“No, no I wouldn’t. Now shut up for a second and listen. When we run out of ammo, I want you to make a break for it in the puma. You need to get to the palace and warn them about what’s coming. Luna needs to get every member of the Watch she can muster as a last line of defense. Tell her what we are up against. Hopefully she can come up with a plan to defeat these things.”

“Plan? But Luna is a Goddess. She should be able to lay waste to these guys with barely a thought.”

“Yeah, well, it isn’t all that simple. You’ll have to trust me on this. Just go and warn them okay? We’ll stay here and hold them back as long as we can.”

Ebon looked at me like I was the biggest fool in Equestria. And with good reason I guess. Basically I had just told him that Moonlight and I were about to commit suicide by cyber pony. Nor could I explain to him how limited Luna’s response could be.

When I used my Omega rune, I briefly had all the knowledge and power a mortal pony body could contain. I saw how Celestia and Luna had to restrain their true powers just to be able to walk among us mortal ponies. There was a bargain there, made with other powers that I didn’t have time to comprehend. Although they were still the most powerful beings on Equestria, they could never fully use that power without dire consequences. This was why Celestia leaned so much on Twilight Sparkle. Twilight was an ‘ascended’ pony, much like Cadence. And as such had only a fraction of the power Celestia had. I had no idea just where the line was drawn with what Luna could, and couldn’t do. But I didn’t want to bet the lives of the entire city on it. So until I knew otherwise, I had to assume that this was a ‘mortal’ problem. And I was suddenly feeling very mortal.

“Junior, we have a minute or so before we attack. Chow down on anything you can find nearby, stuff yourself as much as you can.”

“Yessir boss!” Junior said formally, as he retracted his nannysprites from my body, and soundlessly detached himself.

Within moments he has begun to consume everything he could find. Trash, trashcans, a sidewalk bench, a light post. Then he started in on a steam bus. That should fill him up.

“Is this really the time to go on a feeding frenzy?” Ebon asked me wide eyed, as he watch Junior make his way through the engine and into the cab of the bus.

“It’s exactly the right time. Everything Junior eats will be converted to power our armor. The only other power source he has is to use the ‘life tap’ function. Which basically drains my life force, and coverts it to power. This not only wouldn’t last for very long, but would also kill me in the process if he kept it up. And Junior doesn’t need to be the one to kill me, when we have so many other eager volunteers heading our way.”

Ebon looked out ahead at the steadily approaching army, “Well, I can’t argue there.”

Suddenly a sound caught my attention. Or rather it was a lack of sound. The rhythmical marching of brass shod hooves that had been ringing in the background had suddenly ceased. I turned back to face the oncoming mass of cyber ponies. They had stopped their advance.

“Johnny,” Moonlight said worriedly, “why have they stopped marching?”

I was about to frame a response, something witty and clever I’m sure, but then, as one the cyber ponies began to raise their fore-hooves. Oh Shit!

“Moonlight, we need a shield, NOW!”

As fast as thought a dark inky bubble sprang up between us and the now silent cyber ponies. And not a moment too soon as the first row of them began to open fire on us.

“They stopped to attack us. First. Why?” Ebon asks, shouting to be heard over the thunder of high velocity rounds bouncing off of Moonlight’s shield.

“Probably because we are the only ponies stupid enough to be in their way, and also armed to the teeth.” I shout back. “Junior, get back over here.” I say, and then after he has resumed his place and coated me once more in armor, “okay everypony… Light ‘em up!”

The sound of impacts against Moonlight’s shield begins to lessen as we send streams of metal death flying into the first wave of the enemy. Moonlight is burning through ammunition on the puma, mowing down swaths of enemies. Ebon is slower and more methodical, but every round from his sniper rifle that I can see has found it’s mark as pony after pony falls to the cool slick asphalt. I am alternating between armor piercing rounds and plasma grenades. Keeping any ponies that have avoided my two companions from advancing any closer.

I have no idea how long we stood there like that. It could only have been minutes, but it felt like hours. Moonlight’s shield shattered three times, each time I was struck repeatedly by impacts that would have been lethal to anyone not wearing the armor I had. Each time though Moonlight found the strength to recast it.

None of us moved an inch. None of us faltered.

Moonlight was the first to run dry.

“I’m out!” She said, climbing down from the turret.

“Ebon, pass her your gun and get the Tartarus out of here!” I yelled back over my shoulder.

“Right,” Ebon said grimly. “You take good care of her Agent Shadow. I’m going to want her back when we’re done.”

“Buck the gun!” I scream, “Just haul ass while you have the chance!”

Whatever Ebon might have had to say in reply was drown out by the sound of explosions, as I lobbed one of my last three grenades into a group of cyber ponies that had tried to break through. Thankfully the next sound I heard behind me was the loud chuff of a steam engine as the puma sped quickly away.

Moonlight closed ranks beside me.

“Johnny, I’m dropping the wide shield. We don’t need it anymore. I should be able to maintain two personal shields around the both of us.”

“Forget it,” I reply. “Focus on just yourself. My armor can handle it, and once we get within melee range I’m sure the barrage will stop.”

“Right. If you’re sure. Any ideas yet on what to do about the big pony?” She asks.

“Goddess, I had hoped that YOU had come up with something. I’ve got two plasma grenades, and three BFG rounds that I’ve been saving, if we can just find some way past it’s shield...”

“Boss, I’m out of armor piercing, time to pull out the blades I’m afraid.” Junior says in my ear, at about the same time Moonlight drops Ebon’s gun.

“All right, time to do this OLD SCHOOL!” She says, donning her fist weapons, and dropping her bubble shield.

I turn and extend two saber-like blades from my fore-hooves, even as my armor begins to exude wickedly sharp spikes all over it’s exterior. I have Junior cue up my battle mix and have him play it though my internal speakers. As the opening beat of Kriss Kolt’s ‘Jump’ pumps into my ears, I leap forward.

“Legiones ad mortem!” I yell, and then I’m in the fray.

As expected, the cyber ponies had ceased firing as soon as we closed ranks. I had that heart stopping moment of fear, between when they ceased fire, and when the first reassuring punch rang against my armor. ‘Oh Thank Celestia!’ I thought to myself. They WEREN’T programmed to explode on impact.

Almost as if reading my mind Junior says in my ear, “See Pop, 89% safe. I’m now all but 100% sure they won’t explode until they reach the palace.”

“What do you mean all BUT sure?” I ask ripping my right hoof back out of the innards of the cyber pony I had just impaled, while ducking the brass fist of another.

“Well, since they DIDN’T explode on impact, there is now a 11% chance that Buttons was actually smart enough to install an override on the pony bombs. If that IS the case, then he could theoretically remotely detonate them from his giant pony-bot.”

“Those are the same odds as before!” I yell, decapitating the bot in front of me before stepping back out of swinging range of his two friends.

“Well, yes, but I’m still siding with the 89%. I’ve been right so far.”

“Yes Junior, and I’m sure you’ll be continue to be right, all the way up until the very end. Oh crap!”

This last I yelled because one of the ponies I had disemboweled had grabbed one of my legs and brought me down. These things just wouldn’t die. And to make things worse, his two friends came down on top of me. By the Sky Stallion! These things were HEAVY.

“Junior, fire the jetters! Full power, two second burst. Shake these things off of me.” I yell.

A moment later I am jerked five hooves into the air as the jetters kick in like a mule. The sudden vertical lift has shook me free of my admirers, even as a bullet passes though the space my head had occupied less than a second before, as I come quickly back down.

I descend as a lethal whirlwind of death as Junior spins me around rapidly with my blades extended, clearing me a momentary path as I land.

I risk half a second to look over at Moonlight to see how she is faring. I have to waste another precious half a second to stop and blink. There she is, standing atop a mound of cyber pony bodies. She waits there patiently until one comes within reach and then punches them so hard that their insides rain down on the ponies behind them. Ye Gods! Just how strong WERE those pummlers? An idle thought crosses my mind as I turn back to my own endless wave of foes. I wonder what battle music SHE would listen to?

(Moonlight Shadow)

“We are the warriors of the north, notorious and brave, We're old but strong as before, and we don't fear the grave...” I hummed to myself, as I sent another aberration to whatever afterlife such a thing can go to. Truly this ‘Amon Armoth’ must be one of the human world’s greatest bards. His songs are so... uplifting.

I look over toward Johnny just in time to see him leap into the air, shaking off his attackers. I spend a moment or two just watching, as I absently destroy yet another cyber pony. Look at him, so vicious in his attacks. Desperate, but still calculating. He is truly a hero among mortals. But his fixation on Twilight Sparkle...

Distracted for a moment, I am nearly struck by another attacker. I backhoof him with the remains of my left guantlet, shattering his lower jaw and most of his face. A pity about the gauntlets. They became no more than gaudy jewelry after the fifth and sixth attackers. A shame, they were actually quite strong, if not all that resilient. Still, as long as I wear what is left of them, I have an alibi for all the damage I am doing. And that makes them worth their weight in gold. Still, I must be careful, if I appear TOO powerful to explain away, the game will be up. Luckily Johnny is far too busy to pay much attention to me, this affords me a chance every now and again to ‘cheat’. A quick glance Johnny’s way assures me that he’s not looking my way and I punch my next attacker so hard that the concussive force takes out the two that were coming up behind him. Another quick glance shows me that Johnny was none the wiser.

Still I have to admire just how well he is doing. I know his armor is doing all of the heavy lifting, but the battle tactics and moves are all Johnny. It’s easy to see Celestia had been training him personally.

Thanks to his armor he’s able to pull off moves that only a princess could manage, especially considering the weight and strength of our foes.

“Nnngh!”

I allowed myself to be distracted again, and took a right cross full force to my muzzle. By the Sky Stallion, that actually hurt! Escrew that! I reach forward and grab the unlucky cyber pony in the chest. And I mean IN the chest. I reach inside it and crush whatever my hoof can find, then I toss his twisted torso back into the next attacker knocking them both to the ground.

I wipe the blood from my split lip with the back of my hoof. I’m not tired. Not yet. But we’ve barely taken down a fifth of their numbers. Hobbled as I am in this form there is no way we can defeat them all. We need to take out the one controlling them, but I have no idea how. The few shots I sent it’s way with Ebon’s sniper rifle disintegrated as soon as they stuck it’s shield. Just like everything else. We’ll never be able to take it down if we can’t even manage to reach it. I can only hope Johnny can come up with a plan before it’s too late.

(Johnny Appleseed)

Sweet Celestia, I hope Moonlight comes up with a plan soon, so far I got nothing.

“Boss we are down to fifty percent power. Just letting you know.”

Crap. Fifty percent already?

“Junior, how many cyber ponies have we put out of commission?”

“By my count, eighty-seven altogether.” Junior replies.

“Only eighty-seven? After all of that?” I say incredulously.

“Hey boss, considering just how strong these things are, eighty-seven for three ponies is unbelievably good. My calculations had us at around forty-five by this point in the battle. Obviously I need to readjust some of my parameters, especially regarding the battle effectiveness of Agent Shadow and her pummelers. She’s managing to do way more damage than expected.”

“Junior don’t make that sound like it’s a bad thing. We need all the good news we can get.”

I try to dodge yet another haymaker, but this time I am a fraction too slow and as the metal hoof glances off my helmet my ears ring momentarily.

“Junior, can you auto-pilot for a minute? I need to catch my breath.”

“Sure thing boss.”

I let my limbs go limp as Junior takes over the armor. He swings my body in precise methodical movements, maximizing the damage he inflicts on our nearest foes. This gives me a moment to catch my breath, despite the fact that my body is still being moved around. It was one of the hardest things I had to learn to do when fighting in armor. If I tried to do anything on my own while Junior was in control, I could end up moving the wrong way when Junior moved the suit and end up dislocating a limb, or breaking a bone. The key was to just stay limp, and trust that Junior could do his job.

“Junior, could you swivel the head, so I could have a look at the giant robot? And zoom in, say fifty percent.”

“Can do boss.”

My neck stays relaxed as Junior swivels the helmet around. My vision momentarily blurs as he zooms in as well. Buttons robot is still on course. Slowly making his way up the street. Soon we would be in range of his harmonic shields effect and would have to retreat or risk losing Junior to it’s sound.

I sat there, my fore-hooves flailing about as Junior took down my foes for me, and studied Buttons robot. The outer edge of it’s sheild had just made contact with a parked steam bus. I watched as it slowly dissolved away, his robot not slowing at all.

There must be SOME weakness to that thing, but what? That shield just disintegrates anything it comes in contact with, it’s the perfect defense. How am I supposed to... wait a minute. Wait just one bucking minute! If the shield disintegrates anything it touches, then how is able to freaking walk on the street?!?!

“Junior!” I yell, excitement tinging my voice.

“Yeah boss?”

“That shield on the big robot! It’s the same as the one on the cyber ponies domes!”

“Um yeah boss, I thought we had established that. Did you maybe take some damage from that last hit?”

“No you smart ass, I mean it’s EXACTLY the same as on the domes. The shield doesn’t cover them completely. On the cyber ponies it’s only able to protect the brain case, that’s why we’ve been attacking everywhere else. But on the robot pony it only goes down AS FAR AS THE GROUND! Otherwise it wouldn’t be able to walk on the street. The street would have dissolved on contact and he would have tumbled down into the Undercity!”

“Boss, you’re a genius! So what do we do? Blow holes in the street so it can’t go any further until backup arrives?”

“Oh no Junior, that’s much too kind. No, after all he’s put us through, I’m taking that metal hunk of junk DOWN, and I think I know just how to do it. Can you use your scanners to determine where that things generator is? If we can take it out the shield should drop.”

“Scanning now boss.” Junior says, still taking shots at cyber ponies left and right. “Boss, I’m detecting five different generators at five different locations. One in the head, one at each shoulder joint, and one in...ah... the rear.”

“Which is putting out the most power? Odds are that will be the one controlling the shield.”

“That would be the one in back. The four at the joints seemed to be used for movement and the one in the head is somewhat smaller than the rest. By contrast the one in the rear is the largest and has the highest output.”

“That has to be our target then. Wait a second. If it’s in the rear of the robot, is the exhaust port by any chance...”

{Sigh}, “yes boss, it’s exactly where you think it is. Ponies design their systems so anatomically.” He says in frustration. “It’s highly inefficient you know.”

“It’s a mammal thing. Not all of us have your ability to change into whatever you want. But on the bright side, this is the break we've been needing.”

I scan the area in the robot ponies path, and see what I was looking for.

“Junior, at it’s current rate of speed how long will it be before it passes over that ponyhole cover at the corner of Fourth Street?”

“Approximately three hundred and forty-three seconds, if it maintains it’s current speed.”

Goddess that was going to be close.

“Okay, give me back control, we need to get back to Moonlight.”

Junior stops moving for a moment and I resume control, slicing into the attackers in front of me as I shuffle back to Moonlight’s side. I point to a ponyhole cover behind her.

“See that? I’m going to have to leave you and Junior here for a minute and take a little trip. That robot’s shield DOES have a weakness! It only goes as far as the ground. I’m going to take a little trot through the sewers, come up inside the shield, and put it’s shield generator out of commission.” I say, explaining as quickly as I can.

Moonlight’s eyes widen in happy understanding. “Brilliant idea! But why just you? Why can’t we all go?”

“Well, Junior can’t go because if he gets too close the shield harmonics will cause him to lose control. The small shields of the cyber ponies pose no threat, but he can’t get too much closer to the robot anyway. Also, if they see us all suddenly gone, they might get suspicious and figure out what we are up to. We can’t take that risk. What I need you to do is momentarily cover us in darkness. That will allow me to slip out of Junior and down the ponyhole. Then Junior can continue fighting in my place. He wont be able to preform any complex maneuvers or thinking, but they should be none the wiser for as long as I will need. As soon as I’m inside the shield I’ll fire my BBG into it’s exhaust port, which should be close enough to the generator to blow it to Tartarus.”

“I understand. Sounds good. Once the shield is down we can take the fight to Buttons and end this madness. Just be careful Johnny. We can’t actually see the shield, if you get too close to the edge...”

“Yeah, I know, that’s why we have to do this fast. Junior you ready?”

“Yeah, but there’s just one thing you need to get off your chest before we do.”

I feign ignorance. “Why whatever are you talking about?”

“Oh please Pop! Giant robot pony, shooting it in the , um, ‘exhaust port’. You KNOW you have some terrible pun for this. Just go ahead and get it over with.”

“Well... I wasn’t going to say anything... but since you asked. You know how in all those cheesy detective stories, there’s always some ‘ex machina’ the hero uses to save the day?”

“Yesss,” Junior says carefully.

“Well I got Buttons ‘Plot device’ right here!” I say, hefting up my BBG.

“Oh by Celestia that was bad!” Junior says, shaking our head.

Moonlight, instead of facehoofing herself, headbutts the nearest cyber pony. “Just go,” she says, pretending to be mad.

I grin inside my helmet as she extends a bubble shield around us and fills it with darkness. I quickly scramble of of Junior retrieve my gun, and go down the open ponyhole before Moonlight drops the cover back in place with her magic.

I use my horn to bring light to my surroundings. The sewer level is directly under the streets of Whinnyappleous here, and below that the Undercity. The diamond dogs had been very creative when it came to working around sewer pipes and gas and water lines.

I wasted no time, quickly making my way forward to the third ponyhole cover in my path. I climbed up the ladder and peered up through one of the holes. I was just able to make out the form of a giant robotic leg passing directly over me. I didn’t have a moment to lose.

Adjusting the strap to my BBG so that it hung behind me, I used both of my fore-hooves to push the ponyhole cover out of the way. Or at least, that was the plan. The problem was, it didn’t budge. I saw the shadow of a second leg beginning to arch over me. I was almost out of time. I strained with everything I had, but the cover remained tightly sealed.

No choice, I was going to have to try my magic. Crap, this wont work, my magic has been weak ever since the accident, since that stupid surge...

Wait a second. Wait one second. Memories of when I used the Omega rune came flooding back to me. That had never happened to me! Those were Twilight’s memories! And if anything, her magic had gotten stronger! That never happened to me, those were all implanted memories! That means that my magic should be fine! I should be at least as powerful as any normal unicorn!

I flared my horn into life, and focused my magic on the steel cover above me. It shot into the air like a bullet, only to disintegrate as it struck the invisible shield above the robot’s hindquarters.

Quickly I scrambled out of the sewers, and took aim at the huge metal posterior slowly retreating in front of me.

I engaged the targeting system, regretting that I had already wasted my best pun. Still, there was no way I wasn’t going to offer up something...

“Assta la vista baby!” I shout, firing all three BBG rounds in rapid succession, and then teleporting back to where Moonlight and Junior were still fighting. .

“Moonlight!, make a shield NOW!” I shouted as soon as I appeared. Then I added one of my own, as strong as I could muster. My magic flowing smoothly from my horn. (Goddess it felt good using magic. If I survived today, first thing was to see what all I could still do without my runes).

From where we stood it looked as if the rear of the robot was discharging a huge amount of green lightning. And the the explosion occurred, the sound wave so strong it shattered all the glass in every building, bus, and car around us. The entire rear of the robot had been blown outwards from the blast. The upright mental tail was gone, as was most of both flanks, leaving only the edge of one cutie mark remaining. Both rear legs had been severely damaged, and as we watched the entire robot sat back on it’s haunches, nearly falling over. It was then that we noticed that the cyber ponies had all stopped moving.

“Did... did we win?” Junior asked? His suit form wavering and collapsing in on itself as his nannysprites returned to his pouch.

“T-that, wasn’t so bad.” Moonlight says, the remains of her pummelers falling to the street.

I gazed into the giant robot facade, trying to discern any sign of life or movement. All seemed quiet.

But then Junior spoke up.

“Boss... Pop... I’m detecting life forms inside the head.”

“Mercy and Buttons?” I asked.

“Yes, them as well, but Pop there are half a dozen others as well, that I swear just were not there before.” He said, sounding very strange. His voice a mix of surprise and anger.

“Ponies using some kind of stealth technology?” I asked.

Suddenly, several things happened at the same time. The cyber ponies that had all collapsed were suddenly struggling to their hooves. At the same time the giant robot rose up on it’s front hooves, the face opening up, and several figures emerged, and walked out onto it’s muzzle, gazing down at us in contempt.

“No boss, those are no ponies,” Junior was saying, but he needn’t have wasted his words. I knew what these figures were. We both did.

The largest of the figures, a good five hooves taller and broader than the rest, shouldered his way in front of the pack and glared down at me in hate.

“You have interfered with our plans for the very last time Johnny Appleseed! Now you shall DIE!”

I stood there, the cyber ponies forgotten. Even without being directly linked to Junior, I could feel the rage coming off of him in waves.
All of the hatred, and sorrow for all the lives that had been lost and twisted throughout this whole ordeal was expelled from my mouth with just one word.

“Wendigos.”

Author's Notes:

A quick note on Wedigos. Readers will have noticed that in previous chapters my depiction of Wedigo's have been parallel to our own mythology. In Algonquian folklore, the wendigo or windigo is a cannibal monster or evil spirit native to the northern forests of the Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes Region of both the United States and Canada. The wendigo may appear as a monster with some characteristics of a human, or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them become monstrous. It is historically associated with cannibalism, murder, insatiable greed, and the cultural taboos against such behaviors.
Readers will have noted that I have not made any ties or comparisons to the Windigo's canon to MLP which are described as winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred; the more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become.
There has been a reason for that, and all will be revealed soon.

Chapter 29

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Chapter 29- Catching Up With the Past

Shock, fear, surprise, anger. I suppose I should have been stunned into silence by one of these emotions.

Instead what I did was prime one of my last two plasma grenades in full view of every being present, and then teleport it directly between the eyes of the hulking brute that I assumed to be the Alpha Wendigo.

Unfortunately I wasn’t even granted a momentary look of surprise. The moment it appeared, Wendigo Prime quickly moved his head back and swatted the grenade back my way, all in one smooth motion. I barely had time to erect a shield, which was shattered as soon as the grenade detonated.

Stalemate.

“Clearly you are determined to be as bothersome as possible.” The alpha snarled in disdain. “And just as clearly this fool,” he said, pointing a wickedly sharp claw in the direction of a cringing Brass Buttons, “isn’t up to the task of ridding me of you. So I’m going to make this simple. You,” he said, turning to face Buttons fully. “Take your remaining toys and continue the assault on the Moon Princesses castle. My colleagues and I will remain here until we rid ourselves of these pests.”

“Y-yes master. Of course, whatever you say.” Buttons says, reentering the head of the fallen robot pony.

The six Wendigos step down off of its muzzle. Suddenly a brief grinding noise is heard. Then the head of the pony-bot detaches itself from the remains of it’s body, and proceeds to move toward the remaining cyber ponies, carried along on sturdy brass accented tank treads.

Moonlight moves to intercept it, but before she has taken three steps, she found her path suddenly blocked by three of the Wendigos. Their claws gleaming wickedly in the morning sunlight.

During all of this, without so much as a word, Junior has made his way up onto my back, and has reform himself around me once more. I never even noticed the sting of the interface, my focus remaining intently on the Alpha.

As Junior rejoins with me and our minds link up, a memory surges down the link.

It was a memory of my last mission before I was assigned to Whinnyappleous…

Manehatten. It had been a long long time since I was last in this city. And hopefully, after tonight, I’d never have to return to it again.

It wasn’t the dirt and stink of the city that I hated. It was the bitter memories. Memories of my first and worst failure. I lost my perp, I lost my partner, and I lost my foolhardy innocence. The city had swallowed them all down deep into it’s dark heart. I had tried to follow them once, but instead of getting to the bottom of the case, all I managed to find was the bottom of a bottle. Then another, then another, then another.

But tonight that was going to change. I was back, and this time things would be different. This time I was different. I casually rubbed a hoof down my side, feeling the metal runes than were underneath my coat. Each one of them stirred a fresh memory of pain as I recalled when they were seared into my flesh. The smell of one’s own flesh melting and then catching fire, that charred meat smell, it was a smell I detested more than anything else. I doubted I’d ever be able to pass a griffin or diamond dog restaurant without wanting to puke for the rest of my life. But Goddess help me it was worth it.

“Where is he?” a voice whispered from over my shoulder. “He’s ten minutes late.”

“Patience Junior. I know this is your first time, but the real world doesn’t work like it does in your detective novels. Ponies in our line of work are rarely on time.” I whispered back. “We’ll give him another thirty minutes or so. If he doesn’t show by then, we’ll have to just call it a night.”

“No.” Junior whispered angrily. “We’ve been put off too long, he HAS to show up. This needs to be settled.”

“Stop it!” I fire back harshly. “I agreed to let you come along because I owed it to your father for you to see this finished. You have no say in how this gets done. Do you have any idea how many favors I had to call in, how many strings I had to pull, just to be allowed back on this case? I want this finished a hell of a lot more than you will ever know. And if we want any chance of that happening, then you need to sit back, shut up, and let me do this MY way. Are we clear?”

I feel Junior drawing back and settling onto my shoulder, but hear no response.

“I said are we clear!”

“Yes BOSS, we are very CLEAR.” he fires back bitterly.

I sigh to myself. “Don’t call me Boss,” I say quietly. “I’m nobody’s boss.”

We both settle into silence. But it doesn’t last. No more than five minutes later the pony I’ve been waiting for arrives. He stops at the mouth of the alley, leans against the corner, and then when he is sure he isn’t being followed, casts a glance inside. When he does I step out of the shadows to allow myself to be briefly illuminated by the light of a nearby porch. Then just as quickly I fade back into the darkness. After another check to make sure nopony is watching, he turns the corner, and makes his way to me.

“Followed?” I ask, my version of small talk. Of course he wasn’t, if he had been he would have kept on trotting past the alley.

“No, I’m good.” He replies, just as succinctly. “You have my bits?” he inquires.

I pull a small bag from inside my coat, and heft it in my hoof, letting him hear the distinctive clink of gold on gold.

“You have my information?” I ask in return.

The pony before me pulls a large manilla envelope from his own coat. Without a word we exchange our burdens. Equally in silence, I study the contents of the envelope by the light of my horn, as he opens the bag and begins to count bits by the light of his.

If this had been a transaction with someone higher up on the underworld ladder, inspecting the goods in front of each other would be considered a serious insult, which would likely end up with one or both of us dead. But the pony in front of me was just a face. He was sent on this errand by another pony, who was in turn hired because this was the type of service he provided. Readily disposable bodies whose life and fortune depended on whether or not they could complete their task successfully.

This may sound like the worst kind of job to have, but there are plenty of ponies that are either desperate enough for that one big payoff, or looking to get in good with a bigger fish, that they will line up for a chance at a job like this. Tonight is a good night. Both of us will be able to walk away from this alive… Or so I thought.

“Mr. Smith wanted me to tell you that that info was very hard to come by.” The pony says, continuing to count bits.

The help isn’t supposed to pass messages. He’s just supposed to drop off and pick up. I know his boss, he doesn’t hire ponies with big muzzles. This pony is off script.

“Mr. Smith isn’t sure that you appreciate just HOW difficult it was to acquire it.” The messenger says, oblivious to the frown forming on my muzzle.

I know where this is going. This is going to be a problem that I don’t have time to clean up, I need to head this off… NOW.

My horn ignites and unseen by the pony in front of me, a rune flares briefly on my hip. Suddenly I have the magical strength of a dozen unicorns flowing through me. Nice.

“I’m going to stop you right there,” I say, and abruptly I do just that, freezing his every limb in place, the light from his horn winks out, just as if I had snuffed out a candle.

I teleport his coat into my hooves, and quickly search it. Uh huh, just as I thought. Some sort of weapon. It looks like one of those steam powered ‘guns’ that they have in Whinnyappleous.

“Couriers aren’t supposed to be armed.” I remark, almost casually. “It’s part of the service. Your boss doesn’t like his clients to be nervous you see.” I float the gun up before his straining eyes with my magic, “and I have to say, the sight of that very illegal weapon, is certainly making ME nervous,” I offer disdainfully, and then crush it into a small perfect ball of metal. His pupils shrink to mere dots. “Now I’m SURE you wouldn’t want me to become any more nervous than I already am would you?”

“Nngh nnngh,” he forces out, his rigid features attempting to contort in terror.

“Good. Then I suggest you take your bag of bits and go while you still can. As a matter of fact, let me HELP you on your way.”

My horn flares brightly, and the pony before me vanishes from sight.

“W-where did you send him?” Junior asks, clearly impressed by the display of my newly gained powers.

“You remember that old unused water tower at the corner of Thirty-first Street and McWhinny Avenue?”

“The one we staked out last week when we were looking for meeting places? The one with the rancid water in it?” Junior asks. “Yeah, who could forget it. I thought I’d never get the stink off of my carapace.”

“Well, that’s where our friend is now. INSIDE the water tower.”

“Oh Goddess boss, that was truly wicked.” Junior says in awe.

“Yeah, I think I’m developing a dark sense of humor.” I admit. And as an afterthought, “and stop calling me boss.”

“Um, sorry. It just seems like in this kind of place, doing these kinds of things, that ‘boss’ is more appropriate than ‘Pop’.”

I mull that over for a second. I suppose it wouldn’t do for any potential bad guys to suspect a familial bond between us. “Fair enough. When we are at ‘work’, call me boss.”

“You got it Pop.” I can almost hear the grin in his voice.

In response I casually lean back against the wall, crushing him between my back and the cold mortared bricks. Not enough to actually hurt him, but with enough pressure to let him know who was the ‘boss’. Then I peruse the contents of the envelope once more, as I feel Junior squirming around behind me.

This was it! This was what I had been looking for.

“Junior, I think it’s time we made a trip to the docks. It looks like and old ‘friend’ of ours is returning to town. And I think it behooves us to give him a proper welcome.”

“And you’ll keep your promise right?” Junior asks, his voice flat with just a hint of accusation in it.

“Yes son. I’m a pony of my word, you’ll have your equal share, but I’ll tell you from experience, the smell of revenge is always better than the actual taste. And it’s never left me very satisfied afterwords.”

“I don’t care Pop. I have to do this. WE have to do this.”

“Yes Junior, we do.”

It takes us less a little over twenty minutes to make our way to the docks of Manehatten. The berth we were currently across from was at the far end of a mostly disused section of the pier. Likewise the rooftop of the warehouse upon which we were hidden was practically a derelict. It seemed like there were more holes in it than there were shingles. Our ‘friend’ must be having hard times if this was the best he could afford to rent. And that was fine with me.

“Okay Junior, I think I see our ship coming into port. Time to suit up.”

“Okay Boss,” He says, trying not to let the nervous excitement he is feeling into his voice.

I feel the brief sting as Junior attaches himself to my spine. And then I feel the slow creep of his nannysprites as they crawl across my body to join together in the shape of night black body armor.

Junior has only done this a few times before, and never for an actual battle. I had been training him at his own request, ever since he hatched his first batch of nannysprites. His armor wasn’t like Bob’s. He was the next generation of command bug. Stronger, faster, and with his own distinctive personality. Although, just for tonight, he had made himself resemble his dad’s armor perfectly.

“Junior, zoom in on the gangplank they are lowering off the ship.”

“On it.”

My vision blurs for a moment, and then I can see the lowest part of the gangplank with crystal clarity.

Less than five minutes later, figures begin to make their way onto the dock. The first two are obviously hired goons. Large almost feral looking diamond dogs. But immediately behind them trots a pony I am very familiar with.

“Axle Grease.”

I nearly spit out those two words. It took me years to pick up his trail after he made his escape. He must have used up nearly all his wealth to stay off the grid for this long. But I knew at some point his money would run out, and ponies like him know of only one way to make a living. And here he was, at last.

“Pop, behind the greasy looking pony, is that…?”

I tear my gaze from Axle Grease and focus on the last two figures coming down the ramp. My blood runs cold for a moment.

“Wendigos,” I all but whisper.

Suddenly I feel a surge of emotion through the neural link. A mixture of rage, anticipation, and the tiniest hint of fear.

‘Calm down Junior.’ I send back through the link. ‘We’ll get them, but not yet. We need to let them trap themselves.’

‘Y-yes, of course. Whatever you say boss.’ Junior replies, working hard to master himself.

We take our time and follow the five from the shadows as they make their way inside the warehouse.

Junior activated his stealth as we went inside, and we followed behind them just a few hoofsteps back of the wendigos. Unlike his father, Junior can maintain his stealth field for over an hour. I doubted this would take that long.

Ugh, I had forgotten the stink those things put off. Like a musk of rotting meat and decay. The dogs were noticeably uncomfortable being near them, although Axle Grease himself seemed not to mind. I kept thinking as we followed them, that there was something ‘off’ about this warehouse. It somehow looked smaller on the inside than from when we were on the roof. Moments later I found out why.

Axle Grease and his crew had made it to the rear of the warehouse. There was hardly any light back here, the old bulbs that were hanging from the cobwebbed ceiling had long since burnt out or were broken. He was standing between two stacks of rotted out crates, the floor strewn about with rat droppings.

What was he up to?

The with a glance back at his companions, he reaches up to a section of the wall, no different looking from the rest, and slides up a small hidden panel. He reaches his hoof inside, and then we can all hear a faint ‘click’. A moment later a pony sized section of the wall retracts, and light begins to shine from inside. The five make their way inside the opening, Junior and I quickly sneaking in after them just before the wall behind me closes itself back up.

Inside, everything is much, much, different. The floor is clean and well maintained. As are the thick sturdy timbers of the reinforced walls. The ceiling here is a good ten hooves lower than the one outside and is also made of the same reinforced wood as the walls. In the center of the room is a huge steel vault, big enough to house a good sized living room or den. In front and to the side of the massive vault door there is a desk with a pony sitting behind it. Obviously a full time guard. I shook my head in admiration. The whole outer warehouse was a facade. Axle Grease was nowhere near as broke as I had believed.

I quietly made my way to the side of the pony’s desk as the group approached.

“Is the shipment secure?” Axle Grease asks.

“Yes sir,” The guard replies smartly, as he opens the door of the vault, allowing them all to step inside with me right behind. “It came in last night. Straight from the Everfree. Our ‘business associate’ tells us that this will be the last we can get until they bloom again. And like before, that will take several years.”

Inside the vault is lined with rows of empty shelves. But at the very back is a small pallet sealed in shrink wrap.

“But she was able to procure the amount we requested?” Axle Grease presses, a note of concern in his voice.

“Yes sir,” the pony says once more. “She had to all but strip the forest, but there was just enough.”

“Excellent.” Axle Grease says with barely hidden relief. He turns to face the two wendigos. “You see, nothing to worry about, not only was I able to replace what I lost, but we now have nearly double the amount. Alls well that ends well eh?” He says trying to force a smile upon his muzzle.

One of the two wendigos approaches Axle Grease and effortlessly lifts him off of the floor by his lapels with a wickedly taloned hand.

“NO AXLE GREASE,” it roars, “All is NOT well. Your bungling has already set us back years, not to mention the death of one of our tribe. Had you failed us again, your insides would festooning the walls of this structure while we sucked the marrow from your weak pony bones.”

“Y-yes, o-of course masters.”Axle Grease all but simpers. “But might I point out in my defense, that I did everything I could to procure your first shipment. It wasn’t I that slew your comrade...”

“No, it wasn’t,” the wendigo says interrupting his whining, “it was YOU,” he roars, pointing a talon straight at me as the vault door clangs shut.

BUCK ME! They knew I was here! Of course, how could I be so stupid! They track by scent. If I make it out of here alive, the first thing I’m going to do is have Celestia add a photographic memory rune to my body. Right on my ass.

‘All right Junior, looks like the time for being sneaky has passed. Let’s see if your acting lessons have paid off.’ I send through the link, as well as an image of what I am wanting to do.

Suddenly the stealth field slowly dissolves, and the six beings are treated to a visage straight out of nightmare.

Mwahahaaa. Foolish creature,” I cackle in a deep almost alien sounding voice. “You sought to trap me, and so I came. But you have made one terrible, terrible mistake. It is not I who has been trapped here with you. It is YOU who are all now trapped in here with ME!”

Axle Grease recoils in horror, the memory of our last encounter burned into his mind. He quickly scurries behind the pallet, ducking his head. His pony guard moves to loyally stand before him, while the two dogs look to the wendigos for instruction.

Meanwhile the wendigos look decidedly unimpressed. They tense their muscles, ready to strike.

“What ARE you pony thing?” The one that had spoken before asks, “I have seen the formation of this world, witnessed the rise of all of it’s creatures, but you, you are a NEW thing. How can this be?”

Formation of this world? What in the name of Celestia was it talking about?

“I?” I respond haughtily. “I am a nightmare. YOUR nightmare!”

I extend two wickedly sharp blades from my forehooves, and then teleport behind mister chatty. I swing with all of my enhanced might and manage to cut deeply into the flesh of the wendigos side.

He roars in pain, the sound all but deafening in the enclosed space of the vault, before lashing out with his claws. Junior jumps back, but isn’t quite fast enough as the screech of claw on carapace fills the room.

‘You okay?’ I send through the link.

‘Yeah, just a scratch on the armor. These things are quicker than they look, and they look demon damn fast.’

‘I know, remember our training, and don’t lose your focus. You are the strongest bug I ever met, we can do this.’

I send a wave of confidence back through the link along with my advice. None of it is fake. Junior would know if it was. But I’ve seen just how strong Bob’s offspring has become. He can do this. WE can do this.

I feel a slight weight on my shoulders. The two diamond dogs had come up from behind, and clamped there jaws onto my shoulders. A solid tactic that their ancestors used to use to take down prey, however it was next to useless against a pony in power armor. The second wendigo springs toward me, confident that I wont be able to dodge his attack with a dog on either shoulder. He might’ve been right… had I tried to dodge. Instead I cross my hooves over my shoulders, grab a dog in each of them by the muzzle, and fling them directly at the oncoming wendigo.

They crash to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Both dogs took serious damage, but all that I’ve done to the wendigo is to set it into a rage. He rises to stand, ripping the dogs to sheds to clear them from his way. I blanch inside my armor, the memories of what happened back in school forcing their way into my thoughts.

The wendigo must have sensed my hesitation because quick as lightning he attacks, slamming me into the side of the vault, shelves buckling under the impact.

“Now pony thing. Show me your secrets.” It says triumphantly, as it slowly extends its talon and presses it forward. First it pierces my armor, then, horrifyingly, it pierces into my skull. My body goes limp, and for a moment my thoughts fracture as I can feel something enter my mind. Something alien, something terrible.

“Yes, yes… I see. You are not one, but TWO beings. The outer some form of insect, powerful, yet of limited intellect. Ah, but the second one, the inner one. His mind is slippery, filled with low cunning. Like a weasel, or a ferret… Now then, who are you weasely one? Hmm.”

We are completely helpless in the wendigo’s grasp. He’s doing something inside my mind, keeping me from being able to move. Worse yet, I can feel him in there, like a worm crawling through my brain. A worm hungry for my mind, my secrets.

Dimly I become aware of a painful heat that is radiating from my side. As the fog that had been clouding my thoughts begins to lift, I realize what it is. One of Celestia’s fail safe runes had activated. It was fighting against the wendigo’s mental attack. I could feel my side burning as the rune went from red hot to near white, as more and more energy was diverted to power it. If I didn’t do something soon, my flank would be a charred ruin of flesh. Fortunately, now that I could think clearly, I found that I could move as well.

‘Junior, chest spikes. Half a dozen, five hooves long, go!’ I all but yell down the link.

Faster than the eye can see Junior sprouts the spikes I requested from our chest, impaling the wendigo and splattering us with it’s hot stinking blood.

It throws back it’s head and howls in pain, as I viciously yank the spikes back out of him, retracting them into our armor. Then, before he can react, I grab one hoof above the massive holes in his chest, and one hoof below them, and pull both hooves in opposite directions as hard as I am able.

I literally tear the wendigo in half, painting the walls with blood and gore. I turn to face the other wendigo. The wounds that I had cause earlier as still bleeding profusely, but he’s still on his feet.

Suddenly what feels like a sledge hammer hits me in the back of the head. I stagger a step, and turn to see that the pony vault guard has drawn another one of those ‘guns’ that I had seen earlier, and had it pointed directly at me. He pulls a trigger on it and my chest is slammed once more by another impact.

‘Junior,’ I send down the link. ‘Are we okay?’

‘Yeah boss, we’re holding up. It may pack a lot of concussive force, but it hasn’t been able to penetrate our armor.’

‘Good’, I send back.

I take a step toward him, but the rending of metal behind me cause me to turn once more. Oh Sweet Celestia! The friggin wendigo had ripped the massive vault door free from it’s hinges.

‘Junior, hit the dirt!’ I think, and feel him yanking me toward the floor much faster than I could have fallen, just as the massive steel door passes overhead to impact the wall behind me.

I rise to my hooves, extending my blades once more, but the wendigo, after tossing his would be discus, has already made his escape. I then turn to confront Axle Grease and his lone remaining guard.

And nearly throw up inside my armor.

I don’t know if it was intentional, or just bad luck, but there wasn’t much left of either one of them outside of a thin bloody paste. The vault door had impacted the steel wall directly over their heads, and then gravity looked up and said ‘hi, we should be friends’, and brought the door squarely down on top of them, crushing them in a really horrible fashion. Then right before my eyes, the contents of the shattered pallet started pouring out and mixing with the already bloody floor. As soon as the two substances met, the blood and guts and ichor began to change and transform. Several butterflies arose and took flight. And a large sickly looking toad emerged and quickly tried to hop away, but found himself blocked by all the falling shelving.

“Poison Joke,” Junior said, confirming what I already guessed.

“By the Sky Stallion, that’s a hell of a way to go.” I mutter, scooping up the toad, unsure of whether it was Axle Grease, his guard, or a horrible combination of the two.

“I guess this is it then.” Junior said, his tone unreadable. “We got the pony in charge, and took out another one of those bastards. A shame we couldn’t get the last of them though. We’ve never been able to find a trace of them before now, and who knows where he’ll end up.”

I reach down and pick up the gun that the guard pony dropped. This is the second one of those I had seen today. And they only came from one place. One city.

“No Junior, we didn’t get the ‘boss’. Axle Grease called the wendigos his ‘master’. As for where he’s going, I think I have a pretty good idea. C’mon. I need to go see the boss. I think we are going to have to relocate in the very near future.”

“Relocate? You have a lead? Were are we going?”

“Whinnyappleous. Or as it is better known as, Sin Whinny.”

Junior’s memory is processed in less than a second. And then in the space of an eye blink I realize what triggered it. It’s was the Alpha’s voice.

“My my my. Looks like you’ve grown into your big boy pants since the last time we met.” I taunt the hulking brute. “Tell me, does that wound still itch? Ache when it gets cold? Oh wait, you guys LIKE the cold. Oh, I bet that must cause all kinds of issues. Tell you what,” I say drawing out my twin blades once more, as Junior covers us in wickedly sharp spikes, “why don’t you come down here and let’s see if I can make all your pain go away.”

The Alpha roars, his voice loud enough to shatter whatever windows that had remained unbroken until now. Then he tenses his legs and prepares to spring forward, muzzle foaming, and claws hungry for my death.

“Um boss?” Junior says, hesitantly.

“Little busy here,” I send back at lightning speed.

“Yeah, I know. Thing is, normally I couldn’t be happier about you taunting that son of a bitch into a one on one battle to the death...”

I sensed a ‘but’ coming on…

“I sense a ‘but’ coming on. Better spit it out quick son.”

“Ahem, yes. Well, you remember awhile back when I said our power level was down to fifty percent? Well, we are down a wee bit more since then.”

Oh crap.

“How MUCH more?” I say, dread starting to creep up on me.

“Five percent.” He replies.

“We are down five percent? Whew! Junior you scared the crap out of me for a second there, forty-five percent should be enough to handle-”

“No boss, I mean five percent as in ‘we only have five percent total power left’.”

The Alpha wendigo springs toward me, his muzzle howling in unrestrained rage.

“Oh... buck... me.”

Chapter 30

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Chapter 30- Loose Ends, and the Ties That Bind

(Bon Bon)

I- I just can’t believe it. Dead? Johnny’s dead? How? Why? He was… the BEST of us. Of all of us. Sure we never talked about it out loud, but we all read the reports. Some agents claimed it was just the runes. That if they were willing to throw away their ponyhood, then they too could become a superagent. But it was more than that, and deep down we all knew it. The runes were just tools. It was the mind of a pony, the heart, the soul, the drive. That was what made Johnny exceptional.

The tragedy that occurred to him back at the school, accidentally killing those ponies, losing Twilight. Yeah, mom hushed it all up as best she could, but she couldn’t hide the truth from me. No other agent understood him like I did. And now he’s gone. Oh Johnny, I could have made you happy! I could have given you all the love you ever needed. I could have healed your heart, and you could have filled mine with joy. But now it’s too late. They took you from me, and all that is left in my heart is rage. I’ll find them Johnny. The ponies that took you from me. I’ll find them in that shadow city, and show them such darkness as they have never seen.

(Lyra)

What in Equestria have I gotten myself into? I thought I was joining Bon Bon on an adventure. But now ponies are dead and dying, there are plots against Luna. Celestia was CRYING for Zacherle's sake! Crying! And now she’s dragging us back to Whinnyappleous on some quest for vengeance?

She’s angry. I’ve NEVER seen her this angry. And Bon Bon isn’t trying to calm her in the least. If anything Bonny seems as scary as her mom. Johnny must have been really, really, important to them. About all I can think of to do is to stay out of their way, and support them as best I can.

I feel really sorry for whoever it is they are after, because when an angry goddess is coming for you, even Discord would be smart enough to feel fear.

(Celestia)

Kill them! Kill them all! Burn that rats nest of a city to bare rock with solar fire. Crack the foundations, send the whole sorry mess tumbling into Tartarus.

Half of me wants to do that.

Just stop. Stop trying, stop caring. Stop this foolish grand design that grinds good ponies up into dust. Give up, abdicate, leave this planet to fall, and fly off into the silence of the void.

Half of me wants to do that instead.

But I’ll do neither. I’ll dry my tears, avenge my fallen hero, fix this mess in Luna’s city, and move on like I always do.

That’s what I’m telling myself.

That’s how a leader thinks. That’s how a ruler shoulders the burden of command. But right now, I’m not a leader. I’m not a goddess. Right now, flying between cities, for just these few minutes, right now I’m just a pony. A pony filled with guilt and regret. Oh Johnny, this is all my fault. I’m so, so sorry.

Without meaning to I flash back once again to that stupid accident. I was so concerned about Twilight. Her future, her destiny. Her importance to the grand design. It was all I was worried about at the time.

Switching her memories with Johnny seemed like the perfect solution. They were becoming too close anyway. It wasn’t the time for Twilight to be pulled away from her studies. Her path had to be guided just so, if her true destiny would ever have a chance of coming to pass.

So I made the hard choice. I told myself Johnny would never want for anything, that he would be taken care of until the day he died. And no pony would ever know what a sacrifice he had made for the good of Equestria. But then he surprised me. He really did.

That guilt, that guilt of what happened to his classmates. It ate at him, nearly crushed him. Until one day something happened to him.

In all of my planning, I had overlooked something. The most basic of things. And that was, the NATURE of the pony I had chosen for my deception.

One morning, he just got up, and trotted right out of the hospital. His jaw was set, and his eyes were on fire with determination. And on his flank, was a brand new cutie mark.

At some point, deep inside his mind, he had overcome the demons that had been falsely implanted inside him. He determined that the only way to atone for the loss of so many innocent ponies, was to become somepony that could save ponies instead.

A week later he demanded the spell runes. I asked him what in Equestria he was talking about. He said that he had worked it out. That he had spent the last week trying to determine how he could do the most good for Equestria. His cutie mark was shining, as he told me how he determined that I must have more than just my regular pony agents out there. That given the nature of some of the threats there were to Equestria, that I had to have some special branch to combat them. He, barely a week out of the hospital, had managed to, on his own, investigate the secret branches of my agency to the point where he could even identify several key ponies as special agents. And he wanted in.

How could I deny him? By then my guilt was all but crushing me over what I had done to him. And here he was, practically demanding a death sentence for himself, just so he could atone for something he didn’t even do.

I preformed the procedure myself. Casting platinum runes with solar fire, and searing each one into his tender flesh. The screams were heart wrenching. But after each rune, he would tell me to go on. ‘Add the next one, I can take it.’ he’d say, even though his voice was raw from screaming, and his eyes were leaking tears. Mine were as well, but I did as he asked, over and over and over again, until the last two were set in place. The Alpha, and the Omega runes. The two runes I hoped that he would never, ever use.

He couldn’t even scream anymore as the Omega was set into place. The smell of burnt flesh was so strong it was all I could do not to empty my stomach. I couldn’t even heal him with my solar radiance. But the magics were in place. They would keep the horrible burns from becoming infected. They would merge metal with flesh until they were one. And when Johnny recover, he’d be more than he ever was. Stronger, faster, more powerful. I crafted these runes myself out of guilt and sorrow. They were my finest and most powerful. And with them Johnny would be the greatest of my knights. No less could I do for the pony I so terribly wronged.

“What do you mean you want to be a ‘covert agent’ again?” I all but shouted at him.

After he had gotten out of the hospital… again, he had requested a private meeting with me, to discuss his future. I had him admitted to my personal chambers, excited at the prospect of telling him personally how I intended to place him at the head of my enhanced legions as their commander. A shining example of our pony race. One who would be at the forefront to defend our borders from any nation who would dare to try and attack us.

He had other plans in mind.

“Haven’t you had your fill of that after that fiasco with the parasprite armor? Axle Grease got away scott free, and we still don’t know who his source was for poison joke. Nor do we have any idea why the Wendigos were involved. Duskwind, I have more important plans for you, you are going to be promoted to commander! You are going to lead my troops! I’m putting you were you can do the most good!”

“I can do the most GOOD,” he says, raising his voice, “doing what I do the best. And that is tracking down leads, solving conspiracies, and rooting out the ponies who are trying to undermine your rule from within. I am not some poster pony for the war effort!”

By the Sky Stallion this pony can be stubborn. I’m putting him in the field because with a squad at his back, and those runes on his body, he’d be proof against whatever he came up against. But where he wants to go could have a knife in his back, poison in his drink, or a slit throat while he sleeps. Can’t he see I’m trying to do what’s best for him?

“And what’s wrong with being an example to others?” I counter. “What’s wrong with leading and inspiring others to be the best ponies they can be? Do you think you wont see battle? I’m planning to send you and your troops out to the edge of the frontier. The Bactrians and Dromedaries of Saddle Arabia are already sending out raiding parties, probing for weaknesses in our borders.”

“Blast it, are you even listening to me?” He all but shouts, coming nose to nose with me. “Any pony commander under you can handle ‘border patrol’. My talents and gifts would be wasted out there. Why are you squandering me? Why are you trying to send me away?”

“Because I don’t want you to die!” I fire back. Too late to take the words back now, they came out without thought. Raw honesty torn from my guilty conscious. “You’ve been through so much, do you think I want you to die in some dingy back alley? That I want to see a heart as noble and strong as yours to stop beating in som-”

That was all I managed to say. Suddenly I had been cut off by a pair of lips covering my own. By the Sky Stallion, I was being kissed. He was kissing me. I made one feeble attempt to push him away, but somehow, my strength was gone. And his was like a tidal wave, enveloping me completely.

I was vaguely aware of furniture being tossed to either side of us. Tables, chairs, whatever was between us and the all consuming softness of the bed in the next chamber. It was as if I had suddenly become ice cold, and his kisses pure fire. Fire that quickly ignited my own passion. I embraced him, and with a single flap of my wings, pulled him back the remaining distance, and we fell onto the bed, still probing each other with our tongues.

I had thought my passions long since withered into dust. But I had been wrong. Oh so very wrong.

For three days we never left my chambers. Food was sent to us, duties were deferred to a smirking sister. In the end he had gotten what he wanted. In all things. And I, I had gotten what I needed. A balm to my guilt, a measure of forgiveness, even though he had no idea what I needed forgiving for.

Our unofficial arrangement continued off and on ever since. Each of us giving each other what the other needed. I relented and let him become the agent he wanted to be. An undercover agent, in more ways than one.

And, as I thought, he had gotten hurt. Over and over. He became harder, bitter at times. Sometimes it became very hard to still see the pony that I lo-… cared for. But he was still in there. Fighting the good fight. For Princess and country.

Until now. Now he was dead. Dead and gone, like so many others. Too many others. My fault. My sin. A sin I can never atone for. Perhaps, after this is all over, I will have Luna banish me to the sun. Maybe a thousand years of penance can burn away my guilt. But I somehow doubt it.

The three of us began to make our descent outside Luna’s castle. Her spell of darkness shattered, it gleamed in the morning sun. Such a beautiful thing. Luna always had such vision. My thoughts were interrupted by a chuff, chuff sound. I turned to see an oddly shaped carriage making it’s way toward us quite rapidly. It must be one of those steam vehicles Johnny talked about in his reports. Fascinating!

Moments later a tired and haggard pony climbed out and approached us, his eyes wide in surprise.

“Princess Celestia?!? Oh thank the Sky Stallion! I have no idea why you are here, but we need you’re help!”

“We, who are we? And what exactly is going on?”

“Right, of course. Well, my name is Ebon Shard, and right now-”

“Ebon Shard?!?” Bon Bon And Lyra yell simultaneously, as they move in front of me protectively.

“Don’t listen to him Mom, this is the turncoat that Johnny and Agent Shadow were looking for, he’s a traitor to the Night Watch. He’s working for the bad guys.”

“Wait, hold on, give me a chance to explain! Please!” The pony known as Ebon Shard says, his hooves held in the air, his eyes pleading.

I can see something in those eyes, something filled with desperation, and sincerity.

“Stand down Bonny, I want to hear what he has to say. But afterwords mister Shard, I have a great many questions for you.”

“There’s no time!” Shard says. Even now this castle is under attack. My companions are slowly them down as best they can, but very soon an army of cyber ponies will be at these very walls!”

“An army of cyber ponies eh? And why exactly should we believe the likes of you?” Bon Bon asks with disdain.

“Please, you HAVE to believe me. I was brainwashed before. Dr. Double Helix used some kind of changeling based machine to turn me into his slave. But these two ponies, Agent Moonlight Shadow, and Johnny Appleseed freed me from his control. We were trying to stop the cyber pony attack, but Johnny had me break off and come and warn the castle. We need help, they are going to be overrun!”

At the mention of the changeling machine, my heart goes cold. But Johnny? Alive? Impossible! Our soul link was broken. He’s dead.

“Mister Shard,” I say, my voice going cold, what you say cannot be true. Johnny Appleseed is dead.”

“I know, I know, I killed him myself! Shot him six times, right after he gave up some kind of God powers that made him almost like you. But then hours later he comes back, not a mark on him. Wearing some kind of bug armor, just like those two are wearing. He keeps calling it ‘Junior’ for some reason. Look, I know this sounds hard to believe, but I’m telling the truth! Please, you have to help them!”

Junior? By the Sky Stallion, it has to be Bob’s offspring! I knew he was due to birth a new command bug, but I thought he died before doing so. All this time Johnny must have been raising it, wanting to make sure nothing happened to it out of loyalty to Bob. That is so like him. But wait, that means… that means that the rest of his story is true! Johnny is alive! Oh sweet harmony, he’s alive!

“Lyra! Bon Bon! You two stay here and protect the castle! Don’t let anything get past these gates. Shard, you’re with me. We’re going back. If what you say is true we don’t have a moment to lose.”

“Mom, wait. You believe this guy?” Bonny says incredulously.

“Yes. Call it a gut feeling. Isn’t that what Johnny would say?” I ask her, tears threatening to spill from my eyes once more.

“Y-yeah. That’s exactly the kind of thing he would say.” She replies, her voice breaking.

I lift from the ground, my powerful wings preparing for what is to come. I grasp Ebon Shard tightly.

“Prepare yourself mister Shard. For now, I go to war, and Tartarus help anything that gets in my way!”

Chapter 31

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Chapter 31- Hidden Truths

(Johnny)

My name is Duskwind. Sometimes I go by Johnny Appleseed, or Johnny One Note, or, most recently, ‘The Late Johnny Appleseed’. This is because not too long ago I was dead. Stone cold dead.

Unfortunately, unless I can come up with something pretty quick, I may soon be that way again. And considering who’s on the look out for me on the other side, I’d REALLY rather not go.

“Down to four percent here boss, you can come up with that last ditch ‘save the day’ plan at aaaaaany time now.” Junior says in my ear.

Thanks son, always helpful.

I’m giving Wendigo Prime here everything I have. Really starting to wish I had saved just one BBG round. Given time and energy Junior could generate more, but unfortunately we have very little of either at the moment.

I’ve survived a lot in the course of my life. I always seem to find myself put in situations that strain me to my limits. In the stories that would be the moment where the hero reaches deep within himself to some font of special inner strength, generated from living a virtuous life, or eating all of his beets, or the magical farts of Discord or some such.

Yeah, I don’t do that.

No, for me, at that time where it all comes down to that one last heroic push, that’s when I usually do something stupid.

Hey, don’t judge. It works. No really, it actually does work. Mostly because the bad guys are so intently focused on the situation, that when I do something completely out of left field, it leaves them at a loss. This gives me an oh so brief opening to turn the tide. Trust me, when the situation becomes really bad, do something really stupid.

“Down to three percent boss. Um, I don’t mean to rush you but...”

I tune Junior out as I do one last quick assessment of my immediate surroundings. The Alpha’s two companions are still standing where they were before, next to the wreckage of the ponybot, watching me and their boss go at it.

I risk a glance toward Moonlight, and the three Wendigos she was fighting, and I nearly take a claw to the face from pausing in confusion. They AREN’T fighting. The other three Wendigos have her completely surrounded, but aren’t attacking her, aren’t even touching her. Every time she tries to move around them one immediately moves in front of her and just stands there. She in turn, isn’t attacking them either. Nor is she trying to teleport away. What the buck is going on?

(Moonlight Shadow)

“You’re going to lose.” one of the Wendigos says, taunting me.

“Bold words from a remnant of a race that has ALREADY lost.” I snark back.

“As long as one of us lives, we have yet to lose. And we shall live as long as you do, even if we must take on these disgusting lower forms. How can you STAND it? The loss of your TRUE power? The baseness of a biological form? You have to make it breathe, make it eat, it needs rest, even sleep, the small death. How can you bear it?” It asks me, in genuine curiosity.

“Well, there’s cake,” I reply trying once again trying in vain to slip past them without touching them.

“You’re going to lose,” it taunts again. “We shall take this city from you, we shall shatter it’s unity and hope. And when it’s people fall into despair, we shall bring forth the cold dark once more. Then we shall send our minions forth, reclaiming more and more of our territories. And as we expand our dominion, the rest of Equestria will begin to fear us once more. We shall ride the winds again in triumph, until this entire world surrenders to the cold dark. And then we shall feed once more. Truly feed, not the crass food of these base forms, but true food, the essence of despair. Even as this world falls like so many before it.

Do you and your kin truly believe you can stop us? We have feasted on half a galaxy before coming to this turgid little backwater world.”

“We have so far,” I say, still looking for an opening.

They press me too close to attempt to teleport away, if so much as one iota of magical energy were to come in contact with them, then the pact would be broken, and they would be free to use their full powers once more. Above all else, I cannot let that happen, even if it means standing by helplessly watching Johnny die.

(Johnny)

I’m running out of options. I have no idea what’s going on with Moonlight, but at least she’s keeping three of them occupied. That leaves me with two just standing there waiting, and the big guy who is still trying to rip off my face. Oh and the fact that…

“One point five percent power, it’s been nice knowing you boss, take good care of the twins.”

No, not an option. We aren’t dead yet.

“Junior, life tap, now.”

I can just about hear the mental equivalent of a shudder of revulsion through the link. Unlike his father, Junior has never been comfortable using the life tap ability. The idea of feeding off of me revolts him. Heh, understandable, I’m not big on it either. Also, if he does it for very long, it will kill me. Yet another reason why we don’t do it. On the other hoof, if we don’t, then we are pretty much dead anyway, and Junior knows this. That’s why I feel the disturbingly uncomfortable feeling of my energy being sucked out through my spine, and Junior suddenly becomes faster and more alert.

“Power at thirty-three percent, and holding steady.”

“Bring it up to fifty Junior, no time for half measures.”

“But boss… Pop, you wouldn’t last more than ten minutes if I did that, even if you were at your best. And with you just coming back from the dead, and fighting all those cyber ponies, and...”

He’s trying not to think about something, I can sense it through the link. He’s trying to hide something from me. He’s never done that before.

“Out with it son, what are you not telling me.” I demand, projecting stern authority through the link.

We are in a life or death situation, I can’t have him holding anything back that could put us at risk.

“You… you don’t taste right.” He finally admits.

“What do you mean, ‘don’t taste right’?” I ask, finally managing to force Wendigo Prime on the defensive for the first time.

“You just don’t. We’ve done this before, I KNOW what you’re supposed to taste like. This doesn’t taste like you anymore. You’re different. You taste different.”

“Different? What do I taste like then?” I ask, trying to hide my alarm at what he’s saying.

“Well, you taste a little like Duskwind, but then there’s this taste like… ugh, like dead meat. But you mostly taste like this weird hot coppery cotton candy taste. And when I eat it, it’s messing up my insides, it’s making me feel… weird. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”

This last I feel strongly through the link. Junior has always followed my commands. That’s part of the deal when a command bug bonds with it’s host. It’s life is linked to mine. Could dying and coming back have severed that link? No, he would have said something before now. But that last thought, almost as if he was ready to just tear himself off of me. Is his revulsion of me that great?

As to what he said. I know what it means. It means that I’m not really ‘back’. I died. My body died, and my essence crossed over to the other side. Then I was brought back from the other side, and shoved back into my body with magic, and that body was brought back to life. That ‘dead’ body. That’s the dead meat taste Junior was talking about. I can only assume that the coppery cotton candy taste was either the magic they used to bring me back, or residue from when I used my omega rune to absorb that tiny bit of Celestia’s power.

“Just get us to fifty percent son, then you can stop,” I send back, trying to be as calm and reassuring as possible.

The way I figure it, fifty percent should be enough to deal with the alpha. My only hope is that if they see their leader slain, the rest will scurry off. I need to put on a front. Intimidate them before my power is completely exhausted. It’s a really bad plan and I know it, but it’s all I can come up with.

“Power levels at fifty percent, and gross as hell, just so you know.”

Did Junior just snark at me? Whatever, I don’t have time for ‘cranky teenage bug’ right now.

I reassert full control over our armor. It feels good. I almost forget that I only have about ten minutes of this before I end up dead… again. Force that thought away. I can do this. Ten minutes? I destroyed an army of monster ponies in less than one. Ten minutes is plenty of time for one Wendigo on a roid rage.

The alpha had been ranting at me this whole time. I had muted the externals at the beginning of the fight because honestly, there wasn’t anything he was saying that I wanted to hear. Junior had been dutifully recording it all, just in case he did that villain thing where for some stupid reason the bad guy decides to reveal his entire plan before killing his foe. I mean really, who does that? Just kill they guy already. All I can figure is that being the head of an evil organization must be really lonely, and they just don’t have anypony to talk to. Meh, whatever. I start to command the armor to unmute the externals so I can taunt the Wendigo with (arguably) witty banter, but then Junior says something unsettling.

“Power levels at fifty-eight percent and climbing.”

“WHAT?!? Junior knock it off! I’m not going last five minutes if you suck me dry. Stop feeding!”

“I HAVE stopped feeding, boss! I couldn’t stop quickly enough. You taste horrible. My gut is tied up in knots. But power levels are continuing to rise. Sixty percent, sixty-five percent, seventy-three percent. What did you do to me boss? My insides feel like they are on fire!”

On fire? Oh no! No, No, No!

“Junior, lightning attack! Send as much power into the Alpha as you can, right now!”

This is something we learned how to do early on in his training. Ever since Bob took out that Wendigo with his dying breath, I realized how vulnerable their bodies were to energy attacks. We had been training on channeling bio energy as a weapon, but the cost to our systems was always too high. It would drain Junior in an instant to perform even one of these attacks. But if what I was afraid of was true, then it wasn’t going to matter.

I had unmuted the externals just in time to hear the alpha roar in pain as a jagged smoking scar rent it’s way across it’s body. The smell of burning fur and flesh was so strong it made it’s way past the filters in the armor.

“Junior?”

“S-still here Pop. Power levels at five percent and rising. Ten, Twenty, forty… Pop, the other two, they’re heading this way… P-power levels seventy-two, eighty-nine...”

“Chain lightning, both of them. Drain your reserves dry, don’t leave a trace, get it all out of you!”

A moment later Junior fires an intense blast of bio-lightning at the approaching Wendigos, their dying screams echo down the deserted streets. Junior continues to blast lighting into the charred husks until he finally runs dry.

My armor depleted, I fall to the ground next to the dying alpha.

“Junior? Junior? Are you alive?”

“Suit Power levels zero point zero,zero,zero,zero...” he dutifully reports, his voice just a whisper in my mind now.

Good. The power to the nannysprite suit has been depleted, but Junior himself, the control bug to the sprites, is still alive.

I use my magic to manually open the faceplate so I can breathe, and find myself looking into the panting face of the alpha. He’s lying on his back, the smoldering scar across his chest cracks as the Wendigo struggles to take in a breath.

“What… are… you...”

He asks, his voice hollow and weak.

“You former partner asked me that before.” I reply, struggling to keep dirt out of my muzzle, the weight of the power armor pinning me face first to the ground. “I’m just a pony… trying to protect...”

“NO,” he says sharply, the effort causing blood to spew from his lips. “Not… not just a pony. You are… strong. Not… just… prey. You are… like her.” He gestures a claw toward Moonlight, still surrounded by the other three Wendigos.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t they attacking her? Why are you here? Why are you doing this?” I all but yell in exasperation, not expecting him to tell me anything, just needed to have it be said. But he surprises me.

“You are strong. You have won the right to know.” With a great effort, he heaves himself over, falling onto his chest.

The move causes him great pain, but brings him within a hoof of my muzzle.

“We are Windigoes,” he begins. “Long before ponies walked the face of this world, we were here. Our race travels between worlds, we look for planets like this. Unripe fruit. There are many, oh so many. We never age, we never die… until here.

We came to this world, and claimed it for our tribe. There are many tribes in the vastness of the galaxy, but ours were the weakest. We could not contest with our brethren for planets, so we would search the outer limits of space, far outside the normal hunting grounds, so that our finds would not be discovered.

So we came here, and claimed this world. As with many others, it was yet unripe. But we were content to wait. And so it was, and ages past by until the world began to ripen. Intelligent life appeared, and began to rise up out of their primitive beginnings. The world was almost ready to harvest.

But then THEY came.” He says bitterly.

“They?” I ask.

He nods his head toward Moonlight.

“They came, before the time of harvest. They live to oppose us. Wherever there is darkness, it is defined by the light. Wherever there is chaos, it will be opposed by order. And so it was with us.

We feast on worlds. We bring the cold dark. They raise up worlds, until the beings that live on them become like unto themselves, and then they depart to repeat the cycle once more.

They sent their weakest to this world, because they knew we were not a strong tribe. Two they sent, all though they have been raising up others recently.

We fought. For thousands of years we fought. Both of our races immortal, both unyielding, both relentless. We fought and fought and fought...” He pauses to clear more blood from his muzzle.

He won’t last much longer, and he knows it.

“We fought, but neither side could claim a decisive victory. And so, tiring of the stalemate, we formed a pact with them. We would reduce ourselves, and live on the planet below us. We would use the inhabitants to decide our battle for us. Our foes took the forms of ponies, and at first hid themselves away. We assumed they were planning something. At first we rode the winds, contending against the inhabitants of this world directly. But they banded their tribes together, and their love was strong. In our weakened state we could not fight against their combined power. So we retreated. Eventually we devised a means of incarnating into flesh, just as or foes had done. It is a horrible thing. We can die in these forms. Something our race had never experienced before. It is a terrible horrible risk we take, but it was necessary.

Our Wind forms cannot endure the amount of love you ponies have been filling the world with. There are very few places left with enough strife to keep us cool. So we are forced to incarnate, and use the lesser of your species as our pawns.

All the while the agents of your princesses have been hunting us down. Now those three and I are the only ones left. And soon I will be gone as well. Tell me pony. You have the smell of death upon you, you have been to the other side, and returned. What awaits me there? Wh-”

Before he can finish asking me, he is interrupted.

“Power levels at nineteen percent and rising… fast. Boss? What’s going on? I was in hibernation, and now suddenly the power is back on, and I’m feeling really hot. Power levels at forty-one percent, and climbing...”

It wasn’t enough. I can’t stop it. I have to tell him. It’s all my fault, I wasn’t thinking, I should have known…

“Junior… I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“Power levels at seventy-eight percent. Oh for Celestia’s sake, just say it Pop! I feel like I’m on fire!”

“You are son. It’s all my fault. I didn’t think...”

“Ninety-four percent. What are you talking about?”

“You used life tap on me. You fed off of what was inside me. Son, Celestia was inside me. Part of her anyways, briefly. I think… I think that it’s what’s keeping me alive. Keeping my body from decaying. You devoured an infinitesimally small part of her power. But there is no such thing. It’s ALL power. God power. It’s killed every other pony who has tried to use it. And son… it’s killing you as well.”

“Power levels at one hundred and fifteen percent. It’s too much, I can’t contain it! Oh Sky Stallion! It hurts Pop.”

“I know son, I know. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“Power lev- aww screw it! No Pop, it isn’t your fault. You didn’t know! You couldn’t have known. If it was anyone’s fault it was theirs,” he says pointing an accusing hoof at the now deceased muzzle of the Wendigo in front of me. “Their scheming, and manipulations, they forced us to become what we are. Forced us to fight back. No Pop, it’s not your fault, it’s theirs. And I’m going to put a stop to it once and for all!”

“What? What are yo-’ I start to say, but Junior has already drug me back to my hooves, and peeled himself off of me.

At eye blurring speed he flew at the remaining Wendigos, and shooting out thousands of nannysprites, quickly entangles them. His Jetters roar and he lifts off of the ground, dragging the struggling Wendigos into a tight embrace. Then a voice whispers in my ear.

“I know you’ll keep the twins safe. Just like you did with me. I love you Pop, I do. But don’t you dare go getting all depressed. You have Twilight to think about now. I fully expect for you two to have some foals for my kids to play with. So you’d better have at least t-”

The explosion cuts him off. For a moment there was a second sun shining over Whinnyappleous. A small nannysprite falls from my ear to the ground. Dormant.

Moonlight trots up to me. I have questions for her. Lost of questions. But not now. Now isn’t the time. She reaches for my hoof, and I let her take it, as we stare silently into the sky.

A moment later I feel the beat of wings behind me. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is. I can feel it though the magic now coursing through my veins. It’s her. Of course it’s her.

“Johnny? It’s true! You ARE alive!” she says, rushing up to me and embracing me from behind.

I turn to face her.

“No. No I’m not.”

Chapter-32

View Online

Chapter 32- Endings and Beginnings

The fight against Brass Button’s cyberponies was almost anti-climactic. With Celestia with us the battle was over in less than an hour. Buttons and Mercy were taken alive, (more or less), to stand public trial for their crimes. They are expected to be released from Luna’s dungeon in about… never.

The minds of the ponies affected by Dr. Double were restored to normal. Unfortunately the ones affected by Buttons machine were not so easily fixed. They are in the institute at Canterlot, Dr. Turing is doing all that he can for them.

Detectives Shooting Star, and Glitter Mane are back on the force, fully recovered. Apparently their forced convalescence was good for them. I recently received a letter asking me if I would be interested in attending a wedding. I told them I would be honored.

Sable Shade did mange to retire despite all the protests from both Luna and Celestia. He then promptly accepted a new job. As head of Johnny One Note Private Investigations. (I hear he is changing the name, despite Ori’s objections).

Ori is doing well. Her sister visits often, and she still corresponds with Celestia, almost daily now. I hear that her, Cherry Tart, Babs, and Chrysalis are all getting together for Oktoberfest next week.

Lyra and Bon Bon decided to stay in Whinnyappleous. They got wrapped up in listening to all those Batmare and Redwing serials on the Ponaudio, and now have it in their heads to be full time superheroes for real. Lindana loves the idea, and Ed will do anything for Lyra, so there’s that. I hear they consult with Sable Shade and Easy Money on a lot of their cases. Being a detective isn’t easy, but I think they’ll get the hang of it eventually.

Luna’s got the city back to normal. Well, as normal as Sin City CAN get. She’s got her spell of Eternal Night back up and running. And after a through purging, Night Industries has once again become number one in producing cutting edge technology to improve the lives of Luna’s ponies. I hear that next year she’s coming out with a device than any pony can use to send messages to one another anywhere in the world, so long as the other pony has one of the devices as well. I heard the Apple family has invested heavily in it due to their large number of relatives. Heck, they may even name it after them. It would only make their sales rise. After all, who doesn’t like an Apple product?

Celestia… well, we are on speaking terms at least. I read the file. I knew most of it already from the soul link. I’m not mad at her… exactly. She had Twilight’s best interest at heart. I did resign however, just as I intended to do.

Moonlight and I had a very awkward conversation. I could tell that she wanted to say something, I could almost guess what it was, but she didn’t ask, and I didn’t have to turn her down. On the subject of the Wendigos that day, she wouldn’t say anything. It made it easier to say goodbye.

Bon Bon on the other hoof, had NO problem saying what she wanted. Loudly and in great detail. It took time for me to make her understand what Twilight meant to me. Then we hugged, and we cried, and she threw me into a fountain… in a good nature’d sort of way… I think.

And then there was my trip to Ponyville.

I had been avoiding this place. After Whinnyappleous it seemed so… small. Pinkie met me as soon as I crossed into town. We had met before when Ori and I went to visit her relatives. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Hmm, considering I had died since then, I guess it was.

Normally Pinkie would be chattering away nonstop, planning a party, talking about every little thing about every little pony. But not that day. Nope. She just sidles up to me with the biggest ‘full of herself’ grin on her face, throws a hoof around my shoulder and asks

“Sooo, come to visit Twilight?”

I replied ‘yes’, in a cautious manner. And then, in the blink of an eye, she’s gone. I mean gone. Like she teleported or something. Dang. That’s impressive.

I made my way through town toward Twilight’s Castle. A lot of ponies turned and looked at me as I went by, not surprising me being a stranger and all. But why were they all grinning at me? Weird.

I had heard about Twilight’s Castle, but never actually seen it before. The first word that came to mind was… ‘tacky’. Very, very, tacky. I mean, I know that she had no choice in the matter, cosmic forces and all that, but sheesh! It look like the Crystal Empire had gotten drunk one night and threw up on Ponyville’s lawn. Oh, well. Like I said, it wasn’t like she was given a choice in the matter. I reached up to knock on the door, but to my surprise it opened up before I could do so.

Suddenly I found myself looking eye to eye with a young adolescent dragon. This must be Spike.

“Lord Duskwind, I presume.” He says, bowing formally.

“Just Duskwind please,” I reply, not for the first time hating the tile Luna forced upon me.

“Of course,” Spike replies. “Right this way please, you’ve been expected.”

“Expected? But I never told Twilight when I was coming. I wanted to surprise her.”

“Surprise her?” Spike says in amusement. “I don’t know how to tell you this buddy, but the whole town’s known you’ve been coming since the day you set out. One day, last week, Pinkie’s ‘Pinkie Sense’ went off bigger than it ever has before. And since she knows Twilight, and had already met you, it didn’t take her long to deduce what was going on. She had a ‘feeling’.”

“Pinkie Sense? Oh yeah, I remember now, the Pie family has all sorts of special earth pony abilities. So, um, Twilight knows I’m here then?”

“You could say that,” Spike says, opening the door to the throne room.

Oh, sweet Celestia! It’s a good thing this room is big, there’s over a dozen ponies in here! Some of them I recognize. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie (of course),her sister Maud, Fluttershy, her husband Discord, Twilight’s apprentice Starlight Glimmer, three adolescent ponies all bearing similar cutie marks?, how odd, wait, is that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence? Then that must be their foal Flurry Heart playing with Fluttershy’s foal Screwball, and of course there’s… Twilight.

“You look surprised.” She says, trotting slowly up to me, her eyes half lidded, as she closes my open jaw with her hoof. “You really shouldn’t be, there’s no way you could ever out surprise Pinkie Pie.”

“I-I guess not.” I stammer looking around at all the faces staring so expectantly at me. I clear my throat. {Ahem}, “So I guess you already know why I’m here then?” I ask weakly, fumbling a small box in my hooves. I’ve never felt so intimidated in all my life.

“Yes.” She replies, smiling. “Yes I will.”

“Well, in that cas- Wait, you didn’t say ‘Yes I do’, you said ‘yes I WILL’, does that mean?”

“Yes you silly pony, of COURSE I will marry you!” she says, opening the box with her magic, and slipping the chain with her new engagement ring around her neck.

I stare at her, mouth open once more, my eyes beginning to form tears of joy. I can’t believe what I just heard. Words I never thought I would ever hear, not in a millions years.

“Well?” she says expectantly.

“W-well?” I stammer, trying to overcome my shock at what just happened.

“Kiss her you fool!” Discord yells, “it’s really not that hard, it goes like this,” he says, lifting his wife in his arms, and kissing her passionately.

“Oh Discord!” Fluttershy says, blushing.

“Well, I’M not going to be upstaged,” Twilight says, her eyes smoldering, as she grabs me and kisses me for oh… an eternity or so.

That was a very good day.

Eventually we came up for air of course. Then there was the party. By Celestia does that group know how to party. Then after the party was over, came… well, you know, the sex. Quite a lot of ‘the sex’.

Then there was the ‘finding of the Pinkie Pie in the closet’ and the ‘teleporting of the Pinkie Pie to Yakyakistan’. Then there was more of ‘the sex’. Then there was the midnight snack run, then more of ‘the sex’. Followed by the ‘Maud Pie walking in because Boulder was hungry’, which was, in turn, followed by the ‘Maud Pie joining her sister in Yakyakistan’. Followed by more of- but I don’t want to bore anypony.

The following morning (okay afternoon), I told Twilight everything. I mean everything. I showed her the folder, told her about coming back from the dead, about what Junior said, and everything else. I was actually pretty worried about my condition. Am I alive? Am I a zompony? And I wasn’t sure how Twilight would take it all. To be honest, she was more upset about the folder than she was about me.

“Celestia and I need to have a talk,” She said firmly.

“Yeah, I figured as much, and I’ll support you no matter what. Um, but what about the rest of it? My, um, condition?”

“Oh Duskwind, you’ve made me so happy! A brand new state of being to study! Are you immortal, do you need to eat? Do you crave brains? Can you have foals? Oh so many tests to preform! I can’t wait to get started!”

Of course. I should have known. That’s my Twilight!

“So, um what sort of tests did you have in mind first?” I ask, almost dreading the answer.

“Well,” she says lowering her eyes, and casting the remains of a very late breakfast off of the kitchen counter with her magic. I though we might do some work on that ‘foals’ question.”

Okay… THAT’S my Twilight…

Sin Whinny

by Mister E

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13 (Interlude-1)

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter-32

Chapter-33