> Demons Are Forever
>  by Metool Bard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Shadows of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Brr~!  I-it's too c-c-c-c-cold!  C-can't we just go back?  Queen C-C-Chrysalis d-doesn't need t-t-to know."

Hook let out an angry snort, its breath manifesting itself as a foggy vapor that mingled with the fine snowfall.  It shot a glare at its fellow changelings, Line and Sinker.  Both of them appeared to be shivering, though whether it was due to the cold or fear was open to interpretation.

"We have our orders," Hook snapped as it continued marching forward. "Queen Chrysalis told us to scout out these mountains, and that's exactly what we're doing."

"Yeah, refresh my memory.  Why is Queen Chrysalis interested in this place, exactly?" asked Sinker.

Hook let out an exasperated groan. "Weren't you paying attention?  She believes there is some powerful magic here, and we have to find it!"

"W-wait.  How d-d-does she know that?" stammered Line, still shivering. "All we managed to gather from our s-s-spies is that these mountains are apparently haunted."

Hook scoffed. "Don't tell me you actually believe those silly ghost stories."

"W-well, maybe," said Line sheepishly. "You n-never know."

"Actually, you know what I think?" Sinker chimed in.

"No.  And I don't care, either," said Hook bluntly. "It's not our place to question the Queen.  Now let's keep moving.  We need to wrap this up before the weather gets too rough."

Line and Sinker sighed and complied.  The three of them trudged through the mountains in silence for a time, the harsh winds chilling their exoskeletons.  Finally, they stumbled upon a cavern embedded into the mountainside.  Hook smirked.

"Well well.  Looks like the weather won't interfere in our search after all," it mused, illuminating its horn. "I'll take the lead.  Sinker, you bring up the rear."

Line swallowed. "A-are you sure this is wise, Hook?"

"You're welcome to stay out here if you want, Line," said Sinker with a shrug. "Personally, I feel this cavern is worth exploring."

Hook snickered. "Glad to see you're not as stupid as you look, Sinker.  As for you, Line, stop being such a coward.  I don't care what those superstitious ponies say; these mountains are not haunted.  They just have some magic within them that could be a great boon to the hive."

"H-how do you know that?" inquired Line. "Y-you can't say for certain."

"Line, this might be our big chance to recover from our previous failures," said Sinker. "Why else would the Queen send us here?"

"Exactly," Hook concurred. "Now come.  This snow isn't getting any better."

Sinker chuckled. "What was that about not caring what I had to say?"

"Don't push your luck, Sinker," Hook growled as it ventured into the cave. "There's no chance that this has anything to do with—"

It stopped mid-sentance as the glow from its horn caught a familiar shadow against the far wall.  It appeared to be another changeling skulking through the catacombs.  Hook's eyes narrowed.

"Line, Sinker.  Stay close to me," it ordered.

"B-but—"

"Just do what Hook says, Line," sighed Sinker. "There's no use arguing."

Line let out a sigh of its own and reluctantly followed its comrades into the cave.  Hook cleared its throat.

"You there!" it called out to the unknown changeling. "We were sent by Queen Chrysalis!  What do you have to report?"

The stranger didn't answer.  Instead, it disappeared deeper into the cave.

"I have a bad feeling about this," whimpered Line.

"No one cares, Line," Hook snarled. "After that drone!"

The three changelings hovered off of the ground and followed the stranger.  As they traveled through the maze-like corridors, Line became more and more apprehensive.  Torches began to line the walls, as well as hieroglyphs depicting fearsome beasts of all shapes and sizes.  However, Hook and Sinker didn't seem to care.  They were too focused on the chase.

They finally managed to track the strange drone down to a cavern illuminated by a single candle.  There, another figure sat at the far end of the room, reading some book.  The drone whispered into the figure's ear.  Before Hook could make out the figure's shape or demand an explanation, there was a sudden thump.  The figure snapped its book closed, blowing out the candle and encompassing the room in darkness.  Hook growled.

"Alright, wise guys!  What's going on here?" it barked.

There was a pregnant pause as Hook stood its ground and leered into the darkness.  After a few seconds, a raspy voice echoed from the chamber.

"Ah.  It appears we have some new guests," said the voice. "Gentlemen, what do you make of this?"

Hook leaned in with interest, expecting another voice to chime in.  However, no such voice made itself known.  Instead, the raspy voice spoke again.

"President Ose!  There's no need to be so rude," the voice scolded. "I would expect better conduct from someone of your stature."

"Who is he talking to?" Sinker pondered aloud.

"Does it matter?  He should be talking to us," Hook seethed. "Hey, buddy!  What are you doing with one of the Queen's subjects, huh?!"

"Now that is a fair point, Duke Dantalion," mused the voice, as if it didn't hear Hook's question. "We could always strengthen our numbers.  Hmm, what's that?  Yes, I know you object, Prince Orobas, but I wasn't planning on using magic to convince them."

"Th-this guy is crazy," Line squeaked. "We should get out of here."

"Belay that, Line!  We're not leaving until we figure out what's going on around here!" boomed Hook. "Listen up, whoever you are!  In the name of Queen Chrysalis, we demand that you show and explain yourself!"

"I do not answer to your queen," said the voice. "In fact, my compatriots take great umbrage at the suggestion.  Yes, Marquis Andras, I was just informing them.  There's no need to be so impatient."

Hook's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me come in there and drag you out."

The voice seemed to sigh. "Oh, I wish you hadn't said that.  Y-yes, Duke Astaroth.  I heard the fellow quite clearly.  There's no need to—  Duke Buné!  That insult was uncalled for!  Apologize to King Beleth immediately!  I will not tolerate logical fallacies within this council!  I understand, King Baal, but should we really—?  No, you do have a point, Marquis Forneus.  However, the others should—  Gentlemen, please..."

The mysterious entity continued to argue with itself for some time as the three changelings simply watched in confusion.  After a few seconds of this, Hook snorted.

"I've had just about enough of this crap," it snarled, stepping forward.

"Hook, don't!" pleaded Line. "We don't know what's in there!"

"I don't care; this lunatic is getting on my nerves!" Hook boomed. "Line, Sinker!  Attack formation!  We're going i—"

"That's ENOUGH!"

A sudden bellow from the shadows interrupted Hook's command, along with a powerful stomp that sent tiny pebbles flying.

"It appears we cannot come to a consensus," said the voice angrily. "Thus, we shall put this to a vote.  All in favor of killing these three trespassers, say aye."

There was silence.

"All opposed?"

"N-nay," Line whimpered, prompting an elbow jab from Sinker.

"Quit being such a hatchling, Line," Sinker scolded. "It's probably just some delusional madpony.  What could it do to hurt—?"

"Motion passes.  The ayes have it.  Count Furfur, if you would be so kind as to do the honors."

A sudden flash flickered from within the cavern.  When the flash died down, a pair of glowing eyes stared at the changelings.  Line gulped.

"I think this would be a good time to run," it suggested.

"Then go, you coward!  The Queen has no use for you!" Hook spat. "Sinker and I, meanwhile, will take this bastard down and claim the magic for the glory of the—"

It got no further.  An abrupt explosion erupted from the shadows, immolating its body in an instant.  Hook screamed in agony and flew around in circles, flailing its legs every which way.  Line took off at full gallop with Sinker trailing behind as the mysterious figure emerged from its cavern.  Out of the corner of its eye, Line saw an immense sea of green flames chasing them, its form fluid like a cloud of smog.  Sinker turned around to face the eldritch entity, magic pulsing through its horn.

"Sinker, you fool!" Line shouted. "What're you doing?!"

There was a sickening crunch followed by a death rattle as the entity cut Sinker down with little effort.  Sweat began pouring down Line's face as it accelerated.  Just as it saw the moon's light flashing at the end of the tunnel, a great wall of ice blocked it off.  Line skidded to a halt, cowering in fear as the entity towered over it.

"P-please!  Mercy!" Line begged. "Leave me alone!  I-I didn't even want to come here anyway!"

There was a pause as Line hid its face and shuddered, waiting for its demise.  However, it instead heard a kind voice.

"Raise your head, changeling."

Line obeyed.  Standing before it was not the formless monster, but instead a red equine-esque creature with a wild black mane.  It stood on two legs instead of four, and its front legs were hands instead of hooves.  It reached out one of these hands to Line.

"Do not be afraid," said the creature. "I am Prince Orobas, and I have heard your plea.  The council has seen your wisdom, and we have had a change of heart."

Line's eyes glistened. "You have?"

"Indeed," said Orobas. "In fact, walk with me a bit.  I want to tell you what we're doing here.  I'm sure you'll find more satisfaction serving our cause than your Queen."

"Oh, I don't know," said Line nervously. "I-I'm not supposed to question the Queen."

"Not to worry," said Orobas, a sinister gleam in his eye. "You'll find that my colleagues and I can be quite, persuasive.  Just hear us out and make your own decision.  That's all I ask."

Line shrugged and followed Orobas's suggestion.  As the two walked deeper into the cave network, the flames that engulfed Hook's body were extinguished.


***


Lyra Heartstrings was awoken by a grumbling in her tummy.  Groggily, she flipped over and checked her alarm clock.  It showed that it was four o'clock in the morning.

"Not exactly midnight, but close enough," she murmured, letting out a yawn. "I'd better be careful, though.  Bon-Bon's still—"

She trailed off when she realized that Bon-Bon was not sleeping beside her.  Her half-asleep brain struggled to process this new development.

"Bon-Bon?" she muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  Curious, she put on her house slippers and shambled out of the bedroom.  As soon as she did, she saw a dim light coming from the living room.

"Bons?  Is that you?" Lyra mumbled, stifling another yawn.  She tiptoed into the living room, where she could hear the faint crackle of embers.  What she found caused her to arch an eyebrow in confusion.  There sat Bon-Bon, dressed in her purple night robe and holding a piece of paper in her hoof.  She was sitting in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace.  Lyra tentatively shuffled over to the fireplace and sat down in the opposite chair.

"Hey, Bons," she said. "What're you doing up so late?"

Bon-Bon turned and gasped, nearly falling out of her chair. "L-Lyra!  I-I'm so sorry.  Did I wake you?"

"What?  Nah, I just got up to get myself some munchies," said Lyra. "What's your excuse?  Can't sleep?"

Bon-Bon turned back to the paper in her hoof. "Something like that."

Lyra frowned. "Hey, you okay?  You sound kinda, out of it."

Bon-Bon sighed and shook her head. "I-it's nothing, Lyra."

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me," said Lyra.

Bon-Bon didn't respond.  She simply continued to stare at the paper.  Lyra sighed and walked over to her.

"C'mon, Bons.  Don't shut me out," Lyra pleaded. "You know you can tell me anything.  And I do mean anything."

Bon-Bon flinched. "Y-you just won't let that go, will you?"

"Hey, I just want you to trust me here," said Lyra earnestly. "I promise, I won't tell anypony."

Bon-Bon sighed again. "Fine.  I guess it's better if you do know these things."

She held the paper out to Lyra, who took it with her magic.  It appeared to be a formal document bearing Princess Celestia's seal.  By the light of the fireplace, Lyra read the document to herself.


Attention All Agents!

It has come to our attention that the bugbear has escaped from Tartarus.  We have reason to believe that it was freed by a rogue agent.  Due to these developments, I fear that the responsibilities of Tartarus has become too great for ordinary ponies to handle.  I cannot allow this sort of travesty to happen again.

As such, the Hunter's Undercover Bureau is hereby disbanded.  I demand complete deniability from all agents.  All traces of our activities must be concealed or else destroyed.  If you need help with relocation, name registry, or any other forms of protection, my door is always open.

It was an honor serving with you, my little ponies.  Know that this decision was made with your safety in mind.

~Princess Celestia

PS: Special Agent Sweetie Drops, there's no doubt in my mind that the bugbear may eventually come for you.  Should this happen, you know what to do.  Please, be safe.


It didn't take Lyra long to connect the dots. "You've been hanging onto this the whole time, huh?"

Bon-Bon nodded. "Pretty much.  We were supposed to destroy the notifications as soon as we got them, but Princess Celestia said that I should keep mine because of the bugbear."

"Makes sense," said Lyra, looking over at the fireplace. "So, that fire over there..."

Bon-Bon nodded again. "Princess Twilight and her friends have sent the bugbear back to Tartarus where it belongs, and I doubt it'll get out again.  Once I destroy this document, my life as Special Agent Sweetie Drops will officially be over."

Lyra turned to face Bon-Bon. "You sure that's what you want, Bons?"

Bon-Bon hid her eyes under her bangs as the fireplace continued to spark and crackle. "Don't get me wrong; it was an honor to serve and protect Equestria.  But somewhere in the back of my mind, I had a nagging feeling that it wasn't the life for me.  I-it's not just because of my Cutie Mark; I managed to tie that in with my service as an agent seamlessly.  But after living so peacefully in Ponyville for all these years, I've come to realize that this is what I want."

"Hey, you'll get no complaint from me," said Lyra with a shrug. "Though I have to admit, the whole secret agent schtick does have some sex appeal..."

Bon-Bon blushed madly. "Lyra~!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," chuckled Lyra. "You're just so cute when you get flustered like that."

Bon-Bon pouted and folded her forelegs. "This isn't the time for jokes, Lyra."

"Okay, okay.  I'm sorry," said Lyra sheepishly.  She then sighed. "I'm just kinda happy you're moving on, Bons.  I thought for sure that..."

She trailed off and bit her lip.  Bon-Bon turned and arched an eyebrow.

"Thought that what?" she inquired.

"Nothing.  I-it's not important," said Lyra, giving the document back to Bon-Bon. "After all, you're leaving that life behind, right?"

Bon-Bon nodded solemnly. "Now that the bugbear has been dealt with, I see no reason to go back.  This is for my future in Ponyville, with you."

With that, she tossed the document into the fireplace.  Lyra furrowed her brow.

"You sure nothing else is bothering you?" she asked.

Bon-Bon sighed. "I dunno.  It kinda feels like I'm losing a part of myself by doing this.  I guess that's why I put it off for so long."

Lyra moseyed over to Bon-Bon and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Well, if it means anything to you, I think you made the right decision.  And if you're still having trouble, just know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Bon-Bon smiled and placed a foreleg around Lyra's shoulder. "Thanks, Lyra.  I think I really needed to hear that."

"No prob, Bons," Lyra cooed.  The two stood together in silence as they watched the flames eat away at the document.  Suddenly, Lyra perked up.

"Hey!  I know what'll cheer you up!" she said.

Bon-Bon blinked. "What is it, Lyra?"

"You'll never guess what I heard from Minuette today."

"What?"

"Well, you know my old friend Moondancer, right?"

"Kinda.  Didn't you two drift apart?"

"It's a long story.  Anyway, Minuette says that Moondancer finally came out of her shell!  She didn't say anything beyond that, but she says she wants to have lunch at her place to tell me all about it.  I was planning on going alone, but do you want to come with?  I'm sure Minuette and Moondancer won't mind."

Bon-Bon knitted her brow and stroked her chin for a minute.  She then nodded and gave Lyra a warm grin. "I'd love that.  Thanks again, Lyra."

"Anything for you, Bon-Bon."

The two of them leaned in and shared a long, passionate kiss just as the last of the document was reduced to ash.
> Awkward Reunions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Bon-Bon couldn't help but let out a yawn as she made her way through the streets of Canterlot.  After her talk with Lyra the night before, she still couldn't get a wink of sleep.  She was so tired that the box of fudge she carried in her saddlebag felt like it weighed a ton.

"Hey, you need some help with that, Bons?"

Bon-Bon looked up at Lyra, who as just as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever.  Her lips curled into a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Lyra," she said. "I just need some time to get myself together.  How much farther to Minuette's place?"

Lyra grinned. "Funny you should say that, Bon-Bon.  We're here."

Bon-Bon blinked and turned her head.  Sure enough, they were standing before the front steps leading up to a blue condominium with an hourglass-shaped door.  Bon-Bon let out a giggle despite herself.

"Wow.  I was more out of it than I thought," she mused, rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes.

"Heh, I guess," said Lyra, trotting up to the front door.  She then gave it a few light knocks. "Knock knock~!"

The door swung open, revealing an enthusiastic Minuette.

"Lyra!  So glad you could come!" she cheered, giving Lyra a hug.

"Nice to see you too, Minnie," said Lyra. "By the way, Bon-Bon's gonna be joining us.  Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, not at all!" said Minuette jovially. "The more the merrier, I say."

Bon-Bon cleared her throat and trotted up to Minuette. "Um, I brought you a little something," she said, taking out her box of fudge. "I made it myself this morning."

"Aw, geeze.  You guys didn't have to go through all that trouble," said Minuette.  She accepted the parcel and opened it. "Ooh~!  These look delicious!  I'm gonna have to do some extra heavy-duty brushing tonight."

Lyra rolled her eyes. "You and your brushing.  Some things never change."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with maintaining a healthy smile," Minuette huffed.  She tried to sound indignant, but she couldn't resist letting out a small chuckle. "Well, don't just stand there.  Come in, come in!  Moondancer's waiting in the dining room."

Lyra and Bon-Bon obliged.  As Minuette led them through her apartment, Bon-Bon couldn't help but stare at the bizarre decor.  Hourglasses stood side-by-side with the books on Minuette's immense bookshelf.  Several diplomas and dental posters lined the walls, along with a plethora of clocks ticking in unison.  There was even a sundial-shaped table set just underneath a skylight installed in the ceiling.  And sitting at that table was a cream-colored unicorn with a striped mane and a pair of broken glasses set over her lavender eyes.  She seemed to be engrossed in a book of some sort.

"Speaking of things not changing, that right there is a familiar sight," Lyra sniggered. "Hey, Moondancer.  Long time no see."

The unicorn looked up from her book, and her eyes widened. "O-oh!  Lyra!  I-I wasn't expecting you to get here so soon," she said. "Please, forgive me for being so impolite."

"Eh, it's fine," said Lyra with a shrug. "Oh by the way, there's somepony I'd like you to meet.  Bon-Bon, this is Moondancer.  Moondancer, Bon-Bon."

"It's nice to meet you," said Bon-Bon sweetly, holding out her hoof.

Moondancer tentatively reached out her own hoof before looking over at Minuette.  Once Minuette nodded and smiled, Moondancer took Bon-Bon's hoof in her own.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Bon-Bon," she said, almost automatically.

"Well, good to see that we're all acquainted," chirped Minuette. "You ponies get yourselves settled; I'll go get the cucumber sandwiches."

With that, she trotted off into the kitchen while Lyra and Bon-Bon sat down across from Moondancer.

"So, uh, I heard you decided to come out of that shell of yours," said Lyra. "Congrats, Moondancer."

Moondancer blushed and hid her face. "Th-thank you.  Though to be honest, this is still a bit of a struggle for me.  I hope I'm not making you two uncomfortable."

"Ah, don't sweat it.  After all, Canterlot wasn't built in a day," said Lyra warmly. "So, what made you decide to open up, huh?  I wanna hear all the juicy deets."

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. "Deets?"

"Details," Bon-Bon clarified.

"Oh, yes.  Right," said Moondancer, twiddling her hooves. "Um, it's actually a bit of a long story.  Remember that party I threw before the Summer Sun Celebration several moons ago?"

"Oh, that.  Yeah, I remember," said Lyra, averting her eyes. "You were really bummed out when Twilight didn't show up."

"More than you know," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses. "I couldn't bear being hurt like that, so I just gave up on friendship entirely and focused on my studies.  But then, Twilight came back a few days ago out of contrition.  She actually felt bad for missing my party, and she wanted me to forgive her."  She sighed and hung her head. "I didn't want to at first.  But, once I saw that she was truly repentant for hurting me the way she did and not just trying to make herself feel better, well, that's what turned me around."

"Yeah, well.  They don't call Twilight the Princess of Friendship for nothing," said Lyra.

A self-mocking grin crossed Moondancer's face. "The ironic thing is that for the longest time, I thought they did call her that for nothing.  I-I had been so bitter at her for so long, and I discarded all of my other friendships because of that.  That was wrong of me, and I apologize, Lyra."

"It's alright, Moondancer.  You don't have to apologize," said Lyra, shaking her head. "I'm just happy for you."

"Thank you, Lyra," said Moondancer with a nod. "So, um, how do you know Ms. Bon-Bon?"

"Oh, Bons and I have been living together in Ponyville for a few years now," said Lyra, placing a foreleg around Bon-Bon's shoulder.

"That's right," said Bon-Bon, giving Lyra a whimsical smile. "Lyra's my best friend.  I honestly don't know what I'd do without her."

Moondancer couldn't help but stare blankly at the overt display of affection. "I, see," she murmured. "You two seem to be really close."

"Oh, you have no idea."

Lyra and Bon-Bon perked up as Minuette emerged from the kitchen with a large tray of sandwiches.  Lyra snorted indignantly.

"Hey, that was supposed to be my line," she grumbled.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Minuette laughed.

Bon-Bon deadpanned. "Y'know, there was probably a more polite way to share that information."

"I-it's alright.  I'm not offended," said Moondancer. "Back in school, everypony knew that Lyra was a bit queer, in more ways than one."

"And that was mainly because she didn't bother hiding it," said Minuette. "Not that anypony really cared, mind you."

Bon-Bon sighed. "Well, that's true.  And honestly, I'm not ashamed of it, either.  Still, I don't want to give off this false impression of us being, well, you know..."

"Say no more, Bon-Bon.  I get the picture," said Minuette solemnly. "Let's just focus on having a nice meal and catch up."

"I'm all for that," said Lyra, taking herself a cucumber sandwich. "So, you still into reading, Moondancer?"

"Well, of course," said Moondancer, a distinct twinkle in her eye. "I've actually been going through Twilight's old library here in Canterlot.  She gave me the keys to the place as part of her attempt to patch things up with me."

"Yeah, that didn't go as well as she hoped," said Minuette sheepishly. "I sometimes get the feeling that she tries too hard, y'know?"

"Oh, I hear you.  Remember that Grand Equestria Pony Summit she hosted?  I heard she was so busy, she didn't even bother to sleep for three whole days!"

"Considering what happened during the summit, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true.  Typical Twilight."

As the three unicorn friends continued to gossip, Bon-Bon sat quietly and listened while munching on her sandwich.  She sighed in contentment.

No doubt about it, she mused. This is the life I want.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anypony else, Minuette?" asked Bon-Bon.

Minuette shrugged her shoulders. "Not really.  I mean, I asked Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts if they wanted to join us, but they both said they were busy."

Bon-Bon furrowed her brow. "I'll go answer it.  You three seem to have a lot of catching up to do."

"You sure, Bons?  Minnie is our host," said Lyra.

"It's fine, Lyra," said Bon-Bon, giving Lyra a peck on the cheek. "I don't mind in the slightest."

Before anypony could say anything more, she got up from her seat and trotted over to the door.  When she opened it, her eyes went wide.  Standing before her was a graceful white unicorn with a flowing pink mane.  The unicorn stared back at her, equally perplexed.

"Well.  This is an interesting development," said the unicorn. "I was planning on tracking you down later."

Bon-Bon gulped. "Um, I have no idea what you're talking about."

The unicorn smiled. "Don't worry, Sweetie Drops," she whispered. "We're all friends here."

The fur on Bon-Bon's neck stood up on end. "I-I don't know who that is," she stammered.

"Hey, Bons!  Who's at the door?" Lyra called out.

"Um, n-nopony!" Bon-Bon hollered back. "J-just—"

"Sweetie Drops, I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't important," said the unicorn firmly. "Please, let me in."

After sputtering for a moment, Bon-Bon relented.  With little effort, the posh unicorn trotted inside.  Moondancer looked up and adjusted her glasses.

"Wait.  Aren't you Mr. Fancy Pants's escort, Fleur de Lis?" she inquired. "What are you doing here?"

"I do apologize," said the regal pony, bowing to Minuette. "I was unaware that Dr. Colgate was having company."

Moondancer and Lyra's jaws dropped as they turned to stare at Minuette.

"Doctor?"

"Colgate?!"

Minuette chuckled sheepishly. "Heh heh, wow.  It's been a long time since anypony called me by that name."

"Wait, Minuette's not your real name?" asked Moondancer.

"No, it is," said Minuette. "I just had to do some *ahem* odd jobs that required a pseudonym."

"What kind of odd jobs?"

"I'm not at liberty to divulge that information.  They wanted complete deniability," said Minuette, giving Fleur the evil eye. "Which makes me wonder why somepony is violating that edict."

Lyra stared at Minuette in disbelief before turning to Bon-Bon.  Bon-Bon sighed and nodded.

"It's true," she said.

Lyra buried her face in her hooves. "Sweet Celestia, how many of my friends were part of this stupid agency?!"

Minuette arched an eyebrow. "What agency?  I never said anything about an agency."

"Lyra knows about the HUB, Minuette," said Bon-Bon glumly. "I had to tell her when the bugbear attacked Ponyville during Cranky and Matilda's wedding."

"Ah.  Well, I suppose that's okay then," said Minuette thoughtfully.

"Um, I'm extremely lost here," said Moondancer. "What is the HUB?"

Minuette glared at Fleur. "Now look what you've done."

"Again, my apologies, Dr. Colgate," said Fleur, hanging her head. "I-I just had to contact you as soon as possible."

Minuette sighed. "Well, no use hiding it now," she said, turning to Moondancer. "Listen, Moondancer.  This is top secret stuff.  You're not allowed to discuss this with anypony.  Not Lemon Hearts, not Twinkleshine, not even Twilight.  You got me?"

"S-sure," said Moondancer meekly. "Wh-whatever you say, Minuette.  Or, do you prefer—?"

"Minuette's fine," said Minuette, cutting across Moondancer.  She then turned to Fleur. "Would you care to do the honors, Lady de Lis?  Y'know, seeing as you're the one who let the cat out of the bag."

"I-I suppose," said Fleur, clearing her throat. "Up until a few years ago, there was an organization stationed here in Canterlot called the Hunter's Undercover Bureau.  It was an anti-monster agency set up by Princess Celestia.  I was a member of it, as were Sweetie Drops and Dr. Colgate."

"I-I'm Sweetie Drops," Bon-Bon interjected. "I-I had to change my name after the agency was disbanded."

"Disbanded?" parroted Moondancer.

"Bon-Bon here was the one who captured the bugbear and sent it to Tartarus," explained Minuette. "However, the bugbear managed to escape.  As a result, Princess Celestia dissolved the agency."

"It's, actually a bit more complicated than that," said Fleur. "Which is why I'm here."

She tossed a newspaper onto the table.  Minuette scooped it up with her magic and read it aloud.

"'Mysterious Disappearances Continue to Plague the Mountains of Coltlat: Many Have Gone; Few Have Returned.'"  She looked up at Fleur. "Why do you think this was worth breaking our vow of complete deniability, Lady de Lis?  Rumors about Coltlat being haunted have been going on for over thousands of moons."

"Keep reading," said Fleur, pointing with her hoof. "It says that mountain rescue patrols have been noticing an influx of changelings on the mountain range."

Minuette knitted her brow. "You think this has to do with...?"

"Exactly," said Fleur with a nod. "The HUB's final mission before it was disbanded."

Moondancer massaged her temples. "I am so confused right now."

"I'm more annoyed than confused myself," Lyra snarled, glaring at Fleur. "What exactly is your game here?"

"This is no game," said Fleur bluntly. "This could mean the end of Equestria as we know it if we allow it to go unchecked.  Sweetie Drops, Dr. Colgate.  I implore you both to come with me to Coltlat so that we can put an end to this once and for all."

Bon-Bon turned away. "I'm afraid you've got the wrong mare, Lady de Lis."

Fleur tilted her head. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm not Special Agent Sweetie Drops anymore," Bon-Bon said, not bothering to turn around. "That life ended the moment the bugbear was sent back to Tartarus.  I want no part of this."

Fleur frowned. "So, you're just going to ignore it?  Sweetie Drops, that mission was the agency's greatest failure, and it's the reason why Princess Celestia dissolved it.  Don't you see that this is our chance to make things right?"

"Wait, I thought you said the agency disbanded because of the bugbear," said Lyra, rubbing the side of her head.

"There's more to it than that," said Minuette with a sigh. "Fleur, if Bon-Bon says she doesn't want to do this, she doesn't want to do it."

Fleur whipped around and shot Minuette an angry glare. "It's not a matter of what we want, Dr. Colgate.  Do you think I want to do this?!  I'm saying that this is something we need to settle before we can put any of this behind us."

Bon-Bon perked up. "Wait.  You're saying, I can't put this behind me unless I help?"

Fleur knitted her brow. "Well, not per se, but I know I can't simply ignore it."

Bon-Bon bit her lip and began to tremble.  Lyra got up and walked up to her marefriend, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"Hey.  It's okay, Bons," she cooed. "You don't have to listen to her.  You said you were moving on, and I support you.  Let's just go home and—"

"I'll do it."

Lyra did a double take. "Wait, what?"

Bon-Bon turned around, a fiery passion in her eyes. "I said I'll do it.  Lady de Lis is right.  If I want to move on with my life, there can't be any loose ends."

"H-hey!  Wait a minute!  Whoa there!" Lyra cried. "Y-you can't be serious, Bons!  W-we have a princess in Ponyville who deals with this kind of thing on a regular basis!  She went toe-to-toe with Tirek, for buck's sake!  Why can't we just tell her what's going on and let her handle it?!"

"Because relying on the Princesses for everything is folly," Fleur stated. "This matter is the HUB's responsibility.  Nopony else should interfere."

Lyra opened her mouth to protest, but Bon-Bon held up her hoof and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Lyra.  I'm doing this, and there's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise," she said sadly.

Lyra sighed. "In that case, let me help, too."

Bon-Bon's eyes became as wide as dinner plates. "WHAT?!  Lyra, no!  Y-you can't!"

"Hey, I said I would always be there for you no matter what, and I meant it!" Lyra barked. "I'm not going to let you leave me here and risk your life while this, this harlot is emotionally manipulating you!"

Fleur snorted. "For the record, that was not my intention, you selfish boor."

"The name's Lyra Heartstrings, bitch!  And I won't let you hurt Bon-Bon!" Lyra roared back.

Fleur scrunched her eyes tight and trembled with rage. "Remain calm, Fleur.  She is beneath you.  Her words don't mean anything."

"Well, this is escalating quickly," Minuette mused. "Hey, Moondancer.  Feel like going on a little expedition?"

Moondancer gave Minuette a quizzical look. "M-me?  What can I do?"

"Well, you're good with magic, right?  That's gonna be a plus," said Minuette. "Besides, those three are really hurting right now.  What kind of friends would we be if we let them go off on their own, eh?"

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. "You make this sound so, easy.  A-are you sure you want me to help?  I mean, it's not my fight."

"It's not really Lyra's fight, either.  But that's not stopping her," said Minuette.  She then gave Moondancer a stern look. "Look, we need some more level heads on this team, and you have the most level head out of pretty much anypony I know.  I wouldn't be asking this of you if I thought you were unable to handle it.  So, you with us?"

Moondancer tapped her chin and furrowed her brow.  After a moment, she sighed.

"I hope I don't end up regretting this," she mumbled.

"If you do, feel free to blame me," said Minuette, patting Moondancer on the back.  She then stood up and cleared her throat. "Alright, ponies.  I think that's quite enough of that."

Fleur and Lyra stopped bickering and turned to face Minuette.

"If we're going to be doing this, we need to do it as a team," Minuette proclaimed. "That means whatever emotional baggage we're carrying, we all have to share the load.  Lady de Lis, do you think the five of us will be enough for this mission?"

Fleur blinked. "Five?"

"Moondancer's coming along, too.  I insist."

"And I'm not leaving Bon-Bon," Lyra added.

Fleur heaved a great sigh. "Very well, Dr. Colgate.  The HUB has always valued your counsel; this time should be no different."

"Good.  Glad that's settled," said Minuette. "Now then, let me just grab my gear and we'll catch the next train to Stalliongrad.  I'll brief everypony on the details once we're on the train."

"Um, actually, I didn't bring my things," said Bon-Bon.

Minuette smirked. "Not to worry.  I've got a few spare kits.  It always pays to be prepared."

"Indeed," said Fleur.  She then smiled. "It feels good to be serving with you again, Dr. Colgate."

"Just helping out my friends," said Minuette, giving Moondancer a wink.

With that, she trotted over to a door leading to the basement.  While waiting for her return, Bon-Bon looked at the newspaper.  As she read the article, a cavalcade of memories started flooding her mind.  She felt herself slowly drifting away from the here and now, her thoughts sending her back to her time in the HUB.  Back to the unmitigated disaster that was her last mission as Special Agent Sweetie Drops...
> Mission Briefing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Thank you for stopping by Sweetie Drops's Sweets Shop!  Please come again!"

The two young fillies thanked Sweetie Drops before galloping out of the store with their tasty treasures in tow.  Sweetie Drops smiled at them and waved as they left.  With a whimsical sigh, she trotted back into the kitchen, where a bowl of melted chocolate was left on the counter.  Delicately, she took a whisk and dipped it into the chocolate, allowing it to dribble onto a nearby baking sheet.  She let out another sigh of contentment.  Today was just going to be a peaceful, ordinary day, and she welcomed it with open hooves.

As that thought crossed her mind, there was the sound of a bell just outside.  A new costumer had arrived.

"One minute!" Sweetie Drops called out, measuring the chocolate the best she could.  When she felt the delectable morsel was large enough, she quickly deposited the whisk back into the bowl and walked back out to the counter.

Once she got a look at this new customer, the wheels in her mind began to turn.  Standing before her was a silver-coated stallion with a black mane and a tornado for a Cutie Mark.  At first glance, it was nopony she recognized off-hoof.  But his most peculiar feature was an eyepatch he wore over his left eye.  She decided not to acknowledge it and gave him her biggest smile.

"Welcome to Sweetie Drops's Sweets Shop, where we boast the best candy in Canterlot!" she said happily. "Is this your first time in town?"

"Well now, I wouldn't say that," said the stranger cryptically.

Sweetie Drops nodded slowly. "Okay then.  What can I getcha?"

The stranger tapped his muzzle thoughtfully. "Hmm.  I can't quite decide."

"Hey, Mom!  Check it out!  That guy looks like a pirate!"

Sweetie Drops and the stranger turned to a young colt and his mother trying to rein him in.

"Button Mash!  Don't be so rude!" the mother scolded.

"But Mom~!  He looks sooooo cool!" the colt whined.

"Button, ponies don't like it when you draw attention to them like that," said the mother.  She then sighed and bowed to the stranger. "I do apologize, sir."

"Quite alright, madam.  Not your fault," said the stranger with a shake of his head. "Just a little accident at the, um, tornado factory.  Yes, that's what happened to my eye.  In case you were wondering."

Sweetie Drops raised an eyebrow.  Something told her that this was no ordinary stallion.

"Um, sir?  Can I help you?"

"Mmm?  Oh, yes.  Sorry.  I have trouble thinking on an empty stomach," said the stranger, looking back down at the display case.  He licked his lips as his eyes scanned the rows upon rows of delectable delicacies on offer. "Oh, confound it.  They all look so good.  What would you recommend, miss?"

Sweetie Drops grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."  She ducked behind the display and pulled out a tray of bonbons. "I highly recommend these bonbons here.  They're my specialty."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," said the stallion, leaning in close. "In fact, I know what makes them so special."

Sweetie Drops smiled back.  If the stallion answered her next question correctly, it would confirm her suspicions. "Oh?  And what's that?"

"They're made with love."

That was the right answer.  The stranger had successfully recited the call sign for the Hunter's Undercover Bureau.  Sweetie Drops gave the stranger a firm nod and a wink.

"Just a moment, sir," she said before turning to the other costumers. "Listen up, everypony!  I'm going to have to close shop early!  I'm sorry, something very important just came up!  Don't worry, there will still be plenty of candy tomorrow!"

There was a wave of groans and complaints from the young colts and fillies as their parents dragged them out of the shop.  In a matter of moments, it was just Sweetie Drops and the stranger.  Without saying a word, Sweetie Drops trotted over to the door, locked it, and shifted the sign out front from Open to Closed.  She then turned to the stranger and gave him a bemused smirk

"An accident at the tornado factory?  Really?" she snickered, shaking her head. "That's probably the worst cover you've come up with yet, White Lie."

There was a sudden flash of green flame, and the eyepatch dropped to the floor.  The stranger had all but vanished.  In his place was an indignant changeling with a nasty scar over its left eye.

"W-well, I had to come up with something," the changeling huffed. "The Cutie Mark of my persona was a tornado; what was I supposed to say?"

"You could've just not said anything," said Sweetie Drops with a shrug.

"See, I would've thought of that if I wasn't so hungry," White Lie retorted.  A low growl emanated from its stomach, and it cleared its throat. "Um, speaking of which..."

"Say no more, White Lie.  I've got you covered," said Sweetie Drops.  She then took out a scooper and a paper bag.  In a few swift motions, she shuffled the bonbons into the bag and gave it to White Lie.

"Oh, thank you ever so much, Ms. Drops.  You truly are a lifesaver," said White Lie, scarfing down a bonbon. "Mmm~!  Just as delicious as ever.  I don't know how you manage to keep outdoing yourself like this."

"Save the flattery, White Lie," said Sweetie Drops, rolling her eyes. "I take it you didn't just come over to restock your candy supply."

"Mmmph?  Oh, righph."  White Lie took a moment to swallow its latest morsel before pulling out a scroll. "We have new orders from Princess Celestia.  It's quite urgent."

"Do the other agents know about this?"

"I would assume so."

Sweetie Drops nodded. "Alright, let's get moving then."

She then walked behind the counter and pressed a button underneath the display case.  The floor beneath her began to shift and move, revealing a staircase leading far below the building.  Once the staircase was fully formed, she trotted to the far end of the display case and lifted the wooden bar separating the staff from the customers.

"After you," she said with a bow.

White Lie bowed in return and trotted down the steps, munching on its bonbons the entire time.  Sweetie Drops took a deep breath and let it out in a tired sigh before follow suit.

So much for this being a peaceful day, she thought.


***


Deep within the crystal-laden bowels of the HUB's secret base of operations, Dr. Colgate was already hard at work.  She looked carefully through the magnifying lens over her eye at the black ankle brace sitting on the table.  Using her magic, she scooped up her screwdriver and began tightening one of the brace's bolts ever so slightly.  She didn't even look up when the secret door slid open, revealing White Lie and Sweetie Drops.

"Good day, Dr. Colgate," said White Lie, scarfing down another bonbon. "I, hope we're not interrupting anything."

"Mmm?  Oh, not at all," said Dr. Colgate, looking up from her work.  She shifted back the magnifying lens and turned to face the new arrivals. "I was just giving some of our equipment a few tweaks.  Always pays to be prepared."

"Funny you should say that," said Sweetie Drops. "White Lie says we just got new orders from Princess Celestia."

"See?  I was right," said Dr. Colgate with a goofy grin. "Give it here, it's probably encrypted with an audio spell."

White Lie didn't comply right away.  Instead, it kept munching away at its bonbons.  Dr. Colgate's smile faded.

"Ugh, at least tell me you're brushing after consuming all that sugar," she said.

White Lie looked up and swallowed. "I-I am, I am!  Honest!"

Dr. Colgate raised an eyebrow. "You keep saying that, but I can still smell your candy-laden breath from over here."

"Well, would you prefer it if I fed off of the love of ponies?" White Lie retorted. "As far as I'm concerned, Ms. Drops's candy makes for a divine substitute."

Dr. Colgate shot Sweetie Drops a look.  Sweetie Drops simply shrugged.

"What?  Princess Celestia asked me to find something for White Lie to eat instead of love," she said. "My special talent is making candy; of course I'm going to recommend that.  We've had this discussion before, remember?"

"Yeah, I know.  I know," Dr. Colgate grumbled. "I'm just concerned about our fellow agent's dental hygiene.  That's not a crime."

"Well, I can see that I haven't missed much."

All eyes turned to another secret door as Special Agent Fleur de Lis strode in with her usual high-class swagger.

"We were just about to get started," said Dr. Colgate, taking the scroll from White Lie. "Can we expect anypony else?"

"Not to my knowledge," said Fleur with a shake of her head.

"Then I guess it's just us four.  Alright, fair enough.  Let's see what the Princess has in store for us."

Dr. Colgate unfurled the scroll and fired a beam of yellow energy at it.  One by one, the words materialized on the scroll, and a voice echoed all around the room.


Good afternoon, agents.  I hope you are all doing well.  Once again, Equestria is in dire need of your services.

Last night, somepony took a tome out of the Royal Canterlot Library.  Normally, this would not be a problem, as the information of the library is open to the public.  However, the tome that was taken was none other than the Lesser Key.  The librarians did not discover this until early this morning, leaving me to believe that the thief used some sort of illusion to bypass security.

The Royal Guard managed to track the book down to a private library in the mountains of Coltlat; just outside Stalliongrad.  According to the townsfolk, the library belongs to an eccentric millionaire named Chanticleer Hegemony, though it is unknown how he came into possession of his fortune.  In fact, there's nopony of that name in any sort of records.  At this time, we're not sure what all this means.  The only thing I know for certain is that the Lesser Key cannot fall into the wrong hooves.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate this secret library, find the Lesser Key, and bring it back to Canterlot.  This may not appear to be an anti-monster mission on the surface, but if Mr. Hegemony isn't careful, he could end up unleashing our most formidable foe yet.  Dr. Colgate will brief you on your target.

This message will now self-destruct.  Best of luck, my little ponies.  And you as well, White Lie.


With that, the scroll burst into amber flame, disintegrating right before everypony's eyes.  Dr. Colgate furrowed her brow and trotted over to a large bookshelf at the far end of the room.

"Well, I already know one thing," said White Lie, popping another bonbon into its mouth. "This is definitely the work of changelings."

Fleur arched an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?  This doesn't match your kind's MO."

"Not our typical MO, maybe," White Lie mused. "But changelings forging a new persona from whole cloth is not unheard of.  I've done it several times during my tenure with you fine ponies."

"So, you think this Chanticleer Hegemony guy is a changeling?" asked Sweetie Drops.

"But of course," said White Lie. "If you meet somepony with a ridiculous name that nopony would ever have in a million years, chances are it's a changeling who has no idea what it's doing."

"Or it might be deliberately using a silly name to lure us into a trap," said Fleur.

White Lie scoffed. "Oh please, Lady de Lis.  You give the hive too much credit.  If they were smart enough to do something like that, they'd also have the brains to reject the mad designs of Queen Chrysalis."

"I'm just erring on the side of caution, White Lie," said Fleur, narrowing her eyes. "I've seen firsthoof what your kind is capable of.  This sort of thing is not outside the realm of possibility."

White Lie sighed. "Why must there continue to be animosity between us, Lady de Lis?  I understand that you had to contend with the hive in the past, but I believe I've made it perfectly clear that I'm defined by who I am, not what I am.  I have no love for the Mad Queen or the hive.  In fact, I still have to pay them back for the 'makeover' they gave me when I left."  It then pointed to the scar on its face.

Fleur closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't take any chances, White Lie.  Not after what your kind tried to do to Fancy Pants.  Not after what they continue to try again and again."

White Lie pursed its lips and nodded. "I see.  So you're still contending with those fools.  Though this only proves my point that they're not as smart as you claim.  If they were, they'd stop trying to hurt you and your lover."

Fleur blushed and sputtered for a few seconds before calming down. "You are quite frustrating, White Lie."

"How so?"

"You keep making it more and more difficult for me to hate you."

White Lie laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment," it said, tossing another bonbon into its mouth.

"Alright, that's enough out of you two," said Sweetie Drops with a sigh. "Although I have to say that White Lie has a point, Lady de Lis.  I know you have your reasons for distrusting him—"

"It, actually," White Lie corrected. "As a changeling who can become any gender I wish, it's unnecessary for me to identify as either male or female."

Sweetie Drops cleared her throat. "—distrusting it, rather.  But you still sound like a bigoted species-ist every time you argue with it like this, and I don't think that's what you want to be."

Fleur said nothing, but instead turned her head and huffed.  Just then, Dr. Colgate trotted back with a book and set it on the table.

"Let's get back to the matter at hoof, fillies," she said.

White Lie cleared its throat noisily, causing Dr. Colgate to sigh.

"Fillies and creature with no gender identity," she clarified.

"Thank you," said White Lie with a bow.

Dr. Colgate rolled her eyes and continued. "Even if we accept that this is the work of changelings, we still don't know why they'd be after the Lesser Key."

"Well, I'm afraid I won't be able to answer that," said White Lie with a shrug. "There's no telling what the Mad Queen is thinking these days."

"It must be a rather important book if Princess Celestia is calling us in to bring it back," Fleur mused. "What's it a book of, anyway?  I imagine it's some sort of magic tome."

"In a sense," said Dr. Colgate, opening the book before her. "It contains the Ars Goetia."

Sweetie Drops blinked. "And that is, what exactly?"

Dr. Colgate flipped through the book before her before stopping at the correct passage. "Ah, here we go," she said, clearing her throat. "'In a distant land, far from Equestria, there were seventy-two demons known collectively as the Ars Goetia.  They came in many shapes and sizes, and each one had their own mystical powers as well as their own field of academic study.  Though they referred to themselves as kings, dukes, presidents, princes, counts, and marquises, they didn't rule any nation of their own.  But they did have an agenda, as well as a sinister method of moving that agenda forward.

"'It is said that all who seek knowledge could call upon a member of the Ars Goetia for assistance.  And while some of the demons were vicious, most of them actually provided their services willingly when summoned.  In fact, they thrived on the pursuit of knowledge and encouraged it wherever they went.  However, their help came at a price.  For those who called upon the Ars Goetia ended up becoming their servants.  Not through coercion or mind control, but through mere persuasion and argument.  Each of the demons were gifted with a silver tongue and a mind like a steel trap.  Using nothing but pure logic, they would convince others that doing their bidding was a correct course of action.

"'If the Ars Goetia had their way, all knowledge would be controlled by them and them alone.  But there is an old proverb directed at beings with such ambitions and hubris.  It matters not how powerful you are; there's always someone else who wields even greater power.'"

"Don't tell me; I know this one," interrupted Sweetie Drops. "Starswirl the Bearded defeated them, right?"

Dr. Colgate smirked. "Wrong.  Remember, they had never set foot in Equestria."

"Then why are they in a book that was contained in our library?" inquired Fleur.

"I was just getting to that, Lady de Lis.  Now please, don't interrupt," said Dr. Colgate, turning the page. "'The Ars Goetia eventually crossed paths with the infamous Lord Tirek and his brother, Scorpan.  Using underhanded tactics, the two brothers overpowered the demons and sealed them within the pages of an empty book.  When they came to Equestria, Scorpan gave the tome to Starswirl the Bearded; most likely to keep it out of the hands of his brother.  Along with the tome came a warning.  Under no circumstances should anyone read this book.  If you do, you will become susceptible to the demons' arguments, and you may end up trying to find a way to free them.'"

"And that book is the Lesser Key, I take it?" said White Lie.

"Correct-a-mundo," said Dr. Colgate, closing her book. "Which is why we have to get it back."

White Lie knitted its brow. "I knew Queen Chrysalis was mad, but this seems quite extreme, even for her.  What's more, this kind of operation would be carried out by an experienced archdrone, not some schmuck who can't think of a suitable pony name.  What kind of special talent would a pony named Chanticleer Hegemony even have?"

"Maybe you'll have a chance to find out," said Dr. Colgate, taking out a map. "Because I've got a plan."

"Already?  You sure are fast," observed Sweetie Drops.

"I had some time to think while White Lie and Lady de Lis were bickering," said Dr. Colgate with a shrug. "Anyway, here's the way I see it.  Sweetie Drops, you'll be airdropped onto the mountainside around here.  While that's going on, Lady de Lis and White Lie will come in through the front door."

"That doesn't sound too smart," said Fleur.

Dr. Colgate grinned. "This Chanticleer Hegemony guy is supposed to be some sort of rich tycoon, right?  Well, that means he won't suspect an influential pony like Fancy Pants dropping by for a visit."

Fleur scoffed. "As if Fancy Pants would ever agree to—"

She stopped herself mid-sentence and connected the dots, turning to face White Lie.  White Lie shrugged its shoulders.

"I'm sure we can come up with a suitable reason for 'Fancy Pants' injuring his eye," it said plainly, eating another bonbon.

Fleur opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "Fine.  I, guess I'll have to get over this prejudice of mine sometime," she sighed, shooting Dr. Colgate a dark look. "You fight dirty."

"Hey, I'm a dental-conscious pony working in a secret base that uses a candy shop as a front.  If I can work with Sweetie Drops, you can work with White Lie," said Dr. Colgate. "Speaking of which, I should probably give you the gear you need for this mission."

Using her magic, she scooped up the ankle brace along with a locked suitcase and brought it over the Sweetie Drops.  Sweetie Drops unlocked the suitcase, revealing her gadgets.

"This shouldn't be a heavy-duty mission, even if we are dealing with changelings," Dr. Colgate stated. "So there's nothing in there that you shouldn't be familiar with.  You've got your watch/compass, an earpiece radio, an ankle-mounted crossbow complete with sleep bolts, and of course, your grappling hook."

Sweetie Drops took the ankle brace and fitted it over her right foreleg.  She took aim and flexed her hoof, hearing a satisfying twang as the empty crossbow fired.

"Impressive," she said, slinging her grappling hook over her other shoulder. "You said you made a few adjustments?"

"Oh, it's nothing too extreme," said Dr. Colgate modestly. "I just corrected the aim a bit.  Oh, and I installed a hypodermic bayonet for CQC purposes.  You can activate by pressing the button underneath the crossbow, but I doubt you'll need it."

Sweetie Drops raised an eyebrow. "Then, why did you install it?"

"Just in case," said Dr. Colgate. "Also, the bow can be folded up and concealed by tapping the button on the side.  You probably don't want it getting in the way if you are forced into a close combat situation."

Sweetie Drops pressed the side button, and sure enough, the crossbow folded up and sank into the ankle brace.

"Very nice," said Sweetie Drops with a nod. "Anything else?"

"That's about it for you," said Dr. Colgate. "Lady de Lis, you and White Lie should take a trip to the Royal Canterlot Library before heading out."

"Why's that?" asked Fleur.

Dr. Colgate's face darkened. "If any of the Ars Goetia get out of the Lesser Key, you two need a spell that'll send them back.  There should be a scroll in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing."  She then shot White Lie a glare. "Just, try not to get any chocolate on it."

"That should probably go without saying," said White Lie, munching down the last of its bonbons.

"Again, it pays to be prepared," said Dr. Colgate. "Alright, I'll arrange for two train tickets to Stalliongrad.  Sweetie Drops, you'd better get ahold of Special Agent Night Glider and brief her on the situation so that she can perform the airdrop.  Once you're in Stalliongrad, be sure to check in via radio.  I'll try and monitor everything from here the best I can, so keep me updated.  Now, let's rock and roll!"

With that, the agents saluted each other and went their separate ways.  Just as Sweetie Drops was about to make her way up the stares, Dr. Colgate stopped her.

"Oh, one more thing."

Sweetie Drops turned around. "Yes?"

Dr. Colgate smiled. "Good luck."

Sweetie Drops smiled back. "The bugbear is the only time in my life when I ever needed luck, Dr. Colgate.  This is gonna be a piece of cake, changelings or no changelings."

"Let's hope so," said Dr. Colgate solemnly. "Oh, and try to keep Fleur and White Lie from killing each other, yeah?"

Sweetie Drops giggled. "Duly noted."

With one final salute, she marched back up the stairs, ready to meet Night Glider and start her mission...
> Endless Possibilities
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Bon-Bon?  Yo, Earth to Bon-Bon!"

Bon-Bon felt a firm hoof prod her shoulder, snapping her out of her trance.  She quickly shook herself, trying to get her bearings as the familiar click-clack of train wheels reached her ears.  Once she got herself settled, she noticed that her friends were all sitting around her, giving her concerned looks.

"Glad to see you're still with us, Bons," said Lyra. "You haven't said a word since we left Minnie's place.  Are you okay?"

"Mmm?  Oh, I-I'm fine," Bon-Bon said, looking out the window. "I-I was just mentally preparing myself for the mission, that's all.  Th-this is just a lot to take in all at once, y'know?"

"I understand how you feel, Ms. Bon-Bon," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses. "Even now, I'm having quite a bit of difficulty comprehending all this."

Bon-Bon blinked in confusion. "But, didn't Minuette brief you on everything?"

"Well, yes.  At least, she told us as much as she could given the situation," Moondancer sighed. "Still, it's quite overwhelming.  I mean, I've read about the Ars Goetia in several anthologies of foreign myths, but I never thought they were real."

Minuette shrugged. "Well, not too long ago, almost everypony thought Nightmare Moon wasn't real.  And we all know how that turned out, amiright?"

Fleur's face darkened. "Whatever the case may be, we don't have much time left to prepare," she said, staring out and the snowy countryside rolling past. "We should be arriving at Stalliongrad shortly."

"Next stop: Stalliongrad station!  Please make sure you have all of your belongings before leaving the train!"

Minuette snickered. "Perfect timing, Lady de Lis."

"I choose not to dignify that," said Fleur haughtily. "Come, we should get ready to disembark."

Bon-Bon nodded and stood up, grabbing a metal suitcase from the overhead bin.  She then turned to Lyra and sighed.

"Lyra, it's not too late," she said, her eyes pleading. "I'll pay for your ticket back to Ponyville.  You don't have to do this."

Lyra shook her head. "No dice, Bons.  I can be just as stubborn as you.  If you want to go on this crazy mission, then I'm going with you.  End of story."

"Bold words, Ms. Heartstrings," said Fleur. "Though I do hope you and Ms. Moondancer can take care of yourselves should things become, difficult.  There's no telling what we'll be facing in those mountains."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Lady de Lis," said Moondancer, pressing her glasses against the bridge of her nose. "I've brushed up on many self-defense spells throughout my studies."

"And I can handle myself just fine," Lyra added with a sneer. "Maybe we should be more concerned about you chipping a hoof or something."

Fleur scoffed. "I'll have you know that I was knighted for my outstanding services to the Royal Guard.  I'm not as delicate as I appear."

"Well, neither am I," Lyra retorted. "I won't underestimate you if you don't underestimate me.  So there."  She punctuated her statement with a raspberry.

Fleur snorted angrily. "Why you little—"

She was interrupted by the screech of the train wheels as the train came to a stop.

"Stalliongrad station!  Stalliongrad station!" the conductor called out. "Please watch your step!"

"Whoop!  That's us," said Minuette hastily, jumping to her feet. "Let's get going, fillies!"

"Y-yes.  R-right," said Fleur, clearing her throat and composing herself.  As the five of them got off the train, Bon-Bon pulled Lyra aside.

"Lyra, I've got enough to worry about without you picking fights with Lady de Lis," she scolded. "Cut it out, or I'm forcing you to take the next train back to Ponyville."

"Hey, she's the one pissing me off with her snobbery!" Lyra hissed. "Go yell at her!"

Bon-Bon sighed. "She's just stressed out about the mission, Lyra.  I'm sure we all are."

"Doesn't mean she should be a prick about it," Lyra grumbled.

"The same goes for you," Bon-Bon countered.

Lyra opened her mouth to retort, but found that she had none. "Alright, alright.  I'll try to get along with Ms. Prissy Pants.  But I'm doing this for you."

Bon-Bon smiled. "I know," she cooed, brushing Lyra's cheek with her hoof. "Just, be sure to watch yourself, okay?  This is still very dangerous, and you don't have my training when it comes to this sort of thing."

Lyra gave Bon-Bon a coy smile. "As long as you're by my side, there's nothing I can't handle."

Bon-Bon deadpanned. "Knock off the schmaltzy talk, Lyra.  This is really not the time."

Lyra stopped for a moment and watched as Bon-Bon stepped off the train and joined the others.  She hung her head and sighed.

"Whatever you say, Special Agent Sweetie Drops," she muttered under her breath.


***


As soon as they got off the train, the five mares headed straight for the forest leading out of Stalliongrad.  For a while, the only sounds they heard was the rustling of the wind and the crunch of the snow beneath their hooves.  Once they were a good distance away from civilization, Minuette raised her hoof.

"Alright, I don't think anypony is watching us," said Minuette, taking a quick look around. "Bon-Bon, you should probably suit up while I assess our situation."

Bon-Bon nodded and opened up her suitcase.  Inside was her typical array of gadgets, including her compass, her grappling hook, her ankle-mounted crossbow, and a miniature quiver fully stocked with sleep bolts.  As she got her gear in order, Minuette stared vacantly at the sky.

"Um, Minuette?  What exactly did you mean by 'assess our situation?'" inquired Moondancer.

Minuette didn't answer.  She simply closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.  Her horn suddenly pulsed with magic, generating more and more energy by the second.  Moondancer couldn't help but become entranced by the display, while Lyra also looked on with interest.  Fleur and Bon-Bon, however, were completely unfazed.  Once Minuette's horn was completely obscured by her magic aura, her eyes snapped open, revealing nothing but blank pupils.  A golden shockwave rippled from her horn, although it didn't appear to affect their surroundings one iota.  Moondancer stumbled over from surprise, her eyes glistening in amazement.  After a few seconds, Minuette's eyes returned to normal, and her horn powered down.  She knitted her brow and nodded before turning to face the others.  Before she could say anything, Moondancer got up and approached her.

"Th-that was amazing," she said. "I-I don't know what you did, but I can honestly say I've never seen you wield so much magic before."

Minuette shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, it's not a big deal.  I usually don't have to use that spell outside of my job."

Moondancer tilted her head. "Your, job?  But, I thought you were a dentist."

Minuette stared blankly at Moondancer before letting out a hearty guffaw. "Seriously, Moondancer?  Does this look like a dentist's Cutie Mark to you?" she asked, pointing at her flank.

Moondancer blushed. "I-I'm sorry, Minuette.  I-it's just that I always hear you talking about dental hygiene and such.  I-I thought your Cutie Mark was some sort of abstract metaphor.  I-I probably shouldn't have made that assumption about a friend."

Minuette smiled. "Don't sweat it, Moondancer.  I know you were occupied with other things.  Besides, you're not exactly the first pony to make that mistake," she said, shaking her head. "No, dentistry is just a hobby of mine.  A very expensive hobby considering how much I invest in it, but a hobby nonetheless.  My real field of study is in theoretical physics; the study of space-time specifically."

Moondancer recoiled, her glasses nearly falling off her face. "Y-you're a theoretical physicist?!"

"Yep," said Minuette with a nod. "See, most ponies perceive time as a series of events with causes and effects.  My special talent kinda lets me see beyond that, and I use that power to study the mechanics of time and find out what makes it tick."  She laughed at her own joke. "Get it?  Time?  Tick?"

"We get it, Minnie," groaned Lyra, rolling her eyes.

"No no, wait.  I've got a better one," said Minuette, clearing her throat. "My coworkers say that if everypony could perceive time the way I can perceive time, grammar professors would have no reason to get out of bed in the morning."

Her joke was met with a collection of blank stares.  After a few seconds, Moondancer broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Thank you, Moondancer," said Minuette with a bow. "Jokes are funny when you know things."

"Yes, quite humorous, Dr. Colgate.  I am bereft of ribs," said Fleur sardonically. "Now, let's try and get back to the mission, shall we?"

"H-hang on, hang on," said Moondancer, collecting herself. "I-I still want to know what that spell was."

"Again, it's nothing special.  Just my special talent at work," Minuette explained. "See, right now, this very scenario is playing out in various different ways over an infinite number of parallel universes.  Some of these universes only have slight differences from ours, such as everything is just a millimeter to the left; others are vastly different, such as we're all bipeds instead of quadrupeds.  That spell I cast gives me a direct link into the time stream, allowing me to see these possibilities."

Moondancer's eyes sparkled. "All of them?!"

"Well, not all," said Minuette sheepishly. "The pony mind cannot fully grasp the concept of infinity, and if I tried, my brain would probably implode and then implode again."

Lyra arched an eyebrow. "I dunno, Minnie.  Could something really implode twice?"

"I have no idea, but I also have no desire to find out," said Minuette. "Anyway, while I can't see every single scenario, I can see enough of them.  And using that data, I narrow down what our reality could be should we make certain choices."

Moondancer blinked. "Wow.  I-I never knew that about you, Minuette."

"Meh, it's mainly 'cause I try not to mix business with pleasure," said Minuette with a shrug. "There's a lot of science-y technobabble I deal with in my job, and it doesn't really make for good conversation.  I mean, I wouldn't exactly call it boring, but it can be very confusing if you're not well-versed in the field of theoretical physics.  And I really don't like tying my friends' brains into knots during a relaxing chat over donuts, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, we know, Minnie," said Lyra with a sly smirk and a bow. "And for that, we are all incredibly grateful."

Minuette didn't react to Lyra's jab, but instead cleared her throat. "Alright.  So, from my understanding, we should probably stick together.  If we split up, that just increases our chances of getting lost, and nopony wants to be lost in those mountains."

"A wise stratagem," said Fleur with a nod. "But where should we start?  We don't know if the secret library is still standing."

"According to my calculations, there's a fair chance that it is," said Minuette, furrowing her brow. "But there's also a fair chance that it's being protected.  Our best bet is to look for any caves and explore them.  There might be a secret passageway leading to the library."

"Well, no time like the present," said Bon-Bon, swinging her grappling hook over her shoulder. "Let's get moving.  Minuette, you lead the way."

Minuette nodded and ventured towards the forest's timberline with the other ponies right at her heels.  Fleur sighed and shook her head.

"I really do hope Dr. Colgate is right about bringing you two along," she said, looking over at Lyra and Moondancer. "This is not a task for ordinary ponies."

"Hey, I said I can handle myself," Lyra huffed. "I might not be a super special secret agent or whatever, but I'm pretty tough."

"That may be true, Lyra," said Bon-Bon, staring up at the massive mountain before them. "But you never had to scale the mountains of Coltlat.  I have."

Gradually, the wind around her picked up, battering her eyelashes with snow.  A sharp whistle echoed in her ear as she marched onward.  As the brisk sensation struck a familiar chord deep within her psyche, her mind began to wander once more...
> Infiltration Confirmation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is it, Sweetie Drops!  We're approaching our target now!"

Sweetie Drops could barely hear Night Glider's voice over the sound of the wind rushing past her.  She was too preoccupied with maintaining her balance on her fellow agent's back.  She placed a hoof over her eyes to shield them from the snow and get a better view.  The mountains that stretched out before her appeared as intimidating as the local stories made them out to be.  She swallowed and steeled herself for the mission ahead.

"That should be close enough, Night Glider!" she hollered, straining her voice over the wind. "I'll take it from here!"

"Roger that!" Night Glider shouted back. "I'll see you back in Canterlot!  Happy landing!"

With that, she did a lateral roll and dropped Sweetie Drops from her back.  After free-falling for a few seconds, Sweetie Drops pulled the cord on her parachute and unfurled it.  As the parachute caught her, she steered herself to a nearby precipice and readied her grappling hook.  In one fluid motion, she snagged the stone outcropping and detached her parachute.  Slowly but surely, she rappelled down the mountainside until she reached solid ground.

"So far so good," she muttered, tapping her earpiece radio. "Dr. Colgate, this is Sweetie Drops.  I've arrived at Coltlat without any complications."

"Excellent," said Dr. Colgate. "Now, if my calculations are correct, Chanticleer Hegemony's secret library should be a short hike north from your current position."

Sweetie Drops glanced down at the compass on her left foreleg and nodded. "North, gotcha.  Any word from Lady de Lis and White Lie?"

"Last I checked, they were being led to the front door by one of Mr. Hegemony's servants.  You should try and rendezvous with them once you're inside."

"Of course.  Anything else?"

"Just don't get lost.  The mountains of Coltlat are notoriously difficult to navigate if you're not careful."

Sweetie Drops scoffed. "Sounds like the perfect place to set up a secret library."

"That does seem to be the idea," Dr. Colgate mused. "Makes me wonder if there's some credence to White Lie's theory."

"I guess we'll just have to find out," said Sweetie Drops with a shrug.

"Mmm," Dr. Colgate hummed. "Well, whatever the case, Mr. Hegemony probably has a few guards stationed around the place, so stay frosty."  A series of giggles were heard over the comm. "Which shouldn't be too difficult for you.  Considering that, well, y'know..."

Sweetie Drops let out an exasperated sigh. "You're a regular riot, Dr. Colgate.  I'm starting the mission now."

"Copy that.  I'll be right here if you need anything."

With that, the transmission cut out.  Sweetie Drops quickly retrieved her grappling hook and began making her way along the mountainside.


***


"Ugh, I hate this.  Why do we have to be out here?  I'm freezing my wings off!"

"Shut up, Larrance.  Your whining isn't exactly making this better."

After a somewhat difficult trek through the light snow, Sweetie Drops managed to overhear a conversation just around the corner.  Quickly, she ducked behind a rock and peeked her head over it.  Two ponies bundled up in heavy wool coats were standing out in the open and talking with one another.

"I'm telling you, Den.  This is an injustice," said one of the ponies. "We have to stand out here and protect this place from absolutely no one while the others get to just hang out in that stupid library.  The library we built, no less!"

"Hey, they built it, too," said the other. "Someone has to guard the perimeter."

"From whom?!  Even if ponies were stupid enough to scale this mountain, they wouldn't find us in a million years!"

Sweetie Drops furrowed her brow. These guys must be working for Chanticleer Hegemony, she thought.  She quickly checked her surroundings. No way to sneak by them, either.  Only one thing for it.

She tapped the button on the side of her ankle brace, and her crossbow was unfurled.  Quietly, she removed a sleep bolt from her quiver using her mouth, placed it within the crossbow, and drew back the bowstring.  One of the guard perked up.

"Hey.  You hear that?" he asked.

The other guard snorted. "Probably just your imagination, Larrance.  Despite what these ponies claim, I'm sure these mountains aren't haunted."

Inch by inch, Sweetie Drops made her way into position, aiming her crossbow at one of the guards.  For a moment, everything slowed down to a crawl.  She focused her vision, tuning out all distractions that stood between her and her target.  Her breath hitched as she flexed her hoof.

"Okay, now I know I'm not ju—  Doof!"

One of the guards spun around as the crossbow fired, but it was too late.  The bolt hit the target square in the chest, injecting its full payload of tranquilizers.  As the guard fell to the ground, his body became engulfed in green flame.  Sweetie Drops's eyes went wide.  She knew that sight from anywhere.  Sure enough, the unconscious body lying in the snow was not that of a pony, but of a changeling.

"Larrance?  Wh-what happened?" the other guard sputtered.

Sweetie Drops shook herself and loaded another bolt into her crossbow.  The guard narrowed its eyes and snorted, scanning the entire area for any sign of an intruder.  Just as its back was turned, Sweetie Drops fired again.  Once again, she hit her target.  The other guard fell alongside its comrade, revealing its true shape in the process.

"Well, that answers that question," Sweetie Drops muttered, tapping her radio. "Dr. Colgate, this is Sweetie Drops.  Looks like White Lie's changeling theory was right on the money."

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that three seconds ago after double-checking the time stream," Dr. Colgate said with a sigh. "Fleur is not going to be happy about this."

"Well, how about you let me tell her?" Sweetie Drops suggested. "I can physically calm her down if things get too heated."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best.  I'll leave this in your capable hooves, Sweetie Drops," said Dr. Colgate. "Proceed with the mission as normal, and stay vigilant.  White Lie can attest to how tricky changelings can be."

"Got it," said Sweetie Drops, disconnecting the transmission.  She deftly walked past the two unconscious changelings, the gentle snow resting against her eyelids and eyelashes.  After blinking a few times and rubbing her eyes, she managed to catch a glimpse of a light just above her.  Curious, she ventured towards it, readying her grappling hook.

Upon closer inspection, the light gave way to what appeared to be a large stone mansion.  At least, that's the best way Sweetie Drops could describe it.  The material seemed to have a very archaic vibe, but the overall design was far too modern to be any sort of ancient castle.  What's more, the area around the mansion had a few guards patrolling the mountainside.  Sweetie Drops narrowed her eyes and smirked.

"I do believe we found our secret library," she mused, tapping her radio. "Dr. Colgate, what's Lady de Lis's status?"

"She and White Lie should be inside by now," said Dr. Colgate. "Mind you, I haven't heard from them directly yet.  They might be maintaining radio silence so as not to arouse suspicion."

"Smart move," said Sweetie Drops with a nod.  She quickly checked her compass. "Okay, I'm gonna try and come in through the second window on the West Wing.  Tell Lady de Lis and White Lie that's our rendezvous point."

"That room specifically, or the second floor in general?" asked Dr. Colgate. "Keep in mind, I don't exactly have a layout of the building on me."

Sweetie Drops was about to groan in frustration, but she ended up conceding Dr. Colgate's point. "I-I don't know.  We'll just have to improvise."

"Hmm.  Looking at things right now, that's probably the best course of action," said Dr. Colgate. "Keep up the good work, Sweetie Drops."

"I intend to," Sweetie Drops responded before disconnecting.  She then slunk her way up to the mansion, taking extra care not to be spotted by any guards.  Once the coast was clear, she took her grappling hook in hoof, swung it around, and tossed it up to the window.  It landed on the ledge with a satisfying clank, latching onto part of the balcony.

"Hmm?  What was that?"

Sweetie Drops's heart pounded as she heard voices followed by a series of hoofsteps.  With no time to lose, she leapt at the building and scaled up the side of the wall.  She barely acknowledged the pieces of debris that fell from her hooves as she climbed.  Just as she arrived at the top, she could hear voices below.

"Hoofprints.  Somepony's been here."

The guard looked around this way and that, trying to find the culprit.  However, neither hide nor hair of an intruder could be seen.  From the balcony above, Sweetie Drops watched the guard with bated breath.  After a few seconds which felt like an eternity, the guard shrugged.

"Must've scared 'em off," it reasoned, flying away.

Sweetie Drops breathed a sigh of relief before detaching her grappling hook and walking over to the window.  She quickly peered inside to make sure no one was around.  From her view, it did appear to be some sort of fancy library.  Books of all shapes and sizes lined the walls, and there was very little else.  There wasn't even a desk or anything to sit at.  With a shrug, Sweetie Drops used her grappling hook to undo the latch holding the window shut.  She then made her way inside and dusted herself off before tapping her earpiece radio again.

"This is Sweetie Drops," she stated in hushed tones. "I'm in."

"Good to hear, Sweetie Drops.  If my calculations are correct, Lady de Lis and White Lie should've made it inside by now as well," said Dr. Colgate. "Your next objective is to track them down and bring 'em up to speed.  I can't say for certain where they are right now, but chances are they haven't split up yet.  I told them about your proposed rendezvous point, so with any luck, they should come to you.  In the meantime, I'd recommend getting the lay of the land.  Without getting caught, of course."

"Understood," said Sweetie Drops. "Um, the time stream didn't happen to mention some sort of map by any—?"

She stopped mid-sentance when she saw the silhouette of an unfamiliar pony flicker on the far wall.

"Let me call you back, Dr. Colgate.  Something just came up," she said, tapping her radio off.  She then heaved a sigh before loading another bolt into her crossbow. "An agent's work is never done..."
> Agents in Action
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, uh, Bon-Bon?"

Bon-Bon flinched as she felt a slight tap on her shoulder.  Out of instinct, she spun around and aimed her ankle brace, only to see Minuette flinching from her harsh gesture.  The sight of this was enough of a jolt to bring her back to reality.

"O-oh.  I-it's just you," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I-I'm terribly sorry about that.  I must've zoned out for a minute there."

"Well, zone yourself back in, Bon-Bon.  We kinda need you right now," said Minuette. "Look at this."

Bon-Bon looked down at where Minuette was pointing.  Several large pawprints lined the ground.  She leaned down to get a closer look.

"Hmm.  I see what you mean," she mused.  She lifted her left foreleg and glanced at her compass. "These tracks are leading north-by-northeast.  We should follow them."

"We should?" asked Lyra, raising an eyebrow. "How are some animal tracks gonna lead us to this secret library, Bons?"

"I'm not sure they will," Bon-Bon admitted, furrowing her brow. "But if this is what I think it is, it might lend some credence to Lady de Lis's story and give us a better idea of what's going on around here."

"Well, I can't say I disagree with that sentiment," said Moondancer. "Though if I may ask, Ms. Bon-Bon.  What do you think this is?"

Before Bon-Bon could reply, a loud roar echoed across the mountain.  Bon-Bon's eyes narrowed.

"That," she answered simply. "C'mon, before the trail grows cold."

Lyra swallowed. "Um, I'm suddenly thinking that this isn't a good idea."

"If you truly thought that, you wouldn't have come on this mission in the first place," Fleur stated bluntly. "Besides, it's too late to turn back now.  Unless, of course, you want to be lost forever in these mountains."

Lyra pouted and gave Fleur the evil eye. "S-stop trying to scare me, you jerk.  You'll never convince me to abandon Bon-Bon."

"I'm merely stating the facts, Ms. Heartstrings," said Fleur with a shrug. "It's your own fault for taking them so personally."

"Maybe I wouldn't take things so personally if you weren't such a cu—"

"Whoa!  Easy there, Lyra," Minuette interrupted. "Let's all try to get along here, yeah?  We're all in this together."

Lyra sputtered before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Fine," she relented.

Without another word, the five mares trekked onward, following the trail of pawprints the best they could.  In a matter of minutes, Bon-Bon stopped dead in her tracks and ducked behind a nearby rock.

"Get down!" she hissed.

Quickly, the rest of the team followed suit.  One by one, they each poked their head over the rock.  All along the mountainside, there were several ferocious beasts roaming about.  Each of them had pale white fur and strange orange crests on their foreheads.

"Um, Bons?  What are those things?" Lyra whispered.

"Yetis, by the look of it," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses. "I've read plenty about them in my studies.  I-I never thought I'd ever see one up close, though.  They're supposed to be extremely rare."

"They also don't typically hunt in packs like this," Bon-Bon said darkly. "Plus, their caves are usually at higher altitudes.  This territory should mean nothing to them, yet they're stalking around as if on patrol.  That's not typical yeti behavior."

"Meaning, what exactly?" inquired Lyra.

Bon-Bon tapped the button on her ankle brace and unfurled her crossbow. "We're about to find out," she said, taking a sleep bolt from her quiver. "Get ready for a fight, everypony."

"One step ahead of you," said Fleur, arching her back and pawing the ground. "Dr. Colgate, do you think you'll be alright babysitting our civilian friends?"

Lyra snorted and turned to Moondancer. "Are you gonna let her talk to us like that?"

Moondancer pressed her glasses against the bridge of her nose, causing them to shine. "If Lady de Lis doubts my combat prowess, then all I have to do is prove her wrong.  Perhaps you should do the same."

"I'd listen to her, Lyra," said Minuette with a shrug. "Don't worry.  Our chances here don't look too bad."

"I-I'm not worried," Lyra sputtered. "You think I can't take those guys on?  I'll kick their flanks into next week, no problem!"

Fleur sighed. "You're not fooling anypony with that false bravado, Ms. Heartstrings."

"Quiet, all of you," Bon-Bon hissed, aiming her crossbow. "I need to concentrate."

The others obliged.  After a few seconds, Bon-Bon lined up her crossbow with a nearby yeti.

"Alright, after that first one goes down, we move in," she stated. "Sync?"

"Sync," Fleur said with a nod.

"Sync," replied Minuette.

Lyra blinked. "Um, what?"

"Just think of it as another way of saying 'roger that,'" explained Minuette.

"Oh, then, um, sync.  I guess," said Lyra with a shrug.

"Sync," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses.

"Alright, on my mark," said Bon-Bon, steadying her foreleg. "Ready..."

Lyra swallowed a large lump in her throat, her heart pounding a mile a minute.  Fleur let out an angry snort and pawed the ground.  Minuette cracked her neck.  Bon-Bon narrowed her eyes and slowed down her breathing, waiting for the right moment to strike.  Once it presented herself, she flexed her hoof.

"Mark!"

The bolt struck its target, causing the yeti to fall to the ground.  Except once it did, its body was engulfed in green flames.  The other yetis noticed this and immediately shed their disguises, revealing a swarm of changelings.  Straight away, they noticed the ponies and let out angry rasps, charging down the mountain.

"Here they come!" Fleur hollered. "Let's move!"

Without further warning, she and Bon-Bon leapt straight into the fray.  Several beams of solid pink energy erupted from Fleur's horn, cutting down changelings left and right.  Some of the changelings fired back with their own magic, while others donned the appearance of their opponents.  Bon-Bon charged at one of her own clones and clocked it in the face before landing an uppercut on another nearby changeling.  She and Fleur stood back-to-back as the changelings surrounded them.

"Humph.  Do these cockroaches honestly believe this is a fair fight?" Fleur scoffed.

Bon-Bon shrugged her shoulders. "I find that doesn't typically matter in this line of work."

"Mmm, of course," Fleur concurred. "Let's just focus on exterminating these pests, shall we?"

Bon-Bon didn't respond.  She instead spun around and kicked one of her own doppelgängers with her hind legs before engaging another one in hoof-to-hoof combat.  Fleur decide to ignore this as she put up a magical barrier, deflecting several incoming magic bolts.


***


"Whoa!  Yeek!  Hot potato, hot potato!"

Lyra zigged and zagged around the barrage of changeling magic raining down upon her.  She tried to get up close to land a few punches, but she was quickly frightened away by the ones opting for a long range assault.  After running around in circles, she spotted a pony that looked like Bon-Bon within the swarm.  She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yo, Bons!  Over here!" she hollered. "Oh, thank goodness I found you.  I could really use some help right now."

The pony turned and gave Lyra a wicked grin.  Instead of blue, its eyes were bright green and glowing.  It galloped towards Lyra and opened its mouth, bearing several sharp fangs.  Lyra blanched.

"Crap baskets," she whimpered, bracing herself.  But just before the changeling could reach her, a beam of translucent pink magic knocked it aside.  Moondancer ran up to Lyra, adjusting her glasses.

"Lyra, you have to be more careful," she scolded. "These are changelings, remember?  They can take our shape."

"I know what changelings are, thankyouverymuch," Lyra grumbled. "I-I just panicked a bit, that's all.  I'm fine."

Moondancer sighed. "Regardless, perhaps we should stick together, if only to avoid confusion," she said. "Speaking of which, have you seen Minuette?"

"Um, not really," Lyra said sheepishly. "Things were really touch-and-go once those changelings came for us."

Moondancer's brow crinkled. "Mmm.  Troubling," she mused. "I know she was a member of that HUB organization, but from how she describes it, she never really saw any combat.  We should probably make sure she's okay."

Lyra looked behind Moondancer and arched an eyebrow. "Uh, I think that's her over there."

Moondancer whipped around and looked where Lyra was pointing.  Sure enough, there was Minuette, staring down a single changeling drone.  Minuette smirked.

"Let's do this thing," she said, closing her eyes.

Before Moondancer or Lyra could move a muscle, the changeling flew towards Minuette at full speed, its fangs open and ready to strike.  A faint golden glow emanated from Minuette's horn as the changeling got closer and closer.

"Onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten!  Red light!"

Minuette's eyes snapped open, and the changeling suddenly found itself frozen in midair inches away from its target.  Not even its wings were moving.  Minuette grinned and fired a beam right into the changeling's chest.  Strangely, the changeling didn't move or even react to this attack.

"Green light," said Minuette.

After another pulse of magic from her horn, the changeling was sent flying back.  Moondancer lifted her glasses and rubbed her eyes in disbelief.  When she put her glasses back on, she noticed another changeling firing a blast of magic at Minuette.  She gasped.

"Minuette, behind you!" she shrieked.

Minuette turned around and snickered. "Heh, nope!"

In the blink of an eye, she and the changeling switched places.  In its confusion, the changeling was struck down by its own spell.  As Minuette brushed herself off, more changelings came flying at her.  She let loose another magical pulse from her horn, and this time, several clones of her appeared out of thin air and charged for the swarm.  Moondancer's jaw dropped as she watched the Minuette clones fight the changelings.

"S-such amazing power," she exclaimed. "Lyra, have you ever seen Minuette do something like this?"

"Can't say that I have," said Lyra. "Then again, she did manage to get into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.  Looks to me like she's doing just fine."

"Oof!"

As soon as those words left Lyra's lips, one of the changelings kicked a Minuette clone in the gut.  Suddenly, all of the clones went flying back, as if they all were struck by the same kick.  Each of the clones dissipated, leaving only one Minuette behind at the mercy of her attacker.  Lyra smacked her forehead.

"Me and my big mouth," she groaned.

Moondancer didn't pay this any mind.  Instead, she teleported right to Minuette's side and fired a blast of magic from her horn, shooing the attacker away.

"Are you alright, Minuette?" she asked.

Minuette moaned and gripped her stomach. "G-guess I got a bit too cocky.  That's never something you want to happen while using quantum projection."

"Hold on, I'll heal you up," said Moondancer.  Her horn glowed a gentle pink as she leaned over Minuette's body. "It's going to be okay.  Just relax."

Minuette smiled. "Thanks, Moondancer."

Moondancer smiled back and continued to use her healing spell.  Suddenly, she saw a dark shape charge for her out of the corner of her eye.  Before she could respond, a beige blur came out of nowhere and punched the shadow away.  She looked up to see Bon-Bon standing tall and panting heavily.

"You never *pant* want to let your guard down," she said, giving Moondancer a wry smirk.

She then perked up as she heard a sinister roar behind her.  When she whipped around to see what caused it, her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.  Hovering above the battlefield was a large bearlike creature with four arms, insect-like wings, and feral red eyes.  A yellow and black striped stinger protruded from its hindquarters, and it was pointed straight at Lyra.  The very sight of the creature shook Bon-Bon to her very core, and the fact that it was target Lyra made things even worse.  She narrowed her eyes and snorted, slinging her grappling hook from her shoulder.

"Get away from her, you bugbear bastard!" she bellowed.

The bugbear ignored Bon-Bon and instead descended upon Lyra, who was running like mad.  Bon-Bon charged at full gallop, swinging her grappling hook over her head like a lasso.  Just when she closed the gap, she tossed the hook up into the air.  It managed to snag itself in the bugbear's open jaw.  With a hearty yank, Bon-Bon pulled the rope with all her might, plowing the bugbear into the cold, hard ground.  Before it could recover, Bon-Bon leapt up onto the creature's stomach and placed her hooves around its neck.  Even as the creature reverted back into a changeling, she squeezed its throat with all her might.

"If you think I'm going to let you lay one paw on Lyra, you've got another thing coming, buster," she snarled. "Tartarus is too good for a heartless beast like you.  I'll end your life with my bare hooves so that you'll never hurt anypony ever again.  Now go to sleep and never wake—"

"Bon-Bon!  What the buck are you doing?!"

Lyra's voice rang in Bon-Bon's ears, causing her heart to freeze.  Slowly, she turned around.  Lyra was standing right there, shaking like a leaf and staring at Bon-Bon in what could only be described as fear.  Bon-Bon released the changeling's throat and walked up to Lyra.

"Lyra, I—  He was—  I just—  You were going to—  I didn't mean to—"

Bon-Bon tried several times to apologize, but she was unable to form a coherent thought.  Tears marred her vision as she hung her head.  Just then, she saw Lyra get pelted by a snowball.

"Back off, dock-hole!  You wanna hurt Bon-Bon, you'll have to go through me!"

Bon-Bon whipped her head around and gasped.  There was the real Lyra, holding several snowballs with her magic.  The faux Lyra snarled and charged, only to be pelted by more snowballs.  This only served to slow it down as it continued its advance.  Bon-Bon simply watched the exchange, her mind reeling from what had just occurred.  Just then, Fleur bounded in out of nowhere and dispatched the changeling with a spell.  Once the changeling was disposed of, she shot Lyra an angry glare.

"I thought you said you could handle yourself," she growled.

"Hey, I had everything under control!" Lyra roared back.

"You were throwing snowballs!"

"Well, I'm sorry I can't shoot laser beams out of my horn like you can!"

"Oh, is that why you've been spending the entire battle running around like a buffoon?!"

"You know what?!  Why don't you bend over and kiss my—"

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!"

Both of them turned to Bon-Bon, who was inches away from bursting into tears.  Lyra winced.

"Geeze.  I-I'm sorry, Bons," she sighed. "A-are you okay?"

Bon-Bon shook her head and sniffled. "N-no..."

Lyra was about to walk over to Bon-Bon when a pink forcefield flew up in front of her.  She turned to see Fleur standing before her, blocking a magic blast.

"Perhaps we can save this for after the battle," she said.  She then let out a muted groan. "Which may be some considerable time."

Lyra looked up, and her pupils dilated.  A wave of changelings descended upon the ponies, each of them firing blasts of magic or letting out powerful rasps.  Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

"Alright, time out!"

A golden pulse rippled across the sky, washing over the changelings and freezing them in place.  Everypony turned to see Minuette and Moondancer approaching.  Minuette took a deep breath and let it out in a strained sigh before speaking.

"Okay, I think we're all reaching our limit here, in more ways than one," she said. "We need to send these guys packing and get ourselves sorted out."

"I take it you have a plan to do this, Dr. Colgate?" asked Fleur.

Minuette looked at the hoard of changelings, and then over at Moondancer. "I just might," she said with a coy smirk.

Moondancer gulped. "Wh-why are you looking at me like that?"

"Look, this is going to feel very strange.  I'm just saying that up front," said Minuette. "Do you trust me?"

Moondancer blinked. "Wh-what?"

"I said do you trust me?"

"W-well, yes.  I suppose.  You are my friend after all.  But—"

"No buts, Moondancer.  Just prep an offensive spell and I'll do the rest."

Minuette then positioned herself behind Moondancer.  She gripped Moondancer's tail with her left hoof and wrapped her right foreleg around her barrel.  Moondancer couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.

"Um, Minuette?  What exactly are we doing here?" she asked.

"It's a little trick Pinkie Pie told me about," said Minuette with a wink. "Just trust me and ready that spell."

Unable to say anything, Moondancer merely complied.  Moondancer stared up at the changelings and licked her lips.

"Alright, time in!"

Another pulse rippled across the sky, and the changelings continued their descent.  Minuette aimed Moondancer's horn at the oncoming swarm, and a distinct twinkle flashed in her eye.

"Say hello to my friend Moondancer!"

Without any further warning, she turned Moondancer's tail like a crank.  As she did so, Moondancer found herself firing spells from her horn at a rapid staccato pace.  Minuette adjusted Moondancer's body like a cannon turret, sweeping across the entire sky.  The changelings fell to the onslaught, and those that avoided the attack were scared out of there wits.  In a matter of moments, the entire swarm flew off into the mountains.  Once the last of them had disappeared, Moondancer's horn was smoking.  Minuette released her body and blew the smoke out.

"Whew.  That was a bit too close," she said, wiping some sweat from her brow.

Moondancer stared down at her hooves and shook her head, her mouth agape. "H-how did that happen?"

"Not a clue.  But then again, it's usually not wise to question Pinkie Pie," said Minuette. "More importantly, looks like Fleur's hypothesis holds a bit more water.  Something is drawing changelings to these mountains."

"And I'm positive that something is the Lesser Key," said Fleur darkly. "Which is all the more reason we should get moving and find it before those insects do."

Minuette raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure that's wise, Lady de Lis.  Not after a fight like that."

Fleur huffed. "Oh, please.  That was hardly a substantial workout for me.  I can keep going."

"I'm not talking about you."

Fleur blinked for a moment and turned to Bon-Bon.  She still appeared to be in a state of shock, tears falling from her eyes and staining the snow in random intervals.  Fleur bit her lip.

"Oh.  Um, yes.  Quite," she said sheepishly. "I, suppose we can wait for Sweetie Drops to recover."

"I think we all need some time to cool down and process everything that just happened," said Moondancer. "Plus, we may have a lead."

She pointed to the unconscious changeling that Bon-Bon had strangled.  Minuette trotted over to it and checked its pulse.

"Good call, Moondancer.  This guy's still alive," she said. "It sure would make exploring the mountain easier.  But that can wait for when it wakes up.  For now, let's just take a break and sort things out, yeah?"

Fleur sighed. "Very well.  I'll stand guard, in case they come back."  She then turned to Lyra. "As for you, Ms. Heartstrings.  It appears you need a lesson or two in self-defense.  I would be willing to teach you a few—"

"Save your breath, ponce," Lyra spat. "I told you, I can handle myself."

"Yes, and you demonstrated that quite well," said Fleur sardonically.

Lyra huffed. "Just leave me alone."

Fleur shrugged. "As you wish.  But as a former Royal Guard, I refuse to allow you to get yourself killed."

With that, she sauntered off.  Lyra rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof.

"I really want to know, Minnie.  How did you and Bons stand working with that snob?" she asked.

"Eh, she's not so bad once you get to know her," said Minuette. "Right now, let's just go over what we know."

While all this was going on, Bon-Bon was off in her own world.  She looked down at her hooves, and then over at Lyra.  For a moment, she could see Lyra's mortified face staring back at her.  She choked back a few tears and stared back at her hooves.  Her brain was tying itself into knots, and her heart felt like it was being pulled down by an anchor.  Many thoughts and emotions raced through her mind, and she found it increasingly difficult to deal with all of them at once.  Then, as if to protect herself from the pain, she conjured up another flashback, and her thoughts were whisked away to the past once again...
> Pretentious Intel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As Sweetie Drops wandered through the halls of the library, all of her senses were on high alert.  Although she had already incapacitated several changeling guards, she knew there had to be more lurking about.  Her eyes scanned the rows upon rows of books, looking for any extraneous shadows darting past.  She noticed that none of the shelves were marked with any sort of sign, leading to several shelves bleeding into one another.  The only indication that she wasn't walking around in circles was the fact that she was not bumping into the unconscious changelings she dispatched earlier.

Suddenly, she heard a set of footsteps that were not her own.  She stopped dead in her tracks and held her breath.  The footsteps gradually became louder.  Sweetie Drops's heart launched into a drum solo.  As quietly as she could, she loaded another sleep bolt into her crossbow.  As soon as she spotted the shadows rounding the corner, she took aim.  She was just about to fire when a familiar posh voice called out to her.

"Getting a bit paranoid, are we, Ms. Drops?"

Sweetie Drops lowered her crossbow.  Standing before her was a pony that appeared to be the influential aristocrat of Canterlot, Fancy Pants.  The only difference was that his monocle was completely opaque rather than translucent.  Behind him, Fleur de Lis trotted into view.  Sweetie Drops breathed a sigh of relief.

"Y-yeah.  I guess I am," she said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, guys."

There was a flash of green flame as Fancy Pants turned into White Lie. "Merely a trifle, Ms. Drops.  Not your fault," it said, taking out a small box of chocolates.

"I personally don't blame you for being skittish," said Fleur, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "This place is quite, off-putting."

"Trust me, you guys don't know the half of it," Sweetie Drops said darkly. "But we'll get to that in a moment.  Did you two have a chance to meet with this Chanticleer Hegemony fellow?"

"Indeed," said White Lie, popping a sweet into its mouth.

"And?"

"And it's painfully obvious that he has something to hide.  We tried to probe him about the library; his special talent; anything that would give us insight into his character.  But he seemed content to dance around our questions and act like he's known Fancy Pants for years."

"As Fancy Pants's personal bodyguard, I can say with full certainty that this is entirely untrue," Fleur added.  She then gave White Lie a dirty look. "Though perhaps we're lucky he didn't know Fancy Pants all that well."

Sweetie Drops deadpanned. "What happened?"

"White Lie almost broke character when it started scarfing down chocolates," said Fleur, disdain seeping into her voice. "Fancy Pants may have a sweet tooth, but he would never indulge himself in such an unhealthy manner."

White Lie sighed. "Lady de Lis, you must understand.  Disguising myself as your lover puts me in a very difficult position.  My instincts tell me to feed off of your love for him, and I need to stave off my hunger if I want to prevent myself from giving into those instincts.  Hence, the candy."  It punctuated its explanation by eating another chocolate.

Fleur tried to retort, but found that she had no argument.  She simply scoffed and turned up her nose.

"Guys, let's try to focus here," said Sweetie Drops, massaging her temples. "Did you manage to get any information out of Mr. Hegemony?"

"Indirectly," said White Lie. "See, I took the liberty of perusing some of these books, and I found something quite, odd."

"Odd?  How so?"

"Take a look and see for yourself."

Sweetie Drops glanced over at the shelf and removed a random book.

"Hmm.  Hubcap Digest," she mused, reading the title.  She then opened the book, and her eyes went wide. "Wait a minute.  This book has no print.  The pages are entirely blank."

"Precisely," said White Lie with a nod. "It was the same with every book Lady de Lis and I looked through.  This entire library is nothing but a facade."

Sweetie Drops's brow furrowed. "Well, that puts a whole new spin on things.  Especially considering what I just found out."

"Oh?  And what might that be?"

Sweetie Drops heaved a great sigh. "Lady de Lis, you might want to be sitting down for this."

Fleur raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, Sweetie Drops?"

"White Lie's theory is correct.  This place is crawling with changelings."

Fleur closed her eyes and chewed on her lip. "I-I see," she muttered.  She then looked up at White Lie. "And you're certain there's no conflict of interest for you?"

"Let my actions speak for themselves, Lady de Lis," said White Lie simply, eating another chocolate.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Maybe it would if you were willing to relinquish your preconceptions."

"Okay, you two.  Break it up," said Sweetie Drops sternly. "We've got a mission here, and we have to see it through together."  She then tapped her radio. "Dr. Colgate, did you get all that?"

"Yep.  I'm checking the time stream now," said Dr. Colgate. "Hmm.  Don't hold me to this, but I'm thinking that this place has at least five secret passageways hidden behind bookshelves."

"How delightfully cliché," said Fleur, rolling her eyes.

"I know, right?  Anyway, your best course of action right now is to find these passageways," Dr. Colgate suggested. "White Lie, did Mr. Hegemony mention anything in his 'collection' being off-limits?"

"Just the fourth floor," said White Lie.

"Then that's where you guys should be heading."

"But what about Mr. Hegemony?" asked Sweetie Drops. "Won't he get suspicious if his guests disappeared on him?"

"Don't worry about that, Ms. Drops," said White Lie, donning its Fancy Pants disguise. "I'll be sure to keep him occupied while you and Lady de Lis search the place."

"What?  Oh no.  I'm going with you," said Fleur firmly. "I can't let you wander off by yourself."

"Lady de Lis, there's only so much ground Ms. Drops can cover on her own," said White Lie. "I'm sure she would be grateful for your assistance."

"Just drop it, Lady de Lis," Sweetie Drops sighed. "White Lie hasn't betrayed us once since he—"

"It," White Lie corrected.

Sweetie Drops groaned. "—since it joined the HUB.  What makes you think it's going to betray us now?  Besides the fact that it's a changeling and you have a bias against them."

Fleur pouted. "You can never be too careful around changelings, Sweetie Drops.  That's simply a fact."

"That may be true for most changelings, yes," White Lie conceded. "But I'm not most changelings.  I should go find Mr. Hegemony before he begins wondering where we are.  Best of luck, ladies."

Before Fleur could say another word, White Lie walked off.  She sighed and shook her head. "I don't care what you or Dr. Colgate say, Sweetie Drops.  I have a really bad feeling about all this."

"We all have a bad feeling about this, Lady de Lis.  That shouldn't interfere with the mission," said Sweetie Drops. "You keep looking around here; I'll check up on the third floor.  We'll check in with Dr. Colgate if we find anything."

Fleur stared down at her hooves for a moment before nodding. "Understood.  And, be careful."

"You too," said Sweetie Drops with a salute.  With that, the two went their separate ways.


***


It wasn't long before Sweetie Drops found the staircase leading to the third floor, but once she got there, not much had changed.  There were still the same books stretching out as far as the eye could see, with only a few lanterns providing illumination.  With a muted sigh, she began methodically scanning the shelves, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that could be the switch that would open a secret passageway.  She tapped one book here and another book there, but nothing occurred.  Row by row she searched for what felt like hours, but all she found were the same empty tomes.

Finally, she stumbled across a book laying on the floor.  Thinking quickly, she scooped up the book and re-shelved it.  Sure enough, there was a low rumble followed by the creaking of gears.  The bookcase just to her left had sunk into the wall and divided itself into two halves, revealing a door.  Sweetie Drops smirked.

"Bingo," she cheered to herself.  She then approached the door, quickly checking to see if any changeling guards saw her.  When she found that the coast was clear, she opened the door and slipped inside.

On the other side of the door was a large walkway overlooking a room below.  Sweetie Drops walked over to the edge of the walkway and looked down.  The room below appeared to be a meeting room with a long table.  Sitting at one end of the table was a changeling sitting all by its lonesome, engrossed in some sort of book.  Sweetie Drops raised an eyebrow.

I thought White Lie said all the books in this place were blank, she mused. What could that changeling possibly be reading?

Just then, the door at the other end of the room swung open.  A rather elegant-looking stallion with a green coat and a shaggy red mane walked in.  His Cutie Mark seemed to depict a pair of roosters fighting, and he was dressed in a black pinstriped business suit.  Before Sweetie Drops could get a good look at the fellow, he was engulfed in green flame.  Once the flame dissipated, another changeling stood in his place.

"Finally.  I thought I would never rid myself of those two," the changeling griped. "These ponies are craftier than I give them credit for."

"That's nice, archdrone," said the reading changeling, apparently uninterested.

The archdrone looked at its comrade and raised an eyebrow. "Um, Snatcher?  What in the name of all that is holy are you doing?"

"I'm reading, archdrone," the changeling replied. "That's what you do in a library, is it not?"

The archdrone snorted. "Don't get cute with me, Snatcher.  You've had your nose buried in that book since we got here.  Did you forget our objective?"

"No, I did not," said Snatcher flatly. "I just fail to understand why you would steal this tome without the intention of using it."

The archdrone chuckled as it walked across the room. "Oh, poor naïve Snatcher.  You fail to comprehend my genius, as many others have done before.  Ah well, it is of no consequence.  Soon, all will recognize my unparalleled intellect."

"Including Queen Chrysalis, I take it," said Snatcher, flipping a page in its book. "Why else would you enact this crazy scheme without her final permission?  I'd very much like to hear your reasoning for that."

The archdrone shook its head. "Sorry, my dear Snatcher.  If you cannot understand my genius, I see no reason to waste my breath explaining it to you."

"Typical," Snatcher sighed. "You always do this, Nihilmodo.  You always say you're smarter than the rest of us, but you never explain why or how."

"Would if I could, Snatcher.  Would if I could," said Nihilmodo whimsically.

Snatcher sighed again and turned the page. "Oh, this is interesting."

Nihilmodo blinked. "What is?"

"Just something I found in Duke Bathin's dissertation on precious stones.  Did you know that Fire Rubies can actually be used to conjure fire?"

Nihilmodo's expression became deadpan. "Fascinating, Snatcher.  But, how exactly is that relevant to our mission?"

"For all I know, it might be," said Snatcher with a shrug. "We haven't exactly been given enough information to act upon."

Nihilmodo arched an eyebrow. "'We?'"

"The rest of the soldiers and myself," Snatcher clarified, clearing its throat. "You must admit that this is a problem, archdrone.  We've followed your orders to the letter.  We built the complex; we stole this book; now what?"

"Now we wait," said Nihilmodo with a sneer. "Once the Hunter's Undercover Bureau comes after their precious tome, they'll walk right into our trap.  And when the trap is sprung, poof!  Princess Celestia's anti-monster agency will be no more."

Sweetie Drops let out a sharp breath and flinched at this revelation.  Things had just taken a turn for the worse, and if the others didn't know, it would only go downhill from here.  Silently, she adjusted her earpiece radio so that it was broadcasting on all frequencies and turned her attention back to the conversation.

"I will concede that the removal of the anti-monster agency would be a great boon to the hive," said Snatcher. "Indeed, Marquis Andras suggests as much."

"See?  You little demon friends agree with me," said Nihilmodo smugly.

"Well, not quite," said Snatcher, knitting its brow. "Count Andromalius actually detests your methods, as do a few others.  Honestly, there's no real consensus among them.  Although President Foras says it would be better if more details were given as to what this trap entailed."

Nihilmodo's smile faded. "Snatcher, how exactly would those demons know what's going on right now?  They're trapped in that book, aren't they?"

"That doesn't mean they can't hear you," said Snatcher flatly. "Plus, I'm sure once I find a way to free them, they can offer more of their counsel to the hive."

"Ah, so that's why you've been so interested in that thing," said Nihilmodo with a thoughtful nod. "Well, as a genius myself, I can understand why you would wish to attain my level of thinking.  Because of this, I'll grant you express permission to carry on.  Heck, I'll even put in a good word for you with Queen Chrysalis.  I'm sure she'd love to make you an archdrone for all the hard work you're doing."

"Thank you, archdrone.  I'm quite flattered," said Snatcher, bowing its head. "I'll be sure to inform you once I've made some progress."

"Please do," said Nihilmodo, tapping its hooves together. "It'll be so refreshing to talk to people on my intellectual level for a change."

"Indeed, archdrone.  The Ars Goetia simply admire brilliance such as your own," Snatcher said sardonically.

"As they should," Nihilmodo scoffed. "It's not often you can meet someone with my level of intelligence."

"Oh yes.  They'd especially love your impeccable grasp of sarcasm," said Snatcher.

"Would they?  Well, what a lovely compliment," said Nihilmodo obliviously. "See, I told you Queen Chrysalis promoted me to archdrone for a reason."

"I never said she didn't," said Snatcher. "I'm just wondering if you're going to keep that position once she finds out we're doing this without her permission."

"I'm sure once we've accomplished our goals, she'll be changing her tune," said Nihilmodo gleefully. "Mark my words, Snatcher.  By the time the sun sets this day, the Hunter's Undercover Bureau will be finished, and Queen Chrysalis will have me to tha—"

A knock on the door derailed Nihilmodo's train of thought.  With a snort, it quickly donned its Chanticleer Hegemony disguise as Snatcher changed its own shape.  Nihilmodo then cleared its throat.

"Enter!" it boomed.

The door flew open as two unicorns dragged Fleur de Lis into the room.  Sweetie Drops clamped her hooves over her mouth to prevent a gasp from escaping her lips.

"Get your hooves off me, you peons!" Fleur growled, struggling against the guards.

"Sir, we found this pony trying to access restricted areas of the second floor stacks," said one of the guards.

Fleur huffed indignantly. "I was looking for the powder room."

"With a lock-picking spell?"

Fleur shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say?  It's a tough neighborhood."

Nihilmodo sniggered. "Y'know, I thought there was something off about you and Fancy Pants, Lady de Lis.  Thank you for confirming my suspicions."  In an instant, all mirth disappeared from its voice. "Guards, take her outside.  I wouldn't want any sort of *ahem* mess desecrating my sacred library.  I'll try to come up with a suitable excuse for Fancy Pants."

"Yessir," said the guard with a salute. "Come on, you.  And don't think about using any spells, 'cause we'll know."

Fleur grunted and growled as she was led away.  Nihilmodo sighed and shook its head as it marched out the other door and slammed it behind it.  Only Snatcher remained, engrossed in its book.  Sweetie Drops darted back and tapped her radio.

"Dr. Colgate, did you get all that?" she asked in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah.  Sheesh, this is...  This is not good," said Dr. Colgate. "On the plus side, we know where the Lesser Key is now.  But those changelings are definitely up to something."

"What do you advise?" said Sweetie Drops.

"Find White Lie and tell it what's going on before Chanticleer Hegemony does," said Dr. Colgate. "You two have to figure out amongst yourselves which one will go for the Lesser Key, and which one will help Fleur."

"Why can't we just let White Lie help Lady de Lis?  Wouldn't that finally prove that it's on the level?"

"Not necessarily.  Some possibilities in the time stream suggest that Lady de Lis won't react well to a changeling saving her life.  But again, probably best to get White Lie's opinion on that."

"And what about this trap?"

"That's gonna take a bit more time to figure out.  I'll keep you posted once I narrowed down all the possible outcomes.  For now, just track down White Lie.  Chances are it's looking for you as well, since you made that public broadcast.  Good thinking, by the way."

"Thanks.  You gotta think on your feet in this line of work," said Sweetie Drops with a smirk.

"Ain't that the truth," Dr. Colgate concurred. "Alright, enough gabbing.  We've got out work cut out for us, so I suggest we get right to it."

"Copy that," said Sweetie Drops, cutting out the transmission.  She then made a mad dash to the secret door. "I really hope we're not too late to avoid this catastrophe.  'Cause if we are, Celestia help us all..."
> Unforgotten Grudges
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bon-Bon flinched as a sharp gust of wind was followed by a foreleg wrapping around her shoulder.  After blinking a few times, she found herself back in the here and now with Lyra sitting next to her.  Lyra looked up and smiled.

"Glad to see you're back with us," she said sweetly.

Bon-Bon sighed. "I-I'm sorry, Lyra.  I was a bit, preoccupied."

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "That's been happening a lot lately.  Are you sure you're okay?"

Bon-Bon bit her lip. "I-I don't know.  I-it doesn't really matter, anyway."

"It matters to me, Bons," said Lyra firmly.

Bon-Bon sighed again. "Look, I'll be okay, Lyra.  It's really not that bad.  So, did you find anything out while I was, well, out of it?"

Lyra let out a frustrated growl before simply shaking her head. "Fine, whatever.  You're the super tough secret agent; I'm not.  Minnie will tell you everything once she's done giving Moondancer her little lecture."

Puzzled, Bon-Bon took a quick look around.  She noticed Minuette and Moondancer conversing just a few feet ahead of her.  Moondancer's eyes were sparkling in amazement as she hung onto every word.

"I-I honestly didn't know that you were so talented, Minuette," she said. "I don't know anypony who can stop time."

"Well, again, I don't 'stop' time," Minuette clarified. "There's no spell that can stop time.  All I do is create a temporal field where time is unable to move.  I normally use this to aid in my studies.  It's easier to observe something when it's not constantly running away from you, y'know?"

"I-I see.  Right.  I do apologize," said Moondancer, clearing her throat. "Even so, you really must teach me those spells sometime.  I could always use more knowledge."

Minuette shrugged. "Eh, I actually wouldn't recommend my quantum displacement spell to you.  I'm not like you or Twilight who can teleport wherever you want.  I have to swap my quantum particles with someone else's quantum particles for that spell to work.  It's a lot more restrictive.  As for quantum projection, well, that's pretty simple.  It's just a matter of spreading out your quantum particles over every space you can potentially inhabit at any given time.  Just, try to be more careful than I was.  All of the quantum clones I create are still me, so they all feel the same pain.  And take it from me; getting hurt on the quantum level is a lot more intense than it sounds.  I'd be happy to tell you more about it when this is all over."

Bon-Bon got up and dusted herself off before approaching Minuette and Moondancer. "Um, Minuette?"

Minuette turned her head and smirked. "Ah, Bon-Bon.  How nice of you to zone yourself back in."

"Y-yes, I suppose it is," said Bon-Bon sheepishly. "Um, did you figure out anything?"

Minuette's smile faded. "Nothing substantial.  Our only clue is that changeling who disguised itself as the bugbear.  My theory is that these guys know about us and how to get into our heads, but we have no evidence to back it up.  At least, not until our friend over there recovers from your attack."

Bon-Bon turned her head to where Minuette was pointing.  The changeling she fought before was still lying in the snow unconscious.

"I managed to heal any wounds it may have sustained, so it should be able to answer any questions we may have once it awakens," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses.

"That only matters if it's willing to be straight with us."

Everypony looked up as Fleur made her way into the conversation.  Moondancer gave her a quizzical look.

"Whatever do you mean, Lady de Lis?" she inquired.

Fleur snorted. "Changelings are a tricky lot, Ms. Moondancer.  You'd be a fool to believe anything that comes out of their mouths."

"Even if that were true, it's still the best lead we've got right now," said Minuette.

Fleur's face darkened. "You cannot be too optimistic about this sort of thing, Dr. Colgate.  That's what hap—"

"Mmm~.  I hurt all over."

Fleur was interrupted by a pained moaned.  The changeling was conscious and slowly getting its bearings.  Once it caught sight of Bon-Bon, its eyes nearly popped out of its skull, and it fell down on its back.

"Gah!  Stay away from me, you psycho!" it yelled, scuttling away. "D-don't come near me!"

Bon-Bon averted her gaze and let out a deep sigh.  Before she could say anything, Fleur stepped in and grabbed the changeling with her magic, preventing it from fleeing.

"You're not going anywhere, insect," she spat. "If you try to escape, I assure you that Special Agent Sweetie Drops will be the least of your worries."

"Whoa, hey.  Easy does it, Lady de Lis," said Minuette nervously. "We don't want to kill the guy."

"Speak for yourself," Fleur muttered under her breath.

The changeling squirmed and writhed in the grip of Fleur's magic aura. "Wh-what do you want, pony?"

"We have some questions that you may be able to answer," said Moondancer.

"And they better be answered truthfully," Fleur added, forcing the changeling to stare her in the eye.

The changeling swallowed. "Um, yeah.  Okay, sure.  No problem.  J-just keep me away from that Earth Pony over there.  Sh-she's nuts."

Lyra narrowed her eyes. "Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about, bucko.  And maybe she wouldn't have gone all crazy if you didn't turn into the bugbear and try to kill me.  Seriously, what made you think that was a good idea?"

"Let me handle this, Ms. Heartstrings," Fleur snarled before turning back to the changeling. "Why did you take the form of a bugbear?"

Lyra pouted. "I just asked that," she grumbled.

"I-I was merely following the archdrone's orders," the changeling whimpered. "I-I didn't even know what a bugbear was until it told me."

"And how exactly did your archdrone know what a bugbear was?"

"F-from experience."

"Experience with what?"

"With the HUB."

Minuette furrowed her brow. "Something tells me that isn't a coincidence."

"But it still begs the question of how this archdrone knew we were coming," Bon-Bon mused.

"That shouldn't be too hard to explain," Fleur scoffed, her eyes not leaving the changeling. "After all, your kind are experts at sneaking around without getting caught.  This archdrone of yours probably saw us climbing the mountain, reported to its superiors, and set up that ambush."

"I see no reason to deny that," said the changeling with a shrug.

Fleur's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Trying to act all cooperative, are you?  You're probably stalling for time while Queen Chrysalis gathers her reinforcements and—"

The changeling snickered. "Queen Chrysalis?  Y-you honestly think Queen Chrysalis gives a damn about us?"

Fleur blinked. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Because she sent us on this suicide mission to retrieve the Lesser Key, that's why," the changeling said, its voice dripping with venom and vitriol. "I had my doubts, but I didn't exactly have the spine to question her outright.  After all, it's not a drone's place to question the Queen.  But I soon found this kind of thinking to be asinine, so I abandoned it along with the hive."

Fleur shook her head. "No, you're not making sense.  You're lying.  Who else would you be working for if not Queen Chrysalis?"

"Why, the Ars Goetia, of course."

"WHAT?!"

A collection of gasps echoed across the mountainside as everypony recoiled from the changeling's revelation.  Fleur quickly collected herself and glared down at the changeling with all the spite she could muster.

"Th-that's another lie," she growled. "Are you saying that the Ars Goetia have been released from the Lesser Key?"

The changeling knitted its brow. "Well, yes and no.  You see— ack!"

Fleur hefted the changeling up with her magic and slammed it into a nearby slab of rock.  As it recovered from the blow, she marched right up to it and got right in its face.

"If you want to survive, you're going to have to start making sense, roach," she seethed.

"I-I was about to explain," the changeling muttered. "F-from what I understand, the Ars Goetia have transferred their collective consciousness into a host body.  That host has been living in these mountains for years, trying to find a way to unleash their full power."

Fleur arched an eyebrow. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I'm not telling you what to believe, pony.  I'm simply answering your ques— Oof!"

Once again, Fleur slammed the changeling against the stone slab. "Don't get cute with me, you worm!  I'm wise to your tricks!"

"Out of curiosity, are you planning on believing anything this guy says?" asked Lyra, folding her forelegs. "Because if not, we're probably going to be here awhile."

Fleur whipped around savagely, dropping the changeling to the ground as she advanced towards Lyra. "I don't need you to tell me how to do my job, peasant!  You haven't dealt with these monsters like I have!  You never had to shred their lies!  You never had to thwart them day after day as they tried over and over again to hurt the pony you dedicated your life to protect!  So don't act like you know what you're talking about, because you don't!  You don't even belong here!"

Lyra winced at Fleur's tirade, but she refused to back down. "Well, I'm here now, so you'd better get used to it, missy."

Fleur snorted angrily. "I'm getting really close to the end of my tether with you, you uncultured, petulant, thin-skinned—"

"Okay, that's quite enough."

Moondancer suddenly teleported between Fleur and Lyra, a stern look on her face.

"This sort of petty argument won't get us anywhere.  We have nothing to gain from fighting amongst ourselves," she stated flatly.

"She's right, Lyra," Bon-Bon chimed in. "I told you not to get into fights with Lady de Lis."

"Hey, I was just making an observation," Lyra protested, giving Fleur the evil eye. "It's her fault for taking it so personally."

"That doesn't change the fact that you provoked her," Bon-Bon scolded.

"Oh, sure.  Take her side," Lyra huffed, rolling her eyes.

Bon-Bon groaned. "Lyra, please don't do this to me.  I'm not taking anypony's side.  Neither of you are exactly innocent in all this."

Fleur gasped indignantly. "That is simply outrageous, Sweetie Drops.  I haven't done anything wrong."

"You mean besides letting your anti-changeling bias and your pride get in the way?" Minuette asked rhetorically.

Fleur's cheeks flushed bright red. "Th-that's not what happened.  I-I was merely erring on the side of caution.  You can't be too careful with changelings."

"As true as that may be, we have no reason to believe that it's lying.  And no, your previous experience with changelings doesn't count," said Minuette.

Fleur scoffed and turned up her nose. "Call me what you will, but I have never met a changeling who didn't have some sort of sinister agenda."

"No comment," said Minuette with a sigh. "Look, Fleur.  I can check the time stream and confirm this guy's story if you want.  But you have to admit that simply doubting its word because of your grudge against its species will not get us anywhere."

Fleur chewed on her lip and knitted her brow.  As she did this, the changeling slowly got to its feet.  It started to tiptoe away, only to trip when a pink magical aura caught its leg.

"I saw that," said Moondancer, pressing her glasses against her nose. "We're not done with you just yet."

The changeling let out a deep-throated snarl. "I was just trying to get away from the senseless bickering."

"Regardless, there's still one thing you have to do for us," said Bon-Bon.

The changeling suddenly gulped. "Um, what's that, then?"

"You're going to lead us to the Lesser Key."

"And what makes you think I'll agree to—?"

Bon-Bon interrupted the changeling by holding up a hoof to its face. "I've got one reason right here.  Do I need more?"

The changeling shook its head vigorously. "N-no no!  Th-that's fine.  That's a very good reason, actually.  I-I'll help, I'll help.  J-just don't hurt me."

"Good," said Bon-Bon with a smirk.  She turned to face the others, only to see Lyra with a concerned look on her face.  Bon-Bon's own smile faded. "I-I'm sorry, Lyra.  I didn't mean to scare you."

"N-no, it's fine.  It's all part of being a secret agent, right?" said Lyra.

Bon-Bon tilted her head. "Lyra, is something wrong?"

"I don't know.  It doesn't really matter, anyway," Lyra replied flatly. "Let's just go."

"Agreed," said Fleur. "And, let's try not to get on each other's nerves from now on."

"Fine by me," Lyra concurred, shooting Fleur one final glare.

"Alright, buddy.  Looks like we're all sorted out over here," said Minuette, turning to the changeling. "Lead the way.  Oh, and don't try to misdirect us.  Otherwise, well, you're gonna make Bon-Bon mad."

The changeling blinked. "Um, which one of you is—?"

"She's the Earth Pony."

"Right, yes.  Of course," said the changeling, clearing its throat. "This way, then."

It then began trudging up the mountain with the five mares at its heels.  Bon-Bon divided her attention between Lyra and Fleur as she continued to march forward.  Both of them still appeared to be highly agitated.  She sighed and reflected on Fleur's words and behavior.  Before she realized it, this reflection managed to trigger yet another flashback, and she reentered her fugue state once more...
> Reaching a Compromise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sweetie Drops darted through the halls of the library at full gallop, weaving around bookcase after bookcase as she rushed towards the first floor.  In a matter of moments, she reached a door leading to the main foyer.  She was about to burst through when she heard a pair of voices on the other side.

"And that's what happened.  I do hope you understand, Fancy Pants."

"Mmm.  It is a bit of a predicament.  I'll have to discuss this behavior with her later."

Sweetie Drops swallowed a huge lump in her throat as she pressed her ear against the door.  Nihilmodo was already talking to White Lie.  She only hoped that White Lie was smart enough to see through whatever false story the archdrone conjured up.

"Rest assured, she will be taken care of," said Nihilmodo. "In the meantime, please continue to make yourself at home.  Oh, and you'll be happy to know that the fourth floor has just finished being renovated, so you now have free run of the library.  Lucky you, eh?"

"I suppose so," said White Lie. "I suddenly feel a bit peckish.  Would you happen to have any, sweets?"

"I'll go speak to my chefs and have them bring you something.  Back in a mo."

There was a clip-clop of hooves followed by the slamming of a door.  As soon as Sweetie Drops felt the cost was clear, she made her way into the foyer.  There stood White Lie, still wearing his Fancy Pants disguise.

"White Lie, we've got trouble," she said breathlessly.

White Lie's brow furrowed. "I know.  I heard your broadcast."  It then sighed. "Queen Chrysalis must truly be mad if she thought promoting a pretentious blowhard like Nihilmodo to archdrone was a good idea."

"Wait, you know this Nihilmodo guy?"

"Unfortunately," said White Lie dismally. "It actually manages to make Queen Chrysalis look sane by comparison, though that's not saying much.  I'm actually surprised it hasn't left the hive yet out of frustration with not having its 'genius' recognized."

"Well apparently, that's what this entire plot to steal the Lesser Key and decimate the HUB is all about," Sweetie Drops mused. "Not to mention its soldiers managed to capture Lady de Lis."

"See, that puzzles me a bit," said White Lie, tapping its chin. "Lady de Lis has always been cautious to a fault when it comes to changelings, especially around me.  How did they manage to get the drop on her so easily?"

"No idea," said Sweetie Drops, tapping her earpiece radio. "Dr. Colgate, do you know what happened?"

"If I did, I would've told you by now," said Dr. Colgate. "Trust me, this is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you guys."

"Even with the time stream?"

"We've been over this, Sweetie Drops.  My special talent is space-time manipulation, not precognition.  Those are two entirely different things."

"Right.  Sorry," said Sweetie Drops.

"S'aright.  I'm still looking into that trap Nihilmodo mentioned.  I'll let you know once I figure it out."

"Given Lady de Lis's situation, we don't have time to wait around for that," said White Lie grimly. "I'll go rescue her.  Ms. Drops, I suggest you check out the fourth floor."

Sweetie Drops arched an eyebrow. "The fourth floor?  But, that's not where the Lesser Key is.  I found it in a secret room on the second floor.  It's being read by this changeling named Snatcher."

"Read?  Oh dear," White Lie muttered. "Dr. Colgate, didn't you mention that Scorpan explicitly forbade anyone from reading that book?"

"Sure did," said Dr. Colgate. "Potentially, we could use that to our advantage.  If the Ars Goetia persuade Snatcher into betraying the hive, they might not be able to spring this trap on us."

"That sounds like a bit of a long shot, Dr. Colgate."

"Hey, sometimes the underdog wins.  You gotta be prepared for that."

"Hmm.  Wise words," said White Lie. "Well, I think we know what to do from here.  Ms. Drops, you go after the Lesser Key.  I'll rescue Lady de Lis."

"Are you sure you want to do that, White Lie?" asked Sweetie Drops.

White Lie smirked. "What better way to prove myself to my biggest critic than saving her life?"

"Well, if you think that'll work, I guess I can't stop you," said Sweetie Drops with a shrug. "Um, just one question though."

"Yes?"

"Why did you want me to check out the fourth floor?"

White Lie tilted its head. "Isn't that where Dr. Colgate said we should be heading?"

"Yes, but we know now that it's not where the Lesser Key is located."

"Well, I didn't know that before you brought it up.  I merely assumed that you were on the fourth floor when you made that broadcast."

"I, guess that's reasonable," said Sweetie Drops, rubbing the back of her head. "But I also caught the last of your conversation with Nihilmodo.  It said that the fourth floor was no longer off-limits.  Doesn't that sound like a trap to you?"

White Lie pursed its lips and knitted its brow. "Hmm.  Point to you, Ms. Drops.  Best to avoid that area, then.  We wouldn't want Nihilmodo gaining the upper hoof."

Sweetie Drops couldn't help but notice White Lie trembling slightly as it spoke. "Um, are you okay?"

"I-it's probably just hunger pains," White Lie murmured, shuffling its hooves nervously. "It might not be a good idea to save Lady de Lis as Fancy Pants."

It quickly shifted out of its disguise, although its face still remained pale.  Sweetie Drops gave White Lie a wry smirk.

"Tell you what," she said. "After this is over, I'll whip up some of the best chocolates you've ever eaten to celebrate.  Heck, if you manage to convince Lady de Lis to like you, I'll make it a double batch.  How's that sound?"

White Lie's good eye sparkled as it smacked its lips. "That sounds simply divine, Ms. Drops.  Thank you for your consideration."  In a flash, its face grew serious. "Right, let's get moving.  We've dallied long enough."

Without another word, White Lie galloped off.  Sweetie Drops nodded and tapped her radio, shifting it over to a private frequency.

"Out of curiosity, how many possible scenarios for the trap feature White Lie?" she inquired.

"You're going to have to be more specific," said Dr. Colgate. "Since the trap is meant for the HUB and White Lie is part of the HUB, logic dictates that it's going to be involved in this trap one way or another.  Why?  You think something's up with White Lie?"

"I don't know," Sweetie Drops whispered darkly. "I just think there's something we're not seeing here."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Dr. Colgate said sardonically. "Like I said before, I'll let you know once I find out what that something is.  You just focus on getting the Lesser Key before that Snatcher guy finds a way to free the Ars Goetia.  If that happens, Equestria will be in quite a pickle."

"Understood," said Sweetie Drops. "Oh, and don't tell White Lie I asked this, okay?  I don't want it to get the wrong idea."

"Not sure if that's a good idea, but I see where you're coming from," Dr. Colgate mused. "I'll respect your request for now, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises.  It all depends on how this plays out."

Sweetie Drops breathed out a small snicker. "That's just like you, Dr. Colgate.  Always thinking about the future."

"Well, somepony has to," said Dr. Colgate with a giggle of her own. "Now get to work, Sweetie Drops.  Time waits for nopony, not even me."

"Roger that," said Sweetie Drops.  She tapped her radio off and made her way back up the stairs.


***


After navigating through the library and avoiding detection once again, Sweetie Drops reentered the same secret passage she stumbled across before.  She peered down from the balcony, hoping to see Snatcher engrossed in its book.  Much to her surprise, the room downstairs was entirely empty.

"That's not good," she muttered bitterly.  She hooked her grappling hook to the lip of the balcony and rappelled herself down to the secret room.  Once she touched down, she retrieved her hook and took a quick look around.  Despite the noises she made, no guards came running.  The door on the far right was slightly ajar, while the one on the opposite end was closed tight.

"It's quiet.  Too quiet," she mused. "Dr. Colgate, it looks like our friend Snatcher was yearning for a better reading location.  I'm in pursuit."

"Copy that.  Oh, and you might be right about the fourth floor," said Dr. Colgate sternly. "According to my calculations, there's something pretty nasty up there.  Avoid that area if you can."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem," said Sweetie Drops. "Thanks for the heads-up, though."

"It's what I do.  I'll keep you apprised on anything else I find."

Sweetie Drops nodded and shuffled over to the partially open door.  She then opened it all the way and peeked inside.  Beyond it was a staircase with no lighting to speak of.  Sweetie Drops scoffed.

"Yeah.  That's not ominous or anything," she grumbled sarcastically. "Alright, let's do this."

She wasted no time venturing up the stairs.  With every step she took, she became acutely aware of the light behind her growing fainter and fainter.  She was about halfway up when the slam of a door echoed throughout the stairwell, plunging the entire hallway into darkness.  A sharp chill went up Sweetie Drops's spine.  She could hear the faint sound of insect wings below her.  Biting her lip, she quickened her pace.  Her heart pounded something fierce.  Every hair on her body stood up on end.  She was only vaguely aware of how many stairs she climbed, or even that there was a turn in the stairwell.  All the while, the buzzing of wings echoed behind her at the same rate, never getting closer.  While this alleviated some of her anxiety, she did not slow down.

Eventually, she found a small glimmer of light at the top of the staircase.  In a burst of adrenaline, she ran up the stairs and barreled through the door.  She found herself in what appeared to be an empty attic with a door leading outside.  Before venturing forward, she turned her attention back down the dark staircase.  The buzzing was still audible.  With a snort, she unfurled her crossbow and loaded a sleep bolt.

"I know you're down there," she said, pointing her crossbow into the darkness. "Come on out and show yourself."

There was no reply.  Only a constant buzzing sound, getting louder and louder.  Sweetie Drops slowed her breathing and narrowed her eyes, waiting for a good shot.  Suddenly, she heard the creek of a door behind her, and a sudden gust of cold air swept across her backside.  Before she could turn around, a flash of green erupted from the darkness.  Something hit her in her right temple, forcing her to the ground.  She tried to recover, but she found herself gripped by sudden fatigue.  The entire room felt like it was spinning.  Through her blurred vision, she saw two changeling silhouettes standing over her, their horns pulsing with magic.

"Sweetie Drops, is that you?  I thought I heard something over your radio.  What's going on?  Sweetie Drops, please respond!  Sweetie Drops!  SWEETIE DROPS~!"

Dr. Colgate's frantic screams were the last sounds Sweetie Drops heard before she blacked out entirely.
> Lyra's Secret Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Whoa!  Look alive, Bons!"

Bon-Bon was jerked out of her trance by a force preventing her from moving her foot.  She soon discovered that it was Lyra's magic preventing her from stepping on a bit of loose rock and slipping.  She quickly shook herself and tapped her forehead smartly.

"S-sorry," she muttered, stepping around the hazardous stones and continuing her pace. "I-I should probably be more careful.  Are we getting close?"

"According to our changeling guide, we are," said Minuette. "Isn't that right, pal?"

The changeling swallowed. "Um, funny you should say that.  Because, this is about as far as I can take you."

Bon-Bon stepped forward and raised an eyebrow.  The changeling was gesturing to the mouth of a pitch black cave.  Fleur glared at the changeling.

"This is not what we agreed to," she snarled. "You said you would take us to the Lesser Key."

"Look, if the Ars Goetia find out I'm helping you guys, I'm going to get in trouble," the changeling said with a shrug.

"Last I checked, that wasn't our problem," Fleur stated bluntly.

The changeling scoffed. "So, you're just going to throw me to the wolves, is that it?  Pah, typical pony mentality.  No respect for anyone but your own kind.  The archdrone was right about you lot."

"Just so you know, I would not recommend playing the victim card in your situation," said Moondancer frankly. "Considering that you and the rest of the Ars Goetia's allies tried to kill us just over an hour ago, you really have no leg to stand on."

"Exactly.  The Ars Goetia already know you're here," said the changeling haughtily. "Meaning if you let me go, I have no reason to alert them of your presence."

"Those bluffs aren't going to work, insect," Fleur spat. "Now lead us to the Lesser Key like you promised, or I'm going to give you a few extra holes."

"Alright, alright.  Sheesh, for a supposedly peaceful race, you ponies sure are violent," the changeling griped. "Listen, I say what I mean and I mean what I say.  This is the farthest I can take you if I want to keep my abdomen.  But, I can tell you how to navigate the caves and find what you're looking for.  Keep heading north and east until you find torches.  There will be a door in that corridor, which will lead you to the Ars Goetia's reading room.  From there, you're on your own.  Now, if you'll excuse me—"

"Just a moment," said Moondancer, gripping the changeling with her magic. "It wouldn't be wise to let you go.  Especially since we may have a few more questions you could answer for us."

"Questions like what?"

"The archdrone," said Bon-Bon, walking over to the changeling. "You said that it was spying on us, and it gave you orders to change into the bugbear.  Who is this archdrone?"

The changeling gulped. "S-see, I would answer your question, but it might not like that."

"So what?  I was under the impression that the Ars Goetia loved sharing knowledge," said Minuette with a shrug. "Why would your archdrone impose a gag order if it also followed their teachings?"

"I-I don't know.  It's not my place to question the archdrone," the changeling whimpered.

"It wasn't your place to question Queen Chrysalis, either," said Bon-Bon, arching an eyebrow. "But you said you rejected that mentality."

"I-I rejected the Queen's authority," the changeling clarified. "The archdrone makes informed decisions based on the Ars Goetia and their host.  Its logic must be right because the Ars Goetia are right."

"Um, out of curiosity, what makes the Ars Goetia right about anything?" asked Lyra.

The changeling gasped in horror before shooting Lyra a dark glare. "Oh, you did not just question the Ars Goetia.  That kind of closed-mindedness is a blight upon this world that must be purged!  Death to the ignorant!"

In a flash, the changeling shifted into the form of a yeti and let out a powerful roar.  Before it could strike, Fleur fired a beam into its chest.  With a roar of pain, the changeling collapsed and reverted to its original state, its thorax seared and smoking from Fleur's attack.  Fleur snorted and gave Lyra a dirty look.

"You just can't resist provoking everyone today, can you?" she scolded.

"Hey, it was just an innocent question!" Lyra protested. "How was I supposed to know it would go nuts like that?!"

"Maybe if you kept your dumb mouth shut and stood out of the way, the rest of us could get something done around here!"

"Right, and I'm sure beating it within an inch of its life was going to solve all our problems."

"I've fought against these cockroaches for my entire career as a keeper of the peace!  I think I know what I'm doing!"

Moondancer cleared her throat. "Um, girls?"

"What?!" Lyra and Fleur yelled, turning to Moondancer.

Moondancer squeaked and flinched, nearly dropping her glasses. "Uh, I believe I mentioned something before about these petty arguments not getting us anywhere."

"Well, she started it," Lyra grumbled.

"I don't care who started it; I'm finishing it," Moondancer said firmly. "We're all working together here, aren't we?  We shouldn't be at each other's throats."

"Plus, I distinctly remember you two promising not to get on each other's nerves anymore," Minuette added. "Do I have to force you two to do the Pinkie Promise?"

Fleur huffed. "I never promised anything.  I'm simply reacting to this peon's incompetence."

"Look, let's just drop it and keep moving," said Bon-Bon, massaging her temples. "The changeling gave us a direction to go, so let's follow its advice and see where it leads us."

Lyra sighed. "Fine, sure.  Lead the way."  She then gave Fleur a sideways glare. "Bigoted skank," she muttered under her breath.

"Immature dolt," Fleur muttered back.

Minuette knitted her brow. "Lyra, how about you give Bon-Bon some light so she can see her compass?  Moondancer, Fleur, and I will bring up the rear."

"Gladly," said Lyra smugly.  She illuminated her horn and followed Bon-Bon into the darkness, with the other three ponies right at her heels.  Fleur let out a muted groan.

"I knew having her along was a bad idea," she complained.

"Perhaps it would be wise to look at things from her point of view, Lady de Lis," said Minuette. "I mean, she wants to help somepony she cares about.  Is that really so wrong?"

"I-I never said I doubted her intentions," said Fleur, clearing her throat. "I'm sure she's a very nice pony who means well.  But let's be honest here, Dr. Colgate.  Ms. Heartstrings has been nothing but a nuisance for the entirety of the mission.  Even you have to admit that she's making things far more difficult than they need to be.  She can't even fight, for Pete's sake."

"Maybe not, but it's not like she's completely helpless," said Minuette, giving Fleur a small smile. "Trust me, Lady de Lis.  I've known Lyra ever since I was a little filly.  There was no way to convince her to stay behind.  Not while Bon-Bon's well-being was on the line."

Fleur deadpanned. "That doesn't change the fact that she's a liability, Dr. Colgate."

"And how exactly do you know that?"

"What do you mean how do I know that?  It should be bloody obvious!"

Minuette raised an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like you're not exactly giving her a chance."

"She was trying to defeat a changeling with snowballs, Dr. Colgate."

"If I may interject, how exactly does that discount Lyra as a fighter?" asked Moondancer, adjusting her glasses. "If anything, I think it speaks volumes about her ingenuity."

"Moondancer's right," said Minuette with a nod. "You have to understand, Lady de Lis.  Lyra has always been a thinker, not a fighter.  Heck, Moondancer and I are the same way.  The only reason Moondancer can fight is because she spent several moons of her life studying every subject under the sun, and the only reason I can fight is because my abilities are so awesome."

Fleur let out a frustrated huff. "If that's the case, why haven't I seen her use an ounce of brainpower?"

"Because you're not giving her a chance," Minuette answered. "Lyra wouldn't have come with us if she didn't think she could help out in some way."

"Alright then, I'll nibble.  How exactly is she helping?" inquired Fleur.

Minuette sighed and shook her head. "C'mon, Fleur.  You can't be this dense.  Don't you see how much Bon-Bon's hurting right now?  She told you outright that she wanted to put this life behind her, but you insisted on digging it up again."

Fleur hung her head. "I-I wasn't trying to hurt her, though.  I-I just thought it was our duty to see this through."

"I know that, Lady de Lis.  But Lyra doesn't," said Minuette somberly. "All she knows is that this mission is hurting her best friend, and she wants to be there to support her."

Fleur bit her lip. "Out of curiosity, how close are Sweetie Drops and Ms. Heartstrings?"

"Really close.  Like you and Fancy Pants levels of close."

Fleur's eyes went wide as she did a double take. "Surely you jest."

Minuette shrugged her shoulders. "They weren't exactly being subtle about it.  Heck, Moondancer managed to see it, and she hasn't spoken to Lyra in ages."

"It's true," Moondancer said with a nod. "Although I always knew Lyra preferred mares, I was unaware that she found a special somepony until today."

Fleur took a moment to process this new information. "Oh, wow.  That, suddenly explains a lot."  She quickly shook herself. "Regardless, I still don't see how she can contribute to the mission beyond supporting Sweetie Drops."

"You'd be surprised," said Minuette, flashing Fleur a coy smile.

"Hey, girls.  I think we found it."

Fleur looked up and realized that the catacombs were more well-lit.

"This must be what that changeling was talking about," Moondancer mused. "We're getting close."

"Right.  And that means we have to be ready for anything," said Bon-Bon firmly. "Stay close."

The five ponies continued walking through the illuminated corridors.  The walls were adorned with carvings of various creatures.  There were owls, crows, dogs, serpents, leopards, stingrays, dragons, sea ponies, and many more besides.  Some were even bizarre creatures, such as a bipedal horse with hands where its front hooves should be, or a griffon with the head of a bull instead of a bird of prey.  Some of them were even holding weapons such as swords or pitchforks.

"Fascinating," said Moondancer, observing the stone carvings. "These bear an uncanny resemblance to artist renditions of the Ars Goetia I've read about in my studies."

"If that isn't a sign that the Ars Goetia have some measure of influence here, I don't know what is," said Minuette, furrowing her brow. "Now, let's see what we can do about finding this secret pass—"

"Whoa.  Check this out."

Minuette's thought was interrupted by Lyra pointing at a sturdy wooden door.  Minuette let out a small giggle.

"Well, that didn't take long," she said. "This must be the secret passage leading into that library."

Bon-Bon walked up to the door and gave it a once-over. "There doesn't seem to be a locking mechanism here.  Maybe it's locked from the other side."

"Can't you break it down?" said Lyra.

"That's probably not a good idea," Fleur stated, knitting her brow. "We can't draw attention to ourselves."

"Perhaps a spell would work," suggested Moondancer, powering up her horn.

"Before you do that, let me check something," said Minuette.  Her eyes became blank pupils for a moment as a golden shockwave emanated from her own horn.  When her eyes returned to normal, she shook her head. "Yeah, that's a no-go.  Chances are that door is protected against enchantments."

Fleur snorted angrily. "Blast.  That stupid changeling led us to a dead end.  We'd be better off looking for the library itself rather than mucking about with this impenetrable secret passage."

Lyra tapped her chin and looked at the door for a time.  After a pause, a sly smirk crossed her face.

"Relax, everypony.  I got this," she said.

Fleur whipped around and did a double take. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I got this," Lyra repeated. "I know how to open that door."

Bon-Bon raised an eyebrow. "You do?  How?"

"Just trust me, Bons.  This is my time to shine."

Fleur frowned. "I don't know about this, Dr. Colgate."

"Hey, you said you'd give her a chance," said Minuette.

"I-I never agreed to—  Ugh, fine."  Fleur sputtered and turned up her nose in disgust.

Lyra looked up at the door and pounded her hooves. "Alrighty then.  Let's do this."

She then trotted up to the door and gave it a series of taps.  Fleur's eyes went wide.

"Are you completely braindead?!" she shrieked. "We're trying not to get caught, you imbecile!"

"Chill out, Your Snootiness.  I have everything under control," said Lyra nonchalantly.

Bon-Bon gulped. "Um, Lyra?  Are you sure about this?"

Lyra nodded and winked. "Don't worry, Bons.  I know what I'm doing."

"I somehow doubt that," Fleur growled through gritted teeth.

Lyra ignored Fleur and knocked again.  This time, there was a slight rumbling noise.  Fleur arched her back and narrowed her eyes, ready to charge in at a moment's notice.  The door receded into the wall before sliding up into the ceiling.  A pair of changelings stood at the other end.  Before they could say or do anything, Lyra charged in.

"Candygram, motherbucker."

She then cold-cocked the guards with a swift one-two punch.  Once they were both unconscious, she dusted herself off, turned to the others, and bowed. "After you."

Fleur's jaw dropped in astonishment while Minuette struggled to contain her laughter.  Bon-Bon gave Lyra a blank stare before breathing out a laugh of her own.

"W-wow.  I will admit, that was pretty amazing," she said. "Good work, Lyra."

"Indeed, masterfully done," said Moondancer with a small smirk of her own. "I would say this truly speaks to Lyra's ingenuity.  Don't you agree, Lady de Lis?"

"I-I don't understand," Fleur stammered, completely flabbergasted. "H-how did you do that?"

Lyra shrugged. "I knocked on the door; the bad guys answered the door; I punched the bad guys in the face.  What about this is so hard to understand?"

"Just so you know, this is why Lyra always dominated our tabletop sessions," said Minuette. "I told you she was a thinker."

Fleur took a moment to regain her composure and noisily cleared her throat. "Y-yes, quite.  G-good work, Ms. Heartstrings."

Lyra gave Fleur a smug grin. "See?  I told you I had everything under control.  What was all that about me not being able to take care of myself?"

Fleur groaned. "Alright, fine.  I concede that you have a role to play in all this, and I'll try my best not to get on your case about every little thing.  Are you happy now?"

"Very.  Thank you," said Lyra with a bow. "There.  That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"Don't push it, Ms. Heartstrings.  It's very unladylike to gloat," Fleur grumbled.

"Okay, Lyra.  I think you've made your point," said Bon-Bon, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah.  You're right," said Lyra sheepishly. "Let's just get moving."

"Agreed," said Fleur, letting out a defeated sigh.

With the banter out of the way, the five ponies slipped through the secret passage, and the scenery around them changed almost immediately.  Instead of a dark stone cavern, they found themselves in a spacious study with a golden desk, an extinguished candle sitting on the desk, an ornate wooden chair with a lace pillow, and mountains of books covering the walls.

"If I were to guess, this is probably the basement," Minuette mused. "The Lesser Key doesn't seem to be here.  We should make our way upstairs."

Just then, Bon-Bon caught the shape of a changeling in her peripheral vision.  When she turned to see it, she found something oddly familiar about it.  Before she could pinpoint what it was, the changeling darted upstairs and disappeared.

"We're not alone in here," she said sternly. "Let's stick together and keep our eyes open."

"That should go without saying," said Minuette with a nod. "I'll take point this time."

As the five made their way upstairs, Bon-Bon couldn't shake the mental image of the familiar changeling from her mind.  She wracked her brain, trying to remember where she saw such a changeling before.  As a clear picture began to take shape, her thoughts drifted back to the past once again...
> No True Changeling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A violent strike across Sweetie Drops's cheek was enough to shake her out of unconsciousness.  She shivered as she felt a sharp chill wash over her entire body.  She tried to move a hoof to her forehead, but she found that they were bound.  Black shapes imposed over a snowy white background crowded her impaired vision.  When she finally got her bearings, she found herself outside, lying in the snow with all four of her hooves tied together.  Her weapons were confiscated, although she could still feel the radio transmitter buried in her ear.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Fleur de Lis in a similar predicament.

"Ah, you're awake.  So nice of you to drop in, Special Agent Sweetie Drops."

Sweetie Drops turned her head to a slick, sinister voice.  Standing before her was a small platoon of changelings.  Among them was Snatcher, still engrossed in its book.  She recognized the changeling addressing her as Nihilmodo the archdrone.  Nihilmodo used its magic to summon a tray full of truffles

"I'd ask you to join us, but you know what they say," it said with a shrug. "Why waste fresh truffles on someone who won't live long enough to enjoy them?"

Fleur snorted. "Give mine to White Lie.  It's earned it."

Sweetie Drops gave Fleur a confused look. "White Lie?  What are you talking about?"

"Oh, we didn't tell you?  Oh wait, of course we didn't.  You were out cold," Nihilmodo snickered before turning to its soldiers. "White Lie!  Ms. Drops wishes to know what's really going on."

Sweetie Drops did a double take and gasped.  From the crowd of changelings, White Lie stepped forward with a sorrowful look on its face.

"I see you've pieced it together yourself," said Nihilmodo with a sneer. "Yes, White Lie has been serving Queen Chrysalis the entire time.  This little 'mission?'  It was nothing but a ruse to eliminate the Queen's biggest foes; your accursed Hunter's Undercover Bureau."

"And to think Princess Celestia trusted you," Fleur spat. "I knew this was folly.  You can never be too careful with a changeling."

Sweetie Drops shook her head. "Wait, I-I don't understand.  Why?"

"Why?  You see a changeling serving its Queen, and you ask why?" Nihilmodo laughed, tossing the tray of truffles over its shoulder. "You ponies truly are the most naïve creatures imaginable!  How can you be a changeling and not serve the Queen?"

"Ah, logical fallacies.  The cardnial sins of argument," said Snatcher absently.

Nihilmodo shot Snatcher a glare. "It's not fallacious, Snatcher.  It's fact.  Or is there something you would like to confess?"

"No, no.  I'm just reading this linguistic dissertation written by King Paimon," said Snatcher. "It's actually quite fascinating."

Nihilmodo growled. "I understand that you want to free the demons in that book so they can properly serve the hive, but in the name of all that is holy, would you kindly pull your nose out of it for two seconds?!  We're on the verge of victory over here!"

"Provided that White Lie follows your instructions," Snatcher responded, not even looking up. "And King Asmodeus is not fully convinced that it will."

"Well then, perhaps I'll just have to be a bit more persuasive for your demon friends," Nihilmodo scoffed. "White Lie, make these ponies feel pain."

White Lie sighed and powered up its horn.

"White Lie, wait!" Sweetie Drops yelled, struggling against her bonds. "Th-this has to be some kind of joke!  We're your friends!"

White Lie did not respond.  Instead it fired a blast that managed to singe Fleur's mane.  It snorted.

"Ugh, blasted depth perception," it muttered, firing again and again.  Several blasts left a few marks on Sweetie Drops and Fleur, but none of them really connected.  Nihilmodo cleared its throat.

"Um, good work, White Lie.  That's quite enough.  You've made your point," it said. "We'll, work on that depth perception thing later.  Heh, no hard feelings about that, right?  I mean, it did make for a good cover story.  The changeling who left the hive and was scarred for doing so.  It certainly has dramatic flair."

"Well, I'm glad we settled what side White Lie's bread is buttered on," Fleur snarled. "But what are you roaches really after?  Why steal the Lesser Key?"

"I've actually been asking that quite a bit myself," Snatcher sighed.

Nihilmodo sniggered and shook its head. "I don't expect you to understand.  Few creatures can truly comprehend my genius, after all.  However, there's one point that even the dullest of simpletons could figure out."

"What's that, then?"

"Thanks to White Lie, the hive now has carte blanche access to Tartarus."

Sweetie Drops's eyes went wide. "You're insane!  Those monsters are kept there for a reason, you bastard!"

"What's the matter, Ms. Drops?  Afraid we'll lose control of the situation?" said Nihilmodo manically. "We have hypnotizing magic and the Ars Goetia on our side!  They'll have no choice but to bow to us!  Hmm hmmhmmhmmhmm~!"

It took a moment to recover from its jubilation and cleared its throat. "Anyway, I'm tired of this.  Seeing as White Lie can't finish you two off due to technical difficulties, I'll just have someone else do the honors.  Snatcher!"

Snatcher looked up from its book. "Yes, archdrone?"

"Think you can summon a couple of your friends to show these monster hunters the true might of the Ars Goetia?"

Snatcher drew in a sharp breath through its teeth. "I don't think you want me to do that, archdrone."

"Oh?  And why not?"

"Well, how do I put this?  They don't really like you."

Nihilmodo's eye twitched as it turned to face Snatcher. "What?  B-but I'm a genius!  They admire knowledge!"

"They admire knowledge, not pretentiousness," said Snatcher bluntly. "In fact, Duke Vepar has just informed me that your entire scheme, while serviceable, is needlessly convoluted."

"C-convoluted?!" Nihilmodo squawked. "That right there is blasphemy!"

"Blasphemy, is it?  Then why are you missing the forest for the trees?" asked Snatcher. "Why use this tome of unending knowledge merely as bait?  Why not free Tartarus's prisoners right away instead of making a grand show of things and announcing your plans to the enemies you're trying to conquer?  Simply to stroke your own ego?  To prove that you're a 'genius?'"

Nihilmodo narrowed its eyes. "I don't think I like your tone, Snatcher."

"I am merely telling the truth as the Ars Goetia see it, archdrone.  You may either accept it or deny it," said Snatcher with a shrug. "Oh, but President Camio would not recommend that latter option.  Not unless you wish to make the Ars Goetia madder."

Nihilmodo snorted angrily. "Snatcher, I gave you an order!  In the name of all that is holy, you will follow that order and complete this mission!"

Snatcher sighed. "Very well.  In fact, I'll do you one better and complete our ultimate objective as well.  Duke Agares does like people taking initiative.  Just keep in mind that this is your funeral."

Nihilmodo blinked. "Wait, what do you mean by—?"

Before it could ask anything, Snatcher powered up its horn, and its eyes became engulfed in green flame.  The pages in the Lesser Key flipped rapidly on their own accord.  The wind began to swirl around the entire area.  The skies darkened, and lightning flashed.  Sweetie Drops and Fleur grunted and snarled as she tried to free themselves.

"Prince Stolas!  Marquis Andras!" Snatcher bellowed. "From the depths of consciousness, I call your names!  Make yourselves known to this world, and bless it with your brilliance~!"

Two magic beams shot from Snatcher's horn and landed at its feet.  From the blasts emerged two owls.  One was the same size of an average barn owl, save for the long, stilt-like legs he stood on.  The other was a much larger fellow with an extra set of talons extending from his shoulders.  He also held a large broadsword that he tapped on his left shoulder.

"There.  I'll leave you all to get acquainted," said Snatcher, giving Nihilmodo a mocking salute. "Ta-ra~!"

With that, it took off into the sky and flew away, taking the Lesser Key with it.  Nihilmodo stomped its hoof in anger.

"Traitor!  Turncoat!  No one betrays Queen Chrysalis and gets away with it!" it shouted. "Soldiers, initiate purs—"

It was quickly cut off by the large owl pointing his sword at its throat.

"Such a powerful mind, and yet you use it in all the wrong ways," the owl scolded. "Stolas, this meaningless tetrapod annoys me.  Do you wish to end its pitiful existence, or should I?"

"Oh, by all means, Andras," said the smaller owl with a bow. "I see no redemption for one as willfully ignorant as this creature.  But perhaps such extreme actions will be enough to draw out the wisdom of its constituents."

Nihilmodo arched its back and pawed the ground. "You think that's going to intimidate someone of my intelligence?  You should be bowing to us!  Soldiers!  Send these fools back to their book!"

Andras sighed. "Such close-minded ignorance.  Killing you will be a mercy upon this world.  And don't think I won't enjoy it."

With that, he swung his blade, forcing Nihilmodo to leap back.  The other changelings charged in an attempt to help their archdrone, but Stolas stood in their way.  With a might hoot, Stolas flapped his wings.  Underneath all of the changelings, columns of green wind sprang from the snow, scattering them every which way.  Some of them charged again, taking on the shapes of yetis and roaring angrily.  But once again, Stolas's magic kept them at bay while Andras effortlessly parried and blocked all of Nihilmodo's attacks.

During the commotion, Sweetie Drops felt a sudden heat between her hooves.  She looked down and noticed that the cords that bound her had been cut.  She turned and noticed that Fleur had been freed as well.  Standing before them was White Lie, its own horn pulsing with energy.

"Well, this is turning into a disaster," it muttered, holding out its hoof. "Come, we've no time to lose."

Fleur gave White Lie a blank stare. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we have two of the Ars Goetia running loose, and we should send them back before they do any significant damage," said White Lie.

Fleur looked down at White Lie's hoof for a moment before smacking it away and drawing herself to full height.

"Who do you think you are?!" she snapped, powering up her own horn. "You honestly expect us to buy into more of your lies?!"

White Lie flinched. "Lady de Lis, I assure you.  Y-you're making a big mistake."

"The only mistake I made was allowing you to live!" Fleur spat. "Princess Celestia took you in and made you a full-fledged agent, and this is how you repay her?!  By leading us right into a trap?!"

"If you'd just let me explain—"

"No!  I won't let you lie to me anymore!  You changelings are all the same; liars and opportunists to the core!  You lie and deceive and take advantage of anypony gullible enough to buy your story!  That's all your kind is good for, and you know it!"

White Lie let out an angry snort. "If all changelings are liars, why are you believing Nihilmodo's lies?  Because it fits in with this stereotypical narrative you constructed for the entire species?!"

"If you're so innocent, why did those guards know where to find and apprehend me?!" Fleur barked back. "That wouldn't have happened if you didn't inform them of our activities!  And why did you follow that blowhard's orders and try to hurt us?!"

"I-I was biding my time!  Freeing you right then and there would've been catastrophic!  Had I not played along, you would've been killed!"

"You liar!"

The two continued to bicker back and forth as the changelings contended with the Ars Goetia in the background.  Sweetie Drops looked between the two of them, her mind working furiously.  She played out the entire scenario in her head over and over again, trying to decide who was in the right.  She tried to tap her radio to get Dr. Colgate's input, but the only thing she heard was static.  Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Both of you, stop it!" she yelled, standing between them. "I think we have more important things to deal with right now!"

"More important than dealing with this traitor?" Fleur huffed.

"For the last time, Lady de Lis.  I did not betray you!" White Lie rasped desperately. "Ms. Drops can vouch for me.  Can't you?"

Sweetie Drops whipped her head around, a bewildered look plastered on her face. "M-me?"

"Yes.  You believe me, right?" said White Lie. "You have to."

Sweetie Drops bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I-I don't know," she mumbled.

White Lie tilted its head. "Pardon me?"

Sweetie Drops sighed. "I don't know.  I-I want to believe you, White Lie.  I really do.  I know how hard it's been for you to adjust to our society, and I wanted to believe that you would be proof that changelings can live in peace with us ponies."  She looked up and gave White Lie a stern glare. "But I can't deny that something happened during this mission.  After Lady de Lis was captured, you started acting strange.  You told me to go to the fourth floor.  You then got nervous when I said there was no reason to go there.  Then, I was tricked into heading up to the fourth floor and straight into an ambush."

White Lie shook its head in disbelief. "I-I don't understand.  What are you saying?"

Sweetie Drops heaved another sigh. "White Lie, as an agent of the Hunter's Undercover Bureau, I am placing you under arrest as a potential double agent.  Once this mission is over, we'll hold a trial and find out the truth.  Before then, we have to work together and stop the Ars Goetia, just like you said."

Fleur stared at Sweetie Drops as if she had three heads. "Sweetie Drops, this is not the time for proper protocol!  Be reasonable!" she protested. "You're just giving it ample time to backstab us again!"

"Or maybe I'm giving it ample time to prove itself," Sweetie Drops countered. "Innocent until proven guilty, right?"

"What more proof do you need?!  It played us like a fiddle this whole time!"

Sweetie Drops scrunched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth.   After taking in a sharp breath, she gave Fleur an angry glare. "Lady de Lis, I don't know what White Lie did or didn't do, and I don't think you know, either!  But unlike you, I'm not going to let my personal feelings get in the way of performing my duty!  Now get your bigoted head out of your dock and focus on the—"

"So, this is what it comes down to, is it?"

Sweetie Drops turned to see a despondent White Lie hanging its head.  She opened her mouth to say something, but White Lie cut her off.

"Don't even try, Ms. Drops.  I know you wanted to help, but this isn't the help I need," it said darkly. "If you truly thought I was innocent, you wouldn't treat me like a criminal.  But no.  You're not sure if you can trust me."

"I'm not sure of anything, White Lie," Sweetie Drops tried to explain. "Not without some form of proof."

White Lie let out a sad snicker. "So be it.  If that's how we're playing this, then I'm afraid I have no other alternative."

Suddenly, a bright flash emanated from its horn, blinding Sweetie Drops and causing her to stumble.  When her vision recovered, White Lie was flying off over the horizon.

"Come back here, you coward!" Fleur bellowed, attempting to give chase. "We won't let you get away that eas—"

A wounded changeling flew out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.  She and Sweetie Drops turned their attention to the battle and found that the Ars Goetia barely appeared winded as they stared down Nihilmodo's wounded army.

"I-I may have made a few miscalculations," Nihilmodo rasped. "Don't think this is over.  Soldiers, we got what we came for!  Retreat!"

The changelings all fled into the mountains, leaving the two owl demons alone with Sweetie Drops and Fleur de Lis.  Stolas hooted and ruffled his feathers.

"I thought you said you were planning on killing that mouth breather," he said.

Andras shrugged his shoulders and tapped his shoulder with the flat of his blade. "I decided to give it a free pass.  This is the most exercise I've had in over a millennium; it wouldn't be polite to kill someone after they granted me such a courtesy."

"Perhaps, though I gladly await the day it finds some way to off itself," said Stolas. "The close-minded have a tendency towards self-destruction."

"Indeed, my dear colleague," said Andras with a nod.  He then looked over at Sweetie Drops and Fleur. "Ah, hello.  Sorry about that display; ignorance tends to be a pet peeve of the Ars Goetia.  I am Marquis Andras, and this is my colleague, Prince Stolas.  Can we help you?"

"Don't try to sweet talk us, demons," Fleur growled, arching her back. "We're with the HUB, and you two are going back into that book where you belong."

Andras's feathers bristled. "If you truly think I'm going to spend another femtosecond trapped within those pages, then you are mistaken.  I would gladly give you reasons as to why that is, but if you would prefer a duel—"

Fleur didn't allow Andras to finish.  She fired a spell from her horn, which Stolas dodged.  A few of his tail feathers transformed into two-dimmensional shapes and floated away.  Stolas growled.

"It seems you've chosen action over words," he said, ruffling up his feathers. "I'm sure Ose would respect your position, but I just find it to be a shame.  Ah well, no use delaying the inevitable."

"Indeed," said Fleur, pawing the ground. "As it turns out, I'm plenty cross right now, and you two are the closest punching bags on hoof.  Sweetie Drops, you take the one with the sword.  I've got the tall one."

Sweetie Drops nodded. "Alright.  Just, be careful, Lady de Lis."

Andras adopted a battle position as Stolas hopped to his side.  He pointed his sword at the two ponies. "At your ready, then."

Fleur charged first, casting a spell at Stolas.  Stolas stretched out his legs, causing the beam to fly between them.  He then flapped his wings, summoning a column of wind beneath Fleur's feet.  Fleur put up a barrier just in the nick of time, although she still felt a sharp impact to her gut.  As the two continued exchanging spells, Sweetie Drops threw a punch at Andras.  Andras simply parried the blow and thrusted with his sword.  Luckily, Sweetie Drops's reflexes allowed her to sidestep the strike.

"You know, I was actually listening to your little conversation back there," said Andras, leaping over a leg sweep. "I certainly found it more engaging than anything that troglodyte changeling had to say.  No wonder our conjurer hates it so much."

"Hey, pay attention, pal!" Sweetie Drops snapped, throwing a punch.  This one connected, sending Andras back a few paces.

"I-I don't see the harm in multitasking," said Andras, clearing his throat and shaking himself. "Anyway, I must say, Ms. Drops, was it?  You show quite a bit of wisdom."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, birdbrain!" Sweetie Drops spat. "I'm taking you down!"

She spun around on her front hooves and bucked with all her might.  The blow landed square in Andras's midsection, knocking the wind out of him.

"S-strong too.  Impressive.  Perhaps Ose would've made a better opponent for you," said Andras with a chuckle. "Oh well, I'll just have to tell him all about you once the council reconvenes, as my conjurer calls it."

Sweetie Drops blinked. "Wait, what are you talking abou— whoa!"

She was cut off when Andras swung his sword.  She rolled out of the way, wincing as she saw tiny strands of her mane rain down from the strike.

"It's a complicated matter, and I haven't the time to explain it," said Andras simply.  He swung again, and this time, Sweetie Drops caught the blade between her hooves.  With a grunt, she forced it back with all her might, digging her hind hooves into the snow as Andras towered over her.

"Y-you're not so tough," Sweetie Drops grunted, powering through the strain on her body.

"Ah, bravado.  The last refuge of a defeated warrior," Andras mused. "But seriously, you do show quite a bit of intelligence for a brute.  When confronted with your alleged ally's story, you didn't accept it or condemn it.  You wanted to know the truth before making a blind accusation.  That sort of skepticism is welcome and encouraged by the Ars Goetia.  It's a pity that you have this poor impression of us.  I'm sure many of us would love to have a discussion about morality and justice with you.  And you'll find that most of us are quite honest and open-minded."  He then turned to Fleur's battle with Stolas and scoffed. "Unlike your other friend, who is so convinced that she's right that she won't listen to reason or logic.  Such ignorance truly is a blight on this world.  I might just do it a favor and purge her from existence."

Sweetie Drops's eyes snapped open. "Over my dead body!"

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she yanked the sword out of Andras's talons and threw it over her head.  The blade flew through the air before embedding itself in a stone some distance away.  Andras's face darkened.

"Tsk tsk.  You really wish to see that ungulate survive even though she doesn't use any of her cognitive facilities?" he admonished. "Perhaps you're not as wise as I thought."

"Lady de Lis might have her own issues and biases, but she's still my friend," Sweetie Drops proclaimed, leering at Andras with all the spite she could muster. "And she's no fool, either."

"Now see, that's rather debatable, considering what happened between you two and the changeling," said Andras, stroking his chin. "Ah well.  It is of no consequence.  The council is about to be reconvened.  Stolas!"

Stolas dodged one of Fleur's spells before knocking her away with his wind magic. "Yes, Andras.  I hear it, too.  It appears out conjurer has achieved what it has set out to do."

"Either that, or it requires witnesses," said Andras. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."  He then turned to Sweetie Drops and smiled. "Well, Ms. Drops.  This has been most enriching.  I hope we'll meet again under more, peaceful terms."

There was a flash of green light, and both of the owl demons disappeared.  Fleur spat and pounded her front hoof in anger.

"Come back, you cowards!  All of you!" she yelled into the empty void.

"They're gone, Lady de Lis.  There's no use throwing a tantrum about it," said Sweetie Drops, tapping her radio. "Dr. Colgate, come in."

"Sweetie Drops?  I-is that you?"

Sweetie Drops sighed and nodded. "It's me."

"Oh thank goodness.  I was trying to get through to you forever.  Some sort of magical interference jammed the signal," said Dr. Colgate. "You okay?"

"Define 'okay.'"

"Uh-oh.  That's not good.  Report."

"The whole thing was a setup," Fleur said darkly. "White Lie led us into a trap."

"That's just a theory, though.  We don't know for sure," Sweetie Drops clarified. "Apparently, this Nihilmodo guy wanted to use White Lie to get access to Tartarus, and Snatcher sent two of the Ars Goetia after us before running off."

"And White Lie?"

"It, flew off as well.  I wanted to place it under arrest so we could have a trial, but it wasn't too keen on the idea.  Nihilmodo's changelings and the Ars Goetia have also disappeared."

"I see.  One moment."

Fleur groaned. "Dr. Colgate, do we really need your time stream to decide our next course of action?  We need to get to Tartarus and stop White Lie before it sets anyone free!"

"Um, yeah.  Funny thing about that," said Dr. Colgate sheepishly. "I'm looking at the possibilities right now, and, well, it's not good.  None of it."

"Elaborate," said Sweetie Drops.

"I mean it's too late.  Best-case scenario, you and White Lie just miss each other," said Dr. Colgate.

Sweetie Drops chewed on her lip. "Well, can you call it on the radio?"

"Already tried that.  I got nothing but static."  Dr. Colgate sighed. "Face it, girls.  This mission's a bust.  We've failed our objective.  There's nothing more we can do but brace ourselves for what happens next."

"And, what happens next?"

"There are lots of answers to that question.  Almost none of them are good," said Dr. Colgate, heaving another sigh. "I'll send for an airship to extract you ASAP, so maintain your current position.  I'm also sending a report to Princess Celestia so she can at least try to mitigate the damage."

"Copy that, Dr. Colgate.  Standing by," said Sweetie Drops, tapping off her radio.  She then pounded the snow in frustration. "Dammit all."

"I know how you feel, Sweetie Drops," said Fleur, flexing her hoof. "Rest assured, I won't let those insects get the better of us next time."

Sweetie Drops sighed shook her head. "I don't know, Lady de Lis," she said, staring off into space. "We fell right into Nihilmodo's trap, whatever it was.  And remember, it said its ultimate goal was to take down the HUB.  After what happened today, I'm not so sure that there's even going to be a next time..."
> Forethought and Hindsight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Hey, Bon-Bon.  You alright?"

Bon-Bon felt a gentle tap on her shoulder just as her thoughts returned to the present.  She quickly shook herself and looked over at Lyra, who had a concerned look on her face.

"I-I'm fine.  I was just, thinking about something," said Bon-Bon.

"Care to clue me in?  Or do you want to keep being all secretive and stuff?" Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, this might be important," said Bon-Bon, knitting her brow. "Where's Minuette?"

"She's a couple bookcases thataway," said Lyra, pointing with her hoof. "She actually wanted me to come get you when you started lagging behind.  C'mon."

Bon-Bon let out a small sigh and followed Lyra through the endless sea of bookcases.  It wasn't long before they stumbled upon Minuette, Moondancer, and Fleur.  The three of them were systematically tearing books off the shelves, leaving quite a mess on the floor.

"What I wouldn't give to find one actual piece of literature in this poor excuse of a fabrication," Moondancer griped.

"I wouldn't bother, Ms. Moondancer.  It's obvious that this entire private library is a sham and nothing more," said Fleur darkly. "Much like the insects who infest it."

"Speaking of which, it's kinda odd that we haven't bumped into any other guards," Minuette mused, tossing another book onto the pile. "You'd think super intelligent demons like the Ars Goetia would invest in some tighter security."

Fleur frowned. "That is quite strange, now that you mention it.  Especially since I distinctly recall Sweetie Drops saying that we're not alone here."

"I still think we aren't," said Bon-Bon, making her way into the conversation.

Fleur turned to Bon-Bon and arched an eyebrow. "Are you certain of this, Sweetie Drops?  You've been rather, aloof as of late.  Perhaps you were just seeing things."

"Are you sure you want to take that chance?" asked Bon-Bon, standing her ground. "I know what I saw, Lady de Lis."

Fleur's brow crinkled as she placed a hoof to her chin. "Hmm.  Point taken," she said with a nod. "I'd better do a sweep of the perimeter, just in case."

"Good idea," said Minuette. "We'll be sure to keep you posted."

"Please do," said Fleur with a bow.  She then sauntered off to another bookcase.  Once she disappeared from view, Minuette turned to Bon-Bon.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you did that to get rid of Lady de Lis," she said.

Bon-Bon rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it.  But I really did see a changeling spying on us when we first got here.  Which is why I need you to check the time stream for something."

"Sounds to me like you have something pretty specific in mind," said Minuette.

"I do," said Bon-Bon with a solemn nod. "Minuette, I need you to figure out the probability of us bumping into White Lie."

Lyra tilted her head. "Um, who?"

"I'll explain later," said Minuette.  She then cast her spell.  After a few seconds, she frowned. "Hmm.  This is weird."

"What is?"

"It's highly probable that White Lie is here in the library with us; you pretty much called that down the line.  But there's also a high chance that it's alone.  I'm not sure what to make of that."

Bon-Bon's face darkened. "So I wasn't just seeing things.  That was White Lie spying on us."

"Uh, sorry.  I'm a bit out of the loop," said Lyra, raising her hoof. "Who the hay is White Lie?"

Bon-Bon sighed before turning to Minuette.

"I'll fill her in," Minuette assured her. "You go do what you need to do."

Bon-Bon nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Minuette.  I'll be right back, hopefully."

With that, she darted off.  Lyra let out an aggravated snort.

"Alright, apparently third time's the charm around here," she said dryly, giving Minuette a stern look. "Who's this White Lie guy, and why is Bons so worked up about him?"

"It, actually," Minuette corrected. "Changeling drones don't have any gender identity."

Moondancer perked up and adjusted her glasses. "Wait, did I hear that right?"

"You sure did," said Minuette. "It's a pretty long story, but I'll boil it down for you.  White Lie was a changeling who defected to Equestria.  It said that Queen Chrysalis had gone mad, and it didn't want to serve her anymore.  Princess Celestia thought it was best to take it in and make it an agent of the HUB.  That, didn't turn out so well."

"What do you mean?" asked Lyra.

Minuette sighed. "Well, the official story is that White Lie was a double agent, and after we failed to obtain the Lesser Key, it infiltrated Tartarus and freed the bugbear.  As you know, that's what led to the agency being dissolved."  She then shook her head. "But the fact of the matter is we don't really know what happened to White Lie.  All we know for certain is that the changelings set up some sort of trap that would lead to the HUB's destruction, and we all fell for it."

Lyra cast her gaze downward, taking a moment to process this new information. "Yeesh.  No wonder Bons has been so spacey; this whole stupid mission is forcing her to relive those moments from the last time she was here.  Dammit, she never should've agreed to do this.  Not when we were so close to..."

She trailed off and turned her back to Minuette and Moondancer.  Moondancer tilted her head.

"Close to what?" she inquired.

"Nothing," Lyra mumbled, biting her lip. "I-it's stupid."

Minuette walked up to Lyra and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Lyra, we already know you're worried about Bon-Bon.  There's no reason to hide it from us."

Lyra sniffled and looked at Minuette with misty eyes. "Well, there's no reason for Bon-Bon to hide stuff from me, either.  I mean, I get why she didn't tell me she was a secret agent.  We already sorted that out."  She averted her gaze. "Or at least, I thought we did."

"Sounds like this is really getting to you," said Minuette. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I-I dunno," said Lyra, shaking her head. "I-it's gonna make me sound like a selfish dock-hole."

Minuette frowned. "Lyra, we're your friends.  We know you're not like that.  C'mon, talk to us.  It's better to get things off your chest than to just ignore it."

Lyra heaved a great sigh and turned herself around. "Yeah, well.  Go tell that to Bon-Bon," she spat, a few tears running down her cheeks. "'Cause every time I look at her now, I see a pony who's destroying herself from the inside out.  It's painfully obvious how much this whole mess is hurting her, but she refuses to open up to me.  Do you have any idea how heartbreaking that is?"

"I think I can relate, actually," said Minuette, giving Moondancer a sideways glance.

Moondancer blinked. "What?"

"Nothing," said Minuette, clearing her throat. "Anyway, the point is I understand that you're frustrated, Lyra.  But try looking at things from Bon-Bon's perspective."

"That's just it, though.  I don't know how anymore," Lyra whimpered, her voice cracking. "She used to be so open with her feelings, but now she just closes herself off and tries to pretend that everything's okay.  It's like she's going down this dark path, and I'm not allowed to follow her.  The mare that I fell in love with is disappearing bit by bit, and I can't do a damn thing to stop it."  She then fell to the floor and buried her face in her hooves, sobbing all the while. "I-I'm scared, Minnie.  I-I don't want to lose her.  I-I just wish things would go back to the way they were."

Minuette sighed and nuzzled Lyra's cheek. "There there, Lyra.  It's okay," she cooed. "We all know Bon-Bon's going through a lot right now.  Maybe she just has a hard time finding the words to express how she's feeling.  Or maybe she's putting on a brave face so she can focus on protecting us and getting the job done.  Whatever the case may be, you just gotta have a bit of patience."

Lyra looked up at Minuette and sniffled. "I-I don't know.  I feel like even once this is over, she'll still be broken, and it'll make everything fall apart.  I don't want that to happen."

"Trust me, Lyra.  I don't either," said Minuette somberly. "And before you ask, no, I won't give you false hope by checking the time stream.  I just don't abuse my powers like that.  But I will say this.  If things do end up falling apart, I'll help you through it.  And so will Moondancer and Twilight and everypony else."

"Indeed," said Moondancer, twiddling her hooves. "Mind you, I may have some difficulty supporting you, what with my social awkwardness.  But I'll be sure to give it my all should it happen."

Lyra smiled and got up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Th-thanks, guys.  I-I think I needed that."

"Anytime, Lyra," said Minuette, giving Lyra a small hug.

"I, hope we're not interrupting anything."

Everypony turned to see Fleur and Bon-Bon standing behind them.  Lyra blushed and quickly rubbed her eyes.

"N-no!  No, of course not," she said nervously. "Just, hanging out.  Trying to find the, thing.  Yeah."

Bon-Bon's face clouded with concern. "Lyra, have you been crying?"

"What?  Don't be ridiculous, Bons.  I-it's just a little dusty in here," said Lyra, brushing her nose with her hoof. "Y'know, being a library and all.  Heh heh..."

Fleur let out a small cough. "Right.  Well, the perimeter's clear, as is the third floor.  In fact, Sweetie Drops says she remembers the location of a secret passageway up there.  We should check it out."

"Good call," said Minuette. "Let's get going, everypony."

"I'll take point this time," said Bon-Bon.  She then gave Lyra one last look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-yeah.  I'm fine now," said Lyra with a nod.

Bon-Bon nodded in return and led the way to the third floor.  Lyra sighed inwardly.

I know you're not fine, though, she thought. I just hope I can reach you before you crack...


***


"There we are, just where I remembered it."

It wasn't long before Bon-Bon found the secret passage leading to the balcony she found many years prior.  Quickly, she peered over the edge to check the hidden study.  While there wasn't a soul to be seen, a beige piece of parchment on the table caught her attention.

"Everypony, look," she said, pointing with her hoof. "Someone left a note here."

"Now that's odd," Fleur mused. "Who would leave a note in a place like this?"

"Only one way to find out," said Minuette with a shrug. "Moondancer, if you'd be so kind."

"Mmm?  Oh, sure," said Moondancer. "Just, give me a moment..."

After a few seconds, Moondancer managed to teleport them all to the ground floor.  Minuette scooped up the note with her magic and gave it a curious look.

"Hang on," she said.  She brought the parchment to her face and gave it a sniff. "This letter has, chocolate stains on it."

Fleur's eyes went wide. "Chocolate stains?  Are you sure?"

"Yeah, looks like it," said Minuette.

Fleur gave Minuette a stern look. "Read it.  Now."

"Okay, okay.  I was just about to.  Sheesh," said Minuette.  She then cleared her throat and read the letter aloud.


Should you be reading this letter, I may very well be dead.  I can't say for certain if this is the case; I am no soothsayer.  Regardless, I am leaving this note to reveal the truth behind the destruction of the Hunter's Undercover Bureau.  If you don't know what that is, don't worry.  You won't have to.

My name is White Lie.  I am a changeling who left the hive in an attempt to escape the madness of Queen Chrysalis.  I ended up settling in with the ponies, and I was made a member of the HUB.  But the Mad Queen did not like this.  Her spies kept tabs on me, and they were disgusted by my actions.  They saw how I swore off of love in favor of Sweetie Drops's heavenly confectionaries; how I fought brutish monsters in order to keep the land safe.  This was an insult to the hive, and so the Mad Queen demanded that I be punished.

She assigned the pretentious dolt Nihilmodo to dole out my punishment, and to its credit, it did come up with an ingenious plan.  If my loyalty didn't lie with the hive, it would not lie with anyone.  The groundwork was already there.  Lady de Lis abhorred me due to my species, and while she has every reason to distrust my kind, Nihilmodo had the perfect opportunity to use it against her.

The Lesser Key was used as bait to lure us to Coltlat, although the soldier drone Snatcher found this questionable.  Nihilmodo had its soldiers shadow Lady de Lis at all times, making it appear that I had fed them information.  It wasted no time bragging about its plan when they apprehended Ms. Drops.  I thought this would be its downfall, as I was not about to let this stand.  I was wrong.

Nihilmodo's plan worked just as it predicted.  Lady de Lis lashed out at me, and Ms. Drops was rather skeptical of my actions.  The pony friends I had made turned against me.  But, I do not blame them.  This is what changelings do best, after all.  They convince their victims to accept lies as truth.

I rushed off to Tartarus in order to clear my name, but I was too late.  Snatcher had beaten me there.  It disguised itself as me, snuck past Cerberus, and released the bugbear.  I could not go back to Equestria at that point.  My honor had been completely demolished by a petty queen who had no love for a subject that did not bow to her.

But hope was not lost.  After living in hiding for a few years, I have tracked the Lesser Key back to the mountains of Coltlat.  Why it's back in this accursed place, I'm not sure.  It may have to do with Snatcher, as it was no doubt corrupted by the Ars Goetia.  This is my last stand.  I vow to find the Lesser Key, tear it from Snatcher's hooves, and return it to Princess Celestia.  Only then will I reclaim my honor.

Again, I may die on this fool's errand.  Should that happen, I entrust whoever finds the message to bring it to Princess Celestia as soon as they can.  Even though the HUB has crumbled, she deserves to know the truth.


There was a heavy silence as everypony took a moment to process this information.  Fleur broke the silence by slamming her hoof on the table.

"A-all this time, it was telling the truth," she muttered.  Her mascara began to run as her eyes welled up with tears. "I-I can't believe it.  W-we all fell for their trap.  They wanted us to turn on each other, and we followed their script like actors in a play!  How could I have been so stupid?!"

"Yeah, that bastard Nihilmodo really got us good," Bon-Bon growled, letting out an angry snort. 

"H-hey, look on the bright side," Minuette chirped. "It sounds like White Lie still considered us to be its friends, even when we played right into Nihilmodo's hooves.  It was trying to get the Lesser Key and prove its innocence."

Fleur breathed out a sad snicker. "You know, it's funny.  I feel like I'm being contradicted and vindicated at the same time.  This shows just how devious changelings are, but they did this to one of their own.  All because it felt Queen Chrysalis was wrong.  I-it deserved better than the way I treated it.  I-I feel so ashamed for letting my prejudice cloud my judgement."

"We can't change the past, Lady de Lis," said Bon-Bon, placing a hoof on Fleur's. "All we can do is learn from our mistakes and move forward."

Lyra looked over at Bon-Bon and let out a small sigh.  She then heard Minuette clear her throat.  When she turned to face her, Minuette had a sly grin on her face.

"What's so funny?" Lyra asked.

Minuette giggled. "Jealous."

Lyra blushed and pouted. "Sh-shut up."

"If it makes you feel better, I know for a fact Lady de Lis's barn door doesn't swing that way," said Minuette.

"I-I'm not worried about that.  Sheesh," Lyra said.  She then sighed whimsically. "I'm just glad that Bons isn't completely gone yet.  She still has that, warmth to her.  And by golly, I'm not gonna let that warmth die without a fight."

"That's the spirit," said Minuette, giving Lyra a pat on the back. "So, what now?"

"It appears you got my letter."

All five ponies turned as a rasp came from above.  A changeling with a scar over its left eye flew down and landed before them.  Fleur gasped.

"Wh-White Lie!  You're alive!" she exclaimed.

"It would appear so, yes," said White Lie nonchalantly.

Fleur couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, White Lie.  I-I'm so glad you're okay.  Listen, you were right about the Lesser Key.  It's somewhere up here, and we have to— gah!"

She was cut off by White Lie firing a spell at her, knocking her on her back.  As she recovered from the attack, she stared at White Lie in disbelief.

"Oh, I know about the Lesser Key, Fleur de Lis," said White Lie, its horn pulsing with energy. "And I know so much more, too.  In fact, you ponies could use a bit of education.  It's said that hypocrisy and bigotry drown in the sea of knowledge.  And drown they shall, once this world is enlightened by the Ars Goetia!"

Minuette gulped. "Dum dee dum dum~..."
> Warm Logic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Although Fleur managed to recover from White Lie's attack, its bold declaration left her in a state of shock.  Her eyes were glued to the scarred changeling as her mouth move mechanically, trying to form words that would not come out.  White Lie chortled.

"I can see from your stupefied expressions that you still haven't figured out what's really going on here," it said. "Well, the fact of the matter is that I've been watching you since you first entered the mountains.  Prince Vassago of the Ars Goetia had actually predicted your arrival using his gift of prophecy, and I've been lying in wait ever since."

"So that's why you had one of those changelings turn into the bugbear," Lyra growled.

"Exactly correct," said White Lie with a bow. "Psychological warfare is a changeling's forte, after all."

"Wait, this still doesn't make any sense," said Bon-Bon, shaking her head. "Your letter said that you still thought of ponies as friends.  You said you didn't blame us for what happened."

"And I still don't.  Technically," said White Lie, menace seeping into its voice. "But the fact remains that your culture is diseased.  You ponies love to preach about love and tolerance and friendship, but when it comes to other species, those same rules don't quite apply, do they?  You're afraid of these creatures who are so different from you, and that fear breeds stereotypes, which in turn breeds prejudice and bigotry.  Now, I'm not singling you ponies out for being species-ist; the Ars Goetia clearly specify that this is a problem with all cultures.  However, your blatant hypocrisy cannot be ignored.  And that is what the Ars Goetia will purge!"

It fired another magic blast.  This time, Fleur blocked it with a barrier spell.

"White Lie, please.  There's no call for this," she said. "We don't want to fight you."

"Oh, I'm not saying you have to fight me.  I'm a reasonable fellow, despite my grievances," said White Lie, advancing towards Fleur. "However, you do have to die, Fleur de Lis.  And if that's a problem with the rest of you, you're all free to join her."

Fleur bit her lip and hung her head. "White Lie, I-I'm sorry.  I didn't know—"

"Oh, you're sorry, are you?" White Lie spat.  Its voice was slick with venom as it paced back and forth. "That's always been a fascinating phrase, you know.  'I'm sorry.'  It's like a magic spell.  You just say it and poof!  All is right in the world!  The bad stuff you did?  Erased from history with the utterance of this one phrase.  It's amazing, really.  You know what else it is?  A load of tripe!"

It fired a sustained beam at Fleur's barrier.  As Fleur struggled against it, she saw several hairline fractures cloud her view.

"The real world doesn't work like that, Fleur de Lis!" White Lie bellowed, pouring more energy into its spell. "You can't just say 'sorry' and wish everything away!  Especially since nothing would change even if I forgave you!  You'd still be the narrow-minded whore you always were!  As such, I will grant you no quarter!  I don't want your apology!  I want your head on a pike!"

With that last exclamation, White Lie's spell shattered Fleur's barrier and sent her flying against the wall.  The other ponies quickly rushed to her aid.

"Do you honestly think this senseless brutality is going to solve anything?!" Bon-Bon barked, shooting White Lie a glare.

"On its own, no.  This offers little more than catharsis for me personally," said White Lie plainly. "But after discussing things with Snatcher and the Ars Goetia, I've found that in order for society to change, examples must be made of those who are on the wrong side of history."

Fleur slowly pulled herself up as Moondancer treated her wounds. "Y-you don't understand, White Lie.  I-I admit it.  I was wrong about you the entire time.  I treated you unfairly because of my past experiences with your kind.  I am genuinely ashamed of my— mmph!"

In a flash, White Lie flew at Fleur and punched her across the jaw just as she got to her feet.  She skidded across the floor, blood trickling from her mouth.

"I already told you.  I will not be moved by your pleas for mercy," said White Lie coldly. "And by the way, why are you suddenly so eager to accept my words?  Why do you trust me now?  I'm a changeling, and according to you, lying is all changelings are good for!"

Minuette sighed. "White Lie, you can't believe what the Ars Goetia have been telling you.  They're controlling you like a puppet, just like Snatcher.  Don't you see that?"

White Lie snickered. "You know what, Dr. Colgate?  I thought that myself at first.  But unlike Queen Chrysalis, the Ars Goetia don't treat us like mindless drones.  We serve them because they are correct, and we came to that conclusion by opening ourselves to their arguments and making our own judgements.  The fact is that they are the only ones who make sense.  They aren't mad and oppressive like the hive, and they certainly aren't hypocrites like you ponies."

It flew over to Fleur and pinned her to the ground just as she was about to get up.  Bon-Bon charged in to help, but White Lie shoved her away with its magic.  As Lyra rushed to Bon-Bon's side, White Lie began wailing on Fleur mercilessly.

"All I wanted was to be accepted for who I was!" White Lie shouted. "I wanted to show the world that changelings could live with ponies without conquering them!  But all you did was distrust me!  I had to hide my identity behind a series of masks, just so I wouldn't end up scaring you spineless cowards!  And then you fell right into Nihilmodo's trap and turned on me, even though we were supposed to be friends!  I was nothing but a criminal in your eyes!  A monster!  A beast just biding its time and ready to pounce!  Princess Celestia convinced me that one day, ponies would grow to accept me and want to be my friend!  Well guess what?!  That day never came!"

Moondancer gasped as White Lie's words sparked something in her brain.  She pressed her glasses right against her face, causing them to shine as her horn pulsed with magic.  Minuette turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Um, Moondancer?  You okay?" she asked.

"Th-this is uncanny," Moondancer mumbled, scrunching her eyes shut. "We're so different, yet this feels so, familiar.  I-it's like watching myself making those tragic mistakes all over again, even though I know it's not the same thing.  Still, I-I can't, no, I won't sit idly by and let this happen.  This has gone on long enough!"

Before anypony could react, Moondancer fired a spell at White Lie, knocking it off of Fleur.  White Lie snarled and tried to pick itself up, only for Moondancer to teleport herself right in front of it and block its path.

"Perhaps you're right, White Lie," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Maybe there's nothing Lady de Lis can do to make up for how she hurt you.  Nevertheless, you shouldn't let her mistakes prevent you from being friends with other ponies."

White Lie groaned and cast its gaze upward. "Oh here we go.  You ponies sure do love your preaching, don't you?  I don't even know who you are.  Why should I listen to anything you say?"

Moondancer breathed a deep sigh. "Because honestly, I know how you feel."

White Lie let out a bemused chuckle. "You, know how I feel?  Need I reiterate the fact that we're complete strangers?  You can't possibly make this claim."

"I'll admit, our circumstances are not one and the same.  Comparing them as if they were would be folly," Moondancer stated. "But, they are similar."

White Lie scoffed. "Alright, pony.  I'll bite.  What makes us so similar?"

Moondancer took a deep breath before saying her piece. "I always had trouble making friends growing up.  I preferred reading books to playing games, and I wasn't sure if others would like me.  But then, I met a pony who felt the same way I did.  Her name was Twilight Sparkle.  We bonded over our shared love of literature, and I felt more confident in myself.  That in turn helped me make more friends, although I always felt they couldn't compare to Twilight."

Tears began to mar her vision as she continued. "Then one day, I decided it was time to put myself out there.  I threw a big party and invited all of my friends.  But, Twilight didn't show up.  The one pony I wanted to commemorate this special day, and she wasn't there.  She even left town without saying goodbye.  That hurt me on a level that nothing else ever did, and so I shut down emotionally and gave up on friendship altogether."

White Lie snorted and got to its feet. "I've been waiting several moons for my justice against Fleur de Lis's bigotry, pony.  Get to the point before I end your life."

"She was just about to, dock-hole.  So open up your ears and listen," Lyra snapped. "Go ahead, Moondancer."

"Th-thank you, Lyra," said Moondancer, clearing her throat. "Anyway, just recently, Twilight came back into my life seeking forgiveness.  Initially, I reacted the same way you did.  I refused to hear her out because I thought her intentions weren't genuine.  I felt that her entire mission to apologize was a waste of time for the both of us.  However, that was not the case.  She really did feel remorseful for hurting me.  She didn't want me to go through life being miserable and alone.  And in the end, I forgave her and accepted friendship into my life once more."

She then looked White Lie right in the eye. "So please.  Do not make my mistake.  Don't shun all of ponykind just because one pony hurt you."

There was a long pause as White Lie mulled things over.  It massaged the bridge of its nose with its hoof and shook its head.

"Th-this can't be right," it muttered. "H-how is this possible?  What you said, makes sense.  But, it shouldn't.  It goes against everything the Ars Goetia told me."

"Well, that just shows how much they know, doesn't it?"

White Lie perked up as Fleur slowly got to her feet.  Her once beautiful face was now covered in bruises, including a black eye.  She took a moment to wipe away the blood oozing from her nose and mouth before staggering over.

"White Lie, you have every right to hate me," she said somberly. "What I did to you was completely unacceptable.  You were trying to become my friend, and I simply refused to accept the fact that a friendly changeling could exist.  I was close-minded and prejudiced, and that led to the HUB's downfall."  She then turned away. "I deserve every ounce of your scorn.  I will concede that much.  However, I am but one pony out of many.  To judge all of ponykind based on my actions is just like me judging all changelings based on the actions of Queen Chrysalis and Nihilmodo.  If you carry out this vendetta, you'll be no better than I was."

White Lie knitted its brow and bit its lip. "I'll be damned.  Th-that made sense, too.  B-but I shouldn't question the Ars Goetia.  Th-that would be closed-minded."

"I'm beginning to wonder who the real hypocrites are," said Moondancer, adjusting her glasses. "You're basically saying that the Ars Goetia are the only ones allowed to be right about anything.  That right there sounds rather closed-minded, don't you agree?"

"Y-yes.  Yes it does," said White Lie. "But, it shouldn't.  Should it?  I mean, the Ars Goetia have a great wealth of knowledge, but do they really know everything?  I don't think anyone can make that claim.  And if they don't know everything, that means they're not infallible like Snatcher led me to believe.  H-hang on, I need to figure this out."

It began pacing all around the room and muttering to itself.  Minuette trotted over to Moondancer and smiled.

"Wow.  That was, impressive," she said. "See, I knew your skills would come in handy."

Moondancer blushed and twiddled her hooves. "Y-you give me too much credit, Minuette.  I-it was just basic logic."

"Yes, but you used your past experiences and the lessons you learned to help White Lie come to its senses," said Minuette. "I can still remember a time when you outright refused to talk so candidly about your own problems.  And considering White Lie is someone you never even met before, wow.  That really took some guts."

"I-I didn't even realize it," said Moondancer. "Or at least, I felt it was irrelevant.  All I knew was that White Lie was making the same mistakes that led to so much pain in my life, and I just wanted it to stop."

Minuette chuckled and patted Moondancer on the back. "Well regardless, I'm still proud of you, Moondancer."

"Lady de Lis?"

All eyes shifted over to White Lie.  The only exception was Fleur, who didn't even bother to turn around.

"What is it?" Fleur inquired.

"There's something that you ponies do that I've never seen a changeling do," said White Lie. "It's something I've admired quite a bit, actually.  And due to the fact that the Ars Goetia managed to coax me into joining their side, I had forgotten how important this was."

Fleur turned her head and gave White Lie a curious look. "What's that, then?"

White Lie smiled. "They forgive each other."

It then walked over to a shelf and took out one of the books.  When it opened it up, it was revealed to be hollowed out, and it contained a box of chocolate within its pages.  White Lie took the box and offered it to Fleur.  Fleur sniffled and shook her head.

"There's no need for that, White Lie.  You're not the one seeking forgiveness," she said. "Honestly, I'm not sure how I can even begin to atone for what I've done."

"Well, how about this?  Will you accept my friendship?" White Lie asked, opening the box.

Fleur smiled and took a chocolate with her magic. "Yes.  Yes I do, White Lie.  I need to get past these preconceptions of mine, and I could really use your help in doing so."

"That right there is a good first step to atonement, Lady de Lis," said White Lie with a bow. "And once we retrieve the Lesser Key and get back to Canterlot, I'd be more than happy to help you."

A few tears rolled down Fleur's cheeks as she ate the chocolate. "Th-thank you, White Lie."

"Don't thank me, Lady de Lis," said White Lie. "I think most of the credit goes to Miss, Moondancer, was it?"

"Um, yes.  My name is Moondancer," said Moondancer, hastily adjusting her glasses.

White Lie turned and bowed. "If it weren't for you, I would've forgotten my virtues in favor of the bleak reality the Ars Goetia presented to me.  They may be right about many things, and the world isn't perfect.  But you helped me realize that their solutions are far from ideal."

"I'll have you know that King Amdusias takes great offense to that, White Lie."

A sinister rasp echoed from above.  All eyes turned to see Snatcher on the balcony, the Lesser Key held by its magic and several changeling soldiers crowding around.  The doors on either side of the room burst open, revealing more changelings.  Snatcher flew down and landed before the ponies.

"I must say, I'm quite disappointed in you," Snatcher scolded. "Justice was well within your reach, and you just let it fly away.  Nihilmodo was right about one thing.  You will always be weak, White Lie."

"I wouldn't classify White Lie lashing out against Lady de Lis as 'justice,'" Moondancer stated flatly. "Its actions felt more like a desire for revenge than anything else."

"Silence!  You know not what you speak!" Snatcher boomed, causing Moondancer to flinch and nearly drop her glasses.  It then suddenly softened its tone. "O-oh.  My apologies, President Häagenti.  I didn't know you saw such potential in this, educated young mare here.  No, I agree, Knight Furcas.  She may indeed be a threat.  Mmm, yes.  I remember White Lie mentioning that.  Thank you for reminding me, Duke/Count Murmur."

"Well, this guy's about as nutty as a fruitcake, amiright?" Lyra whispered to Bon-Bon.  She then made a circular motion around her ear with her hoof while chirping "Cuckoo~!  Cuckoo~!"

"Not the time, Lyra," Bon-Bon growled through gritted teeth.

"I saw that," said Snatcher, glaring at Lyra.

Lyra squeaked and hid behind Bon-Bon, who let out an exasperated sigh.  Snatcher simply gave Lyra an "I'm watching you" gesture before clearing its throat.

"Now then, I must consult with my council to figure out how to deal with you lot," it said. "Perhaps a change of scenery will help."

"Um, if I may say so, archdrone," said one of the changeling soldiers. "It's so nice and warm in here.  Do we really have a reason to lead these prisoners somewhere else?"

Snatcher knitted its brow. "Hmm.  Line does raise a good point.  Gentlemen, let's put it to a vote.  All in favor of remaining here, say aye."

"Aye!" came a chorus of changelings.

Snatcher narrowed its eyes and snorted. "I was not speaking to you lot," it snarled. "Sorry, gentlemen.  Let's try that again.  All in favor of remaining here, say aye."

There was silence.

"All opposed?"

Once again, not a sound was heard.

"Motion blocked.  The nays have it," said Snatcher with a shrug. "Soldiers, lead our prisoners outside.  I will join you momentarily once the council has reached a decision.  And keep your counter spells ready in case those unicorns or the traitor get any bright ideas."

The soldiers grumbled and muttered as they marched the ponies up the stairs.  Moondancer gave Minuette a confused look.

"I thought you said White Lie would be alone," she whispered.

Minuette sighed. "I said there was a high chance that it would be alone.  That's not the same thing."

"But, doesn't your spell predict the future?"

"Not at all," said Minuette, shaking her head. "I can only make educated guesses about the future based on a sample size of several probable outcomes that I can see through the time stream.  But there's a tricky thing about probability, and it's the reason why I don't rely on that spell to guide me through life."

"Oh?  What might that be?"

Minuette sighed again and shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes, the underdog wins."
> Identity Crisis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The march from the library didn't last that long, but for Bon-Bon, it felt like hours.  Snowflakes decorated her mane and eyelashes as the winds began to pick up.  She couldn't quite place it, but the air felt a lot colder than before.  She clearly wasn't the only one feeling this way, as her comrades also appeared to be on-edge.  She wanted nothing more than to take her grappling hook and slash one of her captors, but with so many magic horns pointed at her, she felt that she couldn't risk it.

"Company, halt!"

The changelings stopped, and their prisoners did in turn.  Bon-Bon looked back to see that the secret library was no more than a stone's throw away.  One of the changelings flew up to the prisoners and cleared its throat.

"Th-the archdrone's council will be with you momentarily," it said, shivering against the cold. "I-in the meantime, feel free to talk amongst yourselves."

White Lie sighed and took out its box of chocolates. "I do apologize, everypony.  I had no idea Snatcher was following me."

"No one is blaming you for anything, White Lie," said Fleur. "We understand what you went through."

Bon-Bon let out a brief sigh and stared off into space. "White Lie, can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure.  Go right ahead."

"You were spying on us the whole time we were climbing Coltlat, right?"

"Yes."

"How much did you tell Snatcher?"

White Lie sighed and tossed a chocolate into its mouth. "Too much.  And there's no telling what Snatcher will do with that information."

Minuette wrinkled her nose. "Blech~!  I can't believe after all this time, your breath still reeks.  Didn't the Ars Goetia teach you anything about dental hygiene?"

"Glad to see you haven't changed a bit, Dr. Colgate," White Lie said sardonically.

"Oh, you can call me Minuette now," said Minuette. "I kinda dropped my pseudonym after the HUB was disbanded."

"Guys, is this really the right time for us to be shooting the breeze?!" Lyra asked nervously. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, come up with a plan to get away from the lunatic who's asking the voices in its head how to deal with us?!"

"Considering that these changelings are listening to our every word and will probably report our plans to escape, that may not be a wise move, Ms. Heartstrings," Fleur sighed. "Besides, those voices in its head are the Ars Goetia, remember?  That's what our informant told us when we interrogated it."

"Yeah, well.  That doesn't make the guy any less loony," Lyra countered.

"That may be true, but Lady de Lis has a point, Lyra," said Bon-Bon. "There's really not much we can do right now.  D-don't worry, though.  I'm sure we'll think of something."

"The council has made its decision."

All eyes turned upward as Snatcher flew down from above.  It landed before the prisoners and began pacing, carrying the Lesser Key in its magical aura.

"I must say, this deliberation did take a bit longer than anticipated," it mused. "So many variables and contingencies to sort out.  But in the end, the council feels the best course of action is to run a bit of a thought experiment.  And the participant of this experiment will be, you."

It pointed its hoof at Bon-Bon, who was very much taken aback. "M-me?"

"Yes, you," said Snatcher. "You see, I don't know if you remember Marquis Andras, but he remembers you.  He remembers praising your skepticism back when the hive dishonored White Lie."

White Lie let out a deep-thorated snarl before popping another chocolate into its mouth.  Snatcher ignored this and continued.

"Anyway, because of the new data we gathered from White Lie, Marquis Andras has become quite interested in you.  He believes you might've, changed.  Or maybe you haven't.  He can't quite figure it out.  Thus why he proposed this thought experiment."

Bon-Bon snorted and stood her ground. "So what?  I don't care what those demons think of me."

Snatcher snickered. "You should.  Because you're indulging in the council's curiosity whether you like it or not."

With that, it powered up its horn.  A split second later, Lyra shrieked.  Bon-Bon turned to see what was wrong, only to find Lyra being pulled by a magical aura.  Before Bon-Bon could react, Lyra was carried over to Snatcher's side.

"Duke Focalor!  Prepare the experiment!" Snatcher ordered.

It suddenly shifted its form into that of what appeared to be a griffon made out of water.  The griffon pointed at the snowy ground and raised a yell that echoed across the mountainside.  From the ground, a large pillar of water burst forth, fully encapsulating Lyra.  In a matter of moments, the water froze into a crystal prison.  Lyra screamed and pounded on the ice with all her might, all to no avail.  The watery griffon disappeared, reverting back to Snatcher as it gave Lyra a chiding look.

"I wouldn't be so reckless if I were you," it warned. "After all, you only have so much oxygen at your disposal right now.  It would be a shame if you wasted it all before we could start this experiment properly."

Fleur snorted angrily. "You monster," she seethed, illuminating her horn. "You let her out this instant, or I'll—"

She was cut off by several changeling drone pointing their own horns right at her.

"The council would prefer it if there were no outside variables contaminating the results of this experiment," said Snatcher coldly.

Bon-Bon glared at Snatcher.  Although she tried to stand tall, her lip quivered ever so slightly. "G-get to the point, Snatcher."

"Gladly," said Snatcher with a bow. "So, here's how this experiment works.  I, along with my council, shall challenge you to a duel.  A final epic battle with the Lesser Key as the prize.  And if you win, I'll surrender myself and the council to Equestria."  It then looked over at Lyra and sneered. "Mind you, I can't say for certain how long such a battle will last.  Your friend here might die before you can overpower us."

Bon-Bon's breath hitched. "Th-then I'll just have to break her out of there before dealing with you."

"Oh, of course.  By all means, feel free," said Snatcher, stepping to one side. "And my soldiers won't lift a hoof to stop you, either.  However, while you're doing that, I might just decide to flee into the mountains and hide someplace where you'll never find me or the Lesser Key.  And I don't make that claim lightly; I know these mountains far better than you do."

Bon-Bon gasped in horror. "Wh-what?"

"I see you're beginning to understand the stakes," said Snatcher with a toothy grin. "You can either fight me, or save your friend.  Fulfill your duty and save all of Equestria, or follow your heart and rescue this one mare.  Which will it be, Sweetie Drops?  Or, perhaps I should call you Bon-Bon."

Bon-Bon started hyperventilating as she shifted her attention to Lyra.  Lyra herself was in full panic mode, although her strength appeared to be waning.  Her cries for help were muffled by her icy prison.  All she managed to do was fog up the walls with her breath.  She began coughing and gasping for air as tears welled up in her eyes.  The very sight was almost too much for Bon-Bon to bear.

She then turned her attention to Snatcher, who adopted a battle position.  It let out a smug chuckle as it pawed the ground and leered at Bon-Bon, waiting for her to strike. "Tick tock, Ms. Drops.  Make your choice."

Bon-Bon tried to say something, but the words simply wouldn't come out.  Like a puppy being summoned by two masters, she looked back and forth between Snatcher and Lyra.  She bit down on her lip so hard that it started to bleed.  Minuette stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"Question," she said, raising her hoof.

Snatcher glared at Minuette, and several other changelings did the same. "I thought I made it clear that the council wants no outside interference."

"I know, I know.  Settle down, you guys," said Minuette calmly. "Still, you have to admit that this is a pretty big decision.  Don't you think Bon-Bon deserves a little more time to suss this out?"

Snatcher's brow crinkled. "Hmm.  Perhaps you're right.  Gentlemen, your thoughts?"

There was a pause as Snatcher paced back and forth, nodding its head and muttering to itself all the while.

"Mmm.  Yes, that is a good point, Duke Aim.  We'd be granting them a significant advantage should we agree.  Yes, I know the severity of our ultimatum, President Amy.  We already voted on that, and we're following th—  Now see, I don't understand how that's relevant to anything, Duke Eligos.  White Lie clearly stated that the two appeared to be an item.  That's not up for deb—  Marquis Phenex, we've been over this.  If you have a genuine grievance with my tactics, you have to discredit them with logic that isn't circular.  No, I was not insulting his intelligence, Prince Seere.  I was just—"

"Um, I do hate to interrupt, but can we speed this up a bit?" asked Minuette, tapping her ankle as if she were wearing a watch. "Our friend is kinda in danger of dying from asphyxiation."

Snatcher whipped around and snorted. "Do not dare interrupt the deliberations of this—"  It suddenly paused mid-thought and nodded. "Oh.  It appears Marquis Andrealphus agrees with you.  Very well, we'll put it to a vote.  All in favor of permitting Ms. Drops to have this handicap, say aye."

There was silence.

"All opposed?"

Bon-Bon took another nervous glance at Lyra.  She could already see Lyra's consciousness fading.  Her heart pounded a mile a minute, and sweat poured down her face.  Finally, Snatcher let out a sigh.

"Motion passes.  The ayes have it," it relented. "You may use your temporal magic to grant Ms. Drops more time."

"Yes!" Minuette cheered.

"But keep in mind that many members of this council are not affected by temporal distortions.  Should you use your powers to help Ms. Drops cheat, there will be consequences."

Minuette's expression drooped. "Shoot."  She then chuckled sheepishly. "Oh well.  Can't blame a pony for trying."

"Yes, quite," said Snatcher, letting out a light cough. "Now, get on with it.  My drones will not encumber you."

Minuette nodded. "Alright.  Here goes."

In a matter of seconds, a golden shockwave rippled across the sky.  All of the changelings were frozen in time, with the exception of White Lie.  Lyra was also caught in the temporal field, her eyes half-lidded as she appeared close to passing out.

"Okay, Bon-Bon.  I put a few more minutes on the clock, but I can't keep this spell up forever," said Minuette. "We need a plan, and we need it now."

"Honestly, this feels like a trap," White Lie said darkly. "Snatcher has something up its sleeve, though damned if I know what that something is."

"Is that a risk she should take, though?" inquired Moondancer, adjusting her glasses.

"I think it's all up to her," said Fleur, turning to Bon-Bon. "Well, Sweetie Drops?"

Bon-Bon folded her ears back and looked down at her hooves. "I-I don't know."

Minuette sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. "Hoo boy.  That ain't good."

Fleur nervously cleared her throat. "I-if I may be so bold in asking, Sweetie Drops.  Why the hesitation?  There's no guarantee that your battle with Snatcher will be that long and drawn-out.  You could overpower it and still be able to rescue Ms. Heartstrings."

Bon-Bon heaved a great sigh. "It's a nice thought, Lady de Lis.  But we've wasted too much time already.  For all we know, Lyra could be at the brink of death right now."

She scrunched her eyes shut and sniffled, trying to hold the tears back. "I understand what you're saying, though.  After all we've been through trying to get here, we shouldn't let the Lesser Key slip from our grasp again.  It's too dangerous to be left alone."  She looked up at Lyra, her lip quivering. "But, Lyra means so much to me.  If I let her die, I-I'll never be able to live with myself."

Her attention shifted over to Snatcher. "On the other hoof, am I really that selfish?  Am I going to jeopardize Equestria's safety just so one pony can live?"  She turned back to Lyra. "I didn't want her to come here.  I was afraid something like this might happen.  I-I promised to protect her.  I-I can't let her down."

She looked over at Snatcher again. "Still, the reason I agreed to this mission is so that I could put the past behind me.  I need to tie up this loose end in order to move on."  She hiccuped and brushed her nose as she turned to Lyra. "B-but, I was doing that for her.  This victory would be meaningless if I let her go.  And then, my life would be empty."

White Lie furrowed its brow. "I remember you saying that you didn't let personal feelings interfere with performing your duty, Ms. Drops.  However, we can't really apply that logic here, can we?"

Bon-Bon shook her head and shed several tears. "Th-that's just it.  It's not that simple for me anymore.  As Sweetie Drops, I know I need to complete the mission and protect Equestria.  But as Bon-Bon, I'd be crushed if anything happened to Lyra.  And no matter what I choose, this'll determine who I am, forever."

She suddenly let out a wail and pounded her hoof into the snow. "Dammit!  I feel like I'm going to crack!  Wh-why does this have to be so damn hard?!  Why can't I choose between a life of peace or living up to my responsibilities as an agent?!  Why can't I decide between Sweetie Drops and Bon-Bon?!"

She then collapsed to the ground and buried her face in her hooves, sobbing all the while.  Fleur bit her lip and sighed. "I somehow get the feeling that this is partially my fault," she murmured.

"You want me to talk to her?" asked Minuette.

Fleur shook her head. "No need, Dr. Colgate.  This is my blunder; it's my responsibility to fix it."

She trotted over to Bon-Bon's weeping form and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Sweetie Drops—"  She paused. "No, I should call you what you want to be called.  It's not like it matters either way."

Bon-Bon looked up. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Fleur took in a deep breath before saying her piece. "Well, I've had some time to think about a few things, and only now do I realize how insensitive I was to your dilemma.  I'm very sorry that I put all this pressure on you."  She then looked Bon-Bon right in the eye. "But at the same time, I feel that you're creating a false dichotomy by playing this silly game with your identity.  Don't worry about what Sweetie Drops wants or what Bon-Bon wants.  They're both you.  What do you want?"

Bon-Bon sniffled and took a moment to let Fleur's words sink in.  Finally, she nodded. "I-I think I understand.  Thank you, Lady de Lis."

"Don't be so quick to sing my praises.  I'm the one who put you in this position in the first place," said Fleur with a self-mocking chuckle.

Bon-Bon snickered herself as she dried her eyes. "Yeah, well.  You had your reasons, and I don't hold it against you."  She then turned to Minuette. "Alright, I know what to do."

"Good, 'cause I don't think I can keep this up for much longer," said Minuette in a strained tone. "Okay, time in!"

As soon as the temporal field dissipated, Bon-Bon rushed over to the ice crystal Lyra was imprisoned in.  In one swift motion, she balanced herself on her front hooves, spun around, and kicked the crystal with all her might.  With a deafening crack, the icy prison shuddered and fractured before shattering into a million pieces.  She then rushed through the shards of ice and caught Lyra on her back.

"H-hang in there, Lyra," she panted, setting her on her back. "I-it's gonna be okay."

She immediately set to work pressing her hooves into Lyra's chest and breathing into her mouth.  After a few cycles of this, Lyra gasped and sputtered.

"Phew!  Wh-what happened?" she said breathlessly. "I-I kinda blacked there for a se— mmph!"

Lyra was interrupted by Bon-Bon giving her a big hug.  After a few moments of stunned silence, Lyra returned the embrace.  However, unbeknownst to either of them, Snatcher did not run away.  Instead, it charged up its horn.  Slowly, a glittering pink aura wafted from Lyra and Bon-Bon's bodies, and it was channeled right towards Snatcher.  White Lie snorted.

"So that was your plan," it snarled. "Snatcher, you bastard."

"Yeah, that is pretty dirty," Minuette mused.  She then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if Snatcher's not playing by the rules of its own game, I don't see why we have to."

One of the changeling drones noticed her powering up her horn and gasped. "H-hey!  We only allowed you to use your spell for the archdrone's experiment!  You're going too far!  Soldiers, counter—"

The drone was interrupted by a blast of gold sending it flying.  There was the sound of clamoring hooves from behind.  Everyone turned to see an entire herd of Minuette clones dashing up the mountainside.

"Gotta love..."

"...an army..."

"...of me!"

The Minuette clones quickly overwhelmed the changelings, beating them down one by one.  The remaining forces were scared out of their wits and scattered into the mountains.  During the commotion, White Lie looked over at Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Snatcher.  It let out a deep sigh.

"Ms. Drops, please forgive me for this," it murmured.

White Lie then illuminated its own horn, and some of the love energy traveled towards it.  Fleur did a double take.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked. "I thought you swore off of love."

"I-if this is Snatcher's game, mmm, the least I can, ah, do is, nngh, mitigate the damage."  White Lie let out a pleasurable moan. "Mmm~!  My word.  It tastes just like her candies.  Maybe they really are made with love."'

Luckily, Snatcher was oblivious to this development as it focused on absorbing every last bit of love energy it could drain.  Lyra and Bon-Bon were also in their own little world.  After what felt like an eternity, they released each other.

"Um, Bons?  Why'd you do that?" Lyra asked.

Bon-Bon giggled and kissed her on the nose. "Because I love you, silly."

"Yeah, but, now the bad guy's gone," said Lyra sadly. "I-it ran off with the book and the demons.  It won.  I-I'm sorry, Bon-Bon.  I-I got in the way."

"Don't be so sure about that, Ms. Heartstrings."

Lyra and Bon-Bon perked up as Fleur pointed with her hoof.  When Bon-Bon saw that Snatcher was still around, she let out an angry snort.

"You said you were going to hide in the mountains where I couldn't find you," she growled. "You lied to me!"

"I said I might do that," Snatcher clarified. "I never said it was an actuality.  Either way, thank you for your delicious love energy.  Now, I have enough power to wield the full might of the Ars Goetia!  Once they all make themselves known, not even the Elements of Harmony would be able to stand up to their brilliance!"

It then paused and knitted its brow. "Um, are you sure about that, Duke Crocell?  Run those calculations again.  No, I'm not questioning your methods!  Just, run them again!  We should have—  Oh.  We don't?"  It shrugged. "Oh well.  No matter.  Perhaps their love just wasn't as strong as we anticipated."

"Hey, I take offense to that, buddy!" Lyra snapped.

"I'm sure you do," said Snatcher dismissively. "Anyway, in light of this new development, I have a different proposal.  The council believes that it's not too late for a dialogue.  I'd be more than happy to show you all why standing against them is illogical."

Bon-Bon let out a manic laugh as an angry fire ignited in her eyes. "Oh, sure!  That sounds great!" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I would love to have a rational discussion with you after you just tried to rape my mind!  Sure, Lyra almost died and I came this close to mentally snapping, but that's fine!  That's okay!  It's not as though your little experiment was going to end up scarring me for life or anything!"

Snatcher stood its ground. "I can see that you're upset, Ms. Drops.  But I assure you, the council had very good reasons for conducting this thought experiment."

"What?  What're you talking about?  I'm not upset!  What possible reason would I have to be upset?!" Bon-Bon shouted, advancing towards Snatcher. "I'm totally open to your little proposal!  In fact, why don't we make this fun?  It'll be terrific!  Princess Celestia can come over, we'll have a nice big tea party, and then YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE SICK-MINDED COUNCIL CAN GO BUCK YOURSELVES!"

The last words of Bon-Bon's tirade echoed across the mountains.  She took a moment to catch her breath, her eyes not leaving Snatcher.  Lyra's jaw dropped in amazement.

"Damn," she muttered.

Bon-Bon turned to Lyra and inwardly rebuked herself. "T-too much?"

"N-no!  Nonononono," said Lyra nervously, her face turning a bit red. "N-not enough, actually."

"Um, before you ask, I do believe Ms. Bon-Bon is speaking for all of us," said Moondancer, shuffling her hooves. "Though, some of us might elect to use less *ahem* colorful language."

Snatcher's eyes narrowed. "Alright then.  If that's the way you want to play it, fine by me.  Gentlemen, it's time for a vote.  All in favor of using the power we have to destroy these ingrates, say aye."

There was silence.

"All opposed?"

After a pause, Snatcher's eyes went wide.

"Oh.  I-it appears we have a tie.  That's never happened before," it mused. "Well, as leader of this council, I'll cast the tie-breaking vote.  And seeing as you all are a liability to our plans, I can't very well let you live.  Motion passes.  The ayes have it."

In a flash, its body was engulfed in green flames and grew in size.  Bon-Bon quickly readied her grappling hook.

"I don't know what it's turning into, but it's not going to be pretty," she said. "White Lie.  You still remember that spell to send the Ars Goetia back into the book?"

"I believe so," said White Lie.

Bon-Bon nodded. "Good.  You and Lady de Lis will focus on that.  Minuette, Moondancer.  You provide support."

"You got it," said Minuette with a salute.

Moondancer merely nodded and pressed her glasses against her face.

"Lyra, you and I will distract this guy while White Lie and Lady de Lis bring it down with their spells," said Bon-Bon. "Sync?"

Lyra smiled and gave Bon-Bon a curt nod. "Sync.  Oh, and one more thing."  She then gave Bon-Bon a quick peck on the cheek. "For luck."

Bon-Bon smirked. "Thanks, Lyra.  I think we're gonna need it."

At the moment, Snatcher finished its transformation.  The creature that stood before them could only be described as a draconequus.  Its head was that of a pony, which sported both a bull's horn and a unicorn horn.  Its left arm was that of a frog, and its right arm was a leopard's paw holding a sword.  Its feet were that of a dromedary and a crocodile.  It had the wings of a crow and a dragon with a sea pony fin sticking out of the middle.  The end of its serpentine tail was sharp and rigid like a stingray, and several peacock feathers draped over the base.  It let out a harrowing roar as its peacock feathers fanned out and it waved its sword around.

"Looks like this big guy's ready to tussle," said Minuette, cracking her neck.

"Well, so are we," said Bon-Bon, a distinct twinkle in her eye. "C'mon, everypony!  We're ending this, together!"

With that, both sides rushed at each other, with the Lesser Key laying abandoned in the snow.
> The Hunters' Last Hurrah
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a loud clang as Snatcher's sword swatted Bon-Bon's grappling hook right back at her.  Before it made contact, a temporal field formed around the hook, stopping it in its tracks.  Bon-Bon quickly readjusted herself and regained control of her weapon while Lyra pelted Snatcher with a barrage of snowballs.

As this was going on, Fleur and White Lie flanked Snatcher from the left, firing their spells at the demonic changeling.  Snatcher held out the palm of its webbed frog hand, creating a pulsating disk of energy that absorbed the attack.  It then clenched its hand into a fist, and the spells were reflected back at their casters.  Almost instantaneously, the reflected spells was blocked by Fleur and Moondancer's overlapping barriers.

"There's more than one mind inhabiting this body, you pitiful troglodytes," Snatcher said with a sneer. "Your attempts to occupy my attention will not work.  Especially since you have your own problems to worry about."  It then reared its head back and let out a powerful cry. "Soldiers!  Return to your masters and purge these intellectually dishonest organisms from existence!  Death to the ignorant!"

In a matter of moments, the sky was blackened by the swarm of changelings emerging from their hiding places and rushing in for the attack.  Minuette groaned and smacked her forehead.

"Oh, c'mon!  Really?!" she shouted. "I just dealt with these guys!  I call shenanigans!  Foul on the play!"

"I can't say I'm all that surprised myself," White Lie sighed, shaking its head. "It's typically not in a changeling's best interest to engage an opponent in a fair fight."

Fleur looked up and snorted. "Case in point.  Snatcher's trying to run away!  Come back here, you coward!"

All eyes turned to Snatcher.  Sure enough, it appeared to be moving away, although it was still facing its opponents.  Snatcher let out a hollow laugh.

"Now why would I flee when my goal is to destroy you?" it asked rhetorically. "Oh, our goal, rather.  My apologies, Marquis Naberius.  Slip of the tongue."

The changelings soon descended upon the heroes, taking on different shapes as they landed before them.  Some wore the disguise of their opponents, while others took the shape of yetis, bugbears, and other fearsome creatures.  Bon-Bon swallowed and hefted up her grappling hook.

"W-we need to carve a path through these guys," she said, her eyes fixated on the many bugbears.

Minuette smirked. "No worries.  Moondancer and I have got you covered."

In the blink of an eye, Minuette disappeared, only to be replaced by a changeling impersonating a yeti.  Before any of them could react, several beams of gold erupted from the center of the swarm, blowing away changelings left and right.  Moondancer quickly teleported herself alongside Minuette and attacked the swarm from within as well, adding to the confusion.

"There's our opening!" Fleur proclaimed. "White Lie, let's move!"

"Right behind you," White Lie said with a nod.

The two of them flanked left and fought through the confused changelings.  Bon-Bon, meanwhile, was still focused on the bugbear doppelgängers within the enemy ranks.  Lyra sighed and gently tapped Bon-Bon's rump with her own.

"Hey, it's okay, Bons," Lyra assured her. "I'm right here with you."

Bon-Bon shook herself and nodded. "Th-thanks, Lyra.  Now, stay close."

The two of them flanked right and barreled through the changeling hoard.  Bon-Bon took her grappling hook in her teeth and swung it about wildly.  There was a panicked cry as it managed to snag itself through the holes in a changeling's hoof.  With the exception of the extra weight, Bon-Bon paid it no mind as she continued to swing her grappling hook.  She effectively used the changeling's body as a flail, smacking away any other drones unfortunate enough to stand in her way.  As soon as she emerged on the other side of the hoard, the changeling was freed from the hook and flew straight at Snatcher.  Snatcher simply scoffed and smacked the drone away with one slap of its frog hand.

"Heh.  Futile," it said with a sneer.  It then raised its sword to the sky and illuminated its unicorn horn.  Suddenly, there was a terrific peal of thunder as the sky darkened.  A powerful blizzard whipped up, and lightning rained down alongside the heavy snow.  Moondancer and Fleur put up their magic barriers to protect themselves from the onslaught while Bon-Bon weaved around the thunderbolts the best she could.  This proved to be even more difficult when pillars of wind erupted from the ground beneath her hooves.

"Jeeze laweeze!  This guy's really pulling out all the stops!" Lyra hollered, straining her voice over the fierce wind.

"That just means we have to do the same, Lyra!" Bon-Bon yelled back.  Suddenly, she heard an all-too-familiar roar to her left.  She turned to see one of the changelings disguised as a bugbear descending upon her, its stinger poised to strike.  She froze dead in her tracks; her pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks; her mind went blank.  But the wave of terror that washed over her body didn't last long.

"I gotcha, Bons!"

Bon-Bon grunted as Lyra tackled her to the ground, out of the bugbear's reach.  As she did so, the strap on Bon-Bon's quiver came loose, and her sleep bolts spilled out all over the snow.  As Bon-Bon stood to collect herself, Lyra folded her ears back and sighed.

"Whoops.  Sorry 'bout that," she muttered.

Bon-Bon took a moment to catch her breath before smiling at Lyra. "You just saved my life, Lyra.  That's nothing to be sorry about," she said. "Now c'mon!  Let's keep going!"

With that, the two continued their advance towards Snatcher, dodging every attack it threw their way to the best of their ability.


***


"This isn't looking good," White Lie growled. "No matter how many we defeat, several more take their place."

"There's simply no end to them," Fleur spat. "Grr, blasted cockroaches."  She suddenly flinched when she realized who was right next to her. "Um, no offense."

"None taken," White Lie assured her.

"I could try and overwhelm them with my quantum projection, but something tells me they'll be expecting that!" said Minuette, blasting a Lyra impostor away with her horn.

"Well, what about that trick you did with Ms. Moondancer?" Fleur suggested.

"I'm too focused on my barrier spell!" Moondancer said in a strained tone. "If I drop it now, Snatcher's spells will hit us unencumbered!"

White Lie knitted its brow as its good eye narrowed. "Well, perhaps we should do something they aren't expecting."

"Do you have something in mind?" inquired Fleur.

White Lie's lips curled into a thin smile. "Let's just say that for all the tabs the Mad Queen kept on me, I doubt she can name even one of the beasts I've sent to Tartarus."

With that, it shifted its form.  In its place stood a large orange salamander.  The snow around it immediately turned to steam, and a ripple of heat emanated from its body.  Moondancer gasped.

"Th-that's an Inferno Salamander!" she exclaimed. "I thought they went extinct during the pre-unification era!"

"And this is why covert operations and scientific discoveries don't mix," Minuette sighed. "Take it from me, Moondancer.  Not all of life's answers can be found in books."

White Lie let out a squeaky rasp as it breathed on the changelings surrounding it.  Though nothing appeared to come from its mouth except a few tiny embers, the changelings withered from the unrelenting heat washing over their bodies.  Their movements became slow and sluggish, and some of them even collapsed from exhaustion.  One changeling tried to strike White Lie from above, but when its hoof touched the salamander's skin, it was set alight.  The unfortunate changeling screamed and flew about, waving its hoof and blowing on it.  The remaining changelings scattered, diverting their attention to Lyra and Bon-Bon.  White Lie then reverted back to its original form and wiped some sweat from its brow.

"Th-that should keep them off of us for a while," it panted. "Now, it's time we settled this."

"Agreed," said Fleur, arching her back. "Stand behind me; I'll clear a path and get us in range."

She then took off at full gallop, forming a magic barrier in front of her as she ran.  After taking a moment to catch its breath, White Lie flew right after her.

"So, what should we do in the meantime?" Moondancer asked Minuette.

"Just keep your eyes open and be ready for anything," said Minuette, watching the battle unfold before her. "Because just between you and me, I don't need to check the time stream to know that this is about to get ugly."

Moondancer arched an eyebrow. "Are things not ugly already?"

Minuette shrugged. "Well, uglier.  Look, you know what I mean."


***


After weaving their way around several bolts of lightning and pillars of wind, Lyra and Bon-Bon found themselves staring at Snatcher's back.  Snatcher itself appeared to be preoccupied, blocking and deflecting the spells White Lie and Fleur launched at it.

"Okay, now what?" asked Lyra.

Bon-Bon's brow crinkled. "Well, I would say that a well-placed sleep bolt might shake its concentration, but we don't have any of those."

"Again, I'm really sorry about that," said Lyra, hanging her head.

Bon-Bon sighed. "It's not your fault, Lyra.  We just need to think of something else, that's a—"

She suddenly trailed off as an epiphany hit her.  She looked down at her ankle brace and noticed a button on the bottom that she had yet to press.  When she tapped it, a small hypodermic needle sprang from the base.  She breathed out a small laugh.

"Always pays to be prepared," she quipped. "Looks like Minuette's little addition is going to be useful after all."

She then slung the grappling hoof from her shoulder and swung it around. "Lyra, cover me!  This is gonna be tricky!"

Before Lyra could ask what was going on, Bon-Bon let her hook fly.  It managed to latch onto Snatcher's sea pony fin, tearing through the skin like tissue paper.  Snatcher let out a pained gasp and turned to see what caused it.  Bon-Bon pulled on the hook with all her might, trying to drag Snatcher down.  Snatcher laughed.

"Marquis Andras was right!  You are clever for a brute!" it chortled. "But as long as you close your mind to the logic of the Ars Goetia, you will never triumph!"

It then flapped its wings and rose into the sky, dragging Bon-Bon with it.  While Bon-Bon dangled from the rope, Snatcher turned its attention back to White Lie and Fleur, its magic barrier still protecting it from their spells.  Bon-Bon quickly shook herself and began climbing up the rope.  As she did this, several changelings taking the shape of bugbears flew towards her.  Lyra scowled.

"Oh no, you don't," she said.  She took a moment to muss up her mane and coat, making it appear that she was wounded.  She then galloped towards the changelings, waving her hooves.

"Guys, guys!" she screamed. "I've got bad news!"

The changelings looked down at Lyra with curious eyes.  Lyra swallowed and cleared her throat.

"Sorry I'm late, fellas.  But, this is an emergency!" she said. "Remember that ambush the archdrone set up a few hours ago?"

The changelings nodded and shrugged.

"W-well, I was part of that," Lyra said. "And when I came to, I saw an entire patrol of Stalliongrad police scaling the mountain!  These ponies are getting reinforcements!  You need to go head them off before they reach the Ars Goetia!"

The changelings took a moment to discuss this amongst themselves.  Lyra's heart pounded a mile a minute, and she wiped some sweat from her brow.  Finally, the changelings shed their disguises and flew away.  Lyra breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled.

"You'd think changelings would know a bluff when they saw one," she said smugly.

This action did not go unnoticed by Snatcher nor Bon-Bon.  As Snatcher continued to block White Lie and Fleur's attacks, it bent its tail and pointed it at Lyra.  The peacock feathers fanned out and began to spark.  The sparks converged on the stingray tail, gathering up magical energy.  Bon-Bon's eyes went wide.

"Lyra!  Look out!" she shrieked.

Lyra looked up, but it was too late.  A blast of purple erupted from Snatcher's stingray tail and soared right at her.  But just as it was about to hit, Lyra disappeared.  In her place, Minuette took the full brunt of the attack, flying several feet before skidding to a stop.

"Minuette!" Moondancer cried, teleporting over to her. "A-are you hurt?"

"N-nah.  I'm not hurt," Minuette grunted. "Because that requires me to feel something.  As it stands, I'm completely numb.  That blast must've been some sort of paralysis spell."

Moondancer sighed and shook her head. "You know, for a theoretical physicist, you can be quite reckless."

Minuette sniggered. "Yeah, well.  Conducting temporal research and protecting my friends are two entirely different things."

Moondancer smiled back and readied her healing spell.  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow sneaking up on her.  Before she could react, the shadow was taken out by a blur of green.  When she turned her head, there was Lyra, standing over an unconscious changeling.  Lyra turned to Minuette and winked.

"Now we're even," she said.

"I suppose we are," said Minuette with a weak laugh. "So, um, does Bon-Bon have a plan?"

"Sure looks like it," said Lyra, looking up at Bon-Bon. "This is all in her hooves now."

She then waved at Bon-Bon, who waved back.  Bon-Bon took a deep breath and continued climbing up the rope.  Inch by inch, she got closer to Snatcher, who was still fending off Fleur and White Lie's attacks.

"Heh heh heh.  Is that all you've got?" Snatcher taunted. "I can keep this up all day!  Oh, and so can the council.  I would never neglect my masters intentionally.  You of all demons should know that, Duke Berith.  Anyway, this is a fight you can't win!  Surrender now and bend the knee to the Ars Goetia!  They are the way to the truth!"

Bon-Bon panted heavily as she clamored up the rope as fast as she could.  Soon enough, she was inches away from Snatcher's body.  She let out a sharp puff of air and readied her hypodermic bayonet.

"Consider your so-called 'truth' debunked, motherbucker!" she bellowed.

Before Snatcher could react, Bon-Bon plunged the hypodermic needle into its side.  Snatcher let out a pained rasp.

"You little bitch!" it snapped, raising its sword. "Y-you'll pay for, um, uhhh..."

A sudden drowsiness overtook it as the sleep toxin did its job.  Even with some of the Ars Goetia screaming orders in its brain, its body simply couldn't respond.

"Now's our chance!" Fleur proclaimed. "Let's put an end to this!"

"Agreed!" White Lie concurred.

The two of them fired their spells one last time, and both of them connected.  Snatcher didn't react to the blast due to its dulled senses, but the Ars Goetia's ethereal screams filled the skies.  Myriad streams of letters floated over to the Lesser Key lying in the snow.  One by one, Snatcher's body parts reverted to their original state.  When its sea pony fin disappeared, Bon-Bon dropped like a stone.

"Hang on, Bons!"

Lyra immediately sprang into action, galloping towards Bon-Bon at top speed.  She stopped in her tracks when Bon-Bon curled herself into a ball and did several somersaults in midair.  She then stuck a perfect landing, although her legs shook slightly.  Lyra quickly rushed to her side and used her magic to steady her.

"H-hey.  Easy there," she said. "Y-you really didn't have to show off like that.  I would've caught you."

Bon-Bon looked up at Lyra and giggled. "I was just following my training, Lyra.  I didn't usually have a spotter during my time at the HUB."

Lyra let out a laugh of her own. "Well, that's all in the past, Bons.  Now, we've got each other."

The two of them shared a big hug.  White Lie's good eye twitched.

"C-counfound it.  Must, resist, feeding off of love," it grumbled. "Wh-where are my candies?"

"Ugh.  Th-that was, odd.  What do you make of this, gentlemen?"

All eyes turned to Snatcher, who had returned to its original state.  It staggered about with reckless abandon, its eyes darting every which way.

"G-gentlemen?  Wh-why are you silent?" it asked drowsily.  It then let out a yawn. "Mmm.  Perhaps you all decided to retire for the evening.  Fair enough, we'll continue this tomorrow.  Meeting, adjourned."

With that, it collapsed into the snow.  Fleur scoffed.

"I'm afraid your council will be heading back to the Royal Canterlot Library where they belong," she huffed.

"Indeed," said Moondancer.  She trotted over to the Lesser Key and scooped it up with her magic.  She stared at the book for a moment before swallowing. "Um, one of you should have this.  I-I'm very tempted to read it."

Minuette snickered as she picked herself up. "Some things never change, do they, Moondancer?" she said. "Here, I've got this."

She took the Lesser Key with her own magic, and Moondancer let out a relieved sigh.

"Th-thank you, Minuette," she said, adjusting her glasses. "I-I mean, I know the dark power the Ars Goetia have, but their wealth of knowledge is still, intriguing."

"Knowledge is only good if you know how to use it properly," said Minuette. "Granted, there's no way to know the Ars Goetia's true intentions.  Maybe they really did want to make the world a better place by spreading knowledge, and they were just misguided by their own hubris."

"Or perhaps they were nothing more than a bunch of pretentious schmucks," White Lie muttered bitterly.

"Yeah, that too," said Minuette, clearing her throat. "Whatever the case may be, it's obvious that no one can wield their power without paying a price."

"Ah, the Karma Constant.  A vital aspect of dark magic," Moondancer mused. "It seems that poor fool Snatcher didn't realize that until it was too late."

Fleur furrowed her brow. "I do have to wonder what'll become of the changeling drones Snatcher managed to convert into its henchmen."

"I wouldn't worry about them too much, Lady de Lis," said White Lie. "The Mad Queen obviously has a vested interest in keeping her subjects in line.  They'll be rounded up and be returned to the hive in due time, assuming they don't flee to Stalliongrad first."

"That's assuming they can find their way through these mountains," said Bon-Bon. "It's very easy to get lost up here."

Lyra's eyes went wide. "Oh, crap baskets.  H-how are we gonna get home?"

"Oy!  You there!"

A gruff voice echoed from below.  Everyone turned to see a group of stallions in uniform hiking up the mountain.  The stallion at the head cleared his throat.

"We're with the Stalliongrad Rescue Patrol," said he. "Several villagers said they saw some unusual activity going on in this region.  Are you all alright?"

Minuette smiled. "Yeah, we're fine.  Just retrieving an overdue book and dishing out some late fees."

The patrol pony raised an eyebrow. "I, beg your pardon?"

"Inside joke," Bon-Bon explained. "For now, we should probably focus on getting back to civilization."  She then looked over at Snatcher. "Oh, and be sure to restrain that changeling over there.  I'm afraid its time wandering these mountains have drove it insane."

"Um, sure.  Of course," said the patrol pony, completely bewildered.  He then noticed White Lie. "And, what of—?"

"It's with us," Fleur interrupted. "I promise you, it's very friendly."

"Indeed," said White Lie with a bow. "Um, incidentally, you wouldn't happen to have any sweets on your person, would you?"

The patrol pony blinked. "Uh, not at present, but I'm sure we can find something once we get back to the village.  Come, this way."

With that, the patrol ponies tied up Snatcher and marched down the mountain with Bon-Bon and the others at their heels.  Bon-Bon leaned against Lyra's shoulder for support, huddling close to her as the wind picked up.  Lyra frowned.

"Hey, uh, you're not gonna zone out on us again, are you?" she inquired.

Bon-Bon looked over at Lyra and gave her a weak smile. "I-I think I'll be alright as long as I'm with you.  Th-thanks for asking."

Lyra smiled back. "Just looking out for my best friend."
> Better Late Than Never
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia sat upon her throne in quiet meditation.  Her horn was encompassed in a radiant gold aura, and the sun just outside the stained glass window was beginning to set.  She let out a content sigh.  She had met with all her delegates and advisors, sifted through all the paperwork she could get to, and had already had tomorrow's to-do list printed up.  All that was left was to lower the sun, have a nice big dinner, and let Luna handle the rest until dawn.

"Your Highness!"

Celestia opened one tentative eye as a guardspony burst through the front door, but it was not enough to disrupt her concentration.  The guardspony cleared his throat.

"Um, a thousand pardons, Your Highness," he said with a bow. "I-I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's quite alright," said Celestia with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "Now, what is this all about?"

"Somepony wishes to have a private audience with you, Your Highness," said the guard. "A Lady Fleur de Lis.  She's being accompanied by a couple of civilians."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Fleur de Lis?  My my," she mused, tapping her chin with her hoof. "What could she want at this hour?"

"I-I can send them away if you're busy," said the guard.

Celestia shook her head. "No need.  I'm sure Luna will pick up the slack once she notices I'm preoccupied.  Please, let them in."

"Yes, Your Highness," said the guard with a bow.

In a matter of moments, Fleur strode in with Moondancer and Minuette at her sides.  Moondancer and Minuette bowed while Fleur gave Celestia a salute.  Celestia chuckled.

"At ease, Lady de Lis," she said. "You're not under my command anymore."

"R-right.  Sorry," said Fleur sheepishly. "Old habits die hard, I suppose.  A-anyway, I've come with some important news."

"Oh?  What might that be?"

Fleur smiled. "See for yourself.  Dr. Colgate, if you would?"

Minuette nodded and illuminated her horn.  From her saddlebag, she produced an ancient-looking tome with several golden engravings of various creatures on the cover.  Celestia's eyes went wide.

"I-I recognize this book," she said. "This is the Lesser Key."

"Indeed it is," said Fleur with a nod.

Princess Celestia pursed her lips and carefully observed the tome. "I don't quite understand.  I was under the impression that it was lost.  How did you find it?"

"I managed to gather some intel about strange occurrences in the mountains of Coltalt, and I took the initiative to organize an expedition based on that intel," Fleur explained.

"And that's not all we found up there," Minuette added. "Remember how a rogue agent freed the bugbear and led to the disbandment of the HUB?"

Celestia furrowed her brow. "Well, of course," she said, looking over at Moondancer. "Um, I take it you know about the HUB?"

"Minuette insisted that I help, so we all had to be on the same page," Moondancer said nervously, adjusting her glasses. "P-please don't be mad at me.  I promise not to tell anypony else."

"It's alright.  I'm not mad," said Celestia gently.  She cleared her throat. "Anyway, what else did you find?"

"None other than the true culprit behind the bugbear's jailbreak," said Fleur, turning to the door. "Guards!  Bring in the prisoner.  And, do be careful."

The guards saluted and obeyed.  In a matter of moments, they dragged in a changeling wrapped up in the confines of a straightjacket.  The changeling's eye was twitching, and it was muttering to itself.

"I-I still can't hear them.  Why can't I hear them?  I could hear them before; why not now?" it wondered aloud. "Maybe they never existed.  But then, do I exist?  President Buer says that it's impossible to prove that reality is real, so to keep ourselves sane, we must pragmatically assert that it is and live our lives as such.  But then, how can we prove that pragmatism is real?  Furthermore, how can we prove that the very concept of proof is real?  And what about concepts in general?  Or generalizations, for that matter?"

Celestia stared blankly at the insane changeling before arching an eyebrow. "Dare I ask what happened?"

"Apparently, the Ars Goetia managed to transfer themselves into this guy's brain," said Minuette. "When we sent them back into the book, it just snapped because it couldn't hear them anymore.  Honestly, it's been rambling like this the entire train ride back to Canterlot.  You would not believe the awkward looks we kept getting."

"No, I think I can imagine what you're talking about," said Celestia.  She then tilted her head. "Um, Lady de Lis?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You said you caught the true culprit who released the bugbear.  What exactly do you mean by that?"

Minuette smirked. "We've saved the best news for last, Your Highness.  Just a second."  She then trotted over to the door and opened it slightly. "Hey.  You can come in now.  It's alright.  Don't be shy."

Another changeling nervously stepped into the throne room, munching on a bag of confectionaries as it shuffled closer.  Celestia recognized the changeling right away, and her eyes glistened.

"Wh-White Lie," she gasped. "Y-you've come back."

White Lie swallowed and knelt before Celestia. "Y-yes, Your Highness.  I-it certainly has been a while, hasn't it?"

"While looking for the Lesser Key, we discovered that Special Agent White Lie had been framed by the hive," said Fleur darkly. "Specifically, this drone Snatcher did the deed."

"There's a hole in the Frozen North that leads directly to Tartarus.  It is three inches wide," Snatcher mumbled.

Fleur cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, it turns out the theft of the Lesser Key was part of a plot to get us to turn against White Lie.  Unfortunately, we all fell for it."

"I must say, much has changed in my absence," said White Lie, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I thought for certain that I would need a disguise, but Ms. Minuette tells me that changeling migrants have been on the rise recently."

"That is correct," said Celestia, giving White Lie a radiant smile. "Although many of them remain loyal to Queen Chrysalis and the changeling hive, you're not the only defector anymore.  In fact, I managed to speak with one during a wedding in Ponyville.  Charming fellow.  I wish I remembered its name, though."

"Although from what I remember, plenty of ponies were still pretty frightened of it," Minuette mused. "We've still got a long way to go."

White Lie nodded and thoughtfully chewed on a piece of chocolate. "I see.  Well, if that's the case, I'd be honored to help bridge the gap between ponies and changelings once more."

"I'm very happy to hear that," said Celestia.  She stepped down from her throne and caressed White Lie's head in her hoof. "And I'm also glad that you're okay.  I honestly had my doubts that you were the culprit behind the jailbreak, but we had nothing else to go on."

"I don't blame you for what happened, Your Highness," said White Lie. "This is what changelings do.  It's in our nature to deceive."

Fleur sighed and shook her head. "No, White Lie.  Most changelings might be like that, but not you.  And, I wish I realized that sooner."

"I've already forgiven you, Lady de Lis.  You don't need to apologize again," said White Lie.  It then chuckled. "You know, now that I hear that more changelings are breaking away from the madness of Queen Chrysalis, I think the Ars Goetia's reasoning is even more silly."

Celestia looked down at White Lie with interest. "The Ars Goetia spoke to you about what happened?"

"I tried to go after the Lesser Key myself in order to redeem myself and clear my name," said White Lie. "But when I found it, they convinced me that Equestrian society had to be punished for Lady de Lis's transgressions.  Thus, I swore allegiance to them and Snatcher."  It then turned to Moondancer and smiled. "In fact, if it wasn't for Ms. Moondancer talking me out of it, I don't know what would've happened to me."

Moondancer blushed and twiddled her hooves. "Um, I-I honestly can't take the credit for that.  I-it was just simple logic.  Anypony could've used it against the Ars Goetia's teachings."

Minuette breathed out a small laugh and shook her head. "I don't think that's true, Moondancer."

Moondancer gave Minuette a puzzled look. "What makes you so certain?"

Minuette laughed again. "Wow, you still don't get it, do you?  Moondancer, you empathized with White Lie on a level none of us could.  You felt its pain because you experienced the same pain.  That kind of understanding was the only thing that would reach White Lie at that point."

Moondancer's face became redder. "I-it wasn't exactly the same, though.  It was similar."

"True, but it was similar enough that you managed to reach it," said Minuette.

"Granted," said Moondancer, shuffling her hooves. "But, you were White Lie's friend, weren't you?"

Minuette's smile faded. "Yeah, but I don't think I could've understood what it was going through like you did.  Heck, I couldn't even understand what you were going through."

Moondancer winced and averted her gaze. "No, Minuette.  That wasn't your fault.  I just, didn't know how to express myself."

"Maybe so, but that's besides the point," said Minuette.  She then walked over and placed a hoof on Moondancer's shoulder. "Remember when you said before that I made friendship look so easy?"

"Um, kinda?"

"Well, I'm not gonna lie and say that it really is that easy.  That's simply not the case.  However, I don't think it's as hard as you make it out to be, either.  After all, you really did us a solid by helping out.  And, I'm really grateful for it."

"If I may interject," said White Lie, clearing its throat. "I may not know your past as extensively as Ms. Minuette, Ms. Moondancer.  However, I'd be delighted if I could call you a friend.  After all, you've already demonstrated that we have a lot in common, even though we came from completely different backgrounds."

Moondancer knitted her brow and placed a hoof to her muzzle.  She then gave Minuette an inquisitive look.  Minuette deadpanned.

"Moondancer, you don't need my approval for every single friendship thing you do," she sighed. "If you wanna be friends with White Lie, go for it."

"R-right.  Sorry," said Moondancer.  She then took White Lie's hoof in hers and smiled. "It'd be my pleasure to become your friend, White Lie."

White Lie smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Moondancer."

Fleur sniffled and dabbed her face with a handkerchief. "A-anyway, Your Highness.  Th-there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"Go ahead," said Celestia, gesturing with her hoof

"Well, since the bugbear's been apprehended and this whole mess has been cleared up, I was wondering if that means the HUB should be reestablished."

Celestia brushed the underside of her chin with her hoof.  After a pause, she grinned. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Lady de Lis.  Ever since the Elements of Harmony have returned, the Hunter's Undercover Bureau has been rendered obsolete."

"But then, what about White Lie?" asked Fleur.

"That'll be for it to decide," said Celestia. "Although we may need a changeling ambassador on standby, should more changeling migrants wish to leave the hive in favor of a more peaceful life in Equestria."

"I can certainly help with that, Your Highness," said White Lie with a bow.

"Heh, I'm sure Bon-Bon would love to hear that," said Minuette. "She's been looking to retire ever since the bugbear was recaptured."

White Lie took a quick look around and tilted its head. "Speaking of which, where are Ms. Drops and Ms. Heartstrings?  I thought they would be with us."

"They had to catch the next train back to Ponyville," said Minuette. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell them the good news next time I'm in town."

Celestia smiled. "In the meantime, I thank you all for bringing this to my attention.  You're welcome to join me for dinner, if you wish."

"O-oh, that's alright," said Moondancer sheepishly. "W-we shouldn't impose."

"Please, I insist," said Celestia. "I would love to hear more about this expedition.  Guards, escort this drone to the dungeons."

"I'm looking at the back of Marquis Shax's head, but I'm speaking to the front of his face," Snatcher muttered. "However, the front of his face is listening to the back of his head, so my head doesn't count.  Is that why I can't hear them?"

It continued spouting off random nonsense as the guards dragged it away.  Celestia then led the other ponies to the dining room.  The only one who looked uncomfortable was Moondancer.

"Th-this is too great an honor," she murmured. "I-I don't think I deserve it."

Minuette snickered and gave Moondancer a pat on the back. "Hey, if it means anything to you, I think you deserve it.  You're a great friend, Moondancer.  And someday, hopefully soon, I'm gonna help you realize that."

A ghost of a smile crossed Moondancer's face. "I, suppose.  Thank you, Minuette."

"No need to thank me," said Minuette with a wink. "That's just what friends are for."


***


Lyra and Bon-Bon managed to find themselves a private car just as the train was pulling out of the station.  They sat next to each other, listening to the train wheel click and clack.  Finally, Lyra looked over at Bon-Bon.

"So, it's all over now, huh?" she said.

Bon-Bon nodded. "Yep."

"You sure there's nothing else?  No other outstanding business your super secret organization had to deal with?"

"Well, the bugbear has been returned to Tartarus, the Lesser Key has been recovered, and White Lie regained its honor.  I think that covers just about everything."

"Well, that's a relief," Lyra sighed.  She paused for a moment. "Um, Bons?"

"Yes?"

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Bon-Bon glanced out the window. "I'm not sure how to answer that, Lyra.  I mean, I thought that moving on was going to be easy.  I thought once I discarded my Sweetie Drops persona, the rest would follow."  She looked down and placed a hoof over her heart. "But, I learned today that it's not going to be that simple."

"What do you mean?" asked Lyra.

Bon-Bon heaved a great sigh. "Well, for one thing, Sweetie Drops and Bon-Bon are not two separate entities.  They're both part of who I am.  It was silly of me to think otherwise."

"But, why did you think that?" said Lyra, rubbing the side of her head.

Bon-Bon bit her lip. "I went through a lot of trauma as an agent of the HUB, Lyra.  There were several instances where I almost lost my life, and those moments stayed with me after the agency was dissolved.  I had better control over it once I moved to Ponyville, but when the bugbear attacked during Cranky and Matilda's wedding, everything just came rushing back."

"And Fleur de Lis only made it worse when she dragged you into this whole fiasco," said Lyra gravely.

"I-it's not her fault, Lyra.  She didn't know," said Bon-Bon. "But anyway, I have a feeling that this isn't over.  Maybe one day, the wind will blow the wrong way or something of that nature, and I'll find myself reliving those moments all over again."  She sniffled and shook her head. "I didn't want you to see that side of me.  I thought it would frighten you, or worse, you'd get hurt."

Lyra closed her eyes and folded her forelegs. "Y'know what, Bons?  I was scared.  I'm a big enough pony to admit that.  But I wasn't scared of you."

Bon-Bon brushed her nose and looked over at Lyra. "Huh?"

"I was scared for you, Bon-Bon," Lyra said earnestly, tears forming in her eyes. "You were in so much pain, and you wouldn't tell me about it.  You wouldn't tell anypony about it."

"I thought it was best if I kept focused," said Bon-Bon, folding her ears back. "That way, I wouldn't worry you."

"Well, it did worry me," said Lyra firmly. "Especially since you kept having those flashbacks.  Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice?"

"I-I just wanted to keep you safe, Lyra."

"And I wanted to make sure you didn't turn into this empty shell of a mare who closed herself off from everypony."

Bon-Bon gasped. "Th-that's really what you thought?  Why didn't you tell me?"

Lyra breathed out a sad scoff. "'Cause I'm a raging hypocrite.  I'm sorry, but that Fleur de Lis girl really got under my skin.  I wanted to prove to her that I didn't have to be a cool secret agent to help, and that meant showing her I could handle myself."

A thin smirk crossed Bon-Bon's face. "Well, you did, didn't you?"

Lyra shrugged. "Eh, a little, I guess.  Not as much as I wanted."  She cast her gaze downward and shed a few tears. "Especially not when that psychopath tried to hold me hostage.  That didn't do anypony any favors."

Bon-Bon frowned. "You're still hung up on that?"

"I-I dunno," Lyra murmured.

Bon-Bon shuffled over to Lyra and placed a hoof on her foreleg. "Lyra, I don't regret choosing you over the Lesser Key.  If it makes you feel better, I'd gladly make that same decision again."

Lyra hiccuped. "R-really?"

"Mmm-hmm," Bon-Bon said with a nod. "I've actually been thinking about it, and honestly, saving you was the best option.  Snatcher thought that once it fled, we'd have no choice but to give up and let it carry out the Ars Goetia's will.  But we still had other options on the table.  We could still go to Princess Celestia or Princess Twilight for help, or we could've interrogated those other drones.  Heck, we could've just combed Coltlat from top to bottom.  The point is that we still had a chance to get the Lesser Key."

She turned away and breathed out a strained sigh. "On the other hoof, there was only one chance to save you.  And I couldn't let that chance slip by.  Especially since, well, you mean so much to me."

She looked back at Lyra, smiling through her tears. "I think you're right, Lyra.  I was wrong to try and hide my pain like I did.  I'm sorry I worried you."

Lyra smiled back and held Bon-Bon close. "I forgive you, Bons.  Just, don't afraid to be open with me.  You're such a sweet, happy pony.  And I want to continue bringing happiness into your life."

"O-okay," Bon-Bon said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And whenever I need help, I'll know that you'll be right there to support me no matter how bad things get.  And I'll do everything in my power to protect you as well."

"Yeah, that kinda goes without saying, Bons," said Lyra with a chuckle.  She then let out a content sigh. "I'm so glad nothing's gonna change between us."

Bon-Bon tilted her head, her lips curling into a coy smile. "Well, nothing substantial, at least."

Lyra blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

"I seem to remember you saying that my secret agent identity had sex appeal," Bon-Bon purred, tracing her hoof along Lyra's stomach.

Lyra gulped, her face turning beet red. "I, um...  Er, uh...  Hoo boy..."

Bon-Bon giggled. "You are so cute when you get all flustered."

"H-hey!  No fair using my stuff against me!" Lyra protested.

Bon-Bon laughed again. "What can I say?  All's fair in love and war."

Lyra couldn't argue with that, nor did she want to.  She simply let out a giggle herself and stared longingly into Bon-Bon's eyes. "I love you, Bon-Bon."

"I love you too, Lyra," Bon-Bon replied.

She then wrapped her hooves around Lyra's barrel.  Lyra caressed her mane with her hoof and held her close.  The two leaned in and pressed their lips against one another just as the train entered a tunnel.  For the first time in a while, Bon-Bon was in complete bliss.  No matter what struggles she had to overcome in the past or the future, she knew with full certainty that it would all turn out okay as long as her best friend was by her side.

There's no doubt about it, she thought. This is the life I want.


The End