Anon's Regiment: M1

>You are Trooper Cream Blender, unicorn of the Equestrian First
>You should have picked tails
>You were thinking of tails, but you changed your mind at the last second
>Because of that indecisiveness, Anonymous has ordered this ghastly autocannon be strapped to you for the entire trip over to the barracks

>At least Trooper and fellow unicorn Indigo Iron isn't gloating, not that there is much to gloat over
>Her back is laden with bags filled to the brim with magical equipment
>You're not sure what many of these things are, less so about how useful they may be
>You just know Anonymous calls them "gadgets"


>Speaking of your alien leader, you look to your fellow pack mule
"Iron?"
>"Yes, Blender?" You watch as she barely moves her head to look at you with that blank expression
>Anypony who hasn't spent a month with this mare would think she's a golem with a blue coat
"Do you think Anon will get us an assignment soon?"
>Indigo (who has more of a denim-blue coat, but at least her mane's a more navy blue) looks back down the massive, ornate hall
>"Advisor Anonymous is running to meet the Princess as we speak. I assume we will know if we have an assignment or not once everypony's back at the barracks."

>Blank expression, boring answer
>She would be so easy to paint
"What I mean is does Celestia think we're ready for one?"
>"I wouldn't know. I'm not Celestia."
>That catches you off guard and you have to giggle at yourself
>So simple, so obvious a blunder
>A month of grueling training has made you conversationally rusty

"Well, I should ask then: do /you/ think we're ready?"
>There are a few seconds of your hooves 'clip-clopping' and the autocannon's wheels rolling over the pristine tiles
>"I believe we're ready for domestic assignments."
>Ms. Discipline notes your puzzled look
>"Escorts, town postings, simple tasks with little to no chance of combat."

>You frown, two parts of your mind going at each other
>On one hoof, none of those assignments have any glory in them worthy of a painting
>On the other, they don't have a high chance of you getting "dirty"
>You respond hesitantly
"I see. Though I'm sure... We could handle ourselves."
>"To a degree. Anonymous has put us through hell this past month."

>Hell, Anon's version of Tartarus, is now a permanent entry in your vocabulary
>You wince at the memories the word brings, of the many different exercises Anon had you all do
>The "Muddy Mile" of obstacles was just the start
>One particular set of drills pitted you, Indigo, and Mild against each other in magic-only fights
>Some were one-on-one duels, others two-on-one endurance tests, and the rest were three-way brawls
>Since the Old Guard unicorns weren't teaching you, you all had to learn on the fly and in the extensive libraries on your own time
>Over time the fights became less awkward
>Faster
>You all started to find a balance of flow and power, then began to learn your own unique sets of spells

>Later on there were fights with you three pitted against everypony else, Anon included
>You lost many times because it was three against eight, but you loved it
>It was one of the few times you had a chance of laying your leader out
>You relished each time he was smacked across the field, or was pulled to the ground from increased gravity
>None of your casts were lethal, but far from benign
>Most of the time, though, after the spell wore off, he quickly pushed himself back up and kept coming at you with a snarl on his flat face

>"Blender?"
>There's that calm look again, juxtaposed to your mental image of Anon
"Sorry. It's just--"
>You pause as you pass a T-junction, glaring at the couple of staring maids who were dusting picture frames and vases
>Now your already loose train of thought has vanished
"Nothing."
>Indigo raises a single eyebrow
>The closest to an expression anypony has gotten out of her

>But then she surprises you
>"Would you like to escort Lady Gisela?"
>You perk up at the name of that adorable little griffon you met in the labratory
"Well I certainly wouldn't mind following her and her 'Greatclaw' around."
>Iron continues to stare forward
>"He seems experienced."
"With all of those scars? Without question. Oh what I would do to get a session with him."
>...
>You snap towards Iron, whose grinning at you
>"A session?"
"A SKETCHING session, you gutter-head!"
>You force yourself to look away, your cheeks flush with embarrassment

>"Being?"
>Gah! That tone!
>One moment she's as blank as can be
>The next she's a teasing school filly!
>No no, Blender, calm down
>Don't get goaded by her
"A simple sit-down and a quick sketching of the face. It's a signature piece of mine, especially of soldiers like him. Sometimes I can paint a whole profile, though most have preferred my sketches."
>"Only soldiers?"
>There's that flat tone, good
"Mostly soldeirs, but there have been a few close family friends that have asked."

>A prideful smile starts to form
"My most famous piece is actually one of our beloved Captain Shining."
>Iron again raises an eyebrow
>"Really?"
"Oh yes, really. Full body and colors. I admit it was more for public relations in Canterlot than anything else, but for my seventeen-year-old self it was the ultimate honor and challenge."
>You look down the hallway, with tall panes of glass on one side and elaborately framed paintings on the other
"I know the Captain had it put up somewhere in here, but sadly I haven't found it yet."
>You then make sure it's just you two trudging along, before beckoning an intrigued Indigo closer
>You whisper
"If you see it, just remember: that rock the Captain has a hoof on? That was actually an overturned bucket we found lying around."
>There's that grin again, more jovial than mischievous
"And then he tripped over it when I was done!"
>Indigo separates from you, smiling
>But just then you heard her chuckling under her breath

>A small victory, and hopefully the first of many

()()()

>"So boring."
>You are Cream Blender, Trooper and Unicorn of the Equestrian First on your first mission
>One that you and fellow Trooper Indigo Iron called in hindsight
>Little Lady Gisela the griffon is sitting from across the first-class train car in the three-pony seat, looking out the window behind her
>Her Greatclaw bodyguard, Gregario, is sitting next to her, ramrod straight and not uttering a word
>Next to him is your alien leader, Anonymous, in a much less dignified position
>"You can take a power nap like everyone else, ma'am." He mumbles, not caring about the rank of the VIP to your annoyance
>Doesn't it hurt to lean your head so far back on the seat?
>His head's almost touching the glass of the train car
>At the same time, his long legs take up most of the already massive isle of the fancy car

>"But it is only ten o'clock!"
>The griffon's prosthetic front legs *clink-clink* as she turns and hops off of her seat onto the red and gold carpet
>Some of the other guardsponies, all of whom are more recovering than napping, lift their heads from their seat cushions
>To be honest, you and Iron had it easy after storing the autocannon to the barracks
>Once a frustrated Anon was *popped* into the room by the Princess, it was just a mad dash to the trash station for you two
>Everypony else was down still in the fields, a stinking mess from the morning drills
>The barracks and those showers were too far away to get to your suddenly-booked train in time
>You figure they just visited the maids and butlers' dorms on their way up
>You hope the ponies cleaning your rooms while you're all away aren't too angry

>"And I had to go to bed at seven o'clock last night so we could go to the lab early!"
>Lady Gisela is now pacing back and forth, intent on ranting
>"Now instead of admiring at all of the wonderful creations of Allie, we are going all around Equestria, on whacky train schedules! Of course we could have gone at a normal time if Father did not have you looking around for a new home all week."
>This makes everypony sans Anonymous, Sepia, and Crete lift their heads, and you lift an eyebrow in confusion
>Lady Gisela ignores all of the staring while glaring at Gregario, still stoic as he tells his charge, "Gissy, you know how important this is for the family."
>Gissy
>Such a cute nickname
>"I knooow," the little one responds, annoyed. "But why must Father send us!? Many of our house and more would do such a chore just for his favor."
>"Father can't trust anyone but us to keep this secret, Gissy, especially not since Gavel left."
>'Gissy' lowers her head, her shoulder sagging
>"I miss him."
>Gregario hesitates before saying, "I miss him too, Gissy, but you'll understand why he left when you're older."
>You can't see her face, but you can tell she's pouting
>"I cannot grow up if you keep calling me that!"
>You catch a hint of a grin on the edge of her bodyguard's beak
>"I'll stop when you stop calling me 'Greg'."

>Gisela ruffles her sandy-colored feathers in frustration, then with a very unladylike grunt begins to pace up and down the car again
>Sepia and Crete simply refuse to acknowledge Lady Gisela as passes them
>The brownish-red and steel grey mares are intent on staying unconscious, their heads propped up by one of the car's sparse tube pillows
>Updraft and Mild are sharing a pillow as well, but both of them eye the back of Lady Gisela's head with annoyance
>They go back to sleep as soon as she turns around

>For some time Lady Gisela paces up and down the train car, with only the clanking of the train's wheels and Levant's heavy snoring providing background noise
>You're sitting here, internally monologuing on everything to pass the time
>Eventually your mind turns to your fellow troopers

>In between you and Levant is Indigo Iron, who's only movements so far on the trip have been her breathing
>You recall her telling how she helped her dad watch her village's cemetery on some nights, but you still can't believe how still this mare can be for so long

>Levant, his coat just a little duller than the green cloth of all of your uniforms' undergarments, has drawn himself over the edge of the soft chair, snoring up a storm
>He still hasn't explained why he joined the Guard even though he's the oldest here, but his experiences of leading a weather team has been immensely valued by Anonymous

>Below the aging Pegasus is Crimson Storm, the wildest of wild cards
>The only time he's calm is when he's asleep, and he must have been flying like mad all morning to be napping for so long

>Next to him are Mild Breeze and Updraft
>In the near two months of training you all have gone through so far, these two have formed a strong team
>You overheard Anonymous talking to nopony about them during an Outing
>"Brutally cunning, cunningly brutal." He muttered from behind the tree...
>Great, you ruined your train of thought with that image

>"What's that?"
>Lady Gisela snaps you out of staring into space to find the filly griffon stopped in front of Anonymous
>Your leader has something hidden in his linked hands
>The surprised look on his face tells you he was lost in thought too
>"Hm? Oh, this?"
>He reveals to Lady Gisela a small, rectangular piece of metal
>It's cracker thin, and much of the front looks to be covered in glass
>"It's a music player. One of the few things I still had on me when I came over here."
>'Here' being a whole 'nother world, but Lady Gisela's too curious about this little device
>She takes a closer look at the thing in Anonymous's hands, asking,
>"How does it play music?"
>"It's a little complicated, but essentially..."
>You watch your leader as he hesitates, looking down at the waiting young griffon, before rubbing the back of his head
>"Let's just say it uses electrical components instead of magic to convert music to storage-able 'data' and vice versa."

>*Beat*

>Lady Gisela is still staring at the music player
>"Can I...?"
>"Oh! Well, sure, but,"
>Anonymous stops his hand, midway into his pants' pocket, before looking over to Gregario
>The bodyguard merely gives him a look, one you can't really read
>Whatever the silent message is, it make your leader chose his next words with exceptional care

>"I'm not sure if my music is anything comparable to yours."
>Another pause, then Lady Gisela tilts her head
>"What?"
>"I mean, what kind of music do you listen to? Orchestral?"
>You watch as the griffon lowers her head as she explains, "Yes. Father tries to take us to the theatre and concerts whenever he can."
>Even with her back facing you, you can tell she's embarrassed somehow
>"And while I was forced to these events in the beginning, I came to like them. I enjoy listening to Grakovsky and Gwenil, though you probably have never heard of them."
>"For now: no, but I'll give them a listen in the future once things in your home calm down."
>Your leader starts to look at Gregario, but stops himself and turns back to Gisela
>"But I have to admit I don't have any music you might enjoy on this."

>The glass on the player flashes in the late morning sun
>You're starting to become curious yourself
>You've seen Anonymous bring this player out before, listening in his bunk on some nights using a pair of extremely small speakers that plug into the device

>Lady Gisela asks, "So what music /do/ you have?"
>There's that look from Gregario again
>Anonymous doesn't see it and presses a button on top of the player, activating the player
>After several presses and flicks of his index finger he brings the player closer to Lady Gisela
>"I've got quite the variety of music here, most of which no one's probably ever heard of. Rock, electronic dance, metal, house, power metal, synthwave... rocktronic. I do have a couple of albums that are orchestral."
>You squint to see the glass screen better, but the scrolling pictures are way too small for you to make out from across the car
>"But these soundtracks, like most of the music here, are pretty intense. It's not the kind of music /I/ would fall asleep to."

>Lady Gisela's little tail idly swings back and forth as she answers, somewhat dejected, "Well, do you have any songs that help you relax?"
>You watch as a smile comes across Anonymous's face, and he quickly starts flicking the device's glass with his finger again
>"Well, in that case, I have to introduce you to Gordon Summer."
>Your leader fishes out the small black speakers from his pockets, with Lady Gisela looking on in curiosity
>"I've fallen asleep to his music when I was little, and while I disagree with him on a few things nowadays, I cannot deny his musical talent."
>He connects the speakers to the player, then holds them up for the little griffon
>Very carefully, she takes one speaker at a time, holding them very delicately between two artificial talons

>As a unicorn, when you concentrate you can sense the very intricate magical incantations working within the metal appendages, managing a level of precision normal prosthetics simply cannot preform
>Even with that, it takes some time for Lady Gisela to set the tiny speakers made specifically for Anonymous's small ears inside her large ones
>But when they are at last in, both Anonymous and Gregario scoot to make room on the couch
>Lady Gisela hops on with a *clink-clink* and takes a seat right beside Gregario
>As soon as she finishes settling in, Anonymous exaggerates in pressing the glass one last time

>For the first few seconds, you watch as Lady Gisela stares downward, trying to listen
>Then she slowly looks up, emerald eyes gradually opening wider
>For a full minute the little griffon stares into space, her beak slackening just a little
>Then, as if at the flick of a switch, Lady Gisela lowers herself down into the couch, eyes slowly closing
>When they finally do, Gregario finds his charge right next to him, curled up into a fluffy ball
>Fast asleep
>Pleased with his success, Anonymous checks his watch before going back to his weird sleeping position with a smile

>And once again the surprise ride, to a city Anonymous still hasn't told you all about, has become peaceful
>...
>You let out the softess of sighs

>Here's to hoping you can be patient enough for this evidently long first mission

()()()

>[Anonymous]: 'Final radio check. Sound off.'
>[Levant]: 'Echo One, check.'
>[Updraft]: 'Echo Two, check.'
>[Crimson Storm]: '...OH! Echo Three, check!'
>[Sepia]: 'Echo Four, check.'
>[Crete]: '(Echo Five, check.)'
>[Stubborn Greens]: 'Echo Six, check!'
>[Stalwart Greens]: '(You don't need to shout.) Echo Seven, check.'
>[Mild Breeze]: 'Echo Eight, check.'
"Echo Nine, check."
>[Indigo Iron]: 'Echo Ten, check.'
>[Anonymous]: '...Golf One?'
>[Gregario]: '*sigh* Golf One...check.'
>[Anonymous]: 'Excellent. Alright, everyone, these next few days are going to be tricky, so be vigilant and communicate often while no one knows that our frequency exists. Echoes Eight, Nine, are you two set with Golfs One and Two?'
>You glance down at Lasy Gisela, looking up and out of the economy window seat at the skyscrapers of Manehatten
>Gregario is in between you two, continuing to fiddle with the nearly-invisible microbead in his ear and by his beak
>Indigo, still right next to you, answers your leader quietly
>"This is Echo Eight: we are ready."
>[Anonymous]: 'Understood. We're pulling into the station now.'
>Like many times before in filyhood, you watch as the train slowly rolls into the pristine, brightly painted station nestled within western Manehatten
>'Now this is for everyone: we may be Guard, sworn and trained to fight, but this is a covert operation. Above all: remember your story and stay in character. Understood?'
Everypony, yourself included, gives a soft affirmative
>'Excellent.'
>The train slows down for the last few meters with a screech of metal against metal
>'Alright, you all know the script.'
There's one final *chuff* of steam
>'Now execute it. Echo Actual out.'

>The train gently drifts to a halt, kudos of the experienced engineers
>That's everypony's cue to grab the few belongings they did not place in the luggage car and start filing out onto the station
>All of the passengers and station goers are familiar with the routine, many of which are traveling sales and business ponies

>None of them so much as glance at the four of you walking onto the patforms
>Everypony is too busy stealing looks at the tall alien that has just emerged from one of the first-class cars
>You note how your leader, garbed in a black business suit, is taking his time in gazing down at the growing number of gawking station-goers
>Surrounded by the rest of the team, Anonymous has his clawless hands planted on his hips as he practices that frown of his, gaining even more attention
>Which allows your small incognito group to swiftly exit the platform, slip through the train station, and enter the bustling streets of Manehatten without a commotion
>Perfect
>You look back to make sure your teammate and VIPs are close enough to hear you over the crowd
>With a smile you ask,
"Are you all ready for lunch?"
>Indigo, volunteering to carry the team's saddlebags, nods once
>Gregario gives a smile and a nod
>Lady Gisela nods vigorously
"I know just the place."

>The city is just like you remember from just over a year ago
>Wading through the dense crowd like navigating a current
>Keeping a close eye on your companions to make sure you are not separated
>Searching for landmarks both high in the skyline and low in the streets
>Only this time it is /you/ leading everypony to a small restaurant
>You have been to this little hole in the wall so many times you can find it in a rainstorm
>Which did come through here one time when you were very young, apparently
>You remember getting very sick back then

>But back to the present: it is only a twenty minute trip from the station to Barley's Bale
>The knick-knacks in the thin window have changed again, this time being clusters of wooden and metal trinkets hung by itchy-looking rope
>You remember a couple of the icons from an Ancient Civilizations class, but most of them are beyond meaning for you
>The wooden green and golden door creaks loud enough to be heard over the crowds both outside and in
>A redundant pair of bells ring on top of the aging door as well
>As the four of you file into the fairly sized dinner, you see a familiar mare working behind the empty and low-lit bar
>Even with the dim light, you cannot recall the earth gal's dusty-brown coat having some white
>Her grey-blonde hair still has its luster though
>Both her hair and tail look unnaturally frizzled as well, but at least her hair is kept together sloppily with a red band
>You could only give her a smile as you head over, everypony else close behind
>Just before you say hello, you tell Indigo and the VIPs to find a secluded table, then you hop up onto a barstool
>Golden Barley sees you out of the corner of her eye, but continues to clean a massive cider mug
>Just like what you have seen with your parents, it is up to you to start the conversation
>Either by ordering a drink or simply saying,
"Hello, Miss."

>The barpony's voice makes her sound perpetually tired
>"Yeah, welc-"
>Her dark yellow eyes meet yours, and you pitifully note the bags under them
>She really is fatigued
>Until she recognizes you
>"Cream?"
>You renew your smile
"It has been a long time, 'Auntie'."

>Your family friend's eyes light up as a smile of her own appears
>"Well I'll be."
>The mug (which looked clean anyway) is forgotten, and Miss Barely starts to push a stool on her side over to you
>"It's been too long for me, Cream. What happened that kept you from visiting ol' Aunt Barely all this time?"
>You grin at the barpony's title, at first given jokingly by your parents
"Well, shall we say little Cream has finally decided on her career."
>Barely, who had started to rummage around under the bar, asked with a muffled voice,
>"Being?"
>You take a deep breath, stealing yourself before answering,
"That of the Guard."

>The whole bar rattles with a *THUNK* and a surprised Barely pops up a moment later, nursing her head
>She has the sense not to shout, but instead whispers harshly,
>"What!?"
>You raise a hoof, staying calm for her sake
"Auntie, it is alright. I have talked this over with Mother and Father."
>Still with a harsh whisper and a scrutinizing glare, "And they agreed?!"
"Auntie, please..."
>You can sense on you the curious eyes of the closest patrons, including your group--
>No, just keep calm, Cream
"They gave me explicit conditions for this position, and I assure you I am not in any danger."
>The barpony keeps her shocked and skeptical look
"...Alright: immediate danger. I would also note that I have been training for two months straight, and I am more than capable of handling myself."
>You feel some pride creeping out of you as you finish that with confidence
>You have no doubt about the "hell" you endured and came out of stronger
>Then you notice Barely glancing at your bare sides, before coming to a pleasant realization
>"I can certainly see that,"
>The mare leans in to slyly whisper, "You lost most of your pudge."
"/All/ of my pudge, thank you very much."
>You divert your attention out into the street, still bustling with ponies, griffons, and the occasional Minotaur
>It's right then the microbead hidden in your ear starts to pick up the rest of the squad's "chatter" after a bout of quiet static

>[Levant]: '...os Two and Eight, scout out the first stop for extra exits. There is more paparazzi tailing us than expected. Over.'
>[Mild Breeze]: 'Echo One, Echo Eight: understood. Moving ahead.'
>[Updraft]: 'Echo Two here: acknowledged. And just to let ya know, One, I was eyein' a flock of Golfs that've been shadowing us since the station. They're on the other side of the street, but they've been makin' sure to keep us in sight. Over.'
>[Levant]: 'Roger that, Two, I'll have an e--'

>*Clink*ing glass snaps you back to Barely, who has just emerged from under the bar with a couple of small glasses and a large bottle of some dark-red beverage
>"Well I can't even imagine the last time you've had a good drink, but you'll have to come back later for it. The best I can give right now is Fruity Punch."
>You look down at the glass in surprise
>How long has it been since you had Auntie's Punch?
>You refused to have it on your last visit, but you cannot remember exactly why
>Something to do with a drinking challenge
>You keep yourself from frowning at the bittersweet memory
"Thank you, Auntie. I am too busy today to be drinking, anyway."
>"Oh? May I pry?"
>While she takes the bottle's neck in her mouth and pours the two of you drinks, you bring up your rehearsed story
"I am simply helping out a couple of visiting friends."
>You look over your shoulder to find your companions in a booth on the other side of the tavern, giving their orders to a sky-blue pegasus
>"I've noticed. Is your lady friend a Guard too?"
>You nod, then take a quick gulp of your own drink
>Celestia, it has been too long since you had punch

"She is, but the two of us are actually off-duty."
>You take another hearty swig
"Ah, have I missed this."
>Barely cannot help but laugh
>"Your favorite drink since fillyhood. I still remember when you came in last year, when Trill over there challenged you to a game of Shots."
>You look to where Auntie was looking, and that pegasus waitress is trotting pass the bar to the kitchen
>She looks to you two and gives a genuine smile
>Then she winks right at you

>When Trill disappears into the kitchen, you take one last detected gulp of your drink
"She still brags about it?"
>Barely shrugs before taking another sip
>"She's challenged other ponies since then, but you're the only one she /reminisces/ about."
>You let out a long sigh, sinking into your forelegs on the bar
>After a pause, you think out loud
"I might as well go back to the others and see what Indigo has ordered for me."
>You start to slide off the barstool, but then perk up
"Thank you for the drink, Auntie, I will pay for it when I pay for lunch."
>Barely gives you a dismissive wave of her hoof
>"Don't worry, Cream. This one's on the house."
>She then leans in with a grin
>"But the food and what you'll get later is on you."

()()()

>You are Advisor Anonymous
>You know you've set it up so that you're the distraction, but goddamn
>Now you have a genuine distaste for the paparazzi
>They are a hive mind with a drive, one that is seemingly omnipresent
>They also LOVE flash photography, and even from behind it's fucking with you and your guards' situational awareness
>The worst part, though, is their sheer numbers
>More than enough to chase both you with your small core group of 'bodyguards' and the team tasked with taking all of the equipment to a certain political-haven hotel
>Even the pegasi team is being harassed by a swarm of flying scoop scavengers
>You're not sure if you can keep to Celestia's carefully planned schedule

>You and your group attempt to evade them three times in thirty minutes
>Three times you simply run into a different group who then stick to you like parasites
>The restaurant at which you're scheduled to have lunch at, one which was personally recommended by Sun Horse, has to discretely let both of your teams in the back entrance (with no questions asked) during your fourth attempt
>This is supplemented with a spectacular distraction by Trooper Storm, the damages from which are definitely taking a chunk out of your own pockets
>But with the reporters and freelancers gawking at a battered and condiment-soaked  Pegasus, you and the rest of your troop are forgotten long enough to disappear from the bustling streets
>Thanks to miss Princess, you had priority with reservations
>And since Celestia liked this place for its offer of privacy, you have access to an entirely separate dining room on the upper floor of the two story building
>Small, dark, and spartan, but it smells nice and is well away from any curious regulars
>You head in without a second thought

>Ten minutes later and here you are, sitting on your butt at the end of a long table, occupied by your core team of four plus the pegasi
>Most are busy wolfing down the moderately expensive vegetarian food
>Greedily so since you personally payed for it all
>If it's like this every lunch you'll have 3 months of work on AJ's farm drained by the end of the week

>The Greens twins are on a ten minute rotation, watching the way to the main dining room though the slightly open door
>They're also waiting for Crimson to make his way inside, hopefully when he slips the vultures
>Attempts to contact his microbead are met with rushing wind and heavy static as he flys between buildings and skirted by the outer range of the radios

>You finally stop listening when your waiter unicorn trots up to Stubborn Greens, followed by another dark red unicorn in a grey suit
>"Hello, Mister Greens. May I?"
>The Guardspone gives the new pony a once over before politely stepping aside, and the two enter the small room
>Passing Updraft and Sepia, both of whom have already eaten their main courses and are dozing off, the waiter and businesspone stop in front of you
>Due to being a little large for the room you don't have a chair to stand up from, so you rise into a kneeling position to face the waiter
>"Mister Anonymous, this is Councilpony Silverlight. I've been told that you were expecting him?"
>You fish inside your pocket for a moment, noting how Silverlight's appropriately silver eyes hunted the room for details
"Yes, I was expecting him. Thanks, Redford."
>Taking out a shiny bit, you flick it over to the waiter, who magically catches it and slips it right into his own pocket in a single move
>"Of course, sir."
>He then goes to trot a single lap around the table, taking empty plates and refilling empty glasses
>Meanwhile you take a small, royally-sealed scroll out of your back pocket
"I'm glad you took time to meet me, Mister Silverlight. Celestia spoke a lot about you."
>And she spoke rather kindly about the pony controlling the main ports of Manhatten
>Even though he's a little full of himself, the Princess trusts him enough to not screw you and your team over
>Siverlight's little grin gives you a hint of his ego
>"Well, when you take an already wonderful port and turn it into a center of world-wide trade, important figures tend to take notice."
"Which is why she's offering a helping hand-and hoof."
>You give the unicorn the scroll, of which he deftly unrolls and speed reads
>He learns of the details for your 'first' assignment
>It came to Celestia's attention recently that certain unsavory Griffon parties are attempting to gain a foothold here in Equestria
>One of them involves the niche black markets here in Manehatten, using a few out of the hundred or so warehouses in the port to smuggle contraband
>Informants have told High C the location of one such stash, though all they reported about this stash is that it was "extremely volitile"
>The Councilpony nods to himself as he puts two and two together, choosing his next words carefully
>"Well, any help from the Princess is surely welcomed by me. While we must tolerate... a certain level of illegal commerce for the sake of stability, it has indeed been getting out of hoof in these past couple of months, especially with the specific type of of contraband we've been catching."
"Like what?"
>The unicorn takes a deep breath before leaning in and softly answering, "Spell Tomes."
>You can actually hear the capital letters, before touching upon a memory
"Spell Tomes? Arn't they related to Curse Tomes?"
>Silverlight leans back out, relaxing as he explains, "Those are a derivative of Spell Tomes, and let's hope these griffons have nothing like those. Thankfully we have /most/ of all known Curse Tomes locked away in the Canterlot Library."

>A panting Crimson Storm wobbles his way inside
>Waiter Redford quickly excuses himself to fetch the pegasus's meal from the kitchen, but not before leaving the poor kid a tall glass of ice water
>Taking a moment after sitting down to catch his breath, Storm then chugs down the entire glass in seconds
>With that done with, the pegasus rests his head on the table and falls asleep right then and there
>All of you wait and stare at him for a few more seconds before resuming your hushed conversations

"So we have griffons smuggling Spell Tomes out of Manehatten, correct?"
>"Among other things, yes"
"Do you know why?"
>Silverlight shrugs, "My guess? They're giving the goods to the Rebel Houses in the Griffon Kingdom. From what I know a Tome's use depends on what spells are contained within it, which vary wildly, but I'm sure there are a lot of spells that can help in a battle in some way."
>The unicorn glances sideways at one of your pony's helmets
>"The Loyalist houses have kept their trading with us fair and square, even in their current state, but we have mostly traded mundane goods and raw material."
>Redford quietly enters again, setting Trooper Storm's grilled veggie sandwich with a side of honey-baked carrots by him along with another tall glass
>The waiter also sets by Silverlight a glass goblet of a dark-cherry liquid
>Fruity pseudo-wine by the smell of it
>Silverlight quickly thanks "Roony" before taking a long drink
>"*Ah* Now this is just my opinion, but the Rebel Houses have been very crafty in their war making. These Tomes are just one of many tricks they've been stuffing in their fur- ah, feathers. If the Loyalists don't get their act together, then they'll be on the backhoof for the entire war."
>There's a long pause, due to you just thinking about that last statement
>In these months of training, you haven't been able to follow the news
>Even when you've talked to Celestia, her sister, their many aides, or Captain Shining, it was small talk if it wasn't related to training
>None of the newspapers talked about the overseas conflict too, once the initial battles were over
>But you had found essays written by a retired Guard that talked about how the griffons' "honor bound" style of warfare evolved over time, and how it could further evolve with new technologies
>You still need more info
"The Loyalists are still fighting conventionally?"
>Another sip, "At first, of course, but then they got their tooshies kicked in the Grainial Mountains, and then in the Grainial plains the day after. From what I've been told, the Rebels have taken 'maneuver warfare' to a whole new extreme, and it's been driving the Loyalist generals mad."
"Hmm, do the griffons running this smuggling ring act like soldiers?"

>Redford answers this time, "Not soldiers, but sailors."
>You raise an eyebrow at the waiter, but Silverlight simply nods
>Keeping a professional posture, but with a small grin, the unicorn waiter tells you, "A couple have been regulars for the past few weeks, during late hours. They always order at least two pints of Gotuq Ale each, and they always complain about their work, /loudly/."
>The Councilpony lets out a small chuckle, then glances up at me, "Remember to keep tipping your waiter, Advisor, else they'll remember what they hear."
>You give the two of them a humorless smile
"I'll make sure to do that."

()()()

>You are Trooper Cream Blender of the Equestrian First
>Traveling around the immediate countryside to scout out mansions while looking after your charge took a lot out of you
>Periodically, you had to stop and remind yourself of what conditions your mind was supposed to be set in
>"Condition Yellow" and "Condition Orange" as Anonymous has taught you
>An interesting way to name states of alertness, but your alien leader was adamant in "hammering these four colorful conditions into all of your colorful heads"
>Obviously you still have yet to set your mind fully to these levels of alertness, but others caught onto the concept without trouble
>It turns out your teammate and fellow unicorn Indigo Iron has been in Condition Yellow ever since she received her cutie mark
>Quite fitting for bulky metal binoculars
>"Check left. I'll check right."
>You nod as your small group of four approach the T section
>Expensive electric bulbs keep the windowless hallway lit, albeit in a rather sickly yellow
>Combined with the dark cherry woodwork and black carpet, it could be hard to pick out some ponies with dark coats at first-
>...
>Did you just have a...ah! What was that term Anonymous used?!
>Tactical observation?

>"Clear right."
>Oh hell, you almost stepped out into the open
>You freeze in place before slowly peeking through your head around your corner
>An eye-blink later you quietly call out,
"Two ponies."
>Three steady breaths later, and you note the uneasy sway in the earth mare's stance
>The way the unicorn stallion struggles with his own magic to get his room keys into the deadbolt
>The bubbly smile on both of their faces
"Both inebriated."
>"Okay, our room number is six hundred sixty seven. This way."
>You look behind yourself one last time, past Greatclaw Gregario and your charge, Little Lady Gisela, to find nopony coming up behind you
>With the hotel hallway clear, Indigo leads the way, with you bringing up the rear

>As you cautiously head towards a momentary respite from strangers' eyes, your mind leans back towards the conditions
>Those "civvies" were definitely in Condition White, maybe even worse
>"They would hardly react to danger even if it stared them in the face."
>When you first thought about it, over a month ago after Anonymous's lecture, you quickly realized you have been in Condition White for most of your life
>Most of your family was in Condition White many a time too
>Hell, most of Equestria is probably in this condition
>For a good reason, you would like to argue

>"Here"
>With the keys the receptionist gave her, Iron inserts the key as smoothly as she can with her levitation spell
>The Guardsmare then pauses for a tense moment, with you ready by her side, then quickly unlocks the door and swings it wide open
>Nothing on the other side, except for a comfy and very expensive suite
>You ignore the fanciful sight and take point, your horn lighting every nook and cranny in a bright light
>Thirty seconds of searching the suite, the bathroom, and two bedrooms reveal nothing out of the ordinary
>You take another ten seconds of "scanning" for any spells lingering in the walls
>Nothing
>You finally close your eyes and take a deep breath, softly sighing relief as you enter the main suite and take in the ascetics

>It is about on par with what your family might stay in for a stop on the way to a vacation spot
>The carpet is thick
>The couches are almost "poofy", the pillows littering them extra so
>The wooden and glass furniture is in a style you remember seeing along the coast
>What really catches your attention is the color scheme
>A lot of the suite is in shades of blue
>Sure it has tan accents, like the couches and drapes, but some small part of you  is joking about this room being meant for Indigo Iron

>As you turn on the few lamps in the main room, Gregario and Gisela are ushered inside before the other unicorn shuts the heavy wooden door
>While Iron takes her time with the five different sets of locks, you watch Gisela as she hurriedly leaps up onto one of the many sofas lining the room
>Sinking into the wierdly-textured cushions, she stretches out her undoubtedly aching hind legs, her talons somehow not ripping up the fabric
>With a massive yawn, the little young one plops down and curls up into a signature ball of feathers
>Meanwhile, Gisela's bodyguard begins his own inspection of the suite
>You note his appraising look
>He quietly muses,
>"Hm, this all looks to be from Greetix's home."
>He makes his way to the massive single window that dominated the room, opening the drapes just enough to stick his head through
>While Indigo preforms a magical inspection of her own, you walk over to Gregario
"Greetix?"
>The Greatclaw gives you a knowing smile, "Another good friend of my family and I. He has a home by the port city he runs."
>The smile becomes a cheeky grin, "Also named Greetix."

>You have to smile at that
"You seem to have a lot of friends in high places, Mister Gregario."
>You catch, for an instant, the veteran griffon staring past you
>Then the Greatclaw chuckles, "/Mister Gregario/, there's a title I haven't heard in a long time."
>You hesitate to ask, but before you could the griffon answers again
>"But yes, I do have many friends in high places. It's a shame I won't be seeing them anytime soon,"
>He lowers his voice to a faint whisper,
>"Not with the Rogue Houses bearing down on them."

>You pause with the shift in mood
>Now you remember reading about the start of the Griffon Empire's civil war two months ago
>It was the final morning you had with Mother and Father before leaving
"I am sorry. I have not heard anything since I started training. How bad has it become?"
>The Greatclaw takes a long look out of the window
>While your floor is not high enough to see the Manehatten skyline, you are given an impressive view high above a major street, bustling with activity in the late summer evening
>"Bad enough that /all/ of the Loyal Families are seeking refuge in Equestria, not just ours."
>The griffon turns to you with a grim smile, the golden light from Celestia’s setting sun bringing out old scars on his face
>You have to stop yourself from admiring the grizzled visage

>"And of course it doesn't help that enemy spies know that as well, hence my secrecy in searching. We haven’t even told the Princess about our true intentions of being away from Canterlot; after being stuck in that castle for two whole months."
> That raises your brow, and Gregario raises a paw in response
>"I figured you would be surprised, so hear me out. Celestia, bless her venerable soul, would never let the two of us hunt for houses if she knew we were looking. She would have her own staff do the work and we /know/ there are ponies who are working for the rogues."
>That throws you for a loop
"What? But, how do you know that?"
>Gregario lowers his gaze and whispers in a low growl, directed at no one
>"I learned it the hard way."

>Morbid Curiosity, out of nowhere, takes control of you mouth long enough to whisper,
"What happened?"
>Now it's Gregario's turn to raise an eyebrow, surprised
>You slowly pull away your hoof, which had just clamped itself over your damn mouth
"I-I am sorry, I did not mean to ask-"
>"It's alright."
>The Greatclaw takes a slow, deep breath before quietly telling you,
>"It's better you knew how this war started out."
>Slowly, you sit down on the soft carpet
>Gregario follows suit, but then takes another look at the sleeping form of his charge, across the big room
>Even though she's fast asleep, the older griffon leans in to whisper

>"Gavel was a fellow Greatclaw. He and I were friends ever since we were inducted into the King's Royal Army. We made a good team; Gavel had the strategy and magic and I had pure battle prowess. While I practiced in the field, he was in the library reading about history, magic, and anything else he fancied.
>But as the years dragged on, when we found ourselves as tutors for another friend's children, Gavel became distant from me and our Royal Families. He started to stay with the leaders of other houses during gatherings and ceremonies; he started hanging out with the leaders of the now rebellious houses, coincidentally.
>We saw him less and less. Lady Gisela, along with her older brothers and sisters, were missing him. He taught them all so much with written word, whereas I coached them in physique."
>The griffon tiredly lowered his head, glancing again at the fledgling
>"None of them liked me at first. I was the mean coach who didn't fear using his loud voice. I pushed them to their limits nearly every day for two whole years. They had to attend my classes, as per their parent's wishes, but Gavel was much more accommodating and understanding whenever he was around."
>The Greatclaw stares solemnly out at the slow sunset, the golden light now turning to shades of red
>"Gavel disappeared completely a month before the war started. No one could find him, even when our High Lady Gertrude used her web of contacts."
>Gregario pauses, and you catch anger flashing across his face
>"He...showed up in the morning, in the fields where I trained Lady Gertrude's children. He was talking to Gustaw, one of her twin sons, who came out early."
>The griffon shakes his head
>"Gavel was a second father to the boy. The two could talk and debate for hours. When Gustaw saw his favorite teacher, he ran right up to him."
>This time the angry scowl remains
>"He didn't care about the warband emerging from the woods. I raised the alarm, of course, then went out to confront him. He-"

>Now Gregario is staring into nothingness, struggling to keep his voice to a whisper
>"I don't know what happened in that month, but whatever happened had changed him. He wasn't the Gavel I knew. His only response for me was 'It's not your time, dear Gregori.'"
>The Greatclaw shuttered, ruffling his greying feathers
>"He said it in such a voice no loving being should use. I couldn't react when he pointed his talon at me and casted a teleportation spell just like that."
>Only now do you notice Indigo Iron sitting next to you, her face expressionless as always
>"I found myself many leagues away from our home. By the time I flew back, the battle was over. Half of the house was on fire. So many of the staff were killed, needlessly."
>Enlarged and sharpened talons grip the carpet, slowly shredding it
>"Gustaw was gone; his family was panicking until I told them what happened."
>The claws relax, but the talons now have tufts of carpeting in them
>"Things moved quickly after that. We learned that the soldiers who attacked us were from all of the Rogue Houses. We were about ready to begin building temporary shelters when word came of several more royal homes being attacked."
>Finished, Gregario turned fully to you with a weathered gaze
>You are still too stunned to respond at all, and Indigo is not saying anything, so he takes a deep breath and whispers,
>"And that was the start of our little civil war."

()()()

>The four of you go to Barley's again for breakfast
>You insist that while her husband's dinners are good, Pine's pancakes are godly
>Besides, Anonymous gave you a hefty bag of bits to spend while away from the team, so you may as well use it
>And with only a few older ponies sprinkled around the room, privacy and a fast breakfast are a guarantee
>Unfortunately a certain small, sage green unicorn joins you at the table
>No jingle of bells at the door, no clacking of silver armor
>Just the scooting of a chair and a quiet,
>"Hello every/one/."

>If you did not just bite into your first syrup drenched pancake you would have taken a stressful deep breath
>Instead you can only glare at the miscreant as he innocently talks to Gregario next to him
>You notice his horn glowing faintly
>"Echo Actual sends his regards. He hopes you're getting closer to finding the right place."
>The Greatclaw, cutting up his own flapjacks with a single, quick talon (and yet not leaving a single scratch on the plate) replies evenly,
>"Indeed we are. The last house I've scheduled for today may prove to be the one. I will contact Actual if that changes."
>"Well, about that. It seems Actual, along with the rest of the team, will be busy all day prepping for quite the 'party' tonight. But don't worry: if you need to send a message you can contact either me or Updraft, the two of us will be rotating in-and-out for shadowing you."

>Failing to enjoy your first taste of darn good pancakes in over a year, you cut in
"You're following us around all day?"
>Mild shrugs
>"Well out of sight, mind you. We wouldn't want to have somepony connecting the dots between all of us now."
>Gisela, having devoured two of her four small flapjacks already, butts in,
>"But you're sitting with us now."
>With a grin the unicorn points to his dimly-lit horn
>"Illusions, my little lady. Just a little bit of carefully-applied magic can work wonders in making you inconspicuous."
>"Inconspek- Inconspicuous?"
>Mild smiles
>"Anypony who would see me will see just another pony, not a peculiar member of a green alien's bodyguard."


>You finish pancake number one and start on your second when a burst of static from your microbead startles you all
>You reflexively bump into the table with a *CLANG* of silverware
>Mild's horn immediately glows brighter
>You feel something like a light piece of plastic wrap lay all over your body as all of the dozen other patrons turn towards you
>However, they all turn away after only a second, continuing their own conversations
>When Mild relaxes from this lack of reaction, you can see he is trying not to gasp loudly
>"Problem is... gotta give more energy... when there's more attention. Gotta cover you guys too."
>A single pang of guilt hits you
>You were not prepared for the emotional blow so you mutter
"Sorry. Here."
>You magically slide your plate over, carrying your last and untouched pancake
>Mild looks just as surprised from the offer as you are
>"Oh. Why, thank you."

>As he gets his breath back your microbead activates again, but instead of static Updraft quietly (thank Celestia) asks,
>[Updraft]: 'Did ya get that, Eight?'
>Mild whispers,
>"Negative, Two."
>[Updraft]: 'Well Actual called. He and the rest of the team are gonna be attending some important press conference within the hour, and almost every reporter in the city should be there. If the away team wants to get going with minimal fuss, then now's a good time, over.
>"Understood. Meet you outside, Eight out."
>The little green infiltrator looks to you and Iron
>"You heard that, right?"
"Mhmm. We shall go as soon as we pay, and clean up of course. We should leave as little waste as possible."
>You nod towards the pancake
>Mild looks down at the generous offering before stating,
>"But, I ate alread-"
"Mild, for once I will be blunt: Eat the darned pancake. You will like it. Trust me."
>The unicorn makes a few very quick, very subtle expressions, before getting a fit of the giggles
>"Okay, Cream. I'll trust you over a pancake."

()()()

>More of the day is spent traveling to the houses than touring them

>Gregario is looking for remote locations, which are not plentiful near the coast
>And the house just has to be at least three floors, not including the basement
>All of them are old and most are falling apart, at least according to Gregario's observations
>You could guess that is why they are up for sale
>Lady Gisela whispers to the lot of you that they all might be haunted too
>While you laugh it off, Gregario surprises you by looking away from his charge with a frown

()()()

>The train is empty enough during lunch for Updraft to join you all
>You allow it since the Pegasus is so much more up front with what he thinks than his partner in crime
>And what does he think right now?
>Gregario is "one cool dude"
>You can tell the Greatclaw is a little annoyed with the thrill seeking pony, but he is certainly willing to tell your fellow inexperienced recruit stories about his time in the King's Army

>Lady Gisela walks over to you and Iron's end of the empty car, clearly tired of hearing tales she has heard too many times
>With a small 'Hup!' the fledgling hops up onto the space between the two of you
>She makes sure to sit up high with her beak upturned before whispering contently,
>"Greg and his 'war stories'. Hmph! If he can tell someone other than myself for a change, then that is fine with me."
>Gisela looks to the both of you
>"I don't suppose either of you have any stories of your own?"
>You and Indigo look at each other, with you giving a shrug
"Our apologies, but we do not have any stories like his, Lady Gisela."
>"Hmm."
>The girl looks down at the floor at first, then moves her gaze over to you
>More specifically: your flank
>"How did you get those?"
"Our cutie marks?"
>"Yes. I heard that there is always a story behind each one."

>You find your hoof pressing into your chest as you clench your jaw, remembering that day
"Well, a decent amount of those stories are rather personal."
>The little griffin tilts her head in confusion, giving your heart a little stab
>"But I thought ponies got their cutie marks when they helped others."
>You catch Indigo raising an eyebrow for a moment, before she explains,
>"Cutie marks appear whenever somepony finds their special talent, though preforming such talents is usually when they help others out."
>"Oh. So, what /is/ your special talent, then?"
>Indigo stares at Gisela for a solid five seconds, before blinking
>"I can stand watch, all night, and catch anything that tries to sneak past me."
>Lady Gisela looks down at Indigo's cutie mark: the binoculars on top of a bluish steel wall
>"So you stayed up all night and caught something? That can't be everything to it, can't it?"
>To be honest you were curious too, even though you yourself would rather not tell your story
>Indigo looks to the side for a moment, probably thinking how the train would still take another hour to reach your next house on the list, before taking a deep breath

>"My father works the night shift for my town's cemetery. The place itself is quiet, but it's on the northern border of the Everfree Forest. Do you know about the Everfree?"
>"It's big, it's untamed, and there are lots of nasty monsters living in it?"
>"Correct. A few times every month, we would have encounters on the outskirts. Most of the time they were just creatures that came out of the woods for many reasons and were shoo'ed away without too much trouble. One night, though, when my father was moving spare tombstones, grave robbers emerged from the forest."
>You were privy enough of Indigo and her style of fighting to know where this is going, but Lady Gisela starts to turn her full attention towards the blue unicorn
>"We had a cockatrice problem two days prior, so I was watching the woods from slits in a small shack we had on a corner of the cemetery. It was around two in the morning when I saw a mound of dirt traveling from the forest to our cemetery.
>I had no idea what it was, so I waited until it came right up to the wall. It turned out to be diamond dogs that dug under the wall and popped out on the other side. I had never dealt with diamond dogs before and the only really powerful spell I knew at the time was a shield, but when this trio went to one of the raised tombs and tried to open it, I-"
>Indigo glances down in hesitance with those dark-grey eyes of hers
>Her lips part as her jaw slackens
>It is the most expressive you have seen her be
>"I fought them long enough for my father to get there, and he drove them back into the forest."
>Indigo's usual stoic expression returns, but Lady Gisela again tilts her head in confusion
>"You fought the diamond dogs with just a shield spell?"
>"Yes."
>"How did you do that? Whenever Greg tells his stories he makes sure to tell us how he fought. He spent a lot of time on that."
>Indigo stares down at her for another long second before explaining,
>"A shield spell is just setting up a barrier, though I've shaped it into a number of shield types. A lot of those buried in our cemetery had a coat of arms, you see. With a magical barrier, though, your reach is as far as you can see. The problem is your shield gets weaker as you project it farther from you or when you make it larger. At the time I could only project a strong shield a couple of meters in front of me, so I-"
>Your fellow unicorn looks down again, only now you see a hint of an embarrassed blush
>"I charged up from behind and the three of them were busy picking the tomb's lock. When i got close enough, I started by bashing them sideways and away from the tomb.
I screamed at them to get away, calling them every name my teenage self could think of, though that was all just to alert my father."
>That blush remains, and you can understand since you have /never/ heard her scream obscenities
>Her parade voice does not count, but even during her endurance exercises she never cursed or screamed in anger
>"The diamond dogs were startled enough when I surprised them, but they then tried to get around me. They must've thought they were close to getting in the tomb and only needed a few more seconds. It was tricky for a minute, with them going many ways or one trying to pin me down, but I kept my cool and in the end my Dad drove them off with nothing looted.
>When I told him what happened, my dad was a little mad at how I just charged right at the diamond dogs, but then he noticed that my cutie mark appeared. He let me join the town watch the next day."
>Indigo gives Lady Gisela a smile
>"It's been about five years since and nothing has gotten past me."

()()()

>The sun is hanging low in the sky when you all arrive at the final house
>Shadows from the surrounding pines stretch all the way across the wide open hill that the four-story mansion rests on
>The dark wooden facade, dominance of acute angles, and multitude of windows with their curtains drawn shut gives you a foreboding vibe despite the beautiful backdrop of the sky slowly changing from a vast blue to a hot orange/pink
>The realtor, an old earth pony whose greying coat matches the dark wood of the house, walks past the four of you
>You have already stopped listening five minutes ago when he mentioned how picturesque the mansion looked from the gates a hundred meters back
>You would only paint this scene if you wanted to contribute to a horror exhibit
>The half-hour of treading through the dense and dark pine forest that surrounds this place was already rough on your nerves

>At least you can revel in the fact that Mild and Updraft have to stalk through the actual forest, keeping away from the trails
>However, the scrappy green unicorn grew up on the southwestern border of the Everfree and he claimed to have made many solo trips inside
>You wanted to think he was merely full of it when he told you this, but apparently one of his deepest excursions was when he got his cutie mark
>The blue silhouette of a three-serrated-leaf plant, at least according to him, should tell you that he is not to be messed with when he is in his element
>And Updraft, well he can fly
>Oh well, it means you do not have to worry about them getting lost, with you having to find them before twilight passes

>Your train of thought stops when your party gets to the front door, elevated with a large front porch on smooth grey stone
>The relator opens the double doors made of polished ebony, proclaiming,
>"I assure you, the current owners have taken immaculate care of this home."
>As Gregario and Lady Gisela follow him in, with Indigo behind them, you look out at the open, finely cut field
>You start to scan the treeline, even though you are sure you will not spot either of your sanctioned stalkers
>Despite their deceptive demeanor, you trust them as fellow guardsponies to warn you of approaching threats
>Should anything happen inside, it would take a solid minute to gallop across this field from any direction
>Though Updraft could clear it in under a quarter of that

>With one last look at the darkening sky and a deep breath, you turn around and head inside the mansion

()()()

>You are Lady Gisela Grenauvon, youngest daughter of Gereon and Gertruda Grenauvon
>This house is your home away from home
>How it looks reminds you so much of your old house, with the dark colors and pointy corners
>Even the furniture inside looks like it all came from the same workshops
>As the group moves through the first room, with winding stairs leading to a second floor hallway ands doors everywhere, you check along the baseboards

>Miss Iron walks up from behind, asking quietly,
>"What are you looking for, ma'am?"
>You whisper back,
"Hidey holes. They were all over my house."
>And you knew them well
>You helped your sisters hide when your home was attacked, though it didn't help when those thugs set the house on fire

>Greg notices you looking
>"Gissy?"
"Ah-ha!"

>You push in between the thin breaks in the wall, revealing a small top-hinged entrance
>The hinge is hidden behind a tall table topped with knick knacks and a small statue of an oily blue crow
>"Yes, the owners were peculiar in having a secret network installed during construction. They don't even show up on the blueprints."
>After a pause, Greg responds plainly,
>"How kind of them. About the owners: they're from Gormandy, right?"

>As the two talk about the owners' origins, you take a quick look inside the tunnel
>Small enough that Greg can't fit, but very neat and tidy with soft carpeting on the floor and hardwood for the walls and ceiling
>There's even a thin strip of magical light tape attached to the left wall, so you don't have to bring a candle with you
>The tunnel turns away squarely after only a meter, so who knows where this one leads?
>So many possibilities...

>"Lady Gisela, come on. We're going to the bedrooms now."

()()()

>You are Updraft
>Coolest member of the Equestrian first
>Not the toughest, that goes to Crimson and that thick skull of his
>Not the smartest, that goes to Sepia and that photographic memory of hers
>Maybe not even the handsomest stallion, you're vying with Mild on that
>But it's ultimately the ladies who will decide that and sadly none of them have commented on it yet
>Though Cream Blender openly despises Mild's "innocent" smile, so ha!

>Speaking of Firebrand, Echo Nine entered the giant creepy mansion about ten minutes ago
>You have no clue why griffons like this kind of sharp and pointy architecture
>"We like sharp and pointy things." explained one of your griffon friends back in flight school
>You still don't get it

>"Up."
>You look over your shoulder to find Mild walking around one of the thousands of pine trunks in this dark forest, dry orange needles cracking under his hoof falls
>His coat really makes him blend in well with the live pines
>Your sandy coat and sky-blue mowhawk really stand out here
>Oh well, your boss Anonymous doesn't expect stealth from you
"Mild."
>You resume looking around the mansion, which didn't change in the four seconds you weren't looking
>Echo Eight walks up and casually brushes away the needles around you with his magic before sitting beside you
>"Anything happen while I was gone?"
"Nah, no pony was following us on the trains. No pony's in this forest with us, either. The only other soul I've seen is that ancient relator, and he met our girls just outside the forest."
>Mild takes in a deep breath as you give your report
>"Right, now we just have to be done with this place and get back to Manehatten."
"How's the rest of the team? They're still doing that raid tonight?"
>"Yep. Anon's busy as all hell getting everything together. The police chief's taken a liking to him, though, so at least the ones running the show are taking us seriously."
"Yeah, 'sucks we're babysitting instead of helping them all out."
>The small unicorn gives your shoulder a light jab
>"Don't worry, Up. We'll get some action soon enough, especially if our team does well tonight."
"Yeah."

>That doubtful feeling remains, at least until you remember something
"Hey, weren't we planning something with that Pinkie Pie girl a few days ago?"
>You look over to see Mild shrug with a frown
>"It wasn't going anywhere since Ms. Pie just wanted to throw a party for Captain Shining. Anon was thinking of something that would give our big boss something to think about."
>You shake your head before looking back at the house
"Darn, I wouldn't mind helping her throw a party."
>You don't have to look to tell Mild has an eyebrow raised as high as it can go
>"Dude, she had a flipping auto cannon; an auto cannon the twins used to shoot you out of the sky, several times."
"Yeah? Just imagine the kinda stuff she could pull off if she had help."
>You don't bother wiping off your stupid grin, which makes Mild sigh deeply
>"You're such a thrill junkie."
"And you're so 'Mild'."
>The air suddenly cools
>Really cools
>Like what it'll be when autumn rolls around
>You take a deep breath as a shiver runs down your spine
"Okay, Breeze, I'm sorry if that pun got to you."

>Mild answers in an anxious tone, "That's not me, Up."
>You look at your partner and he too is shivering, his breath frosting and his horn /not/ glowing
>Uh-oh
>You look around your immediate position, but see nothing amiss within the darkening trees
>You scan the field and treeline, but still nothing has changed, not even a swift wind going through the field
"See anything?"
>"Nothing, but it's definitely magic. I'll look for the source."
>Mild's horn lights up as your buddy closes his eyes to concentrate
"It can't be the girls, right?"
>"No, this isn't their magic I'm sensing."
>You start scanning everywhere around the mansion again
"Well somepony has to have started some big spell if we're feeling it and not seeing-"
>A bright blue light shines from a second-story window

>"AAH!"
>You snap your head back to see your friend prostrated beside you, twitching violently
"Mild! What's happening?!"
>You grab him by his sides and try to pull him up onto his hooves, but Mild's lean muscles are spazzing out
>Like he's being electrocuted
>Fear grips your chest hard as you try to find out what the hell's happening
>As your roll him onto his side he stutters out,
>"It-It's-"
"Mild?!"
>When you raise his head you can see his wide blue eyes staring straight ahead
>"The house."

>You look back and regret it immediately
>The colors of the mansion are literally draining away to the ground, where the grass is starting to die
>The air surrounding the house is emitting this bluesh, purplish glow that's getting stronger as twilight sets in
>But above all of that, you're getting this very unnatural feeling of dread
>Like realizing that a predator's cornered you
>You can almost hear a howl from somewhere far behind you
"What the hell?"
>Only one spell has your friend out of action with you set to bolt
“What kind of messed up magic is this?”
>Mild finally regains control of his muscles and presses a hoof against your chest, huffing out,
>”It’s not magic."
>*huff*
>"Not our kind of magic.”
"What? Oh hell, and everypony's in there!"

>You finally remember your microbead and let Mild down before activating it,
"Echoes Nine! Ten! This is Two! Are you there, over?!"
>Five seconds of silence
"Nine, Ten, this is Two, respond!"
>Mild slowly makes it to all fours and tells you,
>"When I tried to sense inside, I was hit by--I don't know--something. Whatever's keeping me from tagging the girls with my magic, it must be blocking the magic signal of our microbeads."
>Your mouth moves before your mind can stop it,
”We’re going in then, right?”
>Breeze takes two deep breaths before finally looking at you
>His eyes told you he is just as scared as you,
>"Hell yes we are."

>As if on cue, that howl you thought you heard far off inside the forest comes again
>Except now there's many more howls accompanying it
>Much closer too, enough to realize that those are more screams of agony than howls

>Both you and Mild make a break for the mansion

()()()

>You are Gisela

>You are all going through the hallway with all of the bedrooms on the second floor, and they are all so nice
>Even Greg is impressed
>But then that very old relator pony goes to unlock the master bedroom at the very end
>You don't know why the master's was locked while all the others weren't
>You stop in front of Greg to ask about it, but then Miss Iron and Miss Blender bolt forward, both of their horns glowing
>Miss Blender shouts for him to stop, but the relator pushes the door wide open
>He gives Greg a smile that makes your feathers stand up
>"I know you'll enjoy this, dear Gregario."

>Deep blue light erupts from inside with a roar of wind, engulfing the old pony and the unicorns
>Greg shields you with his forelegs and wings
>Even when you curl up and cover your eyes, you still see the light, now turning to a shade of pink
>Suddenly, the roar and light cease at once, leaving the whole hallway dark
>Greg looks up immediately and calls out,
>"Blender! Iron! Are you okay!?"
>You peek out from behind your prosthetic talons and Greg's wing to find the two mares laying by the doorway, not moving
"Miss Blender! Miss Iron!"
>You wriggle out of Greg's hold and rush over to Miss Iron, shaking her
"Miss Iron! Get up! Please!"
>The hardy blue unicorn groans, and she opens slowly those pale eyes of hers
>She lifts her head up to look at you and croak out
>"Lady Gisela?"
"Miss Iron, are you okay? What was that light? Is that other pony okay-"
>You look inside the open doorway and see a black lump be illuminated by a blue light
>You see dry, peeled brown skin
>You see exposed patches of yellowing bone
>You see an impossibly twisted, broken neck
>Sunken, empty eye sockets stare back at you
>Mouth wide open in an never-ending yell

>The next thing you know is your back is against the opposite door as you scream
>The body keeps staring and yelling silently at you
>You can't stop yourself from taking another breath to scream again, even when Miss Iron bolts up and goes to the body, blocking it
>Greg then appears, enveloping you in a soft embrace and making you look away
>His voice is as calm and reassuring as can ever be,
>"Gissy, it's okay. You're safe. We're all here."
>You take another deep breath, but take care not to scream as Greg starts stroking the top of your head
>"It's okay, Gissy."
>Unable to do anything else, you hug your mentor tight

>Death, you saw death
>You know about it; you've been to plenty of funerals recently and read many stories
>But to see a body in such a state, when he was moving and talking a minute ago...

>You're crying when Miss Blender approaches, quiet and cautious
>"Gregario?"
>With your head buried in his chest, you can feel him raise a claw and shake his head
>Miss Blender goes to Miss Iron as Greg keeps you close, helping you calm down enough to ask tiredly
“Can we go home?”
>”We will, Gissy. We will. But-“
>You look up to find your mentor glaring at the end of the hallway
>Outside the window is not the green fields and pines, but a blue-white space of constantly changing geometry and lights
>The lights are throwing shadows all along the hallway, making shapes you'd rather not see right now
>"We'll need to break whatever spell was cast."

>You look over to Miss Blender and Iron, standing over... it
>They're looking in the bedroom, at that blue light
>Without warning, the light gets brighter
>The two unicorns duck out of the room as the source, a floating ball so bright it hurts your eyes, flies into the bedroom wall
>It goes through without making any hole or noise
>You see the bright blue light shine from under the door in the next room
>Then the next one
>It travels down the hallway, as fast as Greg can fly, until it disappears into the foyer

>You stare down the hallway, afraid to move, until Miss Blender and Iron walk over to the two of you
>Miss Blender glances at you before telling Greg
>"We need to follow that ball. It is connected to this... spell."
>You know Greg isn't an expert on magic, but he's good at reading others
>"Are you sure it's a spell and not something else?"
>Miss Blender looks down at the carpet while her horn lights up
>Miss Iron answers
>"It has the properties of a barrier spell, but besides the immense power behind it there's something else to it."
>"What do you mean?"
>Miss Blender suddenly shakes, like a freezing wind had just cut through her white coat
>"Whenever we're using our magic now we feel as if there is something, somewhere, somehow watching us."
>You hide behind Greg a little more as you ask,
"Something?"
>"I cannot really explain, Miss Gisela. Do you ever have that feeling to look around? When you feel like somepony is looking at you from behind even when nopony is there?"
>You shift on your talons as you remember
"Yes. Whenever I have to get up in the middle of the night. When I know everyone else is asleep, but I keep feeling like I'm being followed down the hallway."
>Miss Blender nods
>"Now I think whoever casted this spell is watching us. They might even be able to hear us."
>Gregario nods, a serious look on his face
>"Then let's get moving. I don't want to keep our /dear/ host bored."

>You grin a little despite everything, because Greg starts making jokes when he's angry
>Nothing will get past him while he's angry

()()()

>The candles go out as you all reenter the first room
>Gregario doesn't pause as he leads the group across on the second floor to one of the central doors
>He reaches for the bright brass door handle, tinted blue by the unnatural lights outside, when the front double doors below shudder with a muffled *BOOM*
>You all look to the entrance then to each other, but not a second later you hear a muffled voice cry out from behind
>"Blender! Iron! You in there?!"
>Miss Blender pipes up immediately,
>"Updraft."
>The unicorn bolts down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time, followed by Miss Iron
>As Greg hangs back with you as you descend the stairs carefully, the two unicorns gallop to the doors
>Miss Blender's horn lights up as she shouts,
>"Updraft!"
>You see the silver doorknob shake, but not turn
>The white-furred unicorn skids to a stop in front of the door
>"What?!"
>Her horn glows brighter, and the knob shakes more violently, but still it does not twist
>"But it never was locked! Unless-"
>Mister Breeze's voice comes through,
>"Cream! There's a magical seal on the door! I'm trying to break it, but see if you and Iron can get at it from your side!"
>Mister Updraft adds in a hurried tone,
>"Better be quick! Things are tearing through the forest and headin' for us!"
>The two unicorns look to each other for a moment

>When you finally make it to them, you find determined expressions on both of their faces
>With a nod, they lower their gazes to the varnished tiled floor and concentrate
>Their horns glow dimly blue and white, at first, but then rapidly brighten
>You can feel the organic ends of your forelegs tingle as your augments are suddenly washed in excess magical energy
>The eerie sources of blue and purple are soon drowned out by an intense color you can only describe as blued steel
>Yet despite bringing daylight to the entire massive room, the light doesn't hurt your eyes
>In fact you can start to see blue/pink lines appearing on the ebony doors
>They curve and loop in such flowing patterns that it's giving you a headache, so you look to Misses Blender and Iron
>Both of them are gritting their teeth
>Their breaths are getting deeper as their horns glow brighter
>The flowing lines are becoming more intense as they expand across the doors
>Are they pulsating, too?

>Before you try to look harder, despite your headache, Mister Updraft cries out,
>"What the hell kind of wolves are those!?"

>The unicorns take a moment to glance at each other before redoubling their efforts
>The violet lines start to move, unfolding and unraveling, as they pulsate at an increasing rate
>Greg calmly lays a claw on your shoulder and pulls you away from the door
>"Gissy, get back."
>You start to let him pull you back until you hear Mister Updraft,
>"Mild, I gotta take you up!"
>"No! We're almost there!"
>"In ten seconds!?"
>"Now!"
>Before you can make something out of the lines, they are suddenly shunted away in all directions
>Miss Blender immediately tries the doorknob again, and it turns
>With a mighty magical heave, Miss Blender pulls the one ebony door open to Misters Updraft and Breeze
>Both are through as soon as they can fit, but past them you see flashes of grey

>Your chest seizes up when you realize that it's wolves
>Many wolves
>Many BIG wolves, a mere throw away from the house
>Greg scoops you up as he yells out,
>"Close the door now!"
>All four ponies struggle to push the massive door back into place

>The moment the lock engages, the first of the pack slams into the entrance
>The force knocks them all down to the hardwood floor, but Greg's already running to where the secret passage is
>He sets you down just as more wolves hurl themselves at the door and the windows flanking it
>The glass is barely holding, cracking within the first two strikes
>As calm as he can Greg instructs you,
>"Gissy, hide in here. We might have to move around the house, so try and follow us as best you can."
>Several wolves ram the doors at once, and the wood cracks
>"No matter what, stay in these tunnels where they can't reach you."
>The windows shatter inwards, sending shards across the room
>One clips Greg's tail, and he rears back with a faint squawk
>You can only watch as he looks back to find a thin line of blood collect across it
>As the wolves start to claw away the remaining glass, snarling and growling, Greg turns to you one last time
>His expression is one you've never seen before
>You can only describe it as 'Intense Calm'
>"Stay safe, Lady Gisela."

()()()

>You are Cream Blender
>You never knew your heart could beat this fast

>Honest-to-Celestia Dire Wolves, beasts of legends and horror stories, are seconds away from getting inside
>You then look to your fellow ponies with Indigo Iron making the tip of the wedge that the four of you have made
>Still as stone she watches a wolf bash in the broken glass, uncaring of its bloodied giant claws
>Huffing out froth from its mouth, a beast three times bigger than you leaps through the opening
>Upon landing its claws tear into the treated wood
>That does not stop it from immediately hurling its immense mass forward
>Beady red eyes lock onto your partner
>You almost forget the past two months of training in that moment

>Then Indigo Iron casts her first barrier spell

>In an instant a translucent, dark blue kite shield pops into existence in front of her
>The wolf slams into it snout-first
>A gut-wrenching cacophony of shattered teeth and crushed cartilage fills the room
>Momentum causes the wolf's rear to raise up into the air and hang there for a solid second
>That is when you cast the follow up spell

>Taking a telekinetic hold onto its ill-kept tail you lift the stunned wolf into the air before sending its massive bleeding form cartwheeling back through the doorside window

>The second wolf leaping in through the opposite window keeps you from noticing the splatters of blood now on the walls
>This one lands, splintering more floor wood, but stays low as it sidesteps Iron and comes for you
>Hardly turning to see, Iron casts another smaller barrier above the wolf and brings it down
>This only makes the wolf sprawl onto the tile and with a sharp growl it crawls  forward despite Indigo's hold
>It gets within a pony's length away from you when you cast a telekinetic blow

>Whenever you practiced offensive spells on Anonymous or your fellow ponies, you always held back in fear of breaking bones or rupturing organs
>Now with this hyper-predator so close, its dagger teeth shining in the outside's baleful blue light, you do not hold back

>Your low punch smashes into the wolf's face, knocking deadly teeth out
>You follow through and the beast spins as it flies across the room and slams its pulverized head into the window frame
>It drops the floor limply and does not move

>At the same time Breeze and Updraft are taking on the third wolf
>There is a flash of light out of the corner of your eye
>You look just in time to see the tan pegasus duck under the blinded wolf's swipe, spin around low, and buck it straight in the jaw
>It is enough to send maroon blood flying in an arc as the massive creature's head snaps up
>Smiling in spite of himself, Updraft jumps to the side to let Breeze magically toss the stunned creature back through the window

>The fourth wolf exploits the distraction and leaps into the air, intent on crushing Indigo under its weight
>You turn to see it descending, steely grey claws extended
>Gregario flies in from the side and intercepts the beast mid-flight, tackling it to the floor past your group

>The fifth wolf grabs your attention and is dealt with swiftly; Iron smacking the thing down with another barrier and you gripping it by a hind leg before swinging it through a wall
>Sweat starts to pour from your brow as you take in several ragged breaths, looking for the next target

>That is when the doors explode inward
>Chunks and splinters of ebony wood are blown everywhere
>Conditioning makes you throw up a shield, but fatigue slows you enough to cover only your head
>Large pieces zipping across the floor take your legs out from under you
>Shutting your eyes instinctively, you fall head-first onto the hard floor, your half-hearted shield only keeping you from breaking your horn

>There is a flash across your vision
>Your head is ringing
>For a moment, you forget where you are as you lay on cold, hard wood
>Gritting your teeth, you try to get your shaking hooves back under you
>A sharp pain cuts through both of your forelegs, forcing you back to the floor
>Then a thick arm tipped with long talons slips underneath your barrel and lifts you up
>Through the aching ringing, you hear a Indigo ordering everypony to the stairs

>You could open one eye as the other is blinded by a combination of sweat and blood
>Despite that, you can see a particular wolf quite clearly
>Twice the size of the other wolves, the alpha male causally enters through the ruined doorway

>The massive grey wolf merely looks down on the team as all of you back up, nopony daring to turn their back to it
>The pack remains still, letting its alpha drink in the scene
>Its gaze then lingers on you as you are carried away, your white coat bloodied from the wounds on your head and forelegs
>It bares its teeth in a feral smile
>Something cold grips your chest

>A low whimper makes you all turn towards the wolf you slammed into the wall
>It tries to drag itself back to the pack, despite the leg you grabbed bending at a sickening angle
>The alpha's smile disappears
>It looks back at its pack
>Several wolves, whose mouths are already stained crimson, rush out of the grey mass of bodies
>The five of you stop at the base of the steps

>Despite the blood and sweat threatening to blind you, you cannot help but watch as the group of beasts leap at the wounded pack member
>The wounded wolf fights vainly out of instinct, but the half-dozen executioners hold him down easily as they rend him apart
>Each swipe leaves savage lacerations
>Each bite takes a chunk of flesh
>Limbs are held tight in jaws before being torn off
>Snarls and barks from the lone wolf turn into cries of agony
>His end comes with his jugular being ripped out, leaving him to gurgle weakly before going limp
>You dare not breathe in the silence that follows, but the moment passes quickly before every wolf turns its attention back at all of you
>Iron breaks the silence with an unwavering bellow,

>"Gregario, get Cream upstairs! Two, Ten, take the other stairs! Go!"
>You take a breath finally as the griffon veteran unfurls his wings and carries you up the stairs effortlessly
>You hear the alpha bark out a single command that shakes the room
>In seconds, Gregario sets you gently down in front of the ornate double doors at the top
>Through the barking and splintering of wood, the Greatclaw whispers into your ear,
>"Get the doors open, we've got you covered."
>With that he leaves you and goes to help Iron
>You watch as Breeze and Updraft scramble to the top of the stairs, only to turn around immediately and deal with the first wolf
>The sage green unicorn just barely halts its charge up the steps long enough for the sandy pegasus to buck it in the snout
>With Breeze's help, it tumbles right over the railing
>You see the second one come right after the first
>Breeze sees it too and throws a quick telekinetic punch into its face
>It tumbles back down the stairs, but only for a few steps until it crashes into the long line of beasts being funneled through this choke point

>Now fully lucid and with time to spare you turn to the doors and their antiquated deadbolts
>Thankfully they are not that different from the Princesses' castle's, which Anonymous had you, Iron, and Breeze practice on briefly
>You choose one and start to carefully insert a steady stream of telekinetic magic
>Nothing resists as you work the tumblers one by one
>Your bloody, sweating brow threatens to blind you again so you keep your eyes closed as you go by feeling through your magic
>A meaty *THWACK* and a pained whine stresses the timer you are on

>You tune out the fight behind you, confident in your teammates as you focus
>The last tumbler aligns and you twist the golden doorknob
>By instinct you throw the door open
>You risk opening your eyes by a smidge to see a darkened parlor
>You find your voice at the sight of sanctuary and yell out,
"I'm in!"
>Indigo, blocking her stairs with another shield, yells out,
>"Inside! Now!"
>With that she launches her shield forward, crushing a mass of fur and teeth against the ornate and thick railing
>At the same time Breeze and Updraft tag team one final wolf, sending it down the stairs and into its fellow pack members before turning to run inside the parlor
>One wolf dodges the falling beast by leaping over it, then takes a desperate lunge at the duo
>Gregario swoops in from behind and swipes as he passes above it
>The Greatclaw's talons hit with such force that the back of the wolf's head spurts a massive spray of blood while sending it straight into the floor
>Gregario continues covering the duo as they help you into the room with your bad forelegs
>Indigo is last, backing up while keeping up yet another shield
>Breeze and Updraft set you down by a low coffee table before turning to the door
>Another wolf tries to force its way inside, but Indigo merely shoves it outside as Breeze, Updraft, and Gregario shut the door
>For five long seconds there is only muffled snarls and barks along with all five of you trying to catch your breath
>Then Breeze remembers to lock the door