> You stare at the guard Captain who stands at attention flanked by two other guards.
> These were Celestia’s guards from what you could tell, as they wore the bright gold armor and not Luna's.
> The Captain never took his eyes off you and watched your every move.
> He had tried to interrogate you earlier, but you countered him with the silent treatment.
> Now, it was just a battle of who would break silence first.
> You woke up in this cell maybe four to five hours ago, with nothing but your underdress.
> And apparently, you had been held unconscious for two or three days by the guards.
> You assume your armor and weapons were elsewhere being studied by the purple unicorn.
> Twilight? Yeah, that was her name.
> Your entire body ached from the work over Luna’s guards gave you.
> A black eye, a bloodied nose, plenty of cuts and bruises and a burn from the unicorn guard touched his horn to you.
> But, they kept their end of the bargain, you were alive.
> The injuries had added to your credibility as an enemy to Luna however.
> However, during your now hours long captivity you notice that Captain’s horn was at a constant state of activity
> Like he was scanning for something.
> You had likened it to the way radio waves worked, the higher the frequency the brighter the glow and the reverse for lower frequencies.
> The cell took up maybe thirty feet in all, and was no more than just a bunch of bars sectioning the room you were in.
> For a low technology society, you noticed the bars were made of steel.
> Along with the steel, you also took notice of the armor the guards wore.
> Aside from being a flashy gold color from the alloy they were made from, the armor bore a very smoothly cut gemstone in the shape of a light blue star.
> You could for some odd reason, feel something when you looked at the star.
> Like somewhere deep inside you could feel energy when you focused on the star.
> What was more is that for each guard it varied slightly, very slightly but enough for you to feel.
> Same for the Captain’s horn, when you looked at it and focused you could feel the energy inside you.
> While at first you wrote it off as an after effect of the shock spell, you continued to repeat the experiment and get the same results.
> Somehow you suspected it was the magical energy the ponies were using, and somehow you had become attuned to it.
> The door on the opposite side of the room opened and Celestia, with five more guards entered the room.
> “Oh good, your awake.” She began. “Captain, would you please excuse us?”
> Without a word, the Captain shows himself out, along with the rest of the guards leaving only you and Celestia.
> She sits in front of your cell.
> “Not hungry I take it?” She says eyeing your untouched food.
“I may not be in my element, but I’m not stupid Celestia. This setup is older than I am.”
> “Setup? May I ask what you’re talking about?”
“Don’t be coy, you have me locked away from the rest of the world. You can get away with anything you do to me here. I know how it goes, eventually after beating me enough and upon my continued refusal to surrender information pertaining to whatever you ask, you have one of your specialists take me to some door down a long hallway, then he probably kills me quickly if he’s not mentally unstable. My body gets disposed of in some hole or river and I never existed. Honestly, I would rather starve to death than let it be your orders that kill me.”
> The words seem to knock her off balance but, they also seem to strike a chord of emotion as her expression falters from the typical calm to an uneasy.
> It must have already been considered, but discarded more than likely.
> “I just want to be your friend I-”
“Just like you wanted to be when you were threatening to have me beaten to death? Like when you were ordering me arrested? Like when you threatened Rainbow Dash with imprisonment for pointing out the truth in my protests? Yeah that really screams friendship Celestia.”
> You make sure your words are carefully aimed at
> She carefully considers her next words.
> “Do you not think it hurts me to have to be that way Anonymous? You are a threat to my kingdom and it’s safety. You give off an energy that reeks of chaos and-”
“I’m a threat to your credibility as a ruler Celestia, not your people. I did something you could not, or should I rather say would not? In either case, your excuses to arrest me don’t matter to me personally. Honestly, for all I care; you can charge me with the highest crime and hand down the most horrible sentence you can think of for it and I still wouldn’t care.”
> “You seem rather accepting of your hopeless situation, yet you went to such great lengths to escape capture. May I ask why?”
“I’m too valuable to kill. The only reason I haven’t been killed is because you need my help.”
> You smirk a bit as you stare into her eyes full of resentment and anger towards you.
> But you could pick out an uncharacteristic emotion in her eyes, one you hadn’t really seen yet.
> A genuine look of fear.
“Celestia, remember how we talked about a second human coming into your world with me?”
> “Vaguely.”
“Remember how I said he was a threat?”
> She nods.
“Well, it came to my attention recently that he is alive and well. Does the name Discord mean anything to you?”
> “I knew it! You’re working for him aren’t you?”
“Quite the opposite actually, I turned his offer down. At any rate, while I was liberating the citizens of the town you attempted to arrest me in and after I ensured such raids would stop, Discord came to me and offered me a chance for a new seat of power. The only thing I had to do was help them overthrow you and your sister. While that wouldn’t be too hard, I would find no real joy in doing so.”
> She sits silently staring at you and that fear now consuming her thoughts.
“Reason being is that Doctor X, the man who followed me here, is on Discord’s side. I can only make an educated guess as to what he is doing to help that fight, but I suspect it has some rather unpleasant implications and side effects for both you and everyone in Equestria. I also think a brief history lesson is in order. When my kind first started using chemical weaponry, we found that we could literally burn the inside of a man’s lungs and have him choke to death on his own blood. We also figured out that this new weapon could kill anyone regardless of if they were in a bunker or a trench. Over time, these weapons evolved into much more nightmarish forms. Before I left earth, there was one kind of agent that even a teaspoon of it could kill an entire room of people and they would be dead before their bodies hit the floor. Celestia, have you ever seen someone’s skin rot while it was still on them and they could feel every second of it?”
> Her eyes widen.
“I had to watch a partner die that way because he couldn’t put his mask on fast enough. The greatest kindness I did for him was to put him out of his misery.”
> You stand up from where you had been sitting.
“Anyway, back to what I was saying. Doctor X is a genius when it comes to chemical weapons, and nearly every other way you can use science to destroy things. He literally wrote a book on it, and before we came here he had killed well over two million total people. Some my friends, others were co-workers, but most of them were just people in the wrong place at the wrong time who were going about their daily lives. People wanted him gone, they put billion dollar bounties on his head, they sent people like me after him, and they tried everything to bring him to justice.”
> You shake your head.
“No one ever got as close as I did. They would either be poisoned, killed by his brainwashed minions, or they would be weighed down by the red tape of their respective governments like in my case. However, the last one doesn’t apply here.”
> “I don’t see where this is going.”
“I’m getting there, if you will please give me a few more moments of your time. The main thing you need to understand is that I have hunted this man for five years and I have watched him kill, maim, and destroy lives for one simple reason. He craves power. Power over people, over property, over anything he can control. If it can be controlled, he wants to control it. If it can’t be controlled, he will find a way. His motive is very apparent in this case, as he is allying himself with others who want you gone. They all want power, Celestia. Personally, I never liked power. I never trusted myself with it and I always found it more of a burden than anything. Doctor X and his new friends are apparently willing to do anything for power though, and the best way to do that is through fear.”
> You start to pace in front of the steel bars, doing a sharp turn time you reach the end of your cell.
“Your people know peace, and I am glad they do because war is very unpleasant. Honestly, I can’t think of a worse a place to be. If Doctor X intends to use his same tactics, provided he has the equipment to do so, he will likely manufacture a chemical agent and use it somewhere. To do what, I don’t know. All I can tell you is that it will cause widespread panic. He’s a genius in the fact he knows how to hit where it hurts the most. He knows how to make people fear him. He knows how to terrorize people into submission. When Doctor X and his friends start their campaign against you, your army won’t be prepared to counter this new form of warfare. Your people are going to experience warfare for the first time and in such a brutal way that I doubt anyone who survives the first attacks will have a will to continue living. Most of all though, they are going to lose faith in your ability to protect and lead them and that’s how he intends to win. Because when he comes to town and asks for everyone’s obedience they will know that you can’t stop him.”
> You stop and turn to face Celestia, who is now in a much more visible state of panic.
“If you think I am the threat you should be worried about, then I would advise you to re-evaluate your judgments. I do however; have a solution that I think could be mutually beneficial.”
> You halt mid-step and walk back to the wall you were sitting against and sit down once more.
> “I’m listening.”
“Release me, give me back my equipment and belongings, and allow me free passage through your kingdom. In return, I will help in any way I can to prevent this mess.”
> “Unacceptable. How do I know you won’t just join him?”
“You don’t, but you should know by now that I have a very deep contempt for same people that you do. There is an old saying where I am from. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Meaning, we both need the same problems taken care of, so why not help each other?”
> She thinks a moment. “In return for your release, I want to oversee you personally.”
> You laugh a bit. You had all the chips and she knew it.
“Not a chance Celestia the last thing I need getting in the way of my work is royalty. I will however accept someone of my choosing to oversee me.”
> “Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Princess Luna seems like she would be a bit more fit to the task of managing an intelligence operation, wouldn’t you think?”
> “Absolutely not! What makes you think she will be any better than I will?”
“Well I had a nice conversation with her before she set her guards on me. Besides, Princess of the Night sounds more suited to the type of task this is going to be. You should know that spies work at night more than they do in the day.”
> “I’m starting to not like this deal, Anonymous.”
“Okay, have fun dealing with X on your own then.”
> You give her a dismissive wave.
“Oh and if you would oblige me with my pistol and one round, I can save your executioner some trouble.”
> “Wait! Okay fine, Luna will watch over the mission on the condition I have full access to information regarding what happens.”
“Oh now that just won’t do Celestia. The only way to keep a secret between three people is to make sure the other two are dead. The more access we give out, the more chance we have of having a spy on the other side gets a good flow of info to X and his friends.”
> She lets out an exasperated groan and looks at you annoyed. “Are you trying to block me out of this?”
“Did it take you until just now to realize that Celestia? I’m going to be completely honest here, I don’t like you, I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t trust you. This offer is not an extension of friendship or trust, it’s a business transaction. You are having your kingdom threatened, and I have the ability to stop it. Payment for my services is my release and freedom to operate in your land.”
> “I see.” She says in a wounded voice.
“I can trust Luna enough to give weekly reports on what is going on to give you a general idea of our progress. Also, it will request resources and action on your part since there are two leaders here.”
> You may be in a position of power now, but you were never an unreasonable man. No need to shut her out completely.
“Oh and before I forget Celestia, when this is over I get to deal with Doctor X in any fashion I see fit.”
> “Fine. Are you happy now?”
“No. Are you?”
> “No.”
“Good, pleasure doing business with you, your highness. I want a meeting with Luna, all of my equipment back, and all other obligations on your end within the hour or the deal is off.”
> Without a word she turns away, and walks out of the room.
> You glance down at your watch and mark the time.
> One hour from now would determine if your ploy worked.
> Spies are taught from day one to be manipulative and how to be very in touch with emotion.
> Especially when it came to leveraging others.
> Some might say it was wrong to do resort to such tactics.
> It was a sort of gray morality that you had adopted though.
> Because sometimes you had to do the wrong things for the right reasons.
> Within twenty minutes, a section of guards had come and released you.
> Within thirty, you found all your possessions and collected them.
> Then within forty five, you were shown to Luna’s royal office.
> It’s amazing what you can get when you issue an ultimatum.
> And having everyone on your terms helped.
> A marked shift in the mood of the guards was also noticed by you.
> Celestia must have told them you were to be treated well.
> Within fifty five, you are called into Luna’s office.
> As you enter, you look to the guards.
“Tell Celestia she had five minutes to spare. That will be all gentlemen.”
> You walk into the office and glace around to see it empty.
> To pass the time, you look at the decorations on the walls.
> Most of them having to do with the constellations of stars and the moon.
> What else could you expect of the Princess of the Night.
> Taking a seat in front of the desk that you assumed was Luna’s, you patiently await her arrival.
> The door behind you opens.
> “Anonymous? Is that you?”
> You stand and turn towards Luna, you immediately notice the tired tone of her voice and her messy appearance.
“The one and only, you look like you just crawled out of bed.”
> “Do you have any idea what time it is? It’s nearly noon, I’m not supposed to be awake for a long time. What are you doing here?”
“Celestia gave me an opportunity and I took it. I just secured my equipment and release, in return I hunt down X and anyone else he’s working with.”
> “Wow…what did you do to convince her?” she asks sitting down in her chair.
“Your sister is like anyone else, she has fears and she’s not stupid. I just used those to my advantage.”
> “I see. But was it necessary to wake me up?”
“In a way, yes it was. Celestia wanted to oversee this entire operation and I told her no.”
> She blinks a few times.
“Instead, I offered to allow someone to lead so long as I chose them.”
> “And you chose me? Why choose me?”
“Because unlike your sister, I can tolerate being around you. Also, you haven’t given me a reason to not trust you. Plus, I like the way you think.”
> “I see.” She says looking at her desk a moment.
“So where do we go from here Luna?”
> “I suppose an inventory of what assets we have is in order. I will call a meeting tonight when all my advisors are awake.”
“It couldn’t hurt to give me a night to study up on how things work around here either.”
> “You can use my library if you wish to study.”
“I’ll take you up on that. What else?”
> “Our friend Rainbow Dash is still around Canterlot, she will probably want some part of this.”
“Is Rainbow Dash on our side?”
> “Tentatively. She’s a magnificent flier, but I personally don’t ask her to do much more than carrying packages and documents to ground teams. Why do you ask?”
“Think I could get a dossier on her?”
> “I will have an aide create one. Remember that seal I gave you?”
“Yeah, I still have it.”
> “That’s your badge. You have access to everything I do, and we trust you to be responsible with it.”
“Got it.”
> “Now, may I go back to bed? I have to raise the moon in a few hours.”
“One last thing before you go Luna. Do you have somewhere I can be? You know, away from your sister’s people.”
> She looks at you curiously. “Do you not feel comfortable in the castle?”
“I don’t feel comfortable sleeping where Celestia is going to be. I have good reason to think I would disappear if I stayed.”
> She nods. “Guards? Would you come in here a moment?”
> Two guards enter the room, both clad in dark armor.
> They stand at attention silently.
> “Show anonymous to the barracks.”
> “Yes your highness.” They both answer in unison.
> “Follow these two, they will show you to your new home, for the time being.”
“When will the meetings start?”
> “I will come and find you when everything is ready.”