Cranagan, Mid-Childa

NCY 0071, Late Spring

19:00 PM

The city of Cranagan spread out around the TSAB Main Office building like a sea of sunset-splashed silver, shot through with ribbons of asphalt, concrete and glittering lines of car headlights. It seemed to go on forever, reaching off to the horizon. Even from the windows on the thirtieth floor, she couldn't see the end of it.

Even after everything she'd been through, her world was still being shaken.

"There you are, Twilight!"

Twilight Sparkle blinked as Yuuno walked up to her, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. The sandy-haired young mage reached up, removing the glasses he was wearing and tucking them into the front pocket of his coat. "Sorry I'm late," he said, rubbing a hand through his hair, "the meeting with the Academy ran a bit longer than I expected. How did it go?"

"The exam?" Twilight pursed her lips. Her tail swished behind her as she began to pace, Raising Heart gently tapping against her chest on its chain as she walked. "I think I did okay. I hope I did okay. I guess I'm more used to doing exams on paper than at a terminal. I think I did well though. Maybe. Possibly. I mean, I might have gone just a teensy bit over the word count with my essays. Oh, I hope they don't count off against me for that. And then there was the practical demons-"

"Woah, woah, relax Twilight," Yuuno laughed, holding out a hand and stopping her. "This isn't that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?! Yuuno this is the Bureau Instructor Certification Exam! If I can't pass this, then I can't get a Special Instructor License from the Bureau. If I don't have the license, then I can't teach at any of the Bureau facilities! And if I can't teach, then this whole exchange program falls apart! That's kind of a big deal! Oh no, what if I fail? I'll never be able to face Princess Cele-"

"If you fail," Yuuno interrupted, "the worst that'll happen is that you'll have to retake it in a couple of months. I'm sure the Princess will understand. Now, remember what the others said? About relaxing?"

"Right, yes. Deep breaths." Twilight inhaled slowly and calmly, extending a hoof as she exhaled just as Cadence had showed her. "Okay… I'm calm now. Sorry about that."

"It's alright. Besides, I'm sure you aced it, no question." Yuuno chuckled, turning to the window and leaning against the wall beside it. Twilight turned as well, putting her front hooves on the window sill as she stared out at the city.

Yuuno chuckled. "I guess you're still getting used to Cranagan? I didn't expect this much of a reaction from you…"

"Can you blame me? It's just… I've never seen a city so big. I mean, I've visited Manehattan and I thought that was rather impressive, but this is orders of magnitude greater. There are more people here in this city than there are ponies in all of Equestria, including the Crystal Empire!

"Not to mention, right now, we're standing in an artificial structure," she tapped a hoof on the carpeted floor, "taller than the Canterhorn Mountain. This is a building! No magic or anything, just engineering, physics and advanced metallurgy. It's just so mind-boggling to me how humans have pulled off something like this…"

"Well, no magic's holding it up, but there was probably plenty used during its construction. After all, this place was built during the later parts of the war… at least, the original core structure was." Yuuno paused, and then shook his head. "Listen to me, I sound like a history professor. Come on Twilight, we should probably get going. We don't want to keep Fate and the others waiting."

"You're right. I mean, the view's… nice…"

"Twilight?" Yuuno blinked as Twilight trailed off, her eyes narrowing.

"Yuuno," she pointed to the window, towards a heavy black cloud that was slowly rising upwards into the air across the bay to the north. "Is it me, or does that look like smoke?"

"Now that you mention it…" Yuuno shaded his eyes as he looked as well. Twilight could see streaks of light pass through the sky in the evening gloom. "It does… and those look like emergency helicopters."

"Raising Heart?" Twilight glanced down at the spherical jewel resting against her chest. "Is something going on?"

There has been a general emergency broadcast from the northern district, Raising Heart replied, the Device's telepathic voice smooth and calm in her head. A fire has broken out at Coastal Airport 8. Emergency crews have been dispatched. However, the fire is rapidly spreading out of control. It is unknown if they will be able to contain the spread of the fire without further assistance.

"Yuuno," Twilight frowned at her human companion, who nodded in reply.

"I'll get the others," Yuuno replied as he turned to run off. "Don't forget to request clearance before you take off!"

"Alright, will do! Raising Heart!"

"STANDBY READY!"

---

Coastal Airport 8 was burning.

Thick, hot tongues of red and orange flames licked and swirled along the surfaces of the walls and floors, spreading outwards and filling the air with dense, black smoke. Even the stone and concrete structures that made up most of the airport were wrapped in fire, even when there wasn't anything to burn.

The fire crews worked as best they could against the inferno. Streams of water sprayed high into the air from pumping trucks, while emergency helicopters dipped their containers into the waters of the bay and dropped their payloads onto the burning roof. Meanwhile, firefighters rushed about inside in full hazard gear, the loud, hollow bursts of their extinguisher cannons firing as they tried to clear a path.

Captain Genya Nakajima of the 108th Battalion was staying surprisingly calm. He had to; he was the only senior Bureau officer on site, so it fell to him to lead the disaster response. His brown uniform jacket was laid over the back of his chair as he stared at the holographic screens in front of him, listening to the chatter of the fire teams as he barked out orders.

"Squad Five," he called out, "pull back until the helicopters make another pass. Squad Eleven, move to support Squad Twelve on the eastern wing. Truck Fourteen, concentrate your spray near the towers; if those fall, it'll take the whole building with them!"

"This is Squad Three," a voice came through. "We're having trouble evacuating the main building! The fire's spreading too fast!"

Genya clenched his teeth, running his hands through his silver hair, the lines on his blocky face deepening. "Where's Squad One and Two? They should-"

"Squad One's reloading, Sir. Squad Two is doing their best to hold the entranceway, but we can't keep it open much longer."

"Shit," another voice shot through, "there's a girl in there!"

Genya felt his stomach drop. "Can you reach her?"

"Negative! The fire's spreading too fast!"

"Um… hello? Can anyone hear me?"

Genya blinked as an unfamiliar voice came across the communications link. He reached over, thumbing a button. "This is a Bureau emergency comm-line," he snapped. "Identify yourself or leave immediately."

"Contract Mage License Code 10109288-E, Sir. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight Sparkle? THE Twilight Sparkle? Genya paused as the database entry popped up, confirming his suspicions. "This is Captain Genya Nakajima, 108th Battalion. Are you here to assist, Miss Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes Sir. My friends and I will do what we can to help. What do you need?"

---

Everything was burning. That was all that Subaru knew.

She didn't know why the fire had started, or what had caused it, or where anyone was for that matter. She had gotten separated from her sister during the panic, and now she was on her own.

The twelve-year-old girl staggered into the huge hall, her clothing covered in scorch marks and soot. Her skin was reddened and smudged with ash. It was hard to breathe, even for her, and she was very, very scared.

"Papa? Sis?" Her voice was weak and quivering as she called out, trying not to cough. She looked around as she moved, tears of fear and pain dripping down her cheeks as her eyes ached from the smoke. The walkways and pillars were wreathed in flames, and smoke pooled along the roof of the hall. The only remaining thing not touched by the flames was the massive statue in the center of the hall. Even the statue looked scary; what was once a woman with wings now looked like some kind of blackened fallen angel.

She paused, looking around in panic as she heard a loud rumbling, only to be thrown aside as part of the upper floor collapsed inwards, spraying her with dust and debris. She rolled slowly, landing on her stomach before the statue. She slowly pushed herself up, coughing pitifully as she did so.

"Some… body…" she whimpered. "Somebody… help me. Please… I wanna go home!"

And then, a faint pink light caught her attention. She looked up as a baseball-sized sphere of pink energy floated over her head.

CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRUNCH!

Subaru turned as she heard the sound of stone breaking. The huge statue wobbled, the stone fracturing under the extreme heat. Then, slowly, the angel statue began to fall towards her.

Subaru froze, her eyes widening as several tons of hot rock fell towards her.

Then there was a brilliant flash of pink light, causing Subaru to cringe and shut her eyes. When she opened them, she froze, her mouth gaping slightly at the scene before her.

Before her stood a pony. She'd seen pictures of them in the news, but she hadn't seen one like this. Her dark mane fluttered in the hot air, framing her purple-coated head. Her body was covered in gleaming white armor, while pinkish light spilled out from the crevices and seams between the plates. Her horn was glowing brilliantly, the pinkish glow matching the nimbus of light surrounding the now levitating statue. Beside her hovered a long staff, the shaft white and capped with a large, golden C-shaped ring and an apple-sized red jewel at one end and an angular blue block at the other.

"Are you alright?!" The pony shouted to her as she swung her head to the side. The massive statue floated over, landing with a crash as she set it down like a child setting aside a pebble.

Subaru slowly nodded, her eyes wide with awe as the pony approached her, leaning down and nudging her shoulder.

"Good. Come on, we need to get you out of here. Hold on…" The pony's horn lit up again, the magical light appearing around Subaru now. She squeaked as she was lifted up, and then settled gently onto the pony's back.

"Oof… you're heavy for such a little girl," she grinned weakly, glancing back over her shoulder at Subaru, then back to her staff. "Raising Heart, do we have a clear airspace?"

"AFFERMATIVE!"

"Good! Alright," she glanced back at Subaru. "I need you to hold onto me, okay? Hold on real tight!"

Subaru nodded, wrapping her arms around the pony's neck and burying her face into her mane.

"Oof! Alright, you got a hold?" She paused as Subaru nodded into her hair. "Good. Now hang on, and don't let go no matter what!"

Subaru did as she was told. There was a brilliant flash of light, a sensation of heat, and then coolness and clear air. Subaru opened her eyes slowly, and then gasped as she looked around. She was in the sky; the burning airport was far below. The pony carrying her was flying, a pair of ethereal pink wings flapping gently as she soared along.

"H-how…" Subaru whispered as she looked about, the cool night air whipping past her as they flew.

"I teleported us out of there," the pony replied. "Can you tell me your name?"

"S-Subaru. Subaru Nakajima…"

"It's nice to meet you, Subaru. I'm Twilight Sparkle. Now keep holding on. I'm going to take you to the medical teams, alright?"

Subaru nodded and held on tight, burying her face into Twilight's mane as they descended. Even through the smoke, she could smell a faint hint of lavender. The magic of her armor tingled against Subaru's bare legs, and her coat was soft under her arms.

And then they landed. Twilight's hooves clip-clopped on the asphalt as she touched down, just before she kneeled down to let her off. Subaru slowly climbed down from Twilight's back as the medical teams rushed to her. When she turned, Twilight smiled at her, then crouched and leapt up to the air, her wings leaving contrails of light as she flew upwards.

And then, Twilight Sparkle vanished in a flash of pink light.

As the medical teams helped her onto the stretcher, Subaru had a single thought in her heart. I want to be like her, one day…

I want to be like that pony…

---

TSAB Urban Combat Training Zone

Northern District, Mid-Childa

NCY 0076, Late Spring

10:00 AM

For all intents and purposes, the Urban Combat Training Zone was a wreck; a full forty square miles of ruined highways, dilapidated buildings, strewn rubble and cratered streets. This was entirely by design, of course. While the TSAB was more than capable of using mana-construct projectors to create a wide range of training areas, areas such as 'Urcotraz' (as some service members called it) were still used for practical and real-world tests, including Licensing Exams.

The sky was clear and blue, the sun was high, and a gentle breeze whistled through Subaru Nakajima's royal blue hair as she did her calisthenics atop the derelict parking garage. She was tall for her age, with a lean, athletic figure. Her Barrier Jacket rustled slightly as she worked through her exercises; a short white jacket pulled over a tight, midriff-baring turquoise and black top and a pair of blue athletic shorts. Her elbows and knees were covered in black pads, while her left hand bore a fingerless black glove with blue decals and studs over her knuckles.

"Mmm, blue skies, fresh air… this is the perfect kind of day, no doubt about it." Subaru grinned as she bounced on her heels, throwing a few experimental punches. The sunlight glinted off her right arm as she punched the air. Her right arm bore a large, black metal gauntlet that swallowed her lower arm up to the elbow. It was a massive, blocky thing, easily as wide as a grown man's thigh and heavily armored. A pair of large gears protruded from around her wrist area, just behind the large, studded metal glove that shielded her fist. Just behind the gears was the blue, cylinder-shaped bulge that contained the Device's Cartridge system.

"Maybe you should be focusing more on the exam," her companion noted, "instead of making observations on the weather, Subaru."

"Hey," Subaru turned to glance at the other mage, "I'm about to ace this exam and move up a Mage Rank with my best friend. Can you blame me for being excited?"

Teana Lanster, or 'Tea' as Subaru called her, rolled her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh as Subaru giggled. She was shorter than Subaru and a bit larger in the chest, but still had a similarly athletic build. Her hair was long and carrot-orange, pulled back by black ribbons into a pair of pigtails high on her head and away from her blue eyes. Her Barrier Jacket was a bit more modest than Subaru's: a short white jacket over a red and black mini-dress, long white socks, black shoes and black gloves. A brown belt loaded with cartridges settled about her hips, and an underarm holster poked out from beneath her jacket.

"Don't get too cocky, Subaru. We need to get through the test first." Teana replied as she inspected her own Device. Her weapon of choice resembled an oversized derringer pistol; two long barrels arranged one atop the other, with a third shorter barrel just underneath. A winch-like assembly protruded from one side of the gun, just above the finger guard and trigger. Teana popped the barrels downwards, breech-loading a pair of cartridges into the gun as she spoke. "It's nearly time to start. Shouldn't you be putting your blades on?"

"Oh! Right! Yeah!" Subaru nodded, walking over and taking a seat as she pulled her second set of Devices over to her. Truthfully, calling her rollerblades 'Devices' was a stretch. They weren't exactly impressive; just a pair of three-wheeled rollerblades with small but powerful magical motors. She'd had them ever since she'd entered the Academy, and they looked their age..

"Alright, one last check," Subaru muttered to herself as she looked the blades over. "Wheels oiled, check. Gears looking good, check. Motor assembly looking good, check. Braking system…"

"Do you really need to do it out loud like that, Subaru?"

"Well, I don't have my check-list with me, so…"

Tea sighed. "Whatever. Just do it a little quieter, okay? I'm trying to focus."

Subaru snickered softly before returning to her blades, humming to herself as she quickly ran through the rest of the checks before slipping her feet into the blades. She pulled the straps tight, then climbed to her feet just as a small klaxon sounded, a holographic screen appearing in the air above them.

"Good morning," the man on the screen called out to the pair of them. He was in his early twenties, with lavender hair and matching eyes. He adjusted his glasses gingerly as he looked through the screen, the golden bar on the front of his brown uniform jacket symbolizing his rank as a Warrant Officer. "I'm assuming you're exam group one, correct? Please approach the screen where I can see you properly."

"Yessir!" Subaru quickly skated over and came to a stop beside Tea, the two of them falling into parade rest.

"Alright, now let me just confirm your identities." The man glanced at the hard-copy before him. "Private First Class Subaru Nakajima, 386th Ground Forces Battalion, and Private First Class Teana Lanster, also of the 386th Ground Forces Battalion?"

"Yes Sir," the two of them answered.

"Excellent. Now, as I understand, you're here to qualify for a B Rank Mage License. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir!" Subaru replied.

"That's correct, Sir," Tea added.

"Good. My name is Griffith Lowran, and I'll be serving as your proctor for this exam. Now, before we begin, I should notify you both that there's been a few changes made. Currently, there is a second group taking an exam at this time, so part of the course will be cordoned off by a barrier field. Please be mindful of this, and do not leave the designated test zone."

"Yes Sir!"

"Also," he continued, adjusting his glasses, "your exam today will be observed by two additional proctors. They've requested that their identities not be revealed until after the test is completed. However, their input will affect your final result. Understood?"

Two additional proctors? Subaru blinked. And we won't know who they are until after the test? That's a bit weird…

It was about that time that Subaru noticed the helicopter drifting in a lazy circle through the sky above the testing area.

---

"So, these are the two candidates you told me about, Chrono?"

Chrono Harlaown nodded as he leaned against his chair in the helicopter. His good hand reached up, gently adjusting the black patch over his right eye as he looked at the holographic screen, then back to his fellow passenger. "That's right, Twilight. Subaru Nakajima and Teana Lanster. They're a bit unpolished, but they graduated at the top of their class from the Ground Forces Academy, not to mention their unique skill sets match up to the profile I set up for the unit."

"Mmmf," the purple unicorn nodded as she glanced over the two girls' information "They certainly look promising. Is this why you asked me to serve as a proctor for their exam?"

"Yes. I thought you'd like a preview of what they could do. After all, you might be working with them soon enough." Chrono tapped on the holographic keyboard, bringing up a second screen. "Looks like the second group is getting ready too. It'll be interesting to see how the candidates you suggested compare to mine."

"I just hope they'll be fine," Twilight replied, nibbling her lip, causing Chrono to chuckle.

"Relax Twilight. I'm sure they'll be alright. This isn't a life or death battle after all Griffith should be finishing with the briefing soon…"

---

"…their identities will not be revealed until after the exam, but their input may influence your final result. Understood?"

"Understood," the two members of the second exam group replied.

The first of the pair was a saffron-orange pegasus mare. She had a racer's build; long legged: slim-bodied and lean-muscled, with high withers and a deep chest. Her wings, a bit short for a pegasus, were folded neatly against her back, their feathers well groomed and glossy. Her bright magenta mane was feathered and spiked up slightly in the front like a bit of down, while her tail was trimmed short. She was clad in a simple Barrier Jacket; a black, one-piece affair that covered her body, but left her limbs, wings and neck uncovered, the hems decorated with a simple gold stripe. Her four hooves were ensconced in a set of four-wheeled roller skates, the wheels a dark purple that matched her eye color. A single piercing dangled from her left ear, a small purple gem hanging from the silver ring.

Her companion had a more serious expression on his face. He was a rarity on Mid-Childa; an Equestrian dragon. He stood as tall as the mare beside him, and could easily look her in the eye. There was a hint of pudginess to his cheeks, but otherwise he was a slim young drake with a long, spade-tipped tail, bright purple scales and green dorsal spines that ran down his back. His only clothing was a pair of fingerless black gloves and a pair of toeless black socks. He reached up, adjusting the thin golden band of metal on his right wrist, the small emerald pressed against the underside of his wrist glinting in the sunlight as he did so.

"Good. Now, this is a standard Class B Ground Mage Practical Examination," Griffith tapped on his keyboard, several images popping up around the holographic screen. "You have two objectives during this exam: to reach the goal point two kilometers away from your starting position in the time allotted, and to eliminate all targets on the course.

"The targets will come in two types." He gestured to the images beside his holographic display, which depicted a set of roughly human-sized blue spindles in one window, and a basketball-sized metal sphere with a single red eye and a pair of bars extending from either side in the other. "The first set represents 'enemy' human combatants and civilians. Targets marked with a red circle in the center are to be neutralized with non-lethal magic, while targets marked with a blue triangle are non-combatants and must not be harmed. The second set of targets are what we call 'auto-spheres.' They're basic drones equipped with low-grade barriers and a simple ranged blast spell. They can be destroyed in whatever method you see fit, so long as you don't violate test protocol.

"The exam will be graded on a number of factors, including targets missed or incorrectly damaged, completion time, and damage you take from 'enemy' attacks. Once you cross the goal line, your scores will be tallied, resulting in either a passing or failing grade. Any questions?"

"I think we're good," the pony glanced to her companion. "What do you think, Spike?"

"No questions here, Sir," Spike replied.

"Excellent. You'll have ten minutes to complete the course. The exam will begin in thirty seconds. Good luck to you both."

Spike nodded as the screen winked out, and then glanced over at his companion. "You ready, Scootaloo?"

The pegasus snorted, flexing her wings. "Compared to the stuff I had to go through with Guard training, this should be a walk in the park, Spike."

"Are you kidding? These exams aren't exactly easy Scootaloo. You did watch those recordings Twilight lent us, right?"

Scootaloo shrugged her wings, causing Spike to face-palm. "Ugh, why am I not surprised…"

"Hey, relax. What's the worst that could happen?"

Spike started to open his mouth, then glanced up as a glowing panel winked into existence above them, the word 'READY' sketched out in Mid-Childan script. "Never mind. Looks like it's time."

"Alright!" Scootaloo grinned, crouching slightly and raising her wings into position. Spike crouched slightly, getting into a running position as the sign shifted into a countdown. His tail swished in anticipation as his claws dug into the surface of the roof.

3...

---

Subaru crouched slightly, sending a mental command to her rollerblades as she did so. There was a soft squeal as the tires spun, a little smoke drifting up as Teana readied herself, her leg muscles tensed and her eyes narrowed.

2...

---

1... START!

"And there they go," Chrono noted as both pairs took off. "Let's see how well they do. I don't suppose you'd like to bet on who's going to cross the finish line first?"

"Please, Chrono, not right now." Twilight frowned, her eyes flicking between the two screens. "We're trying to proctor a test, remember?"

"Fair enough." Chrono turned back to the screens, though he could swear he heard Twilight mutter under her breath. It sounded something like 'Come on you two…'

---

"Subaru! Grab on!"

Subaru wrapped her arms around Teana's waist, hugging her tight as Teana raised her gun. The orange-haired mage quickly turned a small dial on the side of the gun, the underslung barrel of her Device clicking loudly before she pulled the trigger. There was a loud report as a small anchor shot out, a long, thin wire trailing along behind it. A small Mid-Childan circle formed as the anchor struck the outer wall of the building across the street from their starting point.

"It looks like there are targets on the ninth floor of that building, and in the adjacent garage," Teana said, giving the wire a quick tug to test it. "You handle the ones inside, and I'll take down the ones in the garage from the roof. I'll meet you down on the ground once I'm done."

"You got it Tea!" Subaru grinned, crouching slightly in tandem with Teana. The two jumped off the building, the wire snapping tight as the gun's motor whined to life, quickly pulling them upwards. Subaru released her grip on Teana, curling slightly as she barreled down on the window ahead of her.

Glass went flying as Subaru smashed through the window, the shards bouncing harmlessly off of her Barrier Jacket as she landed, drawing the attention of the four auto-spheres hovering in the room. The basketball-sized drones turned towards her, thin rods extending from hidden apertures and generating encapsulating pink barriers around them.

Subaru charged, her rollerblades sending out sparks as she shot across the room, ducking and weaving as the auto-spheres opened fire. Thin beams of blue light and energy streaked past Subaru, as she leapt towards the first drone, an armored foot smashing through the weak barrier and crushing the metal casing. She turned , the wheels slamming against one of the walls before she kicked off, smashing her gauntlet-clad fist into the second, sending it careening across into the third and disabling them.

The fourth opened fire on Subaru, the beams barely missing as she ducked, skidding across the ground.

"Revolver Knuckle! Load Cartridge!"

The Device complied, a sharp report echoing as the casing covering the cartridge chamber snapped back and triggered the cartridge There was a whine of metal on metal as the Revolver Knuckle's gears began to counter-rotate, the air growing hazy as mana filled the air around them.

"Revolver SHOOT!" Subaru swung her arm up, quickly took aim, and fired. There was a roar of wind as a small cyclone blasted forth, smashing the drone into tiny pieces and blowing the door behind it into splinters. Subaru smirked, quickly skating through into the hallway beyond.

Meanwhile, Teana landed on the roof, rolling forward as she did so and coming up in a crouch, her gun in a proper two-handed grip. She scanned the area quickly from her position before getting to her feet, dashing across to the left side of the roof and taking up a sniping position across from the garage.

Her eyes narrowed as she regarded her targets. There were at least nine of them, all spindle-shaped 'human' targets. She mentally switched her Device's shots to non-lethal as she took careful aim, measuring the distance between each target and calculating the ideal firing spread.

And then, she fired. Orange bolts of light streaked out from the dual barrels of her gun, each shot knocking a target aside and turning it green to signify a disabled target. She paused for a moment as she reached the ninth, stopping when she saw the blue triangle at its center. She scanned the rest of the building, and then nodded in satisfaction.

Subaru? She touched her temple as she sent the telepathic message, you clear?

Yup! Just finished clearing out a few targets on the third floor. I'm heading towards the north exit!

Right. I'm finished up here, I'll meet you on the street.

Teana turned and ran across the rooftop, heading north. She quickly jumped up on the railing surrounding the roof, and then leapt into the open air. She took aim with her gun, the anchor firing out and catching on a sky bridge several dozen meters away. The motor hummed as she swung downwards, her feet only missing the ground by a meter or so as she completed her swing, somersaulting in the air before landing in a crouch on the ground. Her anchor retracted and snapped into her Device as she stood up and resumed running, Subaru skating up behind her and matching her pace.

"Looks like the second set's just up ahead!" Subaru pointed, the glimmering of autosphere barriers twinkling in the shadow of a highway overpass. "Which ones do you want, Tea?"

"Just follow the plan, Subaru…" Tea replied as she took aim.

---

Scootaloo and Spike's first target grouping was immediately below their starting point; a set of eight auto-spheres hovering in a loose ring formation around a group of six spindle targets. The auto-spheres weren't aware of their presence just yet, so their barriers hadn't activated.

At least until the pair attacked.

First came Scootaloo. The pegasus dove down towards them, her wings buzzing as she leapt from building to building, somersaulting as she bounced between the two surfaces. Crescent-shaped shockwaves of hardened air and purple light launched from her roller skates as she performed her acrobatics, falling like a scattered rainstorm on the targets below. The projectiles hit most of the spindles and one of the auto-spheres, smashing it into the ground and causing it to bounce. The drones extended their barriers and aimed upwards, returning fire.

Next came Spike. The young dragon plummeted towards the drones, having jumped from the rooftop unassisted by Scootaloo. He inhaled deeply, a circle of light forming in front of his mouth before he exhaled a blast of bright green fire, the jet of flame slowing his descent and melting one of the drones into slag. He landed in a three-point crouch, then quickly leapt up and drove a clawed hand through one of the auto-spheres, turning and pitching it at another. He quickly raised his hand, the green gem on his wrist glowing brightly as a crackling dome of green light formed over him, intercepting the incoming blasts.

One of the auto-spheres bobbed as Scootaloo landed atop it, perching atop its surface with a smirk. "Hey! Over here!"

The other auto-spheres turned, opening fire on their companion as Scootaloo leapt away, jumping from sphere before she pirouetted mid-air with her forelimbs outstretched, launching a scatter-shot wave of crescents in the drones' directions. Two of the drones were smacked away, while the others were jostled as the errant blasts scraped by their barriers… at least until more precise shots of green flame roasted them, blackening their shells and dropping them onto the ground. Spike shook his head as Scootaloo landed, swerving to a halt as she let out a loud whoop.

"That was awesome! We got all of them, right Spike?"

"Yeah," the dragon pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the lone glowing red spindle amongst the fallen green ones. "Except you hit a civilian…"

"Oops…" Scootaloo winced. "Um… well, it's just one, right? So long as we don't hit another…"

"Make sure you don't. Now let's go, we're wasting time!" Spike quickly hopped onto Scootaloo's back, causing the pony to wince.

"Jeeze… can't you run? You've got feet you know…"

"I'm not as fast as you are, remember?"

"Ugh. Fine. Just don't blame me if you fall off." Scootaloo's wings thrummed rapidly as she accelerated, her wing-flaps sounding like an engine as she shot down the street.

---

"I have to admit, I'm quite impressed. I see your research has been paying off, Twilight," Chrono glanced from the screen showing Scootaloo and Spike.

Twilight blushed. "I wasn't the only one working on it, Chrono. But yes, we've actually made quite a bit of progress with adapting non-unicorn forms of Equestrian magic for other uses. Scootaloo is actually one of our best candidates in the adaptation of Pegasus weather-control magic. Of course, given the… unique nature of her Linker Core, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Indeed, though her accuracy could use some work. It looks like Spike's gotten quite a bit more adept since last I saw him. Is he still training with Zafira?"

"Mhmm. Though this is the second Device he's had since he started training…"

"Seriously?" Chrono looked at Twilight in disbelief. "What, did he eat the last one?"

"No, he overloaded the last one. Of course, it was my design so there may have been some flaws, but I didn't expect it to break. Princess Luna had to make this one out of Imperial Crystal; it was the only thing that could handle the load. However, this is just a stop-gap until she creates something more suitable."

"Wow. And here I thought if anybody would have overloaded a Device, it would have been you, Twilight…"

Twilight shrugged. "I think it's because of the nature of his Linker Core. His magic is a lot more… volatile than a pony's. He doesn't have the same degree of control that I do." She gave a worried glance at one of the readouts. "It doesn't help that he hasn't used magic outside of his message-sending breath until recently."

"I'll take that into consideration when setting up the regimen."

"Thank you. I'm actually impressed by Teana and Subaru," Twilight glanced to the other screen. "They seem to work really well together, covering each other's weaknesses."

"They should. They've been together for several years now. They probably got paired together so much because of their unique combat styles and custom Devices. Teana's Anchor Gun and Subaru's Revolver Knuckle aren't exactly standard issue, you know. Even S4U was a standard Bureau model before it got upgraded. At any rate, they've been working together for quite some time, and their partnership is quite formidable."

"You of all people should know how effective friends can be when working together, Chrono." Twilight glanced at the other screen, wincing slightly. "I wish I could say the same for Spike and Scootaloo."

Chrono looked, then chuckled. "I guess someone forgot to buckle their seatbelt before they got on Scootaloo's back."

---

The drones hovering along the lower area of the overpass turned in the direction of the freeway above. Their sensors had detected a loud noise rapidly approaching their location. A noise that sounded distinctly like screaming.

"AAAAAH!"

Spike clung onto Scootaloo's neck as the pegasus bounded across a large pit in the highway. She just barely landed on the other side, concrete and asphalt crumbling behind her as she raced on. She swerved sharply, barely dodging a collection of debris before rocketing down the ruined off-ramp, barely missing the concrete barrier along the edge of the curve.

"Stop screaming, you're throwing off my groove!" Scootaloo darted side-to-side like a hummingbird as the auto-spheres ahead of them opened fire, blue lasers flashing through the empty air. The mare leapt upwards onto the concrete barrier and began grinding sideways along the edge, her wings spread wide for balance.

"I'll stop when you stop driving like a crazy pony!" Spike lifted his hand up, a barrier forming around both him and Scootaloo, lasers scattering off the swirling dome of light.

"If you don't like the ride," Scootaloo snapped, "then get off!"

Spike let out a squawk as Scootaloo leapt off the edge she was grinding on, aileron-rolling in mid-air. He fell from Scootaloo's back, his barrier catching the incoming fire as Scootaloo landed on the opposite embankment, sliding down to meet her targets. There was a hum as she rose up on her hind legs, arms extended to either side as she passed between two auto-spheres. The wheels of her roller skates flashed as she swung her front limbs downwards, streaks of purple light trailing after the dual rows as she sliced the drones into three pieces.

Spike let out a loud grunt as he landed on his back, then growled and kip-upped to his feet, chasing after Scootaloo. The pegasus landed, dodging amongst the incoming laser fire with surprising speed. He jumped into the air as one of the drones turned to draw a bead on Scootaloo, delivering a powerful roundhouse to the sphere and sending it careening into the side of the overpass. He landed in a crouch, inhaling deeply before he released a jet of green fire, sweeping it through the air and blasting the drones to ashes.

Scootaloo, meanwhile, shot beneath the stream of fire, crouching low to the ground before turning sharply and skidding. She was heading towards the spindle targets at the base of the off-ramp: an 'enemy' target situated between two 'civilian' targets. The orange pony drifted sideways and, with a quick hop and a slight turn, bucked the lone 'enemy' spindle backwards. The two 'civilian' targets wobbled as the 'enemy' target lit up green, indicating a non-lethal hit as it skidded along the ground.

"Cool," Scootaloo smirked as she turned back to Spike. "Looks like we're making great time. Aren't you glad I-"

"The heck were you thinking!?" Spike growled at Scootaloo as he stalked down the off-ramp. "You almost dropped me on my head!"

"Hey, you're the one who kept griping about riding on me," Scootaloo replied, fluffing her wings. "Besides, you're a dragon. You've taken worse."

"That's not the point Scootaloo! You can't just dump your partner, especially mid-jump like that. What if I'd fallen on something sharp and got stabbed, or-"

Scootaloo huffed and began to skate off. "But you didn't, right? Now come on. We're wast-"

Spike shook his head. "And here I thought Rainbow would've…"

Scootaloo swerved to a stop and turned to face Spike. "What'd you say?"

"Nothing," Spike replied.

"No, no, what'd you say?!" Scootaloo skated up to Spike, getting nose-to-nose with him and staring directly into his eyes. "What'd you say about Rainbow Dash?"

Spike didn't blink. "Just that I figured Rainbow would have taught you better than to drop a teammate like that."

Scootaloo glared at him for a second, then exhaled and broke eye-contact. "Let's go," she snapped, turning away as she flapped her wings. "We're wasting time."

"Right. The goal shouldn't be too much further." Spike glanced at his Device, a small holographic timer appearing above the gem. "We've got about four minutes to go, and one last big target to deal with."

"Like that'd stop us. Now stop being such a worry-wart and let's go!"

"Scootaloo, wa-" The dragon grimaced as Scootaloo began to race off. "Oh for the love of… wait up! We need to talk strategy! Scootaloo!"

---

Several auto-spheres and spindle targets were scattered along the length of the ruined sky bridge. What was once a concrete and steel bridge suspended over the wide, multi-lane highway was now a wreck, littered with large holes, fallen rebar and chunks of fallen ceiling.

VWIP!

An anchor line shot up through one of the holes near the center of the sky-bridge, the tip attaching to the still-intact chunk of ceiling above it. In response, the auto-spheres turned towards the noise, raising their barriers and charging their emitters.

There was a soft rasp of the line retracting, just as the source of the line shot up through the hole and clattered against the ceiling. The drones opened fire, lasers rattling the gun about.

Meanwhile, there was an odd shimmering in the air at either end of the sky bridge. The air seemed to wobble like heat haze as two person-shaped blurs climbed onto the bridge.

Six seconds, Subaru. Go now!

Right!

One blur took off, dust kicking up as a pair of mana-driven engines whined to life.

Five!

One of the auto-spheres turned towards the sound of the noise, only to get smashed to scrap before it raised its barrier. The blur leapt over pits and kicked off of chunks of fallen debris.

Four!

The drones surrounding the gun stopped firing.

Three!

There was a whining of metal on metal, and the loud report of a Cartridge being triggered. The mirage-like blur began to warp, color bleeding through as it became unstable.

Two!

The illusion dropped as Subaru accelerated, crouching slightly and preparing to leap.

One!

The drones turned as Subaru leaped into the air, her gauntleted arm pulled back. Meanwhile, at the other end of the sky bridge, Teana's own illusion dropped. The young mage was aiming carefully, index and middle fingers extended and thumb pointing upwards like a gun. Three orange spheres of energy hovered about her.

"Zero!" Teana shouted. "Crossfire…"

"Revolver…" Subaru shouted in tandem.

"SHOOT!"

Projectiles flew. Subaru's Revolver Shoot flashed out, the vortex slamming into the assembled drones like a hammer. Meanwhile, Teana's Crossfire Shoot streaked out, neatly piercing through the drone's barriers and blasting them to bits. Not a single one survived.

Subaru landed and braked sharply, coming to a halt just at the lip of the pit. She exhaled, and then grinned at Teana as the orange-haired mage ran up to meet her. "You were right, Tea. I guess the drones weren't able to detect your Optic Hide spell."

"I thought as much." Teana hopped up, grabbing her Anchor Gun's handle and disengaging the anchor, winding it back up. "Just don't get used to relying on it. The spell's pretty mana intensive, so we shouldn't make a habit of using it for every Cross Shift."

"Well, I guess we can… cross off another set of drones. Right, Tea?" Subaru grinned, skating over to one of the spindle targets and punching it, lighting it up green.

"Ha ha," Teana retorted as she checked her Anchor Gun over. "Make fun of the term all you like, but-"

Teana paused, her eyes widening as Subaru turned to look at her.

"Tea, wha-"

"Subaru, MOVE!"

Teana body-checked the blue-haired girl out of the way as several lasers blasted past them. Three drones slowly drifted down from their hiding spot above the ceiling, drawing a bead on the pair.

Teana stumbled back, quickly rushing to the side as she took aim.

Unfortunately, she wasn't quite paying attention to where she was going.

CRACK!

Teana let out a cry of pain as she fell to the side, her left foot twisting sharply against the edge of the shallow crater she had stepped in. She landed on her side, then inhaled and rolled over, pulling herself just behind a fallen chunk of concrete. She peeked over the edge, took aim, and fired.

Her first shot flew wide. The next three, however, hit their marks.

"Tea!"

"Rrrgh," Teana groaned as Subaru skated over to her. "I'm fine Subaru. I'm-"

"Like hell you are. I heard it pop all the way over there!"

Teana hissed, grabbing a hold of the boulder as she lifted herself up. "I said I'm… NNGH!" She dropped, falling onto her rear with her teeth bared in pain.

Subaru knelt down beside her. "Which ankle?"

"L-left…"

Subaru nodded, gently touching her companion's leg and wincing. "It looks like a pretty bad sprain…"

"Your powers of observation never fail to impress." Teana's reply was thick with sarcasm. She let out a yelp of pain as Subaru slid her hands around her ankle. "What're you-"

"Try to relax, okay?" Subaru closed her eyes as blue light shimmered along her hands, wrapping slowly around the injured extremity.

"Huh…" Teana winced slightly. "And here I thought you were pulling my leg when you said you were learning healing magic."

"Why do you say that?"

"It just seems… well, not your thing. Ow!"

Subaru blushed. "Sorry… I just know some of the basics… but it's like it says in the book; 'a well-rounded and extensive knowledge of the fundamentals is the foundation upon which all magical expertise is based.' I figured learning some basic healing would, you know…"

Teana rolled her eyes. "Sheesh. You keep quoting that dumb book of hers like it's some kind of religious text. Weirdo."

Subaru blushed a bit brighter as she removed her hands. "Better?"

"A little. It doesn't hurt quite as bad, but I don't think I'll be running any time soon."

"Um… Tea? Maybe we should contact the proctors. I mean, you're hurt. I'm sure they'll understand if we ask them to call-"

"No. We're about two hundred meters from the goal." Teana frowned, calling up a small, holographic timer. "We've got about four minutes. You go. I'll cover you from here."

"What?! But Tea…"

"If we call off the exam, we both fail by default. It's better one of us passes than both of us failing, right? I'll just take the test again in six months."

"No."

Teana glared up at Subaru as she shook her head rapidly. "I can't… I mean… I screwed up Tea. I wasn't paying attention and-"

"It happened. I'm used to it by now. But if you fail this test because of me, so help me I will blast you myself." Tea grimaced as she pulled herself up, sitting clumsily on the concrete boulder. "Now go!"

"No! You're my friend Tea. And friends don't just abandon each other!"

Tea looked over at Subaru, frowning as she saw the determination in her eyes. "Okay… fine." She sighed heavily. "I already know I'm beat. But we've still got the last obstacle to handle, and there's no way we'll be able to handle it if you're carrying me."

"Well, why don't you let me handle it then? If I could just get close, I could take it down."

"Mm… it'll be risky though." Tea frowned, rubbing her chin in thought before she looked up to Subaru. "Okay, fine. I may have an idea. You'll need to get me into position first…"

---

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with this, Chrono." Twilight frowned, looking over at Chrono. "Are you sure we should let the test go on? If Teana's hurt, we shouldn't put further stress on her injury."

"If it was just her taking the test, we'd have called it." Chrono tapped on the display, switching scrying points as he observed Teana and Subaru. "However, she's got Subaru with her, and her injuries aren't catastrophic. As long as she's able to continue, we should allow it." Chrono reached up, touching another button on the screen. "Griffith?"

"Yes, Captain Harlaown?" The young man's response was quick.

"Have you notified the medical team at the goal point that Teana Lanster has been injured during the exam?"

"Already did so, Sir."

"Good." Chrono glanced back to Twilight. "See? Everything's under control."

Twilight sighed. "Good. I just hope nothing else happens…"

"If something does, it'll be handled. They're both nearing the end, but the last obstacle is going to be rough." Chrono's fingers flicked over the keyboard. An image of a huge auto-sphere popped up, easily six feet wide with a short, cylindrical bulge on the top and bottom. "It's a mid-to-long range sniping auto-sphere. It's equipped with two guided energy burst emitters, a much tougher barrier, and can synchronize with the smaller drones to use as spotters. A lot of candidates have problems with it, so I wonder how they'll approach it."

"I'm sure Subaru and Teana will do just fine." Twilight looked over to her screen, tapping one of the buttons to switch sensors. "I'm more concerned about Scootaloo and Spike…"

"Yeah, they don't seem to be working well together."

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked Spike to partner up with Scootaloo…" Twilight rubbed her chin gently, looking a bit sad. "I'd hoped that they'd make a good team, maybe get Scootaloo to open up a bit more…"

"Hmmm." Chrono smiled faintly, causing Twilight to quirk an eyebrow at him.

"What have you got planned, Chrono?"

"A few things, Twilight. But that can wait for now. It looks like Scootaloo's reached the target first."

---

Scootaloo's wings buzzed as she shot along the highway, her eyes narrowed and her mane fluttering in the wind. The length of highway of head was mercifully clear of rubble, and her destination was just a scant hundred and fifty meters away.

Of course, there was one last target between her and the goal line. An overpass system loomed high ahead of her. Ribbons of concrete, asphalt and metal swirled together in a multi-tiered modern art project. All she had to do was get past it, and she'd be home free.

Suddenly, a bright blue blast of light shot out from the third level of the overpass. Scootaloo's eyes widened as the blast changed course, barreling down on her at high speed. She dodged to the side quickly, only to cry out as the blast detonated on impact with the ground, the shock-wave almost caused her to fumble her landing.

Scootaloo landed hard, skidding sharply as she regained her footing, only to see the second blast launch and arc towards her.

"Okay, you want to do this the hard way?!" Scootaloo's wings flapped harder as she darted out of the way, the blast leaving a plume of smoke and dust behind her as she rocketed up one of the ramps. "Let's do this the hard way! Yaaah!"

Blast after blast flashed out towards her, each bolt exploding and showering her with dust as they impacted the asphalt. However, each blast missed her, if only by a scant few inches as she weaved and danced around the blasts. She crouched, leapt across to another road before quickly swerving into a sharp U-turn. Her wings buzzed loudly as she accelerated up the ramp towards her target.

Unfortunately, there was more than just a single drone waiting for her. Scootaloo skidded to a sharp halt as the huge auto-sphere turned its emitters on her, just as the four smaller drones hovering around it activated their shields and took aim.

"Oh horse-feathers," Scootaloo squeaked before she backpedaled, quickly ducking behind one of the concrete barriers along the curve as bolts of energy rained down on her position.

---

"Yeah, I thought that'd happen," Chrono noted, shaking his head. "Most of the candidates that get taken down by that drone try the full-frontal assault. It rarely turns out well."

"And Spike's not in a position to support her. Ugh!" Twilight rested her head in both hooves, groaning. "I don't believe this…"

"There, there. They've still got three minutes, and they're not too far from the goal. She's lucky that they can't lock onto her through the concrete." Chrono glanced over to the screen showing group one and frowned. "Hold on a minute… Twilight, take a look at this."

Twilight glanced up, blinking at the scene on the screen. Teana was running at full speed down the highway, her arms pumping and pig-tails fluttering behind her. "Huh? How did she manage that?"

"I guess Subaru did a better job fixing her ankle than she expected. Still, running out in the open like that…" Chrono nodded as a blue blast shot out from the auto-sphere's hiding place in a nearby office building, slicing through the air before barreling down on Teana.

The blast hit. There was an explosion of blue light.

"Ouch," Chrono winced. "A direct hit… wait a minute." He reached up, zooming in on the cloud of smoke and dust, revealing the road to be empty. "Where'd she go?"

And then Teana ran back into view, almost like nothing had happened.

Chrono frowned, zooming out as Teana weaved down the road, still running. "That's odd. Her profile mentioned nothing about teleportation or high-speed movement. Is she…"

"It's an illusion."

Chrono glanced back at Twilight. The unicorn had a very big smile on her face. "She's using an illusionary copy to draw out the sniper's position!"

"Huh. Her profile did mention she was proficient in illusion magic," Chrono admitted, "but I didn't expect something of this caliber…"

"Indeed. A complete copy of herself with full motion? At that range? That's very impressive. Oh! Look! Now there's two of them!"

"Question is," Chrono leaned in, eying the screen, "where's Subaru gotten to?"

"She's got to be nearby," Twilight's horn lit up as she tapped the button, cycling through the sensors before stopping. "There! On top of that building!"

---

Subaru felt the wind whip through her hair as she watched. The blasts were coming from the top floor of the office building a hundred or so meters away from her current position. The Drone was protected on all sides by the structure, and the windows on three sides of the building would let it see her if she approached it from the outside.

I can't keep these Fake Silhouettes coming Subaru. Teana's voice crackled in her head. She could hear the strain even through the telepathy. You need to end it quickly!

One shot's all it'll take, Tea, Subaru replied as she lifted her fist into the air. There was a loud crack as a cartridge triggered, a blue Belkan triangle springing up beneath her feet before she brought her fist down.

"WING! ROAD!"

Subaru's fist smashed into the roof of the building she stood on, blue light exploding out from her knuckles. There was a waterfall-like roar as a ribbon of solid mana blasted forth before her, curving quickly through the air, around the building, and into the windows on one side of the building.

"Let's go!" Subaru let out a shout as her rollerblades kicked into gear, launching her down the Wing Road. She followed the path, turning sharply and heading at full speed towards the window. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the tell-tale flashes of orange as Teana set up her illusions inside the building, drawing the drone's fire.

Subaru's eyes narrowed as she calculated the range, measuring the distance between the window she was about to barrel through and the drone itself.

And then she jumped.

It was a very impressive jump. Even without a ramp, she easily cleared the lip of the building's roof with at least ten feet or so to spare. She reeled her fist back as she flew through the air, the rest of her cartridges firing in rapid succession. A firing loop appeared around the Revolver Knuckle's gears as they spun up to full speed.

"DIVINE!"

A second firing loop appeared beneath her, quickly filling with a large, glowing sphere of blue-white light. Subaru swung her fist downwards, smashing the sphere as she called out the second part of the spell's name.

"BUSTER!"

A deafening explosion ripped through the air as the spell launched. A thick blue beam smashed through the roof, slamming into the auto-sphere from above. The drone's barrier cracked under the pressure of the blast before shattering into pieces. The beam drilled through the drone and kept going, smashing through four more floors before it dissipated.

Subaru somersaulted in mid-air and landed, sliding to a halt as her Revolver Knuckle let out a gout of thick steam.

Did you get it?

I was off a little, but I nailed it! Consider it well and truly busted, Subaru smirked as she heard Teana groan. Stay put. I'm coming to get you Tea.

Not like I have a choice. Just be quick. We don't have a whole lot of time left and a lot of ground to cover.

---

"Okay." Twilight looked at Chrono, her eyes intense. "I'm sold. I don't care what strings you have to pull, I want them."

"I thought you'd like them," Chrono chuckled, then turned back to team two's screens. "And it looks like your little assistant's finally caught up to his squad mate."

---

Scootaloo winced, still crouching low behind her cover as blasts chipped away at the concrete. She was pinned down. If she even extended so much as a feather out of cover, a laser would try to zap it.

"Rrrgh! Come on Scootaloo, think!" She huffed, puffing her cheeks out. "What would Rainbow Dash do in a situation like this? Come on…"

Scootaloo blinked as she heard what sounded like claws scraping on concrete, followed by a whoosh of magic. She risked a peek out of cover just in time to see Spike leaping upwards from his perch on a ramp below. The drones turned their attention to him as he flew upwards, lasers opening fire on him. A swirling dome of light flashed up in front of him, blocking the shots as he landed beside Scootaloo's position, his feet only a few inches from her nostrils.

Scootaloo glanced up at him. "What kept you?"

"Sorry," Spike growled, "but some of us don't have wings!" He winced, stepping back slightly as the sniper drone's blasts slammed into his barrier.

"I could've saved myself, you know." Scootaloo climbed to her feet, snorting softly. "I would've figured something out."

"I'm sure. Look, we've got maybe two minutes, so we need to do this quick." Spike glanced at her. "I can knock down the little drones and deal with the big one's barrier, but you've got to hit it before it returns fire, alright?"

"Fine. Just get me a clean shot, alright?"

Spike nodded and reached over the golden band of his bracelet to his glove. His fingers fumbled slightly before he pulled out a small golden cylinder, no bigger than his thumb tip.

"Wait," Scootaloo blinked. "Is that…"

"Yeah," Spike replied. "Just be ready to go, okay?"

Scootaloo nodded, crouching down and spreading her wings as Spike began to inhale. It was a loud, deep breath, Spike's chest expanded as he drew in as much air as he could muster. And then he held it as he slipped the cartridge in between his fangs.

He bit down. There was a bright flash of light as he let out his breath, the energy mixing with his flame as it exploded forth, spreading out in a great torrent of emerald-green death.

The smaller drones were almost vaporized, chunks of molten slag splashing onto the liquefying asphalt and blackening concrete. The larger auto-sphere's barrier rippled and crackled, shattering as well as sparks flew from the barrier emitters.

"Go!" Spike coughed out, black smoke leaking from around his teeth.

Scootaloo didn't need to be told twice. She dashed forth, leaping onto one of the concrete barriers as she accelerated. She could feel the heat in the air, sweat running down her neck as she drew in her own magic.

She jumped towards the drone, her right front limb pulling back as purple light rippled outwards from her roller skates, the air hardening into a pair of long, scimitar-like blades.

"PEREGRINE CLAW!"

There was a sound of rending metal as Scootaloo passed by the auto-sphere and landed on the opposite barrier. Two thin lines of purple trisected the drone for a moment before it collapsed, sliced into three parts.

"There! How do you like that you pile of scrap?!" Scootaloo smirked, then paused as Spike coughed loudly, bending over a bit with his hands on his knees. "Hey… uh… you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" Spike coughed. "Sorry. Just a bit… of back blast from the Cartridge. I'll be fine in a sec."

Scootaloo grimaced, glancing from Spike, then over the edge, then back to Spike before she skated towards him. She came to a halt beside him, her tail flicking irritably. "Get on."

"Huh?" Spike blinked at her as Scootal huffed.

"I said get on. We're in a hurry, right?"

Spike nodded, slowly climbing onto Scootaloo's back. "Um… thanks."

"Just hang on, okay? And don't gripe about me going too fast."

Spike let out a grunt as he shifted his weight. Scootaloo turned, her wings buzzing as she began descending down the ramp, picking up speed as she did so.

---

"Well." Chrono ran his good hand through his hair. "That was… certainly a trick."

"Yes. Yes it was." Twilight tapped one of her hooves on the seat's arm rest. Her expression was almost aggressively neutral, and Chrono could swear he could hear her teeth grinding.

I've seen that look before, Chrono thought to himself. My mom used to look like that after I did something stupid… I foresee a lecture in Spike's future.

"Well," Chrono coughed, tapping gently on the keyboard, "looks like it's just the home stretch for the four of them."

"We should probably go and meet them," Twilight replied.

"Good to see we're on the same page." Chrono reached over and tapped the communications button. "Pilot, take us to the goal point and prepare to land."

"Yes Sir," came the reply. There was a shift as the helicopter banked slightly, no doubt heading towards their destination.

"You might want to consider putting your uniform on," Chrono cautioned Twilight. "This is official business after all. Can't have you walking around naked in front of the recruits."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Not that it seems to bother you all that much. Raising Heart?"

The Device on her neck chimed softly. "AM I TO SET UP?"

"Yes. The modified uniform, not my Barrier Jacket."

"ALRIGHT."

"By the way," Chrono glanced back to his readouts, "one of our friends is working with the medical squad for this little exercise. I asked for her specifically."

"Oh?"

---

A tall, slim woman with golden hair perched atop the divider, a gentle breeze stirring the white medical coat she wore over her green dress. Large golden hoops dangled from her ears, and a pair of golden rings decorated her index and ring fingers on each hand. She shaded her green eyes as she peered down the road, past the hovering time clock and the thin bands of energy that marked the groups' respective finish lines.

"Do you see them, Knight Shamal?"

Shamal nodded, glancing back at the medic that called out to her. "Yes, I do! Positions everyone!"

Shamal watched the other mages scramble out of the way as she herself hopped off her perch, quickly jogging in their direction and taking up her position. She lifted one hand to her lips, giving one of the gems on her rings a kiss. "Klarwind, if you don't mind?"

"JA. WEICHSTÜTZE."

Shamal turned her palms upwards, extending her arms to either side as she raised her hands. A pale green Belkan triangle sprang up beneath her, spinning slowly as she cast her spell. There was a shimmering light as tall, whitish-green 'roots' of a spongy material pushed up from the ground, forming a cushioned backstop. "Make sure the Holding Net is active in case someone goes out of control," she called out as pillars finished forming. "We don't want a crash, especially at the speed they're going!"

And then she heard them approaching. Shamal turned back as the two groups approached. Subaru and Teana were barreling down the left-hand road at full speed, the latter riding piggyback on the former, her orange pigtails fluttering in the wind. Meanwhile Scootaloo and Spike were shooting down the right-hand road, Spike pressed close to Scootaloo's back, the mare's wings a blur of color.

The timer began to flash red as it began to count down, passing through the thirty second mark.

Twenty seconds.

Ten seconds.

Then the two teams crossed their lines. There was a loud claxon as the beams were broken, the times being locked in.

Shamal braced herself slightly as the two teams rushed past her, the wind of their passing ruffling her hair and coat. She quickly turned, listening to the shouts as the two teams approached the first barrier.

"Brake Subaru! BRAAAAAKE!"

"Wall! WALL, SCOOTALOO, WATCH OUT FOR THE WALL!"

Subaru turned and began skidding to a halt, her rollerblades sending out a spray of sparks as she did so. Scootaloo, meanwhile, flared her wings and turned sideways as well. Spike extended his feet, his toe-claws scraping along the ground and leaving deep grooves in the asphalt.

Scootaloo and Spike were the first to stop, coming to a halt just before the wall of marshmallow-like pillars. Subaru and Teana hit the wall, the Weichstütze pillars bending as they cushioned the impact. The pair bounced back slightly, though Subaru quickly recovered her balance and swerved to a halt.

"Is everyone alright?" Shamal looked at the quartet, quickly sweeping her hands in a dismissive gesture to deactivate the spell.

"Hey Shamal," Spike called out as he dismounted from Scootaloo, rubbing his neck. "What're you doing here?"

"My job. I am a medic after all," Shamal replied, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. "But we can talk later, Spike. Excuse me." She glanced over to Subaru, and then walked over towards her and her orange-haired compatriot. "Private Lanster, my name's Shamal. I was told you injured yourself during the exam. Please come with me so we can inspect your ankle."

"Um, sure." Teana leaned over Subaru's shoulder to look at her. "I think it's safe for you to put me down, Subaru."

"Okay, Tea." Subaru crouched down, letting Teana off her back. Shamal knelt down, letting Teana put an arm around her shoulders before walking off with her towards the medics.

---

"Hey! You!"

Subaru blinked as the orange-coated pegasus skated over to her, gliding with ease on her roller skates.

"Uh… hello?" Subaru rose to her feet, dusting off her hands as she did so.

The pegasus looked her up and down slowly. The pony may have come up to her stomach, but the way she was sizing her up reminded Subaru of some of the guys from her hand-to-hand combat classes; the ones that took sparring a little too seriously.

"So," the pegasus continued, looking up at her with a look of challenge in her eyes. "I'm guessing you guys were the other group, right?"

"Yeah. Name's Subaru." Subaru quickly extended her un-gauntleted hand to the pony. "It's nice to meet you… uh…"

"Scootaloo," the mare replied. She glanced at Subaru's hand before begrudgingly resting a hoof in Subaru's outstretched hand, looking up at her with a hint of irritation.

"Nice to meet you, Scootaloo," Subaru gently shook her hoof, careful not to squeeze too tight. She paused, looking down at the roller-skates covering said hoof. "Hey, these are pretty cool skates. They look like Oldsmotion Delta Eighty-Eight Quads…"

Scootaloo paused, looking a little nonplussed. "Um… actually, they're Equestrian. Hoofdell Derby Pro Line Alloys…"

"Cool! Nice to meet someone else on wheels."

"Uh…yeah, sure." Scootaloo glanced downwards, pulling her hoof away quickly. "Um… are your skates supposed to be smoking like that?"

"Huh?!" Subaru looked down, then squeaked and took a seat, quickly un-strapping her skates. "Oh no, oh no, oh crap! Don't tell me I broke something again!"

"Again?" Scootaloo flapped her wings as Subaru blew loudly on the skate in her hands, wincing as she opened up the casing. Thin streamers of smoke hissed out as Subaru sighed, looking at machinery inside.

"You've got to be kidding me," Subaru grumbled. "The brake-pads are ground down to nubs, and it looks like I cooked the primary motor circuits. You'd think they'd make these things a bit sturdier. Ugh." Subaru sighed, dropping the roller blade onto the ground beside her as she slipped off its partner. "Good thing I swapped them out last night. At least it had the decency to break now, instead of when I crossed the finish line…"

"Hey, maybe they would've given you bonus points if you crashed," Scootaloo snickered.

"Jeeze Scootaloo, leave her alone."

Subaru looked up at the purple and green dragon approached her, her eyes going wide even as Scootaloo shot him an irritated glare. "Oh my gosh… you're Spike!"

The dragon blinked. "You know me?"

"Of course I know you! You're Spike, Twilight Sparkle's personal aide!"

"Well," Spike grinned, rubbing one of his ear-fins, "I kinda prefer 'number one assistant.' 'Personal aide' makes me sound like I'm her butler or something…"

"This is so awesome! Do you think you could- I mean…" Subaru swallowed, blushing as she ruffled her hair in embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm just… well…"

"Let me guess," Spike supplied, "a fan?"

Subaru nodded wordlessly.

"Don't worry. Totally used to it by now." Spike glanced over at Scootaloo with a grin. "See? Told ya I was famous."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, and then winced as a powerful gust of wind blew over the freeway. Subaru shielded her eyes as the helicopter from earlier descended, slowed to a hover, and then landed on the asphalt. The rotors let out a soft whine as the engine was cut, the whupp-whupp-whupp of the blade diminishing as the side door slung open.

The first person to exit the helicopter was a tall man in his early twenties. He was dressed in a proper Enforcer uniform: black jacket with silver braid on the shoulders, white shirt and trousers, a dark blue tie and white gloves. His navy blue hair was neatly cut, though the bangs on his right side were feathered up slightly. He'd clearly seen some action: a black eye patch hid his right eye, while his right arm rested in a sling, folded over his stomach. Subaru quickly climbed to her feet and saluted when she saw the Captain rank badge on his arms.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one. Scootaloo and Spike came to attention as well as the young man stopped before them, a faint smile on his face.

"At ease, you three," he said, waving his good hand gently.

"'Sup, Chrono?" Spike said casually.

Chrono shook his head. "It's Captain Harlaown right now, Spike. I'm on the clock, remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry." Spike replied sheepishly before coughing and coming to attention. "Hello, Captain Harlaown, Sir."

"Much better," Chrono replied with a nod of satisfaction as he glanced amongst them. "Congratulations on completing your exam, all three of you. Now, as Warrant Officer Lowran informed you, there were two special proctors for this exam. I was one of them. The other," Chrono glanced back at the helicopter, "should be joining us shortly."

An Enforcer Captain? Then who's the other one? Subaru blinked, risking a glance at the helicopter.

And then, her heart stopped.

A lavender unicorn hopped down from her perch in the helicopter and began trotting over to them. She was dressed in what was, no doubt, a heavily modified version of a Bureau Instructor uniform; a white jacket with blue shoulders in front, white leggings in back. Her mane was long and straight, dark violet with a distinctive purple and magenta stripe. A small red crystalline orb bounced against her chest on a golden chain.

She… she… she… Subaru's brain froze up. SHE watched my exam!? She was one of the proctors?!

"Special Instructor Sparkle and I have been observing your exam," Chrono continued as the unicorn came to a stop beside him, "and we're quite satisfied with the results. You can expect a detailed report once we go through the debriefing later."

"A very detailed report," Twilight said, shooting a glare at Spike and Scootaloo. The pair tensed up, Spike swallowing loudly.

"Indeed," Chrono continued. "But for now, congratulations on completing the exam."

"T-thank you, Sir," Subaru saluted quickly as Chrono walked away. She swallowed nervously as Twilight walked over and stood in front of her, looking up at her.

"Hello Subaru. I have to say, you've grown a bit since I last saw you."

Subaru let out a small squeak. "You… remember me?"

Twilight laughed. "Of course. It's not every day I carry a little girl out of a raging inferno on my back, after all. It's especially rare that I end up autographing the same little girl's book after she and her father attended one of my lectures… Uh… are you okay, Miss Nakajima?"

"I…" Subaru swallowed, "I think I'm going to faint…"

---

"And there we go," Shamal smiled cheerfully, the green light fading from her hands. "Your ankle's good as new. Just be a bit more careful next time, alright?"

"Thank you, Knight Shamal," Teana replied, flexing her ankle carefully.

"It's quite alright."

Teana nodded as the blonde woman stood up, then sighed as she watched the scene play out before her. "Jeeze," she muttered under her breath, "you'd think that idiot would play it cool…"

"Hmm?" Shamal turned to look, then giggled softly. "It seems your friend's a bit star-struck by Twilight."

"So I noticed," Teana replied.

"Are you familiar with Twilight Sparkle, Miss Lanster?"

"Only from what Subaru's told me," Teana sighed, resting her chin on her palm as she eyed the unicorn.

"She's one of the most visible Equestrian mages, and easily one of the most powerful in terms of both magical strength and range of talents. Personal student of Princess Celestia, head magical researcher at the Royal Equestrian Thaumaturgy Academy, honorary fellow of the Mid-Childan Academy of Magic, and special instructor for the TSAB Aerial Tactical Instructor Corps. Those who've trained under her or seen her work call her 'The Alicorn Ace.'"

"Well, that's quite an extensive bit of trivia," Shamal acceded.

"Like I said, Subaru's the one who told me all about her. At length. Repeatedly." Teana grumbled, looking at Subaru and Twilight. "I guess I'm just not as… fond of ponies as Subaru is…"

"Well, that's a shame to hear, Private Lanster."

Teana blinked, then quickly got to her feet and saluted as Chrono approached her. "Sir!"

"At ease, Private Lanster," the Captain replied, glancing over to Shamal. "So, how is she Shamal?"

"Good to go, Captain Harlaown," Shamal replied, slipping her hands into her pockets.

"I hope I didn't pull you away from any Church business," Chrono said, causing Shamal to shake her head.

"No, it's alright. I figured you'd need a hand anyway."

Chrono nodded, then looked to Teana. "Congratulations on completing your exam, Private Lanster. You did exceedingly well from what I saw."

"Thank you Sir!"

"The debriefing will be later today. Special Instructor Sparkle and I will be looking forward to seeing you then."

Teana nodded, saluting as Chrono walked off. Her eyes, however, went back to Twilight Sparkle.

Ponies, she thought to herself. And here I thought I'd never have to deal with those damn ponies…