There were several buildings, all built into the cave system itself. On the right, I saw what looked like a clinic. Past that was a guard outpost. On the right was the barracks. I could smell various pastries in the damp air. Apparently they even had a bakery down here.

It was truly an entirely independent society down here. And it looked like I would become part of it. “What do you think are the odds of this spell working?” I asked the princess.

“I am confident that it will work perfectly.”

Not the most inspiring of things, “Have you done this on a human before?”

“No, I can't say I have. But I have done it to several ponies before, of all races.”

“I'm not too sure this is the best of plans. What will you do if something were to go wrong? Is there a way to undo it?”

“Yes, and that's plan B, but I haven't done so in a very long time.”

“Alright, let's not delay the inevitable. And I think you should talk about this to Spectacles. I told him to start cooking up something special.”

“I'll be sure to head back to Canterlot as soon as everything is squared away with you.”

Luna showed me into the clinic, which expanded even further into the rock it sat upon. It was more like a complete hospital down there. Luna guided me through to the operating rooms. Are all the buildings here like this?

The rest went by quickly, almost too quickly. All that I can recall vividly was pain, and lots of it. I remember being on a table with several doctors and nurses looking over me, Luna amongst them. Everything seemed to get brighter and louder, like someone hit me with a flashbang, and it wasn't fading... but my vitals were. My sense of smell also got much more sensitive. I need to use a new deodorant.

I flatlined, and my armor's integrated medical suite took over. A shock went through my body, nothing. It shocked me again and my vitals picked up. My armor started to no longer feel like mine, feeling... off in some places. Then everything went black.

“I miss Mormon,” commented Richard.

“We all miss him, but he'd want us to finish this thing. Right now the Infinity isn't going to do too well if we don't do something about it,” I said.

“What's the estimated opposition?” Pizza asked.

“Extreme; Promethean and Covie mix. This objective is the only thing that's keeping the Infinity here. They don't want us to go so easily.”

“Alright, Crimson. We're nearing the LZ, things are gonna get hot. See you boys at the evac, and happy hunting,” LT TJ Murphy radioed to us.

“Keep the engines running, we'll be back in a minute,” I radioed back.

“Commander Palmer, Crimson are back at the Harvester. They've got the power supply,” Miller broke through the radio, “Just have to clear the area and they'll be all set.”
“Understood Miller,” Palmer responded, “Majestic and I are almost at our objective as well. Dalton, how's the evac going?”

“Rest of the planet's scrambled, Commander. You guys are the last ones down there,” Dalton replied. The back hatch opened up.

“Alright Crimson, let's do this thing!” I yelled.

We all jumped out the back. Miller got on comms, “Here we go, Crimson. The final stretch. Clear the area between here and the Harvester.” I lead the trio, sprinting to the right, down a pathway. There was a clearing, packed with Covenant.

I scoped in with my BR. “Let's get this party started!” Richard radioed.

He was already firing on the Covenant, pressing through their lines. Pizza and I focused on the Grunts and Jackals. Without them, the Elites weren't much of a threat. Richard was going straight for the Elites.

I shifted my focus to priority targets, like the two Jackal Snipers in the rocky ridges. A couple bursts marked their demise as Pizza called back, “Let's move it up!”

There were hardly any more enemies between us and the Harvester, just a couple Jackals and a Shade turret. Miller's voice came through, “Just checked the nav data. Requiem's getting awfully close to the sun. Let's move quickly, Crimson.”

I ran up to where the Shade turret was, and peered around the Harvester's leg. Lots of Covies, even a few more Elites. Pizza set up next to me, and started firing down onto the hostiles. I followed suit, prioritizing the little guys. Eventually one Elite got on the Plasma Cannon they had set up, and began to fire on us. Richard hit him with a Plasma Pistol overcharge.

I got clever and fired on the Plasma Battery just beyond his barricades. It blew the gunner to pieces. We began our approach again, tossing frags left and then another right. We breached to cover each other's back as we broke into the Harvester. Richard stayed with Pizza, taking the left flank. I had the right.

“Roland, we've got the power source, now Crimson just needs to know how to hook it up,” Miller radioed.

“Oh, I'll have an operating manual shortly,” Roland replied.

A pair of Hunters were waiting for us. I drew the Mighty Magnum and charged ahead. The big guy tried to hit me with his shield when I got close, but I used my Thruster Pack to get clear. I climbed atop the Hunter and fired my Magnum into his exposed neck.

He struck again, knocking me loose. My shields went down, but I kept on the attack, punching the Hunter's back as much as possible. Several strikes and a few bruised knuckles later and the Hunter collapsed. I heard a thud and bits of Pizza's Hunter started flying over the room.

In hindsight, I probably should've used my last frag on the Hunter, just like how Pizza did, but then I'd be down a grenade. Grenades are damn effective.

I pushed further up, finding a Jackal and a Grunt. After dropping those two, I glanced left and saw Richard push up his side. We met at the top, I signed for Crimson to halt. I was down to only half a mag on my BR, now.

I glanced carefully over the railing, spotting three Generals, a Zealot, and a Ranger Elite. I set down my BR, swapping it with a Covenant Carbine. I slung the alien weapon over my back and drew my Magnum. I held up three fingers.

On zero, Pizza, Richard, and I vaulted over the railing. We both reached the General closest to us, Richard going up the middle. We promptly assassinated them. The Zealot I engaged with my Magnum, Pizza assisting with a Needler.

“Just one left, Crimson,” Miller marked the Ranger.

He went down rather fast. Three Spartans tends to do that to a Covie. “Nice work, Crimson. All clear,” Miller radioed.

“The power core fits right there, Crimson,” Roland said. A waypoint appeared right in the middle of the room, near a console of sorts. Richard moved towards it, power core in hand.

“Slot it in and you can power up the Harvester,” Roland added. Richard set it down, then quickly drew his hands back.

“Excellent work!” Miller radioed. The console seemed to encase the power supply, and a door at the front of the room opened wide. “Control room's open, get in there!”

I motioned for Richard to go forward, Pizza and I guarded the door. “Roland, fire controls?” Miller asked.

“Right there. Not exactly difficult, so easy a grunt can do it,” Roland marked the firing console at the front of this new room. I saw Richard literally punch the green fire button.

A green beam of plasma cast itself from the Harvester, pounding the canyon wall. “Beautiful!” Miller radioed. I had to agree. Not every day you get to blow apart a canyon wall with a laser.

“Mining laser's opened up a passage through to the cave system,” Roland said.

“Commander Palmer? We're in,” Miller said. I started leading Crimson outside, and towards the new hole in the wall.

“Miller—Just tell me when you're done—Demarco! Wake up! Bad guys on you six!” Palmer sounded like she was in some trouble. The ground started rumbling ferociously.

“Let's get in the cave, Crimson. We don't have much time!” Miller said. We sprinted the last hundred yards. We entered a large chamber, I pointed out the path to the right, just as a Knight appeared out of thin air. Richard was already laying into him with a Lightrifle, but Pizza's Needler beat him to the kill.

I looked around, seeing additional contacts on my radar, “Lancer!” I shouted, ducking just in time to dodge a Binary Rifle round. I saw a Pulse Grenade arch through the air, closely followed by a Plasma Grenade. The Knight Lancer dodged the projectiles, but he lost his aim.

I stood up, scoped in, and let loose. My Carbine wasn't doing much to his shields, but Pizza and Richard joined in, making very short work of the Lancer. I pointed towards a small passageway leading further into the cave system. Crimson followed.

A swarm of Crawlers appeared right in front of us. “Frags!” I radioed to the team. Richard and I tossed our last frag grenades. I followed up with the pair of Pulse Grenades the Lancer dropped, for area denial.

Luckily, my Carbine was super effective against Crawlers. We cut them down in no time, sprinting further ahead as the last one fell.

“Look at that...” Miller radioed. I looked up and saw a large Forerunner structure at the back of the cave. It was under heavy Promethean guard. I saw several Commanders, a Lancer, and even a Battlewagon. There was also one Watcher and a fair mix of Crawlers in their ranks.

“I don't see the artifact,” Roland said.

“Good point,” Miller responded, “Crimson clear the area, I'll find what we're looking for.”

That's pretty much the routine of things on the Infinity, huh? We were already engaging the Crawlers. I took out a Crawler Sniper and shifted my fire onto the Lancer. I saw Pizza assassinate a Commander as Richard grabbed the Commander's Scattershot. Richard quickly turned the weapon onto the other Knights.

My Carbine ran dry and I switched back to my Magnum, firing at the Watcher. Five rounds and he went down. I only had three rounds left. “Empty,” Pizza radioed as a Commander supercombined. I ran over and grabbed the Crawler Sniper's fallen Binary Rifle. I scoped in and dropped the Battlewagon.

“That's everyone. Nice work,” Miller radioed to us. I checked my left flank, and sure enough, Pizza and Richard had taken out the remaining hostiles. “Looks like this is the path deeper into... whatever this place is.” A waypoint appeared on our HUDs. We moved towards it, towards a fancy door. Pizza grabbed the Incineration Cannon the Battlewagon had dropped.

“Roland – Why's the door not opening?” Miller radioed.

“...Looks like power's off to the whole area,” Roland replied.

“Quickly, Roland. Requiem's not slowing down.”

“Power source located. Activating that door will open the door.”

A waypoint appeared just ahead, down some stairs. We sprinted towards it. Every second mattered, and we were running short on time. Requiem was about to become a memory, and I wasn't quite ready to be part of it. Richard pushed a few of the holographic glyphs and the door opened wide.

We didn't miss a beat, we all ran in. Richard was on point, sprinting down the hallway.

“Richard, get that power source online. We need to-” *KaPOW!*

A Binary Rifle had fired. Richard collapsed into a pile of ash. “Richard!” Pizza and I shouted in tandem. We didn't have time to mourn. We pushed forward, a newfound rage burning in our hearts. Pizza saw the Lancer and fired his Incineration Cannon at the bastard. The Lancer didn't last long, but a Commander was trying to get the jump on Pizza, literally.

*KaPOW!* Scoped and dropped. The Commander collapsed into a pile of ash, far too reminiscent of Richard. We found the switch we were looking for. I pushed a few button's until something happened.

“Power's on,” Roland commented.

“Great news. Crimson, let's move with a purpose,” Miller wasn't going to give us chance to think about what just happened. We headed right back up to the door, pushing the new button that appeared on it.

“Almost there... we just might make it,” Miller said. The door took agonizingly long to open. We sprinted through. “That's it! That's what we're after. Roland, tell Captain Lasky that Crimson has reached their artifact.”

“Done and done,” Roland said.

“Take it offline, Crimson!” Miller ordered.

I ran up and pushed a few more glowing buttons. “Artifact's off the network,” Roland radioed, “Only Majestic's target remains.” The ground started to rumble a lot. “And I don't think Requiem appreciated it.”

“Commander Palmer, Crimson has their artifact offline!” Miller said.

“Acknowledged,” Palmer replied, “Excellent work.”

“Spartan Miller!” Roland radioed, “That whole place is going to come down on Crimson's head!”

“I noticed, Roland!” Miller replied, “Crimson! Move! Now! Get out of there! We sprinted out through the too-slow door. Pizza and I barely made it twenty yards before we were lifted in the air, then slammed down, hard.“Roland! What's happening?”

“Localized gravity fluctuations,” Roland replied “Things could be... weird down there, Crimson. Be careful.”

“Gravity's just getting weirder the closer to the sun we get!” Miller said.

We continued running to the back from whence we came. Another gravity fluctuation hit us en route, and I saw a distant shimmer in the larger chamber beyond the passage. I scoped in with my Binary Rifle as Pizza ran ahead. *KaPOW!* A Spec Ops Elite was reduced to ash.

“Oh, come on! What the Hell?” Miller said. What were these Covies doing here, anyways? The planet was about to be destroyed!

“Some of the more religiously devout, it seems,” Roland replied, “They'll reactivate the artifact if you give 'em the chance.”

“Take 'em down Crimson,” Miller said.

Pizza was already in a dance of death with another Spec Ops Elite. I saw a shimmer headed his way. I sprinted for the intercept, grabbing a fallen Energy Sword off the ground. I lunged and bifurcated the Spec Ops that was trying to get Pizza.

Carbine and Storm Rifle fire started peppering us from the ridge, I switched back to the Binary Rifle, Pizza hoisted his Incineration Cannon. *KaPOW!* *KaPOW!* Double Kill!

We sprinted up the ridge, headed for the outside. Two Rangers were in the bore hole we made. Pizza nailed the two of them with one shot from his Incineration Cannon. “That's the last of them!” Roland said.

“Where the hell's Murphy?” Miller asked.

“He should be there. Murphy! Come in!” Dalton said.

“Settle down!” Murphy came through, “I didn't go nowhere! Just had to fall back to keep from being boarded.” Pizza and I sprinted for the Pelican as it descended. It's back hatch opened up and we jumped aboard, barely getting strapped in before Murphy took off. “I've got 'em Miller. We're on my way out.”

“Great work, Crimson! Now head back to Infinity so you can wake up!” Miller said.

What was that last part?

I awoke, finding myself in a hospital bed. My HUD was saying I was okay, but my gut was saying otherwise. I rolled out of bed, catching myself on my hooves... Hooves?!

I checked myself over: bat wings, four (count 'em four!) hooves, a bushy bushy tail, and a cute blue and white mane. Shit, I was a candy colored horse. Guess Luna's spell worked after all.

A little too well, if you ask me. Mjolnir had also transmogrified with me, but everything seemed to by functional. Motion sensor confirmed myself and one other in the room. I turned to look at who it was.

“Luna. I take it you were peeking in on my dreams again?” I was still mostly focused on this new body. My bare tail was sticking out of my armor, but the rest of me was still armor-clad. A quick glance at the system diagnostics confirmed that I was still environmentally sealed inside Mjolnir.

“I was worried, normally this procedure is harmless. I knew you were a special case so I had half the medical staff on standby, but even then it came too close. Your heart even stopped.”

“Yeah, I think remember that.”

“Twice.”

“Now the second time I can't recall.”

“I induced sleep in order to dull the pain. Did it help?”

“Given the dream I found myself in, I'd say no, but thanks anyways.”

I started trying to walk about, but face planted almost immediately. I heard Luna giggle behind me. “You really should rest up. It was hard keeping you alive, and I can only assume it was doubly so unto you.”

“My auto-doc says I'm green across the board. The only thing that's making me red is the fact that becoming a thestral didn't come with an instruction manual. How do ponies even walk with four legs? I was happy with just my two.”

“We'll take you through PT tomorrow, it's getting early. Just stay put until then.”

“Pain and Torture? Sure, that sounds like great fun!”

She giggled again, “You know what I mean. You are a soldier, after all.”

“You can't stop a leatherneck, we adapt and survive!”

She smiled and left the room. Now it was time for me to figure out how to walk again. You just put one... hoof in front of the other - *thump* The ground actually tastes surprisingly good. Floor spice, twice as nice!

Alright, sometimes you need to run before you can crawl. Terrible life advice, but it might just come in handy here. I'll just try moving two legs at once, opposites and all that jazz.

*Clip Clop Clip Clop*

I managed to cross the room without reacquainting myself with the floor. Good, but it was a little too fast. I'll probably figure it out later. Right now my tummy's been protesting my procrastination a fair bit. Best to get something to eat.

Not being able to adequately walk, I was stuck with the supplies I brought in. I opened up one of the pouches on Mjolnir and found myself a small MRE. A small, bacon MRE.

I pulled out a chemical pouch for cooking and as I waited for it to heat up, and then I realized something: I did all that with hooves! How is that even possible? I looked at my gauntlet-clad fore hooves, utterly transfixed. Hooves... how do they work?

I started smelling something burning and pulled out my bacon strips. They were perfect. Guess I must have enhanced smell as well.

You can never beat bacon for sheer taste. That was something I had to explain to Luna as to why I was eating meat. Apparently a vegetarian species doesn't understand why an omnivorous species would so willingly eat meat, even though they knew it was alive at some point.

“You do realize that you are a pony now? This could have some adverse effects.”

“Yeah, but I was hungry and I had this,” I gestured towards the MRE wrapper.

“You could have just called for the nurse.”

“But this is bacon we're talking about, not some cut-rate beef or mutton.”

Luna sighed, “I guess there will be no convincing you, now will there?” I shook my head in the negative, “Very well, just... it may be unnerving to some of the guards around here. I suggest you be discreet about it.”

“Well, the rest of the Crimson Guard didn't seem all too bothered about it, but I understand.”

“Crimson knows of this?”

“Of course. Our mess hall is also our briefing room, after all.”

“Regardless, you seem rested enough. Would you like a tour of the Shades?”

“That would be nice.”

And so she walked me out of the hospital. She even had enough foresight to get me a wheelchair.

“The place your were just in is the Nectar Wing Hospital. It was named after the Night Guard who pioneered a new medical discipline focused exclusively on thestrals. Every new recruit comes there for transmogrification. You were the first non-pony to undergo such a treatment.”

Nectar Wing Hospital. It is on the North side of the Shades, against a back wall of this massive cavern. I could only assume it stretched onward into the rock behind it, as did the city.

“Right now we're walking through the medical training grounds. They're used to train combat medics and other military physicians.”

I saw a pair of thestrals working on a dummy that had been bifurcated. Apparently they were so damn good the dummy would have made it, if it were alive, judging by their instructor's reaction. I'll have to keep these boys in mind for Crimson's medical officer.

“Up ahead, on both left and right sides, are some housing structures. They are reserved for the local politicians and other high-ranking officials. The three generals live on this block.”

Only three generals? Must be ran as a triumvirate of sorts, militarily speaking. The two rows of houses stretched down the street, totaling five buildings on each side. The two on the left, three on the right, closest to the Nectar Wing Hospital were each three stories tall. The other five were two story complexes. At the end of the street were three, five-story buildings with marble facades. Must be where the generals lay.

We took a left when we reached their doorsteps, heading East. There were four large, flat buildings to our right. On the left was a single massive complex that took the entire other side of the street.

“Here we have the guard barracks on our right, and on the left is the Tower of Power. Used as an initiation rite amongst officers, the Tower of Power is a difficult training ground. Soon-to-be officers pick their squad and send them through it. The officer oversees the team as they move about, but he may not be with them. The team must reach the flag located at the top of the tower. You'll learn more about it in nights to come. It has recently been upgraded to provide power to all of the Shades. This merely adds convenience to us, we have operated here for many years without power nor fault. It just makes things easier to get by.”

“All power comes from a single source here?”

“Every home has its own basic power production, enough for the family that lives there. There are also backup systems in the caves all around here, in case of power failure. These caves are rich with gemstones. The power in ones' home and the power from the Tower are two completely independent systems, so if power from one is lost, the other may still be able to send it.”

“Sounds like a pretty good setup you've got here.”

“That we do. Up ahead is Quarter Masters. You can get everything you need there, and then some.”

My jaw dropped. Up ahead was a gigantic warehouse, bigger than any I've ever seen, and I was born on Harvest! On the front, in an orange square, was a one-fourth fraction with a gold star behind it. Just below that, it read: “We've got everything you need here... and then some”.

“And that's not all,” Luna said, turning us both right when we reached the warehouse, “Here is the Shop. It is the local machine/wood shop. If there is a tool for something, it's in there of all places.”

I was even more surprised at this. It was an even bigger warehouse than Quarter Masters. It had a shabby-chic sign out front, reading “The Shop”. Below it hung a sign saying, “We have everything you need to make everything you can't get”. Apparently this was where most of Equestria's military budget went. It looked like it was well worth it.

“One last stop,” Luna said.

We took another right, slipping onto a street that had its right-side houses adjacent to the generals' houses, one street up. On the left, were several more houses, each small and single-story.

“Here is more of a residential area. Your house will be farther down the road. I'll help you set the magic locks. I have an override on all the locks here in the Shades, but various officials tend to have a few overrides themselves.”

“Wow, I think this will be the first time since Harvest that I've actually had my own house. Most of the time I just bunk with friends or rent a hotel room. Thanks, but if you plan on keeping me here, I do have to report back to my squad.”

“You are free to leave whenever you like, but whatever you do: do not show this place to anyone but thestrals. There are a lot of ponies here, all of which had nothing until they came here, many of whom found something here to keep them going. Be it a family or goal or esprit de corps, it gave them another chance when nothing else would. Not every pony is bad, but there are bad folks out there who would like to destroy this place. Keep it secret, keep it safe.”

“This place's whereabouts will die with me, if need be. There is no way I would take this from someone.”

“I mean it Joe, not even Celestia knows where this place is. She knows of it, but that is a rare privilege I gave her. Caesar's spies may be anywhere at any given time.”

“Loose lips sink ships...”

It looked like my house was no different than the other cookie-cutter buildings. “All of these buildings bear a similar appearance, but are varied on the inside. Feel free to decorate your front however you choose, many have done so already.” She waved a hoof right, not even breaking stride. Now, how did she do that? I can hardly walk without face-planting!

Oh, lookie there! One thestral had put a wreath on their front door. Another had a few belts of 7.62x51mm stretched around their eves. My house, number 3251 Starlight Street, had nothing.

We went up the stairs, and Luna's horn lit up. She touched it to a pad next to the front door, then lifted it away, her horn still glowing. “Okay, now press you hoof to the pad.”

I did so, feeling a mild shock go through my hoof and up my arm. I pulled it back.

“Now the lock should be matched to you, and only you. It will remain locked if anypony else tries to access it, unless you hold the door for them.”

“Basically a better biometric barrier?”

“Exactly. Now, you mentioned needing to get back to you squad?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Luna walked me to the exit of the Shades, having returned the wheelchair to the Nectar Wing Hospital. The maze lay before me. Luna would be coming with me to Canterlot, needing to get there for night court and whatnot.

“Care to take the lead, this time?” she asked.

“I'm not sure I could recall the way...”

“Not many can. Just follow your senses, this path was made specifically for thestrals to be the only thing that can navigate it. Remember: scent, sight, and sound.”

Alright, scent... sight... sound... *drip* *drip* *drip* North.

I walked forward a ways, toward the faint sound of some water dripping off a stalactite. If I didn't have enhanced hearing, I probably couldn't have found it. Now I smelled butterscotch. I love butterscotch.

Following this slightly blacker line along the pitch blackness of the wall, I eventually found my way to the exit hatch. Also, I figured out that the trick to walking on hooves is to not focus on it.

I opened the hatch. Outside was just how it always was: still, calm, and quiet. Just now I could smell the guards lurking in perfect camouflage. Apparently one of them was in proximity to second-hand smoke and seawater for a long time. It was as though the scent was part of him. I also smelt sand and cordite on another. A Hoofinite and an Appleloosan if I had to put my hoof on it. See, I can keep up with terminology!

They let us pass without ever revealing themselves. Visually, they weren't there. Audibly, it was a whole rest. I could only find them by the faintest of smells. Now that was awesome. I'm even surprised how much I could figure out about them just from scent alone.

“Luna, there's something in the area I'd like to check out.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“A while ago, I ordered Spectacles to construct a second Crimson base near here, I'd like to see how it has come about.”

“I still have some spare time, let's go see it.”

I checked for IFF tags... nothing. I switched to Ground Penetrating Radar... bingo. My boots are magnets, radar systems, and certified 100% genuine ass-kickers. I love Mjolnir!

There was a large contact to my front. The Shades were way too far away to have been picked up, it did take a while to walk through that maze.

I walked ahead. I recognized this area as my old LZ. We were definitely in the Whitetail again. I stumbled across the old clearing, and even spotted some 12.7x99mm brass casings from when Pizza mistakenly fired on me.

I looked around some, GPR guiding my steps. I found the old bush where my attempted assailant was, but his body was gone. In his place was a hatch.

I motioned Luna over as I entered. Once inside, there wasn't a light to see. Somehow though, I could still see effectively through this pitch blackness. Guess I'll just chalk that up to my bat pony eyes.

I stepped in a little closer. The layout was exactly how it was back in Canterlot, just this was an uninhabited, empty husk of its sister base.

No lights, no power. I'll have to get a reactor moved in here. Maybe I'll use this for some of the more classified UNSC tech? That seemed like a good idea. “Let's go,” I whispered to Luna as I turned around to leave.

The outside light stung my eyes a bit as they tried desperately to adapt. Things gradually got back into focus. That is something I'll have to keep in mind... might get me killed one day. I turned up the polarization on my visor just a bit more, then found the old tire tracks of the Warthog.

“This way to Ponyville,” I said, getting onto the route.

“You seem to know this place quite well,” Luna commented.

“I never forget an ambush. Captain Cupcake sent an assassin after my here, but I got the bad guy first. Your thestrals ambushed me just a little ways up this road. I took a ballista through the gut, thanks to them. Also, when I first arrived here it was solely for recon and science. That clearing back there was my old LZ, until we made the move to Canterlot.”

“You seem rather well armed for a 'recon and science' mission.”

“True, but being a Spartan, we have a bad track record when anything science-y gets involved. Most of the time the ONI eggheads wait until a fireteam or two show up before they try anything new. Those who don't have a tendency to go missing and never be found again. Also, more guns never hurt the knowing.”

“I'm glad you brought your superior firepower with you, regardless. Spectacles has been reporting several new inventions practically all day and all night, all of which is derived from your technology. He just has a tendency to throw some magic into some of the devices. The other ministries, however, are doing a great job to prove themselves better than Spectacles.”

“There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, but I find that the more competitive people tend to want to win more than succeed. I've heard of companies sabotaging one another just so that their leading competition trails behind. I hope the OIA prevents this kind of malevolence.”

“They will. I've appointed most of them myself, though Celestia has the final say. I still don't agree with her decision to put Blueblood in charge of any military operation, let alone protecting Equestria from seaborne invasion.”

“Blueblood's the one in charge of that? Can you tell me a bit more about him?” I could smell apples up ahead. They smelled delicious.

“He is our very distantly related nephew. He tries his best to use that association to get his way with a lot of things. He is a stuck up, snobby, waste-of-salt aristocrat, but the only thing that keeps me from publicly saying so is that my sister seems fond of him.”

“He sounds more like a pain in our ass than the enemy's.”

“Verily. And I must say, I am thankful that you treat me as just any other pony. Most others would still be treating me as though I am royalty. Though I am, it levies undo stress unto me, which has proven to be most undesirable.”

“No need to thank me, ma'am. I just view everyone as equal; no one better than the other. At least, until someone proves themselves otherwise. You're kind, gentle, and loving, but deep in your eyes, I see the pain of death, revenge, and that of courage. You have what it takes to kill to protect those that deserve a better world.”

“You can tell a lot just by one’s eyes, can't you?”

“Yes, indeed. You and I are a lot alike. First off: we've both lived a lot longer than we should have, as such, we have seen more than any one soul should ever endure witnessing. Next: we've both lost loved ones. Mine was once on Harvest, then twice more on Requiem. Yours was with Celestia.”

“The Nightmare...” she whispered.

“We also like to stargaze frequently, but I think that isn't as important of a point.”

We chuckled as we entered the apple orchard. Definitely not the Innie farm I had originally suspected. I took off my helmet and picked an apple off of one of the trees as we passed by. As I bit into it, I had an odd urge to suck on it.

I did so and was moderately surprised to find that my new-found fangs had completely drained the thing of all of its juices. It shriveled up, looking like a raisin. I was also surprised at the taste of it: it tasted delicious! Almost like apple cider.

“Did not know I could do that...” I commented.

“Oh, I see you've found your fangs. Most thestrals thrive off of fruit, and they do so by sucking the juices out of it, similar to how a spider would its prey.”

“Well, as delicious as it is, I don't think I should take any more. This isn't my orchard, after all.”

“Feel free to come back to the Shades if you'd like more. We have underground orchards and gardens there.”

“Even then I don't think I could afford it. I have plenty of credits, but not one bit to call my own.”

“There is no currency in the Shades, only requisitions and services. I made it so in order to minimize the expenses of the thestrals. If you need something, just ask. The Lunar Guard views itself less as a military and more of a family, and you should do the same.”

“Well, that's the first time I've heard of a civilization having no currency system. And here I am thinking I'd have to use that dead assassin's coin pouch to get by.”

“You looted a dead colt?” She seemed a little shocked.

“He tried to murder me. I would normally view his life as forfeit in the scenario.”

“Well, were you doing anything to offend him?”

“Unless if eating breakfast is considered offensive, no.”

“Maybe it was the offensive way in which you were eating breakfast?”

We both shared a laugh. Dark humor for the win! We had emerged at Sweet Apple Acres. Apparently that's what the orchard was called. We kept walking, making it to the train station and getting a ride to Canterlot. I've still got to figure out how these wings work, but I'll do that once I'm back at base.

The sun was setting when we arrived back at the castle. “I'll go check in with my team, have a good night.”

“Same to you, Joe.”

Underground felt a little more at home than usual. I walked up to the doorway, which was locked down. I knocked a hoof on it thrice. No answer.

Thrice more... nothing. I was about to knock again when the door opened and Spectacles was there.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Harvest of Reach's Earth.”

“Huh?”

“Uh... Spectacles, that was the password... so that you know it's me, Joe.”

“Oh, Joe! I didn't recognize you. Did you do something with your hair?”

“You could say that. Regardless, the procedure went well. I'd like to know what progress you've made on that Steel Ranger auto-doc.”

“Actually, I got a little sidetracked. You remember when you mentioned those transmogrification spells?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I did some more research into them, and tried applying what I learned about Zebra talismans from the CRRC. I was also looking at Mjolnir armor abilities at the time and am trying to develop a transmogrification armor ability. The auto-doc just needs a few finishing touches and an upload of the user's medical history, and then it should be done.”

“Transmogrification armor abilities? You mean I could swap between Spartan and thestral on the fly?”

“Or even into a fly! Though it seems the bigger the mass change, the more lethal it gets... Anyways, the autodocs for all the Steel Ranger suits are almost done.”

“That's good, but those new armor abilities would make me much more effective in any battlefield. How has the development been going on those?”

“Quite well, but I mustn't strain the system. The first prototypes are still cooling down from their first use. I estimate it would take a three-day cooldown before it can be used again.”

“Three days isn't much in a war. Has there been any side-effects or harm being caused to the subjects?”

“Yes, some heart problems, and occasionally this 'bleeding' effect where sometimes traits of both species are expressed simultaneously. I needed some critters of significant size to mount these armor abilities to, luckily dogs and cats sufficed. I just uploaded a gene sequence from one species, and it remembers the starting sequence. I activated it and turned a few dogs into cats. I'm still waiting for it to cool down before I can try to change them back.”

“A few... what happened to the others?”

“Their hearts stopped. It seemed to preference larger breeds being turned into smaller cats, which is where I drew the mass conclusion. It might be more apt to say that it takes effect from the outside in. Their limbs change first, and I can only assume this generates quite a lot of blood, then their organs change as well. This differential could have put too much stress on the heart, so I've still got to figure out how to normalize this.”

“Keeping looking into that, and where are the others? I thought they'd be eager to see me.”

“They're out in the field, gathering up the recruits you asked for. On a side note, The Steel Ranger armor design is making wakes in the MWT. How do you think it'll fair?”

“It was proven at Well-met, you don't need to prove it anymore.”

“Thanks, and I've been thinking... How easy do you think it'll be to mount a cannon on a pony?”

“Well, shoulder-mounted cannons have been outfitted to some prototype armor systems...”

“Good, because by 'thinking' I meant 'searching through classified files'. I've been looking at the load-bearing capabilities of Steel Ranger armor, and it can handle several times the operator's weight, so why not use it? The Hrunting/Yggdrasil Mk 1 prototype suit had artillery mounted onto the operator, and in terms of power-to-weight ratio, it was actually performing less effectively than Steel Ranger armor. Do you have any ideas that could make this happen?”

“Back home it wasn't too uncommon to see someone put a shotgun or rifle into a sidesaddle on a motorcycle. Maybe you could do something like that, with side-mount, forward-targeting weapon systems?”

“I'll get right on it!”

And he ran off, headed straight for his workshop. Those new armor abilities would definitely come in handy. I could picture a few scenarios where they'd be perfect.

Back to what was at hand, I ventured towards the Eye. Spectacles uses this observation room to keep a watchful eye on us while we're out in the field, I figured I could use it the same. There were several large monitors stretched across the back wall and a central terminal in the middle. On the monitors were the various members of Crimson going about their objectives. Everything seemed to be in order.

I walked back into the workshop to find Spectacles. “You really shouldn't leave operatives all by their lonesome back there,” I told him. His head popped out from around another monitor, he was holding a screwdriver in his mouth.

He spat it out and ran back to the observation room, “Sorry,” he said. I don't blame him, a lot was going on at once. There were two missions going on, and he had to watch over both of them. I just hope something will allow us to have a better allocation of assets later. Maybe a thestral or two would like to join?

It was dawn when the final Crimson Guard personnel arrived with the new recruits. Spectacles helped get them up to speed on what happened to me. “Lyra, what the hell are you doing here?” Apparently Lockheart knew one of the mares we picked up.

“Lockheart, you know her?” I asked.

“Of course I know her, she's my daughter!” Whoa. Did not see that one coming. “Lyra, I don't want you to serve alongside these men here. You are much better off where you were.”

“Dad, I know what I want to do a lot better than you do. And do you remember those humans I kept on telling you about? One of them recruited me to join this fireteam! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!”

“Lockheart, Lyra here has already enlist with the Royal Equestrian Navy, if she wants to stay, you don't have a say in it, just as I don't have a say in how you'll react. So long as she wants to, she stays in this unit until her presence proves otherwise, plus she has a background in medical practice, something she was pursuing in her Navy career. This team needs a medic, and she fits the ticket nicely, unless if you know some other medic we could trust a national secret to?”

Lockheart's look told me he did not like what was going on, but he eventually agreed, much to Lyra's joy. Alright, now the gang's all here, what's left to do? Oh, yes. Al Capony.

“Rookies, listen up. We need you to gather in the mess hall in five mikes. I'll be meeting you there for mission briefing. Everyone else, rendezvous with me in the barracks,” I ordered.

The greenhorns (some of which actually had green horns) all shuffled into the mess hall, everyone else shuffled off deeper into the underground fortress. I followed the latter.

We all sat down in our respective beds. I did a quick head count: me, Pizza, Lockheart, Starfire, Fencing, Spectacles, and Major Pane. That's all the veterans.

“Alright, here's the plan: we still need to eliminate Al Capony. All is quiet on the Zebra front, so we'll deal with that later. At present, Al Capony knows all of our faces for sure, except for mine and our recruits. I'll be in the field with the rookies as you guys remain on standby in case if the shit hits the fan. We're still ghosts to Capony this way. Additionally, you guys are better trained than these recruits, so I want you guys to train them as hard and as thoroughly as possible,” I looked directly at Lockheart, “The better trained they are, the better their chance of survival.”

“Is that the plan?” Pizza asked.

“For now. When we find Al Capony, we'll figure out a new plan for it. This is more like the basis of an operation than a full-blown plan.”

“Then what will we call this operation?” Pane asked.

“I think we'll call it... Operation: Paradigm Shift. What do you think?” I saw nods all around. Looks like things are done here. I got up to go see the recruits.

In the mess hall, they were still goofing off amongst each other, but they hastily got back to attention when I walked in. “Settle down, this isn't that stuck-up of a unit. Just listen up and listen good. I know you're fresh out of the gate, at least by our standards, so me and the other old hands at this will get you up to scratch. You are to divide into two teams: Alpha, and Bravo. Any questions?” They better have some.

Lyra, “Sir, who will be our team leaders?”

“You are to elect an acting team commander, and you can stop with that whole 'sir' thing.”

A scrawny buck asked, “Sir-... Who will be our instructors?”

“Myself, and everyone else not in this room.”

Cupcake said, “And what exactly are we training for?”

“Neutralization of high-profile targets, domestic and foreign. Your target will be revealed to you in all due time, but trust me, you know of him.”

It didn't look like there were any more questions. “Is that everything?” I asked the lot of 'em. It seemed so. “Then follow me,” I said, walking out of the mess.

I gave them a basic tour: the barracks, the kitchen, the workshop, the observation deck (Spectacles still insisted that it was called “the Eye”), the killhouse, the shooting range, and the reactor and sensor room. I saw a few stop and stare at the Warthog, and more than one jaw drop at seeing the Mantis.

When it was all done, I brought them back to the barracks, where the older members of this team were. “Alpha and Bravo teams, form up!” I barked.

Two groups formed in front of me. “Alpha, you are Red Team for the training exercises. Bravo, you are Blue. Pizza, take Alpha and get them geared up. I want to see how they do on the pre-test. Bravo, you're with me.”

I swung by Spectacles' workshop, and just as I guessed, he had finished a prototype of what he liked to call a “Battle Saddle”. I tossed my BR in it, and placed my Magnum in a magnetic holster on my left fore hoof. I then went back to Bravo, eager to test this new gear and see how an equine Mjolnir variant would perform.

“Bravo, you are to load TTR rounds. These bullets act like a paralyzing paint on impact, but they still hurt like hell. This is a standard Slayer gametype: first team to fifty confirmed kills wins. I am expecting you to act like a unit. Now, who's your elected commander?”

Cupcake stepped forward, “That would be me, sir!” he finished by popping a salute.

“Bullshit, I've seen you in a fight: your lack of foresight and compassion will lead to unnecessary losses and tactical discourse. Also, you are saluting me in a battlefield; that identifies leaders, which hostiles love to eliminate first. Who really is in command?”

Cupcake stayed standing in front of me, though he had dropped his salute.

“Your bullshitting me... is there any competent leader here?” More than a few heads turned to me. I spotted that scrawny buck in the back, the one who asked a question earlier. “You, in the back. You're leading this team.”

He seemed a bit at odds with himself, “Who... me?”

I nodded.

“But I'm just a buck Private, not even a PFC.”

“I've seen heroes of similar rank. Get up here and lead this team.”

“Won't you be joining us?” Cupcake asked.

“Of course. I wasn't born a thestral, so I better learn how to fight as one.”

The Private asked me something, “I had a few questions, Captain.”

“Go right ahead, and my name's Joe.”

“Alright, Joe. Who do we operate under? You seem to be the leader of this fireteam, but who do you report to?”

“The Crimson Guard operates under royal command, but I prefer to talk with princess Luna first. Celestia doesn't have what it takes to win a war.”

“Thanks, Joe...” it seemed I had said something to trouble him. Or maybe he was just digesting it? The lights went yellow and killed that thought.

Boop... Boop... Boop... BOOP!
The shields dropped and we rushed out. The Private pointed for the team to go left. With this being Blue side, that meant we were headed straight for the MG nest. Alpha may already be there...

It looked like we beat them there, but a few of their grunts were were still staring at the shield they passed through, apparently in awe. *Bam Bam Bam* I dropped one and the rest scattered to our right, into the CQC territory. Of course, they were lead by Pizza after all.

The downed hostile slowly crawled his way back through the reactor room's shield in order to respawn and deactivate the TTR's stun effects. The Private said, “Get to the high ground.”

We climbed atop the MG nest. I went prone next to the gun. “Joe, how are we supposed to operate this thing?”

I looked at the MG. Maybe... it does use a standard trigger, similar to the BR. “Like this,” I said. I dismounted my BR from the Battle Saddle prototype and slung it across my back, then I detached the MG and mounted it to my Battle Saddle. It was heavy, but I had Mjolnir with me to mitigate the weight.

Just then I saw a certain minty face pop around the corner down range. *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM* I let four .50 BMG slugs soar. I saw red splatter Lyra's face, and she went down. In the distance I heard someone yell, “Mare down!”

Looks like we had them pinned. I stretched one of my wings over the mildly heated barrel of the HMG. Hmm... my wings... I've got an idea.

“Private, permission to freely engage targets and flush them out.”

“Sounds good to me Joe, where should we aim?”

I pointed a hoof right.

“Bravo, shift your aim right! Cupcake, cover the left as a contingency. Joe, do your thing.”

I took off, flying surprisingly easily for being in Mjolnir and carrying a fifty cal. I didn't feel as though I could carry very much like this, but I could fly far enough. The leading edge armor plating on my wings would help a little bit. I guess I could call them wing-pauldrons or something similar.

I rolled right, planting my hooves on the left wall and springing off, around the corner. I saw most of Alpha to my immediate front.

I let the lead fly... or paint, in this case. I had dropped all the remaining recruits. I landed amongst the red paint. I walked forward slightly more, taking in everything.

Smells: cordite, paint, various bodily odors... ozone. Plasma makes ozone, like on a Spartan's shield.

Sights: various splotches of red, several colorful equines, and halls for days. No good there.

Sounds: moans of pain... and- whoa. Rapid footfalls, going away from me. *Bam* *Bam* *Bam* *Bam* *Bam*

DMR rifle reports. But even more so: I could hear the sounds reverberate throughout the building. In this room, I could feel the sounds with such sensitivity I could almost make out a map of it. But in the aftermath of each shot, the would-be image faded. I opened my eyes.

There was only one thing Pizza would be aiming at: Bravo. I took flight again, launching off of the walls as I did before. I caught a glimpse of a red heel, but it quickly vanished around the corner in front of me. I dropped down, aiming squarely at groin level. He would not like this.

I see red! And London... and France... *BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM* Tango down.

Pizza dropped to the floor, clutching his boy bits. “Sorry buddy, a kill's a kill.”

*Ratatatatatatatatata* A series of 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges pelted my side. My shields failed and I collapsed under the onslaught. I looked to my left. Lyra, fresh from spawn.

“Get away from my human!” she yelled.

Pizza and I looked at one another and just started laughing. She had no idea what I was before all this batty-ness. And to think, I forgot about our spawn system, too.

She looked confused. But her face, though. Just looking at it doubled our laughs. Eventually, all the recruits slowly climbed out and started to try and figure out what we were laughing about.

“Alright... that's enough,” I squeezed out my last few laughs, getting up, as did Pizza.

“Lyra, you have no idea, do you?” Pizza said.

She somehow looked even more confused than before. I was at war with myself trying to hold back my laughs. “Lyra,” I began, “I was a human, much like my numb-nut friend here, before I joined up with the Night Guard. I am still operating as Crimson's Captain, though.”

“Wait... so you were a human? Why did you want to be a pony, then?” she sounded offended.

“Versatility. Spectacles is working on something that'll allow me to change back at the drop of a hat, but it would be safer and faster to be transmogrified first, with Luna doing the procedure.”

“And when was this?” she asked.

“About twelve hours ago. I'm still getting used to some of the intricacies of equine life, but I'm doing pretty fine now.”

“Can I ever become a human?”

“I don't know, you'll have to talk with Luna about that, she seems to be an expert in that particular field. Also, you might want to wash that paint off soon. When it dries, it's tough as nails.”

We seemed to get everything we needed to know about the recruits in order to start a higher-caliber training regime. Spectacles was still working on his talisman armor ability, so he was excused from this exercise. We were at the gun range.

“Rank, name and talent,” I ordered as the recruits were getting in line for gunnery practice. First one up was the scrawny, brown-coated Private from earlier.

“Private Footfall. I tend to be rather quiet even when I'm not trying to be.”

I wrote his name in chalk on the blackboard behind me. “Next.”

“Master Chief Petty Officer Daze. Knockouts are what I specialize in.”

He was a big, burly buck, but not quite as big as Cupcake. His coat was OD green. “Next.”

“Rear Admiral Solace. Finishing the fight.”

He had a blue coat with white whiskers sprouting from his chin. His buzz cut still showed all of his gray hairs. “Next.”

“Technician Fifth Grade Keen Eye. I tend to perceive things others cannot.”

It was the same Keen Eye from way back in the Whitetail Woods. Hopefully he wouldn't be anyone's prisoner on my watch. “Next.”

“Cap- Second Lieutenant Cupcake. I ain't what my name implies.”

Apparently he was busted down from Captain since we last met. “Short fuse, got it. Next.”

He got red faced, but moved on anyway. I bet 20 credits he washes out. Next up was the mint-colored recruit Lockheart called Lyra.

“Seaman Recruit Heartstrings. I can play the lyre.”

There were a few snickers from the rest of the recruits, but Pizza's death glare silenced them quickly. I put up blanks after their names for scores, then made another list for the veterans of this outfit.

The board read:

Away Home

PVT Footfall __ CAP Joe __
MCPO Daze __ ENS Pizza __
RDML Solace __ PVT Fencing __
T/5 Keen Eye __ COL Lockheart __
2LT Cupcake __ CPL Starfire __
SR Heartstrings __ MAJ Pane __
Total: __ Total: __

“Alright, team, it looks like we're ready for scoring. One mag each, 10 points for center mass, half for headshots. We want to drop 'em, not show off. Points are scaled for accuracy. Highest score by the end of the week wins. Lyra, you're up first.”

She grabbed her ponified MA5D and went up to the sandbags. “Lyra, take careful aim. Short controlled burst will do wonders against the target, and make sure your stance can take the recoil. Shoot as you exhale, and, if need be, shoot between heartbeats for enhanced accuracy at extreme range.”

“I'll do my best...” she said, none too confident.

Her best she did. Everyone had a go at the range, and as expected, the veterans all performed well. Scores now read:

Away Home

PVT Footfall 167 CAP Joe 320
MCPO Daze 178 ENS Pizza 287
RDML Solace 206 PVT Fencing 250
T/5 Keen Eye 231 COL Lockheart 236
2LT Cupcake 086 CPL Starfire 297
SR Heartstrings 195 MAJ Pane 238
Total: 1063 Total: 1628

“Unfortunately it seems you recruits are still terrible at shooting. Lyra, Keen Eye and Solace, you did fine. Fine isn't good enough for this unit, so you'll need to do better. I'll re-tally the scores at the end of the week. Anyone below 230 gets transferred back to their old unit. Count your scores daily, the range is always open, save for when there is a mission brief,” I told the newbies.

All in all, they did fairly good. I just want to see if they can do better. I wasn't too surprised with my score, I was the designated sniper for Crimson back on Requiem. What really surprised me was the scores of Starfire and Pane. I haven't done any live ops with Pane, so seeing him perform this good was astonishing. Starfire came the closest to the 300 point mark. I'd like to see how this team performs with longer-range targets.

For now, I needed to check and see if Spectacles has made any advancements. “Team, refer to Pizza and Fencing for this next phase of training. They'll teach you all about getting down and dirty up close,” I trotted off to the workshop, leaving Alpha and Bravo teams to train.

Inside, I found some very bright sparks flying all over the place and recognized the smell of ozone. Spectacles was welding something. There was a pause, and I said, “Ya done?”

Spectacles' head popped up from the other side of the monitors. He still had his face shield down. He lifted it and said, “Sorry, I was just working on something. I just needed to take my mind off of the transmogrification talismans. I've made serious progress on it, tough. The only thing I can't nail down is getting rid of the bleeding effect. I'm not sure why, but after every iteration, it is the only problem to persist.”

“Do you have any ideas as to why?” I asked, stepping around to see what he was working on.

“No... well, a few. It just is odd, though. I've worked out every little problem, even the ones causing harm to the users, but I can't get this one thing sorted. Maybe it just isn't supposed to be?”

“Even if it is, I'd still like a perfect armor ability. I have a feeling we'll need it to finish off Al Capony. Anyways, is that a Mongoose you're building?”

“Exactly! I saw the design for it on these consoles and wanted to try and replicate it in order to learn how it operates. Quite fascinating the hydrogen fuel cell is... I might be able to build an internal combustion engine for Equestria if all goes smoothly.”

“Okay, just tell me if you see any 'Classified' stamps on anything or if there's too much black ink. Also, how has progress been made on the Steel Ranger armor?”

“Oh, I've since upgraded its design, making it more ergonomic. It now doesn't take quite as much power, which let's me lighten the power supply and thus, the armor. I've also copied a few systems from Mjolnir to try and make the armor better, but I'm not having much success. I'll probably have to work off of a different platform to figure that stuff out.”

“So you've made the armor lighter and more energy-efficient?”

“Yep, pretty much!”

“Alright, and this Mongoose may come in handy when a Warthog would be too bulky.”

“I'm almost done with it, just a few more hours of work...”

“A few more hours? Dawn broke just a few hours ago. Do you even sleep?”

“Not when I have Starbucked coffee!”

“Shit, Spectacles, sleep! Now. That's an order. I need you well-rested for when you handle operations, and if you're not sleeping, I can't trust your perception.”

“Have you even tried Starbucked coffee? It is fantastic!”

“I hate coffee. And tea for that matter...”

“Oh, but you haven't tried Starbucked! I can't stand other brands of coffee, not even homebrews, but I'm always in the mood for Starbucked!”

“Okay... I'll check it out. For now, you need to go to sleep.”

“Alright, see you in a day or two.”

How long has it been since he last slept? I don't think he ever went to bed since I found him after the first Caesar engagement. What if there is something in the coffee? That would explain a lot of things. I guess I will be checking it out. Starfire's the closest I've got to a dedicated chemist, she should be able to tell me what's in that stuff, but referring to an expert would be better still.

Gunshots rang out through the base, my enhanced hearing told me it came from the range. Guess someone is trying to improve their score. The rest of the recruits are probably about done with CQC training, knowing how hard Pizza likes to play. We need them to be as good as possible at CQC, else the Zebras will tear them apart.

I walked back to the mess hall to get a bite to eat. Pizza was sitting down with a few recruits as well as Lockheart and Pane. I snagged an MRE that smelled of chocolate. I like this new nose.

“What's up?” I asked as I found my seat. Lyra was really close to Pizza, but it seemed as though he didn't mind.

“We were just chattin' about how we should go about applying our skills and talents. Footfall here doesn't want to lead any team, he thinks he should focus on stealth,” Pizza told me.

“Well, I want him to do both. After week one, I think I'll reassign squads into specialized teams.”

“Sounds like a plan. You okay with that, Footfall?”

“Sounds good, but I still don't think its best for the team to have me leading them. Maybe you could choose someone else?”

“Footfall, your very questioning of your leadership being the best for the team shows that you are putting the team first. This is good for commanders, but I think you should also consider finding a secondary commander. Pizza's my second in command, but Lockheart's my secondary commander for this team. If I can't be here, Pizza leads. If the team needs to split, Lockheart leads team two.”

“Thanks, I'll consider that. It would come in handy.”

I ripped open the MRE. Bingo, M&Ms! I really like this new nose. I started munching on some.

“Pizza, do you know where Starfire is? I have a mission for her.”

“She's down at the range. What sort of mission is it?”

“The 'two to tango' kind. We should be back by nightfall. Take everyone through some more advanced training and wargames until I'm back.”

“Roger that, sir.”

I trotted across the hall to the range. Fencing and Starfire were instructing Cupcake over proper firearm usage. Cupcake was refusing to listen. He let loose an 18 round burst. Only the first shot hit his target.

“Easy Cupcake, you can't send any Corporal Soups to assassinate poor old Mr. Plywood,” I said.

“What did you say?” Cupcake asked, looking up from his rifle.

“Well, when it came to me, you sent an assailant after me by the name of CPL Soup. Isn't that your normal protocol, or am I just special?”

“It was you who killed that manticore?”

“Yeah, and still you insisted on using a knife when we first met face-to-face.”

“You were that bipedal... thing?!”

He lifted his rifle off of the sandbags and started shifting it my way. That was it, he was out of this outfit! I used my Thruster Pack to dodge right. *Ratatatatatatatata* Nine round pinged to my left side. He has five rounds left in his mag.

I flapped my wings and dodged upwards, rolling when I reached the ceiling. I was running on the ceiling thanks to Mjolnir's magnetic boots. *Ratata* Three rounds. He has two left.

I dropped down in front of him, having him at my 6 o'clock. I was within his reach, so I bucked his jaw with all the force I could muster in my hind legs. *Rata-click* His last two round went far off to my right, the rifle clicked empty.

He clattered to the ground, unconscious. Blood poured out of his mouth. Fencing and Starfire were rushing over. I recounted events in my head; it lasted no longer than a second or two. What the hell was this guy's problem?

“Fencing, tell me you saw that.”

“I did, sir. Why did he try firing on you?”

“Maybe he wanted to finish what he started. Maybe he's working for Caesar. Maybe I just forgot to wear deodorant. Regardless, arrest him and tell the princess what just happened. Luna knows this isn't the first time he's done this to me.”

“Alright, sir, but where should I detain him?”

“Canterlot has a dungeon beneath the castle. Throw him in there until someone cares enough to pull him out. In the mean time, Starfire, I have a mission for you.”

“A mission? Just after somepony tried to gun you down?”

“Happens all the time. Anyways, we need to go get some coffee.”

And off we went. The sun was bright and it took longer than usual for my eyes to adjust. It still seemed a bit too bright, so I upped the polarization on my visor a little. We found ourselves the nearest Starbucked café.

“Starfire, Spectacles has been exhibiting signs of addiction to malicious substances. Most of all, he seems to have found a dependence on Starbucked coffee. You're the closest thing we have to a chemist, so I'll need you to figure out what is in their coffee. I have a feeling these two pieces of evidence may be linked.”

“So you want me to buy a cup of coffee?”

“Exactly. Personally I hate the stuff, and the place has a very strong smell to it. I might not be able to stay standing if I went inside.”

“Excuses for you not wanting to go into the coffee shop.”

“I hate the stuff...”

“Fair enough...” Starfire walked towards the café, entering it. I waited a moment, trying to take in everything. I closed my eyes to think things over.

We'll need Spectacles for any action against Al Capony. There might be something in the coffee. These coffee shops are everywhere, just like ponies with connections to Al Capony. All the while, I am smelling cordite, cheap hair gel, and cigarette smoke. No one in Crimson smokes. I am also hearing hoofsteps approaching. I opened my eyes.

Quickly I heard the hoofsteps getting ever nearer. I decided to walk away, towards an alley. The hoofsteps hastened, still following me. I rounded the corner, entering the alleyway, then turned again, breaking any line-of-sight this tail had on me.

I was hiding near a dumpster that was particularly smelly when I saw the hooves fall in front of my dumpster. I stopped my breathing. I pressed myself lower to the ground, bringing my follower into view from underneath the dumpster.

Pin-striped suit. Well, shit, I'm in the pan and Starfire's probably in the fire. I looked closely at this suspect: facial features didn't matter much, but he did have a slight bulge on his right foreleg. Maybe an ankle holster? That would explain the cordite. He also reeked of coffee. I do not like this colt.

He started looking around, searching the alleyway for me. When he walked around to check my dumpster, I moved around the dumpster with him. It was like a do-see-do of death. His head popped up, mine shot down. He went to my right, I went left. I wasn't making a sound, unlike him.

Eventually he stopped searching, and went to leave the alleyway. I decided to follow him. He paused slightly when he stepped out of the alley. He quickly looked right, I jumped left to stay out of sight. He looked left, so I took to the skies, landing on a rooftop overhead.

He took one last glance into the alley, then went back from where I heard him first coming from. He was moving away from the café. I followed.

He trekked across half the city before I found him at the Cloud 9 Apartments. This place, from what I can recall, uses high-quality, super soft, clouds from Cloudsdale in its bedding. It's a pretty pricey place to stay. Clearly this guy had connections.

I followed him inside, sticking to the shadows as often as possible. Finally, he found his room. I made sure never to have a direct line-of-sight with him, using my fiber-optic cable to spy on him instead. It was standard on all Mjolnir suits for a reason.

This cable proved its worth when he checked left and right again, completely missing the small cable sticking out from around the corner. Without it, I would've been spotted. He fumbled with his keys a little, I saw the number 138 on the one he chose. His ass is mine, once he leaves.

He entered the same numbered room. I heard his door click shut, then the sound of it being locked and deadbolted. I listened with all my might, and sure enough, I heard the sound of a magazine sliding out of a pistol. Then he racked the slide, ejecting the chambered round. Then the safety clicked, hopefully into the “on” position.

I guessed he was out for blood. My blood. I'll have to assume he is associated with Al Capony. I'll raid his place come the morn of tomorrow. Meanwhile, I kind of left Starfire hanging. I slipped out of the apartment complex, taking a window exit. I flew back to the café, largely by nose.

“Sorry I kept you waiting. Seems I picked up a tail.”

“Someone was following you?”

“Seemed so, but I doubt he would recognize me outright, with this new look and all. We'll need to intercept any mail coming from room 138 in the Cloud 9 Apartments. I think he was Mafia.”

“Sounds like you're getting rather popular, then. Al Capony must hate us after what we did to his Cloudsdale chapter.”

“Regardless, I think its best we get out of here. There is always more than one in a team, and it takes two to tango. I think the Nerve Center might have some wise-guys that'll analyze the coffee. I think we should head off to there next.”

We marched off, side-by-side. I was staying alert, keeping everything noted, even that banana peel on the ground.

Nothing.

We waltzed into the castle, the three guards overhead waved us in.

“The Nerve Center is just past the thrones, up the stairs. It doesn't matter which path you take, so long as it's up,” I said to Starfire.

“Got it, but how do I know they'll let me in?”

“Because I'm here. They won't cause us much trouble.”

We walked right up to the thrones. There was quite a crowd, but they let us through, given we were guardsmen and I had my “di di mau” look. Celestia greeted us.

“What is it my little ponies?” she said as we approached.

“Milady, we need to get to the Nerve Center. We require a chemical analysis of some suspicious materials.”

“For what business, might I ask?”

“Crimson business.”

With a wave of her wing, she motioned us through. I lead Starfire up the stairs. At the top, we found the two Lunar Guards at the doorway to the Nerve Center. I walked up to them, depolarizing my visor. They stepped aside. Without glancing sideways I walked right between them, as did Starfire.

Inside it was just as busy as it was the first time I was here. I announced, “Does anyone here specialize in chemical analysis?” The whole room slowed for a second, exactly one second.

Then everything picked right back up, only a griffon approached us. He was lean-cut, but still had notable muscle build. The lab coat and goggles looked a little off on him, but he rocked it. On top of that, his feathers and fur were of the same black and brown blend. He stood a head taller than most of his colleagues.

“That would be me,” he said.

“I am Captain Joe, this here is Corporal Starfire. We need you to do a chemical analyses of this here coffee. I have reason to believe there may be some narcotics in it.”

“Sure thing, oh, and I'm Aegis by the way. But what makes you think this has narcotics in it?”

“Just a hunch right now, but lesser hunches have saved my life before.”

“Alrighty, then. I should be able to get you solid results in a day or two.”

“I guess I'll be seeing you then, Aegis.”

“Fare thee well, Joe and Starfire...” his gaze lingered a second too long on Starfire. Guess he was either a smitten kitten, or a bird brain. Probably both.

We left the Nerve Center, I nodded my thanks towards the guards as we left. “I'll need you to RTB and make sure the recruits are up to snuff on everything. Help them out at the firing range if you need to.”

“You sound like you're not coming with.”

“I need to re-train on a lot of my equipment, now that I'm a pony.”

“How about a flying lesson, then?” she said as she headed towards the landing pad. I followed.

She walked out onto the landing pad, spreading her wings wide. “Flying's a bit like swimming, just in air. You want to maintain downward air flow while moving your wings. Flapping them like you see in cartoons will get you nowhere; you'll end up pushing air up as much as down. It should come to you naturally, as it does most pegasi.” She slowly started flapping her wings, exaggerating the motions for my benefit. I matched them as best I could, then sped them up a little. I was airborne.

“You know, short pulses are easy enough for me, but I haven't clocked any real flight time with these things. Before, I would just use it like a more diverse Thruster Pack.”

“I guess that would be fine, but wings are for flight. Best to learn it all, then.”

“I'll have to agree with that. Knowledge is power, even if ignorance is bliss. Guess it's a burden the few bear so that others won't have to.”

“Well said, Joe. Now, try moving forward a bit. I find it easiest to lean forward a little. Once you get enough speed, you want to position yourself like you're in a bullet dive, but horizontal. Make sure to keep your wings tucked in slightly on the upstroke. Pegasus magic, seeing as it applies to thestrals, should help with most of the flying part.”

“I'll give it a shot,” I said as I slowly started accelerating forward. Starfire kept pace with me, making sure I didn't falter. I quickly noticed I wasn't getting any significant speed, but she had a remedy to that.

“Now, if you want any good speed, you'll want to make sure your wings are folded down slightly on the upstroke, but spread wide on the down stroke.”

I applied this to my technique, and suddenly I was a half-ton bullet. I started noticing a lot of acceleration. It was like I hit WEP on a plane. Starfire was keeping pace pretty well, though. I maintained my heading, closing my eyes and focusing on remembering the feelings through my body. When I opened them, I almost ran into Luna. I flared my wings, stopping as quickly as I could.

“Joe, nice to see you have learned how to fly.”

“Sorry, milady. I almost ran into you. Rough start, I guess.”

“Some thestrals take several months to learn flight.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Are there any other thestral tricks I haven't learned of yet?”

“There are several unique attributes of the thestrals, but they are best discovered on your own. Otherwise, the effort itself may find you discouraged from finding it, or you my overexert yourself over the mundane.”

“Understood, milady. Is there any new developments from Al Capony?”

“Not much, soldier. He has been staying in the tower at Marecago, not making any expeditions outside. Guards have reported an increase in his guard numbers. I think he might be frightened. You lurk in his nightmares, though not in your current form. He has now surpassed Lyra in the number of books checked out from libraries pertaining to humans. I think only Twilight may have studied more...”

“Seems like he's trying to know more about his enemies. How accurate are the texts he's checked out?”

“They are mostly tales of legend, and idle speculation. One of the books contains a scientific analysis of how human physiology could exist, but remember that you and your friend are the first humans Equestria has ever seen. Neither Celestia nor myself have ever seen one until you two showed up. Before your appearance, humans were but an urban legend.”

“So I take it he won't know much, but he'll know something. And we have him scared. We should take him down soon, make sure to provide what diversionary operations you can, keep his eyes off of Crimson. Then we might have chance at doing this quickly.”

I left Luna so she could brush out the finer details of everything. Remembering the tail from earlier, I took an alternate route back to the Shipping District once Starfire rejoined the formation. I snuck back into the artificial cave Equestria was using for storage in the Shipping District. I made my way over to Crimson HQ.

“Joe!” Spectacles greeted me at the door, “I've just finished the transmogrification talisman!”

“Really? That's great!”

“Yes, but there are some caveats. First: it isn't a transmogrification spell that Luna has been using, but rather a hybridization spell. It was imperfect originally, so the spell would always overshoot its mark and ultimately cause a complete species change.”

“Like what's happened to me?”

“Exactly. That 'bleeding' effect wasn't a side effect, it was the effect. I'm not sure how you would take it, but I put together an armor ability for it, biometrically coded to you specifically.”

“Well, I'd like to test it out, but it'll have to wait until after we take down Al Capony.”

“Got it. I'll keep it in the workshop for when you need it.”

“Okay. Say, how are the recruits' scores fairing?”

“You'll have to see for yourself, some have made great progress.”

“I was hoping to hear 'all'.”

Sure enough, many had improved their scores beyond to 230 mark. I had erased Cupcake from the list of names. Footfall was at 225, just shy of the mark, but aside from that, all were above, if barely. I could roll with that in my team.

The end of the week came around, and Footfall had upped his score by exactly five points. Looks like everyone is sitting pretty. I ordered to recruits and Spectacles to report for mission briefing in the mess hall. I had already told Pizza to find something for the rest of the team to do while we were away, but to remain on standby for evac, should the need arise.

I rolled out a map of Marecago. “This is our AO. Our target: Al Capony. This is capture/kill, so we will be using live rounds for this run. You've all done admirably in training, but now is the time to prove it.”

Spectacles took the helm, “Our interrogations have yielded us with intel to suggest Capony does his business in the clock tower that dominates this port city. This will only allow us to assault from the front, so we'll need a diversion.”

I took the helm of this conversation back, “My intent is a smash and grab. There is a bank in town, and I figure staging an armed robbery there will thoroughly distract Capony's men. This will be the window you'll need to slip in, Footfall. If you get caught, just feign that you were a freed hostage who didn't know where to go. Otherwise, you'll be gathering as much intel you can about his base of operations. Once you've got enough, get out of there. We'll rendezvous back at the port when it's all over. Any questions?”

“Sir, is it just to be me to infiltrate the tower?”

“Yes, any additional personnel would make too large of a footprint. You'll start out in the bank. When the lead starts to fly, make a break for Capony's tower.”

“What are we doing during all of this?” CPL Daze asked.

“We'll be robbing a bank. I'll have Spectacles doctor a few documents here and there to make it look like we're part of a new gang outfit. Capony'll view us as a bunch of wannabes. Any funds stolen will be handed in to Luna. Everyone who was in previous engagements against the Mafia will remain on standby as reinforcements in case if things escalate.”

It didn't seem like there were any more questions, “Rendezvous at the docks in fifteen mikes for departure.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Lieutenant, if ‘the Shades’ were supposed to be so secret, why are you telling us about them?”

“Times changed, Admiral. When fire rained down, they shut themselves in. When I returned, I told them of the world beyond.”

“I take it this ‘transmogrification spell’ is why you appear as you do now?”

“For the most part, doctor.”

“And how do you explain revealing classified operations data to this ‘Princess Luna’ that you seem so fond of?”

“What are you talking about, Admiral?”

“Your last excursion on Requiem, Lieutenant. You revealed classified intelligence to someone who didn’t have the clearance for it. That entire operation is classified tier one.”

“Sir, it doesn’t matter now, anyways. Plus, it was a dream. Last I checked, it’s not illegal to dream in the UEG, Admiral, unless if times really have changed in my absence...”

“A lot has changed, Lieutenant.”

“Admiral, maybe we should tell him what we’re really interrogating him for?”

“Negative, doctor, he’ll tell us everything we need in all due time. Proceed, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir…”