My name is Philomena, and for the last eight hundred years I have been Princess Celestia's spymaster. Initially, my duties involved gathering any and all information that could harm my princess, and I performed them exceedingly well. No beast in the Everfree Forest, no villain in Equestria would make a step without me knowing about it. Even the moon and Tartarus were under constant watch by my network of agents. Any threat, any concern, no matter how slight, would reach me and I, in turn, would share it with Celestia. At times the princess would even confide in me, for I was the only immortal being close to her. She would often share her hopes of freeing her sister and hope for the day they would be reunited once more.

As time passed, the pony population steadily increased, going to parts of Equestria never before ventured. Every few decades a new town would appear. Every few decades I would send agents there to act as my eyes and ears. Soon the burden of knowledge became far too great for me to handle. Ponies, unicorns, pegasi had simply become too much, and further away they went, the more they changed. Some sought to build cities surpassing Canterlot itself, others wished to live in ways society frowned upon, others still followed darker paths - purists, nightmare followers, neoaurites, everfreers...

Before I knew it, my organization had become so vast that the majority of agents didn't know of my existence. Separate branches had formed, each keeping to itself. As far as their agents were concerned, they served princess Celestia and their direct superiors. Any other information was restricted. Under such circumstances it was normal for me to step down - there were other ponies more than capable of taking the reins.

Every year I would expect things to become calm enough to for me to retire. And every year there would be a new reason for me to remain spymaster. The pure blood incident, the Tartarus fiasco, Nightmare Moon's return... There simply was no way for me to go yet. Time, however, waits for no one, and although I am immortal I too succumb to old age and all the pains that come with it.

"Philomena," princess Celestia said to me one morning. "You need some rest."

I looked up from the bottom my cage. My body had become so old that I had to be carried everywhere by Royal Guards. Usually I would have rebirthed, but with all the latest events I had been postponing that for after my retirement.

"You need to retire," The princess said warmly, but firmly. "You have been by my side for far too long, longer than any pony. You have earned a few decades of rest. Your agents are no longer little foals. They have their own agencies now. Leave them to protect Equestria and me for a while."

Her words rang true, yet I didn't feel comfortable. In my eyes and hers, the ponies were but children. The most experienced of them were seven decades at most. What could they know about the world? Their information came from books and third-hoof accounts, while I had been there. Even now that Princess Luna had been restored, I felt the burden would be too heavy for them.

"Philomena," the princess raised her voice. She knew me too well. There was no way I could argue with her. Once she had made her mind up, nothing could change it, and I felt too old to suggest otherwise. In part I agreed with her - a rebirth and some time roaming the skies would do me good. Let others take protect her for once.

It was a stupid mistake to make, and one I could never forgive myself for. I should have been by my princess' side. Instead I was enjoying my rebirth in the skies above my native forest, blissfully unaware of the dangers that had befallen Equestria not once, but several times. By the time I learned, everything was over. Princess Celestia had survived by a thread. She might have taught me everything I know, but even she wasn't infallible. At that point I saw the truth I had been avoiding - a spymaster never retires. My responsibilities might change, as could my surroundings and the ponies I worked with, but I would never allow such a catastrophe to happen again. I was going to fly back to Canterlot, straight to the princesses' throne room and inform Celestia I was returning, only this time there were going to be a few changes.

* * *

Three years later.

"Good mourning, ma'am," Cold Light greeted me.

As always she was the first to arrive at work, precisely seventeen minutes to eight. The perfect image of a unicorn, many considered her nothing but a lovely flank. Little did they know she had witnessed the death of both parents at the hooves of an insane neoaurite. She had been no more than seven. The experience had traumatized her to the point that she had used lethal magic to frost burn their murderer, along with everything else in her house.

"Here are the files you requested yesterday," she said, floating five yellow folders to the desk under my perch. "I believe that number two would make a suitable Walker. She has adequate skills and drive. No field experience, but that could be remedied. Also, she is a Wanderbolt in training."

I opened the folder in question. Since we had lost our previous Walker, we were aching for a replacement. Pegasi were highly needed in our type of work. Every undercover agency tried to recruit as many of them as possible. This particular candidate was a member of the Wonderbolt reserves. Good to know, though it wouldn't make a difference. My position allowed me to get any pony I wished ahead of any other agency or organization.

I flapped my wings in approval and looked back at Cold Light.

"Understood, ma'am," the unicorn nodded. "I'll see to it that she is approached by a neutral party and will keep you informed of events. There have been reports of nightmare worshipers in Canterlot, but Dark Section is dealing with that. Do you wish us to step in?"

Dark Section was run by a former student of mine, one of the few ponies who knew my real position in the undercover world. Old age made him grumpy and protective, though. Getting involved was never a good idea unless absolutely necessary.

"I'll keep my ear to the ground, in case things get out of hoof," she said correctly interpreting my silence. "Finally, I have a priority message delivered by sun dog. Shall I open it for you, or do you prefer to read it in private?"

Sun dog messages meant they were for my eyes only. Similar to princess Celestia's dragon, sun dogs had the ability, among other things, to transport messages across the whole of Equestria in a flash. That was done rarely, and only in extreme emergencies. It went without saying that all such messages were reserved for me alone, although lately I allowed Cold Light to read them to me. It was a necessary step if she were to become my right wing pony.

Flapping my wings twice I waited. Clear with my intent, the unicorn tore the seal off the scroll.

"We have a horn collector, in Manehattan," she read slowly and clearly. "Signed - Hatred."

A chilling statement, especially having in mind who had sent it. 'Hatred' wasn't one to shy away from the horrors in our world. On the contrary - he found the vile and grotesque fascinating, and as addictive as dragonfruit whiskey. For him to send me a message, the matter had to be dire indeed.

I looked at my surprodonate. Originally today had been reserved for leadership training - a necessary step if she were to someday move beyond the role of assistant. Hatred' message had changed all that. I had to go to Manhattan immediately.

"I'll take care of things here, ma'am," Cold Light said, understanding. "Good luck in Manehattan, Spymaster."