“You know, you were strangely cryptic yesterday about what we’re doing here exactly. I believe you said you were looking for a knight..?”

“Yes. We’ll find the third member of our team here in this garden.”

“What kind of agent could be so easily found in a garden?” Bon Bon glanced around at the exotic trees and other various flora that grew around her, a stark contrast from the cramped and dusty libraries she often found herself in. The yellow pony was much more accustomed to operating at night, or in dark corridors. Walking around during the day put her out of her element.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of meditation” Octavia replied without looking back at her companion, who followed uneasily through the brush.

“Yes…well of course. I don’t understand exactly what it’s useful for, but isn’t it supposed to be done in areas that are a bit quieter?” Bon Bon flinched at a bird that launched itself out of a nearby tree and swooped down low in front of her. Octavia kept walking forward and widened the distance between her and the nervous mare. “I mean this place doesn’t seem like a spot to relax – what with the smell and all of the...interesting…wildlife.”

“Believe it or not Bon Bon, there are ponies that actually find themselves more comfortable in nature.” Her mind recalled the element of kindness, who tended to the animals that lived on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Although the pony she was looking for had much more…bizarre reasons for finding peace in an exotic garden. “However, the pony in question is a bit different from normal ponies to begin with.”

“Even for an agent?” Bon Bon raised an eyebrow as she struggled to avoid stepping in various puddles of mud and patches of questionable fungi.

“Especially for an agent. But that’s why I want her.”

“So then why does she meditate so deep in this wretched forest?”

Finally Octavia stopped and looked at Bon Bon, who seemed positively exasperated from the trek so far. Oh Celestia, how is this pony ever going to handle the stress of this mission, wondered Octavia. “She probably spends time in this garden because it appeals to the more…” Bon Bon widened her eyes and leaned forward in deep interest, “…animal side of her nature.”

“HEEEEEEEYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!” came a deafening cry from the tree canopy above as both earth ponies snapped their heads to catch the source of the interruption. Octavia lowered herself on instinct, expecting a fight to come.

An aquamarine blur zipped down from the branches straight at the two ponies, who promptly dodged it as quick as they could, Bon Bon just barely getting out of the way in time. They turned their heads to see who or what just lunged at them and saw a pony swinging down from a vine with a leg outstretched to kick, and screaming high at the top of her lungs.

Octavia growled a curse under her breath before calmly picking up a thick tree branch. The vine-swinging pony came around for another attack and Bon Bon lunged out of the way. As the minty-colored blur swung close to the ground, Octavia sidestepped and hit her with a loud “CRACK” across the chest with the stick.  The assaulter toppled from the vine, rolling several meters on the ground before lunging up with another “HIYA!” and landing in an elaborate battle stance.

Before them stood a unicorn pony with an Aquamarine coat, a light blue mane and tail with white streaks and a lyre for a cutie mark. “Who dares disturb the tranquility of the royal garden?!” she hollered threateningly.

“Tranquility…?” Bon Bon muttered, picking herself up out of the dirt.

“Stand down, Lyra! It’s me, Octavia.”

With that, Bon Bon shot up and whipped around to face Lyra. She scowled. “LYRA?! Your third team member is HER?!” her face turned red with anger.

Octavia brushed the dirt off of her coat. “She’s a skilled fighter. So you’ve met?”

“You could say that…” replied Bon Bon as she glared at Lyra.

“What’s this all about Octavia?” Lyra asked.

“I’ve been given a mission from Princess Celestia. It’s top priority and top secret and I’ve been tasked with getting a team together. It’s going to be dangerous and I figured with your fighting capabilities –“

“Okay.”

Well that was easy, Octavia mused. Usually she only accepts a mission when there’s a big payoff involved.

“On one condition”

Dammit. Octavia furrowed her brow and asked “What exactly might that be…?”

“Not with her.” Lyra said as she sat down and pointed a hoof at Bon Bon, who shot her an angry glare.

“Lyra. I want both of you. That is not up to discussion.”

“Well then I’m sorry Octavia but I guess I’m just gonna have to decline” Lyra said as she crossed her forelegs and looked away.

Bon Bon grinned and said “Good! Now that that’s settled Octavia, let’s go find a different pony. One better suited for such a demanding mission.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nuh uh! There is NOPONY out there better suited for demanding missions than me!” Lyra hopped up and stomped a hoof.

“Hah! Please! You’re dumber than a sack of rocks!”

“At least I’m not a coward!” Bon Bon’s face turned bright crimson with a mixture of rage and embarrassment.

“At least I’m not a rowdy half-wit!” she retorted.

Octavia felt a headache coming on from all the bickering.

“Nice pale coat, Bon Bon. Don’t get out much since that time you abandoned your comrades?” The distance between the two ponies closed as they argued. Lyra yelled right in front of Bon Bon’s face.

“Better than looking like toothpaste!” said Bon Bon as she literally butted heads with Lyra.The two ponies struggled for dominance as they pushed their foreheads against each other and threw insults back and forth. Octavia sat and rubbed her temples with her hooves to soothe the growing migraine.

“THAT’S IT!” yelled Lyra. She pulled back, causing Bon Bon to stumble forward. “I’ll fight you for it! Whoever wins gets to go on the mission!” she said as she assumed a bipedal fighting stance.

“Fine by me you illiterate buffoon.” Bon Bon assumed a more traditional four-legged crouch, like a feline ready to pounce.

“Don’t bother trying to trick me with big words Bon Bon.”

The pair glared intensely for too many moments for Octavia to bother counting. She was simply glad the trash talking had ceased for a much quieter form of conflict. Let them glare all they want, she thought as she planned out how she could get both of them on her team without them screaming at each other the whole time. Headaches were not welcome on this mission.

Violence should work. But let’s see what they’re really made of. A chance to watch how they fight might be helpful later on. Octavia sat daintily sat on a patch of grass next to a tree. Shade: welcome. Headaches: not welcome. Let the demonstration begin.

Contrast to their superior’s relaxed demeanor, the two combatants strafed cautiously around some invisible ring between them; trying to size up potential weak spots. Without warning however, Lyra brought herself down on all fours again unceremoniously. She blinked nervously at the trees behind Bon Bon and said, “Princess Celestia! I…uh..what brings..”

Bon Bon turned quickly around as guilt and fear shot across her face. Lyra let out another battle cry and swiftly rushed forward, just as Bon Bon whipped back around – realizing the trick. Lyra swept her hind legs around and knocked her opponent’s forelegs out from underneath her. She whipped around again and bucked hard upwards, catching Bon Bon’s muzzle before it even hit the ground. The earth pony twisted herself in the air to land back on her hooves. Lyra rushed forward and spun around Bon Bon as the pony attempted to brace herself for a tackle. Temporarily stunned, she had no chance to defend herself as the aquamarine blur whipped around and wrapped her forelegs around her in a tight bear-hug – trapping her arms.

Lyra lifted Bon Bon into the air, bent backwards and made to slam her head into the ground. But as she lifted, Bon Bon unexpectedly kicked forcefully up and used her own momentum to flip fully, landing on her back hooves. The awkward position for Lyra allowed Bon Bon to free her forelegs and give her a hard punch in the back of the head.

Lyra lunged forward at the same time to reduce the impact of the blow, but the damage it caused could be heard in the garden with a dull thud. She clutched the back of her head for a moment and cried, “OW!”

Now Bon Bon was more in her element. She was more of a ranged fighter. Being caught in a scrap without her typical weapons was a less than advantageous position for her, so she improvised. She darted around the garden scooping up rocks anywhere from the size of a bottle cap to the size of her hoof, and cradled them in her foreleg. By the time Lyra finished muttering curses under her breath, Bon Bon had amassed a formidable arsenal of stones perfect for chucking at smack-talking, toothpaste colored unicorns.

Lyra turned around at last, and was met with a stone that collided perfectly between her eyes. She reeled backwards at a second assault at her head. She opened her eyes just in time to watch Bon Bon scoop up another rock with her hoof and launch it at blazing speed at her knee. Fortunately she twisted her leg just enough for the hit to connect with her flank instead. The blow was fierce, and would leave a nasty bruise, but at least it hit somewhere with more muscle instead of bone.

Bon Bon continued her relentless assault as Lyra learned to dodge and deflect the barrage of stones – but just barely. Bon Bon picked up a hoof-sized rock and hurled it at Lyra, twisting her arm a bit mid-throw. Lyra pulled away her hind legs, as this one was once again aimed at her knee. Just as she dodged she watched the trajectory of the rock curve and connect right into the knee of her back leg. She cried out in pain as the back half of her body collapsed to the ground. “It curved…?!” she complained. Her pale yellow assaulter sent another rock at her face once more, and Lyra ignited her horn just in time to bend the path of the rock, which whizzed just past her ear.  Bon Bon now grabbed two stones and chucked them at Lyra. Lyra used her magic again to block the one aimed at her throat, while the other crashed violently into her horn.

“GYYAAAAAHHHH!” cried Lyra as she pressed her face into the dirt, trying to block out the immense pain atop her head.

“There! Now you won’t be using that pesky horn of yours. If you ask me, I’d say that sounds like a really unfair advantage to be able to use magic against an earth pony. Tsk tsk” Bon Bon said as she casually tossed a stone into the air.

Lyra struggled to stand up. “I…don’t…use my…horn for fighting…”she panted. Her legs were shaky.

Bon Bon launched another pair of rocks at her enemy, who suddenly spun around and kicked both of them back at Bon Bon. The canary colored mare hopped backwards to avoid the projectiles, losing her balance. “I use my horn…” Lyra galloped swiftly toward Bon Bon.

“…to play the LYRE!” she yelled as Bon Bon hurled another stone, which Lyra promptly leapt over. She slid under the swirly-maned pony, kicking her hooves out from underneath her.

“…and I make…”

Bon Bon let out a yelp as Lyra grabbed her out from mid-air.

“…BEAUTIFUL MUSIC!” howled Lyra as she hurled Bon Bon as hard as she could at a nearby tree. Bon Bon collided with the tree trunk –dropping a sizable rock – with a resounding “THUD” Lyra launched herself at her enemy, both hooves up high and ready to be brought down on the cowardly rock-chucker. Bon Bon reacted quickly and picked up the rock she dropped, and brought it upward so it would meet with Lyra’s temple.

Before either of them could connect their blows with their targets, a gray flash intercepted both of them. Bon Bon’s rock-bearing hoof was kicked aside and Lyra was whipped around and tossed backwards away from the tree. She landed hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs. As she lay gasping for air, Bon Bon was likewise picked up and dropped hard on the ground next to her. Both ponies tried standing to find their bearings before being kicked again back onto the ground.

Octavia stood over the both of them and leaned her head down to glare straight into their eyes. She whispered menacingly, “Here’s the deal you two. Both of you are going to participate in this mission. This is top priority and the fate of all of Equestria depends on our success. So you’re both going to follow my every order, without question. And if you two can’t get along, so help me Celestia, I am going to beat your sorry flanks into the ground so hard, you’ll already be half buried for your funeral. Understand?!”

The two wide-eyed ponies nodded meekly in agreement. Octavia gave a satisfied “Hmph” before releasing the two ponies and turning away. The pair stood up, dusting themselves off and collecting their senses. They looked at each other and remained quiet for a few moments.

Lyra broke the silence. “Ugh. It looks like I’m just going to have to be the bigger pony here. Fine. I’ll work with you. I’m not going to like it, and I’m not going to be nice. But Octavia’s right, Equestria needs us. And I’m willing to put up with you long enough to see this through.” She lazily held out a hoof.

Bon Bon sighed. “Nor will I be nice to you, you intolerable buffoon. But if we must…” she grudgingly reached out her hoof and bumped Lyra’s with it. “For Equestria.”

The two ponies limped away, covered in bruises and scrapes, and favoring whatever good legs they had left.

Next Chapter: Number Four: Shock and Awe Estimated time remaining: 42 Minutes