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  Another day, another night gone by after yet another stressful and disappointing call out in Canterlot. Most trails related to the disappearing ponies cases had gone a bit cold, and the activity had slowed down quite a bit. For a brief moment, Rosie and Saanvi thought they were called and tipped off to a fresh lead, only to find out that the suspicious noises that were reported were nothing but a bunch of possums rummaging through the allies. After making it very clear to the upperclassman who called them, that they were guards and not pest control, the two bitterly went back to their posts and eventually home for the evening. This isn’t what they signed on for…

  The following day, the two Zeta squad members dragged their hooves as they reported in for the day ahead. It was very clear by the looks on their faces that they didn’t want to be there right now. What made matters more annoying, was the fact that as they passed certain squads, they overheard activity related to what had been going on with the kidnappings. They weren’t sure what was worse; getting cold trails, or hearing others having more luck than they had.

Saanvi: If I get called for another possum in the trash can, I will lose my mind.. This is getting irritating!

Rosie: This is getting ridiculous.. We just can’t catch a break!

Saanvi: Maybe we’re just not looking in the right places? Getting called in obviously is not helping us. *grumbles a bit*

Rosie: Well, it’s not like we can ignore them.. We just need to think outside the box somehow.

Saanvi: Maybe we can ask Pierce.. He is our leader, maybe some advice can help push us in the right direction.

Rosie: I mean, that is kinda his job isn’t it? It’s worth a shot… *looks around for the purple pegasus* … Ah there he is. Surprise, Surprise! He’s with Arche… *with a deadpan stare*

Saanvi: *smirks* Not all that surprising anymore, honestly. *ears perk* Oh..! They’re talking to Roseheart. I didn’t know he was back from Medical Leave.

Rosie: I was being sarcastic… Maybe that means Dasher and Morningstar are back too, hehe! Lets go!

Saanvi: Ssssh! *sneaks up on Pierce to try and scare him* …….. *reaches out to grab him*

Pierce: *ear twitches* Saanvi, so good for you to finally join us. You usually are more punctual than this.. *looks back at her*

Saanvi: Eee! *stands up right* Ahehehe, sorry, Sir! We were just a little slow getting here today..

Rosie: *grins smugly at Saanvi* Hmhmhm~

Pierce: I expected as much from Quartz, but not from you.

Rosie: *pouts* Oye..! Good freaking morning to you too, sir. No offense, but what crawled up your ass? Or did you not get any morning kisses yet from Bae? *in a teasing tone*

Pierce: *deadpan stare before pinching Rosie’s ear* Behave yourself, Quartz. You forget to separate your work and private life…. Though I’m sure Roseheart knows all about that~

Roseheart: *glares at Pierce* A lesson learned and settled.. Though it seems you’re not training your girls well enough, Tobias. Don’t tell me age has slowed you down already.~

Pierce: *snorts* Like you have much room to talk.. *nodding to Orpheus*

Rosie: Ow! Let go…. Oh, hey Morningstar!

Orpheus: *ears perk, turning around from messing with his arrows* Oh, hey guys, heheh! Picking up the slack since I’ve been gone?~ *grinning behind his mask*

Saanvi: *grumps* We wish… All of our calls and tip offs have all been false alarms and….. The chase of the wild goose..

Rosie: *wiggles out of Pierce’s grip and rubs her ear* Wild Goose Chase, Saanvi… Yeah we’ve been kind of hitting dead ends left and right. But with good ol’ Alpha squad back in the game, I’m sure we’ll make some good headway! ….. Where is Dasher anyways?

Roseheart: Dasher has been placed on a personal assignment. Until further notice, he will be undercover and conduct an investigation surrounding a possible abduction point of interest.

Orpheus: *grumps a little* You mean you made him live bait…

Roseheart: *gives Orpheus side eye* It’s an important assignment that others have been placed in before. It does not make him bait..

Orpheus: *pouts* Sure it doesn’t..

Rosie: *sigh* Lucky! That sounds so cool, going undercover and being in the middle of it all! It would sure beat doing dumb castle watch duty all day..

Arche: Don’t get too down about it, Quartz. Dasher’s hiding in the middle of circus freaks. Apparently there’s a couple of employees that spark a bit of interest… Not to mention the place is just sketchy as hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were part of it.

Pierce: *ears twitches* .. Thank you, for telling EVERYONE about that very classified assignment Arche.. My goddesses, you are horrible at this.

Arche: What?! Rosefart gave the information to us willingly. Besides, we’re all Eclipse! Don’t get your tail in a knot. *swats Pierce’s behind*

Pierce: *punches Arche in the gut* Hrmm.. Well seeing how we’ve literally just had an issue with rogue guards, I think we should be a little more careful about who we tell information too! Especially about someone who is undercover. The last thing I would want to see is Dasher getting in hot water because SOMEpony couldn’t keep their mouth shut..

Saanvi: *ears perk up* …… Does, that mean we’re suspects to you…? Because of what Epsilon did..?

Pierce: *ears twitch* … Of course not. But who knows who could be overhearing our conversation……… Damion.

Peering around the corner, Damion had a disgruntled glare on his face, the tips of his ears a little pink with embarrassment.

Damion: I can’t help it sometimes, not with these ears..! *wiggles them* How’d you know I was here..?!

Pierce: Years of experience… If you are so interested, you and your brother can come join the conversation.. *looking up to stare at Victor before he could get the drop on him*

Victor: *hanging above them all with wide eyes* Son of a bitch..

Arche: *snickers* Me and Lafayette have done that so many times to Toby, that’s not gonna work. He knows to look up.~

Victor: That would have been nice to know! *drops down*

Roseheart: *raises an eyebrow at Pierce* Seems even now you’re a target… But then again, you were always easy to spook when we were rookies.~

Pierce: *deadpan stare* I feel this answers your question about me getting slow in my old age.. The answer is no.. Arche just needs to train his boys to be more stealthy.

Arche: Hey, I train them plenty!

Victor: When you’re not busy hunting after Pierce’s ass, maybe.

Arche: *bops Victor’s nose with the back of his hand* Quiet.

Pierce: *sighs* As I was saying, I’d feel much more comfortable having conversations about missions behind closed doors. Especially since Epsilon has explicitly said that there could be more spies in our midst.. Call me paranoid, but I’d rather be safe than have another incident.. *gently pats Orpheus’ shoulder*

Orpheus: *snorts* I’m still alive, aint I? Getting frozen was nothing.~

Victor: Tell that to your face.

Orpheus: *makes large sad bat eyes*

Victor: …… Too soon?

Rosie: *nudges Victor and smiles at Orpheus* And we are glad to see you are okay! Honestly, I was half expecting you not to come back after.. seeing the aftermath of what happened.

Orpheus: Are you kidding? I wanna get a hold of the assholes responsible for it! They fucked up my face, roasted Danny, and almost cracked Lafayette’s skull open! I wanna get even! *pouts* But since they won’t let me in to see Epsilon in the dungeons, I’ll have to settle for their buddies…

Rosie: *ears perk* Oh, does that mean you are on that case then?

Orpheus: Tch, no. They said it would be too close and personal for me to handle it. They gave it to Beta, and those ass wipes won’t give out their info to anyone.

Roseheart: Which is exactly what they should be doing.. Unlike running your mouth off and telling a civilian what hit you in the face…. You’re lucky I don’t tell Crow you did that..

Orpheus: Aaaaw, you’d miss me too much if she kicked me out.~

Roseheart: *hisses loudly, his fur bristling* Don’t push your luck…

Orpheus: *stiffens up* Sorry!

Rosie: *gives Saanvi a side eye* …. Awkwaaaard…

Roseheart: *snorts* Either way, don’t worry about the Epsilon case… Just worry about yourselves. If you want to get further ahead, you can talk to the Eclipse’s record holder..

Rosie: *ear twitches* Right, keep forgetting we have one of those.

Roseheart: Hmph, I suggest hopping to it unless you want to be on vermin duty again. *looks at Orpheus* And you have some training to catch up on.

Orpheus: *siiiiighs* I get the memo.. *starts trotting away, waving back* I’ll see you guys around, kay?!

Saanvi: *waves back* It was nice seeing you again, Orpheus!

Rosie: *waves* Don’t be a stranger! ……… *sighs* Let's get to records I guess. Talk about boring…

Arche: *smirks* No one said being a guard would be all that exciting. *looks back at Lafayette* Now, get back to the circus, what did you find there?

Roseheart: *grins* You’ll never guess which hot-headed bastard’s son I saw over there.~

Pierce: … No.. you don’t mean…

Roseheart: Yes I do. Same bright orange hair, freckled face and everything. He even has his father’s glare too.

Pierce: Wait, so that hippy bastard’s son is… in the circus?!

Arche: *bursts out laughing* Oh man, this is too rich! I gotta give em a call, this is hilarious, haha! This might top calling Jasper and tellin’ him you got his daughter to train, Toby.~

Pierce: Ugh, don’t remind me.. He wouldn’t stop calling ME about it for months..

Saanvi: *shakes her head and holds onto Rosie’s arm to lead her away* Let us leave the old pros to have their time to talk. We have cases to take on! *tail wiggles*

Rosie: *reluctantly follows* Oh boy… I can’t wait……. That’s sarcasm again.

Saanvi: It just sounds like you didn’t have enough coffee before we left the apartment, heheh!

Rosie: I may need it if we are going to be spending the day in records.. Maybe we can look up some stuff about that Epsilon case too. I’m kind of curious now.

Saanvi: Me too.. Do you know if they ever gave up names after interrogation?

Rosie: No idea, I haven’t heard anything about it since Morningstar and the others were released from the hospital.. I’m guessing it’s all been hush hush. It makes you wonder if Pierce is right…

Saanvi: *looks around* … Now that he brought it up, I can see it now.. The Eclipse members aren’t really talking to anypony outside their own squads as much anymore…. At least, not the newest members like us.. Apart from the Senior leaders, they’re all acting very aloof..

Rosie: …. Well, besides Arche and his squad. Those bats can’t keep their mouths shut for anything, hehehe!

Saanvi: Heheheh, I expect nothing less from those three! *ears twitch* ……. Do you think Pierce suspects us too..? He said he didn’t, but…. The way he talked about it.. *ears droop back*

Rosie: *ears fold back* … I don’t know. I’d like to think that he could trust us by now, after everything we’ve been through. But I also could tell he holds back a lot, not just what he tells us, but also like with sparring and training too.

Saanvi: *huffs* He always goes easy on us… But now we can take charge, and we’ll get ahead in this problem!

Rosie: Right! We don’t need Pierce anyways, we can figure this out without him! *pats her cheeks and inhales deeply* MMM! Okay! I’m pumped now! Let's do this!

  Once inside the records hall, the amount of files and boxes upon boxes was almost overwhelming. At the center of it all was a single unicorn Scribe, sorting through and filing away paperwork as if effortlessly, even without looking. From the looks of the grey in his mane he had been at this job for a good number of years to be able to handle it all on his own. However, his cold deadpan stares seemed to sap the energy right out of Saanvi and Rosie when they entered. Suddenly, looking through papers didn’t sound all that exciting.

Saanvi: *quietly whispers* Is it too late to turn back…?

Rosie: *cringes* Uuugh… No! We are committed, this is the only way we can move forward! Besides, you like reading. Pretend like this one of your steamy mystery novels.

Saanvi: *grooooooooan* I will try..

Scribe: Can I help you two, or are you going to stand in the doorway all day? *raises an eyebrow at them*

Rosie: *jumps a little* Ah! S-sorry. Umm, we are working on the kidnapping cases and wanted to look at the case files for the missing ponies… To see if there was something we missed…. Please.

Scribe: *waves his hand* Go ahead, you and many others have been poking around here for the same reason.. Just don’t make too big of a mess and we’ll get along fine.

Saanvi: Thank you, Sir!

Scribe: And don’t talk too much. *shoots a grouchy look at them*

Rosie: *glares back* Yeah yeah.. Where is the box at?

Scribe: Ahem… I think you mean, “boxes”... *horn glows as multiple boxes float from off shelves and onto a nearby table* Take your pick.

Saanvi: *stares at them with wide eyes* I….. I knew ponies were missing, but I didn’t think it was this many..

Scribe: Well…. Keep in mind, not all of them are civilians…

Rosie: *ears fold back* Right, Guards have gone missing too… And just because these files are all missing ponies doesn’t mean they are related to the kidnapping case. We just need to shift through and see if we can’t find a pattern.. *as she opens a box*

Saanvi: *takes a deep breath* Alright.. We can do this..! *opens another box and starts looking through it*

  The clock ticked as time seemed to pass slower with every new file opened and examined. The files themselves didn’t tell too much or connect very many gaps. Most all the civilians didn’t have any connections to each other, and neither did the missing Guards.

Saanvi: *slumped over in her chair* This doesn’t make much sense.. A lot of the civilians in here don’t have a lot on record about them.. The worst I have seen are a few minor charges for drinking or loitering, reckless flying…. A few of them were homeless too….

Rosie: And the species are all over the chart, not just ponies, but Griffins and Hippogriffs too. Even a few hybrids.. A lot of them don’t look like kidnappings either. They just.. disappeared. No struggle reported and there is never a ransom call or note with demands..

Saanvi: *ears twitch* Maybe some of them ran away and just chose not to tell anyone… That happens sometimes too. *picks up another file and reads it* This one is around our age. Kind of looks like the wandering spirit type, heheh.. The report was made by their parents cuz they hadn’t seen him in a while…

Rosie: I don’t want to make assumptions about anything.. But this feels like another dead end. *rubs her eyes* Maybe we should take a break and look at something else for a while..

Saanvi: Might be a good idea..

Scribe: *points to the opposite corner of the room* If you want refreshments, there’s a coffee maker and a tray of pastries along with some sandwiches over there.

Saanvi: *ears perk* W-why so many..?!

Scribe: I work a desk job, it’s not like I go anywhere else..

Rosie: Uh, thanks but no thanks.. *gets up and stretches* Hmm…. Hey uh….. Whatever your name is.

Scribe: *gives side eye over his shoulder* I see you can read important files, but not a name plank on someone’s desk… Raven Writingdesk.

Rosie: *pauses as she lifts a paper covering the name plate* … Oh.. Right. Anyways, are there any case files about what happened with the Epsilon Squad? We are Eclipse too. *points to her badge*

Raven: Epsilon…? You may as well look into someone else’s files. Anything related to Epsilon was taken by Beta for examination a few days ago. Apart from copies I’ve made for safe keeping, I’m afraid I can’t help you..

Saanvi: Are you kidding me?!

Rosie: They took all of them? Can we look at the copies at least?

Raven: You would have to take it up with them first. Every Eclipse squad has the right to deny or share their information with others if they wish. But unless they give you consent, you may have to try a different case.

Rosie: *pouts* Oye… What happened to working together as a team? How are we going to get anywhere if everypony is being so stingy?

Raven: It’s not stinginess, Quartz… It’s paranoia.. Until tensions die down, I don’t think the Eclipse will be as close and social with each other as we used to be..

Rosie: Hrmm… Well, maybe we need to start breaking some ice then. Because obviously no one is making any headway when everyone is off doing things on their own. More heads are always better than one!

Saanvi: *ear twitches* Why does this sound like one of those, “Friendship saves all” speeches that Princess Twilight would give all the time..?

Rosie: Hey! It worked in the past countless times, didn’t it? Besides, the whole point of the Eclipse was to bridge the segregation between the Day guard and Night Guard, wasn’t it?

Raven: *sips his coffee* While that might be the reason Commander Tempest gave, it’s clearly just a faction that utilizes the strengths in both sides of the guard. Rather than make those talents wasted on patrolling the castle walls all the time..

Rosie: Exactly! See, Raven agrees with me! *pats his back*

Raven: PPPPTT! *spits his coffee a bit* …….. You are lucky I didn’t have anything important on my desk right now..

Rosie: Oops.. my bad. Anywho, thanks for the help! Saanvi, let's go find Beta squad then!

Saanvi: Right behind you! *runs after Rosie*

Raven: …………. Oh don’t worry, I’ll put those files away myself. Not like it’s my break or anything…. *snorts* Damn kids…

  After searching the training grounds and break room, Rosie and Saanvi eventually tracked down the elusive Beta Squad: A lean dark blue unicorn with long blonde and navy blue hair tied back in a pony and a tall bulky earth pony with light freckles dusted across his scarred face. The two stallions were found training in the gym, the earth pony bench pressing an impressive amount of weight while his partner spotted him. They barely noticed as the mares approached them.

Saanvi: Hello!

Earth Pony: Hmm?! *almost drops the weight*

Unicorn: Shit! *grabs on and lifts it up*

Saanvi: *covers her mouth* S-sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!

Earth Pony: *looks up and ears perk* Heh, wouldn’t say startled.. *sits up* Did you two want the bench?

Rosie: *shakes her head* No, we actually had a few questions. You two are Beta Squad right? The guys who are on the Epsilon case?

Unicorn: *ear twitches* Yeah, that’s us. Why ask..?

Rosie: *smiles* We are Zeta squad, I’m Rosie Quartz and this is my partner Saanvi. *offering her hand to shake*

Unicorn: *shakes her hand* Garrett Flint. This is my partner, Terran.

Saanvi: Nice to meet you both, heheh. *shakes Terran’s hand*

Garrett: So what exactly do you want about Epsilon..?

Rosie: *ear twitches* We were just down at records working on our own case and noticed that there weren't any files of your case down there. So we thought it would be cool if we could cross reference our notes. Maaaaybe something could come from it..~

Garrett: Uuuh-huh.. Look, don’t worry about the Epsilon case, we have it handled. Just get back to your case, get better progress elsewhere….. Unless, ya know…. Chasing after possums is your favorite pastime..~

Rosie: *grimaces a little* Hrmm….. *ears perk* Wait, does that mean you’ve made some progress then? Do you have a lead?

Terran: Yeah. That’s actually what we’re getting ready to look into. Just leave it to us. *drinks some water*

Rosie: Well, maybe there is something we can help with? We know a few of the Night Guard Eclipse squads pretty well and they are great when it comes to more stealthy data gathering type missions.

Terran: Thanks, but no. We’re not looking for extra weight to slow us down.

Garrett: Besides, I dunno how credible your help might be….. Being a Quartz..

Rosie: *ears twitches* Heh, what’s that supposed to mean? I’ve had a pretty good track record while I’ve been in the guard..

Garrett: Doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.. The way your old man flipped his switch was pretty bad. I mean- to outright challenge the General herself, pretty nasty.

Rosie: *ears fold back* … What are you talking about?

Garrett: Snrk, you don’t know? Old Jasper Quartz should’ve been charged for treason for what he did before, “quitting” the guard. The day General Crow got her rank, Quartz challenged her upfront. Said she wasn’t fit to lead for multiple reasons and called her on bullshit. Least until she took him up on it and kicked his ass, heheheh.~ Left a hefty scar on his face too.

Rosie: *ears fold back, remembering the scar and how bitter her father was after leaving the guard* …… S-so what? I am NOTHING like my father. Unlike him, I don’t quit!

Terran: Yeah? And what about the saying, “Like mother like daughter”? Not your fake one, the real one, heheheh.

Rosie: *hand clenched into a fist but stays silent* ….

Garrett: *nudges Terran* Ssshh, don’t, heheh…! Ahem! Sorry Quartz, but, handling Epsilon’s case might be too risky for you. It’s very sensitive stuff, and we’d rather do it ourselves…. It’s not that you’re not resourceful, buuuuut..

Terran: We’d rather share this info with the higher ups, than a born traitor.

Saanvi: *face turns red* How can you say that?! Rosie hasn’t done anything to show she’s a traitor!

Terran: We’d rather not take that chance. And with how much you’re both pestering about it, you’re not exactly giving off good vibes…. *glares at them suspiciously*

Rosie: Tch..! Okay fine. Then what do I have to do to prove to you that I’m not a traitor. You are the ones on the case, you must know something that can prove it to you ass wipes…

Terran: *stands up* Don’t bother. Just leave the bigger stuff to those most qualified.

Rosie: *pushes Terran back down on the bench and stomps her hoof on the bench in between his legs* LISTEN HERE you wankmuffin..! I’ve had it up to here with both of you and your condescending bullshit. Call me a traitor or bring up ancient history to shit on my face again, and I’ll make sure you don’t get to HAVE any descendents..! *horn sparks*

Saanvi: *jumps a bit* R-rosie?!

Garrett: *horn sparks, stepping forward* I’d pick my next actions carefully if I were you, Quartz.. Don’t want things to get ugly in here, do you..? *ear twitches and folds back, listening to other guards turning to look at them*

Rosie: *removes her hoof but keeps her head up high* … Then quit acting like I’m less of a guard. I know I’m more than qualified, otherwise I wouldn’t be in Eclipse.. And unlike you two selfish assholes, I’m not trying to hog all the glory for myself. I just want to find these missing ponies, and…. maybe your Epsilon case might be involved.

Garrett: Hrmmm…. Alright, Quartz… We were able to trace one of the member’s of Epsilon’s names to a few numbers and locations that narrow down to a warehouse in Equestria….. But we’re not gonna tell you where, exactly… Unless you prove you can handle something bigger than just dealing with possums…

Saanvi: *tilts her head* Wh-what do you mean..?

Garrett: *smirks* If you can beat me in a spar, and prove just how badly you want to help these ponies, then I’ll share my intel with you.

Saanvi: ….. That’s it?

Garrett: *nods* If I recall, we never really got the chance to cross swords during the Evaluation. So let’s call it a long overdue match.~

Rosie: *ear twitches* Tch, fine. I’ll play your game.. But when we win, you better keep your word!

Garrett: Oh I will. But just you and me. Terran isn’t exactly the type of fighter that should go against your friend… *looks at them both side by side* And not just because she’s at dick-height….

Rosie: I wouldn’t underestimate her, if I were you… But if that’s how you want to play, I’m game. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you because you're a twig with a sparkly attached to the end.. *flicks Garrett’s horn*

Garrett: *snorts, his horn sparking and letting out a strange current to zap at Rosie’s fingers* Don’t get cute with me…

Rosie: *grins smugly* Don’t worry, it’ll grow on you~ I’ll meet you on the sparring grounds, Flint.

Garrett: I look forward to it.

Saanvi: *walks around behind Rosie and holds onto her arm, pulling to lead her outside* I don’t like this…

Rosie: What are you talking about? We are FINALLY going to make some headway. That guy thinks he’s hot shit but I’ve dealt with far worse. This will be a cake walk!

Saanvi: I know, but… Why fight for the information? And- that stuff he said about your dad...What if he’s baiting you, to make you look bad..?!

Rosie: *ears twitch* I don’t see how. He’s not a higher ranking officer or anything. And other squads spar all the time, making dumb bets. I don’t see how this is any different. What’s the worst that happens? I lose?

Saanvi: Mmm…! *runs over to a wooden door and knocks on it*

Rosie: Oh come on! Even if I do--

Crow: *opens the wooden door* What is it..? *glares at them*

Saanvi: EEE! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was your office!

Rosie: *fluffs up and stares with wide eyes* ………. Hrmm.. Is it true that my father fought you when you became General, ma’am..? *ears fold back*

Crow: *ears perk at that* ……. Yes, it’s true.. *opens the door more* Jasper never really respected me as an equal, even then.. I was a mare, not even a full unicorn, being placed in a rank of authority that was higher than his. One who had, at the time, just returned from Medical Leave…. I told Jasper if he felt that way, then he could fight me for my title.

Rosie: *fists clenched, her face full of determination* …. Thank you, ma’am. Now I know I cannot lose..! *salutes Crow before trotting off toward the training grounds*

Crow: *watches her leave before looking at Saanvi* What is she talking about…?

Saanvi: *tail is frizzy* Ah- well- uh…. You see there’s a bet with another squad, and-.... Uuuuuh…. I-I better go catch up to her! *runs after Rosie*

Crow: Hmmmm… *closes her office door before walking down the halls to follow them*

  After getting to the training grounds, Rosie wasted no time warming up and stretching properly before Garrett and Terran arrived. There was no hesitation in her eyes, only focus on her goal.

Arche: What the hell got her all fired up..?

Pierce: *looks over and shrugs* … I dunno. Did one of your boys piss her off again? She looks like she’s ready to fight somepony.

Arche: Pffft, those two have been in the trees since-.... Oh jeez, look. *points to Garrett and Terran* Beta Squad..

Pierce: *ears spring up* …. Oh no.. They did exactly what I feared they were going to do… *punches Arche’s arm* This is your fault.

Arche: Ow! Hey, how do you know they didn’t hear it from someone else?!

Roseheart: You LITERALLY hinted to it this morning..! *looks as the two squads meet up* This is bringing back a lot of memories..

Pierce: Shouldn’t we stop them?!

Arche: Let em get it out of their systems. She’s capable, ain't she?

Pierce: Goddesses I hope so..

  With Terran and Saanvi taking steps back to avoid the fight, Garrett and Rosie stood ready to start the session. Once Garrett gave the go ahead, both unicorns charged each other with hard hand-to-hand strikes, not holding back. As the fight went on and got more intense, other guards started to take notice and gather to watch, making comments and side bets on who was going to win. Having practiced sparring with heavy hitter fighters like Victor and Damion, Rosie had learned to be quick on her hooves, dodging blows and ducking to get quick shots to Garrett’s sides and ribs. As thin as he looked, Garrett took the hits with a grain of salt, responding with swift kicks to the side and landing a blow against one of Rosie’s legs. While it didn’t knock her down, it stunned her for a brief moment and left an opening for Garrett to put his weight into a hard shove that turned into a bodyslam to the ground, knocking the air out of Rosie. Gasping for breath, Rosie quickly brought her arms up to protect her face and neck from punches and from being held down. Using her knees, she bucked Garrett forward, snake her arm around one of his and rolled him off her, pinning his face into the floor.

  Growling and panting heavily, Garrett glared over his shoulder before his horn started to glow. A tight grip wrapped around the base of Rosie’s tail before giving a sharp pull, yanking her off his back with a loud yelp. Pushing himself onto his hooves again, Garrett hooked an arm around Rosie’s, turning his body and throwing her over himself, dropping her hard onto the ground. With a groan, Rosie rolled back up to her hooves and steadied herself again to fight. Lunging forward, she’d throw a few quick punches, pushing him back. With a small spark of her horn, a crystal grew from the ground right behind Garrett’s hoof, tripping him up just long enough for her to swing her leg around and give a hard roundhouse kick to the chest.

Garrett: AAAAGH! *falls back, his hoof still stuck* Wh-what the hell..?! *looks up at Rosie, looking baffled* You… You made this?!

Rosie: *wipes the sweat from her eyes* Y-yeah, and you pulled my tail with magic! Enemies aren’t going to hold back when fighting me. So if you want to see what I’m really made of, why should this be any different, Flint? *gets back into a fighting stance*

Garrett: Hmph… *kicks at the crystals to shatter them, freeing his hoof* Alright, Quartz… Give me your best shot.~ *keeps his arm open, welcoming a new attack*

Rosie: *ears twitch and fold back* …. I wouldn’t get too cocky if I were you…

  Stomping the ground in front of her and pushing with magic, the ground began to shake and tremble as crystals shot from the ground. As quickly as the clusters grew larger and larger, one shot from right under Garrett’s nose. A few guards called out for him to move, only to be silenced as the shard shot straight through Garrett’s midsection. The entire area grew quiet until panic spread out, and then confusion.. Garrett still stood tall in the same position with open arms. In a stunned silence, Rosie saw Garrett’s body flicker before dispersing into a flash of light as his voice was heard plain and clear from behind her.

Garrett: Not bad, but too slow.~

  Before she could turn around to face him, a sharp pain struck across Rosie’s back as Garrett’s horn sliced and cut through her protective stealth suit, sparks of magic traveling over her body to reach the badge on her chest. Rosie shrieked out in pain before falling to one knee. She took a sharp breath and shot the illusion that struck her with a bolt of magic, blasting the training dummy behind it. Reaching back to feel where she was cut, Rosie felt the stinging of a deep cut and fresh blood on her finger tips.

Rosie: *sees the blood on her hand* … S-shit… *pushes herself up to her hooves* … Nice party trick, asshole. *getting in a shaky fighting stance again*

Garrett: Heheheh, not so bad yourself. *knocks on the crystals* Where’ve you been hiding this little talent, huh? Been a long time since anypony has done this. *breaks off a piece*

Rosie: *smirks* I’m just full of surprises…. Like this~ *as her horn glowed and the crystal in his hand starts to spark before zapping him with a small current of electricity*

Garrett: HNNNNG! Hey! *tosses the shard so it rolled over to Terran’s hooves* Hmph, real f-funny! *fur is a bit fluffed out*

Rosie: Glad you think so… You might want.. Hmph! *winces a bit* .. You might want to look down~ *as the small crystal that were subtly growing around him in a circle started to spark and glow*

Garrett: Oh, SHIT! *moves to jump out of the circle*

*BZZZZZZZZZT* as a flash radiated from the crystals, temporarily blinding everypony who was looking at them. While Garrett was dazed by the unintentional flash bomb, Rosie rushed forward and threw her arm around his neck like a clothesline and threw him hard to the ground. Letting out a groan, Garrett planted his hands on the ground as he rolled his body and sweeped his legs under Rosie’s, making her fall onto her wounded back with another yelp of pain. Both looked winded but refused to quit even then. Struggling to get back on their hooves, they were unable to see a circle of light form around them before they fell through, only to come out through another circle in the air, dropping them into the grasp of General Crow as she held them both by the scruffs.

Crow: I think that’s enough out of you both..

Garrett: Mmm! G-General!

Rosie: *whimpers* Ack! Ow..!

Crow: *sets them down on their hooves* Both of you. Medical Ward. NOW. And if there’s a struggle on the way before I get to you, I swear--

Rosie: *takes a few steps before stumbling forward and falling face down on the floor* …..

Crow: …… Ugh…. Nevermind..

Saanvi: ROSIE!!! *runs over to lift her up and onto her own back* Rosie! Are you okay?! Y-your back, it looks really….. Mnnn… Let’s get you out of here…!

Garrett: Hmph.. *spits on the ground* I think I’d call that a clear win.. Guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the--

*POW!*

Victor: BASTARD!

  Having charged straight for Garrett, Victor landed a hard punch to his face. Putting all his weight behind it, Garrett fell and slid across the floor until his back hit the crystals still planted in the ground.

Victor: Pulling a cheap move like that, you could’ve killed her! I’d outta punt your ass all the way to Griffinstone!

Crow: *grabs Victor by the ponytail* That’s ENOUGH!

Victor: Hrmmmm! *struggles a little, but ultimately gives up*

Crow: I’ll have no more of this nonsense! *looks around at the guards standing, staring at the clusters behind her* ….. This doesn't leave these walls, or you will answer to me.. Do I make myself clear..?

The other guards collectively nodded in agreement.

Crow: Good.. Now get rid of it. And fix the damn floor!

Guards: Yes Ma’am!

  As the guards met in the center of the training grounds, it took a bit of doing to break and shatter the crystals into small pieces to throw away. With their attention fully taken, Garrett and Terran separated themselves, looking over a still intact piece of Rosie’s crystals.

Terran: Guess you didn’t get your ass kicked over nothing.

Garrett: Tch, shut up… We need to send this off. Everyone is gonna wanna know…

Terran: Yeah. *hides the crystal in his pocket* That’s another to the list then…~

  Back at the medical ward, the nurses rushed to pull Rosie’s badge off and retract the tactical suit into it, revealing the damage Garrett left on her back. While the nurses tended to her wounds, Pierce retrieved the badge, confirming what he feared: from the sparks coming from the center gem, the suit was severely damaged during the fight.

Pierce: *growls under his breath* How the hell does this even happen? I thought that Commander Tempest said these were indestructible..! How does some rookie manage to rip right through it like butter?

Arche: She never said they were made of steel, Pierce, just more effective… You’d still have to know where to strike to hurt somepony. *looks over the badge* Quartz’s back wasn’t very well shielded.

Pierce: Well it SHOULD have been. How does a rookie even know how to find a weak point? Once that kid gets here, I have a few choice words for him..!

Arche: Hey hey, easy, Papa Bear. *puts a hand on Pierce’s head* It could’ve happened to anypony.. We’ll fix the badge and Rosie will be fine, okay? Just calm down…

Pierce: *huffs and starts taking deep breaths to calm down* Hrmm.. I know but… This is exactly what I was worried about… She just runs off head first into everything without thinking of the consequences just like her idiot of a father...... Hrmm.. She could have died, Isaac.

Arche: *ears fold back, curling a wing around him* She’s still kickin’.... Maybe that little spar wasn’t a good idea, but she still showed she’s got what it takes to fight for survival… She definitely did it with more honor than Jasper did…

Pierce: *ears fold back* … I wish she would have held back a little.. You saw what happened… *glances at Rosie as the nurses finished up bandaging her up* … That could have been REALLY bad.

Arche: Yeah… That was a bit scary.. I mean, I knew she could grow them, but not THAT big…

Pierce: Or that fast.... And worse, the General saw everything.. I don’t even know what she’s going to do.

Crow: *behind them* You could just ask me…

Pierce: *FLOOFS* Mmmn!! G-general, ma’am…*salutes*

Crow: We’re the only ones here, Tobias.. It’s fine..

Pierce: *relaxes some* ….. You still manage to get the drop on me, Demi…

Crow: I saw the opportunity and I took it.. *looks over at Rosie as she rests in her bed* …… But what happened out there, that was the last thing I expected to see..

Arche: No kidding. What are you planning to do about it? Everyone saw, you know what they’re thinking…

Pierce: We can’t keep hiding this forever. It’s going to get out… W-what if they…

Crow: If they know what’s good for them, they won’t do a damn thing… But she can’t stay here for a while…

Arche: You’re kicking her out..?!

Crow: No, of course not..! But she can’t come here.. *gestures to the castle* Everyone is rattled and they need to relax and think with level heads if they’re going to be effective in any way.. I’m not going to let anything slow us down now..

Pierce: … She was just injured. I don’t think it’s that bad but.. Fudge the paperwork a bit and you can probably get a few weeks, maaaaybe a month of medical leave out of it.

Crow: With a hit like that, she won’t be able to move right for at least a few weeks at best… But she’s too smart to know that the papers were lying……

Arche: So? It’s not like she could make you bring her back in..

Crow: *ears twitch a little* …… *sighs* I’ll… I’ll think of something.. Just tell her that she is relieved for a couple of weeks, I’ll have something figured out by then to keep her occupied…. Just until this whole Crystalmancer scare dies down..

Pierce: *nods* Yeah sure……. *ears fold back* … Demi, if… if you decide to transfer my squad to a different post, I’ll take it with grace. If it means keeping the peace, me and Isaac can find a way to manage, heh..

Arche: *grumbles a bit* That’s what YOU think.. *pouts*

Pierce: Oh quit being a baby. I’ll still visit.

Crow: *shakes her head, letting out a chuckle* It’s an idea, but I will let you know when I’ve decided.. *looks over at Rosie* Now then… There’s just one more thing that needs to be taken care of.

Arche: Yeah..?

Crow: *shifts a hoof closer to the door* …… Which of us is going to tell Jasper about this…? *turns fast to exit* Not it!

Pierce: !!! N-not it! NOT this time! *runs after her*

Arche: N-... Oh FUCK YOU GUYS!!!
-----------------------------
Featuring the CR inhabitants/tourists of and

Official Capricorn Reef Discord: discord.gg/EU5VkcY

Previous: Letters for Rose

Next: Meet the Potion Master

Description

  Another day, another night gone by after yet another stressful and disappointing call out in Canterlot. Most trails related to the disappearing ponies cases had gone a bit cold, and the activity had slowed down quite a bit. For a brief moment, Rosie and Saanvi thought they were called and tipped off to a fresh lead, only to find out that the suspicious noises that were reported were nothing but a bunch of possums rummaging through the allies. After making it very clear to the upperclassman who called them, that they were guards and not pest control, the two bitterly went back to their posts and eventually home for the evening. This isn’t what they signed on for…

  The following day, the two Zeta squad members dragged their hooves as they reported in for the day ahead. It was very clear by the looks on their faces that they didn’t want to be there right now. What made matters more annoying, was the fact that as they passed certain squads, they overheard activity related to what had been going on with the kidnappings. They weren’t sure what was worse; getting cold trails, or hearing others having more luck than they had.

Saanvi: If I get called for another possum in the trash can, I will lose my mind.. This is getting irritating!

Rosie: This is getting ridiculous.. We just can’t catch a break!

Saanvi: Maybe we’re just not looking in the right places? Getting called in obviously is not helping us. *grumbles a bit*

Rosie: Well, it’s not like we can ignore them.. We just need to think outside the box somehow.

Saanvi: Maybe we can ask Pierce.. He is our leader, maybe some advice can help push us in the right direction.

Rosie: I mean, that is kinda his job isn’t it? It’s worth a shot… *looks around for the purple pegasus* … Ah there he is. Surprise, Surprise! He’s with Arche… *with a deadpan stare*

Saanvi: *smirks* Not all that surprising anymore, honestly. *ears perk* Oh..! They’re talking to Roseheart. I didn’t know he was back from Medical Leave.

Rosie: I was being sarcastic… Maybe that means Dasher and Morningstar are back too, hehe! Lets go!

Saanvi: Ssssh! *sneaks up on Pierce to try and scare him* …….. *reaches out to grab him*

Pierce: *ear twitches* Saanvi, so good for you to finally join us. You usually are more punctual than this.. *looks back at her*

Saanvi: Eee! *stands up right* Ahehehe, sorry, Sir! We were just a little slow getting here today..

Rosie: *grins smugly at Saanvi* Hmhmhm~

Pierce: I expected as much from Quartz, but not from you.

Rosie: *pouts* Oye..! Good freaking morning to you too, sir. No offense, but what crawled up your ass? Or did you not get any morning kisses yet from Bae? *in a teasing tone*

Pierce: *deadpan stare before pinching Rosie’s ear* Behave yourself, Quartz. You forget to separate your work and private life…. Though I’m sure Roseheart knows all about that~

Roseheart: *glares at Pierce* A lesson learned and settled.. Though it seems you’re not training your girls well enough, Tobias. Don’t tell me age has slowed you down already.~

Pierce: *snorts* Like you have much room to talk.. *nodding to Orpheus*

Rosie: Ow! Let go…. Oh, hey Morningstar!

Orpheus: *ears perk, turning around from messing with his arrows* Oh, hey guys, heheh! Picking up the slack since I’ve been gone?~ *grinning behind his mask*

Saanvi: *grumps* We wish… All of our calls and tip offs have all been false alarms and….. The chase of the wild goose..

Rosie: *wiggles out of Pierce’s grip and rubs her ear* Wild Goose Chase, Saanvi… Yeah we’ve been kind of hitting dead ends left and right. But with good ol’ Alpha squad back in the game, I’m sure we’ll make some good headway! ….. Where is Dasher anyways?

Roseheart: Dasher has been placed on a personal assignment. Until further notice, he will be undercover and conduct an investigation surrounding a possible abduction point of interest.

Orpheus: *grumps a little* You mean you made him live bait…

Roseheart: *gives Orpheus side eye* It’s an important assignment that others have been placed in before. It does not make him bait..

Orpheus: *pouts* Sure it doesn’t..

Rosie: *sigh* Lucky! That sounds so cool, going undercover and being in the middle of it all! It would sure beat doing dumb castle watch duty all day..

Arche: Don’t get too down about it, Quartz. Dasher’s hiding in the middle of circus freaks. Apparently there’s a couple of employees that spark a bit of interest… Not to mention the place is just sketchy as hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were part of it.

Pierce: *ears twitches* .. Thank you, for telling EVERYONE about that very classified assignment Arche.. My goddesses, you are horrible at this.

Arche: What?! Rosefart gave the information to us willingly. Besides, we’re all Eclipse! Don’t get your tail in a knot. *swats Pierce’s behind*

Pierce: *punches Arche in the gut* Hrmm.. Well seeing how we’ve literally just had an issue with rogue guards, I think we should be a little more careful about who we tell information too! Especially about someone who is undercover. The last thing I would want to see is Dasher getting in hot water because SOMEpony couldn’t keep their mouth shut..

Saanvi: *ears perk up* …… Does, that mean we’re suspects to you…? Because of what Epsilon did..?

Pierce: *ears twitch* … Of course not. But who knows who could be overhearing our conversation……… Damion.

Peering around the corner, Damion had a disgruntled glare on his face, the tips of his ears a little pink with embarrassment.

Damion: I can’t help it sometimes, not with these ears..! *wiggles them* How’d you know I was here..?!

Pierce: Years of experience… If you are so interested, you and your brother can come join the conversation.. *looking up to stare at Victor before he could get the drop on him*

Victor: *hanging above them all with wide eyes* Son of a bitch..

Arche: *snickers* Me and Lafayette have done that so many times to Toby, that’s not gonna work. He knows to look up.~

Victor: That would have been nice to know! *drops down*

Roseheart: *raises an eyebrow at Pierce* Seems even now you’re a target… But then again, you were always easy to spook when we were rookies.~

Pierce: *deadpan stare* I feel this answers your question about me getting slow in my old age.. The answer is no.. Arche just needs to train his boys to be more stealthy.

Arche: Hey, I train them plenty!

Victor: When you’re not busy hunting after Pierce’s ass, maybe.

Arche: *bops Victor’s nose with the back of his hand* Quiet.

Pierce: *sighs* As I was saying, I’d feel much more comfortable having conversations about missions behind closed doors. Especially since Epsilon has explicitly said that there could be more spies in our midst.. Call me paranoid, but I’d rather be safe than have another incident.. *gently pats Orpheus’ shoulder*

Orpheus: *snorts* I’m still alive, aint I? Getting frozen was nothing.~

Victor: Tell that to your face.

Orpheus: *makes large sad bat eyes*

Victor: …… Too soon?

Rosie: *nudges Victor and smiles at Orpheus* And we are glad to see you are okay! Honestly, I was half expecting you not to come back after.. seeing the aftermath of what happened.

Orpheus: Are you kidding? I wanna get a hold of the assholes responsible for it! They fucked up my face, roasted Danny, and almost cracked Lafayette’s skull open! I wanna get even! *pouts* But since they won’t let me in to see Epsilon in the dungeons, I’ll have to settle for their buddies…

Rosie: *ears perk* Oh, does that mean you are on that case then?

Orpheus: Tch, no. They said it would be too close and personal for me to handle it. They gave it to Beta, and those ass wipes won’t give out their info to anyone.

Roseheart: Which is exactly what they should be doing.. Unlike running your mouth off and telling a civilian what hit you in the face…. You’re lucky I don’t tell Crow you did that..

Orpheus: Aaaaw, you’d miss me too much if she kicked me out.~

Roseheart: *hisses loudly, his fur bristling* Don’t push your luck…

Orpheus: *stiffens up* Sorry!

Rosie: *gives Saanvi a side eye* …. Awkwaaaard…

Roseheart: *snorts* Either way, don’t worry about the Epsilon case… Just worry about yourselves. If you want to get further ahead, you can talk to the Eclipse’s record holder..

Rosie: *ear twitches* Right, keep forgetting we have one of those.

Roseheart: Hmph, I suggest hopping to it unless you want to be on vermin duty again. *looks at Orpheus* And you have some training to catch up on.

Orpheus: *siiiiighs* I get the memo.. *starts trotting away, waving back* I’ll see you guys around, kay?!

Saanvi: *waves back* It was nice seeing you again, Orpheus!

Rosie: *waves* Don’t be a stranger! ……… *sighs* Let's get to records I guess. Talk about boring…

Arche: *smirks* No one said being a guard would be all that exciting. *looks back at Lafayette* Now, get back to the circus, what did you find there?

Roseheart: *grins* You’ll never guess which hot-headed bastard’s son I saw over there.~

Pierce: … No.. you don’t mean…

Roseheart: Yes I do. Same bright orange hair, freckled face and everything. He even has his father’s glare too.

Pierce: Wait, so that hippy bastard’s son is… in the circus?!

Arche: *bursts out laughing* Oh man, this is too rich! I gotta give em a call, this is hilarious, haha! This might top calling Jasper and tellin’ him you got his daughter to train, Toby.~

Pierce: Ugh, don’t remind me.. He wouldn’t stop calling ME about it for months..

Saanvi: *shakes her head and holds onto Rosie’s arm to lead her away* Let us leave the old pros to have their time to talk. We have cases to take on! *tail wiggles*

Rosie: *reluctantly follows* Oh boy… I can’t wait……. That’s sarcasm again.

Saanvi: It just sounds like you didn’t have enough coffee before we left the apartment, heheh!

Rosie: I may need it if we are going to be spending the day in records.. Maybe we can look up some stuff about that Epsilon case too. I’m kind of curious now.

Saanvi: Me too.. Do you know if they ever gave up names after interrogation?

Rosie: No idea, I haven’t heard anything about it since Morningstar and the others were released from the hospital.. I’m guessing it’s all been hush hush. It makes you wonder if Pierce is right…

Saanvi: *looks around* … Now that he brought it up, I can see it now.. The Eclipse members aren’t really talking to anypony outside their own squads as much anymore…. At least, not the newest members like us.. Apart from the Senior leaders, they’re all acting very aloof..

Rosie: …. Well, besides Arche and his squad. Those bats can’t keep their mouths shut for anything, hehehe!

Saanvi: Heheheh, I expect nothing less from those three! *ears twitch* ……. Do you think Pierce suspects us too..? He said he didn’t, but…. The way he talked about it.. *ears droop back*

Rosie: *ears fold back* … I don’t know. I’d like to think that he could trust us by now, after everything we’ve been through. But I also could tell he holds back a lot, not just what he tells us, but also like with sparring and training too.

Saanvi: *huffs* He always goes easy on us… But now we can take charge, and we’ll get ahead in this problem!

Rosie: Right! We don’t need Pierce anyways, we can figure this out without him! *pats her cheeks and inhales deeply* MMM! Okay! I’m pumped now! Let's do this!

  Once inside the records hall, the amount of files and boxes upon boxes was almost overwhelming. At the center of it all was a single unicorn Scribe, sorting through and filing away paperwork as if effortlessly, even without looking. From the looks of the grey in his mane he had been at this job for a good number of years to be able to handle it all on his own. However, his cold deadpan stares seemed to sap the energy right out of Saanvi and Rosie when they entered. Suddenly, looking through papers didn’t sound all that exciting.

Saanvi: *quietly whispers* Is it too late to turn back…?

Rosie: *cringes* Uuugh… No! We are committed, this is the only way we can move forward! Besides, you like reading. Pretend like this one of your steamy mystery novels.

Saanvi: *grooooooooan* I will try..

Scribe: Can I help you two, or are you going to stand in the doorway all day? *raises an eyebrow at them*

Rosie: *jumps a little* Ah! S-sorry. Umm, we are working on the kidnapping cases and wanted to look at the case files for the missing ponies… To see if there was something we missed…. Please.

Scribe: *waves his hand* Go ahead, you and many others have been poking around here for the same reason.. Just don’t make too big of a mess and we’ll get along fine.

Saanvi: Thank you, Sir!

Scribe: And don’t talk too much. *shoots a grouchy look at them*

Rosie: *glares back* Yeah yeah.. Where is the box at?

Scribe: Ahem… I think you mean, “boxes”... *horn glows as multiple boxes float from off shelves and onto a nearby table* Take your pick.

Saanvi: *stares at them with wide eyes* I….. I knew ponies were missing, but I didn’t think it was this many..

Scribe: Well…. Keep in mind, not all of them are civilians…

Rosie: *ears fold back* Right, Guards have gone missing too… And just because these files are all missing ponies doesn’t mean they are related to the kidnapping case. We just need to shift through and see if we can’t find a pattern.. *as she opens a box*

Saanvi: *takes a deep breath* Alright.. We can do this..! *opens another box and starts looking through it*

  The clock ticked as time seemed to pass slower with every new file opened and examined. The files themselves didn’t tell too much or connect very many gaps. Most all the civilians didn’t have any connections to each other, and neither did the missing Guards.

Saanvi: *slumped over in her chair* This doesn’t make much sense.. A lot of the civilians in here don’t have a lot on record about them.. The worst I have seen are a few minor charges for drinking or loitering, reckless flying…. A few of them were homeless too….

Rosie: And the species are all over the chart, not just ponies, but Griffins and Hippogriffs too. Even a few hybrids.. A lot of them don’t look like kidnappings either. They just.. disappeared. No struggle reported and there is never a ransom call or note with demands..

Saanvi: *ears twitch* Maybe some of them ran away and just chose not to tell anyone… That happens sometimes too. *picks up another file and reads it* This one is around our age. Kind of looks like the wandering spirit type, heheh.. The report was made by their parents cuz they hadn’t seen him in a while…

Rosie: I don’t want to make assumptions about anything.. But this feels like another dead end. *rubs her eyes* Maybe we should take a break and look at something else for a while..

Saanvi: Might be a good idea..

Scribe: *points to the opposite corner of the room* If you want refreshments, there’s a coffee maker and a tray of pastries along with some sandwiches over there.

Saanvi: *ears perk* W-why so many..?!

Scribe: I work a desk job, it’s not like I go anywhere else..

Rosie: Uh, thanks but no thanks.. *gets up and stretches* Hmm…. Hey uh….. Whatever your name is.

Scribe: *gives side eye over his shoulder* I see you can read important files, but not a name plank on someone’s desk… Raven Writingdesk.

Rosie: *pauses as she lifts a paper covering the name plate* … Oh.. Right. Anyways, are there any case files about what happened with the Epsilon Squad? We are Eclipse too. *points to her badge*

Raven: Epsilon…? You may as well look into someone else’s files. Anything related to Epsilon was taken by Beta for examination a few days ago. Apart from copies I’ve made for safe keeping, I’m afraid I can’t help you..

Saanvi: Are you kidding me?!

Rosie: They took all of them? Can we look at the copies at least?

Raven: You would have to take it up with them first. Every Eclipse squad has the right to deny or share their information with others if they wish. But unless they give you consent, you may have to try a different case.

Rosie: *pouts* Oye… What happened to working together as a team? How are we going to get anywhere if everypony is being so stingy?

Raven: It’s not stinginess, Quartz… It’s paranoia.. Until tensions die down, I don’t think the Eclipse will be as close and social with each other as we used to be..

Rosie: Hrmm… Well, maybe we need to start breaking some ice then. Because obviously no one is making any headway when everyone is off doing things on their own. More heads are always better than one!

Saanvi: *ear twitches* Why does this sound like one of those, “Friendship saves all” speeches that Princess Twilight would give all the time..?

Rosie: Hey! It worked in the past countless times, didn’t it? Besides, the whole point of the Eclipse was to bridge the segregation between the Day guard and Night Guard, wasn’t it?

Raven: *sips his coffee* While that might be the reason Commander Tempest gave, it’s clearly just a faction that utilizes the strengths in both sides of the guard. Rather than make those talents wasted on patrolling the castle walls all the time..

Rosie: Exactly! See, Raven agrees with me! *pats his back*

Raven: PPPPTT! *spits his coffee a bit* …….. You are lucky I didn’t have anything important on my desk right now..

Rosie: Oops.. my bad. Anywho, thanks for the help! Saanvi, let's go find Beta squad then!

Saanvi: Right behind you! *runs after Rosie*

Raven: …………. Oh don’t worry, I’ll put those files away myself. Not like it’s my break or anything…. *snorts* Damn kids…

  After searching the training grounds and break room, Rosie and Saanvi eventually tracked down the elusive Beta Squad: A lean dark blue unicorn with long blonde and navy blue hair tied back in a pony and a tall bulky earth pony with light freckles dusted across his scarred face. The two stallions were found training in the gym, the earth pony bench pressing an impressive amount of weight while his partner spotted him. They barely noticed as the mares approached them.

Saanvi: Hello!

Earth Pony: Hmm?! *almost drops the weight*

Unicorn: Shit! *grabs on and lifts it up*

Saanvi: *covers her mouth* S-sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!

Earth Pony: *looks up and ears perk* Heh, wouldn’t say startled.. *sits up* Did you two want the bench?

Rosie: *shakes her head* No, we actually had a few questions. You two are Beta Squad right? The guys who are on the Epsilon case?

Unicorn: *ear twitches* Yeah, that’s us. Why ask..?

Rosie: *smiles* We are Zeta squad, I’m Rosie Quartz and this is my partner Saanvi. *offering her hand to shake*

Unicorn: *shakes her hand* Garrett Flint. This is my partner, Terran.

Saanvi: Nice to meet you both, heheh. *shakes Terran’s hand*

Garrett: So what exactly do you want about Epsilon..?

Rosie: *ear twitches* We were just down at records working on our own case and noticed that there weren't any files of your case down there. So we thought it would be cool if we could cross reference our notes. Maaaaybe something could come from it..~

Garrett: Uuuh-huh.. Look, don’t worry about the Epsilon case, we have it handled. Just get back to your case, get better progress elsewhere….. Unless, ya know…. Chasing after possums is your favorite pastime..~

Rosie: *grimaces a little* Hrmm….. *ears perk* Wait, does that mean you’ve made some progress then? Do you have a lead?

Terran: Yeah. That’s actually what we’re getting ready to look into. Just leave it to us. *drinks some water*

Rosie: Well, maybe there is something we can help with? We know a few of the Night Guard Eclipse squads pretty well and they are great when it comes to more stealthy data gathering type missions.

Terran: Thanks, but no. We’re not looking for extra weight to slow us down.

Garrett: Besides, I dunno how credible your help might be….. Being a Quartz..

Rosie: *ears twitches* Heh, what’s that supposed to mean? I’ve had a pretty good track record while I’ve been in the guard..

Garrett: Doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.. The way your old man flipped his switch was pretty bad. I mean- to outright challenge the General herself, pretty nasty.

Rosie: *ears fold back* … What are you talking about?

Garrett: Snrk, you don’t know? Old Jasper Quartz should’ve been charged for treason for what he did before, “quitting” the guard. The day General Crow got her rank, Quartz challenged her upfront. Said she wasn’t fit to lead for multiple reasons and called her on bullshit. Least until she took him up on it and kicked his ass, heheheh.~ Left a hefty scar on his face too.

Rosie: *ears fold back, remembering the scar and how bitter her father was after leaving the guard* …… S-so what? I am NOTHING like my father. Unlike him, I don’t quit!

Terran: Yeah? And what about the saying, “Like mother like daughter”? Not your fake one, the real one, heheheh.

Rosie: *hand clenched into a fist but stays silent* ….

Garrett: *nudges Terran* Ssshh, don’t, heheh…! Ahem! Sorry Quartz, but, handling Epsilon’s case might be too risky for you. It’s very sensitive stuff, and we’d rather do it ourselves…. It’s not that you’re not resourceful, buuuuut..

Terran: We’d rather share this info with the higher ups, than a born traitor.

Saanvi: *face turns red* How can you say that?! Rosie hasn’t done anything to show she’s a traitor!

Terran: We’d rather not take that chance. And with how much you’re both pestering about it, you’re not exactly giving off good vibes…. *glares at them suspiciously*

Rosie: Tch..! Okay fine. Then what do I have to do to prove to you that I’m not a traitor. You are the ones on the case, you must know something that can prove it to you ass wipes…

Terran: *stands up* Don’t bother. Just leave the bigger stuff to those most qualified.

Rosie: *pushes Terran back down on the bench and stomps her hoof on the bench in between his legs* LISTEN HERE you wankmuffin..! I’ve had it up to here with both of you and your condescending bullshit. Call me a traitor or bring up ancient history to shit on my face again, and I’ll make sure you don’t get to HAVE any descendents..! *horn sparks*

Saanvi: *jumps a bit* R-rosie?!

Garrett: *horn sparks, stepping forward* I’d pick my next actions carefully if I were you, Quartz.. Don’t want things to get ugly in here, do you..? *ear twitches and folds back, listening to other guards turning to look at them*

Rosie: *removes her hoof but keeps her head up high* … Then quit acting like I’m less of a guard. I know I’m more than qualified, otherwise I wouldn’t be in Eclipse.. And unlike you two selfish assholes, I’m not trying to hog all the glory for myself. I just want to find these missing ponies, and…. maybe your Epsilon case might be involved.

Garrett: Hrmmm…. Alright, Quartz… We were able to trace one of the member’s of Epsilon’s names to a few numbers and locations that narrow down to a warehouse in Equestria….. But we’re not gonna tell you where, exactly… Unless you prove you can handle something bigger than just dealing with possums…

Saanvi: *tilts her head* Wh-what do you mean..?

Garrett: *smirks* If you can beat me in a spar, and prove just how badly you want to help these ponies, then I’ll share my intel with you.

Saanvi: ….. That’s it?

Garrett: *nods* If I recall, we never really got the chance to cross swords during the Evaluation. So let’s call it a long overdue match.~

Rosie: *ear twitches* Tch, fine. I’ll play your game.. But when we win, you better keep your word!

Garrett: Oh I will. But just you and me. Terran isn’t exactly the type of fighter that should go against your friend… *looks at them both side by side* And not just because she’s at dick-height….

Rosie: I wouldn’t underestimate her, if I were you… But if that’s how you want to play, I’m game. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you because you're a twig with a sparkly attached to the end.. *flicks Garrett’s horn*

Garrett: *snorts, his horn sparking and letting out a strange current to zap at Rosie’s fingers* Don’t get cute with me…

Rosie: *grins smugly* Don’t worry, it’ll grow on you~ I’ll meet you on the sparring grounds, Flint.

Garrett: I look forward to it.

Saanvi: *walks around behind Rosie and holds onto her arm, pulling to lead her outside* I don’t like this…

Rosie: What are you talking about? We are FINALLY going to make some headway. That guy thinks he’s hot shit but I’ve dealt with far worse. This will be a cake walk!

Saanvi: I know, but… Why fight for the information? And- that stuff he said about your dad...What if he’s baiting you, to make you look bad..?!

Rosie: *ears twitch* I don’t see how. He’s not a higher ranking officer or anything. And other squads spar all the time, making dumb bets. I don’t see how this is any different. What’s the worst that happens? I lose?

Saanvi: Mmm…! *runs over to a wooden door and knocks on it*

Rosie: Oh come on! Even if I do--

Crow: *opens the wooden door* What is it..? *glares at them*

Saanvi: EEE! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was your office!

Rosie: *fluffs up and stares with wide eyes* ………. Hrmm.. Is it true that my father fought you when you became General, ma’am..? *ears fold back*

Crow: *ears perk at that* ……. Yes, it’s true.. *opens the door more* Jasper never really respected me as an equal, even then.. I was a mare, not even a full unicorn, being placed in a rank of authority that was higher than his. One who had, at the time, just returned from Medical Leave…. I told Jasper if he felt that way, then he could fight me for my title.

Rosie: *fists clenched, her face full of determination* …. Thank you, ma’am. Now I know I cannot lose..! *salutes Crow before trotting off toward the training grounds*

Crow: *watches her leave before looking at Saanvi* What is she talking about…?

Saanvi: *tail is frizzy* Ah- well- uh…. You see there’s a bet with another squad, and-.... Uuuuuh…. I-I better go catch up to her! *runs after Rosie*

Crow: Hmmmm… *closes her office door before walking down the halls to follow them*

  After getting to the training grounds, Rosie wasted no time warming up and stretching properly before Garrett and Terran arrived. There was no hesitation in her eyes, only focus on her goal.

Arche: What the hell got her all fired up..?

Pierce: *looks over and shrugs* … I dunno. Did one of your boys piss her off again? She looks like she’s ready to fight somepony.

Arche: Pffft, those two have been in the trees since-.... Oh jeez, look. *points to Garrett and Terran* Beta Squad..

Pierce: *ears spring up* …. Oh no.. They did exactly what I feared they were going to do… *punches Arche’s arm* This is your fault.

Arche: Ow! Hey, how do you know they didn’t hear it from someone else?!

Roseheart: You LITERALLY hinted to it this morning..! *looks as the two squads meet up* This is bringing back a lot of memories..

Pierce: Shouldn’t we stop them?!

Arche: Let em get it out of their systems. She’s capable, ain't she?

Pierce: Goddesses I hope so..

  With Terran and Saanvi taking steps back to avoid the fight, Garrett and Rosie stood ready to start the session. Once Garrett gave the go ahead, both unicorns charged each other with hard hand-to-hand strikes, not holding back. As the fight went on and got more intense, other guards started to take notice and gather to watch, making comments and side bets on who was going to win. Having practiced sparring with heavy hitter fighters like Victor and Damion, Rosie had learned to be quick on her hooves, dodging blows and ducking to get quick shots to Garrett’s sides and ribs. As thin as he looked, Garrett took the hits with a grain of salt, responding with swift kicks to the side and landing a blow against one of Rosie’s legs. While it didn’t knock her down, it stunned her for a brief moment and left an opening for Garrett to put his weight into a hard shove that turned into a bodyslam to the ground, knocking the air out of Rosie. Gasping for breath, Rosie quickly brought her arms up to protect her face and neck from punches and from being held down. Using her knees, she bucked Garrett forward, snake her arm around one of his and rolled him off her, pinning his face into the floor.

  Growling and panting heavily, Garrett glared over his shoulder before his horn started to glow. A tight grip wrapped around the base of Rosie’s tail before giving a sharp pull, yanking her off his back with a loud yelp. Pushing himself onto his hooves again, Garrett hooked an arm around Rosie’s, turning his body and throwing her over himself, dropping her hard onto the ground. With a groan, Rosie rolled back up to her hooves and steadied herself again to fight. Lunging forward, she’d throw a few quick punches, pushing him back. With a small spark of her horn, a crystal grew from the ground right behind Garrett’s hoof, tripping him up just long enough for her to swing her leg around and give a hard roundhouse kick to the chest.

Garrett: AAAAGH! *falls back, his hoof still stuck* Wh-what the hell..?! *looks up at Rosie, looking baffled* You… You made this?!

Rosie: *wipes the sweat from her eyes* Y-yeah, and you pulled my tail with magic! Enemies aren’t going to hold back when fighting me. So if you want to see what I’m really made of, why should this be any different, Flint? *gets back into a fighting stance*

Garrett: Hmph… *kicks at the crystals to shatter them, freeing his hoof* Alright, Quartz… Give me your best shot.~ *keeps his arm open, welcoming a new attack*

Rosie: *ears twitch and fold back* …. I wouldn’t get too cocky if I were you…

  Stomping the ground in front of her and pushing with magic, the ground began to shake and tremble as crystals shot from the ground. As quickly as the clusters grew larger and larger, one shot from right under Garrett’s nose. A few guards called out for him to move, only to be silenced as the shard shot straight through Garrett’s midsection. The entire area grew quiet until panic spread out, and then confusion.. Garrett still stood tall in the same position with open arms. In a stunned silence, Rosie saw Garrett’s body flicker before dispersing into a flash of light as his voice was heard plain and clear from behind her.

Garrett: Not bad, but too slow.~

  Before she could turn around to face him, a sharp pain struck across Rosie’s back as Garrett’s horn sliced and cut through her protective stealth suit, sparks of magic traveling over her body to reach the badge on her chest. Rosie shrieked out in pain before falling to one knee. She took a sharp breath and shot the illusion that struck her with a bolt of magic, blasting the training dummy behind it. Reaching back to feel where she was cut, Rosie felt the stinging of a deep cut and fresh blood on her finger tips.

Rosie: *sees the blood on her hand* … S-shit… *pushes herself up to her hooves* … Nice party trick, asshole. *getting in a shaky fighting stance again*

Garrett: Heheheh, not so bad yourself. *knocks on the crystals* Where’ve you been hiding this little talent, huh? Been a long time since anypony has done this. *breaks off a piece*

Rosie: *smirks* I’m just full of surprises…. Like this~ *as her horn glowed and the crystal in his hand starts to spark before zapping him with a small current of electricity*

Garrett: HNNNNG! Hey! *tosses the shard so it rolled over to Terran’s hooves* Hmph, real f-funny! *fur is a bit fluffed out*

Rosie: Glad you think so… You might want.. Hmph! *winces a bit* .. You might want to look down~ *as the small crystal that were subtly growing around him in a circle started to spark and glow*

Garrett: Oh, SHIT! *moves to jump out of the circle*

*BZZZZZZZZZT* as a flash radiated from the crystals, temporarily blinding everypony who was looking at them. While Garrett was dazed by the unintentional flash bomb, Rosie rushed forward and threw her arm around his neck like a clothesline and threw him hard to the ground. Letting out a groan, Garrett planted his hands on the ground as he rolled his body and sweeped his legs under Rosie’s, making her fall onto her wounded back with another yelp of pain. Both looked winded but refused to quit even then. Struggling to get back on their hooves, they were unable to see a circle of light form around them before they fell through, only to come out through another circle in the air, dropping them into the grasp of General Crow as she held them both by the scruffs.

Crow: I think that’s enough out of you both..

Garrett: Mmm! G-General!

Rosie: *whimpers* Ack! Ow..!

Crow: *sets them down on their hooves* Both of you. Medical Ward. NOW. And if there’s a struggle on the way before I get to you, I swear--

Rosie: *takes a few steps before stumbling forward and falling face down on the floor* …..

Crow: …… Ugh…. Nevermind..

Saanvi: ROSIE!!! *runs over to lift her up and onto her own back* Rosie! Are you okay?! Y-your back, it looks really….. Mnnn… Let’s get you out of here…!

Garrett: Hmph.. *spits on the ground* I think I’d call that a clear win.. Guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the--

*POW!*

Victor: BASTARD!

  Having charged straight for Garrett, Victor landed a hard punch to his face. Putting all his weight behind it, Garrett fell and slid across the floor until his back hit the crystals still planted in the ground.

Victor: Pulling a cheap move like that, you could’ve killed her! I’d outta punt your ass all the way to Griffinstone!

Crow: *grabs Victor by the ponytail* That’s ENOUGH!

Victor: Hrmmmm! *struggles a little, but ultimately gives up*

Crow: I’ll have no more of this nonsense! *looks around at the guards standing, staring at the clusters behind her* ….. This doesn't leave these walls, or you will answer to me.. Do I make myself clear..?

The other guards collectively nodded in agreement.

Crow: Good.. Now get rid of it. And fix the damn floor!

Guards: Yes Ma’am!

  As the guards met in the center of the training grounds, it took a bit of doing to break and shatter the crystals into small pieces to throw away. With their attention fully taken, Garrett and Terran separated themselves, looking over a still intact piece of Rosie’s crystals.

Terran: Guess you didn’t get your ass kicked over nothing.

Garrett: Tch, shut up… We need to send this off. Everyone is gonna wanna know…

Terran: Yeah. *hides the crystal in his pocket* That’s another to the list then…~

  Back at the medical ward, the nurses rushed to pull Rosie’s badge off and retract the tactical suit into it, revealing the damage Garrett left on her back. While the nurses tended to her wounds, Pierce retrieved the badge, confirming what he feared: from the sparks coming from the center gem, the suit was severely damaged during the fight.

Pierce: *growls under his breath* How the hell does this even happen? I thought that Commander Tempest said these were indestructible..! How does some rookie manage to rip right through it like butter?

Arche: She never said they were made of steel, Pierce, just more effective… You’d still have to know where to strike to hurt somepony. *looks over the badge* Quartz’s back wasn’t very well shielded.

Pierce: Well it SHOULD have been. How does a rookie even know how to find a weak point? Once that kid gets here, I have a few choice words for him..!

Arche: Hey hey, easy, Papa Bear. *puts a hand on Pierce’s head* It could’ve happened to anypony.. We’ll fix the badge and Rosie will be fine, okay? Just calm down…

Pierce: *huffs and starts taking deep breaths to calm down* Hrmm.. I know but… This is exactly what I was worried about… She just runs off head first into everything without thinking of the consequences just like her idiot of a father...... Hrmm.. She could have died, Isaac.

Arche: *ears fold back, curling a wing around him* She’s still kickin’.... Maybe that little spar wasn’t a good idea, but she still showed she’s got what it takes to fight for survival… She definitely did it with more honor than Jasper did…

Pierce: *ears fold back* … I wish she would have held back a little.. You saw what happened… *glances at Rosie as the nurses finished up bandaging her up* … That could have been REALLY bad.

Arche: Yeah… That was a bit scary.. I mean, I knew she could grow them, but not THAT big…

Pierce: Or that fast.... And worse, the General saw everything.. I don’t even know what she’s going to do.

Crow: *behind them* You could just ask me…

Pierce: *FLOOFS* Mmmn!! G-general, ma’am…*salutes*

Crow: We’re the only ones here, Tobias.. It’s fine..

Pierce: *relaxes some* ….. You still manage to get the drop on me, Demi…

Crow: I saw the opportunity and I took it.. *looks over at Rosie as she rests in her bed* …… But what happened out there, that was the last thing I expected to see..

Arche: No kidding. What are you planning to do about it? Everyone saw, you know what they’re thinking…

Pierce: We can’t keep hiding this forever. It’s going to get out… W-what if they…

Crow: If they know what’s good for them, they won’t do a damn thing… But she can’t stay here for a while…

Arche: You’re kicking her out..?!

Crow: No, of course not..! But she can’t come here.. *gestures to the castle* Everyone is rattled and they need to relax and think with level heads if they’re going to be effective in any way.. I’m not going to let anything slow us down now..

Pierce: … She was just injured. I don’t think it’s that bad but.. Fudge the paperwork a bit and you can probably get a few weeks, maaaaybe a month of medical leave out of it.

Crow: With a hit like that, she won’t be able to move right for at least a few weeks at best… But she’s too smart to know that the papers were lying……

Arche: So? It’s not like she could make you bring her back in..

Crow: *ears twitch a little* …… *sighs* I’ll… I’ll think of something.. Just tell her that she is relieved for a couple of weeks, I’ll have something figured out by then to keep her occupied…. Just until this whole Crystalmancer scare dies down..

Pierce: *nods* Yeah sure……. *ears fold back* … Demi, if… if you decide to transfer my squad to a different post, I’ll take it with grace. If it means keeping the peace, me and Isaac can find a way to manage, heh..

Arche: *grumbles a bit* That’s what YOU think.. *pouts*

Pierce: Oh quit being a baby. I’ll still visit.

Crow: *shakes her head, letting out a chuckle* It’s an idea, but I will let you know when I’ve decided.. *looks over at Rosie* Now then… There’s just one more thing that needs to be taken care of.

Arche: Yeah..?

Crow: *shifts a hoof closer to the door* …… Which of us is going to tell Jasper about this…? *turns fast to exit* Not it!

Pierce: !!! N-not it! NOT this time! *runs after her*

Arche: N-... Oh FUCK YOU GUYS!!!
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