Bon Bon before the Bug Bear
Chapter One
The Beginning
Canterlot, the seat of Government in Equestria, it is a magnificent and majestic city were Princess Celestia rules over all the Equestria while looking after and protecting all that live within its borders. This day is like all the others here, quiet and seines with no care in the world. Sweetie Drops, just another pony here in this land, with a yellow coat and a blue with pick mane and tail was making her way from the café where she had her morning breakfast like she did every day to her work within the castle here in Canterlot. Her job there was not really that important. She managed the cleaning and cataloging of all the magical relics. Although an earth pony she did have knowledge of magic even though she herself could not use it. She also, after all these years of being in her position, had a knowledge and understanding of magical creatures and the monsters that from time to time plagued the land.
But this day would be different and would change this little pony's life forever. It would send her on adventures far beyond what any pony could dream. As she got to her part of the castle where she preformed her duties, a royal guard came up to her.
"Sweetie Drops! The Princess would like to see you," the guard stated.
'The Princess,' Sweetie Drops thought, 'what would she want with me? I am nothing here; I just take care of the relics. I sure hope I did not do something wrong.'
These thoughts that ran threw her head as she was quietly escorted to the throne room where Princess Celestia awaited her. The royal throne room is one place in the castle that Sweetie Drops has not ever been. The hall way to the room was lined with stained glass windows that depicted scenes from history here in Equestria. The large doors opened and she entered the chambers of the Princess where those walls too were lined with stained glass windows. They also depicted periods in the history of Equestria. As she approached the throne a little Purple pony with a dark and light purple mane and a big pink star surrounded by five smaller white stars on her flank was just leaving the room.
'This must be Twilight Sparkle,' Sweetie Drops thought. 'I hear she is a prodigy with magic and Princess Celestia's prize pupil. So once again why me?' The thoughts flashed threw her head like lightning.
"Come closer Sweetie Drops," a soft and kind voice called out. "I have been expecting you."
It was the Princess and she had already noticed that Sweetie Drops had entered the room even though she was focused on a lesson with Twilight.
"How can I serve you, Princess?" Sweetie Drops asked.
"I am so glad you could come. I have something I would like to discuss with you. For some time now, you have been the keeper of the relics within the castle is the correct?"
"Yes, Princess I have," she replied.
"I have a need for a special team of ponies that can deal with magical relics and creatures. With your knowledge of the relics and the understanding of their uses, you would be a perfect fit for this new team I have assembled," Celestia explained. "This team will only report to me and me alone. There will be no official record of your existence and the work you will be doing for Equestria will never be known. You can tell no pony of what you do. Is this something that you think you can handle?"
With no brother or sister and her parents moved to Phillydelphia, there really was no pony that she could tell. Her time as the curator of the relics gave her little time to make friends. She did always have a feeling that she was meant for more. So, without hesitation she replied, "Yes, I can do it."
"Very good, I knew that I could count on you," Celestia was almost beaming with joy. "Come with me and I will introduce you to the others."
They walked out of the throne room and down the long hall. As they walked, it was almost ere that there were no guards around. They took a few twists and turns as she found herself at the top of a long staircase that went down. That was not here before she thought as she realized were they were. It was just on the other side of the hall from her office in the relic room.
"This is the entrance to your new office. I will enchant you with a spell so that only you and your fellow agents can access this stairway. Right now, I have cast a spell to make it visible, but as soon as you enter here it will disappear and only those within will be able to see," Celestia explained.
They both enter the doorway of the stairwell and Celestia's horn lit up and nothing happened as far as Sweetie Drops could tell. But from what Celestia just explained nothing would as far as the agents were concerned. But as far as the rest of the staff in the castle and the guards nothing was there. They both continued down the stairs for a while, what seem like an eternity to Sweetie Drops, they finally came to the bottom far beneath the Castle. There was a large round anteroom there with several doors arranged all along the wall in the round room. There were no distinguishing marks on any of the door nor were there any signs to indicate what door went were. It would be almost impossible to find your way around here she thought.
"So where do we go from here. I mean there is not a sign or symbol that tell what door is what. I mean no disrespect, Princess," Sweetie Drops asked with a little shakiness in her voice. This was the ruler of Equestria that she was addressing and a question like that implies she does not know what she is doing.
"Fear not my little pony, you see all these door lead to the same place if you have the enchantment. But one would manage to find the stairs and descend them they would find these doors lead no were. I did tell you that this is of the most importance and secrecy here," Celestia answered in her calm and motherly voice. "I cannot have my subjects know of the dangers that are out there. Some so horrible they could not even comprehend."
"As you wish, Princess, I will not tell any pony. And I will do what I need to so Equestria can be safe," Sweetie Drops replied still a little shakiness in her voice but building with confidence.
They entered the first door in front of them and they were in a large room with maps of Equestria all along the walls, there were desk in the center of the room but not many. There were marks all over the maps in different colors. She quested and correctly that the different colors represented the threat level of the magical creature or monster. Green was very low, Yellow Low, Orange was a medium and Red high. She was surprised to see more Orange and Red then there were Yellow and Green. She had no idea that there were so many potential threats to this peaceful land. But as it was Equestria only did count for about 30% of the entire planet and a lot of which was not explored by ponies as of yet. So that stood to reason that there could be more than the ponies ever know. But Celestia, who was centuries old at this point, did know and that is why she created this agency.
"It will be you job here to track and, if possible, trap these threats to our land. With your knowledge of the relics in the castle and the help of one of my hoof-picked unicorn mages, you can use the relics to help you trap these threats," Celestia explained as they walked around the room. "We have intelligence from agents all over Equestria that come into this room and this room alone. It has taken a great deal of effort to keep this secret and yet make it so large of an operation."
It was just mind blowing, years she worked in the castle and never once did she even get a hint of such things as she was being told now. This was a great honor and privilege for her. As she was getting the lay to the land, so to speak, she heard the Princess address all if the agents present in the room.
"This is our newest agent Miss Sweetie Drops. She has a vast knowledge of ancient and magical relics. I believe she will be a great addition your team and a wonderful agent to Equestria. Now I must leave you I have duties to attend," Celestia finished and with a pop she teleported out.
"So you know magic? Kind of impressive for an earth pony!" A voice behind Sweetie Drops inquired.
She turned around still in a little shock to see a stallion there he was a blue unicorn with light blond almost white mane and tale with a line of orange to accent his mane and tail. His cutie mark was an open book with looked like stars shooting out almost like fireworks. With an almost not unintelligible voice replied "Yyy-yes, yes I do. Well maybe not in the way a unicorn does, but I know how to control magical relics and there uses. I worked in the Canterlot Castle Relics room for years now."
"So you did, my name is Duke Spirit. I am the senior agent here. You will receive your assignments from me, as well as, report any and all finding while you are on assignment to me. You must always remember that we do not exist so when you are on assignment use the utmost caution. Now let's get you to work," he finished his little speak to Sweetie Drops it sounded rehearsed but she followed him to what she assumed was her new desk. "Here you go. This is your work area while you are here. If there is anything you need please feel free to ask any of us, we are all on the same team here. Now if you will excuse me I must go get the duty roster made up for next week's missions. So many dangerous things in this land," he turned and walked off to his office without another word.
With all the excitement and adrenalin in her at the moment, she almost squeaked but held it in, after all she was a mature pony and not a little filly any more. She looked at her new desk and work station organizing it to suit her needs for this was her job now. Her old office was like a picture everything in its place and organized, she did not intend on loosing that part of her personality even if no one would ever know what she did or where she worked. It was not like there was going to be visitors. Never the less she organized her desk and opened the top file folder in her in box.
The folder contained all the Intel on the magical creature that she was to capture. As she read down report and assignment she thought to herself how in Equestria am I going to capture a Perasprite? There had been a sighting of the little pests in the Ever Free forest right outside the little village of Ponyville. As she read she started to remember something from the archives and it hit her.
'I know just what to do,' she thought.
She got up from her seat and went over to the supply closet; on there was all manner of equipment that agents could use on their missions. She picked up a few small items and packed them in her new saddle bags. She was ready to go, but how in Equestria was she going to get there. It was a two day walk and she did not have money for the train. As she stood just beside the closet another fellow agent walked up and looked at her with the blank look on her face.
"Are you OK?" the mare inquired.
She was a unicorn that was Light green with a blue mane and tale. Her eyes were orange and vibrant. "Agent Drops, are you OK?" she asked again.
"Y—yes, I was just wondering how I get to Ponyville. I do not have any money for the train. My last position did not pay me a lot, so I do not have many bits," Sweetie Drop answered.
"Oh is that all, well that is not problem just go over to that nice Stallion there," She pointed with her hook at the Black stallion with gray mane. "And he will issue you your travel papers. We get free train fare in the service of the Princess."
"Oh well that solves the problem. Thank you so much Agent?" Sweetie Drops replied.
"Natures Glow," the kind mare replied. "I am so glad you are here with us. We may know magic but we do not have the knowledge of the artifacts you do. I know you will be a great help to us all. Good luck on your first mission, always remember we do not exist."
It was kind of getting annoying hearing that, but Sweetie Drops understood the importance of secrecy. No pony could know about the danger out there it would cause a mass panic. She trotted over to the Stallion indicated by Natures Glow and got her travel pass for unlimited and free train service anywhere in Equestria. With that done she walked over to the wall were she and Celestia first entered, the portal or door way whatever you want to call it appeared and she walked up the stairs and into the castle. She was off on a whole new adventure that would prove to be more then she knew.