That all had happened one thousand and one years ago; now Triple Agent herself was a minion of Discord, Nightmare Stallion and The Witch, hence her name of Triple Agent.
Looking up as she was flown to the centre tower of Ponitropolis, Triple Agent smiled grimly to herself as the dregasus set her on a wide, open balcony made of grey stone. It was set twenty yards off the ground, and one of the fifty entrances – the lowest opening being ten feet from the ground. There were no ground entrances; all of them having long been sealed with molten steel. The Witch did not want any unicorns or earth ponies getting into her tower. The only way to get it was by wing and the dregasi guarded the sky from possible intruders. They also acted for transportation of the non-flight using ponies such as herself. Looking blankly at the dregasus, Triple Agent snorted before turning to walk into the steel and iron tower.
Within the tower, it was as grand a palace as Canterlot; which had been her location until a week ago. The Witch would not be happy to hear Discord's imprisonment again. That was the fourth time in one thousand years he had been defeated. Then again, it was his own fault for going up against the country of Equestral and Canterlot.
Listening to her hooves' stucco echoes on the deep white and green granite, Triple Agent walked her way towards the Witch's throne room. Rounding the corner, she heard the cries and sobs of young ponies and colts. It was Giving Time again, and the young ponies that had been taken from their homes would give their Flank Magic to the Nightmare Stallion.
The ritual had been done on her those thousand years ago; where the Witch plunged her into the boiling vat of vapors. Whatever magical powers the vat had, it had ripped the potential of her blank-flank and gave her an assigned mark; carving it into her skin. It still sat there; a scar that would never go away.
Walking into the main room, Triple Agent viewed the scene: twelve or so younglings were caged, watching and waiting their turn at the terrible fate the Vat would give them.
In front of her; The Witch stood proudly, black and green dappled in color; her black and red mane and tail gleaming in the light. Her malicious horn was glowing off-white with its magic use. The current Giving pony was a young filly who was pale green with dark green mane and tail. Her eyes were wide with terror as the lifting magic of the Witch carried her over to the steaming, full-of-vapors vat which had been set before the black onyx throne.
Without a word, The Witch plunged the trembling filly into the green and white fog. Triple Agent remembered back on her plunge and felt nothing, no fear, no anger; just a cold acceptance that the process was a fact of life in Ponitropolis.
A loud popping noise echoed through the room as the Vat stole the blank flank's potential and gave the young filly a new one. Instead of masochistically carving it into the flank, the Vat had evolved its process to be pain-free: it would simple place another mark naturally.
Removing the green filly from the Vat and placing her on the floor, the Witch cared not one Iota that the filly cried and cried while she looked at her brand. It wasn't that terrible of a mark; the black and purple butterflies looked cute on the pale green flank.
"Really now, stop being a cry-filly." Triple Agent spoke up, having had enough of the sobbing noises. "You should be thankful that the Vat applies flank-marks naturally now, instead of carving it on."
Her voice ceased the sobbing of the fillies and colts, making them turn and look at her.
"But, mommy says hers hurt." A brown and black colt stammered out. "Hers is a bluebird."
"Well, your mother is most likely older than one hundred years, little brat."
"Now, now, Miss Triple, you shouldn't be so mean to the younglings." The high, nasal voice of the Witch told her. "You should watch what you say at all."
Those pale, milky aqua eyes of Witch turned to the agent. "I see you have returned. Excellent. Allow me to finish the Giving and then we shall talk."
The black and green mare refocused on the caged younglings; choosing the brown and black colt next. He went into the Vat screaming bloody murder. The screams mixed in with the others; creating a cacophony of noise.
"BY The Night Stallion's Hooves, WOULD YOU BRATLINGS SHUT UP!" Triple Agent howled and stamped her hooves. "It doesn't hurt at all."
The silence that followed was nice. Triple stood glaring at the growing group of Giving colts and fillies that Gave. The nearby silent guards, natural pegasi of earth browns and blacks, placed the branded younglings on their backs and left the room, planning on flying them out a balcony and back to their parents.
To pass the time, Triple Agent stared at the Witch's flank mark – or the place were it used to sit. The scar tissue was a shiny black; with no green pigment at all. Stories had it that the Witch had sacrificed her own flank-mark to the Night Stallion. All records of it had been destroyed; no pony alive today knew what it had been.
Finally, Witch finished Giving the last blank flank and turned to Triple Agent. The two ponies watched as the white and grey colt was transported out of the throne room and back to his parents. The twelve marks – all purple and black in color – were a beachball, a chicken beak, butterflies, a gear, a frowning sun, a tea glass, a gardening hose, a blackbird, a catpaw, a sunflower, a broken crescent moon, a pencil and a pointed party hat. All citizens of the Giving had purple and black colored marks; all marks were recycled from deceased citizens. That way, the Vat didn't use any Blank Flank magic in marking others.
"Welcome, home my dear." The old mare giggled.
"Thanks, my queen." Triple Agent lowered her horned head in reverence. "My mission has been a huge success, but I failed to escort Discord here."
"Ah, that's quite a failure on your part." The milky eyes of the Witch bore into Triple Agent. "He got caught playing his games again, didn't he?"
"Yes, my queen. The Elements of Harmony petrified him once again. However, this time it took nine Elements to seal him in stone." Triple Agent remained bowed as her queen circled her in contemplation.
"Nine Elements, hm…" Witch thought out loud. "What of the other part of the mission?"
"I found five blank flanks in the kingdom. I calculations predict that they are still blank this very minute."
"Good, good." Witch giggled in her high-pitched voice. "Send out the Infiltrators to bring me the five blank flanks."
"Yes my queen." Triple Agent lifted her head again and gasped as the Witch stripped her of the disguise magic.
"Really now, you ought to know by now you never can hide your flank from the Nightmare Stallion."
Triple Agent bit back tears as the Witch poked her flank-mark scar. It was a sharp angled '3', representing her fate as a triple agent; a pony who would use and be used by any pony the Witch told her to use. Triple Agent would play her namesake, betraying all doomed parties. The only ponies she would never back stab would be Night Stallion, Witch and Discord; all others would fall victim to her espionage. It was a lonely life for a pony; living in allegiance for three entities who would never love her back.
"Go now, you disgust me. Relay my message of release to the squad and do as you please." Witch turned away from Triple Agent and faced the onyx throne.
Triple Agent bowed once again and fled the room, leaving her dark-hearted queen behind. The branded brown and black-striped pony felt pity and sadness for those five bright ponies whose fate would be to be jaded.