Cult-ivar - 3


                                            >Codename: Secret Agent Sparkle

                                            >Mission: follow the Hu'mun and figure out what he's doing

                                            >Support: hidden supply caches, Big Brother Best Friend Forever

                                            >Location: 15 steps ahead of the Hu'mun

                                            >Your secret mission is going great!

                                            >The secret agents in your books follow their target, but they always lose track of the bad pony at the worst time.

                                            >You're too clever for that.

                                            >As Princess Celestia's best student, you know her daily schedule.

                                            >And with Shiny to slow Anon down whenever you're about to get spotted, you can beat him to her and find a good hiding spot.

                                            >You are a genius!

                                            >As you approach Princess Celestia's dining room, you slow down.

                                            >Where to hide, where to hide?

                                            "Ahah!"

                                            >You crawl underneath a serving cart, and pull the cover back over you. Not a moment later, you hear Anonymous as he walks through the door.

                                            >As you peek through the covers, you see Shiny right behind him, looking around to check if you're too visible.

                                            >He looks at you and starts waving his hoof real fast. You'd wave back but you'd get caught.

                                            >He whispers something to you but it's too quiet to hear.

                                            >When you don't respond, he starts to shake his head at you but all of a sudden the brush you borrowed from the cleaning pony's cart falls off.

                                            >He's gonna get caught! You knew you should have used more string but there just wasn't time!

                                            >Shiny grabs it, and before Anon can turn around and see what happened he takes off at a gallop.

                                            >On the way out, he passes Princess Celestia. Luckily, neither of them seem to notice what just happened. You'd hate to get your brother in trouble!

                                            >"Oh, hello Anonymous, I didn't expect you to be free right now. How has my day treated you so far?"

                                            >"Actually, it's been really troubling. I have some serious concerns about the feasability of this project." he replies.

                                            >"Hm. Well, I did warn you your schedule was very optimistic, you know how my little ponies are. I hope Twilight wasn't too much of a hassle?" she - wait, did Princess Celestia just call you a hassle?

                                            >"Eh, relative to the rest of the class? A bit disruptive at times but I can't say I'm surprised, given how you described her."

                                            >He called you disruptive!

                                            >Princess Celestia said you were disruptive!

                                            >"Yes, well she can be quite the hoofful at times."

                                            >And now she just called you a hoofful! Why are they being so mean?

                                            >"I'm having trouble keeping half a class on track, I'm not sure how you put up with a nation."

                                            >Put up with? Princess Celestia loves all her little ponies!

                                            >"I'm not sure how I do it either, some days."

                                            >You thought Princess Celestia loved all her little ponies...

                                            >No! Princess Celestia wouldn't lie like that! Something's going on here!

                                            >"On that topic, I actually came to ask you about your whole 'personal student' thing, how it works."

                                            >"Well, it's quite simple. I observe Twilight until she makes a serious mistake, look for the root personality flaw, and then arrange for a correcting influence to occur, often in the form of a test. She's been quite the project, let me tell you, but she's coming along nicely."

                                            >You're just a game to her? You thought she loved you back.

                                            >He laughs at you!

                                            >"That explains a lot actually, but I meant more the logistics of it, and what are the expectations from both parties. I have a very promising pony in mind, and I think she'd take to this thing like a fish to water, but I want to be sure I understand the implications before I make the offer. I have a general idea but I'm the first to admit I'm an outsider looking in, and miss important details sometimes."

                                            >Is he trying to get Princess Celestia to replace you? She would never do that! You're her best student!

                                            >Right?

                                            >You thought you were... but a few minutes ago you thought a lot of other things about Princess Celestia too.

                                            >"Well, as you can see I was about to have lunch. I know it's a touch impolite but I do need to be somewhere at noon. Do you mind if we talk and eat?"

                                            >"Ah, I'd be happy to, but I don't think I can eat any of what you have on the table."

                                            >"That's quite alright."

                                            >She lights her horn, and the sound of a bell echoes through the room.

                                            >"Silent Service, could you fetch a griffon-style charred salmon from the kitchen, no pluck stuffing?"

                                            >Somepony canters up to you, and the cart you're hiding under starts to move!

                                            >Oh no!

                                            >You try to listen for as long as you can, but the wheels are too squeaky and their voices are getting quieter.

                                            >All you hear are snippets like "substitute" and "long-term project" and then you're too far to hear anything else.

                                            >You knew it! That Hu'mun is trying to get Princess Celestia to replace you with that stupid earth pony Cheerilee!

                                            >It's not your fault you don't understand Hu'mun magic!

                                            >But that doesn't matter, does it?

                                            >Princess Celestia doesn't love you anymore.

                                            >She never did.

                                            >You're going to cry.