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Two Tone attempted, and failed, to suppress another yawn. With bloodshot eyes she steered her sedan through the early morning traffic in my Royal Equestria Security Forces (RESF) dreamscape. Except for catching a 1 hour nap in her car she’d been up nonstop since yesterday, and a nonstop stream or loud radio, coffee, sodas, and stim potions could only compensate so much for her lack of sleep.

Fortunately Two Tone had hit the outskirts of Ft. Trotterdale around 5am and the worst of the morning commute hadn’t swung into full chaos yet. Celestia’s orb was just starting to lighten the eastern horizon. During zebra’s journey she’d been required to exit the Royal Coastal Highway several times due to numerous ongoing repairs to said highway. The highway had gotten extensively cratered during the war, and while Equestria Army Corp had been able roughly patch up many of the bomb craters and had erected temporary bridges and overpasses it had been emergency fix. Now civil road crews were attempting to restore it to its proper functionality.

In the meantime the numerous detours and sidetracks had added hours to Two Tones journey to and from Pegasus Point, but the journey had not been in vain. securely lashed in the back seat of the zebra’s car was a nondescript cooler. Packed inside in its own mana-shielded bag and surrounded with numerous cool packs was the whole reason for emergency road trip. 2 vial of Synthetic Phoenix Blood Type-2.

Exiting the highway Two Tone made her way into one of the many light industrial parks that inhabited the outskirts of Ft. Trotterdale. Her destination was a new drop location for her. A drab, unassuming commercial truck repair shop. Pulling onto its grounds the zebra drove her sedan through an open gate into an area usually reserved for employee parking and deliveries. Parking her car she glanced over at her driver side mirror to see a large, burly unicorn stallion approaching her vehicle. She lowered the driver side window and turned off the lights and the engine. As was established protocol she placed both of her hands on the steering wheel.

The stallion came alongside the vehicle and looked down at her while floating a small globe of light floated in and lit the interior of the car. In a gruff voice he spoke. “Eh! what du yu want?”

The zebra looked up at stallion. “The boss ordered a breakfast to be delivered here. Apparently they were in a hurry and couldn’t eat at home today.” This was the code phrase that had been worked out over the last 24 hours.

The stallion grunted. “Alright. Follow me and bring da boss’s breakfast with yu.” Then without waiting he turned and slowly started walking toward dingy, one story building. Retrieving the cooler from the back of the sedan Two Tone followed. The stallion stepped into the building. The interior was a very bland and haphazardly furnished reception area. A half awake earth pony mare receptionist/secretary looked up from her monitor for a second before going back to it. The stallion walked to an open doorway and loudly called out.

“Hey Boss! Yu gut a visitor! She brought yu breakfast.” From within another male voice replied. “Have them bring it in.” The stallion looked back and gestured for Two Tone to come in.

The other room was decorated with equal dingy indifference to presentation. A tired office desk and a pair of oil stained swivel chairs were joined by battered filing cabinet and a small dusty, potted, fake palm tree. Assorted poorly framed posters of trucks along with one of a unicorn mare in a bikini dotted the walls. An old desktop tower running an OS at least 2 generations behind current standards chugged away sending its efforts to an even older flat screen monitor.

Seated behind the desk was slightly rotund, middle aged unicorn stallion. He gestured for Two Tone to approach the desk while the other unicorn closed the office door. “So did you have any issues this time?”

Two Tone set the cooler on the desk. “Nothing I couldn’t deal with.” Donning a pair of insulated gloves the zebra opened the cooler and careful lifted a sealed, frost covered, mylar bag bearing property symbol of the Royal Equestria Air Force. “Here you are. The real shit!”

The stallion behind the desk nodded his head. “Good. Put it back in the cooler and seal it.” Once secured again. He picked up a cordless phone and punched a button on it and his voice boomed out over a PA system.

“Chipped Hoof! Can you see me in my office now.” He then hung the phone up and a minute or so later there was a knock on the office door before a young earth pony stallion poked his head in through the doorway.

“Ya wanted ta see me boss?”

The older stallion nodded his head. “Yeah! Got a delivery for you. You know the place and they’re expecting this so I need you to run this over right away.”

The younger stallion entered the office and retrieved the cooler and then departed without a word. Closing the door as he left. With his departure both of the remaining stallions suddenly shimmered and their disguises melted away. The standing one became a changeling drone and the one behind the desk morphed into the changeling warrior that Two Tone had talked with yesterday. The warrior addressed the zebra.

“Well congratulations Two Tone. You succeeded in your mission. Down to the wire, but still successful. The SPB-2 will be available for the procedure this morning. This most fortunate news for the young filly who’s been in need of it!” The warrior rose from his chair and extended his right hand.

“Thank you.” Which was a very rare thing for changelings to do unless they were in disguise.

Without hesitation Two Tone rose herself and reached out and shook the changeling scaled hand. It was warm to the touch and the scales were not inflexible. They had a slight flex. The zebra stared the changeling in the eyes and nodded her head.

“I took this job, and I finished what I promise to do.” She got a quizzical look. “May I ask you a question?”

“What would that be?” Said the warrior.

Two Tone chose her words carefully. “It seems like you and several of your comrades have expressed an unexpected amount of concern and interest in acquisition of SPB-2 for this filly. The filly will undoubtedly be grateful for everypony’s efforts, but why? Why so much sweat and powder burnt for just her, or for that matter any of them? Yes Her Majesty explained her motivations, but what are your’s, and for that matter every other changeling involved in this op?”

Two Tone had learned from multiple interactions that changelings often didn’t have most expressive faces in their natural state. Still she watched one of the warrior’s brow ridge slowly rise. “It’s simple. Our Majesty is concerned with the filly’s well being, and her concerns is our concerns. Because it matters to her, it matters to us.”

Zebra nodded her head. “Thank you for the answer.”

She then yawned. “Okay unless you need me for something else I’m going to get the fuck out of here and get home! Then I’m gonna a sleep for rest of the damn day!”

The warrior shook his head. “No you’ve fulfilled this part of your mission. Go home and get some sleep! You earned it. Her Majesty will be in communication with you soon.”

Two Tone nodded her head and without a word she turned around walked out of the office. Then she got into her car and drove away. Toward her home and her well earned sleep.