Celestia calmly poured herself and Luna a cup of coffee, and then one for their unexpected guest who’d abruptly joined them for breakfast in my Equestria dreamscape. With this accomplished the Princess of the Sun smoothly set the carafe down and addressed the newly arrived third party.
 
“Now Phoenix dear. We’re not suppose to have our scheduled post-mission debriefing until 09:20 today.”
 
Celestia ignored the large, fresh, ugly scar and the partially washed out, massive bloodstains that covered the unicorn’s neck and chest. She took a moment to sip her coffee.
 
“And you know that breakfast is private time for me and Luna. Therefore I’m fairly certain that whatever caused you to interrupt our breakfast is of the utmost importance.”
 
The mare-in-waiting finished her glass of orange juice before answering Celestia’s question. She was finally beginning to feel whole again; which she found ironic considering what had happened to her over the last 24 hours.  
 
Remembering the manners that her mentor had taught her the bone-white mare quickly dabbed her lips with a linen napkin before speaking. “Yes your Highness. This morning after visiting Last Thing in the infirmary I had an alarming experience in Prophecy’s infirmary room.”  
 
The pale alicorn startled for just a moment at Phoenix’s statement, but it was quickly replaced with a slight scowl. “Phoenix dear. You’ve been out of Canterlot since I gave the order for Prophecy’s transfer, and I know you’ve not been briefed on her current medical condition. Or the fact that she’s a patient in the palace infirmary. How did you find this out? Who told you this?”
 
Celestia kept her voice low, calm, and civil, but both Luna and Phoenix noticed a subtle change to it. Suddenly had a sharp edge to it.
 
Phoenix had started working on her fruit bowl. She suddenly felt famished. She finished carefully chewing a melon ball then she spoke. “Your Highness if you’re worried about leaks I can assure you that no pony spilled the beans. I found out all by myself.”
 
“Then fair Phoenix how did you find out?” Asked a rather confused Luna. She hadn’t been so rude as to blatantly stare at the mare’s obvious signs of recent combat, but still she found her stare wanting to go to the horrific scar and residual bloodstains around the unicorn’s neck. The Princess of the Moon knew from her personal experience in battle what it type of wound it took to create a scar like that. That and her own personal experience sparring with the unicorn convinced her that all the rumors and stories surrounding this mare were not tall tales.
 
Both of the princesses had to wait for the next few minutes while Phoenix suddenly began devouring food on the table. Along with the fruit bowl the mare tore thru 3 croissants, a couple hard boiled eggs, and about a liter of sparkling water was consumed with almost animalistic ferocity.
 
Celestia sipped her coffee and waited. She was familiar with this process. After recovering from a wound like she had, Phoenix’s metabolism always became a raging inferno as her body attempted to recoup from all the resources it had expended. Both physically and magically. Unicorns seemed to be particularly prone to this. Last Thing had similar bouts of post-mission gorging.
 
Although the problem wasn’t strictly limited to unicorns. Phoenix’s earth pony teammate Quick Silver was known to plow through the mess hall like a bear fresh out of hibernation after a particularly active mission.
 
For this reason all of Celestia’s field operatives were provided as part of their field rations small, dense, honey oat bars full of various dried fruits and nuts for consumption before or after missions.
 
Finally the mare’s hunger was sated and she answered Luna’s question. Phoenix recounted her experience this morning in the infirmary. From her first sensing of something alien in the hallways of the infirmary to her incident in Prophecy’s room.
 
“I got several, faint returns with my goggles, but even after modulating the wards in them I got nothing concrete.” The mare-in-waiting levitated the chased goggles with the swirling iridescent lens off her head and stared at them. “This pair has been recently checked out by the Palace Armory, and I ran my own field check after I left the room. They seem to be in perfect working order.”
 
She returned them to their place on her head. “Besides it was a my natural instincts that first tipped me off that something was wrong. An itchiness in my mane. That’s what first told me something was there.”
 
Celestia poured herself and Luna a glass of champagne. Phoenix was suppose to refrain from consuming any alcohol after sustaining serious injuries for 24 hours. Instead she offered the mare a tall glass of chilled, fresh pineapple juice which Phoenix was very fond of. With ponies replenished the princess asked her next question.
 
“Phoenix. Recently when you had your encounter with Purple Marten you commented that felt a certain, dangerous vibe from her.” Celestia was looking intently at the mare. “Was it the same as what you experienced in Prophecy’s room?”
 
The unicorn began to shake her head but suddenly she winced and stopped. Her head might be reattached to her body again but certain nerve-endings were still sorting things out. She swallowed and then spoke. “No your Highness this was different. The vibe I got from Purple Marten was more calculating and refined. What I felt this morning was very raw, primal, and violent!”
 
Luna pursed her lips and looked over at Phoenix. “Are you aware of Prophecy’s apparent situation with multiple personalities? She refers to them as riders. Although she was not conscious could your heightened sense have been detecting that?”
 
For several seconds the unicorn ignored the Prussian Blue alicorn’s question as her eyes remained closed while she relished the sweet, tart, cold juice as it trickled down her throat. Finally she responded. “I had heard that your Highness. The threat didn’t feel like it was coming from her. It was from something else in that room.”
 
“But you only felt threatened when you tried to approach her bed?” Celestia was swirling the sparkling white-gold contents of her flute.
 
“Yes.”
 
Luna’s face scrunched up. “Having any of the infirmary staff expressed similar feelings of being threatened while treating the mare?”
 
Celestia sighed. “Some have felt a slightly oppressive vibe in her presence. Doctor Skip Beat even felt compelled to look over her shoulder several times during one procedure, but nopony has had the same reaction as Phoenix here. Of course that maybe just be a result of Phoenix’s highly attuned senses being more aware of her surroundings.”
 
Phoenix finished her glass of juice. “The guard I spoke to said that many of them felt like they sense something moving just on the edge of their vision. Also when it’s very quiet the guard I talked to said she could sometimes hear voices whispering. She could never make out what they were saying. Your Highness I recommend that there always be two guards on station at all times, and nopony be left alone in that room with her until we have a better understanding of what we’re dealing with.”
 
Celestia nodded her head. “Agreed. Well everypony, it appears we have one more mystery to solve. Along with all the other ones already on our plate.”
 
To be continued.