While Applebloom is interrogating Applejack about her date last night , another pony was toward the future in my Equestria dreamscape.
Princess Celestia levitated ice cubes into 3 waiting highball glasses. Next she poured 2 ounces of fine bourbon into each waiting glass; then she topped them off with ginger beer. Giving each drink a gentle stir with a bar spoon she levitated 2 of the glasses over to the ponies sitting in her office. With that task completed she closed up the wet bar in her office walked back to her desk with her own drink in tow. Sitting down behind it she took a sip of her highball before addressing them.
"As you are both aware we're currently spread a bit thin when it comes to operatives that are available for field operations. Especially with Last Thing out of the picture

>>2988780, and Heartbreaker is on sabbatical."
The alicorn levitated a dossier up to eye level as she took another sip of her highball. It was 1 in the afternoon which was far enough away from noon that her Highness felt that etiquette-wise there no problem with drinking.
She stared at the photo of the smiling mare attached to the front page of the red silk clad portfolio. It was a face she'd known since she was a filly of only 3 years. Celestia smiled herself and then looked back at the 2 ponies who were quietly sipping their drinks.
"Captain Firewing. You've been overseeing much of Inferno's field training. Is she ready to begin limited field operations yet?"
The crimson red pegasus stallion set his drink down on a coaster and rubbed the back of his neck and mane with a front hoof. "Well your Highness. She's made excellent progress this year, but she's still got a little ways to go, but at some point we've got to make the decision to move her into the field. Are you thinking of moving her on to the next stage of her curriculum? And if so who or which team are you thinking of pairing her up with?"
Celestia took another sip of her highball then looked over at the earth pony mare sitting next to the captain. "Dancing Blossom you had expressed in the past that you felt Inferno could be an important part of the palace security detail. Has that opinion changed?"
The pale pink mare shook her head causing the numerous coils in her cinnamon red mane to sway side to side. "No your Highness. I believe she's up to the task. Although she'll need a handler for awhile, until she's learned all the routines and protocols here in the palace."
The alicorn nodded her head in agreement. "True, and here in the palace we can more easily control her interactions with the public, and if she finds herself in need of help that help will be close by. Also with the wedding coming up, we're going to need as much security staff as we can for it."
"Perhaps Pins n' Tumblers?" Firewing spoke up. "I don't believe she's got a current field assignment? And she's helped several past candidates graduate and move on to full Mare-in-Waiting or Scale Bearer."
Celestia finished the last of her highball. Without leaving her seat she used her telekinesis open the cabinet doors of the wet bar and then she floated both the bottle of bourbon and the seltzer bottle of ginger beer over to her desk. She spent the next few seconds topping off her drink. Then she looked at the other 2 ponies. "Does' anypony need a refresher?"
Both Firewing and Dancing Blossom shook their heads. Celestia set the bottles down amongst the stacks of paperwork on her desk and answered the stallion's question. "No captain. I have another upcoming assignment for Pins n' Tumblers. A field assignment which she hasn't had in awhile. There's potential candidate in Neighpoles that I want her to evaluate. The candidate is still young, but I've been impressed with what I've read about them and seen recently with my own eyes."
Dancing Blossom arched an eyebrow. "By chance your Highness would this happen to be the filly Free n' Clear that Heartbreaker discovered recently?"
Celestia tossed her multi-pastel colored mane grinned back at the earth pony. "Yes. Yes it is. I believe she's got potential. If nothing else the filly could make an excellent student at my school. But she's going to need a proper mentor if we decide bring her into the program. Heartbreaker is very knowledgeable on a variety of subjects, but even after all these years she's still a bit rough around edges. I was be surprised that the interaction between Free n' Clear and Heartbreaker has gone as well as it has. Especially given how the 2 met in the beginning."
Dancing Blossom chuckled. "Yes your Highness I agree with your assessment! Heartbreaker would not be my first choice for recruiter under most circumstances. In fact Heartbreaker probably the worse pony for that job."
Firewing took another sip of his highball looked over at the earth pony. "She could've met Phoenix in that alley instead."

>>2223828
The earth pony grimaced and took sip of her drink. "Touche captain. If it had been Phoenix's purse she'd nicked, the filly would probably be needing counseling and therapy now."
Celestia shrugged. "True. But getting back to the immediate topic of Inferno. Yes I want to move her training along to the next stage. Captain, will she be undergoing her next test as scheduled? If so I wish to observe it."
The stallion finished his highball and sighed. "So your Highness. Are you going to continue your tradition?"
The alicorn nodded her head. "Yes Captain. Yes I plan to."

To be continued.