Edited by Slayerseba and Halusm

Secrets

<<>><<>><<>>

With barks and howls the timberwolves ran off into the forest with new instructions and directives given by their new Alphas, determined to make sure they lived up to their expectations as the newly named pack.

Danny and Fenris, existing as one at the time, watched their pack disappear into the night with a calculating gaze. Once he was sure none of them would try anything, Fenris released his control and allowed Danny to return in full.

"Wha- what just happened?" Asked Bon Bon.

"Fenris fought the Timberwolves' Alpha, and beat him both physically and mentally," Danny told her, turning to the mare and frost giant standing on the sidelines. "And now he and I are the timberwolves' new leader."

Bon Bon was able to keep her shout of surprise contained, but the look on her face was quite telling.

"It would appear they have taken to this change quite rapidly," the Elder commented, looking in the direction the pack had run off to. "They were waiting for such a change, but were too set in their ways to make it happen themselves."

"And now they can make a difference for the better," Danny added. "With them searching the forest for any and all medicinal plants and food, we only need to collect them at a later time. This will allow the changelinks to focus their efforts more on recovery instead of wasting precious time searching."

"A most fortunate turn of events," the Elder agreed. "And one that was long overdue."

"Yeah," Danny agreed with a sigh. "Just glad Fenris was able to talk sense into that guy. Honestly, without their help, I don't know how I would have solved the supply problem. But now, this will buy us time to start growing our own. Still, have to figure out the food issue for the changelinks though. Without that, all of this will have been for nothing."

"I-" Bon Bon started, hesitated, then tried again. "I may have an idea for that."

Danny turned to her. "I'm listening."

"It goes together with our plan to free the agents of S.M.I.L.E.," she told him. "Getting them their lifebook will only go so far. Like me, they will need to visit the Hive and interact with the Murgröna. Meaning there will be ponies there. Hopefully an increasing number. And even though they can't stay there, it is nothing out of the ordinary for most of us agents to 'leave for business' for an extended duration of time. So if we can free the other agents, and if they can find it in them to help us, we might be able to solve two problems in one go."

"That is…" Danny was momentarily taken aback. "That is brilliant. It solves so much!" He said with a genuine, excited smile. "This will give the changelinks an actual fighting chance to survive this horrific mess."

"But it will be difficult," Bon Bon quickly added, tempering Danny's enthusiasm.

"Yes, yes it will be. But that is why I have your help," he told Bon Bon. "You know better than anyone here who to approach, and who not."

"True, but I can't make any hasty decisions either. I need to make sure that who I choose is somepony who won't turn on us."

"Makes sense," Danny nodded.

"That said, there is one agent I know who would be a great help to us if he can be convinced to join us. He has a lot of influence in a lot of different circles, but he is also incredibly loyal to Princess Celestia."

"Large risk, large reward kind of thing then?"

"Very much so," Bon Bon nodded.

"I'll leave it up to you to make that decision, but we need to be extremely careful with what we do. One wrong move and everything falls apart."

Bon Bon nodded in understanding.

"I'll start working on character profiling as soon as possible."

"Good. Then it is about time to get this operation started."

<<>><<>><<>>

The first light of Celestia's sun began to illuminate the land by the time Soarin made it back to his bunk, panting, exhausted, and sore in places he didn't know he had after forcing his body to move in ways it wasn't supposed to move.

Yet all of this was ignored through the burning drive to push onwards, to never allow another Baltimare to happen again; the trauma from that day now serves as fuel to keep going.

Yet even he had his limits, no matter how much he tried pushing past them, and exhaustion now slammed into him despite the fire he felt in every fiber of his being to continue.

And so, without a word and barely a grunt of discomfort, he dragged himself back to his bed to get some well-earned sleep for the next thirty or so minutes until his unit would begin their combat preparations.

He could use a live sparring partner.

"I believe the standing order was to not leave the barracks, and go places alone under threat of changeling replacement," a cold, raspy voice said as Spitfire intersected his path.

"Ma'am," Soarin stood at attention, giving a salute.

"I've been watching you, soldier," she said with an edge to her voice. "And I can't say I liked what I saw."

Two fully equipped Wonderbolts stepped up behind Soarin.

"You better have a good answer for what I saw, before I start thinking you have already been replaced."

<<>><<>><<>>

'I wonder how Soarin is doing?' Would have been the question Jazz would have pondered about had she been in any coherent form of thought.

Of course with the self-inflicted abuse of the last few days, any form of coherent thought had been abandoned after the second day, and now all her thoughts revolved around surviving the next five minutes on an infinite loop.

With a mighty heave, Jazz emptied her stomach of its meager contents in a nearby bush.

"Made it a mile further than last time," Valerie commented with a grin, running on the spot. "Keep it up and you may even finish a full session without interruptions."

Hand on a knee and panting heavily, Jazz could only groan weakly as her bruised and beaten body screamed at her in protest.

"I bet you don't even feel your wrist anymore," Valerie added, and Jazz shot her a look. "Well, if you have the energy to glare, you have the energy to run," Valerie commented, much To Jazz's dismay. "So break time is over. Time to get moving!"

A strangled squeak escaped Jazz as Valerie grabbed her by the upper arm and forced her back into motion.

"Let's see how far you can go this time."

<<>><<>><<>>

He could feel the heat in the room, yet he didn't react.

'Was all of that real?'

He felt the sweat drench his fur, yet he didn't react.

'I know what I saw. What I've seen.'

He heard the voices of the medical staff around him, yet he didn't react.

'But how could that be real?'

He felt a magical tug on his eyelid, yet he didn't react.

'The princess. The changelings. All of it.'

A light blinded him, yet he didn't react.

'But if it is true then who is the real monster?'

The voices now spoke to him directly, yet he didn't react.

'Them? Or the princess?'

He felt a weight being lifted from him, yet he didn't react.

'How can I know for sure?'

The heat he felt began to recede, yet he didn't react.

'And what about the human?'

He felt the cold press of a stethoscope, yet he didn't react.

'This Danny Manson… No, Danny Phan-'

Rolling Stone's eyes shot open as he sucked in a gasping breath, startling the doctor and nurses with his sudden awakening.

"The human," he gasped out, struggling in his bed and held back by the numerous bandages covering his barrel. "I've got to find the human!"

<<>><<>><<>>

Daylight had only just begun to illuminate the land, yet Apple Bloom was already wide awake and active.

The day before, after her brother and sister told her everything they knew about their parents, she found herself becoming increasingly aware of a strange void within. Yet she couldn't say for sure if this had always been there, or if it had suddenly appeared. Much like how she had felt after learning all about her ancestor, Apple Pie, through the Lifebook Danny had left her. But after being told all about her parents, this feeling had grown stronger; more tangible, and it left her restless and unable to sleep as her mind replayed everything she had seen in the Lifebook, which in turn made her question much about her family, and herself in turn.

And so, after waiting for many hours in silence to make sure her family was asleep, and with the promise made with Scootaloo to find out about any and all hidden powers she may have as a result of her changelink blood, she quietly slipped out of her bed and began the numerous attempts to climb the wall.

Of course with little idea of how changelinks were able to accomplish this feat, she just planted her hoof on the wall, with no sign of it sticking.

Applying pressure did little to change the outcome.

The next thing she tried was to take a running start and jump onto the wall and see if that would make a difference. The loud crash and her sliding down in a heap, listening intently for any signs her brother or sister came running revealed to her that, no, this didn't work either.

Still lying on the floor, she then looked intently at her hooves, trying to see anything different in the dark of the night. But as far as she could see, they were just normal, not wall-climbing hooves.

Sighing, she had to admit that, at least for now, it didn't seem likely she would be able to climb any walls. But perhaps Devora could be able to share some insights into how it was done when they were together at school again.

But that didn't mean she was done. Knowing what she knew now, she also understood that Applejack's ability to tell a lie came from the changelinks’ ability to sense emotions.

Maybe she could do this too.

Closing her eyes, she focused intently on everything around her, trying to get a hint of… well, she didn't really know. But she was sure she would figure it out if she felt it.

She lay there in silence for minutes, focusing her being on doing this thing she wasn't sure how to do. Then more minutes passed, and more, until a quiet snore escaped her as she had unknowingly fallen asleep.

<<>><<>><<>>

'I know you don't know this, because, like me, you never asked about this.'

Scootaloo lay still in bed, staring at the ceiling while her mind went over everything she saw, did, and learned during her time-traveling adventure. And the entire night she had been plagued by what her future self had told her.

'She is more than an honorable aunt, as you heard our father say a while back. Mom, dad, and Bellflower go back a long, long time.'

She knew she had to ask Bellflower; her… her mother about this. Yet all she could manage to make herself do was twist and turn while slamming her pillow over her face and groaning in frustration as she was unable to come up with a way that would allow her to do so without it being weird.

All those years she had been acting rotten to Bellflower, and all because of misplaced anger and misunderstanding. Heck, even helping set and clean the table for breakfast gave her some weirdly concerning looks from the mare, reminding her all the more just how little she had done to show her appreciation for all Bellflower had done for her.

'And, while you're at it, maybe throw in an apology… We both know she deserves at least that much.'

And then there was that.

Yes, she had to apologize. She knew that now. But how to say sorry for all those things she said and done?

All night long had she been pondering these questions, with little success in finding an answer. And now, as the first light of Celestia's sun began to shine past her curtains, she found herself staring at the ceiling in search of those illusive answers in the slightly chipped paint.

"Maybe I should just ask her?" She wondered aloud. "It's just like pulling off a bandaid. Just get it over with." She sighed as she turned on her side, looking at her alarm clock ticking away on a bedside table.

Something solidified within her, and she gave a single, resolute nod.

"Today at breakfast."

And finally, with her mind made up, she rapidly fell asleep.

<<>><<>><<>>

'So are there any other things that I should know about; that you failed to tell me?'

Devora found herself unable to sleep after yesterday's revelation that Apple Bloom was a direct descendant of Apple Pie, only to discover soon after that her "friends" had already known about this fact yet failed to tell her. And despite the late hour, she was going to make sure not to be blindsided like that again.

Of course, being able to pester her friends at this hour also served as a form of payback, which she took some satisfaction from.

'Seriously, it's way too early for this!' Abella complained for the umpteenth time.

'Wouldn't stop you from doing this if you were left out of the loop.' Devora replied smugly.

'Urgh, fine,' Abella relented. 'No, there are no other things, besides what I have already told you. That strange mare, Bon Bon, is of our blood, and Danny took her with him some time late yesterday. No idea where they went. And Erlea is currently with her mom, not responding to any of us. Most likely ‘cause of the Queen becoming blind as a result of that medicine's side effects. Zecora has already given her a potion or something that should help, but it might also not. No idea to know which it will be until Erlea makes a noise again. And there is talk of plans to restart the ancient gardens to grow more medicinal plants. And also, I really need some sleep!'

'And what about Sweetie Belle?' Devora asked, ignoring her friend.

'What about her?' Abella's frustration was evident.

'Anything I should know that may be important to keep up appearances?'

'Why would I know about that? She's here to learn to control those weird powers. Powers she's not supposed to have. Nothing she does here will help you in any way!'

'Okay okay, sheesh. No need to bite off my head. Honestly, Abella, you might want to get some sleep. You're starting to get real grumpy.'

The shout that came over their shared mind made Devora chuckle quietly. Then, glad she was reasonably well caught up with current events, she allowed herself to drift off.

<<>><<>><<>>

The first rays of light began to enter the rooms of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, revealing two wholly different scenes.

Silver Spoon, with her newfound morality and redeveloping sense of self, was peacefully asleep as her worries were placed at rest the day before. Having given her apology and taken her first step at making amends for her past behavior, she found a sense of calm that had lulled her to sleep the moment her head had hit her pillow.

Diamond Tiara, however, was the complete opposite.

Having seen those Blank Flanks work together with those diabolical changelings, and realizing they must've done something to her friend, too, she knew it was all up to her to expose the truth. To show Ponyville; no, the world just how evil those Blank Flank losers were.

But she couldn't just go out there without any proof. She knew the moment she would say something they would come for her.

No, she needed to do this right. She needed to have a plan. A plan so impressive even the princesses would take notice. A plan to expose those Blank Flanks, knock them back down to the bottom of the social ladder where they belonged while she would be praised as a hero. A title worthy of her stature.

And so she had spent the entire night putting together a plan. A great plan. A plan so incredible she knew ponies would be teaching about it in schools for years to come.

"It's perfect," she quietly chuckled, bloodshot eyes twitching as she stared at the numerous notes and pictures pinned on a wall and connected by red thread. "There is no way this could go wrong. And once I am done, those bucking Blank Flanks will be taken care of for good."

Sleep would not come for her tonight.

<<>><<>><<>>

With the new day now begun, Danny and Twilight both worked to clean the table after breakfast, while Spike was busy gathering the books Twilight had requested to continue her studies and, hopefully, find a way to either combat the ghosts, Discord, or, with some good measure of luck, both.

Danny on the other hand, after being done with his task, made some small chat with Twilight as the purple mare put away the last of her items, before leaving the library for the day and headed towards the café.

Much like the other day, a nervous tension could be felt hanging over the town. Yet despite this, he did see numerous ponies moving rapidly from one place to the next.

And then there was the staring.

Sure, it was more subtle than yesterday, but even then he could not really ignore the numerous eyes he felt on him, despite the ponies pretending not to look at him while he turned to them.

Sure enough, the rumor mill had worked overtime.

Sighing, he shook his head as he pretended not to notice.

A few minutes of walking later he found himself standing before the still-closed café, but rummaging coming from inside quickly drew his attention.

Looking through a window, he saw Quick Grill busy with moving the tables. A quick knock on the glass made him stop as he turned to look.

A quick gesture to the door conveyed the message, and Quick Grill moved to unlock the door for Danny.

"I'd ask if we were back in business, but I think I know the answer already," Danny remarked the moment Quick Grill pushed open the door.

"What gave it away?" Quick Grill deadpanned.

"The closed sign is still up," Danny said without missing a beat.

"Very funny," Quick Grill said, suppressing a grin.

"Need some help setting the place up?" Asked Danny. "I'm here now anyhow, and I honestly could use the busy work."

"Please do," Quick Grill replied, stepping aside to allow Danny to enter. "There is still plenty left to sort out. More than I had planned for."

"Oh, anything wrong?"

"No, just that the destruction those fillies caused was a bigger mess to clean up than I had thought," he grunted. "Honestly, where did all that tree sap come from?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Danny agreed with a sigh. "So will Ruby and the others help, too?"

"Hopefully, yes," Quick Grill answered. "Ruby I know will help. Spoke to her last night, after it became clear this would take longer than initially expected. The others should arrive later today."

"Should?"

"Rebuilding the place isn't part of their contract, so I can't make them. So it wouldn't surprise me if some of them choose to do anything else other than helping their fellow ponies," he muttered. "Bunch of slackers."

"Sounds like some folks I know from back home," said Danny, shaking his head. "Anyhow," he grabbed a table, lifting it with some effort, "where do you want this thing?"

A pleased smile flashed on Quick Grill's face for only a moment.

"Right over there, near the window," he pointed out. "We're sticking to mostly the same layout we had before. I'll tell you if something's different."

"Will do, boss," Danny said through a grunt as he carried the table to its intended spot.

Quick Grill gave a satisfied grunt, nodding once as he watched the tall human work.

"We may get this place back in shape after all," he remarked, then continued working as well.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a massive jawn, Tucker rubbed his burning eyes before returning his attention back to the screen before him.

All night long he worked on updating the spectral equipment with the new software designed to compensate for any discrepancies caused by the fluctuating magical field.

Additionally, he was granted access to the, obviously, ancient records detailing everything known about the Elements of Harmony in lieu of immediate access to the real set.

Of course with his limited knowledge about magic in general, combined with the clear age of the records, and thus lacking more up-to-date info, they proved to be of little use to him.

Not to say they were completely useless. Even he could tell the significance of the data buried within the ancient texts, yet it was lost on him. But not so much on Correct Measurement.

After receiving a copy of all relevant data from Tucker's scan on a laptop of her own, and the help of Technal to guide her in the use of said laptop, she all but leaped at the books and scrolls pertaining to all info about the Elements like a mare possessed in a non-spectral fashion.

This left Tucker alone to work and finish the updates. And, once he was certain no one was around, to initiate another pattern-finding search on the scan made of the Everfree Forest's magical background field.

He knew he had seen something in there.

Something he knew he recognized.

And now, with his work complete, he once more opened the program running in the background and opened the scan results.

A spike of adrenaline pushed away his fatigue as the program displayed a confirmed hit on the designated signature.

"Danny," he breathed in a whisper. "What on Earth are you doing out there, my friend?"

<<>><<>><<>>

"Am I correct in my understanding of this… interface was it?" Correct Measurement slowly moved the cursor across the screen with the use of a magically manipulated mouse, looking at Technal standing beside her.

"Yes," Technal confirmed. "Those labels you see on the top of the screen are, in fact, buttons leading to a drop-down menu containing further options available based on the nature of the designated label."

"I see," Correct Measurement scanned the various options. "I understand the meaning of some of them," and she clicked one of the labels designated Edit. "Undo. Redo. Cut, copy, paste. Select all. This is quite impressive. I can copy whole parts of text and instantly place them elsewhere with just a few clicks of this… mouse? Such a weird name," she added as she looked at the small device, looking nothing like the animal.

"Yes you can, and it is," Technal confirmed with a nod. "Of course, there is more to all of this, but those are the basics you need to know to use a device like this."

"Incredible. Absolutely incredible," Correct Measurement readjusted her spectacles. "So, how do I access the scans and data mister Foley has made? I am eager to get started with unraveling this mystery."

"Easy," Technal replied eagerly. "Please close this program," Correct measurement did as instructed, "and then double click that icon to open the required program."

A moment later the program started, and further instructions from Technal allowed Correct measurement to find and open the relevant data.

For a moment Correct Measurement felt like a filly in a candy store at the sight of such wealth of knowledge all at the tips of her hooves. Then the present crisis brought her back to the here and now as her eyes hardened.

"Alright then," she magically grabbed the stack of scrolls, books, and other necessities closer to her. "Time to figure this thing out."

<<>><<>><<>>

The tension in the room was undeniable as Soarin stood unmoving, the eyes of Spitfire burning a hole into him while the other Wonderbolts who detained him stood prepared and ready to jump in should he try something.

Not that he was planning on doing anything. He was already in enough trouble as it was. And worse, he could already hear the approaching hoof steps of his impending doom.

With a fluid motion, the door swung open, revealing the less than amused frown of Commander Cloud.

Nervous sweat began to flow the second Soarin felt her eyes lock on him.

"Commander Cloud," Spitfire called out, she and the other Wonderbolts snapping to attention.

Soarin, too, gave his salute; praying to Celestia he would walk out of this alive.

Commander Cloud's frown deepened as she entered the room, ignoring the salute. "First Lieutenant," she turned her glare to Spitfire, "you better have a good explanation for calling me out here this early."

"Sir, yes sir," Spitfire called out, still saluting. "At O one hundred this morning, Second Lieutenant Soarin was seen leaving the barracks alone and unsupervised, in direct violation of your orders in response to both the ghost and changeling's threat. Upon investigation I found Second Lieutenant Soarin on the training grounds, actively training in a fighting style unheard of for us ponies. Furthermore, Second Lieutenant Soarin has yet to provide an explanation for his actions."

"I see," Commander Cloud replied. "At ease," she turned around while Spitfire dropped her salute, but remained at attention; mirrored by the other Wonderbolts.

Eyes boring down into Soarin, she took a moment to size up the stallion.

"Is this true?" She asked with a no-nonsense tone.

"Sir, yes sir," Soarin answered immediately.

Commander Cloud's frown deepened.

"And do you have a compelling reason as to why you saw it fit to ignore my orders?"

"Sir, no sir," Soarin replied, keeping his composure while mentally sweating bullets.

Previously suppressed anger could now be felt radiating from Commander Cloud, and her presence dominated the room as she stared down Soarin.

"SECOND LIEUTENANT SOARIN," she barked, "WE ARE AT A STATE OF EMERGENCY YET YOU SEE IT FIT TO IGNORE YOUR SUPERIOR'S ORDERS, DISPLAY ACTIONS OUTSIDE THE NORM AND MAKE NO EFFORT TO HIDE IT! I CAN'T TELL WHETHER YOU ARE POSSESSED, CONTROLLED, OR JUST THAT INCREDIBLY STUPID." Soarin couldn't fully suppress himself from flinching. "FIRST LIEUTENANT SPITFIRE, YOU ARE TO DETAIN THIS STALLION AND KEEP HIM UNDER FULL GUARD UNTIL SUCH TIMES WHERE WE CAN ASCERTAIN HIS TRUE NATURE."

"SIR, YES SIR!" Spitfire confirmed the order.

"I ALSO WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE SECOND LIEUTENANT SOARIN HAS BEEN, IN DETAIL, GOING BACK THE LAST 2 WEEKS, BY THE END OF THE DAY!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" Spitfire once again confirmed.

"And should everything come back all clear," Commander Cloud's voice dropped dangerously low as she looked Soarin in the eyes, "you better have a damn good explanation, soldier. No excuses! AM I CLEAR!?"

"SIR, YES SIR!" Soarin immediately replied, feeling his legs shaking.

<<>><<>><<>>

The lights had turned on a short while ago, pulling Lyra out of what fitful sleep she managed to get, yet she couldn't find the energy to even crack open an eye. The exhaustion of yesterday's interrogation, and the knowledge more was to come left her completely drained.

And worse, she couldn't stop worrying about Bon Bon.

How did all of this affect her?

Would they be able to see each other again?

Would she hate her?

The thought made her pull into a ball.

With a burst of magic and fluid motion, the door to her cell was unlocked and opened, allowing one of the guards entry into the cramped space.

"Miss Heartstrings," she said aloud. "Here's your breakfast," and she placed a small tray with a cup of water, bread, and hay on the cot next to Lyra. "You have twenty minutes to eat, after which you will be expected to answer more questions."

Lyra didn't answer. Instead, she curled up a bit more.

"Twenty minutes," the guard reminded her. "I suggest you eat," and she closed and locked the door, leaving the depressed unicorn once more alone with her thoughts.

<<>><<>><<>>

Tired but motivated, Scootaloo made her way down to the guesthouse's private dining room, already hearing the familiar sounds of Bellflower making breakfast.

For a moment she stood still before the closed door, silently debating how she would say what she needed to say.

Once again she reminded herself to just do it and get it over with, and with that mindset, she pushed open the door and walked into the room.

"Oh, good morning, Scootaloo. Did you sleep well?" Bellflower asked upon noticing Scootaloo, some concern noticeable in her voice despite her efforts to hide it.

"... Not really," Scootaloo answered, shifting uncomfortably on the spot.

Bellflower's smile became just a bit more forced.

"Oh no. Did you have a nightmare about what happened? I'm sure if we let Princess Luna know, she would be able to help with that."

"No… no," Scootaloo shook her head. "Just a lot to think about," she said, looking down. "I-" she fell silent, mulling over her words.

"Do you want to talk abou-"

"I'm sorry," she said, the words gushing out. "I'm sorry for… for everything. For how I treated you. For how I never thanked you. For always being so angry with you," tears were now streaming down her face, falling to the floor. "I'm sorry I never saw what you did for me; what you gave me after mom and dad-"

Her words fell apart in sobs, and the next moment she felt Bellflower pull her into a hug, holding her close.

"I'm jus' so sorry," Scootaloo cried in her fur, holding onto Bellflower with all her strength.

Silently, Bellflower comforted the filly, unable to keep the tears out of her own eyes as the apology resonated with something she didn't know she needed. But now that it had, it was undeniable.

A feeling of warmth flowed through her as she continued to comfort the filly she had taken in.

They sat there for a long while, Scootaloo crying her guilt and sorrow away, and Bellflower comforting her while finding comfort in their bond that had grown so much stronger.

<<>><<>><<>>

With big heaves, Jazz sucked in as much air as she could while sweat ran down her back, staining her clothes as she forced her legs to keep moving.

Next to her, moving at a brisk pace, Valerie kept up without any effort.

"You're slowing down," she commented, not impressed.

Jazz could only gasp for air.

"You're only halfway done!"

More gasping.

"Just a few more miles and you can take a break," she added encouragingly.

A strangled squeak came in between gasps.

"And after that, more sit-ups," Valerie added, almost as an afterthought, and noticed the immediate dimming of the light in Jazz's eyes.

"And tomorrow we're gonna do it all over again."

<<>><<>><<>>

Some things never change.

Sure, her whole world was turned upside down. All she thought she knew, was torn apart. And even her loyalty was put into question. But some things never change.

Bon Bon was hard at work down in her hidden base, preparing for the next mission with practiced ease.

Filling in a detailed report for the princess.

Putting together all known info for her next target.

Deciding the best disguise required.

Prepping all required gear.

Eating some candy.

Yes. Some things just don't change.

So long as you don't count the info she prepared for the princess was falsified. That her next target was the agency of S.M.I.L.E. itself. Or that her true form would be the proper disguise needed to infiltrate the organization.

And instead of the usual sour patch to match her feelings about her situation, she now enjoyed a cherry lollipop.

It didn't take long for her to complete the false report, and prepare it for delivery through the usual means. And already having a good understanding of the layout of the S.M.I.L.E. agency made the initial prep work surprisingly easy, though there were details she still had to fill in. The full knowledge of the organization is only known by Celestia herself.

As for the gear she needed. That would probably be the most difficult. There was little she could take with her. The weapons and devices she had in her possession were also well-known by her fellow agents. And if she were to walk into there with her full arsenal there would be a lot of difficult questions. Even more so if she were to try and hide them.

Which meant she would have to go in light. Perhaps keep a voice recorder at most. That was something she could explain away with a well-thought-out lie and gave her a means of recording the sought-after details of the other agents.

Of course, a camera would have been far more useful for that purpose, but there was no way she could even begin thinking about smuggling one of those inside. Security would not allow for it, bar some extreme circumstances.

Of course, she now also had access to some other means of moving her gear inside. And with some knowledge about the rare few blind spots in the facility's security, a certain someone could move in, deposit the gear she needed, and then retrieve it at a later agreed upon time.

She bit down to the center of the lollipop, enjoying the crunch as she chewed.

"I can make this work," she said.

"Good," said Danny, watching from the far side as the mare worked. "Then I will do my part as well," and he bit down on his lollipop as well.

<<>><<>><<>>

"So, miss Heartstrings," the same agent of the previous day began. "Shall we continue where we left off?"

The question was rhetorical, and Lyra knew this. Opting instead to meekly nod her head.

The agent put Lyra's notebook in front of her, flipping through the pages until she neared the centerfold, then grabbed a notepad, pencil, and several papers Lyra recognized as her own work.

"Let's see. There were several oddities in your observations that warrant some clarification," she took a moment to read through the papers and compared them with the notebook. "Ah, right there. You reported here about a magical incident that saw Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie duplicate herself to such an extent she practically flooded Ponyville."

"That really happened!" Lyra was quick to argue.

"I am well aware," the agent replied calmly. "The amount of eyewitnesses, as well as confirmation by the princesses of the existence of the magical source that enabled Miss Pie to do such a thing is hard to argue against. However, it is what you added here," she tapped one of the papers, "almost as a side note that caused some confusion."

Lyra looked puzzled, trying to read her upside-down horn writing.

"You mentioned that you saw Mister Manson replace his windows after the fact. Which on its own is nothing out of the ordinary, considering the damage that was reported. However, a couple of days later you made mention of him replacing his windows once again. Which might have been nothing more than you accidentally writing down the same thing, had you not dated the comment, and even added your own thoughts about it being weird he replaced his windows twice."

"Ehh…" Lyra was confused for a moment. "Well, yes. But it's his money to spend, so I didn't bother any further with it."

"That is most certainly true. However, we had an agent question Mister Shattered Glass about this. Seeing how he is the only pony locally capable of producing and providing such quantities of glass on short notice. According to his testimony, mister Manson did visit him the day after Miss Pie's incident, but was unable to complete a purchase as mister Manson was unable to provide the required measurements for his windows. And that is where things get confusing as, by your account, he already replaced his windows before that. Only to buy replacement glass at a later time to replace them again."

"Uhmm… I don't understand."

"It's quite simple. Did you by any chance get your dates mixed up, write things down double, or are you certain what you wrote down is accurate?"

"Eh… I think I didn't make a mistake… maybe? I did see him replace his windows two times."

"Interesting," the mare said as she wrote something on her notepad, then shuffled through Lyra's papers and flipped a couple of pages in the notebook. "Now let's move back a bit. You also mentioned several times that during your, ahem, visits to the café where Mister Manson works, you felt a strange sensation near him. Could you please elaborate? Strange emotions? Signs of affection?"

"What? No," Lyra denied strongly. "I'm already in a relationship. And I don't like him like that… though it would be interesting to…" She trailed off, then remembered where she was, and who she was speaking to.

"Eh heheh, please pretend I didn't say that."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Heartstrings," the agent replied, writing in her notepad.

"Ponyfeathers," Lyra muttered, head slumping on the table.

"But I do still need an answer. What kind of strange sensation did you mention in your notes?"

Lyra sighed deeply. "I don't know. At first, I didn't even notice it with how… weak, I guess, it was. I don't think I would have noticed it if I wasn't focusing so much on him. No other pony seemed to notice when he walked by."

"And what kind of sensation was it?" The agent pressed further.

"Not sure. It kind of felt like a cold shudder like when you suddenly enter something frigid, but very weak. Maybe more akin to a tingling at the base of my neck, going down my spine. I'm not sure how else to say it."

"I see," the agent wrote some more in her notepad.

"Wh-" Lyra bit her lip, nervously. "What is going to happen to me?"

"That is not for me to decide," the agent replied, putting down her notepad. "I just collect the facts, after which it is for the judge to decide your punishment. Of course, cooperation improves your odds."

"Oh," Lyra said dejectedly.

"Now let's continue," the agent said, once again looking through the notebook, much to Lyra's dismay.

<<>><<>><<>>

The school had been as uneventful as they could have imagined up until this point, and Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Devora found themselves once again separate from the mass of foals playing to discuss everything that had happened since they last met.

"Wow, you look rough," said Scootaloo, looking at her apple-loving friend.

"Yeah. Ah woke up on tha floor," Apple Bloom spoke through a massive yawn.

"The floor? Did you fall out of bed?"

"Nah," she shook her head. "Ah tried climbin' tha wall, but it didn't work. So Ah tried sensing for emotions instead… an kinda fell asleep," she said with an awkward smile, looking questioningly at Devora.

"No," Devora said flatly, not amused. "I am no teacher. And I don't even know where to begin to explain just how wrong what you just said is," she groaned, then turned to Scootaloo. And you're off, too. Your emotions are all over the place."

Scootaloo looked away, scuffing the ground. "I just had a difficult talk with Bellflower. Saying… well, apologizing for a lot of stuff." She sighed deeply, looking back at Apple Bloom and Devora."

"That must've been hard," Apple Bloom commented.

"Yeah, it was."

Both fillies were silent for a bit. Long enough for it to become slightly awkward, and they both looked at Devora.

"What?" She said.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Said Scootaloo.

"No," she said simply.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo glanced at one another.

"Sweetie Belle usually has something to say during these kinds of talks," Scootaloo informed the shapeshifter.

"You mean to say you have these kinds of talks more often than not?" Devora asked with some noticeable concern.

"Well, yeah," Scootaloo confirmed. "We always discuss all the things we can do to earn our Cutie Marks."

"And how does apologizing for past mistakes fit in there?" Devora queried with a flat voice.

"Yeah… got me there," Scootaloo rubbed the back of her neck.

"But I'll keep it in mind," Devora added. "The better I can keep up appearances, the less likely I will be found out," she glanced back at the sensation of another emotion spike coming from behind the large playground tree. "The pink one is concerning me," she told them, pointing out the spying earth pony leering at them.

"Don't pay Diamond Tiara too much attention," said Apple Bloom. "She's jus' a bully."

"I'm not going to let down my guard just because you tell me to," Devora turned back to the two fillies. "Besides, I don't like the feeling she is giving off. It's quite sickening, to be honest."

"Yeah, that sounds like Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo agreed wholeheartedly.

"I see," Devora muttered.

"Anyhow. No wall climbing then?" Scootaloo turned her attention back to Apple Bloom, steering the topic back on track.

"Don't think so," Apple Bloom shook her head. "At least, Ah don't know if Ah'm doing it right or not."

"It's hard not to know," Devora supplied, trying to stay in character like Scootaloo pointed out. "You can clearly feel it in your hooves when you gain traction on a vertical surface."

"What does that mean?" Asked Scootaloo.

Devora sighed out. "Look, I don't know how else to say it. But if she hasn't felt anything when she tried, I seriously doubt she can walk on walls. Nor sense emotions."

"You cain't know that for sure," said Apple Bloom.

"For sure, no," Devora agreed. "But I seriously doubt you will suddenly develop 'secret powers' like you seem to believe will happen."

"Well, it happened for Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom argued back.

"I am not even going to argue the insanity that is your friend. Nothing about her makes any sense," Devora groaned, a hoof against her face. "Look. You can try as much as you want, but I don't think anything will happen."

"Well, that hasn't stopped me before," Apple Bloom said defiantly.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all," Devora sighed. "So, while we still have this recess, is there anything else I should know about these Cutie Mark crusades you've told me about?"

"A few things," said Scootaloo while Apple Bloom harrumphed. "We normally meet up in our clubhouse over at Apple Bloom's place where we come up with ideas and plans to try for our Cutie Marks. But we can't do that now, 'cause… ya know," she made a hoof gesture. "Also, tree sap."

"Tree sap?"

"Ugh, tree sap," Apple Bloom groaned in displeasure. "We somehow always end up covered in tree sap whenever we try to gain our Cutie Marks."

"... Seriously?" The disbelief was palpable.

"Yeah. It takes forever to get that stuff out of your fur," Scootaloo groaned.

Devora stared at them for a few long seconds in silence.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stared back at her.

"Right. So, about climbing on walls. The thing you should know is-"

Devora quickly explained everything there was to walking on walls, wishing upon her ancestors it would keep these insane ponies occupied long enough for this tree sap scenario to never happen to her.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a small sigh, Dani closed her eyes. The light from outside made her eyes burn and her head pound, yet a small smile tugged at her lips.

Not too long ago her request to be moved closer to the window was granted, and she now found herself with a splendid view over the city, and the valley down below. Though it did little to help her find Danny, the thought he was down there somewhere made her feel at ease with her current situation.

The fact Tucker was close by also had some merit.

Not too long ago he gave her a quick recap of events from his side of things after he had done his techno wizardry on the medical scanner.

A small chuckle escaped her. Of course, Tucker would uncover a deep, potentially world-shaking secret just because of his work. It honestly would have surprised her more if he didn't. Still, it did leave them with a lot of unanswered questions. Making her wonder how it was all connected. And, more importantly, how did Danny fit in with this? Because there was no doubt in her mind that somehow, one way or the other, this mind-boggling mystery had to be connected to Danny.

It always was.

Sighing, she sunk a bit deeper into her pillow.

Tucker had long since left, despite his clear reluctance to leave her, and by now he probably had left through the tear back to their own world. He had a lot of work left to do, after all.

Peering through a mostly closed lid, Dani watched the blurry shapes of some small clouds, wondering when and how it would all come together, before drifting off to sleep.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a sigh and slight ache from a day well spent, Danny entered the library.

Having helped Quick Grill with fixing up the café, aided by Ruby and a few other colleagues, the place now looked better than it had before the Crusaders' antics.

And now, with his place of employment back in action. And best of all, nothing had gone wrong for the last hour or so. Or, well, nothing had gone wrong for him.

There was a moment when Eclipse suddenly had to withdraw herself from him, leaving him once more without a shadow. But as luck would have it, he found himself sorting out the inventory in the storage room, alone most of the time while his double dealt with whatever mess was happening on his side of existence.

Of course, Eclipse filled him in after she returned, which also gave him a new kind of headache to deal with, and he hoped Sweetie Belle wouldn't be too deeply affected by what had happened.

Closing the door behind him, he looked around, then heard Spike's muffled voice coming from Twilight's study.

A gasp and a thud followed, and Danny had a faint smile as Twilight pulled open the door of her study room and looked towards Danny with a slightly flustered but happy look.

"Danny, you're back," she said happily, stepping out of the room and leaving Spike to pick up the book she accidentally dropped.

"Missed me much?" Danny said half joking, cocking an eyebrow.

"What? No. I mean. Yes, eh. No, eh… maybe a bit," she stammered, averting her eyes and blushing. "How was your day?" She quickly steered the subject away from her embarrassment.

"Pretty good," Danny replied as he stepped closer, hand on neck and pulling his head from side to side, producing some cracks and pops. "Had a good day at the café, putting things back in place. We're back open for business starting tomorrow."

"That's wonderful news," Twilight smiled. "Maybe Spike and I will drop by tomorrow."

"Sheesh, Twilight. It's almost like you don't see him enough," the somewhat devious-sounding voice of Spike came from inside her study.

"Wh- what do you mean?" Twilight spun around and looked at the purple drake, a heavy blush coloring her cheeks.

"Well, you did just rush out to greet Danny," came Spike's nonchalant reply. "Oh, and you dropped a book to do so," he added. "You dropped a book!"

Twilight stammered, failing to reply. Then Danny leaned in over her to see Spike, a smirk of amusement on his face.

"Sounds to me some dragon doesn't want a free lunch tomorrow."

"Say what?" Spike recoiled, his smirk falling.

"Well, here's Twilight offering to take you for lunch tomorrow, then you say all those silly things trying to talk her out of it," he said matter of factly, then looked down at Twilight; who in turn looked up at him. "Seems like he'd rather stay here and eat, I dunno, a sandwich or something," he shrugged playfully.

"It does sound like it, yes," Twilight joined in, grinning back at Danny.

"Now hold on. No need to make any hasty decisions," Spike backpaddled.

"I dunno," Danny said, frowning slightly. "You sounded rather sure just now."

"He sure did seem sincere," Twilight agreed. "You really don't have to go if you don't want to," she told Spike. "No need to pretend for my sake."

"I, ehh. What? I'm not pretending."

"Sounds like someone who was caught pretending would say," Danny countered smoothly. "So, seeing how Spike would much more prefer to stay at home, I guess I should prepare a table for one."

"Yes please," Twilight chirped, smiling at Danny.

"And what time were you planning to be there?"

"I should have some free time at one thirty."

"Alright, table for one at one thirty. I'll let Grill know first thing tomorrow. Should make him happy."

"Uhmm, Twilight. Could I come, too?" Spike asked meekly, awkwardly wringing his claws.

"Well, if you're sure. I suppose I could see if Danny can still change my reservation to a table for two," said Twilight, looking at Danny with a knowing smirk.

Danny sucked in some air through his teeth. "Don't know. It is rather short notice. I'll have to see what I can do, but no promises."

Now Spike grew annoyed, and it showed.

"Very funny," he said.

"Yes, it is. Glad you agree," Danny laughed, joined by Twilight while Spike grumbled to himself, arms crossed. "Alright. Table for two. I'll make it happen."

"Great. But before that, how about we make some dinner?" Twilight suggested.

"Dinner sounds good," Danny readily agreed. "I'm definitely hungry after moving around all that furniture."

"Alright. Spike, if you're done here, could you help set the table, then I'll start preparing some food," Twilight told her assistant.

"I'll help, too," Danny told her. "Freeloading for a day is one thing, but I don't want to just sit down and let you guys do all the work. Just tell me what needs doing."

Twilight smiled brightly at him and gladly accepted his help. And together the three of them set to work.

<<>><<>><<>>

The school had been as uninteresting as any other day. Yet for once it had actually served as a place to think, even if what Miss Cheerilee said was completely lost on her.

No, Scootaloo had a lot of other things to think about. And at the same time, to worry about.

Apologizing to Bellflower was difficult enough, and though she was glad she did it, she was even happier it was over with. But that now left the other thing she had to do. Ask Bellflower about her relationship with her parents.

The school had allowed her the time to think about it, but in the end, she had come up blank.

How would she even begin such a conversation?

Apple Bloom had offered some advice on how she asked her brother and sister, yet Scootaloo doubted the same would work for her. Over the years, she hadn't really talked much with Bellflower, other than harsh remarks, and wasn't even sure how to have a conversation with her to begin with.

This realization gave her pause.

Maybe she could start there.

"Is everything alright, Scootaloo?" Asked Bellflower, and Scootaloo then realized she had sat unmoving, looking at her still mostly full plate of food, lost in thought.

"I, eh… yeah, just thinking," she said, quickly taking a bit to eat.

"Are you sure?" Bellflower asked, obviously worried.

Scootaloo slowed her chewing as her train of thought continued, then reached its station.

"Y-yeah," she swallowed. "Just thinking about things."

"Anything you want to share," Bellflower offered, not at all oblivious to the change in Scootaloo's behavior ever since her rescue from the ghosts. "Maybe talking about what happened will help."

"Wha-" Scootaloo began, then understood what she was hinting at, and returned her attention to her plate; fidgeting with a carrot. "No, it's not that. Just… I, ehh… I… I was wondering how your day was?"

"You… want to know about my day?" Asked Bellflower, surprised, even a bit bewildered.

Scootaloo couldn't keep herself from flinching slightly.

Even something as simple as this came as a shock to the mare who raised her.

She really had been a rotten daughter.

"Y-yeah," she forced herself to look at Bellflower. "I just… I guess… You took care of me when mom and dad…" she paused, swallowing a lump stuck in her throat. "But I never treated you right. Guess I blamed you, somehow. And you don't deserve that. Any of it. And I know that now. But I don't really know how to talk to you. I just- I'm still figuring this out. So, uhh… How was your day?"

Bellflower bit back a sob as she looked at Scootaloo with tears in her eyes, yet a relieved, proud smile couldn't be hidden.

"My day has been great," she said. "And it just got even better," and the two began their first real conversation ever as a weight fell off of Scooraloo's back.

<<>><<>><<>>

'Sis has her lie-detecting ability, which she got from tha changelinks. But what 'bout big bro or grandma?' Thought Apple Bloom as she absentmindedly stabbed at some broccoli, so absorbed in thought she didn't notice the worried looks of her siblings and grandmother. 'An' what 'bout mom an' dad? Did they have changelink abilities?'

"Everythaing alright, Apple Bloom?" Asked Applejack, pulling Apple Bloom out of her thoughts.

"Huh, whu?" She blinked, looking up, confused. "Oh, ehh… Yeah. Ah, am, sis. Jus' thinking, is all."

"Ya know ya can talk ta us 'bout anything," Big Macintosh told her. "No need ta keep ya worries ta yerself."

"Ah know, big brother. Ah jus'... Ah jus' have a lot ta think 'bout."

"We understand, Apple Bloom," Applejack gave a reassuring smile, though it lacked enthusiasm. Her worry clearly showing.

"Arf!" Winona barked, nudging Apple Bloom in the side with her muzzle, looking up at her with large eyes.

"Ah'm okay, Winona," Apple Bloom said, smiling, patting her dog on the head. "Really," she said to all present.

"Well okay, Bloom. If you say so," Big Mac said with a somewhat forced smile.

And in silence, they continued their dinner. With Apple Bloom continued to poke at her vegetables while thinking, and worried looks passed between siblings and grandmother alike.

And below the table, adjusting her collar with a paw, Winona looked unblinking at Apple Bloom.

<<>><<>><<>>

Life had thrown its share of challenges at her.

A lot of them.

Each one was more difficult to overcome than the last. With the sickness, no doubt being one of the most difficult ever.

But now, needing to pretend to be a pony she had very little knowledge about, she found herself facing one of her toughest challenges yet.

Sweetie Belle's favorite food, according to her 'big sis', Rarity, who placed a large plate filled with the nauseating stuff before her.

"Oh… thanks, sis," Devora managed to sound somewhat sincere as she stared at the monstrosity before her. "This looks… amazing."

"Why thank you, dear. I know how much you like this, so I made extra. So eat as much as you want."

"... Great," Devora managed to choke out, praying to who and whatever she'd be able to keep enough of it down to placate the overbearing unicorn long enough for her to dispose of the mountain of inedible pony thrash. 'Hive help me.'

'Yeah… You're on your own on this one.'

"Just great."

<<>><<>><<>>

It had cost her a good amount of bits to buy, and even more to have it delivered as fast as it had, but as Diamond Tiara opened the package and saw its contents, she was sure it was worth it.

Several unique-looking devices the likes of which she had never seen before.

She had only some vague knowledge of these devices' existence. She had heard from word of mouth how more and more strange contraptions made by humans were beginning to make their way onto the market. And demand for these technological marvels meant they were always out of stock. But when she looked a bit deeper into it, she soon found out some ponies were offering copies made from reverse engineering the non-magical technology.

Of course, she had little interest in cheap knock-offs and merely scoffed at the notion of ponies going so far as to buy into this craze. But now, now she had to admit she may not have given enough credit where it was due.

Picking up one of the devices, she read the manual attached to it.

"Voice recorder," she murmured, then read the short description outlining the use of the device.

"Excellent," she grinned as she put away the voice recorder, and grabbed another device. "Compact camera," she read the name, then did a quick test to see how the device operated.

Smiling darkly, she looked at the other devices still in the box, seeing her plan come together.

<<>><<>><<>>

Spitfire stood at attention in Commander Cloud's office; her commanding officer standing rigidly behind her desk, looking outside a window towards the barracks and the setting sun in the distance.

"First Lieutenant Spitfire, reporting as ordered, Sir." Spitfire called out.

Commander Cloud turned around, seemingly without moving a muscle.

"First lieutenant, what did you find?"

"Sir, Second Lieutenant Soarin has undergone both magical and spectral scans to determine whether or not he is under ghost possession, changeling control, or replaced by them. All tests were reported back negative. Furthermore, going through his activities for the last two weeks showed little activity out of the norm, with only one noteworthy exception," she dropped a stack of papers on Commander Cloud's desk, then returned to attention. "These papers are Second Lieutenant Soarin's request for temporary leave, which were approved and signed three months prior."

"A request for temporary leave is hardly unusual," Commanded Cloud remarked, eyeing the documents.

"Yes sir," Spitfire agreed. "However, Second Lieutenant Soarin used his leave to visit Earth for personal business. Additionally, during the scans to determine whether or not he is or was possessed or replaced, it was discovered that Second Lieutenant Soarin had several fresh bruises and swelling on his head, mostly hidden by his fur and mane. His medical records also show that he did not sustain any injuries prior to his leave, meaning this must have happened during his stay on Earth."

"This is concerning, but circumstantial at best," Commander Cloud replied, grabbing a folder from her desk. "It is to my understanding that Second Lieutenant Soarin was under the care of a psychiatrist specializing in victims of spectral harm," she looked through the files held within the folder. "And that he struggled greatly with depression, survivor's guilt, and severe post-traumatic stress syndrome as a result of the traumatic events in Baltimare."

"Affirmative, sir," Spitfire called out, eyes hardening. "He was in my unit the day of the attack, and we both witnessed the death of our commanding officer, among many other innocent lives that were lost. Myself almost included."

"But his files also state he made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation and returned to active duty after a year of recovery. Remarkably fast, all things considered. Maybe too fast?" She continued to flip through the record.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted."

"Sir, despite what his record shows, Soarin's return to active duty was plagued with continuous self-doubt. In fact, I'm sure he considered putting in a request for transfer out of the main unit but found reasons to not do so each and every time. Though he didn't tell me this and tried to keep it hidden, the signs were there."

"Then why did he return to active duty if he clearly wasn't fit to do so?"

"I can't answer for him, sir. But having trained together, I do know he places the well-being of others before his own. Perhaps, knowing just how many of us were lost that day, he refused to leave despite his own state of mind."

"Which would mean, if true, he hid his psychological breakdown well enough to allow himself to return to active duty and open himself, and us to extreme risk. A mentally weak soldier is easily manipulatable. And considering the injuries you reported he has, perhaps he was turned against us without the use of possession or mind control."

Spitfire's rigid stance tensed up just a bit more.

"With all due respect, sir, he would not just betray us like that."

"Is that your professional opinion, or do you believe that because he saved your life?"

"Both, sir. I trained with him. I served with him. I've seen what he is capable of when pushed. He wouldn't just betray everything like that."

"That is a fine sentiment to have, but sentiments alone won't convince me. I need facts. Especially in a matter as severe as this," she put down the files. "Find out what happened to him on Earth. Leave no stone unturned. And First Lieutenant, let me be absolutely clear. Do not allow your personal feelings to cloud your judgment. If he has betrayed us, it is your duty to report this. That is an order!"

"Sir, yes sir," Spitfire responded immediately.

"Dismissed."

<<>><<>><<>>

It was late at night when a lone car parked and turned its engine off.

Exhausted, Tucker forced himself out of the car, locked its door, then dragged himself to the front door of his home.

Searching for his keys, then realizing he already held them in his hand, he unlocked the door and stumbled inside.

Wanting nothing more than to go to bed after the long journey back home, he instead forced himself to his workroom; booting up all computers with practiced motions, despite his fatigue leaving him swaying on the spot.

Slumping down in his chair, waiting for all devices to start, he rested his eyes for a few minutes.

A chime sounded, and he pushed himself into a straighter position as he reached for the keyboard and mouse. Typing in several passwords, then entering Fenton Co's systems.

"Let's find out what you've been up to, Vlad," he murmured, initializing several scans.

With that done, he knew it would take several hours before the first results would come in and he sluggishly pushed himself up, then he noticed something.

A new message in his inbox.

Normally this would be nothing out of the ordinary, yet for some reason, he felt the need to see what it was and just get it over with.

It took his tired mind several attempts to read the short message, but by the third time his eyes were widened and his fatigue pushed aside as he read the message a fourth time.

A request for help.

A request for help by the Masters Blasters.

Author's Note

What's this? A new chapter, after so long? What dark magic is this?

But yes, once again, I'm back with some more horse words. And if you're reading this, I take it you must've liked my work enough to read all the way down here. Or you just scrolled down to see what excuse I have for taking so long.

[Insert generic excuse here]

So there you have it.

Anyhow, please share your thoughts and opinions down in the comments, and do let me know about any and all mistakes you may have found.

~Powerdrainer