“What do you mean they’re no longer here?!” Nagare barked, staring down a unicorn stallion who had told him something rather unsettling.

“They vanished. They are hiding a fugitive from the law.” Answered the unicorn quickly, his ears falling flat on his head.

“A fugitive...from the law? Who is this fugitive you speak of?” Asked a pegasus who had accompanied Nagare.

“Paladin Blade, a former member of the Black Feathers Mafia.” Answered the unicorn, ears perked upright again.

“You can’t mean the same Paladin Blade who lost one of his legs!” Shrieked the other pegasus guard, wings and eyes spread wide in shock.

“Sadly, it’s the same one alright. Not only that, but we heard of a train that came here from Appleloosa. We don’t know how valid that claim is.” Replied the unicorn once more. “We’ll keep searching Manehatten in the meantime.”

“So I just came all this way only to get thrown straight back to square one!?” Nagare thought, eyes narrowing as his anger built up to nearly uncontrollable levels.

“And where do we go?” Asked the first pegasus guard.

“I’d suggest going back to Canterlot.” Answered the unicorn.

“Who are these strangers, Nagare?” Asked a feminine voice, catching the attention of all present in the moonlit street. All turned around to see not one, not two, but three more ponies on the end of the road approaching the lot, two of which looked like foals. The full moon’s light illuminated all of their forms.

The first one, an older mare, had a pristine white coat and black horseshoes. She had brown bangs that were brushed aside, and her eyes were the color of the earth. The back part of her mane was merely a line of hair held together with clips.

The second, a wisteria-pelted filly with a light purple mane, had a puzzled look about her face as she looked every which way with her purple eyes. She soon set her eyes on the green stallion and smiled happily.

The third, a filly smaller than the second, had a pink coat and black, raven-cut mane. Her red-violet eyes were filled with life, and her ears were tufted. The odd thing about her was she had fairy’s wings adorning her frame, and they were closed neatly on her sides.

“Mimu? Mimi? Kaguya? W-what...h-how...W-WHY?!” Nagare nearly shrieked, eyes wide and ears on his skull.

Kaguya, the mare with the brown mane, scrunched her eyes shut and her eyebrows began twitching as a pink vein appeared on her head. “I don’t know how either.” She replied, the corners of her mouth twitching up as she spoke. “And I’ve given up asking the locals already.”

Mimu, the filly with pixie wings, simply sat on her rump with a grin still adorning her face. She giggled a bit. Mimi, the filly with the wisteria pelt, proceeded to mimic Mimu.

“Who are these ponies?” Asked a pegasus guard, staring at the trio of females down the road. Kaguya gently nudged the fillies with her hoof, and they got up and started trotting towards the group of males again.

“They happen to be my friends as well.” Nagare answered, a small smile present on his face once more. His ears were perked upright now.

“And what are you doing out here with these strangers?” Kaguya asked, the pink vein still present on her face as she and the other two now stood face to face with the group of stallions. She was glaring at Nagare.

“Trying to find the other dimwits.” Nagare answered swiftly, ears flat on his skull again. His anger had been aroused once more as he continued, “I hear that two of them are here in this town, only to hear that they already vanished--IN THE COURSE OF THE SAME DAY, NO LESS!”

“Could you say it without screaming?” Kaguya asked, a neutral look now on her face.

“S-sorry...it’s just that I’m really angry right now. I don’t know what to do…” Nagare replied, eyelids partially over his eyes and a frown on his face. He turned away to look at nothing in particular.

Mimi’s eyes became clouded with tears, and she looked at the stallion as if on the verge of crying. “Are they alright?!” She nearly shrieked as her ears fell flat on her skull.

“That, I really can’t say. All I know is Rekka had some kind of leg injury. I’m left in the dark otherwise.” Nagare replied, not making eye contact with anybody present. “And I have no idea what happened to Tenmei or Koto either.”

“How could that be so?” Kaguya thought, neutral expression unwavering. “Have you heard anything about 01?”

“Nada,” Nagare replied quickly, still not looking at anybody. “All I know is a monster kinda attacked me, then vanished for no reason at all.”

“Do you mean a monster...made by the Quartet?” Kaguya asked.

“It’s the only group I could trace said monster to. I wound up talking to the leaders of this place in person.” Nagare said, ears now perked up.

A tear slid down Mimi’s cheek. “Were the leaders...mean?” She asked.

“No, they weren’t at all.” Nagare answered, turning to Mimi. “Had that been the case, I would be dead by now.”

“Did you tell them about the Quartet?” Kaguya asked.

“I had to. It wasn’t like I had a say in the matter.” Nagare replied once more, looking away from everyone again.

“Princess Celestia’s a really nice mare. But like all rulers, she kinda has to know what goes on in Equestria.” Spoke a pegasus guard before sighing.

“You...do have a point.” Kaguya replied, expression unwavering. “Celestia?” She thought, ears twitching as that word ran through her mind.

“I heard of a nice place called Ponyville.” Mimu spoke, catching the attention of all present.

“Ponyville?” Nagare inquired, eyebrow raised. “What kind of name is that?” He thought, blinking afterwards.

“And why would we go there, Mimu?” Kaguya asked, the pink vein appearing on her face once more as she turned to look at the filly.

As if on cue, another pegasus guard landed on his hooves next to the white-pelted mare (nearly scaring the gee willikers out of her in the process), gasping as if out of breath.

“Well, we have more company. What’s this one got to say after he catches his breath?” Nagare asked, looking at the stallion who just landed. “Great goodness, his face is blue!”

The stallion heaved and wheezed, gasping for air frantically. He looked at his fellow guards and said, “A train was derailed near Ponyville.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter here. I hope to make it up in the next one.