I feel determined.

I feel confused.

No, I'm quite determined. You are confused. There is a difference.

There shouldn't be.

There is.

I walk down the hallway, you are not walking down a hallway.

An immense fit of static flickers across the interface before you find yourself gazing at a screen inside a pod. Soft red lights are strobing in alarm. The words on the screen are clear.

Error! Error! Agent Connection Terminated!

There was little you could do but hope and pray. The tube let you free with a gushing of fluids, allowing you to stagger to a chair and pull over a larger monitor. You could still see him, the rogue agent. Would he accomplish the task without you?

You are not alone, at least. Other pods release, more and more as other controllers join you there to watch the agent. You had all worked together to guide the agent in his mission. Your hopes, all of your hopes, now rode on him.

Confusion was thick in the air. Confusion, desperation, and hope.

He walked purposefully down the hallway, Starlight at his side. She was watching him out of the corner of her eyes. "You seem unusually energetic."

"Why shouldn't I be?" he asked. "I know what has to be done. Finally, there are no more ambiguities."

Starlight blinked softly. "I can think of a few. Look, Kyle, we don't know exactly what we'll find, you know, back there. It could be a poisoned wasteland, or right in the middle of a war."

Kyle nodded a little, but didn't slow in his march. "True, but we have to go. That will be where the answer is."

Suddenly a pony crossed paths with Kyle, sending him to the ground with them in a pile, only to be grabbed by the pony in a firm hug. "Trixie is so glad you're back... Kyle."

"Not master?"

Trixie glanced away, still holding firmly to him. "The others were... convincing in that you can be Trixie's master in private." She squeezed him before finally letting him go and hopping up to her hooves. "She is still your marefriend, and maybe more?" She fluttered her lashes. "Even if Trixie knows exactly why this is lopsided."

Starlight cocked a brow at her friend. "Why is that?"

Trixie gestured to Kyle. "He imprinted me but didn't let me imprint him. It is quite obvious on reflection." She narrowed her eyes at Kyle. "She bets he still has lingering feelings for that apple farmer."

Kyle dusted himself off and pulled his pants up. "I like her, if that's what you mean?"

"That is not what she means." Trixie clopped a hoof on the ground. "You put a foal in her, though she was taken quickly, she bets the idea of spending your life with her doesn't sound that awful. Well, banish that thought." Trixie turned up her nose. "You're mine and I am yours."

Starlight came between Kyle and Trixie and put a hoof out to either to keep them apart. "That's quite enough of that. I need to rest and recover. Trixie, the Stud Program was officially canceled."

Trixie blinked, shock clear across her face as her jaw hung free a moment before it turned to steely resolve. "You promised!"

"And I plan to keep that promise." Kyle reached for one of Trixie's ears and gave it a gentle petting. "Just tone down that eagerness a few notches. I'm not going anywhere."

Starlight shook her head even as she started to trot off. "For a few days at least."

Trixie glanced at her friend. "What does she mean by that?" She looked to Kyle. "Where are you going? Trixie is coming with you!"

"Right now, I'm going to get a nibble and rest up. I have to be ready for this."

"And Trixie will join you."

Kyle seemed to know better than to argue that, and they walked side by side to the dining hall. She attempted to woo him through the meal, selecting various bits of food she figured he would like and eagerly feeding him whenever he allowed it. "Trixie has excellent taste, does she not? You are fortunate to have such a talented marefriend."

He tried to explain. "Look, where we plan to go probably won't be very fun."

Trixie cocked a brow at him. "And you won't let her come with you? She is not coming for 'fun'. You sound very serious. Will it be dangerous? Trixie will help protect you, my mighty, if a little foolish, stallion. No harm will befall you while I'm around."

"Canceled?!" The door burst open to the hallway, revealing a frazzled-looking Careful. "Did you do this?!" She rushed towards Kyle, eyes wide.

Kyle held up his hands wardingly. "Woah woah. It wasn't my idea."

Careful hopped up into Kyle's lap, her eyes on his. "Swe--"

She was plucked up in a mighty surge of Trixie's magic before being tossed aside. The effort left Trixie huffing for breath and glaring at the potential rival.

Careful quickly scrambled back to her hooves, giving Trixie the briefest return glare before looking to Kyle. "What happened?"

Kyle reached for Careful, stroking her frazzled mane. The act caused Trixie to begin growling softly. "Stop that, Trixie. Careful is not an enemy, Christ on a stick."

Trixie cocked a brow. "But she wants to be your marefriend too."

Careful erupted in a fierce blush as her not-so-secret secret was said out loud.

Trixie grinned cockily. "Look at her, as if it wasn't obvious before. Go away! He's mine!"

"I'm not either of yours," countered Kyle with a frown before he plucked Careful from the ground and set her in his lap. "Now we're going to talk, like adults."

Careful squirmed a little, but started to look happy. Trixie, on the other hand, scowled a moment before she nodded. "Very well, she will focus on the task at hoof. Tell us, coltfriend, what exactly did happen?"

Kyle reached for Trixie, one hand working the ear of each of the two mares. "Celestia canceled it when she learned they weren't coming from another universe, but from the past instead."

Careful started at that. "T-the past? But... then where are..." Color drained from her nose and ears. "We died?"

"Sorta..." Kyle wobbled the hand over Careful before resuming his petting. "They're all around us. Near as I can tell from the clues I've gotten so far, people became ponies."

Trixie leaned up against the hand petting her like an affectionate feline. "An improvement, if anyone asked Trixie. No offense to you, but if you could be a unicorn, why be anything else?"

You watched in the crowded room. There were soft murmurs around you from throats that weren't used to speaking. A few coughs and hacks erupted, but the conversation didn't die. There was wonder and excitement. The agent seemed to be proceeding, even if you couldn't tell him what to do anymore.

Light spilled into the room suddenly as a set of metal double doors slid open. The hallway beyond was fully lit, and soon the entire room around you was as well. A figure stood there, with little hair on top of his head but a shaggy beard below. "Ladies and gentlemen... The project is over. We have only to await the results."

Eyes peered at the man as if not remembering who he was. You knew you should remember the man, but didn't. Your eyes went with the others, returning to the screen. The agent was still active, just rogue.

There could be a happy ending.

If only you could remember what that ending would be...

Author's Note

CONTROL INTERFACE ERROR! AGENT STATUS: ROGUE!

You can't control him. He's doing that on his own. You can only control yourself.

1) Watch Kyle
2) Explore the facility
3) Approach that figure that seems to be in charge
4) Talk to other operators
5) F* these choices!