Uncharted: Vought's Vestige

Chapters

Party Crashers
The Morning After
Meet & Greet
Research

Party Crashers

Uncharted: Vought's Vestige
Chapter One: Party Crashers

Location: Ponyville
Time: 7:53 pm, CMT (Canterlot Mean Time)

Despite the sun long having departed the skies above, the streets of Ponyville were brimming with light. Lanterns danced gently on their strings in a light autumn breeze. Mixed screams of terror and laughter followed clusters of costumed fillies as they sped from door to door, eagerly collecting their sweet prizes. The moon tonight was larger than ever, a product of the Princess of the Night ensuring a spectacular backdrop for the night's festivities across the land. This was Nightmare Night, one of the most celebrated evenings of the season alongside the Winter Solstice.

While most years would have the central festivities packed around Town Hall, this year they were placed on the far shores of Silver Lake, as an angry storm was writhing menacingly over the Everfree Forest. Booths filled with candies and creepy confectionaries served the bustling masses of costumed ponies. Gaunt ghouls gallivanted, mysterious monsters meddled about, and celebrities of both fiction and reality shared laughs while competing in friendly games. Cheers urged a spiky-maned zombie unicorn to keep blasting music across the festivities from her massive sound system crammed onto a collapsible stage. Amongst the shifting crowds, Twilight Sparkle readjusted the wings of her own costume, awaiting the arrival of her five closest friends on the lake's shore. She had decided this year to create an accurate portrayal of Princess Luna herself.

"Hey fere, phugarcupe!" a muffled voice called out. Twilight turned to find Applejack trotting towards her. The farmer pony wore a striped blue and white vest over a white shirt, a black bow-tie, while a straw Boater sat in place of her iconic Stetson. Twilight couldn't tell if her speech was impeded more in part by the red, bushy mustache plastered on her muzzle or the length of rope clenched tightly in her teeth. At the other end of the rope was a very flustered Rarity, trying hard to avoid gaining attention, although the bright rainbow-patterned wig, shirt and red-and-yellow striped pants wasn't making it easy for her.

"I honestly can not- be seen like- this!" She protested loudly as she continued to struggle against the rope, "How you ever talked me into putting on this ridiculous get-up is beyond me!"

Applejack stopped by Twilight and spat the rope on the ground, clamping it to the dirt with a hoof before her charge could escape her. "Sorry fer arrivin' late, but ah had to fetch Rarity." The fashionista gave her a glare that could freeze a Windigo in its place. Applejack just sneered. "Ah told ya not ta take Rainbow up on her little bet, now ya gotta live with the consequences!"

"Her bet?" A puzzled Twilight asked.

"Rainbow bet Rarity that she'd enjoy that Darin' Doo book o' hers. Heh, ya'll can see that she lost. Couldn't get her ta keep the nose on, though."

"Celestia curse that mare and that brilliant writer to Tartarus..." Rarity grumbled bitterly.

The quiet swoosh of wings and dull thud of four hooves making contact with the dirt, which would have heralded the arrival of their next guest, was inaudible over the crowd’s cheers and blaring music. Instead, she made her presence thoroughly known by laughing raucously at Rarity's plight. Her squeals of laughter continued as she fell on the ground clutching her sides, dirtying the black suit she wore.

"I c-can't believe you- you got her to wear it AJ! Bwa ha ha!" Rainbow gasped, tears of mirth now forming at the corners of her eyes as she let loose another peal of raucous laughter. "This is the best Nightmare Night EVER!"

"What're ya supposed ta be anyway, RD? One o' them 'Mares in Black?'"

"She could be a tax auditor!" Twilight chirped. Rainbow stopped her laughing, immediately deadpanning at the unicorn. "Well, Luna doesn't like them..." Twilight mumbled, finding interest with a pebble by her hoof.

In one swift motion, Rainbow flipped herself onto her hooves and produced a white mask from one of the suit's pockets. "Well, I was going to dress as the Slendermare, but I can't really see out of this thing at all. Plus-"

"I told you the thread count was too high!" Rarity cut in, smug that she had achieved some semblance of revenge. She would be victorious by attrition!

"Right... anyway, the weather team called me in to help with that giant boomer over the Everfree." Rainbow continued, lazily throwing a hoof over her shoulder at the foreboding mass of dark clouds billowing over the canopy. The anvil-shaped thunderhead reached high above the range of most other storms, spitting out jagged bolts of lightning and shaking the ground with tumultuous thunder. "It's weird, really," Rainbow said once she noticed her friends were too shocked at the impressive size of the storm to say anything, "We've seen thunderheads, but not as huge this one, but it doesn't seem to be moving at all. It's just kind of-"

"Shh! Do you guys hear that?" Twilight tensely whispered. The others gave a quick glance to the purple mare. She was standing rigid, ears perked towards the huge storm. It raged on, oblivious to the scrutiny. As the others began to worry if it was at all possible to study one's self to death, Applejack spoke.

"Wait, ah think ah hear it... it's like some sorta buzzin'..."

Eventually, Rarity and even Rainbow Dash (who had lost much of her hearing in her right ear due to bucking a few too many thunderclouds) had begun hearing the mysterious buzz emanating from the massive storm. Other ponies in the crowd had begun to notice it as well between the thunderclaps, turning their attention away from the stage.

Suddenly, a dark shape bolted from the depths of the thunderhead, flying high above the gathered masses. From below, its silhouette closely matched that of a bird, yet its wings remained static as it flew, and those bulges! What were they good for, anyway? From the tips of its strangely motionless wings flashed bright lights, with a solid red light adorning the left wingtip, while a green light adorned its counterpart. The drone was now clearly audible as it continued overhead. Vinyl Scratch even stopped her music to gawk at the strange object. The whole population of the town stared in shocked silence as their eyes traced the object's path across the sky, and continued staring even as it continued droning away.

"Well, what is it Twiligh'? It ain't gonna hurt no pony, is it?" Applejack worriedly asked as the droning changed to an intermittent sputtering.

"I don't know..." She responded, still watching it arc lazily through the night, dropping closer to the ground all the while. "It doesn't appear hostile, at any rate. It may have just gotten loo-OOH MY CELESTIA! IT'S GOING FOR THE LIBRARY!!"

The others turned just in time to see the thing graze the outer branches of the library with a wingtip before being blinded by a light brighter than any lantern. It swooped low over the town, now barreling towards the lights of the festival, like a giant moth to a flame. The once vibrant and jovial atmosphere of Nightmare Night was in shattered as other ponies took note of the menacing object hurtling towards them.

It quickly dropped its belly into the peaceful waters of Silver Lake, destroying its perfect reflection of the moon. Mist flew in two brilliant arcs from its main body, while the display was mirrored by two protrusions from the wings which stuck down into the water. With a loud SHLUNK, the mysterious object jammed itself firmly into the shoreline. The strange sputtering sound was silenced as a strange device on one of the wing's bulges spun lazily to a stop. Nopony spoke a word as the inched closer to their new "guest," shielding their eyes from the unearthly glare emanating from the object's left wing. Why was it here? What was it? Who or what sent it?

A high pitched, sugar fueled voice broke the stunned silence.

"Woo-hoo! Party crashers!"

Location: 12˚37'55.93" N, 70˚08'02.81" W, 5,000 ft above the Caribbean Sea
Time: 1:53 am, AST (Atlantic Standard Time)

Nathan Drake gently roused himself from his sleep and glanced around the cockpit of Sullivan's Grumman Goose. The cockpit was dark, save for what moonlight filtered in through the windscreen and the gentle green glow of the instruments illuminating the weathered features on Sully's face, an iconic Cuban cigar wedged firmly in his teeth. A glance at the clock confirmed what Nate's tired body already had a firm grasp of: It was nearing 2 a.m. The twin engines continued to drone in stereo, and before long Nate remembered the late hour hadn't been the only thing to cause him to drift off. He began thinking of anything to keep his mind awake.

He and Sully were on the second leg of a long journey they had begun after arriving back in the States once their "business" in Yemen had concluded. They had departed from Florida by 7, stopped in Cuba for fuel and "supplies" by 10, and departed again an hour later for the island home Sully had rented for their "Guy's Week Out" in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. They both were in need of the trip, however one thing still confounded Nate about the whole thing. It could wait until later, though. Right now, the engine's lullaby called Nate back to the comfort of sleep. He'd ask Sully about it after just one... more... rest...

Nate's eyes shot wide open when he suddenly felt his stomach flip as the plane began to roll towards the black waters of the Caribbean. Panicking, he grappled the yoke in a desperate attempt to level the Goose only to hear a hearty chuckle from the other side of the cabin once they were back to level flight. His heart still racing from his courtesy call, Nate looked over at Sully. A wry grin was plastered across his face as he continued to chuckle at his little prank. Nate hadn't found it nearly as amusing.

"Jesus, Sully! You nearly gave me a heart-attack!"

"Now that's sayin' something," He chortled softly, shifting the cigar to the other side of his mouth. "If I'd known you'd react like that, I'd have just yelled. Anyway, keep your head up. I need you awake for the landing, I'm blind as a goddamn bat, and we only got enough fuel for one shot at it."

"Yeah, about that, Sully... Why do we have to land at two in the morning anyway?"

"I, uh, still owe some 'debts' in these parts."

"I take it they all aren't bar tabs?"

Despite the best efforts of the engines, an audible silence fell between the two. Sully was first to dispel it.

"Nate, I've been thinkin'..."

"Oh boy, that's dangerous." He jokingly replied, hoping to steer away from the tender subject of Sully's debts.

"Ha, ha, very funny. Anyway, I've been thinking, how the hell have we found those goddamn relics?"

"What do you mean?"

Sully removed his cigar before replying. "El Dorado, Shambhala, Iram of the Pillars. Nate, these places were hidden for years, even centuries. Some said they never existed before we found them."

Nate gave an exasperated sigh. Aside from Sully's ever-expanding laundry list of creditors, this was the last topic he wanted to get into with him. Nathan wanted nothing more than to be done with treasure hunting altogether. Sure, their time abroad was exciting, and they profited nicely every time, but both he and Sully had more of their fair share of near-death experiences because of these escapades.

Sully sighed. "Nate, you know that 'Rule of Three?' You know, 'One, it's a fluke; Two, it's coincidence; and Three-'"

"'Three means there's a pattern,' Yeah Sully, I know that. What are you getting at; That I have some inhuman ability to find crap?" Nate replied, turning his attention to the Caribbean Sea churning silently beneath them as Sully began prattling off a response. He didn't pay much attention to him, instead he eyed the bright deck lights of a ship off on the horizon. This late (early?) in the day, it could possibly be hosting divers searching for the husk of some lost Spanish Galleon or merchant vessel. It painfully reminded him of how their first disastrous adventure had started, illegally diving off the coast of Panama, falling victim to the centuries-old scourge of pirates...

"...All I'm saying is, I wouldn't be surprised if you found a goddamn horse out here!"

Nate could only give his lifelong friend and mentor an incredulous look.

"What? Alright, I wouldn't be too sur- what the hell?"

Sully stopped mid-sentence as they flew into a low cloud bank which hadn't been recorded by their weather charts. Visibility dropped to zero, with nothing but a wall of cloud visible from every window. Rain began smattering the windscreen as turbulent winds buffeted the Goose. Lightning arced just feet from the wingtips, assaulting the aviators' eyes and ears with blinding light and deafening blasts. Nate and Sully grappled with the yokes to keep the rocking plane under their control.

"Goddammit! Nate, help me keep her steady! I'm taking us down to 1,500!"

Nate relaxed his arms enough for Sully to begin the descent. The altimeter's needles slowly began winding their way down past 3,000 feet, with occasional shudders from the plane getting hit with another bout of turbulence. The compass disk spun wildly on its gimbal, making Nate wonder if they had mistakenly gone north and ended up in the Bermuda Triangle instead. His train of thought was derailed as a powerful bolt of lightning struck the right engine. Bits of its cowling ricocheted off the fuselage, exposing the heavily damaged engine to the rain. A loud buzzer joined the cacophony to notify Sully and Nate of their lost engine, now angrily spitting flames at the raging storm from cracked cylinder heads as the propeller spun uselessly. Nate reached up and shut its throttle, but not before they had lost several crucial gallons of fuel to the insatiable engine fire.

It's always the right engine, isn't it? He thought, aiding Sully in leveling the Goose once they reached 1,500 feet. They continued to fight the turbulence, rain pounding the plane until as quickly as they had flown into the sudden storm, they emerged into a windless, cloudless night. The compass calmed itself, deciding that they were, in fact, heading north.

Nate's relief for exiting the storm vanished as he scanned the world below him. What should have been the inky black swells of the Caribbean Sea were instead the dark treetops of an expansive forest. They gave way to grassy fields as the plane struggled over the rooftops of a small village. His eyes traced eastward, gliding over the black mass of a reservoir large enough to accommodate the Goose. An odd conflagration of lights and buildings sat on the shore opposite the town, suggesting some sort of celebration. Continuing his reconnaissance of the new land, he spotted a rather large city clinging to the face of a mountain, lit by much in the same way as the supposed festival. Wait, was that a cas- His observations were cut short as the only good engine of the Goose began sputtering, crying in protest of its hunger pangs for the fuel lost by its brother.

"Naaate..." Sully began apprehensively, viewing the strange world beneath him, "Tell me you were looking for this place..."

"No," He replied, sharing in Sully's apprehension, "but I did see a lake just long enough to land in. Circle back to the right and bring us in low over the town, keeping that giant oak tree to the left. I just hope the locals won't mind us crashing their party." Sully sent the plane into a lazy right turn, passing over an open orchard before lining up with the large tree at the edge of the settlement. He clicked on the landing lights as they exited their turn, bathing the thatch-roofed houses with bright artificial light as they sped overhead. Sully squinted as he attempted to judge the length of the lake, focusing on where the shimmering waters ended.

"We're comin' in a little too hot for this lake, kid! When we hit the water, drop the landing ge-"

The roar of the Goose's hull splitting the water's surface drowned out the rest of Sully's command. Nate braced himself against the cockpit's instrument panel while Sully remained focused on keeping the plane on an even keel as they rapidly plied across the lake.

Their impromptu moonlight cruise came to an abrupt end as the Goose's hull, so adept to slicing through water, gouged itself into opposite shore, throwing Nate and Sully against their yokes. Sully's cigar, torn from its owner's mouth by the sudden stop, snuffed itself out against the windshield. The left engine popped twice before falling silent, letting the propeller slowly wind down. An eerie silence pervaded the area as the citizens of the town began to investigate their sudden guests. Nate was first to recover from the crash.

"Oh man," He said through gritted teeth while rubbing his neck, "now that's whiplash... Sully, how're you- Sully?"

His face paled as his eyes fell on Sully's motionless form slumped over the controls. A crimson line meandered down the old man's temple from where his head struck the dashboard. His mouth bobbed slightly, allowing him to murmur.

"Gmmt, nnt..."

Nate leaned in close, desperate to hear what may be his mentor's final words. "W-what was that, Sully?"

"GODDAMNIT, NATE!" Sullivan exploded, easing himself up into his seat again. "I told you to get the gear down as soon as we hit the water! What the HELL happened?!"

"I couldn't hear you."

"Oh, of all the..." Sully massaged his temples, attempting to calm the pair of headaches now wracking his skull. "Ugh, I need another damn cigar. Make sure to find the other one, Nate," He called as he climbed out of his chair and staggered into the cargo hold for his prized cigars.

Relieved his friend was still very much alive, Nate began searching for Sully's wayward cigar before it could singe anything, but froze once his eyes glanced beyond the fractured windscreen. A crowd had begun forming at the nose of their beached Goose. They were strange to say the least, all of their abnormally large eyes trained on the wreck, squinting against the glare of the one working landing light. He found looks of fear, worry, anger, one even looked fit to burst with joy at the town's new guests.

"Sullyyyy?" Nate apprehensively called over his shoulder, not wanting to take his eyes off the crowd.

"You find that damn cigar yet, kid?"

"No, but I think I found your horse..."

The Morning After

Uncharted: Vought's Vestige
Chapter Two: The Morning After

A collective flinch swept the crowd as the blinding light from the left wing flicked off. Silence reigned supreme over the assembled ponies as they continued their scrutiny of the fallen object. It was mechanical, that much they could tell by the tell-tale gleam of painted metal. Soot blackened the faded light blue paint on the right wing around one of the strange bulges, where an odd tangle of charred wires and clockwork sat exposed. Twilight studied the object at distance before a hoof nudged her towards it. She turned to find Applejack behind the motion.

"Well, go on. Yer the one most qualified to figure out what in blazes this thing is." She whispered as though she feared the lifeless machine would react to her speech.

Blue dye bled from Twilight's hooves as she waded into the cold water of the lake to get close enough to reach the ribbed underside of the machine. From within, she heard what sounded like an argument between two stallions. She couldn't catch much of their conversation, the sound muffled by the sheet metal, but she caught enough to understand the machine itself was called a "plane" (although why it was named after a two-dimensional surface was beyond her), and that it was an advanced vehicle the two occupants had used extensively, apparently having lost one several years prior. Wishing to make her presence known and kick-start delegations, Twilight rapped three times against the body of the plane with a hoof, hoping to grab the occupants’ attention.

She did. Sounds of hurried shuffling towards the rear of the plane quickly replaced the heated discussion. Suddenly, a hatch on the left side of the plane swung upwards, before a lower portion swung outwards like a door. In the entryway stood a creature Twilight had only heard legends of. As per the mythical descriptions she knew of, it wore clothing, and was tall at nearly six feet in height. Judging from the crown of silver fur adorning its head and the similarly colored mustache, Twilight guessed it was much older than herself. He backed away from the doorway, allowing another human with messy brown hair take his place. The second human leapt from the plane into the waist deep water, gasping sharply as the chill overtook him. With a soft ca-chik, he activated a small torch which bathed a small area with the same unnaturally bright light from the wing as his presumably older counterpart hung a small ladder from the bottom of the doorway.

"Hello?" Called out the half-soaked human, "Is someone there? We heard you knocking on the hull. We could use some help..."

Twilight froze. It spoke, in fluent Equestrian! What's more, it was asking for help. If it could understand her in turn, there was a lot diplomatic ground to cover, an exciting prospect to say the least! The Princesses would want to hear about this, and maybe even speak with them! She wasn't going to let this pass her by, not by a long shot. "I'm here!" She excitedly called out, having completely forgotten whatever reservations she had.

The light blazed in her face, making it nearly impossible to see the human.

"Oh God... Sully, you didn't keep any of that water from Ubar, did you?" It asked, placing one of his... Lyra said they were "hands..." to his head.

"Why the hell do you think that, Nate?"

"Oh, I don't know Sully, maybe it's because I'm staring at a four foot tall purple horse," the one called Nate shot back in a sarcastic tone.

"Um, excuse me, but I am a pony, a unicorn to be more exact. My name's Twilight Sparkle, Mr. Nate."

The light disappeared below the lake water.

Nate studied the costumed mare in front of him while his brain performed a hard reboot.

+Brain.exe has encountered a Runtime Error.
+Stopping Brain.exe...
+Data in file C:\Reality\Animals\Pony.mem conflicts with data from H:\Eyes and H:\Ears.
+File will be truanced.
+Data in file C:\Reality\Cryptids\Unicorn.mem conflicts with data from H:\Eyes and H:\Ears.
+File will be truanced.
+Data in file C:\Reality\Sentience.mem conflicts with data from H:\Eyes and H:\Ears.
+File will be truanced.
+Re-writing truanced files within C:\Reality to reflect data from H:\Eyes and H:\Ears, please wait...
+Re-write successful.
+Restarting Brain.exe...|

"Twi-light... Spar-kle...?" The mare in question nodded politely. His mind still numb, both from the plane crash and internal crash, he slowly turned his attention to the group of gathered equines. He began to mentally list his observations, hoping some sense could be made from it all Okay Nate, facts: Roughly four feet tall, huge eyes, impossibly brightly colored coats, some are unicorns, some aren- wait! That one has wing- +Re-write successful. -is a pegasus, they can talk, they have names, and they dress up? This can't be real, this is something out of a kid's show...

"You alright, kid? What the hell is going on out there?"

Still, that doesn't mean I can't have some fun while I'm here... Nate added, allowing a wry grin to slide into place. "I'm alright, Sully. In fact, come on out. I want you to meet someone." He waited patiently as Sully eased his aged frame down the stepladder into the cold lake water. After making it well known to everyone within earshot how cold the water was, Sully turned his attention to the mare as he waded up next to Nate. "Victor Sullivan, say hello to Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, Victor Sullivan," Nate introduced, gesturing to each of them in turn.

"Good evening, Mr Sullivan!" Twilight chirped, beaming at her newly acquainted friends. "Welcome to Ponyville!"

Barely visible in the moonlight, the silver-'stached aviator's eye twitched. The rest of his face was frozen in silent shock as his tired brain tried to comprehend just what he was seeing. "Horses. They're all goddamn horses... that can talk..." He mumbled, massaging the sizable bruise on his forehead. "Jesus, I need to lay down, get my head straight..." He, Nate, and Twilight all made their way to dry land. A half-circle of curious onlookers formed around the nose of the still-beached Goose, all wanting to get a good look at the humans, but cautious not to get too close. Sully gingerly set himself down to rest while Nate continued studying the group around him. Before long, Sully was out cold, sleeping off what remained of his headache. Nate was slightly disappointed in Sully's lack of a satisfying reaction.

"So, mister Nate," Twilight began, after Sully had become comfortable enough to snore, "these are my friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and- hold on, where's Rarity, AJ?"

"Wha-? Oh, tha' consarned snake-in-th'-grass..." Applejack's eyes traced the tail end of the rope as it slowly snaked its way ever closer to the edge of the crowd. In all of the confusion from the plane's landing and Nate's appearance, Rarity found her warden had neglected to maintain her hold on the rope, and subsequently slunk into the crowd. After all, it was very unbecoming of a lady to be introduced to a guest in such garish clothing! She had been making marvelous headway towards the edge of the crowd, keeping her head low all the while to avoid recognition. Just a few more rows and she was home free! The excitement of being so very near to putting the whole night behind her was causing a tightness in her chest she just couldn't- oh, wait, no it wasn't. That's the rope...

She yelped as she was dragged back though the crowd, but felt there was no use fighting. She would have her revenge, eventually. Now though, she merely wore a look of flat, simmering loathing as she was brought back into the half-circle with Nate and Sully.

"An' dish here's Raridy!" Applejack explained through another mouthful of rope. Her friendly smile faded slightly as she looked to Nate's face twisted into abject horror. That multi-colored wig! Those striped pants! That shirt! It could only be the one thing truly feared. Here, in this world of friendly equines, where nothing but pleasant greetings had been exchanged, one of them had found him. Nathan Drake, the one-man-army willing to strike head-on against thousands of mercenaries, brave enough to plow through zombie hordes, crazy enough go toe-to-toe against ferocious yetis, and cocky enough to taunt his enemies with a loaded gun held against his temple...

Shrieked upon laying eyes upon Rarity in her clown costume.

"SHIT!" He instinctively reached for his Para 9 as he leaped back in wild fear. Thankfully for Rarity (and all present), the gun caught on the holster, causing Nate to lose his grip. The gun clattered to the ground at Twilight's hooves while the fear-fueled human stumbled over his own panicking feet, sending his skull crashing into the Goose's solid metal keel with a resounding CLUNK. The world around him slowly swam into darkness before he faded into unconsciousness.

Nate awoke to a splitting headache, occupying a bed which was much too small for him. He rubbed the back of his sore head as he sat up and sized up the room. It wasn't a jail, thankfully, a thought which passed once he noticed the cleaned and pressed bed covers printed with stars and moons, the miniature vanity at the wall opposite the bed, and the small nightstand nearby with a copy of The Historically Accurate History of Historical Inaccuracies Throughout History, 8th Edition sitting on top, a red pen saving a page for a later time. He carefully stood and made his way to the window on the adjacent wall, careful not to knock the telescope out of alignment.

Outside, the same thatched-roof buildings he and Sully had buzzed the night before stood in the bright early-morning light. In the streets below his second-story perch, ponies were busy cleaning up after the previous night's excitement. Nate squinted at the alarm clock perched on the night stand, which reported it was only 8:42 am, wherever this "Ponyville" was located. A sound at the door brought his attention to Sully, his hands full with two heaping servings of fresh apple pie.

"Ah, so you're back from the dead again, are ya? Here you go Nate, eat up." He said while offering a plate of the delicious homemade treat. He took his and sat on the small bed, leaving a puzzled Nate standing by the window.

"Really, Sully? Pie? At this hour?"

"Nate, it's either this... or grass." He replied around huge mouthfuls of pie. "Besides, that farmer... uh what's her name... real southern belle... orange fur... damn. You know who that was?"

"You're thinking of 'Applejack,' Sully." Nate corrected, shoveling a sample of his own slice into his mouth. It was delicious, roughly fifty times better than any he had tasted before. Granted, the only place he'd ever had apple pie were the grungy dives and roadside diners he and Sully frequented on their long treks, but this was far beyond any of their caliber. He stopped chewing, wishing to savor the unique, perfected flavors.

"Ah, right, Applejack. The father must've named her..." Nate choked on his pie, sending sticky, cinnamon-coated apple bits flying. "Anyway, she's the one who made us this. Damn good, ain't it?"

"Yeah, *cough* great, Sully, just great." He looked down to find most of his shirt covered in remnants of his perfect pie. As he began to brush himself off, his eyes fell to his holster. His empty holster. Sully noted his look of panic.

"Don't worry kid, the purple one... uh, Twilight Sparkler has your gun, said she wanted to see how the thing works." Nate's expression didn't improve. "Will you calm down? It's not like she can fire the goddamn thing! She's spent the past hour or so dismantling it anyway!"

Nate didn't like the idea of a being from another world picking apart his trusty Para 9, but as long as it wasn't in any shape to be fired while out of his possession, he could somewhat relax. With the relative complexity of its pieces, the only problem which he could foresee was Twilight losing the firing pin. The two continued to eat their respective pies in silence. Once all that was left were crumbs, Sully stood and bade Nate to follow.

"Come on kid, I'll give you the ten-dollar tour."

"Any word from the Princesses about the humans, Spike?" Twilight asked as she focused on figuring out how the pieces of Nate's device, his "gun" as Sully put it, interacted with one another. It was a difficult concept to grasp, made even more so with the pieces neatly laid out on the basement workbench in front of her. Sketches and rough scribbles detailed how each piece had been found within the gun, but even then nothing seemed to click. Her number one assistant, so far only assisting in documenting her frustration, replied.

"Nope. I haven't gotten anything since sending that report last night. Not even Princess Cadence has sent anything. Come to think of it, she hasn't sent you anything at all. Wait, does she even know how to send letters to me- uh, to you- no, to me to give you?"

Just as Twilight was about to remind Spike that her new sister-in-law had never been taught just how to transfer letters, Nate and Sully entered the basement.

"...and I've been speakin' with them since. They ain't half bad, really."

"Sully, how is it you've adjusted so well to all this?"

"Kid," Sully began in a flat tone, "I've seen so much unexplainable shit in the past four years alone, it barely affects me anymore."

"Oh, Mr. Sully and Mr. Drake! Good morning!" Twilight greeted. "How was the pie?"

"Aw, Twilight! They got pie? How come I didn't get any?" Spike whined, displaying his age.

"Whoa, talking ponies and talking lizards? This place has it all, eh Sully?"

"Hey! I'm not a lizard, I'm a dragon! I don't do that tongue... 'thing.'" The little drake replied, crossing his arms in frustration and giving his best "tough guy" look. It didn't last long however, as his face quickly scrunched up and cheeks puffed out in the process of receiving the royal mail. With a loud belch, he sent a ball of flames towards Nate, which quickly materialized into a scroll with the official Canterlot seal.

"Easy there, tiger, I didn't need a demonstration! What the heck was that?"

"Oh, Spike here just got a message from one of the Princesses, Celestia by the look of it." Twilight took the scroll, unfurled it, and began to read:

To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,

Thank you for notifying me quickly of Mr. Drake and Mr. Sullivan's arrival.

While a human's appearance in Equestria is a rare occurrence, more-so

with the arrival of machinery, I cannot meet with them today. I have

delegations with the Griffon nations which cannot be put off until a later date.

Luna would happily visit in my stead, but unfortunately she has overindulged

in her Nightmare Night offerings, and is ill with a stomach ache (I have not

yet told her of Mr. Drake and Mr. Sullivan, for I know she would immediately

want to visit).

From what you have described to me, their demeanor is a pleasant one, and

I see no problem with allowing them to stay within Ponyville for the next few days.

In fact, you might do well to introduce them to your friends!

I look forward to making their full acquaintance within the next few days.

~ Princess Celestia

Meanwhile...

A mare happily trotted down the cobblestone streets of Canterlot towards Union Station, eager to head for her home in Ponyville. She had spent this past Nightmare Night with her family in the glistening capitol city, and while it was nice to spend time with relatives, she couldn't wait to get home. Her saddlebags were filled with all manner of sweets and confections her family had insisted on her taking home, both for her and her partner. Her pleasant jaunt was interrupted as she slammed head-on into a stallion, landing on her flank and spilling her precious cargo everywhere.

"Aw, ponyfeathers," The stallion said as he got up, having been floored as well by the encounter. "Are you al-right miss? I-I-I'm sorry about that. I-I wasn't looking where I was going." He stammered nervously, face flushing crimson after making and breaking brief eye contact.

He helped her to her hooves and aided in collecting the spilled treats. Before long, all had been collected and the mare was on her way again after a few quick goodbyes. But, something wasn't right. A soft rustling could be heard from the bags that wasn't there before. Curious, the mare stopped and searched her bags, only to find a parchment she knew she didn't have before leaving her parents' house. Had that stallion put it in her bag by mistake, or was it purposeful? Was it a confession of love? Sure, she was taken, but it didn't make the gesture any less cute. She unfurled the parchment and began to read.

12,

We've confirmed two have made themselves known within Ponyville.

Meet with 09 in Saddleton, they have intel, then move in for disposal.

~ ∞

The mare huffed. Not even one day after spending time with family, she was back on the clock again. Oh well. She stuffed the work order back into her saddlebags and continued her trek to the station, in a much less cheerful mood than before.

"At least the squints are getting more creative at assigning targets, and having fun with it," she grumbled. "I guess that's all you can do when you're stuck behind a desk all day. I just hope I'm not after any more of those test subjects..."

Meet & Greet

Uncharted: Vought's Vestige
Chapter Three: Meat & Greet

"We have so much to do!" Twilight suddenly squealed in excitement, causing Nate and Sully to jump. "You two need a proper meet and greet with the girls! Spike, do you mind seeing if they could meet us by Nate and Sully's 'plane' at noon?" She hurriedly asked while taking up the pieces of Nate's Para 9 again. Spike, while still grumbling over Nate's poor taxonomy, left on his errand just as Twilight began spouting her plans for the next three days at a pace an auctioneer would be jealous of. The pieces of the gun matched pace with her words, whipping into place in a blur of gunmetal and magic.

"This meeting with the Princess is going to be amazing! I mean, how often do two sentient species meet for the first time? Oh, if you don't have them, you'll need suits from Rarity. No offense, but you can't meet the Princess in those clothes. Do you have any suits with you, like in your 'plane?'"

The magazine clicked into its placed before the trigger assembly snapped together floated into the grip.

"Well, no, but-" Sully sputtered.

"Hey! Applejack and Rainbow Dash could help you get your 'plane' unstuck! By the way, why is it called a 'plane?' It's far from being a two-dimensional construct."

The hammer spring tensioned while being crammed into its seat behind the firing pin, the sideplates grasping the assembly before joining the trigger in the grip.

"It's short for-" Nate attempted to cut in.

"Actually, that can wait. Oh! But what can't wait is-"

The magic surrounding the gun glowed slightly brighter as Twilight began to fight the barrel spring to fit the slide. The aura tightened its grip on every surface of the gun which depressed the trigger, and caused a slight click as the slide fit to its retracted position.

"Oh no, don't-!"

Twilight released her grip on the slide not knowing she’d chambered a round. Both the unicorn and the gun recoiled when the muzzle flared from the exploding gunpowder. The former was struck by the latter as it broke from her grip. Nate had frozen in place, his hand still outstretched towards where his gun had been moments ago. Sully was clutching his chest, not in recovery from a heart-attack or a bullet wound, but in holding back roars of laughter at Twilight's expense. After a few moments of silence, save for the clinking of the casing against the floor and Sully's continued wheezing, the mare spoke.

"Perhaps... you two would like a tour of Ponyville now?" Twilight sheepishly proposed while rubbing her freshly bruised forehead.

“Yeah, that sounds safe at least. What do you think, Sully?”

“Heh, why not,” Sully replied after calming himself enough to speak again. “It’s not like we’d be goin’ anywhere with the Goose as it is. Lead the way, Sparkler.”

Nate followed Sully and Twilight up through the lobby after re-populating his holster with his Para, but paused as he passed Twilight's desk. Among the cluttered stacks of textbooks and half-used parchment lay a small leather-bound book. The tattered book was very similar to the journals he kept on his long treks with Sully. Had he dropped his journal the night before? Had he even taken it with him on the trip to begin with? Not one to leave his journal behind if he could help it, Nate quickly slipped the book into his back pocket and quickened his pace to catch up with Twilight at the door.

While Ponyville is considered a small town due to its population only just breaking two thousand, one wouldn’t think so while attempting to cross its breadth. It sprawled over 600 acres, not including Silver Lake or the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. Nate was learning this locally known fact the hard way as he trailed behind Twilight and Sully whilst taking in the sights.

"Oh, and this is where Pinkie Pie lives! She's another one of the Elements of Harmony, and represents the Element of Laughter because she can..." Twilight rambled on as the trio passed by Sugarcube Corner. Nate incredulously eyed the frosting-mortared building, itching to sketch it in his journal. He'd come close to pulling it out earlier to document Twilight's treehouse, but stayed his hand out of fear that Twilight might've taken offense. Now, though, with Twilight seemingly lost in her own little world, seemed as good a time as any. He levered the journal open with one hand while silently taking the pen Sully always kept with him for quick contracts with the other. He was surprised as he glanced back at the open book; instead of his quick sketches and scratchy notes from the lost city of Ubar, Nate found himself looking over a wall of text written in precise handwriting:

17:29, The 12th day of the Spring Cycle of the 599th Year of the Celestial Diarchy.

The Princesses are once again arguing over the length of the Equestrian day. This discourse happens annually, upon the growing hours of the day in the Spring Cycle, to the point where Captain Polaris of the Lunar Guard and I have grown accustomed to Their bickering, taking to conversing amongst each other as the Sisters have it out in Their chambers. As I write this, however, this year's argument seems a bit more heated than in ye-

ADDENDUM: As of 20:56, Princess Luna hath vacated the castle proper in a rather unpleasant humor. I questioned Captain Polaris as to Her sudden departure and destination, although he did not have the answers I requested.

“Well, who do we have here?” Nate mused as he found the previous owner's name printed neatly inside the front cover, curious as to the entry’s author. This "Captain Steadfast of the Solar Guard" had kept a neat log, filling page after page of notes ruled to military precision, with small, highly-detailed sketches punctuating most entries. Nate began skimming page after page of the Captain's logs, passing entries for general reports, thefts, training, promotions, demotions, and the otherwise daily lives of the two princesses, all dated within the sixth century of the Celestial Diarchy.

Nate turned past Steadfast's last report on recruit standings within the guard, only to find the Captain's steady writing just... ended. Nothing remained but a dozen torn out pages, the phrase "The Three Lieutenants watch over Celestia's Folly" emblazoned within the back cover, and three dots placed irregularly above a jagged line. Before he could process it further, a melodious voice caught his attention.

"Good morning, gentlecolts, Twilight! Oh, it is just a wonderful day, isn't it?" Rarity greeted.

"Ha! No thanks to lazy-bones over there!" Applejack quipped. Nate looked up from the journal to find he'd tuned out the rest of Twilight's tour and ended up by the nose of the Goose. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Spike were sitting on a picnic blanket not too far away, while a single cloud hovered over the aircraft; a prismatic tail draped over the side.

Twilight giggled slightly before turning back to the men. "So, that's Ponyville! Any questions?"

"Do you mind if I get something from the plane before we sit down?" Nate asked, pocketing Steadfast's journal for later study. After a quick nod from Twilight, he waded into the lake towards the plane's hatch. Since discovering he'd taken the wrong journal at the library, he'd been set on locating his own. The time in the plane would give him the perfect amount of time to mull over and write down Steadfast's cryptic message. He popped the latch on the door only to be blasted away by a sudden torrent of confetti, balloons and streamers.

"SURPRIIIISE!"

A waterlogged Nate looked up from the shallows to see a vibrantly pink mare standing just within the plane. She straddled a still smoldering cannon, an impossibly large grin on her face. Behind her, ribbons, bunting and a "Welcome to Ponyville, Nate & Sully!" banner were strung up within the cabin. Nate could only muster a confused face. Just who was this? Did Twilight know her? And just how the hell did she get into the Goose?!

"Hi, I'm Pinkamina Dianne Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie! I'm the Premier Pink Party Pony of Ponyville and I throw parties for every new pony in town, buuut... youandSullyaren'treallyponies,soIguess
I'dhavetosay'Iwelcomeeverynewthingintown,'butthatsoudsmeantosay'thing'insteadof'pony,'becausethen
that'slikeyour'resayingyou-"

"PINKIE! Could you just let Nate in? He needs to get something from the... 'cabin’," Twilight chided. Pinkie smiled sheepishly before dismounting her Party Cannon and making room for Nate to climb inside before happily splashing away to shore. Nate clumsily navigated the cluttered mess which was the Goose's cabin, having left the delicate art of cramming their supplies into the plane to Sully.

Dammit Sully, Nate mentally cursed as he found the old man had piled all of Nate’s trinkets from their latest escapade into a box simply marked “Nate’s crap,” next to a mess of old aeronautical charts. Antique silver box, pocket watch, diamond-studded horse brooch (the girls might like that one), he mentally listed while emptying the box, Old ring, old ring, old fancy ring, necklace, another brooch, strange... egg thing... bangles, ah-ha! He fished the journals from the bottom of the box and began to transfer Steadfast’s message with its accompanying sketch onto an open page of his journal from Ubar. He snuck a peek out of the Goose’s windshield to find Sully speaking with Twilight.

"So, ah, what's with this town and tattoos?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone's gotta tattoo, the same spot as yours, now that I think about it. What is that, some sort-of pony right-of-passage?"

"Uh, do you mean my Cutie-Mark?"

"Let's go with that."

"Well, a Cutie-Mark signifies a pony's special talent. Mine is magic, Applejack's pertains to her apple orchards, and Rarity's pertains to her work with gems and fashion. Ponies earn them in filly-hood once they discover what they excel in, and the Mark appears. So, it's not a tattoo Mr. Sullivan. Does that clear things up?" A satisfied grunt was his only response. "Excellent! Anything else?"

"Uh, yeah," Nate began, handing over Steadfast's journal having finished his business in the Goose for the time being. "I believe this is yours? I think I picked it up by mistake back at the library. Seems like a journal from-" He was cut off as Twilight hurriedly snatched the journal away from him with her magic, letting loose a small whinny of panic before disappearing in a bright flash. Nate blinked a couple of times, trying to get the after-image of the flash from his vision. He found Sully doing the same, but oddly enough, none of the five mares seemed to take much notice of Twilight's sudden absence. With another flash and crack! of reality reforming itself, Twilight appeared by Nate's side, causing the man to jump a little.

"Well, abra-goddamn-cadabra..." Sully mused.

"Okay... well..." Twilight huffed, slightly winded from her quick trip, "Let's get back to business. Nathan, Sully, these are my friends, some of which you've met: Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, the one on the raincloud is Rainbow Dash, and my assistant Spike -whom I really need to talk to right now."

"Come, have a seat, gentlecolts!" Rarity beckoned for the two to sit by her, but Sully sat by Applejack instead, leaving Nate by his lonesome. He was slightly intimidated by the alabaster unicorn. He had no idea if she understood the intent of his actions the night before, or how she would react. Magic or not, that horn looked like it could do some serious damage. Rarity leaned in to Nate and began to whisper. "Mr. Sullivan didn't tell me much last night after your little, panic attack, but I do understand what happened. I abhor those dreadful... things... as well. Their colors are always clashing, and that makeup! Oh!" She dramatically placed a forehoof to her head before continuing. "I only wore that garish outfit because I... because of... an... agreement."

Nate eased up slightly at the revelation. Sure, he never wanted his severe coulrophobia to be uncovered, but if it meant he didn't have to own up to the irrational fear himself, it was alright in his book.

"So, Nathan, what is it that you and Mr. Sullivan do, exactly?" She continued, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear.

"Sully didn't tell you?"

"Figured you should be the one to tell 'em, kid." Sully remarked, traces of another apple pie clinging to his mustache.

"Okay... well... we're fortune hunters. We travel-" He was interrupted by a blue face suddenly invading his vision.

"You explore the world?" Rainbow excitedly asked, her magenta eyes shimmering.

"Yeah."

"Do you hunt for ancient treasure?"

"The bills don't pay themselves."

"Do you raid dungeons, dodge death traps and fight ancient villains?!"

"Uh, I guess you could say that?"

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygooosh! You're just like DARING DOO!" She shrieked, earning a few chuckles from the group. Her enthusiasm was lost on the humans.

"Daring who?"

"Daring Doo!"

"Daring dude?"

"No, Doo!"

"...Who?" Nate scrunched his face in confusion, looking to Sully for an answer.

"Daring Doo, Nate. Even I heard that. Who is on first." Sully chucked at his own little joke while preparing a cigar.

"Who now?" Applejack chimed in.

"You got it."

"No, Ah'm askin' ya, who's on first?"

“Who is on first.”

“What are you asking Applejack for,” Rainbow cut in. “What’s the guy’s name on first?”

“No, What’s on second base.” It was Nate's turn to laugh as Sully was soon encircled by the mares, being bombarded with questions. Twilight had stepped aside with Spike, seemingly berating the little drake. A few moments passed before Spike sulked away towards town, leaving Twilight on her own.

Nate decided now was a good time to find out more about Steadfast's journal. If it had been just a journal, her reaction had been a little over the top. He sidled over to her and was about to speak when she cut him off.

“I’m sorry about snatching away that journal, Nate, but nopony but me is supposed to have it. It’s a very important Equestrian artifact and dates back to the sixth century. It’s also a valuable insight as to what life in Equestria was like over a thousand years ago. It almost never leaves Canterlot, but I’ve been granted the chance to study it by Celestia herself. If anything happened to it...”

“Wait, wait, wait. That book was over one thousand years old? So it’s the year... 1600 now?”

“1603, yes.”

“Why hasn’t it rotted yet?”

“In the year 353 of the Heliacal Monarchy -the thousand years between Nightmare Moon and now- Steadfast’s journal was recognised as an important historical document, and had a spell cast on it to prevent deterioration. How’d you find it? I was sure I had put it away in its proper place after I finished studying it last night.”

“I saw it on your desk while heading out for the tour. I thought it was one of mine.” He said while producing both of his own journals. Noticing her look of interest, he handed his journal from Shambhala for her to tab through. She eagerly flipped from page to page, drinking in Nate’s notes and sketches.

“THIRD BASE!” Came a collective, frustrated yell from Sully and the mares. “Alright, alright, I think that’s enough for now, ladies. Nate! Let’s get to work on freeing up the Goose here!”

Meanwhile...

The ride from Canterlot was about as entertaining as watching paint dry on a blade of grass whilst attempting to judge exactly how fast it was growing in the middle of one of the dog days of summer. Normally, the trip between the two settlements could take a maximum of half an hour, but unfortunately for 12, delays due to ongoing track work between Canterlot and Saddleton drew out the thirty minute jaunt into two hours of pure boredom, and she was glad when she could finally disembark at Saddleton's Fort Trotten station. One step closer to her contact, one step closer to another fat paycheck. It was beginning to be an all too familiar feeling for her, really.

The streets of Saddleton were easy enough to navigate, there only existed one main thoroughfare plus a few side streets just important enough to be numbered. 12 could hardly believe such a small settlement even warranted its own stop on the Canterlot-Area Transit Authority rail system. Still, it was exactly the place she and her contact needed to be. Being so small and having no major claim to fame like Appleloosa, Saddleton rarely saw an influx of tourists. If anything, it was a commuter town, with shops built to cater the needs of Canterlot and Manehattan businessponies looking for a quick bite to eat before sailing off to work. As a result, the locals hardly gave 12 a second glance as she trotted down the street towards one of the local cafés, searching for her contact.

12 was frustrated with her day so far. Why did those squints have to leave such little
information for her? Yes, it was a given they were meeting at a café, and Saddleton only had two eateries classified as such, but those pencil-pushing desk jockeys just had no idea was it was like for a pony in the field. Her contact wasn’t one to be tardy, so 12 was sure she’d at least be waiting for her. It wasn’t supposed to be difficult to find her, what with 09’s bright magenta coat, but 12 was having no luck whatsoever as she browsed the almost empty café.

She trotted across the street to the other café, allowing her mood to brighten as she spied her contact sitting towards the back of the restaurant.

"Oh, it's been too long! How are you? Please, have a seat!" The other mare gushed
while animatedly beckoning 12 to sit across from her. Ugh, the acting. Why did they have to act, anyway? Couldn't they just meet in some back alley and actually talk straight for once? It didn't matter, as it seemed whenever 12 was meeting a contact, the squints loved the irony of having a musician act out the part of a deaf mute (12 gathered it was also so she couldn't readily dispute a contract). She had gotten pretty decent in acting the part. Absentmindedly flicking her ears to no place in particular and feigning the concentrated stare of a lip-reader almost came naturally to her.

It didn't make the conversations any more bearable though. Every sentence was laced with double-meaning, with a story to match her contact's profession. 09 blathered on about how well her "new students" were getting along with "the class," and how they had arrived in a "new carriage" before everyone else and blah blah blah... Yeugh. It all really boiled down to the same message in the end: Humans are here, kill'em, call in disposal, get paid. Why did they even bother to drag both of them out here to begin with?

At last, 09 seemed to be reaching the end of her "story," and motioned for feedback from 12. The mare rolled her eyes before scribbling her response down on the back of a napkin, standing up, and departing for the train station, more than ready to complete her contract.

Author's Note

Well, this took longer than expected, but it's here!

Special thanks to XorGate, Aatxe360, and The11thWonder for their excellent prereading and editing!

Research

Uncharted: Vought's Vestige
Chapter Four: Research

An hour and a half later, with the Goose standing on its own landing gear on the shores of the lake after a fine lunch, the group went its separate ways. Rarity had taken some quick measurements after the salvage was done and set off to begin work on the suits, Applejack departed to take over the market stall from Big Mac, and upon hearing of the impending royal meeting, Pinkie zipped off to prepare a proper party (much to Twilight’s chagrin), leaving Nate and Sully to follow Twilight back to the library.

The adventurer himself was exhausted, both from working to get the Goose onto shore and from Rainbow and Twilight's endless questions about his past ventures and the Goose in general. The pegasus had thankfully been called away midway through the salvage work to help clear out what remained of the thunderhead from the night before, leaving Nate with a curious Twilight still firing off questions. He'd answered them the best he could while embellishing some of his less-than-perfect moments, but the studious unicorn hadn't stopped questioning since becoming absorbed in the pages of Nate's second journal. She questioned about the architecture, culture, people, and artifacts Nate had mentioned within its pages.

"Ooh, Nate, was this oil lamp something you recovered for the museum here?" She asked, pointing towards Nate's picture of Marco Polo's jade lamp as they crossed the threshold to the library.

"Uhh.. something like that..."

"Alright..." Nate said while gingerly lifting the artifact out of its case, studying its carvings as they glimmered in the moonlight. Mongolian script bid tidings of good fortune from the Great Khan. He smiled inwardly at the perceived foreshadowing.

"Now, we're sure it's the right one?" His partner asked while pocketing his set of lockpicks.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out..." Nate shrugged as he took a knee. "Sorry, Marco." He forlornly mused before dashing the centuries-old jade lantern of Kublai Khan to pieces against the marble floor of the Istanbul museum. Nate chuckled proudly at his act of vandalism as he removed a folded paper from the shards, leaving the jade behind. He flipped the paper open, then over, then uttered a single word as his eyes fell upon the contents of the page:

"Crap."

He held the blank paper up for his partner to examine the results of their labor. "Well, that's the understatement of the year... This is it?! It's bloody useless!"

"...Got shafted on the deal though, I'd rather not talk about it." He waved off while beginning to browse the library's collection.

He didn't want to go into detail about what happened afterward for a multitude of reasons (his incarceration mostly), but presently he was plagued by his curiosity. He'd been mulling over Steadfast's phrase, what exactly did the old guard mean by, "The Three Lieutenants watch over Celestia's Folly?" Was there something he left there, something of value? The torn pages seemed to testify as much. A sign of covering up something sure, but again what was it? Nate’s instinct kicked in the moment he’d seen the missing pages. It was yet another mystery, yet another goal lost in the fibers of history, and while he’d openly complained to Sully about no more adventures after the Ubar fiasco, Steadfast’s journal was steadily drawing him out of his early retirement.

The Lieutenants could be anything: statues, pillars, ships, peo- er, ponies; but Celestia's Folly had to be a landmark of some kind, if common naming conventions crossed universes. Locating the folly was another problem entirely. Nate knew he had to be careful in how he searched for his answer now that he'd already crossed an invisible line in the sand by taking Steadfast's journal. Twilight was no pushover as far as intelligence went, a fact Nate learned earlier in the day after she dragged a thorough description of how the the Goose’s engines worked. She would have more than a few choice questions if she suddenly found him digging through her archives looking for major military losses.

Instead, Nate requested information on Equestria's geography. While a good front for finding the folly, Nate also had a keen interest in discovering more about the new land he and Sully were stuck in. Twilight was more than happy to feed Nate’s curiosity, immediately scouring the shelves the moment he’d asked. As she pulled book after book from the shelves, Nate took his time studying each map he could find. Some were new and up-to-date, charting the recently re-discovered Crystal Empire to the north, while the oldest he could find was a chart of the Apple family homestead, dated to the year 925 of the Helical Monarchy. He had to scoff slightly as he read the names of various landmarks.

”Saddleton,” “Manehattan,” “Fillydelphia?” And I thought “Canterlot” was pushing it. He thought. Other than mocking the local word choice and scanning over chapters of history, he was indeed finding some information on the various follies from the historical texts; however none of the texts or maps he’d combed through even held a hint of Celestia’s Folly. He’d found out Sentinel's Folly off to the west was named after a diamond dog ambush took out half a regiment in the War of 385 HM; Crupper’s Folly was named during the Griffon Wars of 466 CD, when Colonel Crupper’s regiment was split in two after an attempt to flank the opposing forces went sour; Nate even noted the township of Folly, mistakenly built along the banks of the Strapp River... three miles inside of the Griffon Territory.

Nate sighed heavily and resigned himself to defeat. He glanced about the library to take things in. Sully had gone outside for another cigar roughly an hour ago (Twilight had some choice words for him when he tried to light up inside the lobby), Spike was busy re-shelving the books Nate had already read, and Twilight was still pouring over his journal, taking notes and cooing ever so often at the detail his sketches. He had to admit, she did look cute fawning over his work. With nothing else to go on, and not knowing where to begin looking for the Lieutenants, Nate opened his Ubar journal and began to sketch Twilight with his other journal with the same care and detail he put in with all of his drawings.

“Alright, alright, I’m goin’ Sparkles.” Sully huffed while Twilight hurried him out of the library, a freshly lit cigar in his hand.

“It’s Spar-kle, Mr. Sullivan, and I’m sorry, but I don’t want the smell of tobacco impregnating the books.”

“Right, understandable.” Somewhat. “So out here’s fine then, eh?” She nodded. “Alright. I’ll be in once I’m done.” With that, Twilight left him to his cigar.

Sully leaned up against the sign of the Golden Oaks library, smoking away as he watched the town continue with its day. Ponies bustled here and there with their errands to run, with only a few casting Sully an extended glance. Some mustered up the courage to speak with the old man, most of those being put off by the foul scent of his cigar, but they each held a bit of a conversation. Most wondered where he hailed from, or what exactly he was, and Sully was only too happy to answer, asking a few questions of his own. Presently, he spoke with a bright red Clydesdale.

“You’re Applejack’s brother, eh?”

“Eeyup. Big Macintosh, most jus’ call me Big Mac.”

“Funny, don’t see much relation other than the mark. Gotta say, she makes a fine apple pie.”

“Eeyup,” The stallion replied, his chest swelling with pride at his little sister’s work being complimented.

“EeeeeeeeeEEEE”

“What’s the going rate for- wait a moment... you hear that?”

“Eenope.”

“EEEEEEEEEEEE”

“Sounds like a... a high-pitched whine or something? Sure you can’t hear it?”

Mac perked his ears about for a moment. “Eeyup.”

“You’re not one for conversation, are y-”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Out of nowhere, a mint green blur streaked past the stallion and collided with Sully, sending his cigar flying. The old man stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance, Big Mac only looking on with but the slightest hint of shock. Sully looked down to find the blur was in fact another unicorn, squealing in delight while squeezing him tightly.

“Oh my gosh, they’re real! Bon-Bon, they’re REAL! EEEE!” she screamed back towards town before dissolving into another round of squeals, burying her face into Sully’s side. Sully looked towards where she screamed to find a cream-colored mare trotting towards them, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.

“I believe this is yours?” He asked, motioning towards the unicorn now steadily re-arranging his organs from his stomach into his chest with her grip. A silent, slow nod was Bon-Bon’s only response, her mouth agape. Never, never in her time with Lyra had she ever thought she’d see a human herself. True, she had entertained the idea a few times, going so far as to go “watching” for lone humans with Lyra to satiate her odd obsession, but seeing one standing before her, speaking to her, was the shock of her life.

“I’d appreciate it if you... could... just...” Sully groaned while trying to pry Lyra off of himself to no avail. “Call her off, er something. Jesus, she’s got a grip.”

“You talk, too! I mean, I know you had to communicate vocally on some level, what with humans having a complex larynx similar to ponies, but speaking fluent Equestrian? That’s too awesome! Ha, and everypony said I was crazy!” Lyra turned away almost bashfully at that, her grip loosening just slightly.

They’re not too wide of the mark.. the man grumbled. He made another attempt to get out of her grip, this time popping free and falling into Big Mac. The farmer had weathered worse blows and caught Sully before he could fall too far. Lyra wasn’t as lucky however, bowling over the still catatonic Bon-Bon, snapping her out of her stupor. “Look, ladies, it’s been swell, but...” Sully fumbled, trying to make an excuse to get inside and away from the green mare still staring excitedly at him, “Sparkles said I couldn’t speak much with ya. Something about... eugh...” Dammit kid, where are you when I need you?

“Big Mac! Been wonderin’ where you’d got off to.” Applejack called, “Need ya back at the market stall, almost time for the afternoon rush. Oh, hey Bon-Bon, Lyra, Sully. Mac ain’t givin’ you no trouble, is he?”

“Not at all.”

“You sure? Getting that plane o’ yours outta the-”

“Plane?! As in ‘airplane?!’ As in ‘a machine heavier than air and yet still flies?!’” Lyra suddenly leapt up, a new energy overtaking her.

“Ah, that’s right, you were still in Canterlot last evenin’, weren’t ya? Ya shoulda seen it Lyra. Everypony’s by Silver Lake, havin’ a good Nightmare’s Night n' all, an’ here come Nate n’ Sully boltin’ outta a storm cloud in their -ya said ‘Grummin Goose,’ right?- and crash it right there on the lake in fronta everyone. Think it gave everyone a mighty good fright.” She chuckled.

“Bon-Bon. Silver Lake. Now!” Lyra yelled as she zipped off to find the machine. Bon-Bon could only trot after her, giving Sully one last look before rushing away to catch up.

“Ah swear that mare’s just not right in the head... anyway, Mac really isn’t givin’ you trouble, even after all that work today? He’ll talk ya ear off if it suits ‘im.”

“Oh, like I said, not at all. We were just chatting a bit. But uh, what was with her?”

“Who? Lyra? Aw, that mare’s had a fascination with humans fer as long as anypony can remember. Almost everypony thought she was crazy. Well, up ‘til Nate an’ you showed up, that is!” She laughed. “Me and Mac gotta get back to the market now. You have a good evenin’ now, Sully!”

“You too.” He called as he stooped to pick up his cigar butt before re-entering the library, still confused about what just happened.

Nate’s drawing was nearly complete, with him adding some final notes such as; “Twilight Sparkle, librarian of ‘Ponyville,’” “Special mark denotes talent (magic),” and a small, mustached, cigar-wielding skull croaking, “It’s a damn tramp stamp, kid!” when the old man himself re-entered the library silently. None of the three occupants noticed his return, even as he snuck up behind Nate and viewed the new sketch.

“Really Nate, I didn’t know you felt that way. Does Elena have to worry?” he asked while pitching the cigar butt into a nearby wastebin.

“What, this? I was sketching it for you, Sully. I know how you like to go after the smart ones.”

“The smart whats?” Twilight queried.

“It’s nothing,” Nate quipped while snapping his journal shut. Unfortunately, nothing was just what he had to go on as far as the Folly was concerned. Not one of the maps he’d poured over held mention of the folly, and the history texts were mum as to Celestia’s military history. Nate needed a new angle, new point of view of the whole thing. “I think I’m going to take a walk about town, get some air. That alright, Twilight?”

“Could you stay in the library, please? I have so many questions, and you haven’t shown me that second journal of yours!”

Meanwhile...

So close, so close, SO CLOSE! They’re right there, in the library just across town, and I can’t do anything about them! AUGH! 12 mentally berated herself as she paced angrily in her room. In the forty-five minutes she’d been in town, 12 had run across one of the humans she’d been sent for, out in broad daylight, and chatting with anypony who’d listen to him, no less!

Not only did that make him untouchable, but it was ruining any chance of a smooth clean-up. Sure, the plane alone was going to be a pain-in-the-flank to hide, but more witnesses to the human’s presence meant more ponies who’d question his disappearance. It didn’t help in the slightest the Elements of Harmony were in prolonged, direct contact, quite possibly with both of them. A missing persons investigation was the last thing 12’s organization needed.

The organization, if 12 was allowed to call it that, had been operating for decades as far as she knew. Its goal was simple enough: hide all existence of humans, living or dead, from the populace by any means. Truth be told, 12 wasn’t exactly sure why humans were such a threat beyond the explanations she’d received whenever she voiced reservations about her actions, although the letters alone were enough to keep her for the cause.

There’s got to be some way to get them... She puzzled, peering out between the blinds at the tree now housing her targets. I could try using my persona again like I had earlier to get close, but I nearly blew my cover today... 12’s amber eyes narrowed as she continued contemplating ideas. Poison their food? There’s no guarantee of them getting it. Sabotage the plane like I did with that other pilot? No, too much of a spectacle. Force their guns to backfire? I have to get to them first. Sneak-and-stab? I may be an assassin, but there’s no way I could get away with that, not in this town. Damnit. 12 sighed and turned away from the window, allowing the blinds to snap back into place. These humans were getting to her. Years of working so close to their kind left her subconsciously picking up their phrases and mannerisms. She needed a break from the madness of her work.

As a musician both in her persona and her life, 12 sought solace in playing her instrument. As notes drifted from the instrument she’d played since her fillyhood, 12 allowed herself to relax. A smile formed on her lips as her eyes fluttered shut, the mare becoming lost in her music.

She knew how she’d get her targets.