"Why...why six?"

Dark shadows surrounded an indistinct silhouette standing before the glowing trunk of the Tree of Harmony.

"Why does that number pervade all of existence?"

The figure stepped out of the cave mouth and looked upwards, squinting against the sunlight. Barely visible over the edge of the cliff was the carefully designed facade of the ALPHA head offices building.

It was Sharp Vision. "It seems too purposeful to be a mistake...six Elements, six Bearers, and now here discovered the six Fragments, not to mention their bearers themselves."

He sighed. "My own sets of sixes...the six Guides, the six branches of office, the list goes on and on."

"Is it a sign of something sinister? Or perhaps they meant to merely remind us of our own imperfection, the incompleteness of seven minus one?"

"Depends on the culture, I guess," he shrugged. "I've heard that six is a lucky number in countries far off..."

"but why does it continue to be six that is the central aspect of everything?"

He put his hoof to his chin.

"Well, that's a line of thought for another day." He shook his head. "Gotta stop having existential crises on the job."

Turning, he made his way back into the cave, rubbing his temple. "I just keep forgetting how blasted unpredictable I am, I leave for a minute to get a good calzone and what happens? He just up and cycles again without me! I had to scramble to violate causality that time, let me tell you."

"You know you're talking to yourself, right?"

"Of course..." he sighed, turning around. "And I still am. The surest sign of either insanity..."

Standing in the mouth of the cave was another Clear Sight. "...Or genius," Sharp Vision finished. "Basket Case, nice to see you. What's wrong? Is it upper management?"

"Hold up, I'm not the harbinger of destruction, that's Lost Cause," said Basket Case. "But you are right in a sense, it is upper management. They have an update on what's the directive for this universe. The reason they had their eyes on this one is that it fits into the Omega Timeline's history."

"I always thought that Greek was a little gratuitous, but I see what you mean. Really important, huh?"

Basket Case nodded gravely. "However, they also stated that if they fail to, unassisted, place their six Fragments into capable hands, the jig is up. We leave them alone and find a plan B."

"I see..." Sharp Vision thought for a second. "But personally, I don't doubt they'll find and control each as capably as considered possible."

"Placing so much faith in ourself, eh? Don't get too bigheaded. But seriously," Basket Case continued, "that's what upper management has planned. I don't know what else they have in mind, because as you know, they aren't some of us. ...If only I could tell what they were thinking as easily as we can each other."

"Anyway," he reopened a plot hole. "I've got a few appointments to keep with the Forward Wing, so catch me later."

"Sure thing," replied Sharp Vision. "Keep yourself out of trouble."

Basket Case smiled and disappeared.

"Well, my job got a little more interesting," said Sharp Vision, pulling a hologram up from his four-coordinate-modulus and a bag of popcorn from nowhere. "We'll see how I do."

--<>-------oh my gosh so many plot points-------<>--/

"Well, since Clear Sight hasn't found the letter yet, we'd better go," said Res, checking his watch.

Unsurely, Illesio frowned. "I still don't think this is a good idea...she doesn't seem like the kind to listen to reason."

"She never was, and especially not now, apparently. But we don't have any time left. We'll just have to wing it and see what information we can gather now." He started up his three-coordinate modulus.

"Well if you say so..." Illesio followed Res into the newly opened portal. Appearing back in the Canterlot sculpture garden, they looked for the empty pedestal where Evening Aurora would soon arrive.

"Oh thank heavens, she isn't here yet," Res breathed. "We've still got some time left."

And suddenly started. "Freaking fridge logic. I needed to test the mind reading spell before I came. Gotta see if it still works."

Illesio raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I was interested...how does it work?"

"Good question," said Res, sitting down. "Let me put it this way: you know how any lock, no matter how complicated, can still be picked?"

Illesio nodded.

"Well, any spell can also be modified, if one knows the right backdoors. I believe that I and Clear Sight are the only two ponies in Equestria that know this method of magic, which I call 'loophole magic.' Clear Sight prefers to call it 'hacking' but I say that's a little less mysterious. Anyway, Clear Sight and I came up with this a few years ago, although," he whispered conspiratorially, "I don't try to let my ego get too big, but even Clear Sight isn't as good at it as me."

"So...you can find a loophole, a backdoor around...Wait," Illesio perked up. "Don't tell me. Does every pony's mind emit small, almost imperceptible signals of magic?"

"Exactly, you've got a quick mind, Illesio. By finding ways to amplify these brainwaves, one can hear the thoughts of other ponies, and even see glimpses of their imaginations. All it takes is to take a spell, use it in a situation no one would ever think of, and essentially jiggle the bobby pin until the tumblers fall. Easy as pie."

Illesio nodded appreciatively. "That's probably the most interesting thing I've ever heard...but how will you test it? There's nopony around, and I sure hope you won't use it on me," she shot him a suspicious look.

"Well...I was thinking. Since you're averse to me reading your mind, how about...how about you read my mind? That way you can learn some loophole magic and we can still see whether the spell works or not."

He pushed the paper into Illesio's bewildered hooves. "Here, give it a try."

Illesio looked at the paper, then up at Res. "Are you sure about this? I don't even know if I can..."

"If anyone could, I bet it could be you," Res smiled. "You've got the quickest mind I've seen in a while, give it a shot."

"Alright..." Illesio looked down at the paper and frowned. "This is really something else..."

She squinted into the distance concentrating. "Really different from everything I've done before. I don't really do magic that often anyway...I always thought you could do about as much with your own hooves. But this, it's like trying to write with your left hoof...strange."

"Focus on the mind of the person you want to read," said Res. "Otherwise you'll get mentally deafened by everyone in Canterlot's thoughts bombarding you at the same time."

Illesio nodded slowly. "Hmmm...wait a second..."

She paused.

"No...that's not it," she sighed.

"Just relax and follow the directions. The magic shouldn't be folded, but allowed to flow freely and bent like a stream of water, you see? In a sense, the directions only guide you toward your personal method of achieving a goal, everyone has different paths to the same gate."

"Alright..."

A few quiet minutes passed. Res watched Illesio's closed eyes intently, waiting for any sign that the spell was working.

His thoughts ran on, still unable to be heard by the concentrating Illesio. Hmmm...she's most likely on the right track, I hope Evening Aurora doesn't come around before we know the spell works. But if it does work...I'll need a way to know if she really read my mind or not. What to think of? Oh, I know! I've got to think of something so strange, or ridiculous, or something, that it won't fail to get a reaction out of her...hmm...aha.

The minutes continued to drag on, only broken by a small twitch of Res's mouth.

Finally, Illesio's eyebrows went up...and she broke into hysterical laughter.

"Why?? I should have known you were tricking me!" she managed to say between spasms.

"Well," said Res, chuckling as well, "at least we know the spell works, right?"

"How do you even think of this stuff? What a weirdo."

She recovered and sat upright again. "Alright, in any case, the spell works. I think I know how to do it. I'd have to practice for a while to get it comfortably right, it is a weird way of thinking about magic, but I think in time I might get the hang of it. Thanks, Res. I haven't enjoyed a problem like that since geometry in ninth grade."

"What, you like geometry, huh?"

"Yeah I did. Everything was so easy when it was all physical objects on the paper and not just imaginary values in your head."

"Well, I guess that's where you and I differ..." said Res, shaking his head. "I hated geometry. I honestly would rather do almost any other form of math than that."

"Why not?"

"I dunno." Res leaned back against the pedestal. "Hope Aurora gets here soon...we could potentially figure out what she wants even without the letter."

"I sure hope so, being left in the dark's a little too mysterious for my tastes...but I wonder how she'll react if she figures out we know when the meeting is without being given the letter beforehand?"

Res bolted upright. "Don't you dare jinx it, stop, wait, uh, do we have any wood here I can knock on?"

"Oh, you're...here already?"

Res gave Illesio a meaningful look as he pocketed the mind reading spell, and they turned to see Evening Aurora standing behind them.

"Of course, Aurora," said Res. "When I got your letter, I came here as fast as possible."

"Well, if you were in such a hurry, you could have come to, you know, my house?"

Res maintained a blank look for a few seconds, before he managed to say, "Wow. What an idiot I am. You're right, I could have come to your house, I know where it is...Aw geez, never occured to me, sorry Aurora."

Aurora shrugged and sat down. "At least you haven't changed since I saw you last. I would ask how are you doing, but I've just stumbled across something extremely interesting recently, and I thought you might have a look."

"Yeah, I know that part already, what is it?"

"Well, it is--" Aurora cut herself short as she finally noticed Illesio sitting there too. "Uhhhh, who's this?" she asked, a little confused.

"Oh, you mean Illesio?" Res responded. "She's only my star pupil and my irreplaceable assistant in the workplace. Quickest mind I've seen in a long while, she might give you a run for your money."

Illesio waved, eyeing Res bemusedly.

"And don't worry," he continued, leaning towards Aurora. "Everything you think you can tell me, you can tell her also."

"Oh...well, in that case, I've discovered--here's the part where I think you'll be impressed--I've discovered a new branch of magic."

"No way!" Res genuinely expressed his surprise. "Wait, I want this explained to me very slowly..." he looked back to Illesio and nodded, giving her a significant look.

She nodded back and closed her eyes, concentrating.

Well, Evening Aurora, thought Res. We'll see what you're up to...

--<>-------wow-------<>--/

Author's Note

aguhh why am I away so long sometimes
I got so many good ideas yet no time to write

also this is a mess
the whole thing with the alternate universes and alternate characters got spawned from a plot hole I noticed in the early Sunday and Monday chapters and now it's a setup for the overall story arc holy cow

anyway

Cheers and crackers,
Betless