Kamen Rider Scarab

Thorax sighed a little as he laid out on the couch in the small house. Sea and Jasper were still out either at the meeting or patrolling the town. There wasn’t a lot for him to do right now as he looked at the Camo Stone, the shining green stone. He honestly wasn’t sure what he was going to do with this thing, or even if the ponies would be able to find a pony quickly enough to be able to use it.

And given the Changelings would be able to sense him, there was no way he could even leave the house. So what was he going to do right now? He sighed and put the stone away again and was about to take out a book when there was a sudden knock on the door.

He carefully got up as he turned into his pony form from before and carefully looked out the window. There was another pony there that he didn’t recognize, but he still didn’t like it. He opened the door slightly and looked outside. “I’m sorry, but you can’t come inside. I’m waiting for the ponies who…”

“Really, you’re going to try and lie to little old me, Thorax?” The mare on the other side said with a grin. A very fanged grin that sent a shiver down Thorax’s spine. “How about you let me in and we’ll talk, sound good?”

“Fine…” Thorax said. He was more afraid than anything else, but he couldn’t show it. He was connected to the Shadow Hive right now so she would have a hard time reading his thoughts at least. He pushed the door open and let her in as she changed into Joy Buzzer. “Princess, I wasn’t expecting to see you here…”

“I’m sure Dusky would say the same, Thorax,” Joy giggled as the door shut behind her. “I’m here to make sure that everything is worked out peacefully. You’ve been a naughty boy, but Dusky wants you back in Canterlot ASA-now. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes Thorax, so I’d get your flank there.”

“I’m not going back, you know what she’ll do if I go back…” Thorax said. “I’m going to stay here, you can’t force me to go back you know. The Canterlot Hive will make sure that I never leave again. We’re not supposed to follow everything blindly.”

“Aww, but there’s nothing more fun than being part of the Hive,” Joy giggled as she flicked his chin a little. “Come on Thorax my boy, if you come back I’m sure I can get Dusky to be more lenient. Especially if you come back willingly.”

Thorax gulped a little at that. Changelings that tried to flee the Hive were typically stripped of the memories of the act to keep them with the Hive. He wasn’t going back, ever.

“I’m not going back,” he said as he backed up a little. “Leave me alone and go bother somepony else. I have other things that need to be done. I’m not going to rejoin the Hive, there’s nothing you can do to convince me.”

“Oh we’ll see about that,” Joy giggled as the Firefly Shifter flew up and landed on her withers. “My little friend here is going to keep an eye on you. If you do anything we don’t like, you and the Riders will be in big trouble. Tell them you’re being watched and you’ll be in biiiiiig trouble.”

“And why don’t you just take me now?” Thorax asked.

“Where’s the fun in that, I’ll see you around Thorax,” Joy said as she pushed the door open as she turned back into her pony disguise. “Ta ta, I’ll talk to you later.”

And with that she walked off, just leaving Thorax confused as he shut the door again and fell back onto the couch. They knew he was here and that was going to put a target on his head, so why didn’t they just take him? Joy was up to something, and he didn’t like it.

He glanced up at the window and true to her word the Firefly shifter was watching him. He adjusted his bags on the floor a moment as he lay back on the couch. He was going to have to figure out how to get the stone to the Resistance without drawing attention.

“Hey Thorax, is everything okay?” Sea asked as she and Jasper came into the house. They stopped when they saw the look on the Changeling’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a run in with Princess Joy,” Thorax replied as he shook his head. He wasn’t going to tell them more than that, he didn’t want to put any of them at risk. “So, did you get the Guardian Driver? Did you have any problems at the summit?”

“Nothing we didn’t expect from the delegates from New Manechester,” Jasper replied. “I don’t like Black Water and his thugs. We knew they were going to give us trouble, but there’s not a whole lot we can do about it right now. As long as the summit is going on and they stay on their best behavior we can’t really do anything.”

“Yeah, I figured as much,” Thorax said. “I’ve heard horror stories about the Changelings that try to infiltrate New Manechester. It doesn’t exactly go well for them, I’ve heard that they come back... in body bags.”

“I’m not surprised based on what he’s been saying while we’re here,” Sea sighed as she levitated out the new Guardian Driver. “So, how are we supposed to actually find a pony who can use this thing?”

“Easier said than done, we found me by chance,” Jasper said as she shook her head a little. “So we’re going to have to find whoever can connect with the stone. To do that we’re going to have to figure out which of the remaining five Elements it is connected to.”

“Let’s hope it’s not laughter, laughter is in short supply here,” Sea commented as she looked at Thorax. “Can we see the stone?”

Thorax nodded as he removed the stone, glancing towards the window for a brief moment. He held the stone out to Sea as she levitated it up and examined it carefully. The green stone was certainly interesting enough, but it wasn’t going to give them any hints as to what it was going to be, there wasn’t an element that was associated with green.

“The techs have been studying it for years and haven’t gotten much more of an idea than you have right now,” Thorax commented. “I wish I could tell you more, but I wasn’t on the team that was studying it.”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Sea said as she looked at the stone for a long moment. “We’ll figure it out I guess. There has to be somepony in the Safe Zone that this will work with.”

“Yeah, just with all these politicians around, I don’t think we’ll be finding it if it’s Honesty either,” Jasper chuckled.

00000

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Kamen Riders,” a voice said from behind Sea and Jasper as they were getting their food later on. Sea groaned a little as she turned to see Mirage standing there with a smirk on her face. “I didn’t think I’d run into a couple of wanna-be superheroes around here.”

“What do you want, Mirage?” Jasper asked. The two of them turned back around to get their food and start walking towards a table. “We’re trying to enjoy our evening. How about you just leave us alone, we’re not in the mood for talking to you goons.”

“Aww, how sweet, you think you have a choice,” Mirage said with a wicked grin as she teleported in front of them. “I’m here to give you a message from Black Water, he wants you to cut it out with your little game.”

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Sea said as they walked around her. “So tell him that we’re not interested in whatever he’s trying. We don’t play by his rules.”

“He’s interested in working together, the Resistance and the Militia aren’t nearly strong enough to do what is truly needed,” Mirage said with a hiss. “If you want to protect ponies you’re going to need ponies who are capable of actually fighting the Changeling threat.”

“The Resistance is more than capable of fighting it,” Jasper said, trying not to get angry at the assertion that her grandmothers weren’t able to combat the threat without help. “We don’t need help from ponies like you. I’ve heard about New Manechester, you’ll just make things worse if we follow your example. Equestria will become no better than it was under Changeling rule, you’d make this world hardly better than Tartarus..”

“Here we may reign secure, and in my choice. To reign is worth ambition though in Tartarus. Better to reign in Tartarus, than to serve in Elysium,” Mirage said with a chuckle. “This little Summit your grandmother called is just the beginning, dearie. Once we convince the other settlements that our way is superior, things are going to change.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day,” Sea said as they took a seat. She looked back at Mirage for a long moment, she had gone to sit next to Hat Trick. “I don’t like dealing with these ponies, they’re just asking for trouble. Why did they get invited anyway?”

“They would’ve just crashed if they found out about it, and they would have found out,” Jasper sighed as they started eating. “I don’t like it either, and neither does my grandmothers. The last thing we need right now is to fight with our fellow ponies on top of the Changelings, so for now let’s focus on dealing with Joy Buzzer. Hopefully the diplomats will be able to take care of this before it gets worse.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” Sea said as she took a bite of her food. “Dragonfly, Mantis, Firefly… well you have to give them credit for staying on theme. But we still need to find a pony who’s capable of using the Camo Stone. And we can’t exactly just go around talking to ponies about it, especially with them here…”

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out, I hope,” Jasper said as the two of them ate in silence.

00000

“I don’t understand why you’re even here, you’re a Changeling,” Khepri said to Thorax.

“We may have a Hive Mind, but we still can think for ourselves,” Thorax retorted. “The fact of the matter is that we don’t all believe in the mission. You’re still here when you could’ve flown back to Canterlot whenever you want, that tells me you’re not so keen on it either.”

“Tch, you don’t know anything about me,” Khepri snorted. “I’m only here because I find these ponies entertaining, nothing more.”

“I doubt that, you’re not as mysterious as you like to act,” Thorax chuckled. “You have no reason to stay here except to help them. You and I both know that the Changelings would consider you an aberration. You’re a weapon to them, made to serve the Princesses and the Hive. You’re still here because you know that.”

“Tch, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Khepri said, though he looked more nervous than anything else. He didn’t want to admit it, but Thorax had hit the nail right on the head. “I’m just here for the ride. I’m not that worried about what the Princesses think about me.”

“Uh-huh, well I...” Thorax said, but he was cut off when the door opened and Sea and Jasper came in looking exhausted. “Hey, how did everything go?”

“It could’ve gone better, we had a run-in with Mirage,” Sea replied with a sigh as she shook her head a little. “I don’t like dealing with those ponies. I just wish they hadn’t brought them here, you know?”

“Mirage, that’s one of the ponies from New Manechester, right?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, she’s part of the delegation led by Black Water,” Jasper answered. “What, do you know anything about them?”

“Sure, my brother was part of the team that was holding them in the Conversion Camp,” Thorax answered, which made the two ponies flinch a little. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so casual about that. But yeah, I’ve heard about them, they’re trouble. The story goes that Black Water and Hat Trick managed to overpower Soldier Drones with their bare hooves, no small feat as I’m sure you know.”

“Yeah, we can definitely attest to that,” Sea muttered.

“But yeah, they managed to fight their way out of the camp the four of them,” Thorax said. “And well, Mirage… Mirage is kind of a sore subject for us. She’s the only pony to escape the cocoon.”

“Wait, you mean her conversion was interrupted? I thought that was impossible,” Jasper said, surprised. “I mean, everything we know about it means it shouldn’t be possible for a pony to, you know…”

“Tch, it’s impossible without outside help,” Khepri commented. “You would have to overpower the Changeling actually maintaining the cocoon and sever the connection to the Hive. It would cause irreparable mental damage to the pony. I highly doubt that she’s all there mentally, it might explain a few things about her at least.”

“Go figure, so what should we actually do about it?” Sea asked as she looked between the others for a moment. “If they manage to convince more of the settlements to their point of view, we’re going to have a harder time doing our jobs. We can’t fight both Changelings and Ponies, is there anything we can do at all?”

“The only thing we can do is convince the other ponies that they’re wrong, but that won’t be easy,” Jasper sighed. “We’re going to have to deal with this problem, somehow. And that’s not even going into the fact that we have to deal with Joy Buzzer.”

“Explosives, she’s not very subtle is she?” Sea commented and the others just shrugged a little.

“Yeah, somehow that doesn’t surprise me at all, among the Princesses, Joy Buzzer is probably the most unstable,” Thorax sighed. “Can you two handle her? I mean, maybe we should try to figure out the Camo Stone…”

“I agree we really need to figure out the Camo Stone thing, but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that before the summit is over,” Jasper said.

“Tch, finding a single pony capable of using a stone in all of this? I’d say you don’t have the best odds with all these politicians around,” Khepri snorted with a light chuckle.

“Not that the Shifters would be much easier,” Thorax reminded him. “They were both made using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, you know? You have to find ponies, or Changelings, completely in tune with whatever element it’s connected to. Like Khepri you’re connected to magic. We just have to, you know, figure all of this out somehow. If it’ll help, we can at least try.”

“Yeah, let’s try,” Sea commented as she looked at the Camo Stone closely for a long moment. The green lights danced in the odd gemstone, giving it an odd almost otherworldly appearance as they did.

They were going to have to figure out how they were going to use this and see who could even use it.

00000

“I don’t like this, we’re supposed to act like everything is going normally in the middle of a threat from the Changelings?” Scootaloo commented as she looked at Sweetie Belle. The meeting was on a break at the moment so the two of them were talking as Sweetie took a drink. “We’d have better luck crossing the border in a cart designed by Pinkie Pie.”

“You’re right of course, but what choice do we have?” Sweetie asked. “We have to show that we’re not going to live in fear of the Changelings anymore because of the Riders. If we end the summit here, then it’ll just show that we’re still afraid.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Scootaloo said as she took a deep breath. “Do you think Jasper and Sea are going to be okay? I mean, with everything going on in town, something could happen to them. I’m not even just talking about the Changelings either.”

“Yeah, I know, but let’s try and calm down, they can handle themselves,” Sweetie said and turned her voice to a whisper. “I’m more worried about the Camo Stone. I didn’t think any of the lost stones would make their way back to us. None of our intel from the Shadow Hive told us where they were and here’s one just given to us.”

“You think it’s a trap? Thorax has been a trusted ally for years,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“No, I don’t think it’s a trap, at least not from him, but it just feels oddly convenient,” Sweetie sighed. “Still, we might as well take advantage of it while we can. At least if we can find somepony that can use it.”

“Camo… Camo… which one was that again?” Scootaloo asked, trying to remember back to the experiments that had created the stones. “That might help them know what to look for.”

“Camo, that was Generosity,” Sweetie answered. “They have their work cut out for them then.”

“Look on the bright side, it’s not Honesty,” Sweetie said with a chuckle. “Imagine having to find an honest pony in a town filled with politicians.”

That got a laugh out of Scootaloo as she leaned in and kissed Sweetie Belle gently on the lips. “You’re enjoying this a little too much, aren’t you?”

“If I don’t have some fun, then I might lose my mind,” Sweetie replied with a sigh. “We have Changelings in town. With everything going on, I’m afraid that everything will fall apart before we even get this alliance started.”

"Yeah, but right now it hasn't ended badly yet," Scootaloo said. She took a deep breath and brushed her mane back for a moment as she looked around. "I know that it's not going to be easy. We have to try though, we can't allow what's left of Equestria to fall before the Changelings."

"There are ponies out there still," Sweetie pointed out to her. "Even if they're not here in the Safe Zone. But I do agree that we can't just keep doing things like we have lately. I just have to hope that we can make this whole plan work, Equestria can't fall... not again."

"Maybe we shouldn't try to rebuild what we had before," Scootaloo suggested, getting a look from her wife. "I mean, the fact of the matter is that they were right. Equestria is gone, we can't hang on to our past. We have to make sure that we build a future for Ponykind. Yeah, we have ponies out there in the Zebra Lands and whatever, but is that going to be the same as surviving here? We have to defeat Chrysalis and her Hive."

"Yeah, but we have to make sure we don't lose our Equinity to do it," Sweetie sighed. "I just hope that we don't all wind up becoming like Black Water and his goons. I just hope that we're not already on that path."

"We're not," Scootaloo said simply. "If we were we would be doing a lot worse things than we are. We aren't making the same mistakes they are. And yeah, we need to build something new, a new nation, and I just hope that it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah," Sweetie said as the delegates started to move back to the table. "Sounds like everypony is getting back to the meeting."

"Yeah... well that's still a lot to think about," Scootaloo said as she kissed Sweetie again and the two of them headed back to the table together.

00000

"Yeah, I don't think this is working," Sea commented as she met back up with Jasper and Thorax. "I didn't see anypony that seemed to fit the profile of what we need for this."

"Yeah, me neither," Jasper sighed as she shrugged a little. "Well, I guess we don't have to find them right now. We just need to make sure that we are able to deal with the Changelings here. Maybe we can find another way to do that."

"Yeah, maybe," Thorax sighed. "I'm sorry, I should've been able to get more intel on them. I feel so useless right now and we have so many things to..."

"Calm down, it's going to be okay," Sea said as she placed her hoof on Thorax's shoulder. "We're going to figure this out. Maybe we'll get some help from the militia or something, but right now we need to focus on finding the Changelings."

"Tch, they're getting smart, I'm having a hard time detecting them," Khepri commented as he walked up to them with a shake of his head. "It's quite annoying really. Who knows where they are in town."

“So, what do you think we should do now?” Thorax asked. “I mean, if we don’t have anypony that’s obvious… how did you get the Lux stone to work for you, Jasper?”

“I saved a Changeling because we were both on the same side during the whole thing with the Another Riders,” Jasper answered. “It was an act of kindness towards an enemy, so I guess it decided that it was enough.”

“Yeah, that’s about the closest thing we know to how this works,” Sea said. “Mind you it would probably help if we knew exactly what element this is supposed to work with. I guess we’ll just figure out how to do this.”

“Tch, we’ll figure it out,” Khepri said. “Whatever, there’s plenty of Ponies around. We’ll probably find someone if we look around long enough.”

The group started to walk together again to head towards the summit building. There were a few ponies around there as we neared it. Right now the doors were locked and guarded, so at least things weren’t too bad.

“Do you really think we could do this without a third Rider?” Thorax asked. “I mean, Joy Buzzer is very strong.”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Sea admitted. “You’re right of course. If it comes to that we can at least try. We can’t let them disrupt the summit. I just hope that it’s going to be enough if we can’t find the stone’s user.”

“Yeah, well right now we should be fine, I hope,” Jasper said as the group kept walking.

They didn’t notice that the Firefly shifter was watching them from a ledge. It’s wings buzzed as it flew off once they were out of view.

00000

The shifter flew in and landed on Joy Buzzer’s shoulder. It buzzed it’s wings as it reported in to the Princess. “The Riders are still looking for somepony who can use the Camo Stone. They haven’t had any luck though.”

“A shame, so much fun we could have with more Riders,” Joy said with a fanged smile. “I think it’s also time that we unveil our secret weapon. Those Riders won’t stand a chance once we do that!”

She giggled madly as a few of the other Changelings came over with a crate. She levitated up a crowbar and pulled it open, smiling as she looked inside. “Is everything ready?”

“Yes Princess Joy Buzzer, everything is all set,” one of the Drones replied with a quick salute. “The Beetle should be ready for use at any time. What do you want to do with it?”

“We’ll use it against the Riders, and once we’re done with them there won’t be any way for the summit to continue,” Joy laughed as she turned to look at the Firefly shifter. “Did you learn anything else that might be useful?”

“No, not yet my Princess, they seemed to be willing to take you on though,” the shifter answered. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Well, it seems that they’re more than willing to fight me, so I’m going to give them exactly what they want,” Joy said as she levitated up her river, looking at it for a moment. She looked back at the soldier Drones and nodded to them. “I want you to help keep an eye on them, once I give the signal attack the Riders only, understand?”

“Yes Princess,” the Drones said as they returned to their pony forms.

Joy laughed as she brushed her hoof against the shiny metal of the object in the box. This was going to be very useful indeed, and she wasn’t going to let the Resistance Riders get away this time. Where the other Princesses had failed, she was going to make sure she succeeded.

“What do you want me to do, Princess?” The Shifter asked. “I can go and spy on the Riders again if it helps.”

“No, I want you to stay with me,” Joy answered. “We have to get ready for the fight to come if we want to succeed. I’m not going to fail the Queen this time.”

00000

“So, I’ve heard a rumor that you lot are trying to get one of those fancy stones of yours to work,” Black Water commented with a snort. This made Sea jump as she turned to see the stallion standing behind the group. “You might as well just give it to me. It would be in better hooves that way.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so, I doubt it would even shimmer in your presence,” Jasper said as she growled a little at the stallion. “What’s it even to you? I thought you didn’t think the Riders were even worth it?”

“I don’t think they are, but I’m one for hedging my bets,” Black Water answered as he lit a cigarette and took a drag on it. “And you, Sea Spray, if you ask me you’re the biggest joke.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sea demanded.

“I’ve heard about what you do with the Changelings, you just let them run off so they can cause more trouble elsewhere,” Black Water answered. “How many ponies do you think have been put in danger because you spared a Drone? How many families are torn apart?”

“I’m not going to have blood on my hooves, even Changeling blood,” Sea said as she growled a little at the stallion. “They’re still living beings. So is that your solution then, just go around and kill them all?”

“If that’s what it takes, yes,” Black Water said. “They took this land from us and it's our right to take it back. And we’re gonna kill every one of those bugs that gets in our way.”

“Yeah, and then what?” Sea asked.

“What do you mean?” Black Water asked, taken aback by the question. “When that’s over we’ll have won! Equestria will be ours again!”

“And what will you do with the ponies who get in your way? The people like you,” Sea asked. “What do you do with the troublemakers? What protects your glorious revolution from the next one?”

“We’ll win then too,” Black Water replied as he took a drag on his cigarette. “We’ve let softies and bleeding hearts like you run things for decades. It’s time we showed the world that we’re not going to bend before another tyrant.”

“And that, Black Water, is why I don’t kill,” Sea said as she started to walk away. “You’re not seeing what this line of thought has done to you. We’re not going to let the same thing happen to the rest of ponykind.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, I think when it gets right down to it you’ll find that Ponykind is a lot more like me and a lot less…” Black Water started to say before he was hit in the face by Jasper. “What the…”

“I’ve had enough out of you,” Jasper growled as she grabbed Black Water by his jacket. “You’ve got a big mouth and I’ve had enough of hearing you talk. So get lost before I kick your flank from here to Zebrica.”

Black Water just wiped his mouth, looking at Jasper and then at the others. “Not even worth my time,” he grumbled as he walked off.

“You know all you did was give him what he wanted,” Thorax commented as they started walking together again. “He was trying to get a rise out of us.”

“I don’t give a crap, he gets on my nerves, and he was trying to get a rise out of Sea, not me,” Jasper said with a roll of her eyes. “He had it coming anyway.”

“Jasper…” Sea said with a sigh. “This had better not end badly for us, Jasper. I don’t care if you think he deserved it or not. Let’s try not to aggravate any more of the dignitaries, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasper said.

“Tch, the Changelings aren’t the only problem you have,” Khepri snorted.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Sea groaned as she facehooved a little as Khepri just laughed. “This isn’t the time to relish in our misfortune.”

“Tch, you’re no fun,” Khepri said. “But seriously, what are you going to do about Black Water? We all know he’s just going to cause trouble. We’d be better off without him to cause trouble for us in the future.”

“Maybe, but I honestly don’t know what we can do about it right now,” Sea admitted as she rubbed the back of her head. “As much as I hate Black Water we can’t just kill him right now. Him and his goons keep order in New Manechester. And we need all the settlements we can for the alliance.”

“Yeah, yeah, that doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Jasper grumbled. “What do you think, Crystal? This whole thing is pretty crazy, right?”

“Uh yeah,” Thorax agreed as he looked a little nervous. “Look, can I go back to the house? I’m honestly not sure about all this. I don’t want to attract too much attention, you know?”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll take you back,” Sea said with a slight nod as she looked back at Jasper and Khepri. “You two look around a bit longer. Let us know if you find anything, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasper said as she looked at Khepri for a moment and sighed. “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us huh?”

“Tch, I have more important things to do than talk to you,” Khepri said as he walked off. Jasper just shrugged and started walking around again.

00000

“Is everything okay, Crystal?” Sea asked as the two of them walked together towards the temporary quarters. “You can talk to me if you want to you know.”

“It’s just complicated, I’m sorry,” Thorax answered. “I don’t like the idea of turning my back on everything I’ve ever known. Even if it’s the right thing to do. Many of them aren’t bad, they’re just misguided.”

“So, what are you going to do? You can’t go back either,” Sea pointed out with a sigh. “You know what will happen if you do. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Thanks, that means a lot, but I don’t know what I’m going to do here,” Thorax admitted. “It feels like I’m just going to be an outcast here. Everyone has a place where I come from, but here…”

“Then all you need to do is figure out what your place is going to be,” Sea said with a soft smile as she placed her hoof on Thorax’s shoulder. “Listen, it’s not easy for any of us. I tried a lot of things before I realized that I was a musician. And you don’t have to do it alone, we’re going to help you as best we can.”

“Are you sure?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Sea replied as she gave him a reassuring smile. “Well, okay Khepri probably wouldn’t, but me and Jasper will. And I’m sure if we talk to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle they’ll help too.”

“Yeah… I guess…” Thorax said as he sighed a little.

The two of them walk together in silence for a few minutes. Thorax looked around, there were a few ponies walking around them that didn’t pay them any mind. It was weird how he could move without drawing attention. Normally that was good for a Changeling, but somehow this whole thing just made him a bit nervous.

He frowned a little and stopped when he saw a Pegasus filly who was sitting next to a building clutching a small toy in her hooves. The filly was crying as she sat there, not paying attention to anypony going by her. Sea stopped when she realized that Thorax wasn’t with her and looked back at him. “Are you okay?”

“What happened to her?” Thorax asked as he nodded to the filly.

“She’s probably an orphan… there’s a lot of them in this town,” Sea said sadly. “I grew up in the Ponyville Orphanage and foals from Unity came in every so often.”

“Oh…” Thorax said softly as he slowly walked up to the filly. He knelt down a little and gave her a slight smile. “Hey there, what’s your little friend’s name?”

“Umm… Shimmer,” the filly said, a little confused. “Who are you?”

“Just call me Crystal,” Thorax answered.

“Crystal? Are you okay?” Sea asked.

Thorax didn’t answer, instead he gently reached into his bags and took out a stuffed pony and a bundle of food that he put in front of the filly. “Here, take these, I think you need them more than I do.”

“Really?” The filly asked. “You’re just going to give them to me?”

“Of course, a filly like you needs them more than I do,” Thorax said as he ruffled her mane a little. “Just be careful out there, okay? We can use all the good ponies we can in this world.”

The filly nodded and gathered it up before running off. Sea smiled a little as she walked over to Thorax and placed her hoof gently on his. “You made her day, you know that right?”

“I know it wasn’t a whole lot, but…” Thorax said softly. “It felt like the right thing to do. Like it was the right thing to do, you know?”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, well you certainly helped her, I just hope she’s going to be okay,” Sea said softly. She was about to say something else when she realized that there was a green glow coming out of her bag. “What the… is that what I think it is?”

She opened up her bag and realized that the Camo stone was glowing brightly. She held it out to Thorax and it glowed brighter before shining around him and finally fading as he touched it.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got that stone to work for somepony after all,” a voice said and the two looked up to see Joy Buzzer standing there giggling. “No matter, we’re not going to let you Riders ruin our little party!”

“Sea, go get Khepri and Jasper,” Thorax said as he narrowed his eyes at the Princess who just laughed. “I can handle this for now.”

“Alright, here, you’re going to need this,” Sea said as she gave Thorax the Guardian Driver. “Good luck and stay safe, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

“I will,” Thorax said as he held up the Driver and moved onto his hind legs as he wrapped the belt of his Driver around his barrel as Sea ran off. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, Princess.”

“This is your last chance, come back to the Hive and all will be forgiven,” Joy Buzzer said as the Firefly Shifter landed on her shoulder. “The Hive can be forgiving when we want to be.”

“Here’s my answer,” Thorax said as he held the Camo Stone in his hooves and the Driver’s shield opened up. “Henshin!”

“It’s treason then,” Joy Buzzer said as she wrapped her Driver around her barrel and nodded to the shifter as it buzzed it’s wings and flew into the slot on her Driver. “Henshin!”

“HIDE! SECRET OF THE SHINOBI!”

“THE HIVE STANDS UNITED!”

Green light flowed over Thorax’s body and formed into green armor that covered his legs and body. A helmet formed over his head that was in the shape of a lizard helmet with large reptilian eyes and a crest on the head. A scarf appeared wrapped around his neck with a front that resembled a martial arts gi with a cloth sash over his chest. The light from the stone flew up and exploded over him, causing green camouflage marks to fall over his armor as he drew a katana and a wakizashi from his belt.

“First a knight, now a ninja, it seems like the Resistance is all over the place,” Joy buzzer said with a giggle as she juggled a few exploding spheres in her hooves before spinning around and kicking them right at where Thorax was standing.

Only to have him vanish into thin air, causing the explosives to hit the ground behind where he was standing, leaving several burn marks on the ground. “What the… where did you go?” Joy Buzzer demanded.

“I’m right here,” Thorax said from behind her as he flickered back into view and he slashed at Joy Buzzer in the back, causing her to cry out. “This is the Camo stone, you know, camouflage? I’m not about to let you just hit me.”

“Very clever, but not clever enough,” Joy Buzzer said as she swung her hoof around and caught Thorax across the muzzle. “Hive traitors like you make me sick. You’re all just out to spoil our fun.”

“Maybe, but maybe you’re not having the right kind of fun,” Thorax retorted as he slashed at her again, only to have his blade be caught by two long wrist blades that formed from Joy’s armor. “A new trick, huh?”

“It’s not the only trick I have,” Joy Buzzer giggled as she looked up. “Send it out now Drones. Let’s show this rookie how we do things!”

There was a buzzing sound as a machine suddenly flew in. It looked like a sleek machine with an insectoid head and body and long gossamer wings. She leapt up and landed in the seat as her shifter flew off her Driver and slid into a slot on it. It glowed brightly with the same colors as the Firefly suit as she turned it back to look at

“It’s about time one of us actually rode one of these, might as well be me,” Joy Buzzer laughed as she tossed another explosive at Thorax, making him jump out of the way and turn invisible again. “That’s not going to work forever you know.”

She let out a whistle as the Changeling drones jumped into view, turning into their combat forms.

“Spread out and find him, he couldn’t have gone far,” Joy Buzzer said. “I’m going to continue the plan.”

She kicked down on the vehicle’s accelerator and took off as she headed towards the main building.

00000

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle as the two of them watched the delegates argue again. Jasper and Khepri were off to the side keeping an eye on things. "We've got a threat from the Changelings here in town and they're squabbling like children again."

"What did you expect?" Sweetie pointed out with a sigh. "This is why we've never been able to get an alliance working between the Changelings and our own inability to reach an agreement. I was hoping the Kamen Riders were going to be enough..."

"Yeah, well we're going to have to figure something out," Scootaloo said. She looked over at Jasper who just shrugged a little. "I'm going to talk to them."

She stepped forward, moving up to the podium before clopping her hoof to get everypony's attention. She took a deep breath and began speaking again. "Everyone, please listen to me. The fact of the matter is that we're getting absolutely nowhere right now. I know that things aren't going to be easy, but we have to set aside our differences."

"Why?" Black Water said as he eyed her. "You're just going to delay the inevitable unless you listen to me. The Kamen Riders might be strong, but they're not going to be enough to protect all of us. So exactly what are you going to do to change that?"

"I still have to agree with Black Water on this one," Tailwind commented as he shot him a look. "The Changelings are a threat to all of us, I agree. The militia can barely hold things together, how do you expect two ponies in fancy suits to do better than we have?"

"I don't," Scootaloo answered which made them all look at her confused. "You're right, the Kamen Riders are strong but they're not enough to protect all of the Safe Zone. Everypony in the Safe Zone are going to have to work together in order to protect each other. The Kamen Riders aren't just warriors that exist to protect us, they are our best hope. They will become a shining light for the future that we're all going to build together."

"And how are they going to do that?" Black Water asked.

"They're going to fight," Scootaloo answered. "But they're not going to fight for Ponyville, they're going to fight for all of us. But we have to stand with them, we have to stand united against the Changelings if we're going to survive. I know that this isn't something we're all willing to accept. I know that two ponies against an entire Hive don't seem like the best of odds, but I know one thing. Those ponies will never stop fighting, not until the war is over. And if they fall, then it is up to us to pick up their weapons and keep fighting."

At that point Sea ran into the room, but the delegates were mostly distracted by listening or whispering between them. Sea quickly whispered to Jasper and Khepri what was going on outside and they nodded, with Khepri turning into his Shifter form and landing on her shoulder.

Scootaloo looked up at the three of them and smiled a little as they got up and ran out without a word. She turned back to the delegates and spoke again.

"Even as we speak, the Changelings are trying to destroy our chances of creating a strong united Safe Zone... no, a new Equestrian nation," Scootaloo continued. "Because we can't keep fighting to preserve the old world. Now we're going to have to fight to make sure that we have a future. The Riders are going to keep fighting, and we're going to fight alongside them."

There was a sudden explosion outside. Tailwind got up and headed for the door, grabbing a rifle as he looked back at the others. "I'll have the militia help them out. You might want to do the same, Black Water."

Black Water looked at the others for a moment and shrugged. "Well, I could use a good Changeling killing anyway," he said as he got up and followed after Tailwind. "But don't think this means I'm on you lot's side."

Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't perfect, but she just had to hope that it was going to help at least. The Changelings were here to cause trouble and they weren't about to let them get away with that. She just had to hope that this really was going to work.

00000

"Well, it's nice to see you two decided to join the party," Joy Buzzer laughed as she pointed her machine right at Sea and Jasper. She tossed another explosive up in the air and then tossed it at the two resistance Riders who just barely managed to get out of the way. "And I'm not about to let you spoil our fun!"

"We'll see about that," Sea said as she looked at Jasper. "Are you ready for this?"

"Always," Jasper said as she took out the Lux stone and the two wrapped their Drivers around their barrels.

"HENSHIN!" The two said in unison as they slid the devices into their Drivers.

"WHAT IS BORN IN THE DARK MUST COME TO THE LIGHT!"

"SHINE! LIGHT OF THE MORNING STAR!"

The light shone down around the two of them as their armor formed over them. Sea gripped her tonfas and nodded to Jasper who drew her revolver and fired several energy bullets at the flying machine.

"What even is that thing?" Jasper asked as she dodged out of the way of a blast from the flying machine. "I haven't ever seen anything like it!"

Sea paused for a moment, it did look somewhat familiar to her. She remembered machines like that from a recent incident, but she hadn't ever seen anything like it in Equestria. Plus those had wheels and had looked a bit less weird, so she was kind of wondering what it was doing here.

“Tch, the Changelings get all the best toys,” Khepri commented. “So, what’s your play here? We’re not exactly on even ground here.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Sea said as she looked at Joy Buzzer who laughed and threw another explosive at her which she sped out of the way. “Jasper, keep her distracted. I’m going to try and take her off that thing.”

“Got it,” Jasper said as she gave the cylinder of her revolver a spin and fired several shots at the Changeling Rider, raising her arm to form a shield to block another explosion. “Come on you ugly bug-eyed freak! I’m right here!”

“Hey, I take offense to that, I’m not ugly!” Joy protested as she gunned the engine and flew straight at Jasper. The Pegasus raised both her hooves and a shield appeared in her hooves and caught the flying machine with it, causing her to be pushed back as she dug her hooves into the ground. “The Hive isn’t going to let you get away with this you know.”

“Yeah, I don’t care,” Jasper said as she pushed forward against the Changeling Rider. She jumped up and swung her hoof around, catching Joy across the face and causing her to fall back a little. “You and the other Princesses have been making my life a living hell since I was born.”

She grabbed the machine and gripped it hard then grabbed Joy and forced her off of it. “What the…” She muttered. “What are you doing?”

“I lost my parents because of scum like you, too many lives have been ruined because of you and your stupid Hive,” Jasper said as she threw Joy hard into a nearby wall. She grabbed her revolver again, now angry as she pointed the revolver at the Princess. “I’m sick and tired of you all doing this. I’m going to put…”

She’s cut off when she’s grabbed from behind by a Changeling in combat form as the Changelings come to Joy’s aid. The Princess hisses as she gets up again, her long blades. Sea gripped her tonfas and ran forward, hitting several of the changelings again as they started to close in around them.

“Well, well, you’re getting better, I’ll say that,” Joy said as she walked forward. The Firefly Shifter flew back onto her belt, the vehicle turning off again. She giggled as she bounced with each step, forming explosives and juggling them as she did before making them vanish again save for one which she spun on her finger. “Too bad you’re not going to be able to hone your skills even more because your little rebellion ends here.”

Before the Riders could say anything there was the sound of a shot as a bullet glanced off her armor. The militia advanced closer with their weapons drawn with Tailwind giving the orders. The militia ponies lined up, firing several more shots at the Changelings as they did, causing them to step backwards away from the two Riders.

“Looks like you two could use some help,” Tailwind said as he nodded to the soldiers. At the same time Black Water and his group made their way out of the main building, spotting the Changelings and flanking them. “We’ll handle the footsoldiers. You two deal with the Princess.”

“Try not to wipe them all out, let the rest of us have some fun,” Black Water said as his horn glowed brightly and he laughed. “Been a while since we really had a party anyway.”

“Just try not to destroy the town in the process,” Tailwind said as he leveled a rifle at the nearest Changeling and fired several shots at it.

“Well, then you’re going to have to catch me first!” Joy said as she formed another explosive in her hoof and threw it at the Riders before running off. Sea grabbed Jasper and ran off after the laughing Princess.

As they caught up to Joy Buzzer they looked around for the Changeling, holding their weapons at the ready. “Where did she go…” Jasper muttered before calling out. “Come on out you big chicken!”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from a flightless bird,” Joy laughed from her hiding place and tossed another explosive at them before running at them, slashing at them both with her blades. They recoiled at that, falling back a little. “Try all you want, I’m more than a match for the two of you. You might’ve gotten some good hits in, but I’m still stronger than you can imagine.”

“Yeah, just keep talking,” a voice said from behind her and Joy cried out when she felt two blades slash against her back. Thorax, still in his Rider form, appeared next to Sea and Jasper and gave the two of them a nod. “Sorry I was late, I had to deal with some Changelings. Is everything okay?”

“You came just in time,” Sea said with a nod. “I like the look. Invisibility powers too? Nice, though not sure what we were expecting from a stone called camo.”

“Yeah, it’s useful, now let’s show this Princess just what we’re made of, shall we?” Thorax said as he pointed his Katana at Joy. “It’s three on one, Princess, and you don’t stand a chance against all three of us together.”

"Ha, well, if you're going to delude yourself then so be it!" Joy said as she juggled several explosives and threw them at the three Riders only to have them bounce off of a shield created by Jasper. "Still using the same old tricks, aren't you Lux? Well, you might want to come up with some new ones if you even remotely want to stand a chance against me."

“We’re not going to let you win,” Sea said as she ran forward, swinging her hoof around and hitting Joy across the muzzle. She barely managed to dodge out of the way of the Changeling’s blade attacks. “We’re gonna make sure that you go down hard!”

“You’re so confident, but I can see what future awaits for you,” Joy’s voice echoes in her mind as the Princess laughs, tossing another explosive at Jasper and Thorax who rolls out of the way. “A throne seated at the center of power, where ponies and changelings alike kneel before a Queen.”

“You know nothing about me!” Sea said as she swung her tonfa around and Joy dodged out of the way. “I’ll never be like that…”

“‘Cause you’re never going to be the savior, but a leader keeps the monsters sane,” Joy’s voice said in a sing-song tone. Sea stopped, grabbing her head a little as she heard the voice echoing through her mind. A few others joined in. “Bring the fire when they call you traitor, if you’re going down they’ll break as well.”

“Sea calm down, focus on my voice…” Khepri’s voice echoed in her mind.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Sea cried out as she held onto her head. Jasper and Thorax ran forward, trying to steady her. “I’m… I’m never going to be one of you…”

“To the ones who don’t deserve a savior, they’ve been ruined by the rebel yell…”

“SHUT UP!” Sea screamed as she ran forward, breaking away from her friends as she slammed her hoof hard into Joy’s chest, catching the Changeling Princess off guard. “I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH. OF. YOU!”

With each punch she landed another punch, she was about to raise her hoof once more with it glowing with energy when Jasper caught her hoof and pulled her off. “Camo, this is all on you, I need to calm her down.”

“Right,” Thorax said as he held his blades out, turning to look at Joy again as Jasper pulled Sea away. “That was low, even for you Princess. You’ve crossed the line, and I’m not about to let you get away with this.”

"Do you think I care? The truth is that she knows that I'm right deep down," Joy giggled as the two of them circled each other. "She's not going to be able to resist it forever. The fact that you're able to resist the Hive so well doesn't change anything."

"We'll see about that," Thorax said as he pointed his katana at Joy. "I may be new to this, but I'm going to make sure that you all fail at your mad plans for this. The ponies of the Safe Zone don't deserve to be treated like this! Don't you remember what you used to be?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but I'm going to make sure that the Hive survives, and becomes stronger," Joy said as she ran forward at Thorax and swung her blades around, but Thorax vanished before she could hit. "Your invisibility isn't going to save you forever, traitor!"

“It just has to last long enough to beat you,” Thorax said as he re-appeared a moment later and slashed her across the chest with his swords before jumping back. “You’re the one who fought dirty against Sea. Where’s the fun in that?”

“We both know what’s happening to her, there’s no delaying it,” Joy said with a smirk as she spun an explosive on her hoof and tossed it at him, it exploded at his hooves, knocking him back onto his back. “She’ll be better off going back with us now. And you should do the same.”

“No,” Thorax said as he slowly stood back up, using his sword to prop himself up. “What you and Chrysalis are doing is wrong. The Hive is not the be all, end all, this land is strong because it has more than just Changelings. I’m tired of this twisted form of harmony, why are we hurting these innocents? Well, I’m not going to stand by and let this happen. I’m a Kamen Rider, that means I protect those who need it. You and the other Hive Riders don’t understand that, but I’m not going to forget. I’m going to make sure that you are stopped, because that’s the Kamen Rider I am.”

Joy just chuckles a little at that as she crosses her blades over her chest. “Then prove it, prove that you’re capable of doing it. It’s just you and me now, and I’m not in the best shape. So let’s see what you can do.”

Thorax ran forward again, slashing at Joy as she tried to catch each slash with her own blades. She grinned a little as she tried to slam her hoof into Thorax who dodged out of the way of the tired hit.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that after the beating you took,” Thorax said as he ran forward and slashed at her again. “Give up now.”

“Nope, not gonna be that easy,” Joy buzzed as she leapt back. She was about to throw another explosive when she realized that she was backed up against a wall, she couldn’t move back again just as Thorax ran forward at her with his two swords glowing with green energy.

“STRIKE OF THE SHINOBI!”

He slashed across Joy who cried out as she fell to the ground. Her armor shattered as the Firefly flew off. She looked back at Thorax for a moment and grinned. “You’re not half bad…” She said before she turned into a bird and flew off with the Shifter.

Sea, who was being comforted by Jasper, trying to calm down, swore she heard one last message from Joy echo in her mind. “I’m exempt from absolution, but it’s never too late for you.”

“What the… what was that about?” Sea asked as she rubbed her head a little.

“Are you okay, Sea?” Jasper asked, looking down at her best friend worriedly. “You really went all out on Joy Buzzer. You almost, uh…”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you that angry,” Khepri commented. “I thought you were going to actually kill her. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Sea admitted as she rubbed her head. “I think she was trying to get to me somehow. But I honestly don’t know why beyond just trying to get me to join the Hive or, something. Honestly, a lot of it didn’t make any sense.”

“Yes, well we should go check on the others,” Khepri said as Sea got up. “I think the summit members are going to vote soon as well.”

“I think you’re starting to warm up to ponies, Khepri,” Sea said with a weak chuckle as Khepri landed on her head. “What happened to the stuck up bug that I know?”

“Tch, I’m still the same old me, I just find this whole thing entertaining and don’t want to see it end so soon,” Khepri commented as they walked back towards the main building. “The Changelings should be gone now at least.”

Joy watched them go in her bird form. The Changeling princess stared at them for a moment, thinking about what was going on. So many things had changed, and Thorax was going to become a threat. But she knew that things were going to change very soon, but she wasn’t sure how.

For now, there wasn’t a lot she could do. She took off and flew off again. The Queen wasn’t going to be happy that they had failed, but it wouldn’t matter, the Hive would win someday.

That much she knew for sure.

00000

“Are you alright, Tailwind?” Scootaloo asked as she looked at Tailwind. The militia commander had a black eye that he was currently nursing after having been hurt in the fight. “You look like you got hit pretty hard back there.”

“I’ve taken worse, don’t worry about me,” Tailwind said as the delegates filed back in and took their seats. “It sounds like everypony is about ready to make the final vote. I don’t know if they’ve decided to make the alliance though.”

“Have you made your decision?” Sweetie asked, coming up to the two of them.

“I have,” Tailwind said as he eyed the two of them. “I’m starting to see why you put so much faith in these, Kamen Riders. I think other ponies are too, but it’s not going to be enough.”

“I think we need more than just Riders,” Scootaloo said. “We need ponies capable of making tough decisions. Capable of fighting the Changelings with more than just a Driver, we need to be able to do this together. And I don’t think they’re just going to listen to us or the Riders.”

Tailwind looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded as the delegates took their places. He trotted over to his seat, looking up at Jasper and Sea who were standing against the wall with Thorax and gave them a nod.

“I think your grandfather might be on our side,” Sea commented to Jasper. “I just have to hope that he’s going to be enough.”

“I hope you’re right, he’ll sway the vote one way or another definitely,” Jasper said and sighed a little. “I just hope that they’ll realize that we’re right.”

“We’ve had a long summit,” Sweetie Belle said, addressing the delegates again. “A lot of things have been said. A lot of choices have to be made. I’m not going to tell you what choice to make, but I believe that this is our future, together. We are going to have to fight together, or die alone. So, if there’s anypony who wishes to speak, now is the time.”

Tailwind got up after a moment of silence. He took a deep breath and began to speak. “A lot of you are probably wondering where I stand on this. I agree with Black Water, the Kamen Riders aren’t going to be enough. But Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, you told us that it’s about working together, about the Riders being a symbol of hope for all of us. We’re going to have to work together, all of us. This is no longer just about surviving day to day, now we have a way to fight back, now we have a chance of surviving as a species.”

He looked at Black Water who slinked into his chair a little. “Some of us believe that methods where the strong rule and ponies live in fear of Changelings are necessary. I don’t agree, the role of the strong as I’ve always seen it is to protect the weak. Might for right, not might makes right. For that, I’m going to cast my lot with the Riders. We need to make this alliance work, and the Changelings know it, it’s why they came here. So now let’s prove to them that we aren’t going to let them win.”

He sat back down and nodded. A few murmurs went up among the group as Sweetie Belle passed out papers. “Put your vote in here, and we will announce the decision tonight. If the alliance wins, those towns who voted against it are welcome to opt out. Let’s decide our future right here, right now.”

The delegates nodded as they began to think and make their choices.

00000

“Now we’ll make it out,
We’ll stick together and make it through this storm somehow,
It’s too late to back down and run.
Hope is gone, but harmony’s strong,
We’ve had the power in us all along,
To Embrace the heroes we’ve become.

We can be the heroes, we can dare to save the day,
Standing up to those still in our way.
With courage we’ll keep fighting for
The search we’re on for something more.
Pushing through until the war is won,
We can be the heroes that we’ve become.”

Sea smiled weakly as the crowd at the bar in Unity clapped. She put her guitar back away as she walked over to the bar where Jasper was talking with Khepri and Tailwind.

“You’re a good singer, I’ll give you that,” Tailwind commented. “A bit on the nose for a song though, don’t you think?”

“I felt it was appropriate,” Sea said as she ordered a drink. “So, do you think the vote will go in favor of the alliance?”

“I don’t know,” Tailwind admitted. “We need at least 60% to get a good majority in favor, not exactly the best odds. I think we’re going to have enough though, you fighting the Changelings really helped.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, grandpa,” Jasper said as she took another drink. “Your little speech at the end there probably helped a lot too. I think we’re going to be just fine, at least I hope so. Hopefully this is going to become a celebration.”

“Yeah, hopefully,” Khepri said quietly, getting a strange look from Sea and she was about to say something when Khepri waved his hoof. “Tch, you keep hearing things.”

“Yeah, sure I do,” Sea muttered.

Khepri was about to say something when Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came in with papers. The room went silent as they took the stage, tapping on the microphone a bit before Sweetie Belle began to speak.

“I’m not going to lie, the vote wasn’t easy to tally up,” Sweetie said. “A lot of ponies were still deciding down to the wire. But the choice has been made. The vote was 65% for the alliance, 31% against, and 4% undecided. We still have a lot of work to do, but we have made the next step towards reclaiming Equestria. We’re going to rebuild this land, and make things better. I thank all of you for being here and being here to make the world better. We’re going to build a new nation out of the Safe Zone, and build a new future. Now enjoy your drinks, the next round is on me and Scootaloo.”

She got down off the stage and Sea smiled as she nodded to her friends and Tailwind as the bartender poured them all new drinks. She raised her glass and smiled. “To the future of Equestria.”

“To the future of Equestria,” they said in unison as they clinked their glasses in a toast.

But as Sea took a drink, she couldn’t help but be bothered by what Joy said. This whole thing was unsettling to her, what had she meant by her future? What was going to happen to her next? She sighed a little and took a deep breath, hopefully this was going to be okay.

The Safe Zone was no longer the only future waiting for them. They just had to make sure that the future would be for the better.