Partial

Blanche watched the dust cloud that indicated an approaching vehicle. The direction and timing said that it should be Jonathan, Ashley, Sunflower, Fain, and Bursa, but there was little way of confirming that at this distance. It was too bright for Josie to get a good look on a fly over, especially with all the dust. She'd briefly considered sending the pegasus out there to look, but if it were a hostile force she'd then be sending a civilian into a dangerous situation—more dangerous than he was in now. All she could do was wait.

"Zipper, go take a look," Tempest instructed, making Blanche grimace. So much for not sending the civilian into a hostile situation. She kept her mouth shut. The command was Tempest's.

She watched as Zipper gave the woman a blink. "What should I be looking for? That car or truck or whatever should be here soon enough. It's not like I'm giving you much of a head's up."

"He makes a valid point," Blanche said.

"I say we just wait. Easier just to stay on guard than count on him going and coming back in time," Crystal said.

"Why are you guys even considering sending me out there? Those are your buddies, right?" Zipper asked. He then cowered down. "We aren't going to be attacked, are we?"

"I wouldn't call Fain my buddy," Josie muttered.

Blanche sighed. "Just because we assume that's them doesn't mean it is, and we are camped not too far from a hostile force that has to realize we are here by now."

"Should I hide and take cover?" Zipper asked worriedly.

"That would be prudent until we know for sure that's our friends," Blanche answered.

"Allies," Josie corrected.

Tempest didn't even glance in anyone's direction as she kept her eyes trained on the dust cloud. "Very well. Zipper, get in the van and stay down for now."

They stood for a few minutes, watching the dust get closer and closer. Their approachers weren't making any effort at stealth. The base that they'd been scouting and planning the assault of for days almost certainly would see the dust cloud. Perhaps it could work in their favor—the guards wouldn't expect someone planning an assault to be so blatant about their approach. Jonathan would be the one in charge of that group; he should know better than to kick up such a large cloud of dust.

The vehicle eventually slowed down as it got in sight of them. It was a typical SUV with off-road capabilities. The wipers were beating back and forth across the windshield to try to keep the window clear of dust. Sitting in the driver's seat was an unfamiliar woman with crystalline hair—Fain. Jonathan was in the front passenger seat, looking like he wanted to vomit.

"It's them. Zipper, you can come out," Tempest instructed.

Zipper peeked his head out of the van and looked around before cautiously stepping out.

Jonathan opened the door and promptly bent over to puke on the ground outside the SUV. How heroic. Honestly, she wasn't shocked. He puked enough times back on their adventure in the other world, but he came through when she needed him, so she didn't hold it against him.

Fain opened the door and looked at Jonathan with barely concealed disdain. "You are such an embarrassing weakling! It was just a few bumps!"

"A few?" Jonathan asked in disbelief as he tried to catch his breath.

"That's what off-roading means. Get over it," Fain snapped as she shut the door. She then reached into her pockets and pulled out a pair of leather gloves that she proceeded to put on.

"You let her travel with you while wearing no gloves!" Josie snapped, her wings flaring in agitation. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if she laid her hands on you?"

"I'm aware. It's not so different than what happens to a computer if I touch it without gloves," Jonathan replied, adjusting his glasses back in place using a gloved hand. A ghost of a smile crossed his face as he looked at his old friend. "She promised not to touch anyone, and I decided to show some trust. She said it was uncomfortable driving with gloves on."

The back door opened and an older crystal pony mare stepped out. Her coat sparkled in the sunlight as she moved with careful grace. "I told him that he needed to show her some trust. We should treat unique human magic with respect." She paused and looked at them, before waving happily, her whole face lighting up. "Hi, Josie! Long time no see!"

Josie's stern expression melted into a warm smile as she waved a wing. "Hello, Silvia. Nice to see you again. I figured it was you they were sending when they said they were sending an expert on partial magic." Her smile fell. "But you should know better than anyone how dangerous Fain is."

"My abilities don't actually work on crystal ponies, so she has nothing to fear," Fain said flatly, though there was a hint of something—perhaps regret—in her voice. "I told the fat Dreamwarden I'd behave myself. So that should be good enough. Who even are you again?"

"Josie," she answered, her voice tight with emotion. "I was the foalsitter for those foals back at Wabash Manor. You foalnapped a foal I was caring for.”

Fain looked away, her crystalline hair catching the light as she moved. "Sorry about that. It wasn't my proudest moment. I never liked the idea of messing with a kid, but Rossman promised I’d get to be a pony. I did what I could to make it right after Royal Bearing went nuts and started killing innocent ponies, ponies I once called friends.”

"Bullshit!" Josie snapped, spreading her wings threateningly. "You might have grown a little conscience, but you turned tail and ran instead of helping save that little filly. You left her there with that monster with an old weak unicorn who'd been beaten to hell as the only one to save her."

"That old weak unicorn was Sunset Blessing, and she found a way while I got away. It all worked out," Fain replied, her voice softening slightly. "It's all ancient history, so let's not discuss it. I'm here to help, and I'm not going to run away. I’ve been held at facilities like this one. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Blanche looked st the van expectantly. “Where are the rest?”

Sunflower Smiles came flapping out of the van in a rush, her cheerful presence instantly lightening the tense atmosphere. "We're here! Sorry! We didn't want to interrupt whatever...this...was." Her bright smile and eager expression were exactly as Blanche remembered, and despite herself, she felt her own lips curving upward.

Ashley stepped out next, turning her scarred face to sneer at Sunflower. Despite the harsh expression, there was an underlying fondness in her voice as she said, "Speak for yourself. I was waiting for you to move out of the way and get your tail out of my face."

"Sorry, Ash," Sunflower quickly said, then turned to beam at Blanche. "Hi, Blanche! It looks like we're getting the gang back together!" Her enthusiasm was infectious, and even Ashley's stern expression softened slightly.

"You, personally, along with Silvia, are only here to help with the cleanup," Blanche reminded her gently, though she couldn't help but smile at Sunflower's infectious enthusiasm. "That's just as important, and I'm glad you're here. It's good to see you, farm pony."

Ashley grunted and walked towards them, her scarred face catching the sunlight. "So, what are we up against? I'm ready to cream some mad scientists."

"I'm interested in hearing too. I'm ready for some payback," Fain said, flexing her gloved hands.

Tempest looked at Zipper. "What's the latest intel from your birds?"

Zipper straightened up, clearly pleased to have useful information to share. "You are looking at about thirty different guards. There are two guards at each tower, and a guard that makes patrol between each tower. There is one gate in front, wide enough to get two trucks through, and it has four guards. The rest are down in the main base. The main base has two levels: the ground level, which is a wide open courtyard where the partials just kind of mill around, and a subterranean level. I can't tell you anything about the underground, sorry about that."

"That's a lot of useful information, thank you," Tempest said, her voice warm with approval. "Do you have notes on how many ponies they have and what types?"

Zipper nodded eagerly. "There's only two unicorns, one crystal pony, and one pegasus. No other ponies."

"One of the unicorns must be Lair, and the crystal pony must be Rissman. Both are cowards who will try to avoid combat. That just leaves two other ponies to deal with," Tempest mused.

"Don't rule out Lair trying to cast some spells. She isn't quite as nice as Rossman," Fain warned, her crystalline hair glinting as she shook her head.

"You'd know," Josie muttered, though with less venom than before.

"Let it go, Josie," Blanche warned, placing a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'll be quiet about it, but I won't let it go," Josie replied. It would have to do.

Tempest gestured for them all to head towards the currently burnt-out campfire. "Come, let's give our newcomers a chance to stretch their legs for a little while, and then we can sit down and make our final plans. We need to make our move as soon as possible. They must have seen that dust cloud. Even if they believe we are campers or bird researchers, they have to be very wary, and more showing up makes that anxiety heighten. There can be no more waiting. We need to make our move tonight."

Blanche grimaced. This wouldn't be her first battle. She and Jonathan had seen their fair share on the other world. The first battle had been the hardest, but the battles that followed weren't any easier. Even if you won, at the end there was always the fear of who you wouldn't see returning to camp, or what state they were in if they made it back.

"Sunflower, I understand that you have medical training. You should set up a station to receive any wounded. If someone gets hurt, the more prepared we are to treat them quickly makes all the difference," Blanche said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her concerns.

Sunflower's ears dropped, her usual cheer dimming slightly. "I understand. We brought plenty of medical supplies, so no fear about being short on that. I'll make sure we're ready."

"And I'll assist," Silvia said, her crystalline coat catching the fading sunlight. "My focus is magical maladies and psychology, but I have some very basic medical training."

"I'm first aid certified. I'll be here too," Zipper said supportively, puffing up his chest slightly.

Tempest looked around, her scarred face thoughtful. "Jonathan, I know you aren't as proficient in direct hand-to-hand combat as Blanche, so you're probably our weakest combat-trained individual. I want you to stay in camp and help get the civilians to safety if the worst happens."

"He could be useful if we need to get through an electronic lock," Ashley said, her voice carrying the weight of experience.

"I would rather not risk him in a fight, and we need someone experienced guarding our civilians," Tempest replied. "Do you have a weapon?"

"I've got a gun and know how to use it," Jonathan replied, still bent over the hood of the SUV but looking better. "I'm not completely useless in a fight."

"You'd make a rotten guardian for these ponies if you were," Tempest said with a hint of approval.

"Rest and stretch your legs," Tempest instructed. "We'll go over plans in a little bit."

Jonathan weakly nodded and laid his head down on the SUV. He'd always had a weak stomach and was prone to motion sickness. He'd recover in a few minutes.

Sunflower walked up to Blanche, who smiled down at her old friend. "How's your reunion with your old bodyguard going?"

Sunflower glanced back at the scarred unicorn, who was literally stretching a short distance away. "She's mostly business. She's the same old Ash. Most of the time she's focused on her job, but she'll thaw out for moments and talk about the old days. This mission has her on edge. The idea of anybody experimenting on anyone else pulls up bad memories—her, Fain, and Bursa all have their bad memories about that stuff. I can't imagine how they're feeling."

Blanche frowned and looked around. "Where is the big bug?"

Sunflower blinked. "I think she's still in the SUV. She couldn't fit into the SUV in her standard form. She was also putting Silvia on edge."

"So... what is she right now?" Blanche asked, raising an eyebrow.

A kitten hopped out of the SUV, a cute little tabby with bright eyes and delicate paws.

Blanche raised an eyebrow higher. "Seriously?"

The kitten looked at her and mewed innocently.

"Drop the act, Bursa. I know it is you. They didn't bring a random kitten," Blanche said, crossing her arms. The familiarity of Bursa's antics brought back memories, not all of them pleasant.

The kitten vanished in a bout of green flame that expanded quickly in size but gave off no smoke. When the flame cleared, a giant praying mantis type bug with a pony face, jagged horn, and mane stood before them. Silvia hastily hurried several more feet away, putting Josie between her and Bursa.

"If you prefer this, then I shall fulfill your wish. I think I remember you. I don't know from where," Bursa said, her mandibles clicking slightly as she spoke.

"The Well of Shade," Blanche said flatly, memories of that dark time flickering across her mind.

"I'm not alright with this form. Revert to something else. We could be monitored and you stand out far too much," Tempest snapped, her military bearing showing through.

There was another flame and now there was a human woman standing there. "Better?"

Tempest sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You forgot clothes."

Another bout of flame engulfed Bursa and she was now fully clothed, wearing a red and green dress that seemed chosen specifically to annoy.

"You look like a Christmas tree," Ashley muttered. Bursa stuck her tongue out at the unicorn, the gesture somehow both childish and menacing.

"Do you need to instigate her?" Blanche asked, though she couldn't completely hide her amusement.

"No," Ashley confessed as she walked over, her scarred face softening slightly. "Where are your other two peeps?"

"Out bird watching," Blanche answered. "Our cover story is that we're nature observers, studying bird migratory patterns. Zipper has given us a lengthy explanation of things to say to make it sound plausible if questioned. We haven't had any run-ins with anyone, so not sure how much they'd buy it."

Sunflower looked up at the sky, her wings fluttering thoughtfully. "I don't know much about birds. Is that bad? They have wings, I have wings—I should know more."

"That's hardly a logical assumption," Jonathan said, finally looking recovered enough to join the conversation. "For starters, you aren't a small flying reptile—"

"Um... neither are birds," Sunflower replied, her face scrunching up in confusion. "They're birds, not reptiles. They're warm-blooded and don't have scales."

"Technically, they are warm-blooded reptiles, which is rare out of traditional reptiles, but there are examples of it, even with them," Zipper interjected, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "If you count bird species, you could consider about half of reptiles to be warm-blooded. Feathers developed in reptiles back with dinosaurs, so there were non-scaly reptiles. Every trait birds have can be found in some non-avian reptile, even if the sample size is small or the examples of it are extinct. Nothing biologically or anatomically separates birds from reptiles. However, mammals, which also evolved from reptiles, have traits that no reptile has or ever had, so we are clearly something else—just like both mammals and reptiles have distinct traits that our common amphibian ancestors had or the fish before them."

Jonathan grunted, adjusting his glasses. "Very informative. Anyway... just because you share some traits with something, doesn't mean you should know all about that thing. We are all mammals, but I doubt any of us know an incredible amount about duck-billed platypuses."

"They lay eggs. I know that," Zipper said proudly. "But... not much else."

"I didn't know they laid eggs. Now I wanna see a platypus," Sunflower said wistfully, her wings perking up. "But I get what you're saying, Jonathan. How's being a red herring and running the OMMR going for you?"

Jonathan shrugged, a familiar weariness crossing his features. "I am always shocked at how readily people believe I'm The Marshmallow. We share very few traits in common. As for the OMMR, I'm still not fully in control. The Dreamwardens still end up dictating a lot of what happens there. What I get out of it is having to put on a diplomatic face for government officials and signing a lot of paperwork—never-ending paperwork. Being out in the field is a bit of a relief." He glanced at Sunflower with genuine interest. "How has your freedom to travel gone?"

Sunflower gave him a beaming smile, her whole face lighting up. "It's been great... for the most part. I've done some international aid work, and seeing people suffering is always bad. I do enjoy getting to see all the different places, try new foods, experience new cultures and see things you wouldn't believe. Seeing Göbekli Tepe was amazing, and so was seeing Angkor Wat. India was great!"

"Someday I will have to give you a tour of my homeland," Blanche said warmly, feeling a surge of nostalgia. "It has been a while since I have been back to Brussels. I should find some time to go visit my family."

"I prefer not going home myself. Too many bad memories. I hated having to travel through Texas to get here," Ashley quietly said, her scars seeming more pronounced in the fading light.

Blanche gave Ashley a sympathetic look. "Well, at least the villain who did that to you got what was coming to him. Now is our chance to help other people suffering in captivity. I'm glad to have you with us."

"I will find Rossman and Lair and eat their faces!" Bursa declared, her human form briefly flickering with barely contained rage.

"No... you won't," Jonathan scolded, his voice firm despite his earlier weakness. "We are to capture those two alive. We can't find out what all they've done to whom without having them alive to question. We'd be fools if we thought this base was the only place they've done their... work."

"If you try to murder them, I will personally skewer you and pin you to the wall like the bug you are. I know you'd survive it, but it would be painful," Blanche warned, her voice carrying the weight of past experience.

Bursa hissed, showing a very inhuman tongue. "That's not exactly very friendly. I thought we were supposed to be teammates."

Blanche relaxed her stance, though her eyes remained watchful. "We are a team, and teams need to work together. We can't have you going rogue and jeopardizing mission priorities. I don't want to carry through with that threat, but I'll do what I have to do to stop you if you try to pull something like that. The pair of them are going to end up going to jail, and likely spending their lives there. Be satisfied with that."

"Threatening a changeling queen is one way of being diplomatic, I suppose," Tempest said, looking between them before settling on Bursa. Her voice softened as she continued, "I'm not sure doing intense bodily harm to you should be necessary, but I will ensure you don't kill our targets. We have four primary goals. One, free the prisoners. Two, make it so the facility can no longer operate as it has. Three, capture Rossman and Lair alive. Four, get through this without experiencing any casualties to the team. Those are our goals in order of priority, but let's try to make them all equal priority."

Zipper raised a wing hesitantly. "Um, where do we civilian aid types not getting hurt fit into the priority chart?"

"Somewhere between three and four, let's say three point five," Tempest answered with a hint of dark humor.

Zipper looked ill and turned to look pleadingly at Silvia and Sunflower. "Please tell me one of you two is secretly a master fighter."

"I know a little self-defense, but I wouldn't say I'm a master fighter," Sunflower answered, trying to sound reassuring despite her obvious concern.

Silvia snorted, her crystalline coat shimmering with nervous energy. "I'm the one who should be concerned. I'm older and weaker than all of you, and at least the two of you can fly away if something happens. I'm left hoping that Jonathan can keep me safe."

"In all honesty, the two of them flying away is the best plan if something happens. I can more easily protect one pony than three," Jonathan said as he adjusted his glasses, his earlier nausea seemingly forgotten in the face of duty.

"Don't worry, I'm good at flying away from danger," Sunflower chirped, though her usual cheerfulness seemed slightly forced.

"Hopefully better than you were during the Well of Shade incident where you flew straight in," Blanche muttered, unable to keep the worry from her voice.

"Hey, I did my best to stay out of everybody's way," Sunflower replied defensively.

Blanche looked at Jonathan. "And you did worse. You jumped right into the fray, putting yourself in danger."

"It was kind of necessary, if you recall," Jonathan reminded her gently. "My powers were needed. I realized what we were up against and knew what needed to be done. If I hadn't, we'd probably all have died."

"Nobody cares that my carapace got crushed back then and that I volunteered to help then too," Bursa muttered, her human form flickering slightly with emotion.

"It was your fault we were even in that situation!" Blanche exclaimed, old anger flaring.

"Yeah, she's right about that," Sunflower agreed, then quickly put on a forced smile and looked at Jonathan. "Hey, have you heard from Roger or know how his mom is doing since then?"

The mention of their old companions shifted the mood, and Jonathan adjusted his glasses again. "Unfortunately no. Roger is not involved with the OMMR and we have no reason to track him."

Blanche relaxed, glad to share some positive news. "I guess I'm more in the know than Jonathan. Roger got a job with the CIA. He helps interview candidates who are seeking higher security clearance, and he also helps out with other questions sometimes. His lie-detecting abilities make him invaluable. As for his mom, she's doing much better, though she still is getting regular therapy and I think she goes to a support group."

"There's support groups for getting kidnapped by giant bugs and possessed by weird psychic entities?!" Sunflower asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Well, there's support groups for people who have gone through traumatic experiences," Blanche explained gently.

"Is she traumatized that she broke my carapace?" Bursa asked snidely.

"I highly doubt it," Blanche replied sharply. "Just be glad Jonathan's abilities work just as much on magical artifacts as they do on electronics, otherwise Roger's mother would have probably done much more than cause you severe injury. I'm surprised she didn't focus on you and try to murder you before the rest of us. Instead, she treated you like a bug to just swat."

Fain came over between them and sat down, her crystalline hair catching the light. "You guys sound like you've been through some weird shit. Can I hear more about how much a problem Bursa is? I enjoy not being the focus of everyone's disdain."

"No, you are worse than Bursa," Josie cut in, her leathery wings flaring with anger. "Bursa might have done some crap, and she might be an idiot—"

"I can't help it!" Bursa said defensively, her human form flickering slightly.

"—but she was doing those things because she had a clear goal," Josie continued, undeterred. "Her methods might have been crap and poorly thought out, but she did have something she was trying to accomplish. You don't have that claim to fall back on. You just cause pain and suffering because you're mad at the world."

"Can we not point out that Bursa has some... mental handicaps?" Sunflower asked cautiously, her wings drooping with concern. "She really can't help it."

"Rossman and Lair messed up my brain," Bursa confirmed, her voice smaller than before.

"Don't ham up your victim status, Bursa," Blanche warned. "Even an idiot should know kidnapping is wrong. You've got your weird moral code, so I know you know right from wrong."

"Hey! I hear a lot of squabbling, see a lot of finger pointing, and not enough hugs and smiles!" The Marshmallow's disembodied voice rang out.

Bursa looked around, her human form tensing. "The fat annoying pony is here? How?"

Rebecca appeared among them, floating like some cartoon imp in the air. "I show up where I wanna show up, silly. I'm glad you all made it down here safely."

Tempest crossed her arms. "Do you have additional mission parameters to drop on us, Dreamwarden?"

"Yeah, stop fighting with one another!" Rebecca said, spreading her wings. "All this grouchiness makes me sad—doesn't really help with the team building either."

"You had to know there would be disagreements when you put Bursa and Fain on the team," Blanche said flatly.

Rebecca held up a wing. "No, there were disagreements when I said I was going to do it. I listened to them, decided I was still going forward with my plan, and now we have disgruntlement not disagreement. Disgruntlement to yourselves and try to put on a friendly face with each other."

"Who are you?" Silvia hesitantly asked, her crystalline coat shimmering with nervous energy.

Rebecca looked at Silvia and blinked, drifting away from her. She was likely worried about her projection getting magic sapoed. "Oh... right... you didn't know the identity of The Marshmallow. I'm Rebecca. I'm your friendly neighborhood Marshmallow. I will have to get some lawyers with a contract binding you to secrecy about this... sometime after the mission... if you survive... I don't know any lawyers who would go this far out to... scratch that... I actually might know a lawyer or two who would go this far out. Let me rephrase this—"

"I think she gets the idea, Rebecca," Josie said, her leathery wings twitching with familiar exasperation.

"You guys just interrupt a Dreamwarden speaking?" Zipper asked in disbelief. "Aren't you scared of making her mad?"

Blanche shrugged. "Not really. It's part of our job as her bodyguards to try to keep her focused. Rebecca, I think Josie is right. Silvia doesn't need any further info than you are The Marshmallow, at least not right now."

Rebecca flipped upside down for whatever reason. "Right! Anyway, Fain, try not to antagonize anyone. Josie, Fain is going to do her best, so try not to harass her unless she actually does something to earn it. Bursa... try to follow orders. You know you don't make the best choices, and they want to help keep you alive. I want you to stay alive too. Ashley, tone down the causticness. Sunflower... great to see you again! We don't get to see each other nearly enough. You and I are going to have to have a good long get together after this is all done to catch up. Tempest... sorry for dumping this much unruliness on you, but I know you can manage it. Blanche, be her support, don't be part of the problem."

"So, you expected there to be friction and you showed up just to try to smooth it over?" Tempest asked, her professional demeanor unwavering.

"More or less," Rebecca confirmed. "This is the most dangerous mission we've sent you guys on. I was tempted to insist on sending Wallace too, but didn't want to leave Phobia unguarded. Not unguarded, that's not the right term. She is guarded without Wallace, since she has all those night pony mares guarding her. How about not adequately guarded, since he's worth all them put together in a fight. Plus, he's kinda unruly, and Tempest has enough to manage already, and he's still barely more than a kid, and I would feel extra bad sending him in if he got hurt."

"Wallace is older than half this team and you," Ashley said with a grumble. "And while he's a pain in the flank, he isn't as bad as the bug and miss Rhymes-With-Pain."

Rebecca smiled at Fain. "I told you that you had a catchy catchphrase." She turned her head towards Ashley and let it detach to go floating over to her.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "That's a new one."

Rebecca grinned. "You noticed! How's the effect, on a one to ten scale?"

"I dunno, a five?" Ashley answered. "It's just weird."

Rebecca seemed to consider this response. "Hmm, guess I'll have to spice it up. Anyway—Fain has been on my radar for a while as a possible redemption case and Bursa has some issues I'm working on as well. So now was as good a time as any to bring them on and get them with the program."

"How are you projecting so far and doing things like you'd do in the dream realm with your projection? Did becoming a Dreamwarden give you that much of a power boost?" Sunflower asked as she looked back and forth between Rebecca's head and body.

"I did get a power boost from becoming a Dreamwarden... well... technically it was more a mastery boost than a power boost... but I recently acquired something that gave me an actual power boost... but I still can't fly straight, so not exactly perfect," Rebecca explained, her floating form doing a lazy loop. "I'd hoped it would help fix up my pegasus abilities, but no such luck. I'm still as graceful in the air as a dying drunk bumblebee. You still should avoid being in the general vicinity of where I'm flying unless you are prepared to get up close and personal with my glorious flabs. I've gotten more graceful on the ground, with practice, but the air is still a mess for me. Can't really talk about my recent acquisition—kind of a big secret. Arbiter is staring very disapprovingly at me right now for saying this much."

Zipper looked around frantically, his wings pulled tight against his sides. "More than one Dreamwarden is here!?"

Rebecca looked at him and let her head float lazily towards him. "Well, yeah, they're wherever I am. Don't worry. We can't do anything to you here." Rebecca's body suddenly disappeared and reappeared next to Zipper and stuck one of her hooves straight through him and waved it from the other side. "See? I can't touch things."

Zipper 'epped' and jumped away.

"Now Arbiter is really glaring at me hard, but Miss Seapony and Ghadab are having a blast," Rebecca said. "Arbiter is such a stick in the mud—owwww! That hurt! Don't bonk me in the head with that thing! Such a stick in the mud. How am I supposed to keep my projection going with you bonking me like little bunny foo-foo?"

"What are they doing now?" Silvia asked in curiosity, her crystalline coat shimmering as she leaned forward.

Rebecca reconnected her head and shrugged. "Arbiter is explaining to the other two who little bunny foo-foo is while trying to scold them about laughing. Now she's bonking Ghadab on the head with her staff. Now he's complaining. Don't know why she went straight to him and not Miss Seapony. I think Arbiter just likes bonking Ghadab."

"Dreamwardens are powerful, but they're also like squabbling siblings when they get together," Blanche explained, her voice carrying the weight of experience. "They generally put up a united front when dealing with things, but they are a mass of clashing personalities and they don't feel any particular need to keep decorum with each other. You get used to it. Generally you just have to wait them out until they decide you're worth talking to again."

"So our team here is like a reflection of the Dreamwardens—a bunch of clashing parts that are expected to work together," Silvia suggested.

Rebecca grinned broadly. "That's the spirit! If the Dreamwardens can get along despite being so different, so can all of you."

"Didn't you just say Arbiter is in the process of beating the snot out of Ghadab with her staff?" Zipper asked, still keeping his distance.

"It doesn't really hurt him, and she knows it," Rebecca said. "You want to talk about conflicting personalities on a team? We used to have Sha'am in this team, and she was a grade-a poopie butt face that hurt all kinds of people. Arbiter is actually kind of a weirdo too, since before she was a Dreamwarden the Dreamwardens briefly considered executing her for crimes against the mind—had a trial and everything. Ghadab voted to kill her."

"Would explain her preference for hitting him," Silvia said thoughtfully.

"Or the fact he is always making fun of her," Rebecca said. "She likes to think she's above the squabbling, but she gets dragged right into it all the time while Phobia and our human member sit back and watch in exasperation. Miss Seapony—Yinyu—just disemboweled Arbiter. I wasn't really paying attention to why. I think Arbiter made some comment that got too personal. Arbiter is now putting on a pouty face as she puts her avatar back together. Now she is glaring at me for telling you about it. Ghadab is laughing his butt off... oh dear... Arbiter is turning her staff into a scythe. I think she intends to slice me in two. That's just rude."

Rebecca's head suddenly separated from her body.

"Yep, I read that right. Calm down, Angel Lady. My commentary is nothing to lose your head over!"

"That's one way of dodging an attack," Ashley snickered.

Rebecca looked at her. "Who said I dodged it? I didn't separate my head by choice this time around. Hey, Arbiter, no messing with my projection! Be nice to your Marshmallow friend!"

"These guys aren't making me feel good that we can get along," Bursa said, her human form flickering with unease. "They're chopping each other up."

"It's not even a flesh wound," Rebecca said as she reattached her head again. "None of us want this group to get hurt and die. We don't like death. I hated voting to authorize lethal force on the guards. I've never had to do that before, but I didn't see a way around it. Yes, I know, Arbiter, I voted for this operation to begin with and have to deal with the consequences. I don't need the reminder."

Zipper stepped back into the van. "The Dreamwarden is getting mad."

"She got annoyed at Arbiter for pointing things out that she doesn't like. That's not angry. Rebecca is typically pretty chill," Josie corrected, her leathery wings folding against her sides. "She gets annoyed sometimes, but that's nothing to worry about. It takes a lot to make her mad, and if you manage to do that... well... God help you."

"What will she do if she gets angry?" Zipper asked, peering nervously from the van's doorway.

"Probably send me and Josie to go maim you," Blanche answered matter-of-factly. "For context, she's very angry at this base we are getting ready to invade. When it comes to what is going on there, she's pissed. I think that if anyone wasn't pissed about it then there's something wrong with you. I doubt you'll ever do anything that would provoke her rage. If you do, then I will break your bones and not need much prompting from her to do it. If you are scum enough for her then you are scum enough for me as well."

"Blanche and I aren't as cheerful, outgoing, and playful as Rebecca, but we do share the same hatred for injustice. We don't mind hurting bad guys, and we know that if Rebecca is saying to hurt someone, they did something truly heinous," Josie said, her dark wings twitching with restrained emotion.

Rebecca scratched her head. "Yeah, I'm not exactly proud that I go all bloodthirsty on certain bad guys, but there's some things that I can't allow to continue. It isn't what I prefer to be doing, but when it comes up... someone is getting their strawberry filling spilled. Good people, vulnerable people, helpless children, they deserve justice. I want people to be happy, make friends, and be creative—that's what I'm about. When someone takes that joy and creativity away and replaces it with pain and fear, and do it knowingly, they deserve to hurt."

Which was why Josie was so resistant to Fain, Blanche reflected. Fain had done all the things to end up on Rebecca's naughty list, but Rebecca was inexplicably giving Fain a chance. Blanche felt no more positive about Fain than Josie did, but Rebecca had spoken. While they could give her feedback, advice, and voice their displeasure, Rebecca's word was ultimately final, so there was no point arguing about it. Fain was effectively on a leash. How long a leash remained to be seen. Fain would get her chance to prove herself, and if Fain fell back into her typical behavior, Blanche would make an executive decision about how to deal with her. She'd justify herself to Rebecca afterwards.

As if reading her thoughts—something Rebecca could only do when Blanche was sleeping—Rebecca turned her attention to Fain.

"And you, this is your chance to show the world what you can be when you have something meaningful to do," Rebecca said, her gaze fixed on Fain. "I know these others are giving you a hard time. I more or less expected it. Don't lash out over it and don't get into arguments. Let your actions speak for you. Tempest over there is a professional, and she is going to make the best use of you she can while doing her best to keep you alive. I know there's going to be risk to anything she orders you to do—everyone on this team is facing risk, so don't get upset if you are put in a dangerous situation. You heard the priorities for the mission, do everything you can to accomplish those goals. You need to follow orders, but you can voice your opinion. If you have valid concerns it is important that everyone hear them. Tempest may not agree with your concerns, say she is going to do something despite your concerns, or adjust a plan differently than you think she should to account for them, but she will listen and consider them and needs to hear everyone's feedback because she's not perfect and may have overlooked something. That's what a leader does; they listen and factor what they were told into their decision making. It doesn't matter if she likes you or not either. She isn't going to dismiss what you say because of that. She needs to also know what you're capable of and what you aren't, so she can utilize you effectively. Be honest about what you can and cannot do when she asks."

"Your bodyguards don't seem to be as friendly as you," Fain said, glancing pointedly at Josie, whose leathery wings twitched in response.

"You're one of my bodyguards as well," Rebecca reminded her. "I don't need my bodyguards to be sunshine and rainbows. I need my bodyguards to simply believe in what I represent, follow orders, and do their best."

Fain raised an eyebrow, her crystalline hair catching the fading light. "The second and third thing on your list are easy enough, not so sure about the first."

"Do you think those partials in that base don't need a friend and some joy?" Rebecca asked.

"Think freedom is a bigger priority, given the mission," Fain said flatly.

"But they'll need a friend after," Rebecca clarified. "You, Bursa, and Ashley have something that the rest of your teammates don't, empathy for those partials. Everyone has sympathy—Dreamwardens don't employ heartless people—but they don't understand what those people have gone through the way you three do. You might not have the answers to make things better for them as they try to figure out what comes next, but you can look them in the eyes and get what they're feeling. Sometimes you don't need a friend to tell you everything will be all right. Sometimes you just need a friend who gets it—the pain, the sorrow, the anger, the shame, the uncertainty, all of it. After we liberate this base they'll need Silvia and Sunflower to tend to certain needs, but they need people like you who can understand them without needing to be explained to. My other two bodyguards can't give them that. Honestly, I can't either."

Fain stared at her, the harshness in her expression softening slightly. "I don't understand you. I'm not a good person."

"We are many people over the course of our lives. You are a person in transition. Ask not who you were, but who you will be next," Rebecca replied.

"You've changed... a lot," Sunflower said, ears folded back against her head.

Rebecca gave her a sad look. "My core is still the same. As for the rest, it is the nature of the job. As I said, we are many people over the course of our lives. Are you the same as when we first met? I see a healer, a world traveler, someone who runs toward danger to help, and someone more confident than the farm filly traveling to the big city for the first time that I met years ago. I'm sure you would have become an awesome Dreamwarden who would have made a lot of people happy, but the light and shadow of the burden are mine. I hope I accomplish as much as you would have."

Sunflower looked away. "I knew you would change, and I shouldn't be so shocked at how commanding you are, given every Dreamwarden ever expects people to jump when they say jump... understandably so, given you guys have absolute authority in your realm. It's that shadow that bothers me. You had no darkness to you before."

"Sure I did! I'm a very big and round pony. My shadow is quite impressive!" Rebecca said cheerfully, but her smile slipped. "Sorry, force of habit to try to lighten the mood. I know what you actually meant. My shadow bothers me sometimes as well. I actually cried to Luna about it not too long ago. Being a Dreamwarden brings good things and bad things with it, and that shadow is part of me. I just can't let terrible things be done to vulnerable people... children mainly, but anyone really vulnerable, like these partials. It keeps me up at night sometimes, knowing all the bad things that people have done or plan to do. I can see it in their minds as they sleep, and it's horrible. Being a Dreamwarden is a burden that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'm scouting my replacement candidate—"

"Already?!" Sunflower exclaimed, her wings flaring in surprise.

Rebecca waved the question off. "It's never too early to start. We tend to start scouting people when they are young kids, so nothing is happening soon. What I was going to say was I'm trying to scout my replacement candidate and it is hard because ideally they are someone I like a lot, but I know what I would be dumping on them and I don't want to hurt them like that. However, the job is important, and I need to find the right person—a good person. I pick a bad person and we have Sha'am all over again."

"And no one wants that," Josie said, her dark wings drawing closer to her body as she shuddered at the memory.

Tempest walked over to Rebecca's floating form and looked her in the eyes with professional directness. "This is all fascinating and moving, Dreamwarden, but I have a mission to plan. Maybe you should return to your body. It must be getting tired from dancing."

Rebecca blinked. "I suppose so. Alright, be about your business. I have complete faith and trust you will get this done! Phobia does too!"

"I just hope Wallace doesn't give her too much trouble while I'm gone," Tempest said with a sigh. "Off with you before you get distracted and go on another tangent."

Rebecca nodded then suddenly turned and looked at Sunflower again. "One last question! What type of toothpaste do you use?"

Sunflower blinked. "What... kind... of... toothpaste? Why do you want to know that?"

"It's important, can't say why," Rebecca replied.

"Uh... Crest... aqua mint," Sunflower answered, bewilderment clear on her face.

Rebecca spread her wings and limbs wide. "Thanks! That is very helpful! Now I just need to find the right cardboard box!" She promptly vanished.

Sunflower stared at the spot for a few seconds before looking at everyone else. "What was that about?"

Blanche shook her head. "No idea. She does weird things. Just—"

"Just roll with it," Ashley supplied, her scarred face hinting at amusement. "I can tell you how many times she's done something equally random that turned out to be important later."

"She's a peculiar kind of genius," Tempest agreed. "But if we could get back to the mission at hand? I'd like to go over possible approaches."

"Of course," Blanche said, turning her attention back to the task ahead. "Zipper's intel about the guards is helpful, but we need to decide how to handle the gate. Four guards is a significant obstacle."

"I could help with that," Fain offered cautiously, flexing her gloved hands. "One touch from me and they'd be out of commission."

Josie's leathery wings flared with tension, but she held her tongue, remembering Rebecca's words.

Tempest considered this. "If they have no magic then your touch does nothing. That is intell we don’t have. I’m considering letting Crystal simply slamming her tank of a vehicle into it. We can have Josie and Bursa stealthily deal with the guards first. After the gate is diwn, all hell will break loose.”

The night was growing darker around them as they began to plan in earnest, the earlier tensions partially dissolved by Rebecca's visit, though not entirely forgotten. They had a difficult task ahead, but at least now they were focused on the same goal. Whether they liked each other or not, they had people counting on them.