Sunset moved about the empty house at a hurried pace, heavy bags under eyes as she sought to finish her tasks and get back to the station. Dash and their mysterious new NMH were both still unconscious in the MIST infirmary and she wanted to be there when they awoke; The former in particular. She needed to know it worked. She needed to know she didn’t make things worse and left Rainbow…

She shook her head and returned to the food and water bowls in front of her, filling both before giving the rabbit at her side a quick pet before heading toward the bird cage still set up in the kitchen. She wouldn’t have come home at all if Fluttershy hadn’t asked her to take care of the animals. While she thought they would have survived a single day without, she still left with the promise from the nurse of letting her know the moment either woke up.

“Hey Rini” the former pony gave tiredly as she popped open the cage to retrieve the finch’s seed dish. The small bird chirped excitedly and squirmed out of the opening between the redhead’s arm and the cage door before promptly diving down the front of the girl’s shirt. “No- Rine, not today. Please?”

She fished the mischievous finch from her bosom and placed her on the counter as she refilled her water and seed. Fluttershy had warned against naming the little avian, saying it would only make it harder when the time came to release her ‘back’ into the wild. But seeing as Sunset sort of created the little finch, she felt the least she could do was give it a name. Tangerine not only felt appropriate but it also struck her as just a cute name for a bird. She also doubted not naming it would have kept it from getting as attached to her, or from developing its habit of trying to nest between her breasts.

She checked her phone and let out a sigh; no messages. She sat down with a heavy breath, letting the little bird hop about outside of its cage a bit. Angel quickly noticed her relaxed state and hopped up to stand against her leg, prompting her to pick him up into her lap. As she understood it, a lot of rabbits didn’t actually like being picked up, or to be the only one around for that matter either, but Angel had always been a little different. Tangerine must have decided it looked fun and fluttered up to her shoulder, though quickly got distracted with playing with her hair.

She glanced to the back door, half expecting to see Brandon sitting on the other side of the sliding glass. The crow had developed a practically insatiable interest in the new avian in the house and had already tried getting in a few times. To what end though, they weren’t sure yet. It could be anything from territory concerns to wanting to assert dominance to simple curiosity. Fluttershy wasn’t very concerned but even just considering the sheer size difference between the two, they were playing it safe for now. She didn’t seem to have to worry this morning though... or late afternoon rather; as not only was the crow not present but had quickly learned there was yet another door to get past in the garage, which is how they usually came and went.

“Alright, sorry guys but I gotta go” she placed Angel back down and returned Rini to her cage before heading to the garage. She paused with her hand on the Jeep’s door handle when a thought occurred to her and she walked back inside.

Ten minutes later she was behind the wheel with a carry crate in the back and an excited bunny in the passenger seat, perched on the passenger door as he watched the scenery pass by. Pulling into the garage, she gathered her things and the small pack of pet supplies before scooping the ball of fluff into her arms. The crate was mostly a just in case thing, so she felt comfortable leaving it in the car for now. She could hear the pops of someone in the range down the hall and began to hurry past to limit any hit to Angel’s sensitive ears.

At least she did until she spotted Aya leaning against the wall opposite the big window. A worried frown dominated her face as she watched whoever was inside. Placing a protective hand over the bunny’s ears, she changed course to see what had her mentor so concerned. The blonde didn’t fail to notice her approach.

“That…” the veteran hunter began after spotting the rabbit “Was a damn good idea Sunny. Even better than you probably realize…”

Aya tilted her chin to the range, Sunset turning to see none other than the bunny’s owner on the other side. Pinkie was standing tensely behind her as the nurse unleashed a flurry of lead from the bullet hose that was the M950 they recovered from the shelter. The seemingly endless stream of casings bounced off the lane dividing wall as the rounds shredded a wooden target and the NMC pictured on its surface. Another cylinder was already in Flutter’s hand not a moment after her current magazine ran dry, though a silent snarl twisted the medic’s already deep scowl as she saw it was empty.

Sunset shot Aya a nervous glance but was quickly drawn back by the muffled, though no less enraged scream from the other side of the glass. She turned back just in time to see Fluttershy rear back with the weapon itself, only stopped by Pinkie darting forward to grab her. The pair outside quickly rushed to the door as the nurse struggled weakly in the rangemaster’s grip. Fluttershy’s struggles faltered and she collapsed to her knees, falling into her friend’s arms and beginning to weep.

They crouched down near the pair, Aya bringing a hand up to rub the woman’s back as she cried. And so there they sat, waiting quietly as she just let it all out. None were sure how long they sat for but eventually, gradually, the medic’s sobs slowed and the tears didn’t flow quite so heavily.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen…” she whimpered out, head buried in Pinkie’s chest “She was supposed to have escaped it. You and her weren’t supposed to get infected. You were supposed to be the ones that stayed normal…”

“Oh Fluttershy, that’s just silly” Pinkie returned softly, pulling the ear muffs off the woman now looking at her confused “I mean really; Us? Normal? Come on now.”

Despite the nurse’s best efforts, a small snort escaped her. She pulled away from her friend and moved to wipe her eyes before Pinkie caught them again.

“GSR Shy” the rangemaster gently reminded her. Flutter’s nodded mutely, before turning to the two other women. She smiled thankfully at Aya and turned to give one to Sunset but gasped at the sight of her pet. She reached for the bunny though managed to catch herself this time, instead only bending down to place her forehead against the rabbit’s. Granted there was still undoubtedly some residue on her face too, especially considering the weapon she was using, and sure enough there were a few dark specks standing clear against Angel’s white coat after she pulled away, but not much. They could easily wipe it off.

“Thank you” She said quietly, giving Sunset a teary smile.

“I figured you could use something fluffy to pet” the redhead shrugged back, trying to keep hold of the rabbit now struggling for more attention. Shy gave the bunny a quick peck on the nose and moved to stand. The other two quickly made to help raise her to her feet.

“Come on” Aya offered, wiping away the nurse’s tears herself “Let’s get you cleaned up to give this little guy a proper hug, yeah?”

Fluttershy nodded again and let herself be led out of the range and to the locker room. Pinkie produced a small box of baby wipes from her voluminous curls and handed them to Sunset before moving to a wash station herself. Her and Aya had just finished wiping away the last of the residue when Fluttershy came back in a clean shirt, her face and hands freshly scrubbed. Taking the offered rabbit, she hugged him to her chest and curled around him, a strained smile finding her again as he licked her face with vigor.

“Thank you” she repeated.

“You said that already.”

“Still…” Sunset just rubbed her back like Aya did before in response. A moment later Pinkie came out, though didn’t join them on the bench, leaning down in front of her fellow pink-haired woman instead.

“Caddy brought Spike in to cheer up Twilight. Think they’d like to see each other too. Been a little while, yeah?” she offered her hands to help her up “Come on, let’s go to the lab.”

“But… the range” the nurse replied hesitantly.

“Don’t worry Shy, Sunny and I will get it” Aya quickly insisted. Accepting the offer without a fight, Flutters followed Pinkie to the elevator, leaving the two awakened behind.

“I hope this isn’t a sign I missed something between home and here” Sunset said as they returned to the range. She wanted to say something before, but didn’t want to risk upsetting Shy any further.

“No. No, don’t worry. Dash is… still the same. Not better but she hasn’t gotten any worse,” the blonde answered as she typed something into her phone. She stashed the device as they reentered the range. “Our new Awakened has yet to live up to the namesake yet either.”

“Wait, the woman we found in the Ark is an Awakened?!” Sunset literally stopped in her tracks.

“Well… sort of?” Aya tried to relay, putting her hands on her hips “I don’t really understand it either. Even Twilight seems stumped. She doesn’t show the same signs of being infected or naturally awakened. As Twi puts it; it’s almost like an induced awakening.”

“An Artificial Awakened?” the redhead stared at her, only jostled from her shock by the woman handing her one of the brooms. They began sweeping the copious amount of casings before she continued. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“Neither did we.” Aya admitted over the rattling of brass “And yet that’s the best we’re able to determine. At least so far.”

“I didn’t see any implants or anything,” the former pony muttered.

“She doesn’t have any, not anymore at least” the elder hunter explained “Other than some possible surgical scarring, the only thing Twilight found was a small device near the base of her skull. It was completely fried but she believes it may have been a tracking device.”

“Do…” Sunset paused, trying to think of how to ask her question delicately “Do we have to worry that they may track her here?”

“MIST is in the phone book Sunset; it may not say what we do but the organization’s headquarters aren’t exactly Batcaves. And there’s not many other places we would have taken her” Aya gave her a look. Not a scathing one but Sunset still felt a little silly with it put like that “But no, like I said: it was burnt out. Girl must have given herself a hell of a shock to do it too, considering she actually still ended up with scars from it. She definitely didn’t want to be found…”

“But if they know she’s here-”

“It’s one thing to drop a dozen golems down a hole in an already restricted area. It’s another to assault the headquarters of their enemy in the middle of a populated city.” The blonde assured her “They’d have the cops, feds and national guard up their ass in moments while still dealing with us at their throats. Not that I doubt they still have connections in high places, but unless this girl is worth exposing what would probably be several of their stooges, I doubt we have to worry about a siege just yet.”

“Just yet?” Sunset repeated with a hint of worry.

“It is our job to screw up their plans…” she mumbled, looking over the range as they finished. She collected the machine pistol still sitting on the self and jerked her head for Sunset to follow “But one step at a time. Better to worry about Dash right now than some hypothetical we may haven’t even earned yet, right?”

“Right…” the redhead breathed out and followed Aya up the stairs. The veteran hunter told her to go on ahead, saying she’d catch up after returning the gun to the armory. So she split off and headed to the lab, opening it to find Pinkie trying to help a tired looking Applebloom and a very tired looking Twilight as best she could. One absence didn’t go unnoticed though, “Where’s Shy?”

“Caddy came and got her after Aya texted her” Pinkie answered before handing her a bag of pet food “Here, you can help me feed the animals.”

She took the bag and headed toward the back of the room. She looked to both the scientists, returning Bloom’s fatigued wave and smile, while Twilight had yet to look up from the microscope she was peering into. Deciding it best not to distract her, Sunset skirted past to the cages and tanks. It didn’t escape her notice that only about half as many of them still had specimens compared to the last time she was in the lab. She gave a small frown and moved to the first occupied one, smiling down sadly at the pair of rats standing against the reinforced glass of the container, eager for their meal.

She was just securing the lid back in place when a horrible squealing came from the next cage over. She took an unconscious step back as she saw one rat suddenly attacking the other, scattering small splashes of blood everywhere as it began tearing into its cage mate. Even as it began to eat, it was already growing in size with its skin and hair splitting to reveal the inflamed muscle beneath.

“Hit the blue button in front of the cage!” Applebloom shouted from behind. The redhead’s gaze searched for the button in question, finding it in a second next to a larger red one and slamming her finger down on top. Another squeal sounded as the metal floor of the cage sparked and the mutating rodent convulsed. It turned and hissed before hurling itself toward the young hunter, crashing against the safety glass hard enough to crack the surface. Seeming oblivious to the large gash across its face the action caused, it reared back to charge again.

A loud pop suddenly sounded and the back of the rats’ skulls exploded out, killing both instantly. Sunset stared at the pair of now very dead rats, the small holes in their heads smoking lightly. She turned back at the sound of steps coming up behind her, seeing Twilight scowling with a complicated remote in her hand. The doctor gave a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead.

The next thing any of them knew, she was whipping around and hurling the remote at the far wall, shattering it into countless pieces. The scientist then fell back into her chair with a slump, head in her hands as she struggled to just breathe evenly. A moment of silence reigned, only broken by Pinkie stepping forward.

“Twi-”

“I’m fine!” she almost snapped as she straightened. Taking another deep breath, she propped her elbow against the table and rested her mouth against her fist, blinking away a watering in her eyes. “Sorry, it's just… sorry. I’m fine.”

The other three women shared a glance, clearly not convinced. But before any of them could say anything, the doctor rose back to her feet and turned to her fellow awakened.

“Sunset, I’m glad you’re here. I need you to test something-”

“No.” Twilight blinked at the redhead abruptly cutting her off. “You need to get some sleep.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Twilight you haven’t slept since we got back” Pinkie stepped up next to Sunset “Please, you have to get some rest. You won’t do anyone any good like this.”

“I have rested.”

“Passing out on the counter for twenty minutes doesn’t count Doctor” Applebloom cut in from her side. She flinched at the glare sent her way at the well intentioned betrayal but the youngest Apple stood her ground nonetheless. The scientist bowed her head with an angry huff. One that petered out at the sound of a small whine from beneath the counter, followed by a frightened Spike cautiously emerging. Another heavy, but notably softer sigh escaped her.

“...Fine.” she crouched down to sooth the small canine “I’ll try to get some sleep. After this test.”

“Twilight-”

“It’s for Dash” the bespectacled woman continued evenly “I need to know if your mitochondria will still react to you. I’ll lay down in the bunk room after.”

“...Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.” She stood back up “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Uhhh…” was all Sunset could give in response to the seemingly random declaration and its odd ritual of gestures.

“It’s a Pinkie Promise” Applebloom offered.

“You don’t break those” Pinkie whispered to her with a wink. Knowing better than to question the machinations of Pink, Sunset just went with it and followed Twilight to the infirmary. She heard a familiar voice as they entered, bringing attention to Rarity seated next to Rainbow’s bed with what looked like a trashy novel in her hands, the kind Dash would have called ‘girl porn’ if she had been awake.

“Good evening Darling. I didn’t think the day off would keep you home either” the fashionable woman smiled warmly “Did you manage to get any sleep?”

“Some…” Sunset returned with a shrug. She hadn't expected to but her exhaustion had won out against her worry. She then gestured to the book with a smirk “Not exactly Rainbow’s typical fair, even when she does read.”

“No I daresay it’s not, but it still helps to hear a familiar voice” she gave with a touch of melancholy, though it didn’t last as a mischievous smile found her “And who knows? Maybe she’ll get so fed up she’ll wake up just to get me to stop.”

“Here’s hoping” Twilight returned with a chuckle before gesturing for the redhead to join her next to the bed. She placed her hand gently on Rainbow's bandaged arm and Sunset followed suit “Good, now try to reach out to your mitochondria.”

The redhead closed her eyes and focused her senses, quickly feeling what was left in Dash’s system respond immediately. It was a good bit stronger than she had been expecting, and still quite dominant in their control. Something else also caught her attention too, relayed to her through her mitochondria.

“There’s a third signature” she spoke aloud, looking to Twilight with concern. The doctor however didn’t seem worried.

“That would be Dash's own original mitochondria” she explained “With their effort to replace them halted by the suppressants and your intervention, the infection diverted to converting Rainbow’s already existing mitochondria. Good thing too, as her own are far more likely to remain symbiotic.”

“If she’s very lucky, they’ll become the majority” Rarity added “Mine are still trying to break the ratio.”

“So long as we all remain stable, that’s what matters for now” Twilight smiled at the well coiffed hunter.

“So an NMH can actually have multiple strains of mitos?” Sunset asked. “I didn’t realize that’s how it worked.”

“Oh yes. While it would certainly be a bit of an anomaly in anyone uninfected, our cells can house several different codes” the scientist returned “Awakened can be more ‘pure’ for lack of a better term, but even that’s not always the case. A small percentage of yours are from Aya after all.”

“Really?” the former pony blinked, unconsciously looking herself over “I can’t feel anything but mine.”

“That’s because they are yours” Rarity quipped with a smirk “As what you feel as also yours will be Rainbow’s here eventually. You and I will be probably still be able to feel them, but once they’re all under control, anyone else would be hard pressed to tell without a lab.”

“I don’t suppose either of you could tell a ratio?” Twilight posed.

“I’d say from that strong a response…” Rarity began, eyes sweeping over the mechanic’s prone form “At least a third are still Sunset’s, and that they’re not yet fully adapted, still just working under her directions to them. Rainbow’s own are a little less than the rest and are still at odds with the infection…”

“That’s not too surprising, considering it’s only been a day” Twilight commented, making notes on her tablet. Sunset merely studied her friend, noting her face in particular.

“Her cuts don’t seem as bad, like she’s already healing like one of us.” she pointed out, her tone holding a note of hopeful inquiry.

“She is” Twilight brightened slightly “Maybe not too efficiently yet but the health of the host is thankfully the natural priority of all Neo-Mitochondria, infectious or not. At this rate, Rainbow’s face shouldn’t scar too much, and I’d suspect those to fade before too long as well. Her arms on the other hand… those will probably be more severe, even with an accelerated regeneration.”

“I’m sure she’ll still find her way to bragging about them” a new voice came from the other side of the room as another of MIST’s nurses exited the office. She approached the group “Hey Sunny.”

“Hey ‘Red” Sunset returned. She didn’t know Nurse Redheart as well as she knew Fluttershy, and hadn’t interacted with her nearly as much since her own recovery, but they knew each other well enough to at least be on nickname terms. “Good to see Twi and Shy haven’t been dealing with all this alone.”

“Like I could trust these two to survive on no sleep without another medic here” the Nurse quipped. As if on cue, Twilight released a very large yawn that earned an eye roll from the medic “See what I mean?”

“I’ll have you know I was just going to the bunk room after this.” Twilight gave a bit indignantly, though swiftly relented “Even if I had to be coerced into it…”

“Well then don’t let me keep you. Go on, shoo” the woman began playfully ushering the two out. Twilight turned and opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the Nurse “Yes, yes I know. Either wake up and you’ll be the very next one. Now get some sleep; you look like crap.”

With a last teasing smirk and the echo of Rariy’s laughter, the door closed on them. They collected Spike from the lab and retired to the bunk room as the doctor promised. Twilight was just climbing in one of the beds when the door opened, revealing a rabbit laden Fluttershy escorted by Cadence, who gave a surprised smile at the sight.

“Oh wow, you actually dragged her away!” she beamed at the flat glare her sister-in-law shot at her way. Unflapped, she merely turned back to the Sunset “How’d you manage that?”

“Something called a ‘Pinkie Promise’?” The redhead grinned back.

“Ah. That would do it” she nodded knowingly as Fluttershy gave a tired giggle of her own. The counselor winked at the redhead “You don’t break those.”

“So I’ve heard” she retorted before Cadence led the nurse to another bed, holding Angel as she climbed in. Wishing the pair a good night, they left with Sunset turning back toward the infirmary when a hand snagged her arm.

“Nuh-uh Shimmer,” the older woman said with good humor “Come on now, your turn.”

“Oh… yeah, ok.” She caught on and followed Cadence back to her office. She figured it would be coming but thought it’d be an actual appointment. Not that she particularly minded this time.

“So” Cadence began simply as they took their seats “How you feeling?”

“Tired, worried, scared… angry” Sunset listed off with a sigh.

“Reasonable…” the counselor returned simply “Depending on what you’re angry at that is.”

Sunset was quiet for a moment, eyes glazing slightly as they swept over the ceiling after she leaned her head back. Cadence waited patiently, knowing that since she opened up right away, that Sunset was just trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words.

“Kind of at everything, sort of” she gave after another moment “Stuff I both should and shouldn’t be.”

“Well I can guess the stuff you should be mad at, but what do you feel you shouldn’t be mad at?”

“People that don’t deserve the blame. Rupert and Shiny for not bringing more support. The Army guys for not doing better and getting themselves killed. At myself for not doing better. At Dash for getting hurt in the first place and scaring us all like this” she admitted with a concerned look, eyes still at the ceiling “Like I said, people I shouldn’t be mad at.”

“But you are, and there’s nothing wrong with that because that’s just part of what it is to feel.” she smiled consolingly “It’s good you recognize they, and you, are not to blame though.”

“Doesn’t make me feel much better about it” the redhead grumbled.

“It will, with time” Cadence countered before returning to another point “You also said you were scared; of what exactly?”

“That Rainbow won’t wake up, or that she'll wake up but not be her anymore. That I did something wrong or that my weird Mitos will cause problems we’re not prepared for…” her red and gold locks fell around her face as her eyes turned to the floor “That she won’t be okay and that it’ll be my fault.”

“The whole medic staff says she’s recovering well, that she’s stabilizing even as we speak. I believe you were just confirming part of that with Twilight before this, weren’t you?”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean I’m not still scared, or that something couldn’t still happen…” she continued “And even after she wakes up… I know an infected adjustment period can be pretty unpredictable, that they can’t all be as easy as mine was.”

“Well in fairness to you, your recovery only seemed simple because you were comatose through the worst of it. You did have an almost total metamorphosis…” the counselor pointed out “But yes, there can certainly be difficulties in the meantime. Rainbow’s fortunate she didn’t reach a state of structural mutation, so the odds of any deformities are very low, but she’ll still need time to adjust. Time and support… you’ll have to be up for that…”

“Hmmm?” Sunset’s eyes finally returned to hers, even if a little perplexed. She caught on quick enough though “Oh! Oh well yeah, I’ll do whatever I can but… I just don’t really know what I can do.”

“The most important thing is to just be there for her. Knowing Dash, she’ll probably try to wave it all off, maybe even be excited about the possibility of powers and all that. I’m sure you can imagine what that might be like.” A sly smile graced the woman’s lips as Sunset blushed slightly “But I’m also sure you remember it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, don’t you?”

The girl’s fiery mane bobbed as she nodded somberly.

“She’ll need people to lean on when it all gets too heavy for her, just like you did. Just like we all do.” Cadence continued “And there will be more tangible concerns; Twilight will most likely suggest suppressant pens be on hand at home for a while, and will undoubtedly ask you and Fluttershy to monitor her progress there. Even behind her back if need be, given Rainbow’s own pride.”

“Like she and Shy did for me?” Sunset offered a slight smile.

“Exactly.” She smiled back before taking a deep breath and refocusing “But that will all come in time. You’re here now, so back to your concerns. Let’s delve a little more into those feelings of anger, see if we can salve some of that heat…”

“And I’ll see you, in the next video. Buh-BYEEE!”

The young awakened tapped at her phone’s screen as the video ended, thumbing through the suggested options for what to play next. She was sitting in the clinic with the phone propped up on a serving table, a small plate of veggies she’d been snacking on next to it. After her session with Caddy, she had returned to relieve Rarity in watching over Dash. She had peeked her head into the bunk room for just a quick look on her way back and was happy to see the only ones that stirred were Spike and Angel, only peaking their heads up to see who it was before curling back up against their owners.

She didn’t have anything to read to the unconscious mechanic but, with the familiar voices thing in mind, she figured Rainbow might appreciate some of her more favorite tubers after that dose of ‘girl porn’. She hadn’t thought much of them herself when the prismatically maned woman introduced her to the videos but after the past couple hours of watching them, she was maybe thinking she judged them too quickly. Some of it was still very stupid but she found herself laughing nonetheless, Redheart too from the moments she’d pause to watch with her.

“Hey I’m Grump! I’m not so Gruuummmp!”

And so it went for another two hours, the sun dipping well past the horizon and bringing the night. Given they didn’t make it back until that morning, it only threw her off for a moment when she saw how dark it was through the front entrance when getting something from the vending machines. Rarity mentioned AJ would be by later, to ‘cover the late shift’ with Rainbow, making Sunset wonder if she’d be okay this late. Then again, she probably would have taken the day to rest up for it and it wasn’t as if MIST hunters weren’t used to graveyard shifts, even if fairly minor ones for those just in case moments. She was just turning back down the hall when she caught a happy sight.

“That wasn’t a full night’s sleep” she teased lightly as she approached the two women.

“It was still sleep” Twilight countered with a light yawn “Actual sleep.”

“More than I expected, considering the circumstances…” Fluttershy admitted, hugging the bunny in her arms a little tighter. “Thank you again.”

Sunset opened her mouth to refute when a remembrance hit her.

Just say you’re welcome. Whether you think you deserve it or not.

“You’re welcome.” she stated simply with a warm smile. Shy returned a smile of her own, with just a hint of knowing behind it.

‘I’ll friend good yet.’

Any further exchange was interrupted by a loud chime and a light over the infirmary door lighting up. The trio shared a wide-eyed look before rushing to the room. They hurried in, looking to Dash first.

“Doctor.” Redheart called from the other end of the row of beds, drawing attention to her. Her and their newest NMH sitting up in her bed, wide awake. While considerably cleaner than she had been when they found her, the woman still appeared rather sickly; her skin was pale and she carried heavy bags beneath her eyes. One of her hands kept gasping absently near her neck too. Yet even in such a state, she still managed to hold an almost otherworldly allure; the otherworldly part only enhanced when their eyes met and the spark of magical recognition shot up Sunset's spine again.

Those intense purple eyes stayed locked on the former pony even as Twilight moved up to examine her. They only broke away when Aya entered the room behind them, presumably lured by the sound of the clinic’s chime herself.

“Brea” she said in, even with the slight rasp of a dry throat, a sensuously smooth voice. Sunset had to consciously suppress a shudder as it rolled over her. She didn’t seem to be the only one affected either, as a slight blush crept onto Redheart’s cheeks next to the woman.

“That’s right” Aya stepped forward until she was just behind Twilight checking the woman’s vitals.

“This is MIST then…” she looked around the infirmary passively, expression not betraying a thing. She took a small cup of water Fluttershy had brought over, draining it in a single gulp before returning her attention back to Aya and looking her up and down before continuing “I’m guessing the Canterlot branch, if you’re here.”

“You’re informed” Aya returned evenly, her own expression unreadable.

“How many fingers?” Twilight drew attention away, holding up four digits and waiting. Poker face unwavering, the NMH merely looked to the hand, then briefly locked eyes with the doctor before returning to the MIST leader.

“Where’s my necklace?”

“How about you tell us your name first?” the blonde hunter countered, finally prompting a mildly irritated frown from the NMH. Instead of answering, she simply closed her eyes and leaned back against the raised mattress with a deep breath through her nose. Aya frowned in turn, scowling slightly as she regarded the girl. She nudged her head, gesturing for Twilight to come closer as she stepped away before speaking softly “Did you find anything when studying the necklace?”

“Nothing of concern. No bugs or hidden devices. Other than being a bit large for a gemstone, it seems like a normal crystal. Though admittedly, I’m hardly a petrologist.” the scientist offered with a shrug. Aya nodded and stood quiet for a moment, considering any possible risk.

“I think one of Pinkie’s sisters is a petrologist," Sunset offered "Though I’m not sure we’d get much of a response this time of night…”

“No, we need these answers” Aya concluded with a shake of her head and lift it back up to look at her new protégé “Sunset go get the necklace, it should still be in the lab.”

The former pony nodded and quickly made way for the exit, feeling a stare boring into her back. She glanced back only briefly as she opened the door, seeing those purple eyes once more following her every movement. Continuing out before she hesitated any longer, she quickly walked to the lab and after just a moment of searching, found the box of the woman’s few effects. She opened it and picked up the jewel sitting right on top.

The effect was instantaneous. Her magic surged to the hand holding the gem, burning at the ready and almost begging to be cast.

"It a focus!" she let out in a gasp before she could stop herself. Her head quickly darted about the empty lab, very grateful that Applebloom seemed to have gone home for the night. She looked back down to the necklace in her hand; it was definitely some kind of magic focus, and a powerful one at that. Even with the series of cracks she could see through its structure, it almost felt like she was holding her own horn. ‘...almost.’

She shook away the sensation, trying to regather herself as she remembered the task at hand. Leaving as quickly as she arrived, she sped walked back to the infirmary. She entered to hear their newest magic user give an aggravated sigh.

“...Four.” she answered while giving the doctor a flat look.

“Thank you” Twilight returned with a note of tartness herself before tapping away on her tablet. Aya met her at the door, taking the gem before walking back to the patient. Sunset’s magic protested at its separation from the arcane conduit, even feeling her mitochondria stir with brief agitation, but she managed to repress the urge to keep hold of it. Her desire for answers thankfully outweighed the temptation the jewel held.

“So then,” Aya held the gem up, though had yet to offer it “What do we get in exchange for this pricey looking trinket, Miss…”

“...Dazzle” she returned after a moment of staring at the gem, her poker face beginning to slip some “And you get answers.”

“...First name?” Aya kept the necklace in place.

“Adagio” she answered, to which Aya finally held the fractured gem out. The girl quickly snatched it from her hand, the move just short of violent as her composed veneer waned just a moment to show her desperation.

“Pretty” Aya commented casually, having not missed the brief glimpse herself.

“You should see me healthy” the woman practically purred as she brought the strap to her neck with a smirk. She made a quick sweeping motion as if to lift hair she didn’t have out of the way before pausing, her smug look faltering before she continued to secure the jewelry.

The others didn’t seem to notice, or else they didn’t want to show it but the moment the gem was secured, Adagio’s magical signature became significantly more complete. Honestly Sunset hadn’t even noticed how scattered her mana had been until the stark difference of the change. It still wasn’t without some deviation, probably from the flaws within the crystal she saw earlier, but there was no doubt they just handed this girl the key to her abilities.

“Okay then. Maybe now we can finish your-” Twilight began before a raised finger shushed her as Ms. Dazzle seemed to focus on something with her eyes closed. The scientist gave a grunt of annoyance and tried to begin again, only to be shushed verbally as the woman shot her a glare before returning to her almost meditative state, head tilting slowly. Not a moment later her eyes shot back open and snapped to the opposite wall, to an electrical socket beneath the room’s window in particular.

She then silently mouthed something to Aya, who tilted her head with a frown. Adagio rolled her eyes and mouthed it again, exaggerating her lips.

[You have a Bug] she relayed, even mimicking an insect with her fingers at the last word. The group’s eyes grew wide as saucers before looking to one another with shock. The blonde hunter quickly made her way to the socket in question and pulled out the small multitool she kept as a keychain. Unscrewing the cover and holdings, she gingerly pulled the socket free from the wall, revealing a clearly foreign device along the wires. Aya pressed her lips together and, with a scowl, suppressed a curse at the sight of the contraption. A single clamp allowed the listening device’s easy removal, though she quickly had to drop the tiny device as it suddenly sparked with several small pops. She could only glare at the lightly smoking bug as it self-destructed on the tile.

“Son of a bitch!” Redheart was the first to exclaim “It was wired to the damn outlet! They could have been listening in for fucking years!”

“You could hear it…” Twilight gave in a disbelieving murmur, slowly turning back the NMH in the bed “How?”

“Microphones work pretty much like speakers in reverse. I can hear them buzzing if I concentrate.” She explained calmly, looking almost bored as she did so.

“Are there any more?” Aya asked in a low tone.

“None that I can hear,” she shrugged and gave another smug smile “Though I can’t say the same for any of the station’s other rooms. Not without going through them myself.”

Aya shifted her stance and pinched the bridge of her nose. She remained that way for a few moments before looking up to Twilight.

“Twi check your phone and call your brother; The bureau has him check his phone regularly so it should be secure. Tell him we’ve had a breach and he and Rupert need to get back here as soon as possible.”

“Right” Twilight stepped away as she pulled out her phone, studying the device before pulling it out of its case and popping open the back, even removing the battery to check underneath. Satisfied, she reassembled it and powered it back on. “I suggest you all do the same.”

Aya nodded back before turning her attention back to their guest. She waited as the others checked their own devices, making the mental note to check hers still back in her office when they were done. As soon as they confirmed they were good, she continued.

“I’m guessing your sharp hearing is a result of being an NMH?”

“Actually no, I’ve always had sharp hearing. Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to… acclimate to it again after the change.” the orange haired girl returned. Twilight returned to the group, her short conversation already over.

“So you know you’ve been artificially Awakened” the scientist stated “Do you know how they accomplished that?”

“Not a clue. I wasn’t privy to the details of how they experimented on us.” she returned.

“Us?”

“My sisters. They were also taken by the organization you know as Ark Shadow. That’s why I was in the shelter. I knew it was a long shot, as our hunter extraordinaire here shut it down before we were even captured, but I was trying to find any leads I could on other facilities, no matter how remote the chance. I wasn’t very successful.” She volunteered the information easily and without further prompting, relating it to them with a smile and an almost business-like manner. “That’s why I was so concerned about my necklace. Family heirloom, and one of my last connections to our old lives.”

Her eyes flicked to Sunset for the briefest of instants, her smile growing ever so imperceptibly larger.

“You said you were taken, that they experimented on you” Aya pushed, not seeming to have noticed the look. Or she at least didn’t acknowledge it “I assume that means your time with them wasn’t voluntary then.”

“Not in the slightest” she answered simply, though the drop in her cadence was hard to miss “Bastards even fitted me with a control helmet. I’d love to give it to you for even the possibility you could shove your and the FBI’s ordnance right up their asses with what you could learn from it, but I’m afraid it was destroyed in my escape.”

“How did you escape?” Twilight queried next.

“I’m honestly not entirely sure. I was on a mission some months ago when there was a… flicker in the network. It caused a deviation in the helmet’s suppression that I was able to latch on to; A flaw I was eventually able to worry into a full system crash, finally letting me take the damn thing off.” she explained, back in her business tone “I was thankfully still in the field when it happened. Had I been in one of the facilities, I doubt I would have been able to escape. But with just a single golem chaperone; I was able to dispatch the drone, short out my tracker and slip away.”

“When did this happen?” Aya asked, to which the woman shrugged.

“Less than a year, more than a few months. I’m afraid I was more concerned with staying free and finding my sisters than keeping up with the date.” she gave with a faux melancholy and exaggerated sigh “I’m not even sure how long I’ve been asleep.”

“A little over a day.”

“A pleasant surprise...”

“You said you were in the field.” Aya ignored the shifting tone “What were they having you do?”

“I’m a hunter, like you.” She smiled more widely “And despite not being in control of my own faculties, I was still a damn good one.”

“Why would they need hunters when they have Golems?”

“Because most Golems are idiots?” Adagio shrugged “Because we draw less attention to help keep things calm so you lot don’t show up? Again, I was rarely told the why of matters.”

“But you do know the whats,” Aya reasoned, prompting the bedridden woman to open her mouth. She however hesitated, eyes darting to the side in an exaggerated contemplation. Her open maw turned into a shark toothed grin before she replied.

“I think that’s enough answers to whet your appetite for now” she purred, the smarm practical dripping off every syllable.

“Excuse me?”

“Quid-pro-quo Ms. Brea. I have something you need, and MIST can help me achieve what I need.” Adagio continued “And I assure you it’s more than simple information I can offer. I of course don’t expect an answer right away, certainly not until your other leads return. But I will say, it’ll be best for all involved if you earnestly consider my terms…”

“Is every new NMH we find going to want to be a hunter?”

The five leads of MIST were gathered in Rupert’s office, called in the moment he and Shining had returned. The bureau had thankfully already finished its sweep for any more bugs by the time they arrived so they knew they could talk. It was a little crowded, but the director had thankfully enough forethought to have enough seating for times like this. The man himself was sitting behind his desk and rubbing his temple at what Aya and Twilight just informed them.

“Technically Sir,” the scientist spoke up “She only offered to be a hunter in exchange for our help. She seemed almost intentionally avoiding saying that she wanted to be one.”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Quite a bit actually,” Cadence cut in “This isn’t like Sunset. Ms. Dazzle isn’t trying to learn how to use her powers or follow some vague ambition. She needs us if she has any hope of finding her sisters and knows whatever information she has will only get her so far. But her goal is parallel to ours and by becoming a hunter she can be involved in any effort first hand.”

“So you believe her?” Shining asked evenly “That she really is just interested in finding her sisters?”

“As much as we can believe anything she says.” the counselor tilted her head with a frown “But while she’s an exceptionally smooth talker, her mask does slip when certain matters are pushed. Her necklace for example; it obviously means a great deal to her and she’s very defensive about it despite her attempts at composure. I was able to put her off balance a few times while dancing around the subject.”

“And?” the director gestured for her to continue.

“She’s Pissed.” Cadence stated plainly “Whether Ark Shadow actually has her sisters or not, or if she even has sisters, there’s no doubt she wants to see them pay.”

“Still hardly a reason to trust her as a hunter,” Rupert set his jaw with a mild scowl “Especially when she’s basically trying to blackmail us into it.”

“But she is,” Aya countered bluntly. “And whatever information she has, we need it. This is the closest we’ve had to… well anyone who’s been a part of the organization’s actual system.”

“It would also be a lot easier to study her condition if she’s willing to cooperate” Twilight added “Is there any other way we could convince her to without making her a hunter?”

“I think this is already more than she wanted to compromise in the first place” Cadence answered somberly “She knows that now she’s been found, MIST is her best shot in staying out of their hands, but she’s not going to just give up. And unlike Sunset, she’s already proven she’s at least somewhat capable of surviving without us. She has a past, and an identity”

“Speaking of” Rupert turned to the counselor’s husband “You mentioned the bureau was able to find her?”

“Yes, I was looking it over on the way back” the agent answered as he opened the file in his hands “And this wasn’t the name of a dead girl.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight perked up at the comment.

“Oh, right… uh, later Twiliy” he fumbled with a blush. Technically there wasn’t a reason Twilight couldn’t know what they found on the other Sunset, but considering they had dismissed the possibility, no one felt it was necessary to burden her with the information. Trying to ignore his sister’s accusing gaze, he cleared his throat and read.

“Adagio Symphony Dazzle: supposedly born twenty nine years ago in Michigan, followed by her sisters, Aria Blaze Dazzle and Sonata Dusk Dazzle- so at least the records say she does have sisters,” He said as an aside to his wife “However, they only actually appeared in the database a little over eight years ago.”

“So her identity is fake,” Rupert concluded.

“Oh no, she and her sisters' records are very real, just not necessarily the truth. This wasn’t some back alley ID to let them drink. Whoever they got to put them in the system, they not only knew their stuff but had the official authority to make it legal” Shining explained with a worried grimace “There’s only so many organizations that can make that kind of thing happen without a paper trail. I’ll put out some more feelers, see what I can find but hell, for all I know this could have been us.”

“Why it was done would be the best thing you could learn” Rupert gave a heavy sigh “So they’ve only been on the radar for less than a decade?”

“Yeah, and then they fell right back off of it just a little more than 4 years later” Shining continued “There wasn’t much of a record as it was, further suggesting someone was watching them, but they still have a trail of bouncing from state to state until just… poof, gone.”

“She wasn’t able to give us a time table since her escape…” Aya began thoughtfully “But I would think if she can at least answer what year she was taken and where she was before-”

“Then it could lend credence to her story, yeah” Rupert grumbled. He rested his elbows upon the table, cupping a loose fist in his other hand before resting his lips against them. A short, warm huff escaped through his nose as he closed his eyes to think. The others waited as he considered. Eventually, his tired eyes reopened “You all mentioned that she felt like Sunset. Have we figured out why?”

“There’s nothing in the blood work to explain it.” Twilight returned quietly “Her mitochondria are a little different themselves but not in a way that suggests a correlation. There’s still more tests I can run but many will require her cooperation.”

“And she stopped talking before we reached that topic” Aya added, a hint of irritation crossed her features next “Though when we did ask why they feel similar she replied with an innocent ‘Do we?’, so she might actually have some idea.”

“Sunset’s been more on edge since she woke up too…” Cadence also offered “It could easily be she’s simply as anxious to find out as we are, but…”

“But she definitely has more control over it than she’s implied," Aya thought back to the armored golem and the massive beam they created to combat it. "Even if she can’t always predict how it’ll work out”

“In fairness, she has been practicing with it ever since that incident in the range” Twilight gave in the absent Sunset’s defense “Under our supervision most of the time no less.”

“She seems as thrown off by Ms. Dazzle as the rest of us, if not more so” Cadence stated “She clearly wants to talk to her but has acquiesced to our lead, which is encouraging.”

“I’m not worried about Sunset” Rupert assured the two women “Whatever she’s still hiding, this isn’t about her. I just wanted to know if there was another angle this Adagio could be working.”

“She was shocked to see us at all down there, and practically froze when she spotted Sunset” Aya told him “However cool she plays it, none of this was part of her plan. Like Cady said; she needs us. Even with all she knows, she needs us more than we need her. I really doubt this is some elaborate set up.”

“Even so, to add to what you said; we don’t exactly need another Hunter at the moment.” Rupert commented.

“Not like you’re at risk of having too many though” Shining countered with a shrug.

“Sunset doesn’t have an official partner yet,” Twilight offered “And if you’re not worried about her, then who better to keep an eye on this new variable?”

“She was supposed to be your partner,” the director looked pointedly at the blonde across from him. Aya simply stared back, nonplused. The small stalemate only lasted a moment before Rupert broke contact to rub his eyes. He was too tired for this right now, and besides; Aya always won. “I can’t decide this right now, assuming the bureau would even go along with whatever I do decide.”

“They’ll definitely have some questions for Ms. Dazzle themselves but I don’t see them causing a fuss” Shining gave before a smirk graced his lips “So long as you know it’ll be us hung out to dry if anything goes wrong.”

“So like always then” the older man rumbled. He then looked to Twilight “She still has to finish recovering, yes?”

“Oh yeah, she’ll be in the infirmary for at least a week yet” Twilight answered.

“Well then we’ll let this sit until then and see if we can get any more out of her in the meantime. If nothing else, I’m sure we can at least corroborate those dates if we impart the idea that anything she can do to give what she has told us some stock will be in her favor” he concluded, receiving nods from everyone. “Don’t give her anything though. If she’s going to withhold on us, then she can stay in the dark herself. The less she knows what we’re thinking, the better.”

Down the hall, the Siren laid flat in her bed with her eyes closed. The lights were dimmed and nurse on duty was currently reading at a small counter outside the office. Her back was turned, completely oblivious to the subtle glow hidden beneath the comforter pulled up to her patient’s neck. The glow ceased and the siren let out an exhausted, but mostly restrained breath. The nurse glanced back at the sound but didn’t see any further cause for distress and returned to her book.

‘Perfect’ a smirk crossed Adagio’s lips. It may have put a strain on her reserves and slightly risked exposure, but hearing her suggestions already start to take root was worth the extra exhaustion. While she didn’t much like the notion of being stuck in this room for a week, if not more, she felt that’d be more than enough time for the MIST director to ‘come around’ to the natural conclusion. ‘I’m already as good as in.’

Granted, she’d be more relaxed if it was already settled, but she didn’t dare try anything more than subtle manipulations. She had no idea how long she’d be working with these people and, with her gem damaged on top of her magic already being as limited as it was in this world, she couldn’t risk something that could be noticed if it wore off.

‘Assuming I’d be strong enough to dominate them at all’ the thought seared at her like a poker. Her transformation into an NMH was one thing, but the damage to her gem was simply unforgivable. She could repair it in time… probably. But the thought that she could have lost it… ‘Hopefully Aria and Sonata still have theirs. Even if they’re also damaged we should be able to restore them together. Then we’ll make Ark Shadow wish they killed us when they had the chance…’

She shifted in the bed, rolling onto her side as she tried to calm herself. There’d be time for that later. For now she had to keep it together and set a plan for what happens next.

‘Next, I need to find a way to talk with her. Alone.’ Adagio thought of the bacon haired girl. She harbored little doubt she was from Equis, but from where was harder to determine. Equestrian, if she was going by the taste of her magic; though there was a rather… notable shift in flavor to what she remembered of ponies.

Whatever she was before being turned into a human though, this Shimmer girl still posed an exciting development. Starswirl had merely torn a hole between the realms when he banished them, closing it behind them to leave them stranded. Since then they had yet to run into any other naturally magical beings, let alone another from their world. Then appeared Sunset Shimmer.

Brea had been right; Adagio had escaped before she received even a whiff of Shimmer’s existence, meaning she was a recent development. It was even possible she was the cause of the flicker Aria managed to send through the system, perhaps she triggered some kind of resonance with her arrival.

…

She was getting ahead of herself. She didn’t even know what Shimmer was. She has magic, yes, but even those boring Earth Ponies have magic. There was also the possibility she was banished herself and was in fact better considered as competition than an asset. Still, the mere possibility the girl knew of a way back to Equestria… While she and her sisters had accepted they may only have the opportunity to rule this painfully mundane little mudball, they had never completely given up the hope of returning home.

And ruling both.

‘I guess I better start thinking of what I’ll say’ she smirked again, only barely resisting the urge to laugh.

Author's Note

A new variable enters the scene.

Sorry this chapter took a bit. It ended up a lot longer than I expected and I didn't really feel like anything warranted being cut. That and the typical distractions and excuses I give.

But anyway, as always: Thanks for reading and I hope to see you for the next chapter. Have a good one!