[Ponyville; 29 Days till the Summer Sun Celebration]

The next day had finally come to pass, with Scott being exhausted, but still very much attentive. He was in a big building near the center of town, most likely the Town Hall, or whatever the pony equivalent to that would be. The gray-maned mare with the glasses and bow tie was sifting through paperwork without a care in the world, and eventually pulled out a small laminated folder with both a large red crescent moon and a shining sun with a red center stamped on the front.

Scott raised an eyebrow at this, but the mayor seemed rather satisfied as she opened the folder. "Let's see here... rogue monster capable of destruction beyond comprehension, stopped by the hands of a shapeshifter. Rather exciting first fight for you, isn't it, sir?" The mayor inquired.

Scott smiled and held his hands up. "It was nothing, just trying to make sure everyone was safe, it's part of the job. Automate reminded me too much of another member of his species, capable of rather incredible feats that the rest of his kind couldn't replicate, but proceeds to use them for less than good intentions," The mayor smiled and continued to look through the file. "Besides, I didn't handle the threat on my own. A couple ponies helped out too, as did an alien who didn't agree with Automate's destructive and blood-stained actions." Scott explained.

The mayor simply grinned and flipped to another page, showing a rather artistic representation of the dragon situation from last night. "Says right here that the dragon was dealt with peacefully, is that true?" The mayor asked.

Scott tensed up a bit, but knew he had to answer. "Yes, and no. Yes, it was handled peacefully, to a very small degree. No, because I feel horrible about threatening the life of another being, regardless of the wrong they've done, that doesn't justify or make what threats that come out of my mouth any less wrong," The mayor was a bit confused, and Scott sighed. "The dragon was trying to protect its children, but someone lead a bunch of crocodiles to its nest, where all but one of the eggs were destroyed. It literally only had one unhatched child to worry about, by that point. It lost its mate, and came face-to-face with their murderer. The crystal woman, simply known as 'Crystal', was looking to make money off of the stuff she hunted. The dragon was a much more aggressive creature than one would've expected, but it was simply trying to protect its last and only surviving egg." Scott explained bitterly.

Scott took a deep breath, and sighed. "To put it simply, yes, the problem was taken care of. Doesn't mean I'm happy with the means I used to get it done, though." Scott briefly remarked.

The mare nodded and turned the page. "I'm well aware that most creatures don't have it in them to be as cutthroat as so few have become, our resident animal whisperer, Fluttershy, is one of the few who absolutely refuses to get angry, let alone violent," Scott thought about that for a moment, but before he could say anything, the mare pointed to a photo of one of the Synthroid's remains. "Some of the guards that escorted you here also told me you had an encounter with one of these murderous machine people. I assume you're able to transform into one of these as well?" The mayor asked.

Scott sighed. "That was the very Synthroid that tried to blow itself up. I tried to shield the blast as one of my transformations, and despite still being blown to bits, I was lucky enough to choose the one that could regenerate from wounds like that," The mayor was a bit surprised, at first, but it was clear this human had experience with laying his life on the line for others. "As for if I can transform into one of them... yes, I can, it was how I was able to handle the dragon. I'll need to practice and train with these transformations, just to keep a better grasp on myself. From what I've read about Ben Tennyson and his experiences with the Omnitrix, some of his aliens tend to alter the personality of the user. I never knew I could be so cold, let alone cruel... practice would definitely be important, just to get a better grasp on my transformations." Scott explained.

The mayor closed the folder and filed it under a specific category labeled "Shapeshifters", and looked at the human. Despite his calm and collected visage, he was clearly repressing and withholding information. "Well, from what information we've managed to gather from you, from a professional standpoint, you already have quite the record as a lawstallion, mister Baristo. I may not understand myself on why you ended up here, but I hope we can continue to work with one another, if you see it fit. As the mayor of Ponyville," the mayor took a stamp and pressed it onto a piece of paper, then handed it to Scott. "I hereby declare you a permanent resident of our town! Welcome home, Scott Baristo. I'm sure the guards can show you to the home that's been selected by the princesses. I'll also send a scroll to you through one of the guards, should another problem pertaining to your expertise arises once more." The mayor stated.

Scott took the paper and shook the mayor's hoof. "Thank you, miss. I know I'm practically an alien myself in your town, but if the princesses have dubbed that my business is needed here, then who am I to argue. Thank you for your warm welcome, and sorry about the damage done to the town. I'll personally help with repairs anywhere I can." Scott stated.

The mayor smiled and started to go through her paperwork again, adjusting her glasses. "It's no trouble at all, just relax and take some time to yourself. I imagine someone as capable as you is probably exhausted from running around so much, so just take a moment to get to know the town, and help out where you can. I'll let the princesses know that you made it here, and already took care of our dragon problem!" Scott nodded his head and made his way to the front door, until the mayor quickly trotted over and handed him a small card. "I almost forgot, if you need anything from the Golden Oaks Library, feel free to use that card. It makes checking out books so much easier." the mayor stated.

Scott nodded his head. "Thank you very much, miss mayor." Scott thanked.

The mayor smiled. "Please, call me Mayor Mare, it is my name, after all." Mayor Mare introduced.

Scott put a hand to his face, clearly trying to hide the rising urge to succumb to an aneurysm. "Names are going to be a difficult game as long as I'm here, aren't they?" Scott questioned.

Mayor Mare simply chuckled. "Don't you worry about that, you'll get used to it." Mayor Mare reassured.

Scott sighed, reaching for the door handle. "I sincerely hope so," Scott opens the door, and gestures for the mayor to exit. "After you, miss Mayor." Scott said.

The mayor smiles and walks out. "Quite the gentlestallion we have here!" Mayor Mare remarked.

Scott's right eye twitched, but he simply took a deep breath, and sighed. 'You'll get used to it, eventually... maybe... god I hope so.' Scott thought, a small bead of sweat trickled down his face as he walked out of the building, pocketing the library card as he closed the door.

Scott walked down the street, surrounded by the guards and being lead by Private Zapp, who was trying to figure out a small map on a sticky note. "Lets see... it says here we're supposed to take him to the beaten path, then stop once we see a cabin. Who's familiar enough with Ponyville to know where we're going?" Zapp asked.

One of the bat-winged guards walked up and plucked the note out of Zapp's grasp. "Guess the princesses wanted him to have some peace, while still keeping him remotely close to town. This 'beaten' path is somewhere to the west of the Whitetail Woods, ponies only go there for the 'Running of the Leaves'." The guard explained.

Scott was confused, he was gonna have to familiarize himself with the customs and holidays of this world, because he was already confused about how these ponies do celebrations, and wasn't sure if that counted as one. "If I can interject for a moment, what's so special about these 'Whitetail Woods'?" Scott asked.

The guard cleared his throat. "Well, you're not at all familiar with how things work around here, that's to be expected. Those woods are important, because sap is usually harvested from those trees. With Beehive Hollow also being relatively close by, it's also where we get our local natural source of honey and honeycomb," Scott was actually rather intrigued by the information, and genuinely wished he had something to write this all down. "There's also a few recreational areas and trails, but it's more commonly associated with the Running of the Leaves. It's an annual "race" that acts as a means to motivate the competitors to shake the ground, knocking the autumn leaves off to eventually prepare for winter." The guard explained.

Scott nodded, seeming rather interested that he'll be living in such an area. As he and the guards started walking to the Whitetail Woods, Scott figured he'd ask a couple more questions. He was eager to learn, but he'd rather have all the facts before making a decision. "So, is there anything else I should know about those woods? There aren't any alien problems, or otherworldly threats there that I need to know about, right?" Scott asked.

The guard shook his head. "Nope, last time we dealt with those strange creatures, we warded them off with just a bit of brute force, nothin' too extravagant." The stallion reassured.

Now Scott was getting curious. "What exactly were these strange creatures like? What could they do, what did they even look like?" Scott asked.

The guard sighed. "You're asking a lot of questions, biped." The guard remarked.

Scott smiled. "It's part of the job, and everyone's just trying to do theirs, sir." Scott rebutted.

The guard was about to argue, but just let out an annoyed sigh. "The creatures in question looked like overgrown rats, the epitome of the phrase 'freak of nature'. If you happen to see any of them nearby, keep them away from ponies. They're freakish, they're crafty, they're no-good scavengers and thieves!" The guard explained, sharing a warning of caution with the human.

Scott nodded, feeling a sense of familiarity with the description of those creatures. As Scott and the guards continued on their way to the location of Scott's new home, he soon took notice of Rainbow Dash in the near distance, shopping for something while a small light orange pegasus filly with pink-ish purple hair walked by her side, practically circling the rainbow-haired mare with excitement.

The filly laughed and cheered, all while Dash smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay! You know you can dial it back around me, Scoots, ya know that?" Dash commented.

The filly stopped and smiled widely. "I know, but you're just so cool! You fought against a monster made of crystals, and fended off a dragon! Even if you got a small portion of the reward, that doesn't downplay that you had a hand in saving Ponyville! You were already cool, now you're twenty-percent cooler!" The filly cheered, flittering their small wings together.

Dash chuckled and rubbed the filly's head, finally noticing Scott coming her way. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid, but how's about we learn a bit more about Ponyville's newest arrival, the same guy who helped me fend off those nasty monster creeps," Dash lugged the filly onto her back and trotted forward, meeting Scott's gaze. "Hey there, stranger! Your posse doesn't mind if Scootaloo and I tag along, do they? You still have a lot to explain, y'know." Dash remarked.

Scott smiled and nodded. "Of course, where are my manners! I suppose it would be fair, since you and I aren't that close, but we did try our best to keep Ponyville intact and not destroyed beyond comprehension," Scott looked down at the guards, who seemed a bit tense, all of a sudden. They looked suspicious, eyeing Rainbow Dash carefully, as if they didn't trust her. Dash gave the guards a sneer, clearly not appreciating the mild hostilities thrown her way. Scott cleared his throat, getting the attention of the guards, seeing the obvious signs of worry and skepticism on their faces. "Gentlemen, they can come with us to my new home, right? Like one of the textbook religions back in my world once said, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself'. If I'm gonna be staying here a while, then I better start making friends, helps to feel less lonely. Besides, she did help me out and kept me from getting eaten by a dragon, I do owe her one." Scott inquired.

The guards were uncertain, clearly not trusting the human's judgement, but then Private Zapp stood forward, holding his hoof out as a gesture of good faith. "If Scott is willing to vouch for her and put in a good word, then I suppose we can trust her, just this once. Celestia and Luna trust him to handle any threats that come this way, alien or otherwise. So, should miss Dash misbehave or step out of line, Scott can handle it. I have faith that Scott is making the right call here," Dash shook Zapp's hoof, and he backed away, gesturing for her to come closer. "As I said earlier, should you step out of line, Rainbow Dash, there will be consequences." Private Zapp stated formally, trying to sound firm and stoic.

Dash rolled her eyes and trotted forward, flying by Scott's side as the guard resumed movement. "Man, the guards seem to be having an off day. They also seem to have an issue with you, what's that all about?" Scott asked.

Dash sighed. "I'll tell you later, I'd like that explanation first," Scootaloo steadily sat herself up and tried to stand on Dash's back. "Where are we going, anyway?" Dash asked.

Scott snatched the sticky note from the guard and gestured to Dash to read it. "Some place called the Whitetail Woods, the princesses are having me stay here to keep an eye out for anymore alien threats, or anything else that's abnormal, even by the Equestrian standard, for the ponies that live here, so they bought, furnished and stocked up the whole place for my arrival, just so it's easier to do my job," Dash wasn't even sure how to process any of that, but the mixed look of shock and utter disbelief on Dash's face after Scott mentioned the princesses, it pretty much confirmed that she stopped listening after that. Scott gave the pegasus a deadpanned expression and cleared his throat, snapping Dash back to reality. "In a sense, we're heading to my new home, which is located in the Whitetail Woods. Or, if that's too much to handle, I'm the new neighbor on the block, nice to meetcha!" Scott rephrased, introducing himself as he stuck his hand out for a shake, giving the rainbow-haired mare a wink.

Dash was a bit surprised that he was going to be sticking around, but she also figured it'd be her best chance to learn a bit more about him, maybe see if he's working an angle. Dash smiled and decided to shake the human's hand with her hoof. "Nice to meet you too, pal. So, what's your name? I didn't hear it quite right, what with the rampaging dragon and such last night." Dash inquired.

Scott reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, pulling out a driver's license. "I'm Scott, Scott Baristo, Scotty if you're an arrogant prick," Scott put his license back into his wallet, then put it back in his pocket, only to then pull out his Plumber's badge. "I'm a Plumber, I fix problems that need obvious fixing, the kind of problems that regular folk, no matter the species, status, rank, or position of power they're in, can handle." Scott introduced.

Dash was incredibly confused, but Scootaloo let a snicker escape her. "So what, you fix a bunch of toilets or something?" Scootaloo asked, laughing as she held onto Rainbow Dash.

Dash was about to open her mouth, until a hearty chuckle escaped the human. "That's not the first time someone's asked that, but I've got all the time in the world to explain to you what the Plumbers actually deal with. First off, I'm a deputized agent of the Plumbers, but I wasn't always. Back in the day, before I was born, the Plumbers were a top-secret organization. By all accounts back where I came from, they shouldn't exist, but they're a branch of government that specializes in otherworldly, supernatural, but most commonly, extraterrestrial threats. The Plumbers are like the Royal Guard, but we've been out in the stars for possibly as long as your princesses have been around, or in power, for that matter," Scott stopped and took a moment to breath, all while Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were both surprised. Where Scootaloo was impressed, smiling from ear to ear, Dash was a bit skeptical. "Second off, you'd be surprised that it took me the first two years of my official deployment as a Cadet, just to re-memorize that and learn to repeat all of that by heart," The rainbow-maned mare was still skeptical, but Scootaloo was rather enthralled by Scott's explanation. "Third and finally, The 'fixing toilets' schtick, that's just a front, a cover, so we don't scare the masses that still fear or despise alien life back on my planet. It's a lot to explain from just that alone, but we can talk more when we get to my new home, if you two aren't busy at the moment." Scott explained, taking a deep breath as he tried to get some air back in his lungs.

Dash shrugged and kept flying beside the human. "Eh, got nothing better to do. I'm just taking care of her for the day, letting her know who the coolest mare in town is, the usual, might as well hang out with the guy who ran head-first into the Everfree forest, just to finish the job." Dash remarked.

Scott smiled and gave a thumbs up, all while the guards looked at each other, uncertain and clearly displeased as they continued to walk, eventually moving onto a lighter paved trail.

[Outer Space]

Somewhere above the planet's atmosphere, a strange red mist was trying to dive below to the planet's surface, but soon found that a magical barrier was keeping it in place. The red mist seemed to give up, moving towards the moon, all while a small round ship with curved wings manages to fly through it, as if there wasn't a barrier up in the first place.

Inside the round ship, was an agitated individual clad in blue and red armor, with six bright white markings on its mask. It seemed to speak in a garbled and distorted language, all while the ship started making head way to the planet's surface.

The figure pressed a button on the ship's console and got up from its seat, making its way to an escape hatch. The console had a holographic screen on display, showing a familiar hourglass emblem as the alien willingly made its way into the void of space, only to make the rest of the descent to solid ground on its own, blasting off with a jetpack.

[Whitetail Woods]

As Scott, RD, Scootaloo and the guards continue down the path, now entering the Whitetail Woods, Scott is actually in awe at how beautiful it all looked. Big thick brown trees with numerous amounts of fresh green leaves that sprouted from every branch towered above him, and it reminded him of home in the best way. He also noticed some orange, red, and yellow leaves starting to come in as well, signifying that autumn was currently on its way. Scott smiled, remembering a time where he used to rake up a large pile of leaves every thanksgiving, then jump into them without a care in the world, hollering and laughing till the sun finally set.

Scott looked towards the river, once again feeling a sense of nostalgia. He remembered a time where he and his dad would put on their bathing suits and jump into the creek near their home, playing around and having tons of fun.

Scott stopped for a moment, stepping over the guards that had him walled in, and simply walked over to the river, taking in the fresh, maple air that permeated his nostrils, his smile growing wider as he sat at the edge of the body of water that slowly flowed past him. 'It's like I never left...' Scott thought, closing his eyes as he let out a sigh of relief.

The other ponies were confused by the human's lax attitude, leading up to Private Zapp marching over to see what the situation is. "Scott, we're a mile-and-a-half away from the home's location. Is there a problem you've noticed on our way here, what seems to be the issue, sir?" Zapp inquired.

Scott's smile faltered for a moment, and he looked at Zapp. "There's no issue, at least, none that I can find at the moment. This place, it just reminds me a lot of the farm I grew up on... secluded in the woods, smelled like fresh maple every day and night, we even had a stream of water near the house like this one," Scott reached a hand into the water, chuckling as the cold water slowly moved past his fingers. "I feel at peace. For the first time in a while, I feel at peace, for the most part." Scott explained.

Scott looked down at his reflection, only to suddenly see it change into the face of a Changeling, hissing and snarling at him with blood stains on its face, making Scott back up a bit, seeming mildly startled. Scott rubbed his eyes and looked down at the water again, only to see his own reflection. The sudden show of terror in his eyes, the powerlessness and uselessness that he felt that night, it was going to haunt him.

Zapp noticed Scott's sudden change in behavior, only for Scott to shake his head and get back on his feet. "You said the house was a mile-and-a-half away, correct?" Private Zapp nodded his head, confirming Scott's inquiry, but as he opened his mouth to ask Scott about his reaction, Scott put a finger to the stallion's lips. "Let's not dawdle, then. I'm eager to finally sleep on a bed, or to have dinner, for that matter! I haven't eaten since we left Canterlot, for god's sake!" Scott commented, running towards the guards.

Zapp looked back at Scott, noticing him trying to act like nothing happened. Zapp was concerned, something in the water clearly had the Plumber spooked, but the bat pony was unsure as to what, and why. Nothing seemed wrong at the moment, but Scott clearly saw something, and to the bat-winged guard, it wasn't something you could just shrug off, forget and walk away from.

Dash walked forward, with Zapp walking alongside the rainbow-maned mare. As much as his fellow brothers and sisters in arms were clearly uncomfortable around Rainbow Dash, Zapp didn't seem to have any qualms with the mare herself. He was unsure of the obvious show of bad blood between her and the guards, but if Scott trusted her to behave, Zapp would have to handle this particular situation with something his compatriots didn't usually use. Tact.

After a half-hour of walking, they eventually found themselves at the location. The house itself was made out of stone bricks, had a chimney with wisps of smoke billowing out from above. It was obviously big enough for Scott to be comfortable, but it also seemed to be attached to an abandoned barn that was twice the size of the house itself.

Scott was rather surprised by how rustic it looked, not that he was complaining. Dash rolled her eyes, seeming unimpressed. "Seriously, a stone hut? That's was what the princesses picked out? Where's the iron bars, let's actually make it look as uncomfortable and unwelcoming as we can." Dash remarked sarcastically.

The guards groaned at Dash's show of disrespect, but Scott wasn't deterred by the rainbow mare's words. If anything, he just smiled and walked to one of the walls, running his fingers along the cold stone surface. The coarseness and grittiness of the material, it reminded him of home, as well as his time in the academy. "I think it'll be fine. Reminds me of the cellar my old house used to have. It also reminds me of the weight training regimens a couple of my former peers would take. It's like I never truly left. It just needs some personal touches, before it can truly feel comfortable and welcoming for visitors." Scott stated.

Rainbow Dash frowned. "You're just fine with anything, aren't you?" Dash questioned.

Scott smirked, looking back at the mare. "What, is it not to your liking? With how tough and brave you are, I figured something like this would've been expected, I didn't think you'd be so sensitive about a house and its looks." Scott remarked.

Dash was not willing to give the human a proper response to such a comment, but Scootaloo simply hopped off Dash's back and walked to the door. "Can we go inside now, please? I'm actually a bit hungry." Scootaloo asked.

One of the guards walked up to the door and pulled a dusty metal green key out from their helmet and unlocked the front door. "Keep in mind that since this is the hyuumon's residence, he has a bit of an... acquired taste, according to what he's told the princesses. Thankfully, we stocked up on fruits and vegetables as well, just to balance things out." The guard announced.

Suddenly, a question popped into the filly's head. "What do these things eat, anyway?" Scootaloo asked.

Scott sighed. "Typically, we're omnivores, kiddo, means that we humans can eat both plant-based foods and meat. Some humans tend to swear off meat and become vegetarians, which means only eating vegetables and fruits for the rest of your life, where others prefer a more carnivorous lifestyle, eating meat. Then there's everyone else, who tend to eat whatever they feel like, meat, vegetable, fruit or otherwise," Scootaloo nodded, taking all of that into consideration. As the filly and the guards entered the hut, Scott was about to walk in, until something pulled him to the side. Zapp stood in-between Scott and the doorway, looking fairly concerned. "What? Was I not supposed to say that?" Scott asked.

Zapp took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "It's not that. Scott, before I let you indulge in getting your fill to eat, is there something you're not telling me, or the guards, for that matter?" Zapp inquired.

Scott was surprised, but at the same time, with how he reacted back at the river, it was obvious that at some point someone would ask. Scott sighed and looked down at Zapp, a mild look of anxiety could be seen in the human's eyes as he found the words he needed to speak. "I suppose I didn't tell you, or the other guards, for that matter, what happened to me before I became a Plumber. I know I should explain myself, but some scars never heal, sometimes they remain open, plaguing you till the end of your days," Zapp was unsure as to what Scott was referring to, but Dash finally got her chance to learn a bit about this human. "In my case, the day I became an orphan, is something I don't like discussing. With how much these woods remind me of home, I guess it isn't impossible to think that old memories would start to resurface. I apologize profusely, if I was acting a bit sketchy." Scott apologized.

Zapp nodded his head, but he still felt unconvinced. "I'll accept your apology if you tell me why you reacted like that. I am sorry of the circumstances of the past that plagued you, but the Whitetail Woods are not something to fear, unlike the Everfree Forest. You know something." Zapp stated, pushing further.

Scott frowned and tried to step around the guard. "I do, but I don't feel comfortable enough to share it. I'm hungry, my mind is cluttered, just give me some time to decompress, and I'll explain what I can." Scott suggested.

Zapp blocked the doorway. "I'm sorry, but this is something that needs to be handled now. What did you see in the river?" Zapp questioned firmly.

Scott tried to get past Zapp, but he couldn't seem to get any further through the doorway, until he felt a pair of hindlegs slam into his gut, shoving him back. Shock and agony, that's what Scott felt. While he was fortunate that the air wasn't knocked out of him, that didn't mean Scott wasn't getting irritated. "You're being rather upfront about a reaction, why do you care so much about this?" Scott questioned, holding his stomach as he tried to not fall over.

Zapp unsheathed his golden dagger, readying himself for combat. "I care because I don't want this having an impact on your work. If the princesses trust you to do something like this, then that's one thing. You being jumpy over something you saw in the river, is something else entirely! Am I supposed to stand by and let you freak out in the midst of a fight, or should I do my job and take out all threats!" Zapp stated bluntly.

Scott let a smug smile form on his lips. "You're a few years late for that, it's always impacted my work, positively and negatively. I'm all alone, nowadays, no family because they're all dead, no friends because I can't risk endangering them, I'm only remotely close to barely even a few of my workmates, and even then, we weren't that close. We know of each other, but that's as far as it goes, all things considered. You have no room to tell me that being jumpy over unresolved trauma, is not justified," Scott straightened himself up and walked towards Zapp, who stayed on his guard. "You care if this impacts my work efficiency?! I saw a bunch of Changelings rip my parents asunder, clawing at their bodies and draining them of everything they had! You think I'm scared that my issues will affect my work ethic and how well I do it, but you clearly can't see that you're wrong! I already stared death in the face numerous times over the course of my career. Allow me to list a few off, just to put things into perspective." Scott stated.

Scott cleared his throat and started to count off events on his fingers. "I was almost eaten alive by an Ormerowon on my first year of duty... for context, that's an alien zombie, put that into perspective for a moment and tremble! I also nearly got my neck snapped by demented genocidal stone statues, that wasn't fun! I thought I was truly dead when I tried to cover that Synthroid's self-destruct, something that happened yesterday! I was on the frontlines when an alien race called the Fulmini tried to attack and destroy my planet, I would show you my medal of honor, if I had one! The Fulmas Confrontation is now something being taught in the academy I used to go to! Finally, I had to resort to the most cruel and unfeeling species I've ever met in the galaxy, just to save the life of a hunter that provoked said beast, killed its mate, and was responsible for the deaths of all its unhatched children, except for one sole survivor. I could go on and on, but by this point, you should get the picture by now!" Scott yelled out.

Zapp kept his composure, but it was clear that Scott, despite the smile on his face, was finally pushed to the edge. "In simpler terms, Private, I'm used to laying my life on the line for those I barely even know, even if I gotta show some tough love, it's my job. I was never one to get too close, but I guess I already made that mistake, because I risked my life to save the hero that inspired me, and now, I'm stuck with this thing, the sole reason why I'm stuck here," Scott shows off the Altnetrix, with Zapp actually starting to feel a bit bad. "If you think I'm scared to die, you're only half-right, at best. If I die, I'll finally see my family again. If I don't, I'm still fighting, living my life for them. Either way, I'll have completed my life's mission, to make sure the world is safer than it was when those monsters took my family away...You wanna get in the way of someone who has nothing but their life left to lose, go on ahead, flip that coin. I dare you." Scott gravely warned, hovering his hand over the Altnetrix as he stared Zapp down.

Dash quickly got in-between the man and stallion, trying to keep them as distant from each other as she possibly can. "Okay, let's not do this, okay? Scoot's in there, and should this escalate into a brawl, I don't want her in danger. So, for the sake of handling this like reasonable and mature individuals, let's take a chill pill, go inside and talk this out, alright?" Dash suggested.

Zapp put his dagger back in its sheathe, trotting inside the hut without another word. Scott dropped his guard and sat down on the grass, leaning against the brick wall. Dash stood in front of the human, unsure of what to think. "What you said... was it true?" Scott looked at the mare, unsure as to what she was referring to. "Did you actually end up an orphan, because of a Changeling attack?" Dash asked.

Scott sighed, nodding his head. "It's not something I'm particularly okay with talking about... I was nine when it happened, it's stuck with me for a long time, and since then, I had to adapt. I had no other family to rely on, and the Plumbers were willing to let me stay at one of their academies, as long as I learned something. That was how I ended up joining the Plumbers in the first place," Dash sat down in front of the human, listening intently. "Despite graduating at the ripe age of twelve and seeing my hero at work on the rare occasion, I worked as a rookie for a year or so, then I became a cadet, one of the best in the field. I was content with staying in my lane, but I always stepped out of line for a reason. I hated seeing injustice across the few galaxies I've traveled to, it reminded me too much of the injustice that plagued me, the very thing that made me into who I am today." Scott explained.

Dash looked away, feeling rather dumb. "I guess that's something we have in common, I just didn't think it could happen to anyone else." Dash stated.

"How so?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Dash scoffed, letting a smile form on her face. "Something big happened that made us who we are now. What I meant was, specifically, what're the odds that Changelings were the common denominator to affect us both! It's crazy, isn't it?" Dash remarked.

Scott was confused, but mildly surprised as well. "Changelings did something to you, too?" Dash nodded her head, which made Scott rather baffled. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Scott asked.

Dash looked back to the door, seeing that Scootaloo was eating an apple with one of the guards. She sighed and looked back at Scott. "Scootaloo's parents are out of town, as far as the kid's concerned. What I know, personally, is that her parents don't exactly scream 'Parents of the Year', if you're pickin' up what I'm putting down. Her parents are explorers and adventurers, Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood. They weren't exactly interested in their kid's life, so she ended up living with her aunts in Ponyville, after moving out of Cloudsdale, while her parents went to some foreign place called Shire Lanka," Scott was mildly surprised, but decided to keep listening. "Scootaloo is an energetic kid, and as you could probably tell, is my biggest fan. Initially, her aunts hired me as a part-time sitter, but over time, I started to really care about her, especially when she started talking about her parents. She doesn't have anyone else besides her aunts, so I stepped up and became an older sister, of sorts, it was the least I could do. It was a bit difficult though, juggling my responsibilities at the weather factory, my royal guard training, and taking care of her while her aunts take a much needed break. So, I made a decision." Dash explained.

Scott took a moment to take everything into consideration. "So what exactly did you do?" Scott asked.

Dash smirked. "I left the guard before I could truly join them, they've declared me unfit for the guard ever since. Then, I demanded a nine-percent raise at the factory till I finally got it, and decided to take Scootaloo under my wing, metaphorically speaking." Rainbow Dash explained.

Before anything else could be said, a couple of the guards walked outside, handing the pair some food. Dash got a couple apples and a bottle of cider, while Scott got something reminiscent of a large chicken leg and a beef patty. Scott willingly took the food, but Dash was just ignoring them. The guard cleared his throat, and much to the obvious chagrin he was feeling, he readied himself to speak. "For the sake of doing our job, we're giving you some food. We may not trust you after your abrupt abandonment, but considering you have a filly with you, one that looks up to you, we gave her food, for the sake of making sure she doesn't go hungry. You should eat, too, gotta keep your strength up, anyway." The guard formally stated.

Dash rolled her eyes and begrudgingly took the offer, gnawing off the bottle cap and spitting it into a nearby bush. Scott chuckled, giving a thumbs up. "Strong jaw ya got there, my dad used to do that to the caps on glass soda bottles, he was a man who loved his cola, let me tell ya." Scott remarked.

Dash snickered, all while the guards walked back inside. "Thanks for the food, soldiers, don't forget that you need to eat, too! A hungry soldier is a distracted soldier!" Dash called out.

The guards let out a collective groan, until all of them started laughing. Zapp walked out of the hut, chugging down a bottle of cider as he looked down at the two individuals that conversated outside. "Well, are you not coming inside or not?" Zapp asked.

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "I'll probably go inside later, it's nice out, and I get the feeling that you want to talk," Zapp didn't say a word, he just took a long sip from the cider he was drinking, which in-turn, proved Scott's point. The human got up on his feet, and even pulled Dash back up on hers. "Yeah, talking is something you need to do right now. Come on, let's take a walk and see the rest of the woods, my ma always told me that a calm and collected environment can make a conversation smoother than butter, so let's get going." Scott remarked.

Dash walked into the hut and hauled Scootaloo onto her back, all while Zapp tossed the bottle onto a closed barrel, following the human as he walked down the path. Dash exited the hut and followed after them.

At a nearby waterfall, a golf course was set up nearby a country club. Numerous mares and stallions wore fancy golf-related attire, readying their bags full of golf clubs for a game or two. Unfortunately, this was anything but a good day for golf. The alien flew above the course, letting small wrist-mounted lasers rise out of a compartment in the gloves. The alien spoke in its garbled voice, then fired upon the unsuspecting ponies.

Everyone started to scream and panic, with the rare few trying to actually fight back against the alien. Some managed to stagger it, others made a couple dents in its armor, but they didn't defeat or kill it. Most of the ponies that fought back were disposed of easily, leaving their battered and unconscious bodies on the ground as it set the golf course ablaze.

One of the conscious and surviving golfers, a pale grayish pink earth pony mare with a pointed up muzzle who was terrified, desperately trying to see through the fire and flames for an escape, only to hear the slow and heavy clank of the alien's footsteps approaching. The mare's opal eyes widened in fear as she tried to pull herself away, trying to crawl across the ground with all her might, just trying to escape her fate, but soon enough, the alien grabbed the mare by her messy and matted up heliotrope colored mane, and picked her up off the ground.

The mare screamed as she tried to squirm free, but she couldn't loosen the alien's grip. The alien once again spoke in its garbled and incoherent language, which just confused the mare to no end. The alien spoke in its language yet again, but the mare was still incapable of understanding what was being said. The alien let out a sigh, letting a small mechanical pincer clip a large bang from the mare's mane, and pulled it into the suit. The white lines on the alien's mask started to light up, then the alien cleared its throat.

The alien leered at the mare, and decided to speak again. "As I was saying, Equestrian..." the alien's voice was low, hoarse and rough on the mare's ears, but she had nowhere to run. "I have asked you cretins many times, and you give me nothing. Now that I speak your language, you will understand me now. This is the last time I will repeat myself to you inferior equine creatures, so choose your words carefully, or a swift death is not what you'll get in kind." the alien threatened.

The mare, practically on the verge of passing out from fear alone, her heart was pumping like crazy, her breathing was erratic, slowly filling up with smoke that came from the fires nearby. "W-What do you want?" the mare stuttered, horrified by the alien's attack.

The alien dropped the mare and stomped on her chest, pinning her and causing the mare great pain. The alien leaned in close, uttering only four words as the mare slowly lost consciousness.

"Where is theAltnetrix?"

Scott, Zapp, and Dash walked through the orchard of maple trees, letting the steady peace of nature calm them. Scott took a deep breath, and exhaled, letting a smile form on his face. "Doesn't this feel great, letting nature soothe the anger that dwells within you?" Scott inquired.

Zapp sighed. "I'll admit, this is peaceful, but you clearly don't understand what I'm feeling. I'm not mad, just frustrated. Why did you react like that when you looked into the river, why hide something like this?" Zapp inquired.

Scott sighed. "To make a long story short, I was being reminded of home, the one I used to have, specifically. I saw my reflection turn into a changeling, and I reeled back, because I wasn't sure if I was ready to face the past, not after how I've clung to it... how I let it haunt me," Dash and Zapp said nothing, but Dash simply sat down beneath a tree, resting Scootaloo on the soft green grass. Zapp listened intently as Scott talked. "I've already been through a lot of stuff because of that day, and while I love my job as a Plumber, I do wish I could get a break, just to relax, to rest without worrying about danger of any kind, to not have to be ready for action and grab the weapon I keep under my bed... I just want a moment to face myself and compare how I used to be." Scott explained.

Zapp sat down and sighed, looking out to the river nearby. "I'm sorry for all this, I just figured... it'd help to tell someone that, even if it's just a stranger, like me." Zapp stated.

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry yourself to death about it, it won't do either of us any good. Besides, you're no stranger, you're more of an acquaintance. Just barely an acquaintance, but still, it's progress. Dash is an acquaintance, and she hasn't caused any trouble, I'd say everything's pretty chill," Scott sat down and leaned back onto the ground. "When was the last time you ever just relaxed, went out to do something you've been wanting to do, but work got in the way? When was the last time you went out to have fun, to forget about the job and responsibilities you have, just to get a heavy weight off your shoulders?" Scott asked.

Zapp stayed quiet for a moment, he'd been a rookie for a couple years, he wasn't sure when he was going to get a promotion, or if he'd even get a promotion, he was just trying to do all he could, make the right decisions, no matter how mad someone gets because of it. Zapp was about to answer, until he noticed something different about the air. Zapp took in a deep breath through his nostrils, and aside from the smell of the maple trees, he was picking up on the smell of something burning.

Scott soon picked up on the smell, too, as did Dash. Scott got back up to his feet, looking around, only to notice a large trail of black smoke in the air. "Oh man, that's not good!" Scott yelled out.

Dash flew into the air, spotting where the smoke was coming from. "Looks like the country club got caught on fire! They're gonna need some help!" Dash called out.

Zapp and Scott looked at each other, then nodded. "Scott, I think you know what has to be done. I'll go back to the hut and let the other guards know! The Pegasi and Bat-Ponies can make their way to the weather factory to inform the rest, you need to see how this happened, and get any living ponies out of there!" Zapp commanded.

Scott nodded his head, immediately running towards the rising smoke. Zapp looked down and put Scootaloo on his back, then looked at Dash. "Rainbow, you need to follow Scott. I'll make sure the filly stays safe in the hut. Move it, now!" Zapp ordered.

Dash followed after Scott, while Zapp quickly made his way back to the hut. 'I sincerely hope they can handle the situation before the weather ponies get there.' Zapp thought, stamping his hooves onto the ground as he flapped his wings.

Scott and Dash eventually made it to the crumbling country club, noticing that a whole golf course was reduced to scorched and blackened ash, unconscious ponies littered the entire area, all while the country club's building was surrounded in flames. Scott looked at the various unconscious ponies that were scattered across the course, with one of them catching his attention. A mare with a pointed muzzle was trying desperately to crawl away, but was clearly too weak to move. "Dash, that mare needs help! I'll check the others, see what we're dealing with here." Scott stated.

Dash quickly flew over to the mare, all while Scott knelt down to one of the ponies. By the looks of it, they were a stallion. Aside from the singing burns and the ash that stained their pristine white coat, they also had light blue hair, a monocle, and a unicorn horn. Scott tried to locate the heart, and though he could feel a heartbeat, it was faint, and fading fast. Scott reached into his backpocket and pulled out his badge, tapping the red center twice as it lit up. Scott opened the stallion's eyes, shining the light into them. Almost immediately, the stallion started to react, grunting and groaning in pain, squeezing their light azure eyes shut.

Scott sighed in relief. 'That's one, now to get them out of here,' Scott carefully started lifting the stallion, earning a pained and distressed groan, their body started to twitch and spasm. "S-Sir, please don't struggle, I'm trying to help you!" Scott stated, trying to calm the stallion down.

The stallion was eventually hoisted onto Scott's back, where he tried to carry the stallion off the course. "T-This pain... it's r-rather agonizing... my body f-feels like stopping, b-b-but I can't help but want t-to move..." The stallion hoarsely stated, his breathing was rather stunted and puffy.

Scott sighed. "I can understand that feeling. You got a name, location of residency, anything I can work with?" Scott questioned.

The stallion rested its head on Scott's shoulder, clearly fading in and out of consciousness. "F-Fancy... Fancy Pants.. C-Canterlot..." Fancy Pants managed to grunt out.

Fancy Pants eventually fell completely into unconsciousness, which meant Scott didn't have a lot of time. Scott quickly ran towards a maple tree, and rested the stallion against it. "I'll be right back, I just need to-" Something whizzed by Scott's head, blasting a hole in the side of the tree. Scott went wide-eyed as he turned around. On top of the flaming country club, Scott saw the alien looking right at him, with its wrist laser aimed right at him. The human was shocked, but at the same time, he was eager to make them pay, feeling the anger start to rise. "A Sotoraggian... of course, it had to be a Sotoraggian." Scott grumbled.

The Sotoraggian flew towards Scott, landing in front of him as it was now in much better view. Its multicolored armor was throwing the plumber for a loop, but he recognized a Sotoraggian when he saw one. "So, which one are you, dummy? What dumbass assortment of numbers do I call you?" Scott remarked.

The Sotoraggian sneered at the Plumber. "I wasn't expecting to see a human on this ball of dirt and water, not like it makes a difference. And for your information, I am Seventy-Four, a hitman who's paid quite a lot for dealing with morons like you," Scott was immediately taken aback by what he just heard, and instinctively reached for the Altnetrix. "Speaking of, I happen to have been paid by a rather interesting individual to collect the Altnetrix, as its sightings were last located on Equiis Prime, the planet that will become your grave. Hand the device over, and no one gets hurt, got that?" Seventy-Four inquired.

Scott pointed to the numerous unconscious ponies. "What's all that, then, punishment for sucking at golf, you psychopath?!" Seventy-Four growled and readied his weapons. "Forgive me, I'm used to Sotoraggians speaking gibberish and garbled noises. Either you're not a Sotoraggian, or you're much more dangerous than I thought... I don't know what the hell you are, or who paid you to take the Altnetrix away, but that's not happening! You want it, come and get it!" Scott exclaimed.

Much to Scott's chagrin, Seventy-Four was much faster than he anticipated, grabbing Scott by the throat, and trying to pry the Altnetrix off of his very being. Soon enough, the Altnetrix shaped its usual turquoise hourglass into the same pale yellow DNA Helix. "Oh great, this is happening again." Scott groaned.

[Familiar DNA Sample acquired. Scanning...] The Altnetrix's dial spun for a moment, causing the Sotoraggian to immediately back off, letting Scott go as the Altnetrix cycled through the only four aliens Scott had, only to then cycle to an icon of a Sotoraggian. [DNA Scan Complete. Sotoraggian DNA Sample has been restored to Playlist 1-A. Playlist 1-A has been restored to fifty-percent.] The Altnetrix chirped.

Seventy-Four groaned and turned away. "Damn it! The device has already bonded to your DNA, and now it's scanned me. This complicates things, but it explains why the Synthroid was reported to have been destroyed! To think some lowly human would once again be wielding the power of a device like this... truly, this couldn't've gotten any worse." Seventy-Four stated.

Scott pulled out his badge. "By authority of the Plumbers, you are under arrest for assault, arson, endangerment and destruction of property. As the only Plumber on this planet, you answer to me, so start answering my questions," Seventy-Four turned around, watching Scott pocket his badge. "Who paid you to collect the Altnetrix, and why?" Scott questioned.

Seventy-Four snarled and immediately flew off towards the skies. "You'll get nothing from me! I'll be back, if I have to kill you, or billions of these inferior creatures, just to get that watch, then so be it!" Seventy-Four called out.

Scott was about to try and go after him, but soon remembered that a bunch of ponies needed medical attention. Scott hesitated for a moment, just to grit his teeth and twisted the dial to Smudge's icon. In a flash of light, the Lenopan quickly rounded up every single unconscious pony in the vicinity, and laid them into a cart. As he did, the ponies from the factory were just arriving on the scene, obviously terrified of Smudge himself, but seeing that he was trying to get the ponies out of the way, a few of the guards quickly hooked themselves up to said cart, and trotted back to town.

Dash watched as Smudge went back to the direction of the stone hut he'd be staying in, and followed after him. "Hey, you alright man?" Dash called out.

Smudge kept moving, slithering between the trees. "Not necessarily, that Sotoraggian just revealed he got paid by someone to get this watch. He did all of that damage to innocent ponies, just for this stupid watch!" Smudge moved back onto the main trail and immediately decided to try and blend in. Smudge molded himself into the shape of an earth pony stallion with a dirt brown coat, long grass green hair, bright turquoise eyes, strapped with a black and white harness that had the Omnitrix fixated on the center of it. "I need to get back to the hut, formulate a plan! I can't let this bastard have his way, not after that! He'll be lucky I decide to uphold the law, rather than kill him where he stands!" The disguised Lenopan remarked angrily.

As Smudge trotted away, Dash followed close behind, she needed to make sure Scootaloo was alright and safe. This wasn't how Dash thought the day was going to go, but chances are, if she didn't decide to stick around with this human shapeshifter, it could've been worse than it was.

[Outer Space]

Seventy-Four found himself back in his ship, exiting the planet's atmosphere and flying through the magical barrier. The Sotoraggian put the ship into auto-pilot, then took a knee on the floor.

Suddenly, the holographic controls, along with the interior lighting of the ship, changed into a bright crimson color, and a blurry, distorted equine-shaped figure presented itself. "Ahh, Seventy-Four, what an expected surprise. Didst thou collect the device like I paid you to?" the figure inquired, their voice was sharp and venomous, like a black widow's bite, but their tone was smooth and sickly sweet, like red velvet.

Seventy-Four shook his head. "Negative, ma'am. The Altnetrix seems to have bonded to the DNA of a human, one of the meddlesome creatures I told you about in one of our previous reports," Seventy-Four presses a button on one of his metal gauntlets, showing a video recording of the Altnetrix scanning Seventy-Four's DNA. "To make matters a bit worse for wear, the one who wields its power is one of the Plumbers... I was hoping that report I got was wrong, but we may have a problem, after all. The Altnetrix's arsenal has now also been restored to fifty-percent, just by re-acquiring my DNA. Apologies, I got a bit sloppy because of my emotions. I will return in two of Equiis Prime's rotations, this human won't stand in your way." Seventy-Four reported.

The equine figure didn't seem discouraged, but it wasn't happy with the report, either. "'Tis but one failure you won't make again. From what thou hast told me of these "Plumbers" in passing, specifically, the legends of one "Ben 10" and his exploits with such a familiar device, we can easily surmise that this Earthling won't be a thorn in our side, as long as we can keep him distracted. Exterminate him, if thou sees it fit, just understand that I won't tolerate another failure on thy part. Understood, Sotoraggian?" the mare inquired.

The Sotoraggian nodded his head, the white marks on their mask started to shine red as the moon's surface reflected off of his black mask. "It shall be done, as you've commanded." Seventy-Four confirmed. Almost immediately, everything started to return to its usual color, all while the same red mist that persisted on pushing through the magic barrier out in space, poured out from the Sotoraggian's suit, as if the suit itself was readjusting itself for pressure.

Seventy-Four returned to his seat, flying his ship to the surface of Equiis Prime's moon, hoping to ready himself for his next encounter with the Altnetrix-equipped Plumber.

Author's Note

Well, this is one way to start another multi-part chapter. Figured I'd introduce a new antagonist once every occasional chapter, but for now, this will do.

With Scott's arsenal increasing in available alien species, as well as Scott trying to come to terms with the trauma he suffered from, the tension is high, and he needs to train.

Here's where things get interesting:

With Scott being a Displaced, albeit not your typical Displaced, I'm thinking about bending the rules a bit, to allow for a crossover with another Displaced. So, I may ask around for whoever might be willing to crossover. I sincerely hope this works out, haven't done a Displaced crossover since... 2021 to 2022!?

Here's to hoping how this first crossover will go, otherwise I'll concede and admit this was a bad idea.