[19 days till the Summer Sun Celebration]

After a bit of rest, and a long walk back to his home to inform the apple family of what happened, Scott was thanked and managed to get in Applejack's good graces, or rather, has started to get in her good graces.

Scott watched as the apple family left and went back to their farm, all while he simply sat down on his sofa, trying to figure out how to process the information he had gained. He felt exhausted, tired, metaphorically and literally drained, but at least he could get some time to himself. Just him, his sofa, his food, and forty winks he was eager to get back.

Scott laid down and closed his eyes, letting himself try to drift off to his dreams. Unfortunately, there was a knock at the door, which made him groan into the cushion. Scott got up and walked to the front door, grabbing his bat and readying it. He pressed his ear against the door carefully. "Who's there?" Scott called out.

A set of hoofsteps could be heard approaching the door from the other side, and the sound of someone clearing their throat made themselves known. "Hey Scott, it's me, Dash. Uh... haven't seen you in a few days, but word's getting around that you helped AJ's family last night with some serious blood moon stuff. Wish ya got ahold of me before you did, I was on my nightly patrol, when I see Applejack and her family fleeing their farm in their delivery cart. What's happenin' man, can I come in?" Dash asked.

Scott frowned, he wanted a day to himself, just so he can get some sleep, but Dash was at least courteous. Scott hadn't seen her since Seventy-Four tried escaping Canterlot five, now recently, six days ago. Nearly a full week since the interrogation occurred, and he hasn't interacted with her since then. "Is it just you, or is the kid with you?" Scott asked.

Dash was silent for a moment, but eventually she spoke out. "Scoot's dealing with her own stuff today. Said she wanted the coolest mare in Equestria to focus a bit more on fighting the bad guys, so I was thinking we could go out and patrol the place. You game?" Dash offered.

Scott sighed. "You know, I'd love to, but today isn't exactly good for me. I'm thoroughly exhausted from what happened in that orchard, and I'd like to just rest and relax. I can't run myself ragged, it won't help anybody. Maybe another time, but not now." Scott stated.

Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion, but shrugged it off. "Alright, suit yourself, but if there's something you need, let me know, I won't leave my friends hanging when they need it most." Dash reassured.

Scott nodded his head. "Will do." Scott stated tiredly.

Soon enough, Dash took to the skies in a rainbow blur, leaving Scott's hut behind as she pushed through the clouds. Scott sighed and fell face first onto the sofa, closing his eyes as he prepared himself to try and sleep again. 'Okay, I just need to relax, I need to sleep. If I run myself ragged, I won't be of much help to anyone. So, I just need to relax, and sleep for a few hours.' Scott thought.

There was another knock on the door, and Scott's eyes snapped open. "This is gonna be a trend today, isn't it?" Scott wearily asked himself.

Scott got up and moved towards the door, pushing his ear against the door again. "Who's there?" Scott asked.

The sound of bones cracking could be heard, which unnerved the hell out of him, until he heard their voice. "Heyyy buddy boy, took a little bit to find you, but I guess it's better to be late than never. Ya probably don't remember me, but we met back at that fancy palace. I grabbed you, you got a bit aggro, but it's all water under the bridge, right?" Scott steadily opened the door, only to be faced with the DNA Donor for Needlepoint. Scott furrowed his brow and groaned. "Allow me to introduce myself. Name's Argit, and I'm your potential new business partner." Argit introduced.

Scott threw the door open and readied the Altnetrix. "Unless you want to become my brand new rug, you're gonna leave, and you're not coming back. By my authority as a Plumber, I will not hesitate to exercise my rights to turn you in, criminal." Scott warned.

Argit sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, it was worth a shot. I'll admit, you may have ol' benny boy's powers, but you definitely remind me of Kevin, mainly in the aggression you're giving off." Argit commented.

Scott stepped forward, glaring daggers at the alien on his doorstep. "Unlike Magister Levin, you have no intent of changing your villainous ways and suppressing your criminal urges. I'll only repeat myself once, because you clearly didn't hear me the first time, vermin," Scott grabbed Argit by his neck and pulled him close. Argit could see the exhausted, yet persistent burning fire that ignited the human's rage in his eyes, and was starting to get the impression that he wasn't welcome. "I'm not in the mood for this shit. I'm tired, I have a lot to think about, and believe it or not, should you press my buttons, I'll throw your not-so-sorry ass through that swirling portal above my home, and make sure you never come out, especially alive. Ever wanted to know what hell actually looks like? Keep testing my patience, rat, and you will find out soon enough, I promise." Scott warned gravely.

Scott let Argit go, and despite having his quills ready for an attack, Scott reached into his doorway, grabbing his bat. Upon seeing the blunt instrument crackle with electricity, the alien was actually rather hesitant to fight back, he could tell that Scott meant what he meant, and he wasn't sure if he was impressed, terrified, or both.

Argit let a small grin form on his face as he slowly backed away. "Okay, okay. I can take a hint, pal," Scott gritted his teeth and raised his bat. "Hey hey!! Easy, just tryin' to be friendly. Clearly you're not in a good mood, and that wouldn't exactly be good for me. I'll leave ya be, grumpy, but just so you know, this ain't gonna be the last time we meet. Remember that." Argit remarked, slowly walking away from Scott's hut, making his way towards the train tracks.

Scott groaned and walked back inside, slamming the door behind him. Scott jumped onto his sofa and tried to relax, practically hoping no one else would interrupt him, but with how the day started so far, aside from him doing his usual chores like water the deku seeds he had planted and checking his stockpile of food, Scott wasn't exactly hopeful that people and ponies would leave him alone for the day.

Scott closed his eyes and let out a sigh. 'Keep your cool, Scott. You're just tired, exhausted, there's a lot on your plate that needs to be put away. Just relax... relax...' Scott thought.

An hour later, Scott silently slept on his sofa, occasionally turning over every now and then to get comfortable. A small smile formed on the sleeping human's face, all while he enjoyed his peaceful slumber.

There was a knock at the door, and Scott's eyes snapped open, clearly starting to get irate about people or ponies suddenly visiting him. Scott groaned as he got up and looked out his window, seeing that it was Zapp at his door this time. Scott sighed and walked towards the door, opening it. "Let me guess... there's a problem that requires my expertise?" Scott asked.

Zapp nodded his head, much to Scott's disappointment. "There's been reports of a strange bug-like creature making nests in the Everfree Forest. It's not the changelings, but it has been scaring ponies away, spraying some kind of powder-like substance that has varying degrees of after effects. The other guards have come up with only one other possibility that this bug could be, and as you might've guessed, it's likely an alien. We could use your help with this one, it seems ready to lay eggs. The ecosystem might not recover when those eggs hatch." Zapp informed.

Scott's eye twitched, and for a moment, Scott considered slamming the door in the stallion's face and going back to his sofa. Instead, Scott sighed, and just grabbed his bat, glaring at the bat pony heavily. "Zapp, I'd usually love to help with these situations, but after what I've endured last night, I'm going back to sleep, and taking the day off. Get some of the guards, or even Rainbow Dash to help, she was just here an hour ago, wanting me to go on patrol with her." Scott remarked.

Scott closed the door on the bat pony, earning a dumbfounded look from the private. "I can't help but feel that you might be coming down with something... if so, then I guess I'll let you be, and take your advice." Zapp remarked, flying away from the hut.

Scott laid the bat against the wall and slumped back onto his sofa, exhausted as all get out. The human could barely keep his eyes open, and eventually drifted back to sleep. Scott tiredly pulled a small bit of cover over himself, letting himself slowly return to his peaceful and comfortable slumber, blissfully unaware of the Altnetrix flashing yellow.

A couple more hours pass by, and there's a commotion happening outside of his home. Scott groans and covers his head with the covers, but he knows that he needs to see what's going on. Scott uncovers himself and looks out the window, only to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash having an argument. Scott frowns, already walking to the door to greet another round of mild, yet incessant chaos.

Scott opened the door, hearing a small brunt of the argument. "--cause you had to drag him into it! Here I thought you were done with dragging others into your problems, Applejack!" Dash remarked.

Applejack sneered and stood unflinching. "Ah did it because ah wasn't sure if this would escalate, should something not be done in time! You should be familiar with what that's like, considerin' the guards give ya the stink eye every now an' then!" Applejack rebutted.

Dash gritted her teeth, an audible growl escaped the pegasus as she got in the earth pony's face. "You wanna go, Applesmack?! I'll toss your flank onto the ground right now!" Dash yelled angrily.

Applejack smirked and pushed herself against the pegasus, letting a grunt escape her lips. "Bring it on, Rainbow Crash! You'll be hogtied into next week 'fore you can lay a scratch on me!" Applejack taunted.

Dash groaned. "Freakin' hillbilly!" Dash insulted.

Applejack groaned back. "Feathery bitch!" Applejack insulted.

Scott was clearly too tired for this, and seeing the two mares getting all up in each other's faces on his property didn't make him feel any better. Without warning, Scott grabbed his bat, focusing hard as the bat crackled to life with electricity, catching the mares' attention. He gave a look towards the mares, a look that would've killed them both twice over, and started walking towards them, looking less than pleased himself. "You two wanna explain what the hell this is about, or are we going to have a problem?" Scott asked.

Almost immediately, Dash backed off, while Applejack was clearly confused. "Since when could ya do that!?" Applejack asked.

Dash smirked. "Ever since some elf dude named Jeff showed up, taught him how to fight and even gave Scott a few new toys to play with," Dash looked over at Scott, who seemed less than thrilled to be dealing with this. "Why don't you show her the mask!" Dash suggested.

Scott raised the bat above his head and smashed the ground with it, causing sparks of electricity to fly everywhere, which ended up startling both of the mares. "Both of you. Argument. Explain. Now!" Scott stated angrily.

Dash sunk and sighed. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, don't pop a vein there, dude!" Scott glowered at the pegasus, making Rainbow Dash gulp. "Applejack and I were wondering if you'd be willing to do something with us. You've been cooped up in your house for five days already, and the moment you leave it, it's during a blood moon, for Celestia's sake! Now you're becoming a bit of a homebody, just wanting to sleep all day. Ya gotta keep yourself in shape, otherwise, you might not be ready to face the next threat that shows up, whenever that'll be." Dash explained.

Scott frowned. "I'm fine, miss Dash, I just need a day to myself to just relax and rest. Sleeping during a blood moon isn't exactly safe, what with the nightmares and such," Scott looked up at the afternoon sky for a moment, seeming lost in thought. Scott snapped out of his daze and shrugged his shoulders. "But enough about me, tell me some good news. Did you ever find anything out with what info the Sotoraggian gave us?" Scott asked.

Dash shook her head. "Haven't had the time. Been working double time to make sure no other changelings or aliens try to get the drop on anypony else, it's why I asked you earlier today if you wanted to join me on my patrols. I know I'm awesome at everything I do, but in the end, I'm just one mare. Speaking of which, how'd that bug problem go, anyway?" Dash asked.

Scott was confused. "Bug problem? What bug problem?" Scott asked.

Dash's brow began to furrow. "The bug problem in the Everfree, some strange bug is spraying a bunch of colorful powders on ponies, ready to lay its eggs? That doesn't sound familiar? Did that lousy bat pony primadonna not show up to tell you!?" Dash questioned, clearly aggravated.

Scott's eyes widened and suddenly remembered that Zapp did show up today, and he told him to handle it. "I'm gonna guess that problem got worse without me, didn't it?" Scott asked.

Dash's jaw dropped, and Applejack simply chuckled, much to the pegasus' irritation. "Partner, it's clear tah me now, that blood moon last night clearly took it out ah ya, if'n ya didn't go with that bat pony feller to deal with tha darn bug thang, or whatever. Tell me, how tired do ya feel right now?" Applejack asked.

Scott was still pretty tired, but he had to admit, if he had the energy to be angry, then clearly he got as many winks as he needed already. It was past the morning hour, too, so he might as well do something today, since no one can actually leave him alone for a day. "I think I probably got enough sleep, but I need to eat before I do anything else. I'll go grab a couple apples, and then we'll head out. Might as well see what the damage is, that'll determine how we can fix this." Scott remarked.

As Scott walked back into his hut, grabbing more than a couple apples from a burlap sack, he grabbed the Hylian mask from where he hung it up, and hooked it onto the side of his pants as he left. As Scott closed the front door, he immediately remembered something he actually had to do. "Give me a moment, I just remembered I have plants to water, shouldn't be but a moment." Scott stated, immediately running towards the river.

Dash and Applejack watched from afar as Scott fiddled with the Altnetrix, and then transformed into Smudge. Applejack cleared her throat and looked at the pegasus that stood beside her. "So, how long have ya known about this?" Applejack asked.

Dash looked at Applejack, saying nothing at first, but seemed to slowly get confused the more she thought about the question. "What do you mean exactly?" Dash asked.

Applejack pointed to the huge amorphous pile of sludge carrying water in its makeshift buckets, letting it rain down on spots that showed very small and miniscule buds growing from the ground. "All ah this, Dash, for land's sake. These 'alien' varmints causin' trouble fer Ponyville, that human feller and his changing powers, him bein' from someplace else entirely that's unlike Equestria, this doesn't bother ya in any way?" Dash shook her head, shrugging as she continued to watch the transformed Plumber water his plants. Applejack was confused, but at the same time, she didn't know as much as Dash knew. "Well, what's changed since ah last saw 'im, other than havin' fancy electric powers? What in tarnation's goin' on?" Applejack asked.

Dash shrugged as Smudge tried to fiddle with the Altnetrix again. "It's a bit of a long story, but I'll try to summarize it. Basically, you know that country club that's nearby? That got attacked by an alien called a 'Sotoraggian' or whatever, it certainly had him steamed. We crossed its path, and Scott ended up basically realizing that he wasn't ready for a fight with someone like that, and declared that he needed to be more prepared, he wanted to get stronger," Applejack listened intently, though she still found this whole thing rather farfetched. "We came back to this hut, found a big ol fancy stone that wasn't there before, and then we met this dude who came from another Equestria, named Jeff. That elf dude taught Scott how to use a sword, channel magic into his weapons, and gave him a couple of other tools to help him, too. A couple days pass, Scott faces the alien dude again, apparently something else happens, there's a chase, Scott came out victorious, and we interrogated him together," A flash of white light enveloped the alien hero, and Scott was returned to his normal form. Applejack was trying her best to comprehend everything Dash was saying, but it was starting to get very difficult in some places. "We found out some wacko named 'Eclipsed Blackheart' is the alien's benefactor, somepony who'd pay him to take Scott's watch, and apparently do something else, we're not entirely sure. We would've gotten more info out of him, if that bat-brained guard named Zapp didn't interrupt. We don't know why Eclipsed Blackheart is on the moon in the first place, let alone when she's supposed to return, but I know this sounds like some serious shit. There's a lot we don't know, and I think it was messing with Scott for a bit." Dash explained.

The two ponies looked at the human, who seemed to be purposefully avoiding eye contact, a worried, embarrassed and conflicted expression formed on his face. "Ya must've been havin' a hell of a day tryna put the pieces together, huh, partner?" Scott continued to avoid eye contact with the mares, but it was obvious, his mind was thinking about something else. "Ah guess me showin' up durin' a blood moon to ask fer your assistance wasn't exactly helpin' yer thought process... I'm sorry, Scott." Applejack apologized, taking her bandana off as she held it to her chest.

Scott sighed, feeling solemn and ashamed, but he could feel like that later. The human sighed and finally looked at the mares. "I was glad I could help, regardless of how insane the circumstances were, but I'll be honest with you both. Despite me deciding to finally do something today, I personally just want to go back to sleep, my mind is too crammed full of important stuff, and it's hard to focus. Let's get this over with, and hopefully, it'll be a simple fix, and nothing goes up in flames." Scott remarked.

Dash smiled. "One can only hope." Dash reassured.

Within the depths of the Everfree Forest, Zapp, along with a few other guards, were moving through a path. This path lead through a thickly wooded part of the forest, the plants seemed to be stained with multiple brightly colored powders and dust. On rare occasion, some of these dusty powders will sprout miniature mushrooms, each one riddled with dormant spores.

Zapp carefully held a hoof over his muzzle, as did a couple other guards, though some guards didn't seem to take their environment into consideration, and soon ended up stunned in place, rendered immobile. The stunned guards were then caught in a couple webs, and yanked into the thick bushes of leaves above. Zapp gritted his teeth, but it was becoming rather clear that this job was a failure.

The few remaining guards seemed genuinely worried. "This isn't good, this is so not good. W-What do we do?" The guards looked towards where Zapp was, only to find that he was shuddering. "Private? What's wrong?" One of the guards asked.

The deafening silence between Zapp and the other guards was almost sickening. One of the Anthodopterrans charged at him, emitting a loud buzzing hiss, all while Zapp gritted his teeth and smirked, confusing the other guards.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Scott walked into the Everfree Forest, noticing that the forest-sized chaotic force of nature was a bit quieter than usual, it was almost serene. Some large parts of the forest was littered with a powder-like substance, ranging from a multitude of colors that made Rainbow's mane look bland by comparison. Scott's eyes widened at the sight, noticing that the huge crocodile-like creatures nearby were sleeping peacefully, all while their snouts were completely coated in powder.

Dash and Applejack slowly trotted forward, noticing how the Everfree Forest was now silent, still and at peace. "Okay, this is weird, even for the Everfree. This place isn't usually so... controlled. What happened here?" Dash swiped her hoof over a tree that was covered in powder, examining the substance that was now coated on her hoof. "What is this stuff?" Dash questioned.

Scott, without a moment of hesitation, immediately grabbed Dash by the leg and pulled her over to the water where the crocodile creatures rested. He dunked the powder covered hoof into the water, frantically trying to wash the powder off, all while Dash saw the caution in his eyes, it overrode everything he felt prior, and he just scrubbed the powder off like he was treating an infection. "Scott! What're you doing!?" Dash exclaimed.

Scott pulled Dash's hoof out of the water, seeing that it was now entirely lacking in any trace of the powder itself. Scott watched as the powder mixed with the liquid, a small visible rainbow stream could be seen mixing with the water itself, making its way to the crocodile creatures as they slumbered. Scott pulled Dash away, much to Applejack's confusion. "I'm only going to say this once, and you better take what I say seriously. Don't. Touch. The. Powder. You're very lucky nothing happened right away, otherwise you'd be in some very serious danger." Scott warned sternly.

Dash was confused, but Applejack stepped forward. "I reckon ya might be willin' to explain why, if it pertains to this bug problem?" Applejack asked.

Scott nodded, pointing to the stuff that's been covered in powder. "All it took to know what kind of bug problem we were dealing with, was seeing all of this rainbow powder sprayed everywhere. This isn't your typical fly, we're dealing with an alien. It's known as the Anthodopterran, a race of moth-bee like insects that rarely grow pass the size of a full grown husky," Scott started to scroll through the Altnetrix, readying himself for a fight. "They are commonly known for their abilities to fly, spray a poisonous powder, unleash mushroom spores that are potent enough to stun a Vaxasaurian, induce sleep via some kind of sweet scented aromatherapy, and often have their stingers create strong silk webs, whether for traps, or to carry around thirty times their bodyweight. They look rather cute, but don't let that fool you. They can be vicious, unruly, but if you get on their good side, they'll recognize you as a friend, an ally to their hive." Scott explained.

Soon enough, the sound of wings flapping could be heard coming closer. The three of them got ready for a fight, but soon saw that it was a familiar face. Private Zapp, who looked exhausted beyond all compare, fell to the ground with a mighty thud, with the three individuals standing above him, looking down at his exhaustion. "Phew, here I thought I'd have to run all over Ponyville just to find you. Listen, that bug thing I told you about, it just ambushed me and a few other guards! They got strung up in webs and yanked into the trees, I narrowly escaped as they sacrificed themselves to let me escape!" Scott and Dash couldn't believe what they were hearing, and to a degree, neither could Applejack. The farm pony had a look of skepticism and suspicion when Zapp tried explaining himself, and though he tried to sound distraught and terrified, he certainly didn't look it. The bat pony had a knowing look in his eyes, one that made her hold her tongue. "We must get this bug out of the Everfree, no matter what! Understand?" Zapp inquired.

Scott nodded his head. "Good thing I know what we're dealing with, now that I see this powder stuff for myself. Of course there'd be an Anthodopterran here, especially one ready to become a queen, to lay millions to trillions of eggs. There'd be enough drones to usurp Equestria's current total guard count hundreds of times over, but maybe it won't come to that. All I ask, is that everypony here trusts my judgement, okay?" Scott requested.

Dash nodded her head. "Pal, you've been doing good so far, it'd be pretty stupid to not trust you by this point." Dash commented.

Applejack smiled at the pegasus, then looked up at Scott. "Partner, ya did mah family a great service with what ya did durin' that blood moon night. Ah'd be as rotten as an apple tree growin' in a graveyard, if'n ah didn't trust ya now." Applejack stated.

Zapp seemed... uncomfortable with the two mares sharing their adoration for Scott taking initiative, but simply sighed. "I suppose the human has a plan. Saves me the trouble, but I'm going to prepare something, just in case things go south. I'll be back in a moment's notice." Zapp remarked.

Scott nodded his head, watching as Zapp flew out of the Everfree with haste. Scott wasn't sure why, but he certainly felt like something was different about Zapp. Maybe he was initially too tired and focused on everything else to notice, or maybe he was being purposefully naïve, because he was one of the few ponies to show him any genuine kindness and interest when he was being relocated to Ponyville, and yet, Scott felt as if the bat pony he took a liking to, was going down a dangerous path, one that's rather... red in color.

Scott shook his head and sighed. "Alright, let's get to the bottom of this issue, because Zapp said something that doesn't line up with typical Anthodopterran behavior. Sure, they make traps, but they're subtle about it. They'll wait from around a couple days to three whole weeks to see what their traps have caught. They're not cognizant enough to concoct an ambush strategy. Despite how aggressive they can be, they are social creatures," Scott walked forward, keeping his hand over the Altnetrix. "Something must be wrong if this is the case. If things start getting messy, you two need to run and get help. Find Technorg, if you can, big guy's probably hankering for a fight, anyway." Scott cautioned.

Dash and Applejack nodded, following behind Scott carefully as they walked through the Everfree. From above, someone is watching from the tree line, stalking the trio with the sole intent to brawl.

Scott, Dash and Applejack moved through the brush and onto a path, one riddled with various powders and webs strung out everywhere. They were on the right track, but they kept their guard up. Applejack looked at the powder, its rainbow colors were hard to look at, to the point to where her eyes were starting to ache. "These powders aren't easy on the eyes, huh. Why in tarnation do ya think these alien critters are so riled up in the first place?" Applejack asked.

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, could be a number of things, really. They're usually so peaceful, until something gives them reason to act provoked. Maybe something, or someone, did end up provoking the soon-to-be queen of this particular hive, and she's had to speed up the process just to keep herself safe, and it's made her rather aggressive in the process," Scott steps over a fallen log, while Applejack jumps onto it, and Dash simply flies around it. "It's also likely that the Anthodopterran was being hunted already, prior to before Zapp and his merry band of guards showed up to try and handle the situation, which clearly didn't work out for them. Maybe by trying to track down the Anthodopterran, we're likely leading a hidden assailant to their location, which could likely escalate things further." Scott explained.

Dash nodded her head, though she was a bit skeptical at that last part. "Seems a bit specific, don't you think?" Dash questioned.

Scott nodded his head, readying his bat as he looked up to the trees. The environment was still quiet, unmoving, there was a clear distinct lack of chaos and anything trying to kill them in that moment, and yet, Scott still felt an air of danger nearby. "Whoever's hiding amongst the trees, show yourself and this won't get ugly! Don't think you can hide from me, I know when someone's wanting my head, being a Plumber will raise your awareness when you know what you're doing, so come out and prepare to face the music!" Scott called out.

The forest went silent, but it didn't stay that way for long. A figure clad in vines and crystals descended down, revealing Crystal, who seemed to have not yet left the everfree forest, seeking prey. "Guess you're not some scrawny puke, after all," Scott activated the Altnetrix and pressed the core down, immediately becoming his Sotoraggian form, Commander. "Look, I've been hunting this Anthodopterran queen for the past week, and I'm not giving it up for some stupid Plumber, and a couple of dumbass ponies!" Crystal remarked, forming her crystal arms into blades.

Commander readied himself for a fight. "Crystal. Should've figured I'd run into the love child of Tetrax Shard and Khyber the Huntsman. Full-on Petrosapien, but you just can't seem to understand that there's a difference between hunting and endangering lives," Crystal was a bit surprised that Scott transformed into a Sotoraggian. She heard about what happened when Seventy-Four came to this planet the first two times, and now he's basically off the grid. Crystal kept herself steady, leering at the transformed plumber with disinterest. "What, you couldn't've learned your lesson last time and become an explorer instead? Why are you after the Anthodopterran, of all things?" Commander questioned.

Crystal just sneered and rushed forward. She swiped her blades at Commander, but he was able to thankfully move out of the way and sweep kick the petrosapien, knocking her to the ground. He quickly got on top of her and pinned her arms to the ground, trying to keep her still. "You still didn't answer my question, why are you after the Anthodopterran?" Commander questioned.

Crystal spat a crystal at Commander's helmet, causing him to panic and let Crystal go, trying to remove the crystal that was now lodged into his helmet, mere inches away from his face. "Kiss my ass, cop!" Crystal managed to squirm free, and kick Commander away, then jumped back onto her feet, only to then be met by a powerful kick sending the petrosapien careening into a powder-covered tree, scattering the powder all over herself, and knocking the tree out of the ground, exposing its roots. Applejack had managed to buck Crystal away, though she was now starting to massage her back hooves as a look of pain and discomfort formed on her face. "Urgh..." Crystal grunted.

Applejack smirked, but she could feel the pain in her back hooves. "Hoo golly, that thing is tough! Ah think I nearly broke mah hooves doin' that!" Applejack winced.

Rainbow Dash flew straight towards Crystal, but immediately remembered what Scott said about the powder, and immediately backed off. Dash flew over towards Commander, who ended up transforming back into Scott, and helped him back up on his feet. "Okay, so, just how tough are these crystal people? I've faced her a couple times before you showed up, but she's pretty difficult. I need to know what I'm working with here." Dash asked.

Scott dusted himself off and looked at Crystal, who seemed to no longer be moving, but instead knocked out and reduced to an unconscious state of being. "Petrosapiens are a tough crystalline species of alien life. Not only can they be effective from a distance and through close quarters combat, but they're especially hardheaded, in the literal sense. Crystal seems a bit more tactical, however, due to her background as a hunter. Equestria has given her a whole array of challenges, and she's clearly adapted accordingly to stay on top," Scott cautiously walked over towards Crystal, noticing that the combined impact of force from Applejack's kick, colliding with the tree, and the vast amount of powder that now coated her body, had rendered Crystal unconscious for the time being. "But even they aren't invincible, just really difficult to knock out. It's not entirely sure how Petrosapiens are susceptible to the powder's effects, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth right now." Scott explained.

Applejack trotted forward, still wincing from the newfound pain in her back hooves. "Land sakes, this is concernin'. D-Do we wait for her tah wake up, or-"

Scott shook his head, looking up at the trees, noticing a few of the Anthodopterrans in question looking at the scene. Some were very small and grub-like, indicating that some of the eggs have already hatched, others were more bee-like in shape, with pudgy, fat and rounded bodies. "Remember what I said earlier, they won't attack as long as we don't provoke them. Let's move forward and find the queen, maybe we can figure out more once we find their monarch." Scott reminded.

As the trio moved deeper down the path, the number of Anthodopterrans began to increase, and all they did was observe them from the safety of the trees. As they moved further and further down the path, they also noticed that the powder-like substance was becoming less and less frequent the more they went forward. Scott was intrigued by the behavior of the alien species that observed them, but then they saw something rather horrifying.

One of the guards was strung up against a tree, their face was a sickly vibrant purple, and it looked like they were foaming pink at the mouth, but they were rather lucid and aware of their situation, because once they saw the trio, they called out, their voice gurgling and spewing up more pink foam as poison pulsed through their body and deteriorated the guard's brain. "Dude, that is messed up. What happened to him?" Dash asked.

Scott shuddered. "They used their poisonous powder to make the poor guy inhale toxic fumes, and now that poison is deteriorating his body from the inside out. I told you, they can be vicious if you provoke them, but they won't attack you if you're a friend to their hive," Scott looked around, noticing that the Anthodopterrans haven't yet attacked them, which confused him for a moment. "But I'm curious, why haven't they attacked us yet? Do they see us as friends of their hive, or are they still trying to ascertain if we are friend or foe?" Scott inquired.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were shaking and huddled together, preparing themselves for whatever could happen. Scott carefully looked around as he reached for the Altnetrix, but as he did, the Anthodopterrans seemed to recognize the hourglass symbol on the watch. The insectoid aliens looked at each other, making a chittering and buzzing noise at one another, and start to fly over towards the trio, which stokes a sense of panic between the two mares.

The Anthodopterrans buzzed around Scott in curiosity, seeming confused for a moment, but then finally decide to back off and bound towards a clearing up ahead, inviting the trio to follow them.

As they ventured into the clearing, they were rather surprised to see a much larger Anthodopterran, which wore a crown made of flowers and branches. The trio look over at the various smaller Anthodopterrans as they lower themselves to the ground, almost like a show of respect.

Scott, Dash and AJ stepped forward, and the large Anthodopterran fluttered its wings as it stares down at them. "So... it is true, what my children say. The wielder of the Altnetrix has graced Equestria's landscape once again," Scott was confused, not just at the fact that the Anthodopterran spoke English, but the implication that someone else wore the Altnetrix before him. "Though, he seems to be more... human, than what I last remember." The Anthodopterran Monarch spoke regally.

Scott took a deep breath and sighed. "Your highness, I wasn't aware that you already knew of me... though, the fact that you didn't know that a human was the one to end up with the watch this time, leads me to believe that the last one to wear this device... likely didn't make it," The monarch doesn't move, but it does seem confused at the human's voice. Scott clears his throat and takes a knee. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scott Baristo, I'm a Plumber Cadet from another dimension... reality... universe... I-I'm from another world, if that makes it easier to explain. The two mares with me are Applejack and Rainbow Dash, they're friends of mine, so they mean you no harm," Dash and AJ cautiously wave at the monarch, which earns a hum of delight from the Anthodopterrans. Scott clears his throat and continues to speak. "The reason I am here is simple. I was recently informed by another equestrian friend of mine that the Anthodopterrans had made the Everfree Forest their new home, I'm sure your children have run into my friend and other ponies that traveled with him earlier today, considering some of those ponies are, well... currently sick from the powder you're painting the entire forest in." Scott introduced.

The monarch nodded their head and looked to the left, gesturing to another couple ponies who were stuck on the wall, yet they didn't seem to be in as bad of a condition as the last pony they saw. They were more freaked out as they struggled to escape their hardened resin binds, but otherwise, they were the picture of health. "Mm yes, these Equestrians have a special magical aura that radiates with potent and rich nutrients for my children. I was on my last legs when our hive ended up in this strange place, you see, I had no choice but to tame this unruly place and make it a home for my species. No harm was to come to this world's sentient life, but a strange and vile presence was lumped in with the rest of these equine creatures... something parasitic, something that takes and takes, and never gives, it tried to invade our hive. We assumed that the rest of them followed him blindly, and thus were captured, while the coward fled, leaving them to their fate." The Monarch explained.

Scott was rather confused, as was Rainbow Dash, but Applejack seemed to put the story together rather fast, and felt as if she knew what the issue was. "Partner, ya don't think this fancy bug queen is talkin' bout your pal Zapp, is she?" Applejack inquired.

Dash looked at Applejack for a moment, hardly believing that the farm pony was insinuating that Zapp got those ponies intentionally trapped, just so he could save his own hide. "Woah, okay, pump the brakes there, honky-tonk! That's a pretty heavy accusation," Applejack looked curious and unamused at the rainbow maned mare's comment, but Dash kept speaking. "Look, I don't always get along with the guy, especially after how somepony got killed by a changeling fairly recently in broad daylight. He always seemed strange, don't get me wrong, but even I would be able to tell when some guard's got less than noble intentions. He's just a bit all over the place, what with the alien stuff and such, and now changelings are back in the picture, it's stressful for everyone," Applejack didn't seem to be buying what Rainbow Dash was saying, but she had to admit that Dash was making some good points. It's been a particularly stressful time recently, and the winds of change have clearly spoken. "Besides that, he seemed pretty alright, according to Scott. If he was okay with Zapp, I can work with that, so I give him a lot of grief and bust his chops for a bit, but that's simply because I give him the benefit of the doubt." Dash defended.

Applejack sighed, her gaze was focused on the mare beside her. "I'm willin' to admit that you got a few good points, but that doesn't excuse leavin' what is essentially the ponies you are responsible for behind. The princesses would strip him of his position if they found out about this, and they have a right to know that one of their soldiers is startin' to go AWOL." Applejack stated firmly.

Scott paused for a moment, something didn't seem to click into place for the human. 'Could it have been Zapp? Why warn us of what lied ahead and say his group got killed in an ambush, but run away from the scene?' Scott stood in silence as he let his mind work, but then he finally came to a realization. 'Actually, now that I think about it, Zapp has been acting different ever since Seventy-Four's initial arrival in this world... Zapp, what is it that you're not telling me?' Scott thought to himself.

Dash scoffed and turned her head up to the remaining healthy guards in Zapp's group. "Forget the princesses for a moment, these two probably know what happened, given that they are healthy and clearly look like they saw a thing or two, so we should obviously ask them what happened, and try to ascertain what exactly unfolded through context clues," Dash flew up towards one of the guards. She looked at the guard on the left, a chartreuse colored stallion with a metallic prosthetic hoof, clad in armor from Celestia's guard. The bat wings and unicorn horn he had obviously showed that the stallion was formerly apart of Luna's night guard, though that raised questions Dash could ask later. "So, got a name?" Dash asked.

The stallion nodded his head and seemed to almost struggle to speak. "F-Flintgraad... urh..." Flintgraad shuddered as he felt his body start to churn and ache. "S-So hungry... throat dry... ne-need... fruit... water..." Flintgraad hoarsely begged. The stallion's voice deep and thoroughly spine chilling, though with an added dryness that could only come from sudden dehydration and a lack of strength from not eating anything, it was less intimidating, and more so just generally unsettling.

Dash nodded her head and looked over at Scott, who tossed a couple apples her way. Dash fed the apple to the stallion, slowly letting him try to get his strength back on his own as he fed. "I know this might not be the best time to ask, but I need you to recount what happened here, and we need to know just what exactly Zapp was trying to do here, especially if it concerns the Antohop-- t-the Anthrodopte--" Dash groaned as she pointed a hoof at the Anthodopterrans and their monarch. "The giant alien moth bees that are taming the Everfree! What was Zapp trying to do here?" Dash questioned.

Flintgraad swallowed down the last of the apple and sighed. "D-Don't know... everything went dark after Zapp ran away... last thing we heard from him... N-No... survivors..." Flintgraad's eyes started to get heavy, but Dash finally had enough. He pulled the stallion off the wall and brought him down to the ground, then he looked up at the pony that was beside him. A dutifully dull gray batpony mare, smaller than most adolescent mares her age, but definitely looked far tougher and more physically capable than the other mare guards Celestia had hired. The mare seemed to be missing her helmet, unlike Flintgraad, and it showed her mane, it was styled as a short and well trimmed crewcut, colored out of various reds and purples. "P-Pitch... s-she saw... t-the bastard's face... t-t-trai..t..o..r..." Flintgraad hoarsely choked out, before returning to a state of unconsciousness.

Dash heard Flintgraad's words, and couldn't help but be impressed... as well as rightfully suspicious of this whole thing. 'Yet another former member of Luna's night guard. Zapp sure knew how to pick 'em,' Dash pulled the mare off the wall and laid her down beside Flintgraad. She put a hoof to the mare's neck, and did the same with Flintgraad, and let out a sigh of relief when she felt their pulses. "They're still alive, they're just really, really, really lacking in proper nutrients and bed rest, probably overexerted themselves. We need to get them to Ponyville general as soon as possible." Dash stated.

Scott looked up at the monarch of the Anthodopterrans, and could see that the monarch was... upset? Scott wondered if Dash's choice to get these two ponies off the wall was a bad move, but soon enough, the monarch started to buzz. The other smaller Anthodopterrans started to fly out of the clearing, till it was just Scott, the two mares, two unconscious and nutritionally deprived guards, and the monarch themselves. "Uh, what in tarnation are those critters doin'?" Applejack asked wearily.

The monarch stopped buzzing and looked down at the individuals that sought to speak with it. "Be not alarmed, little pony. I simply instructed my children to search the Everfree for fruits. Give it a little time, and they shall return with a bountiful harvest," Applejack was still uncertain if the monarch was telling the truth, and kept her guard up, much to the monarch's dismay. "You still can't find genuine sincerity in my words. I suppose it's a reasonable decision, you've seen what my children are capable of when it comes to doing what we must to survive... Though truthfully, we never intended to harm anyone that didn't deserve our ire, but it was harder to distinguish friend from foe than one would assume," Everyone was confused by the monarch's words, but continued to listen. "One moment a stallion would be worth sparing, but once said stallion was encountered again moments later, something in their pheromones had changed to make them worthy of our wrath. After killing them, it was strange to see them alive again moments later, no longer hostile and aggressive; something had played us for fools, and innocent lives were taken in the crossfire." the monarch explained somberly.

Scott nodded his head. "The ones who inhaled that rainbow powder your species use as a defense mechanism. They were either poisoned, paralyzed, put to sleep, or on the rare case, outright killed from the inside. It's possible some innocent lives were caught in the crossfire, but now I'm more concerned that there were guilty parties involved," Scott thought for a moment about what was happening here, but it was becoming rather obvious that Zapp had explaining to do. "Tell me, was there a pony among these guards, one that ran the moment things got out of hand?" Scott asked.

The monarch nodded. "A pony, no, but there was a thrall that masquerades behind a false façade. My children saw their vile pheromones behind his wicked guise, and attacked without a second thought. Their comrades asked what was wrong, and the only answer they would get is betrayal," Scott felt a rather overwhelming sense of uncomfortableness as the monarch spoke their words. "We incapacitated and took the lives of a few of the thrall's allies, but when they did not show their true forms, even in death... we began to worry and fear the worst, and your presence here seems to have confirmed the worst has happened," Scott felt his stomach churning at the idea that he had been fooled, but he didn't want to believe that Zapp was something else in disguise. "That vile creature sacrificed his allies to save his own hide, and you said that you were friends with them? I'm afraid you might've allied yourself with a rather unscrupulous individual." The monarch stated grimly.

Scott shook his head, he felt unwell and uneasy. "This couldn't've been Zapp, i-it couldn't have been, it doesn't make any sense. Had to be someone else, s-someone who disguised themselves as Zapp, t-that has to be what happened!" Dash and Applejack watched as the human's face switched from curious, to concerned, then confused, disturbed, and finally, aggressively distraught. Scott's thoughts were speeding through his mind like a bullet train careening through the dark depths of space. "I- I-I don't want to believe it. Zapp-- I--... I won't believe it until I've heard it from him, even if I have to interrogate him. There- Th-There's too much going on in my head, and this is where I wish I just stayed in bed. Oh dear god..." Scott groaned, trying to ease his own mental stress of he situation.

AJ and Dash looked at each other, both equally concerned for the fact that Scott was essentially about to descend into a mental breakdown. The monarch felt a sense of sympathy for the human, but soon felt as if something in the air was different. Almost as if something was... burning.

Somewhere in the depths of the Everfree, a couple of the Anthodopterrans were carrying a few strange fruits back to their monarch. A third Anthodopterran was buzzing right behind the other two, but before it could actually catch up, something flew into it, skewering it to a tree as it slowly started to burn. This caused the small bug to screech out in pain, alerting the two Anthodopterrans to its cries for help, but then one of them ended up skewered and burned, leaving only one of them to fly away with the fruit they had in hand.

On the ground, Zapp found his way back, and was armed with a bow and a quiver full of arrows, each one had its tips covered in some kind of tar-like substance, all while Zapp held a torch in his hoof. "Time to rid this world of these pathetic insects, once and for all. Mother wants no competition from a couple of glorified bumblebees, can't have that at all," Zapp trotted forward, occasionally lighting a few segments of loose leaves, blades of grass, rotted tree stumps, and dangling vines with the torch's flame, slowly igniting the Everfree. Zapp took notice of one of the Anthodopterrans flying away in a panic, and Zapp slowly followed after it. "That's right, lead me to your monarch, worm... it'll be much easier to burn you bugs to crisp, than to peacefully smoke you out." Zapp said through gritted teeth, an unfeeling smirk forming on his face.

Zapp slowly trotted down the path, all while ignoring the horrendous path of dead Anthodopterrans he left in his wake, each one skewered and screeching out in pain as the fires rose in intensity. As the fire got more intense, the more the powder seemed to burn away before the plants, vegetation and Anthodopterrans and remaining ponies did.

Crystal, who was still knocked out, soon woke up once the powder burned off her completely, and she noticed the forest being set ablaze by some pony. The petrosapien remembered her fight with two mares and the Altnetrix's user, and quickly got up as she formed her arms into blades. "Ohoho... no one gets one over on me and gets away with it," Crystal hears something snap, and looks up, only to jump back as a huge section of a tree is split in two by the raging fire. Crystal tries to climb over it, but is overwhelmed by the amount of smoke that's trying to smother her. She backs away and decides to just leave and fight another day, and soon comes to see one of the Anthodopterran children struggling to get out from beneath a tree branch. Crystal smirks and tosses the branch aside and puts the Anthodopterran under her arm as he runs away. "Well, I guess one Anthodopterran is as good as any other..." Crystal quietly comments.

Zapp pays no mind to the petrosapien, he just continues to follow the other Anthodopterran to its monarch.

The trio, along with the monarch, start to panic at the smell of smoke, and the rapidly increasing levels of heat. "Did someone just light something on fire?! We need to leave, now! AJ, you get one of the guards, I'll get the other," Dash looks over to Scott, who is drastically trying to make sense of everything at the moment, feeling like the world is not just on fire, but spinning around him. "Scott, we gotta get the hay out of here! Transform into something and take care of the flames! We can't risk the fires spreading to town!" Dash called out, trying to get the unconscious batpony mare onto her back.

Scott knew that danger was encroaching on their location, but he also knew that the monarch, due to their large size, couldn't just be left here to burn. The monarch looked down at the human and simply nodded its head. "Go, wielder of the Altnetrix, save the lives of those in the town that borders the Everfree. Do not worry for me, I shall be fine. My children hast been slain and it's not like we were going to escape this new world alive, anyways. Whether we survive this fire, or die when Eclipsed Blackheart returns, it makes no difference to our species as a whole, death calls for us and it's done waiting," Scott was caught off guard by the mention of the same mare that was in Equiis Prime's moon, the same mare that sent Seventy-Four to this planet, but he hated to admit that the monarch was right. Save the monarch and any other Anthodopterran survivors, or make sure the fires don't spread to Ponyville and burn it all to the ground. Scott sighed and got up and started to leave, until the monarch suddenly let out a pained gasp. Scott turned around, only to see a flaming arrow piercing the monarch's throat. "Hrk! T-The betrayer has returned... G-Go, wielder of the Altnetrix! I... I-I will be fine. I will join... my c-children in death... may good fortune... shine... upon you..." The monarch weakly buzzed and choked out.

Scott was feeling a lot of emotions as the monarch's body started to smoke and burn, but he felt AJ and Dash pulling him towards the exit. Scott snapped back to reality and followed them out of the clearing, all while burning trees and branches started to collapse. The monarch closed their eyes and hummed out a low buzz as the fire began to rise.

As they approached the exit, they saw one of the Anthodopterrans fall to the ground in front of them, a flaming arrow in their back, and a few strange fruits in its grasp. Scott took the fruits and pulled the arrow out of the small alien bug and held it in his arms, trying to stop the bleeding.

Scott looks over to the path they took, only to see the aforementioned stallion who told him about the Anthodopterrans earlier today. Scott felt a lot of complex emotions running through his head, and decided to pull AJ and Dash into the brush, just to try and move around him and remain undetected. Zapp trotted forward and held the torch high, all while Applejack and Rainbow Dash ducked down behind a few bushes, and Scott hid behind a tree.

Zapp held the torch high and saw the dying body of the monarch inside the clearing, noticing the arrow in its throat. Zapp didn't hesitate to go inside the clearing, noticing the bow and arrow quiver he had on his person. Scott looked down at the injured Anthodopterran and knew he had to do something about this, and decided to try something risky. It was very likely that this wouldn't work and a fight could break out, but he needed to do this. He had to know for sure.

Scott handed Applejack the injured Anthodopterran and started to go back to the clearing. "Applejack, once you and RD get these two unconscious guards out of here, I need you to see if there's a veterinarian, or something close to one in Ponyville, and see if they can help that poor thing and nurse it back to health. Rainbow, see if any pegasi can get some rain clouds over here in the Everfree and get this fire out ASAP," Scott turned to the clearing and stared at it intently. It was a strange feeling seeing the fire and flames flicker, the reflection of embers danced in his eyes as he prepared himself to move. Regardless, he knew he needed to do this. "I'll deal with Zapp, but regardless of what happens next, just know that I've got a plan. I'll fill you in when all of this is over, so till then, don't assume anything." Scott explained.

Dash tried to pull Scott back, but Scott made a mad dash through the smoke and fire to get back to the clearing, even making the effort to use the Hylian mask he brought with him. Applejack looked down at the Anthodopterran, feeling it jitter and spasm from the wound the arrow made. It felt a bit gross for the farm pony, but at the same time, it didn't feel right to just let it die. Applejack sighed and lightly nudged Dash's shoulder. "C'mon, we should hurry 'fore the everfree decides tah be more dangerous. A wildfire is already dangerous on its own, but in the Everfree? I couldn't even begin tah wonder how hectic it could become," Dash didn't seem to want to find that out herself, but at he same time, she couldn't help but want to chase after Scott. Applejack saw that look in her eyes and tapped her shoulder a moment. "Hey, he'll be fine. He's a tough so and so, and if everything ya told me is true, then he'll come outta this fine. Let's not give him another reason tah worry. Alright? Come on, let's get the heck outta 'ere." Applejack reassured.

Dash hesitated, but she nodded and followed Applejack through the brush as tree branches broke and burned off from the flames. Dash looked back at the clearing for a moment, hearing the sound of the mask being put on from where she was. The two mares ran as fast as they could, fleeing the scene as they narrowly avoided the flaming branches and flickering embers.

Scott, now in his disguised Hylian form, carefully steps into the clearing as fire and burning vegetation becomes more and more apparent. Zapp, however, was nowhere to be seen. "Zapp!! Zapp, where are you!? Call out if you can hear me!!" Scott called out.

Zapp was currently behind the deceased monarch, who limped out into the open, looking as if he had been injured. "S-Scott! Good to see you're still here, what happened? The entire Everfree's been set ablaze! I-It's like Tartarus itself was relocated to Ponyville's doorstep! I came back here to retrieve personal belongings that belonged to my soldiers, but everything is burning!" Zapp exclaimed, feigning a sense of panic.

Scott didn't say anything for a moment, but he certainly felt angry, though he did his best to hide it. The years Scott spent as a Plumber honed his hearing exceptionally, and he could hear little to no sincerity in Zapp's tone, and the fact that Zapp didn't have his bow and arrows on him suggests that he planned to let it burn, discard any evidence to tie back to him.

It was diabolical, clever, sociopathic, psychopathic even, which made what he was about to do, seem very, very stupid. "I'm here because someone reported that you got lost in the Everfree, claiming that you never came out! Get moving, hurry, the fire is getting worse!" Scott informed.

Zapp rubbed his eyes, seeing that Scott was using his Hylian mask. "Were you really that concerned for my safety that you needed to transform?" Zapp asked, seeming a bit surprised.

Scott nodded, trying to keep things brief, though his anger was becoming rather poignant, burning within him with the same intensity as the fire and flames around them. "Yes, it's my job to make sure everyone's safe, now enough standing around! This place is burning up, so move it!!" Scott exclaimed, getting impatient.

Scott and Zapp ran out of the clearing as a few trees finally collapsed, causing a huge fire to be stoked above the tree line. It was like an explosion of fire and soot manifested without warning, scattering more burning sticks and branches throughout the Everfree. Zapp continued to run, letting a content smile form on his face, all while Scott focused on getting out of the Everfree.

Scott had a lot to say, but now wasn't the right time. 'This whole day was stained in blood, and it horrifies me to think Zapp is the reason why that is. I'll have to talk with the princesses about this before the whole thing involving this "Eclipsed Blackheart" individual. It's risky, but I've played the long game before,' Scott and Zapp finally found themselves at the entrance of the Everfree, and he noticed the look in Zapp's eyes that betrayed the smile on his face. Zapp was not who he was saying he was, and Scott tried his best to keep himself calm. 'I can play the long game again, because no matter how long I have to wait, I'll find the truth.' Scott thought.

As Scott and Zapp left the Everfree, Scott removed the Hylian mask and took a deep breath as he returned to his normal form, feeling reasonably disturbed by the smell of smoke and burning flesh in the air, but he knew that this was gonna be the start of something rather insidious. Malware was definitely a problem back in his world, even for Ben himself, so he knows this is gonna get messy. The human just wishes that the Anthodopterrans didn't have to die to make him see all of this, and now, there's hopefully one Anthodopterran left, he felt horrible already, now a species has ended up becoming endangered.

If he didn't have enough nightmares already thanks to the blood moon, this was going to make his plumber duties even more problematic, but that's just a sacrifice he'll have to be willing to make. Starting tomorrow, he's marching up to the princesses and is demanding a private audience with them.

Author's Note

Well, it's been one HELL of a minute since I updated this glorious story. Sorry for the long wait, tons of shit irl happening at once can be one heck of an unneeded distraction. Also didn't help that I almost lost complete interest in this story, but thanks to some recently new projects in the making, my interest has been reignited, so everything's fine now, don't panic.

Also, the plot for this story is taking a drastic turn, it's gonna get wild in the future.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and again, sorry for the long wait. Better for it to come out now, rather than not at all, right?

The next two chapters will be up soon...er. Sooner than you think.

FUN FACTS

The Anthodopterrans are a funny little custom species I came up with for a couple of my stories. Imagine if you mixed Silkie from Teen Titans, Dustox from Pokemon, and Mothra from the Monsterverse into one smol bee-moth alien.

I inspired their abilities to spray a rainbow powder that has many different effects, from the Pokémon moves Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, String Shot, as well as Spore, to better emulate the abilities of them spinning strings of silk and having a defense mechanism against would-be attackers.

Here's another fun fact for ya, I was originally going to give Scott a chance to scan one of the Anthodopterrans so he could use their abilities to better combat the forces that have yet to reveal themselves, but I decided against it, figuring I'd give Scott a bit more time to adjust to Needlepoint and his other five transformations, and to make things more interesting now that the species is now endangered.

One more quick fun fact for ya. The two bat ponies that survived the encounter with the Anthodopterrans and the wildfire started by Zapp, named Flintgraad and Pitch, are two batpony OC characters from my old story, "FiM 10: Friendship is Galactic".

Figured I'd give them a better story and setting so I can properly flesh out their characters and do them some proper justice.