[Ben 10 Dimension]
[Gwendolyn's Apartment]

Gwendolyn Tennyson, the more studious member of the Tennyson family, and cousin to the world famous Ben 10, was casually sitting in her living room, sipping on a robust golden red liquid swishing around in a wine glass, all while studying a scroll that depicts a spell which pertains to speaking with the dead.

Gwen sat the glass down and enveloped her hands in a pink aura, letting magical particles form and contort into the shape of a ritualistic symbol. Her eyes snapped open, glowing with the same pink glow. "Spells and binds, shine and respite, to speak with the dead is what I desire tonight. Sift through blood, rot, flesh and soil, let me speak to the soul that has my cousin in turmoil." Gwen chanted rhythmically.

The ritualistic symbol seemed to shatter, which earned an annoyed scowl from the sorceress. "Damn it, another failed connection to the other side. This is the sixth time this week, these spells aunt Verdona gave me should be working, but they've failed. I don't get it," Soon enough, a poof of dark green smoke appears in front of her, which doesn't surprise her in the slightest. Kevin, along with Dereleaper, made themselves known as they saw Gwen down the entirety of her glass's contents. Kevin walked over and sat with his significant other, hugging her tightly as she returned the gesture. "Nice to see you guys. How'd it go with Animo?" Gwen asked.

In a flash of green light, Dereleaper was turned back into Ben, who looked as aggravated as she did. "He seriously needs a new hobby, and that's asking a lot, coming from me," Gwen chuckled, but she could feel that Kevin and Ben were here for another reason, aside from just dropping in to relax after another job well done. Ben cleared his throat, his expression looked unfamiliar. "Gwen, we need to talk about another problem." Ben stated upfront.

Kevin let Gwen go and stood with Ben. "It's Paradox. Ben had an encounter with him a few days ago, and things nearly got violent." Kevin stated.

Gwen was rather surprised, but at the same time, she was also confused. "Paradox, the time walker? You're sure it wasn't Eon in disguise, right?" Gwen asked.

Ben furrowed his brow, as if annoyed by the question. "Yes, I'm sure. Eon's always been more of the direct approach, while Paradox was as cryptic as ever, the issue is that he's acting crazy. He already looked like he went through several cataclysms before coming to me, and he knows where our missing plumber is, and I told you he wasn't dead, Paradox was able to confirm it during his good guy act," Gwen was still confused, but her surprise had shifted into curiosity. "Apparently, Cadet Baristo, he's in another world, one that Paradox said he was familiar with. We could likely find a way there on our own, solely because I don't think it's a good idea to rely on Paradox to aide us in this situation, not while he's aggressive and against us, but now I'm concerned about how he could likely interfere," Gwen listened intently as Ben tried to shrug off the odd feeling traveling up his spine. "I can't constantly rely on Alien X, on the off-chance Paradox manages to come up with a plan to force me to change back or lock Alien X out of the Omnitrix, so we were hoping you had some ideas." Ben explained.

Gwen took a moment to refill her glass, taking in all the information her cousin just gave her and tried to process it. As she did, she took a few deep sips of the golden red liquid, and sighed. "So Paradox is going insane, that kid's still alive after all, which explains why these spells aren't working, and finally, you're wondering if I can help you out with a multiverse-scale rescue mission?" Gwen inquired.

Ben nodded his head, and proceeded to scratch his neck. "I know it sounds strange, but you gotta admit, stranger things have happened. Besides, this could be a chance to learn something about aliens we've never seen... what do you say?" Ben asked.

Gwen snapped her fingers, causing the scrolls, and the drink she was consuming to disappear in a flash of pink light. Gwen stood up and snapped her fingers again, letting a blue, black and white cloak manifest onto her body, as well as a magenta colored burlap satchel hang on her side. She manifested a black cat mask in her hand, decorated with blue markings and white rune markings. She placed the mask onto her face and smiled at her cousin. "If it's a bit of luck you need, you came to the right lady, Ben." Gwen stated confidently.

Ben nodded his head, his expression remained unchanging. Kevin was on the phone during their exchange, and ended the call, pocketing his cell. "Just got off the phone with Rook, he heard the whole thing, and he's willing to help us out. He's your partner, Tennyson, you know he'll follow you to the end of the world, right?" Kevin remarked.

Ben smirked. "He already did once, what's one more time. Come on, let's head to the base, we need to get to work while we still can." Ben stated.

[Equestria - Canterlot General Hospital]
[14 days till the Summer Sun Celebration]

The various doctors and nurses in the building were tending to various patients, and one of these patients was Scott himself, who's been having a bit of a peaceful slumber, all while Luna, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Flintgraad and Pitch Ink sat by his sides.

Rainbow sat there, clearly angry, seeing her friend out like a light and hooked up to hospital equipment. She hasn't been able to visit him for the past two days until now, and two days prior, the day he was admitted as a patient, she, nor the rest of the ponies who helped him get there, weren't allowed to go in. Dash was more than ready to tear the hospital desk attendant a new hole if she didn't get out of her way, and that was because she'd feel the same way if it was Scootaloo. Thankfully, Applejack was able to get the rainbow pegasus to see reason and talk some sense into her, but that didn't mean she farm pony wasn't as angry, if not more, the farm pony just had more restraint and discipline than the pegasus.

It wasn't until Princess Luna came in, hearing about the news From not just her nephew, but also from General Tempered Cut herself, she made serious headway to make sure Scott was alive and well the first time around, she wasn't going to let death get a second chance to claim his soul. During Scott's time in an unconscious state of being, Celestia was made aware of Scott's current condition ahead of time, and decided to make headway for a kingdom north of the Everfree Forest, searching for a remedy to restore his health. In reality, she was not looking forward to having a repeat of the dungeon incident when Scott first came to their world a month or so ago, so it was important that she took care of this herself.

She had faith in the various doctors of Canterlot, not a shred of doubt, but Celestia was always going to be concerned for her people, and right now, that human was one of her most capable subjects at this point in time. Losing him, especially after the changelings struck with such cunning and ferocity, it wouldn't do Equestria much good if this human were to die now.

Applejack looked over at Scott, then at the bloodied bandana in her hooves. "This is outrageous, bordering on insanity! How in tarnation did he get so messed up, how did that varmint Zapp even do all this to him?!" Applejack wondered out loud.

Dash shrugged her shoulders and put her hoof on one of Scott's hands. A burning hatred smoldered in the rainbow maned pegasus, she was beyond being angry. Anger didn't begin to cover what she felt for Zapp, and yet, she felt her rage fade away. She doesn't want to spend her time visiting her friend angry and bitter, craving vengeance. "I don't know, but we'll get him. I promise." Dash said gravely.

Luna nodded her head. "Miss Dash, please. Calm yourself, we must tackle this with a clear mind. I understand he's your friend, but throwing yourself into violence will not help him." Luna advised.

Flintgraad nodded his head. "The princess is right. Besides, if your friend is as tough as some of the guards have proclaimed, then I doubt his story will end here." Flintgraad added.

Applejack frowned. "And just why exactly are you two here? The princess bein' here, I understand, but what reason do both of ya have?" Applejack asked.

Pitch Ink stood up from her seat and looked the orange mare in her eyes. "He saved our lives after Zapp tried to take ours away, and he did give us a chance to tell our story to the princesses to unveil the truth about that poor excuse for a pony. We'd be remiss if we just let him lay here without showing we appreciate what he's done for us." Pitch explained.

Applejack didn't say anything further, she just sat back down, clutching her bandana. After a couple minutes of sitting in silence, a doctor pulled back the curtains with their magic and looked at the small gathering of ponies present, then his eyes landed on Princess Luna. "Your highness, we have some good and bad news. Our medicine, it's doing all it can for your human friend," The doctor approached the human and put his hoof on their forehead. "No signs of fever or erratic muscle spasms in the cranial area, and we've had him constantly checked out four times per day, by order of Princess Celestia. He's not sick with any disease we have on file, nor is he exhibiting any symptoms to show any sickness at all, but unfortunately, that's about where the good news ends." The doctor explained.

Luna was mildly relieved, but she was still concerned. "What's the bad news?" Luna inquired.

The doctor sighed and started to undo and turn off some of the equipment that Scott was hooked up to, which made the ponies worry. "The bad news is simple, he's been unresponsive and he hasn't woken up. He's clearly not sick, his injuries are healing at a miraculous rate, and a lot of the blood he lost has been replaced by a magical synthetic plasma we concocted, but for some reason, he hasn't been able to respond to outside stimuli. We're fearing the worst and we might have to assume he took a devastating blow to the head, and it could've put him in a comatose like state. He may never wake up, and we don't know if he ever will." The doctor somberly explained, averting his gaze from not just the human, but from the ponies who looked at him with shock.

As the doctor carefully took out the IV in his arm, he walked away. "I'm sorry, your highness, we tried our best. We never had a human patient before, and frankly, it's a miracle he lasted this long. I recommend saying your goodbyes and--" The doctor's words were interrupted by something he saw out of the corner of his eye. The doctor looked back at the human, and noticed his foot steadily twitching. "T-That can't be right, he hasn't responded at all to-- no, i-it could just be rigor mortis setting in, b-but not this soon... Why would his body start responding now?" The doctor wondered, genuinely intrigued.

Everyone watched as Scott's twitching started to become more apparent. His knees began to jerk, his chest heaved upwards in an unnatural manner, all while the Altnetrix begins to react. [Host physical health is critical. Initializing Fail-Safe Protocol... Initializing...] The Altnetrix chirped.

Before anyone could comprehend what happened, Scott's body was enveloped in a turquoise light, and his body started to change. At first, he took the shape of Bombadier, then he took the shape of Smudge, then Gravedigger, Protectron, Commander, Needlepoint, and finally, the new transformation he gained when the Hecatrelom came into contact with the Altnetrix. It was hard to see what this new form looked like, due to it all being covered in light. Scott's body shifted from form to form in rapid succession asynchronously, like how he did when he first ended up with the Altnetrix in the first place.

The rest of the hospital staff was in awe and were very concerned by what exactly was happening. Flintgraad, Pitch, Applejack, Dash and Luna were just as bewildered by what was happening to the human, but in a sudden explosion of turquoise light, Scott was returned to his human form, falling back onto the bed his body has been lying in for the past two days.

Scott's eyes slowly began to open, clearly unadjusted to the bright hospital lights. Scott slowly sat himself up, rubbing his head as he looked around, surprised to see Dash, AJ and Princess Luna on one side, and was as surprised to see Flintgraad and Pitch Ink on the other side. He was practically surrounded, but not in the bad way. Scott winced and felt his neck, feeling a large scar along the side of it, which made him jump at the discovery.

Scott shook his head and rubbed his eyes, not immediately recognizing he was in a hospital. Scott felt very confused, but from the feeling of the scar on his neck, he knew exactly what happened. "Hey, bud. Are you okay? How do you feel?" Dash asked, reaching out to the human.

Scott looked at Dash and simply put his hand on her head. "Like I just got out of a fight to the death. Where am I, and how long have I been out? Feels like weeks." Scott remarked, stretching his body a bit.

The doctor stepped forward, snapping himself out of his bewilderment. "Well, introductions are in order. I'm Dr. Trotskovich, but you can just call me Dr. Trotsky. Your friends brought you here when they found your body outside of Canterlot, battered, bruised, and covered in blood, likely because of the wound in your neck, it's a miracle you recovered at all," Scott gingerly rubbed his scar, but his expression spoke of betrayal and regret. "Apparently, from what the scene depicted, according to Prince Blueblood and miss Applejack's statements, there was a grisly conflict that occurred. They didn't see the conflict themselves, just the aftermath, but it became rather clear that you were one of the main participants. What do you remember, if you remember anything at all?" The doctor inquired.

Scott didn't say a word, but it was clear that Scott didn't want to disclose the information to the doctor. "Doc, that information is classified. As in, meant for royal ears only. I mean no disrespect, and I'm appreciative of all you've likely done to save me, but I'd like to talk to my friends, and the princess, alone for a moment." Scott stated respectfully.

Dr. Trotsky nodded his head and backed away. "Of course, I'll come back later and see if you're fit to be released." The doctor said, using his magic to close the curtain.

As the doctor stepped away, Scott sat up and dusted himself off, noticing his allies' eyes were on him. He struggled to find the words, at first, but then he takes a deep breath, and slowly exhales, trying to calm his nerves. Then, he decides to speak. "I know you likely have questions, like what happened, where was I going, why was I covered in blood... who was I fighting that could be capable of doing such damage... right?" Luna, AJ and Dash nodded their heads, as did Flintgraad and Pitch, and Scott figured they deserved the truth. "Before I answer those questions, and I intend to answer them, I want to profusely apologize for not speaking my mind earlier at the meeting, as well as for my abrupt leave. I was trying to keep things professional, but it was... difficult, for lack of a better way to describe." Scott inquired.

Dash sat next to Scott and put her hoof on his shoulder. "Hey, you don't have to apologize for that. You thought Zapp was your friend, and he took advantage of that. That doesn't matter, now. What matters is, you're fine, and we're glad you didn't kick the bucket." Dash stated.

Applejack trotted forward and patted his leg. "Partner, we're glad ya ain't dead. We're rather ecstatic that you're alive and well, and while ah don't right properly understand what in tarnation that watch did, it saved yer life, and... I am forever grateful that despite such rough tumblin' beginnings that happened between us, I am pleased as pie to know yer alright, even after that gruesome attack ya endured." Applejack stated with a proud smile.

Luna cleared her throat, a concerned expression could be seen on her face. "If I may interject, but we're getting off track," Scott looked at the princess, seeing the serious gaze in her eyes. "Scott, don't misunderstand what I say as conjecture. I am glad you're alright, relieved even, but if you could kindly tell us what managed to incapacitate you in the first place, it'll be easier to understand and plan how to avert this issue in the future." Luna suggested.

Scott was rather surprised to know he was out for only a couple days, but he understood where Luna was coming from. "Well, let me tell you something I learned about that jerk, since this all revolves around him trying to ambush me." Scott stated bluntly.

Applejack and Dash gritted their teeth. As if Dash didn't already think Zapp was crazy, she and AJ were pissed to know he was also a dirty fighter. "That low down rotten coward!" Applejack and Dash exclaimed in unison, startling some of the nearby hospital staff, as well as a couple of other patients.

Scott rubbed his ear, as if his hearing became a little more sensitive during his time unconscious, but he couldn't help but laugh a bit at their reaction. "Ladies, please, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but please, inside voices. Besides, if you think that's bad, contain yourselves, we're not even half way through the story." Scott remarked.

Flintgraad stood up and moved in front of Scott. "You mean there's more to this sudden show of combat?" Flintgraad inquired.

Scott nodded his head and furrowed his brow. "Me and "Zapp" had a bit of a discussion as we fought. Turns out, he wasn't a pony at all... well, not an entire pony. He was a hybrid, a mix between two species, and I saw the bastard for what he was, but he was contradicting himself a bit in that regard, even when he showed me his true form," Scott stopped himself for a moment, silently gauging the looks on everypony's faces. They seemed confused, yet curious at what he meant. Scott sighed, he wasn't going to beat around the bush and sugarcoat this, he needed to be upfront and honest. "The pony you know as Zapp, he never actually existed. The pony I thought to be one of the few friends I had in Equestria... was a changeling in disguise." Scott stated.

All of the ponies were taken back by the statement, but Scott kept talking. "Zapp was a disguise, a cover. One concocted by a changeling named Chitin. He made Zapp as a cover, to integrate himself into your society, and I couldn't begin to theorize how long it took him to do that before I came along. He said he was the eldest son of the changeling queen, so there's another problem," Scott looked at the Altnetrix, remembering how Chitin was able to shapeshift without any issues, something Scott envied a fair bit. Unlike Chitin, Scott still had a time limit to his transformations. Scott sneered and traced a finger along the scar on his neck. He shuddered, knowing very well that he still had a long way to go. "I know very little about changelings from the past three encounters I've had with them, but he managed to land a few good hits, but he's a dirty fighter, a coward who had to try and ambush me. Doesn't make any of this easier to digest, but it's enough to tell me that I need to keep getting stronger." Scott explained.

Flintgraad smiled, nodding his head. "Persistent is a word that easily describes you, human. You just came back from what was essentially the brink of death, and you're already trying to get back to work. I like your spirit, you're all business and no playing around, when you need to be, but sometimes ya gotta try to recuperate." Flitngraad advised.

Luna nodded her head in agreement. "I concur, Scott Baristo. You just managed to escape death's grasp, and you're already speaking about overexerting yourself? I know the guards tend to keep themselves in shape during their recovery periods, just so they don't suffer a decline, but you need to take a moment and rest. You just woke up from unconsciousness, take this time to gather your bearings." Luna stated.

Scott shook his head without hesitation. "Sorry your highness. With all due respect, I can't do that, not while Chitin is still out there. Besides, I've been lucky enough to not be dealing with blood moon insanity during these past few days," Scott looks to Dash with a serious expression. "If I'm gonna help Equestria, I need to get stronger and start getting answers. Dash, can you and AJ tell me anything about the meeting, anything at all?" Scott asked.

Dash nodded her head, though she was still trying to wrap her brain around the idea that Zapp was a changeling. "You remember when Seventy-Four tried to escape, and you managed to knock him out with that weird rat thing you turned into?" Dash inquired.

Scott activated the Altnetrix and cycled to Needlepoint's icon. "Needlepoint, that's the one you're talking about, and yeah, I remember. Why, what's up?" Scott asked.

Dash gnawed on her bottom lip nervously, and finally just decided to come out with the truth. "Seventy-Four wasn't brought back to his cell, and wasn't tried for his crimes. Zapp, or Chitin, whatever you wanna call that raging flankhole, he took Seventy-Four and his stuff somewhere we aren't familiar. When you mentioned that Zapp was Chitin, a changeling in disguise, it feels rather obvious now to assume that the changelings likely have his body and his stuff in their possession." Dash explained.

Scott scratched his chin as a curious expression formed on his face. "That answers one question, and now more questions are in its place. What reason do they have to keep his body? Are they after his technology, did some of that mist remain in his suit, do they want info on the Altnetrix? Is it because Seventy-Four was hired by the mare in the moon?" Dash could visibly see the gears in Scott's head going into overtime, almost expecting steam and smoke to pour out of his ears with how hard he was thinking, but she had to admit that he was asking the right questions, and she needed answers herself. "It's a peculiar set of circumstances, I swear," Applejack opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Luna, who abruptly got up and quickly tried to walk out without saying a word, but she wasn't exactly discreet. "Princess Luna? Where ya going?" Scott asked.

Luna didn't say a word, let alone acknowledge the human's question. Luna just pushed through the curtains and quickly ran off, leaving the five individuals to simply stare in the direction where Luna fled. "Huh, never saw a princess run away before. It's honestly kinda strange." Applejack remarked.

Dash looked at Scott, seeing a strange expression on his face. One that seemed to express a feeling of confusion and concern. "Scott, you alright?" Dash asked, resting her hoof on his knee.

Scott didn't seem to respond, but it was rather clear that something was brewing in her human friend's head. Soon enough, Dr. Trotsky briskly trotted to the human, handing him two slips of paper. One of them was less of a piece of paper, and more of a scroll with the royal seal. The other was what looked like a hospital bill. There was a rather large price for his admission scribbled out in a huff, with the same royal seal being stamped next to it, likely meaning the bill was paid by Luna herself. Underneath the scribbled out number was a message.

Dr. Trotsky cleared his throat, getting Scott's attention as he gave the human a patient smile. "Well, I'll let you five be for the moment. Scott Baristo, you've been officially cleared by Canterlot General Hospital to check out when ready. Thank you for accepting our services." Dr. Trotsky briefly stated, trotting towards the same direction Luna fled to.

Scott raised an eyebrow and looked down at the message on the bill, slowly reading it to himself.

'Forgive my lack of response, Scott, there's too much traffic in the hospital. You've made it this far, and you're clearly starved for answers, and for one of them in particular, I have the answers you seek. All I ask is that you come alone, and take the scroll Dr. Trotsky gave you, it's for your eyes only. You can tell your allies the truth, if you must, but I request that you don't disclose the location, my identity, and come to my location alone. Venture to the castle before the blood moon happens tonight, and talk to one of the bat ponies on guard. Tell them to "Take the day off" and they'll escort you to a large room. That room is where I typically retire to, day after day, so it's the most secure location for us to talk unabated. We'll discuss this further, while we still have time.'

~Princess Luna

Scott was pleasantly surprised by the message's contents, also relieved that he didn't piss her off, but after what happened with Chitin, he was justified in feeling cautious. Scott weighed his options, and while it would be beneficial to have Dash, Applejack, Flint or Pitch with him, heck, he'd take Technorg with him if he knew where he was right now, but he needed to do this right. Luna did all she could to save him the first time, and she paid his hospital bill, Scott owed it to the princess to do things her way.

Everypony saw Scott staring at the letter, unaware of what was written. "So, how many bits do we need to pool together?" Dash quipped.

Scott shook his head, handing the "bill" to Dash, then gestured for Applejack, Flint and Pitch to come forth. "You four should read this, and I hope you understand why I'm going to go through with this." Scott stated, pocketing the scroll in his ripped up jeans, not even acknowledging Dash's attempt at humor.

The ponies' reaction to the message on the bill was rather varied. Dash was concerned, AJ was apprehensive to the idea, believing it to be another trap. Flint and Pitch seemed more calm, compared to the two mares beside them. "The princess is merely requesting a private summons. She does this a lot with nobles and other royals visiting Canterlot, or rather, she used to. Apparently, she stopped this practice a thousand years ago, with very little to no reason to explain why. My mother was one of Luna's elite guards, she oversaw these meetings closely, so it's strange to believe that she'd suddenly request a private summons now, after what happened." Flintgraad explained.

Scott felt like he got hit with a sudden case of whiplash at the implications, but was able to keep himself focused on the main issue at hand. "A-A thousand years-- Ya know what, not important right now. I don't know how things are done here, but was this "private summons" practice ever outlawed, or is it still legal?" Scott asked.

Flintgraad held up a hoof. "It's still legal, don't get me wrong, most individuals tend to see these summons as less than favorable, almost like a whisper that could start a war. It's a night guard's sole duty to constantly educate and update Canterlot's many laws, and we bat ponies, or Chiropthestrians, to those our kind trust within reason, are always dedicated to upholding the law, even if it means breaking a couple every now and then," Scott raised an eyebrow at that comment, more so out of curiosity, rather than contempt. "Bat ponies, Chiropthestrians, whatever you prefer to call our species, we're a lawful species, with an innate sense of justice and a tad bit of vigilantism." Flintgraad explained nobly.

Pitch smiled and nudged Flint's side. "Steady now, Flinty, your pride is showing. The human asked if the summons were still legal, he didn't ask about our people's history." Pitch playfully joked.

Scott smiled at the two bat ponies and their attempt to bring some levity to the conversation, and in a way, he was glad to learn a bit more about their species, almost curious enough for a certain idea to start burning bright in his head, but Scott still knew little about the dangers ahead.

He shook his head and noticed that he was still in his hospital gown. "Regardless, I need to take every opportunity I can to learn about who and what I'm up against. Whether it's Eclipsed Blackheart or the changelings, someone has to step up and stop their plans, otherwise, it'll be like nothing was done to stop Automate," Scott looked over at his tattered, ripped up, and lightly stained clothes, noticing that they were still folded up and sitting on the right side of his bed. "My only pair of clothes, now slowly becoming reduced to modern tatters with faded blood stains. There's a metaphor in there somewhere, but that's not what I'm educated in. Can you four step out and close the curtains so I can get changed?" Scott politely requested.

Dash and Applejack nodded their heads, while Flintgraad and Pitch followed them out. Scott frowned at the ruined state of his clothes, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh what I wouldn't give to have an alien that can materialize clothes out of thin air, right now... oh yeah," Scott twisted the Altnetrix's dial to the new alien he gained from the Hecatrelom. A slim yet robust humanoid golem-like creature. "I'll have to test this guy out later." Scott remarked to himself.

Scott tossed the gown away and got dressed in his clean, yet still tattered and ripped clothes, feeling as if they were cleaner to the touch. They smelled lovely, like lavender and citrus, but he hasn't seen a single washing machine since he got here. 'It's weird, it feels like someone washed these. Not gonna complain, I feel a little better already, knowing I don't smell like a garbage heap, but the rips and tears are still present, my shirt looks more like a weirdly patterned towel, my jeans look like they came right out of two thousand eight, and I've been walking around barefooted this entire time...' Scott finally realized another obvious issue. His only pair of clothes was in tatters, and he had no other clothes in his size, let alone meant for his species. 'Well, that's a problematic issue. I really do need some new threads, maybe some actual armor, too, I've been running around in my casual clothes ever since I got here, and I don't have my Plumber suit. How in god's name have I survived this long... maybe I can send a message to Jeff, see if he knows of a tailor who can help me out. I know I'm in need of one, by this point.' Scott thought.

Scott slipped his shirt on, carefully making sure he didn't poke his head through the holes made during his fight with Chitin. As Scott checked to see if everything was in order, and making sure he still had that scroll, he pulled back the curtain, not met by his friends, but by another doctor. This one was a mare, had a curly orange mohawk, a sky blue coat, and white spots all over her body. She stared up at Scott with bright hazel eyes and smiled. "Hello, you must be the human. Baristo, Scott. Am I correct?" Scott nodded his head, and the mare pointed to the staircase. "The way down to the ground floor is that way. You're on the fourth floor, so do be careful, it's a busy day." The doctor informed.

Scott nodded his head, giving the doctor a thumbs up and made his way to the staircase, all while the doctor smiled in his direction. As he disappeared from her view, the doctor couldn't help but let a slight smirk form across her lips as she continues on her way.

After checking out of the hospital, Scott walks out onto the streets of Canterlot, where Dash, Applejack, Flintgraad and Pitch were waiting for him. "So, ready tah get this over with, partner?" Applejack asked.

Scott nodded his head, letting a chuckle escape his lips. "Better now than not at all, and piss off the princesses in the process. I may wear an Omnitrix, but that doesn't mean I'm anything like magister Ben Tennyson. Trust me, he may be one of the most legendary heroes back where I come from, but coming from someone who has the work experience and watched alien royalty tear through whole city blocks, attempt to conquer and destroy planets over who takes his hand in marriage, trust me when I say that pissing off princesses is not the way to do things, and I don't like the idea of being in that situation, thank you very much." Scott stated, chuckling nervously.

Dash stared at Scott for a solid minute, and laughed. "Dude, your old world sounds nuts! I'd love to ask you more about what your old world was like, just to learn something about ya, but that can wait when we're both free and not fighting monsters, aliens or whatever comes our way," Dash let out a soft yawn and rubs her eyes tiredly. "I gotta get goin' anyway, I need to get a quick nap in so I can have the energy to keep myself in shape. That, and I need to get back to Scootaloo, too. Catch you guys later!" Dash stated, taking to the skies and flying in the direction of Ponyville.

Applejack yawned, feeling incredibly tired. "Ah better get goin' as well, need tah get back to my family's farm and start preparin' fer the Summer Sun Celebration too, mah family's providin' the large majority of food this year and it's gonna take a while, not even tah mention makin' more room fer my other relatives. It's a couple weeks away, so maybe ah'll see ya participating. Till then, have a goodnight, y'all!" Applejack called out, trotting her way to the train station.

Flintgraad and Pitch looked at each other, then at Scott. The two bat ponies shared a look, nodding their heads as they whispered something to each other. Scott wasn't sure what the two bat ponies were talking about, but simply looked towards Canterlot Castle, its grand size was intimidating from a distance. Remembering the message on the bill, he decides to look to the sky itself. The sunset had slowly transitioned into a deep violet night sky, where the stars began to shine and twinkle in the violet abyss, and much to his concerns, the moon was rising, and he needed to start moving.

Scott didn't want to imagine what Canterlot was like during a blood moon, and would rather just make his way to the castle. If this was important, he needed to get to the castle as soon as possible. "Well, I need to get going. Can't keep a lady waiting, especially if it's royalty," Scott starts to take a couple steps forward until he feels a magical aura envelop him, stopping him in his tracks. Flintgraad had used his horn to hold Scott still with a spell, a black magical aura glowing around his horn, and the same aura had kept Scott immobilized. "Hey! What's the big idea, pickin' on someone who just got out of the hospital!?" Scott angrily shouted.

Pitch walked in front of the human and looked up at him. "Apologies, but Flint and I were talking, and we were both eager for answers ourselves. We won't take up too much time, so we'll be upfront about what we want to know," Pitch nodded to Flint, who let the spell dissipate. Scott stumbled a bit, but kept his footing. "Tell us, how did you escape death back there? Did it have something to do with your device?" Pitch inquired, tapping the device with her hoof.

Scott yanked the Altnetrix upwards to keep it out of the bat pony's reach. The device briefly flickered yellow for a moment before returning to its usual turquoise color. "The Altnetrix, from what I understand, is a bootleg version of magister Tennyson's Omnitrix, specifically the prototype he found when he was ten, but it's clearly a little more advanced than the prototype itself, there's a lot I still don't know about what the Altnetrix can and cannot do," Pitch and Flintgraad were listening intently, and it's clear that he needed to be brief. "If I had to take an educated guess, it's possibly likely that it has a few functions that earlier and later Omnitrix models would've likely had. It's clear to me that the Altnetrix has a fail-safe protocol, much like magister Tennyson's Omnitrix does, and that kept me from dying. If it activated once, of course it'd do so again if its wearer was on the cusp of death." Scott hypothesized.

Pitch was impressed at such a concept. The idea that the watch attached to the human has saved him from death not once, but twice, it was fascinating, but at the same time, a device like that can be pretty dangerous on its own, and if someone unscrupulous were to get their claws, hooves or whatever on it, they'd be even more dangerous by default. "Dually noted. Next and last question, what're you going to do now, since Chitin's on the loose and knows where you currently reside? Ponyville doesn't seem to be safe, as long as Chitin has his big bulging bug eyes targeting you." Pitch inquired.

Scott opened his mouth, and it stayed open for a good few minutes without a single noise coming out. A sudden look of realization and genuine concern slowly formed on Scott's face. He didn't know what he was going to do now, especially if his presence was just gonna start attracting changelings. Even before he found out the truth about Chitin, changelings were clearly a problem in Equestria, one that needed to be taken care of, but Scott had to deal with one threat at a time. The first major threat on his list was to stop Eclipsed Blackheart when she returns from the moon, and he didn't even know where to start with that.

Scott closed his mouth, took a deep breath through his nose, and slowly exhaled. "I'll... have to get back to you on that. You two, Applejack and Rainbow Dash will be the first few to know when I come up with a plan... till then, I need to prepare for a greater evil, and I'll start with meeting Princess Luna. Have a goodnight, both of you. Thank you for all you've done." Scott stated briefly, running down the streets as he locked his eyes onto Canterlot Castle.

Pitch and Flintgraad looked at each other, a look of worry plastered on both their faces. As the two bat ponies fly into the air, going the opposite direction of the castle, the air became tense throughout Canterlot that night, and the moon was slowly rising into place.

It took Scott nearly forty-eight minutes to get to the castle on foot without his transformations, but he eventually managed to get to the raised drawbridge, and saw the bat ponies on guard. 'Okay, say the thing that was explained on the message, and you'll be fine,' Scott walked up to the guards, and upon noticing the human's presence, they were a bit concerned. Scott cleared his throat and tried to keep his composure. "Hey fellas, why don't you take the day off." Scott stated.

At first, the guards didn't know what the human was talking about, but after a couple minutes of silently waiting for something to happen, the drawbridge was let down, revealing Nocturned, who motioned for Scott to come inside. Scott quickly hurried inside the castle, not wanting to be caught in another blood moon, and looked down at the bat pony, noticing that she seemed a bit worried.

Thinking nothing of it, Scott smiled at Nocturned, who didn't bother to respond back, and began to lead him through the halls. "I gotta say, of all the ponies I expected to see tonight, I wasn't expecting you. I don't say that to be rude, I'm just pleasantly surprised." Scott stated.

Nocturned simply rolled her eyes and kept moving. Scott let his eyes wander the halls, noticing tons of old tapestries that likely depict Equestria's history. Curiosity getting the better of Scott, he pulled the Picto Box from his hip and started to take pictures of the tapestries, as well as the stained glass that seemed to depict tons of events. One tapestry showed a strange shadowy cloud looking over a kingdom made of crystals, with various saddened and depressed ponies chained together, while another depicted what looked like UFOs descending on a village, and the princesses were saving the day.

Each tapestry that Scott took a photo of seemed to depict a major event that happened long ago, but out of all the tapestries, it seemed like there was a huge tapestry missing from the rest, and judging by the dust that probably clung to the missing tapestry was now clinging to the carpet, the tapestry was likely moved recently.

Scott was in awe of the various tapestries he managed to snag photos of, and they may prove to come in handy later. Scott hooked the Picto Box back onto the side of his jeans and continued to follow Nocturned. Every time they turned a corner, the castle seemed to just be bigger than he expected. He saw a glimpse into a well-stocked kitchen with tons of cooks preparing meals, a room full of fermenting barrels and distilling equipment, a small lab comprised of dark bricks and stocked with tons of glass bottles, flasks and containers with various unicorns and zebras inside, he even got a small glimpse into how the guards train, seeing a couple of them sparring.

'Man, I'm sure glad I didn't immediately assume these ponies weren't capable, otherwise I'd be looking like quite the ass.' Scott thought.

Scott continued to follow Nocturned as a small trio of maids trotted past. Each mare was different, in a way. One was a bat pony, another was a zebra, and the last one was some kind of strange unicorn variant. Their horn seemed to branch off with two different ends, they had these strange scales on their backs and hooves, as well as luxurious long manes. Scott tried to not pay too much attention to them, but eventually walked face first into a marble pillar, feeling a painful sensation all over his face.

Scott groaned as he rubbed his face, only for Nocturned to pull him along by his arm. "Been a few weeks since we interacted, heard a lot about your recent achievements in Ponyville, but from what I'm seeing for myself, you're still as lost as when Princess Luna took you out of the dungeon." Nocturned griped.

Scott sighed. "Nice to see you again, too. Knock the wind out of anybody else while I was gone?" Scott inquired.

Nocturned barred her fangs and hissed, but she seemed to just calm down, as if she was trying to just ignore him. "Of all the creatures to do one of these summons, a human has to be up there as one of the top three most concerning species, right behind dragons and those damnable diamond dogs." Nocturned snided.

Scott could hear it in her tone of voice, she was angry and clearly upset, but it wasn't at him, he heard no conviction in her words. She didn't mean what she was saying, but she was clearly not okay. "Is something wrong, or should I do this another time and let you sort out your problems? I'm flexible these days, so I could--"

"No! I'm fine! I just... I need to do this. Now shut up and keep following me, we're almost there." Nocturned interrupted.

It was in that moment that he felt a bit of deja vu. Something about how the bat pony spoke, the way she felt so angry and upset, it was familiar. The human could only wonder if recent events have caused the nocturnal pony some grief. As the two approached a large door, Scott decided to ask a rather dangerous question. "...Is this about Zapp?" Nocturned didn't even bother turning around, she just crouched down, covering her face with her front legs. "I... I'm sorry, really I am... it's still kinda fresh in my mind, too," Scott stepped around the mare and sat in front of her, looking down as she wiped away a couple tears. "You wanna talk a little about it, before I talk to the princess?" Scott asked, showing concern for the mare.

Nocturned hissed at the human, but she was clearly in a lot of emotional distress and turmoil. Scott reached out and lightly petted the mare's head, trying to provide a form of comfort. The mare moved the human's hand away and backed away, trying to hide her tears. "What does it matter to you, how did you know him?" Nocturned asked.

Scott looked away from the mare, as if ashamed. "For a little while, I thought he was a friend, and despite the horrible things I saw him do and heard what he did to his fellow guards, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt... I didn't get much of a chance to when he tried to ambush me two days ago, and had me hospitalized," Scott pointed a finger at the scar on his neck. Nocturned was rather surprised at the size of the scar, but she didn't say a word. "Got a few good hits on me, but I made him hurt just as much. What sucks more is that his name wasn't Zapp, he never even existed... I promise, one day, we'll get him and make sure he faces the long arms of the law. Justice will prevail, and he'll get what's coming to him, whatever that may be." Scott reassured.

Nocturned simply held her head down, her lips quivered as she tried to hold back the urge to scream. The bat pony turned away from the human, but before she could walk away, she uttered one more set of words. "...It's either you bring him in, or I will." Nocturned growled, taking to the air as she flew down the hall.

Scott turned towards the large door and stepped forwards. He lightly knocked on the well-carved wooden door and waited for a response. As he waited in the silence of the castle halls, he could swear he heard a set of hoofsteps on the other side, but they would suddenly stop, as if waiting for something.

Scott didn't want to waste anymore time and risk making the princess impatient, so he simply decided to speak up. "Princess Luna? I've come per your note's request. May I come in, or are you not... for lack of a better word, decent?" Scott cautiously asked.

The door slowly cracked open, and Luna looked around, noticing that Scott was on his own. "How did you get past the guards?" Luna asked.

Scott was confused by the question for a moment, but when he finally realized what Luna was doing, he couldn't help but let a smirk form on his lips. He had to applaud the princess for using such a clever tactic. "I told them to take the day off." Scott stated confidently.

Luna smiled and opened the door further, beckoning for the human to step inside. "You have the scroll with you, yes?" Luna inquired.

Scott stepped into the room, noticing that the room was barely visible in the darkness, aside from the various blue flames that burned brightly on various blackened candlesticks and oil lamps. The human pulled the scroll out of their pocket and gave it to the princess. "As you requested, your highness," Luna nodded her head and took the scroll into her mouth, and opened it up on a table. "Princess, if you don't mind me asking, what's with the sudden cloak and dagger approach, all for an answer to a question?" Scott asked.

Luna shook her head. "I was worried that Celestia would try to silence the truth, all for the sake of keeping her subjects free of woes from our past. I'm sure you're familiar with her student, Sunset Shimmer?" Scott nodded his head, much to Luna's appreciation. "She wasn't Celestia's first student, nor was Dusk mine first either. Over a millennia ago, Celestia and I were made into the royal Diarchy for Equestria. Two powerful Alicorns with near limitless potential, and we did a lot of good for many of our subjects. We failed a lot of them, and we eventually found forgiveness in time," Scott raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, and was wondering where the princess was going with this, but almost immediately, the blue flames suddenly changed into the same blood red color that the blood moon would emit, which freaked him out a bit. "However, there was one we could not save from their own internalized evils and doubts, even despite our best efforts. You know her as the mare in the moon, this "Eclipsed Blackheart" individual, but for Celestia and I, she went by a name only we can remember." Luna explained.

Scott looked at the princess as she hung her head low. The vague expression he could see on her face was like a mix of guilt, shame, as well as regret. "Listen closely, Scott Baristo, prepare as much as you can, and make sure your allies are prepared as well. Keep this scroll on you at all times, and take extreme heed to look at its contents for yourself. It'll be two weeks before they return, so look out for a sign from the ancient texts. "On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars shall aid in her escape, and she will return to exact her revenge on Equestria". Keep your eyes on the sky, and don't lose hope. I'm not sure if you have a means to get the attention of that "Jeff" individual, but see if he can offer you anything more to aide in the final battle that's encroaching closer." Luna explained.

Scott was trying to take all of the information that the princess threw his way, and while it wasn't much, the warning was appreciated. Two weeks before Eclipsed Blackheart came to try and conquer Equestria, as well as to try and take the Altnetrix from him, it was a lot to consider, but Scott was luckily prepared for this, no doubt thanks to him remembering the conversations he had with Jeff and the goddess Nayru.

Scott's initial shock was soon replaced by a restored sense of composure, and a calm demeanor. "Princess, your warning is very much appreciated. Since we're discussing what happened all that time ago, how did you and your sister banish her to the moon anyway? It would be useful to know how she was beat last time, in case any plans I come up with end up failing miserably. Better to have a backup plan on hand, just in case." Scott inquired.

Luna looked worried, almost hesitant at the question. "You'd have to be more specific, Scott Baristo. There's not a lot that can combat an Alicorn, especially one with an unstable amalgamation of magics." Luna stated.

Scott sighed, but he didn't back off. "Then let me give you some context. When I first met Jeff, he spoke to me about something in his world called the "Elements of Harmony" and when I asked the goddess Nayru about them, she said they were magical artifacts that could seal away chaotic beings in stone, she also mentioned something about a kingdom made of crystals, still not sure what that means, but most importantly and most relevant to this conversation, they can also seal away beings on the moon," Luna's heart was already beating like crazy, so it physically hurt her when it nearly skipped a beat at the mention of the elements. Luna's eyes were wide and full of fear, something Scott was familiar with. "These elements of harmony things... could they stop Eclipsed Blackheart, if they were brought together?" Scott asked.

Luna was eerily silent. The flames on the candles went out, as if a sudden breeze snuffed out the light that emitted from the flames on the wicks. Luna eventually snapped out of her sudden silent daze and looked up at the human. "T-The elements of harmony... C-Celestia and I... we haven't used them in the past thousand years... I sincerely doubt that without my alicorn magic, I could use them at all. Celestia, even with both of our alicorn magics combined, she wouldn't be able to do it, simply due to her own regrets for what became of the mare in the moon prior to her banishment. I'm sorry, but the elements may not be of much help." Luna vaguely explained.

Scott could see that Luna's demeanor had changed on a dime. Luna's body shuddered and quivered at the mention of these elements, and she could no longer look Scott in the eyes. "Then... what if I used them? I could use their power to seal away Eclipsed Blackheart again and make sure they can't escape at all. You and your sister clearly have your regrets about this person, so I could simply do it myself, if I can find the elements' location." Scott suggested.

Luna shook her head, though she did appreciate the sentiment that Scott would take up such a heavy responsibility. "I'm afraid that the elements won't work for you. There's too much at stake already, and the elements are truly a desperate final gambit, nothing more and nothing less. Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but the elements need to be wielded by someone, or multiple someones who embodies the power of friendship. They must embody Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty. Only when five of the six elements are joined together, ignited by the spark, the sixth element of harmony, Magic, will present itself, and the elements of harmony will be restored to their full power. Celestia and I were the last ones to use them, and nothing's been the same since then." Luna explained.

Scott found a small stool to sit on, and processed what Luna had said. Scott had to admit, he didn't embody a whole lot of these criteria. He definitely considers himself generous and kind, even with a job like his, and he's been an honest and loyal worker for the plumbers ever since that fateful day... but to embody all of these traits, when it comes down to friendship, even Scott knew that Luna was right. Even if she didn't outright say it, Scott was only now experiencing what it's like to have friends, and one of them betrayed his trust recently.

Scott didn't know anyone or anypony who embodied these traits, and was trying to wrap his head around how to face such a prevalent issue, but nothing seemed to be clicking in his head. Scott was ready to give up, but then he remembers what Luna told him a moment ago. Jeff. That was how he even learned about these Elements of Harmony at all, as well as with Nayru's wisdom. Scott reached to his side and examined the Hylian mask that was made for him, and finally realized what he needed to do. The answer was staring back at him through the empty eye sockets of that mask.

Scott quickly got up and grabbed the scroll, tucking it into his back pocket. "Luna, I may have figured out a solution to our blood moon problem. Send a few messages to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Flintgraad and Pitch Ink, as well as Technorg if you can find him, just tell them that I might be gone for a couple days. The answer hasn't just been staring me in the face, it's been above my house in the Whitetail Woods!" Scott forced the door open and sprinted down the hall, leaving Luna rather confused to the human's sudden revelation. "I'll be back soon!!" Scott called out.

Luna wasn't sure what Scott was referring to exactly, but it was rather obvious to her, that maybe Equestria will be saved from certain doom, after all.

Scott had never moved with such speed and purpose before, but he was clearly in dire need to push forward. He had two weeks to prepare himself, as well as his allies, and he needed to act fast. Before Scott could even comprehend his next thought, he came to a sudden halt and made a sharp right, seeing his shack in sight. Scott ran all the way from Canterlot Castle, to his home in Ponyville, his face and body was showered in sweat, but he simply wiped it all away with his torn up and tattered shirt, not that it mattered now.

Scott looked up at the Twili Portal above his home, and knew he needed to act now. Scott rushed inside and grabbed his bat, gripping it tightly, then he prepared a small bag full of fruit and cooked meat that he could take with him. Once he knew he was prepared, he immediately ran out of the shack and started to climb onto the roof.

As he got to the top, he stared into the large magic portal, and for a moment, he hesitated and started to second guess his sudden spur-of-the-moment decision. He wasn't sure what to expect when he goes through the portal, but if he's in dire need for information on the Elements of Harmony, even if it comes from another Equestria all together, knowing something about this sort of thing is better than knowing nothing at all.

Scott took a deep breath and sighed. "I hope Jeff's expecting me, because I'm gonna be in a world of hurt if I don't end up where he is," Scott backed up a bit and got into a track runner's position. Scott closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Time to take a risk, it's all I can do now. Let's do this thing!!" Scott exclaimed.

Scott opened his eyes, now filled with a great sense of determination, ran forward and leapt up to the portal, bracing for whatever may happen now. He's made his choice, even if it wasn't the safest one to pick. 'Got out of the hospital, talked with the princess, and now I'm jumping into a magical portal to go to a friend's neighboring Equestria... I guess I followed in Magister Tennyson's footsteps, after all. Gonna hope this doesn't hurt...' Scott thought optimistically.

Author's Note

I'm willing to admit, that maybe having Scott recover so soon sounds a little bit like a copout to keep the story going forward, but to me, this just proves how tough and durable Scott actually is. Sure, without his fancy gadgets and the Altnetrix, he's as human as you or I, but he's proven himself to have survived very dangerous threats long before he came to Equestria. He came from a version of the Ben 10 Universe, has plumber training, it's no surprise he's getting back up so easily. Not even to mention the fact that the Altnetrix's fail safe protocol kicked in again at the right moment.

I'd say it's not that farfetched to see Scott want to get back up and get back to work. Scott won't let getting his ass kicked by a magic house fly affect him too much, but it's starting to become apparent that the real danger is slowly encroaching closer to freedom as the days go by.

Also felt great to expand a bit of lore about Celestia, Luna, and the mare in the moon, Eclipsed Blackheart, even if it wasn't much, in retrospect. Luna and Celestia aren't exactly proud of what happened a thousand years ago, and even when the fate of Equestria hangs in the balance, knowing this familiar threat is about to return with the elements nowhere in sight, as well as Luna and Celestia's regrets holding them back, it shows just how deeply cut the two royal sisters were all that time ago. Time heals all wounds, but the scars are there forever, reminding you of where they came from.

And so, remembering his first encounter with a displaced, being Jeff, Scott gets the idea to try and go solo, to venture from one Equestria to another. To travel from his Equestria, to Jeff's, in hopes of getting some much needed help.

Scott's hoping he made the right choice in jumping head first into the Twili Portal, and for his sake, he's hoping he did.

The next couple chapters will most definitely be multi-parters for the second cross-over with DisplacedWriter, so this'll be an interesting turn of events going forward.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, for how relatively short and simple it was, and hopefully everything works out when we write the cross-over. I'm genuinely excited to do another one, and I'm still keeping it intertwined with the plot, so it makes sense.