Morpheus Base. 6:01 Operations Time. Operations Date 0-05-00. Alien Containment (Haven Variant), Level 2, section 4.

Clear Strike woke up with a headache.

It was not a situation she was unfamiliar with. As a member of the Night Guard she had to keep a strict sleep schedule, even on her days off. Coincidentally, she had become intimately familiar with Baltimare's night life. Most of her social time was spent in bars or clubs with her fellow Guards. Waking up with a hangover was par for course.

What was worrying her now was that she had not woke up in her quarters.

Instead of her small, messy, comfortable room in Fort Baltimare, she found herself in an almost featureless white room. There was a soft white platform that she was using as a bed, a short shelf or table attached to the wall opposite, and a big mirror above that. To her left she could see another room, exactly identical in every way to her own. Inside she could see her squadmate Guiding Star sleeping, some kind of cast or bandage covering his right wing and some of his chest beneath it.

The sight of the wounded pegasus brought the memories of the fight back to Clear's mind, striking the unicorn to her knees with their intensity. The smell of blood and charred flesh, the sickly green flames of alien weapons illuminating silver skin, the armored warriors who had dispatched her attackers with ruthless and deadly prowess.

Had those creatures kidnapped her? Was she their prisoner? Panic began to set into the mare, and it got worse when she realized that neither she nor Guide were wearing their armor. Guiding Star's coat had returned to its natural taupe color without the armor's enchantment, and she didn't have to look to know that her own coat had returned to its normal periwinkle as well.

"Oh, this does not bode well," she muttered nervously as she trotted in place. "First you are attacked by aliens while on an investigative mission only to get saved by different aliens. Then you wake up with no idea where you are and with no resources to speak of. You're doing great for yourself in the Guard, Clear, absolutely fan-bucking-tastic."

Feeling a bit calmer after that outburst, the unicorn took another look around her 'cell' to see if there was anything she could use. The walls were made of some kind of strange, hard material that was neither metal, stone, or wood. The glass wall separating her room from Guiding's was thick and sturdy. The bed-platform was soft but unyielding, and her captors had neglected to provide her with so much as a bed sheet.

Tactical analysis, especially in the field, was Clear Strike's special talent. She earned her Cutie Mark by standing up to a gang of bullies and winning through the use of superior planning, trickery, and a good bit of improvisation. The only reason she was not an officer on entry to the Guard was the organization's strict practice of forcing everypony to start at the bottom. She had so much raw talent, continually being honed by study and practice, that rumors said she would make Captain well before her fifth year.

Right now she was stumped.

After wracking her brain for three hours and only succeeding in bringing her headache back, the unicorn mare decided to give herself a break. Approaching the mirror to inspect herself caused a rueful chuckle to escape her throat. "Wow, I'm a mess. Lulamoon would be chewing my flank out if she saw my mane like this." She tried to tame her wild silver locks with a hoof, not feeling up to any magic at the moment.

On a whim, she touched her hoof to the mirror.

A very surprised unicorn was now looking through a window, at three vaguely familiar bipeds.

All three of the creatures were clothed head to toe, wearing green shirts underneath white jackets. Two of them were sitting in front of strange desks full of lights, and the third was watching with something that looked like a clipboard in it's hands. And it was staring strait at Clear.

Not knowing what else to do, the unicorn mare lifted one foreleg and waved at her observer. "Hi?" The being blinked a couple of times then started jotting something down on the clipboard with a pen of some kind. Clear's golden eyes locked onto the pen, and she grinned. "That'll work." She lit up her horn, ready to grab the pen out of her captor's grip and escape her cell.

She was not prepared for the sight of her golden aura spreading along the surface of the window-turned-mirror uselessly.

"What the hay?" Clear cursed, confused beyond belief. She tried again, this time attempting to shatter the window with brute force. Her spell bounced off the transparent barrier, reflecting off the walls of her prison until it ran out of energy. The unicorn sat heavily in the center of the room, her mind repeating, This isn't possible, to itself in an endless loop.

On the other side of the glass, the white coated being continued to watch her. It's eyes burning with curiosity, it continued to scribble on the board with its pen until it tapped one of the seated beings on the shoulder. The window between Clear and her captors shimmered, becoming a mirror again. The unicorn stared at her own shocked reflection for a few minutes.

How in Tartarus was she going to get herself and Guiding out of here?

C(X)M

Equestrian Wilderness. 16:26 Local Time. 07:12 Operations time. Local Date: Undetermined. Operations Date: 0-05-00. Operation Penitent Deamon.

The road to Manehatten was old, overgrown, and ill-used. Ever since the invention of the railroad hoof traffic in between cities had slowly but surely tapered off. The wild area between civilization still held its share of dangers, so most ponies preferred the safety and speed of the train to risking injury on the trail.

The lack of company never really bothered Long Haul. The earth pony stallion loved the open road, loved the challenge of pulling a wagon stuffed with cargo from one town to the next. Clothing, construction materials, logs, whatever, Haul's business occupied that niche for ponies who couldn't afford — or simply couldn't use — the train to get their cargo to their destination.

Humming a wordless tune to himself, Long Haul pulled his cart along the old costal road between Manehatten and one of the small villages nearby. To his right stretched the ocean, boundless and untamable. To his right stood an old growth forest, undisturbed by civilization and bursting with wildlife. The air was clear and the weather service had set a flock of automated rainclouds free to drift lazily over the wild lands, creating moving patches of shade to break up the sun's heat. All in all, Long Haul knew that it was a good day.

He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was waiting to happen.

The lone stallion heard a booming sound over his head. Startled, he lifted his gaze upwards to see something large, dark, and burning plummet form the sky and crash into the forest beyond with a rumbling explosion that shook the ground under Haul's hooves. Unable to tear his eyes away from the site of the crash, he spotted a light rapidly descend from the same direction as the crashed object. When the light suddenly stopped the earth pony rubbed his eyes, unsure if what he was seeing was truly real or not.

Floating above the crash was a vaguely saucer-shaped vessel. Constructed of dark metal, the object's long nose flared into a half-circle of wings. Blue light simmered around the thing, somehow keeping it aloft. Haul could hear dull roaring sound emanating from it. Something appeared to be painted on the side, but before the stallion could get a good look the craft sped off in a pulse of blue light.

Curious, Haul tried to peer through the trees and catch sight of the thing that had crashed. Through the woods only the flickering light of fire could be seen. The scent of burning trees mingled with other, stranger smells and put the cargo hauler immediately on edge. He couldn't decide if he wanted go in and investigate whatever it was, or run out of here as fast as his wagon would let him and report the whole mess to the nearest guard.

Then another blue light appeared, heralding the appearance of another, larger saucer-shaped airship. The new arrival slowed down and disappeared behind the trees. Curiosity won out and Haul unhitched himself from his cart. He reasoned that he needed to see as much as possible if he was going to make a report to the Manehatten Guardsponies.

What he didn't expect was a green fire bolt to barely miss his head, burning away the top third of his mane and blowing his wagon in half.

With a startled yelp the earth pony dove behind a log, not even conscious of the other shots passing over his head. Panting in fear, he risked a glance over his wooden cover to make sure the coast was clear.

He saw the crashed airship, if that was what that dark, glowing shape half-buried in the forest's soil was supposed to be. Several silver-skinned entities crawled around the wreckage, discharging more green fire from devices strapped to their forearms. Standing among them was something horrifying. A reptilian form gracefully danced among the other creatures. It was tall, thin, and moved with the sinuous grace of a serpent, which was appropriate because it seemed to stand erect on the flat tip of its tail, using its two limbs to cradle a larger version of the fire-spiting weapon. It hissed in what seemed to be surprise and anger when a blue beam of fire tore through the large head of one of its smaller companions.

Haul turned his head to see where the bolt had come from, only to see an empty hillside through the trunks of the surrounding trees. Then a storm of blue fireboats descended from the hill. Soil burst as if boiling and trees exploded into burning matchsticks around the alien's position. The creatures attempted to return fire, retreating into their wrecked airship.

Deciding that he had enough of a story to tell the Guard already, Long Haul began to slowly back away to the road. Then he caught the faint, muffled sound of footsteps and a strange, alien scent before the log that was concealing him rocked as if something heavy had used it as a vault. Paranoid thoughts of invisible monsters caused the drafter to abandon all pretense of stealth and make a run for the perceived safety of the road. The hissing, zapping sounds of the combatants' weapons behind him only drove him to gallop faster.

Soon enough he reached the road. Although the burning remnants of his wagon caused him some grief, and some anger at the ruined cargo also ruined by the hungry fire, he immediately turned northwards towards the city. He would be safe in the city, he thought. He could tell the Guard, the Princesses would be warned, and everything would be okay.

"Everything will be okay," he muttered to himself as another blue streak descended from the sky.

C(X)M

Ponyville. 17:00 Local Time. 08:48 Operations Time. Local Date Undetermined. Operations Date 0-05-00. Ongoing Observation, Subject codename Butterfly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't pay more than seven bits for the whole basket. I'm on a fixed budget, you know that Miss Harvest," Fluttershy said to the proprietor of the produce cart.

Meanwhile, across the marketplace, Applejack politely pushed Rarity's surprised mouth shut. As the two ponies watched, their friend concluded her business with Golden Harvest and continued to make her way through the crowded marketplace. While the pegasus still displayed a few signs of her characteristic shyness, excessively apologizing to others and avoiding most eye contact, none of the skittishness that usually accompanied her rare visits to the town's busiest plaza was present.

"A-are you seeing what I'm seeing, Applejack?" Rarity rubbed her eyes with a hoof as she witnessed Fluttershy haggle down the burly, bossy stallion at the fruit stand.

"Ah see it, sugarcube. Ah just don't believe it." AJ shook her head and squinted. It wasn't a trick of the light and she had a good idea it wasn't Pinkie Pie in one of her (kinda creepy) body suits again. "Ya think Discord?"

"I don't think so. She'd be at least a little washed out if that brute had been mucking about with her personality again. I think?"

The ever-practical earth pony shrugged and lifted a hoof. "One way ta find out. Fluttershy," AJ called at her best market volume, "Fluttershy! C'mon over an' chat for a spell!"

Noting her friend's call, the yellow pegasus quietly but quite firmly closed her deal with the fruit vendor before making her way over to the Apple Cart. Applejack and Rarity were again struck by the unusual sight of their friend making her way across the market with an unusual confidence and a record number of unnecessary apologies. "Good afternoon, Applejack. Rarity, what brings you to the market this late in the day?"

"Ahem, w-well I stopped by for a little conversation, and to pick up a little something for dinner as well. I'm on a roll tonight and would rather not take the time to cook something for myself. And yourself?" Rarity leaned in a little further than usual, casting the question forth with more emphasis than usual.

"Well, I needed to do a little shopping for myself soon, so I figured I'd save myself the time and do it tonight. It's better than waiting until the fridge is empty, after all." Fluttershy's response was devoid of any of her usual stutters or ticks, each word falling into place with a calm assurance.

Applejack decided to cut to the chase. "You feeling all right sugarcube?" Rarity's glare, eloquently expressing her displeasure at her small talk being cut short, was ignored with equal eloquence.

"I feel fine, why?" As the yellow pegasus blinked in confusion, a pair of white ears hopped through the crowd.

Applejack glanced at Rarity, who gratefully took the reins of the conversation. "You seem unusually confident with yourself today, darling. Especially considering that it's a market day. Forgive me for saying so, but your history with crowds is… not the best."

"Oh," Fluttershy reverted to her usual behavior, turning her head away and pawing at the ground self-consciously. "It's not a big deal, really. I guess some of the things I've learned recently have finally begun to sink in. There aren't as many ponies in the market right now, and it's not like they expect me to p-perform or anything. I'm just another pony right now." Unnoticed, the white ears drew closer to the trio of ponies.

"Good for you, darling! It's wonderful that you are making progress. I apologize if we came across as rude, we were just worried because it has been such a dramatic improvement." Rarity's praise caused the pegasus to blush, but Applejack didn't feel as reassured. Her green eyes narrowed in thought. Something about this didn't sit right with the orange mare.

The conversation was cut short by the white ears hurtling though the air towards their target. Fluttershy gasped with shock as Angel Bunny landed heavily on her back, panting from his sprint across the plaza. "What? Angel? What are you doing here, I left you at home to look after the other animals for me like always!"

The other two Elements of Harmony looked on, confused, as Angel conversed with his owner with little rabbity squeaks and frantic gestures. Whatever the pet said, they only heard Fluttershy's response. "Angel, we've been over this. Nothing happened that night, there were no monsters. I'm perfectly all right, there is no need for me to see a doctor about anything," the yellow pegasus said in an exasperated tone.

More squeaking followed, in a tone that caused Applejack's ears to fold back and Rarity to grimace. Neither one had Fluttershy's unique way with animals, but Applejack had worked around and against enough critters to recognize aggressive body language when she saw it. As for Rarity, she owned a cat. Animal Attitude was a daily experience for the white unicorn.

"Don't you take that tone with me, mister. I've had just about enough of this behavior from you today. Now you are going to come with me while I finish some shopping, then we are going strait home. Understood?"

Angel responded with a vocalization and a single gesture. Both Applejack and Rarity gasped at the rude display, dismayed that even the infamously ill-behaved rabbit would go that far, and with his gentle owner of all ponies.

"ANGEL BUNNY!" Fluttershy's shout drew the attention of the entire marketplace. One look at the outraged expression on the pegasus's face was enough to convince the surrounding ponies that, no matter what the volume of her voice was their attention was better directed somewhere else. "I never! That is the final straw! We are going home right now and so help me you will have no treats for a month!" Distraught, the yellow pegasus glanced over at her two friends. "I'm so sorry girls. I have no idea what's gotten into him. I'll catch up with you at the spa tomorrow, Rarity." With that, she threw Angel into her empty saddlebag and began trotting off towards her cottage.

"Bad, bad bunny! Where did you ever learn such language? Oh, if it was Beaverton I will give him such a piece of my mind when we get home…" As the sound of Fluttershy's lecturing faded the plaza visibly relaxed. Ponies continued to go about there business, content two put this mild bout of Ponyville weirdness behind them. As usual, the Elements of Harmony present were the exeption.

"Well," Rarity said with a sigh, "that was not the usual drama that accompanies our dear, sweet Fluttershy to the market."

"You said it," Applejack agreed. "Somethin's got Angel's dander up somethin' fierce. What d'ya reckon?"

"Oh you know how that rabbit is, Applejack. He probably took offense to something Fluttershy did or didn't do and tried to ambush her in the market with some kind of demand for recompense."

"Maybe, but somethin' don't sit right with me. Ah heard a bit of what Flutters said back, somethin' about 'that night' an' seein' the doctor. Angel might be a right ornery critter, an' spoiled rotten to boot, but no way he'd ever take that tone with Fluttershy over somethin' like a missin' cherry toppin' on his salad." Applejack pursed her lips for a moment before beginning to close up her stand.

"Isn't it a little early to close up? There is still an hour of life in the market at least," Rarity asked, eyebrow raised.

"Can't focus on hawkin' apples with this feelin' in mah gut." Collapsing the awning over her cart, Applejack twisted the lock closed to secure her wares for the night. Satisfied with the security of her precious stock she turned to Rarity. "Ah'm headed to Twilight's to git this off mah chest. Wanna come with. Ah'll buy yah dinner."

Rarity looked like she would refuse for a second, but a growl from her stomach reminded her that a neglected lunch had driven her out of the boutique in the first place. Also, despite her rationalizations, she still felt a degree of concern for her friend. "Very well, but it's probably nothing to worry about."

Applejack set a deceptively calm pace towards the town center, were both restaurants and the home of the Element of Magic awaited. "Could be somethin', an' Ah ain't takin' no chances when she's tha only thing keepin' Discord on tha level."

"That is a good point. On a happier note, how do you feel about sandwiches?"

C(X)M

Science Report 1: Local Sentients

Subjects are stable and in no danger of expiring. One is active and immediately attempted to escape utilizing unknown paranormal abilities. As our subjects are military personnel, such action is expected and will not be taken personally by the science team. If one of our own soldiers were to be abducted, I would hope that a genuine effort would be made to escape captivity.

Species is roughly equine in structure. Endoskeletal frame built around a spinal column, with at least four limbs in a quadrupedal mode for locomotion. Large head and skull houses a well developed brain and central nervous system. Endocrine, circulatory, and peripheral nervous systems are in line with Terran standards, suggesting a degree of convergent evolution similar to what we have seen in other extraterrestrial species. One subject possesses a third limb pair specialized for flight, while the other has a small horn protruding from the forehead. Despite these drastic morphological differences, preliminary genetic testing suggests that the specimens are of the same species. It is theorized that the two are separate subspecies, but generations of interbreeding had prevented them from developing into truly separate species. (We're not really sure how that works, but half of the romance of science lies in mystery)

Subjects also possess another type of organ system, seemingly built around growths of some kind of organic crystal. This system seems to be developed differently in each subject, furthering speculation as to its function. One subject has significant development in the wings and skeleton, while the other has a near pure concentration within the core of its horn and a significant amount of interlacing with its central nervous system. We still do not know the precise function or mechanics of this system, but we believe that understanding it will be a significant boon to the Bhodisatva project.

Speaking of which, as per your orders we have avoided intrusive procedures for research purposes, and were possible for providing medical care for the injured subject. The majority of our findings have been drawn from Ultrasound and MRI scans of the subjects while both were sedated, and the Valen method has been placed firmly at the top of the list of forbidden procedures.

As for decoding their language, the ambulatory subject has been a remarkable help in that regard. She has taken to pacing her cell and muttering to herself, providing our observing linguists with a wealth of vocabulary and sentence structure to dissect (pardon the pun, it is not the Science department without some form of dissection happening somewhere). However, some of the xenophsycology staff have expressed concerns that isolation may be detrimental to our guest's health. They point out that her body structure suggests a kinship with Terran equines, and thus a native herd structure that may be necessary for her continued sanity. To speed things along we request the services of one of the Gifted to contact the subject, both to provide a friendly voice and to ask questions on our behalf.

If we want to make a difference in the survival of this species, establishing friendly contact sooner rather than later is a good idea. We can't go on defending them in secret like this, we run the risk of appearing as another threat.

Dr. Leonard Han, Science division.

C(X)M

Night Guard Field Report: Bridle Point incident

Search party found the dispatched chariot abandoned. Further search determined that the town itself was abandoned. Scouts discovered Sergeant Polaris dead on-scene. Wounds from lance strike, fatal burns from unknown source. Similar to dragon-fire, but highly focused. Signs of combat present at around the body. Several structures with holes melted through the stone. Metallic fragments of unknown origin collected from battleground.

No sign of the rest of the squad. Declared MIA.

Author's Note

I'm back!
It took me a long, long time to get around to actually finishing this chapter. I don't know what will come next, but I hope (against hope) that I can get another chapter of something finished next month. Maybe City of Man.

Until then, later. I'm going on a vacation!

Merry Christmas to all!