Rarity paused by a door, metal reinforced, then reached over and clicked a button. She put her finger to her lips, waiting, before the light next to the button changed from red to green. Rarity clicked another button, and the door slid open.

Vinyl followed her out into a bedroom of sorts, though with several boxes of books at the sides of the room. It was slightly furnished, with several magical looking charts hanging on the walls. Standing in front of the room's desk was an cream-colored unicorn in a turtleneck sweater and baggy jeans with a large pair of nerdy-looking glasses. "Hello," she said. "Out for the day?"

"Yes, but I probably won't be returning to the castle," Rarity said. "Just taking care of business once more."

The unicorn paused, straightening her spectacles as she looked to Vinyl. Vinyl extended a hand, saying, "I'm Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch. Nice to meet you!"

The unicorn examined her hand carefully, then hesitantly shook it. "Moondancer," she introduced. She quickly dropped the shake, then moved over to her desk and quickly typing on the computer.

"Um—"

"Come along, Vinyl, we have a train to catch," Rarity said, towing her out the door.

Vinyl followed, pausing to look at the next room. "Are we in a library?" she asked.

"Golden Oaks Library," Rarity confirmed. "It contains a hidden tunnel to the castle. Moondancer's with us, but she doesn't like talking much."

"Got it," Vinyl muttered. While Rarity stepped briskly outside, Vinyl hesitated.

Ponies trotted around on paved streets, some with bags, a few with carts. Chatter and laughter were ever-present. The sun shone down, and some random pony waved a friendly hello at Vinyl.

Vinyl waved back.

"Vinyl?"

"Sorry, I..." Vinyl trotted to catch up with Rarity. "I got distracted."

"Understandable. This...this is your first time outside, isn't it?"

Vinyl nodded. "It's...weird. It all feels so friendly."

"It's less friendly in the cities, I'm afraid," Rarity said slowly. "In a country town like this, everypony knows most everypony. We all get along quite nicely."

"Huh. That's...that's wonderful." She stepped closer to Rarity, asking, "How many of them know about the, uh, side-gig?"

"If anypony asks, I'm with Everfree," Rarity said smoothly. "A good number of the ponies around here are with us, and the majority of the rest are with Everfree."

"Huh. So, if the Inquisitors start looking out here..."

"They have no reason to," Rarity said. "The simple fact is, we can't give them reason to. We need ponies if we're to overthrow Canterlot, but the more ponies we have, the harder keeping secrets will be. Most of us are going to have to give up our daily lives once the real fighting starts simply because the risks are too great."

"Yikes. Isn't that...does it bother you?"

"I live to give to others," Rarity announced. "If it'll save more ponies in the end, I'll gladly do it."

Vinyl nodded to herself. It was definitely the right attitude, but it certainly wasn't an easy thing to do. Then again, I pretty much already gave up my daily life, Vinyl thought. My good days are over, one way or another. Shouldn't I do my part to help others find happiness?

But what the hell IS my part?

Vinyl paused, looking up to a massive purple building with a domed roof. There were several display windows showcasing mannequins in brilliant dresses, and she watched as Rarity walked straight up to the door.

"Now, I don't think I'm one to talk," Vinyl said slowly, "but I don't think this is a train station."

"Hmm? Oh, of course not, this is my house, and shop," Rarity said, trying the door. "Carousel Boutique." She pulled out a set of keys, unlocking the door.

"Oh, clothes," Vinyl said, fiddling with her jacket's cuffs. "Right."

Rarity paused in the doorway, calling out, "Sweetie Belle?"

There was no response.

"Out, then," Rarity muttered. "Come in, Vinyl, we shan't be long. I just wanted to get something. Feel free to look around, though I do hope you can avoid touching any outfits."

"Right," Vinyl said, closing the door behind her. The shop opened immediately into a business area, complete with a large fancy mirror.

Vinyl stood in front of it, then held out her arms. It looks even fancier than I'd thought. She turned slightly, looking at it from the sides. I hope it didn't cost too much.

She paused, then undid the buttons. She looked down at herself. Vinyl's body was normally coated in a more expensive plating option, that responded to movement and touch almost like real flesh. However, all the bullet holes had been patched over, meaning most of her stomach and some of her arms were now a beige color, and didn't quite move like the plates should have.

Though the chest repair hadn't been too hard, for some reason. Fluttershy had managed to simply close the tear, and replace a few cut wires.

I don't quite look like how I used to, Vinyl thought. What'll armor look like? Like what Applejack has? Then I'll really look different. Would Fancy even recognize me?

Movement showed in the mirror. Vinyl turned, seeing a door swing closed behind her. "Rarity?" she called out.

Rarity didn't reply, so Vinyl slowly walked over to the door. "Rarity?" she called out again.

The lights were off in the room. Vinyl stepped inside, listening to a faintly mechanical humming sound. She fumbled along the wall, looking for the light switch, then paused. "Silly me," she muttered, lighting up her horn.

The room was a mess. Piles of fabric sat in various corners, directly in front of the shelves. One mannequin was entirely on its side. A small basket of gems sat, leaning precariously over the side of one shelf.

Vinyl froze when she saw an android, perched besides the basket, with a mounted gun on her shoulder. For the briefest of seconds, they sat there, and Vinyl looked into her eyes. Then, she let out a wild cry, leaping to the side and out of the room, putting a wall between them. "RARITY!" she shouted.

Rarity charged forward, purse swinging at her side as she held a large, translucent gun in her hands. "What is it?" she demanded.

"An android was pointing a gun at me!" Vinyl said, pointing. "The room is a mess, I think she was searching it!"

Rarity crept up to the doorframe, then peeked inside. She let out a sigh, putting her gun back in her purse. "It's nothing to worry about, Vinyl, you simply startled my sister."

"Um...your sister?" Vinyl hesitantly stepped up besides Rarity, then looked into the room.

The lights had come on, and the little android was sitting on top of a shelf, mounted gun no longer making the whirring sound.

Rarity stepped to the mechanical filly, then pulled her from the shelf and set her on the ground. "Sweetie Belle, this is Vinyl Scratch. She's another rescue, okay? Vinyl, this is my adopted sister, Sweetie Belle."

"Uh, hi," Sweetie said, ducking slightly behind Rarity. Her poofy, purple-and-pink mane bounced, falling around her horn and almost to her eyes.

"Hi?" Vinyl said. She leaned down, crouching in front of Sweetie. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

“Why didn't you answer when I called you?” Rarity asked, leaning down to Sweetie's level.

“Well...um...I didn't hear,” Sweetie answered. “And then...she started coming over, and I...didn't know who she was, and...got...scared.”

“Hey, we're cool!” Vinyl said. She held out her hand. “You startled me, but honestly, looking back, I just feel like laughing about it, huh?” She laughed.

Sweetie Belle looked into her face. “Are your eyes...synth waves?”

“Uh, yeah. You're one of the only ponies to comment on that, though.”

“I've been studying music,” Sweetie said.

“Cool!” Vinyl said. “Maybe I could show you a thing or two sometime.”

“Really?”

“Sure, I don't see why not,” Vinyl said. “At least, as soon as I'm no longer under house arrest.” She looked to Rarity.

“Despite the name, we do have rules,” Rarity muttered. “But you're out of the castle anyway, Vinyl.”

“Under supervision,” Vinyl said. “So, did you get your thing or...”

“Can't you tell?” Rarity said, insulted.

“Is it...the hat?”

It was a jaunty hat that stuck well over the sides of her head, drooping under its own weight. Rarity sighed. “I suppose I shouldn't be looking for fashion sense in the girl who wasn't wearing a shirt thirty minutes ago,” she muttered. “We'd best be off, or we'll miss the train.”

“Oh. Right.” Vinyl ruffled Sweetie's mane, saying, “See ya later, then.”

“O-oh. Alright. Sorry again for, uh...almost shooting you.”

“Hey, not the first time!” Vinyl said, walking backwards out the door. “I couldn't care less!”

“Rainbow Dash?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Er...yeah, she's up there,” Vinyl admitted.

Indigo walked the familiar halls of the Canton of Inquisition once more. The imposingly long corridors had always confused her, as they all simply lead to and from the elevator, with only a few having extra doors.

But most of them had a window spanning most of the length of the corridor.

Indigo looked out, at the android pegasus washing the windows, and gave it a wave. As was the normal now, it waved, scarcely slowing down in its work as it did so.

Minuette knocked on the door to the meeting room. Lyra called out, “Princess absent,” from inside.

Minuette pushed open the door, frowning when only Lyra was in the room. “I thought I said this was a matter of the highest importance,” she said.

Lyra Heartstrings, forever tapping a hoof in a rhythm only she could hear, swished around her drink—which smelled like sickening amounts of sugar. “Our chief infiltrator is still on her way back from Vanhoover, and Cross couldn't manage to fit the time into his own infiltration.”

Minuette grumbled, coming into the room and sitting down. Indigo came in behind her, sitting in her customary position at Minuette's side.

“Well, as highest-ranked Inquisitor in the room,” Lyra said, “I will preside over the meeting.”

Minuette snorted. “What meeting? There's three ponies.” she threw up her hands. “All this time, and we still haven't gotten more recruits.”

“Pity that Octavia seems to have scrammed,” Indigo said. “She looks like she would have been a good one.”

Minuette nodded. “But we can't spare the time to look for her anymore. It seems like Discord's stepped up its game.”

Lyra poured from a pitcher, filling two glasses with a light, golden-brown drink with steam coming off of it.

Indigo picked up the cup Lyra passed her, sniffing it. “What is this, and why does it smell like a Whinnie bar?”

“Liquid caramel,” Lyra answered. “My old partner got me on the stuff, and now I can't drink anything else.”

Minuette grimaced, sliding her cup away from her. “Anyway,” she said, but Lyra held up a hand.

“Presiding Inquisitor, Min,” she said with a smile. She then stretched out her hand, gesturing to Minuette. “You have the floor.”

Minuette rolled her eyes. “We had a security breach in the Manehattan library,” she said. “Subject came in both the forms of Indigo, and myself, and flawlessly imitated us. Stole Indigo's security key, but logged onto the computer with mine.”

Lyra snickered.

“The intruder then--”

“After all those times berating her for not putting it up properly,” Lyra said, “yours was swiped.”

Minuette sucked in a deep breath. “Yes,” she admitted.

Lyra laughed. Indigo couldn't help but chuckle, and Minuette gave her a betrayed look before continuing.

“Continuing, the intruder then attempted to access the Wonderbolt armory schematics, using Princess Midnight's password,” she said.

Lyra sucked in a breath, hoof-tapping quickening.

“We're still not sure how she got that,” Minuette said. “Luckily, the redundant securities blocked her, but it's still bad. We've been ordered to change all of our passwords. The Princess told me to pass the word on to Princess Spitfire that her passwords may be compromised, too.”

Lyra leaned forward. “Do we know if she got anything?”

“The schematics for mine and Indigo's guns would have been accessible with the security keys,” Minuette replied. “If she was just looking for weapons. I have access to a number of secret files, but I don't think she messed with any of them. Besides, downloading wasn't available from that terminal, so she'd have been limited.”

“I'll get word to Princess Spitfire,” Lyra said. “You two have to be returning to Manehattan today, right?”

“We're still trying to help Lancelot resolve the gang that shot up the Flight of Fancy,” Minuette explained.

“It sucks, because we all know it was Filthy, but we need more evidence before we move in.” Indigo sighed.

“We still want to catch the last two mercenaries,” Minuette said. “Rough Tumble's been out for a bit, but he's never been high-profile enough for us to get involved.”

“Agreed. I'll send word to the Canton of Information, we'll need records of his previous crimes purged,” Lyra said.

Indigo looked up in alarm. “Eh? What? Why?”

“Because,” Minuette explained, “it'll look better if he only just showed up, and we caught him almost immediately. We have to play the popularity game, too, Indigo. If ponies think they can get away with crimes, they'll commit them. We have to make them think we are much scarier than we are.”

“And that means covering up the fact that we ignored him?”

“Yes,” Minuette said. “We're getting involved now, and his days are numbered from this point onwards. That is what matters. Some ponies just like to think about...the wrong parts of that.”

Indigo grimaced, leaning back. She sipped her caramel-drink, thinking it over.

“We help guide them,” Minuette said, “to where they need to go. And that means we do things that are unpleasant, and sometimes, even immoral. But we are justified under Princess Celestia. I don't like it either, but it is what it is.”

Indigo nodded. “Yeah, maybe. So, how do we go about catching Rough and...his boss?”

“Partner, by the sounds of it,” Minuette said. She pulled out a file. “Indigo found her records, via questioning some ponies in the area.”

“Aggressively,” Indigo put in.

“Gilda Gruff,” Lyra said. “Of course it's a gryphon. Do we know if she's with the Slavers?”

“I doubt any of the ones we know,” Minuette said. “She's not been caught before, but we tend to catch the Slavers pretty quickly. Regardless, she coordinated an assault on high-nobility.”

“I'll ask Princess Cadenza,” Lyra said, “and pass the word on the breach to Princess Spitfire. You two get your rest, then head on out again. We want this taken care of quickly.”

“Will you be following our shapeshifting friend, then?”

“Yes,” Lyra said, smiling. “She couldn't fool me.”

“Be careful,” Minuette said. “We'll head out to finish helping Lancelot.”

Indigo downed the last of her caramel-drink, setting the cup down. Then, she stood, heading out right after Minuette.

Things are getting more interesting.

Author's Note

Sorry this chapter came out a day late!