A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

Invasive Secrets,
Part 1

It's a calm and quiet evening back in Canterlot City, with everyone peacefully at rest, relaxing as they enjoyed the dreams that awaited them. At Sweet Apple Acres, The apple family was sleeping peacefully. Well, almost all of them. Applejack, the middle child out of her siblings, got up and stretched, yawning as she looked outside, staring fondly at the full moon.

Applejack changed out of her pajamas and put her casual clothes on, only to notice something out of the corner of her eye. The farm girl looked down the stairs, noticing that someone was in the kitchen. Applejack smiled and rolled her eyes. 'Probably just Apple Bloom gettin' a snack before bed. I'll head on down and get something myself, maybe some apple juice,' As Applejack prepared herself to descend the stairs, she saw her dog, Winona, scamper towards the kitchen, only to stop and growl halfway in. Whoever was in the kitchen was startled by Winona's presence, and the sound of glass breaking could be heard. Applejack was confused, but at the same time, she cracked her knuckles and looked at her geode resting on her belt. 'Alright, who's the city slicker that's tresspassin' on my family's farm!' Applejack thought.

Applejack quickly jumped down the flight of stairs and put her hands up. "Alright, partner, we can do this the easy way, or the hard w-" Applejack's words caught in her throat when she saw Rainbow Dash, poorly hiding her face in what remained of the apple and pear pie her grandmother made. Applejack frowned and stared at Dash, who simply smiled awkwardly, blushing incredibly hard. "Really? You nearly got yer skull cracked like an egg, just for some pie? Yer pulling mah leg, right Dash?" Applejack questioned, crossing her arms.

Dash laughed nervously, but her smile faded fast. The athletic girl sat the now emptied pie tin in the sink and sat down in a chair, all while Applejack got closer. "Dash, why in tarnation are you here so early?" Applejack asked.

Dash smiled. "What, I can't pop by to see a good friend, maybe raid the fridge for a light post-nightly-jog snack?" Dash countered.

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash with an unconvinced and very skeptical look, unwavered by her honeyed words. "Uh-huh. Sure, Dash, you've always been welcome here, unless its cider season," Applejack took out a small dog biscuit and tossed it to Winona, who happily went after it, forgetting about Dash. Applejack pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at the girl who was too good to break past the locks that her brother would have to either replace, or reinforce. "Tell me the truth, and nothin' but it, sugarcube. Yer already on thin ice with everyone else, once they found out about what happened before that strange robot-fiasco, so fess up. Why did ya come here so early in the night?" Applejack asked firmly.

Dash winced at the mention of the robot, but she sighed and decided to come clean about why she was there. "Applejack, has something not... felt right, since Sunset left?" Dash asked, concerned.

Applejack was mildly surprised, half-expecting Dash's usual attempts at flirting. Applejack thought for a moment this was some kind of set up for a joke, or more flirting, maybe even both, considering this was Rainbow Dash she was dealing with, and yet... she knew something felt out of place lately, but she thought she was just getting stir crazy, Applejack's guilt finally clutching her in its grasp, and slowly driving her nuts.

Applejack took a deep breath and sighed, a cautious look could be seen in the farm girl's green eyes as she leaned in. "Be specific, Rainbow, what hasn't felt right?" Applejack asked.

Dash looked around, even looking past the farm girl to look at Winona for a moment. Applejack watched as Dash got up from her seat and looked up towards the staircase, then carefully moved back to the chair she sat in. Applejack could see it in Dash's eyes and the way she moved. She was trying to make sure no one could hear what she was about to say. Dash carefully leaned in and decided to whisper into Applejack's ear. "Something's wrong with a lot of people in town... My parents have been leaving town a lot more often and refuse to explain, Tank seems to know what's on the up and up, he's been more aggressive towards Scootaloo, as of late... Have you ever seen a Turtle actually sprint before?! I had to chase Tank down till I caught him staring at an alleyway near Sugarcube corner, he went from a vicious snapping turtle to a harmless puppy in a near instant. If that doesn't scream that something's wrong, then I don't know what's right anymore. I haven't brought this up to anyone, I know they're still pissed about the whole robot thing, but we might be in serious trouble. Look, in the afternoon, if you're in town, stand still and listen... it'll be way too quiet for it to be populated with people." Dash whispered.

Applejack gave a deadpanned expression. "Yer kiddin', right?" Applejack asked.

Dash groaned. "I'm not joking, something hasn't felt right since Sunset left, and I'm not talking about how she hasn't forgiven us yet. Need I say anything about the missing people posters, along with some weird goo I found in my trash can?" Applejack was now very confused. Dash pulled out her phone and went to her gallery, showing off the trash can outside her house. It was filled up with tons of viscous orange goo, and numerous missing persons posters, all of them seemed to be crumpled up, torn apart, or used to ball up that same goo, rendering them to be just as useless. "I need a second opinion. Can you tell me anything that you've found unnatural, or... well, abnormal?" Dash asked.

Applejack opened her mouth, but soon heard the creaking sound of someone stepping down the stairs. The two girls looked over at Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith, who seemed to be wide awake. "Oh! Uh, sorry about the noise, granny. I was just chattin' with my friend, Dash, for a moment." Applejack apologized.

Granny Smith looked idly at Dash. "No harm done, just thought we heard a ruckus, is all." Granny stated, her face barely even changing emotion.

Applejack looked over at her older brother, Big MacIntosh, and saw him looking at an old family photo. "Goin' on a stroll down memory lane, Mac?" Applejack asked.

Big Mac turned to look at his sister, nodding his head, then looking back at the photo. Applejack raised her eyebrow in confusion. 'Huh, someone's not feelin' wordy today. Maybe Dash was right, something is wrong.' Applejack thought with a small grin.

Dash smiled and waved, all while she could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Something was wrong, and she needed to get Applejack out of there without rousing suspicion. "Oh, that's right! Applejack, there was something I needed to show you, outside! It's a new trick, and it just can't wait till tomorrow! Follow me!" Dash stated, pulling Applejack aside.

Applejack tried to fight Dash's persistent pulling, and nervously waved to her family, all while she caught a glance at her little sister, Apple Bloom. The little girl's eye twitched, and she waved back, all without showing a single emotion, not noticing the red dot in the center of her pupils.

As Applejack was pulled out the door and towards the front of the farm, Applejack finally broke free and glared at Dash. "Alright, what in tarnation has gotten into you, Dash?! You got me pulled all the way out to the front of my family's farm, now what? What were you goin' on about back there, something about a trick?" Applejack questioned.

Dash pulled Applejack to the side, which was covered by a few tall thick bushes and her smile faded away, replaced by a look of terror and uncertainty. "Listen, we need to get the girls rounded up together, it's not safe to be alone right now! Those people in your house? That's not your family. That's not Apple Bloom, that's not Big Mac, that's not your grandma, and above all else, that's not Winona!" Dash cautioned.

Applejack was thrown for a loop, finally convinced that Rainbow Dash had finally gone crazy. At first, Dash was being secretive, now she's acting paranoid and being careful about something. 'What in tarnation is this girl talkin' about? Of course it's my family, they're just not used to bein' up at this hour.' Applejack throught.

Applejack walked back to the entrance of the farm and peaked around the corner, seeing her three family members standing with their backs turned to her. The farm girl was confused for a moment and was about to call out to them, until they pulled at their faces. In three blinding flashes of light, Applejack and Dash went wide eyed, bearing witness to the truth.

Three DNAliens stood, each one with a different size and shape. The one that was disguised as Apple Bloom reached down to Winona, pressing a button that wasn't on her usual collar. The disguise warped and faded, revealing the same Winona, but with a Xenocyte growing around her body, latched and ingrained with the canine's head.

Dash didn't hesitate to grab Applejack and activate her geode, speeding off in a flash. As the DNAliens simply turned around towards the front entrance, seeing nothing but the breeze blow by, they quickly made their way to the barn, opening it up, revealing several Xenocyte-affected animals housed inside, as well as numerous DNAlien drones harvesting strange egg-shaped pods with exposed brains and a thin faded yellow membrane wrapped around them.

The end was nearing closer and closer, and two of the Rainbooms were now aware of the horrifying truth that was about to be revealed to everyone.

Meanwhile at Fluttershy's, she was carefully tending to Angel's needs, despite him being very fussy about it. "Oh, I'm sorry Angel, but I need to make sure you're not coming down with something. You've been needlessly aggressive with mom and dad as of late, even towards Zephyr! I know he's a bit much, but you didn't have to try and attack him. I don't know if it's because you're fussy, or if you're doing it to get a rise out of me." Fluttershy reprimanded, trying to explain the best she could to her pet.

As Fluttershy grabbed a brush from her stand, there was a loud knock at the front door, making the poor girl nearly jump out of her skin. "W-Who could that be at this hour?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

Angel rolled his eyes and hopped down to the front door, all while Fluttershy quickly went after him. As she did, she looked out the window, seeing that it was Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who seemed to be in a panic. Out of curiosity, Fluttershy carefully opened the door, only for Applejack to pull the shy girl outside, with Angel following after them.

Fluttershy yelped as she struggled, but Dash managed to get the farm girl to let her go. "A-Applejack, what's-" Dash quickly covered Fluttershy's mouth, noticing Fluttershy's brother, Zephyr Breeze, staring down at them from his window. Fluttershy pulled Dash's hand away from her face and looked up at her brother. "Relax, Zephyr, it's just Dash and AJ. Go back to your cosmetology stuff!" Fluttershy reassured.

Zephyr shrugged and started to move away from the window, all while Dash and AJ sighed. "Fluttershy, we need to move. Don't ask, we'll explain on the way." Applejack stated, trying to regain some form of composure.

Fluttershy was a bit confused, but then Angel hopped into Fluttershy's hair, making himself comfortable. Fluttershy looked at her two friends with a worried look. They looked so scared and paranoid... Fluttershy nodded her head and followed after the two, making their way towards their next closest friend. All the while, Zephyr and his parents watched as the three girls fled the scene. They growled inhumanely as orange ooze seeped from their lips, clinging to their faces like wet clay.

Rarity, meanwhile, was having her own fair share of oddity-related events. The fashion-saavy girl's hair was a mess, small blobs of orange ooze clung to her hair like chewing gum, and her casual clothes, which consisted of a blue sweatshirt and white pajama bottoms, were torn up and almost shredded. Rarity stared down at Scootaloo, who let out an inhuman gurgling noise. From atop the staircase, Sweetie Belle was gripping onto two Xenocytes, one in each hand, ready to clamor after the teenage girl.

Rarity created a few gem constructs and gritted her teeth, readying herself for another round. "I don't know what those vile little cretins are, or what they've done to make the pair of you so vicious, but if I must fight, then I shall!" Rarity flung several constructs at the two kids, and while it did stagger them, Rarity suddenly acted on instinct when she saw something coming towards her, creating a large construct to shield herself from the blow. The thing that hit the construct was another blob of orange goo, only it was much hairier and almost spindly, like a spider's web, or a cat's hairball. Rarity looked past her construct, only to be met by her cat, Opalescence. The white cat was now in a much more monstrous state. The cat's paws now had large black claws jutting out, all while a sickly skin starts to grow over the cat's matted and orange ooze-stained fur, all while a Xenocyte continues to grow and infect the housecat with ease. It let out a screeching alien hiss as Rarity prepares to keep defending herself. "Well... if you insidious impostors wish to fall, allow me to give you the push you need!" Rarity proclaimed, closing her eyes.

As Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Opalescence approach, Rarity's geode begins to shine brighter, and her body started to shine like a crystal. Rarity whipped her hair out of her face and shifted her face towards the three, gritting her teeth as she kept her eyes squeezed shut. "You broke into my shop amidst the cover of night, attacked my little sister, turned her, my cat and her friend into monsters, and you probably did the same to my friends..." Rarity snapped her eyes open, now glowing a rather sinister green color, all while a sense of fury burned, practically radiating from her eyes, like a wildfire that's been tempered and controlled. "I'll turn you filthy creatures into funeral centerpieces when I'm done prying you off by force!" Rarity exclaimed, screeching out as her blood began to boil.

The creatures watched as the constructs shrunk, only to then re-shape into constructs of a sword and shield. Rarity grabbed her weapons and yelled out, readying her construct blade as she lunged towards Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Sugarcube Corner was currently under fire. Numerous citizens of Canterlot City were trying to break into the sweet confectionary joint, but the owners of the place, the Cakes, were dealing with problems of their own. Inside, Pinkie was chasing after a small group of Xenocytes, swiping away at them with a large broom handle, all while trying to run them out of the building. "No pests allowed! Scram!" Pinkie knocked one of the Xenocytes on the top of its exposed brain-like organ, causing it to squeak out and scuttle under one of the tables in a daze. She stopped to wipe the sweat from her brow, until one of the Xenocytes caught her off guard, latching onto her face. Pinkie stayed still for a moment, and simply pried the alien parasite off her face, much to the parasite's disbelief and shock. "I really wish you wouldn't do that, makes it harder to do this!" Pinkie remarked, tossing the parasite into the air and then smacking it with the broom handle, causing it to crash against the wall, unmoving.

Pinkie stopped and looked up at the staircase, noticing the silhouettes of her employers, the Cakes. "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Sorry for the noise, I was doing a bit of pest control before I locked up tonight." The Cakes stepped out of the shadows, parts of the parasite covered their bodies in tendrils and that same sickly skin wrap, all while the same orange goo oozed from their lips. Pinkie's eyes widened and her smile started to falter, all while a nervous laugh escaped her quivering lips, and her legs started to feel like they were gonna give out. Pinkie gasped, and instinctively ran to the kitchen, locking herself in. Before the two infected individuals could go after the poor girl, a car burst through the front door and wall, causing the two to retreat up the stairs as a giant hole was made in the building. Pinkie poked her head out and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Pinkie Senses!" Pinkie remarked.

Pinkie looked at the van, quickly noticing that no one was at the passenger seat, or the driver's seat. Confused, Pinkie looked towards the hole in the building, noticing the individuals that were trying to break in. As Pinkie was about to call out and ask what happened, a familiar blue blur sped onto the scene, revealing Rainbow Dash, as well as Fluttershy and Applejack, who were all strapped and equipped with gear. Pinkie's smile widened as she hugged her friends tightly, all while the individuals outside started to move towards them, orange ooze dribbling from their lips. "ohmygoshguysimsogladyoureokayIdontknowwhatsgoingonbutIcangatherthatitsnotgoodforanyone!" Pinkie rapidly stated.

Dash let electricity crackle between her fingers and fired bolts of lightning at the approaching individuals, shocking them as they dropped to the ground, fidgeting from the electrical current that pulsed through their bodies, an errantly pained gurgle escaping from each of them. Dash looked back at Pinkie, noticing that her smile was starting to fade. "We'll explain everything the best we can, but right now, we need to find Rarity, and get to Twilight! Grab on, and we'll be at her boutique in ten seconds flat!" Dash briefly stated.

Pinkie looked back at the other individuals that didn't get shocked, noticing their throats swell up as the orange goo started to pour out more from their mouths. Pinkie nodded and grabbed ahold of her friends and sped off past the individuals. The infected Cakes stepped down and approached the crowd with a knowing look. The crowd of people nodded, pulling their masks off, revealing their partially infected selves.

The crowd started to walk in the direction the girls went, all the while, more infected people start to come out of the buildings, the alleyways, they were even popping out of the sewers. The mob grew larger and larger, and for a moment, it seemed like Canterlot was due for an unexpected snowfall as a snowflake fell through the horde of DNAlien drones.

The girls stopped in front of Rarity's boutique, and judging by the broken window, and the orange goo that aligned the visible parts of the building's interior, it seemed like they were too late. "Rarity?" Applejack called out.

The girls quickly rushed to the door, with Applejack kicking it open, only to see Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle tied up and gagged, as well as a disfigured and DNAlienized Opalescence trapped in a cage, aggressively trying to break out to no avail. And yet, Rarity was still nowhere to be seen. "Looks like Rarity managed to handle herself... but, where is she?" Pinkie asked worriedly.

From behind a ruined purple couch, a single xenocyte crawls on top of it, abandoning its hiding place and lunges towards the girls. The four of them try their best to shield themselves from the parasite's attack, only for it to let out a pained squeal as something pinned it against the wall. The girls uncovered their eyes, only to be surprised when they see that the parasite was not only pinned to the wall, but impaled by a bright gem construct. The parasite soon stopped moving, and a set of footsteps came down the stairs, revealing Rarity, who was spraying a can of something onto her hair as she straightened up her newest outfit.

The young fashionista was now adorned in a blue jean jacket and a pencil skirt, though she kept her sweatpants on, she now had a pair of brightly accessorized hiking shoes on. Rarity looked at herself in a shard of glass that stayed intact on a nearby mirror, licked her thumb and wiped away some of the orange gunk she had on her face, and looked to her friends with a smile. "Better late than never, darlings." Rarity remarked.

Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack quickly rushed to Rarity's side, pulling the fashionista into a group hug, all while Dash kept her distance and looked away, focusing her attention outside, watching for something to change. Rarity smiled and wormed her way out of her friends' grasp, only to chuckle and sigh. "It's good to see you all, too. I assume we're going to go to Twilight, see if she has a solution?" Rarity inquired.

Applejack nodded her head. "Eeyup. If anyone can find out what in tarnation is goin' on here, it's either Twilight or Sunset. Since Sunset isn't here, Twilight's our best bet." Applejack stated.

Dash backed away from the front door and looked at the others. "If we're gonna go to Twilight, we need to make sure we don't stay in one spot. I don't know why, or what it is about this entire situation, but it's got me on edge, something isn't right about any of this," The girls looked at Dash, a mix of curiosity and skepticism could be seen in their faces, and Dash groaned, feeling frustrated. "You're still pissed about the robot thing, I get it, you've constantly reminded me every single day, I'm not that tone-deaf! Get over it and grab on, or would you rather fight your way to Twilight instead." Dash remarked.

The girls looked at each other, then nodded their heads. "Then let's get the lead out and make our way to Twilight's lab," the girls grabbed hold of Dash and watched as her geode glowed. Applejack leaned in and whispered something in Dash's ear. "We'll talk about that other thing later." Applejack whispered.

Dash gritted her teeth and ignored Applejack's words for the moment. As the girls sped away, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle broke free from their binds and tore the cloth gags out of their mouths, each one stained in orange goo. The two looked at each other, then nodded, freeing Opalescence and going the opposite way the girls went, making their way to Sweet Apple Acres.

Within the basement of her home, Twilight was casually typing away at a large computer, all while a small gray dog rests peacefully on a dog bed behind her. Twilight stops typing and leans back, looking at numerous images of some kind of building, specifically, a hatchery. The girl lifts her glasses up and rubs her eyes. "I just don't understand, what's the purpose of this place, and why build one in Canterlot?" Twilight questioned.

The dog slowly started to wake up, all while Twilight continued her research. The dog rolled his eyes and brushed up against her leg. "C'mon Twilight, just get some rest. Aren't you tired after being down here for days, isolating and keeping yourself wide awake to continue your research?" the dog asked with concern.

Twilight looked down at her canine companion and sulked, shrinking the tabs on the hatchery, and pulled out her phone, pulling up Sunset's contact. She stared at it for what felt like an eternity, only to pocket the phone and reach down to pet her dog. "I'm sorry, Spike, I just need something to keep me busy, to keep the thoughts of Anon-A-Miss out of my mind. I'd hang out with the girls, but they don't seem ready to drop the subject," Twilight pulled up the Canterlot High webpage and typed in a name that's been buzzing around in her head. Soon enough, an image of Chance came up. "Then there's what Dash did to this guy. Sure, it was an accident and she didn't know he was around the area, but it's clear that the ostracizing we've been doing to her, keeping her out of the loop on certain things, it hasn't made things any better... From what little Rarity told me, he was able to get up after being struck by Dash's electrical attack and walk it off, that sounds pretty inhuman." Twilight explained, trying to change the subject.

Spike smiled and leapt onto her lap, watching the screen. "Looks familiar. You don't think he has magic, do you?" Spike asked.

Twilight shrugged. "Hard to say. If he does, then our geodes haven't reacted to him in any way. We would've noticed if someone like him got ahold of something magical, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's normal," Twilight typed away at her computer and pulled up Chance's educational statistics. "He's pretty average, if not just a percent above it. He's got a fairly clean reputation when it comes to putting in the work to keep his grades up, but then there's the more permanent record. He's gotten in fights, he's mouthed off to teachers and staff, and at one point he just stopped engaging, which caused a slight drop in his grades. He almost reminds me of Sunset, before she changed, I mean." Twilight explained, plugging some headphones into her phone as she selected some music.

As Twilight put the headphones on her head, Spike shrugged and hopped off Twilight's lap, ready to head back to bed, until he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Spike looked towards the storage closet and saw it barely opened ajar. Curiosity getting the better of the canine, Spike opened the door a bit more, only to then be pulled in, with the door closing on him, with Twilight being none the wiser. Spike yelled and howled, only for his cries to be muffled by something latching onto his face amidst the darkness.

Twilight continued to tap away at her computer, completely oblivious of the fate that her talking canine friend had now succumbed to. Twilight pulled up Sunset's records and put the two side-by-side, carefully comparing them.

The next morning, the trio was leaving a motel in the same city the last adventure took place, and while Sunset and Luna looked like they had the best time sleeping, Chance was right behind them, grumbling to himself. Slowly, he followed behind as he yawned, gingerly sipping on a cup of hot coffee he got from the front desk before they checked out. "I don't know how you two have had such great luck in sleeping, as of late. Call me crazy, but I think I'm actually jealous!" Chance remarked exhaustedly.

Sunset looked back, noticing that her friend did seem more exhausted than normal. "Well, I think it's just because of how Luna and I remained calm during the last time trouble came our way. I certainly wasn't expecting to be dealing with Flash, I'll admit, but then again, Trixie was also an unexpected surprise in the adventure before the previous one, too. I've also been a hero longer, so that might explain why I'm so used to this." Sunset attempted to explain.

Luna shrugged her shoulders, sitting down in the driver's seat. "I'm sure you'll get to feeling better soon, maybe when we head to Mount Rushmore, you'll be singing a happier tune!" Luna encouraged.

Chance rolled his eyes and chugged down the last remnants of his coffee before chucking the cup into the trash can. Chance lets a scoff escape him. "Easy for you to say, I haven't slept right in two days! These nightmares are becoming more frequent, and just when I thought my personal problems were already enough fuel for the fire, Now I'm constantly dealing with that fuckin' weird alien thing I saw in that weird void place," Luna felt her blood run cold, and slowly looked back at the teenage hero, seeing the steadily developing black rings forming under his eyes. "What's next, is the next night terror gonna be about fighting alien ghosts at hangman's tree!?" Chance exclaimed.

Sunset snickered, much to Chance's disappointment. "Maybe you just need to relax. Hero Time doesn't have to be all the time, y'know. I think you're just anxious for the next big fight." Sunset joked.

Chance sighed, lamenting that he wasn't being taken seriously. The teen hero looked down at the Omnitrix, only to have his attention piqued when it started glowing yellow, forming the DNA Helix again. "ERROR. Significant genetic damage detected." The Omnitrix spoke.

That got the trio's attention. Luna got out of the driver's seat and walked over to the teens, who watched as the Omnitrix slowly stopped spinning, and seemed to be pointing right at the motel, specifically, the front desk. Chance groaned and got up. "Son of a bitch, again!? This is the third motel in a single HOUR this thing has legitimately reacted to, and the past two had these damn parasites! Where the fuck do these things keep comin' from?!" Chance exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Luna sighed and opened the door. "Come along, let's get this over with." Luna remarked.

Chance marched right out of the RV and immediately made a beeline for the front desk. He saw a tall thin man leave and lock the place up, and Chance didn't hesitate to ram into the man and pin him against the wall. "Where are the parasites!?" Chance demanded.

Luna and Sunset quickly ran over, only for the man to let out a gurgled grunt, shoving the hero back with great force, despite his build. The man ripped his mask off, revealing the DNAlien's true form. "Clever, very clever. You may have stopped us before, but you will not stop what's coming. Once the general gets word of your identity, you will not live to see the sun shine again!" the DNAlien threatened cryptically.

Chance had an idea on who their general was, but he didn't say another word. He just simply activated the Omnitrix. He pushed the core down, and transformed into Armethyst. The alien merged his fingers into a large blade, and glared at the DNAlien, which recognized the situation as one that he needed to flee from. The DNAlien tried to run, but Sunset quickly got in its way, then grabbed it tightly as her geode glowed. "Sleep!" Sunset commanded.

The DNAlien, despite its attempts at resisting, inevitably fell asleep. Armethyst walked forward, and the Omnitrix started to react. "Omnitrix has detected genetic damage in quarantine zone, shall we attempt to repair?" The Omnitrix spoke.

Armethyst grabbed the DNAlien's head and nodded. "Attempt the repair, and whatever other parasites are still in the area." Armethyst confirmed.

"Request acknowledged," The Omnitrix began to spin at a rapid pace, and emitted a large pulse of bright yellow light. The man soon returned to his normal self, as did numerous workers and customers as they ran out into public, panicking as their masks started to short circuit, and the parasites began to loosen their grip on their hosts and wither away. "Genetic repair complete, all DNAlien drones successfully purged of parasite. Quarantine Zone has been purged of Xenocite Outbreak. Power depletion upon reverting to human will extend recharge time to twelve hours." The Omnitrix chirped.

Immediately, the Omnitrix started timing out, reverting Chance back to his normal form. As Chance let the dying Xenocite go, he walked back to the RV and moved towards the back of it. Luna and Sunset looked back at each other, then at the rest of the unconscious victims that were saved. "This is starting to become a problem, why are all these weird parasite things so bent on taking over people? Chance has a good question about these things, where are these things coming from?" Sunset asked.

Luna didn't answer, and simply looked back at the RV, seeing Chance rest his head on his pillow. 'I feel as if this is getting to him. I can understand that everyone needs their sleep, but Chance was ready to get aggressive. I need to do something, but what? How am I supposed to prepare them for this!? My secret could be compromised, regardless their status as heroes... His nightmares aren't gonna be helpful, either. He's been tortured enough, this is overkill.' Luna thought.

Luna closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Sunset, were you saying something?" Luna asked.

Sunset sighed. "Nevermind. How's about we go get breakfast and see what's going on with him?" Sunset suggested, pointing towards Chance.

Luna nodded, and the two walked back to the RV. Sunset closed the door and watched as Luna looked back at the scene, almost bothered by how things played out. She started the RV and drove away, leaving everything as it was, while people slowly started to regain consciousness, unaware of what events just transpired.

As the RV drove down the road, Chance got up and stretched, finally experiencing the sensation of feeling well rested again. "Finally, a proper bit of rest. Can't wait to put this energy to use!" Chance hopped off his bed and walked to the front, noticing that Sunset and Luna were conversating about something, something he couldn't hear. He wanted to move up and join, but suddenly found that he couldn't move any further. Chance looked down, and much to his surprise, nothing looked or felt wrong, but it was like his body was vehemently telling him to not go forward another step. "Okay, this is a new feeling. Hey, can I get some help? I think my legs are experiencing paralysis!" Chance called out.

Luna and Sunset kept conversating, as if they didn't hear him. Chance picked up his left leg and placed it forward, forcing himself to walk forward. Much to his own surprise, his legs felt incredibly and unnaturally heavy, it was like his flesh was made out of stone, and his bones, steel and concrete. 'Okay, what the fuck is going on with my body? I should be fine. I know Flash went on a rampage, but I made it out fine!' Chance thought, incredibly confused as to why his legs were suddenly not functional.

As Chance got closer, somehow the conversation got quieter. Chance finally decided that enough was enough, and activated the Omnitrix, only to feel as if his blood had turned cold as ice. The icon he saw was similar to that of a DNAlien, and already, Chance was starting to feel concerned. He tried to cycle to one of his other transformations, but that didn't seem to do anything. Every time Chance twisted the dial, no matter what direction it was turned to, the DNAlien icon was permanent. "This is getting weirder and weirder." Chance stated worriedly.

Without any other options, Chance carefully and cautiously pressed the core back down. Chance was prepared for the worst. He was expecting a parasite to suddenly latch onto his face, or for the Omnitrix to try and take him over. He expected to be possessed or transformed in some way, whether it be painless or the most gruesome and life-halting experience of his life.

The one thing he wasn't prepared for, was that nothing happened. The Omnitrix simply faded from green to white, and Chance wasn't sure what was supposed to happen, if anything was gonna happen at all. The RV was silent, like a church in the midst of unholy rapture. Chance tried to reach a hand out to Sunset, only to notice his arm. It looked like a DNAlien's arm. Chance looked over himself, and noticed that every part of him was now more akin to that of a DNAlien. Chance tried to open his mouth, but several small tentacles launched forward, revealing that Chance's lips and tongue were now merged into some grotesque tendril-filled opening in his face.

Chance fell backwards, but instead of feeling the carpet, he fell into a void, all while he felt a mind numbing buzz in his head. He felt the skin on his face begin to itch and irritate his flesh, and hunched over as he fell, crying out as he pulled his face away. Chance now looked exactly like a DNAlien, and the Omnitrix was no longer on his wrist, but rested in his hands. Chance tried to gain some control over his body back, but his transformed self just moved forward, and knelt before a much darker figure. Six glowing red eyes peered open and snatched the Omnitrix out of his hands.

Chance closed his eye, feeling a powerful weight crush him, all while his life flashes before his eyes. Chance looks up at the towering figure, recognizing the tattered robe it wore. "Count your last few moments, vermin. The Omnitrix will be mine!" Reinrassic stated victoriously.

Chance tried to crawl away, only for something to fall on his head, causing him to go limp, blacking out. The last thing he saw was Moonshine, standing above him with a bloodied baseball bat and a wicked smirk on his face.

Hours later, Chance suddenly wakes up, screaming in terror as he flailed around, and then inevitably fell on the floor, where he continued to gasp for air and scream. Chance scrambles to get on his feet, all while he leaned against the wall, a sick and nauseating feeling began to pulse through him, and before he could try to make heads or tails of what just happened, something pulled the curtain back, and Chance just acted solely on instincts. He roared out and charged forward, only for Sunset to quickly get out of the way, and watch as Chance knocked his head against the dash, causing the hero to groan and fidget, all while adrenaline and fear pumped through him like a lethal poison that tried to numb his body.

Sunset watched as Chance scrambled to get on his knees and activate the Omnitrix, only for Sunset to walk forward, trying to approach him. Chance acted on his instincts, getting up fast as he tried to throw a punch, only for Sunset to quickly dodge it, and watch as Chance tried to pull himself together, gather his bearings and try to recognize that he wasn't in any danger. Chance rubbed his eyes and looked at Sunset, desperately trying to approach him. Sunset was genuinely a bit scared as Chance rushed at her like that, but she knew that this wasn't a typical response. Sunset got close and put her hands on his face, trying to hold him still. She activated her geode, only to immediately recoil and let him go.

Chance opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, he just fell flat onto the ground, breathing heavily and erratically. Chance could barely hear what Sunset was saying, but she seemed to be yelling at someone. Chance tried to move, but he just couldn't, he felt like his body was forcing him to relax, to be still. Chance was trying to cry out for help, because as much as it killed him to admit, he desperately needed it. Unfortunately, all that could come out of his mouth was a weak whimper and baited breaths. Unbeknownst to him, the Omnitrix was flashing yellow the whole time.

Back in Canterlot City, the five girls were running as fast as they could, pushing through the doors of Canterlot High. The numerous individuals of Canterlot City were on the prowl, hunting for them, chasing them down with no chance of relenting. Applejack saw the door to the basement, as well as a few child sized DNAliens blocking their path. Begrudgingly, Applejack activated her geode and stomped a foot onto the ground, causing small rock pillars to launch them aside. "Go! Get that damn door open, I'll buy yall some time!" Applejack's eyes glowed orange as she crossed her arms in an 'X' formation, causing several rock pillars to jut out from the walls in many directions, blocking off the DNAliens. "Hurry!" Applejack exclaimed.

Rarity pulled out a bobby pin and handed it to Dash, who immediately started attempting to pick the lock. As she did, a few Xenocites started to approach, and much to Fluttershy's dismay, one DNAlien managed to get past Applejack's blockade. A small white bunny rabbit with a wicked glint in its eye. The DNAlienized Angel Bunny lunged forward, trying to attack Fluttershy, but Pinkie quickly intercepted the attack by smacking him away with the broom handle. "Sorry, Fluttershy, but it was for the greater good!" Pinkie apologized.

Dash continued to jiggle the handle and try to pick the lock, but soon enough, the DNAliens were starting to break through her blockade, much to the farm girl's annoyance. "Why in tarnation did these things have to be more stubborn than a hornet's nest in a skunk's den on the hottest day in June!?" One of the DNAliens popped their head in, only for Rarity to push them back, creating some constructs over the holes. "Thanks partner!" Applejack complimented.

Rarity nodded. "Dash, darling, not to rush you or anything, but they're starting to break through! Hurry up and get it open, or we're going down!" Rarity called out.

Dash frantically moved and jiggled both the bobby pin and the handle, and finally managed to unlock it. "Yes, I got it!! Hurry, before- AH!!" Dash was flung back as a large muscular DNAlien burst through the door, with parts of the host revealing itself as Bulk Biceps. Dash's moment of celebration then devolved into a moment of devastation. "Oh come on!!" Dash got back up to her feet, gritting her teeth as electricity started to crackle around her body. "Can't I catch a break!? Just leave us alone!!" Dash exclaimed.

Bulk rushed towards Dash, only to then be blasted back by a bright spark of electrical energy, causing the infected Bulk to crash onto the infected Angel Bunny. "Everyone! Basement! Now!" Applejack exclaimed.

The five girls quickly rushed down to the basement, only to see a whole bunch of xenocite pods and a weird silky film webbed up in most places. "Something tells me Twilight's not down here!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Rarity snapped her fingers. "Then she must still be at her house! We need to get out of here before we get boxed in! There's an exit on the other side of the basement, it looks like a root cellar! Move!" Rarity stated.

Out of options, the five girls rushed through the room, all while the xenocites started to detect their presence, and immediately started to seek them out. The girls moved quickly and carefully, making sure no one got separated for even a moment, even as a Xenocite clung to Fluttershy's back, a well-placed zap from Dash's electricity was enough to send it scuttling away. Thankfully, Rarity was right, there was another way out. Unfortunately, there were a lot of Xenocites that were a bit too eager to meet them, and blocked off the exit, all while Xenocites started to surround them. "Well, damn it! We're surrounded! Put a shield up, Rares, we can't take the chance! We got this far, we can't give up now!" Applejack exclaimed.

Rarity tried to put up a shield, but the construct immediately dissipated into sparkling particles. "I'm a bit exhausted, darling! Can't you bust us out of here?!" Rarity suggested, backing up as the Xenocites started to get closer.

Applejack stomped on the ground, but aside from agitating the xenocites, she soon found that her powers weren't working either. "Oh crabapples..." Applejack muttered, backing up as the xenocites started closing in.

Pinkie swung the broom handle at the parasites, trying to keep them at bay. Unfortunately, she soon saw the DNAliens starting to flood in from where they initially came from. Pinkie dropped the broom handle and started to back up, as did Dash. "Oh man, this is not how I thought it would end! I thought we'd go out in a bang, go out on our own terms, something other than this! Please, someone say they have a plan!!" Dash pleaded.

Fluttershy was starting to get scared, then her geode started glowing. Fluttershy's fear soon started to become agitation, and then it became anger. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes closed, all while her emotions started to bubble up and boil to the surface. Fluttershy turned to the numerous xenocites and DNAliens closing in on them, and snapped her eyes open, glowing brightly.

The light that cascaded from Fluttershy's eyes seemed to stop the xenocites, as well as cause the DNAliens to end up on the backfoot. Fluttershy growled and glared at the parasites around her, causing them to back off and scuttle away. The four girls were surprised, as well as mildly terrified. "Well I'll be! Nice job, Fluttershy!" Applejack congratulated.

The four girls quickly walked up the stairs and kicked the doors wide open, with Fluttershy following after them close behind, her eyes starting to glow less and less. "I-I really hope you girls didn't mind me letting off some steam... I d-didn't mean to frighten you, i-if I did..." Fluttershy apologized.

Dash smiled and nudged Fluttershy's shoulder. "Think nothing of it, we're just glad to finally be out of there!" Applejack quickly closed the doors and barred it shut with a couple wooden planks. "But now we need to go to Twilight's, all while the whole city's after us! We need a vehicle, I can't run us all the way there, my magic's kinda tapped out." Dash remarked.

Pinkie nodded as she slumped down, sitting on the grass. "I think I'd personally like to find a place to rest, even if it's just for a moment. We ran around all night last night, and the whole time this morning! We're gonna be running on fumes if we keep this up any longer. Lets rest first, then go find Twilight." Pinkie suggested.

Rarity yawned and rubbed her eyes. "As much as I don't want to admit, we do need to rest. Our magic is running low from constant use, and it'd be nice to have a car! I don't care if it's a limousine or a hatchback, anything'll do, by this point. I refuse to be picky." Rarity agreed.

The sound of the cellar doors being hit and slammed against echoed out, leading to the five girls agreeing that they needed to hide. The girls quickly looked over to a truck and piled in. Dash used whatever electricity she could muster to start the vehicle up, and Applejack drove them out, moving through the emptied streets of Canterlot City with desperate need for a hiding spot those creatures won't find.

Rarity leaned back against her seat, sighing. "I can only wonder how Sunset's handling any of this, if she's seen these things at all." Rarity wondered.

The girls didn't respond, but they agreed. If these things were giving them trouble, all they could do in that moment was think about how Sunset was handling this situation. Things were gonna get much worse if they weren't stopped, but the girls kept their heads held high, ready to keep on fighting. But for now, hiding was their only chance.

Back at the RV, Chance had finally calmed down, all while Luna and Sunset tried to keep him still. "S-Sleep no, c-can't s-sleep, won't sle-ep." Chance muttered to himself, breathing heavily.

Sunset and Luna stood over him, watching with concern as Chance fidgeted in place, all while he quickly glanced around the room, seeing nothing but a pale mockery of the RV's interior. To him, everything was made out of purple and red metals, almost like they were the veins of a giant. The cold sensation he felt was persistent. Even when he was dressed in two sweatshirts, two pairs of sweatpants, jeans, a puffy jacket, and had the heat on as high as it could go, he still felt cold, colder than a lifeless body on the coldest night in December with a heavy snowstorm blowing down, burying the snow underneath its blanket of frozen cold numbness.

Luna sighed. "So he just got up, started to panic, and tried to attack you?" Luna asked.

Sunset nodded. "In his defense, I think he was still pretty asleep, even after he woke up. He saw something he needed to fight, but it's strange, I tried to look in his head, then try to calm him down, but the moment I looked in, I had to pull back... I saw darkness, and one of those weird DNAlien things that the Omnitrix keeps talking about. It was trying to take the Omnitrix away from a much larger creature, it looked like a DNAlien, like Chance had mentioned before, but it was much larger, bleached white, and those eyes... those red eyes, it was freaky looking," Luna's blood started to run cold, a sense of danger crept up her spine. "I tried to find where Chance was, but all I could see was a DNAlien, and some other creature, fighting for the Omnitrix." Sunset explained.

Luna looked over at the fidgeting teen, and decided to sit down beside him. "Mister Marsten, are you alright?" Chance didn't respond. Sure, he was able to meet her gaze for a moment, but his face terrified Luna. He looked terrified, scared to death. Chance looked at his hands, his skin was getting pale, and the tips of his fingers were getting blacker and blacker, like the jagged talons of some unholy creature spawned from the coldest depths of hell itself. "Chance, tell me what's wrong. Clearly you aren't well, what do you need?" Luna asked, pulling the teenager into a hug.

Chance immediately tried to pull away, the fear in his eyes was enough of a sign, and the yellow bloodshot in his eyes made it so much more obvious. Luna bit her thumb and looked over to the fridge. Out of options, Luna had one idea, but she wasn't sure if it would work, not that she had any other options. Luna sighed and got up. "Wait right here, mister Marsten, I think there's something that might be able to help you," Luna walked over to the fridge and opened the bottom door, seeing a red button on the side. Without hesitation, she pressed it, opening a small compartment in the interior side of the door, revealing a small glass jar of green-colored beans, as well as a small vial of red and blue syrup. She grabbed them, as well as taking a small tub of vanilla ice cream and a gallon of milk. "You've worked pretty hard already and stressed yourself out, it's all coming back to kick ya. Thankfully, I might just have the remedy to fix this. Sunset, try to keep him awake, this won't take too long." Luna requested, walking over to the counter.

Sunset was very confused, as well as concerned for what Luna was going to prepare, but by this point, she knew this was something she had to expect. It wasn't gonna be pretty, but Sunset sat by her friend, ensuring that it wouldn't be an easy escape.

Luna opened up a blender and started to get to work, pulling out an aged and very crumpled piece of folded paper. She unfolded it and read the writing on it carefully. Luna opened the glass jar of beans and took out around fifteen of them, then used a knife to cut into them and mince them up into a fine bright green powder. Luna added several scoops of ice cream and poured the milk in right after. Carefully, Luna put the powder into a small grinding bowl, then added the vial of blue and red syrup to the mixture, causing it to bubble upon immediate contact. Luna quickly worked at mixing the syrup and powder together, all while a very salty, sweet, herbal and medicinal smell filled the confines of the RV. Sunset was now very unsure of what Luna was trying to make, but to the alien hero, he slowly stopped fidgeting.

Once Luna was sure the stuff had been mixed properly, the substance in the bowl was now a vibrant earthy purple color with the consistency of a fudge topping. Luna dumped every last bit of the substance into the blender, and popped the lid on, then started to blend. Sunset watched as the mixture slowly became more and more of a lighter purple, and finally, her own curiosity finally got the better of her. The magical girl got up and quickly snatched the paper off the counter and started to read off the ingredients, much to Luna's dismay. "Fifteen Senzu beans finely minced, Manzardill syrup base, what in the hell is any of this, a keto diet for aliens?!" Sunset asked, clearly confused as to what this remedy was going to do.

Luna frowned. "It's a bit rude to take things that aren't yours, miss Shimmer," Luna took the paper back and stuffed it in her pocket, then grabbed a large glass from the cupboard and poured the bright lavender purple concoction into it, only to top it off with whipped cream and a straw. "There, now it's complete. All we have to do now, is get him to drink it." Luna stated.

Before Luna could set the glass onto the table, Sunset stood in her way. "What is going on?" Sunset asked sternly.

Luna sighed. "Miss Shimmer, if he doesn't take this, his condition could become much worse. I know you're curious, and you have every right to be, but standing in the way of his recovery is not gonna solve anything." Luna argued.

Sunset grabbed the glass and backed away. "Tell me how you'd even know to make something like this! Where and what in the wide world even was any of that stuff?!" Sunset questioned.

Luna was starting to get agitated and marched forward. "Sunset, if you spill that, he may never recover! I understand fully that you don't understand what's going on in my head, and that's honestly for the best! There are things I've seen, experienced and done personally myself that make me feel proud and ashamed to this day. I'm sure it isn't a shock to you, but the DNAliens are something I'm very experienced with... and I am well aware of the dangers that are associated with them. Is that what you wish to hear?" Luna inquired.

Sunset did not feel satisfied with that answer and backed up further, much to Luna's aggravation. "How long have you known? What are you hiding from us?! Why even try to hide it now!?" Sunset exclaimed.

Luna groaned. "I've known for a couple decades! I've been at this for a while, and I'm not particularly proud of most of the things I've done back then. I moved on, got a simpler job with my sister, but now that the Omnitrix is strapped to him, my hands are now being forced to push forward, to dig up the past and help you two understand the danger that's coming, or might already be here!" Sunset stood firm, clutching the cold glass in her hands. "Please understand, I didn't initially want to hide any of this, but after what happened back at Camp Everfree, then Jaxton, and at Knöledgge with the bounty hunters, everything was already getting too chaotic. On top of mister Marsten's numerous issues, coupled with the issues that now plague him because of the Omnitrix, he needs to be at his best, or he won't be able to handle the worst of what's to come." Luna explained.

Sunset hesitated for the moment, just letting all of that information slowly sink in to her head. She looked at the drink in her hands, then back at Luna. "Is this even safe for human consumption?" Sunset asked.

Luna nodded. "It was a recipe from an old colleague of mine. Loved to party, and especially loved communing with aliens. He was a wild, easily-tempted and crazy man, but he had a heart of gold and a silver part to his soul. He gave me the recipe, and I've given it to Celestia and Cadence whenever they fell ill. I've even made it for me when I get a faulty flu shot during flu season," Sunset was unconvinced. "It boosts your immune system drastically to fight off foreign germs and illnesses, it's sweet and herbal so it's not bland, it's cold, which reduces swelling, and it's a very easy to adapt recipe. The only downside to this recipe is that as of late, Senzu beans are becoming rarer and much harder to cultivate by the passing year. Thankfully, my old mentor was willing to spare a small stash of them, just in case anything went wrong... judging by mister Marsten's condition, I'd say my mentor made the right choice." Luna explained.

The two looked over at the teen, his breathing was becoming raspy and ragged. Luna sighed and looked back at Sunset, seeing the hesitation and uncertainty. "Sunset, I know how odd all of this must sound, imagine how I reacted when I was your age. Seventeen and discovering all of this crazy shit, it would drive anyone with nerves of steel mad, but it's still the truth. Look, I'm willing to come to a compromise, if that's alright with you," Sunset looked over at Luna, seeing the worry in her eyes. "If you give Chance the remedy and let it do what it's supposed to, then I'll explain everything, I'll come clean when we get to our next destination... I promise, I won't leave you and him without answers. Just be warned, once you have what you're looking for, I'm fairly certain that things won't be same. It won't be like the fall formal, miss Shimmer, nothing will be the same as it once was, even our little dynamic won't be as it was before. Do we have a deal?" Luna suggested, holding her hand out for a handshake.

Sunset heard a thud, and looked over at Chance, who ended up sliding out of his seat and collapsing onto the floor. Luna and Sunset were terrified. Violet cracks started to form on Chance's face, and he weakly reached out. Sunset quickly shook Luna's hand, and the both of them quickly got him propped back up in his seat. Sunset pushed the straw into his mouth, and Luna helped him grasp the glass, just to prevent it from spilling.

The pair watched as the teen weakly drank the blended remedy, seeming offput by the mild earthy aftertaste it had, but was starting to feel a lot better, if not incredibly tired. Chance slowly put the cup on the table and continued to drink, slowly enjoying how everything was starting to feel much better. He felt like with every sip, he was eating a whole sweet feast. After the last two sips he could manage, Chance leaned back and rubbed his stomach. The cracks on his face were now gone, the yellow bloodshot in his eyes lessened, returning to the usual red color, and even that started to lessen. The dark rings under Chance's eyes slowly started to recede, but eventually stopped at one point. Chance rubbed his head, specifically the part that collided with the dash, and while he still felt a bump beneath all his hair, it didn't hurt, or feel sore.

Chance got up and stretched, yawning as he looked over at the pair, who smiled. "Uh, you guys want... whatever this is? I don't know what kind of shake this is, but I gotta admit, it's pretty good. This must be that gourmet shit I heard so much about," Chance took a deep breath and took another sip, once again wincing at the earthy aftertaste, but reveled in how sweet and comforting it was. "How much did this cost, a thousand dollars? Sure tastes like it!" Chance looked around and noticed that the motel wasn't in sight. Instead, they were in a large parking lot. "Where are we? How the hell did we get here?" Chance inquired, seeming oblivious to the strange predicament that was ailing him.

Luna chuckled a bit and pulled Chance into a hug. "We'll talk about it when we get to Mount Rushmore. For now, you've been through a lot. Finish up your shake, and try to rest up a bit, you look like you need it," Chance was confused, but decided to think nothing of it. Chance took the straw and started to mix what remained of the drink with the whipped cream, and decided to chug it down. Chance then proceeded to get up and head to the back of the RV. "Oh, and Chance?" The teen hero looked back at Luna with a curious look. "If you have another nightmare... you can always talk with us about it, so we can help you make sense of it." Luna reassured.

Chance seemed a bit confused, and just gave a thumbs up, then went to go take a quick nap. Sunset looked back at Luna, the two shared a look and seemed uncertain. "I hope you keep your end of the deal, miss Luna," Sunset sat down at the booth as her phone goes off. She pulls her phone out, seeing a new message from Twilight. Sunset cautiously opens it, noticing that it was another apology. Sunset's face scrunches up and she turns her phone off, pocketing it as she laid her head on the table. "Something has to change..." Sunset said solemnly.

Twilight noticed that her message was read, and simply turned her phone off. "Apologies come first, I won't force her to talk if she doesn't want to. Just need to keep working." Twilight told herself.

She pocketed her phone and looked at her screen, looking at a digital photo she took of one of the clippings hanging on a yarn board in her lab. 'NEW HATCHERY OPENS IN CANTERLOT CITY! HELP WANTED! APPLY TODAY!' was written in big bold letters.

Twilight sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment, thinking about how things came to this point. 'Think Twilight, what would Sunset do in this situation... missing people, a hatchery opens up, and you haven't heard from your friends in days... what do I do?' Twilight thought, laying her head down in the dark.

To Be Continued

Author's Note

Well, the finale for Season 1 is underway! Really gonna take my time with this one, just because I want to convey this part of the story as best as I can. I also wanted to show the other six girls' perspective on what's been going on. Didn't focus a lot on the trio much for good reason, may or may not be revealed in Part 2, haven't decided yet.

It also made sense to give the other six some importance this time around. I wouldn't have tagged the Main 7 if it was all for literally nothing. It also helps with introducing what I've been experimenting with. I figured since the Main 7 were essentially the Elements of Harmony, but superheroes, I'd go full-on with the superhero idea, even gave them powers that correlate in some way to what their equestrian counterparts' special talents pertain to.

Rarity can now create weapons with her constructs, Fluttershy has her intimidating stare, Dash has electrokinesis, Applejack has Geokinesis, Sunset has tapped into something more... primordial, and Pinkie has her Pinkie Senses, or simply known as Pre-Cognition, with her odd premonitions of stuff in the future. I'll most likely show Twilight's new power off in Part 2, maybe, still haven't decided yet.

Also, for those who might be curious, the illness that Chance was undergoing is a fictional disease I dubbed 'Stress Disarmer'. It's similar to sleep paralysis, Full-Body Paralysis, heat stroke, the flu and hypothermia, but just slightly less lethal.

Stress Disarmer will only manifest in someone after a particularly damaging moment of neuron scrambling (like biting into mechanical flesh as an alien zombie).

It causes the infected individual's sleeping patterns to become more and more erratic and detrimental, as well as making them more agitated and aggressive in their tone and actions. Soon enough, all it takes is one nightmare or a bad dream to cause the user to wake up halfway and start attacking those in their vicinity, only for the antibodies in the infected to immediately rush to the brain, and force the body to undergo immediate paralysis.

Soon enough, the infected will regain little control over their motor functions, essentially fidgeting and shaking, feeling ice cold and white hot burning. Their breathing will get ragged, the infected will start to hallucinate, develop minor signs of paranoia, all while the stress is killing them slowly, like a poison coursing through the veins.

There was only one way to cure it, and that was to isolate the diseased cells in the infected body, and then purge them with artificial antibodies, usually administered through a flu shot. But, unless you're someone like Luna, who's more than prepared for these kinds of situations, there's always another option.

Speaking of, things are starting to get a bit tense. There's a bit of a disconnect between Luna and Sunset, all while Chance is none the wiser, for the time being. Hopefully they'll be able to come together, because at the rate they're going, it's gonna be a difficult call.

Hope you enjoyed this part, Part 2 is in the works!