Author's Note

Trigger Warning:

Themes of Abuse, Repressed Trauma, and Endangerment

S1, Episode 3: Trouble Times 10, Part 3

A Hero's Origins
By TheAlienBrony22

Trouble Times 10
Part 3

[???]

Chance opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a dark room. It took him a couple moments to realize where exactly he was, but was confused as to how he ended up there in the first place.

He was in his bedroom. Well, not his current one, but the one he had spent a portion of his life in as a child, back in his old home. Chance was surprised to see the room again, exactly as he once remembered it looking before the move. A bunch of old games his dad loved to play when he was younger, a few photos of him and his father doing various activities he remembered well. Fishing, celebrating the first week of preschool, even going to a pizzeria they both loved fondly, often acting more like a pair of brothers enjoying their youth, rather than just being father and son.

Chance smiled at the photos, and even grabbed some of the old games he remembered his dad having gifted to him on his sixth birthday. A game about fighting ghosts with magic wands, a game about God becoming one of those superheroes he once saw in a few of his dad's old comics, but one of his favorite games was about a boy finding a magical stone that could give him the powers of a bunch of different ancient gods, making him into a demigod in-training. Chance was unsure why he liked this game in particular, but for some strange reason, he really resonated with it as a child. He loved it even more when his father would co-op with him when he got the chance.

Chance felt a saddened sense of happiness as he put the games back where he saw them, and walked towards his old bed, laying down on it as he embraced the comforting feel of the blanket his father made for him. A large blanket comprised of a bunch of video games, superheroes, as well as a bunch of cartoons he used to watch as a child.

As Chance closed his eyes, he was suddenly met by a moment of tranquility and peace. He felt like he was one with the room he was in, like nothing could hurt him, nothing could enter without his permission, and nothing could go wrong.

His fight or flight response kicked in. To anyone else, it would've seemed like it triggered for no real reason, but Chance's moment of tranquility was then wracked with a sense of panic and uncertainty. Chance scrambled to the door, and looked to an old calendar. Summer of 2011. Chance's smile transformed into a grief-stricken look of fear. Terror settled in and he began to shake and twitch, he felt like he was going to be sick and wanted to do a breathing exercise, but his lungs felt like they were on fire, and filled with something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Chance felt a stinging sensation in his widening eyes, and a profuse wetness on his face. Tears. Chance was unsure as to what was happening, but he wanted the moment of peace to return. He tried to focus and bring it all back.

Chance's heart stopped beating. He gasped, only to hear a set of footsteps approaching the door. Chance tried his best to try and move, but a blubbering whimper was the only thing he could muster with what strength remained in his body. With that strength wasted, he fell to his knees, trying to instinctively shield himself from whatever was approaching the door. Despite the lack of any strength, Chance found himself huddled into a corner, tears streaming down his face as the inevitable monster got closer and closer.

Before Chance could attempt to calm himself down, to try and show some sense of strength and hide the fear he was experiencing, the door was kicked open, sending it crashing to the ground, torn from its hinges. The figure was Moonshine, he looked glazed over as alcohol and spit dribbled down his chin. A lost and unaware, yet angry and vengeful look was in his eyes. In his hand, was a handgun.

Moonshine yelled at him. He couldn't understand a word he was saying, but he was pretty mad. Chance felt like he knew what was coming next, and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for what was to come.

All Chance could hear after his eyes closed, was the sound of a gun going off, a ringing in his ears, and the last thing he truly saw, was a flash of green light enveloping his view.

[Camp Everfree, Near Morning]

Chance gasped as he sat up, clutching his chest tightly as he tried to steady himself. He quickly covered his mouth and tried to keep himself calm and quiet, as to not wake up the principals or Sunset. He tried to keep himself calm, but soon noticed a familiar wetness on his face.

Tears.

Chance sat there on the couch, dressed in an Indigo tank top, brown sweatpants, and gray socks. His face was drenched in a cold shower of sweat, a look of fear and terror was still coursing through him like a sudden shot of adrenaline was injected into him. A cold chill ran up his spine as he felt an unpleasant dryness in his throat. Chance's fear slowly started to fade once he recognized he was in the cabin, and was now wracked with shame as the rising sun slowly peaked through the curtains. Chance sat up as he bundled himself up in his blanket, trying to keep himself from freaking out.

The sound of a door opening caught Chance off guard, setting off his fight or flight response, and he just acted on instinct. Chance jumped from his seat and made a break for the small kitchen, grabbing a knife as he defensively brandished it as a weapon, pointing it at what would've been the perpetrator. Chance was, to an extent, surprised to see Sunset, holding her hands up in a defensive manner with a surprised look on her face. "Well, I think I know how your morning started. Wanna put the knife down so I can see what's in the mini-fridge?" Sunset asked.

Chance didn't say anything. He was hesitant, and Sunset could clearly see that, along with a few differences to the way Chance had acted before. He saw the way he reacted at the sound of the guestroom door opening, the way he was still reacting to her presence. Sunset noticed the fresh tears on his face, the shaky breathing, the wild and terrified look in his eyes, like he had seen something, or experienced something that he didn't want to see, yet bore witness to it, due to the lack of choice.

Chance gritted his teeth and put the knife back where he found it, only to try a breathing exercise. He still seemed shaky, frightened by what he was doing. Sunset grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and sat it down in front of him. Chance simply looked at Sunset, who simply gave him a warm smile. "You look like you've got something on your mind. Is it about what happened last night?" Sunset asked.

Chance backed away and went back to the couch, fishing for a fresh change of clothes. "It's just a bad dream, nothing special." Chance deflected.

Sunset raised an eyebrow, not believing what Chance was saying. "A bad dream doesn't make someone react like an intruder just broke in, you sure it was just a bad dream?" Sunset inquired.

Chance walked towards the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes in-hand and simply groaned in response. "It was a bit worse than most bad dreams, but it's still just a bad dream. It was just a bit more intense. Don't try to overanalyze it." Chance deflected, closing the door behind him.

Sunset rolled her eyes as she poured a cup of coffee. "A bit more intense my flank, mister knife-crazy alien dude." Sunset muttered.

Chance walked out of the bathroom, changed into a cleaner pair of the same clothes he wore yesterday, only now, the Omnitrix was still present on his wrist. The duo looked at the watch for a moment, unsure of what to make of it. "Ya know, I would've loved to have a dream about this watch, instead of..." Chance trailed off for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, this thing peaks your curiosity too, like it peaks mine, don't it?" Chance inquired.

Sunset nodded. "I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't interested in finding out more about this strange space watch," Sunset looked at Chance, meeting his gaze. "Say, what was it like being that ice thing, anyway?" Sunset asked.

Chance shrugged, but soon got an idea. "You got a pen and paper?" Sunset fished a pen out of her pocket, and decided to write on some notebook paper she had saved. "First off, I wanna clarify that if I'm stuck with this thing, I'm gonna give names to the stuff I turn into, helps with identifying them better. The ice guy, for example, I'm gonna call him Nitrofrost. To explain what it was like being Nitrofrost, it's a bit hard to explain," Sunset stopped writing as Chance contemplated what the best words would be. Chance pressed the button on the Omnitrix and twisted the dial to Nitrofrost's icon. "It's like I was still me, yet at the same time, it was like I was somebody else. I could easily compare it to slipping into a new skin, but that sounds disgusting, downright revolting." Chance remarked.

Sunset wrote down the last bit of info and looked it over before stuffing the paper in her pocket. "Tell ya what, I think we've got some time to figure this out a bit more, but we're gonna have to take this outside, and a little ways away from camp. We don't want people to get scared by your powers," Chance thought about that for a moment, and while he could've argued, Sunset did have a few valid points. "We especially can't let the girls know, they'd flip their lids if they found out about this, especially Pinkie. We can leave now to try a test-run, but we'll have to be quick. What do you think?" Sunset asked.

Chance did like the idea of using the watch again, especially since for the first time in a long time, when he was fighting those robots, he felt like he was finally having fun. Not like a power trip kind of fun, but it's like he's been set free. For the first time in fifteen years, he felt like he was finally free. "I think, we should leave now while they're still asleep. They won't even notice we're gone, and we'll be back before Luna becomes none the wiser." Chance suggested.

Without a moment to lose, the pair quickly made their way to the front door and left, closing it behind them quietly, then made a mad dash back to the hiking trail. Unbeknownst to them, Dash, as well as a daintier fair skinned girl were spying on them from afar, watching them go back to the hiking trail. She had a fancier hair style, despite that its jet black color allowed it to shine in the radiant light of the rising sun. "See Rarity, I told you! Sunset's hanging out with that jerk! If she hangs around him long enough, her old self might come back, and we might never get the chance to properly apologize for angering her. We have to separate them!" Dash remarked.

Rarity was less than enthused about the idea, and seemed skeptical of Dash's leaps in logic. "Dash, Darling, are you actually sure that's what's happening, and this isn't some hair-brained half-baked excuse to get us closer to Sunset? She's clearly still reeling from Anon-A-Miss, and from what everyone at camp is saying, that 'jerk' told you off about pestering Sunset, and called you out on your raucous behavior," Dash scowled at that, but she tried to control herself and hold herself back. "Admittedly, now that I think about it, I don't think I actually know anything about him myself. For all I know, I can at least make a proper first impression, and ensure I don't make Sunset angry. Pinkie certainly seems a bit more distressed ever since last night, yet you're more worried about some petty grudge than repairing the friendship you helped break." Rarity insinuated.

Dash rolled her eyes and pulled Rarity along towards the hiking trail. "Well, either way, I get the feeling this'll end in a scrap. So put on your best dancing shoes, Rares, because we're going to start off the morning with a ballroom blitz." Dash remarked, gripping her geode tightly as it glowed.

Rarity broke free from Dash's grasp as she sped off, and simply followed on foot. "I'll have to explain this to Sunset anyway. Hopefully she and her new friend are willing to forgive and forget." Rarity hoped, a worried tone present in her voice.

[Everfree Forest, Morning]

Chance and Sunset walk through the brush and into the clearing, the morning sun's light beholds the chaos that had been wrought last night. "Wow, let there be light, and you shall behold the true extent of destruction." Chance remarked.

Sunset whistled, almost impressed that the aftermath of the fight looks worse in the day. "I've seen my fair share of aftermaths in conflicts, but this could be a masterpiece," The pair stared at the scene for a moment, then decided to get down to business. "Alright, so, what's on the docket for today?" Sunset asked.

Chance pressed the button on the Omnitrix, popping the core up. Chance twisted the dial for a moment without making a sound, and after a minute of scrolling through his options, he ended up on the icon he wanted to try next. A hulking bipedal cat creature with a long mane and a curled tail.

Chance looked back to Sunset and cleared his throat for a moment. "So, this thing seems to have ten different aliens pre-selected, from what I've been able to observe. Since I used Nitrofrost last night and turned out fine, that means the other nine can plausibly be used in a similar manner. I'm gonna go for something a bit more tangible, and less cloudy in its physical structure. Just uh... take a couple steps back just to be safe, in case this backfires." Chance suggested.

Sunset took a few steps back as Chance pressed the core down, enveloping himself in another green light as he underwent another transformation.

The muscles in Chance's arm began to suddenly grow and pulsate with a golden glow. The muscles grew along his arm as they reached his head, forcing him to close his eyes, till they snapped open, becoming purely white with large black slit-like cat pupils. He felt his skin begin to turn a light blue as a light gray fur began to grow over his transformed body. A dark gray curly tail sprouts from his tailbone as his jaw extends into a massive underbite, and two golden fangs protrude out from his bottom jaw. Chance felt his shirt grow over his body into some kind of suit. A sleeveless Black top, and white shorts, with black cuffs on the shorts sleeves, with the Omnitrix being smack dab in the midst of its stomach.

He hunched out as his already wild hair grew out into a large and unyielding black mane. He became more and more like some kind of beastly cat creature, and then got down on all fours as he snarled and roared out, like a tiger preparing to attack its prey.

The flash of light died down, revealing a hunched over bipedal cat creature standing on its hindlegs, flexing its massive arms. "Oh yes! Haaa, this is some real serious beauty, right 'ere!" The creature bellowed out in a gruff Australian voice.

Sunset approached the creature, unsure as to what exactly she was looking at. "Well, this one's definitely stranger than the last one. What's this one do?" Sunset asked.

The creature smiled, showing off a whole set of sharp golden teeth. "Let's find out, shall we?" The creature's tail suddenly unfurled, and several golden spikes jutted out of the tail's end, and the creature brandished its own limb as some kind of weapon. "Let's get wild!" The creature exclaimed.

Before Sunset could say anything, the creature lunged forward and smashed the still frozen bot with its tail, miraculously shattering it into pieces. The creature looked towards the other drone encased in ice, and brandished its teeth. It roared out as it pounced onto the iced drone and tore through the ice like a predator tears into the flesh of its prey. The ice flew off and shattered like chicken bones compared to the golden chompers this alien was using as its main weapon.

The ferocity of this alien, combined with its strength, speed, dexterity, and most likely enhanced senses, plus the unique ability to force its golden bones to protrude from its body, Sunset was witnessing a feral monster rip into an already 'dead' opponent. The moment the bot was ripped into completely, the beast let out a laugh. "Oh, now that was a blast! Shame this bionic bloke was already given the cold shoulder, would've been one hell of a hunt, and an even better way to test my capabilities." The creature remarked.

Sunset gulped and walked forward towards the creature. "Well, that was... disturbing, to say the least. It was like watching a nature documentary, only it was about sasquatch's house cat," The creature raised an eyebrow. Sunset sighed. "So, you called the last one Nitrofrost, what're you gonna call this one? Wildcat, Catsquatch?" Sunset asked.

The creature looked Sunset in the eyes, flashing its refined golden chompers as a smirk formed on its face. "I was thinking of callin' this mad cat... Vitaguar." Vitaguar stated, a sinister tone present in its voice.

Before the two could say or do anything else, a blue blur came speeding towards them. Sunset moved out of the way, but Vitaguar simply didn't move. he braced himself and watched as the blur suddenly jumped over him, and came to a stop mid-air. In the air, the blur revealed itself to be Dash, now clad in a dark blue suit with lightning bolt patterns on it. Her skin was now a light blue, and her black hair was now more reminiscent of a rainbow. She also now sported a pair of large light blue wings as a crackle of electricity surrounded her.

"Back away from my friend, ugly, or I'm gonna turn you into a rug!" Dash warned.

Vitaguar sneered and growled. "Well I'll be plucked. I didn't know there'd be rabid birdies in these woods! Good, I was gettin' a bit hungry, anyway." Vitaguar remarked, letting a set of golden claws sprout from his fingertips.

Sunset went wide-eyed, seeming more worried for how this was going to go, so she gripped her geode, letting her hair become red with streaks of yellow, and her caucasian skin became more of a golden orange color. Her eyes also seemed to become much brighter than they were before. Sunset quickly tried to get between Vitaguar and Dash. "Okay, I'm gonna be the voice of reason here, and say that this is not gonna escalate any further, on either of your ends! Dash, stand down and stop, he's not-!" before Sunset could finish talking, Dash flew behind Vitaguar and kicked him square in the back.

Vitaguar roared as he got on all fours and pounced at Dash, slashing at one of her wings as magical feathers faded away. Dash landed as she gritted her teeth, wincing from the pain. Dash turned back to the creature, watching it get ready to pounce again. "Not this time, kitty cat!" Dash remarked, her eyes beginning to glow yellow.

Vitaguar lunged forward, all while Sunset tried to get between them to stop the fighting. She was too late, and soon enough, Dash's fingers began to spark with electricity, and unleashed a torrent of electrical bolts at Vitaguar. They connected, and Vitaguar roared out in a pain, yelling out as the electrical currents electrocuted the alien cat creature. Vitaguar glowed with a red sheen and before any of the three of them knew what happened, Vitaguar was sent flying into the brush, crashing through a few trees till he landed back on the path.

Sunset was shocked, no pun intended, astonished and surprised by what just unfolded. Sunset watched as Dash powered down, returning to her normal self with a confident smirk. "How's that for a shock to your system, pussycat! No overgrown mutant animal's gonna maul or make a meal out of my friend!" Dash remarked, feeling rather proud of herself.

As Dash looked toward Sunset, she only saw the abject horror on her face. "Oh. Heh, you're probably wondering what that was, right? It's just a new power I was trying to master," That got Sunset's attention, but she was still in a state of shock. "Twilight said that upon hearing Pinkie say that her magic would activate at random times, only for random stuff to happen when something on her body twitched, she was able to deduce that Pinkie was developing a new power of her own, and was having trouble mastering it. She said that at some point, it'd happen to all of us, and we'd all develop a new power or two. Mine happened to be the power of electricity! Pretty sweet, huh?" Dash explained.

Sunset looked back at where Vitaguar had been sent flying, and walked in that direction, only to be stopped by Dash grabbing her arm. "Woah, hang on, you're gonna go and check on that thing, after it was so close to mauling your face off, are you insane?" Dash asked.

Sunset broke free of her grasp and simply glared at Dash, and immediately ran off without another word. Dash was confused, but was starting to become more agitated. "She cares more about some giant cat creature than her own friend. What the hell's going on?!" Dash looked around, only for another question to suddenly pop into her head. "Wait... she came here with that nobody, so where is he?" Dash asked herself.

Dash decided to run after Sunset, feeling as if something isn't making any sense.

[Everfree Hiking Trail]

Vitaguar twitched and spasmed on the path, incapable of getting up. 'Damn it, this hurts...' Vitaguar tried to move, but soon heard the sound of the Omnitrix's beeping. 'Well, this is gonna start hurting a lot more, I reckon.' He thought. In a flash of red light, Chance was transformed back to normal and still spasmed and twitched. "Oh man..." Chance muttered.

Rarity walked along the path, trying to find out where Dash went, but upon seeing Chance's body on the trail, twitching and spasming, she had a feeling that Dash was involved in some way, and rushed to his side.

Sunset came out of the brush, and noticed a few fallen trees were on the other side of the trail, and Chance was back in his human form, twitching. Rarity was also by his side, only just now getting to the scene. "Chance!!" Sunset exclaimed, running towards his side.

Chance looked up, noticing Rarity and Sunset were looking down at him. "Chance, are you alright?! Say something, anything!" Sunset asked, trying to sit him up.

Chance groaned as he tried to prop himself up. "I feel like my body is buzzing," Chance looked at Sunset, then at Rarity. "Should I let you two have a moment, or what?" Chance asked.

Sunset and Rarity looked at each other, both of them uncertain of what exactly to say. Rarity turned her focus back to Chance. "Nevermind that, for now. Darling, are you fit to walk, can you stand?" Rarity asked.

Sunset was unsure of if he could, but soon enough, Chance was able to at least get to his knees, and slowly regain his footing. "Give me a moment, I need to re-collect my bearings, why don't you two talk for a moment... I think my pride and whatever's left of my lack of self-worth are somewhere down the path." Chance stated, limping away a little as he gave the two some time to chat, despite the uncomfortable buzzing he felt in his entire body.

As he left, the two of them looked at each other, uncertain of what to say. The two were silent for a moment, till Rarity finally decided to try and make an attempt to speak. "Darling, if you don't mind me asking, what's been going on? I understand that Anon-A-Miss has put a rift in our friendship, and I accept all responsibility for the consequence of my actions, but as of recently, like Dash told me, you and this boy were hanging out. Is he a friend of yours, an acquaintance from your homeland, who is he?" Rarity asked.

Sunset sighed. "In regards to him," Sunset gestures to Chance, who was trying to keep himself up, leaning against a tree. "He's rather secretive. He's been a student at CHS for the past five years, so that's a start. The only things I know about him is that he doesn't have a good relationship with his parents, his biological father is out of the picture, he doesn't hold himself at a high standard, let alone think he's worthy to be at the bottom of the barrel, he's got no friends, and I don't think he's even happy in his dreams." Sunset explained, a look of concern formed on her face.

Rarity was surprised, as well as remorseful. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. "In regards to my well-being, I'm fine. It's Dash that's being a pain in the ass," Rarity was taken aback by the use of such language, but Sunset continued. "It's true! All she did was try to stir up trouble and threaten his well-being yesterday! Then, she shows up out of the blue, attacks something out of nowhere without knowing the context, and in the process, she ended up getting him hurt! I doubt she'd be sorry, considering she was acting like such a massive jerk!" Sunset explained.

Rarity didn't seem surprised by that bit of information, as it would make sense as to why she was having trouble finding her. "Dash has been a bit more arrogant when she found out about her new power. She wanted to talk to you about if you developed any new power yet, but I saw what happened when your friend walked out of the cabin, and came face-to-face with Dash. She once told me that she'll apologize for what she did during Anon-A-Miss when you finally believe that she's genuine about it. With how she's behaved, it's no wonder why it's so hard for you to believe her apology, her ego's taken control." Rarity explained.

Sunset's aggression slowly subsided, and Rarity brought her into a hug, once she immediately accepted, squeezing the fashionista tightly. "Why... Why does she make it so difficult to forgive her? Why does she have to act like such a self-centered jerk!" Sunset asked. Rarity simply pat her friend's head, and tried to keep her calm.

Rarity looked back in Chance's direction, only to now notice that he was nowhere to be seen. Rarity looked around her surroundings, but couldn't find any trace. 'I wonder where he went. Hopefully he doesn't run into any trouble. Whether it's Dash, or something debatably worse.' Rarity thought.

Rarity looked at Sunset, who finally met Rarity's gaze. "Darling, I get the feeling there's something you aren't telling me. I promise, I won't tell a soul what we talk about together, not even to Applejack." Rarity said, crossing her heart with her finger.

Chance slowly moved through the brush, and ended up on another trail. Parts of it seemed unfinished, still consisting of grass and weeds, and bigger sections of brush and foliage. He looked around and noticed a few birds, a couple rabbits, and an owl. Chance sat on a rock and smiled at the sight of nature, feeling a moment of peace return to him. The buzzing in his body was steadily fading, and he felt like he was returning to some semblance of normalcy, until he noticed something off.

The owl flew away, and the birds seemed to follow suite. The rabbits looked scared as they ran away. Before Chance could question it, he saw a large wolf, and a couple bear cubs run out of the woods and ran down the trail, not even paying any attention to him. Curiosity got the better of him, and he got up, approaching the section of brush that the animals fled from. He looked around, and at first, he didn't see anything.

He figured that it was probably something in the air that was spooking the animals, and decided that it was time to go back to the girls. As he turned around, that was when it happened. Before he could take another step, he heard the leaves rustling, as well as the loud and unexpected cracking of branches. As Chance slowly turned back around, looking up to the sky, he saw something that made his heart nearly burst out of his chest. The adrenaline was beginning to pump throughout his body fast, and he heard his mind screaming at him to run.

The genodrome, it towered tall and stood far above the trees, and it fixated its gaze on Chance. He looked down at the Omnitrix, noticing that it was still in the red, and the pieces had finally clicked together in Chance's brain, and suddenly, a sense of dread finally forced him to say something amidst the danger he now found himself back in.

He gulped, slowly backing away from the drone. "Huh, so that's where you went. Well then, imagine that." Chance uttered, a hint of fear in his tone of voice as he made a mad dash back into the brush.

Sunset and Rarity sat on the side of the path as she tried to explain. "Chance, as abrasive as he is, I feel like he's just a victim of circumstance. This morning, he reacted a certain way to the sound of a door opening, and seemed to have a look in his eyes. He looked like he experienced something, something terrible. He claims that it was just a bad dream, but a bad dream doesn't make someone react like an intruder just broke in and all you have is a knife to protect yourself," Rarity was caught off-guard, finding it believable, but still odd to imagine Chance with a knife in his hand. "I think the moment he recognized that it was just me, he clearly seemed uncomfortable, and maybe just a little ashamed that he reacted in such a manner. I almost wanted to use my power on him, but he clearly didn't want me to see something. I want to understand, but he's not exactly an open book. It's like every page has a special key code to gain access, and he's way too cryptic." Sunset explained.

Rarity took a moment to take that information in, and as much as it did bother her, she tried to put herself in that kind of position, trying to do all she could and making sure her sister stayed out of the line of fire, no matter how bad it could be. "I'm no psychiatrist, Sunset, but it seems like quite a harrowing experience to go through at such a young age, darling. If I had to take an estimated guess, it's possible your new friend has had a rather traumatic childhood, and it pulled no punches, if it ever intended to at all," Sunset was concerned as to what she was going to get herself involved in, but Rarity put a hand on her shoulder. "If I may, darling, I'd like to talk with him one-on-one, see if I can't pick his brain a bit and make him a bit more open. In return, I'd love for you to accept my apology for turning you away in your time of need, but still let me work hard to earn your forgiveness. It's the least I can do, to prove that I'm truly sorry for my actions. Do we have a deal, darling?" Rarity asked, holding her hand out for a handshake.

Sunset was uncertain if this could come back to bite her, but she let a small hopeful smile form on her face as she took Rarity's hand and shook it. "Consider your apology accepted, but I can't say the same for Dash, Pinkie, or the others, yet... thank you for at least offering to try and make things right, you have no idea how much I appreciate it." Sunset complimented.

Rarity smiled, pulling her friend into a hug. "I promise you, I have something planned that will knock your socks off! Just you wait." Rarity assured.

Before the two could say anything else, Dash came out from the brush. "Ugh, the brush in his place is so dense! Couldn't move through it with my super speed," Rarity looked displeased, and Sunset was no longer in a good mood. "So, Sunset, any chance you'd like to make things right and accept my apology? I did save you from that crazy beast, that's gotta mean something." Dash remarked, plucking a stick out of her hair.

Sunset got up, gritting her teeth. "Dash, you're unbelievable. You're dense if you think I'm gonna forgive you for Anon-A-Miss, or for everything you caused because of your actions!" Sunset reprimanded.

Rarity stood by Sunset's side, which surprised Dash. "I agree with Sunset, Rainbow Dash, you've been causing trouble for Sunset and her new friend since yesterday, and I won't stand for it any longer, darling!" Rarity firmly stated.

Dash's eye twitched and she just groaned out of frustration. "What is your problem?! I was just trying to help you, I saved your life!" Dash defended.

Sunset glared at Dash, disappointed. "So you think I'm supposed to owe you?! Your reckless decisions got someone temporarily paralyzed, and someone else injured!" Dash seemed confused, but Sunset just tried to calm herself down, so she could explain. "That beast, who's name is Vitaguar, was just looking for a friend of his, someone named Nitrofrost. The moment you showed up and started a fight, he was just trying to defend himself, and you blatantly ignored my pleas to stop fighting!" Dash's frustration was beginning to subside as a feeling of surprise began to slowly build up inside, along with regret and guilt. "You shocked him beyond compare and sent him careening through the brush! Chance wanted to go on a solo walk, and he got shocked in the process. It was so bad, he was temporarily paralyzed! I was lucky enough to know that Rarity was in the area, and we found him before it got too bad." Sunset explained, a repressed sense of anger lingered in her tone of voice.

Dash looked around, noticing that Chance wasn't around. "If he got shocked in the process and paralyzed, then where is he?" Dash asked skeptically.

Sunset grumbled, a look of genuine irritation forming on her face. "The paralysis eventually faded, and he just got up to resume his walk, but you could've ruined his life, paralyzed him forever, rendered immobile and helpless, because of your reckless actions!" Dash wanted to argue, but she knew she messed up. She did instigate the fight, she made the first move. She might not have been aware of Chance getting caught in the crossfire, but while it did piss her off that Sunset was defending him, she just couldn't bring herself to be mad by this point. She messed up bad, arguably worse than what happened during Anon-A-Miss, and that made Dash feel pretty guilty.

Dash opened her mouth to argue, but Sunset was quick on the draw. "No! I don't want to hear another excuse, Dash. Don't think about giving me an apology either, especially when I'm not the one who you need to apologize to. How about you take responsibility for your actions, and admit that you're the bad guy here!" Sunset furiously stated.

Dash tried to say something, but Sunset's glare was just too much. "You want to know why I won't forgive you? Here's the reasons that you keep tacking on with your reckless and thoughtless decisions!" Sunset pulled out a piece of paper, one listed with reasons for Sunset to not forgive Dash.

Dash wanted to plead for Sunset to calm down, but despite how her vision was getting a bit misty-eyed, Sunset started to speak out everything. "You abandoned me during Anon-A-Miss and broke my leg out of spite for something I never did, you were ready to fight Chance when we got to Camp Everfree, you made a scene out of nothing for no reason other than to appease your ego, you attacked someone without getting the full story, you got someone caught in the crossfire because of your oversized ego and your arrogance," Dash felt her ego suddenly deflate, and her heart grow heavier. Her pride was practically snuffed out, and her guilt came up like a feeling of nausea. "Do you have anything of actual genuine substance to say for yourself, or will your over-inflated ego always keep you as some meat head with no regard for others!?" Sunset exclaimed, her words echoed out to the whole forest as her voice broke a fair bit. A fiery look was in her eyes, mixed with a furious expression on her face.

Rarity didn't say a word, nor did she need to. It was clear to her that Sunset was holding her anger back, and while it worked for a time, the boiling point finally came in full-swing, though Rarity was still a bit taken back by Sunset's outrage. She could've sworn she saw her fiery hair flicker with glowing embers, but no, the sun's light was just playing a trick.

Dash didn't utter a word, let alone a sound. She just felt tears flowing down her face, and a lump in her throat. Dash simply backed away and sat down, putting her head into her knees. A few muffled sobs could be heard from Dash as she crumbled, laying on the ground to her side. The amount of tension between them was so dense, you'd think a dwarf star was just created in the midst of their spat.

Rarity felt a sense of uncomfortableness pulse through her, and stepped back a bit. "Good thing your friend wasn't here, I'm not sure how that would've transpired," Sunset looked back at Rarity, clearly still furious, but it seemed to lessen. Rarity suddenly realized something. "Good heavens, is he still gone?! You'd think he would've heard your screaming. How on Earth did he go so far with a mere limp?" Rarity asked.

Chance sprinted through the brush and onto another path, running into another direction as the sound of the genodrome following him echoed out. His shirt had been torn up a bit from how many barbs and thorns he got caught on, his hair was full of leaves and twigs, yet he kept running. "Damn it, god damn it!!" Chance exclaimed through gritted teeth.

As Chance rounded a corner, he came to a stop as he saw the girls from earlier. Lyra noticed Chance and how messed up he looked and smiled. "Hey bud, how's it hanging?" Lyra asked.

Chance frowned. "It's all goin' good, just getting chased by a giant mechanical monstrosity that fell from the dark void of space, no biggie!!" Chance remarked.

The sound of metal crushing through dirt and wood echoed out behind him, and soon enough, the girls saw the giant drone for themselves. "You need to run, for your safety and for those around you. Go back to camp and tell Vice Principal Luna that the kid with the weird watch wants her to know that problem has escalated. She'll know what that means, I guarantee you! I'll try to buy you time to hightail it back, but let's face it, without powers, I doubt there's much I can do!" Chance explained frantically.

the genodrome held out its palm, charging some kind of attack. The girls were astonished, until they saw Chance turn back around to face them. "Run, damn you!! This is no place for you all to die!" Chance exclaimed, shoving them back.

The girls took this as their cue to leave, and they all made a mad dash back to camp. Chance right behind them, trying to activate the Omnitrix, only for it to still be red. "God damn it, the one time I need this piece of shit to work! Why did I have to deal with Dash today!?" Chance griped, making a sharp right turn to go back into the brush.

Sunset and Rarity sat down on the trail, all while Dash's sobs continued to persist, but were starting to peter out. As much as Sunset was still angry at Dash for, well, being Dash, something about her sobs made her feel pretty guilty herself. 'Maybe I should've been easier on her, but what would that have solved? She probably would've assumed she got off scot-free... would she though? Did I go too far?' Sunset felt torn, and unsatisfied by how she exploded at one of her friends.

Rarity rubbed Sunset's back and hugged her tightly. She moved over towards Dash and simply crouched down, and rested her hand on her head. All the fashionista could do is let out an uncertain sigh. "Well, here's to hoping your friend's having a better time than we are." Rarity said.

As she said that, from the furthest part of the path, Chance had emerged, and saw the three of them back where he had initially landed as Vitaguar. He heard the giant steps and felt the ground shake beneath him, and that was enough of a prompt for Chance to start sprinting in their direction. Sunset looked in his direction, seeing him running at full-sprint and started waving at him, only to notice the concern and panic written on his face. With the leaves and twigs in his hair, plus the tears in his clothes, he's been running in the brush for a good bit.

When Chance got close, he came to a sudden stop, a bead of sweat traveled down the bridge of his nose. Chance was about to say something, but upon seeing a bit of rage in Sunset's eyes, Rarity petting Dash's head, and then there's Dash herself, sobbing in the fetal position. "First time in the fetal position? Take it from me, you get used to it after a while," Chance took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down, even if the adrenaline coursing through him was demanding that he kept running. Dash sat up, still thoroughly upset. Her eyes were a bit red, but she wiped the tears from her face as she looked at Chance, confused and thrown for a loop by what he just said. "Listen you three, we need to make like trees. Uproot ourselves from this place, and get the hell out of here! It's not safe for anyone!!" Chance exclaimed.

Rarity slowly approached him and dusted him off. "Try to relax and gather your bearings, darling, you might still be a bit disoriented from the shock. Tell me, what happened?" Rarity asked.

Chance took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He sighed, unsure of where to start. "I was walking in one direction for a bit, then figured I'd cut through the brush to see what awaited me. After a while, I finally felt comfortable enough to walk, and then run after a while. I sat down on an incomplete trail and watched the animals, but then they all started to run. I even saw a wolf and a couple bear cubs scrambling to get away. I didn't know what to make of it until I finally saw what scared them, and I don't blame them for bein' scared. I'd be shitting bricks and sprinting away too if I saw a giant robot rise above the treeline!" Chance explained.

That caught Sunset's attention, as well as Dash's. "That thing was huge, much bigger than those weird drones encased in ice, if either of you saw them at all. If I had to take an educated guess, I'd say they came down here looking for something. Couldn't tell ya what that something they'd be looking for is, but that thing's been on my tail for the past half-hour, and I'm convinced that it just wants to kill anything and everything!" Chance remarked.

Rarity was astonished, checking her watch and noticed that thirty minutes did indeed pass. "So, if there's a giant robot, where is it now? How did you outrun it?" Dash asked.

Upon hearing the question, the sound of metal puncturing the ground, and the shaking of the Earth was enough to signify that it was coming. The four of them looked up, seeing that the genodrome had its sights set on them, and aimed its palm towards them, its attack was primed and ready for fire. Chance felt a chill run up his spine and instinctively pressing the button on the Omnitrix, hoping it'd do something. It was still in the red. "When did I ever say I outran it, blue blur?" Chance retorted.

"We need to run, and go back to camp! Everyone's in danger with that thing stomping around!" Sunset stated.

Chance grabbed Sunset's arm and pulled her to the side. "Sunset, we have a problem. The watch isn't recharged yet, so it's safe to say I'm gonna be less of a help, and more of a burden in this fight. Aside from the obvious, I figured out now what that thing's after, and it's strapped to my wrist," Sunset's eyes widened as she looked down at the Omnitrix, then back to him. "Yeah, things aren't good right now." Chance whispered gravely.

Sunset pulled away as the genodrome continued its slow approach as it kept its palm outstretched. "Time to go, everybody run!" Sunset exclaimed, running away from the drone as Chance followed close behind.

Dash and Rarity quickly followed them as the drone fired several small bursts of energy. The blasts ripped through the gravel path, fell several trees, and scorched the brush into smoldering ash and embers. The four of them ran as far as they could, all while the genodrome started to close the gap between it and the Omnitrix.

[Camp Everfree]

Luna and Celestia were looking over a few of the campers that were present. "Well, aside from a few individuals who must've gotten up earlier, a bunch of our students are still accounted for, Luna. If it's the few absent Rainbooms you're worried about, they can handle themselves. They do have magic, after all." Celestia said, trying to reassure her younger sister.

Luna seemed distracted. She got a proper night's sleep, despite lacking a couple hours, yet she felt like something was wrong. "I appreciate the effort, sister, but it's more-so that boy that has me worried. He's got a pension for trouble, and an uncomfortably familiar relationship with death. How am I going to help him if he won't let me?" Luna inquired.

Celestia knew who she was talking about, but simply smiled and pat her sister on the back. "Relax Luna, if anything, Mister Marsten is surprisingly resilient for a boy his age. I had every intent of incapacitating him with the bat last night, but he just got back up, like it was nothing," Luna had to admit, Chance seemed like he was ready to scrap the moment he got back up from such a hit. It was impressive, but it was also concerning. "I'd say you're worrying too much, but in all honesty, from what I've observed, in my own opinion, you seem to be acting more like a mother attempting to connect with her son, rather than a counselor helping a troubled student." Celestia advised with a smug yet warm smile plastered on her face.

Luna went wide-eyed and looked rather irritated. "Goes to show how little you know, sister," Celestia's smile remained as she raised her eyebrow out of curiosity. Luna's face fell as she looked somber. "If you had bothered to come with me during those wellness checks, you'd understand that my actions and choices, regarding Mister Marsten's situation, are justified. Just by seeing the sorry state that house is in, along with the state of being the adults in charge of the house are in, I'm doing all I can to remind him that there are people who care about him. People that don't have to be family, or of blood relation." Luna remarked, attempting to defend herself.

Celestia chuckled wholeheartedly as she squeezed Luna in a hug. "I know you're trying, but you might be a bit abrasive in your approach. You're giving it the old college try, and I'm glad you're doing so," Luna's irritation began to lessen as Celestia pat her sister's head. "But try not to push him too hard. You might end up re-surfacing a traumatic memory. Remember, he's not you, nor is he I. I just hope you know what you're doing with this 'road trip' project you suggested to them." Celestia advised.

Luna looked up at her sister, smirking. "I knew you were spying on me. I know it'll benefit them both, but now that something else has become an important factor in that boy's growth, I can't help but wonder how he'll react to the truth." Luna remarked.

Before Celestia could say anything, a group of girls came running out of the trail in Luna's direction. "Vice Principal Luna, the problem has escalated!" Bon-Bon yelled out.

Luna's smirk turned into a frown, a sense of concern grew within her. "How dangerous is the problem we're speaking of?" Luna asked.

Lyra stepped forward. "According to that Chance guy, it's basically destruction at every turn! There's a giant robot towering above the trees, and I think it got him, considering he isn't with us." Lyra explained.

"It was rather metal though, gotta get whoever made it to mod my car!" Vinyl stated with a grin, only to feel Octavia's elbow in her side.

The students overheard what was said and started to worry. A few girls noticed and moved to see what the commotion was about. A farm girl with lighter tan skin, freckles and a brown Stetson that sat atop the golden blonde hair that shined in the sun's light, Pinkie, who looked a lot less stressed, a paler caucasian-skinned girl with long flowing brown hair with bright pink tips and held a small little bunny in her arms, and a darker skinned girl with glasses and pigtails, reading a book about a theory based on dimensional and universal overlap.

The girl stepped forward, taking her hat off. "Is there something the matter?" The girl asked with a mild Texan accent.

Luna turned and saw Applejack, as well as the other remaining Rainbooms. "If it involves who I think it does, most likely. You need to go and find your friends, I'll be right behind you." Luna stated.

Pinkie smiled, pumping her fist into the air. "Whoo! We're gonna fight a robot!" Pinkie cheered.

Applejack tipped her hat upwards, a stern yet determined expression present on her face. "Well, this is unlike anything we faced before, but if it's attackin' people, we have to step in! C'mon, ya'll! Let's go!" Applejack called out.

The girl with the bunny gently set it down on the ground, seeming apprehensive. "O-Oh boy... Well, h-here we go." the girl meekly said.

The girl in glasses gripped her geode as a bright violet aura enveloped her left hand. She rested her right hand on her shy companion's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, everything's gonna be okay. Let's hope Sunset and the others are handling the situation the best they can." The girl reassured.

Fluttershy smiled slightly and nodded her head. "If you say so, Twilight... I'm still a bit worried, though." Fluttershy remarked, concern and worry in her tone of voice.

As the remaining Rainbooms went to the hiking trail, Luna was about to follow behind until she stopped and pulled something out of her pocket. A small white badge with a red circle in the middle. Luna hesitated, but stood firm and pocketed it. "Not now. Not yet." Luna firmly told herself, trying to catch up to the rainbooms.

[Everfree Hiking Trail]

Dash was putting herself through her paces, even without using her super speed. The drone was slow, but somehow, it was closing the gap. She fired bolts of electricity from her fingers to stagger the ginormous drone, but the bolts of electricity just seemed to bounce off its metal shell. Rarity attempted to cut the shell itself with her diamond light constructs, but they just shattered upon crashing into the shell itself, not even leaving a scratch.

In retaliation, the drone fired more bursts of energy, eradicating and destroying the area around them. "Either that thing's impervious to magic, or alien stuff is much tougher than I thought it'd be!" Dash unleashed her wings as she flew ahead. "Does anyone have a plan to stop this thing from crushing us?!" Dash asked, slowly starting to panic.

Chance, who was starting to get very tired, just simply glanced at the Omnitrix, seeing that it was now in the green. 'Took you long enough, ya junky-ass watch. Came from space, but you have the recharge speed of a brick! What the fuck?!' Chance thought, a mildly irritated expression forming on his face.

Chance took a deep breath as he tried to ignore the burning sensation in his calf muscles. "Dash, today has just been one massive clusterfuck for all of us. This all went completely unplanned, and you're asking if any of us have a plan? Look at our current situation, and you tell me if you have one, because I'm too busy running for my life to think straight!" Chance felt himself slowing down, his pace was losing its tempo, and the drone was getting closer. "I'm running out of energy, just go on without me, I'm a dead man anyway. I won't be delegated to the role of dead weight just so I can slow you three down!" Chance stated, watching Rarity pass him by.

Chance came to a stop and turned back around, noticing that the drone stopped. Before Chance could do anything else, he felt someone pulling on his arm. That someone, was Sunset. "Come on, we have to keep going, we can't stop now!" Sunset remarked, trying to pull him along.

Chance groaned, seeming more confused and pissed than anything. "Why are you not running away?! It's better for one of us to end up dead, rather than all of us end up a pile of charred corpses!" Sunset refused to let him go, so Chance tried to shove her off and loosen her grip. To his own surprise, she fought back, gripping tighter. "You're more stubborn than a horny toad trying to find a frog, you know that?! Just leave, don't throw your life away like this, at least I have nothing left to lose when I kick the bucket!" Chance argued.

"That's not true, you know that!" Sunset argued.

"Don't talk like you know what I've lost!" Chance shot back.

Dash and Rarity looked back, seeing the two struggling to get their way as the drone raised its palm. "Hey, the drone's gonna attack! Get out of there, Sunset!" Dash exclaimed.

"Darlings, you need to start running this instant! That thing's going to kill you both if you don't move!" Rarity yelled out.

Chance tried to get Sunset to let go, her grip strength was something to be impressed by, but he was just getting frantic. "Why are you doing this, you got a death wish or something?!" Chance yelled out.

"Do you?!" Sunset shot back.

Chance stopped for a moment, only to look at Sunset as she continued to grab his arm. "I don't want to die as much as you, or your friends do, truly. This isn't me being brave, I'm being practical! Again, why are you being stupid and clinging to me?!" Chance exclaimed.

The light from the drone's palm began to shine brighter. It was charging its attack. "You deserve to try and turn things around for yourself! Not many people get that choice!" Sunset yelled.

Chance gritted his teeth as he pulled his arm free, only for Sunset to pull him into a hug. "Why do you care about that anyway?! That's not your choice, that's not any of your business, let alone anyone else's! Why won't you let me go!" Chance exclaimed, struggling to shake Sunset off.

The drone's palm was beginning to spark and crackle as the energy built up. Every mechanism within it was whirring and going into overdrive. Soon enough, the attack fired. "Because you're my friend, even if you don't think so, that's why!" Sunset exclaimed.

Chance's eyes widened, and his struggling came to a sudden stop. Chance was unsure how to respond, but the attack was heading right for them and all he could do was stare. Chance closed his eyes, and simply turned around, trying to shelter Sunset from the blast that was coming their way, pulling her into an embrace.

"Look out!!" Rarity called out.

The attack connected, but Chance didn't feel dead, nor did Sunset. The two opened their eyes, looking at each other, then back at the drone, only to see Rarity, who ran in front of them and created a giant construct to block the drone's attack. "Rarity! You saved our lives!" Sunset said.

Chance was pretty surprised himself. "Didn't think you had it in you, thanks for the save!" Chance commented.

Rarity looked back with a weary smile, only for the drone to start charging up another attack. "I don't think I have it in me to block another one. Do you two have a plan?" Rarity asked.

Chance had an idea, though it was risky. He looked around and noticed that a portion of the ground in front of them had been scorched. He looked at the drone, then back at Rarity's construct, then at the portion of scorched ground. Suddenly, an idea came to him. "Can you keep the construct up just a bit longer? I just figured out how we're gonna give this thing a taste of its own medicine!" Chance managed to pry Sunset off of him and moved in front of the construct. "Come on, you egregious waste of parts! You think I don't know what you want?! If you want it so bad, stop with the hissy fit and give it all you got this time!!" Chance pointed to his heart. "Come on, put on in here, you extraterrestrial scrap pile!" Chance exclaimed.

Rarity was frightened. "Darling, with all due respect, are you crazy?! Taunting the giant robot into attacking doesn't seem like a safe idea!" Rarity remarked, concerned about what could happen next.

Chance moved back behind the construct, smiling. "Trust me, I think I know what I'm doing." Chance said.

"You think?" Sunset asked, equally concerned.

Rarity was hesitant, but she kept the barrier up. Chance grabbed the barrier by the top side with one hand, the right side with the other hand, and pushed his left foot against the bottom of it. The drone fired a beam of energy at the construct, and the moment the construct felt the beam hit, it began to crack, but Chance and Rarity held firm.

Chance gritted his teeth as he kept his right foot firmly planted onto the ground. "What comes around, goes around!" Chance let a smirk form on his face as he pushed the top end of the construct up, bouncing the beam onto the ground. "Let's see how you like it, ya techno freak!" Chance exclaimed.

Chance pushed the construct to the right, shooting the beam left, then moved back and rammed the construct with his shoulder to the left, causing the beam to suddenly rip right through the mid-section of the genodrome, cutting it in half.

The drone slowly started to fall apart, until it erupted into a furious explosion, showering pieces of hot metal and robot parts everywhere. Rarity let the construct down and the three of them ran towards Dash, who was a bit shocked by everything. The four of them ran around the bend, noticing that the rest of the Rainbooms, along with Vice Principal Luna, were a bit late to the party. "Hey girls!! You just missed it, we managed to beat back the robot!" Dash yelled victoriously.

Chance glared at her, but simply decided to let it go. "The important thing is, we're alive. It's over, and that drone isn't gonna disturb the peace of nature, or nearly disintegrate anyone into a pile of ash ever again... good thing, too. I think I've had my fill of nature walks this week. Even amongst the tranquility of nature, there's never a dull moment in this town, and that's not always a good thing." Chance said with a cheeky grin.

Sunset smiled as she sighed. "Finally, the worst has passed. I honestly can't wait for what comes next, right?" Sunset asked.

Chance rolled his eyes and nudged her arm. "Let's not jinx it now, I'm not fightin' that thing's remains like it's a robot zombie movie. I'd sooner chug a bottle full of Absinthe before I risk my life to fight undead scrap metal!" Chance remarked, chuckling a bit.

The Rainbooms looked at the pair, confused, but relieved. "Well, ah hope Dash didn't give ya too much trouble, partner, we're all familiar with how she can be sometimes," Dash looked away, scorned by the comment. Applejack approached Chance and held out a handshake. "Ah don't think we properly met. I'm Applejack, nice to meet ya." Applejack introduced with a warm smile.

Chance was hesitant, but he simply took a deep breath, and accepted the handshake. "I'm Chance Marsten, and despite five years of keeping to myself, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Chance introduced.

Applejack took her hand back and shook it. "Whoo! You got a firm grip there, sugarcube! Actually had my hand feelin' a little sore!" Applejack remarked, chuckling a bit.

Chance smiled as he looked towards Luna, who was smiling. Chance rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, let's save the mushy stuff for when we get back to camp. I feel like I could sleep for weeks without end after running for my life and getting the zapping of a lifetime!" Chance remarked.

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Pinkie grabbed Chance by the arm. "Let's stop lollygagging on this chapter, and lets party till we're purple!!" Pinkie exclaimed happily, rushing off as Chance got dragged along.

[Outer Space]

The tall creature continues to dwell within its pod, all while the one-eyed creature approaches cautiously. "You may speak, half-breed vermin." The tall creature announced.

The one-eyed creature seemed to shudder for a moment before speaking. "General Reinrassic the Second, the genodrome has finally gone offline. We suspect that the termination was caused by the one who wields the Omnitrix, but we're still unsure of a proper result. But, I assure you, my liege, this won't be the end. We will get you the Omnitrix, and we will finally be able to restore glory to your entire species." The creature reported.

The tall creature, Reinrassic, was furious, but also impressed. "Failure?! Unbelievable! The puny Earth being that is keeping the Omnitrix from me- will soon hang on my trophy wall... or become one with my rising army." Reinrassic stated sinisterly.

[Five Days Later...]

[Everfree Cabin, Mid-Afternoon]

Sunset was feeling tired, due to partying like it was the end of the world. Five days ago, it certainly felt like it, but she had fun, nonetheless. Sunset was currently packing up her stuff and noticed a lack of Chance that day. He wasn't on the couch, where he slept for the past week, and noticed Luna was looking for him, even looking in her guestroom.

Luna looked at Sunset, dressed back in her usual casual attire. "Do you know where Mister Marsten is? Time's running out, and Summer Vacation's about to begin." Luna asked.

Sunset simply shrugged, equally as unaware as she was. "He must've gotten up early today. I can only hope he didn't use the watch to do anything dangerous," She grabbed her brush and placed it in her bag. "By the way, I thought you said we'd be in an RV for the summer, not your car." Sunset remarked.

Luna pulled out a set of keys with a small crescent moon keychain. "The RV's gonna be parked right next to my car. Celestia drove her car back to our place earlier today before the sun came up, and she took the RV here, so she'll ride back in my car. Keeps things even and consistent." Luna remarked.

Sunset shrugged. "Well, here's to hoping Chance gets back in time. His bag is all packed, but he's nowhere to be seen." Sunset stated.

Just as she said that, a loud crack echoed out from the ceiling, like something unexpectedly heavy and severely dense just fell from the sky. The two looked up, only to hear that something was knocking on the front door. Before either could make the attempt to answer it, they saw an alien walk in.

This one was tall, vaguely humanoid in shape, had one huge white circular eye, and comprised of some kind of Amethyst-like crystal. It wore a full-body black and white, segmented in numerous spots. The Omnitrix's badge rested on its right pectoral. "Greetings! Sorry I'm late, was busy testing out Alien #3!" Sunset and Luna were surprised. "Meet, Armethyst!" The alien introduced. Its voice was tough, gruff, yet its higher pitched warping voice was contrasted by the sound of crystals grinding together every time it moved or spoke.

Sunset was the first to wonder what Armethyst could do, but all she could muster was another question. "No one saw you transform, right?" Sunset asked.

Armethyst nodded. "Don't worry, I made sure that no one followed me, and I made sure I was far enough to where no one would know, and so I could make it back. Trust me, you have no idea how hard it is to maneuver this guy without feeling a constant case of Rockjoint... huh, that'd actually make for a cool name, too! Gotta write that one down." Armethyst remarked.

Luna went over and closed the door, and soon enough, the Omnitrix started beeping and flashing red. Within a flash of red light, Chance was returned to his normal self once more. "Well, who's ready to get this alien pony show on the road? I know I am!" Chance remarked, a confident smile on his face as he slung his father's bag over his shoulder.

Luna smiled. "Nice to know you're in a much better mood, as well as gaining a more positive mindset, mister Marsten. Before we do go, what is your reason for accepting my offer?" Luna asked.

Chance stopped in place for a moment, and sighed. "My reason is that... my father would like to know that I became a better man," Luna was curious as to what Chance meant, as was Sunset, so he continued to talk. "I know my father would want me to see the world, to see what I've been missing while being a prisoner in my room, with the wardens being a couple junkies, one of them being what remains of my mother. He wouldn't want me stewing in my own self-pity, to think less about myself and put bad people on a higher pedestal. He wouldn't want me to grow up without friends, without a family that loves and supports me, no matter what I do... most importantly of all, he wouldn't want me to turn away from those who need help the most. Maybe with this watch's power, and the aliens that are housed within it, maybe I can really help people, instead of making things worse... just like my mom." Chance remarked solemnly.

Chance looked over at the pair of them, seeing their saddened smiles, he couldn't help but smile himself. "Okay, I haven't been one for emotions in a long time, so I'm going to put my bag in the RV and hope this whole road trip thing goes off without another hitch." Chance remarked, moving back to the front door.

Chance opened the front door, but saw Rarity standing there, smiling. "Hello darling, may I come in? I was told by Sunset that I could have a one-on-one chat with you before your departure." Rarity requested.

Chance looked back at Sunset, who looked nervous. He simply shrugged, and moved out of her way. "Okay, change of plans then. I'll catch up with you two in a moment, hopefully it won't be too long." Chance sat down on one of the wooden chairs. Luna and Sunset grabbed their bags and walked out of the front door. Once it was clear that they were gone, Chance looked over at Rarity with a sense of curiosity. "You wanted to talk to me, that's already a red flag. What do you want?" Chance asked.

Rarity sat down on the couch, her smile unwavered. "Sunset told me a few things about you when you limped off towards trouble five days ago. I was hoping to get your side of the story, to better get an understanding, and to properly gauge what kind of person you are behind your façade, darling," Chance raised an eyebrow, seeming surprised. Rarity simply chuckled. "Caught your interest, did I? Here's what's going to happen. I don't hate you, but I'm curious as to how you've become such an enigma. What is it about you that has Sunset's interest?" Rarity asked.

Chance thought about that for a moment, but he himself didn't have an idea. "If I had the answer, I'm sure you could tell that I know it. Don't need to be a lie detector or a mind reader to figure that out," Rarity nodded, understanding what Chance was saying, but was more-so curious to what the answer could be, if Chance himself didn't know it. "Let me ask you a question, Little Miss Rarity. Do you think the tough and silent front I put up is something I just came up with one day, or do you have an idea of where you know it stems from?" Chance inquired.

Rarity was curious to his questioning, but simply took a deep breath and prepped herself to give an answer. "I believe that it came from a lifetime that's only familiar with abuse. Verbal, physical, mental, emotional, you're experienced with being put down, told you are nothing, even if it's not blatantly said or told to you straight-forward. Yet, be that as it may," Rarity got up and moved towards Chance, gesturing for him to get up. He got up, but was more-so curious as to what she was playing at. "Darling, you've clearly shown that you can be a delight. Crude and colorful language aside, you seem like the kind of individual that's making the best out of a bad situation, because that's all you've ever known for the past few years. This offer you've been given, I feel like you're going to go and do great things with it. I don't need magic powers of any kind to tell you that, I assure you. I just want you to promise me something." Rarity explained.

Chance's curiosity was piqued even further. "And what's that?" Chance asked.

Rarity sighed, her smile faltered and changed into a scowl. Chance was unsure why, but he felt a chill go down his spine upon seeing it. "Promise me that you'll put your fancy new powers to use for good, and keep Sunset safe, and in return, I won't tell anyone your secret until you're ready for it to be known," Chance's eyes widened. "That's right, I know of your secret. Honestly, darling, it's not that hard for me to put two and two together. That strange gem creature that casually walked into the cabin, the casualness that Sunset and Vice Principal Luna showed without even acknowledging it, the gem creature adorning the same emblem that's on your watch, it just made too much sense. Now, do we have a deal?" Rarity asked.

Chance knew what she was doing, and as much as he had to respect the balls she had to do this, he wished he had something to kick right now. "Fine, I promise. Not that I want any harm to come to them, anyway." Chance remarked.

Rarity didn't seem convinced. "Do you Pinkie Promise?" Rarity asked.

Chance looked deadpanned, he didn't think Rarity was serious and simply walked to the front door, only for a diamond construct to block the way. Chance looked back at Rarity, seeing her scowl become a smug smirk. Chance's right eye twitched, and he gave in. "I cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Chance gritted through his teeth as his face became red from sheer embarrassment. "Man that felt fuckin' stupid." Chance remarked.

Rarity chuckled. "Don't you worry, darling, your secret's safe with me. Uphold your end, and I'll keep mine upheld until you're ready. See you soon!~" Rarity said, letting her construct disappear as she walked out of the cabin.

Chance gritted his teeth and couldn't help but let a smirk of his own form on his face. "Oh, I like her already. She's feisty!" Chance remarked, leaving the cabin as he closed the door behind him.

[RV]

As the RV drove down the road, Sunset and Chance were playing a game of checkers. "So, what'd Rarity want to talk about?" Sunset asked.

Chance smiled and shrugged. "She just wanted me to let ya know that while you're gone, she'll be working extra hard on earning your forgiveness. You ain't got anything to worry about. Let's just relax, and enjoy the summer, no matter what comes our way." Chance remarked.

Sunset looked at him quizzically, and Chance just simply smiled as he moved one of his black pieces to an empty spot on Sunset's end. "Checkmate!" Chance announced.

Sunset went wide-eyed, seeing that she had been beat. "Huh, nice job." Sunset complimented.

Chance snickered. "Thanks, my dad taught me how to play, told me it was to stop a bad habit of mine, can't recall what it was, though, but I am good at it." Chance remarked with a chuckle.