Deep within the pitch-black bowels of the OUS facility, with only a dim light casting distorted shadows over the cold metal walls, Moonlight Anchor sat at her desk, her hooves clasped in contemplation as she glared at the shadowed forms of her superiors. The hum of machinery echoed faintly in the distance, blending with the occasional drip of condensation from unseen pipes above. The air felt heavy, charged with unspoken tension, as she waited for one of them to speak.

"The arrival of the Guardians of Harmony has thrown a... considerable... wrench into our plans," one of the shadowed figures finally said, his voice low and deliberate.

Moonlight raised an eyebrow, "Guardians of Harmony?"

"That is what the public refers to Princess Twilight Sparkle and her companions as," another superior clarified, their voice carrying a tinge of irritation. "They will most likely ally themselves with Turnip Wolf to ensure the status quo is maintained. If Wolf gains their approval, he will secure his victory in the election. And another term for Wolf means-"

"You do not need to reiterate the consequences of Wolf's victory," Moonlight interrupted, her voice calm but firm. "Though I still question whether the secessionists truly appreciate what they currently have."

"They will," a different voice interjected, colder than the rest. "Four years is plenty of time for regret to take root."

Moonlight tilted her head, her gaze narrowing. "And what of the recent murders?"

A faint murmur of confusion passed among her superiors. "Murders?" one of them asked.

Moonlight’s tone sharpened. "If you've been paying attention to the news, you’d be aware of a series of gruesome killings. The most recent victims were former guardspony Velvet Judge and his partner, Marine Capri. Both were outspoken supporters of Wolf. Their deaths are yet another wrench in our plans, wouldn’t you agree?"

"You still think this is like Starlight's village?" Applejack whispered.

Twilight blinked, snapping out of the train of thought that had consumed her since they followed Turnip Wolf into the elevator. She glanced at Applejack, hesitated, and then shook her head before turning her gaze back to Turnip. Her eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the peculiar sight of his lower back—or more specifically, the gaping hole where his rump should have been. The flickering lights of the facility cast erratic shadows, and in those brief moments of illumination, she caught glimpses of a long, slimy tentacle stretching from the dark recess of his back. On one hoof, she was relieved that the inhabitants of this island weren’t enchanted ponies under some cruel magical curse nor was Banner Mark talking to himself and using the puppets to pretend he was talking to somepony else. But on the other hoof, a swarm of even more questions buzzed around in her mind. Why had the Cutie Map summoned her and her friends to an island in the middle of the ocean populated solely by puppets animated by some unseen force? What was this thing controlling Turnip and the others, and why could it only communicate through fabricated characters that barely seemed to get along? And was it wise for her and her friends to split up and search for clues? The island was vast, and the puppets’ fractured camaraderie hinted at something far more sinister lurking beneath their whimsical exteriors. Perhaps she’d been reading too many mystery novels, but everything about this place set her fur on edge.

As the elevator jolted to a stop, Twilight inhaled sharply, steeling herself. Whatever this place held, whether they were answers or more questions, they were here for a reason.

"Welcome to OUS, mares!" Turnip announced as he exited the elevator, "Nopony knows it but they keep the trains running on time."

A puppet with a in a navy-blue suit moved in front of Turnip. Its short black mane, drawn-on glasses, and forehooves that were glued to the front of its face as if it was either praying or scheming made it difficult to tell whether it was meant to be a mare or a stallion.

"You flatter me, Mr. Wolf," the puppet stated, "But if that were true, then our civilisation would be far less divided."

Turnip turned to face Twilight and Applejack, "Ah, where are my manners? This is Moonlight Anchor, commander in chief of this here agency."

Moonlight turned to face Twilight, "Hmm. I read your Friendship Journals. Can't say I'm a fan of them since a few of your friends and you yourself kept relearning the same lessons over and over again. It made chapters repetitive."

Twilight just scowled at Moonlight. While it was just the one puppet that didn't like her journals while another did, the wounds from hordes of ponies arguing amongst themselves about the journals and harassing her friends for days on end were still fresh in her mind. And because she and her friends split up to better explore the island, she dreaded to imagine a re-enactment of what was one of the five worst moments of her life. The puppets were already arguing about imaginary politics. What's stopping them from arguing about the Friendship Journals?

"That said," Moonlight continued, "My son appreciated the chapters written by Fluttershy. It gave him enough courage to test out a deterrent against magical threats."

"Deterrent?" Twilight asked.

"Yes," Moonlight replied, "I'll show you."

Twilight followed Moonlight through a dimly lit corridor until they reached a cavernous room dominated by a towering wooden structure. Her eyes widened at the sight. The figure was a bizarre amalgamation of a pony and the ape-like creatures that occupy the world on the other side of the Magic Mirror.

"The Sahelanthropony Mk-1," Moonlight announced, her tone carrying a strange mix of pride and detachment.

Twilight just stared at the gaudy contraption. Even if everpony barring herself, her friends, and that unicorn detective were just puppets being controlled by an entity seriously lacking a life in the conventional sense, she understood why Moonlight's son would be hesitant to use it.

"That's your deterrent?" Twilight asked.

Author's Note

Fun fact: This was actually the third chapter I had written but I re-arranged it so it would flow better with the rest of the story. Or at least what I thought would flow better.