"WAAAAAAAAKE UP!"

Vinyl jumped about five feet in the air, while Octavia's eyes shot open, bloodshot with a rough night of restless sleep. Standing at their open doorway was Trixie the "Medic", an amused look on her face.

"Not only is Trixie a medic, but she serves as an alarm clock too!" Said the blue unicorn, "So anyways, wake up. Breakfast is ready in the mess hall."

With that, she turned and trotted away, holding her head up high.

"Ugh..." Vinyl groaned, "I guess they don't like late sleepers." She jumped up, "Well, let's go get some breakfast."

Octavia nodded, still a little shaken up from her dream. Her body was literally shuddering.

"Cold?"

"No. Weird dream last night."

"'bout what?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

The two mares trotted out of their room, down the hall, and towards the mess hall. The hall was abuzz with activity. Guild members were sitting at the table, as Carrot Top filled their plates with scrumptious breakfast foods.

"Hey!" Lucky Clover waved his hoof at the two mares, "We saved you a seat!"

Vinyl and Octavia pushed through the other ponies, reaching the other side of the table. They sat next to Lucky and Minuette, who were busy enjoying their waffles.

"Thanks for saving us a seat," Vinyl said, "You guys are cool."

"Hey, that's how we are," Lucky replied with a smile, "Others are slow to accept new team members. It's... A trust problem."

Neither Octavia or Vinyl liked how Lucky said "A trust problem".

"What do you mean?" Octavia asked, rather curious.

"Well..." Minuette began, "Since Team Sunshine stabbed Lyra and Bonbon in the back... None of us have really liked new members."

"Team Sunshine?" Vinyl asked.

"Oh, they're not here anymore," Explained Minuette, "They got kicked out, and changed their name to 'Team Vengeance'"

Octavia and Vinyl's eyes widened when they heard that name. They exchanged glances before Vinyl scowled angrily.

"Those jerks?" She growled with pure resentment.

Minuette nodded, "They were jerks while they were here. Everyone hated them because they were a rescue team for money and glory, not to protect other ponies. I'm surprised Lyra didn't kick them out earlier," She changed the subject, "But enough on that. Let's enjoy Carrot Top's legendary carrot waffles!"

Octavia and Vinyl finally noticed the steaming hot waffles sitting in front of them (though carrot waffles sound nasty, these are ponies after all). Vinyl grabbed the syrup, pouring it all over her waffle before handing it to Octavia. She cut a piece off before shoving it into her mouth.

"Whooooa..." Vinyl exclaimed, "These are amazing!"

"Thanks, hon," Said Carrot Top as she took a seat next to Lucky, "They're a family recipe."

Octavia took a bite of her waffle, her eyes lighting up with pure admiration, "Delicious, Carrot Top! You're very talented!"

"Thank you!" Replied Carrot with a smile, "It does my heart good to know someone likes my cooking!"

"Are you kidding?" Questioned Vinyl, "You should be a legendary cook! Or something!"

"Now I'm not that great..." Carrot's yellow face turned red, "You're just flattering me."

"I'm serious!" Vinyl insisted, "Your waffles are amazing!"

As the ponies ate their waffles, a gray pegasus mare stumbled into the room. Her mane was blonde, and her yellow eyes were facing different directions, litterally wall-eyed. Her cutie mark was a bunch of grouped together bubbles. Walking next to her was a light purple unicorn filly with the same blonde mane and yellow eyes (though they weren't wall-eyed).

"Hey! It's the Derps!" Minuette called, waving to the gray mare.

It took a moment for the mare to see her, for one eye was looking up at the ceiling, while the other was looking at the table. Her stare straightened, focusing on Minuette and the other ponies. Her smile grew as she clumsily walked over, her little companion following her.

"Hi guys!" The gray mare greeted, "Are we having muffins?"

"It's not Muffin Monday, Derpy," Carrot stated, "It's Waffle Wednesday, remember?"

"Oh darn!" Derpy replied sadly, "Oh well. Waffles are good too!" She took a seat next to Minuette.

"Oh, Vinyl, Octavia," The blue unicorn spoke up, "This is Ditzy Doo, but we call her Derpy, and Dinky Doo, her daughter."

"Hi!" Derpy greeted cheerfully, one of her eyes facing Vinyl and Octavia, while the other one looked at her hooves.

Dinky waved shyly from behind her mother.

"What's with... The eyes?" Vinyl asked, looking curious.

"Shhh!" Minuette shushed, "Derpy doesn't like it when we talk about her eyes!"

"Why? What's wrong with my eyes?" Derpy butted in.

"Nothing's wrong with your eyes, Derpy," Assured Lucky with a smile, "Don't worry about it."

"Okay!" Replied Derpy, happily digging into her waffle.

"Me and Derpy are a rescue team," Carrot spoke up, "Though we haven't been out recently. I sustained an injury to my leg on our last mission, and Derpy doesn't like going without me."

"I like going with friends!" Argued Derpy with a slight frown.

"Hey, after lunch, we can show Vinyl and Octavia around town," Lucky suggested, "I bet they'll find the town welcoming!"

"Great idea, Lucky," Minuette agreed, "We can get them acquainted with the town locals. Oh, Derpy, will you past the syrup? And don't spill it on me like the last time!"

---

After they finished their breakfast, Minuette and Lucky took Vinyl and Octavia down from the Guild and into the town. Carrot had to stay behind, for she couldn't do much with the injury to her leg, and Derpy and Dinky stayed right outside of the Guild, watching the world go by.

The town of Ponyville was quaint. Various stands were set up for selling various things. Different ponies milled about, and many others manned the stands.

"Every since the disasters, ponies who didn't want to join rescue teams have been gathering up supplies and selling them for our benefits and their benefits. Citizens both poor and rich have been working together to do so," Minuette explained. She pointed to an elder green mare manning an apple stand, "That's Granny Smith's stand over there. She sells apples and seeds, like revival seeds, antidote seeds, and others. Next to her is Filthy Rich's bank," She sighed, "It's ironic, because he isn't so filthy rich anymore. He lost all his money in a fire, so he decided to open a bank to protect other's money from harm."

The four walked on, until they came to a stand manned by a white, overly muscular pegasus stallion. He was so muscular that his wings were too small for his body, and veins were popping out of his legs and forehead.

"That's Snowflake's storage," Lucky pointed out, "Because he's so strong and scary looking, nopony ever steals the items he stores for team members. Next to him is Shining Armor's Armory. He sells items enchanted by the Guardians to ponies' who's talents match them."

"That's pretty much everyone," Minuette said, "Oh! I almost forgot! Down that path to the west is Dragon's Bluff. You can get an amazing view of the ocean there!"

Vinyl seemed to smile at the mention of Dragon's Bluff, as if it brought back memories.

"Thanks for being so nice to us," Octavia acknowledged, "We'd probably be completely lost without you guys."

"It's no trouble," Replied Minuette with a dismissive wave of her hoof, "We're always willing to help new ponies! By the way, now that you're a rescue team, you should probably be taking rescue missions to get your ranks up."

Octavia and Vinyl cluelessly stared at the blue unicorn mare.

"Min, they don't know how to." Lucky explained.

Minuette elbowed Lucky in the ribs, causing him to groan a little, "Then let's show them how!" She turned to the Musical Mares, "Let's head back to the Guild. We'll show you where all the missions are posted."

---

As the four returned to the Guild, Minuette and Lucky led the two mares to the second floor. They then led them over to a cluttered corkboard, where a multitude of letters were posted.

"This is where ponies come when they need somepony rescued," Lucky explained, "They write letters, explaining what happened, where their friend is at, and the reward for rescuing them."

"I suggest only taking missions to places you've been," Minuette warned, "You don't know how tough other places may be."

Vinyl saluted, "Gotcha!"

"Why don't you take a look and see what you can find?" Lucky suggested, pointing to the board.

But before Vinyl and Octavia could even get a glimpse at the board, Derpy suddenly dashed in, pushing the two out of the way. She jumped up and down in an anxious way, for she had a terrified look on her face.

"Dinky! Dinky! Has! Been!" She huffed, unable to catch her breath.

"Whoa Derpy!" Minuette placed a hoof on the scared mare's shoulder, soothing her nerves a little, "Use your words. What's wrong?"

Derpy looked at Minuette, pure fear in her yellow eyes, "My Dinky! She's been snatched!"

"Who would foalnap poor Dinky?" Lucky asked, rage showing slightly in his face.

"I don't know!" Cried the distressed Derpy, "We were just sitting there in front of the Guild when this... This black thing shot past us and took Dinky! I saw it heading for Mount Hoofington!"

"Why didn't you go after her?" Minuette asked.

"Because! I don't go without Carrot Top!" Derpy moaned, dramatically waving her hooves around, "And are you crazy? I'm too weak to go there! That's where gryphon eggs are nursed! I don't want to fight those things!"

"We'll go!" Vinyl volunteered, bravely stepping up to the sniveling Derpy.

"Vinyl, are you sure?" Lucky questioned uncertainly, "I mean, Mount Hoofington isn't the easiest place to go for a new rescue team. Maybe you should let me and Minuette go."

"No!" Vinyl shot back. She caught herself, feeling as though she had just remarked rudely, "I mean... No. We need to keep proving our efforts. Right Octavia?"

Octavia nodded, "Right. We'll go get Dinky back for you."

Derpy's smile widened, before she threw her arms around both Vinyl and Octavia, "Oh thank you thank you thank you! Please! Rescue Dinky and make sure she's safe! I don't want anything bad happening to her!"

Vinyl nodded, "We will. We're a rescue team, aren't we?"

"You know where Mount Hoofington is, right?" Lucky questioned, "It's on the other side of Horseshoe Bluff."

"Yeah, we got it." Vinyl said, gently pushing Derpy off. She started to make her way to the exit, but Minuette stopped her.

"You realize you're going to have to pack some supplies, right?" She questioned a little uncertainly.

"Uh..." Vinyl paused, "Yeah! Totally. I'm not stupid."

Octavia smiled and rolled her eyes at Vinyl's claim.

"You better hurry!" Derpy warned, "I don't know what that thing was, or what it wanted with Dinky, but I know it's something not good!"

"Don't worry," Vinyl assured, "We'll get Dinky back. It shouldn't be that hard!" She grabbed Octavia by the hoof and dragged her to the ladder.

"Good luck you two." Minuette said weakly.

"Should we go after them?" Lucky asked.

"No. They said they wanted to prove themselves. I'm sure they can do it by themselves!"

---

As Vinyl and Octavia made their way back to the town, their first stop was at Granny Smith stand. Vinyl approached, still dragging Octavia around.

"Hello!" Greeted the white unicorn, "We would like to stock up on some apples. We're going on a trip."

The old mare didn't respond. She made a noise that sounded like loud snoring.

"Vinyl, she's sleeping." Octavia noticed, elbowing the unicorn in the ribs gently.

"I see that now..." Vinyl leaned closer to the sleeping granny, "Hey. Hey! Wake up!"

The elder mare snorted, "Uh... What's that? Wake slup? Who's this slup fellow?"

"No ma'am," Vinyl corrected, "We just want to buy some apples."

"Well why didn't ya say so?" Said Granny Smith in her heavy southern accent, "I got some apples over here, hon." She started to make her way very very slowly to the back of the stand.

"Um..." Vinyl spoke, noticing how slow Smith was going, "Should we get them for you?"

"No! I got it!" Argued the elder mare, "I almost got it!" Finally, she reached the shelf holding all the buckets of apples, "How many ya want? A bucket or a half?"

"Just a half." Vinyl answered.

Surprisingly, Granny Smith was strong enough to lift the the half bucket of apples. She slowly carried them back, placing it on the counter in front of Vinyl and Octavia.

"Will that be all?" Smith asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Vinyl replied with an approving nod.

"Thirty bits."

Vinyl looked as though someone had just stabbed her in the heart, "Thirty?! But I thought it was only ten for a half bucket!"

"Prices go up, hon!" Said Smith, "Ever since them dang disasters, it's been difficult to even find an apple tree! They die before my family can even get to 'em!"

"I demand lower prices!" Vinyl said rebelliously.

Octavia held the white mare back, setting thirty bits on the table, "Here. We'll take the apples now."

"But that's an outrage!" Cried Vinyl, as Octavia grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and dragged her and the bucket of apples away, "What a rip off!"

They next went to Filthy Rich's bank. The brown stallion with his combed back, black mane and his fancy tie looked at the two mares a little disapprovingly.

"Can we store our money here?" Asked Octavia.

"It's a bank, my dear," Remarked Rich, "Of course you can. How much would you like to put in?"

"I'm putting the remaining money we have in here, Vinyl," Octavia said to the white mare, "Are you going to object to that too?"

Vinyl pouted, "No."

Octavia didn't have much, but it was enough that she didn't feel comfortable in taking it with her. She pushed a small pouch of money towards the stallion, who continued to look disapprovingly at the two mares.

"It will be kept safe here until you come to withdraw it," He said, "Have a nice trip."

"Thank you." Replied Octavia.

Next, the two went to the storage. The overly muscular pegasus, who was apparently Snowflake, stuck out his chest, as if to show off.

"Hi," Greeted Octavia, "Snowflake, right?"

"YEAH!" Screamed Snowflake, spitting on Octavia in the process.

The brown mare wiped her face clean of Snowflake spit, "And... You'll always be able to store items, correct?"

"YEAH!"

"How safe is your storage?" Vinyl asked, a small troll-like smile appearing on her face.

"SAFE AS CAN BE! YEEEAAAH!"

Vinyl exchanged glances with Octavia, "Apparently, he doesn't say much."

"Well, thanks anyway." Octavia said, once again wiping her face free of spit.

"YEAH!"

The two finally moved to the last stand, manned by a white, unicorn stallion with a blue mane streaked with lighter blue. His cutie mark was a purple shield. Though Lucky had called it an Armory, all it was was a bunch of random items hanging on the walls and laying on the floor, not weapons.

"Hi!" Greeted Shining Armor, "You're the new rescue team I heard about. Musical Mares?"

"That's us!" Vinyl said with a smug smile.

"So, what brings you to my Armory? Looking for some new weapons or something else?"

"Weapons?" Vinyl questioned, "But these aren't weapons..."

Shining cocked an eyebrow, "Maybe to some. It depends on your talent."

Octavia pulled the cello bow out from her mane, setting it on the counter in front of Shining.

"Wow!" He gasped, taking a closer look at it, "Mahogany wood with a triple twisted string! This is one of the rarest kinds! The most coveted among cello players too! Where did you get it?"

Octavia paused, "I... Don't know. I don't remember. I was only wondering if you might have a cello to go with it."

Shining frowned, "Sorry, fresh out of cellos."

Vinyl scanned the back wall of Shining's stand. Her eyes were locked on a small, single speaker stereo with ornant music note designs on the sides.

"You seem to be taking a liking that Bass Cannon." Said Shining, noticing Vinyl's like of the stereo.

"Bass Cannon?" Vinyl questioned, a sparkle in her eyes.

"You should be able to handle it," Shining said confidently, "You're a DJ with talent, I know that."

"How do you know? You've never even heard my songs."

"My wife is one of the Guardians. She talks about you all the time. Especially your dubstep!"

"You mean, Princess Cadance?" Asked Vinyl, looking surprised.

"Of course! And she told me that you would become a member of a rescue team, so she told me to keep this Bass Cannon just for you. Good thing you came before somepony else got it!"

"Oh! Then I'll take it! How much?"

"Free for first time customers," Shining explained, taking the small stereo off the shelf, setting it in front of Vinyl, "If it truly is your talent, you should be able to command it with just your voice."

Vinyl seemed interested in this. Taking a deep breath, she said in a commanding tone:

"Compact!"

Immediately, the stereo shrunk down to the size of a wallet. Vinyl's mouth hung open agape, before it grew into a large smile.

"Cool!"

"You can use it to defeat monsters and other threats you might find while you're exploring," Explained Shining, "Of course, you'll have to train with it. Guardian enchanted items like this need to be trained with before completely mastering it."

"Alright, thanks!" Vinyl replied, before she and Octavia took off down the road, past the Guild, and out into the wild. They slowed to a walk when they left the Guild behind and entered the woods.

"We can't waste a lot of time," Octavia warned, "We don't know what that thing was that kidnapped Dinky, nor what it would want with her, but I'm sure it's nothing good."

"It can't be a gryphon," Vinyl pointed out, "The Guardians made peace with them a long time ago."

"Who are these Guardians everypony keeps talking about?" Octavia questioned, cocking an eyebrow with curiosity.

"Didn't I tell you to go read it about?" Recalled Vinyl, narrowing her eyes at the brown mare.

"Uh..."

"Well, since we got a pretty long way to walk, I might as well tell you," Vinyl cleared her throat, "You see, when Equestria was founded, there was just Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, rulers of the day and night. When Equestria kept getting attacked by hostile creatures, they formed the Elements of Harmony. Later, six mares took control of the Elements, and even later, they all became Alicorns in order to protect Equestria. The Elements became the Harmony Gears, and were implanted in the earth, all around Equestria. They keep order, and super dangerous creatures out of the land, and keep us ponies safe from harm." She looked at Octavia, "Get it now?"

Octavia hesitated, "I think so. Who are the Guardians?"

"Well, there's Princess Celestia, who guards the Tower of Noon, which controls the path of the sun. Then there's Luna, guardian of the Tower of Midnight, which controls the moon. Princess Cadance, who regulates the amount of love in Equestria. Then there's the Gear Guardians... Pinkie Pie, Guardian of Laughter, Applejack, Guardian of Honesty, Rainbow Dash, Guardian of Loyalty, Fluttershy, Guardian of Kindness, Rarity, Guardian of Generosity, and Twilight Sparkle, Guardian of Magic. I... Think that's all."

"That's a lot to remember." Octavia stated, chuckling a little.

"Nine in all," Vinyl added, "When you've lived in Equestria all your life, you know their names by heart. I guess I understand why you ask about them. You know... With your amnesia and all."

"Please don't remind me."

The two walked on until the sight of a small mountain came into view over the trees. The peak was too short to be covered in snow, which relieved both mares, who disliked the cold.

"Mount Hoofington," Vinyl spoke, "This is where gryphons lay their eggs and the newborns are nursed and raised."

"Yep." Replied Octavia, nodding.

"Let's hope we don't run into any of them then." The white unicorn prayed outloud.

The two continued on in silence. Vinyl kept taking her bass cannon out to look at it, looking at all the buttons and switches. The mountain was getting larger the closer they got to it. Finally, after a little more walking, they reached the foot of the mountain. A cave was gouged out in the side, allowing for easy climbing.

"Well, let's go." Octavia said, leading the way. Vinyl lit her horn, allowing for them to see in the darkness. Octavia drew her cello bow, carefully examining the every corner of the cave. Eggs of different colors lined the walls, protected by nests of sticks, straws, and spiderwebs.

"How tall is this mountain?" Asked Vinyl, looking back at the cautious Octavia.

"Not horribly." Replied the mare, "C'mon. We need to hurry."

The two sped up to a gallop, avoiding gryphon eggs as they went. Octavia pulled ahead, as Vinyl fell behind, getting caught up in the multitude of gryphon eggs.

"You okay?" The brown mare asked, slowing down a bit.

"Fine!" Vinyl called back, "I'm just fine! Perfectly-!"

Crrrraack!

Octavia paused, knowing that sound meant something bad.

"Vinyl..."

"Yes...?"

"Please tell me you didn't just break a gryphon egg..."

"Uh... Okay, I won't. But I would be lying..."

"Vinyl!"

"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Octavia trotted back over to where she had heard the crack. Vinyl was standing there, her left hoof covered in egg yolk while she stared sadly at the broken shell of a green egg.

"Viiiiinyl..." Octavia scolded.

"I didn't mean to!" Cried a distressed Vinyl, "It was an accident! I wasn't watching where I was going!"

Octavia sighed, "Well, it's just a good thing that there's no adult gryphons around, or we would probably be in serious trouble."

Vinyl's eyes suddenly dialated, as she stared at something behind Octavia, "Uh... I think you might want to rethink that statement..."

"Why so?"

Vinyl pointed directly behind Octavia. The brown mare whipped around, discovering a large, ugly female gryphon. Her eagle half was black, while her lion half was dark brown, and her wings were of the same color, the tips of them being black. She was not attractive by gryphon standards, for her face was covered with moles, and her beak was gnarled and twisted. She wore a green do-rag and an ugly, out-of-style floral-print dress. Neither ponies could tell if she was angry, for she appeared to be scowling eternally.

"You break egg?" She asked in a Russian accent.

"Uh..." Octavia started to play with a rock absentmindedly, "We're sorry sir-... Ma'am. We were only trying to save a filly who was kidnapped and taken here. We were only passing through!"

"You murder baby gryphon!" The elder lion-bird screeched.

"No no no!" Corrected Octavia, holding her hooves up in surrender, "It was an accident! We didn't mean to!"

"I don't like ponies!" She argued, refusing to listen to the two mares, "You not trustworthy!"

Octavia drew her cello bow, "Please ma'am. We only wish to get to the peak!"

"So you destroy more eggs? I no allow it!"

Octavia backed up, Vinyl hiding behind her, as the gryphon advanced, making noises that sounded like a cross between a screech and a roar. The beast lunged, baring her claws, but Octavia grabbed Vinyl and rolled to the left. Quick as lightning, Octavia stood up, slashing the gryphon's tail with her bow. She roared in protest, but quickly turned around, getting her eagle eyes set on the Vinyl instead.

Vinyl took out her bass cannon, expanding it to full size. In desperation, she pressed a button. Nothing happened. Panicking, she pushed all the other buttons and pulled all the switches, but still, nothing happened.

The gryphon screeched, lunging for Vinyl, but Octavia jumped on her back, grabbing her by her neck and pulling up on it. The beast did not like this, and attempted to throw Octavia off, but the mare held fast. Vinyl tried everything to get the bass cannon to do something, but failed to do so. Octavia once again, did a very impressive thing. She grabbed the gryphon's front claw, pulling it up behind her back, and bending it in an unatural way. The beast went down, screeching in pain, as Octavia pulled her claw back further and bent it more.

"Let us pass!" The mare demanded.

The gryphon only roared.

"Octavia! Stop!" Vinyl commanded, running up to the two, "You're hurting her!"

"I mean to hurt her!" Octavia yelled back.

"Well stop! Now you're just being a big bully! We shouldn't hurt others in the process of having to save somepony else!"

Octavia suddenly hesitated. She reluctantly dropped the gryphon's claw, causing her to fall to the ground in defeat. The mare hopped off her back, trotting back over to Vinyl.

"I was only doing it because she attacked us!" Objected the cello-player, "It was self defense!"

"I understand that, but maybe we can strike up a deal that doesn't involve violently hurting her."

"I like white pony's idea!" Agreed the gryphon, standing up again.

"Well, with that being said," Octavia replied, narrowing her eyes at the gryphon, "What can we do that will allow you to let us pass through?"

The gryphon scratched her chin, apparently deep in thought. Her face lit up with happiness.

"Help care for baby gryphons every Saturday!" She said.

Octavia and Vinyl exchanged glances, as if silently discussing the proposal.

"That seems fair," Vinyl agreed, "We'll come every Saturday to help with the baby gryphons. Oh, and I'm sorry my friend hurt you."

Octavia glared at the unicorn.

"Apology accepted! Now, I will let ponies pass." The beast cheered happily. She moved aside, allowing for the Musical Mares to pass, "Oh, my name Gretchen, by the way! I happy that you can help with baby gryphons!"

"It's very nice to meet you, Gretchen," Vinyl replied politely, "Thank you for being reasonable!"

Gretchen nodded, as the two mares galloped away, further into the cavern.

"That was really kind of you to do that, Vinyl," Octavia stated, "To think, I probably would have knocked that poor gryphon out if it weren't for you. She was only trying to protect her eggs, and I shouldn't have been so hasty."

"Hey, at least Gretchen was reasonable," Replied Vinyl with a shrug, "So we have to care for some baby bird-lions every weekend? At least we made a friend and not a foe."

"I doubt whatever we're going to face at that peak will be as reasonable as her, though," Said Octavia with a pessimistic air, "Speaking of which, we're almost to the peak. Let's hurry!"

The mares sprinted, until a ladder leading up to the light could be seen. Quickly as possible, Octavia and Vinyl clambered up the ladder, emerging at the peak of Mount Hoofington. Vinyl shielded her eyes against the bright noon sun, looking over the land spread before them.

"Hey look!" She shouted, "I can see Ponyville from here!"

Octavia was too busy with finding Dinky. She drew her cello bow, scanning the area for the enemy that had taken her. A small sound made her ear twitch to the area above. She glanced up, discovering the light purple unicorn, trapped on a small ledge about ten feet in the air. It was Dinky who appeared to have been crying and sniveling.

"Dinky!" Exclaimed Octavia, "How in the world did you get up there?"

Dinky sniffed, "I don't know! I'm scared and I want my mommy, Miss Octavia! Get me down before that thing comes back!"

"That thing?" Vinyl asked, trotting over, "Dinky, what kidnapped you and where is it?"

"I don't know what it is!" Cried the scared little filly, "But I want to go home! Please get me down!"

"Just one thing," Vinyl interrupted, "How the heck are we gonna get up there?"

"Vinyl, climb on my back," Said Octavia, crouching down, "Maybe we can reach her if we pile up."

"Oh," Vinyl said, suddenly blushing from her stupid moment, "Duh, that will work."

But before Vinyl could climb onto her friend's back, the fur on the back of Octavia's neck stood on end. She heard the sound of buzzing wings, like an oversized bumblebee.

"Get down!" She screamed, rolling out of the way.

"Wha?" The clueless Vinyl questioned. But she didn't have time to "get down" for a green light blasted her into the wall, knocking her clean out. Octavia glanced up, discovering the attacker and kidnapper.

The thing was like nothing Octavia had ever seen. It was similar to a pony in body, but it was slightly smaller than Octavia. Its coat was jet-black, its eyes were emotionless blue, its mane was just a single fin running down its neck, and its fly wings buzzed anxiously as it landed. But that wasn't even the weirdest part. The thing's legs were filled with holes, like moldy Swiss cheese, and so was its wings and tail.

"And you are?" It asked in a strange, echoey voice, apparently male, but Octavia couldn't be completely sure.

"I might ask you the same thing, kidnapper." She rebutted.

The thing made a hissing noise, like compressed gas being released, "I am Thorn the changeling. I only kidnapped this filly because I need somepony's love to feed off of. I will starve if I don't."

The name "Changeling" sounded familiar. Octavia remembered that the changelings were social animals that were half pony, half insect. They liked to take the form of other ponies and gain power by feeding of their love for that pony. To Octavia, it was a cruel way to eat, and she remembered the changelings were indeed heartless creatures. An angry scowl crossed the mare's face.

"That's no excuse!" Octavia argued, coming up to the changeling fearlessly, "Dinky has a mother who's worried sick about her! You can't just go around kidnapping whoever you want! That poor child is terrified!"

"I have no choice, fool!" Thorn hissed, showing off his sharp fangs, "I don't want to starve to death, and the only way to keep myself alive is by manipulating you stupid ponies for love!" His horn started glowing a murderous green, "I suggest you leave, before I feast off your and your friend's love."

"Not without Dinky." Octavia growled, pulling out her cello bow.

"Then you won't be leaving!" Thorn fired a blast of green magic. Octavia managed to jump out of the way before the blast hit the wall, causing rocks to crumble down in a mini avalanche.

Before Octavia could even register what was going on, Thorn had bit at the scars on her front leg. Luckily, his fangs only lightly grazed her scabbed over skin, causing mild bleeding. Octavia came back by quickly throwing a small rock at Thorn's face, hitting his eye and causing him to recoil. The brown mare took this chance by charging at the changeling, preparing to slash him with her bow. But Thorn was surprisingly quick to recover, for he whipped around, using his hind legs to buck the charging Octavia in the stomach. The hit sent her flying across the peak, and to the very edge of the mountain. Thorn had her pinned in little time, as her head hung over the side of the cliff. She gulped, seeing the ninety foot drop to the jagged rocks below.

Octavia struggled against the weight of the changeling, but her strength had been taken with the buck to her stomach. Thorn hissed, his fangs glinting in the afternoon sun.

"I warned you," He growled, "Now, you shall pay!"

Octavia's eyes widened when she realized what the changeling was about to do. Thorn reared back, about to come down in one mighty swoop and bite into the mare's vulnerable neck. But he never got a chance to. The cello-playing mare wasn't sure what happened, but she remembered a blast of blue rocketing past her, throwing Thorn over the edge of the mountain. The ear-splitting sound of heavy electronic music assaulted the mare's eardrums, causing her head to throb.

When the music finally faded, Octavia sat up, discovering Vinyl with her bass cannon, expanded into full size. The speakers were still smoking and crackling from the recent use.

"Hey look!" Cheered the white mare, "I figured it out! And just in time too!"

Octavia stood up, her ears still ringing from the loud dubstep bass drop. Never had she been so thankful for electronic music as she was now. The mare ran over to Vinyl, hugging her.

"You saved my life!" She cried.

"Hey! No biggie!" Replied the unicorn, a smug smile suddenly appearing on her face, "That's what a team is for, isn't it?"

But their celebration was cut short, for a groan was heard behind them. They turned, discovering Thorn clambering over the edge of the cliff, pulling himself up with all his remaining power. He glared murderously at the Musical Mares, but couldn't find the strength to attack again.

"Take her," He growled, "Take the filly and go! Leave me to starve!"

Vinyl happily trotted over to Dinky, who was still trapped on the ledge. As she coaxed her to jump, Octavia felt pity for the changeling, even though she knew she should not. Reluctantly, the mare searched through her bag, finding the biggest, juiciest apple she had bought. The mare trotted over to Thorn, who at first, hissed at her. But then he saw the apple that Octavia laid in front of him, and his snarl faded.

"Here," The brown mare said, keeping a straight face, "I know it's not your favorite, but at least it will hold you over until you can find something else to eat."

Thorn stared at the mare, before he took the apple. He kept glancing at Octavia, a puzzled look in his pure blue eyes.

"After I attacked you?" He asked, "You still show mercy?"

Octavia shrugged, "A rescue team isn't supposed to hurt, but to help. This is helping you to stay well fed."

Thorn looked at her with a mix of confusion and happiness, "Th... Thank you. I'll... I'll leave your town alone in repayment."

"Why aren't you with your kind?" Octavia asked, "I thought you changelings were social."

"I was kicked out of my swarm," Replied Thorn, dropping his gaze down to the ground, "I can't change my form as my brothers and sisters can, so my Queen deemed me unworthy of her growing army."

"Well, your Queen is a jerk."

Thorn chuckled, "Thank you again for being so merciful. I shouldn't have taken that young filly from her mother."

"As long as you don't do it again. Why don't you find somewhere to settle down?"

"I can't. Other ponies aren't like you. They don't accept my kind because we look and act so different from each other."

Octavia replied with a small frown, "That doesn't surprise me. It seems like a lot of ponies are jerks nowadays."

Thorn nodded, "Thank you anyway, Miss..."

"Octavia."

"Octavia. Thank you. I hope to repay you somehow, someday."

With that, Thorn stretched his fly wings, before powerfully launching up into the sky, disappearing behind the fluffy clouds. Octavia felt guilt storm into her, feeling so sorry for Thorn. She didn't know what it was like to have your own kind not accept you for who you are, but she knew it must have been horrible. She was glad, however, that she had followed Vinyl's example and solved the problem without violence, and gaining an ally in the process.

"Here!" Vinyl yelled, "Give me your hooves!"

Octavia had completely forgotten about her companion and their mission. She quickly galloped back over to Vinyl, assisting her in getting Dinky down from the ledge. About five minutes later, they finally managed to get the unicorn filly down, calming her after her frightful experience.

"Hey, where did freaky Cheeselegs dude go?" Asked Vinyl, turning to Octavia.

"He left," The brown mare replied, "I managed to solve the problem without violence, like you did with Gretchen. I gave him something to eat and he promised to leave Ponyville alone."

"Cool!" Vinyl replied, patting Octavia on the back, "I'm proud of you, Tavia! Not everypony can be helpful to all types of creatures, especially weird creatures like him, but we can!"

"He was a changeling," Explained Octavia, "He was kicked out of his own family and forced to live as an exile. I couldn't just not help him."

"Can we go home now, Aunt Vinyl?" Dinky interrupted, gently pulling at Vinyl's tail.

"She's right," The unicorn agreed, "We better get back to the Guild. Derpy will be happy to know that we saved her kid."

---

"A changeling?" Questioned a curious Carrot Top.

"Did teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget?" Asked Minuette.

"Did you see any gryphons?" Lucky added.

"Yes, not exactly, and yes." Octavia answered. She and Vinyl stood in the middle of the Guild members and answered their many questions.

"A changeling, you say?" Bonbon asked, rubbing her chin, "Changelings are a rare sight indeed. The Guardians struck up a deal with the changeling Queen Chrysalis long ago, promising her and her changelings their own land as long as they didn't attack Equestria. Seeing one so far away from its home isn't common."

"I'm just glad that my daughter is safe!" Cheered Derpy, holding Dinky close to her, "Thank you Musical Mares! You're amazing!"

Vinyl and Octavia blushed a little.

"What an event-filled day!" Declared Lyra, pushing through the crowd, "I'm so glad you've completed your next mission, Musical Mares. You've truly proven your worth to be apart of this rescue team. I'm proud!"

"Thank you, Miss Lyra," Vinyl replied with a smile, "I hope I don't sound corny... But we'll continued to do our best."

"No offense, but that did sound corny." Trixie muttered, but Carrot violently elbowed her in the side.

"Well, with everypony safe and sound, why don't we retire to our rooms?" Suggested Lyra, "I hope that tomorrow will be as fruitful as today. Goodnight, teams!" The mint-green unicorn turned, heading back to her room. Everyone else followed her example and trotted back towards their rooms.

"I don't have any money," Derpy suddenly spoke, trotting up to the two mares, "I can't pay you for saving my daughter... I hope you can find my thank you enough."

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged glances. But they both smiled reassuringly at the gray mare.

"Hey, we don't need a payment," Vinyl said, placing a hoof on Derpy's shoulder, "Rescue teams don't need money for saving somepony's life. Don't sweat it."

Derpy smile grew wider than before, "Really?! Thank you Musical Mares! You're even awesomer than I said before!" The mare began to stumble awkwardly away, her little companion trotting at her side.

"That feels good," Spoke Vinyl after Derpy had left, "I really enjoy helping others. Don't you?"

Octavia nodded, "I must admit, there's nothing quite like the feeling of completing a mission and seeing the happy faces of the ponies we rescue."

"Agreed!" Vinyl cheered, grinning ear-to-ear. She shuffled her hooves, "We better get to bed. Who knows what we'll be doing tomorrow. I'm excited!"

Octavia nodded, "Good idea."

And so the two trotted to their rooms, their spirits higher than ever. Octavia however, couldn't shake the feeling that their happiness wouldn't last long.

Something bad is going to happen, a voice spoke in the back of her mind.

---

Jeez! This seemed to take forever! But I'm glad I'm finally finished with this chapter. I rushed this one a little at the end (probably pretty obvious, and a big mistake), but I was sick of writing this chapter so... Anyways, read and review! Have a nice day!