Vinyl gripped the dashboard and stared out the window. The massive changeling vessel continued its rise, though it was no longer being impeded by torpedos. Octavia kept her hooves on the console, tapping away as she glared into the ocean.

“Where is it?” Vinyl asked softly.

“I don't know. It seems to be using the same cloaking spells that the changeling vessel was using.”

“Don't we have anything like that?”

“Of course. However--” She tapped on the console and the ship suddenly surged forward, moments before letting loose two torpedos. They surged forward, colliding with two more that seemed to materialize out of the water. They exploded instantly, rocking a small, white vessel around a few times. It continued its speedy rush through the ocean, disappearing after a few moments. “It's not perfect and takes a lot of power. Power better used on our shields and maneuverability”

Vinyl looked over at the mare and shivered. That strange look had returned to the mare's face. Her lips were slightly curved, her eyes filled with a happy gleam. She gasped lightly.

“You're... you're loving this!”

“What? No I'm not!” The ship dove to the left, rocking them in their chairs. A few moments later the sound of launched torpedos filled the hull. “I'm just working to keep us alive!” Her breathing was getting fast and sallow.

“Oh my gosh, you're loving this! It's exciting you, isn't it?”

“No! Shut up!” Octavia's cheeks were burning red, moments before the ship shook and a small alarm went off. “Stop distracting me! Do you want to die?”

“I knew it! I knew there had to be a reason for you wanting to be a secret agent! It gets your jol--” Vinyl shrieked as the entire ship rocked violently. “I-I'll be quiet.”

“Please do!” Octavia said as she flipped a few knobs. There was a glittering aura outside as torpedos crashed against it, lighting up the outside. A second later the aura spread out in a wide circle. As it spread, it collided with a small, white blur, lighting it up for a few seconds. “Gotcha.” She slammed her hoof down on a big red button, moments before three torpedos shot out from the vessel.

They collided dead center, making the vehicle slow to a near halt. “We won!” Vinyl said happily.

Then the vessel turned towards them. Something shot out from the back of it, torpedoing off in the distance. The main body of the submarine, however, rocketing towards them.

“Buck buck buck!” Octavia hissed, pushing on knobs and buttons, sending out two more torpedos, after which a large red X flashed over the screen. They collided with the missile, but didn't fully stop it, only reducing its size by a third.

“Fire more torpedos!”

“I don't have any more torpedos!” Octavia hissed, before pushing on a few more knobs. “Fine! Eat sun power!”

“What?”

Octavia lifted up a plastic panel and slammed her hoof down on the big red button underneath. A moment later the computer screen turned white, with an outline of a black sun inside. The sun quickly filled up, from bottom to top, with yellow. Once it finished, a massive yellow beam shot out from the front of the ship. The light was so bright it blinded the mares, forcing them to look away.

It took nearly a minute before Vinyl could see again, blinking away the great glowing spots of light in her vision. Ahead of them, the water was bubbling violently and the missile, or what remained of it, was nothing more than a small clump of metal, melted into a ball of slag and still glowing red hot. Lights around the ship began to dim or shut off, leaving them hanging in the water as power was diverted from unimportant systems.

Vinyl stared. “That's... that's a heck of a weapon.”

Octavia didn't respond.

The unicorn turned to look, gasping softly. The earth pony was sitting in her chair, her breathing fast and shallow. Her eyes were wide with excitement and her mouth was open slightly, lips curled in a grin. “Hey... Octavia? You okay?”

Vinyl slowly unhooked herself from her seat, jumping jumping up. She walked towards her friend, reaching out with a hoof. “Octy? Are you-- ahhhh!”

Octavia grabbed the mare and pulled her in close. Their lips touched as the earth pony held her there. Vinyl's vision seemed to explode a second time as her knees gave out, the other mare's passionate embrace draining her strength and confusing her senses. She was eventually released, though her knees had long since given out and she fell over with a yelp.

It took her a few seconds to regain her composure, even more for her to be able to breath again. She slowly rolled onto her back. “That... the buck... how... what? I mean... what? What was that?” She could still taste the mare on her lips. She tasted oddly like kiwi.

“It's a rather powerful weapon, still in testing. It's fueled by the power of Celestia, though far too dangerous to use anywhere aside from a place with massive cooling. For example, under the sea. Notice how the water is still boiling and the metal from that missile hasn't cooled yet? It's drained most of our power, however. We should be back into full operations within ten minutes, for now we can only move at ten percent speed or so.”

“What? No. I mean, yes. But, I mean, you kissed, how did, why did--”

“Ah, sorry. I get a bit... excited sometimes. During periods of conflicts. I hope I didn't startle you too badly.”

“W-what? No. I-I wasn't startled,” Vinyl lied and felt her lips. She swore she almost lost her tonsils there. “I just didn't think, how did you... do you kiss all the mares like that?”

“I usually work alone.”

Vinyl nodded slowly. Feeling returned to her legs slowly, allowing her to roll over and stand. “I... I see...” She licked her lips as another thought popped into her mind. “I ummm, how was I?”

“How were you what?”

“Errr, my kissing?”

Octavia shrugged. “I didn't notice.”

The unicorn stared. “You... didn't notice?” The earth pony had returned to her standard form. Face blank, steel eyes, indifferent lips. That nearly sucked out her tonsils. “I... I wasn't ready! If I had been, I could have rocked your world!” Vinyl said with bright, red cheeks. She looked around, trying to find her glasses. Seemed they'd fallen off during the embrace.

“Mmmm hmm.”

“I could. I'm an excellent kisser,” Vinyl said heatedly. She glared at Octavia, mentally fuming. How could the mare be so passionate one moment, then completely indifferent the next? It was infuriating! Kinda sexy, but infuriating!

“That may be. But I've been trained by professionals.” Octavia stared absently out into the water, scanning for any threats.

“Wait, professionals? You mean like... mares of the evening?”

Octavia turned to her and just stared with a cocked eyebrow. Vinyl instantly felt like a complete idiot, though she couldn't figure out why. Just that look was enough to crush her confidence.

“No. Professionals. It's part of basic training. I'm surprised your parents never had you learn the techniques.”

“The... the techniques? Y-you're kidding, right?” Vinyl turned scarlet.

Octavia turned back to look out into the ocean. “No. All agents must learn a number of sexual arts on top of our other duties. A charismatic pony is one who is able to get important things, such as well guarded documents or secrets, better than an uncharismatic one.” She paused. “Or convince a pony to turn against their current loyalties. Every pony in the agency could probably blow your mind in a matter of seconds.” She then chuckled, dryly. “Even your parents.”

“N-not funny!” Vinyl shrieked, face burning with embarrassment. She glared at the earth pony with scorn. “I don't need special training or any of that. I learned from experience, not a single mare or stallion I've been with who wasn't satisfied.” She smirked with pride.

“Oh, very well then.” She tapped on the console a few times and sighed. “We have at least another ten minutes before the ship is ready.” There was a momentary pause and she glanced back to the unicorn. “If you wish, I could help train you in some of the techniques of the agency. You never know when they'd be useful.”

Color flooded back into Vinyl's cheeks as she just squeaked. “T-train me? But... but I--”

“If you're frightened, that's fine. It might be a bit much--”

“Hey! I-I can handle anything you can dish out!” Vinyl said defiantly before finally finding her glasses and sliding them on. She felt her confidence return slightly.

Octavia shrugged. “Are you sure?” Her voice was dry and devoid of emotion, making Vinyl shiver again. She felt her confidence slowly ebbing away.

“Y-yeah. I'm sure. Come on, show me how to make out.”

Octavia nodded and turned around. She reached out and gripped Vinyl by the shoulders and pulled her in. A mere inch from their lips touching, the earth pony smiled. A cold, confident smile. “You know, for one who speaks so loudly, you sure are gullible.”

“H-huh?” Vinyl stared, then her cheeks turned brilliant red. “You... you mean... t-that whole agent training was a lie?” She pulled back quickly, her ears burning with shame now.

“Oh, no. It was quite true. I'm just nowhere near qualified to teach lessons. I was curious if I could make you go along with them.” The smile she gave was cocky. It warmed Vinyl to the core, making even more heat hit her cheeks. She turned her back and dropped into her chair, crossing her hooves.

“You're... you're a flank. Just... are all secret agents like you?”

“Only the best ones.” Octavia's face became serious once again and she stared at the screen. After a few more minutes, the lights came on and the vessel began its movements through the water. She glanced to the unicorn. “You aren't mad, are you?”

Vinyl glared, but slowly a smile spread across her lips and she shook her head. “Nahhhh. Yah got me, fair and square. You play dirty though, you know? With that poker face of yours, nopony would guess there's a little prankster hidden, just waiting to come out.”

“I used to play poker all the time,” Octavia said with a smile. “I even foiled a few plots with it in my time. I never lost.” She then frowned. “Except to agent D3-R. Her poker face is unbreakable. Not to mention her trick with the eyes.”

Vinyl chuckled and shook her head. “So... how did you meet my parents? I mean, you knew them, right?”

Octavia locked up, just for a moment. “It's... not important.”

“Come onnnn. You can tell me. I promise not to tell anyone. Pleeeeeeease?”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Pretty please.”

“No.” And so they continued, back and forth until Octavia finally let out a frustrated growl. “FINE! You insufferable little prat! I'll tell you if you just shut your mouth!”

“Eeeee! Okay!” Vinyl's hooves quivered with excitement as she leaned back and waited. “Start from the beginning.”

“I got captured, they saved me. The end.” Her voice was, for the first time since Vinyl had met them, filled with emotion.

“I... what? What happened?” Vinyl said gently, inching a little closer.

“I... I screwed up. I gambled and I lost...”

“But you said you never lost.”

“It wasn't cards! I gambled with lives and I just... I just...” Octavia's hooves trembled and she shook her head. “Enough. I'm not talking about this.”

Vinyl gulped softly. “But--”

“I'm NOT! Talking about this! Keep prying and I'll get the duct tape again!” She slammed her hooves down on the console in frustration, making the unicorn jump.

Vinyl slowly nodded, before lowering her head. “Sorry...”

Octavia ignored her for a few minutes, allowing them to glide through the water in silence. Finally, she shook her head. “I'm sorry too. It's... not your fault. You're just nosy. I was betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. Literally shot in the back.”

She gulped and looked to the side. “I'm sorry... I... I won't betray you though.”

The mare shrugged. “I doubt you will. Don't think I'm some damaged filly, letting one betrayal make me never trust another pony again. I just don't like talking about it.”

Vinyl slowly nodded. But she couldn't resist. “Were you and the other pony close? I mean... emotionally?”

Octavia sighed. “Are you going to keep pestering me until I tell you the full story?”

“No.” Vinyl paused. “Probably.”

The earth pony shook her head. “We were friends. Not for a long time, but long enough. We'd met in the agency. We were on a mission to... take down Doctor Athruz. It was before he was seen as a real threat...” She lightly tapped on the console, though she didn't push any of the buttons. “There was an... incident. We had to split up. He went down to disable the engines and I... I had to try to save the hostages.” The hoof ground into the console as the mare grit her teeth.

“Were... the hostages okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. I... I saved them. I then ran down to try to help him.” The earth pony shook. “The... the engine had exploded. A good chunk of the ship was underwater. I saw him... I mean. I thought I saw him. I thought he was dead. He fell into the water and... and I galloped after him. I tried to grab him, but he fell out. He was covered in so many burns. The water was--” her voice cracked, making her pause for a moment. “--freezing, I knew I couldn't go after him.”

“He... he betrayed you by dying?” Vinyl asked softly. “I don--”

“He faked his death,” Octavia growled. “He'd been working with the doctor all along. Once I sent in the message that he had died he...” She slammed a hoof down on his console. “I had the doctor cornered, but he was there. I asked how he survived, he said he got lucky, but we had a job to do. I was so happy to see him, I didn't question it. I just galloped past him. Then... he shot me in the back. Next thing I know, I'm a hostage and 'guest' of the doctor. He was there, working for the doctor then, making sure I stayed in my cell.”

Vinyl slowly nodded, gulping softly. “Then... my parents saved you?”

“Then your parents saved me. Had I not been so easily distracted, I could have captured the doctor then. We wouldn't even be in this situation now, if not for my mistake.”

The unicorn smiled and adjusted her glasses. “I guess. But hey, it's not all bad.”

“Oh? How?”

“Wellllll. If you hadn't, my parents might have never met you and you'd have never met me,” Vinyl said with a confident smirk. “Now we'll rescue my parents and take this doctor down, so a little screw-up won't have mattered. And let's be honest here, your life could definitely have used a little more Vinyl.” She crossed her arms and nodded knowingly. “You're wayyyyy too uptight normally.”

The earth pony snorted. “I suppose. Since we have met, you have truly saved me from some boredom and intelligent conversation.”

“Exactly.” Vinyl flashed a cocky grin, before blinking. “Hey, wait a minute! I have plenty of intelligent conversations!” A wicked smile crossed her lips. “Or maybe--” she switched to her Photo Finish accent, “--you prefer ah talk like zis? Shall we speak of, as dey say, zee magics? Zis water, it is fabulous, no? So bland, so wide, empty, spacious... we love its! Now, sub, we go!” She wiggled her hoof in a wild gesture towards the glass.

Octavia blushed a light red. “She doesn't talk like that...”

“Oh, but zhe does. An now, so do I! Yes, zis is truly the way ah shall talk now. Yes! The magic, it flows through me. Later, perhaps, you can learn even better ways of making zhe kisses and lovels! Yes! I love it!”

Octavia growled. “If there was anything in here not nailed down, I'd hit you with it.”

“Such violence, such rage! Such complete disrespect for your superior! I love it! Now, we must save zhe world before making zhe face of zhe kisses, yes?”

The earth pony gave her an angry glare, before rolling her eyes and turning back towards the screen. “Truce?”

“Oh hoh? So no more of the kisses, the flirtations the making me blush? No, I think--”

“Truce or I start talking about how YOUR parents kiss.”

The blood drained from Vinyl's face. “Truce is fine...” she squeaked.

------

Octavia let out a fresh yawn, one of dozens she'd had so far. “We're almost there.”

“Huh?” Vinyl sat up quickly. “I'm awake! What?” She wiped from drool from the corner of her mouth.

“... Anyway. We're almost at the coordinates. It should appear any moment now...” Octavia said before motioning at the view screen. They were skimming above the ocean floor, only a few meters above the rocks. Unfortunately, there was really nothing to see BUT rocks.

“Sooo... where is it?”

“I don't know,” Octavia grumbled as she glanced to her computer screen. “We should be entering the area... now.” She turned to look outside as the vessel slowed.

“There's nothing here but rocks. A lot of rocks.”

“Well... this does cover a moderately sized area,” Octavia said gently as the vessel began turning to the left.

Vinyl sighed and looked out, but she couldn't see anything. Slowly the ship continued to turn, going over the area again and again. It wasn't long before Vinyl's eyes began to get heavy. “Do you mind if I--”

“Go ahead,” the earth pony mumbled.

Vinyl got to her hooves and trotted towards the back of the vessel. There was a small cot built into the wall, the padding practically nailed to it. She closed a small screen, allowing her a startling amount of darkness. The unicorn then dropped down and sighed, stretching out before peering out the small view port over the window. She froze, her eyes bulging. “Hey, Tavi?”

“What did you just call me?”

“You'd... there's nothing on our left side, right?”

“Port? No, there isn't anything but rocks.”

“Then you're really going to want to come see this.”

“Vinyl, I don't have ti--”

“Octy just get back here!” she shrieked.

The earth pony froze, before jumping from the chair and dashing to the back. She peered out the view port and, after a few seconds so her eyes could adjust, gaped. “That's... but ho-- of course! Those clever psychopaths!” She galloped back to the pilot's seat and flipped the knobs.

Vinyl chased after her. “What is that? How could we miss that?!”

The window in front of them dimmed and turned completely black. “Chameleon spells. Designed to fool magical sensors. A subtle design. It also makes sneaking up on them more difficult, though I imagine that is a moot point now.”

“Why?”

“Because that vessel we fought likely returned here, and alerted them to our presence.” Octavia's brow creased. “Things are looking up, slightly though. This means they didn't track us down, they were reacting to the changeling vessel entering their territory. They might not know who we are. Yet.” She flipped a switch and the lights in the vessel turned off, enshrouding them in darkness. They slowly drifted in the sea, from side to side.

Vinyl slowly crawled back to her chair, sitting down and looking around nervously. The only sound was the gentle hum of their engines. The darkness seemed to press in on them, enveloping the two like a thick, impenetrable blanket. Despite her attempts to stop it, she could feel her breathing quicken and her body began to tremble, fear gnawing at her heart as they drifted in the sea of nothingness. It was so blank and empty, she could almost believe they were the only thing in the universe.

A few moments later and they could see it. It started as a faint light, etched out against the blackness of the world. Glowing underwater fungus became more visible as their eyes adapted to the darkness. When their eyes fully adjusted, it glowed as clear as day, a thin crevice in the darkness, lined with the glowing fungus and going deep into the ground.

“Clever,” Octavia whispered.

“What is it?” Vinyl whispered back, as if their raised voices would break the spell and make the fungus disappear.

“A clever trick. A cave lined with glowing fungus. If we used our lights or magic, we'd never have seen it. The chameleon spell to hide its presence as well. It's so small that it wouldn't draw much attention.” The vessel began slowly drifting through, entering the glowing maw of the world. Inside, the cave was lined with the glowing fungus, making it simple to navigate. “Your parents are brilliant, I don't know how they managed to find this place...”

“Yeah. But why send us here?”

“I don't know yet,” Octavia whispered as she lightly tapped on the console. Ahead, the fungus was growing more sparse. The vessel slowly came to a stop before the screen turned black. Then, white outlines of the rocks and tunnels appeared ahead of them. “The magic works here. I'll be going in as quiet as I can, so no lights. There's no telling what we'll encounter, so keep alert.”

Vinyl nodded and leaned back in the chair, watching the screen. They slowly glided through the tunnels, barely squeezing through some tight spots. Octavia's hooves remained steady and still as she navigated through, eyes constantly zipping left and right.

They turned a corner in the tunnel and shared a gasp. Vinyl stared with wide eyes. “Is that a--”

“Yes,” Octavia whispered.

There wasn't any fungus now. Instead, giant glowing fish swam through the massive, open chamber. An underwater castle, made of coral and rock, stood in the back of the chamber. It was surrounded in a sphere of air, keeping the water at bay. The castle itself seemed to glow, its stones a pearl white and glimmering in the sea, likely what gave the fish their glowing properties.

“That's not a normal castle,” Octavia whispered softly. “That's a castle of the Hooftek Empire...” She looked down and frowned. “I was right.”

“Huh?” Vinyl looked down as well, and groaned. There was a little white ship, laying just inside the bubble. From here they could easily see a small hatch opened in the top, meaning whoever had been inside, had left. “So we're not the first ponies here.”

Octavia nodded as the vessel slowly drifted down to the sea bed and landed on the ground, just outside the air bubble. The vessel rumbled for a few seconds, before sliding along the ground, straight in through the barrier. Vinyl held her breath, half expecting the bubble to pop, but it remained undisturbed by the pressure. The earth pony took a deep breath. “I don't suppose telling you to wait he--”

“Not a chance.”

“No, I didn't imagine it would. Come along. It's time for an adventure.”