“So is that all you have to report, Blazing Ash?” A gruff, older-sounding voice broke the silence in the room. Lights poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the darkened room. Inside this room was a mahogany desk situated at the end with utensils such as pencils, paper trays and a small perch-like object with what appeared to be a pair of headphones resting on top.

“Yes, Bishop Neighland, sir. Aquafrost, the team, and I all followed protocol.” Blazing Ash stood at salute, his eyes focusing on the stallion in front of him.

“That is good to hear. Anything else?”

“No sir.” Ash glanced away for a moment; the darkness of the room was unsettling.“But umm… why did you ask me about this? Couldn’t you’ve asked Aqua?”

The old stallion chuckled, resting his hooves against the desk. “I could have, but you are more reliable to me than she could have ever be.” Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes. “You are dismissed.”

Ash nodded, turning around and walking up to the office’s door. He glanced back and smiled, then opened the door and walked through. A guard closed it behind him with a soft ‘clang’.

Bishop smiled and opened his eyes, astonished at how useful this pony was. He turned his gaze to the transceiver in question, humming as he admired its angular structure. He grabbed it with his hoof, secured it atop his head and sighed at the comfortable pressure against his head. He flicked his ears and swiveled them around in wide circles. Four smaller spheres extended out and separated about to his left and right like an advanced speaking device.

His horn glowed a greenish gray as the light traveled through the cord surrounding his horn and illuminated the lights on the headset’s cord as it turned on. “Report in, Dr. Nenne Seion.”

Static echoed in the radio for a moment until a mare’s voice resonated from the white noise. “Greetings, Mr. Neighland. What is it that you require?”

“A full detailed report on our progress. I want the statistics, updates, and anything else you can provide me.”

“Of course. I will be back momentarily.” The white noise returned as Bishop waited for Nenne. It was only moments later that her voice returned. “I have the full detailed report right here. What would you like me to go over first?”

“Give me a precise description on how our… ‘guests’ are doing.”

“Certainly. Our visitors are in good health, and the remaining ones are being well taken care of, consuming plenty of water and food. Although we had to sedate the stallion known as Flim after he watched his brother die from the retrieval process.”

“And how many ‘specimens’ have we retrieved from the process?” Bishop Neighland asked, leaning back in his chair.

“We have now gone through a total of six ponies, each producing a specimen. Five are the same, with the other one being an exception to their forms.”

Bishop chuckled. This was astounding work. His scientists and workers had already come up with six specimens, along with two others on the way. He had not foreseen such a number. “Have the specimens finally cooperated with us yet?”

“Negative. All specimens have still shown great resistance to our methods of teaching and controlling. We have not determined the reason why, but we believe it might be the Queen, although that idea has not been fully theorized. As seen in the recordings we collected from the ship, it appears that these ‘humans’ were trying to figure out why they would not cooperate, either. But Dr. Nerve and I are currently running the idea and are in the testing period. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we’ll be able to produce these creatures as bioweapons.”

Neighland snorted in frustration. After countless attempts at trying to get the other Xenomorphs to submit to their authority, it appeared that there wasn’t any progress being made. These creatures, magnificent as they were, proved to have very strong wills and certainly fast learners. However, he knew that sooner or later, they would break, leading to control of a weapon unlike anything the world had ever seen. “So long as we are able to bring them under our control, we should be fine.” Speaking of breaking wills, the subject brought another certain creature to his mind. One his stallions had caught during one of their retrieval missions. “What about our ‘special guest?’ Has he finally submitted?”

There was a long pause on the other end before he heard her voice. “The subject of which you speak… is proving to be very difficult.”

“Difficult… how is that?”

“Our trouble with this one is that our tranquilizer darts cannot penetrate his thick hide. Even when we introduce an egg into his chamber, it keeps destroying them before the specimens can even get close. Not too mention that he snaps and bites at anypony who comes into his containment area. And he’s getting bigger.”

He closed his eyes again and shook his head as he placed a hoof to his face in exasperation. From day one, that little pain had proven to be quite a nuisance. No matter what they tried, from electrocuting him to gassing him with sleeping smoke, he would feign being knocked out or asleep, then lunge at the nearest pony that came close. There had been a few injuries, all of them living but suffering from the bites or burns. He knew that sooner or later, like the Xenomorphs, he would break him as well and finally get a facehugger on him.

“And what about the mare found in the wreckage?” he asked.

“She is awake, but is also proving to be quite stubborn. One of our doctors is about ready to send her to the facehuggers. If we don’t retrieve any information, we may have to do that.”

It had been some time since that mare had woken up, a week now. He was quite curious to know what type of information she held, if she would only cooperate. “Before you go, send the fashionista we found in Manehatten, as well as the white pegasi from Ponyville into the chamber. Other than that, that is all for now, Nenne. Thank you for the report.” He heard the connection drop and let out a sigh, glad that the news was at least, in his own sense, exceptional.

Another signal came through the receiver as he heard more white noise over the radio. He fixed the transmission, and the voice of a stallion came through the other side. “Mr. Neighland, sir. We have a visitor.”

‘A visitor?’ He thought back to this schedule and knew that nopony was planned for this afternoon. “Who is this ‘guest of honor?’” Neighland murmured.

“The Prince of Equestria, Blueblood, is here demanding to see you, sir.”

A sigh escaped his lips as Bishop shook his head. What did this prince want that his aunts couldn’t possibly provide him with their seemingly inexhaustible wealth, and how had he found the island? He shook his head again before saying, “Allow the prince to my quarters. I’ll gladly hear what he has to ask from me.”

“Right away, sir.” The white noise shut off once more. Neighland lifted the headset off his temples before placing it neatly back on its perch. He looked over his desk, making sure everything was in order. Although he realized that this was a prince he would be talking to, he wasn’t so concerned about the wellbeing of his office, seeing that it was just Prince Blueblood.

He sat patiently, resting his front hooves on the desk as he sat up straight. The sound of hoofsteps soon echoed from outside his door.

The door opened as one of the guards stationed outside held it as a cloaked stallion made his way through. It was odd, seeing the prince hiding himself underneath a hood. ‘Interesting… why would a prince be embarrassed from being seen sneaking out of his castle?’

Bishop watched him take a seat on the chair across from him, bringing the hood back as his face emerged from the shadows. Blueblood wore a noticeable frown; Bishop could only fathom as to why.

“So, you must be Bishop Neighland, am I correct?” Blueblood asked, raising an eyebrow to the pony.

It felt as if he wasn’t impressed. This only made Neighland chuckle a little before replying back. “Yes. I am Bishop Neighland. Founder and owner of Neighland Industries, now known as Neighland-Yupony.”

A smirk formed on the prince’s muzzle. “Well, I am a little impressed with what you have here. Your company seems to be doing quite well.”

“Of course,” Neighland said, smirking as well. He could see the look in the prince’s eyes, like he knew exactly what this stallion was looking for. “I tend to make sure that my company’s name is unspoiled and that efficiency is a top priority.”

The prince leaned back in his seat, keeping a calm smile on his muzzle. “So… a stallion true to his word, I see?” He inclined forward, resting his forelegs upon the desk in a criss-cross fashion before continuing. “If you really are a stallion who says they stay dedicated to a cause, then I came to the right pony to ask for something.”

“And what is it that you desire, which I can only imagine that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna could provide with their wealth?”

“I have heard that you hold a special item, one that is being prepared as a biological weapon.” The prince smirked, acting like he had amassed something so much more.

‘What… how does he know?’ Bishop blinked. He had to play this off so that he wouldn’t persist. “I am not aware of this... ‘biological weapon’ that you are so keen in-”

“Oh don’t play coy with me, Mr. Neighland,” Blueblood interrupted him, raising his voice at the older stallion. Although Bishop was quite annoyed by this bothersome prince, he had to admire his perseverance of obtaining answers. “I know you have more than one Xenomorph on this island, thanks to my reliable sources.”

“Ah… so you relied on spies to inform you?” He knew hidden informers were working for him; it bothered him to no end. However, he kept a calm demeanor.

“I would say that they work for you, but I have more than a hoofful of them. Besides, they obey me and report information to me that proves quite useful.”

Bishop closed his eyes as he heard the prince give a haughty chuckle, shaking his head before chuckling a little as well. “Well… you are very persistent, I’ll give you that.” He saw no way he would dissuade Blueblood, but he could see another way of getting rid of this little nuisance. “So… how many of them do you want?”

Blueblood’s eyes brightened, and he laughed triumphantly. “I will only require one for my services. After all, my aunts, Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight Sparkle will not see their ‘unfortunate end’ coming during their sleep.”

“You should know that these Xenomorphs have not fully cooperated with us and are still unqualified for any missions we foresee in the future,” Bishop warned him.

“Please…” Blueblood murmured, chuckling at the older stallion’s caution. “I don’t need a Xenomorph that is highly trained… only one that is able to rip apart the four princesses. If one can kill thirty-eight ponies… I believe that one can at least handle four alicorns.”

Bishop chuckled. This pony’s determination was admirable, and his stupidity was remarkable to boot. “Well then, let me bring you to the holding pens. There, you’ll be able to choose which Xenomorph you want for your plan.” He stood up from his chair, moving past his desk and the prince before walking out the door, letting the younger stallion through first.

Walking down a set of stairs, Bishop covered his eyes as the afternoon sun greeted him through the large glass window that illuminated the rotunda surrounded by walkways and offices. He glanced back, grinning as he saw the awe on Prince Blueblood’s muzzle. “We here at Neighland-Yupony have come far and do our very best to keep moving forward. Even the buildings we work in accommodate to all our needs. In light of this, you could say that we spared no expense.”

Making his way to the wall at the left of the stairs, he pushed a button with his magic. The small round object lit up as a room opened up to them. He gazed back to the prince and ushered in with a hoof, murmuring. “Royalty first.”

“You do know how to treat ponies like me. Not like those worthless, good-for-nothing staff at Canterlot Castle.” Prince Blueblood raised his muzzle into the air, harrumphing as he walked to the left corner of the room..

Bishop stood at the right, throwing a glare the prince did not see. ‘Hmph… royalty. All of them are snobs and excuses for a life.’ But he would not let the prince get to him. Quietly breathing in and out, he focused his magic on the button inside the elevator and pushed it. The door beeped, and the room descended. A roaring sound resonated outside the room, getting louder as the elevator moved further below the facility.

The elevator came to a halt, and the door slid open for them. Bishop walked out first and halted as he smiled at the sight before him, swiveling his ears as he heard the prince gasp. “What is that contraption?” Blueblood asked.

He hummed, gazing at the large metallic chamber in front of him. A blue and purple glow emanated from the inside, the light fluctuating from a few small grates. “Beautiful, isn’t?” Bishop pointed to the large generator, the object whirring as lights flowed through the cords. “This is the source of all power that this entire facility runs on: a crystal generator able to keep four buildings and our landing pad powered on.”

“That is… actually quite fascinating. But please, take me to the Xenomorphs, immediately.”

“Of course. This way.” He ushered him along, staring at him as he passed by before murmuring to himself, “Your Majesty…”

Following along, he nodded to one of the guards, who pressed a few buttons and returned the nod. The prince covered his ears as a screeching noise resonated from within the tunnels to their right. Moments later, a metallic car pulled up, another guard saluting to Bishop who nodded back. “Prince Blueblood, this is our ride to the building of our destination.”

“You’ve made a… what is this thing?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow as he pointed to the metallic car.

The metal object in question glowed with a black sheen over its surface. There were white markings that encompassed two letters interconnected by a dash. “This, Prince Blueblood, is the system that helps transport ponies and other items across the different buildings of this facility.” As Bishop walked up to the side of the tram car, the door opened, and he ushered the younger stallion in.

Blueblood stepped in and hesitantly looked around before taking a seat on the left side of the car. Bishop sat across from the prince. “This shall only be a few moments.” He nodded to the guard next to the lever, who set the car into motion. The tram car quickly picked up speed as the air rushed past the two, the prince fixing his mane as the wind blew it out of shape.

Moments passed by until Bishop began to lurch forward, the car slowing down until coming to a full halt. “This is our stop. We are currently underneath the medical facility and inside the lab I’ve had placed down here. If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to where we hold the Xenomorphs.” Bishop waited for the prince to step out first before following behind, the door closing behind them as they stepped out. The door in front of them slid open, closing behind them as they passed through.

The hallways of the facility were dark and cold, the walls reflecting what little light there was. The metallic structure echoed with the hoofsteps of the two ponies. Prince Blueblood glanced at the walls every few moments. He saw that most who walked through these hallways felt something dark and ominous; he himself had experienced this feeling once or twice. However, it was an emotion he was never keen to show.

After moving through a few more hallways, Bishop turned a corner and saw a few guards posted by the door. He gave a curt nod, and the three ponies nodded back before opening the door. He turned around and stopped Blueblood in his tracks. “Wait right here. I need to prep the watchroom before I can let you go any further, just to make sure that everything is safe for you.”

“I will not stand by and wait for you anymore, Mr. Neighland,” Blueblood declared, frowning as he walked past the older stallion.

This was becoming tedious; the way this prince carried himself was beginning to wear thin. Neighland knew, though, that at least he would get some satisfaction doing what he believed was right. He grinned, following the younger stallion as the guards accompanied the two ponies, taking up the rear. He glanced back to his guards, nodding again before a couple of them went down the left hallway. Turning his gaze back to the prince, he said, “My guard shall escort you to the room. I shall be along with you in a few moments.”

“Mr. Neighland, I shall not be tr--”

“If you want your Xenomorph, Prince Blueblood,” said Bishop, the younger stallion flinching at the impatient tone the company owner spoke in, “then I encourage you to try patience for once.” He turned and walked down the hallway with the other two guards, glancing back to see a clear glare from the prince aimed at him. Bishop was finally glad he could get away from the petulant prince.

He continued down the hallway to another room. It was brighter than most of the hallways and rooms there, with a long lectern expanding down the edge of a glass pane that revealed a darkened room. On the lectern were levers and buttons that stretched across the whole trestle. Bishop looked over each one as he awaited the signal.

“Sir.” The guard on the left next to the door spoke. Bishop turning around to see that his right hoof was on the earpiece settled against the right side of his head. “Everything is in position, sir.”

“Tell him to proceed.” He pressed five buttons, and the door on the far right corner opened as the procedure went to work. Neighland watched as the prince stepped into the room. At the other end, five lights lit up, revealing five creatures securely locked in brace-like structures that held their arms and legs apart with their tails thoroughly held in another clamp. “So…” He leaned forward, speaking into a microphone that echoed in the room. “What do you think?” Bishop asked, seeing the surprise on Blueblood’s face.

“Why… this is quite stunning,” said Blueblood. He walked up to the Xenomorphs with a nervous step, looking over the five specimens from a few feet away. “So these are the creatures that my aunts are so afraid of?”

“Magnificent, aren’t they? These creatures are truly a sight to behold.” Bishop admired these creatures for how they looked and what they could do. The five creatures had elongated heads with eyeless faces. Their chests had an exoskeleton that resembled ribcages, and the segmented tails ended with a wicked blade, the chitin around their body a dark brown. “These are five of our specimens, all the same breed that we have come to label ‘Runners.’ Unlike the specimen that was loose in Ponyville, they’re smaller but we suspect faster, although that does not mean they aren’t still lethal like their larger counterpart.”

“There are more?” the prince asked as he stood before one of the lithe “Runners.” He leaned in and stared face to face with the snarling thing, only to jump back with a yell as a secondary mouth shot out at his face. Bishop laughed as he watched the prince scurry away as the Xenomorph in the middle growled at the pony in front of it.

“Mind your distance, please. Yes… one other is a little different from these five. It looks just like these, but it is taller, eight feet to be exact, as tall as the previous one in Ponyville. And it has something a little… extra.”

“Let’s see that one,” said the prince.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but we’ve had to isolate that one until we understand all of its capabilities. If you want, you can come back when it is ready to be presented.”

“Never mind that! I’ll just take one of these,” Blueblood murmured, glaring up to the intercom.

“Very well. Which one do you want?”

Prince Blueblood looked down the row of dark beasts struggling in their restraints. They all looked the same, but his eyes rested on the one in the middle. He smirked and pointed a hoof. “That one.”

“Are you sure?” Neighland asked.

“Yes, yes. Now give it to me!”

“Very well. As you wish.” A grin formed on the stallion’s muzzle as he focused his magic on the center lever, his light green aura encasing it and pulling it down. A yellow warning light flashed inside, lighting up the darkened room. Seeing the alarm flashing, Prince Blueblood looked around nervously and then his ears swiveled forward as he heard a ‘clank’. He stared at the creatures to see that the clamps that were holding back the Xenomorph that had snapped at him had opened, and the Alien hopped down onto the floor before him. The monster raised its long head, the yellow light reflecting off its smooth, chitinous dome, and shrieked at the terrified pony, slimy drool dripping onto the floor. As Blueblood escaped to the door, it closed on him. He banged against it with his hooves, but it had been sealed.

“Let me out!” Blueblood screamed as he tried in vain to open the door. “What are you doing!? Let me out before it gets me!”

“I am terribly sorry, Prince Blueblood.” Bishop watched the Xenomorph slowly close in its target, almost as if it was playing with the young stallion’s mind by not immediately attacking him. “But I am a stallion who does not share his success in weaponry with others so easily. You would have not only abused what these creatures were made to do, but I am not ready to unveil my Xenomorphs to the public when there are ponies that need to be dealt with before my plans can become a reality.” He chuckled before continuing. “This is nothing personal. To be honest, you were never planned to be terminated… yet, but I realized that you could provide me with a demonstration of just how cold and merciless these creatures are. Not only that… but my poor, poor, dear ‘pet’ has grown quite hungry. I am certain that with your sustenance, you’ll provide a very filling feast for my Xenomorph.” He chuckled, watching as the Xenomorph suddenly sprang at the prince with incredible speed. The prince’s wails of terror and pain joined the anharmonic sounds echoing in the room.

Bishop watched as scarlet blood gushed from the mass of limbs and organs the Xenomorph was hunched over, the screams and pleading wails of Blueblood increasing in volume as he was savagely torn apart. Blood splattered up against the door and walls, the guards flinching as the blood even splashed the window. Echoes of the tearing of flesh and ripping of organs resonated throughout the chamber. Blueblood’s front hooves flailed uselessly against the creature as his cries of pain were drowned out by the spine-tingling growls of the Xenomorph.

Neighland simply watched, his unsympathetic gaze staring over the horrid gore as he observed a pony being eaten alive and dying right before his very eyes. He heard one last scream erupt from the pony underneath the nightmarish creature before going silent. All that remained were the sounds of the other Xenomorphs screeching and roaring, flesh being severed from the prince’s deceased body, and bones snapping and splintering as the creature demolished and ate the unmoving stallion.

Bishop turned away, chuckling as he realized that a prince of Equestria was dead. Although Prince Blueblood was an important figure to Equestrian royalty, Bishop assumed he would not be missed by many of the ponies. But this was the start of something new. Too long had the aristocrats ruled over Equestria with an iron hoof. Nobles and royalty like Prince Blueblood had always abused their power over the lower-class ponies. It was time to dispatch the old ways of those who ruled; the days of the political games that Blueblood had played were finally numbered. Now was a time to set up a more democratic government, one where everypony and even everyone was equal under the law. He had seen the work Princess Celestia dedicated to establishing such a government. Now it could come true, once the Xenomorphs were under their command.

He turned to one of the guards, catching a glimpse of fear in his eyes. He too felt a little unnerved by what he had just watched, but that feeling soon lifted away. Neighland closed his eyes before murmuring, “When the Xenomorph is done with its meal, be sure to gas the room so it does not escape.” The guards nodded, and they headed out to his office. This, Neighland felt, was the start of something magnificent. Equestria would soon realize that the power he was holding would be something the nations of the world would pay through the nose to have. All he would need to deal with was convincing Princess Celestia of this new form of governance, and ridding those who felt entitled to call themselves nobles…

All was quiet. The stale air filled the small, stuffy room as the vents provided little comfort for the unicorn resting on the bed that rested against the far right corner of the so-called ‘Suite’ that her captors had been keeping her in. Crystal exhaled slowly. Her time here had been dull, filled with nothing but questions always relating to the freighter, Nostromo.

Her interviewers appeared to focus on what she had done during her time on the ship, constantly asking her how she had found the ship, how she had gotten on board, if she had done anything to or taken anything from the cargo, and most importantly, what she knew about the Xenomorph. As with the previous questions, she had ignored them. These scientists and interrogators were persistent, she had to give them that, but there was nothing for her to say. No matter how many times they had promised her freedom or better accommodations, she could tell that all of these guarantees were nothing but a sham. ‘No matter how many times they ask me, regardless of how nice or demanding they are, they’re not going to get anything out of me.’

That was a promise she would keep, even if they tried to beat it out of her. The door to her room slid open, and a familiar pony walked into the accommodation with a smile on her muzzle. She smiled as well, faintly though. Even though Aquafrost was one of the only two ponies she could talk to, she still wasn’t so sure if she could be trusted.

“Evening there, Crystal Rune,” said Aqua, a metal tray floating by her side in a pale scarlet aura as she walked up to the bed. “I brought you dinner.” Crystal shifted forward, sitting up as the metal plate rested on her lap. It wasn’t much: carrot sticks with a few heads of broccoli on the left side of the tray and some yellow goop on the right.

‘It isn’t from a five star restaurant, but it will do.’ Crystal picked up one of the carrot sticks and took a bite from it. Shadows moved over the tray as two objects rested next to the vegetables. The grains falling from the items suggested they were blueberry muffins.

“Had a friend sneak some of them for you.” Aqua said, her smile brightening a little as she giggled. “I know it’s not much, but hopefully this is better than what your caretakers normally give you.”

Crystal looked up, her smiling becoming more apparent as she gazed at the pony in front of her. “Thanks… it’s nice to know there’s somepony kind enough in this facility to do something for another pony,” she murmured. Maybe these were ponies she could trust, unlike the rest of Neighland’s goons. However, she still had to keep her guard up; this could be a ploy to get her to talk.

“It’s no problem,” Aqua replied. Crystal looked up to see a gentle smile, that same expression she had worn the first time she’d come in here. It was... odd.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but why do you keep smiling at me?” Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow at the seemingly kind mare.

Aquafrost rubbed the back of her head, smiling as she said, “Oh… sorry. I just like to help others when they’re hurt emotionally or physically injured.,” she replied, bringing her hoof down. “So how are you feeling now, after the whole incident on the ship?”

A pain struck her sides as Crystal briefly saw the Xenomorph flash in her mind. She knew all too well of how terrible the experience on the ship had been. It was an unpleasant memory that she wished she had never been in. “I can say that I’m feeling a little better. The time I spent on that ship is possibly the worst I’ve ever had anywhere… but I am glad that I’m no longer trapped with a killer creature on the loose.”

She noticed Aqua flinch in the corner of her eye, gazing to see her ears flat against her head as she turned away for a moment. Facing Crystal again, she said, “That reminds me… what was that creature inside the ship?”

Crystal shivered at the thought of answering that question. “The creature… it is known as an Xenomorph. It is something not from this planet.”

“Not from this planet? So that thing was an alien?” Aqua asked, stepping back a little in shock.

“Yes… and it is a terrifying one at that. And I happened to be stuck on a freighter, all alone with the creature.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.” Aquafrost looked away.

She looked back down to her tray. Thoughts of the Xenomorph ran through her most recent memories; she desired all of it to go away. Yet each time she tried to dismiss the nightmarish creature, it would not yield to any of her attempts to bar it away.

Crystal closed her eyes, sighing quietly as she tried to think. A presence wrapped around her body; she opened her eyes to notice the mare hugging her. “Umm… Aqua? What are you doing?”

She watched the her pull away, her eyes connecting her own before Aqua blushed, quickly stepping back as she rubbed her right foreleg. “Oh… sorry. It’s just a habit I picked up when somepony is down. You looked like you needed one.” Aquafrost chuckled nervously as she continued to slowly back up.

It felt as if there was something more that Aqua wasn’t telling her, but she wasn’t in the mood for prying; she was still trying to comprehend why this mare had hugged her. “Well… gotta go. I’ll make sure to stop by and see you later,” Aqua murmured, waving at Crystal before she exited the room. Crystal continued to stare at the mare, shaking her head before looking away.

She would think about it later. As of now, she just needed to eat and get some much-needed rest. Her goal was to get out of this facility somehow, and she was going to make sure that she didn’t do it on an empty stomach. Carrying on, she went back to eating the food Aquafrost gave her, knowing it would help her in the end by escaping this compound once and for all.

Aqua sighed as she laid her back against the door, feeling her cheeks warm up as she saw the little memory of Crystal’s confused gaze flash in her mind. She closed her eyes, reminiscing on the feeling of her own warm body against her own and--

‘Oh sweet Celestia. Calm down, will you? You only hugged her; it’s not that big of a deal.’ But she sighed, her smile turning into a frown. Aqua knew she could not understand the pain Crystal could have gone through, but it hurt just to contemplate the unfortunate circumstance of being trapped on a ship with such a monstrous creature. Such a horrifying experience... It made Aqua shudder. ‘Besides… she needed a hug. Maybe… something else.’

“What are you doing, Aqua?”

Aqua yelped, falling onto her side as she slid off the door. Shaking a little, she opened one eye and chuckled as she saw Taciturn. “Oh… h-hey, Taciturn,” she murmured, gulping as she gathered herself together. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Aqua.” Taciturn stared at her with a deadpan expression.

“What? I was only talking to Crystal,” she murmured, walking down the hallway and facing forward.

“It’s not that I don’t doubt you were talking to… wait, you know the prisoner’s name?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah. I mean, she told me and Patchy McHeart this morning.”

“And you haven’t told anypony of higher command, yet? That’s information they’re looking for.” Taciturn quickly caught up, walking by her friend’s side.

“...I may have let that slip my mind on accident.”

The pale scarlet aura appeared on her horn, and the two ponies flashed in an instant. A bright light flared in another room, and a mare cried out in surprise as she jumped in her bed. “I didn’t mean to forget about that, though.” Aqua turned to see the mare frowning at her. Smiling at the other unicorn, she said, “Sorry about that, Sparkdust.”

“You have the worst timing for these teleportations. I was busy taking a snooze when you decide to light the whole room up.” The mare shook her head as she complained.

Taciturn blinked at Sparkdust, turning her gaze back to her other friend. “Still, I feel like you’re not telling me something Aquafrost.”

“What’s she not talking about?” Sparkdust asked.

“I found her exiting a room in Medical where they have that mare we found on the Nostromo. Aqua and Patchy McHeart even learned her name. But there’s something she’s not telling me.”

“Look, Taciturn. I only went to talk with her, nothing else.” Aqua smiled, glancing to Sparkdust and then Furtivo.

“Oh… I see what you’re hiding.” Sparkdust grinned, snickering as she watched the other unicorn look to her. “Hey, Taciturn, I think Aqua here has caught a little flu.”

“But I’m not sick. I mean, I don’t know if I am.”

“What are you talking about, Sparkdust? She doesn’t seem to be sick.” Taciturn raised an eyebrow as she stared at Sparkdust.

“Well, it’s not like any normal sickness. But I think Aqua here has developed some feelings for our prisoner here.”

Aqua’s eyes widened before she hissed, “That is not true. I don’t like her in that way.”

“Yeah, then why are you blushing?” Sparkdust laughed as she watched Aqua’s pupils shrink a little. “I believed you when you told us you had no feelings for Blazing Ash, but this mare you talked with seems to have struck some chord, since you’re getting all red.”

“You like the prisoner?” Taciturn’s eyes widened, frowning as she shook her head. “For Goddess’ sakes, Aqua. You barely even know her.”

“I told you I don’t like Crystal.” Aqua glared at Taciturn then Sparkdust. “We were just talking. I don’t even like her.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Sparkdust murmured, her eyes lowering as she smiled. “More like you’ve fallen head over horseshoes for her.” Aqua frowned as she encased a pillow in her magic, throwing it at Sparkdust. She pulled it away and laughed as she gazed at her muzzle. “You know, I-I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony get that flushed before.”

Aqua sighed, looking away as she frowned. “Okay… so what if I do like her? Will you stop teasing me about it?”

Spark backed off. “Yo… if you were this nervous about the mare, then you could’ve told me to stop.”

“Hey, Aqua?” She turned at Taciturn’s hoof softly gripping her shoulder. “Look, don’t let Sparkdust get to you.” Taciturn glanced to the ground before returning it as a smile replaced the frown. “Maybe you should go see if Crimson Sprite is awake. She’s probably missing her best friend after that incident she went through.”

Aqua turned to face Taciturn and nodded, then exited the room.

Taciturn sighed, looking over her shoulder at Sparkdust. “You know, I think you should take the advice you mentioned last night and know when to stop talking.”

“I… look, I didn’t mean to take it that far, okay?” Sparkdust frowned, lowering her eyes at Taciturn as she glared.

“Well, don’t tell me you're sorry; go tell Aqua before she teleports back to Medical.” Taciturn went over to her bunk, laying down and pulling a book from the pocket attached to the side of her bed.

Sparkdust closed her eyes, sighed and jumped down to the floor from her top bunk. She quickly exited the room and saw Aqua walking down the hall. “Aqua, wait!” She trotted up to her officer, stopping and flinching a little at the sad frown on her muzzle. Rubbing her head again, she exhaled once more. “Look… I’m sorry about teasing you. I didn’t mean to go on for so long.” A faint smile reappeared on Aqua’s muzzle as she listened to Sparkdust speak. “I’m… not good at this apologizing business… but are we cool?”

Aqua slowly nodded. “Yeah… we’re ‘cool,’ as you say.” She reached for Sparkdust and hugged her, but Sparkdust frowned as she looked away.

“Okay, okay enough.” Sparkdust pulled away, fixing her mane and chuckling. “Alright, I’ll see you later.” Making her escape, she quickly cantered back to her room.

Aqua stood there for a moment, glancing to the ground. ‘But… what Sparkdust and Taciturn Furtivo said is true. I… think because of what Crystal Rune went through, she’ll need somepony by her side. I… don’t know if I fit that role entirely, but maybe...’ Turning around, she proceeded to walk forward, her magic activating as she readied a teleportation spell. It was certainly a long shot of an idea, but she could only hope that, through her own actions, maybe she could become something more for Crystal. With that, she disappeared in a flash of pale scarlet light, teleporting to meet one of her best friends.