A bump shook Twilight a little. She opened her eyes slowly and she scanned the carriage to see it slightly shifting around. She looked to see Flash awakening as well, his eyes opening as he let out a quiet yawn. As he turned to face her, she looked away and frowned, turning to the ocean outside her window. After what he said, she could barely look at him and see the same gentle and kind stallion from before.

It seemed that this job was more important than anything else. ‘Then again… it probably would have never worked in the first place. I’m a princess now, and he’s just a guard. Our titles are completely different from one another.’ She closed her eyes, breathing in as she couldn’t forget that her brother, Shining Armor, and her sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, were in that same predicament. ‘But… that worked itself out. Flash and me… I don’t think it was ever meant to be.’

Another bump rocked the carriage. Twilight looked out to see the waves far below their royal coach rising and crashing on the ocean of water. She turned in her seat and looked up to where the other passengers were. “Princess Celestia, what’s causing all of this turbulence? Surely we’re too far from the clouds to be experiencing this type of shaking.”

It was silent for a moment before Celestia replied. “Everything is alright, Twilight. The pegasi flying this carriage tell me that we are approaching the island. The wind coming off the landmass is causing our carriages to sway like this.”

‘We’re almost there? How long was I asleep?’ While she didn’t need to know the answer, she was glad that they were finally here. Some of that joyfulness was exaggerated, due only to the fact of what she was hoping they wouldn’t encounter while searching this island’s facility.

Twilight felt a sudden shift in her weight as her body lifted up slightly. She looked back out to the evening-sun-filled sky and spotted rocks jutting up from the ocean, the waves roaring as they crashed against the unmovable mass of earth. A light appeared in the corner of her eye; she turned and gasped at a large platform with blinking lights. The structure’s columns were built into the cliffside of this island, stretching out across the open swirling mass of water down below that continued to crash into the side of the island.

It wasn’t a moment later that she felt the carriage touch down, the coach shifting again as the wheels screeched to a stop beneath her hooves. The landing could have been a little more gentle, she thought, but she was glad that there was something the carriage could come down on instead of somewhere else in the middle of the island. The wind outside the window began to slowly dissipate as the carriage finally came to a halt. “Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry?” Twilight looked back up to see Celestia. “Let me and Daring Do get out first. If nothing happens, you two can get out as well.”

The front doors opened, the carriage shifting slightly as the two ponies stepped out. As they did, she felt a hoof touch her right foreleg. “Listen… I want to apologize for earlier,” said Flash. “I didn’t mean to say--”

“Don’t touch me.” Twilight swatted his hoof away. What he had said earlier was just too much. He crossed the line when he said what she had done was ‘good’ thing. How could he know what was a good thing? That was completely out of line.

She heard a hoof knock on her door: it was Daring Do, who nodded at her. Opening her carriage door, she stepped out, and her eyes widened at the building towering over the carriage she was in. “Wow…” She could only say, shivering just a little at the size and sight of it.

The building had to be at least fifteen stories or more, with windows showing where every single room was located. Near the top was a massive room above the others. It had a grayish blue color to it, with lights shining from the building itself. The sheer size and structure of it was something she couldn’t help but be astonished by. “That’s… amazing…”

“Don’t get too excited about it.” Twilight turned to see a frown on Daring Do’s muzzle. “This is Neighland-Yupony. This could all be for show just to keep us distracted from the real goal.” It was obvious at how Daring felt. How Twilight felt? The deepening frown on her muzzle told the same story.

Shadows flew over her; she looked up to see the other three carriages descending onto the landing platforms, all landing with relative ease as well. Looking forward, she quickly caught up with Celestia and walked beside her. Celestia leaned closer and murmured. “Is everything alright? You and Flash were getting a little vocal back there.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed at the mention of his name, and she glanced away. “I’m fine. We just… had a disagreement.” A disagreement wasn’t the correct word to describe the situation, but it would do for now.

Celestia stood straight up again, glancing away with a faint frown. As they continued to head towards the building, Twilight smiled as her friends and everypony else finally joined the group. “Hey, everypony, how are you all doing?”

Applejack glanced her way, a frown on her muzzle. “Could be better.”

“Me and Fluttershy had a blast!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she bounced along, Fluttershy following alongside her friend.

Between the two there, Pinkie and Fluttershy seemed to be doing well. But when she looked to Applejack and the other three, she couldn’t help but see them avoiding each other’s gaze. ‘What happened on the way here?’ Whatever they must’ve said, it was enough to make them refrain from speaking. She could only sigh, hoping that whatever arguments and thoughts they had could be held for the moment so they could get this over and done with.

Looking up, she saw an arched bridge connecting the platform to the island. She glanced over the side and saw a long way down to the ocean. It was quite the drop; she was glad they had stable ground beneath their hooves. She felt a hoof nudge her shoulder, turning to face Daring Do, who pointed to the pillars above them. There, she saw guards stationed above them, watching their every move as they continued to follow the group’s movements. “It seems they’ve been expecting us,” Princess Celestia murmured, keeping her gaze forward.

“That could be a good or bad thing, you know,” Daring whispered as she kept her attention on them. “What if this is all some setup, and they have a trap waiting for us?”

“Would this Bishop Neighland really try something like that? We haven’t even done anything.” Rarity eyed the guards as well, her eyes darting from one side to another.

Rainbow Dash only let out a quiet laugh. “He can try.”

“Enough,” Celestia murmured, glancing back at Rainbow and the others. “We are here to survey. Not to start any confrontations.” She returned her attention to the building ahead. “So long as we approach this like a proper investigation, he won’t suspect a thing.”

It was bad enough that the tension was high, but with her friends beginning to get at each other's throats, Twilight could only imagine how long this charade could last. She heard a gasp, turning to see Rarity’s eyes glimmer. “Do you all see what I see?”

Twilight turned to look at the building ahead, only for her mouth to fall agape as well. With a closer look, this building stood as tall as some of the buildings in Manehattan. Up ahead, she could hear the bustling of ponies as hooves echoed in the courtyard, with other unicorns, earth ponies, and even pegasi in suits. Some even with briefcases as they walked in and out of the building, others going down stone pathways further into the island.

The courtyard itself was filled with trees and benches. What was so odd was this was nothing like the other companies back on the mainland. Here they seemed to care about how this place looked, with ponies in janitor jumpsuits sweeping and cleaning the stone filling this courtyard and the ponies in business suits talking or walking alongside another. The centerpiece, Twilight noticed, was a statue of the pony that she and the others had learned about. “Wow…” Soarin murmured as he stared at the statue. “This stallion sure has an ego if he has a statue of himself sitting in front of their main building.”

“You gotta admit, though,” Spitfire spoke up as she took a step forward. “This guy sure knows how to keep everything in mint condition.”

“It’s really beautiful, what with all the flowers he’s growing around his building.” Fluttershy murmured, smiling as she gazed at the trees and plant life.

Rainbow let out a sigh. “Okay, can we move on already? We came here to do something, remember?”

“Of course.” Celestia glanced back, nodding to everypony. “Let us go, everypony. We shall begin our investigation once we get inside.” The group picked up their pace again. As they walked by, ponies around them quickly bowed to the presence of two princesses; Twilight faintly grinned at the gestures. As they reached the staircase, she saw a light flicker in the corner of her eye; when she turned, she saw a dark yellow aura surrounding a alien-like device on this stallion’s head. He wore a black set of what looked like light armor and a visor over his eyes. But she was certain that his eyes met hers for what felt like the briefest of moments.

Unable to look away from the device, she split off from the group and approached the stallion. “Excuse me, sir, but what is that--”

“Please keep your distance, princess.” The guard ordered.

She took a few steps back, frowning at the way he spoke. “Can you just please tell me what that device on your head is?”

“I am afraid I cannot, princess. Return with your group and have a good day.” Twilight sighed, deciding it might be best to do follow his directions, even if he was being quite rude.

They stepped inside the building, only to be greeted by the echoes of ponies in their offices and others walking to their own destinations. The evening sun shone through an immensely tall glass window at the back of the building. But as she looked up, she was greeted with a statue that seemed to capture the blazing star in the window. “Hey Princess Celestia.” Spitfire shouldered her gently. “I think this guy worships you or something.”

Celestia couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “Well, it is quite a sight to see the sun reflected on the inside of the statue.” But as Twilight moved her gaze to Daring, she was shaking her head and murmuring something to herself.

Taking the chance to scan the area, she found that the area was decorated with fancy and elegant furniture, pictures and other furnishings that surprisingly made her feel at home. It was one surprise after another. This company could make it seem like a second home. Maybe this company wasn’t bad at all? Maybe it didn’t hide the awful creature. ‘But there’s still so much uncertainty. We’ll find out when this investigation is over.’

She returned her attention to the front to see a mare behind a check-in desk, busily writing away with a pen in her light purple aura. She looked up, a bright smile upon her muzzle as she bowed down. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Thank you.” Celestia smiled. “Can you please call Bishop Neighland? We would like to speak to him.”

“Why, certainly. I’ll just contact him and request his presence.” She pressed a button that lit up green. “While we wait, is there anything you would like me to tell you about this facility here?”

“Well, there is one question I would like to ask. How long has Neighland-Yupony been running?” Celestia asked, a smile still showing on her features.

“That is certainly a question I can answer.” The mare cleared her throat. “Neighland-Yupony has been in operations for about thirty-one years, but at its earliest stages of infancy, it was only known as ‘Technological Institutions’.”

“Geez, talk about a stallion who does nothing else,” Rainbow murmured to Rarity, Twilight turning back to shush them and stop her from being rude.

“Bishop Neighland started this company at the age of twenty-two, but the company didn’t grow until eleven years later. After which, it became known as ‘Neighland Industries’ for the longest of time. It was only after a meeting with the owner of a Neighponese technology facility known as ‘Yupony Corporation’ that we became ‘Neighland-Yupony Corporation.’”

“She is right, you know.” Everypony turned to see an aged stallion walking down a set of stairs to their right. Twilight’s eyes widened slightly as she saw who it was. The stallion walking down, the one who spoke in a gruff voice, was Bishop Neighland himself. “None of this would have ever been possible if not for the ambitious nature that I strived for, making new advances in technology other companies could only dream of.”

Princess Celestia stepped forward, meeting Neighland face to face. “It is good to see the stallion responsible for creating such a prosperous company.”

He bowed down, chuckling all the while. “And it is an honor to have our most prestigious majesty meet me inside my home facility.” Standing back up, he smiled. “You are truly an inspiration, Princess Celestia. For not only the strides you’ve made in adjusting the laws in the fine country of Equestria, but for also having implemented a form of democracy in our government, one that has not been seen for quite some time.”

“Well, I do try my best. I would like to see my little ponies make their own decisions for once, rather than having to rely so heavily on my own opinions to make the choices that they would so desire.”

Another chuckle resonated from Bishop. “Yes. Well, you should be glad there are those who support your cause for something so momentous as this.” He waved to the building around him, turning to face the massive open space behind him. “Progress can only be made by striving to achieve the greatest results. All of this, and future technology could result from such successes.” Walking in a line, he glanced at the group. “We here at Neighland-Yupony make sure to put our best effort into the decisions we make. Our technology is proof of these feats, and I make sure to keep our productivity and effort put into every device at the maximum.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s good to know your company is doing so well,” Daring Do murmured, walking up to the stallion until she was face to face with him. “How about you drop the act so we can get this over with.”

The stallion did not flinch, but seemed to remain perfectly calm. “I am sorry, but have we met?”

Daring stood mouth agape, growling as she frowned. “You know we’ve met before, you piece of--”

“Daring Do, stop this at once,” Celestia ordered, staring at her with a frown. She looked back, her eyes widening before she murmured something under her breath, returning to the others. “I am sorry, Bishop. We were here to investigate a set of rumors. We’re only here to see if there is something here or not.”

“Oh… I see.” He simply stared, but Twilight almost thought she saw his eyes widen just a little, although dismissing it as her imagination. “Anyway, it is all right. I have dealt with ponies such as that mare.” Another fit of grumbling resonated from Daring; Twilight felt like she was being alienated, if not on purpose. “But I can look past this. How would you all like a tour of my facility?”

It was a surprising gesture, but one that everypony didn’t seem to mind. “Then allow these ponies to give you a tour.” He waved to three friendly-faced ponies behind him. “The princesses can come speak with me, as well as my favorite hero, Daring Do of the popular book series.” He smiled as he turned his attention to the others. “As for you all, you can begin the tour. Each of you will go to the three main buildings on this island, and then I shall meet you back at the medical facility.” With that, he ushered the princesses along. Twilight looked back to her friends.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll all be fine,” Applejack said, waving her goodbye. “Just go along with the others. This shouldn’t be too long of a tour now.” But something felt wrong, Twilight could feel it circling in her mind. Although she was nervous about something going wrong, she decided to ignore it and continue up the stairs. After all, she thought that this would be the time to finally get to the bottom of things.

The roar of an engine echoed throughout the treeline as a pod landed on a cliff surrounded by trees. The engines died down before a blue wave sparked above the metallic frame; the entire craft disappeared in a wave of light until he completely vanished from sight. With a rapid movement, the top opened as the motion made he slightly visible once again. Dust flew off the ground as one of the Predators jumped out of the pod. He flipped his wrist-pad open and pressed a few buttons to disappear from sight.

In a flash of movement, the hunter jumped into the treeline, leaves shaking and falling onto the ground in his wake. Branches swayed in a violent motion as each noise he made gave away his position for the briefest of moments. The blurry figure landed on a large branch and surveyed the vast open field in front of him: a decent view of the entire complex of buildings. He heard movement to his right and glanced to see the heat fluctuation of the leader, and looked to his left and saw the younger sibling crawl towards the end of its perch.

Turning back to the leader, he saw his brother pull up a three-dimensional model of the complex on his wrist-pad. He heard a quiet beep and flipped open the wrist-pad for the model of the complex to appear on his own device. He figured the same happened with the younger brother. He saw the main building light up, which was marked off in a red ‘x’. He shook his head at an annoyed growl from the younger sibling.

He brought his right hand to another one of the buildings, the farthest one to their right, until the leader crossed it off again. A smaller building was outlined on the hologram, then a series of blue arcs surrounded the building. A symbol appeared over it, which he recognized for electricity. The Predator was guessing that their leader desired to take out their ability to turn on the lights first before they attacked. A smart move; yet all the same, risky, since it was almost in the middle of the complex. Possibly where this complex’s security was most active.

He nodded his head, then turned to the younger brother and watched as he reluctantly nodded. With the decision made, he closed his wrist-pad and jumped towards his leader and followed him, ready to begin their raid to reclaim the hunt that was theirs to begin with.