The Nations need her.

Are you crazy? Equestria's grace period has not yet expired! What are we supposed to tell the sponsors?

No. We have to remove this specimen. She is needed elsewhere.

This is madness. We already agreed that the Zero-Tech compact would be kept! Couldn't we just engineer an alicorn like all the rest?

We need a special alicorn, Flit. Not one made in your labs.

What makes her so special?

Her talent.

Talent? What? Are you saying that the mages aren't strong enough to hold.... it back?

Take a wild guess, Flit. No. I need her for a new holo-vid.

You... you can't be serious. You don't mean...

That's exactly what I mean, Flit.

They were back. The crazy voice-dreams. I thought they'd disappear when I put those new scented anti-nightmare candles in my room. Welp, guess not.

I couldn't sleep. Even with the soothing aroma of the candles and the humming of the crystals. They'd always put me to sleep before, but now, sleep wouldn't come. I had tried everything - new positions, new books, new boring activities, but they did nothing to advance my situation.

I could still hear them, echoing in my ear. We need a special alicorn, Flit. Not one made in your labs. It was smooth and gruffy, just like my brother's but deeper. If I didn't know better, I would've guess that Celestia had taken some Poison Joke and was trying to prank me. It was as wise as her, as comforting as her, as smooth and regal as hers. For a while I'd thought it was the Poison Joke. But it couldn't be.

The second voice. I didn't hear it at first, but it grew louder over time. It sounded like me.

Why me? Am I going crazy? I can't just dissolve like that! I thought all those therapy sessions with Dr. Wolf did something. I think.

I'm probably just overthinking things again.

There is no alternative. She must be awoken.

Blue, I'm warning you. This is a mistake.

What is worth more? My life? Or the universe's?

Blue, this is not about life or unlife anymore. This is about protocol. We canno-

To hell with this protocol. I'm authorizing the awakening.

No! You can't!

The entire universe is at stake here! Do you want to die and become another statue?

No! Of course not! I just don't see how awakening this one alicorn would do anything!

She can save us, Flit! She can save all of us from the Plague!

We cannot just flout the protocol like this. She is a member of the Zero-Tech initiative! We cannot break the dream until the sponsors agree! What do you not understand?

I understand that the lives of trillions is worth more than some petty corporation. You! Authorize the awakening. Here's the target profile. Make sure she wakes up safe and sound.