All was still. Well, not quite still; the electronic motors on the fishtank filters around hummed and whirred, pushing around the water inside all around in a joyous chorus of blurp noises. In one tank, several tiny yellow fish with black spots darted back and forth in random directions, occasionally bumping into the leaves of a tall plastic plant within. Another tank was the home of a largish dark brown fish with matte scales that lurked quietly, immobile, nearly out of sight within a small rock cave.

As they ran by, however, Cotton Fluff and the ponies she led paid little if any attention to these fish that they were passing; they were glad that the eerie blue light that emanated from above the tanks was able to illuminate the otherwise-dark room somewhat, but that was about it. Their hoofsteps interrupted the stillness, clattering all around the reflective plastic-walled hallway.

Scootaloo stepped forward until she was walking right alongside the brown-coated mare who was leading the group through the aquarium at a brisk pace, her head facing directly ahead. "You're Cotton Fluff, right?" Scootaloo asked.

"Mmfff... yes." Cotton Fluff did not look her way.

"Look, I know it's not a good time, but... what did that dude say to you?"

Cotton Fluff took a deep breath. "Doesn't matter. He's somepony I used to know who got on my nerves and he was in our way."

"Yeah, but..."

Cotton Fluff turned to look down at the filly. "You wanted to go this way, no? Get out of the zoo and the city? This is the way to go."

"Right," Scootaloo affirmed, nodding. "But I guess I didn't think it would be this... easy."

"Sometimes you get lucky," Cotton Fluff mused. "You were held in South Pen, right?" she asked, quickly changing the topic.

"Yeah, and it sucked," Scootaloo replied. "They wouldn't even let me go to the mess hall with the other prisoners... guess I was too 'important' or whatever."

Cotton Fluff did her best not to make a noise from how surprised she was, and did a pretty good job of choking back the cry that nearly escaped her throat. A maximum security prisoner right next to her? And a filly, no less? What had Gloss signed her up for? "Oh, jeez, that does sound pretty bad. I... can't even imagine being cooped up in a cell like that for long."

"Heh... well, they couldn't keep me in there for that long. It was only a few days until Gr—er, until I broke out." Scootaloo looked oddly guilty and Cotton Fluff could tell she had intentionally cut herself off; she had been about to say that name 'Grey' she had said earlier. Huh.

"Oh, look, we're at the end," Mochi called from behind them. And, sure enough, she was right. The back wall didn't even have a tank on it; it was just a vertical surface of sheer white plastic that curved upwards as it stretched to the ceiling.

"So, uh, how do we get out?" Kevin asked.

"Dunno," Cotton Fluff replied. "I've been here before, but never looked for the maintenance tunnel. Can't be too hard to find, though."

Flight swept the walls with her gaze. "There's gotta be a door or something somewhere."

"Found it!" Mochi exclaimed, pointing to a space between two tanks that lay a few metres behind them, not quite at the end. The inset handle had been painted white to match the rest of the wall, but it was easy to spot once Mochi had pointed it out.

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow as Cotton Fluff trotted over to the door. "Thanks, but how'd you know it was there?"

"I didn't," Mochi replied. "Just guessed."

"Huh," Scootaloo huh'd. Then, she turned to watch Cotton Fluff reach her hoof up and twist the inset handle with the tip of her hoof inserted into the notch. The mare pushed the door open and held it, letting the other four walk in past her.

They entered into a small room with earthen walls that Scootaloo recognised immediately to be those of the underground world that surrounded them; the dirt was even the same colour as that of the tunnels outside of the South Pen. Leaning against the walls were large bags of fish flakes or whatever. Not really important.

"Look!" Kevin said, pointing with a hoof. Scootaloo followed its path with her eyes and her gaze settled on a large hole on the far wall of the room.

"You think that's it?" Scootaloo asked.

"Only one way to find out," Cotton Fluff said, stepping forward towards the hole.