"What's going on?" Scootaloo finally asked. They hadn't stopped; the bat still waddled ahead of her through the bushes though she could no longer see it, only able to figure out where to go as she listened to the bushes rustling and watched for its silvery aura that faintly glimmered up through the leaves.

"Mmm... not much," the bat sing-songed, poking its head out of the bush. Its beady eyes were jet black, even in the dark, and they looked oddly dead. "I apologise for the earthquake of sorts, but it was really the only way I could get you out of there."

Scootaloo blinked. "Wait, that was you? Why did you do that?"

"As I said, to get you out of there," the bat replied. Though Scootaloo expected it to say more, it didn't.

"You are Grey, right? From before?"

"The one and only," the bat squeaked, turning back around. "Ugh, hurry... we've got to move."

"Um, where?" Scootaloo asked, confused. "Why did you drag me away from my friends?"

"They're good ponies, Scootaloo, they really are, but they don't know what they're doing. I know they want to take you offworld—and that's a good idea, truly—but there's something very important here that you need to get."

"What? What is it? And why me?" Scootaloo grumbled. "You never explain anything."

"The Kardia Amulet," Grey replied. "See, I do tell you stuff. It's hidden in nowhere other than my b—"

"Prince Aeneus's vault?" Scootaloo interrupted.

The bat ahead of her halted and spun around quickly to stare her in the face. "How did you know that?"

Scootaloo facehoofed. "That's where they were already taking me, dummy. Can I go back now?"

The bat raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand. Why are they taking you there?"

"To get the amulet thing, I assume. I dunno. Later didn't really talk about exactly what the item was, but I can't imagine there's that much important stuff in his vault."

"Hrmm... you'd be surprised." The bat frowned. "But really, why do they want you to get the amulet?"

"Your guess is as good as mine; that's just what that Commander Xiibal mare was going on about," Scootaloo replied, rolling her eyes. "Why do you want me to get the amulet... thingy?"

"She can't know... can she?" Grey mumbled to himself. "Well, I don't know." He looked back up at Scootaloo. "You're right, we should probably go back. They'll be upset if you're missing for too long. And I can be something less conspicuous, like a... bug."

"Erm... alright?" Scootaloo still looked confused. "So you want to come with this time?"

The bat nodded. "Yes, but please don't tell them about me. I will reveal my presence but... only in due time. I need to find out why the rebels want the amulet."

"Why should I trust you?" Scootaloo asked, eyes narrowed. "We ran into a big bear with a star on its head, though that one was gold, and it nearly killed us."

Grey's eyes lit up in shock. "That's... not good. But really, I'm nothing like him. I know your princess Luna; she and I go way back."

"I dunno, dude. You could just be saying that."

"I broke you out of prison," Grey deadpanned. "I think you owe me this, at least."

"Fine, fine," Scootaloo said. She watched as the bat in front of her shrank into a small black beetle and then, buzzing its tiny wings, flew into her magenta mane by her left ear. The world around returned to near darkness, save for the slight silvery glow of the creature atop her head.

"Turn around," Grey quietly whispered, "and keep walking until you get to the edge of the pond. From there, go around the circumference until you run into your friends."

Biting her lip, Scootaloo nodded, though only slightly so as to not shake the beetle off. She turned and then started walking in that direction. "So, do you really have the power to make earthquakes? That's kinda huge."

"...Maybe."