As Mochi let go of Kaylee and filly turned around to face the opposite side of the pond, she noticed that Flight wore an odd expression on her face. "What were you—? Oh, whatever. C'mon!"

"Alright, we're comin'! Go on, just give us a minute." Mochi called. As Flight nodded and jumped back into the bushes, the mare took a few steps forward and then looked back at Kaylee, who was standing there, motionless and looking absolutely horrified. The filly's cheeks were, even through her green hornlight, distinctly red. Mochi smiled. "You like her, don't you?"

Kaylee bit her lip. "I don't have to tell you all my secrets."

Mochi's smile grew wider. "Mm, yes. Secrets." She turned away and started trotting forward again, breaking the smooth surface of the water that had almost completely settled. "We'd better catch up with the others, or Later'll chew our heads off even more than she already is gonna."

Kaylee, who had started trotting alongside Mochi, raised an eyebrow. "Any idea what's gotten into her?"

Mochi shook her head. "I don't know her very well, though, so you might wanna ask Clove. If anypony knows what's up, it'd be him."

"...and please, please don't wander off like that again! Seriously, Commander Xiibal is counting on us to get this done and it won't help us any if you just... if you just... disappear!"

"I'm sorry."

Kaylee and Mochi could hear Later admonishing Scootaloo before they had even reached the rest of the group. Yet once they came into the small clearing, Scootaloo whirled around and her face lit up upon seeing the both of them. "Kevin! Mochi!" she exclaimed, stepping forward. "Please, save me from Later! I'm starting to think she turned into a meanie when I got swept away!"

"Ugh," the green mare groaned, facehoofing. "I'm not being mean—I'm concerned for your safety. There's a difference."

"Oh, let up off her," Clove said, frowning. He was still carrying Cotton Fluff's limp form, and his expression made it clear that he was quite annoyed with Later. "She couldn't do anything about the waves, anyway—none of us could. Need I remind you of the damn mare on my back who passed out? It's a miracle you didn't as well."

"Mmmff... whatever," Later said, rolling her eyes. "I'm so tired I want to fall over and die, and the night isn't getting any younger. The sooner we get to the CDK, the sooner we can get into that palace and get the stuff and get out and I can pass out."

Kaylee leaned over towards Mochi. "I think I figured out why Later is so grumpy." Mochi just snickered, though she stopped upon receiving a well-earned death glare from the mare in question.

"So, erm... how long is it going to take us to get to the CDK?" Flight asked. She had been leaning against a tree the whole time, and Kaylee hadn't even noticed her until then.

"Hours. I don't know," Later replied, frowning. "Let's just... do this thing, okay? Please? Nobody else getting lost, nobody else almost drowning, no stupid earthquakes, and no Bureau capturing us or anything?"

"I, for one, wholly support that plan," Scootaloo said, grinning. "I'll use my magic superpowers to stop all the earthquakes."

Mochi laughed and Later glared more daggers. Kaylee could've sworn she heard a bug buzzing as well.

"No, but seriously," Scootaloo said. "Let's go." And, following with her words, the filly trotted forward, past where Clove Hitch and Flight were standing, and into the trees. Kaylee and Mochi followed them, and then the others brought up the rear.

Their trek began silent, just the sound of their hooves in the near-darkness and the heavy breathing on Clove's part as he carried the full-grown mare on his back. Yet Kaylee though she could hear Scootaloo whispering, to nopony in particular, ahead of her. She couldn't quite make out the words, but they sounded like questions, whatever they were.