"Hey, Later?"

"Yeah?" The mare in question turned to Scootaloo, who was trotting alongside her. The sky—and very world around them, it seemed—was faintly glowing with the orange hues of dawn, so she could actually see the filly's confused look without magical augmentation. "What's up?"

"Is that... the place we're going?" Scootaloo asked, a hoof outstretched. Later's eyes followed where Scootaloo was pointing, past a dense layer of bushes and out into a wide, grassy clearning. Barely visible in the distance, into the centre of the grassy area, she was just able to make out the side of a shallow white dome that stretched onward, further than the eye could see.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it, alright. There really isn't anything else like it..."

"Hey, Later, I think we're almost there!" Clove Hitch called from behind them. It was but a moment later that he pulled up alongside Scootaloo. "Oh, hey, Scootaloo. Anyway, as I was saying..."

"Shhh!" Later shushed. "Don't be too loud or they'll hear us."

"Whoops, my bad," Clove replied, rolling his eyes. "We're a couple hundred metres away, hidden in the trees. I don't think Prince Aeneus himself, even with his super special alicorn magic superpowers, cares enough to be listening in on us. The Bureau don't even know where we are. It's gonna be fine."

Later shot him a sidelong glare.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll try to be quieter. Happy?"

"What's this about being quiet?" came a voice from behind them. Scootaloo turned to see Cotton Fluff trotting up behind them, wearing a thin smile. Her face was still drowsy with sleep, her eyelids drooping over her eyes. "What're you ponies going on about?"

"I was just saying that it looks like we're here," Scootaloo replied, pointing and watching as Cotton leaned forward and squinted.

"Hmm... can't say I've seen it outside of pictures and that's hardly enough to go on, but it seems plausible enough. So are we just waltzing in or whatever?"

Later looked even more irritated, but then she took a deep breath. "No. No, we are not. We're going to find someplace where Clove and I can sit down and look over the plans, and then figure out what we should do next. Is that fine?"

"Sounds good to me," Cotton replied, yawning. It had only been a couple hours since she had come to yet her time unconscious seemed to have just made the mare even more tired.

"Ooh, sounds good to me, too!" Mochi said. The pink mare had crept up on the others when they were speaking, seemingly able to find just the right moment that would catch the most of them off guard at once. Clove nearly fell over as she leapt up right by his face. "Wait, what're we talkin' 'bout? How come we've stopped?"

Later sighed, dragging a hoof down on her face. "Somepony else explain this time... I'm going this way." She turned right, trotting off between two trees. Shrugging, Clove and Cotton Fluff followed closely behind.

"The capital city place is just out there," Scootaloo said, with another wave of her hoof in the general direction of the dome, "so we're gonna sit down and figure out what to do. And apparently everypony's all grumpy still." She sighed. "Seriously..."

"Heh, you don't even know the half of it," Mochi said, biting her lip. She glanced over her shoulder and then, after a look of recognition, stepped aside so Scootaloo could see what lay behind her.

Kaylee and Flight, still more than a dozen metres away, were trotting side by side, about a metre apart. At first glance, nothing seemed wrong; Scootaloo cocked her head, trying to figure out what Mochi meant. Then, she realised that neither of them were talking and, what's more, Flight had her head turned away to the side. While Kaylee wore a small, wistful frown as she looked up at Scootaloo, Flight's brow was furrowed and she looked downright angry, though the fur on her cheeks was matted down. Neither of them quickened their pace upon seeing Scootaloo, and she couldn't even tell if Flight had seen her.

"Erm... what happened?" Scootaloo asked quietly.

"I... don't really know, to be honest," Mochi murmured back, staring at the two. "Back some hours ago, they were talkin' real loud and then Flight yelled somethin' and they haven't said a word to each other since. I did try and talk to Ka—er, 'Kevin' a bit, but... he didn't seem to want to chat. Maybe you can get more outta them, though. You two are friends, right?"

"Yeah... at least, I hope so," Scootaloo replied. "But I'm guessing they probably just need their space. I'll try later, though, if they don't start talking when we actually, like, need to." She paused, looking back at the fillies who were slowly approaching. "Hey, guys!" she said loudly—not a yell, but loud enough that they could hear. "We're gonna go follow the others over to the right here, where we're gonna stop for a bit and figure out where to go. Just... letting you know!"

Kaylee nodded briskly, slightly quickening her pace. Flight made no sign that she had heard, but was trotting faster as well, always remaining within a short distance from the other filly. Shrugging, Scootaloo turned and she and Mochi trotted off the way the others had gone, following their faint voices ahead.