Things weren't going to go as smoothly as Daybreaker hoped. Princess Sterling's team got wind of the new Riders.

“They're going to beat us now,” Night Glider grumbled. “New Riders, new powers....we're going to be made the fools.”

“Not necessarily,” Princess Sterling said. “You see, we're going to interrupt them.”

“How?” Sugar Grape asked.

“It's simple,” the Princess said. “We nab the last ones they're waiting for.”

“How so?” Apple Bloom asked. “It's not like they're going to willingly come along.”

“You are going to divert them away from their paths,” Sterling said.

“But wouldn't that technically put us in the enemy category?” Scootaloo asked.

“It would, but if we don't, they'll stop us,” Sterling said.

The rest of the team nodded. Just then, another Alicorn Princess walked in.

“Ah, Gold Lily,” Night Glider said. “How nice of you to drop in.”

“Indeed, but....” Gold Lily began.

“But?” Sterling asked.

“But I have found something out, or more like some things found me,” she replied, producing six morphers.

“Odd,” Scootaloo said.

“Is it?” Sweetie Belle asked. “If we think rationally, we're meant to have these new riders, to balance out everything, despite us being short by two members.”

“I see,” Gold Lily said.

“However, if we do divert their last two members here, we may miss out on getting riders who work here specifically,” Sweetie Belle continued.

“Seems like a fair point,” Gold Lily said.

“Also, I've heard a rumor that a horror themed Kamen Rider team has been started up, however, we haven't found any solid proof one way or the other,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Interesting,” said Sterling. “However, if it can't be proved, then why would we need to know it?”

“Let's just say we can use that to get further ahead,” Sweetie Belle said.

They were confused, so she elaborated.

“If we have another team under our belt that the “Enemy” team doesn't know about, then we can get the upper hoof in battle,” Sweetie Belle said.

“That's an interesting idea, but should this prove to be a fast fading cloud, then what?” Leon asked.

“We then move forward,” Sweetie Belle. “Just file that under “P” for “Phantom Idea”.”

They nodded and made preparations. This time, they wasted no time in getting organized. Once ready, and each team armed with one of the six Kamen Rider Morphers, they dispersed from the castle on their tasks.

“Think this will blow up on us?” Night Glider asked.

“No,” Sweetie Belle. “With two Princesses and a Prince running the team, we've got it.”

What none of them could have predicted was something blowing up in Chrysalis's face.

A Changeling Queen under Chrysalis's rule started making plans. She pulled a small group of seven loyal “Drones”. How she despised the word.

“Demeaning,” she growled. “They're just as much their own pony as we are queens.”

Now, the group of eight were straight up outcasts of the hive for one little aspect-they were in love with the older and more classic horror films that had been shown. Black and White horror, with more psychological twists than a current generation novel.

While the drones had been out, scouting for a new hideout for their “Base”, the “Rogue” Queen would disguise herself as a common pony and watch The two teams fight with the monsters. She noticed that the monsters were playing on the fears of the common ponies, but neither team had these Riders who preyed on the fears of the monsters.

“Can't they see that everyone and everything has a fear?” One changeling asked.

“Don't be hasty, Silver Shadow,” the queen said.

“But Queen Moorland Mist, surely you can't let this blindness go on!” Silver Shadow yelped.

“I can,” she said. “Their blindness is our advantage.”

No more was said between them and the seven Changelings soon settled into a cave just outside the Crystal Empire, but within the magical border, where they were sheltered from the bitter cold.

“Welcome home,” Moorland Mist said.

The rest of the team grumbled about it. She shot them a dirty look.

“It's better than nothing,” she snapped at them.

“That's what Chrysalis said many times,” they retorted.

“I'm not like her!” Moorland Mist shot back.

The group stared each other down. The queen wasn't going to let them ride roughshot all over her as if she was milktoast. They weren't going to settle for some junky cavern.

The staring was reaching it's “Climax” (Them giving in) when a voice broke through their thoughts.

“Who's in there?”

They stopped, out of fear. Had they been found out? Was there a spy?

Queen Moorland Mist quickly readied a stick as a weapon. Walking into their makeshift hive were four guards, and a pegasus, who wore a trench coat and fedora hat. The pegasus wore a knowing smile.

“Ah, so this is the mysterious noises in the night,” he said.

“Indeed,” one of the guards said. “What shall we do with them? The cells?”

“No,” the pegasus told the guards. “Instead, what we shall do is leave them alone. There's no need to cause unwarranted ill feelings.”

They nodded. The pegasus continued.

“Instead, we shall offer our services to them,” he told the guards.

“We can't!” the guards said.

“Who's your standing captain?” The pegasus replied.

“You, sir,” the guards replied.

“Excellent,” the pegasus replied. “Shining Armor gave me the reigns and told me to do as I see fit and make judgment calls while he's out.”

The guards grumbled about that before recalling the agreement.

“Good,” the pegasus said.

Queen Moorland Mist eyed up the pegasus. Cedar Brown coat, dull pine green mane and smoky gray eyes. One thing she noticed was how he chose his words.

“Never saw that before,” she mused.

He smiled over at her.

“Never saw any pony choose their words?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “It was always action first.”

“As they say in the worlds of fiction “Direct action beats common sense”,” he said.

She chuckled. As she finished, four more guards and four Changeling guards appeared.

“Ah, so it seems reinforcements have arrived,” the pegasus said. “It's about time to introduce myself. I am Pipe Glass, Duke of the house of Clue.”

“Ah,” Moorland Mist said. “I've heard of them.......didn't they once.....”

“....Bust a changeling out of a false charge? Yeah. That was my case and you, madam, were my first client.”

“Convenient,” one of the Changeling guards muttered.

“Tell me,” one of the Alicorn guards replied. “It's like he's always one step ahead.”

“That's because I am,” came the blunt reply.

“You a cop?” one of the changelings asked.

“Private detective,” he replied. “Good one at that.”

“How good?” one of the unicorn guards demanded.

He stopped and closed his eyes. Everypony there waited a good forty-five minutes before he smiled and simply stated, “When Princess Luna hires me while in the dream realm.”

“She must have a few screws loose,” another changeling muttered.

Everypony, with the exception of Pipe Glass, shot her a dirty look.

“Come now, must we be so harsh of a statement that rings true across all ranks?” he asked.

“Come again, sir?” one of the Pegasus guards asked.

“We all have “A few loose screws” at times,” Pipe said. “Must we look down when she makes such a statement that can be applied across all of us? Even Celestia admits she's had her fair share of loose screws.”

Every pony there agreed, with chuckles and a few snarky remarks. Once the remarks and quips were finished, Pipe Glass invited everypony there back to his office for a warm building, food and drinks.

“While that's kind of you, we'll stay here,” Moorland Mist said.

“Suffering?” he asked.

Moorland Mist conceded that they could do with something warm to drink and eat. While emotions are all well and good for a changeling, they still need regular food. He smiled and lead them to a large office complex.

“Your office is the whole building?!” Moorland Mist asked, incredulous.

“Nope, it's on the fifth floor,” Pipe Glass said.

He lead them in and once they had crammed themselves into the do it yourself elevator, they rode it up to the fifth floor and he lead them down the hall to his office, a corner building with massive one way windows.

“Wow,” they said.

“Yes,” he said.

Once the door was shut, another of the Alicorn guards cast a soundproofing spell. Once that was done, he looked at them.

“Ever heard of superheroes?” he asked them all.

“Well, Power Ponies,” one of the guards said.

He nodded.

“Chrysalis has awoken a new brand of heroes here. And until one of them can be contacted for an interview, you eight would be seen as a break off threat to the land of Equestria,” Pipe said.

“Oh,” Moorland Mist said.

“Yeah,” said Pipe Glass.

“So what?” Another member of the hive asked.

“We wait and see,” Pip said.

The new hive sighed, defeated. Meanwhile, the new recruits for Princess Sterling and Princess Gold Lily's team were working out as well as trying to thread a spinning needle. Unlike Daybreaker's team, they were more abrupt and forceful.

Such an event passed between Inky Rose and Berry punch. They had found her in a rose garden, helping Roseluck tend to some new sprouts. After chasing Roseluck away, they proceeded to abruptly drag Inky Rose away, telling her that she was wanted and not even explaining it that well to her. She managed to break free.

“You can't just drag me away without a warrant,” she hissed.

“Our leader wants you, now,” Berry snarled. “Your coming whether you like it or not.”

Inky Rose stayed back and the two proceeded to argue and eventually trade blows. It was only after Leon came to smooth things over that Inky Rose came with them. Of course, this lead to....

“You are on probation,” Princess Sterling told Berry Punch. “Your abrasiveness was unprovoked and uncalled for.”

“With all due respect, it's the only manner to approach such as Inky Rose,” Berry said.

“I've studied Daybreaker's method and she's gotten her team bigger than ours because she knows how to treat them,” Princess Sterling replied bluntly. “She has Cornicle working for her, and he's a Changeling.”

Berry stayed quiet.

“And how did she get Cornicle to come over to her? By offering him a job that feeds his hobby, not by being an abrasive bully.”

Berry said no more and duly accepted her punishment. Just then, they heard a thud, and the sounds of something being shoved through the door. Leon went to investigate and returned with a letter in his silverish cream aura.

“No return address,” he said.

Princess Sterling opened it and pulled out a folded paper. Unfolding the paper, inside, was a coin and the words “Find the Buzz”.

“Find the buzz?” She said aloud. “What does that mean?”

“I don't...wait....look!”

They watched the coin come to life. It lifted itself off the paper and flashed several images of cages, with Luna, Celestia, their guards and two of the elements locked inside, battered and feeble.

“Move out,” Sterling said, once the slideshow of anger finished.

The team suited up and moved out. As for Daybreaker's team, they had received the same slideshow and were moving out.

“Be ready for a fight,” Kamen Rider Recluse Archer warned her team.

They responded with a confirming “Aye” and hurried on.

Meanwhile, in a castle on an island off the southeastern coast, a large and imposing Changeling Queen sat, a smirk that would make the most wicked of ponies crawl away in fear.

“Yes, come. I shall be waiting myself,” she teased.

Just then, a drone hurried in.

“I have a report, my queen!” he called out, as he hurried up to her throne.

“Make your report, Drone 45447,” she said.

“Queen Moorland Mist has taken her followers and fifteen of your secret project devices,” he said.

“How did she manage that?” Chrysalis demanded, her eyes narrowing in a fashion that could end the very world.

“That's what's under investigation,” Drone 45447 said. “We believe she may have had an inside changeling from a now defunct hive do the job and vanish.”

“FIND THEM AT ONCE!” she bellowed, breaking the nearby table.

The drone hurried out. Watching the events were several pairs of eyes. When the action died down, they made their way to a secret room.

“We make a break for it when the heroes come,” one said. “Then we find Queen Moorland Mist and present her with these devices. We'll stick it to Chrysalis once and for all. Treat us like slaves will she? I don't think so.”

Outside, drones and guards scurried around frantically, trying to find the rogues and the missing devices. To break up the monotony of the buzzing, the sounds of steel crashing against stone, glass and wood filled the air.

Outside of the room, Chrysalis stood, facing the army of Riders. She was smiling like an ambassador from Tartarus.

“Welcome, welcome,” she said. “I've been expecting you.”

“Let them go!” barked Kamen Rider Tiger.

“I would, but I need some gambling chips,” Chrysalis smiled. “After all, royals must play poker with innocent lives.”

The Kamen Riders growled. Chrysalis smiled again.

“I am willing to part with....one.....of the royals,” she said. “At my discretion, of course.”

“Your discretion!” snarled Kamen Rider Whirlwind.

“Yes, my discretion. After all, my word is worth more,” Chrysalis taunted sweetly. “It hurts, doesn't it?”

“What hurts,” Kamen Rider Shield Blade mocked sweetly. “is your arrogance.”

Chrysalis went red with fury.

“You dare mock me?!” she snarled.

Just then, two guards burst in.

“The prisoners have vanished!” one called out.

“WHAT?!” Chrysalis shrieked.

“They're gone! Vanished!” the other replied.

“HOW?!” she bellowed.

“It was an inside job!” the first one said.

Chrysalis snarled.

“Very well!” she spat. “You win this round. But be warned, I will have my day!”

She vanished in a flurry of flames and magic. Kamen Rider Recluse Archer turned to Kamen Rider Cloak.

“Come,” she said. “We have much to discuss.”

He nodded, and gestured for his team to follow her team. They would have balked, but understanding that there were hostages, it wasn't the time or place to balk about teaming up. The journey back to the Castle in the White Tail Woods was silent, but filled with tension.

Once inside and the door shut, every pony there demorphed.

“It seems,” Daybreaker said, breaking through the silence. “We are forced into working as a team, despite our....preferences.”

“You can say that,” Leon replied. “But we don't know how every pony here fig....wait....why is Cadence here, and with her husband no less?”

Daybreaker gave Leon's team the five minute catch-up. After finishing, Leon gave it thought. Every pony waited.

“I hate to admit having failure,” he said. “But there is much to gain from teaming up as a branch team, while also staying as our own team.”

“That makes sense,” Daybreaker said. “Also, don't be afraid to ask for help.”

“And let my pride crash down?” he asked.

“He who is afraid of asking for help is afraid of growing,” Daybreaker said.

“True,” Princess Sterling said. “Now, what is next on the docket?”

“A plan,” Daybreaker said. “If they get recaptured, I'm afraid of what Chrysalis will do to them.”

“But we have another mystery on our plate,” Cadence said. “The drones talking about an inside job.”

“You're right. That takes priority,” Leon said.

What they were in for, none of them could have anticipated or even conceivably thought up.