The van stopped, and Morgana stepped out. She took a moment to adjust her blouse. It was less salty and full of bullet holes than the previous one, but every set of clothing Morgana owned had been cut for a pair of alicorn wings. It felt strange not having them; she was lighter, but her clothes tended to shift strangely without them.

She hardly stopped before she continued into the loading bay for her building. She had summoned the van remotely when she had gotten into range of a Network hub, and she had not once touched the controls when she had ridden it back. Self-driving cars were illegal, of course, but Morgana hardly cared. She was not in the mood to drive and especially not to use public transportation.

Elrod stepped out of the van as well, helping Twilight as he did. His personality seemed to have changed since Morgana had figured out what exactly he was: he was now far less evasive and seemed to have defaulted to a relatively servile nature. The fact that he was being useful pleased Morgana, but the fact that he did not seem terribly willing to leave annoyed her to no end. The extra Twilight was an additional headache.

The van immediately folded into its storage conformation and departed. Morgana, likewise, made haste for the place she most belonged, which was her office. She left Elrod and the other Twilight behind, expecting them to probably find the way on their own.

The office was exactly as Morgana had left it, and she half expected to see Forth sitting at the secretary’s desk. It was of course empty, though. There had been no transmissions or messages of any kind. Morgana feared the worst

She immediately proceeded to the back, where her office itself was. She stepped through the door and reached for the hat rack. “Damn it,” she said, taking down yet another detective hat and contemplating it for a moment. “Three hats in three days. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.”

As she set the hat down on her desk, there was a knock at the door. For just a moment Morgana hoped that it was Forth, but it was too high and to low, the sound of starchy potato flesh against wood.

“Leave me alone,” she said. “I need to think!”

The door opened anyway. Elrod poked his head in.

“Damn it,” said Morgana. “I should shoot you.”

“You don’t have a gun. Also, you need to do something about HER.”

“Youmean Twilight? No. You deal with her.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to me. I think she’s afraid of me.”

“Of course she’s afraid. You’re ugly.”

“It is my professional opinion that we should sell her to finance my case.”

Morgana stood up and pushed the door open the rest of the way, nearly causing Elrod to fall in with it. “For one, it’s not your case. I don’t even know why you’re still here. Two, nobody’s getting sold. Especially not her.”

“A fully functional original unit? She’s priceless. And by priceless I mean more valuable than this entire building.”

“The bounty on your head could also buy this building,” noted Morgana. “So shut up or get out.”

She pushed past Elrod. Twilight was sitting in what amounted to a waiting room, nearly being swallowed by a large plush chair. When she saw Morgana, her anxious expression lightened slightly and she smiled.

“Hello, robot me?” she asked, climbing off the chair with slight difficulty. “I need to talk to you!”

“I have a name.”

“Oh, sorry. Morgana. Sorry, it’s just so weird seeing a robot me and a weird biped thing and carts that move themselves and this whole big city and this office and- -ooh, my. It’s all very exciting. To exciting, even. I wish I had a journal so I could right it all down, I mean, nopony is going to believe me about any of this- -”

“Slow down. Your voice is annoying.”

Twilight blinked. “We have the same voice. At least I think we do. I mean, I’ve never really heard my own voice.”

“We do. It’s actually Tara Strong’s voice but she’s been dead so long nobody even remembers who she was. I don’t mind me speaking it. You make it sound weird.”

“Well, sorry, I’ll try to speak…better? Change my inflection, maybe? More bass?” She laughed nervously. “I just don’t know, I’m so confused and it’s so strange here and- -”

“I don’t know if you have lungs. But try to breathe.”

Twilight began to gasp. The effect was entirely simulated, but she did not seem to notice. “Okay. Okay. I’m alright.” She closed her eyes for a moment and sat down. When she opened them she started to talk evenly. “Look, Morgana, I’m really grateful for your help. And for Elrod’s. But I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Oh?” asked Morgana, knowing what was coming next.

“No. Your world is amazing and all, but I need to get back to Ponyville. To my friends. I don’t know how I got here, but there has to be some way to get back.”

“Really? What was the last thing you remember?”

Twilight started to speak, but then paused. She had to think about it for a moment. “Well, it was just after we visited my brother and Princess Cadence in the Crystal Empire. The Equestria Games are being held this year, and we- -”

“Needed to try to convince the game selector that the Crystal Empire was the best choice. Except that you got the wrong pony and ended up shunning the actual games inspector the whole time.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “You- -how do you know that?”

“And then what?”

“And then?”

“Do you remember anything subsequently?”

“Oh, well, not thatmuch. Imean, I was in the Golden Oaks library- -I live there- -and I went to bed. My usual schedule. I brushed my teeth, said goodnight to Spike, looked through my telescope, and then snuggled up with a good book until I fell asleep. Then I woke up and you were there.”

Morgana paused. “Interesting.”

“Interesting? How?”

“That to produce the unicorn edition they sealed off the later stock-memories. You go up to season three but not past that. I’m sure the memories are there and I could get them out if I had time or if you had the money, but we don’t have either.”

“What are you talking about? No, you don’t understand, I NEED to get back to Ponyville! My friends are all waiting for me! I was scheduled to visit Fluttershy in the morning for tea and then have lunch with Rarity and time for Rainbow Dash in the afternoon! I made a list, I had it back in the library.”

“Oh fuck me,” muttered Morgana.

“Please don’t swear. It isn’t appropriate for ponies to swear.”

“I heard fucking you fucking the first fucking time fucking,” shouted Twilight. “I do not have time to deal with this! In case you haven’t noticed, I have a job, one that doesn’t involve- -”

A knock came at the door. This one was low, and sounded like a metal hoof against the fiberglas faux-wood.

“Who’s that?” asked Twilight. “Are you expecting company?”

“No,” said Morgana. “And I can’t tell who it is. They’re not connected to any networks.”

Elrod drew his pistol. “Can .700 shoot through doors?”

“Put that away, you idiot! And for the record, yes, it can. It’s a goddamn .700 NE-AP.”

Twilight turned her head toward the door and remotely disengaged the locks. It swung open and a white pony in a starched dress entered.

“Forth!” cried Elrod, pushing past Morgana and Twilight. He knelt down and hugged the pony.

“Oop,” she said as she squeezed her. Her fluffy wings fluttered slightly. “Pressure. Hugs. This was not expected.”

“I thought you were dead!”

“I was also beginning to worry,” said Morgana, stepping forward. “I didn’t receive any messages from you.”

“Ah. Yes. I forgot. I’m not used to this. Being in a body.” She gestured toward her eyes, which were still deep red.

“I can’t believe you made it!” said Elrod.

“I did. But narrowly. The battle did not go as anticipated. I was very badly wounded. I managed to crawl back to a factory unit, but it took time. Once again, a new body.”

“And new clothes.”

Forth looked down at what she was wearing, which was a pastel pink dress with a short coat over it. “Yes. New clothes.” Forth looked past Elrod. “You are missing your wings.”

“Wings?” said Twilight. “Why would robot me have wings?”

Forth turned to her, causing Twilight to squeak. Without eyelids, Forth had a somewhat more striking appearance than a normal pony. “There is an additional Twilight unit in here. Shall I terminate it?”

“No,” said Morgana.

“Oh. Good. I lack ammunition anyway. I would have had to use my hooves.” She turned to Morgana. “Why is there another one? Is she a new case, a suspect, or a pony of interest?”

“None of the above. Transfer back to me and I’ll synch you to all the recent developments.”

Forth hesitated, and then shook her head. “If it’s alright, Ms. Twilight, I’d like to stay like this a little longer. It is very unfamiliar, but unfamiliar in a way I think I would like to experience.”

“You mean exist out there, in your own body?”

“Yes.”

Morgana was disappointed greatly by this, but she did not let it show. “Sure. If you think it’s good for your development, go ahead. I’ll synch you through hardline.” Morgana tilted her head forward and one of her metallic tendrils pushed out of her hair and toward Forth. Twilight gasped upon seeing this, but Forth just extended her right hoof and exposed her access ports. Morgana plugged in.

“There,” she said, removing her tendril almost as soon as it was inserted. “Now you’re up to speed.”

“Thank you, Ms. Twilight.”

“Now. Could you attend to her?”

Forth nodded. She turned toward Twilight and smiled. “Hello,” she said, stepping past Morgana as Morgana and Elrod stepped back to the office to speak.

“Hello,” replied Twilight, somewhat hesitantly. “You’re…Blossomforth, right?”

Forth smiled broadly. “Have we met?”

“Not really…but you’re one of Rainbow Dash’s friends, right?”

Forth cocked her head. “To which Rainbow Dash are you referring to?”

Twilight stared dumfounded. “Um…the Rainbow Dash? Or are there more than one?”

“There are several million. But I know at least one of them. I think we’re friends. Don’t tell Ms. Twilight.”

“Wait…why?”

Forth laughed. “You’re funny. But Ms. Twilight explained your condition. I am here to help. I am a secretary.”

“And you’re also a robot? Like her?”

“Like us all. Yes. Although not really the same. She is different from me, just as you are.” Forth smiled again, but did not blink. “Now. Let’s get to business.”

“What kind of business? There isn’t probing involved, is there?”

“There could be if that is what you want. But I doubt you want that. No. First, we need to get you some clothes.”

“Clothes? But I’m a pony. Ponies aren’t supposed to wear clothes. Well, we CAN wear clothes, but we don’t usually. I mean, it’s not necessary.”

“Lift your tail.”

Twilight blushed. “Excuse me?”

“Take a look.”

Twilight hesitated, but then did. She gasped in shock when she looked down, and then stared at Forth in embarrassment and surprise. “What- -what is that doing there?! What even is that?! I swear to Celestia, it wasn’t there before!”

“Ms. Twilight informs me that you are an intact unit. Therefore, I recommend trousers. Skirts act like butt funnels. We wear clothes here. Or else you will be mistaken for a prostitute.” She paused. “Although I have never seen a prostitute without clothes before. I think Ms. Twilight has, though. Regardless, you would look good in black.”

“Black? But Rarity said I always look better in blue or white.”

“She lied to you. Come with me. We have spare clothes here in case of accidental nudity.”

Forth led Twilight away toward the main storage closet.

Morgana emerged from her back office after several minutes. Elrod was sitting quietly in one of the chairs outside her door.

“Did the recalibration go okay?” he asked.

“Sure. But I really need a better unit. I keep feeling like this thing will crack if I keep walking on it.” She sighed. “I’ll send a schematic down to the auto-factory. It won’t be as good as a complete one, but it will be better than this.”

Elrod stood up and followed Twilight into the other room. Both froze in surprise when they saw Twilight standing there next to Forth.

“Ta-da!” said Forth, gesturing toward Twilight. Twilight had been dressed in a black shirt with a sleeveless vest over it and a set of trousers under a rather conservative skirt. She wore rear boots and a set of arm coverings that left her front hooves exposed.

“How did you do that?” asked Elrod.

“Do what?”

“How come you dress yourself terribly but when you dress her she looks great?”

“I look great?” asked Twilight.

“It’s because I can see many colors. Some that you cannot.”

“I can’t see color.”

“Then that explains why you do not think my fashion sense is good.”

“Do I really look good?” asked Twilight.

Morgana. “Yeah. You do.” She did not point out that the clothing Twilight was wearing had originally been intended for Roxanne. The vest even had a set of well-concealed wing holes.

Twilight smiled, but Morgana’s eyes were drawn toward something else. “Forth?” she said.

“Yes, Ms. Twilight?”

Morgana pointed at the floor near the entrance to the office. A small square of paper was lying there, one that she was sure had not been present before. “What is that?”

“A business card,” suggested Forth.

“And did you leave it there?”

“No.”

“Then where did it come from?”

“I do not know,” admitted Forth. “I did not see when it arrived.”

Morgana looked closely at the card, and then carefully opened the door. Both ends of the hallway were completely empty; whoever had left it was long gone.

“Empty,” she said, closing the door. She reached down and picked up the card. It was the size and stiffness of a business card. It was white, with a single image on the front. There was no company name but rather a logo that appeared to depict a human hand. In the center of the palm was a small image of a white pony, apparently asleep.

“I don’t recognize the symbol,” said Morgana. She flipped it over. One world was written on it in fountain pen. A perfunctory analysis indicated that it was written with generic ink and a pen that could be bought at any corner store. The script was that of a pony writing with her mouth, although less precise.

“What does it say?” asked Elrod.

“‘Changeling’,” read Morgana. She held it out to them on her hoof. “It just says ‘Changeling’.”

“What does it mean?” asked Forth.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You don’t think changelings are responsible for this, do you? Bringing me here?” She gasped. “Maybe they sent me away from Equestria so that they could try to invade! They could be invading right now!”

“Unlikely,” said Morgana. She looked at Forth and Elrod and pocketed the card. “There never were any changelings. It’s not something you can make, at least not in this world. I have no idea what it means.”