Long ago, long before the Voracious Gods came and ravaged our planet, Equus had been embroiled in an endless world war.

The battles were brutal and unrelenting -- we fought and we fought until we completely forgot what we were fighting for. Not even the Princesses who had lived and fought during such a violent era, remember why -- only that we fought. It was said that the original reason became lost to time even as the wars raged on.

In hindsight, we probably weren't any better than them.

Over time however, through some miracle that had also been lost to time, we managed to return to our senses and a peace was brokered between all sapient races of Equus.

It was... an odd time for the world.

We had been warring for so long that we had forgotten what it was like to truly be at peace. Eventually, over the span of a few centuries, we learned and adapted to our new way of life.

Entire nations were built and rebuilt from the ground up, countries flourished, the people grew happy and content, the world economy rose to new heights. Science, technology, and magic came together in a harmonious balance that shaped life into something truly wondrous.

But then they came.

Monsters of all shapes and sizes spread across the world like a horrible plague -- powerful, vicious, deadly, and hungry. Before any of us knew it, there were too many to count, and as they descended upon us, they consumed anything and everything in their path.

Organic, inorganic... everything.

We called them the Avidaeos, the Voracious Gods, for we could not stop them in their single-minded drive to devour all... at least, not at first. Many died and civilization nearly collapsed once more.

But we held on.

Every metropolis, town, city, village, and hamlet that wasn't completely destroyed by the Avidaeos were made into fortresses. Even then, they didn't always deter the beasts from their wanton destruction and consumption.

For the longest time we could do nothing but cower behind our walls, waiting for the inevitable attack that would finish us off.

As our world fell further into ruin, we realized the only way to survive was to adapt and unite -- not as separate countries and races -- but as a single cohesive entity.

To that end, the top scientists from every race and Equestria's very best thaumatologists came together in a joint effort to discover the origin of these creatures, and out of this joint effort, the Wendigo Corporation was born.

Based in Canterlot, the Wendigo Corporation dedicated itself to researching anything and everything that involved the Avidaeos, and creating the means to counteract them.

It took many years and countless lives, but eventually we gained more of an understanding of what these creatures truly were. At first, we used what we discovered to build better defenses against the beasts, then we realized through more trial and error what would work against them.

Eventually, through the sacrifice of one brave soul, we found a way to fight them.

building upon this new knowledge, the Daeus Arms were created, and soon after that, the first generation of the Daeus Hunter Defense Force was formed.

By this point, the Wendigo Corporation had already overshadowed many of the governments and ruling classes of the world, reducing many leaders to mere figureheads.

At first, many did not take well to this change and fought against it, but as Avidaeus attacks grew worse and world leaders failed time and again to deliver on their promises of a safer tomorrow, more and more citizens put their faith in Wendigo.

They had set up several branches all over Equus, and the D.H.D.F. were deployed in every single branch to defend against the relentless attacks by the Avidaeos.

The risks of becoming a Daeus Hunter were great, but those who agreed to join their ranks were convinced that the rewards would be much greater in the long run.

Those affected by the Avidaeus attacks could finally get revenge for all their suffering, they could finally protect their friends and loved ones, and those with hope in their hearts for a better tomorrow could make it happen with their own hands.

Recruitment was at an all time high, with more and more people of every race signing up everyday, though not everypony that applied made it in. It turned out the risks involved reached much farther than just deadly fights against the Avidaeos.

Still, many applied, and some were even drafted in a few areas, and in time, a sizable force large enough to be spread across each country ensured our continued survival.

It may seem like a hopeless battle, with the Avidaeos able to adapt far more effectively than we ever could, but we're all willing to do our part to fight for this ravaged planet we call home. Something has to give, and we'll make sure it's them, not us.

It's been one hundred and thirteen years since the Daeus Hunter Defense Force was founded, and now it's my turn to take up the fight against the Voracious Gods.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is the story of how I went from a simple researcher employed by the Wendigo Corporation, to a heroine in the eyes of a small town, and the very special friends and comrades-in-arms that helped guide me along the way.

Got an idea for this after posting a response in a thread, and I figured if no one else was gonna make this crossover, then I might as well try my hand at it.

If you have made this crossover or know one that already exists let me know. I love God Eater and I love MLP, and I think it's about time someone mashed the two together.

Note: Avidaeos is plural and Avidaeus is singular.

I didn't understand it.

As I stood in front of the large metal container stamped with the insignia of the Wendigo Corporation, I couldn't help but wonder what the point was. Within these containers were several large pods containing the newly developed Daeus Arms.

They were currently being machine lifted by a crane into large, heavily armored trucks to be shipped off to who-knows-where, and for whatever reason, I was assigned to oversee the shipment.

Why was I here?

I wasn't part of the Daeus Arm R&D team, this wasn't the lab I worked in, and I had no idea what Moon Dancer was thinking having me temporarily transferred here. I respected the Daeus Hunters and what they did, really I did -- my own brother was one of the best Hunters Canterlot had to offer and I was proud of him for that.

I just personally wanted nothing to do with Daeus Arms.

As far as I was concerned, the things were impractical to say the least. I realize they were all we had when it came to fighting against the Avidaeos, and I understood the need for them, but they just... bugged me.

The weapons themselves came in all kinds of different flavors -- blades, scythes, staves, spears, hammers, and various gun types. Then there were these 'new type' Daeus Arms that could supposedly switch between shields, melee weapons, and ranged weapons on the fly.

The problem was that they were these stupidly large hunks of metal that used HIve Cells to function. The process one underwent to become a Daeus Hunter made the insane weight of a Daeus Arm a complete non-issue when actually wielding the things, but that didn't help the bigger problems.

What repulsed me about them were both the negative side effects they had on the natural magic circuits that ran through a pony's body, and the fact that their function and effectiveness against the Avidaeos revolved around Hive Cells.

Essentially, In order to become a Daeus Hunter, one had to inject themselves with Hive Cells via a bulky armlet placed on the arm just above the wrist, and more or less fuse with their weapon, which itself was basically an artificially made Avidaeus.

Once you put that armlet on, there was no taking it off, there was no going back.

I shuddered just thinking about it.

Hive Cells were the minuscule semi-sentient organisms the Avidaeos were made up of. They surrounded a 'core' and were what allowed the Avidaeos to adapt to any environment, no matter how uninhabitable.

The cells also allowed them to shape themselves into any number of strange and terrifying creatures. These Hive Cells were as fascinating as they were horrifying, and I had made it my life goal to learn everything I could about how they worked to better help fight against the Avidaeos in my own way.

With knowledge.

To that end I studied for years and was eventually hired as a researcher at the Wendigo Corporation. It had been one of the happiest days of my life, but getting back to the topic at hand, willingly injecting yourself with Hive Cells was something I just couldn't wrap my head around.

From what I had heard, it didn't even work a lot of the time, and the horror stories of what happened to those that failed to properly bond with the cells made me sick to my stomach.

That wasn't even mentioning the fact that the wielding the weapons -- while drastically increasing physical strength, speed, stamina, and endurance -- also drastically reduced a pony's natural magical capability.

This was an issue exclusive to ponies, as we were the most magically inclined of any of the other races of Equus save for maybe the changelings, and they didn't have the same problem for whatever reason -- in fact, they took to Hive Cells extremely well now that I had thought about it.

Once injected, unicorns couldn't cast anything more powerful than a simple levitation spell -- maybe a bit more than that if they were particularly powerful. Pegasi could still fly, but not for very long before their innate magic started to dwindle.

Earth ponies completely lost their connection to the land and their literal magic touch when it came to growing and producing food. This was a particularly devastating blow considering food had become somewhat scarce to come by in many areas and had to be rationed out.

This was somewhat mitigated by a more recently created Daeus Arm specifically made for ponies, a weapon known as a stave. While there was still a slight enhancement in physical characteristics, staves focused more on enhancing a pony's magical strength tenfold.

They allowed ponies to channel their magic into devastating fire, ice, lightning, and photon attacks. Staves worked in a similar fashion to guns, but on a far more powerful scale, and like healing bullets when used in a gun, they could also be used to heal wounds.

It was an incredibly draining weapon though, and prolonged use was dangerous as it would leave a pony vulnerable on the battlefield. Not many opted to use staves, and while they could be used by anypony, those that did choose to use them were almost always unicorns.

Despite my distaste of the weapons, I still made it a point to learn about them, which is why I knew as much as I did. After all, you never knew when such knowledge would come in handy, and prior knowledge was always a good thing to have in general.

Well there was that, and the fact that Shiny would never shut up about the things whenever he came back home to visit.

As I reflected on what I knew about Daeus Arms and wondered what in Tartarus Moon Dancer was playing at, I continued to walk amongst the many metal crates and trucks.

I inquired about the progress being made, took stock of various other armaments and artillery, marked off each shipment that was made, and kept track of the transport vehicles coming in and out of the large warehouse that was connected to the D.A. R&D Lab.

It was tiring and, at times, annoying work, but I managed well enough. Once it was all over though, I'd be having a word with Moon Dancer about why I was even transferred from the Hive Cell Research Lab to Daeus Arms R&D in the first place.

I finally finished up the tasks I had been assigned to do after about eight hours or so of work. I made my way back to the Hive Cell Research Lab area and entered the changing room to the left of the lab entrance.

As I stepped inside I breathed a weary sigh of relief, taking off my lab coat and hanging it up next to all the others. It looked as though I was the last one to leave for the day... as usual.

Normally I didn't mind, as I regularly volunteered to work longer hours -- well maybe volunteered isn't the right word. It was more that I would completely forget that my shift was over when I lost myself in my work.

This time however, I just wanted the day to be over so I could go home and have a nice relaxing soak in the bath, maybe with a good book or two. The thought made me smile as I grabbed my bag from my locker.

I had just closed the locker and was about to head out when I heard the door to the changing room open. I turned to see none other than Moon Dancer herself walk into the room. She looked around briefly before spotting me standing next to my locker.

Her eyes widened slightly and she took a step back, looking away and rubbing the back of her neck. I frowned and opened my mouth to go off on the mare, but the look on her face stopped me cold.

She looked nervous and apologetic, looking everywhere but at me. She shifted from hoof to hoof and after a moment's hesitation she finally spoke.

"H-Hey, Twilight," she began with a sheepish smile, "sorry about, y'know, having you transferred to Daeus Arms, but the boss wanted--"

"But nothing, Moon Dancer," I interjected sourly, "you knew I was in the middle of something important, and you also know how much I hate getting dragged away from my work -- especially for something like this."

"I know, I know," Moon Dancer replied quickly, raising her hands in defense, "believe me, Twilight, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't ordered to by Miss Inkwell."

"The Chief Operating Officer?" I asked, blinking in surprise, "why would she have me transferred to Daeus Arms R&D?"

"I don't know all the details," Moon Dancer replied with a shake of her head, "but apparently you caught the eye of the top brass with your advances in the field of Hive Cell research -- particularly with that thesis on Avidaeos cannibalism."

"So... they sent me to Daeus Arms because I was doing well in the field of research I actually studied for?" I asked with a raised brow, "that doesn't make any sense, Moon Dancer."

"No, it's not like that," Moon Dancer replied with a huff, "from what little I was able to get out of Inkwell, the higher ups wanted to test you for something."

"Test me for -- why?!" I cried in alarm, "what was this test? Why wasn't I told about it?"

"I don't know," Moon Dancer answered, rubbing her arm worriedly, "but I don't have a good feeling about this, Twilight," she looked me in the eye then, and I could see the concern clear on her face as she spoke, "the President wants to see you before you leave tonight."

For a good minute, I just gaped at the mare in disbelief.

"...Excuse me?"

Moon Dancer sighed and began heading back towards the door, looking back at me from over her shoulder as she made to turn the handle.

"I don't know what this is all about, Twilight, but from the sound of it, I think things are about to change for you," she grimaced and turned back towards the door, her voice growing quiet, "...and not in a good way."

Before I could ask her what she meant, she pulled the door open and quickly stepped outside. I could hear her hurried hoofsteps echo down the halls as I stood there dumbfounded.

Moon Dancer had been my best friend since foalhood, and through a lucky opportunity, had managed to get hired long before I did. The mare was brilliant in her own right, and despite her rather awkward and introverted nature, she quickly rose to the position of head researcher within the first few years she had been here.

I was happy for her, but couldn't help but feel more than a bit envious when I heard the news that she had been promoted. I eventually got over my envy and we maintained a friendly relationship. I trusted her to talk to me about her worries, but this time I felt as though there was something she wasn't telling me about the situation.

And then there was this test.

Why was I being tested? Was it some kind of performance review? If that were the case, wouldn't it make more sense to judge me based on what I know? Weren't there rules regarding this kind of thing? And most importantly...

What did Chief Executive Officer Celestia want with a simple researcher like me?

Expect me to sprinkle in some more world building here and there as the story progresses. Also, I may have changed the terms, but I will be using a combination of actual aragami and original Avidaeos that I come up with.

If you have any suggestions on monsters feel free to throw em' out there.

Celestia.

President Celestia.

If there was one thing in my life I never expected to happen during my time here, it was to meet the Princess-turned-corporate-leader herself. It was so hard to believe the President had been an actual Princess once.

Well to be fair, she and her sister were still technically Princesses, but that role had more or less taken a backseat to their responsibilities as members of the Wendigo Corporation.

It had been a long time since President Celestia and Chief Commander Luna had actually taken up their roles as the Co-Rulers of Equestria -- in fact the last time they had issued any kind of royal decree was way back before even my mother was born, and that was to override some ill conceived change to the city's budget.

Generally they had trusted delegates like Fancy Pants, Blueblood, and Cadence to handle the day-to-day running of the city. Cadence herself was an alicorn like Celestia and Luna, but she had lost her status as an actual Princess, along with her entire empire, centuries ago during the Age of War.

She had worked as an aide to both Princesses all the way up until Celestia had become President, after which she became a delegate. You'd be hard pressed to find a kinder mare in all of Equestria.

If Celestia was the 'mother' of Equestria, then Cadence was the 'big sister'.

While many leaders all over the world had conceded their leadership to Wendigo's Board of Directors, Princess Celestia had gained herself a rather unique position among the other leaders.

Each member of the Board of Directors was part of a different race, a decision that was meant to represent each separate race coming together as a single entity. Each of the directors had handpicked the one they thought would best represent them as President of the Corporation.

Celestia, with her millennia's worth of wisdom and experience, had played a pivotal role in the rise of the Age of Peace. Because of that, she had been a prime candidate for the position. That left many to wonder if Princess Luna would take up the role as the Director representing ponykind, but to everypony's surprise, she refused the position.

This left an empty seat on the Board, as Celestia had already accepted the position of President. In the end the majority of the Board decided to leave the seat empty out of respect for the snow white alicorn, promising her a spot as an honorary member of the Board despite her position as President.

While she had no real power as a Board member while acting as President, she was given the right to take up that power should she ever step down from her current position.

While Celestia had turned her focus to her duties as the new President of Wendigo, Luna had continued her role as a Princess of Equestria, leading the ponies in Celestia's stead, though she lost more and more power as a Princess as Wendigo's influence spread.

Naturally, this created a rift between the two sisters, and for awhile, the atmosphere in Equestria was a tense one. It was said that Luna began to feel more and more useless as time went on, but just before things reached a boiling point, there was a breakthrough.

Daeus Arms were created and Luna was quick to hop on the opportunity these new weapons presented. She set her differences with her sister aside and together they founded the Daeus Hunter Defense Force with Luna as it's new Chief Commander.

Though both sisters were now a part of Wendigo, they never officially relinquished their titles of Princesses of Equestria, nor were they expected to. Both Celestia and Luna had been ruling Equestria for so long that the thought of stepping down from the throne hadn't crossed anypony's mind, even when they took up their new roles.

And they both performed their new roles spectacularly.

Having Celestia in the seat of the Presidency ensured that things were fair and on-the-level within the company, as the alicorn had long held a reputation for being an incorruptible leader among her people.

Luna had taken to the battlefield like a fish to water. She wasn't a pony who stepped back and let others do the fighting for her -- at least not for the most part. She remained mindful of her role as a leader, but also made sure to be an example of what every aspiring Daeus Hunter was supposed to be.

When pitted against the Avidaeos, she was a demon -- some even going so far as to say the mare changed during battle. Her nigh impossible feats and brutally efficient methods earned her the moniker of 'Nightmare Moon', a title she held with no small amount of pride.

She had become a living legend even among the dragons and minotaurs, some of the most powerful races on Equus.

She wasn't just a Daeus Hunter, she was the Daeus Hunter.

My thoughts continued to wander in this same vein, mentally reciting everything I had read about the Royal Sisters, as I waited for the elevator to reach the top floor. After roughly two minutes or so of waiting, the elevator pinged, signalling that I had reached my intended destination.

Snapping out of my musings, I nervously stepped out of the elevator and into the small hallway that led to Celestia's office. The lights overhead were dimmed somewhat, and that, combined with the soft beige color of the walls, gave the hallway a sort of cozy feel.

Okay, Twilight, just relax. Stay calm, whatever President Celestia wants, it probably doesn't have anything to do with firing you for a poor performance... probably.

I took a few calming breaths before schooling my features and walking towards the doors at the end of the surprisingly short hallway. I stopped at the double doors and took another deep breath, clenching and unclenching my fingers a few times before raising a fist to knock.

A gesture that was rendered completely unnecessary as it turned out.

Just before I could knock on one of the double doors, the handles were enveloped in a bright golden aura and the doors were pulled open of their own accord -- or rather, of Celestia's accord, as the golden aura of magic belonged to none other than the alicorn herself.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle," came a deep melodious voice from further in, "please, come in, we have much to talk about."

I blinked stupidly for a few moments before gathering my wits and stepping into the room. The doors quietly shut behind me and I found myself alone with the President in all her glory.

The mare in front of me sat behind her large desk as though it was made for her. Her prismatic mane constantly billowed in a nonexistent breeze, her snow white fur practically shining even in the dim light and dark backdrop of the night sky that could be seen through the massive, curtainless window behind her.

Her bright magenta eyes didn't show an ounce of weariness or exhaustion, and her smile was as warm as the light of the sun itself. She wore a royal blue military styled double breasted blazer with a cyan armband embroidered with the Wendigo Corp. insignia adorning the left arm of her suit.

The blazer was partially unbuttoned, leaving the collar of a cyan dress shirt to poke out from beneath. Professional, immaculate, and radiant were just a few of the words I would've used to describe Celestia.

In complete contrast, I wore a simple forest green turtleneck and black slacks. It was only now, standing here in front of Celestia, that I felt extremely underdressed.

As I continued to stare shamelessly, Celestia raised an eyebrow before leaning forward and resting her hands on the desk. She chuckled and gave me a playful smirk.

"Like what you see?"

My open mouth snapped shut and I quickly looked away, completely mortified. The reaction only made Celestia laugh out loud.

"I'm sorry, Twilight," she said, still chuckling good-naturedly, "I couldn't resist. You'll have to forgive me, I tend to look for amusement wherever I can find it."

"Yeah," I replied with an awkward chuckle of my own, my face still a bit flushed, "I uh... know exactly what you mean."

I really had no idea what she meant.

"I'm fairly sure you don't," Celestia replied, reading my mind somehow, "but that's alright, I won't fault you for it," she gave me one last heart-meltingly warm smile before putting on a business-like frown, "I supposed we'd better get to business then."

She lit up her horn and a chair I hadn't noticed earlier rolled itself to a stop in front of her desk. She gestured to the chair with an idle wave of her hand. I took that as my cue to sit, and sat myself down in the chair, adjusting it a bit so that the seat rose a bit higher off the ground.

"Now then," Celestia began, folding her hands on the table, "did Moon Dancer tell you why I called you here?"

"Um, no, not really," I replied nervously, "she said something about a test, and that's about it. She implied that she wasn't able to get a lot out of Miss Inkwell, but I don't think she was telling me everything."

Celestia furrowed her brows and hummed to herself thoughtfully. After a moment she sighed and looked back to me with an apologetic smile.

"I'm afraid some of that might've been my fault," she finally said, "I forget how tight-lipped Raven is when she isn't given express permission to divulge information that comes directly from me."

"Oh, no, that's okay Miss President," I said quickly, "i-it's okay, really, I figured you'd tell me in person anyway, so there's nothing to worry about."

Celestia eyed me contemplatively before her gaze turned sad and somewhat guilty. She sighed again and turned her chair slightly so that she could see out the window to the brightly lit city below.

For several moments, she just sat there, staring out the window with a conflicted expression. I grimaced as I watched her, my hands idly wringing the bottom of my turtleneck sweater.

Eventually she turned back to me, her expression sad, but firm.

"Things... may not be as okay as they seem, Twilight," she said before reaching down and pulling open a drawer beneath her desk, "as for Moon Dancer hiding something from you..."

She pulled some documents out of the drawer and placed them on the desk, spinning them around and sliding them toward me.

"...I'd completely understand if that was the case."

I furrowed my brow in bemusement as I looked from Celestia's solemn face to the papers in front of me. With a growing sense of dread, I picked up the papers and looked them over.

After a minute the document slipped from my shaky hands and fluttered to the floor. I took no notice as I stared at the President with a horrified expression.

"T-These are... they're... y-you're not... you can't be--"

"Yes, Twilight," Celestia interjected with a nod, "they're reassignment forms," she sat up straight bringing the full force of her authority to bear, "I'm personally reassigning you to the Wendigo Sub-Branch in Ponyville to work as a Daeus Hunter."

I felt sick.

"Should you successfully pass both the Daeification process and your training period, you will be assigned to the Retaliation Team under 1st Unit Leader Applejack."

I couldn't breathe.

"I expect you to have your locker cleaned out by the end of tomorrow," Celestia continued, "you have three days to prepare, bring only the essentials," her features softened slightly, "I will send 2nd Unit Leader Shining Armor to pick you up on the morning of the fourth day."

I was almost certain my heart was going to beat it's way out of my chest.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but we need you out there more than we need you here right now," Celestia continued, ignorant of my impending breakdown, "I know your research is important, and it's helped us greatly, but there's something... Twilight?"

My vision was swimming.

It was getting darker.

There was a constant pounding in my head.

Gravity didn't seem to work right.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked again, rising out of her chair and furrowing her brow in concern, "Twilight? Are you -- Twilight!"

I blacked out, wondering why Celestia hadn't just fired me instead.

Explanations in the next chapter.

To those of you who care nothing for exposition, I apologize, but this should be the last exposition heavy chapter for now. I'll try to spread the rest in between actual plot development in the future.

Sorry again guys, I kind of tend to get carried away when I'm world building...

Three days and a letter.

Celestia had given me three days and a letter.

I had known there was a conscription clause in the contract I had signed when I first started working for Wendigo, but never in my darkest nightmares did I believe I'd be conscripted as a Daeus Hunter.

Yet here I was, a weak, scientifically minded introvert who had no experience in dealing with the Avidaeos outside of a small sample in a test tube, reassigned to a position that could very well kill me before I even started any actual work.

And everything was explained to me in a letter.

After I had fainted in Celestia's office, she had gotten Moon Dancer to come get me and Moon Dancer had apparently called my mom to come pick me up. I woke up in my own bed the next day, dazed, confused, and -- when I finally remembered what had happened -- completely freaked out.

I'll spare the details, but suffice it to say there was a lot of shouting, a lot of expletives, and a fair amount of calming herbal tea. It took some time, but eventually I calmed down enough to explain what had happened to my mother.

She took it about as well as I did.

It was a little ways into the afternoon, after my mother and I had both settled down, that a representative from Wendigo showed up with a letter from the President herself. To be fair, it was more personal and heartfelt than I had been expecting, but not by much.

As for what the letter said...

Twilight Sparkle,

I apologize that I could not be there in person to give a better apology than this, but nevertheless, you have my sincerest apology for causing you so much distress. Please understand that had there been a better option, I would've chosen it in a heartbeat, but as it stands, you're uniquely qualified for what must be done.

It was my idea to temporarily transfer you to oversee the shipment of the new type Daeus Arms. It was my intention to observe how you handled being transferred to a new and stressful environment on such short notice, as well as to suss out a few other qualities that I'm sure will help you and others around you in the near future.

To your credit, you performed admirably.

More important however, is the reason I'm reassigning/conscripting you into the D.H.D.F. and why it's so important that it has to be you. Lately there have been multiple reports of a new type of Avidaeus sighted in the region near Ponyville.

We have very little information regarding this new creature, but from what we do know, it has shown an almost obsessive tendency to devour its own kind. It even goes so far as to ignore or outright flee from any Daeus Hunters we send to investigate in favor of attacking and devouring other Avidaeos.

While Avidaeus cannibalism has been observed in the past, and played a big part in the creation of Daeus Arms, this single minded consumption of its own kind worries me for reasons I'm not entirely sure of yet. I did not get a chance to explain, but I chose you specifically because of the rather impressive thesis you had written regarding Avidaeus cannibalism.

We believe you may be on to something, and to that end, your assignment is actually twofold. As an expert in Hive Cell biology, I'd like you to work with Ponyville's own researchers to solve the mystery of this potential new threat.

At the same time, I'm assigning you to the position of a Daeus Hunter for three reasons. The results from your last physical exam showed that you have a high probability of being compatible with the new type Daeus Arms. This type of compatibility has only been seen in one other candidate so far, and they will be joining you in Ponyville at a later date.

The second reason I'm sending you as a new recruit is that, due to an incident in the nearby Everfree Forest, there is a severe shortage of available Daeus Hunters at the moment. And lastly, as long as you exercise extreme caution, this will give you a rare opportunity to observe and study the Avidaeos up close.

As a scientist, I have no doubt this will be an invaluable experience for you and should be a significant boon to your research. Just remember to put your life before your research, and don't be afraid to rely on your team if you need help.

I have no doubt you will accomplish amazing things out there, Twilight Sparkle, and I look forward to hearing of your exploits, both in the fields of science, and battle.

~My best regards, Celestia.

And that was it.

Apparently I was Daeus Hunter material and I hadn't even realized it. I hadn't even known Wendigo had gotten ahold of any samples from my physical, nor did I even remember exactly when I had taken it, but it didn't matter now.

Even if there was less risk of the Daeification process failing, there was still a risk. Even if I did survive the process, that still left me to deal with having to actually fight against the Avidaeos.

It had played a major factor in me getting hired at Wendigo, but I was beginning to regret writing that thesis. I didn't want to fight. My brother was the one that did the fighting, and my dad, Night Light before him... before he died during an Avidaeos breach.

That was another issue.

My dad had died when I was only a newborn foal, so I don't remember him at all, but both Shining Armor and mom did. What I knew about him, I had only heard from stories from both my mother and Shiny.

Apparently during the Avidaeus attack, he had sacrificed himself to get me, my mom, and Shiny to safety behind Canterlot's inner wall. Our house wasn't exactly in the richer part of town, but it was close enough that it hugged the outside of the inner walls meant to protect Wendigo HQ and the rest of Canterlot's more vital facilities.

Avidaeus breaches were extremely rare in this city, and that had been one of the worst breaches in recorded history. My brother, having been just old enough to understand how truly terrible the events of that day were, vowed to become a Daeus Hunter to defend mom and I from another attack like that -- not that there'd been one since.

If I went off to Ponyville to become a Daeus Hunter, my mom would be left all alone save for Shiny's rare visits. Since he was stationed in the Equestrian Main Branch here in Canterlot, and Canterlot's city wide defenses were among some of the best on Equus, neither my mother or I would have to worry too much about him, but out there, outside of the Anti-Avidaeus walls...

There's no telling what would happen to me out there.

If I was just being sent off to help with the research, it would be one thing, but fighting the Avidaeos? I couldn't even imagine it, and out of morbid curiosity I tried. In any case though, I had no choice but to comply, so I'd have to get over my many, many reservations at some point.

It had been a full day since I received my new reassignment from Celestia. It was late, and I found myself sitting at the desk next to my bed in the relative quiet of my own second story bedroom, re-reading the letter Celestia had sent me earlier that afternoon.

Moon Dancer had come over a few hours ago to drop off my things from work, as I had been indisposed and hadn't had a chance. She brought Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette, three old friends I hadn't seen since I started working at Wendigo roughly a year and a half ago.

When they heard the news they had insisted on seeing me, but in the end, I just thanked Moon Dancer for bringing my things over and turned all of them away. I really didn't feel like having any company right now.

All I wanted to do at the moment was hole up in my rather tiny room. To anypony who hadn't lived here as long as I had, the place would've probably been uncomfortably small -- only spacious enough for my desk, my smallish bed, a tiny closet for the few clothes I owned, and a bookshelf that covered the wall opposite my bedroom door.

The walls were a typical off-white plaster, the carpet was thin and dark grey, and there was only a single window allowing an unrestricted view of the crowded streets below. The desk I was currently sulking at was cluttered with a few pens, a large stack of unimportant documents, and several books both finished and unfinished.

I don't know how long I sat there reading the same paragraph over and over again, but eventually a knock on my door snapped me out of my daze. I cast a side glance at the door and frowned for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh and returning my gaze to the slip of paper before me.

"It's open, mom."

At that, I heard the latch turn and the door swung open to reveal a weary looking Twilight Velvet. She looked around for a second before spotting me, sitting slumped forward over my desk and staring at the letter.

"Oh, Twilight," she sighed, "you've got what, two more days before you have to leave, and you're just going to brood alone in your room?" when I didn't answer she frowned and stepped fully inside the room, "Moon Dancer and the others are worried about you, sweetie -- worried about how this is affecting you."

"Yeah, I know."

Mom was silent for a long moment before speaking again in a voice that made me look up.

"You should've at least talked to them, Twilight," mom said, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "I know... I know we talked about it already, and I know your brother is coming to get you when the time comes, but..." she stepped a bit closer, "but you don't know if... you'll ever be able to see them again after..."

She trailed off and wiped her eyes before collecting herself once again and giving me a stern frown. I winced slightly and looked away again, a small pang of guilt rising in my stomach.

"You can't push them away like that, Twilight," she admonished, "they're just worried about you."

She walked past me and lowered herself onto my bed. I turned to look at her, and it was only now that I got a closer look, that I could see the dark lines staining her cheeks and the slight redness in her eyes.

My mother had been crying, and the guilt I had felt only increased. I knew it wasn't my fault that I was being shipped out to Ponyville, but I still couldn't help but feel bad about the way I was acting once I had actually gotten a good look at the state my mom was in.

"I don't want you to go, sweetie," mom continued, reaching out and grabbing one of my hands in hers, squeezing it gently, "you're... you're all I have left and I don't want to lose you... but if you have to go... couldn't you at least do it with your head held high and no regrets?"

It was clear by the sound of her voice and the look in her eyes that she was struggling to sound supportive, and I appreciated her all the more for it. It took me a second, but eventually I leaned over and gave my mom a brief, but tight hug before pulling back.

"You're right, mom," I said, trying to sound more confident and ready than I felt for her sake, "I... I have to get over this and do what I need to do," I looked away for a moment as I spoke, "I... I'm not cut out for this sort of thing... at all, but Celestia has faith in me, and I won't let her or you down," I gave her a weak smile, "well, I'll try my best anyway."

"That's all you can do, dear," my mom replied, sniffing as she pulled me into another short hug, "just be sure to see your friends before you go, that's all I ask."

She pulled away and stood up once more before walking over to, and pulling open the bedroom door. As she was about to step outside into the hallway, she stopped and turned back to me.

"Oh, and I'll most likely have already left for work by the time Shining Armor gets here, so make sure to tell him I love him and how proud he makes me, alright?"

"I will, mom," I replied with a small smile, "I promise."

She smiled back at me warmly before walking out and gently closing the door behind her. I listened to the sound of her hoofsteps as the descended the stairs outside my room.

My worried frown returned and I gave the letter I had placed on the desk one last look before sighing heavily. I got up from the desk and moved over to my closet to retrieve the black t-shirt and sweatpants I usually wore to bed.

After I had changed, I flicked off the large lamp resting on the desk and plopped down onto my bed, throwing the blanket over myself and trying to get comfortable. My tumultuous thoughts and feelings made it difficult to fall asleep, but with one final thought, I eventually managed to drift off.

At the very least, I'll be able to continue my research...

I wonder if anyone's figured out where I'm going with this premise yet...

Anywho, there's one more heart-to-heart on the way and then it's off to Ponyville for Twilight in the next chapter!

I didn't have much in the way of advanced magitech in my home, though Celestia knows we could've afforded it.

Apparently my dad had grown up in an old fashioned home and my mom agreed to humor his views... somewhat. She would always tell me and Shiny that 'the only place magitech needed to be was in the workplace' which I never thought made any sense, as there wasn't a single building that didn't have some kind of mana device or another in it.

Regardless, because of that, Shiny and I grew up without a lot of access to computers, television, mobile phones and the like. My mom eventually relaxed her standards and got my brother and I mobile phones and a TV for the living room... but that was about it.

Sure we had the necessary amenities needed for everyday living, but no computers or anything else that would be considered a luxury when it came to magitech. Thankfully Moon Dancer's parents had no such hangups and I was able to learn how to use a computer whenever I visited her house.

Some time passed and I learned a bit more, going so far as to pick up coding in my spare time, but I still only really used computers during work and didn't have one at home to this day.

It was for this reason that I opted to visit the Canterlot Public Archives. The CPA building was probably one of the largest and most well protected structures in Canterlot aside from Wendigo HQ and Canterlot Castle.

It housed every kind of record available—from historical, to governmental, to corporate, and everything in between—though many of the records regarding the Age of War were heavily restricted.

The Canterlot Public Archives building was a place I had visited regularly as a filly and I had fond memories of it. It was where I had first met Moon Dancer and where I did most of my studying growing up.

Now I was going to use it to learn more about the Avidaeos that frequented the region around Ponyville, as well as information about the town itself. My mom and I had spent the whole morning making arrangements for my departure and trying to figure out what I should bring on the trip to Ponyville.

She had insisted on bringing everything she could pack into an oversized suitcase, but in the end, I went with only my research materials, a few clothes and a few hygienic necessities. After that was done, I had told her my plan to spend the rest of the day at the CPA, and she had insisted on me bringing my friends along.

So it was that I contacted Moon Dancer, who in turn contacted the rest of the girls. Now I was supposed to meet Moon Dancer, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, and Twinkleshine outside of the CPA building.

To be honest, I was kind of nervous about seeing all of them. I hadn't seen the latter three in well over a year, and when they finally show up, I turned them away because I didn't feel like talking.

I made my way up the steps to what was essentially a massive grey and white tower with 'Canterlot Public Archives' labeled in large black letters over the front. It didn't take me long to spot the others. The girls were all either sitting on the benches lining the entrance talking to each other, or leaning against the railing that lined the concrete pathway as they messed with their phones.

Minuette happened to look up from her phone and spot me walking towards them all. She flashed me a big smile and said something to the others before waving me over. The rest of the girls followed suit, and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

At the very least, it didn't seem like they were mad—if anything they all looked ecstatic to see me. I gave them all a small smile and wave of my own as I made my way over to where they were.

"Twilight!" Lemon Hearts cried happily as she stood up from the bench and rushed over to me. I let out a surprised yelp as the pale gold mare wrapped me in a quick but tight, hug, "it's so good to see you again!" she pulled away and held me at arms length, her bright smile fading a little, "are you okay? I heard about the relocation and—"

"It's okay, Lemon," I interjected with a reassuring smile, "I'm... I'm okay now, for the most part," when she remained unconvinced I elaborated further, "I talked it out with my mom and we both agreed that if I had to leave, I'd do it with my head held high... or that's what she said anyway."

"Wow, not gonna lie, Twi," Minuette chimed in as she stepped up next to Lemon Hearts and rested an elbow on her shoulder, "that's pretty cheesy. Good advice, but cheesy."

We both shared a small laugh at that before I turned my focus on Twinkleshine and Moon Dancer who were both making their way over.

"Hey you two," I called out, "was I late, or were you all just early?"

"No, we were early," Twinkleshine replied with a small shrug, "I was already in the area on an errand and both Minuette and Moon Dancer already live close by," the light grey, pink maned mare turned a questioning gaze towards Lemon Hearts, "now that I think about it though, why were you already here?"

"I was actually already here with my dad. We were helping my little brother with some research he was doing for school," Lemon Hearts replied with a shrug of her own, "when I got a call from Moon Dancer, I figured I'd stay behind and wait for you all."

"Fair enough," Twinkleshine replied, before turning to me, "It really is nice to see you again after so long, Twilight. I know both you and Moon Dancer have been busy with work, but it means a lot that you decided to see us all one last time before you were shipped off to Ponyville."

"No, I... I should've tried to hang out with all of you more," I replied, my gut twisting with guilt, "I had free time, but I was so caught up with my research and making sure I was on top of everything that I... kind of neglected you all," my ears flattened and I looked away, "I'm sorry girls."

Though I was willing to admit my past mistakes of not paying attention to any of my friends, I still didn't have the heart to tell them I had only chosen to meet up with them because my mom had suggested it.

"Ah, don't sweat it, Twilight," Minuette responded, pulling me into a one armed hug and poking me in the nose, "yeah, it does kinda suck that you didn't bother to at least call, but we all know how you are by now," the light blue mare stepped back and gave me a sheepish grin, "and besides, it's not like we got in contact with you either, so I guess that makes us even, yeah?"

"Minnie's right," Lemon Hearts added, giving me an apologetic smile, "we all had one thing or another going on, and could've made just as much of an effort to stay in touch as you."

I didn't really know what to say to that, so instead I just smiled gratefully.

"Come on, we can all catch up inside," Moon Dancer interjected, putting a hand on my shoulder before gesturing to the entrance, "Twilight leaves tomorrow morning so we don't have a lot of time."

With that, we all headed into the building, chatting and laughing about times long since past. We spent the rest of the afternoon searching through the archives for anything that would help me during my stay in Ponyville, and to my surprise, there wasn't a lot of information on the little town.

Thankfully, there was plenty of information on the Avidaeos, as well as a bit about the enigma that was the Everfree Forest. From what little I knew about the Everfree, it seemed to spit in the face of the current state of the world.

There were very little forests and woods left on Equus—the more plant-like Avidaeos taking the place of any actual trees and their role in the production of oxygen—but the Everfree stood as a testament to old Equestrian wild magic.

The forest just refused to die—rather growing even wilder as the centuries past instead. Naturally it had also grown far more dangerous as a result, and not just from the strange and extremely vicious Avidaeos that gathered there.

There was something... off about that forest, and many of the citizens knew to stay away from it—though apparently some wayward Daeus Hunters hadn't heeded the warnings, or their CO was a nutcase for issuing the order to enter the forest.

Either way, I now had to take their place, which I found rather unfair, but I already decided I wouldn't complain anymore... even though I really wanted to. Still, despite the odd lack of information on Ponyville, my friends and I managed to gather enough general data that I felt far more comfortable taking the trip.

Knowledge had always made me feel safer about my surroundings.

By the time we left, any trepidation or guilt I had felt about seeing my old friends was completely washed away. The sun was beginning to set, and each of the girls had decided to walk me home, which I was kind of beginning to regret, as it gave the others a chance to talk about the one thing I had been avoiding during our research.

"I can't believe it's really happening," Twinkleshine said as she turned to me. Her voice had taken on a more morose tone, "they're really sending you to Ponyville... to become a Daeus Hunter."

I grimaced for a moment before letting out a sigh of resignation.

It looked like I wasn't getting around this conversation after all.

"Apparently I'm uniquely qualified for the position," I replied, furrowing my brows, "at least, that's what Celestia wrote in the letter."

"How is somepony like you uniquely qualified?" Minuette asked raising an eyebrow and jamming her hands in the pockets of her dark blue jacket, "I mean, no offense, Twilight, but you're not exactly a badflank soldier.... not like Shining Armor," she looked away, her frown turning to a goofy smile, "I swear, that brother of yours could—ow!"

Minuette rubbed her arm and grimaced at the pale yellow mare who glared back with a raised fist.

"Alright, alright, yeesh," Minuette muttered, looking away with a surly frown, "so I think Twilight's brother is a nice piece of flank, so sue me," she huffed and turned back to a flatly staring Twilight, "look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't be anywhere near a D.H.D.F. base of operations, that's all."

"I know that," I said, a hint of exasperation creeping into my voice, "but apparently I'm just what Celestia was looking for. You know the 'new type' Daeus Arms that were just developed?"

Minuette and Lemon Hearts nodded while Twinkleshine just looked confused.

"No," the light grey mare replied, brushing her pink mane out of her face, "when did that happen?"

"Daeus Arms R&D have been working on them for awhile now," Moon Dancer explained, "but the information was only just released to the public," she turned back to me with a bemused frown, "but what does that have to... do... with..." her eyes slowly widened in disbelief, "...no."

I nodded gravely.

"Apparently Wendigo got ahold of the blood samples from my last physical," I explained, "I'm completely compatible with the new Arms—only the second candidate in Equestria so far it seems."

"That's... Twilight, that's crazy!" Moon Dancer cried in bewilderment, "how does that even... why you?"

"I don't know, Moon Dancer," I replied with a sigh, "it just... worked out that way I guess, and it's a big reason why they're making me a Daeus Hunter," I turned to each of my friends in turn as I spoke, "there's other reasons they're making me go. I'm also supposed to work with the scientists in Ponyville as some kind of authority on Hive Cells."

"Well, at least there's that, I guess," Twinkleshine responded, "but still, that's just putting more pressure on you, isn't it?"

"Not really," I replied with a shrug, "I've never considered Hive Cell research a burden or even any kind of 'work' really," I smiled wistfully, "it's something I've given my life to, and I enjoy every single facet of it."

"Good on ya, Twi!" Minuette laughed, clapping me on the back, "at least you'll still be able to do what you love."

We talked a bit more before eventually arriving back at my house. As we reached the steps leading to my front door, the four of them stopped and turned to me. I looked back at them in confusion before Lemon Hearts stepped away from the others and towards me.

"Seriously though," the pale gold mare said, pulling me into another tight hug, "be careful out there, Twilight. We haven't seen you in ages, and I don't want you to die before you have a chance to come visit us in Canterlot again."

She eyed me worriedly as she pulled away, and I could see both Minuette and Twinkleshine giving me the same looks. I turned to Moon Dancer who gave me a stern frown.

"I don't know what it'll be like working at the Daeus Hunter base in Ponyville," the bespectacled mare said, "but remember that you have friends and family who care about you back home. Remember us when your out there fighting for your life, and don't be reckless."

I stood there frozen, completely caught off guard by the sudden sincerity in everypony's voice and gaze.

"I... I won't," I stammered before shaking my head and giving Moon Dancer a warm smile, "I won't be reckless, and I won't forget any of you—not this time."

"And don't be afraid to make some new friends in Ponyville, Twilight," Twinkleshine added with a small smile and a nod, "you'll need ponies who can watch out for you. Whether it's in Canterlot or your new post in Ponyville, just remember that friends are never far away."

I smiled at each of them in turn and for a few seconds, none of us said anything—at least until Minuette let out a bark of laughter and gave Twinkleshine a playful shove.

"Really, Twinkleshine?" the light blue mare teased, "any more sap and I would've mistaken you for a tree."

Twinkleshine rolled her eyes and gave me one last hug before she and the others stepped past me and towards the sidewalk. She stopped briefly to wave back at me.

"We'll try to contact you before you leave tomorrow," she called out before rushing to meet the other girls who had also stopped to wave goodbye, "look for a message from all of us!"

I smiled and returned their collective waves with one of my own. I watched them go as they made their way further and further down the sidewalk. Once they were out of sight, the smile dropped from my face and I sighed heavily before turning back to my front door.

I don't deserve friends like them, but I'm glad they stuck by me all the same.

I allowed myself another small smile as I opened the door and stepped inside my house for what would probably be the last time in a long time.

And that's... almost it for the feels. Twilight still has a brother to talk to, but that'll be on the way to Ponyville.

Sorry about the long wait for the new chapter, guys. I had a bit more difficulty putting it together than I thought I would. This is more or less a new direction for me compared to my other stories and I'm still trying to get used to it, so you'll have to forgive me if it feels a bit rough.

Also for anyone who's curious, modern day Equestrians, as well as the other creatures that inhabit Equus, harness the natural mana in the air to power their devices instead of something like electricity—ergo, magitechnology.

Could've explained it in the story, but I felt it was quicker to just put it here. I feel like I've put in enough world building for the moment as it is.

Also, I'm wondering if I should add a sci-fi tag. The tech I'm using isn't really all that much more advanced than the modern day tech we have today save for a few things here and there, so I'm not too sure.

Well, now that I've gotten over the wall that was this chapter, the next one should arrive a bit faster.

It was almost time.

I had already packed what little I was bringing with me and the rest of my things were being put into storage. Now I was waiting along with my mom for my brother to arrive.

My mom had opted to take some time off of work at the last minute to see me off. It wasn't something she normally did, being as hard working as she was, but it seemed saying goodbye to her daughter was much more important right now.

We sat on opposite sides of the coffee table in the living room, my mom in an armchair and myself on the couch. We had already eaten breakfast and were now both nursing a nice hot cup of coffee.

There was a tense silence between the two of us, no doubt caused by the fact that we both had for the most part had already said what we wanted to say.

Really the only thing left was saying goodbye, and I wouldn't be leaving for another few minutes or so. True to their word, my friends had all either messaged or called me to say their own goodbyes, and now it was just me and my mother.

"Are you... gonna be okay once I'm gone, mom?" I asked, both desperate to break the silence and genuinely worried about my mother, "I know you have work to keep you busy, and I'm sure finances won't be a problem... but—"

"I've already come to terms with the fact that it'll just be me around the house from now on," my mom interjected, taking a sip from her mug, "Shining already promised he'd try to visit more often, and it's not like I have no friends of my own to visit from time to time."

She gave me a pointed look at that, and I rubbed my arm sheepishly. My mother did have several friends from work that she would either invite over or hang out with whenever she wasn't busy.

"Alright," I conceded with a sigh, "I just... I'm sorry, mom. I don't feel right, just leaving you on your own like this, especially with where I'm going and what I'll be doing."

"It's out of your hands, dear," my mom replied with a soft, if slightly pained, smile, "it's no fault of your own, and you don't need to worry about me. I have far more reason to worry, Twilight."

"I know," I replied, finishing off the last of my own cup, "and to be honest, I'm still a bit scared, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what I need to do."

"That's my girl," mom replied, leaning forward over the table and pulling me into an awkward, but heartfelt hug, "strong and focused, just like your brother and father before you."

As she sat back in her chair, I remained silent, a question forming in my mind.

"Hey... mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat for a moment before speaking again.

"I know you don't like to talk about him much," I began hesitantly, "but... since I'm leaving and all, could you tell me a little more about dad?"

The smile fell from my mom's face and after a moment, she set her mug down on the table and replaced her hands on her lap. For a few seconds, she just sat there, staring at her hands with a furrowed brow and a troubled frown.

"Oh, Twilight," she finally muttered before sighing heavily and shaking her head. She gave me a small weak smile, "I suppose I could, dear. Since you've gone and accepted your new and dangerous life, it's only fair that I accept what happened all those years ago."

I smiled and leaned over to rest a hand on my mom's as I gave her an encouraging smile.

"I haven't fully accepted it yet," I corrected, "but I'm willing to at least try."

"That's all I could ask for," my mom replied, her weak smile turning more genuine. She gathered herself together and I returned to my seat as she began speaking, "you see... your father Night Light... he—"

The sound of the front door opening caught both of our attention and we turned just in time to see a tall light grey stallion with a two toned baby and navy blue mane and tail step through the doorway.

"Mom, I'm here! Is Twilight—oh, Twily," the stallion stopped just inside, a look of mild surprise on his face, "I thought you'd still be getting ready."

"Hey, Shiny," I replied rising from my seat with a smile, "there wasn't much for me to pack. Mom and I already took care of it a while ago," I walked over and hugged Shining before pulling back and gesturing towards the dark grey duffle bag near the coffee table, "I figured they'd provide me with anything else I'd need at the base, so I didn't bring a lot."

"Fair enough," Shining replied with a nod, "the Daeus Hunter bases do provide quite a bit, so whatever you brought should be enough," he turned to mom with frown, "how are you holding up, mom?"

"Oh, I'm alright, dear," mom replied, pulling Shiny into a tight hug, "it's so good to see you again. Shining Armor."

"You too, mom," Shining replied, breaking the hug and holding her at arms length. He looked her in the eye, the concerned frown never leaving his face, "Twilight and I have to leave now if we want to make it to Ponyville on schedule, but I still want you to know I'll be back to visit as much as I can, alright?"

"Shining, I'm not some invalid that needs to be taken care of," mom chided, "honestly you two, I'm okay. Both of you were going to have to move out of the house at some point, in fact, I'm surprised Twilight hadn't left sooner given her age."

I blushed slightly, ignoring my mother's pointed look as I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Though it was true that most ponies in their early twenties would've already left home to be out on their own by now, I just found it more convenient to stay with my mom.

The house was the closest to Wendigo HQ without having to pay for the ritzier places within the inner wall. Besides, I wasn't a nuisance, and it's not like I was freeloading either.

I turned back to the other two in time to see Shining Armor step away and back towards the front door with a sigh.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," he said with a shake of his head, "I know you can take care of yourself, it's just... I can't help it, y'know? Being on duty as much as I am, I just feel like I'm never around enough, and with Twily getting sent off to do the same thing..."

I ignored the fact that Shining has more or less said the same thing I had earlier, as I made my way over to him.

"I'll manage, Shiny," I interjected, stepping up next to the stallion, "worrying isn't going to revoke my new status as a Daeus Hunter."

"I know that," Shining groused, "doesn't mean I'm not gonna worry anyway," he moved in to give mom one last hug, and I joined him, "stay safe, mom, and like I said, I'll try to visit more often, whether you want me to or not."

"I'll miss you, mom," I added, squeezing my mother just a bit tighter, "I know Shining Armor is just being... well... Shining Armor, but I promise I'll do my best to make sure I take care of myself so I can come back and see you at some point."

"I know you will, Twilight," mom replied with a warm, if slightly sad smile, "we may be a family of unicorns, but we're all just as diligent and hard working as any earth pony. I know you both will continue to make me proud out there."

"Won't let you down, mom," Shining said before turning to me, "you all set, Twi?"

I nodded and we both turned and headed out the door, stopping one last time to wave goodbye to our mother, who almost seemed to give an exasperated sigh before waving back with a smile.

"You really do worry about mom way too much, you know that?" I teased, "seriously, Shining, you know how tough mom can be."

"You were just as worried about her as I was, and besides," Shining replied with a grimace, "that's one of the reasons I worry so much. Who knows what she'll get herself into without either of us around to talk some sense into her."

As we headed for the greyish green armoured transport vehicle parked just outside, I looked over to my brother and frowned. He really did look every bit the soldier he was.

I had heard a Daeus Hunter could wear whatever they wanted once they had gone past the level of a recruit, but my brother maintained the navy blue military jacket emblazoned with the Wendigo symbol and combat jeans provided by Wendigo Corp.

And then there was that black and white monstrosity clamped just above his wrist—the giant armlet that allowed him and other Daeus Hunters to wield their Daeus Arms.

I grimaced and turned away, knowing I'd have to don the uniform of a Daeus Hunter and take up a Daeus Arm of my own soon enough. Thinking about it was enough to set me on edge all over again, but I pushed the trepidation down for the time being.

The passenger side door of the large truck suddenly opened as we approached, revealing an orange coated, blond maned, and stern faced earth pony mare.

She wore the standard navy blue blazer decorated with a cyan armband signifying a high ranking Wendigo employee. She looked me up and down, her gaze hidden behind dark aviators, before turning to my brother.

"This is your sister right?" she asked, pulling her shades down slightly to reveal sharp, bright blue eyes, "the one President Celestia is personally sending to Ponyville," she looked back to me, "Twilight Sparkle, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shining Armour replied in a more formal tone, "I've been assigned to escort her to Ponyville, along with our other new recruit, Miss Scratch."

I waved nervously before curiously looking past the orange mare and further into the truck. Sitting in one of the seats in back was a white unicorn mare with electric blue hair, violet shades, an open black faux fur coat and jeans, and a pair of headphones currently blaring some kind of techno music.

She seemed oblivious to what was going on as she leaned back in her seat and bobbed her head to the beat of her music. She did eventually notice me staring and gave a small lazy smile and salute before going back to her head bobbing.

I raised an eyebrow but decided to leave her alone and return my attention to the conversation at hand.

"Very well," the stern mare replied, pushing her shades back onto her muzzle, "Miss Sparkle, my name is Elmyra Harshwhinny. I act as the official liaison between Wendigo HQ and the other Equestrian Branches of the organization."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I replied with a polite nod and smile, "While I haven't met you personally, I've heard you've done quite a lot of good work for Wendigo."

"Indeed," Harshwhinny replied simply, "I'll be the one introducing you to the Branch Director while making sure all the proper paperwork is in order regarding the reassignment. In short, I'm accompanying you all to make sure the transfer goes smoothly."

I nodded and Shining took the opportunity to pull the back door open, motioning me to get in once it was open. I complied and slid into the back seat next to the white unicorn mare. She turned and gave me a single nod of greeting which I returned with an awkward smile before looking away.

Before he closed, the door behind me, Shining gave me one of his 'looks' and I sighed. It was the same look he gave me every time he was about to go into what I had chosen to call one of his 'overprotective older brother' lectures.

I doubted he'd talk to me here and now, but I was willing to bet he'd have something to say once we were on the road. He closed the door and went around to the drivers seat.

"The trip to Ponyville should take us roughly four hours if all goes well," Shining announced, buckling in and starting the engine, "while this vehicle is heavily armoured it is not armed—though my Daeus Arm is stored in the back if the need for it arises."

I looked behind me, and sure enough, there was more room in the back where my brother's signature azure long blade, 'the Defender', was latched upon one of the walls. It looked more like a giant blue combat knife to me, but that's just how it was designed.

"In light of this, we will be escorted by three of our more heavily armed trucks waiting just outside the gates of the city," Shining continued as he pulled out onto the street, "the avidaeos don't attack this close to the city, but that's no reason to get complacent.

"Once we get further out, the road's gonna get a lot more dangerous, so the President has sent four other Daeus Hunters to accompany us. Between us five, the local avidaeos shouldn't be a problem, but again, that's no reason to get complacent."

His gaze flicked to the rear view mirror briefly before focusing back on the road ahead.

"That's it for the moment," he finished, "any questions?"

"Who are the other Daeus Hunters?" I asked partly out of curiosity, and partly to quell the rising nervousness in my gut, "anypony we know?"

"Maybe," Shining replied in an oddly teasing tone I didn't usually hear from him, "I've been informed not to divulge identities unless the need arises, so you're just going to have wait to and see."

I raised an eyebrow and turned to the white mare, but she didn't seem to have anything to add.

"Do you know anything about Ponyville?" I asked, remembering the strange lack of information back at the CPA building, "I couldn't find a lot of information on the town."

"Afraid not, sis," Shining replied with a small shrug, "maybe Miss Harshwhinny knows more."

"Indeed I do," the mare in question replied, "but I've been informed by the President herself to let the Branch Director explain more about the town."

"What?" I asked with a confused frown, "why?"

"I don't know, Miss Sparkle," Harshwhinny sighed, "I'm not privy to the intricacies of the President's plans, I only follow orders."

I huffed and looked out the window, watching the outer wall draw closer as we neared the city gates. Annoyed at all the secrecy as I was, I couldn't deny that a small part of me was somewhat excited to finally see what lie outside Canterlot's walls.

Who knows? Maybe things won't be so bad, maybe I'll get to see what's out there without getting attacked by crazy monsters, maybe Ponyville is actually a wonderful town.

I frowned.

Or maybe I'm just being delusional.

No, for those of you who are wondering, Vinyl Scratch is not the other new type. As for Harshwhinny's first name, it's the first one that popped into my head and I like it. I think it rolls off the tongue nicely.

The very first glimpse I had gotten of the world outside was breathtaking... but not in a good way. I had heard and seen images of what lie directly outside Canterlot, but to actually see it in person was an entirely different experience altogether.

It was said that the city had once been built atop a steep cliff on Mount Canterhorn long ago during the Age of War. There was no evidence to back up the claim, and neither the President or Chief Commander had confirmed whether this was true, but I personally didn't believe a word of it.

If the entire city had been built atop a cliff that may have afforded some small advantage in the form of a choke point that could be exploited against ground troops trying to climb the mountain.

The major problem would've been that a few sufficient concussive blasts to the cliff beneath Canterlot would send the entire city tumbling down into the river that had once existed below... and it would've been a long drop.

I was aware Equestria hadn't had the kind of explosive weaponry we had today, but raw natural pony magic was far more prominent back then, and it would've done the job just fine.

There was no way Celestia and Luna would've been so foalish as to design a city with such fatal flaws in its defenses.

For as long as anypony could remember, Canterlot had been at the base of Mount Canterhorn, built below the opposite side of the cliff it was said to once reside upon. In order to get to Ponyville, we'd have to actually go around the mountain, which was the main reason the ride was going to take so long.

Fancy Pants had actually been trying to push for a tunnel to be dug through the mountain to make travel easier, but the proposal had yet to gain any traction. Instead I got to see the world beyond the walls for the first time right out of the gate, and I was shocked to say the least.

Immediately upon heading through the gates, I saw nothing but desert for what looked like miles. Well... there were several large boulders here and there, and the dirt was coarse. Large pieces of brick, metal, and other material that pointed towards long since destroyed structures lie scattered about the area just outside the city.

I had read that Canterlot had been much bigger at some point in the past, but the constant attacks by the avidaeos with no way to defend ourselves left little time to rebuild the city back to the way it had been, so the wall was fortified right where the attacks had been stopped instead.

Still, a path had been cleared and we were able to drive through with no problems. As Shining had said, three other and armoured vehicles surrounded us. One ahead and the other two behind and on either side.

It made me feel a bit like a VIP, which made me feel rather uncomfortable, but really though, I was glad for the extra protection. Staring out the window, I couldn't help but wonder who these other Hunters were.

Why the President had told Shining to keep it a secret, I had no idea. From the tone of my brother's voice when he replied, and the fact that Celestia apparently had a playful streak, it almost seemed like they were playing some sort of joke on me.

Maybe there really were some famous Daeus Hunters escorting us and they just wanted to keep it a surprise?

Either way, I'd probably find out sooner or later.

The first hour and a half or so of driving passed in relative silence, the trip rather uneventful. From what Shining had told me, the avidaeos didn't normally attack this close to the city—not anymore at any rate. Daeus Hunters regularly patrolled the area, making sure none of them got within at least three miles of Canterlot, and my brother was part of that regular patrol, so thankfully he knew the area pretty well.

"I really hope Celestia knows what she's doing."

My ears perked up at the concerned tone and I turned my attention to the driver's seat. Though he kept his eyes firmly locked on the road, I could see the worry clear in them through the rear view mirror.

"The President isn't one to make decisions she didn't give careful consideration to first," Harshwhinny replied, rolling down the window slightly, "if she chose Miss Sparkle to undertake this task, there was a good reason for it."

"I don't doubt that," Shining replied, grimacing slightly as the orange mare pulled a cigarette from a pack hidden in the pocket of her blazer, "I don't doubt it for a minute. Twilight is brilliant, but she isn't a fighter."

"Doesn't matter, once she's had the proper training she will be," the mare answered simply, pulling a lighter from somewhere and bringing to the stick in her mouth. She lit the cigarette, took a puff and blew out the window before looking back at me, "I'm sure you have your reservations, Miss Sparkle, but Celestia has an eye for talent, and she has no doubt that you'll do well."

I tried to smile at her words, but I wasn't sure if I succeeded. To be honest, I still agreed with my brother on the matter, even if I was trying to stay positive about the whole thing.

"I know I don't have to tell you this, Twily," Shining Armor continued with a sigh, "and I know you've probably already heard it plenty from mom, but I'll say it anyway," he turned just enough that I could see him look at me out of the corner of his eye, "...don't do anything reckless."

He turned back to the road as he continued to speak.

"Knowing you, you've probably already spent some time in the CPA researching those monsters, but there's no better teacher than experience, Twilight," he paused as he took a particularly sharp turn and continued a moment later, "once you get out there and see the things for yourself, you'll realize just how unpredictable they can be."

"I know that, Shining," I replied. somewhat affronted by his patronizing tone, "I've already considered the possibility that the avidaeos might not act the way they've been portrayed in the documents I've studied, but keep in mind, big brother, many of those documents come from first hand accounts of ponies who've fought against the avidaeos."

"Gramps wrote enough books about the things to fill an entire library."

I turned to stare at the white mare sitting next to me, and even my brother cast the mare a surprised side glance from where he was sitting. The mare's headphones rested around her neck, and I wondered just how long she had been listening. Seeing she had our attention, she shrugged and continued.

"I grew up reading a lot about the avidaeos," the mare said with a small grin, "and thanks to Gramps, I know a thing or two about 'em."

"She's not lying," Harshwhinny added, pushing the cigarette to one side of her mouth and smirking back at the two of us, "Miss Vinyl Scratch's grandfather is one of the leading experts on avidaeos behavior. I believe you're familiar with a stallion by the name of Broken Record?"

"Wait," I turned back to the white mare with her laid back posture and easy grin, "you're the granddaughter of Broken Record? Seriously?"

"Yup," she replied simply, "Gramps was the one that talked me into being a Daeus Hunter. Moved here from Manehattan because I heard this place had a killer training program."

"Then why are you headed to the Ponyville Sub-Branch?" I asked with a bemused frown, before my eyes lit up with understanding, "the Ponyville Sub-Branch was short on available Daeus Hunters. Don't tell me you—"

"Got assigned to Ponyville as soon as I signed up," Vinyl Scratch said with another shrug, "eh, you can't always get what you want in life. Besides, I got a friend out in Ponyville, so it won't be too bad."

"Wow, you're taking this way better than I did," I commented, somewhat impressed, "I fainted when I found out I was being reassigned as a Daeus Hunter."

Vinyl laughed at that, but it was the kind of laugh one shared between friends whenever one of them did something stupid or silly. It was the kind of laugh that made you want to join in, so I did, albeit with some embarrassment.

"Believe it or not, you're not the first pony I've met that took the news that hard," she finally said with an amused smirk, "I don't blame ya really," her smirk fell away and she looked out the window, watching Mount Canterhorn sink further into the distance, "this job ain't for everypony, that's for sure."

"I know what you mean," I replied, looking down at my hands, "I never thought I'd—"

A sudden guttural roar drowned out whatever I was going to say.

I froze in my seat, my body completely locking up in shock and a cold shiver going down my spine. Something was out there... something big, mean, and probably hungry.

"Buck!" Shining growled, slamming his hoof on the gas, "we should've been good for another few miles out!"

Shining's exclamation snapped me out of my fear induced paralysis and I turned to look out the window. We had been traveling through open rocky desert, and from my side of the truck I couldn't see anything that could've made that kind of noise, which only made me worry more.

"Shining, what's going on?" I cried, my voice rising in tandem with my panic, "I don't see anything!"

"Oh, that ain't good," I heard Vinyl mutter, "that really ain't good..."

I turned and saw she was staring out her own window, her shades pushed up above her horn and her brilliant red eyes wide with horror. I unlatched my seatbelt and crawled over to her side of the truck, following her gaze... and wishing that I hadn't.

"Twilight, what are you doing?!" Shining Armor cried, "if this truck goes top side down and you're not buckled in, you're gonna need more than a few bandages!"

I wasn't listening.

The massive, dark grey wolf-like beast running along side the truck was taking up all of my attention. Its build was powerful and its size was more than three times that of the truck we were riding in.

It shook the truck with each pounding of its giant paws against the ground, causing us to swerve slightly. The beast turned to face us, its yellow eyes blazing with murderous intent and the backwards curving black horns atop its head sparking and flashing with deadly electricity.

It roared again and I screamed, quickly scrambling away from the window.

Those... were some very sharp teeth.

"2nd Unit Leader Shining Armor," Harshwhinny commanded as she unbuckled her seatbelt, "get back there, get your Daeus Arm, and get that thing away from this truck!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Shining replied, letting go of the wheel and smoothly sliding into—and past—the backseat. I was about to say something about how stupid letting go of the steering wheel was, but Harshwhinny had already taken Shining's place in the drivers seat.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Vinyl said suddenly, never taking her eyes off the wolf outside, "that thing is a Lobairo. I don't know how much you guys know about these things, but they tend to... y'know... shoot lightning from their horns... a lot."

Harshwhinny turned to respond, only to cry out in surprise as a deafening crack filled the air and the truck lurched to the side. For one terrifying moment I thought the truck was going to tip over, but a moment later it fell back to all fours and Harshwhinny managed to correct its course.

"Gah, horseapples!" I heard Shining grunt from the very back. I looked back and saw him trying to rise to his hooves—his long blade gripped tightly in hand, "I think Vinyl Scratch is right. I can try to get onto its back from the roof of the truck and attack from there, but that would be risky, and the thing has a long range with its lightning!"

"Don't you dare go out there, Shiny!" I shouted back at the stallion, "that's suicide!"

"I know!" Shining yelled back, "but what else can we do?"

"Where the buck are the other trucks?!" Harshwhinny growled, shifting gears and trying to push the truck to go faster, "we're in no position to def—"

"Holy buck!" Vinyl cried in amazement, leaning closer to the window despite the wolf only a few yards away, "is that who I think it is?!"

My curiosity overtook me and despite my immense fear, I moved closer to the window next to Vinyl Scratch. I peered out the window just in time to see the Lobairo's horns flash dangerously.

Its next roar was suddenly cut off as another truck sped into view and slammed into its side, causing it to stumble. The truck then backed off and the Lobairo regained its footing quickly, but both its attention and mine were now on the other truck.

Or rather, the tall, dark blue mare with the starry mane crouched low atop it.

Both Vinyl and I were stunned into silence as we watched the mare shift her grip on the dark blue metal shaft of the three pronged charge spear she was wielding, splayed her wings out, and jumped off the truck.

When I say jumped, I mean jumped.

She completely disappeared from view in an instant, though the wolf lifted its head to follow her. It roared again and with a bright flash and another loud crack, lightning shot out of its horns in a wide arc towards the sky.

"No!" I cried—rather uselessly as it turned out, as a moment later there was a loud lupine like yelp and the Lobairo's head suddenly smashed into the ground with an earth shaking whump—its momentum completely halted and its body unmoving.

"No way," Vinyl muttered, her awed gaze glued to the sight beyond the window, "no bucking way..."

I nodded absently, my mouth hanging open as I saw the mare bent down atop the wolf's head—her spear punctured deep into the Lobairo's skull. After a moment, the mare yanked the spear out and hopped down off of the wolf, walking over to the side facing our truck, which had stopped moving at some point during the event along with the other trucks.

I was so shocked by the display I hadn't even noticed.

My heart skipped a beat as the giant avidaeus shifted suddenly, a low growl emanating from its throat. It began to rise, but in a movement so fast I completely missed it, the mare impaled it in the side, causing it to roar out.

She pulled the spear out, the massive three pointed head shining with a dark viscous substance. Before the Lobairo could do anything else, the mare aimed her charge spear at it.

Another moment later, something I could only describe as a large black monstrous mouth with sharp teeth and glowing white eyes, erupted from the head of the spear and stretched out to a ridiculous size.

The mare thrust the spear forward and the mouth at the end of the spear shot forth, biting deep into the Lobairo. Its roar increased in volume as the mare ripped the spear out, along with the mouth.

For a second, everything stopped.

The Lobairo stopped roaring, the mare stood frozen in her lowered stance, the air was thick with a tense silence. Then the massive wolf went limp—letting out one last weak growl before it stopped moving altogether.

With its task apparently done, the mouth retreated back into the spear. The mare straightened up and turned away, making a beeline for our truck. My breath hitched in my throat as she approached.

There wasn't a single pony who didn't know who this mare was.

Everypony knew the dark blue fur coat, the long horn, the impressive wings, that constantly flowing dark mane dotted with all the stars of the night sky that whipped about her face as she walked, pure white armlet, custom made charge spear, and signature black button up military style long coat.

Her piercing cyan eyes scanned her surroundings as she made her way over to where we were.

"Surprised I take it?"

I started and whipped around to see Shining Armor looking over my shoulder with a smirk.

"You didn't... why is she..." I sputtered, turning back to the window, "what is she doing here?"

Harshwhinny chuckled from the drivers seat as she took off her aviators and watched the mare approach. She lit up another cigarette before speaking on Shining's behalf.

"I'm not sure why," the orange mare answered, "but apparently it was a personal request from her sister."

I had no words.

I really, really wanted to know what Celestia was playing at, asking Chief Commander Luna of all ponies to escort us all to Ponyville.

Y'know what? I like writing Vinyl Scratch.

Really need to put her in more of my fics...

Also, Badass Warrior Princess Luna is best Luna.

I watched as the massive wolf like avidaeus blackened and sunk into a dark puddle of dead cells before dissipating into a black smoke with a loud hiss. I shivered involuntarily, caught between horror and fascination at everything I had just seen.

Okay, just breathe... breathe, Twilight... it's all over now.

I did just that—closing my eyes and taking deep, slow breaths as I tried to get the shaking in my hands and legs under control. I was so focused collecting my self that when I opened my eyes, Luna was already at the door to the truck.

I jumped slightly as she turned her hard eyed gaze my way. At my reaction her eyes softened somewhat and she turned her attention to everypony else in the truck.

"You all have my sincerest apologies for the delay," the dark blue mare said with a frown, "the beast caught two of our other trucks by surprise and we had to regroup. I pray the four of you are safe and unharmed?"

"W-We're fine!" I replied a little too quickly, my voice a little higher than I had meant it to be, "everypony's okay, Chief Commander, n-nothing sprained, broken, or bleeding!"

"...I see," Luna replied, raising an eyebrow at me before turning to the others, "well, that is good to hear. My sister would never let me hear the end of it if anything had happened to any of you."

"That... was wicked!"

Everypony turned their attention to the excited white unicorn mare sitting next to me. I yelped indignantly as she pushed her way past me and towards the window, causing the alicorn just outside to take a surprised step back.

"I've seen footage of some of your fights back home," Vinyl gushed, "but seeing it for real? That was... well... it was bucking unreal!"

"Vinyl Scratch," I hissed through gritted teeth, "what are you doing? You can't just—"

"Please, Twilight Sparkle," Luna interjected with an amused chuckle, "it is fine. We are... I am... flattered to receive such praise for my skill."

She gave Vinyl Scratch and I one last cordial smile before turning to my brother and Harshwhinny—her smile becoming a businesslike frown.

"Captain Armor, Elmyra Harshwhinny," she intoned, "we must make haste, lest more of the beasts follow in the wake of the Lobairo. Be ever vigilant as we press on."

Both Shining and Harshwhinny replied with a nod and a simultaneous 'Yes, ma'am' before returning to their seats up front. Luna nodded in satisfaction before looking back to me.

"Our... my sister wished for me to give you something once we had arrived in Ponyville," she said, reaching into a pocket hidden in her coat, "but seeing as I am here, I may as well bequeath her gift to you now."

My brows shot up in surprise.

What on Equus did the President want to give me of all ponies? And why wait until I got to Ponyville? If she had something to give me, why didn't she do it while I was still in Canterlot? She could've sent it along with the letter if she had it.

Thousands of questions piled atop each other in my head, and before I could voice any of them, the Commander-in-Chief spoke once more.

"Calm yourself, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said in a softer tone, no doubt noticing me tense up in nervous anticipation, "it is nothing so dire that you need to worry, though I myself am not sure why she wanted you to have this..."

Everypony in the truck watched curiously as Luna rummaged around in her coat pocket. After a moment she pulled out a key—not a key card, not a digital key, not even one of the many keys you'd find on a key ring.

No, this key was far older than anything I had ever seen before. Luna held the key out and I gingerly grabbed it out of her upturned palm, turning it this way and that as I inspected it.

It was a large, old fashioned lever lock key.

Just at a glance I could tell it had to be at least twelve hundred years old, or maybe older—yet it remained remarkably unblemished by time. To my astonishment, it almost looked as though it had just been made.

The key itself was simple—incredibly simple, yet ornate in its design. The entire key was pale gold in color and it had three sets of bits circling the pin. Each set had four bits of varying sizes, meaning that whatever this key unlocked had a very complex set of tumblers.

Interesting as this was, it was the bow that caught my attention. The bow's design consisted of a familiar looking sun motif with the image of a crescent moon engraved within it.

I recognized the sun and moon motifs as the ones that adorned many of the banners in Canterlot castle and couldn't help but look back to Luna with a questioning raise of my brow. Luna noticed my look and nodded towards the key in my hand as she spoke.

"That key is... very special to my sister and I, Twilight Sparkle," the Chief Commander explained, "I am unsure of why she was willing to part with it, or why it was given to you specifically... but I do not believe she would have done so if she did not have a good reason."

"I... wow..." I muttered, awed and humbled that Celestia would give me something so valuable, "I... don't really know what to say except... thank you," I looked from the key to Luna with a puzzled frown, "but... what exactly does it unlock?"

Luna shook her head and gave me a knowing, and slightly impish smile.

"I was told to tell you that you would find out in due time, Twilight Sparkle," her smile fell and was replaced with a stern frown, "in any case, I trust you will take good care of this key, yes?"

"O-Of course!" I replied a bit too quickly with a smile that was a bit too wide. I found myself gripping the key a bit tighter and holding it closer to my chest, "both you and the President have nothing to worry about!"

By the wary look I received, I doubt my assurance did much to convince the Chief Commander, but she slowly nodded regardless.

"I should hope not," she replied as she stepped away from the window. Her expression once again turning businesslike as she hefted the overly large charge spear onto her shoulder, "now then, I believe it's time we resumed our journey."

One of the other trucks chose that moment to pull up behind Luna and she turned towards it just as the back door opened. She took one last look back at us and gave a single wave.

"We will be sure to keep a more constant vigil going forward, on this, you have my word," Luna called back before stepping inside the truck, "until we meet again in Ponyville."

With those last words, the door closed and I heard the engine rev up just as our own truck roared to life and began to move forward. I watched for a moment as the other truck drove ahead and took up a position in front of and to the right of us.

"She's so bucking cool..."

I blinked and turned to see Vinyl staring out the window at the other truck as it passed us. It took me a second to realize just how close she was, scooted up next to me.

Somehow I had completely forgotten she was there, and the close proximity caused me to blush and hastily shift back over to my original seat.

Seeing this, Vinyl chuckled, taking up her own seat and nodding towards me.

"I'll be damned to Tartarus, girl," Vinyl commented with an impressed whistle, "seems like you're going places. I mean, getting something personal from the President like that?"

"Yeah, I... don't really know what this is all about to be honest," I replied, eyeing the strange key in my hand with a contemplative frown. I closed my hand over it and looked towards the front seats, "did either of you know anything about this?"

"Not me," Shining replied without looking back, "I was only told that Luna was going to be escorting us, and that's about it," he glanced at me in the rear view mirror, "didn't expect her to actually give you something like that."

"Likewise," Harshwhinny added, turning around in her seat to face me, "I had no idea the President and Chief Commander even had something like that."

"Oh," I replied, looking back down at the key, "alright then... I wonder what it's for..."

"Who knows," Vinyl responded with a shrug before leaning back in her seat, "all I know is that I got to see something wicked today, and I can't wait to tell Tavi about it."

"Tavi?" I asked with a hint of curiosity as I reached down and rummaged around in my bag, "who's that? A friend of yours?"

"Yup," Vinyl replied, smiling somewhat wistfully, "Octavia and I go way back. She moved out to Manehattan from Canterlot years ago."

I hummed in mild interest as I pulled out a small-ish black nylon pouch containing my safety goggles. Unzipping the pouch, I took them out and placed them in a small side pouch on my bag.

"So she moved from Manehattan to Ponyville at some point?" I asked, replacing the goggles with the key, zipping up the small pouch, and placing it in the inner pocket of my thin white jacket, "does she have family there or something?"

"Or something," Vinyl replied with a knowing chuckle, "she actually moved all the way out to Ponyville to get away from her family, and the city in general."

"Huh," I replied thoughtfully, before looking back to Vinyl with a raised brow, "why Ponyville of all places though?"

At the question, Vinyl laughed out loud, as though remembering a particularly funny joke.

"Funny story actually," she said after a moment, "so Tavi and her folks were getting into this huge argument, right? And then..."

As Vinyl talked about her friend, I started to sort of tune out, turning my gaze towards the window. I watched the massive rocky desert pass me by, the terrain dotted with dead trees here and there.

I let my mind wander along with my eyes and my thoughts brought me back to the key and why the President had entrusted me with it.

It seemed like Celestia was going out of her way to help me, or give me encouragement, or... something. It was like she was... expecting me to do something, or that she was expecting something to happen to me.

No... thinking back on the 'test' she gave me when she transferred me to Daeus Arms R&D, the sudden reassignment, the cannibalistic Avidaeus, my compatibility with the 'new type' Daeus Arms, being escorted to Ponyville by Chief Commander Luna herself, and now this key...

It was almost like... she was preparing me for something.

But what?

Why all the secrecy? Why not just come out and tell me what she really wanted from me? I asked myself these questions, but I supposed I could take a guess as to why she wouldn't have wanted to tell me directly.

She probably might've told me right then and there in her office, had I not completely flipped out and fainted in front of her.

I grimaced at the memory, somewhat ashamed of myself for overreacting like that. Maybe she had decided that it would be best to be a lot more discreet with her approach.

Maybe she thought it'd be better to instead, let me slowly figure things out on my own, at my own pace. If that was the case, then I kind of agreed with her. I would've much rather figured this out one revelation at a time rather than...

My thoughts ground to a complete halt.

I blinked a few times before narrowing my eyes and fully turning to face my window. I could've sworn I saw something moving in the distance, but it was hard to make out from where we were.

"What... is that?" I muttered, inadvertently catching my brother's attention.

"Twily?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice, "what's up? Did you see something out there? Anything we should be worried about?"

"I don't know," I replied distractedly as I leaned in closer to the window, "I think I see something moving in the... wait a minute..."

There was definitely some movement in the distance.

The movement had been a bit further up ahead of our truck, and as it moved closer, I could just make out what I had seen—my suspicions now confirmed.

Quickly scrambling up a large rocky cliff as if their life depended on it... was a dragon. From where I sat, I still couldn't get a good look, but I was able to see that the drake wasn't very big—most likely an adolescent.

Its purple scaly arms and head peeked out from a tattered brown cloak that blew this way and that in the wind, getting partially caught on the green spines jutting out of its head and along its back.

To say that his life depended on it was no mere exaggeration either. Gathered below the no doubt frantic dragon, were no less than a ten or so smaller bear like avidaeos.

Shining was saying something, but I ignored it as I observed the scene. I hadn't even noticed that the truck was already veering off towards the cliffside, as there was another detail that caught my attention.

It had looked like the dragon was struggling to gain any leverage, and I soon saw the reason why. In one claw it held what could only be a Daeus Arm... but it was broken.

The top half of the jade colored short blade looked as though it had been snapped off, leaving the drake holding onto the remaining lower half.

The arm holding the broken blade had a familiar black armlet attached to it, and I couldn't help but gasp in horror as the full weight of what was happening hit me.

That drake was a Daeus Hunter, and a young one by the looks of it. Not only that, but it was alone, and had been for quite some time if the state of their cloak and scales were anything to go by.

Somehow it had managed to break a Daeus Arm, which in and of itself was not an easy feat to accomplish, and now it was surrounded with no way to escape.

Who was this young drake, and why was it here in Equestria and not the Dragonlands? How did they break their Daeus Arm and how did the drake even get itself in this situation to begin with? All these questions and more filled my mind, but one question in particular rose above the rest...

Just how long had this young dragon been surviving out here in this avidaeus infested wasteland?

I was so caught up in the mystery of what the dragon was doing all the way out here that I failed to notice we were actually headed right for it... and the avidaeos below.

When I finally did notice, it was far too late for me to say anything about it—not that I didn't anyway.

"Shining, what are you doing?!" I cried in alarm as my brother swerved to avoid an oncoming boulder, "you're not thinking of driving into all of that, are you?"

"Normally I wouldn't, no," Shining replied, not taking his eyes off the road, "but the Chief Commander's already headed that way."

"What?!" I asked incredulously before shaking my head, "okay, so she's going to go save the dragon, that's great and all, but why does that mean we have to go?"

"Because that cliff the dragon is climbing is part of a large canyon we need to pass through to get to Ponyville," Shining replied, "the avidaeos are in the way, so we don't really have a choice but to follow the Chief Commander's lead."

"Can't we just go around?" Vinyl asked, though she sounded a lot less panicked than I did, "there's gotta be another road."

"There's another road," Harshwhinny replied, "but we'd have to backtrack quite a bit to get to it. It'll eat up a lot of time that we don't have."

Vinyl grimaced before looking out the window and towards the avidaeos. From the looks of it, they hadn't spotted us yet—either that, or they were too focused on their potential meal to care.

It wasn't really like I wanted to leave the dragon there to get eaten by the beasts, but the problem was that I didn't want to get eaten by the vicious beasts.

In truth though, I just wasn't prepared. We had gotten close enough that I could count at ten or so of the bear-like monsters.

I turned my attention back to the dragon, who had slipped somewhat and was desperately trying to regain lost ground. I started and whipped around when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

It turned out to be Vinyl's, the white mare giving me a reassuring smile before looking out the window at the dragon.

"Those things out there? They're called Mal Ma," she began, nodding towards the avidaeos, "they might look like giant mutant bears, but they act more like wolves than Lobairos do in that they actually hunt in packs."

"And how is that supposed to help the dragon, or us for that matter?" I asked, turning back to the scene outside, "I appreciate the insight, but it doesn't help our situation in the slightest."

"Maybe not," Vinyl replied with a shrug, "but I figured a little insight would help you relax a bit. You seem like the type who'd appreciate that sort of thing."

I looked back at Vinyl with a raised eyebrow.

The truth was, she wasn't entirely wrong. I was still worried for ourselves and the dragon, but at the same time, I had actually been curious about what those things were.

It was then that I was reminded of something my brother told me a long time ago. It had been the first time he had returned home after he joined the DHDF.

I wondered how he could do it—how he could go out there and fight the things that he did without getting scared or running away.

He told me it was because he had something to fight for. Of course I knew what he meant, even as small as I was... and me being who I was, and am... I wasn't particularly impressed with that answer.

When I told him as much, he just laughed and told me something that did resonate with me. He told me that a big part of why he was able to handle facing down an avidaeus was because he studied them and their weaknesses beforehand.

When you're up against an avidaeus and fighting for your life and the ones you love, knowledge really is power...

Strangely enough, Vinyl's words, along with the memory of what Shining told me did make me feel a bit better. The more you know about your enemy, the less you have to fear... if you can find a way to deal with it, that is.

I could see Luna's truck and the other trucks speeding ahead, and I let out a startled yelp as Shining poured on more speed to keep up.

As we bore down on them, both the dragon and the Mal Ma surrounding it finally took notice... and the Mal Ma weren't too happy to see us, to say the least.

We were close enough that I could see that the dragon was a young male. He looked to be little more than an infant in dragon years, but a preteen by pony standards.

What in Celestia's name is a dragon as young as him doing out here alone?! And a Daeus Hunter? At his age?!

I had a hard time wrapping my head around what I was seeing, and it was made all the stranger by the drake's reaction.

His first reaction was shock, but rather than the relief I expected to see upon his potential rescue, he looked... affronted? Indignant? Insulted?

It certainly wasn't relieved or grateful, that much was clear.

Whatever was going through his mind, he grimaced and turned away, redoubling his efforts to make it up the cliff.

Before I could do more than stare in bewilderment, our truck lurched wildly to the side as Shining made a hard turn and stopped.

"Shining, what—"

"You and Vinyl stay inside," Shining interjected as he unbuckled himself and once more slid smoothly out of his chair, past the backseat, and into the compartment holding his sapphire colored long blade, "Miss Harshwhinny, can you—"

"I'll watch these two," Harshwhinny said, cutting him off as she grabbed a small handle on the dashboard, "just make sure those things don't get near the truck."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Shining replied, grabbing the blade and giving it a once over, "the Chief Commander's probably gonna be doing all the work, but all the same, I'm not gonna risk one of them slipping by and hurting any of you."

Harshwhinny nodded before pulling the handle out, giving it a half twist, and slamming it back down. A loud mechanical whir followed by a hiss signaled the back of the truck swinging open.

"Shining, I... just..." I grit my teeth in frustrated worry and shook my head before frowning at my brother, "just... please be careful, okay?"

As much as I really wanted to, I couldn't just tell him to not go. This was his job, what he was trained to do.

In a matter of a few hours, it was going to be my job, and at some point, I was going to be the one out there telling somepony not to worry while I did what needed to be done.

The thought was... oddly humbling.

I was proud of my brother for what he did, really I was... but at the same time, I had always kind of thought myself above the life of a Daeus Hunter—like my contributions in the fields of Hive Cell research were more important in the long run.

To an extent, I still believed that, but as I watched my brother smile at me and hop out of the truck, it truly started to sink in that what Daeus Hunters were doing, was just as important in its own way.

The work of scientists and engineers like myself would undoubtedly secure a future for all races of Equus, but it was the blood, sweat, and tears of Daeus Hunters like my brother that would insure that we survived long enough to see that future come to fruition.

And soon I was going to be thrown into both roles.

I was astonished to find that the gravity of just how important my responsibility really was didn't crush me under its weight, but rather made me feel... lighter somehow.

A distant cry and a loud curse from Vinyl Scratch snapped me out of my epiphany and I turned back to my window, only to give a startled cry of my own.

Apparently the dragon had given up trying to make it to the top and leapt off with what I think was supposed to be a battle cry, if his raised short blade was anything to go by.

The panic on his face told a completely different story however, and I had to resist a sudden urge to run out after the insane drake.

I watched in abject horror as the dragon leapt into a pack of deadly avidaeos with nothing but a broken Daeus Arm, the tattered cloak on his back, and a death wish.

Then I watched in utter shock as he completely split one down the middle upon landing. Apparently the other Mal Ma were just as stunned because none of them moved for a brief moment.

The dragon however, had no such issues, and burst into action before the one he'd slain had even fallen. I saw him turn and slice into another one directly behind him as he let out another cry—this one sounding genuinely terrifying.

It was as he charged into another one and attempted to separate its ursine head from its neck that the avidaeos finally reacted.

With deafening cries of fury, the Mal Ma rushed in to tear the dragon apart. For a few terrifying seconds, I competely lost sight of the baby dragon under a pile of avidaeos... but thankfully, mercifully, Luna entered the fray.

With a battle cry of her own, the dark mare shot forth like a bullet, practically flying across the ground with her charge spear held aloft.

In a blur of motion, four of the Mal Ma were ripped away from the pile and sent flying... their bodies splitting apart as they fell and rolled to a stop.

The Chief Commander herself had somehow wound up on the opposite side of the pile near the Mal Ma she had just slain. With her spear outstretched, she turned and readjusted her stance, ready to attack again.

It turned out another charge wasn't necessary, as Luna's violent intervention had caused the remaining three Mal Ma to scatter, only to run into the other Daeus Hunters that had arrived.

As the other Hunters cut down the last of the Mal Ma, Luna hurried over to the fallen drake. She leaned over him for a few moments before turning and barking out what I assumed were orders for a medic.

My assumptions were proven correct when I saw two ponies in white hooded coats bearing a stretcher quickly make their way over to where Luna and the wounded dragon were.

My mind was spinning as I watched the medics lift the dragon onto the stretcher. I hadn't expected to see something like this until I had gotten out of training, yet here I was, witness to not one, but two horrible attacks before I had even made it anywhere near Ponyville.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even register the fact that Shining had returned to the truck, alive and unharmed.

Before I knew it, the dragon had been whisked away to one of the other trucks to be treated, Luna had returned to her own truck, and we were once again on the road.

I half listened as Vinyl gushed about how ballsy the dragon was to do what he did, nevermind the fact that it was the single most idiotic thing I had ever seen anypony do.

No, instead my thoughts once again turned inward as I replayed the scene over again in my head. Would I have to make life or death decisions like that when I was out there?

That was a stupid question and I knew it.

Of course I'd inevitably be put in a deadly situation like that, and I'd have to make a choice to run or fight. The only saving grace of my situation compared to the dragon's was that I'd most likely have a team to back me up if things went south.

But what if I didn't?

These thoughts and more circled around and around in my head for the remainder of the trip. Thankfully we didn't run into anymore avidaeus attacks the rest of the way to Ponyville.

We eventually made it out of the rocky canyon and into the rocky hills that made up the area surrounding the town.

A few dozen kilometers later and I could just make out the large steel grey wall that made up the outside of the heavily fortified village in the distance.

As the wall drew closer, I found myself thinking about the dragon and whether or not he had made it.

The area where the attack happened had been far from Canterlot, and judging by the fact that none of the trucks had turned back, I could only assume that they had planned to have the dragon treated in Ponyville.

I frowned as we reached the massive metal gated entrance into the town. I decided then that I would make some time to come visit the drake while he was recovering, if for no other reason than that nopony else would... probably.

What he did was incredibly stupid... but I wasn't going to put aside the fact that he had indeed been 'ballsy' enough to actually go through with it.

It was... inspiring.

Not only that, but just the fact that he was there still intrigued me and I wanted to know more about him. Where he came from and why he was there. How he had ended up being chased by the Mal Ma and what had happened to his Daeus Arm.

I only hoped he lived long enough for me to ask him directly.

And we are finally here!

More introductions to be made in the next chapter.

The sun was on its way down by the time we reached Ponyville's walls.

Once I was finally able to get my mind off the mystery that was the dragon, I took a moment to really look at the walls of the supposedly small fortress town.

They... were in terrible shape.

The walls of Canterlot were well maintained by some of the best engineers in Equestria.

Both Anti-Avidaeus walls and Daeus Arms were built with gargantium, a metal that—aside from its unparalleled hardness, was the only metal that could effectively resist the breakdown of matter caused by an avidaeus's tooth or claw.

The metal didn't make a perfect shield by any means, but it got the job done, and it got it done well.

Most of the minerals used to create the metal for the walls and weapons were imported from the Dragonlands and sent all over the world, making the Dragonlands a rather wealthy country by today's standards.

Convincing the Dragon Lord to part with the ore had been a task.

The continued survival of all the races of Equus apparently hadn't been enough of an incentive for Torch to part with his precious ore.

In the end, Celestia had managed to get Torch to agree to worldwide trade by reminding him of the profit his nation would see in return.

It took some time, but Dragon Lord Torch hadn't been disappointed by the results. Rather than sit on the hoard of riches like any dragon would've done so long ago, Torch opted to put the country's wealth into their cities and weapons development.

Nowadays, the Dragonlands boasted the most powerful and deadly Daeus Arms on Equus, and many of its cities were comparable to that of Canterlot itself in terms of comfort and defense.

If I had been a betting mare, I would've put all my chips on the dragons being the last race left standing against the avidaeos threat if it came down to it.

In any case, the Princesses spared no expense in the construction of Canterlot's walls, and they were strong enough to withstand an attack by an avidaeus twice their size without too much wear.

Ponyville was an entirely different story.

Unlike the tall, pristine, smooth, and seamless silver walls of Canterlot, Ponyville's walls were an ugly patchwork of dark grey layered metal sheets.

The quality of gargantium ore that was used to build Ponyville's walls was obviously much lower than that of Canterlot's, and a lot of others places most likely by the looks of it.

It had also been clear that the walls had been attacked several times, given the many scratches and dents I could see here and there along the sides of the walls.

Looking above, I could see makeshift watchtowers on either side of the large gate, as well as the few ponies patrolling them.

I grimaced at the sight of the walls before me, that small knot of worry in my chest growing larger as we approached the gate.

"Buck me," Vinyl muttered with a low whistle, "this place has gotta be in bad shape if these walls are anything to go by."

"Ponyville has seen better days, yes," Harshwhinny agreed without looking back, "the town gets a lot of avidaeos activity for reasons we haven't really pinned down yet."

"According to what I've read," I said, keeping my eyes on the gate, "the increase in avidaeos attacks may have something to do with the Everfree Forest nearby."

"I've heard that too," Shining added with a small nod as he slowed the truck to a stop next to Luna's, "it's a strong possibility. That place is all kinds of dangerous."

We were all silent for a moment as we waited for the massive metal gates to slide open, which they did with a loud metallic groan I found rather disconcerting.

Neither Shining nor Harshwhinny seemed all that worried as the trucks once more pushed forward through the gates.

"Frankly, I think these ponies were crazy to build a town all the way out here next to that freaky forest," Vinyl commented, breaking the silence, "I warned Octavia about it, but she insisted the place was perfect... crazy mare."

"Why would she want to move here out of all places, though?" I asked with a curious raise of my brow, "I mean, now that I'm seeing this place for myself, it's kind of..."

"I know what you mean," Vinyl finished with a nod, "but Octy is... well, she was a bit sheltered growing up, and that's made her..."

She paused and waved a hand absently as she struggled to find the right words.

"...I don't know. Naïve, I guess. She's always been a bit stubborn, but once she left home, she got this weird... adventurous streak. Said Ponyville would be an exciting place to live."

"Huh," I replied after a moment, "well, that's... weird."

"Yeah," Vinyl replied with a heavy sigh before turning to look out the window, "...hope she's doing alright out here."

"Hm."

With that absentminded reply, I turned to look out my own window at the town. To my slight surprise and dismay, many of the structures we passed were in just as bad a shape as the walls outside, if not worse.

There was just as much greenery inside the wall as there was outside, which was to say there wasn't much at all.

The landscape was all dirt and rock, and the buildings were cramped and dilapidated. Many of them were single houses made of some kind of wood, brick, or lesser metal.

I also saw one or two lodging houses and at one point we passed over a bridge sitting above a small, fenced off river.

Where the river originated and where it led I had no idea, but at the very least the water looked fairly clean.

As rundown as the homes obviously were though, I could also tell that the structures were surprisingly sturdy and well-built for what they were—or at least they had been at one point.

That either meant that this part of town hadn't always been like this, or that the ponies here had some talented carpenters that only had third rate building materials to work with.

Or both I suppose.

Still, the place was a far cry from what I was used to. Even the poorer part of Canterlot didn't reach these levels, and it was with that thought that I realized this must've been what we were passing through.

Of course there'd be slums like these in the towns and villages outside of the city. Resources were scarce all around, and I was fairly certain the no doubt constant avidaeus attacks didn't help either.

The ponies living here were much the same as the buildings they lived or worked in. Much of what I saw of their attire, while surprisingly tasteful, was worn and somewhat threadbare.

Despite the sorry state of their homes however, the ponies living here seemed... well, not happy exactly, but content... at least for the most part.

Foals still played in the streets under the watchful eyes of their parents, working stallions laughed and joked with each other, housewives chatted and gossiped, and there was an overall air of friendliness about the place.

My eyes widened slightly as I spotted a pink coated mare with a darker pink and extremely poofy mane sitting on a bench surrounded by foals. They were all gathered in a small clearing that might've been a small park of sorts.

I watched in slight confusion as the bright eyed, smiling mare pulled something from... somewhere, then in surprise as the mare put the objects to her mouth, puffed out her cheeks, and blew.

The objects turned out to be five long balloons and my mouth dropped open as the mare proceeded to twist the balloons into some kind of undefined shape almost faster than the eye could see.

In a matter of seconds, the mare was holding a large serpentine Wendigo... made up of balloons. The foals cheered at the mare's antics, but I was focused on other things.

Her balloon animal skills were certainly... extraordinary, but what caught my attention was the familiar black and white armlet just above her wrist, and the navy blue military jacket she wore over her sky blue blouse.

She wore the uniform of a Daeus Hunter.

As I stared at the mare, she gave the foals the Wendigo balloon and stood up from the bench. The mare watched the foals run off for a moment before giving a long, languid stretch.

By chance, she happened to glance over to where our truck was passing by. Her eyes widened comically and she let out an overly exaggerated gasp of surprise, something I felt was a little unwarranted for an average transport like ours.

She waved a gloved hand at us with more enthusiasm than was probably necessary... then we passed by a large utility pole... and she was gone.

I blinked.

One moment she was there, then she just... vanished behind the pole, like she'd never even existed at all. I turned to see if any of the others had seen the mare, but none of them were paying any attention.

I looked from them, to the window, and blinked again before shaking my head. I wasn't going to get anywhere thinking about it now, so I put it out of my mind for the moment and focused my attention back on the town itself.

Even under their rather harsh circumstances, it was clear that Ponyville had a positive, close-knit community—or at least that seemed to be the case in the slums.

Oddly enough, I found myself envying them for some reason. I felt a bit like I didn't belong—like I was intruding on their lives even though I hadn't yet done anything or talked to anypony.

Still, despite the friendly atmosphere, there was also wariness. As we drove close by the older ponies, I could see that there was a sharpness in their eyes, as though they were watching for something.

It was as though they were waiting for some kind of attack to happen any moment. If the town was attacked as frequently as Harshwhinny claimed, then it made sense the ponies closest to the walls would be on edge.

I turned my attention back to the ponies I was riding with, only to see that they were all just as quiet and contemplative as I was.

Vinyl had her face turned away from me, her headphones blaring as she gazed out at the town. Shining silently drove down the dirt road without a sound, his expression somewhat inscrutable.

Harshwhinny had rolled down her window and was lazily leaning out of the side, cigarette in her mouth and a thoughtful frown adorning her face as she stared out her window.

I suddenly felt like we were on our way to a funeral.

Trying to ignore a slight shiver, I turned back to my window and could see that we were starting to draw some attention from the townsponies.

Some of the foals stopped what they were doing and pointed before their parents pulled them away, they themselves giving the trucks a wary look.

I raised an eyebrow at the display, but didn't comment on it to anypony.

"Look alive," Shining announced, "we're getting closer to the center of town. The Wendigo building shouldn't be too much further out."

I looked ahead and sure enough, I could see a cluster of tall, rectangular white structures rising in the distance, the cyan Wendigo emblem clear near the top of the largest of the buildings.

Along with that, I could also see that the quality of the homes and shops were getting better as we passed out of the slums and made our way deeper into town.

Rusty metal, rotted wood, and chipped brickwork gave way to clean plaster, smooth cement, and lustrous steelwork. The dirt roads vanished and were replaced with asphalt, and everything just looked... better overall.

The ponies wandering the streets were better dressed, and looked to be a lot less... wary, than the ponies in the slums which again, made sense given that they were further from the wall and closer to the Wendigo building.

There was still that air of friendliness, and that closeness that made me feel strangely isolated though. I got the feeling that was another thing I'd have to get used to for the time being.

"You okay back there, Twily?"

I turned to meet Shining's worried eyes in the rear view mirror and rolled my own in exasperation.

"I'm fine, Shining," I replied with a small huff, "yes, I was worried before, and I guess I still kind of am, but I think I'm finally starting to calm down."

I let my gaze drift towards the towering monster that was the Wendigo building further ahead. My thoughts went back to what I was supposed to do and I frowned slightly before turning away.

"I mean... this is the first time I've been out of Canterlot," I continued in a quieter voice, "things are gonna be different than what I expect, and I can't keep getting shocked, worried, or horrified by every little thing I see, or else I'll never get anything done."

"That's the spirit," Harshwhinny cut in, turning to look back at me with a small smirk, "just keep your eye on the prize and things will work out fine."

"Just what is the prize exactly?" Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow at the orange mare, "aside from the whole 'making Equus a halfway decent planet to live on' thing I mean. Is there even another prize?"

"The pay is pretty decent once you get out of training and make a name for yourself," Shining replied with a smirk of his own, "food still sucks though. Rations, rations, and more rations."

"Fantastic," I replied flatly, "I can't wait."

"Hey," Shining replied with a small shrug, "if you do well, you get better rations, so there's that. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get actual corn-on-the-cob instead of the chunky, smelly creamed variety."

"Shining, just... no. Stop," I said, chuckling a bit, "you're doing a terrible job of selling this whole Daeus Hunter thing. And besides, I already know Daeus Hunters in Canterlot get better rations than that."

"True," Shining conceded, before his expression turned dead serious, "but this isn't Canterlot, Twi. Nasty creamed corn is a very real possibility."

"Oh, Celestia, you're terrible," I replied, laughing out loud at my brothers straight-faced delivery, "seriously, stop. I don't wanna think about that right now."

I heard Vinyl laugh along, and even Harshwhinny gave a small chuckle of her own. It wasn't really all that funny, but I think we all needed the distraction.

I know I did.

Despite what I told my brother, I was still fretting over what I'd have to do. It wasn't nearly as bad as the first couple of days after I had found out about the reassignment, but the fear and uncertainty were most definitely still there.

As the Wendigo building grew near enough that we passed beneath its shadow, I felt an odd sense of anticipation well up within me alongside the worry.

As we reached the large gate surrounding the perimeter of the Wendigo buildings, I turned and gave one last look back towards the town behind me.

Whether for better or for worse, once I passed through this final gate, my life was going to change drastically.

Once we made it past the gates of the base, we parked the trucks in a small lot near the building. Vinyl and I grabbed our bags before stepping out of the truck along with Harshwhinny.

An earth pony mare with a light amber coat and a short cut, wavy greying mane came out to greet us—or rather, Miss Harshwhinny—personally.

After a few words I was too far from the two to hear, the mare looked in my direction, her dark blue eyes judging me from behind a pair of half moon spectacles.

From what I could tell of her formal cobalt blue attire and armband, she must've been somepony important. My eyes widened slightly and my heart beat a little faster as the mare made her way over to where I was standing by our truck.

I suddenly felt very unprepared for this encounter.

I jumped slightly as a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned to see that Vinyl Scratch had sidled up next to me at some point and was giving me an encouraging smile.

"Hey, chill, Twi," she said with a small chuckle, "it ain't like we're on trial here. The head honcho probably just wants to greet us new recruits."

"Y-Yeah," I replied with a shaky smile, "yeah, I guess that makes sense. Thanks, Vinyl."

"Anytime," Vinyl replied, patting me on the shoulder and taking a step back, "just don't worry too much and you'll be fine, trust me."

I gave her a slightly more confident smile before turning towards the incoming mare. I blinked in surprise, noticing her sharp eyed gaze had disappeared and been replaced with a warm, genial smile.

"Twilight Sparkle, Vinyl Scratch," the mare said with a patient smile, "the President informed me of your arrival beforehand," she held out a hand, "My name is Mayor Mare, but you two can just call me Mayor, everypony else does."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," I replied, politely shaking the offered hand. I took a moment to notice the familiar armlet that marked the mare as a Daeus Hunter, "hopefully we won't disappoint you."

"So like, are you an actual mayor?" Vinyl asked after shaking the mare's hand, "or is that just your name?"

"Both believe it or not," Mayor Mare replied with a chuckle, "well, I used to be the Mayor of Ponyville once upon a time. Now I'm the Director of the Ponyville Sub-Branch of Wendigo."

"And you're also a Daeus Hunter," I observed, "though, if you're the Director now, does that mean you retired from active duty?"

"More or less," Mayor Mare replied, "I'm not as young as I used to be, and once I was promoted to Director, I took the opportunity to hang up my Daeus Arm."

"Oh," I replied, not really knowing what else to say, "that's... hm."

"Indeed," Mayor Mare replied before turning on her heel, "now, I believe that's enough for introductions. Let's get this recruitment underway, shall we?"

Recruitment... the Daeification Process...

I shuddered.

"W-Wait a minute!" I called out, causing Mayor Mare, Harshwhinny, and Vinyl to look back at me. I blushed slightly before speaking a little more quietly, "I want to say goodbye to my brother if that's okay."

Mayor Mare eyed me for a moment before giving me a warm, understanding smile.

"Of course," she replied, "we'll wait inside for you."

With that, they all turned and headed into the front doors of the main building. I breathed a small sigh of relief before turning back to the truck.

"Well, this is it, Twily," Shining said, leaning out of the open window with a sad smile, "there isn't really much more I can say that hasn't already been said, or isn't just common sense. Be careful, if you're in a bind, don't be afraid to rely on your team, and don't worry over every little detail or you'll miss the bigger picture."

"Right," I replied, leaning in to hug my brother, "I'll keep all that in mind, Shiny. Tell mom I love her and that I'll be okay, alright?"

"Consider it done, sis," Shining replied, his smile turning warm, "take care of yourself."

Goodbyes said, Shining kicked on the engine and pulled out of the parking space. I watched him go, until he was past the gates and out of sight.

Another hand fell on my shoulder, but this time I didn't jump. Instead I glanced back to see the Chief Commander looking towards the gates Shining had just left through.

"Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle," she said, lowering her kind, yet serious gaze to meet mine, "my sister believes you capable of great things, and I have no reason to doubt her."

She nodded and turned to head back to her own truck. The medics had already rushed the dragon inside the facility and the other two trucks had already left.

"Grow strong, Twilight Sparkle," Luna called back with a wave, "strong enough to protect your friends and loved ones. Celestia has placed her faith in you, and I shall do the same. Good luck."

She stepped into the truck, closed the door, and was off, leaving me alone outside the doors of the main building.

I turned my gaze towards the setting sun and sighed wearily.

"This is my life now," I muttered bitterly before sighing again, "well, let's see how long that life lasts now, shall we?"

With nothing else keeping me, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way inside the main building of the Ponyville Sub-Branch.

I wasn't ready for this.

I was far from ready for this.

It was all happening way too fast. One moment, I was walking the rather dark corridors of the building, Mayor Mare and Harshwhinny telling Vinyl and I what to expect, then we reached the waiting room for all new Daeus Hunter hopefuls.

Well, I say hopefuls, but almost everypony in that room looked just as scared as I felt. There were about twelve of us altogether, and it was clear we all knew what was in store for us.

The room itself wasn't very big. The walls were made of some sort of dark greyish brown metal, and the lighting was rather low, giving the whole place a rather somber atmosphere.

Vinyl, Mayor Mare, Harshwhinny, and I had entered through a small door placed near the wall, and after a few more words of encouragement, Harshwhinny and the Director turned and left back the way we all came.

There were two other doors in the room. One was a single black metal door that stood to the far left of where we had entered, and the other was actually a large set of ominous looking giant metal double doors that took up a good fourth of the wall opposite us.

"Betcha that's where the Daeification Process takes place," Vinyl muttered nudging me in the arm, "I mean, just look at that door! it's gotta be."

Before I could respond, the smaller door on the left swung open, admitting a tall golden coated pegasus mare with a mane and tail of brilliant orange and amber—both flaring out like a flame.

Based on what little I knew about Daeus Hunter ranks, I could tell the mare was at least a lieutenant by her dark blue military coat, the standard armband, and the several patches along the front of the coat.

Every eye in the room turned to the mare, as she walked out into the middle of the room. She silently scanned the room with an unreadable expression—her eyes hidden behind dark aviators.

Her gaze stopped on Vinyl and I and she frowned slightly.

"You two just get here?" she asked in a curt, raspy voice.

We both nodded an affirmative and in response, the mare nodded towards one of the long, uncomfortable looking metal benches on either side of the room where the others were sitting.

"Find a seat and wait," she commanded, "we're gonna be getting this underway here in a moment."

With a shrug, Vinyl walked over to one of the benches and plopped herself down in between a surly looking, mulberry coated unicorn mare and a nervous amber coated earth pony stallion.

I chose to sit on the opposite bench near the edge. As I placed my bag beneath the seat, a small squeak caught my attention. I turned to see that I had sat next to a butter yellow pegasus mare.

Half the mare's face was covered by a long, luxurious pink mane and I was only able to make out a single, terrified aqua blue eye. It took me a minute to notice that subtle shaking in the mare's frame.

She was absolutely petrified.

With the shaking, small whimpers, and complete lack of eye contact with anyone, I felt bad for the mare. Her demeanor made me a little curious as to how she ended up here.

Was she a victim of circumstance like me?

I highly doubted she joined willingly, that's for sure. I was about to say something—maybe some words of comfort—but a tiny movement caught my eye.

I furrowed my brow and looked further down. The mare was wearing a thick lime green turtleneck beneath a thin dark green coat that was clearly far too large for her.

Isn't she hot in that?

The thought left as soon as it crossed my mind as I spotted another movement coming from the opening in her coat. Looking a bit closer I saw a flash of white and my mouth fell open.

Sitting comfortably inside the mare's coat was a small white rabbit.

It wasn't like there were no regular animals left, but seeing one outside of a reserve was extremely rare. The fact that this mare had one was enough to completely stun me for a moment.

That was, until the rabbit poked its head out and glared at me with its beady black eyes.

"U-Um... excuse me..."

I snapped my gaze upward at the soft whisper and flushed with embarrassment at the mare's slightly panicked look.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." I whispered. I glanced back down, but the rabbit had vanished from view, "I... it's just... where did you—"

"Please don't tell anypony."

I opened my mouth but snapped it shut at the mare's pleading look. Instead I just nodded dumbly, much to the mare's visible relief.

"Thank you," she whispered with a small, shaky smile, "m-my name's... Fluttershy by the way."

"Um... Twilight," I replied, returning her smile with an awkward grin of my own, "Twilight Sparkle. It's nice to—"

"Alright, cut the chitchat for a minute!" came the loud voice of the golden pegasus mare with the aviators, "my name is Spitfire, and now that you're all here, this is how things are gonna go down!"

She took off her aviators, revealing brilliant orange eyes. Pointing the aviators in the direction of the giant double doors, she continued her explanation.

"Behind that giant metal door, is another, smaller metal door," she said, looking around the room, "and behind that door, is the room where you'll be undergoing the Daeification Process."

Spitfire paused when she spotted a raised hand. Raising an eyebrow, she nodded towards the white coated, jittery looking earth pony mare who raised the hand.

"Go on?" Spitfire encouraged, "if you got something to ask, ask it now, cause you ain't getting another chance later."

"U-Um... well," the mare stuttered, looking very much like she was regretting her decision to speak, "do you think... will it... y'know... hurt?"

The last word came out in a tiny squeak and Spitfire chuckled in response before shaking her head.

"Kid, it's gonna hurt like you wouldn't believe," she answered simply, "it'll probably be the worse pain you've ever felt in your life, though if it helps, the process is pretty quick."

Her smirk fell away and she took a moment to give all of us an intense stare. After a few seconds she spoke again, her tone grave and ominous.

"Let me tell you all right now, this is a dangerous process, and if you're rejected, there's a very real chance that you may not make it out... unscathed."

"W-What does that mean?" came the voice of the nervous amber stallion, "what do you mean by unscathed?"

"I mean," Spitfire replied, walking over to the stallion and leaning in close, "that at best, you'll be losing a limb, and at worst... you'll be losing your equinity, and if that happens... well... just pray that it doesn't happen."

She stepped back, leaving the stallion shaking in his seat.

"Now, normally you'd all have to go through this no matter the risks," Spitfire continued, "but here in Ponyville, we do things a little differently."

She paused another moment looking around as though she were judging each and every one of us, then spoke again.

"In this town, we're looking for those who truly want to protect their fellow equines no matter how dangerous things get.

"What we don't want, are sniveling cowards who run at the first sign of danger and leave their teammates behind to pick up the slack. That causes far more damage than any surprise attack from an avidaeus."

As if on cue, the door leading back to the corridor we came through opened, followed by the far door on the left.

A dark grey pegasus stallion holding a clipboard stepped through the far left door and leaned against the wall next to it. Stepping through the other door was a pegasus mare with a greyish blue coat and a wild light cerulean mane.

Like the pegasus stallion, she took up a spot next to her own door, look around the room with sharp, rosy eyes and a small smirk.

"To those of you who were conscripted," Spitfire continued, ignoring the two ponies that had just walked in, "you're going through the process whether you like it or not, so deal with it."

I frowned.

Well, so much for an easy out...

"For those of you who came here willingly, and don't think you can hack it," the golden pegasus pointed towards the door next to the other pegasus mare, "get the buck out and don't come back."

For a heartbeat, everypony was stunned into silence, prompting Spitfire to continue. frowned at the new development, remembering in Celestia's letter the need for more Daeus Hunters.

"This is a dangerous job, and while retreat is sometimes the best option, flat out cowardice can and will get you and your teammates killed out there. That's something we don't need here, so as I said, if you can't hack it, get out."

Everypony in the room gave each other unsure, furtive glances. Then, slowly, some of the other ponies began to rise and head towards the exit on the right.

The jittery earth pony mare practically flew out of the room, causing the pegasus mare standing next to the door to roll her eyes.

It's no wonder Ponyville is hurting for Daeus Hunters. How are they supposed to increase their ranks if they give the ponies a choice in the matter?

It wasn't like I was advocating for conscription, being a victim of it myself, but the lack of logic behind Spitfire's decision bugged me. If they didn't have enough Daeus Hunters to protect the town, there was a real problem here.

Still, I could certainly appreciate the fact that they gave the others a choice, despite the lack of sense... even if I didn't get that same choice.

Curious, I turned back to Fluttershy to see that she'd gone pale and was shaking like a leaf—no doubt from Spitfire's words regarding the Daeification Process—but to my surprise, she remained seated where she was.

So... was she conscripted then?

Vinyl didn't make any moves to leave either, merely shaking her head at all the ponies that left. In the end, there were only four of us left.

Myself, Fluttershy, Vinyl Scratch, and a stoic looking, dark green unicorn stallion I hadn't noticed was there until now.

Now that I had noticed him, something about the stallion put me on edge, though I didn't know what it was.

The stallion wore simple beige slacks, and a black t-shirt over a white long sleeve shirt. His mane and tail came down in light grey curls, and his hard fuchsia eyes betrayed no particular emotion.

"So it's just the four of you, huh?" Spitfire commented, looking around at each of us, "honestly this was more than I was expecting."

She nodded towards the pegasus mare, who sighed, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road then," Spitfire called out, "Thunderlane, who's up first?"

For a second I wondered who the mare was talking to, but then the dark grey stallion next to the leftmost door spoke up. He looked at his clipboard for a moment before calling the first name out.

"Let's see... looks like it's gonna be," he paused and tapped the clipboard, before looking right at me, "Miss Sparkle, looks like you're up first."

It was my turn to go pale.

"O-Okay, um... I... I guess I'll just," I pushed myself off the metal bench with shaky hands and rose to my hooves, "...a-alright then."

Spitfire nodded and the giant double doors hissed, making the majority of us jump. A second later the doors slid open, revealing a smaller, more normal looking door, just like Spitfire had said.

"Well, go on, then," Spitfire called out, "it'll be like ripping off a band-aid, best to just get it over with."

Right, like ripping off a band-aid... with a chainsaw.

I let out a single, loud terrified laugh before walking over to the door. As I passed Vinyl she gave me a thumbs up and a reassuring smile.

"Good luck," she whispered, "and remember, don't worry so much, you got this, Twi."

I gave her a weak smile before stepping into the small metal alcove and grabbing the door handle. I pulled the door open and stepped inside, having no idea what to expect.

As it turned out, there wasn't much to the room at all.

It was large and circular, sporting the same greyish brown metal walls as the room I had just left. The room itself was empty save for a large, odd machine set up smack dab in the middle of the floor.

Looking up, I could see that there was a railed off ledge above. Standing behind the railing was none other than Mayor Mare, as well as a tan coated earth pony stallion with a short spiky brown mane and a lab suit.

For whatever reason, Harshwhinny was nowhere to be seen. I made note of her absence, but figured she had her own duties to attend to so ignored it for the moment.

I could only assume the stallion was one of the Ponyville scientists I'd be working with, though the stallion looked rather unassuming all things considered.

His eyes lit up as he saw me, and I saw him open his mouth to say something, but Mayor Mare cut him off before he could.

"Ah, Miss Sparkle," she greeted, "it's good to see you again, though I wish it were under less... formal circumstances. As it stands however, I'm simply here to provide you with some instruction on what to do."

"Um... okay," I replied, looking back down at the large machine, "so... what do I do then?"

The machine consisted of a rectangular black metal pedestal, jutting out of the ground. A small raised silver platform sat on top of it, with a small rounded out groove in the middle.

"You see that groove there?" the Mayor replied, "and the armlet within?"

I stepped forward and took a closer look, a curious frown on my face despite the dread that was building up.

Set into the small rounded groove was half of a red armlet, much to my confusion. The confusion turned to understanding and uneasiness when I looked up at the rest of the machine above.

Looming a few hoof-lengths over the pedestal was what looked like another black rectangular device flipped upside down.

The silver platform had another groove with the other half of the armlet embedded into it. To my horror, I could see a far too thick needle wedged into the bottom of the armlet's top half.

That must be what they use to inject the Hive Cells into my body...

My heart began to race in my chest and I shivered violently.

"Now, all you need to do is rest your arm in the groove and the machine will do the rest," came the Mayor's calming voice, "make sure to place the wrist slightly past the groove, oh, and don't worry about which arm to use."

I barely registered the mare's words as I stood there staring at the machine that would shoot a controlled amount of Hive Cells into my body.

It was only as I stood there that I realized I was effectively living one of my worst nightmares. My imagination suddenly ran wild, and images of grotesque transformations and unbelievable agony ran through my mind.

I almost fainted on the spot, but Mayor Mare's voice brought me out of it.

"Twilight Sparkle!"

"I can't do this," I muttered, shaking my head and backing away, "I... I can't do this."

"Twilight, calm down," Mayor Mare called out, "I know it's a terrifying experience, believe me. I was once in the same position as you are right now, and things were a lot more difficult back then."

I looked up at the Mayor standing above me.

"I want you to think, Twilight," Mayor Mare continued, with a patient, understanding smile, "think about all the ponies who went through this and came out as Daeus Hunters. Think about those that succeeded with a much lower chance of success than you do."

I blinked and lowered my gaze back to the machine.

"Did you know your very own brother only had a thirty percent chance of successfully binding with the Hive Cells in his body?"

My eyes widened and I snapped my gaze back up to the ledge. This time it was the tan stallion that had spoken, a firm, yet kind look on his face.

"He what?" I cried, "did you say he only had a thirty percent chance of success? A thirty percent chance of surviving this... this—"

"Indeed, Miss Sparkle," the stallion continued with a smirk, "and you know what he said to that?"

I just stared at him.

The stallion lean forward, placing his arms over the rail and looking down at me with what could only be described as a proud smile.

"...Absolutely nothing."

"What?" I whispered, "what are you talking about?"

"He didn't say anything, Miss Sparkle," the scientist continued, "he simply grunted and walked over to the machine, placing his arm in without any hesitation whatsoever."

"But... but that's crazy," I muttered, looking down at my hooves, "Shining... what the buck were you thinking?"

"Probably of you I'd imagine," Mayor Mare replied to my rhetorical question, "he seemed like that kind of stallion when I met him in Canterlot all those years ago."

"You two... how do you even know any of this?" I asked, looking between each of them.

"Like the Mayor said, we met in Canterlot," the scientist answered, "we were the ones who oversaw his Daeification, just like we're doing now with you. Quite a frightful moment if I do say so, but certainly worth the scare."

"Our point is," Mayor Mare continued, "there are others out there with far less of a chance than you, who choose to go through with the process, regardless of the increased risk."

"Because they want to make a difference, right?" I finished with a sigh, my fear for myself draining away and being replaced by worry and anger at my brother, "something about wanting to protect their friends, their loved ones, and the future? Is that it?"

"More or less," the scientist replied with a small shrug, "lines like that are a bit too cheesy for my taste, but that's about the long and short of it."

"Right," I muttered, once more eyeing the machine with both resignation and trepidation, "well, I can't back out now... literally. And if I have a high chance of bonding... well..."

I swallowed nervously before taking several halting steps towards the machine. Once I reached it, I rolled up the sleeve of my coat, raised my left arm, and stared at it for a moment.

Goodbye old, safe life... hello new, terrifying life.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and slowly placed my arm in the groove of the pedestal just on top of the lower half of the armlet.

I took another deep, calming breath—this one slightly less shaky then before, and began a familiar mantra in my head to slow my rapidly beating heart.

One thousand...

Nine hundred ninety-three...

Nine hundred eighty-six...

Nine hundred seventy—

The top of the machine slammed down onto my arm and I screamed. I felt every inch of the needle as it pierced my skin.

Beneath the white hot agony, I could even feel the cells working their way through my bloodstream, twisting and changing my insides in ways I couldn't comprehend at the moment.

All rational thought left me as I tried desperately to yank my arm out of the machine, but it held fast. The pain quickly spread from my arm through the rest of my body, and I only screamed louder, or at least, I think I did.

I was vaguely aware of somepony shouting something, but I couldn't hear them over the horrible, pulsing pain assaulting every single one of my nerves.

Then it was over.

The pain receded as quickly as it had come save for my sore throat, and I was left a sobbing mess, slumped against the machine, my arm still held within.

With a loud hiss and a quieter click the top half of the machine detached itself from the lower and rose back up, releasing me from its grasp.

Exhausted, shaken, and distraught, I let my arm flop down next to me. One of my ears twitched at the small clank of metal as my arm hit the ground.

I looked over to see that I was now the not-so-proud owner of a bright red Daeus Hunter armlet. I ignored the voices coming from somewhere above me and simply stared at the armlet in shocked disbelief.

I had done it.

I was officially a Daeus Hunter... and there was no going back now.

Welp, that does it for that arc. Now onto the next one!

I tried to listen to the congratulatory words of Director Mare and the scientist, who had introduced himself as Time Turner—though for whatever reason he insisted everypony call him Doctor Whooves—but I couldn't even begin to focus on them.

In the end I simply nodded along, mumbled a few words of thanks and exited the room. Once I was outside, I was immediately assaulted by Vinyl Scratch, who slapped me on the back and gave her own boisterous congratulations.

I gave her a weak, distracted smile before making my way over to the bench I had been sitting at before. As I passed Spitfire, she merely nodded in approval before glancing over to the dark pegasus stallion holding the clipboard.

The stallion—Thunderlane, nodded in turn and marked something down on the clipboard before calling out another name. This time it was the dark green stallion who'd been completely silent up until now.

I stopped and watched him quietly rise to his hooves before making his way towards the Daeification Chamber. He didn't say a word to anypony as he pulled the smaller door open.

The door clicked shut behind him, after which the much larger mechanical double doors slid shut with an ominous finality that I hadn't even noticed going in myself.

Thunderlane had called him Seeker, not an odd name for a pony, in and of itself, but the fact that there had been nothing preceding or following it was rather strange.

Well, it's none of my business anyway... and I have more important things to worry about now.

I raised my left arm to stare at my new armlet for a moment before letting out a long, shuddering breath. By this point, Vinyl had sat back down, leaning back against the head of the bench and bobbing her head to the beat of whatever she was listening to.

As I returned to my own seat next to Fluttershy, I watched Vinyl Scratch for a moment. With her easy smile and laid back posture, you'd think she was coming in for some kind of harmless routine checkup at the doctor's office.

I guess she didn't hear me screaming my lungs out...

Come to think of it, nopony in the room seemed to be fazed by what had transpired in that room. I turned to Fluttershy to see her trying to discreetly glance in my direction.

When she saw that I was looking, she quickly turned away with a small, and admittedly adorable 'meep'. I raised a bemused eyebrow at the yellow pegasus mare as she chanced another glance at me.

It took me a second to realize it, but it seemed as though she wanted to say something.

"Fluttershy?" I asked, feeling the need to whisper for some reason, "what's wrong? You can tell me."

"Ah, oh no, i-it's nothing really," she muttered, letting her mane fall over most of her face, "I just... I wouldn't want to bother you with silly questions or anything."

"Fluttershy," I replied firmly, "if you have something to ask, just ask it. I won't bite, I promise," a thoughtful pause, "is it... does it have to do with... what happened in that room?"

Fluttershy lowered her head even further and gave a small, nearly imperceptible nod of confirmation. My brow furrowed in confusion at her response, and her overall reaction in general.

In the very brief time I had known the mare, I had expected her to break down at the screams of agony I was sure had echoed throughout the entire facility.

But no, she was, or at least seemed simply curious.

"U-Um... well, if you don't mind," Fluttershy continued, "w-what was it like? The process I mean... d-did it... did it hurt as bad as Spitfire said it would?"

"Fluttershy," I replied with a slight frown, "didn't you hear me in there? Did any of you?"

"No, we didn't," Fluttershy answered, shaking her head, "those big doors apparently cancel out any noise that comes from inside the Daeification Chamber."

"Ah... that would explain it, I guess," I mumbled before shaking my head and looking back at Fluttershy, "well, if that's the case, I think it's best you just... find out for yourself, Fluttershy."

"Oh... o-okay then..."

Fluttershy stared at me for a long moment, searching my eyes for something—most likely trying to glean the truth of just how horrible the experience had been.

She must've realized what she was doing, because she blushed a moment later and quickly looked away. My own worried gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat or two before settling on the the large doors ahead.

For a time, the room fell into a semi-comfortable silence during which both my eyes and my thoughts inevitably drifted back to my armlet.

Now that the horror of what had been done to me had abated somewhat, I could actually focus on just what had been done to me.

I didn't really notice until now, but my whole body felt different. My senses felt a lot sharper than they had been before, and feeling the skin beneath my fur, I was certain I had gained a bit more muscle.

I felt like there was more to it than that though.

Now that I was focusing on it, I had no idea how I had missed it before. My senses where several times sharper than they had been before—sight, sound, smell, probably even taste and touch to some degree had been heightened or changed in some way.

The only thing that felt weaker about me... was my own magic.

I could barely even feel it.

A feeling of dread washed away my growing amazement at the changes and in a sudden panic, I lit my horn and reached for the mana within me, attempting to cast one of the more complex spells I knew.

It was a spell to keep a specific area superheated or sub-cooled for an extended amount of time. I had often used the spell when working with active Hive Cells in the lab.

I focused my spell on a secluded spot of the bench, trying to lower the temperature enough that the metal would be noticeably cooler.

It felt like my own magic was fighting against me every step of the way, refusing to cooperate no matter how much or how hard I pulled. I grunted and strained and sweated, and the spell nearly fizzled out, but eventually, the metal began to cool and I released the spell.

I sat there staring at the spot in horrified disbelief as I panted and gasped. I winced at the painful burning sensation in my horn.

I was completely spent.

It had taken far too much effort to do something I had normally been able to do with barely any thought or strain at all.

I didn't even flinch when I felt a soft hand settle on my shoulder. Instead I slowly looked over to see Fluttershy giving me a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry," she said with genuine sadness in her voice, "I... um... I had heard how hard this was... on unicorns specifically, but I didn't really... well," she retracted her hand and put it to her chest before hiding her face behind her mane again, "I'm sure you don't need somepony like me to tell you how awful it is."

"Somepony like..." I shook my head, my growing despair ebbing slightly as I gave the meek pegasus a small, if bitter smile, "Fluttershy, I'm... well, this isn't okay in the slightest, but I'll... I'll find a way to manage. I'm sure it's just as horrible for pegasi, not being able to fly like you used to."

"Oh, I don't mind so much," Fluttershy replied, "I was never really much of a flier to begin with," she looked away, her eyes suddenly distant, "I do have a friend who... didn't take it so well when she went through the Daeification Process. Flying meant everything to her, but... well..."

She sighed and looked back at me with a sad smile.

"Those are the sacrifices you have to make when you become a Daeus Hunter, and she was willing to make them anyway," her smile fell slightly, along with her face, "she adapted eventually, but it was... hard. She tried to hide it, but she was depressed for awhile."

"I'm... I'm so sorry to hear that, Fluttershy," I replied earnestly. I looked away and sighed, "I... here I was, ready to have a complete breakdown about losing most of my magic, and I didn't even realize how hard it must be for everypony that goes through this. When I think about how many ponies gave up the same thing... my own worry seems petty in comparison."

It was true.

Severely weakened as it was, I at the very least, still had use of my magic, and could even cast a complex spell like I had done earlier, albeit with tremendous effort.

Many of the unicorns with weaker magic to begin with, completely lost the use of their magic when they became Daeus Hunters.

"It's not though," Fluttershy replied firmly, her tone breaking through my thoughts and causing me to look back at her in surprise, "you've lost a big part of who you are as a pony, Twilight. That's not something anypony should take lightly, and it's okay to feel sad about it."

I stared at the pegasus, my mouth hanging slightly open.

Her eyes suddenly widened and she blushed again before hanging her head. It seemed as though she remembered her namesake, because she fell silent after that, but not before whispering one last thing that I made sure to take to heart.

"Just... don't let what happened consume you, okay?"

I closed my mouth and gave Fluttershy a grateful smile.

"I won't Fluttershy," I replied with a nod, "I promise."

She returned my smile with a small, shy smile of her own. It was then that I realized the mare next to me was a lot stronger than I gave her credit for, and after hearing what she'd said, I found it a lot easier to believe she had stayed here of her own volition.

But had she really?

"Hey, Fluttershy?" I asked with a slight frown. The pegasus tilted her head curiously and I continued somewhat hesitantly, "why did you, I mean, are you—"

My inquiry was cut off by a loud hiss that made both Fluttershy and I jump.

We all watched as the metal doors slid open and Seeker step out. The stallion looked just as stoic coming out as he did going in, though I could tell even from a distance that he hadn't been completely unaffected.

I could see the slight sheen of sweat running down his face, and the minute shaking in his arms. Still, Seeker had come out a Daeus Hunter, his armlet the standard black and white of all the others.

Vinyl gave her own congratulations as she had done with me, though it was quite a bit more subdued, and she didn't get up from her seat.

The stallion didn't even seem to notice, completely ignoring her as he sat back down without a word to anypony. Vinyl eyed him with a small frown for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and replacing her headphones back on her ears.

Then the next candidate was chosen.

"Vinyl?" Thunderlane called out. When he received no response he looked up from his clipboard and frowned in annoyance at the oblivious unicorn mare, "Vinyl? Vinyl Scratch!"

Still no response.

Spitfire gave a weary sigh and shook her head as Thunderlane practically screamed Vinyl's name, muttering something about recruits and an early grave.

"Huh? Whuzzat?" Vinyl called back, lifting one side of her headphones after a minute, "is it finally my turn?"

"Yes," Thunderlane growled impatiently, "it's your turn. Get in there."

"Oh, sweet!" I blinked in surprise as the mare pulled off her headphones, took out her phone, and took off her magenta shades before she hopped up from her seat and making a beeline for me, "here, hold these for me would ya?"

"Wait, I... oh," I replied as she shoved her belongings into my arms, "alright, I guess... sure."

"Cool, thanks, Twi," Vinyl called back as she walked back to the open doors, "see ya when I see ya."

With that, she gave one last wave and lazy smile before pulling the door open and stepping inside the chamber. The metal doors slid shut behind her and everything was silent once more.

"She seems... nice," Fluttershy commented quietly, "I wonder how she can remain so calm about all of this?"

"From what I understand," came Spitfire's raspy voice, surprising the both of us, "that mare more or less has nothing to worry about when it comes to the Daeification Process."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, "does she have a high compatibility rate?"

"She has a perfect compatibility rate," the lieutenant replied with a small chuckle, "she may not be a 'New-Type' user like you're supposed to be, but she has a one hundred percent compatibility rate, as did her father before her, and his father before him."

"Wow," I breathed, "I... that's... that's incredible! A whole family of fully compatible ponies?" I turned towards Fluttershy, "what are the odds of that?"

Fluttershy simply gave a small shrug as Spitfire replied.

"Very low I'd imagine," she said, her tone thoughtful, "normally, you'd only see that kind of compatibility with changelings," she chuckled again, "in fact, I remember there'd been a rumor that the mare's family had either been changelings themselves, or were at least part changeling."

"Is... is that true?" Fluttershy asked, eyes wide with intrigue, "is she... is her family really part changeling?"

"Nah," Spitfire said with a small shake of her head, "they're not changelings, just really, really lucky when it comes to genes, I guess."

"That's crazy," I muttered, looking at my own armlet, "no wonder she's so calm and collected about the whole thing..."

Then again, I somehow had the feeling she would've been that way even if she had slim chance. The mare had an easygoing, unflappable air about her that made everything seem like it was going to work out for the best.

"Um, Twilight?"

I looked up at Fluttershy's questioning tone and saw she was giving me a curious look. When she had my attention, she continued.

"Um... Spitfire said you were supposed to be a New-Type user," she said with a bemused frown, "what does that mean? Does it have something to do with the color of your armlet?"

"I..." I glanced at the armlet in question, not even realizing that that was probably the reason it was a different color from everypony else's, "yeah, I guess it does."

I look back towards Fluttershy and proceeded to explain my own situation. Once I started, I found I couldn't stop.

I told her about my job at Wendigo HQ, and how I was suddenly transferred, then completely reassigned altogether. I told her about the President's letter, and about my compatibility as a New-Type Daeus Arms user.

I told her about my harrowing trip from Canterlot to Ponyville. I told her about how strong the Chief Commander was, and lastly, I told her about the dragon Luna had rescued from near death.

The last statement seemed to make the shy mare somewhat uneasy, but nevertheless, I could feel the sympathy rolling off of her in waves. I told her I was going to visit the dragon when I first got the chance, and that she was more than welcome to join me—an offer she agreed to, but with an odd amount of reluctance.

It was as I was just finishing up my story that the doors opened and Vinyl emerged, black armlet in place and a weary, relieved smile on her sweaty face.

"Sweet Tartarus," she exclaimed, "that was way worse than I thought it'd be, but hey, at least it's over, right?"

"Glad to see you're okay," I said with a small smile as I handed back her things, "Spitfire told us you had nothing to worry about from the beginning."

"True, true," Vinyl replied, placing her shades back on her face and her headphones around her neck, "doesn't mean it didn't hurt like a motherbucker though."

We shared a small laugh and she made her way back to her own seat. My smile fell into a concerned frown when I turned and saw Fluttershy's face.

The mare had gone even paler than she was before, her eyes wide and locked on the single door leading to the Daeification Chamber.

Just as she did for me when I started to freak out about my magic, I reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, hesitating for only a moment.

She jumped slightly, both at my touch and at Thunderlane's voice calling out her name. I looked from the pegasus stallion to Fluttershy, putting on the most reassuring smile I could muster.

"It'll be alright, Fluttershy," I said soothingly before biting my lip nervously, "it... it does hurt... a lot, but the pain goes away pretty quickly."

"It's not the pain I'm worried about so much," Fluttershy replied almost tonelessly, her back turned to me, "Twilight, I only have a twenty percent chance of a successful bond."

I felt a cold chill run down my spine.

"Y-You... but... but you," I slowly shook my head, letting my hand fall away from the mare, "Fluttershy... that's... that's not—"

"I know."

"But then why?" I cried, turning the pegasus around to face me, "why are you here if you have such a low chance of... of..." I rapidly shook my head, "it's too risky!"

She merely looked at me.

Even as I watched, the look of abject fear suddenly seemed to melt away as she looked back at me and her face relaxed somewhat, completely contrasting with my increasing fear and worry.

Then she gave me that same reassuring smile I tried to give her earlier.

"Why go through with it?" I asked desperately, "were you conscripted like I was? You had to be, right?"

She slowly shook her head and turned back towards the door.

"I came here on my own," Fluttershy replied in a soft voice that held a surprising amount of compassion, "I did this—I'm doing this, for Angel, and all of the other creatures still alive and hiding in the Everfree."

"I... what?" I responded, eyes wide with bewilderment, "your risking your life for... for the animals? In the Everfree? Are you telling me there's still fauna roaming around in that Tartarus forsaken forest?!"

Fluttershy closed her eyes and nodded.

"Probably the only animals left in this entire region outside of the reserves," she replied, now almost completely calm, "I... I want to save them, Twilight. They're suffering because of those monsters, and I can't sit by and do nothing."

I simply stared at her.

She was willing to risk everything for a no doubt small chance to save these creatures. Like injecting myself with Hive Cells, it was something I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around.

Did she really love animals that much?

Was she really willing to die so that they could live?

How did she even know there were animals alive out there in the Everfree?

But wait... Angel?

As if on cue, the small white rabbit from earlier poked its head out of Fluttershy's coat, its ears and nose twitching. I looked at it with an uncomprehending frown and it looked back at me stoically before raising its head to look at Fluttershy.

That's when it hit me.

"Angel," I muttered, "so that's who you were talking about..."

I released my hands from where I had placed them on Fluttershy's shoulders and sat back, staring at the other mare with a look of understanding.

"I get it," I replied, quietly and unhappily, "you really feel that strongly about this, don't you?"

Fluttershy gave a grim frown.

"Despite those monster's best efforts, there's still a lot of us left," Fluttershy replied, conviction and a hint of anger coloring her tone, "but many of the native creatures of Equus are either endangered or have already been hunted to extinction by those... those... things.

"I want to do what I can to save the ones that are still trying to survive out there, and the best way I can do that—the only way I can get as close to them as I want, is to become a Daeus Hunter, so... that's what I'm going to do."

On that note, she rose to her hooves, the little rabbit slipping back inside her coat as she did. She gave me one last smile that I tried to return with partial success.

"Thank you for listening," Fluttershy continued in a quiet but grateful tone, "I know how foolish I'm being, but I can't leave them like this, not when I can do something to help."

"I know," I replied, feeling my insides twist and my eyes water at the thought of the worst coming to pass, "just... good luck, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy nodded and took a shaky breath before turning to Spitfire. She 'eep'd' when she noticed the eyes of everypony else in the room directed at her, save for the stallion in the corner.

Apparently they had all been listening to our conversation, and had reacted differently. Spitfire gave the shy yellow pegasus the warmest, saddest smile I had seen her wear yet.

Vinyl gave an approving nod, and Thunderlane was trying, and failing, to hide his own watery gaze of admiration.

"Well go on then, get in there," Spitfire said, breaking the silence with a chuckle, and nodding towards the door, "you'd best not keep them waiting any longer."

Fluttershy blushed and nodded before briskly walking over to the single door. She turned and gave me one last look, which I returned with a nod and a much more genuine smile this time around.

She tried to smile back, but only gave a weak whimper before forcing herself to action, pulling the door open and rushing inside before her nerve completely left her.

The metal doors slid shut, and the room fell into an unbroken silence, save for the muted sound of music coming from Vinyl's headphones.

Nopony seemed to want to say anything, and I couldn't blame them. From the look on everypony's face, I could tell they were all just as worried about Fluttershy as I was.

Everypony, except for Seeker.

The stallion continued to stare at the opposite wall, completely ignorant of the tension in the room. His expression gave nothing away, and his stoic silence was beginning to unnerve me to the point that I began fidgeting.

I looked away from him and turned my attention to Spitfire, deciding to start some kind of conversation.

"So, um... Spitfire?"

"Lieutenant, to you, recruit," she corrected immediately, "now that you're officially a Daeus Hunter, I expect you to refer to me by my rank."

So I was right then. Score one for me I guess..

"Sorry, Lieutenant," I said quickly, "I was just wondering," I gave Vinyl a side glance as I spoke, and saw that she had once again, tuned everything out but her music, "how did you know so much about Vinyl and her family?"

"Oh, that?" she replied, "Vinyl's father and I go way back, believe it or not. He and I were part of the same squad back when I was stationed at the Manehattan Sub-Branch of Wendigo. We still keep in touch from time to time, which is how I knew about Vinyl Scratch."

"Oh," I replied with a thoughtful look, "that's... actually pretty interesting."

"It's a small world sometimes," Spitfire replied with a shrug, "you'll find that once you climb higher up the ranks, you tend to travel to different places often."

"Why is that?" I asked curiously.

"Kid, not many of us Daeus Hunters live to make it past the rank of a standard lieutenant," Spitfire explained with a solemn frown, "high ranking soldiers are few and far between, so normally we spread them out, send them where they're needed most. There is the occasional oddball every now and then, though."

"Oh?" I replied, raising an eyebrow, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"Take 1st Unit Leader, Captain Applejack for example," the pegasus replied with another chuckle, "she's a damn good Captain, but she's never once set hoof outside of the Ponyville region, whereas those in her position usually get shipped all over Equestria."

"Oh, that's right," I replied, more to myself, "the President said that's who I'd be assigned to once I got out of training."

"Consider yourself lucky then," Spitfire said with a knowing nod, "out of the three Unit Leaders we have here in Ponyville, she's without a doubt the most reliable."

I was about to ask who the other two were, when the tell-tale hiss of double doors silenced me. Just like that, all the fear and worry I'd managed to push aside came flooding back.

The others and I all turned to watch the doors slide open, and after a tense moment, I almost cried with relief as a familiar yellow form shakily made its way past the open doorway and into the waiting room.

Her once beautifully cascading pale pink mane was extremely unkempt, her cyan eyes were bloodshot, her face was stained with tears, and her breathing was ragged and strained... but she was alive.

She was as okay as I could've expected, and the black and white armlet pushing up the sleeve of her oversized coat indicated she had gone through the process successfully.

If her current state was anything to go by however, it looked as though it had been some kind of ordeal for the meek mare. Though I was in a similar state coming out, not even I had looked this... worn.

Despite all of this, my first instinct was to rush over to the poor mare and embrace her in a crushing hug, which, to my own surprise, is exactly what I did.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I said in a slightly choked voice before pulling away with a relieved smile and teary eyes, "I didn't think you'd make it to be honest, but I've never been more happy to know I was wrong."

Fluttershy said nothing in response as she continued to breathe in heavy erratic gasps. My relived smile gave way to a worried grimace as I looked at the mare.

"Fluttershy?" I said, taking a step forward and placing a hand on her shoulder, "hey, Fluttershy, are you gonna be okay?"

The pegasus gave me a weak smile and a shaky nod before falling forward into my chest, causing me to yelp in surprise.

"Gah! Fluttershy!" I cried, stumbling back as I caught Fluttershy in my arms, "what are you..."

My words died in my throat as I looked down at the currently unconscious mare I was holding onto. I looked back over to Spitfire, who began making her way over to where we were standing.

"Move," she commanded, "let me see her."

I complied, handing Fluttershy over to the Lieutenant. She looked her over for a moment before letting out a visible sigh of relief and turning back to me.

"It's alright," she said, answering my unasked question, "she just fainted from the stress and exhaustion. A little rest and she'll be fine."

I gave my own sigh of relief at the news, and saw Vinyl do the same out of the corner of my eye. Some of us handled it better than others, but It looked like we had all made it through the Daeification Process, and for that, I was grateful.

Still, that didn't stop the uncertainty I felt about what our future entailed, and though I was happy for Fluttershy, I still had to wonder whether or not she'd be cut out for something like this.

I still wasn't even sure I was cut out for this, but after hearing Fluttershy's words, I felt I had no right to complain, and I could only hope I found the same conviction she had to do what I needed to do.

I could only hope.

It's funny.

This story probably gets the least amount of attention out of all the stories I'm currently writing, but it's the one I enjoy writing the most at the moment (if you couldn't tell by the ridiculous length of this and the last chapter).

It's funny... and a little sad.

Ah well, not like it'll stop me from enjoying it.

Fluttershy was carried off by Thunderlane to the infirmary for some much needed rest. Rather than head through the left door after them however, myself, Vinyl, and Seeker were told to follow Lieutenant Spitfire through the left door and back out into the main hub.

Apparently, many of the DHDF Sub-Branch buildings were set up in much the same fashion as each other. Generally there was the main hub area, which consisted of the main entrance and the front desk where visitors would sign in and Hunters would take missions not directly issued by their superiors.

Strangely enough, at least to me, there was also a vendor selling various goods that ranged from materials used to craft equipment, to different field supplies such as restorative items, grenades, and traps. They even had a few outfits and Daeus Arms on display, something I raised an eyebrow at, but didn't comment on.

At first I wondered why they weren't just issuing all of this to us like they would've in Canterlot. When I'd asked Harshwhinny about it, she informed me that the only reason this type of thing was issued at no cost in Canterlot was because that was where Wendigo HQ was located.

HQ could more than afford to equip the Daeus Hunters of Equestria's Main Branch, but that wasn't the case everywhere else. Outside of Canterlot, and in many other countries, much of the supplies and equipment either had to be bought, or created from materials picked up in the field.

Even then, it still cost bits to create that equipment, and the higher the quality, the more expensive the cost, both for buying and making said equipment. It made me realize once again just how lucky my brother and the rest of the Daeus Hunters back in Canterlot were.

Aside from the vendors, front desk, and main entrance, there were two other doors and an elevator. One door led back to where the waiting room and Daeification Chamber were, and the other was a wide steel door in the back that led to the prep room. The door itself was not unlike that of the entrance to the Daeification Chamber, though this one was more of a double door that slid apart.

The prep room was essentially a massive, heavily fortified garage and storage that housed the Daeus Arms in one section, and the military vehicles in another. Like the name suggested, it was where Hunters made their final preparations before heading out into the field. I was told there was also a hangar on the roof that stored a large aircraft for military transport, but I had yet to see it.

The elevator presumably led to different floors containing the living quarters, laboratory, infirmary, director's office, and of course, the roof. The rightmost door on the otherside of the waiting room where Thunderlane had taken Fluttershy apparently led to the rec room, cafeteria, training room, and another elevator, along with a set of stairs leading to each floor.

As we reached the main hub, I looked around, somewhat familiar with the area, as Vinyl and I had passed through on our way to the waiting room. It was relatively empty, with only a few Hunters hanging around here and there. Aside from them, there was only the vendor at his counter in one corner, and the receptionist at the front desk in the middle of the room just below a small set of stairs on either side.

The vendor was a light blue earth pony stallion with a cobalt blue mane, soft light brown eyes, and an easy smile. The receptionist was an earth pony mare with a cerise coat, a pale rosy mane, and friendly, light green eyes.

I didn't know anything about the vendor, but Director Mare had introduced Vinyl and I to the receptionist when we first arrived. Her name was Cheerilee and, much to my surprise, she worked not only as the receptionist, but also the Ponyville Sub-Branch's mission coordinator and navigator.

She was the 'friendly little voice of encouragement in your ear' whenever you were out there doing what needed to be done... or so she herself told us. She certainly lived up to her name with her reassuring smile and upbeat demeanor, and, having only met her once, I couldn't help but like the mare.

It was a good thing too, because I'd be hearing her voice quite a bit in the coming few weeks.

Off to one side of the main hub, near the entrance to the prep room, were four computer terminals. Each of the terminals were built into thick metal stands that reached to about chest level, and each had a large circular slot that stuck out just below the screen.

Above the screen was a teal orb embedded into another slot. Both additions confounded me, but I didn't dwell on it, figuring I'd find out what these were for soon enough.

There was no keyboard, so I assumed the interface was touch-based, something I found rather annoying. I was familiar with touchscreens, but I always preferred to use a good old fashioned keyboard and mouse for my work.

It was here that Spitfire led each of us and told us we had to wait, giving all of us info on the layout of the building in the meantime. It was an odd sort of set up to say the least, but then again, I'd never been in any of the facilities, and unlike Daeus Arms, Shining never really talked about the DHDF Main Branch building at all.

The explanation took about half an hour, and it was just as Spitfire was finishing up said explanation, that the elevator across the room slid open and out stepped Doctor Whooves. We all turned to see the stallion making his way over to where we were, his eyes glued to a clipboard in front of him and a deep, thoughtful frown on his face.

Spitfire gave a small frown of her own and cleared her throat, catching the scientist's attention. He blinked as he looked up from whatever he was reading, and smiled brightly a moment later when he saw all of us standing there in front of the terminals.

"Ah, you're all here!" he exclaimed jovially as he tucked the clipboard under one arm, "excellent, excellent. Allow me to congratulate you all on passing such a harrowing trial!"

He took a step forward, arm outstretched to presumably shake our hands, but paused. He frowned in bemusement and looked around a moment before addressing an impatient looking Spitfire.

"It seems not all of us are here after all," he observed, "where is Miss Fluttershy?"

"In the infirmary due to extreme stress and exhaustion," Spitfire replied curtly, "unfortunately we don't have the time to wait around for her to recover, so we're pushing ahead with the registration. We can put her in the system and she can get the rundown from her captain later."

With that said, she cracked her neck a couple of times and began making her way over to the elevator.

"Anyway, my job's done here," she called back, "now that you're here, I'm gonna take off," she paused and turned to face all of us, her expression unreadable behind her aviators, "...don't be idiots and get yourselves killed out there, you hear?"

And that was that.

She turned back around and walked away without another word, entering the same elevator the doctor had taken only moments ago. It wasn't exactly a warm goodbye and good luck, but somehow I felt like it was a fitting statement from her.

"Ah, it's a shame about poor Fluttershy," the doctor sighed, catching all of our attention once more, "that mare's got a surprising amount of potential, very surprising indeed..."

He shook his head sadly and turned back to us a moment later, his smile return in an instant.

"Well here's hoping she makes a full recovery soon, eh?" none of us responded and he cleared his throat before adjusting his white coat and standing a bit straighter, "now then, as I most likely have stated before, my name is Time Turner, though you may call me Doctor Whooves. Plenty of ponies already do."

VInyl gave a simple but earnest greeting, whereas I simply gave a half hearted sort of wave to the stallion. Seeker merely gave a small nod of acknowledgement, but this all seemed to be enough for Doctor Whooves who chuckled good-naturedly.

"As much as I'd like to get to know you all personally, I'm afraid Spitfire was right when she said we hadn't much time, so without further ado," he gestured to the computers behind us, "Miss Sparkle, Miss Scratch, Mister Seeker? If you'd all please turn your attention to the terminals before you."

We did as we were told and once we were all standing in front of a terminal, the doctor continued.

"You will be making quite a bit of use out of these terminals you see here," he explained, "this is where you'll access the DHDF Archives. Within the Archives you'll find loads of information we've collected on various avidaeos as well as any other information available in the DHDF public records.

"You'll also receive news and updates relevant to the work we do and you can send and receive mail to and from your superiors and other Hunters. What you'll most likely be using these for most often however, are the management of the items and equipment you'll no doubt receive during your stay here."

"You're referring to data management, right?" I asked, looking for a bit of clarification, "where we can keep stock of what supplies and equipment we collect?"

"That, and more besides," Doctor Whooves replied with a knowing smirk, "you're a scientist of some repute, Miss Sparkle, and from what I've read of your file, you've even delved quite a bit into the field of thaumatology, correct?"

"I've studied more than a little on the subject, yes," I replied, curious as to where the grinning doctor was going, "what of it?"

He let out another hearty chuckle and moved to stand next to the terminal I was at. Resting a hand atop it, he turned and gave me an eager grin, as though he was about to reveal his greatest creation.

For all I knew, he really was.

"If that's the case, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of what I have to show you," his smile widened as he swept his gaze over each of us, "in fact, I think all of you will enjoy this," he nodded towards the terminals, "go on then, insert the armlet into the slot if you would, please."

I looked back down at where the slot was, feeling a bit dumb that I didn't guess at its purpose earlier. In hindsight it was obvious given the size and shape. Ignoring the feeling as best I could, I stuck my arm into the opening up to where the armlet was.

The accessory snapped into place with an audible click and my eyes were drawn to the large oval shaped screen as the machine booted up. Apparently the armlets also acted as a sort of digital key to activate the terminals, something I found rather interesting.

I watched with an odd sort of anticipation as the Wendigo emblem faded into view. It disappeared a few seconds later and was replaced with a loading screen consisting of a single white spinning circle.

A moment later the circle disappeared and a message popped up instructing me to remove the armlet. The message was accompanied by another audible click and I felt the armlet loosen.

As I pulled my arm away, a scroll of white text appeared. It turned out the system was gathering my information from the armlet itself, displaying my name, age, rank, blood type, and a host of other things I didn't remember giving out when I came here.

How in Celestia's name...?

Frowning in bemusement, I glanced over to the others and saw that Vinyl was manually entering her information into the system via a digital on-screen keyboard. Seeker was doing the same over at his terminal.

Confused and slightly indignant, I turned to Doctor Whooves for an explanation. He raised an eyebrow at my look and turned his attention to my screen, giving a small chuckle and a reassuring smile a moment later.

"Right, right, sorry about that," he said, his smile turning apologetic, "unlike the others, you've already been working directly for Wendigo, therefore you're already in the system," he tapped the screen lightly, "getting this was just a matter of pulling the existing information from the mainframe and uploading it into your armlet, along with a few new tidbits regarding your new position."

I blinked.

"Oh, I... guess that makes sense," I replied dumbly as I turned back to the screen. I decided to change the subject as I tapped the 'NEXT' icon on the screen, "so what's this thing I'm supposed to get a kick out of? I mean, the armlets acting as a digital key is neat and all, but it's hardly a groundbreaking feat of technology."

"Ah, but it's not the additional function of the armlets that I wanted to show you," the doctor replied with a child like grin of excitement, "no, what I mean to show all of you is something much more exciting."

After a bit more loading, a list of options appeared, including things like 'INVENTORY (STORE)', 'INVENTORY (WITHDRAW)', 'LOADOUT', 'CRAFT', 'DATABASE', and a few other options that were currently greyed out.

"Now then," Doctor Whooves began, turning to Seeker and Vinyl, "if you two will come over here to Miss Sparkle's terminal, I'd like to show you something both useful and convenient."

The other two, apparently not done with their registration just yet, moved to stand behind or next to me. Vinyl stood by my side, peering at my screen curiously, while Seeker stood behind looking somewhat bored by the whole affair.

"Miss Sparkle, if you'll please hit 'WITHDRAW' for me?"

I did as the doctor asked and tapped the icon. I wasn't sure what to expect, and was rather surprised when 'Satchel' appeared at the top of a nearly empty list of items. Going down the rather short list I could see 'Stun Grenade', 'Restore Pill', 'Restore Pill II', 'Ration', and 'H-Ampule'.

Next to each item was a number, most likely indicating the amount of whatever item was listed. It looked like I had access to no more than five of each item, save for the satchel of which I only had one.

My curiosity overwhelmed me and I hit 'Satchel' without waiting for the doctor's go-ahead, assuming he wouldn't mind given how excited he himself was to show off whatever this was.

I staggered backwards slightly in surprise as the teal orb situated above the screen suddenly flashed to life with a bright teal glow. I saw my own body briefly flash the same color and an instant later I felt a slight weight settle on my waist.

I looked down to see that I was wearing a dark brown, faux-leather satchel that hadn't been there a moment ago, the flap of the bag emblazoned with the Wendigo emblem. I stared at the large bag loosely strapped across my chest in wide eyed shock for a moment before looking over to the others.

VInyl gave an impressed whistle while Seeker maintained his impassive stare. Doctor Whooves was beaming in delight, and I soon found myself doing the same as I realized what had just happened.

"That's a flash crystal!" I cried, gesturing to the now inert orb in excitement, "you're telling me Wendigo managed to refine multiple ether stones into spell crystals, infuse them with perpetual matrix teleportation spells, stabilize them all to usable levels, and redirect the output of thaumic energy towards specific tasks within the system?"

I was completely stunned.

It was such a beautiful blend of magic and technical engineering that it nearly brought a tear to my eye. I took a step back and stared at the terminal with newfound respect and admiration, only half listening as Doctor Whooves continued his explanation.

"Indeed, and it's all activated with a simple tap of the screen, but It's not just these terminals, Miss Sparkle," Doctor Whooves replied, nodding towards the crystal orb in question, "this is only a small part of a larger network that's only just beginning to span across every active Branch and Sub-Branch in the world. We've already either updated or outfitted the systems of nearly 35% of the worlds major and minor Branches."

"How did I not know about this until now?" I muttered, resting my hand on the satchel as I continued to stare at the screen, "I've worked for Wendigo for well over a year now, and I didn't know anything about this."

"That is rather odd for somepony who works at Wendigo HQ," Doctor Whooves agreed with a puzzled frown, "then again, I'm told you were the kind of mare who shut everything out but her work, so you may very well have missed the memo. Somewhat understandable I suppose. After all, it's still relatively new as far as magitech goes."

I frowned, blushing slightly at his accurate assessment of my work habits. Still though, I felt as though I should've heard something about such a breakthrough.

Spell crystals were already notoriously difficult to make, and integrating them with machinery was almost an impossibility a decade ago. Now we were mass producing them and putting them into computers with no apparent problems.

I really needed to get out more, or at the very least read a general news article every now and then.

"If you'll exit out of this section, you should see that your satchel has been automatically moved to the 'STORE' tab," the doctor continued, getting back on track, "this goes for every item you withdraw, now Miss Sparkle, if you'll please..."

"Huh?" I asked distractedly before looking back at the terminal, "oh, right, sure."

I tabbed out of 'WITHDRAW' and hit 'STORE'. Sure enough, 'Satchel' was right there in bold black text, the only thing on the list. I tapped the screen and with another flash from the crystal, the bag was gone.

"So like, where does all this stuff go, doc?" Vinyl asked, causing me to jump slightly. We all turned to her and she raised her shades above her horn before jerking a thumb over to the terminal as she spoke again, "I mean, it's gotta come from somewhere, right?"

"An excellent question, Miss Scratch!" Doctor Whooves replied, clapping his hands together cheerfully, "one I'm not at liberty to answer! Company policy and all that, I'm afraid!"

"Wait, what?" Vinyl asked with a bemused frown, "but wh—"

"Now if you and Mister Seeker will finish up your registration, we can all head up to the lab," Doctor Whooves said with a small disarming smile, "I have a few tests I'd like to run. Have to make sure the Daeification process didn't have any unintended side effects after all."

Vinyl and I looked at each other with raised brows and suspicious frowns. When Vinyl asked, I was a bit curious myself, but now I really wanted to know. I idly wondered if my position as both a researcher and Daeus Hunter would allow me access to such 'classified information'.

In the meantime, Vinyl simply shrugged before going back to her own terminal, Seeker doing the same. I watched them for a second before turning to Doctor Whooves with a worried grimace. I hadn't missed what he said before, and with how much pain I went through—how much we all went through, I had to ask.

"You mentioned side effects?" I asked with no small amount of concern, "what kind of 'side effects' are we talking about here? Could they be fatal?"

I watched the doctor carefully, and noticed his ever present smile slip slightly at the question. He was silent for a few seconds as he tapped the side of the clipboard he was now cradling on one arm. It only lasted a few seconds, and his bright smile was back in place soon enough.

"I'd be lying if I said there wouldn't be at least a bit of... unpleasantness involved," he finally answered before raising a placating hand, "but I assure you, if there were any truly fatal side effects from the procedure, they most likely would've manifested back in the chamber."

Not reassured in the slightest, I went to respond, but was cut off by the doctor, who placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Miss Sparkle," he continued in a softer tone, "we've taken every precaution imaginable against such things. There is risk involved certainly, but it only really extends as far as the actual process itself. Once that's over, there shouldn't be anything left to worry about."

I stared at him for a good few seconds before giving a small, hopefully convincing smile of relief. It seemed to do the trick because his smile widened and he patted me on the shoulder before taking a step back and observing the other two.

Once he looked away my smile dropped into a deep, worried frown. I may not have had any real tenure working in my chosen field, but I knew it well nonetheless. There was no real way to completely guarantee a safe injection of Hive Cells into the body.

Even if there were no deadly delayed effects, there were still other things to worry about—things that were much harder to detect until it was far too late to do anything about it. There were things that didn't make themselves apparent until much later.

There were such things as sudden mutations brought about by Hive Cell corruption, and though rare, it was a very real problem. I knew as much because I did the research. I knew it was a possibility, but what I didn't know, was how likely such a thing was to occur in a new-type Daeus Arm user like me.

In that regard, I was completely in the dark, and that was cause for more than a bit of concern.

Forgive me if this wasn't a very exciting chapter, but I feel it was necessary given the lack of explanation of how these terminals work in the game/anime... or maybe there is an explanation and I just haven't found it yet...

Ah well whatever, this is my take on how they work. For those of you who've played God Eater, this is where we get more into the 'God Eater' part of this adaption.

Vinyl and Seeker finished the rest of the registration, and at Whooves' insistence, we made our way up to the third floor via the elevator. Both the infirmary and lab were on this floor, and while I wanted to check in on Fluttershy, the doctor had other plans.

We moved past the door to the infirmary and made our way further down the hall to another door at the end. It was just before the door that Doctor Whooves stopped and turned to us, his familiar friendly smile in place.

"And here we are fillies and... gentlecolt," he nodded towards Seeker, who gave no sort of response. Whooves didn't let that bother him and simply continued, turning the door knob and pushing the door open as he addressed all of us, "now then, there'll be no need to worry here. This will be a simple procedure, like your average visit to the doctor's office, nothing more."

He stepped inside and the rest of us followed after him. I took a moment to look around the room and was rather surprised at how minimalistic the place was. The walls were the same depressing brown-grey metal as the waiting room where the Daeification Chamber was.

Though unlike the waiting room, this room was smaller. It looked very much like an office itself, with its singular desk in the middle of the room, two large bookshelves, no doubt full of tomes on engineering and the various sciences, a long bench not unlike the ones in the waiting room, and not much else really.

There were two red metal doors on either side of the back wall, one had a large yelllow triangular sign with an exclamation point and the word 'CAUTION' printed on it. The other had nothing adorning it. I imagined one of the rooms held the actual laboratory, but I couldn't guess what was behind the other door.

"Seeker, if you'd follow me to the lab, we can get started right away. Miss Vinyl, Miss Sparkle, if you two will please have a seat just over there for a moment," the doctor continued, nodding towards the bench on one side of the room, "I'll have Mister Seeker out in a jiffy."

With that, Whooves and Seeker made their way over to the door with the sign, stepping through as it slid open to admit them. The door slid shut again and Vinyl and I sat down on the bench to wait. For a time things were quiet, save for the faint sound of bombastic music coming from Vinyl's headphones.

I turned to the door Doctor Whooves and Seeker had just gone through, and heard nothing from within. I couldn't help but wonder just what the doctor intended to actually do. He'd said it would be like a normal visit to the doctor's office for a routine check-up, but I wasn't quite convinced.

I shook my head and sighed before turning my attention to Vinyl Scratch. The mare didn't seem to have a care in the world, sitting there relaxed against the back of the bench and bobbing her head to the music, her eyes hidden behind her large violet shades and a faint smile on her face.

There always seemed to be a faint smile on her face, like she knew for a fact everything would work out in the end. I envied her for being able to take things as they came, and wished I'd had a bit more of that attitude.

It always felt like I was worrying about one thing or another, and that'd been especially true now with how drastically my life had changed in the blink of an eye. Looking back down at my armlet, I frowned slightly and wondered how it had come to this, and why.

"Hey, you alright there, Sparks?" came Vinyl's voice, a hint of concern coloring her rather deep tone, "you look like somepony next in line for the gallows."

I turned to see Vinyl with her headphones around her neck and a worried frown adorning her face as she looked back at me. For a second I didn't know what to say, then I sighed and looked away towards the entrance to the lab. I was silent for another moment before finally speaking up.

"Hey, Vinyl," I began, not sure where I was going, "what do you think about all of this? You probably had a bunch of things you wanted to do besides becoming a Daeus Hunter, right?"

"Sure," Vinyl replied easily, "I was a DJ back in Manehattan, and a damn good one if I do say so myself, which I do," she leaned back against the bench and sighed wistfully, "DJ Pon-3 they called me. Played some crazy gigs in nightclubs all over the city, and when I wasn't mixing tunes or playing gigs, I slept all day and drank with my friends all night. Good times..."

I furrowed my brow in thought.

I'd heard the name DJ Pon-3 somewhere before, but I couldn't place where. I didn't really listen to anything you'd hear in a nightclub, so the fact that I knew the name baffled me. A moment later it finally hit me.

"Oh, now I remember!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening with recognition, "one of my friends, Minuette, she used to listen to your music all the time, still does, I think. She talked about going out to Manehattan to see one of your performances live, but never really got the chance."

"Bummer," Vinyl replied with a sympathetic shake of her head, "things get pretty wild during my shows, she probably would've had a blast."

"Yeah, maybe," I responded absently before frowning, "but what about you though? From the sound of it, you had a pretty great life. Why give that up and become a Daeus Hunter of all things? I know you said your granddad convinced you, but is that really all it was?"

Vinyl's smile slipped a little and she turned away with a humorless chuckle.

"Nah, there's more to the story than that, Sparks, believe me," she paused a second, her expression inscrutable behind her shades. She spoke again in a quieter tone another second later, "...I kinda bucked up and got myself into a bit of trouble back home."

"Oh," I replied, not liking the sudden bitter atmosphere, "I'm... sorry to hear that. If you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine."

Vinyl remained silent before nodding slowly.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best right now," her smile returned as she turned back to me, though it didn't feel as genuine as before, "anyway, it's nothing you need to worry about, Sparks, and to answer your original question, I'm pretty cool with this."

"Really?" I asked incredulously, "how though? I was terrified when I found out, I still am! There's every chance we'll die out there, Vinyl. If we slip up..." my frown deepened and I looked at my hands, "...if even one of us freezes up in fear, that could be it."

"Maybe, but here's the thing, Sparks," Vinyl removed her shades and turned to face me, her expression more serious than I'd ever seen it, "things might seem like they're stable now, and that we're finally starting to rebuild our lives, but that ain't the case at all."

I stared at her, once again unsure of what to say. She took no notice and continued speaking.

"The DHDF was only founded a little over a hundred years ago. I know that might sound like a long time ago, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not. Not really. Equestria and the rest of the world is still on the brink of being wiped out by those things out there.

"There's still a lot of things we don't know about the avidaeos, and they still outnumber us all almost three to one. It doesn't matter if we're scared, and our lives are always gonna be at risk no matter what we do."

With that said, she pushed her shades back onto her face and leaned back again with a small shrug.

"We're not gonna save the world from these things if we just cower behind walls," she gave a small genuine chuckle, "if Equus is going down, we're sure as Tartarus not gonna go down without a fight, at least, that's what gramps always said. Stuck with me, y'know?"

"Very well put, Miss Scratch."

Both Vinyl and I turned towards the room's entrance just in time to see Director Mare and Harshwhinny walk in. My eyes widened in surprise as the two looked around the room, no doubt looking for Doctor Whooves.

"Your grandfather is a fine stallion, and was one of the best in the field," the director continued, smiling at Vinyl, "I daresay he fought harder than any of us, save for maybe Nightmare Moon herself."

"Miss Harshwhinny?" I asked, looking between the two, "I thought you would've left for Canterlot by now."

"I'm more or less done with business here. The transfer forms have been finalized and you've already been registered," the orange mare replied, folding her arms as she stood near the desk, "I just need to speak with Doctor Turner once more, then I'll be on my way."

"In any case," Director Mare chimed in, "how are you girls finding the Ponyville base so far? I know it's not the most colorful sub-branch in Equestria, but this was one of the first built back when the DHDF was first founded."

"Really?" I asked, looking around with some interest, "I had no idea..."

"Yes indeed," the director replied with a chuckle, "the place has quite a bit of history, but I suppose you'll learn more about all that during training, so I won't say anymore on the matter."

"Right... training," I muttered with a grimace, "can't wait."

"Oh come now, Miss Sparkle, I'm sure it won't be that bad," Harshwhinny said, shaking her head disapprovingly. She furrowed her brows and turned towards the red door the doctor had gone through, "how long is that stallion going to—"

The door slid opened at that moment, revealing a stoic Seeker and a troubled looking Doctor Whooves. He stepped out with his head downcast and a deep frown on his face, causing Vinyl and I to look from him to the dark green stallion he'd been examining.

Curiosity bubbled up within me and I wondered more than ever just what had gone on in there. Had Doctor Whooves found some sort of anomaly in Seeker? I looked at Seeker, trying to find any kind of hint that something wasn't right, but aside from his eerie blank expression, I couldn't see any outward issues.

"It's good of you to join us, Doctor," Director Mare called out, "I trust things are going well on your end?"

At her voice, the doctor looked up, his grim expression turning more genial. It was like he'd never been upset at all, and I found the abrupt change rather unnerving.

"Director!" the doctor exclaimed as though this was all a happy coincidence, "I wasn't expecting you for another half hour or so. I'm afraid I'm not quite done with the, ah... new recruits just yet. Still a few more tests to run and all that."

"Please, no need to rush on my account, Doctor," Director Mare replied, waving a hand dismissively, "I only came to inform you that Applejack and Sweetie Drops have returned. They'll be meeting the recruits in the training room, so be sure to bring them there when you're done here."

"Excellent, excellent," the doctor replied, clapping his hands together before turning to VInyl and I, along with Seeker who'd just sat down next to us, "it seems you'll be meeting your new captains soon enough. Now that'll be a treat, eh? Well, provided you pass training at any rate, but I have faith you'll all do well."

"Indeed," the director agreed, "but that's not the only reason we're here, Doctor."

"Oh?" Doctor Whooves asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned back to Director Mare, "and how else may I assist you, Director?"

"Not me," the director replied, shaking her head. She nodded towards an impatient looking Harshwhinny, "Miss Harshwhinny here would like to have a quick word with you, if you don't mind that is."

"Harshwhinny?" Doctor Whooves asked, looking at Harshwhinny as though he'd only just noticed she was there. His mouth fell into a slight, somewhat insincere looking smile, "...I see. And what can I do for you, Miss Harshwhinny?"

"I'd actually like to speak with you privately," for an instant, the orange mare's rather cold blue eyes flickered in my direction before focusing back on the doctor, "I don't suppose we can use the lab?"

"Of course," Doctor Whooves replied after a moment. He adjusted the clipboard he'd been holding onto before gesturing to the red metal door, behind him, "right this way."

Without another word, Harshwhinny walked past the doctor and towards the lab at a brisk pace, the door sliding open to let her in. Doctor Whooves grimaced a moment before straightening up, adjusting his lab coat, and giving the three of us sitting on the bench an apologetic smile.

"Terribly sorry for the delay, Miss Sparkle, Miss Scratch. I won't be but a moment," he said before giving Director Mare a nod of acknowledgment, "Director."

The director nodded in return and Doctor Whooves quickly followed after Harshwhinny, the door sliding shut behind him. I watched the door for a moment before I was distracted by Vinyl's inquisitive voice.

"What was that all about?" she asked the director, "is there like, some kind of bad blood between the two of them or something? The doc did not look happy to see her."

"To my knowledge they've only met a few times in the past," Director Mare replied, eyeing the door and letting out a small sigh, "I'm not quite sure what the issue is between the two of them, but I think it'd be best for all of us not to worry about it."

"Eh, works for me," Vinyl replied with a careless shrug, "none of my business anyway."

I wasn't quite so willing to let the issue go, at least, where Harshwhinny was concerned. I got the feeling they were talking about me, but I could've been wrong. The look Harshwhinny gave me could've had significant meaning, but it was such a brief glance that I wasn't completely sure it wasn't just my imagination.

It worried me.

"You said the captains were back?" I asked, trying to distract myself, "I was told 1st Unit Leader Applejack would be my Captain if I passed training."

"You heard correctly, Miss Sparkle," Director Mare replied with a nod, "when you and Fluttershy pass training, the two of you will be assigned to the Retaliation Team under Captain Applejack, while Miss Scratch and Seeker here will be part of the Defense Team under Guard Captain Sweetie Drops, though her team just calls her Bon Bon."

Wait, Retaliation Team?

"Um, I don't know too much about squad setups," I replied with a bemused and slightly worried frown, "but from what my brother told me, there should also be a Research and Reserve Team. With me being a researcher and all, wouldn't it make more sense for me to be put in that squad instead?"

"It certainly would be a better fit for you, I admit," the director said with her own apologetic smile, "unfortunately there are no open spots in the squad. The Reserve Team gets deployed far less often than the other two teams and as a result, we rarely have to replace its squad members. On top of that, the Retaliation and Defense Teams need the support far more right now."

"Oh," I replied, a bit dejected and somewhat bitter that I couldn't at least join the team that would've best suit me, "I guess there's nothing I can do about it for now then."

Director Mare eyed me for a moment, her brows furrowed and a scowl on her face. She gave a heavy sigh a few seconds later and spoke again, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Look, I understand what you're here to do and to be honest, I couldn't be more thankful," she explained, "under different circumstances, I would've placed you in the Research and Reserve Team in a heartbeat, but as things stand, it's not possible at the moment."

I was about to respond when the director held up a hand to forestall me.

"However," she lowered her hand and her smile widened slightly, "I'd already planned to have you transferred the moment a spot opened up, so for now, please just bare with it. If the time comes and you still want to switch to the Research and Reserve Team, then I'm sure they'll be happy to have you."

Well... it's something, I guess. Let's just hope I can survive long enough to actually take the offer...

"Thank you, Director," I replied with a half smile, "I appreciate it, and I'll be waiting."

"So that's all well and good, but I got a question of my own," Vinyl said, raising a hand, "I have this friend, Octavia. She moved here and joined the Ponyville Sub-Branch not all that long ago. She wouldn't happen to be on Bon Bon's team, would she?"

"Ah, Miss Octavia," Director Mare mused, "yes, I believe she recently finished her training and joined Sweetie Drops' squad not even a week ago," she chuckled and turned to Vinyl, "quite an interesting mare, that one."

"Sweet!" Vinyl exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air, "damn it feels good when things work out."

I watched Vinyl celebrate with a small smile, happy that the mare had something to look forward to once she passed training. I just wished I could say the same, but the only thing I really had to look forward to was continuing my research into Hive Cells.

While the case of the cannibalistic avidaeus was interesting, it wasn't exactly something I was jumping with joy to investigate. Both Vinyl's celebration and my own thoughts were cut short when the door to the lab suddenly slid open.

Harshwhinny and Doctor Whooves stepped out, the former wearing an expression of professional disinterest and the latter looking somewhat shell-shocked. The moment he stepped hoof outside the lab, he glanced over in my direction and I blinked before furrowing my brow in confusion.

Why is he looking at me like that? What did I do?

From his reaction, I was now thoroughly convinced that whatever Doctor Whooves and Harshwhinny had been talking about, had something to do with me. The doctor must've realized he was gawking, because he coughed into his hand and schooled his features into something more pleasant and unassuming a moment later.

"All finished?" the director asked, turning her attention to Harshwhinny, "the truck is ready whenever you are."

"Yes, I'm done here," Harshwhinny replied, walking past Director Mare and towards the exit, "I'll be sure to let the President know everything went smoothly."

"Good to hear," the director replied, following after the stern faced mare. She stopped for a moment to wave a goodbye to the rest of us, "it was nice seeing you all again, and good luck with your training."

The two mares continued out the door and the rest of us watched them go for a moment. Once they were gone, the doctor rubbed his temples and muttered something I couldn't hear before inhaling sharply through his nose and putting on another smile as he turned to me.

"Right then! Miss Sparkle, if you'll please follow me, we'll have you in and out of the lab in a heartbeat."

Sorry if the ending is a bit abrupt, but I couldn't find a good spot to finish.

Contrary to what I thought regarding how this 'check-up' with the doctor would go, it was relatively painless. All he really did was draw some blood, clean the needle, and insert the syringe into a slot on the top of a small cylindrical container. both the top and bottom of the container were metal with a large portion of the middle being made of glass.

Inside, beneath the glass I could see some kind of red light, and the bottom was connected to a laptop on the doctor's desk. It was a sort of bio-scanner used to detect illnesses and anomalies in the body, by way of scanning blood, blood plasma, and in some cases, other bodily fluids like urine and saliva.

I'd used a scanner like this one back in my own lab, though it was a specialized scanner provided by Wendigo for use in scanning unbound Hive Cells we'd managed to retrieve from the corpses of avidaeos. It wasn't an easy task to retrieve Cells when they'd been separated from the core, as the 'body' of the avidaeus began to evaporate within seconds, making retrieval impossible.

In any case, Doctor Whooves took my blood sample and scanned it into the computer, looking for any ill effects of the Daeification process. He was strangely quiet as he worked, and though I tried to strike up some kind of conversation and maybe lead him into talking about what he'd discussed with Harshwhinny, I didn't get anywhere.

He either deflected my questions or simply laughed them away, and I gave up before long. I had a feeling I'd find out soon enough what that was all about, so I didn't make too much of a fuss about it.

Eventually, after some more awkward silence and watching him read through the information displayed on the screen, the Doctor announced the Daeification process a complete success with no ill effects to see, much to my relief. There was still the possibility of a dormant strain of... something, just waiting to pop up later, but I pushed that worry to the back of my mind for now.

It wouldn't do me any good to constantly worry about what might not be the case, and I had more tangible things to worry about anyway.

A few minutes later I was out of the lab and back on the bench next to Seeker, waiting for Vinyl Scratch to return. I took the opportunity to get to know Seeker a little better, despite nervous the stallion made me, but, like talking to the doctor, it was a futile effort. The most I got when I asked him where he was from or why he decided to join, was a noncommittal grunt or complete silence.

The stallion was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, and frankly I wanted nothing to do with him either way, so I didn't try too hard to befriend him. Something about him set me on edge, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief when Doctor Whooves and Vinyl finally stepped out of the lab, the latter shooting me a thumbs up and her trademark easy grin.

With all three of us taken care of, the doctor gave us exact directions on where the training room was before bidding us all farewell and good luck. I'd expected him to escort us there, but he just shook his head when I said as much, saying he had to check on Fluttershy.

Worried, I asked to come with and see her for myself before I left, but he insisted I go meet with my potential Captain in the training room. He promised I'd get to see her soon enough, so I left with little resistance, though not without some disappointment on my part.

Both Vinyl and Seeker had already left to meet with their Captain while I was talking with Doctor Whooves, and by the time I left the the doctor's office, they were already gone. I grabbed my bag and was soon on my own way, though this time I took the opportunity to deposit my own bag into whatever place the terminal sent things to.

That done, I made my way back through the door to where the Daeification Chamber was, then headed through the opposite door into the other hallway. This area seemed to be a lot larger, but that would've made sense given how big just the cafeteria and training room alone must've been.

I wandered down a few hallways, doubling back in a couple of instances until I came to yet another automated metal door. As I approached it slid open without any prompt from me, and I stepped inside, admittedly curious as to what the training room had to offer. What I wasn't expecting was a narrow passageway with a rather steep set of stairs directly before me.

Somewhere above I could hear voices, one of them sounding like an excited Vinyl, though I couldn't quite make out what they were saying. I could also hear what sounded like a struggle of some sort.

Then I heard a loud, unnatural trill, quickly followed by another excited shout from Vinyl Scratch. The sudden terror I felt quickly turned to confusion, and after a moment's hesitation, I carefully made my way up the steps. When I reached the top, I had to stop and register what I was seeing.

I arrived in a room that was fairly large, length-wise, and the thing that immediately caught my attention was the massive monitor, surrounded by a few smaller monitors directly opposite of where I was standing. below the monitor was a small row of seated ponies with headsets working various different terminals.

On one end of the room, off to the right, was another door that led off to some other room, most likely the actual training area. There were probably other things of note, but I was too busy gawking at what was displayed on the large monitor to pay them any mind.

From what I could see, the screen displayed the blasted out ruins of some unknown town, and what looked like a titanic, scaly, bipedal black reptile with bony spines along its back, long arms almost as thick as its body, and wicked looking claws that were currently tearing apart the environment looking for something.

The avidaeus onscreen opened its mouth and let out another loud trill of frustration, giving me a good look at its multiple rows of huge serrated teeth and a slimy, ropy red tongue that whipped about like it had a mind of its own. Looking a bit more closely, I could see it had already been heavily wounded, suffering several deep cuts along its belly, back, and arms.

Its thick tail pounded the ground impatiently a few times and it raised itself up to its full height, sniffing the air. I watched, horrified by the sight, yet completely transfixed as I waited to see what happened next.

"Oh buck, there she is!"

The sudden exclamation brought me back to where I was and I looked down from the monitor to see Vinyl leaning over one of the chairs of the ponies observing the footage. Now that I was paying more attention, I could also see Seeker standing off to one side, watching the screen with folded arms and a deep and troubled looking grimace.

Vinyl Scratch herself was jabbing a finger at the screen, and I followed her gaze, spotting what she was probably looking at a moment later. Back in the ruins, whatever camera they were using had panned out and around to show a different point of view.

Behind a large chunk of debris, a good distance away from the avidaeus, I could see a mare clad in what looked like, black skin tight battle armor with plating across her arms, legs, and chest area, the Wendigo symbol painted on one side of the chest plate in teal. Her gloves were plated as well, the whole ensemble giving her the appearance of some kind of secret ops agent trained for infiltration rather than a standard Daeus Hunter.

Her coat was a light vanilla color and her mane and tail were two toned, with cobalt blue and fuchsia stripes. What probably stood out the most about the mare were the intensity of her icy blue eyes and the oversized amalgamation of machinery that was her Daeus Arm held tightly against her chest.

It was a gun, and judging by the lengthy barrel it appeared to be the sniper variety. It still amazed me at how effortlessly Hunters were able to wield such massive weapons, and the fact that I was now among one of them was still something I hadn't fully wrapped my head around.

The mare was crouched low with her back pressed against the wall. She took deep calming breaths as she reached into a large satchel strapped around her waist and pulled out a small metal canister. In one fluid motion she yanked a small lever at the top of the gun near the back, ejecting another, presumably empty canister from the bottom of the weapon before quickly pressing the new one into the now empty slot in its place.

That done, she slid closer to the side and peered out from behind the broken piece of concrete wall. In the distance, she could see the avidaeus wandering about, its elongated head still raised and trying to sniff her out. The path it took was slow, haphazard and clumsy, but it was clear the giant lizard was getting closer to the mare's location.

Pulling back behind cover, the mare adjusted her rifle, set her face in a determined frown and fully stepped out from behind the wall before immediately crouching once more. With painful slowness, she lowered the rifle and prepared to line up a shot, her face pressed against the scope.

For what seemed like an eternity, she barely moved, save for a slight adjustment of the barrel to keep it trained on the beast's movements. After a moment, the avidaeus snapped its gaze in the direction opposite the mare and gave another loud trill before stomping off the other way.

I didn't have time to ponder why, as what happened next happened all at once. The mare, still looking as calm as she could possibly be in this circumstance, pulled the trigger and a bright blue laser erupted from the end of the barrel with a deafening shoom.

The beam hit home, blasting a hole in its shoulder and causing it to stumble slightly. It faltered and whipped around to face the direction of where the shot had come from, only to get a face full of laser as the mare fired another shot right into its gaping maw.

Ignoring Vinyl's ecstatic cries, I focused on a point somewhere behind the staggered avidaeus, catching sight of something leaping towards it at a ridiculous speed. A split second later the giant lizard pitched forward as something slammed into its back with evidently enough force to send it smacking into the ground face first.

With its bulk out of the way, I could just make out another pony landing atop the thing. The camera once more panned over to where it was, giving us a better look at the pony that had felled the monster. It turned out to be another mare with an orange coat of fur, wearing a dark brown knee-length duster and a stetson of a lighter brown color atop her blonde, tied off mop of a mane.

That, combined with the simple black button-up collared shirt beneath, a belt with a large, silver apple shaped buckle, and light brown pants made her look like a cowpony straight out of a western. Rather than an old six shooter strapped to her hip though, she instead wielded what was essentially a giant mechanical chainsaw on a stick.

The sword was as large as she herself, was—maybe larger, yet she held it with only one hand, and didn't even seem to have to shift her own weight to compensate. She stared down at the creature below her for another second before hopping off and landing right next to it.

The avidaeus stirred, but didn't rise, letting out a few weak clicks as it shifted about. At first I thought it was over, but then I saw the stetson wearing mare turn to the lizard, raise the blade above her head and over her shoulder with both hands, and widen her stance in preparation for another strike.

She stayed that way for a few moments and before long, a strange, dark violet aura began to gather around the blade, building higher, denser and sharper until it was almost twice the size of the blade itself. Whatever that function was, I had yet to hear about it, and had no idea what its purpose was other than to artificially make the blade's length even more ridiculous than it already was.

As she continued to build whatever power she was wielding, the reptilian avidaeus finally seemed to gather itself once more and started to rise to its feet. Before it could get very far, two more shots rang out from where the other mare was hiding, the lasers striking the creature in each of its enlarged limbs and downing it again.

It trilled again, though whether in pain or more frustration, or both, I couldn't tell. As it fell, the orange mare gave a loud victorious cry of her own and her blade fell with it, biting deep into its scaly neck and splitting its head from its shoulders with seemingly no resistance whatsoever.

The dark violet aura around the blade dissipated after a moment and the only sound that remained was the dying gurgle of the avidaeus' severed head. It's body squirmed weakly, but the orange mare, who, by this point, I'd suspected was Applejack, ignored it and straightened up, raising her buster blade onto her shoulder.

With a casual ease reminiscent of Luna, she walked over to the body and, with just as much casual ease, brought the sword down to one side. The blade shrank into itself as a familiar and monstrous black mouth grew out of the hilt and surrounded it. With two quick motions she stabbed it into the body before ripping it out again.

And just like that, it was over.

The blade returned to normal, the mouth shrinking back into the hilt, and the cowpony swung it back over her shoulder before adjusting her stetson and looking skyward towards the camera, allowing me to see her face clearly for the first time.

Contrary to what I was expecting, her bright green eyes weren't hardened dulled by years of experience, but calm, easy, and oddly reassuring just like the smile she wore, and her freckles made her look every bit the country gal she probably was.

I could see the other mare making her way over to where Applejack was, but something else drew my attention back to the felled avidaeus. To my shock and bewilderment, the beast didn't dissolve into an inky black mist like it should've, but rather its body became less tangible before vanishing outright, leaving behind a glowing, wiry green frame which itself disappeared a moment later.

"That'll do it, Applejack, Bon Bon," came the voice of one of the seated ponies, "thanks for the demo, seems like the newbies got a kick out of it."

Wait... what? Demo? What is he—

Then the entire area around the two mares vanished in a similar fashion to the avidaeus, and in seconds, they were standing in a massive empty metal chamber. For a second I stood there in stunned silence, then my eyes widened as everything clicked into place.

"Wait, this was a training exercise?!" I cried, catching everypony's attention, "but... how?"

"I know, right?" Vinyl shouted back, rushing over to me and throwing an arm around my shoulder as she gestured to the now blank display overhead, "that's what we're gonna be using to train, can you believe it?"

"No, no I can't!" I shouted back, ducking out from under Vinyl's arm, "that's crazy! How does it even work? That's not just a simple holographic projection, it's... it's way beyond that! You can interact with the scenery and... a-and the avidaeus! How did you—"

"Hey, whoa, chill, Sparks," Vinyl laughed, "it's like, magitech, that's what this stuff does. Aren't you supposed to know these things? You're a scientist, right?"

"I'm a Hive Cell researcher, not a magitech engineer," I replied, crossing my arms and frowning at the bespectacled mare, "I'd planned on branching off into engineering at some point in the future, but... well..." I sighed, taking a moment to calm down before speaking again in a more measured tone, "...this happened, and now I don't know if I'll ever get a chance."

"Aw geez, that sucks," Vinyl replied, putting a consolatory hand on my shoulder, "hey, maybe you'll get a chance someday."

"Maybe," I muttered, not really believing it. I shook my head and looked back at Vinyl, opting to change the subject, "so I guess those were our future Captains out there?"

"Buck yeah," Vinyl exclaimed, "did you see—"

The rest of her words were cut off as the door on the right side of the room slid open. We all turned to watch as both Captains stepped into the room, Daeus Arms in hand. It didn't take long for them to spot all of us, and the mare I suspected was Applejack made a beeline right for me, a welcoming grin crossing her face.

"Well shoot, look who finally decided to join us," she chuckled as she made her way over, "ya'll must be that prodigy HQ dumped into this ramshackle town, Twilight Sparkle, right?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right, though I wouldn't really call myself a prodigy," I replied with an awkward smile, "I just... got lucky, I guess. Had the, uh... right blood for the job," I frowned inwardly, but pushed on nevertheless, "a-and I take it you're the Leader of the 1st Unit, Retaliation Team Captain Applejack?"

I held out my hand, intending to shake hers, but she just sidled up next to me and slapped me, rather painfully, on the back with a gloved hand. The gesture caused me to stumble forward a bit as I winced in pain.

"Got it in one, sugarcube," she replied in a jovial tone, completely oblivious to my pained grimace, "mighty pleased ta meet'cha," she stepped back around so that she was facing me again, and gave me a more measured and earnest smile, "from what ah hear, ya'll were a researcher before ya came here, right?"

"Actually, I still am," I corrected, "apparently I'll still be working part-time as a Hive Cell researcher while I'm here. I'm still not sure how that's going to work out, but... well... I suppose the Director will think of something."

"Sounds like ya got yer work cut out for ya then," Applejack responded, her smile turning sympathetic. She gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before walking past me, "don't ya worry none though, Twi. As long as yer here, we'll all make sure yer taken care of. You'll be fine, trust me."

She threw one last encouraging smile back at me from over her shoulder and I smiled back in return. Satisfied, she continued over to one of the other ponies by the monitors and I turned away, my smile falling into a weary frown as I muttered to myself uncertainly.

"Yeah... thanks, I guess."

I remember how tired I was getting before the Deification Process, and how I'd wanted to just get all this over with so I could shower, then sleep the rest of the day away.

What I hadn't counted on was the unexpected, unbelievable, and frankly unwanted boost in energy the process had given me. I wasn't tired in the slightest anymore, and felt as though I could've stayed up for days, but I didn't want to. I may not have been physically exhausted anymore, but I was still mentally done for the day.

I wanted some time alone so I could finally gather and sort out my thoughts on what had happened to me over the course of the last few days, but it seemed that would have to wait for a bit longer. Apparently there was another lab on the second floor, this one specifically built to maintain and create Daeus Arms.

Before we were allowed to turn in for the day—which, by my estimate, and looking at a nearby clock on one of the walls, had since already faded into evening—we were to head to the engineer's lab to get a run down of the various types of Daeus Arms. The trip this time would be overseen by the two Captains and we were to meet with the mechanical engineer of this branch.

Before all of this, I would've said that I wasn't particularly keen on furthering my knowledge on the subject of Daeus Arms. Not only would that have been a lie—as I was always keen to further my knowledge given the opportunity—but now that I was here, I couldn't help but be outwardly curious at the prospect.

Something that may have triggered that curiosity was seeing how the Daeus Arms worked in action, both out in the rocky desert, and in the recent demonstration by the two Captains. When I told Captain Applejack how I was planning to become a magitech engineer at some point, I wasn't lying.

Magitech had always fascinated me, but ever since my mom and brother told me about how my dad had died fighting against the avidaeos to protect us when I was little, I felt it was my duty and calling to devote all of my knowledge and energy towards Hive Cell research.

I don't regret my decision in the slightest, but every once in awhile, I found myself wondering how my life would've turned out had I chosen to become a magictech engineer instead. It wasn't all that hard to imagine in actuality—I'd still most likely be working for Wendigo in the Daeus Arms Research and Development Division.

Would I still have been transferred to this branch if I'd become an engineer?

Somehow I felt like it would've been an inevitability either way.

Such were my thoughts as we made our way out of the training room, and I would've dwelled on them further if not for the fact that both Doctor Whooves and Fluttershy were waiting for us just outside. Instantly, my contemplative and somewhat dour mood were replaced with relief and even a bit of joy at seeing Fluttershy fully recovered.

She was no less nervous and looked no less out of place than she did before, especially with that bulky armlet attached just above her rather dainty wrist. Still, she looked a lot healthier and I was glad for her. She'd already been checked by Doctor Whooves and was given the okay to move forward with the rest of the tour.

With her in tow, we all made for the other lab, and I took the opportunity to catch up with the shy mare. She walked a little ways behind the rest of us, so I slowed my pace until I was next to her.

"Hey, how'd things go?" I asked quietly, "you alright now?"

"O-Oh, yes, I'm fine now," Fluttershy replied, just as quietly, if not quieter, "I'm sorry to worry you. I'm just... I guess I just... wasn't prepared for the shock."

"I know what you mean," I muttered, "I don't think any of us were," I glanced at both Vinyl and Seeker up ahead, "though I guess some of us handled it a bit better than others..."

At that, Fluttershy winced and looked down at her hooves. Thinking she might've mistaken my words, I quickly amended myself.

"I didn't mean you handled it poorly, Fluttershy, " I replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. I jerked it back a moment later when I felt her flinch under my touch, and opted to continue without the contact, "sure it wasn't the most... graceful way to come out of it, but I wasn't in a much better condition than you were. I just... recovered a bit faster is all."

"Nopony else had to be treated in the infirmary," Fluttershy pointed out despondently, "I should've handled that better than I did."

"No, look," I shook my head and frowned at the mare, "Fluttershy, everypony is going to—"

"Everypony's gonna have different reactions," came Vinyl's louder, but still sincere voice from Fluttershy's otherside. The other unicorn clapped a reassuring hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, making the other mare 'eep' in surprise. Vinyl smiled apologetically and raised both hands in a placative manner, but continued on nonetheless, "they're injecting Hive Cells right into your bloodstream. That ain't gonna be pleasant for anypony no matter how tough they think they are."

"She's right, Fluttershy," I added, frowning slightly at Vinyl before giving Fluttershy a reassuring smile of my own, "it isn't just a matter of 'toughing it out'. Each pony's body is going to have a different physical reaction to the changes that occur during the Deification Process. That means it might be more painful or exhausting for some than it is for others. It can't be helped."

"There ya go!" Vinyl laughed, "took the words right outta my mouth!"

Who took who's words out of who's mouth?

I cast the petty thought aside and watched as Fluttershy mulled over our words. She grimaced deeply for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh, and raising her head to look up at me, a grateful, if weak, smile on her face.

"So there's nothing to worry about," I continued, "you made it through the process safely, and that's what matters. The doctor gave you the all clear during the examination, right?"

Fluttershy nodded meekly in response, brushing the mane out of her face and turning to the others ahead of us. Once he'd brought Fluttershy back, Doctor Whooves had made his exit once again, mentioning something about prior engagements in that odd and overly cheery, slight Trottingham accent of his.

"I guess you're right, Twilight," Fluttershy was saying, "it was a terrifying experience, but... I think I'm all the better for it," she looked to both me and Vinyl, her face set in a soft, but determined smile, "I'm... not looking forward to what I'll have to do. It scares me just thinking about it... but I don't regret it."

"Good to hear," Vinyl replied, once more clapping a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, "'fear is good. Hold onto that fear, but never let it control you'," Vinyl shook her head, chuckling to herself, "that's what gramps said before I left, and I think it's good advice."

Fluttershy didn't shy away from Vinyl's overly friendly gestures this time, but she still looked slightly uncomfortable. She nodded nevertheless before addressing me.

"Thank you—both of you," she began, "when I woke up in the infirmary, there was a moment when I thought I'd failed," she raised her right arm and pulled up the sleeve of her oversized jacket to reveal the partially covered armlet beneath, "then I saw this and I almost wished I had, but then I thought about what that would've meant."

I frowned as I looked at her armlet, fully aware of what could've happened if she failed. A number of things could've happened if she failed, and none of them would've been pleasant in the slightest.

"When I think about what could've happened to me, I guess I should consider myself lucky that I survived," she continued, pushing back down her sleeve, "it's too late to back out now, and even if I could... I don't think I would."

"You could've back then when we were in the waiting room, but you didn't," I pointed out, "I think that says a lot about you, Fluttershy."

"Oh no, it's just," she sruggled with her words for a moment, "when I think about all the ponies that didn't make it, and my reason for joining the Daeus Hunters in the first place... I couldn't bring myself to back out. I know I would've regretted it."

"Well, there you go," Vinyl concluded with a nod, "you're all in, despite the fact that you're scared, that's what courage is, and that's what Spitfire—er, Lieutenant Spitfire, was looking for."

"...I suppose so," Fluttershy replied uncertainly, "I just hope I don't get in anypony's way out there," she shivered slightly, "fighting for my life is already going to be bad enough. If I got somepony else hurt because I froze up, or—or if I got hurt myself and slowed them down... I don't think I could..."

"Ah, you'll be fine!" Vinyl exclaimed, slapping Fluttershy on the back and causing her to stumble forward slightly, "just remember, you're not alone, and that you have something worth fighting for, whatever that might be. Oh, and don't lose focus, simple as that."

"R-Right, simple," Fluttershy replied, re-adjusting the wings poking out of the back of her jacket. She gave Vinyl a strained smile that spoke volumes of just how 'simple' she thought it was, "I'll... I'll remember that. Thank you, Vinyl Scratch."

"No, problem," Vinyl replied, completely oblivious to the mare's discomfort as she hurried to catch up with the rest of the group, "like I said, just keep your head up, keep your eyes open, and you'll be fine, trust me!"

I watched Vinyl for a moment before returning my attention to Fluttershy. Uncomfortable as she may have been, the shy pegasus actually did look a little better after that talk. Still, now that she was here, there was something I'd been meaning to ask once she'd left the infirmary.

"So, Fluttershy," I began, as we made our way upstairs to the second floor, "while you were in the infirmary, did you happen to see the dragon they brought in at all?"

"A... A dragon?" Fluttershy squeaked, reeling back in sudden terror. A moment later her face lit up with recognition and she turned away before muttering, "oh, r-right... you mentioned there was an injured dragon here..."

"Okay... I'll take that as a no," I muttered, regarding Fluttershy with slight disapproval, "but yes, like I said, an injured dragon was brought in when Vinyl and I arrived. I was hoping you had a chance to get a look at him while you were in the infirmary."

I looked forward to see that we were heading down a singular corridor leading to a large set of double doors not dissimilar to those in the main lobby. After a few seconds of silence, I cast a side long glance at the yellow pegasus.

"Judging by your reaction, I take it you aren't very fond of dragons?" I inquired, "you didn't really seem too interested in joining me when I asked earlier either. Why is that?"

"W-Well, I've never actually seen one before," she admitted, "but I've heard they're huge, terrifying and not very nice," she looked away, "...among other things."

"I've never seen a dragon before either, until recently," I replied with a frown, "but, while I'm not saying there's not a reason dragons have gain that kind of reputation, I do know that not all dragons are vicious brutes, Fluttershy and even the ones that are, can't hold a candle to the real monsters out there. You should at least see them for yourself before making those kinds of judgments."

Fluttershy looked at me out of the corner of her eye before turning away, her face hidden behind her pink curtain of a mane.

"...If you say so, Twilight," she muttered in a voice that clearly spoke of not wanting to meet any kind of dragon at all if she could help it, "but, no... I didn't see any dragons in the infirmary."

"Hm, that's... odd," I replied with a bemused frown, "he was really banged up when they brought him in. If not the infirmary, then where would they put the drakeling?"

"drakeling?" Fluttershy asked, turning to me in surprise, "the dragon was a child?"

"Yeah, he was from what I could see," I replied with a grim nod, my mind going back to that horrible event as I spoke, "based on his stature and the fact that he had no wings, he must've just reached adolescence," I shook my head sadly, "I saw him trying to get away from a bunch of avidaeos on the way here, but he just ended up trying to fight them all on his own in the end."

"He what?" Fluttershy gasped, raising a hand to her mouth in horror, "but... but if he's just a fledgling, that would've been suicide, wouldn't it? Why was he even out there alone?"

"I have no idea, and yes, it would've," I nodded, "dragons are vicious in combat, but dragons as young as the one I saw wouldn't fare so well on their own against the number of avidaeos I saw out there," I grimaced, "it was so stupid. One moment, he's scrambling to get away, and the next, he's charging in with a warcry. I honestly can't figure out what he was thinking."

"And... you wanted to ask him once he was better?" Fluttershy surmised, biting her lip in uncertainty, "I... I guess I can see that. The poor thing must've been terrified. He might've been acting out of a fight-or-flight response, and being a dragon he must've chosen to fight."

"That's... one idea," I responded, eyeing the other mare warily, "so you're... worried about him, then? The big, mean, vicious dragon?"

Fluttershy blushed and looked away, not speaking for a moment. After another few moment she sighed and turned back to me with a look somewhere between shame, consternation, and pity.

"He's just a little drake, Twilight," she said, settling on a troubled frown, "I might have a problem with full grown dragons, but children are children, no matter what species they belong to. They shouldn't be out there all alone fighting against the avidaeos."

I stared at Fluttershy a moment, trying to figure out her angle. She'd never seen a dragon before and seemed to fear them as monsters in the same vein as the avidaeos, yet was ready to defend the supposed innocence of their young... even though she knew nothing about their young.

Rather than fuss over it, I decided to just move on.

"I agree," I replied with a single nod, "thankfully, the Chief Commander and a few other Daeus Hunters were there to help, and the medical team managed to get him onto one of the trucks before things got too bad."

"That really is good to hear," Fluttershy replied with a small nod, "I'm glad he made it out okay," her face screwed up in a confused frown, "but if he's not in the infirmary, then where is he?"

"That's what I'd like to know," I muttered, "where else could they have taken him with such severe wounds if not the infirmary?"

Neither I nor Fluttershy had any more time to dwell on the matter as we all reached the double doors of the engineering lab. Applejack and Bon Bon, both of whom had been leading Fluttershy, Seeker, Vinyl, and I, stopped just before entering and turned to face us.

"Alright, ya'll," Applejack called out, "ah know yer probably itchin' ta get some rest, but before we head on back to yer new digs, we got one last thing ta show ya."

"You'll be meeting up with our chief Daeus Arms engineer and all around expert," Bon Bon added, "we wanted to get you acquainted with the weapons you'll be using to fight against the threats outside our walls."

"Exactly," Applejack replied, flashing us all a big smile before turning to the doors, "so let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

With that, Applejack made her way over to a small panel next to the door and punched in a sequence of numbers before inserting her armlet into a slot in the wall. A second later there was a muffled whir followed by a loud click, and the doors slid open.

"After you, ladies... and gentlecolt," Bon Bon said, motioning into the room with a small smirk, "the engineer awaits."

At her prompt, we all shuffled into the lab, and my mouth dropped open at what I saw within.

The lab wasn't much larger than what I would've seen or expected back at Wendigo HQ, but the sheer amount of complex machinery, terminals, and wiring crammed into it made it seem a lot smaller than it actually was.

On either side of the room were tall, cylindrical racks holding Daeus Arms of all different types. One one side of the room, isolated from everything else, it looked like a modern forge had been set up, complete with a miniaturized blast furnace for smelting.
I also saw some kind of mechanism similar to the one in the Daeification Chamber. I grimaced at the sight, absently placing a hand over the armlet now adorning my own arm. There were wires all over the place, both thick and thin—lining the walls and floors, and hanging from the ceiling.

Some I could see connected to large computers and odd machines not even I knew what to make of. Others I had no idea where they began or ended, but they all snaked their way around various mechanical odds and ends.

On the surface, the lab was a fire hazard waiting to happen, but I could tell that there was a sort of method to the madness. For as messy and disorganized as everything looked, there was always a clear path to where you needed to go. Nothing was in the way, not even the countless wires strewn about the place.

There was just enough space between the various machines to maneuver, and anything that looked like it could be volatile if put together, was separated from one another to minimize the damage should said volatile object break or topple over. It was chaotic, but there had been some thought put into the design.

A high pitched mechanical whine suddenly ripped through the air, making me jump. Judging from Fluttershy's frightened shriek and Vinyl's loud curse, I wasn't the only one caught off guard by the sound.

My frantically wandering eyes rested on a large workbench crammed near the back of the room where somepony was hunched over, their back turned and attention focused on whatever they were doing at the bench.

A closer look revealed a grey coated pegasus mare wearing a tight black T-shirt, and thick, heavy looking dark green work pants complete with a tool belt full of various tools. It didn't take a genius to see that this mare was the supposed engineer we were looking for.

My suspicions were confirmed when Applejack walked past me and towards the inattentive mare, seemingly unbothered by the racket. She stopped a few hoof-lengths away and gave all of us an apologetic smile before facing the pegasus once more.

"Ya'll think ya could put that on hold fer a moment, Miss Hooves?" Applejack shouted over the noise, "ya got guests!"

Hooves? Is she related to the Doctor?

It was possible, but then again, Hooves was a common secondary pony name. In any case, the pegasus adjusted something just out of my sight and the painfully loud whine of metal stopped. A second later, she straightened up, gave a languid stretch of her arms, and cracked her neck before turning to see who it was that had called out to her.

Now that she'd turned around for the most part, I could see she wore what I assumed were black welding gloves. She had a blonde, messy mop of a mane, and her eyes—really the entire top half of her face—were hidden behind a pair of large brown tinted goggles.

I could also see a large chunk of black and bronze metal lying below an industrial drill just small enough to fit on the table. It took me a moment to realize the massive chunk of metal was actually the blade of a disassembled Daeus Arm.

Going back to the mare, there were smudges of what I could only guess was oil across one cheek, the top of her nose, and both arms. All in all, she looked every bit the mechanical engineer Applejack claimed her to be and was honestly exactly what I expected to see in a town like this.

What I wasn't expecting as she lifted her goggles up, was the curious, wall-eyed stare she gave Applejack and the rest of us, her brilliant golden eyes very obviously off-kilter. It was rare to be born with strabismus, but it wasn't all that uncommon in cases where certain types of head injuries were concerned. I wasn't sure which case this was, but I decided it was best not to look too deeply into the matter.

A slight frown of bemusement crossed her face as she looked from our little group to Applejack, but it quickly disappeared behind a bright smile as she addressed the stetson wearing captain.

"Oh, heya, Applejack! I thought you were gonna be here earlier," she greeted before nodding towards us, "these the newbies?"

"Yup, green as grass, every one o' them," Applejack chuckled, following her gaze. She turned back to the mare with an apologetic smile, "sorry we're late, me an' Bon Bon got caught up in a little demonstration."

"Showing them how it's done?" the pegasus replied with a knowing smile, "yeah, that sounds like you. I'm surprised Bon Bon joined you, though. She's not usually one to show off."

"I don't see the harm in it every once in awhile," came Bon Bon's voice as she moved to stand next to Applejack and the engineer, "and I have to admit, it feels kind of good to strut my stuff like that," she frowned and shook her head, "though I'm not gonna make a habit out of it like some ponies I could name."

"Aw come on, she ain't that bad," Applejack replied, before giving a small exasperated frown of her own, "...usually."

I raised an eyebrow at that, wondering who they could've been talking about. I wasn't given the chance to wonder for very long before Vinyl suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, uh... Captains?" she called out, causing the two captains in question to turn towards her curiously. Once she had their attention she continued, her arms crossed and her gaze pointed towards the pegasus mare, "I hate to interrupt, but are you gonna introduce us or what?"

"Oh, right," Applejack chuckled. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly before gesturing to the grey mare, "folks, this is the lady that keeps those giant hunks o' metal we use ta beat avidaeos over the head with in top shape," she slapped an arm around the mare's shoulder and gave us all a big wide grin, "she's the best at what she does, an' don't let anypony else tell ya otherwise."

"Oh come on, AJ," the mare replied, pushing Applejack away good-naturedly, "there's probably a bunch of ponies in Canterlot who have me beat. No need to go putting me on a pedestal like that."

Applejack just laughed and shook her head again, letting her smirk do the talking instead. The mare huffed and rolled her discordant golden eyes before turning to all of us, her bright and cheerful smile once more in place.

"The name's Muffins, but everypony here just calls me Derpy Hooves, or just Derpy for short," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards the workbench, "as you already heard, I'm gonna be handling the maintenance of your Daeus Arms. You guys have any issues with your weapons out there, just come to me and I'll take care of it."

I was struck by how much she reminded me of Doctor Whooves, and wondered again if they really were related somehow. Meanwhile, Derpy turned back to us and placed her gloved hands on her hips, her wings flaring out slightly and her smile turning more confident even as it widened.

"Like Applejack said, it's my job to make sure your Daeus Arms stay in tip top shape, and while I might be a bit clumsy, I take that job very seriously, so you can trust me to get it done without fail."

When I set out to write this story, there were a few characters I'd planned roles for in advance. For example, Twilight was always going to be a researcher, Applejack was always going to be the Captain of the Retaliation Squad, and Derpy was always going to be a Daeus Arms engineer.

I don't know why, but for some reason Derpy taking the role as the chief Daeus Arms engineer just feels right to me, at least in this universe.

I was expecting all of us to meet the local chief Daeus Arms engineer, make some introductions, maybe one or both of the present Captains to give some kind of speech on the importance of Daeus Arms and how they were even now turning the tide against the avidaeos. At the most, I was expecting Derpy to possibly give us a minor rundown on the various types of Daeus Arms and how they worked. All in all, I was hoping for the whole thing to be wrapped up in the span of half an hour to forty-five minutes or so.

All of those things happened, but that wasn't the end of it.

Derpy's explanation alone took up half an hour, and when that was done, we were all dragged to a slightly smaller room in the back, the entrance to which I hadn't noticed upon our arrival. The first impression I got as we passed through the door and into the room was that we'd walked into some kind of shrine dedicated to Daeus Arms.

The room itself was circular, and nearly barren save for several large metal 'altars' lining the walls. Each of the altars were actually upright containers made of some kind of a dark brown metal and made to fit the Daeus Arms that had been placed within them. The grid-like amber metal floors reminded me somewhat of the training room once the hologram had deactivated, and looking at the display of weaponry around me, I wondered if this was some kind of private training room of sorts.

But that wouldn't make any sense, I glanced back at Derpy, who'd walked into the room behind all of us, and frowned in bemusement as I noticed the distinct lack of an armlet, Derpy's not a Daeus Hunter. Is it for new recruits like us? Is she planning to let us use these? Test them out maybe?

I hummed in thought and returned my gaze to the many containers around me. The majority of containers were open and showcasing one of every type of Daeus Arm ever made, ranging from the original and outdated pistol model to the latest creation, the powerful but unwieldy arcane staff. I would've been impressed by the display, had it not been for the oddly simplistic designs of each of them.

Most of the weapons still looked like a mish-mash of complex machinery, but even I could tell that each only had the absolute minimum number of parts necessary to function as a Daeus Arm. There was no flair in the designs, no extra additions, and all of them were a dull grey in color. It was almost as if they were all prototypes, made before the finished product.

Why would she keep these on display like this?

I could think of a few reasons, but I wasn't interested enough to delve too deeply into the matter. What did pique my curiosity however, were the few containers that were sealed shut. I counted three sealed containers in all, each of varying sizes. On the lid of each closed container were a series of letters and numbers marked in a bold black font.

BE-37541, HM-15742, and... RG-29512? What are these? Did her engineering team get the OK from HQ to make new weapons?

"Curious, are we?"

I turned away from the three sealed containers to see Derpy making her way over to where I was standing. Behind her I saw Vinyl having a hushed, but animated discussion with Captain Bon Bon near the blast gun display, one or both of them gesturing to the thing every now and then.

Elesewhere, Captain Applejack looked like she was trying to reassure Fluttershy as the soft spoken pegasus stared at each of the weapons with noticeable discomfort. Seeker was eyeing the variant scythe model on display with perhaps the most interest I'd seen him show in anything since I'd met him. I turned my attention back to Derpy as she stepped up next to me, her eyes on the sealed containers and her expression one of pride.

"I don't supposed you'd be able to tell me what these contain?" I asked the grey pegasus hopefully, "I'm curious enough about this room as it is, but these..."

"Nope, sorry, Twilight, but telling you exactly what these are would be against company policy... for now," she explained, moving forward and rubbing a hand lovingly over one of the cold metal surfaces, "I can tell you that they're new weapons, and that I've been working my wings off on each one of them for some time now," she sighed wistfully, "me and these babies here have spent a lot of lonely nights together."

"Lonely?" my brow furrowed in confusion a moment before widening in realization, "wait a minute... you don't mean by yourself, do you?" I asked incredulously, "you made all of these on your own?"

"Well, I mean... they're not finished yet, but... yeah?" Derpy asked, frowning and tilting her head in bemusement, "why? Is that weird?"

So I was right, then. She must've already submitted her designs to the Daeus Arms R&D division at some point and evidently they thought they were good enough to approve them, but seriously, to have designed all of these on her own, let alone make them...

"It's... well..." I shook my head and looked at the large metal boxes, "usually it takes a whole team of dozens, sometimes hundreds of engineers to create a new Daeus Arm. These weapons are so complex that even the designs are handled by a group, and you've managed to design and are building three on your own."

"Oh, wow," Derpy replied, chuckling awkwardly, "I knew Daeus Arms were normally handled by a team, but I just assumed there were some engineers out there who just liked to do things on their own, y'know?"

"No, that's... not a thing, Derpy... not normally," I muttered, looking from the sealed containers to all the others, doubly shocked as another realization came to mind, "now that I think about it, I haven't seen any other ponies in the lab," I turned back to Derpy, eyes wide, "Derpy... are you... the only Daeus Arms engineer in this facility?"

"Yup, the one and only!" Derpy replied, thumping her chest proudly. She gave a sobering sigh a moment later, "Ponyville's kind of short on engineers and scientists in general, and I was the only one who had any real interest in working for Wendigo, so... here I am."

"Wait, so the Doctor doesn't have a staff either?" I asked, suddenly worried about my future working conditions, "I mean, don't get me wrong, making Daeus Arms by yourself like you've apparently been doing is impressive—beyond impressive, but Doctor Whooves needs—"

"The Doctor has a staff, don't worry," Derpy cut in, raising her hands in a calming gesture, "it's a small staff, sure, but he brought most of his team from Canterlot, and they're good at what they do, and besides," she gave me a knowing smile, "you're here, aren't you?"

I blinked.

"Well, yeah, but... how did you... I don't remember mentioning—"

"I'd already heard from Doctor Whooves that he was getting another pony on his team," Derpy explained, "and I was also told that we'd be getting a New-Type Daeus Arm wielder by the name of Twilight Sparkle," she shrugged, "when Doctor Whooves told me the pony he'd be working with was a New-Type, I just put two and two together."

"Oh, I guess that explains it then," I replied, nodding in understanding, "still, as long as he has some kind of team, that's fine. I wonder if he sent for anypony I know..."

"Who knows," Derpy answered with another shrug. She smiled and rapped a fist on one of the closed containers, "anyway, I bet these metal boxes aren't all you're wondering about."

"Yeah," I agreed, looking around, "what is this place? Why do you have all these Daeus Arms on display like this? Are they also prototypes?"

"Yes, and no," Derpy replied, much to my confusion, "I guess you could call them 'modified prototypes'," she made her way over to the container holding the dull grey short blade as she spoke, "I explained earlier that each Daeus Arm is a sort of avidaeos itself, and all Daeus Arms are made with a core at their center, just like a regular avidaeos."

She'd certainly explained that detail previously, and while I'd known a bit about that before, the very idea still sent unpleasant shivers down my spine. The fact that these weapons were more or less pony made avidaeos was the reason they could devour cores from actual avidaeos with those monstrous mouth things. It was also the reason each Daeus Arm was unique to its wielder, and why compatibility was so important.

From the way Derpy explained it, each Daeus Arm's core is specifically attuned to its user's armlet, and though the actual design of that specific Daeus Arm could be changed and modified with various materials, the core itself, once set, couldn't be changed. If a Daeus Hunter tried to activate somepony else's Daeus Arm, it would immediately begin devouring them from the inside out.

Even if the situation was stopped before death could occur, that still left possible Hive Cell corruption. If that occurred, then mutations would start happening, and they wouldn't stop until the Daeus Hunter in question had fully turned into an avidaeus themselves.

Such was the risk of being a Daeus Hunter.

"The Arms you see around you were all built without cores," Derpy continued, gesturing to the other weapons on display, "that means their devouring capabilities are inert and they can't really be used to fight actual avidaeos, but that's not their purpose anyway."

"Then what is their purpose?" I asked, eyeing the wall-eyed mare expectantly.

"They were made with new recruits in mind," Derpy replied, turning back to me with a wide grin, "because they don't have any cores, any Daeus Hunter can wield one without having to worry about being eaten or corrupted. I made these so that you guys could get a feel for what type of Daeus Arm you want to use.

"This place is just meant to hold display models, and that's really about it," she looked around the room fondly, "sometimes I come in here to think or just when I need a quiet moment away from work, kind of like a of sanctuary or something."

"Yeah, I... guess I can kind of see that," I replied, following her example as I scanned the room, "so, what then... this is basically just a place to showcase these 'modified prototypes'?"

I guess that kind of explains the unfinished models in the closed containers. Still kind of weird that she keeps them with the training Arms though.

"More... or less," Derpy grunted, trying with great effort to remove the short blade from its resting place, "I call them... 'Dummy Arms'. They might not... work like proper Daeus Arms, but... nngh... they're just as heavy!" she gave up pulling at the hilt of the sword a moment later and let her arms drop to her sides, blowing out a tired breath, "oof... sweet Celestia."

"If they're that heavy, how do you move them around?" I asked curiously as I moved to stand before the display, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we can even wield these metal monstrosities."

"Oh, I have magitech machinery for that kind of thing," Derpy replied, waving the matter away, "that, and I have the Daeus Hunters whose Arms I'm working on help me out from time to time. It's really not an issue, trust me. Anyway, these are what you guys are gonna be using once actual training starts in a few days."

"Training, huh?" I mused, sweeping my gaze around the room and watching the others as they gawped and gawked at the weapons. A thought came to me then, and I looked back around at Derpy, "how exactly is that going to work for me? Not only am I gonna be using a completely new and probably more complex model, but I also have other duties while I'm here."

"That just means yer gonna be workin' harder'n the rest of us," came the familiar drawl of my future Captain from behind. Both Derpy and I turned to see Applejack walking over to us, Fluttershy trailing a little ways behind, "yer trainin' regimen's gonna be a bit different than the others, an' it might take a little longer, but some good ol' hard work never hurt anypony if ya ask me."

"I guess so," I conceded slowly, fully turning to face the Captain, "I honestly don't really mind the extra work—half of it is something I live to do, but still, I'm wondering how that'll fit into the team dynamic."

"Now don't ya'll sweat the details on that," Applejack replied, smiling and clapping a heavy hand on my shoulder, "leave that to me an' the Director, we've already got somethin' sorted out," she nodded back at Fluttershy, "fer now, we just want ya'll ta focus on gettin' ta know the place an' the rest o' the Hunters around here."

"That's why we've allotted you all some free time for the next three days," said Bon Bon, who was coming up behind Fluttershy and the other Captain, "there's no pressing missions that need to be taken care of at the moment, so until something else comes up, the Director's agreed to give the new recruits a bit of slack."

"Oh thank goodness," murmured Fluttershy, letting out a barely audible sigh of relief, "I was afraid we'd be thrown right into the training. I don't know if I would've been able to handle that so soon."

"Ah, you would've been fine," Vinyl assured, moving to stand next to the shy pegasus, she patted her gently on the shoulder once before sidling up to me and resting an arm around my own shoulders, "still, we get to chill for the first few days? Nice! Maybe I can catch up with Tavi in the meantime."

"Maybe," I replied, pulling away from Vinyl's clutches as politely as I could, "if we are getting some free time though, I'd like to spend some time in the research lab with Doctor Whooves and the rest of his team. I want to know what I'll be doing and what exactly I'm working with."

I'd also like to find out what happened to that drake...

"Hey, to each their own," Vinyl replied with a small shrug. She turned to where Seeker was standing some ways away, "what about you, curls? What're you gonna do with all that free time?"

I wondered for a moment why Vinyl had called him curls, then remembered that the stallion's light grey mane was incredibly curly. Seeker, of course, didn't answer, simply choosing instead to fold his arms, lean back against the wall, and stare idly at the variant scythe in its container, his expression once again as unreadable as ever.

"Creepy son of a nag, isn't he?" Vinyl muttered under her breath before returning her attention to the two Captains, "anyway, we got the rundown about the training Arms, so what's next? We finally done for the night?"

"Yup, ah reckon that's about it fer now," Applejack replied with a nod. She turned to Derpy, "thanks fer havin' us, Derpy. Ah know ya got things ta do, an' we're mighty grateful ya could spare the time, especially this late in the day."

"Aw, It's no big deal," Derpy replied, that boundlessly cheerful expression never leaving her face, "I'm always glad to help, you know that, AJ."

"Ah know it," Applejack chuckled, "but ah appreciate it all the same. Anywho..." she rounded on the lot of us and nodded sharply towards the exit, "...let's not bother Miss Hooves anymore. I bet ya'll are dyin' ta finally see yer quarters, yeah?"

"And how!" Vinyl cried enthusiastically.

The rest of us said nothing, but judging by the way Fluttershy and even Seeker hurried out of the room after Applejack and Bon Bon, I'm sure they both felt the same way. I was about to follow when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Derpy looking back at me, her off-kilter golden eyes sparkling with something like excitement, or eagerness. It was honestly somewhat hard to tell.

"This'll be the first time I've worked with a New-Type," she said with a more reserved sort of grin, "I'm really looking forward to working with you and your Daeus Arm."

"Um, right... thanks?" I asked, furrowing my brow in bemusement, "I'm... l can't wait either."

The situation was incredibly awkward, but thankfully Derpy just laughed it off, patted me on the shoulder, and sent me off with a wave. I made my way to the door, wondering what that was all about, and couldn't help but look back one more time. Derpy already seemed to be lost in her own world as she stood staring at the sealed containers with a strangely thoughtful expression.

Designing and making Daeus Arms all on her own... how have I not heard of her before? I never once heard mention of her in Canterlot, not even when I was working with the Daeus Arms R&D team...

It baffled me.

Somepony like her would've gained a lot of notoriety at HQ, and the fact that she'd submitted designs to HQ meant that somepony in the top brass knew about her talent, so why wasn't she more well-known?

I had no doubt that if she'd chosen to move to Canterlot and apply for a position at HQ, she could've risen through the ranks of the Daeus Arms R&D Division and became a very rich mare in the process. Yet here she was, an unsung genius engineer living in a rundown town, working in near obscurity.

And somehow I get the feeling she wouldn't have it any other way.

Oddly enough, the thought made me smile as I stepped out of the room and hurried to catch up to the others. I wasn't sure why, but I supposed the mare just had that kind of effect on ponies. That was good, I thought, with how bleak life was for most, the world needed those kinds of ponies, and I wouldn't have minded seeing more like her.

You guys are probably itching for some action by now (I'm assuming anyway, but you know what they say about assumptions...), but I still have some groundwork to lay and some introductions to make, so just bear with me here for a little longer.

We were finally on our way to our own quarters and I could finally look forward to a good night's sleep... or so I thought. Unfortunately, unforeseen elements would continue to impede the rest I so desperately wanted.

Once we'd all left the Daeus Arms Engineering Lab, both the Captains leading us had apparently decided foalsitting time was over and sent us off to find our own rooms. They'd given us the directions we needed, but from there we were on our own. They told us they'd be relaxing in the Rec Room if we needed anything, though I was perfectly content to find my own way.

From what we'd been told, there were a few ways to get to the living quarters, and as much as I'd come to enjoy Vinyl and Fluttershy's company, I opted to head off on my own. Seeker chose to do the same, but that was no great surprise to anypony present. Soon enough we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

According to Applejack, our individual rooms were 'tagged' with our own unique signature and we'd know when we found the right room. I had no idea what they meant, but I assumed it had something to do with some as of yet unexplained function of the armlets we wore.

I didn't worry about it too much, mostly because my mind was preoccupied with Daeus Arms; specifically what I'd actually end up using in the end. I'd done some reading up on New-Types before I'd left Canterlot, and knew they were far more flexible when it came to using Daeus Arms. While 1st Generation Daeus Hunters were relegated to choosing one type of Daeus Arm and sticking with it, New-Types didn't have that limitation.

If I didn't like the way one type of Daeus Arm worked, I could just swap it out for another as long as I used the same core. As a New-Type I could effectively become a jack-of-all-trades among Daeus Hunters. In all honesty the only weapon I could see myself using was the arcane staff, but that was only because I was already rather gifted in the use of magic and had quite a bit of natural mana... at least until I underwent the Daeification Process.

In reality though, I could be terrible with an arcane staff; I'd have no way of knowing until I actually used one. That was neither here nor there for the moment, and I figured I could cross that particular bridge when I came to it. Moving on from that subject, my thoughts turned to the other mysterious New-Type that was supposed to arrive at some point in the near future.

Thinking back on it, I probably could've asked one of the Captains or even Derpy who the other New-Type was supposed to be, but it had slipped my mind to do so. Just as I'd made a mental note to ask when I next got the chance, I felt my armlet vibrate slightly. At the same time I heard a loud, but thankfully short buzz from somewhere next to me and turned to see a nondescript brown metal door to my left.

I stared at the door silently for a few seconds before looking at my armlet, then back at the door. Holding the armlet up, I backed away from the door, moved towards it, and my suspicions were confirmed when I felt the armlet vibrate and the door buzz once more. This was most likely the door to my room and it seemed I was right about the armlet being connected, but why wasn't it opening?

Am I... locked out? Or is this the wrong door?

I looked down the hall and saw a row of identical doors on either side of the corridor. Just to make sure, I walked over to one of the other doors and raised my armlet, but nothing happened. I frowned and walked back over to the door that was presumably the entrance to my own room. It buzzed again and my frown turned to an irritated scowl.

Okay, so that is my door, but why can't I get in?

One of my ears twitched as I heard another buzz further down the hall. I looked over to see none other than Seeker, standing at the door right at the end of the hall. He stepped back from the door and grimaced, looking just as annoyed as I felt. He must've arrived just after I did, and that probably meant Fluttershy and Vinyl weren't too far behind.

Come to think of it... where is everypony?

I only just noticed how empty the corridor was, which struck me as strange given that this was where all the rookie Daeus Hunters stayed and it wasn't that late yet. Sure there weren't that many rooms, but I still expected to see some ponies wandering about. Putting that aside for the moment, I called out to Seeker.

"Having trouble getting in too, huh?" I asked. He turned to me and I gave an awkward sort of wave and gestured to my armlet, "same here. For some reason we're locked out."

He continued to stare at me as though I was an idiot for another moment or two, then snorted, rolled his eyes, and stormed off the other way. I watched him turn a corner and vanish out of sight with another frown.

"Geez," I muttered to myself, "I was just trying to make some small talk. Didn't have to be a jerk about it."

"Wha—aw what the buck, seriously?! C'mon, work you stupid... grrr..."

Both my ears perked up at the distant voice and a smile crossed my face. I turned and headed down the hall towards the familiar deep feminine timbre coming from the direction opposite the way Seeker had gone. I turned a corner and sure enough, there was Vinyl Scratch standing before her own locked door.

She looked the most aggravated I'd ever seen her, and though I couldn't see her eyes behind her violet shades, I could tell she was glaring at the door by her deep scowl and folded arms. It was surprising to say the least, but I didn't blame her, I was beginning to feel the same way after being denied a chance to relax in the privacy of my own room yet again.

"Hey, Vinyl," I said, walking over to the irked mare, "can't get in either?"

"Hm?" Vinyl whipped around to face me and her scowl vanished as though it had never been there, leaving her trademark easy smile in its place, "oh... hey, Sparks. Yeah, I can't get this stupid door to open no matter what I do," she gave an exasperated sigh, "seriously, why send us here if they're just gonna lock us out?"

"I'm not really sure," I replied, frowning down at my own armlet, "maybe there's some kind of glitch in the security system? Maybe we weren't registered properly?"

"Aaah you gotta be buckin' kidding me with this," Vinyl groaned, "see, this is why I don't like these fancy automated sliding doors. Give me a regular old physical lock and key any day."

My eyebrows rose at the statement.

"Wow," I replied after a long second, "that seems surprisingly... old fashioned for somepony like you."

"Why would you think that?" Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow at me behind her large shades.

"Oh, w-was I wrong?" I asked, mentally slapping myself for making assumptions, "I don't know, you just kind of give off that... 'modern day girl' vibe I guess. You mentioned you were a DJ before, so that might've had something to do with it."

"Huh," Vinyl replied with a thoughtful look, "well, I guess I could see why you'd think that," she shrugged, "but I spent a lot of time hanging out with gramps after he retired, and he does like to keep things old fashioned, so that might've rubbed off on me."

I didn't really know what to say next, so I opted to change the subject.

"Have you seen Fluttershy at all?" I asked, looking around, "did she already come by?"

"Beats me," Vinyl answered with a shrug, "she said she wanted to check on something and went off somewhere. Didn't think to ask, so I have no idea where she went."

"Oh," I replied, curious as to what the mare could've possibly needed to do, "I figured out of everypony involved, she'd be the most eager to settle down for the night," I sighed and idly stared down the hallway for a moment before looking back to Vinyl, "so... we should probably see one of the Captains and tell them what's going on. Even if Fluttershy came back I doubt she would've been able to get in either."

"Good call. Beats standing around here waiting for the damn door to magically unlock," Vinyl answered, giving her door one last scowl. She shook her head, "well anyway, Bon Bon said they'd be in the Rec Room, right? You remember where that is?"

"I think I remember the directions we were given," I answered looking around uncertainly, "I kind of wish there was somepony around to help me refresh my memory."

"Hey yeah," Vinyl commented, "now that you mention it, where the buck is everypony? I didn't see anypony other than Fluttershy on the way here either."

"I don't know, but it's kind of creeping me out," I didn't dwell on the matter for too long before I began making my way towards the elevator and away from the empty rookie's living quarters, "c'mon, let's just go and check with the Captains about the doors."

"No need to tell me twice," Vinyl muttered, following a few steps behind, "I'm right behind ya."

We made our way to the elevator and took it back down to the first floor. We entered the main floor and saw a few Daeus Hunters and some of the other Wendigo staff wandering around looking busy. I tried asking one of the staffponies where the other Hunters were, but they just shrugged their shoulders, gave a noncommittal response and moved on.

We walked over to the front desk were Cherilee was thankfully still present and asked her instead.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," she replied after a second of thought, "but I do know that a lot of Hunters like to hang out in the Rec Room around this time of night. You might want to try checking there."

Vinyl and I looked at each other and the other mare shrugged. As it turned out, there was an entrance to the Rec Room at the back of the main room. With that knowledge, Vinyl and I wasted no time in heading over to the singular door.

"I really hope we can get these doors fixed soon," I grumbled irritably, "it's been a long day, and frankly I'd like nothing more than to put it all behind me. I have enough to worry about with all the extra stuff I have to do."

"I hear ya," Vinyl replied with a nod, "I was looking forward to chilling in my own room. Maybe do a bit of redecorating with some of the stuff I brought from back home. Almost would've been like being back in—"

"SURPRISE!!!"

The door to the Rec Room slid open and I stumbled backwards, letting out a scream at the sudden sound of a shrill voice and a face full of pink fur and baby blue eyes. It took me a moment, but I recognized the mare standing inches away from my face as the one I'd seen out in the slums on my way here.

I looked over to see that Vinyl wasn't nearly as shocked as I was, though she still looked somewhat taken aback at the mare's sudden appearance. As I stood there in the doorway, a hand to my chest and willing my heart to stop racing, both Vinyl and I were bombarded with an onslaught of words.

"Geez, it sure took you two long enough to get here. The party started ages ago, c'mon!"

I barely had time to process what was going on before I was suddenly yanked into the room with a surprised yelp. There was a loud cacophony of voices all around me and, looking around, it seemed like every Hunter that was supposed to be in their living quarters were here instead.

Well, that solves that mystery.

The Rec Room was large—seemingly large enough to accommodate all of the rookies in the facility. There were ponies everywhere, laughing, chatting, playing pool in one corner, drinking at a bar that was set up smack dab in the middle of the room, relaxing on a pair of long sofas, and there was even what looked like a small band of Hunters playing instruments near the back.

Colorful streamers and balloons adorned the walls and tables everywhere i looked. There were snacks and more drinks off to one side on a large table near one wall. Attached to the ceiling was a large white banner with 'CONGRATULATIONS NEWBIES!' printed in big red font, and seeing that, everything clicked into place.

"Oh snap, is that Tavi?" Vinyl asked, looking over to where the musicians were. Her smile widened a moment later and she turned back to me, "you know what? I might be tired, but a party's a party, and I never turn down a chance to party," with that, she turned and hurried off to meet her friends, "hey, Tavi! Long time, no see!"

I watched her go for a moment, grimacing as she met up with the grey earth pony mare playing the cello in the group. I was happy for her, really I was... but I was less happy about being dragged to a party I didn't ask for.

"This was a setup," I muttered with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes, "I was denied my sleep for a stupid welcome party, and I'll bet the Captains were in on it the whole time."

"Aw come on, don't be like that," came that same high pitched voice from next to me. I turned and frowned at the pink mare, but she only smiled back in response as she spoke, "I greet all the new recruits with a surprise party! Sure it might've been a bit later than I would've liked, but don't let that stop you from enjoying yourself!"

"Wait, so you're the pony that set all this up?" I asked, scanning the crowd of ponies, "you planned this entire thing? The locked doors? The 'ignorant' staff? The... everything?"

"Yup! Pinkie Pie at your service! When it comes to parties, nopony does them better," the mare replied cheerfully, "well, I did have some help here and there, but for the most part it was all me. Now stop being a grumpy pants!" she slapped me on the back and gestured to the ponies, "c'mon it's a party for you and the others! You survived Daeification! Eat! Drink! Mingle! Who knows," she winked, "you just might get a chance to talk to somepony you've been looking for."

Before I could make any kind of response, she clapped me on the shoulder one more time and skipped away off in the crowd. That just left me wondering about the mare who called herself Pinkie Pie. The name certainly fit with her bright pink fur and overly curly pink mane and tail, but what had she meant by talking to somepony that I'd been looking for? I couldn't remember wanting to talk to anypony in particular.

"Whatever," I muttered, shaking my head and looking for anypony I recognized, "we're all free for the next three days, why didn't she just wait until tomorrow to throw a surprise party?"

Then again, she might've been busy with her own duties. As far as I knew, we were the only ones getting any time off, so if she was busy it would've made sense to have a party while she still had a chance to throw one.

Doesn't mean I'm happy about it though...

Walking around, I spotted Fluttershy sitting near the back of the room where the windows took up half the wall from left to right. She sat alone at the long table that stretched across the wall, nursing a steaming mug of something in both hands and looking like she was doing her best to blend into the background.

I guess she must've gotten here before Vinyl and I did, though it doesn't look like she wants to be here anymore than I do... but what is she looking at?

Even from where I was standing a good distance back, I could see the nervous mare casting furtive, almost fearful glances to her right. I followed her gaze and my mouth nearly dropped open at what, or rather who I saw. Sitting at the far end of the long table away from Fluttershy and everypony else was the drake I'd seen get taken in by the medical staff.

He wore a rather loose fitting dark blue standard Hunter's uniform and I could see several bandages wrapped about his head. His back was turned to me, but I assumed the uniformed covered more bandages elsewhere on his body. Though I couldn't see his expression, I could tell he was staring out the window, a glass of some kind of beverage sitting untouched next to him. If he'd noticed any of Fluttershy's wary, fearful glances, he ignored them.

Completely caught off guard by his presence, I found myself moving over to the table almost without realizing it. Before I knew it I was standing next to the drake, all thoughts of find one of the Captains and getting the door to my room unlocked more or less forgotten in the face of this new development.

"Um..."

The drake jumped slightly and whipped around to face me, his slitted green eyes wide with surprise. A second later he relaxed, frowned and turned to stare out the window again.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," I said with an apologetic smile. The smile slipped off my face as the fledgling continued to ignore me, but I wanted some answers, and I wasn't leaving until we talked, at least a bit, "so can I... sit here? I wanted to ask you some things. Oh, my name's Twilight by the way. Twilight Sparkle."

"Spike," he grunted, "and you can do whatever you want. I'm not gonna stop you. Can't promise I'll answer your questions though."

He was obviously trying to sound like a tough dragon, but his attempts to be mysterious and aloof just came off as kind of adorable to me. He may have been a dragon, but he had a bit of a baby face—well, by dragon standards anyway. It was clear to see even underneath the bandages that he was young, and his deep yet still somehow childish voice would've given him away if not his face.

"Alright then, fair enough, Spike," I replied, sliding onto the stool next to him. I cast a side glance in Fluttershy's direction and the mare blushed and gave a small 'eep' before quickly looking the other way. I smiled to myself and turned my attention back to Spike, "again, sorry to just show up and start talking to you right out of the blue, but—"

"You were one of the ponies in the truck, right?" Spike interjected, "back in the wastes?"

"Y-Yeah," I replied, stunned that he'd remembered, "you saw me then? Through that mess?"

"Yup," he sighed, "bet you're wondering what I was doing back there, huh?"

"Well yeah," I admitted, "but more than that I'm wondering how and why you're here and not in the infirmary. You were hurt pretty bad when they brought you in," I looked him up and down, seeing a hint of more bandages beneath his undershirt, "you're still hurt pretty bad," I frowned in concern, "so what gives?"

"Ah, it's not that big a deal," he said with an encouraging smile. He pounded his chest, winced in pain and gave another, weaker smile, "dragons heal pretty quickly, and even among dragons I've always been able to heal really really fast. Don't know why, but I've never complained," he shrugged, "besides, that pink pony invited me and I had nothing better to do than lay around all night, so I figured I'd show up, y'know?"

It seemed Spike was more open and friendly than I expected, and that was fine with me. He was surprisingly easy to talk to I found, though I could only hope he'd remain that way when i asked the questions I really wanted to know the answers to.

Still, he was pretty quick to abandon the gritty mysterious and aloof dragon act, and to let him just walk around in his condition, fast healing or no...

"Negligent caretakers aside, that reminds me," I continued, "where exactly have you been? There was a..." I threw another glance Fluttershy's way before speaking again, "I had a... friend who wound up in the infirmary earlier, and when I asked about you later, she said she didn't see any dragons there."

"Oh, that?" Spike replied as he finally grabbed his glass and took a drink, "it was the weirdest thing. Instead of putting me in the infirmary, they stuck me in this room in the Doctor's lab."

"Wait, what?" I asked incredulously, "they... confined you to Doctor Whoove's lab? But I never..."

I trailed off as I remembered the second door in the back of the Doctor's lab, the one that had the 'CAUTION' sign attached to it. Had Spike been in there the whole time while we were getting our check-ups done in the other room? If that was the case, then why? What was the Doctor doing keeping Spike there?

"Why would they put you in the lab and not the infirmary?"

"I was still out of It when they brought me in, and they didn't really tell me anything about why I was there when I woke up," Spike replied casually, "but if I had to guess, it probably had something to do with my amazing ability to heal so quickly. Wouldn't be the first time they put me in a lab for that kind of thing."

"Wha... how..." I sputtered. I stopped and took a calming breath before starting again, "okay, so let's... back up and start over. What exactly were you doing out in the wastes all alone?"

At that, Spike's friendly demeanor completely vanished and he turned away with a frown.

"That's... a bit more complicated," he muttered, "long story short, I was a rookie just out of training from the Tiamat Branch of Wendigo in the Dragonlands. Because of my... special talent, I was supposed to be sent to Wendigo HQ in Canterlot to be studied, but..."

He fell silent and stared at the table before him. I saw him give a visible shudder and raise a claw to his face, his expression growing horrified.

"Spike?" I asked worriedly, "I'm not sure what this is about, but it looks like it might be a pretty painful memory. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I wanted some answers, but not if it's gonna make you that uncomfortable. Besides, you barely even know me anyway."

This sounds pretty serious though, and I'm guessing this must be at least part of the reason they held him in the labs. Did they ask him the same questions I'm asking?

"N-No, it's fine. I just... I gotta get over it," he replied, lowering his shaking claw and clenching it into a fist. He took a deep breath and continued, "we—me and some of the higher ranking Hunters from the Dragonlands—we were on our way to Canterlot via military aircraft when we were attacked by this... massive flying avidaeus over the Celestial Sea."

"A titan class avidaeus?" I swallowed nervously, "as close to Equestria as the Celestial Sea?"

My heart skipped a beat at that. A vast majority of the Celestial Sea to the east was in Equestrian territory. If there really was a titan class avidaeus flying around over the Celestial Sea, Manehattan and Fillydelphia were in very real danger of being attacked.

There was every possibility that one or even both cities could end up like Baltimare, nothing but a ghastly ruin overrun with avidaeos.

Does the president know? Does anypony in Manehattan or Fillydelphia know? Somepony was bound to have noticed something like that at some point.

"Yeah, it was huge," Spike answered, "like three times bigger than our ship. Looked like some kind of giant millipede with a bunch of bat wings," he shuddered again, "chased us all the way to the shores of Equestria. We tried to fight back, but it shot some kind of... mega laser at us, blasted a huge hole right through the hull of the ship.

"Some of the Hunters tried to fight even while the ship was going down, and some tried to flee, but none of them made it far before... well... you can probably guess."

"I'm so sorry," I said in a horrified whisper, "I had no idea... how did you survive?"

"Well..." he turned and gestured to his back," as you can see, I don't have any wings yet so I couldn't just fly to safety, but the aircraft we were on had this emergency escape pod thing, and Garble..." he winced and wiped his eyes, "a... friend of mine managed to get me on it before the ship crashed. I'm not sure what happened with that avidaeus, but I was launched all the way past... I think you ponies call it Foal Mountain?"

"That far?" I asked, flabbergasted at the distance, "that has to be... at least a hundred and thirty kilometers from where we found you!"

"Yeah, it was a long trip. I crashed just outside the wastes near Mount Canterhorn, but thanks to my healing, I survived," he explained, "afterwards I patched myself up and made my way towards Canterlot to get help, or at least that was the plan."

"But you probably ran into avidaeos trouble on the way I'm assuming," I guessed, to which he nodded grimly. I shook my head in disbelief, "and you managed to survive all on your own all that time?"

"What can I say?" he replied with a shrug and prideful grin, "I just have a knack for getting myself out of trouble... most of the time."

"That's crazy," I replied with a hint of awe in my tone, "and that Daeus Arm that you had... is that crash how it got broken like that?"

"No, that was... because of something else," he replied quietly, "I don't really wanna talk about that. In fact," he downed the rest of his beverage and hopped off the stool, wincing in pain as he landed, "I think it's about time for me to get back to the lab. I was only allowed to come here for a little bit anyway."

"Oh... alright then," I replied, slightly put out by the abrupt departure, "I guess I'll see you later?"

He looked at me for a moment before giving a small smile.

"You know what? Yeah," he replied, "once they finally let me out of that lab for good, we can talk some more later," I returned his smile and he turned and walked away with one last wave, "see ya, Twilight."

"See you soon, Spike," I replied with a wave of my own, "hope you feel better."

I watched him go until he was out of sight, then turned to Fluttershy, only to find that the mare wasn't there anymore. I frowned and scanned the crowd, but I couldn't see her anywhere. I was left alone at the table with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company.

More worries to add to the growing pile... perfect.

I yawned and stood up from my own seat before heading back into the throng of partying ponies. I hadn't had a chance to enjoy the festivities, but Pinkie had been right when she said I'd meet somepony, or rather somedragon I'd been wanting to talk to. He sounded pretty relaxed about most of what he'd told me, but I felt like there was something major going on involving Spike and his healing ability. It really wasn't any of my business, but I still couldn't help but wonder just what was going on with the fledgling and Wendigo.

For the sake of my own sanity I decided to put all of that behind me for the night and search for one of the Captains. It was way past time for me to turn in, and I needed my door unlocked so I could finally, finally get what I felt at this point was some well deserved rest.

Yet another chapter that I didn't know how to end so it just wound up dragging on and on.

The blaring sound of a klaxon somewhere above me snapped me out of what was already a fitful sleep. I jerked awake, screaming and flailing around in a panic before quickly trying to take stock of my unfamiliar surroundings.

I was in a small, but surprisingly homey room with soft tan walls, a hardwood floor and a large bay window complete with potted plant on the window sill. Off to one corner was one of the terminals I'd seen in the main hub and both a long counter and some small dressers built into the walls. Aside from that, a single small desk and chair, and an empty bookshelf at another end of the room, there wasn't much else to see.

Aside from the entrance, there was another door that led to a bathroom just large enough for a toilet, a standing shower, and a small sink built within. All in all, it was a nice room, if a little spartan in appearance—though that would most likely change with some time. Looking down I saw that I'd been sleeping on a simple but comfortable low profile bed next to one of the walls, and that was when it all came back to me.

Right, this is my room...

Once I'd found Applejack at the party I had her unlock the door to my room, after which I'd taken all of ten seconds to look around my new lodgings before falling into bed and blacking out almost immediately. I didn't even bother to retrieve my bag, unpack or undress from the outfit I wore when I arrived. I hadn't seen Fluttershy, Vinyl or Seeker on the way so I'd just assumed they'd either left before I did or stayed behind at the party in the rec room.

The realization of what had happened before I woke up would've done much to calm me down had it not been for the alarm blasting loud and repetitive in my ears. That told me something somewhere had gone wrong and it wasn't really something I needed right at that moment. Pressing my ears down against my head and slapping my hands over them, I looked over to the window and saw that it was still fairly dark out.

What in Celestia's name is going on?!

Seeing as I was now wide awake, I resolved to find out, but as I threw aside the blanket and prepared to roll out of bed, the urgent sound of Cheerilee's voice came floating through the walls via an intercom somewhere in the building.

"Attention all available Daeus Hunters, facility staff and any visiting civilians, there has been a breach! The Outer District of Ponyville is under attack by avidaeos! I repeat, a large pack of Vargren have surrounded and are trying to scale the wall! Some have gotten through and are assaulting the Outer District! The Retaliation and Defense Teams have already been deployed with the Reserve Team on its way to defend the wall and the Outer District, but we need everypony else awake and alert in case of a full invasion!"

"A pack of... what?!" I cried, clumsily stumbling the rest of the way out of bed in my haste to leave the room, "oh, no. Nonono, not now. Not now!"

It was dark, as I'd neglected to hit the light switch and it was still very much night outside, but I managed to regain my footing and was about to head out the door when there was a sudden and urgent knock on the metal door. I blinked in surprise before backing up a step.

"Er... come in?" I called out hesitantly, "the doors open, I guess."

At that, the door slid open, revealing the unfamiliar silhouette of a pony in the doorway. Before I could ask who it was, the pony flipped the switch near the door and in the light I could see it was a mare I hadn't seen before as of yet.

The mare, a magenta coated, violet maned unicorn, wore both an armlet and a standard cobalt blue Daeus Hunter military jacket complete with black wool pants tucked into black knee high combat boots. Oddly enough, what made me take note of her outfit was the fact that I'd noticed she had another set of clothes and boots under one arm, a set that looked suspiciously like her own.

"You're Twilight Sparkle, right?" the mare asked, her tone both hurried and curt, "one of the new recruits?"

"Um, y-yeah, that's me," I replied, moving my gaze from the outfit to the mare herself, "what's goi—"

"No time, here," the mare interjected, throwing the set of clothes and the boots at my hooves, "get outfitted and make it quick. The Doctor is waiting for you and the others in the prep room."

"The others? Wait, what—" I began, but the mare was already rushing out and down the hall, leaving the door to automatically slam shut behind her, "...the hay is going on?"

Well... so much for my day off, I thought with a quiet sigh, I'd hoped to meet with the Doctor and introduce myself to the rest of the researchers, but I guess that'll have to wait...

I frowned and turned my gaze downward towards the outfit I was given. I glanced at the combat boots with a small amount of distaste. In most cases, hoofwear was worn as more of a fashion statement than anything else. Ponykind had evolved in such a way that the keratinous material of the hoof on its own was far tougher and more durable than what most shoes could provide, so there was no real need to wear shoes of any kind for protection unless you worked with hazardous materials or traveled often, which most ponies didn't given the state of the world.

I'd had to wear safety boots often whenever I worked in my lab back in Canterlot, but used to it as I'd become, I still wasn't particularly fond of having to do so.

I guess it makes sense for Hunters to have some sort of protection against the elements for their hooves... but then again I've seen ponies both with and without hoofwear. Maybe it's optional?

With a small huff, I decided to put that issue behind me for now and move onto the next one as I leaned down, picked up the jacket, and looked it over. I stood there eyeing it for a moment before my gaze fell on the armlet attached just above my wrist.

I frowned.

"How am I even suppose to put it on with this in the way?" I mused, my frown deepened, "how am I suppose to put any kind of shirt on with this in the way?"

Now that I thought about it, that had actually been the reason I'd opted not to change out of my clothes before I went to bed, I couldn't figure out how to get around the armlet. The fabric of both the jacket and the pants felt like it was a sort of thick nylon and cotton blend that mostly certainly didn't feel like it had the tensile strength to stretch over the rather bulky armlet just above my wrist.

I puzzled over the matter for a good minute, all too aware of the still blaring alarm and the others waiting for me in the prep room. Then my eyes wandered over to the terminal in one corner of the room, narrowing with a sudden suspicion.

"You can't be serious," I muttered, quickly moving over to the terminal, "are they expecting us to..."

Activating the terminal, I sorted through the list of available options until I came to 'LOADOUT'. Hitting that brought me to another list with every option greyed out except for the one at the bottom labeled 'APPEARANCE'. I chose the option and a familiar teal light erupted from the flash crystal embedded in the console before enveloping me momentarily.

When the light show ended, the screen then changed to reveal a 3D render of me wearing the clothes I'd arrived here in. Next to the image was another list with clothing options for both tops and bottoms. I checked and sure enough, all of the clothes I wore currently were listed, though they too were greyed out, no doubt because I was still wearing them. My brow furrowed and my mouth dropped open slightly in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?"

A few minutes later I was heading down the elevator that led to the first floor, fully outfitted in my own apparent uniform and frowning at both the absurdity of what I had to do to get dressed and out of nervous tension regarding what was going to happen next. It turns out I had to register the uniform to the terminal and, much like the satchel, essentially 'teleport' the ensemble onto my body. It was admittedly very convenient and yet another marvel of magitech engineering to be sure, but at the same time I thought it might've been a bit much for a workaround to the issue of the immovable hunk of metal above my wrist.

Thankfully the klaxon had finally been silenced, though Cheerilee's voice would still occasionally come over the intercom giving regular updates on the situation. I'd expected to see other Daeus Hunters rushing past in order to get to the prep room, but there was hardly anypony around save for some of the non-Hunter staff of the Branch that occasionally hurried by on some errand or another. As I reached the first floor and stepped out of the elevator and into the main hub I nearly ran into Seeker, who happened to be passing by at that very moment.

"Oh!" I cried, stumbling back a step, "sorry about that, Seeker. I'm kind of in a rush and didn't see you... there."

I trailed off at Seeker's irritated scowl and smiled sheepishly. Before I could say anything else, the stallion took off towards the prep room without a single word. I watched him go with a frown ,noting that he was also wearing a uniform, though he neglected to wear any kind of hoofwear.

"I guess it is optional," I muttered, "or maybe he's breaking protocol and just doesn't care?"

I shook my head and followed after him, my thoughts turning to what the Director and Doctor Whooves had in store for us. As I passed through, I could see that the main hub was practically empty save for the shopkeeps and a few non-combatants idling around the hub with nervous looks or speaking to each other in hushed, worried tones.

Cheerilee was nowhere to be seen, and I assumed she was off coordinating the teams that had already been sent out to the Outer District. A knot of worry formed in my gut as I thought about the citizens in the Outer District and the horror they were probably going through even now. From what I'd read of the avidaeos in the surrounding area, I knew that the smaller, wolf-like Vargren were native to the Everfree Forest, and rarely if ever left.

Cheerilee had mentioned there was a large pack of them, something I found odd given their usual habits and habitat. The Everfree was close, but it wasn't that close. They would've had to travel a good ways out of their territory to come here, but why? Why were they attacking the town, and why now?

Guess I'll find out soon enough...

I made my way over to the entrance of the prep room and stepped through the doorway as the metal doors slid open. The prep room itself was far larger than I was expecting, but that may have just been both the lack of ponies and vehicles, the majority of which had probably already been deployed to the Outer District.

The garage portion in general was fairly empty save for a massive table attached to the wall and bearing mechanical odds and ends for repairs, what might've been a massive tool shed in one corner, and a single armored truck not unlike the one I arrived in parked before an open garage door that led outside and towards the center of town. Something I took note of the was the fact that the engine was running, and another were the sounds of screams, gunfire, and other more indiscernible noises beyond the garage door and the Inner District.

That and the bright orange glow and black smoke rising against the night sky in the far distance made me shiver involuntarily and I quickly turned away from the sight, trying to distract myself with something else. Just from a mere glance I think I knew where all of this was going, and I didn't like it one bit.

To my far right over where the storage area was, I could see row after row of large, mostly empty stands similar to what I'd seen in Derpy's lab. Next to each stand was a terminal and what looked like a huge metal locker. With the terminals in place I wasn't quite sure what the lockers were for, but that was hardly important at the moment, so I ignored the thought.

By their design I figured the stands were meant to hold a Hunter's Daeus Arm, and was proven right when I saw Derpy herself looking over a stand that still had a short blade docked to it.

Derpy? What's she doing here?

Standing altogether not too far from her were the others. Fluttershy, Vinyl and Seeker were already talking to the doctor. Though I was still a bit too far away to hear what they were saying, it was clear at least that Fluttershy was worried, if her frequent furtive glances towards the distant town outside the garage were anything to go by. All of them were suited up the same as I was, and none of them looked happy to be here, not even Vinyl.

As I was about to head over to join in the conversation, I heard the doors to the prep room slide open somewhere behind me, causing me to start and whip around. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw none other than the purple drake from earlier walk through the doorway, sans bandages and with a properly fitted Daeus Hunter uniform to boot.

"Oh, hey Twilight!" the dragon greeted, waving amicably as our eyes met, "fancy meeting you here."

"Spike?" I asked, completely baffled, "what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be recovering back in the lab," I looked him over, a frown of bewilderment on my face, "you look... fine. What happened?"

"I got better. When I told you I heal fast, I wasn't kidding," he replied with a simple shrug. His friendly smile fell into a serious frown as he looked towards a point past me, "more importantly, when I heard what was going on, I couldn't really just sit and wait in that stuffy lab. I wanted to help," he turned back to me and raised his right arm, showing off his black armlet, "I'm a Daeus Hunter too, y'know."

"Well, I mean that's all well and good," I replied, still somewhat taken aback by the turn of events, "but what about your Daeus Arm? Wasn't it heavily damaged out in the wastes?"

"Derpy fixed it for me," Spike replied. He glanced past me once again and his bright green eyes lit up, "oh, and there it is!" he began walking past me, but stopped and glanced back at me, "hold that thought."

And with that he hurried off towards where Depry stood. I looked from him to the Daeus Arm stand and realized that the weapon was indeed the same short blade with the jade green steel restored in its entirety.

"When did Derpy have time to fix that?" I wondered aloud, "and just what the hay is that dragon made of?" as I thought about his healing capability, a theory began to form and I furrowed my brow in thought, "wait a minute... could he have been injected with some sort of advanced Bias Factor?"

It was certainly a possibility.

The Bias Factor was essentially the solution Wendigo had come up with to stop Daeus Arms from devouring their own users. Regular injections were fed into Hunters via a self-generating serum within the armlet itself, and without it, things would get real morbid real fast. There were other ways of obtaining a Bias Factor, but injections by armlet were the most common amongst Hunters.

Maybe Spike's Bias Factor does more than keep the Hive Cells within his body and the weapon at bay. Is that why they were sending him from the Dragonlands to Canterlot?

"Evidently the dragon was just born with a strange Bias Factor," came the response of a familiar deep rasp, "Doctor says it's one of the strangest things he's ever seen."

I turned just in time to see Lieutenant Spitfire walk into the prep room, the metal doors sliding shut behind her. The pegasus mare was wearing her trademark aviators and hefting a sleek and rather simplistic looking charge spear over one shoulder. Judging by the many nicks and scratches in the amber shaded blade, the spear must've either been really old, or horribly cared for, and with Derpy's skill, I doubted the latter was the case.

"He was born with it?" I asked, turning from her to the drake in question. He was giving his short blade a few practice swings and talking to Derpy about something or other, but my mind was running to the only possible conclusion to what Spitfire was saying, "but... how? I know certain traits are sometimes passed down to a Hunter's offspring, but this kind of rapid healing has never been observed in any race. Even dragons and changelings, two races who are well known for that sort of thing don't exhibit ridiculous traits like that, at least not that I've heard of."

Come to think of it, that might've explained why Vinyl and her family were so compatible with Hive Cells. It might've been a trait inherited by her family line somewhere along the way, perhaps some kind of Bias Factor mutation or adaption that occurred at some point over time. My own dad was a Daeus Hunter, but I'd never heard about him being particularly exceptional when it came to his own Bias Factor.

Makes me wonder how I ended up with a high compatibility with the new Arms...

"I don't know what to tell you," Spitfire replied, stepping past me and heading towards the others, "we don't know who his parents are, and neither does Spike himself. The Doc made an inquiry to a genealogist he knows, but nothing's come back yet. Until then I allowed him to come with us," she stopped a little ways away and turned back to me, "it looks like we'll need all the help we can get, and the kid is a certified Daeus Hunter."

With that said, she turned on her heel and walked the rest of the way to the others. There were still tons of questions left unanswered and my interest in the drake had only increased with the mystery surround his origins and unnatural capabilities. I wanted to delve more into the matter, but I'd already wasted enough time and after a moment, I followed after the Lieutenant and made my way to the rest of the group.

"...unsure of the actual cause, but we may have an idea," I heard Doctor Whooves saying as I reached the others, "as we've already seen, the... oh, Twilight Sparkle," the doctor cut himself off as he spotted me approaching, "glad to see you've finally joined us."

"Yeah, sorry. I... got a bit distracted," I replied somewhat awkwardly. I looked around at the gathering with a worried frown, "so what's going on? Why are Vargren attacking so far from the Everfree? And why now?"

"That's... just what we were talking about," Vinyl answered with a slight yawn, "the Doc thinks he might know what's up."

"Indeed," Doctor Whooves confirmed with a nod, "you see, while the Vargren normally—"

"Hate to interrupt, Doc," Spitfire cut in, gesturing to the running truck with a grim frown, "but now that everypony's here, we're moving out. I'll take over the explanations from here. The longer we stay here, the longer the Outer District suffers, and I don't know about you, but I've got a few ponies in town I'm worried about."

"Er, y-yes of course," the doctor replied sheepishly. He cleared his throat before calling out to the dragon near the weapon stands, "Spike? Are you ready over there?"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Spike called back, waving goodbye to Derpy as he ran over to where we were. Derpy gave a small wave and smile in return before retreating back to the prep room entrance and the main hub beyond. The drake slowed to a stop before Doctor Whooves and the rest of us, short sword in claw and a determined grimace on his face, "so we're good to go then?"

"That we are, my draconic friend," the doctor replied as he began ushering all of us towards the truck, "the Lieutenant knows of the situation and what may be causing the Vargren to attack the town, and since we are rather short on time and ponies, I'll let her explain everything on the way."

"Oh, so you're not coming then?" Spike asked, sounding oddly disappointed.

"I'm afraid not," Doctor Whooves replied with an apologetic smile, "I'd be more of a hindrance than a help in this case."

"U-Um, excuse me?" came the soft and slightly terrified near whisper of Fluttershy. We all turned to her at once, causing her to wince at the sudden attention, but she pressed on nevertheless, "I... I know we don't have our Daeus Arms yet, but... a-and you did explain how dire the situation is... but we won't have to do anything... too dangerous, will we? I mean, w-we're still new after all. We don't really... have any experience... um..."

The pegasus trailed off at that and quietly stared at her boots, her face growing red with embarrassment. We all looked at her in silence for a good moment before Vinyl pulled her into a one armed hug, causing the awkwardly shifting mare to 'eep' in surprise.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll be fine," Vinyl chirped with a confident grin, "we got Lieutenant Spitfire and the little guy to keep us safe," she turned to the two in question, "ain't that right?"

"That's what I'm here for," Spitfire replied, adjusting her grip on her charge spear, "I've been tasked to protect the lot of you while you do what you need to do, and since Spike here volunteeered, he'll be doing the same."

"R-Right," Spike replied with a small nod. He looked resolute, but I could tell the young dragon was reluctant by the look in his eyes and the tightening grip on his blade, "I screwed up on my own last time, but those were... different circumstances, and I won't make the same mistake again," a confident smile suddenly crossed his face, "you can count on me."

"Well, there you go!" Vinyl replied, patting Fluttershy on the back and moving to follow Spitfire, who'd already began heading the rest of the way to the truck, "plus we have all the other Daeus Hunters already on the scene, so like I said, we got this."

"Y-Yeah... I guess you're right," Fluttershy muttered, "I just hope it's enough..."

It was clear she wasn't entirely convinced, and I didn't blame her. She muttered something else under her breath, but I couldn't catch it, and before I could ask, she quickly moved to follow Vinyl, as did Spike, leaving me alone with Doctor Whooves.

"Wait," I began, turning to the remaining pony, "so what exactly are we doing? Why are we heading out into the town when we have no weapons?"

"Ah, my apologies, Miss Sparkle," the Doctor replied with another sheepish smile, "in all the excitement, I forgot to tell you the reason we pulled you out of bed," his smile disappeared as he turned away from me and towards the town, "regardless of the fact that the lot of you aren't yet fully fledged Daeus Hunters, we still need your help, and the Director believes this is a prime opportunity to get some real life experience."

"Before we've had any kind of formal training?" I asked incredulously, "what does she expect us to do?"

At that, Doctor Whooves turned back to me, his expression both understanding and apologetic.

"In this day and age, life is wrought with unexpected danger, and she wants you to understand that," he replied softly, "and yes it's a risk, but we need all the help we can get. While the Hunters are out there fighting, there's going to be some townsfolk in need of help that they won't be able to provide, and that's were you all come in."

I blinked.

"Wait, so we're... on rescue duty then?"

The Doctor nodded and gestured to the truck that everypony had already gathered in.

"Exactly, now if you would, Miss Sparkle? As we've already established, time is not on our side and I have certain arrangements to make," he gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "you... all of you will come out of this stronger for the experience, and besides..." his warm smile turned mysterious, "...I think you in particular will be able to provide more for us than just a helping hand if my hunch is correct."

"You're... what?" I asked in bewilderment as he stepped away from me, "what do you mean? What 'hunch'? Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"Never you mind for the moment," Doctor Whooves replied, already turning to head back to the main hub, "I'm sure you'll understand once the Lieutenant explains everything to you. I wish you and the others good luck, Twilight Sparkle. Be safe and remember to watch out for your comrades as well as the citizens."

And just like that, he was gone, disappearing behind the large sliding metal doors leading back inside the facility and leaving me to stare after him with a whole host of emotions I wasn't prepared to deal with this early in the morning.

Firstly, sorry for the long wait. I'm working on several things at once at the moment, including the next chapter of Life is Magic (yes, for those who care, it still isn't done, but it's getting there), and this chapter, but now this chapter is done and things should go a bit faster hopefully.

The Bias Factor is a term I pulled straight from God Eater, both because I couldn't think of another name and, more importantly, because the term just sounds cool to me. Don't know why.

For the uninitiated, the whole bit regarding the uniform and the terminal was a stab at both how God Eaters changing clothes with those giant armlets fixed to their wrists is never explained, and how you have to use the terminals in the game to change your appearance.

Thankfully I found a way to kill two birds with one explanation... sort of.

Once we'd all gathered into the armored truck and Spitfire and Spike had stored their Arms safely away, the flame-maned pegasus popped open a hatch below the dashboard and from it, pulled out several small handheld devices. She gave one to each of us and explained that they were two-way radios linked to the medics out on the field. contact with them was to be made once we'd found any injured civilians and somepony from the Medical Squad would arrive at the location ASAP. The device would also connect to any nearby Daeus Hunters in the area as well—something I, and I'm sure the others, were immensely grateful for.

Once the transceivers were passed around and she'd explained how to use them, the Lieutenant punched the gas and we were off. It wasn't long before the armored truck was roaring out of the garage, through the large driveway, and out into the inner district of Ponyville. I wasn't sure if Spitfire was just rushing because of we were short on time or if she was just a reckless driver in general, but to my terror and that of another, more soft spoken pegasus, there was a lot of dangerous tilting and swerving in the first few minutes of the drive.

Thankfully there hadn't been many civilians on the road as we came tearing through—something I found somewhat odd. I'd assumed there would be refugees from the Outer District fleeing deeper into the city all things considered.

Maybe most of them already evacuated to a safer place? Or maybe...

I stopped myself from going any further than that, as that last thought didn't bear thinking about. I instead focused on keeping my eyes, and my thoughts, on the task ahead, which, unfortunately, also brought my mind to the tragedy that might've been. Those ponies that were still out and about were heading further into the city as I suspected, and I was doubly glad they had the sense to stay far out of Spitfire's way. Things finally smoothed out for the most part as we reached the main road, but before I or anypony else had a chance to complain about the initial exit from the facility, Spitfire started talking.

"Alright fledglings, here's the long story short," she began, blasting the truck's horn at a group of ponies crossing the road up ahead, "a massive pack of Vargren started attacking the slums out of nowhere about half an hour ago. None of us know why for sure, but the Doc has a theory that it has something to do with the Cannibal."

My eyes widened in recognition and understanding at that.

Right, that was one of the reasons I was transferred out here to Ponyville in the first place. I guess it would make sense if that were the case. It's not uncommon for Avidaeos to eat each other from time to time, but to gorge itself so much that it possibly drove the other group out of its territory...

"C-Cannibal?" Fluttered whimpered, her eyes going as wide as mine, albeit for completely different reasons, "you're talking about... a-about that strange Avidaeos that's been... that's... been—"

"That's been making a meal out of all the other local monsters in the area, yeah," Spitfire answered, "initially when we discovered the Celestia damned thing we thought it was weird, but since it wasn't bothering us, we figured we'd leave it to do some of the work for us."

"Bad move," Vinyl replied seriously, "in a lotta ways, Avidaeos are just like wild animals. Territorial wild animals. That's part of the reason why they attack so frequently in some areas. They don't like other Avidaeos muscling in on their turf, and if they get ousted by a stronger force, they'll eventually try to find a new feeding ground elsewhere... and try to wipe out anything or anypony that gets between them and that goal."

"The Doc figured that much might happen from the beginning," Spitfire agreed with a nod, "he convinced the Director to send out a few squads to pursue the thing, but... well..." she trailed off, and though I couldn't see it from where I was sitting, I could practically feel the grim scowl on her face as she spoke her next words, "...things didn't exactly work out as planned in the end."

"So... it's still out there somewhere then," Spike surmised from next to me, "and you think it chased the Vargren out of their territory?"

"I know it did," Spitfire replied, "the walking kindling never leave the Everfree. Ever. For them to attack Ponyville like this... it's never happened before—not with the Vargren," she shook her head, "but anyhow, that's the long and short of why they might be attacking, now comes what we—or more specifically, Twilight, Vinyl, and Fluttershy roles are in this clusterbuck—"

There was a sudden burst of static from the dashboard and the unfamiliar voice of a mare filled the truck.

"Lieutenant Spitfire do you read me? Are you there?"

Shifting in my seat a bit, I saw that the voice had come from a small speaker built into the dashboard itself. Connected next to it was a small handheld comm device, the back of which was adorned with a steadily blinking red light.

Why wasn't there one of those in the truck we took to get here? Probably would've made things a lot easier...

I set the thought aside as we all watched Spitfire frown and pick up the device. She kept her eyes forward as she put it close to her mouth and spoke, her tone somewhat clipped.

"Spitfire here, what's the situation, Fair Weather?"

"Good news, thankfully," came the relieved reply, "Applejack's team managed to either terminate or drive out most of the Vargren that made it in, so you shouldn't see too much opposition when you arrive."

There were a few sighs of relief from the back, one of which was my own. I knew we weren't in the clear yet, but I was still thankful for small favors and was willing to take anything I could get at this point. My relief was short lived, and fear took over once again as the sound of an explosion ahead of us rocked the truck. A quick glance outside the window showed the blast was far enough away that I could only see the resulting smoke rising in the distance.

Still, it had been too close for my liking all the same, and the fact that were passing less civilians and more ponies in Wendigo uniforms and other Wendigo transport vehicles wasn't helping my nerves any. Unfortunately, the mare on the other end of the line hadn't finished talking either.

"Don't drop your guard though," the mare continued, "there's still some stragglers hanging around, and several more are still trying to breach the wall. Fleetfoot and her team are on the walls picking off the ones that haven't gotten in yet—"

"What's the 1st Unit doing now?" Spitfire interrupted, "where's Applejack?"

There was a pause on the other line and I could hear the sound of urgent typing amidst a host of other frantic background noise and voices, then...

"Um... it looks like Applejack and her squad are working with the Research Team to mount a counter-offensive and eliminate the rest of the Vargren outside," another small pause, "I just got word that the Defense Team is taking care of the stragglers still inside the walls."

"Shouldn't the Defense Team be out there instead?" Spike asked, turning to Spitfire with a bemused frown, "I'm pretty sure the Research Team can handle the stragglers, right?"

"Normally we would send the Defense Team out there instead," Spitfire answered somewhat grimly, "but we lost a lot of ponies in both the 1st and 2nd Units not too long ago, so we're trying to focus each squad on where they're needed the most, and the Research Team has the most members right now," she allowed a wry smirk to cross her face, "this last month's probably been the most exercise the Research Team's gotten in awhile."

"Oh," Spike replied simply, "alright then."

Spitfire raised a brow at the drakeling for a moment, but shook her head a second later and returned her attention to the comm device.

"Well, in any case, it's good to hear we have nearly everything in hoof," she continued, speaking to the mare, "what about civilian casualties?"

"Minimal, but we have several injured in the crossfire," the mare replied, "the Defense Team has their hands full with the remaining Vargren in town. We've rounded up a few volunteers to help the wounded get to safety, but we could really use a bit more help trying to get the civilians out of the battle zone."

"Let Bon Bon know we've almost reached the slums," Spitfire answered, "we'll be there in a few, just tell them to hold on until then."

"Roger that, Lieutenant," there was another pause, and then, "and... Lieutenant?"

Spitfire raised an eyebrow at the worried tone in Fair Weather's voice. But responded nevertheless.

"Something else I should know about, Fair?"

"No, it's just..." another pause, "things are mostly under control now, but... do you really think it's a good idea to send the rookies out there without any training at all? I mean they don't even have Daeus Arms yet."

"Frankly? No, I don't. Not in the slightest," Spitfire answered after a second of thought. She turned and cast a quick, unreadable glance in our direction before returning her eyes to the road, "I think it's a damn fool move on the Director's part, but there's nothing that can be done about it now other than for those of us who can fight to make sure they come out of this alive and stronger for the experience."

An uneasy silence reigned for the next few moments after that. I continued to stare out the window, listening to the rapidly approaching sound of battle and trying to get my nerves under control. I could practically feel the fear flowing off of Fluttershy, but without looking I couldn't discern how Vinyl and Seeker felt about the whole thing. Curious despite myself, I turned and saw that Vinyl wore an uncharacteristically grim frown. Her eyes were once again hidden behind her violet shades and Seeker for his part wore a stony expression that gave nothing away.

No, wait... hang on...

I frowned and narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to get a better look at the stallion.

He actually looks... is that a smile?

A resigned sigh over the comm distracted me from my observations and we all looked over to Spitfire as Fair Weather finally responded.

"I guess that's the best we can hope for," came the mare's unhappy reply, "just make sure you and that dragon keep them safe alright? I don't want to lose anymore ponies tonight if we can help it. Fair Weather, out."

Before Spitfire could reply, the speaker cut out with another small burst of static. The Lieutenant sighed and returned the comm device to the dashboard.

"Well that wasn't very inspiring," Spike muttered before turning around in the front seat to give us a confident grin, "but hey, things are gonna be fine. It isn't like we're alone out there or anything, right?"

I was the only who gave any kind of response, and it was a small half-hearted and mostly distracted agreement. Most of my attention was focused on the surrounding chaos outside the truck. The well maintained and sturdily built structures of Ponyville's inner district had finally given way to the more dilapidated hovels of the outer district where the slums lay. There hadn't been as much collateral damage as I'd expected given all the noise, but that was probably because we hadn't reached the actual site of the battle yet.

I could see a few lightly armored medical transport vehicles parked here and there. As we passed by I could see both Wendigo medics and civilians loading injured into the trucks and was strongly reminded of the harrowing journey Vinyl and I had taken to get here. I felt like this was even worse than that had been if for no other reason than that there were far more lives at stake than just Spike's. Back then, only he'd been injured, and he'd recovered fairly quickly, but these ponies weren't part of Wendigo. They weren't Daeus Hunters and they didn't deserve to go through any of this.

"I'll be damned if these ponies don't know what they're doing..."

I broke my gaze away from the window to look at Vinyl and saw that she'd also been watching the ponies outside. When she noticed me looking she nodded back towards the window and spoke again.

"Looks like this isn't the first time they've had to do this," she observed, "they look focused, y'know? Methodical and precise, kinda like gramps whenever he's doing maintenance on his scythe."

Setting the weird comparison aside, I gave the ponies outside another look. It took a moment, and it was a bit hard to tell with us speeding by everything, but eventually I began to see what Vinyl was talking about. The citizens that had volunteered to help with the injured were clearly distinguishable from the Wendigo medics by their attire and overall raggedness, but aside from their appearance, there was little difference in the way they handled the situation.

The ponies of the slums seemed just as professional and efficient as the medics, and I was even more surprised to find that their was no panic in most of their expressions—just a dogged determination to save as many lives as possible. It was an inspiring sight, and looking at these ponies, I felt as though we'd be just fine. I realized then that Spike was right; we really weren't alone out there, and it wasn't just because we were being protected by Daeus Hunters.

"Avidaeos attacks happen often enough that most parents in the slums teach their foals safety measures and evacuation protocols," Fluttershy said suddenly. Something in her voice made me turn to her, but she'd been looking out her own window and I couldn't see her expression as she continued, "a few members from the Wendigo Medical Team visit the slums once every couple of weeks to hold 'first response' seminars free of charge for anypony who wants to learn," she finally turned to face me, that grim look of determination the volunteers wore mirrored in her eyes, "there isn't a single pony living in the slums who doesn't attend those seminars."

I blinked and stared at the mare for a long moment.

"Fluttershy," I began slowly, a growing suspicion working its way into my mind, "did you also... do you... live in the Outer District?"

We looked at each other for an oddly tense second, but it was Fluttershy that broke first. She looked away and opened her mouth to give some kind of reply, but before she could, Spitfire spoke first.

"Alright, enough chit-chat, ponies," she interjected, "our destination's just up ahead, so here's the deal. Spike and I will be the first one's out, we're gonna mostly be sticking to buildings as we search for any civvies that need a helping hand," she cast us another side glance, "don't stray too far from us, and for Celestia's sake do not try to be a hero; you're not trained for it yet. Help who you can and bail out if things get too bad or rescue seems like a lost cause, got i—"

"CONTACT LEFT!"

Spike's sudden outburst was the only warning we got before something smashed itself against the reinforced glass of the drake's window. The sounds of terrified shrieks and loud expletives filled the truck mostly coming from Fluttershy and Vinyl Scratch. Unbidden, my mind instantly flashed back to the massive wolf-like Lobairo that had attacked on the way to Ponyville as a snarling, vaguely lupine face pushed against the now cracked glass of the window. From what little I could see of the creature, it was large enough that its entire face took up the majority of the window.

It was the first time I'd seen one in person, but I had no doubt that this was what one of the Vargren the other Daeus Hunters had been fighting against.

The Avidaeus was somewhat wolf-like, but unlike the giant horned Lobairo, this beast looked as though it was made entirely of splintered and ashen wood that wrapped around the frame of its face like raw corded muscle. Combined with the sickly yellow glow that replaced the eyes in its eye sockets and its snapping jaws with two rows of jagged blackened teeth, the effect was rather horrifying and more than a little gruesome. To Spitfire's credit, she managed to keep the truck under control for the most part, but the thing had somehow latched itself onto the vehicle and wasn't letting go.

I watched, frozen with fear as the thing bashed its face against the window again and again, putting more and more cracks in the glass with each repetition. Just when it looked like the window was about to give, the entire truck sudden swerved to the right and stopped, the sudden movement enough to tilt the truck slightly. All of us in the back were thrown to the left, but the beast held on, and as soon the truck stopped moving it slammed its face into the glass again.

Fluttershy and I screamed as the glass finally gave, but as the wolven Avidaeus tried to push its gaping maw in to take a bite out of the young dragon, it found its progress stymied by a pair of strong purple claws. Spike grunted as he held the Vargren's jaws open, his sharp teeth clenched, his draconic eyes narrowed, and the scales in his neck and hands shifting and bulging with the effort of holding the beast back. I sat, staring in amazement at the feat of strength, mentally trying to reconcile the vicious dragon I was seeing with the adorable baby faced drake I'd spoken with only hours before.

The amazement didn't last long, and was quickly replaced with shock as Spike opened his own mouth and let loose a blinding gout of green flame straight down the creature's throat. The Vargren immediately, pushed itself away from the truck, its pained howls mixing with the loud sound of crackling firewood. The flames had caught the beast on fire from the inside out—its burning wooden hide giving off an oddly pleasant scent, like potpourri.

The wooden wolf thrashed about for a few moments, probably trying to put itself out, but eventually gave up and fled down the street. I watched it go until it turned down a different road and ran out of sight. I didn't have time to dwell on what I'd just seen, as something was suddenly shoved into my hands by Spitfire, who'd made her way to the back of the truck at some point while we were all distracted.

"Here, take these and try not to blind yourselves," the Lieutenant grunted, handing us each a small metal canister, "it'll keep the bastards busy for a bit and give you some time to escape if need be. It's not much, but it's the best we've got right now, and it's better than nothing."

I held the canister up to get a better look and at first, didn't know what I was looking at. It was a small grey and yellow tube capped on both ends by thick metal plates. There was what looked like a small flat circular dial on one end. The dial was numbered from three to ten, and seeing that, I realized what Spitfire had given me was a stun grenade. Fluttershy, Vinyl and Seeker had each gotten one as well. I grimaced, wishing we'd been given something a bit more substantial, but standard explosive grenades were found to be horribly ineffective against even the weakest Avidaeos. The best we could do outside of using Daeus Arms was momentarily stun and trap the things.

I'd heard the R&D team was working on something that could do some damage, but nothing had come of the project as of yet. Until then, we'd just have to deal with keeping the Avidaeos at bay as best we could with what we had, and the Lieutenant was right; it was better than nothing. I'd never used anything like this, but Shining, in one of his many overzealous explanations of Wendigo weaponry, had filled me in on how to use one. Looking at Vinyl, it seemed like she was also fairly comfortable with the thing as she turned the canister this way and that, inspecting every inch of it.

In fact, the only one who didn't seem like they knew what they were doing was Fluttershy, who held the thing away from her like it would go off at any second. Spitfire must've noticed, because she started explaining without any kind of vocal prompt.

"It ain't exactly rocket science, hon," she began, moving aside as Spike made his way to the back to grab his own Daeus Arm, "just turn the dial and throw. Each number on the dial represent the seconds it takes for the thing to detonate once thrown. Now get back here all of you, we're heading out."

Fluttershy and I shared a nervous glance—well, my glance was nervous; Fluttershy looked absolutely terrified, but she followed after Spike and Spitfire nonetheless, right behind Vinyl, Seeker and I. Once we were all gathered in the back, Spitfire took a second to observe all of us with a heavy frown of dissatisfaction. Whether it was aimed at us or at the situation in general I couldn't tell, but it didn't last long and she gave a quiet sigh of resignation after another moment.

For a second I thought the mare was going to give us some kind of inspiring speech, but she turned away instead, grabbing hold of a latch on one side of the truck. Without a word she pulled the latch out slightly, twisted and pushed it back in. There was a loud click as it slammed into place. It was followed by a low whir as the back of the truck began to rise up and out, revealing the battered and—in some cases—burning remains of the Outer District beyond.

"Remember, we're not alone out here," Spitfire said, giving us a backward glance, "if at any point you lose track of us or vice versa, stay calm, stay out of sight and if you can, look for the other Daeus Hunters, you have the comm devices, use them whenever necessary. The other Hunters will make sure you get out of this alive if we can't get to you. Now let's move, rookies!"

With that, she hopped out of the truck and immediately took up perimeter around the outside. Spike went to follow, but held back a moment and turned to us with another encouraging smile. He opened his mouth, no doubt to give the inspiring speech we were expecting from Spitfire, but faltered. After a few false starts he gave a sheepish grin, rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

"Uh... what she said, I guess," he finally said, "we'll make it through this, just leave the fighting to us, alright?"

He didn't wait for us to answer, and jumped out after Spitfire. Seeker was next to head out, not saying a word to any of us as he moved forward and dropped down out of the truck.

"Welp, it's do or die time, ladies," came Vinyl's far too jovial tone, as she stepped past us and towards the open hatch. She looked back and gave us one of her signature lazy smiles, "don't know about you, but I'd rather get this over with as soon as possible. Still have some sleep I need to catch up on, so..."

She left her statement unfinished as she jumped down and joined Seeker. Fluttershy and I were the only ones left, and I turned to mare, intending to try and give some kind of words of comfort, but it turned out there was no need. To my surprise, the shaking pegasus moved on her own, the stun grenade clutched to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Fluttershy?" I asked, unsure of what to say as she walked ahead of me, "are you... okay?"

She tensed for a moment, but relaxed a second later and gave a small nod. She didn't look back, nor did she reply verbally, she just moved ahead, carefully climbing her way down off the truck. I stood there alone for another few seconds, biting my lip and taking one last worried look out at the ruined buildings in the distance.

I really hope you knew what you were doing when you sent me out here, Celestia, because I'm still not convinced this was a good idea...

With that depressing thought, I let out a long, shaky sigh and followed after the others, praying everything went well, but afraid that nothing would.

The slums were a lot more expansive than I gave them credit for, then again I suppose that would be the case when you weren't viewing a small part of through the window of a truck. Actually traveling past and through the dilapidated buildings, coarse dirt roads, and dark and gloomy alleyways on hoof was a vastly different experience altogether. It really gave me a sense of just how difficult the ponies living here must've had it. It would've been humbling even had it not been for the potential danger of a hungry Vargren lurking about, but with that being the case, it was not only humbling, it was both sad and terrifying. This is what these ponies had to suffer through on a regular basis?

The fear of never knowing when an attack would come? Knowing your home and loved ones might be the first attacked in a vicious Avidaeus raid? It was madness. I had no idea how these ponies could handle it all and still leave their homes with smiles on their faces each day. Even knowing there were only a few Vargren left in town, even knowing there were more Daeus Hunters about just a call away, even knowing we had a seasoned veteran to protect and guide us greenhorns as we made our way through the slums searching for potential survivors who hadn't yet been rescued, I couldn't shake my fear that something would go horribly wrong. Worst-case scenarios battered themselves against the walls of my mind, and my newly heightened senses only seemed to make things worse.

My enhanced sight had thrown everything into sharp relief, even in near-complete darkness. Every small movement in my periphery had me jumping at shadows. Every minute sound in the distance had my ears swiveling in that direction desperately trying to catch some creeping horror that wasn't there. I doubt there were many who could've pried the flash grenade from the iron tight grip I had around it. Surround by countless others in a relatively safe environment like the Wendigo base, I'd been able to distract myself from the changes I'd undergone, but out here in what I guess the lieutenant would've called 'the field', it was a lot harder to ignore given how hard I was relying on each of my senses. I was so far out of my element it was almost laughable.

The only reason I wasn't having a full-on panic attack was that the one I expected to have the most trouble acclimating was the one who—at least at first glance—seemed to be the most collected. Well, maybe 'collected' wasn't the right word for the expression on Fluttershy's face. It was more like she was... determined. There was an air of conviction about the mare that I'd only gotten a small glimpse of before now. As our small group of six quickly but quietly moved through battle-torn streets and homes that had suffered major and minor collateral damage from the fighting, Fluttershy never once faltered or lagged behind. Lieutenant Spitfire had taken up the rear and Spike took point, both keeping a vigilant eye on our surroundings. Seeker and Vinyl seemed to be dealing with the situation well enough, searching diligently for any straggling slum dwellers that had been left behind.

I, of course, did my part in looking out for somepony needing help, but I don't think any of us could've held a candle to Fluttershy's efforts. She sought out the lost and injured like she'd been doing it all her life, and if my suspicions were correct, that probably wasn't too far from the truth. It really was an encouraging sight to behold truth be told, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit envious of the way she was handling herself. Still, it wasn't as though she had no fear; one would only need to look as far as her shaking hands, quivering wings, and the sheen of sweat on her brow to know that she was just as nervous and on-edge as the rest of us, but she was certainly doing an admirable job of trying to hide it. It was for that reason that I didn't complain despite my own fear. It also helped that we were well over an hour into our search and so far hadn't run into a single Vargren since the one that attacked the truck.

We did manage to find one stallion trapped beneath the debris of a partially collapsed storehouse, but only the one so far. Fluttershy and I had pulled him free while Vinyl contacted one of the closest medics nearby. He'd suffered a broken leg, some minor cuts and bruises, and one nasty gash on his arm, but all things considered, it could've been much worse. As it turned out, there were still some civilians that had taken it upon themselves to do much the same as we were. It was two of these civilians that actually found us before the medic did, one of them actually being a close acquaintance of the injured stallion. We offered to stay and look after the pony until the medics came, but the two who'd arrived insisted they had it taken care of, mentioning that they'd seen no Vargren in the immediate area.

They'd been surprisingly stubborn about the matter, so in the end, we left them to it and moved on. I had my reservations about leaving them there, but they'd insisted and we did have a job to do, even if we hadn't had a chance to do much of anything yet. While a part of me was grateful that things had gone so smoothly so far, the rest of me could only see this as some kind of omen—the calm before the storm as it were. We had yet to come across any other Daeus Hunters, but I wasn't all too surprised about that given that the majority of them had probably moved to help defend the wall by now. I could still hear the distant sounds of battles being fought, but my enhanced hearing made it difficult to tell how close or far away it actually was.

While I was working as part of Daeus Arms R&D, I had overheard a few stallions talking about how amazing it would be to have the kind of abilities Daeus Hunters got when they went through Daeification. It was just stallions being stallions and I understood that, but I also remembered thinking that there was more to it the process than just a massive boost in physical traits. Growing up, I used to think in much the same way as they did, but as I got older I began to understand just what it meant to have all your senses change so suddenly and drastically from what you'd grown used to all your life. Shining had even mentioned before that he'd had some issues getting used to the sights, sounds, and smells around him.

He'd described his experience as 'having his entire world expanded exponentially... and not always in a good way'. Having now gone through the same thing, I couldn't agree more with his sentiments. It's like my mind was still trying to catch up with my new senses, an issue that wouldn't have been all that much of a problem in a controlled environment. I'm fairly certain that's what training was for and I couldn't help but wonder if the others were having just as much trouble adapting as I was. None of them looked like they were, but then again, looks could be deceiving, so I chose to break the rather tense silence and ask the mare walking in front of me about it.

"Not gonna lie, it does have me messed up a bit, yeah," Vinyl whispered, giving a quick scan of the area before flashing me a self-deprecating smirk, "got a nasty shock when I tried to crank the volume up on my headphones. Had to crank it back down, thought my eardrums were gonna burst otherwise."

"You'll get used to it quick enough," Spike chimed in from up ahead, "but yeah, those first few days are pretty bad, especially during actual combat," he gave a slight chuckle, "back in training I was all kinds of disoriented from the changes, almost lost an arm because of it."

The drakeling looked back with a self-deprecating smile similar to Vinyl's, only to drop it once he saw that none of us were particularly amused by his little anecdote. The only thing he'd accomplished with his story was fraying my nerves even more than they already were and causing Fluttershy's mask of determination to crack with fear. Realizing his mistake, Spike opened his mouth, closed it, and turned away with a far more sheepish chuckle.

"That... probably didn't help any," he muttered, "sorry."

He was right about that, and not only that but now I was left wondering just what kind of training he went through to almost lose an arm. That didn't really sound like something that should happen during a training exercise. Then again he was a dragon and presumably trained in the Dragonlands. With how tough dragons were normally, their training regimen was probably far more brutal than it would've been here. Still, the idea that even simple training could be that dangerous where he was from made me shudder. Looking at how young Spike still was, I also couldn't help but sympathize a little. These thoughts and more circulated within my mind as we continued to make our way through the slums, systematically rooting through empty, damaged homes in search of ponies that still needed rescuing.

Over the course of the next hour or so we did find a few more ponies in need of help, some more so than others. The first pony had been a troubling sight for me, as I hadn't had to deal with an injured pony up close and personal like this. Sure there'd been a few incidents here and there in the lab back in Wendigo HQ when somepony got careless, but I was never around whenever that happened, and accidental injuries were a rare occurrence in general. After the fourth pony though, I began to get used to the sight, or at the very least I was able to ignore the unease I felt at my task. There hadn't been much talking after the small conversation between Vinyl, Spike, and I but I figured that was probably for the best anyway.

I really didn't want to be distracted if a giant wooden wolf thing suddenly popped out of a nearby alleyway. As it happened, something actually did pop out of a nearby alleyway and though Spitfire and Spike had both caught onto the potential ambush moments beforehand and adjusted their stance and positions accordingly, the sudden feral roar of a lone Vargren as it came charging out of that small dark space still scared the living Tartarus out of me and everypony else except maybe Seeker. The moment it emerged from out of the darkness time itself seemed to stop. It didn't, I was sure, but in that moment I swore I could see each and every detail of the creature as it launched itself off the ground in a vicious lunge towards Spike, who'd already moved to stand at the forefront of our group.

It didn't need to roar for us to know its intent; its massive wooden bulk, powerful limbs, and horrifying wolven visage alone screamed for the drake's death. There was murder in its eyes, and I was able to catch a glimpse of the possible reason its sickly glowing yellows were so fixated on Spike. The Vargren's thick wooden frame was heavily damaged, large patches of its already ashen colored body burnt further black and still smoking in some areas. In that single moment where time seemed to crawl to a standstill, in that blink of an eye, my eyes had analyzed all of this and my mind had put the pieces together. At that moment I realized this was the same beast that had attacked our truck and was sent fleeing into the night for its trouble, its body wreathed in green dragonfire. It was back, and it wanted revenge, a sentiment I didn't even know Avidaeos were capable of.

The moment passed soon enough, and as Spike raised his short blade to ward off the Vargren, all I could do was stand somewhere behind him, frozen in shock and horror. Fortunately, much to everypony's surprise, the monstrous wolf didn't get a chance to sink its blackened razorlike teeth into Spike's scaly flesh. Spike himself hadn't even gotten a chance to fully lift his daeus arm before a cyan blur shot past the lot of us from behind and slammed into the beast with enough force to send it hurtling at high speed back into the darkness of the alleyway with a canine yelp of pain or surprise or both, I couldn't tell. The momentum of the interloper had sent it flying right along with the Vargren into the alley and the sounds of a brief but vicious struggle ensued seconds later.

From where I stood, I could only see vague outlines—not enough to make out what was actually going on, but by the pitiful whine that eventually floated out of the shadows and the relative silence that followed, it was clear our lupine assailant had met its end. None of us spoke a word as the figure rose to its full height and began to walk out of the alleyway. By the shape of the silhouette, it was clearly a pony, and judging by the way it handled the Vargren and the shadow of what I could only guess was a short blade, that pony was almost certainly a Daeus Hunter. Both my suspicions were confirmed as the pony—a cyan coated, prismatic maned pegasus mare in uniform—stepped out of the darkened alley and into the light of the moon. The mare in question raised one hand in a casual greeting, her other resting what was indeed a short blade on one shoulder.

"No need to thank me, folks, just doing what I do best," the mare began, a friendly—if almost insufferably smug—smile plastered across her face, "when you've got Rainbow Dash watching your back there's nothing to... worry..." she trailed, her slightly raspy voice petering out as she took in our ragtag group mostly consisting of fresh recruits. Her rosy eyes widened in shock as they landed on the pink maned pegasus who, up until a few seconds ago, was cowering behind Vinyl, "wait... Fluttershy?!"

At the sound of her name—or maybe judging by her look of recognition, at the familiar voice and face—Fluttershy stepped past Vinyl and quickly moved to greet the pony who'd saved us all a good deal of trouble.

"Rainbow Dash!" she cried, her soft voice filled with equal parts relief and worry as she pulled the bewildered cyan mare into a brief but heartfelt hug, "oh, I'm so happy to see you! I saw you at the party, but you left before I could talk to you and, well..." she bit her lip before giving a dismissive shake of her head, "I guess that doesn't matter now that you're here. Are you okay? That... that monster didn't hurt you, did it?"

"Wha—no! No, I'm okay," Rainbow replied, pulling away and looking over Fluttershy with a critical and bemused eye. It might've been my imagination, but I thought I could see disappointment or remorse beneath the confusion as she spoke, "yeah, sorry I had to bail on you like that, Flutters, but I was... kinda busy. Orders from the Captain and all that..." she grimaced as if suddenly remembering a particularly unpleasant memory before moving on, "nevermind me though, what about you? What the hay are you doing out here, Fluttershy?"

"Oh... well, um..." Fluttershy's smile fell and she began to fidget, her eyes suddenly downcast, "I... I decided to go through with it after all. I'm..." she paused a moment, then took a deep breath and returned Rainbow Dash's worried gaze with that same determined look I'd seen earlier, "I'm... I'm a Daeus Hunter now."

"Yeah, I can see that much for myself," the rainbow maned pegasus replied, glancing down at the black and white armlet above Fluttershy's wrist before shaking her head, "I'm... I guess I'm happy for you. I mean, I'm glad you made it and all—really I am... but that doesn't explain why you're here in the slums without a weapon. Shouldn't you..." she looked around at the rest of us, as if finally noticing most of us were in the same situation as Fluttershy, "shouldn't you all be back at the base? You guys only just went through the Daeification process yesterday, right?"

"Orders from the top, Dash," came Spitfire's curt reply. She nodded in acknowledgment as Rainbow turned snapped a crisp salute before continuing her explanation, "we're all out here on what's essentially a search and rescue mission. We're to avoid combat if at all possible, and with that in mind, you've done us all big favor. Well done, Rainbow, you have my thanks."

"Ah, it was nothing, really," Rainbow Dash replied, though with a lot less bravado than before, "but with all due respect, ma'am, none of them have even gone through training yet. Doesn't this seem kinda..."

"Believe me, Rainbow Dash, I'm right there with you," Spitfire answered with a sigh, "but orders are orders, and we all have to do our part. If it's any consolation, we've only had two run-ins with the enemy, and you saved us from having to deal with one of them," a thoughtful pause, and then, "what's the latest on our situation so far? Has the wall been secured yet?"

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply but her voice died out as a familiar burst of static cut through the air, emanating from each and every one of our receivers. A second later the static was replaced with a voice I recognized, but couldn't immediately place at first.

"To any Wendigo personnel deployed in the Outer District, this is Control calling on an open channel. Be advised that several more Vargren have made it past our defenses and have entered the Outer District! I say again, more Vargren are entering the Outer District! We have reports of a pack of at least seven or eight, possibly more... and... wait a moment... what's... i-is that—"

The voice—Cheerilee's I finally remembered—cut out in another short burst of static, leaving a short but ominous silence in its wake. I had just enough time to quietly bemoan the fact that I'd been right to worry all along before an ear-piercing howl rang out somewhere in the distance, catching the attention of everypony and dragon present. The inequine cry alone was chilling enough, but it was the sudden roar that followed almost immediately that really got my heart racing. I had no idea what had caused it, but it was nothing like the howl of a Vargren, that much I was certain of. The sheer force of it was enough to make the ground rumble slightly beneath my hooves. As if that weren't enough, both cries had sounded close. Very close.

"Oh, sweet Celestia..."

Fluttershy's quiet, horrified exclamation more or less summed up my feelings on the matter, and from the looks of it, we weren't the only ones unnerved by the sudden turn of events.

"What the buck kind of roar was that?" Vinyl muttered, "I know a thing or two about Avidaeos, but that was... something else..."

"We need to leave," Spitfire announced, turning to address the rest of us, "if what I think is happening is actually happening and we get caught up in it, I'm not sure even I can guarantee your safety."

"Hey I'm not gonna argue with that," Vinyl replied, "but you mind filling us in on what might be going on—er, Lieutenant?"

Spitfire frowned and turned a troubled gaze in the direction of where the monstrous cries had come from.

"If my guess is right," the Lieutenant replied after a second, "we're gonna have an unpleasant run-in with some very angry Vargren and the thing that chased them all the way here if we don't move our flanks now."

"The Cannibal," I breathed, putting two and two together as Spitfire began to lead us all in the opposite direction of whatever crisis was taking place further away, "it followed them here?"

"Permission to tag along as an escort, Ma'am?" Rainbow asked, running alongside the Lieutenant, "better three Daeus Hunters than two, right?"

"Granted," Spitfire replied without hesitation. She retrieved her comm device from her belt before continuing, "if we get ourselves into a tight spot I expect you to defend the rookies at all costs, don't let me down, Dash."

"Ha! Wouldn't dream of it!" came Rainbow Dash's confident reply.

Before the lieutenant could respond, there was yet another burst of static before Cheerilee's urgent voice was once again broadcast through our radios.

"To any Wendigo personnel deployed in the Outer District, this is Control calling on an open channel. Be advised that the Cannibal has breached defenses in pursuit of the Vargren, I say again, the Cannibal has entered the Outer District in pursuit of the Vargren. Daeus Hunters are already on the move and tracking the threat, but it is advised that all non-Hunter personnel and any remaining civilians clear out of the Outer District ASAP. More details will be revealed as we're updated. Control, out."

It was exactly as Spitfire and Doctor Whooves had guessed, and exactly as I'd feared. The Vargren had, quite literally, been chased out of their territory, and found their way here. How they'd gotten past the teams defending the wall I had no idea, but I had a very strong and very terrible feeling we were about to leave the calm for the storm. I was fairly certain I'd get a glimpse of the Cannibal at some point, but I hadn't expected, nor had I wanted, to see it so soon. Unfortunately, I may not have had a choice in the matter.

"W-Wait!" Fluttershy panted suddenly, "what about... what about the other civilians? There might still be ponies trapped out here! What... what if they get caught in the crossfire?"

Rather than answer directly, Spitfire adjusted the frequency on her radio and raised it to her muzzle before speaking aloud.

"Control, Lieutenant Spitfire calling, do you read? Over," there was a brief pause with no response, causing the mare to frown slightly, "Control, Lieutenant Spitfire calling, do you—"

"Lieutenant Spitfire, this is Fair Weather, I read you loud and clear. Sorry about the delay, lieutenant, but there's been heavy traffic coming in from all units defending the wall. We've had our hands full ever since the enemy broke through. I highly suggest you and your team abandon the mission for now and return to base, over."

"We're already on it," Spitfire replied, "the enemy's rampage was getting a bit too close for comfort so we're taking an alternate route back to base. Advise, over."

"Wilco, lieutenant, please stand by..."

"Lieutenant!" Fluttershy began, only to be cut off by the firey-maned pegasus in question.

"I understand your concerns, Fluttershy," Spitfire interjected, "but right now, getting you all to safety is our top priority for the time being," perhaps sensing Fluttershy's immense dissatisfaction, she sighed before turning to cast a partial glance back at the distraught mare, "look... most, if not all, of the civilians living out here in the slums should be on their way to the Inner District by now, but once Control comes back with a clear path out of this clusterbuck, I'll check with them on the matter, alright?"

Fluttershy frowned, clearly not mollified by the lieutenant's words, but she wordlessly nodded nonetheless after a minute. I couldn't really blame Fluttershy, but at the same time, I didn't want to end up caught in whatever mess we'd left behind either, and I wasn't even sure we'd completely left it behind to begin with. Even now I could still hear the occasional lupine howl or earth-shaking roar along with some very distressing sounds of heavy collateral damage being caused in the wake of this 'rampage' somewhere further behind us. At some point, I began to wonder if they were following us, a terrifying thought that was interrupted by a sudden inquiry from Spitfire.

"You're with the 1st Unit, aren't you? Under Applejack?" the lieutenant asked, turning to address Rainbow Dash, "both hers and Fleetfoot's team were supposed to be defending the walls. Not that I don't appreciate your intervention earlier, but what were you doing alone in the Outer District? The Retaliation Team doesn't exactly have the marepower to spare for solo missions."

Rainbow winced at the question, and I got the vague impression that she was hoping the question wouldn't come up.

"Yeeeaah, about that..." the cyan pegasus replied slowly, her expression both sour and sheepish, "I was clearing out the Vargren that still hadn't gotten past the wall with Ap—er, the Captain and the rest of the team and we almost had them," her mouth twisted into an irritated scowl, "they were thinning out at first, but then more started showing up out of nowhere and while I was trying to fight them off, Trixie and her stupid arcane staff got in the way! She flipped out and started blasting everything to pieces with no regard for friendly fire and—"

"Lieutenant Spitfire, Cheerilee calling from Control, do you read? Over."

The moment the call came on Spitfire's line, the mare had her radio in hand and was responding, Rainbow's explanation already forgotten in the face of Cheerilee's dire tone.

"Lieutenant Spitfire here reading you loud and clear, go ahead, Cheerilee, over."

"I'm filling in for Fair Weather at the moment but she's updated me on your situation. Most of our carriers are in use by medics and are carrying civilians to safety, but there's an APC you can use roughly one klick southeast of your position. I'm updating the coordinates to your radio's map screen... and, lieutenant, there's no easy way to say this... but that really is the only APC we have left right now, so if you and the others don't want to hoof it all the way back to base you'll have to take it, but..."

Cheerilee trailed off, clearly worried for us, and with good reason. There wasn't a single face that didn't fall at the news. We'd all been given a ray of hope only for it to be cruelly snuffed out in an instant, causing grim looks and pale faces all around. And why?

"That's more or less the way we came," Spike commented, his grave expression matching my own as he voiced the exact reason, "which means we're probably gonna have to deal with that mess back there after all if we wanna make it to the truck."

The notion wasn't a pleasant one—far from it in fact. It was the absolute worst-case scenario, the one I'd been worried about from the beginning. This was my life now, and things were only to get more dangerous from here on out. I knew that going in, but it was only then that I truly understood it. I found my mind briefly wandering back to the conversation I'd had with Vinyl as we waited in the lab and what she'd told me. It didn't matter how safe and sheltered I was behind the walls of Canterlot or how much I worried and complained about my own future and the imminent dangers that lay within. This was our reality, and I was bound to face it sooner or later no matter where or what I was—be it a scientist or a Daeus Hunter or both, be it Canterlot or Ponyville or anywhere else.

What mattered was how I chose to face that reality, whether I cowered behind my walls or met the dangers of this world head-on.

If Equus is going down, we're sure as Tartarus not gonna go down without a fight...

The sentiment was all well and good, and with those words Vinyl had spoken, I could feel something well up inside me—something that wasn't fear, but I refused to trade my rational mind for blind valor. I'd hold onto this feeling, hoping it would grow as I did, but I wouldn't deny that there were some things that couldn't be helped. After all, facing reality meant facing hard truths, and the hard truth was that we weren't getting out of this situation unscathed without some kind of plan, Daeus Hunters or no. Maybe the lieutenant would think of something, and with her experience, I had no doubt that she had at least some modicum of sound judgement, but that feeling—that something I felt led me to believe...

Maybe there's something I can do too...

I'm aware of the heinousness of this cliffhanger and I apologize. I just wound up putting a lot more than I expected in this chapter, but be at ease! With this cliffhanger in mind, I'll be working on the next chapter alongside It Sleeps Beneath Foal Mountain.

On another note, I am in no way a military man, so for those who do have any experience in the military forgive me if my attempts at military communication aren't completely accurate. When I was writing some of the dialogue I tried to find a good balance between official military speak (prowords) and informal conversation. God Eater, in my experience, seems a bit light on military procedure when it comes to communication but I wanted to put at least a bit of that it in. Hopefully I did a decent job here.

On a third and final note, I know I didn't make it clear in the last chapter, but the radios the group is carrying are multipurpose tools with a digital map interface built-in. Just wanted to make that clear going forward.

A brief but ominous silence fell over all of us as we each took in the situation we now faced. The angry cries in the distance had faded somewhat but hadn't completely vanished yet, meaning the rampaging avidaeos were still nearby. In the meantime, we'd all ducked into an abandoned tool shed to rest and take stock of our current predicament. Thankfully it wasn't long before Spitfire's eyes were back on her multipurpose radio, brow furrowed and the air around her tense as she looked over the screen of her digital map, but otherwise the very picture of a calm and collected leader.

I took the quiet moment to mentally deconstruct our less than ideal circumstances, listing everything that could and couldn't be used to make things better for us—a habit carried over from my not-so-distant days working as a researcher in Wendigo's Hive Cell labs back in Canterlot. Biting my lip and creasing my brow with worry, I unconsciously shut out the world and retreated into my own mind, picking apart every detail and leaving no thoughts unpondered.

We might actually find ourselves in a combat situation. I don't know Vinyl, Fluttershy, or Seeker well enough to know how they'd react if we were all attacked. Just because they act one way outside of battle doesn't mean they'll be the same when under that kind of pressure so I can't rely on the existing data I do have, or at least it wouldn't be wise to do so. I think it's safe to assume the lieutenant has a decent amount of experience so I can probably rely on her if it comes down to it, but Spike... if what he says is true then he only just became a Daeus Hunter recently. I've seen him in battle but the conditions weren't exactly optimal to judge as to whether or not he was capable. The only traits I was really able to glean were the facts that he was fierce and surprisingly powerful, but reckless—extremely so.

Perhaps it was only due to those circumstances he found himself in, but right now it's safer to assume that's just how he is. In short, Spitfire is reliable, but I can't say the same for Spike, and what about Rainbow Dash? She's fast, there's no doubt about that, and while she might not have as much experience as somepony like Spitfire, she almost certainly has more than Spike, but then again that's only an assumption. In reality, I have no idea how much experience she actually has as a full-fledged Daeus Hunter. I don't like relying on unconfirmed information, but that's all I really have for the most part when it comes to the ponies I'm working with. Cheerilee said there were approximately eight or so Vargren running around the slums.

They're being hunted down by the Cannibal who's also entered the town, and I suppose that, while it's still somewhat out of their way, Ponyville is the closest habitat to the Everfree. If they were trying to resettle it would make sense that the Vargren would come here, but why did the Cannibal chase them all the way here? Surely there were other prey still roaming about in the Everfree? Regardless of the reason, they're running amok in the slums and are slowly heading our way. The slums are larger than I expected so there has to be a way around them. Cheerilee did say there were Hunters tracking the avidaeos down. Maybe Spike, Spitfire, and Rainbow Dash could find a way to halt their advance and hold them off until help arrives.

From what I've heard or read, the Cannibal won't attack Daeus Hunters—it actually goes out of its way to avoid them. Would that still be true here, where their actual prey is? Would it be provoked to attack if we interfere? Wait... would it even be prudent to try and make for the vehicle? If the Vargren and the Cannibal are at each other's throats and other Daeus Hunters are getting involved, shouldn't we just retreat further from the fighting and wait for the situation to sort itself out?

My ears perk up as the thought hits me like a lightning bolt. Unable to shake it, I turn to voice said thought to Spitfire and the rest of our group when I'm interrupted by a short beep from our radios and the now-familiar sound of Fair Weather's voice over Spitfire's radio.

"Lieutenant Spitfire, this is Fair Weather calling. Sorry for the wait, but we've finally managed to tag the position of the invading avidaeos in the area. I've updated each of your maps with the information..."

Curious, I flipped open the map screen on my own radio and noticed Vinyl and the others doing the same. Sure enough, I could see—amidst a somewhat crudely mapped overhead view of the Outer District—what I assumed were our positions represented by different colored triangles. Distressingly enough, there were several smaller red circles and one larger red circle slowly but surely making their way to where we were currently hiding out, and they only seemed to be a few blocks away. I didn't exactly need the map to tell me that, of course; I could hear the hideous cacophony of beastly howls and roars getting closer by the minute. Heedless of my growing panic over what I saw on my map, Fair Weather continued her report to Spitfire.

"...We do have some good news thankfully. We've received reports that the walls around Ponyville have finally been secured by the 3rd Unit and they've already gone to meet up with Captain Applejack's team to engage the remaining threat. The 1st Unit should arrive to intercept the enemy within the next 600 seconds, and the 3rd Unit won't be too far behind them, over."

"Understood," Spitfire replied, silently motioning for us all to move out on her lead, "we'll find a way around in the meantime. Thanks for the assist, Fair Weather—ah, and before I forget, do we confirmation on complete civilian evacuation from the Outer District? Over."

"Not yet, but we believe we've gathered everypony. We're still making sure all civilians are accounted for but at the very least, all civilians within the immediate area surrounding the enemy have been successfully evacuated so there should be no danger to any civilians remaining so long as the other teams can hold off the threat."

I turned just in time to see Fluttershy breathe a quiet sigh of relief, but the news wasn't quite enough to wipe away the worry from her expression. Understandable seeing as how there was no actual confirmation that everypony was safe. As Spitfire went to reply, we all heard some kind of muffled commotion on the other end of the radio, and a moment later Fair Weather came back on the line, her words a bit more rushed and curt than they'd been a second ago.

"I'm sorry to cut this transmission short but I'm needed elsewhere. Be safe out there, Lieutenant, and make sure the others make it out okay too. Fair Weather, out."

As the signal died out I took the chance to speak my mind regarding the situation. We were on the move once again, heading further away from the threat behind us with Spitfire and Rainbow Dash watching our backs while Spike took point. I was somewhere in the middle but slowed my pace until I was behind Vinyl and just ahead of the lieutenant.

"Um... I'm sorry if this is out of line," I panted, catching Spitfire's attention, "but wouldn't it be safer to just keep moving forward rather than trying to head back the way we came? If we just wait a bit, then the 1st and 2nd Units should catch up to the Avidaeos and we won't have to worry, right?"

There were less Vargren on the map than what Cheerilee had told us before, which means some of them must've been taken out either by the other teams or the Cannibal. Applejack and the others can handle what's left... can't they?

That was my hope, but even I couldn't deny that despite my belief that this was the best option, there was a small part of me that worried about the anomaly that was the Cannibal. Sure it was said to flee when faced with anything that wasn't another Avidaeus, but this was an uncertain situation given that the Hunters were mixed in with its prey, and there was also the fact that it had gone so far as to chase said prey past the wall and into the Outer District. If the Cannibal decided to fight instead of flee, would they be able to take it down? Evidently Spitfire's worries mirrored my own, and her response reflected as much.

"I can see where you're coming from, and I like where your head's at, Sparkle," Spitfire replied with a deep frown and a shake of her head, "if this were just Vargren we were dealing with then I would agree one hundred percent, but in this situation, the Cannibal is the biggest unknown factor," she paused a moment, stopping the rest of us as she swept her gaze across the area. With another brief command she led us down another road to our right, continuing from where she left off, "...just because we've chased it off in the past doesn't mean that's always gonna be the case, especially now when we're essentially interfering with its meal. Can't imagine it's gonna take too kindly to that."

"And you haven't seen this thing," Rainbow chimed in, "I can kick Avidaeus flank with the best of them and look good while I'm doing it, but even I'd rather not fight that monster if I don't have to," she cast a worried glance over her shoulder and her next words were spoken in a nervous mutter, "...frankly I'm hoping it just runs away like always."

That didn't inspire much confidence in the rest of us, and it only made me fear for the ones having to fight it if it decided to fight. The fear for myself kicked in when I remembered that studying the Cannibal up close would be part of my job, and if my heart wasn't racing before, it definitely started to then.

"The Cannibal," said an unfamiliar voice from further up the line of our fleeing group, "what does it look like?"

It took a second to register that the soft and quiet, yet still unmistakably masculine voice belonged to Seeker. Hearing the stallion speak was enough of a shock to temporarily stifle my growing anxiety over the situation, and I wasn't the only one who turned a surprised look his way. Rainbow Dash, who hadn't been around Seeker long enough to know about his rather cold and silent demeanor, replied without any kind of shock or hesitation.

"Honestly? It looks a lot like a dragon—disturbingly so actually," Rainbow answered, scrunching her face up in thought, "not only does it look like a dragon, but it kind of acts like one too. It breathes fire, can make weapons out of fire, grows firey wings, and it even has a shield thingy on its arm," her face fell into a bemused frown as she thought about the strange creature, "when we first saw it, we thought it might've been a dragon who turned into an Avidaeus because of Hive Cell corruption and somehow found its way into Equestria, but the Doc swears up and down that's not the case."

Avidaeos with appearances similar to that of the many sapient races found throughout the world weren't entirely unheard of, but in those cases, there was always one or more obvious and horrifyingly monstrous features that clearly set it apart from those sapient races. I wasn't sure how close in appearance to a dragon this thing was, but the similarities must've been immense if it had garnered this kind of attention. If it could manipulate fire to such an extent, that would explain all the smoke and the bright orange glow of distant fires I was seeing as we tried to make our way around the battle zone.

"According to Doctor Whooves," Spitfire added, "it doesn't share any characteristics that are associated with the kind of corruption that comes from something like a failed Daeification or a damaged Daeus Arm core—it doesn't even have a Daeus Arm to begin with," Spitfire shook her head, frowning in consternation, "Whooves is convinced it was never a creature like a normal dragon, or pony, or changeling or any of the other creatures like us. Oddly enough though, it does show clear signs of some kind of sapience in some of its actions—more so than we've seen in any other kind of Avidaeus so far. Unfortunately, that's about all the Doctor's been able to figure out so far."

Before Rainbow Dash could add more to her own explanation, the tell-tale crackle of static from her radio signaled another call and familiar southern twang boomed like thunder over the small speaker.

"Rainbow Dash, this is yer Captain! Where the buck did you get off to, girl?!"

"Oh, horseapples!" Rainbow cried, stopping in her tracks before hastily snatching up her radio from her belt and responding, "u-uh, this is Rainbow Dash speaking! S-Sorry, Cap, I was chasing down a loose end and kind of got caught up in—"

"Nevermind that! Did ya get the job done?"

"Naturally," Rainbow replied, a hint of her previous bravado edging into her voice, "it was a piece of cake, but listen, Captain, there's—"

"Good. Cheerilee marked the enemy on yer map, right?"

We'd all stopped just as Rainbow Dash did and each of us was waiting with varying degrees of curiosity, worry, or irritation. It seemed the mare could barely get a word in edgewise over her clearly displeased superior, but what caught my attention more was the utter chaos I was hearing in the background. It seemed they'd finally caught up with the enemy and were engaging, and from the sound of it, the fighting was fiercer than I'd imagined. Just past Applejack's irate voice, I could hear horrific roars and howls amidst the sound of laser fire, explosions, battle cries and what I could've sworn was laughter. Among the hideous cacophony of battle, it was the laughter that sent chills down my spine.

"Well, yeah, she did," Rainbow continued, rubbing the back of her neck and casting a nervous glance toward the rest of us, "but, Cap—"

"Then get yer sorry flank back to the rest of the team! On the double, Rainbow Dash! Out!"

Rainbow Dash flinched at the command and grimaced in annoyance at the radio as the signal cut out.

"Geez... that bad, huh?" she muttered before pocketing her radio and turning to the rest of us with an apologetic shrug and sheepish smile, "sorry, guys but I gotta bail. If Ap... if the Captain is that miffed, then things must be getting pretty serious."

"Understood," Spitfire replied, "go on then. It sounds like they're having more trouble than expected so don't make your captain wait any longer than she has to."

"Ma'am!" Rainbow snapped another crisp salute before turning to Fluttershy, her features softening slightly, "life is gonna get way tougher for you, Fluttershy, I hope you realize that."

"I doubt it'll be that much tougher, Rainbow," Fluttershy replied with that same quiet conviction, "the only real difference is that now I'll have the power to actually make a difference."

Rainbow Dash flinched again and turned away.

"Just... be careful, alright?" she said after a short, awkward moment, "I might joke around and talk a lot of smack, but being a Daeus Hunter is no joke."

"I'm well aware of that, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said, this time with the hint of a smile crossing her face, "and since I'm joining your team once my training is done, I know you'll be there to help me if I ever do get in over my head."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess that's true," Rainbow replied slowly as if just remembering the fact that Fluttershy was going to be a part of her squad. A confident smile replaced her worried scowl, "heh, if that's the case I'll just have to teach you everything they don't teach in training myself so that way I won't have to worry about you getting in over your head."

With that said, Rainbow Dash suddenly crouched low and launched herself high into the air, clearing the buildings around us by quite a bit. She flared out her wings at the peak of her jump and gave us all once last cocky smile and a much lazier salute before turning southward. With one sharp flap of her wings she shot off at an incredible speed that left a slowly fading prismatic trail in her wake.

An impressed whistle made me turn away to see Vinyl staring up at where Rainbow had been only seconds ago, her shades lifted and her eyebrows raised at the sight.

"Sweet Celestia, the girl can move," she muttered in awe, "don't think I've ever seen a pegasus fly that fast, Daeus Hunter or no. Well, except for maybe the Chief Commander but Commander Luna's in a league all her own so..."

She wasn't wrong about Rainbow Dash. The speed that mare could put out on a dime was phenomenal; I would even go so far as to say it was borderline unnatural. My scientific curiosity was more than a little piqued at the feat and I idly wondered about the strain that kind of flight would put on her already muted magical circuits. Just how long could she maintain that velocity before her magic inevitably gave out? It was as this thought crossed my mind that something Fluttershy had said before rose back to the surface of my memory.

"Hey, Fluttershy," I began, turning to the mare, "that friend you mentioned before back in the waiting room outside the Daeification Chamber..."

Fluttershy frowned in confusion for a second before a look of realization crossed her face and she gave a slow nod of confirmation.

"Right... yes, Rainbow Dash was the friend I was talking about before," she sighed before raising her eyes to the sky once again, a faint smile on her face, "that party was the first time I'd seen her in... a long while."

"I see," I replied somewhat lamely, "and from the sound of it I guess you two didn't really get to talk to one another at the party back then."

Fluttershy fell quiet for a brief moment, her smile fading slightly. Thankfully the moment passed quickly and she shook her head before lowering her skyward gaze towards me.

"It's okay," she finally said, "she seems... happy to be where she is, I think. Happier than she was the last time I saw her anyway. Just seeing that is enough for me. And besides, we'll both be seeing a lot more of her in the future, right?"

"Yeah, that's true I suppose," I said, giving the mare what I hoped was a reassuring smile, "same team and all that."

In all honesty, I was still fretting over my role as a Daeus Hunter, but somewhere deep down I think I was beginning to get used to the idea—at least I hoped I was. For the time being though, Fluttershy truly did seem to be happy to see her friend again, and there was no need for me to rain on her parade with my worries and insecurities. Based on the what I'd seen of their interactions, it was clear Rainbow Dash had some issues about Fluttershy's decision to join Wendigo as a Daeus Hunter, but I chose not to pry in the end, and we had other things to worry about anyway.

We continued onward without Rainbow Dash with Spitfire pushing us to move as quickly and quietly as possible. Our aim was simply to circle around the skirmish, giving the Avidaeos and the Daeus Hunters battling them a wide berth. To that end, we cut through abandoned homes, passed through narrow alleyways, and ran as quickly as we could get away with down the lesser-traveled roads. All the while I tried with a middling degree of success to ignore the stench of ash, smoke, and burning wood. More difficult to ignore where the continuing sounds of battle taking place not too far from our position. No matter where we went, the explosions, equine cries, and inequine howls seemed to follow us, and as a result, my eyes were constantly on the map as I moved.

I feverishly tracked every movement made by the Avidaeos and my concerns waned just a little more with each red blip that disappeared from the map. Unfortunately, the large red blip that indicated the Cannibal's presence remained a constant, which meant it hadn't yet fled like Rainbow Dash was hoping. While I felt some manner of relief, the Cannibal's lingering presence and the fact that the other Daeus Hunters weren't marked on my map kept my nervousness about the situation firmly in place.

There only a small handful of Vargren left and I can still hear the Daeus Hunters fighting even from here, so why hasn't it fled yet? Does it plan on fighting until it's wiped everypony out with the Vargren?

The thought was troubling to say the least, but before I could dwell too much on it, Spike's voice brought me out of my thoughts. At his prompting, we all looked ahead to see a lone APC parked beside one of the sturdier looking houses a few dozen yards or so away. With my new vision I could even just barely make out somepony exiting the truck from the driver's side as we approached. Whoever it was had apparently seen us as well and was waving us over from the other side. I couldn't tell who it was from here, but I almost laughed in relief as we neared our ticket out of this mess. I would come to learn that evening that Daeus Hunter's could rarely afford the leisure of a premature celebration.

Naturally, it was as we spotted our beacon of hope that the situation suddenly changed for the worst. A beastly cry rang out louder than any I'd heard thus far and with it came a massive pillar of flame that rose high above the shoddy rooftops. The blazing pillar lit up the night sky for what felt like ages, but was in reality only a dozen seconds or so. I tore my eyes away from the almost hypnotizing sight to look at my map and just as I did, I saw the four blips on my map representing the remaining Vargren vanish all at once. The sight did nothing to staunch the cold sensation of dread that washed over me. I don't know how, but I knew—even without seeing the large red blip suddenly speed away from the battlefield as the pillar of flame dispersed, even without the panicked voice of Fair Weather warning us all over our radios—I knew for a fact that it was coming this way.

Is it coming for us? Is it coming for me?

The thought came unbidden and I immediately dismissed it as ridiculous. It couldn't possibly know about us, and even if it did, what reason would it have to attack us now? There were no Avidaeos near us to devour. It had wiped out its prey, so it should have no reason to stick around. It was probably an unlucky coincidence that it was racing full speed toward us just as we were about to make it to our destination. More and more denials filled my mind, the increasingly ridiculous thoughts blotting out everything else around me. I once again began to feel the strange sense that time wasn't working quite right, and everything in my vision was thrown into even sharper relief than before. My eyes passed over everything around me, taking in every detail and committing it to memory.

I'd never been in such a high stress situation; not even what I felt during my Daeification could compare to what was happening to me now. I felt a rush unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It went far beyond a mere adrenaline rush, and though I hadn't realized it at the time, that rush too was a part of being a Daeus Hunter and it was different for everypony. As I took in more of my surroundings, my panic seemed to fade bit by bit, my scrambled thoughts and denials replaced with practical information and how I could use that to survive. That was what my purpose boiled down to then; as long as I survived, nothing else mattered... but no, that wasn't right.

My mind suddenly cleared and something clicked.

I glanced down at my map, then turned to where I could hear the destructive sounds of the Cannibal's approach. Ignoring the calls of the others, I let my thoughts run their course, analyzing the information I'd gathered and putting the pieces of a plan together until I had something concrete. Acting as quickly as I was able, I turned to the closest creature next to me, who happened to be Fluttershy and looked her over until I found what I was looking for. The mare had been trying to snap me out of whatever daze I'd been in, but I ignored that and pulled the flash grenade from her belt and attached it to mine before pulling out my own flash grenade. There was no time to explain so rather than tell, I decided to show and let the others figure out the plan for themselves.

"Get to the truck!" I shouted at the others as I turned the dial atop the grenade. For a moment, the rest of the group didn't move, all of them choosing instead to stare at me in bewilderment. I continued to prime the grenade even as I repeated myself, a lot more forcefully than even I expected, "ugh! just... go! I have an idea!"

I was wasting precious seconds and knew that whatever had come over me wasn't going to last long. I had little time and patience to spare, but thankfully Spitfire seemed to get the message and managed to corral the others into following her to the APC. I watched them go for a second and frowned as Fluttershy slowed almost to a stop to give me one last terrified look. The look was enough to shake my sudden bravery, but it held enough for Vinyl to drag the pegasus along, and I let out a shuddering sigh before raising the flash grenade I'd set to detonate at seven seconds. With three seconds left I turned and flung the thing as hard as I could toward the nearby home to my right just as a hulking shadow landed heavily atop it, the old shingled roof caving slightly under its weight.

In the same breath I turned and sped down the road towards the truck, running for all I was worth. I was so focused on the plan that I didn't even give the raging beast behind me a glance as I pulled the other grenade from my belt. I was afraid I'd completely fall apart if I saw the Cannibal so close to me; it would've been a terrible idea anyway, as the grenade went off at that very moment, lighting up everything in my path with a blindingly bright flash. Even turned completely away from the blast, I had to blink a couple of times to get the spots out of my eyes.

From the deafening roar and the splintering and crumbling of wood and stone behind me, I could only guess that the first part of my plan had worked. I really hadn't wanted to, but I had to actually make sure that it did, and so I cast a quick look over my shoulder. What I was exactly what Rainbow Dash had described; I hadn't seen a dragon in person until I met Spike, but I'd seen them in books and on tv and such, and seeing the Cannibal now, I could have mistaken it for an elder dragon had it not been for a few differences. The creature was roughly the size of the houses around us and its off-white scales shone brightly in the moonlight.

It had a more prominent hunch in its posture and a longer, more slender and flexible neck than that of a normal dragon. Decorated on either side of its head were two horns curving sharpy backward. Its face was far more feral than a modern dragon; In fact, everything about the beast could more or less be summed up as a dragon that had gone feral, with sharper spines, sharper claws and a fiercer expression. I'd read somewhere that dragons had changed over the course of several hundred millennia, and their current appearance was a result of natural evolution. The Cannibal brought to mind what dragons may have looked liked all those years ago. The thing was clearly built to kill, and just as Rainbow said, it did indeed bear an organic looking shield upon its left arm, though it looked more like a gauntlet.

Rather than the crippling fear I expected to feel as I looked back at the Cannibal, I was more enraptured by its appearance than anything. There was a sort of primal beauty about it that drew an odd appreciation out of me. Luckily I was able to snap out of it fairly quickly and noticed that the first part of my plan had worked in that the Cannibal was down on one knee, dazed and shaking its slender draconic head amidst the rubble of what was once somepony's home. Seeing that, I made to prime the next grenade but froze in the process, my legs slowing to a stop and my wide eyes fixing themselves on the dragon-like Avidaeus.

It had recovered, but rather than make any sudden moves, it turned to look at me. It didn't roar, it didn't rise to its feet, it didn't do anything but stare at me, and I couldn't look away. It had caught me in its gaze and held me there, and in those feral golden eyes I saw something I hadn't expected see despite Spitfire's earlier description of the creature.

I saw intelligence.

It wasn't just the hungry gaze of a clever hunter, it was something... more. Somewhere far off I heard the muted thunk of the flash grenade as it fell from my hands and rolled away, but I paid no attention to it, shocked as I was by what I saw. Scientific evidence showed that, although there were some cases of Avidaeos capable of higher brain function, the smarter Avidaeos were only capable of rudimentary planning at best, and those cases were extremely rare. What I witnessed in the eyes of this creature may very well have been my imagination, but I didn't think that was the case. Almost as if to prove my suspicions, the Cannibal slowly and carefully rose from the rubble and began backing away, its eyes still locked on me.

A deep, rumbling growl escaped its throat along with small gouts of fire from either side of its mouth and for an instant I was afraid it would attack after all. I yelped and clumsily backed away but before I could make it very far, the Cannibal spun around and loped off the other way. As it leapt atop another building and launched itself from rooftop to rooftop I watched it go. I continued to watch it until its monstrous form faded from view. It took another minute to register that all my limbs were shaking violently and I fell to my knees as all the strength drained out of me. I couldn't move anymore, the fear, relief, confusion and exhaustion crippling my ability to do anything but sit there and stare at the cold hard ground beneath.

I was fairly sure the others came back for me after some time, but I wasn't completely certain, as the rest of that night passed by in a haze. In fact the last thing I remembered clearly were the eyes of the Cannibal, and that was a memory I wouldn't soon forget.

And so ends the second arc of the story. Now we move onto training as well as meeting some of the other Hunters we haven't seen yet along with others we have.

At some point, I must've blacked out because when I next opened my eyes I was in an entirely unfamiliar place. Upon lifting my heavy eyelids, I immediately had to slam them shut again against the too-bright glare of fluorescent lights above me. I gave an exhausted groan of irritation before trying again, this time turning my head away from the ceiling and blinking my eyes open to get rid of the spots in my vision. Once that cleared up, I cast a quick confused glance over myself and saw that I was still in my dark blue Daeus Hunter uniform. I frowned and lifted my bemused gaze back up to see that I'd woken up in a sterile-looking white room. Half the scenery was blocked by a white divider and when I tried to lift myself from the supine state I was in, I could hear the tell-tale crinkle of a plastic sheet stretched across a thin and uncomfortable cotton mattress shifting beneath me.

Reminds me of those terrible beds they use in... oh.

It was just as my sluggish mind was putting two and two together that I noticed the sound of footsteps getting closer beyond the half-closed divider. I turned just in time to see the divider being pulled to the side to reveal an unfamiliar earth pony mare in an open physician's lab coat thrown over black slacks and a maroon blouse. With clipboard in hand and concerned frown on her face, the mare looked every bit the typical doctor she most likely was. The white of her fur and pale rosy mane wrapped in a loose bun from behind seemed to match the rest of the room—the infirmary—perfectly. The moment she pulled the divider back the rest of the way and saw me sitting up on the bed, the worried look in her sapphire blue eyes turned to pleasant surprise and the frown vanished.

Sheesh, she kind of reminds me of mom... but somehow I feel like I'm not the only one who gets that impression...

For me, it was mostly the worried expression, white coat, and sapphire eyes—though her fur was a shade or two lighter than my mom's, whose coat was more a light grey color.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Miss Sparkle," the mare greeted warmly, "my name is Nurse Redheart, and yes, 'Nurse' is part of my given name, as it's been for the rest of the mares my family," she gave a small chuckle before her smile fell slightly into something more serious as she continued, "I'm the resident physician for this Branch and this room here is the infirmary. I hate to get on your case when you've no doubt just woken up, but how are you feeling?"

Good question...

"I... I guess I'm okay," I replied, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes, "I'm a little sore, but it's nothing too bad. My arms and legs do feel a bit heavy and it kinda feels like I can't fully wake up."

"I see... I thought that might be the case," Redheart muttered as she scribbled something on her clipboard. She fell silent for second before making her way back to a desk I hadn't seen behind the divider. Pulling the swivel chair out and over to where my bed was, she sat down and continued speaking with the same smile from earlier, "well, you'll be glad to know none of those symptoms are anything to worry about. They should be mostly gone within the hour. Tell me though, what do you remember from before you woke up here? Anything?"

"Um..." I lowered my head, closed my eyes, and frowned in thought as I tried to recall what happened last. It didn't take long at all for the memories to resurface, "we—the rest of the new recruits and I... a-and Spike and the Lieutenant, we all went to the slums to try and rescue any stragglers in the Vargren attack..."

From there I proceeded to recount the events leading up to my collapse in as much detail as I could, which was a fair amount for the most part. Strangely enough, or perhaps naturally, the clearest memory I had of that night was of locking eyes with the Cannibal. I thought the memory would leave me shaking, but where the fear was supposed to be, all I could feel was awe and bewilderment. If I dug just a bit deeper I could feel a sense of curiosity so intense that I even surprised myself. I had dreaded the idea of getting up close and personal with the Cannibal—and to a great extent, I still did—but now there was another desire welling up within me. Maybe it was the scientist in me, but I wanted to know more—I had to know more. I'd never seen anything like that Avidaeus, and though it was strange to admit, that was kind of exciting in a way. At least, that's how I felt after having seen the creature for myself.

There's something... special about it...

"...the Cannibal fled, and beyond that... I'm not really sure," I continued. My frown deepened slightly, "I think the others carried me back to the truck and I remember them trying to tell me... something, but everything else is a blank more or less." Finished with my explanation, I looked back up at Nurse Redheart, "what happened to me out there? Why did I just... shut down? I mean it was a terrifying experience, yeah, but I don't think anypony else just passed out like that."

The physician gave a small hum and leaned back in her chair, looking to the bright lights above as if they would reveal the right words for her to say. She tapped her pen against the clipboard she was still holding in silence for a second or two before lowering her sympathetic gaze back to me. Rather than answer my question, she asked one of her own instead.

"When you were out there," she began, "did you feel any drastic changes in your body or perception? Anything out of the ordinary, like your senses being heightened even further, maybe the sense that time was slowing down?"

"Right... yeah, it did kind of feel like my perception of time was distorted somehow," I replied, trying to remember the sensation, "I got this sort of... rush, and there was this mix of... hyper cognition and hyper-awareness, but it wasn't overwhelming like it should've been."

That last bit wasn't completely true, not at first, but once it happened I was able to adapt fairly quickly, even if I had no idea what was going on at the time. Still, I wanted to know what that was; I had an idea, but it looked like Nurse Redheart might've been able to confirm whether I was on the right track or not.

"What was that?" I asked, "is that what being a Daeus Hunter does to you? Something to do with the Hive Cells in the body?"

"Ah, that's right, you were a Hive Cell researcher before you transferred here I believe," Redheart answered as though just remembering the fact, "have you studied the effects of Hive Cells within the equine body?"

"I'm still a researcher," I replied in a slight huff before shaking my head, "and no, not in any great detail. I'd planned to get to it eventually, but I mostly focused on how Hive Cells affect each other and the world around us."

In truth, I'd been avoiding the subject. It made me uncomfortable just thinking about it, and even if I'd gotten a bit used to it—having already been injected directly—the idea still made me shudder in disgust internally that these things were inside of me. Still, it wasn't like I wasn't aware of the potential benefits of that kind of research and that there was a precedent for it; I just really, really, really didn't like the idea of Hive Cells interacting with the equine body or any kind of body for that matter, be they equine or otherwise. Of course, I told Nurse Redheart none of that.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to imply that you'd given up research for combat," Redheart chuckled, "I'm aware of your situation, Twilight. And to answer your earlier question, that is absolutely what it means to be a Daeus Hunter, though the experience varies a bit for every creature—ponies, dragons, changelings... everybody and anybody who wields a Daeus Arm, really."

She leaned back again, crossing one leg over the other, and her voice took on a lecturing sort of tone that reminded me of whenever Moon Dancer and I would get into a debate. It was kind of nostalgic in a way and I found myself thinking about the mare. Though it hadn't been all that long since I saw them last, It surprised me just how much I already missed her and the others I left behind in Canterlot.

"It's all about how the Hive Cells interact with adrenaline once it reaches a certain threshold," Redheart continued, "I'm no expert on the subject—you'd do much better to ask Time Turner—but from what I do understand, once the body produces enough adrenaline, which can happen in certain high-pressure situations like with what you went through, the Hive Cells 'activate' in such a way that causes a reaction unique to each individual injected with the cells," she gave a small shrug, "some creatures may have a higher threshold to reach before the cells activate, but it happens to all Daeus Hunters at some point."

"Okay, so this is just one of the changes brought on by the injection then," I surmised with a small nod of understanding, "but wait... none of the others reacted that way, at least not that I saw. Does that mean I have a low threshold for this kind of thing?"

"Not necessarily," the physician answered readily, "perhaps the others have a higher threshold, or perhaps you just happened to be far more high-strung than the rest at the time," she gave another shrug, "either way, the end result of you passing out tends to happen to a lot of new recruits whose Hive Cells activate for the first time. I'll most likely see your fellow newbies in here for the same reason as you before long," she paused and hummed in thought for a moment, "actually, now that I think about it, I saw your friend Fluttershy in here for the same thing already."

"Wait, really?" I asked, shocked, "when did she... oh... it must've been back then."

The only time I could think of was when she'd come out of the Daeification Chamber, but did that really count? I wasn't sure and I didn't elaborate on what I meant to Redheart, but evidently I didn't need to, as she nodded and replied anyway.

"The poor dear was so distraught from the experience of her Daeification that her Hive Cells activated almost immediately after her armlet was attached," the mare explained with a sigh, "they very nearly went out of control, but somehow she managed to fight back and pulled through in the end. You see that sometimes with some of the recruits. The fact that she recovered so quickly is impressive—admirable even."

I smiled a bit at that.

Given what I'd seen of the mare so far, I wasn't all that surprised that she pulled through. Though the fact that she only barely made it made me somewhat anxious and reminded me of what the Doctor and Director had told me about my brother, I felt I could trust a little more that Fluttershy would be okay in this kind of environment—more so than other ponies would probably give her credit for anyway.

I just hope I'll be able to manage as well...

"Oh, and don't worry," Redheart added almost as an afterthought, "the strain on your body lowers drastically with each activation so you and Fluttershy shouldn't need to visit here again—not for this at least."

That put my mind at ease, if only a little, but more than that, Nurse Redheart's mention of the others reminded me that I had some other questions I probably should've asked earlier.

"How long have I been out, by the way?" I asked, "and what happened with the others?" I paused, "and how did you know Fluttershy was my friend?"

I'm not even sure Fluttershy's my friend. I don't think that was ever established anyway, but... maybe? Does she think of me as a friend? And what about Vinyl Scratch?

"Oh, you haven't been here too long," Redheart replied, putting my pondering to an end, "the Hive Cell activation combined with a lack of proper sleep took a bit of a toll which lengthened your stay somewhat, but it's a little past 6 p.m. so you've been asleep for roughly fourteen hours or so."

Like Tartarus I haven't been here too long! That's practically a day!

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," she continued, ignoring my inner gripes, "most everypony's been out and about helping clear up the collateral damage from this morning's attack, including the other recruits who were with you, and as for how I know Fluttershy is your friend..."

A small smirk suddenly crossed Nurse Redheart's face as she motioned to something on the other side of the bed with the end of her pen. Bemused, I followed her gaze and my eyes popped open at the realization that I'd somehow completely missed a waist-high bedside stand with several things atop it—namely a plate with a large slice of chocolate cake, a small plain brown paper bag next to a small dark green flower pot, and what I assumed were several cards wishing me well. My assumption was further cemented by the many mylar balloons tied to one of the legs of the stand with phrases like 'WAY TO GO!' and 'GET WELL SOON!' painted on them in wacky fonts.

Wow, that... seems like a bit much. I mean, it's not like I was dying or got horribly injured or anything...

"Who..." I began as I slowly plucked up one of the cards and flipped it open, "you're saying Fluttershy brought all this?"

"Well, she brought the flowers anyway," Redheart answered, "a gift for buying time for her and the rest of the recruits to escape, according to her—apparently she makes an effort to grow them herself, and I have to say it's a fairly impressive effort given she's not an earth pony."

"Wow," I muttered, setting the get well card down and turning my attention to the healthy pink and yellow flowers jutting out of the soil in the pot, "these are... daisies, right? You said she grew these?"

"That's what I said, and she even threw in some nutrients for them there in that bag," the mare confirmed, "she says they're Zebrican daisies. Don't know where she got her hands on the seeds, but evidently the yellow daisies are a sign of friendship, so there you go."

In another age—namely the Age of Peace—you would've been able to find flowers like these anywhere and everywhere, or so I'd heard. Nowadays, there were a rare few who managed to make it work, but gardening as a hobby was largely considered a lost art. Now the Avidaeos had all but robbed the planet of most of its flora. The situation was so dire that we were relying on some of those very Avidaeos to continue producing oxygen into the atmosphere by way of adapted photosynthesis. When you took a step back to consider things like that bit of tragic irony and the fact that we evidently used to be able to just up and eat flowers right out of the ground, it truly was no wonder this age was referred to as the Age of Ruin.

In any case, most ponies didn't bother with using real flowers as decorations. Most decorative flora was made of polyurethane which did an admirable job as an imitation, but the feel and smell of the flowers in front of me...

These are definitely the real deal...

"The cake and balloons are from Pinkie," Redheart said after a moment, "there's a card from her too, along with some other cards from a few other ponies who came to visit you."

I placed the small pot of flowers back down on the stand and focused back on the cards. It was true; each of the cards had been handwritten by several different ponies. They all had their own little flourishes and quirks, from the confetti that somehow shot out of Pinkie's card like a party popper, to Vinyl's rather impressive artistic rendition of herself giving a thumbs up and one of her signature lazy smiles. There was a card from Rainbow Dash, written in a barely legible scrawl, and another card—the last one from what I could see—written in an elegant violet script from a pony whose name I didn't recognize.

"Who's Rarity?" I asked, looking up from the card and back over to where Nurse Redheart was still sitting, "I don't think I've heard the name before, is she part of Captain Applejack's team?"

"That's right, the most senior member after Applejack in fact," came Redheart's bright response, "she's been the Captain's right-hand mare since Applejack took over as head of the 1st Unit. I'm sure you'll get to meet her soon enough—"

Our conversation was suddenly cut short as the door to the infirmary slid open. We both turned to see none other than Captain Applejack herself walk through the entrance, sporting her knee-length duster, her stetson, and a pensive expression. The moment she saw I was up, however, her face brightened considerably.

"Well look at that, finally up an' ready to seize the day are ya?" she chuckled lightly and stepped the rest of the way inside, "well, ah suppose it's a bit too late fer that now, but nevermind that. How are ya feelin'? Better ah hope?"

"I still feel a bit sluggish, but doing better I guess, yeah," I answered with a half-hearted shrug, "Nurse Redheart filled me in about everypony trying to clean up the mess the Vargren made out there in the slums."

"She did, did she?" Applejack replied. She turned to Nurse Redheart, "so she's up to date?"

"On everything that I know, yes," Redheart said, "and I've got just about all the information I need. We were basically making small talk when you showed up, Captain," she looked over to me, "the only other thing I really had left to say was that your body has almost recovered, but isn't quite there yet so I'd like you to stay for at least another half hour before you head out."

"Really?" I asked dumbfounded, "I slept for fourteen hours and I'm still not well enough to leave?"

I am still a little out of it, but I should be fine if I just walk around for a bit, right?

"Don't bother arguin' with the mare, Twilight," the Captain cut in with a shake of her head, "believe me, ah get antsy when ah have to stay cooped up in here fer too long, but it's best to just do what yer doctor says."

"She's right," Redheart agreed with a strange smile that made me shiver slightly, "those that don't listen to their physician don't tend to last long out there in the field, so I recommend staying put for the time being, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

My response was immediate and full of the kind of obeisance normally reserved for one's irate mother. It turned out Nurse Redheart may not have been the kindly physician I thought she was—not completely anyway. Applejack for her part just chuckled at the exchange and moved past Redheart before plopping herself down onto one of the empty beds next to mine.

"So she told you about the slums, huh?," Applejack said, "well, ya heard right; everypony who can is doin' their part to get the slums back into decent shape."

As she spoke, she casually brought a hand to the inside of her duster, but thought better of it at the sudden glare from Nurse Redheart and lowered her hand again with a resigned sigh. I looked between the two of them with a bemused frown, but didn't say anything on the matter.

What was that about?

"It ain't the prettiest part o' town, sure," the Captain continued, "but there's still infrastructural standards we gotta uphold. The ponies that live in the outer district are good folk. They're the foundation that keeps this old Branch afloat—the roots that keep this tree healthy an' standin' tall—and we all have to do what we can to support 'em."

"Wow... when you put it that way I kinda feel bad for spending so much time conked out in the infirmary," I replied after a second, "I'm not sure what I would've been able to do, but..."

"Aw, don't ya worry none, sugarcube," Applejack waved a dismissive hand at my comment, "ain't yer fault ya wound up in here. Ah heard from Spitfire that ya stood up to the Cannibal to buy some time—heck, ah heard ya even scared it off."

"That... might be a bit of an exaggeration," I corrected, rubbing my arm uncomfortably, "I didn't really 'scare it off' so much as it just... up and left. It just... looked at me and ran off."

"Oh really now?" Applejack laughed, "sounds to me like ya scared it off."

"Anyway, now that you mention it," I said, choosing to move on, "what happened with you guys? You and the rest of the Daeus Hunters that fought the Vargren and Cannibal I mean. Just before the Cannibal ran off to where we were, we all saw this huge pillar of flame shoot into the sky."

"Ah, that," Applejack sighed and adjusted her stetson, seemingly out of habit, "yeah, it was somethin' else alright. Ah'd like to say we had it on the ropes an' it pulled a desperation move, but that'd be a lie. Really, none of us know what happened; we were doin' what we could against the Cannibal, but then it just suddenly lit up like a firework and before we knew it, everythin' went up in flames, includin' the rest o' the Vargren," at my worried expression, she hurried to elaborate further, "now don't ya worry yer pretty little head, Sparkle. Everypony managed to back out just in time with nothin' more'n a few minor burns here an' there. We made sure to draw all the varmints into an open empty space in town so nothin' else caught fire neither."

"Well that's a relief," I replied, "I'm glad everypony made it out relatively okay."

"You an' me both," Applejack agreed, "an' havin' said all that—an' now that yer awake an' all—ah think it's time we got down to why ah decided to pay ya a visit in the first place."

"Oh?" Redheart asked, turning to me and catching my eye briefly before looking back over to the Captain, "and why is that?"

"Two reasons really," Applejack replied. She stood up and stretched her arms out as she spoke, "first an' most important is that the Doctor and Director both want to see ya in the Director's office once yer well enough to leave."

"Doctor Whooves and Director Mare?" I raised my brows in surprise, "what do they want from me?"

"A firsthand report o' what happened with the Cannibal most likely," the Captain answered with a shrug, "should be nothin' to worry over."

Ah, right, I guess it makes sense that they'd want to talk to somepony who'd gotten an eyeful of the beast before it fled.

"The second reason ah came was to have ya formally meet the rest o' yer team if ya were awake," Applejack continued, "you an' Fluttershy still have some trainin' to do before yer actually part o' that team, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to know who you'd be workin' with once ya passed the trainin' phase," she made her way back to the entrance and turned to me with one last lazy wave, "anyhow, that's all ah wanted to say. Ah got somethin' else to take care of, so I'll leave ya be fer now," she paused and glanced over to the stand next to my bed, "ya ought to try that cake afore it goes stale by the way. Pinkie made it herself, an' nopony bakes a cake like Pinkie, lemme tell ya."

And with that, and one last chuckle, she exited the infirmary, leaving me and Nurse Redheart alone once again. The other mare gave me an indulgent smile before rising from her seat.

"I suppose I'd better be getting back to my reports as well," she back as she pushed her chair back over to the desk near the back of the room, "I'll be just over here if you need anything, but you should get some more rest in the meantime."

As Nurse Redheart went back to work typing away on her desktop, I took that moment to look over to the aforementioned cake still sitting tantalizingly on the stand. I'd never been a particularly huge fan of chocolate cake, preferring coffee and carrot cake myself, but I was hungry enough—and grateful enough—not to complain. With that in mind, I picked up the fork next to the plate, the plate itself, and took a bite before enthusiastically digging in.

It turned out Applejack wasn't lying about Pinkie's baking skills, and that I might've had to rethink my position on chocolate cake, especially if Pinkie was the one making it.

I'd been a bit skeptical of Nurse Redheart's request to stay and rest a bit longer, but admittedly the extra bit of rest ended up doing me a world of good. After asking for directions to the Director's office I left the infirmary and headed down the hall feeling better than I had in a while. Part of me wondered if it was okay for me to be visiting the Director in her office this late in the day, but she and Doctor Whooves were the ones calling me in the first place so I had to assume it was fine.

There were still some ponies wandering the halls and going about their business, but I ignored them for the most part as I ruminated on the events that led to me waking up in the infirmary. All things considered, I thought I'd handled myself fairly well right up until the Cannibal had shown up. I did wonder what had happened with everypony else, but I figured I could find them and ask about it tomorrow.

As I made my way to the elevator leading to the top floor where the Director's office was, my ears perked up at the whispered sound of my own name somewhere a little ways behind me. Confused, I turned just in time to catch a mare and stallion walking the other way as they glanced back at me. The moment our eyes met the stallion chuckled awkwardly and the mare gave a friendly smile and wave before the two of them continued on their way. I couldn't help but raise a bemused eyebrow at the weird exchange.

What... was that about?

I looked around and noticed that a few others walking by were casting strange looks or glances my way. It wasn't everypony, but it was just enough that it was starting to weird me out. Suddenly feeling horribly awkward and uncomfortable, I ignored the stares and murmuring and sped up my pace, wanting nothing more than to get to the elevator and away from the unwanted attention.

What the hay is going on here?!

Sure I could've stopped to ask somepony, but the anxiety was beginning to cloud my thoughts about what was being said about me. I turned the corner and breathed a huge sigh of relief as I finally spotted the elevator that would take me to my destination. It wasn't all that long a trip in reality, but the looks I was getting made the walk feel so much longer. I mashed the button to take me up to the top floor and quickly slipped inside the elevator once the doors slid open.

Thankfully there was nopony else coming in or out so I had the transport all to myself. I used the solitude to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. The elevator was silent save for the muted hum of the machinery propelling me upward. Now that I wasn't being surrounded by prying eyes my thoughts were a bit clearer and I was able to piece together some ideas of why I might've been garnering so much attention.

"Maybe it was because of what happened back then?" I muttered to myself, "I mean, it's not like I did anything particularly special or heroic, and how would that have spread so fast anyway?"

I continued to wonder about the issue as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened once again. I stepped out into a small singular corridor. Looking down the hall, I could see it was a straight shot to the doors leading to the office, just as Nurse Redheart had mentioned. There weren't any other doors or pathways to be found, though I guess there didn't really need to be.

Relieved and oddly intimidated by the sight, I made my way to the office. I was about halfway to the entrance of the office when the door slid open on its own. Caught by surprise, I paused and it wasn't long before the mare that emerged spotted me and we locked eyes. I wasn't a mare that normally gave much thought as to whether or not a stallion was handsome or a mare was beautiful.

That said, exceptions did exist—most notably where the President and Chief Commander of Wendigo were concerned. Those two mares just seemed to radiate an ethereal sort of beauty that could hardly be defined with words. While the mare before me paled in comparison to the two demigoddesses that were Celestia and Luna, it was still clear to me that she'd put enough work into her appearance to make ponies stand up and notice.

This mare was only the second pony I'd seen who'd chosen to completely throw uniformity to the wind as far as military uniforms went, the only other being Captain Applejack. Instead of the standard Wendigo issued jacket and blouse, the mare had opted for a black cheongsam with violet trim and knee-high boots.

I wasn't exactly an expert when it came to fashion, but even I could see that the dress—traditionally worn by the kirin if memory served correctly—seemed to be made with both form and function in mind. Completing the look was an open dark violet half jacket with the Wendigo symbol stitched right into the left breast pocket in the form of a light grey patch. It all contrasted rather well with the mare's snow-white coat and a violet mane that fell over one side of her face in one big luxurious curl.

The mare, a unicorn judging by the horn poking just past her mane, had put just as much effort into her makeup as she had her outfit. It all came together to make a pony that could not and would not be ignored by stallions or even other mares. At least, that's the impression I got anyway. The other thing that stood out to me was the familiar black and white armlet attached to her right arm, making her another Daeus Hunter like myself.

"Oh!" the mare exclaimed, evidently just as surprised as I was to meet somepony else here in the hallway. Her surprise faded quickly and before I could get out any sort of response she furrowed her brows and took a step forward, "by chance, could you be...?"

She continued forward at an oddly quick pace and before I knew it, my personal space was being casually and thoroughly invaded. Feeling uncomfortable, I took a step back and was thankful when the mare didn't follow. The mare backed off a bit, but her bright azure eyes remained focused on me with an eerie sort of intensity—like she was sizing me up for... something.

"Um—"

"Apapap, just a moment, darling," she interjected before I could say anything. She straightened up and folded her arms, never once taking her eyes off me, "let me get a good look at you..."

"E-Excuse me," I tried again, unable to take the intense scrutiny, "but I kind of... have a meeting with the Director so... so if I could just—"

I tried to move past the mare but she waved a hand as if to dismiss the very notion of moving aside.

"Oh, she can wait a moment or two I think," she replied airily, her oddly serious frown twisting into an amiable smile, "surely you have a bit of time for introductions? You're Twilight Sparkle, right?"

"Ah, yes... yeah, that's right," I said, taking another wary step back, "how did you... wait," now it was my turn to furrow my brow as something suddenly clicked in the back of my mind, "are you... Rarity?"

I had no concrete reason to suspect what I did other than the fact that this mare stood out in my mind in much the same way as one of the letters I'd received while I was indisposed. Violet, elegant, flowery, beautiful; these were all words I would've used to describe what I'd read in that letter, and funnily enough, those were more or less the same words I thought of when I looked at this pony.

It was just a hunch, but a strong one—and a correct one if the mare's brightening smile and deep azure eyes lighting up was anything to go by.

"Oh? So you've already heard of me, then," she answered, "well I suppose that makes introductions a little easier then, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah I guess... kind of. I heard a bit about you from Nurse Redheart, but it's mostly the letter you brought me that tipped me off," I frowned slightly, "speaking of which, if you did visit in the infirmary, shouldn't you already know what I look like?"

"Ah, my apologies, dear," Rarity replied, her smile turning a bit awkward, "you see, I never actually delivered the letter myself, too busy I'm afraid. I had Pinkie deliver it in my place so this is actually the first time we've seen each I believe."

"Then how did you know who I was?" I asked.

"Oh come now, there's almost nopony who doesn't know who you are at this point," she said with a small chuckle. She leaned forward slightly and put on a playful smirk, "word around the Branch is that you drove away the big bad Cannibal all on your own."

"What?! No! I—" I sputtered indignantly. I thought back to what Applejack had said and in that moment, my uncomfortable walk here suddenly made a whole lot more sense, "it ran off on its own, I didn't do anything! Is that why everypony's talking about me and giving me weird looks? How does everypony already know about that anyway?"

"Rumors are quick to spread here in Ponyville, and the Branch is no different," Rarity shrugged, "and as with all rumors, the truth tends to get a bit twisted."

"No kidding," I muttered sourly, "things weren't much different in Canterlot when I was growing up and I don't imagine that's changed a lot," I sighed, "back then I was able to ignore stuff like that because it wasn't my problem, but now..."

"That's right! You're originally from Canterlot, aren't you?" Rarity suddenly gushed, her eyes practically sparkling at the mention of my hometown, "ah, to live in such a glamorous and—more importantly—well-fortified place must be like a dream!"

"What, Canterlot? Well, I'm not really sure about 'glamorous'," I replied uncertainly, "but I suppose its walls are the strongest and most well-defended of all the cities in Equestria, but that's to be expected given Canterlot is not only Equestria's capital, but also where HQ is located," I eyed the mare curiously, "have you not been to Canterlot? You seem like you'd fit right in."

I wasn't exaggerating either. From her outfit to the care and attention she put into her figure to the way she spoke, everything about the mare just screamed 'Canterlot elite'. Living just outside the inner walls near the center of Canterlot, I'd seen more than a few ponies like her wandering about. In fact, I half expected Rarity had been transferred here from Canterlot at some point in the past, but to my surprise that evidently wasn't the case.

"Oh no, my parents were originally from Manehattan, but they moved to Ponyville a few years before I was born," Rarity explained with a somewhat wistful sigh, "I may give off a... different impression than what you'd expect from a Ponyville native, but rest assured I'm a Ponyville mare born and raised."

"Huh," was the only thing I could think to say in response. Still curious, I decided to ask, "and the interest in Canterlot? Where did that come from?"

"It's a far more common interest here than you think, darling," Rarity replied, pushing her mane out of her face, "being from Canterlot I don't suppose you'd understand, but every filly and colt born in the slums dreams of what it would be like to live in Canterlot at some point—what it would be like to live in safety behind those sturdy well-maintained walls without fear of a nasty Avidaeos attack every other day and I'm no different in that regard."

"Oh... I guess that makes sense," my face fell a bit at that, mostly because she was right. I'd seen the Outer District of Ponyville for myself and her words only served to drive the point home about how hard ponies like her must've had it, "so... you lived in the slums then?"

"Many of us here did, yes, but there's no need to make a face like that, dear," Rarity said with an encouraging and partially apologetic smile, "it wasn't my intention to sour your mood, just to give you a bit of insight into the mare that is Rarity."

"No, it's fine," I quickly replied, "It's just... you're right. I'm just realizing again how different things are here compared to Canterlot. Although now that I think about it, the city's layout isn't actually all that different from Ponyville's believe it or not," I explained, "the most important facilities and most influential ponies are all focused near the center of Canterlot and separated from the rest of the city by an inner wall with the poorest district sitting just behind the outer wall."

"Not surprising," Rarity huffed, "I'm fairly certain most towns and cities are that way. Still, I'm sure that even the poorest district in Canterlot has nothing on Ponyville."

"Well... you're not wrong about that," I admitted, "it's not like Canterlot's never been attacked, but Avidaeos attacks are so scarce that most of Canterlot live in relative comfort even near the outer wall," I paused as a thought came to mind, "y'know, if you made Captain you could request a transfer to Canterlot if that's really what you wanted."

I didn't mention it aloud then, but my brother actually did have some pull with the higher-ups. If I was able to get in touch with him, I could probably put in a good word, but—

"Perish the thought, darling," came Rarity's immediate reply, "living in Canterlot would be lovely I'm sure, but there's far more left for me to do here in Ponyville."

"O-Oh, really?"

"Indeed," she nodded seriously, "after all, somepony needs to be here to make sure those poor souls still living in the Outer District are well protected, well-fed, and most importantly well dressed."

"Well... well dressed?" I asked, completely caught off guard by her last statement, "what do you mean?"

My first thought was that she might've been talking about making sure the ponies in the slums had warm clothes for the winter. Winter in many parts of Equestria had become extremely harsh and unforgiving over the last few hundred years. There was a time when that kind of weather was regulated by thousands of pegasi all over the country, but the drastic rise in Avidaeos attacks from both land and sky made the task almost impossible.

There were still a few remaining teams spread throughout Equestria that were dedicated to clearing the skies when needed, but not many. There weren't enough pegasi left that were able or willing to get the job done to make any kind of difference. It wasn't like the pegasi who became Daeus Hunters could really help protect their non-Daeus Hunter counterparts either given the drastic decrease in flight capability.

Due to a lack of time and available resources, we also didn't have enough aircraft to spare to support a widespread effort either. In short, if a team of pegasi wanted to clear the skies in most towns or cities, they were effectively on their own. There was a team in Canterlot as well as all the other major Equestrian cities that were backed and protected by Wendigo, but they could only mitigate the problem so much even with Wendigo's help.

I didn't imagine there was any such team in Ponyville, so making sure the ponies had proper clothing for the winter months would make sense, but apparently that's not really what Rarity was talking about—not entirely anyway.

"Back when my family and I lived in the slums, most ponies would wander around in nothing more than rags—quite literally in some cases," Rarity explained with a small shudder, "there was a much wider gap between the well off and the impoverished then. Winters were dreadful, ponies were miserable, Avidaeos attacks were just as constant as they are now, and unless you or somepony else in your family was compatible with a Daeus Arm, there wasn't really much you could do about any of it."

"Rarity..." I replied, not really knowing what else to say.

"I won't go too deep into my personal history, it's all in the past now," Rarity continued in a slightly lighter tone, "but yes, suffice it to say life was a struggle and still is for those living in the Outer District," her expression turned distant and reflective, "I didn't have much as a filly, but I wanted to do what I could for the others out there like me."

"So what did you do?" I asked, starting to get some idea based on what she'd mentioned earlier, "I'm assuming you found a way?"

"I did," Rarity confirmed with a small nod and smile, "before I was old enough to work for Wendigo as a Daeus Hunter, I found my talent in the form of a needle and thread. Partly out of necessity—and with a little help from a family friend—I started learning how to sew my own clothing. I quickly discovered I had a knack for it and that necessity eventually became a passion."

"And I'm guessing you started helping ponies by making clothes for them," I surmised, "is that right?"

"Just so, darling," Rarity replied, "I've been making outfits for the ponies in the slums ever since I was a filly, and my passion for fashion has only grown over the years. I've even designed outfits for other Daeus Hunters on occasion, including most of what your soon-to-be Captain is wearing."

"Wow, that's... really something, Rarity."

I said those words with no small amount of awe and respect. What Rarity was doing for these ponies, it made me think about what I'd been doing to help my fellow equines. I also got into Hive Cell research to help others, but that was only in a broader, more general sense and the effects weren't readily apparent to the common pony. What Rarity was doing was something that felt tangible; it was something I could see in an instant.

It was something I had actually noticed when I first entered Ponyville. I had thought that the ponies living in the Outer District were oddly well dressed. It likely wasn't the only factor in the smiles I could see on more than a few of their faces—the surprisingly well-maintained homes were probably another reason for that—but I imagined it certainly played a big part.

"And you yourself made what you're wearing now?" I asked, "if it weren't for the Wendigo patch I would've thought that whole outfit was part of a line from some famous designer brand."

"Oh? I'm flattered you think so," Rarity tittered. She gave a sort of half turn to show off her attire as she spoke, "this isn't exactly a recent ensemble but I feel it is one of my finer works if I do say so myself."

She paused and her pleasant smile turned a shade more melancholy and even a bit bitter.

"...All this said, there are quite a few ponies living in the slums and whether we're talking about the risk or the bits involved in getting them, materials aren't exactly cheap either way," she sighed, "far more often than not, the quality of what I'm able to make for those out in the slums isn't exactly..." her face twisted into a dissatisfied scowl, "...up to my standards."

"Ah, yeah I can see that," I replied with a nod, "the clothing I saw back in the slums looked really good, but a lot of what I saw was... kind of worn looking. But I just assumed most of that came from just... y'know, living in the slums."

"True, that is a large part of it," Rarity conceded, "but I'd still like to be able to do more than what I'm currently capable of," she gestured to her outfit, "this is actually one of my many attempts to create something fashionable, functional, sturdy, and above all, economical in terms of price and risk," she sighed again, "though I am rather fond of the design, it doesn't quite hit the mark sadly and I still have yet to find that perfect balance."

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you," I said, then gave my own hopefully encouraging smile, "but I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work eventually."

"One can only hope, dear," Rarity replied with a shrug and a shake of her head, "but all that aside, I believe I've taken up enough of both your time and the Director's so I'll be on my way."

"Oh, okay," I said as she started to move past me and towards the elevator, "um... oh! Thanks for the card by the way!"

"Think nothing of it, darling," Rarity called back. She suddenly stopped and turned back to me with a playful smile just as she reached the doors to the elevator, "now that I've gotten a good look at both you and Fluttershy, I think I can make something even better than a simple get-well card."

"Wait what?" I asked in complete bewilderment, "what are you... you're not talking about—"

"Consider it a gift for when you two pass training and join our merry little squad," she interjected, waving over her shoulder as she entered the elevator whose doors had just opened, "tata for now~!"

And with that not-so-cryptic statement, the doors slid shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the hallway leading to the Director's Office. I stood there for a moment, eyes still locked on the elevator and wondering, among many other things about the mare, just when she'd had a chance to meet Fluttershy and how that conversation went.

"If it was anything like mine," I muttered to myself, "I bet it was an interesting one..."

Shaking my head, I turned and continued the other way towards the door the Director's Office. I know Applejack had wanted me to meet the rest of the 1st Unit, but between her, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and myself, I was fairly sure I'd met most of the team already at one point or another.

It looks like I'm going to have a very colorful assortment of teammates in the near future.

For anyone wondering why I didn't include Pinkie in the list of 1st Unit members, keep in mind that Twilight hasn't heard about Pinkie being part of the 1st Unit yet.