“What?”

Viscera, after being invited into Dr. Hooves residence, immediately set herself up with enough food from his pantry to last a week. Her first surprise came when the doctor notified her of this, halfway into her third bowlful of cheesy potatoes. She'd almost choked on a mouthful of food.

It only took Ambassador Cori seconds to hypothesize that it might be related to the transformation Viscera had undergone not four hours ago. The above word was Viscera's first response.

After swallowing, then shooting Cori a glance and relaying some words about her metabolism being fine as is, Viscera left the remaining food to Rappid (which took three long-winded apologies from the white pegasus to be reminded to actually eat) and Dr. Hooves.

Then, Viscera talked further with Cori. Apparently, the ambassador was not the only Crystal Empire resident to wilt at the sight of a Shadow Pony, like Prince Shroud. Princess Cadance realizing such a being was traveling with the new Queen of Equestria – by god, Celestia’s head on that alicorn’s scepter! Viscera’s inner pony bellowed – was the main reason for the travel restrictions for all but Crystal-Pony-accompanied equines into and out of that empire.

“I’m just happy you got Prince Shroud out of there before Cotton Sky showed up; who knows what might have happened!” Cori gratefully nodded. Viscera managed to play off her doubling over into the table’s edge as nerves. Dr. Hooves was less convinced. One hushed explanation later, and he was heaving into the nearby sink.

“I’ll tell her tomorrow,” he panted after three minutes.

From then on, it was bedtime for two-thirds of Viscera’s group. Cori had spent enough time in food stands to not need a nightcap, only slipping out a part of her dress out the side window as agreed to guide Gympis back before hitting the couch. Rappid had apparently nodded off after the meal, the Cloudsdale mayor’s head buried in the tablecloth. Viscera had taken that opportunity to ask Dr. Hooves to see the pony he had taken into custody from Iron Will. She'd seized the name from Rappid at the start of her second shows of gratuity.

Viscera swore she heard the rolling of Dr. Hooves’ eyes at the minotaur’s name, even if she couldn’t see it. “The pony you’re looking for is upstairs. Come on.”

At the base of the door leading upstairs, Viscera noticed a note on the stand between that door and the couch. Only five words were on it, but the grey hoof raised from within a pile of slowly rising and falling blankets on that couch was resting on it.

Viscera could only make out the following.

-ky Hooves / Drowned in Urine / 3:22

Only the insignia of a green puff tied to one corner of the envelope – and the emblazoned gold M.M. next to the letter - gave any hint to the sender’s identity. Before Viscera could clarify further, Dr. Hooves’ hoof on her should brought her back to focus – and up the short flight of stairs to the attic.

Well, more like a lab; almost every inch of the large room was crammed with machinery. Giant metal bulbs on the ceiling embedded with cathode tubes, golden crane arms next to antique alarm clocks, it seemed like every era of technology ran through this room.

Only two things caught Viscera’s attention in this chamber of wonders, though – the first a replica of that strange device she’d seen in the Mayor’s makeshift camp, sitting on a stand next to a large rusted pipe. But this one looked more put-together, craning over Dr. Hooves’ head like a blue-gridded altar around the artifact.

The second was a door next to that very booth, shut tight. It only took Dr. Hooves seconds to unlatch the locks.

“May I say in advance that I do recognize this pony, and may need more of a reason than Rappid gave to maintain that pony’s presence here?” The door clicked ajar by the time Hooves’ said 'reason'.

“Know that thing I mentioned earlier about what happened to Cotton? She was on the second floor.” A flash of light brought back the golden skin and snowy mane of Viscera’s altered form. “And this was all that stood between ‘that pony’ and Shroud giving her to Hel as a ‘gift’.”

“The Ponyville Preservation Society hub… I should have guessed.” Dr. Hooves’ blue eyes fell to the floor. “Still, I cannot imagine being in an isolated space is good for recovery, hers in particular… ”

Light shined through the door.

“This is why I wonder why she locked herself into this room just after I brought her to the lab.”

A swing of the door brought Viscera face-to-face with the retrieved pony. Four blue walls and a series of tiny gadgets illuminating them were all that separated the thief from. After several seconds of blankly staring at one another, the figure motioned to the door with their head. Viscera responded with the faintest nod and moved to shut the heavy door.

“Don’t think it’s where she is that matters, Doc: it’s who’s not there with her.” was all Viscera said.

“You are familiar.” Those three words hit like one of the many sparks contained in the lab’s chambers. “I’ll see about talking with another doctor tomorrow; Redheart’s been counseling this pony, and she may need to know the new locale. Panic’s been enough of a Ponyville issue as of late.”

“So long as she’s the only one.” Viscera said. “And that… “

“No worries – the Nurse is as repulsed by the Qu- Sparkle, as many here are. Goodness, what happened to Celestia… and I would’ve been in those Archives myself tomorrow! Just to… ”

Viscera quirked an eyebrow at this, de-forming at long last as the door sealed shut again. “… to what?”

The auburn-coated pony suddenly bristled in shock. “Nevermind. Wouldn’t have worked.” Dr. Hooves pulled at his scarf. “Requires more than just coordination. And Ponyville’s recovery takes precedence.”

“Well, I promise you; that’s that last time I bring someone around to surprise you with.” Viscera grinned.

“It’s less a problem than you think. Derpy’s been in her own pit too; anyone who can help bring her ouaaaugh!”

Dr. Hooves’ shout of shock was into the face of the far-too-close pegasus in the lab’s main entrance. Besides her blue-white fringe of spikes as a mane and her studious rosy eyes came, “I have returned from my travels.”

“Travels!? You’re supposed to be with Cloudki-”

Viscera shook her head. “Nah. I think I know who ‘Cloudchaser’ really is. Gympis; drop the 'guise, we’re among meal-tickets.”

The purple pegasus, after a long stare at the confused Dr. Hooves, complied. Much like Viscera currently, Dr. Hooves was more curious upon seeing the black chitin of Gympis’ true form than shocked.

“I’d like some time to sleep. N… near our guest, if you don’t mind.” Dr. Hooves’ accepted Viscera’s plea, motioning Gympis to move back out into the main room after setting up blankets on one of the lab’s plush workbenches.

“A word beforehoof, then?” Gympis asked of Viscera. Dr. Hooves looked worried, but sidled out of the door alone, giving the two their privacy.

Gympis’ relation of the entire conversation ‘Cloudchaser’ had listened in on between the Mane 4 got Viscera silent and rapt, until... “I’m sorry, a what-smasher?” Gympis looked particularly hurt recalling to the crimson pony what got Rarity that nickname among changelings. And Viscera gained a slight pang of regret over leaving clawmarks in that unicorn’s store.

Not enough to say it out loud, however.

“T… think you should be telling this to Dr. Hooves’ too. Everyone else is asleep, so… “

“Actually not.” The soft taps of cloven hooves brought in Rappid Fires. Viscera almost guffawed at the loops in the straw the orange-haired mayor was drinking her latest brew in, nestled in her forearms. However, exhaustion took over again. “Outside… I kinda need to…”

Finally, the lab was empty but for the light buzzing of equipment and muted grinding of gears. Within seconds of Hooves’ snapping off the lights, Viscera’s were out too, snoring into her cushions on the bench. Her mask slipped off her hood to lightly clatter against the floor.

Viscera awoke to pink.

Immediately, the crimson pony went gold-form. Even here, the nightmares over seeing a pony with that very colored mane falling into the yawning abyss before her no matter how hard she galloped flooded back into her dreary mind. Viscera’s added weight snapped the bench she was on in two and sent the cutiemark-less filly before her flailing back with a “WAAUGH!”

A clatter of what sounded like pans followed – not from the young pony before her, but the rooms below. Soon after, Mayor Rappid's head shot through the doorjamb, her frantic look finally softening when seeing the filly. “Piña! There you are, I was worried sick!”

“Piña…?” echoed the transformed Viscera, still awkwardly crouched over the bow in her busted makeshift bed. One of her eyes twitched.

“Yes, Berryshine’s little sister. Come on down, we can explain more.”

Viscera followed Rappid – who went into an eye roll herself upon noticing one of Iron Will’s posters just under the envelope from last night, only spelling out –nd all your problems will melt away! The envelope cut out the rest of the statement and all but one of Iron Will’s beaming eyes on the mini-poster from view. Viscera also idly noticed the missive from before – the 3:22 one, not trusting her inner pony to not reward her remembrance with more nightmare fodder – was gone as well.

In the dining room, Rappid was still in the clothes she’d… slept in? Viscera wasn’t even sure if Rappid had slept, but the way she was wolfing down food, she’d built up an appetite regardless. The grey hoof from last night had an owner, too – a pegasus with blond hair who, much like Gympis, was poking at the waffles in front of her, only half-eaten. Gympis’ however, was looking at her food with fascination, while the blonde pony seemed to almost stare through her meal, eyes gaunt and unblinking And the filly from before – Piña – had just buried her face in her cereal bowl, the crunching wrinkling Viscera’s brow.

“The young one is Piña Colada.” Gympis was the first to speak.

A swallow allowed that very filly to talk. “Yup! Apparently Doc's tryin' to get info from Pinkie!”

“Pinkie-?” No, Viscera remembered that name this time. One of those who once rolled with – and were currently confronted by – the Queen last night! She’d probably have to rectify seeing what this Queen fully looked like later - even the Canterlot Times camera focus was on the broken Luna. But for the moment, finding Pinkie Pie took precedence.

It wasn’t a long trip, either. In the living room, another, pink earth pony was next to Dr. Hooves. Both were deep in conversation. Diamonds threaded through Pinkie's hair, a closer look showing they were inlaid in carefully laid loops that allowed the hair to bunch up over her head in poofy waves. “So, they’ve confirmed it was Cotton Sky?”

“Yeah and then Powder Puff said ‘no that can’t be’ and ran off and-”

“You’ve said this before, Miss Pie, don’t worry. And Berryshine found her this morning.”

“Yup! Outside of the Golden Oak, but there was all this tape and Puff was busy trying to get over it and failing and-”

“I see. So Berry took her with her to Piña Colada to have somefilly to talk to. And then-“

“Then I came in with that last shipment of that weird fizzy drink form Café Hay! Berryshine got all red when Puff tried to drink one and then I cheered her up and then Berryshine said had a way to keep her distracted while she was taking that traveling bar through Ponyville-”

“Which involved having her take names of the people she served,” Dr. Hooves’ brow knit. Viscera was almost upon both ponies now. “Possibly, to give Powder Puff the impression that one of them may know where Cotton Sky… ‘really’ was.”

“Yepyepyep!”

Pinkie Pie didn’t seem like how Gympis had described her last night to Viscera. <Her attempts to rally her associates were… futile – her demeanor failed when the attempt did.>

“And as soon as Piña’s done eating, maybe some of your new friends can help!”

“Cori is doing so already. Though, I think it is my fault – just as I mentioned to her what became of Sky, she bolted out. Said she had to comfort Puff now.”

Viscera didn’t’ even hear it – to hear of someone so close to the Queen living still boggled her mind. She’s not the only one. Seemed her inner pony was in need of a good stomping before some particularly bad nightmares came roaring the hell back. And so it was that nagging curiosity that led Viscera’s hoof to touch one of the crystals in Pinkie’s mane, just as she said, “Okeydokeylokey - if anyone can find a w-”

And suddenly Viscera was spinning, the world twisting before her green eyes.

Wildly, Viscera looked around, thinking she’d dozed off and prepared to actually catch that pony this time. Alas, the only pink-haired equine in this vision was the same one from before, and in no danger – and for once, Pinkie Pie looked as Gympis described. Her bunched up hair was cast around her face, the diamond-studded band in her hair currently was draped around her neck now, and her head was almost at the chest-level of the unicorn she was talking to. The room they were in was dark, but chutes and ladders ringed the walls around the table they were at.

“R-Rarity…” Pinkie’s sobs echoed around the foreboding room. “We… we can’t let this be the end. Not for us and Applejack and Flutter-”

“-We… won’t, darling.” Even the unicorn winced at the lack of confidence in her voice. Viscera finally saw the bandages neatly wrapped around her front hooves, propped on the desk. “But, your request…. The Guards are at every northern route into Ponyville, Everfree is to the south! And the sky… my word, between what those beasts did today and what Cinnamon Chai’s said about the sky situation… ”

“But… it’s just a party list! For Qu-for Twilight’s eventual ‘Congratulations on not being an Evil Meaniepants Gummy-Hater Party!’” the pink pony cried. “Prepping for that shouldn’t make her mad!”

“Pinkie-!” Rarity’s rebuttal faltered when Pinkie winced, the unicorn’s voice cracking. “No… it’s a fine idea, but… you have read of the dreadful happenstance with Celestia and Luna. It’s… why… we needed to abscond to behind the Lucky Noodles to get to your… secret lair. Would not a… way to ensure she – the Queen - doesn’t do that at your… ‘Party’… be something you pursue first?”

“Sure!” Finally, Viscera saw a smile cross Pinkie’s face. “And I think I know who can help!”

“Very... well then. Please... be sure you’re careful.” Rarity’s voice trembled again. “I daresay; I will fall apart if I lose another of you. My associates are in Manehattan, S-Spikey-Wikey’s safe too, but…”

And suddenly, Rarity’s mane was buried in the desk, arms up in a desperate aim to salvage the rest of her fleeting dignity as her floodgates burst. Pinkie was at her side immediately, rubbing her head with one hoof while fishing out three cupcakes from her…

…tail? Viscera stood stock-still as the treats were offered to Pinkie’s purple-maned friend. “Don’t worry! I’ll be back in a jiffy!” And she trotted toward the door, a motion that got Rarity shooting up her head at the sound. Perhaps Pinkie noticed her mouthing ‘you can move without hopping?’, as she turned back. “And don’t worry! Applejack’ll be okay! I’ve already got ‘Shy the best pepper-upper money can buy!”

As Pinkie again turned to leave the spacious room, Rarity yelled after her, furiously wiping at the mascara staining her cheeks. “That rhyme! Pinkie! Pinkie! Don’t tell me it’s that ruffian Iron W-!”

“-ay to talk about that, it’s gotta be Mayor Mare!”

Viscera was back in Dr. Hooves’ room with a gasp – one that finally got Pinkie’s attention on her and her still-golden form. A soft cry erupted from Pinkie, and she was upright on the couch like she’d been electrocuted. Stammering out an “OhrightforgottocheckonShyIronWill’sprollywaitingtoogottagobye!” the pink pony barreled out of the Hooves residence.

Dr. Hooves was the first to reply as the door outside slammed shut. “This seems to happen a lot when you and your friends are around.”

“Yeah…” Viscera concurred. “For all the wrong reasons.”

“It may be because of the Queen’s missive.” Gympis was at Viscera’s side again, apparently finished with her meal. ”She said them being near any gold pony would be… cause for termination.”

“Great, our new forms are Sparkle-magnets! I’ll get Pinkie: Viscera; drop the gold before half of Canterlot bucks down the door!” Rappid yelled. One light-flash later, the crimson pony was right behind her. It took but a minute for Rappid to catch up to the speeding pink pony.

While an offer to pretend she saw nothing of Viscera’s new form was easy for Pinkie to agree to, getting more information on what to do with Piña was harder. Pinkie only let out a “Berryshine should be back from her mobile bar thing later!” to hint at a future encounter, bouncing away as the far-too-orange-red dawn broke over the village.

“Right – now that that’s over with, I’m a bit freaked by what I got from Pinkie recently too,” Viscera said to Rappid, ready to spill the beans on her new insight. “Look, when I touched Pie’s mane…”

But again, Viscera was interrupted – not by a vision, but by three incoming ponies. Two purple pegasi – one with a blue-white shock of hair once sported by Gympis, the other with a curling teal mane and tail – were upon Rappid, while the third, Cori herself pausing to catch her breath.

“Please – please, you’ve gotta help us! Flitter and I went off to share a drink when we were following that bar pony, and-!” shouted the real Cloudchaser.

“Help with what?”

“Talk with the Princes – they just swooped into town and snatched Berry and Puff, we don’t know why!” Flitter finished for Cloudchaser.

“We might!” Dr. Hooves was in the doorway again, and so was Gympis – though helpfully changed into a replica of Pinkie. Cloudchaser looked back in the direction the original pink pony had gone quizzically, but Gympis gave no verbal response letting Dr. Hooves continue. “We’ve been told the Princes were returning today for a public address! If it’s anything like their previous visits to Ponyville…”

“We’ll tell Mayor Mare; now where were they headed?” Rappid responded.

“They moved the mini-set from that talent show way back to the side of that burnt chapel! Oh, Luna, the first thing they did was magic up stocks at center stage! I’ve never seen so many spikes!” Flitter cried.

“Wait, you think…” Viscera trailed off. “No. Those horseasses are scum, but even they’re not that brazen.”

“Vis has to be right.” Cori finally spoke. She was drenched in sweat, her sparkling coat even more vivid in the tangerine-colored sunlight. “The… the town’s suffered enough, they can’t think punishing Berry for serving drinks is cool!”

Viscera looked ready to shatter that illusion, until Rappid whispered to her. “We're going to try to free them. Together. Secretly. Stealing two ponies out from under a prince’s snout should be cake for a ‘master thief’ like yourself, and ‘tis not the time to draw further attention to ourselves.”

“Trying to butter me up for a fight I don’t have to fight won’t work this time.” Viscera shook her head.

“Saving ponies shouldn’t require buttering up,” pointed out Dr. Hooves. “And Cloudchaser and Flitter have been considerate enough to give you another target this time.”

Before Viscera could point out why their mystery roommate was an exception, Cloudchaser scoffed. “Great. First Cloudkicker and I lose the changeling I was watching on Mayor Mare’s orders, now that stupid joke’s set in…”

“Wait... what joke?” Rappid asked, shooting a wary eye at ‘Pinkie’ as well.

“Dumbass Dash kept calling me ‘Cloudchaser’ during rainwater collection ‘cuz she couldn’t be fucked to remember names after orientation! Stormwalker’s my real name!” huffed the blue-haired pegasus.

“Right then. Stormwalker and Flitter.” Viscera snorted. “Anything we should know about who’s with the princes this time?”

“Wait, they were here last time?” Flitter cried. “Then, Storm was transferring the last caravan to Thunderlane! Cotton Sky was supposed to be the relief shift while we watched that changeling, but…” Suddenly, two and two clicked for Flitter. “Wait, did the Princes-!”

“No one here can confirm,” stammered Cori. “But something’s gotta be done, and we’ll talk to whomever we need to.”

“… fine.” Viscera’s shoulders sank. “Stormwalker, Flitter; if you don’t have to be there, don’t.” The less mares who know our faces in the middle of the fight, the better, her inner pony added.

“Don’t worry –for once, us bein’ overlooked is fine,” Clou-Stormwalker threw back her mane. “Let’s go, Flits – I know a great spot at La Ti Da Spa for personal time, we can get in through the vents behind the sign.”

“Again? But we just had personal time at the back of Café Hay yesterday!” And the two purple pegasi were gone.

Despite the exhaustion, Cori smiled warmly after Stormwalker and Flitter departed. “Such good friends, to make so much time for each other even in crisis! Maybe you and Rappid could have that cohesion one day, Vis!”

Rappid stuffed a hoof in her mouth to stifle her laughter. Viscera fought back something more… visceral from erupting from her throat dragging Cori with her by the collar of her dress. “We’re leaving, so’s ‘Pinkie’. Any idea where we should stow these mares when they’re freed, and what I get for doing this?”

“Back here would be fine – but I can forward bits to any secure address you find!” Dr. Hooves offered.

“Fine by me, keep Colada here!” yelled the crimson pony, Gympis the last to turn the corner with her.

Despite the two-dozen strong pony populace, most could only gape at the construction at the center of the miniature stage. Flitter seemed to have only under-exaggerated the device’s look, as Berryshine and Powder Puff were already bleeding from several holes the spikes in the restraints had picked up. From a street away, even Cori drew back at the horror.

“This is terrible. We have to find a way to get them out!” Cori shuddered.

“No, I have to find a way to get them out. You’re with the crowd until I leave with ‘em.” And suddenly, Viscera’s fake claws dug into the sidewall of the adjourning Ponyville Theater, the pony behind them scaling up the theatre wall with them seconds later.

“Are you kidding – alone?!” bellowed Mayor Rappid. “We were supposed to get the mayor! We only barely escaped these princes before – and these forms aren’t invincible!”

Viscera smirked. “Yeah, the beam of Haze’s I ate like Hearth’s Warming Eve dinner last night says otherwise.” And with another pull, the crimson pony was almost halfway up. “Sides’, this is for show these punks don’t have the stones for raping somepony where another could stop them.”

“The ex-Princess of the Moon would say otherwise,” hissed Rappid. “And we’re not supposed to transform in public, remember?!”

“On that subject…” Gympis peered behind their position at the stage. “The DJ that was at the restaurant is not there. Her friend is, however. I shall use her form to investigate the proceedings. Perhaps…” And with a flash of flames, DJ-PON-3 was before them, sans glasses hiding her red eyes from view.

“You see the Princes anywhere?” Viscera was close to touching the ceiling of the theater now from her height. “Then they won’t see me – I’m sticking to the ceiling of the Chapel, incoming and outgoing.” A flip and Viscera was over the ceiling. “Sides, you’ve got places to be too,” came the whisper.

“What pla-” Rappid’s jacket was suddenly tugged on by the DJ-impersonating changeling. Following Gympis’ stare, Rappid paled at the sight of Flash Sentry. But before Rappid could question whether the Royal Guard recognized them from last night, Flash spoke. “Glad to see you, Rappid! Mare wouldn’t budge on refusing to oversee this ‘monstrosity’, so the second I heard Cloudsdale’s stopped for a visit…”

“Monstrosity?” Cori’s eyebrows rose.

“Speak of the devil – Cori, too!” Flash grinned as he turned to the ambassador. “Don’t worry; between us, Cadance sent me too! She thought I could get through to Sparkle after the mirror fiasco, but…”

“So she isn’t just sitting idle during the coup!” Rappid spluttered. “That’s amazing, but I think her attempts to get to the Queen will be futile.”

“Agreement…” muttered the Royal Guard. “First I’m shuttled off to Ponyville after Haze took over the guard before I can even speak to Sparkle, then that monster pony attacked when he… found Derpy...”

Cori’s next response took Flash’s eyes away from the bared teeth of Rappid at his hedged words. “Does Cadance have any ideas beyond this to stop Sparkle?”

“None in front of me – said it wouldn’t do to have Sparkle get smart to it if I’m… compromised? Ridiculous, I’m tougher than that! But, I’ve got theories – it’s probably something from her mirror trip, or that previous Alicorn Amulet user, who I’ll get answers from when she quits her Great and Powerful disappearing act! But all this… it’s got to be something Twilight caught!” Flash adjusted his helmet helplessly. “Shoot, we already know she didn’t kill Blueblood! It had to be something before or after that!”

Another wince came from Cori at the curse, but she held firm. “So I assume we’ll have to be there too?”

“Only to keep the peace if I can’t. You’ll be situated in the back, and I won’t have any guards on you – hell, one’s the Cloudsdale mayor, I should be asking if you’ll cover us!”

“Maybe…” Cori began.

“No.” Rappid ended.

Flash took a step back. “Whew, must be a bad day. Right, then. You’re free to move in, but be quick – Shroud’s getting antsy. Oh, and DJ?” Finally, Flash’s blue eyes turned to the red of the DJ-PON-3 doppelganger. “Thought you were off making a music deal with Shores in Canterlot, but since you’re here… I love your music. So does most of the Royal Guard… well, my Royal Guard, anyhow.”

“The DJ’s happy to hear it,” Cori quickly replied, keeping Gympis from risking a verbal faux pas as the three ponies followed Flash to the rear of the crowd.

Viscera’s trip into the Chapel, walls still blackened and bubbled with fire damage and the deep blue paint of the arched walls, offered her valuable inquiry too. For example, the chapel’s spacious main room was full of royal guards: gold and dark-grey pegasi alike in sheets of armor, to the dozens. The looming catwalk she was on at the top was her only refuge from their cautious panning of the entryway.

Though, for two of them in an open-ceilinged pew to Viscera's right, their eyes weren’t drawn to the ceiling anyhow.

“What in - fuck, Thompson! We’re supposed to be keeping one eye out for those golden ponies, not rubbing one out to Shores!”

“Oh, like the Queen’s got a problem with voyeurism now?” drawled the second Guard. “And Saph’s fuckin’ hot. Can’t be in Canterlot for her new tour, so a stallion’s gotta work-around.”

“We’ve only got light from that chandelier we had to rig back up on the back wall and this is what you’re wasting candle power on?” Viscera was already making her way around to the section of the Chapel wall connecting to the mini stage, but the southwest corner gave her a hint to what ‘Thompson’ may have been clopping to.

On a crate in that corner of the catwalk were two bagels and a poster of Sapphire Shores pinned underneath. The top of her blown-kiss-frozen face, curving back and the frills of her dress were hidden, but the message below her seductively crossed legs was not (Sapphire Shores’ Shore-Leave Relief Concert/ In Canterlot For Two Days Only / Ring in the New Reign with Rock n’ Roll! / Proceeds go to the Rhythmus Charity for Homeless Horses).

”Yeah well – if Sparkle hears of this proceeding being interrupted, we’re all be departing Canterlot before Shores does, headfirst! And if we’re lucky, they’ll still be attached to our bodies! Now back to your post!”

“Fine- get off my ass, Gordon.” The shuffling of plate mail hinted at Thompson’s departure, but Viscera was already into the crawl space cut out between the catwalks of the Chapel and the mini-stage, bagel now in her mouth. Because she was hungry, of course. And also the snarl that was beginning to set in would have given away her position. Right, crooned Inner Viscera.

Regardless, nopony was on the mini-stage’s couplings or balconies with her, mainly due to it creaking lightly under her weight alone. None of the hordes of Royal Guards below heard it, but it explained why they wouldn’t be on that balcony. “Way too heavy,” Viscera murmured.

Regardless, Shroud’s voice carried fine, even as the small space between the curtain and Viscera’s position on the furthermost catwalk only showed his horned head. “Expected more. But this is enough.”

Probably more security than attendants, really. A twinkle behind the chandelier a chapel behind Viscera caught her inner pony’s eye. Who only have that to light up the room they’re in. Perfect for an escape!

“Don’t worry – so long as we get the little one in this demonstration,” said a blaring echo of a voice Viscera couldn’t place. Peering further, her neck straining, Viscera studied the scene further. Behind the entire crowd were Rappid, Cori, and Flash Sentry. Flash didn’t seem keyed into their alter egos, since he was pacing behind the crowd, right in front of them. To the left, the two ponies Viscera had met in the bar yesterday – Octavia and DJ-PON-3, which again drew a gag from Viscera – were in the backmost row. Octavia had her head buried this time, in the wary DJ’s chest, her eyes flitting back to Rappid every few seconds for some reason that escaped the crimson pony.

But the voice Viscera heard had come from closer by, and just to Prince Shroud’s left on the stage was –

Viscera gasped. Nopony beneath her position stirred.

Holy hell, it was Princess Luna.

Horn sheared and wings folded in, horn brace attached, but she resembled the spread on yesterday’s Canterlot Times, down to the distorting bow in her back. But she stood a significantly more dominant pose than before. Almighty, this might be too much to go for now, a Princess was here now?!

Viscera could even see Rappid drawing back a hoof in the distance in rage, before Cori dragged her and DJ-PON-3 away to the right, near the medical shops. Have I lost track of Shroud’s words that quickly? Regardless, Viscera had to join them – this was way too much heat to draw at one time, especially for-

“Ay, when d’ya think that little shit Powder Puff bites it?”

“Bout the same time Prince Shroud does – necks are a fine delicacy to a Shadow Pony, I’ve heard.”

Two grey-coated Night Guards and ten feet of vertical height, and suddenly, Viscera was right back in the Ponyville Preservation Society HQ. Shroud was there too, and so was…

<- You were right, Shroud, leaving the cells for this shitheap is so… illuminating- >

Even Viscera’s inner pony joined in on stomping that sentence into the dirt and pissing on it. Viscera back-flipped in the air, it’s whistling around her ears nearly keeping her from hearing Shroud’s next words.

“-day’s demonstration began. Starting with feeling the small one die on my sheath. Break one of the drunkard’s bones ever time she cries.”

“Berry or Puff?” came the echoing voice of Luna.

“Surprise them.”

Viscera grabbed the railing and span for a new target. The clap of her hooves halfway through the curtain and a flash of golden light was all the warning Shroud got before the thief’s rear-hoof crashed into the crook of his neck. Wasting not a second of time – not even to wonder why her left leg felt ready to crumble into dust, Viscera used the springboard to deliver another kick, landing on both forepaws.

“Round two, you literal and figurative motherfucker. Hook me up.” One side of the stage held the recovering Shroud and the wide-eyed Luna. The other held Viscera and the part of the Chapel facing toward Ponyville Theater. Between them… well, if Viscera’s golden paws and crimson hooves had anything to say about it, wouldn’t be between them long-

WAIT.

Viscera’s eyes shot down. Everything above her ribcage was golden. Below it, however, was unaltered trunks and smooth crimson fur. Suddenly the ringing pain in her feet made too much sense. How the hell did the transformation only go halfway?! Now Viscera’s inner and outer pony wanted to run again.

“Suggestion accepted.” And with a snap of ethereal kinesis, Viscera’s unaltered legs were caught, dragging her toward the Prince.

Until a speck of incoming dust from the alley behind Shroud ballooned into a full-sized medical cart and collided into Luna.

“Oh, NO!” Viscera’s heart stopped hearing Cori’s voice an alleyway behind them, noticing as she passed it that only Rappid had her full form up. Gympis was in the same situation as her, the changeling’s hindquarters set with paws and a white tail, her front half still magenta-eyed and chitin-framed. To Viscera's side the cries of Flash Sentry yelling. "Intruders! Come on, citizens, we've gotta evacuate NOW!" echoed from a stampede of hooves.

Thankfully, the crash disrupted Shroud’s attention and magical grip, and Viscera took the chance to literally rip the stocks holding Powder Puff and Berryshine out by the stand. Frog marching towards the Guard flooding through the curtain, Viscera took a leap that felt like it pulled more muscles than possible.

One last look at Princess Luna, however, didn’t make her heart sink. It made it rocket right into her left hind hoof. Specifically, the green flames surrounding her as the snarling Prince Toxic Haze emerged from the wreckage. “Knew the fuckers would go for the hornless one first. You’ve got the other pony?”

Shroud’s response to his lover was a rippling wave of tendrils in Viscera’s direction. Suddenly, Viscera's feet were pumping again, hooves slapping and scrabbling against helmets as she legged it back into the Chapel.

Viscera could still hear Berryshine and Puff’s screams over that of the guard, trying madly to evade Shroud’s spike columns. Looking up, Vis realized the two ponies she was carrying were still laced into the spike-lined cuffs, blood drooling onto her white plumage of a mane.

Wait! My pockets are still available to me, that means –

Viscera yanked out her pilfered crossbow from an Everfree chase ago, aimed it at the iron chain holding up the chandelier, and flung it. The chain buckled under the force and a half-ton of golden illumination crashed into space behind Viscera, cutting off Shroud’s tendrils. Racing up the stairs to the upper catwalks, Viscera finally chopped off the wooden bonds holding Berryshine and Puff. “Got any ways we can escape, barmaid?”

Berryshine whimpered in the spikes still embedded in her neck but replied, “T-the tavern! It’s in western Ponyville!”

“We’re out!” Viscera took one of the unconscious Guards and prepared to give him her fake wings. A look to her back in a cracked mirror beside her revealed that they were still under the baseline of her altered state’s golden skin. “Come ON!” Viscera galloped off again, Berryshine and Puff tucked under her arms this time. A violent rending of wood and plaster behind her notified her starkly of Prince Shroud’s arrival.

Leaping through the rear window, Viscera could see the thatched ceiling of one of the medicine shops before her – and a hotly pursued changeling and Crystal Pony racing behind it. Viscera then noticed the three stories between them and the ground Toxic Haze was covering to race behind them. Her mind reeled over which Prince she’d want to get in the face of – and what condition she’d be in after the encounter.

Two sets of tendrils slicing parallel gouges into either side of the Chapel façade she was on made her decision clear. Gilding herself, Viscera de-formed and leaped, her fake wings bursting free and screaming under the strain of the three ponies its glide carried to the ceiling of the nearest shop. Beside her, Goldilock came out from the north in a tight aerial loop and slammed into Prince Toxic's haunches, careening him into another cart just as his metamorphosed claws nearly snagged Cori’s jet-black tail.

“Yo, Wings!” yelled Viscera, waving at her two passengers as she tumbled onto the medicine shop’s awning. Ponyville Hospital loomed on a hill in front of her. Shroud’s eyes cut through the debris of the Chapel wall behind her. “Come get me and Berry! Gymps can handle the other passengers!”

Shaking her head from her previous impact, Goldilock turned, made Shroud jump back as she cut through the alley between him and the three-pony caravan. Then she twisted in the air even as Prince Haze’s telekinetic clutch washed off her like a water balloon and swooped, picking up…

Berryshine. And only Berryshine.

“You don’t think you missed someone o’er here?!” Viscera shouted at the cartwheeling figure of Goldilock, looping behind the windmill to try and lose the re-pursuing Prince Haze. Behind the crimson pony, the emotionless eyes of Prince Shroud rose over the ceiling’s edge.

A pair of perforated hooves gripped Viscera and shot her off of the building too, just as Shroud’s tendrils formed a giant claw and rent its ceiling to shreds of timber and straw.

“Rappid wishes to say ‘and by the way, I don’t miss either’,” said Gympis.

Viscera quirked an eyebrow. “Wait, wha-?”

“Could have asked you the same question one stage-dive ago, Vis!” bellowed the voice wheeling past the windmill, Goldilock using the blades of the building to loop behind Toxic Haze and kick him in the back. Another storefront shattered into pieces in the changeling prince’s wake.

It took Viscera several seconds to get it. “We… really need to work on your timing, Gympis.”

Gympis only responded with a sharp corkscrew, Powder Puff screaming as she and Viscera narrowly avoided another lash of tendrils from Shroud. “Nevermind, luv, your timing’s fine as is!” Viscera yelled.

“I am not in my altered state; this will make our travel short. Do you have a strategy?” Gympis asked as her altitude faltered, only just keeping ahead as Shroud tore down the alleyway after them.

Viscera took one look at Powder Puff, saw Goldilock streak down a parallel road with Berryshine, then held Puff closer to her. “It’s me and Puff Shroud wants. Aim us for that tea shop two blocks over, then take down Toxic and follow Goldi. I’ll lose Shroud myself.”

Transforming again as Gympis’s hooves disengaged, Viscera hugged Powder Puff to herself and curled in, letting her altered back take the brunt of the trip through the plate-glass window of the tea shop. A poster wedged in that ceiling landed in the locks of the hyperventilating Powder Puff’s hair, the words Iron Pony II – Cants vs. C- all that Viscera could make out before barreling over the counter. Tendrils startled shredding apart the front of the store as Viscera and Puff snuck into the storage room.

Only for Viscera to find another mare in the hay surrounding the bottles of spirits and jasmine brew. Another case of ginseng crashed from behind them in the storeroom. The rending of metal from the register stared. “Gonna guess you’re the owner.”

The owner nodded, her short-cropped curtain of pink hair bobbing over her plum mane and cup of java on her flank. “Then we all need to de-ass this area. Got any powdered coffee?”

“Y-yeah, here-” And she yanked out a can of sparkling brown crystals from the red-sheeted shelf next to her. “- but what for?”

Viscera then dumped a foursome of red diamond-shaped gems out of her right pocket – then some pieces of glass from what was now all four of her unaltered hooves – and dumped them into the pot. Idly, she noticed the doorknob to the storage room slowly warping from outside pressure. ”To hide my patented Blood Stones. Here’s what we do now-and you better believe we’ve no time for a repeat, luv.”

Prince Shroud finally got a hit on a heavy form, dragging it up to him from his vantage point atop the tea shop. It was a bundle of crimson cloth, limbs even encased in the same material. Shroud immediately turned its head toward him so fast it ripped from the force. “Hmm. Thought you stood up to more.”

Mid-monotone, Shroud noticed the smooth metal of its mask was the smooth surface of a coffee container. With four twinkling red diamonds spinning in the spray of grounds that floated before him.

“Not agai-”

The stones exploded. Then the fire caught onto the grounds and turned into a blinding pyre six inches from the Shadow Pony’s head.

“So, pretty sure Ponyville will fork over the bits for a castle when you’re known as the first resident to hear a Shadow Pony scream.” Viscera offered, tearing down the main street and toward Goldi’s last direction. “For all else, I hope the insurance is up to date.”

“Y-yeah, it’s a Cinnamon Chai property, think it’s good.”

“Nice.” Viscera came to a halt with Powder Puff heaved over her other shoulder; her heavily labored breathing drawing the eye to her traveling buddy. “But that’s not the insurance I was talking of.”

Before the earth pony could respond, Viscera opened the door of the nearby Potato Pot restaurant, shoved her inside, and slammed it in her face. “Keep it shut this time!” Hustling down the rapidly clearing street – a teashop’s destruction tended to quash commerce like nothing else – Viscera finally noticed a figure in the visage of a music stop. Goldilock quickly unlatched the wide window fast enough for Viscera to roll under. Viscera even got a glimpse of Cori, furiously working on something near the right wall outside the shop, before somersaulting over the back of another register-holding counter.

Goldilock breathed a sigh of relief when the half-metamorphosed thief finally turned, unloaded Powder Puff into her arms, then finally turned to face… Prince Shroud.

The mutated mayor’s hoof slammed over Viscera’s mouth before she could start screaming. “Don’t. It’s the changeling this time. Our changeling.”

“The ambassador said perhaps our best way of making it through the city was as our pursuers,” came the oddly-upbeat monotone from the princely facsimile before Viscera. “While I pretended I caught you.”

“Yeah, never mind that – somehow the forms aren’t working fully, what the shit?” Viscera pointed out.

“Gympis has it too! I’m the only one who fully transformed, and neither of us knows what occurred! Not that your suicidal stunt helped the escape efforts any, Vis!” Goldilock barked.

“C-can we talk about this later? Right now, we need to know what went wrong! Someone, get-”

And with a burst of light, Cori raced through the door to their left, her hair a mess. “Quick, get outside! Shro-” She then froze upon seeing the very Prince in the room.

It was that moment of silence between them that allowed Viscera to get hooves on a tuba… and use it to clock Cori in the face, sending her into a drum case with a violent crash.

“Viscera, what the hell?!” Goldilock rounded on the thief within seconds. “She just came in here and-”

“Yeah, from the wrong door.” Viscera jutted her finger toward the other door beside them. “Saw Cori on the right side of the shop as I rolled in! And if Gympis can impersonate the Princes to fool others…”

“She could have swung around after fin-!” And then Goldilock noticed the flames licking up the fallen Cori’s body, revealing perforated hooves sticking out of the bass drum. “But I’ve been wrong before! Let’s go, the Shroud impersonation plan’s a bust! If the real Shroud doesn’t know now, he will soon!!”

The right door burst open this time, and as if to confirm their fears, the actual Cori stepped through, oversized paddle in her hooves. “Alright gals, I secured Berry in a barrel, and then shrank down a paddle to bar the door wi-”

“What a coincidence, Cee – we’re all up Horseshit Creek!” came the reply from Viscera, almost falling over her two front hooves as she transformed again. They were halfway past the overhang of the music shop’s piano-key roofing when the golden flash took over, and once again… “Damn it!” Viscera’s front half was once more the only altered part of her.

“I’ll be on Berry duty this time! Cori, grab Puff! Gympis, Viscera, watch our front and back!” Despite Goldilock's plan, chaos ensued again once they got past the third house. A sharp beam from Prince Haze cut into the changeling’s cheek and sent her tumbling into another alley, the collision afterward hinting at a meeting with a chimney base.

Goldilock was lucky enough to clasp her forehooves around the horn of the charging changeling prince, switching to a headlock and barely keeping hold as Toxic Haze’s spade-tipped tail whipped into the walls, flanks, and arms of everything around him. Dents erupted in Goldilock’s new hide, and Cori, with a vulnerable filly on her back and no clear shot at Prince Haze, could only take cover behind the tenements.

It was up to Viscera at this point, and thankfully, the positioning of her partial transformation giving her both the strength to heave the barrel containing Berryshine into her left arm and space for her fake wings to bring her to roof-level after a pull of claws upon the wood framing of two houses catapulted her up. Turning back, she pulled out another pair of Blood Stones from her pocket and aimed at Toxic Haze.

“Gotcha.”

And whirled in midair, seeing Shroud on the building next to her, eyes diluted in triumph. Before she could turn – impossible anyhow, with both claws occupied and wings already folding mid-flap - Shroud’s tendrils plowed into her side, sending her and Berry crashing through the second floor of the Ponyville Tavern.

The snasnasnaps of several explosions, one visible enough for Gympis to see, brought her to attention. Prince Toxic Haze was before her, he and Goldilock swinging hooves into each other’s jaws with reckless abandon. But it was the lack of something, two somethings actually, that brought Gympis to full alertness. The first was her mind piecing together the lack of other changelings that joined Haze in his rise to power, and her inability to identify him before, meaning…

“He is… hiveless!” Gympis stood up from shock. Soon, she zoomed out past them both, breaking up their fight long enough for Cori to finally launch a supersized carriage at Toxic Haze. A sizzle from his horn blew it to pieces, but not before the debris blinding him to Gympis, focus now on on the Shadow Pony reeling himself into a cavity in the tavern’s wall. He was single-minded as well, and since Viscera and Berryshine were gone…

Gympis took her flight through the lower levels of the tavern, but nearly lost herself in its unlit interior, still too early to accept customers. By the hive! Darkness from below, shadows from above, and we do not even know what caused our new forms such disparity-!

The changeling finally blinked. And even the void of the tavern could not conceal her smile long as she clapped her hooves together.

Viscera felt like she’d been put through a blender. Exhaustion fell upon her in waves. Even the barrel containing Berry had deposited her disoriented cargo a full three feet from her, a rearleg with a grapecluster-and-strawberry imprinted cutie mark on its flank kicking feebly among a mountain of wood.

Struggling to raise her head, she could even feel how sluggish it had made her hooves. Her left arm was scrabbling for a grip on the impact-bowed oaken floor, her right arm flopped uselessly beneath her, and her left paw was-

Viscera stared for a second, then looked at her right paw again, buried beneath the splintered rings of the barrel.

It didn’t move.

The very much still-golden arm it was once attached to did wiggle on the ground again.

And suddenly, what could only be shock crushed what little fight remained from Viscera. Even as Prince Shroud filled the cavity in the second floor’s balcony window with his form. Even as Berryshine’s attempt to rouse her awake got her swatted into the taps in the wall, her struggles weakening under a torrent of tendrils. Even as more of those same tendrils, illuminated by golden light, coiled and rippled out toward Viscera’s unmoving flank-

-and the retracted, following the flailing Prince back out of the second floor’s new sunroof by a changeling left hook. Well, left claw, considering the changeling was fully golden once more. “It is the shadows! We must leave!” Berryshine weakly croaked in gratitude for Gympis but was still puzzled by the newest cryptic missive from the strange pony. Regardless, she swept up Viscera into her arms.

“They were all that obstructed you – us – when you turned!” Viscera didn’t seem to have the message, leading Gympis to follow her transfixed stare to the other five percent of her trapped between her feet. “Ah. Apparently, limbs can be lost in this form too.” Clutching it in her teeth, she continued. “Mish Behry. We must go. Ahpon my bahck at oncssh.”

Reaching Goldilock, Cori, and Powder on the alley again, the sight of the fully empowered changeling almost seemed to pump new life into Goldilock and Cori – a first in Ponyville, even Cori had to admit between pants.

The group tore down the street, leaving Haze and Shroud in the dust for once, until they reached the corner of a restaurant with a bed of noodles framing its roof and front end. It was here that life finally returned to Viscera’s eyes, and she all but leaped from Gympis’ arms, hobbling to one end of the store. Her jaw moved impotently, but words would not follow.

Gympis would though, and discreetly handed her severed claw again. Viscera, almost instinctually, took back the limb, and as Goldilock and Cori turned to ask what got into her, all they finally escaped her lips was “Has to be here, Pie sai-”

Then the floor gave out from Viscera, and she was tumbling into a chute nestled below the largest of the fake pasta pillars of Lucky Noodles. Powder Puff, upon hearing the roar of crumbling roofs from the out-of-sight princes, zipped into the crevice, followed lastly by Cori, Berryshine and Goldilock.
Before Gympis could follow, her ears picked up the arrival, and she turned into the spitting image of Flash Sentry just as Prince Shroud and Haze’s arrived.

"GREAT! Fuckers gave us the slip again and you're trying to stuff your face! Find out where they went, Sentry; Shroud and I've got shit to discuss!" Prince Haze's roar echoed off the glass front of the restaurant. While turning the corner was a relief for Gympis, her ears stayed perked, listening close to the two Princes' conversation as she scoured the ground for the dropped Viscera limb.

“True, they escaped again. But now we know more about them.” Shroud admitted, voice so low Gympis had to strain to hear it from the opposite end of Noodle.

“Yeah…” hissed Haze. “Attacked me as Luna, so no way they’re some counterstrike force by that whore Celestia.”

“They have forms underneath. A metamorphosis, likely.” Prince Shroud pensively added. Gympis found the limb at that point, clutched it in her maw, and backed up slowly toward.

“And one of them…” Toxic Haze licked his lips sadistically at the last tidbit. “…is a Crystal cunt.” He was already flapping his leathery wings in the air by the time turning to the Flash Sentry doppleganger. “Looks like we get to plan for a meet up with a pain-slut alicorn sooner than we thought, right, Flash?”

Shuddering, Gympis could only shrug, her back still to the Prince. It did not stop his sneering words. "I just love this idiot - one word and he curls up like some pansy! It's so hot seeing him cower."

“Unacceptable. Focus.” Shroud droned, unmoved from his position. “Considering this new group's pattern of retaliations…”

“Right: We've got something in three days that’ll draw them to us again, anyhow!” Toxic turned to face Shroud, his smile wide enough that it could have cut his face in half at this point.

Regardless, both their attention were on each other again, affording Gympis the chance at last to rush for the side of the restaurant and fly through the hidden slide, the lid sliding shut as Haze finished with, “Hells yeah, I’ve gotta tell Twilight – and all this just before Dash’s return to this her-forsaken hovel!”

For Viscera and company, the slide-ride spat them out into a room full of silver-tube openings like the one that the five equines tumbled out of. Brightly colored balloons surrounded the chutes and doorways, file cabinets ringed every part of the outside area that cupcake stands didn't, and the giant table before them was covered in decorative swirls and divots, carved into its great iron surface.

“What... is this place?” Cori asked.

“Almost reminds me of Sugarcube from all the decorations! But how…?” Rappid responded, de-forming at long last. Gympis was still not present.

“Dunno but... I don't think the Princes saw us or the entrance... And our rescues seem to like it.” Indeed, Berryshine and Powder Puff were marveling at the decorations, Powder Puff letting out a “Wow…” at every detail.

Cori continued on as Viscera stumbled toward the table. "Might make a good place to hide them for now."

“Assuming we even know wh-where it is, or we are, or the utter FUBAR that Viscera put us all through to get here!” Rappid yelled, her hooves flinging into the air in exasperation. “We had to give a Royal Guard the slip, Gympis is still gone, we've caused Celestia knows how much damage to the city… and for what?!” Her forehooves jutted at Viscera, finally easing herself onto the table. “So this zealous kleptomaniac can get her kicks playing Secret Agent Mare in the middle of a square where two princesses were defiled a day ago?!”

“Rappid…” Cori paled noticing a chilling new detail with the silent crimson pony. It was at this moment that Gympis finally arrived through the slide they'd gone down minutes before, only just finished turning into her normal form. The changeling was also clutching something in her teeth as she moved towards Viscera.

Rappid ignored them both.

“No! For once, I’m gonna have a good explanation from this egotist just why…”

And Rappid's gaze finally fell on what Gympis finally spat onto the table, then to the much shorter shave the ‘egotist’s' arm had resting on the table, and finally the columns of pink plasma shuddering from her wound. “….by Celestia's bloodied maw, is that her arm.”

Gympis nodded. “It is. Were it not for the shadows – or lack thereof – stunting our transformations, it may not have been severed.”

A slide down the golden cute at the end of the room permitted another guest. “Ohmigosh, what are you all doing in my Secret Base?!” came the shriek of Pinkie Pie, causing Rappid’s hair to stand on end and Cori to faint.

It would take fifteen minutes to roll in Nurse Redheart into the hidden abode of the re-hyperventilating Pinkie. Another ten to get over Piña Colada and Dr. Hooves bursting in (“Don’t worry, they’ll be out of your hair and in a safe spot by tomorrow,” promised Dr. Hooves, to Rappid and Cori’s relief). Two more minutes for Redheart to go into a fainting fit over Viscera de-forming as she studied the severed paw, revealing…

“My goodness, the arm heals entirely if your form switches?!” Dr. Hooves looked over the good-as-new hoof from the half-conscious crimson pony. Even then, it hung limply in the embrace, its owner near-motionless from fatigue. A column of lost bandages and four claw-like diamonds twinkled nearby.

“Thank goodness!” Cori yelled. “But... wait! That means…”

“Your forms… or whatever you’ve got…. aren’t invincible.” Nurse Redheart was at attention again, her spell over as soon as it began. “I heard the news from topside – apparently you saved some lives. I’d thank you if I wasn’t so worried about what’s pumping through your veins right now.”

“Later… need to sleep.” Viscera murmured.

“Seems the mare of the hour needs her beauty rest again.” Rappid was no longer masking the gratitude in her voice.

“Yeah, that’s likely the first step.” Nurse Redheart pronounced. “I’ll allow some time here to recuperate, and your secret’s safe with me – doctor-patient agreement, after all.” Scratching her ruby-red mane did little to ease the Ponyville doctor’s worries. “But I’m going to have to ask for a set-up in Sugarcube if you won’t let me move her to Ponyville Hospital.”

“You’ll have it – between me and Rose, we’ve enough bits.” Dr. Hooves was up in a flash, shaking her hoof. “I’ve got to check to Derpy. Oh, and…” His last look was towards Berryshine, Piña, and Powder Puff. “Thank Vis for everything when she awakes. If she’s this game for fighting those… usurious scumbags… I can work something out for her. If only to help cover her… mystery guest’s stay.”

Cori nodded.

“Thanks for notifying me of that – I’ll have to check up on that pony too.” Redheart stood up. “At least, at night. Both she and Vis have been through a lot, and…” Her gaze traveled to the crimson pony draped over the table that once held a rendezvous between two of the good Elements.

“… I’m not sure either might survive what they’ve facing without more help.”