“Careful there,” Twilight Sparkle moved closer to her friend, letting the grey mare lean on her for support. Their pace slowed down, Scarlet’s weakness betraying her eagerness to complete what she felt was the final step in her mission.

The detective paused, resting her limp foreleg over the back of Twilight’s neck. She sighed, taking in a deep breath before putting her weight back on all fours. She didn’t want to waste any more time sitting at the library. She quickly picked up her pace, thankful that Twilight mimicked her.

Ponyville was lively and awake, ponies occasionally passing the duo by, smiling and waving a quick welcome to both their librarian and her Canterlot guest. Scarlet watched as Twilight quickly responded with a sharp wave and grin back at them, an act that the young mare couldn’t help but admire.

‘This town’s so warm,’ Scarlet looked back at the clip of parchment hanging in front of the pair. Twilight pointed down the corner of the block, the pair turning left to keep with the directions to the location of Slate’s mysterious house.

“How much further do we have to go?” Scarlet looked over to the unicorn, who seemed all too eager herself to discover the location of the missing pony.

“Not much,” the purple pony replied. “I’m sure that everypony else will be there by the time we arrive too.”

“You’re positive about that?”

“If she told Rainbow Dash first, then of course. She’s the fastest flier in Ponyville after all. Maybe even Equestria.”

Scarlet gave Twilight a quick chuckle. “I’m still taken by how much faster she is over everypony I know back at Canterlot. Even my friend Amethyst wouldn’t be able to keep up with her.”

“She IS the only one able to pull off a Sonic Rainboom,” Twilight continued. “She wouldn’t have the cutie mark she has if she didn’t enjoy whipping through the air.”

A sharp pain jolted down Scarlet’s back. She winced, turning instinctively towards the end of the trail the pain carved. Her cutie mark felt hot, the fiery sensation burning like a parasite through her body. She winced, tripping over her hooves and stumbling a ways in front of the pair before regaining her balance.

Twilight immediately jumped towards her, a soothing purple glow grabbing Scarlet’s side before she could tumble over. “Scarlet, are you okay? Do you need another spell?”

She ignored Twilight’s questions. Her panting subsided; she looked up to the unicorn’s face with a puzzled look on her face. “Cutie marks are there to symbolize what a pony is best at.”

“Well… yeah?” Twilight failed to understand the mumbling detective.

“How about you, Twilight?”

“What about me?”

Scarlet managed to straighten herself out. With a motion of her hoof, they continued to walk. “I talked to Applejack earlier today about cutie marks. I’m sure that you overheard some of the conversation.”

“Bits and pieces. I think I was too busy looking into the census,” Twilight shrugged.

“So how would you feel about a pony who gets the wrong cutie mark?”

“The… wrong cutie mark?”

“Yeah. A cutie mark that wasn’t meant for them. A fake cutie mark.”

“Scarlet, that doesn’t… I don’t even think that’s possible,” Twilight said.

“What makes you think that?”

“A cutie mark appears when a pony discovers who they are meant to be. When that pony realizes where their talent belongs, and how to utilize that talent to benefit themselves, and the ponies around them.”

“Discovers,” Scarlet pointed to her cutie mark. “What about me then? How about ponies like me, who were born into their cutie marks?”

“Scarlet, are you okay?” Twilight stepped closer to her while they walked. “Is the fever coming back?”

Scarlet felt a snap within her gut, her body shivering at the hollow sensation spreading through her chest. She shook her head violently, her red mane flapping against her black coat before coming to a rest. “I’m fine. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. Hold still,” Twilight closed her eyes. The crown on her head, the Element of Magic, sparkled as Twilight’s magic channeled into it. A small string of the element’s essence spread forth from the artifact, covering Scarlet’s figure before being absorbed into her body.

The detective took a large breath, the trembling coming to a stop in her legs.

“Thanks, Twilight.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she looked back at the road. “I’d rather have all the girls here next time. When we meet at the house, the first thing I’m doing is healing you again.”

“Fine by me,” Scarlet’s jade green eyes focused. She turned her face over to the side of the road. “It’s one of these houses, isn’t it?”

Both ponies looked over. Each house had a hauntingly similar color scheme to one another, each adorned with a ceiling made of a mixture of hay and wood. Small lawns welcomed ponies to each house, the grass burning a bright emerald color, with every bush sprouting a different color of flower. Several houses even held gardens in the front of the yard-tiny little pockets of space well groomed to provide a fruitful harvest.

Down towards the center of the row of houses, Twilight and Scarlet’s eyes lit up. Five ponies of varying hues were stationed just outside of the house, waving down the duo, whose pace turned into a full trot towards them.

“Twilight,” Scarlet said as they reached their destination. “Can I ask you one more question?”

Twilight turned to her gray friend with a curious glance.

“I know it’s a long shot, but… you’ve done a ton of research on Equestria’s history. Would you happen to have ever come across the term ‘Scars?’”

“’Scars?’” Twilight’s eyes moved towards her forehead as she thought. “Nothing immediately springs to mind. How come, Scarlet? Does this ‘Scars’ have something to do with your job?”

“Sorry Twilight,” Scarlet immediately apologized. “I shouldn’t have asked. I think I just got a bit curious.”

“Nothing wrong with that, is there?”

She stopped in front of the house, letting Twilight continue on to greet her friends. “I’m not so sure anymore.”

Each of Twilight’s friends positioned themselves around the detective, each one bearing a golden necklace with a centered gem that matched their cutie marks. Twilight took her place facing directly towards Scarlet, giving the young mare a friendly smile while her horn charged up the same spell from earlier. Rather than simply branching from the crown and into Scarlet’s body, the string of magic webbed itself through each necklace on each pony surrounding her, creating a link that bound Scarlet to the center of the circle of mares.

From there, a stronger, larger beam of magical energy fired from each of the Elements of Harmony on each pony, the strength of the six elements enriching Scarlet’s body, condemning every ounce of fatigue from her form.

The purple aura slowly turned into a powder-like vapor as it rose into the atmosphere, ready to be recycled by the world. Scarlet opened her eyes, stretching her legs before letting out a much needed sigh of relief.

‘Such an amazing power,’ Scarlet fixed her mane. She took an interest in the slight change of her coat and mane’s natural hues, a fact that eluded the rest of the group. Her grey body was a tad brighter, inching closer to white than it had to black, and the redness of her hair and tail looked like it had been coated with a small tint of pink scattered about in an uneven pattern.

Though she wanted to explore this peculiar change, she took notice again of the house in front of the group.

“Thanks everypony. I don’t know how long this’ll last, but it should be enough to get in and out quickly.”

The outside of the house appeared just like every other lot owned by any other pony in Ponyville. It was clean and kept well, the grass trimmed and a small bush near the door healthy enough to produce several smaller flowers. The locale was tranquil, a lovely setting for a peaceful walk through town, every individual house innocent enough to go unnoticed by any passersby.

Scarlet raised a hoof, turning to Twilight, then back to the group. Each of them stood right behind the pair.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” Twilight braced herself.

Scarlet steadily knocked three times on the door. There was no response. No shifting of any tables or chairs. Not even the shuffling of hooves against the hard, wooden floors that most of Ponyville’s houses were made with.

“M-Maybe they’re not home,” a timid voice broke through the ranks. Fluttershy, the furthest from the door, hid herself behind Rarity, who was busy criticizing the appearance of the house with her sharp eyes.

Scarlet cleared her throat. “This IS about a pony who went missing some time ago. I’ll try knocking again.”

“That would explain those,” Rarity’s eyes never left the gutters of the house. Scarlet followed her lead, noticing the gunk composed of moist leaves, dirt, and other decomposed substances.

Focusing back on the door, Scarlet knocked again. “Hello? My name is Scarlet Trace. I was sent from Canterlot to have a word with the owner of this place.”

No answer.

She knocked one more time. “U-Um, if you fail to respond… I’ll be forced to enter the house myself for an inspection. This is a matter that extends all the way to the Royal Guard. Please respond if you understand the circumstances here.”

Everypony’s ears flicked at the sound of a door’s lock snapping out of place. They all braced for the entrance to swing open, and to find a pony on the other side.

Scarlet’s head was the first to turn, upon realizing that the sound came from a neighbor to the side. The pony paused, staring back at the seven ponies gathered up at the door.

“Excuse me ma’am,” Scarlet didn’t miss a beat, “You happen to know who lives here?”

The neighbor looked at Scarlet, digesting the question. She flicked her tail, “I don’t think so.” Her eyes showed a hint of surprise that was enunciated in her voice, “In fact, I don’t think I’ve EVER met my neighbor on this side of my house. I’ve knocked on the door a few times, but they never come out.”

“Has anypony ever thought of checking on them?”

The neighbor rubbed a hoof against the back of her head. “I don’t think so. It’s strange. I thought I talked to everypony I lived next to. I feel like I’ve at least said hi.”

“This sounds odd,” Scarlet muttered to Twilight. “Somepony had to have noticed something off about this place.”

“Thank you anyway ma’am,” Applejack interjected with a tip of her hat. “We ‘preciate the help.”

With another wave from the group, the pony headed off in the other direction with an empty bag saddled on her back.

Scarlet turned back to Twilight, “I guess we’re just going in.” She moved her hooves towards the door knob, flinching when it turned completely at her whim.

“It’s unlocked,” Twilight whispered.

Scarlet swallowed before opening the door. Not too slowly, but not overly fast.

A startling gasp behind them forced Scarlet on the defensive, quickly swinging around to see what the problem was.

“You want me to go in there?!” Rarity’s voice was dripping with fright.

Twilight’s ears drooped over in relief, Scarlet easing up in unison as they both took their first good look into the house.

Scarlet wasn’t sure what she expected from the place. It was relatively small on the outside, but even more so once she walked through the door. A layer of dirt blanketed the floor, each step of their hooves leaving an imprint on the ground. Cobwebs decorated each corner of the large den in front of them. Smaller insects scattered into the crevices and cracks in the home, as light flooded into the house.

Directly on the opposite side of the den from the doorway was a fireplace. The insides were stained with the pitch black color of ashes, a small pile still resting in the firebox. It was relatively uninspired by design, receiving a few words of criticism from Rarity, who still refused to completely enter the household.

A small couch rested in front of the fireplace, with a tiny stand perched right beside it. Horribly aged papers rested on the stand, while a mangled quill lay on the ground nearby. Above the fireplace was a small cove, housing picture frames that had so much dust on them that it was impossible to see the content. Many of the frames were shattered or broken, as if they had been smashed into the ground. Fragments of glass sparkled near the fireplace thanks to the invading light.

A rotten smell was seeping into the room from another. Scarlet and company cringed as the smell wafted in from the kitchen. The energetic pink pony that had followed into the house behind them immediately shot into the kitchen entrance on the left of the den, excited to investigate the source of the wretched stench.

“Missing pony. Abandoned house. Sounds like we found your colt, Scarlet,” Twilight continued to pinch her nose shut.

Scarlet reached into her coat, pulling out her flashlight. She spotted another hallway to the right of the den. “I’m going to check that out real quick. If you girls want to help, feel free to look around. Let me know if you find something interesting.”

Fluttershy and Rarity, both too scared for their own reasons, stuck by the door outside of the house, while Twilight and Applejack scoured the rest of the den for anything, blowing away pockets of dust and ripping off all of the webbing that overtook the house long ago.

Rainbow Dash grimaced, but followed Pinkie Pie into the kitchen to help investigate with her there.

The hallway was cramped, large enough for only one pony at a time to pass through them. Scarlet flashed her light down at the hallway, shuddering for a moment while several dozen more insects escaped into the walls of the abandoned house. A door blocked off the rest of the path ahead of her, but the hallway continued with a sharp turn right.

She moved a hoof to the closet door, grabbing and turning the knob with only a brief moment of hesitation. She jumped back, grabbing Twilight’s attention as the door swung open.

A small lizard darted out of the closet, scurrying between Scarlet’s hooves before rushing through the hallway and towards the exit. She squirmed, shivering as the mares in the den watched the critter dash right out of the front door.

Fluttershy’s eyes followed the poor creature as it shuffled hastily into a nearby shrub. Rarity, regaining her composure, took note of her yellow friend’s subtle change in expression.

“Fluttershy darling, is something wrong? You look like you’re thinking hard about something.”

“Oh,” she tucked her wings tight against her body. “I’m just concerned for that poor little lizard that just came out of the house.”

“Hmm?” Rarity glanced at the bush, then at the hurried tracks it left in the dust inside the house. “What ever for?”

“It was afraid,” Fluttershy looked back at the house. “It must’ve been through something horrible.” She cautiously took another step away from the front door.

Inside Slate’s house, Scarlet had finally managed to shuffle off the jitters from seeing the reptile sprint out of the closet. She tapped her head with a hoof, tightened her fedora, and lit up the other end of the room.

“E-Empty?” Scarlet scoped around with her eye. Aside from the dirt and a spare hangar resting on the floor, nothing else occupied the small space. “I guess when he left, he took everything with him.” She shut the door, “Twilight, anything from those papers on the stand?”

“Nothing important, I think,” she heard a response through the hallway. “Just a bunch of clippings from articles about Ponyville. Weather team. Sweet Apple Acres…”

“Keep looking. Check those frames above the fireplace, and the couch too,” the red maned pony continued. “How’s the kitchen?”

“You don’t wanna know,” she heard the raspy voice of Rainbow Dash on the other side of the house. “The pony that lived here must’ve forgotten that food has an expiration date…”

Scarlet continued, her eyes panning straight ahead. There was a single door on the other end of the hall, just several yards away. The path was as dirty as the rest of the house, and with how tight the hallway was that lead towards it, Scarlet felt as though her chest was being crushed against the two faded walls.

She slowly approached the door, only the sounds of her hooves against the wood keeping her company. She was finally out of sight from the other ponies, who continued their thorough search of the house.

Pinkie was raiding the fridge, desperately trying to find an edible source of nourishment in the kitchen. Dash’s cries of disgust could be heard from the den after splatters of unidentifiable goo splattered against the floor. Rarity, upon seeing the rotten goop, one upped Fluttershy by walking back to the walkway before the porch.

The sounds of the girls’ search slowly fell out of earshot. Scarlet picked up on the change right away.

‘What is this?’ Scarlet’s hooves paused on the floor. She focused her senses, wiggling her ears.

She couldn’t hear the girls anymore.

Scarlet tried turning around, only managing to shift her eyes within their sockets. Her head was fixated on the door, her hooves itching to take another step closer to the source. She tried to adjust her ears again. The den was silent. The kitchen was still.

“Twilight?” She called out in a whisper. She struggled to wrap her mind around what she was sensing. The door was emitting an irresistible urge that charged through her limbs, forcing her in like a magnet.

A pressure starting building within her. It weighed her down, pressing against her body with enough weight that it caused her to gasp. She felt nothing pressing down on her back, and the hallway was barren of any and all sound. Her ears struggled to latch on to any source of noise, instead focusing on the tense sound of her struggling breath.

She felt a chill fill her chest, her knees nearly buckling under the increase in pressure. She started to panic.

‘This feeling… I know this,’ Scarlet’s eyes widened. ‘This is almost like back at dad’s study… back at the apartment.’ Her hooves carried her directly in front of the door.

Her hooves crept up to the knob, trembling, unsure of what could be waiting on the other end of the wooden barrier. Scarlet’s heart was racing, the cold draining the color on her face. Her gut churned, a carving pain rushed through her body in an all-too-familiar way.

‘It’s acting up again!? It’s too soon!’

Her body was working against her will.

‘Let go of the door.’

Her hoof twisted the knob, feeling the resistance of the door give way.

A hollow echo burned into her ears, forcing her eyes as wide as saucers. The noise grew louder. It screamed at her. A throat curdling roar ripped through her mind, the intense shock causing her to shriek back at the noise. Her light tumbled out of her mouth and slammed against the floor, rolling right up next to the door.

Her hoof broke free, her body collapsing into a heap. Her eyes dilated as her hooves finally fell back under her own control. She desperately pulled herself back to the beginning of the hallway, crawling like a terrified child.

“SCARLET!”

Her head shot towards the sound. Twilight and her friends, even Rarity and Fluttershy, who opted to avoid going into the house at all, were all gathered by the entrance to the hallway.

“We heard you scream! What’s wrong!?” Twilight yelled.

Scarlet was still shivering. She quickly felt more at ease in the presence of her Ponyville friends, her shaking limbs coming to a stop. She looked down at the ground underneath her, following the trail against the dirt that she had made dragging herself away from the source.

She turned away before she could acknowledge the door.

“S-S-Something isn’t right about this place,” Scarlet tried lifting herself to her feet. She nearly jumped out of the hallway the moment her friends managed to help her up.

She checked every part of her body. Everything was still intact, but she felt as though something were missing.

“My flashlight.”

Twilight looked towards the door on the end of the hallway, then back to Scarlet, who had already retreated towards the center of the den.

“Relax Scarlet,” Twilight said with confidence. “I’ll grab it for you.”

“Wait, don’t!”

Twilight nonchalantly trotted forward. She grabbed the light with her magic, blowing some dust that clung to the sides of the handle. She glanced at the door, her friends expectantly waiting for her to come back.

Twilight remained at the door, puzzled by something that went unseen by the rest of the ponies. Scarlet’s color faded when she saw Twilight’s friends creep further down the hallway. Twilight Sparkle’s hoof rose up to the barrier, and with a firm, aggressive stance, she placed it against the door.

Her eyes immediately shot open. She jumped back in response, nearly dropping the flashlight in the same manner as Scarlet. She turned back to her friends. “Get back!”

The entire group fled back into the den, Twilight at the end of the rush. Aside from the detective and the Element of Magic, everypony else was frozen with a mixture of fear and confusion.

“What’s going on? What was that about?” Rainbow Dash asked. She took a few steps back towards the hallway before feeling a tug on her tail. Applejack pulled her towards the den.

“Twi said for us to stay away from that door. I figure we better listen to her before we do anything foolish.”

Twilight turned to Scarlet, her voice much lower. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

“Twilight, I heard it,” the detective’s voice cracked.

“Felt what? Heard what? Twilight, can you fill us in?” Dash impatiently asked.

“I’m not sure,” the purple unicorn started, “but there’s something wrong with that room. When I touched it, I felt a terrible darkness lurking on the other side.”

“As if it was leaning against the door, begging for you to open it,” Scarlet added.

“There was a surge of negative energy when I came into contact with it,” Twilight explained. “My magic felt drained.” She floated the flashlight over to Scarlet, who quickly pocketed it back into her coat.

“What does that mean for us then?” Rarity couldn’t help but wonder.

“It means we stay as far away from that door as possible,” Scarlet’s strength returned. “At all costs. I’ll need to inform the Royal Guard about this. That’s the most powerful essence of toxic magics I’ve ever felt.”

“And it’s been here in Ponyville all this time.” Twilight looked back at the hallway. “What’s it even doing here?”

The group calmed down, now that everypony was safe. Scarlet looked back to Applejack and Twilight. “Did you find anything out here? Anything that might hint as to who this ‘Slate’ is?”

“Oh,” Twilight perked up. Her horn glowed again, lifting up a small booklet from the couch. “I found this underneath the couch cushions.”

“And Dashie and I found this in the kitchen sink!” Pinkie finally exclaimed.

Scarlet grabbed the notebook, but looked over to what Pinkie was holding in her hoof. It was a small medal, like a badge or a button, coated with a silver material. The badge looked similar to a pegasus’ wing. The border that surrounded the button was charred black.

“What do you think it is?” Scarlet asked the group while they gazed upon the aged badge.

“It looks familiar,” Rainbow Dash said. “Like something the weather team here in Ponyville would wear while on duty.”

“You think Slate was a pegasus?” Scarlet eyed the badge. There was a large, yellow ‘P’ etched into the center of the badge.

“If this is his,” Dash shrugged.

Scarlet looked at the book. It hadn’t aged well, opening it lead to a choir of cracks that spoke for the age of the material. She eyed the contents, noticing several illegible scribbles on one of the pages. Most of the book was used up, filled by writings of the pony who had lived here long ago.

“I think this is a journal of some kind,” Scarlet spoke aloud. She turned to the front of the book:

THIS BOOK IS PROPERTY OF
BLANK SLATE

“Got him,” Scarlet focused her eyes. “This is the missing pony’s diary.”

“Ooh, are we gonna read through it!?” Pinkie jumped in place.

Scarlet stopped, looking at the other six ponies in the house. They all looked back at her, expecting an answer.

She flipped through the first few pages. “We have to if we wanna find out where he is,” she glanced the first few entries. The first few logs in the diary were fairly short, many of them scratched through by several lines, as if the pony couldn’t decide how to start.

“This book has a ton of entries. Nowhere to really start from but the beginning.”

The ponies gathered around as Scarlet begun from the first, untouched entry…

The Royal Castle in Canterlot towered over every other structure in the entire city. Regardless of the hills that riddled the land, how tall the houses grew to the north, where the wealthiest of ponies lived, none held a candle to the might of Celestia’s domain. Tall spires sprouted about the castle, reaching further up the side of the mountain it was built next to.

The regal pony in question looked down at the city from a grand balcony. From such a monstrous height, she could even spot the large trail that led into Ponyville, its tallest buildings just barely visible against the horizon. Ponies appeared like ants as they crawled across Canterlot, and trains darting by like speedy worms along the ground. The Princess of the Sun looked against the sky, embracing the warmth of her sun.

Besides her stood an aged colt, with a silver mane and an old, gray coat. He overlooked the town alongside her, his attention focused squarely on the red building near the middle of Canterlot far down below. The Agency stood modestly against the bright whites and yellows of the city’s structures, tucked away to the furthest side of the central plaza.

The two ponies stood vigilant for several minutes, unsure of how to open the floor for discussion. A long period with zero progress usually led to a particularly awkward game of patience, and neither pony was in the mood to fool around.

Steele eventually opened the gates. “Princess, what’s on your mind?”

“Steele,” she started, “considering the report we read, I don’t think I can even find a proper place to start.”

“How about Gemini?”

Celestia’s eyes grew heavy, the history of her kingdom’s hunt for that fiery alicorn nothing but a minor part of her life, one that she had nearly forgotten until now. Her memories long rekindled, she replied, “If Ignis has collapsed like Scarlet reported, then we’ll need to send a larger unit out there to investigate. We need to see where Gemini is, and bring her back.”

“Bring her back? Princess, wouldn’t that cause a huge backlash? Is it really in your best interest to reintroduce a criminal of her caliber to Equestria? Especially one that was lost to history a long time ago?”

Celestia’s gaze turned towards the direction of the late Mount Ignis. “I’d like to discuss the Scars with her. She seems to know far more than anypony here. Equestria has aged plenty in my time here. If this nation can withstand an attack of love-sucking Changelings, it can survive the introduction of another alicorn princess.”

“We’ll need to quarantine her, Princess.” Steele followed Celestia’s eyes, “Scarlet might not have caught onto it, but perhaps there is more to the disposition she contains than we’re currently aware of. I’d think it’d be much safer to introduce Gemini after she’s been cured.” He looked to his cutie mark, “If such a thing is even possible.”

Princess Celestia decided to put that particular topic on hold. “I’ll be sending a pegasus unit from the Royal Guard soon. Now, Detective Steele,” she turned to him, “I believe you came for more than just this idle chat. Has something happened with your agents?”

He growled in annoyance, “Detective Locks, and Guardian Amethyst are being drawn more towards Mystery Hart. I fear that they’ve become more inclined to deny my orders in an attempt to see Scarlet.”

“I see,” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “It’s too dangerous to let them go.”

“I’m aware. I’ve taken them off the case and put up full time surveillance. If they try anything dangerous, we’ll know.”

“Do keep a strong eye on them. They’re Scarlet Trace’s friends.”

Steele nodded in agreement. “I’m just afraid they’ll do something stupid.”

“Ponies will do the craziest things for a friend, Flex.”

Steele huffed at the mention of his name. He took a pause. “Jessica Scrawl came back, Princess.”

The larger pony’s wings extended for a stretch. “Interesting. Can I expect to see her if I chose to go to the dungeons? Withholding information regarding the Agency is an act of treason.”

“She presented an interesting notion, Princess.”

“I’m listening.”

Steele drew a calm breath, unsure of how his highness would take the information. “Jessica Scrawl said that she was still willing to help complete the case, and that she is ready to be penalized for her transgressions against the Agency, but-”

“But what, Flex?”

“I questioned her about the reason for leaving, and for coming back. She said she couldn’t give a particular reason, but that she was researching a little about the Scars on her leave.”

“And you talked to her about our new found knowledge of her age?”

“She took it quite well. Perhaps too well.” Steele sighed. “I get the feeling that she expected us to discover it sooner or later, like she needed it to happen.”

Celestia turned the other way, shaking her head before allowing Steele to continue.

“When I told her that she could be punished for withholding any knowledge of the case history, that’s when she offered me this interesting deal, which is why I’m speaking to you now.”

Celestia’s form brightened up. “A deal, Steele?”

“Jessica… she says that she has the entire case solved. Both of them.”

“Why hasn’t she revealed the information?” Celestia stamped a single hoof against the ground. “This is the one time where we can’t afford to let her fool around like some filly.”

“Said the details were delicate. She wants to confirm her knowledge, and she said the only way she could would be to wait for Scarlet to break down the case about this ‘Slate’ character.”

“And you believe her, Steele? I’m beginning to have some serious reservations about my trust in her.”

“Jessica Scrawl has been with us since the day we opened the Agency, Princess,” Steele looked back at the red building far into the distance. “Aside from the accident with Amethyst Sheen, she’s never intentionally and genuinely gone against the Agency. She’s been a pain in the ass with her little jokes, pranks, and even her lewd behavior, but that’s the furthest her problems with my Agency have ever extended. I’m willing to overlook her shenanigans as a trade-off for her excellence on the job.”

Steele turned back to look Celestia square in the eyes. “She’s a fiend, but she’s the most loyal pony I’ve ever known besides Conroy.”

Celestia lowered her head, shutting her eyes. She mulled over his words repeatedly before looking back at Steele. “You’ve always had a good eye for finding ponies of virtue, Steele. If you believe that Jessica is trustworthy, then so will I. For now.” She beat her wings against the breeze, letting some of her weaker feathers flutter off into the sky. “So she would tell us everything she’s discovered while she was away. What’s the catch?”

Steele grunted, sweat coming off of his forehead. “She requested an entire day of absolute immunity from all of Equestria.”

The Princess’ eyes opened wide. “Complete immunity… what is that mare planning?”

“There’s something else too,” Steele added. “When I met her, she wasn’t the same. She changed. Her disposition was much stronger than I had ever seen it before, and she had these long fangs that extended from her muzzle.”

“Fangs?” Celestia’s tone grew heavy. “A changeling? A succubus, perhaps?”

“I’d be more comfortable with either of those answers, but I’m not sure, Princess. The Agency’s procedures when hiring new employees scans ponies to ensure that we don’t have any intruding species. Jessica Scrawl came out perfectly clean.”

“”Ponies don’t have fangs,” Celestia replied.

“I’m more concerned about her new strength. She’s too excited. Something going to happen. I feel it.”

Celestia let herself calm down. “So you gave her the immunity?”

“I did my best. Unless she commits a crime against royalty- namely you, she will be free to do as she wishes.”

“Steele… I hope you’re willing to accept the consequences of such a brash decision.”

“I am,” Steele bowed. “She also requested to be left to her own design. Not that any of the guards in the Agency could even keep a consistent tab on her anyway.”

Celestia sighed deeply, venting her frustration with the recent development. “What a mess. I’m afraid for my subjects, Steele.”

“The feeling is mutual, Princess. I don’t want to lose anypony else… especially not Scarlet. If Conroy were alive, he’d rip me apart for letting her get this bad.”

“As long as she has the Elements of Harmony keeping her company, she’ll be fine. Have faith in my student, Flex.”

Steele’s frame was still, putting the Princess on edge.

“Flex, is there something the matter?”

“It’s not that I don’t have faith in Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony,” Flex said, “I’m just afraid of what’s going to happen. We know very little about the Scars, and Gemini’s makes it out to be this… infectious entity. We’re not even sure that the Elements of Harmony are entirely safe around her. I’m genuinely… frightened. Unsure.”

“She called it sentient,” Celestia shivered at the thought. “A virus that can think and act at will.”

“Like a savage monster from Everfree Forest,” Steele muttered. “It also makes me think…”

“Of what, Steele?”

Steele finally sat down on his haunches. His gaze went straight out past the balcony and into the clouds. “When I was a younger colt, running around in Manehatten and cracking down on crime in the streets, I ran into many different kinds of crazy messes. Punks and gangsters that threatened others for the sake of money, or territory. They acted just like wild animals in that city.”

“How barbaric.”

“It got better; I’ll give the city that much credit for cracking down so much over the years. But those few years before I transferred here to Canterlot were some of the hardest years of my entire life. One thing that stuck to me through it all, was the face of those criminals when they were surrounded. That sensation that I knew was running through their mind: When you’re on the verge of rotting in a dungeon for the rest of your life, you have nothing left to lose.”

Celestia turned towards the sky, watching as her sun slowly burned away up above. “When a creature runs out of options, it becomes unpredictable.”

“Those criminals would lash out, attacking anyone that got too close to them with whatever they could find.”

Celestia nodded her head.

“Animals attack,” Steele felt his tone grow cold. “Would a sentient virus do the same thing?”

Celestia froze. Another chilling wind breezed by the balcony, trying in vain to pull her cosmic mane along with it.

“Creatures attack when they feel threatened,” he repeated.

Celestia’s mouth finally moved. “If Scars are sentient, then they…”

She turned towards Steele, a look of concentrated horror on her face. Steele’s eyes were wide, his form, for the first time since she had met him, was trembling.

“Conroy got too close. Too close to the Scars,” she whispered.

“He was investigating Scarlet. He found Nixie Hope. He went off towards Everfree. He came back to Canterlot. Then he died.”

“The entire time, he started replicating the symptoms of Scars. Fatigue. A heavy cough…”

“He was looking for Gemini. He knew something. Conroy was a smart stallion,” Steele shook.

The two ponies let the implications of the entire situation marinate in their minds.

“This is all my fault,” Steele looked to the tile of the balcony’s floor. “I let Scarlet in when I shouldn’t have. I let Conroy go through with his investigation. I gave him those documents involving Nixie Hope…”

“Scars… they can attack anyone who endangers their well being,” Celestia concluded. “What kind of virus is this? What are we dealing with, Steele?”

“I’m not sure, Princess,” his voice shook. “Your highness. Conroy’s death… I think I know…”

“The killing…” Celestia’s face turned ghostly white. “Steele… no.”

“Princess Celestia, we’ve just identified Conroy’s murderer.”

Author's Notes:

Unless something happens that prevents it, the next 5 chapters should be out soon. Everything past this chapter has actually not been proof-read yet, so it'll take some time before anything productive comes out.

New chapter production has come to a slow grind again, but I'm near the end of the story, so it shouldn't take long to wrap it all up from here.

Enjoy the chapter!

- G. R.