Out in the countryside, a motorized carriage made its way towards Canterlot, carrying Sterling, Fury, and Black (as always, wearing the identity-concealing armor Armory made for him).They had been sent out after Elite had received more word from Fletcher, and were in the g midst of a discussion about what they would have to deal with this time.
“So… the Forefathers are at it again.” Sterling grimaced.
“It seems that way, yeah.” Black nodded, his helmet down, “Attacking and killing a few ponies, and for what?”
“A Faust damn loon.” Fury scoffed, “Seriously, what the hell do those guys want with a crazy pony?”
“A crazy pony that allegedly possesses some special ability.” Sterling pointed out, “According to what Fletcher told Elite, the patient has powers that are potentially dangerous.”
“And now that patient is out and about.” Black declared, “And the Forefathers are after her.”
“Don’t suppose you have any ideas why they would want her?” Fury turned to Sterling.
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Sterling shook his head, “...But this is not normal, even for the Forefathers. I can only assume they need her for something big.”
“Like a Project?” Black suggested.
“Most likely.” Sterling glared, “Nevertheless, we gotta find her before they do.”
“Agreed.” Black nodded, “Now, our plan of attack is simple: Sterling, we will be dropping you off in Canterlot to meet up with Fletcher and the others. The good Captain is already working on a search pattern to help find this patient. In the meantime, me and Fury are going to check out that carriage, see if we can’t get a grasp of what’s going on around here.”
"Sounds like a plan." Fury nodded.
"Consider it done." Sterling smiled.
"You're sure you're up for this?" Black asked, concern in his voice. "I mean, you have been having these bad dreams lately..."
"I'm fine." Sterling insisted. "Takes a lot more than a few bad dreams to put me out of commission."
"If you're sure..." Black mused. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here."
Black handed Sterling a package. When Sterling opened it, he saw that it contained clothes; dull colors, a hood, and a baseball cap.
"Courtesy of Ballista." Black declared. "You need to keep your identity hidden, remember?"
"Like I could forget." Sterling sighed, putting the clothes on. "Funny how Fury is the only one here who can go out in public as is."
"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Fury smirked.
As they neared their destination, Black had a worrying thought.
'Let's just hope those who are also seeking this poor mare don't have too much of a headstart...'
Elsewhere, in Canterlot…
Elsewhere, in a darkened room, only lit up by the light of a mirror, held by a greyish-blue hoof, a shadowy conversation was underway.
“I can’t believe this. I cannot believe this!” The owner of the greyish-blue hoof snarled.
“Please, it’s not as bad as you think, sir.” The one on the mirror tried to placate him, who was none other than the head of the hooded figures that had attacked Survival carriage nights prior.
“Not as bad? You had that filly right there, trapped in a padded defenseless carriage!” The dark figure spat, “You had one job!”
“Look, it was an error in judgment. Roadblock was the one who suggested ramming the carriage from the back.” The hooded leader grunted.
“Hey, buck you!” The one named Roadblock growled.
“Quiet!” The leader snapped.
“You incompetent buffoons!” The voice seethed, “Not only is my subject is on the loose, but you also let one of the details slip away! A witness! I swear to Faust, I have half a mind to have you all put down-”
“Sir, please!” The hooded leader pleaded, “I can fix this! Give us more time and we can find the girl and dispose of that pesky doctor! I swear!”
“Well, normally I would say ‘don’t make promises you can’t keep’, but considering the time crunch we’re now in due to your blunder, I can’t be picky.” The voice sighed in frustration, “You and your group of foul-ups, get to Canterlot. You’ll begin your search there.”
“Canterlot? You think she’d go there? Why?” The hooded leader frowned.
"Obviously, because it's a big place with lots of hidey-holes." The shadowy stallion said irritably. "Best place to hide in miles. Not to mention that ‘he’ will know to look there first. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we find her before he gets to her and takes her far out of any of our reach, do you understand?!”
"Y-yes sir." The hooded leader said nervously. "I understand completely."
"I hope so." The stallion snarled. "Because if you mess up again-"
Before he could continue, the stallion looked out of his carriage's window, and scowled at the position of the sun.
"Great. Now I'm running late." He frowned. He glanced back at the leader. "We'll continue this conversation later. And I expect to hear results, understand?"
"Yes, sir." The leader nodded timidly.
"Good." The stallion smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch to attend."
The mirror turned off, as the carriage came to a halt. One of the pullers opened the door.
Stepping out into the light was a greyish-blue Pegasus, relatively young looking, with a brown mane and pale green eyes. He was decked out in a fine gray suit. He straightened his tie, and ran a hoof through his neatly combed hair.
The carriage, a simple gray with silver trimming, was parked outside a restaurant, The Silver Stable. He stepped inside, and approached the hostess.
"Secretariat Dysley." He produced a charming smile, introducing himself. "I have a table reserved for noon."
"Of course, Mr Dysley." The hostess declared, after taking a moment to check the bookings. "Right this way."
The hostess directed Dysley toward the table in question. At the table was none other than Constell, the daughter of Princess Luna, and her husband, Luxury, the son of Fancypants.
“There he is, Secretariat Dysley!” Luxury smiled, "Fashionably late, I see."
"Sorry for the delay." Dysley apologized. "Business problems. You know how it is."
"I sure do." Luxury rolled his eyes. He turned to his wife. "Constell, this is Secretariat Dysley. Secretariat, my wife, Princess Constell."
"Nice to meet you at last." Constell smiled. "Luxury's told me a lot about you."
"The pleasure is all mine, princess." Dysley kissed her hoof.
"Aren't you a charmer?" Constell smirked. "Makes me wonder why Luxury didn't introduce us sooner."
"Well, I would have, but ol' Secretariat's been real busy these last few years." Luxury admitted. "Barely had any time to just hang out."
"Call it a hereditary flaw." Dysley shrugged. "My father tended to get wrapped up in his work. Always talking business with your dad..."
"If they weren't, we wouldn't have been able to hang out so much when we were kids." Luxury pointed out. "Good times, right?"
"They sure were." Dysley smiled. Then his face fell. "Then dad died, and it all seemed to go downhill for me."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Constell said kindly. "That must have been hard."
"It was." Dysley sighed. "I was still a kid at the time. Then I heard he died in an airship crash, and I had to grow up without a father."
"I don't blame you for wanting time to deal with your grief, pal." Luxury placed a good on his friend's shoulder. "When my dad heard about what happened, he was pretty shattered too."
"It was a tough road from then on." Dysley sighed. "But I managed to hang in there. I even took the helm of dad's business once I was old enough. I like to think he'd be proud of me if he could see me now."
"I'm sure he would." Luxury smiled. "And I am too, old pal. Now, how about we order some appetizers and make up for lost time?"
"Gladly." Dysley smiled. "We have a great deal to catch up on… like say, how you managed to earn the hoof of a princess.” He gestured to Constell.
"Oh, that is quite a story." Constell grinned. "Hope you don't have any pressing afternoon appointments..."
“Oh-ho, not at all.I have ‘guys’ to take care of things while I’m away.” Dysley smirked, “Besides… I love a good story…”
After much discussion with Elite regarding the severity of the situation, Fletcher and Caboose had departed the station, with Fievel and Nabudis in tow… or rather vice versa, as Nabudis was the first out the door, walking briskly, with Fievel behind him, and the two Royal Guards following them.
"Good luck, fellas!" Chief Colt waved them off.
"Thank you, good sir." Fletcher smiled. "It is most appreciated."
"And it's nice to know you're rooting for us, too." Caboose added.
“While we’re young, gentleponies!” Nabudis yelled.
“...I also wish you good luck with him.” Chief Colt grimaced, “I’ve a feeling he’s going to be rather difficult.”
“Indeed…” Fletcher sighed, “Let us know if anything comes up.”
The officer gives a nod as the two RDL agents caught up to the two doctors.
“Doctor, I understand time is of the essence, but we would be appreciative if you wouldn’t snap at ponies.” Fletcher said firmly.
"And I would be appreciative if you would keep the idle chatter to a minimum." Nabudis’s retorted.
"Well, you're a grumpy doctor." Caboose pouted. "Maybe you should get your own TV series. Ooh, and maybe a cane..."
"What did I just say?" Nabudis scowled.
"I'm afraid that for Caboose, 'chatter' and 'minimum' do not go together." Fletcher smirked.
"Wonderful..." Nabudis groaned.
“So, how do we go about this?” Survival asked, “You guys have a plan?”
“Indeed we do. Firstly, Caboose and I will be making contact with an associate of ours who should have arrived by now.” Fletcher announced.
“And what are we to do in the meantime?” Nabudis inquired.
“You wait here with Dr. Horror in plain sight. We won’t be long. Just keep vigilant for any suspicious ponies.” Fletcher declared.
“Yeah. If those guys were wearing cloaks, they could be anypony. Anypony!” Caboose added.
“Thank you. I couldn’t have gone without thinking about that.” Survival deadpanned.
"Maybe not anypony." Caboose said awkwardly, trying to save the conversation. "Maybe they're just part of some secret group, intent on-"
"Okay, Caboose." Fletcher drag him before he could say something else. "Let's not be too rash with the crazy theories..."
As soon as the two were out of earshot, Survival glanced at Nabudis.
“Odd sort of fellows, aren’t they?” Survival admitted.
“Yes… and I don’t like it.” Nabudis scowled, “Out of all the Royal Guards they have in this city, we ended up with two that just so happen to be ‘RDL consultants’...”
“What? You think they’re lying?” Survival frowned.
“Everypony are almost never who they appear to be at first glance. I’ve taught you this, Fievel.” Nabudis grimaced, “If you ask me, we shouldn’t be so quick to trust them…”
“Says the one who’s keeping secrets.” Survival glared.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nabudis challenged.
“I’m talking about this ‘patient’ of yours.” Survival growled, “I mean, where do I begin? It was weird enough that you said little to me about her before we left. Even weirder that the manifest said nothing about her. I’ve seen and met many patients over the years, but I never once heard about this one!”
“That because no one was to know about her.” Nabudis grunted, “As I’ve said before, few ponies were to know of her existence. All that was needed to know was that she was a very important pony that needed to be protected at all costs.”
“Yet you sent just me and Hamm and the two guys.” Survival seethed, “Hamm was the only one of us who had a weapon, and you and I both know he couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn! If this patient was so ‘important’, then why didn’t you up the protection detail?!”
“Fievel, I could have put the entire hospital security staff on that carriage and it wouldn’t have made a difference!” Nabudis countered, “Not only would it had been costly, but by the sounds of these attackers, they probably have murdered them all just the same, numbers be damned. Only difference would have been a higher body count. Would you have preferred that?”
“...Well, I guess not…” Survival admitted, “But...”
“I know.” Nabudis sighed, “...And I’m sorry. I should had been there with you. It was my fault that you and him were on that transport to begin with...”
“...Why weren’t you though?” Survival frowned, “I mean, I haven’t seen you around the hospital in weeks, and with how you are acting about this patient, I doubt you would had just passed.”
“I’ve just been busy with things. Personal matters.” Nabudis shook his head, “But they’re not important now. Instead of focusing on the past, we must focus on the present… namely, recovering the patient…” He then glanced at Survival, “But make no mistake, once we do, we’ll make sure those ponies who killed our colleagues get their just desserts.”
"I can get behind that." Survival declared. "I've got some major payback planned for those monsters."
"Of course, whether or not you can get it may depend solely on our new allies..." Nabudis mused.
Meanwhile, a short bit away, Fletcher and Caboose were waiting in a nearby alleyway, awaiting their comrade.
"I’ll tell ya, it'll be good to see Sterling again." Caboose smiled.
“Caboose, we’ve only been away for a few days.” Fletcher shook his head.
“A really long few days.” Caboose pouted, “Besides, we can’t just hang out outside the HQ, what with him being a wanted felon and all.”
“Well, there is that.” Fletcher murmured, “But I do agree that it’ll be nice to have Sterling around.”
“Aw, how sweet of ya.”
Fletcher and Caboose perked as they glanced to see Sterling, donning the leather jacket he had prior to joining and an old looking baseball cap.
"You mind not bothering us, pal?" Caboose frowned. "Nothing personal, we're just waiting for a guy."
“Caboose, it’s me.” Sterling deadpanned, lifting his cap a bit, “Sterling?”
“Oh!” Caboose lit up, “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you. What’s with the getup? Is there a baseball game nearby?” He paused, “Is baseball a thing in this universe?”
“It’s just a little low-key disguise.” Sterling explained, “Since I’m not that recognizable, at least compared to Black, Elite and Ballista believed that I should be able to go about my business in cities like Canterlot, given I don’t bring attention to myself.”
"Sound reasoning." Fletcher nodded.
"Eh, I've seen worse disguises." Caboose admitted. "Like when Murray tried to sneak into a carnival dressed as a Timberwolf. That didn't end well..."
“Well, let’s hope our two guests won’t see through it.” Fletcher mused.
“It fooled Caboose, so something’s working.” Sterling joked.
"And they barely even know you!" Caboose added, overlooking the joke.
Fletcher and Caboose led Sterling over to the others.
“About time.” Nabudis scoffed, “I see you brought your ‘associate’.”
“Indeed. Doctor Horror, Doctor Nabudis, this is our comrade-” Fletcher began.
“Silver Lining." Sterling announced, “RDL.”
"Yeah, great guy, that Silver." Caboose agreed. "Loves baseball, hay dogs, and the Equestrian way! Not to mention he comes from a very influential-"
“That’ll do, Caboose.” Fletcher silently urged.
“It’s good to meet you, Silver.” Survival said politely, “Survival Horror. Most ponies just call me Fievel.”
“Likewise, Dr. Horror.” Sterling nodded. He then turned to Nabudis, “And this must be…”
As he glanced at Nabudis, he paused for a moment. Nabudis did so as well, the two sharing an eye glance, remaining silent. It was odd, but the two had a feeling… what that feeling was, they did not know.
“Somnus Nabudis.” Nabudis said finally.
“Oh, right.” Sterling snapped out of it, “Sorry, long trip.”
“Right…” Nabudis murmured, “So, I take it you are already up to speed with our predicament, ‘Silver’?”
“That’s right.” Sterling nodded, “And I am here to help out in any way I can.” He glanced at Fletcher, “So, have you guys any ideas on where to find this wayward patient?”
"Well, I have surmised that she would most likely go towards the nearest piece of civilization, which, obviously, places right here in Canterlot as the prime candidate." Nabudis declared.
"Though she could have chosen to stay away from big cities." Fletcher suggested. "A scared pony, especially one who had been cut off from social interactions with the outside world, might not wish to be near large groups of ponies."
"I suppose that would make sense." Nabudis mused.
"Poor thing." Caboose sighed. "Nopony should want to be alone..."
"You'd be surprised." Sterling sighed.
"All things considered, her being alone is a good thing." Survival declared. "I shudder to think what would happen if she unleashed her power in a crowded area..."
"Which makes it all the more imperative that we find her quickly." Fletcher stated.
“Well, before we get started, what about the patient?” Caboose asked.
"Excuse me?" Nabudis frowned, “What about her?”
“Well, we can’t really go looking for a patient if all we know is that she’s a girl.” Caboose pointed out, “I mean, is she a baby? A teenager? A Cylon?”
“Cylon?!” Nabudis sputtered in disbelief.
“Okay, maybe not a Cylon. A Dalek perhaps?” Caboose shrugged.
“While that is incredibly unlikely, Caboose does have a point.” Fletcher noted, “If we are going to locate this patient, we need to know more about her.”
“Of course…” Nabudis said begrudgingly, “While I still can’t share much information with the lot of you, I will tell you this: she is a twelve year old filly, black as night, with a violet mane.”
“Twelve year old?” Caboose gaped, “...That’s around my little girl’s age… and she’s a loony?”
“Again, do not use that term.” Nabudis glared.
“Wait, so this patient is a little filly, and you had her locked up like an animal?” Sterling frowned.
“Don’t you start with that.” Nabudis huffed, “We are well aware that she is a filly. And we don’t enjoy that fact. But her unique abilities and the risks that stem from them poses a threat to not only her health, but to everyone around her.”
"And what exactly are these abilities again?" Fletcher asked.
“That is still classified… but even if it wasn’t, we’re not completely sure.” Nabudis admitted, “The patient has been with us for a long time, and even now, we have yet to plumb the depths of her capabilities."
"Now there's a nice, open answer." Sterling said sarcastically.
“Doctor, it’s important that we know exactly what we’re dealing with.” Fletcher grimaced, “Last time we went blind into a mission, we nearly died.”
“I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t.” Nabudis said firmly, “...However, what I can tell you is that if and when we find her, we mustn’t upset her.”
“What happened if we do?” Caboose asked.
“Well… let’s just say that those ponies ended up extremely traumatized…” Nabudis revealed, “...Those that lived, that is.”
“And you thought it would be a good idea to transport her in a simple medical carriage, with barely any security?" Fletcher frowned.
“Again, we were trying to be discreet.” Nabudis retorted, “That’s why they were taking backroads, and doing it in the dead of night. All for the purpose of not drawing attention to the patient.”
“Well, clearly, that didn’t pan out well for you.” Sterling huffed.
“Well, I’m trying to figure out what happened myself.” Nabudis glared, “Not many ponies were to know that she was being moved, let alone exist. Somehow, these ponies became aware of the move, and knew when to strike.”
"Maybe you've got a mole in your hospital." Fletcher surmised.
"Or a double agent." Caboose added.
"Impossible." Nabudis shook his head. "I screen each employee myself. No spy could slip by me. No, I believe something darker may be at work here."
"But what?" Survival asked.
"That's what we've got to find out." Nabudis mused.
Elsewhere...
At the same time, Black and Fury were investigating the carriage which had been carrying the patient, having been fortunate enough to arrive before the authorities could lock down the area. The bodies of those murdered by the hooded ponies were strewn across the area.
"What a mess." Black frowned.
"Whoever did this, you can't say they weren't thorough." Fury admitted.
“Yeah, but still…” Black glanced down at the body of Hamm, “To be gunned down so mercilessly. I’m surprised that Dr. Horror fellow survived this.”
“The guy's got stones, I’ll give him that.” Fury smirked.
As they looked around, they checked around the damaged carriage, as Fury looked in the back, while Black looked in the passenger side.
“You got anything, Fury?” Black called out through the partition.
“Naw. Just your typical padded cell for the crazies…” Fury glanced around, “Probably a good thing. Those guys really did a number on the doors.”
“Well, I think they weren’t the most coordinated, for them to risk hurting their objective by crashing into the back.” Black grimaced, as he then noticed something, “Hey, I got something!”
“Really?” Fury went out and around to Black’s side, “What you got?”
"Some kind of manifest." Black mused.
"Anything useful?" Fury inquired.
"Not really." Black frowned. "All it has is a destination, and a warning not to get the patient riled up."
“That’s it?” Fury scowled, “Shouldn’t those things be brimming with info regarding who they’re moving or something?”
“Well, Fletcher told Elite that the doctor who authorized the move was insistent on keeping everything on the down-low. Even kept it from the guys doing the move.” Black frowned, “But I agree, it’s a waste of paper and ink.”
"Those lousy pencil-pushers." Fury scowled. "They got one job, and they can't even do that right."
"Makes me glad I never got an office job." Black agreed.
"You and me both, pal." Fury chuckled.
"Hang on." Black squinted in the carriage's poor lighting. "There's a logo here: Brightdale… What’s that?”
“Wait, the logo is right on this carriage.” Fury added, “Come see.”
Fury led Black to just outside the carriage, gesturing at the logo.
“Is that a company or something?” Black asked.
“I think Barbossa told me about them.” Fury declared, “They’re a major pharmaceutical company. They make medicines, vaccines, medical equipment... and if memory serves, they so happen to have a nearby mental hospital… one that I believe our two doctors and the patient hails from.”
“Well, then, looks like we got ourselves a lead.” Black smirked.
"So let's drop by and ask them a few questions about our mystery patient." Fury grinned.
"You got it." Black nodded. "Hopefully, we can find the next piece of the puzzle there..."
Meanwhile, the first search party were continuing their work, quietly scrutinizing the area for any traces of the filly. Sterling saw fit to break the silence.
“So… Nabudis, Horror… mind telling us about yourselves?” Sterling requested.
“Why?” Nabudis frowned.
“Just something to pass the time.” Sterling shrugged, “It’s going to take us a bit to find this girl and I figured we could get to know each other in the meantime.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but now is not the time for meet and greets.” Nabudis huffed, “Besides, I don’t know if I feel comfortable sharing my backstory with some guy in a baseball cap.”
"I don't know if I want to hear the backstory of some creepy doctor guy, anyway." Sterling retorted.
"Charming." Nabudis sneered. "I find myself wanting to know you less and less."
"The feeling's mutual." Sterling smirked.
"I think I'll take point on this mission." Nabudis said coldly. "The air is getting quite unpleasant over here..."
Nabudis went on further ahead.
“Eesh, he’s pleasant.” Sterling scowled.
“I know, right?” Caboose pouted.
"I pity all the poor patients and employees who have to contend with his boorish attitude." Sterling shook his head.
“I’m sorry, guys. Trust me, the doctor isn’t always like this.” Survival apologized.
“What? Is there a level of jerkiness that he has yet to attain?” Caboose scoffed.
“I’m serious.” Survival frowned, “Under normal circumstances, Nabus is caring, compassionate, amiable, the best boss one could hope for. We may not always agree, but I deeply respect him. He earned my respect, and he can do the same for you, if you give him the chance.”
“Well, if you say so…” Sterling shrugged, “Perhaps you can tell us more about yourself. I mean, considering you’re but a humble attending physician, it seems surprising you were able to escape a group of murderous hooded ponies with crossbows."
“Well, I did what I had to to survive.” Survival shrugged, “Never thought that all those years of training would actually pay off…”
“Training?” Sterling raised a brow, “What do they teach you in becoming a doctor at that hospital of yours?”
“No, not the hospital.” Survival shook his head, “You see… I was kinda raised to be a survivalist when I was a kid.”
“A survivalist?” Caboose repeated, confused, “Like a guy who knows how to survive? Don’t we all do that already?”
“No, Caboose. A survivalist is somepony who are trained in surviving in the wilderness or other scenarios.” Fletcher explained, “Sort of like what we did on the island a while back, except they do it for a hobby.”
“Oh!” Caboose smiled, “And here I thought your name was like that because the writers were being coy with ‘Survival Horror’.”
“Nope, but I thank you for seeing that.” Survival gave a half-hearted chuckle, “But honestly, that survival training made up for pretty much my entire childhood… that, and being stuck in a bunker for months on end.”
“Ah, I get it now. Your parents were ‘preppers’.” Sterling realized sympathetically.
“Preppers? You mean those whackos who waste their money and stuff preparing for an apocalypse that never really happens?” Caboose mused.
“Caboose…” Fletcher chided.
“No, it’s alright, Captain.” Survival sighed, “It wasn’t all bad. My parents meant well and I’d be lying if I said their teachings didn’t come in handy. But as much as I loved them, I had to get out of there.”
“So you became a doctor?” Sterling asked.
“It kinda made sense to me.” Survival smiled, as he showed off his flanks, a cutie mark of a pony’s head, the brain highlighted, “It took some doing, but I had come to realize my true talents in psychology. With patient study and a lot of hard work, I became an expert, one of the best in the field, if I may boast."
"Oh, really?" Caboose smirked. "How 'bout ya prove it, Mr. shrink?"
"Very well then." Survival rose to the challenge. He glanced fiercely at Caboose.
"Uhh... what are you doing?" Caboose frowned.
"Just getting a reading. There’s a lot you can tell from a pony, or anycreature at that, from the look in their eyes or the way they carry themselves..." Survival declared. "Like you for example: judging by that big smile you always have on your face, you are a very happy pony with a big heart and a zeal for adventure, a child-like love for fun and a very positive, if not very naive, outlook on life.
"That's me." Caboose chuckled, “I don’t know half the things you said, but that’s me to a T.”
“Very impressive, Dr. Horror.” Fletcher smirked, “Care to try me?”
“Of course.” Survival chuckled, as he stared intently at him, “By the way you stride with confidence and purpose,You are a dedicated and hard-working stallion with a strong sense of justice and fair play. You hold yourself up to a high if not perfect standard, sometimes to your detriment, but I can tell you are working on it.”
“Hmm, uncanny.” Fletcher mused, “I admit, that does fit my description.”
“Thanks. Now, how about Silver over here?” Survival turned to Sterling, “I’m actually interested in learning more about-”
“No thanks.” Sterling walked further ahead, “I’m… I’d rather keep to myself, thank you.”
"I... I didn't mean to impose..." Survival muttered, confused by Sterling's reaction.
"...Don't mind him." Fletcher tried to salvage the situation. "He likes his privacy."
"And don't get me started on getting him to talk about his hobbies." Caboose chuckled.
As they continued their search, the search party reached a local park.
"This looks like a good place for a kid to go." Sterling noted.
"Yeah." Caboose smiled. "Who could resist a go on the teeter-totter?"
As they drew closer, they saw a crowd gathered around a spot just outside the playground.
"This seems a little too coincidental." Nabudis said darkly.
"It might not be so bad." Caboose suggested. "Maybe it's one of those cute little performing monkeys."
"Only one way to find out." Survival mused.
The group (minus Sterling, who held back) walked over to the crowd. As they moved in closer, they saw the dead body of a shady-looking pony, his eyes open in terror.
“...Maybe the monkey is dressed up, pretending to be a dead guy?” Caboose suggested nervously.
"What happened here?" Fletcher inquired.
"This guy was found dead a bit ago." A Pegasus stallion announced. "The coroner’s on their way, but it looks like he suffered a heart attack."
"What a tragedy." Survival grimaced.
“Oh, please.” A Unicorn mare scoffed, “That stallion was nothing but utter garbage.”
“Whoa, a little harsh there, lady.” Caboose winced.
“Not harsh enough. This guy was a real creep. He was always lurking around parks, eyeing our children like fresh meat. I heard he was fired from a nearby school for doing… awful things… to the colts and fillies there." The mare snarled.
"That's deplorable." Fletcher gagged.
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy..." Caboose glanced at the body.
"My thoughts exactly"
As Sterling glanced at the scene from afar, he saw the horror in the corpse's eyes. As hard as it was to look at, Sterling had a bad feeling...
'This all seems horribly familiar...' He thought.
Glancing around, he noticed Nabudis, who hung back with him, seemingly mortified by the death.
'And it looks like I might not be the only one...' Sterling noted.
Caboose, Fletcher, and Survival returned.
"Well?" Nabudis insuired. "What happened?"
"It's like this..." Survival started.
Soon, the details had been shared with Sterling and Nabudis.
“...If it’s all the same, gentleponies, I’d like to continue the search now.” Nabudis said tersely, the mortification gone.
“Sir, a stallion is dead.” Fletcher frowned.
“A child abuser, Captain.” Nabudis grunted, “One less scum to plague our society. Besides, we have to find the patient, and from how many ponies are here, she probably left this area a while ago, so let’s go.”
"Wow." Sterling shook his head. "Such compassion. No wonder you're a doctor..."
"Yes, I am a doctor." Nabudis snorted. "And I need to find my patient. Nothing else matters right now."
Nabudis walked off, in a bad mood, with the others following him.
“Ugh, this might be a long day…” Fletcher sighed.
“Yeah, no kidding.” Sterling grimaced, though his mind was still elsewhere.
“Is something wrong, Sterling?” Fletcher glanced at him, “You had an odd look about you as well.”
“I don’t know, Fletch.” Sterling admitted, “But I feel there’s something off about what happened to that guy back there. You saw his face, didn’t you?”
“Indeed… but from what I understand, it was probably a heart attack.” Fletcher declared, “...You think it might be pertinent to this case?”
“Maybe… but right now, all I got is a gut feeling.” Sterling shook his head.
“Well, it’s important to trust that.” Fletcher nodded, “It might do us good to have others contact the coroner once they finished with him.”
"I suppose it's the least we can do." Survival nodded.
"Have that scum's body cut up? I like it." Caboose scoffed.
"For now, let's focus on finding that kid." Sterling insisted. "Wherever she is..."
Elsewhere in Canterlot, the mysterious black filly was sneaking her way through some alleyways, trying to take her mind off of the stallion who had just died in front of her.
"What am I going to do?" She mumbled to herself. "Where will I go?" Tears flowed from her eyes. ‘Papa... Papa...’
"I think I heard something!" A voice rang out.
The filly froze in place, as the voice was joined by the clanking of Royal Guard armor.
'No… have they found me?' She panicked.
"Yeah, I think she's over here!"
'No, they won't get me!' The filly quickly glanced around and found a dumpster.
In a panic, she jumped in, barely able to grab onto the side, and scramble to get in… only to fall instead, the dumpster being emptied recently.
“Yikes!” The filly gasped, only to land with a small thud, “...Ow…”
Meanwhile, the source of the clanking, which was a Royal Guard naturally, was rushing by, towards the dumpster. The filly huddled into a corner, hopelessly wishing she could blend in.
“Please… please, no…” The filly whimpered.
However, the Royal Guard soon passed the dumpster… and picked up a tabby cat that was sitting not far from it.
"There she is!" He smiled, as he soon took it back out the alleyway to a nearby colt.
"Thanks, mister!" The colt smiled.
"Just doin' my job, kid." The Guard said humbly as he walked away.
The filly remained still for a moment, fearing that the guard might come back… but after a few more seconds of hearing nothing, she let out a sigh of relief… then wrinkled her snout in disgust.
“Ugh, it smells in here.” The filly grimaced, “I gotta get out of here.”
Making sure the coast is clear, the filly climbed up over the edge of the dumpster, ready to jump out when…
“Hey there.”
The filly glanced up in shock… as she came face-to-face with a tan-coated Pegasus filly with a black mane and green eyes, who was flapping to meet her gaze.
“Augh!” The filly yelped, as she tried to jump back in… but the rest of her body was already out, and thus resulted in her falling flat on her back.
“Hurri, what’s going on?”
The filly glanced up as three other young ponies approached her: a Earth Pony colt with a white coat, blue eyes and an blonde mane, and a Unicorn with a brown coat, green eyes and blonde mane, and to her confusion, a white coated Alicorn filly with a gold, braided mane and blue eyes. All of whom looked to be about her age.
“My plot senses were tingling, and when I looked back here, I saw this important-looking filly climbing out of the dumpster.” The one called ‘Hurri’ explained, as she landed.
“Ugh, Hurricane, you shouldn’t be talking to random ponies. Especially the ones of the dumpster-diving variety.” The brown coated Unicorn grimaced, “You don’t know where they’ve been.”
“Vito, be nice.” The blonde Earth Pony nudged him, “We don’t know if that she’s a dumpster diver.”
“Why else would she be in a dumpster?” ‘Vito’ frowned.
“Maybe she’s trying to drive it. Caboose told me one of my many great uncles who drove one once.” Hurricane suggested.
“Perhaps we should ask her herself.” The blonde alicorn spoke up, “Miss-”
She turned to the black filly, only for her to be slowly backing away, having been doing so while the others talked.
“Hey, where are you going?” The alicorn frowned.
“I… um…” The mysterious filly quivered, “I d-don’t want any trouble.”
“Trouble?” The alicorn filly repeated, a bit confused, “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“R-really? Because that’s usually what a pony who’s going to hurt you would say.” The filly challenged.
“...Well, she's got us there.” Hurricane mused.
“Hurricane, please.” The Alicorn filly frowned, as she turned to the mysterious filly, “There’s no need to worry. We’re friendly ponies. How about we introduce ourselves: my name is Miracle.”
“I’m Hurricane!” Hurricane stepped forth.
“And my name is Pureblood.” The Earth Pony spoke up, as he then gestured to the Unicorn next to him, who was just staring at her, “...And Mr. Stare-A-Lot here is my twin brother, Vito.”
Vito didn’t retort, glancing at her.
“Look, I… I shouldn’t be here.” The filly muttered, “I have to go.”
“Come on," Hurricane smiled. "You just got here. Stay a while.”
“I’d rather not.” The mysterious filly shook her head, “I’ve somewhere I have to be.”
“Then why were you in a dumpster?” Vito challenged.
"I was... looking for my lost ball." The filly replied.
"Really?" Miracle used her magic to levitate everything in the dumpster. "I don't see any ball there."
"Um, well..." The filly mumbled. "The thing about that is..."
“Look, forget about the dumpster.” Miracle shook her head, “Would you like to come with us?”
“...Why?” The filly asked.
“To hang out. Have fun. We could always use somepony new to play with.” Miracle smiled.
"I... I dunno..." The filly frowned, uncertain.
"Come on." Miracle pressed on, smiling encouragingly. "You look like you could use a little fun. Wouldn't you like to play?"
"I guess so..." The filly temporarily ceased her uncertaintly, feeling a sense of warmth in Miracle's smile.
"...Guys, a word?" Vito said awkwardly.
Miracle stifled a sigh.
“Give us a moment, won’t you?” Miracle asked.
As the group walked away, the filly felt the urge to try and run, seizing the opportunity to get away… but something stopped her, a strange feeling she couldn't explain.
For the past few days, she’d been running, fearing that one slip-up would seal her doom. But there was something about the warmness in the strangers' eyes, namely the one named Miracle, that gave her pause… and for a little bit, it lessened the feelings of terror in her heart.
The quartet reconvened a short distance away.
“What is it, V?” Miracle frowned.
“Look, guys, I’m getting a really bad vibe about this filly here.” Vito explained.
“What? Because she was in a dumpster?” Pureblood asked.
“No!” Vito spat, “...I mean, yes. But it’s not just that. I mean, look at her.” He gestured to the filly, who was just standing there.
“...I’m not seeing the problem.” Hurricane admitted.
“Of course you don’t.” Vito grunted, “Note her attire.” He pointed out the torn-up hospital smock, “That looks a lot like those clothes that a patient would wear at a hospital. Not something a normal pony would wear out in public.”
“Really, V?” Pureblood scowled.
“What? Dad always said you can tell a lot about a pony by how they dress. And she looks like she escaped from a mental institution.” Vito defended.
“Maybe she’s cosplaying?” Hurricane suggested.
“They’re probably hand-me-downs or something.” Pureblood shrugged.
“Okay, what about everything else? Her mane look ratty, and her eyes look… off.” Vito grimaced.
“Her eyes?” Hurricane scoffed. "Seriously?"
“Well... just look at them!” Vito sputtered, “Those aren't natural! Makes her look like some freaky cat...”
"So now you don't like cats?" Pureblood frowned.
"No, I like cats." Vito insisted. "I just don't like cats eyes on a pony. Doesn't seem right at all..."
"So because her eyes look a little different, you think we should just abandon her?" Hurricane scowled. "Real nice, V!"
"I'm telling you, she's bad news!" Vito growled. "I can feel it!"
"Keep that up, and the next thing you'll be feeling is my hoof kicking your flank!" Hurricane snarled.
“That’s enough.” Miracle hissed. “She may look a bit odd, but she doesn’t seem all that bad. If anything, she seems… scared.”
“And you don’t wonder why that is?” Vito asked.
“A little bit, but right now, she looks like she could use some company. And it wouldn’t really be fitting for Cutie Mark Crusaders to leave a filly in need, right?”
"Agreed." Pureblood nodded.
“Totally.” Hurricane smirked.
“Well, I still say it’s a bad idea.” Vito crossed his hooves.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Hurricane frowned, “I mean, come on, we haven’t had been in a story for ages. The last three stories have been about my dad and his friends, some guy we don’t know, and about the changedlings that didn’t exist until the season 6 finale. It’s not like our plot is going to intersect with someone else.”
The others stared, having trouble comprehending what she'd just said.
"Well, that's... one way of looking at things." Pureblood said awkwardly.
"How about we put a pin in that train of thought for now?" Vito shrugged.
"Agreed." Miracle nodded. "Now, let's go talk to our new friend."
The quartet returned to the filly (Vito intentionally bringing up the rear).
"Sorry about that." Pureblood apologized.
"That's alright." The filly gave a small smile, “What were you guys talking about?”
“Oh, Vito made some remarks against the more unique individuals in this world.” Hurricane shrugged.
“Hurri, I swear to Faust…” Vito scowled.
“Don’t mind them.” Miracle spoke up, “So… do you have a name?”
“Oh, yes…” The filly murmured hesitantly, “...My name is Nyx.”
"That's an... Interesting name." Vito noted.
"I like it." Miracle smiled. "Nice to meet you, Nyx."
"Same here." Pureblood grinned.
At that moment, Nyx's stomach growled.
"I take it you're hungry?" Pureblood joked.
"Maybe a little..." Nyx cringed.
"Then come with us." Miracle urged. "We can get you some real great food. Does that sound good?"
“Well, it would sound nice.” Nyx rubbed the back of her head.
“Then it’s settled.” Hurricane smiled, “Welcome aboard, Nyx.”
"Follow us." Pureblood urged. "We know just the place to fill you up."
"...Okay..." Nyx nodded, glad to have the chance to quiet the rumble in her stomach. "Thank you."
"No need to thank us." Miracle smiled. "it's just what decent ponies do. Now, away we go."
The group started walking, Nyx following (but not too closely, with Vito also keeping his distance from her). While still a bit scared, she was starting to feel a little safer, all thanks to your new acquaintances.
'Maybe these four will help me take my mind off of things.' She thought. 'I could really use a nice, calming distraction right now...'