Twilight's eyes darted all over the screen of her laptop as she worked. Image after image sped past and she paid close attention to all of them. Sunset stood behind her, seeing the girl as she sat upon as rock in the vast cave formation that now housed the Ark. After a few glances in the direction of the aforementioned ship, the former unicorn finally spoke to her spectacled friend. "Any luck?"
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing. If these Decepticons are actually here, on Earth, then they're doing a pretty good job of keeping a low profile." She gestured to her computer. "I haven't been able to find a single news report, blog or even conspiracy website photo of them or anything like them."
Sunset smiled. "Well, these Cybertronians know how to hide. So it probably won't be too easy to spot them."
Finally closing her laptop, Twilight looked around, checking to make sure they were both alone, before standing up and looking Sunset in the eye. "Sunset...are we doing the right thing? Getting mixed up in all of this?"
Sunset's smile faded, and she nodded to her friend. "I get what you're saying. They're in big trouble, and have been for some time. For all we know, we've just let ourselves get wrapped up in a problem we really don't want."
"I know they've gone through a lot," Twilight conceded. "But at the same time...what if them being here is just the first step to some big, terrible thing coming to our world." She took off her glasses, looking down to them in her hands as she gave them a wipe. "I don't want to discount all they've been through. Losing your home must have been horrible thing."
Sunset looked away from her, nodding glumly. "Preaching to the choir on that one, Twilight."
Twilight, putting her glasses on, gave her friend a soft look before continuing. "I don't think any of them are lying to us. And I don't doubt that these Decepticons are going to be a potential problem." She folded her arms, giving a quick shrug. "I mean, they're giant, alien robots. That's dangerous no matter what way you slice it."
"True," Sunset chimed in. "Your world already went through one terrible war. The last thing it needs is that kind of nightmare starting again from up there," she finished, pointing upwards to emphasise her point.
Twilight, after a brief pause, looked around, making doubly sure that there were no prying eyes. "Our friends have all accepted what they've been told by Elita and the others. I trust their judgement, but..." She stood quiet for a time, but then took a step closer, bringing her voice down to a mere whisper. "Sunset...I just have this feeling. That there's more to this war than just a group of baddies fighting a group of goodies. I know that's been a lot of our experiences, and what you and yours have dealt with back in Equestria. But this? I think things might be more complicated."
Sunset too started to speak more quietly. "I feel the same. I don't think they're withholding anything out of maliciousness or an attempt to manipulate, but there's definitely something that's not making it to our ears."
After that, Sunset saw her friend start to look more than a little uncomfortable. Then, after giving her the time she needed to get her thoughts in order, she watched as Twilight spoke with clear worry. "Sunset...I think we might need to try and get more information than what we've been given."
"You're not wrong to want it," Sunset admitted. "But if there is some big, important secret in all this, I doubt they're going to just tell us. Remember, we're as much a group of strangers to them as they are to us."
Twilight bit her lip, and her overall air was that of someone who was desperately wanting to avoid saying what she was about to say. But, after taking a deep breath, she finally got it out. "Sunset...it occurs to me that...we haven't divulged all of our magical abilities to them."
It took a moment or two, but Sunset's eyes started to widen, and she instinctively placed her hand upon her pendant, looking to Twilight with pure shock. "Twilight...are you...are you asking me to look into their memories?"
Twilight looked away, shame plastered all over her face. "I know! I know! It's a violation! And every fiber of my being is telling me we shouldn't be doing it. That I shouldn't be asking you to do it!" She exhaled deeply. "But I..."
Sunset softened here, lowering her hand from her pendant and instead gently putting it upon Twilight's cheek, gently guiding her face to look back to her. "I know we're in a tricky situation here. And I know how much you must hate thinking about having to do something like that. But...I'd be lying if I said it was a completely unreasonable course of action." After letting that moment sink in for her friend, Sunset removed her hand, looking to Twilight directly. "But we need to be careful. As you said, it's a move that could lead to a lot of mistrust and bad feeling. If we do it, it should be done only when we feel that we have to."
Immediately, Twilight nodded. "I don't like thinking about this kind of subterfuge, Sunset. But I'll gladly take any delay in doing something like that." A second passed, and she started to look a touch calmer. "For now, the Autobots aren't a problem for us. They're not enemies, they're just stuck. Far from home with baggage having possibly come along with them. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. But...I've known people who've said that they do things for a greater good before. I want to believe that these people actually mean it."
"Something tells me that they do," Sunset assured her. "We'll play things by ear. See how they turn out and take actions when needed. If they're needed."
Twilight smiled, but it was a smile tinted by tiredness. "You'd think, after all this time, I'd be less stressed about dealing with things from other worlds."
Sunset laughed briefly. "Trust me, Twilight, I don't think it's something a person can ever get used to."