There wasn't time to dwell on my sleeping mind or my double's part in recent peculiarities. Jury was waiting. We had a plan to pursue and a city to take. I pulled my door open and leered down at the guards waiting outside.
"What are you doing?" One of them demanded as they shot me a unified glare.
"Too much on my mind. I'm going for a stroll in the garden," I muttered in response, attempting to stride past them. A pair of spears crossed in front of me.
"Not without an escort you're not!" The other spat. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Fine by me," I replied. The pair narrowed their eyes before parting and following me down the hall. I drew my hand over my face a few times to shake off the effects of my sudden awakening and let out a sigh. We didn't bump into any other staff and shortly found ourselves passing under the tall arched pass the let out into the garden.
Exactly as planned.
Almost as soon as I stepped out under the moonlight, a pair of surprised grunts squeaked up behind me followed by a meaty thunk. I smirked and turned to see Tempest, standing over the pair of unconscious guards.
"Nice work," I said. She bowed slightly and we hauled the guards to the nearby bushes.
"Wait till you see the console's room. Jury isn't the only one waiting for us," she replied with a chuckle as we crept back into the castle.
"Oh really?" I hummed at her response.
Even though we'd been allowed supervised access to the machine earlier today, it was still miserable what Twilight had done to it. The usually well-guarded room used to be lit up solely by the crystals providing power to the machine itself, and was otherwise bare and dark. Now though, it was filled with fluffy-looking potted plants, and vibrant throw rugs. The only addition I could appreciate was the gothic-looking candlestands providing more light than usual.
But my aesthetic complaints fell to the wayside as I discovered who else was in here besides Jury and the unconscious guards.
"Hi, Bedlam," Flurry groused, giving me a weak wave and hopping down from her seat in front of the console. I shared a smirk with Tempest before stepping toward her.
"Well, this is a surprise," I declared, briefly glancing at Jury who was staring critically at the young alicorn. "I thought your mother had you cordoned to an entirely separate wing of the castle, away from me?"
Flurry heaved a grumpy sigh and nodded. "She does and she's been giving me an earful since she got here," she humphed and gave me a tired look. "I only managed to sneak out 'cause she and Dad are asleep."
"And the sculking brat followed me here," Jury added causing Flurry to wince and me to frown. Jury glared at Flurry for a moment longer before giving me a severe look. "She still hasn't figured out whose side she's on, Ed." She reached over and began digging through her compact saddlebag.
"Whose side?" I parroted, giving Flurry a critical look. "Whats that mean?" Flurry wilted at my attention, and Tempest stepped forward.
"Back at the Citadel, she was initially eager to help us, and you," she explained. "But when it came between us and her aunt, she sided with the princess."
Flurry whined and stamped her hoof. "You were hurting her!"
"Uh, yeah?" Tempest snorted, giving her a bemused leer. "We're villains, sweetheart. We took over most of the world for a little while, in case you forgot."
"B-but-!"
"Alright, let's back it up," I demanded, stepping beside Flurry with my hands up. "You said she was willing to help us?" Tempest and Jury shared a look before nodding. I hummed and leered down at Flurry who was looking off to the side with a pout.
"But you didn't realize that'd put you at odds with Twilight, huh?" I asked with a short chortle. She frowned and averted her eyes. "Well, now you know. And even better? You've got a controlled, peaceful environment to think about it in."
I laughed and bent down to her eye level. She tilted her head with a curious hum. "You're a smart girl, Flurry. I've seen what you've made with no training and just your talent," I said, drawing a blush from her. "I'm certain with your help, we could easily reclaim everything that we lost three years ago. Not to mention how quickly we could clear my doppelganger out."
I gently patted her on the head. "So, we're going to start prying at the console over here. You could help us, but I think you'd better mull over if that's something you really want to do," I added, tilting my head towards her with a serious look. "As well as everything that would mean." Her ears snapped back and her eyes darted around as I rose back to my full height.
"Like I said, you're talented. And I can at least promise we'll do what we can to foster your talent and give you space to use it," I said with a smile as I approached the console where Jury and Tempest waited. "I don't think anyone in your family can say that."
"But," Flurry suddenly squeaked. I turned back to see her scanning the floor with misty eyes. "That means I'd be fighting against Aunty Twily, doesn't it?" Jury audibly groaned while Tempest snorted.
"Just like the rest of us, yes," I replied and held my hand out. "But if we succeed, we-"
"I- I don't know if I can.." she whimpered. Suddenly, her ears perked up and she looked up at me with an expectant, yet sad expression. "How'd you do it?"
I frowned. "Do what?"
She blinked and rubbed her eye with a hoof before looking at me again. "How'd you get over the idea you'd be hurting her so much?" I choked and stammered.
"You-"
"Oooo," Tempest and Jury hissed simultaneously. Flurry tilted her head at me as I reeled from her question.
"What?" She pressed.
"I-"
"He's just shocked since you struck him right in his heart," an annoyingly familiar voice suddenly offered causing us all to jump. "Truth is, he's not over the idea. Not entirely." Flurry wilted and hugged the ground as I looked up at the doorway, where Cadance came striding in with a steely look in her eyes.
"With any other creature, it'd be sweet. But with you, it's our greatest advantage against you, since it makes you easier to read at times," she spat before glaring down at her daughter. "Of course, you're not the only one I can read pretty easily." Flurry slowly turned to look at Cadance.
"Well, well, well," Tempest hummed as she stepped between me and Cadance. "What brings you here, Princess?"
Cadance snorted and fixed her with a glare. "I knew if I let Flurry wander, she'd find her way to you three," her glare turned smug as the sound of hooves clacked against the floor behind her. "And I knew it was the best way to catch you in the middle of something you shouldn't be doing." I grunted and stumbled back at the sight beyond her.
"This was sloppy, Eddy," Twilight growled as she, her friends, and the royal sisters entered the room. "And needlessly underhoofed."
"I know you've got an addiction to being a creep, but dude!" Rainbow spat with a stomp. "We've got bigger things to worry about without also having to keep an eye on you!"
"Well, you know me," I retorted as Tempest and I retreated.
"And you know me!" Jury chirped through her teeth, drawing everyone's attention to her. I flinched at the sight of her with a disrupting wand in her smiling maw aimed at the castle's console. "Or maybe you don't? Anyhoo! I'm awful tired of all this, so why don't you let us work, or I break the only thing we've got that might let us stand a chance against Bedford?"
"You wouldn't!" Rarity shrieked.
"I might~," Jury replied. I stared at her in wonder. The last three years had definitely had some kind of effect on her, but I think I preferred hearing her threaten machinery over orphans. I cast an expectant glare Twilight's way, as she and her cohorts looked amongst themselves, thinking of how to handle the situation. As I watched them, I couldn't help but notice Flurry who was looking up at me in gleeful wonder.
Wait.
I shook my head and blinked.
"Mr. Bedford?" She asked. I looked around the room we were in. The sun was streaming through the windows onto the table we were sharing. My jaw dropped and I held my head.
"I'm not even asleep," I hissed.
"What?" Flurry asked. My eyes snapped to her, causing her to flinch. All over the table between us were schematics and writing supplies.
"What?" I huffed, taking up one of the papers in front of her.
"Uh," she quietly began. "What the heck was that?" I recoiled and scowled at her.
"What?" I wheezed. Then the room shook and I found myself back in the room with Twilight and the rest.
"What the heck was that?!" Rainbow yelled.
"Eddy?" I whirled around and saw Jury looking at me with concern. "Are you okay?" The room shook again and I looked between her and Tempest, before back at Flurry. All three were.. Different. Flurry was at the table we were sharing, Jury was less frazzled and had less grey in her mane, and Tempest was...
Whole.
"I-" I panted, clutched my chest, and felt my knees shake. The three returned to normal, but everything was slightly hazy. "I don't know." The room shook again, and a guard suddenly burst into the room.
"Princess! We're under attack!"