Time unspecified
　Ponyville, Worldline XU-837

Below her in a gallop were Prism and Doctor. In the air, the automatic flight goggles were the only thing shielding her from incoming night air. Fuse held her forelegs to her chest and kept her pace to that of theirs. As a pegasus, Doctor was able to keep up despite not an athlete; Prism, on the other hoof, wasn’t in much leisure.

“I think we should slow down a little bit!” With the wind blowing in her ears, Fuse had to raise her sound to hear herself. “Prism doesn’t seem so good!”

Doctor took a side glance at that and found Prism drenched in sweat and tearing up in her fatigue. Doctor’s hooves bit into the ground in her scrambling to slow down.

“No… No worries… About me…” Among her uneven pants for air, Prism squeezed her complaint through her teeth. “I can still…”

“Oh, I know that face too well!” Fuse made an aerial U-turn to a hover above the two. “If an enemy is waiting for us at the fountain, how’re we gonna put up a fight like this?” She decided to take things into her own hooves and caught Prism by her waist. “You listen,” — She gritted in an attempt to hold the struggling unicorn down — “ya ain’t got nothing to prove to me, got it? It’s me who shoulda paced myself, and I’m sorry ‘bout that. If things really was dire, Timelight woulda told us, wouldn’ she?”

[I need to apologise, too. I should have clarified.] Guilt was in Timelight’s voice when she spoke up. [Team Crepusca’s discovery wasn’t an emergency. It’s all my fault. I’m really sorry, Prism. You three can pick your own pace, actually.]

Finally settling down, Prism gave a grin before chuckling heavily. “I thought I was the one to apologise for being a slowpoke…” She mumbled, taking a gulp from her bottle. “Phew… Much better. To tell you the truth, I am well-spent from that run. Maybe, we could take a trot from here on, at least before I catch my breath…”

Landing on the ground, Fuse chose to remain in silence as she offered a metallic wing to her counterpart to lean on.

The day had broken. Fuse let her eyes follow the untwisted central street to the far ranges of mountains, pierced by the first ray of sun.

The three resumed their return trip at a much slower pace. With the sunrise, even the wreckage of Ponyville seemed to have gained some warmth, even a little homelike. How many Ponyvilles will I go on to see? Such ponder occupied her mind, the absurd illusion of home not shaken away. If, say, we were to combine all Ponyvilles from every worldline into one huge town, what a sight it must be to see ourselves all over the place?

But wait… Isn’t that just what Timefold is, except it’s on a larger scale? She shook her head at her own obtuseness, giving a tiny smile.

“Okay, I’m… all good now.” Prism let go of Fuse’s wing, taking a firm step to make her point. At that, Fuse dialled up her propellers and retook the sky.

Ever after her initial creation, she could never stand the confinement of land. She had spent enough days trapped in a flightless body.

”Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,” wasn’t what she said, but she agreed with the author with twenty percent more confidence than herself.

As adrenaline from all the rush drained away, silence continued its descent on the three, edgewise. Fuse, in an attempt to find a topic, recalled her unfinished dialogue with Doctor when they had found the attic.

“Say… Where were we before the alley? Oh, right, my Scoots. On her twelfth birthday, I gave her my newest modular gadget.”

“What is it?” asked Prism curiously.

“Meta Mark Two. It’s what I call a ‘Turbulence Blaster.’” Fuse held her head proudly as she said the name. She was a clever namegiver to all of her inventions, after all.

“Sounds awesome!”

“Awesome? Are you serious, Prism?” Doctor facehoofed in her march, then turned to look at Fuse drily. “Does this ‘turbulence blaster’ mean what I think it means? A propeller that shoots compressed air in overdrive?”

Fuse nodded at the question.

“You Rainbows and your talents…” muttered Doctor with her brow in a furrow. “Don’t you find that a little unhealthy as a filly’s gift?”

Fuse perked her ears, turning to face Doctor, flying backwards. “Nah, don’t worry,” said she in self-defence. “The security team and I have tested the model multiple times and Meta Mark Two is safe when operated properly.”

Doctor raised an eyebrow sceptically. She chose not to ask whether ‘Meta’ meant ‘metastable,’ but the last two words had her asking, “Didn’t you just say I’m twelve in your world? Since when does a teenage filly do anything properly?”

“Well…” Fuse just smiled at that. “There’s still the hardcoded throttle in public models, but now that you say it… Yeah, I wasn’t so considerate, was I?” She rubbed her nuzzle sheepishly and tossed out whatever came to her mind. “That’s enough about me! How about you, Doctor? I’ve come across quite the line-up of Scootaloos in the Pea-Tea, but they’re either a flyer or a skateboarder. How did you find your calling in the hospital?”

“Me?” Doctor’s ears laid down, her eyes glistening with a rare emotion.

“Loo?” Prism asked in concern, her voice still in a gasp from the running.

Doctor Loo shook her head, looking down at the sands rolling beneath her steps.

“Oh… Sorry.” Fuse never thought of herself as a (metaphorical) atmosphere reader, but this wasn’t a challenge at all. “If it’s a sensitive topic, ya don’ have to.”

“No, it’s okay… I just…” Doctor sounded like she was starting to cry. Her medical goggles provided a mask on her sockets, making it impossible to tell any redness, but Fuse had a pretty good guess.

Doctor didn’t continue. Ten seconds passed, then twenty.

“Let’s focus on the mission on our hooves.” Prism finally interrupted. “We’ll have all the time for this back home.”

Doctor nodded, raising her ears partially. “That’s… right. We should head back first.”

Then the three fell back into speechlessness, the pressure of an empty world proving more of a tax on their mentality. Prism picked up her gait into a slow canter, which Fuse easily matched with a tilt of wings. She didn’t pay any attention, though, as her mind was in a wobbling pile of mess. Whatever had happened to Doctor in her past remained a mystery for the time being, and there were too many possibilities running free in her consciousness to focus on, even for a moment.

In the end, her thoughts settled down on what Timelight had said.

Team Doctor, please head back to where you split up and meet Team Crepusca there. They’ve found a local.

“Who do you think this local they’ve found?” asked she out of curiosity.

“Who do you think it is?” Prism was fiddling a piece of crystal shard she had brought, and looked up from it to give Fuse a toothy grin. “If you’re as awesome as I am, you’d have gotten the answer by now.”

The horrendous implication of their earlier discovery re-emerged into Fuse’s mind. She smiled weakly. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She pursed her lip. “On the count of three?”

Doctor looked over to the two cyan mares.

“Sure,” replied Prism, beginning, “three, two — Oh, never mind.” She broke off from the countdown, inserted her spellcasting material into a band, and pointed forwards. “We’re already there.”

Fuse and Doctor snapped their head back to look forward.

On a background of a crimson dawn, by the long-forsaken fountain pool, stood the three members of Squad Theta-14.

Also with them was a silhouette made barely distinguishable in the first light. It was a mare of mane as ethereal as nebulae in the night sky, of darkened body and lithe limbs. On her flanks embellished an emblem of midnight crescent; on her hooves donned delicate hoofshoes.

Fuse widened her eyes at the newcomer’s appearance. No… I’d rather be stupidly wrong this time… She gulped any words down, instead fixing her eyes on the towering alicorn and unthrottling her engines.

The alicorn turned around at the three’s arrival, meeting their gazes with a pair of draconic malachites.

“Hail, visitors,” said Nightmare Moon, her voice unnaturally sonorous in the quiet darkness. “Fear not, for I harbour no hostility.”

　Earlier
　Ponyville, Worldline XU-837

Team Crepusca waited until Doctor and the two Rainbows’ shapes disappeared behind a corner before moving to action, heading towards the sun.

Instead of investigation as promised, though, it seemed to Kick-ass that Crepusca was simply leading the three around in a pointless wander.

Perhaps Speaker was onto the captain’s schemes as well, for the usually observant mare wasn’t even paying much mind to the households nearby, which Kick-ass was sure the others were doing.

Trust as she gave her superior, she wasn’t exactly a pony of patience. Therefore, after a few minutes of wasting her time, Kick-ass finally had enough of it. “What’s it this time?” questioned she gracelessly. “Don’t you try to make up some cover stories this time. I’m not that stupid.”

Crepusca turned to give her a look, then exchanged the same look with Speaker.

“What, you didn’t think I’d be fooled by so little an effort to cover things up, did you?” Kick-ass scowled.

“I didn’t mean to conceal anything from you. I was just trying to confirm my suspect.” She sighed and pressed her earphone. “Timelight, are you there?”

[Yes, I’ve been listening.]

“Issue a ‘Clogged Glass’ caution to the Dots. The situation’s more complex than I’ve expected. Oh, and, I know you’ve muted yourself to Team Doctor. Stay that way for now.”

[Sure, if that’s your conclusion. Sending the caution now.]

A moment of pause, before: “Wait, what?” Kick-ass exclaimed with wide eyes. “Whatcha mean, ‘more complex’ than you thought? And what’s a ‘Clogged Glass’ again?”

Crepusca looked away from her, eyes scanning around.

“Damn it!” Kick-ass turned to Speaker for help, noticing the gravity on her face as well. “You’re the translator here. Would you please translate her words for me?”

Speaker didn’t answer her inquiries, either. Instead, she looked straight into Crepusca. “It seems we’ve reached the same conclusion, Captain Crepusca. You must’ve noticed the contradiction in ‘direction’ as well.”

“What ‘direction?!’ Quit your riddles already!” Kick-ass laid her hooves on Speaker’s shoulders and all but interrogated.

“Exactly,” said Crepusca, still ignoring the very offended Kick-ass. “Canterlot is to the north of Ponyville.” She pointed to the capital city in the mountains. “Then, this —” Her hoof turned to the brighter part of the sky, where the sun was climbing slowly up. “— is the west, not east as it should be.”

That answered Kick-ass well enough. “You mean, the sun’s coming up from the west? What the hay, that sounded so strange.” She scratched her head and caught up to the pair, who had resumed walking. “Though, what does that mean, anyway?”

As Timelight wasn’t able to see the sun, she sounded genuinely surprised. [Normally, the Princess Celestia of a worldline wouldn’t make so big a mistake, and even when she is in an inconvenient situation, the sun would be assumed by Princess Luna, keeping the regular period of daylight. Take this, and put it with how this empty Ponyville shows no hints of searching attempts nor of large-scale migration, and we arrive at two plausible hypotheses.]

“The bad one,” continued Crepusca, “is that Celestia and Luna have suffered from unrecoverable physical or mental damages and lost proper control of the celestial orbs.”

Speaker finished for the co-leaders: “The worse one is something else has been controlling the sun and the moon. It might be a magically strong creature, or an unknown phenomenon, and the discrepancy in direction could be that it lacks experience to do so, or it could be an intentional display of power.”

Kick-ass felt her feathers fluffing up at the implication. “That actually makes lots of sense!” She put on a stoic face and tried to look out for any incoming threats, but her fidgeting flight ruined the picture of a prepared fighter. “Doesn’t that mean we’re in danger big time?!”

“Danger? Maybe.” Crepusca lit up her horn to pull Kick-ass in. “But far from ‘big time,’ or I wouldn’t have split us up.

“Be it an entity strong enough to hurt the Princesses, or one capable of taking over the orbs, it should have the liberty to crush us the moment we stepped into this world. In other words, the fact that we’re still untouched is strong proof that we’re safe, at least for now.”

Kick-ass pulled herself free from the alicorn’s magical grasp. “You say that, but we don’t even have any idea what it is! How do I know it’s not toying with us, saving the glory kill for the best moment?”

Crepusca frowned. “I understand what you mean and really appreciate your thinking for all of us, but please have some faith in the decision I made based on my expertise.” She stopped in her pace, prompting the other two to stop as well, before challenging Kick-ass to a stare. “While it is true we have a disadvantage on information, it doesn’t mean we should shy from the risks, or we wouldn’t be here to begin with!”

Kick-ass flinched, taken aback at her captain’s outburst. With how collected Crepusca usually was, it was easy to forget that she has the mentality of a fully matured alicorn.

Crepusca apparently saw the astonishment in Kick-ass’s eyes, as she adopted a softer tone when she began again: “Besides, we aren’t completely in the dark as to what happened here.” She lowered her ears and head to appease the very irritated Kick-ass. “The analysers are working hard on getting us extra intels, right?”

Speaker pitched in as well: “Even if a confrontation were to occur, we still can pull out at any time.” She gestured at the brightly yellow band of thin rubber on Crepusca’s fetlock.

“Okay, fine…” Kick-ass, kicked her hindlegs in the air, dejected. She landed after a sloppy barrel, before glaring at Crepusca. “But I will keep an eye out. So, when’s the intel coming anyway?”

“Any ti—”

[Report from Dots.]

“Ah, here it is.” Speaker waved a hoof at the other two. “Let’s first hear what the Dots have to say.”

[First known deviation is dated to June, One-thousand, error margin one month…]

What followed wasn’t so important as the dating. Timelight was taking her time to read from the report, but Crepusca’s team needed no more to find the answer they had been longing for.

“June, One-thousand,” repeated Crepusca.

“Isn’t that…” Kick-ass bit down on her words for a moment. “Isn’t that when Nightmare Moon returned?”

“Everything is coming together now,” said Speaker.

“What you have assumed is correct.”

Kick-ass turned at the fourth voice to its origin; an alicorn as dark as midnight stood behind them.

“Hold your ground,” interfered Crepusca before Kick-ass pounced. “If she came with the intention to fight us, we wouldn’t have heard her announcing it.”

Kick-ass complied, for now. Her eyes, though, remained nailed on Nightmare Moon without so much as a quiver.

Which was what Crepusca was also doing. She made no attempt to conceal her lit horn, a stronghold-levelled shield at ready, with her hoof pressed on the Brake Brace. “Is that right, Nightmare Moon? Are you here so that we can talk?”

Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow at the three. “I know your faces, but… No, this be it not, unless…” she murmured. “I see, you’re not of this world.”

“Your majestic, madam, please know that we did not come to trespass your territory.” Speaker bowed deep, pushing her head to nearly meet the ground. It appeared she was grovelling in front of the Mare in the Moon. “We are but visitors from another world in seek of epiphanies. If you demand so, we would depart with no complaints.”

It was in scenes like this that Crepusca held a strong respect for Speaker. In the face of the multiverse, where all that might happen will, a mare willing to bow her head could settle many disputes before they even occurred.

Nightmare Moon didn’t reply. She merely stared at the three.

Speaker held her head lower, her muzzle touching the ground.

Crepusca slowly pulled on the bracelet, ready to initiate the evacuation procedure.

“Please, leave not,” Nightmare Moon suddenly called out, “for I haven’t seen another soul in… a very long while. That, and please drop the mannerism. I deserve your bow not.”

The way she put it stopped Crepusca in her movement. Looking to her side, she saw Kick-ass dumbstruck, while Speaker rose to her height, a knowing look on her face.

“The very land we walk testifies to my crime, but fret not, I assure you.” Nightmare Moon lowered her eyes, biting her fangs into her lower lip. “I no longer hold any ill will… to any but myself.”

Crepusca nodded. Cautious as not to make any sudden move, she pressed her earphone. “Timelight, please let Team Doctor know and tell them to return.”

[One step ahead of you. I’ve called them back. They should be on their way.]

At that, Crepusca let out a breath. Despite visibly relaxing, her hoof never left the Brake Brace. “All right,” she spoke up, “let’s begin with some introduction.

“We’re First Contact Squad Theta-Fourteen of the Pale Tower. I am the captain, codenamed ‘Crepusca.’”