"Oh…" whispered Hermione. "Forty-Seven. I knew her."

The witch drew the girl's eyelids shut. When they had arrived at the mess hall, they had noticed the commotion from the galley. Hermione was the first on the scene, followed by her four colleagues, and then by hundreds of other Rei clones, staring at their fallen sister. The Doctor and the ponies stood aside, as instructed.

"She… was in the glee club," said Nonon, holding back tears. Hermione was genuinely impressed at the pink-haired girl's response- she was surprised that Nonon could sympathize with anyone. Perhaps her callousness was some sort of mask she wore, to hide the innocent person underneath… Hermione had more important things to do than think about Nonon at the moment.

"What did you see?" she asked, turning back to the witnesses.

"She was helpin' us make a cake for Coordinator Suzumiya," swallowed Applejack. "An' then something came out of the vent and grabbed her- I couldn't tell ya what it was."

"Grey and black and horrible," said Pinkie. "And fast.."

Hermione returned to the Rei's body. There were deep lacerations along her arms and legs, and three distinct gaping holes in her abdomen.

"What could have done this?" wondered a pale-looking Sanageyama aloud.

"These wounds aren't typical of a stabbing. This was an animal, and that lines up with what our witnesses say." Hermione turned back to Inumuta. "Hoka, I want you to look up her file. I need to know everything about her."

Hoka nodded, and began to type on his PDA rapidly.

"Why?" sniffled Nonon. "What good is going through her stuff going to do? She's dead!"

"Because, did you hear anything about an escape from the Menagerie?"

Nonon wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "N-no."

"That's right. It's supposed to be secure. So if something got out…"

"It was on purpose," whispered Sanageyama.

"But Fluttershy works at the Menagerie!" gasped Pinkie Pie. "She would never-"

"We can't say that for sure," snapped Hermione. "Not when there's something out there that… does this."

"I've got her file," reported Inumuta. "She was activated approximately five weeks ago. She was the forty-seventh mass-production Rei clone, and she was employed as a courier for Research and Development."

"Research and Development," echoed Hermione. "The division Satsuki thought took those weapons."

"It could be a coincidence," sobbed Nonon.

"Or it might not be. We don't know. What was her clearance level?"

"Level one," read Inumuta. "Full access."

She could get anywhere. A valuable ability. Did that make her a target?

Hermione knelt back down next to the body, examining her forearms. "She didn't have an AEGIS, so she would have had a security keycard, right?"

"Right," replied Inumuta. "I have the record of one being issued to her here."

Hermione delicately searched the bloodstained uniform's pockets.

"Nothing. It's not here."

"She couldn't have gotten into the galley without it," noted Sanageyama.

Hermione felt her heart rate begin to accelerate. "So whatever killed her… took it."

"What a web we weave," muttered the Doctor.

"But, is that really possible?" asked Applejack. "Could Fluttershy have let some kinda monster out… to take a keycard? I mean, that don't sound like her at all!"

"No, it doesn't, I know," agreed Hermione. "But we need to consider that as a possibility. We also might need to consider the possibility that your friend might have accidentally released it, and could be just as dead as Forty Seven."

Pinkie Pie burst into tears, and Applejack and the Doctor tried their best to console her.

"So," whispered Nonon, seemingly having pulled herself back together. "What kind of animal is responsible for this?" Hermione detected something new in Nonon's voice, something beneath the taunting, nasal sing-song. It was anger.

"Well, it was fairly large, to be able to lift her into the vents," observed Hermione. "But not too large to fit through them itself. The lacerations on her limbs are in groups, so it had claws or claw-like appendages, and those deeper wounds could have been caused by a tusk, or horn."

Nonon wandered closer to the bloody mess that had been one of her sopranos, and looked intently at her face. She then pulled her bangs back, revealing another wound, more sickening than the rest. A huge chunk had been removed from her forehead, past skin and bone, deep into the grey matter of her brain.

"And what did this?" asked Nonon.

Hermione knew the answer. The wound was incredibly distinct- it was a calling card. There was only one creature that did that, and it was the last thing that she ever wanted to deal with.

"Double x… one-twenty-one," gasped Hermione, who found herself very short on breath.

Sanageyama rolled his eyes. "Do you want to use, you know, words, so the rest of us understand?"

"Hoka… look up Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them."

Inumuta scrolled through his PDA.

"The fifty-fifth edition, Mrs. Granger?"

"That's the one. Chapter eighty-two."

"Why do we need to hear this out of a dusty old textbook?" asked Sanageyama. He noticed his superior's apparent distress, and followed with "Are you all right, Mrs. Granger?"

"No," she said. "And soon, none of us will be. Get Medical," she cried, before fainting on the floor.

"I'm already paging them," said Inumuta. "Regulations officers have been informed, as well."

Jakuzure poked Hermione's side, and confirmed that she was indeed unconscious.

"Curly's out like a light. Why?"

"Perhaps, it is because of this," murmured Inumuta gravely. "Chapter eighty-two: Supplemental. For Illuminati Brotherhood Reference Only. Entry: Xenomorph XX121. Author: Hermione Granger.

"We, as the Illuminati Brotherhood, are an organization devoted to the acquisition of knowledge. The unknown is merely an invitation from the meta-verse for the illuminated to explore. That is the creed we live by. I write this chapter first among my additions to Scamander's reference to serve as a warning: there is some knowledge not worth possessing. My colleagues and I are few in number, and we do not visit often. When we do, it is always a momentous occasion. Our last meeting is not one that will be remembered fondly. We were scouting through an as-of-yet uncatalogued universe, from which we had detected signs of interstellar communication. Hoping to chance upon a technologically advanced society, we set out into the deep reaches of space in order to locate a colonized world, or space station, or starship. We succeeded in that regard, as we indeed found a colonized world. Regrettably, its original inhabitants were long gone. In their place was something far more sinister.

LV-246 is a world identified in multiple universes as Archeron, after the Stream of Woe in Greek myth. It was here, fittingly, that Thanatos and Eros conceived their vile offspring."

"Greek stuff? Lame," grunted Sanageyama.

"Thanatos, the spirit of death," noted Inumuta. "And Eros, the god of desire."

"I BELIEVE THOSE ARE BOTH MEN," Gamagori pointed out.

"Curly, you are messed up," sneered Nonon, stepping aside as two teams of medics poured into the room. They lifted both Hermione and Forty-Seven onto their own stretchers, and began to haul them towards the medical wing. The Elite Four followed them closely, and Inumuta continued reading.

"It was as we explored the ruined colony that we found evidence of a struggle. Fossilized remains of humans were found nearly everywhere, with unusual injuries. Their craniums were punctured, and their ribs had exploded. At first, we assumed that this was the work of human hands, a gun battle, perhaps. But after five or six skeletons with the same injuries, we knew we had found something else. We journeyed through the facilities of the colony, and found general states of disrepair and destruction. When we located the atmosphere processor- a basic terraforming device, we were astounded by what we found. Bizarre constructs, organic in nature had been fossilized in the walls. We had discovered our first concrete evidence of the presence of non-human life. We pushed deeper into the structure and found a chamber filled with dormant creatures. Upon us discovering them, they decided to no longer be so dormant. It took us three days to fight our way out, and we lost one of our own. We fled as soon as we could, but we had only just boarded our ship when Artemis began to express interest in further study of the creatures. Upon this point, I still disagree with him.

Threat Level XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Do not approach."

"That's all it says?" asked Jakuzure.

"That's all it says," confirmed Inumuta.

The medical officers rolled Hermione's stretcher into place and began to adjust the climate controls. The Medical wing was clean and sterile, complete with that odd unidentified smell that hospitals tended to have. As soon as everyone but the Four had left, Hermione's eyes fluttered open.

"Are they gone?" she asked, quietly.

"Wait, you didn't actually pass out?!" cried Inumuta.

"No, I did. I came to about a minute ago. We can't stay here."

"And just where do you intend on going, Curly?"

"One, we can't stay put. Staying put gets you killed. Moving gets you killed." Hermione shivered, and looked around the room frantically.

"Hey, calm down," said Sanageyama. "You're safe."

"No, I'm not. You're not. No one on this ship is. Two. This is a mystery we are going to solve." She swung herself out of bed, and began to type coordinates into her AEGIS.

"So I'll ask again," repeated Jakuzure. "Where are we going?"

"Menagerie. We're paying Fluttershy and her little friends a visit."

***

"Full stop," called Yoko. "Inertial dampening to maximum. Maintain powerplant output."

"Aye, captain," replied the bank of Reis behind screens, adjusting their systems simultaneously. The ship slowed down so smoothly that the change in velocity was nearly imperceptible, which really was an achievement for such a large vessel.

"I assume we are ready to begin negotiations?" asked Artemis, stepping out of the sparks produced by his AEGIS next to the captain. His bodyguard followed him, as stern-looking as ever.

"I believe so," smiled Yoko. "I hope everything goes smoothly."

"In the case that it does not, we are prepared." Artemis gestured to the platoon of armored Reis that began to flow onto the bridge through the main entrance. Each one held an assault rifle, and carried an anti-tank weapon across their backs. Yoko was not sure that was the best impression to make, but would not question Artemis' decision aloud. The bright light ahead of the bridge, drifting through space, began to move again, much faster than before. It then disappeared for a moment, only to reappear within the ship, the light too radiant for unshielded eyes. Artemis flipped out a pair of polarized sunglasses, as did his butler, while Yoko scrambled for her goggles. The light slowly began to relent, but it never fully subsided. What was left was a faint glowing from the skin of a towering figure, a woman of unnatural size, clad in a similarly-scaled blue dress. She drifted to the floor, her head still far above the crew of the ship. Her hair hung down over half of her face, but the other half did not seem very happy.

"You trespass in the Garden of Rosette," she said, her voice soft, but almost painfully loud.

"We are travelling to secure the fate of the cosmos," explained Artemis. "Let us pass, and your Garden will be unharmed."

"The Garden is under my protection," she continued. "Why do you seek to secure that which already is?"

"Our goal is far beyond your Garden, in regions you know not. We mean you no harm," assured the young man.

The woman narrowed her eyebrows. "Do you attempt to deceive me? I am the sole master of the stars. I know there is naught beyond my Garden."

"Let us pass," repeated Artemis. "And join us. We can reveal to you mysteries of the cosmos."

"Silence!" boomed the woman, the bridge's displays fizzling at the sound. "Are these 'mysteries' falsehood as well? Do you wish to defile the Garden?"

"No," whispered Yoko. "Say 'no'!"

Artemis nodded. "No, great Rosalina. We wish to save the one known as Mario."

The woman's visible eye widened. "You know of him?"

"Yes," replied Artemis. "A courageous warrior indeed. We know where he has been taken, with many others- we seek to free them."

"You deign to restore balance," mused Rosalina. "A virtuous cause. But only those also of virtuous nature may be allowed to pass through the Garden."

"Our nature is wholly virtuous," Artemis claimed, casting himself prostrate. Yoko, unsure of what to do, mimicked her commander.

"Rise, neophytes. Your actions will not be the judge of your character. Your hearts shall. The stars through which you sail are my eyes- they will look into the nature of your beings. I shall consult them, and they shall tell me if you are worthy."

Rosalina folded her hands together, tilted her head down, and closed her eyes.

"What do we do?" asked Yoko. Artemis shrugged.

"We wait."

They did wait, for what seemed like much longer than it was. All eyes were fixed on the radiant Rosalina, as she plied the depths of every heart on their ship. When she lifted her eyes, everyone on the bridge snapped to attention, their focus on the Guardian of the Garden of Rosette.

"I have consulted the stars," she declared.

Artemis bowed low before her again. "And what is their verdict, O great Rosalina?"

"You are unworthy."

Murmurs began to spread throughout the room. Artemis entreated Rosalina once more.

"O great Rosalina, where have you found fault with us? Surely it is excusable."

"There are those among you that have no interest in your goal. They only seek to acquire more power. Their blot has stained you all. And my name is not Shirley."

"Kiryuin," hissed Artemis under his breath. He straightened his tie, and waved Butler closer.

"Well, Miss Rosalina, I am deeply sorry that we could not come to terms. However, since our goal is of the utmost importance, I am afraid I must prioritize it over the purity of your Garden."

"Your words hold a treacherous intent," noted Rosalina.

Artemis smiled. "Why, yes, they do. Open fire."

The armed Reis aimed their weapons at the huge woman and did exactly that, sending hundreds of rounds towards her. Rosalina drew a wand from within her dress' sleeve, waved it in the air, and was instantly surrounded by what appeared to be a large bubble. The bullets caught on the bubble's surface, slowed to a halt, and fell to the floor.

"Hmm," mused Artemis. "A bubble. Pop it."

The Reis set their rifles on the floor and slung their rocket launchers over their shoulders, firing in unison again. Rosalina simply waved her wand again, and the bubble was replaced by a single star orbiting her body. As the explosives neared, they slowed down as well, and eventually joined the star in orbiting Rosalina. She then opened her free hand, causing a rift to open above her- on the other side, the vacuum of space began to draw the air from the bridge out. She raised her wand, and the orbiting explosives flew through the portal, and reappeared in space ahead of the bridge, where they exploded harmlessly. Rosalina lowered her hands, and the rift closed.

"The Garden will erase your impurities," Rosalina's voice echoed. "Make your peace while you can." With that, she glowed brightly again, and disappeared.

"Multiple celestial bodies within this sector have broken free of their orbits," called one of the Reis at a bank of screens. "They are on a collision course with our ship."

"Bring us to ahead full!" shouted Yoko. "Lower inertial dampening to seventy-five percent! Re-route additional power to the main guns!"

"Aye, captain," replied the Reis.

Yoko pulled off her captain's hat and scratched her head. "Was that such a good idea, Artemis?"

"Of course," said the young man. "Now we merely need to repel her attacks to pass through this sector. A simple task."

"Simpler than being pure of heart?"

"A simple task," Artemis repeated.

"All defense crew to battle stations," instructed Yoko over the growing clamor on the bridge. She began to walk to the exit, but turned back to Artemis before the sliding doors closed.

"So, I'm heading for the battle bridge. And you are…?"

"Going to my office."

"Of course."

***

Shadow peered over the tops of his cards at his opponents' faces. They were just as focused as he was, if not more. The air of their little storage-room hangout was charged with unbelievable intensity. Shadow knew that there were a lot of bottle caps on the line, and he did not intend to lose any more of his. A few more rounds, he was certain, and there would be a catastrophic failure for either of his foes. Then he could make his move. He just had to hold out. The young woman across the table fluttered her golden eyebrows in a wave-like fashion, and pulled her lips back into a fanged grin.

"Oi, Shadow… got any fives?"

Shadow froze, and double checked his cards.

"Damn," he sighed, handing her three fives.

"And that's a book," she giggled, setting her set of fives out on the table.

The man seated to Shadow's left folded his cards into a stack and placed them as close to his body as he could, to free up his arms for wild gesticulations. He was short, but well-built, with a tall forehead and slicked-up hair, a wardrobe consisting of a blue A-shirt and jeans, and a foul mood, as usual.

"So, the other day, my wife calls me up, and asks me why I don't buy her flowers," he roared. "Goddamn flowers! Why the hell am I supposed to buy her flowers?"

The young woman rolled her glowing red eyes. "I dunno, because it's a nice thing to do?"

"But there's the thing!" he cried. "She's got flowers! She's got a great little garden going! Why does she need me to get any?"

"Because she wants you to," replied Shadow. "And she's the boss."

"Hnph, she's the boss, yeah, right," he muttered. "Seras, you got any twos?"

"Nope," chuckled the woman. "Go fish."

"You're using your vampire powers to cheat, aren't you?" growled the man.

"No, I'm not. I can't see how I would," retorted Seras.

"Aren't you related to that Alucard guy, though?" asked Shadow.

"Well, yeah," admitted Seras. "Sort of."

"And can't he do pretty much anything?"

"I don't think it involves card tricks."

"You know, I don't think I ever put two and two together before, but you dress just like him," said the man.

Seras looked down at her red duster and black suit.

"Huh. You're right, Vegeta."

"Like always," smiled the man, rocking back in his seat. The surprise of an alarm klaxon caused him to lose his balance, and he toppled to the floor.

"What's that?" asked the vampire.

"It's probably just a drill," Shadow assumed.

"THIS IS NOT A DRILL," echoed a voice on the PA system.

"Well, I don't think it's a drill," corrected the hedgehog.

"Well, it looks like our game will get cut short yet again," grunted Vegeta, picking himself up from the floor.

Seras' eyes widened with joy. "So I win, right guys?"

"Yeah," sighed Shadow. "Whatever. You win."

They still suspect nothing, she cackled internally.

Shadow, Seras, and Vegeta pushed through the old-fashioned swinging door to the hallway. Already Reis were bustling around at a much higher frequency than normal.

"What do you think it is?" asked the man.

"On this ship?" countered Shadow, "Who knows?"

***

Rainbow Dash was having a hard time finding the right words to describe what she saw. "That thing sure looks… serious?"

"Come on, really? Not majestic? Not regal?" cried Char. "You're tearing me apart, Dash!"

The Pegasus took another long look up at the new machine. It was roughly the same height as the old Gatsbys, but its appearance was completely different. The first model was aggressive, with wide calves loaded with vents and boosters, broad stocky arms and gaping intakes. The Gatsby Mark II seemed far less threatening. Its head unit was capped with a tall cylinder, as if it were leading a marching band. Its torso was comparatively smaller, with no high-thrust backpack. Its waist was thinner too, but it fanned out into what appeared to be a gigantic metal dress.

"Well, it's… fancy?"

"Ah, the skirt armor. It's like a set of extra limbs," explained Mobile Defense' commander. "Each one of those panels not only defends the joints of the legs, but they're loaded with boosters to enhance mobility. The Mark II's agility has increased by a factor of three!"

"Going faster is nice," conceded Rainbow Dash.

"As is dealing more damage," Char added, drawing a remote from his pocket and clicking a button down. A gantry began to descend from the hangar's ceiling, carrying an extraordinarily large beam rifle. "So we've replaced the main weapons systems entirely. This beam rifle is derived from After Colony tech- it's just as dangerous as it looks."

"I'm suddenly feeling a lot better about the dress."

Char patted Dash's head and ruffled her mane. "I thought you would."

"ALL HANDS TO BATTLESTATIONS," roared the PA system as klaxons began to sound. Alarm lights descended from their places in the ceiling and began to flash their high-alert pulses. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

"Now what could that be?" asked Char, checking his AEGIS.

"Let's go find out!" Rainbow Dash shouted above the alarms. She flapped her wings and rocketed towards her new Mobile Suit's cockpit. Char extended his arm and caught her hoof, pulling her back down. He was still reading intently from the screen of his AEGIS.

"Not so fast," he instructed. "It says here that you're committed to a team that's deploying in five minutes. With that timeframe, your mission has priority."

He let go of her hoof, and the Pegasus settled back into the air.

"But, I want to-"

"No buts. Now get up there and start running your pre-launch checks. You won't have time to practice running this thing, so every second counts."

"Yes, sir, Commander Aznable," sighed Dash, floating back up toward the Mark II's cockpit.