13. [Audio]

[brodakota]

[North's voice comes over the network, sounding rather panicked. Surprisingly so, especially to people who know him for his quiet, patient demeanor.]

Is anyone else in Ponyville right now? 

If you are, have you seen Theta? 

It's really important that I find him, and I think it's getting dark.

[That's new...and all the more worrisome.]

Comments

[raisethemoon]

Perhaps Celestia can teach him. She adopted a young dragon as a ward some years ago.

[brokentrust]

[The conversation may be cut short by the sounds of someone struggling with something.]

[unrecovered]

[Melody picks up on the sounds and stops short, giving a quiet mew and hunkering down in the grass with her rear waggling in the air - pouncing posture. Wash pauses, looking at Melody, then at Luna. Might as well see what Melody found, right?]

[He nods at Melody and she sprints towards the noise, fully intent on catching whatever's making it.]

[raisethemoon]

[Luna returns the nod, trotting quickly after Melody to make sure at least a bit of the Spirit's path is lit. She's not entirely sure if the flora of the forest would have the same effect on Spirits, but that's no reason to chance it.]

[brokentrust]

[The shadow that is cast reveals a familiar little dragon swinging from some low hanging vines. He looks to be having fun, which is a suggestion that it's probably not Theta.]

[unrecovered]

[Wash doesn't have a chance to say anything before Melody tackles the dragon at full speed. POUNCE!]

Wh- Melody, quit that! Get off him! Theta, are you okay?

[raisethemoon]

[Luna lifts Melody away with magic and picks Theta up. She does not, however, set him back down. Instead, she pulls him closer to her face, eyes narrowed.]

Art thou Theta? I have little patience for games tonight.

[brokentrust]

[The shadow looks a little confused and is squirming to get out of the magic. However, that makes the form start to wobble a bit.

[unrecovered]

[Melody yowls unhappily when the magic catches her, but shuts up abruptly when the dragon gets the same treatment. Well, as long as Luna is fair. She drops silently to the ground and waits.]

[Wash glares as the form wobbles. He's pretty dang sure Theta's not a hologram here.]

That's not him.

[raisethemoon]

Evidently not.

[She holds onto it, for later reunion with the proper Theta.]

Is there another scent trail, Melody, or is this all?

[unrecovered]

[Okay, she's keeping it and that's...creepy. Really it is. Wash thinks better of saying anything, though; Luna's the one who knows what's going on here, not him.]

[Melody mews once and starts sniffing a wide circle around them, looking for a trail that wouldn't have been made by the shadow. After a few moments, she stops and turns to face them, meowing loudly before continuing to follow the trail she's just found. This way! Thee's another one!]

Guess not.

[brokentrust]

[Not too far away there are two Thetas. One seems to be playing happily in some mud while the other is a few feet away, completely confused and kind of scared.]

[raisethemoon]

[Well, that behavior difference is good enough for her. Luna trots forward, still carrying the first shadow and merrily calling out as she scoops up the Theta playing in the mud puddle.]

Theta?

[unrecovered]

[It's pretty obvious which Theta is the real one. Wash approaches him a little more slowly, voice quieter than usual - knowing Theta, he's been spooked pretty badly by all of this.]

Theta? Are you okay?

[Melody, meanwhile, sits down and starts bathing a paw, completely self-satisfied. Victory.]

[brokentrust]

I'm okay...but I don't know what's going on? Why are there two of me? Where's North?

[Wash, help!]

[raisethemoon]

One! [Luna forces the two shadows back into one shadow. It's lucky she's here, she's always been better with shadow things than Celestia.] It is your shadow! We shall have to give it back to you shortly. I believe there are still a few copies yet loose, 'tis not as deep as it ought to be.

[unrecovered]

[Well that was creepy. Thanks, Luna. Wash trots up to Theta and hunkers down - it's an invitation for Theta to climb on. Wash isn't about to make the potentially traumatized AI walk.]

North's out looking for you. We'll take you to him. Come on.

[brokentrust]

[Theta nods, pulling himself out of his hiding spot and trying to untangle some of the detritus of the forest floor, before managing to free himself and cling to Wash.]

[raisethemoon]

[It's what Luna does best.]

Can you track their scent now, Melody?

[unrecovered]

[He feels that clinging. Theta's obviously pretty rattled. He turns his head to the dragon, speaking more gently than usual.]

Theta, it's okay. I've got you.

[Melody gets back to her paws, turns around in a circle, and meows. Not if they didn't come this way!]

We should head back to where we split off. Luna, can you use your communicator to call North? [What he wouldn't give for his helmet radio right now. And thumbs.]

[brokentrust]

I-is North nearby?

[That gentle voice is enough for right now. Theta probably won't be letting go anytime soon. At least until North is found.]

[raisethemoon]

Of course!

[Still holding the now-singular shadow in her magic, Luna withdraws her communicator as well to make a call.]

[unrecovered]

He's close.

[Truthfully, Wash has no idea where North is. He does know that North will get back to the meeting point as fast as he possibly can, though, and that's what matters.]

[Melody perks up and gets back on the scent. Doubling back is easy. She meows at them - come on! - and starts off.]

[brodakota]

Good.

[He never wants to be away from North after this.]