this happens right after the last chapter and made of the "Princess Twilight Sparkle" episode.


Twilight Sparkle shakes her head and finds herself back in Ponyville, released by the potion's magic. Spike asks her something but she barely hears him, too shocked from what that last vision showed her, not only holds the Alicorn Amulet the magic of Nebula, but she witnesses the creation of Sombra out from a pony she didn't get the sense was a bad pony.

"Twilight!"

She blinks and realizes that everypony— minus Discord is staring worried at her, Spike the one who called at her. "What did you see?" He asks her. She eyes the baby dragon, at first she is about to tell everyone about what she saw, then one of the wines got her hoof and she is reminded they have an urgent matter. Kicking the plant off, she tells her friends and comrades. "I still don't know what's happened to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way. Something's happened to the Tree of Harmony."

"The tree of what now?" Rainbow Dash asks, very confused about what Twilight speaks about.

So Twilight explains everyone what the visions of Nebula showed her, how the Elements come from a crystal tree and that the tree itself needs the elements returned in order to regain its strength. "Nebula was very clear that without the tree, the forces of chaos will gain more strength." She turns to Demo when he remarks. "Tree huh? Sounds much like how Alpha respawn looks like."
Much to her surprise. "Wait, what?"
The mercs then explain her and the others about Alpha respawn and a recent attack has weakened it. "So it would be nice if we could borrow the Elements for a bit and restore Alpha respawn's power." Engineer says.
Twilight is quite flabbergasted that the machine that keeps their human friends' alive looks like a Tree of Harmony. That is something she will discuss further with Medic about but now. "Of course, but right now we need to restore the Tree of Harmony residing inside Everfree forest."
Cue to everyone turn towards the black plant infested forest.

"Ooh-hoo! I'm going to need more popcorn!" Discord jeer at what the bearers have to go through, his masters sure has made it hard for them to reach the so-called Tree of Harmony. Some of the bearers of the twin elements shoot him a glare.

**Little while later**

After Engineer has fetched Pyro, the bearers begin to head towards the forest, it's tricky but they find a clearance for them to enter. Heavy grabs one of the wines, pulls it and several others out of the way, allowing the rest of pass. While doing so, Rarity remarks out of nostalgia. "Seems like only yesterday we were heading into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony."
And Twilight Sparkle replies. "Seems like only yesterday we were six wielders." She smiles to the turned humans, knowing whatever they are going to face, they have companions who are more than ready to face it.

Deeper inside the forest, not only is the path towards the castle of the two sister's difficult thanks to the plant but the tension is growing by more and more white glowing eyes stare at them in the shadows. Then Soldier lets out a scream in frustrations. "Come out and fight us, maggots!" and before anyone can stop him, Soldier charges over to where several of the eyes are. The Shadow Ponies scatter and out from seemly nowhere a giant timberwolf pounces out from the forest, catching Soldier in its jaws.
The other mercs are quick to come to his aid, Sniper shoots a red glowing arrow right into the wolf's eye and it lets go in a howl of pain. Soldier gets on his hooves quickly and headbutts the beast, which makes it topple onto the ground. The mercs were so busy dealing with the timberwolf that they didn't see four Shadow Ponies stalk over to Twilight and her friends, only did when a unicorn Shadow Pony lunges at Twilight.
In fright she shoots magic at it but it didn't phase the Shadow Pony, she then tries to fly away but all she does is flap helplessly on the ground. Shining Armor runs over to help his sister.
Another Shadow Pony attacks Cadence, she can fly but this pegasus Shadow Pony keeps chasing her and swiftly catches and throws her back to the ground. Rainbow Dash and Applejack run over to help but their hooves go right through it, much to their dread.
"Help!" Fluttershy cries makes Engineer and Scout turn away from the timberwolf and the scene of two Shadow Ponies getting held back by Shining Armor from harming Twilight Sparkle and another Shadow Pony about to finish Cadence off.

Scout speeds over to Cadence, and right as he reaches the shadow, magic surrounds his hooves and he shoots the blue glowing shotgun pebbles right into the Shadow Pony's face. It jerks away from the princess, to then get reinforcement with two more Shadow Ponies.
Those three attacks Scout and the only thing saving him from possession is the glowing necklace, didn't stop the pain of the Element resisting the dark magic trying to take over him. Scout cannot move from the pain of the two powers fighting over control inside his mind, unable to flee as a Shadow Pony takes shape as a cyan stallion that is just as big as Heavy. This stallion smirks evilly, lifts his hoof right over Scout's chest, but before it can crush him like a tomato, more glowing shotgun shells hits the disguised Shadow Pony, this time from Engineer.

He is holding the Frontier Justice and is somewhat surprised that it has appeared right when he needed it, not going to question it though and after have reloaded, Engineer empty his shotgun at the snarling disguised Shadow Pony.
The Shadow Pony takes its original form and flees back into the forest. not long after, the other mercs succeed in killing the timberwolf that falls apart to all the wood and branches that made its form.
Medic picks up a few of those parts and after have wrapped a black wine tightly around them, he puts them onto his back for possible further testing when this is all over. Engineer thinks he might join the doctor in this— after he has done a bit of his own experimenting about how their weapons get infused with magic.

"Thanks." Cadence says to the turned humans that came for her aid, very grateful they have them on their side. Scout boasts his chest with a proud grin; it does fade when Applejack points out. "Was it just me or were those Shadow Ponies deliberately aiming for Twilight and Cadence?"

"They did." Sniper replies but is not surprised by this. "Not the first time they went after Twilight, she is the conduit for the Elements."

"Does not explain why they went after Cadence." Shining Armor speaks.

"I hate to say this but… maybe the princesses should return to Ponyville." Applejack voices, something Twilight Sparkle did not appreciate. "No, I am not leaving you guys!" She gets that, and Applejack really does not want to do this but… they just can't lose Cadence and Twilight. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone. If something happened to you or Cadence, I-I just don't think Equestria can risk losing another princess." Rarity walks up beside her and points out to Twilight. "Applejack does make a valid point. Even if we manage to save the Tree of Harmony, it won't necessarily mean Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will return. Equestria will need somepony to lead in their absence."

"But I am not a worthy leader!" Twilight Sparkle cries out, really struggling to keep back her tears. Looking at her friends, she tells them. "Ever since I got my wings, all you have seen is me being a princess. Is that all I am for you now?" They all seem they want to argue but something is holding them back and that hurts her just as much that if they said that her title is more important than their friendship. "Do all of you really feel like I shouldn't be here?"

Before anyone can answer, Medic snorts loudly. "Dummkopf!" and tells them rather annoyed over a tiny fact they all seem to have overlooked. "Have you forgotten we cannot use the elements full power WITHOUT Twilight?" Few of them, such as Applejack winches at this fact. Rainbow Dash does as well, but does try and come with a good argument. "You can do the exact same thing as her, right?" He rolls his eyes. "Nein, as her partner; I gain my power from Twilight's Element." Nodding to the other turned humans and Shining Armor. "We with the silver necklaces depend on your Elements, they won't work without you."

"Does not explain why they appear whenever they feel like it." Scout pointed out and bit to his surprise, and it's not Medic that replies him but Demo. "They don't," the scot eyes his partner. "I didn't register it at first but thinking about it, I realize that every time my Element appears; I felt the bond I share with Applejack." Much to the orange pony surprise, but a gleam in her eyes does reveal she has felt the same.

"So Twilight is staying." Medic tells everyone in a hard matter of fact. "The Shadow Ponies wants to get rid of the conduit and what better way is letting us think that her title means more than the Element she wield?"

Medic makes a very valid point and every of Twilight friends feels really bad they let her title as princess gets in between their friendship. "Shoot, I am so sorry we made you feel this way Twilight." Applejack is the first to admit her fault.

"We never meant to make you feel unwanted." Fluttershy says softly.

The others, minus Zecora apologizes, the zebra's culture didn't have kings or queens, so for her it was more a title of a chief, which she didn't care much about. "We better get on our way and find the tree in dismay." Zecora points out to the others.

Cheered up but still somewhat hurt of her friends thinking her title means more than their friendship, Twilight nods to the zebra. "Right." Then turns to her partner and whispers a quiet 'thanks' in which he returns with a weak smirk before they all move on.
Approaching the ruins of the Castle of Two Sisters, Rainbow Dash asks her. "Are you sure this is the right way? We're almost at the Castle of the Two Sisters." Twilight Sparkle replies her pegasus friend. "The potion's visions showed that the tree is underneath the ruins, down in the ravine." and Rainbow Dash asks her back. "And you are sure whatever that crazy potion showed you were real?" Twilight hesitates but her mind is quickly made up that what the potion showed her was real. "I'm sure, the creator of that potion was immensely powerful."

"Like Star-Swirl?" Rarity asks.

Even though she does consider Star-Swirl the Bearded the most powerful unicorn that has ever existed, Twilight doubts he can measure up to an alicorn created by Harmony itself. "Way stronger than Star-Swirl. It was an alicorn who made that potion."
That made several of her friends gasp and Sniper muses. "That explains the architecture of where I found that thing…" which catches Twilight's attention. "You found it?"

Sniper nods. "Yeah, found it at an old alicorn ruin up in the mountains." And something tells him he was meant to find it, that strange meeting with Pyro still stick out in his mind.

The group reaches the ravine separating the ruins of the old castle from the forest, and it was easy to see they are on the right path if following the black wines. A lot of them are reaching into a grotto down in the ravine. "The tree must be down there," Derpy muses and asks since not all of them can fly. "but how do all of us get down there?" Which she and the rest get their answer when Pinkie literally stumbles over some hidden stairs and after having rolled all the way down to the ravine, the pink pony calls up to them with an obvious: "Take the stairs, silly!"
Derpy stares a dumbfounded down to her, does only snap out from it when several of the turned humans starts walking over to the stairs. She catches Spy rolls his eyes at the whole scene, musing something under his breath she didn't hear.

They walk into the grotto and indeed find a tree, entangled by a lot of the spiked vines.
Fluttershy gasp at the sight and quickly figures out that this crystal tree shouldn't have these dark and sickly colors. "I think it's dying!" She exclaims in horror that they might be too late.
She turns when Soldier charges to save the tree but not only did the plants put up a fight but several Shadow Ponies appeared as well. Even with his protection of the Elements, Soldier did not stand a chance against this small army and although he refused to see that, Demo did the wise choice in forcing him back by his magic.

Still holding his friend by his levitating magic. "They really do not want us to save the tree." Demo remarks to the others.

Twilight steps slowly forward, staring at the entangled tree with a gleam in her eyes that reveals that she has an idea of how to fix this mess.
she turns back to the others. "I know how we can save the tree. We have to give it the Elements of Harmony."
Rainbow Dash flies over to her, like the others startled of what Twilight said and what it meant. "How are we supposed to protect Equestria without the Elements?" She asks exasperated disbelief that they most likely will lose their only weapon against the Shadow Ponies and whatever they decide to throw at them.

"How are we meant to stand up against them without the Elements?" Rarity asks, nodding at the Shadow Ponies that are stalking around the dying tree. And Applejack points softly out. "Twilight... The Elements of Harmony..." She eyes her partner. "They're what keeps us connected to one another." Demo returns her glance, although he does not look at devastated about this as she is.

Applejacks words repeat in her head, and Twilight Sparkle realizes: "You're right about one thing, Applejack." She speaks to her earth pony friend. "The Elements of Harmony did bring us together. But it isn't the Elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship." She smiles to all of her friends, let it be those who she started the adventure with, the turned humans or those who proved to be the wielder of a lost Element. "It's more important and more powerful than any magic." And although she hates to admit it. "My new role in Equestria may mean I have to take on new responsibilities, and our friendships may be tested but it will never, ever broken." She is now confident in that, for even though her friends does treat her differently, she knows deep down they will never turn their back on her." A cracking sound coming from the tree reminds her that the time is short. Twilight turns back to the dying tree. "There's no time to lose. Everypony ready?" They voice they are and although she's still hasn't mastered her wings, Twilight takes flight. She uses her magic, takes the Elements from those with the gold necklaces and when all of the partners' Elements appear, she takes those as well. The Elements gather around her and a bit to her surprise, when the same Element meet, they merge into the large Elongated hexagon they were in the past, the only one not taking that shape is her and Medic's Element; that one only becomes a bigger star.
She is however not allowed to ponder about this for long, the black wines sprawl to life and lunges at her and before she can react, four of the wines have her trapped.
The others move over to help, but they are stopped by the small army of Shadow Ponies, which they no longer have a fighting chance against. Twilight struggles to get free but when that's not possiple, she instead levitates the Elements over to the tree.
The Elements gets over to their spot and the tree takes them, allowing the Elements to power it up again. Twilight Sparkle smiles, but the victory is short at the sound of horrified crying from her friends. She spins around and to her horror; Engineer has collapsed to the ground, bleeding pronouncedly from wounds that seem to have appeared from nowhere.
Medic makes a move to step over and heal him, but he stops dead when he starts to cough up blood and besides him, Spy collapses onto the ground from his skin falling off as if he's a plant that is getting burned. The other mercs soon experience the same thing and her friends can do nothing other than watching them slowly die from these unexplainable wounds. Twilights eyes wide in shock, remembering what Spy told her back when she was in the human world and what the mercs told her not long ago. By giving this tree the Elements, she is robbing away the very thing that is keeping them alive! Twilight Sparkle spins back to the tree but hesitates. She recalls what Nebula said, that only with the Elements can the tree protect Equestria against the Shadow Ponies and yes, their sacrifices will save countless more.
But… she can't do it!
She refuses to sacrifices her friends as if they are mere tools. Twilight removes the Elements from the tree and swiftly levitates them over to the turned humans, allowing the wines to finish the job and after several loud cracking, the tree breaks and shatters into countless of pieces. She stares at the now dead tree and approaching Shadow Ponies. She can hear the turned humans slowly recover from their near and permanently death experience, but her full attention is on the lone Shadow Pony that approaches her, preparing for it to attack.
To her utter surprise though, the Shadow Pony merely stops before her and takes shape as Sea-Circle. "There might be hope for you yet." the disguised Shadow Pony says before it and the rest of the Shadow Ponies disappears through their black crystals. Twilight is confused, are the Shadow Ponies… testing them? Have all of their past battles with them been a test? And if so, for what outcome?
That answer she does not know, so instead, Twilight walks over to the turned humans whose wounds are slowly healing up thanks to Elements.
Derpy turns away from Soldier and asks her confused and somewhat scared. "What happened?"
Twilight Sparkle eyes the turned humans. "It was the tree or their lives…"

"Most other people would've chosen the tree" Sniper points out matter of factly. If it had been him, well he would probably have chosen the very thing that will save a whole country from being invaded by black magic plants. Even if it meant he would die from it.
Twilight nods in agreement. "And I might've done the choice in the past but…" she shakes her head, "you are more important than a tree…!"

"Thank you." Engineer muses, he is for once grateful for Twilight's choice, it might've been the wrong one since the loss of the tree gives the Everfree forest free reigns to spread, but he's glad he didn't leave his son alone in this world.
Some of the wines that destroyed the tree grab him and Engineer tries to kick it away from his hoof, seeing it more a nuisance than a danger. "So how do we get—" before he even can finish the question, Pyro unleashes her flames onto the wines that tried to grab him and to everyone's huge surprise. The plants burn rapidly quickly as if they were dried leaves.
With the main cluster of the wines that held him gone, Engineer shakes the now dead plant off his hoof, eyeing Pyro who glares at the plants as if they have offended her. He then turns to Twilight, and she smiles.

Guess she made the right choice, after all, Twilight thinks happily and tells her brother and sister-in-law. "Can you send a message back to the Crystal Empire that we need Nila and her second son's help?" Her brother and Cadence both nod, like her, realizing the solution to their weed problem.

**next day, Ponyville**

"Twilight, we need to talk." Medic calls, walking over to where Twilight is mapping down on how far Pyro, Dragonlord Nila, and her two sons are doing in burning away the black plants inside Everfree forest. The princess turns away from her work, his tone has been enough to let her know that what he will tell her is serious. Twilight is not sure how much more bad news she can take at the moment. They still haven't found Celestia and Luna, she hopes they are trapped by the black plants but that also means the drakes have to be careful in what they are burning. "What's wrong?" She asks her partner.

His last medical checkup on the other mercs has revealed that they are running out of time. "We need the Elements back in the human world." Medic starts out and explains why they really need to return them to the Alpha respawn. "Your swift action did save our lives, but, after a quick examination; we are all on borrowed time. Our bodies are starting to break down from the inside and without the respawn, we will die from all the deaths we went through the years."
Which made him realize that they can never be disconnected from the respawn without dying. They are bound to the machine till the very end, which makes it very ironic that Miss Pauling mentioned they would be disconnected when their contracts ended. He mentioned this to her and she was quite shocked so it's clear that she did not know about this little fact. Pretty sure the Administrator knew, but she would probably be thrilled that they died after not longer be of use for her.

Twilight puts down the map and turns fully around to her partner. "How long do you think you have?"
and he replies. "I give us max a week."
That's not a lot of time, and although Twilight does not fancy of been taking away the very thing that makes them able to fight the Shadow Ponies, she wants their human partners to stay alive. "Okay, do you have a way to get them back?"

Well, they did try using the magical mailbox Demo got, but the Elements apparently doesn't play that way, so… "Nein, I was hoping perhaps you got anything."

"Sorry, but last time I came to your world, I used a mirror and that path is closed for ten years." Twilight replies and suggest they look in her library for any clues that might help them get the Elements to the human world, maybe even ask Discord, although she does not fancy that idea.
She made Fluttershy ask the draconequus but Discord wasn't much help, so she, Medic and some of the others search the library for clues.

Spike was only for a brief time helpful; then his young mind got distracted by the comic books Rhys bought during his trip to Canterlot and both geeking out about their favorite heroes and story.

Sunset Shimmer, who had been helping Dragonlord Nila to know where she should go and help with the rampaging forest, walks inside the library, at first to check up on Rhys but forgets all about it when she finds the whole place turned upside down by the bearers searching the books for something. "Um… what are you looking for?" She asks them carefully.

"We are searching for alternative ways to return back to the human world." Engineer replies, putting away the book he has been looking through.

Sunset Shimmer hesitates to reveal this but feels like she has a purpose instead of leaving as her first thought was when she taught herself this ability.
"I can take the Elements to the human world" Sunset declares to the bearers, much to everyone's surprise.
"How?" Twilight puts down the book and Sunset explains the student of Celestia. "I found a book about the same magic that alicorn stuck in the human world uses. I haven't mastered it fully, but I have been in the human world for so long that I know that world's signature." Eyeing the turned humans. "I can go there with this magic," and adds, even she does not expect to return any time soon. "and with these:" she shows a box with several bottles holding magical flames. "I will have enough magic to return back if I wish."
The bearers all give each other hesitant looks, she does not blame them. Trusting a former enemy with the very Elements she wanted to use for her own petty needs is one heck leap of trust.

"It's not like we have any other options." Demo remarks, they can't wait on Merasmus finishing up the summoning portal. It will only be done in a month of so and according to Medic, they all will be dead by then.
The others muse their agreement with his words.

Twilight sure hope this won't come back and bite them hard in the flank. "Alright." She answers Sunset and levitates the box holding all of the elements to the older unicorn, warning her. "You better not let us regret this." For if she and her friends lose their partners, they will be very angry at Sunset Shimmer and won't give her a second chance in redemption.

"Don't worry." Sunset assures the now alicorn Twilight. She takes the box and after has gotten Rhys: well aware he won't allow her to leave without him. She uses her new magic to form a circle of fire around them, focusing her mind on the human world.
It takes a lot of magic out from her, so when her form changed into a human, she does not have the strength to stand up and collapses onto the ground. She feels Rhys but is too weak to react to him.

**later**

Sunset is pretty sure she must've passed out for the next time she opens her eyes, she is inside some kind of cell, her hands chained and sitting not far from her is Rhys, also in chains.
"What happened?" She asks the teen. He looks very relieved to see her awake which is quickly replaced with annoyance. "Remember the mercenaries the Sirens took control over?"
She nods.
"Yeah, well it looks like you teleported us right in their base. So right when you passed out, they threw us in here." Rhys cast a look to the door leading out from this small prison. "Let's hope they haven't thrown the Elements out."
Sunset Shimmer can only hope the same, she rather not face the wrath of Twilight and her friends.
The sound of a door opening makes both turn their attention to the spot and two dark-skinned people walk over to them, the woman unlocking the cage. "We have some questions that need answering." The woman tells her in a hard tone, gesturing for both to move it. The male is pointing a shotgun at them and is more than ready to use it if they decide to struggle.
Sunset gives Rhys a single look before they both follow the mercs into the room where the others are.
The alicorn and what she presumes is an Umbra wizard is talking with the leader of this group of mercs, pointing at the open box holding the Elements.
The leader tells the two something before he walks over to her. "Those crystals, are they the Elements of Harmony?" He asks her in a tone that clearly states she better not start anything with him. Even if she was out to cause trouble, she is too weak from the world jump to do anything, so she nods and tells the man. "I was told you need them to fix the respawn."

"Did team Fortress send you?"

Sunset decides to bend the truth a little here. "Yes, I was the only one able."

Jack narrow his eyes slightly at the woman who caused him and his team quite the headache last time they met, she does seems to have turned a new leaf and since she apparently brought them the very thing they need to restore respawn; he will give her the benefit of the doubt. Not enough to remove the chains though. "Engie, Cowboy." He calls the two engineer nod and takes the box to the Alpha respawn machine.
Jack then turns back to their prisoner. "What do you want?" Her bringing them exactly what they need feels too much like a bargaining chip.

It is first when he asked that Sunset realizes that these people think she's here to make a bargain, a powerful one. If she asks, they probably will let her go but past experience tells she and Rhys will go through one hell of a struggle if they set out on their own. Something she does not wish to let Rhys go through again. "Let me and Rhys join your team." She requests, which does catch everyone by surprise. Yes, sticking with the very people she hurt in the past will be a struggle, very hard to gain their trust, but Sunset wants to prove she has become a better person, that she is worth their ranks.
All of the mercs turn to their leader and he is grumbling on her demand from what feels like forever, till finally, he replies— or rather he asks. "Why do you want to join us? None of us trust you."
and she replies, perhaps a bit cheeky. "That hasn't stopped me before."
The short man says something to the large one with a dragon tattoo on his right arm who snorts a short laugh from whatever the redhead said.
The hooded man scratches his chin and says thoughtfully. "Sounds like you wish to prove yourself to us." Turning to the man dressed as a doctor when that one says somewhat amused. "This gotta be good, let her join, I would like to how long before she's back to her old ways and we have to shoot her."
Yeup, she got her work cut out with these people, not really a surprise though.
The leader lets out a sigh. "Fine, you can stay."

Ignis greatly disagrees. "You will regret that. You cannot change someone's nature." and Rune retorts back. "People change all the time." Ignis is not convinced. He has been living for thousands of year and is still the same ever since he finished his soldier training.

The leader tells the dark-skinned man lets her and Rhys free from the chains and right away, the leader speaks. "We may let you stay, but that does not mean you will be allowed anywhere near our gear." Sunny nods and along with Rhys, stand awkwardly before this other merc group. "So… what now?" She asks.

"Now you will help our Demoman in his chore downstairs." Jack points out which makes said Demoman groan loudly in annoyance. Yes, he did not forget about that blunder from their youngest member. "Move it." He commands them hard.
Amadi lets out a defeated sigh. "Fine… let's go you two." He tells the two and leaves to clean up the mess he made during "practice".
With them out of sight and hearing range, Jack commands Marcos. "Keep an eye on them." The spy nods and cloaks.

**the sewers**

Amadi explains their two new recruits— or are they prisoners? He's not really sure, whatever he explains to them their job is to remove any rubble lying around the hole in the wall one of his bombs made during practice. "-and after we have removed those, Cowboy will make the cerement and bricks we will need to wall up the hole."
The two nod and go straight to work. For a time, none of them speaks, simply gathering the destroyed parts of the wall, throw them into the wheelbarrow which Amadi would pull outside and then return it emthy for the next batch of bricks.
Only during a small break to regain their breath, Amadi speaks. "What's you got there?" He asks the blond teen who is reading some comic book he hasn't seen before.
The teen glances to him and after a bit of hesitating, he replies. "My favorite comic, it's about superheroes that are fighting against an alien army."
Sounds cool, but Amadi is admittedly more curious about the shape of the characters. "Are they… horses?" Staring at the characters all being horses.

Rhys nods, giving the Demoman an awkward smile, very aware that this might be seen a bit childish for this world's eyes. "Yeah, still cool though." and tells the man about the plot and the man does look rather interested in the story. "That sounds like an awesome story, mind if I read it at some point?" He asks.
That Rhys does not really fancy. His comic book collection is one of the few things he owns and is not much on letting anyone (except his brother and Sunset) hold them.
Fortunately, Sunset saves him by calling they better get back to work, and he quickly puts the book back to his pocket and hurries over to help.

Cloaked and learning up against the wall opposite them, Marcos is watching the three work, does snap his eyes away from them when the black root not far turns into a bright bluish, mixed with purple. The three stop working for a moment and stare at the root as well. "Seems like they got the respawn up and working again." Amadi remarks to the two before he goes back to his task of getting the broken bricks back outside.
Marcos turns away from the once again active Alpha respawn and focus on his task keeping an eye out on the two. Fortunately, they simply work on the cleanup and when they head return upstairs for some much needed dinner after hours of work. Marcos can report to Jack that nothing happened.
Jack is relieved to hear that. "Good, but I do want you to continue keeping an eye on them." He does not trust that Sunny has left Grey Mann's side and if he ever catches her try anything that will endanger the team; he won't hesitate to put a bullet between her eyes.


alright guys, this is what I have been able to write so far. I don't have more ideas and unless I suddenly get struck by inspiration then you might have to wait quite a while before I submit a new chapter of Living Darkness.
while I try and figure out where to take this story next, I will instead focus on other stories I have been writing.