"What's going on?"

Acone opened his mouth, but, for once, shut it. This was obviously not the right time. Not least of all because, technically, they very reason they were there was a lie. The "recess" they were supposed to be waiting out ended an hour ago. Now they were calling an emergency vote on how to deal with her news.

"You've all been, well, very nice, but..."

Marshall swallowed, adjusting his tie. This was possibly the least opportune time for her to do this.

Twilight paced around the room. Or, at least, what there was to pace around. The 60's-era loveseat and couch, residue of a failed plan to bring a retro-cool look to the building, took up about a quarter of the room. The flower-print trimming stood start against the plastic, printed walls, looking ghostly in the pale blue light.

"You aren't being nearly as open and honest with me as I have been with you," the unicorn finished, turning around to face the two humans. "People out there were freaking out. And you're both trying to tell me it was nothing."

"It is nothing," Marshall replied, slowly. "Until they say it's something."

Acone shot him a look. "Can we talk?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

"Kyle," Acone muttered, "I think we need to talk. Right now."

Marshal groaned. "Hallway. Now."

The door slid open smoothly in front of him as he paced, his long strides reaching the door far faster than Acone's pudgy legs could carry him. The door was probably sound-proof. That sitting room was normally used to hold speakers who would appear before Congress before they actually did. Considering that this hallway was, at most, ten feet long, and dimly lit, he doubted it saw much activity. Maybe they hadn't bugged it. Or, at least, he hoped they hadn't. Because he had a feeling this conversation was going to be highly illegal.

Kyle was ripped from his thoughts by the noise of the door sweeping shut.

"We gotta tell her," Acone said. His tone of voice was matter-of-fact, not a trace of stress in it.

"No," Marshal snapped, "We don't have to do fucking anything. Are you seriously, seriously suggesting we breach national security just because she looked upset and complained? Are you an idiot?"

"I'm not an idiot," Acone replied, managing to keep his cool. "But half the people out there, on that floor, are. You really think they're gonna come up with a good explanation? They're going to brush it off in some stupid-ass way and the next thing you know, she decides to pull out, and we're left there standing with our dicks in our hands!"

"She can't exactly pull out, can she?" Marshal replied, teeth gritted.

"Pfft. She has magic. She could probably pop out of here right now if she wanted," Acone reasoned, gesturing wildly towards the closed door. "We gotta make sure she don't do that."

"And you think we should just tell her? She's probably lying! She's definitely lying!" Marshall replied, suppressing the urge to scream. "She's dangling bait in front of our faces!"

"No, she isn't," Acone said. He straightened his posture and held out his hands. "Look. Does any of this make sense to you?"

"What? What kind of fucking question–"

"Answer it," Acone said, trying to make his voice as level as possible.

"No!" Kyle said, his voice breaking into a scream for a single word before continuing, "No, it makes no sense, because we have a talking magic unicorn with wings talking about cold fusion on capital-fucking-hill! If they caught the Lincoln Memorial getting out of his chair, standing up, walking across the National Mall, and jerking off the Washington monument at night it would make more sense!"

"Exactly," Acone replied, crossing his arms. "None of this makes any sense. So what do you do when the world's gone crazy?"

"Call a therapist? Give it a lobotomy? Commit suicide?"

"Go crazy with it," Acone said, starting to turn around. Kyle managed to grab his shoulder before he could get back into the room with Twilight.

"This is obviously her trying to assess our military power. We can't tell her what we have. We can't. There's no way we can..."

"Sir?"

Kyle spun around to face the intruder, quickly recognizing him as the assistant secretary to the speaker. "They've voted on what to tell her."

"And?"

"They want to tell her nothing."

"Nothing?" Kyle said, resisting the urge to strangle the bespectacled man. "Nothing? Nothing at all?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, "Pending further hearings."

"So, what, just—just tell her 'fuck you, we're not talking, go back to your hospital bed?'"

"That is correct."

Kyle's eyes drifted to Acone. Somehow, he managed a smile.

"Thanks, secretary. We'll inform her of the situation."

Kyle turned around at the same time the secretary did, teeth clenching in rage. He walked towards the door, trying to keep his blood pressure in check.

"If you get me arrested for treason I am going to fucking kill you," he muttered as he walked past Acone.

Kyle Marshal continued through the door, and into the room with the purple unicorn.

"Mrs. Sparkle."

"Yes?"

"We have to go back to the hospital."

"And about my questions?"

The purple unicorn tapped her hoof on the wood flooring. Kyle looked around. No way this room wasn't bugged, but people rarely used it. Audio only, in all likelihood.

He held up his watch and tapped it. Hopefully, she got the message.

Later.

Author's Note

I live.

I know that I used both "Marshal" and "Kyle" to describe Mr. Kyle Marshal. There is a reason for that.

Otherwise, unedited. I'm working on a secondary chapter now.