The Conversion Bureau: The First Year

by Cloudhammer

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Human, Main 6, Princess Luna, Original Character
Length: 119191

Ponies and Humans meet for the first time and come to terms with a new, shared existence.

It can be said the multiverse is a series of rivers, each one its own reality, all flowing infinitely close to each other, but never touching. When one river receives a sudden influx of energy and overflows its banks, touching another reality in the process, two species must come to terms with their sudden awareness of the other. And as the deeper ramifications of their meeting become apparent, both species must make a choice as one.

While this is a direct sequel to In Duty's Name, it is not required to read it. It is recommended, as it will help you get to know everypony better :)

This is a re-imagining of The Conversion Bureau universe as originally created by Blaze. All Canon characters are (c) Hasbro and Studio B. All Original Characters are (c) to their respective owners

Published 2012-02-28 06:34:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-26 04:11:08 UTC

02 - Face to Face

Week 1, Wednesday-Thursday

Eric rubbed his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time since the first flying pony had emerged from the dome, wondering if this time he’d wake up in his bunk with his fellow pilots still snoring around him and he could put the nightmare of the morning behind him. Upon opening his eyes he confirmed once again that he was already awake, and that things had in fact happened the way he remembered them. Looking back up he saw the winged unicorn who called herself Celestia or something else childish like that was still speaking with the Admiral.

“It has been a pleasure to be able to converse with you this day. Regrettably, I must return to Canterlot. My sister and my subjects will understandably be upset with my sudden disappearance. Will you still be here when I am able to return?”

“I think that would be a safe assumption to make. My superiors will want to keep a friendly set of eyes on that there dome, and even if they didn’t, our engines are shot to shit from it showing up.” William Holt said with a friendly smile on his face.

Eric watched as Celestia seemed to nod in acceptance, even though it seemed she didn’t know what engines were, which was interesting in itself.

“Very well, we shall take our leave for the time being. I shall try to make more time on the next morning, and I look forward to speaking further with you and your superiors if they are able to attend.” With that, the unicorn climbed into the small chariot, and the three with wings spread them and took off, flying low over the water before diving into the dome. Holt kept the smile on his face until they were out of sight and then turned to the crewmen with a scowl.

“You, Simmons, go down below and find out from Engineer Henderson how long it’ll be before he can have our engines up and running. Report to the bridge once you know. Major Jeffries, Lieutenant Molino and Master Chief St. Clair please come with me.” Turning sharply on his heel, the Admiral strode purposefully across the deck towards the island. The three men looked at each other before hurrying to catch up. Climbing the stairwells that led to the command bridge, they were all struck by a sense of melancholy at how empty it was. Crossing over to where an old-fashioned map of the Pacific had been unrolled, Holt took another look at it and marked down a short note next to a red ‘X’. The silence dragged on as the other three men looked uneasily at each other and the quiet figure of the Admiral.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it men, this is officially shit that is way over our pay grades.” Connor took a short breath and broke the silence.

“I don’t think there was anything else that you could have done in the situation sir…” Holt whirled on him, his face a little red.

“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT?” Turning away and gripping the edge of a console tightly, he stared out the window until he’d gotten his anger under control. Letting out a loud sigh and rubbing a hand across his face, he finally pulled a pipe from his pocket along with a small bag of tobacco. Filling the pipe, he replaced the bag and took out a small matchbook. Igniting the tobacco with a few quick puffs, he breathed out a small cloud of acrid smoke.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Gimme your ideas on all of this.” Connor looked at the others before speaking up.

“Well sir, I’m honestly not sure quite what to make of all this. First that dome shows up and kills over half the crew, then next thing we know we’ve got flying, talking ponies coming out of it to take a look around? I dunno if the two are related or not, but I think for now we ought to sit tight, keep playing nice if they come back, and wait for some help to find us. I’m sure they’ve gotten a satellite overhead to find where we are, so maybe they dug up an older ship or something to come look for us, one that won’t shut off when it gets close.”

“Anyone got objections to that?” Bill asked Andrew and Sam. They both looked at each other and shook their heads.

“Alright, then that’s what we’ll do. Andrew, I want you to organize a few teams of men, have them run the boats over to the other ships and tell them the plan. Until then, I want every available man either working on getting things up and running, or collecting the bodies.” The three men snapped to attention.

“Right away sir.”

…

Tapping his foot impatiently on the carpeted aircraft floor, President Foster looked at his watch and then out the window. Too energetic to stay in the seat any longer, he heaved himself up and walked into the conference room, where Curtis Moore, the Chief of Staff, was organizing some paperwork.

“So what’s the rest of the world want Curtis?”

“Oh, the usual. There’s been another meeting of the Security Council called; they want to try to make some headway in ending the fighting in Asia. The head of the EU also called, says there’s an important matter that needs to be discussed. Russia’s wanting to know if we’ll take a stand in deterring the Chinese from making a play for Siberia or not, and the Middle East continues to actually remain calm. Guess President Alder helping the Arab League crush Iran’s military five years ago really has worked out for the better.”

“Seems like business as usual. How about Israel? Are they still making noise about trying to regain our favor?”

“Of course, though I told the Prime Minister that you would take it under due consideration.” Tyler smiled slightly at that, before a small frown crossed his face.

“And those hotspots of radiation? I noticed in the morning brief that there weren’t any reports of new ones anywhere.”

“Not a damn one. It’s like they dried up and disappeared, there’s even reports coming in that a few in the middle of growing abruptly shrunk and were gone without a trace.”

“Keep me informed on anything new we hear, the bastards had to have gone somewhere. Still nothing from Bill or anyone else in the Stennis group?”

“Not a peep, though the satellite overheads have confirmed that the F-15 dispatched from Hickam is on the deck, so the current theory is that the dome disrupted or destroyed all the advanced systems on the ships, which would explain the communication blackout. I spoke with General Carter at Hickam and he says they still have some functional SH 60 Seahawks, so that should be able to get you to the Stennis without any problems once they attach extra fuel pods. Now, as for actually getting there, the John F Kennedy is being held about 100 miles south of the anomaly, so you’ll fly there, refuel and then continue on the rest of the trip.” Curtis paused, ruffling the papers anxiously.

“Speak your mind Curtis, you and I have known each other long enough for you to be able to say what you think around me.” Foster had an idea of what his longtime friend would say, and ended up being right.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea Tyler. I mean, there’s plenty of other people who could be going, who should be going instead. I mean, for Christ’s sake the media’s already raising unholy hell over you not allowing them to come along.”

“I understand your worry Curtis, but I want to get a handle on this situation personally, and without having cameras sending it worldwide for everyone to see, mistakes and all. Don’t worry so much, it’ll all work out.”

“I hope your right about that Tyler, I really do.”

…

“Princess Celestia! Just where in the wide wide world of Equestria did you go?” Twilight shouted as she ran across the throne room to press against her mentor, blushing a second later as she realized everypony was looking at her.

“Relax Twilight my dear, as you can see I am just fine. I just needed to go retrieve something.” Star Dancer, Cloudhammer and Flare all suddenly found the floor in front of their hooves to be very interesting.

“But… but…” Twilight sputtered, a few stray hairs starting to spring out of place from her mane. Wrinkling her nose, she started sniffing at all four of the ponies in front of her. “And just what is that smell?”

“Everypony, I find myself somewhat tired given the events of the day, and would like to take some time to relax. If you’d all return to your homes, I will summon you for a full meeting of the Council this evening. In the meantime, I ask that you continue to perform as admirably as you have so far during these troubled times, and I will speak with you all soon.” The nobleponies all looked at each other in confusion, but after a pointed glance from Celestia the guards began to escort everypony from the room. Finally there were only the Bearers, Celestia, Luna, Cloudhammer, Star Dancer and Flare left. Celestia sighed and walked slowly to the window, staring out at the city and the disc hovering over it.

“What is it sister?” Luna asked, trotting up to the window next to her.

“It appears we have some new neighbors.” Celestia stated simply.

“What do you mean Princess? Just what is going on?” Twilight asked, pushing her mane back into some semblance of order. Her friends all crowded up beside her, each waiting to hear what Celestia said next.

“Just what I said Twilight. It seems that” she indicated the disk with an inclination of her head, “leads to someplace else, where there live creatures that appear to be intelligent. They apparently call themselves humans, and have a very diverse language, not unlike Equestrian.” Turning around, she could see everypony was rooted to the spot, dawning understanding and worry writing itself across their faces, with one glaring exception.

“You mean there’s a whole nother place full of possible new friends?” Pinkie Pie asked, starting to twitch in place like a coiled spring. Applejack and Rarity took a half step away from her, expecting an explosion of confetti and party streamers. Instead, Pinkie simply nodded seriously and sat down.

“Cool.” Everypony sighed a little in relief, and then looked back up as Celestia coughed politely.

“As I was saying, the disk does lead somewhere else; a place that I am not even sure is within Equestria itself. Given the importance of this discovery, I believe that you need to hear this from the start. Star Dancer, as the first pony to go through the disk, if you would please describe what happened to you?”

Star Dancer quailed under all the gazes that were turned his way. He could practically feel the glare his father was giving him, but Celestia’s warm smile gave him a little bit of confidence and he stood back up straight. Taking a deep breath he explained first about his dreams, and how he’d dismissed them as just a side effect of a lack of sleep from helping with the anti-magic fields. Moving to when the disk first appeared in the sky, he described that unexplainable feeling that had driven him to fly into it. He shuddered as he remembered the feeling of flying through a soap bubble and that strange feeling of otherness, only to smile as his nostrils were treated to the memory of the salt in the air. His wing twitched as he described seeing the strange flying monster swooping down on him, dislocating his wing with the force of its passage and forcing him to crash onto the surface of the strange island full of the odd creatures.

“And when I woke up three of them were holding me down, they’d managed to put my wing back into its joint. I panicked and shouted at them, but they didn’t seem to understand Equestrian. One of them then bandaged my wing and side to keep it from moving, and another one made some gesture that indicated all them, me and the roof. I decided to trust them and they led me down some very cramped hallways and up a set of stairs that led out onto the island’s surface. I saw a large group of them gathered around something, and heard my father’s voice. So I pushed through the crowd and started to talk to him, and that’s when we all noticed that Princess Celestia was flying out of the dome on the water’s surface.” All eyes turned to Celestia as she continued the story.

“After landing on the island, which turned out to an enormous oceangoing vessel, I was approached by the apparent leader of the group, and with his cooperation was able to take knowledge of his species’ language from his mind. His name was William Holt,” her mouth twisted oddly as she spoke the strange words, and everypony else muttered them to themselves, trying out different inflections, “and he claimed that he was part of some larger group called the United States Navy, and I believe his rank was Rear Admiral Lower Half.” The throne room echoed to the sound of the strange words as Celestia continued, “I spoke for a short time with him and decided that I would return after the sunrise tomorrow.”

“Are ya’ll sure that was a good idea Princess?” Applejack asked frankly. “Ah mean, Ah like making new friends as much as the next pony, but we don’t know nothin about em.”

“But they did fix Star’s wing AJ, which counts for something, right?” Pinkie asked from where she stood next to Star Dancer, lifting his right wing to prove her point. The tan pegasus jumped in shock, landing on his haunches as everypony else laughed.

“Don’t worry son, you get used to it in time.” Cloudhammer said with tired resignation. Turning back to Celestia, his eyes hardened once again into the Guard stare. “Princess, if you are determined to go, then please at least allow a proper escort to be assembled.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t think anything else.” Celestia said with a slight twinkle in her eyes as she turned to Luna. “And what of you, sister? You’ve been awfully quiet during this whole tale.”

“Do not take my silence the wrong way, sister. I am just as curious as anypony else about this strange new land that has made itself apparent to us. I cannot help but notice that its appearance coincides with the disappearance of the anti-magic fields. What if the connection between them is more than merely coincidence?”

“A very astute analysis Luna, which is why I would ask that you lead a team of the professors and unicorn guards to study the disk and find out anything you can. In the meantime, I am indeed tired and would like to take some time to rest. Twilight, if you’d please accompany me for a moment.”

Nodding, everypony bowed as the sun goddess walked out of the throne room, Twilight following close behind. The unicorn fidgeted, doing her best to contain the dozens of questions that already floated through her head, steadily growing more numerous as the castle halls passed. What did the word ‘human’ mean? Could they use magic? Were they hostile or friendly? How tall did they get? How long did they live? She was so embroiled in her own thoughts that she didn’t even notice they’d arrived at the door to Celestia’s chambers until she had walked headlong into the door. Rubbing her nose in irritation, she looked up at Celestia as the doors swung open.

“You could have at least warned me…” Twilight grumped as the two entered the beautifully furnished room. All of Twilight’s annoyance vanished as she looked in awe at all the beautiful furniture and paintings decorating the walls. She’d never come in here as a filly, and she intently categorized and noted down everything.

A sigh interrupted her train of thought and she looked over to see Celestia lying on the massive bed that took up one whole corner of the room. Twilight blushed in embarrassment and trotted to stand nearby.

“So what did you want to see me about Princess?” Celestia lifted her head to look out the window for a few moments and then swung those ancient eyes to pierce Twilight’s violet ones.

“I want you to accompany me tomorrow morning, to visit these humans again.” Twilight’s mind blanked for a few seconds. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she looked back to Celestia

“Come again?”

“You heard correctly my dear.” Celestia smile warmly as a single stray hair sprang up from Twilight’s mane and the unicorn was off.

“But, but surely there are ponies more qualified than I! I mean, sure I’m pretty good with magic, but I’m still just a filly compared to some of the professors at the School, why not take one of them?” She fell silent as Celestia rose from the bed and moved to stand in front of her.

“You truly are humble for one so gifted. You are my prized student and I feel that you would be invaluable in helping us learn as much as possible about our new neighbors. I know you have it in you, after all you have faced down not only Nightmare Moon but Discord, and the whole affair with journeying to the zebra lands.” Twilight smiled and blushed a little at the praise that Celestia was heaping upon her.

“I’ll… I’ll try my best Princess.”

“I know you will Twilight, now, I am afraid that I must ask you to grant me some peace, I am actually quite tired.” Twilight stared blankly at her for a few seconds before it clicked in her head and she backed out of the chamber, shutting the door behind her. Celestia sighed, idly levitating her crown and other jewelry off and climbing back into bed.

…

“Welcome to Hickam Air Force Base Mr. President!” General Carter shouted over the sound of the engines as they walked hurriedly to a waiting car. Getting in, the car sped off toward the base command center.

“So do we have anything new? Are the creatures still there?”

“No sir, it appears that they returned back through the dome. However, we are currently sending a helicopter with replacement equipment to enable them to communicate with the John F. Kennedy, which will relay the transmission through more conventional channels to here at Hickam. There’ll be some delay, but it’s the best that we can do sir.”

“Alright, then let’s try to get in touch with our boys on those boats.” Tyler concealed his anger at not being able to speak with the creatures right away, but hopefully Bill might have some good news for him.

Pulling up to the central office, Carter led the President down the hallways to the Signals Room, where a frenzy of activity stopped as he walked through the door.

“Don’t stop on my account, you’re all doing just fine. Now where do I sit?”

“Right here sir.” Carter guided Foster to a chair next to a communication officer at a receiver set, with cables running from it into another bulky machine that appeared hastily set up.

“What’s that for?” Foster asked, peering at the device curiously.

“We managed to rig up a basic encryption on the signal. It’s not the best, but it should keep most anyone out for about half an hour or so.” Carter explained.

“Alright, then when will we know when the helicopter gets there?” Foster’s answer came almost as soon as he finished speaking as the set started hissing with static. Finally an audible voice came through.

“…Base. I repeat, this is Echo Base, can anyone hear me on this damn thing?”

“We read you Echo Base, glad to hear you’re alive out there.” The communication officer replied

“Not all of us made it; we took a pretty heavy hit this morning.”

“What’s the status of your battlegroup Echo Base?”

“We’re currently at two-fifths capacity, but managing just fine otherwise.” Everyone in the room winced and turned away to look in their own private direction. President Foster was pale as he tried to grasp the enormity of loss.

“My God, that’s…”

“About 3400 men from the carrier alone sir.” Carter whispered into his ear. Shaking his head in disbelief, Foster rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“Give me the headset.” The comms officer complied immediately, and Foster stood up.

“Echo Base, this is Papa Eagle. I hear you had visitors this morning?”

“Roger that Papa Eagle, they couldn’t stay long, but promised to come back in the morning once we had a chance to get a better handle on things.”

“What’s your opinion on them Echo Base?”

“Well, they seemed nice enough, but you know how that can go Eagle.”

“That I do Echo, that I do. You all hang tight; we’ll be sending some friends for when they come back.”

“Roger that, Echo Base signing off.” The static died off and Foster put the headset on the desk.

“Alright, when will the helicopter be ready to depart?”

“We’re attaching the fuel pods now, in order to get out there and prepared before dawn you would need to depart at midnight.”

“Then I’m going to get a little bit of rest. Wake me at 11.”

“Yes sir, Mr. President.”

…

Luna wasn’t looking forward to this Council meeting. As much as she trusted her sister, she was leery of being so trusting of a species from somewhere that she was increasingly suspicious weren’t from anywhere in Equestria at all. The initial findings from her team had only served to worsen her fears. But, Celestia seemed to have confidence in her course of action and so Luna needed to as well. Sighing lightly, she looked over at Celestia as nobleponies and Guard officers straggled in through the door.

“Are you sure about this ‘Tia? I do not call your judgment into question, but this seems to be moving a little too quickly.”

“I understand your worry Luna, I do. I admit to a little trepidation myself, but I also feel that this opportunity is one that we have a chance to seize on now before anypony on either side jumps to conclusions. As much as I loathe to admit it, Star Dancer’s reckless behavior may have worked out for the best in the long run. I only hope that Cloudhammer hasn’t disciplined the poor stallion too harshly. Now, let’s put on a brave face for the nobles, they’ll be looking to us for guidance.” Rising as the last of the nobleponies took their places, Celestia nodded at Cloudhammer, who secured the doors and then paced around the large table to stand next to Celestia and General Amber Dusk, the unicorn giving his compatriot a nod.

“My dear friends and fellow ponies, I am glad to see that you all were able to attend this most important Council meeting. The news I have to share with you is something of great import and will, I hope, change Equestria for the better. This morning, a pegasus acting on his own initiative flew into the disk and discovered that it leads to somewhere else. There was a large vessel there, whose crew was courteous enough to allow him to land on it. I traveled there with a small escort to locate the missing pegasus and conversed with the vessel’s captain briefly. I learned that his species calls itself humans, and that he and his crew belong to a nation called the United States.” The assembled ponies were deathly silent as the two strange words echoed around them.

“I was regrettably unable to converse further with him, but assured him that I would return after raising the sun tomorrow morning, so that more formal diplomatic relations could be established between our two races. I feel that given time and effort, we can call these humans friends of all Equestria. I now open this meeting to questions.”

As expected, every pony started shouting questions, some banging their hooves on the table until a large white unicorn stallion lit his horn and boomed out in a magically amplified voice.

“BE SILENT, ALL OF YOU!” Gradually, the other ponies quieted down and Celestia nodded her thanks to the speaker.

“I recognize Sir Fancypants, what question do you have?” Inclining his head gratefully, he turned instead to his fellow nobles.

“My friends, what Princess Celestia tells us truly is astounding news. As shocking as it is to encounter a new species, we ponies have managed to exist in cooperation with every species encountered before, from Diamond Dogs to dragons to griffons to zebras. I know that if we maintain the spirit of harmony that had guided us for a thousand years and more, we will manage to exist in cooperation with these humans too. So what say you?”

The other ponies looked at each other, before a few of them started to stamp their hooves on the floor. It spread quickly, and soon everypony present was stamping their hooves in support. Celestia smiled and once the furor died down she raised her voice slightly.

“Then I bid you all a good evening. Rest well, tomorrow is a bright new day for all of us, and will require all of us to do our very best.” As the nobleponies left, Fancypants lingered and politely refused the guard’s indication that he leave. He approached the throne and bowed deeply, rising when Celestia bade him to.

“I thank you for your strong words Fancypants. I do admit that the meeting would have dragged on much longer had you not intervened.” Fancypants nodded humbly.

“I of course serve at the pleasure of the Princesses and Equestria. I do wish you the best of luck with your next meeting with these, how did it go… ah, humans. May I ask if you are taking a representative to accompany you?”

“I am sorry, but I have already selected somepony of more than adequate talent for the job. I am certain you shall get a chance to meet humans as well my dear.” With a nod of his head, Fancypants turned and trotted away. Stopping at the door, he looked back.

“I do hope you and Miss Sparkle have a wonderful trip.” With a wink, he trotted through the doors and out of sight.

“I find him dangerous Celestia.” Cloudhammer said, rising to his hooves.

“Indeed he is Cloudhammer, but he’s the right kind of dangerous. Don’t worry so much about him. Have you assembled a team to take us back through the disk?”

“Yes, the team pulling the royal chariot will consist of myself, Captain Sky Shimmer, First Lieutenant Willow Spark and First Lieutenant Dawn Breeze. Captain Flare will also be riding in the chariot with yourself and Miss Sparkle.”

“I thought Dawn Breeze was a Second Lieutenant?” Celestia asked cheerfully as they walked towards the doors and turned toward the royal chambers.

“She served with distinction during the crisis, and I felt that her promotion was long overdue.” Cloudhammer replied evenly.

“I’m glad to see you seem to be adjusting well to being in a position you railed against for so many years." She chuckled lightly as they reached the doors to her room.

“Sleep well Princess.” Cloudhammer replied with a toss of his head as he trotted away.

“Thank you Cloudhammer, say hello to Morning Sun for me. And don’t go too hard on Star Dancer, I recall a certain young, hot-blooded pegasus doing far too many dangerous things about forty-five years ago.” Celestia called after his retreating form, laughing as his wings ruffled. Trotting into her chambers, she went to the balcony and reached out toward the sun, feeling the usual sense of her consciousness expanding to encompass all of Equestria. However, to her surprise the feeling kept going, giving her a peculiar sensation of water, metal and unfamiliar flesh. In shock she realized that she was feeling the area immediately around the dome on the other side. Concentrating her perception she could feel the edge of the disk tingling against her mind, like when a limb that’s been asleep starts to wake up. With a start she realized that the disk was growing, incredibly slow, but growing nonetheless. Returning her focus to lowering the sun, she pondered how best to address that concern.

…

President Foster groused to himself as the helicopter sliced through the dark of the predawn morning, angled in low with its running lights on at full power. As they drew closer closer to the Stennis group Foster noted a strange, buzzing static coming through the helmet he was wearing before the radio finally cut out. The helicopter’s engine groaned as most of the lights on the panel went out, but with a gut-wrenching lurch the pilot horsed the helicopter back into level flight. A few minutes passed before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he could see Curtis pointing out the front window. Squinting, Foster could see a dark streak against the lighter water, a softly glowing dome of light visible a short distance away. The pilot flashed a light towards the object, and another series of flashes came back. Banking, the pilot soon had the helicopter settling smoothly onto the carrier deck. Unstrapping himself, Foster waited for one of the two Secret Service agents to open the door before disembarking, hurrying across toward the island, where a small crowd could be seen waiting.

“Permission to come aboard Admiral?” Foster asked as he saluted.

“Permission granted, Mr. President. Sorry we couldn’t put together a bigger reception for you.” The strain in Bill’s voice was clear.

“My condolences for your losses Bill. Wish there were more that we could do. We’ll be sending recovery vessels as soon as possible to recover your dead. Now, what have you got for me?” Foster hated being so callous with a friend, but time was of the essence.

“Well sir, its one hell of a tale. The first one flew up out of the dome over there, got caught in the jet wash of the F-15, and tumbled onto the deck with a dislocated wing. My senior surviving pilot, Major Jeffries, caught it, and he brought it down to the ship’s infirmary. Lieutenant Molino helped set its limb, after which time it tried to communicate with us to no avail. During this time, two more of them came out of the dome, a unicorn riding in a chariot pulled by another pegasus. These two were both wearing gold armor, and the chariot was obviously crafted with care. They landed on the deck, with my surviving MAAs setting up defensive positions in case hostilities ensued. The pegasus attempted communication but again with no success. The first one was brought back on deck by Molino and Major Jeffries, and it appeared that the two pegasus… pegasi? In any case, it appeared that the two were related. By this time, I’d gotten tired of waiting in the island and was making my way to see what was going on with my own eyes. Then a big one with both wings and a horn flew up out of the dome and landed on the deck. The other three had their chins to the deck so fast I was expecting them to go cross-eyed. The big one talked to them briefly, and then tried to talk to me. When that didn’t work, its horn lit up and some strange light wrapped around my head. Felt damn peculiar but when it was done, it smiled and spoke perfect English at me. Asked my name and everything. Spoke to her for a little while, and she said that her name was Princess Celestia of Equestria or something like that.”

“She?” Foster asked curiously.

“I know how it sounds Tyler, but her voice was definitely a girl’s. The others all seemed to be males, far as I could and was willing to tell.”

“Well, in any case you did good Bill. Damn good considering the circumstances of the morning.” Foster turned as the sun was beginning to rise over the edge of the horizon.

“I suppose Tyler, doesn’t make it any easier.” Bill turned to watch the sun creep into the sky. They didn’t have to wait long. Not five minutes after the sun had started its climb into the sky, a burst of gold and white could be seen as four pegasi flew up out of the dome. A large chariot soon followed, carrying a trio of forms on it that resolved into that of the winged unicorn from yesterday, a gold-armored unicorn, and a purple unicorn.

In an obviously well-practiced maneuver, the four pegasi angled in and smoothly came to a halt on the deck. The gold armored unicorn immediately disembarked and took up position with the pegasi unhitching themselves from the front. The winged unicorn and the purple one got off next and, flanked by armored bodies on both sides, walked forwards to stand before Foster, Curtis and Bill. The Secret Service agents tensed slightly, the five armored ones doing the same.

The winged unicorn spoke softly to the pegasi and unicorn and after a moment they relaxed a hair. Foster gestured to the agents and they let their arms hang a little more loosely at their sides. Looking back to the winged unicorn, he smiled the best politician’s smile he could.

“Greetings, my name is Tyler Foster. I am the President of the United States. This is Curtis Moore, my Chief of Staff, and you have already met Read Admiral Holt. I am very pleased to extend this greeting on behalf of both myself and the people of the United States of America.” The winged unicorn inclined her head gracefully.

“I am Princess Celestia, one of the rulers of Equestria, along with my sister Princess Luna. You have already met General Cloudhammer and Captain Flare,” she indicated the pegasus standing next to her and the unicorn, “my other escorts are Captain Sky Shimmer, First Lieutenant Dawn Breeze, and First Lieutenant Willow Spark. Finally, this is Twilight Sparkle, my personal protégé. I am also very pleased to extend my sincerest greetings on behalf of all of our subjects, with the hope that our two races can come together for the benefit of us all.”

Foster looked over the gold-armored… ponies, was what they looked like, he realized. He could tell that each of them was much like his own Secret Service agents, utterly dedicated to their cause. Looking next to the purple unicorn, he could tell that this one was out of its element. Comparing it to the five others he surmised that this one was a female, given that he knew the gold ones were males. Finally bringing his eyes to the winged unicorn, he could tell that this one was different, and not because she had wings and a horn. It was in the eyes, like it always was. The magenta orbs looked serenely back at his blue, and he could tell that there was power behind those eyes.

Finally making up his mind, President Tyler Foster took a step forward and extended his hand. Looking at his hand curiously for a moment, Princess Celestia took a step forward and extended her hoof. Taking it gently in his hand, Foster gave it a delicate shake, and then released it. The two leaders regarded each other for a moment with their best smiles on.

“Well met, President Tyler Foster.”

“Well met, Princess Celestia.”

03 - Upon the World's Stage

Week 2, Monday-Tuesday

Celestia smiled charmingly at the human, her magenta eyes swiftly analyzing and dissecting as much as she could. She could already tell that he seemed to either possess no magic, or was incredibly talented at hiding it. His lack of questions about the source of the dome suggested that he either hadn’t made the connection… no, his eyes were too sharp for that. So if he suspected involvement on her part, why not ask about it? Turning her senses to the one known as William Holt, she could feel the same sense of duty and honor, but now underlying it was anger and resentment. He undoubtedly blamed her for the dome’s appearance, but what was making him feel such rage? Finally pulling her senses away, she finished speaking the last word of her sentence and tilted her head as the human spoke almost the same line with a similar smile. She wondered idly if he’d been trying to analyze her to figure out as much as he could. Her thoughts whirled back into their usual laser focus as he continued to speak.

“As beautiful as the sunrise here is, might I suggest going inside where the wind is less biting?” Tyler had noted that the purple unicorn was starting to shiver slightly with the cold. After a moment of thought, Celestia spoke with the four pegasus guards, and the one she’d called Cloudhammer furrowed his eyebrows before nodding in resignation, speaking firmly to the other three. They didn’t seem too happy either, but took up positions around the chariot and then just froze, almost like statues rather than living things. Celestia turned back and smiled at him with that same expression of serene self-assurance.

“Of course, lead the way. I do hope it is not a problem if General Cloudhammer and Captain Flare accompany us as well.”

Tyler shook his head. “No, of course not. Admiral, might we be able to make use of your pilot’s ready room?”

Bill blinked a little before nodding slowly. “Sure Tyler, I’ll send a runner ahead to clear the way. Simmons, make yourself useful!” The crewman started for a bit before saluting and heading off toward the island, disappearing through the door.

Tyler turned back to Celestia and gestured toward the door. “Then let us be on our way.” Bill took the front along with Tyler and the Secret Service agents, with Cloudhammer, Celestia, Twilight and Flare following. Making their way down the hallways, they eventually came to a large room with lots of seats and what even looked like a chalkboard up at the front. Twilight, forgetting herself for a moment, trotted eagerly forward and sniffed at the board and the chalk. Her horn lit as she picked up a piece and examined it intently. It felt just like a piece of chalk from any classroom back in Ponyville’s schoolhouse.

“Princess! This is chalk! It’s the same as the chalk we use back home!” She exclaimed happily, turning around to see everypony else in the room staring at her with a mix of amusement, curiosity, and stern disapproval in the case of Cloudhammer. Blushing, she set the chalk back down and trotted over to sit on the floor next to Celestia.

Nodding slowly, President Foster turned and walked over to stare at the dry erase board with the list of pilots and duty assignments. “Alright, now that we have some privacy, there are some unpleasant questions that need to be answered. First, were you behind the creation of that dome?”

Celestia tilted her head, for a rare moment the alicorn finding herself slightly unsure of how to answer. On one hoof the disk was more than likely formed by the merging of the anti-magic fields, which they’d had no part in creating. On the other hoof, their use of the Elements of Harmony had caused that merging in the first place and thus they did bear at least part of the responsibility.

“We may have accidentally created the dome through an attempt to save Equestria from a phenomenon that was threatening to destroy the magic that fills our land. What makes you ask?”

Foster didn’t say anything at first, but his knuckles turned white as he clenched his hands tight. “There’s something you need to know, Princess. The approximate crew complement on a ship such as this is about five thousand, six hundred and eighty men. Do you know how many men are alive on this ship right now as a result of that dome appearing yesterday?” He turned before Celestia could answer; his face twisted with both anger and sadness. “Two thousand, two hundred and seventy two. That means that dome killed three thousand, four hundred and eight men on this ship alone. Over thirty four hundred men murdered by something they couldn’t even see, couldn’t protect themselves from as it swept through this ship. The other ships in this battlegroup have suffered similar losses, bringing the dead to four thousand, five hundred and ninety”

The color drained from Celestia’s face as her wings unfurled, falling limply to the floor. Cloudhammer and Flare instantly reacted, putting themselves between Celestia and Foster. The Secret Service agents put themselves in front of Foster, both reaching inside their coats. Twilight, not knowing what the human had just said to Celestia but that it had to have been bad, pressed up against her mentor, nuzzling her in an attempt to make her feel better.

“What’s wrong Celestia? Tell me.” Twilight demanded, a note of desperation in her voice.

“Four thousand, five hundred and ninety lost?” Celestia barely whispered, not even noticing that she’d spoken it in Equestrian. Twilight, putting two and two together, sat down heavily and clapped a hoof to her mouth in horror, trying not to be sick. Even Cloudhammer and Flare’s jaws dropped in shock, both Guardponies trying to come to grips with such a large number.

President Foster, guessing what she’d said from the look on her face, nodded again, his anger back under the leash. “Now that you know the cost of what saving your homeland has inflicted on us, I feel that we are owed some answers from you peo… ponies. What intentions do you harbor in coming here?”

Celestia shook her head slightly, clearing the last of the horror of that number from her mind. “None, beyond seeking to learn about this unfamiliar place we find ourselves neighbors to.”

“What can you offer us as proof of that? So far the majority of what we’ve seen only indicates a militaristic society.” His voice was once again back to mostly normal, only a hint of strain visible as he indicated Cloudhammer and Flare.

“I can only offer you my word as Princess of Equestria and Regent of the Sun that we had no idea that taking the actions we did would cause such harm to your subjects, President Tyler Foster. If it would not be an insult, may I see your dead? I would offer my respects and condolences to them and to your survivors.”

President Foster was put on the back foot by the question. To be fair he had expected her to ask it, but the naked sincerity in her voice was surprising. Looking at the other three ponies, he could see that all of them had the same look of sorrow and shame in their eyes. The gold armored pair muttered briefly to each other while the purple one, Twilight Sparkle was her name, looked up to her mentor in support. He wrestled with the answer for a few more seconds before sighing heavily and looking to Admiral Holt.

“Well Bill, this is your ship, your men. I’ll let you make the call.”

“Gee, thanks a lot Tyler.” Bill struggled with himself on the inside. On the one hand, he desperately wanted something to channel all the rage and sorrow he felt for the deaths of his men, and these ponies sure presented a good target. But on the other, if it was truly an accident, then what was he supposed to do? With a shake of his head he looked up.

“I’ll allow them to pay their respects. But in exchange, I say they gotta do something to start makin' it up for what they’ve done, unintentionally or not. That sound reasonable enough to you, Tyler?”

Nodding, Foster turned back to Celestia. “Well? What’s your answer, Princess?”

Celestia looked down at her protégé, then to Cloudhammer and Flare. Seeing their trust in her, she looked back up. “We will do what we can, within reason of course.”

Foster narrowed his eyes, not liking the last part, but decided to take what he could get for now and turned to Bill. “Alright then Bill, lead the way. Let’s pay our respects.”

Admiral Holt nodded, and led them out of the ready room, traveling down the hallways and narrow stairwells until they at last emerged onto the main deck. All the ponies were awed at the vast space, which was filled with fighter craft in varying stages of repair. As they looked around though, their faces fell as they saw the one entire side had its floor covered in white-wrapped forms, placed around and under the fighters to maximize room. The corpse retrieval detail slowly stopped its work as the mixed group made its way across the deck to stand in front of the rows of bodies.

Celestia took a step forward, unfurling her wings and closing her eyes. Opening her mouth, she started to sing, some wordless tune that seemed to cause the deck under everyone and everypony present to hum in time with it. Cloudhammer, Flare, and Twilight, all recognizing the song, closed their eyes and lowered their heads; each murmuring their own private entreaty for forgiveness from the dead and the living. As Celestia’s song continued, it almost seemed to come alive, the sounds wrapping back around to sing in harmony with her own voice. The assembled crewmen were spellbound despite themselves, some even finding tears falling down their cheeks as the Princess sang her mournful dirge.

With a final, wavering high note the song faded into silence as Celestia lowered her head, a pair of tears falling from her eyes to land on the deck. She lifted her head and turned to the assembled humans.

“Nothing can return the lives of those lost, but know that Equestria extends a hoof in friendship, to mend the wound that has marked the start of our two races’ co-existence. I hope that you will be willing to work with us to understand how our worlds came to meet and forge a brighter future together.” The men all looked at each other uncomfortably, and then moved aside as Major Jeffries pushed his way to the front. Looking at Celestia evenly, he turned to look at the rows of bodies behind her. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he stared blankly at the deck for a few seconds before looking up.

“One of my best friends, Jacob Heinrich, is dead today because of that fucking dome. God knows that pisses me the hell off. I don’t know if I ever can truly forgive you… but I know that Jacob wouldn’t want me lingering on his death. So if you and yours are willing to try to make amends, I might as well give it a shot.” Nodding once to the Admiral and the President, he turned and rejoined the men. Looking at each other, more than a few could be seen shaking their heads or glowering angrily. However, the majority of the men present seemed to agree with Connor’s opinion.

President Foster nodded, and turned to face Celestia. “Aright, now there are a lot of things we need to discuss about…” he trailed off as an ensign came running up, a note held in her hand. Handing it to Admiral Holt, she saluted the President and stood there as Holt read the message.

“Well crap, guess it was gonna happen sooner or later.” He commented wryly as he handed the note to Foster.

“What is it?” Celestia walked over, peering at the note and its unreadable letters as Foster’s eyes hardened.

“Cat’s out of the bag now. They know about you all.” Celestia tilted her head curiously.

“Who knows?”

“Everyone.”

…

President Foster practically ran into the communications room, followed closely by everyone else. The already small room felt even smaller as Foster picked up the headset.

“… is Apache calling Echo Base for Papa Eagle.”

“This is Papa Eagle, talk to me.”

“Eagle, we’re going to need you back here soon, the wolves are at the door and won’t take no for an answer.”

“Roger that Apache, I’ll be coming back soon. Will need to thank our guests for their time.”

“Don’t take too long Eagle; we’ll keep the lights on.”

President Foster put down the headset and took a few deep breaths. Standing up, he gestured for everyone to clear out into the hallway. “Well, that was to be expected, but I was hoping to have a little more time before this broke. Curtis, make a note to schedule a press conference at the Oval Office as soon as possible. We’ll need to try and get a handle on this as soon as possible to avoid a panic.” Turning to Celestia, he looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “How good are you at giving speeches?”

“I’ve had some practice over the last thousand years.” Celestia admitted with a small smile.

Foster froze for a second, mouth working as his brain wrapped itself around that fact. “You’re a thousand years old… you know what? That doesn’t even surprise me, but good, might as well take advantage of it while we can.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, confusion clear on her face.

“Since the rest of the world now knows you exist, might as well have you introduce yourself. And I know just the place to do it.” Foster said with a smirk.

…

“Sound check, mics look good, video?” One technician called out

“Video’s good, feed is running, they’re set back at the station for this. How’s makeup?”

“Makeup is done, he’s ready to go.”

“Alright, let’s make it happen people. We are live in five, four, three, two…” The lead technician pointed to the President on ‘two’, and Foster's face settled into the solemn expression Curtis had advised as the red light clicked on.

“My fellow Americans. By now I’m sure you’ve seen the images that have been widely circulated online and through the televised news outlets. I want to first inform you that the US Government is well on top of the situation, and I am here today to explain what we know and what will be coming in the future. Two days ago on February 27th, at 4:21AM local time, the USS John C Stennis and her accompanying battlegroup, making her final voyage for decommissioning, was struck by an unknown type of radiation. I regret to inform you at this time that the lives of nearly four thousand, six hundred American lives have been lost. The Stennis battlegroup is currently undergoing repairs and will be operational again shortly.” Taking a drink from the cup of water on the podium, Foster took a moment to compose his thoughts for the big item on everyone’s mind tonight.

“However, there is another part of this story which I’m sure will be remembered throughout history. After the Stennis battlegroup was struck by this radiation, a dome of light appeared on the water’s surface a short distance away. Initially paying no attention to it due to tending to their ships, the true import of the dome went unnoticed. However, approximately three hours after the dome's appearance, something so extroadinary it would be at home in a fairy tale emerged. What came out of the dome was a pegasus. You heard me correctly; a pegasus. It was injured in a near miss with one of our F-15 Eagle fighter jets, which had been sent to find the Stennis and learn what happened. Our excellent naval medical officers were able to tend to him, and return him to the others that had come looking for him.” Taking another drink, Foster looked square at the camera.

“That is not all, however. After the young pegasus was returned, another one came from the dome, this one a winged unicorn. It was able to learn our language from Admiral William Holt, and introduced herself as Princess Celestia, ruler of a land known as Equestria. She spoke briefly with the Admiral and then returned with the others. Upon learning of this, I went out to the Stennis to get a firsthand look at the damage, and to have a chance to converse with Princess Celestia myself. During that conversation, she expressed her sincerest regrets for the loss of life, and paid her respects for the dead. She also assured me that her people are just as worried about the appearance of an entirely new species a proverbial stone’s throw away as we are, but are optimistic that together we can come to a mutual understanding for our shared future. To that end, I have formally requested that she present herself and speak before the United Nations assembly in 3 days time. In the meantime, I ask that you continue to remain calm, and know that your government is doing everything it can to keep you all safe. Good evening, and God bless America.” Waiting a few seconds after the red light turned off, Foster took the mic off and tossed it carelessly onto the table.

“Alright Curtis, how’d I do?”

“I’d say fairly well, initial responses are mixed, but given the nature of the bombshell you just dropped on them that’s to be expected. Congress is mulling over your request for them to support your formal recognition of Equestria as a sovereign nation, though I expect them to give it the go-ahead once they get over the whole shock of it. Tyler, are you sure this is the right course to take? We’re moving awfully fast on this and I’m worried that we haven’t…”

“Curtis, I know it’s your job, but you worry too much. If we hadn’t moved fast to make friends with them, who would have? Any one of the Asian countries? Russia? No, we had the opportunity and the motive, given that the Stennis group was right on top of the damn dome. I’m just hoping this thing at the UN doesn’t turn into a total disaster, do we have the updated list of who’s going to be there in person?”

“Yes sir, it’s as predicted, most of the normal ambassadors are being told to sit this one out. Everyone wants a chance to kiss ass, I suppose.” The two men laughed, and even the Secret Service agents allowed a slight smile to lift the corner of their mouths.

“Alright, then let’s cross our fingers and hope that the Princess can handle being in front of a possibly hostile crowd. I’m sure at least some of them will start quoting Bible scripture before it’s all said and done.”

…

“’Tia, are you really going to allow these humans to take you to stars know where and face down an entire mob of them?” Luna followed her sister as they left the throne room after another round of discussion about making sure that the news about what lay on the other side of the disk was spread carefully. Already the Council was being overwhelmed by the influx of letters from all over Equestria, and fortunately most of the letters were positive. A few negative ones came in, but careful placement of ponies who knew more made sure no misinformation was spread.

“I know its sudden Luna, but if we’re going to make a good impression on this species, it behooves us to act accordingly. Now, I’ve been told that the journey should only take three days, four at the most, so I’ve organized the daily business so you shouldn’t have too hard of a time handling things. Now, should I become preoccupied or otherwise unable to, can you handle the sun?”

“Yes, ‘Tia, I can do just fine!” Luna stamped her hoof in a decidedly un-Princess like manner, before laughing lightly with her sister. Letting out a little sigh as the laughter died down, she looked out the window where the now obviously larger disk could be seen. “I’m just worried about you.”

“I know Luna, I know. However, I won’t be alone. I’ll have Twilight, Cloudhammer and Flare accompanying me. We’ll be back before you know it, I promise!”

On the other side of the castle, six friends were gathered around their seventh friend, who was busy fretting over getting packed.

“Twi, Ah’ve told ya fer the thousandth time, ya’ll don’t need to pack all those books! You’ll only be gone for the couple days.” Applejack sighed as she pushed another pile of books away from Twilight.

“But I might need those books!” Twilight flailed frantically before Rarity interposed herself in front of the distraught unicorn.

“Darling, you must simply calm down! This disgraceful state is not helping anypony! Now come on, let’s repack your bags so you’ll have just what you’re sure you will need, and nothing more. After all, you don’t want to be a bother to any humans who may have to handle your luggage, do you?”

“N-no, I guess not.” Twilight admitted sheepishly.

“Besides! I bet you’ll make plenty of new friends while you’re gone! I’m so jealous!” Pinkie Pie as usual was bouncing in place like a self-propelled spring.

“Just keep an eye out Twilight. They may seem nice now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to pull a fast one on you.” Rainbow Dash emphasized, though secretly she was jealous that Twilight got to go on a big adventure.

“Please be careful Twilight…” Fluttershy whispered, her face creased by worry.

Twilight turned to the seventh member of the group, who’d been silently sitting over by the window of their old room. Trotting over to him and sitting down beside him, she looked out the window for a few moments before sighing softly.

“It’s been a long time since we lived here, huh Spi…” Twilight was cut off by the dragon throwing his arms around her neck.

“Don’t go Twilight, I’m really worried.” Smiling tenderly Twilight nuzzled the baby dragon.

“I know Spike, but Princess Celestia needs me, and you know she wouldn’t let anypony hurt me, right? Now I need you to be brave for both of us while I’m gone. Who knows, maybe the humans have some tasty gemstones I could pick up for you.” Spike nodded, visibly brightening at the mention of gems. Turning to her friends, Twilight could feel the tears starting to well up. But as she opened her mouth to speak, she found herself swept up into an enormous group hug. Smiling despite the tears, she silently thanked Celestia yet again for sending her to Ponyville all those months ago.

“Alright ya’ll, let’s get some shuteye. Twi’s got a big couple a days ahead of her and she’ll need some sleep.” Nodding their agreement, everypony finished getting their sleeping mats out and were soon snoring peacefully under the light of the moon.

…

As the vehicle that reminded her of Pinkie's flying contraption landed for the second time, Twilight felt like she was going to be sick again. The saving grace was that she’d already emptied the contents of her stomach during the first flight, and so was reduced to dry heaves. Captain Flare was just as bad off, and even Cloudhammer seemed a little queasy. Princess Celestia was the only pony who seemed unaffected by the trip, and as the noise died down and the door opened, she gently set hoof onto the strange ground as if nothing were amiss. Stumbling after her, Twilight looked around blearily before gasping in shock at what was in front of her. It towered over her, easily as big as a dragon, four massive pods under its wings howling like a hurricane. A human ran up to them and shouted something to Celestia, who nodded and turned to Twilight.

“Are you still feeling ill, Twilight?” Shaking her head to clear it, the purple unicorn stood up straighter.

“Nope! Just fine now!” She punctuated her statement with a short laugh, though her eyes said otherwise.

“Well, this vehicle looks much more stable than our previous conveyance, so I am sure you’ll be just fine.” Together, the four ponies all walked to the set of stairs that were attached to the side. Twilight marveled at the revelation that the stairs had wheels, and promptly forgot about them as she entered the inside of the vehicle. Pressing her hooves repeatedly into the soft floor, she pranced down the aisle, sniffing curiously at the weird seats. Turning the corner, she nearly ran headlong into a human, this one wearing something like a dress, though cut differently from the ones Twilight was used to. With a yelp Twilight managed to avoid knocking into her, and the human shied away as well.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there!” Twilight managed to sputter out before realizing the human had no idea what she was saying. Smiling awkwardly, Twilight backed up and hurried to stand near Celestia, who was speaking with another human, this one dressed more like the ones she’d seen already. The human placed a bag on a nearby seat and spoke a few more sentences. Nodding politely to the human, who turned around and entered a room full of flashing lights, Celestia turned to the other ponies and smiled.

“Good news! I’ve spoken with the human who will be in charge of this vehicle, and he has informed me that we will reach our destination in approximately nine hours.” Twilight nodded before gasping.

“N-nine hours! What in Equestria are we to do during that time?” Celestia’s perpetual smile only widened as she nodded to Cloudhammer, who opened the bag with a tug of his teeth. Peeking inside, Twilight gasped again as she beheld the shining wonders within.

“I’d thought you could use something to pass the time, so I inquired about these from the humans on the second vessel. I was told a good one to start with would be on top.” Twilight almost didn’t hear her, her horn lighting as she reached out to take the first treasure from within. Suddenly the lights dimmed and angry shouting could be heard from up in the front.

“Twilight, I do advise you refrain from using your magic while we are onboard. Remember, it seems the tools these humans use do not react well to our magic, and neither do they.” Twilight flattened her ears and nodded, before taking the bag in her mouth and hurrying down a few rows, turning a corner and disappearing from view.

“Do you want one of us to keep an eye on her, Celestia?” Flare asked dryly, earning a sharp look from Cloudhammer.

“No, I believe she’ll be just fine on her own. Now, let’s get settled, I might even try napping a bit.”

Further down the aisle, Twilight was utterly absorbed by the contents of the bag, gingerly lifting out the first precious object. Her mouth did not like the strange taste of the material as she set it down. Her eyes traced over the brightly colored letters and the smiling face of the green frog on the cover. Nosing it open, she could see a single letter and an ant on the page, along with a red button. Gingerly pressing it with a hoof, she jumped as a strangely flat voice spoke from a set of holes in the corner.

“A is for Ant…” The corners of Twilight’s mouth lifted up into a smile.

…

With a gentle thump, the wheels set down and the massive airplane rolled to a stop, before slowly being pulled to a waiting bus with tinted black windows. The assembled news media pushed and jostled against each other, every one of them hoping to get the all-important first shot. The door opened as the stairs were pushed up against the side of the plane, and the cameras came up as one. The first form out of the door nearly made some of them pause, its gold armor shining in the amber light of the setting sun. The brown eyes swept the area before it began to gingerly make its way down the stairs, the horn on its forehead clearly visible. The next to exit the aircraft made some of the younger photographers take a short gasp, as they gawked at the mutlicolored mane billowing against the breeze. The magenta eyes visible through their viewfinders seemed to pick each of them out despite the distance, a knowing smile on its muzzle as it delicately walked down the stairs as naturally as if walking on flat ground. The cameras captured perfectly the details of the horn and wings, both elegant as if carved from marble and given life. Closely following the white form was a smaller purple unicorn, its violet eyes darting about nervously. Bringing up the rear was another gold armored one, its coat white as driven snow and with wings instead of a horn. The cameras that focused in on him brought into sharp view the cold blue eyes that were simultaneously inhuman and yet carried an all too familiar strain at the corners.

Following the group as they entered the bus which quickly sped off, the photographers all lowered their respective devices and looked at each other.

“Well fuck, guess it’s real now.” One of the younger ones commented off-hand, to the nods of the others.

…

Cloudhammer blinked his eyes blearily as he lifted his head from the strange couch. The materials used in it were incredible, as soft as anything he’d slept on in Canterlot. Looking toward the door, he could see Flare sitting right where he’d left him, and nodded as he pushed himself to his hooves.

“I’ll say this for these humans, they sure do know how to make some interesting things.” The russet pegasus shook himself to loosen the cricks that had formed, before climbing awkwardly off the bed and trotting toward what he assumed was the bathroom.

“Flare, how in the name of the Sun does this thing work?” Shaking his head, the unicorn trotted into the bathroom as well, seeing his friend staring peculiarly at the white chair-like object sitting next to the sink.

“I’m not sure; let me get a closer look at it.” Flare sniffed curiously at what had to be a lid, before carefully nosing it open. Peering inside, he could see a modest pool of water. “Well, if I had to hazard a guess, you do your business in here, but I don’t see a pull cord anywhere…” Trailing off, he spotted a small silver piece attached to the side. Pawing at it with a hoof, he finally pushed it down and reared back as the water suddenly swirled down into the bottom.

“That has to be one of the most moronic ways of making a toilet I’ve ever seen,” Cloudhammer muttered darkly, before he inclined his head to the door. Flare grinned cheekily as he trotted out, pulling the door closed behind him. Turning, he abruptly shed the smile as Celestia filled his field of view, the alicorn beaming at him

“Everything alright in there?”

“Yes your Highness, just helping General Cloudhammer figure out the human’s strange bathroom.” Both ponies turned as a thud could be heard, followed by a stream of curses that tinged Celestia’s cheeks pink.

“Well, so long as he doesn’t hurt himself in there. How did you sleep?”

“Very well, thank you for asking your Majesty. How about yourself?”

“I admit I did sleep for a time, but found that when I rose to raise the sun that it was already rising, and that I couldn’t seem to reach it.” Flare frowned, while he didn’t know the specifics of raising the sun, surely Celestia should be able to touch the sun here as well.

“What do you think it means?”

“Well, after the initial shock, I came to the conclusion that perhaps this universe’s sun and moon move on their own, with nopony helping at all. It’ll take some getting used to I suppose, but means I could actually sleep in if I so chose” Thinking hard about it, Flare came to the conclusion that it did make some sense, at least. Before either pony could continue the sound of the toilet flushing could be heard. Both of them made sure the grins were wiped off their muzzles as Cloudhammer opened the door, his face marred by a scowl as he trotted to his armor and began to put it on. Wisely choosing not to say anything, Flare turned and walked into the bedroom, only to shy away in shock at the scandalous position he found Twilight in. The purple unicorn let out a raucous snore, muzzle first in a book with several others scattered around her.

“I told her that she wasn’t under any pressure, but she insisted on continuing to read until the very last second.” Celestia moved past Flare into the room, nosing the sleeping Twilight until she jolted awake.

“Moratorium means a legally authorized waiting period of delay in the performance of a legal obligation of the payment of a debt!” She shouted in slightly broken English, the strange words’ meaning lost on Flare. Celestia only beamed at her student.

“And just how far did you get into the human dictionary before falling asleep?” Twilight looked up at her sheepishly.

“Well, I had already read through it while we were on the… airplane? Yes, airplane’s the word. So I decided to go back and reread some parts again."

“I see. Now come on, pack your bags. We’ll be leaving to address this United Nations soon and we need to look our best.” Almost as to emphasize Celestia’s point, there was a knock at the door, followed by a deep voice.

“Princess Celestia and guests? I’m here to inform you that your escort to the United Nations building is here. Are you ready to leave?”

“Just a moment please.” Celestia turned to see Twilight putting the last of her books into her saddlebags and squirming into them. The two shared a small smile before they made their way to the door. Cloudhammer nodded and opened the door with his mouth, revealing what could have passed for a twin to one of the guards that President Foster had. To his credit, the human only nodded and gestured down the hall with his arm, where a few more humans could be seen waiting by the door at the end of the hall. Celestia inclined her head and began to walk down the hallway.

“Shall we then, my dears?” With a few quick strides Cloudhammer passed her to take the lead, while Flare stuck close to Twilight. As the four ponies reached the door the humans pushed them open and led them through.

…

President Foster wished once again that he’d gotten a second glass of water put on the podium. His throat was as dry as a bone by the time he reached the end of his introduction speech.

“And therefore, ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Princess Celestia of Equestria!” Taking a few steps to the side of the podium, President Foster clapped loudly as Celestia took the few steps to stand before the assembled diplomatic might of the nations of the world. To her credit she met their stares without flinching, her calm eyes scanning over everyone present one by one. Finally she smiled softly and took a breath. Nearby, Cloudhammer, Flare and Twilight all watched, though only Twilight was watching the Princess. The two Guardponies were constantly scanning the assembled humans, tiny twitches of their eyes the only evidence they were living ponies.

“Esteemed leaders of this world, I am honored to be able to speak to you at this time. While it was not our intention to bring about the joining of our two worlds, it is the sincerest hope of all the citizens of Equestria that we can work together to build a brighter future for our two species. President Foster has been more than accepting of our offer of friendship, and it is my hope that you all can do the same.” Celestia paused to take a breath, but was interrupted by a human rising to his feet.

“I know I speak for myself and others when I say that my country will not do business with envoys of the Devil! I call upon all good Christians to reject the gilded lies of demons wrapped in pleasing forms.” The human sat back down among shouts of agreement and derision, while another stood.

“This hallowed body is not for your religious vitriol, President Henriques! I for one find the opportunity to engage with another sentient species in a peaceful fashion to be something too unique to allow to slide. So take your bigoted views elsewhere!” The previous human stood up and turned to face his detractor.

“Prime Minister Wright, you do not have the authority to challenge any nation on issues of the Faith! The Bible warns of devils coming with honeyed tongues promising peace, but that peace is a lie! It only serves to corrupt men’s souls and deliver you into eternal damnation!” At this outburst, others stood up, either to support or denounce President Henriques’ claims. Soon the room devolved into a shouting match between the various factions. President Foster and the UN Secretary General were calling for order, their voices going unheard in the din. Twilight was in a near panic, her eyes starting to roll as she retreated behind the safety of Flare and Cloudhammer. Even the two Guardponies were starting to become worried, their stances shifting from sitting to leaning forward.

“ENOUGH!” Everyone in the room winced and fell silent as Celestia’s magically amplified voice rang out, all eyes turning to the alicorn, whose horn was lit with a golden light as she hovered a foot off of the floor. With a start the assembled humans realized that despite her wings being spread, they weren’t flapping. Her coat seemed to shine with its own light, made all the brighter as the lights dimmed. A few people winced and put a hand to their heads, one elderly man even slumping into his seat as his legs gave out. Celestia’s eyes were a brilliant white as she furled her wings, gently floating to the floor in defiance of gravity. As her hooves touched the carpet the glow faded, her eyes returning to their usual magenta and her horn going dark. Everyone in the room was staring at her with either terror or fascination, mostly a combination of both. Blinking her eyes once, she looked coolly around the room.

“I apologize for raising my voice in front of this assembly, but this petty fighting ill serves anypony. I assure you, President Henriques, that Equestria is a secular state and has no aspirations to enforce a new religion onto any of you. We only seek to co-exist with your nations in harmony. I do hope you can set aside your differences with each other to do the same. I thank you for your time and hope to get to know you all better in the future.” With a gentle smile, she inclined her head respectfully, and the now silent hall was filled with a few meager claps, more given on reflex rather than intention. President Foster had to remind himself to close his mouth, his blue eyes dark as he tried to think of how he could mend the fences Celestia had inadvertently trampled. Finally realizing that the silence had dragged on for too long, he walked back to stand behind the podium.

“I first wish to apologize for all of that, this has been a stressful few days for everyone involved. I urge you to not let words spoken in the heat of the moment sour our future relations with the Equestrians. Now, I believe across the plaza there is a fine reception planned for all you to become better acquainted with Princess Celestia and her guests. We hope you shall have the time to attend.” With that, Foster turned and walked quickly to where Curtis waited by the door.

“Make sure that we get a list of who shows up and who didn’t. She did a lot of damage with that little outburst of hers, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let that ruin this opportunity.”

“Of course sir.” Curtis’ tone was a little stiff, the Chief of Staff being just as nervous about Celestia as the visiting dignitaries and world leaders.

“Don’t let her get to you, Curtis; she’s just like any of the politicians we’ve dealt with. She’s just got a few more tricks in her arsenal than most.” Turning as Celestia trotted over, followed by those two gold shadows and Twilight, Foster broke again into his trademark smile. “That went about as well as expected.”

“I do not understand why your species seems to be so eager to fight with itself, President Foster. Surely you could accomplish so much more if you worked together?”

“Well, it’s a tricky issue to deal with. You have to look after you and yours first, especially when there’s simply not enough to go around.” Celestia tiled her head, those magenta orbs piercing his blue ones

“But that logic only serves to hide the fact that by working together, everypony would have what they needed. Instead, that seems more an argument to allow yourself the justification to hoard what you can and not share it fairly with all.” Foster scratched an itch on the back of his neck before sighing.

“Well, I suppose you do have a point. However, the problem with that is there’s no way to ensure or determine what everyone’s fair share is. Who would make those decisions?”

“How is that relevant? It’s not as if what each individual needs from day to day changes does it?” Foster furrowed his eyebrows before shaking his head.

“It’s a lot more complicated than that. Anyway, let’s not be late, the reception should be somewhat livelier than originally planned after the light show you put on.” Celestia eyed Foster for a moment, before breaking into a small smile.

“Very well, if you would lead the way then.” As President Foster turned and started to leave Celestia motioned slightly with a wingtip, Cloudhammer and Flare instantly joining her.

“Yes, your Majesty?” Celestia lowered her head slightly and whispered quietly to the two guards.

“Cloudhammer, I’d like you stay within earshot of President Foster at this reception, I know you don’t speak the language, but try to remember who he speaks with and how they sound. Flare, stay close to Twilight and keep an eye on her.” Turning to Twilight, Celestia smiled. “Well, Twilight? Shall we go? I do find myself looking forward to this reception.”

04 - Making Waves

Week 3, Tuesday

Star Dancer blinked his eyes blearily as he stretched, still not used to feeling sheets made from something other than clouds. Rolling out of bed, he shook himself to work out the remaining cricks in his neck and settle his mane. Looking at his roommate’s empty bed, Star shook his head before he trotted to the door. Pausing as he eyed the rebellious door handle sternly, he grinned as he expertly gripped it in his mouth and opened the door.

‘Take that! And they said I’d still be struggling by the end of the first week!’ Star thought as he quietly shut the door behind him and cantered down the hallway. A familiar door was opening ahead of him and he smiled as he heard a familiar voice muttering in aggravation.

“By the Sun! Could they make these doors any more difficult to work?” The owner of the voice was an aquamarine earth pony, the mare tossing her lavender mane from her eyes. Seeing Star Dancer, she smiled warmly. “Good morning Star.”

Star returned the smile. “Good morning Berry. You’re still having trouble with your doorknob?”

Berry Sparkle shook her head in exasperation. “You’d think they’d have just let us bring doors in from Equestria. Oh! How’s your studying on the human language coming?”

“I’ve gotten their letters down fine, but there are so many words in that dictionary of theirs it gets confusing at times. And I heard a rumor from Silver Swirl that there’s more than one version of this language, not to mention all the others these humans have. Don’t see why we can’t just have them learn Equestrian instead.”

Berry laughed as the pair made their way down the hall towards the dining area. “Well, I think I remember hearing that their tongues aren’t flexible enough to speak it or something like that. In any case, I’m happy to be able to walk around in an entirely different world! My friend Lily Hearts back home was so jealous when I got accepted to be in the first group sent here and she wasn’t.”

And so the small talk continued as they entered the dining area. It had three low tables set out with cushions for ponies to sit at, and three more sized for humans next to them. There were a few other ponies already eating some salads, and nearby Star could see the gold statue of Captain Flare patiently watching the room.

Trotting up to him, Star cuffed him on the shoulder. “Morning Flare, how’d the early morning shift go?” When the unicorn didn’t respond to him, Star shrugged his wings and turned to trot away.

“You know as well as I do nothing happened last night. I’ll hand it to those humans standing guard outside; they know how to scare anypony snooping around away.” Flare said with a chuckle as he stretched before getting to his hooves.

Star sighed and looked out the floor to ceiling windows that formed the one wall of the second story. “I have to admit, the humans do know how to pick a view.” The sun was rising over the harbor, where more ships could be seen.

“That they do. Now come on, let’s get some breakfast. That doctor will be here soon, and we’re still trying to make a good impression.”

…

The guard hated being stuck on shack duty. The view never changed, and he knew that everyone else was either getting to at least do some work or have a day off. He finished his pacing and looked down the road to see a familiar car approaching. With a protested squeal, the old sedan came to a stop and the guard walked to the driver side door. He waited expectantly as the window rolled down and a cloud of acrid smoke drifted out, before leaning in to check the identification card of the woman behind the wheel. Glancing from it to the woman’s face, he nodded and pressed a button, lowering the thick metal rods that blocked the entrance.

“Good morning Dr. Ross, have a nice day.”

With another squeal of metal on metal, the sedan pulled away into the base. The guard shook his head and went back to staring blankly down the road.

Inside the car, the woman took another long drag on her cigarette, absently grinding it out in a well-used ashtray before reaching for another. The morning sun streaming through the windows lit a surprisingly young face, gold-brown hair hanging in front of her sunglasses. Brushing it out of the way irritably, she propped the steering wheel with a knee so she could light the cigarette. After another few minutes of driving, she finally saw her destination and pulled into the spot designated for her. Opening the door, she waved to the guard posted at the door as she approached.

“So Kevin, any of our new friends awake yet?” Her voice was rough from years of smoking, but still had some charm to it.

“Just three of them so far: The gold-armored one’s been up all night again, and Gabe said he heard two more of them talking a little while ago.”

“I see, what’s the pool stand at now?”

The guard laughed. “Well, we’ve got $50 with two to one odds that the unicorn sleeps while standing there. Feel like joining in?”

“I’ll pass for now, let me know who wins.” The woman tossed her cigarette into the garbage can and walked through the double doors and entered the waiting room of what had been the old base hospital. They were going to demolish it, but with Equestria’s emergence it was decided to repurpose the building to act as a temporary embassy while a more official one was constructed. Heading to the stairwell, she passed it and entered the service elevator. Stabbing a finger at the ‘2’, she tapped a foot impatiently as it ground its way upwards. Exiting as soon as the doors opened, she turned left toward the dining area and saw that Kevin had been wrong after all. Eight heads turned toward her and she stopped for a second to smile awkwardly before entering her office, if it could be called that, idly straightening the plaque that read: ‘Dr. Elizabeth Ross, Ph.D.’ The office had begun life as a two-patient room, but one of the beds had been replaced by a large wooden desk.

Crossing the room to sit at her desk, she pushed yet another ashtray off the stack of folders and lifted the first one. Opening it, she read the name printed and sighed. “Of course, they’d want me to look at him first.” Getting up, she walked back to the door and leaned out into the hallway. “Star Dancer? Can you come in here when you finish eating?” Once she was sure the tan pegasus had heard her, she walked back into her office. Five minutes crawled by before the door handle turned and Star trotted into the room. Once again Elizabeth wondered if God had simply gone insane and dragged the world along for the ride.

“Dr. Ross, are you feeling alright?” With a start, she realized that she’d been staring blankly at the file in front of her for a few minutes. Star Dancer had moved to stand beside her, and was looking back and forth between her and the form.

“Y-yes, just a little tired. Alright, let’s see… we have the usual basic tests to do, and then one more after that.” She said, pushing herself to her feet and walking over to the table by the other bed. Star Dancer followed and hopped up onto the bed with a flap of his wings, holding out a foreleg expectantly. She shook her head as she picked up the blood pressure cuff and secured it around his wrist.

“One of these days we’re going to have to figure out how you do that.”

Star Dancer tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The whole flight thing. Your body’s just not built for it according to conventional science. For instance, that little hop right there. You barely flapped your wings, yet were able to generate enough lift to get onto the bed.”

“Well yea, it’s only a short hop; I didn’t need to push that hard.”

“No, I mean your body weight is too much for such a little flap to lift you like that. There has to be something else you do in order to make that possible.” Finishing the blood pressure test, she set it aside and prepped a thermometer. Star Dancer opened his mouth obligingly and the conversation stopped while the device chirped a few times and then beeped. Recording the result, she compared it to the prior numbers and nodded.

“Alright, there’s one final test for the day. We’ll be observing your flying more closely, maybe answer some of our questions about how exactly you can get off the ground.”

Star Dancer’s eyes widened. “Really? When do we go? I’ve been aching to stretch my wings and see more of this island.” His expression fell as Ross shook her head.

“We’ll be conducting the tests here inside for now, maybe at another point we can try going outdoors.”

“But how am I supposed to actually get any altitude in here? You have to at least let me go on the roof. Please?” Mustering the best begging face he could, Star hoped she would acquiesce.

Looking down at the tan face and those aquamarine eyes, lower lip jutting out just far enough, Elizabeth tried mightily to resist. But finally she caved, and raised a finger sternly. “Alright, on the roof. But any stunts and it’ll be both of us on the chopping block, okay?”

“Sure thing!” Star Dancer spread his wings and hopped off the bed to the floor.

Elizabeth stared intently as the sheets seemed to settle a bit slower than normal. She slowly reached out and pulled them up again. This time they settled normally.

“Something wrong Doctor?” Star asked from halfway out the door, wings fluttering eagerly.

“No. Alright, let’s get this over with.” The two walked down the short hallway to the stairwell, Elizabeth once again lamenting the lack of an elevator.

Once on the roof, Star Dancer seemed even more energetic, if such a thing were possible. He cantered to the edge of the roof and looked down, then back to Elizabeth. She nodded, glancing around in the hope that no one would notice them up here on the roof. Turning back, she twitched as she no longer saw Star Dancer. Running to the edge, she was almost bowled over as the tan pegasus raced up over the lip. Recovering from the shock, she watched as he lazily flew a circle around the area of the roof.

“So much better. It’s been paaainful sitting indoors all the time.” Star continued to spin, slowly angling his wings so he was gaining more and more altitude with each circle.

“Star Dancer, you need to come back down, you’re going too high. Goddamn it, of all the stupid tricks to fall for.” Elizabeth cursed as she rummaged in her pockets for her phone.

“Relax Dr. Ross, I’ll be fine…” Star trailed off as he spotted a small group of humans a long distance off, along one of the beaches. He looked back down at Dr. Ross, who was talking into one of those little devices called a ‘phone’, and decided that maybe pulling this stunt was a bad idea. “Well, I couldn’t get in too much trouble with just a short flight over, could I?” Thinking about it more as he leveled out and started flying toward the distant cluster, he had soon solidified his logic. “Yea, I mean they never did say we weren’t allowed to leave, something about diplomatic immunity, whatever that means. So yea, it’s fine.”

Swooping higher, he took a few minutes to enjoy the view of the island; the warm air was absolutely wonderful against his coat and wings. Spiraling higher, he wondered if he’d be able to rent out a cloud home here, and decided to ask about it when he got the chance. Turning back toward the beach, he could see the humans clearer, some of them holding oddly shaped, colored boards next to them. He watched as one started running toward the water, and once far enough in, started paddling on the board even further out, where large swells of water were cresting into tall waves. Looking closer, Star could see another human actually standing on their board and riding it down the face of the wave, barely escaping the curl as the wave came crashing down behind them.

“That looks fun… I’ve got to try that.” Star Dancer angled himself down and waited, hovering over the water as the next wave, even bigger than the one before it, started to rise up. Once the top of the crest had formed, Star folded his wings in and rolled into a dive. Just before he hit the water he snapped his wings out and practically skated across the surface. Faint shouts of alarm that turned into cheers reached him as the wave curled over him, turning the light a murky shade of green. But instead of fear, Star felt invigorated, and pushed his wings harder. It almost felt like being back home in Cloudsdale, the sensation of the first drop off the edge of a cloud with nothing but the open sky to catch you. He snapped out of his reverie as he cleared the wave’s curl, soaring up into a curving loop that ended with him hovering over a group of floating humans. One of them, a male with short black hair and brown eyes, stared unbelievingly at him.

“That was awesome little… uhhh… dude.” The human rubbed at his eyes. “Guess that means all the news is actually for real. Shit, wow.”

Star’s ears flattened and he hung his head a little. “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have done that, you all looked like you were having so much fun, I wanted to try…”

The human cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Nah dude, it’s cool. Just didn’t expect to see a flying pony this morning.” Looking out toward the horizon, a grin spread across his face. “Name’s Larry, by the way. There’s a big one coming, you up for it, or just want to stick to the small stuff?”

“The last one was pretty big though.” Star protested, only for the human to laugh.

“If you say so ma… pony? What would you go by? Anyway, wave’s coming in, try to keep up.” And the human was off, paddling with his arms as he guided the board out toward the seemingly calm ocean.

As Star watched, one of the swells started to grow higher and higher, and his jaw dropped as the wave soon towered over the one he’d flown through before. Shaking his head, he flapped his wings and sped upward, soon clearing the top of the wave as it started to crest. Rolling over, he could see Larry standing up on the board as he rode it down the wave’s face. With a grin of his own Star snapped his wings back and dove hard, spreading them just in time to avoid hitting the water, but let his wingtip slice through the water. Coming up on Larry, he tensed his wing muscles to speed past him when he noticed something was wrong. A strange black patch was forming on the human’s back, and the board was starting to waver. Realizing Larry was about to fall, Star twitched course and darted toward the human as he started to tumble to the side. Reaching out with his forelegs, he hooked them under Larry’s arms and heaved, straining his wings as he lifted the human free of the board. Turning hard to the right, Star flapped as hard as he could, barely managing to get clear of most of the wave as it came crashing down. The other humans came splashing out of the water as Star set Larry down on the beach and dropped heavily to the sand beside him.

“What happened?”

“Is he alright?”

“Jesus, look as his back…”

"That wasn't there before the pony showed up..."

“The fuck did you do to him pony?”

The mood of the group steadily grew darker and Star started to panic, when a familiar voice cut across the others.

“OUT OF THE WAY!” The crowd parted to reveal Dr. Ross, accompanied by a pair of humans wearing uniforms and helmets with M.P. stenciled on them. Ignoring Star for the moment, Dr. Ross knelt by the human and put a hand to his neck.

“I’m sorry! I was flying and saw them having fun on the water and wanted to give it a try myself is he going to be okay?” Star was frantic now, nosing at Larry’s shoulder as Dr. Ross peered closely at his back.

“You two, give me a hand, he’s coming to the base with us.” The M.P.’s looked at each other, then carefully lifted the unconscious Larry and started carrying him to their waiting vehicle. One of the other humans, a young girl, strode to confront Dr. Ross.

“You can’t just take him, he’s got rights too! More rights than that damn pony does!” Star’s ears flattened and he looked about ready to cry as the girl continued her tirade. “I know that it did something to him, Larry’s a great surfer and…” Her shouting was abruptly silenced as Dr. Ross slapped her.

“Listen to me you little beach bimbo. Star Dancer had nothing to do with what happened to Larry. If we don’t take him to the base hospital, he could die. So shut up and let us try to help. Star, get in the Humvee.” Not waiting for a response, she strode angrily towards the vehicle, Star following close behind. As they got in, Star looked back at the assembled humans, all of whom now bore expressions of anger or resentment. Hanging his head as the door shut, Star felt a few tears welling up in his eyes.

…

“So is he going to be alright?” Star asked Dr. Ross as she closed the door quietly behind her. They’d gotten back to the base, and hurried Larry over to the new hospital. Star had insisted on coming, and Dr. Ross hadn’t argued, as the hospital staff took over and rushed Larry into a room.

Elizabeth sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I think so. He seems to be making a recovery, though we’ll have to see if he keeps improving. What exactly happened out there?”

“Well, another wave was coming in, and Larry was ahead of me. I was about to pass him when I noticed that the skin on his back was turning black. He started to fall and I caught him.”

Elizabeth nodded slowly. “I see… and how exactly did you manage to carry him to shore? He weighs nearly twice as much as you.”

“I don’t know! I just grabbed him and carried him. It’s just like carrying anything else, you do just do it.” Star half-shouted.

Elizabeth frowned, her eyes unfocused as she pondered what he’d said. Nodding as though she’d come to some understanding, she glanced to the door as it opened and another human came out. This human was dressed in a long white coat, and carried a clipboard in his hand. “How is the patient?”

“He’s stable for now, though the condition affecting him is like nothing we’ve ever seen. It seems to be retreating on its own however, so I think barring any complications he should make a full recovery.” The doctor jumped as he noticed Star Dancer standing there looking at him anxiously. “What is that thing doing here in my hospital?”

Narrowing his eyes, Star took a step closer, his wings flaring up in challenge. “Larry is my friend! I wanted to make sure he was alright! I want to see him!”

The doctor looked to Elizabeth, who shrugged. “Alright, but keep it down, there’s other patients trying to get better here.”

Star lowered his wings as he glanced around; realizing every human in the room was staring at him. Ducking his head sheepishly, the pegasus trotted quietly into the room. Larry was lying on his stomach, the black patch on his back exposed to the open air. Already it was smaller than it had been when Star last saw it. He made his way over to the human and nosed at his hand gently. The human stirred a little and opened his eyes.

“Where… where am I?”

“The hospital. You were exposed to an as-yet unknown radiation, though you seemed to have escaped the worst of it thanks in part to Star Dancer here,” Dr. Ross said as she entered the room, “now I need you to tell me what you can remember.”

Larry frowned as he thought back. “Well, I was dropping in, the wave was great, no chop or anything to throw me off… but then things got weird. It felt like time was speeding up, but I was moving in slow-mo. Then I started hearing singing, if you can believe it, and right before I blacked out everything just seemed brighter. So you saved me little dude?”

Star blushed lightly. “I guess… You were about to fall and I wasn’t going to let that happen to a new friend. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“Little dude, we are mos’ definitely brahs now.” He lifted his one hand and curled his fingers into a fist. Star looked at it in confusion, not sure what he was supposed to do next, or what a ‘brah’ was. Larry rolled his eyes, “C’mon, don’t leave me hangin’!”

Hesitantly, Star lifted his right hoof and held it out. Larry extended his arm and tapped his knuckles against it.

“There, that’s a proper brofist… err, guess in this case it’d be like a bro-… hoof or something.”

“Brohoof?” Star repeated, the word unknown to him.

“Sure, why the hell not? Brohoof it is brah.” Larry smiled, and Star found himself smiling too.

“Alright, alright. Now, you’ve got to get some more rest Larry, and Star here has some explaining to do for running off like that.” Star’s ears plastered themselves to his head and he pawed at the floor with his foreleg, his expression crestfallen.

“Don’t let her get to ya brah, if you hadn’t snuck off I might not have made it. I’ll catch ya another time, maybe then we can ride a real bomb of a wave together.” Larry said encouragingly. Star perked up at that and smiled again.

“Alright, I’ll see you around Larry!”

Elizabeth shook her head and led the pegasus out of the hospital. Walking out the front door they entered the waiting Humvee for the ride to the embassy.

“Am I in a lot of trouble Dr. Ross?”

“Well, you did run off and nearly get me fired…” Star hung his head, “but, I suppose it worked out in the end. However, you aren’t getting off that easily. When we get back to the hospital, I want to try one more test. You think you can handle it without flying away?”

“I’ll do my best to resist the urge.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks. And Star Dancer? You can call me Elizabeth.”

“E-liz-a-beth.” Star’s mouth contorted as he played around with the syllables. “I like it, it’s a nice name. Thanks for not getting angry with me.”

“Sure… besides, if I had, you’d just turn the waterworks on and make me feel bad.” Elizabeth muttered to herself as the Humvee pulled up to the embassy.

…

“And you’re sure about this Dr. Ross?” President Foster asked as he tapped a pencil on his desk. Her report lay in front of him, the papers scattered out of order.

“Yes sir, the tests prove it for the most part. It seems that when the pegasi take off, they actually reduce the pull of gravity on them, allowing for their wings to support them in flight despite being as small as they are. It appears this effect also extends to objects they’re touching, as evidenced when Star Dancer was able to carry an adult human a short distance, in spite of how impossible it would be for something from our world. However, once the pegasus releases the object they’re holding, gravity returns to normal immediately. I’m still unsure as to how the pegasi can do this, whether it is an organ in their bodies that we’ve missed, or something like the ‘magic’ that we’ve heard about.”

Tyler rubbed at his eyes, the fatigue showing despite the best efforts of the White House staff. Being President on any normal day was stressful as hell, and throwing in the appearance of a new reality full of apparently magical talking ponies wasn’t helping. He’d had no less than twenty conversations with world leaders from Brazil to Japan since Celestia’s UN speech, some wanting him to immediately declare war on the Equestrians, others demanding the chance to speak with Princess Celestia about allowing resource exploration. Things at home weren’t any better, as polls showed his popularity dropping like a stone, and some of the more militant religious groups threatening violence if the so-called ‘scourge of the four-legs’ wasn’t removed from US soil immediately. The economy had gone into flux as well, upsetting the gradual recovery it had been making since Alder left office.

“And you’re sure about what affected this surfer?”

“Regrettably yes, it appears consistent with reports from the month before Equestria’s emergence, as well as the bodies recovered from the Stennis.”

“Very well, continue documenting everything you learn. Good work so far Dr. Ross.”

“Thank you mister President.” The link cut off and Tyler leaned back in his chair, not opening his eyes as the door opened.

“What is it Curtis?”

The chief of staff crossed the room and set a scroll down on the desk. “This appeared a few minutes ago in your bedroom. We’ve examined it closely and found no traces of harmful substances.”

Tyler nodded and opened the scroll. His eyes flicked back and forth as he read its contents. Tossing it onto the desk, he pushed himself out of the chair.

“Have Air Force One ready to fly to Hickam. Celestia wants to tour the temporary embassy, and speak to us about the specifics for Project Traveler. She says the idea intrigues her and she is amicable to it.”

“Right away sir, how many of them are coming this time?”

Tyler double checked the note. “She says something about The Bearers of the Elements, plus a complement of her guards. Christ, she’s bringing a whole damn party with her this time. I want security to be tight for this Curtis; no one knows they’re coming until they arrive at Hickam.”

“Of course, Mr. President.”

05 - The Best Laid Plans

Week 3, Saturday-Sunday

“Princess Celestia! It’s a pleasure to see you again so soon!” President Foster smiled broadly for the cameras as he bowed slightly to the Princess as she delicately exited the helicopter.

Celestia inclined her head slightly as well. “The pleasure is mine, President Foster. I do hope this visit is as productive for your species as it promises to be for ours.”

After some small talk the two were off, accompanied by their respective guards. Behind them, a pink, pony-shaped ball of hyperactivity bounced its way eagerly onto the tarmac.

“C’mon girls! We had plenty of time to sit still on the helicopter!” Pinkie exclaimed exuberantly as she looked back at the other Bearers, all of whom looked a little worse for wear.

“Pinkie Pie darling, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but could you keep it down please?” Rarity said tiredly as she readjusted her hair for what felt like the tenth time since they’d left Canterlot.

“I know you’re excited Pinkie, but you need to behave yourself while we’re here. We are representing Equestria to a whole other reality after all.” Twilight said nervously, having remembered this time to not eat as big a breakfast this morning. As she looked around at the bright day, she smiled a little at the beautiful water of the harbor.

“Ah think Ah’m just glad to have mah hooves on tha ground.” Applejack stated firmly as she climbed to the pavement. Stomping a hoof on it curiously, she shrugged before trotting after the others, a yellow and pink mass following closely behind her.

The last pony flew out instead of walking, rainbow mane glowing in the warm sun. Rainbow Dash grinned as she felt the hot air caress her primary feathers. “I could definitely get used to this place.”

…

“So, I take it you find the temporary embassy to your satisfaction?” Foster asked as he led Celestia down the hall.

Celestia smiled broadly. “Indeed, it seems that everypony is adjusting well to living here. How are you today, Star Dancer?” she asked in Equestrian.

Lifting himself back to his hooves, Star beamed at his Princess. “I like this place a lot Your Majesty! I even made a new friend a few days ago, his name is Larry.”

“I am glad to see you’re making new friends. Have the humans been treating you and the other ponies well?” she asked gently.

“Well, they got a little mad when I flew off to try and see some more of the island, but they said it was ok since I got to help save Larry’s life.” Star replied proudly.

Celestia frowned a little at this, giving President Foster a sidelong glance before turning back to Star. “I see, then I would like to meet your friend myself, if it’s not too much trouble?” The last part was directed more to President Foster than Star.

An aide whispered something into Tyler’s ear and he nodded. “I don’t foresee any problem, so long as you all refrain from using any magic while at the hospital. There are other patients in much worse condition then Mr. Haverson.”

“Then let us go pay a visit.” Celestia said warmly, while her mind whirled with clockwork precision as she analyzed the information she’d gleaned.

…

“And so then the little dude just picked me up and flew me to shore. Next thing I remember was waking up in this bed here.” Larry finished his tale with a small smile, his brown eyes again looking at the riot of color that now surrounded his hospital bed. One of them, a pink pony with no wings or horn, started rummaging around in her saddlebag and pulled out a perfectly intact cupcake. With an ear to ear smile she set it on the table by the bed.

Larry looked at it in confusion. “So what is that for little sheila?”

Pinkie tilted her head, equally confused. “My name’s not sheila, it’s Pinkie Pie, and it’s for you! It’s one of my signature Get-Well Cupcakes, guaranteed to make you feel better!”

Larry eyed the treat for another second before reaching out to touch it. Lifting the treat cautiously, he undid the wrapper and took a hesitant bite. The poor cupcake didn’t stand a chance as Larry finished it off in two more bites. “That was great! What’d you make this thing out of?”

“Just the usual flour, sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla and my own special frosting. What else would I put in it?” Pinkie asked curiously.

“Well, whatever you put in it, that was fantastic.” Larry proclaimed confidently.

President Foster eyed the discarded wrapper before turning to Pinkie. “Miss Pie, if it’s not too much trouble, might I have one of those cupcakes for later? I admit to having a bit of a sweet tooth.”

Pinkie beamed at the chance to share more of her favorite treat and eagerly dug another out of her bag. “No problem! I always carry a supply of cupcakes for any situation.” She balanced the confection perfectly on her nose and handed it to Foster, who took it with a smile and gestured toward the stairwell.

“Now then, let’s go back to the embassy for now. I’m sure all of you are hungry and there are lots of things that I’d like to talk about with Princess Celestia.” The group made their way down the stairs and out the door to their respective vehicles for the ride back to the embassy.

Once Foster and his Secret Service agents were in their car, he handed his cupcake to one of the agents. “I want this thing analyzed. Find out everything we can about it.” The agent nodded, carefully holding onto the cupcake as if it were explosive. “Hopefully this thing can start shedding some light on the thaumatic radiation, and give us a means to block it.”

The rest of the drive was spent in silence, the humans each lost in their own thoughts. Conversely, the large bus carrying the ponies was full of noise as they all spoke amongst themselves.

“I thought he was really nice! I hope Mr. Foster likes my cupcake too!” Pinkie was bouncing in place, her muzzle split by a wide smile.

“I’m sure he’ll love it my dear, and I admit that despite his language, Star Dancer’s new friend did seem very kind.” Rarity inspected a forehoof for any grime, disliking being in hospitals in general.

“Oh yes, he was very nice, though surfing sounds scary.” Fluttershy had actually been interested in the hospital, wondering if she could learn anything from them about treating her animal friends.

“Heh, I’ll show em how a real athlete does it!” Rainbow proclaimed confidently, secretly jealous that Star Dancer had gotten to try a new sport ahead of her.

Twilight sat next to Celestia, looking up at her mentor curiously. “Is something bothering you Princess?”

The alicorn shook her head and smiled down at her protégé. “Not at all my dear, just wondering what President Foster desires to speak to me about. I’m certain that there are some things he’s been keeping to himself, especially given the reaction of that other human when we spoke before their UN.”

Twilight shuddered as she remembered the shouting match that had begun at that angry outburst. “Do you want me to be there with you for your talk?”

Celestia laughed lightly. “Oh no my dear, you should relax and enjoy yourself a little. I was able to convince President Foster to allow a short excursion to the beach, with supervision of course.”

“Did you say the beach? Awesome, I can’t wait to show em my stuff!” Rainbow cheered, fluttering off her seat in excitement.

“Just try to keep outta trouble this time Rainbow.” Applejack chided, tugging the rainbow pegasus down by her tail.

“You’re just jealous that you won’t get to surf like I can!” Rainbow challenged with a familiar gleam in her eye.

“Oh, it’s on!” Applejack’s eyes lit up with their own fire, the two ponies spitting into their hooves and smacking them against each other.

The others just laughed as the bus drew to a stop in front of the embassy.

…

“Alright President Foster, I have reviewed this Project Traveler, and admit that I see no problem with allowing it to proceed, within reason of course. Are you certain that your technology will function on the other side of the dome?”

Tyler nodded before opening a folder and sliding it across the table to Celestia, who peered at it curiously. “We were able to test some of our more basic video and audio recording technology inside a field of thaumatic radiation when they were more common, before the appearance of the dome.”

“I admit to some curiosity about these… thaumatic radiation fields?” Celestia didn’t know what the word meant, but was starting to see an unpleasant picture forming.

“Well, they appeared about a month and a half before the dome. These fields would show up, disrupting technology and causing black patches to appear on affected humans’ skin. Exposure for more than a few seconds would cause severe internal bleeding and organ failure. Approximately at the same time of the dome’s appearance, the fields disappeared as if they weren’t there.” President Foster leaned forward slightly, putting his elbows on the table and meshing his fingers. “I’m going to tell it to you straight Celestia. A lot of people are worried about you ponies and the appearance of the dome, which to a lot of people seems awfully connected. And now it seems the thaumatic radiation is starting to show up again. The surfer that Star Dancer is friends with, Larry; apparently entered a thaumatic field. I’d like to be optimistic and hope that this was an isolated incident, but I’ve got a feeling that the fields are going to be coming back. If we can’t find a way to protect people from this, things are going to get worse. And it’s a given that people are going to be assigning blame to whoever they think should hold it. Which is going to be you.”

“What are you proposing?” Celestia asked, her face carefully neutral.

“We don’t know enough about your world to be able to come up with a solution. We need your help as well if we’re going to figure this out. Not to mention that if your people… err, ponies, are seen helping solve some of this mess, then that might help defuse some of their frustration. Or at least take yourselves out of the way as a target.”

“I can speak to the Council upon my return to Canterlot. I am certain that we will be more than happy to help. I assume you will speak with the rest of the UN to secure their help?”

“I suppose I could…” Foster trailed off as an agent burst into the room, a piece of paper held in one hand. He set it down in front of Foster, and as the President read, his expression grew steadily darker.

“Shit, I was hoping this would settle out.” He got to his feet and walked urgently to the door, Celestia rising to her hooves and following.

“What’s going on?” she asked as they entered a large room, where the other humans in the embassy were gathered around a large flat object displaying moving images of people. There were no ponies in the room save for Captain Flare, staring at the screen with a hard expression. Moving closer, Celestia could better hear and see what the box was saying, and her face soon matched Flare’s.

“This is CNN Breaking News; we now have live video from our reporters on the ground in Rio de Janeiro, where, as you can see, massive rioting has begun as the food shortages continue. A short statement from President Henriques was heard earlier, which denounced the rioters as supporters of the Devil’s minions, which we believe to mean Princess Celestia and the Equestrians. He vowed to crush the rioters no matter what, and already several reporters have told us they saw military units being deployed into the favelas. However, when ordered to open fire on protesters, a large portion of the army declared itself in full desertion and in support of the protesters. Those forces still loyal to President Henriques immediately found themselves under fire and are fighting a retreat to Brasilia now. Unfortunately, the favela gangs have seized on the chaos and begun battling each other for the food and medical supplies.” The person with the camera was thrown to the ground as a massive explosion rocked a nearby building, causing a choking cloud of smoke to obscure the view before the camera cut out. The video snapped to a harried looking human sitting at a desk. “Umm, we’ll try to get the feed back from that reporter as soon as we can. In the meantime, word is now coming in that rioting has begun in other cities as thousands of young people take to the streets.” The video cut again to another camera, this one on a rooftop as loud pops of gunfire and columns of smoke rose into the air. The man’s voice came back on, “And now we have this video, showing Rio de Janeiro in the midst of the worst rioting since the Arab Spring in 2012 or the Iran Uprising of 2023. Stay tuned for more coverage when we return from this commercial break.”

“Curtis, I want a press conference scheduled within the hour. We’ll say that we desire stability in the region, and advise that both sides back down and be willing to talk. Attacks on civilians will be met with strong condemnation.”

“Too strong for a public address at this time sir. I’d suggest merely stating that you are aware of what’s going on, and seek only for a peaceful resolution to the situation. Try and contact Henriques directly to give him the stronger message.

“Is there anything that we can offer to help?” All eyes turned to Celestia, the alicorn’s magenta eyes collected and calm.

“With respect Celestia, you’re not likely to be able to offer much help. Half of the population there will hate you simply because of their religion, not to mention the fact that you use ‘magic’. This thing will settle out, it’ll be ugly for a bit, but us getting involved will only make the situation worse.” Foster said, his shoulders sinking as though under strain as the CNN coverage came back. “Sometimes you can’t win them all.”

Celestia trotted slowly over to stand in front of Foster. Her eyes bored into his with iron-clad resolve. “President Foster, I had honestly thought better of you. If you do not try, then you will always fail. Right there on that screen are members of your species in need of help. Surely there is something that we can do.” The look on her face was one that would brook no refusal.

Foster sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “Give us the room. Curtis, you stay.”

With nervous glances, everyone else shuffled out of the room, leaving Foster, Curtis, Celestia, a Secret Service agent and Flare. The two guards nodded slightly to each other and moved to stand next to their respective principal.

Foster walked over to the TV and turned it off, then turned to face Celestia. “I think you don’t understand how things work here Princess. Trying to enforce our will onto those people will only make them all turn their weapons on us instead of each other. Trust me; this will settle out much cleaner if we let them fight it out for themselves.”

Celestia’s eyes maintained their cool stare. “Cleaner for you, perhaps. But what about the humans who wish no part in the fighting? Do they suddenly have no rights?”

“They do, but I’m the President of the United States, not the President of Brazil. I cannot simply march into another country and tell them how things should be done.”

“I do not recall saying you should, only that you should extend help to those that need it. Equestria will stand beside you to help, but if you simply abandon those people to kill each other, then I believe re-evaluating our country’s relationship may become necessary.”

Foster balled his hands into fists, while his eyes narrowed dangerously. “You would seriously do that, wouldn’t you?”

Celestia returned the stare calmly. “Only if it is required, President Foster… no, Tyler. The choice is entirely yours to make.”

Foster turned and walked to the window, staring out over the water. He weighed the two courses of action laid out before him, not liking the outcomes at the end of either path. However, one eventually presented itself as the lesser of two concessions and he made his decision. Turning back to face Celestia, he shook his head.

“I will wait one week, to allow the worst of the fighting to end. As much as I know you wish to rush in and end the fighting right away, I do have a responsibility to the people of my nation first. I will speak to the UN Security Council by the end of the week to see about putting together a multinational effort. Any assistance you could provide would of course be welcome.”

Celestia inclined her head. “I do understand the pressures of being a leader, President Foster. I will speak with the Council and arrange for aid to be prepared at once. Perhaps we can even accomplish two goals at once.”

Foster furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before it dawned on him. “I suppose that would be most productive, if your Council would not mind its presence?”

“Oh, I’m sure that some will complain, but it will be fine. Now, I must beg your leave, I admit to some curiosity about this ‘surfing’ that Star Dancer mentioned.”

“Of course, I’ll call a truck to take you…” Celestia shook her head.

“There is no need, thank you for the offer though.” With another bow of her head Celestia turned and exited the room, Flare accompanying her. Foster moved back to the window and watched as the two exited the building before disappearing in a burst of light.

“Well, that went about as well as could be expected.” Curtis commented, moving to stand next to Foster.

“Don’t kid yourself Curtis; she played all of us like a fiddle to get what she wanted. And the worst part is I can’t say she was entirely wrong to do it.” Foster mused for a bit before turning to his Chief of Staff. “I want the other part of Project Traveler activated, just as a precaution.”

“Of course sir.”

…

Captain Shimmer eyed the strange contraption that rolled up onto the chariot with suspicion. Edging closer, he took a sniff at one of the strange arms jutting from it. Instead of a hoof, it had a strange box with a circular opening that whirred and clicked as he put his eye up to it.

“I assure you my dear, it is quite safe.” Celestia said with a smile as she trotted over from speaking with Admiral Holt.

“If you say so Your Highness.” Shimmer trotted to the head of the reserve wing that had been brought up to transport the device. “Alright! I expect you to see this device to Canterlot without it getting so much as a scratch. Do I make myself clear?” The four pegasi nodded. Shimmer grunted his approval and returned to his position at the head of Celestia’s chariot, the Bearers speaking excitedly about their time on the human’s beach.

“Did you see that sick roll I pulled right through that one wave?” Rainbow Dash was ecstatic as she preened another feather into place.

“Not like we couldn’ta missed it Rainbow, ya’ll came out of it and splashed everypony in sight.” Applejack retorted, glad she’d left her Stetson on the beach safely out of the way.

“I had a lot of fun; can we go again the next time we’re here?” Pinkie giggled, her mane in perfect condition despite being in the water longer than anypony else.

“I do admit being able to relax for a time was delightful. Did you enjoy yourself Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, the unicorn having spent the whole excursion in the shade away from the sun.

“Oh yes, I got to make all sorts of new friends with the birds.” The shy pegasus smiled happily as she wondered what Angel would think of taking a trip to the beach.

Twilight, in the meantime, had trotted over to sit next to Celestia as she had climbed aboard the chariot with them. “How did your talk with President Foster go? Anything exciting happen?”

“You could say that Twilight. You could say that…” Celestia smiled at her student, though her eyes were distant as the two chariots took off, heading towards the dome. The hemisphere of light was now a little over six kilometers across and three high, and it showed no signs of slowing down. As they drew closer clouds became visible, and looking down Twilight could see the landscape far below, almost as if Equestria were emerging from the sea itself.

“Princess, just what is going to happen once all of Equestria and the other lands finish emerging?”

“I don’t know Twilight. But I am sure that if we all work together, we can come up with a solution.” The alicorn replied, her soft smile not reaching her eyes as the chariots dove into the dome at its highest point, the city of Canterlot visible underneath them.

…

“And so I believe that we have an opportunity to help these humans, and perhaps even show them the merits of harmony that has guided this nation through the past thousand years.” Celestia finished an hour later, the throne room packed to capacity with nobleponies, Guard officers and a lone machine sitting beside the throne. “Are there any questions?”

Predictably, the room exploded into a riot of noise as everypony jumped to their hooves.

“What manner of aid do you intend to send Princess?”

“How will we pay for it?”

“Will the humans keep their word and not simply take the aid for themselves?”

Celestia sighed, her eyes flicking to a solitary spot of silence in the deafening noise. Raising a hoof, she waited until the room was quiet again. “General Cloudhammer, you are unusually silent. What troubles you?”

Rising to his hooves, Cloudhammer looked around the room. “The questions asked are valid ones Your Majesty, and mine may seem small by comparison. But what exactly was your purpose of bringing that machine to Court?”

“I am glad you asked. As I told you all before I departed for the embassy, President Foster had expressed interest in understanding more about our society. However, given that exposure to even the smallest amount of magic proves harmful or even fatal to humans, it was decided that this device would be sent. What specifically was used in its construction I do not know, but its technology is sufficiently simple that it can function for a short time so long as nopony uses active magic around it. Ambassador Rekera was kind enough to establish one of the zebra’s ritual patterns to help prevent active magic from reaching the machine, as some of you may have noticed already.”

Of course nopony had, barring the Guard, and over half the eyes present turned to look at the spiral laid out on the floor.

“The device is apparently able to make a record of both our voices and even what it sees, which the humans can then view at a later time.” Voices started being raised again, only to fall silent as Celestia raised her hoof once more. “While I’m sure that the means behind this device are fascinating, the more pressing matter at hand is gathering some supplies to help these humans in need. Given what I have seen, it is apparent that the humans affected by this tragedy will need food, medicine and shelters. President Foster has told me his nation can provide food and medicine, but building shelters will take time and materials. Therefore, I have asked for volunteers from Canterlot Civil Construction to be sent to help with building shelters. I will also be sending four wings of pegasus guards and four squads of unicorns both to serve as representatives of the throne and escort for the CCC workers. The pegasi will be led by Captain Shimmer and the unicorns by Captain Flare.”

“But Princess, how are you going to arrange for transport for so many ponies?” This from Fancypants, scribbling notes with a quill.

Celestia’s eyes glittered. “That is being taken care of. No need to worry yourself.”

…

“I must admit Celestia; I question your decision to bring this artifact from out of the vaults. It was sealed in there for a reason.” Luna followed her sister down into the lower levels, the flickering torchlight the only source of illumination.

“You worry too much Lu-Lu,” Celestia grinned as she heard her sister grumble under her breath at the hated nickname, “I admit that a certain amount of risk is posed by bringing them out. But remember; only one will be going through the dome. To be honest, I’m not even sure if they’ll work. But I do believe that we must do all that we can to help our new neighbors.”

Luna’s face twisted in worry. “Are you really sure they’re worth this much effort ‘Tia? If they’re as violent as you say, sending ponies who haven’t seen such things to where the humans are killing each other seems unwise, to put it mildly.”

“I know you are worried, and rightly so. President Foster has promised additional protection, and between them and the Guards I have selected, I am confident that they will be fine. I would send more Guards, but we need them here as well, to ensure that nopony is hurt as our world continues to emerge into theirs.”

“I hope you are correct Celestia, I truly do.” Luna said softly as they came before a large door, emblazoned with the stylized images of the Royal Sisters. The door shimmered with mystical power, only visible to the alicorns. They closed their eyes, lowering their horns in unison to touch their counterparts on the door. They made contact in a storm of magic that extinguished the candles and plunging them into darkness. Opening her eyes first, Luna created an orb of eldritch light that revealed the door to be open. Nodding to Celestia, the two trotted into the room, passing dust-shrouded artifacts that hummed with their own power despite their age. Some of the relics were even older than the Sisters, nopony knew exactly what they did but their power was such they had to be sealed away.

Close to the center of the chamber stood a pair of tall stones, carved with runic shapes lost to Equestrian prehistory. As the sisters drew close, the runes pulsed with a soft blue light. Luna stopped and regarded the stones with a mix of curiosity and dread.

“What’s bothering you Luna?” Celestia asked as she reached out with her magic and lifted the two stones into the air.

“I just remember the last time these were used.”

“I do as well Luna. The Beacon Stones are the most expedient way to deliver aid to the humans, as well as send further help if the ‘Marines’ that President Foster is sending prove inadequate.”

Luna sighed, then lit her horn and helped her sister take the stones from their normal resting place and ascended back into the castle, leaving the relics sealed again in darkness.

06 - Moments in Time

Week 5, Tuesday-Friday

“C’mon Flare! I’ve seen Marines fresh out of boot do better than that!” Sergeant John Heinrich shouted.

“Sshut it! I’m a proud member of Her Mejeshty Celeshtia’s Royal Guard!” Flare bellowed incoherently before falling to the floor in a clatter of armor.

Heinrich shook his head, before taking the filled shot glass and tossing back the shot. “Fucking lightweight,” he laughed as he put away the bottle of Jameson, “he only put away three goddamned shots.” The Marine then realized the other problem that had presented itself. “Ah crap, now I gotta drag your sorry ass back to your room, fuck me.”

Twenty minutes later, Heinrich had managed to drag the unconscious captain back to the room set aside for the ponies on the trip. The room’s other occupant looked up as the human entered the room.

“So, how is he?” The pony’s English was halting, but a definite improvement over four days ago when they’d met.

Once again, Heinrich was taken aback by how smart these ponies were. Sure, he couldn’t remember how long it’d taken him to learn words, but it hadn’t been a week and a half, that much he was certain of. “Three shots and no vomiting this time at least.”

Captain Shimmer whistled. “Better than last time.”

Heinrich nodded. “One of these times he might even be able to stay awake!” The two shared a laugh as Heinrich heaved the passed out captain onto his bunk. Flare didn’t even move, only letting out a rasping snore as Heinrich shook his head in amusement.

It had been like this for the past four days while the task force assigned to the USNS Comfort made its way down to Brazil to assist in rebuilding Rio and the other cities damaged by the fighting. The rebel army units had overwhelmed those still loyal to President Henriques within five days of deserting; though no sign of the former President could be found. The common theory was that he’d either been crushed beyond recognition when the Presidential Residence had collapsed, or that he’d skipped town into one of the remaining friendly countries nearby. The military had turned over command to the emerging Free Brazil Council, and had returned to Rio to root out the favela gangs in two more days of bitter fighting. The city was a ruined mess, but the gangs had been wiped out or gone into hiding.

The task force had picked up the Equestrians and their strange cargo at Panama, the crew initially confused by only receiving one pegasus, one unicorn and a large box. Word came down from the brass that more ponies would be arriving once they reached Rio, though no details were given on how.

“So when will we ar… arrive? Is that word?” Shimmer frowned as he struggled to remember the words he’d been drilling on to be able to communicate.

“Yea, you got it.” Heinrich found it both hilarious and adorable that the little bastards were trying so hard. “Well, I’m gonna head out, make sure to point Flare to the bathroom when he wakes up.” The two laughed again as the human walked out of the room.

…

“You understand why this must be done, yes? The merciful God in His wisdom put Man upon this earth to govern it and all that walk upon it. For another species to hold itself as Man’s equal is blasphemy against His will.” The speaker’s voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable weight of authority.

The figure kneeling on the floor lifted his eyes to try and make eye contact, only for the robed figure to step further into the shadows of the darkened church. Ducking his head in apology, the young man continued staring at a point on the floor. “I… I understand Father. I will do as you ask.”

“Good. Here, take this.” A heavy envelope fell to the floor. “While true men of God need not worldly things, we understand your situation well. Upon successful completion of your task, you will receive the other half of your payment.”

The young man opened the envelope with shaking fingers, to reveal a series of folded bills. Counting them swiftly, he stuffed the envelope into his backpack. Rising to his feet, he clasped his hands together and bowed to the priest. “I thank you for this opportunity to serve the Lord. May His Will be done.”

“In His name we pray. And again, I am deeply sorry for your loss. But remember my son, the pain of this world is but passing compared to the everlasting glory that will be yours in Heaven. Go with God, my son.” The young man nodded and left the church. Once he was sure the boy was gone, the shadowed figure took out a phone and dialed a number. Once the buzzing stopped, he spoke only four words, “The bush is burning.” He then quickly took the phone apart, removed a small chip from it and ground it underfoot. Turning, he hurried through the building to the back door, slipping into the maze of alleys that made up the bulk of the favela.

…

“C’mon now, easy does it… and there, that’s perfect!” Flare shouted as the forklift gently set the box down in the middle of the open space on the dock. A crude chalk outline formed a broad circle approximately sixty feet in diameter. A Marine came forward with a crowbar, but Flare waved him off with a hoof. “I’ll take it from here, if you’d all take a few steps back.” The unicorn’s horn lit with a fiery orange glow that reached out to envelop the box. With a series of snaps and pops, the nails were all yanked out and deposited in a neat pile to the side. Flare could hear the human’s muttering in awe and allowed the barest trace of a smile to cross his muzzle as he floated the box sections away and stacked them neatly, exposing the contents to the humid air.

The Beacon Stone stood proudly, all twelve feet of it seeming as polished as the day it was made despite its age. Flare trotted a slow circle around it, making sure everything was in place before looking to the assembled Marines.

“I’d take a few more steps back, and don’t look directly at it.” Once the humans had complied, some nervously shielding their eyes, Flare turned back to the stone. His horn lit again as he cantered forward and touched a rune in the shape of a winged spiral. The stone suddenly thrummed, a subsonic vibration causing the Marines to cringe as ground itself began to quiver. The other runes suddenly flared a bright, painful azure and the Marines realized that the light was actually projecting the shapes onto the ground, forming a large, intricate pattern. With a sonorous boom a beam of light shot into the sky, fading from view in seconds. The Marines started to relax when suddenly the air split with a series of thunderous bangs, a flurry of beams of light descending onto the different runes. The air reeked of ozone and crackled with power as the beams resolved themselves into the shapes of ponies. Once the light faded, an earth pony stallion trotted over to the exhausted Flare, giving him a friendly smile.

“Heavy Lifter of Canterlot Civil Construction at your service!” the brown coated stallion brushed some of his yellow hair out of his eyes. “Gotta tell ya, I think next time we’ll just walk.” Everypony present started laughing uproariously while Heavy leaned in toward Flare. “What do ya think’s bothering them?”

Flare turned to see the Marines all staring open-mouthed at the sight of one hundred twenty ponies appearing out of thin air. “Dunno… They’ve likely not seen a mass teleport on this scale. I’ve only heard rumors of the Beacon Stones myself.”

Looking around, Heavy finally started appreciating the scale of both the city and the work that was ahead of him and his crew. “These humans don’t mess around, do they? I heard this was all done in just a few days?”

Flare nodded. “That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”

Heavy whistled. “Well, we’re here now, so it’s up to us to show em how ponies get it done! ALRIGHT CREW, LISTEN UP! REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOLD US BACK IN CANTERLOT! STAY TOGETHER, DON’T WANDER OFF, AND YOU FOLLOW ANY ORDERS GIVEN BY ME, YOUR TEAM LEAD OR A GUARDPONY. UNDERSTOOD?” A chorus of assents was shouted back at him and he nodded proudly.

Flare smiled, “Alright then, I’ll leave them in your capable hooves.” He turned and trotted over to where the Guards were formed up into a tight group, Captain Shimmer speaking with them. The unicorns broke ranks and reformed in front of him, ears turned forward in anticipation. “Alright, I know everypony heard this from General Dusk, but I’m going to say it again. These CCC ponies are our responsibility while we’re here. I’ve been told that the risk is minimal, but we’re in an unknown place so as far as we are concerned anypony who’s not dressed like them,” he pointed a hoof to the Marines, “are to be treated with caution. Keep your eyes peeled and magic to a minimum, we don’t want to hurt anypony out of hoof.” The unicorns all nodded and dispersed amongst the CCC workers, while Flare trotted over to where Sergeant Heinrich was finally getting his mouth closed. “Everything alright?”

Heinrich shook his head. “Not particularly, I just watched a laser light show drop over a hundred ponies out of the sky. How exactly does that thing work anyway?” He pointed to the Beacon Stone, which had lost its glow and once more looked like a carved rock.

“I’m not sure what your word for it would be, but we call them the ‘Beacon Stone’. The stories I’ve heard tell that somepony who has both can travel from one to the other instantly, like you saw now.”

“Damn, that’s pretty crazy.” Heinrich turned to the other Marines. “Alright, I want a twenty-four hour detail on this thing. No one comes near it without my permission, no exceptions. Do I make myself clear?”

“SIR YES SIR!” The assembled Marines shouted.

…

Miguel was tense as the two ponies finished setting the wall into place. One bent down and picked up a hammer while the other positioned a nail with its hoof. With a swing of its head the first one struck the nail firmly, allowing the second to release it. A few minutes later the last nail was hammered in and the wall finished, the two working together seamlessly. With what could only be a cheer, they clapped a forehoof together much like a high five. As they trotted past him, one smiled at him and stopped, muzzle working oddly for a few seconds before it spoke.

“Hi!”

Miguel simply stared at the pony, his expression blank. After a few seconds the pony’s smile grew strained and it shrugged with an apologetic look on its muzzle as it hurried after its companion.

“Fucking abominations.” He muttered to himself, though for a second he couldn’t feel the same hatred he’d had in the days after Marina died. It had been a favela gang’s RPG that blew the building up with her inside, but that didn’t help as he’d cradled her broken body in his arms. He’d seen the ponies as a threat before, but Marina had always chastised him for thinking that, quoting him passages from the Bible to counter every verse he’d cited. That God would choose to take her over him made no sense, and he’d wandered aimlessly in his grief for days. He’d sought solace in prayer, and that was when he’d found one of the few churches to survive the attacks. The priest had comforted him, and reminded him that he must rise above his grief. Above all, he could not lose sight of his convictions and his faith. The favela gangs were a scourge and deserved to be eliminated, but the far greater threat was the non-humans trying to insinuate themselves into society. When word came that the abominations would be trying to come to Brazil the priest had asked Miguel if he would be willing to strike them a blow to remind them that not all men were spineless cowards, and Miguel had immediately accepted. They had spent hours planning, figuring out how to strike the blow to have the maximum effect. The knowledge that the United States was sending Marines put a damper on how much they could effect, but he could still pull off a strike.

All that was left was for him to select his target.

…

“Great work today Tall Beam! At this rate your team’s gonna have your sector done ahead of anypony else.” Heavy smiled and cuffed his youngest team leader on the shoulder.

The crimson mare blew some of her light green mane from her eyes and grinned. “The boys know their job; I just keep their hooves to the road.”

“’Atta girl, keep it up. Speaking of stallions by the way, rumor has it a certain Guard Captain’s had his eye on you.”

If the mare hadn’t been crimson already, she would have been now as she dug a hoof at the ground. “Has Shi… I mean, have you heard him say anything?”

“Ah, you’re a terrible liar Beam, and I suppose if I had heard anything, he was thinking to ask you out to celebrate if your team finishes first.” Heavy chuckled as Beam blushed an even deeper crimson. “Just keep your team on focus girl; you ain’t in first place yet. My team’s not too far behind yours and I want that pile of bits.”

“Oh you’re on Heavy! Just you see, my team’s gonna be done and back by the Stone for lunch before you’re even halfway through your sector!” Tall protested with the fire back in her voice as she trotted ahead of Heavy, swatting him playfully with her tail as she did.

The pair reached the area set aside for the ponies, passing the two Marines standing guard outside the building and nodding a greeting as they pass through the double doors. The interior was brightly lit, several low tables set up for the ponies to eat at, and a serving station off to one side. Getting their food, a mix of vegetables and orange slices, along with a single apple each, they found themselves a table near the Guard tables.

As Heavy ate, he could see Tall shooting glances at the Guard table whenever a certain pegasus captain wasn’t looking, and looking over could see that captain trying to do the opposite discreetly. Both ponies were failing miserably, and Heavy finally nudged Tall. “Darlin’ I’m getting tired of watching you two swivelin’ your heads all the time, if you wanna piece of ‘im, go for it!”

“Can it Heavy, I’ll do it when I’m ready!” Tall was on her hooves now, boring her legendary glare into his eyes, and Heavy fell back, raising his hooves apologetically.

“Alright, alright, have it your way… just tryin’ to help a friend out is all.”

Tall snorted, sitting back down and finishing her dinner quietly. Once she was done, she took her tray to the disposal bin and left the building in a huff.

Across the room, a pegasus captain watched her go with a heavy sigh, only to feel a hoof dig into his side. Turning, he saw a unicorn doing his best to pretend he hadn’t seen or done anything.

“For the love of the Sun, cut me a break Flare!” Sky Shimmer snapped.

“Hey, it’s not my fault that you’re having a case of Shy Colt Syndrome.” Flare snickered, ducking the hoof that Shimmer tried to smack him with. “If you’re interested, go for her, I’m sure any foals of yours will look good by her.”

Shimmer choked on the mouthful of salad he was eating and cuffed Flare with his wing. “Shut it! I’m not in the mood for foals yet, I’m only thirty!”

Laughing, Flare shrugged. “If you say so buddy, if you say so.”

…

“Ugh, the smell of this city, you’d think these oo-mans would have done a better job of keepin’ the place clean…” Sledge spat as he muscled a piece of debris out of the way.

“Stop complaining Sledge! The faster we get this work done the sooner we can take a break. And they’re called humans, get it right!” Tall bellowed as she pulled a new wall section over.

“Sorry boss.”

“You don’t even know what sorry is! The humans who went through here were kind enough to make sure we were dealing with the sections that had no bodies, so the least you can do for em is remember what they’re called!” Tall left the wall section for Sledge to secure, checking in on the rest of her team and nodding her satisfaction at their progress. As she walked past an alley her ear pricked to the side as she thought she heard something.

“Yo Bull, did you hear that?”

Bulldozer looked up from the rubble he was pushing out of the way. “Nope, can’t say I did. What’d it sound like?”

Tall took a hesitant hoofstep down the alley, both ears now pointing forward. “I dunno, sounded like…” The sound came again, and now she recognized it, one of the words that she’d first learned to listen out for.

“H… help.” The voice was faint, yet the word was unmistakable.

“Somepony needs help. I’ll check it out while you go get some of the Royal Guard. Round up the rest of the team while you’re at it.”

“You got it, be careful boss.” Bulldozer galloped off toward where the rest of the team was, while Tall Beam picked her way through the maze of buildings. She was amazed at how densely packed the structures were, some even built on top of each other.

“And I thought Canterlot was overpopulated.” She muttered irritably, her ears on a swivel as she tried to pinpoint the source of the voice.

“Help…” The voice was louder, coming from around a corner.

Tall broke into a gallop, navigating the piles of debris and turning the corner. She could see a pile of debris in an open area, an arm lying limply over it. Urging her legs to run faster, she crossed the broken arch that led into the open space and slowed to a trot as she approached. Cursing internally at her lack of knowledge of the human language, she remembered the basic greeting and decided to improvise.

“How are you? You be okay?” She hoped she’d gotten it right.

“I… I think so.” The arm started to move, pushing the human’s body up. The other moved out of sight, presumably to help with trying to move.

“W-Whoa there, slow down. You could be hurt.” She relapsed into Equestrian, scrambling up the debris and gently pressing down on the human. As she cleared the debris, she could see they were holding something in their hand. It was a rope, which she saw ran around the length of the area to a piece of rubble wedged into the base of the arch she’d entered through. Looking back to the human’s hand, she saw it yank hard on the rope, dislodging the chunk and collapsing the archway. Backing away, she started breathing heavily as she looked for another way out, seeing none within her reach. Hearing the scrape of metal on stone, she turned her wide eyes back to see the human pulling something from under the pile he’d been lying on. She remembered seeing the humans back by the Stone carrying similar looking weapons, but this one suddenly seemed to radiate malice.

“W-What are you g-going to do to me?” She stammered while she backed into a corner, a stream of urine soaking the ground underhoof as she lost control of her bladder.

The human didn’t say anything, only walking toward her and raising the weapon to point directly at her.

…

“And you just left her by HERSELF?” Captain Shimmer bellowed, a sudden surge of fear spiking through his body.

“She said she’d be fine!” The stallion’s words were lost as Shimmer leapt into the air, rocketing back to the Stone. Spotting Flare walking out of the building the guardponies used for their quarters, he dove in hard and landed with a heavy thud.

“Sky? What’s…?” The unicorn was cut off as Shimmer thundered forward.

“It’s Tall Beam; she went off on her own, following a voice crying for help. I’m going to go find her, you follow with as many Guards as we can spare.” Not waiting for an answer, Shimmer sped back into the air, beelining over the buildings for where Tall Beam’s team had been working.

“By Celestia…” Flare murmured before jolting into action. “ALRIGHT! THE FIVE OF YOU THERE! GET YOUR FLANKS IN GEAR; WE’RE MOVING OUT IN THIRTY SECONDS! FIRST LIEUTENANT DAWN BREEZE, YOU GUIDE US IN!” Flare turned as Sergeant Heinrich walked over, a look of concern on his face.

“What’s going on?”

“One of our ponies wandered off by herself, looking for someone calling for help. We’re going to find her.”

Heinrich nodded. “Then we’re coming too.” He turned back to the Marines that were starting to gather. “GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER; ONE OF THE PONIES IS MISSING. WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE UNICORNS AND WE WILL BRING HER BACK SAFE!”

The Marines jumped into motion as well, and soon Flare led the five unicorns, followed by the squad of Marines, after Shimmer. The unicorns soon outpaced the Marines, who at least had the pegasus overhead to provide a sense of direction.

Meanwhile, Shimmer was now well and truly worried. He’d found Tall Beam’s work crew easily enough, and they’d shown him where she’d gone off, but the packed in buildings made spotting from the air impossible. Darting in and landing, he carefully made his way down the alleys until he saw a pile of rubble blocking the path ahead. He was about to turn around when he heard something coming from beyond the pile that made his blood run cold. Tall Beam’s shaking voice was stammering out pleas for mercy. He slowly and quietly clambered up the pile, stopping to sneak a peek when he reached the top. He could see a male human dressed in old, dirty clothes, and holding a weapon similar to the ones the Marines had been carrying. The human was pointing it at a shaking Tall Beam, whose eyes were wild with fear, a patch of wet ground underneath her. His mind weighed his options, but his heart told him only one made any sense. He snapped his wings out and arrowed into the open area, landing in front of Tall Beam. The human shouted in shock and tightened the finger sticking under the weapon. Shimmer closed his eyes and braced himself, but nothing happened.

Miguel cursed as he pulled the trigger again, before realizing he’d left the safety on. Flicking it with his thumb, he leveled the AKMS at the new arrival. He remembered seeing these ponies at the US base, flying random patrols over the different work crews. He hoped that its armor wouldn’t be enough to stop his bullets before it attacked.

“C-Captain Shimmer? I-I’m so s-sorry, I heard this human calling for help and I came to see if he was hurt and…” Shimmer cut her off, backing up so he was completely blocking her from the human.

“It’s going to be ok Tall Beam. I won’t let him hurt you.” Shimmer turned his cold blue eyes to the human. “You do not have to do this. We mean you no harm. Let us go.”

Miguel nearly dropped the rifle as the new pony started speaking English at him. He’d expected it, but that didn’t make it any less frightening. He didn’t reply, only keeping the rifle aimed toward them. What the pony said next, however, shook his resolve even harder. The pony’s eyes softened and it spoke a single word.

“Please.”

The rifle started shaking a little in Miguel’s hands. His mind raged against the rest of him, urging him to pull the trigger, to shoot the abominations and be done with it. Yet, something stayed his hand. His vision swam a little as a wave of nausea gripped him. He swore he could almost hear Marina’s voice on the edges of his hearing expressing disappointment in the situation he had chosen. He could hear the priest’s words warring with hers, warning him of the insidious influence of the Devil’s minions. But looking at the two ponies in front of him, he was struggling to see the Devil’s hand in this. The ghost of Marina’s voice pointed out that if anyone was doing the Devil’s work, it was him. The priest’s voice reminded him of his sacred duty to God, to strike down those that were corrupted by the touch of Satan. He struggled with them for a few minutes more, but then reached his decision with a heavy sigh. He started to lower the rifle when something suddenly struck him in the chest like a sledgehammer. As he fell backwards his finger tightened instinctively on the trigger. The gun barked three times, the sound ringing in his ears. He hit the ground hard, and after getting his breath back, pushed himself to a sitting position and looked in horror at what lay before him.

Tall Beam watched in terror as the human was struck, wincing as the weapon barked and spat three bursts of light from its end. She screamed as something that burned red-hot dug a furrow through her foreleg, and something wet splattered against her face. Opening her eyes, she shrieked again, her own pain forgotten.

Captain Shimmer lay on the ground in front of her, bleeding heavily. She realized in horror that whatever the weapon spat at them had punched clean through his armor. One had entered his chest at an angle, exiting just behind his withers. The other had done even worse damage. It had struck his right wing clean at the joint, nearly tearing the limb off entirely. She rushed forward, collapsing at his side and nuzzling at his neck and muzzle. She smiled tearfully as he opened one eye to look at her.

“Are…. you a-alright?” His voice was ragged, his breathing shallow.

“Y-yes. You saved me.” She nuzzled him harder as his eye started to close. She was dimly aware of other forms galloping past her, and one stopping on the other side of Shimmer, but her whole world was reduced to keeping that eye open. “Sky Shimmer… stay with me, please… don’t leave.”

“…oved you, had to keep you safe.” His voice was fainter, eyelid stubbornly closing.

“You did, please stay awake.” His eyelid shut with a dreadful finality and she screamed denials, tears pouring from her eyes as she tried to wake him.

Miguel had gotten to his feet and tried to run, but felt another blow strike his back, this time from a real object that hurled him to the ground and pinned him there. Desperation giving him strength, he rolled the form off of him and started to rise, only to realize he had nowhere to go. Five gold-armored unicorns encircled him, joined by another pegasus. A sixth unicorn was next to the one he had shot, the crimson one sobbing on the ground. The unicorn lifted its head and looked at him. Miguel recoiled at the rage in those eyes as the unicorn’s horn lit with a blinding orange light and he felt something grip him tightly.

The aura surrounding him hauled him inexorably upwards until he floated a foot off the ground, his legs twitching feebly in an attempt to escape. The grip tightened, and his hand finally released the AKMS, the rifle falling to the ground with a clatter. His breathing grew steadily weaker as the crushing force started to collapse his lungs, and his vision swam as he began to feel light-headed. He felt his skin begin to tingle and itch, but before long the itch became a burn and he began to struggle frantically. He heard the sound of boots on concrete and twitched his eyes to see a US Marine climb over the pile of rubble, assault rifle turning towards him, then to the unicorn with the glowing horn.

Sergeant Heinrich took in the scene quickly, realizing the danger the young man was in. Hurrying to Flare, he tapped the pony urgently. “Flare, that’s enough, let him go.” When the unicorn didn’t answer, he punched his shoulder. “THAT’S ENOUGH FLARE! LET HIM GO! YOU’RE KILLING HIM!” Flare seemed to not hear, but after a few seconds the unicorn released his magic, Miguel falling heavily to the ground. Heinrich breathed a sigh of relief, turning to see the grievously wounded pegasus laying still, the sobbing pony beside him with a graze on her foreleg.

“GET ME A STRETCHER OVER HERE NOW! WE GOT ONE PONY DOWN, ANOTHER WOUNDED!” The Marines moved to comply but Flare stood in their way, eyes still burning with anger. Heinrich knelt and put his hand on the captain’s shoulder. “Flare, let us help him.”

The unicorn glared at him. “If he dies, it’s your fault.” But he moved to the side and allowed the Marines to lift Shimmer gingerly onto the stretcher. Heinrich nodded his thanks, before getting to his feet and walking to stand over Miguel. Rolling him over roughly, he pulled a cable tie from his belt and secured his hands before hauling him to his feet.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Miguel asked, his voice trembling.

“If you’re lucky, you’ll live.” Heinrich shoved the young man ahead of him as the group hurried back to the docks.

07 - Cowards, Bastards and Broken Things

Week 6, Wednesday

“Tall Beam!” Captain Shimmer jolted awake with a shout, only to wince as his chest sang in agony. Looking around the place he found himself in, the cyan-coated pegasus could see plain white walls and feel a gentle rocking. He was lying on his left side, his right wing completely wrapped in bandages and firmly secured to his side. His chest had a large bandage on it secured with tape, and he could feel another on his back. His armor lay stacked in the corner, a ragged hole visible in the chestplate. He squirmed to get his hooves under him, when a voice he recognized stopped him in his tracks.

“Just relax Sky; you’ve been through a lot.” The speaker rose from the corner they’d been sitting in and trotted over. Cloudhammer looked well rested, but his blue eyes were a little sad as he met his friend’s gaze.

“General, what are you doing here? What happened? Where’s Tall Beam?” Cloudhammer raised a hoof and Shimmer quieted down, relaxing back onto his side.

“I’m just here to check on one of my ponies, see how you were doing. As for what happened, the humans brought you back to their vessel and treated your injuries here. Tall Beam is fine, she was only lightly injured. I volunteered to keep you company while she went to get some food. The mare has barely left your side since the human doctors let her in the room.”

Shimmer sighed in relief as he heard Tall Beam was safe, and his wings instinctively tried to flutter. When only the left one moved, his eyes opened wider as he looked at the right wing. Cloudhammer’s expression darkened a little and Shimmer’s heart sank.

“How bad is it?”

Cloudhammer shook his head. “I’m going to tell it to you straight; you nearly lost the wing entirely. The humans were able to save it, but they don’t know if you’ll ever be able to use it again. As soon as you’re able to be moved, we’ll be getting a proper unicorn to see if they can help.” His voice was hollow as he added the last part, knowing that it was unlikely anything could be done.

“I… I see. If it’s alright with you General, I’d like to get some more rest.” Shimmer didn’t wait for the answer, closing his eyes and laying his head back onto the pillow.

“Sure, I’ll have somepony at the door if you need anything. Do you want Tall Beam to come in when she returns?”

“…Sure.”

Cloudhammer nodded, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. Two more pegasus guards stood at attention on either side of the room.

“When Tall Beam returns, she is allowed to enter. Otherwise, nopony save the doctor and nurses is allowed to see him. Understood?”

The guards saluted quietly out of deference to their fallen comrade. Cloudhammer returned the salute and trotted down the hallway, to where a unicorn stood waiting for him.

“This is a right mess Cloudhammer, no doubt about it.” General Amber Dusk said, the two turning down a side hall.

“He’s strong, he’ll pull through this.” Cloudhammer muttered.

“Captain Shimmer’s not who I was talking about.” Dusk said softly.

“I know.” Cloudhammer replied.

The two generals made their way down the corridors of the ship to another room, this one with four unicorns standing guard outside.

“Has he said anything?” Dusk asked the second lieutenant leading the squad.

“No sir, he has remained silent since he was placed in here.” Autumn Frost barked sharply.

“I see. Open the door.” Frost saluted, then lit her horn and pushed the door open silently. Dusk and Cloudhammer entered the room and faced its sole occupant sternly.

“On your hooves Flare.”

The teal and orange unicorn slowly got off the floor and turned to face them. His eyes were downcast, bloodshot from lack of sleep.

“How are you doing?” Cloudhammer asked, to Dusk’s annoyed glance.

“Could be better sir.” Flare replied, his voice raspy.

“I assume you know why we are here?” Dusk spoke firmly, hoping to forestall any more idle talk.

“I can guess.” Flare replied, sitting a little straighter, a bead of sweat snaking its way down his muzzle.

“Very well then. Captain Flare, you have disgraced both your station and the Royal Guard as a whole with your behavior a week ago. You are hereby stripped of your rank, and all privileges that go with it. You are demoted to the rank of Private effective immediately, and will report for correctional duty on the morrow at dawn to Second Lieutenant Frost. Do you understand the punishment as I have told you?”

“I do sir.” Flare replied, his body trembling a little despite himself.

“Very well. I’m returning to Canterlot, are you coming, General Cloudhammer?”

Cloudhammer shook his head. “With respect, I will stay to personally oversee the recovery of Captain Shimmer.”

Dusk looked like he had more to say, but only shook his head and trotted out of the room. Once he had left, Cloudhammer closed the door and sat down opposite his friend. The silence dragged on uncomfortably for a few minutes before Flare finally couldn’t take it.

“Sir, I…”

“You don’t need to say anything Flare. I understand your feelings, but you knew this would happen the second you used your magic like that. I won’t say I’m not disappointed in you, but you’ve been given a second chance. Prove that you’re a pony worthy of wearing the armor and you’ll be a captain again before you know it. But never forget that you nearly killed a captive out of rage.”

Flare hung his head. “I won’t sir.”

“Good. Get some rest private, you’ll need it.” Cloudhammer said as he walked out of the room.

…

Miguel was terrified. After marching him back to the docks, the Marines had locked him up in a storage building and held him there since. It was the fourth day when the door suddenly swung open and three Marines marched in. Two of them moved forward and seized his arms, hauling him to his feet.

“Where are you taking me? Let me go!” he shouted, trying to tug his arms free of his captors. They ignored him, force-marching him out of the room and across the dock area toward another building that looked like the command center. They passed the guards on the way in, and Miguel noticed that they were holding their rifles tightly, eyes boring straight ahead. He began to struggle harder, but could not break free. Eventually they came to a closed door with an officer standing in front of it. As they drew closer, Miguel saw that he was clutching a piece of paper in his fist and his eyes were angry yet resigned. Nodding to the escort Marines, he opened the door to reveal a room shrouded in darkness, and spoke to whoever was inside before gesturing to the Marines. With a shove they pushed him into the room and shut the door behind him.

He took a few halting steps forward, and froze as he heard a rustle of movement behind him.

“So, ‘tis true what I’ve heard. You humans cannot see in the dark. A pity.” The lights suddenly flicked on and Miguel, blinking hard, turned around and stumbled back in terror at what he saw.

“Now, you and I are going to have a talk.” Luna said softly, her eyes narrowed as she stood in front of the door.

…

Captain Shimmer yawned and opened his eyes, smelling another pony in the room. His left wing straightened a little before he could force it back down, and he looked to the floor where a crimson mare was lying peacefully. Her left foreleg still showed the wound received when the human had attacked them, the coat starting to grow back in. Her sides rose and fell with her breathing, but Shimmer picked out her eyes twitching every so often to look at him.

“You’re pretty bad at faking sleep Tall Beam.” He laughed a little, though his chest flared up again and he grunted.

The mare bounded to her hooves and rushed to the bedside, having to stand on her hindlegs to be able to see over the bed. “Sky! Are you feeling alright?”

“Yea, just a little twinge.” He hoped she hadn’t seen him gritting his teeth. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better! The human doctors helped clean my leg, though they said you were hurt a lot worse.” Tall Beam dropped back to the floor, standing on her hindlegs was more than a little taxing for her.

Shimmer snorted in amusement and scooted to the side, thankful that the human beds were much bigger than a pony bed. Tall Beam got the hint and jumped up onto the bed as gently as she could. Looking at the bandage wrapping his wing, she shuddered at the memory of it hanging by a few scraps of muscle.

“Is your wing alright? It looked so horrid when it actually happened.”

Shimmer tried to hide it, but his eyes grew distant and Tall Beam sucked in her breath.

“Oh no… I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. They said I won’t lose the limb, and I’m sure the unicorn doctors back in Canterlot will be able to fix it right up.” He tried to project some confidence into his voice, but it still came out hollow.

“I shouldn’t have wandered off. Heavy Lifter warned us about not going anywhere alone, and if I’d just listened, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt…” Her eyes started to water and she looked away.

Shimmer wanted to brush off her worries, but as he tried vainly to move his right wing, he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything. They lay like that for a while, before Tall Beam’s stomach growled again. She forced a small laugh and lifted her head.

“I guess I’m hungrier than I thought. Do you want me to bring you anything?”

‘Yea, a new wing.’ Shimmer snarled inside his mind, but he only shook his head. “I’ll be fine; you go get something to eat.”

“Alright then… if you’re sure…” Tall Beam climbed off the bed, trotting out of the room with one more look back. Once she was gone Shimmer laid his head back down and stared sullenly into space.

‘What kind of pegasus am I if can’t fly?’ He wondered sadly, his eyes watering in shame as the rocking of the ship lulled him back into sleep.

…

“Would you like some tea? I admit my sister is more of a fan than I, but this particular blend always helps me relax.” Luna said calmly, moving past the terrified Miguel with an ethereal grace. Turning to keep her in his sight, Miguel could see a delicate tea pot and a pair of cups on the table. Taking a seat on the floor opposite Miguel, Luna’s horn lit with an azure glow and lifted the pot, pouring tea into both cups before setting it down. Lifting one of the cups gently, Luna took a sip and smiled warmly. “It is quite rude to refuse your host you know.”

Miguel trembled before he suddenly bolted for the door. Gripping the door handle in both hands, he tried to wrench the door open, but staggered back as his fingers began to itch. Peering closer, he saw an azure field glimmering faintly around the handle and the hinges. He fell to the floor with a thud and hung his head.

“Now, I’d suggest not doing that again. I’ve heard magic is very harmful to your species.” Luna suggested calmly while taking another sip of tea.

“Please, just make it quick.” Miguel muttered quietly.

“Whatever do you mean?” Luna tilted her head curiously.

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? Just hurry up and get it over with.” Miguel was broken inside. He didn’t know what else to do, and had resigned himself to his fate.

“Goodness, where in Equestria did you get a notion like that? We do not execute captives in Equestria. The very idea is barbaric.” Luna finished her tea and looked at him curiously. “I have heard the reports from everypony who was involved, and they agree that you did not in fact use your weapon until struck. This implies that it was in fact a tragic accident. However, this does not excuse your deception and intent to cause harm to one of our subjects. What, pray tell, caused you to choose this course of action?”

“You ponies are the spawn of the Devil, bent on corrupting men’s souls with your offers of peace. I will not risk the sanctity of other men’s souls by speaking their names to you.”

“Well, I know not of this Devil you speak off, but as for corrupting your souls, I can assure you that we have no such intention. The only thing I desire from you is the truth. If somepony else was involved in this plot, they could bring harm to other innocents.”

“No servant of the Devil can claim innocence; their very existence is a lie.”

“So just because our ponies are different in form from yours, they automatically must be the servants of your Devil? I apologize, but I fail to see the logic in your claim. All these ponies who’ve come to your country seek to do is help rebuild your city that was destroyed by your peoples own hand. Do you humans hold charity in such low regard as to consider it a sin?”

“No, but devilspawn come in all manner of forms promising all manner of things…”

“However, you still have not convinced me of how our forms’ being different than yours makes us ‘devilspawn’, as you so eloquently put it. By your logic, perhaps I should start viewing you and your race as devilspawn given your propensity for violence, especially with how readily you commit it upon yourselves. Now, I’ll ask again, was there somepony else involved in this plot? And I’ll ask you not to lie, I’ll know if you do.” Luna’s eyes narrowed as she looked coldly at Miguel.

Miguel sat there, struggling to piece together some form of argument that could hold up against her relentless assault. Every time he came up with one, his mind took him back to see that crimson pony begging, the gold and white pegasus putting itself in harm’s way for another, and the look in its eyes as it said ‘Please’. His convictions, which had been rock solid a minute ago seemed now to be made of sand, collapsing down around him. He briefly had something solid to hold on to with the unicorn’s reaction, but even that fell apart as he recalled the look of rage that had burned in its eyes. He knew that if their roles had been reversed, he’d have reacted in much the same way to seeing one of his friends getting shot.

Luna watched the human wrestle with himself for a few minutes more; his slight facial twitches and eye movements as plain as day to the alicorn. She allowed the barest ghost of a smile to flicker across her thoughts and no further as Miguel looked up at last.

“I did not see his face, but he was dressed as a priest. He asked me if I wished to strike against God’s true enemies, and I agreed. But when I was face to face with the crimson one and the armored one…”

“Their names are Tall Beam and Captain Shimmer. I can take you to see them if you so desire,” Luna stated calmly, despite her inner turmoil at revealing their names like this. ‘Tia had been confident that no harm would befall them if she did so, and even if she was wrong, they could use the Beacon Stone to send them back to Canterlot.

“No, I do not think they would like to see me. I’m not even sure if I’d want to see them.”

“I think you would be surprised, though I do understand your reluctance. But facing those you have grievously wounded and seeking forgiveness is important as well, believe me,” Luna’s eyes darkened as she remembered casting three pegasi to the floor of Ponyville’s town hall, the smell of scorched hair and skin filling the air, "However, you have not even tried your tea.” As Luna poured herself another cup of the fragrant beverage, Miguel sat down in the other chair and gingerly lifted the cup. Taking a tentative sip, he followed it with another.

“This is very good, I see why you like it so much.”

“Thank you very much. Now, tell me more about yourself. I have only known you for these few minutes, but I can already tell that you are carrying a burden of your own.”

Miguel stared forlornly into the tea swirling in his cup. The silence dragged on for a few more minutes before he took a deep breath. “Her name was Marina.”

Luna took another sip of her tea, but said nothing.

“She was beautiful, funny, smart and talented. I loved her, and was going to ask her to marry me.” Miguel could feel his chest tightening as he remembered her laugh, he smile… all the little things about her that came together to make her who she was.

“But something happened, didn’t it?” Luna asked gently, the tea forgotten.

“It was the second day of the riots, when the favela gangs began to fight each other for the food. I was trying to get home to get Marina so we could flee the city. But when I got to our home, it was gone. A RPG had gone through the window and exploded inside the bedroom. Where Marina had been packing.”

Luna rose to her hooves and walked around the table to stand over Miguel. “And you blame yourself for her death.” It wasn’t a question, though the alicorn’s voice carried a note of sympathy.

“If I’d only gotten home sooner, or not left at all, I could have done something…” Miguel trailed off, trying hard to force down the lump in his throat.

“Dwelling on what you could have done will achieve nothing. It only what you do now that will have any effect. It is true that you intended to do a monstrous thing, and should be punished for the harm you have done to Captain Shimmer. From speaking with you here, I have decided what punishment befits one such as you.”

Miguel lifted his head as Luna paused, her eyes stern as she regarded him not as a sympathetic listener, but as the Regent of the Moon.

“You shall remain here, and assist with the efforts to help repair your city. Upon the completion of our task, many of us will be departing to Equestria. Captain Shimmer, however, will be returning to our embassy in Hawaii to complete his recovery. Should you choose to do so, you will have the option of traveling to the embassy as well, and work to make amends for what you have taken from him. You do not have to answer now, but you must make up your mind before we depart. You may give your answer to either Heavy Lifter or General Cloudhammer.” Luna made to leave, but stopped as Miguel got to his feet.

“What happens if I refuse?”

“Then you will be left here, alone. The choice is yours. When you are ready to leave the guards are waiting outside. They shall take you to report for work.” Luna opened the door and walked through, turning the corner and leaving his sight.

Miguel sat down heavily in the chair, noticing that his teacup had somehow been filled again, the contents steaming hot. He lifted the cup and took another sip, letting the warmth flow through him. He felt somehow better, as if the heat of the tea was relaxing not only his body but his mind as well. He sat alone in the room for a few more minutes before finishing the tea and walking to the door.

…

“I am still surprised you were able to convince the leaders of the Free Brazil Council to allow you to pass judgment on this Miguel fellow.” President Foster said as he read through the files on his desk.

“Well, they were quite reasonable once I explained what my sister and I had in mind, given that it was a horrid accident.” Celestia took a sip of the tea that had been served. “This is an excellent blend. Might I be able to acquire some of the seeds?”

“I don’t see how it would be a problem. I’ll have some ready for you by the time you return to Honolulu.”

“Thank you most sincerely.” Celestia inclined her head gratefully. “Oh, were you able to use any of the information you acquired from your device that we brought to Canterlot?”

Foster smiled. “Indeed we were. The video recordings were somewhat fuzzy, but the audio was recorded nicely. I admit I am both pleased and disappointed to hear that the scourge of bureaucracy seems to know no borders. Not even different dimensions are safe from their reach.” The two shared a short laugh at their mutual dislike. “However, I do admit that things seem to be going as smoothly as could be hoped for.” He rapped his knuckles on the wooden arm of the chair.

Celestia tilted her head. “What is the meaning of that?”

Foster looked down at the chair. “This? It’s just an old saying, supposed to ward off bad luck if you knock on wood after speaking of something going well.”

Celestia smiled and finished her tea. “A charming saying. However, the day runs late and I’m afraid I must be going. I do hope that we will have the opportunity to talk like this again soon.”

“As do I. Oh, and before I forget, have you had the chance to speak to your Council about the other thing we discussed?” Foster asked curiously.

“I have spoken with my closer advisors, and they have begun selecting the best minds we can spare to begin researching. In particular I have chosen Twilight Sparkle, her friends and one other, though he shall not be free for at least a few more weeks.”

“And who might that be?”

Celestia winked. “You shall just have to see.” She rose to her hooves and gracefully left the room. Foster simply shook his head as Curtis came in.

“I sometimes wonder if she’s sincere in her efforts to help or if she’s just trying to play the angles so she wins. This job sucks Curtis, it really does. You spend so much time trying to get in here, but then once you get here you find out it’s a cage. You’re supposed to be able to do anything from in this office, but I can’t even tell when humans are friends or enemies, let alone fucking talking horses.” Foster was silent for a second before his brain switched gears again. “Did the other role of Project Traveler go off without any problems?”

“Yes sir, we’re analyzing the samples now.”

…

Flare sat alone in his cell, the unicorn staring blankly at the wall as his mind spun senselessly. He still felt sick whenever he remembered the rage that had gripped him when he saw what the human had done to Captain Shimmer. He had actually wanted to kill that human, to see him crushed beyond recognition for it. When he tried to sleep, the dreams were always the same: Sergeant Heinrich showed up a few seconds too late, and Flare would wake up as the storm of magic inside him ended.

‘By Celestia, what is wrong with me?’ He looked up as the door opened and Cloudhammer entered. Flare could make out the spot where the white coat was shorter, a parting gift from his journey to the zebra lands.

“Good morning, sir!” Flare barked, snapping to attention with a crisp salute. Cloudhammer returned the salute before sitting down next to his friend.

“Good morning Flare, did you sleep well?”

“Well enough sir, thank you for asking. What brings you here, sir?” Flare replied.

“Your new armor is here, and you’re due for duty.” Cloudhammer replied firmly, though Flare could see that he didn’t like saying it.

“Thank you sir… and, there is one other thing I’d like to ask.”

Cloudhammer tilted his head. “Alright, shoot.”

…

Miguel hefted the steel beam onto his shoulder with a grunt, carrying it to where the other ponies in the crew he’d been assigned had been piling the debris. At first the ponies had been skittish at working with him, but the presence of two US Marines, one pegasus and one unicorn guard had gone miles to alleviate their worries. As the day had dragged on, they had gradually warmed up to him until they were working together like a team. He’d been leery of them as well, expecting one of the male ponies to simply kick a wall over onto him for what he’d tried to do. But instead they’d just focused on getting the job done; occasionally shooting him narrowed looks as they whispered to each other in their own language. He decided to do the same, hauling whatever debris looked to be unwieldy for them to carry on their own.

Eventually the ponies broke off from the work, trotting to where lunch had been stored for them all. Miguel followed along, and sat down on the other side of the cleared area. He dug into his sandwich eagerly, the hard work having given him quite an appetite. Pausing to reach for a water bottle, he froze as he spotted motion out of the corner of his eye. One of the ponies, a heavily built stallion with a brown coat, yellow mane and a bowl of greens held expertly in his mouth was crossing the space. Stopping in front of him, the pony looked Miguel in the eye for a long moment before snorting and sitting down next to him. Putting the bowl down, the stallion began to eat again, and after another few seconds Miguel did as well. He paused again as he heard more noise and looked up to see the other ponies getting to their hooves and trotting over as well. Soon the entire crew was sitting and eating together.

“Miguel! On your feet, you got visitors.” One of the soldiers barked.

Looking up, Miguel could see a new pegasus guard had arrived, along with a unicorn. Miguel tensed up as he recognized the unicorn as the one that had tried to kill him after he’d shot the other two ponies. He slowly rose to his feet and put his sandwich down before crossing the space to stand in front of the two newcomers. The pegasus looked expectantly at the unicorn, which dug at the ground for a second before looking up at Miguel.

“I’m sorry.”

Miguel was rooted to the spot for a second, those two words being the last things he’d expected to hear. Granted, he’d wondered if something would be done to make up the damage done to his skin from the unicorn’s magic, but given his behavior he hadn’t expected an apology. Shooting a glance back at the work crew, he could see that they were all on their hooves now, watching him intently. Looking back to the unicorn in front of him, he sighed before lowering himself to a crouch so he was looking the unicorn in the eyes. Peering into their brown depths for a moment, he could tell that unicorn was sincere in his apology. Making his decision, he put out his hand.

“I’m sorry too.”

The unicorn looked at his hand for a moment, before raising its hoof and putting it into his hand.

“Flare.”

“Miguel.”

08 - Truths Revealed

Week 8, Tuesday

As Sky Limit plummeted towards the water, he wondered if he should have warned the pegasus guard pulling his chariot he was going to jump. Granted, he wasn’t in any real danger, but he supposed observing the niceties would make his time in this human world easier. With a flex of his shoulders, the complex pack covering his back shuddered and a pair of wings snapped out, arresting his lethal fall and turning it into a stately glide. Craning his head, he could see the pegasus guard draw the chariot down and come alongside him.

“Sorry First Lieutenant Breeze, I just wanted to get a chance to feel the wind on my own!” he shouted

The pegasus shook her head and snorted. She still didn’t know why Celestia wanted this madpony working with the rest of the team. Neither did she understand why humans couldn’t just suck it up and deal with the magic leaking out from Equestria. However, in the end it didn’t matter, she’d been given an assignment from her Princess and she would see it done. Even if this aggravating earth pony was bent on flying.

“It’ll be easier if you just got in the chariot Sky Limit. We’re almost to the Embassy now and I’d like to complete this mission without any screw-ups.”

“Nonsense, I can get there faster on my own. The MkIV needs to be put through its paces anyway!” he shouted as he flapped the wings and rolled into a dive for the surface of the water.

Dawn Breeze sighed and followed him gracefully into the dive. She had to admit, for an earth pony playing at flying he did seem to be doing well.

…

Karl stood on the docks, a pair of binoculars held to his eyes as he scanned the sky for the chariot that was supposed to be coming today. He finally spotted it, but looking closer he couldn’t see a passenger. Swinging the binoculars around, he spotted a dark shape skimming across the water towards him. It soon resolved into what looked like a pegasus pony, but the wings were off somehow…

“What the fuck is that?” His answer came all too quickly as the shape pulled up, coming to a hover about ten feet from the edge of the dock. With a graceful flap of its wings the pony landed on the hard concrete.

“Oh wow, this material is really something! I wonder what it’s made of.” Sky exclaimed, absently rolling his shoulders to retract the wings, the polished grey armatures clicking as they folded in against his upper flanks. At the shoulder joint of the wings a golf ball sized orb shone with its own light, a complex object looking like a metal starburst spinning randomly inside.

Karl just stared dumbly as Dawn Breeze landed the chariot a short distance away. Unhitching herself, she trotted over and sat next to him.

“He’s got wings…” Karl’s eyes were wide as they traced over the reinforced framework of the pack.

“Yes, he apparently came up with the design a few years ago. Eventually word found its way to Celestia and she had him brought to Canterlot to continue his research.” Dawn Breeze muttered dryly, a hint of an edge in her tone.

“That’s sweet, are you jealous?” Karl laughed, though immediately stopped as the pegasus turned her cold blue eyes towards him.

“No. We’re just tired of having to explain to frightened citizens why an earth pony is leaping off of balconies around the city. Now, I need to be making my way back. I trust he’ll be safe in your hoo… hands?”

Karl nodded. “That would get old pretty quick. And of course, you can leave it to me.” He trailed off as the earth pony came trotting up, a beaming smile on his muzzle. Dawn Breeze shook her head and spread her wings, taking off into the bright sky.

The pony muttered to itself in Equestrian before he seemed to figure out what he wanted to say. “How… How are you?” Sitting down, the pony extended a hoof.

Karl took the proffered limb and shook it. “My name is Karl.” He spoke clearly. “How are you?”

The pony sniffed at his hoof before looking back up at the human. “Sky… Sky…” He seemed to struggle to remember the word before his expression brightened. “Limit! I am Sky Limit!”

Karl had to laugh at the pony’s enthusiasm. “Well, we need to get going. They’re expecting us at the research facility.” He motioned to a waiting truck and started walking to it, only for Sky Limit to gallop past him and start peering at it closely.

“How does this work? I heard from somepony that it doesn’t need anypony to pull it, but doesn’t use magic…” Sky trailed off as Karl caught up.

“I’m sure you can have all your questions answered once we arrive at the research facility.” He opened the passenger door for Sky and after a moment, was climbing into the driver seat. “Those wings aren’t going to cause a problem, are they? Those little spheres are glowing awfully bright.”

“Not to my knowledge. Once Celestia informed me of the dangers magic posed to humans, I set about making this version, which adds a thaumatic redirection mechanism to keep the energy flow restricted to the cables and…” Sky was on a roll, not even noticing that he had lapsed back into speaking Equestrian.

Karl sighed and just focused on driving. “At least he remembered to say it was safe first.”

The truck came to a stop in front of the building that had served as the Embassy. The new one was nearing completion in Washington DC, so the temporary embassy had been repurposed to serve as the primary research site for the Equestrian part of the effort. As Karl opened the door for Sky Limit, the red earth pony started to really feel the weight of the task Celestia was asking him to help with.

“Well, this is where we go our separate ways. There’s a pony inside who will take you where you need to go. Good luck.” Karl said as he got back into the truck. Sky Limit stood there looking a little lost, until eventually a unicorn clad in guard armor trotted out.

“Well, let’s get you inside and settled in. The heat here is pretty intense.”

Sky followed the unicorn inside, his eyes narrowed in thought before he realized why the unicorn’s voice sounded so familiar. “Captain Flare? Is that you?”

The unicorn stopped and turned to face him. “It’s not Captain anymore. Just Private.”

Sky froze in shock. “Oh no, I’m sorry! What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Flare turned and trotted towards the doorway that led deeper into the building.

“Oh… alright.” Sky’s ears flattened back slightly before he followed Flare through the double doors.

“This floor is used for research. The upper floor is being used for housing. Meals are held at dawn, midday and dusk. The bathrooms are marked by these signs here. This one is for stallions, this one for mares. We finally got them upgraded for ponies so you don’t need to worry about that at least. And here we are. The rest of the team will fill you in one what exactly you’ll be doing. I’ll be coming back by at dinner for you and the others.”

Sky nodded. “Thank you Flare. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry you got demoted.”

“I appreciate it, but don’t. It was my fault.” Flare turned and trotted down the hallway.

Sky watched him go and sighed before steeling himself and entering the room. It actually ended up being a long, wide hallway, with alcoves marked by rails in the ceiling. Sky wondered what they could be for, before a friendly voice called out.

“Hello! You must be Sky Limit. The letter from the Princess said you would be arriving today. Oh my, what in Equestria is that you’re wearing?” The voice belonged to a purple unicorn Sky recognized right away.

“Hello there Miss Sparkle, it has been a while, though you probably don’t remember me.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “Excuse me? I don’t think we have met before.”

“Well, it was about a year before Princess Luna returned; my friend and I were in the Canterlot Library looking for some information to help me work on the MkIII Flight Model, which this is derived from. We nearly tripped over you, but you were busy studying something and didn’t notice us.”

“I’m sorry, back then I wasn’t a very social pony.” Twilight started to apologize, but Sky cut her off with a friendly wave.

“It’s alright; to be honest I wasn’t either. Now to answer your other question, this is the Flight Model MkIV. It’s not really all that different from the MkIII, I just modified the thaumatic engines a little so they don’t leak anywhere near as much magic as they used to.”

“That’s fascinating! How come you haven’t made more of these? I bet there’d be lots of ponies willing to give it a try.”

“Well, the key to Bevelmiter’s designs is the star metal core. There just isn’t enough of it to go around, especially not for mass production. So this model’s likely the only one that’s likely to be built.”

“I see… well, we’ll have to talk about it some other time, for now let’s get you settled in.” Twilight led Sky through the room. He could see that the entire rest of the team was composed of unicorns, and started to feel a little out of place as they started looking at him and whispering to each other.

“So what exactly am I going to be doing here? It’s not like I can cast any magic on my own.”

“That is true, but you were able to take Bevelmiter’s work and create the two engines you’re using for your wings. Furthermore, you were able to modify them so they don’t give off any significant magic. So, as I understand it, your work here will be to try to integrate those principles with human technology. Therefore, if the spread of magic continues like Celestia and the human leaders think it will, we can try to limit the damage it will wreak to their infrastructure.”

Sky nodded. “I see. So where do you want me to start working?”

“In here.” Twilight led him into an office of some sort. A number of strange devices sat on the desk, and another was on the floor. “Essentially, your initial job will be to familiarize yourself with how human technology works, and then once you’re done you can start figuring out how to keep magic from harming it. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No… I think I’m all set.” Sky tugged the release strap for the MkIV and set it in the corner. Opening the compartment on the back he withdrew a pair of goggles, which he slipped over his head and settled onto his eyes. He then tugged two more rolled bags out, laying them gently on the floor. One contained a series of round objects wrapped in felt, and after peering at the devices closer Sky unwrapped one to reveal a glass lens. Lifting it gently, he pressed it into the socket on the left goggle. Unrolling the other bag, he selected a hoof ring and gently plugged a thin metal attachment into it.

Twilight watched the whole process with fascination, until she realized how long she’d been staring. Blushing a little, she backed up and turned to leave. “Well, I’ll let you get to work then. Somepony will come check on you when it’s time for dinner.”

Sky waved a hoof absently, already engrossed in the desktop computer on the floor. Touching a large round button in the center of the front, he reared back as the device began to hum and flash multi-colored lights. A smile spread across his muzzle.

“Alright then, let’s get to know each other first.” He replaced the thin metal attachment with a smaller nub and watched as the large square object on the desk lit up with its own glow, letters and numbers appearing on the screen.

…

Four hours later, Flare trotted up to the closed door and opened it to reveal a disaster. Parts of computers lay scattered around the floor in a circle, with Sky sitting in the middle peering at a green board glittering with silver and brightly colored pieces. On one hoof ring he now had a small prong that was holding the board, and the other hoof ring was fitted with a small pointed tip. In his mouth he held one of the thaumatic engines from his pack, and Flare watched as he leaned forward and touched the engine to an exposed wire. The pieces on the board started to glow brighter and brighter until they suddenly hissed, and with a puff of smoke the board went dark. Sky tossed the board at the corner of the room with a muffled grunt, and Flare saw that other boards already lay in the corner, several with holes melted in them.

“I just can’t do it. That board just now was the best result I’ve been able to achieve so far.” He looked up at Flare, his left eye ridiculously magnified compared to the right. “I don’t think it can be done Flare, I really don’t. I can understand how their technology works in principle, but it and magic just seem completely incompatible.”

Flare peered at the different pieces. “Well, you’ve been working for four hours, so why don’t you come get some dinner. Maybe after some rest you can come back and take another look at it.”

“I’m fine; just let me keep working…” Sky’s stomach growled at the thought of not getting food and the earth pony laughed. “I guess a break wouldn’t hurt.” Getting wearily to his hooves, he carefully put the thaumatic engine back into its slot and threw the pack over his back. Securing the straps with the ease born of practice, he followed Flare through the halls and up the stairs to a large room with a set of low tables. Other ponies could be seen eating already, and after Sky and Flare got their food they started looking for a table to sit at.

“Over here!” The ponies looked to see Twilight waving her hoof at them, a number of other unicorns sitting with her. Joining them, Sky set his bowl down and took a bite of the mixed salad.

“Mmmm, these humans do make a good salad.”

“I know, right? It’s not quite as good as what’s from back home, but until the Dome finishes expanding it’s too hard for a pegasus team to haul food all this way.” Twilight replied.

“When is the Dome expected to finish?” Another unicorn asked.

“Well, given its rate of expansion, President Foster says his researchers agree on approximately seven more weeks. We checked from our side and agree with that assessment. The Dome’s almost reached Appleloosa on the western edge and the east edge is now over Hoofington.”

“How are ponies back home handling it? Hoofington’s my hometown after all.” Sky said in between bites.

“Oh? I heard from Celestia that a few ponies were nervous about it, but most seem really curious to meet humans for themselves. She said the Royal Office is starting to get overwhelmed with requests for visits, but those are being denied for now until we can have a better idea of individual nation’s opinions regarding Equestrians on their soil. I had thought that their United Nations was their overall form of government, but it seems they’re all independent countries. However, how was your research? The few times I walked by it seemed… lively.”

“Well I think I have an idea of how their technology works, it uses those little holes in the wall to deliver energy to power anything connected to it. Exactly what this energy is I’m not sure, but it behaves a lot like lightning only on a smaller scale. However, when I bring their technology into contact with magic, it seems to have variable results. On more than one test pieces of their technology would melt, others nothing would happen but the piece would not work normally again. I’m beginning to worry that human technology is fundamentally incapable of working with magic except on the most basic levels, since their lights still work in the presence of magic.”

Twilight frowned, “Then we’ll have to send a report to Princess Celestia and President Foster at once. Though nopony’s going to be happy to hear it…”

…

“I’d like to thank you all for coming.” Celestia looked out over the assembled group she had requested come to Canterlot. Every individual present was a leader or ambassador of the different nations that existed outside of Equestria proper.

“It is a pleasure to be able to meet you at last Princess. I trust that you received the gift we sent with Twilight Sparkle and her friends?” Okoro asked. The zebra was dressed in her finest jewelry as befit her station.

“We did, and it was much appreciated. General Cloudhammer regrets that he could not attend this meeting, but he is preoccupied with another matter.”

“So he got promoted? That is good; I was relieved when Rekera brought word that he had recovered from his injuries.”

“My apologies, but K’rik wonders what the ultimate purpose of this meeting is. My scouts report that this… Dome your message spoke of is now on the edge of zebra and Diamond dog lands.” The hulking canine was dressed in his war armor, but in deference to his hosts he carried no weapons beyond his teeth and claws.

“I admit to some curiosity as well Celestia.” All eyes turned to the largest visitor, a mass of green scales and ivory horns. The dragon fluttered his wings and leaned forward a little, his yellow eyes glinting in the sunlight pouring through the windows.

“Very well Ambassador Sharptooth, K’rik.” Celestia paused while she prepared to drop the bombshell of the meeting. “With the Dome’s continued expansion, it is probable that our shores will soon be accessible to the humans. Given that the magic that permeates our land is lethal to them, humans will not be able to set foot on our soil. However, I am sure that some of your citizens will wish to visit our new neighbors. I have called this meeting to therefore propose a new agreement be reached among our different races, so that we may be represented to the humans under a united banner. This way travel to the different human nations can be arranged through a single office, and prevent any potential incidents.”

“And who shall be chosen to represent us should this agreement be made? One of you ponies no doubt?” The final visitor finally spoke up, tapping a claw on the table irritably. The griffon’s talons were fashioned from metal, which had contributed to his namesake.

“Each race would submit a preferred candidate, and after consideration among this assemblage one individual would be chosen, King Iron Talons.” Celestia replied politely.

“Such an agreement is unacceptable to both myself and the kingdom of Scythion. Griffons go where we please, and will not yield to the desires of ponies, no matter who their Princesses are.”

“King Iron Talons, I trust you shall remember that none present are greater than any other. We meet at this table as equals, leaving our notions of superiority and station at the door.” Celestia replied, the warmth in her voice fading. Iron Talons held her stare for a few minutes, but then relented with an angry clack of his beak.

“Celestia, Iron Talons does bring up a valid point. As you know, my kin and I will not submit so readily to being ordered when and where they may go.” Sharptooth privately disagreed with the griffon king on his attitude, but the dragon was acutely curious in the rumors he’d heard of new flying machines. Being the first dragon to venture to the human world and return with an addition for the hoard would be an achievement of inestimable value.

“And nor would this representative seek to do so. The purpose of this new office would only be to make sure that those individuals going to the human lands will not cause relations with the humans to go badly. Thus far their only contact has been with ponies and for them to suddenly have an influx of visitors of different species could be detrimental to all our civilizations. The fragmented nature of the human governments is my other motivation. While one government may be amicable to visitors another may not be, and by having a single representative decisions can be made quickly and efficiently. Each race may of course join ours in providing staff to work together with the representative.”

The other leaders present all silently weighed their options, and one by one each indicated their assent. Iron Talons was the last, a begrudging twitch that could barely count as a nod.

“Excellent. Now, on to the actual selection of candidates. I do not know if all of you had any in mind or not, so if you so desire we can meet again at a future date.” Celestia said calmly, knowing full well that all of them had their choices in mind already.

“I nominate Baron Silverwing of the Darkwood Eyrie. He is a fierce warrior and clan leader, proven in the arena.” Iron Talons replied smugly.

“Very well then. Equestria shall nominate Lord Fancypants of Canterlot. He has served ably for many years on Equestria’s Council and is an accomplished statespony, well versed in politics.” Celestia responded with a small smile. “Are there any other candidates?”

“K’rik nominates B’kar. He has served the pack loyally for many summers and would continue to do so as representative.”

“I nominate Rekera. She has become a healer in her own right, and will serve well to keep the relations with these humans mended.” Okoro spoke with a calm smile.

“And you, Ambassador Sharptooth? Are there any dragons that you feel would be suited to this task?”

The dragon leaned back, a small trail of smoke winding from his nostrils as he considered. The silence dragged on for first one minute, then another. As the tenth minute passed Iron Talons slammed a clawed fist onto the table.

“We do not have all day for your deliberations dragon! If you have a candidate in mind say so!”

The dragon said nothing for another minute, and Iron Talons grew steadily more frustrated. The other leaders looked at Celestia, wondering what her reaction would be. The alicorn sat there calmly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

The dragon finally turned his hard eyes to stare at Iron Talons, externally calm, but anyone looking into his eyes in that moment would see the blazing fire that burned in the heart of every dragon. He finally hissed a slight stream of smoke from his nose and took a breath.

“I will not nominate a candidate.”

Celestia inclined her head. “With all candidates nominated, we shall now vote on one.”

As expected, each leader voted for their respective candidate. As the vote again came to Sharptooth, he stood and paced slowly around the table.

“I have an almost unique perspective among this gathering. I have lived for a little over eight hundred years, and have had the chance to observe the march of races come and go. I saw the rise of the griffons from the savage beasts they were into the noble nation they are now. But above all, I have seen Celestia lead the nation of ponies through the centuries. Her decisions have always been for the long-term benefit of those under her rule, even the less palatable ones. I shall therefore cast my vote for Lord Fancypants of Canterlot, with one condition. That condition being that Celestia in turn pledges that her chosen representative extends the same courtesy he would show a pony to a member of any of our collective species.”

Celestia pondered his condition for the requisite amount of time before nodding. “I find your condition acceptable, Ambassador Sharptooth. Are there any other…” She was interrupted as Iron Talons surged to his paws in anger.

“You planned this, didn’t you? You knew the dragon would support whatever candidate you chose, that’s why you allowed him to attend this meeting! I wonder if the other dragons would support the opinion of this overgrown pony…” Iron Talons was cut off as Sharptooth was upon him in a tidal wave of green scales, the griffon’s crown falling to the floor with a clang. Lifting him in one massive paw, he brought the trembling griffon up to his eyes as he stood as tall as the room allowed.

“I am going to say this once you insipid bird. If you ever utter such an insult again, and word reaches me, I shall end you in fire. No walls shall stay my wrath, nor shall any other obstacle you place between yourself and me. I would rip the very bones of the world apart in order to find you. Now be gone from my sight.” And he tossed the griffon to the floor, where he retrieved his crown in a shaking claw and hurried out of the room, only to cast one final venomous glare at Celestia.

With a sigh, Celestia rose to her hooves. “So, does anypony else present have objections to the results of the vote?” The other two leaders shook their heads, surprisingly having managed to retain control of both their faces and their bowels in the presence of an irritated dragon. “Very well then, I shall inform Lord Fancypants of the decision at once. I do not think he will refuse this honor. Should you desire anything else of me, I shall be holding Court to formally announce the decision at sunset. Ambassador Sharptooth, if you’d remain for a moment please.”

The guards stationed at the door came in and escorted the other leaders out. Once the heavy doors were shut Celestia sighed again. “Well, that went relatively well. I appreciate you not smashing Iron Talons into the floor.”

Sharptooth barked a short laugh. “You are very welcome. However, don’t think that just because I voted your way this time means you can try to move my piece on this board. I meant it when I said my kin and I will not submit easily.”

“Oh, no need to be so melodramatic Sharpie. If it makes you feel better, I did not place all the pieces on the board this time.”

“If you say so Celestia, if you say so. Also, I was wondering if you would perhaps speak with this human President Foster. I have heard that these humans have developed their own means of flight and would like the opportunity to observe them for myself.”

“I shall have to ask him. I may not be able to convince him to allow you to observe one in flight at this time, but perhaps acquiring one for you collection might not be out of the question.” She smiled as Sharptooth mulled it over.

“I suppose that would suffice for now.”

“I am glad to hear it. Would you maybe have the time to play a short game of chess? It’s been too long since our last match, and I have been looking forward to it so.”

“I suppose that I can make some extra time.”

The dragon and the alicorn started to leave the room when a cloud of sparkling green fire came in through the window, and with a pop resolved into the shape of a scroll. Celestia caught it in a golden field of magic and opened it.

“Oh, it’s from Twilight… oh dear. I’m afraid that our game must wait for another time my friend. I have urgent business to attend to.” And with a flash of light she’d vanished.

Sharptooth sighed. “Well, at least some good came out of this whole mess. Now, where is that Fancypants? I suppose asking early to be at the front of the line wouldn’t hurt. I wonder if he knows how to play chess?”

…

President Foster rubbed at his eyes. “And they’re sure of this?”

“Yes sir. As the report indicates, using the samples from Project Traveler we were able to figure out an approximate waveform for the thaumatic radiation. We distributed plans for modifying Geiger counters to various research stations around the world be able to pick up on the radiation and…”

“And?”

“…and it appears that what we were afraid of is correct. Every station reporting so far shows not only increased occurrences of thaumatic radiation fields like those in the month before the Dome’s appearance, but the counter we delivered to the John F Kennedy is showing that the radiation is literally pouring off the Dome. So far the Kennedy is outside of the lethal zone, but it’s going to reach Hawaii in approximately eight weeks.”

“My God…” The president blinked as a bright flash came from outside, and after a moment of panic realized Princess Celestia was trotting toward the door. “Now that can’t be good. Tell the agents to let her in.”

“Yes sir.” The agent by the door said automatically as he spoke softly into his wrist radio.

A few minutes later the door opened and the Princess walked into the room. “President Foster, my apologies for coming on such short notice, but there is a matter we must address and soon.”

“I figured as much. What is it?”

“I just received a letter from Twilight Sparkle and her team at the old Embassy building. Despite their best efforts it appears there is no way to integrate magic and technology. If exposed to any significant amount it either shuts down or overloads. Though from the look on your face it appears that you already have more bad news. What happened?”

Foster looked down at the reports, took a deep breath and looked to the scientist and the agents. “Give us the room.” Once they had cleared out he took one more look at the reports and pushed them across the desk. “There’s something I need to tell you about Project Traveler that I didn’t before, for reasons of national security.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed, but she began to read the document anyway. “Go on.”

“There was one other thing the robot was supposed to do, and that was to collect air, soil and water samples from your environment while it was there. The goal of collecting the samples was to try to figure out what the thaumatic radiation looked like, so we could try to detect it as it’s appearing so we could evacuate people in the area. However, it appears there’s a much bigger problem than we thought. Thaumatic radiation is not only appearing more and more often around the world, it’s also pouring out of the Dome. In eight weeks it will reach Hawaii.”

Celestia flicked her eyes further down the report and saw the truth mirrored there. “That is indeed problematic. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“We’ll be announcing the results of the report by the end of the day, and preparing to set up temporary housing to evacuate the Hawaiian Islands before the radiation floods it. The people are going to take this very badly Celestia, and I honestly feel that this time your ponies had best be elsewhere when the news is released. I’d also consider bringing your team back to your homeland for the time being.”

“But we can help…” They both turned as an aide came rushing in.

“Sir, the director of NASA is on the phone, he says it’s urgent.”

“Probably just another satellite drifted out of place.” Foster remarked as he picked up the phone on the desk. “Yes, it’s me Dave, what’s wrong now?” Foster’s expression slowly hardened as he listened to the other end. “I see. Dave, something like that is too expensive to just go with half-cocked. Yes, I will take it seriously Dave. I am telling the truth, don’t get snappy with me. Alright, keep me informed.” He set the phone down with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Celestia asked.

“There’s apparently something going on in space. Or rather, there should be something going on. Apparently there was supposed to be a meteor shower in another week, but now it seems the meteors are apparently changing course. We have no idea what could cause something like that to happen, so his suggestion was to consider sending a team up with a sensor package to measure for gravitational anomalies.”

Celestia nodded, though the meaning of half of what Foster had said eluded her. “That sounds like it would help provide answers to some of the questions we all have. So why wouldn’t you go ahead with it?”

“Because right now we need to focus on preparing to tell almost 2 million people that they have to move away from their homes in eight weeks or they’ll die.” President Foster rubbed at his eyes. “I suppose you’ll want to offer your help on that too.”

“Of course. We share a world now, why wouldn’t we offer to help?”

“I swear you ponies are just plain crazy. Alright, we focus on the evacuation first. Then, if we can, we’ll see about putting together something to take a look.”

“Very well. Should you desire our assistance, we shall keep the temporary Embassy in Honolulu open. I will send an extra squad of Royal Guard to help with security, so that you can use your Marines to assist with the evacuation.” And she turned to leave, trotting through the door and turning the corner. Foster stood and looked out the window as she exited onto the lawn and vanished in a flash of light.

“Just how in the hell does she stay so damn optimistic all the time?”

The agent by the door nodded as his earpiece buzzed. “Sir, you have another call on the line. Prime Minister Wright wishes to speak to you.”

“When it rains it pours… Alright, put him through.” Foster picked up the phone. “Charlie! How are you today?”

“Not too shabby Tyler. But I’m afraid I must cut the pleasantries short. I’ve received a very disturbing report from the boys down at DSTL using the new Geiger counter you sent us.”

“I’m looking at a similar report Charles. Needless to say it’s something that’s cause for grave concern. We’re currently working on a solution now.”

“Yes, I’m sure. If there’s anything you need, I’ll see what I can do from over here. Global solidarity and whatnot.”

“Thanks a lot Charles, good to know someone’s got my back.”

“I know that tone Tyler. I’m gonna hazard a guess that the Equestrians were there already offering help?”

“Guess it’s not too big a secret, is it?”

“Then why the bloody hell haven’t you accepted it? I’ve seen pictures of the work they did down in Brazil after that pompous ass Henriques was deposed, they do good work for not having any hands.”

“That they do. However, they’re too closely connected to the Dome in the first place, and people will not be happy when they realize that the ponies will be able to live on Hawaii while they’re forced to run for their lives.”

“But the expansion of the Dome isn’t the ponies’ fault, right? Not to mention they’ve been working closely with you on trying to help us with protecting ourselves and technology from the thaumatic radiation. I think you give your people too little credit sometimes Tyler.” There was the sound of someone else speaking. “Yes yes I’m going to ask him. Tyler, I’m being reminded of another report I received a little while ago, something about the upcoming meteor shower. It seems the meteors have decided not to show up.”

“Yes, I just heard about the same thing. My NASA Director feels sending a team up to take a look is critically important. But with the impending announcement of the evacuation I’m not as sure. Princess Celestia offered her assistance on that as well, though I’m not sold on what aid she’ll be able to provide.”

“Damnit Tyler, you seem hell bent on turning down help from those ponies today? I’ll get in touch with them myself if they want to help, the ESA can have something put together within a few weeks if you’re too busy.”

“Fine Charlie, I’ll get in touch with my advisors, see what can be done. Give my best to your wife and kids.” Foster put down the phone and pressed the button for his secretary. “Ruth? Call Dave back; tell him I want a proposal on my desk by the end of the week. Have him get in touch with his friends in the ESA; we’ll be coordinating with them on any actual mission.”

“Right away sir.”

“Alright, tell Curtis that we’ll need to schedule a press release to announce the impending evacuation. I want the Director of FEMA to begin working on a proposal for building emergency homes for those displaced by this.” He twitched as the agent coughed slightly. “What is it now?”

“Prime Minister Oshima sent a message expressing his concern about the spread of the thaumatic radiation from the Dome. He offered aid in evacuating Japanese citizens, and if any ships can be spared to help American citizens he will send them. He also asked about the meteor shower and desires to know if there is any way his country can assist in determining the cause of the course change.”

“Why not? We can make it a whole international get-together. Hell, we’ll even invite the ponies along” Foster commented sarcastically.

“In addition sir, there was a letter received from General Secretary Tien Zhou. He states that the People’s Republic is willing to negotiate for a permanent peace in the region, pending discussions with both your office and the Equestrians. He also offers possible assistance on any plan to evacuate Hawaii, again pending discussions.”

“What is that senile old dragon plotting?” Foster mused. “Alright, thank him for his offer and tell him it is under consideration. I want CIA to have an analysis of possible motivations for this gesture of altruism by the end of the week as well.”

“Yes sir.” The agent spoke quickly into his wrist radio.

Foster got to his feet and looked out the window again, the sky outside mostly clear and blue, but a line of cumulonimbus clouds were forming on the horizon. “Guess the storm really is coming, huh?” he muttered.

“Sir?” The agent walked across the room to join him.

“Nevermind, just thinking of a line from a movie I saw when I was growing up. Let’s get this circus underway.” Foster grabbed his coat off the hanger.

“Yes sir. Touchdown is moving to the Press Room.” The agent spoke softly before moving to open the door for Foster, two other agents already waiting in the hall.

Together they walked down the corridors, hearing the murmuring of the reporters who’d been gathered. Foster took a deep breath and made sure his hands weren’t shaking.

“Alright, show time.”

09 - Houston, We Have a Problem

Week 12, Monday – Week 13, Thursday

“Good morning and welcome to CNN’s Evening Edition, this is Holly Williams. Today’s top story continues to be the evacuation of the Hawaiian Islands. Our own Henry Gennero was able to provide these photos of Honolulu from a news helicopter.” The video cut to show streams of people moving toward the docks, large moving trucks driving towards an enormous auto carrier. “Reports from the Honolulu Police Department indicate that the number of protestors has steadily declined as well, showing a crumbling of resistance to the idea of leaving their homes. There remains a dedicated core of people determined to stay as long as they can. This video was uploaded to YouTube a few hours ago; some of the language has been edited for content.” The video cut to a shaky cell phone recording of about two dozen people shouting angrily, the occasional bleep masking their obvious swearing. Many carried signs ranging from ‘Ponies Go Home’ to ‘Put the Freaks in a Zoo’, and one simply stated ‘Kill Them All’. The feed cut back to the anchor in time to see her shake her head. “Moving to the other top story of the hour, the mission to send a manned spacecraft to investigate the apparent deviation of the upcoming Lyrids meteor shower has entered its final phase. As incredible as it sounds, nations around the world have come together to provide everything from technical support to funding. Even more incredible is the actual team that is going to be going on the flight. No less than four human nations have provided astronauts and scientists, and even Equestria is sending three of its citizens. The names of the three ponies have been announced to be Twilight Sparkle, Sky Limit, and the first pony to come to Earth, Star Dancer.” The video displayed the photographs of the three ponies as the anchor continued speaking. “The mission will be launched from the iconic Launch Complex 39, the same facility that sent men to the moon in 1969. The forecast is for clear skies and the launch is expected to go off without a hitch. CNN reporter Tracy Jeffries, sister to the famous pilot Major Conner Jeffries, will be on site to record the momentous event. Now, in other news…” The video cut off as President Foster leaned back in his chair and yawned tiredly.

“Well, that’s at least one small blessing. Curtis, how is FEMA doing with settling people into the emergency homes that were set up?”

Curtis glanced down at the file folder he was holding. “So far it’s going well; we have successfully settled approximately seventy-five percent of the American population. The Japanese report that they completed their evacuations and are sending their ships to help us now. We expect to have all humans off the islands about a week before the radiation does, though that’s a very rough estimate.”

“Alright, it seems like things are going well. Celestia, are you sure your ponies will be alright with going into space like this? I’m not as well-informed on the details, but usually astronauts spend years getting ready for this sort of thing.”

Celestia sipped at her tea and smiled. “I have absolute confidence in all my subjects. I am certain they will do just fine.”

---Tuesday, 9:00AM---

“By the Sun, I should have said ‘Sorry Princess, but I’m not cut out for this sort of thing.’” Twilight said as she fought to keep from looking down as the mixed group crossed the gantry to the launch vehicle. Risking a quick glance, she shuddered and stopped for a moment.

“Don’t worry Twilight, there’s no way either me or Sky Limit would let you fall.” Star Dancer said reassuringly, though he was nervous as well. The suits the humans had said they’d need to wear were hot and itchy, and not being able to unfurl his wings was irritating.

“Thanks, but I think after this I’ll just take a nice long vacation. On the ground. Where unicorns are supposed to be.” Twilight said, finally convincing her hooves to start walking again as they entered the door on the side of the vehicle. The interior had been rebuilt to accommodate the three ponies, with a trio of small couch-like seats positioned toward the rear. Clambering awkwardly into them, the humans strapped them in securely before climbing into their seats. Twilight twitched violently as the earpiece she’d been given spoke in a monotone.

“T-minus five minutes to launch.”

Twilight tried to get her breathing back under control, craning her head to look at the patch that Rarity had given her the night before. It bore the same background of stars as the human patches, but instead of an eagle it had a pony standing proudly. Twilight’s was a unicorn, while Star Dancer’s was a pegasus and Sky Limit’s an earth pony. In addition, each bore another slogan, ‘First Equestrians into Space.’ Twilight smiled as she remembered the party that Pinkie had somehow put together the night before, before the voice came back again.

“T-minus two minutes to launch.”

…

“Ah’m not sure ‘bout this ya’ll.” Applejack stated nervously, standing by the windows. The launch pad was visible in the distance, looking like a fragile toy to the earth pony. “Ah’ve been up in Twi’s balloon, but sendin’ ponies into space? T’aint natural if ya ask me.”

“Oh don’t fret so Applejack. I personally oversaw the creation of those ‘space suits’ and I can tell you they will perform above and beyond what the humans said was necessary.” Rarity replied, though she was as nervous as Applejack on the inside.

“I just wish I could have been picked to go.” Rainbow grumped, jealous that another pegasus had been selected over her.

“Girls! It’s starting!” Pinkie shouted a half second before the speaker in the ceiling crackled into life.

“T-minus thirty seconds and counting. Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

“I can’t watch!” Fluttershy cried as she darted out of sight behind a couch.

“Those humans better know what they’re doing…” Spike muttered, his face pressed against the glass.

“Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve…” The voice continued on inexorably.

“C’mon Fluttershy! We gotta be cheering Twilight on! She’d do the same for any of us.” Rainbow said, tugging the shivering yellow pegasus from behind her hiding spot. She squeaked in fear, but nonetheless crept to stand with the others, all watching intently as the countdown continued.

“Five, four, three, two, one, ignition.” For a few seconds nothing happened and the ponies started looking at each other in confusion.

“Did it break?” Rainbow wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a flash of light and dull roar startled everypony present. Looking back out, they could see billowing clouds of smoke erupting from the base of the rocket, lit a dull orange from the fires within. Another second and the rocket was beginning its ascent on a pillar of flame and smoke.

“We have liftoff!” The voice over the loudspeaker called out triumphantly.

“That’s so awesome.” Rainbow said, her eyes wide as the rocket continued to climb into the sky. The others all echoed the sentiment, their eyes following it upward until it was a speck in the sky.

…

Twilight wanted to scream, but the pressure against her body was overpowering. Managing to turn her head to see Sky Limit, she was amazed to see a wild-eyed grin on his face. Looking the other way, she could see Star Dancer seemed discomforted, but not afraid either. Deciding to not be the only scared pony on the flight, she managed to beat down the fear and tried to relax. However, after another few minutes dragged by, she suddenly started to feel the pressure ease off. Sighing a little, she yelped as her body kept feeling lighter until she was weightless, almost floating in the seat. She twitched again as the earpiece she’d been given suddenly started making noise.

“Miss Sparkle, relax. The feeling is normal for being in space; it’s why we had you practice moving around underwater last week.” She recognized the voice as the human in charge of the mission; his name was Captain John Wolfowitz if she remembered right.

“If you say so, it’s still peculiar as can be.” She muttered as she tried to settle herself a bit. Looking up as she saw movement, she saw one of the humans had unbuckled themselves and was floating toward her. Alicia Young, one of the support astronauts for John, her brain reminded her a second later. She tried to remember the names of the other two humans on the flight, but their names were in some language other than English.

“Just stay still, there’s something you ponies ought to see.” The human gently undid her straps and lifted her into the air. “Just relax, I’ve got you.”

Twilight was about to remind her that she most assuredly didn’t have her when the breath caught in her lungs. The human had moved her face to be looking out one of the very tiny windows the ship had, and the sight before her was awe-inspiring.

A vast curve of blue, green, tan, and white stretched out before her, curving gently where it met black. She could see cloud formations that must have been enormous, yet looked so small that she could have smashed them with a hoof. The scale of what she was looking at suddenly struck her, and she could feel tears forming at the sheer beauty of it all. She reached out a hoof, wondering what it would be like to be able to reach out and touch an entire planet like a normal pony would touch an everyday object. “It… it’s beautiful. I wish everypony could have the chance to see this… I don’t even have words…”

“That never gets old.” Alicia said, gazing wistfully out the window too. “One more peek, then the other two get a turn.” Twilight didn’t even hear her, still staring blankly at the world below her. She continued staring as Alicia moved her to the side to give Sky Limit and Star Dancer a look. The reactions were the same and Alicia laughed a little at the notion that she’d get to show three ponies from another dimension what the Earth was like from orbit. She laughed even harder as she noticed their legs were twitching, wings in Star Dancer’s case, almost as if they wanted to just bolt out the airlock and gallop across the shining blue sphere.

“Alright Alicia, get them settled back in, we’ve got a long burn ahead of us to make it to the moon for the next stage.” Wolfowitz spoke over the radio, his voice hard as the metal the ship was forged from.

“Roger that sir.” With a few deft movements she secured the three ponies in their harnesses and strapped herself in too.

“Initiating burn in three, two, and one.” Wolfowitz said before he pressed a button on the console in front of him. The vehicle’s occupants were pushed back hard into their seats as the booster rocket ignited, beginning the next part of the mission.

…

“So I take it everything went smoothly thus far?” Celestia asked Foster.

“Indeed. I was skeptical of it being able to come together so quickly, but I guess the combination of the Dome and the meteor shower has everyone willing to work together for once.” Foster said wryly as he took a drink of water.

“You seem surprised Tyler. Why is it so shocking that humans would want to work together on something?”

“I guess you just get used to everyone else trying to get an angle on you that when they’re not it’s a bit of a novelty.” Foster admitted.

“That’s a shame.” Celestia said sadly as she looked out over the room full of technicians monitoring the spacecraft.

“Yea, I suppose it is.”

…

Twilight could not remember a time when she was this bored. Her idea to play I Spy had entertained the crew for all of twenty seconds once they realized they could all win by guessing black. She also desperately wanted to move around, but the confined space of the shuttle saw to that in short order. She’d at least gotten to learn the names of the other two humans on the mission. The smaller one was named Toshio Ueda, while the other was named Dieter Jung. She was relieved to know that both of them spoke English at least, though of the two, she enjoyed speaking with Toshio a little more. Dieter seemed cold and aloof, spending most of the time staring at the console and making the occasional adjustment.

Eventually she had come upon the idea of sharing tales of her adventures with her friends in Equestria. That had surprisingly been a bigger hit with the humans than she had thought it would have.

“So then the dragon changed his mind and left Equestria to find a better place to take his nap. Fluttershy was amazing that day.” Twilight finished with a smile. Alicia leaned in closer.

“Let’s hear another one.” Toshio said eagerly, fascinated with the idea that dragons actually existed in Equestria.

“Well, I’ve told more than a few of mine, how about you tell one Sky Limit?”

The earth pony shrugged. “Well, I’ve not gone on as many adventures as you Twilight, but I got to meet a dragon too. It was while I was trying to locate star metal to finish the MkIII, and I’d heard that an old friend of Celestia’s had come into possession of some. So I traveled from Canterlot all the way to Tacksworn, and find out that this friend of Celestia’s wasn’t a pony after all! His name was Sharptooth, and a nicer dragon I have yet to see. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t have been able to finish the MkIII.” He took a breath to begin his story when Wolfowitz spoke up again.

“Alright you lot, story time’s over. We’re coming into our final approach to launch our sensor package towards the location the meteors began diverting their course. We’ll orbit the moon for one full day while it collects its data and comes back. Then we pick it back up and make our way back to Earth.”

Alicia sighed and moved over to a side console, pressing a few buttons and nodding at the chimes that sounded. “Sensor package ready to go on your order sir.”

“On my mark. Five, four, three, two, one, mark.”

Alicia pressed a single larger button. A shuddering thud resounded through the ship as a streak of light became visible. “Package away.”

“Alright, now finish that story Sky, not like we’re going anywhere.”

“Well, it all started when I was born. Both my parents were pegasi you see, so having a foal that can’t fly presented certain issues…”

The day dragged by slowly as the ship spun around the cold grey rock of the moon, but the passengers were able to pass the time telling stories about their respective homes and lives. The humans were fascinated by the stories of Equestria, each wishing in turn that they could see it for themselves. Well, all the humans except for Dieter, who seemed utterly dismissive of the concept of visiting a land from another reality. The Equestrians in turn were riveted by the stories of a world that existed entirely without magic. Sky Limit in particular asked endless questions about their technology, ideas sprouting in his mind like weeds as he thought of ways to use it to benefit ponies and humans lives. They were in the middle of listening to Twilight recount the tale of her and her friend’s ordeal with Discord when a sudden beeping interrupted them.

Alicia drifted over to her console with a sigh and read the information scrolling across the screen. “I’m seeing the package returning now, signal seems strong, but its flight path is erratic as hell sir.” She said, concern beginning to show on her face.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean just that sir, the thing’s all over the place. I don’t know if we’ll be able to recover it.”

“Well, try to override its computer, bring it in manually.”

“Roger that.” Alicia pressed a button and took control of a small pair of joysticks. Making small adjustments as the computer screen streamed numbers across its surface, she smiled. “Ok, got it coming in now.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Everyone looked at Star Dancer as he put his head in his hooves. The pegasus felt like his skull was being simultaneously split open and pressed in.

“What’s wrong Star?” Twilight asked before she started feeling it too. She winced, her horn sparking reflexively. The lights in the spacecraft started alternating between glowing brightly and fading out, the speakers began to crackle with static and the smell of ozone filled the air

“HEY, CUT THAT MAGIC OUT, YOU’LL KILL US ALL!” Dieter shouted, a trace of real fear lacing his voice.

“I-I’ll try.” Twilight managed to growl out as she clamped down on her magic. Gradually the lights returned to normal and the speakers fell silent, though the stink of ozone lingered.

“What’s wrong with them sir?” Alicia asked worriedly as Sky Limit paled and started shaking.

“I don’t know, but let’s grab the probe and get the fuck out of here.” Wolfowitz said, already pressing buttons frantically.

“Roger that sir. Toshio, Dieter, make sure they’re okay.” Alicia said as she finished guiding the probe to where she could grab it with the arm. “Probe recovered.”

Toshio tightened down the straps on Twilight and Star Dancer, while Dieter secured Sky Limit. The two humans hurriedly strapped themselves into their seats; a moment later Alicia joined them as Wolfowitz pressed a few more buttons and felt the rumble of the engines as the spacecraft started the trip back to Earth.

---Five days later---

“So how are Twilight and the others doing?” Foster asked as he and Celestia walked down the hospital corridor. Each of them had a pair of escorts, unicorn guards for Celestia and Secret Service for Foster.

“I am pleased to say they will recover fully thanks to the actions of Captain Wolfowitz and the rest of the human crew.” Celestia replied with a smile. “So how goes the analysis of the information that was collected?”

Foster sighed. “We’re still trying to make sense of it. From the initial data we’ve looked at, it appears as though something is surrounding the Earth and the moon. The scientists doing the analysis tell me it’s almost like a barrier of gravity keeping the rest of the universe out and us in. What we don’t know yet is what’s causing it and what’s going to happen next. We’ve still got a lot more work to do before we can say anything for sure though.”

“I see…” Celestia frowned and quickened her stride slightly.

“You know something don’t you Celestia? Tell me.” Foster said, hurrying to keep up with the alicorn.

“It’s nothing, Foster; which room is Star Dancer in?”

“He’s in room 504, right here.”

“Thank you. I suggest you remain outside the door, there’s a spell I need to use.” Celestia barely waited for Foster’s nod before entering the room, leaving the President standing in the hallway with the agents and the unicorns.

“I wish she’d tell me more of what goes on in that head of hers. It’s a mite irritating to be kept in the dark.” Foster remarked to no one in particular.

The silence dragged on for ten minutes, no sound leaving the room despite Foster putting his ear to the door. Even the unicorn guards started to look concerned, one joining Foster in trying to listen in. Suddenly the door started to open, startling Foster and the unicorn into jumping back and trying to look nonchalant. Celestia walked out and stood for a moment, her eyes distant and the barest trace of a frown creasing her muzzle.

“Is everything alright Celestia?” Foster asked as he moved to look the alicorn in the eye. The second his eyes began to enter her field of view, she closed them.

“Follow me.” Celestia turned and strode purposefully down the hallway towards Twilight’s room, Foster and the others trailing after her. As they reached the door, Celestia stopped.

“Guards, if you would wait out here. Foster, your men must stay outside as well.”

“Sir, if I may…” The agent stopped talking as Foster raised a hand.

“It’s fine, wait outside the door.” Celestia nodded firmly and opened the door, Foster following her as the agents took up a position on one side of the door and the unicorns on the other.

“Princess Celestia! And hello President Foster.” Twilight sat up, the bright smile on her face fading as she saw the look on Celestia’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“A moment, Twilight.” Celestia lit her horn and the walls briefly pulsed gold before fading.

Foster blinked his eyes as a faint buzz made itself known in the back of his head. “What is the meaning of this Celestia? Why are you using magic when you know what it’ll do to me and my men, not to mention anyone else in the vicinity?”

“I apologize, but I must be sure that this information does not leave this room. I have an idea as to what could be causing this phenomenon that the spaceflight encountered. I looked into Star Dancer’s memories, and from them combined with what your scientists have described, I believe your reality is rejecting us.”

Foster’s eyes widened as an ugly thought began to form in his head. “You mean more than just your land, don’t you?”

Celestia nodded, her eyes downcast. “I’m afraid so. If it were just Equestria, the barrier would have formed around our land and no further. The fact that the humans on the mission were unaffected only confirmed my fears. I feel that our land merging with yours has altered it to more resemble our reality than yours, which explains the barrier surrounding your world and the moon.”

“And just what will happen if this barrier continues to form?” Foster asked, rising anger tinged with fear coloring his voice.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight beat her to it. “But that would mean everything within the barrier would be… sent back.” She slumped back into the bed, her jaw hanging open in disbelief.

Foster stood there silently, his brain racing a mile a minute as it fought to process what Celestia and Twilight were suggesting. “My God… this is impossible…”

“I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. If there is a solution to this problem, we will find it.” Celestia stated firmly.

“But how? We’ve tried over and over to protect people from thaumatic radiation, with nothing but failure to show for it!” Foster shouted, beginning to pace wildly. “This is hopeless!” Celestia moved to stand in front of him, but Foster pushed her aside, storming over to stand at the window. He slammed his fist against the wall. “Fuck.” He looked out the window, seeing the people walking around, doing their jobs, trying to just get by. He again felt the weight of the office come down on his shoulders, but this time the rest of the world decided to join in too. “How do we even tell people something like this?” He said, more to himself than anyone in particular. He wanted to just dump it all, get the hell out and let someone else handle it. But the little voice in the back of his head reminded him that he’d sworn the oath, and that he couldn’t abandon his responsibilities just because the world was ending. He took a deep breath and turned to face Celestia and Twilight. “Alright, now that that’s out of the way, we’ll need to convene the United Nations, tell them what the probe data shows. I’ll go before Congress and explain the necessity of diverting as much funding as the budget can spare to developing a solution. Celestia, we’ll need all the support your people can provide as well.”

“You will have it, of course.” Celestia inclined her head.

Foster nodded absently. “Then I’ll return to Washington. I’ll contact you through your embassy with any further details.” He strode out of the room, the agents scrambling to follow.

Twilight looked at Celestia once Foster was out of earshot. “Princess, do you really think we can come up with a solution, after we’ve already tried everything we can think of?”

“I do Twilight. The answer is out there, we just need to have faith that we will find it.” Celestia said firmly.

---Two days later---

“Mr. President, are you sure about this? Letting the people know this soon will cause a panic.” Curtis protested as the final touches of makeup were applied to Foster’s face.

“Curtis, I’ve thought hard about that very same thing for the past two days. But if we don’t tell people now, and the truth gets out through some other means, then how do you think they’ll take it? Now, do we have an update on the new research site?”

“Yes sir, it’s ready to begin work immediately. We received word from the Equestrian embassy that both the facility in Honolulu and the brightest minds still in Equestria have already begun looking for new solutions. Dr. Elizabeth Ross has also requested that Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies who initially worked at the Honolulu facility be asked to come to their research site.”

“Alright, I’ll ask Ambassador Fancypants to relay the message.” Foster said, already settling into the serious expression he’d decided on. “How do I look?”

“Like someone just kicked your dog sir.” Curtis replied.

“Good. Now let’s get this over with, and hope to God this doesn’t blow up in our faces.” Foster got to his feet and walked down the corridor to the Press Room, where a mob of reporters had been hastily assembled. Their hushed conversations stopped as Foster crossed the stage and stood behind the podium, a projector screen having been set up beside him. Putting his hands on it comfortably, he looked out over the multitude of faces staring at him. He could almost feel the stares of the millions of people, probably billions, beyond the dark lenses of the cameras who would be watching this speech.

“My fellow Americans… no, let me rephrase that. This speech is not for any one nation, but for all nations, all people the world over. As you know, we launched a manned spaceflight to orbit the moon last week. The purpose of that mission was to analyze the deviation of the Lyrids meteor shower. We are still analyzing the results collected, but the data so far points to a gravely concerning event.” The reporters looked at each other nervously, Foster’s use of the words ‘gravely concerning’ not something the press ever liked to hear from a President.

“The data indicates that a ‘barrier’ of gravity has begun to form around our planet and the moon. This barrier is still in the shape of a ring,” he gestured as the projector displayed an image of Earth and the moon with a ring around it, “but it is slowly expanding into what we believe will be a sphere.” The image changed as the ring was replaced by a larger sphere.

“As you also know, the mission to analyze this phenomenon included three ponies: Princess Celestia’s protégé Twilight Sparkle, a scientist pony named Sky Limit, Star Dancer, the first pony to visit our world. During the mission all three ponies began to suffer from an unknown affliction, while the human crew remained unaffected. After a thorough examination conducted by both doctors and Princess Celestia, a truly disturbing theory has emerged from the combination of our respective data. That theory being that our reality itself is ‘rejecting’ the Equestrian reality, and anything that has been touched by it.”

The sharper reporters in the room paled as they realized what the President was getting at. Hands shot up as they began to shout their initial questions, but Foster raised his hand and the room quieted down.

“I want to first stress the need for calm in this trying time our species faces. We have lived on this world for over two hundred thousand years. We have endured thousands of crises that threatened everything from our existence, to our way of life, and have overcome them all. We will overcome this as well. The American government has begun reaching out to our fellow nations to seek help in finding a solution, and have received near-unanimous support. Even our world’s newest nation, Equestria, has extended all the help that it can. Research facilities are being established the world over, all working together in an unprecedented effort. The famous phrase, ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ has never been more true than it is now. I know that we have had our differences as peoples and nations in the past, but those divisions must now be set aside for the good of us all. Thank you and may God bless us all.”

The room exploded into a flurry of noise as reporters started clamoring to get their question in. Foster pointed to one, and the room fell silent.

“Robert Hunter of NBC. Mr. President, do you have anything to say on the rumors that have been circulating blaming the Equestrians for the appearance of the Dome?”

“I have personally asked Princess Celestia that very question and find those rumors utterly without substance. I have confidence that the merging of our two worlds was no one’s intention on either side. Next question?”

“Who will be in charge of the efforts to find this ‘solution’ you spoke of?” Another reporter asked.

“The details of this effort are still being put together, and I cannot speculate on the organizational structure at this time.”

“How are the American people supposed to afford this kind of an effort? The economy is still fragile enough as it is.” Robert shouted out.

“Again, the details are being worked out, but the multinational support for this effort will likely help minimize the cost to any individual nation’s citizenry. Now, there is a lot of work left to be done, so I unfortunately will not be able answer any more questions at this time. Chief of Staff Curtis will remain to answer any further questions you have left.” Foster turned and walked off the stage and out of the room.

“Thank you Mr. President!”

…

“And welcome back to CNN’s Breaking News, that was President Foster announcing to the world the results of the mission to investigate the Lyrids meteor shower, as well as the beginnings of the international effort to develop a solution to the supposed crisis. But Dale, is the President overreacting to this information?” Holly turned to the man sitting next to her.

“Holly, given the fact that the mission only returned three days ago, claiming that some kind of barrier is forming that will reject anything within it is preposterous. It’s my professional opinion that spending time working on this ‘barrier’ solution when there are real problems like the spreading thaumatic radiation is a waste of time.”

“Well we are out of time for this segment. Thank you very much for your time. Dr. Dale Sanderson is an award winning physicist and consultant for CNN. Good night.” Holly held her famous smile until well after the light went out. Taking off her mic, she left it on the desk for the tech crew to pick up while she strode over to the manager.

“Look Teddy, I’m fed up with being stuck behind this desk. Let me go and actually be on site for something like this! NBC sent Rob, so why not me?”

“Holly, listen to yourself. You’ve been doing anchorwoman for four years now, the viewers love you where you are.”

“C’mon, that’s a load of garbage and you know it! The next time there’s a joint meeting between the President and Celestia, I will be in that room and that’s final!” Holly stood her ground, eyes blazing as she stared down the taller man.

Teddy finally sighed. “Alright, you’ll get to be in the room. And next time just ask nicer.”

“Thank you Teddy.” Holly turned and walked gracefully out of the room. Once she’d entered her office she allowed her shoulders to sag in relief. “Ok, that went fairly well. I’m going to be the first reporter to get a one on one interview with Celestia if it kills me.”

10 - Light at the End of the Tunnel

Week 18, Tuesday – Week 19, Tuesday

Week 27, Wednesday – Sunday

With a yawn Twilight pushed herself upright in the bed, blinking her eyes blearily as she looked at the clock on the wall. Wincing as she read the softly glowing numbers displaying 06:41, the unicorn debated going back to sleep before rolling out of bed. She opened the door with a small pulse of magic and shut her eyes at the ever-present light of the hallway.

“I still don’t know why they leave the lights on when everypony is sleeping…” she muttered as she trotted down the hallway. She heard noise coming from the lounge and stopped at the doorway as she saw what was on the TV. The view showed a group of shouting humans clashing with others dressed in identical uniforms and carrying large shields.

“This video was shot earlier outside the Equestrian Embassy as protestors continue to meet, despite warnings from police against demonstrations. Minor injuries have been reported, and five arrests were made as police try to maintain order.” The reporter continued speaking, but Twilight stopped listening.

“I’m still struggling to understand why you humans seem so eager to resort to violence against each other, Elizabeth.” She said as she trotted to one of the couches and climbed onto it.

Dr. Ross muted the TV and looked at the unicorn. “Well, people never take the news that their world is going to end well.”

“But it’s not going to end; we’ll find a solution to make humans resistant to magic.” Twilight retorted firmly.

“You say that Twilight, but we’ve been here for over a month, and we’re no closer to a solution than we were when we started. I’m not one for the doom and gloom like those people there,” she pointed to the screen, where a human could be seen carrying a sign with the slogan ‘Repent! The end is nigh!’, “but I’m starting to suspect that there is nothing that can be done.”

“Then why the hay would ya keep on carryin’ on sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she entered the lounge. Compared to Twilight the farm pony looked completely awake and refreshed.

“I don’t really know. I guess part of me wants to believe that the solution exists, in spite of the evidence. Foolish, I know, but…”

“It’s not foolish silly! You just gotta smile and keep going forward!” Pinkie said as she bounced into the room, followed closely by Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie was her usual chipper self, while the other three looked like they’d been dragged from their beds.

“Remind me again why you felt it necessary to drag us all from our beds at the hour? I need my beauty sleep…” Rarity said irritably as she pushed her hair out of her eyes.

“My Pinkie Sense told me somebody was feeling upset, and that makes me upset, so I got this great idea that we should all find the sad saddy-pants and cheer them up!” Pinkie said matter-of-factly, before she cantered over to Dr. Ross “We’re close to finding that cure thingy for all you humans Liz, I can feel it!”

Dr. Ross smiled and ruffled Pinkie’s hair. “I wish I had that optimism Pinkie.” The party pony leaned into the ruffling with an ecstatic smile on her muzzle. “Though I think you keep trying to cheer me up just so I’ll scratch your ears.”

Pinkie reared back, an expression of anger on her face though her eyes sparkled gleefully. “Why I never! I’d never sink to manipulating a friend for scratches!” Grinning, she leaned in close to Dr. Ross, “Though if you’re offering, how could I refuse?” she said with a flutter of her eyelashes. Laughing, Dr. Ross obliged, working her fingers under the fluffy pink mane to get at the spot she knew Pinkie loved. Everyone else started laughing as Pinkie’s eyes grew unfocused and her tail started drumming on the floor. Finally Dr. Ross stopped and pushed herself to her feet.

“Alright, let’s go get some breakfast and then we can get to work.” With a few more chuckles the mixed group made their way out of the lounge, Dr. Ross turning the TV off of a muted report on the economy.

President Foster spat the toothpaste into the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. He still looked as young as he should, but the strain of the past month was beginning to show. His eyes told the tale best, the old sparkle no longer present. Finishing in the bathroom he walked out to see his suit laid out and the morning brief sitting on top of it. Dressing quickly, he scanned through it while walking to the door. An agent greeted him, handing him his locator and following him to the Oval Office. Curtis fell into step with him as he passed the Chief of Staff’s office.

“Good morning Mr. President.”

“I’ll let you know on the ‘good’ part later Curtis; how’s the state of the world?”

“About the same as it was when you went to bed sir. There was another protest outside the Equestrian Embassy, but the DC police have it handled.”

“We need to find whoever’s putting these things together. They may not be very big, but they’re sure as hell distracting the public and making us look bad. Any hotspots elsewhere in the world?”

“Australia had a minor riot at the airport their Equestrian delegate was supposed to arrive at, but no one was killed. Minor property damage was the only thing reported. China actually welcomed their delegate with open arms, threw them a big party and everything. Russia was cautious, but our contacts with their government report that things are going well. Brazil and the other South American countries seem to be doing well, though fringe elements still loyal to Henriques are making noise. Finally, Britain reports that their delegation was well received, apparently the ponies there are from Canterlot, so they’re used to the pomp and ceremony.”

“Seems like that’s going well. What about the research teams?” Foster watched Curtis’ face fall, and sighed. “That bad huh?”

“They’re still reporting no real success in developing a treatment. Japan’s team claimed to be able to sustain exposure to magic for ten minutes, but the result was the same in the end. Neither Dr. Ross’ facility nor the CDC has had any more luck than theirs. As for the others, none have managed to make their samples last more than six minutes.”

“I see. How’s the economy doing?”

“Well, we took a hard hit after your announcement of the probe results, but we think it’s starting to climb back up. The Dow posted another net gain yesterday, and breached eleven thousand once. It’s still rough, but it’s a start.”

“Alright. What else is on the schedule?”

“You have meetings with the Joint Chiefs to review our part of the security cordon we’ve established around Equestria to make sure no one tries to sneak in. Then a meeting with Princess Celestia to discuss expanding the role they’re playing in global politics, as well as negotiating allowing Equestrians to visit the country. I recommend allowing it for now, though stressing the need for educating any of the ponies who want to visit about exercising caution. Public opinion is still wavering on the Equestrians, but with luck we can keep them positive. After that is the usual budget meetings and outreaches to foreign governments.”

“Sounds like a plan; let’s get to work.” Foster said as he sat down behind his desk. Looking out the window, he smiled. “At least it’s a sunny day.”

The building was nearly empty, the expected sights of dozens of scientists working in concert replaced mostly by automation and lack of interest. Computers had captured the hearts and minds of the public, and despite maintaining a healthy rate of graduations, genetic engineers were now mostly employed with medical companies. Dr. Ross had been offered no less than eight jobs from major pharmaceuticals around the world, but she’d turned them down in favor of continuing to do research into the very basics of human genetics. She allowed herself a small smile as she wondered what her fellow students would think of her now, on the leading edge of efforts to save the entire human race with a bunch of brightly colored ponies.

“Now beginning test #298567, exposure of Equestrian thaumatic energy to human blood cells. Participating unicorn Twilight Sparkle will be using one percent of her estimated total capacity for a total exposure time of five minutes. This particular sample will be surrounded by a thaumatic redirection field in order to attempt to keep cell exposure to a minimum. For my safety I will leave the room in a moment.” Dr. Ross spoke into her pocket recorder before nodding to Twilight and walking out of the room.

Looking through the windows, Dr. Ross watched as a faint purple light enveloped the unicorn’s horn, the same glow appearing in a circle around the small petri dish on the table. Next, more light began to flow from Twilight’s horn, parting as it contacted the circle of glowing light. She watched as the timer on the clock counted down until it finally reached zero. Knocking on the door to get Twilight’s attention, Dr. Ross waited for the glow to dissipate before re-entering the room. Gently picking up the petri dish, she slid it under the large microscope perched on the nearby table and looked into the eyepieces. Turning the focus knobs, she cursed as she saw the cells had begun necrotizing in places, a few cells dying completely.

“Another failure?” Twilight asked, looking up at the doctor worriedly.

“I just don’t know what else to try. We’re running out of options Twilight.” Dr. Ross pushed back from the microscope as Pinkie Pie nudged open the door, a tray of food balanced on her back.

“Who’s hungry? I’ve got some snacks for you two!” Craning her head around to grab the tray, Pinkie slid it onto the table and looked at the two. Her smile faded a little as she saw their crestfallen expressions. “What’s wrong?”

“We tried another test and failed.” Dr. Ross said softly as she rubbed her eyes.

“Aww, I’m sorry.” Pinkie looked at the human and nuzzled her leg. “I wish you humans could be more like us, then maybe the magic wouldn’t hurt you so much.”

“That’d be nice Pinkie, but if that were the case then we wouldn’t need to be here in the first place…” Twilight trailed off as she realized Dr. Ross was staring blankly at Pinkie. “Dr. Ross? Elizabeth? Are you alright?”

“What did you just say Pinkie?” The words seemed to have to force themselves out of Dr. Ross’ mouth.

“I wish you humans could be more like us, then maybe the magic wouldn’t hurt you so much?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head.

Dr. Ross stared blankly for a few seconds more before they lit up. She surged to her feet and hoisted Pinkie into the air. “You’re a genius!” She kissed her on the forehead and set her down, looking frantically for a piece of paper.

“I am?” Pinkie was now thoroughly confused.

Twilight’s ears flicked back nervously as Dr. Ross began to scribble on the paper she’d found. “What’s going on Dr. Ross?”

“I should have thought of this sooner, I’m so damn stupid. The answer lies with you, just not the magic.” She held up a piece of paper, which now showed a peculiar spiral made of two interconnected strands. “This is called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. It’s something every living thing on this planet is made up of. Now, I don’t know what you Equestrians have for DNA, or if you even do, but there might be something in what passes for your genetic code that could provide the solution we need!”

Pinkie started smiling at Dr. Ross’ exuberance. “So how do you look at our DNA thingies?”

“Well, I’ll need to take a blood sample. And we’ll need a more powerful microscope, but I can submit that request today. But this is at least something new, so we’re already doing better than we were a second ago.”

Twilight was nervous about what Dr. Ross meant by a blood sample, but was nonetheless happy to see that they might have made some progress after all, even if it was from Pinkie’s complete randomness over meticulous study.

A week passed before the delivery truck arrived with the new microscope. It was carefully unloaded and rolled into the experiment room, taking up an entire table by itself. The ponies all gathered around curiously as Dr. Ross carefully plugged cables in.

“So this here thing will let ya’ll see our… uhh, DNA?” Applejack asked.

“Exactly, DNA, or whatever you ponies have instead of it, is very very small. Smaller than a grain of sand. So we need something like this microscope here to be able to see it.” Dr. Ross plugged the last cable in and pressed a button, smiling as the computer next to it started warming up. “Now, I don’t need to remind you all that there should be no magic being used while this machine is running. I don’t even want you two flying, it could short out the circuitry and these are not cheap to replace.” She gave a pointed look to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who fluttered their wings a little. She turned and picked up a petri dish, setting it snugly into the microscope. “This contains human blood cells, which in turn contain DNA. This device will let us view that DNA as if we could see it with our eyes.”

Twilight was nodding, while the other ponies just stared at her vacantly. Sighing, she powered up the device and waited a few minutes before the computer chimed and started to render the image. Soon, a gently twisting double helix was displayed proudly on the screen.

“So people everywhere are made up of those?” Pinkie asked, putting her forelegs on the table to get a better look.

“In a manner of speaking yes. These molecules are responsible for determining what each individual person will look like. Now, I need one of you to donate a blood sample for this machine to look at.”

At this the ponies all looked at each other uneasily. Finally, with a deep breath to steel herself, Pinkie Pie held out a hoof. “I’ll do it!”

“Alright, just give me a second…” Dr. Ross took the foreleg and felt gently around it, finally locating what she was looking for. “There’s one,” and she picked up a small square of cloth from the table, wiping gently at where she’d felt the blood vessel. She then lifted a needle and positioned it over Pinkie’s skin. “Now, you’ll feel a slight pinch, and then it’ll be over.” She gently slid the needle in. Pinkie winced a little, but Dr. Ross kept the leg steady as she withdrew a small amount of blood and carefully backed the needle out. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I guess not. So now what?”

“Well, now I’ll need a few minutes to prepare this sample and then we can see what you ponies have for DNA.” Dr. Ross said with a smile as she got to work. It only took a few minutes and soon the electron microscope was humming away as it scanned the new sample. The computer beeped and began to render the image as everyone crowded around. Soon the display was completed and Dr. Ross just stared, mouth open at what she saw in front of her.

“So that’s Pinkie’s DNA?” Rarity asked as she walked closer to peer at the monitor.

“Yes… but…” Dr. Ross scooted her chair closer and blinked, seeing the same thing on the screen as a second ago.

A curving helix similar to the one displayed before decorated the monitor, only where the previous strand had two strands, this one had three, with the extra giving off a small glow.

“So how come mine has three while the other only had two?” Pinkie asked. “Does that make me super special?”

“It does, compared to life here on this planet. I’ll need to look at samples from the rest of you to confirm this. If that’s alright with you, I mean.” The ponies all looked at their hooves and then to each other, finding strength from their friends before nodding resolutely.

“Thank you. Just let me get some more needles.” Dr. Ross walked over to the supply closet and came back bearing a tray of five more needles. Drawing blood from each pony in turn, she labeled each with the owning pony’s name. In the end, it wasn’t Fluttershy who was bothered by the needle; that dubious honor went to Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow, we all had it done, it doesn’t hurt!” Pinkie chirped, munching on a carrot from her snack tray.

“I know, alright! I just don’t like needles!” Rainbow protested, not noticing as Dr. Ross gently slid the needle in and withdrew her blood sample. Looking down in time to see the needle finish coming out, Rainbow’s face paled and she looked like she was going to be sick.

“There, now that wasn’t so bad.” Dr. Ross said as she set the syringe down on the tray with the others. Moving quickly, she had the five samples prepared and placed into their own trays. Scanning them one at a time in the microscope, she soon had all six images displayed on the screen. Peering closely, her eyes flicked from one to the next as she compared them. “Now this is truly interesting.”

“What is it Elizabeth?” Twilight said as she leaned in to look.

“Well, I’d need to run more tests to confirm this, but I’d hazard a guess that this glow is in fact thaumatic energy. Therefore, I think that this third strand here is what allows you to coexist and interact with the energy that permeates your world.”

“This is all very fascinating,” Rarity said dryly, “but how does this relate to our goal of helping you humans?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure. But if we can figure out how to replicate this strand, then we may be able to create something to allow humans to at least survive in the presence of magic.”

Twilight frowned, staring at the screen for a few seconds. “I don’t want to sound like I’m raining on anypony’s parade, but are you sure that this has any chance of working? Trying to take one strand from ours and apply it to yours sounds like it may have hundreds of unforeseen consequences."

“Which is why we need to get to work as soon as possible if we’re going to come up with a solution.” Dr. Ross turned back and stared intently at the six triple helices, wondering what other secrets lay contained within them.

---Two months later---

“Alright Twilight, Sample #457638 is ready… no, strike that designation from the record. This sample will now be known as Sample #1. Following an intensive analysis of the Equestrian genetic material, we have extracted a sample of the third strand and successfully attached it to the DNA in twenty blood cells. Cells show no degradation or necrosis as a result of the insertion, so we will now expose the cells to a low-level dose of thaumatic energy to test their resistance. Twilight Sparkle will provide approximately one percent of her estimated maximum potential for a period of five minutes. Now leaving the room to prevent my exposure to thaumatic radiation.” Dr. Ross exited the room and shut the door behind her, nodding to Twilight once she was ready.

Twilight lit her horn and a light purple glow surrounded the petri dish on the table. Dr. Ross held her breath as the last seconds clicked down and at the first beep of the clock she was knocking on the door. As Twilight let her magic fade Dr. Ross opened the door and hurried to the sample, carrying it to the electron microscope.

“This is it Twilight, I can feel it.” She said as the computer churned the data coming from the microscope and rendered it on the screen.

“Well? Let me see!” Twilight trotted around to get a better look at the screen, but froze at the expression on Dr. Ross’ face. It was a curious mix of utter despair and rage that scared the unicorn to her bones. “Elizabeth? What’s wrong?” She turned to the screen and gaped at what she saw. The magnified DNA floated serenely with all three strands bound together, one glowing softly.

“That can’t be, the sample was never contaminated…” Dr. Ross muttered dumbly as she adjusted the microscope and took another image. Again it showed the triple helix with one glowing strand. She took more images and every time was the same result “You’re certain you used the same magic as we’ve been using for every test?”

“Yes, I’m certain. What could have gone wrong? Did something go wrong with the insertion of the sample DNA?” Twilight’s mind raced as she tried to think of something that could have gone wrong, and didn’t even notice as Dr. Ross got to her feet and walked out of the lab. The slam of the door startled her and she chased her out into the hallway. “Dr. Ross, wait!” Seeing her turn the corner, Twilight galloped down the hall, almost colliding with Rainbow Dash as the pegasus walked out of the side hall.

“Woah, slow down there Twilight. Spike and Pinkie Pie sent me to tell you two that lunch was ready, what’s up with her?” She pointed to Dr. Ross, who was entering the lounge.

“Something went wrong with the experiment, I need you to get the girls and have them all meet me in the lounge.” Twilight said firmly as she started down the hallway after Dr. Ross.

“You got it.” Rainbow said as she spun about and took off down the hallway, crashing headlong through the double doors at the other end.

Twilight made her way slowly down the hallway, stopping in the door to the lounge. The lights were dimmed, but with the hall lights she could make out the shape of the doctor sitting in a chair facing the opposite wall. “Dr. Ross, I’m sorry the test didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, but…”

“Didn’t go well? DIDN’T GO WELL? IT WAS A GODDAMNED DISASTER!” Dr. Ross snapped in sudden anger, slamming her arm into the chair. “We staked two months of research on this test, and for it to fail so spectacularly is a sign that God just fucking hates us!”

Twilight was terrified; she’d never seen the doctor get this angry before. “M-maybe it was an isolated incident? If we try again I’m sure it’ll work!” The unicorn tried to sound hopeful, but her words sounded as worried as she felt.

“No, an isolated incident would have been a few cells showing some aberrations. For all of them to change so drastically in only five minutes is something else at work! There must have been something different that you did, tell me what it was!” She surged to her feet and turned to face Twilight. Her eyes were wild, but underneath the anger was a despair that echoed what Twilight had felt when facing Nightmare Moon and Discord alone.

“There was nothing else I did Elizabeth. Now please, calm down. We still have each other; we can pull through this together.” Twilight’s ear twitched as she heard the clicking of hooves on tile, the others all stopping behind her in the door.

“What’s the matter Twilight?” Fluttershy asked before she saw Dr. Ross and squeaked, hiding behind Applejack.

“Girls, there’s some bad news. We tried exposing a sample of human blood cells with our DNA added to magic, but when we looked at the sample… it was our DNA.”

“What do ya mean Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“I mean the whole thing, all the cells looked like they had just been collected from any one of us.” Twilight hung her head as the others started to realize what she was saying.

“But then what will happen if we try to use this on humans?” Rarity asked in confusion.

“I… I don’t know.” Dr. Ross said slowly, her eyes distant. “I need to make a phone call. President Foster is not going to take this news well.” She pushed past the ponies and walked haltingly down the hall toward her office.

The girls all looked at each other for a moment, each trying to wrap their heads around what this development meant.

“Twi, you been working with Elizabeth the most on this, what do ya think it means?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not entirely sure Applejack. If I understand it right, the human DNA would change to be pony DNA, I don’t know if that would effect a physical change though, but…” Twilight trailed off as her eyes stared into space, “perhaps applying a transformation spell while the DNA is shifting would make it a possibility…”

“Twilight, are you really suggesting what I think you are?” Rarity asked, aghast.

“I don’t know! There’d be thousands of variables involved, not to mention the ethical implications!” Twilight shot back. “Either way, this is over our heads. Princess Celestia needs to hear about this. Where’s Spike?”

“Ah think he’s still in tha kitchen.” Applejack said as Twilight pushed past her and galloped down the hall. The farm pony looked at her friends. “Am Ah the only one confused about all this?” The others shook their heads and began to follow Twilight down the hall.

Bursting through the doors into the kitchen, Twilight saw Spike humming to himself as he worked at the counter. “Spike! I need you to take a letter right away for the Princess!”

Almost falling off his stool in shock, Spike glared at Twilight for a second before seeing the urgency in her eyes. “Okay, okay… just let me find something to write with. I have a quill and some parchment in our room.” He said before being yanked into the air and deposited on Twilight’s back. Spike managed to get a grip on her mane as she wheeled about and galloped to their room. “So what’s going on Twi?”

“No time Spike, just take this down,” she cleared her throat, “Dear Princess Celestia. There’s been a strange development with the research on the means to protect humans from magic. I can’t explain everything in this letter, so if you could please visit as soon as possible, I can show it to you directly. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike finished scribbling and rolled up the parchment. Opening the window and taking a deep breath, he breathed a stream of green fire that enveloped the scroll, turning it into a sparkling cloud of smoke that arrowed into the sky. “Alright, it’s on its way. I don’t know where Celestia is though, so it might take a while to get to her. Sorry Twi.” He rubbed his claws together anxiously, “So, now can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Well, we were beginning the initial tests on the modified human cells…”

Dr. Ross sat at her desk, the phone held limply in one hand as she listened to the static of the phone’s encryption mechanism. Finally, it abated and a feminine voice came on. “White House Signals Office.”

“This is Dr. Elizabeth Ross, I have an urgent message for the President.”

“Very well, hold one moment while we connect you.” She listened again to the static before the familiar voice of the President spoke up.

“Hello Dr. Ross, what have you got for me? Some good news with the tests I hope.”

“Well sir, I wish I did. We just progressed with the first test using the modified cells this morning.” Dr. Ross quickly summarized the results of the test and waited for the President’s response. After a few seconds of silence she heard a sigh.

“I see. What are the prospects that this was a fluke?”

“Not very good sir. We might have better results with different cells, but the uniformity of the transformation indicates a similar outcome is likely.” Dr. Ross lit a cigarette and took a long pull on it. “To be honest I don’t know what else we can do sir. This lead was the best chance I’ve seen since we started this whole effort.”

“That’s not good enough Elizabeth. I need you to suck it up and keep trying; the other research teams haven’t had this particular issue.” There was the sound of papers being slid across a desk and more silence. “Well, turns out I spoke too soon. The British tell me the London facility just had the same problem. Regardless, we cannot let a minor setback slow us down.”

“Minor? Sir, the entirety of the past two months was spent developing this approach and only this approach as the possible cure. My team is literally out of viable leads at this time.”

“Dr. Ross, I appreciate that you are stressed given the disappointing results of this test. But allowing it to compromise your work is unacceptable. If you feel that you cannot continue I’ll find someone who can. Call me when you have more information.” The phone line clicked and went dead.

“That goddamned asshole! He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.” Dr. Ross shouted at the unresponsive phone. Slamming the handset back down, she felt her skin tingle as the hallway lit briefly with a flash of light. “What the hell?” Getting to her feet, she walked out the door and down the hall to the lounge, where she could hear Twilight explaining the results of the morning test. Stopping outside the door, she froze at what the unicorn said next.

“Given the nature of the transformation to the cell sample, it seems possible that a full-scale administration of the virus we used to attach the sample from our DNA to a human would result in their DNA becoming identical to ours.”

“A most peculiar development Twilight. Do you mean to imply…”

“I believe so Princess, if we use this on humans they could well become ponies like us. I haven’t accounted for the specifics yet, but that’s my initial conclusion.” Twilight finished quietly, the worry obvious in her tone.

“I see. And what do you think Dr. Ross? Do you believe Twilight is correct in this assumption?” Celestia’s voice asked softly.

Dr. Ross flinched as Celestia spoke her name, but took the last few steps to stand in the doorway. “There’s no way I can say for sure what would happen. Twilight could be right, but it’s far too early to say anything for sure. On top of that, even if it was possible, no one would believe it. How could they?”

Celestia stared at her with those ancient eyes for a long minute before seemingly making a decision. “If you would please give us the room for a few minutes.” The ponies and dragon looked at each other briefly before filing out into the hallway. “You as well Dr. Ross; I will let you know when it is safe to come back in.” Once Dr. Ross had left the room and shut the door, Celestia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Eldritch light carved a perfect circle around the alicorn, containing the magic she was drawing up within its bounds. As she opened her eyes again the walls, floor and ceiling of the room fell away from her, spinning into the white void surrounding her.

“Luna.”

The word that wasn’t a word reverberated across both space and time, and after what could have been a few moments or millennia Celestia saw a black line forming across half of the space, the white fading to show pitch black emptiness. Two stars ignited in the darkness and Luna’s body resolved after them, dimly lit despite the blazing light from the white half of the space.

“Celestia. It has been a long time since we last spoke like this.” Luna said calmly, her mouth not moving. Rather, the words simply were, as if written onto the very fabric of reality.

“Indeed it has sister. I hope I did not interrupt anything.”

“Only a court meeting with the ambassador to the griffon nations. What troubles you sister?” Luna looked pointedly at the border between them, the white side wavering like flames.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia looked into her opposite’s eyes. “There has been a development in the search for a means to protect the humans.”

“Show me.” And almost like viewing a recording, the two alicorns watched as Twilight explained the results of the test again, followed by Dr. Ross’ confirmation of the unicorn’s beliefs. “Truly an intriguing turn of events.” Luna said once it was finished.

“The question before us is do we pursue this path? It is certain that some of the humans will react violently to this proposal. Perhaps even try to go to war against us.”

“They will fail.” Luna said immediately, the half of the space that belonged to her growing colder for an instant.

“Calm yourself my sister. We cannot simply exterminate these humans; such an act would reduce us to nothing more than we were during the times of Discord.” Both halves of the void shuddered as memories of the howling madness made itself known.

“So what will we do? Do you believe these humans will accept this as a viable choice?”

Celestia pondered the myriad options that lay in front of her. “If we go through with this, it will be offered to them as a choice. There may yet be a means to allow the humans to survive in the presence of magic. However, if such a means is found, something will have to be done about the humans and their vices. Given their vastly larger population they could well overrun the other races.”

“Perhaps if they accept this… ponification, the transformation will adjust their more violent tendencies to reflect those of our subjects?” Luna asked.

“Perhaps, though we cannot force that change upon them. They are living creatures, and above all, they must be allowed a choice.”

“Of course, but since all the effort we put into the formative years after Discord’s sealing would be reflected in this generation’s core essence as well. So it is more than probable that these humans will be sufficiently at peace with themselves they will not have the need to indulge their base behavior. Though I admit that I have not spoken with nearly as many humans as you Celestia, what do you think?”

“There is indeed a great potential for violence in them. But such tendencies exist in all creatures of flesh and blood, even we are not immune to them my dear sister.” Celestia reminded gently. “So, I agree. We will extend this offer of ponification to any human willing to accept it. I expect once the human President Foster learns of this he will seek an audience with both of us. Will you be willing to speak to him?”

“Of course dear sister. I have heard much of him in the reports from the Embassy. He seems to possess a sharp mind for one so young. Do you think he plays chess?” Luna teasingly asked as the black void began to give way before the white.

“Better than most at his age. I shall see you soon.” Celestia said as the darkness faded completely. Taking a deep breath, the alicorn closed her eyes, opening them to see the walls of the room fitting themselves back together around her. The circle of light flickered out and she sighed softly, before flicking an ear as the door mechanism finished closing. “You may come back in.”

Dr. Ross opened the door, confusion written on her face. “But I just closed the door, are you done already?”

“It was a short conversation. Now, if you could please see everyone back in, we need to discuss this path that we find ourselves on.” The ponies, dragon and human found seating and waited expectantly for Celestia to continue. “Dr. Ross, as you have more experience with this research, do you believe that another means of protecting humans from thaumatic radiation can be found?”

Dr. Ross paused nervously, something about the way Celestia asked the question raising the hair on the back of her neck. “Well, I believe that it could be possible, if we put enough effort into it…”

“Dr. Ross, there is no need for dissembling, I understand that this development frightens you. To speak honestly, it worries me as well. But given that it has presented itself as a possibility, should we not at least consider it?”

“It doesn’t matter, even if I did want to, and I’m not saying that I do, President Foster has already dismissed it as an option.” Dr. Ross said lamely.

“I will speak with President Foster.” Celestia said firmly. “This may well allow you to save your species Elizabeth. If it is help you require we will of course provide…”

Elizabeth’s brown eyes flashed as she squared her shoulders. “Now listen here. It’s not about needing any damn help and you know it. It’s the simple fact that this ‘solution’ means effectively signing away our humanity!” She stormed to the window, looking out at the traffic passing by. She was furious that the ponies would even seriously consider such an option viable. But to dismiss it… she imagined the alternative as nine billion plus humans died to thaumatic radiation poisoning and shuddered. And there was that tiny voice whispering in her ear that if she was able to do this, and it worked, she’d be the literal savior of humanity. Her brain raged back and forth against itself before the inevitable decision was made. With a sigh, she turned back to face the alicorn, the six ponies and one dragon behind her.

“I’ll do it. But, there are conditions. The research will be done on my terms, and any final iteration of this ‘serum’ will be thoroughly tested before we even think about using it on humans. Do you agree to these conditions?”

Celestia nodded somberly, the weight of the moment suddenly tangible to every being present in the room. “I do accept your terms Elizabeth Ross, and thank you for being willing to go through with this.”

“Don’t thank me.” She said, turning back to look out the window. “I’m still not sure if I’ll deserve it for what we’re about to do.” Outside, the evening rush hour of Los Angeles wound its way home, the golden glow of the setting sun making the scene almost picturesque.

“Mr. President?”

Foster looked up from his desk to see the agent listening intently to his earpiece. “What is it?”

“It appears Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have appeared in the Rose Garden, and are asking if you would speak with them there. What do you want to do?”

“Well, this is certainly peculiar. Did they say what they want to talk about?”

“No sir.”

“Alright then, let’s go see what they want.” Foster got to his feet and straightened his tie.

“Roger that. Touchdown moving to the gardens.” The agent led Foster through the hallways and out the side door to the garden. He could see the two princesses admiring some of the flowers and had to repress a grin as Luna took an experimental bite of a rose bloom.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, it is a pleasure to see you both. Though I admit I am surprised that both of you are here. What’s the trouble?” he said jokingly, but immediately felt his stomach twist as both alicorns turned their gazes to him.

“I am afraid that this isn’t a social visit, President Foster.” Luna said quietly. “May we speak in private?” She inclined her head toward the agent, who tensed slightly.

“It’s alright; wait by the doors please.” Foster said, his eyes narrowing a little as he returned their stares. “So what’s going on?”

“We are here to discuss the turn that Dr. Elizabeth Ross’ research has taken. You have received a report of it, correct?” Celestia asked calmly.

“I believe I received a report of another failure, and encouraged her to continue her efforts.”

“What you deem a failure may have inadvertently revealed the means to save your species.” Luna replied.

“So I take it you heard about it then as well?” Foster’s genial smile started to fade.

“That we did, and spoke directly with Dr. Ross. She informs us that you have ordered her to ignore this possibility and look elsewhere. We are here to request that you allow her to continue down this path.” Celestia stated firmly.

Foster turned away from the alicorns, tapping his right foot on the ground as he tried to control both his anger and the sudden nausea in the pit of his stomach. “Do you even realize precisely what you are asking?”

“We do,” Both alicorns answered as one, and Celestia continued speaking, “and we know the difficulty present in allowing such a possibility to be considered…”

“I don’t think you do, either of you. It’s not your species on the verge of extinction after all.” Foster said wryly, rounding on the two. “Did you honestly expect me to think of something like this as an option? I’d be signing the death warrant for nine billion humans if we were to go through with this!”

“And you’ll sign their death warrants just as easily by doing nothing? Are you truly that arrogant that you believe yourself capable of making that choice for each human on this planet?” Luna’s eyes darkened as she took a step forward, her mane beginning to roil as if in a sudden gust. “I have plenty of experience with that form of arrogance President Foster, and trust me - no good comes of it. We do not ask that you abandon other efforts to search for a solution, but do not allow your pride to throw away one possibility that shows more promise than any other tried these past three months!”

Celestia touched her sister gently with a wing, and Luna took a few steps away, staring up into the sky. “I apologize for my sister’s outburst, but her words are no less true. I have spoken with you often Foster and I know that you care for the people you lead. This choice is one that no leader should have to make, but we are here right now. If you choose to deny this as an option and no other solution is found in time, then every human everywhere will die. Is it not better to try all options, even if one is distasteful?”

Foster stared levelly at the alicorn. “What will you do if I say no?”

“Nothing. The decision to support Dr. Ross’ research is yours alone. However, simply because you abandon it as an option does not mean we will do the same. I swore to you three months ago that we would do anything within our power to help, and I intend to keep that oath.” Celestia said resolutely.

“God damnit…” Foster trailed off as he began to pace. He wondered if God really was standing overhead laughing at him as He laid impossible choice after choice on his shoulders. He didn’t want to contemplate the option that Dr. Ross had implied, but Celestia was right. Saving his species had to be his priority, no matter what. And regardless, as hard as it would be to convince Congress to go ahead with the research, he likewise didn’t want to be kept out of the loop entirely. “Very well Celestia, however there are certain conditions that I will require. First, this is taking place on United States soil, so it will be done subject to our laws. Second, I will receive copies of any communications from the facility. And I do mean all of them. Finally, if another solution is found, all research at this facility is immediately terminated.”

“Your terms are harsh, but acceptable Tyler. I wish as well that another solution can be found, but given the deadline looming in our near future, I am afraid this may well be the only option available to us.”

“So nice of you to say so…” Foster muttered darkly. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to figure out how to tell the people that their only hope of survival may be to become ponies.”

“If you require assistance, you need only ask,” Luna said as she and Celestia spread their wings. Reaching a safe altitude with a few flaps, they shimmered and disappeared.

Foster sighed and walked slowly back to the door. “I want Curtis in my office right now. Also get me the Joint Chiefs, both leaders of Congress, and the Chief Justice on a conference call as soon as possible. There’s going to be a lot of work to be done to make sure this doesn’t come back to bite us.”

“Right away sir,” the agent replied, speaking rapidly into his wrist radio.

11 - One Giant Leap

Week 32, Monday-Thursday

Dr. Ross nearly fell out of her bed at the blaring of the alarm. Fumbling around, she finally hit it and sat upright, scratching her head. After getting her bearings, she threw the sheets off and blearily rose to her feet. Throwing on a robe, she picked up her shower basket and walked down the hall to the shower room. Entering, she deftly avoided Amy as she was leaving, her short brown hair still damp. “Morning Amy, how’s Suzy and Jimmy today?”

“They’re alright, though I wish they’d considered chimps in mind when they picked the building. There’s not a lot of space for them to get some exercise. On top of that I still think this whole plan is rushed and going to be nothing but a political stunt. Elizabeth, I’m going to say it again: If I think there’s any real threat to my chimps, I’ll pull the plug on including them in the test.” The zoologist’s eyes blazed with determination, her shoulders squared.

“Trust me Amy; we’re taking every precaution we can. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to hurt either of them, and neither do the ponies.”

“Speaking of the ponies, I’m going to ask Fluttershy if she’d want to do more research with me when we’re done here. I’ve never seen anything quite like her rapport with animals. She told me the story of how she got her cutie mark, but it’s still an amazing sight.”

“Well, I’m sure she’d love to help out. Anyway, I need to get my shower, we’re starting work on scaling up the size of the samples tested, see if we can actually document the results as the transformation is occurring.”

Amy shuddered, “I still don’t think I could look at something like that. I’ll see you at breakfast, who’s making it?”

“I heard Jared and Spike arguing about it last night, so I think both of them will be trying to out-do the other.” Both women rolled their eyes at the antics of the two males on the staff as they heard the clopping of hooves on tile.

“Good morning Elizabeth, Amy. I was just coming to see where you two were.” Twilight said with a smile.

“Good morning Twilight. I’ll see you at lunchtime Elizabeth.” Amy said as she walked off down the hall.

“I admit I’m actually starting to look forward to today’s test.” Twilight said.

“Couldn’t agree with you more Twilight. So, are the other unicorns ready to go for their respective tests?”

“Yes, Spellweaver and Mystic already got their showers; they’re in the cafeteria now.” The unicorn’s smile faded somewhat “Amy doesn’t like the tests, does she?”

Dr. Ross sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “She’s just worried about her chimps, and doesn’t want them to be hurt.”

“But what would we be doing that could hurt them? You and I sat down and planned these tests very carefully to make sure the chimpanzees would be safe the whole time...” Twilight trailed off as Dr. Ross kneeled in front of her.

“I know, and they’ll be fine every step of the way, I promise. Now, I desperately need a shower, and some food in me. I’ll see you in the cafeteria, okay?”

“Alright Dr. Ross, I’ll see you then.” Twilight smiled again, though it was a little fragile given her concern for the chimpanzee’s safety. Turning, she trotted off down the hallway and out of sight.

Once she was gone Dr. Ross shook her head and rose to her feet. “Note to self. Ensure chimpanzees are well secured and sedated during sample extraction. Don’t want to either hurt them or risk one of the ponies having a meltdown.”

“I told you Spike, it’s all in the wrist. You keep using your elbow.” Jared said with an expert flick.

“Yea yea, I’d like to see you do this with tiny arms.” Spike retorted as he tossed a pancake over his shoulder, landing it on the plate without even looking. “Oh yea, that’s right! Who’s the dragon?”

“Not too shabby, but check this out.” Jared flipped one pancake on top of the other, and then tossed both of them over his shoulder, both landing on the plate atop Spike’s. “How do ya like me now?”

Spike glared at the human, before flipping two pancakes on top of a third and launching them over his shoulder. Unfortunately his rush to outdo Jared sent all three soaring across the room. One ended up draped over a chair, the second on the floor, and the third hit Twilight square in the face as she walked in the door.

The pancake floated into the air in a light purple glow, revealing a scowling Twilight. “Alright, who threw that?”

Almost in unison, Spike and Jared pointed at each other.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “One of you is lying to me, and I’m going to find out who.” She trotted over to the table, picking up the other two pancakes and depositing them in the trash. Her ear flicked as she heard an almost inaudible sigh, one she’d heard many times before. “Spike, apologize to Jared for trying to blame this on him.”

“How do you always do that?” Spike grumped before turning to Jared. “Sorry for trying to get you in trouble and stuff.”

“No worries, just work on your aim next time.” Jared said with a laugh. “So what’ll you have Twilight?”

“Just a couple pancakes please.” Jared flipped two of them onto a plate and passed it to Twilight, who lifted one of the pancakes into the air and took an experimental bite. The rest of the pancake didn’t stand a chance as she ruthlessly devoured it. “This is delicious! What berries are in this?”

“Cranberries. You don’t have them back in Equestria?” Jared asked as he poured another few pancakes onto the griddle.

“No, I’ve never tasted anything quite like these.” Twilight lifted her second pancake and started eating it, only to stop. “Wait a minute, are these... chocolate chips?”

Jared stopped where he stood. “You mean to tell me that you’ve never had chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Well no... I don’t think anypony’s thought of the idea before...” She trailed off as she caught sight of a familiar pink shape in the doorway. “Oh dear.”

Pinkie crossed the intervening space in a blur, somehow acquiring a chair along the way so she could stand eye to eye with Jared. “Are those chocolate chips? In PANCAKES?” Her cyan eyes bored into his as she leaned in, their noses almost touching.

Jared returned the stare with a challenging grin. “Sure are, want to try one?”

Pinkie gracefully back-flipped off the chair. “Absolutely!”

Jared started to lift the jug of batter before he stopped, eyes narrowed in intense thought. He grabbed a spare bowl and poured out a small amount of the mix. He rummaged through the cabinets and produced a small brown box.

Pinkie tried to get a look at the label but Jared held it close as he worked busily at the bowl.

“No peeking now, this is a surprise.” Jared said as he carefully poured the contents of the bowl onto the griddle. Spike’s eyes were wide as saucers, the dragon starting to drool a little. “Spike, I’ll make you one next, Pinkie will be the judge of this one.” After a few minutes crawled by he flipped whatever he’d made onto a plate and dramatically presented it to Pinkie. “I give you... The Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancake!”

Pinkie’s eyes expanded wider than they should have been able to, shining as she beheld the glorious dark brown pancake before her. Half-melted chocolate chips stood proudly atop the creation, their smell overloading her nostrils. Licking her lips, she lunged forward and ate the entire pancake in one bite. Chewing contently before swallowing, her eyes glazed over in joy. “I think I’m in love.”

Jared stared in shock. “Well, I’m glad you liked it… just try not to eat one of the plates if you do that again.” He turned back to the griddle with a wry chuckle.

Soon, the entire facility staff had assembled. There were now five humans including Dr. Ross, Amy and Jared. The other two were familiar faces to Twilight, having worked with them in Honolulu all those months ago.

“So how’d you two sleep Kevin, Karl?”

“Can’t complain, food’s really good. I’ll hand it to your little scaly friend, he knows how to cook.” Karl said as he took a bite of pancake.

“I’ll admit he’s better than I’ve been in the kitchen, my wife usually does the cooking.” Kevin said as he ate the last bite. “So what do you all have planned today?”

“Well, Dr. Ross is going to extract a sample from the two chimpanzees and we’re going to test the ponification serum on them.”

Karl shook his head as he finished his plate. “I’m still not sure if what you’re doing is the right thing here Twilight. I mean, I’m glad you Equestrians are doing so much to help, but this seems wrong to me.”

“But if we weren’t doing this, we’d still be flailing our hooves about in the dark.” Spellweaver chimed in, the unicorn mare wiping the last bits of pancake from her muzzle.

“Maybe, maybe not. All I know is I like being the way I am.” Karl said as he got to his feet.

“Alright, well we’ll see you at lunch then!” Twilight called after him. Turning to Spellweaver, she muttered, “Well that could have gone better.”

“I just don’t understand why he’s so upset over this. We find a way to save his life and he doesn’t like it?”

“Try to see it from his perspective. We still don’t know if the serum will work, and even if it does perfectly it must be scary to change your body so completely. So just try to keep that in mind next time, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll try. Sheesh.” Spellweaver muttered as she got to her hooves.

“If you two are done, I’d like to get started sometime today.” Mystic said as she followed Dr. Ross out of the room. The other two unicorns got to their hooves and followed them out.

“Alright Jimmy, that’s a good boy.” Fluttershy said warmly as Amy backed the needle out slowly. The chimpanzee barely even noticed, far more interested in searching through Fluttershy’s mane for bugs.

“And we’re all done here. Thanks for the help Fluttershy.” Amy said as she secured the needle in a case and handed it to Dr. Ross. “I hope that these samples are up to snuff Elizabeth.”

“I’m sure they are. Thank you Amy, and you too Fluttershy. I was worried we’d need to sedate them to take three samples each.”

“You’re welcome, I enjoy working with these two, they’re such nice animals.” Fluttershy said with a smile as she nuzzled Jimmy’s arm.

“Well, I better get these to the lab; I’ll see you at lunchtime.” Dr. Ross said as she put the needle case into the carrier with the others. Getting to her feet she walked down the hallway to the lab room, which was really the patient floor for the clinic this building had been before being bought by the government.

“Alright girls, I’ve got our samples for the day. We’ll give each of them a look to make sure nothing contaminated them and then I’ll prepare your petri dishes. Today each of you gets a sample from both Jimmy and Suzy, and we’ll be administering Serum Batch #198563.” She settled into her chair and worked quickly to prepare each sample for the electron microscope. Twenty minutes later she waited as the machine hummed and rendered the final sample. “Huh, that’s not good. Looks like Jimmy’s coming down with a cold, according to this sample here.”

“Really? Does that mean we can’t use it?” Mystic asked while peering closer at the strange looking objects attached to some of the cells.

“Ostensibly no, but what we’re testing for doesn’t care if the subject is sick or not. Besides, this can give us some interesting data on how the serum affects things other than living cells.” Dr. Ross withdrew the sample from the microscope and carefully set it on the tray with the others. “Ok, I’ll introduce the serum now and we’ll get to work.” She carefully lifted a small container of a translucent liquid, and withdrew a few ccs of the serum. Putting two drops onto each sample, she carefully set the container down, put the needle into a double-secured case, and threw the case into a red biohazard box.

Once she was sure that the container of serum was secured, she carefully lifted the tray and carried it to the room the unicorns would be working in. Putting two petri dishes on each of the three tables, she nodded to the mares and left the room. Watching as they each lit their horns and let their magic enveloped their respective petri dishes; Dr. Ross pulled her recorder from her pocket.

“A curious phenomenon. Why do unicorns have different colors for their magic? Initial assumption was that magic color is tied to coat color, but Mystic has a green coat and her magic is amber. Spellweaver also has different colors, specifically yellow magic and a blue coat.”

Putting the recorder away as the timer ran out, she knocked on the door and waited as the magic faded. “Alright, let’s see what we have now.” She scanned each sample in, and soon all six images were displaying on the screen. “Excellent, we have six samples showing complete conversion… wait a minute.” She clicked on one of the images and expanded it. “This sample was the one that had the influenza virus.” The newly transformed cells floated in their solution, not a particle to be seen.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Mystic asked, peering curiously at the screen.

“It is… just not something I expected.” Dr. Ross picked up a small microphone. “Amy, can I see you in the lab please? Amy, please come to the lab.”

A few minutes later Amy pushed open the door. “What’s up Elizabeth?”

“Jimmy’s coming down with a cold, right?”

“Yea, I think so, he started sneezing a little while ago and... wait, how did you know?”

“One of his samples had some virus particles in it. But look at this.” Dr. Ross turned the monitor so Amy could see it better.

“So what am I looking at? It looks like any of the other transformed samples you’ve shown me.”

“This was the one that had the influenza virus. Notice anything?”

Amy’s eyes widened. “The virus is gone? How is that even possible?”

“I’m not sure either, but I suspect that it’s either something in the pony DNA or the magic used to accelerate the transformation. Do you think Jimmy would be up for giving us another few samples?”

“I think he could be persuaded. Do you think this works on more than just influenza?”

Now it was Dr. Ross’ turn to stare blankly at the screen. “I don’t know… we’d need to contact the CDC and see if they’d be willing to test this serum on some of what they have in cold storage.”

“You see about that, I’ll get the samples from Jimmy for you.” Amy hurried out of the room.

“I don’t understand Elizabeth, just what is this CDC? And what do they have on storage?” Twilight asked.

“I’m surprised you didn’t know that already, but I guess we have been pretty busy. The CDC is the Center for Disease Control; they’re the US government’s public health agency. So that we can continue to study certain dangerous diseases, they keep small samples of them frozen. If what this test here suggests, the serum might be able to help cure some of those diseases.”

Spellweaver tilted her head in confusion, “But if I remember correctly, this ‘influenza’ is also called the common cold. How would the serum help against more dangerous illnesses?”

“You’re right, though I’ll tell you something. Do you know how many viruses we know how to cure?” All three unicorns shrugged. “None. Not a single one. And yet the serum obliterated the influenza particles in just five minutes. This is huge... although, the tradeoff is that the sick person has to undergo ponification to be cured.”

“That’s what we’re hoping to do anyway, right?” Twilight peered closer at the screen.

“Well, you’re right in that respect, but to be honest, I’d rather be able to cure the disease without needing to change someone’s species.” Elizabeth said absently, looking thoughtfully at the image.

After another few minutes, Amy came back in, a carry case held in her hands. “Alright, here are the samples, have you called the CDC yet?”

“No, there’s something else I want to try. Let me see one of those.” Elizabeth took one of the needles and set it to the side. She put one of the petri dishes holding one of the newly ponified samples in front of her and very carefully squeezed two drops of the new sample onto it.

“Elizabeth! What in Equestria are you doing?” Twilight cried out.

“Trust me Twilight, I want to see something.” Elizabeth closed up the petri dish and put it back into the microscope. Once it finished scanning it the computer beeped and began rendering the image. As soon as it was done Elizabeth leaned back from the counter. “Well, sometimes it stinks to be right.”

On the screen could be seen virus particles, busily attaching themselves to the ponified cells.

Twilight looked aghast. “Why did you do that? That sample was clean of the virus!”

“I see, that is interesting.” All three ponies turned to look at Amy. “So the transformation cures any disease in the sample at the time, but any subsequent exposure results in a new infection.”

“That’s what I thought might happen. Still, if we can isolate each person being converted from other people with the disease...”

“Elizabeth, I really think you should call the CDC now.” Amy said. “They’ll definitely want to hear this.”

“We’ll need to confirm it first with these other samples, so let’s do that, and then call them before lunch.” Elizabeth started preparing the next sample.

To say that Walter Lewis was a busy man would be an understatement. Thirty-five and still single, he worked obsessively at his job, to the point of ending three relationships. Nonetheless, he loved his job and everything it entailed. The emergence of Equestria hadn’t even bothered him beyond an initial period of disbelief, but once a unicorn climbed awkwardly out of the black SUV and trotted up to him with a smile he’d dumped his preconceptions out the proverbial window.

He was currently finishing his lunch with the unicorn stallion assigned to work with the CDC on their part of the ponification serum effort, Azure Shine, when his cell phone rang.

“Wonder who that could be.” He pulled it from his pocket, smiling wryly as he saw the identification number. “Well well, what’s got Elizabeth calling at this hour?”

“Dr. Ross? Cool, I hope everything’s alright.” Azure muttered as he took a bite of his salad, eating with his mouth out of deference to his human friend.

“You’re just hoping to get to see Mystic again.” Walter shot back and laughed as Azure’s eyes briefly stared out over Atlanta’s skyline. Pressing his passcode into the phone, he brought it to his ear. “This is Dr. Lewis, how can I help you today Elizabeth?”

“Hello Walter, I’ve got something you’ll want to look at, are you in your office now?”

“Not right now, give me a few minutes. Was having lunch with Azure on the roof.” Dr. Lewis motioned to Azure, who practically inhaled the last of his salad and picked the bowl up in his mouth. As they turned to walk back inside the building, he could hear a voice in the background and laughed. “I guess Mystic is in the room too?” He laughed harder as Azure blushed and ducked his head.

“Yes, and she’s apparently forgotten that this is something serious.” Dr. Ross said as she said something muffled, presumably covering the phone with her hand.

“Now now, no need to scold the poor dear, she’s just missing her boyfriend is all.” He chuckled when Azure thumped him with his tail as the two entered Lewis’ office. Papers were scattered everywhere, along with a few coffee mugs left out, some with stale coffee still in them.

“Alright, I’m in my office. You got your fax ready?”

“Yes, sending you the images now.” The fax machine hummed under its pile of papers and Dr. Lewis pushed them off as it spat out the pages.

Dr. Lewis picked them up and ruffled through them while balancing the phone with his shoulder. “Okay, so what exactly am I looking at?”

“The first image was taken prior to administering the serum. The second was after.”

Dr. Lewis peered closer. “So you’re telling me that…”

“Yes. It appears that the serum cured the influenza in the sample. However, I administered another contaminated sample and the influenza went right back to the ponified cells without any delay.”

“I see… so what do you want me to do about it?”

“I know you and Azure have some samples of the ponification serum there with you. I’d like you to test it on some of the samples you have in the freezer and see if the same result can be applied.”

“Hmmm… I suppose I can try and see what I come up with. Give me a couple hours and I’ll call you back, okay?”

“Sure thing. And Walter? It was good to talk to you again.” The line went dead and Walter laughed as he put the receiver back in its slot.

“So what did Dr. Ross want Walter?” Azure asked curiously as he tried to get a better look at the images.

Walter got to his feet and walked out of his office, Azure following. “Well, apparently one of the chimps they’re working with came down with a cold, but the serum destroyed all the virus particles in the sample. So she wanted me to try using the serum on some of the samples we have here in the freezer.” Walter led the unicorn through the sterile white hallways, other staff moving out of their way as they entered a staircase and made their way into the basement of the building.

Eventually they came to a heavy looking door with a keypad, several suits hanging on a rack nearby, with one that was obviously made for a pony to wear. Dr. Lewis started putting one on as Azure watched.

“Alright Azure, you need to put your suit on before I can open the door. Do you remember all the protocols for working in this room?”

“Y-yes...” Azure trailed off, before reluctantly starting to put on his suit. The unicorn hated the suit and how it prevented him from really seeing or interacting with the world. Dr. Lewis helped him zip the back up, and then settled the backpack that contained his oxygen supply into place on his withers. The whir of the fan motor began to drone and Azure tossed his head irritably.

“I know you hate it, but you know why it’s needed. So try and bear with it.” Dr. Lewis smiled apologetically and turned back to the door, typing in something on the keypad. Once he finished the pad chimed and the door began to swing open with a hiss. The lights flickered on a moment later as Dr. Lewis stepped inside, Azure following closely. They passed through the decontamination rooms and soon found themselves in a small room, all polished white and gleaming steel. The rest of the staff was still on lunch break, so they had the room to themselves for the time being.

Moving over to an empty table, Dr. Lewis typed in another sequence of numbers into its keypad and turned to Azure. “I’m going to retrieve a virus sample. Can you get a bottle of the serum?”

“Sure thing.” Azure said as he turned towards the table at the far end of the room. Trotting over, he eyed the bottles sitting peacefully on their stand, wondering again at how tiny the particles that made up the serum must be for it to resemble water like that. His horn lit with a lime green glow as he reached through the suit to take hold of a bottle. He always felt weird using magic while wearing the suit, almost akin to having a leg be partially asleep. Gently levitating it in his magic, he trotted slowly across the room and set it carefully on the table. Dr. Lewis returned a few minutes later, a red case held in one hand.

“So, ready to see if Dr. Ross has stumbled onto a medical breakthrough?” He asked jokingly as he set the case on the table.

“What did you pick to test the serum on?” Azure asked as Dr. Lewis gingerly lifted the sample out of the box.

“A very nasty specimen called Ebola. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice to say it is one mean customer. Don’t worry, as long as you stay well clear of my hands while we’re working, it’ll be fine.” Dr. Lewis picked up a small recorder and pressed a button on the side. “Now beginning an experiment with serum sample #375642. Goal of this test is to follow up on a discovery by Dr. Elizabeth Ross. According to her, the serum cured a sample that was infected with influenza. To test her theory that the serum will cure any disease present during the process of ponification, I will be using a sample of Ebola collected from Patient #13425 in Zaire during the 1995 outbreak.” Dr. Lewis carefully set the sample on the table and prepared a needle of the serum. He put two drops onto the sample and secured the needle.

“Alright Azure, I’m going to go stand on the other side of the room. Once I get there, give it a five minute dose of your magic.”

Azure nodded, and once Dr. Lewis was safely across the room he focused his magic, the lime green aura enveloping the sample.

Dr. Lewis waited until the clock on the wall ticked to the fifth minute and called out, “Alright Azure, it’s been five minutes, let’s see what we have.” Walking back across the room as the glow faded, Dr. Lewis felt his skin tingle as the residual thaumatic energy penetrated his suit. Carefully lifting the sample, he carried it to an empty microscope and pushed it into the proper slot. The microscope hummed and soon the image was rendering on the screen.

“My God...” Dr. Lewis said breathlessly as he took an involuntary step back. Floating in the solution was a healthy sample of pony tissue, not a trace of the Ebola to be seen.

“That’s good, right?” Azure said as he looked at the screen.

“That’s more than good, this is fantastic news. Come on, let’s secure this sample and go get decontaminated. I need to call Elizabeth back.”

Dr. Ross was sitting at her desk, tapping a pen in boredom, when the phone rang. She started briefly before picking up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Seems like you were right Elizabeth.” Dr. Lewis’ cheerful voice came over the line.

“What did you test it on?”

“Ebola. The serum blew through it like a bowling ball through tissue paper. We’ll want to test it on other samples in storage, but I think we can call this a tentative confirmation. Hope you enjoy being famous,” he teased.

“Well, it’ll help keep the lights on around here at least. Glad to hear that Walter, and let me know any further results.” Dr. Ross set down the receiver and allowed herself to sag backward in her chair as Twilight came trotting in.

“So I take it that’s good news?”

“Yes, Walter called back. His tests appear to indicate that the serum destroys any infection in the host sample.” Dr. Ross said

“That’s wonderful! So what do we do now?”

“Well, I’ll need to make a few phone calls, and then it’s back to work as scheduled. I’ll tell everyone at dinner if I hear anything new.”

Twilight smiled. “Well, then I’ll see you back in the lab. And Elizabeth? I’m glad you were right.” The unicorn trotted out the door as Elizabeth sighed.

“Yea, me too.”

Kevin turned the corner as he continued his patrol, boots rapping firmly on the tile floor and sidearm holstered at his waist. As much as he’d initially disliked the idea of talking ponies, after working with them for a few months he had to admit they weren’t all that bad. A little aggravating at times with their upbeat attitudes, Pinkie Pie especially, but all in all a nice bunch to guard. The bonus pay didn’t hurt either.

He was about to turn around when there came a bright flash from one of the empty conference rooms. Swallowing nervously, he unsnapped his sidearm and crept to the door. Risking a peek in, he relaxed a hair as he saw a quartet of gold armored unicorns, and a larger pony he recognized as Princess Luna. He slid the pistol into its holster and walked to stand in front of the doorway. “Princess Luna, this is certainly an... unexpected visit.”

“We apologize for not sending word in advance, but we felt our presence was required immediately. Twilight Sparkle informed my sister and I of Dr. Ross’ discovery. Please escort us to her.”

Kevin thought about reaching for his radio to confirm, but the level stares of the four unicorn guards made him think otherwise and he shrugged. “Alright, follow me.” He started to lead the alicorn and her escort through the hallways. “So... what brings you here then? Forgive me for being blunt, but I thought Twilight’s letters always went to Princess Celestia.”

“No forgiveness is needed. You are correct; usually my sister receives the letters Spike sends. However, other matters demanded her attention, so she asked me to come in her stead.”

“Huh, wonder what’s got her attention then.” Kevin wondered idly as he walked into the main lounge, where Dr. Ross was standing in conversation with Amy and Twilight.

“Well, I guess we can try that dosage Elizabeth. Given Suzy and Jimmy’s body weights, this should be enough. But I’m still not convinced of whether it’ll work or not.” Amy said, a strange look in her eyes. “And if it... doesn’t...”

“I understand Amy; we’ll do what we can to make it painless.” Elizabeth replied, a compassionate look in her eyes. She caught sight of Kevin and started to smile, but then noticed the alicorn standing behind him. “P-Princess Luna, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“We can say the same, Elizabeth Ross. Our sister speaks highly of you. Now, Twilight’s letter mentioned an important discovery you and your team have made?”

Dr. Ross stared for a moment, before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “Yes. We discovered that in addition to transforming the cells of our samples, the serum apparently has the ability to eradicate any disease present. A colleague at the CDC is testing the serum on some of the diseases they keep there, and so far has reported universal success.”

“I see, that is truly wonderful news. And the original plan? Do you still intend to use the serum on your two chimpanzees at week’s end?”

“With luck yes. We’ll use the serum on them Thursday and announce the results Friday morning, for better or worse.” Elizabeth said, her eyes troubled.

“If something bothers you, you may share it.” Luna said bluntly.

“Well, I guess it’s just nerves. Up until now it still didn’t feel like it was really happening, you know? But if this last test goes well, then it will be.”

“Do not fear Elizabeth. Your research has gotten you this far and it will continue to carry you in the future.” Luna said reassuringly. “And I must apologize, for I am needed elsewhere. Should you require anything, I am leaving this squad of unicorns here to help. Second Lieutenant Flare, you have acting command in my absence.” The lead unicorn hammered his hoof against his breastplate as Luna trotted out of the room, disappearing in a pulse of light once she was far enough down the hallway.

“Well, it’s almost dinner time, so why don’t we all head that way and I’ll tell you what I heard from President Foster.” Elizabeth suggested. The others nodded assent and made their way out of the room.

Holly Williams sat behind her desk, the usual anchorwoman’s smile fixed until the light went out. Standing, she put the microphone on the desk and walked over to where she had seen Teddy waiting. “What’s up Teddy? You look like someone just kicked your dog.”

“Well, you get your wish. There’s apparently some big thing planned for Friday on the West Coast. CNN managed to get the rights to see the facility where they’re actually developing this so-called ‘serum’... and the chance for a one on one interview with Celestia. So get your stuff together, you fly out tonight.”

Holly couldn’t believe what she’d heard for a moment, then cheered and hugged Teddy. “Thanks a lot Teddy, I’ll do us proud.” She turned and strode toward her office, a Cheshire grin spreading across her face.

“Eat up everypony! Jared and I worked hard on this meal!” Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her hooves out over the spread of food. All eyes were wide and mouths watering at the sight, plates piled high with vegetables both raw and cooked.

“I originally wanted to roast some pork, but Pinkie dared me to try vegetarian, and I think you’ll all be pleasantly surprised.” Jared agreed with a smile on his face as he helped serve up the plates. The ponies eagerly carried theirs to their table; the humans, after some muttering about not having any meat took theirs to the taller table. After a few hesitant bites the humans were digging in as happily as the ponies, which set Jared and Pinkie to laughing.

“I told you they would enjoy it if they gave it a chance!” Pinkie managed to get out between breaths.

“That you did, that you did. C’mon and let’s eat, no sense in letting the food get cold.” Jared loaded a plate and walked over to the taller table, looking over in surprise as Pinkie followed him and clambered awkwardly into the chair next to him.

“What? We’re friends, so why wouldn’t I want to sit next to you guys? And gals.” She said with a wink to Dr. Ross and Amy. She cut a sidelong glance to the ponies at the other table and twitched an ear. Taking the hint Applejack got to her hooves and pushed the table closer so the two were joined.

“Alright, so let me tell you what President Foster told me. Apparently on Friday, both he and Princess Celestia will be coming here for a joint speech to address how we’re going to proceed with production of the serum for using on humans. I also asked him about something you’ll like Amy.” She looked up in confusion as Dr. Ross continued, “Since we know that magic has the same effect on higher primates as humans, I got his approval to produce additional serum to be used for converting them as well. You’ll just have to help coordinate the effort to locate as many as possible.”

Amy pushed a piece of broccoli around on her plate. “Sure… thanks Elizabeth.”

“What’s wrong?” Dr. Ross asked.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer came from Fluttershy. “Well, um… It just feels weird to be doing it to animals who don’t get to make the choice for themselves.”

“Well, it’s better than letting them die, right?” Twilight asked.

“I guess so…” Fluttershy trailed off and looked at the food on her plate.

“Well, we can discuss that later. President Foster also told me that we’ll be having a guest from CNN tomorrow night. So we’ll use the serum on Jimmy and Suzy at noon, document the whole process thoroughly, and then be able to show the results to the reporters.” Dr. Ross finished, and the table was silent for a few minutes.

“Well, Ah think we should all get some sleep. Gonna be a busy day tomorrow.” Applejack finally said as she got to her hooves and started picking up dishes. Jared and Pinkie moved to help her while Twilight, Mystic and Spellweaver followed after Dr. Ross, Fluttershy and Amy.

“So you three will be ready to go tomorrow, right?” Dr. Ross asked.

“Yes, we’ve finalized what exactly we’ll be doing spell-wise, and think we can regulate our magic flow so that you can actually stay in the same room while the process is underway.” Twilight said with a smile, Mystic and Spellweaver echoing her optimism.

“Hey, I’ll see you guys tomorrow, I’m going to go check on Suzy and Jimmy one more time before I go to bed.” Amy said, turning down a side corridor with Fluttershy in tow.

“I’m glad Fluttershy’s found someone that she can relate to here. She’s normally so shy about making new friends.” Twilight remarked as they reached the split in the hallway that separated the pony and human bedrooms. “Well, goodnight Elizabeth, we’ll see you in the morning.” The group went their separate ways, each finding their thoughts turning to the momentous event that loomed on the horizon.

“Alright, so we all know the plan, right?” A voice asked coldly.

“Yea, though what’re we gonna do if any of the fuckers fight back?” Another voice asked, a muted clatter undercutting its words as its owner packed bags.

“Well, we’re the ones with the guns; we’ll have to show them that we have the higher willpower.” The first voice answered gruffly.

“What about police response?” A third voice cut in.

“Oh they’ll come, but we’ll have hostages, and important ones at that. Our intel says these so-called ‘Elements of Harmony’ are celebrities or some stupid shit. They won’t dare make a move if we threaten to paint the walls with their brains.” Replied the first voice.

“I’ll just be happy if I get the chance to kill some of those fucking abominations against God.” A fourth voice finally made itself known as its owner got up from the couch.

“Alright, let’s move out. We’ll strike the facility after the CNN reporter arrives, that way we'll have more hostages to take with us when we make our escape. If we stick to the plan we can all get out of this alive. Let’s fuckin’ show those ponies they don’t mess with mankind and walk away unscarred.” Five figures put their hands to their chests in a grim salute and went about packing the rest of their bags.

“Alright everyone, this is the moment we’ve been working towards for so long. Amy, administer the anesthetic.” Dr. Ross said, the bottle of serum held in one hand and the needle in the other.

Amy nodded and knelt down beside Jimmy. Suzy had already been given her dose and lay sleeping nearby. “Alright Jimmy, this will only pinch for a second…” She froze as the chimp suddenly hugged her. Fluttershy started to move forward, but Amy shook her head. “No, this is something I have to do.” She gently pushed herself back from the chimp, and carefully gave him his shot. “I’ll see you when you wake up.” Her voice wavered, but her eyes were iron-hard as the animal swayed on its feet before slumping forward against her. She held him close for a moment before laying him on the floor next to Suzy. “Alright, let’s just get this over with.” She walked over to stand on the opposite side of the room next to Kevin and Karl.

Fluttershy walked over and nuzzled each chimpanzee, before she trotted over to stand next to Amy. The yellow pegasus stretched up and nuzzled Amy’s hand, which patted her head once before tightening its grip. The two watched silently as Elizabeth knelt next to the two chimps and inserted the needle into the bottle of serum. They’d calculated the numbers based on the chimp’s body size and weight, and decided to use a two ounce dose.

Dr. Ross held the needle in her hand for a moment, the weight of the decision she was about to make pressing down on her shoulders. She took a deep breath, and lifting Suzy’s arm she slid the needle into a vein. Pressing down on the plunger, she injected the entire contents of the needle before backing it out. Setting it into its case, she prepared a second needle and injected Jimmy with his dose. Securing the second needle, she picked both cases up and walked to stand next to the other humans and ponies. “Alright Twilight, Mystic, Spellweaver.”

The three unicorns nodded and trotted into position, surrounding the two unconscious chimpanzees and closing their eyes. Their horns lit with their own fields that gently reached out and enveloped the primates with a multi-colored glow. The first few seconds passed without anything happening, and Dr. Ross started to worry that this would turn out a failure. She was just about to call for the trio to end the test when Jared suddenly pointed. “Look!”

Everyone gasped as they realized that Suzy’s skin had started to ripple, sagging in places as the bones seemed to shift underneath. Her legs gave several popping sounds as they dislocated, grinding against themselves as they shifted into their new position. More pops and cracks came from her spine as it wrenched itself into a straighter line. The worst sounds came from her head, which squelched and snapped as her face extended outwards into the hint of a muzzle. The ears seemed to almost flow up to perch atop the reforming skull, while with a stomach-churning rip a tail forced its way out of her backside.

Similar changes were beginning to take place with Jimmy, his head twitching as a horn pushed its way free of his forehead skin with a small trickle of blood. The wound sealed itself almost as soon as it formed, until the new horn stood proudly atop the mostly equine skull, colored a dark tan. The color seemed to spread across the rippling skin from that point, the black fur soon becoming a soft coat, while a dirty blond mane and tail grew from his neck and rump.

Dr. Ross seemed to be torn, her scientific side wanting to stay and watch everything, while her stomach was protesting violently. Amy, on the other hand, was watching with rapt fascination, the zoologist having seen much worse during her work in the field. Kevin and Karl grimaced, yet couldn’t bring themselves to look away. The ponies not participating seemed to be equally disgusted by what they saw happening before them, yet something kept them rooted to the floor where they stood. It was an instinct as old as time, to stand watch as new members of the herd came into existence.

Suzy’s fur finally started to shift in color, becoming a soft cinnamon hue, while her rapidly forming mane and tail took on an aquamarine shade. With a few final pops and squelches, the magic finally started to fade and the three unicorns sighed, breathing a little heavily as they opened their eyes.

“I guess it worked.” Twilight said tiredly, looking over the two new ponies lying on the floor, their sides rising and falling with their relaxed breathing.

Pinkie Pie carefully trotted over and crouched down to the pony Suzy had become, her ears twitching as she looked her over. Giving her a gentle nudge she whispered gently, “C’mon, it’s time to wake up now.”

Suzy’s eyes fluttered and slowly opened, the pale yellow orbs twitching at the light. She tried to flex and when her leg crossed in front of her vision she froze. Her eyes widened and she tried to scramble backwards, only for her four legs to go in different directions and send her crashing to the floor, cracking her chin hard on the tiles. Lying there, her eyes began to water and she started crying.

Pinkie Pie smiled softly and trotted over to again crouch down next to her. Nickering softly, she nuzzled Suzy until her tears stopped. Smiling wider, she nosed at her legs until they were straightened out. “There you go Suzy! Now let’s try standing up all nice and straight!” Pinkie slowly stretched her own legs until she was standing upright, making sure Suzy was watching. The former chimpanzee stared raptly and then turned to glare at her own rebellious legs. Slowly pulling each one in to get it under her, she shakily rose to her hooves and stood there, wobbling for a second before trying to fall down again. Pinkie was faster this time and braced her. “Silly Suzy, be careful with your new legs, don’t want to hit your chin again!” she said with a giggle.

Suzy’s eyes narrowed as she started trying to move her mouth. “S… Su…”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “That’s right; c’mon… you can do it.”

“SUZEH!” Suzy practically shouted, her eyes threatening to overflow with tears again. Pinkie felt her own eyes watering a little and beamed back.

“Close enough.”

“Suzeh! Suze… Suzy!” Suzy quivered with joy as she lifted a foreleg and took a halting step, then another. Pinkie walked alongside her, making sure she wouldn’t fall.

Amy, tears in her eyes, walked over to join the pair. Suzy’s eyes widened and she tried to wobble her way across the floor to her. Amy knelt and caught her as she tried to fall. “Do you remember me Suzy? It’s Amy.”

“A… Amy.” Suzy said proudly before bumping her head into Amy’s chest. “Amy! Suzy!”

It was all too much for Amy, who broke down into tears of joy as she hugged Suzy tightly. Pinkie Pie stood next to them, a beaming smile on her face despite her own tears.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Applejack had both walked over to the still sleeping Jimmy. Dr. Ross followed them, a couple paper towels in her hand. Kneeling, she wiped the blood from his horn and forehead. Jimmy’s eyes opened and he recoiled at the sight of so many beings right in front of him. His horn sparked as a faint maroon field began to appear and Dr. Ross stumbled back as the skin on her hand started to feel warm. Fluttershy, with a blur of her wings, seized Dr. Ross and dragged her across the floor to the far end of the room. Twilight hurried over to stand next to Applejack.

“Ya’ll got something that’ll keep him from using magic Twi?” Applejack asked as the new unicorn rose to his hooves, legs shaking a little but otherwise standing upright.

“I’ll try.” Twilight said as she approached, a disarming smile on her face as her own horn lit with a gentle glow. Jimmy tossed his head and snorted, but then froze as her magic wrapped around his and made contact with his horn. “There now, it’s alright, just relax. You’re safe.” Twilight murmured as her spell took effect. Jimmy’s magic faded and soon winked out, the unicorn wavering slightly and starting to fall to the floor. Applejack rushed forward and caught him.

“Easy there partner, don’t want to go whackin’ yer noggin on the floor.” Applejack said gently as she picked up the paper towels Dr. Ross had dropped, wiping the last of the blood from Jimmy’s forehead.

“P… pardner?” Jimmy asked haltingly, fumbling with his new tongue and lips.

“Tha’s right, partner. Though yer name is Jimmy.” Applejack said slowly and clearly.

“Jim… Jimmy.” Jimmy said, his eyes shining as he began to smile. “Jimmy!”

Across the room, Fluttershy landed next to Dr. Ross as she got to her feet. “I’m sorry; I just saw Jimmy starting to use magic and got scared for you.”

“Don’t worry about it; I should have known that could happen. Do all unicorns have magic from birth or does it manifest itself after a few years?”

“All unicorn foals can use magic, oftentimes a lot more strongly than grown up unicorns can. Teaching this one is going to be a pain.” Mystic said as she and Spellweaver walked over to stand next to her. “So what do we do now with them?”

“Well, we need to record their physiological condition, and then let them have some time to get used to their new bodies before the CNN reporter gets here." Dr. Ross said as Jimmy tried to take another step and lost his balance.

“Good afternoon, I’m Holly Williams from CNN. This is my cameraman George Finley.” Holly said as she shook Dr. Ross’ hand.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Dr. Ross, I’m glad you were able to come tour our little facility. Did you have a nice flight?”

“Can’t complain, the peanut bags are still impossible to open.” The two laughed briefly before Dr. Ross led the way into the building.

“Well, as you can see, this building used to be a clinic before it shut down. The Los Angeles City Council was going to demolish it before the government bought it out as part of the effort to protect humans from thaumatic radiation.”

“Interesting. Now, Dr. Ross, rumors at CNN indicate that your facility in particular has been playing hosts to the ponies that the Equestrians call the ‘Elements of Harmony’. How has that been as an experience?”

“Well, they’re a very friendly bunch, hardworking and willing to help in any capacity they can.” Dr. Ross said as they entered the dining room to a scene of chaos. “And as you can see, they tend to get very… excitable.”

The plan had been to introduce Jimmy and Suzy to the reporters while they ate. However, no one had anticipated that ponies’ taste buds were far more receptive than chimpanzees. The two had utterly demolished the vegetable buffet that Jared, Pinkie and Spike had made, bits of food everywhere while Rainbow Dash floated overhead laughing. Applejack, Fluttershy and Amy were cleaning the bits of food off the floor and walls. Jared and Pinkie were trying to help, but kept bursting into laughter at each new antic the new ponies came up with.

“I see… so those two were your former chimpanzee test animals?” Holly asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite herself. George held the camera steady and recorded the entire mess.

“Indeed they are. After rigorously testing the serum on samples gathered from them, we decided to go forward with an attempted conversion early this afternoon. As you can see it was a success, though we’re still working on teaching them proper manners.”

Suzy took notice of the three of them by the door and came cantering over, stumbling only once. “Eliza! Elizabet!”

Holly stood there stunned as the pony nuzzled Dr. Ross’ leg affectionately, looking at Holly curiously. “That’s incredible. So they can speak now?”

“Yes, though we think they’re just mimicking our words for now. They do learn new words incredibly quickly though. Pinkie Pie tells me that many foals back in Equestria can learn their parents and their own names very quickly, sometimes by the end of their first month. Give it a try, Suzy’s very friendly.”

Holly knelt down and Suzy took a hesitant step back. Putting her hand out with a smile, Holly looked over her shoulder and said quietly, “George, make sure you’re getting this.” Returning her gaze to Suzy, she spoke up louder, “Hello, my name is Holly.” She said, watching as the pony furrowed its eyes in concentration.

“Ho…lly. Holly.” Suzy’s eyes lit up as she bounded forward happily and nuzzled Holly’s hand.

“This is incredible. Please tell me you got that George.” Holly said softly as she ran her hand down Suzy’s neck.

“Oh yea, it’s all going live to the CNN server now.” George said with a smile of his own.

“That’s a damn shame.” A new voice said as a dull thud broke the conversation. George staggered forward with a short cry, turning to keep the camera from hitting the ground. Behind him stood five black-clothed men, wearing tactical vests and carrying an assortment of weapons. The one in front who’d struck George held a pistol loosely at his side, his cold brown eyes looking over the humans and ponies staring at him.

“Now, if you’d please be so kind as to turn that camera off, I would very much appreciate it.”

Everyone looked at each other in shock, still processing what had just happened, when the man sighed, lifted the pistol, and shot the camera twice. The second bullet tore through the lens housing and into George’s side, eliciting a shout of pain from him and a round of screams from the ponies.

“You are all my hostages now. You will do exactly as I say, exactly when I say it. Failure to comply will result in further violence. Do I make myself clear?” he asked calmly, as if inquiring about the weather.

Holly had scooted over to George and was busy trying to stop the bleeding. She could see that the blood wasn’t a bright red, which she remembered from somewhere as being a good sign. Fumbling in his pockets, she found one of the ubiquitous giant handkerchiefs she’d always made fun of him for in the past.

“T-told you there’d b-be a time they’d come in handy.” George wheezed out, wincing as she stuffed it into the wound.

“Yea yea, now shut up and let me work here.” She retorted with a tearful smile as she took off her outer shirt and tied it snugly around his waist.

“A pity. I’d hoped to avoid having to hurt a hostage this early, but no sense worrying about what cannot be changed. Four, Five, go and secure the building. There should be two security guards, four of the gold-armored unicorns, and two other unicorns. If any of them resist, kill them. There will be one purple unicorn and one dragon as well, do not kill them at all costs.” The man turned his eyes back to the group cowering in front of him and smiled coldly. Forcing her brain to process as much as she could, Holly noticed that while their equipment varied from one to the next, all five bore a single patch on the left chest pocket, emblazoned with three bold letters.

“Why are you doing this? Who sent you here?” She tried to sound brave, but recoiled as those harsh brown eyes bored into hers with a terrifying intensity.

“We are soldiers of the Human Liberation Front.”

14 - Vacation

Week 32-33, Saturday – Monday

The group made their way back into the Guard training grounds, still quiet after the burial. Twilight kept her gaze focused on the ground, the funeral having reminded her acutely of the lack of time she’d spent with her parents since being accepted to the School for Gifted Unicorns. Looking at her friends she could see similar expressions on their faces too, guessing they were having similar thoughts. Seeing a change in motion out of the top of her eyes, she looked up to see that Celestia had stopped and was turning to face them.

“While I wish I could spend time with you Twilight, I regrettably have a pressing matter which needs to be addressed. Why don’t you and your friends spend a day in Canterlot with Jared, and show him around our capital? I’ll send a message for you later this evening.”

“Umm, Celestia?” Cadance asked, taking a step forward. “If it’s alright with you, might I go with them? I haven’t seen Twilight in so long and would love to catch up.”

Celestia smiled. “Of course my dear, have fun.” She turned to Luna, “I trust you can handle the rest of today’s work by yourself?”

“Indeed sister, provided you come and let me take a break this time.” Luna said with a warm smile before spreading her wings and flying off and over the wall of the castle.

“What are you two working on?” Twilight asked curiously.

“We are at a crucial stage of a project we thought of a few days ago.” Celestia said as she turned to the honor guard. “Cloudhammer, Amber Dusk, Shining Armor and Flare, if you all would please follow me. The rest of you may take the rest of the day off, I believe you deserve some personal time as much as anypony else.” The other unicorns saluted before trotting off towards the barracks. Celestia turned to the others and gave them a warm smile before walking towards the Guard offices.

Watching her go for a few seconds, Twilight then turned to the others. “Well, what do you all feel like doing?”

“Well, we could all go window shopping, I’ve had some marvelous ideas based on some of the human’s designs, but would need some more fabrics to make them work.” Rarity said excitedly.

“That sounds mighty fun Rarity,” Applejack said dryly, “but to be honest I miss mah family somethin’ fierce.” The others all nodded as they realized how long they had been gone from Ponyville.

“Well, why don’t we go back to Ponyville for a day or two, see how everypony’s been doing?” Twilight suggested with a smile, before suddenly remembering Cadance was standing a little to the side. “Would you like to come with us Cadance? I think you’d enjoy Ponyville.”

“I’d love to; I would just need to get my things. I’ll arrange for a train to take us there, meet back here in an hour?”

Twilight nodded, “That would work.” She watched as Cadance spread her wings and took off in a different direction. Frowning as her brain reminded her she’d been forgetting somepony, she realized that she’d forgotten about Jared as well. “I’m so sorry Jared, do you want to come with us too? I’m sure that Celestia will have a room for you here at the castle if you don’t.”

Jared thought about it for a second. “Well, why not? Though I don’t really have anywhere to stay…”

“Don’t worry yourself none; we got plenty of room out at Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack said.

“Well then, what are we waiting for? If we hurry, we can visit some of the shops before Princess Cadance returns.” Rarity said confidently. “Although, I could certainly use somepony’s help with carrying my bags.” She added, fluttering her eyelashes at Jared.

“Well, I guess I could…” he said, aware of the blush forming on his face and his wings starting to stand up a little. Before he could embarrass himself further, he felt something shove past him and looked down to see Spike shooting him a glare.

“I’ll assist you, my lady,” he said, sketching a bow.

“Why thank you Spike. Anypony else want to come?” She said, looking at each of her friend’s faces and not seeing any acknowledgement. “Very well, suit yourselves,” she said before trotting off, Spike following along with a happy smile on his face.

Leaning in close, Jared whispered to Applejack, “So does he…”

“Oh yeah, you better believe it.” Applejack whispered back.

Shaking their heads, the group made its way into the castle.

“I admit, I have always liked this building. It may not be as aesthetically inclined as the rest of the castle, but it conveys a certain sense of stability,” Celestia mused as she stood behind the desk.

The assembled officers didn’t say anything, remaining at attention.

She sighed, and with a small smile waved a hoof. “Please, there is no need for formality here. Make yourselves comfortable.”

The five guards relaxed a hair, but remained standing.

“Anyway, as some of you may have guessed, the reason I have called you here is to address the attack, and how we can be more prepared in the future.” Celestia said, the smile fading from her muzzle. “Consider rank left at the door; don’t hesitate if you have an idea.”

“We need better armor.” Cloudhammer said at once. “Sky Shimmer’s armor didn’t even slow down the ‘bullets’, and from what I’ve heard from the Marines I spoke with, his weapon wasn’t as advanced as theirs.”

“The humans have some incredibly durable metals that they use, maybe see about getting our hooves on some.” Flare chimed in.

“Why not strengthen the enchantment on the armor? Seems more expedient than starting with unknown metals that the forgeponies don’t have experience with.” Shining said, tapping a hoof on his chin in thought.

“But to make it strong enough it would start giving off magic.  We’d end up hurting humans around us though.” Ruby objected.

“You do have a point.” Shining admitted. “Has anypony talked to the Forgemaster about it?”

“Somepony did.” All eyes turned to the door as a light red earth pony pushed it open. His body was crisscrossed with burn scars and his pink mane ragged on one side, but his orange eyes still held an intensity that hadn’t faded in the years he’d spent in service. He took a seat next to Cloudhammer, giving the pegasus a sidelong look. “Cloudhammer.”

“Afternoon Gentle Flame, glad you could join us.”

“As for the metal those oo-mans use, I’ve not seen yet met an ore that I couldn’t wrangle into line. Just get me some and I’ll let you know whether it’ll work.” Gentle said with a snort.

“Alright, I’ll speak to President Foster about it.” Celestia said, nodding respectfully to the Forgemaster.

“There is one other thing that will need to be addressed, especially since we’ll be starting construction of the centers where the serum will be administered.” Cloudhammer took a deep breath before continuing. “Our numbers just aren’t high enough to be able to safeguard both Equestria and these centers. We’ll need to drastically increase our recruitment rates.”

“Well, the current system exists precisely because attempting to mass recruit ponies hasn’t worked in the past,” Amber Dusk said with a frown.

“Yes, but we do have an advantage that the Guard of that time didn’t.”

“And that would be?” Celestia asked, her eyes narrowing as she began to get an idea of what the general was suggesting, but wanting to hear it from his mouth.

“The humans have substantial standing armies. I asked around the soldiers while I was in Brazil, and I believe that since we’ll be converting them in the long run anyway, we can ask for volunteers.” Cloudhammer finished with a sigh.

“How many volunteers would you be seeking?” Celestia asked softly.

“After some thought, I believe one of their ‘battalions’ would suffice for a start. Somewhere around one thousand ponies.” The number hung silently in the air for a few minutes.

“Where would we even train that many ponies? The facilities here won’t support more than three hundred ponies at once, and even that would stretch our capacity to overflowing.” Shining pointed out.

“Yes, but there is the neighboring island to the north of Oahu, where our first embassy was. I’ve gotten an aerial survey, there’s next to no dwellings, and several open areas where we can construct some barracks to house the recruits.”

“I… suppose this could work. But what about training them? We still have recruits here who will need to finish their training.” Flare said.

“I’ve thought of that too. Captain Sky Shimmer will continue training the pegasus recruits here in Canterlot under General Arrow's supervision. Amber Dusk, I assume you can still keep an eye on the unicorn recruits?”

“That’s all well and good, but who do you have in mind for the supposed new recruits?” The elder unicorn remarked sharply.

“I propose that Captain Shining Armor take on the training of the unicorn recruits, supported by Second Lieutenants Flare and Ruby. As for the pegasus recruits, First Lieutenants Dawn Breeze and Willow Spark will oversee their training. I will assume overall command.”

“There is one problem, Cloudhammer. If we can’t guarantee that all of the converted humans will be unicorns or pegasi, what will we do with the earth ponies?” Amber Dusk said sarcastically, only for his smirk to fade as Cloudhammer grinned wickedly.

“You let me worry about that.”

The sun was nearly touching the horizon as the train pulled up to the platform. Jared sighed in relief as he got to his hooves. “Man, I hope this feeling goes away in time. It’s getting old being wound up every time I’m indoors.”

“I admit, I’m still trying to come up with an explanation. My current hypothesis is that the magic that the transformation infused into you is still dissipating to a normal level, so it could be that it’s causing your excess energy. What do you think, Cadance?” Twilight looked up at the taller alicorn curiously.

Cadance tilted her head. “Well, I’m not anywhere near as skilled at magic as you or Aunt Celestia, but it does make sense. Magic is just energy, after all.”

“Do you have any idea how long it will take?” Jared asked, trying to ignore how good the breeze felt as they walked out onto the platform.

“I can’t honestly say. You are the first human to undergo ponification after all. So really, you’re establishing the baseline for the rest of your species.” She replied with a grin.

Jared opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off as a rainbow blur sped past him.

Rainbow Dash hovered in the air over the station, stretching her legs. “I don’t want to spend that much time inside again. Don’t get me wrong, helping out with the serum was neat, but I didn’t really have anything to do.”

“A’m gonna head over to the farm, looking forward to some of Granny Smith’s cooking. Ya’ll are welcome to come along if ya want. Would be a treat to serve not only a Princess, but the first converted human too.” Applejack said.

“Oh, and maybe tomorrow we’ll be able to show you around Ponyville.” Twilight said with a smile.

“Well, why not? I’ll simply have to run these supplies home first. Spike, might I be able to avail myself of your services?” Rarity asked with a smile.

“Of course!” Spike said, hefting up the bags and following after Rarity with a smitten grin on his face.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s gooo!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced past the others, who all started laughing as they followed the pink mare. Jared took the time to look around, marveling at how the buildings looked like something straight out of a storybook or a medieval play. The other thing that nearly overwhelmed him was the colors. From the buildings to the ponies themselves, every color under the rainbow was represented. As they trotted down the street, the other thing Jared noticed was every pony had a symbol on their flanks. Turning his head to look at his own, he wondered at why his was devoid of a mark. Quickening his pace to catch up with Fluttershy, he asked her about it.

“Well, you know how every pony earns their cutie mark when they discover their special talent?” Jared nodded as Fluttershy continued, “I guess that just means you haven’t figured out what your special talent is yet.”

Jared’s ears started to fold back, but he forced them to stand upright, taking heart from the fact that no one seemed to really notice. He also decided that he’d have to come up with a better term for it than ‘cutie mark’.

As they made their way through the town, the buildings eventually came to a stop, a dirt road winding its way along the gentle hills to a truly massive apple orchard, bigger than anything Jared had ever seen before on Earth.

“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, biggest orchard this side of Equestria, and home of the best apple cider you’ll ever...”

“APPLEJACK! YER HOME!” A joyful shriek split the air as a yellow and red comet hurtled down the road toward them. It impacted Applejack square in the chest and sent the mare sprawling onto her back. Jared jumped backward, wings flared up in worry before he realized that Applejack was laughing heartily, tickling the smaller pony lying on her chest.

“Well hey there yerself Apple Bloom! I swear, Ah turn my back for three short months and ya seem to grow another few inches on me.” Applejack said with a warm smile as she set Apple Bloom on the ground and rolled back onto her hooves.

“So who’s yer friends?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head as she peered at Cadance. “Is she a princess?” Not even waiting for an answer, she spotted Jared and her eyes widened as she saw his bare flank. “How come he doesn’t have a cutie mark?”

“Now settle down Apple Bloom, Ah’ll explain everything. This here is Princess Cadance, she’s a friend of Twilight’s from Canterlot. We’re showin’ her around Ponyville for a spell. And ya remember what Ah told ya about humans before I left? Well, this here is Jared.”

“But ya said that humans walk around on two legs and look like bald Diamond Dogs? That there’s a pony.” Apple Bloom protested. Jared folded his wings and tried not to snap at the little mare.

“Well...” Applejack hesitated at this, not sure how much she wanted to tell Apple Bloom about the attack on the research lab, “Jared got hurt really bad, so Twi used her magic to turn him into a pony to save him.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Well, Ah guess that makes sense... but why doesn’t he have a cutie mark? And why doesn’t he say hello like a nice pony?”

“He just hasn’t quite figured out his special talent, and he doesn’t know how to speak Equestrian yet silly! Twilight put a spell on him to let him understand us though.” Pinkie Pie said with a wide grin.

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry mister!” Her ears folded back as she looked apologetically at Jared.

He smiled warmly, then looked to Applejack. “It’s alright, I admit I’d probably react the same way in her place.”

“Don’t worry yourself about it Apple Bloom, now let’s get goin’, Ah’m sure Granny Smith will be wondering where you are for supper.”

“Alrighty then, are ya bringin’ everypony over? Granny isn’t goin’ to like it much.” Apple Bloom said reproachfully.

“Well, Ah’ll explain everything. Ah’m sure that she’ll understand.” Applejack said, though her eyes seemed a little nervous. The others all braced themselves internally and followed Applejack as she led them toward the large farmhouse.

Granny Smith had predictably been annoyed at Applejack bringing seven more ponies and a dragon to dinner, but after some grumbling she’d enlisted Big Macintosh and Applejack to fix up extra helpings of her vegetable stew.

“I’ll hand it to you Ms Smith, this is really good!” Jared said with a wide smile as he finished his second bowl. Feeling confident, he tried to pick the bowl up in his hooves to drain the dregs. He almost dropped it, but was able to grab it with his mouth and slurp the rest up noisily. Setting it down with a sheepish smile, he muttered something along the lines of ‘Sorry.’

“Well, Ah still can’t understand a word you say sonny, but don’t worry none about being all fancy at the dinner table. We Apples are hard workers, so we tend to work up big appetites.” Granny Smith said with a warm smile.

“Granny, Ah was wonderin’ if we might be able to put Jared up in tha guest room. Won’t be fer long, we’ll have ta be heading back to Hawaii in a day or two.” Applejack said sheepishly.

Granny leveled her famous stare at her, the farm mare starting to squirm, before sighing. “Well, Ah guess it couldn’t hurt none. Though Ah’ll be expectin’ ya to help your brother with the west fields in the mornin’.

Applejack relaxed and let out the breath she’d been inadvertantly holding.

“Now, let’s get all this cleaned up.” Granny said as she started to gather the bowls.

The others all stood, carrying their respective bowls to the sink.

Jared stirred, hearing the bustling noise of breakfast being eaten downstairs. He carefully rolled out of bed, allowing himself a grin as he kept himself from hitting his head on the floor. Tugging the sheets back into some semblance of order, he slowly trotted down the stairs into the kitchen. He could see that the rest of the Apples were already busily eating at the table.

“Plates are right there, grab as much as ya like.” Granny Smith said with a smile.

Jared trotted over, seeing a serving plate piled high with waffles. Serving himself a few, he took the open seat at the table next to Apple Bloom. He started eating heartily, but soon slowed as he felt someone staring at him and turned to see Apple Bloom hurriedly returning to eating. Shaking his head with a mild chuckle, he returned to his own plate.

After finishing up and helping Granny Smith put away the dishes, Jared followed Applejack and Big Macintosh outside. The sun was just starting to climb over the trees, the birds chirping up a storm. He stood there for a moment, taking in the sights and the smells until a familiar voice interrupted the calm.

“Good morning Jared, glad to see you up and about.” Twilight said as she trotted up to the farm.

“Mornin’ Twilight. Y’here to show Jared around town?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, I’m hoping to be able to show him all the key spots before we leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning.”

“Yer leavin’ so soon? But ya just got here!” Apple Bloom said, her eyes watering up, ears folding back, and lower lip pouting out in the best begging face Jared had ever seen.

“Ah know Apple Bloom, but ya know how important this is!” Applejack said, resisting her sister’s valiant attempt.

“Then why don’t you take me with you? I been in Ponyville my whole life, Ah wanna get to go with you sometime!” Apple Bloom stamped a hoof in indignation on the ground.

“No way Bloom, it’s too dangerous there, Ah won’t have none of it.” Applejack said firmly.

“Well...” Twilight said hesitantly. “ She could at least come to Hawaii, it’s safe there, humans can’t survive on the island. And once we leave to return to San Fransisco, I’m sure that the Princesses can arrange for transport to bring her home.”

“Well, that does make sense...” Applejack adjusted her hat anxiously, “but ah just don’t know...”

“Aww, c’mon Applejack!” Apple Bloom pleaded.

“Alright fine, ya can come, on one condition. Ya do exactly what Ah say, when Ah say it. Deal?”

“Deal!” She shouted, only for her jubilant smile to fall into a frown seconds later. “But... what about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo? Do you think they can come too?”

Applejack smacked a hoof to her forehead as she realized the predicament that she’d put herself in. “That’s not up ta me. If’n Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s parents say they can come, then they can come, alright?”

“Alright.” Apple Bloom said dejectedly, before her ears twitched and she turned her head toward the road, along with everypony else present. An orange pegasus on what could only be a scooter pulled a wagon with a unicorn filly inside toward them at high speed. Skidding to a halt a short distance away, the two jumped off and sprinted toward Apple Bloom, tackling her into a pony pile.

“Apple Bloom! Guess what? Rarity said Sweetie Belle can go to some place called Hawii! My parents already said I can go too! Did Applejack say you could come?” The orange one shouted excitedly.

“She said yes!” Apple Bloom replied giddily.

“Cool! That means we get to be...” the unicorn filly said, the others taking a breath.

“I’d cover your ears if I were you.” Twilight suggested quietly, flicking her ears down. Jared looked at her quizzically, but hadn’t quite gotten his down when the three fillies shouted in unison

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER VACATIONERS! YAY!”

Jared winced in pain, digging at his ear with a hoof in an attempt to make the ringing stop. “They do this a lot?”

“Oh yes.” Twilight said with a laugh. “Now, if you all are going to come along with us, you’ll need to pack your things. The train leaves at dawn tomorrow, so don’t be late.”

“Sure thing Twilight! Ah’ll see you girls later after lunch!” Apple Bloom shouted. The three fillies nodded before sprinting off in different directions, Apple Bloom toward the farmhouse, and the other two toward the wagon and scooter.

“So I’m gonna hazard a guess and say the orange one is Scootaloo and the other one Sweetie Belle?” Jared asked Twilight.

“You’d be right. Now, let’s get going, there’s a lot of Ponyville to see.” Twilight turned and started to trot down the road, Jared following after her.

“Alright Jared, I’ll see you tomorrow at the train station.” Twilight called as Jared trudged his way up the road to the farmhouse. The tour of Ponyville had been more exhausting than he’d thought.

First, they’d gone to visit Fluttershy at her cottage, and spent some time helping her take care of all the animals that lived there with her. He’d seen her skills with the chimpanzees, but the sight of her covered with all manner of creatures, including some that on Earth would be hunting each other, was a sight he’d be hard-pressed to forget. He still felt a little nervous about the way that bunny of hers stared at him, like it was as smart as he was.

Next had come Sugarcube Corner, and his stomach still thanked him for the time spent there. Sure, his new taste buds enjoyed hay and vegetables, but there was nothing that could really replace junk food. But the food Pinkie had made for him just tasted… different. He wasn’t sure if he’d say it was better, he’d have to try the equivalent made back home to know for sure, but there was some difference to it he couldn’t put his hand on. Well, hoof in any case. But he’d definitely made up his mind to come back again for more. Whatever they put into their cupcakes here was fantastic.

Making their way further into town, they stopped by Carousel Boutique to say hello to Rarity, who had insisted on Jared posing for some of her ideas inspired by human clothing. That had been by far his most uncomfortable experience so far as a pony. He figured that it must be the reverse of how it was with humans, and wondered if the Equestrians even worried about embarrassing themselves by being nude all the time. He decided that he’d have to ask somepony… someone about it once he’d either learned Equestrian or found a pony doctor that spoke English. The use of the pony slang was something else he’d started catching himself using, and he wasn’t yet sure if that was a problem or not.

After the boutique came Twilight’s library, which fascinated Jared with the fact that it was literally grown into the tree. On top of that, the sheer number of books lining the shelves was impressive, though he regretted his comment about seeing plenty of libraries bigger than hers. She’d immediately launched into a speech about the range of contents the library had. Only about a third of which was in English, fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), the spell had meant he understood every word of it. Although he’d have to ask her what Induced Primary Thaumatic Absorption and Redirection meant later.

Looking up as he saw the farm house coming into view, Apple Bloom waving excitedly at him from the porch, he decided that he would definitely look forward to a return trip in the future. The ponies of the town had been very nice to him, especially one mint-green unicorn that had asked nearly a dozen questions about what it was like to have hands and fingers. His train of thought ended as he climbed the steps onto the porch and trotted inside, the enticing smell of vegetable stew latching onto his nose.

Spellweaver trotted along the hallway of the Archives, inhaling the familiar, musty smell of the tomes lining the shelves. She’d always enjoyed visiting the Archives when she was younger, the chance to study magical history by candlelight one the mare could never pass up. She reached the aisle that she was looking for when she heard somepony clear their throat and turned to see a pony standing there, wearing a cloak with the hood up.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked curiously.

“Your name is Spellweaver, right? One of the ponies working on the serum in San Fransico?” The voice definitely belonged to a mare, but she couldn’t make out any of her features.

“Yes... but why do you ask?”

“Can I please ask for some of your time? I promise you that it’s very important.” the strange mare asked.

“Well, I was going to get some reading done, then catch the morning train to Fillydelphia. I really don’t think I have the time...” Spellweaver trailed off as the mare took a step forward.

“Please, my friends and I really need to speak with you. I swear it won’t take long.”

Spellweaver wavered, but the earnestness in the mare’s voice was genuine, and she finally relented. “Very well, where do you want me to meet you?”

“I’ll take you there now, it’s not far.” The mare turned and trotted down the hall toward the side exit, leading Spellweaver along the quiet night paths of Canterlot. Spellweaver noticed that the route the mare followed seemed particularly circuitous, taking them down several side alleys rather than walking down the main street. Eventually, the two found themselves at their destination, a nondescript house in one of the mid-level neighborhoods. Knocking in a peculiar pattern on the door, they waited for a few moments before the door opened slightly, revealing a stallion wearing a similar hooded cloak. “Were you followed?”

“No,” the mare replied.

“Good, it’s pleasure to meet you, Spellweaver.” The stallion said as he opened the door and ushered them inside. He quietly shut the door behind them and led them downstairs to the basement. The space was lit by candles, giving the room a flickering ambiance that set Spellweaver on edge. She could see a large, circular table set out in the middle, with nine cushions arranged around it. Six other ponies already sat around it, all wearing the same hooded cloaks. The stallion showed her to an empty cushion and sat down next to her, while the mare sat next to another stallion across the table from her.

Once everypony was settled, the stallion bowed his head toward Spellweaver. “It truly is a pleasure to have you at this table, Spellweaver. I wish to extend my sympathies for your experience with the humans in San Fransisco. Nopony should have to experience such things like that.” The other ponies all muttered agreement and sympathies of their own. “That is part of what we wished to speak to you about. Every pony here is here because they have either been hurt by the humans, or because of their own goodwill. We have discussed our options at length, and come to a consensus on what course to take.”

“And what course is that, exactly?” Spellweaver asked.

The stallion leaned forward. “We need to ponify all of the humans. As soon as possible.”

Spellweaver almost jerked back in her seat from the intensity of the stallion’s tone. “But that’s what the goal of the project is, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but the problem is that much of humanity is diseased.”

“What do you mean?” Spellweaver asked. She couldn’t remember any signs from the humans she’d worked with of them being sick.

“They are poisoned with hatred, corrupted so deeply by it that they can’t even recognize it themselves. When they’re hurt, they lash out with more hatred; when they’re despairing, they spurn the offers of help from others. They ravage their world in their pursuit of monetary gain, willfully ignorant of the damage they’re doing. But by giving them the gift of ponification, we can save them from their hatred, their despair.”

Spellweaver could hardly believe what she was hearing. “But the most important goal of the project was to preserve the human’s freedom of choice. What you’re suggesting would be a... a xenocide!”

“If we do nothing, we are equally guilty of a xenocide!” the stallion replied forcefully. “We will not deny the humans their choice, but simply sitting and waiting for them to come to one of the centers for their dose of serum is not enough. The revelation of this Human Liberation Front is proof positive that there are humans who will deny other humans their fair choice for ponification. It would be up to us to help ensure that any human who desires the serum can have it. And even if the HLF didn’t exist, we owe it to their world, our world now, to do what we can to help save it.”

“But we’re just nine ponies, there’s only so much we can do, not to mention the serum was just perfected last week.” Spellweaver said quickly, realizing how silly the first part sounded after it left her mouth.

“Well, obviously we would need to recruit more members to our cause. Each pony present at this table has unique skills and abilities that would help us achieve this. As for the serum, once it’s being mass produced we will acquire some and work to replicate it ourselves.”

“Is that why have you brought me here? To steal the serum for you?” Spellweaver asked angrily.

“No, of course not. You worked directly on the serum, you have closer access than anypony else. Once the serum is being mass-produced, you’ll know the method behind it, and can help teach the unicorns among us how.”

“But I’m not part of the project anymore. I don’t think I can go back after what happened.” Spellweaver said softly, forcing the memories from resurfacing.

“I understand your feelings, but you must go back; only you can do this Spellweaver, please.” The stallion rose to his hooves, crossing around the table to stand in front of her.

“But what about Mystic, or Twilight Sparkle? Why me?” Spellweaver said weakly.

“We selected you because your skill with magic is much stronger than Mystic’s, and as for Miss Sparkle, she is too closely monitored to be able to help.”

Spellweaver looked at the floor, trying to decide what she should do. On the one hoof, she absolutely did not want to take away the choice of the humans to undergo ponification. But, on the other hoof, the stallion had a point- there would likely be more humans who wouldn’t accept the serum. She eventually reached her decision and with a heavy sigh, she looked up to the stallion, his face still shadowed under his hood. “Very well, I’ll do it, but on my own terms. I won’t support taking away the human’s choice.”

“Of course. I feel the same way.”

A curious thought sprang to her mind, asking itself before she even really thought about it. “You mentioned earlier that every pony here had been hurt by the humans or because of their own goodwill. Which is it for you?”

The stallion paused for a moment and tilted his head. “I was badly hurt by a misguided human, whose despair was twisted by another human to make him think attacking ponies was the answer.” The stallion removed his hood, revealing his cyan coat, jade eyes, and chestnut mane. “I was consumed by anger and frustration for weeks, wishing for nothing more than revenge on the humans that had decided to manipulate the lives of people and ponies like playthings. Eventually, with the help of my friends and loved ones,” he looked to the mare who had brought Spellweaver here with a smile, “I was able to come to the realization that the humans desperately need our help in order to overcome their own hatred.” Sky Shimmer said, his voice resolute.

Spellweaver’s eyes were wide in shock. She remembered hearing about the attack in Brazil when she was told of the dangers of the human world, but didn’t think to meet the pony who’d been attacked here. “What happens now?”

“Now, you are one of us.” The other ponies all rose to their hooves and surrounded her, lowering their hoods to reveal their faces. “Welcome, to the Ponification for Earth’s Rebirth.”

Jared felt his knees shaking as his vision came back into focus, but at least this time he didn’t feel nauseous. “As convienient as teleporting is, I think next time I’ll take the bus.” He looked at the others who were all staring at him and sighed. “Nevermind...”

Luna inclined her head. “I shall be retuning to Canterlot with the Beacon Stone. When you are ready to depart for San Fransisco, there will be chariots to take you to the John F. Kennedy. I hope you all enjoy yourselves, and I shall see you upon your return to Canterlot, Cadance.”

“Of course Luna.” Cadance bowed her head. Luna returned the nod and lit her horn, the Beacon Stone flashing brightly before vanishing.

“Well, what do you all want to do now?” Twilight asked.

“I’ve been dying to hit the beach- I’m not going to let that Star Dancer beat me in wave racing again!” Rainbow Dash said, her wings flared eagerly.

“Ah admit the beach was a lot of fun, though ya ain’t gonna be splashin’ me again Rainbow.” Applejack said, playfully punching Rainbow Dash in the shoulder.

“Well, let’s all go to the beach then. I’m sure we can all find something to do there.” Twilight said with a smile, looking over to where Fluttershy was hovering over Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who were shaking off the effects of the teleportation.

“Tha beach? What in Equestria’s a beach?” Apple Bloom asked curiously.

Applejack gave her a smirk. “You’ll just have ta see fer yourself.”

The three fillies stood side by side, mouths agape as they stared at the vast expanse of water in front of them.

“Ah told ya, didn’ Ah?” Applejack said with a smile, taken aback herself despite having seen it before. “So, ya gonna stand here gawkin’ at it or get to playin in it?”

Apple Bloom looked at her friends nervously before steeling herself, breaking into a gallop, and leaping into the water. A second later a wave swamped her and she disappeared under the surface. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle watched nervously before sighing in relief as Apple Bloom spluttered her way back to the surface.

“Come on ya’ll, the water’s fine! It tastes funny, but it’s warm!” She shouted gleefully, splashing water about with her hooves.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other again, before nodding resolutely and charging down the beach into the water, bowling Apple Bloom over and sending all three fillies underwater.

The other ponies laughed at their antics before separating to do their own thing. Applejack and Rainbow Dash charged past the three fillies into deeper water, Rainbow taking flight as she saw another big wave rolling in. Twilight and Cadance trotted across the beach to a patch of shade, settling down to catch up. Shining Armor took off his armor, stacking it neatly in the shade before charging into the water, tossing his head and whooping like a colt just out of school.

“I must admit Twilight, as cute as your brother is, he does get immature at times.” Cadance said with a smirk, fighting not to laugh as Twilight nearly choked.

Twilight got her breathing under control. “I’m still having trouble believing my brother is dating you, you know.” she said.

“And why not? He’s dedicated, hardworking, in excellent physical condition...” Cadance let her voice trail off as she watched Shining surface from under the water, only to start laughing as Twilight playfully jabbed her shoulder.

As the day wore on, the ponies felt the hot sun melting away their stress. Pinkie Pie, Jared, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders busied themselves sculpting an enormous sand castle, eventually attracting other ponies who were out enjoying the sunny weather. Eventually, the castle towered over the beach, with an archway large enough for even Cadance to walk through.

It was while the Crusaders were showing Cadance around the interior that Shining Armor surrepitously trotted up to where Twilight was using her magic to secure another tower in place. “Yo Twily, you got a few minutes?”

With a final pulse of magic Twilight released the tower and turned to her brother with a smile. “Sure, what do you need?”

Shining dug a hoof at the ground. “Well... can we talk in private? Follow me.” He started to trot off toward a narrow path that led into the treeline. Twilight followed him, confusion written across her face. After a short distance they came to a small clearing, and Shining stopped.

“Shining, what’s going on? What do you want to talk about?” Twilight blurted out. To her surprise, he turned around nervously, glancing over her shoulder before turning his gaze to her.

“Well... I um, wanted to talk to you about...” Shining trailed off and looked at the ground for a second.

“You’re my brother- you can tell me anything, you know that. Though I’m still miffed at you that you didn’t tell me about dating Cadance,” Twilight said with a pout.

“Well, this kind of has to do with Cadance...” Shining swallowed nervously. “Twilight, I...” he took a deep breath to steel himself. “I want to ask Cadance to marry me.”

The clearing was silent for a few seconds while Twilight’s brain processed those last eight words. Then, a single strand of mane popped out of place with a sharp ping and her eyes narrowed. “You... YOU WHAT?”

“Keep it down, Twilight!” Shining blurted out. “I haven’t asked her yet; I was going to a while ago, but then the anti-magic fields appeared, and then the whole first contact thing with the humans... it just seemed like a bad idea. But now... especially after what happened to Autumn Frost... I’ve come to realize that life’s too short to put off the important things.” His eyes softened, “and Cadance is that important to me Twily; I love her.”

Twilight stared at her brother for a second, simultaneously trying to avoid breaking into tears of happiness and tearing her brother a new one for not telling her sooner. Finally she took a step forward and threw her hooves around her brother's shoulders. “I’m happy for you Shining, I really am. When were you planning to ask her?”

He laughed nervously. “Well, I was thinking to ask her tonight. I’d heard stories about this place from the other guards who’d been posted here, and decided I wanted the place I asked her to be memorable, y’know?”

Twilight nodded. “Well, I’m sure she’ll say yes.”

“I hope so too, but there was one other thing I wanted to ask from you and your friends,” he said sheepishly. “There’s a large building in town with lots of shops inside that were abandoned in the evacuation, full of party supplies; I was thinking we could round up some food, some torches and have a nice dinner here on the beach. Then I was thinking to pop the question right as the sun is setting.”

Twilight’s smile was threatening to split her face. “Of course we’ll help; I’ll bring it up with the girls discreetly.”

Shining sagged in relief. “Thanks Twily, I knew I could count on you. I’ll keep Cadance distracted so she doesn’t notice.”

They returned to the beach in time to see the castle come crashing down, the Crusaders apparently having challenged Pinkie, Spike and Jared to a mock pirate fight. Twilight first isolated Rarity, having to employ her sound-silencing spell to prevent the unicorn’s squeal of delight from reaching anypony else’s ears. She promised wholeheartedly to lend her support in making sure everything went together smoothly. Pinkie Pie came next, the party pony thankfully understanding the need to keep this quiet until Shining had his chance. The chance to organize her first ever beach party certainly didn’t hurt either.

Fluttershy was much easier to tell, the pegasus blushing a furious red and hiding behind her mane, but promised to speak with the birds and animals to help make sure the mood was perfect. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were easy too, if only because they were so far out from shore. Applejack promised to work her hardest on making the food, and Rainbow swore to keep an eye on the sky so the atmosphere would be the best it could be

After having some lunch from the abundant vegetation along the treeline, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie went into town, finding the store that Shining had mentioned without any real trouble. They trotted inside, marvelling at the size of the building.

“My stars, the sheer amount of things this store must have sold when it was in operation. A pity that it has fallen into such disuse. I hope that once the people displaced from here can return, these shops can be put back to use.” Rarity said softly, peering into a darkened clothing store with a gleam in her eye.

“Alright now, let’s keep going. Shining said there was a store full of party supplies around here somewhere-” Twilight was interrupted by a pink meteor that raced off ahead of them, skidding to a stop in front of one of the storefronts.

“I found it! You girls won’t believe how much party stuff is here!” Pinkie’s voice drifted back to them as she galloped inside.

Twilight and the others hurried after her, stopping outside the store. There was enough light for them to see a short distance inside, but Twilight lit up the store with a light spell to reveal the interior. Party supplies lined the shelves, from props to balloons to cards and everything in between. Pinkie Pie was rummaging around the aisle that was full of colorful streamers and what appeared to be paper lanterns.

“Are ya sure that it’s ok for us ta use this stuff Twi? It doesn’t feel right ta just take it.” Applejack said doubtfully.

“Well, it was my idea that the human owners abandoned these stores when they evacuated. But here’s what we’ll do - once we finish using it, we can bring it back!” Rarity said with a smile.

“That’s a great idea Rarity! I’m sure the store owners will appreciate it when they come back!” Pinkie Pie chirped.

“Alright girls, we have a lot of work to do to get things set up for tonight. Let’s get started.” Twilight said, her horn lighting with a lavender glow as she started levitating items into the air.

Once they had loaded a basket up with the supplies they needed, Twilight wrote a simple note on a piece of paper she found behind the counter. Exploring their way along the building, they found a store that was apparently for selling kitchen supplies. After searching the interior, they found a couple large bowls for serving, some pitchers and cups for drinks, as well as a large table with folding legs. They stacked everything else on the table so Twilight could levitate it all at once, and started the long hike back to the beach.

The sun slowly crawled toward the horizon as the ponies on the beach continued their dinner party. They’d convinced Strawberry Chill at the hotel to help with providing the food, and the table they’d borrowed groaned under the weight of so many filled bowls. Pinkie Pie had somehow found enough berries to make a sizeable pitcher of juice, and then had somehow persuaded Cadance to join her in trying to dance like the humans on a poster she’d seen. Twilight sat next to Shining, her brother sipping on a glass of juice held in his magic. Spike was helping Jared argue with the Crusaders over what his special talent might be, and why he wouldn’t come back to Ponyville with them to join the Crusaders. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were trying to figure out exactly how a pony could stand on a surfboard they’d found abandoned near a beach shop. Rarity was delicately munching on a bowl of salad greens, her eyes occasionally flicking from Cadance, to Twilight, then to the sun.

Once the sun had descended halfway below the edge of the world, Shining nodded to Twilight, who nodded to Pinkie Pie. She timed herself right, then spun away to sit next to her friends when Cadance had closed her eyes. The pink alicorn continued swaying gently for a few seconds before opening her eyes and seeing she was alone. She looked around confusedly, until she noticed Shining getting to his hooves and passing his cup to Twilight.

“If I can have everypony’s attention,” Shining said, rather unnecessarily since everypony present except Jared, Spike and the Crusaders already knew what was going on, and Jared had a sneaking suspicion. “I’m usually not that good at expressing myself, but I’ve had a lot of time to consider this. I first met Cadance when I was still a First Lieutenant, assigned to her escort detail. Now, the usual duties of a Princess escort seems boring to observers, and truthfully? It is. But as time went on, I began to realize that the usual devotion that all guardponies are trained to feel towards our princesses had begun to turn into something... more. At first, I felt ashamed of my feelings, thinking myself weak for letting them develop at all. It wasn’t until we were traveling through the mountains to the north that the opportunity to realize my feelings weren’t wrong presented itself. A band of Diamond Dog raiders had somehow figured out our route and organized a rockslide. I was barely able to bring up my shield spell in time to cover Cadance and myself- my comrades were less fortunate.” He hung his head at the memory, but pulled himself together. “As the rocks finished falling, I realized I was alone against ten Diamond Dogs, odds any guardpony would be uncomfortable with.”

Cadance was even more confused, not quite sure why he was retelling this story now, but she could practically feel the love beginning to emanate from him.

“I’ll spare you the messy details, but by the end of it I was beaten, bleeding from several deep wounds, and tired beyond belief. But the Diamond Dogs had been vanquished. I remember feeling Cadance’s magic catching me as I blacked out, but nothing else until I woke up in the Canterlot General Hospital. Cadance and Celestia, along with Captains Flare and Stardust, were waiting there for me. I don’t really remember much of what was said, but Celestia led the Captains out, leaving me and Cadance alone. She seemed off-put by something, but was hesitant to talk about it until I pressed her. Apparently while she was carrying me out of the mountains, I’d ended up confessing my feelings to her. I didn’t think it possible for me to be more embarrassed, but what she said next proved me wrong.” Shining’s cheeks turned a little pink, and Cadance’s turned darker pink as she remembered. “She told me: ‘What you did back there was by far the dumbest, foolish, reckless... bravest, kindest thing anypony’s done for me. I want to let you know, what you told me on the mountain... I feel it too.’”

By this point Cadance’s cheeks were burning red with embarrassment. She narrowed her eyes, intending to give Shining a piece of her mind for sharing such a personal story in public, but stopped as he turned his head toward the stack of armor next to him, his horn lighting as he levitated a small object out. He turned back to face her, the object held behind him out of sight.

“We started dating soon after that. It was tough going at times, but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. It’s taken me a lot of thought, but I’ve made up my mind.” He levitated the small box out from behind him, opening it slowly as he spoke the next words carefully. “Cadance, I love you with every fiber of my being. I can’t imagine spending any part of the rest of my life without you. Will you... will you please marry me?” He spoke the last in a rush, almost as if the words had tried to seize up in his throat.

Cadance’s eyes widened as he spoke, her world shrinking to encompass Shining and the box held between them. Inside, a delicate horn ring rested on a soft silk mold, the gold inlaid with several rose quartz gems the color of her coat. She raised her eyes to meet Shining’s gaze incredulously, tears beginning to form in them as a smile spread across her face. She bulldozed her way past the box to throw her forelegs around Shining’s neck.

“Of course I’ll marry you!”

The scene could not have been more perfect to the observing ponies. The setting sun framed Cadance and Shining Armor beautifully, the orange rays lighting his white coat ablaze and blending into hers. Rarity had fought to restrain her squeal of joy as Shining finally asked the question, and now wiped tears from her eyes at the poignancy of the moment. Twilight was fighting back tears of her own, wondering if her heart would explode from how happy she was for her brother. Spike was sniffling; even though he wasn’t related to Shining by blood, the baby dragon considered the stallion his brother in all the ways that mattered. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had abandoned all attempts at holding back tears and were bawling into each other’s arms. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were giggling madly and hugging Scootaloo, who despite her dislike of mushy romance wore a wide grin. Even Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Jared were moved by the scene, all three wearing ear to ear smiles as the couple kissed each other happily.

15 - Recommissioning

Week 33, Monday-Thursday

Week 38, Tuesday

Cloudhammer yawned as he flew onward through the light of the rising sun. He’d departed Canterlot almost three hours ago, and his destination couldn’t be much further ahead. Looking down, he could see the nearly endless expanse of trees, the Everfree Forest stretching to the horizon on his left and right. Finally, the edge of the forest came into view, a cluster of buildings situated close by. Circling overhead for a few minutes, Cloudhammer wondered again what had prompted the townsponies to name the town Snaffleton. He started spiraling downward, landing in front of the town hall and trotting inside.

The inside of the building was only a single room, a large desk sitting right in front of the window. Behind it, a tan pegasus mare was busy organizing her morning papers, not even looking up at the sound of armored hooves on the floor. “What can I help you with this time Aegis?”

“Sorry to disappoint you Miss, but I’m afraid I’m not Aegis.” Cloudhammer said as he took a few steps into the room.

Jerking her head up at the strange voice, she started at the sight of the gold-armored pegasus in front of her. “Oh my, I’m sorry. We don’t usually see the Royal Guard out here. My name’s Penny Charter, how can I help you?”

“I’m actually looking for Aegis. Might you be able to tell me where I can find him?”

“Hmm, let me think...” She put a hoof on her chin, thinking. “Well, now that the main harvest is over, he’s likely helping clean up down at Peach Pit’s orchard. It’s south and a little west of here, but the road goes right by. Why do you need him, though, if I might ask? Is it an emergency?”

“No, I just want to talk to him about something that needs his particular skills. Have a good day.” Cloudhammer turned and trotted toward the door.

“W-wait! I need to get your name and rank down in the register. For the records, y’know.” Penny called out.

Cloudhammer stopped and turned his head back. “My name is General Cloudhammer, Miss Charter.” He trotted out the door, spread his wings and leapt into the air, leaving Penny to stare gaping at the empty patch of road. Snapping her mouth shut, she quickly scrawled the name down in the ledger, mind already wondering what the girls would make of this. A General of the Royal Guard paying their little town a visit, imagine that!

Cloudhammer soared over the road until he could see the orchard ahead of him, a sizable patch of trees, though they were devoid of fruit for the time being. Circling overhead, he could see several stallions out working and, after checking them against the description he’d been given, he could see one working at hauling a stump from the ground, a small yellow filly cheering him on. Gliding to the ground, he trotted forward, stopping next to the filly.

The large burgundy stallion grunted, pulling at the chains affixed to his harness, the sound of roots popping and snapping as the stump slowly gave way. With a final surge of earth pony strength, the stump tore free from the ground, spraying loose clods of soil about. The red stallion exhaled in relief, then looked up, finally noticing Cloudhammer standing there.

“Woohoo! Go Aegis!” The yellow filly cheered excitedly, leaping onto the log in hopes of catching a ride. At least the red stallion’s identity had been confirmed.

“Careful back there, Leapfrog.” Aegis turned to the visitor. “How can I help you? Some foal wander off into the Everfree alone again, despite the warnings?” Aegis slowly began dragging the stump in the direction of the barn.

“No, nothing like that. My name is General Cloudhammer. I need to discuss something with you.” Cloudhammer followed alongside. “How much have you heard about Emergence and the humans?”

Aegis thought for a second, then looked to the filly on the log. “Leapfrog, why don’t you bounce on ahead and get us a couple drinks of water, huh?”

“Okie dokie!” The little filly nodded excitedly, hopping off the log and dashing towards the barn.

Aegis glanced over to Cloudhammer, never breaking his pace. “Yeah, hard to miss the sky lightin’ up. As for the humans... not much, a little scuttlebutt. Some kinda bald monkeys, right? Figured the name was ‘cause they were from some land called Hyoom.”

Cloudhammer felt his muzzle twitch upward despite himself. “You could describe them like that. As for the name of their lands, I’d refrain from calling them Hyoom. There’s more of them then there are of us, after all. Anyway, I’ll get right to it. For the past few months there’s been an effort between our brightest and theirs to find a way to protect them from exposure to our magic.”

“Magic hurts ‘em? That don’t seem right at all. Magic’s what keeps the Sun spinnin’ around us.” Aegis shook his head slowly, trying to figure out how something so inherently beneficial could ever hurt somepony.

”I understand your confusion, it took me some time to get used to it too. But their world doesn’t follow the same rules as Equestria, they get by without even a trace of magic.” Cloudhammer said, glancing up at the sky instinctively. “But, I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here. A few days ago, there was an attack on one of the research facilities working on a way to protect the humans from our magic. Things... went badly. One of the guardponies charged with protecting the facility was executed.”

“I’d heard about that. My condolences. There’s no braver pony out there than she was.”

“You’re right on that count. However, there’s something more troubling that this attack shows us. I suspect that there is more to the group behind this attack than the humans who carried it out. Somepony had to tell them where the facility was. However, without any idea of who told them or how, we need to be ready in case we’re attacked again. And what was developed at that facility is part of it.” Cloudhammer paused. “What I’m about to tell you needs to be kept between us for the time being.”

“Of course. My word’s my bond, General.” Aegis lowered his head slowly in a bow of sorts, acknowledging the promise. “Nothing will allow what you tell me to escape these lips.”

Cloudhammer took a deep breath. “The team working at that facility has created a ‘serum’, a potion, if you will, created using human technology and our blood. This serum, when injected into a human and combined with unicorn magic, will actually transform them into a pony.”

Aegis blinked. “It makes them us?” The thought settled into Aegis’s head, rattling around with the rest of the information he’d just been told. All and all, it coalesced together in one simple thought for the earth pony: “That’s kinda, well, weird.”

“Believe me, I felt the same way. But I’ve seen the results first hoof, and it works.”

“So, General, can I assume you’re here for more than sharing state secrets on this fine sunny day?” Aegis tossed his head, getting a forelock of sweaty brown mane out of his eyes.

Cloudhammer nodded. “We’re going to bolster the ranks of the Guard by asking for volunteers from the human nation of ‘America’s’ armed forces,” he said the strange word easily, “however, the nature of the serum means that each person using the serum has an equal chance of becoming a pegasus, earth pony or unicorn. To accommodate that, we’ve decided that the Royal Guard will officially create an Earth Pony branch. To do that, we’ll need somepony to be the trainer of the first class of ponies. I want to ask you to be that pony Aegis.”

Aegis stumbled, missing a step as Cloudhammer delivered the request. “What do you mean, ask me back? And as a trainer, at that?”

“Exactly what I said. We need an earth pony who knows how to react when things get bad. You have those skills, and they’re admittedly hard to find in Equestria.”

“Well, granted, I suppose. I was going to start suggesting others, but for the life of me, I can't think of any.” Aegis tugged the stump into place, waiting patiently as a teenaged earth pony the color of bark unlatched him. “And it’d be a branch of the guard, an actual service branch, not mere porters or engineers?”

Cloudhammer nodded. “An actual service branch, same frontline duties as the unicorns and pegasi.”

Aegis shrugged out of the harness "Let Pit know I'm taking a break, and that he owes me ten bits. Told him I could handle it alone" Aegis grinned at the boggle-eyed teen. Aegis turned to Cloudhammer "Let's find my little sister and that drink."

Cloudhammer nodded, following after Aegis. “We're constructing training facilities on one of the islands the humans had to abandon when Equestria finished emerging. You'd have complete, well mostly complete, control over the actual training program itself. Unfortunately, the lack of any other earth ponies suitable means you'll have to train your own intermediate officers.”

Aegis paused. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why the recruiting drive, exactly? Despite the outcome, that seemed an isolated incident. And sorry if I seem a bit standoffish; I really gotta know the why, not just the what. I left boot because, well, I was afraid. Not of serving. But of orders preventing me from doing what was right."

Cloudhammer sighed. "I'll be frank. This is not the first incident to raise my suspicions. Earlier this year, one of my Captains was badly injured by another human, who later cooperated with us and spoke of a human who gave him money to carry out the attack."

“Attacking? Killing? For bits?" Aegis spit, a hard edge glinting in his eye. "Are these humans worth saving?"

Cloudhammer nodded. "Just like ponies, there are good humans as well as bad. My son's made good friends with one. The majority of them just want to get by, it's the minority who are fearful of something they can't control who are doing this, I think."

Aegis halted in the mid-morning shade of the barn and turned toward Cloudhammer. "Would this be a contract gig?"

“For at the very least the first batch of recruits. Should you choose to not continue, your intermediate officers will take over from you. I promise you that you can leave whenever you choose to.”

Aegis stared into the distance, considering. "I'll need to make some arrangements to care for my little sister, Leapfrog, while I'm away..." Aegis backed up to the stump, forgetting he had meant to take a break, and with a single mighty kick bucked it into the feeder of the chipper. He then hopped onto the treadmill. "You may want to move."

Cloudhammer tilted his head and moved out of the way. "If you want, you can bring your family with you. There are some human cities on the island, and we are using their hotels to house the logistics staff and vacationing ponies. I'm sure it won't be a problem to arrange for them to come with you.”

Aegis leaned against the pushbar and grunted, starting the treadmill moving, the inner blades and grinders working away at the stump. Once he set a pace, he began speaking again. “But...wait...isn't it dangerous....in the human lands?”

Cloudhammer shook his head. "Not on the islands, the magic radiating from Equestria has saturated them, making it impossible for humans to exist on them. Furthermore, the human nation that owns the islands is helping protect them from any human weapons that could reach them."

"That's....good." Aegis huffed a little, more from the chipper's resistance than from any amount of exhaustion. "Sorry for this, but... I do have work."

Cloudhammer smiled a little. "No need to apologize, I understand a hard day's work too."

Aegis grinned as the stump finally ground down into a pile of mulch where Cloudhammer had been standing before. “Whew...ah, yeah, a drink....”

Aegis inhaled deeply, then let out a mighty bellow "Leapfrog! Where'd you get off to, varmint?” Then, in an aside to Cloudhammer: “Bet she got distracted by the pond...” Aegis turned his head back. “So, anything else I need to know? Special training? Requirements?”

Cloudhammer shook his head. “Really that's it. We'll be proposing this to the human leaders in a few days, and expect to be starting the initial conversions by the next week.” Cloudhammer grinned. "As for training, you'll of course have to demonstrate your physical ability to the rest of the Guard senior staff and to Celestia.”

Aegis gulped, a course of sweat unrelated to his recent exertions trickling down his face. “The...th'Princess?”

“Of course, she agreed with my recommendation that you be considered for the job, but there are still formalities to be observed, you see."

Aegis nodded weakly. “Y-yeah, formalities. Wait. Senior staff? Sounds an awful lot like a commissioning review.”

Cloudhammer nodded. "Myself, General Gold Arrow, General Amber Dusk, and probably some of the Captains and First Lieutenants depending on what day you are able to come to Canterlot. And don't worry, officially for the paperwork, you will be considered a commissioned officer, but you'd be free to leave if you feel it necessary."

"An officer? Pheh, I work for a living." Aegis grinned at the old joke. "So you're saying that this isn't like a security contract. I'd actually be in the Guard.”

"All the way in. You'd start out as a First Lieutenant, and provided your first class performs admirably, which I have confidence they would, you'd be promoted to Captain, and any ponies among your recruits will be promoted solely under your authority."

“I'm...not entirely sure how I feel about that.” Aegis looked at his cutie mark, a blue shield with a tri-pointed flame. “However, I concede the need. General, I accept. I can be in Canterlot in..." -Aegis performed some quick mental calculations- "four days."

Cloudhammer nodded, extending a hoof. "That's fine. I look forward to seeing you."

Aegis grasped the proffered limb in a like manner. "Pleasure doing business with you. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Aegis turned and bellowed again, "Leapfrog, consarn it, get out of that pond!" Aegis trotted off, leaving Cloudhammer alone.

With a snap of his wings he was airborne again, curving slowly around as he flew off toward Canterlot to relay the news.

With a sharp snap the world spun back into existence and Cloudhammer shook his head to orient himself, feeling the warmth of Hawaii disappear and the cooler air of Washington D.C. flow over his wings.

“I admit you have put a lot of thought into this plan of yours Cloudhammer.” Celestia said as she glided serenely next to him.

“Ever since Brazil, to be honest. After Miguel confessed to that human paying him, I’ve been worrying that there is either someone or some group behind the scenes. The attack in San Francisco only lends credence to the theory.”

“That does make sense, and is something I considered as well. However, the lack of information we received from the two humans captured in the San Francisco attack or Miguel does not lend itself to pursuit of this for the time being.”

“Yes, though that’s the point of this plan. If we can’t chase this threat down, we might as well be ready for when it strikes again. Not to mention we’re going to need to test the viability of the mass produced serum, and asking for volunteers from soldiers for something like this is likely to be easier than it is for civilians. On top of all that, I do not like the recent silence from Scythion. Iron Talons is a war hawk,” Cloudhammer allowed himself a wry grin at his own pun, “and I’m beginning to think he’s up to something.”

Celestia nodded her understanding. “So what would you have me do? If Iron Talons seeks to withdraw diplomatic relations, there is nothing that can be done to prevent him.”

“I understand that, but I don’t like it all the same.” Cloudhammer said darkly as they landed on the lawn of the Rose Garden. A Secret Service agent nodded to them, speaking into his wrist radio for a moment before opening the doors. They were led down the hallways to the Oval Office, where another agent opened the door for them.

President Foster rose from his desk and crossed the room to shake Celestia’s hoof. “Good morning Princess, I hope your trip wasn’t too strenuous?”

“Not at all. It’s still a little tiring to teleport so far, but I am getting used to it.” She said with a small smile.

“Well, what can I help you with? Your message from Ambassador Fancypants was a little vague.” He walked to one of the couches and sat down, gesturing to an ornate teapot set on the table. “And would either of you like something to drink?”

“Yes, thank you kindly.” Celestia calmly sat across from Foster, Cloudhammer taking a seat next to her. Foster poured her a cup, looking questioningly at Cloudhammer, who shook his head.

Celestia carefully lifted the cup in a hoof, sipping at it delicately. “Once again, a wonderful brew. The seeds you gave me have been doing wonderfully, by the way.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Foster replied, pouring himself his own cup.

Cloudhammer cleared his throat. “Mr. President, as much as I enjoy the pleasantries of small talk,” the sarcasm in his voice was plain, “the matter we’ve come to speak to you about is something that must be addressed now.”

“Very well then, let’s get down to it.” Foster set his cup down and turned his attention toward the pegasus.

“With this most recent attack, a suspicion I’ve had since the incident in Brazil has been given more evidence. That suspicion being that there is someone or some group behind the scenes pulling the strings.”

Foster nodded. “We’ve been investigating the weapons used in the attacks, but the records all point to legal purchases that were then converted illegally. As for locating the individual who paid the man calling himself One, whose real name is Henry Pritchard; we’re simply out of leads. Mr. Pritchard never knew his name, and he paid them in cash. As for the motivation, both Mr. Pritchard and the other man, whose name is Thomas Lowe, had relatives that were lost on the Stennis battlegroup. In addition, the three deceased men also had relatives who were killed due to thaumatic radiation poisoning before Equestria’s appearance.”

Celestia frowned. “So they’re selecting people who already have motivation to hate us…”

Cloudhammer’s eyes remained unblinking. “That aside, the purpose of this visit is to put forward a request. The unicorns in Canterlot working on the serum that Twilight Sparkle brought with her report that they are beginning to mass-produce the serum, with overwhelming success thus far. Therefore, given the timing of this and the threat of future incidents, I’m drawing up plans to increase the strength of the Equestrian Royal Guard.”

Foster’s eyes narrowed. “So why bring this to me? From what information I have, your population has more than enough numbers to support such an increase.”

“That is both true and false. We Equestrians are normally a very peaceful species, not given to military pursuits. There is perhaps fifty ponies born in a generation that are naturally aggressive, and of those, perhaps twenty are actually capable of passing the initial entrance test to the Guard. Thus, we simply cannot increase our numbers adequately from our own population. However, another option has now made itself available.”

“You intend to bolster your ranks from the initial conversions, don’t you?” Foster said, his anger rising.

“Both yes and no.” Cloudhammer replied calmly. “We would ask for volunteers from among those in your armed forces, with the specification that the reason why be explained to the volunteers, and that all needed accommodations be made to ensure that no unit be compromised by the volunteer’s departure. Approximately one thousand such volunteers will meet our requirements.”

Foster sat there for a moment, trying to process what he’d just heard. “Are you mad? The very idea is ludicrous; we cannot compromise the coherency of our armed forces just because you want to increase your own.”

“There is more to it than that. As I understand it, we will begin opening the centers where conversions will be carried out. It is in Equestria’s own interest that we have a presence there. But very well, if you will not ask among your active servicemen, what about your wounded, those whose injuries prevent them from returning to active service? As I understand it, the serum reforms the body completely, which could mean that even soldiers who have lost limbs could have another chance to serve.”

“Serve you, you mean. Since I assume that joining your Royal Guard would mean swearing allegiance to Equestria.” Foster said angrily.

Celestia coughed to interrupt the two before they could continue. “While swearing the Oath of the Guard does involve giving fealty to the crown, their role is solely to serve as the protectors of Equestria and its citizens. There is also another reason Cloudhammer is asking for volunteers. As you know, to our north is the griffon nation of Scythion. Their current King, Iron Talons, has been known for his outspoken attitude regarding Equestria and the border territories, which he disputes are theirs. However, as of the past month and a half, Scythion has fallen silent.”

Foster smoldered, but sat back. “And how come this hasn’t been brought up before?”

“Before there was the work on the serum, and to be honest Iron Talons has threatened to do this in the past. However, there has always been informal contact between our nations, only now those have stopped as well.”

Foster nodded, his anger still present, but now his curiosity was rising to the fore. “I see.” He thought hard for a few more minutes. “Something on the scale of which you’re suggesting will take some time to put together. I’ll agree to this on four conditions. First, that any volunteer who signs up for this plan of yours will become dual citizens of the United States and Equestria. Second, that the Equestrian Royal Guard will not be used in a combat capacity on American soil without prior approval from the US Government. Third, that if it’s found the Equestrian Royal Guard can assist with government work; we can request their aid at any time. Fourth, that only those converted as part of this program will be stationed at these centers.”

Cloudhammer’s eyes narrowed. “The last option is not feasible. Guard doctrine requires that an experienced officer of Second Lieutenant rank or higher lead each squad. Training the convertees to an adequate level will take at least a decade.”

Foster blinked. “A decade?”

Cloudhammer met his eyes levelly. “It took me nine years to make Second Lieutenant, then ten more to make First Lieutenant. After that was another sixteen years before I made Captain.”

Foster leaned back. “So you’ve been in the Guard for over thirty-five years?”

“No, I’ve served the Throne for fifty-three years. I was seventeen when I signed up.” Cloudhammer said, his voice filled with pride.

“So you’re seventy years old?” Foster said surprisedly.

Cloudhammer scowled. “And what of it? I’m not the oldest officer in the Guard, that distinction belongs to General Amber Dusk. He’s one hundred and twelve this winter.”

Foster sat there for a second, trying to come to grips with this tidbit of information. “That’s... impressive.”

Celestia smiled. “Cloudhammer’s original point is still valid. I’m afraid that we would need to have experienced officers leading the new recruits. After all, I’m sure that you’d not send inexperienced soldiers without having someone leading them and providing guidance.” She took a sip of her tea.

Foster smirked. “If it were up to me I’d train them so they wouldn’t need to be babysat in the first place. But very well, I suppose that we could do without that last stipulation.”

Celestia nodded. “Then I would see no problem with your conditions either. On a related note, the other logistics issue is providing adequate training facilities. We have examined the island of Kauai, to the north of Oahu, and determined that there is plenty of land that can be used. Since they are still technically under the ownership of your government, we would ask your permission to use the island for the training of the new guard recruits.”

“Even if I say no, it’s not like there’s much hope that we can use the island anyway. I’ll tell you what. We’ll rent you the land. We can work out the rate at a later time, but I assure you we’ll be reasonable.” Foster said with a smile.

Celestia sipped her tea, her eyes bright. “I think that could be easily arranged. I take it we have a deal?”

Foster smiled. “Well, I’ll need to speak to Hawaii’s Governor, but I believe that he’d be fine with being able to put his islands back to further use.” He rose to his feet and extended a hand.

Celestia and Cloudhammer rose to their hooves as well, Celestia lifting a hoof for the two to shake.

“Now, would you prefer to ask among your wounded veterans?” Celestia asked kindly.

“I’ll contact your embassy once we have a list of candidates assembled, along with the decided rate for renting the land.” Foster replied.

“Then I look forward to your message.” Celestia said with a slight nod as she and Cloudhammer took their leave. Foster waited until he could see them flying away before he strode to his desk. Pressing a button, he waited for a moment before Curtis opened the door. “Curtis, how soon can you assemble a list of nine hundred and ninety candidates from wounded vets?”

“I’d say if we started today, probably one or two weeks? But I thought that we were giving them one thousand candidates.”

“We will. I want the final ten to come from active service branches.” Foster said. “As close as we are with the Equestrians, there are things that we simply cannot learn about them without being able to observe them on their home turf. So, we’re going to get some feet, or hooves, on the ground.” He sighed, “I do wish that this wasn’t needed, but...”

“I understand, Mr. President. I’ll begin compiling the list right away.” Curtis turned and walked quickly out of the room, already pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

The train pulled into the Canterlot station with a shriek of steel on steel, clouds of steam billowing along the platform. The conductor cleared the passengers for disembarkation and they began filing out, each heading their own way, their own business in Canterlot at the forefront of their minds. One particular pony, a large burgundy stallion in pitted, but gleaming plate armor stood out among the crowd, a yellow filly riding asleep on his back, curly brown mane bobbing with each step.

Aegis had been glad he had brought Leapfrog, his littlest sister, along on the trip. He had calculated his travel time based on walking the roads from Snaffleton to Canterlot, but an off-hoof comment about the train station in Ponyville had reminded Aegis that trains existed. Celestia bless the rambling thoughts of the young. Her comment had shaved an entire day from his travel time.

He swung his head about; helmet strapped to his saddlebag for now, and started looking for a guard, intending to obtain directions to the training grounds.

“You must be Aegis?” A gold and white pegasus guard trotted up through the crowd, most of the ponies giving him a wide berth. “Good morning, I’m First Lieutenant Willow Spark. General Cloudhammer asked me to wait for you.”

“Ah, hello, Lieutenant. Yes, I’m Aegis. Wasn’t really expecting to have anyone waiting for me so soon.” Aegis stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure if a hoofshake, a nod, or a salute would actually be in order yet. He settled on a nod.

Willow returned the nod. “If you’d follow me please, I’ll show you to the training grounds.” He turned, extending his right wing vertically before folding it. Above the station, another pegasus guard stopped circling and arrowed off over the city.

“Heh, VIP treatment, huh? If you could spare a couple pegs to keep an eye out for me, then you coulda sent a chariot,” Aegis grinned at Willow Spark, feeling just a bit irreverent at the strict formality. He walked in the direction motioned, pulling up beside Willow.

“The General considered the idea, but decided to allow you to arrive in your own time. Not to mention that using a chariot is a highly visible method of entry. Although, showing up in your full armor like that will turn enough heads as it is.” He said with a chuckle.

“Well, how else would you suggest I show up in it?” Aegis grinned. Willow Spark didn’t seem to be the typical grim-faced guardpony. “I wasn’t entirely certain what kind of situation I was showing up to, nor what might’ve been expected of me. I figured better safe than sorry. I practically live in this suit.”

Willow nodded. “I can respect that. It’s the same for us. As for what to expect, don’t worry, we worked hard to put something together just for you.” He tossed a wicked grin over his shoulder.

“Now why don’t I find that very comforting?”

Willow barked a short laugh. “Don’t get your mane in a twist. If you’re half as good as the General thinks you’ll handle it just fine.”

“Well, then let’s hope I’m twice as good as the General thinks, and half as.... erm... something witty.” Aegis snorted. He’d had a flash of brilliance, but it had faded to a mere ember too quickly.

Willow grinned, leading the larger stallion through the streets of Canterlot, the castle looming ever larger as they got nearer. Eventually, they came to the enormous archway of the main doors, and with a nod to the guards sitting outside, Willow led Aegis to a side door set into the wall. It opened onto a plain cobblestone path that led along the outer wall. As they followed the curve of the wall, the mountainside fell away to reveal a large open field, with what could only be an airborne obstacle course for pegasi, and several weight bags next to a sand pit that must be for unicorns. At the far end of the field, a massive rectangular building sat flush against the castle, a third obstacle course next to it. Armored guards trotted everywhere, some wearing padded training armor, others the standard gold.

Willow led Aegis to the front door of the building and turned. “If you’ll wait here please, I’ll go fetch the observers for today.” He trotted inside, the door swinging closed behind him.

Aegis glanced about, trying not to look the country rube as he soaked in surroundings. “Leapfrog, wake up, kiddo, we’re here.” Aegis had felt a little bad for letting her sleep as they’d traveled through the city, but she’d have her chance on the way out; no matter if that was in triumph or failure. He’d have to make sure to visit Aria while they were in town.

Leapfrog awakened with a yawn, then glanced confusedly about. “Where are we, Aegis? Where’d the train go?”

He chuckled, patting her on the head with a hoof after letting her slide off his back. “Well, I had planned on dropping you off with Aria, but I had an escort waiting for me. This is where I’m going to take a test, of sorts.”

“A test? But you’re all done with school, aren’t you?” Leapfrog gazed up at Aegis, confused.

“Ah, this is a different kind of test Leapfrog. I’m going to be in the Guard. Or at least, I’m going to try to be.”

“But you hate the Guard!” Aegis quickly put a hoof over her mouth, looking around and hoping nopony had been within earshot of that.

“Leapfrog, I don’t hate the Guard, I just didn’t think I needed the Guard. Now, if the General’s right as I think he is, the Guard needs me. It’s...hmm, a different story now.” Aegis ruffled her mane, earning him a brief, but hilarious, frustrated look. He grinned in response. “But now, since you’re here anyway, you can watch me, I bet. You always wanted to see me do non-farming stuff. Well, let’s just hope you can see your big brother shine today, eh?”

“Ok...” Leapfrog stretched. “Can I have my snack now?”

“You bet.” Aegis shrugged off his saddlebag, tossing it her way. “Not too much, now.” Leapfrog never responded, having crawled most of the way into the saddlebag seeking the pressed oat bars he’d packed.

“I’m glad to see you made it Aegis, and a day early no less. How was the train?” Cloudhammer asked as he exited the building, followed by an older pegasus wearing a similar armor set, though the breastplate only bore Celestia’s Sun to Cloudhammer’s Sun and Moon. A unicorn followed the two of them, his steps slow with age, but his eyes still bright, followed by a few other guards of both branches. Bringing up the rear was a single earth pony, his red coat crisscrossed with burn scars, his pink mane short and ragged.

“Ah, hello General. It was fine, sir, once I was reminded there was rail line between Ponyville and here.” Aegis nodded respectfully to the other officers present, assuming a salute was as of yet out-of-order since he’d not been officially inducted into the ranks.

Cloudhammer opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes flicked upwards and he instead fell into a deep bow, the other officers following suit. The reason why made itself apparent quickly, as Princess Celestia landed with a gentle flap of her wings.

“Ah, I’m glad I made it in time. So this is Aegis Exemplar, well met my little pony.” She said with a smile.

Aegis, jaw hanging open, finally found the wits to bow to exactly half the creatures in Equestria who were deserving of that respect. “Y-your Majesty” -such a pale word to describe the tall pony in front of him- “th-thank you for your consideration.” She even knew his name!

“It’s no trouble at all. Not only does General Cloudhammer speak well of you, but your exploits in Snaffleton have more than qualified you to be considered for this position.” She said, turning to the still bowing officers. “Please, rise.” The guards rose to their hooves in unison.

It was with timing that could only have been planned by Discord himself that Leapfrog chose that very moment to stand up, mouth full of half-eaten oats, and find a filly’s lifelong dream standing in front of her. Her eyes going wide and mouth turning upwards in a massive smile, she let loose a joyous sound: “Fwa Pwinfeff!” There was no force in Equestria, the Summerlands, or Tartarus itself that could keep the filly from charging the Princess, leaping around with energy greatly envied by all present. With a joyful bounce and a trail of oat crumbs, she began bounding happily in circles around Princess Celestia.

Aegis stared in disbelief.

General Amber Dusk scowled and started to take a step forward, only stop dead in his tracks as Celestia laughed lightly, lying down onto the grass so she was closer to the filly’s level. “And who do we have here?”

Leapfrog hastily swallowed her snack. “Ohmigosh Princess Celestia! I learned about you in school! You’ve ruled Equestria forever and ever and ever! Wow, how do you get your mane to DO that? How old are you?  Everyone says you’re really really old, but you can’t be, you’re not all wrinkly like Granny Mint at the ice cream shop. Oh! I drew a picture of you, but I don’t have it with me. How come you have wings AND a horn? Oh, can I-”

“LEAPFROG! Shhhh, calm yourself, th-this is the Princess....” Aegis could hardly get the words out. All his future senior officers were glaring while his little sister did her best to single-hoofedly scuttle his contract by deafening the Princess.

Celestia smiled down at Leapfrog. “It’s good to see you have so many questions for one so young, and I would love to answer them, but we’re here for your brother, aren’t we? But I’ll tell you what. The next time I see you, I’ll answer any questions you have. How does that sound?”

“Oh. Okay,” Leapfrog smiled her largest smile up to the Princess, then skipped away, plopping herself down on the discarded saddlebag, keeping both eyes nearly unblinking on the princess, her smile unabated.

Cloudhammer coughed, taking a few steps forward. “Well, shall we get started then Aegis?” He tilted his head toward the obstacle course next to the guard offices.

“Eh, yeah, started.” Aegis felt like he’d ran them twice-over already with the rate his heart was pumping. He examined each of the obstacles as he trotted by. A large stone block, chained to a harness, a series of planks over a mudhole, and some logs driven in the ground beyond that. Aegis turned back toward the course at the indicated starting point, making a decision he hoped he’d not regret. The real first challenge in the course was right at the starting line. Could he even complete the course in his armor?

Many heads turned, looking to each other, wondering what the daft earthpony was doing.

Aegis reached back and unstrapped his helmet, then sliding it over his head. the slightly out of date design bore a red crest and had none of the gold sheen that standard issue bore, but that was nothing that Aegis cared about. He tightened the straps and looked down course. He took a single deep breath, then leapt from the starting line. Only after doing so did the thought cross his mind that he was probably supposed to wait for a starting signal.

The first stage of the course consisted of the series of large poles. Driven into the ground at different heights, each ended with a tip of different diameter, proving a tricky step every one. Aegis bound into the air, landing atop the lowest and widest first, then continuing the motion, as momentum wouldn’t allow him to stop if he had wished to do so. Each step proved trickier than the last, and one log proved fresher than the rest, causing Aegis to slide his right-rear hoof on a bit of freshly-extruded sap. Fortunately, Aegis managed to hook the tip of his hoof on the back side of the log, pushing off with enough force to actually allow him to skip the next log, even narrower at the tip. Two more logs after he had another challenge: A long leap to the series of planks, setup as a suspension rope bridge across a mudhole. Aegis wasn’t sure what they intended that test for. Fear of heights?

Aegis landed heavily, clearing the gap with one hoof dangling behind off the edge. An ominous crack echoed across the grounds as the board most of Aegis had rested his weight on broke away from the bridge, followed by another as his weight settled on the next board in series.

The bridge over muddy water had been designed for failure.

Aegis scrabbled to his hooves, then began sprinting across the bridge, each board failing faster as his weight was now focused on the four points of his hooves, falling nearly before he could step to the next. A series of splashes in the mud proved to be no distraction at all, Aegis made the unfortunate mistake of catching the tip of one hoof on the same board as the rear of the next. Half his weight on a single board, it gave. Aegis’s eye went wide, and acting on pure instinct fueled by a likely none-too-healthy dose of adrenaline, he reacted the only way he knew how: by grabbing the rope that had suspended the board in his teeth. With the amount of weight and the momentum propelling him forward, Aegis swung the last quarter of the course, the arc carrying him wide over the mudhole, and, at the height of his arc, he let go, tumbling onto the ramp leading down from the end of the bridge.

Cloudhammer almost snorted in humor; who said Earth ponies couldn’t fly?

Aegis shook his head, helmet tumbling free. No time to recover it now. He stood, wobbling just a moment, then charged for the block, a hefty stone whose weight he couldn’t guess at. He grabbed the harness in his teeth and slid it over his head, momentarily thankful he’d lost his helmet, and affixed it to points in his armor built just for such a purpose. He walked out the slack in the chains, then, digging his hooves into the ground, began to strain at his monumental burden.

The stone, ever a master at passive resistance, chose to remain where it was only a moment before sliding, inch by inch down the concourse. The distance he’d have to pull clearly marked downfield, Aegis concentrated only on his connection to the earth, buoying his strength with its own.

As Aegis continued to haul the massive block inexorably along, the chains leading from his harness to the ones wrapped around the weight began to groan. Several links close to the middle started warping before suddenly snapping with a series of sharp tings, and the remaining chain fell slack. Unseen by the other observers, General Gold Arrow allowed a small smirk to cross his muzzle.

Aegis fell forward, smacking his chin on the ground, his rump sticking up in the air. He stood slowly, looking back in horror at the snapped chain. He’d never be able to finish this stage, not to anyone’s satisfaction. Unless...

Aegis trotted back to the stone, gathering what remained of the chain as he went. he looped it double through the stone’s binding chains, then, using the very little length remaining, hooked it straight onto the catches on his peytral. He prayed to Celestia this would work, hoping she was watching; the fact escaped him at the moment that she was literally watching. It didn’t.

Aegis found himself in the same position. Whoever had set up this test had used chain not rated for the weight it had been designated to pull. Aegis stood again, any thought of a possible time limit now gone. He circled the stone, but found no other way to drag it. He gave it a solid buck, but not even his legs were strong enough for such a maneuver. Aegis rested his head against the stone, sighing. He’d have to use his head to figure this one out.

Use his head.

Around Snaffleton, Aegis had grown up being called “hard headed,” or more politely, “that stubborn Earth pony.” He’d taken pride in that. And now, he’d take it literally. If you can’t pull it, old Peach Pit had said once, push it.

Aegis braced the flattest part of his forehead against the stone, dug his hooves into the ground below, and slowly but surely, began pushing the stone.

It proved every bit as stubborn as before, but you can’t out-stubborn an earth pony. Aegis couldn’t see the line out in front of him, but he knew that eventually he would get there. That was when he realized he was slowing. Every breath was deeper, sucking desperately at the air, his muscles straining. Aegis was tiring. The massive block slowed ever more, confident in its victory over the little flesh-and-bone pony who dared tried to move it. Finally, the block halted, Aegis gasping for air. He hung his head low, afraid to glance over the block at the small crowd watching.

A single small voice shouted out loudly from the crowd. Somehow, Leapfrog had managed to slip up right beside Princess Celestia despite the multitude of guardponies.

“Come on Aegis! You can do it!” Leapfrog whooped and hollered, bouncing in place as Princess Celestia smiled in amusement.

That was right. He wasn’t just here for Equestria, not just here for some contract. Those contracts served one purpose alone: supporting his family. And now here she was, yelling and screaming her heart out for her big brother. Aegis couldn’t fail now.

Aegis would not fail.

He nearly growled, replacing his forehead in the position he’d had it in before, and dug deep, hooves gouging out tracts of the earth like a plow shearing sod, catching purchase where he could. The stone moved at a greater pace than before, nearly digging its own furrow across the training field as Aegis, blind to all but the cheering of the little yellow filly and the task set before him, drove the stone twenty hooves beyond the finish line before turning and sliding down, leaning against it. He sat in that undignified position, huffing and puffing, a stupid grin on his face, right up until Leapfrog plowed into him.

“Oh, WOW Aegis, that was awesome! You were all ‘grr, I’mma get you, rock!’ And then those chains went ‘pop pop pop’ and then again! But then you starting pushin’ it!”

Aegis laughed lightly, still winded. “I know, darlin’, I was there.” Aegis ruffled her mane, grinning.

Cloudhammer trotted up, a wry grin on his face. “Not exactly the method I had in mind when I designed the test, but impressive nonetheless.” He cast a look back at the chains, a slight scowl crossing his muzzle.

Celestia crossed the field to stand beside Cloudhammer. “A truly inspiring demonstration Aegis. I am impressed; there are not many ponies who could perform such a feat.” She turned her eyes to the chains as well, a small frown forming. “You were in charge of designing this test Cloudhammer, would you care to explain this?”

It was hard to see, but Cloudhammer shrunk in place slightly. “I double checked the chains myself last night, they were rated properly. I apologize and accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate.”

Celestia stared at the chains for another moment, then shook her head. “I suppose it’s not something to worry about too much. In the end, Aegis certainly proved that he is quick of thought as well as strong. However, I expect you to investigate this fully, in case there is other training equipment suffering similar faults.”

Cloudhammer bowed. “As you command.”

“Excellent. Now, I suppose that you would like the chance to rest after this Aegis?” Celestia asked, turning her warm smile back to the exhausted earth pony and Leapfrog.

Aegis rolled forward onto his hooves and bowed, every bit exhausted as he looked. “All I request, ma’am, is a glass of juice...and your strongest headache medicine.”

Celestia laughed lightly. “Of course, the palace kitchen staff can make some wonderful drinks. If you would follow me, I’ll send for some medicine from the hospital, they can meet us in the dining hall. Would either of you like something to eat?”

Leapfrog piped up, as food was now on the table, so to speak. ‘Somethin’ to eat? I'm starving! Can I have cake?”

Aegis just shrugged. “I guess you heard her, your majesty.”

“Then let’s go see what the chefs are making. We can discuss the specific terms of your service while we eat.” Celestia said as she turned towards the palace.

---Five weeks later---

Curtis’ prediction had been accurate; the list only took two weeks to reach capacity. Despite being informed of the conditions attached to the deal, there were still many veterans who felt that the chance to have their injuries healed completely was worth the price of their human bodies. The initial hesitation faded after the first volunteers not only regained lost limbs, but showed no loss or alteration of personality beyond some reduction in their aggressor response. This didn’t stop the detractors from taking their message to anyone who would listen, claiming that Equestria was planning anything from an invasion of the countries of the world, to that the newly converted were being brainwashed against the species of their birth.

News outlets were in heaven, regardless of how they personally felt about the initiative. They ran recordings of newly converted soldiers struggling to use their new limbs with smiles of joy, to documentaries on the exact science behind the ponification process. There were reports on the demonstrations against the Conversions, several of which turned violent, which in turn made for even more news.

The economy actually ticked upward despite the fluctuations in public opinion, the influx of Equestrian currency to rent previously unusable land helping to stabilize things. The public appearances by Celestia and Foster to constantly reiterate that the buildup would absolutely not be a threat to the United States or any other nation, that the two nations were united in this effort went a significant way to alleviating the concern.

The actual logistics of converting the volunteers was a comparatively simple task. Those that could be moved would be flown to San Francisco Medical Center, where they were again informed of why they were undergoing the Conversion and offered a chance to refuse it. All who accepted were then converted and given time to adjust to their new bodies. A rhythm soon established itself in ten conversions per day. One of the ancillary buildings was repurposed into a temporary housing building until the first batch of recruits could be fully converted and moved out to the Hawaiian Islands via the Beacon Stones.

Of Foster’s ten special candidates, three were successfully inserted into the first section, including one in particular who’d instantly received a new round of media attention once a bored intern noticed his name on the roster. After all, he’d been the first human to make physical contact with an Equestrian.

“Alright Major Jeffries, if you’ll just sign the paperwork here, we’ll get started.” The unicorn said with a smile.

“R-right...” Connor lifted the pen and held it over the dotted line, pausing for a moment as he thought about what he was doing. When he’d been approached for the mission of keeping an eye on the Equestrians, he’d initially been off-put. Not only did he honestly like the Equestrians, but on top of that like most servicemen he didn’t particularly like the notion of spying on friends and allies. However, he’d decided that in the end, since he’d been planning to sign up for Conversion anyway, getting in ahead of most other people would be pretty nice. And even if he was giving up his human body, he’d seen the results of others going in ahead of him. None of them seemed any different, just happier at the moment given that many of them had effectively gotten lost limbs or mental functionality back.

Making up his mind, he scratched his name onto the dotted line and pushed the paper back to the unicorn, who took it in his mouth and slid it into a tray atop other forms. “Now, if you’ll follow the nurse down the hall there, a doctor will be along shortly with the anesthetic and the serum.”

Connor turned, seeing a human nurse waiting for him with a smile on her face. She led him down the hallway, stopping in front of an empty room. “I’ll just need you to remove your clothes and put on a hospital gown before we continue. It’s right there on the bed.”

“Alright.” Connor shut the door behind him, quickly stripping and donning the gown. “Damnit, why are hospitals always freezing cold?” He sat down on the bed and waited.

After a few minutes, the door opened to reveal another unicorn, this one a mare, followed by the nurse. “Hello, my name is Doctor Deft Touch. I’m here to oversee your conversion today. Now have you read over all the paperwork? Signed in all the right places?” At Connor’s nod she smiled. “Alright then, nurse, if you’ll administer the anesthetic and the serum please.”

“Alright sir, just lie down. We don’t want you falling off the bed in the middle of your conversion.” She said with a smile as she lifted a needle and slid it gently into his arm. The sedative started to kick in soon after and he barely felt the second needle entering his arm before he blacked out.

He found himself floating in darkness, like many of the others had described. Gradually the darkness lifted and he found himself standing in a large open space, grass as tall as his knees blowing softly in the wind. He wandered through the grass for a few moments before the thunder of hooves made him turn and instinctively recoil despite himself as he saw the vast herd rushing directly toward him. Fighting the urge to throw his arms up, he stood his ground as the herd parted around him, drawing to a stop. He stared curiously as they tossed their heads encouragingly.

“Well, might as well, it’s my last time on two feet after all.” He suddenly broke into a sprint, startling the closest equines for a moment before they gave chase, soon overtaking him. Ahead, he could see the edge of the plain and grinned, ignoring the part of his brain screaming at him that it was a bad idea and leaping off, tossing a sloppy salute to the equines as they thundered into the stars above him.

Twisting, he could see a marble floor rushing up to meet him, palace walls coming into existence around him, only to slow down right before he hit it. Getting to his feet, he looked around, marveling at the architecture and scale of the palace walls.

“So, you’ve come here. This is interesting, Connor Jeffries.”

Connor turned, seeing that a massive plinth with two thrones literally growing out of it had somehow appeared when he wasn’t looking. One throne held what he could only describe as a presence of warmth and light; while the other held a being of coolness, glittering with stars.

“Well, I’ve been considering converting for some time-”

“There’s no need for deceptions here Connor, we know of what brought you to this.” The cool presence said, the wind picking up slightly as Connor winced.

“However, we understand your reasons; your loyalty to your nation is admirable. We hope that you bring that same loyalty to your new species as well, for the benefit of both.” The warmer light said as the wind began to howl, tugging at his body before lifting him off his feet and hurling him backwards into the light.

Connor yawned, his eyes blinking open carefully. He winced a little, the unexpected brightness of the lights giving him a small spike of a headache. “I guess it worked?” He suddenly realized he could see his own face, instinctively raising an arm and staring at the grey-coated leg that had moved instead.

“Yes, a complete success. Come on, let’s get you on your hooves, now that we’ve completed your conversion they’ll be looking to teleport your group to Kauai.” Deft Touch said as Connor awkwardly rolled toward the edge of the bed.

Feeling a sudden sharp pressure, he craned his head to see a feathered wing growing from his side. “Huh, well that’s a relief, was worried I’d have to give up flying. No offense of course.”

“None taken.” Deft Touch said with a smile.

Taking a deep breath, Connor rolled off the bed, feeling his four new legs hit the ground. Wobbling there for a second, he smiled at his success before he felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor. “Damn, guess I lost that bet with Eric.”

Deft Touch shook her head, not understanding the point in taking bets on such things as standing up or what pony type they’d become. “Well, let’s get you walking, the conference room with the Beacon Stone is just down the hall.”

Deft Touch leading him haltingly down the hall, Connor saw the door in question, guarded by a pair of unicorn guards, their hard brown eyes moving slightly to follow him as they entered the large room. He could see a multitude of other newly converted ponies milling about, talking excitedly with each other and mostly trying their new limbs out. On the stage where the podium would stand, a twelve foot pillar of dark stone, carved with strange looking runes. Another gold armored unicorn stood next to it, and once Deft Touch left he took a step forward.

“Alright, listen up! My name is Second Lieutenant Flare; I’ll be in charge of transporting your group to Kauai. Once we arrive, there will be ponies waiting to help direct you to the areas you will be staying in for the duration of your training. You’ll be able to understand anypony who speaks Equestrian to you due to the spell that’s been blended into the serum, but not all of us yet know English. There will be translator ponies wearing red sashes, so you can’t miss them. Are there any questions?”

The new ponies all looked at each other, but none spoke up.

“Alright, then if you’d all stand still, we’ll be on our way.” Flare’s horn lit with an orange light, the runes on the stone beginning to shine with an azure glow. Connor felt the room and his vision twist into a hazy swirl, only to unravel a second later into a green field, the air hot and smelling faintly of salt. Connor and the others all looked around in shock, more than a few vomiting from sudden bouts of nausea. Connor felt the breeze flowing past and his wings instinctively spread, he noticed other pegasi’s wings doing the same.

“Alright, all pegasi follow me please! Unicorns will go with Second Lieutenant Flare, and earth ponies will follow First Lieutenant Aegis.” Shouted a gold-armored pegasus standing nearby. Next to him stood a large earth pony stallion clad in similar gold armor, his coat a medium shade of brown and mane a light tan. His hard emerald eyes stared intently at the group.

Shocked into motion, the new converts began to disperse towards their respective officers. Connor followed the other pegasi haltingly at first, but soon he'd begun to sort out the exact mechanics of walking with only a few stumbles. Eventually the group reached an area of flat land, where a large, one-level building had been built, along with an odd arrangement of hoops on poles of varying heights. In front of the doors to the building stood another armored pegasus, this one’s armor bearing a pair of wings instead of the normal breastplate. The armored pegasus who’d led them took a position beside him, as another one exited the building to stand on the other side. The one in the middle took a step forward, looking over the eighty-three pegasi assembled in front of him.

     “My name is General Cloudhammer. I am in charge of all training facilities on this island. You are here to learn to serve the Throne of Equestria and our Princesses Celestia and Luna. I know that all of you were soldiers when you were human. I don’t know exactly what methods were used when you went through training, and that doesn’t really matter. During the next few months you will not only learn the ins and outs of being a pegasus, you will learn what it means to be a Royal Guard pegasus. The Royal Guard has served Equestria for over a thousand years, defending against any and all threats. The Pegasus Guard are almost always the first ponies on scene, and thus it is up to us to handle the situation until the Unicorn and Earth pony guards can arrive.

     Many of the threats we face are stronger, faster or bigger than us; or some combination of the three. Therefore, once we get you all into shape, you will learn how to fight as a unit. You will be able to read your squadmates minds by the time I am through with you. As the first class to pass through this training ground, I expect each and every one of you to perform above and beyond what we expect. Successful recruits will have the chance to assume leadership positions for the next classes to come. The recruits who slack off will be sent home, and never again be able to become an officer.

     Your instructors will be First Lieutenants Willow Spark and Dawn Breeze,” Cloudhammer indicated the two pegasi standing on either side of him, “and their orders are to be obeyed without question. They have significantly more experience than you do, so do not think that you know something they don’t. Trying to show off during this training only leads to a crater in the ground and a letter to any family you have at home. Do I make myself clear?”

     “Sir yes sir!” The assembled recruits shouted out of reflex. Connor had to hand it to him, the pegasus may be small, but he carried as much intensity as any instructor in Basic.

     Cloudhammer nodded sharply. “Alright, then file in. We’ve got dinner waiting. The real fun starts tomorrow.”

     The recruits didn’t wait to be told twice, many of them having not had food since they’d been converted.

Down the road, another training area had been set up, this one filled with running tracks, large weights and a similar building. The herd of earth ponies, sixty-seven strong, followed after the heavily armored earth pony, forming into a loose group as he stopped in front of the stairs. Turning to face them, he gave them all a hard look.

“Colts -and fillies- Am I a wall? No. I move. Am I armor, to stand there and take a hit for someone else? No. Mares and gentlecolts, my name is Aegis Exemplar. You see this mark on my armor’s flank? That isn’t a wall. It isn’t armor; It’s a shield. Shields don’t sit idly by and let things hammer on them. Shields don’t let a thing walk around them to attack from another angle. No. A shield moves. A Shield intercepts. A shield deflects. A shield does NOT stand idly by and allow the waves to erode its foundation, no.

I’m not here to forge you into a blade. We are not aggressors, no matter your roots. You want aggression? Ask a pegasus. We are earth ponies. The very essence of the ground pervades our very being. That essence allows us to stand firm when we need. Our strength is our strength; our power is unity, of friends, of family. The herd is stronger the more of us there are. And the larger the herd, the stronger we need to be, the thicker the shield.

Colts and fillies, you will be that shield. We’re of the earth, but not bound to it. Let the ground beneath guide you, but don’t let it hold you. A shield is always moving, always watching. The threats you will face - and you WILL see things your little pony hearts will startle at- Those things are gonna want to get past you. Do not allow it. Stand firm, but do not break.

You humans have a saying, one which we native Equestrians share, in form: That which does not bend will break. Last I checked, I’m not in the scrap business.

Look around you. You probably don’t know a single face. That’s gonna change. During your time here, I want you to get to know each and every face you come across. It’s easy to just obey an order to ‘protect this spot.' But you’ll never have to be ordered to protect a friend. Friendship is literally magic, my little ponies. Cherish it, and friendship will get you through anything that can be thrown at you.

...but I better not hear of anything getting thrown at you making it past.”

     He held the stern glare for a minute longer, then grinned. “But all that starts tomorrow. Tonight you’re gonna need to get a bite ta eat and a good night’s sleep. So get your flanks in gear and get inside.” He turned and opened the doors, leading the new earth ponies inside.

     Further down the road was a third training area, this one full of large interlocking metal rings, weighted bags and, surprisingly, several large sandboxes. As Flare led the fifty-five new unicorns to their building, a unicorn in purple armor stood there waiting for them with another gold unicorn beside him.

     “Hello. I’m Captain Shining Armor and I’ll be your chief instructor. You’ve already met Second Lieutenant Flare, and this is Second Lieutenant Ruby Glow. During your time here we will not only be teaching you how to use your bodies, but your minds as well. Being in the Unicorn Guard is not like being in the Pegasus or Earth Pony Guard. For us, the power we wield can be incredibly dangerous, and very easy to lose control over. Misusing your magic can not only hurt yourself, but your fellow guards or even more unforgivably, civilians.

     As you can see, we have a variety of challenges to push you both physically and magically to your limits.” He indicated the obstacles nearby. “These obstacles may look easy, but let me assure you, I have had years to come up with... inventive ways to apply them. So you better not underestimate them.

     Finally, I’ll say this again, your magic is not a toy, nor is it something to make your life easier. That may be true for unicorns everywhere else, but for us, that’s not the way it is. We are called on to handle magical emergencies, and so you must be able to work through a situation that may require you to NOT use magic.”

     He nodded to Ruby, who pushed open the doors. “However, tonight will be your first meal together as ponies and as a unit. Then we will have lights out an hour later. We will wake you an hour before dawn for breakfast, and then your training will begin.”

     With a clatter of hooves on floor, the unicorns all trotted inside.

     ---

     As the moon crept into the sky over the island, two hundred and five new ponies slept quietly. Seven officers discussed their plans for the next day. And one spy wondered if he’d  made the right choice.

16 - Grand Opening

Week 45, Sunday-Wednesday

Twilight fussed about in her room, trying to make sure everything was in order for the quadruple check of her list. “Okay, so I have the schedule, my spare quills, ink...”

There was a banging on the door. “Twilight dear, are you checking your list again?”

“No! Don’t come in!” Twilight shouted frantically, to no avail as Rarity opened the door with a pulse of magic.

The white unicorn sighed, looking at the ground. “Twilight, you have to stop doing this. You’re going to wear yourself out if you keep it up.”

“But, I can’t stop. What if there’s something I forgot? The whole schedule for tomorrow will be thrown off! Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, AND President Foster will be here for the ceremony!” Twilight said desperately, mane beginning to ping out of place.

Rarity shook her head, trotting into the room. “Twilight, dear... just let me help you.” She ignited her horn, reaching out with her magic to smooth out Twilight’s disorganized mane. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone, and speaking from experience, in the end it’s not worth it.”

Twilight relaxed and took a deep breath. “You’re right. How are the others doing?”

“They’re doing just fine. Applejack’s finished organizing the kitchen with Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy tells me the garden is as ready as it will be, and Rainbow Dash has her training regimen finished for any new pegasi. Finally, Spike got a letter from the Princess; the support staff will be here by this evening.”

Twilight sighed in relief. “Thank you so much Rarity. I’ve just been agonizing over the fact that the Princess asked me to be in charge of everything.”

“Think nothing of it. Have you decided on what you’re going to say?”

Twilight absently levitated a stack of note cards over. “I worked on it for most of the morning, what do you think?”

Rarity took hold of the notes, her eyes flicking back and forth as she read through the cards. Once she was finished she looked up at Twilight skeptically. “Well... this is alright, it’s just... are you sure you’d want to use this speech?”

“What’s wrong with it? I worked hard on it.” Twilight protested.

“I’m sure you did my dear, but... really? ‘Our plan is to ponify you as soon as possible’... ’Expect it when you least expect it.’?” Rarity snorted and, with a tug of her magic, ripped the notes into pieces.

“Rarity! What in Equestria are you doing?” Twilight cried out, trying to catch the pieces of the cards in her hooves.

“I’m saving you from making a foal of yourself in front of everypony darling. Trust me, we can do better.” Rarity levitated another stack of notecards from the desk. “Now, let’s see what we can come up with...”

Twilight huffed irritably, but trotted over and sat next to Rarity as the two worked, quills darting back and forth as words formed, were scratched out, and rewritten in a frenzy of activity.

Finally, after nearly an hour had passed, Rarity set the cards neatly down on the table. “Well, I believe that is a much better speech, don’t you Twilight?”

Twilight frowned a little, but sighed acquiescence. “You’re right. Thank you for the help Rarity.”

“Don’t think anything of it dear. Now, I’m absolutely famished, so I’m afraid I must retire. Do you want to come?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, not quite yet. I’m going to do a quick physical inspection of the building first, make sure everypony has things as ready as they can be until the rest of the staff arrives.” She secured the note cards in her saddlebags, along with a clipboard and extra quills before trotting out of the door, closing it behind her and Rarity.

“Alright then, I’ll see you at dinner. And try not to worry so much, things will work out splendidly,” Rarity said as she turned and trotted for the rear stairwell.

Twilight waved and made her way down the hall, checking off the other staff rooms as she did so. On this floor there were twenty-six rooms, twenty-four of which had two beds in them, the twenty-fifth was Rarity’s and the twenty-sixth was hers. Each paired room had two each of beds, desks, and firm beanbag chairs that were easier for ponies to sit in. Once she’d verified that all the rooms were prepared, she opened the door to the stairwell and made her way down to the next floor, the residence hall for the Royal Guard contingent that would be arriving later. There were only twelve sleeping rooms on this floor, the rest being given over to meeting rooms and a small lunchroom/breakroom.

The next three floors were devoted to residence housing for new converts; each room was built for two humans, which made them overly comfortable for a pony. Twilight smiled as she checked off the last of the floors, and grimaced as her stomach protested being denied food sooner.

Trotting down the stairs to the first floor, she saw Fluttershy coming her way, a small bag held in her mouth. Setting it down, Fluttershy smiled. “There you are Twilight, I was wondering where you were. We already served lunch, but I saved you some...” the pegasus said quietly.

“Thanks a lot Fluttershy; I guess I lost track of time on my inspection.” Twilight admitted as she picked it up in her magic, the two trotting down the hallway to the main cafeteria. They opened the doors, revealing the massive room filled with tables waiting for their first use. There were a few tables set up near the serving stations for the few ponies on site, and Twilight could see that a few were still there.

Sadly, Twilight didn’t see any of her other friends eating, so she took an empty seat and put her lunch down. “Have you eaten already Fluttershy?”

“Oh, um.... yes. I’m sorry Twilight, I wanted to wait, but I hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, so I ate without you.” Fluttershy admitted, hiding behind her mane in embarrassment.

“Oh, well that’s okay then, don’t let me keep you. I’ll be finished here soon, and the inspection after that. Catch you and the girls for dinner?”

“Okay Twilight, if you’re sure you don’t mind...”

“It’s fine Fluttershy, really.” Twilight said with a smile, and Fluttershy brightened a little bit before she made her way out the other door toward the greenhouses out back. Twilight shook her head a little before turning to devouring her lunch, a couple daisy sandwiches and a celery stalk. Putting the bag in the garbage, she turned and trotted out the door, turning down the hallway to the reception desk, noting happily that it was dust free and expertly organized, no doubt due to Rarity’s influence. She trotted out the front door, nodding to the two guardponies sitting at their posts, and turned around to face the entrance.

It was this moment, Twilight decided. Not the grand opening, the ceremony to come. No, it would be this moment she committed to memory, before the crowds, before the conversions. This moment alone, standing beside the sign staring up at *her* Bureau, the bureau the Princess had trusted her with operating.

Nimbus rolled her shoulders to settle her armor, still surprised at how comfortable it was in spite of its appearance. Spreading her wings to complete the stretch, her ear twitched as she heard somepony walking up behind her.

“Is it time to leave sir?” she asked without turning, knowing the smell of the pony approaching without a doubt. That was another thing that she still couldn’t believe, was how sensitive her nose was compared to her human one. She turned, seeing the wry grin on First Lieutenant Willow Spark’s muzzle.

“I’m starting to suspect there isn’t a pony out there who can sneak up on you Nimbus.”

“Not a chance sir.” She said with a snort.

“Is your squad ready?”

“Been ready since the sun rose sir.”

“Then round ‘em up Second Lieutenant, the unicorns are preparing the teleport now.” Willow said as he pointed to where a familiar stone stood. A group of unicorn and earth pony guards milled around it, gathering supply containers into a neat pile.

She gave a salute with her wing and took to the air, curving over to the pegasus training ground. Landing outside the barracks, she nosed open the door and trotted inside. “Alright boys and girls, it’s time to go, so get your flanks up and ready to move out!”

The ten pegasi sitting in the lounge all jumped to their hooves with a clatter of armor, four of them grabbing supply bags as they did. Nimbus stopped the last pegasus out the door with a wing. “Everyone know their jobs Connor?”

Conner nodded. “They’re ready for this Second Lieutenant.”

“Then let’s get this show on the road Master Sergeant.” Heading back outside, they took off and flew back to the gathered guardponies. Nimbus landed, looking around for a second before noticing one of the unicorns trotting up to her.

“So, ready for your first deployment Nimbus?” Flare asked, a sarcastic smile on his muzzle.

Nimbus snorted, a coy smile on her face as she turned away, smacking him with the tip of her tail. “Just try not to get distracted. Don’t want a repeat of the last exam, do you?”

Flare, very glad the armor enchantment hid his blush, opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as Cloudhammer approached, the assembled guards falling into formation automatically. The older pegasus looked over the thirty six ponies standing in front of him for a few moments before beginning to pace.

“For the newfoals among you, when you came to this island you were clumsy, uncoordinated, and some of the worst recruits I’ve ever had to train. Not only did you not know how to fight as ponies, you barely even had your front legs sorted out from your back.

But over the past six weeks, you’ve proven yourselves as the most dedicated of an already dedicated group of ponies. You learned how to stand on your own four hooves, but more importantly you learned how to stand as a unit. You were given challenges above and beyond anything normal ponies would even have nightmares about, and you overcame them. You’ve proven your worthiness to stand here today, and I am proud to have you in our ranks. Your training is not over, but now moves into the field. Obey your commanding officers, and show that admitting you all to our ranks was the right choice. Do you understand me?”

“Sir yes sir!” the assembled guards shouted as one.

“Then don’t let me or the Guard down. Captain, prepare the Beacon Stone.”

Shining Armor nodded and ignited his horn, the stone responding with its own azure glow. The guards shut their eyes as the clearing around them twisted, to be replaced by a plainly furnished conference room.

“Is everypony here?” asked a tall earth pony stallion.

“Looks like it Bulwark.” Nimbus replied. As quickly as she’d come up with her pony name, Bulwark had settled on his even quicker, though the mare found some small confidence in the fact that she’d gotten her cutie mark ahead of anyone else in the first class.

“Alright, settle down everypony.” Willow Spark said as he trotted to the front of the group. “Okay, we’ve discussed the deployment plan in depth; you all know your initial assignments. This conference room will serve as our meeting area; I will be posting duty rotations here as well. So let’s get to work, they’ll be teleporting the civilians in about an hour before dinner.”

"Sir yes sir.” The assembled guards dutifully replied before breaking open the supply containers, each guard getting a small bag to carry to their rooms. Flare stood by the door checking off each pony as they exited the room.

“Nimbus, Bulwark, if you’d wait here a moment, we need to confirm our arrival with Twilight Sparkle.”

The other two guards looked at each other nervously. Sure they had known they would be meeting the world famous unicorn for over a week now, but hearing about it in briefings and suddenly knowing they were minutes away from it were two entirely different things.

Flare chuckled. “She’s really not that scary, trust me.” He turned and trotted out the door, Nimbus and Bulwark following after him.

As Nimbus trotted down the hall, she snorted irritably as her wings tried to unfurl again. ‘Why does he have to be so cute? He’s not even my species,’ she thought to herself. ‘But... he is now... God, this is so confusing...’

Twilight carefully picked her way through the cafeteria to her friends table, looking around at the now crowded room with a happy smile. Where there had only been the six of them and Spike, now there were fifty ponies eating happily and conversing with each other. On top of that, the building had thirty-six Royal Guard stationed to provide security, in addition to human military security outside. Twilight had asked what the specifics of that security would be, but they’d rebuffed her, saying something about ‘need to know’ or something like that. Shaking her head irritably, she made a note to ask Celestia about it tomorrow if she got a chance.

“Everythin’ alright there Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, just have a lot on my mind is all. So, you all ready for tomorrow?”

“Yep! Those first humans are in for one doozy of a first meal as ponies!” Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly.

Rarity nodded as she wiped at her mouth with a napkin. “I’m ready to help with the managerial side of things.”

“Once we start getting pegasi converts, I’ll have ‘em flying like pros in no time!” Rainbow Dash said confidently.

“And the greenhouse is looking wonderful. The animals love it, and I’m sure the new earth ponies will too.” Fluttershy said meekly.

“Alright, excellent. I have my preliminary lesson plan drawn up for instructing the unicorns as well, so we should be able to operate at peak capacity, luck permitting.” Twilight said with a small smile.

“So, what are we waiting for? Might as well celebrate our last night of freedom while we can.” Jared said as he trotted over, expertly setting down his tray without spilling his milk.

“Well look at you! Not a drop out of place.” Pinkie Pie said with a smile as she scooted over.

“You seem to be doing well Jared, anything you’ve had trouble with?” Twilight asked curiously, a flash of lavender light making everypony wince as she conjured a piece of parchment and a quill.

“Well, I admit I can’t wait for Rainbow’s flight classes, I’ve been itching to fly for the past two weeks now.” Jared glared at Rainbow, who shrugged her wings.

“Hey, I said I would, and I will. I’m not gonna leave ya hangin’ Jared. I’ve just needed to come up with a plan to teach you new converts.”

Jared stared at her for a minute longer, and then turned his muzzle back to his plate of vegetables with a muted grumble.

Across the cafeteria, three tables were pushed together for the Royal Guard contingent. They were still clustered based on their units, the majority of their training having been spent on acclimating to their bodies and learning basic drills. However, they were starting to open up with each other, much to the amusement of the officers.

“So, what’s it like over in the earth pony side of things?” One of the pegasus guards asked her neighbor.

The guard flicked an eye toward Bulwark a few seats down, then leaned in closer. “It’s brutal. That hard-flank Aegis has us dragging blocks through mud, long marches with a heavy load, and that obstacle course...” He shuddered.

The pegasus blinked. “Sounds... intense.”

“You don’t need to say that again. What about you all?”

She winced. “Endurance flight training, aerial maneuvers and weather control. I used to fly Apaches, and I was never this maneuverable. Or crashed so often.”

He laughed a little. “Well, at least crashing now doesn’t involve exploding.”

She grimaced. “Yea, now it involves high-altitude tumbles and getting fried by lightning. Though I’ve never felt better when I’m just up there, sitting on the clouds and shaping them. I got busted this one time trying to turn a training cloud into a hopscotch board, like the ones kids draw on the sidewalks all the time...” She trailed off, a small smile on her muzzle. “It’s actually what inspired me to pick a new name for myself.”

“Oh? What’d you go with?” He asked curiously.

“Skipjack.” She said, her ears folding back a little. “Thinking back on it, it sounds a little silly...”

“Well, at least you have a good pony name. I’m Dusty.” he said with a chuckle. “Though I guess that could work for me too. First Lieutenant Exemplar is always busting my ass because I look dirty, even fresh out of the shower.”

"That could work." She laughed, sticking out a hoof. “Well, it was nice talking to you.”

“Same.” He replied, returning the gesture.

Further down the table where the officers sat, Nimbus shook her head and turned to Willow. “So tell me sir, how does the Guard handle inter-guard relationships?”

Willow lifted his head from his salad in confusion. “What do you mean?” He followed her gaze to see Skipjack and Dusty talking, shy smiles on their muzzles. “Ahhh...”

She sighed. “Want me to let her down? I’ve seen it happen before.”

Willow laughed. “No, the Guard doesn’t discourage relationships. We do for the most part want to see relationships form outside our ranks, but then again our mare population has been virtually nonexistent for the past few centuries. But no, if two ponies find somepony they love, it’s not anypony’s right but theirs to get in the way.”

“Really...” Nimbus said, her eyes flicking briefly down to where Flare sat. She twitched as Willow jabbed her with his wing.

“Oh, now I see. Well, good luck to you if you decide to go for him, Nimbus.” Willow said with a laugh as she elbowed him with her foreleg.

“You tell him and I’ll sick a thunderstorm on you while you sleep.” She growled as she went back to eating her meal.

The day couldn’t have started any better. The human staff had all arrived on schedule from their homes in the area, while Jared and the janitorial staff had worked extra hard to make sure that every surface was spotless.

Twilight paced back and forth outside of the entrance, looking to the sky every few seconds.

“Twilight, I’m sure Princess Celestia will be here soon, pacing out here won’t make it come any faster.” Elizabeth Ross said as she walked through the double doors.

“I know Elizabeth, but there’s so much to get organized to make sure today goes off without a hitch-” Twilight felt Elizabeth’s hand catch her shoulder, stopping her pacing and ranting.

“Twilight, relax. You’re starting to worry everyone else-” They both looked up as a flash of light appeared in the sky, resolving itself into the shape of an ornate chariot, pulled by a team of six pegasi, with four more flying alongside, “-and you see? Right on schedule.”

Twilight snorted as the pegasi gracefully pulled the chariot down to the ground, coming to a stop directly in front of the doors. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took a gentle step down from the chariot, the former crossing the space to nuzzle Twilight affectionately.

“Twilight! So good to see you again. I take it everything is well in hoof for today’s grand opening?”

“Well-” Twilight started, only for Elizabeth to put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s going wonderfully Princess. We’re right on schedule, President Foster will be arriving in the next two hours, and I’m sure the press will be here long before that.” Everyone looked over as a van pulled into the parking lot. “Case in point.”

The passenger door on the van opened to reveal a familiar figure, pushing her brown hair back as she smiled at the gathered ponies and Dr. Ross. “Well, this is a nice change of pace from the last time we met. Unless the deranged gunmen are caught in traffic?” Holly said with a rueful laugh.

Dr. Ross frowned, while the Celestia and Luna simply stared at Holly. Twilight looked at the ground for a second.

Holly sighed. “Sorry, bad timing.” She looked up. “Well, how have you all been?” She suddenly remembered that both of the Royal Sisters were there, and bowed her head slightly. “I’m sorry if I offended Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.”

“It is alright, we know you meant no harm.” Luna said before anyone else could say anything. “Now Twilight, since we have some time before President Foster arrives, why not show us on a tour of the Bureau? I admit that I have been curious to see the actual building for myself.”

“Well sure, we have time.” Twilight said, glad to have something to focus on.

“After you Twilight.” Princess Celestia said as the group made its way into the building.

“Hello President Foster, a pleasure to see you on such an auspicious day.” Celestia said as Foster entered the lobby.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight, Dr. Ross. Good to see you all could make it.” Foster said with a sarcastic smile. “So, the press is starting to go crazy, shall we get this show on the road?”

“Of course President Foster, will you be staying afterward for a tour?” Celestia asked with smile.

“I’d love to, it’s much more enjoyable than the schedule I have for the day, but I’m meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister to arrange transport for their first batch of serum. Then comes a few budget meetings. Oh, and the Japanese Prime Minister was wondering if they could send some volunteers to be converted, then go to Equestria to learn your language.”

“Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem. Honestly, if all the nations that are in the first wave of Bureau construction so wish, they can send volunteers to learn Equestrian as well.”

“I’m certain that they’ll be willing to take it under consideration. I believe that there’s a list of candidates we came up with as well, they’ll be coming in the second wave of converts.”

“Excellent, if you can forward their information to our embassy, we’ll be sure to expedite their transport to Equestria. I’m sure the professors at the School for Gifted Unicorns will dearly love the opportunity to instruct new converts.”

“I’ll let Curtis know when I get back to the White House. So, I think we’ve made the reporters stew long enough.” Foster gestured toward the door. “Shall we?”

Together Foster, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight all walked to the doors, walking through them to a series of flashes as the reporters vied for the best shot. A red ribbon strung between two posts stood in front of the entrance. The quartet crossed around it to stand two on either side, Foster next to Celestia and Twilight next to Luna.

Taking a deep breath, Foster took a step forward. “My fellow Americans, citizens of the world, and Equestrians. We are here today to mark a truly historic day. Almost ninety days ago, we successfully tested the ponification serum on a human subject. The result was a resounding success, and we began to work on mass-producing the serum for public use. The first batch was used for our program to give severely wounded veterans a second chance to serve the greater good of both Equestria and America.”

Celestia took a step forward to stand next to Foster. “Now, this choice is open to all. Despite the ever-approaching threat of the Barrier completely surrounding your world, we refuse to make this anything but your choice. The sovereign right of all intelligent life is the ability to decide its own fate, and before all else that right will be maintained. Furthermore, I would like to take this chance to state that all services provided by any Conversion Bureaus will be provided free of charge, paid for by the Crown of Equestria.”

The reporters all started trying to ask questions, only for Foster to raise his hand. “I understand you have questions, and we will be more than happy to answer them in a moment. But first, there is the reason we are all here.” He turned, gesturing to one of the Secret Service agents, who produced a set of the giant scissors used the world over for events like these. Foster took them and turned to Celestia. “Shall we?”

Celestia took a step forward, lifting a hoof as Foster positioned the open scissors, holding the bottom half. She carefully pushed down on the top half, shearing clean through the ribbon.

“I now declare the San Francisco Conversion Bureau officially open. Now, I’ll take the first question.” Foster asked, waiting patiently as every reporter shouted their question at once.

Twilight took a deep breath, the saddlebags feeling twice as heavy with the weight of the notecards for her speech inside. “Alright Twilight, you can do this. You’ve been ready for the past two days for this. Just take your time and don’t choke.”

She looked up at the door, exhaled heavily and trotted forward, nudging the door open and entering the conference room. There was a simple stage with a short podium set up at her end of the room, while the rest of the room was given over to row after row of folding chairs. Approximately one hundred fifty humans sat in the chairs, all of them staring at her as she climbed onto the stage and took her place at the podium. She shrugged out of her saddlebags and lifted out her notecards, taking a moment to make sure they were straightened out.

“Good morning, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I am the supervisor for this Conversion Bureau. You are all here because you have made the decision to undergo the conversion process and become a pony. I may not understand your decision, having been born a pony myself; but rest assured that we are here to make this process as efficient and hassle free as possible for you.

After we finish here, you’ll be divided up into floors, where you’ll meet your roommate for the duration of your stay. Your room assignments will be posted on the display board in each hallway. Each of you will spend the next three or four days learning about Equestria, what each of the three pony tribes are capable of, and other topics, which are explained in greater detail in the flyers we have provided in your rooms. After your conversion, you will be assigned to work with an instructor for the type of pony that you become, and after your seventh day has run its course, you will have your choice to return to your homes here in San Francisco, or if you so desire you can petition to move to Equestria. A third option exists for those residents of Hawaii displaced by the thaumatic energy radiating from Equestria, in that you can return to your homes. We have removed any food spoiled by the loss of electricity, but beyond that your homes have been untouched.

Your first day of classes will begin tomorrow, the rest of today we decided would be best served by allowing you to get settled into your rooms, meet your roommates, and get a chance to explore the facility. However, I will need to emphasize that the kitchen, clinic and basement is off-limits, as is the fifth and sixth floors. I cannot stress this enough, the Royal Guard that are stationed here will not tolerate any violations of those rules.”

Twilight smiled. “But other than that, the entire facility is open to you. We serve breakfast an hour after sunrise, lunch at noon, and then dinner at approximately six o’clock.

Now, are there any questions?” Twilight asked curiously, looking out of the sea of faces staring back at here. For a few long seconds no one said anything, and Twilight’s smile started to feel forced as she wondered if the very first group of converts really wouldn’t ask any questions.

A single hand from the middle of the group finally rose and she pointed with a hoof. A human male, of average height and short black hair stood up. “Yes, my name’s Ryan Wilson, I just have a couple short questions. First, I’ve heard the news stories on how the serum doesn’t hurt, but given that it’s a complete change of our body, what assurances do we have? And second, do the rumors of the serum adjusting our personalities have any basis in fact?”

Twilight took a moment to compose her thoughts. “Those are excellent questions Ryan, and I’d be happy to answer them. First, the serum is actually administered in conjunction with an anesthetic, so you will be unconscious for the duration of the conversion. We’ve converted one thousand and one humans with the serum thus far, and none of them reported any pain from the actual conversion process. Some had difficulty using their new legs and banged their chins on the floor, but nothing more serious than that.

As for your second question, I can safely say that the serum in no way alters your personality. Our first convert, Jared Howell, has been a pony for almost ninety days, and has shown no loss, degradation or alteration of his personality that we observed from all the time we spent with him. He actually works here in the Bureau, so if you want, I’m sure he’d be happy to answer any questions you have. Are there any other questions?” Twilight looked around the room, but didn’t see any other hands go up. “Alright, well if any you have further questions, feel free to stop by my office after lunch, it’s located in room 102; it’s just down the hall from this room here.”

Everyone sat there for a few seconds before a round of applause started up. Twilight smiled warmly as the humans got to their feet, all filing out the door, except for Ryan and a more overweight male, who walked up to her.

“Is there something else I can help you with?” Twilight asked as she climbed down from the stage.

“I was just curious on if it’d be possible for me and my... ‘friend’ Ben to be assigned to the same room and conversion time.” Ryan said, Ben looking slightly embarrassed. “It’s just that he and I wanted to go through this together, so we were wondering if it might be possible to, y’know...”

“Well, officially your room assignments and conversion day are supposed to be random.” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. “Although, what we can do is arrange for a switch with one of your current roommates. Then once we know which day you two would want to be converted on, we can ask if someone would be willing to trade. Does that sound alright to you?”

“That would be great!” Ryan said as his face broke into a relieved smile. He turned to Ben and threw his arms around him in a crushing embrace. Then, to Twilight’s surprise, they pulled away slightly, only to lean in for a kiss. Blushing, she turned her gaze to stare intently at the floor.

Realizing Twilight was still there; the two men broke off the kiss and separated. “Sorry about that, we were just a little worried when you mentioned that room assignments and conversion times were random.”

Twilight looked up. “Well, I’ll definitely see what I can do to help you two out. I’ll just need to double check the room assignments. Do you think you can come by my office in about an hour? That way everyone will have found their rooms, but not unpacked too much.”

“Sure thing Miss Sparkle, and thank you so much for the help.” Ryan said as he and Ben turned and walked out the door.

Twilight watched them go, and then nodded to herself. “Alright, that went well. I think I can handle this job just fine.”

17 - Year's End

Week 52, Tuesday-Sunday

The Bureau was a bustle of activity, though instead of the usual stream of prospective converts it now played host to nearly a hundred ponies. Everypony was working hard, a well-oiled machine preparing the towering structure for a purpose as important as any it normally used.

It had been chosen as the site for Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor’s wedding.

Twilight nodded as she skimmed through the latest report. “Okay, so that’s the last of the Hearth’s Warming Eve decorations packed away, we did save the silver trim, right? That’ll let us avoid having to order any more. How is the catering coming along?”

Flare saluted. “Ma’am, Applejack instructed me to inform you that she had matters well in hoof, and that this would be one of the best jobs she’s done. As for the silver trim, it’s stored down in the basement out of the way.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright, and what about the reception? Pinkie and Spike understand that it needs to themed toward adults right?”

“Yes, it was made clear to Pinkie, and she swore what she called a Pinkie Promise.”

“Alright, that’s wonderful.” Twilight scanned the next item on her list. “Rarity’s coming along nicely on the dresses, so that’s good... Fluttershy’s songbirds are learning their routines as well... How is Rainbow Dash’s training going?”

“I understand that it’s going very well. The Royal Guard pegasi will be ready to fly as her wingponies for some of her stunts.”

“Excellent, and you have the fireworks prepared?”

Flare grinned at that. “Ma’am, the fireworks will be spectacular, on that I can assure you.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright then.” She smiled as she stood up, looking out the window as the sun made its way toward the top of the sky. “Well, let’s get some lunch, shall we?” She trotted out the door, Flare following after her.

“I just don’t know Shining; I was just thinking that our wedding would be taking place here in Canterlot,” Cadance said as she paced back and forth in Shining’s bedroom.

“I know sweetie, I know,” Shining said, stopping his packing and trotting over to hook a foreleg around his fiancé. “But look at it this way. We can have this wedding in San Francisco for the entire world to be able to see, and then we’ll have another one in Canterlot, just the way you envisioned it.”

Cadance perked up, and she leaned into the hug. “Are you sure dear? Can we even afford something like that?”

“Well, it’ll pinch things for a few months, but I’ve got enough bits saved to be able to swing it. But even if I didn’t, I’d still make it happen for you,” Shining said with a soft smile, darting in for a quick kiss. “Now, let’s finish packing, we’re going to the Bureau tomorrow morning.” He started to pull away, only for Cadance to wrap a wing around his shoulders and pull him back.

“Oh no, you don’t get off that easy...” She murmured with a throaty chuckle before her lips met his. “There’s plenty of time to pack later...”

The rest of the afternoon passed by leisurely for the two lovers, the bags left forgotten on the floor.

The loading dock was a bustle of activity, men dressed in overalls and wearing heavy duty gloves hefting specially crafted fifty gallon drums into the back of the tractor trailer. A short distance away, a man in a doctor’s robe double checked a clipboard, while beside him a deep blue unicorn watched the process carefully.

“Now be careful with those barrels; I know they’re specially sealed, but we don’t want to risk direct exposure!” Azure Shine called out.

Walter smiled and put a hand on the pony’s shoulder. “They know their job Azure, don’t worry.”

The unicorn sighed, glancing over to where a group of eighteen soldiers were inspecting weapons and packing bags into two armored trucks. “I have to admit, I don’t like that we need to have people with guns here.”

Walter sighed, putting the clipboard down on the nearby table. “I know you don’t like it, I honestly don’t either. But you know what happened in San Francisco, so we have to take measures to make sure that this shipment gets to Washington safely.”

“I guess...” Azure trailed off as the door to the trailer was pulled shut, the soldiers climbing into the trucks. With a dull rumble of engines, the lead truck pulled out, followed by the tractor trailer, then by the last truck.

The convoy of trucks made their way down the road, trees framing the stretch of pavement as the sun climbed into the sky. The soldiers in the front truck were quiet, eyes alternating between looking to the sides of the road, to checking the other cars that passed them.

It was as the convoy found itself alone; rounding a turn in the road that something started to go wrong.

“Obstruction ahead, looks like trees down. What do you think?” The driver asked the others.

“Stop here, I’ll radio it in.” The passenger replied, reaching for the radio.

The three vehicles came to a stop, their engines idling as the soldiers started to finger their weapons nervously as they scanned the forest nearby.

“That’s weird, the radio’s not working.” The soldier said as he clicked through the different channels, a hissing static the only thing he could make out. “Alright, something’s wrong, let’s turn these trucks ar-”

He was cut off as the Suburban suddenly lurched, the soldiers shouting in alarm as the multi-ton truck was flung like a toy into the trees, smashing through two before coming to a stop on its side. The tractor trailer driver jumped, starting to reach for his radio when he heard a similar crunch from behind him. Shooting a glance back, he could see the other Suburban coming to a stop on its roof. He undid his seatbelt and was reaching for the door handle when his skin started to burn.

“What the fu-” he managed to get out before the door was wrenched clean off. Looking out the now open driver side, he could see an amber unicorn with a grey mane staring levelly at him.

“Please exit the vehicle now. If you attempt to resist, things will get... ugly.”

The driver slowly raised his hands, edging out of the truck and off to the side.

“Go, the men in the trucks will require your help. Besides, would hate for you to get a lethal dose of magic, wouldn’t we?” The unicorn said plainly, as if he were discussing the weather.

The driver thought over his options. He had a riot baton on his belt, and could definitely get a hit in before the pony could hit him with a spell. But before he could start to reach for it, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly, his mouth dropped open a little as a few dozen ponies rose from concealed positions and trotted onto the road. His eyes darting, he counted the hostiles at about fifty, including the one who’d yanked the door off, all of them unicorns.

“I must insist, now move.” The unicorn’s voice was now cold, and the driver could tell he was being serious. He hurried toward the closer wrecked truck, managing to get the door open. He could see the nine soldiers inside, most unconscious, though a few were groaning and trying to get their bearings.

He felt his back beginning to burn red hot and turned, seeing something that he’d remember for the rest of his days. The unicorns had surrounded the truck, all of their horns lit as they carved a series of shapes into the road and the sides of the truck. The shapes glowed brighter until he had to put a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes. Then, with a flat bang of displaced air, the unicorns and the truck disappeared, leaving a perfectly rectangular section of road missing.

Wiping at his forehead, the driver suddenly realized he could hear voices coming from the radio in the Suburban.

“-Convoy Two-Twelve, what is your status? Respond at once, that’s an order.”

He scrambled over the unconscious body, grabbing the handset. “Um, this is Convoy Two-Twelve, we were attacked. We’re near...” He fumbled for the GPS and cursed as he saw it was broken. Looking back out the window, he could see the ubiquitous mile marker signs. “We’re at mile marker 140.

“Understood. What’s your current status?”

“The truck is gone...” he trailed off, realizing the shitstorm he was about to unleash, “the truck is gone, a group of approximately fifty unicorns ambushed us. Destroyed both escorts and forced me from the truck. We need help here, some of these guys look pretty bad!”

“Roger that, help is on its way, remain at the site.”

“No problem there,” The driver replied shakily, helping one of the injured soldiers sit up.

“So... would anyone mind telling me how the hell this happened?” Foster asked quietly, his knuckles white as he gripped his pen. Two days had passed since the attack, and the lack of information was aggravating.

“We’re still assembling details from the soldiers who were in the trucks, but the gist of it is pretty clear. This attack was carried out by Equestrians.” SecDef said plainly.

“That much was obvious from the get-go! Have we heard from the Equestrian Embassy yet?”

“No sir, we sent them a message as soon as the attackers were confirmed to be ponies. We’re expecting a reply from them shortly-” SecState said, only to be cut off by the sound of hooves on floor.

“Indeed, we received your letter. My apologies for taking so long, I wanted to come to grips with the information first.” Fancypants said as he entered the Situation Room, General Cloudhammer and General Amber Dusk following. “Sorry for not informing you we were coming, but time is of the essence in this case, is it not?”

“Very well, care to explain why the convoy was ambushed?” Foster asked sarcastically.

“Given what the driver described, it seems that the unicorns involved in this attack used some ancient runes from Equestria’s history. Unfortunately, without seeing the exact array they used, there’s not much we can do now. However, there are some things we know based on the area around the attack. First, that some of the runes they used destroyed the signature of their magic, and its trail on top of that. On top of that, they used runes to contain their magic so that the soldiers and the driver wouldn’t be hurt.”

“So what does that mean?” Foster asked, tapping his pen on the table.

Fancypants smiled. “Well, obviously this group is very well connected to be able to learn those runes from the books in the Canterlot Archives. And if they were willing to attack humans like this, why take such precautions to prevent them from taking harm?”

“This is all intriguing, but it doesn’t tell us who did this, or where they took the serum.” Foster said, his anger returning.

Cloudhammer took a step forward. “I’ve initiated a full inspection of the pony staff that worked at the CDC within the past three months, and we can’t find one Aqua Glimmer. He was one of the unicorns who worked on the mass-production spell that we used to generate that batch of serum. He had the day off the day the serum was shipped out, but if he was involved with this group, he could have told them when it was leaving the facility.”

Amber Dusk chimed in at this point. “We’ve had a team inspect the area where the truck was stolen. Unfortunately, Ambassador Fancypants is correct in that we cannot trace the teleport spell used. However, given that fifty unicorns were involved, and the likely runes used, they can’t have left this continent.”

Foster gaped at Amber Dusk. “You’re serious? Are you kidding me? There’d be no finding them if they can be anywhere on this continent!”

Amber Dusk sighed heavily. “Regrettably, it appears that way, yes.”

Cloudhammer straightened his head resolutely. “However, rest assured President Foster, we will not rest until this group is found and brought to justice. Their actions shame Equestrians everywhere, and when we find them, they will be punished accordingly.”

Foster glared at the trio of ponies. “How can we trust any of you? If one pony could infiltrate our efforts like this, what’s preventing other ponies from infiltrating your ranks?”

Fancypants cleared his throat, gently pushing the two generals back a step. “Your questions are indeed valid ones President Foster. However, we are just as vested in locating this group as you are. As General Cloudhammer said, their actions are most deplorable, and given the strengths we bring to the effort when we work together, we must not allow this group to splinter our nation’s relationship.”

Foster leaned back in his chair. “Let’s say I agree to allow things to continue. What would you be willing to offer us in exchange?”

Fancypants met his gaze levelly. “What do you have in mind?”

Foster set his pen down on his desk. “Alright, I’ll lay it out for you. First, you will replace this batch of serum yourselves. Once it is completed, you will turn it over to US custodianship at San Francisco. From there, we will be solely responsible for its transport. Second, Celestia will appear on public television, offer her condolences to the wounded, and swear to devote all that Equestria can to support US efforts to locate the ponies responsible. And finally, the ponies responsible will be prosecuted on US soil subject to our laws.”

“Deal.” Fancypants said without hesitation. “Furthermore, I will ask my friends back in Equestria to begin looking around; see if we can turn up any information on this group from that angle. And lastly, if I may be so bold, we will pay the medical expenses of your injured. After all, a nation does at least owe some responsibility for the actions of its citizens, does it not?” He said with a sarcastic twinkle in his eye.

Foster stared for a second, trying to decide if the unicorn was mocking him or not. Finally, he shook his head in mild amusement. “Very well, if you’re so damn eager to make up for it, we won’t stop you. Now, there is one other matter, this wedding that is planned to be held at the San Francisco Bureau...”

Fancypants tilted his head. “Do you wish to cancel it? It was my impression that it was serving as an occasion for all nations to witness the affirmation of Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor’s love for each other.”

Foster waved a hand. “No, as much as I’m sure some people will want the government to; this can serve as Celestia’s chance to give her public appearance. If you think that she could join me at a press conference after the wedding concludes, that is.”

“I’m sure that she would be more than willing to do so. Now, if there’s nothing else, I will take my leave. Need to put the wheels in motion and all, you know,” Fancypants said with a graceful bow of his head. “Generals, shall we go?” The three ponies turned and trotted out of the door.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Foster turned around, rubbing his face tiredly.

“Mr. President, are you sure that trusting them is a good idea?” SecDef asked.

“Curtis, I want you to get word to our ‘friends’ in the Guard. Tell them to keep an eye out for any movement by the Equestrians to actually keep their promises.” Foster said firmly. “My gut tells me that the Crown honestly doesn’t know anything about this, which is worrying in its own right.”

“Yes sir.” Curtis said, scribbling a few notes onto a piece of paper.

The forest clearing was quiet, the birds chirping happily and the sun shining on the nearby lake. However, the peace was disturbed by a sudden hard bang of air as the tractor trailer forced its way into reality, the unicorns surrounding it breathing hard as they extinguished their magic.

“Alright, no time to rest. Knight Summer, Knight Dew, give me a hoof here.” The amber unicorn ordered as he trotted toward a large rock formation. Two other unicorns made their way over, and together their horns lit once more. Gripping a section of the rock face, they actually pulled it free, revealing a perfectly rectangular tunnel that sloped down into the earth. Light stones glowed brightly in sconces set evenly along the tunnel, providing plenty of light to see by.

“The rest of you, get a grip on that truck, let’s hurry. Knights Summer and Dew, bring the piece of road after us.” The unicorns scrambled to obey their orders, the majority grasping the truck and slowly rolling it forward and into the tunnel. Once the road section was inside the tunnel, the three unicorns dragged the rock back into position, soon concealing from the outside world that anything had been here at all.

The tunnel sloped down for about a thousand pony-lengths, before opening up into a large cavern. The cavern itself was empty, while off to one side was a series of doorways leading to dormitories. Ponies cantered back and forth across the room, stopping as they watched the trailer making its way out of the tunnel.

An earth pony mare trotted up to the amber unicorn with a warm smile on her muzzle. “Good to see you made it back safely sir, are the contents safe?”

“Yes, and even better, there were no pony or human casualties.” The amber unicorn replied with a relieved smile.

“Grand Master Sky Shimmer will be pleased to hear it.” The earth pony said, gesturing with her hooves for other ponies to come over and begin unloading the truck. “Oh my, there certainly is a lot of it isn’t there? This is wonderful!”

“Yes, and since we were able to safely retrieve Aqua Glimmer, we will be able to mass-produce serum of our own, once the alterations have been made.”

“Alterations sir?” The earth pony asked curiously.

“Yes. Not to the core principle of the serum, but to its delivery system. It wouldn’t be very efficient if we have to have a clean needle for every person who we give the serum to. That’s where Evening Dew had the idea to layer another enchantment into the spell matrix, so that it begins the transformation on contact with exposed skin. It can even be ingested or simply injected like normal.”

“But don’t they need to be sedated first?” The mare asked worriedly.

“They will be, we can mix the serum and the anesthetic together, they will be asleep long before the transformation begins to take place,” the unicorn said with a calm smile. “Now, let’s get to work, there is so much left to do.”

“As you wish, Grand Knight Amber Dream,” the mare said as she joined the other ponies in unloading the truck.

Amber Dream took a moment to admire the sight before him, before rubbing his forehead with a hoof and making his way to the dormitories. Such a long range teleport was taxing, but worth it in the end. Nopony would even think to look this far north, and even if they did, they’d have to know exactly which lake and rock face they were looking for. So they were as safe as they could be.

The big day had finally arrived, and the Bureau was in an uproar as ponies raced about making the last minute preparations. As expected, news of the attack in Atlanta had spread, sparking some protests, but thankfully none of them had turned violent. However, neither the US government nor the Equestrians were taking any chances. The number of visible Royal Guard present had been tripled, a significant number of them pegasi who were tasked to fly overhead patterns. The San Francisco Police Department were deployed as well, every officer not working vital cases found themselves doing work from securing streets from traffic to walking foot patrols. SWAT teams were on standby in case they were needed, and there were several Army units on standby as well should the unthinkable happen. Diplomats from the world over were attending, as well as the British and Japanese Prime Ministers, President Foster, and of course Princesses Celestia and Luna.

For Shining Armor, most of his morning had been spent trying to get rid of the headache that he had from the bachelor party the night before. He was still trying to figure out how some of the native Guards had snuck salt into the cider, or why he’d agreed to try the drink some of the newfoals called whiskey. It had been good, but by the Sun had it sent him pitching over the edge. Most of the night was a blur, but he distinctly remembered somepony talking him into trying to race some of the serving carts down the stairs.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright Shining? You don’t look so good,” Twilight remarked as he trotted into her room.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine... just remind me never to drink that much cider again...” he groaned as he lay down on her bed, pressing his hooves to the base of his horn.

Twilight sighed in resignation. “After today it’s not my job anymore, that’ll be Cadance’s responsibility. Now stay still, I’ve been brushing up on some of my healing magic and could use a practice dummy.”

“Practice what?” Shining shouted in alarm before Twilight’s spell enveloped his head, the headache beginning to ebb away steadily. “Ooooh yeah, that’s so much better. Thanks a lot little sis.”

Twilight scowled in mock ferocity. “Now don’t let it happen again or I’ll tell Cadance on you.”

Shining threw up his hooves in equally faked terror. “No, please not that!”

The siblings fell into fits of laughter, both enjoying the last moment of peace either of them were likely to have for the rest of the day.

Shining finally took a deep breath and got to his hooves. “Alright, I think I should get dressed, mind making sure everything is on straight? Would hate to be standing in front of Cadance and the entire world with our uncle’s badge out of place.”

Twilight giggled. “Sure thing Shiny.” She laughed as her brother snorted and followed him out of the room.

Meanwhile, down one floor, Rarity was fussing over Cadance’s dress, making final adjustments now that she had the alicorn in it.

“Alriiight... and I think that we are finished! Tell me, what do you think darling?” She asked as she levitated a large mirror into position.

Cadance gasped as she finally got to see herself in the dress, instead of a mannequin. It had been beautiful on the mold, but now it seemed to almost become a part of her, some of the lace fluttering slightly as she extended her wings to get a better look at the sides. “Rarity... I just don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful...”

Rarity tsked as she finished picking up the last pieces of fabric and her supplies. “Your reaction speaks volumes my dear. I was overjoyed when you asked me to help design the dress, and am proud to say that this is my finest work yet. Now, I’ll need to go get my dress on and meet with the girls for the ceremony. You remember where you’re supposed to wait, yes?”

Cadance smiled. “Of course. I just can’t believe the day is here already...” A small tear began to trail down her face, only for Rarity to delicately lift it away with her magic.

“Now now, don’t want to get tears on your dress before Shining Armor gets to see you,” she said with a small smile. She stuffed the last of her supplies into her saddlebags, hurrying out the door. “And of course I shall see you at the reception my dear!”

Cadance waved back, before turning back to face the mirror, inspecting herself to make sure that everything on the dress was holding up.

The Bureau didn’t have a conference room big enough for the affair, so a team of unicorns and earth ponies had worked diligently to take down the intervening walls and install a new entrance at the far end. The floor was covered in a sea of folding chairs and cushions, and at the end of the aisle an ornate stage had been assembled, forged from actual gold and wreathed in flowers and silver trim. Princess Celestia stood in the center of the stage, looking every inch the ruler she was. Shining Armor stood in his designated position, resplendent in a rich red suit, his uncle’s badge proudly displayed in the center of his chest. Twilight stood next to him, an ear to ear smile on her face as she waited for Cadance to make her entrance. Spike stood next to her, the rings resting gently on a silk pillow. Her friends stood opposite her as the bridesmares, each wearing a gown of their own, courtesy of Rarity. Beside Twilight were Shining’s groomstallions, Second Lieutenants Flare, Evergreen and Ruby Glow. She swept her gaze out over the crowd of ponies and humans who were invited, pausing as something caught her eye. She could have sworn that stallion’s eyes were amber, yet she’d seen a green shine to them. But focusing closer, she saw the same amber shade watching the stage patiently. She shook her head slightly and dismissed it as a trick of the light, making a mental note to research it later.

Shining saw his sister’s motion out of the corner of his eye, and started to whisper to her, but with a chorus of chirps Fluttershy’s birds began to sing, and the guardponies at the door pulled them open slowly. Everyone present got to their respective limbs and turned to face the doors as Cadance began to enter the room.

Her dress was a simple affair, yet the eye was drawn to it nonetheless. A large lace flower adorned her chest, secured by a gold band that ran around the top of her shoulders. Her dress started just behind her withers, and flowed across her back and down her flanks. Rarity had chosen a soft cream color to accent her coat, and edged to upper part of the dress in gold silk for the contrast. Her train stretched out behind her, held delicately by five more songbirds, eliciting a few murmured ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the humans observing. Her mane had been very carefully styled to resemble wings sweeping back from her horn.

She slowly ascended the steps of the stage to stand next to Shining, the two looking at each other tenderly for a long second before looking up to Princess Celestia.

“Mares and Gentlecolts, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union between Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor. True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two ponies; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding. The couple has written their own vows, which they will now recite to each other."

Shining nodded to Celestia and turned to face Cadance. “I, Shining Armor, take you Cadance to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hoof, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Cadance smiled gently, trying hard not to start crying. “Shining Armor, I promise to always be there for you, to shelter and hold your love as the most precious gift in my life. I will be truthful and honor you. I will care for you always and stand by you in times of sorrow and joy. For so long as the Sun is raised and lowered, for so long as the Moon crosses the sky, I shall stay by your side, your anchor in the dark times, your buoy in the light.”

No one noticed one of the stallions in the audience sigh a little in contentment.

Celestia smiled gently, then turned to Spike. “Spike, if you would please?”

Spike nodded solemnly and stepped forward, holding up the pillow to Shining Armor. With a nod and a wink, Shining took the ring delicately in his teeth, carefully lifting it and settling it on Cadance’s horn. Sliding it into position with a hoof, he smiled awkwardly at her while she rolled her eyes. Spike them turned to her, and she repeated the gesture.

Once the two rings were settled, Celestia spread her wings to their widest and raised her voice so everyone in the hall could hear. “With their vows spoken, and rings exchanged, these two ponies have declared their dedication to both themselves and to the world. By the power vested in me by the Sun and the ponies of Equestria, I now pronounce you mare and stallion. You may now kiss the bride.”

Shining Armor and Cadance hardly needed the permission, already starting to move forward as Celestia finished speaking. Their lips met as the world faded away for the two of them, punctuated by claps and the thunder of hooves on the floor.

Nimbus stood by her post as the night dragged on. After the wedding ceremony had ended, everyone had been invited to the outdoor courtyard for the reception and for the Year’s End party. Her eyes, colored a cold blue by the armor’s enchantment, swept across the throng of humans and ponies as they partied. They’d been briefed on the usual threats that the humans... she caught herself at that. Had she really just thought of her own former species like that? She certainly didn’t feel any different from how she’d felt before undergoing the conversion. Was it a sign that there was more to the conversion than they’d been told? Or was it merely a by-product of the nearly one hundred days of training she’d spent learning to live and fight as a pony? She wrestled with it mentally for a few minutes while her eyes continued their slow, methodical scan. Every so often, her eyes would twitch back to the clock to keep an eye on the time.

Across the room, Twilight stood next to the refreshment table with a smile on her face, watching the other ponies party. The wedding had gone off without a hitch, and everypony was having a good time. She picked up a glass of cider and took a small sip, savoring the taste as it slid over her tongue.

“Howdy Twilight, Ah gotta admit, this here shindig turned out bigger than Ah thought it would.” Applejack said as she trotted over.

“It certainly did. I’m really glad things worked out for Shining and Cadance.” Twilight said as she watched her brother and his wife dance in the center of the crowd.

“Alrigh’, Ah ain’t standin’ for this.” Applejack said as she took the glass from Twilight. “This here is a party, and you’re standin’ here on the sidelines. Git on out there and have some real fun! Maybe meet a nice stallion here, some of them guardponies could probably use a little loosening up.” She gripped Twilight with a hoof and pushed her out into the crowd, ignoring Twilight’s protests. “Ah, she’ll be fine.”

Rarity, in the meantime, was having the time of her life. The vast majority of the attendees for the wedding were either from Canterlot high society, or from the various human governments. The opportunities to make a name for herself were literally limitless. She was saying her greetings to an elderly human named Wright when she bumped into somepony, knocking them to the ground.

“Oh my goodness, I am so terribly sorry!” She cried out, turning to help whoever she’d knocked over back to their feet when she froze at the sight of who was in front of her.

“Quite alright my dear, no harm done,” Fancypants assured as he got back to his hooves.

“Y-y-you’re Fancypants... I just ran into Fancypants...” Rarity stammered, trying her hardest not to feel faint for her transgression.

“Indeed so. And you must be Rarity. Your work on Princess Cadance’s dress was absolutely exquisite.”

“H-how do you know that?” Rarity asked, feeling another rush of lightheadedness come over her. Not only did Fancypants know her name, but he had complimented her on her work!

Fancypants tilted his head in confusion. “Well of course my dear. Not only could I not fail to recognize the Element of Generosity, but your name is mentioned with honors in the program.”

Rarity blinked, mentally kicking herself for forgetting such a detail. “Of course, you’re right. However, I must apologize for bumping into you in such a rude fashion. Allow me to make it up to you. I shall repair any damage incurred to your ensemble, and design you a new one.”

“Well, that was actually what I wished to speak to you about my dear.” Fancypants carefully lifted his monocle with a hoof, polishing it on the front of his suit. “You see, I recently acquired a new clothing chain in Canterlot, and while it caters predominantly to mares, I know there will be a significant number of stallions that will be entering the market soon,” he inclined his head toward some of the male diplomats, “and would like to be able to get a head start on the market. Your designs are certainly inspired, and if you can work up something for stallions as well as mares, I would certainly be interested in purchasing them from you.”

Rarity’s mouth hung open for a few seconds . “Y-you mean... you’d really do that?”

“Why yes, you are a visionary after all. Once I’d asked around, you come very highly recommended,” Fancypants said with a smile. “Now, I do believe my assistant is around here somewhere... Ah, there she is. If you don’t mind, we can lay out a rough arrangement for the time being, and finalize it after we recover from this wonderful food and drink.” He hooked a foreleg around hers and gracefully escorted her towards a tall white unicorn with a pink mane who was receiving several appraising glances from some of the stallions present.

Rainbow Dash noticed Rarity as she weaved her way through the crowd, but her focus was elsewhere. She’d seen her target and knew they hadn’t left yet. Pushing aside a pair of mares, Rainbow spotted them near the buffet table and made her way to a spot further down, taking a few bites of the food while glancing to the side every so often. Finally, her patience was rewarded as she heard a voice call out her name.

“Hey, aren’t you Rainbow Dash?” The owner, a pale blue pegasus stallion in a darker blue suit and black tie, tilted his head curiously.

“Heck yeah, glad to see you recognize me!” Rainbow said proudly.

“Well yeah, you performed the Sonic Rainboom at the last Best Young Flyer’s Competition, and saved my pie at the Gala. Not to mention your stunt routine an hour ago.” Soarin’ said with a smile.

Rainbow laughed a little. “So, there anypony else from the team here?”

Soarin’ shook his head. “No, everypony else came down with a nasty case of the featherflu. Honestly surprised I didn’t get sick too, but the docs said I was fine to come.”

Rainbow winced despite herself. She remembered having the featherflu from her foalhood, and didn’t want to think about having it as an adult. “That stinks.”

“Yeah. They’ll be fine; they’re just grounded for a week or two.” Soarin’ gestured with a hoof. “So, this is some party huh? When I first heard all the news about ‘humans’ and all those new countries they lived in, I didn’t believe a bit of it.” He shook his head in amusement. “Guess the world never stops tryin’ to surprise you huh?”

Rainbow laughed. “I guess not.” She was still awestruck that THE Soarin’ was right in front of her, just talking with her like any other pony would.

Soarin’ flicked an ear as a new song started playing, the discordant notes ringing out across the dance floor. “I’ll give it to them though; they certainly know some interesting music.” He struck a humorous bow and extended a hoof. “You wanna?” His green eyes had a mirthful twinkle to them in the artificial lights.

Rainbow Dash tried hard not to squeal in delight, and took his hoof in hers, grinning from ear to ear. The two pegasi wove their way onto the dance floor as the music continued to fill the air with its oddly catchy rhythm.

Pinkie Pie twitched her right ear in time with the music, the earth pony enjoying the pounding of the many feet and hooves on the ground, and the sight of so many beings lowering the barriers of self- even if only for a few fleeting moments. Her other ear suddenly swiveled in a circle, while her hindquarters twitched briefly and her front right hoof started tapping a staccato beat on the ground.

Somepony wasn’t having fun.

With an almost predatory grace she was off, her eyes narrowed as she wove through the crowd, following her Pinkie Sense as its intensity waxed and waned. Eventually, it led her to a darkened alcove that at first appeared empty, but then Pinkie saw a single lock of pink mane sticking out.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong? What are you doing all by yourself?” Pinkie said as she sat down next to her timid friend. Fluttershy was hunkered down behind the edge of one of the supports for some of the VIP guests, her ears flat against her skull.

“Well, I’m just not a fan of these kinds of parties. I’m just going to stay over here.” Fluttershy said meekly.

Pinkie shook her head. “If somepony’s not having fun at one of my parties, then I’m not doing my job right!” She looked around, her ears perking up as she spotted what she was looking for. “Follow me.” She led Fluttershy along the perimeter of the area, coming to the entrance of the Bureau. In a blur of motion she scaled the support for the entrance, motioning for Fluttershy to follow her.

The pegasus carefully fluttered up to join Pinkie, her ears still flattened from the sound of the music. However, as soon as she settled down next to her friend, the music seemed to get quieter. She perked her ears up cautiously and looked around in confusion. “Pinkie, what’s going on? Why is the music so quiet here?”

“Oh, it’s just the orientation of the speakers relative to this overhang.” Pinkie said absently. “It is a lot quieter up here, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded quietly, the two friends enjoying the island of serenity for a few minutes before Pinkie got to her hooves. “Well, I’m going to go see how everypony else is doing, are you really going to be okay up here?”

Fluttershy nodded happily. “Oh yes, this spot is much nicer, thank you Pinkie.”

Pinkie nodded before she hopped cheerfully off the roof, making her way through the packed crowd like a fish through water. Her Pinkie Sense had subsided, and so she allowed herself a quick break from her observations to enjoy the party on her own, beginning to dance enthusiastically in front of the DJ station.

At ten minutes to midnight, Nimbus glanced upward and flicked her ear at one of the circling pegasi. With a sharp dive and a flutter of his wings, Willow landed next to her. “What do you need Nimbus?”

“Permission to take a break sir, for... personal reasons.” Nimbus couldn’t help but glance at the clock. Eight minutes to midnight.

Willow glanced at the clock too, then smiled knowingly. “Permission granted. I expect you to come back before the night is over Second Lieutenant.”

Nimbus saluted. “Sir, thank you sir.” With that, she spread her wings and took off, spiraling upwards over the party towards her destination. She finally cleared the roof of the building and came in for a landing, scuffing her hooves on the gravel that coated the flat roof.

Flare turned his head at the noise. “Oh, hello Second Lieutenant, what brings you up here?”

Nimbus paused for a minute to compose her thoughts, forcing her wings to stay furled at her sides. “Well, First Lieutenant Willow allowed me to take a break for a few minutes, and I wanted to see you start the fireworks for midnight. I always liked fireworks when I was growing up” She looked over, seeing a simple clock set up for Flare to use that wouldn’t short out when he cast his spells. Five minutes to midnight.

“Well, I’ll be sure to put a little something extra into it for you.” Flare said with a smile, glancing back to the clock. Four minutes to midnight.

Nimbus swallowed nervously. This was it; she’d been rehearsing this moment in her head all day. “Well, that’s not the only thing that I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve been having some... thoughts lately. About how I feel about myself and people, now that I’m a pony...” She trailed off looking at the clock again. Two minutes to midnight.

Flare began to concentrate, his horn glowing with a fiery orange light as he prepared his spell. “Well, I’m honestly not surprised. It’s gotta be tough getting used to being in a new body.”

Nimbus nodded and scooted a little closer, so the two ponies were sitting next to each other. “Yeah, it’s certainly been that...” she muttered under her breath, her wings starting to unfurl despite themselves as she glanced at the clock. Forty-five seconds to midnight. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is that I want out of this... y’know, not just the Guard but...” she trailed off, blushing furiously under the armor’s enchantment.

Flare turned his head to look at her, his horn glowing brighter as he prepared to launch the initial fireworks. Five seconds to midnight. “Well, what did you decide?”

It was then that Nimbus couldn’t take it. The warring sides in her brain froze her up, and the feelings in her heart surged to take control. She leaned forward, planting a kiss squarely on Flare’s muzzle.

Flare’s eyes snapped as wide open as they could, and the light surrounding his horn shone blindingly before rocketing skyward. The orange sphere arced to approximately five hundred feet into the air before exploding spectacularly, forming a multitude of shades ranging from bright yellow and green to deep reds and purples.

The crowd below ‘ooh’d’ and ‘aah’d’, but for Nimbus and Flare, neither one of them even noticed, both focused solely on the other pony in front of them. After another second ticked by Flare pulled back, shock etched across his muzzle. “What in Equestria was that for?”

Nimbus just sat there, frozen. Her brain finished re-asserting dominance over her rebellious emotions, and she blinked rapidly a few times. “I... I...” She suddenly found herself at a loss for words and spun, spreading her wings in preparation for takeoff. She leaped, getting a foot into the air before an orange light enveloped her, gently pulling her back to the roof and turning her so she could see Flare looking at her. “I’m sorry; I don’t know what came over me. It’s just that... ever since the exam, I’ve been having these feelings and I didn’t know what to do about them or even how to feel about them...” She was rambling, trying to scoot free of the magic holding her down, when Flare sighed and got to his hooves, the flashes of the other fireworks being launched illuminating the roof.

“Nimbus, shut up. That’s an order,” he said before kissing her gently. Nimbus felt her wings snap out straight, but no longer cared. Flared pulled away after a few seconds. “You could have said something to me, you know.”

Nimbus flattened her ears. “Well, I didn’t know whether I even should be having these feelings or not. I mean, I used to be a completely different species not four months ago and-” She stopped as Flare gently put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Regardless of what species you were, you’re Equestrian now. You’re an outstanding officer and a great pony too.” He smiled gently. “Now, why don’t we watch the fireworks, and once the party’s finished up, we can talk about us.”

Nimbus found herself smiling widely. “O-okay.” She shook her head inside, trying to get herself under some semblance of control. She was acting like it was high school all over again. Flare let the magic holding her fade, and turned back to his original position, inclining his head for her to join him. Tentatively she scooted closer until they were sitting side by side, heads tilted back as they watched the multitude of explosions overhead. Slowly, Nimbus extended her wing so that it was lying across Flare’s back, and Flare leaned in slightly so that their shoulders were touching.

Overhead, Dawn Breeze shook her head and muttered a good-natured curse under her breath. “Certainly took her long enough. Looks like Willow’s won the bet on this one.”

Princess Celestia smiled as President Foster joined her in the VIP pavilion, two glasses of sparkling cider held in his hands. “Thank you very much Tyler.”

Foster smiled, having honestly enjoyed the party despite his reservations about holding it in spite of the attack a few days ago. “You’re welcome Princess. Now, as much as I dislike dragging business into a party like this, have your investigations into the attack yielded anything?” He held out one of the glasses.

Celestia sighed as she took it from him. “Unfortunately, no. There are still a few areas of Equestria remaining to be searched, in case this group was able to make a second teleport back. However, the odds of finding them remain scarce. The zebras and Canids have not located anything, and the Ambassador to the dragons has not given any indication either. Have your satellites had any success in finding anything?”

Foster shook his head, idly swirling his glass. “We’re still looking, but there’s a lot of undeveloped land in the north, and that’s even assuming their location was above ground. If it’s far enough underground, short of visually inspecting every square foot of this continent, we won’t be able to find them.”

“And given they were able to infiltrate our contribution to the CDC effort; they may have others listening in to warn them of any attempt on our part. I’ve directed Cloudhammer to review our security procedures to attempt to prevent this from happening again,” Celestia said with a small smile. “Perhaps in the future, instead of pushing apart, we should integrate our forces. After all, having the ability to cancel out unicorn magic and pegasus reconnaissance would benefit your forces immensely.”

Foster chuckled a little. “And you gaining a means to help defend against human weaponry certainly wouldn’t hurt your forces either.”

They shared a laugh before Foster looked up at the fireworks. “It’s been one hell of a year, hasn’t it?”

Celestia looked up as well. “It most certainly has.”

They stood there, two leaders, two different species.

Together.

01 - A New Dawn

Week 1, Sunday

He was done with tears. His arms burned as he and an ensign he didn’t know hauled another sheet-wrapped body to the aft main deck, where hundreds of others had already been laid. Reaching an open spot, they gently set it down and started to make their way back when the ensign stopped by one of the Super Hornets. She slammed a fist against the fuselage and hung her head, shoulders shaking with a series of fresh sobs. Not knowing anything more to say, he put his hand on her shoulder for a moment, then turned as a voice called out.

“Captain Avery! You’re needed on the flight deck.”

Turning from the sobbing ensign, Captain Eric Avery ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair as he looked to see who was calling his name. Shaking the sweat off as he saw it was Major Jeffries; he threw his hand up in a weary salute.

“Sir yes Sir Connor.” Jeffries waved off the salute.

“I think given the circumstances we can relax protocol somewhat. Come on Slip, time’s a wasting and the admiral wants some eyes on that anomaly.” Conner, also known by his callsign ‘Bear’, looked every bit as exhausted as Eric did, but he still managed to radiate that air of authority and confidence that made him such a skilled officer.

Turning back to the ensign, Eric realized his hand was still on her shoulder and he let it drop to his side. Nodding her thanks, the ensign headed off towards the door into the bowels of the ship to fetch another body.

“C’mon Eric, she’ll be fine, we’ll all be fine.” Connor spoke the last part almost as if he needed to reaffirm it for himself. Eric thumped his friend on the shoulder as they walked to the stairs that led to the flight deck.

“So they got the tow hook set up for the Eagle?”

“Yea and your ass got the short straw. So you’ll get to fly over and take a look at whatever the fuck that thing is. And stay sharp while you’re up there, right now that Eagle’s worth more than everyone on this ship put together.”

With a partially forced laugh they opened the hatch that led onto the flight deck. Normally a bustle of activity, it seemed almost abandoned now. A lone fighter sat on Catapult Three, with a few people milling around getting it ready to take off. Crossing the vast expanse of metal, Eric looked out to the southwest, where a bright white glow could be seen. He still felt a little shaky, and looked down at his left hand, where the skin was still tinged black. With a shudder, he remembered the screaming horror of waking up in agony, listening to the howls of dying men echoing through the ship. Wiping his hand on the sleeve of his flight suit he forced himself to put those thoughts away, though he could still hear them in the back of his head.

Looking up as he reached the plane, he walked a slow inspection of the F-15 Eagle. He really regretted not having more experience with them, but given that it was the only plane with a fly-by-cable system he didn’t have much of a choice. Finishing the inspection, he accepted his helmet and climbed up the ladder into the cockpit. Settling himself into the seat, he secured his harness and pulled shut the canopy, muting the sounds of the deck activity around him. Starting the ignition sequence, he was pleased to see that for once something seemed to be going right on this hellish morning. Feeling a steady hum that soon escalated into a roar as the engines fired up, he flashed a thumbs up to the flight officer. He was then pushed back into the seat as the catapult engaged, throwing the fighter down the deck and off into the sky.

Throttling the engines up, he smoothly pulled the nose up, letting his view be filled by the calm sky, the eastern horizon shining gold with the light of the rising sun.

“Just another day in paradise.” He muttered to himself, knowing that no one on the deck could hear him. Finally deciding to just get the job over with, he rolled onto his left side and curved around, seeing the source of the strange light below him.

It looked for all the world like a small dome, only a quarter mile across by his best estimate. Crewmen looking at it from the deck of the carrier figured it only stood about ten feet or so above the surface of the water, but oddly enough the water seemed to almost be repelled by it, waves that should have splashed over it simply parted around it. When it had first appeared, it gave off so much light that most of the men on deck looking that direction had been blinded. Eric supposed that it didn’t matter much, since a few seconds after the light hit them, men started dropping like flies, patches of black growing rapidly on their skin and nausea doubling them over. Not even men below had been spared, the strange radiation not slowed in the slightest by the steel bulkheads. He’d heard from scuttlebutt that even engineers on the other side of the reactors had been affected, which by all rights shouldn’t have happened. The worst of it was that all the planes that had been in the air had simply tumbled into the ocean, as if their pilots had simply flipped a switch. They’d looked for parachutes, but either no one had been able to reach the lever or the system had failed outright. They’d ended up having to write them off as lost, and his eyes clouded as he remembered all the faces he’d never see again.

Shaking his head and blinking his eyes clear, he could see the little dome coming up, and rolling the fighter upside down, he craned his head up to look down at it as he flew right over it. He only got a few seconds to look, but what he saw in those few seconds made no sense. His eyes traced over the small forms of what could only be buildings, shining white in the light of a morning sun. He could make out an enormous river, flowing into what must be a waterfall.

“What in God’s name?” He rolled the fighter right side up and began a long turn, coming down lower to get a better look.

---Half an hour earlier---

Star Dancer still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was as if his dream had decided disturbing his sleep wasn’t enough, and torn its way free from his head to appear in front of everypony. Looking around the throne room he could see ponies running back and forth, most with panic written across their muzzles, but an island of calm existed where Celestia, Luna and the Bearers stood in deep conversation with several bureauponies. He could see another a short distance away, this one composed solely of gold-armored bodies. His father stood in the middle barking out orders to pegasi and unicorns alike, ignoring the glare that the other pegasus general was giving him. He turned his cyan eyes back to the disk in the sky, feeling again that sense of something pulling at his wings.

“Star Dancer? Is something the matter?” He jumped at the voice, turning to see his mother looking at him oddly.

“N-no. Just trying to wrap my head around all this.” Star finished weakly, shooting another nervous glance out the window.

“Don’t worry son. The Princesses and your father won’t rest until a solution is found to this.” Morning Sun smiled, laying a wing across her son’s back in an attempt to quell the unease he was obviously feeling.

“Hey Mom, I’m going to go stretch my wings for a bit, maybe go take a nap back at my place. I’ll be home in time for lunch.” Star gently lifted his mother’s wing and turned to leave.

“Are you sure sweetheart? You could just use your bedroom back at the house; I kept it ready for you in case you ever needed it.”

“It’s not a problem; the Princesses are letting Cloudsdale stay over the city for a while longer. Try to make sure Dad doesn’t overdo it.” Star replied with a laugh as he turned and trotted out the door. Morning Sun watched him go and then turned to look back out the window again at the second sun in the sky.

…

Star Dancer trotted through the palace halls expecting somepony to challenge him or otherwise try and stop him, but the outer corridors seemed deserted. Finally reaching the main entrance he spread his wings and took flight, looping lazily over the city. Looking down, he could see ponies hurrying to and from the different buildings or simply looking up in wonder at the strange phenomenon that had interrupted their lives. The pulling at his wings only got worse until he finally turned upward, flapping his wings steadily as he flew towards the disk. As he drew near he could dimly hear wind, which made him feel less suicidal about what he was contemplating doing.

Suddenly the absurdity of actually trying to see if the strange disk would actually lead to somewhere else overtook his mind, causing him to slow his flapping and sink back down away towards Canterlot. But as his brain waged war with itself, his heart stepped in, and with a deep breath Star Dancer closed his eyes, held his breath, and flew into the disk. His forelegs pressed into it, briefly encountering resistance before sliding through. He swore it almost felt like flying through a giant soap bubble, though as he continued upwards he felt a peculiar sense of… otherness, almost like there was some sliver of something around him far greater than anypony before or after him could describe in words. Then he was abruptly through, his nose filling with the smell of salt air, almost intoxicating in its aroma. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Star took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Looking around, his jaw dropped at what he beheld.

Water. Water stretching as far as he could see in all directions. Turning in place as he continued to climb, he could see a peculiar looking island close by with a lot of smaller islands around it. All of them were the same grey color, with strange white and yellow markings on the largest one. He leveled out and started to fly closer, his ears swiveling as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. All he could hear was the roar of the wind as it grew louder… in sudden fear, he realized that the sound wasn’t just the wind, and turned in time to see a monstrous grey creature bearing down on him at incredible speed. Trying to dive out of the way, he saw the creature pull up and away, missing him by a few dozen ponylengths. But the wind from its passage knocked him head over hooves, his wings trying madly to stabilize himself. With a sickening pop he felt his right wing dislocate, and the pain nearly knocked him out cold. He was finally able to stop the tumble with his left wing, and saw that he was close enough to the strange grey island to land on it. Struggling to stay aloft with only one working wing, Star spiraled downward towards the island, the pain growing steadily worse as he instinctively tried to use his right wing. As he neared the island’s surface, he saw the edges of his vision going black and as he fell awkwardly into unconsciousness, he could swear that he saw a gathering of strange creatures looking up at him. One of them started to run forwards with its arms outstretched as if to try and catch him, but any further speculation ended as the darkness claimed him.

…

Conner skidded to a stop as the creature fell into his arms, knocking him flat on his ass and the wind from his lungs. Cursing as he sat up, he rolled the tan and grey-haired body onto the deck beside him. Taking a few deep breaths, he took a better look at what had decided to pay them a visit. His eyes widened as he traced over the short muzzle, the four hoofed legs and the two wings growing from its back. Further inspection brought his eyes to its hind leg, which bore some kind of brand, a trio of stars with little honest to God speed lines making it look like they were spinning around each other. Finally, he dredged up the word from his high school days.

“A goddamned pegasus. That’s it, I’ve fuckin’ snapped, and I’ll be stuck in the loony bin for the rest of my life.” Heaving himself to his feet, he looked around at the other crewmen who’d gathered around and were all looking at the pegasus with glassy eyes and open mouths. Shaking his head, he looked back down and realized that the right wing looked to be in bad shape. He nudged it with his boot and the reaction was instant, the creature twitching violently.

“Alright then, you, Simmons, grab a stretcher.” The man in question jumped slightly.

“Sir?”

“You heard me Petty Officer! Get your ass in gear and get me a fucking stretcher! Since you all seem to be seeing this thing too, that means it’s real. And that means we’ve just become the first goddamned men to meet something from somewhere else. And frankly, I’d rather not piss off any friends that might come lookin’ for it.” Properly chastised, Simmons ran off across the deck.

“’Sides, thing like this will sell for a shitload of money to some zoo.” One of the other men muttered, eyes lit as he realized the possibilities in front of them.

“Hell, you want to swim to Hawaii and tell them what we found, its four hundred miles that way. In the meantime, we’re gonna take care of this thing like it’s the fucking Holy Grail. Any man who thinks otherwise is going to be in for a rude surprise when I kick his ass.” Connor shot an angry glare around at the others, who decided that it wasn’t worth it to press the issue. Looking over as Simmons came back with the stretcher, Connor helped him spread it out and heave the pegasus onto it. It didn’t fit so well, and its wings hung limply off the sides, but they’d be able to get it down to the infirmary.

…

“So what the hell do you expect me to do with this?” The ship’s doctor shouted angrily, the infirmary filled with the sounds of the men worst hit by the strange growths.

“Look Sam, the damn thing flew up out of that strange dome on the water. Slip hit it with his jet wash by accident and it landed on the deck. Not asking for much, just to fix its damn wing.”

“Alright, but I’m not treating it in here with all my patients. Bring it over here.” Lieutenant Sam Molino, now the ranking medical officer on the ship, waved a nurse over and told her he was stepping out for a moment and to not talk about what she saw on the stretcher. After she got her staring out of the way and went back to work, he led the two men into an empty room across the hall. Laying the stretcher down on the floor, he looked the pegasus over and shook his head in awe.

“Just when I think I’ve seen everything. Alright, let’s get a look here; you said it had a reaction to your touching the right wing?” Gently prodding the limb with his fingers, he nodded as the tan body shuddered in response.

“Yea, wasn’t sure if it was broken or not, but figured to get it down here to get looked at and out of sight of everyone wantin’ to take a peek.”

“Well, I’m not a vet, but it looks like its just dislocated, give me just a second…” Sam poked around where the limb joined the body, and nodding, took hold of the wing with both hands. “I need you two to hold down its legs and other wing while I put it back into its socket. Without anesthetic, this is going to hurt like hell.” Nodding, Connor and Simmons took up position and braced themselves. Sam nodded and then twisted the wing to mimic the position of the other with a loud pop. The pegasus jolted awake with a scream, thrashing violently under Simmons and Conner, the two men nearly thrown off despite being braced.

“Christ he’s strong! Alright, let him go!” All three men jumped back as the pegasus tried to leap into the air, only to have its right wing give out and crash into the wall. It jumped to its hooves and backed into the furthest corner, eyes rolling in fear and its left wing extended.

...

Cloudhammer watched the pegasus leave with yet another message, this time bound for Fillydelphia to recall the guards stationed there. Taking a sip of water to relieve the ache in his throat from shouting so many orders, he turned to General Gold Arrow.

“Alright, that takes care of that. I need to go get something to eat, think you can handle it without me?” He asked wryly. Arrow sniffed disdainfully.

“I’ve been doing this for a lot longer than you, General. I believe I can keep this situation well in hand.” Gold Arrow seethed inwardly at having this relic put on the same level as him. Cloudhammer’s views were outdated, and needed to be cut out. Yes the Royal Guard was still needed, but there were simply better uses that they could be put to. Equestria was in an era of peace, it was time for the soldiers like Cloudhammer to see that they were the minority and needed to be phased out. The barest trace of a smile crossed his muzzle as he started to figure out how just to accomplish that.

Trotting through the palace halls, Cloudhammer was glad to see that the panic which had gripped the castle staff seemed to be replaced by a tense order. Reaching the gate, he nodded to the unicorn guard posted there.

“You going for a flight too sir?”

“Just going to take a short break, get some food with my wife and son. What do you mean by ‘too’?” Cloudhammer asked curiously.

“Your son came by here about a half hour ago, something seemed to be bothering him, but seemed to be in a better mood once he got airborne.”

“I see. Well, if you happen to see him, let him know I went back home.” The guard saluted as Cloudhammer spread his wings and took off. Deciding to head straight home and see if Star was simply there with Morning Sun. The city beyond the castle seemed to be calming down as well, the nobleponies deciding that the novelty of the disk of light in the sky was gone. Shaking his head, he swooped down to his front door and nosed it open.

“Is that you Star? Oh, welcome home dear.” Morning Sun trotted from the kitchen and nuzzled her mate.

“I take it Star’s not back yet?” Cloudhammer started to get a slight twinge of a bad feeling on the back of his neck.

“No, he told me he was going back home to his apartment in Cloudsdale, try to get some sleep. He’s still got some time before he’d be running late. Come on and eat, you’ll see him when he gets here.” But it was too late; Cloudhammer was already trotting out the door, spreading his wings and leaping into the air. Shaking her head in resignation at her silly husband, Morning trotted back to the table where her lunch was waiting.

…

Cloudhammer was now more than concerned. After asking around for Star in Cloudsdale, he had learned that his son had never come home. Nopony had seen him since he left the castle. Landing in a market near the center of town, he was trotting past a group of conversing nobleponies when he overheard something that made him freeze in place.

“… and then, if you can believe it, the poor dear just flies right up into the disk and vanishes!” The other assembled ponies gasped, then gasped again as the speaker found herself spun around to see a pair of ice blue eyes boring into hers.

“Who are you talking about, describe them to me now.” The voice was as hard and unyielding as a diamond, and the pony gulped before speaking in a stammering rush.

“H-he was a tan pegasus, I think, with a lighter grey mane and tail. But I can’t be sure…” She never finished speaking, as in a rush of wind Cloudhammer was gone, racing toward the castle.

“What in the name of Equestria was that all about?” The nobleponies wondered briefly about it, but shrugged and continued their conversation about just what the latest fashion trends would be.

Flying dangerously low over the rooftops, Cloudhammer resembled a golden missile as he arrowed into the Guard training area and landed at the supply room. Marching in past the guard with barely a curt nod, he started gathering a day’s worth of food supplies, and some basic medical gear. He was so focused on his search that he didn’t even notice the unicorn that trotted up behind him.

“So, mind telling me what’s going on that has you in such a hurry?” Captain Flare asked as he trotted into the storeroom. Cloudhammer didn’t answer, securing the last of the supplies in a bag which he shoved under his armor. Flare was about to ask again when Cloudhammer paused and looked back at his friend.

“It’s Star Dancer; I think he flew into the disk. I’m going to find him and bring him back”

Flare was stunned, his jaw hanging open for a few seconds before he clacked it shut. Nodding sharply, he moved up beside Cloudhammer and started packing his own bag. Cloudhammer looked at him in confusion before comprehension dawned.

“No, Flare. You’re not coming with me, this is too dangerous.”

“And going on your own is any better? You’re my friend and I’ll see an earth pony fly before I let you go off on a hare-brained rescue mission alone. Now, I’m coming with you or I’ll tell Celestia on you.” Flare looked at his friend as finished packing, his brown eyes carrying as much determination as Cloudhammer’s blue ones. With a sigh, Cloudhammer shook his head.

“Let’s go find a chariot.”

…

Star Dancer was terrified. He remembered falling towards the ground of some strange island, and seeing some creature running forwards to catch him before blacking out. Then he woke to a searing pain in his right wing and found himself held by three of the strange creatures. Thrashing violently, he had felt them release him and he tried to fly away, only for his wing to fold in with a flash of pain and his head hit a solid wall. Getting to his hooves, he backed into a corner, his left wing flared and trying to appear imposing as the three creatures looked at him.

“Who are you? Where am I?” He shouted, only for them to look shocked, or he thought it looked like shock, and take a step back. He tilted his head and decided to try not shouting this time.

“Do you speak Equestrian? My name is Star Dancer.”

“Do you know what the hell it’s saying Sam?” Connor started as the pegasus made more noises, they sounded almost musical, and he could swear that they sounded just like the foreign languages he’d learned in middle school.

“Fuck if I know, but it’s definitely talkin bout something, almost like it’s asking us a question.” Sam was just as flabbergasted as the rest of them, and honestly despite himself, he swore the pegasus was looking at them with those blue-green eyes and trying to understand what they were saying.

Suddenly, the door swung open and another of the air crew ran in, breathing hard.

“Major Jeffries sir, you need to come topside now. Slip just landed the Eagle, and says that something else is coming out of that dome, another flying one pulling something.” Connor looked at Sam, then to the pegasus, and made up his mind. Holding up his hands as non-threateningly as possible, he approached the pegasus slowly.

“Hey, we’re going to take you up topside, okay? Do you understand me?” Feeling somewhat silly, he pointed to everyone in the room and then to the pegasus, then up at the ceiling. Those blue-green eyes followed him carefully and then seemed to weigh its options. He was taken aback by how expressive the thing’s face was, how it furrowed it’s eyebrows in hesitation before nodding slowly. Connor smiled a little and turned to the others.

“Okay, this is how it goes. We take this thing topside now; try to show the other ones that are coming that we didn’t hurt it. Then hopefully this already fucked up day doesn’t get any worse.” Sam and Simmons looked at each other uneasily, before Sam sighed.

“Well, we’ll need to bandage that wing first, I’ll be right back.” Walking out the door, Sam soon came back with a roll of bandages held in one hand. Approaching the pegasus, he held it out so that it could see it and smell it. After sniffing intently at both it and his hand, the pegasus seemed to understand what Sam as getting at and turned to present it’s right side. Smiling, Sam moved over and quickly wrapped the bandages around its torso, making sure to avoid the left wing. After the first pass the pegasus got the hint and extended its left wing, and Sam finished the rest of the wrap.

“Well, that’s another question answered. This pegasus of yours is a male.” Connor tilted his head in surprise.

“How’d ya figure that Sam?” Sam looked up, a deadpan expression on his face. Connor threw his hands up and laughed.

“Alright you laughing idiot, let’s just get this over with. And I hope to God you’re right about this.”

…

Cloudhammer looked around, his eyes wide as he tried to figure out where he was. Behind him in the one-pony chariot, Flare was just as dumbstruck.

“Where in the name of the Sun are we?”

“I don’t know Flare, but I’m pretty sure we’re not in Equestria anymore. I see something off to the right, looks like the only land around. If Star came through, I think that’s where he’d be.” Banking smoothly, Cloudhammer angled in to land on the largest of the strange islands. As they approached they heard a dull roar, watching in undisguised awe as a large, grey bird-like creature landed on the other end of the island. Peering closer, Cloudhammer saw the creature’s head open up and a smaller creature climb out, jumping to the ground and running across the deck to join a gathering crowd of similar creatures.

“Are you sure about this Cloudhammer? You know I’ve got your flank covered, but there are a lot of them down there.” Cloudhammer shot a glance back and simply increased his angle, flaring his wings and landing on the ground with a clatter of hooves. Coming to a stop, Cloudhammer looked curiously at the ground, stamping a hoof on it tentatively.

“I think this whole island’s made of metal Flare. This much metal would make armor for easily ten times the number of Guards we have today.” Cloudhammer looked up when Flare didn’t answer, and noticed that the crowd of creatures had now surrounded them in a loose arc. There were four of them with strange objects in their hands, though they held them at their sides. The two ponies slowly moved to stand shoulder to shoulder, giving the strange creatures a closer look. They stood in a similar pose to Diamond Dogs, but more upright. They didn’t have fur, but wore what could only be clothes, and after looking at how many of them had similar outfits Cloudhammer decided that they were uniforms.

“I am General Cloudhammer of the Equestrian Royal Guard. My companion is Captain Flare. We have come here in the belief that my son…” Cloudhammer trailed off as he realized that none of the strange creatures seemed to understand a word he was saying. Giving a sidelong glance to Flare, he muttered, “I suppose it makes perfect sense that nopony here speaks proper Equest…”

“DAD!” Cloudhammer froze, his eyes widening as he turned towards a commotion in the crowd. Three more of the creatures were pushing their way through the crowd, and coming with them was a tan form, shouldering its way through until it stood in front of him, white bandages wrapped around its torso and right wing.

“Star?” Cloudhammer crashed into his son, wrapping his neck around Star’s, and heard a few sighed sounds from the surrounding creatures. Looking up, he could see one of the new ones standing there, a roll of bandages held in one of its paws. Giving it a long glare, he turned his attention back to Star Dancer.

“Dad, that one helped me. I dislocated my wing and he reset it and bandaged it and I’m so sorry I flew through the disk I don’t know what came over me but I just felt I had to and…” Star Dancer’s rambling was silenced as Cloudhammer moved past him to stand in front of the creature, looking up into its eyes with his best Guard stare.

…

“I totally think those two are related, I remember acting just like that when my dad caught me doing something I shouldn’t have.” Sam muttered to Connor, before realizing the gold-armored one was now standing in front of him. His brown eyes met the blue ones and he had to fight the urge not to cringe or take a half step back. The bladed helmet it was wearing didn’t help either, especially since its height put the blade at a most uncomfortable level. He held its stare for a few more seconds before he awkwardly laughed and stuck out his free hand.

“Ummm, glad I was able to help, it was nothing.” He felt so stupid talking to a four foot flying horse… was it a horse? The damn thing was short enough to be a pony. He realized that the pegasus was staring at his hand oddly, then lifted one of its legs and placed its hoof into his hand. Still trying not to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation, he gave the hoof a firm shake and then released it. The pegasus lowered its hoof and turned it sideways, almost like it were a normal hand. Giving it a tentative sniff, it tossed its head and turned towards the other one, which Sam recognized quicker as a unicorn. They started conversing with each other in whatever language they spoke, the tan one interrupting every so often. Sam watched them until he heard a commotion behind him. He started to turn, but then stopped and looked up as he saw something moving out of the corner of his eye. Everyone else looked up too, and joined him in gaping at the sight they saw.

…

“In any case Star, I’ll be taking you back first. Then I can bring the chariot back for Flare.” Cloudhammer looked pointedly at the unicorn, who only sighed in long-suffering resignation.

“The things I do for my friends. Alright then, let’s get the chariot ready and…” Flare suddenly realized that nopony else was paying attention, and were instead all looking up in the sky with a mixture of shock and awe. “What’s everypony looking at anyway?” Turning his head, Flare’s jaw dropped and he slumped to his haunches as he beheld the figure descending towards them. “Oh, horseapples.”

A moment later, a quartet of gold-shod hooves landed on the deck causing the metal to ring like a bell. The note was somehow deep and ominous, yet sweet and gentle at the same time. Celestia looked over the crowd of gathered creatures for a few long seconds, her multicolored mane blowing gently against the breeze. She eventually turned her gaze to the three ponies who were scraping their chins on the deck.

“Cloudhammer, please rise.” Lifting his chin from the metal ground, Cloudhammer still couldn’t bring his head all the way up to meet her gaze.

“Princess, I want to apologize for my poor conduct in coming here. I accept all blame for this, Star Dancer and Captain Flare are innocent…” Flare rose from his bow and moved to stand beside Cloudhammer.

“Innocent my flank! Celestia, I hold as much responsibility for coming as General Cloudhammer, and refuse to allow him to take all the punishment for this.”

Celestia looked from one pony to the other, her eyes unreadable for a moment. She then smiled softly and looked to Cloudhammer.

“You could have at least told me. I wouldn’t have tried to stop you, you know.” Cloudhammer blushed under the armor’s enchantment and dug a hoof at the ground. Celestia looked like she had more to say, but a new creature pushed its way through the crowd to stand next to the one holding bandages. Looking over his clothing, which bore much more gold and silver across its shoulders than the others did, she assumed that he was the one in charge.

“And I would assume that this one is the leader of this island?” The creatures all looked at each in confusion again.

“It appears that they do not speak our language Princess, nor do I recognize theirs.” Celestia frowned as she pondered what to do about this problem. Pulling up and discarding two dozen spells, she remembered that there was an old one that would do the job nicely. She walked slowly forward, stopping before the creature that appeared to be in charge before her horn lit, the gold aura reaching forward towards his head.

…

“Admiral Holt sir, I think this is a bad idea. We have no idea what this thing could do to you.” Andrew St. Clair wasn’t happy with this whole situation. He and the other surviving masters at arms had a good plan when the strange creatures had started coming out of the dome. Jerome, being the best marksman after Chris bit the big one was posted on the island, and could put a round into any of these pony things without missing a beat. He squeezed the grip on his sidearm tightly as the gold light reached out and enveloped the admiral’s head.

“Now son, I understand your concern, which is why I’ve got you right here beside me. I got a feelin that this might help us get some answers, so we’ll give it a shot and…” Bill Holt’s voice trailed off as he actually felt the light seeping into his head, simultaneously burning like liquid fire, yet oddly fuzzy like warm dryer lint. He could feel it as it flowed across and through his brain for what seemed an eternity, yet could have only been a few seconds. As it began to withdraw he began to feel the return of the headache that had exploded in the first minutes after the burst of light a few hours ago. Finally the gold light withdrew and returned to the tall winged unicorn. Holt staggered slightly at the release of the sensation and heard the MAAs snap their side arms up, along with a peculiar rasp of steel on steel as the gold-armored pegasus snapped its wings out.

“Everyone stand down. There’s been enough death today already. Andrew, signal your man in the island to stand down as well.” Andrew and the other MAAs hesitated a moment, but then holstered their weapons. Andrew then turned towards the carrier’s island and waved his arms while shaking his head.

The winged unicorn was standing where it had done whatever it did, her eyes rolling and twitching underneath its eyelids for a few seconds. Finally opening them its muzzle worked itself into various shapes, before in a soft, melodious voice she spoke.

“There, I do think this will make things much easier.” The gathered crewmen were simply dumbstruck; those who had been holding tools dropped them to the deck. The winged unicorn laughed lightly, sounding something akin to the ringing of a glass harp, before turning her magenta eyes towards Holt.

“Now, before my manners desert me further, my name is Princess Celestia of Equestria, you have already met General Cloudhammer, Captain Flare, and Star Dancer, who is Cloudhammer’s son. We apologize if our arrival on your island violated your sovereignty. May I ask your name?”

“I’m Rear Admiral Lower Half William Holt, of the United States Navy. Though I have to ask, if you could pull how to speak English out of my head like a rabbit from a hat, why didn’t you get my name too?” Celestia tilted her head quizzically.

“Because not asking would certainly be rude, would it not?”

Bill stood there flabbergasted for a moment before bursting into laughter at both her comment and the sheer absurdity of the situation.

“I guess you have a point there Princess.”

With a soft smile, Celestia then turned to Star Dancer. The young pegasus instantly fell into another deep bow. Celestia only lowered her horn and touched it lightly to the bandaged wing, the binding falling to the deck in a shower of dust. Star experimentally extended the wing and flapped it energetically as the pain was gone.

“Thank you very much Princess.” Celestia laughed again as she raised her head.

“Think nothing of it my dear, though perhaps next time staying away from mysterious disks in the sky would be more advisable.” All the ponies laughed at this, prompting a few forced chuckles from the crewmen, who still had no idea what was being said.

…

President Tyler Foster rubbed his eyes again, wishing once again that someone would have told him the truth about this office before he got into it. Sure, being the leader of one of the most powerful nations on the planet was cool and all, but he still felt like there were bars hidden in the bulletproof windows of the People’s House.

“Sir, we were finally able to get a functional satellite overhead to get pictures of the target area. I think you’ll be interested in this one in particular.” The aide set down a grainy photograph, showing very clearly two pegasi, a unicorn, and a much taller winged unicorn standing in the center of a cluster of men, Admiral Bill Holt visible among them.

President Foster stared hard at the picture for a few long seconds, before coming to a decision.

“Get Air Force One prepared for immediate departure. I’ll be going there myself.”

“Right away Mr. President.”

12 - The Longest Day

Week 32, Thursday

        He tried to lift his head, but things seemed to move in slow-motion. He was aware of something near him crying, and tried to focus on it, but the effort drained most of the energy he had left. He felt tears splashing against his face and wondered whose they were. He reached out to try and touch whoever was standing over him, but felt and saw the darkness rushing in and then there was nothing.

        ---Three hours earlier---

        “Alright Flare, put up your bet.” Karl said, sliding a couple quarters into the pile of assorted items in the middle of the table.

        “I’m going to win one of these rounds.” The unicorn said, beginning to take another bit from his pouch when a pair of hard bangs echoed throughout the building. Everyone in the room froze, the other three guards not knowing what the sounds meant. Flare felt the bottom drop out of his stomach and saw the two humans change personalities as if a switch had been thrown.

        “Karl, check the hall. Flare, you and your unicorns will need to do exactly what we say. The others should be in the dining room. Twilight, Mystic and Spellweaver were resting in their rooms in the hallway. We’ll split up; two of you will come with me to check on Twilight and the others. Karl, take the others and try to determine what we’re facing. Do not engage unless necessary.” Kevin said as he unholstered his pistol and made sure the safety was off, chambering a round after nodding.

        “Roger that Kevin.” Karl said as he checked his sidearm. “You two, what are your names?”

        “Private Ruby sir.” One of the unicorns said quietly.

        “Second Lieutenant Frost.” The other replied firmly.

        “You two are coming with me. Stay close and do not try to be a hero. That’s the best way to get dead.” Karl ordered as he moved to the doorway. Peeking out, he nodded. “Alright, follow me.” The two unicorns quietly hurried after him and down the hallway.

        Kevin took a phone from his pocket and pressed a single button. The phone buzzed for a few seconds before a calm voice replied over the line. “Identify yourself and your situation.”

        “This is Tango One One Two Seven. The hotel is on fire.”

        “Understood. Nature of fire?”

        “Unknown. Sending firefighters to investigate. Need additional trucks.”

        “Support is on the way. Hang in there.” The line went dead.

        “Alright, help should be arriving soon. You, what’s your name?” Kevin asked the other unicorn as he motioned them down the side hall towards the personal rooms.

        “Private Dawn Joy.” The unicorn whispered.

        “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Once we get to Twilight and the others, we wake them up and gather them all. After that we help them out a window. You and Flare will escort them to safety and wait for us. Do you understand me?”

        Joy opened his mouth to answer when a fresh round of bangs echoed through the building, making him shrink in place and flatten his ears.

        “I need you with us Private. There are civilians here at risk. Your duty is clear.” Flare ordered.

        “Yes sir… I get you sir.” Joy stood a little taller, though his ears stayed stubbornly tilted back.

        Kevin nodded and led the way down the hall toward the staff bedrooms.

        ---

        Suzy whinnied in fear as another series of bangs echoed from somewhere in the building and pressed herself closer to Amy and Fluttershy. Jimmy snorted angrily, but otherwise held his ground between the mares and the strange men who reeked of anger.

        “I told Five before we left to make sure Four didn’t turn this into a bloodbath too early. Three, go support Four and Five.” The man who’d shot George ordered. One of the other men nodded and readied his rifle, pacing out of the room silently. “As for the rest of you, I recommend that you continue to behave yourselves and remain quiet.”

        “What is that you want?” Dr. Ross asked from where she was sitting on the floor.

        “Yea, what’s the big idea?” Rainbow chimed in hotly, only to feel Dr. Ross’s hand on her shoulder. The cyan pegasus settled down as the man turned to look at her.

        “I am only going to say this once. You will sit there and remain quiet, or I will kill one of your friends while you watch. Do I make myself clear?” The menace in his voice was plain, and for once Rainbow didn’t have a retort ready. This human wasn’t like any of the others she had met, and she knew that he meant what he’d said. She nodded meekly, even as she began to mentally gauge the distance to him to see if she could hit him before he could react.

        “Good.” He turned back to watching the one of the doorways into the cafeteria.

        Holly sat quietly on the floor next to George, having managed to at least keep him from bleeding out any further. He’d passed out after a few minutes, but his breathing at least was steady. She looked over at Dr. Ross, concern written across her face. “If George doesn’t get medical attention soon he’ll be in trouble. Do you know anything about medicine?” she whispered.

Dr. Ross slowly scooted closer, “Not enough to remove the bullet. He needs a surgeon and a proper hospital.”

The two women were interrupted by One, who’d noticed them scooting closer together. “I believe I just told you to sit there silently. Do I need to make a more… permanent example of one of you?”

Dr. Ross shook her head silently, but Holly met his gaze firmly. “My cameraman needs medical help. He’s going to die if you don’t let him get it.”

“Then he will be an unfortunate casualty. Now, sit there and be silent, or one of the ponies will pay the price for your actions.” One walked back to stand next to one of the other gunman.

        ---

        Karl ducked back around the corner as another bullet whizzed past his face. “Shit, they brought a lot of firepower. I told them we needed heavier weapons on-site.” Once the firing stopped, he snapped off a round downrange and cursed violently. “I’m out!”

        He waited, but no one walked out. Instead, a black muzzle poked around the corner and Karl slid back as more bullets hit the wall. “Damn, was hoping one of them would be stupid enough to look.”

        “What do we do now?” Ruby asked, a note of fear entering his voice. The unicorn had thought himself ready to face anything the humans had to dish out, but watching a demonstration of the kinds of weapons humans used was vastly different than having one pointed at you spitting death.

        “We do our jobs and try to take these fuckers out.” Karl hissed as the noise ended. Suddenly, he turned his head slightly as he heard a new sound coming from just ahead of them. It was someone crying, and he recognized the tone of voice immediately. “Shit, that’s Rarity.”

“Can you see where her voice is coming from?” Frost asked.

        Risking a glance around the corner, Karl could only see one closed door in the hall. “Looks like she’s in there. We need to get to her, but those guys are dug in like an Alabama tick.”

        “I can make it!” Private Ruby said firmly.  “I’ll take her with me and escape.”

        “Are you certain Private?” Frost asked, locking eyes with the younger unicorn.

        “Sure am, sir. I used to win the races every year at the Fall Harvest celebrations.”

        “Then you go, I’ll cover you.” Karl lifted his pistol and swung it out into the corridor, firing towards the enemy’s position. As soon as he did, Ruby broke into a dead gallop towards the closed door, his horn lighting as he drew close. His magic slammed the door open as he leapt through it… only for a chatter of bullets to strike his hind legs as he flew through the gap.

        “Damnit, that fucker got lucky.” Karl swore as he ejected his magazine. Reaching into his pocket, he only felt two more and swore again. “Only got two left.”

        Ruby shouted in pain as he landed heavily on the floor, scrambling out of sight as more bullets hammered the doorframe. Slamming the door shut with his magic, he took a second to take stock of his injuries. One of the bullets had ricocheted off his side armor, leaving what he knew would be a nasty bruise. The worst damage was further down, where one had torn clean through his leg. He fought to block out the pain as he looked around the room, seeing the sheets hanging off the bed shaking slightly. “Miss Rarity, it’s Private Ruby. Are you alright?”

        The sheets were pushed aside enough for a single blue eye to peek out. “Oh my stars, you’re bleeding!” She retreated as another series of bangs shattered the air. “What in Equestria is going on?”

        “We’re under attack. I’m going to get you out of here.” Ruby heaved himself to his feet and limped to the window, looking to the left and the right. He could see it was one of the alleys between the buildings, and it appeared empty. “I’m going to open the window and make sure it’s safe and then you’ll follow me. Understood?”

        “But your leg, you can’t possibly intend to move about on it. What if more of them are out there?” Rarity shrieked as a bullet blew a hole in the wall.

        “We can’t stay here. Now come on!” Ruby bellowed, feeling the familiar Guard disaster training kicking in. He turned to the window and carefully pulled it from the frame, setting the glass down gently. Taking a quick look outside, he nodded as he didn’t see any more humans. He turned back and motioned to Rarity, who took the hint and leaped through, shrieking as she landed in a pile of refuse.

        Ruby heaved himself through the window and fell into the refuse with a heavy grunt as his leg gave out. “Alright, let’s go.” He began to lead the way to the exit of the alley, when a set of flashing blue lights blinded him.

        “We got two ponies over here, one injured!” shouted a human in a blue uniform as he ran up, his pistol drawn. Ruby growled as he interposed himself between Rarity and the man, who raised his weapon. “It’s okay, I’m with the police, let’s get you two out of here.”

        A few more officers ran over, two of them picking up Ruby and carrying him as they ran to where a number of vehicles with flashing lights idled. Rarity galloped after them, looking over her shoulder worriedly at the building..

        ---

        Spike was dreaming, the baby dragon walking along a forest path towards where he was to meet Rarity for a picnic. The sun shone gently through the trees, birds sang, and all was well with the world. Then a hard bang echoed through the woods, cutting off the chirping of the birds. Spike stopped and looked around worriedly, before seeing a robin sitting on a branch looking at him. He smiled at it, only to jump backward as it opened its beak, another bang coming out instead of the expect chirping. As more birds began to make the frightening bangs, he felt himself being shaken awake. “Huh? What’s going on?”

        “C’mon Spike! We need to go now!” Twilight shouted, her terrified eyes inches from his. Suddenly Spike realized that there were a lot of ponies in his room, and Kevin was there too.

        “Twilight, what’s wrong?” He asked, only to cry out in terror as the hard bangs from his dream echoed through the halls.

        “Some mean people are here. Karl is taking care of them, but I want to get you all out of here first.” Kevin said as he strode to the window. Picking up a chair, he swung it and smashed the glass, sweeping the fragments from the frame. He took a quick look outside and nodded. “We’re clear, let’s go.” One by one, he helped the ponies awkwardly through the window. “Your turn Twilight. Twilight?” He turned to see the unicorn stuffing a few pieces of parchment into her bag and cursed. “We don’t have time for this Twilight!”

        “This is important! We need to tell the Princess right away!” Twilight said as she leaped through the window.

        “I swear to Christ these ponies will be the death of me. Alright Spike, you’re next.” He said as he hefted the dragon out the window to Twilight, then the two Guards.

        “But what about you?” Flare shouted.

        “It wouldn’t be sporting to get you all out and leave the others behind, would it?” Kevin chuckled, but then his smile faded. “Flare, get them out safely.” He started walking back to the door when a metallic thud caused him to look back. He shook his head as he saw Flare scrabbling the rest of the way through the window. “What are you doing?”

        “Well, I mistimed the jump.” Flare said as he shook himself off.

        “No. I mean that I ordered you to get the others out.” Kevin snapped.

        “They are. I’m not about to turn my back on ponies or humans that need my help.” Flare said, his brown eyes burning with determination.

        Kevin sighed and looked back to the door. “No point fighting about it now. Follow me and try to pay attention next time.”

        “Sure thing.” Flare said as they followed the source of the bangs.

        ---

        “C’mon you fucker! I got what you need right here!” Four shouted as he let loose another burst of gunfire toward the corner the bastard and that pony were hiding behind.

        “Calm down Four. One warned you not to get out of control.” Five said tiredly as he glanced back to see Three running towards them.

        “Five, what the hell is this?” Three paused as Four fired another salvo down the hall. “I thought you’d have Four under control this time.”

        “Fuck you Three. I’m going to kill these sons of bitches and to hell with what One says. These fuckers took everything from me!” Four snarled as he slammed a fresh clip into his assault rifle. Firing a burst down the hallway, he was rewarded by a shout of pain. “Got ya, you prick.”

        Down the hall, Karl was grimacing, the bullet having torn through the corner and his shoulder. “Fuck, that hurts.” He lifted the pistol in his good hand and fired another few rounds downrange, but the slide locked back and he swore. “Shit, I’m out for real. Frost, you get out of here. I’ll buy you some time.”

        “No, I won’t leave you behind.” Frost protested.

        “Damnit, I gave you an order, now go!” Karl hissed, his eyes cold.

        Frost dug her hooves in and snorted. “You don’t give me orders human. I was ordered by Princess Luna herself to protect everypony at this facility and I intend to.”

        Karl opened his mouth to berate her further when a single bang shattered the air. He staggered forward a half-step and collapsed, his right leg folding at an unnatural angle. Frost lunged forward and grunted as she caught some of his weight.

        “Well, ain’t this just precious.” A voice dripping with sarcasm said as a human came around the corner, a rifle held in his hands. “Fucking waste of space ponies.” He said as he steadily approached. Two more men rounded the corner, similar rifles aiming at them. Frost instinctively started to call upon her magic, but realized that with Karl right next to her she couldn’t.

        “Four, back off. Three, secure them.” Five ordered.

        The closest man, who Frost assumed was Four, instead walked closer until he loomed over her. His eyes were filled with malice and with a snort he spat on her, raising his rifle. The last thing she saw was the butt of the weapon as it collided with her head.

        ---

        Much to Fluttershy’s relief, Suzy had finally calmed down, though she was still stiff with fear. Fluttershy was just as terrified, but was trying her hardest to keep a brave face on for her friends.

        “How are you doing, Fluttershy?” Amy asked, the zoologist sitting on the other side of Suzy, one hand stroking Jimmy’s mane to settle him down. The stallion snorted softly and leaned further into her, eyes watching the humans with the guns unfalteringly.

        “Oh, um… I’m okay.” Fluttershy said meekly, hiding behind her mane a little.

        “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this.” Amy said reassuringly, though inside she was just as scared, both for herself and for the others.

        “I just hope Rarity is ok…” The timid pegasus looked up hopefully at the sound of footsteps, but recoiled as the three humans who had left came back, two of them dragging Karl by the arms and the third carrying one of the unicorn guards. They laid Karl out on the floor next to Dr. Ross and Applejack, and Fluttershy blanched at the sight of the bullet wounds in his shoulder and knee. The third man threw the guardpony roughly to the floor, wiping his hands on his pants as if he’d carried something diseased. He stormed off to where the other two humans stood and was soon embroiled in a quietly intense argument. The one known as Three looked down at the hostages and gestured to Karl and the guard.

        “Make yourselves useful, dead hostages are useless hostages.” He walked over to stand by one of the doors, while the final human stood nearby, his assault rifle held in his hands.

        Dr. Ross scooted over to Karl, checking the shoulder injury first. Fortunately, it appeared to have not done any fatal damage, but had most assuredly broken his collarbone. Lifting him carefully, she could see an exit wound in his back and breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t have to go rooting around in his shoulder for the bullet. Looking down at the knee, she saw that the kneecap was pretty much shattered.

        “How bad is it?” Karl whispered weakly.

        “Well, I doubt you’ll be doing the tango anytime soon, but you’ll live.” Dr. Ross said as she took off her lab coat. Looking up at the man pointing the rifle, she tilted her head toward the sink. “I need to wash my hands and something to use as bandages.”

        “Alright, on your feet. Try anything and I’ll put you down.” He said coldly.

        Nodding, Dr. Ross slowly rose to her feet and walked to the counter. Washing her hands briskly, she picked up a few clean dishrags and washed them as well. Once she was satisfied she turned back to the guard. “I also need some medical supplies from the lab.”

        “Tell me what they look like, we will retrieve them.”

        Dr. Ross gave the descriptions calmly, amazed that her legs hadn’t given out, and walked back to kneel next to Karl as her escort walked over to confer with the others. The angry one from earlier protested, but was overruled by the leader. The one who’d been called Three walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with the supplies she’d requested, handing them to her calmly before turning around .

        “Holly, I’ll need you to assist me here. Don’t touch anything that I’ve opened or Karl, and do exactly what I say.” Dr. Ross reached for a pair of gloves and carefully put them on. Peeling open the package on some antiseptic, she carefully drizzled it over the wound. Karl hissed and gritted his teeth as she carefully wiped the injury clean. “Oh hush, you big baby,” she chided as she set the empty package aside, “I need some gauze, the large square one there.” She took the package from Holly, layering the material over the injury. “Medical tape, the roll there.” Working deftly, she finished securing the bandage and looked it over. “Alright, let’s turn him over, treat the other side.” Together, they gently rolled him onto his stomach and got to work.

        Fluttershy and Amy meanwhile busied themselves with the guardpony. Amy could see a dent around the right eye, presumably where they’d been struck, and carefully undid the helmet straps, lifting it free. Almost immediately, the grey color began to change, becoming a soft ice blue while the mane became a light yellow-orange. She dropped the helmet as her fingers started to itch. “What’s going on?”

        “Oh, I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Royal Guard armor is enchanted to change the color of anypony’s coat to be the same color.” Fluttershy explained. She started suddenly as the guard’s head seemed to shift, becoming more feminine. “I didn’t know it would do this though.”

        “So they can make mares look like stallions?” Amy wondered, before noticing the ugly bruise forming over the unicorn’s face. “We’ll ask about that later, for now, we just need to get her comfortable until she comes to.”

        Twilight was still shaking as she watched the human police mill about anxiously. They’d been hurried down the street to where a large number of the vehicles with flashing lights sat, and once there had been asked a number of questions about the attackers. However, upon learning they’d not seen them, the police had largely left them alone.

        “Twilight, what about the others? Are they okay?” Spike asked, the baby dragon starting to get teary eyed as the full scope of things started to sink in.

        “I don’t know Spike. But we have to stay strong for them. Now, I need you to take a letter to the Princess, she needs to know what’s going on.” Twilight said as she dug out a piece of parchment, quill and ink. Hoofing them over, she cleared her throat. “Princess Celestia. The research lab has come under attack. Some of us are still trapped inside, including Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rar…” She was interrupted as a familiar voice cried out.

        “Twilight!” The unicorn looked up to see Rarity galloping up to envelop her in a crushing hug. Twilight flung her hooves around her friend, fighting back tears of relief. Spike dropped the letter and quill on the ground to join in, the baby dragon trying to hide his own tears.

        “I was so worried!” Twilight said as they separated. “What about the others, did they escape with you?”

        “No, I’d thought they might have escaped with you when I saw you.” Rarity said, both unicorns looking toward the building. “I do hope they’re alright…”

        “I’m sure they will be just fine.” Twilight said, though she felt an uncomfortable heaviness in her stomach. “Spike, let’s finish that letter, scratch Rarity’s name out.” Once Spike was ready she continued, “Dr. Ross, Amy and the rest of the human staff are still inside as well, along with two Royal Guards, Second Lieutenants Flare and Autumn Frost, if I’m not mistaken. The humans are responding in force, but I just don’t know what to do. Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.” She nodded to Spike, who breathed a stream of green fire and sent the scroll on its way.

        “What do you think Celestia will do?” Spike asked as they waited quietly, watching as a large vehicle with the letters S.W.A.T. emblazoned on the side pulled up. Humans dressed in black gear carrying rifles jumped out, one carrying an enormous shield.

        “I don’t know Spike…” Twilight trailed off as she felt a familiar surge of magic and looked up, seeing a flash of light that caused her to shield her eyes. When she could see again she gasped at the sight floating in the air overhead.

Celestia’s face was impassive as she led six pegasus guards in a downward spiral, landing next to the cluster of police vehicles. Not even slowing down, she strode purposefully forward until she saw Twilight pushing through the crowd of officers that had formed. A look of relief crossed her face as Twilight pressed against her legs. “I am relieved to see you are safe. And you all as well,” She said to the other ponies who had gathered, “Is this everypony who was able to escape?”

        “No your highness, one of the unicorn guards was injured while rescuing me. The humans are treating him over there.” Rarity pointed with a hoof.

        “I see.” Celestia walked toward the indicated vehicle, the officers hurrying out of her way as the pegasus guards formed up protectively around them. One of them hung back to walk with Twilight, Rarity, Mystic and Spellweaver. Peering closer Twilight recognized the symbol on the breastplate of the armor. “General Cloudhammer?”

        “Glad to see you’re alright Twilight.” Cloudhammer said. “Did you happen to get a look at any of the attackers?”

        “No,” she admitted, “Kevin, Second Lieutenant Flare and Private Dawn Joy woke us and helped us out a window. Flare and Kevin went back inside for the others.” Twilight said in a rush.

        “I’m going to tan his hide when he gets out.” Cloudhammer muttered. They followed Celestia to the ambulance, where Dawn Joy could be seen trying to sit up on the stretcher.

        “Princess, I apologize for the lack of a salute, if this human would let me go...”

        “Your leg is injured, please stay still.” The harried EMT said as he kept an arm on the unicorn’s chest.

        “There is no need to rise Ruby.” Celestia said warmly as she smiled at the guardpony. “How is your leg feeling?”

        “Nothing that I won’t get over, your highness.” Ruby said, his eyes widening as he saw Cloudhammer standing behind her. “Is there any word from Flare or Autumn Frost?”

        Celestia shook her head. “No, we believe they are still inside the building. However, you should rest, and let others take over for now. You’ll have plenty of chances to serve in the future, Second Lieutenant.” She turned and trotted calmly towards a knot of officers looking at a map.

        “Did she just...” Dawn Joy stammered.

        “I believe she did. Excellent work Second Lieutenant. But a word of advice? If you’re aiming for a promotion there are easier ways to do it than getting yourself shot.” Cloudhammer said as he turned to follow Celestia.

        “So we believe the most likely place for them to be is either the cafeteria or the research lab. Of the two, I’d argue for the cafeteria, it’s got food, close access to bathrooms and only two ways in.” One of the officers said, looking up when no one else replied. “What are you guys staring at?” Turning around, he joined the other officers in staring blankly as Celestia approached. “Oh.”

        “Please, do not stop on my behalf.” Celestia said as she joined the group of officers. “So these are the building plans?”

        “Um, yes.” The officer said lamely. Gathering his wits a little, he turned to indicate the cafeteria. “It’s likely they’re holed up here, it’s going to be hard to get any eyes on them to get a headcount.”

        “Has there been any attempt made to contact them?” Celestia asked, her eyes tracing each line on the page intently.

        “Not yet, we were still establishing our perimeter. We have a secure phone for our hostage negotiator to use to talk to them and see if we can get a feel for what kind of people we’re dealing with.” He pointed to a man sitting inside the large armored truck, a phone held in his hand.

        ---

        Everyone jumped as the phone on the wall rang. One turned and walked over to it, the corners of his mask crinkling in what could only be a smile. “There they are, I was wondering what was taking them so long.” He picked the receiver up. “Hello? Ah, excellent. You may refer to me as One. I am currently in possession of Dr. Elizabeth Ross, Holly Williams, Amy Getton, and four of the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, in addition to other hostages. Therefore, I will give you orders to be carried out without hesitation or delay. Should you try anything, I will execute a hostage. Do I make myself clear?” He nodded at something said on the other end.

“Good. Now, we demand the immediate destruction of all research into the so-called ‘ponification serum’. Once I have verifiable confirmation of the destruction of the serum, I shall release half of my hostages. We also demand the immediate removal of ponies from human soil. Our species has existed for thousands of year on its own, and allowing ponies to interfere in our affairs is intolerable. Upon the completion of their removal, I will release all but one of my hostages. That hostage will accompany us on a chartered flight to a destination of our choice, to be given to the pilot when we board. Once the plane lands and we depart, the last hostage will be freed. I expect to hear your reply within the next...” he looked at a watch sewn to his glove, “two hours. At that time if I do not have at least proof the research is being destroyed, I will execute a hostage. I will be contacting you through it with any further demands.” He listened for a moment and then nodded. “A last word of warning. Do not underestimate the resolve of the Human Liberation Front.” He set the receiver down firmly and walked back to stand next to the others. They conferred quietly, while the humans and ponies looked at each other with newfound fear.

        "What’re we gonna do ya’ll?” Applejack whispered. “We can’t let these guys split us up!”

        “Yea, we all stick together, no matter what!” Rainbow Dash said firmly, putting her hoof into the middle of the group.

        “Absolutely! We just have to keep our spirits up!” Pinkie said with a smile, joining in.

        Fluttershy put her hoof in with a murmured assent, though she was getting increasingly nervous about the ugly looks that Four kept giving them. Suzy and Jimmy put their hooves in too, the new ponies not knowing what the gesture was for, but finding comfort in their new friends all the same.

        Dr. Ross, Amy, Holly and Jared all looked at each other, the humans taking strength from the ponies’ optimism, but an ugly voice in the back of their heads whispered that things were going to get worse before they got better. Amy looked at the men closely, trying to decide if they would carry out their threat. Finally getting a look at the eyes of the man calling himself One, she saw the same cold-eyed stare that was associated with fanatics of any creed. She knew then and there that he’d go through with it. It was as her vision crossed the unguarded doorway that she saw the door across the hall that had been closed was now open. Peering closer, she could see a glint of gold on one side and the barest trace of a head poking out on the other. Tapping Dr. Ross on the shoulder, she jerked her head slightly in that direction.

        “You think it’s Kevin?” She breathed.

        “Probably. Hope he’s smart enough not to try anything on his own.” Amy whispered back, quickly closing her mouth as One walked over.

“On your feet, Dr. Ross.”

Pushing herself up from the floor, she met his cold glare levelly. “What is it?”

“You will show us to where the serum is, and destroy it.”

Dr. Ross felt the protest rising in her throat, but cut it off there. “Very well.”

“Good. Two, accompany her and ensure she does as ordered.”

        ---

        Seeing one of the gunman leading Dr. Ross toward the opposite door, Kevin withdrew into the darkness of the room, motioning for Flare to do the same. Withdrawing through the darkened room into the next one over, they carefully shut the door behind them. “I counted five of them. You see any more?”

        “No. It looks like they have everyone clustered close together; makes it easy to keep them out of any crossfire.”

        “And easy to mow them down with a pull of the trigger. We can’t make a move yet.” Kevin pulled out his phone and pressed the same button. “This is Tango One One Two Seven. I have a count. Five, assault rifles and body armor.”

        “Understood.” The same cool voice replied. “Count of friendlies?”

        “Eleven. Clustered by counter. Firefighters among them.”

        “Roger. Orders are to pull back until assets are in place. Will notify.” Kevin put the phone away with an aggravated sigh.

        “What’s wrong?” Flare looked up at Kevin, then back to the door.

        “We have to pull back, wait for reinforcements.”

        “But what about them? We can’t just leave them!” Flare protested hotly.

        “I don’t like this either, but two of us won’t last long against five of them.” Kevin drummed a finger against the grip of his pistol in irritation. “Alright, follow me, we’ll head out the service entrance and then regroup outside with any police presence.” He started to turn toward the other door, only to realize Flare was still standing at attention by the dividing door. “Flare, we have to go, there’s nothing that we can do.”

        “Then you go. I’m not going to leave any of them behind, and frankly I’m surprised you can.” Flare stated coolly.

        Kevin looked back at the exit, then shook his head. “Alright, we hold here, but no goddamned heroics, alright?”

        “Understood... and thanks.”

        “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

        ---

        “So their demand is to destroy the serum and all research notes pertaining to it?” Celestia asked.

        “It appears that way, in addition to their demand for you ponies to return to your own land.” The officer in charge said.

        “I see.” Celestia looked at the unassuming face of the building. “How did they even gain entrance? Weren’t guards placed here to prevent this kind of thing?”

        “I can answer that Celestia.” Ruby said as he limped over, his hind leg wrapped in bandages. “It was the shift rotation and Second Lieutenant Frost and I were still in the guard room when they struck.”

        Cloudhammer fixed Ruby with a glare, but said nothing as Celestia nodded. “I see... What is the plan now?”

        “Well, we have another S.W.A.T. team coming in, once they’re here we can try to set up to storm in, take down the terrorists, but that can result in losing some of the hostages. Our other options are to try to talk them down or to give in to their demands.” The officer concluded.

        Celestia was silent as she stared at the building for a few long seconds. Seeming to make up her mind, she turned and trotted back to where the unicorns were formed up around the chariots. Cloudhammer and the others followed her, and with a few curt gestures a ring of gold formed around the Princess and the civilian ponies. “Cloudhammer, I am leaving you in charge. Coordinate with the humans on any plans they form to rescue the hostages. Send a letter through Spike if anything develops.” She spread her wings and took to the sky, disappearing in a flash of light.

        Cloudhammer and the others watched her go, then the old pegasus turned to Twilight. “I want you, Rarity and the others to try and relax for now; I’ll come get you if I need a letter sent.” He turned and trotted back towards the gathered police officers, who parted to allow him to examine the building layout again. “You weren’t kidding when you said this room would be hard to enter.”

        “No. The plan for now is to try to talk them down, see if we can’t get any of the hostages released so we can learn more about where they are.” The senior officer said wearily.

        “Do you think that’ll work? Given what I’ve heard it seems like a better idea to simply hit them hard and fast, take them down before they knew what hit them.” Cloudhammer said, his eyes narrowing as he peered at the diagram.

“Honestly, I think we’ll need to take them down regardless. We might end up losing some hostages though, we’ll have to see what the higher ups say.”

        Cloudhammer scowled at the human, but had to yield to his logic. He returned his gaze to the map, trying to think of a plan to get them all out.

Dr. Ross led the man through the hallways to the lab, trying very hard not to tremble or otherwise give away her fear. “You don’t know what destroying this serum means. It’s a way to save us from dying when the Barrier finishes forming!”

“Shut up. It’s nothing but a lie perpetrated by those damn ponies and the governments brought under their sway.” Two replied flatly, pushing her into the room. “Now, where is the serum?”

“I’ll need to unlock the safe it’s stored in.” Dr. Ross walked over to the storage refrigerator and began to type in her passcode, then stopped. “But first, I’m going to make a demand of my own.”

Two’s eyes narrowed and he brought the assault rifle up. “Enter the code.”

“Not until you release George. The man is useless to you as a hostage, and if you let him die, then he’s even less useful. Letting him go to get treated will make the police more willing to work with you,” Dr. Ross said calmly, amazed her voice wasn’t shaking, “And if you shoot me or any of the others, I won’t give you the passcode at all.”

Two held the assault rifle on her for a few more seconds, but finally lowered it with a muttered curse and pulled a radio from his belt. “One, we have a problem. Come to the lab.”

A few minutes later One walked in, a scowl on his face. “Just what is this ‘problem’?

Dr. Ross forced herself to meet his gaze with almost bored detachment. “In exchange for the passcode, I want you to release George so he can get treated. You don’t have to let any of the others go, just him.”

“Dr. Ross, if you do not unlock that door now I will…” One started to say threateningly.

“If you shoot me, you won’t get the code at all, I’m the only one here who knows it. And if you shoot any of the others, I’ll never give it to you. So you have a choice to make.” Dr. Ross said firmly, sweating bullets inside and praying that she hadn’t just condemned them all to die.

One gritted his teeth, almost on the verge of shooting the geneticist then and there, but his orders had been very specific. He had to ensure the destruction of the serum before he was allowed to kill her. “Two. Take the cameraman to the front door. Then return to guarding the hostages.”

Two nodded sharply and walked out. One turned back to Dr. Ross. “Now, open that safe,” he said angrily as he walked over to the phone mounted on the wall. Picking it up, he dialed a number. “This is One. I have decided, as an act of goodwill, to allow a hostage that was wounded to be released. This does not affect your deadline, nor the penalty that I will inflict upon the other hostages should any action be taken against us.”

Dr. Ross entered the code, and opened the door to reveal the five bottles of serum they’d been able to produce. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she could see that One’s back was still turned. Making another decision, her hand darted forward and snatched one of the bottles, slipping it into a pocket of her lab coat. Carefully lifting the other four, she set them on the table as One hung up the phone.

“This is all the serum?”

“Yes.” Dr. Ross said dejectedly, hoping her tone didn’t sound too faked.

“Excellent,” One said as he walked over. He picked up one of the bottles and eyed it for a moment before throwing it to the floor. It shattered into a mess of pieces and serum, some splashing onto Dr. Ross’ shoes. He repeated the process with the other three bottles before swinging the rifle back to her. “Now, move.” He led her back towards the cafeteria.

As soon as the gunman disappeared from view, a trio of S.W.A.T. officers escorted a pair of paramedics to the door and carefully lifted the wounded man onto a stretcher. Hurrying him to a waiting ambulance, they loaded him in and raced toward the nearest hospital. One police officer accompanied them to be there if and when the man woke. He might be able to tell them more about the gunmen who’d chosen to attack the research facility.

        The White House Situation Room was a disorganized mess, as people tried to push their idea for resolving the crisis.

        “So let’s just give them what they want! Destroy the damn serum, let them think they’ve won, and then take them down on their way to the helicopter!” the Secretary of Defense shouted.

        “There’s no way we can meet their deadline, it’s the middle of the night in some of the countries working on the serum!” the Secretary of State retorted.

        “Enough!” Everyone fell silent as Foster stood up from his place at the head of the table. “Standing around here arguing is going to get us nowhere. Now, I want to know how we’re going to get all of those hostages out safely.” He trailed off as the air began to feel statically charged and a wave of nausea swept the room.

        “An admirable sentiment, President Foster.” Celestia said as she appeared in the room with a flash of light. “My apologies for causing you all discomfort, but the situation is too dire for delay.”

        Foster shook his head, swallowing hard to get his stomach back under control. “Don’t worry about it. So what’s your opinion?”

        “I do not desire to do so, but so long as they have the hostages they do, it seems we must give in to their demands. However, is it not possible to simply back up the information on how to create more serum?”

“Yes, but we’ve put so much work into it that making new serum will take time that we don’t have. On top of that relocating all the ponies that have integrated with the scientific community back to Equestria is impossible to do with the timeframe they’ve given. I suspect that was their intention from the beginning.” Foster said tiredly.

        “Then what plan do you have?” Celestia asked calmly.

        “Well, the LAPD S.W.A.T. is some of the best in the business, they’ll be working to come up with an insertion plan now. Until then we’ll need to stall them for time, hope for the best.” SecDef said lamely.

        Celestia said nothing, her eyes staring intently at the screen.

        ---

        The time crawled by slowly, the huddled group growing more nervous as the two hour deadline approached. At the six minute mark the phone rang and One picked it up. “Yes, this is One, do you have the proof I require?” The other voice must have said something he didn’t like, and he shook his head. “It appears that you did not believe me when I told you the consequences of playing games with me. Three, select a hostage.”

        Three nodded, walking over to the group, which as one pulled tighter together. Looking them over for a second, he reached out to grab at Suzy. Frost slapped his arm away with a hoof and interposed herself between the two. Three’s face twisted in anger, and he struck her with his rifle. Frost staggered, but managed to keep her legs under her and glared at the human, spitting a tooth out.

        "Three, it doesn’t matter which one we use. Just take her.” One said with lethal calm.

        Nodding, Three grabbed Frost by her mane and dragged her away from the others, who tried to hold on to her but couldn’t keep their grip.

        “No... no, please don’t do this!” Fluttershy cried, burying her face into Amy’s shoulder.

        “Let her go you bullies!” Rainbow Dash shouted, anger and fear twisting her features.

        “Ya’ll don’t have to do this! Ah know they’re workin’ hard to do what ya’ll told em!” Applejack pleaded.

        “She’s got family and friends waiting for her back home! We can work this out together if we just try!” Pinkie yelled.

        The humans all looked at each other, and knowing what was coming, nodded before gently trying to turn the ponies’ eyes away from it. However, their hands were brushed away as they stubbornly refused to look away.

        Three threw Frost roughly to the floor and hefted his rifle. She looked up to see the gaping maw of the barrel pointing directly at her, and closing her eyes for the last time, began to speak.

        “Celestia, hear my...”

        The bang of the gunshot was deafening, soon replaced by screams of denial and terror. One simply sighed, as if he were merely inconvenienced by what he’d just ordered. “Three, dispose of that. Take it close to the entrance and leave it there.” Three nodded and lifted the body by the mane, dragging it from the room and out of sight, leaving a trail of red behind him. Putting the phone back to his ear, One spoke calmly, “That was your first warning. If you have not finished destroying the serum and removing the ponies from human soil within the hour, I will execute another hostage.” He set the receiver down and turned back to the hostages, shaking his head. “I did tell them not to underestimate our resolve.”

        Outside, everyone had jumped as a faint bang had made itself known, the hostage negotiator who had been shouting into the phone held it silently before slamming it onto the table with a curse. Cloudhammer’s eyes were flinty as he glared at the building. “Do we know who they killed?”

        “No, they didn’t say. Based on the voices in the background, I think it might have been one of the ponies.” The negotiator said with a heavy sigh.

        “I got movement at the door!” One of the officers shouted, weapons lifting and pointing to the entrance as a figure dragging another became visible.

        “Weapons tight! No one fire.” The senior officer shouted as the figure threw the body it had been dragging to the floor in sight of the door before disappearing back into the building.

        Cloudhammer’s eyes narrowed and he turned toward the other pegasus guards, “First Lieutenants Willow Spark, Dawn Breeze, retrieve the body.” They nodded sharply before flying to the door, nosing it open after checking to make sure the lobby was clear. They gently carried the gold-armored form back across the line and laid it down carefully. Cloudhammer forced himself to look down at the ruin of the face, feeling his heart shrivel a little as he recognized it. He slowly extended a wing and closed the eye that was still intact. “Rest easy Autumn Frost, your duty is done.” He turned and strode firmly back to the senior officer. “We will not negotiate any more. I will see every single hostage still in there brought out safely. Do you understand?” His cold blue eyes bored into the officer’s, who nodded in mutual understanding. “We still need to make a plan to get in there though.”

        “Then let’s get to work.”

        ---

        The Situation Room was quiet as everyone watched the screen and the two pegasi carrying out the body of the guardpony. Discreetly, or at least as discreetly as they could manage, they turned to look at Celestia, who stared at the screen as if frozen. Those closest to her realized that heat was beginning to rise off her coat, and her mane was rippling faster, as if in a strong breeze.

        President Foster looked up at her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the uncomfortable heat. “Celestia, I’m so sorry that this happened...”

        “President Foster, remove your hand at once.” Celestia’s voice was razor sharp.

        Foster removed his hand quickly, scooting his chair away slightly as the heat continued to rise.

        “Her name was Autumn Frost. She served in the Guard for fifteen years, I still remember the smile on her face when she passed basic training.” Celestia said calmly. “I will be returning to Los Angeles President Foster. I request that you inform these terrorists that I will begin removing my ponies from your nations as soon as possible. We will personally oversee the destruction of the serum as well.”

        “Celestia, you can’t be...” Foster recoiled despite himself as Celestia turned her eyes to meet his. The contained fury burning within their depths terrified him on a level he hadn’t felt since he was a small child.

        “Do not presume to tell me that I am not serious. I will not allow another of my subjects to be as casually murdered as Autumn Frost was. Make the call and tell them what they wish to hear.”

        Foster and some of the others began to realize what she had in mind and all nodded. “Alright, I’ll make the call.” Foster said calmly

        “Thank you.” Celestia turned and strode out of the room, the temperature falling as she did so.

        “Sir, are you sure that you really know what’s going on inside that head of hers?” SecDef finally asked.

        “To be honest, I’m not even sure I’d want to.” Foster replied before looking at the hand he’d laid on her, the small blisters already forming. “Has there been any word from either of the two men we had inside?”

        “Not since we ordered Kevin out.”

        ---

        “Let me go Kevin! They killed one of them!” Flare hissed, trying to force his way through the door.

        “No can do. If you go, they’d kill you without hesitation, then the rest of the hostages.” Kevin took out his phone and pressed the button again. “This is Tango One One Two Seven. The fire has intensified.”

        “What is your location? Your orders were to retreat and await further orders.”

        “Other firefighter cannot leave his squad behind. Made call to hold until other assets are in place. Secured for now.”

        “Do what you need to in order to fall back; plan is in motion to put out fires.” The line went dead and Kevin sighed.

        “They’re putting together a plan to take care of them for good. I’m telling you, we’ll be able to do more good from the outside working with everyone else.”

        Flare stared at the floor for a long minute before snorting in anger. “Alright, you win. Let’s get out of here.”

        The two quietly moved through the connected rooms to a window. Opening it carefully, they hurried down a side alley and saw a number of officers swing their weapons to cover them.

        “I’m one of the good guys, assigned as protective detail to this facility.” Kevin said as he raised his arms, continuing to walk forward.

        “Lower those weapons!” The senior officer barked as the pair crossed the perimeter.

        “Second Lieutenant Flare, front and center!” Flare turned and snapped to attention as Cloudhammer walked up to him. The two stared hard at each other before Cloudhammer returned the salute.

        “Sir, the shot from before, who was it?” Flare asked, his voice only wavering slightly.

        “It was Autumn Frost. I’m sorry Flare.” Cloudhammer’s scowl faded slightly.

        “When do we strike back?” Flare’s eyes were hard as he pushed past his friend, walking slowly to where a white sheet covered the body. He reached down and lifted the sheet to the side, staring for a moment at the body of one of his fellow Guards.

        “We still need to put together a plan; the room they’ve chosen has only two doors in or out.” Cloudhammer said as he trotted up.

        Both ponies looked up as the sky flashed white, Celestia spiraling downward to land next to them. They bowed low and stayed there as she regarded Frost’s body sadly.

        “Rise, both of you. There is work to be done.” She trotted back over to the map of the building, the officers backing away nervously as she drew close. Taking a deep breath, the aura of heat surrounding her receded and she looked at each of them in turn. “I am not going to bite, now let’s figure out a plan to save the other hostages. How do you usually do this?”

        The senior officer walked back over, looking at the floorplan. “Well, we’d put teams at both entrances, toss in some flashbangs, then storm in and take down the hostiles. Problem is they’re probably expecting us, so they could have cover set up so they won’t be blinded when the grenades go off.”

        “What are these ‘flashbangs’?” Flare asked, getting a curious expression on his face.

        The officer waved over one of the S.W.A.T. officers and pointed to a grenade on his vest. “You just pull the pin and toss it. Detonates a second or two later and blinds and deafens anyone nearby.”

        “What are you thinking Flare?” Cloudhammer asked, knowing that look in the unicorn’s eye.

        “Well, they’re expecting us to come from either or both of these doors here, right? So we just need to change where the attack comes from.” Flare tapped the floorplan in the center of the room. “We need to hit them from the center of the room.”

        “But how are we supposed to get there...” The senior officer trailed off as he started to understand what the unicorn meant. “That might work alright. We’ll still need a place for our teams to wait while you strike.”

        Kevin walked forward. “I can lead the team in through this window back here. We’ll cross through the rooms to this one here, it wasn’t covered when Flare and I left.”

        “Alright, let’s get set up.” The senior officer started barking orders to the S.W.A.T. team.

        Flare looked over to where Twilight could be seen with the others. “Miss Twilight! We need your assistance please!”

        ---

        One looked at his watch again, shaking his head. “There’s only fifteen minutes remaining. I think they’re going to try and make a move. Two, cover the left door; Three, the right. Four and Five, you cover the hostages...” One trailed off as he looked out the door to his right. “That door was closed earlier. Four, go investigate. I don’t want anyone left in this building beside us and the hostages.”

        Four looked like he was going to refuse, but finally stormed out of the room and into the dark room across the hall. Squinting, he peered around before seeing that the connecting door was also open. He walked forward slowly, assault rifle held loosely in his hands. He thought he could see a shape in the next room and started to lift his rifle, only for his head to jerk back as a wire wrapped itself around his neck, cutting off his air and preventing him from shouting. His attacker kept the pressure on until he had stopped twitching, lowering him to the ground slowly to slump against the wall. The dark figures moved forward, the one who’d choked Four securing the weapon as they passed, and took up position at the door across the hall from the cafeteria.

        A minute passed, and One was becoming increasingly agitated. “Where the fuck is Four? I send him on a simple assignment and he still can’t get it right.” He felt the skin on the back of his neck begin to tingle and looked around, tightening his grip on his pistol. “Five, select our next hostage.”

        Five nodded and walked over to the group of hostages. He looked them over before pointing. “On your hooves.”

        “Nuh uh, you’re not taking her!” Rainbow Dash tried to put herself between Five and his target, only for him to strike her out of the way with his assault rifle.

        “I-it’s ok Dashie. I’ll be alright.” Pinkie Pie said quietly as she got to her hooves, despite the tugs that tried to hold her down.

        “No, we can’t let this happen!” Applejack’s eyes were burning with anger as she started to get to her hooves too, only to stop halfway as her eyes widened.

Five, seeing she wasn’t looking at him, turned to see what she was looking at. He didn’t see anything at first, but peering closer a small, marble-sized orb of purple light could be seen…

        “So I just pull the pins?” Flare shouted as he levitated the flashbangs in his magic.

“Yeah! You only got 2 seconds after that though, so make it count!” The senior officer shouted from behind the safe line they’d established.

        “Alright, you ready Twilight?”

        “Yes, the spell’s ready to go when you are.” Twilight said, her horn glowing brightly as she pictured the opposite end of the room from where they’d said her friends were.

        “Alright then, three, two, one, and now!” Flare tugged the pins free on the grenades and released them, as Twilight’s spell made them disappear…

        …only to reappear on the opposite side of the room from Five. They struck the ground and exploded with blinding light, the roar of sound making One and Two scream in pain. They dropped their assault rifles and fell to the ground. Three, still facing away from the explosion, started to turn, but instead fell to the ground as a bullet transited his skull. Five blindly spun back toward the hostages, his finger tightening on the trigger. His rifle spat a few rounds before he was struck by multiple bullets and pitched to the floor.

        The ponies were screaming in fear, clapping hooves to their eyes or ears in a vain effort to protect them. Finally, their vision started to come back and they blinked their eyes to try and see what had happened. Pinkie Pie realized that she was now on the floor instead of standing up, and something heavy lay across her. Once her vision finished clearing she looked at what was pinning her and screamed again.

        Jared had realized what the grenades were a split second before they hit the floor, somehow grabbed Pinkie and threw himself on top of her before Five’s assault rifle had opened fire. Five bloody holes had been torn into his back, and there was already a pool of blood spreading rapidly across the tile floor.

        “Jared!” Pinkie shouted as she lifted his head in her hooves. The others gasped in horror as they saw what had happened.

        Coughing a little blood, Jared’s eyes opened. “Oh, hey Pinkie, are you okay?”

        “Forget me, what about you! Why’d you do that you big silly?” Tears were starting to form in her eyes.

        “Didn’t seem right for me to sit there and let you get shot too.” Jared laughed weakly before coughing again, more blood spattering her coat.

        Pinkie gently scooted out from under him and lowered him to the floor. The others gathered around him while the S.W.A.T. officers secured One and Two.

        “I need an RA unit for a wounded hostage!” One of the officers shouted into his radio as he hurried over.

        “He’s going to be alright, isn’t he?” Pinkie asked tearfully.

        The officer looked at him closer, then back to the watery cyan eyes and shook his head slowly.

        "But… no, he’ll be ok, he’s just gotta!” Her eyes darted back and forth to her friends, all of whom were starting to cry, even Suzy and Jimmy. Suddenly, she got an idea and looked to Dr. Ross, her eyes determined, despite the tears that poured from them. “Get the serum in your pocket.”

Dr. Ross jerked back as if struck. She slowly slid her hand into one of her pockets and drew out the bottle. “But… how did you know?”

        “There’s no time for that right now! We were going to test it on people anyway, right? It might help, I know it will!” Her voice was rising until she was shouting.

        “Pinkie, darlin’, Ah know this is hard to admit, but some things just can’t be fixed…” Applejack started, only for Pinkie to shoot her a venomous glare.

        “He gave everything to save me, so why won’t we do the same for him?” She looked from one of them to the next in desperation until Dr. Ross finally sighed.

        “Alright Pinkie, but we still need a unicorn to power the transformation.”

        “I’ll be right back. Hold on Jared.” She was out the door in a blur, eyes darting as she searched for her target. Spotting it, she arrowed in and skidded to a stop in front of Twilight, who was conversing with Cloudhammer, Rarity and somepony she didn’t know.

        Rarity gasped at the sight of the blood on Pinkie’s face. “Oh my goodness Pinkie, are you alright?”

        “No time, follow me!” Pinkie grabbed Twilight and raced back into the building, setting her down on the floor. “You gotta help! Jared got hurt protecting me and I think we can help him using the serum but we need a unicorn to help and so I grabbed you because you’re the best unicorn I know and you gotta help him!” She finished her sentence with a gasp of air and stood there, her eyes pleading with Twilight.

        The unicorn stood there for a moment, trying to process everything that Pinkie had said, before looking down at Jared and recoiling in horror. He’d been turned face-up, and his skin was deathly pale, the pool of blood no longer expanding. Looking back up, her eyes were clouded as she shook her head. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but I don’t think it’ll work. We were barely sure of it when we tested it on Suzy and Jimmy, and…” Twilight was cut off as Pinkie got right up in her face.

        “If we don’t try we’ll never know. If it can save him, it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

        Twilight looked at her for a few seconds, then to Dr. Ross, a pained expression on her face. “What do you think Elizabeth?”

        “I think if we’re going to try this, we need to do it right now. We’ll use a 3oz dose, which should be enough serum for his body weight.”

        Twilight sighed in defeat. “Alright, let’s give this a shot. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, clear everyone to the far end of the room. Amy, get his clothes off. Pinkie, help Fluttershy keep Suzy and Jimmy out of the way, alright?” Everyone got to work as Twilight looked across at Dr. Ross. “Well, here we go.”

        Dr. Ross nodded as she slid the needle into Jared’s arm, crossing the room to stand with the other humans once she’d finished injecting the serum. Pinkie stood over him for a second longer, a few tears falling from her face to land on his.

        “Please be alright,” she whispered as Twilight’s horn began to glow, “you just have to be alright.”

He tried to lift his head, but things seemed to move in slow-motion. He was aware of something near him crying, and tried to focus on it, but the effort drained most of the energy he had left. He felt tears splashing against his face and wondered who they were from. He tried to reach out to touch whoever was standing over him, but felt and saw the darkness rushing in and then there was nothing.

He supposed that they’d gotten it right at least; death did seem to be nothing but a dark void. But as he floated through it, things started to feel weird. The darkness was receding, and he could feel grass underneath his feet as the light became bright enough to see that he stood in a field, stretching as far as he could see in all directions. Looking down, he could see he was naked, but this didn’t seem to bother him like it used to. What use do dead people have for clothes anyway? He took a few steps forward, letting his hands run through the grass as he felt the peacefulness of the place overtake him. But after a few more minutes he noticed a thunderous rumbling that broke the silence, and before long the ground was shaking. Turning in an attempt to find the source of the noise, he froze as he beheld it rushing directly toward him. Dozens, hundreds, thousands or even millions of forms, so many he couldn’t even begin to count them all came towards him like a tidal wave, and he threw his arms up in a reflexive gesture to protect himself. After a few moments came and went, he lowered his arms and opened his eyes.

The vast horde of beings surrounded him, eyeing with curiosity the interloper in their midst. Looking closer, Jared could see that they were all vaguely equine shaped, some with horns, others with wings, and yet others with neither. Jared returned their gazes uncomfortably. “Umm, hi?”

One of the forms trotted carefully up to him, its breath warm on his chest. It nudged him with its snout and tilted its head in the direction the enormous herd had been running.

“You want me to run with you?” Jared asked incredulously.

The spectral equine tossed its head excitedly and reared, all the others doing the same. He could hear and feel the thunder as the herd ahead of him started running. Shrugging, Jared ran with them, haltingly at first, but soon he was keeping pace with all of them, not knowing or caring where they were going. All that mattered was the run itself.

Looking ahead, Jared could see that the grassy meadow abruptly ended, continuing off into a starlit expanse. The herd in front of him simply galloped off of it and continued on, and those behind him kept him from turning.

“Uh, I don’t think I can follow you guys theeeeere!” Jared trailed off into a scream as he plunged over the edge, leaving the spectral herd over him. One of the forms, a pony with wings, whinnied encouragingly at him as he plunged into the darkness.

After falling for what felt like forever, he abruptly felt himself slow down before he landed gently on a hard stone floor.

“Where… where am I?”

“You are here.” The voice that replied was simultaneously thunderous, yet filled him with a warm sensation like stepping outside into a sunny day.

“Oookay. Well, I guess that’s true.” He blinked as a soft light began to fill the space, finding that he stood in the throne room of an immense castle. Ahead of him he could see a towering plinth seemed to be merged with the floor instead of laid on it. On it sat two thrones, one made of something halfway between gold and marble, the other a curious mix of silver and obsidian. He couldn’t exactly see what was on the thrones, but he recognized the feeling almost immediately. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna?”

“Those names are the ones you know us by in the waking world. Here, such appellations are unneeded.” The presence on his left said, the air growing slightly colder as she spoke.

“Indeed, though your ignorance is forgivable. This is your first time here, after all.” The other presence said warmly.

“What shall be done with him then?” The darker of the two asked.

“I believe his essence has already made that choice for him. We shall meet again.” The warmer said as a wind began to howl through the throne room.

“Wait, I don’t understand! What happened to me?” Jared shouted as the wind lifted him and flung away from the two.

“A friend who cares deeply for you made an impossible choice to save your life. Make sure it is not squandered.” The two said in unison as Jared’s vision was obscured by blinding white light. Groaning, he tried to raise an arm to block it, but was stopped by something warm.

“Take it easy there, nice and slow.” He recognized the voice.

“Pinkie Pie?” His tongue and lips felt weird. “What happened? I remember getting shot, but after that it’s all blurry…”

“What do you remember?” He heard Twilight ask from nearby.

       “I’m not sure, I remember standing in a field, and then this herd of what looked kind of like ponies came running up and around me. They wanted me to run with them, but then I fell…” Jared trailed off as he tried to remember. “I remember a giant throne room, and I think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were there, only they didn’t call themselves that…”

       “Do any of you know what in the hay he’s talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked.

       “We’ll worry about that later. For now, can you open your eyes again Jared?” Dr. Ross’ voice asked calmly.

       “Sure.” Jared opened his eyes again, wincing at the brightness of the fluorescent lights. He could see Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Dr. Ross all hovering over him, but something seemed off. The coats on the ponies seemed brighter, and so did everything else. He blinked a few times, sneezed, and that’s when he saw it. His face was stretched out into a muzzle.

        Yelping, Jared tried to scoot backward, only to see that his hands and feet were now hooves, his legs covered in a soft layer of dark yellow hair. “What happened to my arms and legs? Why can I see my face now?”

        Pinkie stifled a giggle at his antics, and then her expression fell. “Well, you were… dying. I didn’t know what else to do. But then I got the idea that using the serum on you might help, since I heard it fixed Jimmy’s cold. So we used it on you.”

        Jared’s blood turned to ice as he realized what that meant. “Then… I’m a…”

        “Yes Jared; you’re a pony now.” Dr. Ross said simply. “A pegasus to be precise.”

Jared turned his head, noting absently how flexible it was, and saw a pair of feathered wings on his sides. One extended as he involuntarily tried to put a hand to his face and he jumped. “How does that work? I tried to move my hand and the wing moved?”

“Well, we’re not entirely sure. Can you try to stand up?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll try…” It took Jared a few minutes, but he eventually figured out how to move each of his four new legs, and set about getting them under him. With much effort, and help from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, he was soon standing upright. “Alright, now what?”

“Well, let’s see about getting you walking.” Amy said as she walked over, followed closely by Suzy and Jimmy.

Jared tried to take a step forward, but on the second step his hooves skidded out from under him and he fell to the floor in a heap. “Damn, I was hoping to avoid that.”

“Relax, Suzy and Jimmy didn’t get it right away either, so just take your time.” Fluttershy said reassuringly.

Holly watched the scene wordlessly, her cell phone out and recording. She’d intended to record the actual transformation as well, but something had stayed her hand. Sure, it had been mildly revolting to watch Jared’s flesh churn, the bullets being forced out as his body rejected its human shape to become a pony’s. But what had stayed her hand was the sense that what she’d been witnessing was something private and wonderful, something that couldn’t be caught on film.

It took Jared a few more tries, but he was soon trotting haltingly around the room. “I think I’m getting the hang of this!” He said happily, right before his face hit the floor. “Or not.”

He got to his hooves, on his own this time, and looked around, seeing Pinkie sitting in the corner. Frowning, he started to make his way over, Twilight following before Dr. Ross put a hand on her shoulder.

“I think he needs to talk to her by himself.”

“But…” Twilight looked up at Dr. Ross in confusion.

“I don’t deny that Pinkie’s idea saved his life; but he didn’t get any say in it, so I think that’s what freaked him out when he woke up.” Dr. Ross said softly.

Jared managed to make it the rest of the way to Pinkie and stood there for a second sorting out how to sit down. Once that was taken care of he looked at her and tried to figure out what to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Jared looked up suddenly, seeing Pinkie had turned to look at him, her eyes downcast. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t ask what you wanted, and made such a big choice for you. I understand if you’re mad at me or don’t want to be friends anymore.” Pinkie said sadly, hanging her head.

Jared reached out with a hoof and lifted her chin so they were looking at each other. “I’m not mad; I just didn’t anticipate waking up as a pony is all. It is a little shocking, you know. But if you hadn’t made that choice, I’d have died. So I can’t be mad at you for that.”

Pinkie smiled a little. “Then... are we still friends?”

Jared smiled too. “Of course we are.”

The two ponies, one born naturally, the other born human, embraced each other while the others looked on.

13 - Aftermath

     Week 32, Friday-Saturday

     Jared yawned, enjoying the comforting warmth of the sheets, but wishing that he’d gotten more sleep. What little he had ended up being a disturbing mix of soaring among peaceful clouds and suffocating darkness filled with pain and cruel eyes. His eyes still closed, he started to stretch, but stopped as he felt his wings stretch along with his legs. Opening his eyes, he again felt a little weird trying to move his arms and seeing fur-covered legs instead.

     “Alright, let’s do this,” he said as he awkwardly rolled over. “Not going to fall flat on my face this time.” A loud thump and some grumbles later, Jared managed to get his hooves under him and slowly made his way to the door. He stared hard at the nemesis that the doorknob had become, and after another round of muffled grumbling he’d managed to grip it in his teeth and rotate it enough to open the door. “Ok, definitely need to switch for a handle,” he muttered as he carefully made his way down the hallway toward the cafeteria.

     As he entered the room, he involuntarily looked toward the side of the room where Autumn Frost had been... He forced his gaze and mind away from that, and spotted Pinkie Pie and Spike busily working at the counter. “Hey guys.”

     “Hi Jared! It’s good to see you up on your hooves!” Pinkie called out with a faint smile, though even her normally cheerful expression seemed somewhat forced, and Spike kept his eyes focused on his cooking. “Oh, that reminds me, Twilight said she needed to talk to you when you were up. I think that she said she would be in the lab.”

     “Oh... alright then.” Jared looked longingly at the food, but turned and walked down the hallways toward the lab. As he drew near, he could hear someone speaking that resolved itself once he reached the door. Dr. Ross and Twilight were apparently discussing something, and he waited uncomfortably while Twilight continued speaking.

     “Don’t worry Elizabeth, the girls and I will be coming back after the... the funeral,” Twilight’s voice was still a little somber after the stress of the day before, “It’s just Spellweaver that was thinking about staying in Canterlot. We’re going to take some of the serum with us, see if we can have any success with mass-replicating it...” she noticed Jared standing in the doorway. “Oh, good morning Jared, how are you feeling?” Her eyes were shadowed, evidence that she hadn’t slept very well either.

     “Well, I’m glad my head’s as hard as it is, I’ve certainly whacked it on the floor enough times already,” he said trying to sound funny, but Twilight didn’t seem to find it amusing.

     “Probably just need more time to adjust to your new legs; what do you think Elizabeth?”

     “More than likely. Have you tried using your wings yet?” Dr. Ross asked as she walked over and knelt to get a better look at his wings.

     With a snort Jared shied away. “Look, I’ll give ‘em a try soon, alright? Still trying to come to terms with not having thumbs anymore and all. Now what did you want to talk to me about Twilight?”

     The unicorn looked at him for a moment before looking up at Dr. Ross. “Well, after talking to Princess Celestia last night, we decided that given what happened, we should take some time off, try to relax a little after Autumn Frost’s funeral. So we’ll be flying out to Hawaii, trading from an airplane to chariots on the John F. Kennedy. Once we arrive in Hawaii, we’ll be traveling via the Beacon Stones to Canterlot for the funeral. Then, most of us will be returning to Hawaii for a few days, and then we come back here. What I wanted to ask you was if you would want to come or not? You would be the first human to see some of what Equestria has to offer, after all.”

     Jared was speechless for a few seconds. Sure, he was the first person to undergo the ponification process, but he was just a regular pers... pony, he reminded himself. “Are you sure? I mean, I barely knew Autumn Frost, and I’m still getting the hang of these,” he waved a hoof to demonstrate, but stared at it curiously as he kept his balance without even a hint of a stagger, “or I suppose I am getting better.”

     “Well, there’d be more to your visit than attending the funeral. The unicorns who are working at the School on the spells behind the serum would want to see how they actually turned out; and even then, Canterlot is a wonderful city to just walk around.” Twilight’s expression seemed torn between really wanting Jared to come and not wanting to pressure him.

     Weighing his options, Jared reached a decision and looked up at Twilight. “Alright, I’ll go. Not like I’d have much to do here besides answer reporter questions nonstop.”

     “Excellent! I’ll compose a letter to Celestia letting her know you’ll be coming.” Twilight said as she trotted out of the room.

     Jared looked up at Dr. Ross. “I wanted to thank you too Elizabeth, for what you did yesterday. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but I owe you one.”

     She smiled back down at him, “Well, I admit I was confident in it converting you, what worried me was whether it would heal your bullet wounds or not. I’m glad it worked out for the better. However, I do want a blood sample from you before you leave.” She reached into her coat pocket and withdrew a syringe.

     Jared winced. “What is it with you and needles?”

     The two shared a brief laugh while Dr. Ross went about collecting the sample.

     ---

     In a dimly lit conference room, the atmosphere was decidedly less jovial. Several individuals sat around a large table, each holding a folder full of papers and photographs

     “Well, that was a waste. Why did we even bother sending those five?” one of the figures asked irritably. “Forgive me for not being a tactically astute as some of the others here, but sacrificing resources for no gain seems counter-intuitive. I was hoping that after Brazil, this operation could have been more successful.”

     “Not to mention they took two of them alive. Will they talk?” one man asked another, idly rolling a cigar between his fingers.

     “They will resist, but even if they talk, there’s no risk of what little information they knew leading back to us,” the figure at the head of the table said calmly as he rose to his feet. “Furthermore, despite the public failure of the attack, we did in fact learn many things. For one, the unicorn guard shown in picture twenty-two, I believe his name is Flare, proved himself an imaginative individual. In addition, the abilities of Twilight Sparkle are apparently far more developed than prior intelligence indicated - The file on her has been updated to account for it. Finally, I personally learned one final, critical piece of information from observing Princess Celestia in the Situation Room.”

     The others all leaned forward slightly in their interest as the figure took a deep breath.

     “Princess Celestia can be pushed. After the execution of the unicorn guard Autumn Frost, it was obvious that she allowed her emotions to get the better of her, even briefly. This we can exploit in the future to destroy their public image, and sway the masses back from believing the drivel that ‘Conversion’,” he spat the word angrily, “is anything than a sugar-coated lie.”

     “So, what will we do now?” A woman’s voice spoke up from the opposite end of the table.

     “For now? Nothing. This will soon fade from the public’s mind, and once it does, we can strike again. With a little work from you,” he indicated the woman who had spoken, “the media can spin any future operations as copycat incidents.” He looked around at the others as they murmured agreement. He opened his mouth to continue when a small speaker on the table chimed.

     “Sir? The individual you wanted to speak to is on hold,” a quiet female voice said, “should I tell him to call back later?”

     “No, I’ll take it in a moment.” The man looked to the others, “If you’ll please see yourselves out. I’ll notify you through the usual channels when another meeting is warranted.” The others all nodded before getting to their feet and exiting the room. Once the door was securely closed, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing a button on it, he lifted it to his ear with a small smile. “A pleasure to finally speak with you. I trust that we have your support after this demonstration?” He waited for a few minutes before nodding, “Excellent, we will contact you once our next operation begins.” He closed the cell phone and put it back in his pocket, his smile widening.

     ---

     Jared yawned as the plane descended towards the waiting deck of the aircraft carrier, spotting a quartet of golden chariots sitting off to the side next to the tower, despite the distance. “Man, guess there’s more benefits to being a pegasus than just the wings,” he muttered to himself.

     “Heck yeah there is, just wait until you get the chance to really fly though. These ‘airplanes’ are pretty cool, but nothing beats flying under your own wingpower,” a voice chimed in from the seat behind him as Rainbow Dash peered out her window. “I just wish that they’d let me fly from here to Hawaii, instead of making me ride along.”

     “Rainbow, we’ve talked about this; we’re going to be leaving for Canterlot in the morning, so you’ll need to get some sleep tonight,” Twilight said from her place a few seats up.

“Ugh, fine.” Rainbow sighed irritably as the plane shook with the impact of the wheels hitting the deck. Once it had rolled to a stop, the ponies fumbled at their seatbelts and made their way off the plane. Jared stood for a second at the top of the stairs, taking a few deep breaths as the salt air filled his nose.

     “C’mon Jared! We’re gonna be late!” Pinkie shouted, as she somehow managed to squeeze past him and cartwheel down the stairs.

Shaking his head at her antics, Jared made his way down the steps, grinning as he reached the bottom without falling down and carefully trotted across the deck to the waiting chariots. As he did, he noticed the three unicorn guards solemnly marching out from the rear of the plane, four soldiers walking behind them carrying a wooden coffin. They marched toward the largest of the four chariots, gently securing it, saluting the three unicorns, and walking back to the aircraft. Once they were sure the coffin was secured, the unicorns climbed into the chariot next to it. Realising he was staring, Jared climbed into the chariot with Twilight, Spellweaver, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. Once he settled in, all the guards spread their wings and took off, the sudden lurch nearly knocking him flat on his back. Twilight and Spellweaver helped hold him up as the four chariots leveled out and soared over the water.

After what felt like hours, Jared spotted the coastline and visibly brightened up. He normally enjoyed flying in airplanes, but he just couldn’t get comfortable in the chariot. Maybe Rainbow Dash was right about needing to get into the air on his own. His wings fluttered at the thought, but after glancing at the water far below he thought better of it and folded them back against his sides. He turned to Twilight, who appeared to be lost in thought. “So, why exactly did Princess Celestia ask for me to come? I mean, I know I’m the first person to be converted, but it still feels weird to me.”

“Well, she didn’t tell me either; but I think that having somepony along who can see our land from a human’s, or former human’s, perspective could help counter some of the rumors apparently circulating on your Internet that we caused the Barrier to begin forming. Besides, putting yourself in harm’s way to save Pinkie like that more than earns you the right to come to Equestria,” she said, wiping at her eye with a hoof. “I know I said it yesterday, but thank you. Pinkie may get a little over the top at times, but I don’t want to think about what could have happened if you hadn’t done what you did.”

Jared rubbed the back of his head with a hoof, at a loss for words as the chariots spiraled down toward one of the main streets of Honolulu, empty of the expected traffic He could see one of the larger hotels had what appeared to be lights on, and he could see a pony standing at the entrance. Peering at the shape closely, he could tell that it was an earth pony, but had something on it’s back, like a saddle or backpack. As the chariots bumped to a stop, he could see a pair of glowing orbs at the pony’s shoulders. Getting to his hooves, he climbed out and followed Twilight as she trotted up to the strange pony with a smile on her face.

“Sky Limit! It’s good to see you again. Did the Princesses invite you back too?” The two ponies hugged each other briefly, then separated.

“Not exactly, I was on a little vacation here, but I heard about what happened to you all. I’m sorry.”

Twilight folded her ears back. “Yea, it was scary, and what they did to Second Lieutenant Frost...” she trailed off, shooting a glance toward the chariots, where the Guards were levitating the coffin with them toward the service entrance. Shaking her head, she looked back, “Although, a small amount of good came of it. We know that the serum works.”

“Ah, so then this is the famous Jared?” Sky said with a smile as he trotted up to Jared, “Glad to meet you, my name’s Sky Limit, I was working at the London facility on the serum. Sorry that you had to put up with those lunatic humans; no offense intended,” he added hurriedly, before extending a hoof.

“Well, I think they were just a little bit insane too, so no worries,” Jared said, eyeing the extended hoof before reaching out with his own. As they touched a strange feeling tingled along the end of his hoof. It was almost like having fingers again, the bottom of the hoof gripping the other to allow them to shake. “Now that is weird.”

“What, you’ve never shaken hooves with somepony before?” Sky asked, before realising who he was talking to. “Well, I guess you really haven’t, you’ll get used to it in time. Anyway, let’s get you all settled in. Princess Luna said she’ll be coming in the morning after she’s gotten some rest; just between you and me, I don’t think she’s used to not having to raise and lower the moon yet.” He turned around and started to trot inside, Jared and the others following.

“So, what is that thing on your back?” Jared asked curiously as they trotted through the lobby, an earth mare pony sitting behind the reception desk waving at them cheerfully. Jared awkwardly returned the wave, and the mare’s face blushed a little.

“Well, they’re artificial wings, I designed them myself. You see I was born to two pegasus parents and always wanted to be able to fly. So long story short I finally developed the MkIII and could fly under my own power. This here is the MkIV, once we learned that magic was harmful to humans, I overhauled the engines so they wouldn’t give anypony a dose of thaumatic radiation poisoning. And her name’s Rose Trails.” He added, grinning as Jared’s partially vacant stare broke and his ears folded back.

“I-I wasn’t...”

“Relax, nopony’s going to make fun of you for checking out another pony,” Sky said, only to be cut off as Jared’s stomach chose that moment to loudly protest its emptiness. “Let me guess, you haven’t had anything to eat since you left San Francisco?”

“We’ve not really had a decent meal since yesterday evening,“ Twilight admitted, the other girls muttering agreement as they all realized how hungry they were.

“Well, come on then, I think the kitchen’s still open.” Sky led the group through the hallways to a large set of double doors which he nudged open. “Hey! You still in here Strawberry?”

A green-coated head with a shock of red mane raised itself from behind a counter. “What is it now Sky? I was just cleaning up. Who are all these ponies?” the unicorn asked irritably, a scowl forming on his muzzle.

“They’re the group from San Francisco, you remember they were coming today, right?”

Strawberry’s expression immediately did an about face, and he started bustling about. “Oh, I’m sorry; I guess you want something to eat then? I’ve still got some leftovers around here somewhere, just give me a few minutes. There’s a table over there that you can use, take some weight off your hooves.”

The group sat down on the cushions that had obviously been borrowed from various chairs around the hotel and relaxed for a few minutes while Strawberry hummed to himself. Finally, he pushed a cart loaded down with bowls of salad and what looked suspiciously like...

“Is that hay?” Jared asked nervously.

“Of course; we just got a shipment in from outside of Trottingham a couple days ago, you’ll love it,” Strawberry said proudly, only to narrow his eyes at Jared continued to eye it nervously, “What’s the matter, not used to down home cooking?”

“No Straw, this is Jared, I know I told you about him this morning... or did I forget?” Sky wondered out loud. “Well, he’s the human that got hurt in that mess and had the serum used on him.”

“Huh, well that might explain it. Come on then, give it a try, you’ll like it!” Strawberry said with a smile, lingering next to the table.

Jared looked at the others, who were heartily digging into their own food, then back to his bowl. He lowered his head and took a hesitant sniff, twitching back a little as the earthy smell of the hay flooded his nostrils. His mouth started watering and overrode the concerns his brain was trying to voice, his muzzle grabbing a tentative mouthful. His pupils widened as the taste crawled across his tongue, the flavor almost reminiscent of potato chips, but without the salt and almost something sweet. Chewing contentedly, he swallowed the mouthful and dove in for more, murmuring his happiness as he did so.

“Well, I think he likes it,” Sky said, laughing as Jared finished devouring the hay and moved on to the mixed salad.

Twilight and the others joined in, though the unicorn levitated a scroll and quill from her bag, taking a few notes. “You know, once we begin full-scale ponification, maybe we could make a tradition of this, you know?”

Applejack nodded, “Ah’m sure that the farms in Equestria would be happy to help, though we’d need to make it a limited thing; there’s an awful lot of humans that’ll be comin’ though the doors, so to speak.”

“I know the Cakes would love the extra business, maybe Bon-Bon could lend a hoof too!” Pinkie chimed in.

Jared was oblivious to all of the conversation, occupying himself with finishing his salad and grabbing another bowl off the cart.

“Alright then, let me just get a bite to eat myself, then we should go to bed, Princess Luna said she’d be here at dawn... Wait, where’d my bowl go?” Sky looked over in time to see Jared freeze mid-bite. “Oh, I see how it is. Yo Strawberry, we need another salad over here, the new colt pinched mine.”

Everypony started laughing, while Jared simply grumbled something about being hungry and kept eating.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, a few wispy clouds visible overhead as the tired ponies gathered in the lobby of the hotel. Flare and the other guards sat on one side with the coffin, while the others sat across from them quietly.

Twilight busied herself perfecting the spell she’d come up with to allow Jared to understand Equestrian. “I’m still trying to work out something that would translate your language to ours as you speak, but your language has so many different slogans and terms trying to come up with an analogue in Equestrian is proving difficult. But, at least you can understand what’s being said.” Her horn shone a vibrant lavender and enveloped Jared’s head with the same glow. He could feel a strange ringing in his ears that soon faded along with the light.

Shaking his head, he looked back up at Twilight, “Did it work?”

“You tell me,” Twilight replied in Equestrian. Jared’s ears tingled and he twitched them irritably, but then smiled as he realized that he’d understood her perfectly.

“Thanks, would have been a little annoying to not understand anyone there,” he said sheepishly.

Twilight smiled, but then her ears flicked back and forth as the air began to feel charged, almost like static electricity.

Jared folded his ears back as his coat began to stand on end. “What’s going on?”

Twilight tilted her head. “I think it’s Luna, she must be...” she was interrupted by a flat bang as a burst of dark blue light filled the center of the room, fading to reveal the Princess of the Moon and a tall stone carved with runes, “here.”

“Indeed Twilight Sparkle, sorry for the noise, teleporting with the Beacon Stone is tricky,” Luna admitted. “Is everypony ready to go?”

“Yes Princess,” Flare said as he and the other guards levitated the coffin to rest next to the stone.

“Very well, then if you could all please remain still, we’ll be going now.” Luna’s horn ignited with an azure glow as she closed her eyes, the runes on the stone beginning to pulse with a similar light as a circle formed around them all.

“Wait, what do you meeeeee...” Jared’s voice trailed off as everything seemed to twist and he found himself standing on a soft rug, his legs trembling as if he’d just run a marathon. He also felt violently nauseous and definitely regretted the second helping of breakfast. “Is there...” He had to shut his mouth as his gag reflex triggered.

Flare recognized the signs and chuckled. “Alright you big wuss, follow me. With your permission Princess?” Once Luna nodded he led Jared out the door and down the hallway to a door marked with a strange symbol. “There you go, I’ll be out here.” Taking a position next to the door as the pegasus rushed in, he instinctively tuned out the sounds of retching coming from within.

After a few minutes Jared trotted out, his color decidedly improved. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, long range teleports are hard on everypony their first time. Now come on, the others are waiting, and we’ve got a lot to do.” Flare led Jared back toward the room they’d arrived in, only to stop as he heard Jared’s hoofsteps end. Turning, he saw Jared standing next to a window staring in awe at the city below. He sighed and trotted back to stand next to him. “It is quite a sight, isn’t it?”

Jared could only twitch his head in a small nod, the expanse of the city in front of him literally breathtaking. His eyes traced over the delicate spires, the carefully paved streets, and the ponies milling about on their daily lives. Looking beyond, he could see the vast fields and forests that covered the plains far below the mountains. “I’d heard them talk about it, but actually seeing it...”

“Yeah, it’s a great place, for sure,” Flare said, enjoying the view for a moment before nudging the pegasus. “Alright, let’s get going, there’s a lot of work to be done before the funeral.” They walked down the hallway toward the door, only for Flare to stop and salute as a white unicorn came trotting up, wearing purple armor with gold trim. “Captain.”

“Second Lieutenant.” The two stared at each other sternly for a few seconds before breaking down and smiling. The new unicorn relaxed the salute and nodded for Flare to do the same, “It’s good to see you back in Canterlot, Flare; did you just get in?”

“Yeah, had to show the new stallion to the bathroom. Jared, this is Captain Shining Armor. Shining, this is Jared.”

Shining stepped forward and extended a hoof. “Ah, so this is Jared. I’m surprised to see you up on your hooves so quickly.”

Jared scowled a little, but shook the hoof anyway. “Does everyone here already know my name?”

“You’d be surprised how fast rumors fly around the castle. So, shall we go in? Don’t want to keep the others waiting,” Shining said as he opened the door with a pulse of his magic. The three trotted in, only for Twilight to impede their progress.

“Hello Shining.”

“Hey there, Twili.” The two unicorns stood there staring at each other before they broke into smiles and hugged each other. Shining pulled away first and ruffled Twilight’s mane, “It’s good to see ya little sis.”

“Little sis?” cried five throats at once as the other girls crowded forward.

Twilight turned to the others with a sheepish smile on her face. “Well, yes. Girls, this is my older brother, Shining Armor. Shining, these are my friends from Ponyville, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.”

“It’s great to meet you gals; just wish it was under better circumstances...” Shining said with an awkward smile as the mares continued to glare at Twilight.

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Twilight, dear - I simply cannot believe that you have neglected to tell us you had a brother in the Royal Guard, let alone a brother at all!” Rarity protested.

“Well I’m sorry; it never really came up, and I haven’t talked to my brother since I left to come to Ponyville, and with everything else that happened after that I guess it slipped my mind,” Twilight admitted, her ears folding back.

“Well shoot, it ain’t no problem Twi, we’re just surprised is all. From the first impressions, Ah’d always figured you to be an only foal,” Applejack said, giving the others a pointed look.

“Of course, and I apologize for my rude behavior; it shan’t happen again,” Rarity said apologetically.

“It’s fine, I could have said something about it sooner too.” Twilight said with a small smile.

Luna coughed gently, and everypony looked up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Captain, I need you to take the coffin to the pre-arranged place. Were you given the updated roster for the Honour Guard?”

“Yes ma’am,” Shining said, the smile gone from his face. “You three, follow me. Twilight, I wish I could stay and talk more, but I’ll be getting some leave after the funeral. I’m going to visit this Hawaii I’ve heard so much about, do you think we can try to get together then?”

“Of course Shining, I’ll talk to you later,” Twilight said as her brother levitated the casket and marched out of the room, followed by Flare and the other guards.

“If you’d all follow me, we’ll meet with Celestia and Cadance, and then proceed to the Throne Room for the funeral,” Luna said somberly, the mood rapidly darkening. Twilight nodded slowly, before brightening a little.

“Wait, did you say Cadance? Princess Cadance is here?”

“Yes, she came as soon as she heard about the funeral,” Luna said as she started to lead the group through the halls.

“Wait, Ah’m confused; who is this Princess Cadance, Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“She was my old foalsitter back when I had just gotten accepted to the School for Gifted Unicorns,” Twilight said, not seeing the others pause and look at each other.

“So you mean to tell me that you not only have a brother who’s a Captain in the Royal Guard, but you had a Princess as a foalsitter?” Rarity asked incredulously.

“Well... yes,” Twilight said, turning back to look at her friends with her ears folded back in embarassment.

“Cooooool,” Pinkie said quietly, and the others nodded agreements after a few seconds. Jared just followed along numbly, wondering if he’d really known what he was getting himself into.

The throne room had been completely emptied, the only object occupying the room the stage for the thrones. Several ranking ambassador present in Canterlot had been invited to attend, including a griffon, a zebra and a Canid, along with the Bearers of the Elements and Jared. On the far side of their row, Jared could see two teary-eyed ponies, presumably Autumn Frost’s parents. An alicorn that he assumed was Cadance sat next to Twilight, the two whispering to each other. The rest of the packed hall was a sea of gold armor, every guardpony not on critical duty present. Celestia and Luna sat on their respective thrones, and at the base sat Generals Cloudhammer and Amber Dusk, their armor polished to a high sheen

Jared looked around, marvelling at both how all the guards looked alike, and how much gold must have gone into forging their armor. He was about to ask Twilight about that when a single ringing note echoed through the hall, bringing everypony to silence. The massive doors to the throne room swung open to reveal the forms of Shining Armor, Second Lieutenants Flare and Ruby, Private Dawn Joy and two other unicorn guards chosen to be the honour guard, the casket floating serenely between them. In perfect lockstep the honour guard marched up the length of the aisle, laying the casket gently onto a stand that had been set out for it. Once it was settled, they took their seats in the front row opposite Jared and the Bearers.

Celestia rose, first looking at the casket, then the crowd before her. “I remember when Autumn Frost first joined the Royal Guard. She was one of the few mares who have been accepted into the Guard during its long history. The training our Guards undergo is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding for even the toughest stallion, even more so for mares. Yet Autumn Frost never once relented, never once let anything hold her back. Her promotion to Second Lieutenant, for protecting the village of Summerhill from a timberwolf pack, was well deserved. Nopony who knew her could question her dedication to either the Royal Guard or Equestria. And though two days ago she was faced with the ultimate decision any pony can be asked to make, she did not hesitate for one second. She chose to sacrifice herself to protect those who could not protect themselves. So let us honor her for her sacrifice, and continue to strive toward the ideals that she believed in.” Celestia took a few steps back as Luna rose and walked forward.

“I did not know Autumn Frost as well as my sister did, but in the two years that have passed since I have returned, I was fortunate enough to meet this outstanding mare. It was about six months after my return from my banishment to the moon, and I admit that I was still having trouble adjusting to how customs had changed after one thousand years. Much of my time I spent sequestered in my chambers studying the past millenium of history. I had ordered a servant to bring me something to eat from the castle kitchen, and he had not returned. When somepony began to open the door, I snapped at who I thought was the servant, only to see it was Autum Frost. I began to apologize for my outburst when she yelled at me. Taken aback by this brash behavior, I ordered her to stand down and apologize, to which she refused. I will spare you all some of the things that were said, but in the end I finally asked her what prompted such disrespectful behavior to her Princess. What Autumn Frost said next will remain with me for the rest of my days; she said to me, ‘Then why are you not acting like one?’ At first, the meaning of her statement was lost on me, but after some thought it became clear. I had indeed not been acting like a princess at all, but merely a filly hiding in her room from the mistakes she’d made. I apologized for my words to her, and she for hers. From that day forward I tried to be more active in the running of the kingdom, though that in turn presented certain challenges of its own. I never was able to thank her for what she said to me, but I will endeavor to hold her words close to my heart.” Taking a step to the side, Luna inclined her head as Celestia moved to stand with her.

On some unknown signal, they spoke in unison. “As one final gesture, though it does not lessen the pain of losing a friend, a loved one, a child; for her heroism and dedication to the highest ideals of the Royal Guard, we posthumously award Second Lieutenant Autumn Frost the Equestrian Star of Harmony.”

Every Guard present lowered their heads in unison, the other ponies present following a second later. After a minute passed, the honour guard rose to their hooves and took up their formation around the casket.

Celestia looked across the room again. “I thank those ambassadors who were able to attend, and would now request that only the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and Jared of Earth accompany us and Autumn Frost’s family to the burial.”

The guards rose to their hooves in a clatter of armor and marched out through the main doors. The ambassadors waited until the last guards had left before rising to their respective limbs, bowing deeply to Celestia and Luna, then to Autum Frost’s family before making their way out. Once the double doors had swung shut the honour guard lifted the casket into the air, everypony else rising to their hooves after it. Slowly, the group formed into a loose line consisting of the casket, then the family, then Celestia and Luna, then everypony else. They marched through the hallways to a side entrance that opened onto the Guard training grounds. Marching across the grounds they came to a narrow pathway that led up the mountain.

As they continued to climb, Jared felt his legs burning from the effort, still not as sure on his hooves as the others. Stumbling for the third time, he felt something catch him and turned to see Pinkie Pie keeping him upright, a small smile on her muzzle despite the occasion. Nodding his thanks they made their way up the rest of the path. It finally opened out into a expansive cemetery, filled with rows of small headstones. As they passed, Jared could see what had to be names carved into them, but couldn’t read any of them.

Finally, they came to the first unbroken plot of ground, a blank headstone sitting at the head. Pausing, the honour guard drew aside as Celestia trotted forward. Reaching out with her magic, she lifted a perfectly rectangular section of dirt up into the air, setting it to the side where it retained its shape. The honour guard moved to stand three on either side of the hole, gently lowering the casket into it. Once it was settled, Celestia lifted the rectangle of dirt into the air and with a slight pulse of magic, compressed the dirt to be able to rest atop the coffin and remain flush with the ground. She slowly settled it into place, while Luna’s horn burned with azure light, carving Autumn Frost’s name into the headstone, along with a five-pointed star and yet more symbols. Autumn’s mother wept silently during the proceedings, her husband holding her close and fighting back his own tears.

Once finished, Celestia turned to Autumn’s parents. “I truly am sorry for your loss. Should you desire anything, please - do not hesitate to ask.”

Autumn’s father nodded, and turned back to comfort his wife.

Celestia turned to everypony else and indicated that they should follow her. Together the mixed group made its way back down the mountain in silence, leaving the two grieving ponies alone among the quiet headstones.