After each Pony selected their Humans, they began the processing of one on one conversations. Not a long one, a maximum of five minutes of talking, an initial interview, to get a sense of what kind of characters they have on this voyage.

Rachel was the twentieth interview for her Pony.

Putting her in what reminded her of an interrogation room. Same feeling too, cold, dark with a low hanging light, two way mirror so others can watch and monitor. A security camera in the upper left corner of the room. Two chairs in front of a table and no Pony in sight.

She hangs back a little, folding her arms across her chest.

The entire time when waiting for her turn, she couldn't get how this Professor Brimstone, an anthropomorphic talking horse, just happened to have the man she despises the most actual voice coming out of that pony’s mouth.

Or a muzzle? Snout? The only time Rachel ever saw an actual horse was seeing the occasional cops riding them down the more touristy streets of Manhattan. But other than that, there is nothing to know about them.

Her head towards the mirror. Seeing her reflection bounce right off, grits her teeth when saw how much makeup was fading away. The bruises and cuts were rearing their ugly heads.

You get what you can get from Dollar Store makeup products. Cheap products produces cheap looks.

She could have reapplied the makeup but she had given them her bag as requested. That of it itself made her worried because everything she had was in it.

The drugs, the knife, stolen bagged up cash, fake documents, her clothes. She knew it herself it was not a good look. Easily a trip to jail, juvie and back to him.

And with the drugs in her system now wore off, Rachel was in pain.

Watching her in another room, on the other side of the mirror, Professor Brimstone was standing in front of it with his arms crossed.

He was waiting in the room where the teen was in just moments ago before he was asked to be brought in the other room, left before she came in.

He couldn't stop analyzing her, something about her seemed all too familiar to him. Watching her body language and her stance.

The girl was on high alert. Seeing her occasionally looking at the door, pacing around before finally making her way to one of the chairs and sat down. Sitting to face the door. Folding her hands on the plastic table.

Brief moment of pain twisted on her face when she sat. Shoulder tensed and sat with a slouch.

A moment later, Dr. Helena came in with him with the girl's backpack.

“Sorry for the delay, Professor.” The woman said as she placed the bag on the table.

“Oh it's alright, Doctor. How long will it be? I have a lot of interviews to undergo or otherwise it would take much longer to complete.” The Professor asked, stepping aside from the mirror and approaching the table. He dwarfs the human woman by a lot, standing over her.

“Not long, however, that girl in there,” Dr. Helena motioned to Rachel's room. “is not who she claims to be. We ran the information she wrote down, doing a background check, everything she wrote down were all lies. There wasn't a Darline Burk at the college.”

Brimstone hummed. “You can do that?” He asked, rather fascinating. The technology humans have were far superior than what Ponies have back at Equestria. Able to look up a person's background with such ease.

He wondered what else humans are able to do.

However, the realization of now knowing the girl was clearly lying confirmed his suspicion. When she gave her the name, he saw signs of her deception. How she was fidgeting, her voice filled with uncertainty.

“Not only that, during the bag search, we found a plethora of illegal contrabands.” the doctor said as she opened the backpack and then pulled out the bag of pills. Since Rachel signed the waiver - abid a false name- she also signed her rights which allows the Program to bag search her items. “Plus a weapon and what appears to be stolen cash, twenty three grand.”

There were addicts and thieves in Equestria, Brimstone knew this, but seeing how it was only day one and they had already found one trying to join. “Then alert your authorities and send the young girl out. She poses a threat to the Program which just got its legs to walk on.”

If any one of their Worlds discover this, the program would instantly shut down. The girl has got to go.

But Helena had other ideas.

“Not yet. You were part of The Royal Guard for Princess Celestia, yes?” she asked him. “You have a unique set of skills we like for you to use on the girl.”

Brimstone's jaw tensed when she brought that up.

“Why? We already know she's lying, there's no need to do this. Cut her loose and let's move on.” he says.

“But she may be hiding more things. With how things are on this side, we can't really chance this program. She could be working for someone trying to undermine our operation. You interrogated the worst offenders in your land. You can get the truth out of her.”

“I don't do that anymore. I got out of it before I could lose my soul. I'm a history professor, you brought me here to teach.” Brimstone said as he felt anger swelling up.

Can't believe he was chosen because of that. Not his profession, but what his special talent was.

Of all the things to get a cutie mark of.

“Yes, but The Princesses requested you specifically because of your reputation. Now believe me, there are other deceptions in the other candidates.”

“But you want me to interrogate her.” Brimstone grunted.

“We just want the truth before calling the police. You know how to draw them out.”

His good eye glaring at the woman before turning his head back to the girl in the other room.

Brimstone then grabs the baggie of pills from Helena, puts them back in the backpack and picks it up. “I'll see what I can do.”

Considering reevaluating his decision to cross worlds while he goes to have a talk with the girl.

Rachel's legs jittered underneath the desk, her anxiety levels were high, was getting dizzy just sitting there. She felt something wet trickling down her back but she couldn't tend to it.

The door finally swings open and the red earth pony steps in.

And to her not surprise, he has her backpack. The teddy bear keychain dangling in the air.

“Forgive me for being so late, how rude of me. Ms. Burk.” The Professor says. Though he wore an eyepatch, she couldn't read his emotions, his black eye stoically looking at her.

“You're good, sir.” Rachel said as she tried to adjust her posture, trying to mask her extreme discomfort.

What the hell was this thing’s voice sounded almost just like her father? The way he was looking at her made her tensed up tremendously.

The pony studied her. “Actually, Miss, you're not.”

Brimstone opens the back and just dumps her bag on the table, startling her.

“What the hell?!” she gasped.

Everything she had was on the table, the cash, weapon, everything out in plain sight.

Rachel immediately knew she was fucked.

And learns this little pony is not playing games.

Author's Note

Round 1 begins.

So yeah, Rachel and Brimstone’s first interaction. 🏹🏹