The Conversion Bureau: Project Thesan

Chapters

01 - Desperate Times
02 - Desperate Measures
03 - In-Flight Entertainment
04 - A Night on the Town
05 - Girl Talk
06 - Opening Gambit
07 - Collared
08 - Negotiations
09 - Check Ups and Check-Outs
Epilogue - First Day

01 - Desperate Times

Year 6, Week 5, Sunday

The heavy door swung open, the lab-coated man pushing it talking animatedly with the midnight blue alicorn following him. “Well, there was some... peculiarities with the last test that Azure discovered, I think you’ll be very interested to hear this, Luna. The diamond dog's DNA is incredibly stable.”

Luna tilted her head as she entered the laboratory, an armored pegasus and two tall, doglike humanoids following her. “What do you mean by this, Dr Lewis?”

“I mean, their DNA is highly resistant to thaumatic radiation. Regrettably, this resilience does not prevent the eventual alteration of human DNA, only prolongs it. However, this stability might well prove to be useful in it’s own way.” Lewis led the group to a bank of monitors showing DNA strands, analysis diagrams, and a dozen other reports.

“Forgive us, Doctor,” Luna said as Cloudhammer, K’rik and Ferrik all tilted their heads in simultaneous confusion, “but what exactly do you mean by this DNA’s stability being useful?”

“Ah, well, give me a second...” Lewis led the group into an adjacent viewing room, where piles of folders were neatly stacked. Searching through the stacks, he found what he was looking for and picked one up. “I’ve been studying the reports from Arcane Light and Steel Glimmer, back from the expedition to Africa. Their hypothesis on the attraction of magic to thinking minds is I think on the right track. The problem I’ve encountered from my models, which I must stress are incomplete with regards to humans, is that even with an unconscious mind, magic is still drawn to the body in uneven doses, which is the root cause of thaumatic radiation poisoning.”

“I believe I understand what you mean Doctor,” Luna said quietly. Behind her, Cloudhammer spoke quietly to the two diamond dogs, whose expressions remained perplexed.

Lewis nodded. “Unfortunately, it’s not as if we can just turn the brain off, give their body time to become acclimated to thaumatic radiation, and then wake them back up.” He sighed, looking at the last page in the folder. “However, there is an alternative, which might work...”

Luna just stood there quietly, waiting for Lewis to finish.

“Essentially, the idea is we would saturate a human embryo, the closer to conception the better, with thaumatic radiation. Because the embryo doesn’t have a functioning brain, it would be unaffected by the poisoning. Then, we would take the now-saturated embryo, and implant it into a surrogate mother who is resistant to magic. The process is called in vitro fertilization, it’s normally used for women who can’t naturally have children.” He looked up at the ponies and diamond dogs in front of him, taking a deep breath. “My idea would be to use diamond dog females to act as the surrogate mothers for the saturated embryos. Their physiology is closer to a human’s, not to mention their size making it easier for them to carry a human child to term than it would be for a pony. The canid DNA is stable in the presence of thaumatic energy, therefore, I think that they would serve best for surrogate mothers. Now, it’s still early to say for sure without further testing, but I’m starting to believe that this might well be a chance to save the human race from extinction.”

Cloudhammer translated for the diamond dogs, his eyes neutral, while they stiffened and growled at each other for a few seconds. K’rik finally snarled something, and Ferrik lowered his head submissively.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “I admit that I’m not familiar with some of humanity’s advancements, but it strikes me that this method was not intended for something like this. Is there any assurance that you’d even be able to ensure the safety of the embryo? Or that of the surrogate?”

Lewis nodded. “Well, you’d be partially right. We have had instances of implanting wild zebra embryos into horses, horse embryos into donkeys and the like. But for something like this, no, it’s never been attempted before. But this is the continuation of my species we’re talking about. If there’s something, anything that I can try that might work, I’ll try it.”

“Your resolve is admirable, Dr. Lewis,” Luna said softly. “My only admonition is to not allow yourself to become blind to the long-term consequences of your decisions. I did, once, and still carry the weight of that choice on my conscience to this day.”

Lewis sighed, scratching the back of his head as he glanced over at Cloudhammer and the two dogs. “I’m well aware of that. But from where I stand, if the chance exists, I’d want to at least try and fail, rather than not try at all. Even with the fact that we’ve still got a little under fourteen years till Rejection, every day we wait is time lost.”

Luna opened her mouth to reply when there was a knock at the door. Everyone turned as it swung open, a man in a military uniform entering. His shoulder epaulets marked him as a colonel, and to his credit he only stopped for a second as he saw the two canids. Turning to Luna, he inclined his head slightly. “Colonel Harkness, your Highness. Our ‘guest’ has arrived, and will be here in a moment.” He scowled. “I want to voice my concerns about using a convicted terrorist for this mission.”

“Your concerns are noted, Colonel Harkness,” Luna said calmly. “However, Steven Rangel’s candidacy was discussed at length between myself, my sister, President Foster, and your Joint Chiefs. His actions during the St Louis Massacre make him suitable in my eyes for such a mission, where independent thinking might be needed. And,” her voice grew harder, “should the Conversion fail, or he not return, then his loss is more easily mitigated.”

Before anything else could be said, the door to the lab swung open, two guards escorting a man wearing a prison jumpsuit in. Luna carefully schooled her expression and gestured toward the door. “Shall we?”

02 - Desperate Measures

Year 6, Week 5, Sunday

Ferrik sneezed as the newpup vanished. “Ferrik never get used to pony magic,” he growled softly.

K’rik growled sharply at his beta, then turned back to face Luna and Dr. Lewis squarely. “Now, K’rik must know where the female for this...” he paused, eyes narrowed as he focused, “‘ex-pear-a-mint’,” he clumsily spat the human word, “will come from.”

Luna glanced to Dr. Lewis, the two speaking briefly before the alicorn turned back to the diamond dogs. “We had hoped to ask you for a volunteer or two of your pack-” she was cut off as Ferrik growled, his upper lip pulling back. Azure huddled behind Dr. Lewis, ears flat as he watched the two predators nervously. Luna’s expression never changed, the alicorn meeting the taller dog’s eyes calmly.

“Females vital to pack. Cannot, will not give them up for this.” K’rik’s eyes were hard as he glared at the two of them, the human taking a step back nervously. He decided that he was starting to lose his interest in these humans already, if there were more like this one out there. The ones carrying weapons he could understand better.

Luna stared at him for a long few seconds before she nodded. “Alright, we shall find a volunteer elsewhere.”

Lewis gulped, starting to open his mouth to remind Luna that they didn’t have any other volunteers, but chose to keep his mouth shut as she turned to face him.

“We are glad to see that this research has borne fruit, Dr. Lewis. We will return to Equestria with K’rik, and leave Ferrik in Hawaii to oversee Steven’s training. I look forward to your next report.” She spoke with K’rik and Ferrik, and the three of them, along with Cloudhammer, trotted to the designated teleport area beside the base’s Beacon Stone. In a brilliant flash of azure light they were gone, and Lewis allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

“So now what do we do, Walter?” Azure asked as he trotted out from behind him. “We were counting on having a native diamond dog volunteer, after all.”

Lewis sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We’ll call a team meeting, figure something out.”

“So then what do they expect us to do?” Arcane asked hotly, stamping a hoof on the table. “It’s not like we have candidates lined up waiting for this!”

Colonel Harkness sighed and rubbed his face in aggravation. “I asked you, repeatedly, if you had a backup plan in mind for this. You assured me that this wouldn’t be an issue, that K’rik’s pack was large enough he could afford to let one of his females go. This is what I get for listening to you!”

“Look, getting angry and pointing fingers won’t change anything,” Elizabeth Ross got to her feet and started to walk around the table. “We should have anticipated this happening, but we’ve only been working on this idea as a solution for barely a month. There’s just not been time to evaluate this seriously as a project while we were developing the canification serum.”

“Umm, I’ll do it...” The quiet voice, coming from the slightly overweight woman two seats down from Azure, went unheard.

“We could seed the nearby Bureaus with opt-in forms for single women seeking Conversion, see if any of them would be willing to help test out a new serum,” Dr. Splein, one of the team’s two virologists, chimed in. “Conduct a background check and select the best of them. Any who refuse can be ponified and shipped to Equestria.”

“You can’t honestly be considering that, Albrecht,” Steel Glimmer said with a snort. “We can’t be forcing people into this.”

“Nor will we tolerate just picking up anyone from the street,” Colonel Harkness said angrily.

“I’ll do it...” the woman spoke up again, trying to make herself heard.

Azure flicked his ear, glancing over to the woman. “What did you say, Heather? Hey, everyone quiet down a second!”

As the voices quieted down, all eyes turned to the other virologist on the team, Heather Douglas. She’d been brought onto the team developing the canification serum from Johns Hopkins, and had come highly recommended. She’d been instrumental in developing a new binding agent for the diamond dog DNA, though her quiet demeanor sometimes slowed down the rate of development.

Under the focus of everyone in the room, Heather squirmed a little lower in her seat. “I said I’d...” she took a deep breath, “that I’d do it.”

Elizabeth blinked. “Heather, are you serious? What about y-”

“It’s unacceptable is what it is!” Splein shouted. “No one else on this team, myself excluded, is as qualified in virology as her.”

Heather shook her head. “But I can stay with the team here, help refine the serum... can’t I?” She glanced at Colonel Harkness.

“No, the plan is that once the first subject has been impregnated, they will be taken to Equestria so that they will be safe. The other reason for that is to ensure the fetus develops in an environment saturated in thaumatic radiation,” Harkness said with a sigh. “Although, this does solve the issue of maintaining program secrecy...”

“See?” Heather said brightly. “This is the best solution, and besides, it’s not often you get the chance to save your own species.” She smiled weakly at her attempted joke.

Splein fumed, but couldn’t seem to find anything to say. He lurched to his feet and stormed out of the conference room, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

Heather looked like she wanted to go after him, but Arcane got to her hooves. “Don’t worry about it Heather, I’ll go talk to him.” She trotted out the door after him, closing it behind her.

Dr. Ross took a breath, then looked back to Heather. “Now, Heather, are you really sure about this? This isn’t something to be done lightly, even if it were a normal Conversion.”

“I understand, Liz, really.” Heather glanced to the door. “But this isn’t just about me, anymore. I couldn’t forgive myself if I did nothing, if I let the human race fade into history. I know that we’ll eventually begin selecting more candidates, but I can’t just sit on the sideline anymore.”

Dr. Ross stared at her colleague for a few seconds, then looked over at Colonel Harkness. “Well, what do you think?”

The officer shrugged. “Honestly, this is better than picking up random women from the Bureaus.” He turned to face Heather squarely. “Dr. Heather Douglas, should you choose to volunteer for Project Thesan, you do understand that you will need to relocate to live in Equestria for the duration of your pregnancy, and that depending on the success or failure of the project, that your country may need to call upon your help in instructing other women enrolled in the program?”

Heather nodded slowly. “I do.”

Harkness nodded, his expression sour. “Still can’t fuckin’ believe this is what we’re reduced to.” He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Lewis sighed as he stood up. “Well, Heather, if you’re really serious about this, then we can Convert you once we prepare an embryo. I take it no one objects to one of Heather’s eggs being used?” Everyone at the table shook their heads. “Alright. Now, there is the issue of who our male donor will be. Right now, there’s only myself and Albrecht on the staff who are capable...”

“We’re not using Splein.” Dr. Ross’ voice was firm. “He’s a brilliant virologist, but his personal behavior is... eccentric at best. I nominate using Dr. Lewis as the male contributor, any objections?” At the silence she nodded. “Well, looks like you’ll be having a kid after all, Walter.”

Dr. Lewis sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his head. The enormity of the choice that loomed in front of him weighed down on him. Granted, Liz had it right with him wanting a kid, but something like this... It was all too crazy to really wrap his head around. Not to mention being thrown into it with Heather out of the blue. “Are you really okay with this, Heather?”

Heather stared at the table for a few seconds, then looked up at him and nodded. “Y-yeah... I mean, it’s not the perfect solution, but we have to try.”

Dr. Lewis held her gaze for a second, then nodded. “Alright. Well, I’ll go take care of business. Liz, think you can help Heather with her part? We’ll get the Conversion underway once we’re done.” He got to his feet. “We’ll also need to take some blood samples, and prepare the instructional material for the Canterlot doctors.” The rest of the team rose and began to disperse.

“A-are you sure about this, Walter?” Azure asked quietly, ears half-folded back. “I mean, Rangel’s Conversion was pretty rough. And he did hit you pretty hard.”

Lewis touched the bruise on his head and winced, but smiled anyway for Azure’s sake. “Well, it’s not that bad. But now that we know what to expect, we can take precautions.”

“Well, if you say so...” Azure didn’t seem convinced, but squared his shoulders.

Heather got out of her chair and hugged Azure. “I promise, I won’t hurt you. This’ll work out, I know it.”

03 - In-Flight Entertainment

Year 6, Week 6, Monday

Dr. Lewis nodded as the screen image finally resolved. He glanced down at his watch, then scribbled the time. “Okay, we have successful binding to the uterine wall. You can remove the probe, Liz.”

“Alright.” Behind the privacy screen, Elizabeth gently removed the fiber optic camera and set it in the tray. “You’re doing great, Heather, just let me close the incision.” She picked up the pre-threaded needle and got to work.

“I’m just glad we’re almost done here,” Heather grumbled as she leaned back in the surgical chair. She idly tapped her fingers on the chair’s arm.

“Heather.” Dr. Ross was staring at the arm of the chair, her eyes wide. “Heather, stop. Right now.”

Heather glanced down and stiffened. The nails on the end of her new fingers had elongated, forming a set of curved talons. She jerked her hand back, curling her fingers into a fist as the claws retracted. “I’m sorry Liz. I can’t help it sometimes.”

“We know Heather... just, try to keep it in mind, okay?” Dr. Ross finished stitching the incision closed. She put the needle in the same tray as the optic probe, and began to take the gloves off. She looked at Heather and again tried to reconcile that the canine creature sitting there had been the heavyset, quiet woman who just yesterday had volunteered to undergo the Conversion. She now stood at approximately five feet, five inches, and her body had replaced the fat with solid bands of muscle. They’d weighed her once she’d overcome the shock of her Conversion, and discovered that for her size, she was too heavy. Dr. Lewis had taken a bone sample for analysis, but the results were still being compiled.

“Right. Sorry.” Heather mumbled, scratching an itch on the back of her head.

Dr. Ross put on another pair of gloves, and cleaned the small shaved patch of skin. The brown hair around it pricked at the gloves, almost like a stiff bristled brush rather than fur. “Okay, and all set. Now, we just need to wait about nine months, see how this works.”

“I’m already looking forward to spending it in hiding,” Heather muttered as she pushed herself upright, again twitching at the alien feeling of her tail as it wagged slowly.

“Well, you’re not entirely right.” Dr. Ross and Heather glanced over at Dr Lewis pulled the privacy curtain aside. “It’s been decided that at the very least, you’ll be allowed to tour the city, with escort of course.”

Heather growled as she climbed to the floor, her body tensing as the pads on her feet touched the concrete. “Okay, that is something that I’m never getting used to either.” She looked intently at Dr. Lewis. “Is Albrecht still not talking to anyone?”

Dr. Lewis sighed. “Yeah, he’s coming out of his room for food at least, but otherwise he’s kept to himself.”

Heather’s ears drooped. “Oh.”

Dr. Ross patted her on the shoulder. “We’ll talk with him, get him to send you a letter once you get settled in at Canterlot. I admit, I kind of envy you. I heard a lot about it from Twilight and the others when we were working on the serum, and I do want to see it someday.”

“Well, you’ll get your chance. Less than fourteen years to go and all.” Heather took a few deep breaths, her nostrils flared. “So not looking forward to teleporting,” she muttered as arcs of light began to appear in the designated teleport area. A burst of light forced everyone to shield their eyes as four glowing shapes settled lightly onto the concrete floor. As her vision cleared, Heather sneezed and opened her eyes, meeting the stares of the four unicorn guards levelly.

Dr. Ross hesitated for a second, slightly disconcerted by Heather’s newfound confidence, before she turned to face the guardponies. “Hello, and who might I be speaking to?”

One of the guards trotted forward and saluted. “Ma’am, Sergeant Henry Carlisle, on orders from General Amber Dusk to serve as bodyguards.” He turned to Heather. “Miss Douglas, all four of us are combat veterans, well trained on the Hawaiian Islands. Our duty is to ensure your safety in-flight. You have nothing to worry about.” His accent placed him as British, probably one of the original volunteers from the first mass-test of the serum.

“In-flight?” Heather tilted her head. “I thought we were going to teleport there?”

Sgt. Carlisle shook his head. “No ma’am. The decision was made by those above my pay grade. We were ordered to escort you to the John F. Kennedy, then from there to Equestria proper via pegasus chariot. That’s not going to be a problem, is it?” His tone of voice made it clear that there wouldn’t be.

“No, of course not,” Heather muttered, scowling.

“Excellent. Then we will need transport to the airport. A plane is waiting,” Sgt. Carlisle said tersely, turning toward the door.

Heather looked pleadingly at Dr. Ross as the unicorns formed up around her and began to escort her toward the exit.

“Relax Heather, it’s only for a little while, then you’ll have your feet on the ground!” Dr. Ross called out. As the heavy door swung closed, she shook her head wryly. “Those poor ponies have no idea what they’re in for.”

The plane angled gently toward the Kennedy’s flight deck. For the unicorns inside, it was a welcome sight.

“Ms. Douglas, please, calm down,” Sgt. Carlisle urged, the other unicorns formed up behind him in case they were needed.

Heather was backed into the corner, the fur on the back of her neck standing up straight. “You calm down! This doesn’t feel right at all!” It was strange, she could feel the metal of the plane under her paws, but there wasn’t anything supporting it. She knew, logically, that the plane was fine to not have anything beyond it but the sky, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being disconnected, like she was in freefall.

“Ma’am, the plane is fine. We’re making our approach now,” Sgt. Carlisle paused as the plane jerked abruptly as the wheels made contact, “and here we are. Now, come on. I promise you, we’re almost to Equestria, it’s just one more pegasus chariot flight to Manehatten.”

Heather seemed to perk up a little at that. “Okay, okay.” She got to her feet and tentatively walked forward, the unicorns moving ahead of her to the door. She paused on the top step, her nose flaring as the salty wind brushed past. Her feet tingled as the metal ladder practically sang to her, the vast bulk of the carrier beneath it providing a deep counterpoint. She climbed down after the unicorns, but froze as she made contact with the carrier deck itself. The metal thrummed and sang, but there was a single burning heartbeat at its center that nearly overwhelmed her.

“Everything alright?” Sgt. Carlisle asked, the unicorn staring at her curiously, along with everyone else on the deck.

Heather shook her head to get her orientation back, and looked up from the spot she’d been staring at. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.” She followed the unicorns across the deck to the waiting chariot, her expression darkening with each step. “I’m looking forward to finally getting some solid ground back under my feet.”

Sgt. Carlisle saluted smartly as Heather climbed into the chariot. “Safe journey ma’am.”

“Thanks,” Heather said with a small smile, flinching lower as the pegasi hitched to it leaped forward and into the air. As they picked up speed, she found herself gripping the railing tight, the wind in her eyes almost unbearable. Soon, the chariot leveled off, the howling of the wind faded somewhat, and she was able to look around. The carrier behind them rapidly grew smaller, the tiny form of the plane she’d arrived on already taxiing into position to take off. “Well, I guess there’s not a lot to do until we land, is there?” She asked idly.

For a few moments, the pegasus guards were silent, and she’d resigned herself to spending the whole trip in silence when one of them spoke up. “Not really, ma’am.”

Heather glanced up. “Well, at least you’re honest about it. What’s your name?”

“Firesong. Sergeant Firesong,” he said with a touch of pride in his voice.

“Let me guess, you just got promoted?” she asked with a toothy smile.

“Yep!” He glanced back at her and grinned. “So, what exactly has you coming out to Equestria?”

Heather wrestled for a second with how to answer. She knew that she wasn’t supposed to explain why she was really coming. “Well, I’ve always wanted to come, and with the testing of the Canification serum, I volunteered on the condition that I get to see Equestria.”

Firesong stared at her for a second, and she worried that he wasn’t going to buy it, but he nodded. “Well, Equestria’s a beautiful place, though I suppose I’m biased. Haven’t set hoof outside of it until this deployment, actually.”

“Well, there’s plenty to see here on Earth,” she grinned back. “What about you, what’s your name?”

“Corporal Ozone,” the other pegasus replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We natives don’t usually get the chance to see that many of your species.”

“Which one?” Heather asked with a wry chuckle.

“Either,” Ozone replied with a wink, “though that’s changing every day.”

Heather laughed. “You got that part right.” She looked out over the water, the sunlight glinting off its surface. “So tell me, what’s it like?”

“What, Equestria?” Ozone asked curiously. “Well, like Firesong said, it’s a beautiful place. To be honest, we’re a lot like you humans, though in our case they pay us to do a pretty easy job. I hear your police officers can have a time of it!" He glanced ahead, wings fluttering. “We’re about to enter the thaumatic field, best keep a hold on the chariot.”

Heather was about to ask what he meant when the air suddenly... changed. The fur on the back of her neck stood up, and she took a few deep, almost contemplative sniffs. The wind seemed to carry just the faintest hint of... fresh, was the closest that she could describe. Like the way things smelled just after a good, heavy rain. “It’s... wow.”

Ozone and Firesong laughed good-naturedly. “It’s good to be home,” Ozone remarked with a happy sigh.

Heather leaned forward in the chariot, squinting as she peered at the faint smear of land ahead. “So, that’s Equestria?”

“Yep. We’ll be landing in Manehatten soon, where another team will take you to Canterlot.” Ozone replied, a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

“Well, you two have done really well,” Heather said with a smile, though that fell into an open-mouthed stare at the city that took shape before her. Towering skyscrapers loomed, remarkably similar to those found in human cities, though scaffolding covered a number of them. “So what’s the scaffolding for?”

“Well, last I heard, a couple newfoals from some civil engineering company got contracted to work on fixing up some of the cities around Equestria. Our engineers are good, but you humans got us beat there,” Ozone replied.

Heather chuckled. “Sure, our engineers are good, but don’t discount our medical expertise.”

Ozone laughed. “They may know a thing or two, but don’t count the Medical Corps out: they got eight hundred years of practice behind em.”

“Alright you two, we’re going to be descending, so we gotta focus,” Firesong said sternly. Then he shot a smirk back. “Besides, everypony knows our best talent is in the weather patrol.” The three burst into laughter as the chariot banked toward the city.

Heather leaned over the side a little, eyes wide as she stared at the buildings drawing closer. They looked like they could have been plucked right out of New York, the pony-shaped statue looming over the harbor only serving to seal the resemblance. “Are you sure there’s not any time to see more of the city?”

“Sorry. Orders are to get you to Canterlot as soon as possible. Besides, after a flight like this, I’m gonna want to sleep for a week,” Ozone grumbled as they angled toward a small, walled-in compound on the outskirts of town. A small landing strip ran along the cityside wall, another chariot waiting there patiently..

The chariot thumped to a stop, Ozone and Firesong letting their wings droop in relief as they unhitched themselves. “Well Heather,” Ozone said as he stretched his wings tiredly. “I hope you enjoy Canterlot. Lemme tell ya, Manehatten doesn’t have anything on it.” He and Firesong trotted toward the barracks with a wave. Heather waved back as she climbed down from the chariot, again cringing as her feet touched the bare dirt. Though this time, the feeling was... diminished somehow. “Huh, that’s weird.” She crouched down onto all fours and sniffed at the ground curiously. She realized that, like Rangel and the two diamond dog leaders had demonstrated, she was feeling the stone under the dirt. “That makes sense...” She glanced up and her ears swiveled back sheepishly as she saw the nearby guardponies looking at her curiously. “Right, sorry about that. So, when do we leave?”

One of the pegasi stepped forward and saluted. “Corporal Cirrus, ma’am. I’m in charge of ferrying you to Canterlot, along with Sergeant Whitefeather.” The dour-faced pegasus next to him nodded sharply. “We’ll depart immediately, so we can reach the city by nightfall. The expected flight time is only about three hours.” His English was a little rough, but easily understandable.

Heather winced. “Umm, is there any way I could use the bathroom first? The flight from the Kennedy was brutal enough.”

The ponies looked at each other before Cirrus pointed toward the low structure beside the landing strip. “Right this way, ma’am.”

After taking care of business, which proved awkward in itself given the nature of pony restrooms, Heather found herself climbing back into a chariot. After settling themselves into the harness, Cirrus and Whitefeather started to gallop and leaped skyward, their ascent sharper than Heather expected.

“Try to warn me next time!” She shouted over the howling wind.

“Sorry, but we’re burning daylight!” Cirrus called back. “Let us know if you need anything!” The pegasi leaned forward as they picked up speed.

Heather huffed, but turned to watch the city as it steadily got smaller. She decided that once she was able, she’d take some time to herself and enjoy the sights a little, maybe get Dr. Ross a souvenir.

After a few more minutes, the city was a grey smudge on the horizon, and was soon lost to sight. Heather looked down at the network of small towns spread out over the landscape, larger farms dominating much of the countryside. “Wow, I’ve heard the stories, but didn’t expect it to be so... developed.”

“What do you mean?” Cirrus shouted back.

“Well, all of this really,” she gestured as they passed over a particularly large farm, “From the way the natives talk, it sounded like you live in harmony with the land.”

Whitefeather glanced back. “We do. What did you think that meant?”

“Well, that you co-exist with nature, as opposed to taking control of your environment and developing it.” Heather pointed out.

“Well, the ancient pony tribes were like that, but as time went on, we had to band together into larger nations to deal with threats like the griffons, dragons, and worse,” Cirrus’ ears folded back for a second. “And as our numbers grew, we had to develop more and more land. Things were hard for ponies back then, but they were well on the way toward a decent future. But then He came.”

“Who?”

Whitefeather chose to chime in. “Discord. The Father of Chaos, the Oncoming Storm and The Ruination of All.”

Heather tilted her head. “Hold on a second. Now I’ve heard of Discord, but I thought that was more a conceptual thing, like the bogeyman. You mean he actually existed?”

“Oh he existed alright. You can see him in the Canterlot Sculpture Gardens, if you want,” Cirrus said with a snort.

Whitefeather shook his head and continued. “Anyway, if the old legends are true, the three tribes had finally begun to accept Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as our leaders. However, a series of disturbing reports began to leak in from the south, tales of rain turned to chocolate milk one second and more foul substances the next. Of whole crops brought to life, only to burst into flames, or begin sweeping balletic pieces. Celestia and Luna sent a contingent of the three tribes, escorted by a company of Royal Guard, to find out what was going on.”

“Let me guess, they never came back?” Heather asked.

Whitefeather snorted darkly. “Oh no, they came back. As a roiling, evershifting mass of flesh mixed with gold and gems, shaped into a throne. Upon it sat a creature unlike anything seen before, seemingly made from all manner of animals. It proclaimed itself King, and demanded that Celestia and Luna bow to him. Needless to say, the Princesses immediately launched an attack against him... and he swatted them aside as if they were nothing. He moved to finish them off, but they managed to flee to Tartarus knew where.”

Cirrus folded his ears back. “The time that followed is what was known as the Reign of Chaos. Nopony knows really how long it lasted. It could have been a millennium in the span of five seconds, or vice versa. What we do know was that entire villages would wake up with the air in their lungs replaced with gelatin, or adults trading ages with their foals, or sometimes simply erased from existence, just because Discord wanted to see what would happen.” He shook his head ruefully. “Some of the stories in there are so impossible, you want to believe they couldn’t have happened, but you have to admit they likely did.”

“That’s... awful.” Heather said, her eyes wide.

Whitefeather nodded. “But, eventually, Celestia and Luna returned, bearing what became known as the Elements of Harmony, and leading armies from every nation. Zebras, diamond dogs, griffons, even the beasts of the wild rose up against Discord’s madness. We ponies flocked to join the battle, and didn’t have to wait long before Discord unleashed the full breadth of his power. It was... chaotic, to say the least. To this day nopony can really explain what was actually fought, from such things as the Never-Weres, the Horde of Insanity, the Ever-Hungry Shadows, and much worse. However, in the end, Celestia and Luna’s alliance drove Discord into the very center of his power, and cast him down, sealing him away.”

Heather was silent, her eyes vacant as she tried to process the story she’d just been told. She’d heard plenty of the stories of how wonderful Equestria was, but nothing anywhere approaching this. “So, even if I believe all this, how does that have to do with Equestria being in the condition it is now?

Whitefeather shot her a glance. “The alliance was battling against a monster that could literally reshape reality at the snap of his fingers. As the battle turned against him, he began literally unmaking the world. In the aftermath, the survivors were forced to take more direct stewardship of their lands. With the guidance of Celestia and Luna, Equestria was able to recover quickly, but some regions remained tainted irrecoverably by Discord’s corruption.”

“What about the other nations?” Heather asked.

“We initially aided in the recovery of the others, but after Nightmare Moon arose, the other nations broke all relations with us,” Cirrus said with a sigh.

“And no one tried to make contact for a thousand years?” Heather shot back incredulously.

“Of course we did. But trying to make amends when one of your goddesses tried to darken the sun and conquer the world is a little difficult. Eventually we settled into a sort of tense neutrality, and eventually that just became how things were.” Whitefeather said matter-of-factly.

“Though I’ll admit, Emergence went a long way towards bringing the nations together, Conversion even more so,” Cirrus said with a wry smile. “In a way, we owe you humans for that.”

Heather started to reply, but suddenly lurched forward, leaning over the front edge of the chariot. “Is that what I think it is?”

Ahead of them, a towering mountain chain was taking shape. A city jutted from the side of the tallest, clinging to it in clear defiance of gravity. A waterfall flowed out from under the gleaming edifice and plunged to the valley below. As they drew closer, Heather could make out tiny shapes that had to be pegasi darting back and forth, and chariots making their way along the streets.

“Welcome to Canterlot, ma’am,” Cirrus said, a touch of pride in his voice. “Center of Equestria for over a thousand years.”

With a few beats of their wings, the pegasi angled the chariot downward, swooping toward a landing strip at the back of the city, gold-armored bodies everywhere. Heather just stared blankly, her mind trying to wrap itself around the fact that the city should be impossible. Finally she decided she’d just have to accept it on general principle. “I’m definitely going to get Elizabeth a nice souvenir.”

04 - A Night on the Town

Year 6, Week 14, Tuesday

Heather paced around the room, her nostrils flaring occasionally. Everything smelled right, the cleaning staff was very punctual and efficient. Not a thing was out of place either.

It was all so boring.

The room itself had nothing to do with it. Located a mere two floors down from the Royal Chambers, she’d been flabbergasted by how opulent the room was. The bed was a four-poster, easily large enough for two or three humans to sleep comfortably in. The carpet was thick, which thankfully had helped alleviate the worst of the stonesense.

The boredom came from everything else. She’d tried to go out into the city on her third day, and had to be escorted back to the castle under guard as the nobleponies had very nearly thrown a riot at the sight of her. She still got a surge of anger at the memory of the one haughty unicorn who’d called her a cur. She’d nearly snapped her teeth at him before she caught herself, shocked at her own display of violence. Once back in her room, she’d remained there for the past two months, and it was finally starting to wear on her.

She’d tried striking up conversation with the staff ponies that came and went, but they offered little more than a few nervous words before excusing themselves. The guards assigned to her weren’t much better, which surprised her given how talkative the ponies who flew her here had been.

“Okay. Definitely going out of the castle.” She paused in her circuit. She didn’t want to go out with the guards, they drew too much attention. But there was no way they’d just let her walk out without them. So that only left her with one option: sneaking out.

She stopped next to one of the chairs and practically fell into it. Was she really contemplating doing this?

Not so long ago she wouldn’t even think of sneaking out like this, but now, between her strange new surroundings, pregnancy, the related hormones, and being an entirely different species she found herself doing things she wouldn’t even have considered before. Would her old self even recognize her new self, now? What about her friends, her family? She was even beginning to miss Albrecht’s tempestuous nature.

However, despite her misgivings, she did have to admit, the idea of trying to sneak out was beginning to become more attractive, her new instincts growing stronger as time went on. However, the obstacle of the guards remained in place, and would take some thought to work around.

“Ugh, I really need to get some fresh air,” she muttered, before her eyes locked onto the rug in the center of the room. As an idea began to form, she smiled toothily.

“Ms Douglas? Your dinner is ready,” the guard said as he pushed the cart into the room. He glanced around, seeing the bathroom door closed firmly. “Ms Douglas?” He trotted over and rapped a hoof on the door. “Well, I’m going to leave the cart here for you, just let the guards know when you’re finished with it.” He turned and trotted back across the rug, only to cry out as he half-fell, the rug sagging into the floor. The other guards rushed in and helped him to his hooves.

“What happened, Private?” One of the unicorns barked.

“I don’t know sir,” Javelin replied, flexing his leg to alleviate some of the pain. “I was just walking across the rug when I fell in.” He pointed to the obvious sag in the rug.

With a snort, the unicorn yanked the rug aside, scowl deepening as he saw the hole bored into the marble floor. “Horseapples, this isn’t good. I want you to go to the barracks, shake all of their lazy flanks loose, we need to find her right away.”

“That won’t be necessary.” A new voice came from the doorway, smoothly dangerous as a moonless night.

“And just who are you to tell me that-” the unicorn froze as he saw the pony standing in the doorway. Instantly bowing his head and falling to a bow, the assembled guards refused to meet the eyes of the newcomer. “Then what are your orders, ma’am?”

“See to fixing the floor. Discreetly. I’ll personally locate our wayward guest and bring her back.” The newcomer turned and trotted silently down the hall.

Once they were sure they were safe, the guards sagged in relief. Javelin looked at the others in shock. “Just what is she doing here?”

Sergeant Rain Kicker snorted. “Bit of advice, if she’s here, best do what she says and keep our heads down.” He glanced nervously to the door, and muttered, “Celestia take mercy on the dog, she’ll need it.”

The side street was quiet, a few birds picking through the crumbs around the dumpsters. One spotted a chunk of bread squished between two paving stones and hopped closer, only to take off in a flutter of wings as the stones suddenly bulged upward. A furred paw pushed free, followed by the rest of her as Heather pulled herself free of the tunnel. She glanced around as she shook the dirt off.

“Okay, looks like I’m good for now.” She looked up to the castle, a deep purple glow surrounding it as the sun slid behind the mountain. Her ears folded back as she realized how much trouble she was going to be in when they found her. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. “Well, might as well get a look around, see a few of the sights.” She walked out onto the main street, eyes wide as she examined the buildings all around her. As she started to walk down the sidewalk, she froze, her nose twitching as she turned around. A pony couple stood there, staring in shock at her. It was the same pony couple from her last excursion into town.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me. That’s just not fair.” She tensed and took a few steps back as the two unicorn’s eyes widened.

“Do something, Jet!” the mare shrieked as she skittered away.

“Get back, I’ll call the guards on you!” the stallion said angrily. The idea took a second to sink in, then he started shouting at the top of his lungs, “Guards! Guards!”

Heather spun around and ran, claws digging grooves into the stones as she took the next corner at speed.

“What do we do now Jet? We can’t let that beast run loose like that!” Upper Crust whispered nervously.

“Is something the matter? I heard you calling for the guards, thought I might offer assistance,” A soft voice asked from behind them.

“Thank Celestia, a punctual response for once...” Jet Set trailed off as he turned around. “Y-you’re...”

“There’s no cause for alarm, citizen,” The voice’s owner lightly trotted past them, “I can assure you the situation is well in hoof.”

Jet Set and Upper Crust barely waited for the voice to finish before bolting, galloping towards their home.

The owner of the voice snorted derisively. “Nobles.”

Heather finally stopped to catch her breath. She couldn’t really remember what turns she’d taken, but she’d managed to avoid the silver-trimmed unicorns patrolling the streets. What had surprised her was that they seemed to not be searching for her. She was certain that by now, somepony should have heard the shouting from those two ponies. She glanced around a corner, seeing the road sloping up toward what looked like an open space. Even better, there were no guards in sight.

She quickly made her way up the street, ears pricked forward despite her optimism. As she entered the open space, she saw that it was a large courtyard, with nothing beyond it but the night sky. She walked forward slowly, resting her hands on the cool marble wall as she looked out over the view.

Slightly to her left in a broad valley, she could see a few dim points of light grouped together, maybe a small village. On the other side, the plains ran on to the horizon, where a dim glow could be seen. Lifting her head, she could see the stars in the sky shining brightly and smiled, not remembering the last time she’d just stopped to look.

“This is nothing, you should see it when Lady Luna is in charge,” a voice from right next to her suddenly chimed in.

Heather practically jumped out of her skin, instinctively moving to put some distance between herself and the voice. However, the wall got in the way of that, and she nearly fell over it but for a pair of hooves that pulled her back onto her rump.

“You had best be careful. The winds up here can get pretty intense at times.”

Heather just stared, trying to process the pony that had just saved her. It was obviously a mare from her shape, and the wings a clear giveaway as to what tribe. What she did not expect to see was the purple and silver armor, the slitted yellow eyes, or the bat wings instead of feathers. “You’re a... a....”

The pony snorted. “Think we can skip the whole ‘You’re a bat!’ thing for once? I’m a pegasus, much as you’re a diamond dog, Heather Douglas.”

“H-how’d you know my name?” Heather asked as she pushed herself to her feet.

The pegasus tilted her head. “Well, where should I start? You’re not only a diamond dog in Canterlot, which is rare enough in itself, but we all studied your profile as part of the project.”

“We? Who’s we?” Heather asked curiously.

“It’s not important. Now, if you don’t mind, I think you’ve had your fun, and should come with me back to the castle.” It was clear from the pegasus’ tone that it wasn’t a request.

“A-alright.” Heather followed the pegasus as she led her down the sidewalk toward the castle. As they walked, she tried to avoid it, but ended up staring anyway, trying to make sense of her appearance. She remembered the various talks and briefings she’d attended as a member of Project Thesan, and before that on the serum refinement teams, but none of them had mentioned guards like these. It was right on the tip of her tongue though, she knew she’d seen this somewhere before.

It hit her as they passed a small bookshop. “You’re one of the Nightguard, aren’t you?”

“What was that?” The pegasus asked noncommittally, though Heather picked up a change in her scent, which raised a question on it’s own.

“I read a bunch of Equestrian books a while back, including a few foal’s books. One of them had a picture of Princess Luna with two pony guards who looked like you.”

“Is that so?” The sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on Heather, who decided to take a different direction of conversation.

“How come I couldn’t smell you back there?”

“Sorry, that’s classified.”

“Oh... alright.” Heather took another few sniffs, each time getting the usual scent she’d come to associate with ponies. She filed that away, and quickened her pace to walk beside the pegasus. “Well, since you know my name, is it alright if I ask yours?”

The pegasus sighed. “If I tell you, will you stop with the questions?”

“S-sure,” Heather replied.

“It’s Eclipse, Ms Douglas.” The two walked in silence for a little while more before Heather finally couldn’t stand it.

“You can call me Heather, if you like.” She tried not to flinch as the slitted eyes swung up to meet hers.

“If you want, Ms Douglas.” It was hard to see, but Heather could practically smell the mild amusement coming from her.

“So, and I know I said I would stop with the questions, but how come the guards here aren’t like you? I’ve had better conversations with the bathroom door,” Heather remarked with a short laugh.

Eclipse let out a laugh of her own. “Well, the Dayguard have their way of doing things, we have ours.” The two continued on, though the silence was a lot less awkward this time around.

“So, you were following me the entire way out here?” Heather asked suddenly.

“Of course. You’re far too important to have anypony other than the best keeping an eye on you. Although, I may have to have a word with my superiors about your escape. I will admit, we did not account for your idea to tunnel out. What made you think of it?”

“Well, while we were developing the serum, we talked with some of the native diamond dogs about their physiology. So, I remembered how they can burrow through solid stone, figured why not marble, and let my instincts do the work.” Heather paused for a few minutes. “I’m in a lot of trouble, aren’t I? I mean, for sneaking out and ruining the floor.”

Eclipse nodded. “Oh yes. But I suppose, given the circumstances, we could consider a stern warning about the dangers of sneaking out and a promise from you to behave in the future sufficient enough. Equestria is a nice place, but ponies are still fallible, and tend to be nervous of the unknown.”

Heather nodded, remembering the two ponies from before.

“If it was a chance to see the city you wanted, why did you not simply ask?” Eclipse asked. “You know that it would have been granted.”

“Well, I tried that when I first arrived, but I just... I felt like...”

“Like something on parade, ponies staring at you like you’re something in an exhibit.” Eclipse said with a wry snort.

“Y-yeah.” Heather agreed. “I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t.”

“Don’t be, it’s just something I’m familiar with.” Eclipse flexed her bat wings a little as the pair came into sight of the castle, the guards stationed at the entrance trotting forward. “Relax boys, I’m in charge of Ms Douglas’ safety. Just going to take her back to her room now.”

“Yes ma’am.” The guards returned to their posts as Eclipse and Heather walked through the massive double doors.

Heather stared at Eclipse as she was led down the halls toward her chamber, mind racing a mile a minute at the revelations she was given. Obviously Eclipse carried a lot more weight around the castle than she’d thought. Finally, they stood before the open doors to her room, Heather avoiding the reproachful stares of the ponies who were finishing the repairs on the hole she’d dug. “Well, Eclipse, thank you for everything, I’ll... see you around, I guess.”

“Perhaps... Heather.” Eclipse turned and trotted off down the hallway, as Heather stared blankly after her. After a moment she shook her head in resignation and walked into her room. The tunnel that she’d dug had already been filled in, and she made a note to apologize to the guards and staff for the stunt. She closed the cover on the lantern, crawled under the sheets, and after a few minutes to get comfortable was fast asleep.

Eclipse trotted down the quiet hallways, not acknowledging the ponies who crossed to the far wall to avoid her. As she’d said, it was just something that came with the job. She arrived at her destination, a set of heavy doors bearing the simple motif of the crescent moon, and pressed a hoof to it. The door easily swung open, well-tended hinges offering only a whisper of protest. She trotted in and took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness within as the door closed behind her.

“Welcome back, Eclipse,” a voice called from farther in the room, “I trust that you were successful?”

“If I hadn’t, I would not be here,” Eclipse whispered as she sank into a bow.

“Come now, there is still no need for such formality in this room.” There was a faint ruffling of wings as a figure rose from behind a massive desk.

“As you wish, my Lady.” Eclipse did not rise from the bow as Luna walked around the desk, other shapes rousing themselves and following her.

“And what did you think of Heather Douglas? Is her adjustment to life here going well?”

Eclipse nodded as she rose from the bow. “She’s still unsure of herself, but her adjustment to her body is progressing quicker than the Dayguard planned. Her tunneling out of the room was not accounted for, and I would recommend that the security be... adjusted.”

Luna tilted her head. “You know that we cannot simply increase the guard, the rumors are already flying about her presence.” She glanced to another shadowed figure. “Umbra, do you have any update on the operation to discredit those rumors?”

The unicorn shook his head. “Right now we’re continuing to simply drown them out with more of our own. Thus far, nopony has shown any indication of coming close to guessing why Ms. Douglas is here, though we remain vigilant.”

“Very good. All of you continue to perform above and beyond your station, and I remain proud of you all.” Luna turned to make her way back to her desk, but stopped when Eclipse spoke up.

“Lady, we may not be able to increase the number of guards, but perhaps we can change who is guarding her.”

Luna glanced back. “Explain, please.”

Eclipse took a breath, though she had a suspicion Luna already knew what she was going to say. “Assign me to guard Ms. Douglas. Any increase in rumors caused by my assignment can be mitigated by Umbra, and you know that I am more than capable of protecting her better than another squad of Dayguard can.”

“Be respectful of your brothers and sisters, Eclipse,” Luna said sternly, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward. “And you are aware of the enormity of the task you lay claim to? Failure is absolutely not an option.”

“I understand, my word is my oath. I will not allow anything to happen to Heather so long as I draw breath,” Eclipse replied instantly.

“Oh, so it’s Heather now?” One of Luna’s twin shadows spoke up with a chuckle.

“Oh, shove it up your backside, Starstruck,” Eclipse grumbled.

“Now now,” Luna smiled with the patience of a parent watching her children squabble, “there is no need for such behavior. Your request is approved, Eclipse. Go with my blessing.”

Eclipse bowed to the floor again. “Thank you, my Lady.” She turned and trotted out of the room, blinking as her eyes had to re-adjust to the glare of the outer hallways.

Behind her, Starstruck glanced up at Luna. “So why did you approve Eclipse’s request, really? There’s dozens of Dayguard as talented as her.”

Luna smiled down at him as she walked back to her desk. “Because, you know as well as I do of her ambition. So, I felt it reasonable enough to humor her and allow this chance to prove herself.”

“If you say so,” he muttered as he followed after her and settled back into his usual spot.

05 - Girl Talk

The Canterlot castle kitchens were always in a state of chaos, fit to please even Discord himself. Between serving dozens of nobleponies, hundreds of Royal Guard, and three alicorns, the staff was more than adequate to handle any culinary need imaginable.

“That’s it! I’ve had it!” Garlic Crouton exclaimed as he tossed his head irritably. “I cannot keep meeting these ridiculous requests for our... guest.”

The pot sat innocently on the stove in front of him, it’s contents simmering quietly. The rest of the staff kept a healthy distance from it, their noses wrinkled in disgust.

“Complaining about it isn’t going to change it,” Eclipse remarked as she trotted past [head chef] for a peek inside. “You’ve been given an important responsibility, after all.”

“I don’t rightly care how important it is,” he bellowed back. “This gunk ain’t food, least not for proper ponies!”

Eclipse narrowed her eyes. “And I’ll remind you that our guest is not a pony. They are here at the pleasure of the Princesses, and you would do well to remember it. Now, I trust that it is ready?”

“Aye, it’s done. Now get it out of my kitchen,” he grumbled as he trotted to another oven, a large sheet cake visible within. “Got enough work as it is, pleasin’ three Princesses.”

Eclipse nodded to one of the waiters, who carefully dished the contents of the pot into a serving bowl. He set the bowl onto one of the waiting delivery carts and gripped the handle in his mouth. The two ponies trotted out the door and down the hallway toward the residential wings.

“So, what exactly is this diamond dog doing here, ma’am?”

Eclipse turned her head slightly and fixed him with a cool stare, but was otherwise silent. The waiter grew steadily more uneasy until he glanced down at the floor apologetically. The rest of the walk passed in silence until they finally came to a stop at Heather’s door. Two unicorn guards stood firmly at attention, not even twitching a muscle at their approach.

Eclipse nodded to the waiter, who turned and trotted back down the hall, disappointment on his face. Once she was sure he was out of earshot she turned back to the guards. “So, anything new to report?”

“No ma’am.” The unicorn on the left coughed slightly, and his counterpart sighed. “Well, there was the sound of furniture scraping approximately an hour ago.”

“Well, did you think to open the door, and see what it was?” Eclipse tilted her head expectantly.

“Umm, no ma’am. Our orders were very specific that she be left alone.” The guard on the right said at last.

“I see.” Eclipse stared at them for a long second. “Right. You two are dismissed.”

“Ma’am?” The two spoke in unison.

“I know I didn’t stutter.” She took a step closer, fixing them both with a glare. “You two are relieved. Tell the watch officer I want somepony competent sent here to cover your shift.”

The two guards tensed, and seemed ready to challenge her, but she stood her ground. After another few seconds they snorted and walked away, muttering under their breath. Eclipse stared after them for a few more seconds, then turned and nosed open the door. She grabbed the cart with her mouth and pushed it into the room. “Heather? Your dinner’s ready.” She closed the door behind her with a leg. “Have to say, the staff is not going to like what you’ve done with the place.”

Heather glowered at her from the bed, which had been pushed back against the farthest wall. In front of it was the rest of the furniture, forming a crude den of sorts. The whole setup looked ridiculous, and Eclipse couldn’t help a bemused sigh as she pushed the cart across the room.

“And I understand that you’re having your cravings and all, but do keep in mind how tough it is for the castle kitchens to prepare your... meals.” Eclipse lifted the lid off the serving bowl. “Although, calling beef stew with marshmallows, bananas, and iced pickles a ‘meal’ is a bit of a stretch.”

“Oh, shut up,” Heather grumbled with a half-snarl as she climbed off the bed. She froze a half-second later. “Sorry, I’m not sure what came over me. Just all of this is starting to get a little stressful and-”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Eclipse trotted to her usual spot by the window so she could see the moonrise. “You’re acting just as you should be. Well, aside from your bizarre taste in food.”

The two laughed, and Heather started to dig in on her food. As she ate, she glanced at the pegasus sitting there, her eyes distant as she gazed at the moon.

“So, what’d you mean?” Heather asked between mouthfuls.

“Exactly what I said,” Eclipse replied without turning around. “You’re not a human anymore. Did you think that you’d just be the ‘you’ that you were after this? With no consequences or changes?”

Heather glanced at the floor for a second. Eclipse did have a point, sort of. She’d thought she’d prepared herself for the choice, but at the end of the day, had she really thought it through? Who, or what, was she becoming?

The sound of hooves on marble brought her head back up as Eclipse crossed the room to stand in front of her. "Look... This is something I learned a long time ago. You are who you are, and nopony changes that. Not Celestia, not Luna, not Discord. What you are doesn't matter." She tapped her hoof on Heather’s chest. "Who you are comes from here."

Heather sighed, and pushed the cart to the side. “I have to say, that is by far the most cliche thing I’ve heard since I got here.” She got to her feet and walked over to the window. The city was mostly dark, a few ponies visible as they made their way home. “So tell me, Eclipse, how goes life in Equestria?”

Eclipse snorted. “Trees grow, ponies go about their lives, and I’m still stuck playing babysitter to an overgrown, pregnant mutt.” The two glared at each other for a second before they started snickering, then outright laughing.

The conversation died down while Heather finished her meal. As the spoon slid to a stop at the bottom, Heather found her thoughts again drifting to the only question that Eclipse had never answered. “Hey, Eclipse?”

She glanced over. “What’s up?”

“Listen, I know I asked this once before, and you shut me down on it. But I really want to know more about the Nightguard, and what happened when Luna came back.”

Instantly, Eclipse stiffened, her eyes growing hard. “Heather, I’ve already told you. That question isn’t one we answer for outsiders. Ever.”

“I know, but I mean, I’d at least like to know a little about you,” Heather muttered, annoyed. She scratched irritably at her stomach, which had finally begun to show.

Eclipse glared at her, then rose to her hooves and trotted out the door, not even looking back as the heavy door slammed shut.

Heather stared plaintively at the door for a few minutes before she sighed and climbed back into bed. “Just great Heather, way to piss off the only real friend you’ve made around here.” She rubbed at her temples for a few seconds before closing her eyes and dozing off.

What felt like five seconds later the door banged open, accompanied by the sound of hooves on marble. Heather sat up, her expression sour as she saw Eclipse, dark blue saddlebags draped across her back. “Eclipse? What’s going on?”

She sighed and dropped the bags on the floor. “Look, I won’t tell you everything, but... you do have a point. So, I decided I’ll talk. About myself, not the Nightguard of course.” She dug a book out of the saddlebags and tossed it to Heather.

“When I was just a filly, I believed my parents to be simple ponies. My mother worked in the mail distribution center, while my father was one of the accountants for the treasury. But eventually, I got old enough to stay awake later,” she explained as Heather opened the book. Inside, the first page bore an aged photograph, a pegasus filly beaming at the camera while a pegasus mare and a unicorn stallion smiled at her. She flipped through the book as Eclipse continued, “Well, one night, I was trying to stay up for when my father was supposed to come home, but he never showed up. So, my mother put me to bed, and I pretended to fall asleep. Once I heard my mother go to bed, I snuck out of my room and down to my father’s study, hoping to surprise him when he did get home.” She chuckled at the memory.

“Well, you can guess how short the attention span of a six-year old filly can be. So, I started to look around the study for something to do. I pulled open his bottom desk drawer, but got a little overeager and pulled the whole thing out, spilling stuff everywhere. Mostly odds and ends, but one in particular caught my eye as it rolled to a stop in the moonlight.” She reached up and lifted a small pendant from under her armor. It was a simple disc, with a crescent moon emblazoned on the face. “This disc is the first thing given to a Nightguard recruit. It’s... a mark of their initiation, you could say. Well, to me, it was just a pretty coin, and so I was in the middle of reaching for it when my dad opened the door.”

Heather winced. “So, I take it he was mad you nearly picked up the disc?”

Eclipse cocked her head. “What do you mean nearly? By the time my dad realized it I had the disc in my hooves.” She turned and walked slowly across the room to look at the moon again. “Oh, he was furious with me, and punished me pretty harshly, but what was done, was done. By touching the coin, I’d been marked.”

“What do you mean?” Heather asked quietly.

“Well, like I said, the discs are given to a Nightguard recruit as the first part of their initiation. It was once tradition for Luna to fashion one for each new recruit, however with her banishment, we had to improvise. So, the discs were used with all of the recruits and agents for a thousand years. Every pony who touches one is marked for the Nightguard in some way. Even me.”

Heather just stared. “So you mean... they had you start working for-”

Eclipse shot her a puzzled look. “Are you crazy? I was six. It was just a marking, not like I signed up to put the armor on. That came later.” She grinned. “But it did necessitate some awkward conversations about what dear old dad really got up to.”

“So... when did you decide that becoming a guard was really for you?” Heather asked curiously.

“Well, I finished all my schooling, got my special talent, all a normal, everyday life. But I dunno, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I needed something more, something... exotic.” Eclipse took a deep breath and stretched. “So, I made my choice. Took some getting used to, but I don’t regret a second of it.”

Heather blinked. “That... doesn’t really answer my question. At all.”

Eclipse laughed. “Now you’re getting it.” She trotted back to the saddlebag and dug out another book. “I figured that this might be something nice to pass the rest of the night with.” She tossed it over, and Heather groaned once she saw the title.

“Really? Yet another language lesson?” She glowered at Eclipse, who only shrugged.

“Hey, don’t get your tail in a twist about it. You’re getting better, but you still need some work. After all, the little one’s going to be the first of the continuation of their species. No sense in letting their mom be some poor, uneducated dog from the hills, right?” Eclipse smirked and ribbed her with a wing.

Heather growled, but there wasn’t any threat behind it as she flipped open the book.

Outside the door, Guiding Light reeled back, his eyes wide at what he’d heard. The rumors had been flying that the diamond dog was pregnant, but the scuttlebutt had assumed it was just some peace effort to unite two of their packs.

But this... this was something beyond anything he’d ever feared. He’d sworn an oath to serve the throne, but if the throne was seriously contemplating doing something like this... no. No, this was something bigger than him. He was in a position to do something, prevent a horrible mistake from coming to fruition. And he couldn’t let himself be weak, he’d been weak when Firefly Dreams had gone Earthside. He closed his eyes as the memories came back, turning up for duty to see the other guards giving him that look. He still couldn’t forgive himself for letting him go...

He practically jumped out of his skin as the sound of hooves on tile brought his focus back to his fellow guard, trotting back from the bathroom.

“Hey, sorry bout that, kind of didn’t anticipate having to be shaken loose this time of night, and well, when nature calls,” the stallion laughed. “So, did I miss anything?”

His mind racing, he forced his face to remain stoic. “No, not really.” Inside, he pulled himself back under control. Okay, he had this knowledge now, and the responsibility for it.

He had to tell somepony.

06 - Opening Gambit

“So, once we finished cleaning up the mess, Albrecht turned around and slipped in the water!” Heather finished with a laugh, though it turned into a hiss as she put a paw on her stomach. “Jeez, this little guy’s kicking hard.” She rubbed the bump irritably, which had swelled out as she passed the seventh month of the pregnancy.

“Must take after his mother,” Eclipse said with a bemused snort. “Glad to see your cravings finally swung back to normal. You should have seen the look on Garlic’s face when I passed along your last... request.”

Heather chuckled as she grabbed the last of the oranges from the cart. She peeled it idly as she leaned back. “Hey, I’m still pretty sure hydra meat would taste good… Maybe with enough barbeque sauce?”

Eclipse snorted. “Trust me when I say it wouldn’t. I’ve heard of barbeque sauce, but I somehow doubt it’s ability to cover the stench.”

Heather shrugged. “Plenty of things smell bad but taste great.” She kicked her legs idly, staring at the thick-woven shoes on her feet. “Barely two weeks in and I’m already sick of these shoes.”

“I’m not,” Eclipse said with a snort. “I still have ringing in my ears from the last time you tried to walk on marble.”

“Oh come on, how was I supposed to know my paws would be that sensitive?” Heather complained as she tossed the last of the orange peel into the garbage can. Her ear flicked as she contemplated the question that had burned in her head ever since she’d become friends with the pegasus. “Hey Eclipse, I figure you know what I’m going to ask, but-”

Eclipse sighed. “And my answer remains the same, Heather. It’s not something we talk about with outsiders.”

Heather growled irritably. “And you and I have spent the past four months just hanging out every night, taking me on strolls when there’s no one on the streets, so I don’t get bored or wander off? Surely you can tell me something? Don’t you trust me?”

“I do, and you know better than to ask that question,” Eclipse replied, her tone reproachful. She stifled a yawn as she glanced out the window, where a thin line of red could be seen on the horizon. “Look, it’s getting pretty close to sunrise, and I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you at sundown. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? And don’t forget your medicine!”

“See you tomorrow.” Heather waved dismissively as Eclipse trotted out the door. She flopped backwards onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, her eyes heavy even as her baby kicked a few more times. She reached over to the end table, where a pair of pills sat next to a glass of water. With a sigh she popped them in her mouth and took a swig, her lip curling back. “Definitely looking forward to not needing those anymore.” Relaxing back onto the bed, she was soon fast asleep, snoring like a train engine.

Outside the room, Eclipse shook her head. “I swear, it’s amazing that she can even sleep through that racket.” She turned to face the two guards, her eyes hard. “I’m leaving her in your care for the day, keep an eye on her. You have active command, Dawn.”

Dawn Breeze saluted. “Yes ma’am.”

“Excellent, don’t let me down, First Lieutenant.” Eclipse turned and trotted down the hallway, finally allowing herself another yawn as she rounded the corner.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Dawn replied as she settled into her position. She glanced over at her compatriot, “Hey, are you feeling alright, Guiding? You look a little tense.”

Guiding Light shook his head and faked a yawn. “Yeah, just a little slow to wake up this morning.”

Dawn nodded. “Well, at least we got an easy assignment today.”

Guiding stared ahead, his eyes distant. “Yeah.”

Dawn thought about pressing him on it, but she decided that he just needed his space and returned to staring at the opposite wall.

Heather sat up and stretched, feeling her shoulders pop as she rotated her arms back. She raised an arm to block the sunlight streaming into the room as she checked the sun. “Well, guess that means I’m not sleeping today.” She glanced down at her stomach as her legs tingled. “What do you say we go out for a little walk? Just down a couple side streets, get some fresh air?” She smiled as she heaved herself off the bed, wincing a little as she made contact with the floor. The shoes had gone a long way in suppressing her stonesense, but her feet had gotten so sensitive that she could still feel it, like pins and needles on her pads.

With a muted growl of dismissal, she padded across the room to the door. She pushed the door open and leaned toward the unicorn guard standing there. “Hey, I was wondering, think I could go get some time outside?”

The unicorn initially seemed dismissive, but then something seemed to click and he nodded. “I’ll go get clearance, Dawn. You wait here.” He turned and trotted down the hallway without another word.

Heather glanced at Dawn. “Is it something I said?”

“No, he’s been that way for a while now.” The pegasus’ tone softened a little. “His brother, Firefly Dreams, was stationed as security chief for a Bureau stateside. There was an anti-Conversion demonstration, and like you’d expect, things got heated. Before anypony had a chance to establish order, someone pulled a gun.” She shook her head as Heather winced. “Oh no, nobody got killed; but he panicked and threw up the strongest shield he could. The bullet simply ricocheted. But that much magic put a lot of people in the hospital from thaumatic exposure. The investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing, but he took it personally and resigned, hasn’t spoken to anypony about it since. Too bad too, he was a good Guard.”

Heather glanced back down the hall, a small whine escaping her throat. “Is there anything I could say?”

“Honestly, not likely. Just let him be,” Dawn Breeze remarked. “He’ll work through it on his own.”

Guiding rounded the corner, and once he was sure nopony was watching, he ducked into a storage room. Closing the door, he reached under his armor and withdrew a small mirror. He concentrated, letting his magic run across the surface, then into the glass. “Is anypony there?” he whispered, and smiled as a faint voice replied. “Yes, I have an opening. I’ll bring her to Solar Avenue. Be ready.”

Digger growled irritably as he pushed forward, his claws scraping the dirt aside. He hated going to the surface this close to the giant pony city. But the massive deposit of gemstones underneath the mountain was simply too good to pass up, and they’d taken up residence there. However, there were some things a proper Diamond Dog needed, and those things only came from above ground.

Finally, he felt his paws break free into the open air, and soon forced his head above ground. He took a few deep sniffs to make sure he was safe, then pulled himself free. He shook himself vigorously, clumps of dirt and a cloud of dust flying everywhere. Sneezing to clear the dirt from his nostrils, he glanced toward the gleaming white spires and shook his head dismissively.

“Ponies soft, they need walls and roofs.” He turned, a much more interesting trail catching his nose. There were berries nearby, and he still had his work to do. Maybe he could get back before Scruff ate all the aquamarine.

He carefully picked his way along the edge of the path, pausing every time he caught scent of a pegasus. He was confident that he’d be able to escape one if spotted, but Shale had been very clear. The ponies would not hesitate to hunt them down if they discovered them, and so they had to remain hidden. Digger hated that, but the claw marks carved into his side from the last challenge he had issued were a painful reminder of confronting the bigger dog. So for now he would bide his time and follow orders.

The scent of a thick clump of berry bushes caught his nose, and soon he was huddled on his knees before them. He hurriedly stuffed the plump fruits into his satchel, drool forming at the corners of his mouth at the thought of the reward Shale would give him.

Heather had to admit, the summertime air was doing wonders to improve her mood. And even better, only a few tourists were giving her strange looks. “So, how long have you been in the Guard, Dawn?”

“Hmmm?” She tilted her head. “Well, I joined up when I was eighteen. My parents both worked in the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, but I got bored with that really fast. The Guard recruiters came by and I decided that I would give it a try. Haven’t looked back since.”

“Do you ever miss it?”

“Well, there are times that I wonder what it might have been like, but no. I’m good at what I do, and I have a chance to make a difference in ponies, and people’s, lives.” She shot a grin at Heather. “Plus, lets me get out there and see the world, or have the world show up to see me.”

Guiding Light was silent as the two laughed, the unicorn glancing about as they approached the next intersection.

“Hey, Guiding?” Heather spoke up as they turned the corner. “I heard about what happened to your brother, and just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Guiding flicked his ears, but was otherwise unresponsive.

“Well, can’t say I didn’t try,” Heather muttered as she glanced at Dawn, who shrugged in reply.

As they walked down the street, Heather started to feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Glancing around, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but the sensation wouldn’t leave her. She looked around, her fingers starting to curl reflexively.

“Something wrong, Heather?” Dawn asked, though from the way her wings fluttered, she was starting to feel it too. Then it hit her: The street was decidedly emptier than the ones they had been on before. She shot a look up, where three grim-faced pegasi could be seen herding others away. She snapped her wings out and tensed her hindlegs. “Guiding, send up a signal, we might have—”

She never saw it coming, as the pale green bolt of energy struck her square in the back of the head. She collapsed to the ground in a clatter of armor, while Heather turned around incredulously.

“I’m sorry Dawn, but this is how it has to be.” He turned to face Heather as the other pegasi landed in the street. More ponies trotted out of the alleys to surround her in a loose arc. “Heather, I wish that it hadn’t come to this, but what you’re doing is wrong.”

Heather took a few steps back, her tail brushing against the wall. “What in the world are you talking about, Guiding?”

The unicorn opened his mouth to respond, when an older unicorn trotted forward with an angry snort. “We know everything, you cur. The thing you carry in your belly will be the doom of Equestria, and we will not allow it to pollute our country.”

Guiding stamped his hooves and pushed the older stallion back. “Hearthstone, stop. I know you’re angry, but we have to be better than this.” He turned back to Heather. “Look, just surrender peacefully, and you will not be harmed. You have my word.”

Heather was silent, her left paw flexing while her right settled over her abdomen. Her nose twitched as she caught his scent on the air. It stung with the odor of a lie, and she shook her head, lip curling back slightly.

“Heather, don’t do this. You’re outnumbered. I don’t want to hurt you.” Guiding urged as he took a step forward.

She took a breath, looking at the ponies surrounding her, before she made up her mind. She might not be able to escape, but she wasn’t going to go quietly. She lowered her head, seemingly in submission, and took a breath as Guiding’s magic faded.

“Thank you, Heather, I know you might not understand, but—”

Guiding was caught completely by surprise as Heather threw her head back, chest puffing out before she howled. His ears folded back on instinct, though too late to save his hearing. Reacting quickly, he recharged his stun spell and struck her in the chest; the howl fading as she slumped to the ground. He could make out confused shouts and felt Hearthstone shoulder him roughly.

“Move it, Guiding! The guard will be here any moment!” He turned, lifting Heather’s body. “Give me a hoof here!”

Guiding flicked his ears as his hearing returned and lent his magic to Hearthstone’s. “Damnit, Heather, you should have just come quietly,” he muttered as they hurried down the street.

On the mountainside, Digger’s ears stood upright, frozen stiff as he looked toward the city. The sound was off slightly, but that was definitely a female crying out for help. He felt a smile growing as he wondered how Granite would reward him for bringing a female to the pack.

He turned about and began to dig, the berries forgotten. If he could just find a way into the city, he was sure he could find her— he stopped abruptly as Shale’s threat against entering the city tore through his thoughts. Their pack didn’t have an agreement with the ponies to harvest from the caverns, after all. The last pack who had tried to poach gems had learned well the hazard of drawing attention, and Granite had no desire to repeat their mistake.

He grumbled as he tried to think of a way to defy Shale without being caught; and grinned as an idea began to form. Shale had forbidden the pack to be seen entering the city, but the other day the pack had accidentally dug through one of the ponies’ drain pipes. After making sure it wouldn’t flood their tunnels, they’d made sure to find all the others. But there was one trait all the pipes shared.

They all led up.

Eclipse’s eyes snapped open as the howl reverberated through her window. As she bolted awkwardly to her hooves, she shot a glance toward her heavy curtains. “Luna curse it, she went outside. I told them, make it orders she stays inside, but no, nopony listens to me.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she hurried toward her armor. “If she’s gotten herself hurt I’m going to make sure she’s okay, then hurt her again.”

She practically threw the plates on, and closed her eyes as the enchantment washed over her. After a moment to adjust her wings, she trotted out into the hallway, other Nightguard doing the same.

“Is it Heather?” Starstruck asked quietly. At Eclipse’s nod he snorted. “Figures. I’ll inform Celestia; you get out there and find her. You have authority over any Dayguard in the vicinity.”

Eclipse saluted and took to the air, darting through one of the windows at the end of the hall. As she spiraled down toward the city, she spotted half a dozen Dayguard pegasi coming her way.

“Ma’am, what’s going on here?” the pegasus in front shouted as he slowed to a hover.

“Sorry, that’s classified, orders from the top.” Eclipse replied as she dug out a small scrollcase and tossed it to him. “I need your unit to follow me, we’re going to get this situation under control.”

The pegasus opened the scroll and read it, his eyes narrowed. To his credit, he only blinked once and then nodded sharply. “Of course ma’am, what are our orders?” Eclipse gave thanks for having a veteran be in charge. At least they knew the drill.

“Have we identified the location?”

“Yes ma’am, down on Solar Avenue. We have unicorns and earth ponies enroute, but they’ll be another few minutes.”

“Okay. Set up a perimeter, and let me know once the unicorns arrive,” Eclipse didn’t even wait for the reply as she banked into a steep dive. As she flew over the city, she could see fleeing ponies crowding into buildings or just galloping away from the street in question. “Well, I’ll give it to her, she knows how to liven things up.” Her hooves scraped the last rooftop as she entered the street, eyes alert.

The street was empty, Dawn Breeze’s body set against the wall. Eclipse trotted forward, careful to not disturb any potential evidence. However, she didn’t find anything too telling aside from the tingle of recent spellcasting. “Damnit Heather, where are you?”

Her ear flicked as Dawn groaned, and she moved to assist her fellow guard. “Take it easy there, you’re safe.”

Dawn’s eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up. “Guiding! Heather! What happened?” Her eyes didn’t seem to want to focus and she sagged back.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to find out,” Eclipse said as a squad rounded the corner. She waved them over as Dawn’s eyes started to close. The unicorns began to fuss over her while she surveyed the street again. There wasn’t much to show what had happened after Dawn had been attacked, but a section of sidewalk caught her eye. The usual detritus that a city would accumulate was gone, either blown or dragged away.

Eclipse scowled as she trotted closer, picking out something against the white stone of the shop. A few brown hairs waved, caught on the corners, and she turned toward one of the unicorns. “Do any of you know tracking spells?”

“No, ma’am, sorry ma’am,” the squad leader said. “We’ve got another squad coming soon—”

Eclipse’s hoof cut him off as she spun toward the closest alley, her ears pointed forward. She prowled forward, all of her senses focused with lethal precision.

“What is it, ma’am?” the squad leader asked.

Eclipse didn’t reply, only waving a wing for silence as an ear twitched. Then she heard it again: a faint scraping of metal. She hissed under her breath and leapt forward, bounding into the alley with her wings spread, ready for a fight.

Nothing but some boxes and garbage greeted her, though her nose wrinkled at the smell coming from a drainage grate. She trotted over and peered down, though couldn’t see more than a few feet inside. “Hmm…”

“What did you see?” the squad leader asked again.

“Nothing… how long until the trackers get here?”

“Any moment, ma’am.”

“Good,” Eclipse said quietly as she turned away. “I hope I’m just imagining things, but I feel like we’re not the only ones interested in what happened here…”

Down in the pipe, Digger clung to the wall, arms and legs locked stiff. It’d taken all of his willpower not to mark when the nightmarish bat-pony mare had appeared, but the darkness had helped him. He knew the female’s scent now, and would lead the pack to her.

07 - Collared

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08 - Negotiations

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09 - Check Ups and Check-Outs

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Epilogue - First Day

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