//------------------------------//
// Chapter 53 - Reconsideration 
// Story: Pandemic 
// by ASGeek2012 
//------------------------------//

Laura stared at the crackling remains of the fire which stood in the center of a group of about a dozen tents. A breeze rose, and she shivered despite having flown in much colder air when helping build the storm earlier. Her instinctual pony diurnal rhythm urged her to retire for the night, but she maintained her silent and solitary vigil. Josie had offered companionship, but for the first time since becoming a pony, Laura wanted to be alone.

Or at least she had convinced herself of that. She still occasionally raised her eyes towards the tent where her family lay asleep, and she longed for the comforting warmth of their presence. It might help her sleep, but she would just wake up with the same turmoil in her head.

At least the Secret Service agents had finally retreated far enough that she could no longer see them. They had been watching her like a hawk until they received a call, and then they just slipped away.

The sound of pegasus wings overhead made her look up. She strained to see in the darkness, but all she made out was a fast-moving silhouette against the stars. Only when the pegasus winged down and hovered beside her could she see any detail.

"Um, hi," said the pegasus mare. "Mind if I join you for a bit?"

Laura wanted to tell her no, but pony instinct said otherwise. "It's fine."

The pegasus landed and sat beside her. The fading embers of the fire were enough to highlight her rainbow-hued hair. "You're Laura, right?" the mare asked.

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm Rainbow Dash."

Laura hesitated. "You're one of the alien ponies?"

"Yeah, you could say that." She smiled. "I'm told you did something pretty amazing earlier today."

Laura glanced at her cutie mark, the final legacy from a friend who perhaps never was one in the first place. "I guess so."

"You guess? Hey, what you did was awesome considering you've been doing weather control for, what, two or three days? And if anypony knows about awesomeness, it's me."

Laura returned to staring at the remnants of the fire. "Maybe you should be praising Sunset for that instead."

"Hey, now, just because she put you into this situation doesn't mean you can't make the best out of it."

That had been the thought behind Laura's final words to Sunset, but she wondered how she would ever live up to it. She was well aware of how others looked to her as a leader, and now she felt she hadn't even earned it. They constantly marveled at her cutie mark, and she had heard excited whispers from them about what theirs might be like. She had inspired them to wish for something that might be meaningless in the end.

"No offense, but I'm not sure you're one to talk about it," Laura said. "You've been a pony all your life. Nopony handed you whatever abilities you have."

Rainbow was quiet for a long moment before she said in a soft voice, "I guess that depends on how you look at it."

Laura turned her head and gazed at Rainbow's magenta eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Sure, in my world, I'm pretty awesome," said Rainbow with a faint smile. "Fastest in my flight class, first one to ever do a sonic rainboom, and all that. And, yeah, a lot of that I felt I earned. But you know what? My family's had several really strong fliers in the past. And look what my parents named me: Rainbow Dash. So who's to say how much is genetics or destiny?"

"I'm not sure that's really the same thing," Laura said, though her conviction was weak. She was desperate to latch onto anything that would convince her that what she felt about herself and her abilities was justified. All the praise from her friends and family was not enough, as they came from the same biased perspective as herself. "Your genetics and background didn't define you."

"No, they didn't," said Rainbow. "And if I hadn't put in a lot of hard work over the years, I wouldn't be where I am now. But it gave me a starting point to build on."

Laura remained silent for a long moment. She glanced back at the fire, which was no more than some glowing coals, the tents only shadows. She felt an exhaustion that went beyond the mere physical, but she had press on to get past this. "What about Fluttershy?"

"Same thing," Rainbow said. "Except in her case, she was a weak flier. Not much in the way of speed in her family tree, either. Yet that helped her figure out that her future lay somewhere other than in the clouds. Look, I'm not saying that she couldn't have improved her flying if she really worked at it, but it kinda went against who she is."

"That's just it, I'm not sure who I am anymore," Laura said. "How much of this is me and how much did Sunset manufacture?"

"I really can't answer that. I'm not the egghead like Twilight is, and I don't think even she knows."

"My mother met Twilight. She told my mother to seek her own destiny. I thought I was doing the same thing." Laura turned back to Rainbow. "When I got my cutie mark, I thought that was the final answer. I thought that had ended all debate. I hate the idea that I feel like I have to re-examine everything."

"You wouldn't be the first pony to still have questions after getting their mark."

"I just don't want to have questions in the first place." Laura sighed. "The analogy you made about genetics makes total sense to me, but is that because I really believe that, or do I want to latch onto the first thing that comes along so I can move on?"

"Maybe it doesn't matter," Rainbow said. "I, uh, don't know if anypony's told this to you or not, but getting a cutie mark is sort of the last stop. You can't change back after that."

"I wasn't told, but I had a feeling that was the case anyway," Laura said in a low voice. "I'm not looking to change back. I just want my life to be mine. I wish I could talk to Sunset one more time. Is that even possible?"

Rainbow's gaze turned somber. "Laura ... Sunset is gone."

Laura's eyes widened, and her heart sank. "She didn't just leave or something like that, did she?"

"No, she's ... she's passed on. I'm sorry."

Laura swallowed hard. Her eyes started to well up, but she managed to hold back enough to avoid crying.

"I didn't come here to tell you all this," said Rainbow. "I hadn't actually expected you to be awake. Twilight had asked me to check on you, and when I saw you here, I thought I would talk to you. Maybe I shouldn't have done this, I was never good at talking about stuff like this."

Laura shook her head. "No, it's fine," she said, her voice catching. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "I shouldn't be reacting this way. After everything she did to our family, I should be hating her. I should be glad she's gone."

"Hate never gets anypony anywhere," said Rainbow. "And you don't strike me as the kind of pony who could really hate anyone."

"I don't. I never did, even before I became a pony."

"There, see? There's something that was yours all along. Sunset didn't have to make you feel that." Rainbow paused and rubbed a hoof through her mane. "Don't get me wrong when I say this, but maybe Sunset, um, going away is for the best."

Laura gave her a perplexed look. "How do you figure that?"

"She's the past. She's old news. Maybe you sorta clung to her at first, but you don't need her anymore. You can be your own person from here on."

"I just don't know how. I have all these new things I can do that I still want to do, but is that all I'll ever want? Is that enough?"

"You're not gonna get the answers moping by a dying fire," said Rainbow.

"I know, but the sky will always be there, like it's calling to me. I can see me losing myself to the sensation of flying and power over the weather."

Rainbow chuckled. "I hate to burst your bubble, kid, but even though what you've already done is pretty awesome for a pony with little experience, that's all you have right now: a very little experience."

"I know that, but--"

"No, I don't think you do," said Rainbow in a more serious voice. "Creating a few clouds and making it rain is just the start. If we were in Equestria, I wouldn't let you near Sweet Apple Acres until you were trained up more. That's my friend Applejack's place. Only the best weather fliers handle that area."

"What's your point?" Laura said in a tired voice.

"Becoming a weather pegasus is easy. Becoming a really good weather pegasus is hard. It takes a lot of work. Not every pegasus who trains for it makes the cut."

Laura tilted her head. "Are you telling me this because you're trying to discourage me from wanting to pursue it?"

"No, just the opposite. I think you should keep at it."

"Why? With everypony else trying to tell me I should stop thinking like a pony, let alone a pegasus?"

"Because that's the only way you're gonna know whether you really want it or not," Rainbow said. "When this mess is over, I'm planning on volunteering to set up a training program for any humans-turned-pegasi. And I'm going to be just as hard on you guys as I am on pegasi back home."

Laura lapsed into a thoughtful silence. In the encroaching darkness from the smoldering embers, Rainbow was little more than a shadowy outline.

"It's going to be really grueling at first," Rainbow continued. "To put it bluntly, you've had it easy so far. Maybe Sunset did give you these abilities and skills, but from this point on, you're gonna have to earn it on your own."

Laura considered for a long moment before she ventured in a soft voice, "And if I don't make it?"

"Then you find something else you want to do," said Rainbow. "In either case, you would've gotten there yourself. That's what you want, isn't it? To feel like you've earned it? To feel like you have something because you did it and not because Sunset gave it to you?"

Laura uttered a long sigh. "Just a day ago, I felt like everything had cleared up for me, that my future was no longer in question. I guess I hadn't realized that all I wanted was an easy answer, an easy out for my problems."

"Twilight told me that she talked to a human who was reluctant to take the counterspell," said Rainbow. "She told the woman that becoming a pony won't solve all her problems."

"I just don't want to go back to the way it was," said Laura. "I have friends now, for one thing, and I feel closer to my family than I have in years."

"Who says you have to give that up? I don't see anything wrong with taking advantage of what Sunset gave you."

"I guess I'm just afraid of what will happen to them, if maybe they won't want to be into this as much as I am," Laura said.

"Friends don't have to do the same thing all the time to still be friends, Laura," said Rainbow. "My friends are proof of that. You won't see Fluttershy with the Wonderbolts anytime soon, but she's still one of my best friends."

Laura realized then that she was falling into the same old habits despite the apparently rosy picture her life had become. Before, she didn't want to shake things up because she was afraid of making things worse. Now she was afraid of losing everything she had gained, even if most of it was given to her.

That was what scared her the most, that the only reason she was where she was now was because of another's guiding hoof, that she never could have done it on her own, and certainly not maintain it by herself. When she nearly cried over hearing of Sunset's demise, it was not only because of the passing of a once dear friend, but because it terrified her. Sunset had given her everything she had, and part of her believed it would all collapse now with Sunset gone.

"Hey, it's getting really late," said Rainbow. "You must be tired. I know I am."

Laura rose to her hooves. "Yes, I really need some sleep. But ... thanks for talking to me, Rainbow Dash. I guess I have a lot of thinking to do."

Rainbow might have smiled, it was hard for Laura to tell in the dark. The alien pegasus dispelled the doubt when she pulled Laura into a hug. "Whatever you do, Laura, just promise me you'll keep being awesome, okay?"

Laura giggled faintly. "I will. And, um ... I just might show up for that training you mentioned."

"You better! I want to see what you've got."

Laura smiled and hugged Rainbow back before turning towards her family's tent. She actually hoped one day she could properly grieve for Sunset. Despite what she had done, nopony deserved to be forgotten.

But like everything else in her life to come, it had to be on her own terms.





Josie watched from a distance as Laura finally retired for the night, and the strange pegasus flew off. Her ears drooped. As much as she looked forward to stepping into the dream world and helping other ponies have a peaceful night's sleep, she had learned that it was best to wait until after midnight. Until then, she often craved companionship. She had been told that other night ponies would be arriving in the settlement in another week or so. She could hardly wait.

She took to patrolling the perimeter of the settlement in those hours leading up to her dreamwalking. It felt like the right thing to do despite the fact that she was not suited for any sort of combat. Yet being able to delve into ponies' heads while they slept and rouse them to wakefulness almost all at once was a huge advantage against any threat.

Her ears suddenly flicked up, and she jerked her head around, hovering in place as she swept her gaze to where she thought she had heard a noise. Her night vision revealed a pony in the distance, flanked by several humans. Soon the humans departed, and the pony approached.

Josie's eyes widened. This pony stood taller than any she had seen before. She had a horn longer than any of the unicorns she knew, and she had wings as well. Josie sniffed; the pony was a mare. As the mare approached, Josie felt something impinging on her magical senses, as if this pony herself were like Josie but with far more power than she had ever seen.

The mare lighted her horn. Josie's gaze fell upon a coat of midnight blue, and a mane that flowed with stars. Large teal eyes regarded her with a friendly gaze. Upon her haunches was a crescent moon set against a splotch of black.

"Hello, Josie," said the mare.

Josie tilted her head as she settled on her hooves. "This is weird. Are you a night pony?"

"Yes, in a way."

"You look different than me." Josie's gaze rose to the mare's horn. "Very different."

The mare smiled. "May I talk to you for a bit?"

"Of course." Josie sat down. "But who are you?"

"I am Pri ... ah ... I am called Luna."

As Luna sat down, Josie was again made very much aware of this pony's power. She immediately felt a kinship with Luna, perhaps almost as much as with the mare who had appeared in the vision. "I don't recall ever seeing or sensing you before, and I thought I had managed to contact all the night ponies from the dreamworld."

"I will be honest with you," said Luna. "I am not from around here."

It didn't take long for Josie to piece it together. "You're from the same world as those other ponies who were talking to us earlier."

"I am."

Josie had admitted to getting a bit upset with the two who had tried to talk to her, and she didn't want to feel the same towards this pony. Nevertheless, Josie had to honest as well. "With all due respect, I hope you're not going to try to convince me to do something I don't want to do."

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Luna. "No pun intended."

Josie relaxed somewhat.

"In fact, I've been told you've done a commendable job," Luna continued. "On my world, you could say that I'm in charge of the night ponies there, and I have the same abilities."

"Yes, I thought I had sensed that in you." Josie considered. "Are you going to do the same thing here? Take charge of us?"

"No, but I did want to offer some guidance and make a request."

Josie grew wary again. One of the things the humans had insisted she do was to stop the vision from propagating, which she flat out refused to do. As much as she felt respect and even a measure of awe for Luna, she did not want to be forced to tell her no as well. Yet Josie remained quiet and simply nodded for Luna to continue.

"As I mentioned, you've been doing a wonderful job in helping keep other ponies safe and happy," said Luna. "I could not have asked for any more from my own night ponies."

Josie gave Luna a small smile. "Thank you, but does that include the vision as well?"

"It does. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting your fellow ponies to have a happy and productive future."

Josie hoped she could take that as more of an endorsement of the vision than the other alien ponies were willing to do. All they talked about was how the vision had its "good points" while at the same time trying to shoot it down. She felt like she was being given the runaround. "Then you're not going to tell me to stop spreading it?"

"Not at all," said Luna. "But I do wish you to amend it somewhat."

"How?"

"Realize that you will be sharing this world with humans. This is something all ponies should be reminded of."

"Oh, but none of us have any animosity towards them whatsoever."

Luna smiled gently. "I never said you did. But sometimes apathy can be just as bad."

"I don't understand."

"The way the vision is presented, it makes it seem that there are only ponies, and that only ponies matter," said Luna. "It is very important to understand that humans are here as well, and will likely want to continue interacting with pony communities."

Josie considered this for a long moment. "But ... will humans actually matter to us? I don't mean that in bad way. The whole point of this community was so we wouldn't be a burden to them."

"And that is also a very commendable attitude," said Luna. "But it doesn't mean ponies need to isolate themselves."

"I thought that might be what the humans want anyway," said Josie. "From the way they've been reacting, they're afraid of what we've become and what we can do."

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment. "Josie, have you ever been in a situation where you felt isolated from others?"

Josie wanted to simply proclaim "not anymore," but she felt enough respect for this pony to want to give a more detailed answer. "Yes. I had really bad night terrors once."

"So I've been told."

"When they got really bad, I didn't feel like talking to anypony. I just wanted to be left alone."

"And how did that make your friends feel?" Luna asked.

"They didn't feel good about it. In fact ... one resented me for it. It wasn't like it was my fault! I couldn't control the fact that I had these terrible night terrors!"

"Did you ever explain to them what was happening to you?"

Josie averted her eyes. "No, I was too embarrassed."

"This is what I am talking about," said Luna. "You and your friends cannot control the fact that you're ponies now and very different from the humans. If something isn't done, if some sort of contact is not maintained, it could lead to that very same resentment that you and your friends experienced."

"I guess ... I guess I hadn't thought of it that way before," said Josie. She sighed. "I'm a little confused right now. All I wanted to do was make sure no pony ever has to go through what I did."

Luna wrapped a wing around Josie. "What you need to realize is that being a night pony is a large responsibility. If you seek to impart a message, you must be very careful how you craft it. I realize in this case you were given a vision to relay, but that doesn't mean it has to remain static. I am not telling you to stop your vision, merely improve it."

Josie shuddered slightly. She had not wanted to stop and think about just how many ponies were sharing her vision, yet each time she reached out into the dreamscape, more night ponies answered her. Like Laura with the pegasi, Josie was being looked up to as a sort of de-facto leader. 

"I'll do my best, Luna," said Josie in a slightly quavering voice. "And thank you for being the first to not use the term 'brainwashing' when talking to me about this."

Luna smiled and gave Josie a wing-hug. "There is one more matter to discuss. You are aware that the humans are trying to prevent any more of their kind from becoming ponies?"

"Yes, I am."

"A plan has been conceived to help stop it from spreading further, but it involves the crystal ponies."

Josie tilted her head. "You mean those glassy-haired ones?"

"Yes, and it is important they be informed as to what will happen," said Luna. "And, hopefully, to consent to it."

Josie swallowed. "Th-this is beginning to sound a little too daunting. I'm not sure I can do this, not by myself."

Luna's smile widened, and she held up a fore-hoof. "Who says you have to?"

Josie glanced at the proffered hoof and tentatively raised her own. They touched, and Josie gasped as she felt a surge of power flow through her.

"We'll enter the dreamscape together," said Luna. "If you're willing to accept my help."

Only in that moment did Josie realize just how truly powerful this creature was. She could likely command the dreamscape in ways Josie could only barely fathom. She suddenly ached to know what this pony could do, what Josie herself could possibly do as well.

"Yes, please," Josie said in an eager and awed voice.





Early the next morning, Bob's horn glowed as he nudged a branch out of the way a short distance from the unofficial edge of the settlement but still well within the human-designated borders. Their caretakers -- quickly becoming former caretakers as pony abilities took over -- had at least anticipated that more ponies would be arriving from nearby towns in the emergency zone. He had also overheard earlier that other settlements were being created.

"Here it is," said Bob as he emerged into a tiny clearing. "This is where we found it."

Sarah followed close behind him and surveyed the area with a slow sweep of her eyes. When she advanced, it was only after she had confirmed that nothing lay in her path that her hooves might damage.

"It can't be an Ancestral Puebloan camp," said Bob. "I don't think they came quite this far north."

"No, the shard you showed me the other day was definitely not that ancient," said Sarah. "Certainly not from the cliff-dwelling period. But if there is more here, and it wasn't just dropped by passing American settlers, I want somepony to know about it so they can designate this an archaeological site."

Bob smiled. While this was not quite like coming with Sarah to a dig -- something he had really enjoyed the few times he got to do it as a human -- it still filled him with a sense of wonder. He couldn't forget how excited Sarah was yesterday when she first saw the shard, at least before she got distracted about Sunny escaping.

His smile faded a bit. By then, he had been informed of Sunny's demise. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, other than it helped reinforce his own doubts about the rosy future presented in the vision. With Sunny out of the picture for good, he couldn't imagine that a worldwide pony society would be possible anymore.

Sarah stopped. "There's something in the dirt here. I'm not sure I want to try to grab it in my magic unless it's been worked free a bit." She sighed. "I wish I had a simple trowel with me."

"Uh, Aunt Sarah?" Bob said as he trotted forward. "You kind of already have one. Several, in fact." He demonstrated by pressing a fore-hoof into the ground and sweeping back, digging a shallow furrow.

"Oh, um, yes," Sarah said, blushing faintly. "I've been so focused on my horn and magic that all I thought my hooves were good for were just getting me around."

Bob watched as Sarah delicately placed a fore-hoof near what Bob could only barely see, and in his mind looked no different from a pointed rock. Yet as Sarah scraped away more earth, even his untrained eyes could see that it was clearly something else.

Sarah stopped digging, and the shard glowed. It wobbled as Sarah carefully worked it loose and lifted it closer to her eyes. "Yes, this looks similar to the one you showed me yesterday. This may very well be a Native American site. I wonder if the old stream bed that Laura and her friends had filled yesterday was the reason they stopped here. It may have flowed more reliably in the past."

"So you think this is worth investigating?"

Sarah turned to him, still levitating the pottery shard. "Definitely! I'd love to keep looking myself, but ..." She trailed off and looked back the way they had come.

"Of course you can, Aunt Sarah," said Bob. "We got everything covered back at the settlement. We can spare you for a while."

"I was thinking of Laura," said Sarah. "She was upset last night, and I don't think she came to bed until really late, since she wasn't up with everypony else."

"She'll be okay. A bunch of those alien ponies are around, and they seem to want to help."

"Is Twilight here?"

"I haven't seen a purple pony with both wings and horn, no."

"I really hope to be able to see her again."

As Sarah spoke, Bob's ears swiveled back. "I hear somepony calling me. I better get back. I'll tell the others you'll be gone for a bit."

Sarah smiled and gave Bob a brief hug. "Thank you."

Bob smiled in return before turning and galloping away.

He admitted to some mixed feelings concerning his aunt's renewed interest in archaeology. He remembered how upon getting her cutie mark, Laura had been overjoyed, and just as quickly spiraled back into depression. He doubted there was a direct connection between the two, but it disturbed him nonetheless.

That, and a distinct sense of permanence surrounded getting a cutie mark.

He returned to the settlement to find Emma and Joan hovering before him. "Bob, have you seen Laura?" Emma asked.

"We tried asking your father, but he went off to tend to the field where the earth ponies are planning to plant crops," said Joan.

"She was still sleeping when I last saw her," Bob said. "She had a trying night. Why do you need to see her?"

"Well, part of the reason is that we were going to make a light rain shower this morning as the earth ponies said the dirt is just a bit too dry, and Laura likes to do that stuff," Emma said.

"Not to mention being damn good at it," said Joan.

"But we had another reason we wanted to see her."

"Seems we had a new arrival late yesterday, but in all the excitement, they never had a chance to meet."

Then a new and achingly familiar female voice rose from behind them. "Oh, but I certainly wouldn't mind meeting Bob."

Bob's heart lurched. "What ... Tina??"

Emma and Joan parted. Just behind them stood a pegasus filly with a deep green coat, just a shade darker than Bob's own, and bright cornflower yellow hair. Two large and deeply blue eyes regarded him, her lips curling into a smile. Her wings lay neatly folded against her sides.

Bob rushed forward in a torrent of pony instinct and perhaps a touch of male hormones, but he skidded to a sudden stop before her, hooves kicking up small puffs of dust. He blushed faintly and said, "Oh, um, hi, Tina, it's good to see you a---"

Tina smiled and threw her fore-legs around him, drawing him into a tight hug. Bob breathed in her scent and let out a contented sigh. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed her.

Emma giggled. "We'll, ah, leave you two alone for now."

Bob wanted to protest that it wasn't quite like that, but he was reluctant to leave the embrace. When Tina finally let go, Emma and Joan had already flown off. "Actually, I did want to see you first," Tina said in a soft voice. "It was just when you weren't around, we went looking for Laura."

"I'm sorry I didn't try to call you again."

"Hey, stop worrying, okay? Not exactly easy to use a cell phone with hooves, you know."

Bob was getting good enough with his horn that he could have manipulated a stylus to make a call, but he simply had too many other things on his mind. He suppressed the urge to apologize again. "You're looking ... um ... nice."

Tina chuckled. "Well, I hope so. My transformation sort of took off about halfway through. Tail to wings to hooves in almost nothing flat.

"How are your parents doing?"

"Oh, they're just fine. Boy, what a mixed bag we are. Dad's a unicorn and Mom's an earth pony."

"Same with Dad and Aunt Sarah, but reversed," Bob said. "Jenny's an earth pony and you know about Laura."

"I'm looking forward to seeing Laura again," said Tina. She extended her wings. "I'm hoping she can teach me how to use these things better. I can fly pretty well, but I've been hearing some amazing things about Laura. Even her friends were doing things that just made my jaw drop when I met them."

Bob knew he should probably warn Tina about Laura's disposition, but he was too taken with just being in Tina's presence. He had thought her attractive before their transformation, but she was absolutely stunning now. Maybe it was just the nice contrast in the bright and dark colors. With as colorful as most ponies tended to be and their wide field of vision, it made sense that mating cues would be partially visual in nature.

Tina tilted her head. "What is it?"

Bob blinked. "Huh? Oh, um. nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Tina smirked. "Then why are you blushing?"

Bob swore he had visualized that last conclusion in his head from a wholly objective perspective, just like he had been trying to do with everything related to his life. He wanted to come to terms with his transformation in his own way and not just accept it at face value.

"Or maybe you're thinking about me holding you to that promise of a date," Tina said in a voice half-teasing, half-affectionate.

Now Bob was more cognizant of his resulting blush. Yes, he was quite looking forward to spending more time with Tina now that nothing held them apart. He wanted a relationship with her, yet how much was his own desire prior to his transformation, and how much of it was being boosted by pony hormones?

That he had managed to argue with the mare in his vision had helped him feel a little more grounded, like he could see in his head what was really his and what had been imposed on him. Just as it had when he was human, the opposite sex threatened to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.

Some things never change.

Bob turned more fully towards Tina. "I just want to go slow, that's all. I've never done this -- dating, I mean -- as any species."

"Oh, definitely," Tina said. "Yeah, I'm not looking to dive into anything too deep right now."

Bob breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Hey, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

Bob quickly shook his head and smiled. He wanted to explain it to her, but he felt it would ruin the moment. So his feelings may be typical and not driven due to his change in species. He might have felt this way even as a human had they decided to date before any of this ever happened. He had to accept that he had some control over his fate, or he'd keep spinning around in circles of logic.

"Dad's busy all the way on the side of the settlement with the crop fields, but Aunt Sarah is nearby. You want to meet her?"

Tina smiled. "I'd be happy to."

Bringing a potential girlfriend to meet his mother; that felt typical. It even felt vaguely normal. He could go for some of that right now.





Much to his surprise, Harold had little trouble finding Doctor Kevin Conner. All the humans assigned to observing the settlement had retreated to the sidelines, consisting of little more than physicians he met only in passing or security detail that may as well be faceless. He thought he would have a devil of a time having a chance to talk to the man.

Instead, Harold found his former family physician wandering through the midst of the settlement. "Is it just me, or are you hanging out with us more, Doctor Conner?" Harold asked.

Kevin gave him a soft smile. "It's not just you, and you can call me Kevin. I'm not really qualified to be your physician anymore."

As much as Harold could understand the reasons why, it did feel a bit sad. Even though he was usually too reluctant to see a doctor himself, he appreciated what the man did for his family. "So what have you been doing?" Harold asked.

"Since I know so many of the ponies in this settlement, I've been asked to be a liaison of sorts," said Kevin. He chuckled briefly. "You could say I've switched from medicine to diplomacy. It also helps that I'm immune to ETS."

"I thought we stopped being infectious awhile ago."

"True, but government types are paid to be on the cautious side. It's not like they had to force me to do this."

Harold liked the idea that this was something Kevin wanted to do. Sarah had finally conveyed to him what Jenny had told her the other day, which explained Laura's odd behavior lately. He had to admit that it made him start to rethink matters as well. He still wanted to return to farming, but he had to make absolutely sure it came from his own head before he committed to it longer term. He and Jenny would likely have some long conversations about it.

"That sort of leads me to why I was looking for you," Harold said.

"If there's anything I can do to help, I would be happy to."

"Can you find a way to reach my father and my sister?"

Kevin looked thoughtful. "That would be George and Mary Tanner, right?"

"Yeah. They live near Grand Junction. I haven't been able to talk to them for a few days now."

Harold didn't mention that it was more that he had not wanted to contact them. It had taken that talk with Applejack to remind him that they were as important as the ponies in the settlement. Hearing what Jenny had gone through only made him more adamant to reach them.

"Unfortunately, the cell phone network is still unavailable for civilians," said Kevin.

"I know, but I was hoping you had military contacts who would help. I just want some sort of word as to how they're doing, even if I can't talk to them myself right now."

Kevin considered. "I will be honest with you, Harry. Grand Junction was one of the harder hit areas concerning ETS."

This gave Harold pause. He had not considered what state his father and sister would be in. Would they be ponies like him by now? In a way, that would make things easier. He could relate to them better. It was bad enough that a gulf of attitude separated him from his father, he didn't need a species difference as well.

Or was that just some mental conditioning that had come with his transformation? He had thought his future clear, until first Applejack made him question his priorities, and Jenny made him question his very thoughts. He envied Laura in a way; despite having had some sort of emotional upheaval in the past day, she still seemed set on what she wanted to do with her life. Only her attitude towards it had changed.

"Then I really do want to find out what happened to them," said Harold. "I'd consider just going myself once the settlement is up and running, but that's a rather long distance to go by hoof."

"Not to mention that the transportation grid is still shut down," said Kevin.

"I doubt they could stop ponies from traveling from one community to another, especially considering that pegasi can fly. Even Laura suggested to her friends at one point that they check on other communities to see how they're doing."

Kevin smiled faintly. "I have been attempting to enlighten the powers-that-be as to the new state of the world with limited success. Perhaps I can take this back to them as a further incentive."

"Just so you know," Harold said. "I'm not the only pony wondering about relatives in other places. Those visiting alien pony friends of yours have stirred up things a bit here."

"To be honest, that was the intention."

"We're still committed to this community, we're just starting to look at the broader picture." Harold smiled. "Bob's been really good at that. He seemed to figure that out on his own without needing help."

"Interesting you should bring him up," said Kevin. "Had you not sought me out, I would have sought you."

"Oh? What about?"

"Bob's biological mother Eileen McDermott has been making a lot of noise about wanting to see what has become of her son."

Harold nodded slowly. Had this been just a week before, he would have either flat out refused or accepted her presence with only great reluctance and a watchful eye.

"I realize you two don't see quite eye to eye," Kevin said. "But if it helps any, she's been trying to improve herself. She's been working tirelessly at the hospital since she, ah, attempted to discharge herself."

Harold raised an eyebrow. "Discharge herself? I think I've lost you there."

"My apologies, I should have realized you were not up to speed on recent events concerning her. She agreed to be the first human to receive the treatment that eliminated ETS."

Harold tilted his head. "There's a cure?"

"A cure in a loose sense of the word," said Kevin. "It's effective only on those who have not started transforming. In either case, it worked, and Eileen is and will likely remain human."

Harold had just been thinking that the difference in species would make it hard for him to relate to family, but he already had very little in common with Eileen as it was. Yet wasn't he holding this conversation with Kevin as if it didn't matter? Why should it matter with anyone else?

He felt much more of a sense of forgiveness towards Eileen, but how much of that was genuine? That had been something he had not wanted to question; it would be far easier and less stressful to start with a blank slate concerning Eileen. As much as perhaps he didn't want to admit it, Eileen was family, and Applejack had reminded him that family had priority.

"If this had been a week ago, I would answer that legally I can't deny her," said Harold. "But I feel that would be a cop out now, and I'm not even sure that even holds true anymore."

"Legal matters are a bit dicey right now," said Kevin. "But the request comes not from any legal authority, but Eileen herself."

Harold's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean she's actually asking for my permission?"

"You and Sarah's."

Harold had been thinking earlier that day just how much Jenny had seemed to mature in the last few days, not realizing that it had been due to her questioning her own memories. He had always seen it as a real possibility that Jenny would come around; he had never thought he would see the same in Eileen.

And she didn't have to become a pony to do it.

Harold nodded. "I'll have to check with Sarah, but I'm okay with it."

Kevin smiled. "Thank you. Eileen will be very glad to hear that."





While Laura was happy to see Tina again, she felt torn as to what to do with her friend. Her first instinct had been to show Tina all the things she could do now as a pegasus, but upon hearing that three more of the pegasi who had trained and worked with Laura had earned their cutie marks by that morning, she felt like she didn't want to steer Tina in one direction or the other.

It didn't help that Tina was eager to learn. In a way, Tina really hadn't changed. She always tended to go with the flow and not fret over details too much. To her, this was just another change in her life that she had to roll with.

Fortunately, Kevin came to her rescue. He had spread the word through the community that something was going to happen that day that was intended to stop new ETS transformations, and it would involve a spectacular light show. She used the excuse of not wanting to miss it to beg off showing Tina anything more advanced than just some basic flying techniques.

"God, this is so beautiful," Tina murmured as they hovered far above the settlement. She glanced down. "Just how high are we right now?"

Laura pointed to one of the taller mountains. "Well, that one is a fourteener," she said, using the Colorado term for an approximately 14,000 foot high mountain. "And we're a little above that, so maybe fifteen thousand feet."

"Wow, shouldn't we be having trouble breathing or something like that?"

"I guess it's just inherent in our nature," said Laura in an even voice. "Sort of like how we don't notice the chilly air up here. We'd have to be that way in order to handle the weather."

Tina chuckled. "You want to hear something weird? As much as I wanted to see what everything looked like from so far up, I always had trouble looking out an airplane window. It made me dizzy, like I had an issue with heights or something. I also couldn't hike for shit in the mountains. Always made me too breathless."

Laura smiled faintly, though it was partially forced. Had this been more of Sunset's work? Had she felt some sort of compassion for someone who had trouble with heights and altitude and thus made her a pegasus to compensate?

"Hey, you okay?" Tina asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Laura lied.

"I can still tell when something is on your mind," said Tina. "Even more so now as ponies."

Laura had to admit, to see Tina as Laura remembered her was nice. It helped her believe that maybe Laura herself was not that different from who she used to be, that she was just given a new body and new skills. She just had to build on that and make her life her own again.

"It would take me too long to explain right now," said Laura. "Let's just say I learned a few things about this transformation and the who and what behind it, more than maybe I wanted to know."

"Then you're definitely going to have to explain this to me at some point, because now you have me intrigued."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you hear it from Bob."

"And what makes you think I will?" Tina said in a lofty voice despite the faint blush on her cheeks.

Laura grinned. "I've seen how you two have been hanging out since you got here. It's like watching Jenny and James."

Tina laughed as her blush deepened. She ran a hoof through her mane. "Are we that obvious?"

"Yes," Laura deadpanned.

"What can I say, he's a nice guy," said Tina. "And I like the intellectual side of him. That's the problem with living in a small Colorado town. All that the boys seem to be interested in is hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. Both bore me to death and made them appear like jocks."

"But now he'll be interested in magic and you in weather control."

Tina tilted her head. "So? We still have interests outside of that."

It was then Laura realized her problem, even though it was staring her in the face the whole time. She had nothing that had interested her to the point of wanting to put any significant amount of time into it. No real hobbies, no particular activities that she sought to do. Becoming a pegasus had filled a void in her life. It would likely have been the same case had she become a unicorn or an earth pony.

She thought of Fluttershy, the timid and soft-spoken pegasus pony who possibly never crafted a cloud in her life, a pony who seemed perfectly happy and content with what she actually did do. Maybe Laura would talk to her, if for no other reason than to get a better sense of perspective.

Tina raised an eyebrow. "So ... just where are you going with this?"

Laura shook her head and smiled. "Let's just say I think I've been letting my abilities define me instead of the other way around."

"I don't quite get that," said Tina. "But it's at least not what I thought you might say."

"Like what?"

"That you had some sort of problem with Bob and I dating."

"Oh, not at all! I actually like the idea that not only is Bob dating, he's dating one of my best friends. Then at least I know he's in good hooves."

Tina smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate that." She looked out over the valley towards what had once been her home, the little town of Lazy Pines. She looked down and saw a military convoy heading away from the settlement along the road that bisected the town. "Boy, it's going to be one hell of a crazy future, isn't it?"

"Yes, it definitely will be," Laura said in a subdued voice.