Remedy and Rosetta were finally getting to eat their hay with some sort of seasoning and spices, and it was glorious.
"I know that I am just tasting the garlic and just the garlic, but after days of just plain hay I think I'm in heaven," Rosetta moaned with pleasure.
"Cinnamon and sugar hay over here, it's like cookies," Remedy said blissfully.
"Whenever the earth ponies start growing things for everypony we really need to insist they grow some of these. It really makes all the difference," Rosetta said through a full mouth of food.
"Excuse me, ma'ams," came a voice from behind them.
They turned with food still in their mouths to see one of the soldiers standing there.
"Yes?" Remedy asked with mouth still half full of food, completely not caring about her table manners.
"Big boss director for the area wants to speak with you two for a few minutes," the soldier replied.
"Can we finish eating?" Rosetta asked.
"He insisted on getting you right away. You two are apparently hard to catch at an opportune time," the soldier said apologetically.
The two mares looked at one another. Remedy gave Rosetta a shrug which Rosetta responded with an annoyed flip of her tail.
"Fine," Rosetta relented sourly.
They were led into the school and then into one of the various classrooms. Inside were Agent Simmons, a tall pale balding man in his fifties or sixties, and Sunset Blessing. Agent Simmons was just staring at Blessing as the site director lounged against a wall. Blessing had a notepad, on which she jotted notes with a pen held in her magic. The older man was reading through some things on an electronic tablet.
After the two night ponies entered into the room the guard shut the door behind them. Simmons looked over at them and gave an impassive look. Blessing looked up at them and gave them both a smile, before turning her attention back to whatever she was working in. The older man didn't seem to acknowledge their arrival in any way.
"You're lucky we let you sleep today. Do you know how it is to find either of you at any given time? We half worried you took off into Charleston like the other night ponies in the area after the other day when no one saw you return," Simmons grumbled.
"I never heard anything about you needing to know where we are at all times. We aren't prisoners here; we can come and go as we please, right?" Remedy said coldly, not liking Simmons' tone.
"No need to rile the night ponies up Simmons. We're trying to be friends here, remember?" The older gentleman spoke up without taking his eyes off the tablet.
"Yes sir," Simmons said quickly.
The man did a few quick notes with his fingers on the tablet and then set it down on the desk, before turning to the couple.
"I am Director Baker. I am in charge of all operations from Charleston to Columbia in South Carolina. The majority of you ponies in the state are concentrated in these three counties, so they are my primary focus," the director introduced himself. "You in the grey with the green mane and tail are Phobia Remedy, correct? And you in the dark blue and purple are Haley Martinez?"
"It's actually Rosetta Stone now," Rosetta corrected.
"Aww, forgive me. I wasn't briefed on that update to your name. But I see I have the right ponies," Baker said with a smile.
"So, what do you want with us?" Remedy asked.
"I'm hoping you can help us with a little..problem..we're having with your fellow night ponies in the immediate area. Specifically all the ones who have migrated into Charleston proper over the last week. Are you familiar with them?" Baker asked.
"We actually aren't. We heard about them recently and had planned on checking that out tonight," Remedy said.
"Have you heard what they have been doing in Charleston?" Baker asked.
The couple shook their heads.
"Okay, then I can give you some idea and let you know the predicament I am in with dealing with them all at once. Please, make yourselves comfortable while I explain. You might want to listen carefully as well Sunset," Baker said.
Remedy raised an eyebrow at the name. Sunset? Not Blessing? Not Sunset Blessing? Not even Charlotte? Why would these humans be highlighting that part of her name? That seemed like there was a purpose to it.
The two night ponies went and sat near Blessing and the three all turned and faced Director Baker.
"The night ponies in Charleston have been growing in number for days, migrating in from all over the Lowcountry. That in itself is rather atypical behavior compared to what we have observed elsewhere in the country, but it is not my primary concern with them," Baker began.
"Then what is?" Remedy asked.
"They are engaging in vigilante behavior. Not simply vigilante behavior, particularly violent vigilante behavior," Baker answered.
"You must be mistaken Director," Blessing said with a frown. "Ponies are non-violent. We are Instinctually peaceful creatures."
"Not to completely disagree with you, but we have observed elsewhere that night ponies are moderately more aggressive than other pony types, at least when they feel they are protecting something," Baker said in a conversational tone.
"Well, yeah," Remedy said uncomfortably. "But we aren't that violent. Rosetta and I spent last night guarding a store, and we did knock down one guy who wouldn't just leave. But we didn't do anything that would actually seriously hurt him."
"Your fellow night ponies In Charleston do far more than just knock people over unfortunately. I have reports of shattered bones being the most common result of their attacks, and in one instance death," Baker said sternly.
"Ponies don't kill!" All three of the ponies present shouted the mantra, almost in unison.
"I'm sorry, but in at least one case they have. I will say this is again extremely atypical behavior from what has been observed from night ponies elsewhere. It is concerning not only because of what is happening, but because it does seem completely outside normal pony behavior; night pony or not. You can see my concerns and the concerns of those above me?" Baker said in a serious tone.
"If it is that bad why haven't you just sent the army in and rounded them up?" Rosetta asked.
"Because at the moment we are walking on eggshells with all things involving ponies. If this were humans we would have already gone in and rounded every one if them up and arrested them all. If we didn't have the Equestrians declaring they will get extremely angry if anything is done to ponies we might still have. We can't for fear of starting either a civil war with the ponies in this country, a war with an opponent we know nothing of the capabilities of, and no hope of maintaining peace going forward," Baker said in frustration.
"I don't understand why they would be doing this," Remedy said in confusion. "It is against everything pony to do things like you are describing them doing."
"In some defense of them I did say vigilante. Those attacked were always in the process of committing a crime. In the case of the victim who died it was rape and murder, with witnesses who leave no shadow of doubt about it. In the past forty-eight hours the crime rate in Charleston has plummeted to the point it is likely the safest city in America, but vigilante justice is not acceptable. Nor can I have reports of ponies doing violence to reach the national press," Baker explained.
"Why doesn't the army just go into the city and establish regular order then? If they have no justice to dole out they can't attack any criminals. We are under martial law, so where is the army?" Blessing asked.
"The army is stretched extremely thin. We lost much of the army to ETS as well. We are trying to enforce order across most of the country right now and we just don't have the manpower to spare for a city that doesn't even rank in the top ten by either overall population or transformed population standards," Baker explained.
"So what do you want us to do? What are we going to accomplish that the government can't?" Rosetta asked, clearly shaken by the news of ponies behaving this way.
"All attempts by government personnel to speak with these ponies have fallen flat. I'm hoping that they might be more receptive to talking to other ponies," Baker said as he ran a hand over his chin. He then turned to Remedy. "Phobia, I've heard reports that you are at least on the same page as the government with wanting to keep the peace. Maybe they'll listen to reason from another night pony who understands what is at stake, and stop this before we have a situation that blows up in our faces."
"Do you honestly think there is any chance they will listen to me? I'm nopony, they don't have any reason to listen to us. Maybe they will listen to my mom since all the ponies around here are doing that, for the most part, but not me," Remedy said.
"Phobia, I have no idea to tell the truth. I am grasping at straws trying to prevent a crisis. I'm exploring every avenue that doesn't seem like it will lead to conflict starting. My best bet is getting a night pony to talk to them and you are my best option in the region," Baker said with a sigh.
Remedy sat and considered. The whole idea that there were ponies getting extremely violent, even if that violence was directed at criminals, made her feel sick to her stomach. Ponies were not supposed to do that. The idea that they had killed some human, even some human that might have deserved it, was enough to make her want to vomit. It was all just wrong, and went against everything her instincts as a pony told her. She had to find out why this was happening, even if she didn't end up being able to stop it. She had to know why her fellow night ponies would do something so un-pony.
"We were planning on going to see them tonight anyway. Guess we just have some idea what we're flying into now," Rosetta said mournfully.
"We know the what but not the why," Remedy said. She then turned to Director Baker. "We'll do everything we can, and we will let you know in the morning what we find out."
Hopefully they would have some understanding of this by the morning, and hopefully it wouldn't make them feel worse for knowing it.