Earlier that Thursday, Sunny breathed a sigh of relief when the military transport pulled up in front of the facility she assumed was their destination. She had the urge to shake out her wings, as she been asked to refrain from so much as hovering ever since they had arrived at Boulder Command the day before (for their own protection, they were told).
Their stay at the military post had not lasted that long. Very early that morning, they were flown to an air force base in Omaha then put on a transport to MIDROC. At least this facility looked more civilian in nature.
That was when they encountered their first crystal pony.
Her midnight blue coat sparkled, her mane and tail so black that they shone like living obsidian, her amber eyes almost glowing by comparison. Upon her haunches was a prominent cutie mark of five white stars with trails suggesting they were spiraling inward. Around one of her fore-legs just above the hoof was a band of black material Sunny could not identify right away.
At first, Sunny thought she was another "guest" of the FBI, as she was flanked by two human agents. As Sunny and Goldy disembarked from the transport, however, Sunny saw the wire trailing from one ear, disappearing briefly in the pony's mane before reappearing and ending somewhere in her saddlebags.
The mare stepped towards them. She glanced up at the military guards flanking Sunny and Goldy and said, "We'll take it from here."
The guards nodded and turned away, and the human FBI agents took their place.
Sunny sighed. "Is all this really necessary?" she asked in a tired voice.
"Yes," said the mare without hesitation. "My name is Tonya Jarris. I'm assigned to you for as long as you will be at sector command."
Goldy stepped forward. "In what capacity, ma'am, if I may ask?"
"Nominally, I'm in charge of security," said Tonya. "But I can also act as a liaison. Any requests for meetings, conferences, or if you need to make any official announcements or demands, all that can go through me."
"Then we would like to make our first formal request," said Goldy. "We would like--"
Tonya raised a hoof. "Let me get you settled in first. Your arrival has taken us a bit by surprise, and things are still working their way up the chain."
"It's been several days since we sent word we'd be coming," said Sunny.
"Yes, but the bureaucracy churns only slowly," said Tonya. "I must ask that you be patient. Please, come with me."
Sunny looked at Goldy, who calmly nodded once in response. Sunny flared her wings briefly as she sometimes did to vent frustration, but settled them quickly at her sides when Tonya gave her a sharp glance.
"I must also ask that you both refrain from advanced magic use while you're here," said Tonya as she set her gaze forward again. "Basic levitation and spells needed for hygiene and well-being are allowed, of course, but please cast nothing beyond that. I'll know if you do."
Sunny eyed Tonya's cutie mark for a moment. "What about me?"
Tonya glanced at her. "While your prowess at weather control even indoors is well-known, I assume you would know not to do that here."
Sunny unfolded her wings. "What about basic flight? I'd like someplace to stretch my wings on occasion, especially if we're going to be here for a little while."
"Your room was converted from human to pony use. I daresay you'll find it quite roomy compared to pony-built domiciles."
"That's hardly a substitute for the open skies."
Tonya stopped and turned towards them. "Realize that I have a rather tough job to do. There are any number of terrorists who would love to take this as an opportunity to make a statement as to what they think of the Pony Council. I'm charged with protecting you against that. How can I do that when you're flying all around?"
Sunny considered for a moment before folding her wings to her sides. "I suppose you're right." She glanced at Goldy, who had been strangely silent through all this. "What about Mayor ... I mean First Pony Sunshine? Why the restrictions on her magic?"
"That's to make it easier for me to distinguish between magic that should be here and magic that shouldn't," said Tonya. "If Miss Sunshine is confined to just basic spells and a more advanced one is cast, I'll know it's a potential security breach. It makes my job a little easier."
"I'm fine with the restrictions, Sunny," said Goldy with a small smile. "But I appreciate your defense of our abilities."
Sunny was only partially mollified but said nothing in protest as Tonya led them further into the facility. While Tonya's arguments sounded plausible, she couldn't help but wonder if they also reflected lingering human fears over pony magic.
"May I ask a question?" Sunny said. "It's unrelated to magic use."
"Go ahead," Tonya said without turning her head.
"Are you actually an FBI agent?"
A small smile touched Tonya's lips. "More like my services are contracted by the FBI rather than me being a formal agent."
"Security services, you mean?" Sunny asked.
"That's part of it. I was a police officer who got sidelined by an injury when a perp shot me point-blank in the leg. Almost lost that leg, certainly lost my career."
Goldy smiled. "I assume your transformation gave you a new lease on life in that regard."
"If you mean the injury, yes, that's gone," said Tonya in a more stiff voice. "I doubt I ever could go back to that career, but at least I can fill this niche."
Sunny wondered now if the suspicion over crystal ponies in the employ of the government was unfounded. Tonya appeared to be doing what she could to utilize her former skills. Yet what about her crystal pony abilities? Were they being used? She glanced at Tonya's haunches again and began, "About your cutie mark--"
"Here we are," Tonya said as they turned down a corridor which dead-ended a short way down. "Your room is on the right and has all the amenities that a pony would need. On the left is a conference room. There will be agents stationed outside your room. If you need anything or wish to talk to me, contact them first. Please do not attempt to traverse the facility unsupervised. Again, this is for your own protection."
Sunny was tempted to try to ask her question again, but it could wait until Tonya was in a less officious mood. "Thank you. May we head into our room now? I'd like to talk to First Pony Sunshine in private." She glanced at the agents. "I assume it will be private."
Tonya chuckled. "Room's not bugged, if that's what you mean."
Sunny tilted her head. "Why was my question funny?"
"Because you didn't just assume we're all one, big, friendly family here like most ponies from your neck of the woods would. It's refreshing, to say the least." Tonya stepped aside and gestured with a hoof. "Be my guest."
Sunny and Goldy stepped past Tonya, and Goldy opened the door with a glow from her horn. The room was indeed rather large even for two ponies. The two single beds were human-sized, but the legs had been sawed down to make it easier for non-fliers to climb into them. The floor in the bathroom had been elevated, with a stair leading up to it. The counter around the sink contained some fur and mane care products.
There was a window, but it faced only the manicured lawn within the facility's courtyard.
As soon as Goldy had closed the door, Sunny turned to her. "First Pony--"
Goldy held up a fore-hoof. "First of all, you don't need to use a title with me. Goldy will be fine."
"I'm okay with that in private, but when we're in the presence of humans, I feel I should use it."
Goldy smiled. "Yes, that was clever of you. In fact, I would say you handled yourself very well, all things considered."
"I did wonder why you didn't say anything," said Sunny.
"You're more well-known than I am. I felt your words would carry more weight. Trust me, when the time comes, I will find my voice."
Sunny certainly hoped that would be the case. The last thing she wanted was for this venture to be riding on her.
Goldy stepped up to Sunny and lowered her voice. "I'm curious as to what you thought of Miss Jarris."
"I'm not sure," said Sunny. "She makes me a little uneasy, though she's probably just doing her job."
"Good, don't take anything at face value. I have a feeling there's more to her than she's letting on."
Sunny recalled that strange cutie mark and nodded. "I just hope she really is here to protect us and doesn't have some ulterior motive. I've had enough of that sort of thing to last me a lifetime."
Tonya trotted into Matthew's office and over to his assistant Kelsey. "I need to see Mr. Fuller. The Pony Council delegation has arrived and has settled in."
"Yes, Mr. Fuller is expecting you," said Kelsey. "He said for you to go right on in."
Tonya gave Kelsey a smile and nodded. While she had nowhere near the seniority as she had when her police career ended with a single bullet, it felt good to be recognized for her importance. She had been quite pleased when Matthew had hand-picked her for his team; it had saved her from a potential lifetime of tedium.
She opened the door with her hoof and headed inside. She found Matthew sitting before his computer typing at the keyboard. "One moment, Ms. Jarris, I need to finish sending this email."
"No problem," said Tonya as she looked around. The office was more spacious than she would have thought someone of Matthew's rank would have. Then again, this was the first time she had worked in a recovery sector office. The whole program had been put together in a hurry, most of the buildings they occupied bought on the cheap from companies that were going under as a result of the post-ETS economic catastrophe. This might have been some CEO's office in the past. Given his boss' tendency to run the place like a business, she thought it very apropos.
Matthew turned away from his computer. "My apologies. How are our guests doing?"
"They've settled in," said Tonya.
"And?"
"The mare supposedly leading the delegation is a run-of-the-mill unicorn. Not sensing anything special about her. If she has any advanced magic, it's not obvious."
Matthew leaned back in his seat. "And her companion?"
"Sunrise Storm is practically bursting at the seams with pegasus magic," said Tonya. "Push her too far, and I'd be surprised if she couldn't whip up a thunderstorm all on her own. I know she's tried to downplay her abilities, but I don't buy it. Maybe she doesn't realize just how powerful she could be."
"You know the question I'm going to ask," said Matthew.
Tonya started nodding halfway through his statement. "Can I take her down if she started using her magic in a way that we don't like? With enough advance warning, I might be able to keep her grounded. That would be a lot of magic to absorb."
"That's your specialty, as I understand it," said Matthew.
Tonya allowed herself a small smile. Crystal ponies in general had the ability to absorb and change pony magic, but it took more than one to actively drain another pony of their magic to the point where they couldn't use it themselves. Tonya had that ability to do it all on her own. "Yes, but I still have limits. I'd never be able to put a dent in the magical ability of someone like Twilight Sparkle."
Matthew appeared to consider before he nodded once. "We haven't had much time to speak to one another since you first arrived. I never formally welcomed you on board."
"I was just as happy to dive right in," said Tonya. "You can't imagine how glad I am not to be on PREQUES duty anymore. It was fine at first but got tedious as hell. I was grateful for that one day when something exciting actually happened."
"Especially since it eventually landed you here," said Matthew with a smile.
Tonya had been one of the many crystal ponies without a purpose that the government had pressed into service in the rehumanization centers. Besides ensuring the safety of the humans working with ponies by siphoning off any magic discharges which sometimes happened during the transformation back to human, they had the ability to sense whatever leftover magical effects a rehumanized person had. This was summed up in the PREQUES number -- Post-Rehumanization Equine Effects -- which was an indication of how much lingering pony-like attributes the person possessed.
As with a lot of what the government did concerning ponies, it wound up on another List, one that was carefully maintained and shared among many state and local government agencies.
Tonya had done her PREQUES duty thinking it was a way to serve her country, but she had become bored with it, at least until the day a Partial let off an uncontrolled burst of magic that would have seriously injured several people if Tonya had not absorbed it. She had earned her cutie mark with that incident, and she had soon come to the attention of Matthew.
"I feel obligated to tell you what my cop instincts tell me," said Tonya. "I think Sunrise Storm is on the level. I get the sense she's here for exactly what she said she's here to do. Yes, she's frustrated, but she's not brash or fanatical."
"And what of Miss Sunshine?"
"Her, I'm not sure about," said Tonya. "She didn't say much. Then again, she's effectively a politician. I know ponies are supposed to be all about friendship and rainbows, but to me a politician is still a politician, and who knows to what end they're working."
Tonya knew she was risking alienating her benefactor, but if there was one thing she didn't need some generic white alicorn to teach her in a dream, it was honesty. It had not taken her long to realize that Matthew played political games quite masterfully.
If he was irritated by her jab at politics, he didn't show it. Instead, he leaned forward and said, "If I may be allowed to draw on your past work for a moment, how much do you remember about your PREQUES assessment clients?"
The question did come as something of a surprise, but Tonya answered immediately. "A fair bit. I have a good memory for that stuff."
"Do you remember one called Jennifer Tanner?"
Tonya took only a moment to recall her. "The blue-furred, pink-haired earth pony filly? She's the daughter of that archaeologist who had discovered Equestria's previous contact with Earth, right?"
"Correct."
Tonya nodded. "Yes, I remember her. One-point ... five? No, six. Had lingering earth pony strength, plus something else that was too fuzzy to identify."
Matthew pushed himself away from his desk and opened a drawer. He withdrew a folder and opened on his desk. He fished out a single page and placed it on the desk facing the chair. "Please peruse this and tell me what you think."
Tonya raised an eyebrow but hopped into the seat to look over the page. A picture near the top showed Jenny seated around a campfire with several human and pony children who appeared to be listening with rapt interest. Jenny herself was gesticulating as she spoke.
Tonya read the analysis under the picture. "Are you sure of this?"
"It's from a trusted intelligence source."
Tonya read some more, then her gaze snapped up. She jabbed a hoof towards the page. "You're talking about possible manifestation of an active magical ability."
"Possible is the operative word," said Matthew. "It appeared her attempt either fizzled out or she purposely clamped down on it."
"Has she reported this ability?"
"Not to my knowledge."
Tonya frowned. "Is something being done about this? She's breaking the law if she's not reporting it. I know she was given the spiel about that because I was there."
"I need an assessment from you," said Matthew. "What would be her PREQUES rating in light of this?"
Tonya's ears drew back. "I can't give you that without doing a full analysis in person."
"Off the record, then."
Tonya gave Matthew a skeptical look. Even off the record, this was dubious at best. Human rights groups had helped push through a lot of legal protections for the post-humanized once it was clear some would never be completely purged of pony magic. Yet she didn't want to antagonize the man who was giving her a chance to do something useful, and she turned her eyes to the document again. "If this was a case of an ability fizzling out, then maybe a two, but just barely."
"And if it was a case of her actively suppressing it?"
"See, that's the problem, it's really a fuzzy area," said Tonya. "Could still be as low as a two. Could be ... wait a minute. Didn't Sunrise Storm used to be named Laura Tanner? Are they related?"
"Sisters," said Matthew. "So you'll understand if I ask you to keep this quiet around Miss Storm."
"It goes without saying I'll keep anything we say in confidence, but the fact that they were front and center to the whole ETS outbreak may make a difference. Some of the strongest wielders of pony magic came from that first batch."
"And in light of that, what would your assessment be if Miss Tanner were suppressing an ability rather than it not working?"
"It's still not that cut and dry," said Tonya. "May be still as low as a two, but it might be up to the two-point-three or two-point-four range. Hell, the guidelines say that anything above a one is of concern."
"And what of your ability?" asked Matthew. "At what PREQUES rating is it ineffective?"
"I see where this is going. You're considering some sort of operation to take her into custody."
"Not exactly. More like she may be an impediment in another more critical operation."
Tonya glanced down at the document. "Unless this is grossly underestimating her potential strength, I can take her. I can nullify her magic."
Matthew took the document back. "Thank you. I'll let you know soon concerning what I need of you."
Tonya left the chair. "I better warn you, your case better be solid. When I said I respected the law, I meant it."
"It will be," said Matthew. "I'll not take you away from your duties any further, as I know you're quite busy."
Tonya nodded. "Mind if I ask a question, assuming the answer is not classified or something."
"Of course."
"What's this 'other operation' you mentioned? I'm trying to imagine how this rehumanized girl factors into all this."
"A fugitive Partial," explained Matthew. "She managed to escape from the town our intelligence told us she was located. She's currently en-route to the pony sector of Denver."
Tonya raised an eyebrow. "You sound awfully sure of yourself. Partials can be really slippery with ponies helping them."
Matthew smiled. "Let's just say I have a unique way to track her." He put the document back in its folder. "That will be all. Please let me know the moment our guests make their first demands."
"Only one so far," said Tonya. "Just before I was about to come here, Miss Sunshine summoned me and requested a press conference."
Matthew considered. "Indeed? This soon?"
"Like I said, Miss Sunshine is a politician. She assumes correctly that this is making the rounds in the news and social media and wants to strike while the iron is hot."
"Do you have an opinion on the matter?"
"That's not really my decision to make," said Tonya. After a moment's thought, she added, "Are you asking me this because I'm a pony?"
"It does help to have an idea what may be going on in their heads," said Matthew.
"I'm really not the right one to ask. I'm from the south anyway. Georgia to be exact."
"I'm not sure I understand the distinction."
"In a lot of places in the deep south, ponies didn't remain quite as isolated," said Tonya. "They were some of the first areas outside the emergency zone where the feds tried to figure out what the hell to do with us."
Matthew nodded. "Yes, I had heard about that."
"So maybe you already know that those ponies don't insist on living like backwater hicks. Some of them actually use -- and pay for -- human-provided electricity. Some of us realized 'hey, humans got a great infrastructure set up. Maybe we should, you know, use it.'"
Tonya could not help but wonder if that had been some sort of loyalty test, as there was no way someone as well-informed as Matthew could not know these things. Tonya knew he demanded absolutely loyalty from those who worked for him, but she had hoped she had already passed that test.
Clearly her new boss had his own agenda, but that was his business. So long as she was not tasked with anything of dubious legality, she could tolerate his back-room shenanigans.
"Very well, Ms. Jarris," said Matthew. "You can inform our guests that I am taking their request under advisement."
Tonya nodded and headed out.
As she left the office, a clerk carrying a tablet PC ran up to her. "Miss Jarris?"
Tonya stopped and turned. "What is it?"
The clerk stopped before her. "You wanted to review the materials report. I have it right here."
As head of security, one of her tasks was reviewing reports of all materials which passed in or out of the facility. The review was added when someone tried to use the delivery of ammo rounds for agents' firearms as a means to smuggle a bomb inside to protest unfair treatment of ponies. There were apparently as many pro-pony militant groups among humans as there were anti-pony.
The review was largely a formality, as the existing security procedures were enough (and had stopped the aforementioned explosive from getting inside), but Washington liked to be seen as doing something at all times.
Tonya gestured and the clerk lowered the tablet. She held up a fore-hoof, a velcro strap encircling her foreleg just above it. The clerk used his free hand to attach a stylus to it. She knew some ponies had no qualms about using their mouth to hold a writing implement, but to her that was unsanitary. This setup worked nicely and didn't make her feel like she was leaving pony slobber everywhere.
She was about to sign off on the inventory when an eyebrow rose. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am?"
She pointed the stylus. "This item here. Fireworks?"
"They're not staying, they're being shipped off to Denver."
"Yes, thank you, I can see that here," Tonya snapped. "What the hell are we doing with fireworks? This isn't July."
"It was personally authorized by Mr. Fuller."
Tonya glanced back at the office she had just left. "Shenanigans, indeed," she muttered.
"I'm sorry, ma'am?"
"Nothing." Tonya dashed off her signature, and the clerk took back the stylus.
"Thank you, Miss Jarris," said the clerk before he headed away.
Tonya could not for the life of her figure out what her boss would want with fireworks. Then again, perhaps it was something she shouldn't look at too closely so long as it didn't interfere with her job.
Jenny stared at the low battery warning on her cell phone, wishing she had thought to charge it before they had left Colorado Springs. At least if she couldn't reach her sister, she would be able to use the internet and distract her from the argument that Fire and Eileen were having.
"Diverting through Highlands Ranch will take us far out of our way," Eileen said.
"I know that!" Fire retorted in a testy voice.
"If we could go in a straight shot and take my damn car--"
"We've been over this. Several times. Your car is the first thing they'll be looking for."
"But at least I'd still have one! Who knows what will happen to it by the time we come back for it?" Eileen frowned. "If we ever come back for it."
Jenny looked around. Beverly had been here a moment ago, but she was nowhere to be found now. Many of the ponies from this little community had dispersed as well, having as little taste for open argument as she had. Jenny had to admit to being tired of it as well.
"The ponies here said they can hide it really well," said Fire. "They know this land better than most humans do."
"That's not the point," Eileen said in irritation. "Once we get to Denver, Jenny and I will have no means to get around."
"I don't know why you want that car anymore. Just about every warning light came at least once before we got here, and the engine stalled when we stopped at that railroad crossing."
"It's probably just an electrical problem I could have fixed in Denver. It wasn't doing that when we first left Colorado Springs."
"Cars are not exactly welcome in the pony sector anyway."
"And just how do we go see her brother?" Eileen demanded.
"He can come to her," said Fire. "Surely he'd be motivated to see his sister."
"And after that when Jenny and I have to leave?"
"I'm sure Sam would accommodate you."
Eileen snorted. "I tried having him drive me someplace once. We all saw how well that went."
"Well, you were trying to do something that was ill-advised at the time," said Fire in a delicate voice.
"You don't have to sugar-coat it, I know I was being stupid," Eileen said. "God knows my sister made sure I knew that."
Jenny clenched her teeth. She had two choices: blow up at them and prolong the argument, or get away from it as the others had. She had no idea why they were irritating her so much. Arguments between Eileen and Fire were becoming the norm. Eileen in general had been more volatile lately even back in Colorado Springs.
"If we go the different route, not only will we avoid the FBI, but we'll have somepony who can see us safely into the pony sector," said Fire.
"Yeah, and ask me again how much I trust someone we've never met."
"He's a fellow pony, he--"
"He's a politician. That alone makes him suspect."
The situation seemed dire. All the Countess had to rely on was the supposedly generous nature of a noble she had never met. Who knew whether he was really working for the evil Baron, or worse, to his own aims? All she could do was argue with her loyal lieutenant. It would take a miracle to see them safely into the magical kingdom now.
And the cursed peasant girl was herself an enigma. Was there something more to her than any of them knew? Just what was it the Baron wanted her for? Not even those versed in the ways of the arcane could shed any light on--
Jenny shook her head violently and fled.
The pony community had been carved out of a remote corner of a state park. The park had closed when ETS was at its worst due to insufficient staff. A few who had become earth ponies had returned hoping for their former jobs -- mostly park rangers who already had a love for the land before ETS. When that was not forthcoming, they and some pony refugees had settled there and formed a community.
Much of it still looked like wilderness. Pony houses were tucked in among the tall pines, and the roads were packed earth. A wider path that was the town's equivalent of main street ran towards the creek, and Jenny heard the sound of rushing water. She passed a few earth ponies hitched to carts carrying buckets of fresh water. They smiled at her, and one pointed a hoof back towards the creek. "If you're looking for your friend Bev, she's back there."
Jenny wasn't specifically looking for her, but she wouldn't mind some company. "Thanks," she said before jogging down the road.
Beverly was seated at the edge of the creek on a large boulder. One rear hoof was dipped slightly in the water, and she made occasional splashes. Her tail was curled around ... Jenny had wanted to say her haunches, as from this angle, her legs looked far more equine than human.
Beverly's ears swiveled as Jenny approached, and she looked up and smiled. "Hello, Jenny."
"Hi," Jenny said as she strolled towards the edge of the water. She uttered a yelp when a foot slid on wet leaves, and she nearly tumbled into the creek. Beverly grasped her arm to steady her. "Um, thanks."
Beverly gestured to the boulder she sat upon. "There's room if you want to sit."
Jenny sat down on the edge of the boulder. "You holding up okay?"
"Mostly," said Beverly. "No offense to your aunt, but I had to leave when she started arguing with Fire. I've never been fond of loud noises, and now they make me anxious and jumpy."
"I was getting tired of it myself," Jenny muttered. "But I'm glad to hear you're doing okay."
"What about you?"
Jenny tilted her head. "Huh?"
"You seem a little on edge yourself. You've been that way since we got here."
Jenny frowned slightly. "Let's just say I hate being right."
What had precipitated the argument between Eileen and Fire was the report from a pegasus patrol which had spotted FBI activity along the route they were intending to take. They had also brought word of their supposed benefactor in Greenwood Village.
Beverly smiled. "I for one am glad that you spoke up. We might not have thought to look in the first place."
Jenny wanted to downplay her role. They would have likely sent out pegasi anyway to scout on ahead regardless of her warnings, though upon hearing Jenny's fears, they had put their best spotters in the air. The FBI was very good in concealing their presence, and it took a few flyovers before they were discovered. They might not have been as persistent had they not been forewarned.
"It was just some crazy hunch, that's all," said Jenny. "I could just as well have been wrong."
"Do you really believe that?"
"Why is it so important to you?"
Beverly's ears flattened. "Sorry," she said in a sheepish voice.
Jenny shook her head. "I didn't mean it to come out sounding that harsh. Guess I've been hanging around my Aunt Eileen too much."
Beverly smiled faintly. "Your aunt means well. I'm grateful to her for trying to help. I know she just wants to do the right thing."
"Yeah, she does," Jenny said. "She's also got a lot going on personally."
"I suspected as much, which is why I try not to judge her. Your aunt and I are alike in more ways than perhaps either of us realized. We're both caught between what we want to be and what the world expects us to be."
Jenny had not wanted to broach the subject, but now she felt she couldn't avoid it. "You really do want to be a pony that badly?"
Beverly glanced down at her hooves. "Yes."
"Why?" Jenny asked. "I don't mean that in a bad way, I really want to know."
Beverly started nodding halfway through Jenny's statement. "I feel it's what I'm meant to be. I was late enough to ETS to see the end result. I had a friend who transformed and had the vision."
"Some people say that vision was just so much brainwashing," Jenny muttered.
"Do you really believe that?"
Jenny gestured and said, "Go on. You were talking about a friend."
Beverly nodded. "Say what you want about that vision, but hearing it even second hand was profound. I felt like it was a statement of how life should be. Suddenly I had something to look forward to." Her eyes glistened. "I wouldn't have to worry about people who claimed to love or care about me, only to abuse me or abandon me."
"You were abused?" Jenny asked before she could stop herself. "Er, sorry, I shouldn't--"
"It's fine," Beverly said in a softer voice. "I had an alcoholic father and a brother who could care less."
"Your brother? But that's who we're going to see."
"I have two brothers. Sam is the one who actually cared."
Jenny nodded slightly. All her complaints in the past about a father who didn't pay enough attention to her and a mother who had little tolerance for Jenny's love for immersive fantasy now seemed petty by comparison.
She tried to see herself going back to the life of a pony and failed. Even the memories of that time seemed off, like it had been one continuous dream or a fantasy so immersive she could not tell it from reality.
"Bev, what did you do before ETS?" Jenny asked.
Beverly's tail swished once. "Quality control engineer for a company that made electronic control boards for heavy machinery. Why?"
"Did you like it?"
"Not as much as I liked my previous position," said Beverly. "I was transferred a few months before ETS. Before that I was actually designing and assembling prototype boards."
Jenny considered. "That required a lot of fine use of your hands, didn't it?"
Beverly's ears drew back slightly. "I'm not sure I understand."
"I'm just curious," said Jenny. "You said it's what you liked doing. Could you ever go back to it as a pony?"
Beverly paused for a long moment. "I ... as a unicorn I'd be able to move things with magic but ... well, I don't know how much of what I was told I can believe at that camp. They said that the smaller an object gets, the harder it is to move it precisely with simple levitation."
"I had heard that as well," said Jenny.
"But if that's the case, explain Rarity to me," Beverly said.
"Rarity?" The name was familiar, but it had been a long time since Jenny had met any of the ponies from Equestria. The only one she remembered was Pinkie Pie, and only because she helped sort some things out in Jenny's mind.
"She's a fashion designer in Equestria," said Beverly. "She could move things with very fine precision. Nothing says I wouldn't be able to do the same."
"But nothing says you would, either," Jenny felt the need to say. "Not everyone's human talent translated across to pony talent. I mean, a few, yeah, but mine didn't."
While at the time she had been loathe to consider her immersive fantasy a talent considering how it had irritated others, she could plainly see how it could have been developed into some creative venture. She had felt little of that as an earth pony, like it was no longer important or had simply been shut off. Despite understanding the issues it caused others, it was still a vital part of her that had been taken away with her transformation.
Which was why her current situation frustrated her to no end.
"Then there's the point that Rarity's ability may be tied to her natural talent," Jenny continued. "So it's not something everyone could--"
"I get the point," Beverly said in a flat voice.
"Sorry," Jenny murmured. "I didn't meant to upset you."
Beverly managed a small smile, but it looked forced. "Maybe I would find something else that I was good at as a pony. I figured that would come to me in good time."
Jenny wouldn't pursue the subject any further, but she wondered how Beverly could give up something she could do as a human that she was both good at and enjoyed for some ephemeral promise of happiness in a new body. Admittedly, Jenny was likely a little more jaded than most; she had experienced Sunset's interference in her life not once but twice.
"Now I have a question for you," said Beverly.
"Um, sure," Jenny replied.
"Why are you afraid of your magic?"
"I don't have magic," Jenny deadpanned.
"You do. I can sense it."
"I'm not supposed to have magic," Jenny said in a louder voice. "I'm rehumanized."
"I admit, I don't know what kind of magic it is," Beverly continued as if Jenny had not spoken. "I sense these surges from you now and then. You usually look like you're staring off into the distance when it happens."
Jenny's heart raced. She recalled that night back in Colorado Springs when she was telling one of her stories to some children around a campfire. Suddenly everyone around her was part of the narrative even to the point of wearing the exact outfits she had pictured. It looked as real as if they had actually donned the clothing just for her story and stepped into the setting she had crafted.
Ever since she had been trying to convince herself it was all in her mind, that she was simply able to better envision her fantasies now that she didn't have to suppress them.
"I'm not trying to upset you," said Beverly.
Jenny shook her head. "It's fine."
"I just want to help you in return, that's all."
Jenny doubted Beverly could do anything other than upset her more. She had rehumanized to get all things magical out of her life. "If you really want to help, you can help me figure out a way to reach my sister."
"Your sister is Sunny Storm, right?" Beverly asked.
"Yeah, and I only found out today that she's part of that delegation the Pony Council sent, and now they're in FBI custody."
Beverly's eyes widened. "They weren't arrested, were they?"
"No, it's supposed to be protective custody," said Jenny. She pulled out her cell phone. "I know she doesn't carry a phone herself, but I was hoping to contact someone who would let me talk to her."
"You haven't been able to reach anypony?"
"My phone's just about dead," said Jenny as she placed it down on the boulder between them. "Battery's almost drained because it keeps randomly rebooting on me, so there's probably something wrong with it anyway."
"Now you have me curious as to the latest news," said Beverly as she reached to her side and pulled her tablet into her lap. "Let me see if I can find an open wi-fi network."
"That thing still going?" Jenny asked as she heard approaching pony hooves and laughter in the distance.
"Apparently," said Beverly. "It does randomly reboot itself on occasion also, but I haven't figured out why. It was at a stable patch before I turned automatic updates off."
"Wish my phone was working as well as your PC. Your battery is certainly better."
"I'm a bit mystified myself." Beverly picked up Jenny's phone. "By all rights, it should be as dead as ... oh, wait, you do have some more charge left."
Jenny's eyes widened. "I do?"
"Yes, see? It--"
"LOOK OUT!"
A split second after the loud cry behind them, a metal bucket landed with a resounding clang as it bounced off a nearby rock. Beverly gasped and bolted, still holding Jenny's phone, her ears flattened. Jenny flinched and whirled around just as the bucket landed in the stream, splashing cold water on her.
Two ponies rushed up to them, a unicorn stallion and an earth pony mare. "Is everypony okay?" the stallion asked.
Beverly's ears slowly relaxed, and her lips curled into a small smile. "Yes, we're fine, just startled out of our wits."
"What happened?" Jenny asked.
The mare rolled her eyes. "Justin here happened, that's what," she said with an annoyed flick of her tail.
"Heh, yeah, sorry," Justin said as he fished the bucket out of the stream.
"I told him he shouldn't be messing with his levitation spell like that."
Justin floated the bucket over to him. "Aw, it wasn't that bad. But, yeah, I guess I should quit --" He grinned. "-- horsing around."
The mare face-hoofed. "That was old the first five hundred times you've told that pun and it hasn't gotten any better."
"Just be a little more careful, please," said Jenny as she took the phone back from Beverly. She frowned as she found it once more in the middle of a boot-up cycle. This time, however, it flashed the critically low battery warning and shut down. It was dead for good now, at least until she had access to electricity again.
Beverly smiled and returned to her seat on the boulder. "It's okay, Daisy, I know he didn't mean any harm."
Daisy smirked. "Other than to good taste with those awful jokes of his. Come on, Justin, let's head back to get another bucket, you really banged that one up."
Justin turned it over in his magic. It had a large dent where it had struck the rock, the metal bowed in at a sharp angle. "Yeah, sorry about that."
"I wouldn't normally complain, but we don't have a lot of metal buckets."
"Why can't you use plastic ones?" Jenny asked.
Daisy turned towards her. "Because all the ones we have access to have been used for unsanitary stuff like collecting waste water or for cleaning supplies with harsh chemicals. We don't trust we can clean them thoroughly enough to be safe. Metal is easier to clean. We're crafting wooden ones just for water use, but it's a slow process."
"Metal ones are easier to put over the fire to boil the water," said Justin. "At least until we can contact another community who can give us a purification spell."
Jenny gave them a confused look. "I thought purification spells were on the approved magic list."
"They are," said Daisy. "But Equestria can't visit every little town and village."
"Not to mention it depends on the skill level of the unicorn," said Justin. "A miscast spell could leave contaminants behind, especially heavy metals, and we wouldn't know. It's safer to just filter the water non-magically and boil it."
Jenny remembered a few similar incidents back in Pony Hope before they switched almost exclusively to pegasus-generated water. Even then they had some issues until most of the lingering pollution was scrubbed from the air. Ponies in general were more sensitive to food- or water-borne contaminants.
Jenny slipped the phone back into her pocket. "I'll head back to town with you."
She glanced back at Beverly and saw the wistful smile on her face as she looked at the two ponies. Had she even listened to their troubles, or did she still have the false impression that becoming a pony was a gateway to some paradise on Earth? Jenny could tell Beverly any number of stories about what it took to get that town off the ground without human tools or infrastructure, and what it took to maintain it.
Pony magic went only so far. Perhaps it went further in Equestria, a place more tuned to the use of magic, but not here in a world that never had it to begin with.
Beverly stood and carefully made her way from the stream bank. "I should head back as well." She tilted her head slightly as she looked at Jenny. "Is there something else? You were looking at me like you wanted to say something."
Jenny hesitated before shaking her head. "No, it's fine."
"I hope you can resolve your feelings about your magic," said Beverly in a soft voice. "Whatever you do with it, I don't want you to feel like it's a burden."
Too late for that, Jenny thought.
Ted smiled as he trotted down a stretch of packed earth that had once been an asphalt-covered avenue, which now served as the equivalent of main street for his district's burgeoning pony population. The late afternoon sunlight cast a lovely brilliance over the rich fall color of the trees.
Overhead, pegasi cleared the skies so the residents could enjoy a nice sunset. While the moisture over the last few days was welcomed, it was time to let things dry out, especially with the coming cold weather. Rumors abounded that some pegasi in the Homestead lands were about to try their hoof at snow for the first time, and communities like his own were eager to emulate them.
The earth felt good under his hooves in a way that he could never have felt as a human. Prior to his transformation, he rarely walked except for what was necessary to get from house to car to office and back, and his health had suffered for it in the form of back problems and two "cardiac events."
That was all behind him. Now he loved nothing more than to walk, trot, canter, and gallop. He went on runs because it felt good, not as a chore for some health need.
He heard giggling off to the side and the romp of pony hooves. A group of foals frolicked in a large patch of leaves where some ponies had tried to emulate an Equestrian custom called the "running of the leaves." The trees in a narrow swathe had been denuded, leaves lying in huge clumps on the ground to the delight of the young ones.
Among them was a Partial, a little boy with rust red pony ears and orange tail and mane. Ted's smile turned slightly bittersweet. He could see that the boy was trying to make the best of it, as he was reasonably balanced on his rear hooves. Yet he was still bent over slightly, as his legs had started to take on an equine configuration when his transformation had been abruptly halted.
His fully pony parents stood off to the side along with the parents of the other foals. They had come here when the local authorities of their native state had declared the them mentally unfit to decide for their child what was best for him and were going to counsel the child intensely towards rehumanization.
Ted felt a twinge of guilt. He had been doing more for the Partials than he had let on to Connie, such as allowing the bulletins of wanted Partials to leak to the right ears. He had been the one to suggest that Beverly and her friends take a different route.
As he passed, he noticed a pony he didn't recognize trot up to the others, a unicorn stallion with brown fur and red mane. As the newcomer struck up a conversation with the others, Ted considered heading over and introducing himself when hooves galloped towards him from behind. "Ted! I've been looking all over for you!" came Wildy's slightly exasperated voice.
Ted turned as the unicorn stopped before him. "Sorry. I was coming to see you but I got distracted enjoying the fall weather. Is everything in place for Beverly's arrival?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. There's been a new complication."
Ted sighed. "I had a feeling that rerouting them would take them out of their way. Connie gave me a leave of absence, so if it takes a few more days to get them here, I'll be available."
"It's not just that," Wildy said. "They have a human with them who--"
"Well, yes," Ted said in a cautious voice. "Two of them. I told you all this."
"What you didn't tell me was that one of them was a rehumanized human who--"
"Wildy, seriously, just this once don't get bent out of shape over that. I know how you feel about ponies who choose to--"
Wildy stomped a hoof. "Will you let me finish?! This has nothing to do with her being rehumanized. It has everything to do with her magic!"
Ted's tail swished. "I beg your pardon?"
"She has magic. Real magic, not just something left over."
Ted sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. "Well, that complicates things."
"Wow, that's a freaking understatement if I ever heard one."
"The question is, do the feds know?" Ted asked.
"Oh, they must know by now. If just about any unicorn can sense it, they'll know about it what with those crystal traitors they have working for them."
"All right, calm down," said Ted. "It's not going to do us any good to get upset. We'll deal with this."
"How?" Wildy cried. "Having that human here will just give the feds the excuse they need to steamroll all over us. They fear humans with magic more than Partials."
"You don't have any proof of that," Ted declared.
"But--!"
"No, enough! This is not the time for you drawing wild conclusions."
"I'm erring on the side of caution," Wildy said in a strident voice. "I don't want to take any chance of destroying what we've built here."
"We can't just turn her out," Ted said.
"Why the hell not? Those humans are only acting as escort anyway."
"Because if the feds really are after her, she deserves protection just as much as Beverly does."
Wildy frowned. "Bullshit. She turned her back on being a pony. She had herself a better life, and she threw it away. She bought the crap that the humans told her what she should be."
"Wildy, stop it. You have no idea what her situation is or how she arrived at the decision to--"
Wildy tilted her head to one side and looked past Ted. She ground her teeth, and her eyes narrowed. "No proof, huh? Wild conclusions, huh?!"
She barreled past Ted and took off at full gallop towards the ponies gathered at the edge of the trees.
Ted followed, his earth pony nature allowing him to easily catch up. "What's this all about? What's wrong?"
"I'll show you what's wrong!" Wildy bellowed, causing the conversation up ahead to fall silent and all eyes turn towards her. She clenched her teeth, and her horn blazed. A fallen branch was surrounded by her magical aura, and she whacked it soundly across the brown stallion's chest.
"Wildy!" Ted cried out, horrified.
The stallion staggered back and fell to his haunches to the gasps of the other ponies, and something shiny fell from his saddlebags. The foals had stopped playing and were staring at the spectacle with a mix of confusion and fear.
Wildy placed herself squarely between the stallion and the others. "Get out of here, you traitor!"
"So much for ... friendship and rainbows ..." the stallion wheezed as he gasped in the breath that had been knocked out of him.
Ted interspersed himself between the two combatants, facing Wildy. "I insist you tell me just what in the hell is going on?!"
Wildy drew back the branch, and her horn glowed brighter. She levitated the shiny object from the ground and turned it so it faced him. Ted felt a slight chill as he recognized it as an FBI badge.
"Emerald Glow, Spring Fields, take your foal out of here, this pony is a fed," Wildy said without taking her eyes from the brown stallion.
The parents of the Partial bolted. The unicorn mare surrounded the Partial boy with her magic without slowing her gallop. While the other families were fully pony, they nevertheless made haste to collect their foals and leave.
"I have to admit, I wasn't one hundred percent sure," said Wildy. "Since this bastard never flashed his badge. Finally caught him unawares."
"I don't care what you thought," Ted declared. "You have no right to do what you did. Especially you, of all ponies, who go on and on about the evils of humanity that we supposedly left behind!"
"I did it to protect us! Now he's exposed for what he is! He -- hey!"
In her moment of her distraction, she had loosened her hold on the branch enough to allow a brighter aura to surround it and yank it from her grip. Ted turned in time to see the stallion levitate the branch over his head, snap it in two, and toss it behind him. "You know, I could have you arrested for assaulting a law enforcement officer," said the stallion.
"Just try it, asshole," Wildy growled. "I'll have so many night ponies on your ass that--"
"All right, that's enough," Ted said, punctuating it with a stomp of a hoof that shook the ground. He turned towards the stallion. "Sir, may I ask for your name?"
"Jason Madsen," said the stallion. "And I believe you must be Councilman Ted Miller."
Ted had hoped to remain incognito during this exchange, but if this pony really did work for the FBI, he had access to that kind of information, especially if his purpose here was for what Wildy -- and himself -- likely feared. "Yes, I am, but you can call me Ted."
"If you would be so kind as to ask your friend to return my badge, I would appreciate it."
Ted turned towards Wildy. "Please, Wildy--"
"I should toss this thing in the river," Wildy said, keeping her narrowed gaze on Jason.
"You're not going to if I have anything to say about it."
Wildy sighed. "Fine." She tossed it to the ground before Jason's fore-hooves.
"Thank you," said Jason as he levitated it back into his saddlebag.
Ted turned towards him. "I really apologize for this."
"Don't cozy up to him, he's not worth it!" Wildy declared.
"He's just stated he could have you arrested!"
"Like I said, let him try."
"I'm not here to arrest anyone," said Jason. "Only to get information."
"Yeah, and I can imagine what information that is," Wildy retorted.
"I doubt it," said Jason. "Or rather, I can, but that's another story. It's not what my purpose is."
"Bullshit."
"All you have to do is ask those ponies I was speaking with and they'll tell you I was simply following up on leads concerning a terrorist threat," said Jason. "Though thanks to you, I likely won't get anything useful as everyone will be too frightened of me."
Ted gave him a concerned look. "You really think there's another terrorist strike against ponies in the works?"
"I can't say for sure, but we take these things seriously," said Jason. "Perhaps you can explain that to your hotheaded unicorn friend here."
"That's just another excuse," Wildy said. "Another bogeyman to scare us with. The feds used it when we were all human and they haven't stopped."
"So have you seen or heard anything suspicious lately?" Jason asked. "Any activity that seemed out of place?"
"Not to my knowledge," said Ted. "At least not recently."
"Not recently? Has anything happened at all?"
"Well, there were the usual incidents off--"
Wildy suddenly barged between them and shoved Ted back with her fore-hooves. "Don't answer his questions!"
Ted frowned. "All right, I've had enough of this. Usually I tolerate your paranoia, but I'm a city councilpony. I cannot simply refuse to speak with law enforcement on a matter like this."
"But that's how he gets you to say things he wants to hear!" Wildy thrust a hoof at Jason's haunches. "Look at his cutie mark. He has some sort of power to get ponies to talk. You want to risk it?"
"And just what could he possibly say that would be of issue?" Jason asked.
Wildy frowned. "Yeah, nice try."
"By your very attitude you're acting like there's something to hide."
"The only thing I'm hiding right now is my contempt for you," Wildy snapped. "Oh, wait, I'm not hiding that! Guess I got nothing, then."
Ted never thought he would use his formidable earth pony strength against a fellow pony, but Wildy had pushed him to the limit of his tolerance. He placed his fore-hooves squarely against Wildy's chest and pushed her back. She uttered a shocked cry and dug in her hooves, but this did little more than leave four furrows in the packed earth.
Wildy finally batted at his forelegs with her hooves. "Stop it, that hurts!"
Ted relented and dropped his hooves. "Then stop acting like a fool. And stop taking me for a fool as well."
Wildy frowned as she rubbed her sore chest. "I wasn't, I was jut trying to protect you."
"I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself, and I know what I'm doing," Ted declared. "Now, please, let me handle this." He stepped closer and dropped into a whisper. "If anypony is going to let something loose by accident, it will be you if you don't control your temper. It's happened before, and not with some pony who had a particular talent for it."
Ted hated to bring that up again, especially seeing the hurt look on Wildy's face. She quickly turned it back to anger as she clenched her teeth and growled, "If it hadn't been for that crystal pony traitor--"
"Which you conveniently gave information about the whereabouts of another Partial."
"So can you blame me for not wanting to see anypony make the same mistake I did?" Wildy pleaded.
Ted gently placed a hoof on Wildy's shoulder. "You've trusted me this far. I'm just asking you to go a little further."
Ted realized he was asking a lot. For all her bluster, Wildy had a lot of hurt she was working through. Her transition to ponyhood had been marked by abuse from family members who were religious nutcases convinced she was suffering judgment from God.
"All right," Wildy said in a lower voice.
"Now, go see what else you can find out about our guests-to-be. I'll catch up with you later."
Wildy gave Jason one last narrowed-eyed look before she turned and headed away.
Ted breathed a sigh of relief and trotted back to Jason. "My apologies, Agent Madsen."
Jason waved a hoof. "It's fine. And you can call me Jason."
"As I was about to say, we have occasionally had visits from humans who harass ponies about rehumanizing."
Jason levitated a pad and pen from his saddlebags. "Any details you can share?"
Ted described the ones he remembered, including the names if he knew them. He included the man he had seen speaking with Connie, hoping it would be just another face to him. Instead, Jason stopped writing and looked up. "That last one, you have a name to go along with him?"
"Sorry, I don't," said Ted. "I know him only from a distance and from what other ponies have told me."
"Are you sure?"
Ted almost mentioned Connie, and he wondered if Wildy had been right, that this pony did have a knack for getting other ponies to talk. The last thing he wanted to do was involve her, especially if the feds were looking for that Partial. "Yes, I'm sure, I never caught his name."
"But do you know someone who did?"
"Um, no, I don't," Ted said. Technically, it was not a lie. He had never asked Connie if the man had provided a name. He was torn now as to whether he should refer him to her, especially if it meant deterring a terrorist threat.
Jason gave him a skeptical look, pen and pad still suspended in the air.
"May I get back to you on that one?"
"Certainly," said Jason. "But I do stress that time is often of the essence in matters like this. The man you described matches descriptions from witnesses from previous FRD terrorist incidents."
"You mean he's a terrorist himself?"
"He's a person of interest," said Jason. "He's also been seen in security cam footage lingering at sites that later were targets of the FRD."
"All right, I'll get on this as quickly as possible," Ted said.
"Thank you. Can you at least tell me what other ponies have said about him?"
Ted recalled a conversation he had with Peach Blossom the other day. "Only that other ponies are rather upset with him. He's not the first to go around harassing ponies about rehumanization, but he seems to have a knack for making ponies wary around him, even though he's never made any overt threats."
Jason made some notes on his pad. "Anything else?"
Ted shook his head. "That's all I know."
Jason tucked the pad and pen back in his saddlebags. "Thank you, you've been helpful. Getting his name would be even more so."
"I was happy to help, but I feel I must state something that's been bothering me," said Ted. "While I don't condone Wildy's attack on you, I must admit I find it disturbing that you're doing FBI business without identifying yourself as an agent. As much as I know you're just doing your job, as a councilpony I have an obligation to protect the rights of my constituents."
"Duly noted," said Jason. "I admit to have been given some additional leeway, given how suspicious some ponies are of humans, and humans are running the show where law enforcement is concerned."
"Which leads me to my next question, but you don't have to answer it if you consider it too personal."
Jason smiled. "I can guess. Why is a pony an FBI agent?"
"Yes," said Ted. "My title may be considered unofficial, as I come from a district nominally under federal oversight."
"I entered the agency right out of college. It's what I've been doing for the past fifteen years. I wasn't about to throw that away just because a fake white alicorn visited me in a dream."
Ted's eyes widened slightly. He had never heard a pony be that dismissive of the vision before. While he personally had not been quite as enthralled by it as others, he did find inspiration in it.
"Don't get me wrong," Jason continued. "I actually rather like being a pony, but I made that decision myself, just like my wife did."
"I'm grateful to hear that your family stayed intact through all this," said Ted.
Jason shrugged. "Eh, we're talking about separation, maybe divorce."
"Oh, sorry to hear that."
"The marriage was on the rocks before ETS, and the transformation didn't change that. Becoming a pony doesn't solve everything. You, ah, might want to remember that next time you talk to a Partial."
Ted's tail swished and his ears twitched, but he said nothing in reply.
"So, yeah, I can take a guess as to what it is you don't want me to know about," Jason continued. "All I'm going to tell you is to be careful. You and Mayor Morgan are doing some good work here. People are starting to notice. Don't mess it up."
Ted watched with uncertain eyes as Jason turned and headed away.