//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24 - New Plans Made 
// Story: Pandemic: Aftermath 
// by ASGeek2012 
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Only now did the Baron realize that unforeseen complications had arisen in his plans. Yet so far it seemed he remained unaware that the loyalty of his Crystal Enforcer was wavering. Would she truly come over to their side and help them thwart the Baron's plans, or would her sense of duty matter more?

Meanwhile, the turmoil besetting the peasant girl's family only continues. Brother has turned against brother, and while this has distanced the girl from the Baron's corruption for now, it only darkens the cloud already hanging over her ...

Jenny opened her eyes and sighed, casting her gaze down to the notebook where she had been jotting down her musings with the Narrative. Her journal entries had stopped about midday, as she had failed to obtain any new insights since then. Each time she reached out to it, it repeated the same thing, perhaps worded a little differently, but not enough to give her any additional information.

Jenny sat alone in her room with the door closed to prevent her additional power from manifesting. The lack of a suitable audience appeared to keep it in check. It also minimized distraction, which caused an unexpected side-effect: she sensed a faint intelligence behind the Narrative, just beyond her grasp.

It gave Jenny an uncanny sense that something or someone was standing behind the veil, either waiting for the right moment to manifest, or for her to become bold enough to seek it out. Neither prospect thrilled her.

She glanced out the window and at the deepening twilight. She looked at her watch and frowned when she saw she was a few minutes late for her evening check-in.

She slid off the bed and headed into the living room, where Eileen, Fire, and Bev were making small talk. Eileen glanced at Jenny and asked, "Everything okay?"

"You tell me," said Jenny. "Anything weird happen over the last half hour?"

"If you mean any manifestation of your power, no," said Fire.

Jenny uttered a relieved sigh. "Good."

Bev gave her a troubled look. "Jenny, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Jenny realized the apology Fire had predicted was about to arrive. She had yet to share with Bev the new revelation about her family, hoping that word would first come from Ted the next time he contacted Sam.

"Um, can it wait?" asked Jenny. "I, uh, need a little something to eat."

"We only just had dinner an hour ago," said Eileen.

"I know, but I guess I didn't get enough. I just want a snack."

Fire hopped off the sofa. "I could use a little something myself. I'll go with you."

Jenny managed not to sigh in exasperation. "I could bring something back for you."

"No, it's fine," Fire said as he trotted over to her. "I don't mind."

Jenny knew this would happen; keeping these stupid Dreamwarden secrets was going to be the hardest part of this endeavor.

"Frankly, I'd rather someone go with you," said Eileen.

"Certainly," said Fire. "Besides, I want to see if I can catch Moon Racer before she went on night patrol."

Jenny heard the faint emphasis Fire placed on the name, and she realized she had yet to meet the observer whom Psychic Calm had mentioned would identify themselves to her. "All right, let's go."

She tried not to meet Eileen's gaze as she left, wondering if her aunt already knew something was up. As soon as they left the apartment and headed down the hall towards the stairs, Fire said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but there was no good time. I'm one of the ponies tasked to observe you."

Jenny could at least be content it was someone she knew and trusted. "Thanks," she said in a low voice.

They remained silent as a pair of earth ponies emerged from the stairwell. Not until they had started down the stairs and were alone again did Fire speak. "I can report that I saw no manifestation of your mind-altering power, and that you've been actively trying to control it."

"I have no idea how long that will last," Jenny said in a low voice.

"Nevertheless, I think they'll see that you're making the effort. Which brings me to something else I wanted to talk about."

"Yeah?"

"I think Bev really needs to speak with you about a few things."

Jenny waited until they had reached the main floor. "You told me she wanted to apologize."

"It's more than that," said Fire. "She has a lot of other stuff on her mind."

"I'm not sure I could give her any good advice right now."

"I don't think it's advice she wants so much as insight."

"That's in short supply as well."

"It's more about the Narrative," said Fire in a delicate voice. "And what it can tell her about her family and what they're doing."

Jenny frowned and stopped, forcing Fire to turn and face her. "I can't command it like that. I can't ask it specific questions. I spent the last two hours trying that and failing."

"I had a feeling," said Fire. "I just wanted to warn you what to expect from her. She's desperate for answers right now."

"Join the club," Jenny muttered before continuing down the hallway.

They emerged into the communal dining hall, where a few ponies sat around tables sharing a snack or a beverage and engaging in soft conversation. More night ponies were in attendance, having what for them would be breakfast. Jenny spotted the silver-maned Moon Racer sitting alone at a table in a far corner.

Jenny sat down opposite the night pony, Fire taking a seat next to her. Moon smiled at them even as she said, "You're a few minutes late, Jenny."

"Yeah, sorry," Jenny murmured.

"I'm partially to blame," said Fire. "I spoke to her about a few things along the way."

Moon nodded. "I prefer Jenny be more punctual as there may be days she has a lot more to report. As it is, it appears it's been relatively quiet today."

"She's been going out of her way to keep control over her mind-altering powers," said Fire.

"It seems if I don't have people looking at me, they don't get affected," said Jenny.

"That's an interesting point," Moon said. "And it's good you're being proactive."

"I don't know what will happen if I'm under any sort of pressure, though."

"I understand. No need to worry about it until it actually happens."

Jenny thought she had plenty to worry about, especially after what Connie had relayed to them from Jason. Eileen had strenuously objected to any plan which called for them to be taken by the FBI, no matter how much either Connie or Twilight trusted Anthony Heller.

"Everything checks out with your other observers," Moon continued. "No reports of unusual activity around you. I think we can wrap it up for this evening."

"I have a question," Jenny said.

Moon nodded. "Yes?"

"Don't go spreading this around, but we've been asked to surrender ourselves to the FBI."

Moon considered. "If you're concerned about these check-ins while you're in custody, they can easily be done via dreamwalking."

"I don't mean that," Jenny said in a testy voice. "I mean, what happens if I do something to resist it? My aunt is not exactly keen on the idea, and neither am I. Hell, I doubt Princess Twilight would like it."

Moon stared. "Princess Twilight is involved?"

Fire motioned with a fore-hoof. "Ah, maybe you shouldn't mention that."

Jenny ignored him. "Yes, she is. What if she doesn't like that idea, and I prevent it from happening? Do I get punished for doing something that Twilight wanted me to do?"

"This is not really a question I can answer," said Moon. "It would have to be decided, um, higher up. I think you know what I mean."

"But Twilight is 'higher up' as you put it, isn't she?"

"Not in the dream realm, Jenny. I believe Psychic Calm made this clear to you."

Jenny frowned. "Yes, and I thought I made it clear to him how I don't like being pulled in different directions like this."

"I'm sure he also explained that every case of using your ability will be examined in its own context," said Moon. "There won't be a judgment without taking circumstances into account."

Jenny indeed had all this explained to her, she simply didn't know who she could trust. She had no idea how to interpret the fact that the Narrative had nothing to say about the dream realm or the Dreamwardens. Did they truly stand outside such things? Was the dream realm such a radically different place that even the Narrative could not comprehend it?

Fire placed a fore-hoof on Jenny's arm. "Please, don't stress over it too much. Ponies tend to be very fair and forgiving."

Jenny exchanged a look with Moon, who gave her a solemn look in return. They both knew that forgiveness was not necessarily in the purview of the Dreamwardens.





Tonya stepped into the restaurant with a sense of longing she had hoped never to feel again. She doubted Jason had intended that with his choice of venue, as he was not privy to everything that went on in her head.

The subdued lighting and the sound of a piano playing in the distance reminded her how much she had loved dining out as a human. It had been a nice change of pace from the hectic pace she endured (and enjoyed) while on duty. The challenge had always been finding a proper dining partner; all the ones from work either wanted to talk shop or hit on her.

To her surprise, the maitre d' was unperturbed to find a pony waiting for him, and even got her gender right on the first shot. "Good evening, ma'am. Party of one?"

"I'm with the Madsen party," Tonya said.

"Right this way, ma'am." He plucked a menu from one of two piles and headed deeper into the restaurant.

Tonya tried not to feel self-conscious at the clop of her hooves, distinct against the hardwood floor and the quiet elegance of the restaurant. Only when she saw a table where a unicorn and two earth ponies sat did she feel a bit less anxious.

Jason was seated at a table in a distant corner, and alongside him was a human male. When she hopped into a seat opposite them, the maitre d' slipped the menu in front of her. Tonya looked down and was surprised to find that every item catered to pony culinary preferences. She glanced across the table and saw that the human had a different menu.

"Your server will be with you shortly," said the maitre d'. "May I get you a drink in the meantime?"

Tonya had not intended to imbibe, but given the stress she was under -- and the additional stress she assumed awaited her -- she decided to indulge. "A Rob Roy, please."

"Right away."

As if sensing Tonya's next question, Jason said, "Welcome to one of Denver's only five star restaurants that caters to ponies. I'm especially fond of the alfalfa soufflé."

Tonya glanced around and saw at least two other tables where ponies were seated. "And how did they find this many ponies using money?"

The human picked up his own drink, a scotch on the rocks. "They didn't."

"This is Anthony Heller, by the way," said Jason.

Tonya nodded and extended her fore-hoof. Anthony touched his palm to it. "Then how did they wind up in a place like this?"

"Barter," said Jason. "Many of the ponies who visit here provide some of the fresh greens and vegetables for both the pony and human menus." He pointed a hoof to the back of Anthony's menu. "They even boast about it."

Anthony slid the menu over so Tonya could take a closer look. Most places that served pony-grown foodstuffs included a warning at the bottom about magically-grown food. Here that "warning" was written as a selling point: Our vegetables and salads are fresh from the pony garden, where magic replaces the harmful pesticides and other chemicals that might otherwise make it into your food.

Tonya pushed the menu back. "Maybe more places should be doing that. Certainly hasn't put a dent in their business."

"Magic is the new organic, effectively," Jason said.

"As interesting as this is, this isn't what we're meeting for."

Jason nodded, but held off speaking as the waiter brought over Tonya's drink. The stem of the glass even had a piece of plastic attached to it designed to fit a standard pony leg strap. As Tonya slipped it into her own, the server asked, "Do you all wish to order now?"

"Please come back in fifteen minutes," Jason said.

"Of course, sir. If you need me before that, please notify any server and ask for Sean."

Jason nodded as the waiter headed away. "Now, give me a moment, I've only done this once since learning it earlier."

Tonya was going to ask him what he meant when his horn started to glow. Jason closed his eyes tightly in concentration, and Tonya flinched when his horn flashed. She looked around and stared as a faint, shimmering field surrounded their booth.

Jason opened his eyes and smiled. "Hey, it worked."

Anthony grinned. "And there isn't even any smoke curling from your horn this time."

Tonya narrowed her eyes. "What did you just do?"

"A privacy spell," Jason explained.

"Okay, now how did you do that?"

"Courtesy of Princess Twilight. She thought it would be useful and taught me the runes needed for it."

Tonya frowned. "That's not even remotely legal."

"I won't tell if you don't," said Jason.

"That's not funny."

"Wasn't meant to be. Circumstances are forcing us to do things outside normal procedure."

Tonya looked over to Anthony. "And you condoned this?"

Anthony took a sip of his drink. "Reluctantly. I was more concerned Jason would burn out his horn trying such advanced magic, especially considering Twilight had to teach him remotely."

"Maybe you should take this as a sign of how serious matters are right now," said Jason. "All the signs are pointing to Fuller having recruited the equivalent of his own private army, and he intends to add Miss Tanner and Ms. Kelton to his arsenal." Jason frowned. "He already has Ryan as his weapon."

"Had him as a weapon," Tonya said. "Or did that warrant not go through?"

"Oh, it went through all right," Jason said in a sour voice. "He was picked up by two agents on US 36, and then we never heard anything more about it."

"What do you mean?"

"We mean that we can't get any information on his whereabouts or the status of his arrest, and not from any lack of trying on our part. If I had to guess, I'd say Fuller had his cronies intercept him."

"But how did he ..." Tonya trailed off and frowned. "The two agents he pulled off my detail."

"Looks like it, yeah," Jason said.

Tonya took a long sip of her drink, quietly fuming as she realized how many of these shenanigans had been playing out right under her muzzle. "If I had known Fuller was playing stupid games like this--"

"It's not your fault," Anthony said. "We were initially reluctant to consider the extent of Fuller's plans. We wanted to believe he was just feathering his nest for a future run at political office."

"Which he may still be doing," Jason said. "We think he used Ryan to get his position in the first place."

Tonya's pupils shrank as she put down her drink.

"He used his ability to play on existing fears about pony magic and separatism to not just gain his position but allow him more autonomy and latitude than a regional director ought to have."

"That's a hell of an accusation," said Tonya. "And it borders on crazy conspiracy theory. Had you told me this earlier, I would've thought you'd gone off the deep end."

"And now?" Anthony asked.

"I still think it sounds crazy." Tonya paused before adding in a lower voice, "But possible. You'll still need a hell of a lot of proof to make it stick."

"We had hoped to gain access to Ryan and potentially offer him a deal," Jason said. "His cooperation in exchange for evidence against Fuller."

"The night ponies are not going to like that."

"Frankly, I don't give a shit what they think," Jason said. "I'm tired of their secrets and their vigilante attitude. Ryan will be brought to justice, but American justice."

Tonya took another drink before asking, "Have you shared my idea with your partner?"

"If you mean about Miss Tanner and Ms. Kelton surrendering to us, yes," said Anthony.

"The problem is, with so many of Fuller's cronies on your team, I'm not sure we can prevent them being spirited away like Ryan was," Jason said. "And as I predicted, they're not at all keen on the idea."

"That was to be expected," Tonya said.

"There's another thing," Jason said. "Twilight revealed to us that Princess Luna wants to cast a spell on Jenny to aid her in linking Ryan back to the dream realm."

Tonya raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"The stated purpose was to better locate him and get information from him concerning his activities."

"I can tell from your tone you're not buying that."

"Oh, they're telling the truth," Jason said. "Just not the whole truth. They want to turn Ryan over to whatever star chamber the night ponies are running. I'm not keen on that."

"We feel like we're having to resist both Fuller's influence and Equestrian involvement," said Anthony. "However well-intentioned the latter is, we need to minimize it."

"Twilight's much more on board with that idea," Jason explained. "Luna ... not so much."

"It shouldn't be our job to keep the Equestrian diarchs in check," said Tonya.

"Agreed."

"Furthermore, Princess Twilight is supposed to be in charge of all matters concerning Earth."

"True, but technically Princess Luna is higher up on the Equestrian political totem pole than Twilight," said Jason. "We have to assume Twilight might defer to Luna in some matters, especially those concerning the dream realm and night ponies."

Tonya was very glad she was having a drink. "So what do we do now? I absolutely have to move on this operation tomorrow morning. I was surprised Fuller granted me even the one day delay."

Jason considered. He glanced at his partner, who nodded. Jason turned to Tonya. "Since we've established that we can trust each other, I'm going to let you in on the identity of another player on our side: Connie Morgan."

Tonya took a sip of her drink and set the glass down. "I've heard that name. Local politico of some sort?"

"Mayor of Greenwood Village. Miss Tanner and Ms. Kelton are holed up in an all-pony district of her city. It's technically in the federal-run pony sector, but she still considers it part of her city."

"That's where I've heard the name," Tonya said. "She was in the news some weeks ago. Something about furthering relations between ponies and humans."

"She's not your typical politician," said Jason. "She actually seems to care more about her citizens than her own political aspirations."

"So how can she help us?"

"Has any of the agents in your operation contacted local law enforcement?" Jason asked.

"No," Tonya replied in a flat voice. "Just like you predicted."

"Connie is willing to see to it that the Greenwood Village PD has a big presence during the operation," Jason said. "More witnesses, less chance for illegal actions on Fuller's part. His agents will have to play by the book, at least at first."

"And just how do we explain how they came to know about a classified operation?" Tonya asked.

"Now we come to the part of the plan I'm not entirely on board with," Anthony said.

Jason sighed and turned towards him. "We've been over this several times."

"I know. And each time I like it even less."

"What choice do we have?" Jason said in a slightly exasperated voice.

"What is it?" Tonya demanded.

Jason turned to her. "I'm the one who first told Connie what's going on, so she can claim that I leaked it to her."

Tonya was about to take another sip of her drink. Instead, she put it down and just stared.

"So I'll take the fall for it," Jason continued. "My partner here can be the one to make the arrest and turn me in."

"You can't be serious," Tonya deadpanned.

"That will distract Fuller, and make Anthony here look like he's just doing his job and being a good agent. Moreover--"

"This is insane!"

Jason raised his voice. "--moreover, it gives Anthony an excuse to learn about the operation and be a part of it."

"That's one hell of a risk you're taking!" Tonya exclaimed. "It's going too far."

"You're having the same reaction I did," Anthony said. "Jason, I'll repeat what I said before: if this goes wrong, you've just tossed away your career."

Jason clopped his hoof on the table. "And what the hell is my career worth if I let some shitbag like Fuller get away with abusing his power? He's a disgrace to the bureau. I talk a lot about night ponies and their secret police force hidden from oversight. Fuller is doing the exact same thing. This isn't what the FBI is all about. It's about protecting the citizens of this country, not building his own personal kingdom for God only knows what purpose!"

An awkward silence fell. Tonya had never heard Jason make an outburst like this in all the times she knew him, and from the look on Anthony's face, she could guess he hadn't either.

"You think I like having to resort to tactics like this?" Jason continued in an impassioned voice. "Fuller is the worst sort of adversary: someone who makes you compromise your own principles to combat him. None of what we're doing is completely legal. Anthony and I have consorted with known, wanted people. Connie is effectively committing political suicide and technically could be arrested just for her knowledge of criminal acts she didn't report. And you, Tonya, just by sitting here and discussing this with us instead of reporting us, are also doing something of questionable legality."

Tonya stared down at her drink, considered finishing it off in one go, but demurred.

"You mentioned it's going too far," Jason said in a lower voice. "Things are already beyond that. If anyone here has a better idea, lay it on the table."

Tonya looked up. She glanced at Anthony, who gave her a resigned look in return. She sighed and said, "What would be your M.O. for leaking the operation?"

"Pony sympathizer," Jason said. "Fuller is obviously anti-pony, so this will dovetail with his thoughts. And we have something that Fuller doesn't know about."

"What?"

"Miss Tanner's Narrative."

Tonya blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Her mind-altering ability is just the tip of the iceberg," Jason explained. "She has the ability to see what's going on elsewhere. It's what helped her and her friends stay ahead of Fuller's game for far longer than they should have. She could tell us whether or not Fuller is buying our ruse."

"We don't like having to exploit this girl," Anthony added. "But she seems willing to help her friends stay out of trouble. We're building on that motivation."

Tonya felt like her head was spinning. Each answer just brought more questions. Things had seemed much simpler just a week ago. "All right, say I go along with this. What exactly do we do with Miss Tanner and Ms. Kelton? How can we keep them from Fuller?"

"I'm hoping that the presence of the GVPD will make Fuller hesitate," said Jason. "Give us more time to locate Ryan and nail down his identity."

"I have a contact in Washington I've been working with," said Anthony. "He thinks he can backdoor into the PREQUES database."

Tonya drew back, her pupils shrinking. "I did not just hear that!"

"But he needs another day to make it work and get at Ryan's records."

"If they still exist," said Jason. "He may have to settle for finding evidence of the tampering."

Tonya face-hoofed and muttered, "I don't believe this."

"Desperate times, Tonya," Jason said in a solemn voice.

"Look, what if Fuller doesn't hesitate?" Tonya said, her voice tinged with desperation. "What then?"

Another uneasy silence descended. Anthony was the one to break it this time. "We go with our backup plan and have either Princess Twilight or Princess Luna intervene, using Miss Tanner's unusual magic as the reason. It will at least protect her from Fuller."

Tonya frowned. "I like your backup plan even less than the main one."

"So do we, and Princess Twilight herself is not keen on it, either," said Anthony. "Her whole purpose in going through us was to allow humans to settle this matter and not draw Equestria even deeper into it."

"And it means we tip off Fuller and fail to get any more evidence on him," Jason said. "Not to mention it plays right into his beliefs about how Equestria is looking to barge into American affairs and even threaten our sovereignty. Face it, everyone: no matter what we do, we incur risk. But we can't do anything without your help, Tonya."

Tonya looked at the hopeful faces staring back at her. Jason was not the only one risking his career; if she pissed off someone as powerful as Fuller, she could be drummed out of the FCPA, which would leave her with nothing. Even if she tried to take up law enforcement again, Fuller would likely use his influence to bar her from that. She would be right back to where she was before she earned her cutie mark: aimless and drifting, but this time with no rehumanization to fall back on.

Yet the alternative would be to turn her back on something that was clearly wrong. She had enough evidence to suspect Fuller of at least half of what they were accusing him of. If she had walked away from a similar situation during her tenure as a cop, she would have disgraced her uniform.

She picked up her drink, took a long sip, and looked Jason in the eye. "All right. I'm in."





Bev fought back the urge to yawn as she glanced out the window at the deepening night from where she sat on the edge of her bed. She had heard that some ponies felt as if a strict diurnal schedule had been biologically imprinted on them with their transformation, but that was more common among the earth ponies, and she was on her way to becoming a unicorn.

Or would be, if the government would just let her.

She glanced at her tablet, its battery managing to hang by a thread due to her own magic, magic that should not exist and should not affect technology. Or so was implied by what she had heard second hand from Twilight as relayed by Connie.

Bev shuddered as she looked away from the window. Twilight Sparkle herself had said that Bev's magic was not normal. Her tail swished nervously as she struggled to push that thought from her mind. All along she had assumed her erratic magic was just her budding unicorn talent struggling to assert itself in an incompletely transformed body. Now she had no idea what it was, or what would happen if she did transform fully.

She sighed and stood as her ears swiveled at a distant noise which sounded like a door closing. She headed out into the living room, finding only Eileen seated on the sofa holding her cell phone in her hand.

Bev was about to say something when she looked over Eileen's shoulder and saw her playing a video on her phone. A little boy who couldn't have been more than five was seated on the floor beside a small Christmas tree, its decorations as meager as the number of presents under it. A voice that was slightly tinny but still recognizable as Eileen's said, "Sorry it couldn't be more, Bobby, but--"

The little boy suddenly held up a book and turned it towards the camera, smiling. From the worn edges, the book was clearly second hand. Bev squinted but couldn't see the title. All she could see was the author's name: Stephen Hawking. "Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" the little boy piped.

Bev smiled softly and took a step forward as gently as she could, but her hoof clopped against the floor.

Eileen's head jerked, and she quickly shut down the video and tossed the cell phone aside. "What is it?" she snapped, her voice quavering slightly, her eyes glistening.

Bev wrapped her tail around her knees. "Sorry."

Eileen took a deep breath and let it go as a slightly ragged sigh. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "No, it's fine," she said in a softer voice. "Sorry for biting your head off, you just startled me."

Bev nodded slowly. "Um ... may I ask who Bobby is?"

Eileen hesitated long enough that Bev feared she had said the wrong thing. She was about to hastily withdraw the question when Eileen answered, "He's my son, though he prefers 'Bob' now."

"I didn't know you had a son."

"Yeah, well, I haven't been the greatest of mothers to him," Eileen muttered.

"He didn't come along with you?"

"He's been living with my sister and her husband, because they can be better parents to him than I ever could."

Bev was indeed curious as to why she now had her niece along with her instead, but she felt she had already pried too much.

Eileen gestured to the phone. "I don't know why I look at those old videos. He doesn't look anything like that anymore."

"Oh, he's grown up?"

"He's a pony, Bev," Eileen deadpanned.

"Sorry," Bev said. "I mean ... I'm not sorry he's a pony, just ... I-I mean, I'm sorry I pried into--"

Eileen held up a hand. "I get it. It's fine. I need to stop being sensitive about things like that."

Bev nodded slowly. "If I may ask, what kind of pony is he?"

"Unicorn," Eileen answered in a softer voice. "And from what I've heard -- both what he does and doesn't tell me -- a damn good one."

Bev heard some pride in Eileen's voice. She smiled faintly.

"He keeps telling me he hasn't decided yet whether to rehumanize."

Bev's ears drew back slightly.

"But I know him better than he thinks," Eileen said, some of the emotion creeping back into her voice. "Fuck, even as a human, the kid was incredibly smart. If humans could get cutie marks, he'd have one."

"Does he have ... oh, I guess he doesn't if he's still considering rehumanization."

Eileen shook her head. "But I don't expect that will last. He'll get a mark, I'm sure of it." She paused. "I'll be proud of him. He would've accomplished something I never could."

"Um, what would that be?" Bev asked.

"A purpose in life."

In the ensuing awkward silence, Bev felt like she had pushed the conversation a bit too far. She looked towards the door. "I thought I had heard Jenny come back."

"Not yet." Eileen frowned. "Wonder what's taking her so long. She said she just wanted a snack. I thought she would bring it ... oh, that might be her."

Bev's ears had already pricked at the sound of approaching footsteps and hooves in the hallway. The door opened, and Jenny and Fire stepped inside. "Sorry for the delay," said Fire. "You know how ponies are, we get talking to friends and lose track of time."

Eileen nodded once and looked at Jenny. "Get what you wanted?"

Jenny blinked rapidly, as if she had been off in her own little world. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I did."

"You okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Eileen just nodded again. "Bev wanted to talk to you."

Jenny had already looked Bev's way and started towards her, as if suddenly eager for the conversation. "I know. Bev, you want to talk in your room?"

"Yes, that's fine," Bev said in a soft voice even as Jenny headed past her. She followed and closed the door behind them. "First of all, I want to apologize."

Jenny shook her head. "You don't need to."

"Yes, I do," Bev continued. "You were only trying to help. You were just relaying what the Narrative told you. I shouldn't be angry with you over that."

"But I understand why you were. I was telling you that your family was working against you."

"Jenny, the hard truth is that your aunt may be right about Larry. He really wasn't doing anything with his life last I saw him, and I don't have any reason to believe he got any better since then." Bev cast her eyes downward. "I'm just afraid he managed to get Sam on his side."

"He didn't."

Bev's gaze snapped up. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Jenny said in a low voice. "I meant to tell you I had a new, uh, vision from the Narrative. It sounds like Sam might've found out what Larry was doing and told him to take a hike."

Bev sighed. "As much as I hate to see my brothers fighting -- especially over me -- I hope you're right."

"You said Sam was more sympathetic to you."

"I know, but ... I haven't seen Sam in months. Last time we talked, he called me crazy and deluded in so many words." Bev raised her gaze to Jenny again. "Am I crazy and deluded?"

Jenny gave her a nonplussed look. "I'm sorry?"

"Is wanting to be a pony really that insane?" Bev asked.

"I'm really not a good one to ask, Bev," Jenny said in a flat voice. "Anyway, you made your decision on that, right?"

Bev hesitated. "I don't know."

Jenny gave her a curious look but said nothing.

Bev fell to the edge of the bed, the bedsprings creaking. "I overhead Eileen earlier. She was quoting something she had heard from Twilight Sparkle: becoming a pony won't solve all your problems."

"Well, no, it won't," Jenny said.

Bev looked up. "But when I look at you, and the problems you're having, I'm not sure rehumanization would solve anything, either. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know what I should do."

"I became human again because I wanted to," said Jenny. "Yeah, maybe I didn't want all this baggage that came along with it, but I still made that decision because I thought it was best for me."

"And you wouldn't decide differently if you knew what would happen to you?"

"No, I wouldn't," said Jenny without hesitation. "Look, I don't have an explanation yet for all this. Twilight doesn't even know herself. All she knows is that what's happening to me is different, and that's sort of a comfort."

Bev tilted her head. "It is?"

"I know it sounds weird, but somehow having this be some sort of strange new form of magic is better than having it be leftover pony magic. I'm not saying pony magic is bad, just that I made the decision to leave it behind, so I wanted it gone."

"But something took its place."

"Yeah, it did, but I had a thought about all this as I was coming back up to the apartment. I have to somehow make this thing mine."

Bev considered and shook her head. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Everything that's happened to me has been forced on me," Jenny explained. "First Sunset screwing with my head when I was younger, then being forced to transform into a pony. Taking the decision to rehumanize felt like the first time I had any sort of control again."

"But you said you lost that control again when you got new magic."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm starting to realize that I have to stop whining that everything is out of my control and find a way to take control again. I've been trying to take that control all this afternoon without realizing it. No one is going to hand it to me, as that's just someone making another decision for me."

"But that's how I feel," Bev said. "Like I have no control, like others are making all the decisions for me, like what I want doesn't matter."

Jenny considered before saying, "It sorta sounds like you don't know what you want."

Bev opened her mouth to reply, but closed it without saying a word.

"I think that was my problem, too," Jenny said in a softer voice. "I didn't know what I wanted. Or what I should want. I had to decide for myself."

"You wanted to be rid of this power," Bev said softly.

"Yes, but that's not going to happen. The hard part, Bev, is trying to fit what we want into what we can have."

"So you're flat out telling me I shouldn't want to become a pony."

"I didn't mean that."

Bev's tail twitched, but she said nothing.

"I don't know if becoming a pony can happen," Jenny said. "If this had been a few days ago, I'd agree with you. But now that Princess Twilight is involved -- and Princess Luna as well, I guess -- I'm not sure what's possible and what's not."

Bev's ears drooped. "This is not making it any easier."

"I knew I wasn't really the right person to talk to," Jenny said in a low voice. "But you don't have anyone else at the moment."

"I wish I could talk to Twilight like you can. As far as I know, I'm not connected to the dream realm."

"I guess I could ask the next time I'm talking to someone there."

Bev smiled slightly. "I'd appreciate it if you would. I ... I want to wish for something that I have a chance of actually getting, but I don't know yet what that is." After a pause, she added, "I'll consider rehumanization, but I don't want it to be my only choice. That's where you had the advantage, Jenny. You had a choice. You could remain a pony or rehumanize. I want that clear a choice for myself."

"I can't promise anything," Jenny said.

"I know. I just appreciate your understanding." Bev managed another small smile. "Thanks for talking to me, even if it made me think some uncomfortable thoughts."

Jenny smiled faintly as well.

No matter what happened, Bev truly hoped she would be able to keep the friends she had made. Only then did she realize she had made those friends without the help of being in a pony body or having a pony mindset. A flicker of realization threatened to further upend all her thoughts: did she really need to transform in order to begin trusting others again?





Ryan paced slowly in the tiny bedroom of the safehouse, frowning as he found himself desiring a cigarette for the first time in months. If he could say anything good about his initial transformation into a pony, it had allowed him to free himself from that disgusting habit. He did know ponies who still smoked post-transformation, but they were aberrations.

The irony was not lost on him that he was talking about aberrations within what were aberrations themselves.

He had considered willing his captors to check on him sooner, but the agents had about a half dozen crystal ponies scattered about the building. One corner of his mouth rose. They considered themselves safe with those infernal glitter bombs around them. True, they made it harder to use his active ability en masse or from a distance, but it did nothing to stop him from using his passive sense, nor stop his power when used in very small doses one-on-one.

He would rather they continue to have a false sense of security rather than give himself away.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, annoyed at his lack of options. Working through that political proxy had allowed him the freedom he had craved since he had first become Fuller's lab rat. Now the prospect of being under Fuller's thumb again seemed inescapable.

Perhaps.

He turned his head as he heard hoofsteps in the hallway. The door opened, and in walked a human he knew only as "Agent Alpha." All the agents here used aliases, likely to prevent giving Ryan any sort of clue as to their identity that he could potentially use against them. Sometimes just a name spoke volumes about a person's background.

It couldn't disguise looks, however. Alpha, for instance, was black. That alone meant his upbringing might be rather different than someone who was white, Hispanic, or Asian.

Of course, he had a crystal pony with him, a mare with ridiculously bright pink fur and pale blue mane and tail.

Alpha shut the door behind him before he said, "I've come to tell you what happens next."

Ryan noted the faint Jamaican accent. He might be an immigrant or born to a family of immigrants. Likely had a poor childhood. That hardens a man. He would be a tough nut to crack, but he likely had any number of leftover emotional demons from his childhood.

Ryan stood. "Or perhaps I should tell you what I want and see if it aligns with what you have to tell me."

Alpha frowned. "Watch it. You don't get to play your fucking mind games on me."

Ryan ticked off in his head what he already knew just from that one statement: willing to curse right out of the gate; aggressive personality; perhaps a little defensive as well. "Wouldn't dream of it. But then again, dreams are one way into a person's soul."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alpha turned to the pony. "You sensing anything?"

"Not a thing," said the mare. "No magic anywhere in this room or its vicinity."

"It's not about 'mind games' as you so crudely put it," said Ryan. "It's about what I'm willing to tolerate from this point on."

"Maybe you don't seem to get it," said Alpha. "You're not calling the shots here. Your ass would be in jail for identity theft if it weren't for me."

Ryan noted that Alpha was one to flaunt his authority, and he just gave away that he was the main coordinator for this endeavor, so that made him prideful as well. He likely picked his own code name; he obviously saw himself as the alpha male. Already, Ryan had learned volumes about this man's psyche. "Let's face facts, Mr. Alpha. The reason I'm still alive is because Fuller needs me."

"And you seriously think Mr. Fuller would have you killed?"

"Oh, in a heartbeat, especially if he thought I was going to give any evidence against him."

That Alpha did not immediately simply laugh in Ryan's face about an empty threat told him Fuller had kept his cards close to the chest concerning his knowledge of the Dreamwardens. Yet he was still a hard sell. "Mr. Fuller doesn't resort to such crude tactics."

"But you still can't deny he needs me, and that puts me in a more advantageous position."

"You're still not getting it." Alpha gestured towards the mare. "We're not letting you use your mind-screwing powers on us. You're not getting what you want."

"What I want is not for you to give, it's for Fuller to give," said Ryan.

"And he'll do what we recommend if we--"

"And I'll also note that you all need to sleep sometime."

Alpha stopped dead. The crystal pony raised an eyebrow and gave Ryan a critical look.

Ryan inwardly smiled. He sensed a crack in Alpha's mental veneer. The agent likely knew Ryan used to be a night pony who could invade dreams. That idea made a lot of humans wary even though they were immune due to their lack of connection to the dream realm.

Perhaps Alpha had suffered from nightmares as a child. If he had a harsh upbringing, that wouldn't be beyond possibility. That Ryan could more easily sense Alpha's mental state meant he might have hit on something.

Alpha stepped closer to him. The man had almost half a foot more height than Ryan and a bigger build. Ryan suspected the man used this physical intimidation tactic when he felt threatened.

Yes, he was right. Now Ryan could sense further into the man's psyche. This passive use of his ability would never show up on a crystal pony's radar.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alpha demanded.

"Simply that you all need to sleep at some point," Ryan said. "Some of you already are. I'll need to sleep soon as well."

Ryan could see Alpha putting two and two together. "I was told you lost the ability to dreamwalk when you rehumanized."

"Yes, true," said Ryan. "I cannot appear in another's dreams. Even if I could, humans are not connected to the dream realm."

"Then just what did you mean?"

"Merely that the mind is more open and unguarded when one dreams," Ryan said. "And my night pony background means I am very much aware and lucid during every dream I have. My power does not simply go away when I'm asleep."

Alpha frowned. "Every agent here has a crystal pony assigned for their protection."

Ryan glanced dismissively at the mare. "And have they ever been able to stop a night pony from using their dream-related abilities?"

"No, we haven't," the mare said.

The mare's tone and body language told Ryan that they had actively tried at one point, and now Alpha knew this as well. Alpha felt a flicker of fear, and now Ryan had the man's mind wide open to him. He believed he could reach in and make a tiny tweak without alerting the crystal pony.

Alpha considered before saying, "You're bluffing. You have to be."

Ryan was indeed bluffing. He could not affect people while they slept. Yet all he needed was to plant just enough doubt in the man's mind. "I would be an utter fool if I allowed Fuller to know everything I could do."

"And what's your point in revealing this now?"

Ryan frowned. "Because I refuse to go back to being a lab specimen."

"That's not for you to decide," Alpha said.

"Oh, but it is. You see, if I don't want to go back to being Fuller's lapdog, I don't have to. I'll find a way to get out of here."

Ryan could now clearly sense the man's unease. In a split second, his agent persona would counter it. It was all the time Ryan needed to do a very quick but weak strike. He did not dare glance at the mare and risk tipping her off.

Alpha let out a sigh through his nose. "What is it you want?"

"I want to be taken straight to MIDROC."

Alpha raised an eyebrow. "That's what Mr. Fuller will want anyway."

"Yes, but on his schedule, giving him time to find ways to intimidate me and force me to act as he wants. I want to call the shots."

"I can't decide something like that."

"No, but you can contact Fuller and tell him my requests," Ryan said. "And another of those requests is that I get some degree of autonomy. I'm willing to work with him, but I want this to be a partnership, and not Fuller ordering me about a lackey."

Alpha considered again. "All right, I'll talk to Mr. Fuller about this. I'll see how soon he can accommodate you."

"Tomorrow."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I want to be at MIDROC by no later than tomorrow afternoon."

Alpha glared. "You can't dictate terms like that."

Ryan paused for dramatic effect before he said, "Then I guess we don't have any more to discuss, and you can get on to bed." He smiled. "Sweet dreams."

Now Ryan felt another brief spike of fear from Alpha, enhanced by the small tweak he had done. "I'll make Mr. Fuller aware of your request," Alpha said in a flat voice. "That's all I can do."

"I'm sure it will be more than enough," said Ryan.





Connie glanced nervously in her rear view mirror as she turned the corner and pulled down the street leading to her house. She let out a sigh of relief as the car that had been on her bumper for the past mile continued down the other street.

No one had told her to be wary of being followed, but Agents Heller and Madsen had told her to "exercise caution" while traveling about the city. She had already been on edge, and that had not helped.

She glanced at the time on the radio. It was nearly midnight. Despite how exhausted she felt, it could not hold a candle to the all-night sessions she had spent with her emergency response team during the height of the ETS crisis. At least then she had a team of supportive personnel, many of whom were transforming themselves. Now she felt alone, not even able to tell her own family what was going on.

Her husband Frank was understanding that she could not tell him everything; Christina, not so much.

Connie pulled into the garage and gave the street one final look before closing the garage door and heading inside. She tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone, having already told her family that she was not sure what time she would back home that evening.

Her heart thumped as she looked around for any evidence that someone was here who shouldn't be. She had the thought of contacting Twilight just to be able to have a conversation with someone who could lend a sympathetic ear, but even an alicorn princess needed her sleep.

Connie took a deep breath when the realization hit her: she was a mayor of a tiny city, and yet she now had connections to Equestrian royalty. She thought it ironic that Christina had such high aspirations for Connie's career, possibly more than Connie had herself. To Christina, this was a lark, and she was upset that she couldn't share in it.

Once she was satisfied that the downstairs were in order, Connie headed up the stairs. At first she thought the soft sound of hoofsteps against carpet were her own thoughts manifesting themselves in her tired state, until she saw the little filly standing in her bedroom doorway.

"Mom, is that you?" came Christina's voice.

Connie sighed and stepped up to her. "Chrissie, you should be in bed."

Christina rubbed a bleary eye with the back of her hoof. "I couldn't sleep."

Connie smiled faintly and crouched beside her daughter. "Were you worried about me?"

"Sorta," Christina said in a hesitant voice, though even in the dark, her large, expressive eyes told the truth.

Connie gathered Christina in her arms and took her into the bedroom. "I'm sorry I worried you, honey, but I've had late nights like this before."

"Yes, but I know why you have those late nights," Christina said as her mother set her down in bed. "You won't tell me a thing now, not since Twi--"

Connie placed a finger over her daughter's lips. "Shh."

"Since you-know-who talked to you," Christina continued in a slightly annoyed voice. "Mom, you know what happened today in school?"

Connie tensed. "What happened?"

"Our teacher told us classes were canceled for tomorrow so we can help with the after harvest festival."

Connie relaxed and smiled as she brushed some strands of mane hair from her daughter's face. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Well, we still have to go to school tomorrow, we'll just be working on stuff for the festival."

Connie had known about that. She had specifically requested that the foals be kept in school tomorrow for their own safety. "It will make it easier for you to work with your friends. You don't have to try to find someplace else to meet up."

"But they never did that before," said Christina. "Why now?"

Connie was struck by how uncanny her daughter's perception could be sometimes. She had always been rather intelligent as a human, but sometimes Connie suspected her daughter's transformation somehow had ramped it up.

In the explanations from Twilight that had followed the counterspell, she had stated that Sunset Shimmer had some sort of overall plan for the transformed population, which was why some had come into rather powerful natural talents despite having no formal introduction to pony magic. Connie could only speculate if something had been planned for Christina in that regard.

"Is something going to happen tomorrow?" Christina asked in a worried voice.

Connie could no more lie to her daughter than stop breathing. She cradled the side of Christina's face with her hand as she said, "Yes, and you and your friends will be safe if you stay in school for the day."

"But what's going to happen?" Christina asked. "Is it something bad? Something dangerous?"

"It could be, and that's why it's important that you go to school tomorrow and do what your teachers tell you."

"Should I warn my friends?"

"You don't have to," Connie said. "As long as you and them stay in school for the day, you'll all be safe. You don't need to worry about it."

"What about you?" Christina asked, her voice somewhere between a plea and a demand. "Are you going to be safe?"

That was a loaded question. Connie had no intention of being in the pony sector when things went down the next morning. The police department didn't need her directing them, and as far as anyone could tell, Fuller didn't know of Connie's collaboration.

"I'll be fine," Connie said. "And I promise, once this is all over, I'll tell you everything that's going on."

Christina nodded once, looking thoughtful. "Does this have anything to do with humans having magic?"

Connie tried to keep her expression neutral, hoping the low light would mask some of her reaction. "What gave you that idea?"

"One of my friends said she heard a rumor about a human girl with magic powers."

"And where did she hear that from?"

"From her mother. Her mother said there were some humans living in an apartment building, and that one of them did something like an illusion spell." Christina gave her mother a cross look. "Are humans being allowed magic spells but unicorns aren't?"

"It's nothing like that, honey," Connie said.

Christina's pupils shrank slightly. "So there really is a human with magic powers??"

Connie felt both proud and rueful of her daughter's perception. "I can't really talk about it right now, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't, either."

Christina pouted. "More secrets."

"Unfortunately, yes, and you-know-who would likely want you to keep it secret for now as well."

This appeared to mollify Christina a bit. "And you're sure you're going to be safe?"

"Yes, I am." Connie paused. "If it helps any, the Greenwood Police will be out in force tomorrow. Everyone should be safe."

"I know you said you can't talk about the human magic user, but, um, she's not anything like the one they talked about that did the bad stuff at the Fair, is she?"

Connie smiled. "No, she's nothing like that. She's a very kind-hearted person who worries about how she uses her magic."

That was more than Connie should have told her daughter, but she had to make sure the filly remained calm so she didn't start talking too much about what little she did know.

"Maybe she should come to my school," Christina said.

Connie gave her an inquisitive look.

"They're always teaching us about using our magic responsibly. Maybe she could learn something."

Connie smiled. "Perhaps I'll mention it to her." She pulled the sheet and blanket up over her daughter. "Now, you need to get some sleep. I'm sure your teachers will have you busy all day with preparing for the festival."

Christina smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

Connie gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before standing. "See you in the morning, honey. Good night."

"Good night!"

Connie headed out of the room and closed the door in her wake. She let out a forlorn sigh. She truly hoped she would be able to talk about this with her daughter in a few days, for if things went wrong and her part in it was revealed, it would do nothing less than tear their family apart.





Midnight Star is about to step into a dream -- the nightmare of an earth pony foal who is far too worried about getting his cutie mark for his own good -- when he feels a familiar tug that instead pulls him into a vast grassy plain, the skies cloudy and a cool mist permeating the air. He recognizes it at once, and very soon Psychic Calm comes winging down out of the skies.

As soon as the Dreamwarden's hooves touch the ground, Midnight is reciting his Oaths. Once he has finished, he immediately follows it with a comment delivered as gently as he can, "I was about to step into a foal's nightmare."

"Yes, I saw," Psychic says in a crisp voice. "I asked Moon Racer to handle it."

"Couldn't've picked a better pony for the job." Midnight pauses. "So, ah, any word?"

"I have spoken with the other Wardens," Psychic says. "To my surprise, Sha'am Maut was not as intractable as I suspected she might be."

Midnight relaxes somewhat. "Maybe you caught her in a good mood."

"Ghadab and Tikhiy Krik, however, were in anything but a good mood."

Midnight refrains from noting that Ghadab -- the Warden of Anger -- might as well have his humor surgically removed for all the good that it is doing him. "What about the rest?"

"Phobia Remedy was in favor of bringing Jason into our confidence, as I suspected she would," Psychic explains. "But she balked at the idea of placing the fate of Ryan in the hands -- or hooves -- of denizens of the waking world. Sha'am Maut expressed similar reservations, but was leaning in favor of working with Jason."

"How did you vote?" Midnight asks in a tentative voice.

"In favor of your proposal."

Midnight blinks. "Really?"

"Once I had a chance to think about it in a more calm and rational manner, I saw the merits of your arguments."

"So you, Phobia, Sha'am in favor, Ghadab and Tikhiy Krik against. I guess that left it up to Yinyu." Midnight cannot even guess how the Warden of Lust would vote. She is the most unpredictable of the lot. If Midnight had to get in serious trouble with any of the Wardens on the other side of the world, and he had a choice, he would actually pick Sha'am Maut over Yinyu; at least then he would know what he is getting. "Well, don't leave me in suspense! What about Yinyu?"

"She was too conflicted," Psychic says. "She didn't agree with taking Jason into our confidence, but did not want to create a deadlock when three of us were convinced. Thus she abstained, and the motion passed."

"Well, thank you for being on my side, it's appreciated."

Thunder rumbles in the distance, and Psychic turns more fully to Midnight. "However, this does NOT include remanding all control in this matter to day world justice. Jason needs to meet us halfway."

"So what's the deal, then?" Midnight asks.

"We still do not feel that the waking world has the necessary resources to keep Ryan from using his abilities until he is brought to trial," Psychic explains. "Thus we propose that we be allowed to link Ryan back into this realm prior to any legal proceedings and attempt to pacify him. This was Luna's suggestion."

"Whoa, Luna is involved again?"

"It would seem she never truly uninvolved herself," Psychic says in a flat voice.

"Um, okay," says Midnight. "So how does this pacification work?"

"The details are unimportant. Suffice it to say, we would seek to keep Ryan's faculties intact while ensuring he does not use his power again."

Midnight thinks that is a tall order without outright threatening or torturing Ryan in the dream realm, neither of which the Dreamwardens would hesitate to do.

As if sensing Midnight's doubts, Psychic adds, "Phobia reminded me of something which helped convince me of my vote. She mentioned that in all other cases of abuse of mind magic, the accused had a chance to accept responsibility for their actions and either offer atonement or explain the reasons behind their actions. Ryan has not had this chance."

"Huh, I hadn't thought of that," Midnight says.

"Phobia was, in fact, very adamant on this point, and it is likely what helped convince Sha'am Maut. Considering how close Phobia was to some of the first ponies accused of such crimes, her stance is understandable."

Midnight knows Phobia went through some rather difficult times at the start of her tenure as Dreamwarden, and while he is curious, prying into the private matters of Dreamwardens is not the best idea in the world. "So that's what you're going to do? Confront him and see if he fesses up and agrees what he did was wrong?"

"An oversimplification, but reasonably close," says Psychic. "How he presents himself and what he tells us will determine if we believe he can restrain himself until legal matters are resolved. We will, of course, strongly encourage him to plead guilty to any waking world charges related to his mind magic ability."

"That will make Jason happy, for sure."

"And will greatly simplify things on our end. It will expedite matters and help a judge reach a swift conclusion."

"But what then?" Midnight asks. "I know you guys well enough to guess that having Ryan cool his jets in jail won't be enough for you."

"Indeed not. That is another compromise your federal friend must make. He must agree to defer sentencing to us."

"Uh, I don't think he has that sort of legal power."

"Then he must somehow arrange for the presiding judge to order it," declares Psychic. "Make no mistake about this, Midnight Star: the Dreamwardens will see justice done. If we have to jump through waking world hoops to do it, so be it."

"And if they don't do as you want?" Midnight asks. "What then?"

"Then the waking world has proven ineffective, and we will conduct our own trial. We cannot let such an abuse of mind magic go unpunished. Already night ponies all over the world are becoming aware of the situation. They will be looking to the Wardens to dispense justice. We cannot fail in that task."

In other words, Midnight realizes, the Wardens don't want to look bad. He could understand their perspective. The reason night ponies stay in line is because the Wardens persistently showed themselves to be tough and unyielding; to suggest anything else in this delicate a situation would be to invite disaster.

At the same time, he is grateful that the Wardens have started to realize just how difficult maintaining their secrecy will be going forward. He hopes to still be alive when their existence is revealed at least to the major governments of the world, if not the public.

"All right," Midnight says. "So who's going to be the one to talk to Jason?"

"Phobia will dreamwalk him tonight," Psychic replies. "He must agree to take an oath of silence before Phobia will reveal our existence to him. If he refuses, the proposal is dead."

Midnight hopes for all their sakes that either Jason is receptive to the proposal, or that Phobia is especially persuasive.

Either that, or Phobia thinks to have some beer on hoof. Midnight knows he could sure use one.