//------------------------------// // Chapter 29 - Confrontations // Story: Pandemic: Aftermath // by ASGeek2012 //------------------------------// Twilight remembered when she had hoped her Ascension would somehow negate her tendency to fly into a panic when things went wrong. Instead, it had taken time and a lot of hard work to rid herself of that. What had used to be an almost humorous personality quirk could have become an enormous liability while dealing with first Sunset Shimmer and later Earth in general. Times like that morning tested her ability to remain calm in the face of a crisis, even when it was someone else doing the panicking. "How could this happen?!" Sunny cried as she hovered nearby, her wings beating faster than needed to maintain her height. "I thought Heller was supposed to stop this!" "I didn't get all the details from Connie, only the highlights as she had a lot to do," Twilight said in a slightly quavering voice as she fought her own emotions. "But Heller is indeed with Jenny and the rest of them." "But they're being brought here, aren't they?" "Yes, all of them, which in a way is good because they're not being split up. It will make it easier for us to know where they are." "But Luna said Ryan is here. We can't let him near my sister!" Goldy stepped up and placed a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "It will do us no good to panic. We need to stop and think of what we will do next." Sunny spun around to face Goldy. "We shouldn't have to do anything! Twilight should step in now and stop this!" "I don't have that kind of authority, Sunny," Twilight said. "I've been trying to tell you that for the last five minutes." Sunny spun back around again to face Twilight. "Why do we have to pay attention to the law? Fuller sure as hell isn't!" "If I were to step in now, it just plays right into Fuller's hands." "I really don't care about that anymore. All I care about is Jenny being safe." Twilight uttered an exasperated sigh, not so much at Sunny's distress as her own conflicting desires. She, too, wanted to step in and protect Jenny, and even the combined efforts of all the crystal ponies at MIDROC could do nothing to stop her. She even had Spike feverishly researching all the agreements that had been written between Equestria and the United States to find a legal means by which she could intervene. "Even if I did step in now, how long would that last?" Twilight said. "If I do this without any sort of authorization, it will be immediately challenged, and I risk destroying the treaty." "Twilight, I--!" "I know, you don't care about the treaty!" Twilight yelled. When Sunny's ears flattened, Twilight uttered another sigh and said in a lower voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." "We're all a little on edge right now, and understandably so," said Goldy. "Sunny, I know this is hard for you, but you need to take a step back from this." Sunny thrust a fore-hoof at her. "You're the one who always keeps touting how I'm this great pony who everypony looks up to. I'm trying to live up to that now." "Yes, you are, but we need to stop and think. You need to stop and think." Sunny looked about to protest again, but she instead took a deep breath. "All right, what can we do?" "Connie informed me that before the operation started, Heller and Madsen got Tonya on their side," said Twilight. Goldy tilted her head. "Tonya Jarris? The head of security here?" "Yes, the very same." Sunny frowned. "Some friend she turned out to be when she shut down Jenny's power while she was using it to help them." "Connie didn't have those details from Agent Heller yet," said Twilight. "We don't know precisely what Jenny did or didn't do." "Oh, come on!" Sunny said. "If Jenny did it once before, she's going to do it again. Either she surged, or she wanted to prevent them all from being taken by Fuller. Why else did it take so long for us to hear anything?" "Be that as it may, Tonya couldn't very well refuse to do her job. It would give away her collusion with us." "All this secrecy hasn't gotten us anywhere. Sure, fine, we make allies, but can they actually do anything?" "I told you that Connie has video of Fuller's agents operating outside of normal procedure," Twilight said. "That's something we can use." "Twilight, we need to do something now," Sunny declared. "Jenny is going to be in trouble long before that evidence can be used against Fuller. If you can't do anything--" She hesitated and glanced at Goldy for a moment. "--then I will." Twilight was about to protest when she saw Goldy practically beaming at Sunny. Why in the world would Goldy be glad to hear Sunny suggesting she do something that could get her hurt or killed? Again, why was that mare letting an underage filly take the reins almost every time? Twilight intended to find out, but she had to calm Sunny first. "Sunny, you're right, allies are no good unless they can do something," said Twilight. "And two of our allies are on their way here. We can't do anything without them. If we're going to act, we have to work with them." This seemed to mollify Sunny a bit. "But how do we do that? How can we coordinate with them or even talk to them without raising suspicions?" "The Princess' privacy shield appears to work well," Goldy said. "But it requires all of us to be in the same room," said Sunny. "That will definitely look suspicious to Fuller." "We have two problems," Twilight said. "All electronic communication is being monitored, and all magical communication would be detected by the crystal ponies." "But you said Tonya is on our side," said Sunny. "Couldn't she look the other way?" "Assuming she has the other crystal ponies working for her on her side. We don't know that yet." "Teleportation!" Sunny said. "You had a privacy shield that blocked detection when Luna teleported in and out of here. You told me once you could take other ponies with you when you teleport. Couldn't that let us meet up without being detected?" "Would that not require a shield at both points?" Goldy asked. "But can't spells be tied to objects?" Sunny asked. "Only Equestrian materials can hold a spell." "Surely Twilight has something with her that would work!" "I do!" Twilight said as she levitated her saddlebags over from where they sat in the corner. "I always carry around some spare magic-neutral gems in case of emergency." "Magic neutral?" Sunny asked. "Meaning they've never had a spell applied to them and thus have no lingering thaumic energy." Twilight smiled as she levitated three brightly colored gemstones, though her smile quickly faded. "Wait, I was sure I had four." She rummaged through her saddlebags and levitated several tiny gem shards into view. She turned her head to where Spike was already starting to cringe. "Spiiiike?" "I'm sorry, I was really hungry that first day we arrived!" Spike cried. "We'll talk later. Anyway, three should be enough. It will give us points we can set up where I can teleport others around." "The shield spells will be detectable," Goldy said. "Yes, but a lot less suspicious than anything else we could do," Sunny said. "Sunny's right," said Twilight, and again she saw Goldy smile with pride. "I'll set about enchanting these and deciding on the right places to put them. Most of the conference rooms in this facility are not being used at the moment. We should have our pick." "What can I do in the meantime?" "Eventually you can help me place them. For now, I'd suggest going back to your room and acting as if everything is business as usual." Sunny nodded and glanced at the packed suitcases. "I assume you're going to stay?" "As long as I am able to." Twilight stepped up to Sunny and draped a wing around her. "I won't abandon you or Jenny, I promise." Sunny slowly smiled and leaned into Twilight for a moment before turning away. Goldy started to turn with her, but Twilight called out, "Goldy, can you stay a moment? I'd like to talk to you about something." "Of course, Princess," said Goldy. "Do I need to stay, too?" Sunny asked. "No, I'd rather talk to Goldy alone, please," said Twilight. Sunny looked a bit nonplussed, but she headed off anyway, magic sparkling around her as she stepped through the privacy shield. Goldy turned more fully towards Twilight. "What may I do for you, Princess?" "You can start by answering a question," Twilight said. "Why do you defer to Sunny so much and let her take charge of almost every situation? Aren't you supposed to be 'First Pony' and not her?" Goldy smiled. "I am merely allowing her great potential to shine without me eclipsing it." "Great potential? For what?" "For whatever wonderful talents she possesses." Twilight gave her a confused look. "I'm not sure I understand. She already has her cutie mark." "Ah, but was it not you yourself who stated that the mark does not need to define the pony?" Goldy said. "Well, yes, true, but you're speaking as if you expect something else to happen with her." "I am simply encouraging what may be the next phase of her personal development," Goldy explained. "You sensed yourself how powerful she is. Have not ponies with such power gone on to do great things in your world?" "Yes, but of their own volition and in their own time. I feel like Sunny is being rushed, and it might not even be something she wants. If I had to guess, I would say that she would have been content to remain in Pony Hope managing its weather." "From what I understand of your background, Princess, you would have been content to remain in Canterlot with your books and your studies had not Princess Celestia sent you to Ponyville." Goldy smiled. "And look where you are now." Twilight smiled until she realized the full implications of Goldy's observation. "You're not ... you're not considering that Sunny will Ascend, are you?" "I like to believe that all things are possible." "I'm going to repeat what I've said on countless occasions on this topic," Twilight said with forced patience. "Ascension is a path for a very, very few ponies. I happen to know a little something about the entity who would be the likely arbiter of Ascension in this universe. She's not in any hurry whatsoever to see a new alicorn. Someone who is billions of years old can afford to be patient. I suggest you show some of that patience as well." "I do understand that nopony can know when or how it will happen, Princess," said Goldy. "But realize that they may be those among us who have a better sense for what the future holds." "And any sort of future insight, however magically inspired, is open to interpretation. Only on very few occasions have I seen any sort of prediction or prophecy come true, and in all of those cases, it was something planned." Twilight actually could think of only one, which was the "prophecy" of Nightmare Moon's return, but as Celestia had pointed out later, she had never intended her sister's banishment to be permanent. "Granted, the future is not written in stone, however--" "Furthermore, I now see what's happening here," said Twilight in a rising voice. "You're grooming her for this. You're making her take on responsibilities she may not want on some faint hope that you'll get what you want." Goldy hesitated before stating, "I did not force her to do anything. She could have refused." "Maybe you needed to find out more about her before you became blinded by her 'potential.' She's had a lot of issues with responsibility." "And she has overcome those." "Has she? Can you really be sure she's doing these things because she wants to, or is she just trying to satisfy someone else's ideals?" Twilight stepped closer to Goldy. "You point to me as an example. Yes, perhaps Celestia did give me a little nudge by sending me to Ponyville. Everything that came after that was because it was what I wanted. One of the reasons I was sent away was because I had the same issue as Sunny, that I did everything to please someone else. In my case, it was Celestia." Goldy considered before she asked, "What would you have me do, Princess? I cannot simply tell her to stop helping." "You're pushing a Harmonist agenda," said Twilight. "Part of that is honesty. Try applying some of that with Sunny. Admit to her what you've been trying to do all this time." "I had avoided that specifically so I would not put pressure on her." "Really? Or were you afraid she might tell you that's not what she wants?" Goldy remained silent, as if in contemplation of an answer she didn't want to give. "When I Ascended, it was not instantaneous," Twilight continued. "I met with Celestia, talked to her, understood on some level what was about to happen. I had the sense I could have stopped it. So even if you're somehow right, and Sunny is given the opportunity, she could very well tell Triss 'no,' and her wishes would be respected." Goldy let out a forlorn sigh. "Very well, I will talk to her." "You should also give her a little more room to make decisions for herself. Don't railroad her into a path you want for her." "I do want her to desire it as well. That's part of my approach." "I'll meet you halfway," said Twilight. "Maybe Sunny will Ascend some day. I still feel it's highly unlikely, but I can't say it's impossible." She smiled faintly. "I'll relay a saying to you from Equestria that parallels a similar statement made by a human author: when a powerful but old mage says something is possible, he is most likely correct; when that same mage says something is impossible, he is most probably wrong." Goldy smiled. "Ah, yes, except the human version speaks of a distinguished but elderly scientist. Arthur C. Clarke, I believe." "In any case, my point is, she can't be rushed. You can't take every situation that comes up and wonder if that will be the one. My Ascension was a complete surprise at first, just as it had been to Cadance. Even Celestia wasn't born an alicorn and had no idea about them until she became one. Luna is perhaps the only pony who had even a hint only because her sister got there first." "I'll consider your words very carefully, Princess," said Goldy. "But realize that I will still hope for the best outcome, which I still believe may indeed be a Princess Sunrise Storm." "Hoping for the best is all any of us can do," said Twilight. In a more somber voice, she added, "And hope is the one thing we really need right now." Anthony Heller was seated in the van with Jenny and Eileen. He had not made any formal request, he had simply nominated himself as the agent required to watch over them. This had been much to Danton's dismay, and it really was stepping on a fellow agent's toes, but he had to maintain his authority. He wanted to speak with the two, but that was also a violation of protocol, and Danton was driving. Tonya was also there to keep Jenny in check, but with as withdrawn as the girl had become, Anthony doubted she would be using her power anytime soon. He tried not to think too much on what had happened with Jenny, as it would only get him more incensed than he already was. He needed a clear head if he was going to have any hope of stopping Fuller's plans. Yes, sometimes in the course of doing their job, an agent had to rough up a suspect if they resisted arrest or were otherwise dangerous if not checked. He doubted Jenny had done anything to warrant such an attack. Eileen occasionally gave him a sullen look, and he could only offer a stoic reply. He had to assume Danton was monitoring everything that was said and done, likely looking for clues that Anthony somehow knew what Fuller was up to. He wished he could reassure her that he was still on their side. Anthony's phone buzzed. He took it out and saw from the caller ID that it was the Broomfield office. He left it unanswered. Once it had gone to voice mail, he texted back: Not free to talk. If it's urgent, text me. He was not expecting anything other than an acknowledgement, as it was likely just his office checking on him. Yet after a minute, he received more than just a simple reply: We're getting some odd orders from MIDROC. Not sure how we should proceed. Please call at earliest opportunity. Anthony considered. Why would MIDROC be contacting his office? Fuller had sought all along to keep him and his office in the dark about what they were doing. He texted back: Please clarify. What orders? He received the reply: We're being asked to track down a unicorn in the pony district of Greenwood Village and confiscate her phone as evidence in a vaguely defined crime. Also being tasked with investigating the GV mayor on possible conspiracy charges. Anthony considered the first order. He recalled that the FBI agents chasing him had been stopped well inside a heavily pony-populated section of Greenwood Village. If MIDROC was giving that order, he could only guess that a pony managed to capture some video of the incident. But why was it being sent to his office? That would be the last place Fuller would trust to carry out such ill-defined orders. The second order, however, worried him more. It meant Fuller had guessed that Connie was involved. Either that, or it was retaliation for making his operation harder to pull off. Either way, Fuller had absolutely zero evidence of any wrongdoing on Connie's part, so the mayor was safe in the short term. He texted back: Sit on orders for now. If MIDROC asks, acknowledge receiving orders and say they will be executed as resources permit. He waited for an acknowledgement, then drew up Tonya's number and texted her: Who's in charge of relaying Fuller's orders to field offices at MIDROC? Anthony soon heard a faint buzz, and Tonya glanced down at the phone held in its strap around her foreleg. She ignored it and lifted her head. Anthony coughed. When Tonya glanced at him, he lifted his phone and gestured with his eyes towards her leg. Tonya slipped the phone from its pouch. She opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it and closed it again without making a sound. She grabbed the stylus attached to the side of the phone with her teeth and snapped it into place on the pony strap. She tapped out a reply. Anthony received it a short while later: A guy named Kelsey Simmons. Loyal? Anthony asked back. To a fault, came the reply. Prone to making mistakes? Hardly. Guy is a living spreadsheet. Tonya considered and sent the follow up: Why? Anthony held up a forefinger briefly and tapped out another text message, this time to Connie. Do you have a unicorn who took a video of the agents who were chasing me? Text replies only. After a few minutes, he received the reply: Yes, how do you know? Because Fuller knows. I've blocked him from moving on it, but keep that unicorn and the video safe. Already on it. Got some video myself. Can clearly see Jenny's injury, Don't think anyone saw me. Anthony was relieved that Connie was okay. He had only suggested that as a possible contingency, not seriously expecting her to personally follow through on it. That she did spoke to her courage. Keep your head down until you hear from me, Anthony texted back. He glanced at Tonya, who was going through her appointment calendar, likely as a means to allay any suspicion that she was specifically waiting for another message. Last message for now, Anthony texted to Tonya. We may have someone on the inside at MIDROC. Tonya raised an eyebrow when she read the message but otherwise did not react. She simply clipped the stylus back to the side of her phone and put the phone back on her leg strap. Anthony texted his office: Belay last message. Contact MIDROC. If you get Kelsey Simmons, offer him my phone number. Tell him text only. Anyone else, just state the orders are being followed. Anthony knew it was a long shot, but at this point, they needed someone inside Fuller's inner circle if they had any hope of stopping this. Kelsey stepped into Matthew's office, presenting himself as he always did: professional, stoic, and competent. Weakness and doubt simply had no place here. Matthew had never come out and said such a thing in so many words, but it was always heavily implied. Kelsey wanted to kick himself for showing such weakness earlier. He should have kept his doubts to himself. He stepped before Matthew's desk. "Sir, the acquisitions will be here by four this afternoon." Again, he had almost faltered. He had almost said "your acquisitions" instead. As much as he wanted to distance himself from a project he felt doomed to fail, he had to maintain appearances. Matthew nodded once. "What of Princess Twilight? The last I had heard, she should have left the facility by now. Instead, she's still here. "She applied for a delay in the Senate hearing, sir." "Do you have any idea why?" "No, sir. Her revised plan is to leave tomorrow morning." Matthew laced his fingers together. "Not ideal, but workable." "Sir, may I make a suggestion?" Kelsey asked. "Of course." "We have access to several safehouses in this state. I recommend that the acquisitions be diverted to one of them for the night and brought to MIDROC when the Princess is safely away." Matthew leaned back in his seat, looking thoughtful. "The trouble is, we will need to have Ms. Jarris and her cohorts maintain a constant watch on them. She will become even more suspicious than she is now." "I'm thinking of a lesser of two evils approach, sir," said Kelsey. "Discovery by Ms. Jarris is certainly not as dire a situation as discovery by Princess Twilight. The latter is inherently more dangerous considering how powerful she is." "And yet she is constrained by law and treaty," Matthew said. "There is also another thing to consider: as much as Agent Handel was out of line for assaulting Miss Tanner, it does leave her in a vulnerable state that will make it that much easier for Ryan to control her." He stood. "Which reminds me, I should brief him on her imminent arrival." "Yes, sir." "Any word on that unicorn and the video she took?" "None yet. I imagine it will be a little while before we hear anything." "Just what kind of access do the ponies of that neighborhood have to human infrastructure?" "At least electrical power," Kelsey answered. "Internet?" Matthew asked. "Most likely not. That area is still showing as 'ongoing indefinite outage' on various cable access tracking sites. I have a request into Comcast for more details." "Good, keep me posted." "Yes, sir." Kelsey followed Matthew and sat down at his desk as Matthew continued out. Kelsey saw that he had a message. He waited a few moments after the door had closed in his superior's wake before he checked his voice mail. "Broomfield office here," came a female voice. "Please call us back as soon as you can." Kelsey deleted the voice mail and sat still for a few long moments. He finally picked up the phone and called. "FBI, Broomfield office," came the same voice that was on the recording. "This is MIDROC, Matthew Fuller's office," said Kelsey. "Returning your call." "Am I speaking to Kelsey Simmons?" Kelsey hesitated. "Yes, this is Kelsey." "Anthony Heller would like to talk to you." Kelsey gripped the phone tighter. "I have his number," the agent continued. "He requests text only." Kelsey remained silent. "Hello? You still there?" "Yes, I'm still here," Kelsey said in a flat voice. He grabbed a pen and a set of post-it notes. "Please give me the number." Kelsey jotted it down as the agent recited it. "Is that all?" "Just that we'll need to hear from him before we can move on these latest orders." "Understood." Kelsey hung up and leaned back in his seat. He stared at the number. He had not expected this. He had thought Heller would simply jump on the information and see that it was disseminated to social media or used in some later case against Matthew, by which time Kelsey would have arranged an out for himself that might protect him from any future prosecution. He had assumed Heller would be smarter than Matthew and know when to cut his losses. Surely a teenage girl and an adult Partial didn't mean so much to him that he wanted to personally protect them. And now Heller was assuming -- or perhaps gambling on -- that he had someone on the inside to help him. Kelsey wiped his face with his hands. Indecision was alien to him, and he loathed the feeling. He could report this whole thing to Matthew, and that would instantly put the brakes on anything Heller was planning, but it was a short term gain at best for what he knew would be a long term loss. Then Heller could later claim that Kelsey had the opportunity to help but did nothing. What Matthew likely realized but refused to admit was that he had no control over Heller. Having Danton send agents after him and implying that lethal force was authorized had been the actions of a man becoming desperate to save his precarious position. Kelsey turned to his computer. He brought up Matthew's classified files, the ones where only he and Matthew had access. Despite the need for secrecy, Matthew's plans were complex enough to require some form of tracking. He brought up the notes concerning Ryan and tried to establish when the man had been first brought to MIDROC. The first recorded interaction with Ryan at the facility was a full week before Kelsey had arrived to be interviewed. The file went on to list other people Matthew had used Ryan to condition, such as FBI agents, senators, presidential cabinet members, and one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There was no mention of Kelsey himself. Why would there be? Matthew had reassured him that his mind was untouched, that he chose to work for Matthew and accept breaks in protocol to get an all-important task done. Or it was simply prudent to not let his key confidante know that his mind had been altered. The file had an edit history. It had an edit on the day that Kelsey was first contacted by Matthew for the position, and another later on the same day of his interview and acceptance of the job. The history was supposed to show the difference between the two versions. These two edits had a blank diff, as if Matthew had simply loaded the file and re-saved it with an option to force a new version despite there being no changes. It could mean nothing. It could mean everything. Which was more likely for a man who wanted to maintain absolute control over everything and everyone, someone who was willing to have the PREQUES database compromised just to protect Ryan, someone who would likely request the same thing for his latest acquisitions? Kelsey had come to his interview already with the belief that pony magic needed to be strictly regulated. He had come out of it willing to carry that belief to the extreme. He had thought that Matthew simply had a gift for words and persuasion. Now Kelsey had to contemplate that it might have been instilled in him by other means. He stared at the number again. He was the one person other than Matthew who could make a phone call that was not monitored, since he often dealt with Matthew's secret agenda. By sending the text he was contemplating, he would violating a trust. Regardless of how he felt about Matthew's plans, it was his duty to remain loyal to his superior. But then again, that could have been instilled in him as well. He took out his phone and texted to the number he was given. This is Kelsey ... Ryan was itching to get to work. It had been some time since Matthew had him fully work someone over. The last time had been in Washington DC, when Matthew had to win over a particularly stubborn Senator to his side who was holding up appropriations for MIDROC. The number of skeletons that Ryan had found in the man's mental closet were enough to haunt him into coming over to Matthew's side. In coming to MIDROC, Ryan had assumed most of his work would be more subtle, like what he did to most people to get them to see Matthew's point of view. Matthew would host luncheons for key political figures while Ryan hid in the next room, exacerbating whatever fears they already had about ponies and pony magic. Ryan had also helped "train" agents that Matthew had needed to be absolutely loyal to him. Again, Ryan would remain in the shadows, broadcasting his messages of fear into the minds of the agents, until they were convinced that the threat they faced was so dire that deviation from protocol -- even violations of civil rights -- were acceptable. He had learned only recently that he would be doing a one-on-one. With that technique, he could mold someone into anything he wanted. He loved the intricacy of the work, making him feel more like an artist than just a tool. He stood when he heard the door open, and Matthew stepped inside, a folder held at his side. "I wanted to brief you on what I need of you." Ryan nodded. "I take it your acquisitions will arrive later today?" "They will be processed and placed in their appropriate cells." "You'll be separating them from the rest, then." "Yes, and eventually they'll be shown to more comfortable quarters." Matthew smiled. "Ms. Kelton and Miss Tanner I consider to be guests rather than criminals. The rest, of course, will simply be incarcerated for now." "For now," Ryan deadpanned. "I will eventually need to do something with them, of course. I suspect some know far too much of my plans for them to be allowed to leave anytime soon." "I could make them too frightened to ever want to speak a word of what they know." "That's one idea I have in mind, but it will have to wait." "Oh?" "Ms. Jarris will be back at the facility," Matthew explained. "If you attempt to use your power on a larger scale, she may detect it even if the other crystal ponies don't." Ryan frowned. "You should cut her loose." "I plan to, but it may take me a few days. If I simply relieve her of duty now, it will only fuel suspicion." Matthew considered. "And there is a chance I can keep her on my side." Ryan snorted. "Same old Fuller I used to know. You just can't give up something that you consider an asset no matter how much it's biting you in the ass." "It's not that I want to keep her as an asset, as you put it," said Matthew dryly. "Yes, she has been a great help to me, but before I let her go, I need to know what she knows and who her contacts have been in recent days. That will take time to investigate. It will allow me to build a case for terminating her for cause." "Frankly, I think you're being a fool," said Ryan. "Better to fire her now and cover your ass later." "I'll remind you that I'm in charge here, not you." Matthew drew the folder out from under his arm and handed it to Ryan. "This is your target. I need her to be completely compliant to me so I don't have to rely on crystal ponies to keep her power at bay." Ryan took the folder and opened it, his eyes flicking down the page. "Jennifer Tanner ... mind altering abilities ... possible minor reality bending and/or illusion ... potential predictive or clairvoyant abilities ..." He frowned and looked up. "She's only fifteen?" "What of it?" Ryan uttered a cynical laugh. "This is a new low for you, Fuller. I'm genuinely impressed. Going after kids now." "Age appears not to be correlated to magic strength," said Matthew. "Seriously, how do you sleep at night?" "Very well, considering that I am successfully working to contain pony magic and augment human magic." Ryan snapped the folder closed and tossed it on his bed. "So here's another question for you, old hoss: is she connected to the dream realm?" "Why does that matter?" "Because if she can alter minds, and she can be found in the dream realm, there's no way on God's green Earth the Dreamwardens are going to let her be used as your little weapon." "Do not the Wardens take consent into account?" Matthew asked. Ryan nodded. "Yeah, so?" "My goal is to study her magic and learn how it works," Matthew explained. "She can use it on volunteers who are giving their full consent. I am not as much of a 'fool' as you make me out to be. I am considering all possibilities." Ryan simply shrugged. "What about my request for resettlement and working for the military after this is over?" "You only just made that demand this morning. I have not had time to look into it." Ryan held up three fingers. "Three days, Fuller, and I walk if I don't have what I want." "You'll have it," Matthew said in a flat voice. "And I won't finish off Jenny for you until then." Matthew frowned. "I need you working on her right away." "Oh, I'll pacify her for you, sure. But loyalty to you? You have to meet my price first." Matthew let out a sigh through his nose. "Very well." "So how do you want me to go about this?" Ryan asked. "I imagine there will be crystal ponies tailing her everywhere she goes." "We'll bring her to one of the interrogation rooms, purportedly for questioning," Matthew explained. "You can start to work on her then. She's been assigned to suite B, which has the hidden door linking it to the utility closet in the adjoining hallway. You'll be able to sneak in and continue working on her. By then I imagine you'll have her to the point where she won't call out to her guards." "Got it." "I can't emphasize the need for caution here," said Matthew. "While I intend to have someone other than Ms. Jarris directly supervising Miss Tanner, she will still be at the facility in the short term. If you slip up, if you use any more magic than what is minimally necessary to get into her head--" "Hey, you don't need to tell me this," said Ryan. "I know how to get around those glitter bombs when I'm doing one on one. When do you want me to start on her?" "This afternoon," said Matthew. "She's likely tired and in shock from what happened. She'll be most vulnerable then." Ryan nodded. "All right. Leave it to me." This is Kelsey. What is it you want from me? I'm limited in what I can do. Anthony read the message with some relief despite the implied tone. It meant that he had his first major crack in Fuller's armor. "Heller?" he heard Danton call out. Anthony lowered the phone and pressed its display to his chest. "Yes?" "We'll be stopping in about ten minutes. We need to refuel for the final leg to Omaha and get lunch for us and the prisoners. You and Ms. Jarris will need to make sure the prisoners remain secure during the stop." "Noted," said Anthony before lifting his phone. He texted back: I want the civil rights of these people respected. After a short pause came the reply. That's out of my control. Mr. Fuller handles such things personally. Anthony had a feeling that would be beyond Kelsey's abilities. He considered before sending back: I need evidence. Evidence of what? Of his illegal activities. Pictures, videos, documents. Anything. After a longer pause, a reply finally arrived. I thought you already had that. I protected that unicorn and Mayor Morgan from Mr. Fuller. I want a rock solid case, Anthony texted in reply. I intend to obtain a warrant for his arrest. He's a disgrace to the bureau. "Heller, I need you on this," Danton snapped as the van slowed and turned a corner. "I'm on it," said Tonya. "Mr. Heller is corresponding with the Broomfield office." "I don't have the luxury of setting my workload aside, Agent Danton," said Anthony even as he read Kelsey's next reply: He has the right idea, but he doesn't know how to cut his losses. His methods are deplorable. Another long pause, then: You may be right. If you can, contact Twilight. Let her know you want to help. I'll try. Have to go for now. Anthony texted the Broomfield office: Disregard orders from MIDROC as invalid. Contact Mayor Morgan. She has evidence of corruption in the bureau. Tell her I sent you. As he started to text Connie to give her a heads-up, he received a reply from his office: Big stuff, boss. Better be right, or it's a ton of bricks ready to fall on you. Anthony let out a slow sigh as he put his phone away. He knew the risk he was taking. He didn't know to what extent Fuller's influence had spread. He could only hope that at long last, Fuller's reach had extended his grasp. Kelsey paused at the door to Twilight's room, briefly reconsidering this course of action before finally raising his hand to knock on the door. After a few moments, the door glowed, and it opened as Twilight appeared, wearing a headset. "Can this wait? I'm taking an important phone call." "This is very important, Princess," said Kelsey. Twilight sighed. "Starlight, I'll call you back, something has come up." She removed the headset and turned around, heading back into the room. "If you're here just to tell me that Mr. Fuller wants to see me, he's going to have to wait." Kelsey stepped inside and closed the door as Twilight set the headset down on a table. She stepped towards a glowing translucent sphere of energy shimmering in the middle of the room. Her horn started to glow as she stepped in front of it. "If that's a privacy shield, don't dispel it just yet, please," said Kelsey. Twilight turned around and gave him a curious look. "This needs to be in strict confidence." Twilight gestured towards the shield. "You can step through. You shouldn't feel more than a mild tingling, if anything." Kelsey managed not to tense up too much as he approached the shield. He didn't like the idea of magic in any form touching him despite how much Equestria touted it was effectively harmless in and of itself. Nevertheless, he did steel himself as he stepped through. He indeed felt nothing, and heard only a faint tinkling sound, like that of muted wind chimes. Twilight followed him. "What is this about?" "You're sure no one else can hear us, Princess?" Kelsey asked. "Unless one of the facility's crystal ponies attempts to drain the spell, yes. And I would know about it the moment anyone tried it." Kelsey nodded once. "Agent Heller wanted me to contact you." Twilight gave him a surprised look. "Why?" Kelsey gritted his teeth briefly. "To inform you that I can be of assistance, under one condition." "Assistance?" Twilight said in a wary voice. "In what?" "In stopping Mr. Fuller's ill-conceived plans," said Kelsey in a stiff voice. "You want to help us?" Kelsey frowned. "The truth? No, I don't. I'll level with you, Princess. The reason I wanted to work for Mr. Fuller in the first place is because he has the right idea. Pony magic does not belong in this world. It needs to be contained, and I don't fully believe Equestria's claims that they don't seek to interfere in this country's affairs." Twilight let out a long sigh. "All right, I won't waste time arguing these points with you. If you're so adamant about following Mr. Fuller's philosophy, then why are you offering to help?" "Because Mr. Fuller is blind to both his own shortcomings and the flaws in his plan. When things threatened to spin out of control, he should have taken a step back and reprioritized. He stopped listening to advice, thinking he had all the answers." "You realize the supreme irony here," said Twilight. "Those very same words could be used to describe Sunset Shimmer." "A megalomaniac is a megalomaniac no matter what species they are," Kelsey said in a flat voice. Twilight looked thoughtful. "As much as I want to jump on this offer, I can't help but be suspicious of this sudden turnaround. My impression of you is someone who is unquestioningly loyal, and I don't mean that in a good way." Kelsey had hoped not to come to this point so quickly. He had wanted more time to build himself up. In a way, he was much like Fuller in not wanting to admit to his own failings and fears. He wondered if Fuller truly had any fears. "Before I answer that, I need to ask something of you." "Yes?" "Do you have the ability to detect if someone has been affected by mind magic?" Twilight blinked. "Mind magic?" "Moreover, do you have the ability to remove it?" "No to both questions," Twilight answered. "And I'm rather curious as to why you asked." Kelsey took a slow, deep breath and let it go with the words, "Mind magic is the means Mr. Fuller has used to gain loyalty over those who work with him." "Agents Heller and Madsen had already surmised that Fuller utilized Ryan to influence key people at the federal level." "He went far beyond that, Princess," said Kelsey. "All the agents who participated in the Denver operation, for example." Twilight gasped. "And many of the agents assigned to MIDROC as well." "We had no idea it was this huge!" Twilight said, aghast. "This has to be stopped! That isn't just illegal, it's immoral!" "Mr. Fuller would argue that the ends justified the means," said Kelsey. "Is that what you believe, Kelsey?" Twilight considered. "Were you included in this mental conditioning as well?" Kelsey felt some of his resolve wavering. What right did he have to question his superiors? They were supposed to know what was best. Or had that been part of his conditioning as well? "I don't know," Kelsey said in a slightly quavering voice. "Mr. Fuller claims I was spared, that my desire to follow his lead despite the unorthodox nature of his plans came from just my own feelings and his persuasive words." "And you were hoping I could either confirm or deny that," said Twilight. "Yes. Nothing else will convince me that I'm doing the right thing." "Let me guess: that's the condition you mentioned." "Yes. I need to know." "Unfortunately, mind magic is more the expertise of my partner Starlight, and I don't see a way to get her here in time," said Twilight. Kelsey frowned. "Princess, until I can tell whether what I've been doing for the last few months was of my own volition, I can't in good conscience help you in the way Heller wants. Surely you have some sort of resource that can help." Twilight considered for a long moment. "I just may." Sunny gave Goldy an utterly dumbfounded look at the revelation that was just bestowed upon her by a pony she had initially admired and even looked up to. That all changed in a matter of moments. At first, she simply had no words. When she finally did prompt herself to speak, all she could say was, "I can't believe I'm hearing this!" "I regret that my actions may have been somewhat deceptive in nature," Goldy began. "Somewhat deceptive?!" "Please realize that I didn't want to put additional pressure on you." Sunny frowned. "But now it's okay, right? Now you think you're going to see this grand scheme of yours work out the way you want. No thought to what I want, right?" Goldy sighed and lowered her ears. "I had a feeling you would be upset over this." Sunny was very glad they had done this conversation inside one of the privacy shields, as she could not keep her voice down. "I think I have a right to be upset! Never mind the fact that I think the idea of me becoming an alicorn is ludicrous, it's like you're trying to decide how my life should turn out! I've already had enough of that!" "The Princess made it very clear that you would have a choice at that point," said Goldy. "See, you're still doing it!" Sunny shouted. "You're still assuming it'll happen." "I am merely considering the possibility. I feel I must, as we believe you are up to the challenge, so there's no harm in hoping for the best outcome." "The best outcome for you, maybe, not me." Sunny paused. "Wait. You said 'we.' Who else is involved in this scheme?" "Please, don't refer to it as a 'scheme,' it--" "Who else, Goldy?" Goldy hesitated. "If you must know, Bright Future was the first to consider it." "Yeah, that figures," Sunny muttered. "She was a nut as a human and she still is." "You would not speak about her like that if you knew her like I do." "Oh? And why not?" "Her special talent goes beyond just having an optimistic outlook," Goldy explained. "She can sense patterns and currents in everything around her and use it to obtain visions of what may be." Sunny raised an eyebrow. "She can predict the future?" "Not in an exact sense, just possibilities. And she saw you figure predominantly in those possibilities." "And did she actually see me as an alicorn?" "Not as such, but she saw you as a visionary leader, which is exactly the sort of quality that a Princess would have." Sunny was actually relieved to hear Bright had not seen her specifically as a Princess. Before ETS, she could dismiss any claims of seeing the future as just so much hogwash. With the advent of magic, however, all bets were off. "To be honest, I don't care if she claimed to have seen my coronation. I still don't have to do anything I don't want to." "Yes, I have already admitted as such," said Goldy. "But all this time I thought you were just encouraging me, you were instead grooming me for something you wanted that you thought I needed without even asking me! You want to know who did that to me before? Sunset Shimmer!" The last two words were shouted almost at the top of Sunny's lungs, making the silence that followed stark and awkward, Goldy's ears drawn back. "I had nightmares about that!" Sunny cried. "It wasn't until Luna started training the night ponies that one was able to help me deal with them. You want to bring all that back? You want me to go through that all again?!" Goldy's eyes glistened, and when she spoke again, her voice quavered. "I had no idea. I am so very sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I truly did what I thought was best for everypony, not just you or me." Sunny wanted to continue to vent, but there was little point. While Goldy's actions had been similar to Sunset's, at least the motivation behind them were different. Goldy took a tentative step closer to Sunny. "When we get back to Pony Hope, I will speak with Bright Future. I will convince her not to consider you any further for this role and to avoid bothering you about it." Sunny let out a sigh. "In the meantime, now I'm stuck with responsibility that I might not have taken on if it wasn't for you and your secret agenda." "Your ideas and your dedication to seeing ponies and humans live in Harmony is still your own," Goldy said. "Maybe I did encourage it for the wrong reasons, but it can still have a good outcome. Despite the fact that you're not formally a Harmonist, you aspire to its tenets in everything you do." "Tell me the truth," said Sunny. "Are you a Harmonist?" Goldy paused before nodding. "Yes, I am." "Another secret." "It happened after I was elected mayor. It was only after Bright Future had approached me concerning her impressions about you that I formally adopted a Harmonist outlook." "But why did you keep your affiliation secret?" Sunny asked. "No, wait, I can answer that. The Pony Council." "Yes," Goldy said softly. "When it was clear that Pony Hope was to be chosen as the meeting place, Bright and I thought it imperative that a Harmonist perspective be at the forefront. It's the only one which moderates the more extreme views of the other factions." "Sure, moderation," Sunny said. "Pay no attention to the secret alicorn behind the curtain just waiting to step in and lord over the entire Earth." "It should go without saying that any fealty to her would be completely voluntary," said Goldy. "Harmony can only be accepted, not forced upon others." "Yet it was okay to force that perspective on me." Sunny shook her head before Goldy could respond. "Forget I said that. Apology accepted. Just don't do it anymore, okay?" "Would you at least allow me to continue giving encouragement when needed?" "So long as you word it such that you're not trying to make me go down a particular path. I need to decide for myself. I know that's hard for me to do sometimes, but if I'm never allowed to do it, I'll never be my own pony." Sunny paused before adding, "Maybe that's what you need to consider. You were trying to create an alicorn instead of letting one come about naturally. My understanding is that none of the existing ones in Equestria ever knew they would turn out that way." "Princess Twilight heavily implied this, yes," said Goldy. "I'll concede on one point," said Sunny. "Maybe there's some remote outside possibility that I'd be considered for alicornhood some day. That day is not today, and it's not tomorrow, or even next month." "And if it is?" "Then you and Bright will have to be disappointed when I tell Triss no." Goldy nodded. "Understood." "It's not that I want to deny you or any other pony anything," said Sunny in a softer voice. "Or any human for that matter, if they really wanted a Princess. I'm only seventeen. I need to live a little first. Twilight claims I have all this power like Rainbow Dash, but I don't have the experience. I honestly don't know what I want out of my life yet." "The Princess was right," Goldy said. "I should have talked to you about this first. Maybe you're not experienced, but you sometimes have greater wisdom than I." Sunny wanted to point out that it was more a matter of Goldy being too shortsighted sometimes, but she was through with recriminations. She didn't want to make an adversary out of somepony who only wanted a better future for everyone. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. She had revealed to Goldy many of her feelings about her relationship with Sunset when Sunny knew her only as a fellow human supposedly going through the same situation as she was. She had thought Goldy would know better than to hide behind such false pretenses. "I want to make something perfectly clear," Sunny said. "I meant what I had said earlier that I fully intend to do whatever it takes to protect Jenny. If I do have to use magic to do that, I don't want you seeing it as my chance to Ascend." "I will do my best," said Goldy. "But you have to understand that I will still be holding out some hope even if I don't voice it." Sunny sighed but nodded. "I just wanted to continue to be honest with you." Sunny did appreciate that, but it still felt like more pressure on her. She recalled how many ponies wanted to see her off when they first left Pony Hope on this venture. She didn't dare speculate on how many of them were hoping for the same thing Goldy was. I had to watch the video twice to believe what the fuck I was seeing. If I hadn't been able to match the guys in the recording to actual agents, I would've though it was from a movie set. Anthony read the latest text from the Broomfield office a short time after the convoy was back on the road to MIDROC. Status of the unicorn who took the video? In protective custody. Keep her safe, Anthony texted back. Do you have enough to take those agents in for questioning? Damn straight, came the reply. Lost count of the violations of procedure we saw. If we had a drinking game based on this, we'd all be shit-faced drunk by now. Important that you know that they may have been mentally compromised, Anthony replied after recalling the text Twilight had sent him after speaking with Kelsey and learning just how widespread this corruption had spread. Roger that, but still! Also, there is to be NO communication with MIDROC, Anthony texted. Go directly through the FBI Director's office in Washington. Will do, the office replied. Last we heard, those two agents were leaving the Castle Rock facility. Will try to intercept. Anthony concluded the conversation. He then texted to Tonya, Fuller's secrecy is failing. We just need to protect these folks long enough until it completely falls apart. Tonya had left out her cell phone ever since they had first communicated just in case they needed to do so again. Her phone buzzed, and she silently read the message before texting a simply reply. If we can.