//------------------------------// // Session C2 - Verdant Vines - May 6th // Story: They're Never Coming Back // by Flashgen //------------------------------// Transcription of Session C2: Verdant Vines Date: May 6th Time: 8:46 p.m. Interviewer: White Clover After recalling all personnel from Ponyville for the night and reviewing the list of recovered survivors, Vines and I discussed the day and potential changes we might make to our plans moving forward. White Clover (WC): Quite a productive first day. Vines finished looking over an update on the more severe patients recovered, looking up from the paper with a sigh. Verdant Vines (VV): Twenty six. It’s a good number, but there are a lot who aren’t in the best condition. Besides the ones that were actually conscious when we found them, none of them are awake. Solace is still out cold and so is Pendant in Canterlot, so it could be days before the others wake up. She put the paper down, looking over the list of those that were conscious and the ones circled who had already been moved out of triage and to other facilities. VV: But yeah, it’s better than nothing. WC: There’s no telling how slow we were on some of those recovered. There’s certainly no pattern or any kind of magical signal that shows a pony’s arrival. No physical phenomena either. We’ll just have to keep the guards rotating through every residence, though maybe we can check off some of the buildings where they’ve already been found. VV: No, I think we still need to be checking every building, at least as much as we can manage. There’s no telling where somepony might have been or where they’ll end up. How far is the radius again? I’m worried, after finding Zecora near the Everfree, that we might not be scanning far enough. WC: Well, we have the village proper and a full circle around the town that extends to the farthest locations. That’s out to Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy’s cottage near the woods. Two, three miles outside of the town center? VV: That only goes a short distance into the Everfree. I suppose we don’t have a good idea of how far this place extends, but I’m worried we’ll miss somepony who isn’t in shelter. WC: I’ll have a few patrols dip into the woods near Fluttershy’s cottage tomorrow, but I can’t guarantee we can look that deeply into the Everfree. Zecora was found past the edge. Vines leaned back in her seat, rubbing her forehead. VV: Blue Sky said we’re fine on supplies and personnel for triage, at least if we get a similar volume of survivors tomorrow. That doesn’t cover the psych evals he needs to finish though. Of course, if we get even more... WC: I’ll inform Celestia and we’ll get another train of supplies in as quickly as we can. Did you tell Cage yet? Vines finished filling out a requisition form and didn’t look at me. VV: No. I figure he found out himself though. He hasn’t left her side since they brought her in. WC: I know he probably isn’t in a state to— VV: He’ll help when he’s able, I’m sure, even if it’s just at triage. We have enough eyes in town, so one less pair won’t hurt. If it were my family, I’d be doing the same. I set down some forms that I was reviewing and began to look over the rotation schedule for search parties. WC: Did you want to go out on patrol? VV: No, I’m better served here, I know it. Only one besides you who could ever stomach paperwork in this agency. WC: I tend to abide. Better to simply follow along and remove any enjoyment or lack thereof from the equation. She chuckled, finishing her forms and standing up before walking to the tent entrance. VV: Think that’s the last of it for me. Shame you’re still slow at it. WC: I’ll be right behind you, don’t worry. But I couldn’t let her leave then, not with something else on my mind. WC: Did you feel safe today, Vines? I heard her hooves come to a halt, and there were a few moments of dead air. WC: I just… it’s been on my mind. She trotted back towards where I sat. VV: I was tense at first. Sitting there, looking out at the town and… waiting. I felt like Blue Sky after we found Solace. I wanted calamity. I wanted chaos and trouble and setbacks and… I wanted vindication, that I was right to feel angry. She walked around me, sitting down on the floor at my side. VV: It seeped out though, little by little with every pony they brought back to camp. But when they weren’t awake I… it actually got worse. And I think it’s been bubbling under the surface ever since. WC: I feel the same. It’s this looming dread. VV: Yeah. Building up a tower so we can have it toppled around us. Now there’s more to lose. WC: Did you dream about it again? She sighed, front hoof tracing a circle on the floor. VV: Yeah. I don’t know if she’s… if it’s even her or “Them” anymore. Whispers and shadows and this thing. I want it to be her, but she said that it was always “Us.” WC: You think you’re doing it to yourself? VV: Maybe? The other option is to blame it on… all of this. WC: We still don’t know how it all works, if what Twilight said was true. I didn’t have one last night. Each pony is affected differently. VV: She said that, yeah. There was silence, for just a few moments. VV: What if we’re making it worse? WC: We can’t know that, right? Can we just leave so many ponies to their fate on… fear? VV: But if it starts spreading in Canterlot, past the hospital. WC: There’s no sign of that yet, and the ponies working there are doing everything they can to prevent it. VV: But it’s not some disease they can scrub away. You said it’s a burden to bear, but… what if it’s just a… a scar. A scar they can inflict on anypony around them for the rest of their lives? WC: We’ll know when Twilight’s done, when this place and They are gone. If ponies get better— VV: Or if they don’t. WC: Right… We’ll know when the time comes. Until then, we soldier on. VV: Until it’s done. Good night. WC: Good night. Vines stood up and walked towards the tent’s entrance. We both had nothing more to say.