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// Chapter 26: Girl Talk 
// Story: Marshmallow Dreams 
// by Halira 
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Jess gave Crystal the list of Phobia's instructions when they exited the house. Crystal nodded and immediately began barking out orders to everyone present. 

"Arachne, Charlotte, and Nightmare Moon, the three of you are to go to your rooms for the remainder of the day. Do not come downstairs or go flying off anywhere."

"Why? That's not fair!" Arachne complained with a savage beat of her wings. I was fairly sure that one was Arachne anyway, since she had a spiderweb for a cutie mark. 

"Humanity First people are going to be here," Crystal explained. "All the foals need to be out of sight."

Charlotte, who had what looked like a heart in army camouflage as a cutie mark, joined her sister in objecting. "I can't believe Mom is bringing them here again. It's stupid talking to them. They're the enemy!"

The human that had been overseeing their fights pointed to the house. "You can question your mother's judgement all you wish, little filly, but you will not disobey her. Get in the house."

Charlotte glared back at the human. "I'm not little! I can fight, I can fly, and I have my cutie mark! I'm a young mare, and I shouldn't be told to go to my room while the grown-ups talk!"

"Enough of that!" Crystal yelled. "You're a minor living under your parents' roof, and shall continue to be one until you're eighteen. If you want to argue about how you're a young mare in five years when you can take off on your own you are free to do so at that point, but for right now you'll do as you are told."

Charlotte glowered at Crystal. "Can't wait until I'm old enough to join the army and get away from this stupid place."

"You're in for a nasty surprise when you get to boot camp if being made to follow orders bothers you so much," Crystal countered. "Consider being here pre-boot camp. With the way Tempest drills you now you should be at the top of your class at whatever fort you end up training at, if you can learn to follow orders without a fuss."

Charlotte stormed off towards the house with her sister hot on her hooves. "Whatever."

The human softened her expression and turned to Crystal. "I'll speak to her in a few minutes. Rosetta being out of town for an extended period is wearing on her more than the others. She's missing her primary confidant."

Crystal nodded and looked at the third of the trio, a colt with a moon and what looked like a big bandage over it for a cutie mark. He simply shrugged and started making his way to the house. He seemed the strong silent type, since he hadn't really said anything when I arrived either, or right before he started pounding away on Jordan's shield. 

Jordan got up and started walking towards the house until Crystal stopped her. "Not you! You'll be going with Jess and me as she visits Rebecca here. The three of them need to be getting to bed soon anyway, so it isn't as if you'll have any company here."

The violet unicorn glanced at me then back at Crystal. "I'm fine with that. It gives me more time with Jessie. Will I be coming back here, or do I still need to get my stuff?"

"You'll be coming back, so feel free to leave it," Crystal confirmed. "Thank you for being cooperative, at least one filly around here can be counted on to do what she's told without a fight. I'm sure if Jackie were here she'd be giving me lip too."

"I'm cooperating," Jess objected. 

Crystal looked up at her with one ear bent back. "You aren't a filly. Go ahead and get in the car. It's unlocked."

Jess, Jordan, and I all went to the car and filed into the back. Jess quickly buckled herself in and Jordan was quick finding her own harness and put it on with well practiced ease. Me, I once again was left trying to sort out what strap went to what. 

"Let me help you with that," Jordan offered. Her horn lit up in a yellow light that matched her mane and the appropriate straps for the harness moved and buckled themselves around me. 

"Thanks." I pulled to check if the harness was on too tight; which ended up not being the case. 

"No problem," the unicorn filly happily replied. "You're a lot different than most of the people that come visit my eldest sis. What did you come visit her about?"

I nervously shifted in place. "Um, I can't really talk about it. It's kind of a secret."

The filly's face fell. "Oh… well, I understand. Most things end up being secret with Phobia. I know Jessie has like a million things she can't talk about."

"Not quite a million," Jess corrected. She then turned to me. "And I need to make a quick point, only Jordan, my older brother, and my parents get to call me Jessie, got it? Don't go calling me Jessie just because it's okay that Jordan does. To everyone else I'm Jess, or Jessica, or Doctor Middleton. No Miss Middleton's either, I earned my doctorate and want that respected."

I nodded. "Alright. I know ponies with pony names that only let certain people use their old human names, or no one at all, so it's not that different."

Jess relaxed. "It's actually very close to that. Everyone called me Jessie as a filly, and me switching over to Jess instead was kind of a symbolic gesture that I wasn't a pony anymore, at least to me. Jordan and I have a special history and friendship, so it doesn't upset me at all to hear her call me Jessie."

I looked between them. "Are you two like special-special friends?" 

Jordan's eyes about popped out of her sockets. "What!? No, eww, no! I'm very-very straight, and not into humans either. I don't think I'm really Jessie's type either. She doesn't care if you are a mare, stallion, man, or woman, but she likes people who are really prissy or really tough."

"Jordan!" Jess screamed while turning red. 

"Well, you do! There's nothing to be ashamed about for having preferences," Jordan said defensively. 

"You just started noticing colts weren't just cootie factories a year or two ago, you barely know your own preferences," Jess shot back. 

Jordan smiled dreamily. "I know there's this colt that sits in front of me in my pre-algebra class. He has the cutest stripe of blue that goes straight down his red mane. I don't think he even knows my name, but I wish he would notice me. Just because you can't date doesn't mean I shouldn't try to."

"Why can't you?" I asked. "I'm sure there are plenty of people that would find you attractive."

Jess crossed her arms and slouched in her seat. "Because if I tried dating someone my actual age I'd be called a pedophile, and if I tried dating someone who looked the same age as I do they would be a pedophile. It's a no-win scenario."

"How about you?" Jordan suddenly asked me. "Do you have a special somepony?"

I shook my head. "I don't really date."

Jordan pouted. "I'm the youngest person here and the only one interested in dating! I want someone to give me pointers on how to ask a guy out."

Crystal got into the driver's seat and looked back at the three of them. "How about you start by just going up to the guy and starting a conversation? Don't make it more complicated than it is. Jess, if the three of you are going to be chatting about that stuff all along the drive I would appreciate you putting up a sound barrier so you don't drive me nuts."

"Sure thing," Jess replied. Crystal cocked an ear, then nodded, and began putting the car in drive. 

Jess then turned back towards me. "Okay, Crystal can't hear anything, and I'm ninety-nine percent certain that she can't read lips. You can tell us all about your secret powers now, if you want."

Jordan's ears shot up. "Wait, I get to hear something secret for once? This is like the fifth best day of my life!"

"If you can keep her secret to yourself instead of blabbing it out like you did with what I'm attracted to," Jess said in a short tone.

"I can!" Jordan asserted. "And anyone who spends a lot of time with you can figure out who you're attracted to. You do this thing where you stare at them for a long time and slowly lift your tail up. It's kind of obvious, so I didn't consider it a secret."

Jess glared at her tail like it was a traitor and then stuffed it in her lap without a word. 

I looked at the two of them, feeling kind of put on the spot. I hadn't actually fully decided if I was going to tell Jordan yet, since Phobia had cautioned me about it, but now Jordan was expecting me to.

"It's easier for me to show you than to describe it," I answered. I then had a thought and lifted up my leg with the attached phone. "Hey, can I still be heard by the person on the other end of the line if you have your magic sound thing going?"

"If I allow it," Jess replied. "Sound behaves pretty much as I choose around me."

"I know I said it already, but that's a really cool power," I said in admiration.

She sighed. "It's okay, now that I have full control over it, but when it first manifested it was a nightmare."

"How bad was it?" I asked curiously. 

She shook her head. "Sound just went berserk and chaotic around me. Everything would be at the wrong volume, or seem to come from the wrong place, sounds would mute or blast at random times, and we'd be treated to loud background noise that didn't seem to have any origin. I couldn't even hear people speaking to me because they were drowned out by the noise. It was also exceptionally energy efficient, so it didn't even stop from overuse. It was hell, and if I didn't have crystal ponies working to cancel things out it would have never quit at any hour of the day. It took from when I was eight till when I was ten to gain full control of it."

My ears sagged. "I'm sorry you went through that. When my own powers first started they were kind of scary, but they were nothing like that."

She gave me a small smile. "I had some great people that helped me through it. I'm really intelligent, and like to think I can figure everything out on my own, but everyone needs some support and help sometimes. Go ahead and make your call. I've got you covered."

I hit the autodial for Maggie and waited as the phone rang. It only took a few seconds for her to pick up. "Hey Bec, what's up?"

I took a deep breath as I committed to this. "Hey, do you have time to come over to my house right now? I have something I need to show you. Something I've been keeping secret from you, but I just found out I don't have to."

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a confused tone. 

"You know I have an OMMR license, right? I wanted to show you exactly why."

"Okay, you got me curious, but you better not be trying to mind control me or anything."

I chuckled. "It's nothing like that. Don't worry."

"I'll head right over. I'm not doing anything right now that I can't procrastinate on a little."

"I'm on my way home now, and have some new friends with me that I'll be showing as well. If you beat me there I'll be there soon."

"New friends? People from the college?"

I absently shook my head. "No, a super genius human who has pony ears and a tail, and Phobia Remedy's little sister."

There was a pause. "Alright then… you sound like you've had an adventure today."

I giggled. "Yep, walked into the Warden of Fear's den and lived to tell the tale."

My two current companions both rolled their eyes at that. They might not think facing Phobia Remedy was a big deal, but it felt like one for me. 

"I'll have to hear about this one," Maggie replied in a bemused voice. "I'll be over there shortly. See you soon."

I clicked off the phone and Jordan immediately spoke up. "If you're done with that, can we please get back to helping me figure out how to ask a guy to notice me? I need to figure out what to say when I talk to him!"

I laughed. "Alright, let's figure it out."