Rarity stared at the contents of the file. It wasn’t much, and seemed to only tease at answers to the questions she had.
A copy of the hoofprint note was there, as well as a some typed statements by witnesses and miscellaneous evidence. A few grainy photographs were labeled “surveillance footage.”
“Let me give you a summary,” said Bear, leaning forward across the desk. “These guys in the pictures entered the shopping center shortly after you did. Somehow, they knew you were there.”
“But why me?” asked Rarity.
Bear shrugged. “No idea. Considering that the bomb wasn’t very sophisticated, it was probably made hastily in the short time after you came to Earth. I have some notes here that Morgan made about detecting residual magic from spells. Considering the amount of power it took to send you here, there was probably a lot of that.”
Rarity scanned quickly over the handwritten page that Bear passed her. Morgan’s writing compared the process of detecting magic to turning the dial on a radio in order to listen for different signals. Since pony magic was so different, it probably wouldn’t have been on anyone’s dial. Only someone who was specifically looking for it should have noticed. Therefore, it seemed that there was some sort of connection to Equestria. That made even more sense when the print on the note was taken into account.
Rarity picked up the copy of the note again. “The writing seems familiar, but I can’t say why.”
“Could it be Equestrian and the translation spell is affecting your comprehension?” asked Bear.
Rarity snorted. “Heavens no, I still remember everything.”
She picked up a pen and wrote my name is Rarity in her native script. Not trusting her unpracticed hands, she used telekinesis.
Bear studied Rarity’s writing and the copy of the note. “Hmm. They have a few similarities.”
“But it isn’t Equestrian,” Rarity insisted.
“Do you have any regional dialects?” asked Bear. “Anything that could cause a variation?”
“Well, the language hasn’t really changed much during Equestria’s entire history,” Rarity remembered from her language classes in primary school. “With the immortal Princesses around for the last several thousand years, the language has remained very stable around them.”
Bear sat back in thought. “Could this be an earlier version?”
“There wasn’t an official Equestrian language before the three tribes of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies came together. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about their individual languages,” Rarity lamented.
Nodding in disappointment, Bear said, “We’ll keep looking into other things, then. For now, it looks like you’ll be safer.” She picked up the handwritten notes. “Morgan thinks they were able to locate you by the last traces of magic still hanging around, but those should be gone now. Unfortunately, they probably know that you’re staying here so we’ll need to relocate soon.”
Studying the page further, Bear added, “Morgan’s also taken the liberty of nicknaming them the Pony Haters. That’s PH for short, pronounced “feh.”
It was meant to be humorous, but Rarity was too preoccupied by the connotations to laugh. Her life was in danger, and she had no idea why.
“That’s all I have. I wish there was more.” Bear closed the file.
Rarity nodded and got up to go. She stopped and turned back. “Was anyone hurt in the attack?”
Bear shifted uncomfortably. “Four innocent people were killed.”
“I thought they wanted me…” Rarity stammered.
“Sometimes a goal can be so important to someone that they don’t care about collateral damage.” Bear sighed, but a hard look crept onto her face. “Trust me, when we find these people, we’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Rarity left the office, pondering the connotations of what Bear had said. She hadn’t seen any facilities for holding prisoners, and the weapons she’d been instructed on were certainly not nonlethal. Was killing shameless murderers justified? It wouldn’t bring the dead back, but was it the right choice to prevent the perpetrators from repeating their crimes?
Rob and Jenny had thrown around the term “self defense.” Would she kill someone to save her own life? After a moment of deep reflection, Rarity decided that yes, she would. The choice was slightly easier because she knew herself to be in danger. However, it didn’t answer the more difficult question of whether she would kill in defense of another.
Rarity was more grateful than ever for the gift of a sewing machine. She dove into the work, letting it take her troubles away.
While Rarity was most famous for the outfits she created, the large part of her everyday work at the Carousel Boutique was alterations and mending. Even her inexperience with clothing of Veronica’s size and shape didn’t slow her down much.
It was only when she came to a set of camouflage fatigues at the bottom of the pile that she paused. While Veronica did not seem like the violent type, she was clearly committed to the same goal as the others.
Rarity examined the clothing, made of the same burly material as the outfit she’d borrowed. The seams were triple-stitched, and the knees and elbows had extra layers. The fatigues were certainly made to be practical and tough. She recalled that while wearing her borrowed set, only her exposed skin had been injured when the bomb went off. In addition, the multi colored camouflage was not as likely to show stains and soil.
It was still ugly.
“Let’s see what we can do about that,” murmured Rarity, setting to work. Veronica would probably not be pleased with ruffles or a plunging neckline on her combat uniform, but there were still things that could be done.
Several hems, trims, and alterations later, Rarity was finished. She picked up the whole pile of clothes and went looking for Veronica. The task would have been much easier if she had simply levitated everything along, but Rarity was worried that using her magic might provide a beacon by which to locate her. Had she not seen evidence firsthand, that idea would have seemed a little far fetched.
Struggling under the weight of her burden, Rarity didn’t see Rob until she’d passed by. It was a wonder that she hadn’t bumped into him, but perhaps his ability also gave him an idea of where people were based on the location of their thoughts.
“Can I give you a hand?”
“That would be lovely, thank you.” Rarity passed part of the load to him.
Rob examined the camouflage uniform. “When did you start making clothes for The Baroness?”
“What did you call me?” asked Veronica. Rarity couldn’t see her over the pile of clothes in her arms.
“I’m just saying that with a little more leather and a Cobra logo…”
There was a sound like Veronica had just hit Rob. She snatched the clothes out of his arms and also those that Rarity carried before stalking away.
Rob shrugged. “Guess I should have seen that coming.”
“Bear said that we would be relocating soon,” said Rarity. “Do you know where? Now that I have the ability to make and modify clothes, I’d like to plan for the weather.”
“No idea. Really, at this time of year the weather shouldn’t be too bad unless we go to someplace like Shemya, up where we can see Russia from our back porch.”
Rarity nodded and started to turn away. Rob called her back. “Pardon me for prying, but you seem kind of preoccupied.”
“Well, I suppose I am. It seems like everything is happening at once. I just got here, met you all, started learning all these new things, someone tried to kill me, and now we’re going somewhere else.”
“Life’s crazy sometimes. All you can do is just go with it and prepare the best you can.”
“I have no idea how!” Rarity took a calming breath. “I’m sorry, but like I said before, there’s so much to take in.”
“Not to sound conceited, but maybe the stuff we’re trying to teach you would help,” suggested Rob.
“But…weapons? Killing? I can’t do that!”
Rob’s face took on a rather grim look. “All of us do it. It’s an unfortunate part of this life. You don’t have to enjoy it. I don’t like ending lives, and I can say for certain that none of the rest do, either. Some bad guys can be reformed. Some can’t, and won’t let you try.”
Rarity could think of a few examples that the Elements of Harmony had faced. Princess Luna had been rehabilitated, but the Nightmare part of her was eliminated. The cases of Discord and King Sombra had been handled very differently. One had enjoyed a pleasant outcome, the other not so much.
Rob had the decency not to comment on her inner turmoil. “Come on. Dinner will be soon. Jenny’s trying to clean out the refrigerator before we leave.”
“Does she cook often?” asked Rarity.
“I think she just enjoys the smells.” Rob shrugged. “Her diet is pretty much either corpses or corpuscles, but either way, you can see the corollary connection between the couple.”
Rarity grimaced. “I could have gone a long time without that mental image or the gruesome alliteration, thank you.”
In the kitchenette, the table was set and ready to go. Bear was already present, Morgan arrived shortly. Veronica came in, for once wearing something that actually fit. Rob’s eyebrows went up at the sight. “I guess that was worth letting you hit me.”
“No sexual harassment in the workplace,” Bear intoned.
Rob spread his hands. “Manners aren’t a natural behavior of mine. Remember that I was raised by rednecks.”
“Well, I was raised by wolves but I still have more social etiquette than you.” Bear turned her head and gave Veronica a friendly look. “For the record, though, you do look good.”
“Thanks.” The tall woman smiled. “Rarity, you’re great at what you do. I wish I had some way to express my thanks, but I guess money is kind of useless in this situation.”
“Think nothing of it.” Rarity waved a hand. “It’s my pleasure to help.”
Jenny began setting serving platters on the table. She was clad in what Rarity thought was a rather cute apron. “Sorry we don’t have much left. I don’t know who bought the frozen fried chicken, but hopefully I was able to make it edible. The salad is a little old but hasn’t started to wilt yet.”
Rarity stared at the dismembered pieces of chicken. It was clad in crispy batter, but she could make out unsettlingly familiar shapes of limbs. Morgan picked up a wing and began chewing on it. Rarity averted her eyes and began shoveling lettuce onto her plate.
Jenny put the cooking utensils away and pulled up a chair. She began sipping on something. Rarity was raising some salad to her mouth when she realized what was in the plastic pouch Jenny was holding.
Rarity’s fork clattered to her plate. “Do you have to drink that at the table?”
Jenny pinched the tube on the blood bag so that none would leak out. “It’s kept in the fridge. Taking it anywhere else creates more potential for mess. Besides, it’s my mealtime, too.”
“You’ll get used to it after a while,” said Veronica.
“It kind of makes this funky chicken seem less disgusting,” added Morgan.
“I think I’ve been put off my appetite,” muttered Rarity.
Bear shrugged. “The more you whine, the hungrier you’ll be. Eating nothing but salad for a month isn’t healthy.”
“I am not whining, I am complaining,” Rarity tersely explained. “Would you like to hear whining?”
“No,” everyone chorused.
Rarity lowered her head. Like she had said to Rob, there was so much assaulting her at once. “I don’t know how much more of this I can stand. I can’t do this.”
“Sure you can,” put in Jenny. “You’re a normal human being.”
“But I’m not!”
“Biologically you are,” said Morgan. “That’s exactly what the spell changed you into. The human body is adapted for certain things, and you sure aren’t doing it justice.”
Rarity considered that. Morgan continued to stare at her, clearly holding an answer ready no matter how she responded. Rarity decided to humor him. “What do you mean?”
“Look at yourself. Your body is formed for a specific purpose. Hands for building tools or using weapons. Long legs for endurance and sprinting. Joints and muscles that are adaptable and agile. Forward-set eyes to enhance clarity and depth perception. A mix of teeth for eating anything and everything. You may have been a pony, but right now you’re a goddamned predator. Act like it.”
He went back to eating. Rarity looked at her salad. Was she really a natural killer? If that was true, shouldn’t she feel more like it? What if she began to have those thoughts; would the training do that to her? She gulped. Did this body come with standard human instincts?
The lettuce didn’t taste quite the same after that.