Luna was waiting for us when I faded off to sleep. "Ah, 'tis good to see you are well. What news have you?"
I turned to look at Cindy, but she wasn't where she usually was. Another ponytaur stood beside me, a copy in almost every way except for the subtle changes in our faces. Huh... "Well, where to start. We've figured out how to make ponies non-infectious but it's a one-by-one conversion, so not really the answer, beside the fact that we're still struggling to make peaceful contact with the humans."
Luna tilted her head. "I see. We have had contact with one other who claims success in a land far distant from you. Not in peace, but in conversion." Her face soured. "It was not our intent to have pony war on your people, let alone such twisted versions of ourselves. Please, you are one of the few that speaks with me of peace and positive things."
Cindy stepped forward. "We're going to make this work, promise." Her nose danced softly in the air as she circled around, looking at everything, though her eyes darted towards Luna most often. "It feels really nice to be my own pony for a little while."
Luna inclined an ear towards Cindy. "I had meant to ask about that. Are you feeling more complete? What manner of development allows you your own form now?"
Cindy shrugged. "I didn't ask for it, it happened when we came here." She came up behind Luna and reached for her flanks, rubbing her cutie marks on both ends. "You are especially enchanting this evening."
Luna flared her wings wide and suddenly Cindy vanished, only to reappear at my side. "We are not here for that! Just because you are my size does not mean I will do... that. Now tell me what is keeping you from progress."
I put a hand in front of Cindy, a token effort at best. "We're trying to convince a community that we're on their side by feeding them and brief moments of contact that don't end in people getting infected. My two companions are infectious-free. and have both talked with them."
Luna pointed a hoof at me. "You must be the next to speak, infectious or not. You are the leader. Your words will carry much larger weight, even if they don't understand it rationally. Make them feel safe, but impress on them that time is not an unlimited commodity. The people of your land must unify and stand against far darker rulers than you, or your world will plunge into darkness."
Cindy smiled gently. "I'll protect you, Will. We'll go tomorrow, middle of the day, like we belong there."
Luna nodded. "You do belong there. Convince them of that, and save them all."
The dream ended, and I woke up snuggled between Dusk and Sandra. I took a moment to pet the both of them, feeling comforted by their presence. My petting made little rumbles come from both of them, and for a time all four of us, Cindy included, were content. Soon enough it was time.
Dusk wouldn't let me go entirely alone. "I have magic, and I'm not starving anymore. I can help protect you if things go pear-shaped. I'll stay back and just watch."
Sandra nodded. "And I'll widen out the tunnel network a bit and have it ready if we need to beat a fast retreat. I wager they have precautions against me by now. They've seen us flee through holes a few times."
I gave both a parting petting down, then slipped to the surface in all of my alien glory. I had a sudden idea. "Hey, Cindy?"
"Yeah?"
"You can make light, right? Can you do a pattern?"
"Sure! What do you have in mind?"
I drew a peace sign in the dirt with a finger. "This, but bigger and over our head, rotating if you can manage it. It should be very visible to everyone."
Soon we approached, peace sign worn as if it meant anything. Well, I hoped it might delay a few bullets from going into my soft flesh. As we came up on the farming area, we could see there were people digging around in it, harvesting the food we'd made. I decided to take that as a good sign. Before I could wave or shout to them, one of their guards spotted us.
He dropped to a knee and brought his rifle into position, directed at us. Before he could start firing, one of the farmers grabbed him by the shoulder. "Give it a moment."
The guard looked confused. "A moment to infect all of us?"
I raised my hands into the air, presenting my furry palms. "We'd like to talk to whoever's in charge, if we can? We come in peace." Oh god, it felt so cheesy to say it, but that didn't make it less true.
The guard rose to his feet, looking uncertain, but not hostile for the moment. One of the other farmers raised a hand. "I'll go get Kate!" And off he ran towards the city.
Another guard approached, coming around the farm and stepping into the no-man's land between us. I admired his bravery as he just walked right up to me. "So what's your deal?"
I gave a nervous smile. "I want the killing to stop, both ways. We're stuck with each other, but we don't have to be the end of each other. I was a human before, I didn't forget that. I want ponies and humans as neighbors, not 'natural' enemies."
"Yeah? Well, in case you didn't notice, your kind makes more of itself with our kind. It's hard to be 'neighborly' like that."
Cindy shook herself. "Only with fluid contact, and we've worked a way around that. The two others you've seen are entirely safe. You could kiss them on the lips, if you were so-inclined, and be fine."
The guard made a bit of a face. "Pass, thanks. What about you?"
I decided the truth was the best way forward. "Still infectious, so no kissing. Handshakes are fine, as is casual contact, so far as we've seen. It has to be fluid contact."
The guard gave a slow nod. "You're... a lot more... I want to say 'clear' than most horses we run into."
"Pony," corrected Cindy, "and thank you."
Our conversation was drawing others closer, and we soon had a crowd that was listening in on the exchange. One of them stepped forward, asking, "Can you undo it? Is there a cure yet?"
I shook my head. "Not that we've found so far. I'm focusing on making sure no one else is converted forcefully, and that no pony gets shot. Neither side wants that, in the end. The ponies also have some talents, as you've seen." I gestured at the crops. "Some can encourage plants to grow. We'd gladly work with you to feed the city."
A new woman marched up towards the crowd. She was dressed smartly and had a decided frown on her face. She moved directly for me, drawing a handgun as she went. "Is this the horse causing problems?"
The guard that had approached me first turned to face her. "Negative, ma'am. Diplomat. Cooperative and civil. They have requested formal negotiations."
The woman snorted softly. "We don't make deals with terrorists, or invaders, and you're both."
I held up my hands placatingly. "I'm trying to stop both of those things. We're not all the same. Some of us remember being human, and want to have a normal life again, and help our fellow man, and woman, out."
She waved at me. "You're not going to be 'normal' ever."
I smiled. "No. I'm the leader. I've kept your city unmolested and free of hostile horses for a little over a day now. I want it to be permanent. Are you the leader of the city?"
She frowned. "Close as we have to one. It's easy to say that, what proof do you have besides being larger than average? We've seen larger."
I considered that. "I could prove it, but it'd require some faith on your part. I'll summon some ponies, but keep them far away, just close enough to see. I don't want either side attacking."
She rolled a hand."Go on then."
Soon there were about fifty ponies of various types and sizes gathered in an unruly mob within sight of the surprised humans. One of the ponies, slightly more intellectual the others actually waved at them. "Hi!"
Once they were scattered back into the wilderness, the lady nodded slowly. "Alright. I'm going to take you at your word. You're the best hope we've had in a while. Military contact's failed and we haven't seen a single plane go overhead for days. Power's out, water's chancy, food supply's pathetic. I have about fifty thousand souls depending on me to see them through this crisis. What can you do for me, and what do you want in return?"
I smiled. "First, you can introduce yourself. I'm William, she's Cindy." Cindy nodded and smiled at her. "And you are?"
"They call me Kate," she offered, rolling a hand. "Go on."
"Alright." I sat down on my haunches, feeling relieved. "We'll bring some earth ponies, without wings or horns. They're the ones good at growing. I need you to provide a nice bright bit of cloth to put around each, and we'll put it on them like a collar after they're clear of infection and to keep it clear which ponies are safe and which may not be. Going back and forth is not feasible, so the farmers will want to live here, and I hope you can welcome them. They're all nice people, just some of them are a little... simple? Not everyone comes back from the infection with all their thoughts in order, though the worst of them is like a big smart dog."
Kate raised a brow. "Are they pets or people?"