Lizzie looked between her uncle and her father/mother and rubbed behind her head a moment before letting out a sigh.
Even Faith moved up to her and rubbed against her left leg. "It's alright. We love you."
Lizzie smiled and hugged Even around the neck. "Yeah, stupid horse. I... worked this hard to stay normal, I guess I'll stick with it."
Reggie pat her on the head, and soon all three had left. I let out my own breath and looked to the others. "I think we've done enough for one day."
Dusk settled in beside me, and for a moment I just wanted to sleep, but there was more to be done. "I have a question to ask Leo. Dusk, can you get her?" Loyal Dusk bounced to his hooves and dashed out of the room.
I must have been more tired than I thought, since the next thing I knew, Leo was prodding me awake. "You wanted something?"
"Oh, sorry about that." I reached for the sky, stretching out. "Tough day. There were plenty of people eager to be human, and some wanting to go the other way." I yawned as I finished the report, still feeling the tugs of fatigue.
Leo nodded. "Most of the people here are what they started as before you got here, which is what I'd figure. Thank you, for doing what you did. Now what did you want?"
Cindy smiled at Leo. "The slavers. We need to do something about them."
Leo frowned at that. "We certainly do. The city doesn't have this issue. It's a miscommunication of the worst kind. With travel being slow, isolation is a huge problem getting the word from one place to the other." She tapped at the floor lightly, then looked to me. "I don't think it was an accident. Someone's set this up, probably in no small amount of outlying towns. I'd guess a pony, since why would a human set up a system that disadvantaged them so much?"
Sandra nodded lightly. "One thing that bothers me. I mean, surely the military looked at New York City, how can you not? How did they not notice they weren't slaves there?"
Leo snorted softly. "Easy! To keep humans safe can look a bit stifling from the outside. Didn't you notice how ill frequently you see a single human even in here? That's no accident. We look forward to the day when all the ferals are infection free and we can all go back to living like normal people, furry or not." She raised a brow at Sandra and me. "Present company excluded. You two aren't infecting anyone who doesn't want to be hung like a horse."
Neon snickered at that before she leaned towards Leo. "Something you've become intimately aware of of late, hmm?"
Leo snarled at her. "What I do in my bedroom is none of your business."
Neon waved a hoof as she flopped over. "There's no shame in enjoying being what you are. I trust your husband is also enjoying your moments together."
Sandra pulled Neon over and cuddled her while smothering her a little, silencing further nettling words.
Leo let out a soft sigh. "At least the damned heat's passed on by. That was thoroughly unacceptable."
I perked my ears. "Um... You should check in with the doctor in a few days. You and your spouse may have a foal on the way."
Leo sank to the ground and turned red as it become just as obvious to her. "Well fucking shit."
Cindy took control of a hand to reach out and carefully brush over Leo's belly. She let the touching happen and soon Cindy was stroking up and down in slow motions. "You'll do fine. You have a very loving spouse, and are a very strong and capable person."
Leo slowly relaxed, exposing more of her belly. She let out a not-very-commanding giggle. "Ponies like having their bellies rubbed, but they don't have hands to do it with. Nature is a cruel beast."
Neon popped up from under Sandra. "Or maybe it's just trying to show us humans and ponies have something to gain from one another."
Dusk sat up. "That was... really nice, Neon."
Neon wrinkled her snout at Dusk. "I can say nice things too when the urge strikes."
I moved my other hand to join in gently petting Leo. "I was once a guy too. Heck, I kept my name too. William isn't exactly a girl's name. I understand."
Leo grasped the hand between all four hooves. "You're still hung."
I tickled over a leg where the hoof met the fur of the leg. "I'm pregnant."
"Oh..." Leo relaxed, and for a moment it was just Cindy and I stroking her and her relaxing under the attention.
Neon broke the silence with a huff. "You may have forgotten, but so am I, thanks to your egg-laying girlfriend. Sandra's the only female in this room not currently holding a foal-to-be."
Sandra tilted her head. "You know, that egg is Hope's."
Neon recoiled. "I'm pregnant with a juvenile?!" She sat up on her haunches. "The world has gone mad."
Dusk Hope squirmed softly. "Are you upset?"
Neon slipped from Sandra and moved over to Hope. She nibbled into his neck suddenly, then they collapsed together, with her grooming over him and hugging him tightly.
Dust Kicker was scowling at the exchange. To her credit, she didn't immediately stomp Neon. She just glared at them and waited impatiently for the hugging to stop. The moment it did, however, she pulled Hope away and hugged him protectively. "You may have forgotten about me, but I'm not with a foal to my knowledge."
Hope nodded his head quickly. "We haven't, er, done anything yet, besides this." He hugged her tightly and kissed her snout, and looked quite happy for the exchange.
Dust smiled. "And that's enough, until you feel you want more than that. It's an adult decision, and one I won't make for you. Whatever your phys--"
Leo rolled to her belly. "Sorry for listening in, but this room isn't exactly huge. What the hell are you all talking about? You're going on like Dusk Hope is young, but he doesn't look like any foal I've seen, and he doesn't act like it either."
Dusk flushed brightly. "I'm younger than I look like... Before I became a pony, I wasn't even ten, but this whole... thing." He wobbled a hoof with some frustration. "I guess I'm growing up as fast as I can."
Dust Kicker nuzzled into Dusk's side. "You are an amazing person, of any age. You're doing fine, and don't let anyone tell you to do things any faster or slower."
Leo let out a slow sigh. "I'm going to the radio room, and I think you should come with me, William. We're going to have a little chat with your boys, see what we can't work out. Your job may be over." She rose up and strode purposefully for the door, and I was soon following after her. With her heat abated, her tail no longer gave glimpses of what I shouldn't see, and her walking gait was much more relaxed than it had been before. "There is one thing I'm worried about."
I glanced back towards the room we left, then back at Leo. "What's that?"
Leo looked over her shoulder. "If the dissenter is out in the boonies, then it isn't a big deal, but they don't have to be, in fact, it's not even likely. Someone with access to the radios in New York is far more likely to be the one spreading the misinformation. We need to find them, one way or the other. Come on, 'Five Star Stud' won't wait forever." She moved faster, and soon we arrived in a cramped radio room. There was a human in there that smiled on seeing me.
I recognized him after a moment, one of those I had restored. He offered a hand and I took it in a furry one and we shared a shake. "Nice to see you again. I'm still getting used to having my feet back in the right place, but thank you so much. So what are we doing, Captain?"
Leo pointed at the console. "Bring up the command and let's have a little pow wow. For sake of security, I'm going to have to ask you to step out for a few minutes."
The guy was soon gone. It must have been hard back when he was a pegasus to work all those controls. Fingers were more suited for the task. Leo pushed the talk button. "This is Captain Leo, anyone on point?"
"We've been waiting for you," came a familiar voice. "Let me get the brass on the line."
Things became quiet for a minute before a new voice spoke up, "Five Star Stud reporting in. Is this the hooves in charge of that operation?"
Leo huffed and pushed the button. "All eight of them. I have William and Cindy here with me."
"Great news. I hope you've been treating them with all the respect such prize civilians are worth."
Leo raised a brow. "Forgive the asking, but why are they still civilians with all that you have them doing?"
"That's beyond your pay grade, Captain. Let me talk to them."
Leo gestured at me, and we stepped up to the console and pressed the button. "Hey. We're here and intact. It seems the law of the land, as it were, is on our side. Humans are supposed to be aggressively protected, not enslaved."
"Excellent news," agreed the general. "That means we can move in and establish formal ties. Whoever is breaking the law can be located on our time, with our resources, which means you can come home."
Cindy perked an ear. "Just like that? We aren't going to finish what we started?"
"Just like that. We have things to discuss with you, in person. Bring your squad back here."
Leo frowned at the radio. "Be careful... I could be being paranoid, but I didn't like the flow of that conversation, and you've been good to me, and most of everyone else here." She put a hoof to her chest. "The world became a much larger place than it used to be. If you have to, just go. They won't find you."
With that sobering advice given, Leo left, the radio operator returned, and we moved through the hallways towards our room. Cindy's thoughts gently slid across my own, full of her own worries and concerns. "It'll be alright. We could be making a huge deal of nothing at all. Let's go see what they want to talk about before we get excited."
When we told the others, they were soon on their hooves and ready to move. Teleporting to a known place was a lot more direct than teleporting towards some place. Wrapping the group in a strong bubble, I slipped from New York to the base without any stops in the middle. We appeared on the street outside the military complex with a bright flash of our magic.