Pandemic: Aftermath

by ASGeek2012

Chapter 25 - Old Plans Jeopardized

In light of her conversation with Water Wings, Rainy had dithered on contacting Bright Future. It was not until Thursday morning when she chose to seek out the mare during breakfast. Rainy had her weather wing search for Bright, eventually finding her in a café. When Rainy flew inside, she spotted the unicorn seated at a table with four other ponies. They had lingered after finishing their meal, engaged in soft conversation.

Rainy still reconsidered. News had reached her about what had happened in Grand Junction. While details about the ponies involved was still sketchy, the media had already implicated the Shimmerists, and that could only mean Strong Hooves had been involved.

While she waffled, Bright noticed her, smiled, and gestured with a fore-hoof. Rainy trotted over.

"Good to see you again, Rainy," said Bright. "You're welcome to join us."

"I need to speak with you," said Rainy.

"Please, be my guest."

Rainy glanced at the others before saying, "This is sort of private."

The other ponies at the table gave her a curious look, but Bright simply nodded. "Of course. If you'll excuse me, please. Same time tomorrow?"

The other ponies nodded and made affirming noises.

Bright hopped out of her chair and came alongside Rainy. "Do you have someplace specific in mind?"

"Not really, just away from here," said Rainy.

"Lead the way. By the way, have you heard the latest news?"

Rainy's ears flattened slightly as they headed outside. "You mean Grand Junction?"

"I'm referring to matters concerning the Pony Council."

Rainy managed not to sigh. "You mean the bit about the government doing something about the whole matter?"

"Yes! I take it as a very hopeful sign."

Despite it being the unicorn's natural talent, Bright's penchant for putting a positive spin on just about anything was getting to Rainy. "It was barely a rumor, and it could mean anything. It could mean they're going to arrest the delegation, for all we know!"

"That would be rather counterproductive," said Bright. "Besides, I have only good feelings about the outcome."

Rainy refrained from pointing out she was being facetious. She looked around, and when she saw no other pony was nearby, she stopped and turned to Bright. "This should be far enough."

"I believe we are very close to the realization of all our efforts," said Bright. "Once the government acts on the President's orders, I am sure Sunrise Storm's true nature will shine through, and we will be closer than ever to having a worthy ruler for--"

"Look, I didn't come here to talk about Sunny's supposed Ascension!"

"Supposed? It troubles me that you still doubt--"

"Enough already," Rainy growled through clenched teeth.

"My apologies," said Bright. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I'm really just relaying a request. Strong Hooves wants to meet with you."

Bright gave her a surprised look. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes."

"Are you referring to the pony who represented the Shimmerists at the Pony Council?"

"Who the hell else would I be referring to?" Rainy said in exasperation.

"Why would he want a meeting with me?" Bright asked. "Our views are not exactly aligned."

"He didn't mention why he wanted to see you, just that I should relay the request. You're free to tell him to go to hell for all I care."

"As much as I don't care for his point of view, I will do nothing of the sort," Bright said.

Rainy gave her a surprised look. "You're actually going to meet with him?"

"Believing in the power of Harmony means living up to the Five Pillars in all things. I would not be living up to either Kindness or Generosity if I refused to honor a request made in peace."

"I don't believe this," Rainy muttered.

"I'm frankly a little disappointed you don't understand this," said Bright. "I know you've strayed from our tenets but--"

"I don't mean that! Haven't you heard what happened in Grand Junction?"

"Yes, I have."

"And you don't think Strong was behind it? A human was shot!"

"By accident," said Bright. "Even the police acknowledged that. And you're quite sure you don't know what he wants of me?"

Rainy hesitated. "I might be able to guess."

"Oh? Please do. I would like to have at least some insight."

"He likely wants to ask you for something in return for giving you information concerning alicorns."

Bright's tail swished. "Is he really privy to information I'm not?"

"You could say that," Rainy said in a flat voice. "Though you already seem to know more about Equestria than most ponies do."

Bright smiled. "Only some of its artifacts and history, and only because of serendipity. Before my transformation, I was once a part time assistant to Sarah Tanner."

"Sunny's Mom?"

"The same. When I heard she was going back into the archaeology field post-ETS, I volunteered to assist her. I was able to steal a look at her notes and journals and learn things the general public doesn't know."

Rainy wondered if Strong would be disappointed to hear of the rather mundane source of the information.

"I would have continued in that venture had not I been forced out when Sarah gained a new funding source who apparently had some say in who worked for her," said Bright. "Does Strong have some similar source he's drawing on?"

"Um, yes, sort of," said Rainy.

Bright gave her an evaluating look. "You're hiding something."

"Only because I promised him I wouldn't reveal his secret."

Bright's look turned disapproving.

"Doesn't that fit with the Pillars?" Rainy asked. "Loyalty, maybe?"

"Perhaps you can answer this question instead," Bright said. "Is his source reliable?"

"Uh, yeah, I'd say it was pretty damned reliable."

"Then I think it would be worth meeting with him. I'll set out for Grand Junction at once so long as I can arrange for a carriage to take me to the nearest human community. I know a few humans willing to give me a ride the rest of the way."

"Okay, then, have fun," Rainy said as she turned away and extended her wings.

"Just a minute," Bright said.

Rainy considered simply taking off anyway, but she folded her wings and turned around.

"Why does Strong Hooves believe I would be interested in information concerning alicorns?"

Rainy was afraid this question would come up. "It's because of something I told him. I, uh, might have mentioned the stuff about having our own alicorn princess rule over us."

Bright gasped, her pupils shrinking slightly.

"I might've also told him about Ascension and--"

Bright suddenly surged forward until she was nearly muzzle-to-muzzle with Rainy, causing her to recoil slightly. "That was not for his ears!" Bright hissed.

Rainy recovered and frowned. "So much for the Pillar of Honesty."

"There's honesty, and there's the judicious application of the truth," Bright declared. "That was not the time for the latter."

"Why are we being so secretive about it if it's the very thing we're supposed to be hoping for?" Rainy said. "No tribe is more secretive than the night ponies, and look how much trouble it causes them sometimes."

"This coming from the filly who just promised to keep the secret of a Shimmerist," Bright said dryly.

"Yes, but I imagine it's a secret you'll learn once you meet him. I'm just trying to avoid anypony catching wind of it who shouldn't."

"Which you didn't accomplish very well in the first place when you--" Bright cut herself off and shook her head. "Never mind. I apologize for that last statement. Kindness tells me I should assume you had the best intentions, or that you succumbed to a moment of doubt."

"Yeah, I do doubt this whole Ascension thing," Rainy said. "But that wasn't really my reason for telling him. I'm not sure what was, but that wasn't it."

Bright looked thoughtful. "Now I have a sense that this is fortuitous, especially if we have the potential to glean more information about alicorns, or, ah, other topics," she said in a softer voice. "I again apologize. I should not have been so hostile towards you. It was unbecoming of both a pony and Harmony."

Rainy was only partially mollified, but she let it go. "Why do you really need to know about alicorns anyway if you're so sure Sunny will become one on her own?"

"Sunny is very young compared to the alicorns we know of in Equestria, save for Flurry Heart. She will need guidance. While we hope perhaps Princess Twilight will be willing to help, we have to assume we may be on our own as we have been for a lot of things."

"I guess that makes sense," said Rainy.

"We need to know what her central power will be and how to nurture it," said Bright.

Rainy tilted her head. "Central power?"

"All adult alicorns we know of have a particular power that is their forte. Celestia is Princess of the Sun. Luna is Princess of the Night. Twilight is Princess of Friendship. Cadance is Princess of Love. It stands to reason Sunny will have something that her power will focus on."

Rainy had no idea what that would be. Sunny was all for cooperation between humans and ponies, but "Princess of Cooperation" sounded silly to her ears.

Bright smiled. "Thank you for relaying this request. As much as I would love to talk further on the subject of Ascension, I need to prepare for this trip. Do you wish to accompany me?"

"No, one visit to Grand Junction was enough to last me for a while," said Rainy with some disdain.

Bright nodded. "I will let you know what I discover once I get back."

Rainy watched Bright head away before she flew off. Now she had a bigger task ahead of her: find Tina and apologize to her.

---

Trixie glanced up at the leaden gray sky as she and Starlight stepped out onto the sidewalk accompanied by their phalanx of Secret Service, only to squeeze her eye shut when a drop of rain fell into it. "Ugh! This is the third day of rain. Does the sun ever shine in this part of America?"

"Welcome to Fall in the Pacific Northwest," Starlight said as she cast an umbrella spell. Rain ran off a clear, translucent shield above their heads.

"Please tell me this is our last day here."

"In Oregon, yes," said Starlight. "We head to California tomorrow."

"I certainly hope it's drier down there."

"They're in a drought at the moment, I believe."

"Good."

Starlight stared. "Good??"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "I don't mean good for them, of course. Just look!" She gestured with a hoof towards the skies. "If anything, this and that drought you mentioned are proof the humans should allow Equestria to properly train this world's pegasi. This planet's weather is a mess."

Starlight sighed.

"Too much water here," Trixie continued. "Too little water there. Too cold here, too hot there. How do these humans even stand it?"

"Yes, it certainly must have bothered them all through their thousands of years of existence in these conditions," Starlight deadpanned. "And they have learned at least to predict the weather."

"Hmph. If they stopped wasting their resources on prediction when they could easily have it controlled--"

"Could we get on with it, please?" Starlight urged. "We have a schedule to keep. Unless you really want to be stuck here another day."

"Very well," said Trixie. "And just where are we going?"

"Not too far from here," said Starlight. "A pony community has settled in and around the town of Nek ... Nurk ... er ..." She levitated her tablet PC out of her saddlebags. "Neskowin."

"Inland, I hope?"

"Nope. Right on the coast."

Trixie face-hoofed. "Urgh."

"You can even see the ocean from the highest point in the village." Starlight smiled. "I'm looking forward to it. I rarely get a chance to see the ocean back home."

"Yes, let's add salt water ravaging our manes and fur on top of it."

Starlight narrowed her eyes. "If I wanted someone who would endlessly complain about the situation, I would've brought Rarity along instead."

Trixie thought she had every right to complain. Here was a world that could gain immense treasures from the proper application of pony magic, and she and Starlight were stuck dispensing tiny trinkets. The temptation was great to herald her progress -- real progress -- in delivering proper magic to the pony masses of Earth.

Instead, she took a deep breath and said, "Fine. Let's get going."

They started towards the waiting car when a voice called out from behind them, "Wait! A have a message for Miss Lulamoon!"

Trixie and Starlight turned to see one of their Equestrian unicorn assistants come running towards them, a sealed scroll held aloft in her magic.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. "A message? From whom?"

The unicorn skidded to a stop. "I don't know, Miss Lulamoon. It just arrived by magical relay from the portal in New York."

Trixie's mouth dropped open, and her pupils shrank slightly.

"The portal?" Starlight said. "This message is from Equestria?"

"Apparently," said the unicorn as she gave the scroll to Trixie.

Trixie took the scroll in her magic and turned it around. Flowing script on the ribbon wrapped around the scroll read To the Great and Powerful Trixie, Earth. She smiled. "Well, at least they took the time to get my name right."

Starlight peered over her shoulder. "Whoa, that's a Canterlot royal seal!"

Trixie quickly snatched the scroll from Starlight's gaze. "So what if it is?"

"Are you sure it's addressed to you and not me?"

Trixie rolled her eyes and lifted the scroll into view long enough for Starlight to read the ribbon. "Satisfied?"

"But who in Canterlot would be sending you a message?" Starlight's horn flickered. "And with the highest possible privacy seal on it?"

Trixie lifted her muzzle. "Obviously, somepony in Canterlot sees how valuable a contribution Trixie is making to this noble effort and wishes to offer their personal congratulations to her. Princess Celestia, perhaps."

Starlight hid a grin behind her hoof.

Trixie gave Starlight an imperious look. "It was only a matter of time before the Great and Powerful Trixie's accomplishments were recognized."

"I have a feeling that's not it," said Starlight. "And you're talking in third person again."

"It's called dramatic effect. Now, I need to read this message."

"Go ahead, but make it quick."

"In private, if you don't mind."

Starlight clenched her teeth. "Fine." She threw a fore-hoof towards the car. "Go on ahead into the car and tell me when you're done."

Trixie started forward, only to retreat when she stepped into the rain. "Spell, please?"

"Or for--! Nrgh, fine." Starlight's horn flashed, and the rain shield was cut in half. "Here's your umbrella, Your Majesty."

Trixie smiled and headed towards the car. The spell popped out of existence as soon as Trixie was inside and the Secret Service agent had closed the door.

Once she was safely behind the tinted glass that would not betray her expression to Starlight, she let down her veneer and looked at the scroll with a combination of trepidation and annoyance. Only one pony would be sending her a message with a Canterlot Royal Seal, and if he was risking questions being asked, it must be an emergency.

Disaster scenarios ran through her head. Had something gotten back to Celestia? Was Blueblood on the verge of being discovered? Was Trixie about to be discovered?

Trixie's horn glowed as she broke the seal and opened the scroll. What looked like random squiggles on the page resolved themselves into flowing formal Equish script as the privacy spell recognized her and dropped its obfuscation:

Great and Powerful Trixie:

Prince Blueblood requires your presence in Canterlot with all haste. He has need of your access to the Restricted Section of the Canterlot Archives in a critical matter regarding Earth. Time of of the essence. The proper paperwork is in place so that you may viably claim a family emergency concerning your sister as your reason for returning to Equestria.

Respectfully,

Quick Quill, on behalf of:

His Most Royal Highness Prince Blueblood
Future Governor of the Equestrian Earth Protectorate

As soon as Trixie had read the last word, the scroll turned to ashes that themselves vanished in a sparkle of magic.

Trixie clenched her teeth and glanced out the window. Starlight had her Farhearing Stone out, and a privacy shield shimmered around her. That would distract her for a bit and give Trixie a chance to think up a plan.

Though what plan was there other than claim the supposed emergency and head back to Equestria? It should be the perfect cover. Trixie rarely talked about her family, leaving her free to invent anything that was needed. She did indeed have a sister who had recently suffered a bad cold.

Only one question remained: should she go now or wait one more day for the portal duty rotation so that Illuminating Spark was on duty? It shouldn't matter as she was no longer carrying anything that was forbidden.

And it would get her out of this awful weather that much sooner.

---

Starlight frowned as she levitated the Farhearing Stone. "This is getting ridiculous. Are you sure there hasn't been some sort of mistake?"

"Positive, Starlight," came Sunburst's voice from the enchanted gem. "We've been over it several times."

"And there isn't something wrong with the sensing spell itself?"

"I've been over that as well. It's functioning properly."

"And yet we still can't figure out where this discrepancy came from!"

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but, ah, neither you nor Trixie has been interviewed yet."

Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying they suspect me of bringing something through that I didn't declare?"

"Um, no, not you specifically," Sunburst said in a delicate voice.

"Then who ...?" Starlight trailed off. She looked towards the car where Trixie had gone to read her personal message. "No, it couldn't be her."

"I'm not necessarily saying it is!" Sunburst exclaimed. "But to complete the report, we need to interview you both."

"Even if either of us tried to smuggle something through, the mage assigned to the portal on this side would've detected it, especially something with that much magic."

"Um, in theory, yes. Unless said mage was, well, compromised somehow."

Starlight thought back to her letter from Celestia warning about the Canterlot nobility trying to stir things up back home. She glanced back at the car, where Trixie sat reading her message with a Canterlot Royal Seal.

"We're planning on interviewing the mage on duty at the time you and Trixie came through," said Sunburst. "We're, ah, also aware of the message that arrived for Trixie."

"Yes, she's reading it now in private," Starlight said.

"I'm hoping it's coincidence."

"It has to be. Yes, I know, Trixie's been vocal in her support of the ponies of Earth, but she knows better than to pull something like this." Starlight paused and added in a lower voice. "I wouldn't have trusted her with this if I thought she would."

"I know, which is why I'm hoping there's some other explanation," said Sunburst.

Starlight saw the door of the car open and Trixie hop out. "I'll talk to you later, Trixie is done reading her message." She dispelled the privacy shield and put the Farhearing Stone back in her saddlebags as Trixie trotted over. "Well?"

"I regret to announce that I will have to end my association with this venture early," Trixie announced.

"Uh, you do? Why?"

"A family emergency, it appears."

Starlight's eyes widened. "Is someone hurt?"

"Yes, my sister," Trixie said.

Starlight tilted her head. "You have a sister?"

"Indeed."

"You never mentioned her."

"Well, uh, she's shy," Trixie said.

Starlight nodded once. "Shy, huh?"

"And frail. Terribly frail, poor thing. I send her some of what I make at shows, but it never seems enough."

"Uh huh," Starlight said. "And, um, someone from the Canterlot nobility decided to inform you of this?"

Trixie smiled. "If you'll recall, the last show I did in Canterlot--"

"We did in Canterlot."

"--impressed them so much that they engage in correspondence with me." Trixie paused. "Oh, and they say to tell you 'hi'."

"Right," Starlight deadpanned.

"I really feel bad about having to leave you to do the remaining classes alone." Trixie glanced up at the cloudy skies. "And I simply will miss all this wonderful weather. Well, I better get inside and book my flight to New York. I'll see you back at the Castle of Friendship when you get back."

Starlight nodded slowly as Trixie trotted back into the building.

Starlight frowned. It didn't take an investigative genius to know Trixie was up to something, but did it have anything to do with the portal discrepancy? Even in the best of times, Trixie had a conspiratorial air to her, and it usually amounted to nothing, or just some scheme to further her own fame.

Starlight had been about to explain to Trixie about the necessity for the interviews, but now she decided not to alert the showmare. If she was hiding something, better for her not to be on guard.

"Sunburst better be wrong about this," Starlight muttered.

Because if he wasn't, Starlight was not sure who would be more angry with Trixie: Celestia, Twilight ... or herself.

---

Standing just outside the home he shared with Green Fields, Bob turned over the three inch long piece of rose quartz in his magic for perhaps the tenth time. He stared at it intensely, though he barely paid attention to what his eyes were telling him. Instead, his magical senses relayed detail that his eyes could not even begin to perceive.

Without taking his attention from the quartz, he jotted down another observation into his notebook, both it and the pencil also levitated off to his side. It effortlessly followed him in the same relative location as he paced back and forth.

What he drew upon the page bore no resemblance to language or even the arcane runes of pony magic. Instead, it was more a structural diagram, like a prelude to a blueprint. He had found that none of the ways he knew how to write down magic were adequate for the task of describing what he was sensing, so he had to improvise.

He had begun this exercise indoors, but found that the presence of other ponies and their ambient magic in such close quarters to be detrimental his senses. Earth pony magic was especially distracting, as he could sense the flow of energy between the pony and the Earth.

Yet when he heard the rush of air and wing overhead, he knew he would be distracted in a way he could not get away from, though he definitely did not mind. He lowered the piece of quartz and looked up as Tina flew down and landed a short distance away. He smiled as he began, "Hi, Tina. I'm glad you're here. I think I may--"

"But just what are you doing here?" Tina demanded as she folded her wings to her sides and stepped towards him.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's morning on a weekday. You should be in school."

"I decided I could afford to take a day off," said Bob. "They're teaching something I already know."

Tina sighed.

"Why are you concerned about it?" Bob asked, his tone one of curiosity. "You're not attending classes yourself."

"You know I'm only delaying another semester to see if the whole weather control thing grabs me," said Tina. "And you're doing exactly what I thought you'd be doing: obsessing over this crystal stuff."

"I'm sorry if it seems that way, but soon after I woke up this morning, I had an inspiration, and I had to see if I was right." He turned the notebook page towards her. "And I was."

Tina peered. "I have no idea what this is supposed to be. It looks like lines and squiggles to me."

"It's a sort of matrix." Bob turned the page towards himself. "I think it represents the structure of the quartz crystal at a thaumic level."

"You think."

"I admit, I'm working largely on intuition here," said Bob. "Which is not something I'm usually comfortable with, but I'm discovering that intuition is an absolute requirement for advanced magic."

"I'm not sure I follow," Tina said.

"When Twilight explained that magic has laws and structure, she was absolutely right, but from the Equestrian perspective."

"Shouldn't that be the same as ours? Science is science no matter what world it comes from, right?"

"Not quite." Bob held up the crystal. "Magic has far, far more variables to consider than standard physics. It's why magic has to be expressed in runes. A single rune holds a large amount of information. There's simply no way to hold all those variables in your head without some sort of way of associating the information."

"That's not quite the way Twilight explained it."

"Of course not, because she's used to approaching it from a perspective she's grown up with her entire life," said Bob. "That's why Equestria hasn't managed to do things like invent the semiconductor or understand nuclear fission. It requires a completely different mindset. It's why even Twilight herself -- perhaps one of the most brilliant minds the Equestrians have -- was astounded and even confused by human science."

Tina waved a fore-hoof. "Whoa, back up a second. You said magic has too many variables to take in all at once, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"And I need magic to fly."

"Yes."

Tina unfolded her wings and hovered. "Then how the hell am I doing this? I don't have a million variables going through my head, I just do it."

"Because you're biologically wired to have a purely innate understanding of the runes for pegasus flight," Bob explained. "It's like how you don't have to consciously breathe or digest food because you have patterns of neurons that 'know' how to do it for you. That's a bit of a crude example, but it will have to suffice."

Tina smirked as she landed. "Because my poor brain can't handle it?"

"No, because I can't put it into words. Think of it this way: I can start talking about a small mammalian quadruped with retractable claws, usually having a coat of fur which can be anything from very short and wiry to long and bushy, able to make a trilling sound with its vocal cords when content, domesticated by humans approximately nine thousand years ago, a popular subject of videos circulating on the internet ... or I could say 'cat', and that conveys far more information than even what I just mentioned."

"Okay, let's say I understand that enough to not feel completely dumb," said Tina. "What does this have to do with what you did the other day?"

Bob flipped back to a previous page in the notebook and turned it towards Tina. It looked similar to what he had previously shown her, but more complicated. "This is a thaumic diagram I made of the small shard of thaumically-aware crystal I created. Once I complete the diagram of the quartz crystal, I can much more easily see all the differences."

"Which means ... what?"

"It means I can see the crystal as a whole and not just a sum of its parts." Bob lowered the notebook and added in a lower voice, "Which means I can likely affect the entire crystal all at once."

Tina's pupils shrank. "You are not considering trying that again!"

"I have to!" Bob cried. "It's the only way to know whether I'm right or not!"

Tina frowned. "And it's a fine way to get yourself killed!"

"I intend to take precautions."

"Oh? Like what?"

"I admit I haven't figured that out yet."

Tina face-hoofed.

"I promise not to try this again until I do figure it out," Bob declared. "I'm not keen on hurting myself, either."

"Bob, look," Tina began in an earnest voice. "I know you really want to help the crystal ponies, but--"

"That's just it, Tina," Bob said, his voice growing more excited. "This goes beyond just making some shiny magic crystals. I'm close to understanding the very nature of pony magic itself."

Tina considered before asking, "And just what does that mean?"

"It means I can teach this to other unicorns, which in turn means we can come up with more advanced spells. We won't need Equestria to teach us anymore!"

Tina gave him a stunned look.

"Do you understand the implications of this?" Bob asked.

"Yes!" Tina said. "It means you can get into a lot of trouble if you get discovered!"

"Never mind that."

"I can't just ignore it!"

"I'm not saying you should, just that you need to understand that this goes beyond one pony's concerns," Bob said. "This means there will simply be no way to stop ponies from acquiring advanced magic. I suspect this was part of Sunset Shimmer's plan all along."

"Huh??"

"Think about it," said Bob. "How was one unicorn, despite how brilliant or powerful she was, going to teach seven billion ponies? She must have planned for some of the transformed to have very strong natural talents to take some of the burden from her. It explains why ponies like Sunny seem to have an innate sense for being a pegasus. I doubt she even needs any training from Equestria."

"That's a hell of an assumption to make," said Tina.

"Which the facts bear out. Another example: there's an earth pony filly by the name of Wild Growth. She can make entire forests grow with a stomp of her hooves."

"I thought that was just a rumor."

"I was able to confirm it's true," said Bob. "I could go on and cite other examples. The point is, maybe Sunset's ultimate goal was thwarted, but the means to get there will be fully realized."

"And why do you have to be part of it?" Tina cried in a distressed voice.

"Why shouldn't I be part of it? I have a chance to make a huge contribution. It means all my efforts in remembering my human heritage have paid off. I doubt I would have discovered any of this if I hadn't been so focused."

To Bob's surprise, Tina stomped a hoof, her eyes glistening, her voice quavering even through her anger. "You've been so goddamn focused on all this magic stuff that you're making it harder for me to relate to you!"

Bob stared. "Wait, what?!" He hesitated. "Is that the reason you're so upset with me all the time over this, because you don't understand it?"

"Well, at least you fucking even noticed I'm upset."

Bob's ears flattened. Tina rarely used such language unless she was really distressed. He was even more stunned when he saw Tina wipe one of her eyes with the back of a hoof.

Bob took a step towards Tina. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"

"I know you didn't," Tina said in a lower and shaky voice. "I'm probably as much to blame as you are. I should have said something sooner."

"Said something? Said what?"

Tina swallowed hard. "I'm not sure I can--"

Both her and Bob flinched when they heard an awkward clearing of a throat. They whirled around to see Rainy Skies standing there.

"Uh, hi," Rainy said in a tentative voice. "I sense this is a bad time."

"Yes, it--" Bob began.

Tina turned away from him. "No, it's fine. What do you want?"

Rainy glanced between the two in confusion. "I think I really should go for now."

"Rainy, you obviously came here for a reason, now out with it!" Tina cried.

Rainy sighed. "I need to talk to you."

"Then talk."

"I'd rather do this alone."

Tina's ears drooped. "Fine." She turned back to Bob. "We'll talk later, maybe when I, uh ... never mind."

"Tina, wait," Bob said as she turned away and unfolded her wings.

"No, I'll only start yelling again!" Tina said in a choked voice. "Rainy, let's go."

All Bob could do was watch his fillyfriend fly away, a confused and hurt look on his face.

---

As Tina flew above the treetops, she realized just how good her wings were at doing what she tended to do as a human: run away from her problems and her feelings. Except this time it didn't work so well for the latter, as she kept glancing towards the ground where she had left Bob.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rainy asked.

"For the last time, yes, I'm fine," Tina lied. She finally stopped and hovered, turning towards Rainy. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"I want to apologize to you."

Tina gave Rainy a confused look. "Apologize? For what?"

"For ignoring your advice the other day about delivering that artifact."

Tina sighed. "Look, Rainy--"

"You were right, I wasn't thinking things through," Rainy continued. "If I had, I would've realized how stupid it was."

Tina bit back the impulse to say "but you did it anyway." She wanted to accept it at face value, that Rainy really did want to be less impulsive. "I probably said some things I shouldn't have, so there's plenty of blame to go around."

Rainy shook her head. "No, you were right to yell at me. I shouldn't have gotten involved." She frowned. "Sometimes I wonder if I ever should've gotten involved, period."

"What are you talking about?"

Rainy threw her fore-legs wide. "All this! What we've become! Was it even worth it?"

Tina gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry to be short with you, but an existential crisis is not something I want to deal with right now."

"Sorry. I'm just frustrated and confused. I don't know what to do, and I hate just sitting around doing nothing."

"Join the club," Tina muttered.

Rainy hesitated before asking, "Um, sorry to seem like I'm prying, but ... is everything okay between you and Bob?"

On impulse, Tina wanted to reply "yes", but just the mention of his name threatened to let loose the flood of emotions she had only barely kept dammed up. Her eyes glistened, and she said in a choked voice, "No, not really."

Rainy gave her a pained look. "I'm sorry to hear that. You two looked like a cute couple."

Tina's heart lurched.

"Are you breaking up with him?"

"I wish it was that simple!" Tina wailed.

Rainy's ears drew back in surprise.

"That would almost be easier," Tina said in a quavering voice.

"I don't understand."

Tina had hoped she could at least hold back the tears, but her own frustrations over the past few days were too much for her to bear anymore. "I feel like I'm watching Bob trying to send himself to an early grave. Or at best have himself hauled away by human authorities!"

Rainy stared in confusion for only a moment. "Is this about the stuff he's been doing trying to teach magic to other unicorns?"

"It's gone well beyond that."

"Um, not to make matters worse, but there's all sorts of rumors going around about him, that he did something spectacular."

"See what I mean?!" Tina cried. "No matter how much he thinks he's keeping it quiet, it's already getting around. He claims he wants to keep it under wraps, but the further he gets, the less concerned he seems to be about it!"

Rainy's pupils shrank slightly. "Just how far has he gotten?"

Tina frowned. "That's not the point. The point is, he's putting himself at risk, and it's scaring the hell out of me."

"Have you told him this?" Rainy asked.

"No," Tina said in a miserable voice.

"Maybe you should."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'd have to admit I'm in love with him!"

Rainy hesitated before replying, "You mean you still haven't told him that?"

Tina stared. "Huh??"

Rainy rolled her eyes and smiled faintly. "Come on, it so obvious to everypony else that something's going on between you two."

"I don't think you get this," Tina said in a low voice. "I don't mean just some teenage infatuation. I mean love in as I could see myself marrying him. Love as in wanting to bear his foals."

"Whoa," Rainy said in an awed voice.

"Yeah, 'whoa' is right," Tina muttered. "I mean, yeah, we're too young to raise a family, I get that, but I can see it happening in the future. It's something I want to happen."

"Then you really do need to tell him!" Rainy exclaimed.

"But if I do that, he might actually listen to me when I ask him to slow down his magic research."

"Well, yeah, but ... uh ..." Rainy paused and shook her head. "Now you lost me. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes, it is," Tina said, wiping away a tear. "But what if I want it only for selfish reasons? This can't be about me. That's why I felt like I had to apologize to you as well. I tried to tell you how you should run your life when I don't even know how to run my own."

"I have to admit, Tina, this is kind of a surprise to hear. You were always the most laid back of anypony I know."

"Only because that was easier than actually making a damn decision about anything," Tina said in a low, quavering voice. "Oh, but I can tell other people what they should do. What the hell even remotely qualifies me for that?"

"Because you tend to have your head screwed on straight most of the time," Rainy said. "You stop to think things through. While Sunny and I were in the shelter together, she talked a lot about you. She was grateful for all the help and advice you've ever given her, which was why she was sad you weren't in the same shelter with her."

"But who am I supposed to go to for advice?"

"Isn't that what you're sort of doing now?"

"I just needed to get this off my chest," Tina said. "I wasn't looking for a solution."

"But it sounds like you need one," said Rainy. "What if the roles were reversed? What if I was coming to you with the same exact problem? What would you tell me?"

Tina found it surprisingly easy to answer the question. "That you should be honest with him so he knows exactly how you feel and what he's getting himself into."

"That's what I thought you'd say." Rainy smiled. "See? Simple!"

Tina frowned. "And what if he doesn't feel the same way towards me?"

Rainy's smile faded. "Oh."

"Understatement of the year."

"Oh, come on, can't you tell how he feels?" Rainy asked.

"That's the problem, I don't know anymore," Tina said in a strained voice. "Maybe that was another reason I'm fed up with his focus on magic. He was always one to be reluctant to show his feelings, but this is making it worse. He picked the worst possible time to immerse himself in this."

"Well, maybe he--"

"And what if he's right?" Tina demanded. "What if what he's come up with is so terribly important that my feelings are an unnecessary distraction?"

"Bob would never think that," Rainy said.

Tina wanted to believe that. She wanted to think that the colt she had seen by the shore of the lake just a few days ago was still there. That was the day she realized she was falling in love with him. When he had taken the time to vent some of his frustrations, she got past the stoic and logical persona and saw what he could be like when he wasn't so wrapped up in the future of ponykind. She had never met someone so gentle and caring, either as a human or a pony.

"You're right," Tina said in a subdued voice. "He even looked happy to see me when I first showed up today."

"There, see?" Rainy said.

Tina squeezed her eyes shut. "And what was the first thing I did? I started criticizing him. Brilliant. Some fillyfriend I am. All I've been doing is criticizing."

"You don't do that unless you have a damn good reason," said Rainy. "Like you did with me."

"But he must be getting tired of it. What if he's so tired of it, he ... h-he ..." Tina became too choked up to continue.

"Oh, geez, now I get it," Rainy said in a low voice. "You're afraid he'll reject you."

Tina clenched her teeth. "I hate feeling like this. I've never felt like this. I'm supposed to be the one where stuff just rolls off my back. I'm the one telling people not to worry about what other people think about them."

"It's never the same when it's about yourself," Rainy said in a more subdued tone. "If anypony knows how this transformation didn't give us the perfect world some of us expected, it would be me."

"Bob once confided that he feared his initial attraction to me was just so many pony hormones," Tina said in a quavering voice. "Now I have to worry if that was the only thing keeping our relationship going. Maybe it's the only reason I feel this strongly towards him."

"You know what?" Rainy said. "This is all stuff you need to be discussing with him, not me."

"I-I know. And sooner rather than later."

---

Matthew sat in the conference room along with his assistant Kelsey, his fingers steepled as he sat lost in thought. On the large monitor, the image was split between two of his agents, one code-named Alpha from a safehouse, and Danton from Denver.

"We're only now getting word as to how the operation was leaked," said Danton. "The source was another agent inside the bureau sympathetic to ponies."

"Indeed," was all Matthew said.

"Matt, I can guarantee it was no one among the agents assigned to the operation. I'll vouch for all of then personally."

"Noted."

Kelsey turned towards Matthew. "If I may, sir, I received the latest intelligence just before the meeting. We got hold of the city clerk who received the call. From what he told us, it sounds like it was Agent Jason Madsen."

Alpha frowned. "Isn't that Heller's pony sidekick?"

Matthew lowered his hands. "He is. Do we have any evidence Heller is behind this as well?"

"None, sir," said Kelsey.

Matthew detected a note of resignation in Kelsey's normally strictly businesslike tone but simply made a mental note of it. "Where is he now?"

"As far as we know, he's still assigned to the Denver office in Broomfield."

"Make sure of that, and have Agent Madsen taken into custody for further questioning."

"What about this operation?" asked Danton. "We can't go through with it as-is with the police hanging around."

"Maybe we should have Ryan assist," said Alpha.

"No," Matthew said.

"But you're already not keen on having him at MIDROC just yet."

Matthew frowned. "Thanks to Princess Twilight, the public is already on alert that someone with Ryan's talents is at large. If the GVPD start suddenly feeling too fearful, they will likely raise the alarm. No, his ability is only good on an unsuspecting public or a captive audience."

"We need to do something with Ryan," said Alpha. "I'm not sure how long I can keep him here."

"Did I not assign sufficient crystal ponies to protect you from his ability?"

"But can they protect us at all times? Even when we sleep?"

Matthew leaned forward. "Just what has he told you?"

"He's implied that he has the ability to affect us while we sleep," said Alpha.

"He's bluffing to get what he wants, and you're a fool for falling for it," Matthew declared.

Alpha looked taken aback before he frowned and shot back, "With all due respect, sir, I've told you from the start that you're playing with fire concerning him. He should be locked away somewhere."

Matthew glanced at the other half of the screen, where Danton had muted the conference while he talked to another agent. "He has no more ability that you were briefed on," Matthew said.

"Then he got past our crystal ponies somehow."

"You simply need a stiffer backbone. Either that, or you need to pay better attention to the reports that stated his passive ability to sense your fears is formidable in and of itself and not something crystal ponies can block."

Alpha's frowned deepened. "Whatever the cause, he's making my people here jittery. We'd just as soon deliver him to MIDROC. You're going to need him anyway once you bring Tanner and Kelton in."

"Assuming we can still bring them in," said Kelsey in a neutral voice.

Danton returned his attention to the conference and unmuted it. "Matt, we just a got a solid lead as to exactly where Miss Tanner and Ms. Kelton are located."

Matthew's eyebrows rose. "Source?"

"A homeless man who was taken in by some ponies at an apartment complex in the First District of Greenwood Village," said Danton. "He reported seeing a girl matching Miss Tanner's description. Not only that, but he may have seen a manifestation of her ability."

"Has Ms. Jarris been informed of this yet?"

"Not yet. I was planning on briefing her right after this conference."

Kelsey signaled him. "Ms. Jarris and Agent Madsen were good friends before ETS."

Matthew considered. "When was their last contact?"

"Unknown," said Kelsey. "While there's no formal record of them being seen together post-ETS, that doesn't mean they haven't been corresponding since then."

"It could be nothing."

"Granted, but it's another variable in an already complex equation."

"Matt, something else you should know," said Danton. "Yesterday, Ms. Jarris left the office here for a short while citing a 'personal matter.' She even rescheduled her briefing of the other crystal ponies to attend to it."

The one thing Matthew thought he could count on was Tonya's loyalty, yet there were a lot of other aspects of this mission he felt he could trust, only to see them betray him in some manner. Without Tonya, however, none of his plans would work. She was the only one who stood a chance to tame Miss Tanner's powers long enough for her to be brought into custody. Then he needed Ryan to keep her incarcerated by making her too afraid to look at her own shadow let alone use her power until Matthew could properly control her.

Ms. Kelton was not as much of a concern; put her in a Faraday cage, and that would be sufficient to tame her until he could learn the secret of having magic interface with technology. In the long run, she was the bigger prize, but Miss Tanner was by far more useful to him in the present.

He had to hedge his bets. If Tonya were in communication with Heller, Madsen, or even the targets of the operation, she could not be given the chance to get word back to them of their change in plans. "Wait until just before you're ready to launch the operation to brief her."

"That won't sit well with her, I can tell you that right now," said Danton.

"She can complain about it later," said Matthew. "She knows her duty, and I expect her to do it."

That's what he had to fall back on: no matter what Tonya's personal feelings were, she understood that people like Miss Tanner could not be allowed to roam free, nor could her blatant escape from law enforcement be overlooked. Matthew prided himself on reading people and their intentions; he had to hope what he had seen in Tonya still held sway.

Matthew folded his hands. "Give me the bottom line. Can you and your fellow agents get in there and get out without raising too much attention?"

"It will be tricky, Matt," said Danton. "We have the added complication that there's an increased influx of humans into the area. Volunteers for the post-harvest festival the ponies are planning. That was the reason officially cited by the mayor's office for the increased police presence."

Matthew frowned. This would be the sort of misdirection that Heller would do, but that assumed Heller was actively working against him rather than just being an inconvenient thorn in his side. It also hinted at collusion between him and Greenwood Village city hall.

"Kelsey, put a priority on finding out where Heller is," said Matthew. "If he's anywhere near this operation, I want him out of there, however it has to be done."

"Yes, sir, I'll--" Kelsey stopped and took out his cell phone. "I better take this," he said as he stood and stepped away from the conference table.

Matthew turned back towards the large monitor. "I don't like how the mayor's office is putting their own spin on it rather than exposing the operation directly."

"Personally, I think it's just Mayor Morgan taking political advantage of the situation," said Danton. "She can claim another win for her pro-pony platform."

"Or some other collusion is at work."

"I don't see where you have much of a choice but to go ahead with the operation," said Alpha. "My understanding is that it's now or never."

"He's right, this has been delayed far too long," said Danton. "We have to move now."

"And if that's the case, you're going to need Ryan sooner rather than later," said Alpha.

Matthew let out a sigh through his nose. When Kelsey returned to his seat, Matthew turned to him. "Of all the powers that Princess Twilight possesses, is one of them detecting mind magic?"

"Not that we're aware of," said Kelsey. "That's more Miss Glimmer's expertise."

"Some night ponies have the ability. Do we know of any near the facility?"

"We don't know of any night ponies in residence within at least ten miles, but that doesn't mean there aren't any."

"And have any of our crystal ponies noticed anything unusual concerning the Princess?" Matthew asked.

"They thought they had picked up a small magic surge that was unusual on occasion," Kelsey said. "But where they admit they don't understand a lot about alicorn magic, they didn't consider it noteworthy."

"All right," Matthew said. "Agent Danton, prepare to execute the operation as soon as you're ready. Agent Alpha, prepare for immediate transfer of Ryan to MIDROC. Keep him hidden at all times."

"Got it," said Danton.

"We'll be glad to be rid of this bastard," said Alpha.

"Contact me when you've made more progress," said Matthew. Both agents terminated the call at their end, and their images were replaced with the conference room instructions on the monitor. "What came in earlier?"

"I received word concerning the investigation into the possible compromise of a BMO agent assigned to Starlight Glimmer's Equestrian contingent, sir," said Kelsey.

"The one we suspect Trixie Lulamoon is working with?"

"Yes, sir. He's been under observation since we learned of the possible compromise. While he managed to keep details of a clandestine meeting in Pony Hope secret, investigators think they can piece together who was there and pretty much confirm your suspicions about Robert Tanner."

Matthew nodded. "Very good. Is there any evidence this is related to the report of the magical discrepancy at the portal?"

"Only circumstantial at the moment," said Kelsey.

"Is there enough evidence against the BMO agent to have him brought in for questioning?"

"Just about."

"Have them get on it ASAP," Matthew said. "We can't be the only one investigating this. If Equestria gets there first, they may try to cover things up or put their own spin on it."

"Agreed."

Matthew observed Kelsey for a moment. He had retained his normally stoic look through the entire proceeding, yet Matthew sensed an underlying tension to the man's tone. "Is there something else you need to discuss with me?"

Kelsey hesitated before replying, "Just what I had said earlier, that it appears there are more variables than we had expected."

"Very true, but I have faith in our ability to handle them."

"Yes, sir."

"The key to success in any operation of this scale is to anticipate unforeseen complications and rise to the challenge of dealing with them," Matthew explained. "Something which you've done your part most admirably."

"Thank you, sir," said Kelsey. "Though it's not my performance I'm concerned about. There are so many players in this operation that there is an increased risk that even one rogue element could disrupt it beyond the ability to compensate."

Matthew laced his fingers together. "If you're concerned about Ms. Jarris' loyalty, rest assured I will handle that matter."

"I wasn't worried about her specifically, sir. Just a general concern."

"Noted. Thank you for being candid with me, but so long as we all do our job and keep the end goal in sight, I'm sure we'll pull through."

Kelsey nodded once. "Yes, sir."

---

Even a day later, Sunny was still reeling from the what Twilight had told her about her sister. Having heard that Twilight and Jenny had managed to speak in the dream realm the night before did little to quell her concern. If anything, it had made her feel more worried about Jenny and what would become of her, not even considering what the FBI might want of her.

And now what Twilight had to tell them that morning from inside another shimmering privacy spell did nothing to inspire any further confidence.

"I was informed this morning that I'm being asked to testify before Congress," Twilight announced. "I don't know how much longer I can stay here."

"May I ask why they wish your presence in person?" Goldy asked.

"They've opened their own investigation into the incident at Village Center. My guess is that my statements about a human being behind the incident has rubbed some people the wrong way."

"I suspect this is little more than a political ploy."

"It may be more than that," said Twilight. "The timing is too suspicious. Congress normally doesn't operate this fast. If Fuller really does have his own agenda concerning Jenny and Bev, then MIDROC is the most logical place for him to take them, since he has this place completely locked down and under his control."

Sunny shuddered and said, "In other words, they're trying to get rid of you."

"Yes," Twilight said in a resigned voice. "Agents Heller and Madsen already suspect Fuller used Ryan to affect the thinking of key people in the American government. We can only be thankful he never reached the President."

"Surely as a representative of a foreign government, you are not obliged to go," Goldy said. "Or you can send your cohort Princess Cadance in your place."

"Yes, but I'm very concerned now about how this will appear in the public eye," said Twilight. "I've never refused a request to speak openly to any government body."

"You can't leave!" Sunny cried. "If they bring my sister here, you might be the only one who can stop them from doing something bad to her!"

Twilight turned to her and placed a fore-hoof on her shoulder. "Sunny, calm down. Connie and her friends are doing everything they can to ensure that doesn't happen."

"But we can't just assume that they'll succeed and everything will be okay."

"I concur with Sunny," said Goldy. "It's imperative that we don't give any ground to them. While this corruption is present, it jeopardizes all our plans for the future. The President can defy Congress for only so long."

"I'm going to delay as long as possible," Twilight explained. "I've been informed that there's been some unusual movement of agents and other personnel towards this facility. I want to stay long enough to see if I can glean any insight."

"What about Princess Luna?" Sunny asked. "You said you were meeting with her secretly. Can she help?"

"If she does get involved further, it would only be for helping identify Ryan, if we can ever find where he is." Twilight hesitated. "There's another reason she might remain involved."

Sunny realized Twilight was looking directly at her as she spoke. "You mean ... she wants to meet with me?"

"No, your sister Jenny."

"Why? Because of her ability?"

"Not directly," Twilight said. "I am not at all keen on Luna's plans. She wants to cast a spell on Jenny to find out how she got linked back to the dream realm. It's a bit of a long story, but I've already voiced my disagreement with these plans."

"I don't think she would like it either," Sunny said. "And I won't be able to convince her one way or the other. She doesn't really listen to me anymore." She hesitated before adding in a more somber voice. "I think we've drifted apart more than I wanted to admit."

"I plan to meet with Luna later today one last time," Twilight explained. "I'll let her know not to consider you if she's looking for someone else to convince Jenny. Anyway, I think it would be best if you two headed home for now."

Sunny recoiled, her ears flattening. "What? Why?"

"For your own safety," said Twilight. "Sunny, maybe you don't realize it, but you're one of the most powerful and skilled pegasi in the country, if not the entire world."

Sunny's mouth dropped open.

"I didn't realize that myself until I spent the last few days in your company and could sense the magic flowing in and around you. It's similar to what I feel around Rainbow Dash."

"I am no Rainbow Dash!" Sunny protested.

Twilight smiled. "No, you're not, but you have that same potential."

"I am not at all surprised to hear this," said Goldy. "It's what I have always said myself about Sunny."

"Can we not make this about me?" Sunny said in desperation. "We should be more concerned for Jenny."

Goldy turned towards Twilight. "I concur with Sunny's feelings, Princess. We should stay along with you. If Sunny is as powerful as you say, having her here would be far more of a benefit."

"Yes, she's strong, but she's young," Twilight said.

"It would seem age has no bearing here. Jenny is even younger than Sunny and potentially just as powerful in her own right."

Twilight frowned. "I'll be very candid with you. I'm getting tired of seeing underage ponies and humans being thrust into adult roles far too many years before they're ready for it."

"You cannot protect them all, and I would argue that the point is moot," Goldy continued. "They are involved and there's no way to go back. We can only move forward."

Twilight sighed. "All right, let's see what happens this morning in Greenwood Village. If Heller manages to shield them from Fuller's agents, that may buy us more time. Then we can--" She cut herself off as a chime came from her saddlebags. She levitated out a headset and placed it on her ears. "Yes? One moment, Starlight." She turned to the others. "I have to take this call. I need to go."

"Please let us know the moment you hear anything," Sunny said. "I'm going to be worried sick about Jenny until this is over."

"I know, and I'll do my best, but you and Goldy should consider what's best for you as well." Twilight raised her head, and her horn started to glow.

Goldy held up a fore-hoof. "Before you dispel the privacy shield, I would like it maintained for a little longer so I can continue to confer with my colleague in private."

Twilight's horn glowed more brightly for few seconds before it faded. "I changed the spell to be keyed to your horn, Goldy. Just touch your horn to it to dispel it when you're done. I'll be in touch."

Goldy nodded as Twilight left, the shield sparkling around her as she stepped through.

Sunny watched her go before turning to Goldy. "What is it?"

"I wish to ask you two questions," said Goldy. "First, is it true what they say about you, that the first time you made it rain, it was indoors?"

Sunny managed a small smile. She still recalled that moment fondly, not for its intrinsic display of her abilities, but a bonding moment between good friends. "Yes, that's true."

"Which leads me to my second question: could you do it again?"

Sunny blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Specifically, could you do it within this facility?"

Sunny's pupils shrank. "Why??"

"You wish to protect your sister, and there is the possibility she may be incarcerated here."

"Not if what Heller and the rest are planning goes okay."

"It's as you said, we can't assume everything will come out okay. We must plan for contingencies."

Sunny's heart pounded. "But anything I could do wouldn't be remotely legal."

"That aside, do you think it's something you can do?" Goldy asked.

Sunny wanted to protest further, but already her mind had risen to the challenge. A buck at a sprinkler or two would give her all the moisture she would need. Even if they rushed to turn off the main water valve for the building, she would have enough to conjure up everything from gentle rain showers to miniature spinning storms. Even a thick fog could be an advantage.

"Yes, I think so," Sunny said in a subdued voice.

"Then I would suggest considering it if the need arises," Goldy said.

"It's still too dangerous. Too much can go wrong."

"I believe everything happens for a reason, and that includes me choosing you to accompany me. It could be that fate determined that your ability would be needed here."

Sunny's wings quivered. "I really am not into any sort of predestination stuff."

"Maybe not, but I've found the Harmony has a flow to it, even a purpose. You could be part of that."

Sunny gave Goldy a wary glance. Goldy had stated that she was promulgating a Harmonist perspective as it was the consensus reached at the Council, but the more Sunny spoke with Goldy, the more Sunny was convinced Goldy was doing much more than just touting a political line of thought.

Goldy smiled. "Just consider, please, that your role in this has already expanded beyond your initial expectations. That may be a sign that you will need to take a more direct hoof in this venture."

Sunny said nothing in return. She could only hope that it would never come down to her, no matter how fiercely she wanted to protect her sister.

Comments

[badninja]

Gets a rolled up newspaper for Trixie and prepares a shallow grave for Blueblood. Next to the trouble making humans the two are the biggest trouble makers in this story.

[Conflicting views]

Well, the shark as been more then jumped for me. Have fun kids.

[JayTheAgent]

I like how the proverbial excrement slowly trickles into the air circulation unit. Little things happening all over like that build suspense amazingly well.
Thanks for another great chapter!

[Raistlin]

9462981

I suspect this time Trix isn't going to get off scott free like with the Alicorn Amulet. Not only she has potentially strained even more the relationship between Equestria and the American Government, but she has also betrayed her best friend's trust on her.

[DDDDDDDDD23]

Bob is being stupid!
He believes that their natural skill in magic is due to sunsets plan. Why does he not consider that their might be controls she set in them t stp them going against her.

[DDDDDDDDD23]

Twilight should notice that the reason young people are being thrust into leadership positions is because the transformed have a controlling herd instinct.
The herd instinct makes them listen to the most powerful of themselves.

[Eroraf86]

The situation with Bob perfectly illustrates the problems with any long-term effort to suppress the transfer of information. Bob is learning on his own how to bypass the restrictions on learning magic, and Matthew is now aware of his efforts and progress, despite attempts on all fronts to keep that information secret. True, there are situations when certain facts are better withheld in the short term—"judicious application of the truth" as Bright so well put it—but in general, assuming that your efforts to maintain secrecy will succeed is the surest way to let potentially dangerous information fall into the wrong hands.

TL;DR The politicians on Earth and in Equestria need to pull the stick out of their collective ass and just be rational.

[Raistlin]

9463138

As much as I despise Matthew's methods and selfish ambitions he is right about something: the solution isn't (futile) trying to suppress pony magic but exploring and encouraging human magic.

[Amarna]

Twilight complains about young people being thrust into leadership roles and Bob points out ponies that have extraordinary connection with their tribes' magic. The fact that all those with the extraordinary magic are all in the mid to late teens must be by design too. Trying to set up leaders with powerful magic that were just old enough for ponies to treat them like adults, but young enough they would be around for a very long time.

[Von Snootingham]

I really REALLY hope that when this is all said and done and the endgame is played out, Sunny doesn't actually ascend to alicorn, uh, hood. (alicorndom? alicorniness?) Because between Goldy foisting her responsibilty as council representative onto Sunny, and Bright Future trying to make her their literal god, everyone wants to disregard what Sunny wants and take away her agency.

From the very start, from the moment she realized that the last 10 years of her life had been influenced by the machinations of Sunset Shimmer, Sunny has wanted to just chill out, avoid too much responsibility, and be her own person. But then they made her weather wing leader despite her protests, and she felt too repsonsible to decline. And then she got shanghai'd into accompanying Goldy on the council, ostensibly just as a warm body, but then was basically made the lead. And the damn Harmonists are trying to make her a god and put her in charge of every pony on earth. It seems like no one stopped to consider what SHE wanted. It's not like she hasn't made it known. She's made it her mantra: "Yo, like, I don't want to be in charge, can we not make this about me?" And then these asses who all seem to hold her in such high regard completely ignore that; ignore HER (her the person) and pretend she's some ideal.

It's all just a really rank way of taking away her agency. And if the final straw happens and she actually DOES ascend, I'm going to hate them all forever because how cruel can they possibly be to someone they claim to care about. If it DOES happen, I hope Sunny tells them to sort their own shit out because she's just go alicorn it up over here in the corner in some anonymous office job or something, and that they can all go fuck off.

[Boltstrike58]

"I believe we are very close to the realization of all our efforts," said Bright. "Once the government acts on the President's orders, I am sure Sunrise Storm's true nature will shine through, and we will be closer than ever to having a worthy ruler for--"

"Look, I didn't come here to talk about Sunny's supposed Ascension!"

"Supposed? It troubles me that you still doubt--"

Uh, what if Sunny doesn't want to ascend?

[Raistlin]

Believing in the power of Harmony means living up to the Five Pillars in all things. I would not be living up to either Kindness or Generosity if I refused to honor a request made in peace

Doesn't that fit with the Pillars?" Rainy asked. "Loyalty, maybe

Never mind. I apologize for that last statement. Kindness tells me I should assume you had the best intentions, or that you succumbed to a moment of doubt

Seriously, can anyone read these parts without thinking "brainwashed cultists" ?

[Fistfire]

yep its all coming to a head with jenny and sonny being in the middle of it

[keroko]

9463179
If that was his intent, yes, but Matthew doesn't want genuine exploration of human magic. He wants control and weaponisation of human magic.

9463877
It'd be deliciously karmic if a strong pegasus is all she ends up being. That's all she wants (more than she wants, even) and it'd sweep the hooves of all the extremist pony groups right out from under them.

[Amarna]

9464603
I think they are on the wrong track focusing on all that strength anyway. We have exhibit A and B in this chapter about how magic strength is not what makes a pony become an alicorn.

Exhibit A: Starlight Glimmer. She's strong enough to fight an alicorn to a standstill, and just like Twilight she finished one of Starswirl's unfinished spells and did magic that had never been done before (she mastered the time travel spell, and knows more about cutie marks than anyone). Guess who didn't become an alicorn despite all that?

Exhibit B: Wild Growth. The strongest evidence of a pony having a lot of magic and doing incredible magical feats is not enough to actually make them an alicorn. If this was true there have been so many times this pony should have ascended to being an alicorn. Luna even commented that Wild Growth might very well be the strongest on the planet, but Luna never really seems to even consider the possibility that Wild Growth would become an alicorn. Twilight says she had already figured the probability of an alicorn happening were so low as to not to happen and she had to know about how strong Wild Growth is since the pony is public knowledge (at least to ponies that bother to watch social media and the news, which might not be most western ponies).

Bright Future seems to think that the strength comes first then the ideal. I think the ideal is everything. There's no evidence that Cadance was anything other than a run of the mill pegasus before ascending, and Twilight in show when she was still a unicorn admitted there were unicorns that were even stronger than her.

[Glenn]

9464874
The example of Starswirl the Bearded shows that simple magical power isn't enough; a pony also needs a deep understanding of the nature of friendship to ascend to alicornhood. His failure to understand the role of the elements is probably the main reason he couldn't finish the spell Twilight would eventually use to ascend.
This makes me wonder if the emotional shock Tina delivered to Bob in this chapter will ultimately be beneficial or detrimental to Bob's efforts to fully understand the nature of pony magic. While it probably disrupted his current train of thought, thinking about his relationship with Tina could suggest to him that he may need to be more honest, generous, kind, loyal, or funny to make the relationship work. Thinking about the importance of the elements may then let him see things about the magical nature of ponies he might have otherwise missed.
Regarding the question of Wild Growth's potential ascension, I suspect that only ASGeek, (the original Pandemic author) can decide if any pony in this particular setting should become an alicorn. And since the appearance of a new alicorn would dramatically change the whole setting, I think it's likely that he won't be in a hurry to allow that plot twist anytime soon. Perhaps ASGeek would like to comment on this?

[DivinePanzer]

9464221
Halira.

[Halira]

9466181

Excuse me. But I think you missed a fundamental point. I'm was not trying to make them out as good. I went out of my way to show them in a negative light. I agree they are despicable because that's how they've been written and presented, and your assertions about what they'd do at this point are only somewhat exaggerated, but not completely.

Please refrain from personal attacks.

[Alondro]

9462981 None of this will matter when the Ancient Darkness appears and devours the planet.

[harts fire]

9462981
this is true but Trixie and Blueblood have the right idea.

[harts fire]

this hole thing going one over 2 or 3 people / pony's is about to blow up sky high.

[erictheblue]

"Not quite." Bob held up the crystal. "Magic has far, far more variables to consider than standard physics. It's why magic has to be expressed in runes. A single rune holds a large amount of information. There's simply no way to hold all those variables in your head without some sort of way of associating the information."

this made me think of the "death gate" novels, where runes were a multi-direction language, going OUTWARD from a center rune, the "heart rune".
the weirdest part was that an identical set of runes with a different "heart rune" could have a substantially different magical effect!

[Charlemane]

9467309
and it will be glorious.

[harts fire]

9467596
i have a few ideas of what i want to see but, i am not going to start a pissing match in comments agene.

[harts fire]

9466160
it is so vary obvious to me that you have missed what is really going one with the Dreamwardens and the reasons behind the oath's given.
and the need for this to happen.

[harts fire]

9466738
some people just do not really understand what is really going one. the real driving force behind every thing going on.

[ASGeek2012]

9469300
If it helps any, it's not my intention to have a tragic or sad ending. I'd encourage you to keep reading. There ultimately will be a resolution.

Though your comment at least shows that my attempt at realism is working on some level. I didn't want to go full idealistic with the setting as that would have turned a lot of readers off, I believe.

[AATC Fanboy]

There are numerous creatures that have never seen the light of day on Earth, and several of them have places in myths.
I have often wondered how ponies on Earth would react to the following:

A monster that has an almost entirely hominid body from the neck down, no different from any other human male save the rather massive, giant size, but his bovine head looks like a bull’s.

2. Another humanoid that has a face like a dog’s, poodle hair, pads on her feet, yet likewise is plainly human shaped overall, and with thick skin.

3. A being that looks almost like an even mix between a beetle and a horse. An overall equine shape, but an outer body texture that is clearly covered all over with shiny black chitin, a back shaped like a dome, cheesegrate legs that have numerous joints in them, more than that of humans or horses in spite of their equine shape, two multifaceted eyes like a gem, among other things. They can eat solids, but don’t need to, as they sustain themselves on the feelings of other sentient beings by siphoning it out of them by simply being in their presence, and being alone with just one can leave you without any feelings, and they can read yours like an open book.

4. Another that had no special ability, but had the frontal features of an eagle: Wings, Head, Talons and the attached limb, and a frontal torso covered in feathers. The rest is like a lion’s body: Furry rear torso, hindlegs and paws and tail of a lion. A Gryphon.

5. Another bipedal being, this one having a torso shaped similar to that of a human’s, save the fact they have no cleavage whatever, nor anything resembling mammaries, yet still have a navel. A lizard head, arms and legs hands and feet not too different to humans, save the fact each finger and toe has claws on the end of them, and large membranous wings on their backs. Their whole body is covered in hardened scales making them resemble a reptile, only they have natural body heat, and a very specific intolerance to alcohol.

6. A being with a head like a miscellaneous land mammal, yet from the neck down looks like a fish: scaly torso, continues into a tail, no limbs. Just one very long spine from the neck downward to the end, a clear, wide, flat fluke appendage at the end of it, and two upper appendages that only serve to crawl or swim yet can be used for nothing else. One might say it looked like a rather large sea horse, but it isn’t. A Siren.

Those are only six of many different kinds of specie unknown and foreign to Earth. What would the populace of Earth think of these things? The ones known from myth? The original ones none ever heard of? Would they be welcome or not? Would they be seen as equals? Would they be treated the way humans typically are, and seen as intelligent life on reflex? Would it further alter the way we all look at the world? Most importantly, would the ponies who deem themselves informed after altering so much of the global populace be accepting of this, or revise their own view of the world again? Would these ponies be more accepting of humans and that fact many of them are informed after so many other unique and sentient life forms took residence here? Even better: they all have the memories of specific people who were born and raised here.

[Advent Link]

i hope Bob and Tina will continue to be together.

[Zanec]

If this unravels all at the same time, I hope it is spectacular.