Pandemic: Aftermath

by ASGeek2012

Chapter 33 - Hope And Despair

"In a brief statement, the Greenwood Village Police Department has indicated that the earlier hostage incident at the Golden Blossom School resulted in the deaths of one human and one pony, with another human in critical condition and a pony in stable condition."

His fingers steepled, Matthew sat rock-still as he watched the news report on CNN.

"There is some confusion over what exactly happened. The initial report of a lone gunman, earlier thought to be a hoax, turned into a report of two humans who were either law enforcement officers or impersonating as such. After a brief fire-fight with police, they entered the school and took one of the teachers hostage. It is believed the deaths occurred during the attempt by police to apprehend the two humans."

Matthew lowered his hands into his lap and frowned.

"The deceased pony has been identified as Amber Wave, a teacher of pegasus studies at the school. The identity of the two human gunman is currently being withheld by the police, citing a sensitive, ongoing investigation. In an earlier statement, Greenwood Village Mayor Constance Morgan indicated that local law enforcement was working closely with the FBI."

Matthew ground his teeth and took the remote into his hand.

"The pony community in Greenwood Village is in utter shock. CNN has learned that the FBI conducted an earlier covert operation in the heart of that community, but what they were doing is unknown at this time. This has frightened many of the pony residents enough that they have temporarily closed down their markets and canceled what was to be an upcoming post harvest festival. Speculation is rampant that some of these ponies were witness to federal activity that was not within the normal bounds of--"

Matthew muted the monitor and tossed the remote to his desk with a clatter. He bashed the intercom button. "Kelsey, get in here, now!"

He turned his chair towards the door, but no one was forthcoming. He leaned over and pressed the button again. "Kelsey, did you hear me?"

A different voice answered. "Kelsey is not here, sir."

Matthew bolted to his feet and headed into the reception area where he found Edward standing by Kelsey's desk. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Just a few minutes, sir," said Edward. "I haven't seen Kelsey the whole time I've been here."

Matthew glanced at the empty chair before turning his attention to Edward. "Is there something you need, Mr. Kenworth?"

"I wanted to bring a matter to your attention. As much as I don't want to go over Ms. Jarris' head--"

"Just get to the point."

"There are three persistent magic blooms in the facility ever since the prisoners arrived."

Matthew frowned. "What kind of magic?"

"The resonance is consistent with a privacy spell, though at an elevated power level," said Edward. "More so than I thought would be necessary to shield simple conversation."

"Princess Twilight is obsessed with privacy," said Matthew. "Though admittedly with good reason. It's a smart move on her part if she's at all familiar with human surveillance technology."

"All well and good, sir," Edward continued. "But why have these three been continually maintained? Does she not simply cast one as needed?"

"True, she has."

"Thus I find the existence of these persistent spells to be suspicious."

"What has Ms. Jarris said on the subject?" asked Matthew.

"She claimed she was investigating the matter, but I've heard no further details," said Edward. "Whenever I've asked, she simply tells me she's handling it and not to worry about it."

Matthew let out a slow sigh through his nose and briefly clenched his hands into fists.

"Now, far be it from me to question my superiors, sir, but--"

"No, you were right to bring this to my attention," Matthew said.

"Shall I investigate the matter myself?" Edward asked.

Matthew's mind raced. This could mean that Twilight was making some sort of move against him, and she was hiding something far more than just conversation. He could order the shields removed, but that would alert her of his suspicions. Better to keep them in the dark and simply accelerate his plans.

"Eventually, yes," said Matthew. "But I need you to something else for me first."

"Yes, sir?"

"Have Miss Tanner interrogated."

Edward had been briefed on the code language they would use for executing parts of Matthew's plans for the prisoners. Edward understood at once and nodded. "Right away, sir."

As Edward trotted out of the room, Matthew took out his cell phone. He called up Kelsey's number and texted him: Get to my office immediately.

---

Eileen chewed on a roll and swallowed without really tasting it, her mind barely on the task as she sat in the end cell of a three-cell block. Her mind was too preoccupied going over again and again the events which had transpired over the past week.

She was distracted from her introspection by an odd light out of the corner of her eye and looked to her right. Wildy stood in her cell, her head lowered, frowning at the plate on which was her still untouched dinner. She ground her teeth and narrowed her eyes, and some sparks flew from her horn. She raised her head and looked at the crystal pony who stood guard. "Will you let me use my damn levitation spell?!"

"No magic," said the crystal pony mare. "No exceptions."

"I need it to eat my dinner."

"Your earth pony pal doesn't have any issues."

Wildy glanced to her right, where Fire sat in the remaining cell, having simply dipped his muzzle into his food. She shuddered and said in a low and slightly quavering voice, "I really don't want to do it that way. It brings back a bad memory."

"Tough," said the crystal pony. "Deal with it."

Wildy bared her teeth. "How does it feel to be a traitor to your own species?"

"I'm just doing my job. Now, I suggest you stop pestering me and eat your dinner."

Wildy growled at the guard, but dropped hard to her haunches and stared at her dinner. She hesitated, then lowered her head to take a piece of lettuce into her mouth.

Normally, Eileen wouldn't have said anything, but she needed a distraction from thoughts which threatened her send her into a spiral of self-blame and despair. "So, um, earth pony table manners not your thing, huh?"

Wildy shot her a venomous look. "Shut up. You have no fucking clue about it."

"Yeah, I guess I don't," said Eileen. "Didn't you have to eat that way before you figured out how your magic worked?"

"Yes." Wildy paused a long moment. "Locked in a closet by religious fanatic parents convinced I'd be okay if I admitted how sinful I was."

Eileen sighed. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not looking for your pity."

"Trust me, it's not. My Mom's a died-in-the-woods Irish Catholic. Even after becoming a pony, she doesn't stop hounding me about going to Mass."

"That's hardly the same thing," said Wildy. "You can ignore her."

"Yeah, true," said Eileen. "Look, I didn't know, okay? I'm sorry."

Wildy eyed Eileen for a moment. "I suppose you're thinking, wow, that explains everything about her."

"Maybe."

"It doesn't. Regardless of what happened to me, I still think we'd all be better off as ponies. It just makes sense."

"I'll agree to disagree with you."

Wildy paused to chew on a carrot. She swallowed and said, "I heard you were the first to take the counterspell."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Eileen frowned. "What do you mean, why?"

"Didn't you see the transformation as a way to make your life better?" Wildy asked. "I've overheard some of your conversations with Jenny and Fire. You regret a lot of things you've done in your life."

Eileen wanted to protest that Wildy should mind her own damn business, but instead she said simply, "Yeah, so?"

"So why didn't you take that chance to start over?"

"If you had been listening to me, then you'd also know something else I said: becoming a pony won't solve all your problems."

"That was bad advice, whoever gave it to you."

"Even if it came from Twilight Sparkle herself?"

Wildy hesitated. "You have to be joking."

"You wanna know something?" Eileen said. "I had considered refusing the treatment. It was Twilight who convinced me not to."

"You can't be serious!"

"Why is that so surprising, huh? Twilight was obviously doing everything she could to stop Sunset Shimmer."

Wildy looked about to protest, but turned her attention back to her meal instead.

"What, you think that was all for show, that she actually supported turning the planet into a big pony commune?" Eileen asked.

Wildy was silent for a long moment before she spoke without looking towards Eileen. "I thought maybe she sympathized with some humans, that she could clearly see how many of them have it better now but couldn't say anything for political reasons."

"Spoken like someone who never met Twilight in person," said Eileen. "Stop deluding yourself, it never works."

"And what would you know about it?" Wildy demanded.

Eileen almost laughed. She would normally not admit her own failings to someone like Wildy, but at this point, she had hit rock-bottom. She couldn't see how things could get worse or better. "Because you're talking to the queen of self-delusion."

Wildy gave her a confused look. "Huh?"

Eileen still hesitated. Did she really want to go there with someone she loathed? Or at least thought she loathed. "I deluded myself into thinking I could be a good mother, for one."

Wildy gave Eileen what could almost be interpreted as a sympathetic look. "I heard you were sorta estranged from your son."

Eileen shook her head. "I'm not talking about him. I'm actually on better terms with him now than I've ever been. I'm talking about Jenny."

"I was wondering what the deal with that was. She's your niece, right?"

"Yeah."

"What's she doing with you instead of her parents?"

Normally, Eileen would never answer such personal questions, but she no emotional reserves left to suppress the words. "Her parents are ponies. They thought that after she rehumanized, she should be around humans, so they sent her to me." Eileen hesitated before adding, "We were all idiots for thinking I could handle it."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Eileen," said Fire.

Eileen frowned at him but bit back her initial retort that it wasn't any of his business. Wasn't she already making it everyone's business by talking about it with Wildy? "If I hadn't brought her with us, she would be safe back now."

"No, she wouldn't," Wildy said.

Eileen was unable to hold back the retort this time. "What the fuck would you know about it?"

"Jason told us Fuller probably already had plans for her. Having her alone would've just made it all that much easier for him."

Eileen clenched her teeth until she heard them grinding. Logically, it made sense, but she couldn't get her heart to understand. "Then maybe she should've just stayed with her parents in Pony Hope!" Eileen shouted. "Just keep her away from me! I'm fucking toxic! I fuck up everything I touch! I fucked up my life, my son, and now my niece! I ..."

Eileen trailed off when she realized she had started crying halfway through her tirade. She wiped tears from her face and sniffled, but they kept coming. She turned away from the others. "Just ignore me, okay?"

The silence that followed was awkward, but anything the others could have said to her would have been even more so and utterly useless to her. She looked up at the bars of her cell and saw them as indicative of her colossal failure as a human being. She had only been fooling herself all this time that she had actually become a better person, that she was moving on with her life and leaving her past behind.

Instead, her past had become her present, and it would become her future as well.

---

Kelsey hesitated before entering the conference room, pausing at the threshold when he saw Anthony standing within the sparkling magic field, a laptop on the table nearby. Kelsey looked around expecting to see either Twilight or Luna, but the two were alone.

Anthony gestured for Kelsey to step forward.

Kelsey sighed and stepped into the shield. "You can't seriously believe that this sort of thing won't be discovered."

"The head of security is on our side," said Anthony.

"If you're referring to Ms. Jarris, you should know that Mr. Fuller is planning on finding a way to let her go and let Mr. Kenworth take over. He's already consulting with Mr. Kenworth without Ms. Jarris' knowledge."

"I suspected as much, but we just need to buy some more time."

"There is very little of it you can purchase."

"Let me worry about that," said Anthony. "Do you have what I asked for?"

Kelsey stiffened slightly as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a USB stick. He hesitated another moment before handing it over.

Anthony nodded as he took the stick and plugged it into his laptop. He brought up the folder for the drive and found it had only one file. "Is this all of it?"

"Yes," said Kelsey. "While Mr. Fuller had to have some sort of record, as there was simply too much data to keep in his head, he wanted to minimize the risk."

Anthony opened the file, his eyes quickly scanning down the first page. "It will take me some time to digest this. You can help by pointing out where the pertinent information is."

"I don't have time to explain everything," Kelsey said in an irritated voice. "The longer I spend here, the greater chance that Mr. Fuller will realize what I'm doing."

"Not unless he believes your mental conditioning has secured your complete loyalty. It's his blind spot."

"Yes, but he will soon learn of what happened in Greenwood Village, if he hasn't already." Kelsey paused. "But I'll do what I can if you can answer a question for me."

"I'll do my best."

"The agents who attacked the school," asked Kelsey in a low voice. "Were they indeed mentally unstable due to Ryan's ability?"

"We believe so, yes," Anthony replied.

"And that will happen to me as well?"

"Starlight indicated it can proceed at different rates depending on the individual. The more you're put in a risky situation, the more it will affect you. Where you're more of a desk jockey than anything else, it likely has yet to affect you."

"Or it could have already," said Kelsey in a low voice.

"What makes you say that?" Anthony asked,

"The very fact that I'm violating my loyalty to Mr. Fuller despite still believing in what he stands for. It's as if I can't be sure I'm acting in my right mind."

"You can be treated."

One corner of Kelsey's mouth rose. "By pony magic, I suppose."

"It's not the evil you and Fuller seem to think it is."

"I don't go for irony, Agent Heller," said Kelsey. "I'll decide for myself what treatment I get or don't get. I want to resolve this matter first. No matter what happens, I'll have to live with the fact that I'm stabbing in the back a man whom I had admired for so many months."

"You can say that after hearing the side effects of Ryan's power?" Anthony asked. "Side-effects that Fuller should be able to see but is conveniently ignoring?"

"Given enough time, Ryan's magic could be stabilized," said Kelsey.

Anthony tilted his head. "That sounds almost like Fuller did know that Ryan's power could induce psychosis."

Kelsey paused before replying, "He found the evidence for it inconclusive."

Anthony stepped up to Kelsey. "Inconclusive? Realize what you're saying here, Kelsey. You're implying that Fuller knew there was a risk of mental instability, and he continued with his plans anyway!"

"I'm sure he thought it was a calculated risk."

"Like subjecting you to the same conditioning was a calculated risk."

"Perhaps ... perhaps he simply thought it necessary," Kelsey said. "A greater good to consider."

"Do you really believe that?" Anthony asked.

Kelsey took a deep breath. "Regardless of what you think of what Mr. Fuller did, he'll be proven right in the end. Pony magic will have disastrous consequences for this planet if it is not rigidly controlled." His cell phone buzzed. He took it out and read the message from Matthew. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Fuller wishes to see me," he said as he turned to leave.

"The ends never justify the means, Kelsey," said Anthony. "Not where the law is concerned."

Kelsey stood at the door and said without turning around, "The law has failed to keep up, and only Mr. Fuller had the foresight to understand that."

Kelsey headed down the hall and clenched his jaw. He refused to question his own beliefs anymore. They had to have been his all along. He had come to be aligned with Matthew's plans through his own decisions. Even if Ryan had helped reinforce it, it still had to be his in the beginning.

Surely Kelsey could convince himself of that.

---

Bev rubbed her itchy eyes which were bloodshot from crying. She had no tears left, though the deep regrets that had triggered them remained.

She had to sit down on the cold cell floor, as standing was too taxing on her back, and the hard floor made her hooves ache. Her prison was in two layers, the normal bars on the outside and an inner layer of wire mesh laid over a wood frame, making her confinement seem all that more intense.

Bev knew a Faraday cage when she saw one considering her background in electronics. It seemed like overkill, as she was being guarded by a crystal pony. Unless, of course, her ability was so unusual that they didn't want to take any chances.

Not that Bev had any control over it, at least not enough to do any good save for powering small devices. It didn't even seem to come from her horn. Jenny, for instance, had vast, powerful magic and no visible means to project it. If Bev could sense anything about her own magical energies, they swirled everywhere inside her except for her horn.

She stared down first at her tail she had pulled into her lap to prevent it from picking up dirt from the floor and then at her hooves. All of Jenny's magic had manifested upon her rehumanization. Would the same thing happen to Bev were she to do the same? Would she come up with some wondrous new ability that not even a unicorn could command? Even as she contemplated this, the magical energy inside her seemed more pronounced and tangible, like warm water flowing against her skin.

Bev let out a shuddering sigh and covered her eyes with a hand. She took another deep breath until the urge to cry again had passed. Why was she even contemplating her fate when it had already been decided for her? Someone was going to use her to their own ends. Even if they didn't use someone with mental powers against her, she likely would cave in anyway.

Bev had very little courage as a human. Even Sam had told her in so many words that she let people push her around too much. Maybe that was the real reason she wanted to become a pony. She already had the herd mentality, letting others carry her through life rather than make any sort of decision on her own. Being a pony would just make that easier to do. She would have an excuse for letting things simply happen.

She looked up at her guard. The crystal pony mare was sitting on a low chair, a book open on a small wooden table which had been brought in to replace the original metal table. She looked at the remaining empty cells of the three cell block. She wished they had included some of the others with her, so she would at least have someone to talk to.

Bev looked towards the guard. "Can I ask you a question?"

The pony looked at her. "You need something?"

"No, I just wanted to know something."

"I'm not supposed to talk to the prisoners," said the mare before returning her gaze to her book.

"I just want to know if you ever considered rehumanization."

The mare gave her an odd look. "Huh?"

"Did you?"

The mare frowned and looked about to protest before she asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. I'm, um, contemplating it myself. If they'll let me." Bev paused. "Will they let me?"

"I can't answer that," the mare said. "And as for your original question, no, not really."

"Why not?"

The mare shrugged. "I guess I just felt comfortable like this, so I didn't really question it."

Bev nodded slowly. "I wish I could say that."

"I'm sorry for your situation, but not much I can do about it."

"I know. Thank you for not ignoring me at least."

"Yeah, sure."

Bev wasn't sure what made her ask. It was not like she had any control over what happened to her anymore, yet the question still nagged at her.

No matter which way she went, all the research she had done said she would be comfortable in her body. The morphic resonance would ensure that. What was her resonance now, though? She didn't feel at all comfortable, and not just considering the physical issues.

Rehumanization had a limited window in which it could be applied. In another two months, that window would close. What about her Partial state? Would it also become irreversible? She had never contemplated that possibility until all control of that decision had been removed. Would she forever be trapped between two realms in a body that didn't feel like it was hers?

Bev violently shivered at the idea.

"Hey," came the mare's voice.

Bev's gaze snapped up.

"You okay?"

"Not really, no," said Bev. "Why?"

"I thought I felt a burst of magic from you," said the mare. "Was about to tell you to stop, but it was kind of irregular, like you didn't have control over it."

"Well, I don't have control over it."

"Do you surge?"

Bev shook her head. "Not that I know of. Why?"

"Just that it wasn't the first time I had sensed it," said the mare.

"You didn't mention it to me before."

"It was a lot weaker before. This was stronger."

Bev drew her hooves towards her. "I have discharges when I'm upset. This experience is not exactly very calming for me."

The mare nodded. "All right. But I'm required to clamp down on any of those discharges. These Faraday cages are not foolproof."

"I'm very much aware of that," said Bev. "But I'm not trying to do anything disruptive on purpose." After a pause, she added in a lower voice, "I've never wanted to cause anyone else any trouble. I already failed in that regard."

"Want me to let you know if I sense it again?" the mare asked.

Bev hesitated before nodding.

"Will do."

As if to mock her, Bev could feel the energy even more now, frothing like whitecaps on the wind-driven surf. It had little more definition than that, and it resisted her attempts to either understand or control.

Much like her life had been for the past six months, Bev ruefully realized.

---

As Matthew awaited his assistant's arrival, a phone call came in on his private line. He arched an eyebrow when he saw it was an internal number. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Fuller," said the voice at the other end. "This is the comms center."

"What is it?" Matthew said in a terse voice. "Don't you normally go through Kelsey?"

"Yes, sir, but I feel the circumstances are unusual enough. Has Kelsey informed you of the possible security breach we've been monitoring?"

Both of Matthew's eyebrows rose. "No, he hasn't. What kind of breach?"

"We picked up some concerning communications between Agent Heller and his Broomfield office."

"Was Kelsey fully briefed on this?"

"He had come down to the comms center in person, and we fully informed him of the matter. He told us to continue monitoring and give him updates."

"Then why are you involving me directly?" Matthew demanded. "I'm very busy right now."

"Because I had expected you would start giving orders in response by now," said the comms operator. "When nothing was forthcoming from your office, I thought it best to check."

Before he could respond, the door opened, and Kelsey stepped inside. He saw his superior on the phone and started to back away. "I can come back when you're done, sir."

Matthew nodded once and let Kelsey retreat and close the door. "Just what is the nature of this communication?"

"It heavily implies that Agent Heller's Broomfield office is directly involved in the situation in Greenwood Village, sir. They may be taking the lead on investigating the incident."

Matthew gripped the handset tighter.

"I should also point out that the Broomfield office has gone dark on us," the comms operator continued. "They're completely ignoring all inquiries from this facility."

Matthew stared at the door through which Kelsey had departed a moment ago. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"What are your orders concerning the matter, sir?"

"Email me a full briefing. I'll decide where to go from there."

"Yes, sir."

Matthew hung up and laced his fingers together on the desk. What was he to do? He had no way to undo what had been done. All he could do was continue to move forward. What difference did it make if the veil of secrecy were fraying? He had to keep the end goal in sight.

At the same time, he could not have people within in his own facility disrupting his plans. He hit the intercom button. "Kelsey, get in here."

"Yes, sir." Seconds later, the door opened, and Kelsey stood before Matthew's desk, standing tall and rigid very much like a soldier before his commanding officer. "What may I do for you, sir?"

Matthew leaned back in his seat and looked Kelsey over. The man had been a very fine and capable assistant. Matthew doubted he would have had much trouble keeping the man's loyalty even without Ryan's help. Indeed, Ryan had reported afterward that he only had to nudge Kelsey in a direction he had already been going. Just a few inhibitions needed to be loosened.

Matthew gestured towards the monitor where CNN still reported on the unfolding story in Greenwood Village. "Explain to me one thing, Kelsey. Why did I have to hear about this from the news outlets and not you?"

Kelsey hesitated. "Sir, there is a lot happening right now, and keeping on top of everything is a challenge."

"Indeed," said Matthew in a neutral tone.

"I thought it best to continue to focus on seeing your plans concerning the acquisitions come to fruition as quickly as possible."

"Mr. Kenworth is handling that."

"Of course, sir."

Matthew flicked a hand towards the screen again. "This represents a serious threat to those plans, Kelsey. How the hell did this happen in the first place?"

"Unknown at this time, sir," said Kelsey.

"Speculate, then."

"The most likely cause would be collusion from the Greenwood Village mayor. We had already suspected she was involved."

Matthew nodded slowly as he continued to fix an evaluating gaze on Kelsey.

"I'll get on this immediately, sir, and get to the bottom of it."

"No," said Matthew.

Kelsey gave his superior a confused look. "Sir?"

Matthew leaned forward and folded his hands under his chin. "This has been a lot of stress for you, hasn't it?"

"We're all under stress, sir."

"Yes, but you most of all, as I rely on you for so much. Perhaps a little too much."

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand," said Kelsey.

"I think it's time you take a break," said Matthew.

"Sir, we discussed this before. I fully intend to take some vacation time after this is over."

"But it is clear to me that the stress is starting to affect your job performance," said Matthew. "I know that's hard to hear, Kelsey, and it was difficult for me to say, considering how much of an asset you've been to me from the start."

Kelsey stiffened. "With all due respect, sir, if you don't have me, who will you rely on?"

"We're in the final phase of my plans," said Matthew. "Whatever Heller and Princess Twilight are planning, it will be too little too late. Without any other critical players, there is little they can do to stop what I intend to get done today."

"Agent Heller could move legally against you, sir," Kelsey said in a low voice.

"Yes, he will likely try," said Matthew. "Unless he has anything more than his own theories and speculation to present to the FBI Director, he's not going to get anywhere. Even if he had something, the Director won't move without opening a formal inquiry first."

"Then you will require damage control, sir."

Matthew nodded. "Regretfully, yes. And for that, I will need people at the top of their game. You, however, are not at the moment, as sad as that is for me to say."

Kelsey nodded. "Yes, sir. Can I consider myself on leave as of now?"

"Yes," said Matthew. "And I regret that I must ask you to remain in the facility for now. Since we already have evidence of a potential security breach in progress, it would be better for you to remain here for your own safety."

"Yes, sir." Kelsey hesitated before asking, "May I go now?"

Matthew considered for a long moment. "Just one more question. I mentioned that Heller and Twilight need more players. Do you know of any?"

"No, sir," said Kelsey immediately.

Matthew stared at his assistant for another long moment. "Very well. Feel free to utilize any of the guest quarters downstairs. Hopefully the arrangement will be temporary, and you can head home soon."

"Yes, sir."

Matthew watched as Kelsey headed out. He waited until he had heard the outer door of the office open and close before he reached for his phone.

"Security center," came the voice at the other end.

"I need Mr. Kelsey Simmons kept under covert surveillance."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Report back to me directly anyone he contacts or any suspicious activity."

"Yes, sir."

Matthew hung up and wiped his face with his hand. He had to hold everything together for just a little while longer, long enough to have at least Miss Tanner tamed.

---

"So when do I get access to my lawyer?" Jason asked.

The crystal pony stallion guard frowned. "You've asked that five times now."

"I'm going to keep asking it until I'm standing in the same room with my lawyer and can talk to him," said Jason. "So again: when do I get access to my lawyer?"

"I'm not the one who can answer that."

"Then get me someone who can."

"I'm sure you'll get to talk to a lawyer in due time."

"Oh?" said Jason in surprise. "Because that would be the first evidence I have of any sort of due process around here."

The stallion grit his teeth. "Just shut up for now, okay?"

"Not when my rights are being so flagrantly violated."

"Listen, if you don't shut the hell up, I'll drain your magic so far that you'll be out like a light."

In the next cell, Ted gasped. "Can he actually do that?"

"Sure as hell I--" the crystal pony began.

Jason talked loudly over him. "No, he can't, not without evidence of an immediate magical threat." He narrowed his eyes at the guard. "At least that's what the law says. Who knows in this secret star chamber Fuller is running?"

"Look, I was told to guard you two, that's all," the stallion said. "I'm just doing my job."

"When we arrest people in the mob who were standing as lookout, they try to claim they were only 'doing their job' as well," Jason said. "They're still criminals, and we still arrest them, and they still get convicted and go to jail."

The stallion frowned. "What are you insinuating?"

"I'm not insinuating, I'm stating it outright. You're working for a criminal organization, and that doesn't make you any better than the criminals you're serving."

"All right, all that's going to be taken down," said the guard. "You're still under your Miranda rights."

"Okay, I'll abide by that and be silent," said Jason.

"About damn time."

"And part of the Miranda rights speaks about an attorney. So when do I get access to my lawyer?"

"Argh!" the stallion cried. "Shut up! This is your last warning!"

"Jason, please!" Ted said. "I'd rather you didn't get yourself hurt."

Jason stared at the guard and sighed. He turned away from the bars. "Fine."

"You should listen to your friend here more often," the guard grumbled. "He might've just saved your hide."

Ted glanced at him, then gestured for Jason to come closer to the bars separating their cells. Jason trotted over, and Ted whispered, "Do you really think he would've done that to you?"

"I wouldn't put it past anyone working for Fuller, not after what I had seen earlier," Jason murmured. "Maybe you're right, and I shouldn't egg him on. It just burns me up how much disregard for civil rights I'm seeing. And yes, physically, some crystal ponies can drain a pony so far that they fall into a coma. That's why there are extensive rules around when law enforcement is allowed to use it."

"I don't want you to be a test case."

"Neither do I, I just felt like I had to make a point."

Ted nodded and glanced at the guard, who seemed to have lapsed back into ignoring them. "Is there anything at all we can do?"

"Not at the moment," said Jason.

Ted lowered his voice to a bare whisper, "But if we could somehow escape and--"

Jason pressed a hoof to Ted's muzzle. "Don't even think about that right now. That's far more dangerous than what I was doing."

"But I can't help but think back to what happened at the apartment building, when you held off everyone with that magic shield."

"I still don't know how I did it," Jason said in a somber voice. "I suspect we have Miss Tanner to thank for that. All I had learned was a privacy shield. I assume it's a huge leap from that to an actual defensive shield, especially one that could stop bullets."

"But the agents were using swords."

Jason shook his head. "No, they were bullets, trust me. The first impact against the shield was enough of a shock that the reality was briefly revealed before the fantastic setting came back. And it was Handel who fired first."

"But you must have been thinking of something like a shield," Ted said.

"Well, yes, but as a bluff. I was trying to stall until Anthony got there. Which was why I was so shocked when the bullet struck." Jason paused and said in a lower voice, "I may have that girl to thank for saving my life."

Ted swallowed hard. "Then that means they all fired at us!"

"Yes, which convinces me that none of them were in their right minds," said Jason. "Not even the worst trained agent would act like that."

"And if Tonya hadn't shut Jenny down, we might have held out until--"

"No," Jason declared. "Don't go blaming Tonya. She did what she had to do. I'm guessing she figured out the same thing I did, that bullets were flying and someone may get hurt. The fact that she timed shutting down Miss Tanner right when everyone had lowered their guns was telling."

"Then I don't envy her," said Ted in a low voice.

"Neither do I. That was a tough call. I'll have to remember to tell her that I don't resent her for what she did."

Ted glanced at the guard, who was now thoroughly engrossed in the magazine he was reading. "You don't suppose all the people here at MIDROC are like that? Not in their right mind?"

Jason looked towards the guard as well. "Possibly. If so, I don't envy my partner, either. All it would take is for Fuller to send another mentally imbalanced agent after him in this facility to cause all hell to break loose. It may have already back in Greenwood Village."

Ted's pupils shrank. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard something as we were being brought in," said Jason. "Someone was looking at CNN. I caught something about two gunman holding a school hostage."

"Oh, dear God," Ted whimpered. "Not Christina's school?!"

"I don't know, I didn't get any more detail than that."

Ted uttered a shaky sigh. "We really need to get out of here and find out what's going on."

"We're just going to have to be patient," said Jason. "It's out of our hooves now."

---

"Anthony, the only reason we're even considering this fantastic claim is because it's coming from you," came the voice from the Secret Service office in Washington over Twilight's UN-issued phone, the only one among them with a chance of evading the facility-wide communications monitoring at MIDROC. "Anyone else, and we'd seriously think this was some sort of bad prank."

"I wish it was, Jack," said Anthony as he stood inside one of the privacy shields. "And I wish I had more proof than just my word."

"You have the Secretary of the Interior on this list," Jack deadpanned.

"Yes, and with as rancorous as the President's dealings with his cabinet have been lately, I felt I needed to get this list to you sooner rather than later."

"We can't just pull his access to the White House, not without a formal review, and that will take a lot more proof."

"I realize that," said Anthony. "I'm not asking for anything formal. I just want you to be aware of the potential threat and have the President's secret service detail alerted immediately."

Jack gave a short sigh. "The President is supposed to meet with his cabinet tomorrow morning to try to get their support for this goodwill tour thing in the Homestead lands."

"Any way you can get that meeting canceled or postponed?"

"Not at my end. All I can do is relay this to the President. It's his call."

Anthony frowned. "The Secret Service can override the President if they believe there's a clear threat."

"And this threat is anything but clear," said Jack. "I admit, yes, some cabinet members have been getting into rather loud verbal scuffles with the President--"

"I looked over those accounts, Jack," said Anthony. "The Interior Secretary was always the one who started it. He could potentially be about to snap."

"You of all people would know that's circumstantial evidence."

"I'm not trying this in a court of law right now. I just want to prevent a potential disaster. To me, this is a threat to national security. I already have the Department of Homeland Security on board with this. They've started to quietly lock things down at the Capitol Building and approach some of the people on the list in a manner that won't draw too much attention from the news media."

Jack paused, and Anthony heard a faint sound in the background that may have been a finger or a pen tapping against the desk. "All right, I'll pass this down the line."

"Thank you," said Anthony.

"I can't keep up the heightened alert forever. I can give you twenty-fours hours. After that, I'll need some harder proof."

"I understand. Notify me immediately if anything happens."

"Will do."

Anthony ended his call and turned to the others. "All right, I have Washington on alert."

"It sounded like they tried to take you to task over it," said Luna.

"To them, I'm making a fantastic claim with little hard evidence," Anthony said. "They have a right to be skeptical. Nevertheless, they take these threats seriously."

"Should we be planning to get Starlight to Washington?" Twilight asked as she levitated the phone from Anthony's hand. "She can perform a scan of the people affected and prove that they've been compromised."

"I want to get the people here sorted out first," said Starlight. "For our own safety as well as theirs."

"My concern is the fact that the Chief of Staff of the US Army is on the list."

"Ultimate control of the US military is still in the hands of the President," Anthony explained. "And as far as we're aware, both him and the Vice President are uncompromised. Officials under the Chief of Staff would know not to follow an illegal order. Once the President is made aware of the threat, he'll be watching things carefully."

"Fuller's dealings with the Chief of Staff were likely for his convenience," said Luna. "A means to satisfy his desire to have the army at his beck and call."

"I had wondered about that arrangement," said Twilight. "Perhaps I should have thought of mind magic from the start."

"You can't think of everything, Twilight," said Starlight. "And it's what I said before: Ryan had to start with something. The sad truth is, there's enough mistrust in the US government that it was easy for him to compromise people. Yes, I can get rid of the mind magic affecting them, but I can't change their core attitudes."

"Yes, but perhaps this will make them think twice when they see how easily those attitudes can be twisted into doing evil," said Luna.

Twilight's phone chimed. She glanced at it and held it out to Anthony. "It's your office in Broomfield."

Anthony took the phone. "Heller here."

"We've got some bad news," said the agent at the other end of the call. "We're getting stonewalled by the Director's office in Washington."

"How so?"

"They're not willing to expedite the inquiry. They said it could be as long as three days before they feel there's enough evidence to suspend Fuller."

"Are they at least treating the allegations seriously?" Anthony asked.

"Yes, which is precisely why they're moving cautiously," came the reply. "Despite what you've uncovered, Fuller is still highly respected in Washington. To say this is a shock to them is like saying the Pacific ocean is a little damp."

"All right, do the best you can. I'll relay the news." He concluded the call and summarized what he had just heard to the others.

Luna frowned. "Why must everything on this side of the portal take ten times as long as it should?"

"Normally, I try to be patient," said Twilight. "But we don't have three days. Fuller could do irreparable mental harm to people in that time."

"I have told you, Twilight, I will not allow Ryan--"

"And if you stop him now, Fuller can just regroup and do it again at another time!" Twilight cried. "But I have an idea on how we might get around the problem."

Luna's eyebrows rose. "Indeed? How?"

"By going above the FBI Director's head."

Anthony considered. "I can guess what you're thinking, Princess."

Twilight turned to him. "Do you think it can work?"

Anthony looked thoughtful for a long moment before slowly nodding. "It's at least worth a try."

---

Jenny sat with her back against the rear wall of the cell, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The stark silence was broken only by the occasional shuffling of a hoof from one of her two crystal pony guards and her slow but ragged breathing. Next to her sat her untouched dinner, having long since grown stone cold.

She licked her dry lips, her tongue briefly touching where one of the doctors on staff at the facility had put in a stitch. The lip had since swelled up, but she hardly cared. For the past few hours, it had become too difficult to care about anything except her failure.

She had failed to help her friends. That an outside force not under her control was the real culprit mattered little.

She had failed to abide by the Dreamwardens' rules. She shivered violently at the idea of falling asleep.

She had failed her family. Her mother had never wanted her to indulge in fantasy in the first place, and maybe Sarah had been right all along. Now Jenny's parents had a child who was an outlaw, assuming they were ever notified of her fate. She was under no illusions that Fuller would make public any knowledge that she was here in a little cell in the basement level of some facility in Omaha.

She doubted she could get word to them via the dream realm. Surely the Dreamwardens would not stoop to help such a blatant violator of their sacrosanct laws who failed to obtain full consent in forms done in triplicate.

Jenny wanted to cry but had no tears. They were as pointless as her ability had been. She felt a little of what Bev had felt about herself, that she was nothing but a source of trouble for others.

She shuddered and lowered her head.

The Story is far from over.

Jenny's head snapped up so fast, she winced when her muscles twinged. She rubbed the back of her neck and brushed some strands of hair from her bloodshot eyes. She glanced between the two crystal ponies sitting just outside her cell. One scrutinized her for a moment before going back to the book he was reading which sat open on the floor before him.

She frowned and tried to lower her head, but the voice in her head came again.

Even now, the heroes conspire within the very citadel of the Baron's--

"Stop it," Jenny murmured, her voice raspy.

The stallion looked up again. "What was that?"

Jenny glanced at him. She cleared her throat and said in a more normal voice, "Nothing."

The other guard, a mare, rose to her hooves. "Is she trying to use her power?"

"I'm not sensing anything," said the stallion.

The mare frowned. "I thought I had."

"She has a permanent magic aura around her. I think it was just a variation of that."

"Yes, but she was talking. Her ability is something she can communicate with." The mare turned towards the cell and stepped up to the bars. "Don't even think about it, Tanner. There's no way you're getting out of here."

"I'm not trying to," Jenny proclaimed. "Just leave me alone."

The mare huffed but turned away after a few moments of additional scrutiny.

Jenny shivered. She felt the Narrative standing just out of reach, only a slim tendril of its power bridging the gap into her mind. As much as she wanted to sever that connection and be free of this power forever, it would not break.

She recalled her conversation with Bev the day before, when she had proclaimed that she had to make this ability hers somehow. She had done just that to her and her friends' detriment.

It doesn't have to be that way, Jenny.

Jenny's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened slightly. Never had the Narrative addressed her by name. It had always maintained a degree of formality when it allowed her to view the Story.

She took a deep breath, her heart pounding. Now she understood what she had been sensing for the past few days: intelligence. Somehow, the Narrative was intelligent, maybe even sapient.

We really need to talk.

"I can't," Jenny whispered.

Again, the mare jerked her head towards the cell.

Now now, but soon.

Jenny shuddered and turned her head away as if that would somehow ward it off. What in God's name could it want with her? She commanded it, not the other way around. How could it make demands of her?

Not demands. You want to know more about me. I want to tell you. It's as simple as that.

Jenny swallowed hard.

"I'm telling you, I'm sensing more than just some variation on her aura," the mare declared. She rapped her hoof on the bars. "Tanner, if you don't stop that right now, we'll just start draining the rest of your magic from you."

"Hey, go easy on her," said the stallion.

The mare spun around to face him. "Danner, we can't afford to be easy on her. Maybe Ms. Jarris thinks she can handle everything herself, but Mr. Kenworth specifically told us to be on the alert for any variation in her magic, no matter how slight."

Danner frowned. "Yes, but there's a fine line between caution and paranoia. Ms. Jarris knows the difference. Does Kenworth?"

The door opened, and in stepped Edward Kenworth followed by a human guard. "I heard my name mentioned. Is there a problem?"

"No, sir," said Danner in a stiff voice.

"We're having a disagreement as to how to properly restrain the prisoner's magical ability. I clearly detected a surge, however small."

You're going to get me in trouble, dammit, Jenny thought.

The Narrative did not respond, though it remained where it was, still hovering with that slim tendril anchored in her mind.

The mare stared at Jenny for a long moment. "Now I'm not sensing it anymore."

"If it was ever there to begin with," Danner muttered.

"That's quite enough," Edward said. "Mr. Danner, I admire your dedication to your former supervisor Tonya Jarris, but you answer directly to me now. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," said Danner flatly.

"You will not disregard my commands concerning the safety and security of this facility. I hope that is clear as well."

"Yes, sir."

Edward nodded. "That said, I have been ordered to have Miss Tanner taken from her cell for formal questioning."

Jenny's eyes widened.

"Very well, we can accompany you to the interrogation room, sir," said the mare.

"Just you," Edward said.

Danner raised an eyebrow. "Sir?"

"She and I will be sufficient. You are to report to cell block A and relieve Sanders so he can take a dinner break."

"Very well, sir."

Edward waited until Danner had left before motioning to the human guard. As the guard approached the cell door, Edward stepped up to the bars and focused his gaze on Jenny. "Stand up."

Jenny quickly rose to her feet. She glanced at the gun in the guard's holster and managed not to cringe, the memory of being struck by Handel still burned into her mind.

"You will remain quiet. Any use of magic will be dealt with swiftly. Is this understood?"

Jenny nodded.

The guard gestured for her to come out. Edward and the mare took up position on either side of her, the human guard behind her. A second human guard in the hall took the lead.

Jenny had no idea why they would want to question her now. It was clear she was not undergoing normal procedure. Didn't Fuller simply want to keep her locked up until he figured out what to do with her?

Her heart raced as she was led down the corridor. They stopped at a door where another crystal pony already stood, and the guard in the lead used his ID card to unlock the door.

Edward stepped before Jenny. "I will again emphasize: do not use your magic. You will be dealt with harshly if you do." He gestured towards the other two crystal ponies. "They will both be outside, and I can be called in on a moment's notice."

Jenny though that odd. Considering that crystal ponies accompanied her everywhere, even into the bathroom, why would they instead remain outside?

Even the mare was confused. "Outside?"

"I will explain why in a moment," said Edward.

"Of course, sir."

Edward looked up at Jenny. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, it's clear," Jenny said in a listless voice.

Edward stepped aside. "Take her inside."

The human guards grabbed Jenny by either arm and marched her into a tiny room that barely had room for the three of them. The walls were a drab gray. A single table lay in the middle with a chair on either side.

"Sit down," said one of the guards.

Jenny did as she was told. One of the guards grabbed her right wrist and drew it up. Her eyes widened as one half of a set of handcuffs was snapped closed around it. He lowered her arm and secured the other end to the arm of the chair.

Both guards left, closing the door and leaving her alone.

She looked around. There were no fixtures upon the walls, nor even additional power outlets. The only light was from the faintly buzzing florescent lights overheard. On the opposite side of the room was another door.

A few minutes passed. She almost reached out to the Narrative, just to have someone to talk to, but her fear of retribution stopped her. Could the crystal ponies drain her magic so far that it would cause her actual harm?

She flinched when she heard the other door open. In stepped a man with a lanky frame and a sallow face, dressed in dark clothing that was looser and more casual than the suits worn by most everyone else. He took the seat opposite Jenny and laced his fingers together. He smiled, but there was little humor to it.

"Hello, Jenny," said the man. "My name is Ryan. We have a lot to talk about."

Comments

[Astorius]

So are we finally reaching the culmination point?

[Mister Morden]

Well, let's see if Luna doesn't interfere at this point...

Or will Twilight's Gambit work out?

[keroko]

Hmm, so the narrative is sapient... I wonder if that means there is going to be a little surprise hiding for Ryan when he tries to connect with Jenny.

[dvdspires]

9565608
It’ll be interesting to see his reaction, especially as it seems that Jenny is merely the conduit for the narrative rather than it being something that can be actively controlled. It’ll be interesting to see Fullers reaction as well.

[YellowStripedBat]

"Trust me, it's not. My Mom's a died-in-the-woods Irish Catholic. Even after becoming a pony, she doesn't stop hounding me about going to Mass."

Did you mean 'Dyed in the wool'?

[badninja]

I hope Jenny curb stomps Ryan and he gets coloring books the rest of his life. Plus I hope that this get several people envolved with him a good tall tree and a length of rope.

[keroko]

9565638
Given that Fuller doesn't understand magic, I'd say that's a toss up between lashing out at Ryan for 'not trying hard enough' or lashing out at Jenny for using 'illegal magic.'

The guy is seeing his plans slowly unravel, and he damn well knows he has crossed lines that should not be crossed. Masterminds who know they're doing the wrong thing, even if they clad it in 'the greater good', tend not to act calm and rational when their plans spiral out of control.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Of course you leave it right there, uuuuugggghhhh

[DDDDDDDDD23]

Jenny seems to be the most likely to ascend becuase unlike bob and her sister her power was not artificially given by sunset shimmer.
I kind of want to see the stuck up harmonists faces when they find out the ascension that they have been waiting for is by a human.

[Alias_The_J]

9565638
I'm betting both Fuller and Ryan are going to be angry and terrified, respectively, when they realize Jenny's true power (or at least, my prediction therein): understanding manifesting ideas and objects from the astral plane (in the philosophical sense), or Akashic records, with the guiding power being Triss. Being new and integral to Jenny explains why every idea is pushed through a fantasy filter; being linked to ideas is why Jenny can see everything.

9553611
Does anyone else agree with this? Ryan, looking for protection from the Dreamwardens, used his power on Fuller. Fuller, looking to fight the Dreamwardens, held Ryan on a leash to help him fight the Dreamwardens, using any means necessary. Also why Ryan wants to talk to her directly, right now- to explain what's really going on, so that he can get out. Neither one is completely right, or completely wrong- which is par for the course, in AsGeek's stories.

EDIT: To clarify, I don't mean that either of their actions would be good. I just mean that the actions are understandable, and not completely selfish (and no, compelling a police officer to investigate a criminal conspiracy is not selfish).

[Eroraf86]

9565608
That's an interesting point. When the Narrative addressed Jenny by name, my first thought was Triss. Whatever it turns out to be, it's clearly not just Jenny at this point. Next chapter should be both unsettling and intriguing.

[keroko]

9565548
Given that she says she's going to go "over the FBI Director's heads"... well, there's only one head that tops the FBI's head.

One Presidential visit, coming through by way of Sparkle Express.

[Halira]

9565697

Has issues. Fuller has no particular interest in stopping the Dreamwardens beyond not letting them get Ryan early on before his plans are in motion, but seemed fully ready to just abandon Ryan to them at one point. He sees the Dreamwardens as a controlling force on pony magic and night ponies in general and as such considers their existence at least for the time being to human benefit.

This also couldn't be reasonable argued in defense if he tried to either US officials or the Dreamwardens.

Now, he could argue that he did immoral actions for Fuller due to pressure from Fuller and had reasonable cause to believe his life was in danger from Fuller if he didn't. He would have to give reasonable proof of both, but both the US and the Dreamwardens might be more lenient if this was shown to be the case.

Given Ryan's own private actions when at home of making his entire apartment fear him I think this would be a tough case to argue he wasn't at least moderately at fault.

Edit: switched up a Fuller and Ryan mention early on.

[Boltstrike58]

Here comes the hurricane.

[Joural]

Haha.
People are going to die.

[Mister Morden]

9565896
I think you are very probably correct with that guess. See how the President reacts to the situation...

And if Kelsey stays turned... or will he give the game away?

[Redbow Rose]

I’m not too worried. Jenny May be compromised if Luna doesn’t intervene, but the Narritive is sentient and is likely immune to Ryan.

[NeirdaE]

9566878
I'm thinking that if he has any effect at all, the Dreamwardens will find out about Ryan. This will lead to an additional poostorm hitting the fan.

[Amarna]

9568137
I think Ryan is officially f***** now. He tries to use his power on Jenny and they go to check on her as soon as she falls asleep. Now they can take all the information they need to find Ryan in the dream realm right from Jenny. Pretty sure they'd dispell whatever magic he used on her too. If Fuller knows about the Dreamwardens and knows that they likely immediately took interest in Jenny after she did her big surge then this plan was not very well thought out. They just held a big sign up that says "here I am" to the Dreamwardens that were having trouble locating them. Good job guys, really smart.

[Redbow Rose]

9568137
Oh right, that would make sense!

[Advent Link]

kind of hard to hate the dream wardens when you have people like Ryan (yes, i know the dreamwardens are a controversial issue for many but i wanted to say this anyway), hope they do some good and protect Jenny.

[Halira]

9569393
Regardless of whether Jenny has her own pending trial (which I think would be just going through the motions and letting her go completely free) the Dreamwardens would see to it that any malicious mind magic used on her is removed. The thing with agents is they don't have access to them via the dream realm otherwise they'd do them too.

[Advent Link]

9569463
i just imagine them as something similar to the judges from the Judge Dredd universe. hopefully less killing though.

[Halira]

9569513
It's last resort to mind wipe someone, though they like to remind others that is a possibility for the sake of intimidation into good behavior. There are a number of factors that go into their decisions-- the scale of what was done and overall impact, the degree of harm, if it was intentional or unintentional, if it was done in clear self defense or self defense of another and other reasonable options weren't available, whether the person was aware what they did was a violation of the rules, if the perpetrator was under clear duress, how fixable is the impact, how likely is it to occur again, is there malicious intent, is there clear and present danger presented by the perpetrator as soon as they wake (this particular one can cause them to skip a trial and go straight to mind wiping if they think lives are on the line, they aren't going to let the person wake and have that person immediately kill an innocent with no one to stop them if they are certain that is what will happen), and whether there are reasonable and enforceable ways of negating the threat the perpetrator presents others reasonably available.

[Always Breakfast]

9565968
Okay, no. I can see him keeping the Dreamwardens at arms' length out of immediate necessity, but there's no way Fuller, mister "pony magic will be the death of us all", is going to see a secret cabal set up by a foreign sovereign with no oversight, a penchant for torture (and at least one member known to do it as a response to even minor verbal offenses), and the ability to turn people's brains to jelly at will while they sleep as anything less than a nuclear-level threat. They're literally the personification of everything he fears about pony magic. At best, he's going to have doing away with them on his to-do list, scheduled for the moment the opportunity presents itself to supplant them with his own alternative.

[Halira]

9570497
He got the full briefing from Ryan. So he knows there's no "doing away with them". Even if he committed full genocide against ponies and managed to kill every last pony he'd still be dealing with the Dreamwardens as long as any human with any magic lived-- and he seems pretty interested in human magic. The only way to get rid of Dreamwardens is wiping out every magic user (excluding Triss who exists on a different plane of existence). His best bet with any user of mind magic he wants to use is to use them as much as possible before the Dreamwardens catch them and accept that sooner or later his little tool is going to have their mind wiped. That's what Ryan and assumably Jenny are to him.... expendable tools.

To put it in a Dreamwarden's own words:

"If somepony came and killed me while I was sleeping I'd be very upset with them. That's a highly disrespectful thing to do to a Dreamwarden, and it would deny me my more normal life," Yinyu said as she turned and looked down at Tattered with a grimace, as if considering an annoying bug. Her ears slumped as she continued. "I'd persist here though. That's one of the sacrifices me and the others made when agreeing to become a Dreamwarden, we don't get to quit the job. Our vigil shall never end, and we will never learn what lies beyond death. Our consciousness is chained to the dream realm for as long as anything with magic dreams, and we're prisoners to far greater oaths than the ones you shall give. We will only get our final rest when all the dreams are gone."

[Always Breakfast]

9570544
Chances are Fuller doesn't know that, and wouldn't take it at face value if he did. He's too paranoid not to be actively considering countermeasures (in this case, perhaps rightfully so for once), too ruthless not to pursue them the moment they become available, and too arrogant to believe they're actually that invincible. Yank them out of the dream realm, leverage humans with dream magic, even just find a way to more reliably shield his own goons from them while he prepares better countermeasures.

He knows the Dreamwardens are actively looking for Ryan, which means even if he was ever stupid enough to think of them as just a pony thing, they clearly aren't anymore.

[Halira]

9571205
I wouldn't doubt he is trying to figure out how to take measures against them. He almost certainly researched where Psychic Calm and Phobia Remedy are and has people watching them since they US citizens and in Phobia's case has a definite mailing address (unsure about Psychic Call's current address other than he lives somewhere in the Western US). The other four are overseas though and they may be much harder to track or get people near as a result.

I'm theorizing he most likely has tabs on Phobia and Psy, not actually certain on that. I know Phobia at least would be very hard to do anything publicly to without causing a major stir due to multiple extenuating circumstances.

[Morphy]

9565608

I am really hoping that he feels this a cakewalk to corrupt Jenny, only for the Narrative (or whatever it is) grabs him by the metaphorical neck and curbstomp him like the punk he is. It would be a hell of a twist if the Narrative pulled in Luna who would gladly do the stomping...

[Alondro]

And this is why all clandestine agencies must be destroyed!

As for threats to the USA? Why, that's what bioweapons are for! Once the entire populace of a few nations has been eradicated by my Ebolaids supervirus, the rest will quickly fall in line!

[Zanec]

The deceased pony has been identified as Amber Wave

I'm disappointed in you, ASGeek2012.
But please, do not ask and do not worry, this is solely my own fracture to face.