Hoof and Claw Versus the World

by Chythar

Act 4, Chapter 3 - Finding a Solution

Askling the Camp Pendleton to be nice to us was working...sort of. The base commander would talk to us, but he wouldn't do anything we considered to be important. Until we could solve this problem, we were still stuck at Square One.

---

As with the night before, the bronies were waiting for us to return. They were sitting patiently in the bean bag chairs in front of the dais, while the Night Mare and I took our seats on her throne-couch. Once we had settled in, Nightmare Moon spoke to her suck-ups -- I mean, her subjects.

"Our actions tonight have borne much fruit. The base is technically ours."

A cheer rose up, though one brony immediately shot his hand up in the air. Once the cheers died down enough, I acknowledged the brony by pointing at him.

"Yes?"

"The Mistress said 'technically' hers. What does that mean?"

"The commander of the base won't take all of our orders. Most importantly, he won't let his soldiers help the Mistress take over the country."

Nightmare Moon chose that moment to speak.

"I am certain the problem lies in the process we use to subjugate the soldiers. This same process was highly successful in subjugating the local guards -- what were they called again, Captain?"

"Sheriffs and police officers."

"Ah, yes. Once subjected, these 'sheriffs and police officers' would help us lure their comrades to us and execute any command without issue. When we used the same process on the soldiers at the base, they appear to be fully subjugated and under our control. However, they will not lure their comrades to us but will betray us instead. We have determined that they will take commands that do not directly involve betrayal or conquest."

The room fell silent. After several quiet seconds had passed, it was obvious that no one had any ideas for us.

Well, Nighty WAS pretty vague on the details. If we want help from the bronies tonight, we're going to have to give them something more.

I turned my head to face Nightmare Moon.

"We're going to have to tell them about the Savior dream and how it all works."

"Why, pray tell?!"

"They need to know how it works if you want them to help us figure out what's wrong. You and I couldn't figure it out on the way back here."

"Oh, very well."

She turned back to the bronies, who were waiting expectantly.

"My Captain has requested that we tell you all how we attempted to subjugate the soldiers the past two evenings, in hopes that you may find a flaw in the process.

"Be aware that divulging these secrets to others is expressly forbidden. In fact, discussing these details with anypony after this evening, including yourselves, is also forbidden. Am I understood?"

A chorus of agreement went around the room. However, the Night Mare frowned in displeasure.

"Do not think that you will escape my wrath simply because you chose to be silent rather than acknowledge my command. I say again: am I understood?"

The bronies looked at each other in confusion, they didn't understand the dark mare's meaning. But they got it once two voices meekly spoke their assent.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Better. Now, to subjugate the human guards we use what I call a 'shadow parasite'. The parasite is a magical construct that twists the perceptions of its host, so that my commands fit within the host's moral fiber. Thus, said commands are obeyed without question. These shadow parasites had limited use in the past, as they could not reach deep enough into the host's psyche without completely suppressing their personality and knowledge. The result would be naught more than an automation, not unlike a zombie but without the bloodlust. However..."

Nightmare Moon glanced over at me before she continued.

"...the Captain and I developed a special dream, that allowed the shadow parasite to penetrate deeper into the hosts' psyche without disrupting their mind. We then had perfect double-agents: hosts that carried the trust of their comrades, yet would betray them when commanded to by me. This could be done because the shadow parasite convinced the host that my commands were right and just.

"The special dream was designed to encourage the host to trust me and my commands. It does so by projecting a scene of a rampaging monster in their mind, then showing an image of myself saving the host from the monster. The host is then given a chance to save me from the monster. If the host successfully chooses to save me, the shadow parasite penetrates deeper into their psyche and they receive a reward. If they fail to assist me, they are punished. The dream repeats until the shadow parasite fully penetrates into the hosts' psyche and they are fully under my control. This dream has not failed us, until now.

"As with all who receive the dream, the soldiers we gave it to responded favorably. However, the shadow parasite was unable to fully penetrate their psyche despite making many successful passes through the dream. We believe that this is the failure point in the process, but we are uncertain as to WHY it is failing.

"Have you all understood so far?"

Murmurs of assent all around.

"Excellent. The shadow parasite cannot force the host to do something that is against their moral fiber. An example would be the killing of a foal, not that I would ever order such a thing. If the host receives such an order, they will show physical discomfort such as shuffling their hooves around or an inability to sit still. They may also verbalize their discomfort. If the host is pressured to continue, the hold of the shadow parasite will be weakened and it may lose control of the host. To calm the host, one merely rescinds the order. The host may also express relief after the order is rescinded.

"Now, the host should not be able to disobey an order without breaking the hold of the shadow parasite. As already stated, the host should instead show signs of discomfort long beforehand. However, the soldiers at the base not only disobeyed me, but they actively betrayed me without breaking the shadow parasite's hold over them. In fact, the same soldiers that betrayed me continued to accept later orders without complaint or discomfort. The reason for this is currently unknown.

"You all are now aware of the situation we face. Do not hesitate to make suggestions you feel are foalish, as they may trigger other, better ideas. Also, avail yourselves of myself or my Captain for any questions that you may have.

"Now, discuss amongst yourselves."

The bronies turned towards each other and began their discussion. With nothing else to do, I simply waited patiently for them to finish. Shortly, one hand raised up in the air.

"Yes?"

"I believe I know the flaw in your plan."

Conversation stopped at the brony's words. I recognized him as the former Army brony who spoke up the night before.

"So soon? Pray, do tell."

"You are correct, the flaw is in the dream and how you encourage the host to trust you. The motivation for soldiers in our military is different than the average person. Your dream will make a soldier trust you on a basic level, but things such as loyalty to our country and their fellow soldiers are held to a much higher standard."

"Hmm. Your words do appear to explain both their betrayal and why the parasite cannot fully penetrate their psyche. Do you have a remedy for the situation?"

"I do not."

"I see.

"The next goal I set before you all, is to discuss this theory and test its durability against the current issue. Also discuss any way of resolving it. Multiple ideas and resolutions will be considered acceptable.

"Go."

The bronies turned to each other and began to animatedly discuss and argue. I tried to wait patiently, but this time they took longer to come to a consensus. So I tapped Nightmare Moon's leg to get her attention.

"Yes?"

"Do we have to sit here quietly while they talk?"

"Aye. We must remain regal while they do work on our behalf."

"But, it's so boring!"

"Immensely so. But as their rulers, it is expected of us."

The mare then turned away from me, and faced the bronies once again. I took her example and did my best to sit quietly. Without a clock or my cell phone, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. But it felt like a half hour had gone by before a brony raised his hand to indicate they were ready.

"Yes?"

"We have decided that the theory is sound, or at least sound enough."

"I see. Do you have a resolution?"

"We do. Change the dream to include elements of the Business Plot."

"And what, pray tell, is the Business Plot?"

"A loose summary would be: several businessmen wanted to overthrow our government, and they approached a popular retired General to be their leader. The General found this idea to violate his morals and the oath he took to his country, but he appeared to join the businessmen to gather evidence against them. Once he had enough evidence, he reported them to his superiors in order to thwart the plot."

"I do not see how this will help us."

"Change the dream so you are fighting against Changelings disguised as humans. Tell the dreamer that the Changelings are trying to infiltrate and take over the government, and you need the dreamer's help to save the country. That should engage the soldier's sense of loyalty."

Nightmare Moon turned to me.

"What dost thou think of their idea?"

"Hmm. I'm sure we can make a new dream like that, and their reasoning sounds good. I say we give it a try."

"Agreed."

The Mare in the Moon turned back to the bronies in her court.

"We shall make use of your idea. Be assured that your help this evening will not be forgotten.

"Now, my Captain and I must retire and work on this new dream. We shall reconvene if we have need of you again. This meeting is now concluded."

Nightmare Moon stood up from her throne-couch, and began to walk off of the dais to my right. Of course, I followed after her. The bronies began to stand up and move around the room, while Moony and I slowly walked along the right edge of the throne room. Our destination was the meeting room in the back of the throne room; once she reached the door, the Mare in the Moon slid it open with her magic. I closed the door behind me, and we took seats on opposite sides of the conference table that sat in the middle of the room. Once we got comfortable, we began to discuss.

"So, tell me again what kind of dream I am creating."

"It's not that different than the Savior dream. The dream will still show you fighting against monsters, and you will still ask the dreamer to help you. The consequences will be the same: a pleasant dream if they help you, a nightmare otherwise. What will change is who you are fighting, and how you plead for help.

"Well, I think the setting should change too. I dunno, maybe a war scenario?"

"I disagree. The setting shall remain the same, but the dreamer's reason for being there must change. The soldier will be on patrol, looking for unspecified difficulties."

"Alright. So, the dreamer will be wandering the streets and...hear a fight?"

"Aye. The dreamer will run to see the altercation, and shall see me fighting against several monsters. I believe the suggestion was that I would be fighting against Changelings."

"That's right. Black, bug-like ponies with fangs, wings and a horn. And strange holes through their limbs."

"I am familiar with the creatures, yes. Though I am curious how the bronies became aware of them."

"Oh. Um, remember the My Little Pony stories I told you about? Several of the stories featured Changelings. The first one detailed an attack on Canterlot, led by a Queen Chrysalis."

"I am not familiar with this 'Queen Chrysalis', but I have known of other queens with their own hives. However, none have been ambitious enough to directly attack a town much less Equestria's capitol. Pray tell, did she succeed?"

"For a short while, yes. She managed to overpower your sister and began to ransack the city. However, they were repelled by a spell that violently forced them all out."

"Curious. I am surprised that my sister allowed herself to be defeated so easily."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that myself. I would have thought that a pony that can move the sun would be much stronger."

"She is, as am I. Perhaps she felt that she could not release her true power for some reason."

"Well, Queen Chrysalis was disguised as a bride and was revealed during the wedding ceremony."

"Ah, that would be the reason. Celestia could have easily vaporized the interloper, but would have slaughtered any and all that were within the room. I imagine she held most of her power back and only used what she felt was necessary."

"I guess. Celestia was really surprised when she was defeated. Queen Chrysalis claimed to have drained so much love from the groom that she was stronger than normal."

"That explains my sister's defeat. My sister and I can place limits on our power, both to hide our true power and to limit accidental usage. These limits can be changed, but they take time. It is clear that Celestia underestimated this Queen Chrysalis and put too much of a limit on herself."

"'Accidental usage'? What do you mean?"

"As my sister and I grew older, our magic grew stronger. It was not unheard of for one of us to pick up a drinking glass and mistakenly vault it into the ceiling. One day, Celestia was startled by one of her maids and accidentally tossed the mare across the Everfree forest. Fortunately, the maid landed in a lake and was relatively unharmed. But it was after that incident that the two of us began to place limits upon our power."

"I see. None of that was covered in the My Little Pony series."

"This does not surprise me. For obvious reasons, my sister and I wish to keep our true power a secret."

"Got it, my lips are sealed. Uh, back to the dream and the Changelings. I was thinking they should look human at first, perhaps dressed in business suits or in soldier's uniforms. Maybe both."

"I do not know what a 'business suit' is, but I can easily pull it from your mind."

"Oh, it's the clothing I was wearing when we first enslaved Janice when we arrived here."

"Ah, the formal clothing with the multicolored strip of fabric that wrapped around your neck and draped down your chest? That is helpful to know, I now know what memories to look for."

"Okay.

"Now that I think of it, we should definitely have Changelings in soldier's uniforms. Ones that the dreamer will recognize, and maybe the same uniform he or she is wearing. I think it'll make the dreamer realize that the spies could be anywhere, even his own teammates."

"An excellent idea. It will help cement in her mind that I am the one to be trusted."

"Exactly. So, you reveal them to be Changelings but they attack and knock you down. You then see the dreamer, and ask them for help. If they do, they attack the Changelings and the two of you defeat them. You then tell the dreamer that these 'creatures' have infiltrated the government and you need the dreamer's help to save the country. Their loyalty should compel them to accept."

"And thus view me as a positive agent, and one to be trusted. Of course, any rejection and the dream turns into a nightmare.

"This dream can be constructed with little difficulty. All that remains is to test it."

"You're going to put me through the dream, aren't you?"

"Of course, you are the only one I trust with this. Now, hold still."

And then everything went blank.

---

When I could see again, I found myself outside and standing on the sidewalk on a street. Beyond that, I had no idea where I was. The dark sky told me that it was night time, though I did not know what time it was. The street lights up and down the road were casting a soft glow on all that their light touched. To my immediate left were one- and two-story houses, made with brick or wood siding and angled asphalt paper rooftops. Some had the old-school porches, with the small two-step staircases in front. Others simply had a door that opened directly onto the sidewalk I stood upon.

Said sidewalk was narrow, compared to the wide swaths of concrete I was familiar with around my home in Los Angeles. Trees were growing in the sidewalk next to the curb. Holes were cut in the concrete to allow the trees room to grow. Metal grates framed the trunk of the tree, hiding the tree's roots from casual view. I cast my gaze down the sidewalk, and saw what looked like a market on the corner maybe a half-block or so away.

The stop light at the corner had its red light lit, which changed to green as I watched. Beyond the stop light in the far distance, large multi-story skyscrapers could be seen. The scenery made me think that I was in a suburb of a large city. No cars were visible anywhere within my sight, moving or parked. Everything I saw felt familiar to me, yet I could not remember being in that place before. It could have been a neighborhood in my old home town of Chicago, or some area in San Francisco, or even some city on the east coast of the United States.

A head turn to the right revealed a small residential street. The road next to me was unmarked by lines, yet appeared to be just wide enough to handle a lane of traffic and a row of parked cars parked parallel to the curb. Looking farther out revealed a grassy median, perhaps as wide as a lane of traffic, covered in green grass of some sort and more trees. Past the median was another stretch of pavement, likely as wide as the one on my side. Again, no cars could be seen even though I expected one to pass by any moment. On the other side of the street were more houses, similar in layout and construction to the ones on my side of the street. A porch swing from one of the houses swung lightly in an unfelt breeze.

For the most part, nothing in my immediate area made any sound. Faint sirens could be heard off in the distance, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a helicopter flying nearby. My stomach gave a small grumble, and I was sorely tempted to see if the corner market was still open. But I knew my stomach would have to wait, as I had a job to do. I was a soldier in my country's military, and I had been called up to help calm down some local 'trouble'. No one would tell me what kind of 'trouble' I was supposed to look for, so all I could do is patrol my assigned area and hope that I recognized this 'trouble' if I found it.

The 'higher ups' had decided against the usual combat gear for this deployment, as we were patrolling peaceful city streets and not in the middle of a war zone. I was wearing a standard set of combat fatigues: a shirt, pants and cap made with the woodland camouflage pattern, with an olive t-shirt underneath and a pair of tan combat boots on my feet. I had a radio on one hip and an M9 sidearm on the other. I would have prefered body armor and an M4 but my request was denied. So my M9 would have to do.

I turned around and began to walk my assigned patrol route. The neighborhood was extremely quiet. None of the houses had a light on, nor did I see any cars driving by. The only lights were from the street lights. But that wasn't the strangest part. The whole time, I never heard a single dog bark. Or a cat yowl, or an owl hoot. Nothing. The only sound to keep me company was the sound of my boots on the sidewalk. I wandered up and down the streets until it was time for me to report in. Even stranger, I couldn't raise anyone on the radio. I checked channel after channel while I walked, and all I heard was static.

I guess I'm on my own.

The silence was shattered by a female voice shouting a warning. It was immediately followed by laughter. My senses slammed into high alert, and I swiveled my head around to try and locate where the new sounds were coming from. I could hear the voices begin to argue, and the sharp words quickly led me to a nearby alley. I double-timed it across the street and to the right, then burst into the mouth of the alley with my hand resting on my sidearm. While I was sure I had found the 'trouble' I was tasked to find, I wasn't exactly sure what it was that I had found. Partway down the alley was a...horse. A black horse. With WINGS. Its back was towards me, but it looked like it was wearing something colored silver. Facing the horse were three men; two in dark business suits, and to my surprise the third was a soldier dressed just like me. I wondered to myself, was the horse the 'trouble'? Seemed like a silly thing to deploy the military just to corner a silly horse.

Just then, the horse spoke. Yes, spoke. It spoke in the same female voice I had heard earlier, and boy was she mad.

"I shall not tell thee again, do not come any closer!"

The businessman in the middle chuckled before replying.

"And what are you going to do about it? You're too weak to fly, much less use magic."

Magic?!

In response, a light of some sort flicked on in front of the mare, and a beam of light shone out to touch the men. They all lifted an arm to cover their eyes, and in an instant they CHANGED. What once was human had become some sort of black bug-thing with big blue eyes, yet they were still dressed in the same clothes as before. Even my counterpart had changed. A moment later, all three bugs dropped down to their knees. When the bugs did not try to stand up again, I realized that they were actually standing on what looked like hooves. Were they bug-horses? I didn't know, but I was seriously creeped out. What the heck was going on?!

The middle bug-horse spoke up, and it had the same voice as it did before. If I had any doubts left that these things were the same people, I didn't anymore.

"You may have dispelled our disguises, but you have not taken our power!"

A light appeared in front of each of the bug-horses, and the lights shot out to hit the black mare. She screamed and was thrown down the alley towards me. I stepped aside, to make sure she didn't hit me by mistake. She came to rest on her side, just off to my left. I could now see that she had a silver helmet on her head, wore some sort of metal chestpiece, and had a black horn that rose up out of her forehead.

This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

But I still can't tell who's the 'trouble', and who's not.

"And who do we have here?"

Uh oh, they spotted me.

"A silly human that's stuck their nose into something that's none of their business."

The one wearing combat fatigues looked at me, and another beam of light came out from its head. The light hit the ground in front of my feet, and it tore a small chunk out of the gravel in the alley. The gravel sprayed across my boots and lower legs.

"Skit skat, kitty-cat! Skit skat!"

All three bug-horses laughed at their little joke. But I didn't find it very funny.

I still don't know if this black horse is on my side, but I definitely know these guys aren't.

I drew my M9 sidearm, and aimed it down the alley at the bug-horses. I advanced down the alley and placed myself in between the black horse and the bug-horses.

"Freeze, Military Police! Nobody move!"

The bug-horses stared at me for a moment, then broke out into laughter again.

"Aw, the little human has a bite after all! What are you going to do, shoot us?"

"I will if I have to. Now, lay down on the ground with your hands behind your head!"

"What hands?"

The bug-ponies laughed again and ignored my command. While they were laughing, I heard some scuffling sounds behind me. I guessed that the black horse had finally woken up, and really hoped that she wouldn't shoot me in the back.

"I won't warn you again. Get down on the ground!"

"You can't do anything. Your shots can't penetrate our shields!"

A beam of light appeared from over my right shoulder and hit the bug-horse on the left. Said bug-horse bounced a ways down the alley, and didn't get back up. A female voice spoke up behind me.

"But mine can."

Two more beams of light, and the remaining bug-horses were also down for the count. I lowered my sidearm and turned around, and saw the black mare was now standing up. And smiling at me. It was really weird to see a smile on a horse, even one that could talk.

"You have my thanks. If not for your assistance, I fear that those three may have captured me."

"Uh, yeah. What the heck are they?"

"They are Changelings, and they have infiltrated both your military and your government. Should they succeed, they will take over this world and force all of you humans to be their slaves."

"Well, that's bullshit."

"Quite. I was attempting to uncover their plot when these three waylaid me. I desperately need an ally in this fight, wilt thou help me?"

"So, what you're saying is that these guys are trying to take over America, and you're trying to stop them?"

"Exactly."

"Hell yeah, I'm in!"

"Excellent. You will not regret your decision.

"When I am ready, we shall discuss the current matter at hand. Then, we shall resolve it together."

A sense of pride surged over me as my vision faded to a pleasant black...

Comments

[Chythar]

Woot! 50 upvotes! To celebrate, I've posted another chapter! To whomever was #50, thank you!