Chapter 12: Home
Chapter 12: Home Again
She was cold. That was the first thing Jennifer realized as she struggled back to the world of the waking. Really cold. Whatever she was laying on was hard and absolutely frigid. She could faintly make out voices and the hum of some sort of machine. With some effort she managed to lift her eye lids if only faintly.
“She’s waking up. Miss Allen you need to hold perfectly still while we complete the scan.”
It was a voice over some kind of microphone or speaker or SOMEthing. Recollection of how she came to be here began to filter in and she began to panic. Eyes wide open now she was in some kind of…glowing metal tube? Strapped to a metal table, her wrists, ankles and waist bound securely and to top it all off she was naked. She began to strain at the straps holding her down, her wings flapping wildly as she arched her back enough to allow them some movement.
“Sedate her before she hurts herself!”
Through the haze of fear gripping her she heard the door open and footsteps approach…then felt a pinch in her thigh. She felt the horrible numbness beginning to spread again and thrashed all the harder.
“A higher dose, the girls’ metabolism is off the charts. She’ll work it out of her system before it takes full effect.”
Another pinch, then another and she was losing energy. Slowly she settled back, and slowly lost consciousness again.
The next time she woke up she wasn’t quite so cold at least. And she was more comfortable. Cracking an eye open she looked around. She was in a small room; the only furnishing she could see was the less than comfortable bed she was laying in. A huge mirror dominated one end of the room with a heavy looking metal door next to it. She was still wearing the Sword of Harmony on her left arm, but her right arm was strapped to the bed. Finding it locked her hand flew to her throat. The amulet possessing half of Discord’s power was gone, as was the charm bracelet.
She was in a flimsy hospital gown this time, backless to allow her wings some freedom of movement so that was something. Doing another quick glance around the room she spotted cameras in every corner of the ceiling, and frowned pulling the blanket tighter against her chest. She moved into an awkward sitting position with her wrist cuffed to the side of her bed.
“Hello?”
She waited for a response for several moments, receiving none. Scowling to herself she lifted her shield to her face, gripping the hilt of her sword in her teeth and slowly inching it free of its scabbard. Once it had grown to its full length she transferred the hilt from her mouth to her right hand and smoothly sliced through the binding on her wrist. Working her hand open and closed several times to get the circulation flowing again she jumped and leveled her weapon at the door as it hissed open.
It was a woman. IN the same dark suit as the men who kidnapped her. She was older than Jen, but still pretty young. Her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She was carrying a tray of food, and eyeing the unsheathed sword in the girls hand warily.
“So…I brought food. Please don’t stab me.”
It was so simply requested that Jen almost laughed. Almost. Instead she did her best to look intimidating, wings flaring a bit. She was rewarded with the woman actually stepping back, staring at the feathery appendages. “Who are you? Where am I?!”
The woman didn’t back all the way out of the room. “How about you put the sword away, and we can talk.”
It wasn’t a question or a request, but Jen was pretty sure if they COULD have taken the sword they would have when they stole her jewelry. Slowly she slid it away into its sheath in the shield.
“Huh…so that’s really magical yeah?”
“No, the scabbard is actually a portal device to the sword dimension. It allows swords of any size to fit inside.”
“Heh. You’re kinda a smart ass. That’s fine.” The woman approached cautiously, eyes on the girls still flared wings. “You mind putting those down too? You kinda thrashed a bit when we came in and broke Agent Johnson’s nose with them.”
Agent. So was it the government who took her? Slowly she relaxed her wings and the woman; the agent relaxed her posture offering the tray. Jennifer’s stomach very loudly growled and she snatched it, eyeing the less than appetizing fare with a frown.
“Sorry, military food y’know? We’ll get some decent stuff for you soon.”
That didn’t really put her mind at ease. It implied she’d be staying for a while. But her hunger couldn’t be ignored and she was soon tearing into the tasteless food with abandon. The woman stepped out for a moment returning with a chair, which she planted in the middle of the room and seated herself on. Jen kept an eye on her while she ate but otherwise tried to ignore her.
“So. I’m Agent Miller. You are currently a guest of the United States government. As I’m sure you can guess, your little show in New York the other week caused quite a few ripples. Some kid caught it all on his phone and threw it on YouTube.”
Jen remained silent, as she finished the tray and set it aside. She was starting to feel a little jittery, being cramped up in such a small room. Knowing she couldn’t run if she wanted to. Stupid pegasus instincts.
“The project head here is Dr. Sanders. We were ordered to escort you in for questioning and a medical examination. The good doctor felt you were a flight risk and instead ordered you brought in by force, and I apologize for that.”
“Well if you’re sorry that makes it ok.”
This brought a chuckle from the agent. “Well good, I’d hate to think there were any hard feelings. So obviously we have a couple questions for you. The more cooperative you are the smoother this will all go for you.”
“Where’s my amulet? It’s dangerous and you people are going to hurt yourselves. You have NO idea what it can do.”
Agent Miller cocked her head listening to something over her earpiece. “Tell me about it.”
Debating briefly on how much she should actually share Jen frowned. “It contains a lot of magic. Chaos magic specifically. It used to belong to like, the god of chaos I guess? It drove the dude insane over time and he made every…one’s life miserable over there. If it’s more than a hundred or so feet from me it’s going to start whispering to everyone around it and pretty soon you’re going to have your very own lunatic with god like power running around.”
“If I wasn’t looking at your wings and your magic sword there I’d wonder how you said all that with a straight face.” She raised an eyebrow at the girls constantly bouncing leg and fidgeting hands. “Relax we’re not going to hurt you or anything.”
“Hurt me MORE you mean? No I’m part pegasus right now and they don’t like being cooped up.”
Again the agent cocked her head. “Can you fly?”
Jen shrugged. “Is it POSSIBLE? Yes, do I know how? No.”
“Hm. What makes this amulet safe for YOU to carry around then?”
Jen nodded at her shield. “My sword is pretty crazy magical too, it blocks out the whispers.”
“Would you be willing to leave it near the amulet then? They won’t return it to you, think you’ll use it to vanish but my superiors believe you when you say it’s dangerous.”
“Why didn’t you just take it when you did my other stuff?”
The agent chuckled. “Oh they tried. As soon as they touched it zap! Big pink flash and the doc went flying across the room. They used this big mechanical arm deal to grab it and they almost pulled your arm out of the socket trying to get it off. I’m guessing that’s part of its charm?”
“Yeah…it picks the wielder I’m told. And no I won’t give it up. If you have a room for me closer to the amulet that’s just as good.”
“That could be doable. For now let’s go for a walk. You promise not to run? I don’t want to taze you.”
Jen frowned. “I don’t want to GET tazed again, so fine. Can I have some pants?”
“Heh. You can have some clothes, yes.” Miller stepped out, returning in a few minutes with a white tank top and camo pants.
Rolling her eyes a bit the girl pulled the pants on then slowly drew her sword, carefully keeping it away from Agent Miller. She used it to cut the bulk of the back off the shirt before sliding it on and letting her wings spread. “I don’t suppose I can have my bracelet back.”
“That’d be a no. We know it’s how you ah…swap around your extra bits and the higher ups felt it best if you couldn’t kick down a steel door or send everyone here flying with your mind.”
With a scowl that clearly said that was exactly what she intended to do if she got her hands on it, Jen slid her sword away. She tugged on the too-big boots provided and stood. She followed the agent from the room into a long hallway. A lot of guys in dark suits and shades were milling about, more than a few keeping a careful eye on their ‘guest’.
It felt good just to be out of the tiny room and able to move. “Can we go outside?”
“We can. But if you’re lying about the flying thing they’ll bring you down and that’s it for your walks.”
Jen rolled her eyes but didn’t comment, just followed Miller through the complex. She couldn’t hide a frown as they passed some kind of huge lab. She could FEEL Discord’s amulet in the room but she knew there was nothing she could do about it right now. The sunshine on her skin when they made it outside was one of the best feelings she’d experienced in a while. “How long have I been here?”
“Two days. You kept waking up and thrashing so they had to keep sedating you.”
Jennifer had to resist the urge to take off at a run into the large field outside. It was pretty warm given that it was the beginning of December. “Where are we?”
“We’re in a military installation outside of Houston, Texas.”
“How long are you going to keep me here?”
Agent Miller didn’t answer that one. “Where have you been? Where did you pick up all this…magic? Where’d that black horse you were fighting come from?”
The girl didn’t answer immediately. She was looking up at the sky, wings spread wide as she drank in the ‘fresh’ air and sunlight. “Another world. Another dimension? I dunno. Not earth I know that.”
Miller had a clipboard she was scrawling her answers onto. “You don’t know for sure?”
Jen shrugged. “I never cared enough to ask.”
“Are they a threat? Do they plan to invade our world?”
Now Jen laughed. “WERE they? No of course not. I don’t think there’s been a war in Equestria for over a thousand years. And that’s not an exaggeration.”
Agent Miller was frowning now. “What do you mean ‘were’ they?”
Jen lowered her wings and crossed her hands behind her back, starting to walk at an easy pace. The agent close at her side. “I guess I can tell you a little about Equestria. That ‘horse’ I was fighting is, as far as I can tell the dominant sentient species on their world. They prefer ‘ponies’ by the way. There are four kinds, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. I’m pretty sure you can gather what each of the three does from watching my fight with Umbra. The fourth kind are the alicorns who have traits of all three mixed in. There’re only a couple, Luna, Celestia, Cadence…and Umbra I guess.”
Miller was furiously scratching down everything she was saying. “So the whole world is filled with these ponies?”
“Yup! They’re for the most part very peaceful. Umbra is definitely an exception but hey every race has its bad apples right? Anyway these alicorns are their princesses, their rulers. And no I dunno why they don’t go by queen, I guess princess sounds nicer?” She shrugged. “Luna and Celestia use their magic to raise the sun and the moon respectively each day.”
The agent was staring at her now. “Is that like…a metaphor or…?”
“No. The ponies do everything in their world. They make the weather, they keep nature going, and they care for the non-pony animals. All of it on them. I think they even grow rocks but that’s a bit fuzzy. No Luna and Celestia literally have the power to move the heavenly bodies they’re named after.”
“Alright…back to what you said before…”
“Right! Well, see the problem YOU guys now have is I’m very good friends with Princess Luna. Like sleepovers at the castle and she’s taken me under her wing kinda good friends. If they haven’t already, everypony’s going to be looking for me soon. They knew I was coming back to visit my dad so they might not worry too much if I’m a day or two late. But pretty soon they’re going to get worried. Then they’re going to come looking. And once the immortal princess of the night with the power to roll the moon around the sky finds out what you’ve done to me…” She shrugged again. “I doubt she’ll be very pleasant.”
Agent Miller opened her mouth to say something but Jen interrupted. “Then there’s Discord. While we’re not besties, I think he and I are what you could call friends. He’s the guy who ACTUALLY owns that amulet you’re playing with in there. He has the other half. I can’t say they’ll drag him into this for SURE, but if they do and HE’S the one who comes looking well. You’ll wish you were dealing with the angry moon princess.”
“Are you implying these creatures would declare war on our country…on our world just to get to you?”
“I dunno if they’d see it as a declaration of war. So much as disciplining a naughty kid. Luna would come, pick me up and that’d be the end of it. Discord…eh…he might stick around. I know this is a pretty hard concept to wrap your head around but some of the people there are immortal, like in the literal sense. They’ve lived thousands of years and if you think a sword that fits into a tiny scabbard is impressive well…they’re packing real magic.”
Jen could tell by the look on the agent’s face that she absolutely believed everything she was saying. “Let’s go back inside. I need to ah…confer with my superiors.”
The girl was feeling pretty chipper by now. “Sure thing. Thanks for letting me come outside.”
Miller didn’t speak again and just escorted Jen back to her room (cell Jennifer was calling it). Alone again she lay back on the bed with a soft sigh. For all her bravado earlier she didn’t even know if they could reach earth anymore. With Celestia MIA Luna couldn’t open the portal alone, and Discord was who knows where. Still…it was fun seeing the agent go white as a sheet like that.
She was alone long enough to start getting bored again, and was soon on her feet practicing her stances like Luna had taught her. Slow easy movements with her sword. This got boring after a while too, and she settled on the floor resting the blade across her lap, eyeing the runes along its length. Gently she touched the only one she had been able to activate so far.
“…can you hear me?”
Aye.
Jen yelped and jumped at the unexpected voice, but settled again. “Do you uh…know what’s going on?”
T’would appear we have been captured by thine own people.
“Yeah that’s about right…I don’t suppose you can help?”
If thy desire is escape I can assist thee in fighting thine way out, but it would be a bloody battle. I would recommend against calling me forth however.
The girl frowned. “Why?”
Recall the air in thine world be toxic to thee now. Already thy reserve of mana is draining at an alarming rate. Summoning my shade would draw upon it faster. Soon thou whilst not be able to survive. Yon amulet is what sustains thee in this realm. Separated from it…
“…I’m dying.”
Aye.
Jen heaved a sigh and let her head rest against the wall at her back. The door opened again and Miller entered. “Who’re you talking to?”
Jennifer lifted the sword to indicate the glowing rune. “Bleeding Heart. My sword’s last owner. Her spirit or whatever is in the sword.”
Miller took a seat in her chair again, seeming at ease with the girl having her sword out in her lap. “Can she speak to me?”
Aye but t’would require a summoning.
“She could if I wanted to summon her physically.”
“Well will you?”
Slowly she shook her head. “No. It’ll just kill me faster.”
Now the agent was frowning. “What do you mean?”
So Jennifer explained the mana as best as she could recall from Twilight’s lecture. And how the lack of it on earth would eventually kill any unprotected equestrians. “I guess that’s why Celestia made the girls actual humans when they visited earth.”
“Visited earth? These…Equestria people have been here before?”
Jen just shrugged a little. “Yeah…I…” She sighed. “I guess they come regularly. Something about seeing if we’re ready to y’know…integrate or whatever? So far I don’t think we’ve passed the test.”
“Integrate how?”
Another shrug. “I dunno. I was in a whole other world y’know? Filled with magic and adventure and REALLY good people. I didn’t really care a lot about stuff back on earth anymore. I only popped back a couple times to visit my family.” Slowly she sheathed her blade. “I mean we’re a lot more technologically advanced so I’m sure there’s stuff they’re interested in learning about. And for their part can you imagine what they could do for the environment? Pegasi teams clearing the air, unicorns purifying water. Earth ponies could turn the Sahara into the American heartland in a few weeks.”
“What’s stopping them then? If they’re so kind and benevolent?”
“I’d guess fear. I mean they’ve had their share of conflict in the past but for the most part they’ve had a peaceful utopia going for a thousand years. Can you imagine that? A THOUSAND years with no war, no combat zones or anything. I think they keep checking on us to see if we’ve reached that point where they’re comfortable enough to introduce themselves. You have to admit in general we’re not the most friendly to outsiders.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Miller was clearly not happy with how her talk went with her bosses.
“You’re not going to let me leave, are you?”
Slowly the woman shook her head. “Dr. Sanders isn’t convinced that you’re not just making all this up so we’ll let you go…and unfortunately the buck stops with him. He thinks there’s too much opportunity in that amulet and bracelet of yours.”
Jen was immediately frowning now. “You’re not trying to use them are you?”
Miller shrugged. “A couple volunteers have tried the bracelet. We have one of each of its uh…whatever it makes. The bat one was a bit of a surprise. I don’t think they were happy about winding up with hooves but we figured out a light touch keeps them mostly human like you.”
Jennifer shook her head with a frown. “More than likely all you’ve done is condemn them to the same thing you have me. Now that they have Equestria in them they’re probably going to go through mana starvation. I can’t turn fully human anymore with it.”
Miller brightened a bit. “Well they seem perfectly healthy so far. So maybe it’s not as bad as you think? The guys have been having a good time trying out their enhancements, though the flight attempts haven’t been very successful yet.”
“I…look I’m…tired. Do you actually want something form me right now or are you just here for a friendly chat? If you are I’m not really in the mood.”
The young woman frowned again. “I’ll let you get some rest. If you need anything knock on the door and they’ll send me in.”
Jen climbed back into the bed once she was alone again. With no amulet to ward of sleep she was finding it harder to keep her eyes open. The little headache forming in the back of her head wasn’t helping matters either.
There were no nightmares, she was thankful for that at least. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep but it was dark out by the time her door opened again. With a frown she noted it wasn’t Agent Miller but a big guy with a nose brace. He didn’t look at her with a lot of kindness. “Up. Doctor wants to run some tests.”
Keeping a straight face she climbed to her feet. This must be the dude who got his nose busted by her wing. She twitched them a bit as she walked passed him into the hall, and didn’t bother to hide her smile as he flinched back, hands flying to protect his face. Another agent was in the hall, who seemed to find it as funny as Jen did.
“Yeah I can see what you mean man, look at this kid she’s huge. You’re lucky she didn’t take your head off.”
Nose splint roughly grabbed Jen’s shoulder and her smiled faded as she snapped a wing into his chest, lifting him off his feet and sending him down the hall a few feet. The other agent was fumbling with his taser before he realized she wasn’t attacking him. “So tests?”
“Uh…y-yeah kid down the hall, this way.” He definitely eyed her with a bit more respect.
“Sorry I don’t like being man handled.”
He shrugged. “Eh I don’t blame ya. Keep a lid on that when you’re with the doc though, guy’s a little squirrely and he IS in charge. He won’t hesitate have us drop you.”
She shrugged and folded her wings tightly against her back. “Where’s Agent Miller?”
“Sleep. She’s got day shift, we got night shift. I’m sure I don’t have to say this but if you make any sudden moves in here you’ll get a few thousand volts in your butt, got it?”
Another shrug as she crossed her arms over her chest while he swiped a keycard. It wasn’t the same lab as the one holding her amulet but she could feel it close by. She entered first with her chaperone close behind. Her frown deepened when she spotted four big jarhead looking guys. Each with a very clear pony feature at work testing their new attributes in what looked like a gym. Watching them all from an observation deck must be Doctor Sanders she guessed. Tall and bald with small round glasses the guy practically screamed cliché movie villain.
Her escort led her up to the doctor and sat her on a stool. “Ah! Subject one is here. Get some blood, saliva, and bodily fluids then we can put her in the gym with the others.”
His assistant was a middle aged woman who looked like she had a look on her face like she was always sucking on a particularly unpleasant lemon. Roughly she seized Jen’s wrist and tugged her arm out straight. With a little cry of protest her wings began to flare…before the agent behind her rested a hand on her shoulder. She calmed as the woman took some blood then stood staring.
“…what?”
“You heard the doctor, I need saliva. Mouth open.”
With an exaggerated ‘ahhhhh’ she opened her mouth wide and stuck her tongue out. The agent stifled a chuckle but the woman just swabbed inside her cheek and stepped back, offering her a cup. “Shouldn’t there be something to drink in this?”
“Fill it.”
“…fill it?”
“With your urine, I don’t have all night.”
“Are you…” She looked back at the agent behind her. “Is she serious?” Then back to the woman. “You want me to pee right here?”
“The doctor said…”
Said doctor was storming over looking less than enthused. “Imbecile, of course she’s not going to just squat and pee on my floor!” His assistant cringed away and he looked to Jen’s escort. “Take her to one of the side rooms, bring me the cup then put her in the gym.”
With a curt nod he led Jennifer back into the hall, across the way to a bathroom and took a position outside one of the stalls. Giving a little huff she stepped in and did her business, offering him the cup with a smile. “For you!”
Gingerly he pinched it between two fingers and walked her down to the gym. “Thanks. Did…you pee on the cup?”
She shrugged as he opened the door. “Sorry, I was nervous.” Her smile said she was definitely not sorry and he jogged the cup back up to the lab.
All eyes turned to watch her enter the gym. She felt a little sad for these guys suddenly. They probly had no idea what was in store for them soon. “What’s up?”
The doctors’ voice crackled over the PA. “Subjects 1 through 5 will move to the treadmills for endurance testing.”
Not excited at the prospect of being shocked again Jen followed the enhanced soldiers to a set of treadmills, claiming the one on the far left for herself. “So you guys come here a lot or what?”
Her fellow pegasus aspect took the one next to her chuckling a little. “You’re a pretty spunky kid. You were hardcore throwing down with that unicorn.”
“She was an alicorn actually. She had wings under her armor. That makes it a lot more badass. They’re like immortal gods over there.”
The doctor barked begin and the five began to jog. “No kidding? So like you CAN mix and match those little charms?”
She shrugged. “Yeah but I wouldn’t, it’ll just speed up the process.”
“What process is that?”
“Mana starvation. You’ll die a lot quicker.”
The three nearest her all faltered almost at the same time, it was funny. She DID laugh when the big earth aspect guy on the end gave a ‘what’d she say’?
“What the hell is mana starvation?”
So she explained surprisingly calmly as she jogged with the four soldiers about how mana worked, and how they were all going to die since there wasn’t any to nourish their new equestrian physiologies.
“That’s uh…not true right? You’re just fuckin’ with us?”
She shrugged flexing her wings. They’d been running for a good ten minutes now and she was barely feeling it. In fact the only one who looked like he was tiring was the unicorn. “Anyone getting headaches yet?”
The unicorn soldier was the first off his treadmill, collapsing on his back and breathing heavily. “Yeah horn head there’s been whining about migraines, the doc said it’s just cause of the growth or whatever.”
“Yeah no. I’ve done unicorn a ton; in fact it’s what I usually go for. It makes sense he’s burning out first, they need more mana. Every time he tries to use his magic he’ll make it happen a little faster.”
Said horn’d soldier was looking a bit concerned (and also like he wanted to heave from the running) the others were regarding her with a mix of disbelief and fear. “Well let’s say that IS true, how do we get rid of these wings and stuff?”
She shrugged again. “You don’t. I mean I dunno how. You could probly cut em off or whatever but I doubt that’d help. The only thing to do for it is to get to Equestria. I mean that I know of. Maybe doctor evilsteen up there can come up with something for you guys before you burn out.”
The night aspect was the second one down, leaving the two pegasi and earth pony jogging along. The speed was increasing slowly but steadily. “You’re pretty fuckin’ calm about all this kid. I think you’re full of it.”
“Guess we’ll see won’t we?” She didn’t hide her snark, but she also didn’t give the usual smirk to go with it. She didn’t feel much like smiling. She wasn’t tracking the time, but by the time the slab of muscle on the end stumbled off his treadmill she was feeling the burn in her legs.
The pegasus soldier kept shooting her little looks, sweat beading on his forehead. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“How the hell are you still going?”
“Oh. I’m told I’m a glider class pegasus. We’re built for stamina and long distance. See how your wings are shorter than mine? Means you’re built for speed, also means you’re taking the fall a bit before me more than likely. Plus I have a pretty hefty storage of mana to draw on, and pegasi use their magic for their flight so they can keep trucking away for a while.”
He was gritting his teeth. She could see he was straining not to tumble off. She was definitely reaching her limit, but he reached it just a bit before her. With a furious expletive he stumbled a step and went down much to his fellows delight. Slowly her own treadmill slowed and she climbed off.
“Subjects 2 through 5 return to your barracks. Subject 1 to the lab.”
Huffing at the lack of a provided towel Jen was in a considerably more sour mood than before as she dripped sweat following the agent up to the lab. Again she was seated on the stool. The doctor finally looked her way. “I’m going to ask you some questions and you will answer succinctly and truthfully.”
“Or?”
He seemed taken aback at her having spoken at all. “Or? Or what?”
“That’s what I’m asking. Or what? What exactly are you going to do if I’m not cooperative? Throw me in a cell? Shoot me? You’d be doing me a favor I doubt mana starvation is fun.”
He was scowling now. “I am in control here. This is MY facility and you will do as I say!”
“Mmm. Nah. You’re kinda a jerk. Tell you what. You give your questions to Knuckles behind me here, or to Agent Miller and I’ll talk to them.” It had been awhile since she got to go toe to toe with an overbearing authority figure, and the few times her mother DID mix it up with Jennifer the older woman was the one typically storming off in a huff, leaving Jen to herself. Judging by the pleasant shade of purple Sanders was turning; she didn’t think this would be much different.
“How DARE you speak to me like this?! Do you have any idea who I am?! I could order that agent behind you to shoot you and he would do so without hesitation! Maybe you’ll be a bit more talkative after he shoots one of your kneecaps off hm?!”
She flinched back, mostly to avoid the spray of spit. “If you knee cap me how’m I gonna do your stupid physical tests? I bet you’re wondering how I outlasted four grown and well trained guys. Plus you won’t kill me or anything I’m pretty sure you’re not the head of whatever these guys all are, FBI maybe? You look like a movie FBI agent. So they wanna know what I know. I’m guessing all YOU’RE in charge of is my blood and pee when it comes down to it.”
Jen got to learn that day that when a bald guy got mad enough even his head turned purple. She braced herself as he raised his hand back preparing to strike her, before he spun and took his anger out on his assistant instead. Jennifer didn’t feel too bad for her, she was kinda a bitch. “Get her out of my sight!”
She was hastily ushered out by her evening escort. “…that was pretty ballsy kid.”
“Mm. I’m not kidding about dying. I probly got a week or so before I keel over. Those poor guys even less. And I was pretty much right about everything, right?”
He shook his head chuckling softly. “Pretty much. Sanders IS in charge of the facility but he takes his orders from the very top. And those orders are to keep you fit and happy. Well…y’know as happy as you can be in this situation.” They walked in silence for a bit, the agent leading her down another hall. “You think I look like I could be in a movie?”
“Oh totally. Square jaw, good hair, black suit and shades? So you gotta name or am I sticking with Knuckles?”
“Heh. Agent Samson.” He swiped his card on another door revealing a shower room.
“I think you’re officially the guy I hate the least here now.” She happily ducked into a shower stall. The hot water felt great on her sore muscles. All too soon however she was back in her cell flopping into bed. With a sigh she drew her sword. “Still there?”
I will always be here Jennifer.
Gently Jen ran her fingers along the runes of her blade. “Wanna tell me what these do?”
Alas I cannot. Thou must discover their useage for thyself. However I can advise on how best to do that.
“Well I’m not goin anywhere. Advise away Bleeding Heart.”
Very well. To learn of the blade you must learn of its origin. In an age long past there existed an order of knights dedicated to championing the cause of the common pony. We were known as the Order of Harmony. Twas before the rule of the mighty alicorns that we were first founded. Using the most powerful of magics our sorcerers crafted each of the thirteen knights of the order a blade capable of inheriting a new ability from their bearers.
Each sword was unique. Some great broadswords, others pairs of daggers. The one thou bears be the only sword and shield. As the original knights began to reach their twilight years, each took a squire and began to train them to take their place. Once each squire harmonized with their destined blades, the knight passed it along and stepped down. Tis a shame our order is no more, thou wouldst make a fine squire.
Jen grinned a bit at that. “Think so?”
But of course. The blade would ne’er have chosen thee if it believed thou were unworthy. Within thee lies each of the tenants of harmony. Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, and Laughter. Risking thine own life to save a land not your own be not a feat to scoff at young Jennifer. Now that the blade has come to thee, tis time for thee to learn to harmonize with it. Once this task is complete its powers will be thine to command.
She was sitting up now, keeping the sword resting horizontally in her lap. “So…how DO I harmonize with it?”
Tis the simplest, and most difficult of tasks. Each bearer becomes one with the blade in their own way. Some fast and meditate for days. Others embark on perilous quests. It could be argued that thou hast already completed such a quest, but it must be undertaken with the intent of becoming one with thine blade.
“Hm. I don’t think I’m going to be going on any big quests while I’m here, so that leaves fasting and meditation.”
Tis the same path I undertook when seeking to unite with the blade perfectly as well. Forego material pleasures for three days and focus your attention inward as much as possible. Complete this and the circuit between thyself and the blade will begin to open.
No more words were needed. Shifting to the floor Jennifer knelt on her knees keeping the sword on her lap. With a deep breath she sat and tried to keep her focus off of her seemingly hopeless predicament. If she was going to die in some tiny cell she was going to accomplish this one last thing beforehand.
***
“Hey kung fu master, you want breakfast?”
Jen started and blinked in surprise at the door. There stood agent Miller with another tray of food. “Eh? What time is it?”
“Seven. Didn’t know how early a riser you were but the surveillance guy said you were just sitting here so…I brought food. What are you doing anyway?”
Slowly the girl rose to her feet stretching. She didn’t THINK she’d fallen asleep but she felt refreshed, if still a bit achy all around her joints. The headache was back too. “Harmonizing with my sword.”
“Of course. Silly me.”
Jen cracked a smile now. “The sword is alive sorta, remember I told you yesterday? It has the last wielders spirit inside.” She lifted the blade to display the runes. “Each one of these unlocks a different ability in the blade. So far the only one I’ve managed is to summon Bleeding. If I want to use the rest I have to harmonize with it she said. So I’m stuck here doing nothing, might as well do that.”
“Fair enough. We can’t take it from you or do anything to it really. We tried to seal the blade into its scabbard and it fried the tools. So, you hungry?”
“Starving. But I can’t eat for three days.”
“…fair enough. You wanna go back outside?”
“More than anything. Except for going free of course.”
“Of course. C’mon.” Miller led the girl through the compound back outside. “So I heard you met the good doctor last night. He’s not a fan of yours.”
“I’m not a fan of his so we’re even.”
“No one’s a fan of his, but he’s in charge.”
Jen spread her wings again once the sun was shining down on her. “I meant what I said when I told him I didn’t care who he was. And Samson pretty much confirmed the doctor couldn’t touch me without pissing off his bosses anyway so…meh. You’ve been ok to me so if you got questions I got answers.”
“Well let’s start with an easy one. How did you wind up in Equestria?”
Jennifer was walking again. Twitching her wings now and then. She went into the story of her weird babysitter Pennie. How she vanished one day with barely a goodbye. Meeting Luna at school, finding the portal. The whole mess with Discord.
“So that’s where you got those scars on your abdomen?”
“The biggest one. The two smaller ones were from Umbra. But Discord is the one who almost killed me.”
“And now you’re buddies?”
Jen shrugged. “His magic drove him insane. Apparently he was human once and the princess’ thought if they accelerated his acclimation to Equestria it’d make life easier on him. Instead the massive influx of mana drove him crazy. Go figure right?” Jen had made it about halfway into the fenced in field outside the compound before she slid her sword free and began to go through the motions Luna taught her. “His head cleared up enough for lucid conversation once he got around my sword for a bit. Really he just wanted someone to I dunno, empathize with? Pal around with? I offered to ease some of his burden and he agreed. That’s where the amulet came from. He has the other half.”
“So that little gem isn’t some kind of…magic battery. It contains half the magic of a guy who could alter reality by snapping his fingers?”
“Yeah and it sends out whispers to anyone nearby trying to talk them into using it for wacky shenanigans.”
“Whispers that your sword blocks.”
“Yup.”
“So. After all the mess with Discord you settled in…” She checked her notes. “Ponyville? Didn’t your parents have anything to say about this?”
Jen shrugged again, slowly swinging her sword in a wide arc. “I talked to my dad. He gave me his blessing to stay with Pinkie. He knew she’d take care of me.” A frown slowly formed on her face.
“Can you tell me about the ponies you lived with? What they were like?”
“I ah…” Her late night talks with Fluttershy. Harassing Rainbow Dash whenever she caught her napping. Learning from Twilight and Cheerilee. Working with Applejack. All the hard work Rarity put into her clothes. Giving Lyra the chance to live her dream, helping Fancy feel better after his break up. Seeing Applebloom and Sweetie Belle get their cutie marks. She wanted to be there for Scootaloo’s too. Echo…Pinkie Pie. “…I think I’d like to go back inside.”
“Jennifer? Are you alright?”
She shook her head. “No. Can we go inside, please?”
With a frown Miller lead her back to her cell. “I’m going to push for you to be moved closer to the lab with the amulet. Even if there’s a chance it’s as dangerous as you say it’d be best to have you close by to counter it.”
Jen knelt again facing the corner of her cell. She drew her sword and went back to her meditations. Or tried to anyway. It was hard with all the tears.
She wasn’t disturbed again until evening. It was Agent Samson. “Hey kid. Testing time.”
Jen stood smoothly and sheathed her sword. This time she wasn’t surprised at the time gap. “More jogging?”
“Eh who knows? The doc’s got all kindsa crap for you guys to do. Dig the meditation by the way. Do it myself. Helps keep your mind sharp.”
“Yeah? I’m doing it to make my sword more magic.”
“Hey that’s cool too.”
Jen found herself liking the somewhat unusual agent the more time she spent around him. She found herself back in the gym in short order. There were only three guys present this time. “Hey where’s the unicorn dude?”
The pegasus solider frowned. “Sick. He couldn’t get out of bed.”
The guys were all looking pretty pale in Jen’s eyes. The winged duo looked worse off than the earth, but earth ponies used the least mana so that wasn’t a surprise.
“It’s true isn’t it? What you said? The…mana whatever?”
“I wish it wasn’t guys. I really do.” The mood in the room was definitely not pleasant.
The doctors’ voice soon crackled over the pa. “All subjects are to report to the weight station.”
The huge earth aspect guy lumbered over. “You can’t do anything without that weird stone right? The one in the lab?”
Jen frowned a little. “It doesn’t even have to be ME using it. If you can get it to your buddy I can tell you how to use it to help him.”
Sander’s was losing it in his little booth. “What are you doing?! Report to weight station!” The four looked to the door as it seemed to unlock itself.
“Right. Let’s get this kid her jewel.” Jen smiled a little seeing it was Agent Samson who unlocked the door.
“Look…you take care of yourself and my men and then right back to your room, right?”
She looked down at the sword on her arm with a little sigh. “Right. In fact I don’t even have to touch it. You can do it.”
“Oh yeah? Well cool. Always liked magic y’know? The stage kind, I didn’t know there was a real kind til uh…recently.”
He led them back into Sanders’ lab. “What do you think you’re doing agent?”
“What I’m empowered to do in the case that you’re found lacking in your work doctor. You recklessly put men under my command in life threatening danger playing with something you didn’t understand. Now give me the gem, or I’ll have Simmons here take it.”
The huge earth aspect human cracked his knuckles to punctuate the statement.
“I-I’ll be filing a report with your superiors!”
“You do that. The gem. Now.”
With a fierce scowl the doctor opened the test chamber holding the amulet. Samson didn’t wait for him to offer it before snatching it from its resting place. “Alright let’s get to James and see if we can’t undo this…mess.”
The unicorn enhanced agent looked awful. Thin, pale, and sweating heavily. He could barely lift his head as the group entered. “Alright kid…how do I do this?”
Jen rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh…try picturing him as an ordinary human again.”
Samson raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“Yeah it’s not exactly complicated, it’s chaos magic held in a gemstone so you just kinda…think and it works.”
Agent Samson frowned down at his ill subordinate clenching the amulet in his fist tightly. Slowly bursts of magic surrounded the man on the bed, when they faded his horn was gone. He was normal again. “He still looks like shit.”
Jen shrugged. “Well he’s human not healthy, I’m sure he’ll bounce back now that he doesn’t need mana.”
Looking to his other agents they were soon normal as well. “I kinda dug the wings, bummer.”
Samson looked to Jen. “Alright kid now you.”
Before she could protest the light was whirling around her feet, but not touching her. Her sword was humming dangerously. “Stop! Stop she thinks you’re attacking me!”
Instantly the lights dissipated. “Your sword won’t let me cure you?”
She gave a rueful little shrug. “It doesn’t like the chaos magic. I’ll be fine.”
“Kid aren’t y’know…gonna go the way they were?”
She shrugged again. “Probly. But if I do I want to be equestrian. It’s my home now y’know? Where I belong.”
The restored agents were crowding around their buddy’s bed as Samson walked Jennifer back to the lab, returning the amulet. “I’m going to file for someone new to come in and handle your physicals. You’re a good kid and don’t need to put up with a nut like that.”
Jen eyed him quietly as they went back to her cell. “I’m kinda surprised you didn’t poof yourself up a million bucks or something.”
He laughed. “I like my job. Usually it’s more exciting than babysitting. Of course I’m babysitting a kid with wings and a magic sword so I guess this is exciting in its own way too.”
Jennifer knelt on the floor, sword before her again. “Got any cool stories?”
Samson was quiet for a time studying the young girl kneeling on the floor of the cell. “Sure. It won’t disturb you? Me talking all night?”
She shrugged. “Nah. I don’t really like the quiet. Ponyville’s always got folk coming and going. Lots of chatter. There’re really no strangers there y’know?”
“Sounds like an awesome place.” He settled on the floor across from her and started to talk. By the time he was through the first story, an extraction in Cambodia…she was already deep in her meditation.
Agent Miller came in the morning with a breakfast tray again. “Jennifer? Rise and shine kiddo.”
Slowly the girl opened her eyes, gently running her fingers along the blade in her lap. “You know my sword has a name? A unique one of its own? Its name is Mercy."
“Oh yeah? It tell you that?”
She nodded a little. “It did. …I think. I didn’t talk to Bleeding Heart or anything but this morning I just…knew.” She gave a small shrug.
Miller regarded her quietly. “You look shitty. You need to eat something. And get some real sleep.”
Jen rose to her feet sheathing her blade. “I’ll eat the day after tomorrow.” Her head was throbbing annoyingly and she felt flushed. But mentally she felt…very good. “Did you have questions for me today?”
With a grunt of resignation the agent set the tray aside. “My superiors want to know what sort of defenses we would need to protect against the equestrians.”
“Hm.” Jen didn’t wait for Agent Miller to invite her out; she just started for the doors to the outer area. She didn’t speak again until they were out in the sun. “I don’t think there’s anything you could really do if they came looking for a fight. You saw the kind of punishment I shrugged off and I wasn’t even half-pony. I mean I guess a strong enough gun could take down one of them but I dunno if you could get through a magical shield y’know?”
“I suppose that’s a good point…”
“Plus I know Luna can walk through anyone’s dreams while they sleep. She could probly do some messed up stuff to somebody’s brain while she’s in there if she wanted to.”
“She sounds pretty…I dunno, scary.”
Jen laughed. “I suppose she could sound scary but she’s really very kind and gentle. She only gets upset when someone she cares for is in danger.”
She let that thought hang in the air meaningfully. Miller of course picked up on it and cleared her throat nervously. “So Agent Samson told me about last night’s escapade. Sanders is being taken off working with you and assigned strictly to examining the artifacts you brought back.”
With a little smile Jennifer sprawled out on the crowd facing up at the sky. “That’s good. Are those guys okay?”
“They are. Agent James is looking much better. Though Samson said you refused to let him help you too.”
Jen shrugged again. “This is who I am now. I don’t have any interest in rejoining the human race.”
“Just like that? You’d rather die than be one of us again?”
That was a tough question. She had to consider her answer at length. “…I think so.” She cracked an eye open gazing up at the incredulous looking agent. “Haven’t you ever felt like you didn’t belong Agent Miller? Like you weren’t where you were supposed to be?”
Slowly the woman lowered herself to sit on the ground by Jen’s head. “Sure. It’s called being a teenager.”
Jen grinned. “Right. And when you become an adult you find where you fit in right? For you it’s the FBI I’m guessing?”
Frowning a little Miller saw where she was going. “And for you it’s a magical land of talking ponies.”
“Yup! For me it’s sword fighting chaos gods, spelunking in giant spider infested caves and getting kicked in the face by crazy alicorns. It’s going to school with fillies and colts half my age, baking cupcakes with the mare who wants me to call her mom, and studying magic in a giant hollowed out tree with a unicorn.” Looking over her shoulder at her wings she frowned. “I was supposed to start learning to fly soon. Rainbow Dash was so excited to teach me.”
“You wanna try now?”
Jennifer closed her eyes letting her head rest on the ground again. “I do. More than anything. But I promised Pinkie I wouldn’t until she Ok’d it.”
“You wanna tell me about Ponyville today?”
Jen chewed her lip a little. Then she began to talk. All about her days in the little town since she got out of the hospital. From the weekend in Canterlot, than back in the hospital. Miller was even laughing at points in her story here and there, especially about Lyra and her infatuation with humanity. “Me and Pinkie’s house is probably ready…I was uh…I was gonna live with her. That was th-the plan anyway…” She frowned feeling tears on her cheeks now. She tensed as she felt Millers arms around her shoulders, the older woman holding her close and letting her cry. “I…I just want to go home…”
Miller had never considered herself the ‘maternal’ type. But seeing the poor girl crying was just too much for the usually steely woman to take. She let her get her tears out, just sitting patiently until Jen’s quiet sobbing finally stopped. “…feel better?”
She sat back wiping her eyes, smiling a little. “No. I’m so hungry.”
“You CAN eat something you know?”
Jennifer ran her fingers along the edge of her shield. “…soon. I started this; I have to see it through.”
Miller gently helped her to her feet. “Well let’s get back inside. My shift’s almost up but if you want I can sit with you tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that. Samson’s an alright guy and I’m just going to be kneeling on the floor with my sword anyway.”
She didn’t need Samson to wake her this time. When the door opened she roused herself. “Hey kid, how goes the inner reflection?”
“Pretty good. I learned my swords name and I’m like…THIS close to figuring out the first rune.”
“Very cool. You think you’re up to a little activity? New doc wants to see whatcha got.”
With a shrug she stood. “Sure why not? Long as it’s not another two hour jog.”
The new doctor was business-like but he wasn’t a huge jerk at least. He just did a routine physical on her. Pretty easy stuff in Jennifer’s opinion. “Well Miss Allen it looks like physically you’re in perfect health. I can’t find any cause for your deteriorating condition. I’ve been studying your blood and your cells seem saturated with a form of radiation I’ve never seen before.”
Jen cleared her throat gently. “It’s probably the mana.”
“I read Agent Miller’s documentation. I’m inclined to believe it too. Nothing short of returning the amulet to you will help though will it?” She shrugged helplessly and he sighed. “We have very strict orders to keep it out of your hands. There’s NOTHING else we can do?”
Jennifer frowned a little. “My bracelet? If you let me use my earth aspect instead the mana drain would slow down a lot I think. Earth ponies don’t need a lot.”
The doctor looked to Agent Samson looming off to the side. “Agent? Do you think it safe to return it to her?”
He shrugged. “Yeah the kids got nowhere to run to even if she can punch through her cell door. The amulet’s chamber would need close to a nuclear blast to open without the code. And you won’t do anything stupid right kid?”
Mustering up the most innocent smile she could she nodded. “Of course not.”
Samson of course didn’t buy the act for a second, but he did open the chamber next to the amulet and retrieve her bracelet. She snatched it and invoked the earth charm. Instantly a lot of the aches eased away. Not ALL of them but she WAS feeling better.”
Doctor Hammond was just staring slightly open mouthed. “That…that is physically impossible! Look at her musculature! And those wings…she just…physically transformed!”
Agent Samson rolled his eyes and retrieved the bracelet from Jen, placing it back in its chamber. “You look better.”
She smiled. “I feel better.”
Hammond insisted on another physical of course, and dismissed her so he could compare the differences. “So you could probably send me through the wall if you wanted to now huh?”
Jen shot him a little smirk. “Probably. But I don’t want to. You’re right, I know I have nowhere to go and you and Miller have been nice to me. I have a feeling breaking half the bones in your body would change that.”
He laughed. “Maybe a little. So! You left off at the giant spiders last night.”
Still smiling she resumed kneeling on her floor, and resumed her story too.
Agent Miller was bringing the usual breakfast tray to Jennifer’s cell when she saw the bright pink light glowing from inside. With a scowl she flung open the door. Samson was still in there, watching the girl curiously. A gentle nimbus of light was sheathing her body and a faint breeze was stirring her clothes and hair.
“What…what the hell is going on?”
Samson shrugged. “It started sometime around four am. She was kneeling there then the sword started to glow, then SHE started to glow. I didn’t know what was going on but I didn’t want to leave her alone. You might wanna go get Hammond.”
Miller didn’t need to be told twice. She returned with the doctor in short order. He slowly ran a small handheld scanner across the room. “Well it’s not radioactive whatever it is.”
Agent Samson laughed. “It’s magic. She’s…harmonizing with her sword. That’s what she said right?”
When Hammond made to approach Samson snatched his arm pulling him back. At the doctors outraged look the large agent picked a pillow up off the bed and tossed it Jen’s way. There was a sharp CRACK and a flash; the pillow flopped to the floor on the other side of the room smoldering.
“Ah…well thank you agent. That would have been unpleasant.”
With a grin Samson showed his slightly charred hand. “It is. She said three days of fasting and meditation, this is day three. So whatever’s going to happen…I think we’ll see it tomorrow.”
By now there was a sizeable crowd outside the room. Most lost interest when it was clear nothing was going to happen anytime soon. Only Agents Miller and Samson stayed in the room, while Doctor Hammond kept bringing in more and more of his toys for ‘readings’. “She’s a good kid. She doesn’t deserve all this.”
Samson shrugged a little. “I don’t disagree, but we have orders.”
“I don’t think they’re very good orders.”
He shrugged again. “I don’t either…but that’s the job Miller.” He glanced at the sketch book Miller still had under her arm. “What’s that you got?”
She blinked down at it as if just now remembering she had it. “It’s hers. It was in her bag when you and Johnson snatched her.”
Silently he flipped through the book, stopping at each page. “Kid’s got talent.”
“That’s mine.”
With a shout he dropped it and jumped to his feet. So engrossed were the agents in the sketch book they hadn’t noticed the bright glow had faded from the room. Jennifer was still sitting calmly in her place on the floor watching them quietly.
“Kid! You’re…are you alright?”
She didn’t answer at first, just looked down at the sword in her lap. Delicately fingering the first rune on her sword. “Want to see something cool?”
The agents shared a brief look, Miller nervous and Samson the exact opposite. “No. Yes!” Agent Miller was glaring at her male counterpart as Jen stood holding her sword out horizontally. Then she quickly reversed it and thrust it into her own stomach.
Both agents shouted in alarm and leaped for her, but stopped when they saw her big grin. “Eh? Eh? Pretty neat right?” She smoothly slid it up her belly, through her chest and out the top of her head. “The first rune of the Sword of Mercy, the blade can’t harm anyone ‘pure of heart’.”
Miller was scowling angrily but Samson just chuckled. “Pretty high opinion of yourself kid.”
Jen shrugged and sheathed her sword as her images each winked out of existence. “Heart told me if I wasn’t pure enough to do that, I’d never have been chosen to bear the sword.”
“That wasn’t funny Jennifer! What if you hurt yourself?!”
Her smile faded seeing the concern on the female agent’s face. “I uh…sorry I’m just excited. I’m learning how to properly use the sword and all.”
“Alright. Well you’re fine and I’ve been awake for about thirty hours now so I’m going to bed. You’re on your own tonight kid.” Samson ducked out of the room. Leaving a still scowling Agent Miller.
“Sorry…really.” Jennifer certainly sounded it.
Shaking her head Agent Miller just sighed. “You alright to eat now?”
At Jen’s eager nod the agent finally cracked a smile. She returned soon with a tray heaped with double the usual portions. Which Jennifer made short work of. “Ohh your garbage army food tastes awesome. You know you don’t have to hang around. I’m fine. Y’know besides the mana drain thing. I’ll probly just talk with Heart some.”
“You sure? You were kinda…in a bad way the other afternoon.”
“I…yeah sorry. Just…I miss them. I miss home.”
“Right. Alright you get some sleep. Some REAL sleep. We’ll go for a walk tomorrow ok? You can tell me about Canterlot.”
Waiting a moment for Agent Miller to get clear of her room Jennifer finally allowed her legs to collapse and drop her back onto the bed.
Twas a foolish decision to invoke one of the blade’s abilities Jennifer. Thy mana is nearly gone.
“Yeah I know I just…wanted to feel the connection y’know, before I check out.”
Yon bracelet is back in they posession. Invoke thy unicorn aspect and reclaim the amulet. Thy magic is raw but powerful.
“Trust me if Samson is telling the truth about the box it’s in, and I don’t doubt he is I don’t have enough magic to get it open.”
I see. Tis a shame this is how thy journey must end. I had such great hopes.
“Sorry I let you down Bleeding Heart.”
Nay…tis not thy fault child…in truth I found your company quite pleasant, short a time as we had.
This cause the girl to smile. Her head felt like it was threatening to split in half the throbbing was getting so strong. She just felt…tired. Closing her eyes she sank back on the bed taking slow even breaths. “I wish I could’ve said goodbye to Pinkie. At least the breeze is nice.”
Wait. Breeze? Brow furrowed in confusion she blinked her eyes open. There was a…crack in the room. Not in the wall, or the big two way mirror, or the door. There was a crack in the AIR. Just hanging there. As she watched it began to widen slowly. Colorful light filtering through. Red, pink, blue, orange, purple…it was like a rainbow was cracking its way through the very air.
Staring at the phenomenon for a moment Jennifer realized something else. Her head was still pounding but…not as bad. Suddenly there was a deafening BOOM as the crack blew wide open and an oscillating tunnel of rainbow lights ripped from the hole impacting on the opposite wall. Instead of a crack there was…a hole. Slowly a man emerged. Dressed in very impressive looking armor. He was really handsome, with warm eyes and dark blue hair streaked with lighter electric blue streaks. What really drew Jennifer’s eye was the pure white horn parting his hair. “Is this her?”
Another man joined the first. Twice as muscled but this one had a face Jen recognized. The farm pony turned human smiled at first, and then frowned seeing the poor condition the girl was in. He was wearing the jeans, boots, and flannel shirt he’d worn on his first visit to earth years ago. “Eeyup.”
Both transformed stallions began to look around wildly as alarms began to blare. They were joined by a young woman, with alabaster skin and flowing blue black hair. Bearing both a horn and a pair of wings. “Finally. You have no idea how much trouble you have caused Jennifer. I believe it is time to go home yes?”
Tears were welling in Jen’s eyes as she struggled to sit up. Seeing the effort it was causing the unfamiliar man scooped her into his arms. “Let’s go.”
“W-wait! Discord’s gem and my bracelet! They have it in the lab here!”
Luna’s eyes flashed in anger. “They have not only imprisoned one of my citizens but robbed her as well? Show us to this lab Jennifer. Captain Shining Armor will see to your safety.”
The stern eyed man’s horn glowed to life and surrounded the foursome in a purple bubble…Shining Armor (why did that name seem familiar?) looked to the door. “Mac would you do the honors?”
With a chuckle the farmer rolled up his sleeves. “Eeyup.” Lowering his shoulder he slammed his body into the heavy metal door which buckled from the force of the blow. The small group could hear shouts of alarm from the other side, and the transformed stallion scowled. “Sticky door.”
Another ram and it went flying off the setting to clatter on the floor of the corridor. Immediately the dozen or so agents on the other side fired off their weapons, all rebounding harmlessly from the captain’s shield. “Which way?”
Jen lifted a hand directing them out into the hall. The captain was surprisingly gentle as he carried her from the room. She could tell his focus was on maintaining the shell protecting them. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead as more bullets pinged off the shield. “If we could pick up the pace I won’t complain.”
Luna’s face was contorted into one of the more fearsome scowls Jen had ever seen. She hadn’t before been able to imagine the gentle princess capable of such anger. “Retrieve the gem Captain. I will see to our attackers.”
Shining Armor looked like he wanted to protest, but one glance at his princess’ face and he inclined his head sharply setting off with Jen and Macintosh. The princess stepped smoothly from the bubble coolly regarding the men reloading their obnoxiously loud arms.
A chorus of terrified screams followed the trio up the hall to the lab sending shivers along all their spines. “We almost there Jenny?”
“Uh…y-yeah Mac the lab’s through that door.”
Rolling his neck the huge man lowered his shoulder again ramming the door hard. With a startled shout he rebounded and fell flat on his backside. “…stickier door.”
“You need one of these.” The three turned to see Agent Miller approaching, holding a keycard in one hand. Macintosh was on his feet moving on her threateningly when Jen reached out a hand and laid it on his arm.
“It’s alright Big Mac…she’s a friend.”
Both men shared an uncertain glance but stepped aside as Miller slid her card through the reader, the door hissing open. “I don’t have clearance to open the amulets case.”
The agent gasped suddenly as a slim but impossibly strong hand clamped down on her shoulder, gripping hard enough to force her to her knees. “L-Luna don’t…please she’s trying to help.”
Miller looked up to see a very unhappy looking woman gazing down at her. The woman’s eyes were impossibly deep, eyes that had seen more than the young federal agent could ever hope to see in her lifetime. Slowly the princess relaxed her grip. “You owe Jennifer a debt. Without her words you would be in the same state as your fellows.”
Letting it go at that she moved to join the others in front of the chamber holding the amulet. “The humans are neutralized Captain, you may relax your shield.”
Gratefully he did. “Thanks princess. Working magic here feels like putting my horn through a rock crusher.”
“Indeed. The faster we are away from this wretched world the better.” Her horn flared angrily as she reached out to the chambers holding the amulet and bracelet. Macintosh backed up a few steps and Shining Armor carried Jennifer back toward the door as the princess’s aura flared brighter and brighter. With an angry bellow the chambers collapsed inward, then exploded out into shards of shrapnel. With a delicacy belying the power just displayed the gently plucked the jewelry from their resting places returning them to Jennifer. “NOW let us be off.”
“You can’t take it! It speaks to ME! It’s MINE!” A frothing Doctor Sanders was shakily aiming a handgun toward Luna. Before Shining Armor could raise his barrier a loud BANG echoed through the air.
Luna was bowled over as Agent Miller threw herself at the princess tackling her to the ground. “Fool! Get off of me you…” Luna’s voice trailed off as she saw the welling pool of blood forming from the wound in the woman’s back. Eyes blazing with fury she rose to her feet thrusting a hand at the human who dared to attack her. Swirling black shadows pooled around his feet and darted into his eyes. Slowly the doctor sunk to his knees, mouth locked in a silent scream.
Looking down at the wounded woman Luna slowly lifted her into the air carrying her along with the others toward Jennifer’s cell and the waiting portal. Agent Samson was blocking the door. All around the hall the rest of the agents seemed to have received the same treatment as Sanders.
“What did you do to my men?”
“They are trapped within their own worst nightmares. They will survive the experience unharmed, physically at least.”
He looked to the wounded Miller held in Luna’s magic. “And her?”
“Dr. Sanders tried to shoot the princess…Agent Miller leapt in the way.”
Samson frowned at the girl in Shining Armor’s arms then looked back to Luna. “You realize this is an act of war.”
“Truly?” The princess arched a brow as she approached the much larger man, unconcerned. “You have taken one of my citizens against her will, imprisoned her, and seemed willing to sentence her to death for the crime of what? Being different than yourselves? I had hoped my sister’s opinion of your people was skewed. The world young Jennifer came surely could not be as dark a place as she told me. And yet here we are. I will be leaving with my charge now. As there is little you could do to stop me even were you foolish enough to try.”
“But by all means human, declare yet another war. I will happily answer your childish challenge on the field of battle. Admittedly it has been many centuries since I have taken the field of combat myself, but you will find I am still quite adept at the art of war.” Samson was slowly lowering his gun. “Ah, intelligence at last. Are you capable of seeing to your comrades wound or must she come with us?”
Slowly he approached looking over Miller’s gunshot wound. “It’s not good but we can patch her up.”
“Very well I leave her in your care. I will return at some point in the near future to check on my saviors’ progress and see that she is being treated well. If she is not you and I will have words once more.” The way she said that implied there would be very little talking. She slowly lowered Agent Miller into Samson’s arms and turned to the three behind her, a gentle smile returned to her face. “Shall we get home then? I know Pinkie has been eager to see you Jennifer.”
The stunned girl only nodded slowly. “Y-yes ma’am.”
“Lovely. Gentlecolts? After you.”
Jen looked over Shining’s shoulder to find Agent Samson smiling a little. She lifted her hand in a wave and he did the same. She saw him long enough to see he was rushing Miller down the hall toward what she hoped was the infirmary…then they were through the portal.
The trip was certainly smoother than using the chaos jewel. Emerging on the other side they were in Luna’s throne room. Twilight was wearing a delicate looking tiara, while Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttrshy, Pinkie, and Rarity each bore a necklace with a gem shaped like their cutie marks. The six mares were concentrating hard it looked like, their gems glowing brightly and maintaining the gate. Once the foursome was through they blinked their eyes open and the portal snapped shut.
Shining Armor gently set Jennifer on her feet, and Luna returned the three to their natural pony forms. The girl barely had time to get her bearings before she was tackled by a flying pink blur. “Jenny-bean! You’re home! I was so worried when you didn’t come back the first night! Then I thought well maybe she’s just having a sleepover with her dad! But then more and more time passed and you didn’t come home and everypony got worried so we came to see the princess and she did some magic and found out you were being held prisoner!”
Jen laughed as Pinkie finally stopped to suck in a huge breath. She cut the mare off by throwing her arms around her neck and hugging her fiercely. “It’s good to be home.”
-Earth-
Doctor Sanders ignored the janitorial nobodies busy cleaning his lab. He was too intently focused on the readouts of his screen to pay them any mind. Just as he suspected, the amulet wasn’t magic. What rubbish! It DID give off a powerful energy signature however. And all energy could be reproduced…
Stats
Page generated in 0.022 seconds
Total duration
1,101 users online
1,498,085 hits today, 2,364,530 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
2214936
Anyway, Echo uh? I didn't see that coming
If this guy succeeds in recreating Discord's gem, I totally want to know him, even if he's completely nuts
Anyway, awsome chapter once again
2222966
Haha, well thanks. XD
I really liked the government chapter. You somehow managed to fit that into the rest of the story and made it work. As with the last part of the series, you have a remarkable sense of pace, even though this is a different kind of story than the last one. There is just the right amount of action to balance the rest of the slice of life, and the little hints and clues about the dark past of your Equestria casts just the right shape and tone of foreshadow to keep me very interested.
Jeez. Good at this much? I was reading this by the seat of my pants, whatever that means. You certainly know how to throw in compelling characters, even if the 'villain' here was a bit (intentionally, I suppose) flat.
Gotta say that I'm really damn envious of your players. I once considered trying to make a story where the characters were actually rolled up, and every action they did would be determined by their skill-checks, saves and character traits. It would make for an awesome, if somewhat unpredictable and bothersome story.
You finally spelled it as 'probably'! Huzzah! The grammar has been doubled!
What's rubbish is the phrase energy signature. It usually doesn't mean anything even in the pulp sci-fi it comes from, much less a basically Earth-normal setting.
You do not measure energy. You cannot measure energy. You can measure a wide variety of distinct phenomena that have energy, and you might even be able to work out, from those measurements, how much energy it is, but you're not measuring energy itself, because energy is not a distinct thing. And there's certainly no one-size-fits-all method of finding any kind of energy. You have to know what you're looking for. Light? Sound? Heat? Radiation? You need different instruments for all of those things. You need different instruments for different ranges of those things.
And even if you carefully analyze every different kind of energy that a thing emits, and even if you haven't missed something too subtle for your instruments or that you simply did not know how to find, what good does reproducing it do? Faithfully reproducing the radiation from a chunk of plutonium won't fuel a nuclear reactor. Reproducing the light from your monitor will not make another computer, not even if you add in the humming sound of the fan or the heat it generates.
So let's put this in context, and look at the story. What kind of energy is it? If it's any of the types we already know about, why haven't we noticed any special effects before? If it's something new, how was it noticed, and how is it being measured? Is it the cause of the magic or a side effect? Is there even any way to tell? Even if it is the cause, how do you go about reproducing it, especially if you have no more samples to study?
You don't actually have to go into all the fine details, but putting some thought into it can really help give the world and the characters substance.
7734840
Thanks for that critical review on a very irritating bit of common science fiction errors.
One of the easiest solutions would be to say that particular particles were detected that don't occur naturally on Earth, ones that might be possible to synthetically produce.