Stargate: Equestria

Connection

Chapter 5

As the day stretched into afternoon, O'Neill found himself without immediate work. He had found a suitable clearing, hidden away but not far from the town, relieving himself of the weight of his packs. It was Research Time, which meant the bookworms were beavering away, but all he could do was wait for more information.

Restless, he decided to take a chance with the ponies once more. He returned to Ponyville's streets, ambling along in a sort of half-patrol, half-wander. He certainly got more than his fair share of eyeballs from the locals, and while they didn't run and hide per se, conversation fell still as he approached and they gave him a wide berth. When he tried waving and greeting random ponies, they skittered away from him nervously. He had half the street to himself and a bubble of silence twice as big.

It really got on his nerves.

It took only a few minutes of this before his left eye developed a tic, and it wasn't too much longer that he veered off course without warning, heading straight for a random pony. The small crowd scampered away, all getting out of his path save the one brown-coated male O'Neill had targeted. The pony nervously backed up a step, but otherwise held his place, transfixed by the unsettling grin that now covered O'Neill's face.

"Hey, pal! Name's Jack O'Neill! What's yours?" His voice was perhaps louder than it needed to be, tinged with that same manic friendliness. He thrust a hand out, the motion just aggressive enough that the pony backed up another step, this time bumping into the wall of the building behind him. He shifted nervously, and O'Neill could see the marking on his hindquarters: a large golden hourglass.

The pony danced a step, but there was no getting away from the very friendly and very large human. "Uh. Who?"

"What?"

"What?"

That rictus of a smile stretched wider. "Who. Are you?"

"Oh. Um, yeah..."

"E-excuse me." The voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the awkward tension like a knife. O'Neill started and looked down at his side. The yellow pony who had approached him silently as a breeze cringed away from his gaze. It only lasted a second before she recovered herself, peering up at him with one large eye through a flowing pink mane. She couldn't meet his eye for long, blushing and glancing down at the ground. "Sorry," she squeaked. "But the patient is awake now...you know, if you wanted to come see him..." She shrank back a pace, ducking her head back even more until only the tip of her nose was visible through the mane. "I-if that's all right with you, I mean..."

Jack sighed and offered her a slight smile. Even his bone-deep cynicism couldn't hold up in the face of that innocent bashfulness. It was far too endearing. "Yeah, it's all right. C'mon, take me to him." The luckless colt saw his chance and darted away, disappearing round a corner.

She nodded slightly, and managed to de-panic enough to start down the street at a slow walk. When asked, she offered hesitantly that her name was Fluttershy, and Jack, never one for idle chatting, found himself coaxing a bit of small talk out of her as she led him to the infirmary. She liked flowers and animals and singing, and she was really very grateful that the SG-1 team had managed to rescue the fillies without hurting them, the little darlings. O'Neill kept up the idle chat, and Fluttershy grew a bit bolder as they walked. She noticed his attention on the buildings around them, and began shyly offering names of stores and points of interest.

"Ooh, and here's the library. Your friends are in there with Twilight Sparkle and Spike, aren't they?" O'Neill grunted, then sidled over to the window to peer inside and check up on things. It looked pretty much like any small library, so far as O'Neill knew. Books were everywhere, but the bookworms had at least managed to keep the piles mostly tidy. Carter stood with a book in hand, flipping through slowly, eyes flicking over the pages. She paced in front of a ladder, on which Spike stood. He searched through the shelves before pulling another book out, handing it to Carter who took it with a glance and murmured thanks. It took a second for O'Neill to find Jackson, but eventually he spotted the man sitting cross-legged against a wall next to a large stack of books. He held one up in front of him, flipping through it just as Carter was with hers.

O'Neill blinked. On Jackson's lap, the purple pony was curled up comfortably. She was almost too big for him; one hoof dangled lazily on one side of the man, a book resting open-faced on the floor on the other. Her horn glowed briefly, and the page flicked over. Jackson was holding his book with one hand, the other resting on Twilight Sparkle's back. Both shared the same contented smile.

The colonel blew out a breath and shot a look to Fluttershy. "Yeah. Yeah, they look mighty settled in. Come on." He tried to moderate the growl out of his voice on the last two words, but the little pony squeaked in distress nonetheless. He began stalking down the road, each step an attempt to vent the growing annoyance he was feeling.

---

"Cupcakes! Cupcakescupcakescupcakes!" The shrill, cheerful voice grew louder as O'Neill and Fluttershy kept on the road toward the infirmary, and he could see activity near a brightly-colored building. A very pink pony was bouncing around in circles, a plate balanced neatly on her curly mane against all laws of physics. He slowed as he saw who she was bouncing around.

Teal'c stood there, motionless except for his gaze which tracked the pony. O'Neill had never known the big man to have a wide range of emotion, and he certainly wasn't displaying much even now, but O'Neill could read the spocked eyebrow and wary expression on the Jaffa's face. He was apprehensive...and if O'Neill didn't know better, frightened as well.

The pink ball of energy didn't even seem to notice. "C'mon, big guy!" she chirped happily. "They're good! You gotta try one! You're our guest, right?" She stopped bouncing for a moment, planting her feet on the ground and mock-glaring up at him. "It's bad manners not to try it!"

If O'Neill's cynicism had a hard time facing Fluttershy, Teal'c's implacability couldn't stand up to this pony. He let out a long sigh. "As you wish, Pinkamina Diane Pie. I will try a cupcake."

The pony stopped and stared at Teal'c, her mouth gaping open comically wide. "How do you know my full name? Everypony just calls me Pinkie Pie!" She looked at O'Neill, eyes startled and huge, and he could only shrug.

"Don't ask me. He's just...like that."

Before he could say anything further, Pinkie Pie's gaze focused on him and she let out a loud and exaggerated gasp. Fluttershy's expression turned a little panicky and she took a couple of quick steps away from O'Neill. She barely managed to avoid Pinkie Pie as the other pony darted over, bouncing around the human with dizzying speed. "You're Jack! I saw you when you walked into town! Omigosh, do you want a cupcake?" She blurred to a stop in front of him, rising up on her hind legs to plant her forehooves on his belt, offering up the plate of cupcakes. O'Neill could only marvel that throughout all this, the plate had not wavered nor had any of the cupcakes even budged an inch.

He raised his hands defensively, waving her down. She complied after a moment, staring up at him with a blank smile and those unnervingly huge eyes. "Thanks. Really. But I think I'm overdosing on sugar already."

She tilted her head quizzically for a moment before beaming. "Okie dokie smokie! If you're sure!"

"Teal'c, come on. Fluttershy here says the pris-" O'Neill glanced down at said pony, who looked shyly away. "Ah, the patient is awake. Let's go have a chat." He jerked a thumb at Pinkie, who had tossed the plate onto the ground and was happily devouring the rest of the cupcakes. "Before she breaks out into song or something. The way this place is rotting my teeth, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Without hesitation, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c agreed, emphatic. They strode purposefully through the rest of the town, Fluttershy keeping pace between them.

"Did you even make it to the infirmary?" O'Neill asked.

"No. I met the Cutie Mark Crusaders again." Teal'c cocked an eyebrow at O'Neill's too-blank expression. "The three little ponies we rescued. It seemed impolite to ignore them, so I stopped to converse. When we parted ways..." he suppressed a minute shudder O'Neill almost missed. "She appeared." He gave O'Neill a direct look. "You were lucky you escaped so quickly."

"Pinkie Pie?" The soft voice drifted up from the ground, causing both men to blink; they had nearly forgotten about Fluttershy. She blushed as they turned their attentions to her, but continued, "She's always like that. She's really very nice and friendly, just a little, um..." Her voice dropped into even more of a whisper than usual as she said something that could possibly be construed as criticism of her friend, "...intense."

"So are serial killers," O'Neill muttered, and the trio continued on to the infirmary without further conversation.

---

The infirmary turned out to be a rather large open-air tent on the far side of town. Rows of little cots filled the space inside. It looked like any medic's tent, only sky blue rather than olive green. All the cots were empty save two; these had been pushed together to make a single bed for the Jaffa horse. The big stallion lay on his uninjured side, his breathing shallow but stable. A pulley had been rigged up to keep his injured wing extended, keeping the wound exposed so that the little nurse ponies could treat it.

One matronly nurse turned as the trio approached. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at O'Neill and Teal'c, but she recovered enough to flash a brief smile at Fluttershy. "Thank you so much, my dear. I just didn't realize they'd be so...tall."

Fluttershy ducked her head and smiled. "It was my pleasure." She looked over to the horse, face growing sad. "Is there anything else I can do?"

The nurse gave her a tired smile. "I do appreciate it, but we have things well in hoof here. Run along, dearie, I shan't keep you any longer."

Fluttershy nodded, giving the patient one last look before smiling up to O'Neill and Teal'c. "Goodbye. It was very nice to meet you."

O'Neill gave her a little smile and a wave before moving gingerly into the tent. Teal'c followed close behind. The nurse stopped them before they got too far in, giving each a stern look in turn. "You can talk to him, but if you get him too excited or upset I'll have to ask you to leave. He must rest."

O'Neill held up his hands in silent acquiescence, and the two humans sat down on the tent's floor near the Jaffa's head. The horse eyed O'Neill silently, then huffed out a contemptuous snort and glanced at Teal'c. He began to dismiss Teal'c as he had Jack, but his head snapped back in a double-take. The nurses let out protests as the horse jerked and fumbled at the bed, trying to rise up. "First Prime!" His breathing quickly grew labored, and under the pain of his wound he was finally forced to subside. He stared at Teal'c, eyes wide and disbelieving.

The two men traded a look. Silently, O'Neill gestured with a flourish for Teal'c to proceed, which the Jaffa answered with a nod of thanks. O'Neill sat back, arms folded, to listen and watch.

Teal'c turned to the horse, meeting his eye squarely. "I am Teal'c of Chulak, Jaffa liaison to Stargate Command...and former First Prime of Apophis." His mouth twisted with contempt for the last, but he held the horse's gaze nonetheless. "We have many questions to ask of you. Let us start with your name."

The horse hesitated, unsure whether to be defiant or submissive. He finally blew out a sigh and settled back against the bed. "I am Brind'l. I serve my goddess Epona as leader of the Sky cohort."

"Brind'l. Why did you abduct children?"

Brind'l winced and had the grace to look ashamed. "It was not our plan. We were scouting in the woods outside the village when we stumbled on those three. My companions grabbed them to keep them from alerting others. And," he shrugged one shoulder, "eventual interrogation." He caught the dangerous gleam in O'Neill's eye and some measure of defiance and pride entered his demeanor again. "We would not have hurt them. We will do what we must to serve our goddess, but we are not needlessly cruel."

Teal'c continued in the same calm voice. "These ponies have never seen your like before. Where do you come from and why are you here now?"

The horse mulled that over, apparently deciding how much to share freely. He finally gave another shrug. "Epona ruled this world and we served Her. I do not claim to know the mind of my goddess, but I believe She saw Her time on this world approach an end. In preparation She sent my team into a deep sleep, to be awoken upon Her return. I cannot begin guess at how long it has been since that time, but we awoke two nights ago."

O'Neill sat up straight and shared another look with Teal'c. The Jaffa nodded, but neither spoke. Teal'c returned his attention to Brind'l. "Why were you scouting?"

"It is Epona's will that these lands be reclaimed in Her name." The nurses continued their ministrations and busywork, but they began casting worried glances at the horse, particularly as his voice grew in confidence. "And Her will be done. It will be done."

"How many companions went through the deep sleep with you?"

Brind'l chuckled softly, closing his eyes and resting his head back on the pillow. "I am not a fool, First Prime, nor a traitor. I will not say."

O'Neill leaned forward, looking thoughtful. "So...Brind'l. Since you woke up, has Epona actually..." he gestured vaguely with his hands, "...returned, yet?"

Brind'l flinched as though struck. He turned his face from both humans, what little energy he had draining steadily away. "I have said all I have to say." He fell silent, and did not seem inclined to say any more.

One more look passed between O'Neill and Teal'c, and they rose as one. Leaving the cover of the medical tent, they walked a pace toward the trees until they were sure they were out of earshot. "Two nights ago, he said," O'Neill murmured.

"Yes."

"That's when we came through the gate."

"Yes."

"Stop that. So what do you think about our new buddy?"

"You struck true, Colonel O'Neill. There is doubt in his mind." Teal'c looked over O'Neill's shoulder back to the tent. "He is uncertain, and he regrets kidnapping the fillies. I do not believe we will need to resort to interrogation." He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Permit me to stay with him overnight. I will reveal Epona's words for the Goa'uld lies they are. If I cannot convince him to give us intelligence, I can at least sow the seeds of rebellion. These Jaffa may be horses, O'Neill, but they deserve to be as free as any other."

O'Neill smiled. "That's my little revolutionary. I was going to ask you to stay in any case. We need a guard on him in case he decides to make a run for it in the middle of the night." He clapped Teal'c on the forearm. "Good luck. I'm heading back to base camp. Stay in touch."

Teal'c bowed his head. "Of course, Colonel O'Neill."