We were called to a briefing. I made sure everyone was there. Sandra, Dust, Hope, and Neon. The herd seemed a little more solid and aware of itself. Hope was looking particularly energetic, though I wasn't sure why. The officers were behind their table. "Glad you could all make it. We have good news and fair news. On the good news front, the aggression from the south has almost entirely faded. We've had great success with the expansion plan and have brought civility back to huge portions of America along the way."

He raised a finger. "Along the way, radio contact with other nations has started to trickle in. We had a very informative discussion with our European allies. They've reported the horses in their territory have recently swung around from neutral to outright friendly, and things are rapidly improving. We're getting somewhat worryingly few amount of conversations from up north. We don't have a good picture of what's going on in Canada. From what little we know, even furred horses don't fare that well in arctic environments, so how bad the infection could be, even in worst case, we're not certain."

The female tapped a pen on the table. "But none of that really relates to any of you. Today we're discussing New York. The situation there hasn't improved, but it hasn't deteriorated either. They've expanded directly to the old state borders and have apparently decided to hold the state like its own nation. They allow ponies in, but almost nothing comes out." She waved the pen at me and the herd. "Fortunately, we have some ponies we'd trust to go in there and make a full appraisal of the situation."

General pony snorted softly. "That includes making a judgement call or two. If you can find a reasonable solution and are in the right situation to act on it, well shoot, do it. Don't let on that you're working for us or against them if you can help it."

Hope brought up a hoof in a salute. "Sure thing! I hope nobody's been abused too badly in there. What are the reports? I mean, the latest ones we have?"

One of the other leaders sighed softly. "Last we heard, humans are being put to work as basically slave labor. Anything that would require a unicorn has a human being forced to do the task. There is no pay, just work. The ponies didn't accept that kind of thing in our territory, and we shouldn't tolerate humans being treated that way elsewhere. Even if our laws might feel removed, basic labor ethics is still a thing."

Neon sat up. "That reminds me, speaking of unicorns. How is the power coming along? I don't see any lights yet."

The lady shuffled through some papers and pulled out a scrap that had been written on many times over again. "I am looking forward to getting paper production back online. Be that as it may, power production is scheduled for limited testing starting next week. We have a squad of four unicorns for the test. If that goes well, we'll be expanding recruitment and setting up for a full city operation. It's going to require heavy inspection and recalibration of the existing power grid, or we'll risk city-wide infernos. We've already started on that. We should have a grid ready to hold up to the load by the time testing is complete."

A soft knocking came from the door before a pegasus rushed in and saluted to the gathering. "Sirs, ma'am! Report!" He held out a scrap of paper from his saddlebag and set it on the table, then fled back from whence he came.

The paper was nudged aside, their attention on me and the herd. "Are you ready for this? We can air lift you to within a state, but we don't want them to see you coming in too fast. We know you have your own transportation methods."

I nodded at that. "Three of us can, er, three and a half? Most of us. Most of us can transport us on demand. I'm ready to go whenever you give the word."

"Ready"

"All set."

"Just give the word!" Dusk Hope saluted again and looked excited.

Dust prodded him in the side before nodding. "Si. We're ready to go."

And that's how we got prepared. We could have taken an airlift there, but we all felt confident working as a team. We gathered together and began rapidly jumping across the country, only for Crystal to appear on the fifth hop.

"Wait!" she insisted with a lifted hoof. "Don't go rushing away before you even say goodbye... I know I'm not formally part of your... herd, but you're still carrying my child around, and I do care about you, Will." She shuffled awkwardly as the others regarded her with curiosity. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm worried for you." She reared up and held out her forehooves. "A hug for good luck?"

I wasn't about to deny her that. I moved in and plucked her from the ground. She was a bit heavier than the average earth pony, which I blamed on being crystal, but she was warm and snuggled into the embrace. She squeaked suddenly and looked back and behind herself where Neon was unabashedly sniffing at her. "Do I know you?"

Neon snorted. "I should think not. So you are the source of our teleportation? A grand trick, that. You should be rewarded, put in a book for it."

Crystal slid back to her hooves and shook her head. "Nice idea, I suppose, but we haven't quite recovered to the point where anyone's making a book about anything yet." She pointed at Neon and Dust. "Who are they, Will?" Her eyes wandered over the herd before she noticed something else that was new. She pointed underneath Sandra. "And you're bigger, and packing! Is... is this just a thing for all 'royalty'?"

Sandra blushed at being pointed out. "Not required, but it kind of happened?"

I gestured to Dust. "This is Dust Kicker. She has a lot of military experience, knows how to fight hand to hand, or hoof to hoof as the case may be, and is a good person. This is Neon, who we were fighting before. She was royalty."

Neon rolled her eyes. "You're not painting a nice picture of me there." She held out a hoof towards Crystal. "A pleasure to meet you, face-to-face."

Crystal accepted the hoof with one of her own and they clopped together. "Nice to meet you too, Neon was it? You have a lovely accent."

Dust laughed softly. "We come from another country, and our accents become praise worthy."

Neon kissed Crystal on the nose before returning to her place with the herd. Crystal flushed brightly. "I should go. Be careful, alright? And visit me when you get back." She vanished away. I wondered how her den was doing, but there wasn't time to muse over that.

"Onwards!" Cindy carried us the next hop forward, and we made quick progress across the country for most of the day. We had to slow down any time we hit forest or other impeded visibility. No sight and no knowledge meant we had to get to a better vantage point to continue. On the other hand, when we managed to get to a nice high place and could see a mile away, we cleared a large portion of land in the blink of an eye. We were definitely going faster than someone flying, and that was an achievement enough, even if it left us tired and hungry.

As the sun grew heavy, we settled to get some sleep in a big equine pile. They focused around me, with the smaller ponies gathered around my front, and Sandra propping up my back. There were no harsh feelings coming out for a change. Even Dust seemed alright with Dusk Hope at her side, and night came around to find us peacefully sleeping.

The next day, Dust Kicker had withdrawn a bit, and looked flustered. I picked my way free of the others, still sleeping, but she withdrew further away. "Dust, what's wrong?"

She frowned at me and brought her thighs together pointedly. "Biology being poorly-timed, and I hate it. What I wouldn't do for a good set of fitting pants right about now."

Did ponies bleed? "Are you having a period?"

Dust raised a brow. "What? No. I don't think ponies do that. But then again, yes. I am in heat, like a common animal. I don't plan on lifting my tail like one as well. I don't need a foal." She stomped a hoof in the dirt. "Life is complicated enough, don't you think?"

Dusk Hope approached, popping up between my legs. I felt his horn brush against the fur of my undercarriage before he sat just in front of me. "I'll help."

Dust Kicker frowned. "You're exactly the pony I was avoiding, with all the wrong kinds of help."

Hope raised a hoof. "I mean it! Seriously. I'm on your side, Dust. I won't let anyone near you until you say it's OK."

Dust tilted her head slightly. "What about you? I know you've been waiting for a chance."

Hope shook his head firmly. "Doesn't matter. I won't touch you, and no one else will either. You're my friend, first. I don't care... how... How amazing you smell. I'd rather have your trust than that."

I reached down and gave Hope a little ear scratching. "That's mature of you, Dusk Hope. I'll help too however I can. You're part of our herd, Dust Kicker, which means we help each other out."

Dust quirked a little smile. "Even if it involved me not being involved with any of you? I mean, no offense, but I just don't want kids, or foals, or whatever you want to call them. Maybe later, when we're not in the middle of an effective war. I don't even know how you can stand it."

Cindy tilted her head. "There's always something going on. We wanted a foal, so we're having one."

I nodded a bit back at Cindy. "Basically. But that's our reasoning, not yours. If you don't want one, we will help you as best as we can."

"Yeah!" Hope moved up to Dust timidly, then sank down in front of her. "I don't want you to hide, Dust. I want to keep teaching you, and learning from you. I won't try to do anything."

Neon stirred from her slumber, and Dust frowned. "That's three of you. Fine, I'll assume you'll keep your promise." She pointed a hoof at Hope. "This is your chance to prove you're bigger than your instincts."

Cindy twitched her ears forward. "Does it hurt? I've never been in estrus like that before." She sounded curious.

Neon rose to her hooves and joined us. "Does what hurt?" Her nose twitched softly. "Someone's ready for a good rutting." She leered at Dust Kicker with a soft chuckle, obviously amused at her discomfort.

Author's Notes:

And they're off to a new adventure! Just in time for Dust Kicker to experience estrus, and for the typos to rally for a new attack.