I couldn't help but giggle a bit at Hiro's story. "Aw, I bet you two make the cutest couple."

Hiro was flushed a deep color. "Don't even say that! Pinkie, you saw how huge she is."

I shrugged a little. "She's still a pony. If you like her, and she likes you, go for it!"

Hiro waved a hoof. "Easy to say that, Miss Pie, but it isn't that simple."

The doctor softly coughed. "Thank you for the... thorough report. Let's get you into a decontamination shower." She led him off get sprayed with warm water and got him nice and clean. "So long as she remains infectious, such... interactions will require a new shower to not pose a threat to others."

Hiro nodded at her. "Understood. Am I clear to go?"

She smiled from behind her plastic sheet of a mask. "Do you feel alright?"

He nodded. "Ready to go, ma'am. Let's be off, Pinkie. We should report in and see what they have in mind."

We walked side-by-side through the funny hallway thing, then we were out into the hospital itself. I glanced at him. "So... Did you like it?"

He began blushing again. "I'd rather not talk about it."

I bumped gently into his side. "You should at least give her a chance, even if she is kinda big. You said it yourself, there's a mare trying to get out of there, and she deserves a chance at finding a special friend."

Things got quiet until we arrived at the officer's area. The guard standing there nodded at us. "Go on in. They're waiting for you."

That was the easiest time we'd had getting in since before they had any guards. I bounced by him as Hiro trotted along. Hiro glanced at me. "She deserves a friend, and I'll gladly be that, but falling in love with the first friendly face you see isn't healthy, or wise."

I stopped on the next landing and tapped my chin. "You have a point there. So long as you're nice to her, I guess you're doing your part."

We were in agreement and he looked more relaxed as he went. He knocked softly on the door we came to and our friend opened it, the leader. "Ah, Miss Pie, Mister Hiro. Ready to begin?" We both nodded. "Good, look, come inside." He backed from the door and let us enter before closing it behind us.

"The internal situation's become freyed. Some people like the idea of working alongside the ponies, and others are opposed, very opposed. They don't like the idea of the patients being allowed out of the hallway, let alone into the city at large."

I tilted my head up at him. "I already leave the hallway whenever."

He grinned a bit. "You are the scariest pony we have short of the huge one we just obtained, no offense intended. You don't seem to know fear, Miss Pie."

I blinked at that. "Of course I know fear! Gosh, I just... You have to do things even when you're scared."

He raised a finger and pointed it at me. "And yet, when ponies were shot, it wasn't you. You're not as simple as you sometimes give the impression of. You scare people. They don't know what you're going to do in any given situation."

I cringed at the thought of that poor pony parent getting perforated punitively without precautions... "Don't remind me... That was awful."

He moved behind his desk and settled onto a comfy looking chair. "You two are the closest we have to community leaders among the patients. Your friend, the princess, is nominally the one to become in charge, but she isn't, yet. You two hold the most respect and authority. Of course, you support the princess, so that hasn't become a source of friction. I'm telling you this because the situation is delicate. You need to keep your people rational, under control, and on a short leash."

I tilted my head the other way a bit. "They aren't dogs, silly, why would I put leashes on them?"

Hiro chuckled a little. "A turn of speech, Miss Pie. He means to keep a close eye on them and to keep them under control."

He nodded. "Precisely. You must also keep them out of the way of my men. There's that fracture, and I don't want it getting worse. If you get things done quietly, professionally, and efficiently, it will fade. Coming to that..." He reached up and pulled down a map of the city. It was so big! Canterlot could fit in a little corner of it, I was pretty sure. "We're going to keep the first sorties as close as possible." He drew out a marker and made a few quick circles. "These are local shopping stores, small, maybe one room a piece, but they have storage rooms. They need to be scavenged. While you're out, you should observe and report. How is the infected populace doing? How dense? Any new strains? The more you see, the more we can work with. I haven't sent any of my soldiers on this task for fear of infection, but ponies are already ponies, so you have much less to fear. Replenish the food stocks, that's the first mission."

Hiro walked around the desk to get closer to the map. "Little corner shops." He sighed. "So we've come to stealing to survive."

I tilted my head a little. "Well... I guess if they ask us not to, we won't?"

The leader frowned. "If there was another way, I would use it. Communication lines are basically down. The country is in anarchy." He put his fingers together, steepling them across his table. "If you can find the store's original owners and they can be safely brought back here, you have permission to do so, but if they are dangerous ferals and can't be controlled, leave them. We can only work with what we have. If you come across any uninfected citizens, their rescue is prioritized.

Save any humans that were still humans, and help ponies that want to be helped. Checkerooni! "Got it. And when we get to these places." I pointed up at the map. "Get all the food we can and bring them back here."

"Correct. I know you've been through... quite the ordeal, Hiro Sasaki, so set off tomorrow morning."

Hiro blushed at the comment. "I-I'm ready now, sir."

He held up a hand. "Regardless, at least take a few hours to unwind. I look forward to hearing how it went, hopefully for the better."

We left together after a few respectful bows, and we wandered back towards the pony wing. Hiro glanced towards me. "Can you keep what I said a secret? I don't really need others knowing about it."

I made the Pinkie Promise gesture. "Promise! But she might say. Did you ask her not to?"

He paled a little. "I didn't think of that... Either of 'her's. I imagine the doctor's already made a formal report." He sighed softly. "Nevermind. It's going to become public knowledge soon."

I gently pat him on the back. "If it makes a difference, I think you were way brave and kind of awesome for doing what you did. I know a lot of ponies would have been screaming messes before halfway through that. You're super brave." I flashed a bright smile, and he seemed to draw some comfort from that.

He reached out and tapped one of my forelegs with a claw. "What's it like, where you're from? The way you describe bits of it, it sounds nice."

I smiled. "It sure is! I mean, it's not perfect but what place is? Most ponies get along pretty good though." I made a bit of a face. "We don't have guns."

He snorted softly. "Most of us don't have guns, either. This isn't America. I'm a law enforcerer and you don't see any guns on me, do you?"

I tilted my head at him. "Good point."

We arrived at the hallway and went past the guards there. One of them was our pony friend! I took a moment to say hello to him as we went by.

We split ways and went to relax. Emma slipped in and sat alongside me. I hugged her gently and held her close. I couldn't be her marefriend, but she made a great pillow, and sleeping together wasn't just a marefriend thing anyway.

I woke up to some loud talking.

"--have to take me along!" It was Aiko. "I'm a princess, fine. I'm going to take it seriously, and that means going with you."

Hiro replied, sounding worried and concerned, "It's not that simple. I'm glad you're taking this seriously, but you need to recover first."

I slipped from away Emma and poked my head out of the door to see the two of them arguing.

Aiko spread her wings wide. "I'm fine! It doesn't hurt anymore. Look." She did a slow turn, showing off her wings. "Now take me with you. If you do run into any wild ferals, I can tell them to stop."

Hiro put his face in the claws of his right hoof. "Look, what if it doesn't work? You're still new at this. I don't want you to be hurt, Aiko."

Kuri stepped forward hesitantly. "I... I don't want her to be hurt either, but if she wants to go, please, take her." He smiled nervously. "She might try to sneak out after you otherwise. I'll help protect her."

I bounced into the main hall towards them as Aiko focused on me. "Miss Pie, talk some sense into him! I not only should go, but I have to! You don't have any alternatives."

I circled around Aiko, then suddenly reached in and poked a wing. She winced and hissed. "Maybe you should get a little more rest?"

Aiko gave an angry little grunt and turned away from everyone. "I'm fine!"

Kuri moved up alongside her and tried to give her a snuggle, but she was way too angry for that and shoved him away. "I'm fine!"

Homer approached at a steady padding. "You're hurt, let us take care of you."

Aiko scowled at Homer. "Look... I'm tired being taken care of." She sank a little, then flopped onto her belly. "I'm ready to fight... I'm not a little girl."

I reached out and set a hoof gently on Aiko's back. "You are super brave, and not anypony here is saying otherwise. We need you, Aiko. Just... rest for now, alright? You don't have to prove anything."

Hiro moved in on her other side, nodding. "We'll take you along as soon as you're recovered. We'll be fine. Besides, I have Pinkie." He made a silly smile. "She'll either get me out of, or in, trouble."

Aiko gave a little giggle before sighing. "Fine... One day. One day. Literally. Tomorrow. I want to go out tomorrow."

She nuzzled gently at Kuri and they retreated back into their room, the argument settled for the moment.

Hiro took a slow breath. "We need to go out today, get a survey and see what we're up against before we drag Aiko out into that mess."

Homer raised a paw. "I'll help!"

I grinned at Homer. "Good boy!" He looked happy to hear me say that.

Hiro glanced at him not quite as certainly. "Will you follow our every direction, even if you disagree?"

Homer nodded swiftly. "Yes."

Hiro took a slow breath. "Alright. That's three. We'll keep an eye out for the others to avoid surprises, and see what can be seen. Let's go for the corner market to the south. It's the closest one, just outside the military dead zone."

I thought back to the map and the little red circle he was referring to. "Alright. Maybe they'll even have some tasty things for us."

Hiro smiled sadly. "Or some people we can still save."

Homer tilted his head. "Maybe both?"

Both would be nice.

Emma yawned as she approached us. "Do you think the religious crowd's still out there?"

Oh gosh, I had forgotten all about them!

Author's Notes:

What manner of obstacle does Pinkie have to face first?
1: The remains of the religious crowd (friendly)
2: The remains of the religious crowd (hostile)
3: Rabidly feral ponies
4: Extremely protective humans, with weapons
5: The mystery box, oOoooo, what could be inside?

How did you like today's split episode? It seemed the best way to handle the choices selected.

Remember, 2 days, then the writing!