Where Night Meets Day

Chapters

Scraps of Time
Preparations
Chance
The Little Things
Rooted
Racing the Clock
Left Behind
Dreams
Nightmares
Reality
Endurance
In Harmony
Wanted
Family Ties
Almost Home
Cruelty and Kindnesses
Closure
Pink
Home Away From Home
Meeting of the Minds
Thought
Seeking Warmth
Journey's End
Chaos
War
Dawn
A Perfect World...

Scraps of Time

“Alright, Twi, why'd ya call me all the way ta Canterlot right before Apple Buck season?” Applejack stood at the doorway of Princess Twilight's royal chambers, which weren't all that different from the library she'd called home before meeting her friends, barring the stained glass window of her coronation and the two guards posted outside the front door. However, even if the room was 'modest' by royal standards, the country form of Applejack looked entirely out of place. That didn't matter at all to the princess, though, and it didn't matter at all to the farm mare, whose scowl was plain to see as she kept talking. “Ya know this is the biggest crop yet, and I ain't lettin' a bushel go sour just 'cus I was called in here.”

Twilight smiled as she looked at her friend, who she hadn't seen in far too long. “Is seeing your friend not enough? Because I was really hoping we could take a few minutes to catch up with each other.”

Applejack's scowl remained, though a little of the edge in her voice went away. “Consarn it, Twi! I miss ya too, but I send ya a letter every month, and we still pass that ol' diary around. If this ain't an important emergency, I'm gettin' on the next train.”

The little sigh that escaped Twilight was enough to put a damper on Applejack's anger, and the princess closed the book she had on the pedestal behind her, ready to get right down to business. “I suppose you're right. And while it's not an emergency, it is important. I called in all of the girls, but we're spread far enough apart that they just couldn't make it for a little while. But by then, you'd be in the middle of the season. That's why I called you in early.”

“Twi, I ain't mad,” said Applejack as she walked over, a warm smile on her freckled face. “I appreciate the thought, and if'n I weren't before the busiest time a' year I'd gladly spend some time with ya, but between the mergin' of the farms and takin' care of little Jazz, I barely got time to breathe, let alone travel.”

Twilight's smile came back at AJ's apology, and while she didn't want to rush things, she better than anypony else could appreciate a busy schedule. “No, no, I understand. I'll make this quick. Now... I'm going to ask you a quick question. As time has passed, have you noticed anything odd?”

Applejack's face curled in a frown as she tried to figure out what Twilight was talking about. “Um... odd?”

A simple nod was the reply. “Yes, odd. Ever since we found the Elements of Harmony.”

After a silent moment of thinking, Applejack looked at Twilight for clarification. “Do ya mean 'Discord making it rain chocolate' odd, 'Pinkie and the mirror clones' odd, 'you turnin' into an alicorn' odd, 'all of us turnin' into super ponies' odd, or 'Applebloom wearing her bow different' odd?”

Twilight was annoyed that Applejack hadn't figured it out, but she couldn't help but smile at her friend's question. “Closest to the last one, but a little more long term.”

A few seconds of heavy thinking passed before Applejack answered. “The farm's been growin' more apples?” Twilight shook her head. “The weather's been finicky lately?” Twilight's expression was flat as she shook her head again. “Granny Smith's memory seems to be getting better?”

“Not even close.”

Applejack sat down on the floor, tilting her hat forward to block some of the light as she tapped her chin and really started thinking. Twilight slowly leaned forward in that time, her face growing expectant for her friend's answer. After a solid minute of careful thought, the answer came. “I ain't needed a new hat?”

“UGH!” Twilight's exasperated grunt came with a flare of magic, pulling Applejack onto her hooves and over to a mirror. “You haven't aged! How haven't you noticed this?”

“What?” said Applejack, figuring she had something crazy in her ear.

Twilight moved the mirror, making sure it was pointed at Applejack. “In all of the years I have known you you haven't aged a single day. None of us have!”

Applejack's reflection looked at her, and she watched it right back. Her blonde mane, her orange fur, the slight bags under her eyes from too many long nights. It was the same face she always saw... though, now that she came to think about it, Big Mac had been slowing down a little on how he worked, and Applebloom was growing into a fine young mare... and looking more and more like her each year.

Applejack shook her head, looking into Twilight's eyes for the punchline. “Yer kiddin', right? How'd you ever figure out we weren't agin', and how's that even possible?”

Twilight's face lit up, excitement creeping into her voice. “I noticed it at the last big 'Ponyville needs more streamers' party Pinkie threw a few months ago. As I was walking around, I saw all of our friends, both the girls and the rest of Ponyville, and it just came to me. After that I ran a few tests on Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash and, while I can't detect the magic that's causing it, I am sure that we haven't aged! Isn't that exciting?” Twilight's wings were flared by the end of her explanation, the tips buzzing with energy.

Exciting was one word for what she'd been told, but Applejack couldn't accept it quite yet. “So what caused this? The Elements of Harmony? You becomin' an alicorn? Did Pinkie put something in her cupcakes?”

“As much as I wouldn't put it past Pinkie, it would have shown up in the tests, and while me being an alicorn does grant me a longer life span than I would have had as a unicorn, it should have only affected me, much like Shining Armor keeps getting older, while Cadence stopped aging once she reached adulthood.” Twilight shook her head at the thought, not liking that her BBBFF was getting even further away from her in age. “No, I think it had something to do with our connection to the Elements of Harmony.”

Applejack frowned again. “But we put the Elements back years ago!”

“Yes,” said Twilight, “but we also summoned them into being with our friendship. While I am still trying to figure out the particulars, the Elements of Harmony are ancient and powerful magical artifacts, and we somehow embodied them. We gave them new life, and in return, they extended ours! Isn't that great? We're all going to be giving new meaning to 'best friends forever'!”

Twilight chuckled at her little joke, but Applejack's frown didn't leave. If anything, it seemed to be laced with worry. “Twi... how much longer are we talkin'?”

The hint of fear in AJ's voice sobered up Twilight's amusement. “Well, until I know more the nature of the magic, there's really no telling. I don't think it's eternal life like Princess Celestia or Luna, but probably quite a long while. You might even live to be older than Granny Smith!”

Applejack pictured Granny Smith, the ancient, creaky, wheezing mare she adored... The old mare wasn't what she used to be, and worse than that, she'd started talking about long lost friends... There was a sadness to her stories.. One even her incredibly long life didn't dull in the least. Her gaze dropped to the floor, watching the tear drop from Granny's eye. “That's what I was afraid of...”

Twilight folded her wings away, confusion lacing over her voice. “I thought you'd be happier. I just told you that your life was going to be long, healthy, happy, and in the company of your best friends. Most ponies can only dream something like this would happen to them.”

Applejack shook her head, smiling at Twilight despite her thoughts. “A' course, that's great news! I just... I dunno what to say.” She had so many kin she was gonna watch fade away... even her little sister... maybe even her son...

She shook her head, launching the grave thoughts out with the motion. No, I ain't gonna let somethin' like this get me down! Twi don't even know anythin' about it. Don't go sourin' this already. Applejack looked at Twilight, who was looking back curiously. Applejack's little display and the forced smile she put on didn't hide her feelings in the least. “Twi... do you know when the next train is? I need to get back as soon as possible.”

Princess Twilight nodded slowly, not wanting to pry too much. “There should be one that leaves in about two hours. But, if you want, I could get a chariot to fly you home. And you're more than welcome to stay longer here, if you'd like.”

Applejack shook her head. “Thanks for the offers, but I can't stay, and I don't wanna mess with your guards. I'll just go... wander the city for a bit.” Applejack turned towards the door, already on her way out.

Twilight watched her go, continuing to wonder just what she said that had Applejack acting so strangely. “Well... Goodbye, then.”

Applejack turned towards her once more, a haunting look on her face as she answered. “Goodbye, Twi.”

It was the first time good news Twilight had given had ever been met with such sadness... The look on her face, the almost fearful resignation... it stuck with Twilight. None of her other friends would take the news badly. In fact, she was surprised by strength of the reactions Fluttershy and Rarity showed, expecting the bigger display to come from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. And yet, only Applejack's face haunted her memories, even finding its way into her dreams, the scene replaying in every detail, the meaning slowly becoming clearer as years passed.

The late afternoon light spilled in through the window of Rosewater perfume shop, nearly turning that very special shade of red that used to bring a hint of a smile to the proprietress’s face. There was a tiny little window where, as the sun reflected off the clouds, it would be exactly the same color as her son's hair. It used to bring her just that little spark of delight.

It used to be when the tears fell, too... Now it was just some light on the wall, signaling yet another day with no sales. Eight in a row, though it really wasn't any wonder. The shelves were barely stocked, almost looking barren compared to years past. Sure, they had more varieties than ever, but so few bottles of each. Rose hadn't really seen the point in making too many. Perfume was a product of peace, and that was a faint memory at best.

Rose sighed, the creases on her face standing out as she frowned at the immobile door to her shop. Through the window she could just make out the mailbox, empty... as always. She remembered a time when orders used to overflow from that little metal box, along with the letters from Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants, and all the other nobles she'd come to know in Canterlot. But the attention trickled, and after his incident at the castle... she was surprised she even still had a shop.

She lay her head down gently against the cool glass of the display counter, letting out another disheartened sigh. Closing time once brought so much more to her life... the feeling of a job well done, the expectation of a warm bed and a smiling family awaiting her at home. More memories, fading at the edges as time marched on.

Turning her head, her eyes settled briefly an aging book resting on the counter before her pink mane fell in front of her eyes. It reminded her that she needed a manecut, but she didn't really want to go out. With how she felt, she honestly wasn't sure how she'd receive a customer... but if one came, she'd smile like she always did. Some things never left.

Brushing the hair from her eyes, Rose reached for the book, sliding it over gently. The edges were a little worn, but it seemed only fitting for a book entitled 'Memories.' They all seemed to be fraying anyway. She'd bought the book so innocently, a promise to herself to make a photo album, like any happy family had. But it had been neglected, and by the time the thought came up again it had already been used for something else. She ran a hoof over the cover, remembering how she'd pretended to be angry when she'd found out. Remembering the smile on his face... that smile she'd known so well...

The tolling of a bell pulled Rose out of her happy thoughts, shop owner instincts ground in over thirty years coming into full force as she perked up, smiling brightly towards the door. “Welcome to Rosewater, how may I help you this evening?” She wasn't sure why she didn't tell the pony she was closed, cursing her automatic speaking for not turning them away, but once she saw who it was, why she hadn't seemed much less important. “Princess Twilight! It is a pleasure to see you in my humble shop.”

Princess Twilight Sparkle stood just inside the door, her wings folded against her back and visible effort going into stopping her frown at the disorganized shop she had entered. However, when the alicorn heard Rose speak, she shook her head, smiling brightly. “Please, Rose, I know it's been a while, but we're friends. You don't have to call me that.”

Rose chuckled softly, her smile straining. “Right, of course. Silly me, Twilight.” 'A while' had been over twelve years, when Twilight's duties to her country had forced her to move from Ponyville to Canterlot Castle and not once visit since... But the thing that left a bitter taste in Rose's mouth, oddly, was that Twilight didn't look a day older than when she'd gained her wings. Time marched on for the ponies in the lowly positions, but the Princesses remained untouched, aloft and removed from what had befallen everyone else.

Rose's thin smile fell, her face going neutral as the thought to ask Twilight to leave went through her head again. “What brings you out here? Can I help you?”

The Princess smiled, though whether or not she'd recognized Rose's tone was hard to tell. “Well, the Grand Galloping Gala is in a few weeks, and I discovered that I had finally run out of perfume, so it was time to get some more. I also was hoping to pick up a bottle of rose ink, as I seem to be running low on that too.”

Everything going on, and Celestia still parties as though nothing is wrong... “Do you have a particular scent in mind?”

“Standard for the ink, but for the perfume... you wouldn't happen to have anything from the Everfree, would you? Maybe from the Tree of Harmony?” Twilight looked hopeful, but as soon as she saw Rose's flat expression her smile faded. “Or, whatever you might have around... you know...”

Rose took a few steps back, searching her brain as she did. “I think I might still have something in the back... Won't be but a moment.” She pushed the door open to the stills, using its closing to hide the tired sigh she released as she searched for the bottle in mind.

It took a little bit of time to search through the quiet, darkened stills and the storeroom above them. Rose remembered when it was her house up here... and then when it was their house, and all the times they'd shared... The tears threatened, but they never came. She wasn't surprised. They'd all seemed used so long ago. Eventually, Rose managed to find a few bottles of fresh rose ink, and even the delicate crystal bottle she'd been searching for, held carefully between her teeth. As she opened the door to the shop, however, her jaw clenched, nearly shattering the glass neck as she rushed to the counter, slamming shut the memory book Twilight was looking through.

Twilight took a startled step back, her wings flaring open defensively as Rose spoke, the bottle in her mouth falling and clinking dangerously against the counter. “What do you think you are doing? I don't care if you are a princess, you have no right to go through this without asking me first!”

Twilight looked indignant, her unnaturally young face pleading. “Rose, I'm sorry, but you left the book unattended and were gone for so long... I was just curious. And I actually have a few questions, if-”

“No,” Rose said definitively, placing the bottles of ink on the counter and righting the fallen perfume bottle next to them. “That is my last bottle of Heart's Desire and Bluebell blend, and two bottles of rose ink, because I was feeling generous. One hundred bits, because you're a friend.”

Twilight saw the bottles, but she didn't want to drop the subject of the book next to them. “Rose, if you'd just-”

“One hundred and twenty five, and you stop snooping into my personal property.”

“Rose, if you'd give me a moment-”

“One hundred and fifty and you leave my store immediately.”

Twilight huffed, using her magic to pull out a money purse. “Your reaction is worse than Celestia's when she found out I read her diary...” She placed the money on the counter, levitating the bottles into a small pack before walking towards the door.

Rose looked at the money, then at the dejected droop of Twilight's tail, feeling a bit of a mule for her reaction. It was originally meant to be a photo album... it still had all the look of one. If it wasn't meant to be shared, why'd she ever put it together? And if she ever wanted another customer, or another pony to talk to, she'd have to stop scaring them away.

“Twilight, wait...” Twilight stopped, turning around just in time to catch the coins that had been tossed towards her, a look of confusion appearing on her face. “I overreacted, and you're still a friend. That means you overpaid. And, since you are curious... maybe I wouldn't mind answering a few questions.”

Twilight's wings flared with the excitement that shone on her face, causing her to nearly knock down part of Rose's skeleton stock as she ran through the store. “Really? Thank you! It seemed odd as to the reason why you had such an interesting collection of items together in a photo album, and I figured that-”

Rose sighed, cutting Twilight off. “Princess, with all due respect, don't make me regret this.” Twilight blushed and sat down next to Rose as the older mare opened the book. “Originally, this was meant to be a normal photo album, but we didn't really like pictures too much and the book sat empty, so eventually I decided to start including happy memories.” On the first couple of pages were pictures of Rose's house, her shop, her family and friends, all smiling. Then two pieces of paper, taped delicately on pages across from each other. The first was the invitation to Applejack's wedding, a picture of her and her husband, Golden Grape, on the front. The second was the birth certificate for Flora, Rose's second child, with a picture of the newborn filly beneath it.

Twilight let out a soft coo at the baby picture, which was cut off with a slight gasp when she looked at the date on the certificate. “Who would've believed that was twenty years ago, already?”

Rose shook her head, hardly knowing where the time had gone. “She's not so small anymore...” On the next page was a picture of a play date Rose had somehow gotten dragged into. Pinkie Pie was there with Pumpkin and Pound Cake, the trio sitting next to Applejack and her newborn, little Jazz Apple, his rich red fur barely visible for the quilt he was wrapped in, his yellow freckles bright on his cheeks. Next to her was Rose, with Newsprint and Flora, both the same light beige fur, Flora with a mane that matched Rose's burgundy, while Newsprint's was closer to the style, if color reversed: soft pink with just a burgundy streak running through it. They were all smiling at the camera, confetti falling from wherever Pinkie always seemed to conjure it.

The sting of tears was behind Rose's eyes, her heart sinking as she looked at the beautiful, innocent moment. It should have been happy, but so much had happened since... She turned away, taking a moment to compose herself so as not to cry before Twilight. However, her precautions weren't needed, since Twilight was focused on the other page. “Is that... a news article? What's that doing in there?”

Rose looked at the offending article, glad to have the distraction, though the small joy faded quickly. “It was something...” Inwardly she sighed, feeling the hesitation at that name stir once more. She'd known this would be a bad idea. “... something Ink Well put in there. After so long without me adding any pictures, and no real memorable moments in writing to put in, he suggested it should become a sort of time-line of important events, so that one day we could marvel at everything we'd been through.”

She didn't have to read the article to know what it was. The story was about the new Weather Factory being denied to Cloudsdale, by royal decree of Princess Celestia herself. It mentioned the destruction of the original factory, as well as the controversy surrounding it and the Princess, before offering concerns about the unstable and wild weather throughout Equestria. Without the factory, the skies were much more difficult to tame, or so the article said. But Celestia's order had put an end to it.

Twilight looked at Rose curiously. “But why did he choose this? Of all of the stories, what made this one important?”

Rose shrugged. “In hindsight, its inclusion was rather smart, don't you think? He always did know what was newsworthy and what wasn't, and even when he stopped being a journalist, his hoof never left the pulse of the news.”

Twilight wanted to say more, but she figured she was already on thin ice from earlier. Better to wait than risk her curiosity going unsated. Instead she used her magic to flip the book to the next page. “Oh... she sent that?”

Rose nodded, looking at the letter, each word elegantly penned. “Yes. While he and Princess Luna were pen pals for a long time, for some reason this was the only letter he kept here. He said one day it would be important... I remember reading it once. It was mostly Luna being disgruntled at Celestia's political decisions, annoyed that she wasn't getting a say, and worried what would become of the country. But then, at the end...”

It was then that Rose realized Twilight knew precisely what she was going to say. She could even see the words Twilight's eyes were running over.

We received permission from Twilight Sparkle before sharing this fact, and we hope she does not begrudge us for telling you, but the ponies who embody the Elements of Harmony have become timeless. It is unknown if they are truly immortal or simply have extended lives, similar to those exalted to alicorn status, but this news speaks of a greater purpose for each of them. She has yet to break the news to the others, but we are sure our sister will let us know the result.

The letter continued from there, but Twilight caught Rose's eyes as she looked up, curiosity lighting deep within them. “So,” said Rose, knowing the answer stood within the pony before her. “Did the news go over well? Have you figured out just what is going on?”

Twilight sighed, wondering how often this would come up in her life. “The news went over fine, or as fine as big news ever does, and we don't fully know the effect the Elements of Harmony had on the six of us yet. But so far signs point to extended life, not eternal life.” Rose busied herself with turning the page, something Twilight was very glad of. Applejack's face was haunting her again... and seeing the tiredness in Rose's eyes, she was really starting to understand it.

On the next page pictures returned once more. There was another birth certificate, this one for Wind Key, the youngest of Rose's children, a picture of the newborn pegasus filly beneath it. There were a few more pictures included: The completed family gathered around the Hearth's Warming tree, little Wind Key riding the aging form of Ellipsis, their collie. A shot of Ink Well flying over the house, his hat on Wind Key's head as she cheered from his back. They shared the same fur color, the same mane color, they even shared wings. The only thing Rose had seemed to give her was her eyes: ivy green, intelligent, and curious.

At the bottom of the page was one more picture. It was simple, just the five family members at the park, the children playing while Rose and Ink Well looked on. She couldn't remember, now, who took the picture, or who had taken the time to put the nice border around it, but she couldn't help but smile at the sight. 'Days at Play' had been written on the elegant, winding ivy border the picture had, and deep down Rose felt a true longing for the past. She wished, now more than ever, that those days could have gone on forever.

After a long while Twilight cleared her throat, pulling Rose from wherever she'd gone to. Rose quickly turned the next page, but Twilight didn't complain. It was the first real smile she'd seen since she'd entered the shop, and the next few two pages did nothing to keep it there.

They were covered in news articles, in stark contrast to the happy times of before. 'Drought in Equestria,' 'Weather Riots in Manehattan,' 'Cloudsdale Targeted for Rain Shortage,' 'Princess Celestia Denies Weather Factory Again,' and, most discouraging of all, 'Royal Guard Clamps down on Protestors.' Each article had a paragraph or two attached to them, but the final one came with a picture: ponies of all races in chains in the Manehattan Central Park, surrounded by a full compliment of Royal Guard with the Canterlot sigil.

Twilight quickly turned the page, wanting to get rid of all of those unhappy bureaucratic nightmares she'd had to live through, only to be hit with the biggest insult of all. In bold letters, spanning the entire width of the page, 'New Lunar Republic Secedes from Equestria.' The entire article was there, from start to finish, making Twilight scowl at the words. And then, remembering the pages before, and the first article in the book, she glared at Rose. “He knew...”

Rose looked at Twilight, seeing the sudden anger, and matched it calmly. “He was able to see the dots long before they could be put together. And by the time he tried to talk Luna out of it, it was too late.”

Twilight looked down at the page, still glaring at it all. “But why didn't he warn us? Why didn't he tell Celestia or me?” She looked on the next page, already knowing the articles she'd see. 'Elements of Harmony Split Up! Loyalty and Laughter Join Luna,' 'Nationalities Called into Question: Cities Side with Lunar Republic,' 'Spells Fired in Manehattan, Equestria Declares War,' 'Gryphons side with New Lunar Republic, Draft Enacted for Needed Soldiers.' It was all a mockery of her ability as a Princess, unable to stop this, unable to keep the land together, despite everything she'd done. She remained loyal to Princess Celestia, did everything her teacher asked of her as the head mage, studying the wild magic of the Everfree Forest... But nothing she did was enough. Nothing she did brought her friends back from their betrayal... nothing she did could bring the land to harmony again.

Rose didn't respond to Twilight's question. She knew the answer, that he had sent more than one letter to them both, but she wasn't going to argue with the princess now. Not once she remembered what was on the next page. While Twilight stewed over the articles of the war, Rose flipped the page. Immediately, though it was still mostly articles and paperwork, the way they were put in the book changed. They looked more like the pictures from earlier, and Rose knew precisely why. She'd had to take over the job, because of the first article on this page.

'Famous Writer makes Attempt on Princess's Life.' The article continued below, the picture of the broken window at the castle next to a photo of Ink Well himself mid-flight looking hunted, determined, and intelligent.

Yesterday evening famous writer Ink Well, known once for his revealing news stories and more recently for his Traveler book series, attacked Princess Celestia in her own study at the Grand Galloping Gala in retaliation to the draft. Reports are unclear, but after luring the princess up to the room, some kind of struggle broke out, during which time Ink Well crashed through the stained-glass window and soared into the night. He was chased by the Royal Guard, but was lost among the clouds.

From there the article had 'eye witness' accounts and words from the Princess and guards, before concluding with this: His whereabouts are unknown, but he is to be considered highly dangerous, working with the Lunar Republic, and should be detained on sight. If any information is known, please send a report to your local guard immediately.

On the page across from it was a wanted poster of Ink Well, the 'picture' used likely drawn, as the evil sneer on his face was one she couldn't even imagine him having. He was public enemy number one, wanted for treason and assault on the Princess, with a 100,000 bit reward for information leading to his capture.

Twilight looked at the pictures, then at Rose, the princess's glare now joined on her face by a determined frown. “I promise that we will find him, Rose. He still has a lot to answer for.”

“I'd honestly rather you not.”

Twilight's anger flared at Rose for a moment, a fire burning behind her eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

Rose looked at Twilight, her face carefully flat. “Did you know that the punishment for treason alone, let alone assault on a royal, is death? The guards made that very clear seven years ago when they turned my house upside down looking for him. Three times, once in the middle of the night, scaring the living daylights out of my children and me.” She flipped the page, letting her hoof rest over the bottom half of it, just showing the top to Twilight. “Though it wasn't until they froze our bank account and had half the town convinced we were spies that Newsprint joined the army.”

At the top of the page was Newsprint's call to action, a picture of him in his full armor next to it, above a letter talking all about training and how he missed his sisters and being at home. “You see, while he knew of his duty to his country, Newsprint also knew that he didn't have to join. Once Ink Well had run from the draft, the rest of us were labeled as dodgers, and weren't going to be asked for fear we'd have sympathetic tendencies with my husband. However, with all of the stigma over our house, Newsprint just knew, as the big brother of the household, he had to clear the family name.”

Rose looked at Twilight, who was now watching the older mare with rapt attention. Because while Twilight's anger had burned behind her eyes, Rose was poised like a tiger. Calm, collected, and ready to pounce when the moment was right. “Oh, we tried to stop him. Wind Key kept arguing that their father had left because he refused to watch Equestria fight with itself, which was true, while Flora appealed to him thinking about what he was doing. I, of course, didn't want him hurt. I was his mother, after all, and I didn't care at all what reputation our family had. Sure, I had already seen a sharp drop in business, but what was a little money to see my son safe, at home, and far from the battlefront?”

“But no, he left, our name was saved, and everything would have been just fine, were it not for the Battle Beneath Cloudsdale.” Rose moved her hoof slightly on the page, revealing the picture of the devastated landscape. She had traveled there, on hoof, to take the picture. She'd wanted to be there, to know where it had happened. Huge, burned craters pock-marked the ground, next to the rubble-filled lakes that showed where the buildings had crashed from the clouds. “I'm sure you know all about that, though, since you were there. You know how the gryphons joined the battle, turning it against our soldiers. How a magical barrage was sent down into the fray, one you swear you didn't order. How no retreat was called for our own troops...”

Twilight knew without asking what was about to come. She remained stoic as Rose revealed the other page, with the black-bordered letter from the army, the Medal of Harmony pinned to the page. “For giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation,” Rose recited, looking Twilight in the eyes and daring her for an explanation. “And neither you nor Princess Celestia even bothered to sign the paper. And do you know who sent me condolences?” Twilight remained silent. “Fluttershy, written from her medical camp where she was treating the wounded, Rarity, delivered just before she disappeared, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, both from the New Lunar Republic. Even his enemies cared more about his falling...”

Twilight looked down at the medal, all that was left after that day five years ago, she knew. Anypony lost in the blaze... there wasn't enough to recover. The response was robotic. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Rose snorted angrily. “Applejack at least was sincere when she delivered the flag, the letter, his medal, and his training helmet to remember him by!” She then flipped over the page, not wanting to look at it anymore. “And you know nothing of loss.”

The few items on these pages were placed in half-heartedly, as if they didn't matter, or the pony involved just didn't care. Still, the headlines were clear. 'Magic Attempt Made on Princess Luna's Life.' 'Tornado Tears Through Canterlot.' The beginning of the end, as it were, as pegasi, angry at the fall of Cloudsdale, attacked Canterlot, while unicorns tied to Canterlot tried to assassinate Princess Luna. Since then, a pegasus was a rare sight in the skies of Equestria, while many in the New Lunar Republic could scarcely recall the last time they saw magic. So many pegasi had fled, even from Ponyville, where the stigma hardly stood. Some for fear of retribution, some to avoid the dungeon, and some in search of another.

There was a missing pony poster taped across from the headlines, asking for information on Wind Key. One morning she'd just disappeared after an argument with Rose. She'd been angry over Newsprint's death, furious at her country for letting her brother die and wanting to make it right... She hadn't been seen since.

However, folded up beneath the poster, there was a letter. It was nothing special at all. There had been no return address, no pomp or circumstance to its arrival, nothing at all to make it stand out compared to the long list of tragedy Rose's photo album contained. And yet, for her, it was one little note of hope.

She remembered getting it, just after she started putting the posters up. She was in a dreadful state, having lost two children in less than a month, when Flora brought it in. She opened it up, smelling the familiar rose scent that wafted up while reading those few words.

She is in Manehattan, and she is safe. There will not be another one lost.

That was five years ago... It was a long, long time to hold out hope.

Twilight looked at the missing pony poster with sadness in her eyes, having no idea how it would feel to have something like this happen, especially after the loss on the page before. The closest she could imagine would be if something had happened to Spike, twice, and even then it didn't seem to stack up. She wanted to ask about it, or try to offer some solace to her old friend, but nothing seemed to come out. She may have lost her friends, yes, but they were still alive, and even after all this time she held out hope that one day they might even be her friends again.

The two mares stood in an awkward silence, Rose wishing for Twilight to leave, and Twilight wishing she knew the words to say, when the bell above the door rang. “Mom? Are you still here? I think I left my key in the greenhouse, and I need to-” The voice stopped as a young mare, looking maybe slightly younger than Twilight, came around the shelves, stopping in her tracks at the sight of the Princess in the shop. Immediately she bowed low to the ground, unintentionally showing off her cutie mark: a crystal flower, like only Rose had seen before. “Princess Twilight, what an honor to have you in our shop. Please tell me if there is anything you need.”

Twilight shook her head, about to speak when Rose cut her off. “I already took care of her, Flora, thank you. Though I suppose it is time to close up the shop...”

Twilight took the hint, closing the photo album on the counter and smiling from Rose to Flora, who was in the middle of getting up. “Ah, yes. I should be leaving anyway. Thank you again, Rose.” Twilight made her way past Flora, getting one clear moment when their eyes met. Hers were the same emerald green as Ink Well's... with the same intelligence behind them too. “Nice to see you again, Flora.” She made her exit, feeling the weight of Rose's eyes on her and doubt behind her own earlier actions as she took flight back to Canterlot.

As soon as the door closed, Flora walked up to Rose. “Mom, I'm sorry, if I'd known you were with such an important client I wouldn't have barged in like that.”

Rose just sighed, her shoulders and ears drooping as she did. “It's alright, Flora. It really is. We were just done talking, anyway.” She grabbed the album off of the counter, walking with her daughter to the door before closing it and locking it with a key ring. She then turned, giving the ring to Flora. “Here you go. Just make sure it finds it's way home eventually.” After Flora nodded, Rose started off on the road to her house, the weight of the day heavy on her back. It would be nice to curl up in bed and let them all go away... The eighth day in a row of that too. It was just one of those days.

Author's Note

Yes, friends, it's finally here. And, while it does not have the happiest start... you've read my stuff. The beginning is never like the end.

Though many of you may not read this then, and it might even be held up in moderation through the whole day... Merry Christmas, everyone. Happy Hearths Warming, and a Happy New Year.

Preparations

It was late in the summer when that callous announcement came to Rose's doorstep, completely plain apart from the royal seal on the exterior of the letter.

'Your household has been chosen to send one member to defend your nation. Report to Canterlot in two week's time or prepare for inquiry by the Royal Guard.

For the future of Equestria.'

And, apart from a few minor details about where to go, who to report to, and what to bring, that was it. Not even a signature from a princess or one of her staff. Rose stood at Ink Well's side as he read, the normally calm writer sitting in a tense silence. After a very long time, he finally put down the letter. “There has to be some kind of mistake...”

“Inky, you know-”

Ink Well stood up, glaring at the offending letter as it sat on his writing desk. “I know the princesses personally, I sent them both letters warning her against this exact action! I wrote a book about it! They know I'm a conscientious objector, how can they possibly ask this of us?”

Rose stepped a little closer, annoyed that she was cut off. “Inky, even Sweet Apple Acres had to-”

“Besides, we have three children to take care of! Both of the fillies are far too young for this, and they can't possibly expect us to send Newsprint over there! He's the only remaining writer for the Ponyville Chronicler. That only leaves you and me, and we're definitely not prime fighter material. I don't know what-”

Rose placed a heavy hoof on Ink Well's shoulder, silencing him. “Ink Well, it has to be done. Even Daisy had to join, and she and Lily are the only two running their house. We should be happy that only one is being called for.”

Ink Well sighed. “But this is ridiculous! This war has been going on for five years already, and what do we have to show for it? Isolation and pain. You'd think a friend would be exempt.”

Rose shook her head sadly. “The rules can't be bent for us, especially when they couldn't even be bent for Applejack, but you know what the inquiry is like. Just prepare for that. If you give a good enough case, they won't fine us or anything, and we'll be free and clear.”

Ink Well stomped his hoof, noticing as he did a small click from the door of his writing room. Behind it was the gentle thudding of young hooves... He'd hoped they wouldn't have had to know so soon. “Right... Yeah. I shouldn't be worried. I'll get started on that, alright?” Frazzled, he nuzzled his wife gently before sitting down and looking at the letter once more. “Just... don't let it affect our daily lives, okay? The town is dour enough, it doesn't need its perfumes mixed with a hint of sadness.”

Rose just smiled softly, nuzzling him back. “I won't, and neither should you. It's nothing but a letter.”

Ink Well nodded as Rose went to the door. She was absolutely calm, but he knew her better. She was just as frightened as he was. A slight hesitation in her steps, a little more tension in her movements... When she looked at him, he forced a smile, trying to put them both at ease. “Just a letter, nothing more.”

As she exited, he looked down at the letter, a loud sigh escaping his trembling form as he pulled out a sheet of paper and grabbed his pen. If it was going to be an inquiry, he'd at least let them know beforehoof. It might get them just that little leniency he needed.

The next two weeks passed normally, the family happy and the weight of the impending trial seemingly gone. It only held in Ink Well's study, and even then it was a feeling of importance, not of doom. The weekend before the inquiry the family even had a picnic in the park, laughing and talking as though nothing was wrong. Closer inspection showed strain on the children's faces and worry on the parent's brows.

Rose went to work on the day of the inquiry on the advice of Ink Well. While he assured her that her moral support was invaluable, he knew he had it, and it was just a week before the Grand Galloping Gala. The perfume rush was in full swing, and it wasn't as though life wouldn't continue once Ink Well was done clearing up this mess.

It was late in the evening when Rose finally got home, having been forced to stay late for a couple stubborn customers. However, instead of the welcome she expected from the entire family, only Ink Well was there, the aging Ellipsis and her pup Dot keeping the dour pegasus company. Immediately Rose knew she should have been there, but she asked a silly question, holding out hope. “So how did it go?”

The defeat she saw when Ink Well looked at her practically ripped her heart out. “I am to report to the Canterlot Barracks in eight day's time for basic training.” His voice was cold and heartless. “I managed to make them give me the night of the Gala, but no more. I also made sure they wouldn't come for you or Newsprint.”

“Inky...” Rose walked over to him solemnly, wrapping him in a hug and feeling him shake. She'd never seen him like this.

“I couldn't let them drag Newsprint into this... it's not his fight. But... Why does the country have to fight?” His hooves wrapped around her, clinging to her for support. “What happened to harmony? To friendship? The story of Hearths Warming was about precisely this. We're smarter than this...”

Rose just held him close, feeling the wetness seep into her shoulder as Ink Well started crying. Her own tears fell as well, silently, as her world was pulled from under her. “I don't know... But if anypony can stop it, it's you.”

Ink Well shook his head. “I don't know if I can... but I know I will try.”

The couple didn't explain what was going to happen to the kids. They could tell, when the three came home, that all three already knew. There was a sadness to their every action the following week, right up to the evening of the Gala. Rose was just thinking about a goodbye dinner for the family when Ink Well walked past the kitchen door, his bag slung across his shoulder and his hat on his head. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she knew exactly what it meant.

Immediately Rose dropped her preparations, catching Ink Well at the door. “You have one more night.”

Ink Well stopped sharply, as though he'd been caught sneaking something he shouldn't, before turning to face her, a determined look on his face. “I thought you knew I was leaving today. My call tomorrow is too early for a train in the morning.”

Rose looked him up and down, but the sadness was clear in both of their bodies. “At least stay for dinner. The kids will want to see you before you go.”

Ink Well shook his head, a smirk growing on his face. “I won't be gone long. If all goes well, I'll be back by morning.”

“What do you have planned?” Rose said with a raised eyebrow, not sure what to make of that look. It sounded too good to be true.

“The other reason I'm going tonight is to meet with the Princess at the Gala. Princess Celestia meets with every guest, and we have a standing invitation to every Gala she holds. If I can talk to her directly, maybe I can convince her to stop all this nonsense, or at least let me out of it...” His smile grew. “I've been doing this all wrong, going through her officers. We are friends, she'll have to see her mistake and correct it.”

Rose hesitated, hearing both his determination that it must be true and the crazed hope it would be. But... it was a plan. It was better than nothing, and right now she'd rather cling to a tattered raft than swim the rapids alone. “I'm coming with you. We'll make the case together.” Ink Well looked stunned, about to cut her off when she continued. “No. I wasn't there for the inquiry, I'm going to be there for this.” She walked over to him, kissing him lovingly, almost forcefully, before she continued. “We're a team, Inky. We'll be together 'till death do us part, whatever gets thrown at us.”

Although he moved to object, Rose could see clearly in his eyes that he was grateful she'd insisted on coming. “But the kids'll hardly survive if left alone.”

“The kids will be fine. None of them can cook, but they don't need to for a salad.” She walked a little ways away, opening the closet and pulling out a stunning gown, the same one Rarity made for her so long ago, before folding it and placing it in Ink Well's bag. “There, I'm packed, let's get to that station.”

Ink Well just smiled, kissing Rose as he opened the door. Immediately his nerves were calmer, both of them feeding off of each other for support. They ran to the train station quickly, Ink Well running up to the ticket window as he got there. “Two for Canterlot, please. The next train you have.”

The ticket pony sighed loudly. “There's only one more train going out today, in five minutes, and it's only got one seat.”

Rose's jaw dropped. “What? What do you mean?”

The ticket pony looked at her sternly. “You heard me. There is one ticket. Only one of you can go.”

“Rosy-” The voice was calm.

Rose stomped her hoof, hearing the whistle of the train behind her. The train she wouldn't be getting on. “But that's not fair! You can't separate us today of all days! Just sell us an extra, we'll share a seat!”

The ticket pony shook his head.“Nothing doing, sorry.”

Rose's voice rose to a shout as she leaned up against the glass.“Just this once, bend the rules. He's leaving for Celestia knows how long and I can't just let him go off on his own!”

The ticket pony matched her, shouting from his side.“I can't do it! Now do you want the ticket or don't you?”

Rose pounded against the glass, her hoof shaking where it impacted. “You can't-!”

“Rose.” Ink Well placed a comforting hoof on Rose's shoulder, stopping her shaking when she turned to face him. “I'll be fine. We'll be fine. You'll see me tomorrow. Besides... you know they can't bend the rules for us.” He bought the ticket, getting it at the same time the conductor called for all aboard. He kissed Rose deeply, holding her close as he did. When he finally tore himself away, he looked into her eyes. “I love you Rose. And nothing is going to keep us apart. Not a train ride, not a war. Nothing.” He pulled her dress from his bag, giving it back to her, then walked slowly to the train, his determination showing in his stride.

As Ink Well stood in the door, he looked back one more time, seeing Rose on the platform, the dress laying forgotten at her hooves, tears streaming down the mare's face. “I love you Ink Well. I'll be waiting.”

Ink Well's eyes began to tear up, and it took all of his willpower not to run to her as the door closed. Instead, behind the window, he showed her his confident smile, the one she'd fallen for so long ago.

His words were lost to the noise of the station, and it took all of Rose's will not to chase the train from the station. Instead she just stood there in the swirling steam, watching her love be taken away.

It was a fine morning, the bright sunlight of early fall shining across all of Equestria, bringing warmth and light to all of its inhabitants. It warmed the birds in their nests, it danced upon the flowers out in the gardens, it gave life to the apple trees out in the fields, and it managed to land directly on the eyes of Flora, tossing tiredly in her bed. She threw the blanket over her head, placing her chin on her pillow as she glared at the shadow of her head thrown across her wall. “Every morning, right in my eyes,” she muttered, feeling the warmth already seeping into her body. “It's like the Princess aims for my window...”

After a couple unsuccessful minutes of trying to get back to sleep, she tossed off the sheets and rolled out of bed with a soft sigh, reluctantly starting her day. Her emerald eyes roamed over the walls of her room, a slight frown forming on her face at the various drawings and posters that were there. They were... out of date. Dreamy stallions and prized pictures from years gone by. The most recent was at least five years ago by now. She was definitely growing up, it was time for her room to show that...

Or so Flora promised. She'd promised something similar for the past few years, just like she'd promised she was going to move out of her mother's house eventually, or get rid of the desk she didn't use to give the potted plants more light by the window, or put her pillow on the other side of her bed... She was really good at promises, it was making them happen that always seemed so difficult.

The cream furred mare gave the room a once-over, tallying down all the things she had to do mentally before crumpling up the list and tossing it aside. It was a job for another day. Today she had something more important to do. She got herself ready, looking her burgundy mane over in the bathroom mirror before heading down to the kitchen. It was going to be something quick, probably toast, or maybe an apple, then she had to head out. There were a lot of things that needed to get done, and only so much daylight to do it.

However, as Flora got downstairs and walked through the dining room she was greeted with a sight she hadn't been expecting: her mother, sitting there with the morning paper, a bowl of oatmeal, her book of memories, and the air of sadness that always seemed to follow her around. Flora stopped her own plan, walking over to her mother's side to read the headline quickly. Something about the upcoming Gala and Twilight's trip to Ponyville Didn't think that would be newsworthy... thought Flora, remembering the meeting she'd interrupted.

“How are you this morning, mom?” Flora asked with a smile, the brightness of the sun earlier filtering into her voice.

“I'm fine, dear.” Rose's response was laced with a heavy sigh, sucking energy from the room just with its tone. Flora wasn't going to let it stop her, though.

“It's just, if that clock is right, it's a little after eight, and you open the shop at eight promptly. I know it's a Wednesday, but it's also a few days before the Gala. Aren't you going to greet your customers?” Flora's tone was soft, suggesting without being condescending. She had a feeling it wasn't helping.

“There aren't any customers. The only one for over a week was yesterday, and that's going to be the only one for another month at least. It'd be cheaper to keep the shop dark.”

Flora tsked at Rose's words. “Don't say that! You have a very loyal customer base! Times are just a bit rough right now for everypony. Still, if somepony makes the trip out to your shop, shouldn't there be a smiling face to greet them?”

Rose sighed. “Not today. If they really want something, they can come back tomorrow... or next week. I'll be open some other time.”

Flora fought not to roll her eyes. This was a routine she'd been getting good at, but she'd never seen it this bad before. “Mom, you can't just give up your shop because things are bad. It's your destiny, and it brings joy to so many ponies' lives. You should go when you're done with breakfast.”

Rose looked annoyed at everything Flora had just said, but there was a long silence as words were left unsaid. Eventually, though, her mind was made up. “Here's an idea. You can sit in the shop today, if you're so worried about it. I'm thinking today's a good day to catch up on my reading.”

The conversation was over, Flora knew, and no amount of coercion was going to change that. Mom had made up her mind, and indeed, it was more stubborn than usual. But even that wasn't going to stop Flora. “Alright, if you insist missing a day won't hurt too much, I'll take your word for it. But try to at least get outside today, okay mom? It's much too beautiful a day to miss behind closed curtains.” The non-commital grunt she got in response was about the best reaction Flora could hope for, so she quickly hugged her mom, grabbed an apple from the kitchen, and left the oppressive air of the dining room for the stuffy air of the living room.

Flora hoped the disappointment she felt hadn't made it to her voice or face as she shook the tension out of her shoulders. Barely awake twenty minutes and she was already starting to feel the stress of the day... It was a problem with her house. As much as she loved the home she grew up in, for the last five years it had slowly gone from a place of joy and comfort to a stress-filled mess. As much fun as it was to walk on eggshells constantly, she found herself happier each day to be heading out.

She looked over at the dog basket, seeing Dot laying there, tail wagging lazily as she got attention. Flora just smiled at her. “Hey, make sure to go outside and bark a bit later. See if you can't get mom outside and talking to somepony, alright girl?” The dog's tail stopped as she nodded, only starting again when Flora ruffled the fur between her ears. “I dunno what mom'd do without you.”

After giving the dog her mission, Flora tied a green bandanna around her neck, taking great care in making sure it wouldn't go anywhere. She then grabbed the keys to the store and her breakfast apple and made her way outside into the fresh, warm, energetic air of Ponyville. With just one breath, a smile appeared on her face, and on her way she went.

Flora took the time to savor the apple as she made the walk a few streets over to Rosewater. After flipping open the mailbox and seeing nothing in it, she unlocked the door and went inside. The sight of the nearly bare shelves in the dim interior made her sigh, a little of the weight from home returning to her shoulders. This was a perfume store, one she spent countless hours in as a filly, examining the many delicate phials of every color that ran the aisles, every smell under Celestia's sun bottled somewhere in her mother's store.

That aromatic wonderland was gone now, a shade of its former glory standing in its place, a faint floral scent hiding among the musty stillness. It almost hurt her to walk through the store in the shape it was in... If only she could get her mom brewing like before. No better perfumer outside Canterlot, or in it, if some of her past clients were a tell, lost to a lack of motivation.

Flora finished her apple and pondered the ever-present problem as she made her way behind the counter and into the back room. She had considered opening the shop up in Rose's place, or maybe cleaning things up a little, but the atmosphere was just too heavy to stay in, and, while she hated to admit it, her mother was right. Anypony looking for perfume had it, staying in the shop would be a waste of time.

But, in case it wasn't, she wanted a backup plan. Flora moved around the back office and stills, kicking up dust in the seemingly forgotten room, but eventually finding precisely what she needed on a neglected desk nestled between the brass machines. With a pen and a few moment's time, a note was formed: “Business closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Please place order in mailbox, we will get to it as soon as possible.”

She read it to herself twice, once to make sure there wasn't anything misspelled and again to make sure it didn't sound too stupid, before nodding and picking up the entire pad of paper. Moving quickly through the shop, she grabbed two tacks and carefully secured the note and the paper to the front door, leaving the pen dangling by a string for orders to be left. It probably wasn't the best way of doing things, and, rereading the note, perhaps the instructions weren't quite clear, but this seemed like the best compromise.

After frowning at the door for a moment, Flora took the pen in her mouth, writing 'Order Forms' on the top of the notepad, hoping that would clear up any residual confusion. Just as she finished that, a friendly voice called out from high above. “Hey there Flora! What are you doing out here? I haven't seen you out of your greenhouse in days.” Flora looked up at the mare talking to her, shielding her eyes from the sun behind the flying form.

“I'm not in there that much, Silver. Besides, I have to make sure everything in there can survive a few days without attention while I help with Apple Buck Season.” It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the bright morning sky, but soon Flora wasn't looking up at a speck, but a white pegasus mare with a purple mane and matching eyes hovering above her lazily, hiding her deceptively high energy. “What brings you this way, Silver?”

Silver Lining did a quick flip in the air, landing smartly in front of Flora. Every inch of her exuded confidence, from her crest down to the rain cloud cutie mark on her flank. It was something Flora always envied about her. “Just a fly over on the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Jazz was hoping to go over the rain plan for Apple Buck Season, but I doubt it'll be any different from last year. Spare what rain I can from town, and wrestle in some from the Everfree if we don't have enough. Though, now that I'm looking... there are a few rogue clouds over the market, so I might start helping him early.”

Flora smiled, seeing Silver's wings already starting off. “Be careful with that. You can't just throw water at a plant and hope it grows. Too much and it drowns, too little and it wilts, and at the wrong time you could mess with everything.”

Silver Lining shrugged, rolling her eyes. “Whatever you say, green hoof. You keep your hooves in the dirt, I'll keep mine in the clouds.” She finished her statement with a smirk, showing it was all in fun.

Flora smiled back. “Yeah. Don't want a repeat of that cactus again.”

Silver's smile dropped. “You're still on that? That was years ago! And you said it was a desert plant!”

Flora shook her head, the memory of the shriveled brown husk still vivid. “I have never seen a plant more desperate for water. And then you drown it before throwing it off a cloud! How cruel is that?”

Silver frowned. “You told me to get it water ASAP, I make rainclouds for a living. What did you want from me? Besides, I didn't throw it! I didn't realize how heavy it was. It fell through on its own.” Silver stuck out her tongue playfully, signaling that the conversation was over and drawing a giggle from Flora. “Anyway, we need to catch up at some point. Like, for real. I'll see ya around!”

“Of course! Talk to you later!” Flora called out to Silver, who was already effortlessly sailing over the rooftops. Flora watcher her go, remembering how Silver always talked about joining the Wonderbolts when she was younger... with her speed, she would've been a shoe-in.

Flora went about locking up the shop as soon as Ponyville's weathermare left. Ponyville was one of the few towns in Equestria to still have a weathermare, and really it was no surprise. When a group of pegasi brought a tornado onto Canterlot five years ago, ponies under Princess Celestia's rule had somehow... generalized. Pegasi started getting looked at suspiciously all throughout Equestria, and it got so bad that those that weren't driven out almost universally defected to the Lunar Republic. Pegasi of all ranks, from all over Equestria: Wonderbolts to weathermares, royal guards to Flora's own sister, all made the trek. A pegasus was a rare sight in Equestria, and one in flight even moreso. They were either afraid or just didn't see the point of being singled out... but not Silver. Flora really wished she could be that kind of confident.

Still smiling from the surprise visit from her friend, Flora made her way across the street and behind Daisy's, another shop worse for wear ever since its namesake owner had departed for Canterlot. Lily had done her best on her own, and the displays of flowers were there, but... they just weren't the same that used to grow. A common trend, it seemed. However, the fenced-in garden behind the path, fresh with the spouts of some nice winter flowers, also held one of Flora's favorite places: her greenhouse.

When she was young she'd always liked to help out her mother in the garden, doubly so when Rose would come back with the annual Fall Flower Festival first prize. However, while Rose seemed to have a talent for a few flowers, she knew her skills lay primarily in sales and perfumes, so she'd directed Flora to Lily and Daisy's tutelage. Under them, she'd learned so much vital information about plants in and out of season, and, as a birthday gift for being such an adept student, they gave her their old greenhouse, tucked in the corner of their garden, both in slight disrepair and overgrown, it was mostly a tool shed. But, with a little hard work, she'd managed to make it gleam and shine in the sunlight.

In there she put everything she'd been taught to good use, even surprising Lily with how well she was able to grow flowers out of season, but that wasn't where she'd stopped. She asked for tips from the farmers around town, any advice they could give or any seeds they'd be willing to let her use, and they'd been supportive of the young aspiring farmer. In that little greenhouse, she had grown everything from carrots to cucumbers to grapes, an apple tree from Sweet Apple Acres (now planted back at the orchard), and even a hybrid citrus tree that grew oranges, limes, and lemons, all on the same plant!

And yet, none of it compared to one single plant she grew in there, very dear to her indeed. She unlocked the door of the greenhouse, opening it slowly, her eyes immediately falling on her prize project. Sitting in the center of the greenhouse, where it would get the most light and far from the many flowers that ringed the walls, was a crystal rose bush. She had been cultivating it for years, taking extreme care to nurture it from the one flower she'd snuck out of her mom's room...

She'd heard the story from her father, his ramblings about the crystal tree with flowers of every shade in the glass dome of a boat sailing through space, from which he'd taken a single, clear rose to propose to her mother with. However, even when she was small, she knew her father was a creative pony, and he was an amazing storyteller, so while the visuals were stunning, down to the wonderful scent she could almost imagine, she couldn't really be sure if what he said was true, except for one way. Applejack had told her about some plants that could be grown from cuttings from other plants, and it was something she had wanted to try out. What better thing to try it out on than the crystal rose? If it didn't work, then it proved that it was something her dad had bought and given a fantastic story. If it did work... so many things he said would have to be thought of as true.

So in the middle of the night, Flora tiphoofed into her parent's bedroom, taking the flower from its vase on the bed stand and running it to her greenhouse. She planted it just as she'd been told, giving it plenty of nutrition just the right amount of water, and a place of honor where it would get the most light, both from the moon and the sun. It caught even the moonlight so beautifully, spreading a rainbow across the floor... she remembered the excitement she felt, just knowing it would work.

She also remembered how her mother screamed the next morning. Rose searched frantically for the flower, and suddenly Flora's dream idea of growing a whole tree as a surprise for her mom didn't seem to be going so well. But the damage was already done, and mom throwing a few hysterics would be completely worth the payoff, right?

Flora took extreme care of the crystal flower in the pot, giving everything the tiny plant could ask for... and yet she saw no sign of it growing. After a three days, only the disappearing water was any sign anything was happening, and after a week, it hadn't grown a centimeter. By this time Rose was a shambles, with no idea what could have happened to her precious engagement gift... it was too much for Flora, and, crying, she confessed to what she had done, apologizing profusely to both Rose and Ink Well for the trouble she had caused.

However, instead of the punishment she'd expected, they both pulled her into a loving hug. Yes, they were a little mad she hadn't asked permission, but her intention had been clear enough, and as long as no harm was done, they were willing to let it slide with only a little warning. When she said it hadn't grown at all, Ink Well wasn't surprised. It had been so long since it was cut, after all.

They all went out to the greenhouse to collect the crystal flower, but when Flora opened the door, she gasped in delight. The flowerpot, always holding the single crystal flower, now had a small sapling, the first flower looking more beautiful than it ever had, and a small bud promising the growth of a second. She had no clue how it had grown so quickly, but it had, and now she had the beginnings of her own crystal tree.

However, as Ink Well pointed out while she stared at the sapling in wonder, that wasn't all she had gained that day. Emblazoned on her flank, for all the world to see, was a crystal rose, its coloring that of a normal rose, and yet the transparency and the shine were visible even in the cutie mark. Rose regained her precious gift, Flora gained her cutie mark, and she had never seen a smile as big as Ink Well had on his face at that moment... it was quite possibly the greatest day of her life.

It seemed rather long ago now, considering her age was nearly doubled since then, but just looking at the bush that had grown made her feel like it was worth it. It hadn't been easy, and it had been slow, but that tiny sapling had grown steadily into a respectable rose bush, complete with a larger pot to hold it in. It was a plant nopony had seen before, and even now very few ponies had seen it since. Flora liked to keep her projects secret, from her special tree down to her flower festival entries, her personal life was her own, as was what she did behind her greenhouse door.

Picking up the watering can by the door, Flora began to make her rounds, giving each flower pot, each planted crop, and every agricultural experiment precisely the amount of water it needed. She examined them all thoroughly, adding fertilizer where needed, trimming away what wasn't helping... it was a slow and careful process, but with every bit of dirt getting on her hooves and every wipe of her bandanna across her brow, she felt a little more calm, a little happier, and a whole lot farther from the troubles of the world.

So what if her mother's garden had been neglected for years, and Rose hadn't even entered a Fall Flower Festival since her father had disappeared? So what if the crystal rose bush had stalled its growth almost completely for years now, not even new flowers budding or old ones dying off? And what did it matter to her that Ponyville was resembling more and more of a ghost town, with only old, lonely ponies and young mares and colts to watch over the nearly empty streets and buildings? The carrots needed to be moved into more light, she had to refill her watering can, and Apple Buck Season was less than a week away.

As the sun reached its apex and the temperature in the greenhouse rose, Flora found that her job was done, at least for now. It wouldn't hurt to check on the plants again before nightfall, especially considering she'd have to leave them for a while when she was helping Jazz, but there was simply nothing more she could do here, and her stomach grumbling for lunch was enough of a distraction to stop.

So now she had a choice. She could go get some food at home, returning to that stuffy house and hoping her mother's mood had improved, or she could let that little nagging pull at the back of her head take over. Jazz had wanted to talk to Silver about the upcoming season, maybe he'd like to talk to her too? And the smell of the apples ripening on the trees, the breeze rolling through the orchard carrying it directly to her... And Jazz was an apple. Everypony knew they had some of the best food around, even with half of them gone away.

As much as she wished she could say she struggled, the choice was clear the moment her options were weighed. With a smile she tied her bandanna back around her neck, checking her mane in a mirror she'd set up in the greenhouse. Confident she didn't look too bad, Flora locked the greenhouse door behind her, whistling in the fresh Ponyville air as she started down the path to Sweet Apple Acres.

Chance

Stars twinkled brightly in the sky over Ponyville, leaving a tired Pinkie Pie to loose a wide yawn as she made her way up to her loft in Sugarcube Corner. It had been a long day of partying at the Cake twins' cute-ceañera, and while they might not be little foals anymore, it hadn't made them any less energetic when doted on by auntie Pinkie Pie. And, since it was for them, the whole town had been there! The town would have been there for any Pinkie Party, but she'd made extra-super-sure that they'd be doubly there for a party for her favorite bosses' favorite foals! It had even blown Rainbow's big Birthaversary right out of the water!

But now the party was over. The three tons of confetti were back in the party cannon, the balloons were deflated or stuffed in the balloon cupboard, the pastries that weren't eaten were stacked neatly to be sold the next day, the fountain in town square was no longer spraying punch, and the floors had even been swept! It was time for Ponyville's Premiere Party Mare to pronk to her pillows and promenade into a peaceful slumber.

However, as she was brushing Gummy's gums and making sure he was all ready for bed, Pinkie heard a knock at the window. There was only one pony who ever actually knocked on her window, though normally not this late at night, so she summoned up what energy she had and zipped over to them, opening them with aplomb and a plum, which she offered to Rainbow Dash. “Midnight snack? I put away the cupcakes, but eating sweets right before bed isn't always a good idea anyway, so a nice juicy fruit seemed the way to go.”

Rainbow hovered outside the window, looking for all the world like a snack was the last thing on her mind. “Pinkie, I need somepony to talk to... could you not be you for a moment?”

Immediately Pinkie bit her tongue to keep her joke on the tip of it. It had taken a long time to manage it, but she was finally starting to learn when to turn off that part of her brain. She put the plum back into her mane, stepping back to let Rainbow enter the room. “Sure, Dashie. What's up?”

Rainbow landed on the floor, some of her usual confidence gone from her movements as she looked for the right words to answer that question. Pinkie had thought she'd looked off at the party, but now that she'd been told, it was really obvious. Eventually Rainbow sighed, turning to Pinkie Pie. “Do you ever wonder if Equestria's... running right?”

Pinkie fought hard to suppress the urge to point out that Equestria had no legs. “What do you mean?”

“Well...” Rainbow paced for a moment, then sat down on the edge of Pinkie's bed. “Do you remember the Weather Riot in Manehattan?”

Pinkie remembered it well. She'd been in Manehattan at the time visiting her sister, but she didn't want to derail Rainbow's train of thought. “The one a month ago, right? Where all the guards from Canterlot got dressed up marched in to arrest ponies?”

Rainbow nodded. “You know how the Wonderbolts, including me, got called in to stop the pegasi?

Pinkie sat down next to Dash on the bed. “Yeah?”

“It's just... I was doing what the Princess told me to, but... I don't know if it was right.” Rainbow stood up, pacing across the floor. “Twilight was leading the guard, and she was so calm and sure, but... I understand why they were protesting. The weather shortage is a problem that Princess Celestia could have fixed by now, but she's spending her time throwing her guard around at ponies that complain too loudly.”

Pinkie frowned as she sat on the bed, wondering if now would be a good time to mention that she'd been one of the ponies throwing cupcakes at the more aggressive guards. She had her own thoughts on this whole situation, but this was a good time to keep them to herself. “The drought is getting to be a big problem...”

“And other cities have been blaming Cloudsdale,” Rainbow continued as she kept pacing. “Somepony even spray painted crap all over Cloudsdale's shopping district! But there have been eight times when ponies have tried to petition for a new Weather Factory, and it was on Princess Celestia's order that they were all shut down.”

Gummy hopped up onto Pinkie's lap, settling like a cat as his endless stare took in the whole scene. ”Are you saying that you want another factory like the old one?”

Rainbow turned on Pinkie, anger flashing across her features. “Don't you even suggest something like that!” She shuddered moments later, the image she'd wanted to avoid imbedded in her mind. “You weren't in the old factory... you didn't see what they did...” It took her a steadying breath to remove the image, slowly setting her back on point. “But that doesn't mean that the new factory would have been like that! I saw one of the plans, and it was sound. The Princess has just been stopping them because of the memory of the old one, and she's not listening to anypony about it. Not petitions, not Ink Well, not even me!”

There were a few things that Pinkie had on her mind, things that she didn't share with anypony she didn't trust with it. She had to make sure Dash wouldn’t fall in that category. “Well, did you try talking to Twilight about it?”

“Of course! But Twilight jumped in her mentor's corner, explaining very clearly why another factory couldn't be created and why each town is just going to have to make do with their own weather team, the exact same things that the Princess said... And...” Rainbow struggled with herself, about to say something, before she let out an exasperated yell, kicking out angrily and sending Gummy's ball flying across the room. “Augh!”

“What's wrong?” Pinkie asked calmly, catching the ball, which had ricocheted wildly and shot at her head. She gave it to Gummy, not once looking at the rubber missile.

Dash pranced aggressively in place, wanting to be angry at something, but not able to figure out what.“I don't know if I can keep this up! I want to keep supporting the princess, but I can't keep watching her lead this country into chaos! We didn't even have this much crisis after Discord ran free the first time, and she's doing nothing about it. But Cloudsdale is being blamed, soldiers are locking up ponies for no reason... Some of those ponies are still in jail, just for speaking their minds.” She looked at Pinkie, her pupils not a window to Rainbow's mind, but showing the darkness of the schism forming in her soul. “Even if I am a Wonderbolt, even if it's for the Princess... I just don't know if I can keep doing this.”

Slowly Pinkie stood up, letting Gummy attach himself to her tail as she walked to Rainbow Dash and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Pinkie's face grew serious, and yet more real, like a mask had just dropped away. “Rainbow... You have the hardest job out of all of us, and the biggest decision. You are the Element of Loyalty, the embodiment of staying beside your job, your country, your responsibility, and your friends... But sometimes, above everything else, you have to be loyal to yourself.”

Pinkie lifted Dash's chin with a hoof, making sure that the cyan pegasus was hearing everything she had to say. “You have principles, fears, hopes, dreams; you know what you have seen and know right from wrong, and only you can decide what Loyalty is. Will you stand with somepony doing something wrong just because they are your leader? Your friend? Doing what they ask and hoping they will change for the better? Or will you stand by your principles, defending who you are, even if it might hurt a friend? Even if it angers a monarch? Would it be worth it to show them the error of their ways? Or would that act break you worse than staying silent?”

Pinkie released Rainbow's chin, stepping back as she did. “I cannot answer those questions. It is not my place to make that choice for you, Dashie, but you'll need to make it soon.”

Rainbow stood, just as confused as before, and yet... some things seemed a lot clearer. Her choice had been laid down before her by a Pinkie Pie she wasn't sure she'd seen before... now all she had to do was make it. But first, she had a question. “Pinkie... are you alright? I know I didn't want you to be you, but I didn't want you to be somepony else either.”

Pinkie smiled brightly, looking like the party mare she'd always been. “Yup! I just don't like it when I see a friend not smiling! And you haven't really been smiling for a long, long time.”

Rainbow's smile appeared then as she shook her head. “Same ol' Pinkie Pie.” She began towards the window, getting ready to say her goodbyes and thanks, when another question hit her, hot on the heels of Pinkie's words. “Why do you say I need to make the choice soon?”

Pinkie Pie's smile widened. “Because, silly, the meeting is tomorrow night!” As she said that, she flicked her tail in the air, causing Gummy, who was attached, to arc through the air. As he flew he opened his mouth, causing a small, dark blue scroll to fly into Dash's hooves, while the alligator himself snapped onto Dash's mane, hanging there calmly with his unblinking stare.

Rainbow removed the reptile from her head, then opened the scroll, carefully reading the delicate silver words written on it.

'We too dream of a different world. One brought out of the darkness of the past and into the bright future awaiting us. If you question Equestria's present, meet with us. We will be waiting.'

Below the writing were coordinates, a time, and a date, which translated to the Everfree Forest, in the middle of the night, tomorrow. And, below all of that, Princess Luna's cutie mark was engraved, a symbol of the message's sender.

Rainbow looked from the scroll to Pinkie Pie, confusion only building, and nothing readable on the pink mare's face. “Where did you–?”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Pinkie said, waving a hoof in Dash's face. “You have a choice and I have a bed to make, so we are both much too busy to keep chatting.” She then led Rainbow to the window, quickly pushing her out and leaving the pegasus to hover outside. “Come or don't, tell ponies or keep it to yourself... Country, or Princess? The future flies in your hooves now.”

Before Rainbow could respond, the window was snapped shut, leaving her beneath the complex map of stars above. Stars ruled over by a princess not seen, not heard, but just as much a leader of this country. Stars that hung over every other pony who dreamed of a better world, of a brighter future, or just an end to this horrible drought...

Stars she would stand beneath the next night, in the Everfree Forest, making a choice that would change the face of Equestria forever.

Wind passed through the pegasus' hair as she stood on the edge of the cliff, ivy green eyes roving purposefully over the horizon. It was a stunning afternoon, with twilight quickly descending as the sun fell behind the mountain behind her. Yet it brought with it a light blue sky, almost green down near the horizon, fading into the heavy blanket of full grey clouds that sat over the lowlands below, while, high above, hanging weightless in the sky, were small peach cloud puffs, balancing the picturesque scene.

The beautiful image of Timbucktu, the city hidden beneath the rain clouds, was marred by a curling stream of red and purple floating up into the sky and over the mountain, rising from the factories and hanging over the entire valley like a dragon. Whether it was protective or poised to strike was anypony's guess, but this far into the territory of the New Lunar Republic, it was hard to imagine one of the main production hubs actually falling under direct attack.

Another gust of the crisp, clear mountain air stirred the pegasus' tail, the ongoing war the last thing on her mind. She took a deep breath, smiling happily as she tightened the oil-stained rose-red bandanna holding her mane down and pushing down one of the small bandages on her cheek. Her flight up here had been easy enough, but this was a momentous occasion, much more so than her previous test runs. Those she'd tried lower down, often ending in small crashes into trees or, on her first attempt, wrecking a fruit stand. She hadn't tested in the city after that.

But up here, with the lush forests all around and below only growing richer as the light started to fade, she knew this design would work. She unwrapped the bulky mass on her back, what started as a brass and cloth satchel quickly unfolding into false wings, connected by wires and pulleys to the delicate machine case on her back. The interior of the case was a mess of pulleys, gears, counterweights, and springs, looking like true chaos to most, but each as carefully placed as the notes of a symphony by the young mare checking them over now. She ran her parchment-colored feathers over the machine, brushing off any leaves and dust it gathered on its journey up the hill.

The evening breeze rustling the trees around her brought her attention to the real world. Light was fading; it was now or never. She took the large wind key from its slot at the top of the pack, placing it in its socket and turning it with both front hooves, slowly tightening the mainspring within. Each turn heightened the tension in her chest as she realized that this was really it. Just a few more turns and her project would be complete. Four years of work, all coming down to one successful flight.

When the key would no longer turn, she knew it was ready. She removed the key from its place, sliding it back into its storage slot. She pulled the straps over her shoulder, tightening the harness down that held the false wings to her back. It had to fly on its own, no help from her own wing power, and she knew it. With a deep breath, she pulled the strap that held her wings down tight, ensuring they would not be used and that the machine would not be lost.

The sky had faded, the yellows and greens gone, and replaced with the purples and deep blues of night. But now she was ready, sliding the control gloves over her fore hooves and looking over the rocky cliff: the runway to her future. She stood at the tree line, letting out a calming breath before setting her brow, and smile, in a look of pure determination. This was it, and it was going to be fantastic.

The barest hint of stillness in the wind over her fur was all the signal she needed to go, cuing her to break into a full gallop up the rocky incline. Hooves pounding, the weight of her work on her shoulders, she reached the end of the line, bunching up her muscles on the cliff's edge and leaping forward with all of her might. It was then that she made the mistake of looking down.

While all around were trees and lush mountain forests, directly beneath the cliff sat nothing but rocks, looking devastating in the looming shadows of night. Her heart, pounding with excitement, froze at the sight, her legs locking out as she sailed from the safety of the ledge. Her forward momentum slowly faded, replaced by the relentless pull of gravity.

Her stomach dropped just before the rest of her, her first thought the safety switch on the strap keeping her wings in. She reached for it, causing her control gloves to manipulate the machine, and that one moment of lift as the wings above her moved reminded her of everything she was here for. She moved swiftly, the motion of her forelegs pulling the wiring, setting the metallic wings she bore in motion. With a few industrious flaps of their sinewy form she quickly gained control of her plummeting fall, swinging up into the air, a glint of orange rising over the clouds and shining in the last beams of twilight.

Many pegasi had tried to describe the feeling of flight, and none could truly catch it. Even her father, with his skill as a writer, had failed, so she had no hope of ever being able to. But the feeling of soaring through the air without any of her own power, relying on her creation and experiencing it carrying her through... it was incredible. Her heart soared much, much higher than the brass wings would ever take her.

It had worked! The words repeated themselves in her head, a cheer repeating and filling her mind with joy. With an ecstatic laugh the pegasus looped up higher, making the machine’s gentle flapping sail her through the cool flowing air. She twisted and turned, looped and dived, all more than she could have hoped from her creation, and all pulled off without any effort. Caught up in the moment, she powered straight up, breaching through a puffy cloud and, at the top of her ascent, spread the machine’s wings out wide, letting the night envelop her and bathe her in the light of the first few stars while she waited for gravity to take hold.

When gravity grew tired of her carefree nature and finally decided to pull once more, she turned into a gentle spiral, aiming to come in for a landing. As she went to adjust, however, the controls went sluggish. The wings’ motions were stiff, eventually grinding to a halt, and it took her only a moment to understand why. The spring had wound down, and her time in the air was up. Unfortunately, the position of the machine took her into a death spiral, moving faster and faster towards the ground until she was little more than a meteor in the dark. She spun, reaching for the safety latch, when she heard a tearing sound, and her world became chaos.

She was no longer just spinning, but tumbling, the canvas from her torn right wing flapping uselessly above her, its only purpose to catch the wind and throw her around. Wind whipped at her eyes, her body, her hooves, and became the only sound as it filled her entire world. She couldn't tell up from down, her hooves flailing towards a safety latch that she just couldn't grip, and when she could, would not pull. Whether it was stuck or not, she couldn't tell, but the looming mass growing ever closer with each passing second told her she didn't have long to find out.

Sky and earth swirled as she spun, finally managing to grip the latch, but unable to activate the release. She pulled, wanting the chaos to end, fearing the way it most likely would... And then, with a sudden, deafening silence, it stopped. It took her a few times blinking in the dark to realize she wasn't spinning. She looked up, seeing nothing but shadows, then looked down.

A golden glow held the tip of her black tail out, distorting the line of deep blue that ran through the center of it. Far below her, stars gleamed in the velvet sky, but even their magic was nothing compared to the glow that held her safe. It pulled her towards that sky, bringing her above the lip of the cliff beside her, as if aiming to make her one with the universe, until it suddenly stopped. Unceremoniously she was swung to the side, and then, with a wink, the magic disappeared, dropping the pegasus heavily to the ground.

The impact brought her out of her wondrous stupor, causing her to scramble upright and scan the skies. The glow had to have had a source: somepony had just saved her life, and she wanted to know who. Fumbling with the safety latch that had given her so much trouble, she scanned the forest, seeing nothing in the dim light of the early moon. It was barely peeking over the horizon, defining rather than removing shadows, but it was enough to realize that her savior wasn't here.

Finally she managed to unhook her creation, taking it off and looking over the cliff's edge. She was back where her doomed flight had started, the blanket of clouds over the city, the tiny balls of fluff high above... But, looking closely, one of them had a slight golden aura about it, moving slowly through the dark sky. “Hey!” the pegasus called up to it. “Where are you going?” The cloud, instead of slowing, sped up, floating against the breeze as it moved to escape her.

Immediately the pegasus stretched out her wings, taking to the sky to follow the mysterious cloud. It wasn't moving very quickly, and the glow was almost drowned out in the silvery moon, but that didn't stop the pegasus from landing on the cloud, her eyes widening as what she saw was confirmed. Standing on the cloud was a unicorn, her horn glowing a dim gold, eyes matching the magic's color looking fearfully at the pegasus before her.

The unicorn's fear was made obvious when she recoiled at the movement of the pegasus's hoof, raised in greeting. “He- woah, no need to be scared. I just wanted to thank you for saving me. I don't wanna think about what would've happened if you hadn't caught me.” The unicorn looked at the hoof inquisitively, the glow from her horn fading and the cloud ceasing its movement. The pegasus just held out the hoof a little longer, the smile on her face getting strained as the silence reached the level of awkward. “Anyway... My name is Wind Key, what's yours?”

The unicorn looked from Wind Key's hoof to her ivy eyes, seeing nothing but appreciation and curiosity there. Hesitantly she held up her own hoof, placing the bronze-footed limb in Wind Key's. “I'm Steam Cloud. Think nothing of it.”

The pegasus looked as though the unicorn had just sprouted wings. “Think nothing of it? You just saved my life! Is there something I can do to make it up to you?”

Steam shook her head. “N-no!” She stopped herself the moment the yell left her lips, not wanting to sound quite so ungrateful. “Please, just forget it. Anypony in my position would have helped. Your thanks is enough.”

Wind Key dug at the cloud gently with her hoof, seeing the expectant, fearful look on the unicorn's face. Steam wanted her gone... but she couldn't just let saving her life go so weakly rewarded. And, even if her flight was cut short, her success had her in high spirits. “At least let me fly you back to the city. It's gonna take a while to fly back, I can't imagine how long it would take on hoof. Or, uh, on cloud.”

“I'm fine,” came the curt reply. “Really.”

Wind rolled her eyes, stomping her hoof and kicking up a puff of cloud. “Come oooooon. You can't do that to me! I just want to help you after you helped me! Just a flight back to town?”

The unicorn rolled her eyes, frowning at Wind. “Are you even able to fly? You just almost crashed in your crazy contraption.”

“It's not like I made the wings because I can't fly! I was testing them, the safety just got stuck when I went into the death spiral.”

“Not much of a safety...” Steam muttered under her breath.

Wind snorted at her. “Look, make fun of me if you want, you're not leaving without some reward. You can tell me what to give you, or I will just start pushing the cloud back to town until you do.”

There was a moment of silence as Steam Cloud looked at Wind Key flatly. “You're not going to let this go, are you?” The pegasus shook her head, her bangs swaying in front of her face from under her bandanna. With the barest hint of a smile, Steam let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. You can fly me back since it's getting late. But that's it.”

Wind smiled in victory. “Great! I'll be right back!” With a hop she was off of the cloud, swooping back to the cliff where her machine had been left abandoned. She folded up the twisted and broken wing, tucking it in with the other until it almost looked like it had when it arrived. Within moments she was in the air again, landing once more on Steam's cloud. Steam raised an eyebrow at her, but that was stopped as the satchel was shoved into Steam's hooves. “Here, put this on your back, then climb on mine. I don't know if it'll be as nice as sitting on a cloud, but it'll definitely be faster.”

Steam Cloud looked leery at the prospect, but seeing how determined Wind was, she resigned herself to the fact it would happen and strapped the surprisingly light contraption to her back. She then walked over to where Wind Key was kneeling, looking a little wary. “How do I...?”

“Hook your fore hooves over my wings, up by my shoulders, and hold on tight.” Steam did as she was told, getting into position and giving the go ahead to Wind, who stood up slowly with a grunt. “Oh, wow... you're way heavier than I thought.”

Steam was already regretting her decision. “Gee... thanks.”

“No problem, and it shouldn't be an issue, now hang on!” With another grunt of exertion Wind Key ran to the edge of the small cloud, leaping into the air with her wings spread wide. She dropped a few dozen feet, then managed to level out, gliding over the treetops.

Steam clung tightly to her shoulders, only the fear of plummeting further keeping her hooves from Wind Key's neck. “A-are you sure you can do this? Because its a nice night for a walk...”

Wind shook her head, smiling over her shoulder. “Nah, it won't be a problem. Since we aren't currently tangled in the trees, it means I can carry you, which means it'll be smooth flying from here on out.”

Steam Cloud's pupils shrank to pinpricks. “You mean you weren't sure before you jumped?!”

Wind looked puzzled at the question. “I had a good idea, but I haven't ever flown with a pony on my back before, so...” Steam Cloud began to shake on Wind's back, her breath coming in shallow gasps, causing Wind to raise an eyebrow. “I know it's cold, but it'll be over soon, alright? Just try to tough it out.”

“Y-yeah... right....” Steam clung a little more tightly to the mare beneath her, eyes looking around for a safe cloud she could drop to in case of emergency. Unfortunately, this low, there was only forest until they reached the blanket over Timbucktu. To take her mind off of the incredibly sharp trees passing by beneath her, Steam let her mind wander to the flying machine. The wings had worked, for the most part, and she had to admit she'd always been a little curious about flying. It was the only reason she'd agreed to this

Either it was less terrifying when you controlled the flight, or all pegasi were crazy daredevils... Steam wasn't sure which was more likely, but she knew she must be crazy, considering she not only didn't know this mare, but had just saved her from crashing. And yet... this still didn't actually feel like a bad decision.

Steam nodded to herself. It was official, she had gone mad when she became a hero. But maybe it would all work out once she was back on the ground. Until then, she had to keep her mind off of it. “These wings... the ones you were testing. They were working well until they failed.”

Wind's ear perked up at the other mare's voice, a smile crossing her face. “Thank you! I've been working on them for a while now, but I finally got them to work. Now all I need is a good power source.”

“Power source?” That explained the crash. Not knowing the length of your flight would make planning for its end difficult. “What are you using now? An electrical engine and a battery?”

Wind shook her head. “Much too heavy. The last iteration had one. Couldn't get in the air. This one is all clockwork, run on a mainspring, doesn't last for long, and I can't think of a good way to keep it wound while flying.”

Steam Cloud looked at the satchel on her back in fascination. “A spring? You're getting all that lift off of one spring?”

Wind Key nodded. “Yup! One mainspring, with a whole mess of gears and smaller springs to keep the wings flapping correctly and all the energy levels in check. I'm really bad at explaining it, and Clockwork, the pony I work for, will back me up on that, but it's mostly one spring, some brass, some canvas, and a whole lot of power ratios that keep it in the air.”

Steam looked off into silver-lined skyscape around them, watching Wind's wings flap just at the edge of her vision. There was a surprising amount of power in every single stroke, if Wind was carrying the weight of, if Steam was honest, two and a half pegasi at least. To get the same potential out of a spring was almost mind boggling... No wonder there were power problems! “How many prototypes did you go through to get them to this level?”

“It's my sixth design in something looking like this, though I did have a few other attempts before that. They were just too bulky. These are almost there... I have the ratios right, now it's just a matter of energy.”

Steam Cloud wracked her mind over the problem, feeling parts of her brain she used so rarely sparking to life. However, without knowing the calculations, she didn't have too much insight to offer. “Unless you can make a lightweight boiler, I think you might be as close as you can get.”

“The boiler was my last attempt. I only just managed to molt the singed feathers.”

The pair fell into silence as Wind Key continued to fly towards the city, looming ever larger in the growing moonlight. Luna's silvery orb was slowly rising in the sky, casting a gentle glow on every, including the raincloud hanging over the city. In this light, though, the pollution trail was almost invisible, just another cloud among its brothers.

A thought occurred to Wind Key as she flew, seeing the approaching clouds and remembering the small one she'd taken off of. “How were you standing on that cloud up the hill? Your magic was being used to move it, not make it solid, so far as I could tell.”

Steam held forward her left forehoof, placing it in Wind's vision and showing off the fitted brass shoe. “Enchanted horseshoes, for cloud walking. I've always liked being up in clouds... it's how I relax.”

“Huh... Strange to hear from a non-pegasus, but my mom was like that too. She always liked to mention how peaceful she felt in the sky. She was kind of an odd earth pony that way.” There was a moment where it felt like Steam was going to say something, but it passed, and silence threatened to return. Wind Key put an end to that, though. “Where did you get those shoes, if you don't mind me asking?”

There was a slight hesitation before the answer. “They're special... And I don't think you could get your hooves on another set anywhere in the New Lunar Republic.”

“Oh...”

The disappointment in Wind's voice caused Steam to tilt her head. “Why do you ask?”

Wind just shrugged. “I was thinking if I could get my hooves on a set, I could pair it with the final version of the wings and send it back to mom. She's said ever since I was learning to fly that she wanted to join me again, but she never managed it before I left... I hope she's gotten a chance to fly since.”

There was the feeling of another question hanging in the air, but after a long while it passed, leaving silence as the two approached the edge of Timbucktu. As soon as the landscape went from natural to cityscape, the rain set in, drenching the pair in no time at all. Below and around them the lights of a city in full nighttime swing glowed, their spheres of influence measured by the dark rain flying through their domains. But the two ponies flew between them quickly, and soon Wind landed in what was known as the Artisan's Ward.

The Artisan's Ward was the shopping center of the city, mostly focused on the better off, with clothiers, jewelers, perfumeries, haberdashers, boutiques, and sundries aimed at a more refined taste. Most of the storefronts were dark at this hour, the night late enough and the weather bad enough that there was no real worry of losing customers.

Wind Key touched down before one such darkened storefront, a sign in the shape of a gear proclaiming it to be 'Clockwork's Creations.' She was in the doorframe, huddled away from the rain and working the key in one wing when she realized the mistake she had made. “I didn't even ask where you wanted to be dropped off. Sorry, about that, Steam Cloud. I'll fly you over once I put away my machine, if that's alright with you.”

Steam Cloud shook her head. “No, this is fine, actually. Thank you. I really should be getting home...”

Wind Key turned the key in the lock, opening the door and flicking on a light. The warm yellow glow spilled out into the street, lighting each raindrop and surrounding both ponies. For the first time Wind could see Steam's sky blue fur and cloud white mane, plastered to her head from the rain. She could also see her cutie mark: a brass horseshoe surrounded by clouds. Seeing the young unicorn that had saved her life standing there in the rain and looking so hesitant... Wind Key frowned. “That won't do. If you don't want me flying you home, at least come in to dry off, warm up, and I'll get you, what, coffee? Tea? Cocoa?”

Steam Cloud shook her head, the rain flipping off her mane as she did. “No, really, you've done more than enough, and I don't want to stay out too late.” She took the satchel off her back with her hooves, holding it out for Wind Key to take.

Wind walked up slowly, grabbing the satchel while smiling slightly. “Oh, I'm sure you can spare a few minutes, considering I saved you a few hours with the flight. And it is a freezing rain tonight...” Before Steam could respond, Wind Key had a hoof over Steam's shoulder, a wing acting like an umbrella for them both. “Nope, I insist, you're staying until either you get dried off and warmed up or the rain stops.”

Steam Cloud's eyes widened as she was pulled into the shop. “I don't really want to be a bother...”

Wind hushed her, closing the door behind them and leaving them in the warm, dry shop. “Not a bother at all. Just follow me and don't drip on the counter. I don't want Clockwork killing me.”

The interior of the shop was... rather dull, really. There were a few clocks, toys, compasses, and other mechanical things on shelves, but there wasn't too much to discern the store from any around it. The hardwood counter had a hatch in it separating the front from the back, and a curtain keeping sight blocked between the store and the work rooms. Wind went through quickly, leaving the hatch open and disappearing through the curtain, fully expecting Steam Cloud to follow.

Which she did. She almost surprised herself when she did follow, sure her madness would have disappeared by the time she'd gotten here, but Steam was having a kindness offered to her, and while she didn't feel she deserved some special treatment for catching a falling pony, it was nice all the same. Besides, while the store had a boring look, those wings had come out of it... there had to be more beneath the surface.

The back room was a stark contrast to the front. There was a main workroom, a little less boring, with the workings of a clock mid-repairs on one of the benches, but behind that there were three smaller rooms. One was closed, to the right was a small kitchen, where Wind Key could be seen getting a kettle of water ready, and to the left...

“So you never answered. Tea? Coffee? Cocoa?” Steam's curiosity was stalled by Wind's voice. She wasn't looking at Steam as she worked in the kitchen, the deep blue streak running through her otherwise black mane standing out now that her bandanna was drip drying on the counter. The fact that the pegasus trusted the unicorn so much really made Steam feel warm inside.

Then she remembered she'd been asked a question. “Um... cocoa, please.”

“Mhm!” Wind nodded an affirmative, walking to cupboard and getting what she needed and still not watching her guest.

Steam Cloud's attention returned to the left door, and she tiphoofed her way there, feeling more than knowing why she was drawn to it. Once she was in the frame... it was magnificent. It was a second workspace, filled to the brim with half-built contraptions like no other. There was something that looked like a whirligig in the corner, taking up almost a quarter of the space and completely unable to get out of the door, while a workbench had oil stains and tools strewn about it from recent use. Previous models of wing machine hung from the ceiling, while tucked into the corner was something amazing even compared to everything else.

It looked like a clockwork pegasus, battered partially and in a strange state of disrepair, with one wing extended and propped up for examination while the other hung limp at its side. It was surrounded by blueprints, sketches, and pages and pages of calculations pinned to the walls. They all seemed to originate from an easel beside the automaton, a current blueprint sitting on it, with a prototype almost matching the one Steam had seen earlier hung spread out above it like a prize on a mantlepiece.

And then, next to all that, as though it were the most normal thing in the world, was a simple bed. Nothing more than a futon on the floor, a pillow and some blankets thrown messily on it... But it completed the picture perfectly. The front was clinical, a show for the customers, and the workroom was practiced and clean, but this room... this was alive, where passion flowed into the wonders that came out of it. To think a small room with no windows could so strongly convey the desire to soar.

A cough sounded from the door frame, causing Steam Cloud to jump and back away from the blueprint she'd been examining. “I suppose I should've closed the door if I didn't want you in here... Ah well...” Wind Key tossed a towel toward Steam, which she caught with a hoof. “There's a towel to dry off your mane, and I brought the cocoa.”

Steam looked sheepish, realizing how she'd feel if somepony trespassed into her room. “I'm sorry to intrude. It just... kind of called to me. I've always been a bit of a tinkerer at heart.”

Wind Key smiled. “No harm done. Do you work as one, or...”

Steam Cloud shook her head. “No... I'm... I'm in food service.” Her ears drooped as the words left her mouth, but they got little more than a shrug from Wind Key.

“If you like what you see that much, feel free to ask questions. I'm pretty sure I still owe you a few.” Wind walked forward, two mugs balanced on her wing, which she quickly put down on the workbench. She then swept the wing towards them, bowing with a playful smile on her face. “Your cocoa, madame.”

Steam suppressed a giggle, wrapping the towel in her mane and, after a moment of hesitation, lifting one of the mugs over in her magic. As she did, she saw the brass winding key on Wind's flank, a ready spring coiling beneath it... Steam really didn't know what she expected, but after seeing the room, that cutie mark seemed to make far too much sense. “Thank you, but Steam is fine.”

Wind shrugged and got up, taking a sip from her mug and wincing at the heat. She set it back down, blowing on the hot liquid and hoping Steam hadn't been paying too much attention to her. Her wish was granted, as Steam was fully engaged by the blueprint on the easel in front of her. While the unicorn waited for her cocoa to cool, she stole a look towards Wind. “Is this the design you tested today?”

Wind nodded, walking over. “That's it! I still don't have a good name for it... Clockwork Wing Module just sounds too technical. Though I really won’t have to worry about it too much until I get the power sorted out.”

“You said you tried a boiler once, but have you considered a pendulum to keep winding the spring? Or maybe a kinetic engine to harness the motions of the pony wearing it?” Steam took a test sip from her mug before floating it over to the workbench, waiting for it to cool some more.

Wind Key walked behind the unicorn, looking at the design. “I was thinking about a pendulum to rewind the spring, but it would throw off a pony in flight and do strange things to wind resistance. A kinetic engine, however... that would explain what that thing was in the clockwork pegasus.” She flipped open the casing of the motionless metal pony, pointing to a complicated series of springs and wiring. “Is that one of those? I couldn't identify it, and I know those crystals have something to do with power, but I couldn't hope to understand those.”

Steam Cloud looked where the hoof was pointing, eyebrow raising in curiosity. “Yeah... that is a kinetic engine, though it looks like much more advanced than any I've seen. And the crystals are a magic storage device, like a battery...” Her explanation trailed off as she leaned into the open chassis, getting a better look at the complex innards of the machine. “Where did you get this thing? It's... crazy advanced.”

“It was sent to me, anonymous, no return address, just a note reading 'Let your imagination soar.'” Wind Key looked wistful for a moment, her eyes not focused on anything in the room. “I think it was from my dad.”

Steam could sense that there was a very deep subject there, and she didn't want to gulf it yet. Maybe once they knew each other a little better. But this robot thing... “Mind if I take a closer look?”

Wind Key snapped back from wherever she was, shaking her head to clear it. “Not at all.” She stood behind Steam Cloud, a smile appearing as both of them got lost in the inner workings of the clockwork pegasus. Behind them, their cocoa cooled, forgotten, on the workbench.

The two young mares spent the better part of an hour working over both the clockwork pony and the broken experiment from earlier, though neither really much noticed the passage of time. They were both having far too much fun focusing on the problem before them, thinking through possibilities and crunching numbers. And, when the work took on a more mechanical nature and tools started to come out, their conversation moved to other matters.

It turned out that both of them were the same age, and both of them had an earth pony as their mother, which was the reason both of them had gotten interested in tinkering. Steam's father had been a tinkerer in his own right, while Wind revealed that she had originally come to the city looking for her father, a writer, who'd disappeared seven years ago. Steam was very quiet about her family, only saying that, like Wind's mother, both of them lived in the Solar Empire.

Wind was mostly self-taught in her skills, starting on a few of her mom's machines, but it hadn't really become much until she'd come to the Republic and ended up, after a lot of wandering and a bit of providence, working at this shop. Steam had learned under her father, and had worked with him until he'd decided to leave the city... that was all she wanted to say on the matter, and she refused to talk about her current work, always steering the conversation back to the task at hoof.

And that was perfectly fine with Wind Key, because they were both having a blast. It had taken a long time to reach that point, but Steam Cloud was finally opening up a little, even making a joke while she was working on the kinetic engine. Both mares burst out giggling, Steam almost losing her magic grip on the screwdriver floating over the machine. And neither of them heard the hoofsteps coming in from the front of the shop over the laughter.

“Wind Key! Do you have a friend over? You just make sure they don't break anything, and I won't have to– ” The hooves stopped at the door frame, the look of surprise on the mare's face there even larger than on the two fillies in the room. The laughter ended, silence filling the air, and then the old mare's eyes fell on the floating screwdriver.

Steam Cloud immediately dropped the offending tool, causing it to clink against the cocoa mugs from earlier, but it was too late to stop the oncoming fury. “What is one of those doing in my shop?!”

Wind Key looked horrified, sitting stunned near her bed. “Clockwork, calm down! Why are you-?”

“Get out of my shop you conniving thief! You mongrel! You vicious little wretch!” Clockwork advanced on Steam Cloud swiftly, causing the unicorn to leap up from where she sat, scattering nuts and bolts across the floor in her bid to run for the door, her long-unneeded towel falling from her mane, which fell over her horn, hiding it once more. But this didn't stop the enraged earth pony for a moment. “If I ever catch you anywhere near this premises again, I'll call the guard! I'll call the army!” Clockwork chased Steam all the way out the front door, into the thundering storm that had brewed since Steam's arrival. “AND STAY OUT!” The door was slammed shut, locking the unicorn out in the cold.

Wind Key watched the entire process with a look of horror. “What was that for? She was my friend, and-”

Clockwork turned on the pegasus, the middle-aged earth pony seeming infinitely large in this moment as she loomed over Wind Key. “Your friend? Wind Key, let me make this perfectly clear. You are not to consort with their kind, and furthermore-”

“But she saved my life! And what do you mean 'their –'”

Clockwork stomped, cutting off her protege's words. “NO! I don't care what she did! No enemy plot is going to start in my shop! And if I see you and her together again, you will not be welcome here either. Do you hear me?”

“But–“

“Do you hear me?”

“Yes! Bu–“

“Good!” Clockwork flicked her cream mane, settling it slightly from its frazzled state. “It's a good thing I had forgotten something this evening in the shop, or who knows what could have happened?” The chestnut mare, seemingly much smaller now that her threatening was done, walked behind the counter and into the main workspace. “The damage that might have been done... it all looks safe enough, but I will just have to search this place with a fine tooth comb in the morning, you better believe me. Really, Wind Key, fraternizing with the enemy... I expected better of you! You know, when you came into this shop, I agreed on the condition...”

Clockwork was ranting, but the words were lost on Wind Key, who was looking at the door, watching the rain pound against the window and seeing the flashes of lightning outside... She had no idea what had gotten into Clockwork, but once she was wound up it would be days before she wound back down. But Wind Key didn't even care about that. She walked, confused, into her room, looking at the work abandoned so suddenly, the dangerous mess strewn across her floor, the calculations half-done and the new blueprint only partially made...

But the lost work wasn't even registering in her mind. As she took the two cold, nearly full cups of cocoa into the kitchen, there was only one thing sitting in her mind. I wonder if I will ever see her again...

Author's Note

So, in case you missed it, there is now a title image by the fabulous 09Lawso (found here and here) Now go send him some love!

The Little Things

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were an unstoppable force in Ponyville, running together as the strongest knit team anypony could ever imagine for years. They'd tried everything from skydiving to underwater basket weaving, taken lessons from Princess Twilight, and even gone on their own adventures into the deep, dark Everfree Forest to find their talents, and yet nothing ever seemed to work, though they never let it get them down. Not even when they became not only the last in their class, but the last in the whole school to earn their cutie marks. Not even when they started getting an interest in other ponies and dating.

They didn't even lose faith or each other's support when one of them found herself in trouble.

Scootaloo had been a little off for a few weeks before they figured it out. She'd gotten really close to Featherweight over the last few years, though nopony realized how close until the others walked in on her throwing up in the back of the clubhouse, the remnants of her latest food concoction laying on the pillow where she'd left it.

“Pickles and strawberry jam?” Sweetie Belle said with a grimace, picking up the jam jar in her magic. “That's...” She paused as she contemplated the jar with the pickle dipped into it.

“The word yer lookin' for is 'gross,' Sweetie Belle,” said Apple Bloom, padding over to the bucket Scootaloo was hunched over. “It's no wonder yer sick, Scoots, I can't think of a single pony that could stomach that mess.”

A single nod was all Apple Bloom got in response before Scootaloo's small orange wings shot out, her whole body lurching forwards as her stomach emptied itself.

Sweetie Belle stood behind the two of them, chewing softly. “You've been eating the weirdest things, Scootaloo, and this isn't the first time you've been sick. Are you sure you're feeling alright?”

Scootaloo lifted her head from the bucket, the green in her cheeks far too similar to the main color swirling in the liquid. “I dunno what happened. One minute I was fine, the next I-” her eyes went wide, but luckily she was able to redirect before a mess was made.

Apple Bloom took the jam jar, wondering for a moment where the pickle went, before closing the lid and putting it back in the snack pantry. “Maybe you should see a doctor. It might be some kinda flu, or an allergy poppin' up, or...” As the thought hit her, she turned, watching Sweetie Belle massaging Scootaloo's back. “Scootaloo. How long have you 'n Feather been datin'?”

Scootaloo tried to sign with a free hoof, her mumble barely escaping the bucket it was trapped in. Luckily, Sweetie was there to translate. “Three years. Remember when he met her in the hospital, and we'd been going on about her and Bluebell, and-”

“Right,” Apple Bloom said dismissively, not needing a reminder of that particular incident. “Three years, and yer still goin' strong right?” Scootaloo nodded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hoof. Sweetie frowned at that, getting a napkin from one of their many stashes. “So... have you two... well...” Apple Bloom scrunched up her face, not really wanting to say the words on her mind. “...done it?”

Sweetie's mouth hung open. “Apple Bloom! You can't just go and ask a filly about something so private! It's not ladylike!”

“This ain't about bein' ladylike, Sweetie. 'N we're friends! We ain't never worried about bein' 'ladylike' to each other before.” The farm filly shot a glare towards Sweetie Belle, pushing her bow up in her hair for added emphasis.

Sweetie huffed, pouting at her glaring friend. “It's still rude. Rarity told me that a true lady never kisses and tells, and made me promise not to tell mom or anypony about all the stallions she brought up to her room or any of the noises I...” Sweetie's eyes widened, realizing what she was saying and seeing the stares from the other two fillies. “Oops...”

“There's an image I really didn't need in my head...” said Scootaloo, getting ready to go outside and dump the bucket somewhere.

Apple Bloom nodded slowly, her face even more screwed up than when she asked the question. “Yeah... Thanks Sweetie. Gonna take a long time to get rid 'a that one..” She shook her head, stopping Scootaloo at the door. “Still... did ya?”

Scootaloo took a step back, looking at Apple Bloom like she was crazy. “Pff, why?”

“Well... you remember that special class we had with Cheerilee, where she was talking about fillies an' colts an' had that banana 'n those little rubber thingies?”

“Yeah?” replied Scootaloo flatly.

“An' remember how she said that it was a perfec'ly nat'ral thing, but you should wait until you love each other 'n are ready, an' you 'n Featherweight turned bright red 'n looked at each other with wide eyes 'n started gigglin'?”

The answer was defensive this time. “...Yeah?” Apple Bloom just looked at Scootaloo expectantly, which caused Scootaloo to try to push past her again, tired of waiting for the point.

This drew an annoyed sigh from Apple Bloom. “Am I gonna have ta spell it out for ya?”

Scootaloo snorted at her, stomping hard and causing the bucket hanging from her wing to sway dangerously. “So what if we did, huh? What's the big deal? You gonna go tell Cheerilee?”

“No! I wasn' even thinkin' that! I-”

“Or maybe you'll start getting mad at Featherweight for pushing me into it, right? Because obviously I couldn't want to.”

“What?! No!” Apple Bloom shook her head, seeing she'd definitely hit a nerve. “That's not what I'm sayin'! It's just that-”

Scootaloo leveled a glare at the farm filly, daring her to continue.“Well we both wanted to, alright? And it felt so good we did it more than once!”

“Scootaloo! You don't have to tell us, it's private...” said Sweetie Belle, her cheeks going red at the thought.

“Apple Bloom sure seems interested. We even did it in here a couple times! Is that what you wanted to hear?” Both of the other fillies looked at the angry orange pegasus, stunned that she would do something like that in their most private of places. “Right over there.” Scootaloo pointed to the pile of pillows where her jam had rested earlier.

“Eeeeeeeeeew!” Sweetie scuttled away from the spot, then, realizing something, she ran towards it again. “I need to wash the pillows!” As she got close, however, she didn't want to touch them, fighting with herself until, tentatively, she wrapped one in her magic. It didn't even leave the floor before she squealed with disgust and dropped it again.

Apple Bloom recovered faster, glaring at Scootaloo. “I don' care where ya did it, an' I ain't gonna yell at ya for bein' too young or anythin' like that. I got enougha that from my sister when I mentioned Cheerilee's lesson.” Scootaloo huffed again, walking towards the door outside.

A hoof on her shoulder stopped her, Apple Bloom's face coming up right next to hers. “I'm just worried for ya, Scoots. Yer actin' weird 'n been gettin' sick, an'... I think I might know why.”

Scootaloo glared sideways at her friend, in no mood for the interrogation she'd gotten. “Why?”

Apple Bloom's face was serious, showing the gravity of the situation. “I think you might be pregnant.”

Scootaloo's pupil's shrank slightly, but her face stayed angry against that spark of fear. “What?”

From the other side of the room, the pillow dropped from Sweetie's magic grip, her face the picture of shock. “What?!”

Apple Bloom looked between both of them, explaining herself. “Her temper, the weird sad moments, the tired spells, the gross foods-”

“It didn't taste that bad, actually...” muttered Sweetie.

Apple Bloom continued, not even noticing the interjection. “-the way she keeps throwin' up... Applejack went through all a this just last month, an' when she went to the doctor, she came back sayin' I was gonna be a aunt.”

Scootaloo shook her head, backing away from Apple Bloom, the bucket landing heavily on the floor, though its contents kept it upright. “No... You're wrong.”

“I hope I am, Scoots, but... I think you should check. You should get Cheerilee to take you to a doctor, an-”

“No!” Scootaloo backed to the door, looking fearfully between the two other fillies in the room. “No Cheerilee, no doctor! I'm... I'm not...” She slumped in the door frame. “No...”

Apple Bloom took a step towards her, but in an instant she was out the door, moving with amazing speed as she grabbed her scooter and shot into town. Apple Bloom ran after her, kicking things out of her way, but only able to watch the dust trail raised in Scootaloo's wake.

“Apple Bloom... we've got a problem.” Sweetie Belle called from inside.

Apple Bloom sighed, watching the dust settle. “I know, Sweetie Belle, but we're a trio. Even if I'm right, we'll help her through it.”

Sweetie shook her head. “No, that's worrying and everything, but we have a bigger problem.”

Apple Bloom turned around, confused. “What could be bigger than... oh horseapples.” Just inside the door, swirling with far more colors than it should have, the contents of the upturned bucket turned Apple Bloom's stomach. She looked from the offending glop to Sweetie Belle, noticing the green tinge to the unicorn's alabaster cheeks. With a defeated sigh and drooping, though carefully raised so as not to touch the floor, tail, Apple Bloom trod through the puddle to get the mop.

Flora looked up into the clear afternoon sky, wiping her brow of sweat with her bandanna before looking around. It was day two of Apple Buck Season, and while the work was hot and slow, there were already almost two fields of apple trees freshly picked of their apples. The smell of the ripe red fruits all around her was astounding, as it was every year she'd helped Jazz out. Combined with the smell of the dirt baking around her hooves, the scent was truly comforting in its own way. She'd spent a lot of time in Sweet Apple Acres as a filly, and the years hadn't taken that joy from her yet.

As her eyes scanned the trees, she wasn't quite able to spot anypony else working, or even the telltale shaking of trees being bucked. Sure, it was just her and Jazz out here, but a sign she wasn't the only pony actually working would've been appreciated. However, since she couldn't see anypony, that meant they couldn't see her either. Thankful of that fact, she sat in the shade of the tree she'd just bucked with a tired sigh, leaning against its trunk and relishing the shade it gave her.

The trees here were healthy, at least as much so as any sapling she'd tried to grow in the greenhouse, and she really didn't know how they did it. She regulated the temperature, she kept the water at the best level she'd found, she took great care with the soil, making sure each pot had all the nutrients it could need, and still the ones growing in these fields were more beautiful, healthier, and happier than any she'd cultivated. Even the ones she'd transplanted were doing better out here under the Apples' care... She'd never been able to figure out how they did it.

But she was more than happy to enjoy the fruits of their labor, especially when her stomach grumbled that lunchtime had passed. Smiling to herself, she grabbed one of the apples from the top of the nearest bushel, buffing it on her coat for a moment before biting in. There weren't any apples better than the ones that grew here... She couldn't confirm, since she hadn't actually ever gotten apples from anywhere else, but she was sure it was a fact nonetheless. With a bright smile to herself, she took another bite, feeling the juice of the freshly picked apple running down her muzzle, its sweetness better than any dessert at this moment.

“Hey! I was gonna invite ya in for lunch, but I guess you'd rather be out here eatin' my profits.” Flora jumped at the sound of the voice, hopping up to her hooves and dropping the apple into her bandanna, wiping her muzzle free of the incriminating juice as she did so.

Her cleaning up done, she turned towards the voice's owner, smiling playfully. “Like you don't sneak a bite of the merchandise yourself, Jazz.”

Jazz Apple chuckled at Flora's behavior, tossing an apple core behind him as he walked towards her, his rich red fur speckled with sweat. “A' course I do! We've got the best apples in all a Equestria, an ain't nopony else ever gonna claim that title.” He smirked, the yellow freckles on his cheeks shifting as he did and his hazel eyes beaming harder than his smile was. “Still, Big Mac worked hard on lunch, so we can't fill up out here.” He effortlessly picked up the bushels beneath the trees, putting the heavy weight on his back. “You comin'?”

Flora reached up to the slightly taller stallion's head, tousling his leaf green mane. “Of course! Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

“You were further in than I thought. Took a bit ta find ya,” he said as they both started towards the farm house. “Been at least ten minutes since he rang the bell. Didn't ya hear it?”

Flora shook her head. “No, I think I zoned out for a bit thinking about the field. Working out here, your mind just kind of wanders.”

Jazz chuckled again. “I know what ya mean. Some of my best inspiration hit me while I was out here buckin' trees. It's the perfect place to think when ya need ta.” He sped up after that, trotting a bit faster. “Big Mac's already waitin', an' ya know what he's like when ya keep him waitin'.”

Flora smirked to herself. Yup. Quiet and calm, like he always is. She didn't say it though, content to simply speed up for the rest of the journey to the house.

The farm house had stood in the same spot for... ever, so far as Flora could tell, and she doubted it would ever move or change, its old charm still holding it up as strong as ever. The age on the deck boards was astounding, as was the sheer number of family pictures lining the walls of the stairs and hallway once you got inside, but the warmth and hominess of the place never seemed to fade, even as the number of ponies in it dwindled. She remembered parties held in this house when she was younger, Pinkie Pie bouncing all over the place, and even more fondly remembered the Apple Family Reunion she'd gotten invited to, with more Apples than she could begin to remember crowding the building and the fields. She'd been so young back then and there was so much going on that she'd freaked out and hid in the hayloft until Jazz had come up and pulled her back down, playing bodyguard for the rest of the day.

And, somehow, even though the last reunion was ten years ago, the house still felt like it was just waiting for the next one, like it would happen any day now. So different from her home...

She was brought out of her thoughts when she reached the dining room, sitting down at the table and waiting as Jazz went into the kitchen. Moments later he came out with a tray piled with apple fritters, his uncle Big Macintosh coming in behind him, dwarfing Jazz in both broadness and height. He'd seemed like such an imposing, strong figure when Flora was younger, but when she'd finally gotten to know him, he was an incredibly gentle pony, and almost always up for a piggy back ride or other game when he wasn't working.

Though his cooking wasn't nearly as good as Applejack's. These fritters were sweet, and they were just the fuel to get back out working, but after biting into the apple earlier, she wished she could have gotten one of Jazz's mom's fritters instead. But... she hadn't visited home much in ten years either...

And nopony else seemed to mind. Jazz was smiling as he ate his lunch, and Big Mac, while never talkative, was also contentedly eating away. When Jazz had gotten some food in him, he started to brief Mac on the fields and the progress, including how far Flora had gotten and the weather plans for the next few days from Silver. Big Mac just nodded silently, though there was a longing in his eyes like he wanted to be out there.

It really was too bad about his back. Three years ago he'd thrown it out so badly the doctors forbade him from working the fields any more, though he still helped out with little things from time to time. Still, it must have been hard for the big, strong stallion to be relegated inside when the younger, smaller Jazz took over the work. At Mac's age, though, he was still looking fit, and he still did more than enough to keep the house in order. With how nice it was in here, nopony would ever suspect it was a home to two stallions and nopony else.

Without her realizing, Flora found herself taking the last fritter on the plate, officially finishing off their lunch break. She'd been caught up in the memories... it was much too easy to do.

Big Mac started to clean up while Jazz and Flora headed back outside, chatting a little on their way back to the fields. “Say, you wouldn't happen to be available for the zap apple harvest, would ya? It's at least a month off yet, but we could really use yer hooves out here like ya were last year.”

Flora nodded. “Sure. The greenhouse tends to run itself this time of year, so as long as mom goes back to the shop at some point, it should be no issue.”

Jazz beamed at her. “Great! After that it's just cider season, an' me 'n Mac should be able to take care a that until the jazz apples start growin', an' then yer gonna have to help me set up that house again, 'cus I still don't have it down.”

Flora rolled her eyes. “Come on, Jazz! These apples are named after you! You'd think you'd have figured out how to take care of them by now.”

Jazz looked at her sheepishly. “I ain't any good with buildin' stuff. That's mostly Mac's job, an' even he don't ever get your greenhouse thingy right. But I promise I'll make it up to ya! Whatever ya want.”

Flora smirked at him, lowering her eyelids dangerously. “You sure you want to make me that promise, Jazz?”

Jazz laughed at her antics. “Hey, for a friend that helps out here as much as ya do, an' who works even harder 'n me sometimes, I'll take whatever ya throw at me.”

Flora laughed as well. “Alright! It's a deal! But you better not back out.”

Jazz's face grew serious for a moment. “I'm an Apple, Flora. We're ponies of our word.” He tried to look serious for longer, but he couldn't hold it and ended up laughing even harder. “Right, well, I'll meet ya at the end of the field. Let's see if we can get it done b'fore nightfall.” With that he split off to find where he'd stopped earlier, leaving Flora to navigate the rest of her way through the trees to where she'd started her break.

Within moments she found it, smiling as a breeze brought the ripe smell of the orchard to her once more, cooling her down after her walk out. It was going to be another few hours of work... And there was no time to start like the present. With a spin and a well aimed kick, apples fell into the baskets all around her, work beginning as if she hadn't left at all.

Flora kicked the last tree at the edge of the field just as the sky began to turn orange, wiping her brow and breathing heavily as she did. She didn't know why the Northwest field always seemed so much bigger after lunch, but from down here it looked like it was done. She'd have to go up on the hill to make sure, and then there was still carting the apples back to the barn, but if they kept up this rate they would have the last field done by the night of the Grand Galloping Gala... not that any of them were going, but it wouldn't make it any less of an accomplishment. Getting all four fields done in four days was a real task, especially for just two ponies, but this year she had a feeling they could do it.

She heard a crack and the rustling of another tree not far away, looking into the center to see Jazz getting the apples off of a tree further in. She trotted lightly towards him, fully intent to ask him where the cart was, when she heard something she wasn't expecting. It was a whistle of surprise, coming from Jazz himself as he looked over the few rows to the end of the field. He spotted her as she came up and pointed to her work. “Did ya buck all them trees already, or did the fruit bats get out?”

Flora nodded, looking at them tiredly. “Nope! No fruit bats that I saw. I reached the end of my half and saw you weren't done. I was on a roll, I just figured I'd keep going.”

Jazz chuckled to himself. “You really are somethin' special, Flora. Anypony I'd a hired woulda ditched once the job was done, an' here ya are doin' my work for me.”

Flora looked confused, her smirk growing even as her muscles ached from all her work. “Why wouldn't I? I like the orchard, and we've known each other how long?” Her smirk fell as she remembered what had brought her this way and not to the hill to survey their work. “So where are the carts to load the bushels in? Are they still at the halfway point from earlier?”

“Yeah. I'll go get 'em. You just rest for a bit. You've earned it.” Jazz hurried into the orchard, sweat dripping off of him from his own work, but Flora guessed he didn't want to be shown up by her. Still, a little break was welcome, and it would give her time to survey the field, so she went back to its edge, climbing up the hill there and stopping in the shade of the tree.

It wasn't an apple tree, one of a very small number of non-apple trees growing in Sweet Apple Acres, but one she suspected was purely there for ponies to do what she was doing now: surveying a job well done as the sun began to set over the fields. Every single one of them was visible from this spot: the one they'd done yesterday, green and lush, the one they'd just finished with all the baskets beneath it, the two left to do, their apples hanging shiny and ready, and the four other fields, two of which were sanctuaries for the fruit bats, both vampire and regular, and one that simply wasn't being used. There were a few trees there with apples on them, but that was where the Iron Pony competition had been held a few times, as well as where the club house was.

At least, she hoped it was still there. It was hard to tell among the trees, but it had to be in that field. The other one was for other crops, the corn and wheat and carrots and things the family needed to live. One of these days she'd have to go see if it was still there...

Soon enough she saw Jazz parking the carts at the bottom of the hill, unhooking two from the train of four and setting up a second harness on them. By the time she'd trotted down to meet him, he was done. They helped each other make sure the harnesses were comfortable and easy to get out of, then they each took half the field and started their collection run, getting the contents of all the baskets into the carts behind them.

Both of them hauled their full carts to the barn just as twilight hit, the sky over the orchard looking absolutely magnificent. Neither of them were much up to enjoy it, however, as they both were panting and sweating from dragging the load back. After a quick drink from the water pump by the barn, Jazz looked at Flora. “You comin' in for dinner? I dunno what Mac's cookin', but it's bound to be good.”

Flora shook her head. “No, I've got to get home and check on a few things. Thanks for the offer though. I'll see you in the morning.”

As she started off, she heard Jazz speaking to her again. “You know... I appreciate the work you do around here. I dunno if I've said it enough, but I do.”

She turned around, smiling brightly to him despite her weary body and not really knowing where the sudden praise was coming from. “Thank you. It's a pleasure. But if I don't head out soon, I won't be able to help out tomorrow.”

Jazz smiled back. “I'll see ya then.”

With a wave Flora left, walking the long road back to town, and then walking through the empty Ponyville streets back to her house, finally finishing the apple from lunch as she went. It wasn't nearly enough. She was tired, and she really wanted to have stayed for food back in the Acres, but as much as she wished for a similar treatment at home, she knew what she would find. When she finally opened her front door, Dot's food bowl was empty, the dog looking at her sadly for how long she'd waited, and there was no pleasant cooking smell in the house. It was musty and cold, the house still all day.

Walking even slower than she had from the farm, the sadly familiar weight settling once more on her shoulders, Flora went to the kitchen, washing her hooves and starting up the ingredients for a stir fry: something warm, quick, and filling. As the pan heated up, she fed Dot, and then she got the veggies sizzling as soon as she could. When she was done, which hadn't taken long, but had felt like forever to her hungry stomach, she served up two portions, taking them upstairs and knocking on her mother's door. When there was no reply, she opened it, finding Rose curled up on the bed in almost the same position she'd been in that morning. Only the bookmark further in the book suggested anything at all had happened that day.

With a few kind words pulled from her weary brain, Flora managed to rouse her mother, and they shared a bit of conversation while they ate in the bedroom. Rose hadn't gone to work today... again. Luckily for her, Flora had checked up on the list she'd put on the shop door, and there were actually two orders to be taken care of. It took a bit of convincing, but eventually Rose believed Flora was telling the truth and promised to go in the next morning.

The food done, Flora took the dishes back downstairs, washing them and putting them away before checking the clock... It was far later than she wanted it to be, considering when she'd have to get up to get to the orchards on time. As much as she wanted a shower, and she really wanted a shower, it would just have to wait. Her eyelids were fighting with her, and it was a battle she was glad to lose.

She moved heavily to her room, flopped down on her bed, and was practically asleep before she hit the mattress, her bandanna still tied around her neck.

Flora worked hard for the next two days as well, bucking trees and getting fruit into the barn with a surprising amount of zeal for how tired she really was. Between caring for her own plants, getting her mother motivated and into her shop, and the actual heavy manual labor of the fields, she'd nearly collapsed on the walk home the night before. But she'd made it back, and found the pleasant surprise of a home cooked meal waiting for her, though Rose had already returned to her room. Still, it was good to see her mother in high enough spirits to cook this close to the Gala.

She had even gone to the shop this morning, just in case there was a last minute customer in need of the perfect scent for this evening's party. Knowing her mother was out of her stuffy room, and even better, out of the house, had kept a smile on Flora's face all through the last field, and it was still there now, hidden under the dirt, sweat, and strain of pulling the final cart of apples to the barn. It didn't even fade as she wiped her brow for the umpteenth time with her now damp bandanna, surveying her and Jazz's work.

Sweet Apple Acres was bare, not a single apple on the trees in its orchard. It had taken four days of constant kicking, but finally it was done, just as the sun lowered enough to turn the whole sky ripe apple red. With a nudge from her aching leg, Flora closed the barn door behind her, starting on the path back to town. She was stopped before she could get more than a few yards.

“Now where d'ya think yer goin', Flora? Tryin' ta sneak off after all this work without so much as a g'bye! It's downright rude.” Jazz stood on the porch of the house, eyes frowning, but a smile on his lips. “I know ya didn't wan' ta have dinner with us the last few days, but yer not gettin' out of it tonight.”

Flora drooped her head, her ears, and her tail, giving Jazz a pitiful look. “I'm tired, Jazz, and the fields are done. I was going to celebrate with a good night's rest.”

“And ya can!” Jazz said as he bounded off the porch and trotted to Flora's side. “Right after dinner. Now c'mon.” With an encouraging voice and more encouragement in the shape of his head pushing into her side, Flora was knocked off the path home. She rolled her eyes, but got the hint, turning around to head back to the house.

She didn't get more than a few steps before she was stopped again. “Where do you think yer goin'?” Jazz asked playfully.

Flora looked confused. “Into the house. You said something about dinner?”

Jazz smiled. “I did. But it's not in the house. Follow me.” Without a moment's pause he went off the trail towards one of the unused fields.

Flora really wasn't in the mood for this. “Jazz, where are we going?”

Jazz rolled his eyes. “You'd see in a moment if ya'd just follow! Now c'mon. Ya even know the way.” He didn't stop for any further questions, moving on ahead and leaving Flora to follow, which she did.

Fairly soon, she was able to recognize a path, overgrown a little where it hadn't been much walked. It went past some familiar landmarks: the plow rusted into the dirt, the picnic bench nopony seemed to use anymore, over the creek... with each step, she remembered her younger days, running excitedly along this same path. She knew what was at the end, she just hoped in her growing excitement that it was still there. She ducked under the final low hanging branch, hanging much lower than she ever remembered it, and then... There it was.

The club house, built into the big tree ages ago. She'd been there when it was given to Jazz by his aunt Apple Bloom, slightly worse for wear, but nothing a little paint and nails couldn't fix... She could still see the fixes, sitting like they had for years.

Jazz smiled from where he was halfway up the ramp. “Brings back memories, don' it?”

“Yeah...” Flora started up behind him, smiling. “I haven't been out here since we all got our cutie marks and ponies started moving away, and the last dinner we had out here was during that sleep over where we snuck all that cider, and Silver drank so much that she got sick and puked out the window.”

Jazz's grin grew as he stood in front of the door, waiting for her to catch up. “Yeah, well, this'll be a lot better 'n that.” He then pushed the door open, gesturing inside.

Everything was exactly as she remembered it, though a lot smaller. The snack pantry, the sink, the one board they couldn't get to stay down, the observatory, even the thinking corner, which still held all their plans from when they were younger scrawled on papers on its walls. It hadn't changed a bit, though the telltale signs of a recent dusting could be seen, as well as a few other preparations. The room was lit by firefly lanterns, four in the corners and one sitting on a meticulously prepared table, set for two, with a spread that would make anypony hungry. Not for abundance or decadence, but simply for how amazing it smelled.

In truth, it was little more than a salad, a soup, and a pie, but the aroma wafting from it spoke of the care and work that went into the meal, with only the best ingredients and the ponies eating it in mind. It said without words that it would never show up in a fancy restaurant, because a meal this good could only be made at home.

Jazz chuckled a little as Flora walked into the room. “It's holdin' up well, isn't it?”

Flora nodded as she looked around, memories hitting her before her eyes fixed on the food. “Yeah. I can hardly believe it! There are buildings in town in worse shape than this. Though the new addition is appreciated.”

Jazz tapped the floor with a hoof. “Apple Family craftin'! I might not 'a got the knack for it, but that don't change that what we build stays.” With a little pride in his walk, he went to the table, grabbing one of the bowls and carefully filling it to the brim with soup before setting it down in front of Flora. “After all the work you put in on the farm, I thought I'd do somethin' nice for ya, an' since I know how much fun we had here as foals, I thought I'd throw a little party here in appreciation.”

Flora looked at the empty clubhouse, raising an eyebrow. “This is a party?”

“It was gonna be, but I ain't very good at parties, so I guess it's just a dinner?” Jazz asked as he served himself, obviously hoping it was alright.

Flora just smiled, taking in the familiar room. After all these years, this was still her second home, and she couldn't be happier. “I dunno how I would've reacted to a party, so this is probably better. You remember what happened at the family reunion.”

Jazz's smile returned. “Yeah, you hid up in the hay loft, and you wouldn't come down until I promised you wouldn't get trampled.” With a hoof he signaled that dinner was served, watching as Flora sat down and prepared to eat.

Flora grabbed her spoon, barely able to use it as the tantalizing aroma hit her once more. Luckily, she remembered at the last moment to cool the liquid before putting it in her mouth, and immediately she was glad she did. The flavor danced on her tongue, balanced amazingly between the spices and the sweetness of the apples she knew were in there somewhere. With an 'mmm' of pleasure she swallowed it down. “This is amazing! Give Big Mac my regards.”

Jazz's smile grew larger. “I'm sure he'd like 'em, but they belong to me, thanks.”

The shock on Flora's face was undeniable. “Wait, you made this?” She took another spoonful in her mouth, making sure that what she had tasted wasn't a fluke. It wasn't.

“Yup. And I'll bet ya that the rest is just as good.” Jazz said as he continued to eat, though the joy on his face kept spreading, even when Flora was silent, disbelieving of the taste.

Eventually, after far more than enough time had passed for the silence to become awkward, Jazz started to ask about her life. Little things, like how the garden and Rose's shop were doing or if Dot was doing well, and Flora answered, letting the taste puzzle slide to the back of her mind. She returned the questions she didn't already know the answer to, asking if he'd heard anything about his mother or aunt and the war effort, or if they'd be home any time soon. The answer was, unfortunately, no.

As the salad was served, with a dressing that balanced everything magnificently, the conversation moved on to the town. Despite Flora living in Ponyville proper, Jazz had his hoof much more firmly on the pulse of the town. Being in the market on a regular basis probably helped with that, as he was able to see the faces disappearing from week to week. Another three ponies had gotten called in for the draft since last week, and he wasn't sure how many more could disappear.

The signs were there, with a few buildings abandoned as their residents went to Canterlot for training. Shops had closed down from a lack of customers, while others only stayed open on the good will of those who remained. At their age group, almost nopony was left, and lately Jazz had been getting some very stern looks from ponies wondering why he wasn't gone, or sad ones wishing he was their little colt...

Another silence fell over the table then, one that threatened to pull the whole mood into the dark, but Flora managed to salvage it at the last moment. She managed to steer the conversation towards the few that were still around, which mostly meant herself, him, Silver, and what they'd all been up to recently. All three were busy at their respective jobs, but that didn't mean they weren't still the best of friends. In fact, they were still proud of the fact that they were the only members of the Ponyville Cutie Mark Crusaders, and now that she was in the clubhouse, the memories flowed.

Whether it was the time that Silver had tried to take them all skydiving, or the time Flora was convinced she was supposed to be a miner and had dug a hole in the middle of Ponyville Square, or the time that Jazz's sisters and Flora's sister had both been dragged along on order of their respective mothers, and what resulted was the single messiest water balloon fight ever as both sides found the paint buckets hidden in the barn. There was even the outline of one of Silver's wings in a paint splatter on the floor of the club house, which she was able to find after a few minutes of searching. The fact that it was still there and the reenactment Flora gave of the moment sent both herself and Jazz into a laughing fit.

It had taken a little coaxing, but by the time the salad was gone and the pie was out, both ponies were smiling and chatting away, all heaviness of the outside world dispelled in a shroud of memories. They might have belonged to times past, true, but that didn't mean they couldn't be seen again. If anything, that was what the ponies who left were fighting for... though Flora didn't mention her thoughts on that. She was too busy enjoying her evening.

Once she actually took a bite of the pie, however, she immediately went silent, placing her pie piece back on the plate and scrutinizing it carefully. After a few moments, and more than one confused look from Jazz, she sat up, looking puzzled. “Okay, I'm stumped. How do you make pie this good, and why didn't I know this before now?”

Jazz laughed again, adding to the mirth in the air around them. “Ma taught me, an' ya didn't know 'cus Big Mac does all the cookin' when I'm in the fields, an' ya only ever come over then. Like I said at the start, I thought I'd do somethin' nice for ya.” Jazz had placed the other dishes in the sink once they were done, leaving only the two of them, the pie, and the lanterns in the room, the fireflies still glowing strong.

However, as Flora took another bite, she had a thought come into her head. “Why don't your sisters help out at the farm? With the pressure you're under, you'd think there'd be more than just you and me in the fields.”

Jazz sighed. “Ya'd think, but... they ain't really Apples. Ma tried to teach 'em, but Concord an' Cassidy are really more Grapes, like Pa. An', like Pa, they're always too busy to help out in the Acres. Pa's gotten old, left the grape farm to the girls, an' they wouldn't dare cross onto Apple soil.” A sour look crossed his face as he started to mumble to himself. “Dunno why, since we're family 'n all an' we don't harvest at the same time. Won't let me help 'em, don't even know the travelin' song... hardly Apples at all.”

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath before smiling as though none of that had just happened. “Anyway, I don' need their help. I got you, an' yer worth ten other ponies.”

Flora tilted her head, not entirely sure what to make of that statement, but sure it was a compliment. “Because I'm a hard worker?”

“Because you're an amazin' mare.” Jazz looked her in the eyes when he said that, a little of the playfulness replaced with sincerity.

The tone of his voice caught her off guard, making her wonder where it had come from. “Thank you... I guess. But I don't really think that's true.”

“But y' are, Flora.” Jazz hesitated for a moment after he said that, a little tension being added to the room as he looked for the right words. “I dunno if it only happened recently or if I never noticed it before, but I said it out in the fields. Ya really are somethin' special, Flora. After everythin' that's happenin' here, ya don't let it get to ya. You just keep on workin', keep on movin' forward 'n helpin' out 'n makin' ponies feel better. Maybe not always laugh or smile, but ya keep tryin'... Ya keep the hope alive, even when everypony else woulda let it get them down or woulda quit.”

He grabbed her hoof then, looking into her eyes, the blush on his cheeks barely visible through his red fur. “Yer a real special pony, Flora, an' I was hopin'... maybe you'd be willin' to be my special somepony?”

In that moment, Flora noticed a lot of things she should have picked up on earlier. How much preparation had gone into all of this, or the fact that, after a hard day of work, Jazz had bothered to clean himself up. There wasn't a speck of dirt or grime from his neatly combed mane to the his treble clef shaped apple cutie mark. But the look of sincerity he was holding at her...

“You're joking, right?” Flora looked at the hoof holding hers, listening to the words again in her head. “You're pulling my leg. We've known each other for years, Jazz, but this is a first.” When she looked at his face, though, the sincerity was there... and a little pain, too.

“I ain't jokin', Flora. Sure, if ya look at it one way, we're practic'ly family, best friends forever growin' up, an' that could be weird. But, if I was gonna ask somepony out, it should be somepony I care for, right? Somepony I trust an' know well, an' who I think is an amazin' mare...” His gaze fell, his hoof pulling away from hers. “But if ya think it's a joke...”

Her hoof grabbed his as it pulled away, the words tumbling out of her mouth. “N-no, it's not that, I just didn't think you'd actually...” He looked at her again, that same hurt sincerity strongly held in his eyes, and for a moment, time froze. Her next words were going to have to be chosen very carefully, and they couldn't be false. What was it that had made her doubt his words? The playful jabs? The fact they knew each other so well? Why would a good chemistry be a bad thing? And the fact that he'd asked her when she was still a mess from work... she never thought she was the most beautiful mare, but then she'd never really looked at mares, particularly herself, to judge attractiveness. If she had to guess, Silver was probably more beautiful than her, and she had that air of confidence that just-

Focus, Flora, he's waiting on you. Without her noticing, time had started up again, and Jazz was looking at her hopefully. She'd wasted her thinking time, and soon the silence would answer for her. Looking at his face... he was attractive enough. She'd never actually bothered to date anypony before, though she did have a crush on one or two, but there was nothing about Jazz that she didn't like. He wasn't even too big or muscled, his body just having a nice and healthy tone from his years of farm work. The big question, she guessed, was if it would seem like she was kissing her brother...

Because he'd said it. They were practically family. The bandanna she wore around her neck at that moment was a symbol of that. All those years ago, at the reunion, when she was crying in the loft, he'd tied the massive thing around her neck. He'd told her it meant that she was an Apple, and that she belonged there. Ever since that moment Sweet Apple Acres had been her second home. In some ways, Big Mac and Jazz, and even their dog Windsor when he came out to play, were more family than even her own sister... Was she really going to risk losing that? Or would it only make it that much more true?

The bandanna around her neck, the pony before her waiting for an answer, her room and her house, both stagnant, the warmth she felt on the farm... Thoughts flickered through her mind, but underneath them, one stood out clear.

It was time for a change. “You know what? Yes, Jazz. I'll gladly be your special somepony.” The sight of Jazz's eyes lighting up warmed Flora on the inside, as did his body when he rushed forward and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, smiling to herself, before she leaned away, looking him in the eyes once more. “But I want you to promise that, even if this doesn't work out, we're still the best of friends, okay?”

Jazz shook his head, touching a hoof to the bandanna as he did. “Not just friends, Flora. Family. I was worried enough that I was ruinin' that by askin' ya, because I wouldn't risk that for the world.”

Flora's smile deepened as she moved his hoof, pulling him back into the hug. “That's why I said yes.” They held it for a while, the rush of the agreement just made flowing through them, before, finally, Flora pulled away, tapping him playfully on the nose and setting them both giggling as she returned to her seat. “Even so, there's a pie slice I'm not going to let go to waste.”

Jazz trotted back around the table to his own spot, positively beaming as he returned to the slice before him. After a moment, though, Flora smirked to herself, realizing what was wrong with this picture. She pushed her slice across the table, scooting herself around it until she was next to the puzzled Apple, before leaning against him and picking up her slice once more. “Much better.”

She could practically feel the heat spreading from his face, and could definitely feel the warmth of his fur against her as she chewed the dessert he'd baked for the occasion. She wasn't going to say it didn't feel a little weird, but... it didn't feel wrong either.

She stayed there in silence as they both finished their pieces, then the second slices after. There was a moment of awkwardness when Jazz's tail moved, settling over Flora's, but as she looked up at him and saw his nervousness, she just giggled, which grew into a laugh the two of them shared. After that they fell into a little more conversation. The ease of their previous talk was gone as each one was suddenly more conscious about their words, but both hoped this was the start of something worth the nervousness.

Around them time passed, the fireflies in the lanterns fading as they lost some of their vigor in the confined space. Flora looked at them, still leaning against Jazz as a yawn escaped her. “It's getting late... I really should be going home now.”

Jazz frowned, looking down at her burgundy mane. “Well, ya don't have ta go back, if ya don't want ta...”

She looked up, matching his gaze with a smirk on her muzzle. “I don't know what kind of mare you think I am, Jazz, but one nice dinner isn't going to get me in bed with you.”

He shook his head quickly, eyes going wide at the implication. “That wasn't it at all! I know this might sound a bit silly, but I got it in my head while settin' up that you might like ta have a sleep over in the clubhouse, like we used ta do. It's a long walk back ta Ponyville, an' with how hard ya were workin' the last few days, I'm surprised ya made it back each night.”

Flora enjoyed seeing him squirm for a second, but her smile faded a little at his words. “Well, to be honest, I almost didn't make it last night. If the bush hadn't made so much noise when I tumbled into it, I might've spent last night in the park.”

Jazz's eyes stayed wide, but they went from fear to surprise. “Well that settles it!” He moved quickly, causing her to bobble a little when she lost the support of his body, which made her realize how tired she really was. He quickly went up into the loft, coming down moments later with a blanket and a couple pillows. “I ain't lettin' you walk home if ya ain't gonna make it there. Yer just gonna have ta stay here tonight.”

Flora smiled warmly at the act, though it grew into a little smirk moments later. “Well, you could always walk your special somepony home...” Jazz stopped in his tracks, which was harder than it seemed as he too wobbled under the slight weight of a few pillows. She could see in his eyes that he was considering it, but she could see in his body that he was just as tired as she was. “That's what I thought. You're in no shape to be going anywhere either. That settles that.”

Jazz looked puzzled. “What settles what?”

Flora got up, tapping him on the nose again. “You're sleeping in here too.” Before he could complain, she got the pillows thrown into a good position, moving some of the old cushions around until they looked like something approximating a two pony bed with the one blanket over it. By the time she was done, Jazz was looking at her in disbelief, shaking his head.

“Flora, I'm gonna have ta get ta work early tomorrow, an' the house ain't too far away. I don't want ta wake ya up in the mornin', 'n I can make it in the dark.”

Flora pouted at him playfully. “Oh, c'mon Jazz! You said this was a sleepover Do you know how long it's been since I've had one of those? The last one was in here forever ago!” She smiled after that. “I'll be fun! And we're both so tired, I really don't think there will be enough time for it to be awkward.”

She could see his brain working it over, the denial right at the tip of his tongue, but he reconsidered, thinking it over once more. After that, it was only a moment before he gave in. “Alright. Let's get the lanterns, then it'll be time ta sleep.”

Both of them went slowly around the room, the oncoming sleep reaching them as they freed the fireflies from their lanterns, except for the one on the table. That one they left on the floor near the bed, its door open, but the bugs not blown out. The light would fade naturally as they spread out and left on their own.

That done, both ponies got into the makeshift bed, heads at opposite ends like they'd always done as foals, though the years had made them long enough to get their hooves in each others' face. Despite that, they said a quick goodnight and settled in, trying to go to sleep.

A few minutes in, though, Flora realized a problem. The clubhouse felt a lot draftier than it used to be, and even under the blanket, it was thin enough that she was starting to shiver from the cold. She tried to block it out and just get to sleep, but she couldn't stop herself from focusing on it, worrying that her hooves would shake their way into bumping Jazz and be so cold they'd he'd wake right up.

She was so busy trying not to let that happen that she didn't notice the far side of the blanket moving, nor did she notice the hoofsteps until they stopped behind her, replaced with a gentle cough. Her eyes shot open, and in the dim light of the few fireflies left, she saw Jazz looking sheepish, a small blush on his face and his pillow over his back. “Would ya mind if I come on this side with ya? It's awful cold in here...”

Flora shook her head, Jazz's pillow landing next to hers moments later. He quickly got under the blanket, laying down next to her, and then they both lay there awkwardly. After a moment, Flora turned away from him, slightly disappointed that his presence hadn't actually warmed the bed that much. Maybe if she got a little closer...

Before she could move, she felt his arm wrap over her shoulder, the other one sliding under her neck. There was just a moment of fear, not knowing what was happening, before he pulled himself closer, hugging her from behind. Immediately she was so much warmer, and once she relaxed... she was even a lot more comfortable. She smiled, placing her hooves on his and hugging him back.

His voice sounded just behind her ear, quiet, but intimately close. “G'night, Flora.”

She turned her head, looking sidelong into his hazel eyes, and there was barely a moment's thought before she twisted further and placed a small kiss on his cheek, smiling as she did. “Good night, Jazz.” Whether it was in thanks for the heat, to get the first one out of the way, or some other reason, she couldn't tell, but as she settled into his warm embrace, she knew one thing was for certain. It definitely wasn't like kissing her brother.

She soon drifted off to sleep, her smile glued to her face as her dream replayed memories of the day she'd just had. Sure, tomorrow would be another day, with some new challenge to overcome or chore to do, but right now, she was happy to have shared a lovely evening with, and her smile deepened at the thought, her special somepony.

Rooted

So far so good, Ink Well thought to himself as he walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle behind Princess Celestia. There were few rooms in the castle that the Princess could go to and be alone, particularly on the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, and fewer still that wouldn't raise suspicion if she brought a guest. This, however, was a special matter: he had come before her and asked for an audience. For some reason, she’d agreed.

Leaving the hundreds of other ponies to talk and out-snob each other in the gardens and grand rooms below, Celestia took Ink Well past the guards and into the restricted section of the castle. Not a word was spoken in the regal marble halls since even their hoofsteps on the carpet echoed loudly. If they wished to speak in true privacy, they needed to ensure they had it.

Eventually the princess stopped in front of a small door, no different from the many others made of ancient, rich wood that lined the hall. She grasped the handle in her magic and, with a gentle twist, it was open, revealing her private study.

One wall was nothing but a massive bookshelf, rows upon rows of tomes from the top of its vaulted ceiling to the dark, deep carpeted floor. On the wall across was a map of Equestria taking up the entire surface. Massive gemstones marked the locations of cities and natural landmarks, the rest carved from precious stones by the finest ancient craftsponies and updated fastidiously over the years. Beneath it was a globe made of beautiful gems: sapphire oceans, emerald continents, topaz deserts and diamond poles where naught but snow lay, the borders of countries marked with pure gold lines.

Princess Celestia walked calmly behind her grand, pristinely polished mahogany desk, seating herself in a matching plush chair whose back extended past even her lengthy frame. Behind her was a set of three massive stained glass windows. The left one showed the pegasi in their citadel in the sky, crafting the weather, while the one on the right showed earth ponies, tending the fields and making the land bountiful. In the center, the unicorns, weaving magic from their mountain home, with Princess Celestia rising above to make the sun shine down on them.

There was undeniable majesty to the room, and even in his frazzled state, with his mane out of place and the bow tie hanging limply from the pocket of his wrinkled suit, Ink Well was forced into a state of awe before the Princess. He only snapped out of it when the door behind him shut silently on well oiled hinges, the Princess's horn going dark as she appraised him. “Sit, Ink Well, and tell me why you wished for an audience.”

Ink Well walked up to one of the elegant chairs gestured to by the princess, but stood behind it, his hooves hooked on its back while the bulk of it hid his hind legs' nervous kneading of the ground. The jingling of everything he brought with him in his bag, which he refused to leave at the castle gate, did little to soothe his mind or hide his actions. “Princess Celestia, I have come as a friend and a conscientious objector to request that my draft notice be revoked. I feel there has been a mistake.”

The Princess's look didn't change, not even her eyes, which, as he looked in them, were cold and hard. Some gentleness within her had been lost since he first met her so long ago... he wished she would remember it as she went to speak. “Ink Well, the draft is a lottery, and your lot came up. If you would prefer a non-combat role, you may request one once your basic training is complete.”

Ink Well's wings twitched on his back, his heart plummeting as he heard the words. “P-princess, I was told I would not be on the list. I cannot be a part of this battle between you and your sister. I refuse to fight in this war, as I have personal stakes in both sides. To ask me to fight for you-”

“Is to ask you to defend your country, Ink Well.” Despite the warm lanterns burning in the room and the balmy night outside, Celestia’s voice remained cold. “If your stakes were so high, you had time to leave with the rest when the Republic was formed. If you wish to remain an Equestrian, you must do your duty as a citizen. The matter is not up for discussion.”

Ink Well's hooves gripped the chair hard, leaving grooves as they slid upwards. “But you don't understand! I was labeled as an objector, as was my family. I sent request after request to make it so, after sending warning after warning to both you and Princess Twilight that this war would break out!”

The Princess nodded gracefully, and for a moment Ink Well thought he may have gotten through to her. “So be it. But one from your family must. If you will not fight, perhaps Roseluck will. Or I believe you have a son at the correct age. Surely he would-”

“You leave my family out of this!” Ink Well yelled as he rose over the chair, throwing it back as he flew onto Celestia's desk. “Rose has a job, a life, and foals depending on her, and my son and his generation are innocent. My family has no place in this silly war!”

”A WAR THAT YOU STARTED!” The Princess rose from her chair, slamming her hooves on her desk and glaring Ink Well down, her eyes glowing with golden radiance of the sun and her royal Canterlot voice resonating through his very bones, causing Ink Well to immediately shrink. Her voice lowered in intensity, but her gaze did not. “Your encouragement is the reason Luna went against my actions as leader. You personally acted as her envoy to give her a powerful international ally in the Gryphons, bringing further instigation for her separation and causing untold bloodshed once her move was made. You kept silent and did nothing to stop her from turning half of my citizens against the other half, and despite your claim, your warnings held no substance and came far too late for any meaningful action.”

She continued to glare, the magic leaving her eyes, but not their hardness or the seething rage behind them. “You may object, but for three years Equestria has been at war with a nation that has no right to exist, and you, Ink Well, have hidden behind your words as hundreds of ponies have fallen in a conflict you helped create. It is time you shared their burden.”

Ink Well stood behind the desk, struck dumb at what he was hearing. Not only would she deny his request, she was the reason he'd been picked. He didn't know when this princess had appeared, or who was whispering in her ear to make her act as such, but… this was not the Celestia the populace knew and loved. “Princess, you can't possibly-”

The temperature in the room fell to freezing, Princess Celestia's glare penetrating deep. “I am your Princess, Ink Well, do not tell me what I can and cannot do. You may have familiarity with my sister, but you do not with me. You are to report to the barracks tomorrow morning. Until then, you may attend the Gala or leave at your leisure.”

Ink Well snapped, his wings flaring as he glared down the monarch. “You can't do this to me! You can't just abandon your citizens because you have crazy ideas about-!”

Celestia slammed her hoof on her desk again, matching and infinitely surpassing Ink Well's glare in intensity. “You will leave now and report to the barracks tomorrow, or you will be escorted to the dungeons before you can leave this room. Do I make myself clear?”

Ink Well's mind went dark, the room swirling around him as the world he knew and loved spun wildly out of his grasp. He was going to lose everything. His wife, his children, his life, for a stupid war he was believed to have started. Even if he went, with that kind of stigma... he'd be on the front lines immediately. He would be dead within days, another casualty nopony would know about... His body grew stiff as his mind screamed out against what this was. It couldn't be happening! He couldn't just accept it and march off to die! It could be stopped, somepony just had to do something.

The Princess moved towards him, her intent clear. If she reached him, he would spend his life in the dungeon. His family would be picked to die in his stead, and he would be unable to do anything about it... The war would continue, the bloodshed wouldn't end. He'd never see them again...

But another option appeared before him, one with a light glinting at the end of the tunnel. Ink Well rushed towards it, leaping for it wildly.

Glass shattered around him as he launched from the Princess's study, the remains of the center window raining down on the horrified ponies below as he launched into the dark of night. Behind him cries went out for the guard, magical lights appearing and crisscrossing across the sky to pinpoint his tiny form. But that was the important part: they were behind him. He would do anything to keep them there.

Ink Well pounded his wings against the air, pulling every trick in every book he had even the vaguest hint of as he shot away from the castle, evading the guard, the elite investigators, the hunters, the angry citizens, and all the other countless things pursuing him through the castle, the city, and the country. Never stopping, never hiding, only running, not just from the death behind him, but towards the light of hope that never faded from his eyes.

By the end of the night, he was nowhere to be found, except on the front of millions of wanted posters scattered throughout the country. 'Ink Well: Public Enemy Number One.' Rumors were abound of his location, and for some time he was searched for, but eventually the war brought more pressing matters. While the bounty for his capture never was, the search was called off, the resources moved to more pressing matters.

Nopony expected him to return to Canterlot Castle seven years later, on the night of the Gala, walking calmly in the front gate in the same suit he'd worn when he left. Nopony expected him to still have an invitation, his name never removed from the guest list in all those years. Nopony expected Princess Celestia to agree to an audience with the most wanted criminal in Equestria after his 'attack' seven years prior, nor did they think she'd leave behind her guard and give herself the privacy of her personal study once more.

And, due to every single member of the royal guard and every available member of the royal army stationed to create an impenetrable defensive perimeter around her study, the castle, Canterlot, and the surrounding areas, nopony, absolutely nopony, expected him to escape again.

He didn't even break another window.

A pounding headache worked its way through Rose's head, something she was wholly used to at this time of year. It came from a lack of sleep, always surrounding the Grand Galloping Gala, as nightmares hounded her nighttime hours relentlessly. She had, in the past week, gotten a total of twelve hours of sleep, and while that was a personal record for this time of year, the images of Ink Well flying to Canterlot, Wind Key flying off into the unknown, and Newsprint marching into that inferno over the mountains conjured night after night by her ragged mind were enough to drive a mare mad.

Sometimes she was relieved by the arrival of some other image, of wolves snatching away Flora or Equestria simply crumbling around her, and sometimes the images were vague and benign enough that only her startled awakening and pounding heart told her she was afraid, but waking in a cold sweat with damp cheeks and stinging eyes multiple times a night only could be endured for so long.

But she would endure, as she did annually, and she would keep up her strongest front. No matter how hard it was to move in the morning, and no matter how much she wished the sun would wink out and everything would just disappear, she knew those thoughts couldn't beat her. If they did, after all this time, then what was the point of any of it?

She grabbed her damp pillow in her hooves, pulling it over her head to hopefully stop the heated throbbing in her skull, when she realized the pounding wasn't purely in her mind. It was coming from outside... downstairs, even, and if she perked her ears and kept her breathing calm, she could just barely make out words.

“Open this door, in the name of the Royal Guard! This is your final warning!”

Rose threw off the pillow and her bedsheets, leaping to her hooves and galloping from her room. In the hall it was much easier to tell that the pounding was at her door, and she knew that tone of voice anywhere. “Coming, officer! Patience, please!”

The incessant hoof on her door didn't stop, threatening to leave dents in the wood with its force. “You have ten seconds to comply or we shall break this door in! Ten! Nine!...”

The crippling migraine that woke her up wasn't eased at all by the noise, and the adrenaline that began to course through her body as she made an early morning sprint to the front door only made stars appear at the edge of her vision. She had the door open before the voice reached 'three,' but she was practically bowled over by the stream of ponies charging into her house. There were so many that Dot only barked twice before cowering. Even the loyal hound wouldn't dare stand up to that many ponies in gold armor.

As Rose wobbled in place and tried to comprehend both gravity and what was going on, she was confronted by a charcoal unicorn, his guard regalia gleaming in the bright morning sunlight. “Mrs. Roseluck Well, are you alone on the premises?”

It took Rose a second to fully comprehend the question, and more than a moment of thinking to answer it. She couldn't recall Flora ever coming home the night before, and with how long she'd stayed up, she was sure she would have heard a door or hoofsteps or something... her veins ran with ice at the fleeting thought that something had happened to her daughter, quenching the heat, but doubling the pain in her skull. “I... I think I am. Has something happened?”

The unicorn's face was flat and appraising, the only hint of emotion coming off of him the slightest twitch of an eyebrow, as though he didn't believe her answer. “We will conduct a search of the house. Guard, spread out! Leave no stone unturned.” The multitude of ponies around them saluted, breaking into a frenzy of action as they moved into every room of the house, opening drawers, moving books, sweeping things off of tables... The crashing speared through her mind, and Rose wanted to stop them, but she didn't even know where to start.

The officer seemed as good a place as any. “What are you doing to my house?! Why are you here?” She got no answer... she'd never gotten an answer the other times, either. “As a citizen of Equestria, I demand to know!” Still, the unicorn was silent, watching as her house got flipped upside down.

“What did I do to you?” Rose said, tears starting to fall from her aching, tired eyes. “What have I done to deserve this? Why won't you even tell me what you're looking for?” There was a flicker of an eye towards her, like she was gnat to be swatted aside, but he continued to ignore her. Rage had been boiling under the sadness, as the dreams, the images, and her worries at losing the last member of her family all threw themselves to the front of her mind. It was too much to bear silently any longer. She grabbed the armored stallion by the armor around his neck, shaking with all of her might as she screamed into his face. “What more can you take from me?!”

Her one action immediately got the attention of two nearby guards, who nearly trampled Dot as they rushed up and seized Rose's arms, restraining her. The unicorn steadied himself quickly, glaring at his assailant. At least he was paying attention to her. “Take her away! Keep her in a cell until-”

“That is quite enough, Iron Hoof.” The leader of the guards went rigid at the voice, stepping out of the doorway immediately and bowing deeply to allow and welcome the entrance to the pony that had spoken. Princess Twilight entered the room, her face stern as she took one look at what was going on and shook her head. “Royal Guard, to me!” Immediately every single guard in the house dropped what they were doing and rushed back to the main room, causing a loud crash to come from the kitchen, the sound of breaking ceramics making the princess wince. When everypony was accounted for and bowing to their leader, Princess Twilight's gaze fell on them, burning them like hot iron. “You were told to investigate the area thoroughly, not tear apart a kind mare's house! You two, let her go, and then everypony wait outside. If anything suspicious happens, be ready for it. Move!”

In unison the guards rose and saluted, even the two that were restraining Roseluck. “Yes, Highness!” They all marched out of the house, a whirlwind gone as quickly as it came, leaving Rose and Twilight alone.

Twilight walked carefully over to Rose, extending a hoof slowly. When Rose didn't do anything but sit on the floor, hunched over and staring silently at the ground, Twilight got closer, rubbing her friend's back comfortingly. “It's taken care of, Rose. They won't bother you again.”

Rose's head lifted, showing the shining trails where her tears continued to flow. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Twilight shook her head. “This wasn't your fault. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but I didn't think they'd overreact this badly, or dare to do this to you again.”

Rose trembled on the spot. “What happened? Why were they here?”

The alicorn's eyes widened. “... You don't know?”

Rose shook her head, grabbing Twilight's fur as she pleaded with the princess. “No! Please, just tell me, is Flora okay? Is my daughter alright?”

Twilight smiled sadly, pulling Rose into a close hug. “Flora is fine, so far as we know. If you'd like, I can send a guard to make sure while I do my scan.”

Rose wiped the tears from her face, hugging Twilight back. Hearing the words meant a lot, and while it didn't put Flora home and safe, she would take the promise in place of having to deal with the guards again. “No. If you say she's alright, I'll believe you.” Twilight pulled herself away from the hug, walking to the center of the room, her horn beginning to glow. As it did, Rose realized the rest of Twilight's last statement. “What scan?”

A moment after the words left her mouth, a vertical line of magic rushed out of tip of Twilight's horn, passing straight through Rose and stopping at the wall, where it spread from roof to floor. It then swept around the room, the shimmering ethereal purple membrane sweeping harmlessly over every overturned chair, bumped table, the mess of books on the floor... it shaped perfectly to the stairs, and even, when glimpsed through the door frame to the dining room, passed through walls. It wasn't a stretch to believe it covered the house from rooftop to foundation.

The scan did one complete rotation, stopping on Rose again before it slid back into Twilight, who simply relaxed and opened her eyes, turning to the confused earth pony. “A scan to see if anypony else was hidden in the house. And nopony is. As you can see, it was significantly less damaging than a search by the guards... You will be compensated for anything broken by their actions.”

Rose was tired and at the end of an emotional thrill ride, not even having the energy to care about whatever was broken. Only curiosity kept her from breaking down then and there. “Twilight, what search? Why did you scan for ponies? What's going on?”

Twilight walked towards Rose cautiously, visibly working on the best way to word what she had to say. In the end, it seemed she came to a decision, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for the reaction. “Ink Well has returned.”

There was a long silence, Rose staying completely still as the realization smashed into her. In her stupor, her mind went on autopilot, very slowly asking, simply, “What?”

“Ink Well has returned. He arrived at the Gala last night, was allowed an audience with Princess Celestia, and disappeared from her study without a trace.” She remained calm in her explanation, just the facts, though a closer look would instantly show the puzzlement in Twilight's face. “It is imperative that he be found, and the first place he would be assumed to go would be back to his wife. Since he is not here, if you give me the key to your shop, I will perform a scan there, making sure he isn't there and making sure the guard touch nothing, and then you will be left alone. And you will be notified of any further developments.”

“Yes... yes, of course.” Rose walked slowly to where the key hung, almost absentmindedly picking it up and walking it back to Twilight. Before she let it go, she looked the princess in the eyes, trying to analyze their caring gaze. “And you're sure it was him?”

Twilight nodded. “I saw him with my own eyes. The first thing he did was ask about you.” She smiled softly. “I told him what I knew.” Her smile faded. “I was honestly hoping he'd be here...”

Rose's expression was blank, but her eyes spoke volumes if Twilight was reading them right. Rose let go of the key, taking a step back. “Thank you.” Twilight nodded again, then walked outside, taking flight towards the shop, the guardsponies following underneath her like a shadow. Rose watched them go, a herald of bad news and worse fortune. And yet, she didn't know whether the tears flowing slowly down her cheeks were of joy or sorrow.

He was alive. She'd questioned that heavily all these years, waffling between the possibilities, unsure of the best outcome, but slowly losing faith in the one she'd hoped for. Alive, he was hunted, he could be cold or starving or mauled by a wild animal, or fall into despair or... find somepony else... But dead? He would be gone, and she would never see him again. He would be free of so many burdens, miss so many stories... She'd forced herself to always believe he'd lived, as that hope had kept her running for so many years, and now it was rewarded.

Yes, she was rewarded, with news that he was being hunted again. With a shattered morning in a broken home. With the knowledge that, for seven years, he had not made contact once... no, he had. Once. A letter, curt, with no signature or address, proclaiming the safety of their wandering child. He left without her, and when he returned, he didn't even come to see her. He marched directly into the lion's den once more, stirring them up and disappearing from their wrath, letting it descend upon her humble home...

And she had been foremost in his mind. That simple fact ached the most, and that was what distracted her from the hurried hoofsteps at the door. “Mom! What happened in here? Are you alright? Silver said there were Royal Guards. Were we robbed?” It wasn't until after Flora spoke that Rose realized that she had returned. Rose hadn't even moved, and the house still looked like a disaster zone.

Rose wiped her cheeks, standing and looking at her daughter. “I'm fine, dear. Nothing was taken. In fact, it was the guard that did this to the house.” She noticed the matted mane and fur, the dirt and sweat from the field still hanging on Flora's features, and scowled, her fear from earlier flaring back as anger, else it would be lost completely. “Where were you last night? Why would you stay out like that and worry me half to death? Do you know what I thought when the guard came?”

Flora took a step back, ready to comfort, not be chastised. She spoke quickly. “I'm sorry! Yesterday we finished bucking the fields, and Jazz refused to let me leave without accepting dinner as payment. That went longer than I thought, and by the time I was ready to come back, it was late and I didn't think I could make the walk, so I slept over.”

Rose pulled her in close, giving her daughter a caring hug. “Well, at least you aren't hurt...” She nuzzled against her daughter's mane, putting as much motherly affection as she could into the motion. As she did, she smelled a scent... not the dirt of the fields or the sweat still clinging to Flora's fur, but something subtle... she couldn't quite place it, but thirty plus years of scent crafting meant she had a nose that could detect almost anything. But it didn't matter right now, and Rose filed it in the back of her mind.

Flora hugged her mother back, her voice low and gentle. “Of course I not, mom. I'm alright, and I'm not going anywhere.” They held the hug for a long while, long enough for Flora to start fidgeting awkwardly, slowly pulling away. Rose reluctantly let go, and immediately Flora moved to some books scattered across the floor. “So... What did the guard want, mom? Did you send a shipment to somepony you weren't supposed to?”

Rose sighed, not sure how to break the news, or if it would have anywhere near the same effect on Flora. Flora was smiling, inwardly happy. Rose had felt it during the hug, and it had transferred to her, even as they both sat in a ransacked home... It was far too long since Rose had seen a smile that genuine on anypony's face. Something that precious had to be kept safe, for as long as it could. “I'll tell you after we clean up. You take down here, I'll see what's wrong upstairs.”

Rose started for the stairs, hoping that what awaited her up there wouldn't be too disastrous, but stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning to Flora with a warning. “I heard something break, and I think it was in the kitchen, so be careful in there. But if you do go in, could you put a kettle on? It would definitely help me relax.”

“Of course,” Flora said with a smile, placing the books back on the shelf. While there, the young mare coaxed Dot out of hiding, petting the dog gently and lightly walking towards the kitchen.

Rose watched it all with a smile before heading upstairs, thinking about how good a girl Flora was. Her smile faded as she looked through the disarray in the rooms. The study was mostly in place, apart from the books littering the floor, and there didn't seem to have been much done in Flora's room besides her closet being opened and a potted flower being knocked over. Rose set the pot upright and closed the closet door, then walked to her room, hoping for similar treatment.

It wasn't to be found. Rose's mattress was against the wall, her bedside lamp was poking out from beneath the empty bed frame, everything in her closet had been flung all over the room, and the small desk she used as both a writing space and a vanity had ink pooling on the top, coming from an upturned ink pot, her few personal perfumes sitting knocked over in the black puddle. One sight hurt more than any of that, though.

Her crystal flower was on the floor, out of the small vase it usually stayed in. She rushed over to it, turning it over carefully in the light... One of the petals was cracked. While the rest of the clear pentagonal petals caught the light stunningly, almost making the flower glow with its own light, the damaged one was the visual equivalent of a scream, tearing the glow apart and spilling it back into the room. Luckily, that was its only damage, the flower's triangular stem and perfectly square leaves, both in transparent green left alone. They were suffused with the same glowing quality as the petals, and they kept it held in harmoniously.

Rose cradled the crystal flower in her hooves, feeling a crack from on her heart that matched the petal's perfectly. It was hard to imagine that this flower, which looked like a carefully cut gem, had come from a living plant. It had been equally hard to believe when she'd received it as her engagement promise all those years ago. It was her one truly precious possession, and it had been damaged...

As Rose knelt over the fractured flower a knock came at the front door. Before she could get moving, she heard Flora call “I'm coming!” and the sound of hurried hooves going towards the door. Unfortunately, with the mess on her desk, she was going to need to get something to soak it, and that was all located downstairs. With a heavy sigh, Rose placed the flower behind her left ear, then walked back into the hall, able to hear voices conversing as she reached the top of the stairs.

“...n't find anything in the shop. It has been locked again and here is the key.” Rose stopped at the bottom of the stairs, freezing at the sound of Twilight's voice.

Flora took the offered key, bowing slightly to the figure outside. “Thank you, Princess. But... what was it that you were looking for?”

There was a pause. “You don't know? Well...”

Rose hurried to the door, stopping at Flora's side. “Thank you, Princess, and it is good to know that the shop is clear. Now, if you'll excuse me, we still have some cleaning up from the visit from the Guard, so if you wouldn't mind...”

Twilight looked a little ashamed at Rose's words, and doubly so when she saw the crack in the flower. “Of course, I'll leave you be. But, since it was being delivered as I walked up, I thought I'd at least bring you the paper.” She lifted it from behind her with her magic, levitating it in the door so that Rose, and, unfortunately, Flora, could see. The front image was Ink Well's wanted poster, the headline as damning as the image. 'Ink Well's Return: Princesses at Risk.' Rose grabbed the paper solemnly, folding it up and placing it to the side while Twilight gave her a sympathetic look. “They exagerated the story, as the news is wont to do. You may want to stay inside for a few days, in case the neighbors get any ideas.”

Rose sighed, feeling the tension immediately appear in Flora and knowing full well how dangerous the town rumor mill was. “Thank you, Twilight. I will take that into consideration.”

Twilight took off, hovering just off of the ground. “It's still beautiful, Rose.” She nodded to the flower in Rose's mane, then flew away, her retinue of guards making their own way back to Canterlot or wherever they were stationed. Rose smiled to herself and closed the door on them, turning to see Flora reading through the story, dead silent, eyes transfixed on the page.

As Rose walked towards the kitchen and the roll of paper towels, Flora put down the paper, looking wide-eyed at her mother. “Is... is this true? Is dad back?”

Rose stopped, looking back with a blank face. A lot of things stood at the tip of her tongue, jostling to be said, but she held them in, considering what she wanted to do. After a long pause, she sighed. “Let's finish cleaning up. We can talk about it over tea.” With that she entered the kitchen, the matter solved for now.

It took a few hours for everything to be put back in place, but eventually Rose's house looked like a home again, allowing Rose and Flora some time alone in the kitchen. They had tried to sit in the dining room, but a nosy member of some sort of paparazzi started to make too much noise at the window, even with the curtains drawn, so they moved deeper into the house. Both of them had a small mug of tea, brewed lovingly by Flora with leaves from her own greenhouse. Luckily, she kept a small store of them in the house, because neither of them were too willing to brave outside right now.

Flora had been good, cleaning diligently and not bringing up the paper once, even as they sat and enjoyed the soothing tea, but Rose knew it couldn't last forever. Instead of letting Flora explode, Rose sprung the first question. “Flora, do you know why your father hasn't come back since he left all those years ago?”

Flora gazed into her cup for a moment, not really ready for the question. Eventually, though, she had an answer. “I think it was to protect us. If he came home, after all the trouble he'd caused, it would just have spread to the rest of us.”

Rose nodded slowly. “Yes, I think so too, but... if he really wanted to protect us, wouldn't he have joined up with the military? It would have solved the problem immediately, and the trouble found us anyway...”

“You're talking like Newsprint,” Flora said coldly. She took another sip of her tea. “He thought dad was a fool for running off and expecting nothing bad to happen to us. We all knew dad left because he didn't believe in the war... Newsy was the only one who thought he was wrong.”

Rose sighed. “Your brother wasn't wrong, Flora, and neither was you father. Ink Well was always a bit of an idealist... Sometimes cynical, and he knew the world far too well to believe his own visions, but he was always picturing some kind of perfect, peaceful world.” She looked into her mug. Only a very thin layer of amber liquid remained. With the white of the ceramic beneath, the bottom of the cup appeared the precise tone of Ink Well's fur...

She grabbed the tea kettle, filling her cup once more. “When he left all those years ago, I'll admit I had no idea how he could break that promise to me. 'Til death do us part...'” That night, almost twenty six years ago, still was clear in Rose's mind. The full moon shining over the gardens of Canterlot, their vows completed at midnight precisely, the true start of the new day. They had each gotten their ear pierced with a copy of the other's cutie mark. Hers sat there now, beneath the crystal flower: His golden ink pot, in her left ear, above her heart, where everypony could see it, and where it could never be removed.

They had met in passing, fallen for each other beneath the silvery moonlight, in the icy cold of the cloudy sky... and, until seven years ago, they'd barely been apart since. Rose could still see the moonbow they had almost kissed under... The wisps of steam from her cup were no replacement. “... but, as much as I wondered before, I think I finally understand.”

Flora had stayed respectfully silent as Rose had drifted into her memories, and she remained so now, intently focused on her mother. Rose could feel the eyes upon her as the thoughts bubbled up. They'd been simmering beneath the surface for so long... perhaps it was finally time to let them out. “Ink Well loves us. All of us. And he would never have left if he thought he could have avoided it. I don't know what possessed him to crash through that window seven years ago, but he had a reason. He has been doing something for all those years. What, I couldn't begin to fathom, but he's working on something.”

She remembered that single little letter, received after her little one ran away... Rose closed her eyes, blowing away the steam. “Some return he'll have... Half his family won't be here to greet him.”

Flora finally spoke up at that point, her mug held gently before her. “Wind Key left to go searching for him. Who knows? Maybe they found each other. Maybe they're waiting for you in the Republic.”

Rose opened her eyes, looking into Flora's. Her eyes were so much like Ink Well's... seeing more than just what was in front of her. Rose knew, in her heart, that her years of putting up a strong front had failed her. She knew that Flora had been watching, and been supporting her, the whole time. And now she could see it in her eyes. She was urging Rose to follow her heart, ever the hopeful, ever the optimist, just like her father. Unfortunately, Rose already was. “Even if they are, it's too late for me to go looking for them now.”

Flora frowned. “No, it's not. If anything, now is the perfect time to go. You have complained about the princesses, the guards, and the unwanted attention, and it has only escalated. You could leave it, right now, and find the stallion you know is safe and missing you somewhere beyond our country's borders. You could see your other daughter, and ask them both yourself why they left.”

Rose shook her head slowly. A small smile spread across her face. “I notice your plans don't have you coming along. Don't you wish to see your sister, too? We could all be together.”

The widening of Flora's eyes was all the answer Rose needed, but the subtle shift in her seat spoke volumes more. “Well... I could take care of the house while you're gone. Make sure the shop stays running, keep the gardens growing... Somepony has to.”

“That pony could be me. You could leave, run off, join your sister...” Rose remembered the days before Wind Key left. It was just after she had lost Newsprint, and she could barely function without bursting into tears. Wind Key had hurt too, but she channeled it into anger at everything around her. How could Equestria have abandoned him like that? How could they have arrested all those protesting pegasi in Canterlot? And how could Rose just sit there and let it happen? Rose couldn't begin to explain herself at the time, but Flora had defended her.

Flora had defended her country. She defended the princess that had led Equestria out of turmoil and saved it from chaos and eternal darkness. She even defended the thought of one nation, united in harmony, that all soldiers fought for. That Newsprint had fought for. She'd asked if Newsprint had died in vain. Rose still couldn't answer that question, but Wind Key could. Yes, she screamed, he had, and then she'd stormed up to her room.

They hadn't checked on her for hours, to let her cool off. When they did, she was long gone. But there had been more to her anger, a restlessness, a feeling of being so out of place... Rose could see it, looking back. Everything was so visible, looking back. “She wanted you to come along when she left initially, remember? But you defended your country. It broke her heart.”

Flora looked pained. “Mom, she was twelve! We all were in pain after Newsprint's loss, but she was just being hurtful... If I'd have known she meant it, I wouldn't have yelled at her like I did.”

Rose looked into her daughter's thoughtful eyes. A hint of that mystery scent floated to her again, the one she couldn't place, but she pushed it aside for the moment. “Do you regret your choice?”

Flora immediately shook her head. “No. I never gave up hope about my home, and I never will. If we just go on a little longer, something good will come. We are so close... I can feel it. I couldn't possibly leave now.”

Rose nodded sagely, smiling sadly. She took a sip of her tea, thinking as she did. Her mind traveled back to that scent she'd caught on Flora... She knew it. It came from Sweet Apple Acres. Flora spent so much time there, just about every moment she didn't spend in her greenhouse. She'd even given them some of her saplings, just to watch them grow. Rose had gone out there once or twice to watch Flora do her thing. She was so natural there, so at home.

Rose remembered being like that at her age. Ponyville was home, always had been, always would be. “You've transplanted plants before, right?” Flora looked at her flatly, not even giving such a silly question a response, but Rose continued, undaunted. “Most plants you can take just about anywhere and they would learn to live. Some, so long as the soil is good, grow and flourish with no trouble. And new shoots and saplings move and adapt with ease. But some plants... the roots run deep, and after all the trimming and snipping and cutting and hacking, removing the leaves and finally getting the old things ready to go... if they don't just wither up and die, they sometimes never bloom again.”

Rose drank the last of her tea, placed the mug down softly on the counter, and took the crystal flower from her mane, looking at it carefully. Flora had managed to grow something even from this, but... Rose had yet to see another blossom grow. “Sometimes, when all the work is done, you can't help but wonder if you're tending to a dying plant.” She placed the flower back in her mane, then left the room, tiredly walking back upstairs.

Flora watched her go, drinking her tea in contemplative silence.

Racing the Clock

Even when hit with the most important news of her life, Scootaloo and her friends kept going on like nothing happened. She told Featherweight, because she figured the father should probably know, but she kept it a secret from Cheerilee and anypony from school. Apple Bloom tried to convince her to tell Cheerilee, saying that they couldn’t exactly hide a foal, or even a pregnancy, from everypony in town, but Sweetie Belle was key to deflecting most of that. She was much too excited with the news and doting on Scootaloo to ruin it with guardian interference, and since it didn’t slow down Scootaloo’s crusading, it quickly became a nonissue.

What was an issue was preparing for the big contest. Sapphire Shores herself was touring Equestria looking for the next pony of pop, and, even though the rules demanded everypony perform as a solo act, this was right up the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ alley. However, Sweetie Belle had reservations, remembering the dreadful talent show a couple years back, and even though she didn’t have stage fright at the Equestria Games, that wasn’t singing. There was no way she would sing in front of other ponies, let alone a panel of judges! She maintained that right up until she was dragged to the Town Hall by her best friends, who only managed to get her on the list by promising to go first and cheer loudly for her.

Once inside, the excitement of the prospective ponies was palpable, buzzing in the air and making Scootaloo and Apple Bloom energetic, while Sweetie Belle simply grew more nervous. The judges, however, seemed unaffected and unenthused, keeping a straight, bored face though Twist lisping her way through a lullaby, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both singing Sapphire Shores' own songs and whining that they couldn't do a duet, and even Pipsqueak trying to lead the hall in a fairly flat shanty. The closest they got to looking even partly alert was when they clamped their hooves to their ears and shouted for Scootaloo to get off the stage, which she thought was complete overreacting. Apple Bloom got a far less active dismissal, but with her failure, it was finally time for the last number of the night to be sung by a horrified Sweetie Belle.

With trembling hooves and much trepidation she made her way center stage, in front of all of the previous contestants and the tired faces of the judges. They hadn't liked anything so far, why would they like what she had to offer? When the spotlight hit her, her pupils shrank, her throat dried up and fear told her to run and never look back. Just as she was about to give in, though, she heard her friends cheering from the audience.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were right behind the judges, causing all kinds of a ruckus and refusing to go silent no matter how much they were shushed. “You can do it Sweetie Belle!” “Knock 'em dead, Sweetie!” “You've got this!” She focused on them. On Scootaloo, who had gone up and sung despite a bout of morning sickness just before they got here, and Apple Bloom, whose calls were loud enough to resonate through the otherwise silent hall. Just hearing their support sent warmth spreading through her heart as one thing became clear. Whatever happened, they were there for her, and she would sing her to them her thanks.

She stepped up to the microphone, cleared her throat, and announced that she was singing an original composition. And then, without waiting for her friends' cheers to die down,she closed her eyes and let the melody flow.

As the song spilled forth, she swore the entire hall disappeared, the only sound to be heard the resonance of her dulcet tones as they lilted through the melody. Nothing mattered except the light on her face and her friends in the audience, drawn to silence in awe of her performance.

Every pony in the building was held in rapt attention for her performance, and when Sweetie Belle hit her final note of the evening, it hung over the whole room like an enchantment, keeping them captive in its beauty. Confused by the silence, she opened her eyes, blushing and shying away from the attention on her. And then, one voice rang out. “That was Seeeeeeeensational~!” Sapphire Shores herself stood up, stomping her hooves in applause, which immediately broke the charm the music had placed over everypony else. The whole Town Hall erupted in cheers and applause, even Scootaloo and Apple Bloom drowned out by the cheering running through the rest of the crowd.

Sweetie Belle felt a warmth flowing through her entire body, the adoration of the crowd and the thunderous applause rolling through her, filling her to the brim with joy until it overflowed in tears of happiness. She stepped into the center of the spotlight, bowing deeply to the ponies before her. In front of all of them, in what was already the happiest moment of her young life, there was a flash of light. On her flank appeared a pink heart, wrapped in music notes, gleaming once at its arrival before settling like it had always been there.

When Sweetie Belle came up from the bow, it was only to be caught in a flying hug from Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, congratulating her. “You did it, Sweetie Belle! That was amazing!” shouted Scootaloo over the still thunderous applause. “You got your cutie mark!”

The joy flowing through all three of them only increased from there, and even when the hall emptied and Sweetie and her friends were left to chat with the Pony of Pop, none of them could get over Sweetie's wondrous moment. Even when asked to go outside, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom couldn't stop talking about what had just happened as they waited for Sweetie's exit.

But the other Crusaders weren't the only ones waiting. When finally Sweetie Belle came out, joining her friends in an animated squeal of delight, it was time for the hidden to make themselves known. A flash of red sailed through the air, landing on the tip of Sweetie Belle's horn before descending down it and exploding in a horrible red paste.

The first throw was followed immediately by a barrage of rotten tomatoes, pelting the trio from two sides and covering all three of them in the foul remains. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom tried their best to protect their friend on her big night, but by the time the onslaught ended, not an inch of any of them was spared from the mess, their outline even plastered on the wall of Town Hall.

From the shadows stepped Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, snide smiles on their faces as they appraised their attack. “Well, if it isn't the Cutie Mark Crybabies here to ruin everything again? I would've thought you'd have given up after destroying our chances at the Equestria Games.” Diamond Tiara circled to the front, tossing and catching a tomato casually with one hoof while taking glee from the tears she could see on Sweetie Belle's face. “Who cares if one of the blank flank brigade finally got herself a cutie mark? You might think you're all that, but you're still a loser and a nopony.”

“I'm not a nopony...” Sweetie Belle mumbled, trying to wipe away a tear, but only getting more tomato goop everywhere.

Silver Spoon scoffed. “Like you could ever be cool. You were always a loser, clinging on to Princess Twilight and hiding with your lame-o friends. So what if Sapphire Shores thinks you're hot stuff? She's yesterday's news.”

Scootaloo stomped forward, glaring at the terrible twosome. “You're both just jealous that you lost! Attacking Sweetie Belle after that performance? What kind of monsters are you?”

Diamond Tiara faked surprise, tossing away the incriminating tomato as if she'd never touched it. “Ooh, look at that! Being called a monster by the flightless freak. No cutie mark, can't even fly, and can't take a joke. Isn't it sad, Spoon?”

Silver nodded, her eyes full of false empathy. “It's sad, Di.”

The pink bully snickered, walking past Silver Spoon and in the direction of their homes. “Oh well. I guess we'd better go. Wouldn't want to see her getting angry and making a mess of things.” On cue, a large lump of tomato plopped off of Scootaloo's flank, causing her to be slightly embarrassed and the duo to giggle in glee. They turned to each other, doing their ritual of self indulgence in perfect unison. “Bump! Bump! Sugar lump! Rump!” With another evil giggle, the two walked through the moonlit streets on their way home.

And, on any other night, the trio would have been aggravated, but let it be, figuring out some way to get back at them eventually. But tonight, with Sweetie Belle crying on the best night of her life, those two were going to pay.

Scootaloo took Sweetie Belle to Cheerilee's house, letting her wash off the rotten goo while Apple Bloom followed the terrible twosome home. When Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle returned, fresh, clean, and reporting that Cheerilee hadn't seen them enter or exit, it was time to enact Apple Bloom's plan. It was rather simple: Scootaloo needed to rush to her farm and get her potion supplies and Applejack's lasso, while Sweetie Belle kept an eye on Diamond Tiara's mansion, where Apple Bloom had tracked them and discovered both of the horrible fillies were having a sleep over. Apple Bloom, meanwhile, was working up the formulas she needed on the dirt, the tomato paste clinging to her hoof acting as a perfect writing tool.

When Scootaloo arrived with the ingredients, Apple Bloom went to work, mixing together a potion, then finding a nearby tree with the right springiness to turn into a catapult. With her potion mixed and spread into four separate vials, she and her friends used AJ's lasso to pull down and tie back the tree. With a few modifications and some carefully woven branches, they had their siege weapon. Apple Bloom loaded her vials into her catapult, pulled the rope, and let the counterattack fly.

All four vials crashed on different parts of the lawn, the liquid inside soaking into the soil instantly. Moments later there was a rumbling of the earth, followed in a flash by a wild growth all around the house. Grass towered up to the second story window, amazing flowers bloomed out of nothingness, while roots twisted and wormed beneath the ground. There was a screaming coming from within the house, but it was nothing compared to the happiness and high-hoofing outside as Apple Bloom's prank worked.

The flash hadn't just sparked the plant growth, however, but also a change on the pony that caused it. On her flank appeared the picture of a blueprint, with calculations and trajectories scrawled around an alchemist's beaker, an apple blossom suspended in the liquid within. Scootaloo was the first to point it out. Another squeal of delight went up between the friends as, in one night, two of them had gotten their cutie marks.

There wasn't long to celebrate, though, as the screams in the house didn't stop. Unknown to the pranksters, Diamond Tiara's house was built with old money in the very small window of time between Ponyville becoming a town and the dam being built to give that town electricity. Most of the lights in the house still ran on natural gas, with pipes of the stuff running throughout and under it. With the sudden movement of the roots, not all of the pipes were still intact.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon screamed for help from the second story window, lights filtering through the grass suggesting the butler and Tiara's father were dealing with things downstairs. The direction of the breeze brought the sweet smell of success to the trio. But, a moment later, it brought only the smell of sulfur to Scootaloo. She looked at the house, smelling the gas and seeing the warm glow of the burning lamps, and knew immediately that something had to be done.

She charged off from the other two Crusaders, diving headlong through the hedge that blocked the outside hill from the jungle that used to be the mansion lawn. She beat, trampled, and chewed a tunnel through the grass, finding the front door and, in a burst of strength, kicking it in. Inside the house the gas burned her eyes, though she could only hear the complaints of the butler and Filthy Rich at her intrusion. She ignored their words, looking them both in the eye and letting out a command. “Get out of here, now!”

Whether the danger of the situation finally hit them or it was something in the filly's tone, neither of them hesitated to rush for the door. As Filthy reached it, though, Scootaloo stopped him. “Is anypony else in the building besides the girls?” He shook his head, and she pushed him out the door, turning and speeding towards the stairs. The smell faded as she reached the second floor, indicating the gas had only built up so much, but there was no telling how long she actually had.

She followed the terrified screams to the bedroom at the end of the hall, kicking the door in with another burst of strength. She almost seemed to glow with her own aura as she stepped into the room, only to see the terrified twosome skittering towards the window and away from her. She took a step forward, causing them to scream, but she barked out an order to silence them. “We don't have time for this! There's gas in the house, and any moment it could-”

It wasn't anything more than a change in pressure and heat, but in that instant everything slowed down for Scootaloo. She could hear the inferno rising from below, igniting from one little innocent flame, only to billow down the hall in what seemed to be agonizingly slow motion. She could hear the screaming fillies and watch their pupils shrink as they saw the flames she couldn't even yet feel. Her hooves pounded the floorboards, shaking them as she charged across the room, leaping for the two girls, extending her tiny wings as wide as they'd go to shield them from what was coming.

Glass shattered and flew from the windows as a fiery explosion rocked the house, sending all three fillies inside it rocketing out like a burning meteor. And, like a meteor, they smashed hard into the ground outside, smoke curling from the mass where all three of them lay. The two Crusaders and the two old stallions rushed over to it, wondering if anything could survive after an explosion like that. The house was barely standing, flames billowing from every opening they could find or make and torching the wild growth outside. If it had done that to the house, the onlookers could only imagine what it had done to the fillies.

And yet, what they found wasn't a pile of corpses, but two trembling earth ponies, covered in soot, but otherwise unhurt as they lay in Scootaloo's arms and singed wings. She did not move, smoke curling up from under her charred back. On her flank, bright against the singed fur around it, a winged shield gleamed in the night.

Filthy Rich grabbed his daughter, holding her close as their house burned down behind them. His butler took care of the young Silver Spoon, hugging her gently and reassuring the uninjured filly that everything would be okay. None of the four paid any attention to the three outsider fillies, not even the one that had saved their lives.

But even if they did not care, the Crusaders did. Sweetie Belle stayed by Scootaloo's side, grabbing hold of her warm hoof and talking to the pegasus as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Her breathing was ragged, her entire body ached, and she wanted nothing more to sleep. But, as she lay there dazed, she heard Sweetie Belle's voice, wavering with worry despite a hint of happiness beneath. “You're amazing Scootaloo. You saved them, you got your cutie mark... now just hold on. You've got to hold on!” A drop of wetness dripped onto Scootaloo's cheek, and then the world was dark.

Apple Bloom ran as quickly as she could, the hospital never seeming further away.

News of Ink Well's return spread widely, not just in the Solar Empire, but deep into the New Lunar Republic. It appeared everywhere, used for everything from news stands cashing in on the latest gossip to grand posters hailing the return of a leader against the Solar Menace. Rumors flew even faster than the news, claiming he was in Manehattan becoming a general, or New Cloudsdale studying intelligence he had gathered, or deep behind enemy lines in Appleloosa or Las Pegasus doing spy work to destroy Celestia's nation from within. Some even claimed he had come all the way out to Timbucktu to start production on some powerful new war machine.

Wind Key didn't believe any of them, and while activity in the search for her father peaked anew with the news, it dwindled as quickly as new outlandish tales arose. “Sure, he's trying to convince the Changeling Queen to side with the Republic...” Wind Key grumbled as she tossed aside the latest newspaper, adding it to the stack in the corner of her room. She had been searching for him for five years now, off and on, and there were two things she'd figured out in that time.

The first was that he was impossible to find if he didn't want to be. For her first year in the Republic, she searched every city, followed every rumor of her father, went high and low, awaited him where he'd be 'scheduled' to show up, and she got nothing. Not a glimpse, not a whisper, and nothing more than the words of random ponies, often untrustworthy braggarts, to say she'd even been in the same section of the world as her elusive father.

The second thing she'd figured out was that he knew precisely where she was. That was done through deduction more than anything else, but the fact that she'd been escorted to Princess Luna, or rather President Luna, upon entering the country tipped a few things off. Every refugee in the New Lunar Republic couldn't possibly have gotten the reception she had, nor a room in her capitol building in Manehattan from which her first year of searching had been done. Eventually, she was asked to leave, but a job was all lined up for her in Timbucktu, conveniently where the most recent Ink Well sighting had been. He wasn't there, but Clockwork was, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Although Wind Key did have another hint that he was keeping tabs on her. There were two distinct models of her flying machine: the early ones, one of which looked rather like a cartoonish whirligig and took up a full corner of her small bed room, and the later models, which hung from the ceilings and walls, iteration after iteration of small, mechanical winged packs. The transition wasn't a slow process, either.

After one of her larger failed attempts landed her in the hospital for a few days, she had returned to Clockwork's shop to find a package waiting for her. There was no return address, no real indication of how it had gotten through the postal service, and the package itself was taller and wider than she was. But Clockwork had signed for it anyway, and so it was sitting in her room, just waiting for her. When she opened it, she was shocked to find it contained something she'd never seen before: a life size clockwork pony.

Her cutie mark had been gained when she fixed a little toy pony of her brother's that she'd accidentally broken. When you wound it up, it walked forward and played little cymbals it had strapped to its front hooves, but Wind had wanted to know what would happen if it walked off the top of the stairs. As it turned out: it fell down them, smashing into a surprising amount of tiny cogs, gears, springs, and screws that scattered all across the floor. Her first reaction was to hide, sure that retribution would be on swift hooves, but her second reaction, and the one she ended up going with, was to rush downstairs, collect the pieces, and put it back together.

She'd always liked watching her mother do maintenance on the stills in her perfumery, and she was the one that figured out how to make a giant slingshot during the great water balloon fight of the CMC clubhouse out of two trees, an old rubber raft, and a paint can, so there was no doubt in her mind that she could fix this. And, while it took hours and more than one sneaking mission to the tool cupboard to get something she didn't know she needed, she eventually had a working wind up pony once more. Of course, in her elation at her accomplishment, she immediately cried out in joy, bringing a few confused ponies looking for her. And then the tools, her beaming face at the walking toy, and her shiny new cutie mark all gave away her secret plot to get away with clockwork murder. She'd still gotten picked on by her brother for a little while after the incident, but otherwise she'd gotten out punishment-free, and with a cutie mark to boot!

Seeing the full sized pony when the box first opened triggered something inside of her, and she spent her entire first day home from the hospital opening it up, trying to see how it worked and maybe get it working again. The massive blow to the clockwork pegasus' head and the completely shattered components and crystals behind the mask plate meant getting it working was impossible, but what had truly intrigued her were the wings... Unlike on the clockwork toys sometimes brought into the shop for repairs, these wings looked designed to fly. All she had to do was figure out how, and the message that had been placed between its wings was only more motivation: “Let your imagination soar.”

Although Wind Key wasn't actually positive that that gift had come from her father, it had always been in the back of her mind. It just felt like the proper assumption, looking at it, but the only pony she'd ever admitted the thought to was Steam Cloud. She didn't even really know why she'd said it that night, but they'd been working together and conversing and it just kind of happened. Even so, in that short span when they had both been working on her flying machine, she had bypassed at least a month of the usual work that went into redesigning and upgrading it for the next iteration.

That was what drove Wind Key's main focus right now. Not finding her father, but finding the young mare who saved her life that night. Sure, Clockwork had ranted at Wind Key for the entire following week, but Wind was back in her good graces after two particularly difficult clock repairs for very generous clients and work was back to normal at the shop. This left Wind Key's spare time to be spent either looking for her father, working on her invention, or on her new goal of finding Steam Cloud.

Ink Well was somewhere in the two nations, his actual location shrouded in rumor and hearsay and nearly impossible to discern, while Steam Cloud lived in Timbucktu, leaving only one city to search in. And, while searching for a pony in a city was significantly harder than searching for a needle in a haystack, Wind Key couldn't seem to focus on the machine anymore. Steam Cloud's idea of the kinetic engine was brilliant, and even with her calculations for a basic one, it was precisely what Wind needed to get her device the air to stay. But, after removing the one from the clockwork pegasus, which Steam had said was quite advanced, Wind Key didn't know what to do. That engine didn't seem to be working, and while she could take the thing apart and put it back together again all she wanted, she couldn't get it going. Partially because she only vaguely understood the concept, which only had surprisingly fuzzy research behind it, and partially because the whole thing hinged on those crystal battery things, which she couldn't hope to do anything with. They were something only a unicorn seemed to be able to create, and Steam Cloud was the only unicorn Wind Key knew of in town.

That had always struck her as a little odd. Timbucktu was a big city, with all sorts of ponies in all walks of life, but 'unicorn' didn't seem to be a popular path to take. Even when she first had arrived, there weren't many unicorns to be found, and that number had been on a steady decline since. In the weeks she'd been looking for Steam, running the magnet through the proverbial haystack, she hadn't come across another unicorn anywhere. It was almost like they were a rare, mythical breed or something.

However, after looking in the 'obvious' spots where one would expect a tech-savvy unicorn to appear, Wind remembered a piece of information she'd filed away as unimportant at the time. Steam said she worked in food service. Whether that was a waiter, a cook, a dish washer, a cart on a street corner, a caterer, or whatever other possibilities the vague term held, she didn't know, but the best way to look around cafes and diners was, obviously, during the lunch rush. They would have the most ponies on staff at that time, and maybe she wouldn't be able to see in the back, but she would definitely be able to see the ponies waiting tables, and that was a start. Plus, it fit with Steam's schedule, since in order for her to be out over the cliffs and able to save Wind Key's life at sunset, Steam must have left work hours before to begin the long trek into the mountains.

Her plan had all seemed so much more simple and made such sense when she'd started her search... That was over a month ago, just a week after the whole Grand Galloping Gala incident swept her into search mode once more, and she was no closer to finding Steam than she had been at the start. She was also going through far more of her pay than she would have liked. She'd started near her shop, where the restaurants were classy and the food was overpriced, since a mare like Steam had to be working somewhere nice, but slowly she'd been working her way down the restaurant star chart and further out into the city. Lately it was taking her nearly half of her lunch breaks just to get across town, down to where the streets were dirtier and ponies stopped looking you in the eye, and she was running out of places to look. There were maybe five 'reputable' eateries to check, then maybe she would check one or two holes in the wall, and then she'd be broke, with only excessively snooty restaurants to search in. She was hoping her journey ended before then... she would need to ask for a bonus just to get a table, let alone eat anything, and far too many holes and variables had appeared in her plan to risk that kind of money on it.

Wind Key shook the debate from her mind, tightening down the bandanna wrapped over her mane as a gust of breeze ran down the street. The air was heavy, bringing with it the scent of incoming rain, a common occurrence in Timbucktu. It was so common that rain was regularly siphoned off to other cities, and still months would go by without a single dry day on the calendar. So far it had held back, letting Wind have a pleasant walk, and later flight when she realized she'd barely make it in time, across town. She'd only landed again two blocks from her destination, and even then she'd managed to place her hoof in a puddle of something foul pooling in the gutter. She'd wanted to stay in the air longer, but she needed the street signs to guide her way.

Scraping her hoof against the curb to get that slimy feeling off of it, Wind Key turned towards the building, having finally made it to the '5 Wings' on Fifth Avenue and Rain Wing Road, her stop of the day. It was a fairly non-descript one-story building, with the main distinguishing feature being the neon sign wrapping around the street corner. The place seemed to have a fairly lively carry-out service, judging by the number of pegasi flying away from the building with bags of food hanging off of them. There was also a fair bit of ground traffic exiting the building, but when she finally managed to get past all of them and get inside, the interior was a slightly different story. The line ordering to-go was immense, but the section with tables to eat-in was merely busy. She'd hopefully be able to get some service quickly, then fly like a madmare across town to the shop before her break time ended. Weaving her way through the line waiting for the harried cashier, Wind found a small booth near the back of the restaurant, picking up the menu and looking it over.

It was fairly standard diner fare, though the place touted the speed of its three brothers, two pegasi and one 'half-pegasus,' that did the cooking in the back. Considering the crowd, they couldn't be too bad, but they'd have to be something very special to get Wind going across town for a repeat visit. The prices were fairly low as well, though that was probably just compared to the sticker shock of some of her early stops.

As she looked through the menu, a sky blue figure stood at the edge of her vision. “Hello, and welcome to the 5 Wings diner, could I interest you in a drink before you order?”

Wind Key looked at the menu for a moment longer, speaking from behind it. “Yes, though I'm going to order now. Can I have the hay burger and the hash browns please?” She flipped the menu closed, looking at her waitress and offering the closed menu. “And a cup of hot cocoa, if you could?”

“Certainly! Hay burger, hash browns, and one cocoa coming right up!” The waitress's white puffy mane bobbed when she nodded, her red uniform hat sitting cutely on her head as she worked the pen over the notepad quickly. Then, in one obviously practiced motion, she flipped the pad closed and slid both the pen and the pad into her red apron. With that done, her smiling face turned to Wind Key, the waitress's gold eyes meeting Wind Key's ivy ones as the menu changed hooves.

There was a moment where both of them went back to their business before things registered, Wind Key's pupils widening in excitement as she turned towards the departing waitress. “Steam? Is that you?”

The waitress, who was a few steps away, stopped, turning back around with a puzzled look on her face. When she saw the parchment-colored pegasus looking at her expectantly, there was another moment, and then it clicked. “Wind Key? What are you doing all the way out here?”

Wind jumped up from the table, walking over to Steam. “Would you believe me if I said looking for you? I was starting to give up hope. 'I'm in food service' isn't a very good hint, you know.” She frowned, then shook her head, getting back on topic. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, if that's alright?”

Steam took a quick look around. “Give me one moment to put your order in, then I'll see what I can do.”

Wind Key nodded, going back to her booth and smiling stupidly to herself. What were the odds that her plan was actually going to work? It had taken over a month, but now she could finally get talking with Steam, and then she could get working on her machine again, and life could return to whatever passed for normal in this city. She tapped a hoof impatiently on the table, her face turning into a frown after a few moments. She almost hadn't recognized Steam when she'd seen her with that hat on. It covered her horn perfectly, and since she wasn't using her magic, she looked like an earth pony. If Wind had been paying a little less attention, she might've walked right out of here without even realizing! That would have been too cruel for words. A futile search is one thing, she was used to that, but one failing because of something as small as a moment of inattention? That's where true heartbreak lay.

A few moments later, Steam returned with a small mug, sliding it across the table as she took a seat, the smile she wore while working disappearing when she sat down. “I've only got a few minutes before I need to make my rounds again, so make it fast.”

Wind smirked. “You know, I didn't think I'd actually find you or I would have brought it, but I was intrigued by your kinetic engine idea. I was hoping to get your help on the whole flying machine thing.”

Steam rolled her eyes, leaning back a little in the booth. “Oh, gee, thanks. Glad I'm only wanted for my brains. I guess it's a nice change to the usual state here...”

Wind Key looked a little hurt. “It's not just that! You just told me to make it fast, so I jumped to the reason I was looking for you, not the cause.”

An eyebrow rose slowly. “The cause? What are you talking about?”

“The reason why the reason makes sense.” Seeing that her explanation didn't help with anything, Wind Key tried again. “Okay, yes, the reason I was looking for you was because you gave me the kinetic engine idea and I don't have the first idea how to actually implement that, even after making all the corrections to account for its weight in the apparatus. The reason I looked for you and not just anypony who might know something about it was because I greatly enjoyed working with you before Clockwork went all loopy and would like to spend more time doing that, if you're available.”

Steam Cloud's eyebrow didn't lower as she leaned forward on the table. “Wait... so you actually want to keep working with me? Even after the pony you work for, whose business you live in, basically threatened to call the cops if I came by and probably threatened you just as much?”

Wind Key nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Clockwork is always tightly wound, and she blows up at just about everything. I genuinely had a fantastic time working alongside you, and you seemed like a pony that I would like to have a friend. And that's without factoring in that you saved my life. And before you ask, no, I'm not going to keep bringing that up. Doesn't mean that wasn't an awesome thing you did for me.”

Steam frowned for a long time, her gold eyes appraising Wind's face for any sign of insincerity, but there wasn't one to be found. Wind wasn't kidding about any of it, not even about no longer bringing up the whole life saving thing. And, deep in Steam's heart, she had to admit that she had a lot of fun that night too, even if the walk home in the freezing rain and the lightning storm had been horrible. Eventually, she made up her mind. “Alright, you've got yourself a partner.” Steam extended a hoof, which Wind shook gratefully. “Is there a workshop you can bring the supplies to, or somewhere away from Clockwork you think you can use?”

Wind leaned forward, looking a little embarrassed. “Um... no, not really. I hadn't really thought of that, and anything nearby would only be for rent, and I know I don't have that kind of money... Could we use your place?”

Steam's face went flat. “My place? I have a tiny apartment even further from your house than here. And even if the landmare allows it, I don't have any tools or workbench or anything. Do you really want to haul everything that far?”

Wind didn't even hesitate with the answer. “I would haul them to Manehattan if I could see the thing finished, and all the way to Canterlot if I work with somepony half as fun as you to do it.”

Steam smirked, her eyebrow raising again. “Laying it on a little thick there, aren't you? A mare would almost think this was a trap.”

Wind held up a hoof, placing the other on her heart. “One hundred percent sincere. I'd say 'scout's honor,' but I was never any sort of scout.”

“Me neither, but I'll take your word for it.” She pulled the pen out of her apron, writing down an address on a napkin. “If you're serious about this, I get off of work at four, and will definitely be home by five. When do you want to start? This weekend?”

Wind Key was vibrating in her seat at the excitement that this was all really happening. “I was thinking tonight, if you'd be up for it. I've been itching to get back to tinkering, but I hit a huge snag. You would not believe how hard it is in this town to find a unico-” Wind was silenced by a hoof practically smashing into her face, Steam's pupils shrunk down to pinpricks.

“Are you crazy? Do you know how much trouble I'll get in? Keep it quiet!” Wind didn't, and wanted to say as much, but the hoof over her mouth was making things difficult. Instead, she listened as the napkin was slid over to her. “I don't know why I am agreeing to this, or what you must have slipped in my cocoa that night, but... Sure, we can get started tonight. You'll want to come out right after work, if you can. Staying out too late is not something to make a habit of near my place. Now, I hate to cut it short, but I need to get back to work. I'll see you later.” With that she got up, only removing her hoof from Wind's mouth when she needed it to run over to one of her other tables.

Wind watched her go, confused by the outburst, but more hurt physically where the hoof had impacted her face. She took a sip of her cocoa to soothe the sting with some heat, and she was pleasantly surprised it wasn't a horribly watered down mix. She needed the perkiness from the sweets and the energy from the sugar to make her sprint back to the shop, and doubly so to carry supplies all the way back across town once work was done. She looked at the address and frowned. It was another dozen blocks away... It was going to be a long walk, but oh so worth it.

Before she had even half of her cocoa done, her food was brought out, Steam giving her a passing smile, and the bill when asked, but little more. Wind wrote off any possible rudeness in that reaction. She was bugging Steam at work, after all. She took a bite of the burger, smiling when the flavor hit her tongue. Fast, good food, and the end of a search on top it off... Maybe 5 Wings was worth the panicked flight back after all.

A panicked flight she was going to have to make in record time, if her glance at the clock told her anything. She inhaled the burger and the cooked potatoes with it, washing it down with the warm cocoa before trotting to the cashier to take care of the bill. By serendipity she didn't have to wait. Afterward, she trotted quickly back to her table, throwing a few bits on it as a tip before making her exit.

She shot into the sky, rocketing back to work, as behind her, Steam Cloud looked rather surprised by the money on the table. Twenty percent was far more generous than anything she normally got, but she pocketed the bits anyway, looking forward to the coming night.

Left Behind

Cheerilee galloped to the hospital as soon as she heard what had happened, hoping that somehow everything would be alright. Luckily for her, Scootaloo was a much tougher filly than she looked, but that didn't mean that everything she heard was good news. As she was following the doctor from the front desk to Scootaloo's room, she was told something very strange.

“Since Scootaloo's going to be just fine, and there doesn't seem to be any permanent or significant damage, I suppose I should say congratulations,” Doctor Stable said as he stopped outside of the patient's door.

Cheerilee was relieved that Scootaloo was fine, but that didn't sound like something worth congratulating. “For what?” She peeked into the room, able to see Scootaloo laying on the bed, the sheets kicked off. On her flank, the new addition stood out from her orange fur. The surge of pride Cheerilee felt was undeniable. “She got her cutie mark?!”

Doctor Stable frowned, slightly confused. “She didn't have one yet? Huh, strangely late, but not actually what I was talking about.” He waited until Cheerilee was looking at him before he smiled pleasantly. “Scootaloo is pregnant. While it is rather early in her life, it is still something to be celebrated. After all, you're going to be a grandmother.”

Cheerilee's throat clenched shut at the words, ones any parent feared to hear about their little girl. Even though she wasn't Scootaloo's physical mother, she'd taken her in as a little foal, watched her grow, helped her learn, but this news... it brought a disappointment a million times worse than all those missed assignments. She held her composure, though, looking kindly at the doctor. “Could I talk to her?”

“By all means.” He stood back, offering her the open door and letting her enter.

Scootaloo continued to sleep soundly, though she had rolled onto her side since Cheerilee had peeked in. The doctors had said that her back had been scorched very badly, but looking at her, it was hard to tell. There was a bald patch where the fur looked short and charred, but the skin beneath wasn't even red. She barely looked injured at all.

And yet, Cheerilee was still worried for the young filly on the bed. She looked around the room, seeing that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had both fallen asleep in chairs, waiting for their best friend's recovery. She felt bad to have to disturb the lovely scene, but questions needed answering, and they needed it now. “Scootaloo? Are you okay, dear? Wake up now.” Her voice was sweet and soothing, gently rousing the three fillies from their rest.

Scootaloo turned over, laying on her back without so much as wincing and yawning like she'd just been roused from a normal night's sleep. “Cheerilee?” She rubbed her eyes, then sat up, smiling. “Am I glad to see you! Am I allowed to go home yet?”

Those weren't the words of a mother to be... those innocent little words just brought heartache to Cheerilee, but she kept it inside. There was one thing she had to find out. “Is there something you want to tell me, Scootaloo? Maybe something important?”

Scootaloo looked confused. “Um... Oh! I got my cutie mark! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle did too, all on the same night!”

And that just confirmed it. “That wasn't what I meant.” Cheerilee walked over to Scootaloo's bed, sitting down next to her, her eyes filled with sadness. “How could you not tell me? How could you let me find out from a doctor after you did something dangerous? How long have you known?”

Scootaloo shied away, looking down at the bed in shame. A heavy silence hung over the room, finally broken by Apple Bloom. “I wanted ta tell ya two months ago when she found out, but Scootaloo told me not ta.”

Cheerilee looked at Scootaloo.“And why would you do that to me? Don't you know that I'll always be here for my little filly?” When the small pegasus remained silent, Cheerilee wrapped a hoof around her, pulling her close. “I don't think any less of you, I'm just sad because my little girl is growing up too fast and didn't think I deserved to know.”

Soon, Scootaloo's hooves worked their way around Cheerilee as well, making the hug tighter, as a sniffling sound came from the smaller pegasus. “I'm sorry Cheerilee... I just didn't want you to be mad.”

Cheerilee kissed Scootaloo on the top of her head, tears edging her eyes. “I'm not mad... I'm disappointed, but I could never truly be mad at you.” Scootaloo looked up, tears rimming her own eyes, and when their gazes met, the flood could no longer be held back. Both held each other close, one crying into her mother's chest, the other into her daughter's mane. The other two fillies in the room watched in silence, Sweetie Belle tearing up at the sight before she hugged Apple Bloom, who just felt like an awkward observer in this whole thing.

Eventually Cheerilee pulled herself together enough to ask her final question, one she hadn't even begun to think she'd ever have to ask before entering this room. “Who is the father?”

Scootaloo wiped her eyes. “Featherweight.”

“And do you love him?”

“We've been dating for a couple years now, and-”

Cheerilee stopped Scootaloo with a gentle hoof, making the young filly look into her eyes.“But do you really, truly love him?”

There was a very long pause, much longer than Cheerliee even expected, as Scootaloo took on the full weight of the question. She examined it from every angle, weighed the experiences she'd had, even those she was going through now, and came to a conclusion.“Of course I do.” Cheerilee looked concerned, but Scootaloo looked her in the eyes. “Really.” There wasn't a hint of doubt in her voice, and that made Cheerilee smile.

“Then tomorrow, we'll go talk to him and get things sorted out.” Cheerilee stood up from the bed, walking over to the door. “Tonight, though, the doctors want you to stay here. Even with your remarkable recovery, they want to make sure you're healthy before I pick you up tomorrow.” She then turned towards the two other fillies, still locked in an awkward, one sided hug. “And you two need to go home. Your parents are still anxious about your show, Sweetie, and I'm sure Applejack would be right here with me if she knew what was going on.”

“Okay, Cheerilee,” the two fillies said reluctantly, walking out the door and into the hospital hall.

Cheerilee stayed there after they left, smiling at Scootaloo, even though her heart still ached. “Get some rest, dear. I'll see you in the morning.”

Scootaloo nodded from the bed. “Goodnight, Cheerilee.” With that, the mare left, leaving a much happier Scootaloo to continue her bed rest.

The next day, Cheerilee picked Scootaloo up as promised, and they went straight over to Featherweight's house to 'sort things out' as Cheerilee said. However, when they got there, he wasn't home. They asked his brother when he'd be back, and he told them the news. Featherweight had moved out a few days before to go to Cloudsdale and become a journalist, and he wasn't planning on coming back. He gave Scootaloo a sorry look, saying Featherweight had made the decision a one night and just set off.

Scootaloo's heart broke on the spot, though somehow she made it home before the tears streamed down her face. She had wondered where he had been the last few days, or why he had seemed so flighty the last day she did see him, and now she understood. He had abandoned her, abandoned his coming child, and not just run off where he hoped she wouldn't follow: he had gone somewhere she couldn't. She never, in all of her years, had been able to fly. Fleeing to the floating city in the clouds without so much as a goodbye... it was a sure sign that he was done with his life with her.

Cheerilee stayed by her bedside, rubbing the broken filly's back as she cried out her tears. This was exactly what she hoped wouldn't have happened, her greatest fear in this situation realized. Still, she kept a positive front, suggesting Scootaloo send a letter to wherever Featherweight was staying. Maybe he'd realize his mistake and come back. Unfortunately, they didn't know the address, but when they explained the situation to Featherweight's brother, he too became driven to help, sending the letter himself.

The reply came back quickly. “Do not try to contact me again. I am not coming back. Good luck, and thank you for the memories.” It was a slap in the face. After all those years, after everything they'd done for each other, with each other... even after he had shown so much support for her, faked his caring for her in her state, he was really going to abandon her. And, what was worse, in the short time between the hospital visit and the letter coming back, she had started to show. It was subtle, but there was a bulge where previously it might have just been a little extra weight. He was going to leave that life behind, like none of it had mattered... that hurt much worse than the explosion.

Scootaloo became much more secluded after the letter came back, only going out in public to finish up her last year of school, and even then she could hear the whispers that flew around her. Ponies noticed the teacher's filly walking around town with a passenger on board, and some of the school ponies even teased her for her state. She was supported, though, from an unexpected source. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle obviously had her back, and Cheerilee punished whatever she could catch, but what ended up stopping the names and the snide remarks was intervention from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

They still made fun of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, still adventuring together even though their talents had been found, but when anypony else got too mean towards Scootaloo, they stepped in, defending the pony that had saved their lives. They played it off and still refused to be her friend, but it was a nice light for Scootaloo to carry with her during that dark time.

And she definitely needed it. Graduation came upon the fillies and colts of the school quickly, and every single one of them spent the days leading up to it talking about their future plans. Jobs, special schools, apprenticeships, traveling; every single one of them had something they were going to start doing right after they graduated. Every single one of them except Scootaloo. While the others talked excitedly, she could only look at her stomach, feeling the coming weight of responsibility grow every day.

Even Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom couldn't help her like they'd promised. After Sapphire Shores discovered Sweetie's voice, she was immediately scheduled to go to Manehattan and become a big star all her own. Sweetie desperately wanted to stay behind and help, and she cried just at the thought of being so far from her friends, but it was a huge break for her, something her cutie mark was calling for, and neither of the others were going to stand between her and her destiny.

Apple Bloom too had been sent a letter from the Canterlot School of Magic and Technology, interested after they heard about her alchemical works, mostly around Sweet Apple Acres. They believed she had a lot of raw talent, and they wanted to help cultivate it into something truly special. Even Applejack and Granny Smith were pushing her to accept, and they hated the thought of Apple Bloom going off to some city and never coming back. If they were telling her to go, this was something she couldn't pass up.

The weeks passed, they graduated, they celebrated, parties were held, and then, before they knew it, it was time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to go their separate ways. They held one final meeting, exchanging contact information, talking about the good old days, and promising that this wasn't the end. Even if they weren't together, they had a bond that could never be broken.

The next day, with two tearful goodbyes at the train station, Scootaloo was alone.

She remained in her room for the remaining months, barely coming out, only eating what Cheerilee brought up to her, and drawing concern from a lot of ponies. She knew they were worried, but she knew she had their support, and that alone was enough to keep her from doing something rash. She wasn't sitting idly, though. She was just thinking things through carefully, lest she make a mistake she truly regretted.

Finally the happy day arrived, and Scootaloo gave birth to a beautiful pegasus filly, with a purple mane and eyes like hers and white fur like her father's. There were no complications, no worries for the foal's health, and even fewer worries for her mother. But, as Scootaloo spent her first week at home, feeding her foal and looking into those beautiful purple eyes, she realized what it was she wanted. Only now could she make her decision.

A month after the foal was born, just after she was put to sleep in her cradle, Scootaloo called Cheerilee into the kitchen. “What is it, dear?”

Scootaloo smiled at her, giving her a loving hug. “Cheerilee... I am going to ask you to do something that I know you can do, but I know is also a terrible imposition. But, I put a lot of thought into it, and... I think it would be for the best.”

Cheerilee looked confused, unsure of where this topic was coming from. But she could hear the conviction in Scootaloo's voice. “What do you want me to do?”

Scootaloo looked Cheerilee in the eyes, her face solemn. “I have finally figured out what I want to do. Ever since the night I got my cutie mark, it's been calling for me, but so many things were blocking its voice... But I can't wait any longer. I am going to join the Royal Guard.” Cheerilee nodded, but remained silent. Her eyes were confused still, and Scootaloo planned to fix that. “But... if I were to go to Canterlot and do this by myself, I couldn't hope to take good care of my foal. Even if they let her into the barracks, I would be gone all day for training, unable to feed her or make sure she's safe...”

Cheerilee understood, sounding concerned. “So you want me to take care of her for you while you're gone?”

“Almost. I...” The words caught in Scootaloo's throat, the tears just behind her eyes. This was the point of no return, and it was the hardest decision she would ever make. “... I want you to adopt her, like you did me.”

Cheerilee's eyes widened at what she was being asked. “Scootaloo, I can't! I couldn't possibly take your daughter away from you, or leave her without her mother.”

“But that's just it! She wouldn't be without her mother. She would have you, from the day she was born, guiding her every step of the way.” Scootaloo reached across the table, taking Cheerilee's hoof. “What kind of role model would I be? I had the best guide in the world, and still I ignored her, put myself in so much danger and did so many stupid things...” She shook her head, tears starting to edge her eyes. “I started off with nothing before I had you... If I'd been yours from the start, maybe things would have been different. I want to give her that chance.”

Cheerilee was in a similar state to Scootaloo, her heart touched by what was being said. “But I can't... I won't... I couldn't hide the truth from her.”

“What would there be to hide? Even if I stayed here, you would be just as much her mother as I, maybe even more so. You are a wonderful mare, one who cruelly never had a foal of her own... but now you can. And, really, at my age... I'm just a big sister. Only biology stands in the way of that.”

“Scootaloo, you can't expect me to-”

“Which would you rather grow up knowing? That your mother couldn't take care of you, abandoning you to follow her own dreams and leaving you in somepony else's care, or that your mother loves you very much and has been right there with you your entire life?”

Cheerilee stood up, trying to get her message across. “You aren't abandoning her! She came at a very difficult time in your life, and it's not easy for you, but she is your daughter. You'll see, she'll be the most important thing in your life. You'll find a way to make it work, and in the end-”

“Please, mom, don't make this harder than it is.” Tears were streaming down Scootaloo's face. She had never called Cheerilee 'mom' once in her life, but if she ever was before, she needed to be now. “I've thought it through for so long, fighting with myself, with who I am and who I want to be... I want to do what is best for us. For all of us, and I truly think that this is it. And it hurts me to even think of leaving her, of thrusting her upon you, but... I can never be the mother she deserves, and I know, because I have experienced it, that you can. So, please... promise me you'll take care of her.”

Cheerilee could see the pain in Scootaloo's eyes, growing with every moment she was put in this position and every tear that fell. It was not something she was asking lightly. Like that question of love answered so many months ago, deep thought had gone into this. Cheerilee wouldn't let that be a mistake a second time. Even with all the trepidation she felt, all the anxiety and unease brought on by this sudden responsibility given to her, she smiled softly through the tears on her own face. “Like my own daughter.”

She leaned forward, kissing Scootaloo on the cheek gently, causing the younger pegasus to break down, crying on the table. “I'm going to make you proud, mom. When all of this is over, I promise I'll make you proud.”

At hearing Scootaloo's words, she didn't have to lie or respond with falseness. “You already have.” She knelt beside her crying daughter, keeping her close, comforting her like only a parent could.

The next day, just before sunrise, Scootaloo woke up and packed her things. She was going out on the first train to Canterlot, or she feared she'd lose the resolve and never leave, no matter how loud her destiny called. She got up from her bed, looking at the room she'd lived in for so many years, still lined with Wonderbolts posters and painted the same color as her hero. When she was younger, she'd promised herself that she would follow in Rainbow Dash's hoofsteps, wherever that would lead her. And now, she too was going to serve her country... but she was leaving much more than friends behind to do it.

She walked over to the crib where her foal lay sleeping, leaning down and giving her a tender kiss on her tiny forehead.“Cheerilee is the best mother in the world, you'll see. Better than I could ever be. But I'll still be with you, whatever happens, even if you think I'm just an overprotective sister. You are the light of my life, bringing me joy in my darkest time...”

Scootaloo choked, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, but she wiped them away, putting up a strong, if watery, smile. “Even if I'm not by your side, mommy will always be here for you, trying to make the world a better place for you. My precious Silver Lining.” She rubbed her foal's mane gently one last time before walking out the door, into the start of both of their lives.

The month following the news of Ink Well's return was harrowing for Flora and Rose. This was mostly due to the various extremely nosy ponies skulking around their house and shop and snooping in their business. Unsurprisingly, being hounded by paparazzi, conspiracy theorists, and mercenaries trying to 'do good for the Equestrian way of life' was incredibly annoying, making both of the mares practically lock themselves in their home, only leaving to go to work or visit the greenhouse. Neither of the mares let the distractions get to them though, Flora visiting her plants daily in defiance of all of the rabble and Rose returning to her work with a dedication unseen since Ink Well had left. Just because a few pushy ponies were trying to make life difficult didn't mean the plants stopped growing.

Of course, some of the intentions of their pursuers were less than kind. On two separate occasions stones were chucked through the dining room windows, scattering glass across the floor, and on the second time something was done about it. It had been three weeks since the night of the Gala and Rose had had enough. Enough harassment, enough property damage, she just wanted her life to get back to normal. Despite her anger, she very calmly wrote a letter to Princess Twilight detailing what had happened, and was pleased when the letter was responded to personally. It was delivered by two royal guards, who stealthily stationed themselves outside the house. After a week of them running interference and two arrests made, one on a pony getting ready to throw another rock and the other on somepony wielding a can of spray paint, the matter finally settled enough for the guards to return to Canterlot, believing the lack of harassment ended their job. If only their job was actually done...

It was getting towards afternoon, and with the upcoming weekend Rose had decided to treat herself by doing something that brought joy to Flora's heart. She was in her garden, weeding the overgrown patch of soil and rescuing the poor strangled plants that clung to life there. It was slow going with very heavy shears, but it was getting near fall, and Rose had expressed interest in entering the Fall Flower Festival this year. “With how few contestants there are,” she said over the dinner table the night before, “I might even place. And it's about time I challenged you for first prize again, don't you think?”

Flora had smiled smugly, but deep down she was overjoyed to hear that confidence in her mother's voice again. Seeing her out in the garden again was simply the sweetest icing on that cake. While Rose's special talent might have been scent, not flowers, the ones she grew were truly beautiful, and to see her calm enough to return to her happy place after work... That was worth its weight in gold.

As much as Flora would've liked to stay and watch the rare sight, she had her own plants to attend to, and so she grabbed the keys to her greenhouse and made her way to the building a few streets over. When she went to unlock it, however, the door slid open under her hoof. Immediately she knew something was wrong. She always made sure to lock it behind her, ever since the year one of her flower pots was stolen and used against her in the Flower Festival. She had still won, but once the plant was returned to her she'd never left it unlocked again. It was her own personal laboratory, her private sanctuary, and nopony was allowed except her.

And it had been broken into. She fumed inwardly, cautiously opening the door and ready to unleash the full wrath built up over the last month on whatever was waiting inside. It was at times like these when she wished she had clear walls, not the opaque white ones that kept her privacy so well, but it was a fleeting thought, something only visible in hindsight. Nothing seemed to be out of place at a glance, so she stepped slowly into the building, taking a careful look around.

The plants were all in order, everything was where it had been left, there wasn't even a bent leaf or missing flower to be seen. For a moment Flora wondered if she had been imagining it, or maybe been absent minded the day before. Walking up the crystal rose bush growing in the center of the room, she thought perhaps Lily had finally made good on her threat to get a spare key and find out what Flora was doing in there, but that was when she noticed something odd. The light from the door hitting the crystal plant wasn't as bright as it usually was. Almost as if something other than Flora was also blocking it.

She started to turn her head when the rope looped over it, falling around her neck and tightening rapidly. She gasped in a breath of air, one hoof rushing up to the lasso as it was tugged on, blocking her air and pulling her back. Even if she wanted to call out for help, she couldn't get anything out with the rope around her neck, so she yanked and spun, trying to get a little leeway and a glimpse of her attacker.

The stallion had on a black trench coat, with his face covered in black cloth as he worked. It was something out of a horror novel, not an afternoon stroll, and the grim determination in his eyes only brought out the panic in Flora's movements. She twisted and pulled, trying to knock him off of his hooves, but only managing to make the rope tighter as she was dragged out of the building. “Stop struggling!” the assailant said in a gruff voice. “I don't want to hurt you, I need you for bait.”

Flora probably would have pointed out that there were ways to get her help without all of this mess if her heart wasn't pounding in her throat, but since it was, she was in no position to stop fighting. She moved the hoof from her throat to the knot, stopping it from getting any tighter, though unfortunately it didn't help her breathe any better. Her vision was starting to blur at the edges, her hooves losing ground as the rope was reeled in. With her lungs on fire, she changed tactics, charging forward, aiming to ram her attacker.

He wasn't new to this game, however, and he managed to sidestep, pulling the rope taught as soon as she passed and squeezing it further around her neck. She could feel it biting, her vision continuing to fade as she stopped pulling away. She waited as he got closer, but not close enough, keeping a safe distance and a steady tension as he waited for the rope to take full effect. With her heart pumping in her ears now, he wouldn't have long to wait.

Just as she feared she was doomed to whatever fate he had planned for her, she heard her saving grace in the form of a grunt behind her. She turned her head slightly, seeing the familiar green mane of Jazz popping up over the attacker's head, his hooves wrapped around the neck of the pony in the trench coat. The assailant lost his balance, taking two steps too far forward, and with the rest of her reserves, Flora reared up and bucked him straight in the chest.

Immediately tension left the rope around her neck as her attacker and her savior both flew through the air, crashing hard in the dirt on the other side of the yard. The pony in the trench coat rolled onto his hooves surprisingly quickly, trying to gallop away until he was blindsided by a silver blur, smashing him into the dirt once again. With a pained groan he flopped into the earthy crater, while the pegasus standing on him kicked him once for good measure.

A few feet away, Jazz pulled himself together, reeling a bit from the blow he'd gotten and being landed on, but otherwise fine. “Boy, am I glad I went lookin' for ya today! If Silver hadn't spotted ya when she did, shoot, I dunno what I woulda done.” Flora nodded appreciatively, not saying anything. “Still, that's some kick ya got there. I'm surprised my trees're still standin'! The zap apples'll hardly know what hit 'em!”

Flora nodded again, feeling very loopy as stars appeared at the edge of her vision. She weakly pawed at the rope still around her neck with one hoof, the other searching for Jazz's shoulder. He was looking at Silver and the attacker, surveying his work, before he felt the weak tap and looked back, finally realizing what was going on. “Horseapples! I'll have that offa ya in two shakes of a pony's tail.” With a skill at lasso knots only passed down through generations he had the rope untied in moments, letting Flora gasp and cough and rub at her painfully raw neck.

When finally she had her breath and her coughing fit was over, she smiled weakly at her best friends. “Thank you for that. I tried to fight him off, but I didn't have it in me.”

“What'd this guy want with you anyway?” said Silver, trotting over to Flora while Jazz went to work with the rope. “I mean, most of the ponies creeping around your house ditched out after the guard showed up, right?”

“Most of them, but he either didn't get the note or was waiting for them to leave.” Flora continued to rub her neck, the adrenaline leaving her system, slowly being replaced with the fear it had been hiding. What might have happened to her if they hadn't arrived? If he'd actually taken her away? He'd said he wanted her for bait... “I think he was planning to hold me for some kind of ransom to get at my dad...”

“That ain't fair what's happenin' to you just because 'a yer kin'! Ya got nothin' to do with that! An' if we hadn't been here, you coulda been Celestia knows where by tomorrow mornin', and who knows if that was all he had planned?” Just the thought made Flora shudder, and she sat on the ground, shaken after the ordeal. Seeing this, Jazz tightened the final knot he'd put in the rope, trotting over from the now hogtied attacker. He sat down next to Flora, leaning against her and wrapping her in a reassuring hug. “I'm here for ya. Ain't no way I'm losin' ya when I just found out what I had. Even if ya've been hidin' in yer house for a month, it don't change a thing, right?”

Flora smiled slightly, leaning into the comforting form of Jazz. “Right. I'm glad it still counts, after all of this mess.”

Jazz smiled back. “'Course it does. An' one a these days, I'll figure out how ta prove it to ya.” He got up, walking over to the captured attacker and placing the gift wrapped criminal on his back. “Now, I'm gonna go take him to the author'ties, but when I get back, I'll have that chat I was meanin' ta. See y'all soon.” He then turned and walked off towards the rest of town, leaving Silver Lining to comfort Flora if she still needed it.

However, when he was out of sight, Silver turned to Flora, frowning a little. “You're a real lucky mare, ya know that?”

Flora was just getting up, and nodded at the statement. “Yup. It's a good thing you two showed up when you did.”

Silver rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah, that too, but I was talking about landing Jazz. I've had a crush on him for years! Helped out with the weather, ran errands for him from time to time, made sure he never had too much rain or sun... And he asks you to be his special somepony.” She sighed. “Story of my life.”

Flora blushed, shying away a little. “Oh... How'd you hear about that?”

Silver smirked. “Because you just told me. But it was pretty obvious the way he's been asking about you since the end of Apple Buck Season. After he saw the story about your dad coming back, I told him about what happened when he left... Jazz hadn't heard that whole saga.”

Flora frowned, both in being tricked and because that story had been spread without her. “Mom and I try to keep to ourselves, if we can.” She nudged at the dirt, wondering what had happened to send this day into quite this strange spin. “Anyway... have you told him how you feel about him? I mean, we've only really had one date, and you're such an attractive mare, I'm sure-”

Silver leveled an accusatory hoof at Flora. “None of that talk, Flora! You're beautiful and you know it.” With a shrug, she put her hoof down. “Besides, I've hid it for, like, four years now hoping he'd notice. I know when I'm beat, and you two make a way cuter picture anyway.”

Flora opened her mouth to say something, and nearly had it filled by Silver's hoof as she rushed towards her. “You don't breathe a word of this to him, okay? And if something happens and you two break up, you don't stop me from taking a shot. Deal?”

Flora took a step back, getting her personal space back before she answered. “Deal, but only if you promise that if we don't break up, this won't do anything to hurt our friendship.”

Silver looked shocked at the implication. “What? Of course not! Crusaders to the core, ain't nothing breaking that bond.” The two of them bumped hooves, a smile appearing on both of their faces. “Anyway, you need anything? I could fly a message to your mom, or get a cloud if you need to wash up or something.”

Flora shook her head. “No need. But, could you stand guard? I'd like to do the rounds in the greenhouse and I'm a bit paranoid at the moment.”

Silver saluted. “I don't blame ya. I'll be right outside if you need me.”

“You're the best.” Flora gave her friend a hug, then went into the greenhouse, glad Silver knew her well enough to not even ask to come inside. When the door was closed, she slumped to the floor, shaking from the whole ordeal and letting her emotions out. She was too strong a mare to cry, but the violation, the pain, the fear... it took a lot of heavy breathing and shaking to let it go. When she was finally empty, she picked herself up, starting her rounds with the crystal bush and getting herself back in her routine.

Flora finished checking her plants' progress and was filling up the watering can when she was called outside into the presence of her smiling friends. “Don't worry about that creep,” said Silver, “Jazz says he's getting locked up for a long time.”

“Eeyup!” said Jazz. “The low-down snake was part a some seedy mercen'ry group, ‘n he was the last one on the lam. Tryin' to use the bounty on yer pa for bail, if I had ta guess.” He shrugged, then beamed at Flora. “He's gettin' shipped off ta Canterlot, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore. Though... if what happened is weighin' on yer mind, I guess this next bit wouldn' work anyway...”

While Flora was relieved that there shouldn't be any repeat abduction attempt, the immediate defeat that appeared in Jazz's voice caused her to frown. “What wouldn't work? If it's something to do with the zap apple harvest, I am still ready for it, I just haven't been able to see any of the signs, so I don't know when to be ready.”

Jazz shook his head. “It ain't that. The second sign only happened yesterday, so I think we got three more days if I was readin' Granny's notes right.”

Flora dropped into thought for a moment. “The second sign is the leaves appearing, which always occurs on... Yes, three days. Well, two and a half now.” She received a quizzical look from Silver and returned it with an offended one. “What? I pay attention.” Silver just shook her head and shrugged.

Jazz chuckled at the whole display. “Right, well, since Apple Buck Season went so well, an' since the first sign was takin' its sweet time ta show up this year, Mac got started on cider season early, which was a good thing, 'cus we got an emergency order from Jennydale. It's not far past Whitetail Woods, 'n I was wonderin' if you'd like ta come along.”

“Come on a delivery? Won't that slow you down? Or if I'm with you and somepony tries to pull the same thing they did here...” After what had happened, Flora had a strong inclination to go home and curl up in bed for the evening, maybe study up a little more on zap apples and let the world go back to normal. She was looking forward to actually getting her hooves on a zap apple seed, since last time, by the time she'd thought of it, the apples were either gone or already jam.

Her friends had other plans for her evening. “Oh, puh-lease, Flora!” said Silver, putting a hoof over her shoulder and leaning against her, flexing a forehoof. “If somepony tried anything, me and Jazz would be on 'em like ugly on a diamond dog. And you know he'd go slower trudging on his own than in the company of his two best friends.”

Flora smirked, looking at Silver sidelong. “Oh, you're coming too?”

“She was hangin' in one of the trees takin' a nap this mornin' when I got the news. It was her idea ta make it a road trip an' get you outta the house.” Looking over at the gouge in the dirt where Silver tackled the assailant, Jazz's smile faded slightly. “Guess it was a good thing we did, huh?”

Silver and Flora's gaze both fell on the spot as well, and just its presence dampened the mood slightly. Annoyed by that, Flora looked from Jazz to Silver, her smile growing at the care from her friends. Maybe, after a horrible month culminating in that, getting out was exactly what she needed. “Sounds like the best plan I've heard in weeks. Count me in!”

Jazz immediately perked up, beaming as he spoke. “Really? Great! We'll meet ya outside Town Hall in a hour.”

Flora faltered. “Wait, we're going now?”

“Nah, in a hour. Gotta go get ready. You comin' Silver?” Jazz was already at the garden gate, well on his way back to the farm.

Silver nodded as she took off from Flora's side. “I need to go tell mom what's up, then I'll meet ya at the farm. That work?”

“Eeyup! See ya there!” Both of them shot off in separate directions, leaving Flora with her mouth open, slightly confused by what had just happened. However, even if she had misread the situation before, one thing had been made clear: she had an hour to get ready for a road trip.

When the realization hit her, she galloped back into the greenhouse, grabbing the watering can and giving water to each plant as quickly as she dared. And then there was fertilizer and trimming and notes for the next day, and all of that was before she even started on the crystal bush, making sure it was getting what it needed and making adjustments based on...

There was just too much to do, and with a frustrated grunt, Flora came to the conclusion that the plants would live if she skipped a day. She tilted the remaining water into the container beneath the crystal bush, put the watering can back in its place, locked the door, and sprinted home.

Rose was still in the garden as Flora came running up to the house, and though Rose was surprised to see her daughter back so soon, she waved, only to be completely ignored by the young mare rushing past her.

Flora went inside, threw her key in its spot on the rack, and bounded up the steps to the washroom. It was probably silly to want to get clean right before walking for any length of time, but she and Jazz were going to be going out in public somewhere, and for what little time she actually spent out in public, Flora liked to not look like a dirty mess.

One whirlwind shower and mane washing later, Flora stepped out of the washroom with her bandanna between her teeth as she went to check the clock. After all of that, she still had twenty minutes to get to town hall. That was just enough time to grab a bite to eat and- “Flora, what's that around your neck?”

Flora stopped at the bottom of the stairs, noticing Rose standing in the dining room doorway, a worried look on her face. Flora hadn't gotten a good look in the mirror, but she did recall seeing a glimpse of red around her neck where the rope had been. She dropped the bandanna from her mouth into her hoof, going to tie over the mark, but was stopped by Rose doing an examination of the mark. After a moment, Rose looked up into her face, worried. “Are you alright? Did something happen while you were out?”

Yes, I was attacked in my own greenhouse by some horrible pony with a lasso looking for dad, but after seeing you happy earlier, the last thing I want to do is worry you now, especially if I think I'll ever get to Town Hall on time. Flora took a step back, smiling to show nothing was immediately wrong. “I'm fine mom. It was just a little accident. I'll tell you about it when I get back.”

Rose peaked an eyebrow, mostly wondering what kind of accident wrapped around a pony’s neck. “Back? Where are you going?”

“Silver and I are going with Jazz for a delivery. They sprung the idea on me today, and it sounded like fun. But apparently they're leaving in... Eighteen minutes.” Flora's smile was slightly strained, trying to say as politely as possible that she needed to be moving and all questions should be held for later.

Whether or not Rose got the message, she ignored it. “Ah. What is he delivering? And aren't you three a little old to still be crusading? You already got your cutie marks.”

Flora sighed in exasperation, but it was done dramatically and lightheartedly. “You can take the crusader away from crusading, but you can't take the crusading out of the crusader, mom. Just because we got our cutie marks doesn't mean we can't still go on adventures together. This one takes us to the town of Jennydale to give cider to its wanting inhabitants.”

Rose smiled. “Ah, well then you're going to be gone all night. Would you like me to pack you some food, or just fill a canteen?”

You're so good to me, mom. Flora hugged her mother, smiling back. “I didn't even think about a canteen, so that would be great! But knowing Jazz, he's probably got food covered.”

Rose hugged Flora back, then started towards the kitchen. “Alright. But be careful out on the road. It should be safe, since you're going through Whitetail Woods, but 'should' and 'is' aren't the same thing. Be mindful of wild animals and other ponies.” As she reached the doorway, she stopped. “I had made us up some tea, but I guess you'll just owe me a chat some other day.”

“I'll make a note of it.” Flora said, wondering why Rose had sounded so concerned as she described the road's dangers. She followed her mother as she went into the kitchen, stopping when she saw the two freshly poured cups of tea sitting on the counter. Flora picked hers up, drinking it as Rose filled the canteen. It wasn't a snack, but it was a lot more soothing, and it was just the thing to calm her down and get her in the right mindset for the trip.

She stayed for a little while, as one cup of tea turned into two and her mother caught her up on the state of the garden, but eventually she really couldn't wait any longer, and so she said goodbye, took the canteen, tied on her bandanna, and headed for Town Hall.

Flora sprinted through town to make it to the meeting, and unfortunately she still arrived a few minutes late, and for her troubles was greeted with the sight of two carts loaded with cider crates, Jazz harnessed up to one and Silver to the other. While she had been expecting to merely go on a trip and chat with her friends, actually helping Jazz out was something she was more than willing to do. She slowed down as she approached, looking for a third cart, but it was nowhere to be found. “Alright,” she said as she got closer. “Where's mine?”

Silver, who had been waving while Flora had been distracted with her search, punched Jazz playfully in the shoulder. “See, I told you she'd want to help.”

Jazz took the hit in stride, his smile not lessening at all. “I was planning on takin' it all on my own, but Silver had none a that, so we split it to two. She tried to split it to three, but after the whole mess earlier, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to rest a spell.”

Flora frowned as she walked up Jazz's cart, hopping onto it and immediately settling in among the boxes. “Well, you thought wrong. You act like I can't do an honest day's work.” She tutted and shook her head, then looked at Jazz flatly. “We're just going to have to switch out as we go along. Now, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go.”

Jazz looked a combination of sheepish and about to complain, but when he actually turned to speak to Flora, he saw the smirk sitting on her face and decided against it. “If ya say so. Silver, let's move out.” It didn't take very much effort for either of them to get the carts rolling, with Silver having a little more difficulty than Jazz, and soon enough the two cart caravan was on its way out of town and into the woods.

Almost immediately the three ponies started chatting, catching up on things and talking like they were picking up on a paused conversation. There really wasn't much to report on Flora's end, what with being cooped up in her house and being tight lipped about her plants in the greenhouse, but Jazz and Silver had done rather a bit more.

The farm was going well, and apple sales from this years harvest were as strong as ever, which was always a good sign. This was about the time of year when there would have been some kind of family get together traditionally, but since that hadn't really been an option for ten years now, Jazz and Mac had once again found themselves out of things to do. Starting cider season early was a good way to get a jump on things, as it always became a struggle to produce enough for demands by the end of it. According to Jazz, it had been mighty amusing to watch Mac test the first batch of hard cider, which had come out far too strong and sent the strong stallion stumbling through the barn barely an hour later. With some careful watering down, it might not be the very best cider batch, but it would certainly do in an emergency like this one.

Sweating a little harder than Jazz as they made their way through Whitetail Woods, Silver kept herself distracted by talking about the weather. For some reason it was being rather wet over the Everfree, which was making it quite easy to collect rain for Ponyville, giving her time for a special assignment from the mayor. Since there were so few ponies in town this year, the Running of the Leaves had been canceled, and Silver had been placed in charge of removing the leaves for fall. They had all started changing about a week ago, and as pretty as the trees they were currently passing were, the leaves had to go.

She was going through the idea for the mini tornado she was going to have to create, getting the two earth ponies completely lost in the theoretical air currents, when they came to a fork in the road. Flora stopped them there, switching places with Silver while Jazz brought out the apple crumble he'd been making when the order came in. Splitting it between the three of them, and with Flora sharing her canteen since Silver had come unprepared, the trio took a short break in blissful silence, enjoying the cool afternoon air, the colorful leaves, the sounds of the forest, some fantastic cooking, and the company of friends.

When all three were happy ready to move again, Flora harnessed herself up to Silver's cart, letting the remarkably light pegasus rest in the back as she pulled the load with ease. After walking a fair bit in silence, Flora turned to look at Jazz, who was still going strong beside her. “So how far away is it? I don't think I've ever been to Jennydale.”

Jazz shrugged. “Ain't surprisin'. The town's just a tiny dot on the map, if ya got a map big enough ta see it. It's got a lot a donkeys, a tavern for travelers, an' not much else, but it's a nice enough place once ya get there.”

“Oh?”

“Eeyep. I go out for a deliv'ry a pies an' a cider barrel or two every year, but I guess the tavern's runnin' low an' some other supplier ain't makin' anythin' anymore, so they asked us for a special run.”

Flora frowned at the news. “The other supplier stopped making stuff? Why would they do that?”

Silver chimed in from her seat among the crates. “It probably has something to do with the army mobilizing again. After Ink Well's escape got 'em worked up and recruiting like crazy, I've been hearing news that they're advancing on the Republic borders again. And pushing in, last I heard.”

“So you think the supplier got picked up in the draft?”

“If it was the battlin' that got him, it was either the draft or his own conscience tellin' him to be out there.” Jazz looked thoughtfully at the ground slowly rolling under him. “Some ponies just can't stay idly by anymore an' watch their friends leave. The war's been goin' on for twelve years now, an' everypony wants ta see the end of it.” He sighed. “I feel a bit low for comin' in on sompony's business if that's true, even if they are competition, but I can't just leave the town in need. Somepony's gotta be on the front lines, an' the rest of us gotta make sure they got homes to come back to.”

As if the woods were listening to their conversation, the path turned a corner, and beside the road appeared a small bundle of thirteen fresh lilies in a vase with a little bronze plaque. The stark white flowers stuck out against the earthy tones of the rest of the forest, a small clearing in the canopy high above seeming to shine a beam of the warm late afternoon light directly on the spot. Jazz tilted his head as he got closer. “Huh... that weren't there last time I went through.”

Since Flora and Jazz were harnessed in, Silver jumped out of the cart, walking over to the vase and examining the plaque. “A flower for the fallen who called these woods their home, lest we forget their happy memories.” She took a step back, gazing at the vase. “Thirteen flowers...”

“I wonder how many are from Ponyville...” The scene was beautiful, but the moment it had come into view, Flora had sensed the sadness. She had still been helping out in Lily's shop when the first orders had come in for the departed. The war always seemed so strange, so very far away, but even out here the effects were with them every single day.

As the light continued to fade and the beam highlighting the flowers moved, Jazz spoke up, breaking the long silence the group had held. “We better keep movin', we got a long way ta go.” Silver decided to walk beside the carts as they set off, none of them in the mood for talking, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

Flora was the one to break the silence first, getting the trio talking about school ponies and time gone by, but it was halfhearted, and though none of them admitted it, the question she had asked stuck in the back of their minds.

The sun was going down by the time the trio got out of the woods, immediately greeted with the sight of a small town nestled in the dale below. They made their way down the hill, watching the sky turn crimson, then fade slowly to its deep blue as a few lanterns were lit by the figures moving between the buildings.

It took a little longer for Flora, Jazz, and Silver to reach the town of Jennydale, marked only by a very small sign with a lantern hanging over it, and once they moved along the main street, it was hard to imagine anypony actually living here. The town was silent, almost all of the windows dark, with no movement on the street, which was only barely wide enough for the two carts to go side by side. The crickets in the grass had more life, though even the silent stars above could have given the town a run for its money.

Jazz pulled his cart into the alley beside the tavern, instructing Flora to do the same as he made his way inside the quiet building. It was nearly the biggest one in town, and one of the very few with lights on. None of the rooms were lit, just the main bar itself, almost a ghost light as it spilled onto the street.

When the cart was in place and Flora was unharnessed, she and Silver went inside as well. The interior was as somber as the exterior despite the warm lights and the gently crackling fire. The room wasn't full, but there were a fair number of ponies and donkeys occupying all of the tables, a drink in front of all of them, a heavy, unspoken agreement for silence hanging in the air. The only thing that broke it was Jazz at the bar, talking quietly with the bartender. The old donkey had a sour look on his face, a mug and a wash cloth sitting on the counter as he and Jazz discussed the delivery. He glanced at the two young mares that had just entered, but paid them no mind, giving Jazz the instructions quickly.

When Jazz had them, he came over to Flora and Silver, the atmosphere of the building getting to him as he moved with a more heavy stride. “He wants us ta drive it around back while he opens up the cellar. We get ta unload 'cause he has ta stay out front, but he's givin' us all one for free ta cover it.”

They did as they were instructed, moving the carts around and carrying the crates down into the dark, well kept cellar. The stores in there were a little sad, with most of the shelves half empty, apart from the completely void cider section they were refilling. But, once it was done, they all went into the bar again, getting a bag of coins and a drink of choice for their troubles. After seeing the stores, they all ordered a cider, deciding they might as well partake of their work.

As they waited for their drinks to come, Flora looked around the room, noticing a few things as she did. The patrons that weren't completely listless or lost in their alcoholic haze all seemed to have their eyes firmly fixed on the three young ponies at the bar. She had felt the intensity of it before, and while she thought it might have been something against outsiders, she'd seen the exact same sadness in similar aging eyes. These were parents, grandparents, friends, all waiting on those they watched go to the war front. The sign of youth, of warmth and life, that had just walked in the door only reminded them of what they missed each day at home. What they waited for with bated breath, hoping the pony to one day stand at their door was the one they'd sent off, not their commander with a black lined envelope.

Flora turned back to the bar as her drink arrived, feeling the oppressive mood grow heavier still as she looked to her friends. “We should probably leave after this one. As long a trip as it was, it might not be a bad idea to start back early.”

Silver nodded, her wings and ears drooping under the weight of all the expectations and wishes thrown her way by the patrons. “It won't take as long with the carts empty. Jazz said we'd be out 'till morning, but we could probably make it back a little after midnight if we hurry.”

Jazz took a long drink from the mug placed in front of him, placing it down purposefully when he finished. “We'll head on back soon, but we can't make it back 'fore midnight without a lot a runnin'. We'll be back by mornin', with plenty a time ta rest, if we do it right. Gotta be ready for the zap apples, after all.”

Flora was glad they were all in agreement, already starting to plan out her next day to keep her mind off the atmosphere and make up for what she had skipped to come here. As she did, though, she saw Jazz call over the bartender, talking quietly to him. By the time she actually was listening in, all she heard was “...if it would be okay” followed by a nod towards the corner of the room. The bartender shrugged, and then Jazz got up, walking quietly outside.

Without him there, both Flora and Silver were a little more uneasy in the unfamiliar town, nervously glancing at each other and taking quick sips of their drinks, but Jazz came back soon enough, a long, thin wooden box in tow. He neglected his drink and the ponies he came in with, going to the corner he'd indicated earlier, where there was a raised platform of wood that could almost pass for a stage if the place was full of drunk revelers. Since it wasn't, it was merely an amplifier for their attention, all eyes shifting from the two young mares at the bar to the upstart walking onto the stage.

He remained cool and collected under the judging gaze, opening up a latch on the side of the box and flipping it open, revealing a velvet interior. From inside he pulled out two curved metal tubes, attaching them together and spinning a bolt to keep them in place, before sliding a third tube over one of the others and working it a little, forming an 'S' of metal with a bell at one end, a mouthpiece at the other.

Flora couldn't believe what she was seeing, but Jazz was standing on stage with a trombone. She wanted to call him down from there and ask him to stop bringing attention to himself, but her own morbid curiosity wanted to see this through to the end. Though, even if she had started calling then, it wouldn't have mattered, as Jazz closed his eyes, tapped a hoof against the wood, and then began to play.

The sound didn't slice through the bar or bash into the silence like a hammer, but rather seemed to flow out of it, starting low and sweeping through a few sad notes before picking up the song in full. The music moved and swung, quickly growing in tempo and bringing with it a driving rhythm, and yet it never grew upbeat. Though the beat never stopped or faltered, it always felt like it was forlorn, waiting for something.

The solitary horn continued to sing on stage, resonating through the room and pulling even those long lost to the drink back to hear its call. After a while, the song slowed, feeling as though it came off the stage to move between the tables and chat with those there. There was something hauntingly familiar in the tune, even though Flora was sure she'd never heard it before.

As she watched Jazz moving the slide, not a hint of effort on his face as he made the music surrounding her, the trombone began to wail. It never lost the notes, or the harmony it seemed to be making with itself, but it was no longer talking to the patrons of the bar. It was crying with them, demanding right alongside them for something it could only dream of longingly. And it realized this, calming, returning to the original theme, but something had been lost along the way.

The music ended on a note that hung in the air for a few seconds: low, sad, a cry unfinished and a call unanswered. When finally it ceased, there was silence once more, filled only with the memory of that final note resonating in the room. Jazz lowered his instrument and opened his eyes, beginning to take apart the trombone once more, as though it had never existed in the first place. Around him, many of the patrons were crying at their table, or stopping their sobs with pulls from their drink, while those not moved to tears applauded. It was quiet and understated, but appreciative beyond raucous noise or words.

Jazz picked up his case and calmly walked to the bar, taking his seat beside his friends as though nothing had just happened, though both of them looked at him, stunned. “That was amazing,” said Silver, not really having too much to say.

“Thank ya kindly,” said Jazz, finishing his drink.

Flora looked at both Jazz and the case, feeling the dampness at her eyes that she fought back and wondering just how much she didn't know about her lifelong friend and new special somepony. She knew he was musical, and she'd heard him play the piano once or twice, but that... that was something else. “Where did you learn that tune?”

“I didn't. I was just playin' what came to me.” He stopped for a moment, looking at his empty mug and tapping the bar thoughtfully, the beat the same he'd been playing at. “There was a band for a while in Ponyville, 'n we improvised almost everythin' we did, but I stopped a couple years ago. Not many ensemble songs ya can play with one instrument.” There was definite sadness in his voice, and Flora could hear why. That had all come from the heart, a call from his instrument to his fellow musicians, wanting them to come home so he could play again like he used to.

Flora finished her drink, hearing the silence descend once more. “I didn't know you played trombone. I thought you played the piano.”

Jazz looked down at the instrument in question, shrugging. “I woulda played my trumpet, but I musta left it in the barn. I only learned the piano 'cause Granny Smith wanted somepony to play it at Hearths Warmin'. Though, if I didn't learn it, I might never a learned the horn or found my cutie mark, so I can't complain.”

As Jazz finished his explanation, the trio noticed that the other patrons in the bar were moving. More than one came up and thanked Jazz for his music, and soon a drink was placed in front of him, a gift somepony had bought him. It was followed by two more, which Jazz was kind enough to give to his friends, and then those were followed by the bartender attempting to give him some bits that a customer had tipped Jazz specifically.

Jazz refused the money, thanking the bartender for the opportunity, before he was suddenly hugged from behind by an elderly jenny. She looked at Jazz with shining eyes and thanked him for reminding her of her grandson, and his two friends she had known well. “May they rest in peace.” After that, she left the bar, and Jazz stared into his drink. After he finished it, he said “that's three,” and left it at that, the image of the vase springing into Flora and Silver's minds.

Eventually the tavern was nearly empty, and the three ponies from Ponyville figured it was time to leave. They went out back, placing the trombone case in Jazz's cart before Flora harnessed up to it, insisting. Silver took the other cart, and, with nothing left to do, Jazz climbed up with his instrument, sitting behind Flora. He looked uncomfortable, but after pulling a cart all the way here, he was going to get some time off on the way back.

They were quiet as they went out of town, though what held each of their attentions was a mystery. For Flora, it the warmth in her heart that she was helping her special somepony go home in comfort. She even smiled a little wider as she heard a gentle snore come from the cart, glad the chill of the night air wasn't disturbing the fantastic musician, lulled by the gentle rocking of the cart. Soon Flora could see Silver starting to nod off as well, the tired pegasus' endless energy seeming to finally have run out. Each step took Silver's cart weaving, yawns almost constantly escaping her. It didn't take long for Flora to stop her, hooking both carts together in a train and letting Silver sleep in the empty one.

Even though she now traveled alone, she didn't mind, her thoughts on Jazz's performance. His music on stage had spoken loudly, it had cried out in memory of the dying town they left... A cry, she feared, all of Equestria was in danger of sharing. She herself had experienced law trying to break down around her just today, and as the music had gone on, she could see so many faces missing from their Ponyville... Thirteen lilies seemed like such a large number of missing ponies, and even that was a drop in the bucket... How many more would be lost before it was all over?

A particularly loud snore brought her thoughts to the real world as she peeked behind her, seeing Jazz's face dappled by the moonlight filtering through the leaves above. It was easy to focus on what was lost, but that wasn't where the future lay. As hard as it was sometimes to remember, she had to be grateful for those she had with her, not sad for those she couldn't see. After all, it was up to those left behind to make a home worth fighting for.

Dreams

The war between nations was a long and brutal slog unlike any seen for centuries in Equestria. On a daily basis, many ponies fell to battle, and long before even the first year had finished, it was clear that medics would be in high demand. Whatever skill level they had, anypony with the ability was urged to join the war effort and save their nation's fighters. None felt that pressure more than Fluttershy after seeing her friends becoming major players on both sides of the war. Despite the strain it would leave on her woodland friends, Fluttershy, accompanied by her faithful companion Angel, signed up with the Royal Army's Medical Corps.

Initially, many worried about the capabilities of the timid pegasus, who often stayed near the back lines and fled from just the sounds of battle. However, when it came down to the wire and lives were on the line, there was nopony better to have on your side. Her tireless efforts to save what ponies she possibly could, coupled with the kindness she showed everypony she met and cared for, soon brought her recognition among the troops. Though her medical skills had all been basic or veterinary before, she quickly rose to the task of learning what she needed to become a full fledged field surgeon, and one of the best the RAMC had.

Quite often the yellow pegasus would bolt into dangerous positions during raging battles, knowing she could rescue ponies trapped or wounded beyond the reach of her peers. A large number of the medical ponies were unicorns, their magic talents, and quite often destinies, tied to the careful work of surgery and healing. And while she never questioned their ability away from the fighting, on the battlefield her mobility was sometimes the only difference between life and death for those stranded out there. When there was no difference, it was only the influence of her Angel that kept her in check, the little white fluff ball being a guiding force when emotion threatened to get the better of her.

It wasn't the same Angel Bunny she'd first rescued all those years ago, but in fact his great granddaughter that helped her in the fields now. She was much kinder than the original bunny, but that didn't mean she was any less protective, or any less calculating when the chips were down. Though the bunnies vowed not to tell their caretaker, Angel and his descendants had dedicated themselves to being by her side, as helpers, guides, and friends, and even a war didn't stop their duty.

Angel's presence made all the difference out in the cold, cruel world. Fluttershy had dealt with many injuries in her time, sometimes finding critters deep in the Everfree barely clinging to life after a timber wolf or some other predator got a hold of them. A surprising amount she had been able to nurse back to health, but even she knew when there was nothing more she could do, and she had cried over the graves of more creatures than she wished to remember. That trial by blood helped her immensely in the transition from bunnies and bears to ponies, but it didn't make the failures any easier, or quell the pain in her heart at every injury she saw.

But, even with her amazing resolve, everypony has a limit, and hers arrived at the Battle Beneath Cloudsdale. The injuries she saw, the charred, twisted bodies that barely passed for ponies, or worse, those still clinging to life, crawling on their one good limb as their skin cracked and split from the strain... they would never leave her. She flew among these horrors, finding those who could be moved and saved and doing what she could to comfort those who couldn't. Sometimes, the greatest kindness was release... Seeing their gasping, painful passing, she wished she was strong enough to give it to them.

They had begun the search as soon as possible, some out even before the sun had risen, moving through the early morning mists and under the midday sun. Finally, hours after their efforts had begun, they called it off, sure they had found all survivors. It was then, as she made her way back through the blackened, ruined landscape, that Angel tapped Fluttershy's shoulder, pointing to a crater nearby. Despite the calls to return to the mobile hospital and having seen a lifetime of gruesome images already, she followed her bunny's intuition, detouring to search the crater. What she found made her gasp in horror, wondering how he could still be alive. At the same time, she could tell it was somepony she could still save, and instinct and heart kicked in. Immediately she called for help and transport, and within minutes the final patient was being carried from the battlefield, mercifully losing consciousness on the way back to the surgical tent.

Through the long hours of surgery, through all of the blood and the horrible smell of cooked flesh, as she cut away dead skin and unsalvageable stumps of bone, continuing on even when other doctors had moved to higher priority patients or wrote him off as a lost cause, Fluttershy was haunted by the image in the crater. The grounded beige pegasus, crawling through the scorched mud, rocks embedded in him from his crash landing, while dirt clung to him more thickly than his own fur. He looked straight at her, reaching out with a pleading look in his right eye. The left, like that whole side of his face, was melted away, the charred bone only matched by the blackened stumps where there were once a wing and a hind leg. The missing limbs flailing futilely as he made every effort to get to the vision he saw on the ridge. In her eyes he was already a spectre, more dead than many bodies she had passed on the battlefield, and yet he still somehow clung to life.

His last act before he'd lost consciousness had been a smile, barely recognizable as the burnt skull beside it grinned without, and yet it had been there. He had put his faith into his savior, looking into her eyes and knowing she would do her job... She would not let that be in vain. Fluttershy worked tirelessly into the night, only the surgical light and Angel keeping her company in this dark time. It was past midnight when finally she could do no more, leaving him bandaged, clean, and stabilized, his fate in his own hooves. Tired, she moved to the cot Angel had convinced somepony to drag to the tent, falling into a light, restless sleep, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of trouble from her patient.

It took him three days to awaken, continued treatments from other doctors astounded by his survival doing nothing to rouse him from his coma. He slept as the pegasi attacked Canterlot, hundreds of furious Cloudsdale citizens, angry that their home city had been destroyed, leveling a twister of retribution on the mountain city. Fluttershy had not been there to see Cloudsdale burn, but the puddled remnants of the fallen clouds and the rubble of the once glorious buildings were everywhere in the valley below. It hadn't even registered that the city where she'd been born had fallen until she heard about the counter attack, and she didn't know how to feel. She had been so focused on the wounded that she hadn't paid attention to the battlefield, but the pictures in her mind... Much more was lost that night than lives.

The fallout from the attack was amazingly swift, the few pegasi wounded ostracized into their own tent, the pegasi doctors and staff left to tend to them with no word from the others, just armed guards surrounding them... likely not for their protection. Fluttershy just wished she knew whether this was paranoia or orders from higher up, neither thought giving her much solace.

Under these horrid conditions, the patient opened his eye, groaning painfully and dryly and getting Fluttershy's attention immediately. She was over to him in an instant, trying to make sure he didn't attempt to get up. “Don't move too much, please. Your body is healing, and there were a lot of internal injuries that even magic couldn't fully close.” She offered him a canteen, which he reached for clumsily. Bandages covered the whole left side of his face, but he was, in some ways, lucky. Healing magic had very strange priorities, being able to heal the skin and close up cuts, but able to do little for the bones or deep internal injuries. He had no left ear or eye, and the limbs he lost would never come back, meaning he might never fly again or walk with any ease, but under the bandages on his head, one would never guess that his healthy, charming face and pristine beige fur had once been burned clean off.

The pegasus' hazel eye focused on the canteen, depth perception working against him as he almost bashed it out of Fluttershy's grasp. Gently she placed it in his hoof, smiling understandingly at him, and he smiled weakly back, thanking her. It was the same one he'd given her three days before, but so much more grateful... that alone was why she did her job, her heart warming as she watched him drink the water slowly, savoring the feeling like it was the last he'd ever have. She already knew that wasn't the case, but a little extra care to make it certain never hurt..

After he finished with the canteen, he put it down, laying in the bed and smirking to himself. In a tired voice, he spoke. “I wasn't dreaming... I really was saved by Kindness herself.”

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her hair, as she always did when she was recognized. It was rarer now, even though she looked the same as when she had modeled over twenty years prior, but she still wasn't used to being any sort of social butterfly, or even recognized by anypony but her closest friends. At least she'd gotten better at responding in her time as a medic. “You know who I am, but I don't know you. Could you tell me your name?”

“Angel.” The bunny's ears perked up from her place on the floor, causing her to hop up and wonder why she was called.

Fluttershy looked surprised. “What was that?”

The pegasus coughed, wincing as he did so, then tried again. “Dented Angel.”

“O-oh.” Fluttershy smiled to herself at the coincidence. When she saw a touch of confusion of Dented's face, she finished her thought. “It's just that my bunny here is named Angel, and both of us were confused when you called her name.”

“Huh... I guess you can call me Dented then.” Dented yawned after that, his eye starting to droop again with the real sleep his healing body needed.

Before he could actually doze off, Fluttershy stopped him. “Could you tell me your rank and platoon? I need to report that you're accounted for.”

Dented nodded, but his response was almost completely yawned out, causing Fluttershy to signal for a repeat. He tried again, slower. “I'm a courier... platoon....” he was out before he finished his thought, but it was enough for his caretaker to go off of. Almost all of the other wounded had identification tags, and what few didn't were able to give a name and platoon that checked out. The list of missing, presumed dead, was staggering, but his name would remove at least one pony from it, and make for one happy family back home.

She exited the recovery tent and walked up to one of the guards, slightly nervous. She outranked him, but she knew it would be a bother to trouble him. Still, the information needed to be given. “Um... excuse me, would it possibly be alright for me to talk to the C.O? I need to check a name off of the list of ponies accounted for.”

The guard was stern, but he'd been at the camp well enough to know she wasn't going to be a threat. “I can't let you pass the perimeter, miss, but I can make sure that she gets the information. What's the name?”

Fluttershy frowned, not realizing they were actually prisoners here. That was going to worry the others... hopefully an understanding could be reached quickly. “His name is Dented Angel. He's a courier, but he didn't give me a platoon number and he had no id tags. If he tells me any more I'll make sure to pass it along.” The guard just nodded, and with her awkward deal done, Fluttershy returned to the tent. She had seen the list once before, staggered by the amount of names on it... and one she recalled well. Newsprint, the son of her friends... Stuck as she was in the tent, she got a piece of paper and a pen, writing her condolences to calm her mind as she waited for the other horseshoe to drop.

Tensions flared over the night, pegasi, not well known for appreciating being caged in, complaining loudly that their treatment was an outrage. They fought under their city, fought as hard as any other pony in the camp on countless other battlefields, why were they held in such suspicion? And yet, each of them knew why, especially after three tried to overpower a guard and break free. They were all arrested, taken away to be dealt with, and that silenced the protests. It did nothing for the mood, but the pegasi were at least quiet.

News arrived the next morning, spreading through the camp like wildfire and causing deep murmurings within the ranks. A unicorn hit squad had attacked Princess Luna of the NLR, presumably in retaliation for the attack on Canterlot. Speculation held that at least some of the pegasi involved were from the Republic, and somepony high up must have taken it to heart.

For most, the failure was met neutrally, the continued war the price to pay for their Princess's safety, even if she was leading the other side. For some, primarily the captured pegasi, the news bred dissent. Their nation, in what was being called a friendly fire accident, brought their ancestral home crashing to the ground, then imprisoned them when the precious home of the unicorns is attacked, more than willing to send out a hit squad in retaliation! Where was the hit squad against the one who launched the fireballs? Where was even the inquiry? The logic was faulty, Fluttershy knew, but... she did feel much the same, though she would never say it.

For one pony in particular, the news of the attack on Princess Luna brought deep sorrow. As soon as Dented heard about it, he asked if she was hurt, then went completely silent, fear and worry visible even though he refused to say it. Fluttershy tried to coax it out of him, but she didn't actually learn the reason for his panic until later, when she was called to the guarded perimeter.

Her commanding officer, Steel Battalion, was waiting for her, a stern glare on her face. “Fluttershy, tell me again the name of the pony that you saved.”

Fluttershy saluted, worried by the harsh tone of Steel's voice. “Dented Angel, ma'am. He said he was a courier.”

“I know what he said!” Fluttershy recoiled like she'd been hit, something that had always, and continued to, bring a sneer to Steel's face. “But what he said isn't right. We have no pony by that name in our records anywhere, nor do we have a cutie mark matching his. Do you have any idea what you've done?”

“Saved a civilian who fell from the city?” Fluttershy offered with a worried squeak.

“You saved a member of the New Lunar Republic! You healed our enemy!”

Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror, her heart pounding and her breathing speeding up as the realization hit her.“I-I didn't know he was from the Republic! Without proper medical care, he was going to die.”

“Good. That's what we hope happens to our enemies, Fluttershy. We don't commit treason for them.” The cold, callous, sarcastic words stung, but not as much as her own thoughts. She had just saved a pony's life... She had just saved an NLR pony's life...

That didn't change anything. “I joined this army to save lives, commander, and that is what I did.” She had risked her life to bring in ponies, pulling them from fierce combat and not once thinking about the ponies falling on the other side... How many had she failed to save?... how many fallen had she helped create? “When I found him in the crater, he wasn't anypony's enemy... just an injured pony, like anypony else we saved that day.”

Steel's stern gaze fell heavily on Fluttershy, barely contained rage behind those eyes. “He was helping our enemy. He, directly or indirectly, caused those other ponies you saved to need saving. We are called here to save our wounded from the enemy. You may be one of our best medics, but if you can't tell the two apart, maybe you don't belong in the field.”

Instead of buckling under Steel's gaze, Fluttershy stood tall, glaring right back, wings flared out firmly in defiance. “What is the point of all of this fighting if nopony is left alive to return from it? We are fighting to reunite this country, and every single citizen should be allowed to see that day, no matter who they swore allegiance to!”

Steel snorted at the defiant pegasus before her, remaining cool, though the anger behind her eyes flared. “Typical pegasus stubbornness. If I had my way, you would be tried and locked away for this, or executed on the spot.” She turned away sharply, talking over her back. “Luckily for you, I'm not making that call. You and all your ilk have twenty four hours, by order of Princess Celestia herself, to either prove yourself loyal to your country, or scurry across the border with that Lunar scum you so adore.”

Fluttershy faltered at the new news. “'Pegasus stubbornness'? An order from the Princess? Just because some ponies grew angry, the whole race is to be kicked out? Are you afraid of every cat too, just because one scratched you? I--”

“Silence!” Steel turned around, the earth pony's glare angry enough to shoot daggers. “There are casualties in war, and loyalties you have pledged. I don't care how many of you pegasi forget that, or follow that traitor who once claimed Loyalty to the other side. Equestria will be made whole again, with or without you.” She turned around, composing herself from her outburst. “You have one day. Start running.” With that she marched away, leaving a furious Fluttershy surrounded by guards, all of which uneasy at the prospect of attacking her. She wouldn't force them to, however, turning sharply and storming back into the tent. She could hear through the thin fabric walls the news spreading to the other pegasi, their own reactions rising in an indignant din at the demonizing being thrust upon them.

With the tent closed, she slumped to the ground, tears ringing her vision. “Oh, Angel... how could they have done this to us?” Angel bunny, who had been listening from just inside the tent, hopped over to Fluttershy's side, trying to comfort the overwhelmed mare. Before she could barely begin, however, there was an interruption in the form of Dented's solemn voice.

“This is precisely why I left... It started at the Weather Factory, it's been reignited by our ancestral home ablaze, and now all us feathered ponies are the sacrifice for war.” He hobbled over awkwardly on his three legs, nearly stumbling three times in the short distance between his bed and the sitting mare when he tried to balance with his missing wing or leg. “I don't know how I can help you, but...” He painfully lowered himself to the ground, sitting next to Fluttershy and suddenly wrapping her in a comforting hug. She jumped, pulling away at first, and he let go, but the feeling had still been there. “You saved my life. I'll do everything I can to salvage yours.”

Fluttershy cried, looking at the ground, able to see the stump of Dented's leg in the corner of her eye, and the sorrowful look on Angel Bunny's face. It was all too much, four days undoing so many years of hard fought work for the good of her nation... And what was she supposed to do? Run to the other side? Ignore her revelation and keep working like nothing was wrong?

She would have to be strong soon, for she only had a single day to decide, and time was already ticking as she began the long process to pull herself back from tears. But, even in the turmoil rushing in her mind, one thing remained in perfect focus. She had become a medic to save ponies’ lives, and that was what she was going to do.

Somehow...

Wind Key walked through the streets of Timbucktu, nervously holding her bags tightly to her side beneath her wings. She was a pony who would calmly walk through the woods at night during a thunderstorm, and had trekked all over the city at lunchtime with no real issue, but even the warm glow in the window of the 5 Wings was little comfort as the sun descended behind the mountains. Luckily the sky was still a bright red, one of the few days without a cloud in the sky, so hopefully she could find the address scribbled on the napkin quickly and stop feeling so tense.

She really didn't know what it was... the atmosphere, the way other ponies hurried past, heads down and focused on where they were going, the hungry looks of the few ponies lurking around on doorsteps and in alleys... for the first time, she truly didn't feel safe in her own city. And, judging from the mystery puddles along the gutters of the cracked streets, the graffiti present on nearly every wall, and the distinct lack of ponies in uniform, she felt the city itself didn't feel safe here either.

She looked at her directions again, realizing she was one street off from where she should be, and looked down an alley, thinking momentarily about cutting across. Garbage piled against the building walls, moving with a life of its own, while the whole thing was steeped in shadow. There was no guessing what could be hiding in the dark, and between the rustling of rats in the garbage and the horrible smell that suffused the whole district, she'd never know what was coming. She trotted nervously in place, looking up and stretching her wings to see if maybe she could fly over, but something about the blood red smog cloud rolling slowly above in the last dregs of twilight killed that idea.

Wind clamped her wings to her side, trotting briskly to the end of the block, panicking slightly as the streetlight blinked on and night truly set in. The light buzzed loudly, flickering unsteadily, but somehow it stayed lit, letting Wind catch her breath and pull away from the grimy wall she had backed up against. The fact that she could feel something sticky clinging to her feathers really didn't help matters in the slightest.

The sound of hooves on the street behind her, moving with just a little more purpose than they should have been, was enough to get her moving as well, keeping up her brisk trot and trying hard not to peek behind her. Eventually she couldn't help it, trying to hide her peek with a glance at the particularly lewd graffiti she was passing, but when she saw a figure following her, his dark form seemingly focused on his pursuit, she lost all pretense of calm, galloping to the next corner, then back down the street she had missed, frantically looking for the right building.

She nearly ran past it, backpedaling and ducking into the doorway of the tall apartment building crammed in between two others, the bars on the bottom windows and the cracks running through them anyway doing a dismal job of making her feel welcome in the space. She tried the handle, but it was locked, and no amount of forcing it seemed to be helping. With her heart pounding in her chest, she peeked out, seeing the pursuing figure reach the corner and look her direction.

She ducked her head in, considering the merits of screaming when she saw the list of apartment numbers beside the door, with buzzer buttons beneath them. She fumbled to pull out the napkin, finally understanding what the other numbers scribbled next to the address were, and hit the appropriate button. It felt like forever as she waited by the door, and she dared not peek out in case the dark follower saw her. Eventually, though, she heard hooves on stairs, followed by the inner door swinging open, revealing the face of Steam Cloud. “Oh, hey, you actually came! Let me get this open an-ACK!” the rest of Steam's words were lost as Wind ran inside, cowering by the stairwell and signaling for Steam to close the door.

Confused, Steam walked outside, looking both directions before shrugging and closing the door. Wind gawked at her when she came back. “You had no clue what could have been out there! How are you so calm?”

Steam frowned. “I live here, I know all sorts of things that could have been out there. One pony walking home was the least worrisome I've seen in a while. Now follow me.” She started up the staircase, waiting at the next landing for Wind to start moving.

It took her a moment, mostly as her face flushed and she realized how paranoid she sounded, but Wind started up the staircase, always one landing behind Steam as she walked all the way to the top floor. At the top, Steam unlocked her apartment, going inside quickly and closing the door behind Wind, locking and bolting it behind them both.

Wind walked into the one room apartment, immediately struck by how barren it was. The walls were white, and probably had once been cracked, but there was some paint and spackle piled in the far corner of the room. There was an, admittedly nice, mattress on the floor, the sheets on it neatly made, then the rest of the room was a window looking out into the brick wall on the other side of the alley, an oven, a sink, a tiny counter, a toilet that really should have been placed much further from the counter, preferably in another room, and, nestled in the corner were a couple of posters and a magazine sitting on a crate that was serving as a desk. The posters were of trains, including one that split off into a diagram of the engine. The magazine was an issue of Tinker's Craft, the latest one. She wasn't sure where the rest were hidden, but Wind had a feeling there was more than one issue.

She turned to say something, but stopped herself when she saw Steam concentrating, a golden glow coming from somewhere in her mane. A few seconds later, a beam of magic came out, parting the mane and lining the walls, ceiling, and floor in a magical sheen. When all surfaces were covered, it melded into them, disappearing as it did. As soon as that was done, Steam sat down, breathing slightly heavily. Wind watched it all, a few questions in her head, but one was bugging her more than the others. “Why do you hide your horn in your mane? You do it at the restaurant too.”

Steam looked at her like she'd just asked her how to walk. “You're kidding right? Or are you really that naive?” After another moment she got up, walking to the center of the room. “It's a good thing I put up the sound barrier before you said anything. It really doesn't pay to be a known unicorn here... Anyway, welcome to my humble apartment, and congratulations on being the first pony to come up to visit. The bathroom, bedroom, study, kitchen, and workroom can be found here,” she said, gesturing generally to the space around her. “Now that you've had the tour, you wanted my help on the kinetic engine for your flying rig, right?”

Wind wanted to feel offended at the response, but her excitement to get going and her embarrassment from earlier were enough to cancel that as she set down her bags. One had a full set of spare tools, minus a few specialty ones that really couldn't be transferred without somepony noticing, and the other contained the object in question: the kinetic engine. Or, rather, the broken one lovingly removed from the heart of the clockwork pegasus. She offered it over to Steam, smiling as she did. “I can take it apart and put it back together until the cows come home, it's not making it work any better.”

The engine hovered into the air thanks to Steam's magic, floating over to rest in front of her wide eyes. “You... you actually took it out of the machine? And you brought it out here?” She glanced at Wind, smiling a little. “You are naive, but you're also lucky. I happen to be a very trustworthy pony.” She moved over to her bed, sitting on the mattress while examining the floating machinery.

Wind frowned at Steam's comments. “Why do you keep saying that? You're the one that invited me up to your apartment the second time we met, even though you keep acting like I'm going to suddenly stab you.”

Steam let the engine fall into her hoof, frowning back at Wind. “And you invited me into your home the first time we met. A tinker's workshop and your place of work, and you just let me in the front door. You even offered me cocoa.”

“You'd just saved my life!”

Steam smirked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you said you weren't going to mention that?” She giggled as Wind threw out her wings in frustration and walked angrily to the corner with the crate. “I'm only teasing you. You seem to have a rather... charmed vision of what life is like. I sort of wish I still thought like that.”

Wind hoofed at the lid of the crate, accidentally knocking it askew, though finding the other issues of Tinker's Craft in the process. “Yeah, well... the world isn't all sunshine and lollipops, but that doesn't mean I have to act like it's out to get me.” She looked up at the poster, tapping idly on the wooden box.

“That's because it's not. But you aren't the one living in this dump.” Steam's horn glowed once again, wrapping around the device, but nothing seemed to happen. She closed her eyes, really focusing and channeling energy, but still there was little to show for it. After a moment, she frowned. “You said you can take this apart, right? Could you? I need to see the interior and I'm afraid I'll break it.”

Wind walked across the room, picking up a few tools on the way and kneeling on the ground. It wasn't as comfortable as using a workbench, but she had no clue how she was going to get that across town, so this was going to have to do. She got to work, unscrewing screws, removing bolts, and taking off small metal plates in an almost memorized pattern. As she did, she glanced at Steam, who watched her intently. “You were doing alright a month ago in the shop. Why couldn't you be doing this?”

Steam leaned back against the wall, still watching the pegasus work. “It's not that I couldn't, I'm just out of practice. Working at your shop was the first time I've gotten anywhere near tinker's tools in... it's got to be over four years now.”

Wind nodded, impressed, though she couldn't show it through her focus. “You were doing pretty good for taking that long off. I start feeling out of practice if I go for more than a couple days.”

“Yeah, but look at what you're doing.”

Wind stopped at that statement, placing down the tiny gear she carefully held between two feathers. The interior of the engine was littered with them, infinitely complex once you got past the outer shell. “What do you mean?”

Steam gestured at all of the tiny components carefully laid out. “That! The kind of magical control needed to manipulate things that small without damaging them is immense, and forget about doing it with hooves. It would take a lot of training, a pair of tweezers, and even then it would take hours. All this clockwork stuff you're doing? It's impressive.”

Wind looked completely confused by that statement, looking her work over. “Is it? Huh... I guess I could see that.” She started back to work, removing gears and springs and tiny pistons with ease. “I got my cutie mark fixing my brother's wind up toy, so I guess it never struck me as difficult. Mom's boilers in her perfumery were way more vexing. It was really hard for me to do the metalwork on my whirligigs...”

Steam nodded. “See, that's where I'm really good. My dad used to make these big machines he'd get to run on steam and magic, so boilers and big moving parts? I'm all over those. Though I would really like to see the inside of one of those Crystal Empire trains. I hear it's all done in crystal and magic, and I would love to see how they tick.”

Wind looked up, seeing Steam looking across the room at one of the train posters. “If you're all over boilers and trains, where did you get the idea of the kinetic engine from? I tried looking them up, and there isn't really much to go on.”

Steam's gaze fell from the poster, and some of the happiness came away with it. “Oh, that was my dad too. It was sort of an idea floating around before that, but he really pioneered it when he built this big driving machine on wheels. Kind of like a carriage, but run on an engine. Anyway, his brother wanted to try to fuse that with a cider brewery, which they did, but trying to get it to roll used up all of both of their magic.

That's when dad tested out the kinetic engine. All he had to do was charge the batteries in it, which he could do whenever he wanted, and it could get rolling off of that power. Then, once the boiler and the steam engine were able to keep it rolling, the kinetic engine created energy from the movements of the machine, normally filling up its battery by the time they stopped and letting the riders roll in style.” She was smiling at the end of her speech, a hint of pride in her voice.

“Who was your father?” asked Wind as she took apart the inner shell of the engine. “His name should be all over the history books if he really did pioneer this thing.”

Steam looked a little startled, backpedaling the moment the question was asked. “He wasn't really anypony... just a salespony that got pulled into a few too many get rich quick schemes by his brother. And the steam carriage never really caught on, so even though he was the one to get the engine idea working, there's not much record past the conceptual stage.”

Wind Key paused for a moment, frowning. “Well that's not fair. You'd think there'd be some sort of fame for making something like this.”

“Dad didn't much want the attention anyway. He always said he was lucky he'd convinced mom to marry him after all the trouble he'd caused Equestria beforehoof.” She shrugged, looking at the progress made so far on the engine. “Wait! There, we've got access to the batteries. Let me just...” Steam floated a small crystal orb from its fitting in the engine, taking a fair bit of the rest of the engine with it, as there was a wire coming from inside the crystal. “Huh... that's different, whoever did this got around power conversion... No wonder something this small could power that pegasus. But this is... way ahead of anything we have now...”

She lowered herself down to where the crystal hovered, careful not to move it and potentially cause damage. “Okay... seeing this, there are three possible problems, and two of them scuttle this engine for use. Either there is a problem with the conversion, which is integrated with the crystal and doing something I've never seen before, there's a problem with the crystal, which is carefully cut and highly specialized to the converter it’s integrated with, or there is a problem with something else, which we could totally fix. Let me just test one thing.” She closed her eyes, focusing intently as her horn began to glow brightly. As she did, the crystal began to glow as well, turning from its pale blue to a glowing gold that matched her magic perfectly. After a few seconds, though, the gentle glow seemed to snag on something, rushing out of the crystal and causing a bit of electricity to arc from the wire to Steam's nose. She jumped back, yelping in pain, before she rubbed her nose and made her diagnosis. “The crystal holds a charge alright, but it's cracked in there deep, and that's shorting the rest of it. We're going to have to start from scratch.”

Wind looked at the many pieces of the engine before her and sighed. “And I was so close too... oh well. I guess it's time to start studying up on getting the engine together.” She got up, starting for the door, when Steam stopped her with a gentle magic tug.

“Hold it. Where do you think you're going?” Wind turned around, about to explain herself when Steam held up a hoof. “Nope, you're trying to do this alone. I get that, really, but you've got me interested, and I think I can speed up the process for you.”

Wind perked up a little. “You can?”

Steam nodded. “Yep. Have you started any work on the main body of your flying rig yet?” Wind shook her head, causing a grin to spread across Steam's face. “Good, you'd be throwing out a lot of work. Next time you come over, bring the blueprints we worked on last time, some spare planning paper, and... no, no, we'll hold off on lugging metal across town until it's a little more finalized.”

Wind perked up, walking back over to Steam, a slight spring in her step despite the bad news with the engine. “Next time? You mean you'll keep working with me?”

Steam smirked. “Until that thing flies or we run out of ideas.” She was prepared to shake hooves, maybe hoof bump and cheer, but that was it. She wasn't ready for the flying hug that tackled her to her bed.

“Oh, thank you! I am so close to my dream, if you can help me reach it, you have no idea what it'll mean to me!” Wind squeezed tighter, getting only a tap on the shoulder in response to her words. When she pulled away to investigate, she heard Steam gasp for breath.

After Wind awkwardly got off of the bed and let Steam get some air, she finally responded. “I can guess. After all, I walk with my head in the clouds sometimes too.” She chuckled at her joke, which Wind didn't actually think was too funny, and then looked at all of the pieces on the floor. “If you want to put this back together and put it back in your pegasus, it might be a better idea than leaving it here. Though that does depend on if you can fly with that. It's getting about as late as you should be out at night.”

Wind looked at the mess and thought for a moment. “Ah, well... yeah, I should be able to make it if I leave the tools here... just gonna have to hope that it's light enough to get your position in my head for the next meeting.” She went back to the pieces of the engine, carefully reorganizing them and putting them back into place. The process was almost as fast as taking it apart, but there was still time to talk a little and let both mares get a better feel for the pony they were working with.

When the engine was completed, Wind slipped it into her bag, a little sad to be leaving, even if the apartment wasn't precisely comfortable.

As she went to the door, Steam got up as well. “I'll walk you out. How's a week from today sound for the next meeting?”

Wind fluttered in the air in excitement, having almost forgot she would be coming back so soon. “Works for me!”

“Great!” The unicorn walked over to the sink, pulling up a small mirror with her hoof and using the other one to smooth her mane over her horn. When that was done, she went to the door and unlocked it, opening it for Wind. “After you.” She walked her guest down the stairs and outside, waving her off as she spiraled up into the dark night sky and disappeared over the buildings.

Climbing back up to her room, she looked at the pile of tools left sitting in the middle of her room. She moved them over to the crate, sticking them underneath just in case her landlord took an interest, a massive grin on her face.. The next week couldn't go by quick enough.

Wind Key and Steam Cloud had three meetings in the following month, and, considering each one was only about two hours of time, incredible strides were made towards the next iteration of what Steam had taken to calling the Ready Wings, much to Wind's chagrin. It sounded like something off of a diner menu, but she had to admit it had a certain ring to it, so until it really grated on her she was letting Steam have her fun there. It had only taken them one meeting to figure out the ideal power ratios of the newest design, with variations for how much weight could be placed within the mechanics themselves, and then another two to design an engine that they could actually fit and work within that system. By the end of the final meeting, the plan was set, and the materials needed were listed down for work to begin.

However, that plan immediately hit a snag. Wind was going to have issues transporting too many materials across town, her wings just not up for lugging a bunch of metal, and even if they were, too much in one go would bring strange looks from Clockwork. Wind was fond of her boss, but she had a feeling the threats made when Steam got kicked out weren't idle. On top of that, certain tools just couldn't leave the shop, meaning certain jobs wouldn't be able to be done at Steam's apartment. To further complicate matters, there were a few materials on the list that would be very tricky to get a hold of, primarily the battery crystals for the engine. They were rare and expensive agents, and worse, they were something only ever used by unicorns. Getting any this deep into the Republic was going to prove difficult, cut correctly or not. The bits that would be sunk into that alone could probably fund the rest of the venture twice over, and Wind was sure she wouldn't be able to get an advance like that from her employer.

As fate would have it, she wouldn't need to. On the day of their fifth meeting, when they were actually going to begin work on the project, Wind Key woke up early to get some preliminary welding for the outer structure done. However, just as she put on the heavy goggles and boots and was about to start the welding torch, Clockwork walked into the shop early doing something she didn't do very often: looking happy.

This wasn't to say that Clockwork didn't have her moments of joy, but she tended to be stern and meticulous to a point of irritation from the moment she arrived precisely on time to open up the shop until the moment she left just after closing. She always stuck to a schedule, demanded precision in both her and Wind's work, and generally was a predictable stick in the mud.

Just the fact that she had not only broken routine but was doing so with a smile was more than enough reason for Wind to stop what she was doing and raise her goggles. “Clockwork, are you feeling alright?”

Clockwork's eyes fell on Wind and her grin managed to spread, looking nearly foreign on her muzzle. “Ah! You're up, wonderful! Wind Key, we have been given an incredible opportunity.” She walked over, placing a hoof around Wind's shoulder in camaraderie, something she absolutely never did. “Our shop has been given the single biggest contract I have ever seen. If it is successful... Oh, just think of the upgrades that will happen around here.”

Wind was too busy wondering what had gotten into her boss to think about upgrades. “Well, that's great!” After a few moments of awkward silence trapped in Clockwork's hug, Wind coughed nervously. “So... uh... What's the contract?”

Clockwork snapped out of whatever fantasy world she was imagining. “Oh! Right, well, there are actually two parts. The first is that we have been asked to help repair some of the more technical equipment being used on the front lines by our troops. Of course, I accepted that unconditionally, as I would do anything to support our glorious Republic.” She placed her other hoof to her heart, looking towards a small New Lunar Republic flag pinned to the wall.

“Right...” Wind always hated when Clockwork got political... but a few extra bits in the paycheck wouldn't hurt, and what harm was there in helping make sure a few less ponies got hurt from bad equipment? “What's the second part?”

“That was optional, and at first I thought I would turn it down, but then I remembered that I have living in my shop one of the most talented and clever tinkerers in the whole of Equestria.” Wind blushed a little at the compliment, knowing how much Clockwork tended to exaggerate when she was in a good mood. “What they needed was a pony willing to come up with inventions for the front line, to end this war sooner. Particularly weapons, and I thought about you first.”

Immediately that warm fuzzy feeling drained, replaced by a cold breeze blowing through Wind's whole body. “W-what?”

“You are a wellspring of creativity, Wind, and I saw that from the moment I looked at you. And your inventions? Sure, they haven't worked out quite yet, but they are still brilliant. You are so close! This might be the thing to kick start the mental process for that. After all don't you remember the damage that giant thing in your room did? Lower the blades a little, put some armor on the outside, make it drive forward... you'd have a war machine!” Clockwork's smile grew, as though what she had said wasn't one of the most disgusting things Wind had ever heard.

Wind just stood there dumbfounded as Clockwork prattled on about how her original winged machine could be used as extra blades for pegasus flybys, wondering how her world had come to this. Yes, it was a time of war, and in some ways she should have seen it coming, but... Her search for her father, her brother killed in this senselessness... She was no fighter, and now, even the first part of the contract seemed a step too far. Her father had fled to avoid fighting... she had always been very much her father's child. “No... No, I don't build weapons and I'm not going to help wage this war.”

“Wind... You wouldn't be waging this war, you would be ending it. And, of course, if you told me what you would need, I would be more than happy to get you any supplies you require.” Those words stalled Wind's thoughts, seeing a perfect opportunity to get the parts she needed...

She stood there quietly, contemplating the offer. This was her big chance to get everything she wanted, to finally see her dream fulfilled... but what would it cost her? “Can... can I make my decision tomorrow?”

Clockwork's grin became a warm smile. “Of course, Wind. The first work order comes in tomorrow, and I can send off my answer then.” She walked to the front of the shop then, presumably to open up, leaving Wind to stare at her heavy boots... Her job, and Clockwork's care and tutelage, for the price of her hooves stained with her brother's kinsponies' blood? Or seeing her dream fulfilled, only to watch the rest of her life crumble around her when it was found out...

After a long while, she sighed, putting the goggles over her eyes once more as she started the flame on the welder's torch. This would require careful thought, and Wind always thought better while working.

Nightmares

As traitorous as Fluttershy felt doing so, she, along with more than half of the pegasi stationed or cared for at the field hospital, packed up her belongings and left. What she had brought with her wasn't much, just her journal, her veterinary bag, and some food for Angel, but she packed it just the same, not bothering to give back the medical supplies she had been given with her position. It was terribly rude to do so, she knew, but with how many ponies were moving out, she couldn't afford to be unprepared.

While the majority of the pegasi took wing from the camp, some heading to their homes in the Empire and most going straight for the border, a few of the indignant injured had to make their way by hoof, and Fluttershy wasn't going to let them go unattended. She wouldn't be following them or doting on them, but if one fell as she traveled behind, she was going to make sure she was ready. However, it was her final patient that she worried for the most.

Dented could barely walk on his own three hooves, stumbling and losing balance even with the guidance of another pony, so Fluttershy made sure to stay by him. It was hard doing so, considering how much pain he'd put her through, both in the arduous process of saving his life and the aftermath of taking care of him, but he still held all his faith in her. He trusted that she would get him home, and she was going to do just that...

And in a lot of ways, she had to thank him. He had helped her see the ponies she had turned a blind eye to previously, and was immensely supportive in her hour of need. Angel was a wonderful, truly caring companion, but it was nice to have a pony there for her, going through the same problems and encouraging her every step of the way. She didn't pour out her fears to him like she did her bunny, but even so, he always had a little bit of encouragement right when she needed it.

As they walked through the woods, the rough ground wreaking havoc on his balance and causing both ponies to struggle, he kept a smile on his strained face, conversation keeping the travel at the back of their minds.. “So... I haven't told you about myself, have I?” Fluttershy shook her head, focusing on the ground. “Well, I used to be an actor. It wasn't much, just a little community theater in a small town, but I tried to be entertaining, and ponies seemed to like it. I'd help out with events or announcements, whatever I was needed for. Then, when the whole rift happened and the war broke out and suddenly I ended up on the Republic's side...” He looked to the ground, deflating visibly. “I joined as a courier. Just messages from the back lines to the front, in the hopes of maybe ending it a little early. There was never supposed to be any fighting...”

They paused at a small river, sitting down on a rock on the bank, and as they drank from the stream, Dented continued on his train of thought.. “I wonder how my mother's doing. I haven't seen her since the war began, though she'd hate to see me now. She always said I'd poke my eye out goofing off in her theater.” He smirked, standing up and posing proudly. “Look at how wrong she was!” He chuckled a little, and though Fluttershy thought the joke in poor taste, she couldn't help but smile as well.

By the time they made it through the woods, the shadows were growing longer, and up ahead Fluttershy could see a small camp of the slower injured ponies forming for the night. With how fatigued Dented was, she brought him to the camp, where they were welcomed with open arms. There was no place for infighting here, and a medical pony was gladly welcomed to what food they had all brought along.

Fluttershy made habitual rounds that night, making sure the half dozen ponies camped there were comfortable and providing care when need be. It was nothing more than some slipping bandages and fixing one popped stitch, but it was tricky work by firelight, the pale moon high overhead providing little help. Dented, unsurprisingly, needed the most care, his myriad wounds and burns needing extra attention and medicine, though he looked sheepish when she worked on him. “I don't want to be a burden. You don't have to go all out for me...”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It's no trouble at all. Just promise me you'll keep yourself safe when you get back to the Republic.” She would get him there, and then... she didn't know. Part ways, she supposed. But to carry on or turn back, she'd just need to figure out when she got there.

As she was working on a salve to remove some of the ache in his missing limbs, he spoke, seemingly to nopony and at the same time purposefully directed. “I can still see her...”

Fluttershy was startled by the suddenly broken silence, though her hooves remained careful in their work.“I'm sorry?”

“Right before this happened... I was in Cloudsdale, talking with a mare about evacuation.” His eye went wide, and like that he was gone, mind miles away while his body stared at the dancing flames of the campfire. “I was telling her that she had to leave. That with the battling, it wasn't safe to stay where she was. She needed to go to the city center, not stay on the outskirts where the fights were raging. I had almost convinced her, and then...” His pupil shrank. “It all happened so fast. Just a moment's warning, the cloud boiling behind her, lighting up like a sun in the night and moving like a meteor straight towards us...”

He closed his eye, shaking where he sat on the cold, hard ground. “I saw it coming and was able to move, but she... it was right behind her. It flew so fast... one second she was there, and the next there was just mist and darkness. But, for just a moment, as the fire was the brightest... her face, screaming... The look of pain and fear as her body disappeared from behind her...” He opened his eye, looking at Fluttershy, who was listening intently. “And then half of my world was dark and I was falling.”

He lay down, placing a hoof to the bandages over his missing eye. “ I couldn't help her... couldn't even get her to safety before the attack came.” Tears welled up in his eye, the first she had seen. He hadn't cried during surgery, not more than winced as he'd endured the pain, but with the memory of his failure, the pain was finally too much. “She's burned forever in my vision, beyond sight...”

He went silent, and for a moment Fluttershy felt like she was being waited on, but she didn't know what to say. What could she say to something like that? She looked to Angel for a moment, the bunny shrugging, at a loss for words as well.

But Fluttershy, deep down, knew what was needed. She had failed as well... she knew what he felt. She knew what he needed to hear. “You did everything you could. I... I'm sorry.”

Dented still looked haunted, but his mouth curled into a friendly smile at her words. “Thank you. For everything.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “There's no need for thanks. Times may be hard right now, but we're all going to get through this.”

Dented sat up, looking straight into Fluttershy's eyes, an intense earnestness behind the look. “That's exactly it. You didn't have to save me. You could have left me, or given up, or stayed behind, or turned me in, or aba-”

Fluttershy shook her head again, looking adamant. “No! I couldn't. I couldn't leave you behind like you were, and which side you are on didn't change that fact. I only did what anypony would have done.” Angel stood at Fluttershy's side, backing up her statement with a definitive nod.

Dented's smile faded, though his look of appreciation didn't. “You did much more than that... Whatever you do at the border, say what you just said to the other doctors. They could learn a lot from you.” He stayed silent after that, lost in his own thoughts and the image burned into his mind. Fluttershy watched over him as he settled into sleep, hoping she had given him a little peace. She made one more round of the camp, then settled as well, gathering energy for the long trek ahead of her.

The next morning was cold and bright, and all of the ponies in the camp began moving as soon as they could. There was a deadline on when they had to be gone, and they did not want to be caught within the borders when it was reached. They all left as Fluttershy tended to Dented once more, making sure he was ready for the final stretch of the journey. As they set out, he leaned against her gratefully, using her for balance as he settled on his three hooves. “I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this, Fluttershy. You really didn't deserve it.”

Fluttershy shook her head, making sure to keep a steady pace for him. “You didn't drag me anywhere. This was going to happen whether I saved you or not. Given that choice, I wouldn't ever choose differently.” She smiled gently at him, and he smiled back, though it was fleeting as Dented continued the conversation.

“What are you going to do after this? Are you going to try to go back, or make a new way forward in the Republic?” The border line wasn't very far away. It ran through the forest, no pomp, no circumstance, just the occasional patrol to make sure nopony untoward was sneaking through. They weren't there yet, but it was quite likely they wouldn't know when they'd reached it, so having a plan wasn't a bad thing.

However, at the question, Fluttershy froze up.“I... I...” There was a lot to go through. A lot she had learned and a lot she had been taught the hard way in these past few days. And yet, even so... She could never dream about betraying Princess Celestia or her country... but she didn't know if she was willing to work as she had before, either. Angel looked up at her questioningly from the ground, curious about Fluttershy's answer. It took her a while to find the words, but she knew the answer deep down. “I'm Equestrian through and through. I'm going to keep helping ponies... That's the important part.”

She could see Dented about to ask for more, but at that moment both her and Angel's ears perked, their heads swiveling in unison to pinpoint what they had heard. “Stay here.” was all she said as she stopped supporting Dented, quickly taking wing off to the right where she was sure she'd heard a yell.

She flew between the trees for a surprisingly small distance before she came into a clearing, the aftermath of a battle sprawled out beneath her, the ground stained with blood. Her instincts kicked in immediately as she rushed to the Royal Army soldiers, pulling out her medical bag and tending to the wounds she found. There was a lot of blood, and not one of them were conscious, but thanks to her quick action, all three of them were stabilized quickly and would pull through. She began to pack her kit, her job done, when she noticed Angel hopping across the battlefield towards two more injured, both dressed in the uniform of the New Lunar Republic. They were bleeding as well, in worse shape than their opposite number she'd just healed. And yet, she had been trained for so long that they were her enemy...

Immediately that training vanished, her quick wings taking her over to her new patients. A pony was a pony, and a life a life, and she had two more to save. How she had ever forgotten that, she didn't know, but she wouldn't let it pass now. She got to work, stopping the bleeding and bandaging the wounds on the warriors quickly. They were in slightly worse shape, but so long as medical teams arrived for them soon, they would be fine. It took every last strip of bandage and most of the other supplies that she had on hoof, but in the end, neither side was going to lose a single pony thanks to her care.

Just as she finished work on the last victim of the battle, tying off the bandage around his leg and stopping the bleeding there, Dented hobbled into the clearing, surveying the scene quickly. His voice sounded from the edge as she stood, wiping her brow at a job well done. “If you heal both sides, they will just fight each other another day. You're just prolonging a war that's already gone on far too long.”

Fluttershy turned towards him, knowing he spoke the truth and remaining silent. She had joined to help ponies and keep them from dying, nothing more. Sure, it was supposed to be members of the Royal Army, but that hadn't actually been her goal... She just hadn't realized that either. And it was true that her work was only prolonging the war, but... something buzzed at the back of her mind. Words Steel Battalion had said the day before that stuck like barbs in the back of her mind.

“In war,” Fluttershy said, repeating Steel Battalion’s words and trying to get her own thoughts in order, “there are casualties, and ponies are lost. This is something ponies simply take as a fact. And it is true. But, if there aren't any casualties, and both sides walk away... It's no longer a war, is it? It's just an argument that escalated a little too high.” She looked at him, a happiness in her eyes as she seemed to realize a deep truth. “One way or another, we will have peace.”

Dented didn't really have a response to that, but Fluttershy hoped the smile that spread across his face was for the same reason as hers. It sounded ridiculous, and he could have easily been laughing at her, but... a little hope was never a bad thing.

Fluttershy moved the recovering soldiers to either end of the clearing, keeping the two nations separate as she waited for their medical teams to arrive. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself, especially now that her medical bag was empty, but she felt she was on the cusp of... something. She just didn't know what, and whatever it was, it was going to have to wait, as the Republic's medical team arrived moments later. Fluttershy, Angel, and Dented met with the newly arrived team, filling them in on what happened and ensuring that the ponies were taken care of. As the injured were lifted by the magic of two medical unicorns, Fluttershy heard something across the clearing, leaving Dented to go with his nationals as she dealt with the other side. He was at the border... he was safe now. Whatever she did from here, it was only going to affect her.

The Royal medical team was comprised of six ponies: three unicorns, two earth ponies, and a pegasus. They looked wary when Fluttershy approached, but she showed them that she meant no harm, holding up her medical bag and approaching slowly. After she filled them in on what had happened, she watched the unicorns bark orders at the other three before marching off. She approached the others, seeing anger buried in their motions. “Um... You know, it's not right how you're being treated. You joined to help ponies, and... um...” As soon as the eyes of the three remaining medics were upon her, she froze up, stage fright taking over.

It was then that she was saved by an actor. “You joined the medical corps to help ponies. You, ideally, want to stop a war.” Dented limped his way to the edge of the clearing, a smile on his face despite the strain moving so quickly must have had on him. “But what of all the ponies left behind on the battlefield? Casualties you couldn't save, or didn't pay attention to...” He shook his head. “You did all you could... but there is a way you could do more. If there are no casualties, then there can be no war.” He bowed to the group as they started to move away the injured. “Think about that the next time orders are barked at you. Did you do the right thing? Did you join to help those in need? Or are you just doing what you’re told, another cog in the war machine?”

The medics left, getting their patients to the safety of whatever nearby camp there was, leaving Dented and a mildly surprised Fluttershy. “I thought you would go home with your army. Did you come back to say goodbye?”

Dented shook his head, a smirk on his face. “Quite the opposite. You said something earlier that, as crazy as it sounds, I truly like. You help ponies, you want nothing more than to keep helping ponies... that is the most noble goal I have ever heard.”

Fluttershy blushed. “It's what anypony would do. Though I don't know how much I can keep doing it without supplies or an army...”

“You don't need an army. You just need ponies who share your beliefs. And they are much more common than you think.” With his good wing, Dented gestured to the edge of the clearing, where two of the medical unicorns from the Republic came out of hiding. Each of them had their own medical bags, but hovering between them was another bag, which was placed gently in front of Fluttershy. “A gift, from two ponies who wish to join your cause.”

Fluttershy opened up the bag, seeing it stuffed full of medical supplies. Enough to heal a whole squad, if need be. She looked from the bag to Dented. “My cause?”

Dented smiled. “You are working for peace. That's the only reason I, and many other ponies, joined the war effort at all. They want to help ponies, like you do. And so, they want to help you. As do I.” He walked up to her, still smiling, which only grew when she started to look concerned. “I know I may not have many medical skills, and I doubt that I could ever be half the doctor you can, but... I think I might still be of service.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Dented, you can't stay out here! It's dangerous. There's no tent, there's no camp... even with four of us, this is a silly idea.”

“How about with seven?” The three Royal medics that Dented had talked to earlier came out of the bushes, carrying another bag of supplies, as well as a very large bundle. One of the earth ponies in the group looked towards Dented, a solemn look on his face. “You were right. We weren't doing what we joined to do, and we learned very quickly that the machine thinks it will work without us.” He smirked. “Let's see how the machine works without a tent.”

Dented's smile deepened, amazed that his words could have impact so quickly. Or had their own commander received the same message of paranoia towards their pegasus friend? Either way, there was really only one thing to do. “Element of Kindness, Doctor Fluttershy... I believe this group is yours. What are your orders, oh fearless leader?”

Fluttershy was completely blown away that her crazy little idea, in less than an hour, had so many ponies ready to back it up... and she was horribly worried that they would crumble under her leadership. With all the eager eyes on her, she started to shake, stage fright appearing once more. This wasn't what she had signed up for! She had no idea how to lead!

Just then, Dented walked up behind her, his voice soothing. “Breathe deep, keep calm. A stage is nothing to fear, just name your troupe, play your role, and take it one step at a time.”

Fluttershy nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Um... I don't really...” She looked to Angel, who looked back at her expectantly. They all had their faith in her... She hadn't let down Dented, she wasn't going to falter now. “Peace Corps! Let's find out where we're needed! If... um... that sounds alright to you.”

It might not have been the most convincing start, but a short five years later, there was hardly a pony on the front lines that didn't owe their lives to the Peace Corps. With Fluttershy at their head, and Dented providing moral support, their little force only grew. It was amazing the strength one crazy little idea could have...

Wind Key flew heavily up to Steam Cloud's apartment window, passing in the newly welded Ready Wing exterior before climbing in herself. It was simply faster than going up from street level, and Wind really didn't want to have to deal with the landlady today. She wasn't at all in the mood for being yelled at. However, the unusually dour look on her usually peppy face was noticed by her partner. “Wind? Are you alright? Hit another smog cloud on your way here?”

Wind sighed, shaking her head. “No, it's not that... It's work stuff, not important.” She stretched out her wings and legs a little, cooling off from the flight across town and nodding towards the brass case as she did so. “That's the right shape for it, right? I don't need to bang it out or add anything?” She looked at Steam for confirmation, but was only met with a frown.

“Don't do that, Wind. You let me vent about the ponies at the diner when I was down. You're never in this big a funk.” Wind went to ask about something and Steam cut her off. “The outer frame is perfect. Now what's wrong?”

Wind's face contorted, and for a moment she looked to the window for an escape route, but eventually she gave in, walking over to Steam's bed and flopping onto it. “We've got a new order in, and the shop's going to be in good standing and all and I'm really happy for Clockwork, but...” She stalled, thinking about the best way to phrase the worries that had been eating at her all day.

Steam walked over to the mattress, looking down into Wind's conflicted ivy eyes. “Buuuuut?”

Wind sighed. “I don't like it! It's a bunch of military repair stuff, all for the war effort.”

Steam tilted her head. “And you don't support the war effort?”

“It's not that. There's a second part of the deal, basically money for weapons, and... I'm not cool with that.” She turned over, looking at the wall, searching the white plaster for the images floating in her mind. “I don't want to hurt anypony, and I don't want my inventions hurting them either. There's been enough pain and death without my help in the matter.” She flipped over, seeing the confused look on Steam's face. “But if I work on a weapon, Clockwork's already agreed to get me anything I need. Things like, oh, I dunno, a power crystal that's impossible to get your hooves on... And I dunno what to do. We need the parts to finish the Ready Wings, but I don't want any part in this stupid war.”

Steam's confusion turned into another frown as she thought about the issue, taking everything she knew about her friend into account. She'd been focused on the project every time she'd come in here, but there were enough little hints and clues dropped to know that there was a very personal and painful reason why she didn't want to help with the war effort. Steam could only sympathize, but with the perfect chance in their grasp... “There's only one thing to be done for it.” She knelt down, coming down to eye level with Wind. “Lie. Say you're making a weapon, make a whole order list of everything you need, and make the wings instead.”

Wind shot up on the bed, looking indignantly at Steam. “I can't just lie to Clockwork! She's done way too much for me to betray her trust like that. Besides, that's stealing.”

Steam looked at Wind flatly. “You're sitting in the room of a unicorn you already promised your boss you wouldn't ever talk to again using tools you snuck out of her shop to build a side project you've been working on for years in her shop.”

“That's all different!”

“How?” The silence hung awkwardly in the air as Wind looked for answers in the apartment. Steam just watched, crossing her arms and growing impatient with every second. “Well?”

“None of this hurts her, and I've never been untrue.” Wind stopped looking around the room, meeting Steam's gaze with her own. “I was taught very well about the importance of the truth. Of finding it and sticking to it. Yes, sometimes I obscure it, but I never break it. I have never lied to her about where I am, or left before the shop closed. I've never taken anything that wasn't mine or would be needed, or missed a deadline to work on my project, or refused a task Clockwork needed my help with. This is all my dream, worked on in my own time. I'm not going to change that now.”

Steam's annoyance and anger drained away as she listened to the answer, seeing the intent and determination in Wind's eyes. Some of her ideals were almost childish, but listening to them, Steam didn't want to attack them. It would be like hitting a puppy for barking... She respected, and in many ways envied, Wind for what she said. They were the same age, after all... when had she stopped thinking like that?

However, ponies were still ponies, and if Steam had learned anything from her father, it was that they could be sold anything with the right words, and Wind had given her quite the pitch to make. “You don't have to change anything, but maybe lying was the wrong word for it. The 'weapons' for the Republic are all just to help our soldiers, right?”

Wind nodded, not sure where her friend would be going with this. “Yeah?”

“Well, what you are making is helping them. It might not be something to blow the Empire troops away, but giving that kind of mobility to all the ponies on the front line, not just the pegasi? It would be a major advantage over the other side. You would be fulfilling your contract without actually making anything to directly hurt anypony, and problem solved.”

Wind didn't look too convinced as she slumped against the wall. “But Clockwork wants a weapon, and I'm pretty sure the Republic does too... even if I am giving them something they'd like, they'd never agree to it.”

Steam shrugged. “Of course not, but that's them being narrow minded. What you do is, if they ask you about the parts, you give them a false blueprint for some energy cannon or something. You get the parts, then, on the day you go to turn it in, give them the wings. It won't be what they were expecting, it'll be even better. They might be mad, but in this case, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Wind rolled her head against the wall, mulling Steam's words over. “I dunno... I wouldn't even know where to begin on a weapon design...”

Steam smirked at her. “Oh, that's easy. I could whip you up a fake one before you even leave.”

Wind shook her head, pushing herself up and trotting angrily across the room. “Look, this mess can be dealt with later, alright? Let's just focus on the project at hoof. We've got the shell and the majority of the pieces, what can we put into place now before the engine is needed?” She walked over to the brass shell she'd brought in, pulling Steam into the conversation on the part and getting the pieces mapped out in her head, completely leaving her worries about the shop behind her. That conversation was over, and she was going to figure it out on her own, while working, when she thought best. And, to be fair to Steam, she never brought up the touchy subject again.

She just silently offered up a blueprint at the end of the night, though with the look on Wind's face as she flew off with it, Steam couldn't bring herself to smile. She just had to hope Wind would make the right call.

Clockwork was thrilled to hear about Wind Key's accepting of the second part of the contract, and was even a pleasantly surprised to hear that Wind already had a blueprint ready. When she looked it over, most of the materials she asked for were simple enough, but there was one sticking point in the shape of a very large, very pricey, very difficult to obtain crystal. “Wind Key, don't think that I doubt your ability or your creativity on this point, but... isn't there some other way that you could manage the power for the device?” Clockwork said, worried about how much the Republic would like this plan with such a costly component.

Wind shook her head, glad that the bandanna tied over her mane hid her sweat so well. “Nope. I could maybe come down on the size of the crystal needed, if you want it to be cut before being sent, but I imagine that would only raise the cost and could possibly give away what the purpose is for.”

Clockwork looked at the item on the list, worry written all over her face. “It's just that this is unicorn magic. Assuming you could find one of those monsters in the Republic anymore, what use would we have of that mess?”

Wind took a step back from her mentor, talking slowly as her mind steadied from the jolt it just took. “...it's to provide the power needed in a compact form. The equivalent for it would be a small boiler the size of a stove...” She stepped in front of Clockwork again. “I'm sorry, why is it that you say that unicorns are monsters? What did they ever do to you?”

Clockwork gave an indignant huff. “What did they do to me? Wind! I am surprised at you! We earth ponies and pegasi have suffered for far too long under the magical yoke of Canterlot and the unicorns! With all of their focus on magical study, leaving those without the gift to fall to the wayside in a technological wasteland... They burned Cloudsdale to the ground at the first sign of insurrection, and attempted to murder our beloved Princess! Calling unicorns 'monsters' is an insult to monsters, really.”

Wind Key sighed deeply internally. That kind of thought was precisely why the war kept going... She'd heard something so very similar all too much in the month leading to her leaving Equestria. A few years later, she had hoped it had faded away, but here it was again, aimed not at her, but no less hurtful. “You know, my brother died beneath Cloudsdale. A lot of ponies did, on both sides... but it wasn't the unicorns who killed them. It was the fault of the nation for loosing the attack, and for not warning their own side it was coming.”

Clockwork snorted. “A taste of their own medicine, not getting their ponies out in time. Though I will bet the unicorns weren't there when the fireballs landed...” And then a spark gleamed in her eye. “But they will be on the other end of this... Energy Cannon you've made, right? And you're sure you can make it work?” Wind Key eventually nodded, not saying a word as she suppressed the anger Clockwork didn't even know she'd caused. The earth pony smiled impishly, considering the list once more. “... I shall see what I can do.”

Wind Key was silent as Clockwork walked off, but she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Yes, if the energy cannon was made, it would be unicorns on the other end… If that thought made Clockwork happy and gave Wind the crystal, then that was what she would believe. But if it was the last thing Wind did, there would never be a cannon. The only thing on the other end of the device she made would be the open sky, sailing beneath the hooves of any earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus that strapped it on.

She just had to keep Clockwork in the dark a little longer... and after what she'd just heard, she suddenly didn't feel so bad about it.

Over the following weeks the pieces came in and the parts were assembled, both in the comfort of Clockwork's shop and in the secrecy of Steam Cloud's apartment. Wire and brass became the skeleton for the wings, while canvas stretched across their center promised to catch the wind and make them soar. Springs and cogs, gears and levers, each were crafted and fitted into the puzzling shape, one by one, evening after evening, until only one piece remained. Before anything else could be placed, the mainspring wound or the casing locked, the most important part had to be fabricated. The kinetic engine was ready, each of its pieces awaiting their place... they just needed the crystal battery, coming in the mail.

Wind Key catalogued all of the engine pieces for the third time that night, sitting with barely contained excitement in Steam Cloud's apartment. She had spent more and more evenings up here as the pieces had come in, and now, with everything so close, it was all she could do to stop herself from pacing on the spot or prancing with excitement. Because this, even more than all of her other attempts, truly felt like the brink of discovery. And she had gotten to share it with somepony else.

She looked over toward Steam, who was moving the various mechanics with her magic. Her golden glow slid over the brass, checking it for flaws as it lifted and extended the wings, turning small pieces and testing the strength behind the bolts. She even lifted up the straps, cut much too prematurely considering they had nothing to connect to yet, and made sure they were in perfect shape too. Wind hadn't ever seen Steam this alive or energetic. She could almost feel the magic thrum off of Steam's horn as she worked, doing something she loved that had been denied to her for so long. Without that sky blue unicorn, the pegasus would've never come this far... she was truly happy to have found such a dedicated mare to work with.

As Wind watched, Steam's eyes closed, her magic growing brighter as she focused on the strap's brass buckles. It took her a very long time, her face every so often showing just a hint of exertion, and then she placed the buckles down, looking no different than before. As the magic wrapped around the main body of the Ready Wings, Wind's brow furrowed, a memory nudging at the back of her mind, but curiosity at the forefront. “What're you doing?”

Steam continued to work over the various parts, a small smile on her face. “Well, I remembered our last endeavor with your wings, and while I like this one's chances to fly, I'd rather not see the tester plummeting from the sky again. I just put an enchantment on the buckle that should keep it from tangling or jamming, and I was thinking about putting a few upkeep and durability enchantments on the important joints. Possibly see if I could magic a vacuum around the mainspring...” She smiled brightly. “I can't wait to see this thing fly! I'm just making sure it's first flight isn't its last.”

It was then that Wind's memory actually made its way to the foreground, just a little thing her father had once told her. “I thought unicorns had trouble using their magic on brass? Like, it scatters it or something.”

Steam raised an eyebrow, nodding. “Yeah, that's true, though it's fairly uncommon knowledge. Nopony has fully figured out why, but there's something about the alloy, no matter how it's put together, that just doesn't do well with magic. Grabbing onto brass with magic is a bit like... trying to walk on a frozen lake. You can slip very easily, and your hooves are never fully anchored, but with a little practice you can walk on it just fine, or even skate along it gracefully.”

Wind shrugged, starting to return to her cataloguing. “Makes sense. My dad ended up using a brass room against a unicorn chasing him because it scattered the magic she was trying to use to track him. I thought it might all be like that, but then magic is a very varied thing, isn't it?”

“Oh, incredibly. And anything like a scan gets thrown way off by brass unless it's done by the highest level unicorns. But there's actually a secret to brass, which, I am proud to say, is what got me my cutie mark.” She showed off her flank, the brass horseshoe surrounded by clouds, and smiled wistfully. “Dad had been working on some small machine or another, and it was one of these upkeep enchantments that he was trying to cast, but he couldn't get it to stick to the brass. I was playing in the room, and when he got fed up with it, he stormed out. I wasn't too much of a mage at the time, but I wanted to help out, so I climbed up and focused really hard on his machine, and then I slipped by the barrier and the spell was in. Except, I didn't know the correct spell, so what ended up happening was the gear started floating above the desk. Still, when dad came in, he was so proud he tried to get me to enchant everything with any spell I knew, and by the end of the evening I had a room full of floating cogs, glowing toys, bouncy horseshoes, and a brand new cutie mark!”

She smirked, looking rather proud of her story, and Wind smirked for a completely different reason. She couldn't begin to imagine what magic was like to cast, so she couldn't really empathize with Steam too much, but hearing the unicorn finally tell her the cutie mark story made her feel that much closer to her friend.

After a couple seconds of silent boasting and posing, Steam got back on topic. “Anyway, what I found out was that brass, while incredibly difficult to manipulate or penetrate with magic, is also incredibly potent as a storage medium for magic. It clings to any enchantment able to pierce it as zealously as it repels any magic that doesn't, meaning that spells enchanted into brass last a lot longer than those enchanted into more receptive metals like gold, silver, or copper, or even most of the more magic attuned crystals. In fact, those shoes you saw me in on the night when I caught you? I had made them as a gift for my mother about seven years ago, and she gave them back right before she and dad left...” Immediately some of the happiness left Steam's face, that joyful buzz she had visibly retreating into the rest of her as she began to focus on her work again.

Wind tried to reach out for that hiding Steam Cloud, hoping to catch her before she was gone. “Hey, if brass is so good with enchantments, why do we need the crystals? Couldn't we just put a brass core in the engine?”

Unfortunately, the truly open Steam was gone again, though her excitement and happiness at a nearly completed project were still open and abound. “Brass holds on to magic far too well, and doesn't let go for anything. A static spell works in it, since all it has to do is exist, but for anything requiring an energy transfer, like a battery or a magic beam or a shield, the brass holds back so much of it that it's very weak if it works at all.”

“Huh... well then I guess we're going to need that crystal after all.” Wind looked at the pieces of the wings, all ready, all waiting on that one crucial, essential item. “Let's just hope it arrives soon. I don't know how much longer I can wait.”

Steam smiled, surveying their work with pride. “Me neither.”

Clockwork came through on her promise quickly, and just over a week after everything else was in place, the crystal arrived. It was one large piece, a little larger than a head of lettuce and an opaque, dull light blue, roughly hewn from the rocks it had grown in, but the potential was there. From the moment Wind Key's eyes fell on it, she could sense that her moment, her dream, had finally come to be. The key was within her grasp, ready to be cut from the crystal core and set everything in motion...

But it was not as simple as that. “Wind, I need something to show for this. Set this thing and let's see your cannon in action.” Clockwork pulled the large mineral from under Wind Key's hoof, holding it carefully. “You would not believe the things I had to go through to get this for you... This had better be worth it.”

Wind reached out again, touching the rough surface of the crystal. She just had to get it into her own hooves... “It won't fit the design how it is now. It needs to be cut down and refined.”

“Do you need it sent to a jewelry shop? Do you think you have the tools here? I'm sure I had a lens grinder around here somewhere that might work for this...”

“No!” Wind checked herself the second the outburst hit, breathing and letting the excitement ebb a little. “No, I can take care of it, but I don't have the tools here. I'll get to work on it after we finish tonight.”

“You don't have the tools here?” Clockwork's eyes narrowed. “You have been sneaking out. I thought I was missing a tool set... and this would explain where the project is. Did you get another workshop for it?”

Wind's face was spread in a strained smile, sweat beading in her bandanna. “Y-yeah! I was feeling a little cramped in here, and I didn't want anything to happen to it while we were working on things here.” She held the smile for another moment, going over her story... it wasn't particularly strong. “Since everything in my room is about the flying machine and we've had so much work in here, I didn't want anything getting mixed together or used on the wrong project. You know how many things accidentally ended up in a wing design.” She laughed nervously, but knowingly, hoping Clockwork would put the correct pieces together.

Clockwork didn't laugh, but her scrutiny let up a little. “Yeah, more than one metal reorder thanks to your silly wing idea. I'm glad you've moved on from that nonsense.” Wind had to fight not to visibly wince at the words, but at least her mentor had bought it. She really didn't like to lie to her like this... she didn't know how much more she could take. As if called by that thought, Clockwork set down the crystal, looking Wind in the eyes. “So, can I see your progress in your workshop? I'd like to see the tinker in action, as well as ensure her space is secure.”

“No. Um... I, uh...” Just a few more days was all she needed, just enough time for Steam to shape the power conduit from this crystal. Wind had spent almost all of her savings on the expensive gem carving tools needed to get it perfect, transporting them straight to Steam's apartment. There had been something truly enjoyable about seeing her face light up at the new power tools... Steam's happiness warmed Wind's heart every time she got the joy of experiencing it. It took a lot to get past that wall she'd built up, but Steam was such a brilliant, collected, and thoughtful mare beneath it... Wind was truly glad to know her.

But she was terrified of what would happen if Clockwork caught her again. If she found out Wind had seen Steam at all, she'd have a cow... She'd never be allowed to see Steam again, and after everything she'd done for her wings, she'd be forced to build weapons for the rest of her life. And that was if she was lucky... Hearing some of the things Clockwork muttered about unicorns while fixing the army's gear, Wind was afraid of what the earth pony might do to Steam. She'd always been a little strange, but she was harmless.

Remembering the rampage she went on when she found Steam for the first time, Wind modified her assessment: mostly harmless. “I-I don't want you to see the cannon until it's finished!” Wind rushed forward quickly, grabbing the gem firmly from Clockwork's hooves and slipping it onto her back, nestled between her wings. “You've been so looking forward to this creation, I don't want you to see it in anything but its perfect form! Especially should something go wrong in these final stages of testing.”

Clockwork took a step forward, making Wind have to turn quickly to keep her body between her mentor and the crystal. “Wind, you seem to forget that I am rather good with technology myself. I ran this shop alone before you showed up, you know. I could probably help you through any glitches in the machine.”

Wind kept turning, sweat rolling down her temples as she backed away from Clockwork, her smile barely staying in place. “Well, of course you could, but it's all... very dangerous! Yup! High amounts of energy going into this crystal in the end, and one wrong move and the who knows what could happen? I wouldn't want to see you hurt by my failure.”

“And you think I'd like to see you in that danger?” Clockwork kept following, weaving around the retreating pegasus and backing her towards the kitchen, no longer lunging for the crystal, though her eyes didn't leave it. “I still get a little worried every time you use the welding torch. I care about you, Wind. I might be able to help with some sort of safety measure...”

“Well, the place is really small. I don't think we'd both hardly be able to move if we were both in there. Way smaller than this place, but, uh.... creatively open to–“ Wind's rump bumped into the kitchen sink, causing her ears to flatten against her head. She had nowhere to go, and Clockwork just got another step closer.

“Ah, I see... so glad you could get out of this cramped workspace, then...” She grinned dangerously, slowly closing in on the cornered pegasus. “I'll just keep a hold of this hunk of mineral, and I'll deliver it to you this afternoon. I have some free time, it'll be... fun!” Clockwork lunged forward on the last word, only for her hooves to close on open air, Wind having leapt into the air at the same instant.

It was hard to fly and keep the rock on her back steady, so Wind landed lightly on Clockwork's back, keeping most of her weight in the air with her wings as she jumped off of her mentor's dock and over the kitchen counter, galloping to the door once she landed. She slid to a stop there, glancing at the clock just as it chimed noon. “Ah! Look at the time. Well, I'm going to go take my lunch break, I'll be back in an hour!” She reached just inside the workshop, grabbing her bag in her teeth before she ran to the exit, transferring the crystal to the bag as she opened the door and taking flight as Clockwork chased her, a scowl on the earth pony's face.

There was going to be pandemonium when she got back, Wind could already tell, but that bridge would have to wait until she crossed it. Energy was high in the workshop, the extra work and the potential bonus from the incoming invention getting Clockwork particularly tightly wound. She was going to snap at Wind when she got back, no doubt about that, but it would be alright. A reprimand, a little yelling... Wind would need to scrounge together the money to rent a studio for a day. That might calm her down, but plotting more deception simply left a horrible twisting feeling lingering in her gut.

Wind shook her head, taking in a deep breath and coughing at the smog cloud, much further into town than usual. It caused her flight path to wobble and stalled her for a few seconds, but she stayed in the air, flying lower to clear her head. Ever since she started repairing those weapons for the front line, and they were almost exclusively guns and mechanical bows, the smog had been spreading across town. It had always been very contained to the industrial sector, but lately Wind didn't have to fly nearly as far to crash straight into the contaminated air.

But try as she might to distract herself with that, her mind went back to everything she'd done as her flight started. All of these secrets and lies, compounding on each other over and over... They'd be done soon enough. Clockwork would be mad, but.. it would be worth it, right? When she was soaring through the sky like Wind was now, a unicorn's magic helping her feel that simple joy, she'd put all of it behind her. The lack of a weapon, the sneaking around, all of it, and Princess Luna at the capitol would buy it right up. She was one of the first to take an interest in Wind's dream design, really making her think it might be possible. It had just been a hint of fantasy then...

It was nearly a reality now, and the sooner it became one, the better it would be for everypony involved. Wind had visited Steam once or twice at the lunch shift, letting Steam get off her hooves for a few moments and getting a pleasant chat besides. Normally it was about the Ready Wings and getting supplies or changing a design, but once or twice they'd simply talked about work, or the weather... Once, they both just sat in silence, stewing on their horrible day. Just being together, taking solace in each other's company, had seemed to brighten them up.

If Steam was feeling anything like Wind, she didn't need any brightening up, practically vibrating with anticipation while waiting for the crystal. It would be almost cruel to come and give it to Steam at work with so many hours before she could begin shaping it, but... getting it out of the shop seemed like a good idea right now, and maybe a little advice wouldn't hurt either.

Wind Key landed outside of the 5 Wings, trotting inside and taking the open booth furthest in the back, a little away from everypony else and near the kitchen door. She had just gotten a menu up and considered putting food in her tightly knotted stomach when Steam Cloud sat down across from her, an expectant smile on her face. “Hey there, Wind! Anything special bring you out today?”

Wind smiled immediately, some of the tension she'd been holding immediately melting away. “Yeah, actually. I do happen to have some news you might like to hear.” She watched Steam lean in a little closer, and she did too, lowering her voice despite the fact that she couldn't be heard in the noisy restaurant. “The crystal came in today, and it's exactly what we were looking for.”

Steam bounced excitedly in her seat, a happy girlish squeal almost breaking out as she held her hooves to her muzzle. “Awesome! I get to test out the gem cutter! And we're at a week out from the final test.” After taking a moment to compose herself, she leaned forward once more. “So you're coming up tonight, right? We're not going to put this off.”

Wind nodded. “Of course I am. Though... we may want to come in under a week.” She could tell the worry was showing in her face, and she immediately saw the hint of confusion on Steam's. She regretted bringing it up already.

“Did something happen?”

Wind sighed quietly to herself. “Clockwork is getting antsy. She wants to see the Energy Cannon in action, and didn't want to give me the crystal until I took her to where it was being put together... Oh, yeah, she noticed that it wasn't being done in the shop too. And that she's missing some tools.”

Steam winced sympathetically. “Ouch... Wait... didn't want to? So she's agreed to?”

Wind rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck nervously. “Not exactly...” She pushed the bag under the table with her hoof, making sure it bumped into Steam's own, and pointing down when Steam looked at her questioningly. As Steam looked, she kicked the latch, opening the bag and revealing the cloudy crystal within.

“You brought it here?!” Steam hissed once she stopped her jaw from dropping.

Wind closed the bag with her rear hoof, leaning on the table. “She was getting really pushy about being there for the rest of the process, and I kind of... took it from her and ran out for lunch.” She hung her head. “I said I was working at a warehouse in town. Hopefully she'll think I put it there and I can find a place to rent out and show her around in... four hours...” Wind put her head in her hooves. “Geez I didn't think this through. Clockwork is going to kill me.”

She felt a hoof touch hers, and she looked up into Steam's face, smiling gently. “Hey, it's gonna work out. We've made it this far, right? It's gonna be alright.”

Wind's face warmed, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as, for a moment, she felt the same way. “Yeah... I'll figure it out.”

Steam pushed the bag back across the floor. “So, do you want to take it back? We can wait until things cool down a little bit. We've waited this long, a few more days won't hurt.”

Wind shook her head. “No way. A few more days and everything might fall apart, and we're way too close to back out now. Get started on this whenever you want. As much as I would love to see the process, no promises if Clockwork gets too clingy. I'll try to come over tonight, but if something happens, we'll wing it.”

Steam smirked. “Not your best plan, but I've heard worse.” She then stood up, sliding the bag out from under the table as she did. “Can I get you anything, since you came all the way out?”

“I dunno... a pancake, I guess? Something light?” Wind shrugged, her stomach starting to knot again as she thought about what would be waiting for her at home.

“Hmm... I'll see what I can do.” Steam picked up the bag and walked into the kitchen, leaving Wind to stew, her thoughts and imagination starting to get the better of her. Images filling her head of the guard rushing up and arresting her, taking all of her hard work and smashing it to the ground right in front of her. Or, worse, giving them to Clockwork, who turns them into some kind of death machine, all because she lied about a crystal! She'd be sent to a dungeon, or kicked out of the country, or... or locked in a soundproof glass box while painted up as a mime, right in plain sight where nopony could hear you scream.... Her pupils shrank. No... They couldn't do that, right? That was a fate worse than death.

Just as she began to shake, a plate was placed softly in front of her, followed by a tall glass with a straw. “Here you go! Something to cheer you up.” She was pulled from her nightmare to see a plate with a waffle, a dollop of ice cream sitting on top of it. Beside it, a tall chocolate shake began to collect dew, which gleamed tantalizingly in the light from the window.

That was way better than a pancake. Happy comfort food to the max, and all for her. She looked for Steam, seeing the mare serving other tables, the waitress' whole body energetic, and Wind began to think. With a friend as good as Steam backing her up, what was the worst that could possibly happen?

Wind touched down in front of the shop just after her lunch break ended, smiling brightly and entering with a spring in her step. The waffle a la mode and chocolate shake had been precisely the sweet pick me up that she had needed to remind her why she had been so excited to go. Her dream was almost ready, it was right there! Sure, she was going to open the door and tensions would flare and there might be some yelling, but the worst she was expecting was a stern talking to that locked her in the shop so late she missed the crystal shaping.

She had flown slowly on the flight back, making little loops and gliding lazily in the glow of the sun and the warmth of her friend's actions. Steam had covered the cost of the shake, which had been awfully kind of her, and had even made it a point to reassure Wind that things were going to be alright. And, even though Wind had left her bag back at the 5 Wings, she was as happy as could be. She had the best friend in the world backing her up and helping her out with her project. What was a little yelling compared to that?

Wind pushed the door to the shop open, finding the inside eerily quiet. Normally there was always a tool or the clatter of metal or something going on to get through the massive number of repairs the military needed of them, but there was nothing going on in the back room at all. Wind walked back there, her smile fading to a carefree smirk as her good mood could not be quelled with a slight oddity like this. She walked into the workroom, looking around for employer, when a voice sounded behind her. “You've got a lot of nerve coming back here.”

Wind spun around, only to find Clockwork blocking her exit, practically fuming. “Look, I'm sorry I-”

“You're sorry? You steal from me, betray my trust, lie to my face, and you're sorry? Well sorry doesn't cut it this time, Wind!” Wind opened her mouth to speak and Clockwork stomped, cutting her off. “How dare you do this to me?”

“Clockwork, I can-”

Clockwork advanced on Wind, slowly backing her through the workshop. “You bring me all of these lies about a weapon, you disappear and promise you've been working in another shop, but when the time comes and I bring you the most expensive piece, you don't even wait before running off and delivering it to your little spy friend!” Wind tried to speak, but she was cut off once more. “I told you never to meet her again, and you're supplying her! How long has this been going on? What did you think would happen when I found out?”

“Clockwork, she-”

“You have one chance, precisely one, to make this up to me. You take me to her home, you return everything you've taken, and then you lock yourself in your room and come out with that cannon you promised and maybe I won't turn you in to the guard. Do you understand me?”

“You-”

“A loyalist! Working with a spy right under my nose! And I had so much hope for you.”

“You can't-”

“I have treated you like my own daughter, fed you, taught you, and instead you side with that filthy monster! How can I-”

“She isn't a monster! She's my best friend!” Wind exploded at her mentor, suddenly advancing on the earth pony, guiding her all the way back through the workshop. “She isn't a spy, she isn't trying to hurt anyone, and if you'd let me explain myself, you'd know that she was the one who gave you those designs in the first place!” Wind stopped when they were both in the front of the shop, Clockwork backed up against the counter. “Now, if you want me to keep working for you, you are going to calm down, drop your hatred of unicorns for one minute, and let us get back to work! You'll have your machine within the week.”

Wind glared at Clockwork, snorting in finality before she turned to leave. As she walked around the counter, she heard her boss stand up and clear her throat. “Wind Key...” Wind turned around, only to be met with a hoof connecting with her forehead, disorienting her as she felt something warm drip down her face. So shocked from being hit, she didn't struggle when she was grabbed by the shoulders, pulled to the door, and flung outside, falling clumsily onto her front.

She could already feel blood pooling in her chin fur as she turned around, looking towards the furious pony in the door of her home. “Don't you ever show your face here again! Nopony makes a fool of Clockwork.”

Her once home...

The door slammed, leaving Wind bleeding on the street, her head wound not giving her any mercy. She hadn't known what to expect, but this... this wasn't it. Years of her life, everything she'd known and cared for, everything she'd built since she'd come to the Republic gone in a flash.

Heavily she stood up, walking down the street as the sun was slowly engulfed by a growing smog cloud. She didn't know where she was going, but anywhere was better than here.

Reality

The Peace Corps survived an entire week without incident, mostly due to the fact that its base, while set up very near the conflicted border between the New Lunar Republic and the Solar Empire's Equestria, was in a modified Royal Army tent sitting on Equestrian soil. While it drew strange looks from soldiers, medical companies were known to personalize their tents, and the medical cross overlaid with a pink butterfly didn't hardly look out of place. Had they simply maintained their tent and stayed away from battle, it could have been months before the Royal Army grew suspicious enough to actually question the seven ponies stationed there.

But it was not their intent to simply exist, even if that would have contented some of the other outcasts of both nations. These ponies had a message, a belief, a cause, and they wanted it to be known. When finally a battle did erupt along the border, they were the first responders, Fluttershy rushing onto the battlefield even before the magic and the bullets had stopped flying. Her fellow former Royal Army medics were not quite so daring, but they made their way out as soon as the opposing sides had retreated, finding and aiding Royal and Republic Army soldiers alike. Once the wounded were found and the more minor injuries were taken care of on the spot, the unicorns formerly of the Republic Army levitated those in need of more extensive attention back to the tent, getting to work as soon as they arrived.

That first battle brought three soldiers into the Peace Corps' tent: two pegasi from the Republic in critical condition after what looked like a magical explosion and an earth pony from the Empire with a bullet wound passing clean through his chest, and, unfortunately, messily through his lung. Guns were a relatively new addition to the war effort, modified from gryphon hunting rifles by the clever ponies in the Republic for common use on the front lines. Sure, canons had existed in Equestria for centuries, and even guns were known to show up from time to time, but they were an exotic oddity, used most commonly for trick shooting shows or exhibitions of other cultures. The modified version easily fired by the hooves of the Republic was hitherto unknown to the world, and already it was creating a body count much higher than expected in its short, grisly career.

Luckily for the injured soldier, however, Republic medics were trained in treating gunshot wounds after far too many accidents in the firing range. The two unicorns sewed and stitched the hole in his chest with their magic, removing the shrapnel and shattered bones carefully before plugging the actual lung breach with their magic. It would take a while for the lung to heal fully, much longer that it would take for the holes in his chest and back to close, but he would pull through, as would the two Republic pegasi once their burns healed and they came out of the shock their trauma had caused. With constant care from Fluttershy and Angel and pep talks from Dented, saying that if he had survived the mess he'd gone through, they would pull through fine, neither army would lose a single wounded soldier because they hadn't responded in time.

This did not mean they didn't notice the missing soldiers, nor did they take the sightings of their mysterious helpers entering the undocumented tent for granted. Before night fell on the day of that first battle, the Peace Corps had visitors in the form of a small Royal Army squad, armored and ready for any eventuality. The last thing they expected was a friendly greeting from a heavily injured pegasus. “Hello soldiers! What brings you to our humble encampment?”

One of the soldiers stepped forward, his helmet and armor covering much of his body and making it difficult to pick him from the rest. “State your name, rank, squad, and the name of this camp. There is no records of a camp being here. Perhaps you have the wrong location?”

Dented smiled kindly, his eye going over the sharp spears and faintly glowing horns of the force in front of him. “I can assure you we are in precisely the right location. Anyway, I am Dented Angel, head of moral support, Peace Corps. We're civilian.”

The soldier's head tilted, his visor keeping most signs of confusion past the frown hidden. “Civilian? All civilians are not to be within five miles of the border, for their safety and the integrity of the demilitarized zone.”

Dented looked ready for this, his smile not fading in the least. “Ah, well then we are military. A medical team, obviously.”

The soldier's frown deepened. “Do not play games with me. Where is the commanding officer of this camp? Where is the wounded pony you pulled from today's battle?”

Dented held up a forehoof, nearly losing balance in the process. “Please wait a moment while I get Officer Fluttershy. Feel free to make your way to the tent, though I do ask that you do not enter, as the patients are recovering.”

“Patients?” the soldier asked, but Dented was already hobbling away, and if he heard the question, he didn't acknowledge it. Curious, the squad made their way over to the tent, the soldier speaking for them peeking inside for just a moment, surveying the scene. However, that was stopped when the tent flaps were thrown open, revealing a butter yellow pegasus who was startled by the pony so immediately outside. The soldier was much more calm, especially once he recognized the mare. “Field Medic Fluttershy! I didn't know you were promoted. When did this happen?” He flipped up his visor, revealing his grey coat and brown eyes.

Fluttershy pulled herself together remarkably quickly, looking into the soldier's eyes for just a moment before a big smile appeared. “Point Guard! I am glad to see you've recovered well! However, I wasn't promoted. More like the opposite, really...”

Point's confusion returned, and he tried to find some sort of evidence by looking at the exterior of the tent. “But... you've got your own tent, even personalized with your cutie mark. And that injured pony said you were the officer?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, I am in charge here. But I am no longer with the Royal Army after they let me go. The Peace Corps is an...” Fluttershy had to stop for a moment, looking to the ground as she tried to remember what Dented had told her, but a tap on the back from Angel helped bring it to her mind, and she looked at Point Guard once more, an innocent smile on her face. “an independent militia dedicated to helping the injured after battle.”

Point's eyes widened as a few thing clicked. “Independent militia? I'm afraid you aren't allowed to do something like that, Fluttershy. And you can't operate within Equestrian borders, even if you were. And... were you...” He lowered his voice, leaning away from the rest of his squad. “Were those NLR uniforms I saw in there?”

Fluttershy nodded, her smile not fading. “Yes they were. Royal Army ponies were not the only ones injured after the battle. Nor were they the only ones to join up with our cause.”

One of the other members of the squad spoke up, her voice harsh. “Fluttershy, that is treason. I am afraid we're going to have to ask you to relinquish all of your medical supplies and all ponies involved or you will be arrested and tried.”

Fluttershy's ears folded back, the sound of the consequences so quickly placed upon her enough to get her shying away from the armored group. However, she was stopped at the tent flap, Dented's voice filtering through it. “Fluttershy, you can't stop now. We've barely gotten started at stopping this war!” Angel bunny, meanwhile, was looking at the soldiers in front of her, the clever rabbit's brain going to work. A moment later, she leaned forward, whispering into Fluttershy's ear.

Immediately the pegasus looked surprised, approaching the group slowly as she looked at the soldier who had most recently spoken. “Starshine? Is that you?” She took a close through the helmet, then smiled kindly once more. “It is! How is the leg?”

The mare in the armor looked less serious, her eyes averting behind the visor. “Hello Fluttershy. Just fine, thank you.”

“Good!” Fluttershy's attention turned to the next soldier, her smile not fading. “And how about you, Cobalt? Breathing alright after the dust storm incident?” The largest stallion in the group nodded, eyes wide behind his own visor as he wondered how she had recognized him. However, Fluttershy had already turned her attention on the next two ponies. “Renegade? Perfect Arc? Are your shoulders bothering you at all? How about your jaw, Cherry Bomb? And I know I haven't cared for you, Zephyr, but I do hope your partner is doing alright without her leg. Nopony was expecting that rock slide in the middle of the fight.” Fluttershy had gone through every single pony in the squad, each of them responding with an embarrassed nicety as they were doted on by their former medic. “I know you're all worried about White Wash, but he is just fine and resting comfortably after his treatment. If you would like to take him to your own medical camp, you may do so, just as long as you promise to be gentle. The spells holding him together are very fragile.”

Starshine coughed nervously after Fluttershy spoke. “Um... we appreciate you releasing him, but that doesn't change the command. You must relinquish all ponies and equipment or you will be arrested.”

Fluttershy's face grew grim as she moved closer to the talking mare. “Starshine, I am surprised at you! I know for a fact that you joined up to defend Equestrian citizens from the terror and destruction that would be caused by a split Equestria.”

Starshine looked confused. “Uh... y-yeah?”

“You're asking me to stop helping Equestrian citizens just because we're choosing to do it on a certain side of the border! If you truly cared, you would stop all of this and just point me to the border line.”

Point stepped between Starshine and Fluttershy, though he did so meekly. “Miss Fluttershy, those aren't Equestrian citizens, those are members of the NLR, who are the enemy of Equestria. And, even if they weren't, we cannot permit the treatment of an opposing soldier on our soil, nor the presence of fugitives from our laws. Even if you cross the border, you would still be violating the demilitarized zone issues... There isn't a way for this to work. So, please, we would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't make this more difficult than it is.”

Fluttershy's stern, disapproving gaze fell on Point Guard, and he felt the shame of a thousand colts being reprimanded by their mothers. “If the Royal Army succeeds in the war, when peace comes, every one of these ponies will be an Equestrian citizen once more. In the eyes of a peaceful world, you are nothing more than bullies denying fellow injured ponies their right to treatment. Do you want to protect your citizens, or kill them because of something as silly as a border line?”

There was an awkward silence through the squad as they all struggled to find the words to say, something about the way Fluttershy spoke making an otherwise crazy concept seem surprisingly sound. Eventually, they all backed up, forming a small huddle and talking to each other, occasionally peeking over at Fluttershy as they did. Meanwhile, Dented walked out of the tent, having been listening through its wall, and while he didn't do anything to distract Fluttershy's focus from the group in front of her, he did give her an update on the patients and hoof bump Angel before returning inside.

Eventually the deliberation ceased, with Point Guard walking to the front of the group. “Fluttershy... considering who you are, and considering this is your first offense, we will go easy on you. If you relocate your operation over the border line and agree to give White Wash to us for transport to our own medical camp, we will let you off with a warning.” The rest of the group looked nervous, as though they didn't at all want to think about how they would explain it to their superior officer, but the decision had been made as a group, and they were going to stick with it.

Fluttershy smiled warmly at the words. “Oh, thank you, Point! I knew you all would do the right thing.”

It didn't take very long at all for the single tent to be broken down and moved, along with the ponies inside and the remaining injured, all the way to the border line. Currently, the border ran around a hill, the top of which was the official start of NLR territory. Once led there, the squad left, their injured compatriot carried between them, while the Peace Corps set about setting up their tent upon the hilltop.

That night, they were visited by a small group of NLR soldiers, investigating the camp that had sprouted up on their border. When they found it was a medical encampment taking care of two of their missing soldiers, they offered their thanks, then left, taking their injured for proper care at their own base.

Though that was the first time that soldiers bothered the Peace Corps, it wouldn't be the last. After every battle that raged in the hotly contested area near Fluttershy's camp, injured were left in the field. And, before either medical team had the all clear to enter, the Peace Corps were always on the scene, pulling out the injured and taking care of them back at the camp. Sometimes it would be the NLR that complained about empire soldiers on their soil, and sometimes it was the reverse as the line for the border shifted, claiming the hill for Equestria. Sometimes the issue was the breach in DMZ protocol, or simply the fact that the equipment being used was largely from one side or the other and they wanted it back. However, whether it was the kindness shown by the doctors, the fact that none of them were armed or even thinking of being threatening, or the fact that they weren't actually hurting anypony, the Peace Corps was left alone, an oddity accepted and ignored that only continued to function off of the occasional thank you gifts of supplies from those they had saved.

Yet, though the armies didn't think them an issue worth tackling, the Peace Corps kept growing. Unicorn doctors from the NLR often stopped there as they were chased out of the nation, an unofficial magic hunt being conducted the likes of which was only seen by the pegasus hunt on the other side. The doctors or others that shared Fluttershy's belief stayed, while for many others, it was just a stop on the way to freedom in the Solar Empire. Likewise, while there was no more grand exodus from the Solar Empire after the pegasi were forced out, tales of the medical team working on the border and dedicated to peace drew in like minded ponies from a surprising distance away.

Supplies came in with the ponies, as did tents and other large pieces of equipment from both sides of the war. Within a month, what had started as one tent on a hill was over a dozen, from both sides, all marked with the same red cross and butterfly as the original. Injured that had been carried or levitated previously now had stretchers to ease their trips, and there was even a proper kitchen tent and extra sleeping quarters for the six dozen proud members of the Peace Corps. The medical camp had even become such a force that, while much of the border between the two nations fluctuated on a near daily basis, the hill became a fixed point, the border line running neatly through the center of the camp.

With their growing size and new status as a force of nature, however, it was only a matter of time before the Peace Corps was going to be noticed by ponies other than the locals, and for the higher ups in Canterlot and Manehattan, they didn't like what they saw. A rogue element helping the enemy at the border between the nations, no matter how much good it did for their respective countries, was far too dangerous to allow to keep operating. Initially, small forces were dispatched to get rid of the unarmed group, as that first group had been at the Peace Corps' first appearance. Yet none of them could ever seem to carry out the order, and more than one group lost members, shrinking as the Peace Corps gained more followers.

Seeing the issue escalating, both sides decided that a larger force was necessary to deal with the issue. However, due to some measure of serendipity neither side could have foreseen, both armies decided to attack the camp from the north side. On the same day, the forces arriving within minutes of each other. And, as two large armies seeing their enemy mobilizing so close to them are wont to do, the armies attacked each other in a bloody, sudden, brutal battle, decimating both forces until they each had to retreat, the losses too great. Ironically, it was only the very group they had been trying to destroy that kept so many ponies alive, causing what had been three digits of casualties to fall to merely two dozen lost in the battle, though another fifteen never did report back to their respective armies.

The New Lunar Republic gave up on their attempts after that, accepting the Peace Corps as something there to stay and welcoming it on the border. The Solar Empire, on the other hoof, had one more trick up its sleeve. Though it was an immensely unpopular action after what happened in Cloudsdale, a plot was drawn up in secret for a long range magical bombardment of the hill, guaranteed to wipe out the Peace Corps once and for all.

The attack was launched in the dead of night, the fiery orbs sailing through the sky silently, ever closing on their target. And yet, when they arrived, they were met with the last thing they had expected: resistance. Somehow word of the attack, not even known of in much of Canterlot where it had originated, had leaked, and every single member of the Peace Corps was ready for it. The hill was protected by a magic shield, generated by the combined effort of every unicorn in the camp, including the wounded that happened to be there. Around the dome the pegasi flew, creating air currents to spread the fireballs into harmless sparks, or smash them into themselves until the magic ceased to hold and the fire, lacking fuel, winked out. And, on the ground, the earth ponies, ready with water, medical supplies, food, and encouragement for the other races, were more than capable to keep the rest in high spirits and stop anything that slipped through.

With their combined efforts, what should have been a devastating firebombing did little more than set a few trees, some grassland, and a small barracks tent on fire and give a couple of the defending ponies some relatively minor burns. Despite that, at the end of the night, the Peace Corps stood, Fluttershy and Dented congratulating and thanking each and every member of the group, injured and not, for a job well done. And, while they lived in wary fear after that night, the threat of another attack always looming over their heads, none came. The Peace Corps, finally, was allowed to do its work in peace.

“Hold still and let me look at it!” Steam Cloud said with exasperation, grabbing Wind Key's head in her magic and brushing the pegasus's mane aside with a hoof. Her face was sopping wet, though finally the red was gone from her fur. Its source, however, had not been dealt with yet. “It looks alright to me. Nothing that will scar or that would need a doctor. I think the only reason there was that much blood was because it was a head wound.”

Steam released Wind's head, the magical glow transferring to the handle of the cabinet beneath the sink and pulling it open. A small box of bandages hovered in the magical field, making its way past the soaking wet rose-red bandanna sitting in the basin, a trickle of pinkish water trailing from it into the drain. It was lucky to still be rose red, considering nearly the entire thing had been a few shades darker when Wind had entered the apartment.

The box of bandages floated over to Steam's hoof, flipping over and shaking out its contents: a single small adhesive strip. It wasn't much, but hopefully it would be enough to stem whatever bleeding would remain. Steam peeled off the protective paper and quickly stuck the bandage over Wind's cut, where it blended surprisingly well into her fur. That done, Steam looked at her friend's face, frowning. “You know, you were covered in way more than one of those the first time I saw you, and there was a lot less blood. What happened to you?”

Wind sighed in frustration, feeling just a little too woozy to be dealing with this right now. “Nothing. Can we just start working on the crystal thingy? I've been waiting all day for this.”

Steam's frown only deepened. “No way. You don't think I'm going to ask why you were hanging around the alley looking like you'd lost a fight? Most of that was dried to your fur, too... how long were you waiting?”

Wind got up, trying to keep calm, though her wings flared in annoyance as she turned away. “A couple of hours, maybe? You got home late, too, which didn't help. I thought you said you were excited to get your hooves on this gem.”

Steam's face drew taut as she tried very hard not to get annoyed at her injured friend. “I got held late at the diner, and then I had an errand to run, and with the trouble you were having at the shop, I didn't think you'd...” Her expression turned to worry as she ran around to Wind's face. “This didn't happen at the shop, did it? Please tell me...” Wind's expression said it all, and Steam's worry quickly became anger. “She hit you? What for?”

“For not telling her where to find you.” Wind looked away from Steam, not wanting the glare she was giving to accidentally target her friend. “Apparently she followed me out of the shop, recognized you, and saw the crystal change hooves. She wanted me to tell her where you lived and get all of the supplies back, and she kept calling you a monster and a spy and saying all of these horrible things and... I snapped at her, refusing to bring her any result of our work until she stopped talking about you like a beast.” Wind rubbed the bandage on her head, feeling the bruise all around it just beneath her fur. “She snapped back...”

Steam's face was blank, but the fear in her eyes spoke volumes where the rest of her body did not. “She knows where I work?” She took a few more moments to process the rest of what was said, then looked at Wind with concern. “You're not going back there, are you? I know she's your boss and you live in the shop, but-”

Wind continued to glare out the window, though the rest of her body sagged in defeat. “I'm not welcome back there. Not sure where I'll go, since I emptied my account to get that gem cutter and all of my stuff is still in her shop, but that's really not important right now. What is important is that we stop talking about me and get back to work on those wings.”

Steam walked between Wind and the window, looking into the glaring pegasus' eyes. “Wind, what happens to you is way more important than some invention.”

Wind's eyebrow rose, a venom in her voice that Steam hadn't heard once in their time working together. “Is it? Because this invention has cost me everything. My job, my house, my mentor, my comfort in my own city, nearly five years' work... All I will have to show for that is one pair of wings and the unicorn that helped me make them.” She matched Steam's gaze, pure determination shining through all of the pain and anger she was feeling. “These wings have to work. Everything else is just details to determine later.”

Steam shook her head, still hardly able to believe that the mare before her had given up so much to protect a unicorn she'd only met such a short time ago. She was a true friend, and there was only one way to repay her. “You won't have to determine anything, Wind. We'll get started on those wings, and when we finish for the day, if you don't mind the tight space, you're welcome in my apartment as long as you need it.”

Wind had a lot of misgivings about mooching off of her friend, particularly after she'd already asked so much... However, with the way the day had gone, she couldn't afford to be proud. She smiled warmly at the offer, some of the tension easing away from her at one less thing to worry about. “Thank you, Steam. You're awesome.”

Steam smiled back, glad to see her friend already in higher spirits. “Like I said at the start, we're in this until those things fly or we run out of ideas.” Her horn began to glow, opening the box in the corner of the room and levitating out the gem cutting equipment, which she brought to float between herself and Wind. Her smile brightened and spread, fueled by the excitement of finally using the new tools she'd been given. “Now let's get on making them fly, shall we?”

Maybe things had gone horribly out there for the rest of the day, but once the mares got started on their work, the rest of the world disappeared, falling before the joy of creation the two mares shared.

Wind Key woke up the next morning with a headache, laying in an unfamiliar bed, seeing morning in an admittedly familiar room for the first time. Much like her own old room, Steam Cloud's apartment was fairly dark and stuffy, with very little light filtering in and no open window to let air circulate. Unlike the shop, though, the reason for the darkness wasn't a lack of windows, but rather a lack of clear sky outside. Rain was falling heavily into the alleyway below, but a single glance out the window showed that something wasn't quite right. The rain all looked too thick, with a brownish tinge to the water that couldn't really be attributed to the red bricks in the alley behind it.

The other, and most notable, difference between Wind's room and Steam's apartment was that there was a second pony in the room. Disgusted by the look of the water outside, Wind rolled over to look Steam's way, falling right off the tangled remains of the nest of blankets Steam had made for her the night before. Steam didn't have an extra bed, and while they were close friends, sharing a bed after all of the hard work and all of the drama that had come before was a step too far out of their comfort zones. In contrast to Wind's nest, though, Steam's bed was immaculate, already neatly made, the unicorn standing at the sink with a wet towel doing what must have been her best effort at a morning wash in the sparsely furnished room.

Wind let out a grunt, pushing herself up onto her hooves and giving the various pieces of building material strewn around her bed a cursory look before kicking them gently away. Steam's apartment was much more cluttered ever since they'd started working on the wings here, though it was still pristine compared to the chaos that had been Wind's room. And yet, in just one night there were already nuts and washers and little bits of metal around Wind's 'bed'... For a moment she wondered if she was magnetic, but the thought faded when Steam spoke.

“Good morning, Wind. Your head feeling any better?” She looked at Wind in the reflection of the small mirror held in her hoof, carefully combing her damp mane over her horn with the other hoof. “I'm sorry again that I couldn't do better for a bed, but it's better than being out in this weather, right?”

Wind nodded slowly, the cut on her forehead throbbing with the motion. “Yeah, and I slept alright. Wouldn't want to make it permanent, but a couple of nights won't hurt.” In truth, her back was a little stiff, but that was the last thing on her mind this morning. “Are you heading out?”

Steam nodded, content to see her mane firmly keeping her horn hidden before she put down the mirror and turned to Wind. “I've got work, and if I wanted to take today off I should've asked for it at least a week ago, so I couldn't stay even if I tried. I'm not sure what to tell you to do all day, though. This isn't a neighborhood to leave your window unlocked in, and the landlady would explode if she knew half of what was going on in here. Before trying to explain your visits and current housing situation.” She tapped her hoof nervously on the sink. “Really, the only two options are for you to go out the window and come back after work, or for you to stay in here all day.”

Wind looked at the window, watching the torrential brown downpour outside. “Rain isn't usually that color, is it?”

“Around here it is. The smog from the factories gets in the clouds, and then we get it rained on our heads for living so close. Just another gift of the big city.” She said the last line sarcastically, a huge grin on her face that faded away the second the words left her lips. “At least it's just soot when it's this color. When it gets a bit more yellowy, the water burns when it touches your skin... those days aren't fun.”

Wind looked out at the falling water, horrified at the thought of water burning anything. Was this really what all of the industrializing was doing? Or was it just because the factories were in overdrive for the war? Either way, she didn't want to be out in it. “I think I'll stay in here for the day... Go stir crazy trying to piece together the Ready Wings without everything ready to be put in. It'll give me something to do.” She grinned after that, showing she really didn't mind.

Steam smirked at Wind's plan for the day. “Ah, well, there is no fridge or snacks, so I wish you luck. At least the room is still soundproofed, so you can be as loud as you want. Just don't break anything.”

Wind nodded. “I'll do my best.” As Steam started for the door, the pieces of her work uniform sitting in a plastic bag tied around her neck, a thought occurred. “The rain's not going to push your mane down around the horn, is it? You just put a lot of work into hiding it, and I can't think dirty water would be too good for that.”

Steam waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, there's a spell for everything if you look hard enough. It's just learning them that's the tricky part. But, just to be safe...” She pulled on the edge of the plastic bag, causing another one to wrap over the top of her head, like a makeshift poncho. “I try to go out prepared.” She smiled again, then walked to the door, though she stopped before undoing any of the locks, a look of realization hitting her. “Ooh! If you're going to be here all day, there is something you can do for the wings... Um...”

Steam ran back into the apartment, puzzling over something on her mind while looking at Wind. It only took a few moments, but it was clear that a decision was made. “Well... okay, it's going to be hard to explain, and we might only have one shot at this, but here goes... No, wait, I'll draw you a diagram. Come over here, it's... complicated.”

The following patter of words and technical jargon as Steam drew out some makeshift diagrams and calculations on a piece of scrap paper would have befuddled any lesser tinkerer, and Wind was almost no exception. There were a lot of things being said about the nature of magic and how the crystals conducted it that she was only vaguely able to pick up on thanks to how much time she had spent with Steam explaining while they worked. In fact, while Steam had ground down and shaped the chunk of crystal last night into something more manageable for the Ready Wings, she had given a full lecture on the theoretical strengths and weaknesses of the design, as well as the importance of the crystal and how much a single mistake in the cutting process could ground the project as a whole. And, since it was the first time either of them had worked the cutting tools, this caused them to leave a fairly rough chunk to hone down and polish over the next few days as their skills improved.

However, in something counter intuitive to this plan, Steam was asking Wind, who had yet to touch the equipment past buying it, to grind out a very thin crystal wire to connect the two batteries they were cutting from the one large rock. There were a few parts of this request that made no sense at all based on Wind's understanding of gems, and she said as much, but Steam insisted that this was not only possible, but would greatly increase the effectiveness of the final design if it could be pulled off.

If Wind wasn't up to that task, however, then she was also given a metalworking one: to create the insulation and stabilization for the wire in question, which needed a specific rune embedded into the metal that attached to the batteries. The reason was all very complicated and made no sense whatsoever to Wind, but boiled down to 'It's a quirk of what we are trying to do with magic as an energy source.' Steam was fully confident in Wind's abilities to work on such small details, otherwise she wouldn't have even brought it up.

When finally all of the explanations were done and the now multiple pages of schematics and notes were placed in front of Wind, Steam looked out of the window to notice the rain had gotten harder, and the tiny clock she had on the counter was contentedly ticking away the time, now well past when she should have left. Immediately she dropped her pencil, muttering “Horseapples!” under her breath as she ran to the door, undoing the locks and heading out in record time.

This left Wind alone in a room with a bunch of building materials, almost all of the tools she'd ever need to do just about anything, and nothing but free time and a whole sheaf of confusing, indecipherable notes on her hooves. There was a moment of worry as her eyes went over the room in this unfamiliar light, feeling uncomfortable to be here at this time of day instead of in her shop. But, in just a few seconds, the discomfort passed, replaced with a determined grin. She walked over to the sink, grabbing her bandanna and tying her mane back, a twinkle of inspiration lighting up her eyes.

Many a complicated device had been devastated by that exact look, but today, it was purely a sign of creation, and even Wind wasn't entirely sure what she'd come up with.

“What the hay is all of this?” Steam Cloud stopped just inside of the door, only barely having the presence of mind to close it behind her as she looked at the cavalcade of things strewn across the floor. In the center of them sat Wind Key, a pair of safety goggles on and her face glittering with the shavings from the crystal. She turned off the whirring gem grinder, grinning widely as the noise died down.

“Oh! Wonderful! You're home. Okay, I got a little confused from your notes, and they were a little vague, so I made a whole bunch of different versions of insulating frames for you to look at while I finish shaving in this design... It's something I was thinking about as I was working on that last one over there,” she said, pointing to one of the numerous small copper tubes that littered the floor. This one was wrapped in rubber, looking like a thick bit of cable. “I thought I would give it a stronger attaching point in some of the extra crystal we left around the base, but if it doesn't work, then we can just grind it off for the final design. But, basically, you said those rune things were what channeled the energy, right? Or stabilized it or contained it or whatever it is they actually do. Well, I tried carving them out of the metal on the ends of the jackets or superimposing them in the design and carving them in, but then I thought 'Since that's on the connector to the battery, why not use the rune itself to make them connect?'”

She waved Steam over, pointing at the place she was shaping on the side of the cut crystal. “See, I left this little area for the wire to plug into the battery. And I have to tell you, I didn't think that a crystal could be this flexible when it was so thin, but it's behaving just like a copper wire, and I understand the workings of that. So in that last design, I made the ending to be, basically, a plug that connects to a matching socket, which I'm making right now. That way it anchors all on its own, the power can go through the rune about as readily as it ever could, and it would be pretty hard to mess up getting it all hooked up by flipping the wire over or getting a plug wrong. Though... I almost think it would work better if the crystal wire wasn't still a part of the rest of the crystal battery. It seems like energy would leak through it or bypass the rune and short circuit the whole thing.”

Steam had to take a moment to focus herself before she was able to go through what Wind had just said, removing her baggage from work and taking in a deep breath of the smell of her apartment. While that single calming motion was enough to make her glad to be home, the acrid smell of the grinder that hung in the air helped her attune to the task at hoof. “Okay... So... let me see what you've done while I was away.”

Her horn lit up, a few of the copper tubes floating into the air at eye level. Each of them had the rune incorporated into the design, like Steam had asked, with some of them carving it away and some of them having a whole layer of metal dedicated to it. They were all shaped to slip over the crystal wire, which looked even better than she would have ever guessed, with rubber on the inside to both keep the wire safe and keep the energy insulated within it. But as she looked, she could see the problem Wind had as well. No matter how well crafted the rune was in each piece, it had a large hole in the center of it where the wire met with the battery. It was a necessary hole for the design of the batteries, but in any other form of complex magic requiring runes or channeling circles, something as small as a single smudged line could completely ruin the process. A hole that size running through the center of the control rune was more than enough for the magic to use as an escape method, and if enough of it slipped right through... Images of the backpack exploding in midair came to Steam's mind, the crystal dust coating her friend's face replaced instead with the shards and twisted metal of the aftermath.

Shuddering at the thought, she picked up the special wire jacket Wind had pointed out, turning it over and looking at it carefully. Apart from the reversal of the rubber and the copper on this one, the most notable features were the ends, which extended out past the metal disc that held the wire in place. The raised areas weren't very long at all, but they were made in the shape of a ring with the rune in the center of it. With how little Wind claimed to know about magic of any kind, her intuition on picking a circle for the exterior shape was as fitting as a true mage's, while the final design reminded Steam of an electrical plug. The one thing that ruined the illusion was the hole in the center. As she pictured the wire running through it and between the raised end design, she tried to imagine how the magic itself would want to flow. While ideally it would all travel down the wire, realistically the magic would probably try to release itself in the simplest way, which, due to the conductive material and what they were trying to make the magic do, would be an electrical spark. One of those in the wrong place and who knows what damage could be done? The metal melting and causing it all to stop working was the best case scenario there...

Steam looked at Wind's intelligent eyes, remembering the way she'd worded everything she'd just said. It had been dangerously uninformed, the product of a pony not well versed in the theories and ideas around this particular piece of magical design, and yet her intuition and simple logic had pointed out a major flaw that Steam had even overlooked in the original design. Steam remembered issues with her father's machines, how they never quite ran to capacity or had strange side effects when the energy going through them was too great... What if that all had been as simple a fix as a tiny hole left in the design?

There was only really one way to find out... it was just too bad there was no going back if they were wrong. “You know? Looking it over, I think your last design will work the best. But... You're right. That hole we left in it can only lead to disaster. I hate to say it, but could we cut the wire and completely seal it within the jacket? We might lose a little power in the transfer, but better that than the whole spell fraying apart because it wasn't being controlled correctly.”

Wind nodded in agreement, about to cut the wire when she stopped, offering the grinder to Steam. “You're the one that's been working at the body of the gem. It's only right that you get it to the place you want it before I start doing anything intricate or cutting pieces too short for the rest.”

Steam took the grinder from Wind's wing, her face forming into a frown. “You sure? You've been working at this all day, you could just keep going while I cleaned up the excess.”

Wind shook her head, taking off the goggles and giving those to Steam as well. “The grinder is yours, the apartment is yours, this whole engine idea was yours, and you're the one who knows precisely what the final product should look like. I might have the dimensions, and I can get pretty far on that, but I think this would be better done by your hooves. Or, rather, magic.” She smirked. “Leave me to the stuff that just breaks when you mess up, not explodes or threatens to tear apart the fabric of the universe.”

Steam looked at Wind incredulously. “Why thanks, that really boosts my confidence...” She pulled on the goggles, touched by the confidence Wind had in her work. Even she wasn't quite as sure, but, hearing Wind talk... she was doing to do her best not to let her down.

Just as she was about to start her work, she remembered one last thing. “Oh, I brought you something from the diner. I get a free meal for my shift, but you must be starving being in here all day. It's in my bag on the counter.”

Wind immediately dropped the tubes she had been picking up, rushing to the bag. “Oh, thank Luna, I didn't know how much longer I could go.” When she found the small white plastic container she descended on it voraciously, devouring the hayburger contained within with many happy, contented noises.

Steam just smiled, shaking her head at the pegasus's antics and turning on the gem grinder, getting to work on their dream machine once more.

The next morning woke the pair much like the day previous had. Wind pulled herself out of her nest of sheets, which had become even more surrounded by the leftover pieces from their work, to find Steam already halfway out the door. There wasn't too much work left to be done for the Ready Wings, just finishing up the carving of the battery from the remains of the crystal chunk they'd ordered and buffing and polishing them to just the right shape and shine. With the first one as a guide, Wind could easily tackle creating its twin while Steam was at work, and she said as much while wishing Steam a good morning on the job.

She was surprised, then, when the door was opened not an hour later, a very annoyed Steam Cloud walking in, her soggy mane the least of her issues as she threw her uniform at the glittering crystal dust pile. “They fired me!”

Wind immediately shut off the grinder, shocked at the news. “What?!”

“They fired me! Didn't even give me a reason or a letter or a warning or anything! Just blocked me from entering the kitchen and gave me the news.” She slumped down onto her bed, brow furrowed. “I have been nothing but a model waitress for them, what grounds did they have to fire me on?”

Wind put the gem grinder aside, going over to the bed and patting Steam on the back. “They have no idea what they're doing.”

Steam shook her head. “Oh, no, they had it fully in mind. They had a choreographed effort to keep me out of there. It's not the first place I've been thrown from, sure, but seriously! I messed something up at the other ones! I thought they were my friends... Or at least not bad ponies.”

“Whatever craziness was on their mind, it was their issue, not yours.” Wind tried her best to comfort her friend, but there was a nagging fear at the back of her mind. She'd seen firsthoof how crazy ponies got when a unicorn was mentioned, even if that experience had only been happening recently, and she'd gotten to feel that hoof crash into her forehead when she tried to defend the one she was comforting. The only explanation she could think of involved Steam's secret revealed by a vengeful pony, and Wind had only one she could think of off the top of her head.

Of course, those thoughts were paranoid, and she'd never say them to the annoyed unicorn whose room she was staying in, but that didn't make her think them any less. Hopefully she was wrong, and she focused on the silver lining of this particular smog cloud. “Though... at least you don't have to go in to work and feel annoyed and objectified. And you've got the whole day free now too! Anything you can think of to do with the time?”

Steam pouted, her brow still locked where it was. “Give me those goggles. This is an anger that can only be soothed by power tools.” The gem grinder hovered within the golden glow of her magic as Steam was given the safety goggles. She slipped them on sharply, spun the grinder once or twice to make sure it was still working, then moved over to the work area, an evil smile slowly spreading across her face. As soon as she was at the crystal she started grinding, ignoring the light blue dust shooting off in all directions as faces of irksome customers and aggravating coworkers disappeared beneath the grinder's steady pressure.

Wind watched from nearby, cleaning up a few of the furthest flung bits of debris and silently standing by in case Steam's therapy session needed her help at all. Her input wasn't needed, and within ten minutes there was already notable progress in reshaping both the stone and Steam's mood. Once she was feeling better, she was able to start enjoying the process again, starting up little bits of conversation with Wind as both of them found their focus drawn to the gem before them. Eventually they fell into silence, the loud screech of the grinder on the stone and the constant whirr of the motor keeping the blade running becoming music to the two creators' ears. Time ticked away without them hardly noticing as they watched the last piece of the puzzle slowly take shape, the excess, like all of the issues outside of the apartment, merely dust cast off until it could be properly disposed of.

The rain that had been present outside their window in the morning hung around all day, only finally clearing up in time for the first reds of early sunset to be seen in all their splendor. However, they went unnoticed within the apartment, Wind Key and Steam Cloud on the cusp of finishing the project they'd set out to do together all those weeks ago. The final piece was ready at last.

They had before them the two crystal batteries, shaped like wide, squat bicones, connected in the center by a crystal wire, wrapped in a copper and rubber jacket. This was placed within the holder they had constructed seemingly ages ago, complete with the springs, wiring, and spells needed to create a kinetic engine from two shiny, opaque sky blue gems and a lot of shaped brass.

When the entire engine was together, all in all coming to be much larger than the engine from the clockwork pegasus, they mounted it in the body of the Ready Wings, doing the final bits of necessary spot welding with the use of a lot of Steam's magic, since that was the one tool that had never been transferred to her apartment. With that done, finally, the last necessary connections were able to be made: the wings to their controls, the mainspring to the engine, and the mainspring to the main gear. With those done, Wind closed the outer shell of her invention, her hooves shaking with anticipation as she saw the finished product for the first time.

Essentially what they had created looked like a relatively simple brass backpack, buffed to a mirror shine, but lacking any fancy embellishments or decoration on the exterior. Folded up tightly to either side of the main pack was something that looked a little like a camping tent poorly put away. However, with just a few motions on the controls, that broken tent unfolded to became two long, elegant wings, ribbed with brass, a membrane of canvas both magically and mundanely treated specifically for the air making it look a little like a bat's wings.

The top panel of the Ready Wings was a sheet of treated glass held in place by screws in the brass frame. Originally it had just been another sheet of metal, but to make one concession to aesthetics and since both mares had a desire to see any possible problem before opening up the machine, it had been replaced during the wait for the battery. This meant that, through the fully clear surface, anypony could see the gears, pulleys, springs, and everything else fully engaged in every motion the wings made. And while in most scenarios having something as fragile as glass would be a horrible idea on a machine this complex, Wind knew just how bumpy flying could be and made sure the glass had been treated to be impressively durable and, should something go wrong, break in such a way that shards wouldn't go everywhere while in the air.

Near the head of the machine, two squat cones stuck out: the tops of the kinetic engine, with clear windows cut in them to see the batteries within and allow for charging from a unicorn outside, while, in an image that Wind was immensely glad she had decided on, the center of the whole pack was dominated by the mainspring and the main gear it powered, giving life to the whole machine. The wind key, instead of being a piece that detached and was stored elsewhere, actually folded down and latched into the design, settling between the two peaks of the batteries in a little heart-shaped groove. A tiny symbol of peace in a time of war, on an invention designed to bring the joy of a rare gift to as many ponies as possible, created through the combined efforts of the two 'warring' races...

If the wings didn't work, Wind didn't know what she would do. Then again, she had no clue what she'd do if they did work, either.

With a few rivets to put the harness in place, a couple of bolts to hold the outer shell together, and a little magic to charge the batteries from Steam's dwindling magical reserve, there was just one thing to do. Wind pulled up the large wind key, turning it until she both saw and felt the mainspring tighten. With a gentle, almost reverential motion, she folded the key back into place, then turned the machine over, strapping herself into the harness and attaching the control bracelets. Though her wings were now trapped uncomfortably beneath the machine, she didn't stop, nor did Steam even consider taking this moment away from Wind. It was the first test of her dream machine, and she would be the one given the honors. Even if it was just hovering in a tiny apartment, this was the moment, and it was all hers.

Wind took in a deep, calming breath, flexing her hooves and feeling the wings responding to her movements. She closed her eyes, hearing only her heartbeat in the silent room, both hers and Steam's breath held as they waited for the result of the test. Wind pushed off of the floor, leaping as high as she could and letting gravity take just enough hold to get her hanging motionless in the air. Then, in that split second before she would start her downward trip, she moved her hooves as though to trot in place in the air.

And, against every rule of gravity, she did. Opening her eyes, Wind found herself hovering a full pony's height off of the ground, her hooves trotting over nothing while her natural wings did nothing to keep her airborne. She spun around on the spot, making sure there wasn't any magic involved or any wires she hadn't seen before, but the only thing she saw was Steam Cloud, her eyes wide with wonder, a jubilant smile plastered to her face.

A smile that matched Wind's own, which only grew wider as both mares looked at each other. They let one second, then two, then ten pass in silence, not a single hitch coming during the ongoing test. When thirty seconds had passed, neither young mare could hold back any more, a squeal of delight escaping them both in unison.

Wind took a slow circle around the room, amazed at how well the wings controlled in such a tiny space, while Steam followed right behind her, astounded that she had helped create this beautiful image floating in her apartment. When the test circle was ended, Wind landed in a bouncing trot, bounding over to Steam and catching her in a huge hug, the excited squeal returning in full force, followed by giggles where words could not express their joy. It worked! They'd done it! It had taken so long, cost so much... but here it was, and it was worth every ounce of it! They danced around each other in glee, reveling in their success and the joy in sharing this moment with somepony else.

The jubilation was cut short by a knock at the door, silencing both of the mares even though they knew the room was soundproof. Nopony ever bothered them up here, not once in all of their time working together, and Steam could only think of one pony who would knock on her door. “Hide somewhere,” she said as she moved quickly to her mirror. “I'll send her off.”

Wind looked around, fumbling with the wings as she tried to make them fold up again quickly. “Where am I going to hide? Under my sheets?”

Steam made sure her mane was covering her horn, then shrugged as the knock came again. “Wherever you do, do it fast.” She walked to the door, undid the locks, put on her best 'there is nothing at all I am hiding from you' face, and slowly pulled open the door, keeping a hoof on it as she did.

In the hallway Steam indeed saw the pony she expected, the landlady looking a bit annoyed at everything, like she always did, but as the door continued to open, another pony was revealed, a dangerous grin sitting on her chestnut muzzle. “I've found you now, you dirty spy!” Clockwork lunged forward, startling both Steam and the landlady by grabbing Steam's arm before she could react. In an instant her other hoof rushed to Steam's neck, pushing her back until she was pinned against the wall and just barely lifted off the ground.

“No fighting in my building!” The landlady yelled, pulling at Clockwork's shoulders. “You get out of here before I-” her threat was cut off as Steam kicked out with her rear hoof, catching Clockwork in the stomach and sending both her and the landlady sprawling into the hallway outside. Steam landed awkwardly once she was freed, rolling forward heavily as her curly mane fell into her face. It had the volume to bounce back into position quickly, but the resulting gasp meant the damage had already been done.

“Unicorn! There's a unicorn in my building!” The landlady shrieked, pinned as she was beneath Clockwork.

The elder tinkerer laughed as she pushed herself up. “No hiding now! The secret's out.” She rushed forward, but Steam's horn glowed, slamming the door shut just as Clockwork hit it with a solid 'thud.'

Steam jumped up, redoing the locks and cursing loudly. It would have been today, wouldn't it? Just when things were really going right. Just when things were finally settling in her favor! This was what she got for being happy... She stood near the door listening, hearing Clockwork bash at it once more as the landlady galloped down the stairs. She wondered how much time she had left.

Wind Key popped out of her hiding spot in the crate looking highly confused, the Wings cradled carefully in her forehooves. “What happened? Was that Clockwork I heard?”

Steam moved into the center of the apartment, analyzing her room in a brand new light. What was there to do? What could she do? How much time could she buy? “Yes. And now the landlady knows I'm a unicorn, and she's telling everypony.”

Wind still didn't know why this was bad, but she did know that it was bad as she nervously looked at the door. “So... what should we do? Try to explain things to her?”

“We barricade the door. We've got minutes before Luna knows what happens...” She grabbed her bed in her magic, shoving the neatly made mattress against the door, then pinning it there with some of the building supplies and the crate from the corner of the room. There wasn't much in the apartment, but within seconds all of it was jammed into the small entrance way.

Wind watched the floating objects whiz by, keeping the Wings safe from the glowing projectiles’ movements. “So you're going to hide in here? What good will that do?”

Steam glared at Wind, her brain buzzing as she tried to think fast enough, but she could hear the amassing army, even if it was currently only in her mind. “It will give me a few minutes to figure something else out. You don't know what happened to the last unicorn they found out around here.”

“What happened to them?”

Steam looked at her coldly. “I don't want to know. They found what was left hanging from a lamp post two blocks over.” Wind's face paled, her eyes going wide as her imagination started to run wild. But Steam had seen the aftermath swinging morbidly in the breeze. She didn't need to imagine.

There was a hard slam from the other side of the barricade, a murmuring of angry voices growing louder out there. Both mare's heads snapped to the door, but Steam's turned back to her friend moments later. “Get out of here while you can. I'll make my own way out.”

Wind shook her head. “I'm not just going to leave you here! I'll carry you out if I have to.”

Another slam at the door, the few things piled against it shifting from the impact. Steam wrapped her magic around them, furious that so much of her magic had been spent on the Wings. She really could use it now. “You should have seen the air around the last one... Like a swarm of bees. If you think we could escape with you carrying me, you're crazy. And even that's assuming we could squeeze out the window together.”

Wind looked at the pack in her hooves, the look of worry turning into one of determination. “Then we'll fly separate. You put on the Ready Wings and we go out there together.”

“You're crazy.” Steam took one look at the determined mare, her concentration slipping for just long enough for the door to be bashed once more, the creaking of wood saying they didn't have much time left. “We've only proven they will fly in here, and only for a couple of seconds. We have no guarantee that they will work out there.”

Wind walked towards her, the look on her face never slipping. “They will work.”

Another slam, followed by splintering wood, sounded behind Steam. However, on seeing everything else piled in the door, the oppressively loud mob outside roared in outrage. Steam had to fight to ignore the impending doom. “Your last wings ripped apart in the wind, and they ran out of power after almost no flight time at all. We have no way of knowing if these are actually better, or if they'll survive the smog or the strain of making an escape.”

Wind just came closer, undoing the buckle on the pack and walking to Steam's side. “They will work.”

Steam took a quick step back, smelling smoke as she did. It was curling up from under the pile of stuff in the doorway... it was crazy to think they'd set fire to a whole building for one unicorn, but then it was crazy to think a mob would form for the same reason. Her mind was scrabbling for ideas, seeing no way to come out of this alive. “How can you say that? I could die out there! If I'm not fast enough, or if the wings falter, or if just one piece of machinery is out of place or one weld wasn't done right... If the spring unwinds, or a rivet slips, and all of that isn't even considering that I could plummet out the window to the concrete before I figure out the controls or-”

“Steam!” Wind put a firm hoof onto Steam Cloud's shoulder, the pegasus looking the unicorn directly in the eyes. “We made this together. You and I both know this machine inside and out. While you might not trust the work we've done, I do. It will work.” There was nothing but determination on her face, and her ivy eyes didn't once waver, her words backed up by sheer belief.

Steam's golden orbs searched Wind's eyes for a hint of doubt, or a single thing she could question, but there was nothing there. Only a promise and hope, offering an escape plan where before there was only death... With the sounds of a growing fire and the growing cloud of pitch black smoke forming on the roof, there was only one thing to do. Steam swallowed the lump in her throat, then nodded, her voice failing to hide the fear coursing through her veins. “Okay. Let's do this.”

Wind nodded back, her determined look joined by the slightest of smirks. “We're going to make it out of here, Steam. These wings are gonna fly.” Wind tossed the Ready Wings onto Steam's back, helping the unicorn buckle into the harness twice as fast as she could alone. Steam strapped into the control bracelets, the butterflies in her stomach completely drowned beneath what felt like an arctic ocean of fear churning within her. Each breath of air that brought the smell of smoke reminded Steam of the fire growing rapidly in her doorway, the crackling kindling beginning to overtake the sounds of the mob outside. Soon the floorboards would be burning too, and in mere moments the cool evening would be an inferno, with her trapped inside the blaze...

But Wind was there every second, seemingly unfazed by the fire growing before her. In truth, it paled in comparison to the thought that her best friend was about to risk her life entirely on the first true test of their wings, and there were no safeties. No wings of her own to keep her aloft, no safe places to land with the pursuit outside, just a unicorn and the machine on her back. Wind had placed so much faith in it, had even convinced Steam to entrust her life to this possible deathtrap, in hopes of escaping a more certain doom... But there was no going back.

Wind pulled up the wind key on the Ready Wings, giving it barely a turn before the spring fought back, but that was more than enough time to think about what she was doing. She was naive, she was crazy, and she knew it, but even more important than that, she knew, deep down, that this was going to work. She'd said it with every single iteration, she'd said it for so many failures, she'd crashed and burned and cradled injured limbs believing that with all of her heart before, but this time it would be true. There was no other choice.

She folded the key back into place, then tapped Steam on the back. “I'll be waiting for you outside. You've got this.” With that she ran to the window, pulled it open, and leaped outside, disappearing into the dark alleyway beyond.

With the fire at her heels, Steam tried to take a calming breath after watching the pegasus leave. There was a moment, just the smallest worry, that Wind would abandon her, or grab her once she left and turn her in. It would be so easy, and if their places were reversed, Steam didn't know if she wouldn't take that chance... But she also knew Wind far better than that. Wind would be out there. Steam just had to go join her.

The barest hint of stillness in the air as the barricade caved in on its own weight cued her, making her break into a full gallop towards the tiny window. Her hooves pounded the floorboards as she ran, the weight of all of her work, and her entire future, resting on her shoulders as she reached the wall. Her muscles bunched and she leaped forward with all of her might, diving through the open square and into the cool air of early night. And then she looked down.

Far, far below, the dingy, grimy alley floor awaited, no lucky trash pile or bale of hay waiting to catch her as gravity took hold. The sensation of falling hit her immediately, her stomach plummeting faster than the rest of her as her only thoughts became of that big workshop in the sky. She shot out her hooves to shield herself, the wings activating from the motion, flaring out and stalling her descent. In that moment the fog lifted, her fear slipping away as the controls came back to her mind. She began to gallop in the air, the wings flapping at full might to keep up with her work.

She was less than a storey off the ground when finally she stopped falling, the machine on her back smoothly letting her hover there, then lifting her higher and higher until, just like that, she was flying. No cloud or magic holding her up, just her own wingpower... It was thrilling, it was terrifying, it left her heart pounding in her throat, and she never felt more alive.

Before she could start to scream, shake, panic herself into a crash, or lose control while laughing maniacally at still being alive, Wind Key appeared at her side, giving her shoulder an encouraging nudge. “I told you it would fly.” Steam couldn't help but smile at that, her body feeling hyper tense as her conflicting emotions buzzed within her, the adrenaline doing nothing to help her there.

It did, however, keep her horribly focused on her task. “She's down there with those damned wings! Get after her!” Steam looked up to see Clockwork glaring from one of the windows, likely having hoped she'd been plastered to the floor in a suicidal leap. The satisfaction of making Clockwork mad, however, did little to stop her fear from returning with full force. The only problem was her mind was blank, full of fuzz after her leap, and she had no idea what to do next.

“Follow me!” Shouted Wind Key from the edge of the alley. “We've got to move, now!”

The two mares shot out of the alleyway, and while Steam was focused completely on keeping the wings under control, Wind had the misfortune of being able to see the legion of pegasi taking off from the building after them. Wind herself wasn't the strongest or the fastest flyer, even if she did enjoy the process immensely, but with Steam in tow and fighting to keep herself going forward at the right height on wings never designed for speed, she had no clue how they were going to escape. They couldn't out fly them, so she had to hope she could outsmart them as she turned towards the industrial district.

Smog clouds hung heavily between the buildings around here, to the point where even containing them was too much for the weather teams anymore. While real cloud cover was minimal and the forecast called for a clear sky, the dark haze hanging over everything meant there wasn't a single star visible, the moon shining a strange, sickly green. Wind looked around while flying through the foul air, nearly losing sight of her flying companion and hardly able to see the flying forces behind her. This was precisely the cover they would need to get away from the mob... assuming the dust and smoke didn't kill them in the process.

Wind's lungs burned as she turned towards towards the outer edge of the city, slowing as she saw a veritable wall of pegasi looming in the darkness. As much as she had hoped they'd gotten away, this was proof that that was not the case. Coughing through the smog and thinking as fast as her growing headache was letting her, she banked back towards the factories, where dark pillars grew from the chimneys to the skies above. Wind and Steam flew up high, finding a level where the smoke was being held in by a cloud, causing it to form a thick blanket with no visibility at all... The soot and fumes choked Wind just from being near them, but she took a deep breath and dove in, knowing it was the only chance of escape.

Steam followed into the darkness at once, immediately losing track of her friend as the visibility was cut to nothing. She could faintly hear the sounds of pursuit behind her as she held her breath, panic setting in at the time limit of her burning lungs and the lack of vision of her lifeline. She moved frantically, zipping back and forth in the dark blanket beneath the cloud until a hoof grabbed her by the arm, tugging her up out of the smoke and into the wetness above.

Steam immediately felt like oil was clinging to her fur, the gunk in the smoke seeping into the cloud and making the liquid burn as it came in contact with her eyes and lips. She squeezed her eyes shut, about to call out for Wind when a cloth was slapped over her muzzle, which sent off all of the warning bells. If she hadn't been holding her breath ever since she entered the smoke, she would have started now, any number of chemicals easily able to cover that cloth and bring her crashing to the ground. She opened her eyes, feeling them sting once more, but she turned anyway, unable to see anything but the dark cloud around her. Eventually her lungs began to ache, the only choices remaining breathe or fall from the sky. She chose to breathe, taking a deep, gasping breath through the cloth. When her mind cleared instead of getting fuzzier, the cloth acting as a makeshift filter, she knew the she was with a friend... now if only she could find her.

With her eyes shut, she could do little more than call out for her friend, but before she could even make a noise she was shushed, a hoof coming out to make her stay still and silent. As she stilled, immensely happy that she never took off her enchanted horseshoes and, thus, could stand within the cloud, the wings folded in, the machinery going silent and allowing a muffled noise to drift to Steam's ears. It was talking, though what was being said and who was saying it were lost to the cloud. After what seemed like a lengthy discussion, there was silence, and Steam wondered if it was safe to move.

Just as she was about to go searching, she heard the rush of heavy winds outside of the cloud surrounding her, seeming to get closer and closer with each passing second. It was then that she was sure she was drifting, the lump of cloud she was in sliding away from where it had started. As it went, the sounds slowly left, leaving her in silence and darkness once more.

Minutes passed painfully slowly, and then, without warning, her drifting became flying, the cloud feeling like it was being pulled through the sky. The thought caused her to focus on her silence even harder, her heart pounding in her chest at the thought that, maybe, she had been found out... She waited seemingly forever while the cloud was pulled along, thoughts alternating between fleeing and staying put, unsure of what was going on or if she would even be able to escape a captor if she tried.

After an eternity in the void of the oily cloud, it stopped again, complete silence surrounding her small hiding spot. She strained her ears, listening as hard as she could... She heard leaves and nothing else, and this was what finally piqued her curiosity. No matter what was outside, she was going to find out now. She pushed herself up through the cloudy membrane, eventually breaching into the cold night air, feeling a gentle breeze over her damp, oily fur. Opening her eyes, she could see the sky high above, stars twinkling coldly alongside the moon shining its silver light over the land. Far, far in the distance were the lights of Timbucktu, while those leaves she had heard came from the forest around her, where her cloud was anchored in the branches of a tall tree.

Steam climbed to the edge of the cloud, seeing a reddish glow far below, a recognizable figure sitting near the fire on the ground. Confused, lost, and drained now that the adrenaline was starting to leave her system, Steam managed to get the wings unfolded, letting her glide slowly down to the forest floor.

The moment she landed, Wind Key ran to her side, a huge smile on her soot covered face. “We did it! We got out!”

Steam Cloud stepped closer to the fire, the warmth doing wonders for her damp, chilled fur. “We did, but... how? They were all around us.”

Wind's happy grin stayed on her face. “I know! I was completely out of ideas... but then he pulled me into the cloud, and whatever his plan was, it worked!”

Steam's mind screeched to a halt, fear starting to build up already. “He?” Wind pointed past Steam's shoulder, and when the unicorn turned, initially she saw nothing. But, as time passed, she started to notice something in the flickering fire light. Looking a little harder, she saw the cloaked pony sitting against one of the trees, and immediately she took a defensive stance towards him. “Who are you? What do you want with us?”

The cloaked pony stayed where he was, his entire form hidden beneath the tattered traveling cloak apart from the tip of his beige muzzle and his wings, sticking out through holes in the cloak. Beneath it was the bulge of a bag, but it, like the rest of his body, was completely hidden. “I am nothing more than a friend, and all I wanted to do was help two young mares in need. But, if you wish to know my name, I suppose you can call me... Homeward Bound.”

“Homeward Bound, huh?” Steam was wary, unsure why Wind seemed quite so calm around this stranger.

Homeward smiled. “Yes. I was passing through town when I heard the ruckus around you, and I really didn't want to see another pony harmed if I could avoid it. And, with a little creative deconstruction of the cloud while your pursuers tried to clear the smoke, you got out and nopony got hurt.” He stood up, his cloak revealing his dark hooves, cracked and dirty from the travelling of miles. However, seeing the hesitation Steam had in trusting him, he made it a point to circle widely around the fire, looking out towards the lights of Timbucktu. “Unfortunately, if I were you, I wouldn't want to be anywhere in the Republic right now. While the guards won't be searching for you officially, far too much of the nation would love to get their hooves on a rogue unicorn.”

Steam's face dropped, searching the grass for a response to that. She hadn't actually expected to get out, but now that she had... she could never go back. A deep sadness planted root in her heart then, though even she didn't realize it. “But... but where can I go now? I’ve burned all of my bridges. Timbucktu was my life.”

Homeward's smile continued, friendly, understanding, and just a little disbelieving. “Now that is the question of the decade. But you’re young, barely a mare by legal standards. I have a hard time believing you’ve had enough time to burn all your bridges.” Seeing the despondent look on the young unicorn’s face, he frowned, trying to give a friendly prompt. “No family? No friends from fillyhood that left before the war? Is there really nopony you could turn to in the Empire?”

Steam remained silent, looking defeatedly into the fire, but Wind was able to answer the question, even if Steam could not. “Well… my mother and older sister are in Ponyville. But they must hate me after I ran away…”

Homeward shook his head. “A parent could never truly hate their child. If anything, they miss you each and every day more than you know.” Wind looked a little happier after those words, and building off of that, he looked out over the dark landscape once more. “And, lucky for you, you’ll have a guide to help you with the complicated and dangerous process that is crossing the border.”

Steam perked up again, her voice dripping with distrust. “You will help us get across the border? What’s in it for you?”

The cloaked stallion walked a little closer to the fire, the red light revealing his eyes, set within an aging face that had seen too much. “I’m going that way anyway, and I’ll get the satisfaction of helping a fellow pony out, like real ponies should.” He looked up after that, as if only now noticing the cloud hanging above them. “Now, you must both be exhausted after that ordeal. I will keep watch, you two get some rest.” With that he flew up to the cloud, dispersing it before settling into the trees where it had been, practically disappearing in the dark.

Wind Key yawned, the effort of the escape and the rollercoaster of emotions getting to her. “Sleep doesn’t sound like such a bad idea…”

Steam walked over to her, her voice a harsh whisper. “And you really think it’s a good idea to just trust this guy? Fall asleep in the middle of the woods and hope he doesn’t bring a whole mob down on our heads?”

Wind looked at her through tired eyes. “Steam, he just saved our lives, and he genuinely seems to want to help. Why wouldn’t I trust him?”

“Oh, I don’t know, because your mentor and most trusted pony in the world just threw you out on your head, then tried to burn you alive two days later? If she was capable of that, what kind of stuff could a complete stranger do?”

Wind sighed tiredly. “She could save a falling mare from certain doom at great risk to herself. She could help me realize my dream and give me the most enjoyable few weeks of my life, all the while becoming my best friend and passing even my mentor for most trusted pony. And she could be willing to sacrifice herself to make sure I escaped, when I was nothing more than a stranger a short few months before.” With a smirk, she turned over, finding a comfortable bit of grass to curl up in. “Just because you don’t know a pony doesn't mean they’re bad. It’s the ones you think you know that seem to be by far the most dangerous.”

As much as Steam understood the message, and as tired as she was after everything that happened, she couldn’t bring herself to agree with Wind as the pegasus drifted off to sleep. Trusting in the kindness of strangers had brought her nothing but trouble her entire life, and while Wind was one hay of an exception, the rule still applied. She appreciated what Homeward Bound had done for her, but that didn't give him any sort of free pass yet. especially when she hadn’t even gotten a good look at his face yet.

Warily she moved slightly away from the fire, the cool chill of night helping her focus on the task she gave herself. She didn’t even remove the Ready Wings as she leaned against a tree, eyes sharp, looking for any sign of danger. Homeward may have been the watcher, but somepony had to watch him. With a stifled yawn, she settled in, keeping guard over the last few remnants of her life, all the while inwardly cursing her new reality.

Endurance

Rarity sat upon her throne within the Castle of Friendship, a lonesome pout slowly forming frown lines on her face. Once upon a time, for what seemed like far too little time, she and her friends had spread the magic of friendship throughout Equestria, hearing friendship problems and helping those in need right here inside this grand crystal chamber. The light filtered in through the leaf green windows, falling on five empty thrones and one filled with forlorn unicorn, her heart feeling heavier than iron.

One by one her friends had found other things to do, and over time their hearings had grown less and less common. Applejack found a husband, and soon raising a family and caring to her orchard both became much more personally important to the farm mare than anything needing to be done at the castle. By the same token, Rainbow Dash was so busy between her work and her new position on the Wonderbolts that she could hardly hang out with her friends, much less sit on the friendship council each and every day.

It was once both of them were gone that things had really gone downhill. First Twilight was being called away on official Princess duties, then Pinkie Pie started getting requests more and more for parties far and wide, and she was never a mare that could resist a party. Even Rarity was guilty of spending more time than she should have in her boutique, creating fashions and ensembles that dazzled both the clients and Equestria as a whole, until she barely had time for her weekly spa visits, much less some silly, nearly empty, uncomfortable throne room...

That had left poor Fluttershy all alone to try and help everypony who came with their friendship problems. Try as the dear pegasus might, she simply was never meant to be in front of that many ponies all alone, and one day she simply stopped showing up as well, hiding inside her house where all of those pleading eyes couldn't find her. From that point on, the castle had sat dormant, a few guards keeping ponies out apart from scheduled tours of the fantastic crystal building, and otherwise little more filling the halls than the light that came through the windows.

Rarity looked over the other thrones, wondering how all of them could have drifted so far apart. Perhaps that was why the war had started, with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie seemingly betraying them. Perhaps, if they had all just met and explained the situation to each other, things could have been different. Perhaps, if just a little more time had been spent outside of her boutique, Rarity wouldn't be sitting here alone, not even her little (though not so much, anymore) Spikey-Wikey to keep her company.

She sighed heavily, reclining on her throne like she would her divan at home, one hoof swinging idly off of the edge. Ever since the war had reached its full swing and all of her efforts to aid it had proven futile, she had made it a point to hold hearing hours every day. Surely there were friendship problems to be helped, right? It was a war, after all! The definition of uncivilized behavior! Somepony had to have their nose bent about something.

And plenty of ponies did, she knew in truth, but not over the little things that she could help with. When families were split down the center and ponies were fighting each other on a daily basis, what did it matter if somepony didn't share something you needed, or a hedge out of place had started a silent treatment between neighbors? Towns were emptying of every able bodied pony with frightening rapidity, and those left behind knew how important it was to band together, not tear what little they had apart.

Anything Rarity could help with, if it hadn't been gone before, had definitely gone up in smoke just over a week before, along with the entire city of Cloudsdale. Rarity hadn't made it as a sorceress, she didn't have the knack or temperament to swing a weapon, and despite looking fabulous, her new designs for the army's armor had been a flop. On top of that, her designs for civilians, while following the pulse of fashion as diligently as ever, were seen by many as traitorous now. They had been featured in Manehattan, after all! Anything those secessionists liked couldn't be worn by true blue Equestrians!

Attitude like that had, briefly, caused Rarity to look at possibilities within the New Lunar Republic. There hadn't been anything particularly stopping her from joining, either, it just hadn't seemed the right place for her. And, now that her designs were burning in the shops due to their creation by not only a loyalist, but a unicorn, it definitely was no longer worth trying to eke out a living there anymore either.

That didn't stop others from doing so, though. Coco Pommel still was doing wonders for the fashion in the Republic, and Rarity had gotten all of the updates until the mail had stopped flowing between the countries. Her sister, too, was still in Manehattan, though Rarity worried if that was still the case. Sweetie Belle was a singer, true, with a voice that had held all of Equestria in its sway for over a decade now, but she was still a unicorn in now hostile lands. Every time Rarity thought about her little sister out there, her heart ached to be stuck where she was. Though, due to whatever force had stopped her from aging, her 'little' sister now looked older than she did... On happier days, she liked to keep a hold of that thought in a feeling of pride. Today, however, she simply wished her baby sister well and safe.

She let her head rest on the arm of her throne, bringing a hoof to her forehead as she pictured all of the things that could be happening out there. It wasn't fair that a mare of her standing could be simultaneously so 'in the loop' and yet know so little. Even after the mail shutdown, Rarity had more than enough connections to get every fashion magazine, every important piece of news, and even some juicy gossip of celebrities completely unknown on this side of the border. It was part of her job as a designer, after all, and she would be remiss if she didn't have her hoof on every pulse in Equestria, under Celestia's rule or not.

But what good was knowing which colors were in season, or what styles were hot right now, if she couldn't use her knowledge? And, more importantly, what good was knowing anything about fashion if it didn't keep her friends together or her sister safe and sound? Blasphemous as it sounded, right now there was something more important than fashion, and she had to do something about it!

The question was, what? Sure, she had contacts in every city on the map, and yes, perhaps she did have a mind that could juggle fifteen different items in her magic while simultaneously designing two different season's worth of clothing and sewing three different dresses for important clients, and maybe she did have a few ideas buzzing about her mind on how she could utilize all of these things, but realistically she simply didn't-

The doors of the throne room were flung open, a haggard looking unicorn stumbling in and destroying the silence as she threw them shut behind her. She breathed heavily as she crept towards the center of the room, leaning against the back of Fluttershy's throne and slumping to the floor. She looked like she had traveled for miles, her hooves covered in mud and her foreleg bandaged where there must have been a very nasty cut. She seemed to think she was alone, as she had been since entering the building. There weren't even guards on this old tourist site now that there was a war raging, just a single Rarity to keep the place nice.

Rarity sat up quickly on her throne, not wanting to look like her surprise guest wasn't important. “Hello, dear. May I help you? What brings you to the Castle of Friendship?”

The unicorn jumped up, spinning around the chair and entering a defensive stance, her horn glowing momentarily. Then she saw that she was being addressed by Rarity, and her aggression disappeared. “Oh... Excuse me for barging in, madam. I did not realize anypony was here.”

With a gesture of her hoof Rarity offered the throne the mare was hiding behind. “Understandable, darling. Please, sit down and let me know if there is a friendship problem I can help you with.” The mare looked dreadful, in all honesty, her mane out of sorts and her fur matted and dirty, but Rarity felt saying as much probably wouldn't help things right now.

The unicorn took the seat with a little hesitation, settling on the solid white stone throne with some discomfort. “A friendship problem? Well... all of my friends suddenly turned on me after the attack on Luna, so if you could fix that...” Rarity offered a sorry look, which told the mare everything, so she continued. “The only ponies who treated me as friends were those of the Peace Corps, sitting on the border in Empire tents... Ex-Empire medics, greeting me with open arms when my own friends tried to have me shot...” She slid down in the throne, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “My own country... my own Republic, kicking me out like I was worthless. Like I was a monster.”

Rarity tutted understandingly, shaking her head at what she heard. “A sad business, but I'm afraid I can't change the minds of entire nations. I will do everything I can to make sure you are welcomed here, though. Refugee or not, everypony is welcome in Ponyville, so long as you keep your head low.”

Ponyville was in a unique position in the conflict between the two nations. While most of the border line was in flux, there was one place that ponies on both sides refused to fight: the Everfree Forest. It still sat in Empire territory, but there were no attempts at taking it, no incursions through it... It was revered and feared by ponies on both sides of the border, and more than that, it was a 'safe' place for ponies to slip unnoticed between the countries. This had made Ponyville the perfect transition town for years now, though it hid it well. Anypony willing to go through the Everfree was wise enough to keep their head down, and either left soon for other pastures or lived a quiet life where nopony could notice the newcomer.

However, something this particular newcomer said intrigued Rarity. “You mentioned a group called the Peace Corps, but I'm afraid I have never heard of them. Would you be willing to enlighten me?”

The mare nodded, her face growing soft, almost reaching a smile as she talked. “They popped up just recently, a group of ponies dedicated to helping both sides of the war. They heal all of the injured from a fight, no matter which side they were on.” Her near smile quickly turned into a scowl. “I'm surprised the Empire hasn't set them on fire yet...”

Rarity couldn't quite take offense at that comment after hearing about what happened to Cloudsdale. She had never much liked Princess Celestia's recent take on politics, though Princess Luna's nation had its own flaws as well.. That was quite possibly the worst thing about this war: it didn't sway her one way or another. She cared too much for ponies on both sides to pick one to back. And that was what made this Peace Corps intrigue her so. “What pony would be so willing to throw this challenge in the face of both nations?”

The mare nearly smiled again. “It was started by the Element of Kindness herself, Fluttershy.”

Rarity gasped, hardly able to believe the shy pegasus would take such a risk. “Fluttershy? Are you sure?” Looking at the mare, she could see that the unicorn wasn't lying. Rarity's eyes drifted up to the to the cutie mark engraved on the throne the other sat on, the three butterflies there glinting in the sunlight. “Fluttershy...”

Fluttershy, even more than her other friends, was Rarity's very best friend. She was a pony Rarity clicked with, who she could confide in, talk with, and look up to in some ways, while Fluttershy did the same to her. They could always understand each other like nopony else could, and she had been a treasured friend for all of their shared time in Ponyville. One of the saddest days of Rarity's life was when Fluttershy went off to join the war, the last friend leaving her behind...

And she had gone out there and done wonderful things, while Rarity had sat in some throne room and... what? Languished in her misery? Worried for her loved ones while doing nothing to help? Fluttershy, when her nation had turned against her, continued to give everything she had to aid the ponies around her... It was up to Rarity to follow her example.

But how could she actually help? With all of these ponies fleeing, obviously there was still a need for the connection of the two countries, despite the block they had created. And information like this, in the right hooves, could help so many ponies. This was something simple... if she could get deeper knowledge, or a wider information circle, centralized around-

Rarity's eyes widened, a dangerous, creative, brilliant solution to all of her thoughts presenting itself to her whirring mind. It was only the presence of the other mare that stopped her from yelling 'Idea!' to the room in her usual singsong way, though it did cause her to jump from her throne and startle the visiting unicorn. “Excuse me dear, but there is something I must do. Go to Mayor Mare at Town Hall, tell her I sent you. She will surely help you get settled.” It took all of Rarity's willpower not to gallop from the room, making sure that her visitor had left the castle before closing up the building, her mind whirring all the way back to the boutique.

An hour later Rarity left Carousel Boutique with her saddlebags packed, almost completely forgoing accessorizing in her haste, a hat purely fashioned for utility purposes the only thing gracing her form. It was going to shade her on the long trip out of town, into the rocky wastes beyond, where she used to hunt so often for the gems for her outfits. This time, however, held no gem hunt. Quite the opposite, as she had brought gems along for the trip.

Rarity trekked into the gem fields many times over the next few days, returning each day with an empty bag and a haggard, but pleased, expression. Only a week after meeting with the mare in the Castle of Friendship, on one last trip to the gem fields, Rarity disappeared from Ponyville completely, vanishing without a trace.

Once again, the Castle of Friendship was dark.

Steam Cloud's head jerked upright, her eyes shooting open at the feel of a hoof gently touching her side. She scrambled to her hooves in panic, nearly toppling over when she didn't expect the weight of the Ready Wings on her back. She was saved, however, by the very hoof that had awoken her, an amused Wind Key helping her keep balance. “Woah there, Steam. No need to freak out, it's just morning. Homeward says we need to move.”

Steam's heart was racing as she cursed herself mentally for falling asleep, and again for letting her friend get the jump on her. She knew Wind meant no harm, she was amazingly innocent in that regard, but that didn't mean Steam's cheeks didn't burn in embarrassment anyway.

She had spent all of the night keeping watch... or, really, most of the night, since it all got a bit fuzzy after midnight. She remembered the fire slowly dimming, the cool of fast approaching winter seeping into her fur and making her shiver. She'd lay down, curling up for heat and watching the spot where Homeward had been perched. He hadn't moved once the entire night, as far as she could tell, keeping watch just like he said he would... it didn't mean he was off her watch list, but he was definitely closer to trustworthy.

Her focus was brought back to the early morning sunshine peeking between the mountains to the east, the light spearing through the trees and lighting the whole forest up around them. In the valley below, Timbucktu twinkled in the early morning light, though smoke was already beginning to rise from its industrial district, signaling the start of another work day.

Steam looked around the campsite, groggy mind slowly accepting that, yes, this really was her life and the day before hadn't been a nightmare cooked up by her own spiteful mind. A mind she cursed once more for not warning her sooner. Of course she was about to be found out! Wind had even said that Clockwork had seen her at her workplace. The second she was fired mysteriously should have raised a million red flags, but what had she done? Gone home and ignored it to work on that stupid project, because she was too thrown off by having somepony to vent to to actually think about the issue at hoof.

Steam closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. That wasn't fair... the project was anything but stupid, and, again, Wind had only meant to help. In fact, if they hadn't finished the wings when they did, they never would have escaped Timbucktu to begin with, so... it was probably good that they were as distracted as they were... Logically, she knew that made sense, but in reality she just couldn't fully accept it.

As she took in her deep breath, she noticed two things. First was an odor hanging that she couldn't place, but brought to her mind pictures of deserts and far off lands. Second was that there was something draped around her neck. She reached for it with her magic, peeking out of worry of what she would see.

It was a scarf, old, worn, and caked with the dust of the road, but beneath all of that there was a hint of quality and style that even time couldn't fade. Just as she was about to question it, Homeward Bound walked up beside her, still hidden beneath his traveling cloak. “You looked cold last night when the fire went out. I don't think I'll need it today, if you want to keep it on.”

Steam shook her head, unwrapping the deep red scarf and offering it to the older stallion. “No, I'll be alright... though... thanks, I guess.”

Homeward said nothing, simply nodding and tucking the scarf under his cloak before walking away from the rising sun. “We have a long way to travel to get to the border, and I don't trust us in the air during the day. But I also don't like being this close to Timbucktu. We're going to go west on hoof until we're out of the city's sight, and then we'll figure out a flight path from there.” This morning, under the scrutiny of the light, Steam could clearly see the wear on the revealed part of the stallion's face, as well as the no-nonsense, determined look on his muzzle. “I wish we could afford time for breakfast, but we haven't any food anyway, so we'll just have to see what we can do about food as we go. Are you two ready?”

Wind nodded, looking surprisingly chipper for how early in the morning it was... then again, they had gotten an early night's rest the night before. Or, rather, one of them had, as Steam's eyes ached from tiredness, her nod coming much more sluggishly

Homeward turned back to the untouched forest before them. “Follow me, and try to keep quiet. This is going to be a long day.” With that he set off, Wind and Steam following behind.

The temperature climbed as the sun rose, the mountains warming while clouds gathered as they naturally did within the valley, wreathing Timbucktu. For a short time, the trio was level with the rainclouds, seeing the rolling, calm majesty of the dark cushions and the deluge they were dropping beneath. However, as their path took them a little higher, they were able to spot the dark, dirty brown spot in the clouds, marking their city's location with its stain upon the air. It wasn't so visible on clear days, but now, it was striking just how much the city affected the world around it.

And, at least to Steam, it seemed like the world was fighting back. The trees and the thick underbrush snagged at Steam's fur, Wind and Homeward seeming to shrug off the brambles. Within a few hours of setting off, Steam's mood was incredibly dour. She had never been a pony for travel, or even the outdoors if she could avoid it. Her only exception to that rule had been cloud walking, because that was a truly amazing experience that almost made her like it outside.

In front of her, Wind Key was talking with Homeward about... something. Steam was far enough back and too absorbed in her despising of the roots she kept tripping on to focus on what was being said, but it had been going on for quite a while. Wind had only really stopped when Homeward had shushed her, usually pointing to some flying shape that was a little too close for comfort. But once it was gone, he had given her permission to speak, and she had continued on like nothing had happened.

Another twig snared itself in Steam's curly mane, immediately getting so horridly tangled that the only option was to break it off if she wanted to keep up, the wood sticking out at an angle from her white fluffy mane. And to make matters worse, she could hear her stomach growling, bemoaning all of the work without any sort of fuel. She glared at the pegasi that continued to walk through the undergrowth like it was nothing. Did Wind even care about her friend struggling behind her? Would she ever stop talking to that stranger? Even if he'd been nice so far, there was no reason this couldn't all be some elaborate trap. He could be dangerous! He-

A loose stone slid out from under Steam's hoof, and before she realized it her chin had slammed into the dirt, the wings clattering to the ground along with the rest of her body. But the worst part, she decided in that split second that the pain kicked in, was not the throbbing ache that was now going to be in her shoulder and her jaw, but the fact that the mud she'd face planted in didn't have the decency to be cool. It baked almost immediately to her cheek, clinging to the sweat on her overheated body and making the cool, stark interior of a dungeon cell seem lovely. If her punishment had been as lenient as that, she might have been willing to give up the chase...

As Steam started to push herself up, Wind ran back to help her, offering a hoof to steady her back onto her own. Steam let it go as soon as she got up, rubbing the mud off her cheek and trying not to look into Wind's concerned eyes. Unfortunately, this brought her to Wind's unblemished coat and untangled mane, only the thinnest band of sweat beneath the mare's bandanna giving any signal of discomfort at the situation.

Wind looked her friend over, worried that the traveling might have been too much on her. “Steam, are you alright?”

Steam glared at her friend. “What do you think?” She started off through the brush again, but was stopped by Wind running in front of her.

“I'm sorry, stupid question. Are you going to be okay?”

Steam considered the question for a while, thinking about her jaw, the sweltering heat, the twigs in her mane and tail, the scratches on her sides, the backpack weighing her down... Eventually, she came to a decision. “No, I don't think I'm going to be okay.” Wind was taken aback by the answer, but Steam kept going. “I don't think I'm ever going to be okay. I lost everything! My apartment, my magazines, my job, my home... And I was kicked from the city I was born in! Instead of being nice and happy in my home, I'm hiking out of it in the sweltering heat, watching the rain that's right over there fail to cool me off, and I don't even have my gem grinder to see me through it!”

Wind looked down at the ground, trying to keep a positive outlook despite the Steam's ranting about losing the grinder Wind had bought her as a gift. “You've got your life, and you've got me and Homeward to see you through to-”

“Oh, great! A life that's over and two pegasi that completely forgot I was here until a couple seconds ago.” Steam snorted angrily, kicking at the rocks she'd slipped on and nearly tumbling again when they shifted. “Do you know what would be really nice right now? Some food, for one. Maybe my home not having been set on fire, that'd be cool. I mean, I don't even really have you anymore, do I?” Her tone turned accusatory at the end. “Just giving your life story to the stranger like nothing bad could possibly happen, ignoring your friend struggling right behind you. Look, I know I said we were in this until the wings flew or we ran out of ideas, and I know that I'm out of ideas and the wings flew, but-”

“Don't talk like that.” Wind moved forward, trying to hug Steam, a friendly smile on her face. “You may have promised we'd only be in this until they flew, but I didn't. I'm seeing this through to the end.”

Steam smacked the extended hooves away, looking incredulously at Wind. “That wasn't the end?! The two of us almost being burned alive wasn't the end? We went on an air chase through the skies of Timbucktu, for pony's sake! On the wings of the only goal we'd had since day one.“

Wind rubbed her hoof, trying her best to calm down her friend. “We have a new goal. We're getting out of here and going someplace where the work we've done will be appreciated.”

Steam stomped on the ground, splashing mud around with the force of her hoof. “That's just it! I never wanted to get out of here! I was perfectly happy in my apartment until you had to come in and ruin everything with this crazy flying contraption.”

Wind took a step back, looking as though she'd just been hit. “Steam, what are you saying?”

Steam looked Wind straight in the eyes, her face harsh and the bags under her eyes only adding to the sternness of the tone. “I'm saying that working with you was the worst decision that I ever made! Ever since we met there has been nothing but trouble. I wish I'd never caught you!”

Steam was looking Wind straight in the eyes when she said those last few words, which meant that she had the perfect stage to see the joy in them break down, replaced with nothing but hurt and sadness, followed quickly by tears. Steam had never once seen Wind cry, not when she'd cut her hoof while shaping a piece of metal, not when she had fallen out of the sky, not even when she had showed up, bleeding heavily, having just been kicked out of Clockwork's workshop. Seeing them well up on her friend's face was the worst feeling in the world. A feeling only amplified when Wind scrambled a few steps away, then bolted into the air, disappearing down the mountain, leaving only the tears that had formed behind her to fall silently to the ground.

The moment that Wind was gone, Homeward Bound was in the air, tracking where the distraught young mare had gone. When she was out of sight, he landed in front of Steam Cloud, a harsh look on his muzzle. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” Steam hardly even reacted, causing Homeward to turn around, looking where Wind had gone off to. “This world is hostile enough without ponies turning on each other in times of need. Sure, you just lost everything, and I can sympathize with you, but so has she. She told me, right near the start, that she had been thrown out, lost her job, her home, most of her things, all because she'd pursued her wild dream to work with you and make those wings on your back.”

His cloak turned, looking at her through the shadow. “That was hours ago, and since then Wind has done nothing but talk about you. How smart you were, how kind you were, how talented and clever and understanding. How you saved her life and made every minute of working together a joy, how you had been so selfless to take her in when she was in need and spend all this time on her dream... She was just telling me for the third time how she hoped this would begin to make amends for it when you had to go and do that.”

Homeward shook his head. “She trusts you, she cares about you and holds you in such high esteem... And this is how she is repaid.” He took off again, looking the direction she had gone in case she decided to fly further. “You stay here and think about that while I go see if this mess is salvageable.”

Steam watched Homeward fly down the mountain, the storming grey clouds behind serving as a perfect backdrop for how she felt. Because, as much as the sadness had creeped into her at seeing her friend hurt, it hadn't been enough to get her to chase after Wind. It hadn't even been enough to make her raise a hoof and ask her to wait. Steam had just stood there, watching her friend leave and accepting the end she had wished for.

But, as she truly thought over her words in the light that Homeward had given them, she realized that almost every one of them had been false. It was true that she had never wanted to leave Timbucktu, but... the time spent together, the meaningless days brightened up by Wind's visits, the way that innocent pegasus trusted her so much, thought so highly of the mare that had saved her life... Even when Steam came back to her apartment to see it in shambles, littered with all of those copper jackets, Wind grinding away at the crystal in the center of the room...

There was only one time when she might have been happier, and that was a long, long time ago. She had been so young when she watched her parents go, convinced that she could survive in the city alone... Something had been lost then, something that Wind had captured so beautifully, and yet Steam couldn't seem to do anything but try to rip it out of her with paranoia and cynicism. This mood she was in, this self-induced rage of pity and confusion, had to stop, and not just for her sake.

She waited quietly in the woods, where she had been left, going through scenarios in her head. Possible reactions, what would be found, what she would do if she'd gone past the point of no return... if Homeward came back alone. However, all of these plans vaporized the moment she saw the two pegasi flying up the hill, touching down just in front of her. Immediately Steam ran to them, nearly tripping on a root as she went, but not letting her stumble slow her down for an instant. She ran right past Homeward Bound, wrapping Wind Key in a big hug and holding her close.

“I am so, so, so, so, so sorry for what I said. I wasn't thinking at all and it wasn't right and no matter how many excuses I make it really doesn't make up for the fact that I didn't mean a word I said when I snapped at you.” Steam pulled back, catching her breath and looking Wind in her eyes. “You're the best friend I've ever had, no matter what the consequences have been. I'd rather be stuck out in this mess with you than think for a moment that I would be happier how I was.”

Wind was initially startled by the hug, but she had gotten over that, about to hug back when Steam pulled away. Wind's eyes were red, and there were streaks in the dust on her fur from where the tears had been, but otherwise her ivy eyes were lit up at the possibilities held in Steam's words. There was just one thing. “... You wouldn't really have let me fall, would you?”

It took Steam a moment to realize she was talking about that test with the old wings all those months ago, but as soon as she did she laughed. “Of course not. Best friend or not, I would never let a pony be hurt if I could stop it.”

Wind smiled at that, her fears assuaged. “Good. You're still the pony I thought I knew.” She hugged Steam tightly, nuzzling her friend affectionately. “Apology accepted.”

It took the trio most of the day to reach a distance where they felt safe, though luckily, whether it was the rain or a lack of pursuit after their disappearing act, the skies remained almost entirely clear of flying forms. Still, they made their way far out of the sight of the city before finding a small clearing to rest in while Homeward got his bearings. By this point, all three stomachs were grumbling, so Homeward made a quick run of the area looking for food and landmarks. After a short flight, he returned with some berries and good news.

“I know where we are, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be out of the country in just a few day's time.” He looked to the two young mares, both of whom were busier eating the food he'd scavenged than paying any attention to him. He sighed, reaching up a hoof and firmly readjusting the hood of his cloak, using the action to center himself. “I think it would be better to move under cover of darkness. The heat during the day can get grueling, making tempers short, and we would be harder to spot hiding among the stars than against a clear sky. Until then, I say we rest until nightfall and save our energy for the flight ahead.” There was a silent nod of agreement, nothing more, but at least they'd responded.

Both mares found it surprisingly easy to nap beneath the shade of the trees, the traveling, combined with any exhaustion the two felt from the night before, bringing a gentle sleep to them amid the lightly rustling leaves. As the sun began to set, however, they were roused by Homeward and made ready to take off. Darkness descended soon after and the moon slowly began to rise, along with three figures flying from the clearing, entering the cool night sky.

Flying the day before had been a harrowing adventure for Steam Cloud, her life hanging in the balance both from the pursuit and her own worries about an unstable machine. Tonight, however, having proven the Ready Wings were more than capable and having checked to make sure they were prepared for another run, only a small amount of winding needed to bring them mainspring back to taut, the prospect of flying was altogether different.

The first time she had properly flown, not just hovered along while standing on a cloud, was on Wind Key's back on the day they'd first met. On that night, she hadn't been in control, and the fear that any second Wind's wings were going to give out and send them both crashing to the darkened forest below had made the whole thing completely unenjoyable. Even now, that seemed like a very stupid decision for Steam to make, but she was definitely happy she had made it to meet the mare flying next to her.

Tonight she reveled in defying every rule of gravity, galloping across the open air as the plains rolled by beneath her, the silvery glow of the moon shining brightly off of the river the trio was following. She might not be in complete control of the situation, still depending on something else to keep her airborne, but she was as close as she could get, even starting to pick up the subtleties of the Ready Wings after the first hour of flying. She might not be the one flapping her wings, but she was driving the machine that did it for her, as well as the one sailing through the sky with the wind flowing through her mane and nothing around her but the infinite expanse of stars above and the gently curving ground far, far below.

Well, the sky wasn't really as empty as that. She held her hooves out in front of her, banking off to her left, where Wind was flying. Wind's pace was a little slow, to match that of the mechanical wings, but that didn't stop her from enjoying every minute of it as much as Steam was. The grin plastered to her face as the cool, crisp night air threatened to whip the bandanna off of her mane spoke volumes of the joy every pegasus must feel when they take wing.

Wind saw Steam approach and waved, a gesture Steam tried to reciprocate. Unfortunately, with the controls as they were, waving her forehoof sent her into an awkward spin, which she was able to stabilize, but left her quite a way beneath her friend. Wind laughed at the sight, diving down so that she was next to Steam, the moon and the stars glinting off of her eyes. “How does it feel?”

Steam looked confused for a moment, galloping in the air to set the contraption on her back flapping again. “What do you mean? If anypony should know, I would think it was you.”

Wind shook her head, flipping over so that she was flying upside down. “That's not what I meant. I've been flying forever, I know it's amazing. You've spent your whole life on the ground. But this, right here... would you do it again?”

Steam didn't hesitate for a moment. “In a heartbeat! It's beautiful up here, and... I just...” Steam thought for a moment, her movements slowing and causing the wings to slow a bit as well.

Wind righted herself, slowing down further to move alongside Steam, worried that perhaps something had finally gone wrong on their prototype. “Is something the matter?”

Steam shook her head. “Not at all. Up here... The troubles of the world are so far behind. It's like I could just float away from it all... the Republic, the war, everything... ”

Wind smiled, looking out at the sky, the moon sitting overhead, gracing the entire world with her gentle light. “It's tempting, isn't it? To think you could just fly right off of the planet and all of its troubles? But that isn't the case, I'm afraid. Everypony eventually has to land. Even the pegasi who never touch the ground need a cloud that they can call home, and if Cloudsdale and the sky over Timbucktu were able to speak, they'd tell us even the sky isn't trouble-free.”

She rolled so she was flying upside down beneath her friend, looking up from under the unicorn galloping across the sky, and seeing Steam look down at her as well. “We can all run from our problems, but I've always found it better to focus on where you're going, not where you've been. You can fret about your past all you want, getting mired in things that were and who did what, but if instead you follow your dreams, eventually, you can't help but see it become as real as anything you may have left behind.”

Steam frowned down at her friend, feeling she was flaunting her flying ability and control beneath the relatively static unicorn. “You know, it is a charmed life you lead, Wind, that you can say things like that... Still, you have a way of making me question if you might be speaking the truth.”

Wind flipped back over, matching heights with her friend again. “It's not all been fun and games, Steam. I just don't spend all my time with a cloud hanging over my head.” There was just a moment where her smile faded, a flash of that sadness Steam had sparked earlier, but it was gone just as quickly as it came, replaced with a playfully stuck out tongue and the touch of a hoof on her flank. “Tag! You're it!”

Wind veered off to the right, almost instantly seeming to disappear as a speck against the hills below. Steam glared that way, shouting after the pegasus. “Hey! No fair! My wings don't work as well as yours!” However, her lips revealed her true feelings, a smile curling them up at the edges. She veered off after Wind, determined to tag her back at least once before the night was out.

Meanwhile, Homeward Bound flew steadily onward, keeping his focus set on their destination. As they two young mares began to roll and zip through the air all around him, however, he slowed down, a warm smirk showing up on his muzzle. For a little while, he even got involved, transferring the tag and showing his own speed and agility in the sky, an aggravatingly unfair experience for the machine-bound unicorn. But eventually he stopped, returning to his set course and keeping the two mares generally on track. After all, it was their escape. Who was he to say they couldn't have a little fun with it?

In Harmony

The Manehattan Weather Riots were the single most destructive social uprising in Equestrian history since the warring of the three tribes. While they didn't have any massive magical fallout like Tirek's appearance or Discord's days of freedom, the sheer scale of the property damage caused solely by pony hooves was truly terrifying. It would take tens of billions of bits to fix all of the damages, with entire skyscrapers left as nothing more than towering hulks of broken glass.

The reason for their riots was simple: there had been no winter for them. There was some cold, and news came of snow in Canterlot, but in Manehattan the skies were clear and dry. Far, far too dry, and this was the straw that broke the pony's back. There were haunting images of pieces of Central Park looking like a desiccated wasteland, of the hundreds of water towers littering the skyline completely empty, even the normally beautiful river that made the city an island riding low, the muddy bottom nearly within standing distance, and only that deep thanks to the sea's intervention.

The desperate situation had caused more than on council to be called with the princesses in Canterlot, who maintained to the delegates of Manehattan that they could spare no weather for their suffering city. Nearly every city in the country, they claimed, was having to cope with rain shortages as well, as they had ever since the Weather Factory had fallen. But these words did nothing to soothe Manehattan's parched throats, nor did they bring life to the dead plants or the ponies lost once the violence broke out. Words spoken from the well watered gardens of Canterlot Castle, they said, may help the Princesses sleep better, but each one came at the price of lives, and the price was already far too high.

Taking pity on the delegates, Princess Celestia promised aid, and she delivered in the form of order in a chaotic land. Hundreds of royal guards descended upon the rioting population, arresting those they could and subduing those who resisted, until, finally, the streets were silent, the violence stopped. Or so they thought.

Not two months later another council was called, with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight once more hearing the issues of their most populated city. “The ponies are more riled up than ever, Your Highness. Many of the captured have been freed from their cells, while the streets and even the sky are more filled than ever with ponies in revolt. We cannot last without fresh water, and try as the pegasi might, the sky holds no clouds. The ponies demand you do something about it.” The aged silver-maned mare pleaded to Princess Celestia from behind her black cat eye glasses, the Mayor of Manehattan on her knees before her leader.

Twilight was touched by the mayor's plea, and though she wasn't sure how to make it happen, she was already trying to figure out a way to redistribute the nation's rain in her head, or to create an emergency supply even without the cloud machines that once flew in Cloudsdale. However, it was not her decision to make, as Celestia spoke her words clearly. “I have done all that I can for your city, Mayor Bloomberg, but I am afraid suppressing the ponies once more shall only cause more harm than good.”

The Mayor nodded tentatively, fixing her glasses with her magic before swallowing nervously. “Perhaps, instead of guard, if you could supply aid, we-”

Celestia shoved off the comment with a wing, causing the Mayor to cower lower to the ground. “I have already told you, the nation cannot spare water for your city, it would cause more drought somewhere else.” This brought a critical look from Princess Luna, but she remained silent. Her attempts to speak in the last few meetings had been silenced, and it appeared she had taken this to heart as she watched the events unfold.

“But Highness! It has been months since we have had rain, and even the deepest reserves have long run dry. The ponies no longer fight among themselves, and their destruction is not nearly so widespread or wild, but I fear for the city's safety.” The Mayor looked to the ground, ashamed to be relaying her fears as such. “They now target the government buildings, and I have never felt such a tension throughout them. It is as though they are organized, and I fear what they may do. I have even heard muttered calls for your overthrow... If you could just lend us whatever aid you could, even if it were to inconvenience another city for a few days, perhaps you could stop whatever storm is coming.”

Princess Celestia's face grew grim. “What you are speaking of is not a revolt, Mayor, it is a rebellion. If what you say is true, I will have no choice but to cut this uprising at the roots.” The Mayor started to look horrified, babbling as she struggled to find the words to react to what she had just heard.

Twilight stood up at that point, sure she could come up with a nonviolent solution.“Princess Celestia, if you would just give me a few days to look over the rainfall of Equestria and gather some data, I might be able to-”

Celestia shook her head. “No, Twilight, no other members of our nation will suffer at the hooves of a few rebellious ponies. In ancient times, the tribes often tried to disband in times of hardship, and it was not always kindness that held them together.” She looked to the guard standing just inside the door. “Captain, I want you to gather the troops and prepare them for a full march on Manehattan. We will crush this rebellion before it begins.”

“Sister, that is enough!” Princess Luna flew from her throne then, breaking her silence and touching down at the Mayor's side. “The ponies of your nation refuse to be ignored in their requests for such a basic need! In times of hardship, it is each and every citizens duty to give what they can for the betterment of us all, even if that means a little discomfort along the line.”

Celestia's grim face settled on Luna. “Sister, you know as well as I that-”

Luna raised her voice, matching her sister's gaze determinedly. “I know that the world changed greatly in the thousand years I spent on the moon. I know that actions taken against the pony tribes are not actions to be repeated against a united Equestria. I know that your embarrassment over the old factory has clouded your judgment in the requests for a new one-”

Celestia's voice was louder, echoing through the chamber. “Luna, there is a time and place for-”

But Luna did not stop talking, her voice reverberating in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “-and I know that it has rained in Canterlot three days in the last two weeks, as per your orders!” As her words silenced every other sound in the room, leaving nothing but the whisper of their fading echo, Luna continued. “We rule this land together, sister, but I cannot condone what you have decided should be done with it any more than I seem able to alter its path. But if you think I will stand idly by while the nation crumbles beneath you, you are deeply mistaken.”

“Luna, you know what happened the last time you betrayed me.” Celestia's voice was dark, cold, and hollow.

Luna nodded. “I do. But without the Elements of Harmony, your threat is an empty one. I do not wish to claim ownership of this land. I am not the sole princess of Equestria, I am one of two who embody the will of our populace. If you have decided that your ponies mean less to you than your power, then it is Our duty to remind you otherwise.”

Celestia barely reacted to the comment.“Your duty? Then consider it done and return to your seat.”

Luna shook her head, her face determined and sad. “Not my duty. Ours.” She took a step back from the throne, separating herself from the mayor that cowered before it. “If we cannot rule this nation together, then we shall rule this nation separately.” Standing in the center of the throne room, Luna stood tall, declaring her intention for all to hear. “In the name of the ponies you have abandoned in Manehattan and elsewhere, We hereby secede from Equestria, and no longer recognize your power as Our ruler.”

Celestia's face remained blank, as though she had suspected this all along. “Then to kill a snake, I shall remove the head. Captain! Arrest Princess Luna.” The guard captain at the door took a few steps towards the princess of the night, then hesitated, looking towards the throne at the end of the hall. “Now!” shouted the Princess.

“Now!” shouted a voice from the rafters, diving down into the center of the room at lightning speed, a rainbow contrail following in her wake. She flipped into a solid landing, poised and ready to fight as she faced the throne, her cyan wings spread wide, though her body was in a form fitting black suit, a silver pin in the shape of a winged crescent moon with a star in the center gleaming proudly on her chest.

Twilight recognized the pin immediately, having seen it both on pictures from the Manehattan uprising and as trophies collected by the guards after they had quelled it last. It was a symbol spreading throughout the city, a call to arms from the Weather Riot sympathizers, or so Twilight had thought. But after Princess Luna's declaration, its true intention was suddenly made clear, though seeing it on Rainbow Dash's chest made her wonder just how far it had spread.

She didn't have long to wonder, though, as two more pegasi dropped from the ceiling, dressed like Rainbow, with the pins gleaming on their chests too. Then, rappelling down from on high, a bright pink curly mane, instantly recognized, in a sneaking suit Twilight had seen her in more than once, joined the three pegasi. Last, but not least, the Captain stepped forward, removing her helmet to reveal her orange fur and purple mane, as well as the pin clipped to her hair. She tossed the helmet to the side, then took a position between Princess Luna and the rest of the guards in the chamber, her shield raised defensively, ready for any assault.

The guards hesitated, the order from Princess Celestia going unfollowed as they waited to see what the surrounded group did. Twilight, more than anypony else, was stunned, unable to act at all at the sight of two of her friends and a young filly she knew so well actively joining this rebellion.

Princess Luna, from the center of her sudden honor guard, nodded to Celestia. “Farewell, sister. May our paths someday cross on happier terms.” She then turned and began to walk from the throne room, her guard remaining in formation around her.

This was when the spell of their sudden entrance was broken, Princess Celestia's order booming out again. “Get them! Arrest those traitors before they leave this room!” The guards lining the walls started to move, but seeing Scootaloo fully armored and ready for them, they slowed down. Nopony wanted to be the first to reach that shield. Far too many of them had personally had their mettle tested against it, and there was a very good reason why the young mare was already Captain.

That hesitation was all the group needed to reach the door, exiting the room calmly, still in their defensive formation. As the door slid closed, Celestia fumed on her throne. However, instead of calling out orders, she turned to Twilight. “Princess Twilight, it is up to you to stop them. Make sure that those ponies do not leave the castle walls, by any means necessary.”

Twilight snapped out of her trance, nodding quickly, though she was immediately confused. “Why am I in charge of this? Shouldn't you be the one to order the guards in your own castle?”

Celestia's eyes were filled with sadness as she looked at Twilight. “It is you because you are a Crown Princess of Equestria, and thus you have the authority needed. I cannot order my own sister's death... Understand?” Twilight nodded slowly again, suddenly feeling the weight of the task she was given. “See it done.”

Attempting to explain what had happened to her the day of the road trip had Flora's brain tied in knots, particularly after she'd walked in the front door just a few hours before dawn. Unfortunately, Celestia's sun still had perfect aim, and she was awake and moving far earlier than she wanted to be. To make matters worse, Rosewater was closed today, which meant Rose was all ears when it came to the trip.

Explaining the late hour of her return and the uneventful trip home was infinitely easier than trying to explain “the mark on my neck was from a rope that had been used to try to abduct me, and I'd be Celestia knows where had Silver and Jazz not been there” in such a way that Rose didn't seize up from guilt and lock Flora in the house for another month, particularly with the zap apple harvest only two days away. Still, the half asleep young mare somehow managed it, ending the conversation with only minor feelings of guilt and constant worried looks from her mother for the next week each time she left the house.

And she had to leave quite often for long periods of time. Not only did she have her own greenhouse to attend to, including a moment of excitement when she found her crystal bush had grown a couple inches overnight, but quite soon the zap apple harvest was upon Sweet Apple Acres, and it was all hooves on deck to get as many apples picked as possible. Considering 'all hooves on deck' was sixteen, with Big Mac and Silver both coming out to help Jazz and Flora get as many apples off the trees as possible, they managed a pretty good haul, and the jam from that was a much needed boost of sales for the farm. Flora wasn't much help when it came to the jamming process, but she did at least manage to snag one apple for herself, with a plan to plant the seeds come spring and see what grew.

After the harvest came cider season, which Flora was more than happy to help out with, even though she spent almost as much time 'taste testing' as she did running the apple crushing wheel. The Apple Family Traditional Cider Preparation Method might not have been the fastest, but it had at least let her and Jazz spend a lot of time together, crushing apples and brewing the perfect cider—both hard and soft—then cuddling in the barn as muscles unwound with a nice cup of their work. Sure, she'd been helping out with the cider for years, but this year's batch was just that much sweeter for the process.

During the downtime of cider season, when Jazz and Flora weren't feeling sappy enough to be rubbing noses cutely on a hay bale, Jazz would pull out his instruments, giving impromptu shows for his lucky mare. They weren't as moving or as somber as his performance in the bar, and he seemed to avoid his trombone for most of the shows, but still the music was inspiring and Flora applauded every performance. After one such performance, she mentioned something about wishing she could be a musician like him, and the smile on his face was like a light being turned on.

He shot into the farmhouse, coming back a while later with two different instrument cases, offering both of them to Flora. “Here Sugar, pick your fav'rite. I was lookin' through my collection, an' I think I got ya down ta the two that'd best fit.” He opened the smaller rectangle one, revealing a flute in three parts, the silver plating on it aged with a well worn patina, while the other case contained a violin, a little scratched up, but still of excellent make and in good condition.

Flora looked at the two instruments, not prepared to put her bits in her bridle just yet. “I wasn't expecting you to take me so seriously. I should let you know, I did take lessons when I was younger, and I showed absolutely no talent then.”

Jazz looked intrigued. “I'm sure yer lyin', but who'd ya take lessons from? It weren't Miss Heartstrings, was it?”

Flora looked surprised. “How'd you know?”

Jazz smirked. “She was the only pony teachin' music 'round these parts when I was learnin' the piano. Barely helped me a lick when I picked up the trumpet at a family reunion, but it made Granny happy, an' that's what mattered.” His smirk became a friendlier smile as he paused, remembering Granny Smith, the wonderful old mare. Flora had always loved her too. It had been a blow to all of Ponyville when she passed...

After a few moments, Jazz returned to the topic at hoof. “So what'd she try ta teach ya that you weren't so good at?”

Flora rolled her eyes, putting her head in her hooves at the memory. “The lyre. I had no inclination going in, and mom didn't really care what I was learning, she'd just gotten it into her head that a filly should know how to play an instrument.” She balanced on her back legs then, moving her hooves into the dreaded pose, one holding the imaginary lyre at her side, while the other sought out the strings. “But Heartstrings was a unicorn, and I was but a filly with clumsy hooves.”

She closed her eyes, suddenly much smaller, much younger, at her first recital, just a little thing held in Heartstrings' home for her few students, their families, and some of the kinder ponies around town. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked at the audience, her mother and father in the front row, with Newsprint watching and little Wind Key sitting on his back. Flora swallowed nervously, brought her hoof to the strings...

It was a terrible din, barely in time and with so many wrong notes that it was completely unrecognizable as 'Pop Goes the Weasel.' By the time she was done, her face was bright red, tears in her eyes as she looked at the floor, not even watching the audience as she put down the instrument. The room was dead silent, the only sound a halfhearted clap coming from her parents. Of course, that was better than the laughing, which some colt had started in the back before being shushed. She sidled off the stage, sitting with her family and watching foal after foal, filly and colt alike, having the whole room burst out in cheering for their performances. Even for the young colt that wet himself...

Flora opened her eyes, shuddering. “I stopped after a few months. There was no teaching me.”

Jazz's smile was comforting. “Nonsense! Ya just need the right instrument an' the right teacher. So, would ya rather the fiddle or the flute? I will warn ya, they both can be a might tricky, an' the flute's another one of those instruments more for a unicorn or a pegasus, but I promise ya, though you've got the strength for a tuba, only these two've got a sound pretty enough ta come close ta ya.”

Flora smiled a little, looking at him fondly. “Flattering, but I bet you'll change your tune after you hear me play.” She started off by picking up the flute, her memories of the lyre creating an aversion to stringed anythings. However, after a minute of trying to figure out how to hold the thing, and another getting it right once she was instructed, she couldn't even make a sound. Try as she might, she couldn't get her lips in the right shape to make it work, not even after Jazz proved it was possible with his own quick flourish of notes. It was probably just as well, since she had no idea how she was going to cover all those holes with her hooves.

With one option down, she picked up the violin... or was it a fiddle? Jazz had called it a fiddle, but was there a difference? It looked like a violin to her, so she decided that they must be the same thing. Mental deliberation done, she placed the violin in the position she remembered seeing somepony play one from, getting only minor adjustments from Jazz as to where her left hoof and chin went. Then, in her right hoof, she grabbed the bow, having that quickly adjusted by Jazz as well. When finally everything was in place, she looked at Jazz, shrugged, and put bow to string.

The violin shrieked in her hooves, crying out in agony from the pressure she put on it and the way she held the strings all wrong, and immediately she put it down, shaking like she had all those years ago. She put a hoof to her chest, feeling the bandanna hanging down from her neck as she did. It was a comforting presence, one she wish she'd had at that first recital, looking back. It made this one much easier.

Jazz walked over to her, putting a hoof over her shoulder and hugging her to him. “Hey, that was great for a first time!”

Flora looked at him flatly, her embarrassment fading slightly. “Really?”

Jazz nodded. “Ya only sounded like one dyin' cat. Most first timers sound like a whole litter of 'em.”

Flora's eyebrow raised, feeling a little flustered after the failed attempt with the instrument and the very strange complement. “Thanks...? Are we done with that? Can I go back to listening to you?”

Jazz smiled warmly, kissing Flora on the cheek. “Sure, Sugar. But I ain't givin' up on ya. Why, I bet ya'll be playin' like cousin Fiddlesticks by the end of cider season.” With that dubious promise set forth, he walked over to his trumpet, laying where it had been abandoned earlier, finishing the show he'd been putting on for Flora. She did improve by the end of cider season, arguably, in that she could actually play notes without Windsor howling from the house, but she didn't have too high an opinion of her playing, even if Jazz still hadn't given up on her.

Normally the season culminated with the Running of the Leaves, getting rid of fall and getting the trees prepared for winter and, eventually, spring, but this year things went a little differently. There just weren't enough ponies to make the run, those remaining in town either too elderly or not motivated enough to sign up for the race. So instead it had fallen to Silver to plan, and her plan had definitely grown since she had talked about it on the trip through Whitetail Woods.

Built on the edge of the woods was what looked like a huge wooden mixer, drawing the attention of just about every pony in Ponyville. When asked about it, Silver assured the town that the wooden monstrosity was, in fact, a wind tunnel, and that it would be perfectly safe so long as everypony stood back. She then donned her goggles and flew inside of the thing, whipping the air into a frenzy, then into a whirlwind, before slamming out of a hatch built into the side and letting the whole thing loose.

The twister she created did a fantastic job of picking up the leaves. At first. But whether it was an errant breeze or a trick of fate, it soon picked up strength and speed, veering away from the forest and careening towards Town Hall while picking up bushes, rocks, boulders, and pieces of roofing as it moved. Silver shot ahead of the tornado in a burst of speed not seen in Ponyville since Rainbow Dash was a resident, putting herself in front of the hurtling death spiral as it bore down on her. Not a moment later, it had her swept up as well, continuing on its rampage of destruction.

However, after a few tense moments of worry from the crowd, the twister began changing course, barely passing by Town Hall and squeezing narrowly down a street, debris coming within inches of the buildings around it. From there it was funneled into the lake, the air pulling at the water immediately, sending it skyward. The wind speed couldn't keep the water afloat, however, and the tornado lost energy trying to send it away. Soon enough the destructive force dissipated, debris falling into the lake while a soaked Silver flew circles in midair, still trying to stop the defeated twister.

She apologized profusely to everypony for losing control like that, even patching up the damaged roofs, though the cost came out of the town treasury for damages. There had, luckily enough, been some preparation in case her crazy plan had gone wrong, and the money set aside in case of emergency was far more than was needed. And, even though she lost control, she had managed to get the leaves off the trees, so she was quite happy with herself once the repairs were complete.

The member of the Royal Guard that appeared that evening wasn't nearly so pleased. The incident of a rogue wind cell was not something to be ignored in Canterlot, and Silver was taken to a secure site in Ponyville for questioning about the incident, much to both Silver and Cheerilee's distress. She was not seen again until the following morning, when a grey and purple blur streaked over Flora's greenhouse towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Flora followed the blur and found Silver cowering in the clubhouse, a cushion pulled over her head and her wings flared with tension. It had taken two hours for Flora to coax Silver from her hiding spot, and another one to calm her down and assure her that things would be okay. Luckily, according to the guard, the town had a high opinion of its resident pegasus, or it would have been more than her job on the line. But, no matter what happened, Flora assured Silver that she had the support of her fellow Crusaders and best friends, no matter how much trouble she got into. Even so, Silver decided to lay as low as possible after that whole incident.

Despite the incident with the tornado and Town Hall, the last day of autumn, as always, was the Fall Flower Festival, a usually vibrant display of harvest, growth, and agricultural prowess held in the town square. In years past, there would be food stands lining the streets, while the contestant's area, and quite often the decorations, would display flowers in every color of the rainbow, putting the trees' own leafy displays to shame.

This year, as it was for the last few years, it was a dismal display. Where there used to be dozens of entries and excited faces running around the square there was hardly a flower in sight, and what few ponies came to see the modest display did so with somber expressions and the slow gait of age. There were only four contestants to compete this year, the worst turnout in festival history.

First was Lily, with a beautiful batch of the flower she was named for, continuing to show that her flower shop lived on even with her absent partner. Rose was next, with a small but healthy iris plant that she had been growing all season, refusing tips from Flora. Third was Bittersweet, a young filly with a single, giant sunflower and a huge beaming smile on her face. On her back was tied a cape, the Cutie Mark Crusaders crest sewed to it proudly, which brought a smile to Flora's face. She was happy to know that, though the Crusaders she had passed her cape to had grown up, the tradition still lived on. Flora, of course, was the final contestant, coming to defend her title with a surprise project she'd been working on all year: a dazzling display of tulips grown completely out of season. They didn't show a hint of weakness, looking just as vibrant and joyful in this last day of fall as they would in the middle of spring.

With the most difficult and most dazzling flowers of the show, Flora defended her title and took home first prize in the Fall Flower Festival once more, but that victory didn't stop her from waiting with bated breath for the other two spots. Rose had been out of the competition for a few years now, but she had been in her garden nearly daily for the past few months. If she could place, maybe it would be a little more of that confidence boost she needed.

Second place went to Lily, the florist taking the prize with ease and grace, as she had for quite a while. She would probably say some slightly passive aggressive things to Flora as she went to the greenhouse for the next few days, then it would blow over, like it always did. Still, it did have to sting to be outdone by the pony you taught, working secretly in her garden in your back yard... But even if there was a hint of jealousy from the older mare, Flora felt nothing but love for her mentor.

Third place, however, was a definite fight. Bittersweet, while not having the best display of flowers, did have one rather impressive sunflower that showed promise in the young filly. However, while Rose's irises didn't have the same vibrancy as the sunflower, they made up for it in number and in heart. The care that went into the plants Rose had presented was clear, while the young filly's flower had the definite look of a happy accident, not the norm. And, while it did tear at Flora to root against a fellow Crusader, she had to hope that the show of care would end with the ribbon going to her mother. Lily's lilies were beautiful, and Flora of course wished for the best for her mentor, but though Rose's iris didn't have the same vibrancy, it made up for it in heart, and Flora hoped that would be enough to get the ribbon for her mom.

Eventually, after Mayor Mare held a lengthy pause for dramatic effect, the yellow ribbon was awarded to Rose's iris flower, bringing a cheer from Flora as she ran over and hugged her mom. It was a bit of a display in front of the young filly, but just as Flora was about to apologize, she saw Bittersweet and two other fillies running off to do something else. It was nice to know that, even in war, some things never changed. Her guilt set aside, she went back to congratulating her mother on her good showing in the competition. Maybe third place wasn't that impressive in a field of four to some, but to Flora, seeing that beaming smile return to her mother's face and feeling the warmth of it radiate out as they celebrated... The yellow ribbon might as well have been pure gold.

The next morning was crisp and cool, the perfect day for the scheduled start of winter. The night before had been full of games and laughter, but today Rose decided that she and Flora deserved a little feast to celebrate their awards. Flora would have liked to have helped her, but there was one important piece of preparation needing to be done at Sweet Apple Acres, and she set off first thing in the morning to get it done.

Winter, well known to be the season where nothing grew and farmers generally got to rest, had a small hitch in that plan right at the fence between Sweet Apple Acres and the Grape Family Vineyards. One year, after the zap apples had come and gone, a few strange little vine began to grow along the fence. Nopony knew what to make of the unassuming turquoise tendrils that rose from the ground, only their strange coloration marking them as anything other than a weed. At one point, the Grape family had even tried to cut them down, but when the shears were dulled from use trying to keep the near-instant regrowth in check, the vines were left alone to grow for years. It wasn't until a young Jazz was sitting in the field, practicing the trumpet he'd received at the family reunion earlier that year, that anypony found out the secret of the vines.

As the young colt improvised on his horn, the vines reacted, growing rapidly and seeming to connect together with five thinner tendrils. As he played on, little flashes of light brought his attention to the fence, causing him to investigate in wonder. It took him a little while to figure out what he was seeing, but as he finished the song and watched the magic happen, suddenly it became clear. Amazed by his discovery, he ran inside to tell his mother about what had happened.

Now, while Applejack and Granny Smith were both flummoxed by the idea of apple blossoms growing on a vine, especially when snow was already starting to hit the ground, Granny knew that magic was as magic does, and she encouraged Jazz to keep playing for the vines every day to see what happened. It took him most of the winter, and sometimes he'd walk out bundled head to hoof in warm clothes and still be unable to feel his lips, and many of the small, green and red dappled apples were destroyed by the snow and the frost, but in the end, the jazz apples had been tamed, and Jazz had a cutie mark to show for it to boot.

However, due to the destructive effects of winter's chill on the fruits, Jazz had taken a page from Flora and decided that they needed a greenhouse to keep them warm and safe. She'd offered to help out with it even all the way back then, and even as the years passed, she was still the best mare for the job. Big Mac, for all his ability with building and repairs, could never seem to get a knack for the plastic building, and with Jazz's clumsiness with building tools, Flora had gladly taken over the reins.

Initially they'd tried keeping the greenhouse up the entire year, but that had quickly turned out to be a mistake. All through the year they had to keep scaring off the fruit bats that had decided they could nest in the nice, warm building, leaving behind a horrifying mess and causing more work than taking down and putting up the temporary building would have been. However, that wasn't what had shown it to be a mistake. Whether it was because they were separated from the zap apples that year or some other magical mechanic nopony could pin, the jazz apple vines only provided very few, sickly, mostly bitter fruits when finally winter came. After that, per the magic vine's inclinations, the Apple family removed the greenhouse each spring and put it up again each winter. It was like the painting of polka dots when making zap apple jam: it didn't seem to make sense, but magic is as magic does, and that was just something to factor in.

It was late in the afternoon when finally the greenhouse was put together, the long, clear plastic building a rather impressive eyesore against the wooden fence and the hills behind. When the first snow came in a few days it wouldn't stick out so much, but it was a jarringly modern building on the charming little farm and one thing she really hated about the whole process. Still, with a feeling of accomplishment sitting lightly on her heart, she walked back towards the farmhouse, wiping her brow at a job well done.

Before she had gone more than a few steps, Jazz called out to her, the smile clear in his voice even with her back turned. “Hey! Where do you think yer goin'? You didn't think I'd let ya go without thankin' ya, didya?”

Flora turned around, smiling as well. “No, but I figured my reward would be back at the farmhouse. A bottle of cider and one of your amazing pies would really hit the spot about now.”

Jazz smirked at her, pulling a bottle out from behind a stump near the completed building. “Well, I ain't got a pie on me, but I was one step ahead a ya on the cider.” He left that sitting on the flat top of the tree's remains as he reached behind it again, fetching a trumpet case. “Now come on in, you get ta sit in on my first playin' for the vines.” He took his case inside the building, leaving Flora to grab the bottle offered to her, pop the cap off with her hoof, and follow him inside.

It was a little cramped in there thanks to the fence running through the middle of it, but the tight quarters and already overheated air were made infinitely more tolerable by the cider in Flora's hoof, as well as the show that began as soon as Jazz started warming up his trumpet. The vines behind him came alive with the first few notes he played, stretching up to the top of the fence and standing completely straight. As he continued, a treble clef appeared at the highest part of the leftmost vine, its leaves vibrant and shimmering, while small white flowers shaped like bells appeared around it, pointing towards the source of the sound and waiting for the coming performance.

As was Flora, who watched with fascination as Jazz warmed up, slowly finding herself more focused on him than the plant she'd never seen before. He really was a handsome stallion, lost as he was on his music with a gentle smile pulling at his lips. He could also move the valves on his trumpet incredibly well with his hooves, a feat that astounded her considering her own difficulty with the strings on the violin. Maybe he was just more flexible or nimble than her, she didn't know, but the music he made even during warmup made her wonder if he'd have stayed on the farm if the war hadn't started. Had it been a different time, she could easily see him in old Manehattan, a billboard proclaiming his sold out show. And she'd just be somepony cheering him on from Ponyville... Imagining the life he missed, and knowing the joy she gained for him missing it... it wasn't a pleasant thought, no matter how she looked at it.

But the thought was cast away as Jazz stopped his warmup, took a swig from his own bottle of cider, smiled deeply at her, and began to play in earnest. Music exploded from his horn, filling the room up immediately and completely, though it was muddied by the lousy acoustics in the cramped plastic building. Even so, his quick flourishes and syncopated rhythms were a stunning thing to hear, with a tempo so fast and a tone so upbeat it was hard to believe this was the same pony whose instrument had cried in the tavern in Jennydale.

Amazing as it was, the sight of the red furred stallion so lost in his performance was soon dwarfed by the show behind him. Within moments of him starting to play, a time signature grew out of the vine behind him, followed by five smaller vines, shooting from the leftmost vine and linking up all of the ones along the fence. Small apple blossoms winked into existence on the newly grown staff following his every melodic line, with small vines drooping down to separate measures and leaves appearing to denote the few rests he took and needed incidentals. Very soon, the first line of the staff was full, and so a second set of vines grew beneath it, shooting across the greenhouse to keep up with the music, the flowers on it seeming to glow and dance as he played.

A third line grew after the second was filled, but as it reached the end, no more filed in under it. Although Jazz continued to play for a while longer, the vines were at maximum capacity, nearly touching the ground, stretched taut and laden with flowers as they were. The flowers continued to glow until Jazz finally put his trumpet down, but the scene no longer changed, allowing Flora to take it in in its entirety.

Behind Jazz was a living piece of sheet music, marked with leaves and vines, with flowers for notes and accurate to a sharp. Flora had never seen Jazz perform for the vines, or even seen the inside of the greenhouse when she'd come to do repairs in previous years. It had been a secret from her, just like her greenhouse was a secret from him. A private place where only he could go... and he'd invited her in. That warmed her heart even more than the sight of Jazz standing before his glowing work, a warm smile on his face as he looked it over.

It took her a few moments for her to register that he'd stopped playing, the sight of the process unfolding before her enough to make her lose herself in its beauty. But she quickly regained her senses, applauding the musician's work, though she almost swore she saw the flowers bowing behind him. “That was amazing! Is this what you do every year?”

Jazz nodded. “Eeyup. Sometimes it's my trombone, sometimes I pick another instrument, an' one year I convinced Big Mac ta drag the piano out here... It was a good harvest, but he said he'd never do it again and he's stuck to it.” He took another sip from his cider, then smiled at Flora. “Yer the first pony ta see me play for 'em that weren't family, an' the first pony at all in eight years.” His smile faded a little after that. “Granny Smith always loved ta hear me play...”

“I'm sure she'd still enjoy it now. I know I did.” She smiled warmly, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek. “Thanks for sharing it with me.”

Jazz pulled her into a hug. “Of course, Sugar. You've been makin' this happen for years. If anythin', yer overdue for the show.” He looked at the music growing on the vine, a slight frown on his face. “Was that really all that grew? Huh... Shoulda put the fancy bits in a few bars earlier.”

Flora, now getting to see the jazz apple vine in action, had a few questions she had always wanted to know about the little fruits she'd get at the end of the year. “So, how do the jazz apples work? Do you just have to play that song every day? Do they grow on their own?”

Jazz looked at her for a moment, a bit of puzzlement on his face. “You mean I never told ya before?” Flora shook her head, causing his frown to deepen before continuing. “Well, growin' jazz apples is pretty simple really. For the first few days you just come out here 'n play for 'em, whatever you like, an' they fill in the music until ya find a balance or a tune that ya like. After a week, ya gotta narrow it down to a song you can play every day, an' the notes not in it fall off 'a the vines. Flourishes can be added in still, but the main piece has ta be set by the end of the first month. Then it's just daily practice of the music 'til the fruit is beggin' ta be picked, an' the job's done.”

Flora looked at the small white flowers that had sprouted, picturing the tiny, bite sized apples they grew into by winter's end. “What are the apples best used for? I can never seem to remember what you sell from them at the end...”

Jazz shrugged. “That's 'cause we don't sell a lot. Until we can get more vines ta grow, we ain't got production enough ta make much of a profit, an' since gettin' more parts to expand the greenhouse is such a hassle right now, we ain't plantin' more 'til the war's off an' we can plan it. These vines are just the ones that grew nat'rally, plus one or two I planted when I was younger, an' they're still goin' strong.” He took a moment of pride in that, sipping his cider before going on. “Anyway, jazz apples are best for jammin', though they make very sweet desserts and salad toppers if ya don't eat 'em all as snacks.”

Flora's first thought was to ask for a seed from one of these, too, to see if she could make it grow, but once she remembered the musical component, and the fact that she'd been being taught an instrument, she looked over at Jazz slyly. “You weren't thinking I'd play with you to get more apples, were you?”

Jazz looked sheepish, kicking at the dirt aimlessly. “Th' thought had crossed my mind...”

She looked at him flatly, but there was an inner curiosity that demanded to be sated. Still... “I don't think I'd be much help. The violin screeching along behind will only bring you down.”

Jazz looked her in the eyes, his face going completely serious. “Flora, for years now you've made my life be nothin' but up when everythin' else is draggin ' down. An' after everythin' ya've done just this year, a duet with ya would be the sweetest icin' on the cake.” He pulled her into a kiss then, and the motion surprised her. In all their months dating, they'd had pecks on the cheek and plenty of cuddling, but this was the first real kiss they'd shared... In fact, for both of them, it was the first 'real' kiss they'd ever had.

And yet, even though she was surprised, she didn't resist it, and she was oh so glad of that. The love she could feel in the gesture, the caring passing from his lips to hers, made her whole body spark with warmth. She was a little sad when it ended moments later, with him looking dreamily into her eyes. “I love ya, Flora, an' it's taken me much too long ta say it. Nothin' you could do could bring me down. So would ya be willin' ta practice a duet with me this winter?”

Flora still had doubts about her ability with the violin, and she knew she would normally be voicing them, but in the warm haze filling her heart, she couldn't find the words even if she tried. “I'd love to, Jazz, just like I love you, too.” She blushed a little at what she said, realizing how sappy it was, but put that thought away as she nuzzled his cheek, warmed as it was by the orange light of sunset through the greenhouse wall.

Her eyes shot open as she realized the color of the light, her body jumping to her hooves as moving quickly towards the door. “Horseapples! Is it that late? I need to go. Mom's waiting for me and I can't-”

Jazz waved a hoof at her worried face. “It's alright, Sugar, no offense taken. You deserve the celebration after winnin' the festival. Just make sure to swing by the barn an' grab the fiddle on your way out.”

Flora stopped at the door, looking back in at him with a bit of surprise. “You're going to let me take it home?”

Jazz smirked. “Well, ya can't always be practicin' here, can ya? An' I trust ya not ta break it.”

Flora smiled back, nodding. “I'll do my best. See you tomorrow, Jazzy!” With that she ran from the greenhouse, Jazz watching her go until she disappeared among the trees in the orchard. With a warm smile, he picked up his trumpet again, inspiration striking and giving the jazz apples a little bonus show.

The next day Flora made her way to the Acres, finding Jazz waiting for her in the barn, ready for a small bit of practice and planning in the barn before they played for the apples that afternoon. Initially, Flora was nervous, her violin squeaking in pain and the notes coming from it filled with trepidation. Despite that, Jazz was nothing but supportive, encouraging her through and telling her that she was doing great. At the end of an hour, though, she was just as scared of her instrument as she'd been when she came in, as she'd been when he first had her play it at the beginning of fall, and after all these months, that was something Jazz couldn't let continue. “Flora, ya need ta relax. The fiddle ain't gonna bite.”

Flora dropped down from her playing stance, anxiety clear on her face. “I know that, and I know you said I wouldn't drag you down, but I just can't play as well as you can, and if the jazz apples don't like it then you'll get a weird harvest and-”

Jazz tapped her on the nose, stopping her thought in her tracks, then smiled warmly. “If ya worry that much 'bout what yer playin', ya'll lose the joy of playin'. Ya know the notes, you were hittin' them just fine before ya worried and let yer bow slip. Ya just gotta breathe.”

Flora gave Jazz weak glare. “You're just saying that. There's no way I'm gonna be good enough to match you when the time comes.”

Jazz looked hurt, taking a step back from Flora. “Flora, that's cold. I wouldn't lie to ya. I'm an Apple, 't ain't in our nature. But I didn't ask ya ta play with me because I wanted ya ta be good.” Flora had her mouth open to comment when she was swept into a hug, her words caught in her throat as she looked into his hazel eyes containing nothing but truth and warmth for her. “I asked ya because we work so well together.”

In another moment he had moved behind her, coaxing her up to her back legs and bringing the violin back into its place. “We're gonna be playin' a duet, an' whether we're playin' it for the jazz apples, for a tavern, or just for ourselves, the way it works is the same. Ya gotta trust yer partner and ya gotta trust yerself.”

Flora was held almost spellbound as Jazz continued to guide the bow to the string, his hoof on hers to help pick the notes. “We're gonna be playin' music together, a song I wrote for us, a song only we can discover... We ain't gonna find it if we ain't walkin' the road together. If ya spend the whole time worryin' that yer draggin' me back, ya'll end up doin' it. What ya gotta do, what we need ta do, is close our eyes, listen to the breath, the beat, everythin', until we're practic'ly the same pony. Then the music will flow.”

Flora did as he said, closing her eyes, slowing her breathing to match his brushing by her cheek. She could feel his warmth around her, not cautious like it had been that first night they were together, not self conscious like when they'd cuddle in the barn, but sure and comfortable in a way she'd never felt him before. And, as she continued to match his breathing, she relaxed into his presence a little more, and it was as though whole new sense came to her. She could sense the smile beside her neck, could feel the intention in his hooves, the notes he wanted her to play without his guidance in the least. But, most of all, she could feel his heartbeat, a constant pulse of everything that was him coursing through his body. She took another deep breath, time passing ever by, until, soon enough, their heartbeats matched. Then, at that moment, she began to play.

Her clumsy hooves were gone, and though it was no sonata, the notes flowed quickly from her violin, moving along the melody he had written for them. She could hear his part in her mind, harmonies and counter melodies that she couldn't pick out if she was asked, but which flowed from the music to her and back as she pulled her bow and made her instrument sing.

A moment later, she felt Jazz slowly pull away, and she nearly stuttered, moments from losing that connection they had shared. However, she fought her worry, continuing to keep her eyes closed and let the music go, refusing to tense up as, smoothly, his trumpet joined her strings. She was most of the way through the piece he'd given her, but she kept playing it to the end, feeling the connection to her duet partner, her special somepony, and trusting him through and through.

Just as they reached the end, she hesitated, hearing him moving where she knew silence should follow. She wanted to open her eyes, to start to question, but she fought against that instinct, her music quieting as she tried to find the path. Moments later it showed itself to her as he played the first few notes of their song: a simple repeat, nothing more. She started up again, this time letting the music flow in its twin rivers, wrapping around the two of them and filling the barn completely. They never once lost the beat, and though she couldn't follow him through his flourishes and embellishments, she trusted herself to keep steady, her violin continuing to sing.

They reached the end of the song together, slowing down to the last note, which hung in the air between them even once they both had placed their instrument down and opened their eyes. The world hadn't changed, it was still the same barn, still the same winter day, and yet, she was not the same pony. She had seen him play many times, she had played herself to little effect, but to have finally made that connection with him... She walked forward, leaning up and kissing him, much like he had the day before, and again, for a moment, their heartbeats aligned. Then she pulled away, smiling all the while with her half-lidded eyes. “I think we're ready Jazzy.”

Jazz smiled back. “I know we are, Sugar. The vines are waiting.”

“They can wait a little longer.” She kissed him again and they moved in unison, slowly going backwards until they fell into the pile of hay, the instruments falling to the wayside, their hearts still beating in perfect unison.

Wanted

Twilight Sparkle followed the cadre of ponies escorting Princess Luna towards her rebellious goal, seeing guard after confused guard standing in the hallway, not sure what it was they had just seen walking past them. However, it was clear none of them had heard the news yet, and none had appeared to have tried to stop Luna or her honor guard. That duty, as Princess Celestia had said, fell to Twilight Sparkle.

Yet, though she passed the numerous guards, even asking one of them for directions when she reached a crossroads in the majestic halls, she couldn't actually bring herself to command them to follow her. She knew, in that logical head of hers, that she should be telling them precisely what Celestia had ordered until she had a group far larger than Luna's and she could detain the errant Princess... or worse, if necessary. But that was the thing, wasn't it? None of this seemed necessary, least of all her friends turning against their own country like this! No, what this situation needed, she decided as she ran down a spiral staircase, was a moment of clear thought and explanation.

Twilight saw the group turning the corner of the next hall as she exited the stairs, and with a flash of her horn, she appeared in front of them, suddenly feeling the eyes of not just Luna's guard, but the castle guards upon her. While her sudden appearances weren't uncommon in the castle, the scene of the four black-clad ponies and a guard captain leading their Princess out had them on edge, and she was just the one to offer an explanation. Unfortunately, that was precisely what she was here for as well. “Princess Luna, please, think about what you are doing before you-”

“I know the consequences of my course of action perfectly well, Princess Twilight, as do the ponies supporting me. We are fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to defend Our nation.” Luna's gaze was not uncaring, but her face was set. There was no power that she would stop for.

Even when faced with the one pony who probably could. “Are you aware of what I have been asked to do by Celestia? I do not wish to issue the order.”

“Then do not, Twilight.” Luna's fury from the throne room had returned, her eyes nearly glowing as she held a strong temper in check. “If my sister cannot give one command to harm me, yet will gladly doom her nation with her edicts, then she only proves Our purpose with her actions. Until this madness ends, Equestria is not safe, and her citizens should not abide it.” She stomped her hooves, orating to everypony in the hall, not just Twilight before her. “A Princess is nothing more than a pony given power by her people. She is no untouchable entity, no all-powerful ruler, and she should know that her power can be taken just as easily as it was granted!”

Twilight could see the unease in the guards as easily as she could feel the situation spiraling out of her control. However, what astonished her was how readily her friends nodded in agreement... The logic was sound, but this couldn't be the same Rainbow Dash she knew, could it? “Rainbow... Don't you realize what you're doing? How can you turn your back on your Princess? On Equestria? You turned down the Shadowbolts for your friends! You swore an oath to protect the nation as a Wonderbolt, and you proudly said that you would never betray the Princess! Ho-”

Rainbow looked her friend in the eye, that very dilemma Twilight was describing clearly having long been put to rest. “I am not betraying the Princess or Equestria.”

“You're starting a revolution! That's the definition of turning against your country!”

Rainbow stomped, flaring her wings to make her point heard. “Of turning against the government! Not the country.” She glared Twilight down for daring to argue this point with her. “I am doing this because I have seen what her decisions have caused. I was in Manehattan, told to capture and jail a bunch of ponies who just wanted water! I had to fly over them and not only say help wasn't coming, but beat them into line when they got mad about it. I was at the Weather Factory, I know the horrors of what happened there... What is happening now may not be as severe, but it's just as bad, and I won't let that happen again.”

Twilight turned from Rainbow Dash to Scootaloo, hoping she could talk some sense into the younger pony... even if that 'younger pony' now looked even older than she. “Scootaloo, you swore you would defend the Princess with your life. You rose through the ranks on that dedication, making captain in record time. How can you turn on that now?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I swore to protect Equestria and the ponies in it, first and foremost, with Canterlot, the castle, and every princess coming second. Yet I've been stationed here my entire time, protecting the most well guarded pile of bricks within our borders like it's going to be attacked. I have helped almost nopony, done little more than train more ponies to stand around holding spears.” She spat out those words, causing the guards in the hall to nervously try to hide the spears in their hooves as they avoided eye contact. “This isn't what I joined for! No matter how many years it's been like this, even if it was right then, it's not right now. Maybe a guard shouldn't be thinking of right or wrong. Maybe a guard should just be thinking about their orders, but then I didn't get to where I am by not thinking,”

She looked down at her armor and shield, then to the Princess standing tall behind her. “As for protecting the princesses, well, one of them ordered me to think, demanded I really look at what was going on, and then offered me a choice. I made it without hesitation.” She moved her shield into a defensive posture. “I will do my duty, whichever side of the shield you're on, Princess. For the ponies of Equestria.”

Twilight shook her head, refusing to believe this couldn't be talked down as she reached out for her final friendly face. “Pinkie, why are you here? Why would you-”

Pinkie Pie popped up behind Twilight, grabbing onto her shoulders playfully. “Ooh! Let me guess. Is it... 'join these rebellious traitors'? Or 'hold yourself accomplice to these acts of treason'? No! Wait! It's 'fall in line behind the wrong leader,' right? Tell me I'm right!”

Twilight looked confused. “Maybe? You've always been about making ponies smile! If you divide the country, won't that-”

“Twilight, it's very simple.” Pinkie bounced over her friend. “Dividing the country, normally, is like dividing a cake. Nopony wants to have a smaller piece, and nopony is really happy not to just have the whole cake, but it must be done to make as many ponies as happy as they can be. Except, this time, the cake is half chocolate sweet yummy goodness, and half salted rotten baked bads, and the cut just keeps the good half from getting all sick and nasty.” Pinkie drew a cake in the air in front of her, with layers and frosting and all looking very complicated and delicious in her mind's eye, before pulling out an imaginary knife and holding it happily. “Who better to make the slice than an expert on cakes?” She slammed the false knife through the air cake, smiling brightly as she did.

Twilight stood, puzzled by all of Pinkie's explanation, but more confused by a common theme between them all. “You talk like the nation is corrupted... It's the same as it has always been! Nothing has changed since you all vowed yourselves to it.”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow, looking like she had a secret she wasn't going to tell. “Are you sure? Would you like to take a closer look?”

Luna, however, nodded solemnly. “You're right, Twilight, it hasn't changed. One ruler with ultimate power, as it has been for over a thousand years... Nopony was ever meant to rule alone.”

“But she hasn't been ruling alone! Ever since your return, you have held just as high a place as-”

Luna snorted. “Were you not the one to come to us, not so long ago, complaining that your office was not as high as ours? Haven't you noticed your place in the recent proceedings? Or has your position at her right hoof been too high an honor for her faithful student?”

Pinkie tapped Twilight on the horn. “The answer's never there if you don't look for it! But if you know where it's hiding...” Pinkie then moved to a tapestry next to the group, reaching behind it and pulling out a small, purple rubber ball, which she tossed at Twilight. “... the difference is like day and night!”

Twilight caught the ball in her magic, looking at the group with confused annoyance. “You're not going to convince me to go against Princess Celestia. I am still loyal to my country, my princess, and my teacher.”

Luna nodded knowingly. “She taught you to think, she trusted you completely, you were her closest confidante for years...” Then, in the midnight blue glow of her horn, her and her five escorts disappeared, winking back into existence just beyond Twilight at the entrance to the Grand Entryway. “Know where your loyalties lie, not just who they lie with.” With that said, the group once more began to move, entering the final room before they would exit the castle.

Twilight knew what she had been told to do. She was surrounded by guards who had witnessed that entire conversation, looking at her in confusion, awaiting orders, and she was out of time to hesitate. Once they crossed the entryway they would be in the gardens, and from there their escape was practically assured with the time it would take to alert the guards outside. The weight of her command was on her tongue, the very thought dragging her down, and yet Princess Celestia had asked it specifically of her...

One of the guards stepped forward, seeing her uncertainty. “Princess? Do you have orders?”

Twilight could hear the hoofsteps on the marble floor, heading towards the door, and she knew what she had to do. “If Luna and her followers attempt to leave, you must capture them, but do not harm them unless they attack you first. Spread the word to every guard on duty. She is not to leave the castle grounds”

The guards around her all bowed. “Yes, Princess,” they said in unison, then they moved after Luna's group as the great doors swung open.

Twilight walked the other direction as she heard the shouting, the commotion, and the clanging of armored hooves running through the castle halls as the alarm went up. She walked slowly past guardsmares charging the other way, seemingly indifferent to whether Luna would escape or not. In truth, she was, since she already knew what the outcome would be. But one question still hung in the air, one that required data, study, testing... But would the teacher pass? Only time would tell.

Homeward Bound led Steam Cloud and Wind Key over a surprising amount of terrain over the course of one night, even considering their play time had slowed the expedition down. However, by the time the moon dipped low and the first hints of Celestia's sun were peeking at the horizon, the two mares were on their last legs. Wind could barely keep herself gliding in a straight line for how much her wings ached, and only the fear of falling from the sky kept Steam's legs pounding at the air raggedly, the Ready Wings floundering and dipping awkwardly with her strained movements.

Seeing the state of his wards, Homeward brought them circling down gently to the ground, landing all three of them in front of a small cave that would be their bed for the day. It wouldn't be comfortable, and a cool winter breeze blew through the open mouth, piercing through the mares' fur, but it would keep them safe from prying eyes, and that was all they could truly ask for. As soon as they landed, the older stallion took watch, walking to the mouth of the cave and keeping a sharp eye out, his tattered cloak serving to blend him just as well with the rocks as it had with the trees before.

It took quite a bit of fumbling to get the Ready Wings unhitched from Steam's back, and even though the focus required to move it in her magic brought her a momentary headache, it was completely overwhelmed by the relief of removing the weight from her frame. She might not have been on hoof all night, but the harness pulling on her chest wasn't pleasant, and the second her weary muscles had touched ground she'd wobbled like a toddling foal on legs not ready and barely able to carry weight again. Wind had giggled a little at her unsteadiness, but Steam couldn't blame the seasoned flyer laughing at the newbie. She'd have probably done the same if the tables were turned.

Steam lowered herself to her side on the cold stone floor, immediately curling up as tightly as she could to keep in heat. The night of their escape had been brutal, but there had at least been grass and a fire to help. As she shivered in the chill, she wished for nothing more than her own bed, with the cheap, lumpy mattress directly on the hard floor and the blankets she'd meticulously made every morning despite their horrible thread count. Even the drafty walls of her apartment when she'd first moved in, before she'd finally spackled them up would have been a toasty treat tonight...

It was as she tried to will that warmth around her that she heard a nervous cough over the chattering of her teeth. “Um, Steam?” She looked up, seeing Wind's silhouette standing over her in the dark, barely visible against the growing light outside. At the sign of movement, Wind continued. “Well, I saw you shivering, and I was wondering if you'd like to sleep together today?”

Steam blinked, mind going blank for a second. “What?”

Wind kicked a rock across the cave floor. “You know, sleep together. Like, with each other.”

Silence echoed through the darkness. Then, after a long while, the response. “You do realize that Homeward is just outside, right?”

Wind's silhouette's head tilted, a puzzled feel coming off of her until, a second later, her wings flared out and her flustered voice sounded. “WHAT?! Nononono that wasn't what I meant at all! I meant we could sleep next to each other and share body heat! I'm a pegasus, we're built for the cold of high altitudes, so I'd be sort of like a space heater...” Even in the darkness, the blush on Wind's face practically glowing all on its own.

A matching one appeared on Steam's face, though she was very glad it wouldn't be seen. “Oh! Okay, that's, yeah! That makes a lot more sense. I... think I'd like that a lot.” She had momentarily thought about saying no, especially thanks to the awkwardness of the whole situation now, but even the heat on her cheeks hadn't stopped her teeth from clattering together, and she was far too tired to want to deal with the cold now.

“Are you sure? Because if it would be weird, I'll just go over there again and-”

Steam shook her head, shivering visibly on the ground. “N-no. It's fine. Let's just forget the whole misunderstanding, okay?”

Wind nodded. “Okay.” Slowly she got onto the ground next to Steam, then scooted over until they were right in front of each other, a tangle of legs just waiting to happen if they got any closer. Wind stopped there, frowning. “Do you feel any warmer yet?” Steam shook her head, and Wind seemed to hesitate for a moment. “A-alright. Well, I don't really know if I could get closer like this, but if you turn over...” Steam nodded nervously, turning over and looking at the rough cave wall. Behind her, she heard Wind shuffling against the floor, then felt a hoof bump into her back. “Oh, sorry.”

Steam shook her head. “It's fine.” Wind scooted a little more, until she was laying behind Steam, her legs pressed a little into the unicorn's back. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but there was a little more warmth, Steam had to admit. “Is there any way you could lay that doesn't put your hooves in my back?”

“Sure. Sit up for a moment.” Steam pushed herself up, not really able to see what was going on in the dark, but a moment later she was given the okay to lay back down. As she did, she found something soft beneath her, and her neck came to rest on very well placed cushion. It wasn't until the other one wrapped over her that she realized it was a leg, and that the softness beneath her was a wing, with the feathers acting like a bedding. “I-is that any better?”

Steam froze, suddenly surrounded in a hug with Wind. And, sure, they'd hugged before, but now it was all so much more... intimate. The warmth was amazing, and the softness of the wings was heaven compared to the floor, but Wind was so close she could even feel the breath hitting the back of her mane, and with her wing wrapped around her...

Steam had picked up a lot of pegasus body language in her years alone in Timbucktu. Most of it was the same, but there was a plethora of expressions unique to pegasi and their wings. For a while, she wondered why they seemed to so carefully keep their wings folded to their side when they walked, or why they never offered her the use of one as an umbrella when rain showed up, even when they'd cover themselves with them. She only really understood it when she started working at the 5 Wings, on the few late night shifts when the really sketchy ponies were out. Suddenly, pegasi would try to pull her to the table or follow her from work, and always, always, it was the wings they were using. It wasn't until she saw a few couples on the street that she confirmed her guess, but she finally found out that it was an meaningful sign. If a pegasus took you under their wing, either they thought of you as a very good friend, or they were hitting on you.

With that in mind, Steam looked at her situation again. She already knew that Wind thought of her as a really good friend, but she'd never done the wing thing before... except she had. On the first night they'd met, she'd been sheltered beneath Wind's wing from the rain. Had she really considered Steam such a friend, even then? Or had there been other advances beneath it? Internally, Steam shook her head. Wind would have shown more hints since then, right? It had been months, and that whole time had been all business, play, and smiles. Nothing untoward, nothing even suggesting a hidden purpose.

So... why had Steam jumped to that conclusion earlier? Steam's blush deepened as she thought about that exchange that had just happened. How could she be so cavalier? Why was her first response to say where Homeward was? Her eyes shrunk to pinpricks and she began to shake, her embarrassment getting the better of her willpower.

She was stopped in her freakout as the wing and hoof pulled away, Wind's voice coming from behind her. “Am I not helping? Should I just back up?”

“No!” The word came automatically, even before Steam could shake her head. “No. It's... it's fine.” She reached up a hoof, grabbing Wind's and pulling it around her again, glad the darkness hid her blushing face. “You're a great space heater, I just hadn't heated up fast enough.”

Wind nodded, her voice becoming a little less worried as her wing slowly closed over Steam again. “Oh. Well, thank you. I try.” She giggled a little at what must have been a personal joke, then seemed to settle into place. “Goodnight, Steam.”

Steam settled as well, pressing her back slightly into the warm chest of the pegasus that surrounded her. She smiled at the warmth, really feeling comfortable, even in the chill of the cave. A few of her thoughts worried her, but now wasn't the time for that. She was tired, and there was only one thing she had to do before she went to sleep. With a deep yawn, she closed her eyes and settled in to rest. “Goodnight, Wind.”

Wind was amazed by how little sleep helped her aching wings when she groggily awoke alone in the dark cave. There was a hint of disappointment hanging in her mind to find that Steam had moved without her, but it was completely hidden beneath the layers of curiosity into what was going on. She still wasn't used to the sleep schedule, or waking up in new places each day, and being alone in the dark cave was at the bottom of her lists of places she desired to be with no information.

She pushed herself up, noticing as she did that the feeling of something slipping off of her. Feeling around for whatever it was, she found some rough fabric, and looking at it carefully in the darkness showed it to be a traveling cloak, much like the one that Homeward wore. Come to think of it, she had yet to see him without it on, or even with it lowered. Apart from his wings, his hooves, and his tail, she still had no idea what he looked like. But, if she had his cloak here...

With a mischievous smirk on her muzzle she got up quietly, bundling the cloak up on her back before treading lightly towards the cave entrance in hopes of sneaking up on their unmasked guide. Tiphoofing around loose stones and little pebbles, she got within sight of the cave entrance, the rich amber glow of afternoon seeping into the rocks. She knew he tended to stay near the edge of wherever they were, and as she scanned the entrance, she could see his form outlined by the bright sun outside.

Wind dropped low to the ground, creeping steadily towards the front of the cave, holding her breath to keep from making any sound. Once or twice the shadow turned, and she threw herself flat or darted to a stalagmite in response, her heart pounding in her ears. But, each time, the figure carried on with whatever it was doing and she crept ever closer.

Eventually, just as she reached the edge of the light, her eyes still adjusting to the slowly lowering sun outside, Wind saw her prey turn towards a pile of sticks before it, lowering its head to focus on its work. Seizing her moment, Wind pounced from the rock she hid behind, yelling as she soared through the air at the uncloaked pegasus.

What she ran into was an uncloaked unicorn, screaming in an even higher pitch than her as they both tumbled into the dirt. Seeing the sky blue unicorn looking at her with wide eyes and magic flared, Wind immediately flapped her wings to hover above the damage, frowning in disappointment. “You're not Homeward!”

Steam Cloud's magic faded slowly, the mare looking rather mad as she got up at patted at the dirt clinging to her fur. “Oh, really? I never would have guessed.”

Wind giggled a little, helping to get some of the dirt out of Steam's curly mane, ignoring the dust that clung to her mane and bandanna. “Oh, come off it, Steam. I'm sorry. It was an accident.” After that, she looked around the area, not spotting anything but the two of them. “Have you seen him?”

Steam huffed, but seemed to forgive Wind as she went over to the wood she'd been setting up. “No, I haven't. When I got up there was a note on a pile of sticks, asking that we make a fire and wait for him to get back from scavenging.” She poked a few branches into place with her hoof, lining them up carefully before she looked satisfied. “Why?”

Wind unbundled the fabric on her back, holding it up for Steam to see. “Because I seem to have his cloak.”

Steam continued to fidget with the kindling, not doing more than glancing at the fabric Wind held up with such pride. “Where did you get that?”

Wind shrugged. “I woke up with it on. Didn't you notice it when you got up?”

Steam shook her head, her explanation coming hurriedly. “I couldn't see in the dark, and I was focusing on not disturbing you.” She pointed her horn at the bundle of sticks, concentrating for a moment before a white hot point appeared, like it had when she had been welding the Ready Wings, instantly setting the twigs on fire.

The smoke curled up readily, but slowly, a thin streak that was lost before it even reached the top of the cave. Wind watched it go with passing interest. “How long have you been up?”

Steam sat down in front of the fire. “Maybe ten minutes? My legs are killing me...”

Wind slowly walked over, sitting next to Steam, whose attention had moved from the fire to a patch of trees off in the distance. They sat in silence for a long while before, with a frown, Wind broke it. “Did I do something wrong?”

Steam sat up straight, her head tilting. “What?”

Wind frowned at the fire. “Well, it's just that you're avoiding looking at me at all. Did I make you mad or something?”

Steam faced away still, her voice flat. Looking sidelong at her, Wind thought she could see a tinge of pink on her cheeks. “Well, you did tackle me to the ground just now...”

Wind slumped a little. “I said I was sorry. I was trying to get a jump on Homeward.”

“And why would you want to do that?” The voice came from behind the pair, causing them both to start and turn to see the pegasus in question standing on a ledge above the cave, his form cloaked as it always was.

Wind immediately jumped up, her wings flaring out behind her. “How do you still have that on? I have your cloak right here!” She pointed at the offending article of clothing, as though it were a smoking gun.

Homeward hopped down from the ledge, flapping his wings to land gently a little ways from the fire. “I gave you my extra, since you two looked cold. I would have offered it before bed, but I must admit I do not often travel with others and it slipped my mind.”

Steam had a series of questions line up to be asked, but they were cut off by Wind, who snorted angrily. “Who the hay keeps a spare cloak on them? What are you trying to hide under there?”

Homeward, seemingly unfazed by the tantrum before him, walked over to the discarded cloth on the ground, picking it up and tucking it into his bag beneath his cloak. “A stallion who is well prepared and nothing impressive to look at. You never know when you need a clean cover to keep you warm.” With a smirk on his muzzle, he turned to them both. “Speaking of, the worst element while traveling, despite what you two and your aching muscles might think, is hunger, and we've definitely reached that point. Am I right?”

As if on cue, Steam's stomach rumbled, and Wind realized they hadn't eaten since well before they fled the apartment, her anger taking a back seat at this revelation. Homeward simply nodded. “That's what I thought. Now, I know it's not much, but this was the best I could do.” He reached a hoof beneath his cloak, coming out with a small bag of nuts, berries, flowers, and some fairly rich grass shoots, which he offered to Wind. “I know it's not much, especially split between three ponies, but it should be enough to get us into the air and...” Homeward trailed off as he watched Wind grab the bag, about to dump it straight into her mouth. She stopped when she felt his eyes on her.

After a moment, she raised an eyebrow. “You're not telling me that this bag is for all three of us, are you?” Homeward quietly nodded. “This wouldn't feed a foal!”

Homeward looked taken aback by the statement. “No, that tends to be a parent's job.” Before Wind could respond to his horrible joke, he walked over to the fire, laying down and stretching out his wings. “Quickly you two, eat up and get yourselves ready. We're leaving at nightfall.” At the end of the stretch, he reached for the bag of food, scooping out a little bit with his wing, which he tossed in his mouth before warming himself up near the fire.

Wind looked at the tiny bag in her hoof, barely a mouthful of food in it, then very sadly offered it to Steam. “Sorry about the tackling.”

“Don't worry about it.” Steam placed her hoof under the food, tipping the bag and spilling out just enough to fill her hoof before pushing the bag gently back. “Bon Appétit.” She hadn't been expecting the high life, but when the food was gone one motion and a few quick seconds of chewing later, she still managed to be disappointed.

Wind shrugged, then emptied the bag into her mouth, not even quite filling it. As the food hit her stomach, only seeming to shape the hunger instead of soften it, she sighed heavily. This was going to be a long night...

Flying that night was a deadening experience, with tired, aching bodies crying out with every single movement for something more than the meager fare they'd been given. Wind and Steam bemoaned their condition, finding the pain easier to carry if they shared it with each other. Even an attempt at a game of tag had gone sour when Steam pushed herself too hard chasing, momentarily becoming lightheaded and plummeting from the sky. Luckily for her, Wind and Homeward both had quick reactions and, though not the strongest or fastest ponies in the world, were able to catch her and take her safely to the ground before any real disaster happened.

When Steam was able to fly again, the trio took to the air, but there was soon a sight that brought them to the ground once more. Lights had appeared beneath them, just the flickering glow of lanterns in late evening, but that single symbol of society illuminated their new plans. Homeward had been planning a path across the country that took them almost exclusively through uninhabited lands for fear that they would be seen or followed. However, thanks to their food situation and the remaining distance to, and then past, the border, it was simply a risk they would have to take.

Homeward Bound found a small cave behind a hill, and though the moon hung high in the sky, he instructed the others to get some rest. With grumbling stomachs and tense tempers, the two mares went to bed, separately, with Steam covered in his spare cloak, not a smile to be seen among any of the trio's faces.

In the morning, the two mares were up, tiredness not an issue compared to the hunger clawing at them from within. Luckily, Homeward had already planned for this. “Stay here and just wait a few hours, I'll be back with some food in no time.”

“Let us come with you.” Wind looked at him expectantly after her demand, sure it wouldn't be that easy.

She was right. “No. It's enough of a risk to get in and out on my own.”

Wind rolled her eyes. “Oh come on!”

However, before she could continue, Steam cut her off. “Homeward, believe me, I understand the need for secrecy, but it's been nothing but caves and empty sky for days. A few hours among civilization, getting a meal, a hot bath... Just the feel of a city would do wonders for us.”

The cloak hid any reaction he had, keeping his appearance stoic and unmoved. “I'm sorry girls, but it is simply too dangerous to take you both into town. Your wings would draw too much attention if we flew, and even if the news of your escape hasn't gotten this far, a unicorn blatantly walking in to town would bring nothing but trouble on this side of the border.”

Steam's determination didn't falter. “Then at least bring Wind along.” Wind looked at her with a raised eyebrow, making her smile. “What? Nothing weird about a pegasus around here, right?”

Homeward looked between the two of them. “Are you sure you want to stay here alone? If something happens, you'll be all on your own.”

Steam nodded “I can take care of myself. There are spells for this sort of thing, if somepony gets curious. Just don't forget about me out there.”

Homeward looked at her for a little while longer, then shrugged. “If you really think so.” He then walked to the cave entrance. “Wind, put on the cloak, we're heading out.” Steam and a hesitating Wind watched him go.

Wind quickly leaned in to Steam, whispering heatedly. “Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself? I can stay here if you'd prefer.”

Steam shook her head. “Don't worry about me. I locked you in my apartment all day that one time, this is just paying my dues.” She levitated the cloak over to Wind, offering it.

The pegasus frowned as she looked at it. “I at least had something to do. You'll be in here with nothing!”

“I'm leaving in one minute, with or without you!” Homeward's voice echoed throughout the cave, causing Wind's hooves to dance anxiously as she wrestled with herself on abandoning her friend.

Steam just smiled, pushing the cloak into her hoof. “I'll make do. Go on, have fun.” Wind took the cloak in her hooves, looking slightly torn still, but eventually galloping to the front of the cave, swinging the heavy fabric around her as she ran. Soon, the sounds of two pairs of wings taking off left Steam alone in the cave.

She went over to her Ready Wings, giving them a quick check up, which was mostly pointless since she had no tools. But at least the spells seemed to be holding together and the machine was in good repair despite all the use. A few moments later, boredom struck as, instantly, she ran out of things to do. At least Wind had been stuck in a room full of tools...

Steam walked to the entrance of the cave, looking for any sign of her friends, but it was foolish. There was no way their trip could have been over so quickly. Still, since she was out front, she took the time to set up a few alarm spells, just to make sure she wouldn't be snuck up on. Off in the distance a few clouds gathered, but around the cave the sky was bright, cool, and clear, so she went back inside, idly kicking rocks as she thought about what to do.

A chill breeze pierced her fur as she sat in the dark cave, causing her to shiver. Somehow with all the work involved and her mind lost in the experience of flight, the cold of high altitude was hardly noticeable. Down here, with nothing to do and nothing to warm herself with, it cut through her like a knife through butter, so she curled up behind a rock, trapping in the heat and hiding from the draft.

It was behind this stone that her hoof bumped against something she wasn't expecting: a few papers and a pen, delicately placed beneath a loose stone paperweight. While she didn't know where it would have come from, her first guess was that it was hidden somewhere in Homeward's pack, and she smiled at the thoughtful gift. She wasn't much of a writer or drawer apart from blueprints, and the only one she'd be able to draw in her bored and hungry state would be the design of a perfect, warm hayburger, but that didn't stop her. She just let her mind wander until, with a slight tinge of pink appearing at her cheeks, she placed pen to paper, finding the perfect thing to pass the time.

Wind Key flew low over the ground, practically skimming the tall grass of the hill as she followed Homeward's every motion. In the few moments it took to leave the cave, he explained both the importance of the cloak and making a surreptitious entrance, though they had passed in one ear and out the other. If if it was really important he'd probably explain it again, right?

As they crested the next hill, Homeward made a running stop, ending gently at the very peak. The move was subtle, and by the time Wind had caught it, she had missed her chance to copy it gracefully, nearly tumbling all the way down the other side. Instead, she caught at the top by a quick hoof, which grabbed the back of her cloak and left her teetering on her hind legs. “You're going to have to be a little more cautious than that, Wind. The Roost is not a place to draw attention to yourself.”

“The Roost?” Wind was eased down to standing, letting her turn to look Homeward in the face. Or, rather, the cloak shade.

“The Roost is the safe resting place on this side of the border, the first place to sleep at ease once you leave the Solar Empire, and the last if you hope to enter it. It is where nearly every refugee to enter this country comes through... As you must have, if I am not mistaken. Surely you have heard of it?”

Wind shook her head. “Nope, I didn't come through this way. I was found by some guards near the border, and they took me all the way to Manehattan...” She looked over at the settlement below: a sea of tents and quickly made wooden buildings, with small tin shacks and tarps sticking off of them until a semblance of a town had formed. The entire edge of the place was ringed by a wall of thrown together bits of wood and metal, the different paint colors and materials obvious in the bright light. Even from here, as early as it was, the cramped bustle of the streets of the refugee camp was visible, as were the guards stationed at the paths in and out.

Homeward sighed to himself. “Then you will not be improved by what you are about to experience. Now, fold your wings under your cloak.” Wind looked like she would question the command, so he explained. “I don't know what they may be looking for with you and Steam, or even if they are. I say we keep ourselves as low key as possible. Two earth pony traders looking for exotic deals at the border, nothing more. Got it?” Wind nodded. “Good.”

Wind folded her wings in under her cloak and, after a few minor adjustments, some coaching on how to carry herself, and a liberal application of dirt to the outside of the cloak, she was ready to enter The Roost.

The short walk down the hill to the edge of the encampment felt like an eternity under the watchful gaze of the guards at the gate, and though Wind kept her head low and tried to make herself as small as possible, it did little to soften the impact of the weapons leveled at them just before the town entrance. “Halt! State your business.”

Homeward looked at both of the guards on the ground, as though he hadn't even seen them on his way there. He sighed heavily, his voice sounding old and tired. “There was once a time when a merchant could travel across all of Equestria without fear. Now he can't even enter a town without a weapon in his face...”

The guard did not seem moved. “Do you have proof of your intent?”

“Proof he says? As though my bits would not be accepted here!” He complained to the sky as much as anything else, but this too brought forth little reaction. With a tired grunt he reached a hoof into his cloak, retrieving a small brown leather wallet, which he flipped open. “Fine, you want proof? A trading license for me and the girl. You happy?” He held it up before them, moving it when they looked too close and pulling it away any time they seemed to reach for it.

After a few moments of scrutiny, he leaned down and looked at Wind, studying her face for a long, long while. If the worry on her face wasn't visible, it was only thanks to the shade of the cloak, as even without looking at him directly, she could feel his eyes boring into her, examining for anything they could use against her. Finally, after an eternity of Wind keeping herself from shaking, the guard backed off and nodded, his and his fellow's weapons raising. “You may pass.”

Homeward grumbled his entire way past the guards, walking at a calm, measured pace until he was out of earshot and into the bustle of the town, where he took on his normal gait, the act dropping immediately. “Wind, stay close at all times. I don't want to lose you on these streets.”

Wind followed close by his heels, looking back at the guard post until it was obscured by the ponies around her. “How did you have a license for them to look at? There's no way you could have made one in advance, or known you were going to put on that act.”

Homeward smirked. “It was a magic not taught in any school in Canterlot.”

Wind had a moment of worry, remembering how paranoid the ponies back in Timbucktu were. “Do you think they'd have some way to detect magic?”

Her guide shrugged as he followed the main street, weaving through the surprisingly dense crowds. “Possibly, but if they did, we probably wouldn't be within the gates right now.” He stopped for a moment, looking around to get his bearings before following a new street. “Anyway, we won't need to worry about the guards again until we leave, and in the meantime...” He stopped, letting Wind catch up and take in the sight before them. “We have a market to search for supplies.”

Even in the relatively early morning hours, the central part of the Roost was thronging with masses of ponies jostling for space on the ground, while the air was thrown about by the poundings of hundreds of pegasi wings. For something that was supposed to be a refugee camp on the edge of the nation, the sheer number of stalls and shouting voices calling for bits and buyers was staggering, and the sounds and the smells of the ponies and the products in the crowded, cacophonous marketplace would be enough to stun anypony to silence.

It did so with Wind, which would have been fine had her disguise not been of a seasoned marketeer. As it was, she nearly fell over when nudged by Homeward, and was a half-dozen stalls in before she regained her senses enough to remember their mission. “So, what are we going to do? Scope out the place, find a properly distracted vendor, and sneak off with some fruit?”

Homeward flinched, looking back at her as he made his steady path through the crowd. “What? No. We are going to pay for them. A few day's trail rations and at least one day's hot meal.”

Wind frowned at Homeward. “How? I've got no money, and even if Steam thought to grab some in her escape, she's all the way at the cave.”

“And you think I don't have any bits on me? Is my appearance really that bad?”

Wind looked to the well trod dirt packed beneath her hooves, unwilling to say she had jumped to that conclusion. “I didn't think you'd spot us for food. You've already done so much, I don't know if we could really accept charity too...”

Homeward smiled to himself, navigating through a particularly disruptive argument between two ponies. “It isn't charity, I'm feeding myself as well as you two.” He turned between two stalls, heading for the middle of the bazaar. “Besides, we don't want any trouble trying to sneak food here.” He nodded towards a large noticeboard, set up right in the center of the marketplace, with paper plastered all over it. “They keep an eye out for criminals. Even a small crime can get the attention of the big players in Manehattan, and if they start digging, almost all of these ponies would be out of the country in seconds. They aren't willing to risk it, and, since we're wanted here, I don't think getting thrown into a jail cell would do well towards that end, don't you agree?” He turned to look at Wind, only to find her not following him, but far back, looking with rapt horror at the wall of wanted posters.

Among the dozens of faces, some happy, some sad, some terrifying, all marked with last known locations and rewards for their finding, their capture, or, in one instance, their death, two stood out. Not outliers in the throng by looks, as every type, age, and build of pony seemed to be represented somewhere, but more noticeable thanks to a familiarity one could never miss.

At the bottom, jammed in as the most recent additions to the constant stream, Wind looked at a poster of herself, a poster of Steam beside her, looking out from the page for all the world to see. The pictures must have been taken some time ago, as Wind was smiling happily in hers, a wrench gripped between her teeth while she worked on a project. Steam's picture, on the other hoof, was stern, something snapped on the day she left had been fired, her face contorted in anger as she yelled at a pony just out of sight. Beneath them their crimes were listed.

“Wanted: Wind Key, for harboring and aiding an Equestrian spy, evading arrest, and grand larceny. Reward: 2000 bits upon capture.”

“Wanted: Steam Cloud, for treason, spying for the enemy, evading arrest, arson, disturbing the peace, and acts of terrorism. Reward: 10000 bits upon capture.”

Wind stared at the two posters, heart ice cold as the realization hit her. Homeward's worries, the paranoia, the feelings that they were being chased... it had all been true. Being chased from the city had been real enough, but surely they wouldn't have gone after her, right? Deep in her heart, this had just been a trip home, now that her old one was gone... only now, here, was the danger real. Immediately she noticed how many ponies were around her. Hundreds of them, trotting past this wall every day. At any moment they could recognize her… at any second, one of them could stumble upon Steam...

She started to move, her wings flaring to pick up speed, but both her motions and her wings were clamped down on by Homeward's arm over her back, forcing her sternly to stay where she was. She looked at him wildly, but he remained calm, his voice low. “Breaking your cover will only cause the very problem you are worried about. Keep calm, keep quiet, and follow my lead.” In one swift motion he let her go, grabbing Wind's poster and ripping it off before tucking it under his cloak and turning to leave. Nopony gave him a second glance, the taking of wanted posters for bounties a common practice out on the outskirts of the country. Wind did as he had, looking at her companion's angry face before ripping it from the wall and following behind Homeward.

He led her into an alley, then through a maze of streets and alleys until she hardly knew how far she had gone for all the bodies she had squeezed between. Eventually, though, they were in the shade of a sturdy wooden structure, the bustle of the streets seemingly gone in this little alcove. Here, Homeward stopped, turning to Wind. “Lower your hood.”

Wind looked around the alley, seeing that the streets weren't visible where they stood, but only moving once she was sure nopony could see her, her hoof visibly shaking as she did. She put down the cloak's hood. Meanwhile, Homeward held up the poster of her, looking between her and the picture. “Hmm... This could have been much worse. Remove your bandanna.”

Wind blinked, the request hitting something deep inside as she reached a hoof for the oil stained fabric over her mane. Just as her hoof touched it, she shook her head, bringing it down. “It's a gift from my mother... Why do I have to take it off?”

Homeward's voice was quiet. “So that you can see her again. You always wear this bandanna. It makes you too noticeable. If you take it off, just for the time when you're in town, maybe you'll be able to pass off as somepony else for just long enough to get out safely.”

As much as she hated the fear in her gut, she still wasn't ashamed that she had questioned him. Her bandanna was, in some ways, like a security blanket from when her mother had tied it to her head and opened her eyes, or at least kept her mane out of them. She had taken with her when she ran away from home, kept it on constantly and worn it all the way across the country. It was, and had always been, one of the few things she had, and it meant the world to her.

But getting home meant much more. With slow but steady hooves, Wind untied the rose red bandanna, placing the oil stained treasure in Homeward's hoof. Homeward smiled warmly, treating the fabric with care. “Close your eyes for a moment. I wouldn't want to get your mane in your eyes while I do this.” Wind did as he said, soon feeling a hoof moving her mane, straightening the wild hair and bringing it into shape. It didn't take very long, but soon her long black hair was hanging over her eyes, shielding her from the outside world through an inky black veil. However, that wasn't the final touch.

Just before she opened her eyes, Wind felt hooves reaching around her neck, and only the trust she had already put in Homeward's hooves kept her from jumping away in fright. Moments later, he pulled away, a smile in his voice. “Open your eyes.” She did so, the right half of her world staying in darkness thanks to the mane over it. The other half was filled with a view of herself. She looked into the mirror Homeward had procured from somewhere, seeing a mare completely unlike the one in the picture. It was amazing what a hairstyle could do. But then she noticed the final touch, her bandanna hanging around her neck.

She looked down at it with a frown on her face. “Geez, I look like my sister...”

Homeward's smile remained, though slightly weakened. “Is that a bad thing?”

After a moment's thought, she shook her head.“No... Not really. It just feels weird. Like it doesn't belong.”

Homeward shrugged, giving her the wanted posters to keep safe in her cloak. “It doesn't. This look is very much not you, but it doesn't have to stay long. Now come on, we need to hurry on before anypony has a chance to get suspicious.”

Wind put on her hood, following Homeward out of the alleyway and entering the street, nothing more than a pair of cloaks in a sea of ponies just trying to survive.

It was early in the afternoon when Wind and Homeward returned from their trip, with Wind carrying a small cloth bundle on her back. Their search for supplies had gone fairly well, as they were able to find enough food for a good two weeks of travel, should the worst come to pass. Homeward had assured Wind that they'd only be on the move for five days more, should all go well, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

The arrival of supplies was not met with the happiness Wind had expected. As they landed at the cave, they were met with a dangerously glowing horn as Steam cautiously crept out to meet them. At seeing her friends, she breathed a huge sigh of relief, the golden glow around her horn winking out. “Ah, you're back! How was the market?” Steam asked as she gave Wind a quick hug.

“It went alright,” said Wind, taking off the cloak and setting it down, glad to have the weight off her shoulders. As soon as it was off, she noticed Steam looking at her, barely hiding some confusion. “What?”

“What's with the new hairstyle?”

Wind blinked once, then realized what Steam was talking about, shaking her head quickly to get her mane back to its natural messy state before tying her bandanna over her mane, where it belonged. A few bangs stuck out, like they always did, and once more she was back to the tinkerer that had left the cave earlier that day. “Thank you for reminding me. This is much better.” She then smiled, pulling the package from where it had been wrapped up in the coat. “Remember how you said not to forget about you when we came back?” Steam nodded. “Well, I didn't!”

She reached into the bundle on her back, pulling out a small gift wrapped in paper. Immediately the smell of a warm hayburger wafted through the cave, setting Steam's mouth watering. Wind smiled, tossing the burger to her friend. “Thought I'd return the favor, since I know how much I appreciated it.”

Steam unwrapped the precious burger before her, wiping away the drool its presence had created.. After her wait, she was starving, but even so, she wasn't going to just devour it thanklessly. She could wait a few more moments. “Thank you. But, I have to ask, what's in the rest of that?” She pointed to the cloth bundle, which was too small for supplies, but obviously had something in it.

Wind smiled mischievously, tapping the cloth lightly with her hoof. “That is a surprise for later.”

Homeward chimed in then, speaking much more warmly than he had that morning, proper food doing wonders for everyone's mood. “Before you two get too much further, I'm just going to make the plan clear. We're leaving at sundown and flying all night, so get what rest you can.” With that he went near the front of the cave, laying down and keeping watch for any signs of trouble outside.

Steam ate quietly, quickly, and surprisingly carefully. She had always had a knack for eating quickly, partly because her work had always given her very short breaks, but mostly because having food around caused undue mess, increasing the chance that something would be spilled, something would be placed in it, or it would get on something. She, much like Wind, tended to eat as quickly as possible, because time spent eating could often be better spent doing something else. Even if, right now, the 'something else' was simply waiting for time to pass.

As she got a few bites into her burger and had just taken in another mouthful, Wind chimed in, with all the timing it had taken Steam years to hone as a waitress. “So! How's it taste?” Steam just nodded and 'mmmm'd her approval. “Good!” She waited a few more moments, her wings twitching impatiently as she quickly got bored. “So... what'd you do while we were gone? Anything interesting?”

Steam nearly choked on the bite in her mouth, but she managed to catch herself at the last moment with only a bit of awkward coughing. “Not too much... Wing maintenance, waiting... thinking.”

Wind's curious ivy eyes looked straight into Steam's. “About anything in particular?”

Steam shook her head, looking over towards the Ready Wings where they lay in wait. “Not really...” Luckily, she couldn't see the piece of paper she had tucked into the straps, a letter she'd been writing in her solitude. She'd thought about giving it to Wind when she'd gotten back at one point, but now the very idea was embarrassing enough to make her blush internally. She looked away from them, catching a glimpse of movement at the front of the cave as Homeward picked up the pen and paper, placing it back into his bag. She looked back at Wind, who was disappointed from her answer. “Just... the escape. It's all been so strange... if it weren't for the cold, hard ground and my aching legs, I'd be wondering if it weren't all some sick dream.”

Wind sighed. “How I wish it was...” This caught Steam's attention, not used to seeing Wind so out of sorts, but within moments that troubled look was gone, the pegasus's happy attitude returning. “I do have something to make it better, though! Quick, what's the one thing you miss most about the house you left?”

Steam finished the last bite of her burger, crumpling the wrapper in her magic as she thought. “Umm... The warmth and security?”

“Nooooooooooo?” Wind looked at her expectantly, pulling for a specific answer.

The ball of paper was weighed in the magic, then a second guess made. “My nice, luxurious bedsheets I had splurged on a few months ago? Or the fact that I had finally blocked the last draft the night before you moved in?”

“No?” The expectant tone was lost for a hurt one, a little worry entering Wind's mind about the parcel next to her.

The paper ball was tossed from hoof to hoof, the absent move helping the thinking machine in Steam's head. “Hmm... The fact that I was in my home city, surrounded by-”

“Ugh, no!” Wind pouted and unwrapped her package, revealing a small, well known machine. “You were supposed to say the gem grinder! You complained about it so much on the way here...”

Steam was too in shock to argue about her answers, carefully levitating the gift closer and inspecting it. It was in surprisingly good condition, and just the weight of it in her magic reminded her of those glorious days so recently gone by. “You... you got me another one? How did you even find one all the way out here?”

Wind's disappointment disappeared, the elation on Steam's face enough to get passed a ruined setup to the presentation. “In the marketplace. You would be amazed the things you could find, and Homeward was even able to help me haggle it down to a good price.” She smirked to herself. “If that thing doesn't explode the first time you turn it on, it'll be worth every bit.”

Immediately the same thought went through both their minds, and the golden glow of Steam's magic took the grinder a safe distance away before flicking the power switch. It didn't explode, but neither did it make that droning, industrial whine that sang to them as beautifully as any instrument.

Each mare let out the breath she'd been holding, a look of disappointment on their faces, though Steam was the one to voice it. “No power... Shame. Guess we'll have to get some batteries or find a place to charge it.” An idea struck then, causing her to look hopefully at Wind. “Do you think you could look around in town?”

Wind averted her eyes, tapping a hoof on the floor. “Yeah... about that. I don't think that going back would be such a good idea...”

“Aww... But you got in the first time with no problem, and it would just be to see if this worked.”

Wind continued to look at the ground. “The only reason we got in once was because Homeward is scarily good at lying through his teeth and convinced the guards that we were traveling merchants. I don't think they'll buy that twice. Plus... I don't really want to draw attention to myself with anything that may sound threatening.”

Steam dropped the previous issue, a look of worry on her face. “Did something happen in town?”

Wind shook her head. “No! No, not at all... But... something did happen before we got there.” Wind reached into the bundled up cloak, pulling out two folded up pieces of paper, which she slid in front of Steam. “As much as I didn't want to ruin your good mood, I think you ought to see this.”

Nervous about what they could possibly show her, Steam folded the paper open slowly. But even bracing herself did little to stop the shock of seeing herself on a wanted poster. “Ten thousand bits... for me? Because I ran away from a lynching?!” Immediately she flushed with anger, fuming at the paper. “And I'm assuming the arson was me burning down my own apartment with me in it, right? I didn't get to defend myself then, and I bet I won't get to now!”

Wind blew out a breath of air, calmly watching her friend rant at the paper. “Huh... I would have thought you'd have been less angry and more scared.”

Steam's left eye twitched as she looked Wind right in the eye. “I am absolutely terrified.” Her voice shook, and the anger in her eyes barely masked the fear behind them. “It was one thing when I was just a unicorn a city didn't like... even when I was on the run from vigilante justice. But having the nation printing posters?” She put her head in her hooves. “I'm a publicly wanted pony... Anywhere I go, I will have to wonder if everypony around me doesn't just want to kill me, but want to drag my body somewhere for a reward!” She shuddered at the thought. “I just... I just want to live, and now I've put us both in danger.”

Wind scooted closer on the floor, placing her wing over Steam's back and hugging her close. “Hey! Stop that right now. Both of us made bad decisions that got us in this mess, so I'm not pinning my involvement on you so long as you don't pin yours on me. Just like the Wings we created, that was a joint effort.” Steam gave her a flat look, and Wind matched it with a kind one, grabbing hold of Steam's hoof tightly. “But, much more important than that, you can't act like this is the end of the world. We're going to Equestria, and they won't care about some law made on this side of the border.”

Steam scowled. “But we're wanted! Even if they won't pay the bounty, somepony will, and we'll be hunted for it!”

“And we won't be found, Steam.” Wind patted her hoof, smiling brightly. “Just because a pony's looked for doesn't mean they're found. Heck, just look at my dad. I've been searching for him for years.”

Steam snorted. “Yeah, one pony looking for some deadbeat dad, compared to a whole nation of bounty hunters coming after two wanted criminals.”

Wind frowned, disappointed that her words weren't getting through. “Steam, believe me. If my dad can go this long as Equestrian Public Enemy Number One and still not get caught, I don't think we'll even have to worry.”

This only brought confusion to Steam, who had heard a lot of Wind's search for her father, but... now that she thought about it, had never heard who she was searching for. “And who is your dad?”

“I never told you? My dad is Ink Well.”

Steam Cloud went silent, staring at the mare in front of her in a completely different light. “Your dad... is Ink Well? The Ink Well? Hero of the New Lunar Republic and first pony to attack Princess Celestia Ink Well?”

“No!” Wind jumped up, suddenly tense, her wings flared aggressively. Near the cave, Homeward's head turned towards them, his search for danger seeming more necessary inside than out. “My dad didn't attack her! He was trying to talk to her, to get her to stop this whole stupid thing, and she scared him off, accused him of everything!” She glared at the cool stone floor. “Princess Celestia blamed everything on my father, and when she couldn't get him, she killed my brother instead... They say he was 'an unfortunate casualty of war,' but whatever they called it, I couldn't stay there after that.”

And yet you're going back for me... Steam could feel the pain behind the words... Rarely was Wind ever angry, as in truly angry... this was deep and seething, and yet, if you looked at it, even this wasn't real anger, just sadness given time to ferment. Still, if she thought of her father like this... “Everypony talks of him like a great stallion. He is the idol of our nation for what he did for Princess Luna. Is that all misrepresented to?”

Wind shook her head, a little of the tension leaving her. “No. Not at all. He was friends with her, used to write her letters all the time and even acted as an ambassador for her a few times, including once when I was really little. Even when she was thinking about splitting off from her sister, Luna wrote to my dad asking his advice, and he was the only pony wise enough and smart enough to give it. He even predicted that it would all end in war, suggesting that she try something different, but... well, we all know how that ended up.” She sat down, her eyes shining as she looked off into space. “My dad might not be strong or fancy like a lot of other ponies' were, but he is the best stallion in the world, and if anypony can figure out a solution to this whole mess, it's him...” Her eyes dimmed as she tapped the ground sadly. “If only I had been able to find him.”

“Sounds to me like we've got a bad case of hero worship.” Homeward's voice chimed in right behind the two mares, causing them both to look at his cloaked form. “I haven't heard it this bad from a pony since little pegasi were idolizing Rainbow Dash for her sonic rainboom. Now the only thing they got to go off of is her fighting skill, and who knows how many of them were forced from their homes with their hero's help.”

Wind Key stood up, standing up to the larger pegasus as though she was the one towering over him. “So what? What is it you're trying to say?”

“I'm saying hero worship is unhealthy. It can only lead to disappointment and disaster. Doubly so if you want to worship a pony fool enough to abandon their family with nothing to show for it.” He could see Wind puffing up to start arguing and cut her off before she could. “I have been all over Equestria, both the Solar and Lunar sides, and seen a lot of things. Families pulled apart by draft, or race, or ideals. Ponies left cold and alone, with nopony to guide them, with nopony to love them, forced to steal or even fight just to have enough to survive. I have seen ponies rip away that which made their friends unique because it didn't fit in with their nation’s ideals, and ponies swinging in the wind just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time...” He shook his head and turned away. “Anypony who would leave his family... leave a little filly like you were in a world like that? He's a bigger fool than any I can imagine.”

Wind stood fuming silently, trying to catch onto an argument with the wind blown from her sails, while Steam could do nothing to help her. As much as the unicorn wished to keep her friend's view of her father alive... She had lived through too much of what Homeward had described to disagree.

After the silence rang through the cave, Homeward spoke again. “However, no matter how foolish he is, if he is the one to bring us peace and get us working together again... I might just be willing to forgive him. The return of friendship... It would be a thing of beauty.” On those words, he returned to his place at the front of the cave, once more looking out for danger while he let the two mares think on his words.

As Wind watched him go, all of the fight left her, and where moments before there had been a fiery young mare with a dream in her mind and the conviction to argue it into reality, all that was left was a slumped young filly with ears pinned back and a face that would never smile again. She stared at a spot on the floor, dumbstruck, as though her entire world had just collapsed on itself, until Steam walked over, placing a hoof on her back. “Are you okay, Wind?”

She didn't hardly react, not for a long while, until, slowly, she turned her head, revealing eyes brimming with tears. “Dad... He didn't really abandon me, right?”

Steam faltered, her heart in as much pain as it was when she'd had to apologize those few days before. It was something she couldn't answer, something she'd even asked herself for years, sitting alone in a crumbling apartment with nothing but herself... But, if she knew her own father, and if Ink Well was even a tenth of the stallion Wind made him out to be, she knew the answer. “No. Your father may have been forced away, but, for a mare like you, he's doing everything in his power to get back. He's never forgotten about you, just like you've never forgotten about him.”

Wind sniffed, wiping away the only tear that actually threatened to fall as Steam's words brought a smile to her face. “Thank you.” Emotionally exhausted from her day, Wind lay down, ready to get some rest for the night ahead of them. However, just as she started getting 'comfortable' on the hard floor, she looked to Steam. “Look... if you decide, when all this is over, that you blame me for it, I completely understand, and you won't have to-”

“Ah! None of that!” Steam lay down next to Wind, bumping her playfully with her side. “You might have led Clockwork right to where I worked, but there's more than enough to pin on me for this whole debacle. And, sure, maybe it's ruined my life...” Wind started to look sad again, drooping to the floor, when Steam caught her chin with a hoof. “But, before you fell into my life, it barely counted as living. Comparatively, I've hardly lost a thing.” She put on a big grin after that, trying to keep her friend from whatever dark corner she was trying to hide in in her mind. “Not even my gem grinder!”

That was enough to put her over the edge, causing Wind to chuckle weakly, which brought out a giggle from Steam, which soon had both of them laughing on the ground. Neither of them were even fully sure what they were laughing about, since the joke wasn't very funny, but at the end of it, they both felt much, much better. They leaned against each other, and though the sun was still high in the sky, they dozed off, a smile on both of their faces.

Family Ties

It took a scant two years for the nation of the New Lunar Republic to not only form, banded together from like minded ponies in cities across eastern Equestria, but to create an unresolvable border dispute. While the line between the two nations had been foggy at best at the Republic's inception, resolved as the point where the guard was no longer shouted at by the rioting ponies, it became immediately clear that those boundaries weren't exactly tenable. Cities needed land for food production and natural resources, villages against the takeover were mounting offensives against rebels coming too close to their lands, and, realistically, the argument of clearly defined natural borders wasn't all that bad. It just had one flaw: Celestia's Equestria wouldn't have any of it.

Barring loyalists fleeing the cities and lands taken over by Luna's rebels, Equestria (being called the Solar Empire by said rebels) refused to communicate with, trade with, or do much more than tolerate the presence of the New Lunar Republic, so giving up even an inch of their borders was right out of the question. When this response was met with refugees from the loyal villages and armed rebels claiming the land all on their own... well, there was really only one possible solution. After all, a pony had to keep their own safe and sound.

And nopony understood that better than Applejack. From the moment she saw that rainboom and ran all the way home, she knew, deep in her heart, that she was an Apple to the core, and an Apple knew three things. First: that family was more important than anything. Second: that apples weren't just a crop, they were a way of life. And third: an Apple never gave up, especially where points one and two were concerned. Sure, right now, most of where the rebels were was past the Everfree Forest, but what if they kept moving? What if they went all the way to Ponyville, or all the way to Appleloosa? Who would stop them from taking over Sweet Apple Acres or hurting her kin?

The answer was obvious. Her. She might have been out of the loop for a little while, what with having three healthy foals and running a farm on her mind, but she knew that her country needed her and her friends, and she was ready and willing to help before they even asked. And, as Apples themselves, her kin were ready to back her up fully.

“Now you be careful out there, little missy! You might be the Element a' Honesty, but that don't mean you're invincible! Nopony defends a fence like you, but these pests are a might bigger 'n rabbits.” Granny Smith pointed a wrinkly hoof at Applejack, shaking it threateningly as she warned the ever-young mare. The drooping skin over her face rearranged itself into a smile quickly enough, though. “But with you 'n Applebloom on the job, those bad apples 'll be back to normal in no time.”

Applejack blushed slightly over the finished meal, her last with her family before she headed to Canterlot to train. “Aw, shucks Granny. We'll do our best. Though I'm just wonderin' how it coulda got this bad ta start with.” The room was full of the family at home, which was a small group at the moment: only four counting her. She'd invited her husband over from his farm, hoping he would bring their daughters but she knew better than anypony how difficult a farmer's life was. Still, it would have been nice to see Cassidy and Concord before she left...

Shaking her head, she looked over at Big Mac, smiling brightly at her brother. “I just wish you were comin' with us, Mac. You'd be all the muscle we'd need.”

Big Mac shook his head, and for the first time Applejack could see the hints of coming wrinkles on his tired face. “Can't. Ain't built for trainin'.” He rubbed his back brace idly, the leg he chose wrapped with its own brace at the knee, but he smiled nonetheless. Still, there was a sadness behind his eyes, and in the light of the dining room he just seemed so... frail.

“Ah, well, somepony's gotta keep Granny in line, right?” Applejack chuckled at the scowl that got from both Big Mac and Granny Smith and shook her head, looking at the pony sitting across from Big Mac. Little Jazz was only eleven, all bright eyes and high energy normally, but right now he was sitting quietly, looking like he'd never smile again. Applejack reached over, putting a hoof on her son's shoulder. “You doin' alright there, Jazz?” He stayed quiet, focused fiercely on the food before him, barely touched at all. “I know it's gonna be hard for a bit, but-”

“But why do you have to go?” Jazz's eyes looked up into Applejack's, those big hazel orbs looking so innocent and questioning, and growing up so fast... how big would they be when she got back?

She had to fight not to just melt down and give in to them. “Jazz, ya gotta understand. It ain't that I want ta go, it's that I need ta. As much as I love the farm an' wanna stay here more 'n anything, I can't sit idly by and wait for somethin' bad ta happen ta my family! I'm an Apple, Jazz, just like you, and-”

“-family is more important than anythin'.” Jazz recited with her, frowning as he did. “Yeah, I know, but... We're yer family, ma! Yer real family, an' we need you here! This whole place'd fall apart without ya!”

Applejack sighed, looking to her elders at the table, only to see them both waiting for her answer to her son. Sometimes she wondered if they liked to see her squirm, or if it was just payback for something she did when she was a filly. Still, she stood up, walking around the table and kneeling down before Jazz, which almost put her too low to look in his eyes anymore. When had he gotten so tall? “Jazz, I know this is gonna be hard, but you 'n Mac 'n Granny Smith are just gonna have ta be strong while I'm gone. Sweet Apple Acres is home, it runs through your veins... Ya'll know what to do.”

Jazz shook his head and crossed his arms, pouting with tears welling at the edges of his eyes, though she could tell by the strain on his freckled cheeks that he was trying to hide them. “How can you just go away an' abandon yer family!”

Applejack wanted to cry as well, but that was doused by a flare of Apple pride. “I ain't 'abandonin'' no family, Jazz! Family is more'n just the ponies yer related ta. It's yer friends 'n neighbors too. Princess Twilight is countin' on me, the whole of Equestria is countin' on me, an' I'm not gonna let 'em down!” She pulled him close, nuzzling into his green mane. “Yer my little seedling an' I love ya more 'n anythin', but I can't just leave everypony else worryin' just 'cus I couldn't leave ya when you could take it.” She pulled back, smiling brightly. “Yer strong, Jazz. I trust ya ta make it through just fine. You just make sure ta keep the Acres safe, an' I'll be back before ya know it, ya hear me?”

Jazz nodded, tears rolling down his face, though he tried desperately to hide his sobs. That was too much for Applejack, and a few of the tears she'd been holding onto fell as well. “I promise, when this is over, ya ain't gonna even know I was gone.”

Jazz shook his head., clinging tightly to his mother's arm. “I'll know...”

It took a long time for the two to separate, but eventually Applejack had to leave or she would miss her train, and so she gently pulled away from her son and grabbed her things, slinging her saddlebags over her back before she put on her hat and headed out. Looking back on her home to see Big Mac and Granny Smith hugging each other and fighting off tears was just as touching as when she'd left as a filly with nothing but a sling over her shoulder, though the sight of Jazz added in stabbed at her heart. Still, it was for them that she had to be strong, so she took a deep breath, turned towards town, and started on the long path from home.

Just before she reached the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, her path was blocked by two little fillies waiting for her at the edge of the road. One was purple, with fiery golden eyes drowning in tears, while the smaller one was yellow with a shocking red mane, barely able to stand for her shaking sobs. As soon as they saw her, Concord and Cassidy ran down the path, both of their little bodies thumping against her chest as all three of them joined in a hug. She held them close for one last time, wondering if her little girls would grow up as fast as Jazz had. She already knew the answer.

It took her just as long to pry herself from her daughters as it had her son, but their intervention did nothing to lessen the importance of her mission, it only made it that much harder to turn and leave the sobbing fillies behind her.

She hoped all the way to the train station that their father would say goodbye as well, but when the time came, she boarded the train alone, her last kiss unspent upon her lips, joining at least a month's worth before it...

Flora tilted the last of the water from her watering can, finishing her daily checkup of her plants with a spring in her step. Every day since she'd first played for the jazz apples just seemed to be getting better, both musically, as she grew more accustomed to the violin, and due to a string of good omens. Silver Lining had managed a successful snowstorm, dusting the town lightly in the white fluff, and with the first snow of winter came the news that Equestria's forces were making headway into the New Lunar Republic's territory, putting them, if the papers were to be believed, one step closer to a nation at peace. On a more personal level, Rose was running her perfumery again, and, on the one day that Flora had walked into the shop, the smile she saw on her mother's face wasn't a forced rictus of despair. Even old Dot's tail seemed to be wagging more often, making the whole season feel perfectly in tune.

And what a glorious tune it is! thought Flora as she grabbed the violin case, went outside, and locked the door of her greenhouse behind her. She had decided to keep the violin there, as it was free from prying eyes or ears and far enough from her mother to neither disturb her nor get her asking questions. If Rose hadn't figured out that Flora and Jazz were a couple by now, really, Flora would have to be disappointed in the obliviousness of her mother, but that didn't mean Flora wanted her mother prying, something the increasingly melodic tones of the violin would cause without fail. And, though she knew it was fear speaking and nothing else, Flora was not ready for a repeat of Ms. Heartstrings' recital.

Flora barely noticed the lengthy walk to Sweet Apple Acres, her mind wandering as she hummed the tune she was beginning to know by heart. Coming here each day to play for the glowing blossoms was a joy, made that much better when she saw Jazz's smiling face, his eyes practically gleaming in the warm room. The music had been set, and now it was just a matter of ensuring the flowers enjoyed the show, but even if they were playing the same song over and over, that simple act the two of them did together made the chilly walk from Ponyville worth it.

She met him at the door, watching the snow piled just outside of it quickly melt as he swung it open, the blast of warm air from within rolling over her face and immediately making her wooly hat feel far too warm. Once inside, she tossed the hat aside, smiling as it landed on the pile of his scarf before both she and Jazz got their instruments out in unison. Tuning took the longest, since she didn't have the ear to tell if she was sharp or flat and the temperature change wrecked havoc on both her violin and his trumpet, but Jazz took the whole process in stride as he tuned them both, and, even with the delays it caused to the performance, the heat was a source of pride for Flora. The building had no heater, no conditioning, no furnace, and yet it still felt like a sauna when the two of them got too worked up. When she'd repaired it last she'd done a wonderful job on the insulation, and the smile that fact brought to her face always puzzled Jazz when he gave her her fiddle and readied to play.

Flora took her stance, Jazz readied his horn, and, with little more than a nod between them, they both began to play. Most days Flora kept her eyes closed, but today wasn't one of them, watching as the blossoms on their living sheet music glowed and swayed to the melody, reveling as it washed over them like gentle waves lapping at the shore. The shimmering lights always threatened to dazzle her, to take her from her music and into the magic she was witnessing before her, but she always fought back, looking over at her partner and seeing the product of their duet reflecting in the sheen of his fur.

Much too soon the song ended, the instruments coming to a rest and both ponies smiling at each other as they awaited the results. The flowers' glow grew to a pitch, then suddenly cut out, the petals just a little bigger, their scent a little sweeter, their fruit one day closer to perfection. It'd be a month before they began to develop, and even longer until they were ripe for the picking, but Flora was more than happy to wait. As Jazz walked over and nuzzled her cheek in appreciation, she smirked to herself, wrapping her hooves around him in a hug. She wasn't really here for the apples anyway.

Flora looked up at the peak of the greenhouse roof, laying on her back as she watched a small chunk of snow begin to slide off, creating a noise she could follow all the way to the edge where it plopped on the ground. Inside it was still warm, the air electric with the after results of their performance today, and she was making the most of the time as she rested with her head against Jazz's side. She looked over at him, watching his warm smile bud on his face as he looked at the flowers. However, that tiny bud didn't truly blossom until he saw he had her attention, leaning over and rubbing his nose cutely against hers. “Ya did amazin' as always, Sugar.”

Flora's cheeks warmed as she looked into his eyes. “Well, I have a great partner to play off of, Jazzy. And I learned from an amazing teacher.” They both giggled at each other, a lazy flick of Flora's tail brushing lightly against the instrument cases, full and abandoned in the middle of the room. Both ponies probably had places to be or things to be doing, but the cool glow of winter's twilight had yet to grace the opaque white walls, so, really, where was the rush?

Flora wiggled deeper into her spot on Jazz's side, grinning warmly at him, which he matched, tousling her mane gently with his hoof. “An' ta think, a few months ago you were scared ta play!”

She shook the hair out of her eyes, rolling onto her side so she could look him in the face the whole time. “Yeah, well, a lot can change in a few months. Though I still won't be playing for anyone but you.” Jazz smirked, glancing over towards the flowers, and Flora rolled her eyes. “Yeah, alright. I guess they can hear it too.” They both laughed at that, but as it died down, an idea popped into Flora's head, causing her to push herself up to be level with Jazz's face. “Actually, scratch that, Silver totally needs to hear one of these performances.”

Jazz raised an eyebrow at her, already feeling the warm air wrap around the spot her head had vacated. “Ya want an audience? Ya sure about that? I thought ya said ya froze up the last time ya had one.”

Flora waved a hoof at the thought. “That was years ago when I was just a filly, and besides, it'd be Silver! She's our best friend! The flowers would be a pickier bunch.”

Jazz tapped a hoof on the ground, digging a little hole in the dirt. “I dunno... I ain't shown this ta anypony that ain't family. I mean... I guess it's not so much my show as ours, anymore, but it might be weird ta have her watchin'.”

“Jazz, c'mon! She's a Crusader, she's a friend, she's been helping us both out since we were foals... Heck, she's the only other pony who works as hard as we do on your farm, even if it's all done in the sky above it. While the weather she makes might not help these particular apples, this whole show would be the perfect way to pay her back. She'd love it.” Flora didn't need to make a puppy face or beg, but, though her words didn't say it, she was asking permission. She still had a greenhouse she didn't let her friends into, and if he wanted to keep their show a secret, she'd completely understand. But this was a year of change, and this was something Silver deserved to see.

Though it took him a few moments and a very unsure look at Flora, Jazz agreed, nodding his head. “Alright, she can watch, but just the once. When I'm in here, I ain't puttin' on a show fer ponies. Just plants.” Flora smiled and pumped a hoof in the air, bringing a smaller smile to Jazz's face with her antics. She leaned forward, ready to make those smiles meet, but was startled when her face only met air, a knock on the greenhouse wall pulling Jazz's attention, and muzzle, away from her. Behind the jazz apple vines there were a few shadows outside, and curiosity got the better of both of them, leading Jazz to put on his scarf and go outside while Flora slowly stood up and got her hat, waiting to see if the situation needed her.

As soon as Jazz poked his head out the door, he heard a familiar voice. “Jazz, what the hay do ya think yer doin' with this eyesore?” Looking over the fence where it disappeared into the greenhouse he saw a purple mare tapping her hoof against the corner, a bitter look on her face.

With a little confusion, Jazz answered. “It's jazz apple season, Concord. I do this every year.” He then looked at the greenhouse, glad to see it blending in slightly better with the snow all around it. “Could be worse. Could be doin' it in the summer. I'd stick out like a carrot in a cabbage patch.”

Concord tsked in annoyance, leaning against the fence. “Yeah, but Jazz... I get that ya do this every year, but do ya have to do it on our property?”

Jazz walked up to the fence, noting that the greenhouse did, indeed, pass it to enclose the vines within. “But that's where the buildin' always goes. Been like that since I started takin' care of the things. An' it's only a hoofful a' land that ain't anywhere near the vin'yards.” He could see the sticks the grape vines grew on behind concord, a good hundred yards from the edge of the fence.

Concord leaned over the fence, tapping Jazz on the head. “But ya see, big bro, this is Grape Family Vineyards' land, not Sweet Apple Acres’s land. Daddy's not too pleased ya've been spillin' over, but he's willin' to settle... for a fee.” As she spoke, Golden Grape walked from around the fence, a scowl on his face, only made more stern by the beginnings of wrinkles and greying light blue mane.

Jazz looked from his father to Concord, feeling the situation going south quickly. “What's all this about? If'n the vines didn't grow right on the fence, I wouldn't have ta go over, but since they do, it weren't never an issue that the buildin' went over.”

“Actually, Jazz, it was.” Cassidy, who had managed to hide behind the slender form of her father, walked over to the fence, leaning over to top to offer a folder across it. As Jazz took the important looking document, his youngest sister continued to explain. “You see, according to the official records, there was never a binding agreement made on the land by the fence by either the Apple or the Grape family. Officially, this means that in order to build your greenhouse here, you will have to either obtain the permission from the head of the Grape family and/or pay rent upon the space, including back rent on all of the years prior, to a sum which you will find in that folder I have provided.”

Jazz flipped open the folder, sifting through the paperwork inside until he came across the bill. He immediately dropped the whole thing in disgust. “Twenty thousand bits?! What kinda fool do ya take me for? That kinda money for this is just disgustin'.”

Cassidy frowned when the folder hit the snow, but otherwise remained calm. “Strictly speaking, most of that money would not be for the land. The bulk of it would be payment for the profits gained by the selling of our product as your own.”

“Huh?”

Cassidy tapped the fence in annoyance. “Those 'jazz apples.'”

“What about 'em?”

“They aren't apples. They're grapes.”

Jazz glared at his sister before looking towards his father, the aging stallion continuing to stand silently in the back. “Pa, she's jokin', right? Yer all just messin' with me.”

Cassidy sighed. “I can assure you I'm not. According to the legal records, an agreement was struck at the time of the Grape family gaining the land so near the Apple family from Princess Celestia and setting down their vineyard. They were to grow and sell grapes and grape based products such as juice and wine, while the Apples would grow and sell apples for similar purposes, with no violation of this unless agreed upon by both sides. And, by law, an apple is a large arboreal fruit, while a grape is grown and cultivated off of a vine.” She pointed to the paper that supported her arguments, half covered in snow as it was. “Despite the look, taste, and shape of your 'jazz apples,' the size and the way they are grown suggest that they are, in fact, jazz grapes and, as such, all profits from them must be paid back before a new deal can be struck in the splitting of any income.”

Flora tried to stay silent from this strange family argument, but at that last statement she couldn't hold back, storming out of the greenhouse, much to the surprise of the Grape family ponies. “What?!” she yelled as she approached the fence. “You can't be serious! If you had ever once tried to cultivate the jazz apples-”

“Jazz grapes,” Cassidy supplied.

Flora gave her a flat look. “To cultivate the jazz apples, then maybe you would have a leg to stand on, but you didn't even know what the vines were, let alone how they grew, until Jazz figured it out. It's why the plants are named after him, and why he's the one to take care of them! And he doesn't even make money off of them! He-”

Jazz ran over to the fence, pushing Flora gently back and separating her from his sister. “Flora, I 'preciate the help, but you ain't th' one in charge a' the farm. Let me take care a' this.” When she was back on the ground, her hackles still raised, he turned on his sister. “An' I know there ain't some fancy words on paper sayin' as much, but Ma and Pa both agreed the day I figured them apples out that they were under my care, whatever I decided to do with 'em. In fact, I remember some talk about tearin' down the fence around the vines 'n makin' the two farms one. Now since yer here messin' with me, that last bit ain't never happened, but it don't change that the jazz apples are mine. Isn't that right?” He directed that last question towards his father, who continued to stand in the back, watching the entire scene quietly.

Golden's stern face barely registered that the question was put to him, but when he looked at his son, the coldness never left his eyes. “I don't remember anything like that.”

Jazz looked like he'd been punched in the face. “What?!”

Concord smirked haughtily, feeling the full sense of achievement. “He said it never happened Jazz.”

Flora took a step towards the fence, steam shooting from her nose with each angered breath. “Why you little-”

Jazz shot out a hoof to stop her, though the anger in his eyes only seemed to suggest he'd be the one to leap at her. “You just ask Ma about it! She can tell ya the date, the time, even probably what we had for dinner that night when you both were celebratin' about it!” He looked between his sisters, feeling what little bond held his family together weakening by the second. He could just barely see it, but he remembered the wonder on Concord's face... and the jam splattered all over Cassidy's. “Until ya get both sides a' th' story, I ain't gonna pay a single bit fer rent.” He started to walk inside, but stopped at the door. “An' it's like Flora said, I ain't sold anythin' off of 'em, so ya got nothin' ta collect.”

Cassidy looked surprisingly calm at the outbursts, but it was clear she wasn't done yet. “This still doesn't cover the damages caused by farming the jazz grapes, Sweet Apple Acres property or no.”

Jazz froze, every muscle waiting in anticipation of something horrible. “What damages?”

“Sound pollution, disturbing the peace, and any damage caused to the vineyards by the din created by your trumpet.”

Jazz snorted and spun around, glaring at Cassidy. “My trumpet ain't caused no din, an' it ain't hurt any a' yer vines. I might be willin' ta grant ya some 'sound pollution,' but I ain't payin' for that either, considerin' ya enjoyed it so much at the last family reunion. If'n yer lucky, I might be willin' ta quiet it down fer yer precious Grape ears.”

Cassidy glared back, the first time her demeanor broke. “Our ears aren't the issue, Jazz. The problem is the land, the sound, and the lack of a legal contract.”

Jazz looked at his other sister, seeing the matching glare from her, then looked to his father, who stayed quiet in the back. They were really trying to pull this on him... The anger built, boiling in his blood, but just as he was about to release it... it all evaporated, sapping his energy and leaving behind a deep rooted sadness. “Why're ya doin' this ta me? I get that it might be payback fer some prank when we were little, but... C'mon, girls! We're kin.”

Golden looked between his three children and shrugged, frowning at the fence they all were leaning on. “Times are hard on all of us, son, and the war hasn't helped that in the least. A few years ago, a little bit of land on the edge of the vineyard didn't mean anything, but now...” He looked past Jazz, into the orchard with all of its leaves bare, then at Flora, the only pony standing on Jazz's side. It didn't soften his gaze in the least. “Family or not, this is a matter of business.”

Jazz shook his head. “But it ain't. Look, I've been askin' fer help, an' I understand ya being busy, but if it's that bad, ya coulda asked me. I ain't a pony ta leave his family in need.” He looked at his sisters, both lacking some of their smugness, their smiles faded at the sight of him. “What would Ma think about all this, huh Cassidy? All these numbers 'n rates tryin' ta milk yer brother for what few bits he has? Or, Concord, how ya had ta bully the farm ya grew up on for a few bits in a pinch?” He slumped into the snow. “I know we ain't raised a barn or even worked a field together in years, but that don't mean I don't love ya. Yer the ones that cut ties with me, an' now...” He sighed. “Now it's like ya ain't even Apples anymore.”

Golden huffed in the cold, the steam swirling away instantly. “If being an Apple is so hard, son, you could always be a Grape. I'm sure that crippled uncle of yours could run the farm just fine on his own.”

The anger that had left came back in full force, pulling Jazz up to the fence and looming over it as best as he could, daggers in his eyes as he glared at his father. “Pa, if ya really loved Ma, ya'd know an Apple never abandons their own. You might try ta ruin Sweet Apple Acres, but yer gonna have ta do so through me 'n all the Apple kin.” Just behind him Flora took a fighting stance as well, ready to throw down hooves if it would keep the farm she knew so well safe for another year.

Golden shrugged, shaking off Jazz's anger like so much bravado. “Well, I'm sorry you see it that way, son, but I really have no choice. Cassidy, could you take that bill and go to the mayor with it? I'm sure she'd be willing to help us on this matter.” Cassidy took a step towards the fence, seeing the folder sitting in the snow just on the other side, but hesitated at the intensity of the anger behind it. She was met by a glare not just from Jazz, but from Flora, a pony not even related to the farm... As she looked between them, she could almost see her mother standing between them, that same determined look on her face. A determination all Apple's shared, one that - “What's the matter Cassidy? I said get that bill to Town Hall!”

Cassidy shook her head, backing away from the fence. “I'm sorry dad, I can't do this anymore. It's not right.”

Golden lost his aloof attitude, glaring at his little girl. “What?”

Cassidy turned around, facing her dad with a look extremely similar to Jazz's. “Jazz has done nothing wrong. If anything, the sound from the greenhouse could be linked to the increased production in this area. I'm not going to lie just to give the vineyards a little more comfort when sales are down, particularly not if it hurts my brother.”

Golden snorted again, gritting his teeth as he held back what he wanted to say. “Very well... Concord! Grab that folder for me. I'll take it to the mayor personally.”

Concord didn't hesitate for a moment, throwing a smile at Jazz as she darted her hoof past the fence, pulling up the folder and narrowly avoiding his hoof trying to stomp on hers. “Oh, ya mean this folder?” she said, spinning around and holding it up triumphantly.

Golden smiled. “Ah, good. I wouldn't even begin to know how long it would take to compile those numbers again without Cassidy. Come, let's go to the-” The sound of tearing papers cut through the crisp, cool air like a sword, bringing all eyes to Golden's horrified face as he watched his older daughter's hooves.

The paperwork, folder and all, was slowly ripped in half, then halved again, and again, before it was simply dropped from her hoof, the little pieces fluttering away like artificial snowflakes on the breeze. “I'm sorry, did you need that? Because I think ya misheard Cassidy. We might be Grapes by name, but that don't mean we're not Apples to the core. There are plenty of other farms ya can beat up on around here. Leave mom's out of it.”

Golden's flustered stammering was nearly enough to break everyone's concentration, the determined glares turning into smiles of victory while he tried to find the right words to denounce his sudden betrayal. After far too long muttering he pointed a hoof at Concord and Cassidy. “You are going to get a serious talking to when we get back to the house. And you!” he said as his hoof barely moved move, pointing at Jazz, situated between his sisters. “You can't hide behind your mother forever. If she were here instead of off fighting some rebels, we wouldn't even be in this mess. She was the one to abandon all of us to this mess, and look what it has wrought. The fact that you still call yourself an Apple... I would be ashamed if it wasn't so predictable.” He turned and stormed off, kicking up a flurry of snow in his wake, while the two sisters watched him go. Eventually, though, they grew tired of waiting in the cold, turning back to Jazz with apologetic smiles.

“I assure you, I will do my best to make sure he doesn't attempt something like this again. I would strike a deal with you here and now, but I'm afraid I'm not high enough up the chain of command yet,” Cassidy said quickly, leaving Jazz in the verbal dust for a moment as he processed it.

Concord was a lot easier to understand. “Cassidy has been studying law in her free time, but she doesn't get out enough to remember how ta speak normally. She's been looking at a school in Canterlot, though, since the ones in Manehattan aren't really an option at the moment...” She saw that, while that had eased Jazz's confusion, it hadn't really put him at ease, so Concord sighed, leaning on the fence again. “I don't know why he's messing with ya, but... well, he had it so ingrained that I was starting ta forget my own roots. Ever since he pulled us both to live in his orchard, it's just never been the same, ya know? And after ten years without a reunion... It almost makes ya forget yer own family.”

Jazz shook his head, smiling, though it was strained. “Don't mention it. Just make sure ta come 'n visit one a' these nights. There's always room fer family at the table.”

Concord leaned fully over the fence, one forehoof wrapping around her brother's neck in a quick hug. “We will. I'll talk to ya soon. On better terms, I promise.” She leaned back over the fence, trotting through the snow behind her sister as they went back to the house and whatever punishment would be awaiting them.

The moment they left, Jazz's jaw clenched visibly, with tension being held all throughout his body. Flora, who'd been warmed by the good end to this whole mess, walked up to his side, a look of concern on her face. “Are you alright, Jazzy?”

“My Pa just tried ta ruin Sweet Apple Acres fer a few quick bits, an' he blamed this whole mess on Ma while turnin' my sisters 'gainst me 'n their own just ta take my Jazz apples 'n make 'em his.” He looked at her, steam rising from his cheeks, even his freckles seeming to melt into the rest of his red fur due to the flushed anger beneath. “No, I ain't alright!”

Flora took a step closer, moving to hug him as she spoke. “It's okay. So the Grapes are a bad bunch! Your sisters snapped out of it, and really, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. anymore”

Jazz took a step back, avoiding the hug completely. “Not now! I just...” He huffed, turning towards the farmhouse. “Ma's gettin' a letter 'bout this one. Who does he think he is tryin' ta pull somethin' like that 'gainst family?” He took off at a gallop, snow launching up behind him in flurries with every step.

As much as Flora wanted to follow him, she wasn't sure she wouldn't do more harm than good. Reluctantly, she went into the heat of the greenhouse, saying goodbye to the jazz apple blossoms as she grabbed her violin and left, locking the building behind her. As she walked back to town, her nice day sullied, she hoped it'd all blow over by morning.

Flora made sure to finish her plants' checkup early the next day, the violin case sitting carefully on her back and slowly collecting snowflakes as she walked through the town. Normally she would make a bee line for Sweet Apple Acres and get ready for the day's performance, but, especially after the whole family matter Jazz had dealt with the day before, she figured she needed a backup plan, in the form of a certain silver pegasus.

Flora found Silver Lining lounging outside the school yard of all places, idly kicking a low hanging cloud to provide extra snow for the fillies and colts playing there. Flora was loathe to admit she barely knew what few foals were still around town, but she did recognize Bittersweet with her Crusader friends, trying to make some kind of grand igloo, though it looked more like a misshapen snowdrift. Still, snow building cutie marks would be neat to have, so Flora wasn't about to put a damper on their fun. She was, however, going to borrow the source of it for a while. “Silver! Have you got a minute?”

Silver's ears perked up at her friend's voice, causing her to roll over on the cloud she was on, putting another quick flurry of white in the air. “Oh, hey, Flora! What's up?”

“I was wondering... Wait, get down here so I don't have to shout it over the little ponies.” None of them were paying her any attention, but she didn't want to give one the wrong idea and end up with crowd. When Silver landed, she started again. “If you've got a moment, there's something I'd like you to see at Sweet Apple Acres, though I'll understand if you're busy.”

Silver looked almost offended at Flora's words. “Me? Too busy for you? Flora, c'mon!” She hovered into the air, kicking the cloud one last time and causing the entire thing to puff into snow, which gently floated down on the fillies and colts playing in the schoolyard. With a satisfied smile, she landed a little ways away, signaling for Flora to catch up.

Flora smiled warmly, running over to her friend's side and adjusting her hat. It always amazed her that Silver could be out in the snow without even a hint of being cold, or stand in the summer sun and seem cool as a cucumber, but it had to be a pegasus thing. That or she was just ridiculously tolerable of weather. Really, with how hard it was to grow a cucumber out of season, the vegetable could probably learn a thing or two from her. “It shouldn't take too long, but I think it could help cheer up Jazz.”

Silver nodded. “However I can help! How is the guy? Handsome as always? And what do you mean by 'cheering up'?” She nudged Flora's side as she asked that last question, waggling an exaggerated eyebrow suggestively.

Flora smirked and shook her head. “Nothing like that. I'm not sharing. There were some surprise family issues yesterday that I had the misfortune to be around for, and I thought having his best friend come over and watch him perform for the jazz apples would put him in a better mood.”

Silver ran ahead of Flora, walking backwards through the snowy streets with a look of disbelief on her face. “Wait, you mean to tell me he let you in his greenhouse? How did you do it? What favors do you owe him?” She lunged forward, stopping in the street and examining Flora's face for every minute detail. “How do I get into yours?”

Flora rolled her eyes, walking around the frozen pegasus. “By invitation, like I got into his. And it took a little convincing, but since you do so much work for the weather on the farm, I managed to convince him to let you see the fruits of your labor. And I don't owe him any favors, either.”

Silver danced across the snow, leaping over Flora to land in front of her, except when she was over the violin case on her back, she braked, hovering in mid air at the same pace Flora was walking. “Is that Jazz's fiddle? When did you start playing that? How much did I miss after the tornado incident?”

Flora sped up a little, though it did nothing to throw the curious pegasus off her pace. “I've been playing for a few months now. Jazz taught me how.”

“Even after the disaster at Ms. Heartstrings'?”

Flora blushed, only now remembering that Silver had been there that day. She'd played the flute beautifully, too... Was there anything this mare wasn't good at? “Yes... even after that. I'm... well...” She lowered her head almost to the snow, muttering the next words softly into the fluffy banks beneath her. “I'm also going to be performing for you...”

Silver gasped, falling out of the air to land on Flora's back, her light frame not even slowing her sturdy friend down. “You're doing a duet?!” Silver's head popped in from the top of Flora's vision, hers upside-down and looking in wonder at Flora's. After a few moments, she whispered menacingly, a command of utmost urgency. “Tell me your secrets!”

Flora shook her back, completely failing to dislodge the pegasus that was crushing her hat. “I don't have any secrets! It's really... it's not...” She wanted to brush it off like it was something trivial, but it wasn't. The song she played at Jazz's side was the highlight of her day, an act that made her feel closer to him than any other pony in existence. They meant the world to her, and so she lapsed into silence. Had her time with Jazz really been that cloistered? Come to think of it, she didn't hang out with Silver all that often anymore...

Silver spun around, grabbing the violin case and holding it to her chest before laying on Flora's black, much the same way she'd been lounging on the cloud. “Alright! You've got the trip to the Acres to tell me everything I've been missing. And I mean everything, especially the juicy details.” She grinned mischievously at the sky. “All of them. I'll be taking mental notes. And I'll know if you're holding out. For starters: how good of a kisser is he?”

Flora sighed, shaking her head to herself. It was going to be a long, embarrassing walk to the farm, but hopefully it would be worth it.

Silver was stunned, her mind trying to process everything she'd just heard. “... Okay, now I'm officially jealous. Tell me again about his-”

“We're here!” Flora's face was as red as her mane, completely mortified by the dirt Silver now had on her. “And not a word of any of that to my mother. She'd probably kill me.”

Again, Silver looked offended as she hopped off her friend's back. “Flora! Of course not! Crusaders to the core! Though I don't think she'd be all that surprised. My mom always tells me about the mistakes she was making when she was my age, and how glad she is that I'm not making 'em myself. Since I never told you about any of those, even though some of them are very funny, how well do you think I can keep a secret?”

Flora looked at her flatly. “Just like when we were eight and-”

Silver rolled her eyes dramatically. “You're never going to let me live that down, are you? What did you want from me?! Jazz had been turned to stone, and you had the thing tied up in a bag in the thinking corner while you interrogated it. If I hadn't gone to find Fluttershy-”

“I still say I had it perfectly under control! I was grounded for a whole month because of that...” Flora walked quickly to the greenhouse door, finding it unlocked and quite happy that the change in topic had arrived when it had. She cracked it open, peeking inside to see Jazz already warming up his trumpet, a very businesslike look on his face. “Jazzy, sorry it took me so long to get here, but... well, remember how we were talking about Silver maybe seeing the performance?” Before she could finish or wait for a reaction, Silver pushed her way past, looking around the greenhouse like the interior would disappear if she didn't take the chance.

“Woah... It's a lot more cramped than I thought it would be.”

Flora expected Jazz to be a little annoyed that she had gone around him on this one, but she wasn't at all ready for the glare she received. It was only lightened when she offered him the violin case, mouthing a silent apology while he set to tuning the instrument. Flora barely had time to make sure Silver was sitting and ready for the show when the violin was placed back in her hooves, Jazz quickly taking back up his position.

Silver watched in fascination, having heard Flora's account of that moment where everything had clicked. She hadn't explained the jazz apples or what they would do, but Silver hardly cared about those glowy fruits. She was here to cheer up her friends, and if she happened to get a show out of it, then all the better.

Flora got up on her hind legs, preparing the violin for the first notes of the piece. With that, she looked over, ready for the signal from Jazz. Normally there was a nod, but she must have blinked, because he had already started playing, leaving her a few notes behind. Unfortunately, as much as she thought she knew the piece by heart, she didn't know how to jump in, causing her to need to rush the first few notes to catch up and making the misplay quite obvious to their audience of one. Slightly on tilt, particularly with the mare watching her intently, Flora closed her eyes, trying to listen out the music like she normally did.

But something was... off. Jazz was playing a little more aggressively than normal, bringing his tempo a little fast, a little jilted, and causing the whole song to never really pop. When they hit the last note, Flora held it out, only to hear Jazz drop his horn early, leaving her all alone. She opened her eyes to see the result, seeing the flowers glowing dimly, and caught out of the corner of her eyes that Jazz was already putting his trumpet away.

Once the spectacle with the flowers was over, Silver began to applaud, the clopping of her hooves the only sound in the stuffy room. “Well done! I never knew that was what you did in here. How come I never saw this thing before? It's really awesome.”

Jazz responded quickly, his voice almost flat. “Yeah, glad ya liked it.”

Flora stood there nervously, messing with the strings on her instrument and feeling like she wanted a redo on this whole thing. “Look, Jazz, I'm sorry I fell behind, I just-”

“Don't mention it.” He snapped his trumpet case closed, walking immediately to the door. “I'll see ya tomorrow, Flora.” Before she could even respond he was outside, his hooves crunching away in the snow.

Flora was stunned in place, wondering what the hay had just happened. Had Silver coming really been that bad an idea? How much had the thing the day before affected him? Where was that friendly smile of his that told her everything would be alright? It had only been gone a day and she already missed it and the pony it brought along.

Silver was equally confused, still laying on the floor and looking quite confused by the hurried exit. “Did he just walk out on us?” Flora nodded slowly. “Geez, that ain't right. Jazz never looks that serious. Ever. Is something wrong? Did you have some sort of issue you didn't tell me about? Should I go talk some sense back into him?”

Flora shook her head, even though she agreed with Silver's assessment and wondered herself if any of those questions applied. “No. I mean, maybe you should come hang out with him a bit during the morning when I'm at my greenhouse, but... I guess he's still bugged by the argument with his sisters yesterday. He's not normally like this.”

“No. He's not.” Silver walked over to Flora, who still stood ready to play the song again. “You sure you don't want my help?”

Flora shook her head again. “If this is a relationship thing, we'll figure this out. If it's not, I'm sure you'll know as soon as I do.” She finally put down her instrument, feeling like it was Ms. Heartstrings' class all over again. “Thanks for coming... sorry the show wasn't up to snuff.”

Silver shrugged. “You played very well. Just thought you should know. And if you need my help, just ask. I'll always have your back.”

Flora put up her hoof, which was immediately met with a bump from Silver's, causing them both to smile in appreciation. “Crusaders to the core!” they said in unison, then Silver made her exit, making sure everything was alright before closing the greenhouse door behind her.

Flora didn't leave, though. She sat in the room, the violin sitting in its open case, looking at the jazz apple blossoms. After a while, she picked up the violin, playing her part of the duet perfectly, though the lone strings sounded dull compared to that beautiful cascade created when they played together... Sighing, she put the instrument away, picking it up as she made her exit. There was something bothering her special somepony, something deeper than just an argument with his sisters... And it was up to her to make it right... all she had to do was figure out what it was.

Almost Home

The life of a superstar is not an easy one, Sweetie Belle mused as she waited backstage for the start of her next show. Oh, being pampered by everypony and making far too much money for the kinds of things she did was nice, of course, as were traveling Equestria and her penthouse in Manehattan, and all of the ponies cheering her name and wearing her merchandise just made her heart fill up with glee. Okay, really, most of the life wasn't that hard, but it still had its ups and downs. Many more downs, lately...

After she had left Ponyville, she'd been whisked straight to Manehattan under Sapphire Shores' tutelage. The Pony of Pop had taught her everything, from flare in her movements to how to refine her voice, but she had started small. At first she got her lessons as a backup dancer and vocalist for the aging star (though if somepony said Sapphire Shores was getting old they got a swift kick from the mare or a glare from one of her bodyguards), but soon came the big break, where Sapphire decided Sweetie earned a stage all her own. As an opening act for the fabulous pony, of course, but it was amazing the fire that little chance sparked.

Sweetie Belle had everything needed to be a superstar, and it had been instantly recognized. The pipes, the charisma, the innocence, the pizzazz: all of them came naturally. But the one thing she'd really needed, the one thing that Sapphire Shores had given her, was confidence. Not just in her abilities, which she had been denouncing since long before her big break in Ponyville, but in herself.

“Little Miss Sweetie Belle,” Sapphire had said to her as she panicked in the dressing room, her first solo act just minutes away,“I am jealous of you.” Sweetie could hardly bring herself to look confused for her heart pounding in her chest, but that wasn't going to stop the sassy earth pony from speaking. “You have everything needed to be the biggest shot in town and you can't even see it. Why, if I'd been as modest as you starting out, maybe there wouldn't've been all those scandals, or all those back alley bar shows.”

Sweetie looked at her mentor and friend with distrust. Surely Sapphire Shores had been discovered immediately and exploded onto the stage. “If I had been like you and accepted some help instead of running off on my own, maybe I could've started on stage instead of struggling in obscurity, but that's not here or there now. Now you are gonna go out there and sing for a packed house using them amazing pipes of yours. No matter what happens, even if every last one of them's blind and deaf and doesn't like you, you need to remember one thing.”

Sapphire leaned in close, grabbing Sweetie's cheeks and making sure they looked eye to eye. “You. Are. Sensational.” The fact that the word came without her normal singing somehow made it all the more meaningful. “You are the most talented young mare I've ever set my eyes on, and you need to stop holding yourself back. You are gonna go far, so long as you remember to follow your heart, do what you know is right, and give it all you've got.” Sapphire let go of Sweetie's head, hopping back and striking a dramatic pose as she pointed to the door. “Now get out there and strut your stuff, girl! That stage is calling for you, and you're gonna blow it away.”

And Sweetie had. Empowered by Sapphire's words, Sweetie let her own restrictions drop away, baring her heart and soul for the ponies watching, and they'd loved it. Once the word spread, she was the next big thing in no time flat. Record deals, tours, magazine articles: the works! The world was her oyster, and it had given her the most beautiful pearl she'd ever seen.

And all pearls lose their sheen, she sighed to herself at intermission, frowning into the mirror as she fiddled with a dull pearl on the sleeve of her costume. She lived in Manehattan, with the city running through her veins more than Ponyville ever had. She had even been on the front lines of the weather riots, down on the street with everypony else as a rallying point as strong as a princess for her adoring fans. She was even fully behind it when the New Lunar Republic pulled away, doing what she could to help rally support behind their Princess turned President of the Night.

Honestly, she couldn't have been happier, reunited with Scootaloo and working on the home front while her best friend defended it from those trying to take their freedom away. The only thing her fame had been taken from her was her friends, so being with her best one... It was like a dream. She might not have had the Equestria-wide scope she had before, but as she performed for the injured soldiers and civilians alike, raising spirits and making the New Lunar Republic a nation its residents could be proud to be in, she felt amazing. What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently a lot. Some nights she told herself everything would have just been fine if the Battle Beneath Cloudsdale had never happened... some nights she wondered if her fans had ever actually loved her, considering how quickly they'd turned... And some nights she could hardly sleep for the heckling outside her apartment. A little status painted a target on a unicorn over here, and hers was the biggest in the rebel nation.

Soon after Cloudsdale fell, the pegasi of the NLR, spurred on by the refugees from the Empire's persecution, turned on every unicorn they could find, giving them, in many ways, a worse treatment than most pegasi had received across the border. Rich and poor, loyal or fickle, unicorns were driven from their homes, some beaten or worse in the process, and no magic user was safe. Even Sweetie Belle, their beloved pop idol and loudest supporter of everything the country did, was heckled off the stage of her first show after the incident, dodging bottles and rotten fruit as she left with tears streaming behind her. As she left the theater, her carriage was stopped, nearly tipped and burned by the mob outside, until she was saved by her own knight in shining armor.

Scootaloo had heard of everything going on with the unicorns and, when she'd heard about Sweetie's show, she'd put two and two together and made her own way over. Her amazing show of strength and display of official NLR armor was more than enough to dissuade the mob and get Sweetie Belle safely to the Capitol Building in Manehattan.

Even there, defended by the top guard the NLR could muster, there was hardly a unicorn in sight. Most had been harassed into leaving, something even Luna did not blame of her citizens. Scootaloo didn't blame them either, asking flatly that Sweetie Belle join them in the Solar Empire for her own safety. Sweetie could see the fear in Scootaloo's eyes, the worry and the care for a friend she'd barely talked to in years... there was really only one answer.

Sweetie smiled as she looked herself in the mirror, removing the last bit of makeup before turning off the vanity lights and walking to backstage exit. Sapphire Shores' words had never left her mind, and as she recalled the show she'd just performed, giving everything she had for the ponies of her city, she knew she had chosen right. Sure, she was heckled and hassled outside, and sure, she would have been much safer on the other side of the border, but when the lights had come on and she started to sing, bringing nothing but cheer to the lives of the soldiers and civilians she performed for as they screamed her name in appreciation once more...

That appreciation meant the world to her, but even it was dwarfed as she walked tiredly into her penthouse, tripping at the door of her room and falling into the loving arms of her stalwart defender. Wrapped in the caring embrace of her knight in orange down, the one who had been there for her even as a little filly, she smiled. The life of a superstar wasn't an easy one, it was true, but it had led her here, and there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

The dark of night brought with it a new challenge for the trio escaping the New Lunar Republic, namely how to remain unseen as they moved. This near to the border, attempting to fly in contested airspace would be suicide, and moving along the ground held innumerable perils that wouldn't be visible until too late. Considered side by side, Homeward, Steam, and Wind all chose to go by ground, stowing away the Ready Wings for favor of their trusty hooves and keen danger senses.

Even this had additional problems. While Homeward's bag seemed a bottomless pit of useful items, in actuality it only contained one spare cloak, meaning that the third party member would have to improvise. On top of that, while none of them were particularly used to traveling on hoof after all their time in the air, Steam's legs were still used in the sky, so on the ground her muscles begged for any relief they could get. The solution to both issues, however, could be found in the same mare.

In order to hide her recognizable fluffy white mane, Steam Cloud's form was draped in the spare cloak, giving her the shape of any other pony from far away without the distinct point of a unicorn any other disguise would have given her. Meanwhile, Wind Key returned to her impression of her older sister, tying the bandanna around her neck and messing with her mane until it lay as neatly as the plant obsessed pony kept it, which, really, wasn't too much neater than her own way of wearing it, but was still a stretch. She also took on the burden of the Ready Wings, which, when folded up, did not catch nearly as much moonlight as when they were spread, and had the added benefit of hiding her wings fairly efficiently beneath the large backpack. Should they be spotted from afar, they would be three earth pony travelers crossing the border, nothing more.

Of course it would be far better than any disguise to remain unseen, and for that Homeward Bound led his two wards past The Roost, over a nearby hill, and when the path veered north, he continued to the northwest, entering into a rocky wasteland within minutes. Here the cool winter air whipped between the stones, chilling Steam's hooves in her horseshoes, though the cloak meant it did little else to her.

While she stumbled along on cold, tired legs, Wind had a different problem. As resilient to cold as pegasi were, frost was trying to accumulate on her fur and wings, and due to the nature of the load she carried, she couldn't do much to shake it off. Every minute in the elements brought with it more weight and pressing cold so that by the time midnight rolled around she was shivering far worse than Steam.

This grew into an even more pressing issue as the clouds began to thicken, rapidly blocking out the moon and stars and throwing all three ponies into the center of a blizzard. Snow and ice lashed at the traveler's faces, while wind seeped through every nick in their clothing and ran them straight through. Within moments it was no mere storm, as gusts of wind threatened to knock the young mares off their feet and stones began to fly past them into snowdrifts.

Fearing for their safety, Steam sidled up to Homeward, both ponies stomping through the suddenly thick snow. “Where did this storm come from?!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice barely being heard in the cold, dry, raging air. Just opening her mouth stung her throat, but she continued for fear of worse consequences to the rest of her. “Is there someplace where we can wait it out?!”

Homeward's reaction was impossible to see through the dark and the snow, but his voice was just able to be heard. “The storm is wild! This land isn't monitored by weather ponies; it's of no value to either nation! We just need to press on a little further!”

Homeward continued trudging through the snow, but Steam stopped, looking around to find her other companion. It took a long while, but eventually Wind stumbled stiffly over a drift, snow clinging to every part of her body. As soon as Steam saw this, she rushed over, fighting the driving winds to be by her friend's side.

Wind had the bandanna over her mouth, steam rising with every breath she took, but with the way it was pressed to her face, she was able to get across the idea of a smile. Steam shook her head, lighting up her horn and letting the golden glow wash over Wind's face. Immediately the snow began to melt, color returning to the already pale pegasus's face as her parchment colored fur was revealed once more. However, as much as she appreciated it, her eyes shone with worry. “You need to stop the magic! What if somepony sees?!”

Steam shook her head again, keeping herself within touching distance of Wind. “Your warmth is more important! We need to go a little further, Homeward has a shelter in mind!” Wind just nodded, smiling once more at the kindness of her friend before they continued through the snow, following the barely visible tail of their guide.

Homeward had not been lying when he said they only needed to press on a little further, as less than fifteen minutes later he was waving them down, showing them a small cave hidden within some fallen rocks. On the outside it didn't seem like much, but upon reaching the entrance, Steam's magical light fell into a deep hole below, safe from the storm outside. All three ponies piled in quickly, and the sudden silence after the awesome noise of the blizzard left their ears ringing to adjust.

In such a well insulated confined space Steam's spell was much more effective, quickly getting the snow off of both cloaks and Wind's entire form, though the pegasus continued to shiver from the chill. Steam unhooked the clasp of her cloak at her neck, wrapping half of it around her friend as they both shared the heat of the spell and the fabric. Wind even leaned against her, whispering 'Thank you' in a voice far weaker than Steam ever would have wanted to hear it.

While it warmed Steam's heart to feel the cold fur at her side slowly be replaced with its warm counterpart, the glare she could feel coming from under Homeward's hood was chilling all on its own. “Do you realize how dangerous it was to light up your horn out there? You don't have any idea who could have been looking!”

Steam glared right back, offended that he'd take that tone with her. “Did you see how Wind was doing? She wasn't going to make it all the way here! She was hardly walking!”

Homeward huffed, angered that he was being challenged, though it was half hearted. “I believe she could have done it... Though I will admit the storm wasn't expected. There is often wild weather running off from the Everfree Forest, though something like this would suggest that they have started winter in the Solar Empire and the magic needed to shift the weather was built and amplified from the Forest's own magic...” He coughed. “In the end, you were right to do what you did due to the emergency, but if we hadn't had the cover of the very storm you were warding off, I would be worried that the entire last leg of our journey would be in jeopardy.”

Wind stopped leaning against Steam then, sitting up and looking at Homeward tiredly. “And what is the last leg of the journey?” Her voice was still weak from her ordeal outside, but already its strength was returning. “Because if we're going through, over, or anywhere near the Everfree in winter you are crazy. I wouldn't take my chances there on a bright, sunny spring morning, let alone a nighttime snowstorm.”

The smile that crept over Homeward's face only served to worry both young mares. “I am glad you asked. You see, I was remaining rather vague about how we'd get over the border because... well, you'll see for yourself.” He turned around after that, walking a little deeper into their hiding place until he reached the back wall. Once there, he tapped on it twice with his hoof, as though knocking on the front door of a house, before saying, calmly, “The Lady requests our presence at her soiree. We have no ties, we hope it's not a problem.”

Nothing seemed to change for a few moments, and Steam began to question the sanity of the pony that had gotten her this far, but just as she was contemplating braving the storm, a slat slid aside in the rough stone, a high pitched gravely voice coming from beyond it. “The masquerade does not require ties, though she hopes you do remember the theme.”

“'Diamonds are the ties that bind,' a classic, and yet so hip.” responded Homeward, looking into the slat at whoever was beyond it. “We hope the kettle is on, two sugars in our tea, if you please.”

“One moment while The Lady is summoned.”

The slat slid closed and, after Homeward counted something in his head, he waved an arm to the wall and bowed, offering Wind and Steam first entrance into the door created as the rock wall hinged back. “After you, ladies. And remember: proper courtesy is essential in The Lady's halls.”

Beyond the portal was torchlight, though its source was coming from behind the door. As Steam and Wind stepped through, still keeping the cloak over both of them for a hint of security in whatever was going on, they were greeted by the sight of a smooth, well kept tunnel. The whole thing was hewn from the very stone they were surrounded by, and yet it had been polished down until there was only a gently rolling texture to it instead of the jagged stone one would expect. When Homeward stepped in behind them, the door swung shut on well oiled hinges, all sound of the storm outside immediately blocked by its silent movement.

It was this absence of sound that caused Steam to turn around, though it was the beast following her that made her leap and shriek in fright. She was being followed by a massive hound walking on its hind legs, with arms made to tear through rock and teeth that could shatter iron. Its fur was jet black, making it sink into the shadows cast by the torch it held, but it had brown undertones running up from its stomach and down to its crotch. Around its neck was a small black collar, with emeralds embedded in it and a large diamond hanging off of the front. It also had on a vest, stylishly made of good material, in a deep forest green that complemented the beast's eyes, which looked intelligent and dangerous, as though appraising the frightened pony as friend or food.

Evidently it chose friend, as when it opened its mouth, it did so calmly, with the same high pitched gravelly voice from before. “I mean you no harm, little pony. I merely am here to show you the way.” With that it extended one of its... her, if the voice and form were any indication... arms and offered that they walk down the tunnel with Steam and Wind in the lead. At the sound of the voice, Wind looked to see what had made Steam worry and, wrapped together in the cloak, Steam could feel her jolt, but she managed to keep herself from jumping or looking scared. Instead they walked together, both of them ignoring the monster they had following them.

The tunnel was long, with offshoots and intersections all suggesting a great underground system, which, after the first few minutes of walking, was largely lit by sconces set into the walls. Once in the light, the beastly torchbearer took the lead, placing the open flame in a waiting socket on the wall and being a most courteous guide. In the better light, Steam could see the long black ears, listening alertly, but looking like a dog's the more she thought about it. In fact, in a way, the whole beast looked like a dog, even down to the stubby, knobbly tail curling up behind her as she led them through the necessary twists and turns in the narrow tunnels.

The walk continued on in silent for quite some time: more than long enough for the combined heat of Steam and Wind to be far too much for one cloak, causing them to separate again. It also continued long enough for Homeward to begin a conversation with their guard, though it was fairly one sided. “Ah, Cooper, right?” A nod. “I trust things have been going well in the tunnels?” Another nod. “Good! And you are keeping The Lady treated well, as she is to you?” Another nod, this time accompanied by a wagging tail. “Wonderful! Are you getting enough volunteers down here?” Cooper shook her head. “Not enough ponies coming through?” A small nod. “Yes, well, this war is truly wearing on ponies... They are starting to see it as the norm. I am hoping someday soon this problem will resolve itself.”

The group walked in silence for a few steps, and then Cooper sighed. “It'd be nice. Maybe then I could see this 'Ponyville' The Lady keeps mentioning. I wonder what it looks like.”

Homeward smiled. “It's the most beautiful town in all of Equestria, but a description won't do it justice. At least not with me being the speaker.” The familiarity of Homeward with his surroundings caused both Wind and Steam to feel rather out of place, like they were missing one big, long joke, and so they stayed silent for the trip, following patiently until they reached what looked to be a grand entrance hall, much like one would expect from a castle.

It was in stark contrast to the smooth tunnel they were just in, all made from carefully carved marble, tiled along the floor and creating ornate pillars that stretched from the ground all the way to a vaulted ceiling high above. On either side were what, at first glance, appeared to be stained glass windows, but a closer look revealed them to be murals created entirely of gemstones, depicting more of these beasts dressed in formal attire and looking quite dapper. Imbedded into the ground were three of the largest diamonds ever to be seen by pony eyes, glistening in the light from high above where the crystal chandeliers glowed spectacularly. The entire room spoke of power, regency, elegance, class, and, above all, welcome. Somehow, even in this cavern deep underground, there was the unmistakable feeling of welcome that made even the worried mares calm.

At the far end of the hall was a great door, and here Cooper stopped, turning to all three of the ponies. “Beyond is The Lady. Be respectful, be polite, and do not worry. You are all safe here.” The beast smiled, then opened the door, revealing the room beyond.

Instead of the throne room or the massive ballroom one might have expected, what was here was, quite simply, an office. It still had all of the qualities of the rooms they had just left, from the exquisite marble desk to the cool tile floors, but it was cozy, a place one could come into whenever help was needed and not feel turned away. Of course, the impressive map of Equestria drawn delicately in chalk on the far wall would probably cause a moment of awe, even when it was erased and modified, as it was being right now. An eraser hung in a deep blue glow, wiping away a line before a perfect piece of white chalk redrew it, showing the newest border between the Solar Empire and the New Lunar Republic.

With that done, both objects were put down, a smooth, singsong voice calling from behind the large chair behind the desk. “Sorry to keep you waiting! I was simply 'in the zone' and had to get that done.” The chair itself swung around smoothly, revealing a pure white unicorn with a deep purple mane and sapphire blue eyes. She had the air of perfect authority: grace under pressure and the readiness to take action. She also looked far, far more beautiful than the moonstone and garnet mural of her set into the wall to her right. As she looked upon the three ponies in the room, her eyes half lidded, revealing the blue eyeshadow, but also hiding the analytical intelligence behind them, she smiled warmly. “Ah! Yes, wonderful to see you! You certainly have grown up beautifully, Wind Key.”

Wind's jaw dropped, her mind unable to fully comprehend what was going on. “Rarity?!”

“Please, my dear. I must ask you to refer to me as The Lady while I am in my office.” Rarity then leaned forwards onto the desk, her confidence broadcasting out to the entire world. “Now, how may I help you?”

Sparks flew as metal and rock collided, gleaming off of both the raw emerald embedded within the earth and the steel pickaxe trying to free it. The pickaxe rose once more, its handle enveloped in a golden glow as it stopped, then rushed forward, smashing away more of the stone beneath it.

Steam wiped her brow with her hoof, her horn glowing brightly in the dim quarry, as it had been for hours now, and she still felt like she wasn't any closer to her goal. “You know, I appreciate everything The Lady's been doing for us, but I can't help but feel like we've been tricked.”

Wind's head poked out from behind the outcropping they were working at, her bandanna soaked through with sweat, though none of it was dripping off her face. “What? Like this is all some complex system to turn random ponies into mining slaves?” She looked around, her gaze going over to the other miners, all diamond dogs going at it with their claws, with nary a guard or overseer in sight.

Steam levitated the heavy pickaxe to beneath her arm so she could lean on it, the brief break letting her catch her breath from the magical exertion. “Well, let's look at the facts. We were accosted by a random pony who lead us on a wild goose chase through the New Lunar Republic only to take us into a dark cavern where nopony would ever find us and make us work for the creatures down there... Sounds pretty sketchy to me.”

Wind swung her pick one more time, embedding it in the rock and popping out a small sapphire, which she threw into the provided minecart nearby. After that was done, she turned to Steam, shaking her head. “That's crazy talk. For one, Homeward has done nothing but save our lives and protect us since we were chased out by the angry mob, and for two, it just wouldn't be a good idea. If they wanted to increase mining speed by a significant amount, the fastest way would be to either raid and enslave an entire isolated village or have more foals... pups... whatever they have, because they work significantly faster with no tools than we do with them.” Looking over at one of the minecarts near a diamond dog dig site, the fact that it was brimming with gems while theirs was hardly jingling with them only confirmed her case. Shaking her head, she picked up the pickaxe once more. “Pony slave labor is much too inefficient by comparison.”

Steam frowned for a moment, tilting her head as her mind processed the Wind that had just shown herself. She knew her friend was an avid tinkerer and engineer, and she had done amazing things with the battery and power conversions on the Ready Wings, as well as the base design and, honestly, most of the work aside from the engine itself, but it was still rare to see that intellect actually surface in such a blunt manner. Honestly, it was a little frightening. “Remind me never to get on your bad side... at least not from a business standpoint.”

Wind giggled as she swung the pick, the force behind it leaving a crack in the stone. “You don't have to worry about that. I've never been much of a business mare. I just know how to keep a machine running smoothly.” She swung once more, then froze as another thought occurred to her. “Also, if this were a slavery deal, we'd probably have chains and minimal comforts, not the luxury suite we were in last night.”

Steam nodded, though she looked a little skeptical. “I suppose that's true, but assuming it isn't a bait and switch, this far underground and considering we have no idea how to get out, chains and brutality would just be more work. It'd probably ruin productivity. You can only work a pony so hard before they break.” Realistically she knew that there wasn't a single thing happening down here that signaled that they were in any danger. However, realistically, she also knew that everything about this scenario was all wrong, and it didn't take being wanted by a whole nation just for existing to make her paranoid about it. And, unfortunately for her, that paranoia manifested itself in one rather annoying way. “Speaking of breaks, I need to go find the filly's room. Be right back.”

Wind pulled her pick from the rock, smiling at her friend. “I'll be sure to leave something to dig up when you get back.”

Steam rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks.” After that, she made her way through the quarry zone and back into the pristine halls of The Lady's Realm.

Coming from the cramped, rough stone of the work area into the polished, well kept halls of the rest of the place made it all seem even more unreal. Steam already had a hard enough time believing a pony could actually be as kind as Wind or as selfless as Homeward, but the generosity shown by The Lady was just ridiculous. The question had seemed simple enough: how could she help them? And yet, as Homeward detailed everything that was happening, what she was willing to do for them was just absurd.

Though they were wanted by the New Lunar Republic for the many, many crimes on the posters, a fact The Lady had already known, she wasn't going to turn them in. She had them in her power, at her mercy, and she was showing she had more than enough of that to go around. In fact, not only was she not going to turn them in, she had already promised them safe passage into the Solar Empire just outside of Ponyville, a well furnished room, running water, free meals, and the protection of her diamond dogs (as she referred to the intimidating but overall friendly beasts) for as long as they stayed within her halls.

There was just one catch. In return, they would have to work in the mines, finding gems and digging them out, until they had covered “a few minor costs of service,” as she had said with a friendly smile. At the time it seemed like nothing, but after a good night's sleep in a soft, warm bed and a hot shower that could have loosened up a statue, that deal seemed more and more suspect. How much were “a few minor costs of service?” Was this all a scam where the cost of luxury always exceeded the amount they could make? Why wasn't Homeward doing his fair share in the mines? Were they the first ponies lured into a trap, or just the most recent? And, most pressing of all, where the hay was that darn bathroom?

Steam trotted quickly through the halls, sure she had made a wrong turn at this point since neither the bathrooms nor their room were very far from the mines. But there was only one real option, and she would just have to keep moving until she found something familiar. She'd probably come across it quickly enough, right?

Of course, probably doesn't account for certain things. As Steam moved from hall to hall, disappointed that she couldn't find somepony, err, somebody to help her with directions, she picked up the sound of a voice. Getting slightly desperate for relief, the young unicorn picked up the pace, only to slow back down as she recognized not only the voice, but the one talking to it. “...nk you again for all that you are doing for us.”

The voice of Homeward Bound grew louder as it came closer, though it stopped around the next corner. Moments later, The Lady's voice chimed in. “Not at all, darling! What kind of a pony would I be if I were to leave my friend out there in the elements?” Every word from her mouth was sickly sweet, the kind that was welcoming at first, but only seemed to want something now.

“Average.” Homeward sighed at his own joke before continuing on. “Anyway, Rarity, I hope those two aren't doing too badly. They've been walking constantly for a few days, so I wouldn't be too hopeful for what they can manage in the mines.”

Steam froze, ears straining to listen for anything as she pressed herself up against the wall. As much as she wanted to see the scene and make sure she wasn't dreaming, she was much too worried what would happen if she was caught snooping. But this was exactly the kind of thing that would finally put her mind at ease... or make her start thinking they planned this all out to put her at ease... Maybe Wind was right. Maybe she was crazy.

Crazy or no, Rarity gave her her answer. “Oh, don't worry about them. Anything the dears can manage before they leave will be infinitely better than the last few ponies that came through.” She sighed. “I know I don't require anything, but a teeny tiny bit of work isn't too much to ask, is it? Though I am curious as to why you asked me to make it mandatory for your companions.”

Homeward put her up to this? Steam thought as she pressed even more tightly against the wall. She could hear hoofsteps coming closer, though they quickly stopped. What didn't stop was the pressure the wall applied against her... things would not be pretty very soon.

The smile could be heard in Homeward's voice. “Because they've been through enough hardship that they needed a reason to start helping. If you had just requested it as charity, they'd have never left the showers. Since it's mandatory to start with, they may grumble, but at least you'll get your help. It can't be easy doing what you do.”

Is that what he thinks of us? Steam frowned to herself. What? Did she not come across as a nice pony? She'd taken in her friend off the street, for Luna's sake! Though... come to think of it, she probably wouldn't have agreed to the whole mining thing without coercion... But Wind would have... She sighed internally. Just one more reason Wind was a truly amazing pony.

Rarity's response was expressive, nearly showing the hair flip and head roll just through its lilting tone. “Oh, there are challenges running the single largest underground information and refugee network in Equestria, true, but they don't even begin to compare with maintaining my place as the top shadow fashion designer for the last five years on both sides of the border.”

Homeward chuckled. “Humble as always.”

“Just because a Lady is humble doesn't mean she can't take some pride in what she does. All things in moderation, including moderation.”

“Right... well, it's a boon for both of us. You get a few extra gems found for free and I get the help of the best mare in the business.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Homeward. Though that new moniker won't. I'm surprised nopony has caught you yet.”

“It doesn't need to last long. Just a week more, though that is where you come in.” There was the shuffling of papers and fabric which echoed faintly through the stone halls. “I need these letters sent to the addressees quickly, discreetly, and simultaneously. I don't know anypony who could manage it other than you.”

“Let me see them... Oh dear. Both Princess Celestia and President Luna? The heads of both their armies, key intelligence officials, a few important civilians... Roseluck? Do you think that's wise after all this time?... My, my, what are you planning?”

“That is what your letter is for, though I'm sure you could guess my plan by now. I hope to have it all done by Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“That's only two weeks away!” hooves paced on the stone floor, and just the thought of movement brought Steam's mind to her own body. There had to be a restroom near, and she really shouldn't keep listening in, but there was something about what she was hearing. Secrets and clues that tugged at her brain until she was almost sure that, for once, she knew the hidden stallion she traveled with. She couldn't leave now, she just couldn't.

The pacing stopped, followed by a singsong voice. “Ideeeeaaaaa~! I do believe I can meet your request in one week's time, though it is going to be tricky...”

“I will gladly pay whatever is needed or help in any way.”

“No no no! Do not fret, darling, consider it taken care of. You just enjoy what little free time you have left with your companions.” There was a brief pause that seemed to stretch on forever for the desperate unicorn listening in. “You should be proud.”

“Why? I can't take credit for how amazing she is. I can only hope to keep her and her friend safe long enough to ask for forgiveness.”

At this point Steam's body was tired of being pressed up against a wall, and with her mind whirring as it tried to process all it had heard, it was too distracted to stop a soft whine of need from escaping her lips. Immediately after it happened she jolted herself quiet, but the damage had already be done. “Did you hear that?” said Homeward, his voice drifting around the corner.

“I believe I did... Perhaps we should investigate, hmm? It wouldn't do to have been overheard.” The sound of hooves on stone brought Steam's heart pounding, her eyes wide as she wondered what would happen if she were caught. It couldn't possibly be too bad, could it? She was only dealing with a master spy and a pony apparently high ranking enough to want to contact every princess at once... there couldn't possibly be consequences for listening in on them!

Steam's mind screamed in horror at each step, clenching her eyes shut as she expected at any moment to be discovered and pointed out. She didn't think her bladder would be able to take it... The steps went on forever, drawing out the inevitable until, finally, they stopped, The Lady's voice coming into clear resolution. “Aha! Just as I suspected!”

Steam's eyes shot open, ready with an apology on her lips, but nopony was there to apologize to. Curious, she took her chance, peeking around the corner. At the far end of the hall both Homeward and Rarity were standing next to an open door, what appeared to be a closet, within which there was a very embarrassed pegasus with thick black glasses and an equally embarrassed diamond dog, his tail tucked between his legs. Both of them still had limbs wrapped around each other, though they shot apart a moment later.

Rarity shook her head. “Zipporwhill, this is the third time this has happened. Remember, I entrusted you with the entertainment and supervision of the ponies here, not their guard. Please at least try to be professional and let Hercules get back to work.”

The pegasus shot up from where she sat, hovering just off the ground with wings that hummed and blurred with their speed. “Yes madam! Sorry, Lady Rarity, it won't happen again!”

“That's what you said last time dear, and I'll say the same this time as well. I have nothing against whatever choices you make in your free time, but on the clock, you work and organize for me, just as you claimed you wished to when you first came down here. A Lady never lies. Remember that.”

Zipporwhill nodded. “Of course, madam!” Immediately the pegasus was gone, zipping up the hallway and shooting past Steam without even noticing the young unicorn, though the unicorn definitely noticed the pegasus's blushing cheeks.

Meanwhile, Hercules, a platinum blonde shepherd looking dog, sat in the closet still, bewildered by everything going on. Rarity sighed, wondering why he hadn't taken the hint yet. “You get back to work too, Hercules.”

The big dog stood up straight, nearly smacking his head on the door frame in the process, though he managed to miss it by taking a step into the hall and saluting with a massive digging paw. “Yes, madam!” he said before quickly following Zipporwhill, a blush beneath his fur identical to hers.

Rarity watched him go, then shook her head, sighing happily. “The joys of youth... Though, at her age, you'd think she'd have grown out of it by now.”

Homeward chuckled. “At ours, you'd think you would have too.”

Rarity let out a horrified shriek, covering his mouth immediately with a patch of magic. “Don't you DARE even think about letting anypony hear you say things like that! Obviously I am still twenty two and not a day over.” She took a step back, flipping her mane so that it hung perfectly. “Don't I look it?”

Homeward sighed, mouth still covered, and then walked off, causing Rarity to follow him quickly, waiting for a real answer. As amusing, confusing, and enlightening as all of this was to Steam, her body reminded her one last time of why she was out here, and she quickly took her chance to move, soon finding the relief she so desperately needed. Now all she had to do was find a way back...

Steam Cloud had been silent about her encounter when she'd gotten back to the mine. She remained silent when the work was over and both she and Wind Key joined Homeward Bound and none other than The Lady herself for dinner in a diner that looked like nothing less than the classiest of restaurants. Both ponies and diamond dogs moved between the tables, taking orders and refilling glasses of water, while the low drone of pleasant conversation highlighted the refined music played by the string quartet in the corner.

Steam had simply picked at her meal, delicious beyond compare, and listened to the friendly banter between Homeward and Rarity. Who were these ponies whose lives she had stumbled into? Why would they take such an interest in her and Wind, who sat at the table silently as well, though she was too busy staring in wonder at the world around her... a slightly confusing state to be in, considering this was the second night in a row this had happened. After the conversation earlier, all possibilities of some sort of slavery ring had left Steam's mind, but that didn't make this any less mind boggling. What kind of mare could afford to keep an operation like this running? How did she know Wind? Or Homeward? And what was that quip about age?

Those questions bothered her all the way back to the apartment they had been given, with two plush queen sized beds, room service, and the single most impressive bathtub she had ever seen. The night before a shower had been enough to get the grime of days off of her fur, but tonight, with her mind and body twisted in as many knots as they were, Steam had herself submersed in a bath, the soothing scent of herbs in the bubbles melting all tension from her as she sank in to her nose. She was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed the hooves outside had come inside until the water next to her shifted.

Steam startled and climbed partially out of the tub, getting a strange look from Wind as she did so. Steam matched it. “What do you think you're doing?”

Wind frowned. “Climbing in the tub. This was a cool idea and I thought I'd join you.”

Steam took a step out. “Without asking?! Maybe I didn't want you to be in here while I cleaned myself!”

Wind's frown deepened, looking out of place on her face. “You're joking, right? You gave yourself a sponge bath when I was crashed in your apartment and you didn't seem too bugged about it then.”

Steam looked away, cheeks red, before stepping completely out of the tub. “That was different...” She didn't make it two steps before she felt a tug on her tail, stopping her in place. “Please let go.”

Wind shook her head, shaking the fluffy white tail in her teeth in the process. “Nu-uh! Ew et ack in vif tuv right now an tewl me wafs wong!” Considering Wind wouldn't give up her hold on Steam's tail, she relented, climbing back into the tub and drawing a happy smile from the pegasus beside her. Sinking into the bubbles, she remained silent, which only brought out another frown from Wind. “Oh come on, I just want to know what's bugging you! Is it really so bad?”

Steam snorted, making a hole in the bubbles and causing some to flutter into the air. They swirled for a moment before landing on Wind's nose, her face too adorable for words as she tried to focus on the bubbles for a moment before they popped. With the smile that brought to her face, she felt more compelled to speak. “I was just thinking about The Lady... How does she manage something like this? This place is amazing!”

Wind looked slightly puzzled. “You don't know about Rarity?” Steam shook her head, not comfortable with apparently being so far out of the loop as she watched Wind duck under the water, coming back up a moment later with a new crown of bubbles. “Rarity was one of the ponies on the Council of Friendship. She was the Minister of Generosity or something like that. Apparently she and her friends helped Princess Twilight become a princess through... a bunch of stuff dad used to talk about. I don't know why she still looks like she did when I was a filly, but she was always really nice. This is just that on a big scale.”

It was then that everything clicked. “Wait, she's the Rarity? As in the Element of Generosity Rarity?” Wind nodded. “And your dad knew her... and Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia... Is there anypony your dad didn't know?”

Wind laughed at that. “Pretty much no, and I got introduced to all sorts of ponies and even some gryphons when I was really young. Which was weird, because nopony came over and he didn't throw parties or anything, he just sorta knew all kinds of ponies.” Wind shrugged. “But then, mom was in Ponyville even before everypony got all famous with Elements of Harmony and saving the world and stuff, so she knew them all too. I'm almost positive everypony knew them to some degree.”

Steam thought for a moment, letting the soothing warmth relax her muscles as her mind wandered with this new information. “You know, I think my dad said something about running into them before, though he never liked to talk about it...” After another few moments, another couple thoughts connected themselves in her head. “I think my mom might have known your dad, because she was worried about him when the news story hit of him becoming wanted in Equestria, though she talked about him like he was an old friend.”

Wind tilted her head. “Huh... Then we might have met a long time ago and not even known. What's your mom's name?”

“Shoeshine.” The name came out before Steam could even think to censor it, and as soon as it did she blushed, realizing she'd just actually told somepony her mother's name. However, when she looked over to Wind, she wasn't looking triumphant or running off to use the information, she just sat there looking puzzled as water dripped from her mane.

After a while, Wind shook her head. “I don't think I ever met a Shoeshine... Though my mom might have gone off to see you. Every so often she took business trips to big cities. Did you ever meet Rose? Or she might have been going by Roseluck?”

Steam froze at the name, remembering the conversation she'd overheard before... So many connections simply clicked into place in her mind, bringing her to a revelation that just screamed to be made, and she almost did, but as she looked at Wind's inquisitive face, she knew she had to be sure. Disappointing her would be like snatching candy from a foal... The guilt would never fade. Slowly Steam shook her head. “No, I don't think I did...” She then sank into the tub, returning to silence as her mind raced along.

Wind slumped a little, sinking into the tub as well. “That's a shame... but you'll get to meet her soon, and I'm sure she'll like you! She'll probably even return the favor of you taking me in until we're able to contact your family.” Steam just nodded, hardly listening to the pegasus' words. To be honest, her mind was far away...

Trying to confirm her suspicions about Homeward was very difficult for Steam, particularly since she could never seem to corner the pegasus alone. Either he was nowhere to be seen, as was often the case in the mine, or he was seemingly ever present, but always with Wind or Rarity nearby. Now, perhaps there was a chance of confronting him with Rarity around, though The Lady had a way of changing subjects to suit her needs, but trying to confront him near Wind was just too dangerous. If she was right, Wind would be ecstatic, shooting straight from deep underground to over the moon, but if she was wrong... Steam didn't want to risk raising Wind's hopes just to dash them again.

Though dashed hopes were the least of Steam's worries as she ducked, barely missing a rock that went flying past her head in the mine. For the most part the work was safe, but every so often a rock would chip in just such a way that it could get dangerous. Following the rock's path back, however, she found a sight that made her frown. Wind was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily, her pick firmly stuck in the stone next to her. Both of them could see the gem she was so close to digging out, but she just didn't have it in her, and that was worrisome for the ever ready pegasus. “Wind, are you okay?”

Wind nodded quickly, still panting for breath and sweating profusely. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just overheated.”

Steam looked around the area, seeing that they hadn't drawn too much attention. It was probably better to go solve the problem now than let it get big enough to create a scene. “Let's call it an early one today, go back to the room, and figure out a good way to cool off from there.” She helped the appreciative pegasus up, letting Wind lean on her as they made their way from the area.

Before they'd gone more than a few steps, a rare sight appeared before them in the shape of Homeward digging out a small ruby from the wall. As they approached, he managed to pry it free, dropping it in a bucket behind him before turning to look at them. His voice was curious, but there was a note of worry carried with it too. “Tired already?”

Both mares shook their head, though Steam was the one to respond. “Wind got overheated, so I was going to help her find a good way to cool off.”

Homeward smiled, raising a hoof in an excited declaration. “I know just the place! Though it is a bit of a walk. Do you think you can handle that?” Wind nodded, causing the cloaked pegasus to smile even wider. “Wonderful! Follow me.”

Homeward led the two mares from the mining area, though he went down a side path before the tunnels went from rough to smooth. This was the edge of The Lady's area where there had obviously been expeditions for routes and other mining areas, causing a winding network of rough tunnels that now were very dimly lit. How Homeward could tell one from another was beyond Steam's imagination, but she continued to follow, even after Wind regained her strength and her breath.

Eventually they reached one very long path that snaked and twisted, only the flickering light of very sparse torches breaking the heavy darkness around the three travelers. However, as the path sank lower and lower, Steam began to wonder if they would all be swallowed by the earth. Finally, after much too long in the deepest darkness, the ground leveled out, the corridor turning one final corner before they reached their destination.

Wind and Steam both stood stock still, struck in awe at the sight laid out before them. After what felt like miles of rough, rocky tunnel, they were standing in an enormous chamber, their hooves sunken slightly in the cool sand as the sound of waves washed nearby and a small waterfall crashing in the distance. It wasn't the sand that held their attention, but instead the sky, or rather, the swirling patterns of the gentle blue glow that suffused the entire room. All around them, along the walls and as high into the ceiling as they could see, mushrooms grew, from tiny to truly massive, and all glowing a dark sky blue. Speckled between them were yellow bulbs and patches of green and grey lichen, each glowing their own intensity and, together, creating the illusion that the night sky had followed the ponies underground.

A drop of water fell from high above, splashing ice cold on Wind's nose and bringing her out of her stupor. She ran across the sand, dipping her forehooves in the water and smiling at what she found. The water was cool like a mountain stream, and without a moment's hesitation she leaped from the beach, her wings propelling her high and far until she dropped into the water bodily, sending a splash high into the air.

Steam was slightly more hesitant, looking over at Homeward. “What is this place, and is it okay that we're out here?”

Homeward smiled, nodding. “Of course. It was discovered recently, untouched until the diamond dog finished the tunnel system, and even she didn't know what drove her so far this way. Just yesterday I happened to be in Rarity's office when she got the news that the mushrooms were safe to be around. Once I knew about it, I had been wondering how I could show it to you two before we left... I suppose things just work out.”

Wind splashed and laughed in the water, and it was very tempting Steam to go join her, but it only took her a moment to realize that this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. She turned to Homeward, her face determined to get her answers now, only to find him looking at her, a hoof already stopping her words. She pressed on anyway. “Homeward, I was wondering...”

“Don't. I know what you are thinking, and it doesn't matter.”

Steam felt like she'd been slapped in the face. “What do you mean it doesn't matter?”

Homeward sighed. “I promise to you that everything will be revealed at journey's end. We leave tomorrow, we'll be in Ponyville very soon after. We can all be a little more patient.”

Steam stomped her hoof, which was muffled in the sand and completely lost to Wind's laughter. “But don't you think she has a right to know? After all of this... after all the years she searched...”

“You're assuming that I am he.” Homeward was stoic, as always, a cloaked figure, even here in this hidden beach. Steam backed down, and with that Homeward softened. “Believe me, everything will make sense when the time is right. But, until then, even the smallest, most innocent actions could have unknown consequences, and I have been working on this far too long to see it fall apart this close to the end...” For the first time, Steam heard how tired Homeward was. He had been keeping up an act since long before they had met... this was nearly breaking him. “Please... enjoy this time. You will be glad you did.”

Slowly Steam nodded, backing away from Homeward and giving him a little space. He nodded back, smiling beneath his hood. As Steam walked back, her hoof touched the water, and the refreshing coolness immediately swept up her spine. Hearing Wind continuing to play on her own in the water, Steam's will broke and she turned around, taking a running leap to splash into the water. She surfaced quickly, only to be hit by a wall of water sent her way by Wind's wing. She countered with her hooves, doing her best to win the splash fight against a better armed opponent. When it was done and both of them were soaked, laughing together, Steam felt like there really wasn't any place else she'd rather be.

As she looked towards the beach, seeing Homeward staring almost wistfully at the pair in the water, her heart sank, knowing she wasn't the only one.

Cruelty and Kindnesses

To say Apple Bloom had been one for all that fancy book learnin' back in Ponyville would've been the biggest lie a pony could tell, but you wouldn't have guessed it from her work in her first years in Canterlot. Although earth ponies were exceedingly rare additions to the Canterlot School of Magic and Technology's magic division, a skilled alchemist could not be denied her place among her peers.

A place that, expectedly, came with all of the jeers, snide remarks, and mischievous pranks any young filly must go through with a group they don't fit in with. Hardly a day went by without her mane magically turning a different color or half her chemicals spilling on the floor as she was tripped walking across the class. Stemming from that, hardly a day went by where she didn't miss her friends and family back in Ponyville. But she was an Apple, and no Apple ran away from a good thing just because a little hardship got in their way.

Although she largely ended up working alone, grumbling to herself as her unicorn classmates created their cliques, Apple Bloom stubbornly kept at her work, making her few school friends in the more technical branch of the school. She picked up a surprising amount from her friends there, astounding them in turn with her own know-how and intuition from back on the farm. Among the ponies in her own branch she wasn't always the top of the class, particularly not when a potion needed a pinch of unicorn magic that she couldn't fake or borrow, but she put in triple the effort that the others did and that kind of determination doesn't go unnoticed.

Upon graduating she was offered a job, as nearly all graduates of such a prestigious school were. However, she was one of a very select few to earn a letter with a golden border, the royal seal showing its origin proudly. She had been selected, above all of the other alchemists in her class, or indeed in quite a few classes before it, to join the Equestria Magical Research Division, working out of the castle like so few ponies could. After rubbing it in a few choice faces, she eagerly accepted, arriving for work on her first day ready for and expecting anything.

And that was what they threw at her. On everything from quick cures for ailments to growth serums for plants she worked her magic, even without a horn to trivialize the process. Her dedication and creative problem solving got her promoted quickly, and, oddly, with more responsibility came more free time to roam around the castle where she worked.

There she made perhaps her favorite discovery of those early years: that Scootaloo was a Royal Guard. It happened completely by accident, walking through the gardens while lost in thought, passing by armored pony after armored pony without even a second glance. She probably wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't been watching a bird as it flew in front of her friend's face.

The two of them stared at each other for a second, the connection of familiar face to the friend it belonged to taking longer than it should have due to their long separation, but once it was made the reaction was immediate. “Scootaloo?”

“Apple Bloom?!” The two Crusaders looked at each other in surprise, then laughed and ran together, meeting in a tearful hug. Apple Bloom didn't have long for her break, but she spent the entire time catching up with her friend and making sure they would meet again. After that day, the two were inseparable.

There was hardly an evening where Scootaloo didn't come over to Apple Bloom's small apartment near the castle, often in her armor and immediately after her shift. They'd laugh, they'd talk, play games, reminisce... No adventures, which was a little disheartening to them both when they realized it, but then they weren't looking for cutie marks anymore, just finding meaning in their talents.

However, just that little reconnection sparked a fire in both of the Ponyvillians, boosting them in both of their chosen professions. Scootaloo's natural talent shone in her training, and her bravery in the line of duty got her swiftly promoted to Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was suddenly tackling tasks that had stumped even the greatest minds for ages, like how to turn some of the nation's surplus gold into much more useful lead and iron. When she, with a single serum, managed to safely and instantly triple the output of the farms supplying Canterlot, her position as head of the Alchemical Department was guaranteed.

But even over the years as their duties multiplied, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom made sure to spend time together whenever they could. And then, on the day Sweetie Belle released her first album, her two closest friends listened to the copy she sent them, finally feeling like the old group was back together again. Life had gone amazingly for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and it was only looking brighter.

Even the brightest candles eventually burn out, and such was the case as weather became the focus of everypony's attention. The drought that swept through Equestria was devastating, and neither friend was able to spend much time together. Scootaloo was called off to defend the peace while Apple Bloom tried the impossible task of creating large amounts of water from nothing at all. She even got close, developing the balloon cactus, which very slowly filled with drinking water, assuming it could be grown in the right conditions. Unfortunately, she had no hope of finishing in time as Manehattan exploded, the Weather Riots officially kicking off.

As a Royal Alchemist, Apple Bloom fully devoted herself to her research, spending long nights locked in the castle tower pouring over equations and looking for that silver bullet, but there was no solution to be found. Still, nothing would stop her from trying. Neither a Crusader nor an Apple gave up that easy!

It was this devotion that caused her to start awake in her tower, listening to the alarm being spread throughout Canterlot Castle one bright, sunny morning. Her mane was a mess, her bow barely keeping its shape and failing to keep her mane out of her face. There was a small puddle of drool on the papers on her desk and the soreness of her back did little to help. Groggily she walked to the window where she saw a group flying from the castle, apparently with Princess Luna at its head. Moments later the sky was abuzz with ponies in armor chasing after them. Highly confused, Apple Bloom left the tower, making her way through the chaos of the halls.

Ponies in armor ran every which way, all shouting orders or coming back with reports that didn't seem to make much sense to her tired mind. Why were they keeping so much track on Princess Luna? She seemed guarded enough. Heck, they were even saying she had a personal detail with her. Eventually, with her curiosity piqued, Apple Bloom stopped one of the soldiers, asking him where Scootaloo was for her to talk to.

The silence that immediately befell the hall was deafening after the clattering of hundreds of armored hooves. But even the heavy silence was a feather compared to the answer to her question. Her face scrunched up in confusion. “Ex-Cap'n Scootaloo? Traitor? Secession? What're y'all talkin' crazy for?” Immediately the tired mare was led away from the general bustle, practically tossed into the library to be dealt with later.

Apple Bloom didn't have any idea what all of this nonsense was, but she did have something she'd been meaning to look through the royal library for anyway, so she managed to find the book in question, yawning as she searched through it for what she needed. As she was looking, a pony sat down across from her, getting a quick glance from the alchemist. “Oh, howdy Twilight. How're ya doin'?”

The purple alicorn looked frazzled, as though she'd been hit by a hammer earlier and it was still registering, and Apple Bloom's greeting didn't help matters in the slightest. “I should be asking you that. Haven't you heard the news?”

Apple Bloom flipped through a couple pages. “What, did the riots stop when I wasn't lookin'?”

“No, in fact...” Twilight choked up, the very thought in her head making her unable to speak. “Apple Bloom... Princess Luna just created her own nation, with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Scootaloo backing her up, as well as a surprising amount of other ponies once they left the castle walls...”

“Nah.” Apple Bloom flipped another page. “That can't be right. Scootaloo'd never do somethin' like that. Somepony's messin' with ya.”

Twilight looked her in the eyes. “I was in the room when it happened. Celestia has given the order... they are all to be taken in, dead or alive.”

Apple Bloom stopped, putting a hoof to her forehead. “Alright, the joke weren't funny the first time, Princess. Y'all can stop tryin' now.” She looked up then, seeing the dead serious look on Twilight's face, and immediately her attitude dropped, the weight of the moment hitting her. “No...”

“It happened, Apple Bloom. Right in front of me. I even talked to them all... Equestria is no longer unified.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, it can't be. Scootaloo... She'd never...” The sad look in Twilight's eyes said it all. Slowly Apple Bloom closed the book, shaking her head. “No... no, yer lyin', or there's a mistake, o-or–“ Twilight was about to say something, but Apple Bloom got up, knocking over her chair in the process. “I ain't listenin'! It ain't true!” She ran from the library, through the constant stream of guards. The constant stream of ponies searching for one of her oldest friends... She went home and shut the door, locking out the rest of the world, sure that in the morning it'd all be some sort of nightmare.

Morning brought no fix, no solution or magical remedy, it only cemented what she'd already feared was true. Princess Luna had left the castle, with Scootaloo as the honor guard on her exit. That wasn't even the kicker, though. Over a quarter of the Royal Guard had disappeared, as had nearly a third of the ponies Apple Bloom had worked with every single day. Notes were missing, whole projects were in shambles, and trying to pull that together alone would have taken months. But that was only the beginning.

Within a day of Princess Luna's secession, demands came into the Magical Research Division from Princess Celestia for all manner of new things. Weapons, aggressive spells, enchantments for the soldiers... All other projects were to be put on hold “to deal with this new threat consuming our nation”. On seeing the specs of these new research plans, almost half of the remaining ponies in Magical Research quit, including all of those above Apple Bloom. In the wake of that news, she was informed that she was going to be taking over as the head and be given a week to get the place running again.

Facing the mountain of paperwork, setbacks, and sudden responsibility, Apple Bloom froze, a dangerous thing to do with so many ponies looking to her for guidance. Eventually she managed to babble something about getting things organized before slipping from the tower, walking into the garden to try to clear her head.

Even the feel of nature around her did nothing to settle Apple Bloom's mind. How was she supposed to run the Magical Research Division? She was nothing more than a farm mare from Ponyville at heart. And even putting that aside, she was being asked to make weapons... weapons that would be used against ponies... against Scootaloo. She would, singlehoofedly, be responsible for the death of so many just by continuing her job. How could she possibly be expected to do this? Her head swirled as the plant life surrounding her seemed to crowd in. She was supposed to be solving the weather issue, not killing the rioters! And without all of her friends and colleagues, she'd never–

She bumped directly into the solid form before her, not even moving it as her nose pressed against something warm and tough. At first she thought she'd hit a guard who'd been standing in the sun, an apology leaving her mouth automatically, but once her vision came into focus, she realized the purple before her wasn't a bunch of orchids, but a single dragon, and a familiar one at that. “Spike?”

The dragon turned around, standing a little taller than Apple Bloom after all these years, his scales like armor as his body began to show the strength of his race. “Apple Bloom? Fancy meeting you here!” Immediately his eyes shone with concern. “Are you alright? You look horrible.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, I'm not alright. I just got promoted ta head of the Magical Research Division.”

Spike smiled at the news. “Congratulations! I'm sure you'll be amazing at it.”

Apple Bloom stomped at him. “No, I won't be! I ain't ready for anythin' like this! An' even if I was, I don't wanna be if'n it means makin' weapons ta hurt my friends...”

Spike paused for a moment, a claw going up to tap at his chin while his tail wrapped around his feet, its spines looking a lot more streamlined than they had when he was younger. After a few moments, he looked her in the eyes, seeing the conflict in her distraught face. “You know, Twilight always freaked out before tests too. She always said she wasn't prepared, that she'd do something wrong... it even continued after she became a princess. She even blew the whole library into the air once. But no matter how she raged, she knew she had the strength to do it. I think you might be in the same boat there. From what I've heard of you since you left Ponyville, you're more than qualified for the job.”

Apple Bloom sat down, shaking her head. “I was never meant ta hurt ponies... I didn't sign up for this...”

Spike sighed. “And Twilight was never meant to lead, and yet she became the Princess of Friendship. She's fought monsters, she's saved nations... She went head to head with Tirek and won. She never wanted to hurt anything either. She didn't even want to make friends, initially... But sometimes you do that you have to, for your country. For your family, your friends, and those close to you.”

“But Scootaloo is all of those things, an' she's on the other side...”

“And Applejack is all of those things too, and she's still here.” Apple Bloom went pale at the thought of Scootaloo hurting Sweet Apple Acres, but Spike managed to catch her before her mind ran wild. “I'm not saying that they will attack or something crazy like that, but if they did, wouldn't you rather have some sort of defense?” She nodded. “And wouldn't you rather you knew what that defense was? That it would only knock a pony out, not turn them into a meaty goo?” She nodded again, her eyes wide in horror at the image of the meaty goo. “Then I think you're exactly where you need to be.”

Apple Bloom thought for a few moments, considering everything Spike had said, before nodding, a slight smile showing on her face. “Ya know, yer right... I think I know just what to do. Thanks, Spike! When did ya get so good at motivational speeches?”

Spike smirked. “I live with a neurotic bookworm princess. You learn a lot of useful skills while being the royal vent.”

“You gonna be around for a while? I could use a familiar face, an' y'all got the perfect skills ta help me keep from goin' crazy.” She rolled her hoof near the side of her head, joking about the situation already. Just that one thing he said had illuminated so much, and knowing she controlled the weaponry, well... that put her at ease once more.

Spike chuckled warmly. “Yeah, I'll be around. I'm at the castle as long as Twilight is, and I don't think we'll be leaving any time soon.”

“Good. We need ta catch up sometime anyway. I'll see ya around!” She gave the dragon a quick hug, then went back to her tower, ready to face the ponies and the trials within.

After that Apple Bloom and Spike started to meet on a fairly regular basis, growing closer as the crisis evolved, with both able to vent their frustrations and worries out on the other. It was comforting for Apple Bloom to have somebody there to listen when things got heated, and she was always glad to be able to return the favor for him whenever the politics on his end got overwhelming. Knowing he was there to bounce ideas off of, her confidence in her decisions grew and the Magical Research Division thrived under her leadership.

As months went by with no sign of the conflict stopping, their visits grew more frequent as they became fast friends, always there for each other no matter what else the world threw at them. And as the conflict grew into a war between nations, they grew even closer, each becoming an anchor for the other in a sea of turmoil and emotions stretched to the snapping point. They never would have guessed, meeting by chance in the royal gardens, that they'd be the only things keeping each other sane, but they were glad of it all the same.

Flora sighed, her chin leaning on the dining room table as she looked longingly out of the frosty window. Wracking her brain, she went over every note of the song, everything that had happened recently, everything she'd said, and still she was no closer to pinpointing the cause of her heartache. Or, rather, Jazz's heartache, but they might as well be the same thing the way she felt.

Her head rolled onto her cheek as her eyes roamed the room, eventually coming to rest on the small memorial set up in the corner. A helmet of the Royal Guard with Equestria's flag folded neatly beneath it. That just brought to mind a smiling face that somehow made her sadder as Newsprint's laughter floated through her memory, the only place where she'd ever hear it again. Maybe she could just go back to bed, curl up, and lose herself in dreams of a better time... With the morning light only now seeming to gain strength, it wasn't too late for that, right?

A cough sounded from the door frame, causing her to perk up and turn to see her mother leaning in it, a slight smile on her face. “How are you this morning, dear?” she asked, a warmth in her voice despite the cold weather outside.

“I'm fine, mom,” Flora sighed, feeling herself sinking back into the chair as thoughts crowded on her once more. She stayed there as Rose walked to her side, sitting down next to her.

“Really? Well it's just that, if that clock is right, it's a little after eight and you are normally right to work making sure your plants are watered first thing in the morning. Don't you still care about the little darlings?” Rose's voice was soft and sweet, with a caring smile waiting when Flora turned to look at her.

But her daughter had no smile to give, just a little frown of annoyance. “I know what you're doing. It's not like that, mom.”

Rose smirked. “Isn't it? I might have believed you if I hadn't picked that same chair for the view it provided. Perfect for quiet, brooding contemplation.” She walked around the table, closing the curtains on the wintry world outside before sitting down and taking her daughter's hoof in hers. “You've been out of sorts for days, but this is the worst I've seen it yet. What's wrong?”

Flora rolled her eyes, looking towards the ground as she started to walk away, but her mother's grip was unrelenting. The few tugs Flora gave did nothing to free her, and she quickly realized 'no' wasn't an acceptable answer. Sitting back down, Flora huffed, collecting her thoughts in line. “I want to tell you what's wrong, but that would mean I'd know and could fix it. But it's been days and I'm still no closer to cheering Jazz up than I was at the start.”

Rose sat up a little straighter, her interest piqued at that statement. “Oh? Did he do something bad to you?”

Flora shook her head. “No, nothing like that. He's just been... off. He had a family issue with his father, which resolved itself, but ever since then he hasn't been himself. Silver hasn't seen him, he hasn't been to the market, and when I go over to help him he barely talks to me! If it weren't for the music ringing in my ears I'd hardly be able to tell another pony had been in the room. And I know something is bugging him, but I just can't get it out of him.”

Rose leaned in a little bit, just a hint of worry edging her features. “And while this is upsetting, you're sure nothing's wrong with you? He hasn't offended you in any way, right? You're feeling okay? Nopony's been harassing you?”

Flora shook her head, only holding back a glare with the knowledge that Rose was only trying to help. “No, mom, I'm fine. Just sad.”

Rose raised a hoof, leaning back out. “Just making sure.” Slowly her face melted into a warm smile, which moved to her eyes as she spoke. “You really do care for him, don't you dear?” Flora moved to answer, but Rose went on, having already known it. “But if you're going to prove you care about him, you're going to have to stop being so kind.”

Flora raised an eyebrow at her mother. “What, start yelling at him? If he's got an actual problem, that's the last thing that's going to help.”

Rose's smile deepened. “No, not yelling, just use a little more force.” As she looked at the disbelieving look on Flora's face she just shook her head, knowing why the idea was so hard for the young mare. “You know, when your father and I first met, long before I would have ever dreamed that he would be the stallion I would marry, he tried something like this. He had gotten himself into some very deep trouble and was gravely injured, and he had come to me for help.”

Rose got up, walking over to the door and looking out the window in the living room. It was hard to tell among the other roofs of Ponyville, but she could just barely see the top of her shop from here. “When he finally woke up, the first thing he asked me to do was warn a friend that they might be in danger. I had no idea what was happening, but seeing his state, I was willing to believe he was right. But one thing led to another, and soon the whole issue had only gotten worse from his intervention.” She shook her head. “He was beating himself up, hurt and raging on the inside, and no matter how I tried to comfort him, it had no effect. And then, beaten and bloody as he was, he tried to run off so he wouldn't be an issue to anypony anymore.”

Rose turned around, seeing the disbelieving look on Flora's face. All three of Rose's children had looked up to their father, with his great stories and how brave and strong and determined he always was for them. If they had known the details of any of his adventures before them... Well, they probably wouldn't have been so shocked when he disappeared like he did. With her smile fading at her own thought, she continued. “I managed to find him, but that was the last straw. I had been much too kind, letting him do his own thing and push himself to the edge of sanity. I marched him back to the house, bandaged him up tight, and kept him under my constant watch until he healed and knew for a fact that he was actually wanted.”

Rose took a few slow steps towards Flora, remembering those same eyes looking back to her in a bandaged face all those years ago. “If I had been a little slower, or his leg brace a little quieter, he might have slipped away. He might have hurt himself or worse, and my whole life would have never been the same. When I look back at everything that happened and how easily it could have changed... Well, I am glad I was too nice, but I'm also glad I knew when to put my hoof down and be mean once more.”

She sat down across from Flora again, looking her daughter in the eyes. “Now, your stallion is collapsing in on himself, and you might think it best to let him do so, to try to dance around him and help him without. But I have a feeling whatever is bugging him is coming from within, and, while neither of you may like it and it might not be pretty... You're going to have to get a little mean and make him see it. Do you understand?”

Flora nodded, the sadness from before gone from her movements, replaced with a touch of determination. “I think I do.” She got up, walking upstairs and getting her things. A few minutes later she came back down, bandanna around her neck, winter hat on her head, and a plan of action in her mind. However, as she opened the door, she heard her mother call her name. Turning around, she barely reacted in time to catch the apple sailing through the air at her.

Rose was leaning in the door frame once more, watching her daughter get ready to go. “Don't forget that apples bruise easily, dear. Be mean, not cruel. I don't want to see you moping again.” Flora smiled warmly, nodding as she made her exit. Watching the door, Rose sighed happily. “They grow up so fast...”

Flora hurried through her routine at her own greenhouse, nearly forgetting to water a whole wall of plants as she tried to plan what she was going to do beforehoof. Grabbing her violin on the way out the door, she rushed to the jazz apple greenhouse, arriving a little early and pacing nervously as she waited. Would confronting him really be the best idea? True, she couldn't help him if she didn't know what help he needed, but was it really right for her to badger him until he asked for it? He was the brightest light in her life right now, even if his light was a little dimmer... Did she really want to risk it being taken away?

Her questions were answered when Jazz arrived ten minutes late, a brooding scowl plastered on his face as he brusquely dismissed her greeting wave. He only paused to unlock the door, and hardly reacted to the kiss she planted on his cheek when he did. Inside he wasted no time to tune up the instruments, skipping smalltalk until he snappily asked her if she was ready to play. With Flora's mood souring by the minute, the last straw was the performance itself: rushed and angry, the usual beautiful tones of his trumpet pained as they were forced out, and her violin crying as it tried to keep in time. The flowers on the vines barely glowed, drooping slightly compared to their beautiful state a few days prior...

At the end of the song, Jazz packed up his trumpet without saying a word, ready to rush right back out into the snow when he was stopped by Flora, carefully replacing her violin in its case and blocking the door with her body. He stood there, visibly tense and hoof tapping, for a few moments before he gave an annoyed cough. Flora shot him an irritated look in response. “There's no use looking so antsy, you aren't going anywhere until you talk to me.”

Jazz snorted. “I got chores I hafta tend ta, Flora, so-”

Flora snapped her case shut, standing up and glaring at him. “Chores can wait, Jazzy. I don't like this attitude you're putting on and neither I nor your plants deserve to be treated like this. If I did something wrong, tell me.”

Jazz took a step back, brow furrowing. “Ya ain't done nothin' wrong, Flora, so if ya'd just-”

Flora shifted in front of him as he tried to sidestep her. “Then tell me what is wrong. You've barely talked to me for days, and that smiling face I knew so well has completely disappeared. I want that back. Tell me how to help you.”

“I don't need help. I need ya ta get outta my way, I'll be fine, Flora.” Jazz took a step forward, nearly reaching the door, when Flora grabbed him by the tail and swung him to the side, looking him in the eye.

“No you don't! You aren't leaving until you tell me what has you so worked up! Is it the thing with your father? Did your mom send you back some bad news?”

Jazz looked away, reaching for the door once more. “I don't wanna talk about it, alright?”

He pulled it open slightly, but it was immediately slammed shut by Flora's hoof, holding it firmly in place. “No, that's not alright. It's been days and I just want to see you smile again, Jazzy. I want to feel the music flowing through me as I spend time with my special somepony, and he's being too mule headed to let me in!”

Jazz glared at Flora. “I ain't havin' an argument with ya in here. It ain't the place for it an it'll upset the vines.”

Flora matched his glare, her emerald eyes locked onto his hazel ones. “Then where do you want one? Outside where ponies can hear? In the farmhouse with Big Mac mediating? Or maybe you'd like to taint the memories of the barn with a shouting match. We could even go to a bar, get everypony in town right in on our social life, if that'll make you call me 'Sugar' again.”

Jazz looked at Flora flatly. “Sugar, open the door.” He tried to handle again, only for Flora to hold it tight once more, and this time he growled, stomping on the ground. “Why're ya makin' this so difficult, huh? All this woulda been so much simpler if'n ya didn't care!”

“Of course I care, Jazz! You're my special somepony! When you're unhappy, I'm unhappy, when you're nothing but smiles, my heart soars.”

Jazz shook his head, moving back into the room and away from the door. “If'n it was just family they'd understand! Pa wouldn't, but the rest of 'em would be right behind me!”

Flora followed him into the room, her eyes pleading as she moved. “You said we were like family, Jazz, back in the clubhouse. Since then, I've supported you through everything, by your side when I could and behind you when I couldn't. Tell me what's on your mind.”

Jazz spun around, continuing his rant. “An' then ya dragged Silver inta this, an' got me all worked up an' all this talk ain't makin' it any easier! It was all easy when I wasn't wanted.”

Flora looked confused. “I know your father tried to do something really cruel to you, but that doesn't mean you aren't wanted.”

Jazz laughed once, a short, mirthless sound. “Yer jokin', right? You saw the looks I was getting' around town, the watchin' eyes in Jennydale... I ain't wanted here. All their kin are out on the front line, fightin' and workin' ta defend this country, an' here I am sellin' apples like I ain't got a care in the world.” He stalked forward a few steps, blazing anger in his eyes. “Every time I went ta the market, I got nothin' but scowls, all accusin' me a bein' a traitor, with more hatred in 'em than even Pa was givin' me. They're wonderin' why I ain't doin' my part, an' ya know what? I'm wonderin' too. I got my Ma 'n my aunt out there workin' for the cause, doin' all my fightin' for me, an' all I can do is sit around with my injured uncle watchin' my old farm be run ten times better by you than I ever could on my own. If only ya didn't care, I coulda disappeared tomorrow 'n nopony woulda cared.”

Flora's confusion only deepened, wondering how long these thoughts had been eating away at him. “Disappeared where? Your place is here, making sure that those ponies out on the front have a home to come back to, and you do a fine job of it. I might kick a few trees and help build up the greenhouse each year, but without you this place would fall apart.”

“Oh yeah?” Jazz said as he walked over to his trumpet case, opening it up and pulling out a small notebook. “When I was thinkin' 'bout all this, I started keepin' notes, tryin' ta figure out what it is I do around here every year.” He tossed the book in front of Flora, where it fluttered open, landing only a few pages in. And yet, it was blank. “Ever since the night Pa tried ta take the place I started writin' things down. Stuff I'd know that you wouldn't. I ain't more'n a half dozen pages in an' I'm already stumped. If I gave ya that book an' told ya where ta find the ledger, you could run the whole of Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow. An' lemme tell ya, Sugar, it's temptin'.”

Flora kicked the book closed, shaking her head. “I'm not going to take your farm from you, Jazz.”

Jazz smirked coldly. “Oh, ya wouldn't be takin' it, Flora. Yer actin' like I'd run off an stop carin' about ya, an that just ain't true. Carin' about ya just makes what I'm about ta say a lot harder.” He walked over to the book, picking it up while he grabbed one of her forehooves in his, placing the book into it carefully and holding it in her hoof. “I'm gonna go join the army, Flora, an' I want ya ta keep the Acres safe until the war's done.”

Flora's jaw dropped as she looked at his serious expression, then at the book he was holding in her hoof. She pulled away, shaking her head violently as she saw all those happy memories of him consumed inside her mind. “No! You're not giving me the orchard and you're not going off to war. It's suicide to march off to fight in the dead of winter, and I am not going to stand for it!”

Jazz shook his head as well, picking up the book and walking towards her again. “It ain't up for debate. I shoulda done this years ago.” He put a hoof to his heart. “It's my duty, both as an Equestrian an' as an Apple.”

Flora backed away from him, heart suddenly pounding in her chest. “But what about Big Mac? Or what if your dad tries to take the place over again?”

“Mac's behind me all the way, an' I already made sure Concord an' Cassidy would do everythin' in their power ta keep Pa off'n this place.”

His calm tones did nothing to soothe Flora as she looked around the room, mind racing for something, anything, to stop this madness. Her eyes landed on the beautiful glowing apple blossoms. “What about our duet, huh? You promised me that much, and an Apple never goes back on his word.”

Jazz sighed. “Well, ya got me there, but the duet will be a lot sweeter when I get back, right? Might lose a coupla jazz apples before winter's out, but it ain't like we were sellin' 'em anyway. It's nothin' ta worry about.”

That was where Flora stopped backing up, though her shoulders shook visibly. “Nothing to worry about? Nothing to worry about? I don't care about losing a few jazz apples because all of the notes aren't being played. I'm afraid of losing my Jazz Apple to a war that's already ripped my family apart! It has taken my father, my brother, my sister, and for years I was left with nothing but the shadow of a mother, all for some stupid war nopony wanted in the first place! You want me not to worry when you're galloping into that fiery blaze ponies keep mistaking for a sunset? You're asking me to do the impossible.” She walked forward, throwing her arms around Jazz's neck and hugging him close. “You're the one light in my life... Don't take that away from me.”

Jazz hugged Flora back, kissing her lightly on the cheek before he pulled away. “Flora, yer actin' like I want ta go. I ain't doin' this because it'll be fun, I'm doin' it because I haveta.”

“No you don't! Your family is giving enough, you don't-”

“My family gave far too much already. Equestria lost its greatest treasure ta this war, an' it don't even know!” He looked her in the eyes this time, the sadness within showing through. “Granny Smith loved this country more'n anything. She'd watched it for years, been there for the foundin' of Ponyville, an' she always believed in the value of a hard day a' work, family, 'n good friends. She'd lived for over three hundred years, a bafflin' miracle, every day praisin' Celestia an' this great nation she lived in. An' then the whole thing ripped apart, an' she watched her family get dragged off ta fight ponies they'd known all their life... An' that was that.” He shook his head, eyes shut and tears forming at the edges of his eyes. “She faded away the second it all started, an' I weren't even a year later that she was gone. She lived her whole life with Equestria whole... It's only fair we put it back in her honor.”

Jazz sat silently, his teary eyes looking to Flora's for comfort, but that was not what he found. Whether it was from before or something new, she showed only angered horror. “And, what, you think winning this fight is going to bring Granny back? Do you think that's what she wants? To see her own family go off and forget the farm she worked so hard for as they kill and fight and die, just so that some border line can be erased? Because it won't. Your death won't bring back Granny, or Newsprint. It won't clear my father's name or stop a nation's rebellion. It'll just add another name to the list.”

Any touching moment Jazz thought he had created was lost when he heard her rant, the insulted look on his face betraying him as his eyes turned harsh. “So what? Ya think my family's just a bunch of fools runnin' in an' killin' themselves? Ya don't think Equestria's worth fightin' for?”

Rose squared her shoulders as she matched his gaze. “I don't give two licks if Equestria fell to the Lunar Republic or dissolved entirely. Nothing is worth tearing apart and tossing aside lives like this.”

Jazz stalked forward, glaring at Flora. “I dunno if'n I can stay with a traitor.”

Flora's jaw clenched. “What?”

“A traitor.” He spat the words with venom. “Yer brother fought for the nation, an' I miss that colt somethin' fierce, but he's the only one a y'all who ain't gone all cowardly and featherbrained.” Flora stood there, silent, though her cool exterior belied the seething inferno growing within. Taking her silence as proof and with his own blood boiling, Jazz kept talking. “When yer father ran off, it was his cowerin' that got Newsprint goin' in the first place. An' then you lose one pony ta the cause and suddenly yer mom freezes up, yer sister runs off, an' the only one still workin' an' seein' the light was you. But I guess that was just an act, huh? Well, act or not, this is a war, which means ya gotta fight for what ya believe in, an if yer just gonna hide like some fool coward pegasus, then I-”

Flora wasn't even the least bit curious what he was gonna do as her forehoof smashed across Jazz's cheek, stunning the stallion mid speech. She spun around after that, rearing into a devastating buck that flung him across the greenhouse into the dirt at the far end. He rolled when he landed, coughing in the dust kicked up and with the taste of metal in his mouth. “Ow!” he said, spitting blood droplets as he pushed himself up. “What th' hay was that for?”

Before he could finish getting up he was grabbed by the fur of his chest and pulled up so he looked Flora in her fiery eyes. “'What was that for?' Is that what you're going to be asking those 'cowardly pegasi' trying to kill you on the front line?” She picked his front up bodily, not caring that he was scrambling to get his back legs up under him properly. “Or maybe those 'traitors' will see that you're fighting for your poor lost Granny and let you go. They obviously don't have ponies they're fighting for either.” Just as he almost had himself steady she pushed him back, making him lose his balance and fall against the greenhouse wall. “I don't care if you think I'm a traitor. I don't care what you or anypony else might think of my family. But I won't stand by and let you spout ignorant ideals at me when you won't even take your own fight seriously.”

Flora stalked towards Jazz, his truly frightful eyes telling her she had his full attention. “Did you forget that your own best friend is a pegasus loyal to the nation when so many others were chased off? Or maybe you've forgotten all of the normal lives uprooted and families torn apart by some stupid border we keep fighting over. I don't know why my father ran off, and by Tartarus I don't forgive him for it, but if I had to guess, I would assume it was to try to stop ponies thinking like you from running our nation off a cliff!”

She stopped, sighing heavily as she turned around, walking towards the door. “You said it yourself, Jazz. This is war, and you have to fight for what you believe in. And if you believe all that garbage in your head... Remember that it was you who decided we couldn't play a duet.” Opening the door and letting the chill winter air in, she looked back at Jazz, his face injured in more ways than one. As much as that sight pained her, she still stepped outside, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Inside, her green bandanna fluttered in the air from the closing door, finally coming to a rest on the violin she'd left behind.

Flora shivered the entire walk home, feeling the chill blasts on parts of her neck that hadn't felt the air in years. And yet, even then, one look at her red eyes, at the tears frosting to her cheeks, would tell you that the cold wasn't responsible for her shaking. She was glad that nopony walked the long, empty path from the farm to town, her short sobs able to be let out freely as she forced herself to keep putting one hoof in front of the others.

Her hoof stung from where she had hit Jazz, as did her lungs from the freezing air they swallowed in gulps, but they weren't of any comparison to the aching she held in her chest or the guilt rising up from the bottom of her soul. She knew, she knew that she had handled that about as poorly as it could have gone. Every step made her want to turn around and apologize, with regret upon regret for her actions and lines racing through her mind to validate the hurtful things he had said.

But Flora never stopped moving, and not once did a regret rear its head over the words that had left her lips. Their order was appalling, their effect was abysmal, and the choice could have been arranged into a beautiful bouquet, not the heap of waste and pain she'd created. But their content, spiteful as it had been, was all filled with the truth she felt. No, she did not regret the words, just that she would ever have actually had to say them to the pony she loved.

Of course, that was something she didn't regret either. She knew Jazz, the real Jazz, when he wasn't blinded by whatever delusions were running through his head right now, and she loved that pony with all of her heart. Just a few months ago that idea would have been laughable, that her closest friend could have gotten any closer, and yet, as she felt him slipping away with each step, she nearly missed those naïve days. Perhaps she should have just given him to Silver... then she wouldn't be trudging home with this weight upon her chest.

It was cruel beyond words, but the irony was that she had asked for it. She had badgered him, been just as mean as she'd thought necessary, and then life played another one of its horrible tricks and she just couldn't take it anymore, getting cruel right back. But after everything this war had done, after spending nearly half her life watching her home town dwindle and her family collapse, she hadn't been prepared for anything to get worse. It had had no worse to get, and had only just started getting better...

Gathering storm clouds built overhead, darkening the land and bringing with them slow falling snowflakes. As much as she had always liked the snow and the calm it brought to her life, right now she wished it would leave, or else bury her beneath it. Perhaps, come spring, this would all be over, with budding blossoms helping repair the damage done. But the snow kept itself reserved, only slowing her walk and leaving her more time with her thoughts.

What would she tell her mother? What would she tell Silver? Would she even be able to say anything once she got home? Rose's advice had been sound, and yet look at where it had gotten her. And Silver... if she'd heard anything Flora had said... if she knew how close Flora had been to spilling her secret crush and dragging her into this whole mess...

A mess she hoped, deep down, would have cleared up like a romance novel, where Jazz realizes the error of his ways and rushes out to stop her, holding her close and telling her everything would be alright. With each step and every sob she strained her ears, hoping to hear the crunch of hooves on snow bringing him closer to her even as she walked further and further from him. But he was no closer than all of the ponies she'd brought up, all of the ponies that had left her behind...

After an eternity Flora saw her house, the warm light from the windows promising everything she wanted right now. She would exit the ice and snow, walk into that heat, and melt into a little sobbing puddle to be mopped up by her mother's comforting hooves until she formed into a pony once more. As sad as that sounded, as she placed her hoof on the doorknob, she wanted nothing more.

Or so she thought as she entered the house and was nearly tackled by a more lively and excited Dot than she'd seen in years. There was no question as to why, though, as Flora looked into the dining room and saw the mares sitting there. Rose was carrying on a pleasant conversation, her face lit up like a beacon with the joy radiating from it. She only stopped when Flora reached the door frame, prompting her two guests to turn and look.

Flora ran towards the one she knew, sweeping the young pegasus into her arms and crushing her in a hug that would wind an elephant, and the pegasus matched it, the mirthful laughter removing almost all of weight from Flora's heart. When finally the hug was over, emerald eyes looked into ivy ones, while words Flora wondered if she'd ever say passed through her lips. “Welcome back, Windy!” Flora pulled herself back into the hug, resting her chin in the crook of her sister's neck. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.... It's so good to be home.” Hearing those words, Flora released her sister, wiping the newly formed tears of happiness from her eyes and joining the others in their conversation. For once, life had given something back. For once, it had proven it wasn't cruel. Just incredibly, insufferably, unforgivably mean.

Closure

CRACK-BANG! The Equestrian Royal Army jumped to attention as the plains reverberated, a bright flash giving the only direction of the attack. Somepony slumped over, blood flowing freely from the hole in his head. Half of the army rushed the opposing ground force, mostly colliding into the half of the army screaming in terror and running away as months of training went out the window.

Newsprint ran to the side, readying his spear as he narrowly avoided being trampled by his own friends and trying to make sense of the chaos that had descended. The enemy was in just as much disarray, with ground forces falling back while rebel pegasi charged forward, unloading their firearms into the armored sea. Spears and bolts of magic shot back, some missing, a small few managing to clip their target, and one sending a rebel crashing into the ground at Sandstorm's hooves, smoke rising from the fallen soldier's mouth frozen in a horrible scream.

News was there in an instant, gently pushing the only pegasus in his squad to regain his senses and get ready to defend himself. Sandstorm had been a loser during all of the training, it was true, as he was a coward only there due to the draft. From even that first day when all of the ponies stood in boot camp he was shaking in his shoes. News had taken Sand under his wing, making sure nopony picked too hard on the lone pegasus. He'd already seen too much of that back home with his younger sister, and whether or not Sand liked it, he was going to have to fight.

And that was never a truer a thought than it was now, thrust into their first combat mission on what was supposed to be routine patrol. Newsprint aimed his spear skyward, warding off a rebel flying much too close, and there he caught a glimpse of the entire problem. Miles above them, shining in the moonlight, Cloudsdale floated as though nothing was wrong. And yet, even with the pegasi dive bombing him, News was sure there were at least triple that number up above. Doing what, nopony knew, but it little mattered now that projectiles were in the air.

Sandstorm cowered at News' side, his spear discarded on the ground as he tried to make himself a smaller target. However, he was in the middle of a battlefield, and a small target was exactly the thing that fell underhoof without a second thought. He was pulled up by his neck, watching in terror as his spear splintered in two, an ally trampling right through where he'd been. Before he could do more than yelp he was spun around, his grainy yellow eyes being made to look directly into Newsprint's emerald ones as the armored earth pony began to yell.

“Sand, stick with me! You can do this!” The beige pegasus nodded, placed down onto his hooves just in time for News to spin around, nicking the rear leg of one of the flyers. They both looked at the jumbled brawl around them, hardly able to hear anything over the sound of battle. Somewhere in the distance two mares were yelling out orders, but they might as well have been silently mouthing songs for all the good it was doing.

Sand naturally began to back away, curling defensively into a nearby rock to wait out the fight, and for once, News fully agreed. They were both useless in this fight, and while the army pushing forward meant they couldn't push back, if they hid they might survive long enough to do something useful. Pulling Sand around the rock into a small overhang they could both cram into, that's just what they did, waiting for the battle to make some sort of sense.

Minutes passed with nothing but the constant sounds of fighting, only punctuated once when Sandstorm broke down and whimpered, his entire body shaking in the tight space. News was as well, as much from fear as from adrenaline, though he kept his head... at least until one thought entered it. “Sand... Buddy, there's something I need you to do for me.”

Sand's eyes were red as he looked at News, tears streaming down his cheeks. “What?!” he exclaimed, unable to control his voice for the iron grip fear had on his heart.

News let it pass, his own voice wavering as he spoke. “Back at the barracks, in the slats of my bed under the mattress, there's a letter. If I ever don't make it back, I need you to send it for me.”

This time the response was fitting. “What?!”

“In the slats of my bed back at the barracks-”

Sand grabbed his shoulders. “I'm gonna die long before you! I'm not even gonna make it through this!”

News grabbed Sand's shoulders in return, shaking him forcefully. “We're both going to make it out of here, okay? Neither of us are dying out here. But if, someday, I do, I want you to promise me you'll send that letter, got it? As my best friend, promise me!”

Sand's eyes widened and he swallowed hard, his shaking calming to the twitches and jitters of nerves. “Got it! I'll do it.”

News nodded. “Good! Now let's-” The sound of a thousand infernos smashing through stone cut off any thoughts or plans as immediately both hiding ponies looked out of their hole. The darkness was awash in a golden blaze, the sounds of battle replaced purely with the sounds of panic as another hellish noise signaled another unknown impact. Newsprint scrambled from the hole, safety the only concern in his mind.

Both sides were scattering, the army zigzagging across the burning ground while the rebels flew under the guard and guidance of their superiors. Those first two impacts, leaving trails of flame and massive craters, were just the start as one glimpse into the sky showed dozens of orbs of fire raining on the battlefield like meteors. High above, one such orb streaked through the Cloudiseum, turning the ancient monument to mist and pulling it that much closer to the ground.

Just as another fireball impacted the earth, the trumpets sounded, a clear retreat being called for the army. News held out his hoof, pulling Sand free from the outcropping. “Move move move!” was all he yelled, smacking Sand on the flank as both of them followed the trumpet's call. Impacts came faster and faster, the sounds of the injured and the fallen surrounding the pair as they ran alongside their brethren.

Lungs strained as hooves pounded the dirt, bounding this way and that to avoid newly formed craters or the dirt and blood kicked up from unlucky strikes. Far in the distance there was a safe zone forming, the unicorns banding together to create a shield against the burning rain, but every step only seemed to make their goal more impossible to reach.

In the glow of the fires around them and the rushing throng of moving bodies, neither Sand nor News noticed the increased light sailing through the air until it slammed down right in front of them, sending them both sprawling into the dirt as burning grass fluttered down around them. Sand stumbled to his feet, staring at the hole before them. “Torchwood just... she was there and just...”

He didn't notice the growing light around him. He couldn't hear the roaring flames above, nor the hooves pounding behind him. He was shoved forward, spinning off balance before two hooves planted themselves in his chest, denting the armor as he sailed backwards through the air. He saw News' face looking back, happy, but with a deep sadness in his eyes. He saw the blinding reflection off of his squad mate's armor. He held out a hoof, refusing to look up as he finally felt the scorching heat, then the searing pain lancing through his right ear. It seemed like an eternity as he flew through the air, helpless as the deadly meteor neither of them should have escaped dropped a hair's breadth in front of his nose, skirted past his hooves, and swallowed his best friend whole.

He was thrown by the terrible impact and blinded by the flash, but still he could see Newsprint's eyes wishing it could be any other way. He was the last one to see that compassionate face, to feel the love for another pony, even in a field of war...

Sandstorm only just got his vision back as he tumbled to a stop, looking up at the remains of Cloudsdale burning in the sky, the clouds melting away as the buildings rained down, just as deadly as the last remnants of the fire barrage. His ear stung, his chest ached, and his back felt bruised and battered as he was grabbed and dragged beneath the glowing dome of the unicorn's shield, but none of that registered to his shocked mind.

A little innocence had left the world tonight, vanishing in a puff of smoke...

He wished that it was painless.

He wished it had been him.

Roseluck gently blew the steam off of the top of her tea, setting her cup down beneath the flickering light of the single candle she had lit in the dining room. She always appreciated the mood a dim lighting could set, but that wasn’t the reason for the saucer quickly being dirtied with melted wax. No, the dim light was purely functional tonight, as a young guest lay sleeping on her couch a room over who she didn't wish to disturb. It wasn't often that she had guests, and even less common that they surprised her so wonderfully. The entire house slept, and yet, it was more alive than it had been in years.

The children were home. Not the same ones, no, but Rose wasn't feeling too picky. Now all they needed was their father...

Rose sipped her tea, her eyes glancing at the other reason for her late night refreshment. Laying on the table, unopened, were two letters. One was old and worn, the dirt on the envelope suggesting it had been traveling for years to reach this point. The other was new and fresh, barely folded and sealed before it had arrived. Both had come in the hooves of the polite young unicorn that currently rested a room away, and both had no address, just instructions that they were to be given to her.

Rose toyed with the idea of leaving them unopened, fearing some sort of bad news that would put a damper on this otherwise joyous occasion. Well, as joyous as you got these days, considering Wind and Steam's tales of betrayal and Flora's ice-stricken heart, but a day to be celebrated nonetheless. Should the letters contain something worrisome, Rose would head to bed on a sour note, and the whole day might seem just that much bleaker.

On the other hoof, curiosity had nagged her from the moment she had received them, and Steam's description of the kind stranger that had helped them through so many dangers caused wild fantasies and wishes to come unbidden to Rose's mind. She had fought herself to leave them until now, the hope of news they might contain filling her near to bursting. If she left them there, did she really think she'd get to sleep at all?

In the end, for the sake of her sleep schedule and to honor the pony who had taken them on that final leg of their journey, Rose decided to open the letters, starting with the newer one. A quick tug released the glue without the need for a letter opener, and moments later, after another mouthful of warm, soothing tea had passed her throat, she unfolded the paper and began to read.

Dearest Rose,

I cannot begin to pen my apologies for all I have put you through, and years of trying will not be nearly enough penance to begin. I know you will have questions, and I know no answer I could give could possibly answer them all. But I promise things will be made clear sooner than you expect, and I will explain everything I can to the best of my abilities and accept whatever outcome this all leads us too.

It doesn't begin to repay the damages I owe you, but I deliver you these gifts. Wind Key, safe, and quite possibly happier than she has ever been, and her good friend Steam Cloud, a pony to be admired for all she has been through. Ask her about her mother, I believe you will be amazed at what you hear. My second gift is the letter accompanying this one. It has traveled further than it should have, and it should have been in your hooves long ago, but its journey is finally at an end.

It pains me to delay, even one more moment, knowing how close we are this very night, but we both must prepare. We do not have much time.

Ink Well

Rose's heart wasn't sure what to do as she read the page. As happy as those words made her, she had always known that they were under the same moon and sun, separated only by whatever machinations he had in his head. She'd had seven years to think about it. Seven long, gnawing, heavy years to truly contemplate the biggest promise he ever broke, and she was still too fragile to think he couldn't break another. Her heart had skipped a beat, and that told her quite a lot, but a few gifts were no replacement for actions left undone. She might have the stallion's word, but until it came from the horse's mouth, it was nothing more than ink and paper.

Putting Ink Well's letter aside, she reached for the other envelope, eyebrow arching as she found the back unsealed. Wondering if it had never been sealed or if somepony else had read it before her, she lifted out the paper within. Her eyes widened the second she saw the words, in a writing she never thought she'd see again.

To my loving mother,

If you are reading this, then the worst has happened and I was, unfortunately, taken in the line of duty. Hopefully this letter never reaches you, but since you're reading this, I guess it's too late for that. Instead, I hope this finds you well and helps you through this trying time.

I've only just finished training at the time of writing this, and already these few months have made me miss you and my sisters so much it hurts. I may not be crying myself to sleep like some of my squad mates, but that doesn't mean I am immune to the sorrow. Just once I wish Dot would curl up next to me on the cot like she always did on my bed at home. Wishful thinking, but it's better than the thoughts that drive me to write this.

Whatever happened to make you get this letter, I don't want you or anypony else to start slinging blame around. It'd be easy to fault the Princess, or the nation, or the draft or the enemy or any of the other possible causes. But I won't die fighting for my Princess or my nation or honor or anything like that. The reason I chose to fight, to come out here and do all of this, was because I loved you.

I know that may not sound comforting, and I don't wish for you to begin blaming yourselves for my passing either, but know that in the end, I fought for you. I wanted to know that you wouldn't be harassed just because of something dad did, but more than that, if anything I did, even dying, ended this war one day sooner, I wanted to know I did everything I could so that my friends and family could be happy. I tried my best with the newspapers in town, but in this case, I fear the sword may actually be mightier than the pen, at least for now.

Tell Flora and Windy that I love them and always will, and that I miss them just as much as they miss me. Tell yourself that, too, every time you are saddened by getting this letter. And even tell dad, if he ever gets back, that I love him. I know I didn't sound like I did when I left, but think I finally understand why he made the choice he did...

Goodbye, mom. May the wind be ever beneath your wings and your spirit soar to paradise. I'll be waiting for you all there.

Your son, now and forever,

Newsprint

Tears dripped down Rose's cheeks, plipping lightly in her tea as she looked at the letter in disbelief. She hadn't gotten a body for the funeral, hadn't gotten ashes... her son had simply vanished after one of his routine letters home. And now, after all these years, to have this...

Rose folded the letter away, got up, slowly walked to the small memorial for him in the corner, and gently leaned the letter against the helmet given to her in his honor. As she returned to her tea, seeing the new memorial in the flickering candlelight, she somehow found a way to smile. Another tear dropped into her tea cup, but she paid it no mind, sipping from the cup anyway. Finally, after all these years, the memorial was complete.

It truly was a day to celebrate.

Pink

The threats were never obvious, but Shoeshine was starting to consider herself a lucky mare any day none of her windows were smashed, and this was on the good side of town. She dreaded to think what would have happened to her husband and her little girl if they'd been in her old apartment in Manehattan, or even on the other side of Timbucktu. There were still talks of outraged riots in the streets after what had happened to Cloudsdale. But that wasn't nearly as frightening as the astounding cases of disappearing unicorns... In response to that, word had come in from President Luna herself. For one week she would give anypony who no longer believed in her cause free passage to the Solar Empire. All they had to do was make it to Manehattan.

That was six days ago. The borders were only open for two nights more, and while Shoeshine and her husband both believed in Luna's vision, they also wanted safety for young Steam Cloud. The writing was on the wall: Shoeshine would get her family to Manehattan, come fire, flood, or Tartarus itself. Or she would if her husband would stop dragging his hooves. “Flam Skam, I don't care what you have to do to make that machine work, you get that thing running and get us out of here now!”

Flam looked at his wife from behind a pair of welding goggles, his red moustache twisting with his frown before he shut off the welding torch and walked over to her. “Now now, Snuggle Shine, you needn't wait any longer.” He moved his goggles, revealing his bright, charming green eyes. He spoke calmly as he pulled his wife into a sidelong hug, motioning to his work. “It might not be roomy or as armored as I'd like it to be, but the interior of my Mobile Family Relocating Relocation Platform is just the ticket to get us and whatever we can fit out of here and on to greener pastures.” He waved his hoof through the air over the brass beast of a machine he'd built before him, as though trying to get her to see his vision.

All she could see was the way his hoof shook and the recent widening of the white stripe in his mane. “Honeycrisp,” she said, using the false name he'd tried to woo her with before she'd connected the dots all those years ago, “you're using your salespony voice again. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence.”

Flam pulled at the neck of his blue striped shirt, beads of sweat appearing against his yellow fur. “Okay, I'll give you the simple version. It's going to be hot and uncomfortable thanks to the boiler needing to be inside with us, should the worst happen, and I really would need a few more days to get together enough materials to shield it from any possible outcome, but it shouldn't tip and it hopefully should survive most things short of a train crash or heavy explosion.” There was a hitch in his voice as he looked towards the heavy metal monster he was soon going to trust the life of his loved ones to. Could a modified SSCS6000 really make the cut?

Shoeshine noticed it too, turning his face to look at her, getting some oil on her sky blue fur in the process. “Buuuuut?”

Flam looked at his welding torch. “But if you give me just a little more time I might be able to actually make this as safe as I just said. Or I could create a secondary cart to attach to the back and bring more with us than the bare essentials. And even if we don't bring anything, we could give the extra space to another family. There aren't many safe ways out of town after those rocks fell on the rail lines, and we can't just leave ponies behind, can we?” His eyes then dropped to the floor.

A rock smashed against the glass in the garage door, sending spider cracks through the reinforced pane. Both ponies looked at it fearfully, hearts dropping at the sight. Shoeshine motioned to the damage worriedly. “We don't have any more time! We have to get to Manehattan by tomorrow night or we're stuck on this side of the border. I hate the thought of being back under Celestia's careless hoof, but better to be safe than sorry...” She saw the defeated look on Flam's face, trying so hard to do good with the past that haunted him, and sighed. She kissed his cheek gently, calming both of them down a little. “You do what you think is right, but remember: you're not alone in this.”

Flam nodded solemnly, returning his welding goggles to his eyes as his wife left the room. His earth pony wife, dragged into this mess purely because she'd married him... He'd see her safe, whatever the cost.

Twilight was just descending on the land when the sounds of broken glass and a crying filly rushed Shoeshine up to her daughter's room, fearing for the worst. She sighed in relief when Steam Cloud, though covered in glittering pieces of glass and having a half piece of brick smashed into one of her favorite toy playhouses, was unharmed. But even with Shoeshine's immediate fears assuaged, her long term ones were confirmed. And, when she went downstairs, carrying her daughter on her back, and told her husband what happened, there was no mistaking the proper course of action. He finished his final weld while she grabbed what mementos they could carry and got ready to make their escape.

As the door of the MFRRP was closed with a final solid thunk, Steam looked sadly out of the porthole at the garage of the house she'd grown up in. “So... we're leaving? Are we coming back?”

Flam sighed as he pulled his sweaty mane beneath a straw boater. “I don't know. I'd like to hope we might, someday.”

Frowning at the answer, Steam couldn't pull herself from the window. “But we're leaving all our stuff behind! I can't leave all of the Elements without saying goodbye! And what about your workshop, dad? And all of the-”

Shoeshine hugged her daughter close, stopping those thoughts in their steps. “Steam, none of us want to leave, but it's something we have to do. And we have to do it light, only what we can fit in here.”

Flam started the vehicle moving, causing Steam to try to look back out the portal. “But-”

“No buts. Everything out there, those are just things. We can get new ones anywhere. But the things that really matter? We will never leave those behind.” It pained Shoeshine to see the hurt confusion on her daughter's face and the fear that was well founded and couldn't be wished away. After thinking on it for a few moments, an idea came that would hopefully ease the pain. She reached into one of the only three containers in the vehicle, only the necessities and the irreplaceable brought along. Pulling out her hoof, she held in her grasp four brass slippers which she held before Steam's face.

“Do you remember what these are?” Shoeshine said.

“They're the sky shoes I made you for your birthday.” She had studied forever to be able to cast that spell even once and worked for days to shape the slippers just right. She'd never forget those shoes, nor the joyful smile her mom came back with after every trip up to the clouds.

Shoeshine smiled warmly at Steam's answer. “Yes, but they're more than that. They are the second most precious gift I have ever received behind you yourself.” She put them on the ground, motioning for Steam to put them on. “Put them on for the trip and never take them off, okay?”

Steam put on the four brass slippers, each just slightly too big for her still-growing hooves. Afterward, still a little confused, she looked to her mom. “Why do I have to keep these on?”

“So you remember the home you're leaving behind fondly, and so you know that I will always find you, no matter what.”

For a moment Steam's worry only grew. “Am I going to be left behind too?”

Shoeshine shook her head, hugging Steam close. “Of course not! I wouldn't dream of it. But if for some reason we get separated, even just a bathroom break at the train station in Manehattan, you can rest assured that I will never leave both my precious treasures behind. I'll find you as quick as can be and we'll live happily ever after.”

Steam's worry melted immediately, her eyes full of hope after the fear she'd been in even at her own home the last few days. “You mean it?”

Shoeshine nodded, nuzzling her little girl. “I do.” Smiling in the warmth of her mother's protection, Steam settled in, watching her father working the controls as the machine made its steady way out of Timbucktu.

Both of them had long settled into an uncomfortable sleep when the vehicle came to a halt, rousing Shoeshine from her slumber, though she kept still so as not to wake Steam. She looked curiously at Flam, who was looking nervously out of the front window. After carefully lowering Steam to rest on the metal floor, Shoeshine walked to the front to see why they'd stopped, her heart dropping when she did.

There was a tree across the road, blocking the entirety of the path between the two steep hills. The dim lights at the front of the vehicle showed the tree, but everything around it was shadow, the silvery moonlight only able to do so much for the mountain path.

Shoeshine looked out of the porthole nervously, dreading what might lurk in the shadows outside. “Can we go around? Maybe find another route?”

Flam shook his head. “I don't know if we have the fuel for a major detour, and if we get stuck, we'll never make it there in time on hoof.” His horn glowed fruitlessly, his bright green magic unable to get past the very plating keeping him safe inside. After a moment, he sighed. “I guess I'll need to get out there and push.”

Shoeshine placed a hoof on his shoulder, sitting him back down at the controls. “I'll go out there and move it. You just be ready to move as soon as you can.”

Flam's sour face told her precisely what he thought about the plan. “Are you sure about that, dear? I'm sure I could lend a helping hoof, and I don't know how I feel about you going out there alone.”

“If I can't move it on my own, then come out, but I don't want to be here a second longer than I have to.” Flam looked into her eyes, the defeat in his showing that he agreed. Nodding to him, she moved towards the hatch. “I won't be long.”

Before she could open it fully, Flam's arms wrapped around her, unwilling to let go. “Be safe. I'll be there in an instant if you need me.” Then, with much reluctance, he returned once more to his controls.

Shoeshine climbed out of the metal craft slowly, its polished surface barely reflecting anything in the dark of the pass. The ride so far had been smooth, making this sudden blockage worrisome. It was a well known fact that the roads to Manehattan were checked daily. Such a major thoroughfare couldn't afford even a few hours of down time, even at night. Maybe they were just unlucky, but, after everything that had happened to them at home, Shoeshine couldn't help but feel on edge. She searched around, eyes straining in the dark to see any movement against the clouds in the sky or the wooded hilltops around her. Nothing caught her eye, but she couldn't shake the dread lingering at the back of her mind.

She moved as rapidly as she could into the light spilling from the front of the vehicle, quickly finding the top of the toppled tree and putting her weight under it. It felt like it was willing to move, and whatever had knocked over the tree it seemed to be a clean enough break not to snag in her few probing test motions. She glanced around once more. The feeling that she was being watched was growing, though she still had no evidence of it. Bracing herself with a deep breath she heaved at the top of the tree to set it moving. It was a struggle, even with all of her earth pony strength, but she did manage to move one end a few steps out of the way. It was still a little narrow but could be opened fully with another effort like her last.

She stepped into the light to signal for Flam to start moving when the hooves closed around her from behind, pulling her off guard and off balance before pinning her to the ground. She struggled against the figure silhouetted in the light, but could make out little more than the wings flared behind their back.

She called for help desperately even though she was sure that Flam had seen her dilemma. A hoof managed its way over her mouth to silence her, but not a second later the whole figure was wrapped in bright green and flung bodily away from her. She got to her hooves just in time to see two more pegasi grappling with her husband, the third recovering from where it had slammed against the brass vehicle so hard it left a dent. With adrenaline pumping through her veins she charged at the three fighting ponies, tackling one of the pegasi to the ground while the other met the full brunt of Flam's magic and fell back.

She smacked the pony she was on top of in the nose before running towards the hatch of their escape craft, hopping in and holding out a hoof for Flam to follow. He wasn't a moment behind her, swinging up with her help and getting behind the controls once more, setting the vehicle rolling at once. It rushed forward, causing the pegasi to dodge out of the way while it bumped shakily over the tree, trying to throw its occupants to the side as they made it across. Flam barely kept a hold on the controls while Shoeshine clung tightly to the seat, her heart still pounding as they started their escape once more.

It was only after the bump nearly sent her flying that she thought to check for her daughter, likely terrified by everything going on. Turning to look in the cab, however, she found it to be empty of anything but her keepsakes. Immediately her heart plummeted into ice. “Where's Steam?!”

The tires skidded on the dirt as Flam brought the MFRRP to a halt, his breath in his throat as his mind tried to comprehend what Shoeshine had said, unwilling to believe it could be true. However, a high pitched scream came through the still open hatch in the side of the vehicle, telling him exactly what the truth was. He ran to the door, barely able to make out the three attackers in the dark path behind them. “DADDY!!!”

His eyes shot up to the source of the sound, the pegasus with his daughter already trying to make a getaway over the mountains. His horn lit up, showing the horrified determination on his face as his magic lashed out at the escaping pegasus. He got a grip on one of the foalnapper's hooves, pulling with all of his might while Steam struggled on her own to get free. Between his efforts and hers it was enough, causing her to slip free.

Free to begin a free fall from hundreds of feet in the air.

Steam screamed out as she plummeted towards the ground, Flam's horn flashing as quickly as he could as he failed over and over to get a firm grasp on the falling filly. It was his worst nightmare made real, forced to watch helplessly as she fell from the sky, her own horn sparking fearfully as she tried something, anything, to save herself.

The tiny form disappeared behind the mountain and, in an instant, the connection was gone. “STEAM!” Shoeshine cried out from his side, no more able to do anything than he had been as she slipped through his magic. He had lost her... lost his only little girl... Shoeshine leaned against him, needing support as much as he did at what they had both seen.

Out of the corner of Flam's tear filled eyes he saw the other pegasi closing in. As much as he wanted to just shut down and give up right now, he had made a promise. The cost was now far too great, but he could still save his wife. He slammed the hatch shut, pulling Shoeshine inside as he moved to the controls, starting the vehicle on its way. His wife protested, screaming at him to go back, to save their girl, to hurt those pegasi that had taken her from them... But even if they held out hope that she had somehow survived, both knew in their heart that there was nothing they could do.

Steam heard Flam's machine driving away from where she hung upside down, tears running down her forehead and falling to the trees below as she struggled to keep quiet. Her hooves were firmly stuck in the cloud above her, the soft puff making her deadly fall have a landing softer than anything she'd ever felt. Her fluffy white mane hung below her, as did her tail, but fear held her paralyzed that she might be found or that her lifeline would disappear from above her. She just had to wait a little longer.

It was torture not to call out as she saw the gleaming vehicle round a bend further on the path, worried at any moment that the pegasus that dropped her would come back, bringing her to a worse fate. Eventually she found the strength to pull herself up onto the cloud, curling up in a ball in her damp hiding spot, shivering from the cold and loneliness as tears froze themselves to her face.

Her dreams were uneasy, watched and chased through the dark forest as she tried to catch her parents, constantly pulling further and further away. When she woke in the morning, deposited in the mountains outside of Timbucktu, she knew she just had to wait. They wouldn't leave her behind. If they ever could, they would come back for her, they'd find her and take her away to live happily ever after...

If only they ever had.

Slobber clung to Steam Cloud's face as she pushed herself up off of the couch, glaring at the dog that had so cruelly awoken her. Well, not full awoken, but as soon as she had cracked an eyelid, starting to decide whether or not she wanted to be awake, Dot had made the choice for her. It was particularly jarring after all of that time with the diamond dogs. Not one of them had done something so... doggish, and now that sense of security had evaporated, unlike the gunk stuck to the fur of her face. Still, once she saw Dot's happy grin, she couldn't actually stay mad, reluctantly petting Wind's pet on the head.

The first few rays of sunlight were just daring to peek over the horizon as she got up off of the couch, surprising her immensely. Her sleep schedule for all of that time escaping had been sunrise to sunset... The time underground must have done wonders resetting her internal clock. It hadn't messed up her need for cleanliness, though, so she folded away her sheets, placed the couch cushions back in order, and walked towards the dining room, aiming to wash her face in the kitchen sink.

She didn't even enter the dining room before she stopped, slightly confused by what she saw. Apparently Rose hadn't made it back to her room the night before, as she was sleeping peacefully on the table, her head cradled in her arms. Next to her was a small plate completely covered in melted wax, the candle having long burned out. Steam didn't want to wake the mare and strongly considered trying to get upstairs silently when she was nudged from behind by an impatient and hopeful Dot. It didn't take long for Steam to see the reason, either: an empty dog bowl sitting by the kitchen counter.

Steam gave Dot a look of annoyance, asking if she really was expected to do this so early in the morning. The dog's stubbornly ignorant smile answered her perfectly. Rolling her eyes, Steam crossed the dining room on tiphoof, holding her breath as she passed her friend's slumbering mother and silently entered the kitchen. Once there, a quick search of nearby cupboards let her find the dog food, and a little work to put that silently in the bowl let her have a few moments of peace while Dot crunched happily on her breakfast.

Since she was in the kitchen anyway, Steam figured she might as well do what she had came to, turning on the sink and wiping the slobber off her face. As she did, she also washed the single teacup that was left by the sink, presumably Rose's, if she had to guess. After that she took a quick look around the room, unable to help but smile slightly. It looked a lot like the kitchen she remembered from home as a foal. She wondered if her mom's kitchen looked like this now. It probably did. After all, how many different looks could kitchens really have?

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by a polite cough at the door. She jumped, nodding politely to the pony that had startled her. “Sorry, Mrs. Rose, I didn't mean to wake you up, but your dog was hungry and I guess I was the one she chose to ask.”

Rose smiled warmly. “Not at all, dear. And please, just Rose.” Somehow, despite sleeping where she had, Rose looked happier and more alert than she had even the day before, as though new life had been breathed into her.

Steam just nodded, causing an awkward silence to build, only broken by the crunching of kibbles between Dot's teeth. After a few moments, Rose nodded towards the dog. “Did you have any pets?”

Steam shook her head. “No. The apartment didn't allow for them, and I didn't have the means to take care of one anyway.”

Rose nodded, a thought occurring from Ink Well's letter. “How about with your parents? Did they ever have pets?”

“No...” The awkward silence grew again, and Steam started to tap her hoof nervously on the ground. She really didn't want to be rude to her friend's mother, but she wasn't very good at small talk. It had been her least favorite part of being a waitress. As she thought about it, though, she did remember something. “Mom said she had a cat before I was born, but after it knocked over one too many of dad's inventions, he scared it away with his yelling. She said she still saw it from time to time, and she always left out a bowl of food until...” Steam blushed slightly. “Well, she stopped, anyway.”

After a few moments of silence, Rose looked Steam in the eye, a smirk on her face. “You ate the cat food as a foal, didn't you?” Rose began to laugh at the horrified look on Steam's face. “Oh, don't worry, I think all three of mine did the same with Dot and her mother's food at one time or another. None of them like being reminded of it, either.” Steam chuckled a little, once she knew she wasn't the only one to do something like that, and immediately the awkwardness had lessened. Rose pulled a pan down from where it hung, placing it on the stove before turning to Steam. “Is there anything you'd like for breakfast?”

“This early? I wouldn't want to impose.”

Rose shook her head. “You aren't imposing at all. But, if you don't have a preference, is there anything you don't like? Would an omelette be okay?” Steam nodded, so Rose began to heat up the pan and get it ready. “Do your parents know you're alright? They must be worried sick for you to disappear from a burning apartment.”

Steam had a slightly vacant look on her face, growing quiet as she spoke. “They probably don't even know it happened...”

“Oh? Were they not in the Republic?” Steam stayed silent, causing Rose to fidget a little as she waited for an answer. Once the pan was heated she had a proper distraction, letting breakfast hold her attention once more. “Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, either way.”

“They're on this side...” Steam suddenly said, her voice almost sounding distant.

“You should write them a letter,” Rose said without looking away from the pan. “Every parent wants to know their child is okay.”

“I don't...”

“And if you don't know the address,” Rose continued, not letting up on her not so subtle hint to Steam, “I might be able to find it with a name. Who knows, they might have even bought something from me!” Rose smiled brightly at the young mare, catching her mind someplace else entirely. “So, what're your parents' names?”

“What? Oh, um... do you...” It took Steam a few moments to focus back on the present, and when she did her eyes were innocent and frightful, like she was scared of what she might hear. “Do you know Shoeshine?”

Rose stopped, dropping the egg completely into the frying pan, shell and all. “Wait, you're Shoeshine's girl?!” She trotted quickly over to Steam, looking her over like she'd just found a rare treasure. “I wish I could see their reaction when they find out you're alive!” Steam's eyes glazed over again, her look growing more fearful before it too went dull, like she was occupied elsewhere.

Rose didn't notice, too caught up in her discovery. “They came through here after they escaped, and I was honestly of no help whatsoever then, but I was able to host them until they found a home in Whinneanapolis. If they haven't moved, they must be good and settled in after all that ugliness five years ago. I can send them a letter telling them to come out, and-”

“No!” Steam yelled, immediately trying to calm down her heart pounding in her chest. She would deal with her family, eventually, but it had to be on her own time, and she now had a lot to think about. “Please, don't contact them about me. I want to send the letter myself.”

Rose stopped, not sure what had caused that reaction but knowing well enough not to press on tender subjects. “Of course. I understand. When you get around to it, just ask and I will give you their address.”

“Thank you.”

Steam was wound up tighter than a spring, shaking slightly as she calmed herself, and Rose didn't want to get in the way. Instead, she turned back to her omelette in progress, frowning at the messy sight. With a sigh she slid the whole thing into Dot's bowl. “I suppose I'll just have to start again.” As she started to work on breakfast, round two, she nodded towards the door. “When you're able, could you go check on Wind and Flora, please? You don't have to wake them, but if they're up, let them know breakfast will be ready soon.”

Steam nodded and left the kitchen in a hurry, breathing deeply to get herself under control. She'd known that her parents would be a subject eventually, but she hadn't expected it so soon, nor so bluntly put. If they'd thought she was dead... they might never have forgotten her, but they may have tried to block out that they'd left her behind, and that would be even worse. If they'd known, she could be angry, but this? How could it...

Don't think about it right now. You'll have plenty of time in the days to come. Steam shook her head to clear it and made her way upstairs. She soon spotted the doors of both ponies in question, frowning to herself as she noticed the little cutie mark-shaped nameplates hanging from them. The fact that Wind's nameplate was up meant that she'd never left Rose's heart or mind... If it hadn't sparked a jealous anger, Steam probably would have found it adorable.

She knocked a little harder than she should have just beneath the nameplate matching Wind Key's cutie mark, causing the light metal plate to jitter on its hooks. If her companion from across the border was still sleeping, she didn't want to wake her, no matter how much her brain was telling her otherwise right now. However, she was surprised when Wind responded from the other side with a surprisingly cheery “Come in!” Once given permission, Steam wiped the frown off her face and turned the handle, stepping into the room.

She immediately burst out laughing at the sight she found inside. “Your whole room is pretty princess pink?!” Steam exclaimed between fits of laughter, trying and failing to keep the sound within the room. The curtains, vanity, sheets, and even the bed frame were all shades of bright pink, enough to make even the girliest little filly sick to her stomach. Even the walls had not escaped the brush, though they also boasted little hearts and signed posters of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Laughter Adviser Pinkie Pie on the wall. About the only thing attaching the room to the messy, mechanically minded pegasus inside it were the rolled up blueprints (or, in this case, pinkprints) thrown in the corner with a foal-sized set of tools.

Wind pouted at her friends reaction, unable to hide the blush of embarrassment that came to her cheeks. “What?! I was twelve! I'll bet if we went to your room from five years ago it'd look something like this too!” She scuffed her hoof across the heart-shaped carpet sending a few bolts scattering that had somehow managed to congregate near her bed in the night even without her working on anything.

The defiance of her seemingly magnetic friend only served to fuel Steam's laughter, even when the accusation was thrown back at her. “My room… was green,” she said between laughs. “With a model train running around the wall, a wood vanity and-” Steam froze as she remembered the last important thing in her room, her prized possession that she'd loved and missed more than anything else when she'd left it behind. “... and a Castle of Friendship dollhouse, with all six ponies and even the servant dragon...”

Steam started to go red at the cheeks, embarrassed about her own overreaction to the whole situation, but Wind's wide-eyed response was anything but the snide one she expected. “You had the whole play set?! I lived in the town and I couldn't even get one of those!” She walked over to the window, leaning off at an angle and calling Steam over before pointing at the edge of town. “Look! I can see the castle from my window, right there, and I never even got one of the dolls on my birthday!”

There, with the strengthening morning light gleaming off of the snow gathered on its roof, was the Castle of Friendship, its crystal walls sparkling more beautifully than any gemstone. As the sight of it, in real life and within walking distance hit Steam, fueled by the excitement Wind had shown her, she started to prance on the spot, the smile on her face spreading ear to ear. “Oh gosh, we're so close to it! Do you think it's still open? Does somepony give tours? I've wanted to visit there since I was a little filly!” She suddenly stopped, looking thoughtful. “I wonder what kind of crystal that is? They said it was created with the power of Harmony and The Rainbow That Saved Equestria, but in order for something to grow as suddenly as that, even fueled by magic, it must have some very interesting properties...”

Wind looked over at her friend, her face growing a devious little smirk. “You know, we still haven't tested out that new gem cutter from The Roost...”

Steam gasped, then glared at Wind. “Wind Key! We can't just walk in there with a portable gem cutter and start taking samples!” She looked back at the castle, her expression carefully blank. “We have to make sure it isn't guarded first.”

“Well then, let's get going! Might as well make sure we're doing something fun now that we're here, right?” Wind pulled the window open, then looked confused, seemingly jarred by where it stopped. She poked her head out of the opening, barely managing to get it through. “I could have sworn this was bigger before I left...”

“It's probably for the best that we don't go now anyway. Your mother wanted us downstairs for breakfast.” Wind pulled her head back inside the window, nodding at Steam's good news. Steam, however, didn't look quite as pleased. “I was also supposed to check on your sister, but I don't really...”

Wind smiled and waved a hoof dismissively. “Don't worry about it, she used to always be up super early, to the point where even you'd look like you were sleeping in. She must just be doing stuff in her room. I'll take care of it.” She trotted confidently to Flora's door, knocking quite loudly. “Mom wants us downstairs for breakfast, I'll see ya there!” She then went all the way to the stairs before turning back, seeing Steam still standing in the obnoxiously pink room. “You coming?” she said expectantly before disappearing down the stairs. Steam would have nodded, but with Wind already gone, it was just as easy to make her way down, sparing a passing glance at Flora's closed door as she went.

Breakfast was an energetic affair for the small group, with Rose smiling warmly to see the excitement in Steam and Wind's faces as they discussed their plans for the day. There were no words to express the joy she felt at knowing her daughter was safe and home, and seeing this new friend of hers, a pony thought to be lost forever, smiling and laughing after how reserved she was in the kitchen warmed her heart as well. It gave her hope for many ponies out there 'lost' to this insane war and made the world, which had seemed so cold just a few months ago, a much friendlier place. Her one complaint at the moment was that she'd used her last eggs on an omlette for Flora that was slowly growing cold in her elder daughter's absence.

Realizing she'd zoned out of the conversation again while looking to the stairs for Flora, Rose's ears perked up as she saw that she was being asked a question. “What was that, dear?”

“Is the castle still open for tours?” Wind repeated as she placed her fork on her empty plate. “I know they were still doing tours even after Princess Twilight and her friends left. Do they still let ponies in, or is nopony even watching the place anymore?”

“Ah, well... hmm...” Rose hadn't even thought about visiting that big castle on the edge of town for... far too many years now, even if its former residents had visited her more times than she'd liked... “I don't believe anypony's really gone there much since the war started, Windy. But, if there are tours, now would be the time for them with Hearth’s Warming coming up so soon. It probably wouldn't hurt to go and ask, so long as you stick to the ground. The guards've been a little jumpy around even the weather pony lately.”

Wind looked at the calendar, only seeming to realize the date once Rose had put it in perspective. “I guess it is that time of year, isn't it? And me without any presents.”

“Yes it is, though your presence is enough of a gift this year.” Rose chuckled to herself quietly. Even as a foal, Wind had been the only one in town not staying up late and bouncing off the walls on Hearth’s Warming Eve. She'd always been bad with things like holidays, and even her own birthday, but it had made her surprised reactions when she saw her presents that much better.

It brought a slightly different reaction from Wind now. “Shouldn't you be at your shop? There's normally a rush right now, isn't there? I can't believe we've been holding you back from the boilers.”

Steam's ears shot to attention at the final word of that sentence, her eyes suddenly twinkling with curiosity. Rose didn't look nearly as eager. “There hasn't been any sort of rush in years, Wind. Not after your father's actions at the Gala all those years ago, and it has only gotten worse since.” She sighed with resignation, knowing how easily pony opinions could be swayed and fads could fall out of style. As it was, it couldn't be helped. “Still, there were a few orders that came in this year, which is more than I could say the last few. Most of them can be filled from stock, but there are a couple that might take all week to finish with how finicky the distillery has been lately. The machines are getting run down and I haven't had the time or motivation to repair them yet.”

Steam coughed quietly where she sat. “Um, what was this about a distillery?”

Wind's eyes opened wide, lighting up as she turned to Steam. “Oh yeah! I never told you! Mom runs a perfumery in town. The front's all neat and nice, with little glass phials of scents or whatever, but the back... You need to see it to believe it.” She turned back to Rose, her eyes twinkling as much as Steam's were. “Could we come over and look at the back room, mom? I promise we won't get in the way at all.”

With both of the young mares looking at Rose so expectantly, the only way to say no would be to have no heart. Since she still had a pulse, she quickly relented. “Yes, you can come and watch me work. But it's going to take me a little bit of time to open up the shop and get started. In the meantime, I think you should see about getting a tour of the castle. It's something everypony should see at least once, if they'll let you in.”

“That sounds like a great idea! You ready Steam?” At Steam's nod, Wind got up, running upstairs in a flash. Meanwhile, Steam picked up the plates, looking slightly embarrassed at Wind's actions as she took them into the kitchen.

When Rose saw Steam turning on the faucet, she called out. “It's okay. I can wash up, you just go have fun, okay?”

Steam nodded again and smiled, walking back through the dining room. “Thank you very much for breakfast, it was delicious.”

Rose nodded as well. “Glad you liked it. And you can relax around me, dear. I'm not judging you or anything. It really is my pleasure to have you here.”

Despite Rose's assurances, Steam still looked a bit stiff as she walked into the living room. There she was given a slightly small pink scarf by Wind, drawing a smirk from Steam. Seeing that, Wind finished tying her rose red bandanna over her mane like she always wore it, put on her pink ear muffs, and punched Steam lightly on the shoulder. With that settled, the two young mares waved goodbye to Rose and set off into the winter chill, the cold lingering behind them even after the door was closed.

Rose finished her food as she watched them go, picking up her plate and placing it in the sink with the others for later. Normally she would do them now so they didn't pile up, but in the few minutes before she left for her shop she had one very important thing she had to do. Taking hold of Flora's untouched omelette, Rose walked upstairs, knocking lightly on Flora's door. When there was no answer, Rose slowly opened it, a momentary fear jumping to mind on what she'd find beyond.

It was completely unwarranted, much to Rose's relief, although she was downtrodden to see what she did. Flora was still in bed, the covers firmly pulled over her head to block out the sun's rays and her tail sticking out messily from under the comforter. Considering how peppy an early riser Flora always was and how heavily the atmosphere hung in the room, it was immediately clear that something was wrong.

Walking over to the bed, Rose placed the plate on the nightstand and looked sadly down at her elder daughter. “Flora, I brought you your food, since you missed breakfast with the others.” The ball beneath the covers curled up tighter, a sigh coming unbidden to Rose as the sight. She sat down on the floor next to the bed, looking over at her little girl with a heavy heart.

“Dear, I wish I could tell you something that could make you feel better, but I can't. I know exactly what you're going through, or at least have felt something very similar, and... it hurts. I know it does, and you may not want to go on right now. But it's not the end of the world.” She looked out the window at the grey winter sky, remembering all the mornings she'd been in Flora's exact position... and all the mornings she'd only moved thanks to her daughter's bright and caring voice. It was now her turn to return the favor.

“You're going to ache for a long, long time, and you're going to be sad and angry and hurt. You're going to question why it could happen even more than you already have and lash out at ponies you know are only trying to help you. But, as much as it should, the world won't stop for you any more than it did for me. A little snow will fall, the winds will blow, and ponies will be outside tending to their duties.” Rose raised up a hoof, running it comfortingly over Flora's shape in the covers, like she would when Flora felt sick or hurt as a little filly. But this hurt didn't go with a few bandages or mommy kisses. The only healers here were time and support. “Tonight, the moon will come, followed tomorrow by the sun, a repeating process laying there won't do anything to slow. It's amazingly tempting, I will grant you that, sitting in bed and hoping to melt into the mattress like snow on your windowsill, but please take my advice: Go outside. Breathe in the cold air, work in your greenhouse, get your hooves in the dirt and the snow and, if you can, talk to your friends about what's happening. You're not alone, and letting it consume you when you think you are will only make it hurt longer.”

Pulling back the comforter just enough to see Flora's forehead, Rose kissed it gently to try to ease the pain. “I can't promise it'll make you feel any better, but I can hope it does with all of my heart.”

Seeing that Flora didn't react to her words, not that she expected to, Rose internally gave another resigned sigh as she got up and slowly walked to the door. “I'm going to the shop for a little while, but there's food for you here and nopony else in the house. Do what you need to do to feel better without worry that anypony will interrupt, though I will be back later.” She paused there for a moment, wondering if she should say more... and then she remembered the one thing she'd left out. “I love you, dear. I always will. So take as long as you need. I'll still be here, just as you were for me.”

With a heavy heart Rose closed Flora's door, the rest of the day waiting for both of them.

Home Away From Home

Cheerilee sat alone in the dark kitchen, staring at the headline from that morning's paper. She hadn't had any time to react before school, but now that class was finally done for the day she'd been able to give the lead story her full attention. 'Equestria in Ruins! Lunar Secession is Realized!' the title declared, with a picture of Scootaloo leading a retinue of ponies as they escaped the Royal Guard.

It was madness. Her little Scootaloo, that scared little filly she'd taken home and kept safe... It hadn't been that long, had it? She couldn't be so big. This couldn't be real. And yet, the photo stared at her, accompanied by rumors of guard movements and ponies gossiping fearfully in the streets. It had followed her everywhere, but it didn't strike home until she saw it for herself.

Tears ran down the aging teacher's face, counting all of the times she'd fallen short as a mother. When Scootaloo had been lost and hurt with all that talk of monsters, when her little filly had a foal much too soon, all of the times where her work had gotten in the way, where she had questioned her ability to raise a filly as a single young mare... This was proof that they were all founded. The mare she had raised, who she had been so proud of when she'd been made Captain of the Guard, had just betrayed Princess and country and started a rebellion...

What mother had ever done so poor a job?

From the doorway a soft sound was heard, a little voice, timid and sad. “Mom, are you alright?” The tiny silver pegasus had been watching for a while now, not sure what to do with her mother so down. She'd never seen Cheerilee cry in sadness once, the earth pony very careful about where she'd shown her weakness. To the little pegasus with no cutie mark, witnessing this was a sign that something was wrong in the world.

If only she had any idea how right she was. “N-no, sweetie. Mom isn't alright. Mom's... I'm worried about your m-... sister...” Seeing the confusion on Silver's face, Cheerilee motioned for her to come over, showing her the newspaper.

Silver looked at the paper for a little while, frowning as she tried to figure out how it had hurt mom. It had her big sister on the front! That was good all the other times it had happened. But even if she didn't know the words, the headline didn't sound good. “Did big sis do something wrong?”

“Scootaloo... She's...” Cheerilee froze at the innocent eyes of the filly before her, wondering if there was a good way to explain. How do you tell somepony that young that their world was about to be turned on its ear? “She helped a lot of ponies do something just... horrible.”

Silver held onto the paper, looking at the picture again closely. “They don't look like bad ponies. And big sis is awesome! If she wanted to do something, it can't be too bad. We can ask her when she comes to visit at Hearth's Warming!”

Cheerilee sniffed, the tears flowing as she tried to figure out how to keep the real news from her 'daughter'. “She won't be coming on Hearth's Warming, Silver. I don't think she'll be able to come visit again for a very, very long time.”

“Oh...” Silver's excited smile from her previous thought faded quickly, her mouth going into another pout as she thought about it. It didn't take long. “So you're crying because you miss her?”

“I already missed her... I'm crying because I've...” She sighed, feeling something fall out from the bottom of her heart. There was no hiding it. “I've failed her. I've failed both of you.” Something had broken inside Cheerilee at Silver's question, like a little dam in her heart had sprung open, and she sank to the floor to be closer to Silver and hug the little filly while she spoke. “I am so sorry for everything I've done wrong, all of the attention you've been denied... I'm sorry for every morning when I look into your eyes and see her and the biggest thing I failed to save her from. I wasn't good enough to be her mom... I'm not good enough to be anypony's. I'm so sorry...”

Cheerilee hugged Silver close to her chest, running a hoof lovingly through the little filly's mane while tears rolled from her cheeks, landing in that soft purple hair. However, as those small hooves squeezed into her side, returning the gesture, Cheerilee realized she wasn't the only one crying. She looked down only to see Silver's eyes looking back, her mother visible in every inch of them. “Don't cry, mom! You're the best mom in the world, better than any other mom I've seen! I know I'm too shy and sometimes I don't do good in my classes, but I'll try harder, momma! I will! Just... please don't send me away.”

Cheerilee's eyes went wide with shock. “Why would I send you away?”

Silver's tears kept coming, but her eyes continued to shine with worried hope as her words came spilling out. “I know I'm not the filly you want me to be. I know I wasn't even wanted. I was a mistake. And that's why big sis doesn't talk to me and doesn't write... She ran away because of me. Same as dad did, leaving you all alone and sad and Ididn'tmeantomakethathappenI'msorry!” Silver pulled her face into Cheerilee's chest, a wet spot forming almost immediately on the fur there.

Cheerilee shook her head in horror, appalled by the things Silver thought about herself. “Nonononononono... That's not it at all!” No wonder the little filly was so shy if she thought just existing had caused all of this. Her hoof returned to gently stroking Silver's mane, now trying to soothe the crying girl. “Silver Lining, you've got it all wrong. You are the most precious little filly any mother could hope to have. And even if you weren’t planned for, you were by no means a mistake. You were a choice, a gift! And on top of that, you let Scootaloo see what she really wanted to do with her life.”

She softly lifted Silver's chin so that they were looking at each other, trying to dry both her tears and her 'daughter's'. “When Scootaloo looked into those eyes, she saw herself and the things she had lost sight of. She left, not because she hates you, but because she loves you, and if she stayed, if she even talked to you too much, she might have never left. She loves you more than you will ever know, and she misses you every day, even if you don't see it and she's too busy to make it clear.

“As for your dad... I can't say much about him except that I'm glad you didn't meet him. After what he did to Scootaloo, I can only say he was a horrible stallion, and you're much better off for not knowing him.” Cheerilee let go of Silver's chin and looked to the kitchen floor, closing her eyes. “And as for why I'm sad... It's like I said, I thought I'd failed you both. I don't see what Scootaloo has planned, or what drove her to do it, and that frightens me to no end. And you... I somehow let you think even for an instant that you weren't wanted, and for that, I did fail you. But I promise with all my heart that I will never fail you again.”

Again Cheerilee felt the squeeze of small hooves as Silver hugged herself against her mom. “You didn't fail me, mom. You really are the best, kindest, most wonderfullest mom in all of Equestria, and I'm gonna be the best daughter you could ever hope for!” Cheerilee opened her eyes, now seeing the tearless determination glued to Silver's face as she looked up at her mother. Cheerilee matched it instantly, returning the hug her daughter was giving her.

“You already are.”

The bright morning sun swept its way over Equestria, bounding off of the fluffy snow and bringing just a little warmth to all of the sleeping wintery land. And, as it had for years, it launched through Flora's window, aiming directly for her eyes, only to be foiled by a heavy comforter drawn over her entire body. It had been trying to get her moving for nearly an hour now, but to no avail. For the first time in its long history, it had failed to rouse the industrious mare. She had finally defeated the sun.

On some other day, Flora might have celebrated or even noticed her victory. Under any normal circumstances she might even have cared about the heat building up in the direct light or the smell of the omlette congealing on her nightstand. But today, with her eyes redder than her mane and a wet spot under her right cheek, she remained firmly curled in a ball on her bed, wishing the day would just disappear.

She'd been having a similar wish for most of the night, and for much of the evening before it, borne straight from the icy chasm that had formed in her heart. She had been sad before, even felt crushed by the world when she heard about Newsprint's death, but it seemed a dull ache compared to this. Of course, it was how she expected to feel after the effects of the wintry dagger Jazz had shoved in her back and twisted, and yet it was so much worse than she could have imagined. Maybe, if she was lucky, somepony else would come along and finish the job.

But nopony did. For a moment she'd thought one such assassin had arrived, but it had turned out to be her mother, trying to fix a missing limb with a bandage and some kind words. When Rose had come in, Flora had been furious for the mare for even thinking she knew what she was going through. How could she? Her love hadn't betrayed her! Hadn't looked her in the eyes and spoken to her like she was worse than scum!

But now, with twenty minutes of silence and quite a few more tears soaked into her sheets, she knew how wrong her thoughts had been. No, Rose hadn't experienced the same, but her love had disappeared without a trace, leaving three young ponies and all the consequences of his actions to fall on her shoulders. It was a completely different kind of betrayal, far less upfront and much more lasting. Flora no longer blamed Rose for any of her actions those first few years... She didn't even blame her for the sulking she'd been doing a few months ago. If Rose had felt anything like Flora did now, she had just gained the full admiration of her aching daughter.

And, due to this realization, Rose had accomplished something that Lord Tirek, at the moment of his near triumph, couldn't have done with all the power under his command: she convinced Flora to get up and face the day. So, even though her hooves felt like iron and her throbbing head was filled with haze and berating thoughts, Flora managed to shove the covers off of her body and slump onto all four hooves on the floor. With a tired glare at the window and the happy light streaming in from it, Flora pulled herself up, standing in a slouch and ready to see what tortures the world held in store.

The first was the dish next to her bed. While it might have been somewhat appetizing when it was prepared so long ago, now it was cold and thick, looking more like something she'd spew from her mouth than something she'd put in it. Knowing her thoughts were harsh but not caring enough to get past the initial berating, Flora picked up the plate and opened the door to her room, feeling the cool air of an empty house sweep out the warm heaviness she'd been stewing in.

Her hooves dragged on each step as she made her way to the kitchen, feeling the happiness in the house from the night before. Where was the stale, depressing gloom her mother had built up for so many years? The one time she would have enjoyed it and instead she was assaulted by the aura of joy...

Standing at the kitchen sink, she had to stop and think about her next action. She wanted to just leave the plate there, but that was just a little too rude for her taste, no matter how tempting it was. With all of the unwashed dishes, she could properly compost the meal and clean things up, but that required a level of effort her leaden hooves refused to allow today. Torn between the two decisions, she was saved by the feel of a freezing wet nose bumping into her left flank.

Moments later the begging had ceased, Dot was happily chewing away at the bonus meal, and the dirty plate was tossed onto the others while Flora considered a more appropriate snack at the pantry. The first thing her eyes landed on were a pile of apples, still fresh and juicy, from Sweet Apple–

With the offending fruit sliding down the opposite wall in a pulpy mess, Flora grabbed a pear from the stock and walked from the kitchen, grumbling loudly. If any of her plants had been fruiting in the greenhouse she might have left without any sort of snack, but after her accident with the rapid growth of the zap apple tree seed, she'd been lucky to only lose her produce section and not any of her long term projects. If one of his trees had damaged my crystal bush... she started to growl in her head as she made her way back upstairs.

Once in her room again, the same room with the same posters she'd wanted to get rid of for years, she scowled at the snowy windowsill outside, knowing it would be cold out there. She found the small watering pail and took care of the plants in her room, then reached for the desk, only to find her hoof tapping down on empty wood. She was about to start looking around when she remembered where that long-held accessory was now. “He can keep his bucking kerchief,” she apparently said to the closet as she dug through it. “I don't want to see the thing anyway.”

She dug through the closet for a little while longer, then growled in frustration, slamming the door shut, unable to find the ear muffs or scarf she'd tossed in there years ago and forgotten about since. As she turned to look for her hat, her bed called to her from the corner of her eye, its draw magnetic for her poor leaden hooves. But as much as her messy cover called for her to crawl beneath it again, promising the world would stop this time, she fought it, jamming her hat on her head, jamming the pear she wasn't really hungry for into her mouth, and walking down to the front door. Swallowing the slightly bland pear that might as well have been chalk for how much she cared about its taste, she grabbed her keys from the door, feeling them hanging loose on their string around her neck as she stepped out into the world.

Flora wasn't four steps from the door when she was already regretting her decision, the snow around her ankles chilling her heavy hooves. And just as she reached the next street corner, a cool draft pulled against her fur, particularly the exposed area around her neck. The keys immediately became bitingly cold, chilling her with every step as they jingled lightly against her chest, the only sound in the air besides the snow crunching underhoof. Despite her mother's promise that ponies would be going about their lives, the streets were completely clear, even the market seemingly shut down due to weather.

She turned at another street, gazing down the long, empty road to her greenhouse. It was so far away, and the plants could survive a day without water... They'd probably be good for a week, really, maybe more since she'd treated them so kindly previously. With the chill in her hooves working its way up to her knees, Flora turned on the spot, allowing her cold hooves to drive her decision making as well. Before she could actually move, however, a flurry of snow flew up into her face as Silver landed quickly in front of her, her excitement spilling over into her quick motions.

“Flora! Glad I caught you on your way home. Did you know there's another pegasus in town?” Flora opened her mouth to say something, feeling the energy sapping out of her as she watched Silver bounce in place, but any response she had was trampled by Silver's enthusiasm. “It's true! I saw her while I was getting rid of a few unruly clouds from the morning snowfall. She was walking towards the castle with a unicorn, chatting away about... something. I dunno, I couldn't hear, but still! A pegasus in Ponyville! Where do you think she's visiting from? Where do you think she's staying? I wonder if she'd help out with the weather next week. I'm supposed to put together a blizzard and I just don't know if I'm going to be able to without pulling a few all-nighters...”

“That was my sister, Silver, so you could just come over and ask.”

Silver's jaw dropped. “That was Wind Key? The little twerp we had that epic paint war with at the clubhouse?” Flora gave a tired nod. “Wow... You know, I thought I almost recognized her. Must have been the bandana and the ear muffs. Almost made her look like she had your mom's mane on as a wig.” Silver chuckled a little at that, but it died off with Flora's apathy toward joining in. In the silence that followed, Silver suddenly got a very puzzled look on her face. “Wait, didn't she go over to the other side after Cloudsdale fell? What's she doing back now? And who's the unicorn she's with?”

Flora was starting to shiver from the cold, her head low to the ground as, more and more, her thoughts were returning to her sad, lonely, but impressively warm bed. “I don't know, she'd managed to show up before I got home last night. Her friend had some sort of trouble on the other side and they both came over... I didn't catch much after I finished welcoming her back. I was... out of it.”

Silver nodded. “I can see why. You look terrible, Flora. Did you get any sleep at all last night? Or did your duet get a little out of hoof?”

Another icicle lodged itself in Flora's heart and she glared at the friend that had reminded her. “That's definitely one way of putting it...”

Silver took a step back from the thick barbs in Flora's voice, realizing she was missing something big. Only a brief moment of looking Flora over let her pin the problem. “Wait a second... You're normally headed to the farm right now. Where's your violin? For that matter, where's your kerchief?” Silver's eyes met Flora's for the briefest of moments before Flora looked away. Immediately the tone of Silver's voice went from inquisitive to caring. “What happened? What's wrong?”

Flora was very tempted to stomp off home and forget this whole thing had happened, but she remembered her mother's advice. There was no friend closer to her than Silver, especially right now. Silver deserved to know. The question was, would Silver side with Jazz or her? “We had an argument yesterday afternoon. He said he was going to give me his orchard and go join the war, I said he was crazy. We yelled at each other for a while... He started saying all sorts of stupid things about the war, and when I told him the war was stupid he called me a traitor and 'some fool coward pegasus'... I didn't stick around after that.”

“No...” Silver sounded heartbroken, or she would have if Flora wasn't the one giving the perfect example of what that voice actually sounded like. “You two were adorable together! But if he's talking about traitors and cowardly pegasi, I really hope you didn't just walk out in a huff.”

Flora shook her head, smiling a little grimly despite herself. “I may have bucked him across the greenhouse...”

Silver smiled back, throwing a hoof around Flora's neck and pulling her into a sidelong hug. “Thatta girl! Knock some sense into the guy. That must've set him straight.”

“Maybe, but...” Flora sighed again, remembering the trial getting home was the night before. “I left the violin and his kerchief behind and told him he was the one canceling our duet. Since he didn't stop me or come after me... I'm pretty sure we're broken up.”

Silver shook her head, giving Flora an encouraging hug. “If he's gonna act like that, it's probably for the best. Maybe when all this is over he'll see what he gave up and come crawling back.” The words brought Flora a little bit of hope, but they couldn't budge the sadness that had a hold on her face. Seeing that, Silver just smiled, shaking her friend gently to get her out of her stupor. “Hey, you want me to walk you home? I know this awesome recipe for kettle corn that'd go great with a board game. It'd go good with a movie too, but we'd have to head to my house for that, and I'd have to convince mom to set up the projector...”

Flora shook her head, looking down the street at her original destination. Her hooves weren't feeling nearly so cold anymore, but she knew a good place to warm them up. “Actually, I was going to my greenhouse. I'm running a little behind on my day.”

Silver nodded, taking the hint. “Ah, well, I'll just leave you to it. But I can come back in a few hours, or meet you at your house and find something to do. We should have a girl's night, just you and me, if you're up for it.”

“Maybe we can plan it out once we get in the greenhouse.” Flora started down the street, unsurprised when Silver started to take off behind her. She also wasn't surprised when Silver reappeared in her vision, hovering just above the snow and looking completely perplexed.

“Wait, did you just say what I think you said?”

Flora gave Silver a warm smile from the bottom of her heart, a piece only warm thanks to Silver's efforts so far. “I said we could talk about our plans in the greenhouse.”

Silver gasped silently, her forehooves covering her mouth as she held her breath, certain her ears were playing tricks on her. She'd thought she'd taken the hint, but maybe she'd just been inventing it this time.

Flora laughed at Silver's antics, the simple act feeling so good after her night and morning without it. “Yes, that means you're invited in. Just don't repeat the cactus incident and this might not be the last time.” Silver soared into the air in a giant loop before doing a long corkscrew turn to meet Flora at the greenhouse door. Flora shook her head at the display, but inside she couldn't even pretend to regret it. Even if there was a cactus incident repeat, it was worth it for her best friend.

She unlocked the door, pushing it open wide and stepping into her secondary home, the familiar feeling immediately comforting, lifting her spirits and energizing her with the sight of all of the life around her. Silver came in right behind, entering it as though it were some sort of ancient sacred grotto, not a small plastic building outside the back of a florist's place. Silver even made it a point to hold her wings close to her side after she almost knocked over a tray of freshly planted seeds, only barely keeping the pots from smashing on the dirt floor.

This was entirely missed by Flora, though, who was staring at the crystal bush in the center of the room in wonder. It might have been her tiredness or the cold having some adverse effect on her addled mind, but it seemed like the long stagnant plant was taller and fuller than it had been the day before. As she got a closer look at it, she heard a whistle come from behind her.

“Woah... You'd never guess it was winter with all the flowers in here. And it's so warm!” Silver walked around the room, looking at all of the plants lined up on every surface and near every wall. Only once she completed that and looked towards Flora did she notice the centerpiece of the room, letting out another impressed whistle. “Is that your secret project? The one you got your cutie mark from?” She walked closer, examining one of the perfectly square, green-tinted transparent leaves before looking curiously at something. “Hey, what are these little bulby things?”

Flora ran around the crystal rose bush, delicately lifting up the leaves to get a better look. As soon as she did, she held her breath in wonder, sure she had to be dreaming this. “It's a flower bud. It's finally going to bloom!”

Silver was impressed and lost all at the same time. “You mean it hasn't bloomed before? You've been growing it for years, and all the other plants look amazing.”

Flora shook her head. “It hasn't had a single blossom since the day I grew it and got my cutie mark. In fact, it's barely grown at all in almost eight years...” She had no clue what had stopped the plant's growth, but it had halted without dying, still taking in water and sunshine but never getting any larger. It had gotten to the point where she had stopped taking measurements of its height after two months without any growth. But she knew the plant was magical, and magic did as it would, with or without her input. For it to be flowering, something must have changed.

“So why's it growing now?” Silver asked, her own curiosity overlapping with Flora's

“That is a very good question.”

“I don't know why you're so mad, Wind. We sort of expected this,” Steam said as she trotted lightly on the snow beside her pouting pegasus friend. “I mean, really, with all of the Ministers of Friendship gone and the nation in the middle of a war, why would they still be doing tours of the castle?”

Wind's scuffed her hoof on the ground, kicking up a small flurry of annoyance as she went. “Because it's a national landmark! It's not like they closed the Timbucktu Museum of Modern Machinery down for the war!”

Steam took a step sideways, looking at Wind strangely. “Yeah they did. It shut down a couple years ago because it wasn't getting enough business and the town didn't have funding.”

Wind stopped, looking at Steam incredulously. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

The pegasus visibly slumped, her hooves sinking deeper into the snow as though a weight had been added to them. “Great! It's not like that place was super awesome and making me feel there was more to the world than the front lines...” Her hooves dragged as they walked past the fountain in the center of town and entered the market district, but as soon as they crossed some invisible line she was back to her happy walk, the weight gone. “Oh well, not our problem anymore. We have a gem grinder to test and you have a shop to be amazed by.”

“Don't worry about the gem grinder. I didn't think they'd let us cut up the castle anyway, but I'm sure it'll work just fine when we do find something to use it on. If only we'd thought to test it in the caves...” Quiet descended like snowflakes, gently coating the pair as the walked through the serene silence of town. In the city, no matter the weather or situation, there were ponies everywhere, and even nature had its own rustlings and noises to fill in the space, but none of that could be found in Ponyville, sleeping under its blanket of snow.

Steam shivered as her hooves crunched along, making her try to hold her ears against her head to keep them warm in her puffy mane. Now that it wasn't being dedicated to hide her horn, her mane lay lower on her head, a bit more like a cloud and less like cotton fluff piled in the center. Despite its body, it didn't do much to stop the winter chill. “How far are we from your mother's shop?”

“Just a couple of blocks,” Wind said as they neared a corner. Rounding it, Steam found Wind's wing being held in front of her face, the pink ear muffs hanging from the tip. “Here, I don't really need them right now.”

Smiling, Steam picked up the accessory in her magic, sliding it comfortably on her head with one smooth motion. If it had been another blizzard like they'd run into out in the wild, she wouldn't have dared do anything to make her friend collapse again, but since Wind didn't seem too bothered, Steam wasn't too worried. She was ready to transfer her scarf at the first sign of shivers, though.

Steam's preparations were unnecessary as, a few minutes later, Wind came to a stop, turning to the building next to them and motioning to it. There was a sign above the door, worn a little by the years, but still brightly proclaiming in delicate script that the building was 'Rosewater.' Wind motioned for Steam to open the door, speaking as she did. “Here it is! Rosewater! The best perfumery outside of any city, and probably better than a good few in them.”

“I see why there weren't any display windows,” Steam said as she looked inside at the bare bones store. The sign on the door had read open, but with the rows upon rows of nearly empty shelving it was hard to believe. The air even had a musty smell to it. Not the array of beautiful, sometimes overpowering smells one would expect from a perfume shop, but the smell of a place once loved that had fallen into disuse. Still, if the delicate crystal phials on the shelves were anything to go by, the place must have been amazing in its heyday.

Wind filed in behind her friend, looking around with a slight frown on her face. “Mom always used to be worried that the madness around Ponyville would break large windows too often to have them installed. I can see your point too, though.” She walked over to the counter, hopping over it with a flutter of her wings before turning the knob and revealing the back room. “Mom! We're here!”

“Wonderful! Come on in, I was just lining up the supplies.” The voice was barely a whisper by the time it reached Steam heading towards the counter. The voice must have been buried somewhere deep in the back room, for it filtered out in a metallic sound that immediately got Steam curious. Wind had already entered the room by the time Steam reached the door, but the sight beyond it stunned the unprepared unicorn in her tracks.

Brass pipes spanned the ceiling and much of the floor, creating a complicated network as intricate as a spider's web. These ran between large brass vats, mostly boilers attached to and powering machines Steam couldn't recognize at a glance. Unlike the last room, this one smelled of woods and fruit and flowers, the smells of ages seeping from the very floor. It was powerful, even when a glance to the side of the room showed materials were low.

Even though they showed no real decoration, the machines themselves were made with tender love and care. That much was obvious. They were all custom, hoof built from scratch, with each rivet carefully placed and each weld thoroughly considered. From the delicate fixtures and faucets to the gleaming edges of the valves and gauges they all bore the mark of true dedication. A dedication that had faded only recently, where pipes had rusted or busted and the slightest patina of neglect removed the sheen from the machines. There were patches of new metal on some of the machines, but all of them showed much wear and tear.

Steam's attention was brought back when she was bumped to the side, almost falling over from just the simple tap. She looked over to see Wind smiling impishly. “I hoped your reaction would be something like this.”

Steam walked around the nearest boiler slowly, running her hoof over the smooth metal, the brass from her own shoe causing it to ring. “Who built these?”

“That would be me,” came Rose's voice from behind Steam, causing her to spin around. In the center of the room, with the piping overhead like a weaved metal ceiling and the machines all evenly spaced around, there was a work table, at which sat the older earth pony looking at a large sheet of brass, a few more at her side.

Steam looked impressed, wondering after the delicious cooking of the morning and the night before how many skills Rose actually had. “The craftsmareship on these things is amazing, if a tad dated by today's standards. The dedication you show in these is remarkable, and that they have kept through so many repairs just shows that it's been being done by a master.”

Rose waved the compliments away with a hoof, a blush spreading on her cheeks. “Oh, no, no, it was simply necessary to do what my cutie mark was telling me to do, and I followed it as best as I could. The designs I took from the Royal Perfumery in Canterlot, scaled down, and I only added a few machines as technology tried to advance past me. I'm really not very good with metal, just dedicated to the scents these things can create.”

Steam smiled, inwardly glad to have finally made Rose the one feeling slightly uneasy even as she looked at the mare in awe. “Well the dedication certainly shows.” Taking a quick scan of the damages and the tools Rose had set out, Steam's wide eyed gaze narrowed a little, her face becoming more serious. “This damage could be fixed in a few hour's work, but I'm afraid you don't have everything you need. Where is your welding torch and how are you cutting the brass?”

Rose sighed at the question. “I was just asking myself that second question. I ran out of fuel for both the welder and the cutter some time ago, I guess, and I must have been operating on luck since then. But that has run out, it seems, and it'll take forever to get a refill on the gas canisters.”

“You know, Steam's crazy good at welding and shaping things with her magic. She made a surprising amount of pieces for the Ready Wings right on the spot.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Wind went quiet, almost looking angry with herself.

Rose didn't notice Wind's turmoil, instead looking impressed by Wind's comment. “Really?” Rose asked as she looked at Steam. “You did all that? Those wings look truly marvelous, particularly if they fly like you and Wind said. Though I'm surprised you were able to do all of that with brass, considering its anti-magic properties.”

Steam seemed much more surprised than anything else as she shook her head, a blush now appearing on her cheeks. “Oh, well, I don't know about all of that, but I did have to do quite a few of the last welds and cuts with my magic once Wind couldn't use all of her tools. But my special talent is as much in enchanting brass objects as it is in building them.” She tapped the tip of her hoof nervously on the floor, making her brass slipper clink off of it. Rose seemed curious, but didn't press any further. However, after a few moments in silence, Steam continued of her own accord. “If you'd like, I could try to do the fixes for you. It might take a day or two running solely on magic, but I would be more than happy to help.”

“If you would be willing to help an old mare out, you could take all the time in the world...” Rose smiled warmly, though it faded into a smirk rather quickly. “Well, not all the time, since I should really be sending out the orders by the end of the week, but at least a few days.” She placed down the brass sheet she'd been holding, looking more than a little relieved that the work wasn't going to be in her hooves. “Would you require any help? It is my shop, after all, I should probably at least lend a hoof.”

“It's fine, uh, Rose,” Steam looked a bit awkward using the name, but managed to recover well. “I'm not sure how much of your time wouldn't just be spent sitting around waiting, and I'm sure you've got more important things to do.”

A bemused smile made its way onto Rose's face. “I'm sure, too...” She walked over to the door to the shop, turning around to see Steam already focusing on one of the broken pipes, the unicorn's magic wrapping around the space and lighting it with the golden glow. Rose then turned to Wind. “Is there anything you'd like to do, dear, since your friend is preoccupied?”

Wind hesitated, looking at Rose, then at Steam, who looked back, wondering why there was worry on the pegasus' face. “I think I'll stay here for a little bit, if that's alright?” She seemed to be asking that question to Steam as much as Rose, and Steam nodded, still confused by her friend's behavior. “I promise I won't get in her way,” Wind finished, looking solely towards Rose.

The older mare's faint smile faded slightly. “Alright, then. See that you don't. Lock up if you leave, I left the key on the workbench. I'll be at home if you need me.” Rose closed the door behind her slowly, leaving the two refugees alone in her shop.

As soon as the door was closed, Steam spoke, though she continued to focus on the metal she was shaping. “You know, I don't have anything for you to do, either. It'll mostly just be you watching me shape and weld things.”

Wind sat down next to the workbench, smiling as she did so. “That's fine. I've always enjoyed watching you work. I just hope you don't mind the company.”

The brass sheet fell to the ground as Steam turned to Wind, analyzing her friend. “Okay, this is weird, what is wrong with you today?” Wind started to respond with an 'I don't know.' but Steam cut her off. “I mean, you've been acting weird ever since we got into town! You've been all smiles, but it's more than that. You're... guarded and edgy behind that grin. So what's up?”

“There's nothing wrong, really.” Wind looked Steam in the eyes and it was immediately apparent that she was lying.

“You can't just—!” Steam started, but she stopped, remembering all of the times she'd done the exact same thing to Wind. Wind had never pushed her into answering, it really wouldn't be fair for her to do the same. “Never mind...” She picked up the sheet of metal in her magic, working out the dents before suddenly giving it over to Wind. “Could you finish curling that into a pipe? I know you can't cut or weld it, but if you could get the shape and curl the rest of it into three more that'd speed up the process.”

Wind looked a little surprised by the task, but as soon as she was given it she went to work, using the tools Rose had left behind and her own knowledge to the best of her abilities. Meanwhile, Steam focused her attention on the more minor patches, starting by removing a nearby valve and sizing up some metal to replace the fixture.

A few silent minutes later, as Steam was welding the piece in place, she started talking again. “It must be nice to be home after so long away. And your mother was so thrilled to see you last night.”

Wind snorted as she continued shaping pipework. “Yeah, the parts of town that are still open are lovely.”

Sparks flew from the heated metal beneath Steam's horn, but she wasn't paying it more attention than it needed. “The war hasn't been kind anywhere, it seems. But at least the ponies here aren't trying to kill us.”

Another snort, followed by a hammer striking the brass sheet a little too forcefully. “Not openly, and so long as we stick to the ground and keep our heads down, we'll be perfectly safe.”

Steam blew on the newly attached fixture, futilely helping it to cool before she moved to another small weak spot on a different machine. “Well, I spent five years keeping my head down, I'd say I've gotten pretty used to it by now. Though I suppose I will miss walking through my own apartment with my head held high after a job well completed. Though that was only really a feature of my last few months there.” Her horn lit up again, starting the slow process of cutting out a patch from the sheet of brass. She'd gotten a lot of practice with this over the last few months thanks to Wind, but it was so very different now that she wasn't also maintaining the silence spell or fighting with her own mane. Just these few minutes of work felt surprisingly liberating.

Unfortunately, Wind wasn't feeling the same way as she flew up to the broken pipe, trying to eyeball the angle she'd need to turn her work. “Maybe you can give me some pointers. I never was very good at keeping my head out of the clouds.” Wind's voice lowered to a mutter, but it bounced off of the metal in the room, still managing to reach Steam clearly. “It's the reason I left this place to begin with...”

The magical aura slicing through the metal stopped as Steam popped her head out from behind the boiler she was working on. “So, I don't think I ever asked. What brought you to Timbucktu? Was it just looking for your father?”

Wind sighed loudly, letting out some of the frustration of her work. She'd always had issues with machinery larger than her hoof. “Do you really want to know? Because my search for dad was the main reason, and I never even found him.”

Steam ducked behind the boiler again, continuing work on her cut. “I am curious. I'm sure part of it was because they were driving the pegasi out of the empire like they were driving unicorns out of the Republic, too. But your mom seems like she'd have gone with you if not for your sister.”

“It's not Flora's fault mom didn't go. It's my brother's.” The hammer came down sharply, pinging the pipe directly into shape, but the noise echoed through the room.

“I didn't know you have a brother.”

“Had.” The hammer fell again, piercing the silence that immediately fell around that little three letter word. “You saw that helmet in the corner of the dining room, right? The Battle Beneath Cloudsdale, Division 17, less than a week out of training.” Again the hammer fell, its impact resounding and furious. “Newsprint had no reason to be there. He'd been drafted, and though he had multiple reasons not to go, my father's 'betrayal' included, he went anyway so the Guard would get off of mom's back.” Clang! cried the hammer, forced through the motions whether it liked them or not. “And it wasn't even an enemy that killed him. It was his own side, raining fire on the battlefield, on a city under their control! Just to wipe out a force less than a quarter the size it had sent!” CLANG! the hammer raged, not caring if it created or destroyed with its strike. “He was my best friend! The kindest stallion anyone would know! And in an instant he was gone, not even a puff of smoke to remember him by!”

CLANG! CLANG! Cla-clunk. the hammer stopped, the fuel behind it gone as the young mare holding it breathed heavily on the brass plate. “What kind of nation would do that to its own?” Clang. “What kind of leader would ignore the warnings of their friend? Would call him a traitor even as they went to war with their own kin?” CLANG. “What kind of Princess would hunt down and prosecute any pegasus that didn't leave her lands after they sought retribution for the destruction of their oldest city?!” CLANG!! “NOT THE KIND THAT I WOULD EVER WANT TO BE UNDER!”

The hammer swung again, bending the brass it had been shaping and sending the whole sheet crashing to the ground. It was soon joined by the tool, slipping from Wind's hoof as she sat tiredly at the workbench. “I pleaded with my mother and my sister, I tried to convince them to come with me, to find dad and help set this whole thing straight, because there had to be a mistake. There just had to. But mom wouldn't leave after Newsprint's ‘noble sacrifice,’ and Flora couldn't bring herself to leave mom all alone. So I went without them, galloping over the border and never looking back. And I searched, through Manehattan, through Trottingham, all up and down the coast...” She sighed. “I don't even know what rumor brought me to Timbucktu, tired and hungry... I have no clue how my luck brought me to Clockwork, and I really don't know what made me stay in the city, but... I was happy, for a while. I had found a new dream and even found a place to work on it. Since chasing my father had done nothing, maybe, if I stayed in one place, he'd come find me...”

She sighed. “But he didn't, and now I'm here, under Celestia's hoof once more, with nothing to show for it but the friend I dragged out of her home and the perfect apology to my mother... What should have been a triumph of engineering turned into a pitiful whimper for forgiveness. Maybe it would have been better for me to fall that day...”

“Don't you dare even think that.” Steam came out from behind the boiler, her eyes tearing up from her friend's story, but her face fully focused after what she'd just heard. “I already apologized for my stupid words in the mountains and I'm still sorry they ever made it out of my mouth, but don't you even think for a moment that you'd be better off dead. I have never once truly regretted catching you and I never ever will.”

“Why did you catch me?” Wind asked, her curiosity fighting against the defeat on her face. When Steam looked blindsided by the question, Wind made it clearer. “You had just spent five years hiding your magic and yourself away from anypony, especially one of the crazy pegasi that would have killed you... and yet you caught me, a pegasus you didn't know and had never spoken to. Why?”

It took Steam a long time to answer, and not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't think Wind would like to hear all of it. However, after everything she'd just been told, there had to be a give and take... She had a lot of giving still to do, no matter how much it would hurt. “Honestly, if I had known you were a pegasus, I might not have. After everything I'd been through, after all of the torment, the hiding, being driven from my home, only to be forced to hide in it once more... I would have let a pegasus fall, like they had done to me.” Her eyes were hard at the memory, replayed in her head so often it could no longer bring her fear.

It could only remind her of the wonder she had discovered the next morning, watching the sun rise over the glittering city, and with that she shook her head, the hardness of her expression gone. “But at that time you weren't a pegasus. You were a pony, one who had just soared over the tree tops in the most fantastic invention I had ever seen, like a lighthouse shining in the darkest storm. I was captivated by those metal wings, and when they broke... I couldn't let the creator of such beauty die, no matter what happened to me as a result.” She looked sheepishly at the ground. “I thought I'd put you down and get away to hide from the renewed hunt for a unicorn. I never thought you'd fly after me, and in my wildest dreams I never would have thought you'd be so kind, especially now that I heard about your brother. I would have thought you would have hated unicorns!”

Wind had been about to hug her friend, but at that last sentence, she stopped in her tracks, backing up slightly. “I can't hate unicorns. Unicorns didn't start this war or kill my brother, even if they sent the killing blow his way. The nation, the system itself, is corrupt... not like in the NLR. They might not look much better, and some of the things they do are downright horrible, but... the system is fine, it's the ponies that are the problem there. But ponies can be fixed, or taught, or simply worked around. You can't work around the government when it falls apart. No matter how many patches you place on it or fixes you try to splice in, if the underlying system is corrupted through, it can only be fixed when it is torn to the ground and built anew.”

Silence reigned over the two, holding the possibility of any manner of things. Each of the young mares looked at the other, reading the way they held themselves, their every movement, just waiting for something to slip and more to fall into light. However, after heavy seconds of the standoff, it ended simply with Wind reaching for her dropped work and beginning to bang out the dents the floor had made. “Luckily, we don't need to do a full repair on mom's shop. Just a patch job.” She smiled as she lifted the work to examine it, catching Steam's reflection still staring at her. “With work like this, you'd think mom's cutie mark was for engineering machines, not scents.”

Steam continued to look at Wind's face in the reflection. She saw the too-wide smile, the projected confidence, the way Wind's eyes would waver with worry, all so subtle many ponies would have missed it. Even Rose, after those years of separation, might not have caught the signs, but Steam could read them loud and clear. Slowly she walked up to Wind and, looking at the slightly startled face in the reflection, wrapped her arms around Wind from behind, pulling her into a warm hug. “You don't need to pretend for me, Wind. I don't blame you for what happened.”

The metal hit the table with another clatter as Wind tried to spin around and do anything in reaction to the affection behind her. “I didn't—”

“No. You didn't know what Clockwork would do. You didn't even know what I would do when you came looking for me, but that time in Timbucktu, cramped with you in that little apartment, those were the happiest days of my life.”

“But—”

Steam only squeezed Wind tighter, nuzzling against her cheek lightly in appreciation. “But they do not compare to the time that has come since. Even through the hardships, through the stress and the fear, you were there with me, supporting me as I saw and experienced things other ponies could only dream of. There are no words to express how much that time meant to me except for these...” She gently spun Wind around to face her, keeping her hooves on Wind's shoulders and smiling warmly as she looked the conflicted pegasus in the face. “The journey is over. You don't need to keep hiding behind a fake smile. I only want to see a real one.”

A brief impulse hit Steam then, causing her to pause and blush, but mentally she pushed it aside. This moment was too important for awkwardness. “So let it out. I am here for you, just as you've always been for me. Even if we’re chased all the way to the zebra lands, that isn't going to change.”

It seemed to take a moment for the words to actually reach Wind, but when they did the effect was immediate. Tears appeared at the edges of her eyes, and though she didn't say anything, she did lunge into a hug with Steam. There were no words, there were no sobs, just a constant gentle squeeze of gratitude that carried on and on, which Steam was glad to return for as long as it was needed.

Eventually, though, the moment and the silence grew awkward, causing Wind to pull away, though she still smiled at Steam. “Thank you” was all she said, and all she needed to say, before she picked up the piece she'd been working on once more, being much more careful with the hammer than she had been previously.

Before Wind could get too carried away, however, Steam spoke once more. “You know, I was serious when I said I could do the work on my own. You could still go and catch up with your mother, if you'd prefer.”

Wind thought about it for a moment, placing the completed piping on the worktable and looking around the room. Apart from a little dust and a few patches, it hadn't changed since she'd left. She really wouldn't gain anything from staying here. And yet, when her eyes fell on Steam, she could only shake her head. “No, I think I'd rather stay here. Mom and I will have plenty of time to catch up, and any project done alone isn't nearly as much fun.” She then stood up, saluting Steam playfully. “So what's the task, boss?”

Steam smiled, thinking of the list of damages she'd have to fix, then comparing it to what Wind could do without tools. With a slight pout, she shrugged. “I dunno, I'll think of something.” She had no clue what could be done by the pegasus, but it really didn't matter. Who said she had to do anything but sit there and smile?

As long as Wind kept smiling, Steam was sure the time would just fly by.

Rose fussed about the kitchen as the sun began to set, moving between the various parts of the dish she was preparing and frowning slightly as she did. Cooking wasn't the issue, and neither was that she was doing so solo, as she often did. It was more that she wished she could have come home and done... anything at all.

She was feeling unnecessary again, a bad sign this early in the winter season. Already her garden was sleeping, nestled beneath its blanket of snow, and when she'd come home, ready to offer support to her down daughter laying in bed, she was almost a little disappointed to learn her earlier speech had taken. Of course, knowing Flora was recovering and out and about was wonderful, but it had left her feeling like a carriage with a missing wheel, wandering in circles and waiting for somepony to set her right. Finally she'd taken to reading to distract herself. Unfortunately, after a couple dozen pages, she realized she had not only read the book before, but that the book had been one written by her husband, and that brought up a completely different set of feelings she didn't want to think about right now.

It had taken her a long soak in a therapeutic bubble bath to let herself relax, and with the approach of dinner time, at least she could still be a good mother and round the day off well. She was just putting the finishing touches on it when she heard the front door open, bringing with it a stiff breeze and two sets of hooves. Knowing the food would have to cool, she walked out into the living room, talking as she went. “Dinner is cooling down, and I went for something a little weird, but I was feeling fancy and there were some...” Her thought trailed off as she saw Flora next to a pegasus, but not the one she had been expecting. “Silver! Long time no see! How are you this evening?”

Silver Lining smiled warmly, tapping the snow off of her hooves before shutting the door. “I'm doing great, Mrs. Rose. How are you?”

“Just fine, thank you.” Rose never had been able to get Silver to break that naming habit, but she wasn't going to start complaining about it now when she saw Flora's tired eyes looking surprisingly excited. “I'm glad to see you took my advice, Flora. It seems to have already done you wonders.”

Flora nodded. “The crystal bush is getting ready to bloom! I have no clue what caused it, but when I went in today, it was budding!”

Silver rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. “She wouldn't stop going on and on about the thing and refused to leave the place until she'd measured everything about it and was sure it wouldn't grow in front of her. Eventually I went and got a deck of cards and made some popcorn while I was waiting.”

Silver's commentary did little to stop Rose's excitement for her daughter. “That's great! I knew that you would eventually get it to grow again.” She gave Flora a hug, then motioned to the dining room. “Well, now the stuffed mushrooms feel more like a fancy celebration. Did you see your sister anywhere?”

Both of the younger mares shook their head, with Silver being the one to actually speak. “I was coming over to say 'hi' to the filly and ask her a few questions. You mean she isn't here?”

Rose frowned. “She must still be working with her friend in the perfumery...” She considered the options quickly, then went over to the closet, getting an ivy green scarf and a matching set of snow shoes. “Since you two just spent all day out there, I'll go and get them while you set the table, okay? I'll be back soon.”

“Are you sure you don't want me to fly over?” Silver offered as she backed away from the door, unfurling her wings for emphasis. “I could get there and back faster'n you can say—”

“No, it's quite alright. I could use the walk anyway,” Rose said, pulling open the door and bringing the night air into the house. “It won't be very long at all. And I'll let Cheerilee know you're staying over for dinner on the way back.” With a smile that nopony could argue with Rose closed the door behind her, stepping out into the crisp winter's night.

Walking into her shop a few minutes later, she was disappointed to find it dark and cold. She wasn't sure what she expected, but if they were hard at work, surely the heat of it would have carried over one room. As she rounded the counter to the back room, it was one of a very small number of times she wished the soundproofing wasn't so good. It kept the sounds of the machinery away from the customers, but it also meant she couldn't hear something crashing down until the last second. That had been a real issue when Wind had gotten to flying age... Hopefully her little filly hadn't done nearly as much damage while unsupervised this time.

Rose had to squint as she pushed the door open, the light beyond seeming dazzling compared to the darkness in the shop. She soon found out, however, that it would have been dazzling even on a bright sunny morning as all of the boilers and machines on this side of the room were polished to a mirror shine. The first mare she saw inside was her own bewildered self, but after walking around the boiler, she was able to see the two she had come to collect hard at work. Steam's face was skewed in concentration as she tried to fit a pipe she had crafted into the place a damaged one used to reside. Meanwhile, Wind had managed to get her hooves covered in oil and her wings covered in wax as she performed maintenance on the few moving parts of the older machines and shined their exteriors to show their quality. Even as Rose watched, Wind was testing a previously squeaky valve, her wings gliding over the machine behind her and slowly bringing it to the same shining level as all of the others.

The first to notice the older mare was Steam as she walked towards the workbench in the center of the room, preparing to begin the next repair. She smiled and waved Rose over as she started to talk. “Welcome back! I hope you don't mind, but I saw a few more issues than just the repair jobs you were setting up for, so I thought I'd work them out while I was here. I did my best not to alter anything, but there were two pipes that had pretty much dented together and could have caused a problem, so I ran them around each other.” She pointed into a corner of the room that six different brass tubes all knotted around each other. It was quite easy to see the two new ones wrapping delicately around the others. “I should hopefully be done by the end of tomorrow, though I could possibly finish it all tonight if I really worked at it.”

Rose's eyes widened as she shook her head lightly. “There's no need for working too late, dear, you've already gone above and beyond. And it seems Wind had quite a lot more to do than you thought.”

Steam looked over at Wind, who nodded back, a large smile on her face as she tried to wipe off the oil on her hooves with an equally oily rag. Letting Wind clean herself up, Steam talked for her. “Yeah. Originally she was helping me shape things, but when it came down to the actual repairs, there wasn't too much she could do. It was her idea to start polishing and doing more common maintenance, though, since everything was being worked on anyway. A cake of wax and a bottle of oil later and it all should be running like it did the day you made it.”

Rose looked around the room once more in disbelief. “Even in all its glory it never looked this good. Thank you so much, Windy.”

Wind blushed slightly and rubbed an oily hoof on the bandanna covering the back of her mane, leaving a smudge. “Oh, it was nothing, mom! Had to do something to make up for suddenly appearing on you. Though I might send Steam out the next time I need to go to the market for more grease...” She was starting to look slightly dour when her stomach rumbled, announcing to everypony in the room that it must be time to eat. At that, she suddenly realized the purpose of her mother's visit. “So, how late have we been working? I completely lost track of time.”

“The sun's already set. Don't tell me you haven't eaten since breakfast...” Wind didn't have to tell Rose for her to know. She sighed theatrically. “Oh well, I guess it's a good thing dinner is waiting at the house. Both of you go there and wash up. I'll lock up and be right behind you.”

“Okay, we won't get started without you.” Wind said as moved carefully across the room, trying hard not to touch anything and transfer her mess anywhere else. Steam giggled softly at this, putting on her ear muffs and scarf before opening the door Wind was desperately trying to will open with her mind. With a quick wave to Rose, both mares left the back room, and the soft tinkling of a bell outside told her they left the shop soon after.

Rose wandered between the machines, taking in their shine with a sense of awe and pride. How had she forgotten how nice these were in all these years? How had those two done so much in so little time? If it looked this good down here, how nice could a little help make storage?

That thought stuck with her, though it soon turned into another one, one she'd save until after dinner. Right now she was holding things up, and there was no excuse for that. Grabbing her shop key from the workbench, she turned off the lights and left Rosewater, locking the store behind her. After a quick trot to Cheerilee's to tell her the evening's plan, she made her way home, ready to get dinner started for real.

Even with the delay the group dinner went quite well, made all the more lively for the extra pony at the table. The work of the day was lively on all ends, though the winning conversation topic was definitely Flora's budding flowers. She discussed her theories at length with Rose and Steam, both of whom were quite interested, though for different reasons. Steam couldn't help but wonder if a crystal topiary would need their gem grinder or just normal shears, while Rose had visions of a new line of luxury perfumes dancing in her head. Flora's head was still largely full of fuzz at this point, but she pressed on, glad to have an eager audience to bounce her theories off of.

Meanwhile, Silver was doing much the same with Wind, talking about upcoming weather plans that would go much smoother with four extra hooves. Wind wasn't the best weathermare, but she was more than willing to help. With that out of the way, Silver had another point of curiosity only her fellow pegasus could answer, asking about life on the other side of the border. Silver didn't regret her decision, but that didn't mean she couldn't be curious about the freedom the other side offered. And, from Wind's accounts, it did sound wonderful, at least until the incident with Clockwork came into play. It just went to show, even the most beautiful roses had thorns.

A long and definitive yawn brought the conversations to a halt, with Flora needing to go to bed, far too tired from her lousy sleep the night before to stay awake. With her exit she took Silver, who needed to get home before Cheerilee got too worried that something had happened on the way back. Wind and Steam were feeling tired as well, so they were both contemplating their own beds when Rose's thought from before returned, prompting a question from her. “Steam, would you like a better bed than the couch?”

Steam shook her head, though she did give a sidelong glance at Dot sitting innocently near the table. “No, the couch is fine, and I don't want to impose, I told you.”

Rose waved the idea away. “It's not imposing at all. You see, before I lived here, I had an apartment over the Rosewater distillery, and I believe I still have everything needed to make that a proper guest room, if you'd like. It would put you closer to your work tomorrow and let you sleep without distractions, if nothing else.”

Steam looked surprised by the offer, not having even thought of going upstairs while she was working at the other building. A whole apartment would be an upgrade from a couch, particularly with her complaints about losing her own. “Oh, well, if you have the space I suppose it'd be foalish not to accept. Though the morning trip for breakfast could be a killer...”

Rose smiled. “I'm sure something could be figured out. I'll get the shop key and we can go set it up.” Rose did as she said, getting her cold weather clothes and the shop key and meeting Steam at the door. She also met Wind, who seemed to be slightly hurt by what Steam was telling her.

“Wind, you did enough earlier. You don't need to come along. Just go to bed, your mom and I can handle this.”

Wind's ears drooped a little, but she nodded. “Oh, alright... I'll see you tomorrow?”

Steam nodded, smiling warmly. “Yup! We've got a few things to finish up, and then we'll just have to figure out something else to do.”

Rose opened the door to the outside, watching the snow flurry through the air. “I'm sure you'll think of something. Let's go.”

The trip was cold, silent, and uneventful, with the most interesting thing being the snowflakes on their backs melting as they walked through the polished distillery. Upon reaching the stairs, Rose started talking. “Now, the upper floor has been mostly used for storage for years now, but with the low stock I doubt there will be much left up there. I know I left a bed and a few books and magazines, and I know that the lights still work.” Reaching the top of the stairs, she motioned to the door next to her hoof, flicking on the switch as she did. “The bathroom is in here, there's a small kitchen there, if you feel you want to cook your own meals at some point, and as far as I'm concerned, you can use this space for as long as you like. Or, if it's too much, you can go back to the couch with nothing held against you.”

Steam reached the top of the stairs and looked around, the old paint still keeping its sandy color even though the walls were otherwise bare. There was a small table, the makings of a kitchen, and a little bookshelf next to a bed on the far side of the room behind a small dividing wall. She let out a little laugh when she finished looking it over. “This place is bigger than my Timbucktu apartment, and that wasn't free and didn't come with its own bathroom... or rooms.”

Rose chuckled as well as she walked over to the bed. “Yes, well, city living may be more frantic, but more rural areas definitely have their perks. For all your help and all you've done for my daughter, feel free to think of this as your home away from home.” As she got near the sheets, she noticed a few things felt... off. The rug was slightly askew, and there was a book left out on top of the bookshelf, something Rose tried very hard not to do if she wasn't reading it, and she hadn't been in here reading in quite a long while. On top of those, the bed seemed... used. It was all made quite well, but there was something about it that felt off. Rose noticed it, but didn't say anything, fixing the sheets with a small motion before testing out the mattress. It still held its shape. “This should do the trick, I hope it's good enough.”

While Rose was working on the bed, Steam had picked up on the oddities as well, though it was much harder since she didn't know what 'normal' would be in the apartment. Still, with the thought that somepony might have been staying there recently, Steam found herself wondering what had become of 'Homeward Bound' since they'd arrived in town. She hadn't caught a single sight of him... If he wanted to finish this as quickly as he'd promised Lady Rarity, he was going to have to step up his game.

Steam sat on the bed, immediately sighing with relief at how much softer it was than the couch. “This will be wonderful, Rose. Thank you so much for all of this.”

“It's my pleasure, Steam. Do have a good night.” Unbeknownst to either of them, they both had imagined the same pony in the room, messing with the sheets and managing to leave without a trace. As Rose descended the stairs, she remembered the pony she'd spent so much time in that building with. Ink Well had said he was close. Just how close was he? What was it he had planned?

Only time would tell.

Meeting of the Minds

Ink Well stood on the balcony of the capitol building, looking grimly at the chaos below. There was a crowd of ponies from the door filling three blocks of Mane Street, all of them unicorns and their families clambering to get out of the cities and across the borders to the Solar Empire. And that was just in that direction. Coming in the east side of the building the line of pegasi and their families needing homes after fleeing the empire was astonishing, at least rivaling if not surpassing the unicorn line. It was all a mess.

Even worse, a keen eye could see members of the 'wrong' race in both lines, keeping their heads low and sticking close to their partners as they fretted for what would become of them in their new nations. Ink Well had witnessed the Battle Beneath Cloudsdale, he'd heard with his own ears the threats Princess Celestia had laid out after the pegasi's 'counter attack,' and he, of course, felt an innate fear for his feathered kin willing to brave it, but he'd also seen what had been done in retaliation an entire nation away. The pegasi, he felt, would at least survive. He wasn't so sure about the unicorns.

He, more than most, understood the riotous rage ruffling the pegasi's feathers. Cloudsdale was his home for so many years, and even when it wasn't, he was loyal to the floating city and its ancient cultural heritage. Even when he'd witnessed and stopped the atrocity going on within its city limits, he never tarred the pristine clouds with that brush of shame. And, unlike most of the rioters below, he had watched it burn, turn to mist, and break apart as it tumbled from the sky. He had witnessed the injured ponies plummeting to the hard ground, watched the wounded valiantly fight to save what buildings they could, and he felt the hole deep in his heart where his son had once stood. He understood why the pegasi raged, but even through his tears and keening grief, he didn't see how he could ever join them.

“We fear the numbers will never end,” said President Luna, alerting Ink Well that she had joined him to oversee it all. There was worry in her voice that carried to her cyan eyes as she scanned the scene before her. “Our nation would empty out its borders before the week's end were it not for those we are struggling to find room for. At least the homes won't remain empty for long...”

She placed a booted hoof on the banister, the cobalt metal clinking lightly as she put it down. She looked at Ink Well, clearly hoping for some conversation in her brief free time away from the throngs below. But just because the time was free did not mean she was relaxed. She was always dressed in armor now, believing that if she would ask her ponies to go to war, she should be prepared to join the fight, and despite her advising against it, the decorative design of her armor, matching both the color and the shapes of her flag, truly showed her as a champion of her nation. Even her mane was ready for war, no longer long and flowing, but bobbed as short as her tail was, the ethereal stars still shimmering with her every movement and gleaming off of the small armored circlet she wore on her crest.

Her worry broke as she looked at Ink Well, a little life being breathed into her movements as her demeanor eased outside the presence of the masses. “How are you holding up, friend? These days have been hard on us, but could only have been more so on you.”

Ink Well shook his head sadly, his age showing in the crows feet at the edges of his eyes. “This is all... madness. From the bottom to the top, none of this makes any sense. But... I believe you are doing the right thing. Better to let them leave now in peace then end up like that community outside of Trottingham...” He sighed, looking out into the city, where even now guards held back the protesters just waiting to turn violent. “You'd think we'd all have seen enough destruction.”

Luna walked over to his side, placing an armored hoof on his shoulder. “We have. All of us. But despite the best efforts of the ages, when hurt and frightened, ponies still run for safety and fight any who may threaten it.” The gesture was comforting, but the effect was cold and heavy, leaving him chilled as she removed her hoof and continued to speak. “Unfortunately, it has revitalized the war effort. Ponies are signing up in droves to retaliate, and we cannot afford to turn them down.” It was her turn to sigh. “We shall have to remind them their enemy is not the ponies themselves, but the tyranny the enemy represents, else we fear very little shall stop the cycle from continuing. And even that will do little to help those still within our cities.”

“Your propaganda machine had better be well oiled, or it will only print in blood. These ponies you are saving won't dampen the fire the loss of those choosing to stay could ignite.” Ink Well looked over at Luna, once more seeing the worry on her face. It was well founded. “But you know all too well what could happen if an uncaring regent is careless with her iron hoof.”

“And this is why our every step is chosen carefully.” She lifted her booted hoof so she could look at the intricate design on the front of the armor plating. “If we wear our burdens every day, they cannot be ignored or forgotten. They shall weigh upon our mind until the day we are free of them.”

Ink Well looked at Luna, his face determined, though the sorrow in his eyes could not be denied. “One day they will be gone, Selene. The days will come when peace will reign once more and the weight of thousands will be lifted from your shoulders.”

Luna nodded sadly, turning reluctantly to the door to take her place inside once again. “That day will be the first to see us smile again, Ink Well, and we await it eagerly. But in the light of the moon and the sun both, the end is impossible to see. Those days have been delayed so long, even the optimistic fear they never will return, or will be replaced by sorrows we have not yet imagined. We cannot afford wait for them idly, and so, we must return to the work at hoof. Fare thee well, Ink Well. We hope for more wisdom as the days go by.”

Ink Well watched her leave, a fire growing in his chest as he did so. “I'm afraid you hope in vain, Selene. Since you cannot afford to wait for peace,” he said to himself, wings twitching in agitation, “somepony will just have to find it.” He trotted quickly through the capitol building, heading directly for the room he'd been so generously given. There was much preparation to be done, but by that night, there'd be one more room free for an incoming refugee.

Steam Cloud peeked her eyes open and stretched out luxuriously on her slightly musty but oh-so-comfortable bed before snuggling the warm downy quilt tightly in her arms. Judging by how little light was coming through the window, she had woken up bright and early, as she had the day before, but this time it was her choice to do so, and she relished it. No freezing dog nose, nopony forcing her to get moving, no tiresome dead-end job to be getting ready for... She practically purred as she sunk back into her sheets, knowing that this was the life she'd been meant to live for the past five years. Isn't it amazing what happens when you finally do get across that border?

She could see the old clock on the wall ticking away the minutes until dawn truly broke, each sound accusing her of laziness and trying to pull her out of bed. She defiantly stuck her tongue out at it, turning over to look at the sandy beige wall and curl up even cozier beneath the covers. She watched the light from the window appear high on the wall, tracking it as it slowly descended towards her. Once it was there she'd have to start moving. Make the bed, clean up anything she and Rose had missed the day before, do a quick tune up on the Ready Wings...

She scratched that one from her mental checklist, remembering that she'd left the wings back at Rose's house... and had forgotten to check them the day before. They should be alright, she thought to herself. It's not like they were delicately built.

But what if somepony finds the letter? Steam's cheeks blushed at the thought and she pulled the covers over her head. If anypony else reads that... She shook her head, feeling her slightly messy mane rub against the covers and frizz even more than it normally did in the morning. Nopony will. Nopony is using them. Just take a trip over there later and it'll be fine... maybe sooner. You could get breakfast in the process! Assuming Rose is awake. She frowned, moving the cover away to see the sunlight's progress down the wall.

It was much slower than she'd been expecting. Still, when it reached her, she was going to make the bed, clean the room, take a quick morning shower, run to the other house, hope somepony was awake and the door was open so that she wouldn't be bothering anypony, check the Ready Wings, eat breakfast, come back here, check on the work from the night before, plan out the rest of the repairs the place would need, and then do them.

And get Wind's help, that needed to be inserted into the plan somewhere. Though... why did it? It had been so very long since she'd had her own room, she should be enjoying the time to think like she used to. So why was she feeling so...

She shook her head. No, she wouldn't accept that she was feeling lonely. She'd been on her own for years, and she'd never been lonely then. There'd be no reason to be feeling it now! Except that then she'd always been paranoid and miserable and worried about dying, while now she was warm and safe and happy. It was so quiet without somepony else breathing in the room, and the covers were no substitute for a soft wing draped ever so-

Nope. I'm not lonely, I'm not thinking like that, and even if I am, I just... got used to company. Yeah. And there's no reason to bug her anyway! Let the mare be with her mother, for Luna's sake, it's been years! She looked at the light's progress on the wall, positive it hadn't moved since she'd last checked it. She stared at it, daring the sun to continue its game, before, frustrated, she kicked off the comforter, got off of the bed, and decided to meet the dawn head on. With the golden glow of her horn she made the bed immaculate, then spun around to see what needed sprucing up in the room.

Nothing, it turned out. She and Rose had been very thorough, even getting rid of the dust and making sure the water was running before calling it a night. It meant that things were going quite smoothly this morning, as it had been intended. Sooooooo smoothly, thought Steam as she looked at the sun barely peeking over the horizon. Even if she took a slow morning shower, there was no way that she wouldn't—

A knock came from the front door, catching Steam off guard and derailing her train of thought with amazement at how audible it was considering the soundproof room below. Switching from the knock to whoever was behind it, the only pony she could think would be awake this early would have been Silver, who she'd only met the night before and would be hard at work on today's weather. Still, when the knock sounded again, Steam knew it wasn't a fluke and made her way down stairs, through the dormant, shining work of the night before and out into the shop.

There was a moment of hesitation at the shop door, an image of the wanted poster coming to mind, but that was all in the past. She was on the other side of that border, where... well, where Wind might have a matching poster soon, if she wasn't careful, but nopony would go searching for them here, right? No, it was probably just... the mailpony. Or Rose remembering something she forgot the night before. Perhaps she didn't have an extra key, so she had to knock? Reassured, Steam opened the door, ready to deal with whatever was behind it.

But she hadn't once expected Wind. “Good morning, Steam! I hope I'm not too early, but mom was up super early and I convinced her to make her cinnamon apple muffins for breakfast, and they're much too good warm to eat cold, especially on a cold winter day like today is planned to be, so here I am!” She walked inside quickly, shaking her shoulders to knock off some of the snow that had accumulated on her back while she was outside, revealing what was hidden between her wings. It was a large brass harness, with folded bits that seemed a lot like...

“Did you bring over the Ready Wings?” Steam asked, staring at the strap where even now she could barely see the paper poking out, her heart pounding in her throat.

Wind nodded brightly. “Yup! I figured we could get started right away on the rest of the repairs and stuff here, and then, to celebrate, we could both take a quick flight around the town. I could show you some of the sights, give you an aerial tour, it'd be great!”

While Wind was distracted taking off the pack, Steam slid the letter out of it with her magic, folding it tightly and placing it in her own mane for later. It was then that a few inconsistencies from Wind's story hit her, along with the tantalizing aroma of her breakfast held in Wind's wing. “That sounds great, but won't ponies be suspicious of ponies flying around over town? And how early were you up to get your mom to make these muffins?”

Wind shrugged at the questions. “I was hoping they'd let it slide if they saw you were a unicorn, and I'm willing to get yelled at if I'm wrong. And... well, I guess I asked mom to make them last night when she got home, and I remember Flora saying something about mom sometimes waking up super early, so when I got up these were already almost done. But I didn't even eat one, just grabbed a few and came straight over here.” She opened up the bag in her wing, filling the perfume store with the scent of perfectly baked pastries.

Steam pulled one of the muffins out of the bag with her magic, floating it over to her hoof, where it sat warmly and smelled divine. Unable to hold herself back, she bit into it, her tongue delighted by the moist muffin's delicate balance of apple and cinnamon dancing across her taste buds. Her eyes shot open wide as she swallowed her bite and looked at Wind. “These are amazing! I wish I could cook this well.”

Wind smirked, taking a bite of her muffin before answering. “Well... mom might have gotten some pointers from Applejack, so technically these are Apple family muffins, but that doesn't really matter when they taste this good.”

“Agreed!” The two mares finished their muffins, then Steam reached into the bag for seconds, only to empty it as she pulled out one final muffin. She offered it to Wind. “You can have it, you've already done more than I have lugging the wings over and delivering these.”

Wind shook her head, pushing the pastry back. “It's all yours. You've got the harder task ahead of us when we get to the repairs, and you've never had them before.”

Steam smirked, then pulled apart the muffin, splitting it roughly in half and tossing one half to Wind. “Fine, be difficult about it. But we're going to have to work fast if you want that aerial tour to happen in the light.” She ate the rest of breakfast as she walked into the back room smiling brightly, soon joined by Wind doing much the same. In moments they were both fueled up and hard at work, ready to get on with the day and get to the plans they'd made for later.

Rose and Flora walked side by side through town, enjoying a brief moment of togetherness before they went their separate ways for the day. The greenhouse was on the way to the marketplace, where Rose was hoping to find a few ingredients she would need to fulfill one specialized order, and since they were both heading the same direction it seemed silly not to go together. Some mares might have complained about being under their mother's watch, but after how well her advice had gone to Flora, she was thankful to have a mom so wise to walk with.

At the small path to the building they parted ways with a warm hug and promises to be safe before Flora made her way into the greenhouse, wondering what she would find inside. Holding the key in her snow chilled hoof, she unlocked the building, holding her breath as she slowly opened the door.

And letting it out in a slightly disappointed sigh. There had been no huge jump like the day before, though the fact that the crystal bush hadn't shrunk at least let Flora know she wasn't going mad. She watered the plants in the building, then began to compare measurements against those from the day before. Everything was exactly the same apart from one key difference: of the two flower buds that had formed, one was much larger than the other. She had no idea what it meant, but it was something, and every little change brought with it a sense of purpose. Something big was coming, and now she just had to remain patient to see what it was.

A flurry of knocks at the greenhouse door meant she didn't wait very long. It was rare for somepony to disturb her, so it had to be important, though she made sure a set of pruning shears was within reach just in case. She carefully swung open the door, only to nearly be nailed by the hoof preparing to pound again. Luckily, it stopped, the pegasus it was attached to able to contain her nervous energy.

“Flora!” Silver yelled, running into the greenhouse and shoving at Flora's rump. “You need to get to Town Hall! I've never seen anything like this!”

A second shove had Flora outside, looking rather frustrated at Silver's antics. “What? What is it? I was in the middle of something!”

“Flora, your flowers can wait. Get your sister and get to Town Hall, now. Your mom was already on her way.” Silver shut the greenhouse door, then started to shepherd her friend around to the road.

Flora huffed in annoyance. “What is so important for all of this?”

Silver gave her a dead serious look, standing stock still apart from her nervously twitching wings. “Flora, just trust me on this one. Whatever's going on, it's big, and you won't believe me if I tell you so just go. I'll see you there.” Before Flora could question any further, Silver was off, flying in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

It was rare that Silver showed nerves like that, and she was never as serious as that last message had been. Taking those into account, Flora decided she'd trust her best friend on this one. Breaking into a quick gallop she made it to Rosewater in no time, sprinting through the shop and slamming open the door to the distillery. This startled the ponies inside, causing a metal pipe to lose the magical aura around it and crash loudly against the floor. “Flora, what's up?” asked Wind, looking worried after Flora's rushed entrance caused her to spill polish all over her wings.

“I... don't know,” said Flora, suddenly feeling completely foolish for her actions. She really wished she'd asked for more details. “But Silver said there's something huge going down at Town Hall, and we should all be there to see it.”

Steam looked at Wind, raising a concerned eyebrow, which Wind met with a small confused shrug. Wind was tempted to tell Flora to head off on her own, but even if it was just some overreaction, like many that flooded Ponyville's streets when she was much younger, it would still be interesting and only cost a little time. “Alright,” said Wind, wiping off some of the oil that clung to her fur and scraping her wings as best as she could on the polish container. “Let's go see what all the fuss is about.”

With Wind agreeing to go, Steam decided her work could wait, bringing up the rear as all three of them went to find out what was going on.

The square in front of Town Hall was filled with enough murmuring ponies to actually create a significant block between Rose and the square itself. It was as if every pony in Ponyville had come out of their homes to see what was going on, and that was no wonder. It wasn't every day that Princess Celestia herself showed up in your town surrounded by a retinue of the highest officials in the Royal Army. Captain Applejack, Princess and Arch Magus Twilight Sparkle, and General Ironsides all stood proudly before a full platoon of knights in shining armor, all surrounding Princess Celestia's Royal Carriage, where the leader of Equestria could sit in unseen safety and watch over whatever was happening.

But nopony seemed to know what was happening, as apart from showing up in town unannounced, the army seemed to be simply standing at the ready, some more patiently than others. The knights closest to the carriage nervously eyed the ponies around them, horns and spears at the ready should the crowd suddenly prove traitorous, a seemingly likely thought in the mind of General Ironsides. He was an old grey unicorn with a strong jaw line and years of tactical training even before the war had begun. Some might have seen him as a relic of a past age in times of peace, but he seemed to be holding his own and truly proving his use these last twelve years.

It was clear that he was more used to the safety of the castle, however, as his gleaming, mostly decorative armor and almost jumpy paranoia showed. Applejack's dinged, heavy plate had been proven in countless battles, with no frills that might stop her from leading the charge in the field, and it sat calmly on her form as she looked almost relaxed to be back home. Even Twilight, in her light armor for those few instances where she was on the front line, seemed at ease, scanning the skies with purpose. Her armor hadn't seen use since that fateful night beneath Cloudsdale, a choice she had willingly made and willingly broken today.

Rose looked on the visiting army with more than a hint of distrust. She still hadn't replaced everything broken by the last time Twilight had shown up in town with armored ponies in tow, and the youthful faces of both Twilight and Applejack just reminded her of her own age. At least Princess Celestia had the decency to look a more proper age for a wise and timeless ruler. Though the fact that she remained in her veiled carriage was unsettling. If she was going to leave the castle for the first time in years, even under heavy guard, why wouldn't she show herself? This mystery was what had most of the citizens of Ponyville chattering in hushed tones.

Nopony in Ponyville could resist some good gossip, and the constant chatter continued until one of the guards broke the silence held by the army. “Incoming forces, four o'clock and approaching fast!” Twilight had seen them long ago and remained calm, but all other heads turned to look where the knight had pointed, jumping at the announcement.

Swooping low and skimming over the trees of the Everfree was a great dark blob moving across the bright sky. It grew larger, then, as it entered the clearing between the forest and the town, it ducked low, disappearing behind the buildings. The General was the first to move, taking a step away from the incoming form and barking out an order. “Knights! Defensive positions! Be ready to attack on my command!” The armored forces got on guard, ready for whatever they were about to face, while he quickly made his way closer to the safety of the carriage.

The dark mass was upon the army in seconds, a hundred pegasi strong as it swarmed over the town. Ponies screamed, citizens panicked, and every knight held up his spear or set her horn glowing in readiness. However, as jumpy as they were, they waited patiently, seemingly driven so by Twilight and Applejack's complete calm as they watched the display with careful eyes. Rose watched on as well, joined by her daughters and Steam, all of whom were held rapt by what was going on before them.

The swirling forces, for all of their apparent randomness, were well organized, forming into a sphere above the Town Hall before shooting down, landing swiftly across the square from the members of the Royal Army. They landed in unison, hitting the snowy earth heavily and standing, despite their tension, at ease, not one of them ready to attack. At their head, closest to the opposing army, was President Luna herself, flanked by Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Luna wore her armor, commanding a regal presence, but the only other armored pony was Scootaloo in a set quite similar to Applejack's, the rest of the unit in a deep blue cloth uniform matching Rainbow's. That is, apart from one bouncing sprig of pink moving between the disciplined troops. Nopony seemed to be paying too much attention to Pinkie Pie, and none on the ground had any idea how she had gotten there, but in her wake even the grimmest NLR soldiers couldn't help but smile.

“Knights! Take aim!” Ironsides bellowed, causing the armored members of his army to ready their weapons at the stationary members of the Republic. There were two Royal Army members for every member of their foe, and yet, the Lunar Republic forces didn't shake, didn't balk, didn't even give an inch, standing proudly behind their leader. The aging general turned red at this, anger seeping into his eyes, and he took in a large breath of air before he was frozen in Twilight's magic field.

“Hold, Ironsides. They aren't here to fight, we should at least hear them out.” Despite Ironsides' outraged expression, Twilight took a few steps closer to her enemies, looking directly into Luna's eyes. “President Luna, what is it that brings you unheralded into these lands?”

“We have come to talk to you, Princess Sparkle, as well as our sister, on a matter of utmost importance. We come to talk of peace.” This brought a whole new murmur through the crowd, as well as through the Royal Army, many of whom seemed disbelieving that this could happen. Behind Luna, Scootaloo scowled at her former companions, having known that this would be their reaction.

However, before anything more could be done, the screech of a train whistle wrenched away everypony's attention. A large train of pure crystal was rumbling into Ponyville station, its entrance nearly unnoticed thanks to the display that the New Lunar Republic's soldiers had made. However, even if it had been surreptitious in its arrival, the following moments were nothing similar. The second the vehicle came to a stop the doors shot open, pouring out not just a wave of sparkling ponies in crystal armor, but an equal number of gryphons, who rushed the town square in their own formation, taking up a position on the edge between the two other forces. They were lead by Princess Cadance and, at her side, a large gryphon with a colorful feathered crown perched atop his head, King Grandis.

The arrival of both of these forces together brought confusion to both Twilight and Luna's faces. Together, the gryphons and the crystal ponies had an army that matched the Royal Army, but Cadance was allied with Twilight, while Grandis was allied with Luna. Conveniently, Cadance was more than willing to address their confusion. “Leaders of the Empire and the Republic, we request a council.”

At her side, Grandis stepped forward, proclaiming over the entire square. “For too long we have been seen as pawns in this great war you two wage. For too long we have been made to send aid while receiving nothing in return. While you allow us in your lands, you treat us like toys or leeches, and we will stand for it no more. You will hear our demands or you will fall here before—”

“I did not summon you here to threaten, Grandis. I asked you, all of you, here to do one thing...” The voice carried over the citizens of Ponyville, with no apparent source, and yet many of them should have known it. Rose's eyes went wide at the first words, scarcely able to believe her own ears. She was the first to spot the cloaked figure standing on the steps of Town Hall, his voice carrying past its own ability. “I wanted you to sit down and talk.”

Ironsides looked up at the mystery stallion, his eyes wide with barely contained fury. “And who do you think you are, citizen, to claim to have orchestrated this madness? I will see you suffer for this!”

The cloaked figure paused for a moment, chuckling to himself before he continued. “General, you do not know the meaning of suffering. The ponies around you have watched too many of their friends die for something they didn't believe in. Some of those you call enemy were once your friends, forced from their homes by a cruel and careless decree, while many you call friends only stand by your side for fear of the danger they faced otherwise. And, while it is true that I asked them all to come, I am not the one who actually brought them here. They did that all on their own.”

As the cloaked figure gestured to his right, another group of ponies could be seen waiting in the shadow of the Town Hall. They bore a marking all in the army knew by now: The Peace Corps, headed by their 'fearless' leader Fluttershy. Or, more accurately, she stood in the center of the crowd, edged onward on either side by her personal Angels, her rabbit and Dented. They were surrounded by nearly every doctor in the corps, as well as many a wounded warrior in both side's armor. Yet the wounded did not join their kin, instead waiting to see what developed.

“You may want me to suffer, Ironsides, but I can assure you I have had plenty of time for that.” All eyes arrived on the cloaked figure once again, only to see yet another familiar face having arrived. Rarity stood in the shadows behind him, calmly surveying all the ponies present as the stallion continued his speech. “But pain is not just a destructive force. It has driven me onward and taught me harsh lessons, as it has all of the ponies you see around you. I offered them little, merely a chance at conversation, a glimmer of hope that they may resolve this all in one fell swoop. Peacefully. And every one of them took it. They've learned, some over months, some over a decade, and some over centuries, that we are not so different that we cannot talk. Violence is a solution for the weak and the fearful: it is the brave who step forward with empty hoof and offer peace.”

“Wait a second...” said Wind, brow furrowing as she tried to get a better look at the shrouded figure. “Is that Homeward?”

“No,” both Steam and Rose said in unison, one remembering her discovery, the other knowing the truth no matter how hard it tried to hide. They gave each other a look, asking silently who would be the one to explain, but their attention was soon drawn back to the square.

The General laughed smugly at the cloaked figure. “The weak and the fearful? Do you know who you are talking to? I—”

“I don't think you really belong here, do you General? I'm certain you demanded to come along when you heard of the others moving out, refusing to leave your Princess 'unprotected.' You didn't think two Elements of Harmony were enough, right?” The figure in the black cloak stepped down to street level, walking directly between the two armies, his hood giving the and giving the impression of a stern glare at the General standing on the carriage. “Well, people thinking like you aren't allowed at these talks.” The stallion moved towards Ironsides, looking him in the eyes, before the head tilted, a smirk barely visible from the shadow.

“Do you understand the foe you fight? They rose up, not because they wanted to, not for any petty reason or to rip the nation apart, but because your leader refused to send them the aid they requested. When they needed water, it was being used for you precious unicorns in Canterlot to keep the gardens nice and green, and, after years of neglect and willful ignorance, that was a straw too far. They rallied behind their leader looking for freedom from oppression. Looking to matter again. While Equestria tried to hide its past and pretend everything was fine, pretend it could reign in the will of a people as though they were just an unruly teen, it destroyed the very city that could have saved it and drove all those attached to that city's mistake from the country.”

The stallion stood in front of all of the knights, seeming to dare the spears to fall on him as he spoke. “The Solar Empire is weak, not in numbers, but because it refuses to stop clinging to memories of better times. It ignores its mistakes, and that's why it loses its fight to a smaller nation only fighting for its own freedom.”

The cloaked figure then whirled around, glaring up at President Luna and making his way towards her. “Which is not to say your nation is without fault. You fight for your right to exist, for freedoms and a fear that tomorrow will be taken from you, but your fear has taken over the people. The Republic embraces the new with an almost fervent desire to get rid of the old, and when you are given a black eye, you try to retaliate to show you aren't to be pushed around. You, rightfully, fear that you will be crushed by numbers or torn apart by magic, and so you commit atrocities as bad as those you ran from to escape magic's grip, with plans for weapons that should make you ashamed to call yourself civilized ponies! The other side fights to keep its nation together from these rowdy rebels, and with the way you act, ignoring even the ponies who led you to your freedom, I'm not surprised they fight as hard as they do!”

“And who are you? If you are so brave to point out the nation's flaws, why do you keep yourself hidden away?” Ironsides ran from the carriage to the empty space between armies, only to stall when he felt the weight of hundreds of eyes watching his every movement. He was outnumbered here, and there were far too many armed ponies for that to end well.

But the cloaked stallion did not turn or show a hint of worry. He merely moved a hoof up to his hood, shaking his head sadly. “I am no brave pony. I am the largest coward and greatest fool to traverse these lands. I am, according to some, the Harbinger of War, but to many more I am nothing but a wanderer and a storyteller, always running in search of a way to see others see the truth.” The hood of the cloak fell, revealing the aged stallion with fur the color of parchment, his inky blue black mane kept neatly beneath the tattered and torn hat he wore. “I am Ink Well, Public Enemy Number One, and I am here to end this war.”

A gasp could be heard throughout the crowd, though none made as much noise as Wind and Flora, both stunned that they had not recognized their own father. The moment was short lived, cut shorter still by the barking from the enraged general. “Knights! Arrest that pony in the name of the Princess!”

“You have no authority over me, General.” Ink Well flung back his heavy cloak, spreading his wings wide and showing his off the woven vest he wore beneath, pinned on either side with symbols unmistakable to the important ponies around him. A golden ruby-studded sun, a silver star and cobalt crescent moon, a single feather tipped with gold, and a small heart-shaped phial filled with a glowing green liquid. “I am blessed by both the Sun and Moon, I am the Gryphon's Wings, and as I stand, I represent far more than myself. I am the will of all the people here, the only arbiter in this senseless destruction, the only voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. Our land is being torn apart by war, and, with the help of everyone present, I hope to see it safe and sound by Hearth’s Warming Day.”

The General stalled, instantly recognizing the golden broach Ink Well wore. It was the highest honor a pony could receive in the Solar Empire. Nopony had been given it since before the Elements of Harmony had been found... What was it doing on his chest?

Ink Well lowered his wings to his side, his left resting comfortably on his tattered and heavily patched messenger bag. “I didn't want your brand of help, General, but since you are present, I suppose I will accept it as well. In return, there's something you'll have to accept.” He gestured with a hoof, calling forward a sandy colored pegasus with a partially missing ear: the only pegasus to still be wearing the Royal Army's armor. As the knight made his way to the clearing, Ink Well continued speaking. “Whether one nation or many, it is my belief Equestria belongs to all of its inhabitants, be they pony or gryphon,” he gestured to the armies around him, then to the pegasus in the armor. “...or even changeling.”

A flash of green fire engulfed the armored pegasus, replacing his sandy fur and soft feathers with black chitin and a hard clear membrane used to fly. He removed his helmet, revealing his solid blue eyes, as well as the frills that replaced his mane, tail, and ears. The frill on the right side of his head was almost completely gone, matching the ear he'd lost in his other form.

Immediately, weapons were drawn on all sides, none willing to forget the threat those creatures had been so long ago. Even most of the Elements of Harmony took a worried or aggressive stance, only Twilight seeming unfazed by the appearance of a former enemy before her. Ink Well shook his head at the display, a frown weighing heavy on his features. “See? Even torn apart, all of you remember your history lessons and jump at your 'enemies.' It's almost as if you'd still be on the same side if changelings had remained a threat.” He looked around him, his eyes scanning to meet every eye in the crowd, only lingering when they passed over his family. Unfazed, he continued speaking. “It is time for a new chapter to be written in their story. Sandstorm was just the first, but friends, please... It is time to stop hiding.”

There was a long pause, and Sandstorm himself had to give a pleading look into the crowd, but eventually there was another flash of green flame, replacing another knight in Celestia's army. As weapons turned on her, another flash joined, then another, then a half dozen more, each appearance sending the ponies around them scurrying away from former allies. But it didn't stop with the Royal Army. Three ponies in Luna's army changed in unison, standing proudly among their friends even when said friends looked flabbergasted. Even two of Grandis' gryphons changed, one of whom was his personal bodyguard. Then it spread past the armies. Bystanders in Ponyville burst into flames, only to be replaced with changelings as well. Some were proud, some were ashamed of their true form, but in the end, another eight had been under everypony's nose the whole time.

Ink Well motioned to the changelings, as well as the startled ponies near them who couldn't believe their friendships had all been lies. He knew that look, and it had to stop. “I know many of you are scared right now, and I am sure there is a lot of explaining that these brave changelings will have to do to their dearest friends, but this is not a bad thing. As much as you may think the worst, the changelings you now cower from are the same friends you have always known and have been since the day that bond was formed between you. They, like yourselves, are nothing more than citizens of this country, and, like all of us, they want to see a nation returned to peace.”

Ink Well walked back up to the balcony of Town Hall, turning so that he could see everyone in front of him so they knew he was speaking to them all. “Peace seems like an impossible task. Think of how strong Equestria used to be, all of the principles it used to stand for, then remember that it was ripped apart so violently even the Elements of Harmony were unable to come together, creating a rift that set the sun and moon fighting for dominance in the sky they were supposed to share. Fixing it will be nigh on impossible, and it will involve a lot of compromise. A lot of ponies aren't going to walk away from this happy, and a lot of you will probably want to walk away long before any kind of agreement can be met. This will be difficult, you may even think it unsatisfying, but think of the alternative.”

Ink Well watched all of them closely, seeing who was disheartened and who looked uneasy with the whole prospect. It was they he spoke to next. “Right now, you may walk away. You may decide that you 'can't reason with those maniacs' and run for safety, or think that now would be the perfect time to wipe your enemies out. I can't promise you those won't be very appealing. All I can promise is this: if we can't work this out here in the next few days there will be fighting once more. Even as we talk, ponies far away are patrolling like they have been ordered. What if they meet? Imagine the chaos, the confusion, the damage... Now imagine if the talks break down here: take that fight and multiply it a hundredfold. There will be blood, there will be destruction and death, and by the end, many of those you stand beside right now won't be standing when all is said and done. But maybe, right now, in the spirit of the warring tribes that came together at Hearths Warming or just to avoid that image in your minds, all of us can sit down, talk, and maybe, just maybe, find that common ground where something truly great could grow.”

The silence that followed was contemplative and heavy, everypony considering all that had come before. Would they be able to put their fights aside and talk? Could peace really be brokered with the side opposite them? Could they forgive the enemy for all of the ponies they had lost? In the cold winter air ponies pondered the questions, and one saw the time to make his move.

Their army was right there! If he could just take out the leaders... One shot from the alchemical contraption hidden in the Princess's carriage and this war would be over immediately! Ironsides slipped through the crowd quickly, glad that they were so preoccupied by that pandering fool in the center of the square and thanking him for delivering such a perfect target.

Ironsides ran to the side of the coach and was reaching for the secret panel behind the door when a gold adorned hoof lightly touched onto his. He looked up, straight into the ancient magenta eyes of his ruler. “That's enough, General,” she said calmly as she stepped out of the carriage, a hoof lightly touching down in the Ponyville snow.

It was Princess Celestia's first public appearance since the Grand Galloping Gala that year, and the first outside her castle in many more. This alone was enough to draw the attention of everyone there, causing those still loyal to her to supplicate themselves as they always did. She looked over them, and yet, her eyes were tired, the soft regal smile she'd once been known for completely gone. Still, when she spoke, it was with the same dulcet authority she had always held. “This is a golden opportunity we hold in our hooves now and, come what may, it must be seen through. Ink Well has spoken very clearly and truthfully, and I believe many of us have to think long and hard on his words. Tomorrow, once our hearts and minds are clear and set, we shall begin the talks. Until then, we should make camps and celebrate this time we share once more.”

President Luna nodded, watching her sister's flowing mane behind the golden tiara Tia had worn for centuries. Celestia might look the same as she had when Luna had left, but maybe this time things could be different. “We shall be ready to talk in the morning. There is much we all must consider before then.”

Grandius huffed, but was stopped by Cadance's hoof. This was something he was going to have to accept, and reluctantly the king did. “I see no reason for the delay, but if it must be done... We will wait. Tomorrow, though, this is settled.”

Grandius and his forces walked away at that, but there was a brief hesitation between the other two armies, both forces seeming to be daring the others to make a move. Fluttershy's doctors readied themselves for the fallout, but none came. The process was slow, but the Royal and Republic Armies both backed away from town square peacefully, each heading for a different outskirt of town. The last ponies to leave were the Elements of Harmony, all looking as though they wanted to say something, but none making the first move. Eventually, in pairs, they all went their separate ways, Rarity joining Fluttershy's doctors and offering them rooming around the Carousel Boutique.

As the armies dispersed, so did the crowd, the townsponies all going on with their day as though the strangeness had been nothing, though some life had been breathed into the previously dead town. Tomorrow would prove to be something amazing, whatever happened, but the only thing created today were whispers about the changelings nopony had known was among them. It wasn't enough to change the world, but it could at least pass the time before they waited for the morning.

Five ponies remained in the square when it was emptied, though, all waiting for the horseshoe to drop. Ink Well, wrapped in his cloak and bearing the marks of nations and the wear of years of travel, stood silently, watching his wife and daughters to see what they would do. But they didn't even know, none of them actually expecting this moment to ever come. Only the chilling winter breeze let them know it wasn't a dream.

The first to move was Wind Key, recovering from her shock and doing the one thing she'd wanted to for over five years. “Daddy!” she yelled as she leaped into the air, charging him and tackling him into the thin snow with a crushing hug. “I missed you so much... Why didn't you tell me you were Homeward?! Why could I never find you?”

Ink Well opened his mouth, about to attempt an explanation, when it was snapped shut at the sight of Flora, a furious glare sitting firmly on her features. “You've got some nerve coming back like this! Do you have any idea what mom's been through? Not a package, not a letter... you might as well have died for all we knew, while leaving us with the guards! If I didn't—”

“Flora... that's enough.” Rose put a gentle hoof on Flora's shoulder, moving her aside before gently doing the same to untangle Wind from Ink Well. When that was done, she offered the hoof to her husband to help him up, which he solemnly accepted. When finally they were standing there, face to face, they both seemed emotionless, just looking into each other's eyes and reading all that had happened in them.

After a long moment in silence, Rose lifted a hoof to Ink Well's cheek, caressing it once gently before she suddenly pulled back, smacking him hard across the jaw. In that moment he still looked solemn, as though both expecting and accepting that this would be the outcome, which is why his expression turned to surprise when Rose stepped forward and hugged him tightly, love pouring from the gesture. After just a moment of hesitation he hugged her back, tears rolling down his cheeks as he nuzzled against her neck.

She did the same to him, tears she didn't know she had left to cry spilling from the side of her eyes. “Don't you dare leave me like that again,” she said quietly. “We go together or not at all.” Despite her tears, she was smiling slightly, a warmth she hadn't felt in ages coming back to her heart.

Ink Well's hug grew tighter, joined in by his wings wrapping around her entire form. “Never again.” It pained him to do so, but eventually he had to pull away from his hug, looking into Rose's eyes sadly. “I had to go alone, but I will explain everything I can. You deserve that much at least.”

The reunited couple walked towards home, side by side as though the other would disappear if they moved even a step away. Wind started to follow, but stopped, instead going over to Steam and nodding in the direction of the shop. They had spent weeks traveling with him, Rose deserved her time undisturbed. Flora, however, was long gone, unwilling to watch her parent's happy reunion.

It all hurt just a little too much right now.

Thought

Silver Lining slowly trotted up to the tent lent to the New Lunar Republic behind Fluttershy's cottage. In a much larger pink tent there was laughter and music, the sounds of a legendary Pinkie Pie party, but here the cool winter air took on a feeling of severity, only adding to Silver's apprehension. Was this really a good time for something so unimportant?

Except it was important, if only to her, and so she pressed onwards, knocking on the solid post beside the door flap. “Come in,” came the quick reply in a voice she knew quite well. Even with all the time apart, she could never really forget it. She cautiously stepped inside, heart in her throat as she tried to find the words to say.

The inside of the tent was plain, identical to the outside except for the lack of snow and the addition of a couple cots and a table. A lamp hung in the center of the structure, bathing the interior in an orange glow that complemented its only current occupant. She looked up from the map she was studying, her purple eyes hard and irritated at first, though they softened the moment they recognized Silver. “Oh! I didn't think it was you! How's the enemy been treating ya, lil' sis?” Scootaloo trotted quickly over to her side, her steps clanking under the weight of her armor.

Silver smiled at the good reception, hugging her 'sister' affectionately. “I've been just fine. Grounded more than I'd like and harassed to no end, but fine.” She would have carried the hug on for as long as she could, to something more deserving of so many years apart, but the armor got in the way of that. Instead she pulled away, doing her best to keep herself level. It was twelve years ago that she'd last seen Scootaloo, over half of her life... But it wouldn't do to start off on the wrong hoof. “Can I sit and chat for a bit? You weren't at the party, but you didn't want to be lonely, right?”

“Of course! Stay as long as you like. Pinkie invited everypony to her party, even some Empire Knights, but that's just her being her. There needs to be some prep before I can throw the night away, though.” Scootaloo gave Silver another quick hug, then offered one of the cots to sit on. Scootaloo sat on the other one, bowing the material beneath her heavy armor. Her eyes ran over Silver's body, a hint of surprise showing in her eyes. “You've gotten so big since I last saw you... I guess time really has been marching on.”

Silver nodded, looking at the first hints of wrinkles around Scootaloo's eyes. “I just turned twenty this year. I wasn't even in the double digits when this all started.”

Scootaloo looked saddened by the information. “Has it really been that long?” She shook her head, looking down at the dirt floor. “I guess that's just one more reason why this needs to end as soon as possible...” She sighed, then perked up again. “How's mom doing? I meant to send a letter at some point, but mail doesn't cross the border easily. Is she still teaching?”

“Every day, or she would be if it weren't break,” Silver confirmed. “Cheerilee's as active as ever, though there's only a couple fillies to teach this year. It's the second year in a row with no new enrollments in the school. Ponies just aren't having many foals lately.”

Scootaloo gave a sorry smirk. “Here too? I wouldn't know too much about it, but apparently the birth rate is waaaaay down in Manehattan and the other cities, too. Though with so many ponies out fighting, I'm not surprised there aren't as many being made at home.” She looked over into the corner of the tent, as though that particular bit of dirt was suddenly very interesting, before rolling her eyes slowly, following the trajectory of her slowly approaching thought. “Sooooo... speaking of, you got anypony special in your life?”

Silver looked at Scootaloo flatly. “Really?”

“What?” Scootaloo said defensively. “Aren't I allowed to be curious?”

Silver sighed. This was as good a time as any. “It just wasn't one of the first questions I expected after my mother's return.”

Scootaloo's eyes narrowed to pinpricks, her breathing visibly increasing in speed. “Did Cheerilee-?”

“I figured it out on my own. Cheerilee doesn't know I know, but she might have a suspicion. She said a few unsubtle things.” Silver was calm apart from her wings, which twitched at her side, betraying her worry. She could see Scootaloo's freakout as much as she could feel her own pounding heart. Still, the news was being taken fairly well.

Scootaloo's ears drooped as she looked at the floor. “You must hate me for keeping it from you this long.”

Silver let out a breath. This was all going smoother than she'd hoped. “No... not at all, really. Cheerilee was an amazing mom, and you had a whole war to go and start. You were too busy to take care of me.”

Scootaloo stood up, fear in her eyes. “No, that wasn't it at all! I just—”

Silver held up a hoof to stop her mother, a gentle smile on her face. “I'm not blaming you or anything, and I got over thinking I was the problem years ago. If I was in your position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same.”

Silver stood up, meeting Scootaloo halfway and looking her right in the eyes. “Cheerilee was everything I could ask for in a mom, and if you didn't think you could give me that when you left, then I completely understand your decision. I'm not mad and I really don't hate you. It's just, now that the secret's out... I wanted to get to know the real you. Not my busy big sister, but my super important world changing mom.”

Scootaloo's eyes were shining with the promise of tears, not the eyes of a hardened war veteran, but those of a mare not sure if she should be relieved or horrified. “So... you're really okay with all of this? You don't hate me or never want to see me again or anything?”

Silver giggled, wrapping a wing around Scootaloo and hugging her close. “Just don't keep something that big hidden again and we should be good. Though you could visit more often than you did during your guard training.”

Scootaloo smiled warmly, wrapping her own wing around her daughter and leaning into the hug while nuzzling against her affectionately. “You don't know how happy I am, my little Silver Lining.”

Silver disengaged from the hug herself, laughing at the reaction and sudden attention. “I'm sure I can take a guess.” She walked back over to the cot, sitting down quickly before a thought occurred. “Oh, and to answer your question: No, there's nopony special right now. There almost was, but things got complicated and you probably don't want to hear about that...”

“Nope, I don't want to hear about it. I need to.” Scootaloo sat down on the other cot, listening with rapt attention in a pose Silver had caught herself in more than once. “Now, from the beginning. We've got a lot of catching up to do.”

Flora wandered haphazardly through town, deliberately trying to avoid anywhere where she might run into somepony she knew or somewhere she'd remember the current situation, but she wasn't having much luck. Everywhere she went, the usually sleepy town of Ponyville buzzed with activity, its ponies atwitter as they recounted the tale for ponies who hadn't seen it or been further back in the crowd. The market was the worst, as were many of the notable 'historic' sites where the Elements of Harmony had spent their time before becoming big deals, but even the edges of town weren't safe, skirted with gawkers or the very armies she was trying to forget about.

The best place to hide in town, it seemed, was the park. With the bare trees and mounds of snow it lacked the springtime flowers or the summer sun that normally drew ponies there. However, even solitude didn't help her efforts in the park, as her hooves inevitably took her past that fateful bush. It was like any other bush in the park, but as a filly she'd heard the story over and over about how her father had tried to sneak out while injured and how her mother had found him sleeping in the park, unable to get much further in his weakened state. It had been a cute story, even the twelfth time she'd heard the darn thing, but that memory was the worst offender right now. It had made her directly think about him.

His arrival had immediately stoked a fire in her chest as he strutted around in front of the strongest ponies in the land as though he owned the place. After all these years, after abandoning her and her mother, after driving off her sister and getting her brother killed, he had shown up like it was nothing. Even if he had left to protect them, even if he had thought the whole time that his actions were just and right, the fact that he had the audacity not to come back groveling for forgiveness...

But Rose had offered it. After everything he'd done, after all of that suffering, the crying, all those nights for years that Flora lay awake in bed listening to her mother sob, unable to do a thing about it, he'd returned and none of it mattered anymore. One slap and the air was clear again.

Flora stomped hard, sending up a flurry of snow as she turned away from the bush, only her honor as a gardener keeping her from trampling it into the dust. All of that pain gone in a single hit? Flora kicked Jazz halfway across a greenhouse and they still hadn't talked to each other. If it hadn't been for the armies meeting, she still wouldn't have seen him since the argument, but they got a happy ending?

For five years all on her own she'd kept the house safe, kept her mother above water, kept Rosewater in business, kept Sweet Apple Acres from stagnating and falling apart, and the only consolation she'd gotten from all of that was the ability to do her own experiments in what little free time remained. She'd been a stranger in the sad, stuffy air of her own home for years, missing out on all that carefree teenage time... How come they got to instantly be happy again? Where was her pony to hold her close and tell her everything would be alright?

She ripped open the door to her greenhouse, slamming it shut behind her and locking it firmly. This wasn't even a place for Silver right now, this was a place for the warmth around her to match the fire in her chest... a fire dangerously close to dying out and letting in that stabbing icy cold once more. Dejectedly she moved to the center of the room, curling herself around the pot that contained her crystal tree. It was the last thing she had, the dampness of tears running down the clay container as she hugged it close, looking up at the two growing buds. One was on the edge of blossoming, filled with life and happiness, but the other remained frozen and still, as locked as the rest of the plant had been. A third bud had even appeared, tiny, hidden under the leaves around it, but even it had shown some growth.

Looking at the frozen bud, she noticed a vein of black appearing in the center of the vibrant green crystal, and it brought her to tears. She was great at growing plants, it was her entire cutie mark! And yet somehow this one was dying before her. Something was eating it alive from the inside, but nobody could help it or tell it why… She knew exactly how that flower bud felt, but she couldn't even begin to think of a solution.

Rose and Ink Well took the trip from town square to home slowly, moving as though getting more than a few inches apart would be a worse pain than death. Ink Well had trepidations as he embraced his wife with his wing, with his heart fluttering and falling with every few steps, sure that the bliss he was feeling was too good to be true, that all of this had to be a dream. There was no way, in any of the scenarios he'd played out in his mind in the seven years he'd been gone, that she would so happily be under his wing once more. Yet there she was, bringing a warmth to his side more precious to him than anything else in the world right now.

As they turned the corner to their street, beginning the long walk to the house, Rose's head leaned against Ink Well's shoulder, her steps getting even closer to him as they went along. He looked at the top of her head worriedly, seeing a few hairs of her beautiful burgundy mane replaced by grey. The years had not been kind to either of them, and before he could give it a second thought, he gently kissed the top of her head, then leaned his own against hers. She didn't stir, which, he continued to hold in his harrowed heart, was a good sign, but they both began to walk a little awkwardly to keep up the position.

As they reached the door, Ink Well had to pause before it, mind yelling at him not to break the dream. However, the key was in his bag, currently covered by his wife's form, and if they wanted to enter the house, something was going to have to give. He could feel her head turn to the door, her shoulders heaving in a sigh before she lifted herself from him, leaving from beneath his wing to get her key and open the door. He almost stopped her before she completely pulled away, breath held to see if she'd become a changeling or fade into the aether, but she remained herself as she reached the handle, opening up the house he'd left behind.

He'd seen this moment hundreds of times in his dreams, sometimes in spring, with the smell of fresh flowers and butterflies floating through the windows, sometimes in the dead of winter, standing alone in drifts of snow collected on the carpet. More than once the house wasn't there at all, just charred remains smoldering around three charred corpses... Sometimes blood he couldn't stop, or fates worse yet awaited.

Stepping through the door, it was nothing like he had pictured, yet everything he wanted. The house was cold with winter chill, but warm with the slight mess of everyday living. Many of the decorations were gone from the shelves, a crack in the glass of a nearby cabinet showing that the house had not gone unscathed. Even by leaving and doing everything he could to keep them safe, trouble had found them all on its own...

A short growl came from the doorway to the dining room, and as Ink Well looked over, he saw Dot's hairs bristle on the back of her neck. However, after looking at his face, recognition bloomed, and she ran over to greet her master and friend. Or, rather, she waddled over quickly, her aging legs only letting her move so quickly, no matter how quickly her tail wagged. When he had left, she'd still seemed like such a pup playing around her mother's old form... My, how times had changed.

He stood in the living room, slowly looking around at a house he no longer belonged in. Everywhere were little changes, small things that made the place alien to him, until he turned around and saw Rose at the door, a her eyes sad, yet gleaming as she watched him. She closed the door behind her, cutting off the chilled wind before walking past him towards the dining room. “Is there anything you would like? Tea or coffee or something else?”

Ink Well hesitated, watching her go on without him. She knew his preferences still, right? And yet, why should she? He didn't look like the same stallion he was when he left, he couldn't blame her for thinking his tastes had changed too. “Tea, a little honey, some lemon—”

“—and a dash of sugar, of course.” She smiled back at him from the doorway, something warmer and deeper than he imagined he'd see. Though he was happy to see it at all, the memory of those skeletal forms he'd been haunted by for years flashed over her face before she left. He shook his head, dismissing the demon of doubt from his mind before walking into the dining room and taking his seat nearest the door.

As he sat down and looked in front of him, his heart plummeted, quickly trying to drown itself beneath the tears the sight had threatened to spill. A royal helmet, a flag, and a letter leaning against it. He'd carried the letter for over two years, knowing it would have a place of honor when it finally arrived, but never guessing it would be there. In a way, it made sense, as Newsprint was always at the table, but to keep it in such a prominent position still... To have those memories pressing in every day, threatening to take hold, she'd... well, she'd be in the same position he'd kept himself.

Ink Well didn't move to a different spot as he waited for his tea, nor did he shift as it was placed before him, Rose placing her own cup at her chair beside him. Other couples ate across the table, but they were never that far apart. Or, they hadn't been... It was still only hope that made him think it wouldn't happen again. But hope had gotten him this far, so it had to be trusted for something.

He blew the steam off of his tea, then took a sip, eyes closing as the familiar, almost forgotten taste slipped past his tongue and nearly brought him to tears once more. It was just a little too sweet, always just off from right, and at the end there would be a glob of honey stuck to the bottom of the teacup, but it was perfect exactly how it was. He'd never take it for granted again.

“I should've insisted that I take the train.” Those words snapped Ink Well from his memories, causing him to look over at Rose, who watched him carefully. “You could've flown to Canterlot and met me there. We would've met with her together.”

Ink Well sighed heavily, a slow nod showing he'd had that thought too. He'd had hundreds of thoughts on how the night should have gone, but he'd been judged before he even had made his appearance. “I couldn't have carried you out with me and made it to the border, especially not after flying to Canterlot to start, and who knows what would have happened to the kids without their mother?”

“Newsprint would have stepped up to keep them safe, and all of them would have been here for our return.” Rose took a sip of her tea, the matter having been decided in her head many moons ago. “On hoof, slowly, perhaps nursing an injury we got in the escape, but at least together.”

Ink Well smirked at that, warmth flooding his body as he looked at her determined face. “Looking back is always so simple, to the point where one questions how we ever looked ahead. And, as your simple solution shows, we did a poor job of that at the start.” He looked into his teacup, already sadly low considering how recently he got it. He hoped this wouldn't be a recurring theme, but there were still so many things he had to do. Looking at Rose, he began down the list. “I abandoned you. I broke our vow, shamed our family, put all of us in danger, and then vanished without a trace to let you deal with the consequences. My actions caused our son to give his life for a fight he didn't believe in and our daughter to run away from her home into a dangerous land, and you did not get so much as one letter explaining any of it.”

Rose watched Ink Well flatly, the hint of surprise from his initial statement disappearing as he continued his list. When he finished, she was silent for a moment, looking into her teacup, then into his eyes, looking for her answers there. “Is this a confession, an admission of guilt, or an attempt to take the blame?”

Ink Well took a deep breath to calm himself, wishing her earlier warmth would return, but knowing he deserved much worse than he was getting. “All three. I need you to remember and keep those in mind, else I fear you won't judge me as you properly should.”

Rose continued to look at him blankly. “So this is a trial?”

“No more than we've already been through.” Tonight was going to be a long night, but even if it was the only one he ever spent by her side again... at least he'd gotten one last afternoon together. “It all started when I arrived in Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala, draft letter in hoof...”

As the sun began to set Flora set out from her greenhouse, though her destination still eluded her. She couldn't go home, knowing exactly what she'd do when she saw her father and how little her mother would appreciate it. She could have gone to the shop, but for some reason seeing Wind and her friend together just rubbed her the wrong way. Being chased from their homes, hunted across the wilderness, and still they always smiled like everything was going to be okay. Like the world was better just for them being here... It was almost as bad as her parents right now.

She supposed she could sleep in the greenhouse. It wouldn't be the most pleasant place in the world, but it would do. However, after spending so much time curled up around the crystal plant sympathizing with a flower bud, she really didn't want to repeat the emotions if she could avoid it.

Instead she wandered, keeping her mind as blank and free from thoughts she didn't want as she could manage. Instead of focusing on the negative, she tried to pull up a positive image. Something she could truly grab onto and be happy. One piece of good to come out of all of these war torn years.

A stallion standing tall, eyes closed, completely lost to the music he is creating as the flowers behind him glowed and pulsed, the buds enjoying the moment as much as he did. The music ends and the world holds its breath with the reverberations of the final note. There is a gentle smile on his face as he opens his eyes... and there is nothing but anger in them, the flowers behind drooping as he stomps towards her, face filled with hate.

Flora stopped in her tracks, feeling the ice spearing through her heart again. Why did all of her happy memories have to be with Jazz? On the farm, in the orchards and fields, laughing, working, playing. The kiss in the barn as both of their worlds met through music, even the haunting chill of hearing him play in Jennydale... Silver was there for so much, the best and most supportive friend, yet still Flora could only focus on what could have been.

She looked up into the clear cold sky, wondering how the world could stay the same when so much change was threatening to come. Tomorrow the world was threatening to change for the better, but it didn't alter her reality or her petty little selfish heart. She should be happy for everypony else, supporting them through the good and the bad like she always did. But instead she wandered through the cold, probably worrying her mother sick, and for what?

She looked around, ears drooping as she recognized her surroundings, even in the dark. She'd walked this path a million times, and it led to all those painful, happy memories. Of course I walked here, it's all I can think about! she yelled in her head, furious at her heart and her hooves. She prepared to turn around, refusing to think this was what she had wandered for, but through the trees she caught glimpses of a light, while the faint sounds of happy chatting voices promised her warm food and a fire. Her stomach growled, ignored all day for matters of the heart, and the cold reaching from the dark and leeching heat from her bones sealed the deal. With only a moment's hesitation she hopped over the fence, making her way through the sleeping orchard.

As she got closer to the farm house she was able to make out a tent, the Equestrian banner proudly displayed at its entrance. It would make sense that the Royal Army would camp out on Applejack's land. She was their leader, after all. However the tents looked empty, the warmth and sound and joy all spreading from the barn. As she came closer, the top of the doors swung open, ballons and confetti exploding into the dark, powered by the sounds of endless mirth and joyful music, calling like a siren song to Flora's saddened heart.

As she got closer, she wondered for a moment if she would be welcome, but the glimpse she caught of the scene inside had a surprising amount of Ponyville crammed into the wooden structure as well. And even if they'd been invited, Flora was sure Big Mac or Applejack would let her in to help out. 'It wouldn't be a party without family!' Applejack would yell, while Big Mac quietly kept the concession area full and the ponies happy, glad for a little quiet company in the revelry. Suddenly the image of worry that must've hit Mac's face when he was told to cook for the surprise party sprang into her mind, causing her to laugh, her breath visible in the air outside. But what was she still doing outside? She happily trotted the rest of the way to the door, her hoof touching it and gripping to pull as she heard the fiddle start to play.

She froze at the door looking up at the small 'stage' set up where Jazz was playing brightly, a smile on his face as he kept the others dancing with his tune. And it really was a sight to see, with the Knights all out of armor, twirling around each other or with friends and supporters from Ponyville. Even Big Mac was in on the fun, dancing with his bad back while Applejack stood on the side, making sure nopony got too carried away. And moving between it all, the biggest oddity by far, the puffy pink mane of Ponyville's Premiere Party Pony, returned from her stint in the New Lunar Republic and celebrating among 'the enemy' like it was nothing.

Flora could barely take it all in before the music called back to her, tugging on her ears before pulling at her memories. It took a few moments, but eventually she recognized the tune. He'd played it many a time for the jazz apples, but never like this, with swoops and flourishes his trumpet couldn't catch, nearly hitting the entire counter melody with just his one instrument. She'd always felt she was holding him back, but he didn't have to rub it in...

But it wasn't. Even if he'd known she was there, there was something deeper to the music. Even with all its happiness and mirth, there was darkness welling up beneath it. It wasn't just a happy song, it was remembering the happy times, lamenting their passing and hoping they could return. He was making his instrument cry for him, just as he had in Jennydale, and it had the same effect. Soon the dancing had stopped, all ears enraptured by the music twirling about their heads. Without knowing, they could feel the undercurrents... they could feel him calling for her to return to his side.

The last note was drawn out beautifully, holding the entire barn in silence before they let out a cheer of joy, the party starting once more. The spell was broken, leaving Flora leaning awkwardly on the door, her face flushed with embarrassed anger. How could she have gotten so caught up in those charms? They'd pulled her in before, thinking he was more than he proved to be, and now she stood at the gate projecting all over him like he was going to run down to her and take her in his arms and everything would be fine again. But he didn't care. If he'd cared, he would have said something after all of the commotion earlier. If he'd cared, he wouldn't even be playing that violin right now!

She looked at the stage again, her eyes unmistakably locking with his, and she tried to read them, tried to look for just a hint of the love that was there before. A pony passed between them and she saw her moment, turning from the door and walking back out into the snow. It didn't matter if her stomach rumbled or her hooves cried for relief from the cold hard ground, she wasn't going to stay around. She walked out of the light, past the farm house, and risked one glance behind her at the empty space in front of the barn. If he'd cared, he would have followed...

She continued on her path from the Acres, but an incredibly stupid idea made her turn, instead heading for the unused fields in the back. She didn't want to go back to the shop or her greenhouse. She wanted to feel at home, like she'd so rarely done at her own house, and that could only be accomplished on the farm. But, more than that, there was one place she had in mind. She climbed up the old ramp to the treehouse, pushing open the door to the small space where she'd spent so much time as a filly. Luckily there were still a few blankets from Jazz's date all those months ago.

It'd be bitingly cold, but Flora was willing to take that chance as she grabbed as much bedding as she could, then lay down in the thinking spot, her pillow directly beneath the dusty old lamp that marked it. All of the Crusaders' best ideas had come from this very spot, and tonight she hoped to use its mystical powers one more time.

If I'm gonna think of a solution, she thought as she shivered beneath her meager covers, it's gonna be here. Resolutely she curled up into a ball, hoping the solution would come before the dawn.

Seeking Warmth

Jazz played for the party goers with gusto, their cheering and dancing far more musical to his ears than the fiddle in his hooves. Try as he might, he couldn't get the jazz apples to react nearly as positively to his playing as they did when he'd been with Flora, but even that didn't bother him. When she'd walked out, he'd expected the jazz apples would take a hit. What he didn't expect was the pit sitting beneath his heart.

Despite the smile on his face, it was only skin deep, hiding the scowl that had been glued to his face for the past few days. With every movement of his hoof drawing his bow across his fiddle, his chest ached, still sore from the kick he'd received from Flora. With every laugh and cheer around him, he could hear her giggling at his antics and his shows, making everything else seem mirthless. And as each note reached his ear, perfect in execution but so mechanical that he could barely recognize them as his own, he yearned for the days he'd lost.

He wasn't too proud to admit to himself that he missed her. In fact, if Ink Well's plan worked out, he was going to apologize to Flora and hope they could become friends again. It didn't matter that he despised her father for his cowardly actions, it had been a mistake to pass his faults onto her, particularly when she had just been worried for his safety.

And she hadn't been the only one. As soon as Applejack had shown up at Sweet Apple Acres with her platoon, Jazz had told her his intention to join up with the army. She'd managed to dismiss her knights and get away from Princess Celestia before exploding at him, but only barely. “Are you a dang fool, Jazz? I don' want ya ta join th' army, I'm fightin' so that you don' hafta!. If'n I'd wanted more of my family involved, I'dda sent a letter to your dad or gotten Big Mac in, bad back or no.”

Jazz had stood just inside the farmhouse door, stunned by what he was hearing from the most patriotic pony he knew. “Mom, ya ain't sympathizin' with the enemy, are ya?”

Applejack glared at him. “Don't ya dare use that word.”

Jazz was confused. “Sympathizer?”

The glare continued. “Enemy.” Applejack walked further into the house, putting an armored hoof around her son's shoulder as she did. “Those ponies on th' other side are fightin' for their land 'n their home, just like we are, 'n nopony's happy with the war. If'n ya start callin' 'em the enemy an' stop callin' em ponies, ya ain't respecting the value of the lives ya protect or the ones yer forced ta take.” She then turned him towards her before hugging his head close to her chest, even though he was taller than her. “But mah boy ain't gonna be forced ta take anythin'. The farm needs ya, especially after that stunt yer father pulled. Leave the fightin' to the ol' ponies that started this mess.”

Jazz finished his song, letting the celebrating ponies bow and trade places before starting the next square dance. As they did, he looked over to his mother, watching over her knights with an eagle eye. She'd already pulled ponies aside who were getting too rowdy and took the cider from the ponies that couldn't handle any more. She just wanted to see everypony out safely, whatever that meant. Of course she wouldn't have wanted to see Jazz hurt.

And to think of all the stupid things he'd convinced himself of when he'd entered the greenhouse that day... Sighing deeply to himself, Jazz readied the fiddle again, deciding to do a little something different. He took his bow wandering, needing a few moments to find the pathways he'd set down months before, but once he found them the fiddle was off, as lively and jumping as a stagecoach chase as he did something he'd never done before.

Jazz had never performed his pieces for the jazz apples in front of other ponies. Some of the older compositions had been turned into other things, but the first time anypony other than himself had heard one as it was initially written was when Flora had sat in his greenhouse, lighting up his life with her smile. From there he'd had her join, he'd played for Silver, he'd seen the pain and disappointment mar the sparkling emerald eyes he'd come to adore so much... Even if she couldn't hear him, he wanted to apologize, and this seemed like just the way.

The leaping notes and sweeping counter melodies flooded his mind, and though he was just one pony, his sound contained the notes of two as his hoof danced across the strings, picking out both his and her part. Even though he hadn't played it in so long, he could still feel her harmonies flowing through him, just as they had when they had been connected in each moment by the music. During those happy happy weeks, two ponies had become one... it was only fair that the work be remembered now.

He played his heart out for the ponies listening, no longer caring if it was a dancing tune or no, though he could feel the party continuing. He was too caught up in the flow of the music he created, swept away in the rhythm and the notes around each bend and dip in the song. All too soon he'd reached the end of the path, and though he wished he could continue in his memories, he had to bring it to an end. Still, he drew the last note until it reached the horizon, where maybe she would hear it and think once more of him.

The entire barn was silent, listening for the last note to truly disappear before it roared into applause and cheering, raucous once more. Jazz let out the breath he had been holding, glad he hadn't killed the party with his thoughts, when his eyes were caught with hers. As though summoned by the music, Flora was leaning on the barn gate, her look conflicted, her eyes searching, and then a pony passed between, and the next instant she was gone. He'd been so surprised to see her that he could do little more than raise a hoof toward the door futilely, wishing she'd come back.

It was then that Applejack walked up to him, nudging him playfully on the shoulder. “Wheoo-wee, Pinkie sure does know how to throw a party on short notice! Ain't no way she coulda gotten the barn set up before we got here, yet look at the place. Ya'd think she'd be throwin' a party fer the other side, really.” When she saw his dejected expression, her own smile faded. “Somethin' botherin' ya?”

Jazz held back a sigh. “I thought I saw Flora at the gate, but she left when I stopped playin'.”

Applejack's mouth scrunched up in bemusement. “She does know she's invited, right? I'll go let 'er know while you set up fer yer next song.”

“Nah, don't bother, it'd just bring down the party. She's pro'bly still mad about a couple days ago.” He looked at the fiddle in his hoof, then shook his head. “I don't feel like playin' much anyway...”

Applejack moved in front of him, stopping him with a gentle armored hoof. “Alright, what happened?”

“I... well...” Jazz rubbed his neck nervously, knowing how she'd react and feeling a bit of a fool himself for what he was about to say. “A few days ago we were finishin' up in the greenhouse an' I told her I wanted ta join the war. She got mad at me 'n told me not ta go 'n I... said some things.”

“What kinda 'things'?” Applejack's voice was hard with skepticism, only adding to Jazz's nervousness. When he remained silent, she cleared her throat, glaring him down with all the combined force of a mother and a drill instructor. To him, the first was far scarier.

“I... I kinda said she didn' care about the ponies she'd lost in the war an' mighta called her a foolcowardpegasus'ntraitor...”

Applejack's jaw hardened, a lot more tension appearing in her body. “You did what!?” When Jazz just stood there looking sorry for himself, Applejack had to take a step back, the control in her actions immense. “If I didn' love ya an' think I'd kill ya doin' it, I'd buck you somethin' fierce!”

“Flora did when I said it, then yelled at me before stormin' out. I ain't talked ta her since.” He stared at the floor of the stage, ready for whatever punishment his mother had in store for him, when the violin case clattered into sight and opened before his eyes. He looked up, seeing Applejack's head coming back to a rest after her throw.

“What're you still doin' in here? Get out there an' fix it before ya can't!” Jazz moved to speak and was immediately stopped. “Now, Jazz. Ya don't get second chances.” Jazz looked back at the case, seeing the bandanna Flora had left behind in the greenhouse sitting inside. Quickly he put away his fiddle, grabbed the little green square of fabric, and ran for the barn exit, weaving between partygoers as best as he could.

Bursting out into the freezing winter air, Jazz looked around for Flora, but all around him was darkness with no clues to where she could've gone. Sweet Apple Acres was a big enough place as it was, but there was no reason to think she'd even still be on the farm, and even if she was, what was he going to say? Like 'sorry' could fix their issues...

Jazz slumped down on the hard ground, just as he had the day she'd left, too late then as well. He sighed, watching his breath freeze before him, the outside chill nipping at his heart. His mother had been right. You don't get second chances. With ears drooping low and tail dragging across the ground, Jazz made his way inside to lose himself among the party guests.

After all of the excitement of the day, it was hard for Wind to buckle down and focus on repairing her mother's perfumery, but she somehow managed, gushing all the while to Steam about how excited she was to see her father again and how amazed she was she hadn't recognized him. After all, she'd been glued to his side when she'd been growing up, she'd have thought she'd know him anywhere. But he'd looked so different, and with the cloak always covering him and the way he'd talked, she never could have…

For her part Steam listened on, amused and warmed by her friend's antics. She'd found it more and more charming how Wind would get swept up in her conversations when she was truly excited about something, particularly considering how often they both sat in silence, hard at work. Back when she'd been working as a waitress, it was her experience that ponies either chatted to the point of annoyance or were silent and standoffish to a fault. Never had she found a mare so able to balance the two extremes.

Steam welded the last brass patch into place, buffing the entire area around it until it was nearly seamless and sparkling like the rest of the workroom. She then looked around at the gleaming machines, feeling the joy of a job well done wash over her. And, on top of that, now she didn't feel quite so bad about taking the room above it to sleep in.

Wind got up from where she was, wiping some of the oil off on her bandanna before tying it back around her mane, a bright smile on her face. “You really did an amazing job in here, Steam! It looks better than I've ever seen it.” She patted Steam on the back, standing beside her to admire their handiwork.

Steam shook her head. “It wouldn't look nearly this good if you hadn't helped polish it. Though I'm just glad I can pay your mother back for all her hospitality.”

“Paying her back? You didn't need to do that. She already… Oh!Ohohohohohohohohohoh!” Wind suddenly began to dance in place, eyes wide and face beaming, before she turned to Steam. “I know how I can pay you back for the time in your apartment! Go put on the Ready Wings and meet me out front.”

“You already paid me back by getting me to safety, and with the gem cutter, and—” Steam started to protest, but was cut off by Wind.

“None of that! Ready Wings and probably warm clothes. You won't be sorry.” With that Wind took off, flying between the machinery and pipes and out the door to the shop, where the bell signaled she'd left the store.

Steam just shook her head, smiling at Wind's antics before going upstairs and getting the items Wind had asked for. She got the hat, scarf, and earmuffs she had borrowed from the main house, unfortunately unable to keep her hooves warm thanks to her magic slippers, but otherwise set for the cold winter night. As she was getting ready to strap on the wings, however, she remembered her letter, still waiting where she'd hidden it in her mane. Removing her hat, she took the letter and tucked it back into the strap of the Ready Wings. Tonight, she thought to herself, I'm going to deliver it. Whatever her reaction is.

Less than a minute later she was outside, watching Wind turn around in circles, slightly puzzled by the sky. “It's not that late, is it? We've only been working for a couple hours, right?”

The moon was high above, steadily working its way to the top of the sky, and all around most of the lights of Ponyville were already out for the evening. Steam looked at all of the evidence and shrugged. “Well, I guess we must have lost track of the night.”

Wind pouted for a moment, but remained resolute. “No matter! It just means we're less likely to meet anypony else in the air, and I think I'd prefer that right now.” She hovered off the ground, holding out a hoof and waiting for Steam to join her. “Let's go, while the night is still young.”

Steam was a little tentative about late night flying, particularly when she knew the Royal Army was so close by, but as she looked into Wind's friendly, determined eyes, she couldn't help but smile, taking the hovering mare's hoof. Unfortunately it was impossible to hold onto it and make the mechanical wings work, but the gesture was there anyway as Steam set herself hovering beside her friend. “So,” she said as she got into the rhythm of flight once more, “where are we going?”

Wind smirked playfully. “Just trust me and keep close. It'll be worth the trip.” Wind slowly rose into the air, making sure that Steam was indeed following before she giggled and took off towards the edge of town. Steam's smile grew at that, doing her best to match her companion's speed, like they had done playing in the sky on their way here.

Steam knew she could never catch the pegasus, the natural born flier far speedier than the mechanics let the unicorn move, but Wind wasn't trying to keep away or even make it a competition. She never got more than a few lengths ahead of Steam, and was often looking back, her smile beaming in the moonlight when she saw Steam keeping steady behind.

Their flight path took them near the camp for the NLR, the sounds of a party rising from the two well lit tents, but Wind ignored those in favor of flying over the dark Everfree Forest. Even in the dead of winter the trees were heavy and thick, the snowy blanket only serving to make a greater shell over the dangerous lands beneath. After a few minutes flying over it, Steam started to feel uneasy moving over the dark branches and the wild magics they contained. She slowed down a little, occasionally glancing back at the few lights she could see marking Ponyville far behind.

Wind saw her friend's discomfort and slowed to a stop, spinning around in the clear night sky. She seemed confident enough, but it soon became clear that she was looking for something that she wasn't finding. Motioning for Steam to stay where she was, Wind flew a ways away, then high up, all the while searching for whatever she'd brought Steam out here to see.

Steam watched for a while, willing to humor Wind as the cold of winter, somehow amplified over the frozen forest below, seeped into her fur. Even with all of the movement needed to keep in the air, soon Steam was aching, the tips of her hooves getting sore from their motions. When finally Wind came back from her search, looking more than a little downtrodden, Steam just smiled reassuringly, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. “There, there. It's alright. I don't think I could've found anything out here either, even if I knew the place.”

“It's not that. I was hoping there'd be a storm, but it's clear as crystal out here tonight.” Wind pouted, the lack of rain actually having a heavy effect on her previous joyful mood.

Steam wanted to go over and hug her to make her feel better, but that too was impossible with the mechanical wings keeping her aloft. And, as the ache started to set into her legs, she spotted a solution she preferred to trying to land in the foreboding trees below. “Hey,” she said, taking a few panting breaths to keep in the air. “The weather changes on its own out here, right? How about we go over to that mountain and wait for a while? Something might change.”

Wind looked over to the lonely mountain in question, ears drooping a little as she heard the tiredness in Steam's voice. “Yeah… okay.” They made their way over, finding the tallest mountain and settling down between the barren trees at the top of a sheer rock wall.

As soon as she hit the soft snow, Steam took off the wings, setting it down on one side of a tree that she too leaned back against, a spark of magic running between her hooves as she tried to warm up while Wind continued her scout for foul weather. Steam watched her, feeling a little sorry that Wind's surprise was going so poorly. “You know, even without the rain, it's really beautiful out here.”

Wind sighed. “Yeah...”

Steam got up, getting a little closer to her friend. “And, you know… There's already been so much going on today, maybe just spending time outside is enough on its own?”

Wind sighed again, pouting as she looked at the ground. “No. It's not. I wanted to do something special for you.”

Steam's heart began to flutter in her chest as she took another few steps towards her dejected friend. “Something special?”

“Yeah. I wanted to pay you back for being awesome and letting me work in your apartment and not freaking out about the travel and… well, everything we've gone through, and after seeing my dad, I remembered this really great story he told me he did when he and my mom were first getting to know each other. He got Twilight Sparkle, before she was a princess, to cast a spell that gave mom wings, and then he flew out here and they stood in a storm and he saw the most perfect moonbow.” She looked back, the disappointment with herself apparent in her eyes. “I wanted to see it for myself and show it to you, but… well...”

Steam's own ears drooped with Wind's as the pegasus looked forlornly over the cliff once more. It hurt to see Wind's heart falling like that. Just like it had hurt to see Wind falling from the sky, off a similar cliff so very far away from here. As Steam looked around, the wing pack off on the side, the wind rustling through her mane, her horn aglow as a little beacon in the dark, she couldn't help but think back to the day she'd first met Wind. She thought about that day more often than she cared to admit, a blush coming to her cheeks as she did once more.

She had to tell Wind what she meant to her. How happy she was now, how unfair it was for the pegasus to be feeling sad after all the good she had done. Steam picked up the letter from the straps in her magic, hovering it into her hooves. “Wind, don't feel so bad about the moonbow. I know you wanted to show me something special, but you don't have to. You've already… I mean you're so kind to me, and… What I'm trying to say, I guess, is… well, if you'd just read—”

Steam slowly walked to Wind's side as she worked up the courage to get the words out, scared what might happen if she revealed her feelings to her best friend in the world. If somehow Wind got offended or pushed her away because of it… Luckily for her, she didn't have to go through with it as Wind's hoof and wing shot out, pulling Steam to her side while her other hoof pointed down into a valley in the mountain. “Steam! Look!”

Steam looked down where she was directed, seeing a thin waterfall in the stationary landscape. Much of the river above was frozen over, but what was still flowing tumbled off the edge of the cliff, many of the droplets turning to snow as they tumbled through the freezing air. However, in the spray forming around the base of the lone waterfall, light sparkled up at the pair on the mountain, the snow and mist coming together with the moonlight to create a vivid moonbow, all colors of the rainbow standing out against the frozen, dormant landscape.

As much as the beautiful sight warmed Steam's heart, it did little compared to the downy feathers of the wing holding her to Wind's side. Feeling that warm shell wrapped around her was something amazing that she didn't even realize she'd missed until that morning. She melted into the comfortable embrace, leaning against Wind with a deep smile on her face. Wind looked down at her, proud excitement shining in her eyes. “Isn't it awesome Steam?”

Steam just nodded, snuggling a little closer. “Yeah… yeah it is.” A thought went to the letter clutched in her hoof, but she brushed it aside, not wanting to squander this one perfect moment.

They spent what seemed like hours watching their little hidden moonbow, nothing bothering them in their chilly perch as the night sky rolled by overhead. Eventually, however, Wind realized the night was late when Steam yawned, passing the tiredness to Wind. “We should probably head back...” Wind said, not moving a single muscle as she did.

“Yeah… we should.” Steam almost nuzzled into Wind's side, refusing to move from her warm, safe shell.

“I need to get home before mom realizes I'm gone… though she might still be up talking or something with dad...” Wind continued to stay stock still, apart from her head, which fell softly to lean on top of Steam's.

Steam nodded slowly, then, with her heart in her throat, voiced a thought. “You know, you could stay with me in your shop tonight...” She smiled weakly, peeking over at Wind's moon bathed face, where she saw no reaction. “The bed is a little big for one pony, and it's very cold alone. I mean, you don't have to, but after all those times in the caves on the way over, I wouldn't mind some company, if you—”

Wind's smile spread across her face as she looked back, her eyes closing and her head tilting cutely. “Of course! What a good idea. I accept.” She unwrapped her wing from Steam's side quickly, allowing in the freezing chill of midwinter in the mountains, which sent Steam shivering. Wind then ran over to the Ready Wings, helping Steam get them on despite the cold. “We need to get you home before you turn into a ponycicle.”

Steam just nodded, getting the machine going before hovering in the air, her motions doing little to warm her up. The flight home was swift and smooth, as was their entrance to the cold shop front, running up the stairs and removing the wings and winter clothes. Soon, Steam was shivering beneath the bed covers, only to be warmed by Wind's body entering like a space heater. When Wind felt how cold her friend was, she wrapped her hooves and wings around her, once more cocooning the unicorn in warmth. This ended up making them both unbearably overheated, but neither of them seemed to notice as they quickly drifted off to sleep, a content smile on both of their faces.

Journey's End

Ink Well trudged through the snow and winds, feeling them biting his back with every step he took, his hooves freezing in the snow. Ahead were the great gates of Volary, the centerpiece of the Gryphon Kingdoms, but they were shut, as had been every town from the border to here. He was tired, hungry, and shivering as he stumbled through the snow, but the cloaked figure made his way ever onward, stopping only once he was sure he could be heard and lowering his cloak. “Please, I request entrance to your city.”

A head looked over the edge, the gryphoness's face as cold as any of the others, though she seemed more conflicted, like she was being forced to say it. “Go away! We don't just allow any pony to wander up to us and...” She stopped, looking once more at the haggard, lined face before recognition struck her. “Ink Well? Is that you? I'll be right there!”

The gates slowly swung inwards, the other guards looking at him with disgust, while the one from the wall ran forward, the pink feathers around her eyes highlighting her worry. “It's okay, Ink Well. I'll get you inside.”

Ink Well shook his head feebly, his weak protestations lost in her caring movements. “Gilda, we have hardly spoken in so long, you can't throw caution to the wind just to—” He was silenced by a coughing fit, the cold he had caught on the way wracking his body.

Gilda just shook her head, walking him past the guards that glared at both of them and placing him inside a small house near the entrance. “I still owe you a debt for Steelwing and myself, and that doesn't count what we all owe you for the factory... I'll take the heat, you just rest.”

Ink Well wanted to complain, but when his head touched pillow, he was already asleep, his labored breathing fighting to recover from his journey so far.

“I stayed in Gilda's care for three days before I was strong enough to do anything,” Ink Well said as he sipped from his third cup of tea, looking into Rose's eyes as he continued to recount his tale. “She had been given a safe job as a city guard after the incident on the Darkest Night. A reward for services rendered, though it was the last thing she wanted. She truly wanted to be an adviser to the king, having had more experience with ponies than even the king's trusted diplomat, but she was a commoner: it couldn't be done. However, I had some clout, so when I had recovered, she asked me if there was anything I could do.”

He sighed. “Even 'the savior of the gryphon proples' wasn't a good enough voice to talk down the king, and he only grudgingly accepted my presence in his city. He was in a cold war with the ponies of the Crystal Empire over attacks on a mountain pass between their borders. When I asked what could be done to earn his trust, he dispatched me as an ambassador to the empire, certain that Princess Cadance would more likely listen to a pony than a gryphon.

“The problem, however, wasn't the Crystal Empire. A frost dragon had taken up residence near that mountain, and it attacked me and the gryphons protecting me as we traveled through. Conveniently, Prince Shining Armor was traveling as an ambassador himself when the dragon attack happened, and the attempts made on his life pushed him and his guard into hiding with us. It was a tense situation, particularly since Shining was loyal to Princess Celestia and thought I was a traitor to be turned in, but I convinced him now was not the time, and we grudgingly worked together.

“Between his shields and the gryphons' weaponry they managed to subdue the raging dragon, forcing her to listen to reason when the only alternative was death. It took some negotiations, and for some reason they decided I should be the pony to do them, but staring down that frosted white maw I eventually convinced her to move her home so as to not attack the gryphons or crystal ponies.

“Now that both sides had proof that the other wasn't the cause of the problem, they were quite easily able to establish friendly trade between the nations, eventually leading to the state you saw today with their joint demands of independence.” He unpinned the feather that was on his woven shirt, holding it up for Rose to see. “In service to King Grandis of the gryphons I was trained in survival and a few gryphon customs over the course of a year, treated as one of their own. When that time was up, I was given the Gilded Feather. I am, officially, the voice of the gryphons in pony lands, while my suggestions let Gilda be placed as a voice of reason in Grandis' ear.

“Seeing that I had the support of the gryphons, I used Rarity's relatively new underground network to move safely through the entire continent, meeting with all of the races to see if they could help me talk sense to our leaders. The dragons cared little for the affairs of ponies, scaring me from their lands, while the minotaurs were too focused on industry to bother with politics. Rarity speaks for the diamond dogs, but she gave me instructions to use the Everfree not only to find the indifferent and elusive deer, but the waving grasslands of the zebra nation. They, like the others, did not wish to get involved in foreign politics, but apparently my reputation preceeded me.

“The zebra Elder believed in my cause, and, knowing I was coming, presented me with the gift I now wear. A woven chestpiece to protect me from harm and keep me safe on my journey. I still remember her words. 'Though only hearts you seek to soothe, there's naught but peril on the path of truth.' I thanked her for her gift and was left with just one race to speak to. I wandered into the Badlands, searching for their home, but they were the ones to find me...”

Ink Well collapsed in his cell, his brain foggy and his thoughts scattered after the changelings fed off of him, the remnants of their strange green magic swirling around his head. He hoofed the ground lightly, trying to crawl his way back to standing, but he couldn't do it, feeling far too weak after the feeding, like he always did. Like, it seemed, he always would.

Nearly two years ago they had captured him, able to catch a hint of the love floating around him and capturing him immediately, threatening him with worse should his flow ever stop. Even without the fevered dreams the cocoons offered the other ponies, he was a fountain of love, all of it based around the pony he held in his heart, the pony he missed more than all others right now...

They had tried to tempt him a few times to milk more from him. Faked escape attempts were staged or body doubles brought in with bedroom eyes and empty promises, but he had refused them all. There was only one Rose, true and pure, waiting for him when he would eventually escape, and he wouldn't allow her memory to be sullied by their horrid lies. Eventually they relented, but in return, they demanded his supply never falter, else he'd suffer the same fate as so many others.

So far he had upheld his end of the bargain, and so had the changelings, yet to put him in the pod. There was even an instance where, after being fed from by the queen herself, he was given a tour of her Hive, as she referred to it, showing him the seemingly endless rows of stark black buildings hidden in a chasm among the sandy dunes. In this barren land her people had created civilization, feasting on unfortunate travelers like himself, and he was one of a privileged few ever to see it. After that she had fed again, draining him until he could hardly breathe before tossing him back in his cell like an empty juice box.

That had been a month ago, and Ink Well didn't know if he could hold on any longer. He still loved Rose with all his heart, still able to create enough to satisfy the seemingly endless hunger of the guards, but there were more every day, draining his life, his love, his energy... It was only a matter of time before he either died or ran dry.

As he staggered to his hooves, looking at the ponies trapped in pods just across the hall from him, he noticed something in their reflective surfaces. A hole forming behind him that had never been there before. He turned, expecting a private visit from the queen or something much worse, but instead he is greeted by a sandy furred pegasus with one ear who motioned him closer. “Come quickly, Ink Well, before they know we're here!”

The changelings had staged an escape for him before, nearly breaking his heart when they presented their gilded Rose and beating him mercilessly when he lashed out... but even if this was death, a trap concocted for some new, twisted reason, he was willing to give it a shot. He had to if he wanted to survive. He moved as fast as he could, following the other pegasus down through the darkness of twisting, rough tunnels hewed from the rocks.

The other pegasus kept close to Ink Well, making sure he never got lost as the narrow tunnel opened wide, yawning into an abyss with no end and no escape. Ink Well entered this maw, sure he'd reached the deadest of ends, when suddenly there was a light. It was the glow of magic, but it revealed his worst fear: dozens of changelings, all looking at him intently, their blue insectoid eyes locked on him. But, unlike for the last two years, none of them were demanding or hungry. They all seemed relieved, maybe even happy.

It was then that he realized the magic illuminating them wasn't green, but instead a familiar violet hue. His eyes moved from the swarm around him to the source of the light, causing him to bow in deference. The pegasus that had led Ink Well down took a spot by the magic owner's side, causing her to giggle as the guide removed his disguise, revealing he, too, was a changeling.

Twilight Sparkle held out a friendly hoof, raising Ink Well to his hooves once more. “We've finally found you...”

“Princess Twilight had looked through many avenues to try to pinpoint the cause of her mentor's strange behavior, even suspecting at one point that she had been replaced by a changeling. Celestia had not, however Twilight's test did find quite a few imposters in the castle.

Sandstorm was the perfect candidate to question, having been injured after the Battle Beneath Cloudsdale and only saved when Newsprint sacrificed himself...” Ink Well looked over at the helmet shrine, knowing Rose's vision had gone there too. Even after all these years the pain was still there, and neither of them believed his life had been a cost worth paying.

Eventually, Ink Well continued, wrenching away his eyes from the sad reminder. “The injured changeling soldier was the perfect subject for Twilight to question, and she confirmed the discovery I had made on the Darkest Night: There were changelings that lived peacefully among us. In fact, all throughout Equestria there were 'rogue' changelings, those left behind after the attack on Canterlot failed or, far more common, those who had fled to pony lands to escape the tyranny of the queen, who lived among ponies without being discovered. Some of them had even been there for generations, creating a life for themselves like anypony else, though they had to hide their true nature each day. But that wasn't all.

“While the changelings had been meeting with each other, they weren't planning any sort of attack. The Hive didn't care what happened to Equestria any more, presumably having found some other steady source of food and love, and those left behind... They created a support group, always willing to help and living in constant fear of discovery. Hearing their plight, Princess Twilight couldn't help but try to aid them as she could from the shadows of Princess Celestia. However, if they truly wanted peace, they needed a real diplomat. And much like Selene years ago and the gryphons much more recently, for some reason Twilight picked me to be her diplomat.”

Ink Well reached into his bag, pulling out a small leather booklet, flipping it open to show the blank piece of paper inside. “Do you remember what this is, Rose?”

Rose nodded slowly, her eyes still full of love even after hours of his tales, though this sight seemed to give her pain. “The psychic paper you were given by The Doctor... The call you never answered...”

Ink Well paused, struck by the words she said, though he knew the explanation was needed. He seemed ashamed as he looked away. “I answered... I just never sent them.” Ink Well reached into his satchel again, this time bringing out a tightly bound bundle of letters, hundreds of them, which he placed on the table with a heavy thud, leaving his pack mostly empty and relatively weightless. “One thousand, six hundred and forty-two letters, one for each and every day between my leaving you and my being captured by the changelings and unable to write any longer.”

He looked at her with determined eyes, filled with sadness and years of longing. “Every message you sent, every thought you had on me that the psychic paper could pick up, every bit of news about one of our children that I had... I wrote it down. I fought every day not to place it in the mail, knowing the damage it would cause to you and the danger it would put us all in, but I never once stopped caring. I only wished and dreamed that you would somehow know. That you would somehow still care...”

Rose looked at the massive bundle of papers, tears in her eyes formed from every moment she had doubted him and all those times she had claimed to hate him… Even for the years she thought he wouldn't come back. When he had married her, he made a promise, a sacred vow, until death did they part, that he would love her every single day of his life. And he never broke his promises.

Ink Well watched her face for a few moments, grabbing her hoof and squeezing it, giving her some of his love willingly, before he held up the psychic paper once again. “Just before I had been captured, I received some strange messages on the paper, and I didn't know who they were from. They were cries for help, but I was unable to act on them while I was imprisoned. During this same period of time, Princess Celestia began to sequester herself away, making decisions even more strange and radical than those that started the war, and this had frightened Twilight. She had gone out seeking help from anypony she could, and it was by chance that she discovered I had disappeared near the changeling hive. Between her need for a diplomat and Sandstorm's desire to repay Newsprint's final act, they mounted a rescue attempt.

“Twilight and Sandstorm broke me out of captivity merely a week before the Grand Galloping Gala, asking me to plead with the Princess for peace and understanding for the changelings. I was... shocked, honestly, that they thought I could do so much to tip the scales from war to peace, but it was my mission from the start, so I agreed. How could I not?”

Ink Well pulled a glowing, heart shaped vial on a chain from around his neck, the green liquid inside and holes running through the container suggesting whose symbol it was. “In recognition for my new title as the Changeling's Heart, I was given this: a container with a drop of blood from every changeling working towards peace in Equestria. They also, to aid my travels, gave me this cloak, enchanted to help a changeling, or pony, hide in plain sight, only recognized by choice or those who truly know them. After that, Twilight left me at Fluttershy's medical camp, knowing I would need the rest and care only she could provide before attempting to take on Canterlot Castle. After seven years, it was time for me to attend the Gala once more...”

Ink Well looked from spear tip to spear tip, wishing his plan of action at the Grand Galloping Gala hadn't needed to start with him walking into the hornet's nest and yelling at the bees. Still, when the guards advanced on him, ready to take Equestria's Most Wanted Pony off of their capture list, Princess Celestia stepped in. “Don't take him into custody yet. He still has an invitation to the Gala: he is allowed to enjoy the festivities all he likes. You can catch him when he leaves.”

The Princess walked down from her position at the top of the stairs, her flowing gown and ethereal mane not at all matching the cold eyes watching Ink Well, who was still flanked on all sides by the guard. He was in the same suit he'd been in seven years before, made party-ready once again by Rarity, but when Celestia saw him, her face remained stoic. “You haven't aged well, Ink Well.”

“I don't know about that. I'd like to think that I have grown wiser, Princess.”

“What brings you into my castle on this festive occasion?”

“I wish to talk, nothing more. And, as you said, I have an invitation.” He could see the guards close in on him, each probably well versed in what had happened the last time he'd 'talked' to the Princess.

She appraised him with her judging gaze, but when he looked into her eyes, he found relief, not malice. “Very well. We shall speak in my chambers. Alone.”

A guard stepped forward, shock on his face. “Highness, you can't-”

“There is very little I can't do, Point Runner, and talk is not on that list.” She glared the guard down, then looked at Ink Well once more. “Come.” With that she left the Gala behind, walking silently through the halls until she reached her study, the path exactly the same as it had been before.

This time Ink Well was calm and silent, knowing long ago that his fate was in the hooves of luck when it came to this part of the plan. He had gambled on many things, even if Celestia had been the one asking for help, and he just had to hope that he'd done well with his hunches. He entered the room, letting her walk past him, her wing tapping against his breast pocket as she made her way to her desk. Inside that pocket he kept his psychic paper, though how she had known...

“Now, Ink Well, let us attend to matters.” She looked at him expectantly, her eyes flicking to his pocket while she sat upon her grand throne. Behind her the stained glass had been replaced in all of their glory, though the overall scene seemed far less frightful than it had previously. “I am sure you understand why your presence cannot be overlooked.”

He took out the paper in question, seeing words forming the instant it left his pocket. 'They are listening.' “I understand my previous actions do not deserve a pardon, but I came to ask for one all the same.” 'Who are they? How are they listening?' he asked in writing, holding the paper for her to see.

She looked to the map on the wall, where fabric lines had been placed over the great gemstones to show the ever changing nature of the battlefield. “I cannot simply grant you a pardon. Your crimes are too great, and your actions cannot be overlooked. If you are lucky, you won't be executed.” 'I do not know, but they monitor by sound and magic, I am sure. She looked him in the eyes. 'I am a prisoner here.'

Ink Well took care to stay where he was, looking at the gilded cage Celestia had formed around herself. “Highness, if I may... I would like to at least negotiate the terms of my surrender, should that indeed occur tonight.” 'What is it you want me to do about this, Highness?'

“Speak away, Ink Well. I would be curious to hear what you propose.” 'I do not know, but there must be peace. I... was foolish to think that all of my thoughts were entirely my own. Paranoia and denial drove me far after the fall of the Weather Factory. I fell into decadence, tried to prove prosperity we didn't have and looking to blame anypony but myself, even clinging to blaming you… I now pay the price for my foolishness.'

Ink Well sighed loudly, then began a list of things he wished, practiced in his mind for years, which left him free to continue his conversation on the paper. 'So even you wish for a peaceful outcome. You do realize that this could end quite bloodily, depending on who leads the charge.'

Celestia listened intently, her mind blanking it out, already knowing her words when his list of request ended, letting her thoughts remain on the pager. 'I would rather die a Princess of my nation than be a pet of the unseen hoof.'

'You do not know who it is?'

'I no longer trust anypony. Any step near the edge of the palace lays threats upon myself and those who work here, my every action is monitored, and I don't know how or who is in control. I was blind to let them get this far. Blind to allow any of it.'

'You are threatened?'

'There is not much one can do kill an immortal, but torture is efficient all the same. I have already lost two very close hoofmaidens... I just want this nightmare to end, for me and the ponies of Equestria. Before the year is out. Whatever the price.'

Ink Well was solemn as his list came to an end, looking the trapped, yet determined princess directly in the eyes as she responded to his list. “Your requests are denied, Ink Well. No concessions will be given.”

He looked at her gaze and nodded, placing the psychic paper back into his pocket. He would do as she asked to the best of his ability. He would bring this to an end. “As you wish, Highness.” Behind him he could just make out the sounds of armored hooves outside the door, ready for him to make any sort of sudden movement.

His ear twitched as he watched the doorknob turn, his muscles coiling to run when a bright white glow surrounded him. He looked back at Celestia, whose eyes told him the wrath that would follow if he failed in his task, before he simply disappeared from the room in a wink of magic, appearing miles away in the open sky.

The guards burst down the door, horns glowing at the ready and aimed at the sole occupant of the room, who looked at them calmly and regally, proudly awaiting the consequences of her actions.

“From there, the story is simple. I spoke with Sandstorm about my plans for this nation, I asked Rarity to send messengers to Cadance and Grandis, and then I returned to the New Lunar Republic, finalizing my plans for peace with Selene. The leaders all want peace, any sensible ponies in both nations want peace, but the ponies in the middle, who pulled the strings even the leaders couldn't see and control the military like their personal toys… They want the war to continue. It was time to remove the strings entirely.”

Ink Well stretched as he placed down his empty tea cup, looking at the candle that had nearly burned to nothing while he had explained the situation to Rose. “I had been watching over Wind Key from Manehattan as things went on, but it was luck that had me in Timbucktu when push came to shove, and from there, it was just a matter of getting home, something I'm sure Wind filled you in on.”

He waited for her nod, then stood from his chair and continued recounting the final part of his plan. “Tomorrow I hope that the leaders can meet like-minded on level ground, creating a peace treaty that their nations can follow on the road to recovery. If all goes well, maybe, just maybe, this will end all of this without bloodshed. But I know better than to think the world is that simple. I am simply one pony in the right place at the right time, more useful as a symbol than a diplomat or even a pony.”

He backed up slowly towards the door. “I have failed so many times to be there for you, and failed even more to keep the family safe while I was gone, but I will not make that same mistake now. I will find somewhere to hide and wait out the night, and should all go well tomorrow, perhaps I can begin to futilely attempt to make this mess up to you. I wish you a good night, Rose, and hope—”

“You stop right there.” It was the first time Rose had interrupted him at all in his hours of speaking, and it rooted Ink Well in place. She stood up quickly, trotting over to him. Her eyes met his, and instantly he could see that the outcome of what she was about to say had already been decided. “For seven years I have wanted you by my side every night, kicking away bachelors looking to 'ease my pain' and ponies promising me happiness... some of them might even have been able to give it to me for a while, but I refused because we made a vow. We promised each other that, in everything, we would be one until the day we died. I understand your reasoning for breaking it these last seven years, and though I absolutely despise the circumstances, I could never despise you...”

She shook while she looked at him, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. “I sat in this house for so long, moping and praying I wouldn't see the next day, not because I couldn't move on with my life, but because I chose not to. I had invested my future happiness in your well being. Thinking for all that time that you were dead or gone...” She sighed, recovering some of her strength. “After years, the only thing that could make me smile again was the knowledge that you were alive, delivered by a newspaper and the guard knocking at my door, and now you're asking me to wait once more? To accept your story as some selfish reason why you're not good enough for me?”

She looked him in the eyes, her face determined, but within her eyes were the fires of passion and the lights of love that he had known so well for twenty years before he left. “The only reason you are a selfish stallion is because you think you can choose whether or not I should love you. That was decided a long, long time ago. I don't care if tonight is the last night I spend on this earth. I don't care if being with you is the reason I am killed. After all of this time, if I am going to die, it will be laying by your side, my heart complete as I rest in your arms once more.” She took a step closer to him, practically glaring straight into his soul, while her ear flicked angrily, drawing his attention to the earring that marked her as his, bearing his cutie mark directly over her heart. “Are you still the stallion I married all those years ago, or will you finally break that promise now?”

Ink Well knew somewhere deep inside that this was a horrible idea. That if he truly loved her, he would keep her safe and leave, like he'd been trying to do for the last seven years, but the weight of the earring in his own ear as it lay flat against his head, his eyes looking into those ivy ones that only ever saw straight through him... Even pretending he could make it another night was beyond him. Tears streamed down his face as he pulled her close, enveloping her in his wings and hugging her with the force of all the love drained from him. The force of all the nights he'd shivered in the cold, longing for her touch. The force of fighting the driving force that had been calling him home for so long... All of that poured into the hug, making it impossible for either of them to hold back the tears that had built up, breaking down and crying while they held themselves as close to their other half as they possibly could be.

No matter the danger or the risk, come success or failure, this would be how they continued. Only together did either of them feel complete, and so, together, they finally walked upstairs. Around them their empty house became a home, its familiar air soothing them both as they comforted each other and went to sleep, clinging to each other like they'd never let go.

Author's Note

There was a joke chapter after this that was released on April Fool's Day as well, but I have since removed it, since it ruined the story flow. Still, if you're curious, you can find it here http://medicshy.deviantart.com/art/meetS-Where-dAy-niGht-Chapter-420-THE-END-523949641

Chaos

They moved under the cover of nearly perfect darkness, the only lights in the sky the stars. It was all part of the plan, had been since the Princess had met with Ink Well and thought she could sneak out of the castle. The two black forms practically slithered through the streets of Ponyville, one goal in mind.

A quaint house, covered in snow, a few boarded broken windows showing recent disdain for the residents, a feeling the invaders felt as well. They crept up to the door, one of them springing the lock in a manner of seconds with a flick of green magic. The other slid inside, zapping the dog before it could bark, leaving the animal well and truly sleeping in its bed. He signaled to his partner outside, leaving the aging beast to its slumber as they both hovered silently upstairs on insectoid wings.

There were many doors, two of which obviously announced rooms for young fillies, but that didn't bother the intruding parties. They were assassins, plain and simple, and sympathy was the enemy. They were just two of a dozen on similar missions all around Ponyville, one dressed in armor like an imperial knight, one in the garb of a republic soldier, both with the same destination in mind.

They settled down silently just outside of the couple's room, seeing the two sleeping ponies on the bed inside. They shifted across the room like shadows, indistinguishable from the darkness until their knives slid free, catching the faintest starlight in their blades. With a nod to each other they raised the weapons, ready to set the plan in motion…

The blades plunged into the mattress, the two ponies that had been lying there replaced by two chitinous forms, each grinning wickedly at the baffled attackers. “You messed with the wrong ponies.”

A heavy thud slammed on the other side of the wall, rousing Ink Well from his uncomfortable resting place on the floor as it shook beneath him. Rose looked at him worriedly, jolted awake by the sound and vibration and wondering what was wrong. Ink Well went to the door, pushing it open slowly and peeking out. A moment later he waved for her to follow, pushing it open all the way and running to the bedroom.

Never had he been more happy about a paranoid decision than he was right now, seeing his two changeling friends in the middle of tying up their attackers, one dressed in the uniform of each army… As Rose walked into the room, the friendly changelings put on their disguises, one becoming Time Turner, the other Ditzy Doo. Ink Well smiled at them. “Thank you for agreeing to this. I've never been so worried of being right.”

Rose looked at the two for a moment, confused. “You two are changelings? How long has that been the case?”

Ink Well looked at her with a smile. “Remember when Dinky 'went off to study' twenty two years ago?” Rose nodded. “Well, she and her mother have been on an adventure since, and since there was a gap in Ponyville, these two kindly stepped into their place.”

“And you knew?” Rose said, still having her misgivings with changelings from their invasion so many years ago.

Ink Well looked guilty for a few moments. “Well… The Doctor asked very nicely, and they promised they wouldn't hurt anypony...”

Time Turner rolled his eyes. “Is this really the time?” He tapped his hoof against the armor the false knight was wearing.

“Right, sorry…” Ink Well said, inspecting the two captives. After a moment, he tugged on a loose piece of armor, ripping it off with ease, and was able to rip a patch easily off of the soldier’s uniform as well. When he did, he sighed. “Aha… evidence to place the blame on both parties at once. They didn't just want me dead, they wanted turmoil.” As he spoke, the sound of a gunshot rang through town, followed by more, seeming to pepper Ponyville.

Rose ran to the window, looking out on the dark streets and able to see flashes of light from flying magic. “I think they have it, but who could want such a thing?”

Ink Well stood at her side, seeing the beginning of a war brought to Ponyville. It had been… was it thirty years since the Battle of Ponyville? And yet, here another had sparked from his presence. “I don't know… but I have to stop it. Turner, Ditzy, keep them here and keep yourselves safe.” Ink Well ran to the doorway, then stopped, holding a hoof out for Rose. “We need to stop it.”

Rose grabbed his hoof as quickly as she could, not quite as used to running as her fugitive husband was. “Right behind you.” They both ran down the stairs and into the dark, hoping the answer would come to them before too much damage was done.

Applejack's armored hooves pounded the dirt road from Sweet Apple Acres, but she wished she was the only one. Then maybe she wouldn't be barking orders nopony seemed to be listening to. “Knights! Fall back! We gotta protect th' princess!” She'd been yelling it since she'd left the barn, and right now she didn't care if they were protecting Twilight or Celestia, so long as any of them stopped this darn fighting!

A bullet pinged off of her armor and she glared at the direction it had come from, unhooking her helmet from where it had hung on her waist and placing it over her head. She hadn't ordered an attack, and she didn't know what exactly had started this mess, but she was darn sure it was going to end here.

Applejack galloped down the street like an unstoppable force, watching gunshots light faces up in red, a heavy darkness over everything. “Knights! I said fall back! We're here ta escort, not ta fight!”

“They attacked us first! I'm not going to let them—AH!” One of her knights dropped, clutching at his bleeding shoulder and screaming in pain. Another of his unit looked at Applejack, his eyes narrowing beneath his helmet.

“How do we even know you're the Commander? One of our own turned on us, we've got changelings everywhere! You could be one of them!”

“Are you plum crazy? I ain't a changeling, and I ain't—” a shock of electricity went through Applejack's body, her armor conducting it away from her, but her tail still went on end at the shock. She glared at the knight, his horn still smoking from his attack. “Why you low down...” Applejack rushed forward, punching the insubordinate knight right against the helmet, making his ears ring. “Don't ya dare attack yer superior!”

Her actions had the opposite effect of what she wanted, as more of the knights in the area started to look at her angrily, a trend that only stopped as another gun went off, this one skimming across the armor on her back.

This was all getting too hot-headed. “Knights, we back off, an' then we—” She went deaf as she was hit in the side, the metal surrounding her absorbing the blow but ringing as it did. She was barely able to dodge a second kick, backing away from ponies she had personally trained as they surrounded her, pushing her towards the rival army.

She heard another shot, causing her to scramble back on instinct, and she ran back to back with another pony. Looking over her shoulder, she immediately recognized that traitorous rainbow mane. As she looked back on the approaching knights, though, she took comfort in that fact. “Rainbow, that better be th' real you, cus tonight's weird enough without a changeling messin' with me.”

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder, recognizing the mare in the cold, heavy armor. “It's me, AJ, but I don't think changelings are the problem here.” She looked at the ponies surrounding her from that side, all of them ones she'd been fighting with for years… it made her sick. How could she be fighting with ponies who lost their conviction so easily? “They want a fight and don't care who.”

One of the soldiers lunged towards her, and she deflected him, pushing him to the side as Applejack did something similar to one of her knights, the two colliding in the center and slumping to the ground. AJ glared at Rainbow then. “I don't blame 'em, wantin' ta stop yer kind from breakin' apart Equestria.”

Rainbow threw a punch over AJ's shoulder, stopping the knight behind her in their tracks, while AJ's armor deflected a bullet that had been going straight for Rainbow's back. “We weren't breaking it apart! We were trying to wake it up! You remember the aftermath of the Weather Factory. How could you honestly follow a Princess that did all of that to people?”

Applejack turned to face Rainbow, bucking an incoming pegasus out of the air as she did. “Some of us were still loyal to our nation, RD! Everypony makes mistakes, an' even one big one ain't enough ta erase years 'a perfect records with the Princess.”

“Perfect records? How many times did Celestia send us in to do her job? How often did we have to fix problems she'd ignored until too late? Even that crystal map ended up being more useful than she was on a daily basis!”

Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash punched across each other, taking out an attacker and ending up back to back once more, each staring down their own sides of the war. “Let's agree ta disagree an' argue about it later!”

“Agreed.” They both settled into defensive poses, ready to fight as long as it took.

Wind's eyes darted open when she heard the gunshot, immediately recognizing the sound. She might not have had much first-hoof experience with the war, but more than a few of those damnable, deadly things had been brought into the workshop, even before the deal Clockwork had tried to make, and she'd never wanted any part in them. Now, without warning, they were going off in her home town, and there was but one thing she could do.

She jumped out of bed, closing the windows and the shutters of the loft apartment, giving just that much more protection against the madness outside. Her wings fluttered at her side, telling her to run, to get as far away from here as possible, a trait she'd picked up from her father at a very young age. Now, however, she had a pony to run with, and fear for more than just her own life. “Steam, come on, we have to move.”

Steam was sitting up in the bed, her ears swiveling to catch the yells, clangs, and shots outside. Timbucktu had been far enough away from the border that ponies there hadn't armed themselves too heavily, a fact that was likely one of a myriad reasons that let her sit in bed fearing for her life once more. The commotion outside… who knew how it would spread? With the two armies butting heads, the death toll could be catastrophic. At the sound of Wind's words, Steam jumped up, grabbing the Ready Wings in her magic as both mares made their way to the stairs.

The distillery was dark and quiet, its thick walls making all of the dangers of outside seem so distant, so inconsequential. It was only the heavy smell of alcohol and fresh oil that warned of the bomb they could be standing in at that very moment. It was built like a fireworks factory, for much the same reason: heavy walls, solid foundation, and a roof designed to blow skyward at the first sign of trouble. If war was raging outside, this was both the first and last place a pony would want to be. Despite all of their work to fix it up, as they trotted through, neither felt too much tying them to the shop past memories of the time together.

Just before going through the doorway, Steam stopped, putting on the mechanical wings so they could be ready for a quick escape. It took some help from Wind to get the straps properly tightened and all of the wires in place, but once the wings were securely donned, she was ready to continue into the storefront.

As they went through the door, a flash of light from a passing magic bolt illuminated the street outside where ponies ran in all directions: some from the fighting, some to get into it, some to get another vantage point… It didn't matter why they ran, Wind and Steam just wished to join the running and get as far from here as possible.

One figure outside stopped in front of the store. They were cloaked in shadows, at least until fire sprung up in their hooves, a rag being lit before it was stuffed into a bottle. In the dim light, only a dark black bandanna could be seen covering the pony's mouth as the pony wound back their arm, aiming straight for the picture window Wind was looking through. A moment later the bottle left the pony's hoof, sailing through the air, smashing the windowpane…

Wind leaped back, her wings spreading to save Steam from the shattering glass before another crack was met with the roar of flames, eagerly devouring the fuel that had been in the bottle with the lit rag. It spread over nearly half the store, alighting on perfume bottles, making them crack in the heat engulfing them. Wind grabbed Steam's hoof, but she could see the fear in Steam's eyes. They reflected the fire dancing in front of her, so similar to the one that had taken her home…

Small pops sounded all around them, more fuel sent flying as perfume bottles exploded, spreading the fire all around them in a matter of seconds. Even if they wanted to leave through the door, there was no way now without being burned by the flames. Panicking, Wind ushered Steam back into the other room, not willing to let the unicorn's fear cause her any harm.

Back in the distillery, Wind ran for the stairs, knowing they had only one other exit. It would be dangerous, but Steam would have to make a flying leap, even with less time than she'd had in her apartment. When she reached the stairs, however, she found she was alone, Steam nowhere to be seen. “Steam?” When she got no response, her heart began to pound, and she darted between the boilers and machinery looking for her dearest friend.

Steam was huddled just inside the shop door, her body shivering and her eyes wide open. Once more, she was facing the flames, life or death hanging in the balance… Once more, she was about to kill Wind with her actions… She couldn't do it. She was safe now! She'd made it through weeks in the wilderness, though all of that searching and survival… She was in the Empire! This wasn't supposed to be happening! She could hear Wind's worried calls, but she was hardly able to think, the weight of the Ready Wings on her back nothing compared to the weight on her heart, pinning her where she was. There was no escape… After all of that…

“Steam! Steam, snap out of it!” Wind was by her side the moment she found her, holding her friend close, her wings wrapping around the unicorn's horrified form. Beyond the door the sound of a crackling fire could be heard, but in here the only warmth was from her body, cradling Steam in safety. “We need to move, Steam. Please, we don't have time to be doing this.”

“The fires… there's nowhere to go! We're going to die!”

Wind hugged her friend even tighter, speaking determinedly into her face. “We aren't going to die here, Steam. We made it out of your apartment, we'll make it out of this. Nopony has to die, you got that? Not you, not me, not even the ponies out there. But we have to move, now!” Steam continued to shake, and Wind just closed her eyes, her voice becoming desperate. “I'm not going without you, Steam… please, snap out of it.”

Slowly Steam returned to the moment, feeling her friend's embrace, hearing the sadness in her words, remembering the danger they were in… How much time had she wasted just now? As the chase through Timbucktu's skies had proved, seconds saved lives, and here she was wasting the precious commodity. She nuzzled Wind's cheek lightly in thanks, then stood up. “You're right, we need to move. Lead the way.”

Wind almost laughed as her friend broke out of it, but instead she hopped into the air, leading Steam through the distillery and up the stairs. “We'll have to be quick about it. The ground isn't far away, and you won't have long to catch yourself before—”

Splinters of glass flew everywhere as the window shattered open, the shutters behind swinging loosely as they were shoved aside by the force of the gunshot that had pierced the cover. Wind dropped to the floor as she saw it happen, which was the only thing that saved her from the bottle careening through the rest of the window, leaving a fiery puddle over the ground, some of which splashed onto her back.

Wind screamed in horror, almost tumbling down the stairs, but Steam caught her, rushing her down before helping to pat out the flames that clung to her fur. There were a few singed spots, but otherwise they were unscathed, which was little comfort when they looked at the inferno raging at the top of the stairs.

The two mares slowly backed into the center of the distillery, trapped in a time bomb with nowhere to run.

Rarity's hackles were raised as she watched yet another fire spring up in the center of town. Whether it was rogue magic or somepony causing problems, she didn't know, but didn't they realize how insensitive it was to try to burn this place down? Ponyville had enough bad memories after the Battle of Ponyville, though nearly thirty years was a long time for most ponies to remember… And yet, it was only yesterday for a pony like herself.

And a pony like Fluttershy, who stood beside her looking absolutely horrified. She had been assured that this would be a peaceful meeting, that all sides had agreed to meet with no threat of fighting… Ink Well's letter had said so, and all the leaders had seemed so intent. The few doctors she had brought with her were likely still asleep, the sounds of battle hardly audible all the way out here, but a passion was burning inside her, surging forth with each new blooming flame.

“Get out there, Fluttershy. They need you. Even if they are only hurting themselves, there's nopony more able to save them than you.” Rarity looked over at her, knowing her best friend's thoughts even after so long apart. Fluttershy just nodded before running back to camp. She would need supplies if she wanted to save them. Hopefully Angel would've gotten them ready after waking Fluttershy up.

Rarity watched her leave, proud of the bravery the mare was showing, before she turned to look at the battle scene again. This all seemed like some cruel joke… She was going to have none of it. “I want this taken care of, darlings,” she said to the air around her, the only answer the sounds of battle on the wind. “I want the town safe, I want those fires put out, and I want to know who dared disturb our little peace talks. Do you understand?”

The shadows around her seemed to shift, and where once there had been one lady looking indignant at the scene before her, there was now The Lady surrounded by a dozen diamond dogs, clothed to blend into the night. The one at the head of the group nodded, Cooper's voice coming from behind her mask. “We do.”

“Nopony is to be harmed unless absolutely necessary. Civilian, Royal Army, Republic Army, it doesn't matter: they all will walk from this alive, is that clear?” All of the figures around her nodded, causing her face to form a wry smile. “The second you find out who started this mess, you report it to me. If the coward is lucky, even they will keep their head tonight. Go!”

The diamond dogs nodded once more, then all of them set out, dashing through the night and spreading throughout the city. Cooper remained at the head of the pack, her eyes grim as she watched the fires lighting the city. She'd finally gotten to see this beautiful town… Whoever tried to mar it would pay dearly, no matter what The Lady ordered.

Flora shook the cold from her body as she ran down the road from Sweet Apple Acres, fighting against the tide of ponies fearfully fleeing from Ponyville. All of Ponyville knew that the safest place to evacuate to was out this way, and only a fool or somepony involved would run towards a battle. Flora was neither of those things, but she had yet to see a single family member pass her, and even if she had, that wouldn't have been enough to stop her. Her crystal bush was in there, the source of her cutie mark sitting in the middle of a war zone, with only a bit of hard plastic separating it from Celestia-knows what else. It was only just showing signs of life… she couldn't possibly leave it to burn.

As she entered the town itself, the streets began to empty of civilians, all of them sane enough to have already left or barricade themselves inside as battles raged a few streets over. She could hear the shouting, the clanging of hooves striking armor, she could even see the flashes of magic veering wildly off target. If just one of those got near her precious greenhouse…

She skulked down an alleyway, trying to avoid the screeching gryphons and the firefight she could hear in the next street, only to discover two knights that seemed to have had the same idea. She tried to show that she was unarmed, but that didn't do too much to stop the unicorn from charging up a magic spell as his friend charged her with a spear. She pressed herself against the wall, barely avoiding the spear tip and kicking out her legs, flinging the armored pony hard into the wall beside him, sending him to the ground in a stunned heap.

As Flora turned to charge the unicorn, about to unleash his spell at her, she saw a figure dart from the dark sky, landing on the unicorn hard enough to kick up dust. Flora ran down the alley to see what had happened, running into a familiar face as the dust cleared. “Silver?”

“You're really lucky I know you so well, Flora, or I might've thought you'd be evacuating,” Silver said with a smile, getting off of the unconscious unicorn with a very slight limp. “Though… the last two ponies I saved were just lucky it's so dark.”

Flora shook her head. “You don't need to be here anymore, Silver. Get to somewhere safe. I couldn't bear to think I got you hurt.”

“No way. Crusaders don't leave a pony behind, so I'm not going anywhere.” She began to hover just off of the ground. “I'll get an aerial view, tell you where it's safe or not. Just look for me in the sky.” With that she was back in the air, a light grey shape in a moonless sky, moving between the stars.

Flora shook her head, thinking that Silver was crazy, but glad that meant that there were two crazy ponies out here as she moved from alleyway to alleyway, following the flying dot of her best friend. All around her there were sounds of battle, and at the end of one alley she was witness to two members of the Republic Army getting zapped by spells, twitching lightly on the ground and smelling like burning feathers. She tiphoofed around them once the coast was clear, and fairly soon she had reached the calm garden near her greenhouse. She waved her thanks to Silver, then ducked inside, hoping to get started on her actual mission.

Meanwhile, Silver had sight of all of the insanity. Near the center of town was a mess of both armies, clustered around what… honestly, looked like President Luna trying to fend off the combined hordes of Tartarus the way fires flashed and magic blazed. Somewhere down there she knew her mother was fighting too… If she could get to her side, join in the fight…

As she hovered where she was, a gryphon's battle cry caught her attention, though she wasn't able to turn towards it before he had tackled into her, claws gripping tightly to her hooves as he dragged her towards one of the thatched building roofs. He pecked at her a few times, scratching and screeching while she fought to get free of his grasp. The two of them rolled off of the building, and only through a lot of flapping was the landing anywhere near soft, though he was still on top of her. He screeched again as he pinned her arms down, his beak pulling back as it aimed for her neck.

A moment later her arms were covered with scratches as the gryphon was smashed into the side of the building, a dark figure in armor throwing his weight at the attacking gryphon, who screeched again before an armored hoof bashed into his face, silencing the raging warrior. With that done, Silver's savior walked over, offering an armored hoof to help Silver up from the ground. She took it gratefully, looking into the blue eyes of a changeling, his right ear missing. She smiled, even despite his alien appearance. “Thank you for that, uh...”

The changeling smiled for just a moment. “Sandstorm.” After that, his face was serious again. “If you can't evacuate, get to somewhere you can barricade and lay low. Even if you're battle trained, I suggest you stay safe, miss, and maybe we'll all get through this.” He started to hover on gossamer wings, looking to join the battle again and hopefully help somepony else.

Silver's heart fluttered for a moment as she watched him prepare to leave, the effect of a knight in shining armor not lost on her, even with her injuries. “Silver Lining!” she called out as he left before turning around, wondering how far she was from the greenhouse. It was just across the street, so she limped that way on lightly bleeding legs, the scratches from the gryphon deep enough to draw blood.

She was able to make her way to the door uneventfully, ushered inside as soon as Flora recognized her. In the middle of the room, the crystal bush glowed, letting off a soft light, and Flora had been studying it. As she saw her friend's injuries, though, she abandoned her plan to move the bush. Whatever it was doing, she wanted to be here to keep it safe and let it happen.

Ink Well fought against the tide of ponies abandoning the fighting, forcing his way through them at Rose's side, refusing to take to the air for fear that they would be separated. When finally they broke through the lines, both of them made a break for Town Hall, certain the center of town would be the perfect place to try to plan.

Unfortunately, not a street later, they found themselves stopped by a small group of knights. They recognized Ink Well, and with the madness going on around them, this seemed like the perfect time to start something. Twelve armored ponies formed a circle around Ink Well and Rose, ready to take out their frustrations on the pony who 'started the war.'

As the first hoof was thrown, however, it clanged off of heavy armor, deep blue against the knight's gold. The orange flightless pegasus within stood guard over Ink Well and Rose. The knights just glared at the interloper, and she glared back, her purple eyes seeming to glow in the night as she brought her hoof around, taking out two with a single blow.

Rose and Ink Well scurried aside as the other ten knights tried to take revenge for their fallen friends. Even when they landed hits on Scootaloo's helmet, however, she seemed to take them in stride, hardly noticing the blows to the armor she moved so effortlessly in. It was practically laughable how easily she tossed them aside, the Orange Demon, as the empire soldiers called her, living up to her name.

Within seconds the battle was over and she made her way to the two she'd been protecting. “Luna and Twilight are both at Town Hall. I'm assuming you're trying to find them?”

Ink Well shook his head. “I'm just trying to find out what happened. You didn't order an attack on the others, did you?”

Scootaloo looked at him like he was mad. “They outnumbered us ten to one and we were trespassing in their lands. We were walking on eggshells. They went after us, tried to jump us while we slept for today.”

Ink Well looked at the sky then, his brow furrowing. “Today… you wouldn't happen to know what time it is, do you?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Sweetie Belle had a watch on her, but she's focusing on evacuating civilians as I clear out pathways. When she gets back, I'm sure she—”

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie's voice called from down the street, her figure running out of the darkness, flanked on both sides by familiar faces. One, a yellow mare with a red mane, the other, a young, powerful looking dragon in purple scales. “Scootaloo, you won't believe who I found on the edge of town!”

“Apple Bloom?!” Scootaloo ran over to her old friend, looking at the mare threateningly. “As in, the head of research and development for the empire? What are you doing out of your castle?”

Spike immediately stood in the way, twice the size of Scootaloo, even in her armor, and fire trailing from his mouth. “Don't you think she could've done more damage to you if she wanted? It's thanks to her that—”

“This ain't th' time, Spike, we'll argue later!” Bloom shoved her way past her protector, standing in front of Scootaloo and looking at her with a clear show of purpose. “I've got a urgent message fer Twilight, an' I need help gettin' to her. Are ya' gonna help me, or am I gonna havta count just on Spike?”

“How do I know this isn't some trick for you to poison the President?” Scootaloo continued to look angrily at Apple Bloom, while Sweetie Belle stood to the side looking worried. She knew how Scootaloo could get. She'd been there for the rants. “Why should I keep helping somepony who wouldn't help me?”

Ink Well tried to step in, but Rose stopped him, shaking her head. This was something the two mares were going to have to work out on their own.

Bloom kept her cool in the dark Ponyville street, matching Scootaloo's gaze. “An' why should I be askin' you fer help when you abandoned yer country to fight against 'em? When yer whole goal in life was ta take down the buildin' I was livin' in? I should be throwin' acid on ya, or settin' ya on fire with the gel I've got sittin' unused in the lab.” In the distance, the crack of magic cut through the air, followed by the pops of a few guns firing in retort. “But I ain't, 'cus I trust ya, Scootaloo. I knew ya'd never hurt me, an' I made sure my discoveries wouldn't hurt y'all neither. So you gonna keep tryin' ta fight me, or are ya gonna help yer fellow crusader deliver a message ta th' Princesses?”

The two mares seemed to study each other's eyes for a good long while. Long enough for a fight to break out on the end of the street, ponies scuffling and projectiles flying, blocking the path to the Town Hall. After a long silence, Scootaloo nodded. “Let's get moving. We've got a message to deliver.” She started to run down the street, barrelling towards the brawl at the end of it, and everypony else there followed, ready to break through when she cleared a path. Honestly, it didn't take her long, flinging aside a couple ponies, her heavy armor blocking the bullets that rained on her from the Crystal Empire fighters.

Using the distraction she made, everypony else got past the dangerous intersection, though not without a loud cry from Sweetie Belle. “Cutie Mark Crusader Messenger Service, YAY!” Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo actually joined in on the 'yay,' Scootaloo breaking away from the fight once the others were through to charge ahead and clear the path further.

As they ran, Ink Well moved to Sweetie's side. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Why?” Sweetie said, concentrating too much on running to think about anything else.

Meanwhile, Ink Well looked up at the moonless, pitch black sky. “Just a horrible feeling I'd like eased.”

When they paused in the running, the skirmish ahead too large for Scootaloo to instantly clear, Sweetie looked at her watch, using her horn's glow illuminating the face so she could see it. “It's… 8:30, why?”

“That late in the morning?” asked Rose, looking up at the sky as well. “Why is it still so dark out?”

Ink Well nodded, starting to run once more as another path was opened. “My thoughts exactly. The moon has set, so where's the sun?”

Battles were springing up all over the town, to the point that Fluttershy, in order to stay safe, had to remain on the outskirts. She had bandaged and sutured her way around to the train station, with Dented following behind. At the train station she had found an early casualty of the Gryphon Kingdom, lying weakly and bleeding onto the floor.

Initially he had refused her help, but when his claws didn't even have the strength to push her gentle hooves away, he really didn't have much say in the matter. Immediately Fluttershy got to work, with Angel Bunny's help to get the things she needed. Dented had lagged behind, offering to finish up on the previous patient while she moved on.

Fluttershy, her bunny, and her patient were alone in the building, the rest of the gryphons and their allies out protecting Cadance and Grandis from forces converging on them or out fighting the knights and soldiers. Sweat trickled down Fluttershy's brow as her hooves carefully managed the needle in them, sewing shut a nasty gash in the gryphon's side. “There, there, we're almost done. Just a few more stitches, then we bandage the minor wound in your thigh.”

Angel walked over with the gauze as Fluttershy finished up the last stitch, getting a pained cry from the gryphon. When Angel gave the gauze over, her ear twitched, the faintest sound coming from the shadows behind her. She turned around, trying to spy whatever it was, and in the flash of a spell outside saw the unmistakable gleam of light on a gun barrel.

She didn't have much she could make in the way of noise to warn Fluttershy, and breaking the medic's concentration could have bad consequences for the gryphon, so Angel just ran up her back, hoping to push her down slightly as the bunny's body went where she believed the bullet would go.

The gunshot rang throughout the train station, followed by the sounds of fleeing hooves as the attacker made their escape. Fluttershy jumped at the sound, looking first at Angel, laying on the ground motionless, shivering in fear. However, when Angel felt no pain, she looked over, finding the actual resting place of the bullet.

Dented Angel coughed, immediately losing his balance on his one rear leg and collapsing to the ground, blood seeping from his chest. “Dented!” Fluttershy cried, immediately switching her attention to the new wound while the gryphon got to his feet, weakly pursuing the coward that had tried to kill his medic. Fluttershy didn't even have the focus to stop him, propping Dented up and making sure he kept breathing. “Dented… Why'd you do it? You didn't have to…”

Dented coughed, smirking at her painfully. “Oh? And who would've come to treat the best medic in the field? Nope… better the damaged goods go down than anypony as crucial as you.”

Fluttershy held out a hoof, and Angel already had the forceps ready, which Fluttershy unfortunately had to dig into the wound without anesthetic. “No… None of this would have happened without you. I wouldn't be where I am without you giving me the idea… You can't die on me, Dented.”

He winced and groaned as she dug out the bullet, placing it aside as she went for her other tools. When she looked back, his eye was looking directly into hers, tears forming at the edge of it. “You already saved my life once, 'Shy… it was the least I could do to return the favor.” He winced again as blood seeped from the bullet hole. “You know… Even when you were a model, I thought you were beautiful. And now… after traveling with you…” He coughed again, his eye looking glazed over. “I… I'm glad I got to know how beautiful you are throughout. I… I love you, 'Shy. Never stop… changing… the world.”

Dented Angel's head lolled to the side, causing Fluttershy to shake her head, holding him close to her. “No… no no no, I'm… I can't lose you! Not after all of this, not after you said that…” Tears were forming at the edges of her eyes, and never more had she felt like crying, but she held it back, holding out her hoof for the next tool she needed. “No… You're going to make it, Dented. Even if nopony else does tonight.”

Soon, silence descended once again on the train station, the only sound the frantic work of Fluttershy and Angel Bunny, working to keep themselves from losing another Angel.

President Luna and Princess Twilight worked together to barricade the Town Hall, their magic and the few loyal members of each army outside all that stood between them and chaos. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were both in there with them, having made their way once the fight had started. They were making sure the entrances other than the main one were closed off, and they were doing a fantastic job of it. A little magic and many piles of chairs essentially kept the four inside safe from the three armies warring for the town.

As Twilight continued to maintain the main barrier, Luna was deeply troubled, looking out of the window. “We lowered the moon at the prescribed time, as we have every day despite this war. Why has our sister not raised the sun?”

Twilight shook her head. “I don't know! Nopony's seen her at all, and nopony can find out where she is!” She felt a knocking on the barrier and ran towards it, hearing a familiar voice calling from outside.

“Twilight! It's Spike, let me in!”

“Spike?!” Twilight created a gap in the barricade to let the door open, which it was immediately by Spike with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Ink Well, and Rose all filing in behind him. Most of them were just happy to be safe, but Twilight seemed to ignore them all for Spike and Apple Bloom. “What are you two doing here? I thought you were still in Canterlot.”

“We were, but there's something you need to see.” Apple Bloom gave Spike a note she was holding, which he gave to Twilight to look at. An elegant scroll, with one word scrawled quickly across it. 'Help.'

Apple Bloom piped up after that. “Tha whole castle's on lock down like they're goin' ta war! An' as we got out, we saw the royal chariot bein' pulled into the castle. I think our Princess was foalnapped!”

“How does one just foalnap the Princess of an entire nation without anypony noticing?” Sweetie Belle asked, confusion in her voice.

“Discord did it quite well back when Twilight found the Tree of Harmony...” Spike answered, sparking a thought in everypony's mind.

Rarity then shook her head. “It wasn't Discord, darling. It was Ironsides.”

Twilight's brow furrowed. “The General? How would he do that? How do you know?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at Twilight. “Really? You asked me how I know?” Twilight then nodded, conceding the point. “Now… how he did it alone, I don't know, and that upsets me… if not for the message and the lack of sun, one might think she did it on her own.”

Hearing all of this, Ink Well walked over to President Luna. “Please, you have to get out there and tell the ponies what is happening. This madness has to stop.”

Luna shook her head, peering through the window in the direction of Canterlot. “We have tried to talk to Our soldiers, but most are too worked up into a frenzy to listen. Many want revenge, and those that don't seem confused as to who to blame for this. We considered raising the moon once more, but only more fear and madness would be spawned that way.” Her face looked grim. “We cannot think of a peaceful way to get their attention or the support of the Knights. We fear the only outcome is a massacre…”

Ink Well's shoulders fell as he looked at Luna, the defeat on her face passing to him. “It's all my fault...” He backed away from her slowly, looking as though he'd just been beaten to a pulp. “I… I called them all here. I started this fighting.” He slumped to a sitting position. “I… I was a fool to think we could have peace.”

“Stop that right now.” Hooves wrapped around Ink Well in a loving hug, Rose propping him up against his own fears. “Your actions were noble, your beliefs just.” She turned him to face her, her face determined. “You have returned, after years of running, because you believe there can be peace. You sent letters to this room, to the world, promising a better time to come with the dawn. And you never break your promises.”

She could tell she wasn't getting through to him, and with a slight head shake, she made him look her in the eyes. “Somehow, this will all work out. I believe in you. And even if I am wrong, if we are wrong… It doesn't matter. I will be by your side from now until the day we die.” She smiled at him warmly. “You have a gift that can move mountains and hearts alike… you'll find a way.” With that, she kissed him deeply, letting her love flow into him, building his confidence back up to the stallion she knew. He returned the kiss, not ready to give up… Even if he failed, he would fight to the end for peace in his time.

Smoke billowed through the perfumery, causing Wind and Steam to cough as Wind tried to keep a clear area around them. It was working, but barely, and the sounds of growing flames were reaching both of them.

Steam shuddered where she was, hating everything about this situation, but most of all that she had gotten Wind trapped in it as well. “You should have left when you had the chance… You could've flown out the window, and then only one of us—”

“Shush,” Wind said, cutting her off. “I didn't leave you at the apartment, and I'm not leaving you now. After creating the wings… after all we've been through, after all that time together… I can't leave alone. And knowing how thick the smoke would be without me…”

Steam worked the letter between her hooves, knowing that this might be the last time she could ever give it to Wind. “I just… I brought you into this, and after everything you've done for me, if you die here too…”

Wind looked into Steam's eyes, her own glowing with determination. “Steam, we aren't going to die here. We are both going to get out of here, because…” She shook her head. “I can't imagine life without you.”

Steam closed her eyes, tears forming at the edges of hers as she wrestled with herself, wanting to work up the courage, wanting to say what she'd written down weeks ago. As another cloud of smoke rolled through, she came to a decision, pushing forward, her lips meeting Wind's as the letter slipped from her hooves.

The burning smoke raged around them, but for those two, time stood still as their lips connected, all of the emotions of months of time together finally coming forth. Eventually, Steam started to pull back, only for Wind to pick up the kiss, pushing forward and showing her own affections unsaid. As the heat grew, Steam wrapped her metal wings around the two of them, shielding them in a bubble where, perhaps, their last moments would be. But at least they would be in bliss.

Flora tried to bandage up Silver's scratches, using what she could of the greenhouse first-aid kit, though it really wasn't designed for anything like this. Outside, the battle raged, and it seemed only luck had kept it from raging in the direction of the fragile greenhouse walls.

Suddenly she heard a rapping at the door, followed by a voice she'd recognize anywhere. “Flora, please, open up!”

Flora's heart skipped a beat, but her eyes narrowed. “What do you want, Jazz? Trying to get rid of the 'cowardly pegasi' hiding away?”

“I want ta apologize, I want ta know ye're safe, and I don' want us ta die hatin' each other.” He went quiet for a while, then spoke quietly. “I didn' know what I wanted when I yelled at ya before… I didn' know what Ma wanted, I didn' think war'd be like this… Please, Flora, let me in… They're comin'.”

Flora continued to glare, but with a nudge from Silver, she finally stepped aside, letting Jazz into her greenhouse. He looked around for just a moment, the brightly glowing bush in the center of it grabbing his attention for just a moment before he turned to look at her. “Flora...”

“Jazz, you hurt me. You hurt me very badly, and just a little apology isn't going to cut it.” She looked him in the eyes, but was distracted by Silver sitting off to the side.

Silver looked at the two, then seemed to understand the situation. “Right… I'm gonna just…guard the door. Don't mind me.”

As Silver limped to lean against the door, Jazz looked at Flora again. “I… I know what I did was wrong, an' I don' expect ya ta forgive me in one go, but… I love ya, Flora. I love ya more'n anythin', an'… An' I just hope ya still love me too.”

“Um… There's ponies coming towards us… they don't look happy.”

Silver was ignored as Flora looked into Jazz's eyes, glaring at him before she held up a hoof. “You insulted my family, insulted me and all of my efforts to help your farm. You spit in my face, refused to listen to me, wanted to be a part of this mess outside…”

“There's three of 'em, and I don't think I can hold them off alone…”

“I said some stupid things, Flora, an' you have every right to hate me, but if there's any way we can make it work… I just… Nothin's the same without ya.” Jazz held out a hoof, grabbing Flora's and pulling it towards his heart.

“This is really touching, but is this the best time?”

Flora took a step closer to him, their muzzles inches apart. “First, you never say anything like that about me or my family again. Second, you promise me you'll never do anything looking like a fight again. And third…”

“Guys, seriously, they're—” Silver tumbled forward as one of them smashed against the door.

Flora continued to look in Jazz's eyes. “Third… You promise you'll love me for the rest of your life.”

Jazz nodded. “I do.”

Flora leaned forward, kissing him deeply, their time spent apart and the yearning for each other's touch evident in every moment. Three ponies stalked towards them, then stopped, looking at the crystal tree sitting in the center of the room.

“Um… Jazz? Flora?”

At the bottom of the tree, three lights shone, blindingly bright, with a rainbow coming off of them as they diffracted through the crystal leaves. The entire plant began to shake, then glow so brilliantly white that it could have rivaled the sun.

A moment later a crash echoed throughout Ponyville, the greenhouse shattering and pieces of it sparkling like stars as they rained down around the tall, proud tree standing in the center of the town. Six large fruit hung from its bow, each their own moon, all of them making the town shine like the middle of day.

At the top of the tree, Flora and Jazz finally broke their kiss, laughing confusedly as they tried to make sense of what just happened.

Ink Well and Rose broke apart as a blinding light shone through the Town Hall windows, making them have to shield their eyes after the darkness of the moonless night. Everypony inside was at the window, looking at the great crystal tree that had formed nearby. Luna gasped when she saw it. “Is that…?” She shook her head. “No… it's impossible.”

Ink Well cocked his head at her words, noticing something, or rather, a distinct lack of something. There was silence. The constant sounds of battle had calmed down, all eyes glued to the tree… It was his one chance. “Twilight! Can you do the spell to amplify my voice?” Twilight nodded, not sure what he wanted it for, but hearing the urgency in his tone. Her horn glowed, his throat tingled with magical energy, and then he was outside, flying high above Town Hall.

“Ponies, gryphons, peoples of all nations, listen to me! What you look at now is a Tree of Harmony, blooming even in this troubling time, proving that even from this chaos, there can be peace.” He could see eyes turning from the tree to him, and though sweat began to drip from his brow that he'd say the wrong thing, he knew in his heart that he'd find the right words. He'd have to.

“You continue to fight your war, even with your leaders actively opposing it. Even with your leaders missing. You, right here, decide the fate of Equestria. It can continue to be ripped apart, limb by limb, taking blood for every misdeed done to you until all of us are bled dry. Or you can realize that your enemy is not the pony next to you, who fights for their country and their beliefs as readily as you. Your enemy foalnapped Princess Celestia, orchestrated a coup to pit you against each other, and even now laughs as you struggle to beat each other to a pulp.”

He could hear the uproar at the mention of Celestia's absence, something he knew would occur. “Didn't you think it odd that, despite it being nearly nine, there is no sun? President Luna lowered her moon, as is her duty, precisely on time. Princess Celestia was unable to do her share. She has been thrown into the Canterlot dungeon by a false leader who even now is crouched upon her throne, and there is but one way she can be saved: you all must put aside your differences and fight for her freedom. Fight for a true, united Equestria.”

Ink Well could hear murmurs of doubt throughout them all… he hadn't convinced them. Even this display and his words couldn't bring together two warring nations… However, as he hovered where he was, he saw a distinct light fly from Canterlot Castle, followed by several more. Fireballs, like those that rained on Cloudsdale five years ago… it couldn't be mistaken. “If you needed proof, it flies at us from the castle. We can flee, leave the town to burn and continue our fight amongst ourselves, or we can band together and see Cloudsdale is not repeated!”

Ink Well had not been the only one to notice the fireballs. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were running towards Town Hall, barking orders to their ponies to fall in line and rally up the defenses. Twilight and Luna removed the barricade, each of them calling out to the ponies around them to help as they could. Even Fluttershy took to the sky from where she was hidden, calling for the Peace Corps to be ready for anything.

The following few minutes were a blur of motion that Ink Well could only watch, knowing his voice would just get in the way. Twilight, Luna, and Rarity led the unicorns and changelings in forming a shield, the dome of which covered the town, while Rainbow Dash, Grandis, and Cadance took the pegasi and gryphons to the skies, whipping the air into a frenzy to slow down and weaken the incoming flames. Earth ponies, meanwhile, led by Pinkie Pie and Applejack, with the help of diamond dogs they hadn't noticed until then, ran between houses, dousing fires and preparing water buckets for anything that made it past the first two defenses.

It was then that Ink Well noticed that Rosewater had been one of the buildings set on fire during the battle, and he sighed with relief when he saw the ash covered, but otherwise unharmed figures of Steam Cloud and Wind Key emerge. He joined with them, Rose, Flora, Jazz, and Silver to help prepare water buckets for the coming fires, while Apple Bloom, Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Spike all joined with Fluttershy and her medics, ready to find and help anyone injured during the defense.

It was amazing how organized they had become in the ten minutes it took the fireballs to fly, and when the first of the dozen impacted the barrier, it rained down embers, not death. The weakened ball of magical fire popped on the combined barrier of the unicorns, sending small tongues of flame out that rained upon the town, only to instantly be doused by the bucket brigades below.

The second sphere was not far behind the first, but it, and all of the fellows behind, were stopped just as easily. A few ponies found themselves too close to the fire, or were caught off guard after a fireball crashed against the barrier, but they were immediately tended to, leaving nothing but minor burns and some slightly scorched houses to show for the bombardment from Canterlot Castle.

When the final fireball was taken care of and the fires were being beaten down, a cheer rose up throughout the town. Soldiers hugged Knights, gryphons cheered with changelings, and even a diamond dog or two got caught up in the celebration as Ponyville was saved. During this time, President Luna came up to Ink Well, a look of curiosity on her face. “That is not a Tree of Harmony. Though We modeled it after one, that was actually a Tree of Hope. We are curious as to what one is doing here, though.”

Ink Well looked at Flora, who was cheering along with the rest of the crowd, and smiled. “My daughter grew it, or at least tended it until it grew itself… Why are you so confused by it?”

Luna looked at the tree, watching it continue to glow and shine, the light refracted through its leaves creating the perfect party lighting. “We grew them on the moon while We were banished… When We were freed, We thought they had all died. Where would a sample have come from?”

Ink Well just smiled, remembering his travels, his little glimpse into the future… “Perhaps, Selene, the moon is not as lifeless as everypony thinks.” He noted the strange look Luna gave him, but before she could follow up his comment Twilight Sparkle had taken a place of prominence and started to speak.

“Ponies of Equestria! While we have saved this town, this fight is by no means over. Princess Celestia has been taken hostage, and it is going to take every fit pony we can find to assault the castle and free her.” Twilight looked over the crowd, her princess demeanor causing a hush to fall. “Those who are injured or unable to fight can stay here, as can those who do not wish to siege the castle. Those who are willing to help me save the princess…” She then flew down to Luna's side, landing lightly. “Rally behind us.”

There was a small uproar among the Knights who didn't believe Luna had their best interests at heart, but she stepped forward. “While we may seem like enemies, this is not a march for war. This is a march for peace. To free Our sister! To end this war! Let us put an end to the fighting once and for all!”

“For the Republic!” yelled the soldiers.

“For the Empire!” chanted the knights.

“For the allies!” cried the gryphons, led by their king.

“For peace! For unity! For Equestria!” Ink Well led the last few chants, trying to get everypony's head in the right mindset, and it seemed to work, as moments later all hooves and claws were raised in solidarity.

“FOR EQUESTRIA!” the cry rang out, and soon those who would end this war marched towards Canterlot beneath a re-raised moon, led by Luna and the Elements of Harmony, all united once more.

War

A soft clink could be heard from the wall of the ancient, abandoned Canterlot gem mines, though the being lounging within knew it wasn't his doing. Well, not directly, at least, though he did know this was where his visitor would arrive. A little prescience on the matter ensured that he'd be here to greet her right as she—

The wall crumbled away to dust, the gems around the waiting presence lighting up brilliantly, even in the dim red glow cast by the horn of the interloper. Dust clung to her fur and sweaty face, and she gasped with exhaustion as she stepped from her cramped, boiling escape tunnel and into the cool dank mine. As she fell forward, though, she was caught by the waiting being's tail, a surprisingly fluffy cushion considering the scaled length that ran up to the fur of his body. “Now, now, we can't have you passing out just yet. You must be awake to meet your savior.”

“Nopony is my savior,” the tired mare spat venomously, glaring up at the creature playing with her. “Least of all you, Discord. I broke out on my own.”

Discord's yellow eyes narrowed as he brought his face closer to hers. “Oh, really? And I suppose enchanted spoons just find their own way to dungeon inmates being fed bread and water.” He smiled at her intrigued look as he took the tiny digging tool from her. “Really, the options are either me or somepony very connected to the guard… Though I suppose, by the end of today, you'll have to wonder.” His body snaked through the air, pointing to a small table with two chairs on it. “While we wait, however, would you like to play a game? I've got all of them.”

The mare stood herself up off of his tail, letting him fly over to his spot as she walked over with trepidation. She knew, if he wanted to, Discord could send her back to her jail in a snap. He'd spent at least a few minutes doing just that before he'd left for Ponyville when he was first released… my, how long ago had that been?

“Just six years and three days. It would've been the anniversary of our meeting, but you took too long to dig,” Discord said with a giggle, motioning to the board before him. It was a simple game of checkers, though the pieces were green and beige. “Checkers? Or would you prefer cards,” as he spoke, the board flashed to a deck of cards, “backgammon? Darts? Parcheesi?” The game flickered three more times, before settling on one very similar to the original, though all of the pieces were different, and very much out of place. “Or perhaps you prefer chess? Honestly, it seems most your game.”

The mare snorted at the board, one lone green pawn sitting on her side, a beige one on Discord's, and an entire army in multiple colors sitting off to the left… or, really, two full sets somehow all fitting on the board at once. “My tactical mind may have landed me in jail, but even I see no way to win. Technically, I think both of us have lost.”

Discord sighed dramatically. “Oh, woe is me. I seem to have this game all mixed up again. Though, really, I think you'll enjoy this version more. Set up for a one-on-one revenge match, winner takes Equestria. Surely you'd like a second chance after all he did to stop your first one.”

The mare growled at the piece across from her, recognizing who it stood for and remembering all those years of hard work thrown into the flames by that stupid nosy pegasus. It was enough to make her blood boil, but she had to keep it cool, particularly when she heard the last bit. “How did you hear about that? You were still a statue at the time.”

Discord's voice sounded in her ear, soon followed by his mouth, then the rest of the draconequus as he pulled himself from there. “Just because I was stone doesn't mean I couldn't hear. These walls would have many stories to tell, if you gave them the chance.” He snapped his claws, and the sounds of a bride singing as she tried a daring escape rang for a moment before fading into nothingness. “But this isn't about them, is it? This is all about you...” Discord tapped the pawn, a little brown fedora appearing on its rounded head. “… and him.”

She looked at the piece, then at Discord, a fire in her eyes, and not just from her red magic flaring around them. “What are the rules? When do I get my chance?”

Discord chuckled heartily, a sound that reverberated tenfold in the small, gem filled chamber. “The rules are simple: there are none. You know your situation, he knows his. Find out his, figure out how best to do to it what you want to, and—Oh! Silly me—try not to get caught. Something tells me you won't get out of the dungeons a second time. As for your chance… It's on its way.”

He snapped his talons this time, and suddenly he was as smoke, dissipating into the air, along with his game, table, and chairs. The dirt-covered mare wanted to run through the caves yelling after him, but stopped herself, knowing better than to attract attention to herself, even in this abandoned cave.

Or so she thought. Just as she set out to leave, hoof steps clopped across the hard stone, coming into the narrow opening before her. Standing there was an aging grey unicorn with a strong jaw line, clearly looking out of place in his 'inconspicuous' civilian clothes. As he spotted her and her exit tunnel in the dim light of the cave, he grew grim, stepping forward dominantly. “I see you managed your escape. Good. I have a proposition for you.”

The mare smiled deviously, standing completely calmly, yet still giving off the air of a snake ready to strike. “Of course, General. Glad to be of service.” Internally, the mare laughed maniacally. Hardly able to believe the chance she'd been given. An army? And they thought a few magazines were dangerous…

A banner flew in the wind on the long road to Canterlot, the New Lunar Republic crest shining beneath Luna's full moon. However, the banner was not alone, each of the other armies had their own, flying them alongside, showing the unity of the ponies on this mission despite their differences. Sure, tensions were high between some of the factions, but everypony knew where the true danger hid.

Particularly Ink Well, walking alone a few steps behind President Luna and Princess Twilight, once more alone, just like he’d been for all of those years… Many ponies had decided to stay behind, to fix up Ponyville and tend to the wounded, and it was only with a herculean effort that he'd managed to convince Rose to do the same. Not because she couldn't handle herself, not because Wind and Steam and Flora were a little shaken up and in need of comfort, not even because he didn't want her there, standing at his side and giving him the strength to go on. No… he asked her to remain behind because there was a strong chance that ponies weren't coming home from this battle, and he refused to let her be among their number.

They were a fraction of both armies, marching towards an attacker who likely knew they were coming, with a force much larger than theirs, and they didn't even know who they were trying to stop. To say the odds were against them would've been the greatest understatement of the century, and some of the ponies around him knew it. Twilight, Luna, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity… The grim looks of determination, the stoic, proud stance they took as they marched… it was the look of ponies proud to find their final rest, and willing to do everything they could before it claimed them. And that was just on the ones who seemed immortal.

And they, too, had left their loved ones behind. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, Jazz, Silver… All of them were back in Ponyville, with the wounded soldiers and the doctors tending to them. Fluttershy, too, had left somepony dear to her behind, trusting his care to the doctors she'd been leading. All of them wanted to know that they were safe… Very little truly mattered after that.

But whatever happened here, Ink Well could tell this was the end of the line. Whether their army fell, the other army surrendered, full scale war broke out again, or everyone finally saw peace, this was where it would be decided, and this was, truly, his last adventure. As he came up to the gate of Canterlot Castle once more, looking up at the portal that had changed his life so many times in the past, he could feel that nothing would ever be the same.

“In the name of Princess Celestia I demand you open this door!” Twilight yelled to the gatehouse of Canterlot Castle. She had tried a few times, as had President Luna, but neither of them had managed so much as a response from the guards beyond. They could fly over, it was true, but that would leave more than half the army behind. They wanted to get that drawbridge open.

“Why aren't they firing at us?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack, wondering how the army had gotten this far unharassed.

“I don't know. Mosta th' army's with us or campin' on the front line… So I guess the mages must 'a ran outta power after firin' on Ponyville.”

“But there's usually arrows or spears or something when the enemy gets near.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I've dodged my fair share.”

“Well, yer the side the gryphons keep tradin' with. We've only got a half dozen guns, an' Apple Bloom ripped most 'a them apart fer research.” Applejack shifted awkwardly in her armor. She was getting antsy in the moonlight this late in the day… it wasn't right, and she missed her sun and her princess.

“I, Princess Twilight demand at least one of you talk to me! You will all be court martialed for this treason!” Twilight was getting angry now, her mane starting to get out of place. She, too, was agitated for her missing mentor and friend, and every second wasted was one too many.

As Twilight yelled at the door, Pinkie Pie happily bounced over to her side, tapping her on the shoulder. “Let me handle this, Twilight.” She then grabbed Gummy, the still baby alligator despite him being nearly three decades old, and tossed him high into the air.

Twilight watched with annoyed curiosity as Gummy suddenly stopped in midair, his mouth snapping down and making him look like he was hanging on something. A moment later the sky itself seemed to ripple, and as Gummy fell, he pulled with him a fabric that perfectly matched the sky, as well as the ponies standing behind it. Suddenly, where there had been nothing, a massive pink cannon stood, it's humongous barrel pointed directly at the gatehouse.

Twilight's eye twitched as she looked up at both Pinkie and Gummy who, despite their positions a moment ago, were standing on top of the siege weapon. “How…?” was as much of the question Twilight could ask, though it was a sentiment shared by the ponies all around the cannon, not sure how they hadn't noticed the huge thing before it had appeared.

Pinkie just giggled. “I never go anywherewithout my Party Cannon!” She wrapped the firing cord around her hoof. “This one's for raiding parties! Stay clear!” She pulled the cord. The ground shook from the force of the weapon going off, the gatehouse and drawbridge completely disappearing in a shower of confetti. When the air cleared of the colored strips of paper, a balloon bridge spanned over Canterlot's moat, attached to a giant cannonball embedded deeply in the middle of the courtyard beyond, the air around it choked with dust from the wreckage.

Nearly every member of the combined army attacking the castle stared in disbelief, their jaws hanging open, hardly able to comprehend anything they had just seen. Pinkie just giggled, hopping off the cannon and bouncing onto the bridge. Soon her laugh was drowned out by another, much deeper laugh, seeming to come from all around them. It was instantly recognizable, putting everypony on guard, particularly the Elements, who had dealt with his tricks enough before.

Discord walked calmly out of the dust beyond the cannonball, laughing wildly at the entrance the army had made. “Oh, my, this is too precious! You should see the looks on your faces!”

Pinkie turned to look at the army, snorting as she held back a laugh at the silly look most of them had, while Luna stepped forward, her voice clear and commanding, her eyes bright as fire. “What have you done with our sister, Discord? Let her go!”

Discord looked shocked, placing a claw to his chest. “Moi? Why, how could you think I have anything to do with this? I'm truly hurt.” He began to sniffle, pulling a handkerchief from thin air.

Twilight wasn't having any of his games. “I should've known you were behind this! Who else would have the power to make a pony act so strangely? Who else could make the sun disappear?”

Discord's face went flat. “Perhaps you should look at your ally for that…” Twilight looked a little confused for a moment, while Luna seemed to shrink in embarrassment, still ashamed of her actions all those centuries ago. However, before Twilight could inquire, Discord continued. “No matter. I've hardly done anything. I merely placed one piece on the board, and the rest of you were all too eager to play these war games. It would be shameful if it weren't so exciting.”

He disappeared, only to reappear hovering over the bridge with a bucket of popcorn and cheap 3-D glasses. “Who will win? The ponies all working together, fighting for peace? Or the ponies much more loyal to their cause?” Just then the dust around the cannonball slowly dissipated, revealing a large number of knights and burly ponies in dark black armor, all of them glowering, itching for a fight. Discord laughed again. “Oh, I can't wait to see it!”

The allied army, seeing their foe, started to ready themselves, steeling themselves for the battle and starting to stare the opposite members down. Discord looked upon this with glee before suddenly locking on to Ink Well, his eyes lighting happily as he saw the writer among the allied forces. “She's waiting for you in the throne room, you know,” Discord said with a sly smile. “She's been rather enjoying your game. It'd be a shame if you fell now.” With his message delivered, Discord disappeared, leaving behind only tension as the two armies stared each other down.

Suddenly the army inside the castle charged, dark and armored ponies yelling out a battle cry as they rushed at Princess Twilight and the rest of the allied forces. The allies charged as well, making their way over the balloon bridge to crash into the defenders of the castle, officially beginning the final battle of this civil war.

The leaders of the allied army did well to corral the amassed forces, Luna, Cadance, and Grandis managing to keep the knights, soldiers, and gryphons in line as they crashed against the army in the castle courtyard. Lightning bolts and fireballs fired from a tower on high, crashing against the combatants and launching streaks of color across the moonlit battlefield. Following behind the fray, Fluttershy did her best to keep casualties as low as she could, while Pinkie, with very little effort, did an amazing job at keeping them quite high for the enemies.

The entire attacking army almost seemed like a distraction as a small strike force, led by Applejack, Rainbow, and Scootaloo charged the front door, the few in heavy armor keeping damage away from those inside their shell, who dished out damage quickly, clearing a path to the front door of the palace. Within minutes they were inside, focusing on the enemy within the walls while the main army took care of those outside.

However, while the fighting was of course important, some ponies had another task they had to accomplish. Soon after the front door was breached, a small panel slid open in one of the kitchen pantries, out of which slid a few diamond dogs, followed by their leader, who shook her mane to get rid of some of the dust that had collected. “To think, the palace has been around for centuries and they don't even close their secret doors in an emergency.” She reached back, offering a hoof to the two important ponies who had followed her: Twilight and Ink Well.

While the pantry was cramped with all of the dogs that had filed into it, they soon spilled out into the spacious kitchen, these 'impossible to reach' areas not even defended with such a struggle outside. Rarity smirked as report after report of clear halls came back from the dogs. “Twilight, where do you think the Princess is being held, if you had to guess?”

“The dungeons, definitely. There were even talks of a panic room in there, in case something big were to threaten the castle.”

Rarity nodded. “My thoughts exactly. And they did finish that project, you know. Though, if one studies the plans, one sees a rather large flaw in the design: all of the locks are on the outside.” She raised an eyebrow at Twilight, who seemed surprised at the news, before she turned to Ink Well. “And what of you, darling? I suspect you are curious as to what Discord was prattling on about?”

Ink Well nodded. “I'm going to find out who is doing this, or if Discord has just been playing tricks on us this whole time. And I am going alone.”

“But it's obviously a trap! Whoever's waiting for you in there, if they are waiting for you, obviously has a plan! It'd be suicide to go alone!” Twilight practically pinned him to the pantry wall as she yelled out her observation, her wings flared with excitement and to give her points emphasis.

Ink Well just sighed. “If it's somepony who is actually waiting for me, then they're theatrical. They'd be more likely to listen if I did what their script wanted, and it would only put a companion in danger.” He looked into Twilight's eyes, knowing full well what he was saying. “And if I've been reading all of this wrong and Celestia is behind those doors, the last thing she'll want to see is her 'faithful student' coming to stop her. She doesn't seem the type to foalnap herself, and I trust she was true with her intentions of peace, but...”

Ink Well was given the space to make his way to the hallway door. “You will know just as quickly as I how all of us were deceived, whether it was by a friend or something none of us could foresee.” Immediately he left the room, leaving Twilight, Rarity, and the dogs all around to go off on his own.

Twilight went to another door, knowing her way to the dungeons quite well, unfortunately. “Let's get moving. If we can free Celestia, we can end the battle now. Nopony else will have to be hurt today.”

“I agree, lead the way,” said Rarity, watching Twilight gallop down the hall. Before she moved, though, she turned to one of her dogs. “Follow Ink Well. Keep him free from harm, and return the instant you know who he is meeting.” The dog saluted, then shot off after Ink Well, blending into the shadows as he tailed the troubled stallion.

As soon as it was dug in Applejack and Rainbow Dash left Scootaloo and the rest of the strike force. They headed towards the mage's tower, knowing that stopping the magical onslaught would do wonders for the force outside, and knowledgeable enough to know that the stairs in there weren't built wide enough for more than two, just in case an invading force tried to assault it.

They weren't quite invading, but the two Elements of Harmony certainly hoped they'd be a good enough distraction, and maybe even be able to beat down the bookworms that lived at the top of the spire. In fact, as they started up the stairs, Rainbow was confident, taking them five at a time with small flaps of her confined wings. “We've got this! This is going to be a snap! Whoever heard of a mage winning in hoof to hoof with real fighters?”

Applejack also seemed to have a spring in her armored step, bounding up the stairs just as quickly as Rainbow did. “Now, I ain't one ta test their mettle, an' I never doubted Equestria's military, but I think we've got the easiest part a' this whole attack.”

Rainbow laughed for a minute, turning to face Applejack and sticking out her tongue playfully. “Look at you! Normally you're a huge party pooper, all defensive and trying to take it slow. You sure you're feeling alright?”

AJ waved it off, chuckling at Rainbow's cheeky gesture. How had she been enemies with one of her best friends for so long? “I'm feelin' fine, RD. Better'n fine, really! Why, I bet I could take on these foals naked as a blue bird!” She was feeling so confident that that seemed like a fantastic idea, actually, and she stopped in the hall, starting to work on unbuckling her armor.

That was when Rainbow's hoof landed on her own, stopping it from undoing the clasp, though she had a cocky smile on her face. “Okay, you're not you if you're saying that. You were the one with the bee suits for the competition, you were the one who always kept your hat on, always had rope on you… Always prepared. You wouldn't take a risk with so much family on the line. I'm supposed to be the stupid one here.” Her look became serious, only for a second, as though it were fighting to be so. “Something isn't right.”

AJ couldn't imagine something being anything less than right when she felt this confident, this… hopeful! Nothing could possibly go wrong, and she'd be back outside in ten minutes, tops, hugging Big Mac an' Apple Bloom an' workin' her farm without a care in the world! Or, at least, that's what her thoughts were telling her. But as she looked into that single moment of worry from Rainbow, she remembered herself, remembered the two graves in the corner of the acres, all the years without her parents, and the promise she made to herself the minute she was drafted. Not a pony alive could make her take the armor off until she was safe at home… So why did it seem like such a good idea?

She had to fight with her hoof to get it to lower back to the ground, wrestling with her own mind to focus on the negatives of such a dumb decision as removing her armor, but they just kept floating away, washed by this feeling like she could do anything right now, tingling at the base of her neck like… like a spell. She tried to shake it off, but it was much too late for that. “Rainbow… get behind me. There's magic in the halls, n' it's gettin' to us.”

Rainbow laughed it off. “How could there be something like that? We'd feel it or be acting weird, and I feel as awesome as always!”

Applejack could hardly argue with that, she felt awesome too, but she knew better, and that growing tingle was getting worse. “Rainbow, listen ta me. Do ya feel that on yer shoulders? Right at the base 'a yer neck, like the wind's blowin' past?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yep! It's like I'm racing through the skies! If this tower were a little wider I'd shoot up to the top, see what a Rainboom does to those magic casters!”

“There ain't any wind in the tower. Ain't any windows neither.” Rainbow looked around, at first confused, sure that AJ was messing with her, but as she did, she found it to be the truth. “I almost took off my armor, yer tryin' ta run up the stairs without thinkin', an' with the tactics your troops pulled on mine? No… Somethin's messin' with us.”

Rainbow hesitated, looking at the worry on AJ's face, and slowly she came to feel the tingle at the base of her spine too, recognizing it as more than just the wind across her fur. It made her shudder, looking up the tower to see if she could spot the source of it. It's a good thing she turned when she did, or she never would've caught the unicorn sneaking up on her, horn burning as the tip readied a fire spell. She ducked at the last moment, the spell rushing past to smash on the stonework behind her, showering Applejack's armor in sparks.

The unicorn, thinking he'd had the perfect opportunity, stood in shock as RD rushed up the steps, a swift hoof connecting with his face, knocking him out cold as his body slid down a few stairs before coming to a rest. Rainbow shook off her hoof, looking at Applejack with a bit of worry on her face. “You still feeling super hopeful about kicking their flanks?”

Applejack nodded, her eyes wide inside her helmet. “Yep. You?” Rainbow nodded as well, making Applejack sigh. “Well, at least we know what we're up against. I guess we'll try ta keep a level head.”

Rainbow just looked even more worried. “Us? Not rush in?” She scoffed, then jumped backwards over Applejack, putting the armored mare higher up the steps. “No way. I'm keeping you in front. At least your heavy flank'll keep me from charging on ahead.”

“I'd like ta see ya step lightly in as much metal as I'm wearin'. I bet ya wouldn't be makin' fun 'a me then, would ya?”

Rainbow smirked. “Nope, but I wouldn't've singed my hat either, now get moving. We gotta take those mages out before they really hurt somepony.” Applejack nodded, and together, cautiously, the two made their way, fighting to restrain the constant feeling of hope. It was too late in the war to dream of being heroes.

Twilight and Rarity crept through the halls of Canterlot Castle slowly, and though they were constantly ready for attack, they met no resistance whatsoever. The ponies loyal to whoever sat upon the throne were doing her bidding out front fighting the army: they had no reason to be in the halls. That was, of course, until they came to the dungeon entrance.

Two unicorns and two earth ponies stood guard. None were dressed in golden royal armor, but instead all wrapped in lightly built black pieces made for movement. The moment they saw the two Elements approaching they were in motion, the earth ponies charging forward while the unicorns prepared spells behind them. However, Twilight had been prepared from the start, and in an instant she had a shield between them and her, completely impenetrable except for one little hole, out of which she fired a magical beam.

The earth pony she aimed at dodged, while behind him the second earth pony drew something from his shoulder, throwing it in a smooth motion. Twilight was preparing a spell, confident in her shield's abilities, when suddenly her vision was blocked by a blue glow. At her side, Rarity's horn glowed as well, surrounding the small needle that had shot through the hole. “Twilight, you really should be more careful. We don't want the arch mage to be taken down by any old rapscallion.” A moment later the needle shot through the barrier backwards, skimming through the mane of the pony that had thrown it as he barely got out of the way.

Twilight was shocked for a second that she'd been caught off guard so easily, but she quickly recovered, releasing her spell in a wave of energy down the hall. “Thanks for the catch, Rarity. I can honestly say I wasn't expecting it.” The earth ponies were caught in the wave of purple energy, floating off of the floor with panicked voices calling out, while the unicorns were able to stop the attack with their own magic. Before they could launch a counter attack, however, heavy forms dropped on them from above, Rarity's own diamond dogs doing wonderfully at their job as bodyguard.

Rarity walked forward confidently after that, stepping through a hole Twilight made in her barrier calmly and walking right up to one of the floating earth ponies. “Would you be a dear and tell us where you're keeping Princess Celestia?”

“Over my dead body!” the mare yelled, glaring Rarity right in the eyes. There was also a sound of her spitting, but the mask covering her mouth made that more embarrassing than she'd probably intended.

Rarity sighed. “As you wish. Cooper...” Rarity walked past the floating mare as Cooper stepped out of the shadows, a sadistic glint in her eyes. A moment later the diamond dog blocked the struggling mare from sight, and with a strangled yelp and the steady drip of red on the stone, the deed was done. Twilight watched on in horror as Rarity walked over to the next suspended earth pony, another mare that had seemed so tough a moment ago. “So, now, would you—”

“She's in the panic room at the end of the hall! There's an iron door leading to an empty room. Press the third stone in from the right on the second row down and the fourth from the left on fifth row up on the back wall,” the mare rattled off quickly, sweat dripping from her brow as she hung in the air, otherwise motionless.

Rarity smiled warmly. “Wonderful! See? Isn't it easier if you help? Cooper, take care of her.”

The suspended mare's eyes shrunk to pinpricks and she tried to shake her head frantically, begging to be released as Cooper slowly turned around, lifting a red stained paw and stalking towards her victim with deadly delight in her eyes. As she got closer, however, her other paw was revealed to have a small bottle ketchup from the kitchen. The deadly look gave way to a playful one before she swiftly struck the mare on the back of the head, knocking her out cold with another strangled yelp.

Twilight's gaze panned between Rarity, Cooper, and the two knocked out mares, a look of horror on her face. “Where did you learn to do things like that? If I hadn't seen it from this angle...” She shuddered at what the mare must have thought.

Rarity just laughed. “Oh, Twilight, still so naive sometimes. This is war, dear. It is won both with bodies and minds, and sometimes you do what you must.” She then turned, walking down the hallway. “Now, we have a princess to save, or have you forgotten?”

The two Elements walked down the hall together, finding the room the mare had described and pushing in the two seemingly-normal stones. Immediately the back wall swung open, revealing a giant arcane rune carved into a completely smooth stone, with more symbols and circles spiraling out from it, all of it glowing and humming with magical energy.

Twilight stepped forward, her mouth agape in wonder. “This… This is ancient alicorn magic of the highest degree! I don't even know if I can get this open… But… if Celestia's in there, then who could've done this?” As she looked at the door in front of her, more impressive than even any bank vault, she saw a window set into it… a curious choice for a 'panic room.' She walked up to it, looking through, and gasped, unable to fully comprehend what she saw.

Ink Well's trip to the throne room was entirely unopposed, the sounds of battle far outside barely echoing through the halls to let him know other ponies were still alive. But he moved on anyway, his curiosity as strong as his desire to finish all of this and finally, maybe, have a peaceful life at home. As he reached the ornate doors of the throne room, he only hesitated for a moment, wondering what would be inside before pushing them open.

The room was just as vast and grand as it had ever been, the stained glass windows on the wall chronicling the past works of the Elements of Harmony just as impressive as they had always been. He was hardly able to appreciate them as he heard the voice calling out to him from the shadowy throne. “It's about time you got here, Ink Well. Do you know how long I've been waiting? I was almost worried all of this was going to be for nothing.”

Ink Well couldn't quite place the voice, but it was familiar, sparking a memory deep in the back of his mind. “Who are you and what do you want with me? If you were going to call off the troops, you would have done so, so—”

“Really? You don't remember me? I know it's been a long time, but I don't think you'd be where you are today if you hadn't spent so much time foiling my plans.” The mare's voice sighed, the figure on the throne shifting slightly in her seat. “I've been planning this for years, and you almost missed it completely… For a while there, I was actually worried you'd died, but I'm glad you knew better than that.”

Ink Well took a heated step forward, infuriated by the condescending tone being used on him. “Who do you think you are to usurp a throne? To start a war? To get countless lives thrown away just for whatever sick 'plan' you had in mind? Show yourself!”

A flash of red magic sparked in the dark for just a moment, making Ink Well dive to the side instinctively, dodging the knife by the fringe of his cloak. However, when he looked behind him, he saw the knife plunged deep into his unseen guard's neck, blood seeping from the diamond dog's wound as the bodyguard gurgled, weakly reaching out before collapsing to the ground.

The voice let out a short laugh. “There! Now that we're alone, I don't feel quite so shy.” The glow of red formed around a horn, dimly illuminating the voice as it spoke, the smirk barely visible in the light. “I think you're going to love the new me.”

Two large, green fires roared to life on either side of the throne, lighting up the banners that hung above them. No longer were they the symbol of the Solar Empire, but something more sinister. Deep forest green with black trim, a bright green serpent in the center of each wrapped around the blade of a dagger dripping blood.

And at the rush of light, the figure on the chair was shown brightly, though Ink Well had to blink to make sure it wasn't some trick of the light. But no, there she was: dark green fur, emerald mane, a gold streak across the bottom, and bright red eyes filled with hatred, excitement, and just a hint of mania. Her smile grew wider as she saw the recognition on his face, his voice growing low as his eyes narrowed. “Viper…”

“Aha!” Viper pointed at him, sitting up in her throne. “Nailed it in one! But I'm afraid you're a little too late. After all...” behind her, two majestic wings unfolded, melding into her back, framing the alicorn's head as she revealed what she truly was with a malevolent laugh, “I've already won!”

Twilight slammed her hoof against the door holding her back, feeling her magic seeping away into the giant stone barrier in front of her. Through the little window, an aged white alicorn with pink hair looked ashamed, her shaky legs hardly able to keep her standing, let alone help Twilight free her. Only her sun cutie mark, a symbol for so many within the empire, would even hint to the casual pony that this feeble creature had once been the princess of the sun.

Twilight had thrown every spell she had at the door after she had recognized her teacher, and the magic hadn't even dimmed. She had even started to draw out a glyph on the floor, hoping to power her magic with another ancient discipline, but the very magical ink had been sucked into the glowing symbols that barred her from her goal. She had even teamed up with Rarity, seeing if the two of them could do anything where one could not. All that had left were two panting, magically drained ponies staring at the dark bulwark.

After a few more minutes wracking her brain, she came up with only two courses of action, and she picked the faster one. “Stay here, I'm getting Luna,” she barked as she ran out of the dungeons, heading for the princess of the night. If anypony would know ancient alicorn magic, it would be the only other ancient alicorn… Twilight just hoped whatever had happened to her mentor wasn't permanent.

Viper walked down from her throne slowly, her magic glowing red as a sheath hovered from the side of the room, stopping just outside of her reach. “Do you recognize this, Ink Well?” She slid the sword free, the long, curved blade shining in the pale moonlight and the glow of her magic. “This sword… I had to do a lot of work to get it back. When I was sentenced to life, they actually auctioned it off. It was a travesty of justice!” She smirked. “I had so wanted its first drink to be you, but that old collector was quite insistent about the duel for his honor.”

“Unfortunately for him, you don't have any,” Ink Well said, walking carefully around the room, trying to find an angle on her first attack. He had no weapons on him except his own four hooves, his wings, and his wits. But, then, those had been enough the last time.

Viper pointed the sword directly at him, letting it float there in her magic, apparently having grown out of the need to feel the cut with her own hooves. “Precisely! He was no match once the daggers came out… it really was a shame. And then any time somepony found out about my plans, or recognized me… well, once the blade was out, it'd be a waste not to use it. But this sword has always hungered for a certain pegasus… it's been quite a lot of work actually getting you here right now.”

Ink Well snorted as he circled around her, checking the vantage points around the room. Once, wings and the tall ceilings would have been enough, but depending on how naturally those new growths came to Viper, flight could be a blessing or a curse. “It's not like I haven't been here before. Seven years ago I came all on my lonesome. You could've struck then without a second thought.”

Viper smirked, testing the weight of her blade in the air, until she had it balanced on a single point of magic. “But I wasn't ready then, Ink Well. Who could I have pinned the blame on for all of this without Equestria's Most Wanted Stallion? Though, really, it wouldn't have been possible without your reappearance at the last Gala. The Princess had been growing wise to her General, and soon she might have even found me. But then you arrive, with the perfect reason to put our ruler into protective lockdown...” She smiled brightly. “I owe this all to you, really.”

“The army at your door? The crumbling of your plan around you while you decide to settle petty squabbles?” He stopped where he was, readying his muscles for that first rush. Viper didn't look a day older than she'd been when she'd fought him last, while all twenty seven showed clearly on Ink Well's lined face. His age had more than doubled since their last encounter… this one wouldn't be nearly as pretty.

Viper laughed loudly, grasping the hilt of the sword in her magic once more. “No! Don't you remember my plan? I had one goal: Overthrow the god-queen! I thought the tabloids would start a revolution, but who would have ever guessed the pony that foiled that plot would give me the perfect ammunition to start a real war? The Weather Factory? That reveal was beautiful, almost more so than the sight of it tumbling to the ground. And the drought afterward? The paranoia Celestia started to show? Even at your greatest moment, you couldn't pen a better play! I hardly even had to nudge her general and she was decreeing my laws left and right. And all it took was manipulating a few key numbers, stopping the right messengers… The whole nation fell in half.”

“All of these lives, all of this time, all so you could live out some sick power fantasy?” Ink Well's eyes glowed with anger as he stared into Viper's uncaring ones.

Viper's wings flapped majestically, going to their full glory as she smiled at him. “You act like you wouldn't do the same, in my position. And now look! One simple ritual and I have immortality, flight, magic power beyond belief, and my nemesis standing there glowering at me.”

Ink Well's eyes narrowed. “You're a monster.”

“Thank you for noticing.” Viper shot forward with one strong flap of her wings, the sword slashing at Ink Well's neck, which he nimbly ducked under. What he didn't expect was her catching the sword in her mouth, swinging it back at his lowered form. All he could do was put up his left forehoof, the blade sinking into his arm.

Viper smiled cruelly, but it soon disappeared when his right swung around, forcing her to jump back to avoid the hit. Ink Well shook his arm, the cloak on his back moving aside to reveal a woven grass armor, the nick from the sword hardly a scratch on the strangely made armor. She glared at him, and he glared back, settling into a fighting pose again. “Don't you know how a monster attack can bring together nations?”

Viper snorted, grabbing the sword in her magic once more. “So you're prepared… no matter. It would've been disappointing if it was over so quickly.” She smirked, then shot forward again, her sword slashing the air as Ink Well put up his best defense.

Applejack swung back her hoof, her armor ringing as it connected with a wizard's face, the poor unicorn crumpling under the weight of her attack. Unfortunately for her, the mage's tower was not filled by just one unicorn, and the dozen others that barred the door redoubled their attacks, lightning and fire flying through the small portal while she jammed herself against the wall.

Rainbow jammed herself on the other side, occasionally peeking out to see what they were up against. “Okay… I think it's half a dozen, and if nothing else, at least they've stopped firing on the troops below.”

Bits of the archway exploded away from AJ, pinging off her armor and leaving a dent. “That don't really help us right now, RD, ya got somethin' better?”

Rainbow sighed. “I really wish I'd brought a gun, even though I'd promised myself to try not to kill anypony.”

Applejack shook her head, looking into the top chamber of the tower. There wasn't even any cover to dive into, no matter how fast a pony was. The only way they'd be getting in would be dodging like a mad mare or taking all of the hits. Both of those were suicide operations.

After a few more seconds, Rainbow sighed, the wall beside her turning black as fire spilled out of the doorway. “I'm really going to regret this in a moment.”

“What are you—?” Applejack asked, but Rainbow was already flying down the stairs of the tower, her wings barely fitting in the tight hallway, making her flight clumsy. After about a minute, Applejack began to wonder if maybe Rainbow had finally gotten a bit of cowardice in her veins from somewhere.

That was when she heard the battlecry echoing up the stairs. Less than a second later it was followed by Rainbow Dash, hooves forward, wing skimming just above the stairs as she spiraled up the tower, a corona of air forming in front of her outstretched hooves. “FOR LUNA!” she yelled as she passed through the door in the blink of an eye, fast enough to catch the mages off guard before she broke through the cone of force in front of her.

There was a crash of sound, everypony being knocked to their feet as rainbow light exploded from the tower, blinding the mages that had been in there. Applejack had, luckily, not been able to turn around the door enough to see the explosion, but she saw the aftermath and knew it was her chance. “For Equestria!” She cried as she leaped into the room, landing hard on a fallen mage and keeping him down. She didn't have too much time before they got up and started slinging spells again… every moment had to count.

Viper's attacks were relentless, pushing Ink Well back slowly as he dodged and blocked, infinitely glad for the wisdom of the zebras as it caught the blade once more, keeping his leg safe from damage with the sound of dry grass rustling.

Ink Well's apparent invincibility was really starting to infuriate Viper, though, who snarled at him as she hacked and slashed her way around the throne room. “Just hold still! You may think it's funny to waste my time, old stallion, hoping age takes you before my sword does, but some of us have empires to build on your bloody corpse!”

She thrust forward, aiming right for his heart as the sonic rainboom happened, throwing off her focus and causing her to only succeed in hitting the air as he leaped over her, kicking off of her sword and heading in the direction of the exit hall. Stained glass vibrated in the windows around him as he galloped down the hall to the large double doors, the poor remains of the diamond dog still laying there. If he could just stall her long enough, then maybe he'd have an army at his back… He definitely wasn't confident in taking on an alicorn on his own.

Before he was even halfway down the hall, though, the knife in his body guard shifted, pulling out and flinging at him from the front, while two more swords seemed to lunge from the tapestries, barring his escape paths.

Ink Well was forced to drop to the ground, holding his hooves above his head as the dual swords fell at him, his quick motions barely keeping himself from losing half his limbs. He swung his forehooves down, pinning the swords beneath him as he took a quick look around.

The whole throne room glowed with red, dozens of daggers and blades seeming to find their way out of the very stonework, floating around Viper in a shell of steel and death. “Where do you think you're going, Ink Well?” Viper said as he turned around, only to be faced with a whirling wall of death as a dozen daggers danced to Viper's magic. “This fight is between us. This entire war is between us, if you want to get dramatic about it. You aren't leaving until you see it through.” Slowly the wall of blades moved towards him, the shield around her approaching him as well as she walked forward, death in her eyes.

Just when Ink Well was able to see the whites of her eyes, wondering what the best decision was for an escape route, the answer was given to him as one of the stained glass windows shattered, the scene it depicted utterly destroyed by a cream colored mare with shiny brass wings.

Rose looked around and, seeing she was behind a horrifyingly familiar alicorn and a spinning wall of blades, looked past Viper to Ink Well, signaling for him to meet her outside the window she'd just crashed through.

Viper's attention went to her for just a moment, growling at the intruder in her duel, and while her gaze was drawn away, Ink Well burst through the window nearest to him, leaving a hole in the priceless work of art. Viper let out an angry growl as she saw her prey escape, refusing to let it be that easy.

Ink Well and Rose met outside the wall, hovering in the air. Ink Well hugged her quickly, speaking as he did. “What are you doing here? It's much too dangerous, particularly with Viper here, and I never could have imagined—”

Rose glared at him, pulling back from the hug as the mechanical wings worked behind her. “Why do you keep leaving me out of your most important decisions? True, this one you at least tried to talk me into, but you always run off, get yourself in danger… what would you do without me?”

Ink Well sighed happily, just glad to have somepony he trusted completely on his side. “I don't know how I would've lived my life without you. I almost died of heartache every night these last few years...”

Rose smiled warmly, then shook her head, her face going serious as she looked back at the throne room. “We can be corny later. What is Viper doing back? And how do we stop her?”

“She doesn't want to fight us, she wants to fight me.”

Rose glared at him for a moment. “We are in this together, Ink Well. This thing more than most. We defeated her together all those years ago, and even if we weren't bonded by marriage, in this, we are bonded by blood. So, how do we beat her?”

From within the throne room came an echoing, vengeful scream, followed by a bright red glow that seemed to pierce the sky with its intensity. Moments later the wall they had both been looking at crumbled to dust, revealing a large skeletal beast, slithering and swaying through the air, each of its bones created by a blade Viper had hidden in the room, should the fight have gotten out of hoof. Now, with her eyes glowing red as she flew in the center of her creation, it was clear to Ink Well that things had gotten out of hoof.

“We don't beat her. We run,” Ink Well said, turning tail and booking it for the sky, grabbing his wife at the last moment and pulling her along, knowing how much the mechanical wings could slow down a flying partner. With the magical monstrosity on their tails, though, there was very little that could actually make Rose fly faster, barely able to comprehend the situation as she stuck to Ink Well's side, just trying to survive.

President Luna's Army pressed against the defending forces, their actions bolstered by the rainboom in the mage tower stopping the magic that had been raining down on them. But try as they might, they were simply being repelled, outnumbered even with the technological edge. Those loyal knights that still defended the castle did so fiercely, not willing to give up an inch of ground, ensuring every last one of them tried to take one with them. Were it not for Fluttershy and the other combat medics flying around the field, Luna was worried that nopony would come out of this fight alive.

Just as she was debating the merits of retreating for a new strategy, the mage's tower exploded into flames, shifting as ancient, heavy stones dislodged themselves from the castle masonry. Two forms flew out of the wreckage in a weak spiral, trailing smoke behind them as they made their way to the courtyard battlefield. They landed hard, tumbling heavily across the ground, but it was unmistakable: Rainbow and Applejack had succeeded in their mission.

The knights still defending the castle began to waver, realizing that perhaps it was they who were on the losing side as the generals of both armies took their positions, standing tall despite limps, burns, and bruises both carried. As Applejack made her way to the front lines once more, her armored form lowering the loyalist's moral even more, Rainbow went to Luna's side, giving a frightened glance up at the shaky tower. “We won't want to be under here for long, ma'am. We'll need to get into the safety of the main hall.”

Luna nodded, then turned to her army, calling out to each and every one of them. “TO THE CASTLE! WE FIGHT FOR EQUESTRIA, WE SHALL TAKE IT WHILE IT'S USURPERS ARE WEAKENED!” At once the battered remains of the combined forces led a change against the knights, chasing them to the castle doors, where Scootaloo still stood, squeezing the knights between the two parts of the army. Eventually the knights found leadership, running away from both forces, an act Luna didn't care about as she got her troops inside the walls.

Just as the last ones were crossing the threshold, there was a terrific crash that rent the air asunder. Luna looked up to see something she'd never expected: two small ponies outlined by her moon, followed by a massive skeletal beast that brushed aside the mage's tower as though it were paper. Stone bits fell quickly, while the body of the building teetered, tipped, then toppled, casting a shadow over the entire courtyard, and all of the medics working out there.

Luna's horn began to glow, her deep blue magic beginning to make a barrier over the medics, when her magic was blocked by a purple dome being created in the exact same space. She had no time to question it as she reeled, the impact of the tower shattering and splintering on her shield nearly enough to stun her. Just behind her, Twilight Sparkle let out a pained grunt, falling to the ground as her magic gave out from the crash.

The purple half of the dome disappeared, rocks and heavy wooden beams falling the last distance, most of their energy lost from where the barrier had taken it. A few ponies were under its shadow, but Fluttershy and her medics worked quickly to evacuate Luna's half of the barrier. It took less than a minute, and when it was done, Luna dropped her rubble as well, watching it seal off the entrance to the castle, leaving her on the wrong side to help Ink Well's plight.

Behind her, Twilight slowly came to, immediately stumbling towards Luna and speaking urgently. “We've found your sister, but she's behind a barrier… I can't break it. I need you for this.”

Luna looked at the rubble, imagining the glowing red monster flying through the sky, then looked at Twilight, letting out a deep sigh. “Let us go, then. And messengers: We want constant updates on this fight, if possible.” She closed her eyes. “Our friends, our happiness… our very future depends on it.” With that she turned, following Twilight as they made their way back to the dungeons.

Ink Well and Rose flew as fast as they could, the Ready Wings moving clumsily, but adrenaline seemed to help make up the difference, keeping Rose just out of reach from the giant bladed python. Viper, still new to her wings, hovered just inside the snake's head, her eyes glowing red as she flew after them, not caring about the wave of destruction she cut through the castle towers.

Seeing Rose was struggling, Ink Well flew off in a different direction, diving and juking between clouds. Viper chased after him, much more interested in getting her revenge on the one who had knocked her out and imprisoned her. This let Rose land on a cloud, her hooves wearing Steam's cloud walking shoes, as she tried to get her bearings and think of a plan. She watched Viper, along with all her weapons, spiraling around the crumbling mage tower and sighed. This was too much for just the two of them… they needed support. They needed the others, but they seemed to be trapped inside.

It was then the lightbulb clicked on, Rose taking to the skies and joining up with Ink Well in his flight for survival. “We have to convince her to stop. Let her know her only way of survival is to surrender before the army kills her.”

Ink Well shook his head, veering through the arch beneath one of the tower pathways. Seconds later it burst into dust, Viper continuing towards them, unstoppable. “It's no use. She won't stop until we're dead.”

“Just follow me and try talking… it can't hurt.” Rose powered skyward, followed by Ink Well, who flew backwards, looking down as Viper struggled to change directions and follow them towards the full moon.

“Viper! We don't have to fight!” Ink Well called beneath him, never pausing his ascent. “This can all end peacefully if you stop this now!”

Viper just scoffed at his words. “Peacefully? Come now. I'll be executed if I surrender, and they'll try to kill me if I don't. Why quit now? If enough dissenters die here, nopony will be left to stop me!”

“I am giving you this chance. Surrender yourself to President Luna and you will be spared. I will make sure not a hair in your mane is hurt and you receive a fair trial.” He continued upwards, looking at Rose, who just urged him to keep speaking, while her eyes told him she'd be with him to the end. He smiled at that, looking down at Viper's lone form. “Besides… it's much better when you have somepony on your side.”

Viper rolled her eyes, pushing forward and trying to fly faster to catch the pegasus and his wife, but the weight of her weaponry was dragging her down. “Oh please! Don't tell me you've fallen for that Friendship schtick too!”

“Why not? You saw how powerful it was. An army created of rivals turned friends, able out power the most powerful troops you could create on your own. They beat you not because of a lack of fortification. They won because they were united: an entire nation united in stopping you. How do you think you can defeat that?”

Viper laughed loudly, her face looking incredulous. “How can I defeat that? How can't I? The countries combined may have numbers, Ink Well, and they might have an idealistic banner to wave before they charge, but only I have true power. I never trusted anypony else, and look at me! I have power beyond your wildest dreams, control over a nation, and, once I figure it out, the very sun to use as a weapon for me! And Equestria isn't the end, Ink Well… no, this is merely the beginning. Dominating the planet is so much easier when you're the Queen of it, Ink Well, and I won't let anypony get in the way of me!” She flapped her wings harder, picking up speed as the back sections of her sword skeleton fell away, leaving her with just the head surrounding her: more than enough to kill her targets. “Not you, not Luna, not even an army! I am a God and nothing can stop an immortal!”

Rose looked down at the ranting Viper as her snake began to disappear, then looked at Ink Well. “Do you trust me?”

Ink Well looked at her like she was insane. “What?”

Rose's metal wings flapped behind her as she looked him in the eyes, their death getting ever closer. “Do you trust me, Ink Well.”

Ink Well returned her gaze, his face softening. “Rose, my love, my wife… I'm the one who should me asking that question, as I have always trusted you completely. Even when I left, it was because I thought you’d live better without me.”

Rose shook her head of all the things she wanted to say to that. They'd have the rest of their lives to come to terms with those seven years… but they had to make it through this first. “Then Ink Well… it is no longer time to run. It is time to plant your roots and do what you think is right.” She offered him her hoof, slowing down as the wall of steel grew ever closer.

Ink Well grabbed her hoof back, slowing down as well, until the two of them were hovering, their death rapidly approaching from below. He smiled. “I love you Rosy.”

Rose smiled back. “I love you too, Inky.” She then pulled him into a kiss, pressing her body to his as she flapped once up towards the moon, wrapping her wings around them as they fell to the earth. Ink Well's forehooves wrapped around her, his wings enclosing them in a smaller shell as they approached the maw of blades.

Viper grinned wickedly as sword after sword pierced through the leather and brass shell, daggers and knives slicing and tearing, aiming for the ponies within. However, caught up as she was in her revenge, she didn't think about how hard it would be for her to get out of the way. Despite the swords sticking out of the ball of brass and fur that was Rose and Ink Well, it continued to plummet with an alarming weight, which crashed into Viper at full speed, knocking her weapons out of her magic and pinning her between the blades stuck in it.

Viper screamed and yelled and kicked in dazed agony, flapping her wings against the weight pressing down on her, but there was nothing to stop the ball from taking her with it. She couldn't focus enough to grip the slippery metal in her magic, but she had just enough left to pull a dagger from it, slashing and stabbing blindly into the leather as it all tumbled to the ground. She drew blood, though whether that which trailed behind the mess of wings was fresh or had just escaped the maze was hard to tell, those within the shell dead still on their fall.

They crashed like a meteor in the courtyard of the castle, Viper screaming and cursing all the way. The impact broke rubble and kicked up a cloud of dust, but also silenced the angered alicorn, the slam hard enough to even knock out an immortal. Soon, the only sounds were the clinks of broken bricks settling back into place and the gentle plips of blood falling from the sky like rain, signaling that, finally, this battle was over.

Luna ran to the castle courtyard, leaving Twilight to finish breaking the seal on the panic room when she had heard the news of the battle's climax. By the time she had reached the doors of the castle, the loyalist knights were either scattered or captured, surrendering peacefully to the allied armies. A ring of soldiers had formed around the impact site of Ink Well, Rose, and Viper, all of them looking at the tangled mess below.

Everypony looked on, wishing to see the fate of the one who had brought them all together, as the medical team that wasn't busy tending to the other wounded peeled away the mess of swords, leather, and bent and twisted brass. There was no movement coming from inside the shell, but outside it – or, more precisely, beneath it – there was a loud moaning as a dark green form pulled itself free.

Immediately it was wrapped up in Luna's magic, stars twinkling in the dark blue field of it as Luna picked up the monster that had caused all of this. Her eyes began to glow bright blue, her armored form lighting up angrily as she stared the wrongful alicorn in the eyes. In return, Viper had just two words to say. “I surrender!”

Luna placed the injured green 'princess' on the ground, pinning her there with her magic while she stepped forward. “What did you say to us, knave?”

“I said I surrender! I surrender to you and your forces, for treatment as a prisoner of war.” Viper tried to wipe some blood from her face, but she was stopped instantly by the president's magic. “I want a fair trial, nothing more, nothing less.”

Luna's magic pushed her down as the president continued to glare at her. “And what makes you think we will accept your surrender? You sit there, showing off wings you did not earn, parading around with our sister's magic coursing through your veins! What is to stop us from taking it out again?”

Viper's eyes widened in fear. “No! Please! Ink Well promised me you would spare me! If you remove the magic, it could kill me. I am just a mortal pony! Ink Well wouldn't have wanted any more blood to be shed today! The last thing he'd want is for me to die without a trial.”

Luna's glare softened slightly as she leaned down, putting her face just inches from Viper's, close enough to completely bathe the bloody mare's face in her magic's glow. “You're right. Ink Well would want you to go to a trial. He would want you kept completely unharmed until you were found guilty and the magic was safely drained from your body.” Her face then went stoic, her glowing eyes filled with malice. “Unfortunately for you, we are not Ink Well.” Luna then leaned her head forward, tapping her glowing horn against Viper's.

It took only a moment for a wave of brilliantly bright magic to wash over the onlookers, nearly blinding them with its sheer energy. It did nothing, however, to cover the sound of one mare's pleas slowly turning into one long scream of agony.

In the destroyed rubble of Canterlot Castle's throne room, a withered white alicorn sat upon the throne, a husk of her former self. She looked slowly over the remains of the stained glass hall, the great vaulted ceilings… all that had once brought visiting dignitaries to their knees laying in ruins around her. She sighed, wishing she hadn't spent all of those centuries training herself not to cry. The tears would be most fitting now.

As she surveyed what remained of her nation, the door at the other end swung open, a single alicorn walking in. Powerful, dignified, moving in her cobalt armor as though it were the finest silk. She walked proudly down the ruined halls, coming to a halt before Celestia's throne and looking her sister in the eyes, her face a mask, hiding her emotions. “Sister, we are glad to see thee free of thy cage.”

Celestia sighed, a wheezing sound from an ancient mare. “I miss your flowing mane, Selene. It was much more regal than this cropped cut you wear now.”

Luna cracked a smile, looking Celestia right in her eyes. “Tia, your look right now would not strike any stallion's heart beating, but we weren't going to mention it.”

Celestia's face slowly formed into a smile as well, before it faded away, thoughts of the current matters much more pressing. “I suppose you've come to banish me from the nation. Or do you have a need to execute me to solidify your rule? Equestria is now yours… I'm sure you're well aware.”

“It has been bathed in our moonlight for nearly twenty four hours now… Longer than even our time as Nightmare Moon. From this, 'twould be a trifle to wipe thee away, claim you fell to the castle or your usurper, and continue on my path. With the power flowing through us, 'twould be simple to take thy duty from you, and while there would be resistance, there are also many ponies that would be welcoming of news of your death.” Luna slowly walked towards her sister, towering over the frail white mare, looking like she could just reach out a hoof and turn Celestia to dust.

Celestia closed her eyes, holding her head up proudly as she accepted her coming fate. It only caused a look of shock when she was met with not a blow, but a kiss placed lightly upon her cheek. “Selene...”

Luna smiled warmly, looking her fragile sister in the eyes. “Many would welcome news of your demise, but we… no, I, would never be able to forgive myself.” She picked up Celestia's hoof, holding it gently between her own. “We were always meant to rule together, dear sister. And though you've made mistakes… who would I be to judge a pony harshly for one dire mistake in her life? My time as leader of a nation has taught me that even the most troubled past is not without redemption.”

Slowly, Luna tapped her horn against Celestia's, and magic began to flow from one alicorn to the other, shimmering bright yellow, like the glow of the sun, as all that was Celestia's returned to her. Her body grew strong and youthful once more, her eyes bright and sharp, her wings light and agile… Even her mane took on its ethereal appearance, taking on two more tones as it waved in a wind that wasn't there. When it was done, the two restored sisters looked each other in the eyes, tears beginning to form at finally being together once again. “Selene… I am so sorry…”

Luna stopped her with a gentle hoof, smiling despite the tears on her face. “It is not enough to be sorry. One must learn from their mistakes if they wish to truly make them right.” She then stood, standing next to Celestia, looking her now-taller sister in the eye. “Come. We were destined to rule together. So raise the sun, Tia, and let us finally begin these peace talks we have so craved.”

Celestia nodded, her horn glowing as the two sisters exited the room together. Just as the door to the ruins closed shut, the sun finally rose, ending the darkness of the night and shining its light brightly on a new era of peace.

Dawn

As the sun began to rise after the long night, ponies looked to the sky in wonder, not knowing what this could mean. Had Luna attacked and Celestia beaten her back? Had Luna taken over, and now she controlled both celestial bodies? Or had they remained in their stalemate, order maintaining precisely where it was? With so little to go on, it was no wonder so many possible theories circled through the rumor mill.

And soon, the rumors were joined by the truth. Word spread as quickly as the pegasi could fly, and Rainbow Dash was known to fly quite quickly when she wanted to. Peace had been declared. Not just the talks, no promises or tentative bargains, but full on peace between Celestia's Empire and Luna's Republic.

Of course, many ponies wouldn't believe anything as fantastical as that. Even if some pegasus in army colors flew over the town yelling it, there was no way to know they weren't a lone nut, and along the border, neither army stopped being entrenched, sure this was a trick from the other side. And they remained that way until it started to snow.

Snow was fairly common in the winter, but it normally didn't come in little rectangular pieces, nor did it come from a hot air balloon in the form of an invitation to the 'Dual Nation-Wide Equestria Peace Parties!' like this snow did. It had now been hours since most of the initial declarations had happened, and with evidence piling up, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the possibility. Coulda war really end that easily? For most in both countries there had been no huge battle, no satisfying, decisive clash to determine the winner and the loser, just… This.

Rainbow and the Wonderbolts, once opposite sides of the war, did three laps of Equestria before ponies truly believed them, and Pinkie Pie's balloon had thrown out enough fliers to rebuild Canterlot entirely out of paper by the time she got her first RSVP, but by the end of even that first day, peace became entrenched as a true possibility in ponies' minds.

Of course, compared to the dual parties, the 'Cross-Border Partypalooza' didn't get very many guests at all, but the dual parties in the nations capitols both went on long, long into the following night. It was a start. After so long being divided, even cake couldn't be expected to bridge the gap immediately, but Pinkie Pie had time. She had all the time in the world… or at least as long as the Element of Laughter gave her, and she had a feeling that was more than enough.

Ink Well limped into the hospital room, his bad leg bound tightly in bandages and braced to make sure his movements didn't injure it more. His sides were bandaged too, as well as his wings, their spraining and the stitches holding him together needing some care if they were ever going to get better. Overall he was fortunate to be moving at all even a few days after his fall in Canterlot. As he sat down next to the heavily bandaged pony in the bed, he wished Rose had been nearly so lucky.

Multiple stab and puncture wounds, a list of fractures and breaks that covered just about every part of her body, blood seeping into places inside her it never should've been… but she was still breathing, and when she saw him next to her, she smiled before coughing, a little bit of pink coming up with the motion. Ink Well sighed, looking at the tube that dripped liquid from Rose's IV bag. “So this is what it was like all those times I got injured… I must say, I prefer being the one in the bed. It hurts far more to see you like this than to be the one experiencing it.”

Rose chuckled weakly, shaking her head, though she was unable to move her hooves for the slings all four of them were in. “Well, maybe you'll finally stop going off and getting yourself in trouble now. Maybe if I scare you to death, you'll stop doing it to me.” She coughed once more as she turned her head, looking out the window to her right and barely able to see the town hall in the distance. “But at least they let me be moved to Ponyville, even if I can't go out to see you speak today...”

“I'd bring you right back here if I saw you out and about anyway. As much as I'd like you standing beside me as I did it, to know you're well, I'll take the moral support from here.” Ink Well leaned over, nuzzling his wife gently on the cheek. “Though I really don't know what they expect me to do. They've already declared peace days ago, and I was never any negotiator. The talk for what the future held could've gone on just fine without the old stallion limping around and spouting fantasies.”

Rose sighed loudly, turning to face him again with a stern look on her face. “You told me you'd stop doing that! And anyway, you haven't hit fifty yet, unlike a certain immobile mare in this room. You're still the same young, spry idealist I met all those years ago… Just with a few more scars.”

“Won't be the only pony returning home with a few extra scars… I'm just glad to be returning.” Both of them lowered their head, remembering all of those crushed beneath the rubble. All of the brave soldiers that had breathed their last, in Canterlot, in Ponyville, and the countless more before them. There had been so many injured in Canterlot that the hospital there had overflowed, leading to a large transport of injured over to Ponyville hospital, which was dealing with the aftermath of 'The Second Battle of Ponyville,' and only barely managing thanks to the Peace Corps. By now things were settling down to a more manageable pace, but there were many doctors wondering if there had been more they could've done.

One of the worst worriers stood in the doorway, smiling brightly as she saw Ink Well and Rose in the room. “Oh, good to see you up and about, Ink Well, though I do hope you're not going to strain yourself,” said Fluttershy, Angel Bunny riding on her back with a bouquet of flowers. As Fluttershy began to walk into the room, she smiled warmly at Rose as well. “And glad to see you're hanging in there. You really scared us after you fell from the sky. Nopony could believe Viper had even survived the fall, let alone you two… You really should count yourselves lucky.”

Rose smiled back, nodding. “I do… I just wish I were lucky in a way that itched less. There's no way I can reach under these casts.” Hearing his wife's distress, Ink Well began to root around the room for a pencil or something to help with her itchy legs, a feeling he knew all too well.

Fluttershy giggled at that display as she walked over to the other side of the room, checking up on the other occupant. “And how about you, Dented, are you feeling alright?”

Dented Angel smiled as he saw the bouquet being carried for him, nearly matching the other ones he'd been brought by her while he'd been recovering from the gunshot. He waved away her worry, smiling up at her from behind his eye patch. “You don't have to worry about me so much, Fluttershy. I was treated by the best doctor in Equestria within seconds of being shot. If it weren't for the bandage, I'd hardly know I was injured!”

Fluttershy just sighed as she picked up the bouquet in her wings, placing them next to his bed. “I'm just glad to know you're recovering… You scared me even more than they did, and they fell from the sky!”

Dented chuckled. “Well, I did that once too, and you saved me then as well, if I remember correctly. Now that's two lives I owe you.”

She shook her head. “You don't owe me anything except getting better. After everything you helped me do these last few years…”

“Yep. Dragging you from your home nation and putting a crazy little idea in your head that somehow worked… alright, we'll count that as the first life I owe you. But for the second, I think I'll need to be a little closer by.” He reached a hoof behind the flower bundles next to him, a smile slowly growing on his face as a frown grew on Fluttershy's.

“What do you mean by–?” was all she got out before the rest was lost to a gasp at the little box Dented was holding.

He flipped it open, revealing a slender golden ring. But where a jewel would be resting, there was instead a lump of shined lead in the shape of a heart: something a bit more personal to both of them. “You might've pulled the bullet out of me, but you took my heart with it. And after these years together and how often you've been visiting me, I know there's nopony else I'd rather be with for the rest of my life.” He pushed himself up out of bed, struggling down to kneeling next to it as he offered her the ring properly. “Will you marry me, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy's eyes began to tear up immediately, and behind her was the clatter of a pencil dropping to the floor out of Ink Well's mouth as both he and Rose were left speechless at what they were witnessing. After a moment Fluttershy just nodded, resulting in a hug from Angel Bunny, followed by a bigger hug from Dented as he stood up and grabbed her, nuzzling against her cheek lovingly. Fluttershy just returned it, hugging Dented back and holding him close. “I didn't even realize… but I'd always hoped…” Dented shook his head, kissing her gently on the lips as Angel helped place the ring around one of her hooves.

After a few moments, mostly quiet as both Rose and Ink Well tried to figure out how to applaud with their injuries, Ink Well finally broke down and spoke. “Congratulations you two. I wish you the very best… and have a feeling you're not the only couple that'll be getting married soon.” He chuckled as they both looked at him, blushing, before he turned to leave. “Unfortunately I can't much help you celebrate, as I have some place to be, but I have a feeling I'd only be getting in your way.” He dipped his head, then walked out of the room, making his way to the town hall.

Flora ran her kercheif over her forehead, wiping away the sweat that beaded there as she balanced the last tray of plants on Jazz's back, collecting the little plastic boxes from the shattered remains of her old greenhouse.

Not that she was complaining too much. Where her old sanctuary once stood was marked by the living, breathing embodiment of her cutie mark: the Tree of Hope refracting light in every color of the rainbow as its boughs grew heavy with fruit filled with pure magic. At least, that was what President Luna told her the original had done, and she'd been fairly sure that this was a cutting, or at least a descendant, of that tree. It just made Flora feel a little more special when the first flowers matching her cutie mark blossomed on those crystalline branches.

But feeling special did nothing to save the many horticultural experiments she'd once had in her greenhouse. Almost everything had died between the shock of the tree's growth and the cold of the long last night of the war. The fact that there was even a single tray showing any signs of life this much later was either a testament to the power of hope or proof that Flora was an amazing botanist, and she was willing to accept either.

“Alright Jazz, you take those to your farm while I finish sweeping up the last bits and pieces.”

“Sure thing, Sugar,” Jazz said, giving Flora a peck on the cheek as he started his slow plod to Sweet Apple Acres. He'd been the kindest, most appreciative stallion the last few days… Just like the one she'd known growing up. It was nice to see the old him back. He wasn't even the only good return to the old.

Ponyville had come alive in the last week, between rebuilding the town and planning for the new peace talks, the entire place was bustling with activity. The market had been thriving when she'd gone to visit, and she'd never seen so many smiles on so many ponies' faces. There were still burnt buildings and repairs going on, and there would always be some to mourn, but as it was…

She chuckled, tapping a hoof against the solid base of the Tree of Hope. “I've already grown the best symbol for it. No need to dwell on it.” She hummed a light, lilting tune as she finished cleaning up the last of the remains of her greenhouse, looking on the little pile gleaming in the cool winter sunlight. It'd be a shame to see it go, but at least she wouldn't be without a home for long. With a spring in her step, she started down the road to Sweet Apple Acres as well, soon catching up with her Jazzy.

They moved together side by side, chatting happily about the town and the farm and both of their families, their bodies moving like a weight had been lifted. Both of them noticed a change in the other, but neither said anything, knowing they felt the same way. When they reached the jazz apple greenhouse, Flora opened the door, allowing the burdened stallion an easy way in before joining them to admire their work.

While one side of the building was still dominated by the jazz apple vines, their score glowing brightly as small green apples grew at the head of each note. They were getting closer and closer to ripeness, and now they had company for their performances in the form of a line of small planting pots and bags lining the opposite wall. The trays contained ordinary, mundane seedlings and flowers, but Flora had a small hope some of the apples' magic would rub off on them.

When Jazz finished putting down the last of the refugee plants in his greenhouse, he smiled to Flora, walking over to get his trumpet and sliding out her fiddle case. Without a single word passing between them they nodded, beginning their song and making the magic vines dance for joy at their latest performance. They might have gotten a little into it, too, as by the end of the song they were back to back, panting from their own dancing around the greenhouse, giant smiles on both of their faces.

Jazz held open the door as they made their exit, their smiles feeling permanent fixtures on their faces, but they were soon wiped away by the sounds of yelling, one look over the property fence telling them all they needed to know.

Golden Grape was on his knees, his eyes pleading as he looked up at a very angry Applejack, somehow even more imposing as a wife than she'd ever been as the head of an army. Behind him, Concord and Cassidy both had their heads bowed, knowing they deserved every harsh word.

“– and ya tried ta take Sweet Apple Acres from us in a bank buyout? Did ya think I wouldn't find out if ya didn' tell Jazz? Did the girls tearin' up yer contract really get that many bees in yer bonnet? I still can't believe ya tried ta take it from our son 'legitimately' after all the history on this land before. After everything the Apples have done fer Ponyville! Ya musta thought I was some kinda idiot!”

“Now, Honey Apple, you know that isn't true! You're the smartest mare a stallion could hope for, and I wasn't trying to take the land… I was simply trying to reconstitute what our marriage together entitled me! If you'd– “

Applejack loomed over him as he cowered, glaring a hole straight through his chest. “Smart as a stallion could hope fer, huh? And ya do remember my name, don'cha? Ya didn' even use the right pet name fer me… not that ya'd remember it. I tried ta give ya the benefit a' th' doubt, I really did, but what you did was lower 'n a snake in a wheel rut! An' to yer own family!”

Suddenly Golden seemed to grow a backbone, standing up and glaring right back at Applejack. “Now you listen here, Applejack, I did my best to keep my farm afloat for our little girls even through this entire mess. Even while you were away, doing none of the things a good wife would do, I muddled through, and I thought you would've been happy to combine the farms into one large family, but it was your son standing in the way of it! And now you're shouting at me as though this is all somehow my fault!”

The silence that followed his outburst was deafening, a cool winter wind blowing through the fields, though the cold stares of everypony present, even Cassidy and Concord, dropped the temperature far lower. Golden seemed almost smug at the silence, as though he'd won the argument. Over the fence, Jazz's hoof went out quickly, holding Flora back, while both Cassidy and Concord slowly backed away.

Applejack was solid as an apple tree, her head down as she stared at the ground, her hat covering her eyes. But when she finally did look up, the burning fires within them had Golden trembling on the spot, the full wrath of the Apple Family directed right at him. “So that's what ya think?” AJ said, taking a step forward, keeping her cool as she watched him take a step away. She was silent for a long, long moment, before she flicked her tail forward, grabbing the golden band holding it together and pulling it off with her mouth, tossing it in the air. Golden watched his proposal gift fly up for just a moment before AJ's words brought his attention back to her.

“I went off 'n defended this country, carin' not just fer my farm 'n my kin, but fer my lovin' husband. Fer my little seedlin' an' my two little blossoms, makin' sure they'd grow up safe 'n strong in the love a' their family. I risked life 'n limb every day just ta see their smilin' faces, ta know I'd left 'em a world even better than the one I'd been fightin' fer. So I'm sorry I weren't a good wife...” Applejack spun around like lightning, bucking out her leg just as the little ring of gold fell into range, firing it like a bullet at Golden's chest. It his hard enough to bend the circlet, making him cough and sputter as it knocked the air out of him and sent him sprawling on the ground.

“… but you weren't a good husband neither,” AJ finished as she lowered her hooves, watching her ex flailing around in the snow. “Didn' even kiss me goodbye when I left…” She let out a deep, cleansing breath, then smiled at Cassidy and Concord, who were both looking between her and their father, wondering whether or not they should help him. “Now, you two better show up ta th' Apple Family Reunion come spring time, ya hear? It'll be a real hootenanny after all these years off. An' I expect ya over fer dinner sometime!” She then nodded down at Golden, giving them permission to help him. “He's not invited.” With that Applejack calmly walked over to the fence and hopped over it, heading back to the farmhouse while her daughters helped their pained, speechless father.

After that display, Jazz and Flora followed close behind, a few questions on their minds, though Jazz was the one to voice the first. “So… does that mean you 'n pa–?”

“Yep. Went in 'n did th' paperwork yesterday an' found out he was tryin' ta take the farm again. When I went ta either give it to him an' get an apology, he started whinin' an' sayin' I had no reason ta demand anythin' from him… I think I gave him enough, 'n if he refuses, there're ways around it.”

“And you're not worried about him retaliating… or trying some stupid stunt with the greenhouse again? I'll be using it a lot, even after the winter, though I suppose it could be moved...”

Applejack stopped in her tracks, wrapping a forehoof around Flora and pulling her closer, nuzzling against her cheek. “Don't ya worry none about that, sugar. With all the rebuildin' goin' on, family is what matters most, an' yer definitely a parta ours. An' if Cassidy is really as good a lawyer as she's tryin' ta be, she'll've reminded Golden that th' actual property line's a little over th' fence on his side, well past th' edge 'a th' greenhouse. Even if he tried, he's got nothin'.”

Flora was relieved by that, and her heart was warmed by Applejack's nuzzling and assurance that she was accepted, but when AJ let her go to continue to the farmhouse, something still bugged Flora. “But… I know he wasn't exactly father of the year, but he was at least there for at least your daughters when they needed him. Doesn't that count for something?”

AJ sighed, turning around and looking at the two young lovers. Visibly, she hardly looked older than them, but mentally… “Sugar, I know it's hard ta understand when yer just findin' love an' makin' it work fer ya, but lovin' two fillies that take after yer side 'a th' family ain't th' same as lovin' the family… or th' mare that helped ya start it.” She pulled both of them into a hug, nuzzling them both once more, though she paid more attention to her visibly anxious son. “Especially when things go wrong, family matters more 'n anythin', 'n what Golden was, an' what he was doin'… that weren't family.” She pulled back, smiling at them brightly. “Everything'll be fine, I promise.” She turned away, chuckling to herself. “Even better without that mess clingin' on.”

Before they could get very far at all, Apple Bloom called out to them, running over with Spike at her side, the large dragon wearing nothing out in the cold, his fiery body keeping him warm where hats and scarves adorned the rest. Still, it was Apple Bloom to break the good news. “Hey y'all! Mac's got lunch ready 'n told me ta call ya in.” She then looked at Flora, smiling brightly. “Ya move all yer things alright?” Flora nodded, but any response she had was lost when Applejack started chuckling loudly, apparently to a joke only she'd heard. “What's so funny?” said Apple Bloom, frowning at her older sister.

Applejack's chuckling stopped as she shot her sister a sly smile. “I was just thinkin' Mac's gonna have ta get mighty good at cookin' big meals in a few years once y'all start goin' at it.” Her chuckle turned into a hearty laugh as everyone around her immediately looked sheepish, fighting off the blushes and implications that were brought up. AJ just continued on. “How'd ya manage ta keep Spike 'n you a secret fer so long? I was in th' Castle th' whole time!”

Apple Bloom was a few shades redder as she stammered out her response. “We were busy, alright? There was a war goin' on 'n some of us didn' have time ta visit with th' ponies out in the fields! With him in archiving 'n me in research… 'Sides, took way longer for Caramel ta stop bein' Mac's 'really good friend' even when we all knew!“

Applejack could only laugh harder at Apple Bloom's defensiveness, lightly pushing her sister's shoulder as she caught her breath. “Calm down, Bloom! I was pullin' yer tail!” She looked from the deep red blushing Apple Bloom up to the big dragon beside her, then over at Flora and Jazz, both carefully trying to look like they weren't a part of the conversation. She chuckled once more as the farmhouse came in sight, Big Mac standing on the porch and waving at her. She waved back, letting out a lighthearted sigh. “Ta be honest, I couldn't be happier right now.”

Silver Lining was walking through town, spending some time catching up with her 'sister' and, apparently, soon-to-be 'sister'-in-law Sweetie Belle, both Sweetie and Scootaloo just as confused as Silver on the 'proper' titles. Still, it had been nice getting back in touch with them, even if she'd only known Sweetie from Scootaloo's letters and one or two visits when she was really small.

Silver had been feeling a little left out after the whole thing with the crystal tree, which shined even brighter than the castle outside of town, even in the daylight. Flora and Jazz were cleaning up and planning, ponies were planning for the peace talks, others were busy rebuilding, and there really wasn't too much for a weather pony to do except keep the sky clear. She wasn't even needed for that, as there were some pegasi from the Republic making sure the weather for the talks was perfect, leaving Silver with nothing but free time and nowhere to be.

Well… there was one place she wanted to be, which was part of why she was out with Scootaloo right now. After being saved during the Second Battle of Ponyville, she'd never managed to reconnect with that changeling, and she was hoping to give him her thanks. It was nothing big, just a bit of appreciation for all he did, maybe some moral support for the big meeting coming up, but that was now less than an hour away and she'd still not managed to see hide nor hair of him.

As Sweetie and Scootaloo both laughed at a joke Sweetie had just told, Silver looked around, stopping in her tracks when she saw a dark shape in the golden armor of the Royal Army. Scootaloo stopped as well a few steps later, about to say something when Silver ran off. “Aren't you going to stop her?” Sweetie said, nudging Scootaloo's shoulder and tilting her head at the retreating pegasus.

Scootaloo just shrugged, continuing to walk towards the town hall. “No… It's far to late to be 'mom' now, and she's a big mare now. If she wants my help, she'll ask. Otherwise, I'm just going to stay out of her way.” She smirked. “After all, look how she turned out! The method obviously works.” The flightless pegasus suddenly held her head up tall and proud, strutting down the street, while Sweetie just rolled her eyes, following in her love's hoofsteps.

Silver zipped through the air at the armored form, her mouth going before she was even there. “Hey, Sandstorm, right? Look, I just wanted to tell you that I'm super happy you saved me and maybe if you weren't busy we could both go over to the–” her words cut off as the dark blue mare wearing the armor turned around, looking quite confused at the blabbering pegasus flying at her. Silver just kept flying by as nonchalantly as she could, though inside she was kicking herself for being so stupid.

That was the fourth time she'd done that this week, but this one was the worst. At least the other three had been stallions. And as she looked around, there was no way she would find one armored changeling among all of this… assuming he even was still armored. Or still a changeling. She knew he'd been introduced to all the crowd as a pony, but she couldn't remember his looks for the life of her. But… and it was entirely her grasping at straws, and she knew it, but when theirs eyes locked after he saved her…

She stopped moving, even stopped flapping, her mouth hanging open as she couldn't believe what she saw. There he was, changeling, missing ear, dressed quite nicely… and standing next to Princess Twilight. Not only that, but they were talking to Steam Cloud and Wind Key, the unicorn and the pegasus looking rather engrossed in their conversation with the alicorn. Silver crept closer, doing her best not to be noticed as she started to listen in.

Twilight nodded eagerly, happy to have actually found the two mares she was looking for after all of the time she'd been planning for these talks. “Oh, good! It was you two that made that mechanical marvel! Could you tell me how you did it? Their performance in the air was incredible, and the fact that they were able to cushion Ink Well and Rose's fall like that… I really need to know more.”

Steam had been taking a backseat to the conversation, letting Wind do all of the introductions and niceties while Steam tried to keep her amazement down to a minimum. Not only was she in – what were they calling it now? The Solar Monarchy? – able to walk around without hiding the fact that she was a unicorn, with her love at her side, but now she was being talked to by Princess Twilight Sparkle! The Princess of Magic Princess Twilight Sparkle, who she not only had toys of before all of this madness, but was one of her idols growing up. Every unicorn filly dreamed of a success story like Twilight's, and now she was being asked questions about their invention by her! … They should have sent a poet.

However, while Wind could talk about the wing structure and the running design all day, Steam could see her faltering when it came to some of the new mechanics. She shoved aside her inner fangirl, summoning all of her courage to hopefully impress Twilight with her knowledge. “While Wind is right about the interface and most of the mechanics were of her design, at the heart of the Ready Wings is a kinetic generator. It was designed to absorb energy from both the motions of the wings themselves and the motions of the pony wearing them. If I had to guess – which, with how broken the wings were after the fall, guessing is all we can do – between how the wings snapped and broke during the impact and the magical nature of the engine, I believe it absorbed just enough of the energy to allow Rose and Ink Well to survive the impact.”

Wind actually put up her hoof to interject at that point. “I hadn't told anypony, but after all of my failed attempts and all the times I had crashed with previous versions of those wings, I had designed them so that if you wrapped yourself in them much like they did, it would cushion the fall… a bit like that experiment you did in school where you had to drop the egg of a building and not break it. Though with how damaged they were before they landed, I think it was a combination of the engine, the safety measures, and complete dumb luck.” She looked at Steam, who seemed perplexed by the egg idea. “Did you not do that in school?” She then looked up at the sky. “Or did I do that at home?… I sometimes forget what I did as a filly.”

Steam shook her head while Twilight giggled, clearly still fascinated by everything. “Well, whatever it was, it should be applauded, though that wasn't what I was intending to ask you about. Over the years I was helping the changelings hidden within the Solar Monarchy, I read up on some interesting uses of magic. One set of very experimental spells had artificial replacements to damaged limbs. It was, basically, one step up from a peg leg, using magic and rocks or whatever was available. I was curious, looking back over it, if perhaps you could create something a bit more usable for the injured ponies of the war.”

Steam looked perplexed. “You mean… like mechanical hooves and wings and things?”

Twilight nodded, then frowned. “Well, not just those. With the right applications I believe it could help even replace eyes or ears, like Sandstorm's.” She looked over to the changeling at her side, who had been interested in the conversation, even if he'd been silent. “No matter what we try to do, medical magic just hasn't advanced far enough to grow something back. But if we had the right conduit acting as a replacement and put the right spells in order, or even some wild magic and a bit of luck, we could conceivably give full, or at least partial, mobility to the injured of this war. It could take years, but…”

“I'll do my very best. I may not know the magic, but even if I have to build the parts from scratch, I'll see what I can do to give you everything you need.” Wind looked completely determined as she spoke.

Sandstorm just smiled brightly, looking at her warmly with his big blue bug eyes. “I should've known… Only Newsprint's sister could be so clever and kind all in one.” He was about to say more when he looked to the side, noticing the silver pegasus still trying to creep closer.

Silver, seeing she was spotted, dropped the pretense, walking over and bowing her head quickly to Twilight. “I'm sorry to bother you and I'll make this quick, but I just wanted to thank Sandstorm very much for saving my life a few days ago, and I was wondering if he might be willing to let me accompany him to the meeting at the town hall?”

Sandstorm looked utterly surprised by the stream of words, but as he unraveled them, he slowly gained a fanged smile, only spurred on by the feelings he could sense coming off of her. “Oh… Uh… It was nothing. And I would be more than glad to go with you, so long as you're alright with being seen with a changeling.”

Silver jumped up happily, offering him a hoof to go with her. “Oh, I'd be glad to. Even if somepony glares or something, it's not like I'm not used to it. I lived here the entire war.”

Sandstorm laughed knowingly at that, giving Twilight a questioning glance to make sure it was alright for him to leave. She nodded, and he quickly took her hoof, walking down the street and chatting lightly about whatever came to mind.

Wind watched them go, a little confused as she tried to disentangle some things. “Okay… whatever that all was, did he just say he knew my brother?”

Twilight nodded. “Your brother saved his life. Without Newsprint, I don't think the changelings would be willing to show themselves at all, let alone be negotiating for things at these talks. Even if they're asking me to speak for them.”

“He'd've been so happy to hear that…” Wind just smiled warmly, glad something good could come of that needless waste of life. However, that wasn't the matter at hoof, and quickly she was back on topic. “Anyway, as I was saying, I would love to help out… though most of my things were still in Timbucktu when I left. And between the fire and how angry Clockwork was, I really don't think any of my original schematics survived anywhere where we could find them.”

Twilight gave a puzzled frown at that, a thought coming to her. “Actually… Yesterday there was a series of boxes of all shapes and sizes delivered to the Crystal Palace from Timbucktu, all sent by staff of President Luna, but with no recipient listed. I will admit, I opened up one of them, and there seemed to be this big brass pegasus looking robot standing in it. It had me a bit spooked, and without time to examine it further I nailed the box back up. You wouldn't happen to recognize something like that, would you?”

Both Wind and Steam were looking at each other with jaws dropped at Twilight's tale, unable to believe that any of it were true. But if it was… and the princess had no reason to lie to them… Wind hopped up and down in place, squealing happily. “Oh, dad, you're amazing! I don't know how you do it, but you're the definition of awesome!” Twilight watched her jump with a questioning raised eyebrow, but Wind stopped the display as suddenly as she started it, speaking quickly and happily. “If that delivery was what I think it was, then I am not nearly so far behind and will gladly to everything in my power to help out the injured ponies.” Wind then looked over at Steam, smiling softly. “So long as I have help, of course.”

Steam smiled back, stepping over as Wind flicked a wing over her back. “Of course. I, too, will gladly do my best to help.” She was about to nuzzle Wind when she felt herself get wrapped in the tingling of a familiar magic, her face turning to a frown as she was picked up slightly, then whisked away, flying out from under Wind's wing and straight into the embrace of a crying pony she thought she'd never see again. “M-mom?”

“It is you!” Shoeshine cried as she squeezed her missing daughter tight, nearly crushing her body in a loving bear hug as tears flowed down into Steam's fluffy mane. “I never thought I'd see you again… I always hoped you'd be alive, but when Rose's letter came, I couldn't hardly have dreamed…” Shoeshine started to sniffle and snort as she nuzzled her daughter, while another set of hooves wrapped around Steam, the magic cutting out as the source of it hugged her close.

“I can't believe you survived that fall! I always hoped… Always dreamed you'd someday find us, but we just couldn't go back or even get a letter to you.” Flam hugged his daughter tight, tears trailing off of his moustache. “I never thought this moment would actually come! How did you survive?”

Steam could hardly see those familiar faces through the cloud of tears, but she did her best, feeling the love, the warmth from her parents that she had missed for all of those years. When she heard them talking, and finally heard the question, she lifted up one of her hooves, still wearing the cloud walking slippers, as she always did. “I was caught by these after mom gave them back to me. I haven't hardly taken them off since.”

Shoeshine kissed the offered slipper, thankful to anything that gave her her daughter back, before she suddenly looked at Steam, a fear deep in her eyes. “We… we couldn't do anything to go back. We tried, we asked anypony who came through, but it was like you vanished! Eventually, we had to assume the worst, and we… stopped…” Shoeshine was quiet, looking down at the ground, unwilling to meet Steam's eyes. “You don't… hate us, do you?”

If it had been a few weeks ago, back in Timbucktu before all of this had happened, that might have been a very difficult question. As it was, Steam just shook her head. “I thought you'd come back to me for a long time. And when I realized you wouldn't, I will admit that I was mad, especially with all of the things I had to go through alone…” She sighed, then hugged her parents close. “But now? No. Deep down, I always knew it wasn't your fault, and I could never hate you.”

Flam's eyes were shining as he hugged her close before stepping away, his salespony voice coming out in full force. “You know, I'm actually making a good business in Whinneanapolis. Lots of use for a tech savvy pony out there, and there's plenty of room in the house. You should move back in with us! Let us make up for all that lost time.”

Shoeshine nodded brightly. “Oh, please do! It'd mean the world to us. We might not be able to give you back those years, but we could do our best now. And I could even introduce you to your new baby brother!” She laughed. “I can't wait to see his face when he finds out he's not an only child!”

Flam began to laugh as well, coming over to her side and kissing her on the cheek. “I can't either, Shiny! So, Steam, what'd'ya say?”

Steam looked at the two of them, so warm, so loving, so happy to see her, exactly as she'd pictured a million times in her dreams when she'd been alone. It was tempting, going back to her green room, her toys, her life, finding a place with her father in his shop… And yet, as she pictured it in her head, she couldn't see herself there anymore. “I'm sorry, but I can't.”

“What?!” her parents asked in unison, shocked that their offer had been turned down.

It was then that Wind finally made her way over, having worked out what she could with Princess Twilight and apologized for the rude departure of Steam and herself. “Hey there… What's going on?”

Steam smiled warmly, pulling Wind a little closer. “Mom, dad… While I was in Timbucktu, life was frightening. It was hard to believe I was in Equestria with the madness all around, and I lived in constant worry that I'd be discovered, that I'd be the next pony swinging from a light post or disappearing mysteriously. In fact, it was so horrible that there are large swathes of the city that I don't think I can ever feel safe walking in, no matter how well these peace talks go.” She shuddered a little, leaning against Wind for comfort. “But while I was there, I found the most amazing things, grew happier than I think I'd ever been… And it's my home. When everything settles down, the only place I'd like to be is home.”

She then leaned over, kissing Wind softly, but lovingly, immediately showing her parents why she wasn't going with them, before she pulled away, seeing them both looking a little more understanding. “So, Wind Key… Would you like to come home with me?”

Wind instantly nodded eagerly, her wing going over Steam once more as she hugged the mare close with as many appendages as she could while still standing. “Gladly! I'd actually been thinking right along the same thoughts. Once all of this is over: the talks, the clean up, the path to peace…” Wind looked Steam in the eyes, showing the kind of deep affection and caring only a true love could give. “… there's only one place I'd like to be.” With that she leaned forward, kissing Steam once more, letting her love feel the words she didn't say.

Ponies were still chattering in hushed but excited tones, the entirety of the Town Hall packed to the brim with bodies, standing and hovering everywhere they could find as they all wished to witness this historic occasion. Gathered on the stage were the leaders of more than just nations. Yes, Luna and Celestia were there, as were Cadance and Grandis, but so too were Twilight, with a small but powerfully determined changeling, and Rarity, sitting next to a large and dangerously intelligent looking diamond dog. Each of them sat quietly, waiting patiently as the Mayor made her opening speech, still just as wordy as ever even after all these years.

Up above the stands, in a high balcony restricted from the public, a wheelchair rolled in, an IV drip connected to it, though how it got up here undetected only the dog pushing it could tell. The mare in the chair, however, couldn't even begin to express her gratitude for being brought here. Literally, her body wouldn't respond to her motions, wrapped in casts as it was. “I don't know what I would've done if I'd missed this… Thank you so much,” said Rose, trying and failing to look up at the dog behind her.

Cooper just shook her head, smiling warmly. “The Lady simply would not have you miss out on your husband speaking, and she knew I was the best one to get you up here. And I must say… I wouldn't want to miss this day either. I would have snuck up here myself if I hadn't been given an assignment.” Cooper's smile grew wider. “Ponyville is precisely as beautiful as I thought it would be, and Canterlot… I can see why Rex wishes to join you ponies. I think I'd like to be one of the first to live up here with you, if it would be allowed.”

Rose was about to respond when she was drowned out by the stomping of many, many hooves on the wooden floor, signaling the end of the Mayor's talk. It was followed by the slow, steady, limping entrance of the heavily bandaged Ink Well as he made his way center stage. Rose shifted, barely able to look over the railing at this, while Cooper whispered that she would be back at the end and left the way they had came. It was a little difficult to see through the cloud of flapping wings, both pegasus and gryphon, and the buzz of the friendly changelings interspersed among the crowd, but she was able to see enough, and could clearly hear Ink Well as he started to speak.

“To all of my friends, from all of your home lands, thank you for being here. For giving peace a chance, and being willing to talk even after all of the ugliness we have experienced. We have suffered long and come quite far, so I will try not to drag things out.” He slowly scanned the rest of the stage before he looked back at the crowd, continuing his speech. “Everyone is at fault for what happened. Not a pretty or inspiring start, it's true, but one we need to accept. We spent all of our time trying to exploit each other, whether it was the atrocities of the Weather Factory, the condemnation of the pegasi following its fall, the water shortage and the riots following, or the retaliation against the unicorns following everything else… This cycle of vengeance and pain has to end. And while I could sit here and continue to list our previous failings, I am sure the history books will do that quite well enough. Instead, it is time to learn the one true success we've taken from this.”

“Strength through diversity. Without the variation of our people, be they the tech savvy pegasi under Luna's rule, the magic focused unicorns Celestia came to represent, the proud and fierce gryphon fighters, or the endless networks of the diamond dogs, that final stand at Canterlot could never have happened. We advanced incredibly during this war, in ways we never could have imagined without it, and while the price will always have been too great, perhaps we can at least make good on the biggest lesson.”

He turned around at the podium, speaking directly to those on stage. “I propose we understand our differences, our strengths and weaknesses, and realize them to their fullest potential. Everyone thinks they want a unified land, under one flag, under one rule, but that kind of power only will lead, eventually, back to the exploitation we were experiencing before. That is not strength: cooperation is. Friendship, the second strongest force on this planet, drives us harder than anything else, and we must learn to use that drive and friendly competition for the good of everyone. For it is our differences that make us even stronger than our similarities.” He could see the surprise on Celestia and Luna's faces, but the others seemed a little more ready for this line of thought as he turned back to the main hall. “So instead of a unified nation of Equestria, I think we should try something a little more daring: a Grand Equestrian Alliance.”

He could hear mutterings in the crowd, murmurs of possible war or strife already brewing. Ponies liked to be led, they liked to have everything told to them, to have it all put forth… it was a fact of nature, unfortunately, and baser instinct. But that was not living to their full potential, and he had to get them thinking past fear and pain and towards what could be. “The world, as we have seen through these years of way, is not a simple place. What works for some does not work for others, and loyalties run deep on both sides of the dividing lines. If we return to the Equestria of old, we lose the cultures that have grown, and risk destroying beautiful heritages of these new peoples if we absorb them into our own. If we wish not to dwell in the past, but to grow into the future, just as that tree that blossomed amid the deepest, darkest night, there is really only one option.”

He could see he had their interest, even if they weren't applauding, and he had to hope that was enough to bring them to his vision. “It won't be tensions and blood again deciding our fate. I propose a governing body here, in Ponyville, as near the central point as we can get in this great land of ours. From here, the actions between nations shall be watched, with common, basic rules, past which the nations themselves can decide what they can and can't restrict. It will be governed by an Arbiter, one whose job is not to make rules or enforce laws, but to see fair, even trade and deals and put an end to conflict before it can grow out of control. They will be an elected official, with a board drawn equally from all partners in the alliance, who shall make sure all sides are heard, all are doing their part, and that no conflict like this one will ever arise again.”

Ink Well sighed, looking out over the audience, which was still silent, but there was a change. Now they had a picture, a vague concept… they weren't against it, but they would need proof. He didn't blame them. He did too.

He glanced up at the balcony, barely seeing Rose sitting up there, and for a moment Rose wondered if he'd storm up there and ask her to leave. Instead, she could see the smile as he relaxed, continuing his speech. “The transition won't be easy, mistakes will be made, and until it begins to form, there's no telling how anything will go. But, with the leaders here, if I have your support, I would like to begin planning.” He laughed lightly to himself. “I'm afraid the rest of this meeting might not be very flashy; deliberation in its honest form never should be; and I am sorry if you were expecting a bright, uplifting speech about our future, but the path before us is not guaranteed. Three times in my lifetime I have seen the sun missing, or otherwise stalled in the sky. That dawn we take for granted each day is not guaranteed, and all of us have to work and hope and do our best to see the sun and moon go along their merry ways. But by the end of this meeting, hopefully we can find the common ground we need to make that path a little easier. Though this may be boring for you in the audience not actually interested in politics, I do encourage you to stay. This proposal isn't just for the leaders of these countries, it is for every single being that inhabits them, and I would very much like every voice to be heard.”

And just like that Ink Well walked away from the podium, limping to the center of the gathered leaders and beginning to talk to them, laying out his vision for the future. Many of the members of the crowd looked around, confused as to what they were witnessing and whether or not they should stay or leave. Even the Mayor seemed confused, quietly yelling in the shadows of the stage for more microphones and a chair for the injured stallion.

Rose watched this all with a smile, shaking her head at how easily one injured stallion had thrown everything into utter confusion. Everyone here had expected pontificating, poetry, artistry to make this new world they were coming into seem beautiful and inspiring for the slog ahead. And, in a way, they'd gotten it. They just had to get down to brass tacks first.

As Rose sat there, looking over the stage, a calm voice spoke to her. “What are you doing hiding all the way up here? One would expect somepony as important as you down on the stage.”

Rose tried to look behind her, but the wheelchair and her injuries didn't agree with her intentions, only succeeding in making her cough up a little more pink, proving she shouldn't be here at all. Her gaze returned to the stage below. “If anypony asks, I'm not here. But I honestly couldn't have stayed in the hospital not supporting my own husband.”

There were hoofsteps closer, but still staying behind Rose, the mare's voice behind her continuing. She could hear the smile in it. “With your injuries, it's amazing you are here. But I suppose you'll continue to support him, even as he tries this mad little scheme? I'm not entirely sure all of the ponies will like it, you know. Though I suppose it will mean he'll be crucified before he does it to himself.”

Rose shook her head as best she could, not sure if she should be offended or not, but in the end she had to laugh about how true it all was. “He likes to run around carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but I'll do my best to keep him reined in. Whether that means I'm reminding him he's not alone, reminding him it's not his problem, or simply shouldering the burden with him. But I really don't know what everypony expected. He's always had a tendency to find just the right way to do the right thing and annoy everypony involved all at once.”

The voice walked over to her side, and there Rose saw a tall, slender rose-red unicorn with a flowing dusty-orange mane. She looked down at the crowd with emerald eyes, smiling as she did. “You know… he's going to need a lot of help. What he's proposing has never been done before, and though he hates to admit it, he knows exactly the outcome of today. He's going to end up the Arbiter he claims they need, completely without wanting to be. The fact he has them all talking now means they'll vote for him.”

Rose was a little confused by how well this mystery mare knew Ink Well, but considering how long he'd been gone and him being… well, him, when she thought about it, it didn't actually surprise her in the least. She smiled as well, watching the talks as the microphones kicked in, the discussion from all the voices sounding throughout the building. “And if that is the case, I can't think of anypony more worthy to see that dream come alive. But I think I finally taught him what it means to remain rooted, so hopefully he won't run away from his responsibilities this time.”

The mystery mare's smile just widened, getting warm as those friendly emerald eyes turned on Rose. “He'll need reminders on the road ahead. It won't be easy, and he'll doubt himself every step of the way, but if there is one thing that can keep him going in his darkest times, it will be the mare at his side. Even when you were separated, he never stopped thinking about you and singing you praises. How warm and faithful you were, how kind, how you smacked him around right when he needed it… It's never the fame with him, or the glory, and he never once cared if he'd be liked when it was all over. He dreams of the best because he truly wants to help those around him, and he'll only succeed because of you.”

Rose's confusion grew as she heard the mare's words, hearing of Ink Well on his trip, but… it sounded more like Ink Well's future than his past. And she was talking like she knew Rose quite well too, but Rose didn't recognize her at all. She was about to say something when somepony called, perking up the unicorn's ears. “Nebby! You have to stop wandering off! We must be off before we are noticed, and there are so many more places for us all to see!”

“Coming Dinky!” the unicorn called, then looked at Rose once more before quickly leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. She then turned and ran off, but for a split second, Rose was sure she saw a pair of wings on the mare that left. A few moments later, as she was still trying to comprehend everything that happened, she heard a throbbing, horrible, wonderful, indescribable noise that rocked through her body, feeling like the entire universe was shifting around it… and then, with a whine, it was gone.

At the sound of the noise, Rose smiled, not sure what had just happened, but sure it was a once in a lifetime experience… one she knew she'd always remember as she looked down at the stage again. Down below, talks were really taking off, the world was changing right before her eyes, but through the noise, she picked up on one voice, the one whose dream this was. The one who never could've known this would be the outcome as he flew to Ponyville all those years ago. The one she would make sure would never have to run in fear again.

“This is more than just the dawn of a new era,” he said calmly, looking at the two sisters that had once, and would again, rule the land together. Just, in a different way this time. “When all is said and done, this will truly be a place where night meets day.”

Author's Note

And, with this, Ink Well's story is finally over... at least with him at the helm. I want to thank My Little Pony for all of the ideas and wonderful friends it has given me, I want to thank its creators for being amazing people, I want to thank Ink Well, Rose, and all the other characters of these stories for growing up from the little perfumer and the cynical journalist into something even I could hardly imagine...

But most of all, I want to thank you. My loyal, faithful, or even brand new readers willing to take the time and delve into all of this. I know quality has fluctuated, and there have been ups and downs (particularly with upload speeds and life getting in the way) but every last view, every word of encouragement... even when they were few and far between, THEY are what made this happen. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you with every fiber of my being.

And, believe me, this won't be the end. This is just the dawn of the rest of our lives.

A Perfect World...

The sun was high in the sky, shining its light over the entire world and bathing the land in the peaceful softness of spring. The pegasus saw the light spilling in the window and put down his pen, glancing with satisfaction over the words he had placed on the paper. A letter of great import… but then, weren't they all? With just a few words the world had become such a busy place.

He walked from his stuffy study, the sound of hooves on wood carrying through the newly emptied house. It was a solemn sound, but now melancholy. They weren't far, just a letter away, and one visited almost every week, already round with foal. His little filly had grown up so fast, and he'd missed so much…

He went downstairs through the familiar rooms, taking in the fresh, clean scent carried on the wind from outside. He moved quickly to the kitchen, squeezing the last few fresh lemons into fresh juice, adding some sugar and pouring two glasses, which he carried outside.

There she was, working in the garden, the sun gleaming off the sweat beading on her light cream fur, a sun hat helping her rosy mane frame her delicate, determined face. She looked his way, the wrinkles forming as she smiled, but only accentuating her ivy eyes just before they closed with glee. He stepped towards her, offering a drink and placing his wing over her back. “How about a little break?” She nodded, both of them moving to and settling in the sun chairs in the center of the garden.

“There's always so much to do,” she said with a tired sigh. “Planting flowers, pulling weeds, finding the correct seeds for the season… One would think it would get easier every year, but it never does. And soon I'll need to go to the shop and check the inventory if I'm ever going to–” her words were cut off by a gentle kiss, the worry that had been building up melting away under the warm gesture and the equally radiant sunlight.

The pegasus pulled away from the mare's lips, smirking knowingly at her. “Rosy, I said a break. I meant from everything.”

She smirked at him, sipping from her drink. “As though my infamous Ink Well has nothing on his mind… You've been up there writing all morning!”

“Letters. Words. Nothing more. I wrote a lifetime's worth already, any still waiting can wait a little longer. So let's just take a moment,” he said as he wrapped her once more in his wing, placing his hoof on hers, “and get back to catching up on the life we missed.”

They rested in the scent of new-tilled soil, a gentle breeze rolling over them, bringing soft clouds to pepper the sky. In unison they let out a little sigh, their heads coming together cheek to cheek. The world wasn't perfect: work and toil, ponies growing together once more, cities rebuilding… Even here one could see the scars, both in the scaffolding wrapped around the tower of town hall, and on the hooves and bodies of the two ponies currently resting in the new world's warmth. They would never fully be healed, nor ever forgotten in whole… but perhaps that wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps the marring would serve as a reminder, never to let the world fall into this turmoil again.

The world was not perfect. But still for just a couple minutes, perhaps, perfection was well within reach. All they had to do was take a moment to find it.

Author's Note

Something that came into my head... it simply begged to be written. A little something different, a little moment to wrap things up...

Me and my happy endings.