Winter Bloom's Story - Part 4
"I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too... And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that this cruelty shall end, and that peace and tranquility will return once again."

"Winter Bloom? Winter Bloom! Hey, she opened her eyes."

"Whoa, I'm coming. Winter Bloom, can you hear me? I need you to listen, ok? Just focus on breathing. Breath in, breath out. Damn, I don't think anyone's home upstairs."

"Hang in there, Winter Bloom, come on. You can do it."

"She's slipping again."

"Hey, wake up! You've gotta stay awake."

"Stop. ...I said stop! Shaking her like that's just going to aggravate her injuries."

"Sorry."

"Let her rest. She might pull through, or she might slip into a coma... I hope she's got some fight left in her, cause that could be what makes the difference now."

Darkness shrouded the edges of Winter Bloom's vision as she tried to open her eyes. There was a grey blob in front of her, or above, or below her, she couldn't tell which. All she could do was look straight ahead and guess what the fuzzy, indistinct shapes in front of her were. She didn't feel her eyelids as she tried and failed to open them wider, she didn't feel her ears when she tried to wiggle them, or her legs when she tried to move them. All she could feel was a throbbing ache coming from somewhere below her neck. She could hear voices, they sounded like they were coming from far away.

Inescapably clear however, was the smell, like rancid fruit mixed with urine. Holding her breath failed to block it out, and with every breath, Winter Bloom felt like she was expelling it from somewhere deep inside. No matter how hard she tried to force it out, there was always more to take its place, and a queasy feeling welled up alongside the stench.

Trying to move only amplified the ache in her chest, so she resigned herself to simply lying on her back, and after a while, she began to realize that she was lying on her back. Once the spinning started to subside, she tried opening her eyes again and was able to see that the grey blob was a concrete wall and ceiling, and the indistinct shapes were shelves.

Turning her head didn't hurt quite as much, so she looked over toward the sound of voices. A group of ponies was standing near a doorway, chatting dispassionately amongst themselves.

"What's going on?" Winter Bloom's voice was cracked and dry.

The three ponies stopped talking and slowly turned in her direction, taking a few moments to register what they were seeing. Once realization dawned on them, two of the ponies hurried over to her side.

"Welcome back." Hazel's unforgettable voice brought a smile to her face, and she realized he was smiling too.

"I was gone?" Winter Bloom didn't really remember going anywhere.

"Just about." Wellspring was standing next to her too, somehow looking nervous and relieved at the same time. "They say your heart stopped for a minute. You were lucky we had an expert at hoof's length back there. Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"That doesn't..." Winter Bloom started to dismiss the question, but as she thought about it, memories started drifting up to the surface. "...There was fire, and... we were attacked!"

Her memory of the stage exploding made her try to jolt upright, but before she even got a fraction of the way there, the pain in her chest flared up in opposition. Wellspring hurried to hold her in place. "Whoa, easy there. Easy. You're still hurt. It wasn’t the worst, but out of everyone that survived, you’re certainly healing the slowest. Just don't do anything to make it worse, ok? Everything’s going work out."

"How... How long was I out?" As the memories of that day started coming back more clearly, Winter Bloom finally started to comprehend what was going on.

"It's been days." Hazel spoke in a clipped voice, his smile replaced with a guilty look.

"You came back... for me?" Winter Bloom felt a flicker of warmth in her heart that helped dull the edge of the pain a little.

"Yeah. I stopped by one of the guard posts on my way out, you know, but there was no one home. I knew something was wrong so..." Hazel sighed as he switched tracks. "I thought you would be safe here, but I was wrong."

"But you did come back. You saved me, right?" Winter Bloom's memories of that day were getting clearer, but beyond a certain point she was still having trouble recalling anything.

"I'm sorry..." The guilty look on Hazel's face only deepened. "I wish I could say yes, but by the time I got back, it was already over."

"Then who?" Winter Bloom barely found her voice amidst her confusion.

"No one knows." Wellspring spoke up after Hazel hung his head in silence. "Someone dragged you to the rockyard, and by then, Velvet Remedy had organized a..."

"Velvet Remedy, the singer? She survived?"

"Yeah. I guess luck must have been on her side or something." Wellspring shook his head in disbelief as well. "Anyway, she helped patch you up once you got dragged out, but in the chaos, nobody remembers who did that. No one's taking credit either, and Hazel's been asking."

Winter Bloom replayed the memory a few times in her head, each time she was certain she saw the singer on stage blown to pieces. Did I blink and miss something? How could anypony survive that? Another memory pushed its way to her attention, the memory of a bloodied pony lying crippled on the ground, staring at her with pleading eyes.

"There was another pony, in the front row. Do you know if he made it? He, uh..." Remembering that there were at least a dozen ponies in the front row, Winter Bloom struggle what he looked like. "I think he had maybe green eyes?"

"That doesn't really narrow it down much." Wellspring tried his best not to sound condescending. "Maybe. You should have seen this place a few days ago, it was wall to wall in here with injuries."

"I know, but I need to find out." Winter Bloom knew she might not be able to recognize the pony if he walked right up to her, but that didn't change how she felt.

"What do you care?" The pony who had been standing in the doorway took that opportunity to speak up with a cynical barb. "You don't even know who it was."

"I just do." Winter Bloom looked over and realized that Limelight had been standing there the whole time. She felt a pinch of surprise, seeing her childhood bully wrapped in bandages from her neck to her shoulder, but surprise was quickly replaced by anger. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

Hazel twirled around to confront Limelight, but Wellspring quickly jumped in between the two. "Just give me a minute here, and I'll be along. Ok?"

Limelight rolled her eyes, turned her head, and walked out of the room without saying another word, leaving Wellspring standing there, scratching the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. "I don't blame you for hating her, and I uh, wouldn't blame you for hating me."

"It doesn't matter what I feel." Winter Bloom stared up at the ceiling, silently wishing him to leave. Wished for or not, Wellspring slipped out of the room, pausing only briefly to let her know he'd be back to check on her later.

Winter Bloom and Hazel waited in silence. The usual background noise of ponies hammering away at rocks outside was noticeably absent, and other than the sound of her breathing, it was quiet enough to hear the faint hum of the sparkle powered lamp sitting in the corner. Hazel pretended to busy himself with looking around the room, waiting for an opening that wasn't coming. Winter Bloom found herself wondering and dismissing a flurry of questions that she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers to. What am I going to do now? Will I be able to... will I have to go back to guard duty? Who didn't make it?

"So, what happened to you? Do you remember?" Urged onward by curiosity, Hazel finally broke the silence.

"I'm... not quite sure. There was fire? And I think there was a pony..." Winter Bloom strained to remember what happened after the concert, but everything was a jumbled blur. "Uhg, I don't know. It happened so fast. At least, I think it did. What does it even matter?"

"I guess it doesn't. You're here, and you're alive. That's what matters." Hazel placed a comforting hoof on Winter Bloom's shoulder.

"What about you? You're here, but are you going to stay?" Winter Bloom looked away, not daring to hope.

"We can figure out what happens next once you're back on your hooves again." Hazel gently brushed Winter Bloom's mane out of her face, then stepped back towards the doorway. "I should go let the others know you're awake. We've all been real worried... Oh, I can get you some food too, you must be hungry."

Winter Bloom nodded her head, not willing to admit that she felt like throwing up instead of eating. She wanted to see her friends. Hazel stepped quietly out of the room, and Winter Bloom found herself trying to guess what each of her friends might say, as if imagining it might improve the chances of her friends walking through the door alive and well. Her imagination gradually gave way to dreams, as she drifted off to sleep.

Lying in bed for days got old quickly for Winter Bloom. Many of her friends would come and visit when they could, Rosebud and River Bolt stopped by frequently, and even a few people she didn't know very well stopped in to give their regards. She heard that Summer Wish was alive, even though she hadn't come to visit, and the few strangers who came by to gawk were easily ignored in light of the steadily growing pain in her chest. Wellspring was rationing her painkillers, giving her a little bit less each day, and she didn't want to think about what it would be like when they ran out.

Most of the time though, there was no one around and absolutely nothing to do but stare at the wall and wait for time to crawl by. Is this what it was like for Tail Wind? Every day exactly the same, just sitting and waiting.

Several days had already passed by when a distant rumble caught Winter Bloom's attention and rattled her bed. It was over too quickly to be thunder, though it was just as loud. A second rumble came only seconds later, and Winter Bloom realized what was happening. Explosives! We're under attack again. What do I do, is there anything I can do?

Winter Bloom tried calming herself down as the sounds of fighting got closer, and frantic, shouting voices echoed into the infirmary from the hallway. Carefully shifting her weight, she started scooting towards the edge of the bed. She wasn't sure where she would go, but she knew she didn't want to stay exposed and vulnerable, lying down in the open. I made it all the way to the bathroom yesterday... with Rosebud hanging onto me. I can reach something.

Pain flared through her body as she rolled onto her side and reached over the edge of the bed with her legs. After pausing for a few seconds to focus on breathing, waiting for the pain to subside, she pushed off the bed and stood up on wobbly legs. She didn't get more than a few steps before a nearby roar of gunfire, just outside the infirmary, broke her concentration. Staggering up against the wall, a fresh burst of pain sent her sinking to her knees.

Just then, two figures burst into the room, looking around frantically. They wore dark plated armor so masterfully sculpted, she couldn't see any gaps. At first she mistook them for griffons on account of their wings, and her eyes widened in shock when she realized they were ponies. Are these really pegasi, like in the old children's books?

One of them noticed her immediately. The dark, armored mask spoke malice and danger, but the voice behind it struck Winter Bloom as surprisingly vulnerable and almost frightened. "What tha blazes is this? A hospital? There ain't supposed ta be nothin' like this here. Intel didn't..."

"Damn the intel! You better fly straight if you wanna get out of this alive. Up ahead, that's our exit." Even muffled behind the mask, Winter Bloom easily picked up on the speaker's helpless rage.

The two were just moving past her when Winter Bloom heard another voice coming up behind them. "This way! Second door on the right."

One of the pegasi heard it too and twirled around. Pulling a small metal apple off their breastplate, the pegasus kicked it into the hallway then dashed for the other exit. "Chew on that, you catbird bastar..."

*F-THOOOM*

Winter Bloom managed to duck just as she saw a flash of green light, and watched as a nearby bed flipped on its side and rushed up to meet her, pinning her to the ground. Her mind barely registered the sound of buckling concrete over the the pain. The last thing she remembered as the pain reached a crescendo was feeling something wet and warm spreading across her chest.

Trying not to think about stabbing, searing pain was on the forefront of Winter Bloom's mind as she worked to stay rigidly still, lying in her own bed after another patching up by Wellspring. She still had to breath though, and that meant moving a little. She also tried not to think about how unfair her situation felt, and that proved almost as difficult.

Under the leadership of a griffon mercenary, Shattered Hoof survived a sudden and unprovoked attack by some group of pegasi that Winter Bloom had never even heard of before. I never did anything to them, are there no decent ponies anywhere? I can't do anything, and I can't not do anything. What am I supposed to do?

"...and that's when I said, maybe you haven't been drinking enough!" River Bolt was talking, and Winter Bloom was having a difficult time deciding whether her stories were a welcome distraction, or just grating on her nerves.

"River Bolt, what are you even doing here?" Winter Bloom gritted her teeth as she talked, undoubtedly sounding more angry than she intended.

"Talking to you." River Bolt brushed off the question as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You didn't get hit on the head, did you? Oh, maybe this is all a dream. OoooOOooh, spooky."

Winter Bloom couldn't help but chuckle, an act which turned out not to be the best idea. She still managed to speak up with a little humor in her voice, in spite of the pain though. "Ow... I thought all you cared about was eating, drinking, and sleeping a super ton. How does sitting around in a boring old room fit in with that?"

River Bolt took the jab in style, her grin growing wider. "What's there to understand? You're fun to hang around, so I'm hangin' around. It's not magic surgery or anything."

"Maybe it is."

"Hah! Behold River Bolt, the master magic surgeon." River Bolt reared up on her hind legs and kicked the air in front of her dramatically. "With a resume like that, I might just be able to convince Gawd to let me stay."

"What? You've been here way longer than I have, why wouldn't she let you stay?"

"Changing times, my poor, bed-ridden little friend. The new management of Shattered Hoof has some very different ideas about how this place should be run, and I got a feeling I won't fit into Gawd's plan. But for now at least, she's got bigger problems to worry about."

"You are not a problem." Winter Bloom grimaced, remembering her own thoughts just a moment ago. "I didn't mean it like that, you know. I really am glad that you're here."

"You're too kind. Everypony knows I'm a leech who half-asses everything. It's so much easier to get someone else to do the hard work, and now that Quickfire is gone..." River Bolt sighed, shaking her head. "Those mercenaries are serious, and I don't think they've got much use for dead weight."

"What are you going to do if you can't stay?"

"Heh, I dunno." River Bolt shrugged and smiled, her mask of nonchalance back in place. "Maybe I'll strike out on my own. You could come with me. For all we know, you might get booted too, once you're on your hooves again."

"Oh come on. That's just ridicu..." Winter Bloom had a solid response lined up, but all of that was forgotten when she was caught by an unexpected bout of coughing. She avoided crying out in pain, stifling it down to a pitiful whimper.

"Hey, Winter Bloom... You don't look so good." River Bolt rose to her hooves and looked around nervously. "I'm gonna go get Wellspring, don't go anywhere."

Winter Bloom nodded her head, even though she knew nopony was watching. She could hear River Bolt's hoof steps as they went from a cautious walk to a full gallop once she was out in the halls. From the back of her mind came the urge to reach for her chest and pull whatever was stabbing her out, but she knew that nothing was there, and she tensed her limbs to hold them in place. She tried counting breaths until someone came back, but she kept losing track. Eventually, she heard the sound of galloping hooves drawing closer.

"For the last time, no. I didn't do anything. We were just talking, she started coughing, and she went pale as granite all the sudden."

River Bolt darted into the room first, skidding to a halt just past Winter Bloom's bed. Wellspring and Hazel followed along right behind her, and wellspring went to work immediately, looking increasingly worried with each passing second. After checking the dressing on her wound, he placed a hoof on her forehead. "There's swelling around the wound, and she has a fever. This is not good... Does it hurt?"

All Winter Bloom could manage was a groan and a nod of her head.

"I've got something I can give you for the pain." Wellspring rummaged through his bags, pulled out a small needle, and jabbed it into Winter Bloom's shoulder. "This might help a little."

"Is that it?" Hazel was pacing back and forth, but when Wellspring motioned that he was finished, Hazel moved to prevent him from leaving.

"First the dragon and those slavers, and now this. We're scraping the bottom of the barrel for supplies already." Wellspring shook his head and looked down at his hooves. "I stopped the bleeding, I cleaned the wound as best I could. There's not much more I can do, Hazel."

"What do you mean, 'there's not much more I can do?'" Hazel took a step forward, and Wellspring took a nervous step back.

"L-look, her wounds are beyond healing potions. I'm not a doctor. I'm not Velvet Remedy. Before Doc disappeared, I spent most of my time picking up crates and setting them down. I'm doing my best, alright?"

"Are you? I remember the crap you and your friends used to pull on Winter Bloom."

"Stop!" Winter Bloom couldn't shout, but the painkillers were working at least enough to let her gather her wits. "Will you two stop? Wellspring, I know. Believe me. Sometimes your best just isn't good enough. It happens. Thank you... for trying."

Winter Bloom glanced over to River Bolt, who had surprisingly remained silent. River Bolt was watching her with an intensely worried look, and only after a long silence did she speak up. "So. What now? Don't tell me that's it."

"I don't know." Wellspring shook his head. "There's always a chance it might get better on its own."

"But not a very good chance." Winter Bloom dared Wellspring to refute the claim, but when he only shook his head in silence, she slumped her head back and stared at the ceiling. "I wonder. Will I see anyone on the other side? Dad used to tell stories, but I don't really think he believed them."

"Don't say things like that. You're gonna make it." Hazel was at her side in an instant, placing a comforting hoof on her own.

"There were things I wish I could have told Tail Wind." Winter Bloom made a point of ignoring Hazel's reassurances. "I never told him about what I did. If I see him, is there anything you want me to tell him?"

"You can't just give up. That's not the Winter Bloom I know."

"What's the point? I failed. It's all messed up, and I can never get it back."

"You lost your home before, and you started over. Do you know what? You inspired me, back then. I wished I could be as tough as you, never letting anything get you down."

"Yeah! Not even a giant, raging rad-hog can stop you." River Bolt chimed in from across the room.

"That's just it!" Winter Bloom would have shouted if she could, but instead her voice came with a raspy cough. "It's not about my home. I messed up me. What would Mom and Dad have said if they could see me now? Apparently all I'm useful for is hurting people. Have you ever heard of anypony changing their special talent? I haven't."

"Damnit Winter Bloom, you don't really believe that, do you? Your special talent is only what you make of it." Hazel stopped himself, stood back and sighed in frustration. "Sorry for yelling. I just..."

"If you’re worried about what happened that day, maybe I could talk to Limelight for you?" Wellspring asked hopefully. "She wasn't always so bitter. Maybe once some time has passed..."

"I wish it was just her, I really do." Winter Bloom braced herself for a stabbing pain as she brought her hooves up to cover her face. "That pony at the farmhouse. What did he ever do to me?"

"You can't blame yourself for that." River Bolt sounded completely shocked. "That was Quickfire's deal."

Winter Bloom tried and failed to hold back her tears, settling instead for just turning her head to face the wall. "Please... Just leave me alone."

Hazel was about to say something, but Wellspring prodded him towards the door. Winter Bloom could hear the sounds of shuffling hooves as her friends left the room and walked a short way down the hall. However, their voices still echoed clearly down concrete walls.

"Damnit, Wellspring. There's gotta be something you can do."

"I'm sorry, I really am. I can't fix this."

"Then I'm going to find someone who can."

"Hey, wait up! I'm coming with you."

"Then hurry up and get ready, cause we leave yesterday."

Days began to blur together for Winter Bloom, as she waited for Hazel and River Bolt to return with help, and her health continued to deteriorate. The coughing and aching slowly got worse, her legs felt like ice, while the rest of her was burning up, but some days were better than others. New groups of griffons were trickling in to Shattered Hoof, and occasionally they had some extra supplies to spare. With some sort of big operation in the works though, there was never enough to go around. No small number of ponies and griffons expressed their displeasure with the idea of wasting effort on an obviously lost cause, but they couldn't stop anyone else from accepting some caps in exchange.

On the good days, when Winter Bloom was lucid enough to be aware of her surroundings, she looked forward to having someone to talk to. The bad days were lost in a pain fueled delirium, and she would have lost track of time completely if no one was around to tell her what day it was.

It was on a good day that Winter Bloom found herself staring out the window of her cell, practicing not coughing in spite of the ever-present urge, and contemplating how peaceful and quiet Shattered Hoof felt. If it weren't for the occasional echoing of hooves down the hallway, the place might have seemed abandoned. This place has been so busy lately, I wonder what it would be like if no one was here. Would it still hang onto its bad memories?

A sudden flash from outside made her slam her eyes shut, and a moment later an ear-splitting blast reverberated through the room. The sound was over almost as soon as it began, but Winter Bloom could see the light still shining through her eyelids as shouts started echoing from down the hallway. Not again, not again!

Winter Bloom tensed up, fearing the worst, but slowly she began to realize that what she was hearing wasn't shouts of panic, but shouts of excitement. Then she heard something rare and precious in the wasteland, genuine laughter. Squinting with her eyes, the light coming from her window looked like someone was shining a spotlight on the rocks outside. What is going on?

"Winter Bloom, did you see it?" Rosebud burst into the room, almost bouncing with an excited trot over to the window. "Oh, you can't see it from your bed. I'll go see if Wellspring will help carry you outside."

"Whoa, slow down. I don't understand. What’s going on?" Winter Bloom still felt worried about the pain that would come with being moved, if not about another attack on Shattered Hoof.

"It's the sun! The clouds opened up and you can see the sky, oh wow, you won't believe how blue it is." Rosebud practically cantered in place, as if she couldn't wait to run back outside.

Rosebud didn't notice that her excitement was having the opposite its intended effect, and that Winter Bloom's look of concern was only growing deeper as she talked. Winter Bloom wasn't immediately sure why she felt terrified, but her thoughts raced towards an answer. I've dreamed about this since I was little. What's the matter with me? So what if it doesn't live up to my imagination.

"Rosebud, sorry. I'd rather not go. I'll be ok right here."

"Oh." Rosebud immediately stopped dancing in place, and walked gently over to the bed. "Is this a pain thing? Hey, don't worry. If it happened once, perhaps it will happen again, when you're feeling better."

"I don't want to see it." Winter Bloom turned her head to face away from the window and her friend, and thanks to some painkillers it only hurt a little bit.

Rosebud placed a hoof gently on Winter Bloom's cheek and spoke in a worried voice. "Are you feeling alright? I'd have thought you'd like it. It really is nice, the perfect fit for a nice pony."

"Those pegasi. They've been living up above the clouds all this time, haven't they." It was a rhetorical question, and Winter Bloom knew Rosebud didn't know any better than she did. "There's no paradise up there, beyond the clouds. Ponies are the same no matter where you go, rotten, cruel... *cough cough*"

"I see a good pony right here." Rosebud gave Winter Bloom's shoulder a gentle nudge with her hoof. "So there must be good ponies no matter where you go too."

"I'm not so sure about that." Winter Bloom sighed. She didn't want to talk about it, but felt obliged all the same.

"Of course you are, don't be silly." Rosebud gave another gentle nudge, then stepped back. "I know it was you who pulled me out of the mess hall right before it went up in flames, you didn't have to save my life, but you did."

"Sorry. I guess I'm not feeling myself right now." Winter Bloom turned her head to look at Rosebud. For a moment, she thought she saw tears in her friend's eyes, but then she blinked and they were gone. "But listen to you. Now you're the *cough cough* ...you're the optimistic one. How did that happen?"

"I learned from the best." Rosebud wore a sad smile, but it was a smile.

Winter Bloom nodded her head and tried to suppress a chuckle that was threatening to crash against her already battered chest, and the two stayed silent for a minute, watching the daylight filter in through the window.

"I guess..." Winter Bloom spoke up hesitantly. "I still don't want to get up. I should *cough* ...try to get some sleep while the meds are still working. You go enjoy it while you can."

"Ok. You take care, and I'll be back for dinner."

Winter Bloom nodded as Rosebud turned to leave, rested her head back on the pillow, closed her eyes, and failed to fall asleep for a long time.

Wounded griffons and ponies started piling in the next day. With the infirmary still damaged, Winter Bloom's cell block took its place, since Wellspring already had his supplies set up there. A griffon with broken wing and some horrible burns was put in the bed next to her, and she could hear the groans and cries of others all the way down the hall. Whatever had happened in Fillydelphia, they were the victors, but the word on everyone's lips was how high the price had been. There were many more who weren’t so lucky.

Unable to sleep before, all the commotion continued to prevent Winter Bloom from getting any rest, even though she was starting to feel fatigued. The sharp pain in her chest was at a low ebb, but instead she felt a stale sensation of being roasted alive, and found herself turning to the closest available distraction.

"So, *cough cough* what happened to you?" Winter Bloom winced at the effort even a simple question took.

"Grrr..." The griffon clamped her beak together, riding through a wave of pain herself. "Got careless. Caught the tail end of a missile strike. Next thing I know, I'm tumbling tail over talons. Not enough altitude to pull out, you know?"

"I've never flown before, but I think I understand." Winter Bloom made a point not to gawk at her new roommate's injuries.

"What about you? You look like a ghost." There was just a hint of sympathy behind the griffon's disgust.

"I got stabbed. By a pony, I think, back when the slaver's attacked. *cough* ...At least I didn't get burned alive." Winter Bloom closed her eyes, trying to remember through the haze.

"What? That was weeks ago, you don't mean..." The griffon had to pause to let Winter Bloom get through another bout of coughing. "Don't tell me you're the pony Hildagarde was talking about."

"Who?"

"A pal of mine, grey feathers, gold eyes? She told me how she met a pony outside the cafeteria just before it went up in flames. Charges right in through a crossfire like it was nothing, doesn’t get burned to a crisp by a dragon, and then gets run through by a unicorn of all things."

"I guess that's me. *cough cough* Small world, huh. I'm Winter Bloom."

"Agatha." The griffon replied with a polite nod toward the ceiling. "Damn, though. From what I hear, you're lucky to be alive."

"For now, at least. Some luck."

"Hey, you listen up." Agatha's voice took on an urgent tone. "Never give away anything for free. Not the gear off your back, and definitely not your life. You understand me?"

"What *cough cough* ...What about your advice?" Winter Bloom peeked out the corner of her eye to see if she had offended her roommate.

Agatha just rolled her eyes. "I suppose there's always exceptions to the rule."

"And there are some things that dirty old bottle caps can't buy." Somepony standing in the doorway spoke up, catching the attention of both people in the room, although from Winter Bloom's position, she couldn't turn far enough to see more than a blur. "But I do expect to compensated for my work."

"You will be. Talons keep their word." A steely eyed griffon stepped into the room. "Assuming you can handle it, that is. This isn't scrapes and bruises here."

"A fair concern, and one I've shared. What experience does delivering foals and watching ponies die of old age give anypony?" There was a tone of bitterness hidden inside the pony's contemplative voice. "Don't let appearances fool you, I have some experience with this."

"Hey, we contacted him and we escorted him here. Which was no picnic, by the way." Hazel's angry voice drifted into the room, and moments later he squeezed his way through the door and motioned towards Winter Bloom. "She's the one we hired you to help. Don't forget that."

"I will, but there are people who need immediate attention." The pony spoke more confidently.

"And how long is that going to..." Hazel wasn't backing down, but a bout of coughing from Winter Bloom interrupted him.

"Hazel. It's ok." Winter Bloom shook her head, hoping he could hear her weak voice. "He's here to help, right? I think I'll be here *cough* ... for a little while longer. Don't worry about me."

A few tense seconds of silenced passed by before Hazel conceded. "Sorry. I can't help it. I'm... going to go. Go and have some words with whoever Gawd left in charge here. Don't take too long, she's been waiting for days now."

"Then I'd better get to work. If you'll excuse me."

Closing her eyes, Winter Bloom waited for the small crowd to disappear. She had been waiting for Hazel to come back for days, but now that he'd returned, she felt nervous. Part of her said that it was just the fever, and that she wasn't thinking clearly, but that didn't help answer the questions rattling around in her head. Will this really work? If it does, what next? What am I going to do?

Pained voices, talking, groaning, and occasionally crying, played an uncomfortable harmony that worked to distract her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to block it out. Before long, she gave up trying, and turned to her roommate. Agatha seemed eager to talk about what happened in Fillydelphia the day before. As bad as things were for her, Agatha seemed morbidly pleased that the other side had it worse. As the horror stories started piling up, Winter Bloom felt a little bit more like the lucky one, but a little bit guilty about it too.

As the night went on, hour by hour, the cries of pain began to subside, undoubtedly the work of whoever Hazel found to help. Agatha had run out of recent stories and was going through old ones, and prodding Winter Bloom for some stories too, when Hazel finally returned.

"Hey Winter Bloom, sorry I took so long. I..." Hazel pawed at the ground with one hoof reflexively. "I had some things to do, but it's your turn soon."

"I understand if you don't want to hang around. I'm not very good company, am I? I've *cough cough* ...been nothing but trouble." Part of her wanted to hold back, not say anything, but a louder part worried she might never get another chance.

"What? No!" Hazel looked more embarrassed than shocked, then hung his head with a sigh. "I mean, ok, maybe I've been avoiding you a little, but I just didn't know what to say. It seems like all we've done lately is step on each other's hooves... but I do think you're important. I wouldn't have done this for anypony else."

"You shouldn't have had to. I was wrong." Winter Bloom stared up at the ceiling, not willing to look Hazel in the eye. "Stubborn. I bit off more than I could chew, and I tried to drag you along."

"No. No, I was wrong. I shouldn't have made you go it alone."

"I know no one asked me..." Agatha's voice seemed to catch Hazel by surprise. "But it sounds to me like none of this was either of your fault."

Winter Bloom couldn't see Hazel's glare, but Agatha rolled onto her side facing away from the two, and pretended to fall asleep. Winter Bloom didn't think anyone was really fooled by the act, but the pretense of privacy seemed to be enough. Hazel reached out and gently rubbed Winter Bloom's neck with one hoof, and it felt nice in spite of the aching pain, but it didn't do anything to assuage that nagging guilt. I shouldn't have said anything, I'm just making things worse.

Before she could say anything, she heard the sound of hoofsteps entering the room. Craning her neck, she saw a surprisingly young looking pony wearing what had been a long white coat, freshly stained from hours of work. "Miss Bloom? I will be with you in a moment. I just need to make sure your friend's wing is set properly. Wouldn't want it to heal wrong, would we?"

"Of *cough cough* ...of course not." Winter Bloom looked to Hazel for some reassurance, and relaxed a little to see that he wasn't getting angry at this pony for helping someone else first.

He got Agatha to relax her wing out along the length of the bed, then poked and prodded at it for a few minutes while they watched. Agatha clamped her beak shut and gritted her way through it without making a sound, and when it was over, the pony gave her a small flask filled with an almost luminescent red liquid to drink.

"There. That should do for now. No flying for a few days though." He exchanged a polite nod with Agatha, then walked back over to Winter Bloom's bed and put on a reassuring smile.

"Hello, Miss. My name is Happen Chance, but everyone calls me Chance. Don't you worry, I'm a highly trained professional from Stable Two, so you can..." His voice trailed off as Winter Bloom's eyes went wide with fear. "Oh, is there something wrong?"

"Damn, I should have said something." Hazel looked between the two nervously, and pressed his hoof firmly against Winter Bloom's shoulder. "Her folks were killed by a stable dweller. It's, um, a long story."

"Oh. Oooh..." Comprehension dawned slowly on Chance, but after a few seconds he gathered his wits. "I think I understand. My apologies."

"No. It wasn't your fault, I was just *cough* ...surprised." Winter Bloom took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Hazel trusts you. Just don't do anything... wrong to me."

"Not on my life." Chance placed one hoof over his heart solemnly.

Winter Bloom felt herself trembling as Chance towered over her, and Hazel pressed down firmly with his hoof. Noticing her anxiety, Chance started talking his way through his work for her benefit.

"I'm going to put a thermometer in your ear. Ok, elevated temperature, that's what we expected. Now I'm going to check the dressing, and... sweet merciful moon and sun." Chance couldn't hide his disbelief, but he quickly pulled a mask of professionalism back on. "Pardon me. This is quite a serious infection. Fortunately, I came prepared with some of the most potent medicine around."

Chance reached into his saddlebags and started pulling out the workings of an intravenous drip. A bag of clear liquid was hanged from a shelf, and he very carefully inserted the needle into her foreleg. "This will sting for a moment, aaaand there. Now try to get some rest. I'll be back to check in on you after this has a chance to work its magic."

"That's it?" Hazel sounded skeptical.

"For now. These sorts of things need to heal from the inside out. Trying to go in from the outside would probably just make it worse. Not very impressive, I know, but the treatment will need to be monitored closely."

"Thanks, Doctor Chance." Winter Bloom fidgeted a little, trying not to mess up the IV in her foreleg, even though it made the limb feel uncomfortably cold.

"Heh, it's just Nurse Chance, but you're welcome." Chance glanced over at Hazel with a wry smile, "It is funny though. Where I come from, there were never any big disasters, but I didn't have the certification. Out here though, things are so much more demanding, but ponies will take whatever works. Is that ironic, or just fitting?"

A moment of awkward silence was the only answer to Chance's question, and he chuckled nervously. "I guess you had to be there. Anyways, I'm going to give you something to help you sleep. Is that ok?"

Winter Bloom was about to say something, but a raspy cough pre-empted it. Instead she just nodded her head. Chance adjusted the feed and she felt a brief burning sensation, then the pain in her chest floated away. For the first time in weeks, sleep came easily.

In the two days after Winter Bloom's treatment started, the other patients in her cell block were released in groups. Healing medicine let most of them get back on their hooves and paws with little more than a good night's rest on the side. Agatha's broken wing was in good enough shape by the end of the first day that she was able to move around, even if she couldn't fly. She still poked her head in every once in a while, though, while Winter Bloom drifted in and out of sleep.

The sound of concerned voices woke her up, but she didn't bother opening her eyes. "Look, the treatment is working, just slower than expected. I hate to say it, but I don't think her heart's in it. Believe it or not, that's something we do see a lot of in ponies trapped underground for their entire lives."

I'm just causing more trouble. Maybe I can just go away and nobody will have to worry about me ever again. Winter Bloom groaned inwardly as bits and pieces of their conversation filtered through the haze of waking up. She tried to block it out by imagining herself going somewhere far away, where nobody would ever find her.

"Is there anything else you need? You're not running out of supplies are you?" It was Hazel's voice.

"No, I think I'll have enough. Besides, with the relocation project starting up soon, we won't need quite as much of a hike to get help, I would think. Just be patient."

"I feel like I need to do something." Hazel sounded agitated. "I'm going to head out for a bit."

Winter Bloom waited for Hazel to walk away, listening as his hoof steps faded into the distance. When she opened her eyes, she saw Happen Chance in the corner, busying himself by cleaning out a pile of empty vials, while humming a barely audible tune.

"Happen Chance. Got a minute?"

"Oh! Sure." Though startled, Chance quickly regained his composure. "I didn't wake you did I? I get carried away sometimes."

"It's fine, and... I wanted to ask you a question. Is there something wrong with me?"

"That's quite the question." Chance chuckled gently to himself. "That wound of yours very nearly got your heart, you know. Half an inch to the left, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You know that's not what I mean." Winter Bloom made a halfhearted scowl. "You don't have to lie to me."

"There's no one answer for that, I'm afraid. Oftentimes healing an injured body is foal's play compared to healing a wounded heart and soul. You never really know." Chance smiled gently. "I'm here to help though."

"Just tell me what I need to do." Winter Bloom idly scratched at her IV. "I was always so certain about what to do, and now I haven't got a clue."

"You can start by not fussing with that." It was an attempt at humor, but Chance's smile quickly faded to a more serious expression. "Look, I don't know the whole story, so take this with a grain of salt. Usually I would suggest you try to make amends with the pony you hurt, but if they've already passed away, the only person who can forgive you... Well, is you."

"And what if I don't deserve it?"

"You don't." Chance's matter-of-fact tone caught Winter Bloom off guard. "That's what forgiveness is, though. It's a gift that you give to someone who doesn't deserve it."

"That's not very reassuring."

"But it's also not a lie." Chance looked away as the sound of approaching hoof steps echoed into the room, and he hurried to finish the thought. "If you can't believe in yourself, then trust me when I say that you can still make a difference."

Winter Bloom was expecting Rosebud, River Bolt, or even Wellspring stopping by for more lessons, but she never expected to see Summer Wish knocking on the door. Chance took a step back and nodded politely before excusing himself, leaving the two with some privacy. They waited in silence for a while, but eventually Summer Wish tried breaking the ice.

"So. You're still alive." Summer Wish stood at the far end of the room, looking out the window as she talked.

"And you." Winter Bloom managed to roll onto her side without wincing in pain. "It's been a while. I didn't think you wanted to see me. I still want to be your friend, if you'll let me."

"Are you sure? You're not..." Summer Wish hesitated, glancing at Winter Bloom before going back to looking out the window. "I'm not easy to get along with."

Memories of the past few weeks welled up in Winter Bloom's mind, leaving another moment of gloomy silence between them before she spoke again. "Neither am I, apparently. But I think. I think I still want to try."

Summer Wish nodded slowly, taking her time to consider what to say. "Is another friend really what you want, or is it just better than nothing?"

"You were kind to me. I know I'd feel awful if you weren't."

"But it's not going to make you truly happy, is it. I mean, you see other ponies who look like they're right where they want to be. Would that be too much to ask for?"

"Maybe not... but maybe. I wonder, how do you need something if you don’t know what it is?"

"So, I'm being selfish, then." Summer Wish bowed her head wearily. "Wanting something I've never had. Someone to care about who doesn't disappear, someone who cares about me."

"You can't mean that. Surely somepony..." Winter Bloom didn't get far before she was cut off.

"You went and risked your life to save me, but you didn’t want anything from me in return, did you?"

"It wasn't like that. But what are you supposed to do, if somepony cares about you, but not the way you want them to?"

"It might not seem like much to you, having one more friend. You're good with people, you always seem to know exactly what to say." Summer Wish looked Winter Bloom eye to eye. "But I've never had any real friends, so if you mean it, it would mean something to me."

"I don't always know what to say. Right now for instance." Winter Bloom furrowed her brow, suddenly feeling foolish. "It's probably just luck."

"I wish I had your luck."

A laugh forced its way unexpectedly to Winter Bloom's lips along with a shudder. The wound in her chest ached, but not as much as the sudden ache in her heart, and just then she felt tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Somehow, Winter Bloom knew what to say, even if she didn't know whether she was saying it to her friend or for herself, or why. "Don't give up..."

"After you." Summer Wish turned and walked out of the room.

Without knowing why she was crying, Winter Bloom wiped her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. She didn't feel sad, but her heart still ached anyways.

Promise me you won't forget how to smile. That's what Mom said. But I always took it for granted. How could anypony forget something so basic? But it's not just the shape of someone's mouth. A real smile needs happiness, laughter, fun. Of course it wasn't always going to just happen for me by chance, I've got to make it happen.

"Like the orchard back home... If something was drying up, it needed somepony to water it." Winter Bloom didn't expect anyone to hear or understand, but she felt like it needed to be said.

Grey. It had been almost a month since Red Eye's attack, and Winter Bloom had little to see but the grey of stone and concrete in the infirmary and her room. As her wounds finally began to heal, she felt a steadily growing determination to get up and do something, anything, other than lying around. Chance continued to admonish her not to overexert herself, but she was finally getting to the point where she could stand up again, if only for short periods.

So there was only a mild amount of surprise when Rosebud came in one morning to deliver breakfast, and found Winter Bloom sitting on the floor, halfway to the door.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Rosebud set down the napkin wrapped biscuit and can of peaches. "Wait, I know what this is. You're trying to get yourself hurt again, aren't you? Then you can keep everypony catering to your every whim."

"I've been found out." Winter Bloom gasped in mock fear. "Whatever must I do to persuade you not to reveal my sinister plan?"

"You can start by eating your breakfast. And then maybe you can tell me what you're really doing sitting on the floor."

With a little assistance from Rosebud, Winter Bloom got back up to her hooves and sat in bed to eat her biscuit. "Really, it looked like a bright day today, I thought if I could walk to the bathroom, maybe I could reach the courtyard. I guess I was hoping I could, you know, see the sun."

"Why don't you let me help. You carried me, I can carry you."

Winter Bloom gobbled up the canned peaches in nearly a single bite, then stood back up on her wobbly hooves. "Aren't you worried that you'll lose your aloof and untouchable reputation, helping poor old me?"

"Oh, I'm prepared for that." Rosebud grinned as she stepped alongside Winter Bloom, getting ready to catch her in case of a stumble. "That's what blackmail is for."

A bout of snickering almost sent Winter Bloom sprawling to the ground, but true to her word, Rosebud reached out and caught her with a single forehoof. Together the two ponies worked their way towards the courtyard, and Winter Bloom only stumbled a couple more times, but the pain in her chest got a little bit worse and they stopped to take a breather.

*BOOOM!*

A strange rumble shook the ground and Rosebud grabbed hold of Winter Bloom to keep her from falling. Winter Bloom felt a moment of panic, and was just adding another check mark on the list of mysterious, unexplained explosions in the distance, when she saw a flash of rainbow color. It passed straight through the wall, raced down the hallway, and went straight through her.

Instead of pain, she felt warmth. A soft, hugging glow, like being wrapped up in grandma's quilt, sitting by the fire when she was a filly. As the sensation faded, Winter Bloom felt the pain in her chest was almost gone, but what really made her seize up in shock was the smell. The rancid smell of wasting away and old chemicals that had been her unwelcome companion for months was gone.

"What was that?" Rosebud gasped in astonishment, then panic as Winter Bloom started cantering for the courtyard. "Hey wait!"

As Winter Bloom ran, she could feel that her wound was not yet fully healed, but the fog that had descended over her head while she languished in bed felt like it had been swept away. She felt compelled to see what happened, in spite of the minor pain. Rosebud only just caught up to her when she burst through the door and out into the open air.

Blue skies were the first thing that Winter Bloom saw, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she ground to a halt. Slowly, she turned to see the source of the warmth that was pressing against her fur, almost like the sensation she felt just a moment ago. She had to squint her eyes and look away from the sun after only a glance.

"I still don't want to see the sun." Winter Bloom felt her eyes watering up as she chuckled to herself. "But it's not because it doesn't live up to expectations. It's just too damned bright."

"You don't even need to look." Rosebud nodded along, "You can feel it all the same."

Just then, the sound of someone crying out wrested Winter Bloom's attention back to Earth. The fear that someone had been hurt raced through her mind, and she turned to see a pony doubled over on the ground, weeping. She took a few steps forward before she realized they were tears of joy.

Sticking right up out of the ground next to him, was a little sliver of the softest green.

"No way..." Rosebud saw it too.

As if in a daze, Winter Bloom staggered over to a patch of dirt and bent down close. Her mind could barely comprehend that the unclean smell of dust and ash, which she had long ago gotten used to, was totally gone. Instead the ground smelled good, like something she might want to dig her hooves into and roll around in, rather than wash off at the very first chance. She hesitated to try, but curiosity won out as the shock wore off. With a gentle brush of her hoof, she exposed a tiny little sprout to the sunlight.

"Rosebud." Winter Bloom stood up straight and stiff, her eyes wide with shock. "I have to go somewhere."

A cool breeze drifted up from the valley, swept far and wide by the lazy bands of rain brushing along the ground in the distance, and played counterpoint to the warmth that the late afternoon sun pressed into Winter Bloom's fur. After hours of walking, she was starting to recognize landmarks here and there, even though the whole world appeared changed. An oddly shaped boulder she had only seen once before caught her eye, even though it now had a tuft of grass obscuring the base, and an old gnarled tree looked familiar, though it had lost a few limbs and gained a coat of green moss and lichen.

The small group had kept up a good pace all day after leaving Shattered Hoof, and there were only a few tense moments when they had to chase off small critters or take cover until some unseen danger passed by.

"I swear, it's going to take some time for me to get used to the color green meaning anything but 'toxic danger, get away.'" River Bolt grumbled after dodging around a small patch of leaves that had just started sprouting out of the dirt.

"For me, it's the sky." Agatha swooped down from her lookout position, "Us griffons are taught young to avoid going past the clouds. Or else. The thought of blue skies always made me nervous."

"I keep waiting for the other horseshoe to drop." Summer Wish added with a wry smile.

"About that. As wonderfully inviting as this all is, I find that I must stop and remind myself that there are still dangers all about. I mean, I don't even know what that is over there, but I'm getting the urge to eat it." Rosebud pointed to a small green stalk with a tiny colorful bud that hadn't yet bloomed.

"Probably a good idea to check and make sure it is edible." Happen Chance eyed the little flower warily. "But honestly, I haven't found any traces of radiation or harmful toxins since that... rainbow. So, ten to one, it's probably safe."

"But all the big horrible monsters? Whatever that was didn't get rid of them." Winter Bloom nodded to Hazel who had been quietly pulling a small cart in the middle of them. "I guess the trade caravans will still need a tough pony like you to keep things safe."

Winter Bloom had hoped to get a smile out of Hazel, or at very least an affirmative nod, but instead he looked even more downcast. Before the silence got too awkward though, he spoke up in a tired voice. "That's really not what it's all about."

"Oh!" River Bolt reared up and clapped her forehooves together excitedly. "Let me guess, it's the pony pokey!"

"Huh?" Half the ponies present stared at River Bolt in confusion, and Agatha asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know. You reach your right hoof in, you reach your right hoof..." River Bolt pantomimed a few shakes of her hooves but then stopped and shook her head. "Oh nevermind."

Winter Bloom couldn't help but giggle, while Summer Wish who was apparently immune to River Bolt's antics, spoke up tersely. "So what is it all about then?"

"Trading. That's what I'm good at." Hazel glanced at Summer Wish, but she was back to looking straight ahead. "My special talent I mean. It's not about having stuff. It's about bringing ponies together. You know, letting them work together when they're not together."

"Like coming to find me, just when a whole lot of people needed a doctor." Happen Chance's voice was almost a question, but he noticed Winter Bloom looking in his direction and smiled. "And one pony in particular."

"That was more than a little bit of luck, but yeah." Hazel nodded his head, but was still looking gloomily at the ground in front of him.

"So what's the matter?" Agatha spoke up nonchalantly. "You did good, everyone lived, cue victory dance in three, two, one, right?"

"I guess I'm having doubts about what I should do. Someone out there helped us with all this, and we never even met them. Are there places I'm supposed to be?" Hazel looked over to Winter Bloom apologetically. "Or places that I want to be. Do I have to choose between a bunch of friends, and one good friend?"

"Hey." Winter Bloom trotted over to Hazel's side and gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Look, you don't have to justify yourself to me. I'm... I understand, alright? I want you to be happy too."

A tinge of relief filtered through Hazel's new found smile. "Heh, right. Listen to me. The wasteland got scrubbed clean in less than a day, and I'm moping about like it's the end of the world."

"Well, I wasn't gonna say anything." Agatha added with a chuckle.

"You know. There's talk of people from my stable and Shattered Hoof building a new town at a junction not far from there." Happen Chance spoke up hopefully. "They'll probably need lots of help."

"That's right." River Bolt chimed in with a grin. "A day or two there, and a day or two back. That's not much different from going out on a patrol back at Shattered Hoof, is it?"

"To be perfectly honest, I was thinking about moving there myself." Rosebud glanced over her shoulder towards where they came from. "After all, it's getting harder and harder for a mare with my talents to get by in Shattered Hoof."

"That's because Gawd isn't a pathologically corrupt sleezeball." River Bolt's grin got even bigger.

"Why you little..." Rosebud's face turned a shade of bright red for a moment, then she turned her nose up and closed her eyes. "Hmmph. What about you, Winter Bloom? Shattered Hoof may be a more respectable place under Gawd's esteemed leadership, but I get the feeling that fighting isn’t your favorite thing."

"I don't know. For some reason, leaving feels like giving up. I almost gave up once."

"I suppose it depends on what you were trying to do in the first place." Hazel looked to Winter Bloom, looking for some sign of comprehension. "Is it really giving up if you find a different, better way to reach the goal?"

"Maybe..." Winter Bloom started, but her train of thought derailed when she saw something she recognized up ahead.

Buried into a trickling stream was an old culvert. It looked so much smaller than it had when she spent the night huddled inside as a filly, but she recognized it instantly and broke into a gallop.

"Careful! Don't strain yourself." Happen Chance called out after her.

Winter Bloom barely heard him as she rushed over to the charred ruins, only now starting to be wrapped up in lush vines. It was a place she had once called home, though now all the ponies who had lived there were long gone. She knew everything inside would have been consumed by the fire, but when she circled around back she felt a pang in her heart and tears once more threatening to spill out.

Standing at the base of a ruined old tree, was little green sapling, healthy and proud. The hope that she scarcely dared to hope had come true right in front of her.

Without breaking her stride, she raced over to it and started frantically digging around it with her hooves. Someone approached from behind, and without looking to see who it was, she shouted. "Lend me a hoof! We've got to take this with us."

She heard River Bolt say something about telling Hazel to bring the cart, but all her focus was on the delicate little plant. It was a pear tree, she could tell by the leaves, once her misty eyes cleared up. She didn't stop digging until she had finished making a narrow groove around its roots and lifted the whole thing gently to one side. Another pear sapling stood a couple meters away, and a lemon sapling just beyond that, but she didn't worry about all the work she had to do. How? How did a flash of colored light bring this back to life?

The group of ponies worked in varying degrees of helpfulness as the sky and clouds turned golden orange, harvesting young trees from the skeletal remains of an orchard, while a griffon kept watch overhead. When the cart was almost full, Winter Bloom urged her friends to stop. It just doesn't feel right to take everything.

"So, just what are you planning to do with these... plants?" River Bolt asked with genuine curiosity, wiping her brow with one hoof as though she'd been working hard.

"I... don't know." Winter Bloom answered uneasily, the exhilaration from earlier having worn away. "Maybe I'll plant them somewhere I can keep an eye on them."

"You know." Happen Chance chimed in. "That offer for help at the junction still stands. We were already planning on moving some of the stable's orchard there. They might need somepony who knows a thing or two about tending trees, and they might be looking for something besides apples."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and Winter Bloom found herself biting her lip, trying not let her excitement show. "I'll... have to think about it some. That's a big decision."

“It’s ok. We’ve got some time.”

"So, back home?" Summer Wish asked, casually kicking a clod of dirt.

"I suppose so." Winter Bloom answered with a smile. "Still, I wonder what'll happen next."

"I don't know how anyone could possibly guess." Rosebud took a long look around.

"Everything else is completely, off-the-walls different out here, but we're not any different are we?" Agatha shrugged her wings.

"Maybe we'll just have to figure it out as we go then." Hazel nodded, looking relieved.

"Well, what are we just standing around for?" River Bolt practically danced in place. "Let's get a move on!"

Author's Note

And they all lived happily ever after, the end.

I want to thank you for reading, or even if you just skipped through to see the end. This was a very personal story, and if you enjoyed it even a little, then that is awesome. If you didn't enjoy it, that's understandable too. If it weren't for the unintentional encouragement of a good friend, I might never have finished this, let alone worked up the courage to publish it.

So, Thank you!