Author's Note

It should be noted that Chapter 56's Quote has changed and this is the Official One; actually edited for the book version.

If you see an issue, then well despite 20+ hours of editing on this chapter, we still managed to not find it; so congrats, I should give you a job.

Chapter 57: Sparking the Inferno

Chapter 57: A Spark Igniting an Inferno

Even when you’re surrounded by darkness, remember that you are light.
-Holocaust Wall, Austwitz

Chifundo stood barely three hoof-steps away from me. I couldn’t move because of my foals, but I wanted to dash forward and hug his neck until I burst his blood vessels. Chifundo looked as relieved and surprised as I felt. “But how?”

Chifundo approached the crib slowly, his eyes wide with wonder as he stared at the two foals. He tilted his head curiously and looked up at me. His eyes were not staring at me, but at the two foals against my sides, sleeping curled under my forelegs.

“You were barely even two months pregnant, how is it these two are present?” He very hesitantly reached forward to show me he was real, giving my filly’s mane a soft stroke and brushing the colt’s mohawk to see the bounce in it.

“I do not understand, there should be anti-zebra wards all over the ship...” I started to get up, and Chifundo gestured to me to stay still. He then made a motion for us to keep it down as he gave me a light shush.

“The children and guards are fast asleep, we should not give them a cause for peep,” He whispered softly as he moved close to touch my cheek. He was attempting to prove to me this wasn’t a vision, but I needed no more convincing.

“Chifundo, I assure you, I fully believe you are here. I have no other hope to cling to, and if this is some dream, it is the cruelest joke I have ever endured.” As I spoke, Pink approached and gave me a pinch on the cheek through my H.U.D.

I flinched and she giggled. “I can 100% certify you are as awake as a filly on a dozen cake-batter espresso shots.” I narrowed my vision at Pink, who realized this wasn’t a time for a joke and slowly slid back. “Look, I just wanted you to know you ain’t dreaming. Now keep talking, sister. No telling how long Chifundo can maintain the long-distance astral projection call. Ya know, before his spirit operator decides they need a lunch break or Chifundo doesn’t have enough crystal currency to pay his bill anymore.”

I rolled my eyes. She’s right, I should make use of this time. I reached up gingerly and pressed a hoof against Chifundo’s cheek. It had a tingling sensation and if I pushed too hard I just pressed right through it. I pulled my hoof back until I could feel his cheek normally. I felt a sense of relief and started to laugh. Very softly at first, slowly building until both Pink and Chifundo put a hoof on my lips.

“Sunrise, it is not wise to raise suspicion, we must have a soft conversation.” I nodded against the hoof and took deep breaths to calm my emotions. I wanted to spring up. I wanted to catapult myself forward and rush from the ship in that instant. “I can return now that you are found, what would you share that is so profound?”

I thought for a long time, considering several options before looking at Chifundo, “Tell everyone I am alive, Nyota needs to think of names for the kids, and... and…” I took a breath and gathered myself, “We only have a few days until the Raptor will head for an Enclave city. If I get placed there, I have no hope of rescue. If you are going to try to get me out of here, you need to do so quickly. Can you bring others with your projection?”

I tried to grip his cheek tighter, but my frog passed through once I tensed the muscle too hard. Chifundo looked thoughtful for a few moments, “I believe with some negotiation, the spirits can make accommodations. Who should I bring to this hospital wing?”

I reached up to my children to pet their heads gently, making sure they stayed sleeping. “I, umm… bring Nyota first. Once you all have a plan, bring everyone. I have an idea, but it will take some discussion with Pink to make it happen.”

Chifundo gave a solemn bow. “The children of Nyota and Sunrise, are quite a great and beautiful surprise. I must go back to our friends’ abode, do not worry, we shall save you from this crossroad.” Chifundo faded, the light red glow dimming with him as the bulkhead door wheel turned. The hydraulics released the lock, and Delta Sierra stepped in.

He looked at me with an odd look and started to search the room quietly. “Look, I don’t know who you were having a conversation with, but you had better tell me.” He gazed at me very warily.

Delta might be harmless himself, but his loyalty to the Enclave is gonna be a problem. Hopefully we can keep him in the dark and safe. I stroked my children very gently as the two foals stirred a little from the commotion. “I was having a conversation with my foals.”

Delta rolled his eyes. “That was awfully long for you to be having baby talk with your foals.” He walked up to me and looked at both of them sleeping. “Were you really talking to them in their sleep? Seems a bit more queer than me.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed, “They are my little ones. I needed to work out some stuff, and their ears will not remember any of it. Not to mention they need their mother’s voice. Now can I get some sleep?” Delta took several seconds to look between me and the foals.

He was certainly determined, but he had searched the room and found nothing. Astral Projection has to be the best spy technique in existence… No wonder the zebras have amazing intel!

Pink laughed at me from my H.U.D. “I have better ones, but yes, it’s a very good observation technique. I should tell you about mine sometime.”

Not now Pink, but I am going to ask you for something important when he leaves.

Delta huffed and sighed, “Right, I forgot you’re adjusting to a lot of new stuff. Listen, sorry for intruding but it’s the Superintendent’s orders and I gotta make sure you are not pulling a fast one. See you tomorrow for repair duty.” He slipped back out the door and locked the bulkhead again, after searching all the beds another time.

As soon as the door was secure, I was wide awake. Pink! I need you to teach me how to use magic.

Pink stood there like a deer in the headlights and stared at me, stunned. “I’m sorry, you want me to do what? Do either of us look like unicorns? Or are you secretly a horn-head disfiguree?”

Pink, you and I both know you have done some amazing feats of universe-altering magic. If I am going to get out of here alive without everyone getting killed, teach me the basics. Pink’s jaw dropped with a slam onto my bed. She reached to correct her errant chin while I continued. Pink, I am serious. Show me, teach me, help me, please! I know it is a lot to ask, but you are here for a good reason. I have already seen the edges of reality when I was going insane, before my mom shot me. Show me how to reach that without going insane and bend the rules some.

Pink took a moment to ponder before jumping out of my H.U.D. She blew up to a full size pony and began to circle me, as if inspecting me. I felt her rubbing up and down my hooves, though not sensually. She was searching for something, as I could feel her touching me deeper than just skin deep. I felt a twinge inside me that tugged at something otherworldly. If souls exist, Pink had just pulled on mine, if only slightly enough for me to sense it.

“Earth pony creation magic, a bit of pegasi cloud touch, and zebra shamanism in you. I can feel it, that spark, that something else,” She leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Either you have unicorn magic you can unlock, or your own personal Infinite Improbability Drive inside you. Whichever it is, I think I can work with this. But if I show you this, you have to make me a Pinkie Promise.”

Which is? I was especially curious now. She had just opened a world of possibility and complete improbability.

“If I show you a basic secret or three, and you lose control to 17, would you end yourself to lose the memory of how to do it? Pinkie Promise me that, and I’ll show you in your dreams, where she cannot follow us and learn herself.”

Pink, staying here is suicide, as either I will die, my children will die, or we will all become dead inside, a fate worse than death. I Pinkie Promise that if I lose control to 17, I will take your secret to the grave before I let her have it.

“Then close your eyes and go into dreamland. I got some fluffy cotton candy of reality to show you how to bend!” Pink rubbed against the back of my head, the same way she had pulled at whatever was inside me; that piece of my soul. It left my entire face numb, my neck tingling, and my shoulders completely melted under her touch. Sleep came to me like an avalanche, catching me without any skis to outrun it.

ooOOoo

Pink’s Mind - “Yes! We have to go here to show Sunrise this!”

I was strangely astounded as Pink led me on a journey in my sleep to a door in an open, blank-white space. She placed her hoof onto the doorknob and hesitated.

“You sure about this, Sunrise? Once I show you the secrets of the universe, the cake under the frosting, there isn’t any going back.” She put a hoof up to her lip thinking for several seconds then cleared her throat. As I started to speak, her hoof hit my lips and I was once again tasting hoof.

Hers tastes like cotton candy. Why am I getting used to hooves in my mouth? Do I like that?

“Now I need you to listen carefully before you say yes. The secrets similar to what you want me to show you are why things like taint, I.M.P., stubbornite, cloud ships, and to some degree even power armor exist.” She let it sink in as she removed her hoof from my lips. “It only takes one pony to glimpse past the veil and then teach others. So you have to promise me, what you learn here you won’t teach anypony, not even Nyota or your foals.”

I felt like Pink was getting ready to lay the entire Library of Canterlot into easy to understand bites. Still, I was strangely confused as to why she was even willing to share this with me now. I hesitated and thought about it as she tapped her hoof.

“Those are just the good things. The terrible things it has unlocked are countless: the time of darkness before the Pillars of Equestria, Nightmare Moon, Loyalty of Caesar, even… balefire, just to name a few. If you follow me through this door, there is no going back.”

She opened the door to her colorful house, covered in bright hues and sweet pleasant pinks. I could understand her house inside my head as being a simple reflection of herself.

Her house inside my head? This is truly madness. She is a spirit through, so I suppose in the strangest of ways it makes sense. How little sense this would have made a few months ago, though that feels a lifetime away. I considered all that had happened to me, including dying in that moment. How it had changed me, how it had robbed me of my innocence yet given me such wonderful friends and now a family of my own.

I took a hesitant step to the doorway of Pink’s house. The threshold between normal physics and a world that made sense, into a place of madness whose rules I might not ever fully understand.

Is this what Chifundo goes through everytime he talks to a spirit? Is that why he’s so wise and yet completely insane? I took another step that crossed the threshold. No turning back now. Time to learn a few secrets of the universe.

I finished walking in. Pink was baking a cake as she looked over at me with a smile. The room had gone from a welcome area to take off your coat and put away shoes, to a kitchen that professional chefs would have killed each other for.

She was humming a tune, “Alright, Sunrise. Let’s work to break reality.”

Pink reached into reality and started to sing as she seemed to fold space and time itself and step through only to reappear behind me.

Sunrise,
Ya gotta listen to me!
‘Cuz getting around can be
A pain in the patootie,
But it doesn’t have to be!

When you need to get out of a place,
it’s just a matter of time (and space!)
Just do like your pal Pink-ie
And do the blinky blin-ky!

When you have to get around,
But you’re feeling sort of down,
You just need to find your spark,
(And spatial coordinates to mark!)

When you need to get out of a place,
it’s just a matter of time (and space!)
Just do like your pal Pink-ie
And do the blinky blin-ky!

There’s a fire in your heart,
Like a motor with a spark,
Feel the magic deep inside,
Let it out! Don’t make it hide!

When you need to get out of a place,
it’s just a matter of time (and space!)
Just do like your pal Pink-ie
And do the blinky blin-ky!

With some focus and pizazz,
And magical raz-a-ma-taz!
Align yourself spatially,
Blink! Just like your pal Pinkie!

Pink flashed right in front of me, then suddenly away. She offered a hoof in the air from a hoofball field away. “Teleporting is easy!”

I rolled my eyes and grumbled, “So you say.”

Pink snickered and blinked right up to be nose to nose with me, “I do say that! Hehe!” Then she resumed her song.

Blink! Blink! Blink! And use your spark!
It’s the magic of your heart!
The heartbeat of harmony!
Spatial movement with empathy!

Over here and over there!
Ohmygosh! You’re everywhere!

See the space you want to go,
Fill your heart and let it flow,
The magic knows what to do,
And with a Blink! You’re somewhere new!

Over here and over there!
Ohmygosh! You’re everywhere!

Sunrise, it’s simple, you see?
Spatial movement with empathy!
Visualize and let it go!
Let it goooooo,
Can’t hold it back any more!
Let it - whoops, sorry, I got distracted.
What were we doing?

When I was a little filly and I wanted to go out~!
The work on the farm was so hard, and it always made me pout~!
I’d think about new places, and what I wished I saw,
But Granny Pie said “Hey you’re stuck inside”
“Wanna learn to teleport?”

I took a breath as it really didn’t stick with me for a moment. Wait, She said that?

Pink nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah!”

My mind had to wrap around the concept that Pink had learned these spells from another earth pony. Huh… I thought, scratching my chin. Pink didn’t hesitate and threw herself back into the song.

She said Pinkie! You gotta focus hard! There’s nothing to fear!
You’ll feel it inside you, so Blink! and you will disappear!

Blink! Blink! Blink!

I tried to reach for the bend in reality, to follow. It tingled, and I knew this was real. It felt like Quick Stitch’s magic in one way, and completely alien in another. A sunray gold aura surrounded me as I stepped through the fold and suddenly slammed into Pink’s butt, since the space from where I was to my destination became zero.

“Oh My Sunrise! Silly Me, you shouldn’t be touching Pinkie Booty. What would your husband say?”

I rolled my eyes and sighed as I collected myself and stood upright from my error of a stumble, fall and pummel into Pink’s plot. He'll probably say I should take pictures and prepare a memory orb for him later.

Pink put her hoof up to her lip, “You’re right! But no time to dwell on that fascinating zebra. Let’s talk with our minds!”

Pink, what are we doing— And just like that, Pink cut me off again with a song, this time a rap exclusively in my head.

Telepathy is just mind transmittal,
use your big brain and find the ripple,
Just think real hard about your best friend,
the unconscious mind knows how to tran-send

I had to tilt my head at the word, Tran-send. You mean ‘transmit’?

“Yeah, but this way it rhymes!”

I groaned out in defeat before listening to Pink start her way of training back up.

Let’s get in their head,
I have something to say,
Open up your mind,
transmit away!
Let’s talk with our minds,
It’s kinda profound,
Open up their mind,
TELEPATHY SOUND, woo woo woo!

The sound Pink was making was a little off-putting, and I had to question it, Woo woo woo?

The beat seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere quieted down to a low hum. “Yeah, that’s the sound telepathy makes in my head when I use it.”

Pink energy was one thing, though plain hyper would have been easier to take in this moment. That is… pretty weird.

Pink leered up to me as her eyes popped back and forth in her head; it was so unnerving to see an eyeball turn into an eye cone and back to an eyeball rapidly. Extending out of the sockets and darting back in rapid fire.

“Which one of us is a master at telepathy?!”

I retreated a little bit and stuttered a response. You… are.

Pink jumped up into the air and squealed “That’s right! So…”

Can I make up my own sound? I thought as I was starting to get the music and could feel the bend in reality around my hoof as we kept this magical montage up.

“That’s the spirit! Let’s see what you got!” Pink suddenly produced a lawn chair, popcorn, and an ice cold soda as she prepared herself to watch me.

It was my turn to rap.

Think Think Think
Gotta think like Pinkie,
let my brain run free,
Telepathy comes to her so easily,
I’m not one to think so creatively,
She can transmit thoughts continually,
Is this working? Think Think Think!

“So… ‘think think think’ is your telepathy sound?” Pink got up from her lawn chair and approached me with a soft punch on my shoulder.

I honestly had not come up with a sound yet. It is a work in progress.

Pink pulled out a literal pin, somehow produced the words ‘Think Think Think’ and put it into the air before pinning it in place. “We’ll put a pin in that one. Next step!” Pink dove right back into her rapping.

Let’s get in their head,
I have something to say,
Open up your mind,
transmit away!
Let’s talk with our minds,
it’s kinda profound,
Open up their mind,
TELEPATHY SOUND (woo woo woo)

It’s time for me to make a master’s decree!
set your mind adrift, relax and chill, pony!
Gonna talk to your friend without the vocals,
Cast a magic spell with your mind as the foc...al...point.
(Vocals is really hard to rhyme, okay? I’m no Chifundo! Hey, speaking of him…)

Send Chifundo your thoughts, think your sound his way,
On the same wavelength, he’ll hear you clear as day,
Clear your mind of stress, send the bad thoughts away,
He’s waiting for you, make that Zony’s day!

Listen up, Sunrise, Telepathy is great,
Open up your mind, and release the floodgates,
Think of your pal Chifundo and link your minds,
Your friendship’s magic helps your thoughts to align,

Send Chifundo your thoughts, think your sound his way,
On the same wavelength, he’ll hear you clear as day,
Clear your mind of stress, send the bad thoughts away,
He’s waiting for you, make that Zony’s day!

Focus your mind, and use that link that you share,
Your telepathic sound can reach an-y-where,
Imagine the link and share what’s in your head,
Telepathy rules! Nothin’ more to be said!

Hey look over there, it’s Chifundo, your best friend!
What's on his mind, I wanna know, I have a spell to send.

Pausing for a moment, I focused my thoughts to take up Pink’s beat once more, now imagining my thoughts reaching out towards Chifundo.
Think, think, think, think,
think, think, think, think,
think, think, think, think what’s on his mind?

After my verse, I could hear the zony in question stop what he was doing to understand what was going on, then reached back to me with a reply of his own.
Sunrise, my friend, can it really be true?
Are these your own thoughts that are coming through?
Hendecameter is more of my style,
You have been locked up for too long a while!

Pink launched into a tight hug, almost tackling me to the ground as I clung onto my convention, “YOU DID IT! Woo woo woo!”

I smiled at her and came to the realization that I was holding the connection. The feelings of exaltation took me for a ride as I screamed out in my mind, I did it! I thought and thought, and now I am in his head. He thinks we have lost our minds.

Chifundo was a little confused, and I could even sense his feelings as he tried to push out the overwhelming emotions I was sending him. “I do not think, I am certain it is Pink, influencing your mind and driving me to drink.”

Pink snickered and gave Chifundo a teasing kiss through the telepathic link, “Aww, I missed you too, you cute little Zony!”

Chifundo! I am so glad to, uh, hear you? Where are you? Can I help you get me out? I asked so excitedly, completely forgetting Pink’s magic lesson was far from done.

“Sunrise, I am sure there are questions to ask, but right now I must focus in the dark on my task. Perhaps you might provide illumination? Working out in the dark is causing me… vexation.” Chifundo was having trouble with his words, his cadence of rhyming had almost broken.

I had to consider this and looked at Pink. I think he needs a light?

Pink smiled like a salespony about to find a really expensive customer. “A light, you say?! Oh boy, have I got a spell for you!”

I sighed and looked at her, dreading what was coming next. This is going to be another song, isn’t it?

Pink swelled up with pride as she pushed out her chest, “Got it in one! I’m so proud of my little student!”

“I regret my asking. I shall keep multitasking.” Chifundo replied and jumped back into his meditative chanting, which broadcast to us as long slow hums deep from inside his chest.

I felt the connection still there, and Pink pressed her hoof up against mine. “Go on, take control, fuel it.” I held her hoof and felt our aura pressing together. Her pink magic aura swirled along her hoof to meet my golden one as the two met in the middle and did not combine, but rather made a cinnamon swirl around each other. The two magic essences hugged together and I could feel it, like an extension of my body. It was like having an extra hoof that was able to emerge from any part of my body anywhere I needed or wanted it.

The fabric of reality bent and twisted until I felt my heart accelerating. It was like my muscles were getting a dull burn from walking up a steep hill. After just a few moments, I was holding the telepathic connection between us on my own. Pink withdrew her aura but I could still talk to her head directly.

“Good little filly!” Pink stomped her hooves and danced in place. I narrowed my gaze, slightly annoyed, and that broke my focus enough that the spell dropped.

How do I know any of this will work in the real world?

Pink grinned then waved her hoof around the house and suddenly we were standing inside the Enclave raptor with the words E.S.S. Vulture in big bold words on the wall. A pegasus was standing there, dropping his water bottle which shattered against the hull. Pink waved at him enthusiastically as we all stared at each other. She spoke out loud, “See silly! We’re in the real world, he can even see us!”

The pegasus stared blankly at us. He picked up a cracker, nervously twitching, took a bite and stared at both of us. “Now that you know all this is real, shall we get started with letting that little light of yours shine?”

“My light shine?” I raised an eyebrow, confused by Pink’s increasing randomness as she cut loose with another song. The dreamspace suddenly cut to total darkness, before Pink’s hoof illuminated with a tiny rose red light spell, same as a unicorn’s hoof, which freaked me out But also made me very intrigued as to how this was achieved. Dammit Chifundo!

“Let’s turn the lights on!”

What?

“Oh Sunrise, allow me to show you a surprise in your heart…”

The things you know are on their way,
To change the dark of night to day,
You have to keep darkness at bay,
Let light in your heart shine its rays,
If the dark tries to take it away,

Pinkie will give you a light,
A light deep inside your heart,
Let me give you a new light,
That nothing can take apart,
All you need is right inside you,
Let it shine!

Even when darkness surrounds you,
Bring us the sunrise shining through,
Shadow Window thinks she has won,
It will be you who brings the dawn,
Now you can let it shine bright!

Pinkie will give you a light,
A light deep inside your heart,
Let me give you a new light,
That nothing can take apart,
All you need is right inside you,
Let it shine!

You gotta let it shine, shine, shine!
Light’s hope is so div-i-ine,
Reach for the magic, right on cue,
With this you’ve learned something brand new,
Now your light can always shine through!

Pinkie will give you a light,
A light deep inside your heart,
Let me give you a new light,
That nothing can take apart,
All you need is right inside you,
Let it shine!

I held up my hooves to get Pink to hold her horses, Wait, what if I make it too bright? What if somepony sees it? I genuinely was worried that someone would see it and come to investigate. That somehow this dreamspace would bleed onto the ship.

“You worry too much, Sunrise! Listen to Pinkie! This next bit should sound familiar!” Pink patted my head and pushed a light spell in her hoof to mine, the golden aura I generated and her pink one merging into a sweet rose gold color.

...Is it Giggle At The Ghostie again?

Pink squeed and spun around as I held onto the light spell for two now. “It’s totally Giggle At The Ghostie again! See, you’re a smarty-smart smartypants!”

Sooooo,
Come and let your heart shine,
Baddies won’t pay it mind,
Your inner light’s confined,
Gotta let it out sometime,
It makes everyone smile,
Been held in for a while,
So reach out your hoof and let that light out because the magic inside you is super duper amazing and it’s gonna scare away that mean ol darkness so just let it shine~!
Let your light shine~!

I held a burning ball of magical energy at my hoof frog. It had no heat if I didn’t want it to be warm. It pulsed if I couldn’t keep the magic flowing to it consistently. I held that light there, staring into it, marveling at the impossibility before me. Just past the orb was Pink’s face, staring back at me with wonder.

“There is hope for you yet! Let’s take this to the next level, time to learn about keeping your friends close.”

I tilted my head and lost focus, without it the light snuffed out and the room became illuminated by the artificial bulbs again. “Unicorn magic isn’t the only thing in this world. There is the magic of your mark, dragon powers, gryphons even have a little bit. Unicorn magic is what you’ve just learned, but there is one magic that is the most powerful of all.”

“Balefire bombs and megaspells?” Pink burst into laughter at my response and the pegasus who had endured all this took another cracker. He munched on it loudly as Pink kept laughing until she was holding her side and a tear started to come from her eye. We were both still in a ghost-like semi-transparent state as she looked over her shoulder at the pegasus.

“You may wanna get out of here and forget you saw us, just letting you know.” The pegasus pointed at himself and looked around as if someone else was in the bowels of the ship hallway with us. “Yes you, get, go find some of your terrible coffee substitute.” The pegasus got up and bolted out of the room.

Pink turned back to me and took my hoof in hers and shook her head. “No, the most powerful magic of them all, is friendship magic. If we had used it more, there would have never been a war. Now, I’m going to teach you just how to tap into the center of your heart.” We flashed back into the dreamscape right at that moment.

I nodded and followed along, struggling to sing with Pink but starting to get it.

I bounce over here, I bounce over there,
But Pinkie can’t ever be everywhere,
There’s always a friend who really needs me,
And always something there to impede me,
But with friendship’s bonds, we always succeed, yeah!

The bonds of friendship, help me bring a smile,
Faster than rainbows, wider than a mile,
The bonds of friendship, they can’t be undone,
Because when we are together, we can’t ever be outdone!

With the bonds of friendship, I’m always there,
I feel them and appear out of thin air,
My friends, connected, with this magic spell,
My love, directed, can not be dispelled,
I can be there with friendship unparalleled!

The bonds of friendship, help me bring a smile,
Faster than rainbows, wider than a mile,
The bonds of friendship, they can’t be undone,
Because when we are together, we can’t ever be outdone!

Okay, that’s really cute and catchy, but how does this actually work? HOw does magic actually work for me?

“Oh, first! I need to put the icing on the cake, I was just getting to that!”

How are your friends and are your friends okay?
I will teach you how to check up on them any day!
Far away or close by, let’s see what you can do!
With the bonds of friendship you can have a lookie-loo!

Just focus on your friend and reach out with all your might,
Telepathy plus Friendship Bond and Blink will spark your Light!
Let’s try on Chifundo!

I looked at Pink, starting to comprehend how to bend reality and change things as a unicorn would but without a horn. Telepathy… Blink… Light... and Friendship Bond… used all at once?

Pink snickered and nodded as she pulled out a graduation hat and put it onto my head. “That’s right!”

I pulled the tassel from right to left out of my vision, not realizing that I had just done it the same way graduates do it. Okay… here it goes. Chifundo? Can you hear me?

Pink rolled her eyes and shook her head, “No, you’re only talking to me, still. You have to put it all together!”

I blinked a few times, my brain not quite putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I do not understand how I am supposed to do all of those at once!

Pink leaned up and rubbed on my shoulder, taking the graduation hat and tossing it into the air for me. “I bet you can guess.”

I sighed, put a hoof against my forehead and rolled my eyes. Is… it another song?

Pink started singing immediately, “ONE LAST SING-A-LONG!”

“You wanna be the very best,
Like nopony ever was?
All of this was just a test,
And training you was my true cause!

Reality will only break,
For the pony who is best!
Now ask yourself, are you prepared?
Can you beat the final test?

(Sunrise! Break reality!) It’s you and me!
And you know it’s our destiny!
(Sunrise!) Oh, you’re my best friend!
And some physics we must bend!
(Sunrise!) With your heart so true,
And some courage to pull us through,
Now you show me how I taught you,
(Sunrise! Break reality!) Break reality!
Yeah!!!”

This was the most confusing thing I had ever tried to understand. It felt like I was trying to put together a two-dimensional puzzle in a four-dimensional space, and I could not comprehend what the fourth dimension was.

...Okay? What should I do, though?

Pink let out a giggle that cackled from every direction and her face distorted in a way that was alien and strange. It was as though any part of her I looked at, I was somehow looking into her eyes. As quickly as it started, Pink’s form snapped back to normal.

“Sorry, I just really wanted to work that bit in to get you excited! Now on to the actual song where I teach you how to bring it all together.”

I blinked away the insanity until the images in my head vanished and nodded at Pink. Good, thank you, was all I could manage to say as my mind felt like it was breaking. My heart was pounding in my head like a sledgehammer.

“I know when the world tries to block
You gotta giggle at the clock
Reality will be so shocked
Because you’ve got physics to mock

It’s not nice to be a bully
But the world is always pushy
So tell physics to play hooky
Make reality your cookie”

Pink offered me a cookie that looked like a planet in both shape and outer crust, but inside was chocolate chip. A little bit at the center could only be described as the fabric of the universe. “Try a bite, it’s delicious!”

I let out a groan as I stared into the cosmic abyss at the center of her cookie. Pinkie, we are trying to break reality, not eat snacks.

“Porque no los dos?!” Pink replied with a mouth full of cosmic, reality-bending cookie, in a language I had never heard before.

What???

“Never mind. Anyway!” She tossed the cookie and I heard the sound of a thousand shattering windows mixed with a crust-breaking earthquake. “Back to the song!”

“You know when the world tries to block
You gotta giggle at the clock
Reality will be so shocked
Because you’ve got physics to mock

All together now!
All you need is inside you, Let it shine today!
Open up your mind, transmit away!
The bonds of friendship, they can’t ever be undone,
Now do the blink and our spell is done.

To bend reality’s fabric
To make time and space erratic
Just remember the fantastic
That friendship, my friend, is magic!

“Everypony now!”

Suddenly the world slowed to a stop, and somehow I heard the voices of Nyota, Scopola Mina, Quick Stitch, Alguacil, and Chifundo burst in at the last moment:

“To bend reality’s fabric
To make time and space erratic
Just remember the fantastic
That friendship, my friend, is magic!

And remember the greatest spell of all
Your friends are there to help you when you fall
All you need to do is reach out and call
Because friendship is a power above all.”

As we ended the song, I snapped awake, panting in the hospital bed. I was drenched in my own sweat. My two foals were still curled up against me, but both had their manes matted by my sweating. I took a sheet from under the bed and patted them down before doing it to myself. A light moved around as I did this and I looked around for where the light was coming from. I was confused that no one was there, yet the light was moving as though someone was holding it. Then I realized I was holding it in my hoof, and the warmth of its glow was my own magical aura. A sweet golden yellow hue just like my mother’s, combined with a flickering sustained orb of light just above the skin of my hoof.

I… I did it?

Pink nodded solemnly and smiled, “Yes.”

ooOOoo

I had a new understanding of the world around me. It was difficult to feel out or touch, but I could feel the little microns of reality just at the edge of my senses. With a whole lot of effort I reached out, not only with my hoof but with my soul just like Pink had shown me. The microns wrapped around it and suddenly, I had a very dim orb of pure magical light held on the tender frog of my hoof. I felt a prideful smile creep across my lips as I used the orb to stroke the manes of my foals, very softly using it to warm up their adorably oversized heads.

I let out a contented sigh. For the first time in a week, I had hope. I felt it filling my chest and bringing my mind to a form of clarity I had long since missed. I smiled at the still sleeping foals.

“We will get you out of here, I promise you that.” Now I had to formulate a plan before breakfast or the guards came to check on me.

Though plans would have to wait, as the door groaned from the wheel being turned and hydraulics being opened. With a low creak, Delta Sierra stepped in, holding my breakfast in addition to bottles of formula for my foals. He started to speak and stopped himself when he realized they were still sleeping.

He leaned in to whisper, “Hey, they look like little angels. Never seen zebra stripes like theirs. What tribe was your husband?” Delta Sierra stared at them with awe in his eyes as he hesitantly reached towards the colt. I raised my hoof to gently stop him.

I shook my head as he looked at me, very distraught. “They know my hooves, but yours will wake them. My husband is a Starkatteri, the banished tribe. It is why he is more open minded than others,” I whispered back, using my unoccupied hoof to shield my mouth against his ear in hopes of minimizing the noise that went to the ears of my foals.

I released his hoof and reached to his wing, which carried my breakfast of grains, hot recaf, and oats. I had best get used to the bland food, once my wasteland salvage and Nyota’s rations run out. I set the tray on the bed rail and secured it, then took a sip of the recaf. It was just as terrible as yesterday. Their food is awful. No wonder they all seem so mad.

I ate my breakfast slowly, mainly because of the taste, but I had to keep my strength up. Just endure the bad food Sunrise, Chifundo has told your friends. They will come up with a plan. I need to be ready. As I forced the food down, the door opened again. I looked up to see Captain Puff Creamer coming in. I tilted my head curiously, having figured he would rather avoid me than have anything to do with me. This pegasus was wearing the scorpion tail shadow power armor. It was jet black, and a helmet with large orange bug-like eyes hung from his middle-belt. The tail that articulated from his back had a wicked looking stinger on it. His armor was certainly impenetrable from my bare hooves.

He snarled and looked at me, then at my kids. “You little slut, you think that Grapevine will save you forever?” I recoiled and moved to cover my foal’s ears. Pink growled and stood on her tippie hooves as she helped me shield my foals. “I can’t wait to tear you apart, and you won’t enjoy it one bit. I’m not your stupid husband, and while my squad won’t be here, I’ll make sure to get you back for every one of them once your bimbo mom says it’s open season.”

I had not expected him to be nearly this aggressive as he got into my face, snarling. I recovered and narrowed my eyes, my mind racing, thinking about how to stand my ground without proving him right. I felt vulnerable, a much more worrisome form of vulnerability than I had when The Curator couldn’t keep his hooves to himself. My training with Nyota made me want to kick him to break his jaw, but I restrained myself.

No way I can hurt him, the magic Pink taught me was utilitarian and defensive, I could… wait! An idea popped into my head. I kept my stare onto Puff Creamer, but I wasn’t actually looking at his beige coat or his blonde mane. I was focused on what was just past the door.

“Sunrise, if you miss, you could end up in a wall or worse your foals could--”

Then we better not miss, I snapped my thoughts at Pink to silence her reply. I reached out, pushing my soul as she taught me into the ether between life and death, between the physical and spiritual. I felt it, just like how Pink felt when she pulled against my soul, the edge of reality. The moment between consciousness and unconscious when your subconscious talks to your waking mind and you can talk back. I gripped it and felt the power flowing through me.

The room grew to be very bright very quickly as I felt the strain on my body. It took every bit of my energy and focus to get the sun-ray gold aura to surround myself and my foals.. Puff Creamer staggered back, looking terrified.

“What are you? What is that? Stop it now!” He recoiled quickly at my light show. I tried to pull my foals over the bend in reality, to create the portal so the distance from here to the nursery would be zero for just a second. I couldn’t do it, all I could do was hold them in the magical aura.

My body was straining to hold it. It was like lifting a weight that was three times heavier than you should even attempt. Every vein in me felt like it might explode, as if I couldn’t exhale or I would lose the spell. I kept pulling against it, my skin tightening as my muscles flexed to hold that fold in reality. Cream Puffer let out a snarl and snuffed his head, backing his way out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, I dropped the spell, panting for air. I felt like I had just run a marathon while doing deadlift squats. Every fiber of my being was exhausted.

“Pink… I couldn’t do it… I…” My mind blanked, unable to continue the sentence or do anything but focus on breathing to remain conscious.

Pink smiled. “It took me a week to get the spell to work outside of my mind. I mean, you’ve made a good first step, give it a month of practice and you’ll be able to do it on command. It’s like baking your first dozen cakes. Too much egg in one, the next one isn’t blended right. Then you get to the fun ones, too much milk or way overbaked. You know I burned my first pie, and my name is Pinkie Pie?”

I let out a very soft laugh, before coughing twice and tried to silence it as my lungs burned for air. Not fair Pink, but more than welcome. I checked my foals, who were still being covered by Pink, her hooves now keeping all four of their collective ears shielded from any sounds I could make.

“I mean, you were close but not quite putting the two places together. I guess the songs helped.” I nodded, feeling a little magic of the old world helping me smile in that moment. The kind of magic that caused ponies to sing together without rehearsal or even realizing it was happening until it was too late and you had already joined in. It was a magic that ponies had slowly forgotten over the war and one the wasteland needed to revive if it hoped to heal.

I should sing more often. Pink turned to me perplexed, then slowly a grin spread across her lips.

Before she could utter her thoughts, My PipBuck beeped with a signal to tell me that I was in range of DJ Pon3’s transmission. I tilted my head, Is it dumb luck? Does the Wasteland... No, Equus, have a spirit steering us in certain directions?

Pink snickered and she cut it. Before I could react, she had the sense to turn the volume way down to a quieter broadcast. I wonder if the Enclave keeps track of DJ Pon3’s transmissions or not.

An old song, Fly Like You, came through. It was a cute parody of what it was like to be a unicorn in Cloudsdale before the war ended. The song ended and DJ Pon3 came on, “Hellooooo Wasteland! How are all of you doing tonight? Well have I got a story for you. It seems our favorite Angel has need of a little help. They’re gathering together a force to be reckoned with for a little aid to one Wandering Sunrise. For you mercenary types, I hear the pay is pretty good too!

“Now listen, I would prefer all the Wasteland colts and fillies would get along and search for a peaceful solution, however…” DJ Pon3 trailed off for a moment, and I could hear the heavy sigh. It was like the next words were really taking it out of him. “There are certain types who will never allow for peace. This is one of those instances, when you deal with Stable-Tec, The Grand Pegasi Enclave, or Celestia forbid, Caesar’s Legion; there just isn’t ever any reasoning with them. So we have to protect what’s ours.

“That little angel gave us hope, now she needs our help. Look for the Silver Fang symbol or where an Angel with a Shotgun is painted to know where to go and who to talk to. Good luck, little colts and sweet mares. Now, how about we get something more upbeat in here? An Apple Family original, here is You’re in My Head Like A Catchy Song, by Pear Butter, sung by Applebloom of course.” The song started to play and Pink cut off the PipBuck.

I looked at her and she looked at me, the clicking of the PipBuck causing two foals to wake from their disturbed sleep and erupt with crying need for their morning meal.

*****

It was noon when Delta Sierra finally gave me some room to myself. Okay Pink, he’s left me alone. I think they are either starting to trust me or not thinking I can do that much damage. Should we start sabotag—

My thoughts were cut off by a large white frame standing over me. I turned my head to see Chroma Slip staring down at me.

“You still are the same size when I put you on the firing line. You cannot possibly be the same runt who barely understood how to hold a pistol.”

I heard the distinctive Stalliongrad accent in her voice as she looked me up and down. “You certainly do not act like 17 either. The Superintendent keeps saying you are both. I find that hard to believe.”

I had a live wire in one of my hooves and an open panel centimeters away. Only the rubber glove protected either of us from a very nasty electric shock. I looked Chroma Slip up and down, then gave her a nod.

“It is me. I just look…” I sensed hostility in Chroma Slip’s tone and gave a heavy gulp. “...very different. Stable-Tec experiments are the best guess we have for my changes and size.”

Chroma Slip cleared her throat and brushed me aside with her wing, the wire hit the wing and she seized up before falling to the ground. I grabbed the wire away from her as fast as I could.

“Chroma Slip!” I called out and looked around frantically for a medical kit. There was one mounted to the wall, a Ministry of Peace symbol on it denoting it as a first aid kit.

I opened it to find it only half filled, three bandages instead of ten. No Med-X shots and only one healing potion. I grabbed the potion and quickly ran back to Chroma Slip, lifting her head with my rubber gloved hoof and pourning the potion into her throat with the other. She coughed and sputtered as the electrical burns stopped smoking and her heart resurged.

“Are you alright? Chroma Slip, talk to me.”

Chroma coughed a few more times before the massive bat got back onto her hooves. Her mane and tail were a mess from the electrical discharge and she was twitching a bit. She shoved me back and growled, “Were you trying to kill me?”

I shook my head. “No, it was an accident. I… I…” Chroma Slip shrugged me off and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah I guess you really are 17, considering you just tried to murder me. You fighting for control with Sunrise in there? Figured the M.o.M. programming would be more resilient than that.” Chroma Slip shrugged it off and kept walking. “I am the Superintendent’s bodyguard and our insurance policy says that she will work towards our goals. Glad to have your help, 17.”

I nodded at Chroma Slip, deciding to play along for now. I’ll figure out what happened to you, if we get a chance to speak again. Maybe I can save you, too.

I turned away from her and I could hear 17 fighting with Pink, trying to take control and failing horribly, especially when a very loud thought got them both to stop. “SILENCE! I have better things to do, now we want out of here, all of us, right?” Pink snarled out at the top of her lungs so long all my other thoughts were shattered.

I could feel the two of them nodding in unison in the back of my head. Alright, I’m not sure what Chifundo is up to, but I know some sabotage will help with that. Suggestions?

Pink thought about it as I kept working on the inside of the panel. It was a power relay for this sector of the ship. Each deck was broken into four sectors. This panel had relays for a few different systems including cloud lift and weapons.

“We should sabotage their weapons. Whatever your friends are planning will require the ship to still fly for their plan to work properly.” Pink and I both looked at 17, very confused. She hesitated before starting to speak. “Look, I don’t wanna be no pony’s broodmare as much as you. If it means you keep control longer so we get off this tub, I’m all for it. Sabotage the weapons by making it where they work normally until they go full power or start trying to fire repeatedly. A few power relay overloads later and they won’t be able to stop an escaping vertibuck or whatever the plan is.”

I nodded and looked at Pink who shrugged. “Surprisingly, it is a good plan from our kitchen janitor.” 17 glared at Pink with murderous eyes from inside the confines of the depths of my mind. “Hey, just because you’re in the kitchen doesn’t mean you’re cooking with the suchef or the maestro. You gotta earn that level of trust, missy.” The two of them glared at each other like they were about to start tearing each other apart, if not for the bars keeping 17 held in place.

17 snorted, “Fine, but yeah, the weapons will be the least likely thing they suspect you break.” I started working on the various wires, trying to make all of my other repairs look picture perfect but ensuring the weapons lines were broken out of sight. I twisted the wires around and frayed them on the side that would be facing the wall, so any technician to find my hoofwork would need to turn the wire around just like I had. That, or they would have to make themselves magically able to pass through solid metal.

I worked through the rest of the day, sabotaging weapon systems at every panel I could, making sure the breaks were never exactly the same and always difficult to find. The tricky part was doing it when Delta was away and making sure he didn’t find my efforts.

He found a few and tisked his lips, “Silly earth pony, you forgot this one. Here, put these two copper ends back together and a little tape here with some plastic.” He finished his work with a smile on his lips. “You’ll get used to checking everything in every panel, even if you’re only there for an air conditioner being two degrees off, just in case.”

And so it was, getting a few things fixed here, sabotaging a piece there, only to have Delta find just over half my sabotage work and compliment me on my other repairs. Great, he’s so naive, I wanna tell him but I know he’ll report it straight to my mother and it will all be over.

Pink and 17 both cleared their throats in unison and corrected me, “The Superintendent.”

Hey! No, listen, I get another chance to talk her out of this, and if I don’t before we leave, I’m hoping we can convince her to change her ways. I gave each of them a look, looking for agreement between us.

Pink rolled her eyes. “As much as it pains me to say this, you cannot save everypony Sunrise, and your mother is well beyond saving.”

17 growled, “Just murder her a few dozens times, she’ll eventually take the hint and leave you alone. She’ll go find somepony else to turn into a broodmare instead of you.”

I snapped at both of them immediately, NO! Even if she shot me in the head, that isn’t fair. Everypony gets every chance we can to convince them to change their ways. Every single one of them. We don’t kill unless we have to.

17 snickered. “You say that now, but when Puff Creamer has you on the stocks in front of your foals, I think you’ll speak a very different tune.” She made several faux cries of pain and a shrill like she was protesting. “Oh stop, please! I’ll be a good mare, just not like this! Please, I’ll buck Grapevine, I promise!” I snarled at 17. She just gave me a very cocky smile.

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to lose my temper right then and there, but I stopped myself. 17’s cocky smile faded as her face turned to an expression of frustration. “Oh come on, cat got your tongue now?”

No, you’re trying to goad me for some reason. My guess is you are hoping I will fall into a memory of something and you can use that as another escape attempt. 17 was suddenly taken aback. She looked stunned by my sheer audacity, but it was also the same look someone gave who had just been caught at murder. You need me to hit those memories when I’m awake, so it’s just you and Pink here. Without my will, you might gain control and keep it.

17 rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “You are a smart cookie, I’ll give you that. Yeah, you’re right, but I’ll figure out other ways to trigger the memories to keep you busy.”

Pink slapped her thigh with a smile. “And even if you do, I’ll be here. I like this Sunrise! She’s nicer than Fluttershy and as stubborn as Applejack. Anyway, let’s finish this panel.” I finished up the work and sighed as I checked the time on my PipBuck: 2:03pm.

I should get some food, check on my foals, and maybe meet up with Orchard or Grapevine. I smiled at the thought as I headed to find Delta so he could check my work and I could get something to munch on, even if it was more bran flakes.

Delta came over and took a look at my repairs. This time I hadn’t left the frayed wire in the open, instead covering it with electrical tape and new plastic wire sheath I had glued into place. He took a few minutes, checked the wires, circuits, vacuum tubes, and even the nuts carefully then gave a snort of approval.

“Ya know, you’re a natural at this. Might make my job a whole lot easier.”

I really wanna tell you, I thought as I looked at him, relieved, but I could sense the mask dropping as my eyes got heavy with concern. I rubbed my head, trying to hide my emotions from him.

“Concerned about your little ‘uns? That’s okay, you should get something to eat yourself, and I could use some of that real coffee,” He gave me a wink and a nudge at my cheek, “That is, if ya willing to share some of it?” I started to look at him, offended, but he rolled his eyes with a reassuring smirk on his lips. “I ain’t told no pony about it, I promise. Just was hoping you wouldn’t mind sharing a cup with me too, since ya know, we spend all this time together.”

I sighed and nodded to him, “Yeah, you are turning into a decent friend, even if you tell the Superintendent everything.”

Delta smirked, “Not everything, but Puff Creamer is in trouble for his little interjection this morning. I was just outside listening, seeing how far he’d push it. Not sure what you did, but you had him sure scared, like he’d seen a ghost. Maybe you can tell me about it?”

I smiled and started following him to put our tools away so we could get to the mess hall and then somewhere private to share a cup of coffee. I am awfully surprised at how far coffee will get me in the Wasteland.

*****

We were preparing to go to bed. The foals were tucked tight into their cribs, and Grapevine was looking ragged. I could see a hoof shaped bruise on his cheek, and it appeared to be one from a power armored hoof.

I’ll bet my confrontation with Puff Creamer didn’t end when he pissed his power armor. Orchard was concerned and we all knew another day had passed.

I could see the hope of protecting me fading from their eyes. They did not know what I did. I touched Orchard’s shoulder as she stared at my foals, curled against each other. Already they were learning to protect one another, as the colt’s head rested on the filly’s shoulder while the filly had her forehooves wrapped around him.

Orchard looked at me with tears in her eyes, “You’re too kind for what is going to happen to you.”

I let out a long sigh, but not of resignation, as I smiled at Orchard reassuringly. “How can you smile? We are less than a week away from Applehale. Once we get there, I don’t think there will be any hope of you getting away from the Superintendent.”

I tilted my head, trying to figure something out. “Orchard, when you say Applehale, do you mean Applehale Cloud Base and Proving Ground? At least that is the only place I know that is called that.”

Orchard Blossom was now very confused as she tried to put it together. “How do you know the pre-war name of Applehale? The one before it became a city. You know it is the Enclave’s lead R&D City, right? All of the other Enclave cities rely on Applehale for any experimental advancements now, but yes, that is exactly where I mean.”

I felt a memory coming up and focused my effort to push it aside. I remembered Applehale when I visited Stalliongrad, but that would have to be something I dealt with later tonight.

Focus on the here and now, stay with her. I smirked, “You know I am pre-war, right? Not a ghoul, just that I was born in 1026.”

Grapevine nodded, “Yeah, I knew it. Not sure if Orchard was completely aware,” He ruffled my mane and smirked, “When you collapsed yesterday, you were experiencing a memory. It’s part of the problem with living this long, I suppose.” Grapevine nuzzled my cheek then kissed his wife with a soft reassuring peck. “Weird magic affecting the way you remember things.” He turned back to me and both of them faced me.

We stood there in silence for some time before the room lit up with a bright pink and white light, followed by a white and black light, the kind of light you see when shining a light into a black prism. A third bright light lit up the room, this one a pale yellow compared to my sunlight gold aura. I couldn’t see the sources of the lights through Grapevine and Orchard Blossom, who shielded their eyes with their wings and slowly turned around.

“What in the world?” Slowly the lights dimmed, but glowed and pulsed in rhythm. I smiled broadly, He’s back and he brought others? Before us were three ghostly visages of Chifundo, Scopola Mina, and Nyota.

I pushed past my protective adoptive parents and ran up to Nyota, grabbing my hooves around his neck before falling through his astral projection from trying to hug him too tight and firmly planting my face into the wall behind him. This got a laugh from Nyota, while Chifundo and Scopola looked at Grapevine and Orchard awkwardly.

“I umm… Sunrise, this is gonna take some explanation here, because I think we’re either insane right now, or you just tried to hug a ghost.” Orchard said through quivering lips and I could visibly see the goosebumps on her legs from where I stood.

I hesitated and felt Nyota checking me over to try to help me up. “Not used to seeing you without your armor. Chifundo, can we turn down the bright lights for this?”

Chifundo shook his head as I felt Nyota’s hooves pressing on me just enough that I could feel they were there. If he pressed too hard, he just pushed all the way through just like I had when I hugged him.

“Though I wish to be more discreet, our souls must now shine this sweet. I presume our pegasi hosts, need assurance we are not ghosts. Allow me to explain this in short, I am a zebra shaman in Sunrise’s court.”

Once I was back on my hooves I gestured to them, “These are my friends, Chifundo, Scopola Mina, and Nyota,” I pointed to each of them in turn, “What Chifundo means is he is using astral projection to be here with us now so we can speak. We should not waste too much time, I am not sure how long Chifundo’s energy reserves will hold out to keep all of them here.”

Chifundo ruffled my mane, but it felt more like having someone using a brush that was barely touching your hair or a light breeze. “Little Sunrise need not worry about me, we have much to discuss before you can flee.”

Nyota cleared his throat, “Right so, would you mind introducing us?”

Grapevine stepped forward, “I’m Grapevine, I’ve been pretending to date Sunrise until we can get to Applehale. Her mother wants umm…” He hesitated and looked at his wife, then back at the collection of souls and me.

Orchard cleared her throat, “The Superintendent wants her for her genes to fix the Enclave breeding problem. Sorry, I know Grapevine is a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. I’m Orchard Blossom, I’ve been helping take care of your foals.”

The number of emotions that Nyota went through in that introduction could only be described as whiplash. He was enraged at first and only got more angry as he glared at them, then suddenly I could see his heart melt right before my eyes at the mention of foals. “Your foals? You mean... But how, she was only a couple of months along?”

I turned to Nyota, “The Superintendent had them magically sped along and c-sectioned me while I was still unconscious. It has been a lot to take in, we should go over to them. Let them meet their father.” Nyota was shaking and shuddering as he looked at the crib across the room, then at Scopola Mina.

“Well, go on now, we can talk to the pegasi about the plan and figure out what we can do for them afterward. Chifundo’s been keeping an eye on Sunrise since yesterday, so he has a good idea of what’s going on.” Scopola Mina pushed Nyota forward, right through me, which was the strangest sensation of electricity passing over me and a gust of wind that went through my body instead of around it.

I walked with him to the Crib and he peered over. I shielded their eyes from the light he was emitting while we could hear the conversation between Chifundo and Scopola with Grapevine and Orchard, as they updated each other and Chifundo answered all their questions. “You… mean these are…”

I smiled at Nyota, feeling tears well up into my eyes. The anchor that had tugged at my heart got lighter, the feeling of warmth in my soul grew, and I beamed as I nodded at him, “They are ours, though I have not named them yet. It felt wrong to name them without you.”

Nyota bit his lip and I saw the tears dropping from his eyes. He took a seat, and I sat there next to them. We leaned against each other, figuring out just the right amount of pressure so we could stay together. The two of us silently watched our children sleep as we took in the fact that we had created them and we love each other enough to care for them above everything else. My heart was filled with hope for the first time since I woke up here.

All my struggles, this descent into darkness... I can see the dawn coming. I nuzzled up against Nyota’s neck as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “I thought I had lost you forever. We are so close. All we have to do is just hang on.”

Nyota smiled at me. “The colt should be named Jumoke.” I pulled away and tilted my head as he wiped tears from his eyes. His smile now was something I had never seen from him before. He was so very happy at this moment. “It means a child who everyone loves.”

I nodded and tried to help wipe the tears from his cheeks. “I had not even thought of names, it felt so wrong to do without you.”

Scopola approached us as Grapevine and Orchard were processing things. They were still talking to Chifundo but we were lost in our own conversation. “Well, all things considered Sunrise, might I make a suggestion?”

Nyota and I turned in unison towards Scopola Mina. I started to say no but then stopped myself. She has been our friend, a genuine friend. Not just a spy for Coffee Stain, if she even is that. She has stood with us and deserves to know we appreciate her, right?

Pink smiled. “Oh, Sunrise, looks like you’re better at friendship lessons than Twilight!” I rolled my eyes and then turned back to Scopola Mina.

“Is that what Pink is like all the time?” I nodded to Scopola Mina as she giggled and smiled at both of us. “This spirit stuff sure is trippy, but it’s good to know all I have to do is take some zebra weed and grab Chifundo’s hoof. Anyway, I know it’s a bit much to be asking, but can I name the filly?”

I shrugged. “What is your suggestion?” Nyota nodded at me and turned to Scopola, but not before he took advantage of the moment to give me a soft kiss on the temple, and a squeeze around my shoulder as best he could.

“Yes, I’m intrigued, I’ll admit. And honestly, this is the happiest moment of my life.”

“Well, considering they are a Wasteland miracle and clearly some magic was involved, what about Magical Miracle?” Nyota and I looked at each other, having a silent exchange as the two of us didn’t speak. We came to the conclusion without speaking to accept it.

“Yes, that sounds right. They are little miracles.”

I held up a hoof to correct him, “Our little Miracles,” Scopola Mina puffed her chest out all proud while Nyota and I kissed gently and sweetly, holding close together as long as we could.

I turned back to Scopola, “So what is the plan exactly?”

Scopola held up her hoof. “We aren’t gonna tell you just yet, but you will know when we are making our move.” I looked at both of them back and forth, furrowing my brow as Nyota reached up and ruffled my mane.

“Sunny, we can’t tell you exactly right now, can’t risk whoever this Superintendent is figuring it out. We just need you to be ready.” He looked back at our children who, despite the bright astral light, remained asleep. He let out a long sigh. “I can’t wait to hold them.”

“They have spirit eyes, like you. On opposite sides, one eye each,” I explained and Nyota looked at me with bright eyes, then at the twins, who shifted in their sleep just slightly with a sigh,as Miracle grew content again.

“Listen, Sunny. We have a plan, and it’s going to be big. Just be patient, we’re coming, okay? You won’t see Applehale, I promise. We’ll visit you the night before, and we’re gonna get Grapevine and Orchard out with us too.”

Scopola Mina snickered at this. “We just keep picking up strays, but honestly yeah, seems like the right thing to do, and we’re gonna need all the help we can get.” She led the two of us back to Chifundo as Grapevine and Orchard were taking in the fact that the size of their universe was getting a little bigger.

“I give you my word and assure you both, we will not leave you here where you two loath. When we come for Sunrise and foals, we will also help save your souls. Know now the plan involves, all of our strong resolves. Your help has kept us most glad, are there more questions you had?”

Grapevine looked at me as the three of us grouped together. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting something so elaborate, but I guess this is what we get for letting those spirit wards fade and break since the end of the war. We didn’t think we needed ‘em so much anymore.”

Nyota cleared his throat, “Is there anything else you need before we put the plan into action, Sunrise?”

I thought about it and looked at Pink. That last spell you taught me, can we cast it over Chifundo’s spiritual link?

Pink put a hoof up to her chin, quickly pulling out a chalk board and covered it in seconds with various calculations and elements of pies, cakes, and donuts where any algebra letters should be. Then she rubbed her chin again a few times and nodded, “If they are all here in spirit, I think that’s all we need. After all, I think Chifundo can work with that if you can perform the deed.”

I looked at Chifundo, and he nodded with an exasperated smile on his face. “Can you bring everyone? Quick Stitch, Alguacil, Scopola, Nyota, and yourself? There is something I need to do before the battle begins.”

Chifundo sighed, “I had hoped you would ask for such a trying task. I will do my best, even if the request makes me to be so stressed. Perhaps a minute or two, is all I can promise you.” I nodded to him and looked at my friends.

“The night before you put your plan into action, this will be how I know to be ready and have everything in place. For now, you should get out of here. The Superintendent has a habit of checking on us in the middle of the night.” We exchanged hugs and tears. Even Grapevine and Orchard joined in as I smiled at my friends, holding Nyota’s hoof to the last moment.

“Sunny, this isn’t goodbye, it’s just until next time.” I nodded and closed my eyes to dry them. Once I opened them, they were gone. “Come on, let’s get to bed before someone comes trying to figure out what all the lights and shuffling is about. I’ll tell the nurse what names to put down for Jumoke and Magical Miracle in the morning.” And just like that, we were headed to bed, and I was headed for a very rough night of dreams and memories.

ooOOoo

GM Notes -

Quest Perk Gained: - Motherly Notes
You gain 5 ranks in Profession Singer. You’re a mother now, get used to it. No matter how far away from it you wanna get, you’re going to have diapers to change and sibling fights to break up. Good luck, you’ll need it.

Pinkie Pie’s Magical Training
You’ve taken your first steps to understanding the powers of Pink. Yes, that Pink. No, I wish it were not true. Her teaching has granted you four very basic spells. Light, Telepathy, and Blink are easy to understand. Just about every unicorn can learn those. But one spell in that list ain’t no unicorn spell. You learned Bonds of Friendship. How Pink even knows that spell is a mystery, but it’s probably the most potent thing you picked up. Either way, if you ask me, no earth pony should have magic unless you go insane. Wait… you did that, didn’t you?