Skyline stirred in bed, starting at the sensation of warm fur along her side. It took her a moment to remember that yes, she'd decided to let the drones sleep with her that night. The middle was already occupied by Night Wind and Sure Arrow, so the edge was where the three changelings, one still a bat, two in changeling form. All three of them were emitting little sounds of sleep as they snuggled in tight with everycreature else.

It wasn't the first time she'd been in a warm cuddle pile. During her own first eggs, her friends had helped out, forming a family, for the young foals she'd been caring for, and herself. The next time, she had a much larger family. She smiled gently over them, aborting her plans to sit up in favor of enjoying where she was.

She reached with a wing to grab a newspaper laying on a nearby table. She read the headlines. Queen Chrysalis declares the loss of the Skyline Incident to be a big success! The Event Revealed as yet Another Plot! Changelings Return Home for a Great Party! She flicked an ear at that one. "Interesting spin on things." She rolled over to come nose to nose with her beloved. "Morning, love."

Pointed Thought giggled gently at her. "Hello. Did you sleep well?"

Skyline nuzzled against him. "Very much. The others were an unexpected comfort."

"They don't like sleeping alone." He hugged her close, almost purring. "Neither do I, now that I've tasted the other way. I know I can go back to my old life, if I wanted, but I find myself growing accustomed to these things." He chuckled softly. "Inconvenient, but..."

Skyline eased back to smile at him. "You will not." She poked him in the chest. "We're family creatures now. This isn't a bad thing. The drones have become your family, as they are mine. I don't think we can avoid it, even if we wanted."

Pointed thought laughed at that. "You're right. That aside, we do make an excellent team." He ran his hoof down along Skyline's belly. "I'll help, all of you. Think of me as this big family's uncle, and dad in one case. Heh." He peeked over her at the foals behind her. "Ooo, look how much bigger you two are!" He reached out with a hoof and kneaded at Sure Arrow's side. "Getting so big, so fast."

"That's normal." She eased in and nibbled his ear. "Enjoy it while you can."

He shivered at the touch. "You're incorrigible sometimes."

"And you love it." She gave the other ear the same treatment. "Now, I should warn." She put her hooves at her belly. "I feel like it's coming literally any day."

Pointed rubbed noses with her. "We're all here, and ready. Everypony is. The whole city, um, even the country's looking forward to this. You, all of you, are changing history." He giggled quietly. "You're the face of change in Equestria. Good job, darling."

"I'm glad to have you here beside me. Don't ever change, love." Skyline took a moment to admire Pointed thought's dark purple coat, the short straight-cut mane. She nuzzled into his neck. "Are ponies that ready to accept bats?"

"Please." He nosed her. "Luna's basically our aunt at this point." He looked around. "I know she has something she wants to show the little ones, but..." He looked at them snoring away between the adults. "That can wait until the evening. But, yeah, they aren't picked on at school, and both Celestia and Luna are pushing media to make ponies see bat ponies as a new and great thing. New race of Equestrian, thanks to you." He leaned in to whisper something more risque, which made Skyline's blush creep along her face.

"Sounds good to me. Can't say that isn't how I want things to end." She pressed against his chest, sliding back an inch. "But no naughty things with the foals and the drones in the same bed, no matter how nicely you ask for it."

"Fair enough." He laid back and yawned. "Just wake me when you're ready for breakfast. I'm still tired."

"Mmm." She curled up beside him. "That I am happy to do, dear."

She waited patiently for his breathing to even out, then roused herself to the floor. She walked quietly from the room, just to trip and crash over a new furry form. Another drone, in bat form, was sleeping there. On being fallen over, they grabbed Skyline and hugged them like an oversized doll, eliciting a muffled protest from Skyline.

Skyline pushed free and sat back with an exasperated smile. "How many are there?" She bent down and stroked that soft fur. "Not that I mind." She kissed the drone's cheek, getting a happy mumble. She moved back to the kitchen. "Alright, breakfast." She was ready to get started.

Once the smell started to float around the house, her army of hungry mouths woke up, stumbling into the kitchen.

Sure Arrow waddled in, holding her tail, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Morning, mom! Can I help?"

Night Wing followed a little closer than he probably needed to, and stepped up to the stove to see how it was going. "That smells yummy."

"You both are good children." She leaned in to give both cheeks a kiss. "If you're feeling helpful, set the table for everycreature. We have plenty of guests today."

Night Wing frowned thoughtfully. "I don't think we have enough chairs, though."

Sure Arrow shrugged. "Floor food, then?"

Skyline sighed quietly. "Floor food." She smiled over the dining arrangements. "If that is what must happen, yes." She doubted the drones would raise too much of a fuss. "But even the floor needs plates and utensils, so get to it. Thank you!"

With the pair seeing to it, Skyline busied herself with cooking for ten or so, a quick mental count of those sleeping with her. She could practically feel it in the air that this would be a special day. An easy smile came over her. Every day was becoming a special day. With the looming spectre of Chrysalis removed, everything felt like it was finally settling into place. She let out a breath of relief at the thought, tension she hadn't known was there releasing, leaving her relaxed and content.

Plates were distributed along the floor by Night and Arrow, each keeping their own beside Pointed, who had claimed one on the floor.

This confused the drones, who found they were getting table seats. A moment later, the table was arrayed with food for the taking for all the creatures there.

Pointed leaned back on the ground, sitting upright as a stool. "Comfortable." He glanced at the bat beside him. "Mind helping me with the fork? I don't trust my magic today." The drone was quite happy to do such, feeding Pointed directly. The sight caused others to do the same, with many feeding others in a strange bonding activity, though it did seem to be working.

Once finished, the plates were gathered and deposited in the sink. Skyline nodded firmly. "So, does anypony have a suggestion for an outing today?"

Pointed laughed softly. "Not going to your duties?"

Skyline reached a wing to gently tap Pointed's head. "I'm about to pop, remember?" She shivered softly. "Actually. Nevermind. I will be at the hospital." She turned and marched away. She was indeed popping.

Pointed stood, trying to catch her. "S-skyline! Whoa! Slow down!" He tried grabbing for her, missing the first few times before getting hold of a wing. "Let me come with you." He hurried to match her pace instead of slowing her down any further. "Girls, stay home!" He called, then dropped into a gallop.

Skyline marched along steadily. "I'll be fine, dearest, this won't be the first time I've done this alone." She glanced to the left and saw two drones marching alongside her, both in bat pony form. "You don't have to come with me."

"It's time." One drone smiled nervously. "Can we be together?"

"I guess if you'd like." She opened a wing around the two. "Be gentle with me." She blinked at that odd phrasing, wondering where it came from. "Let's get going."

The walk was quick, and all the expecting females flopped on their sides in a circle around one another. They made noises, squeaks, grunts, and even shouts as things progressed, but they had each other, and Pointed, there the whole time.

Skyline shuddered powerfully and flopped, heaving. "Pointed, tired. Look. Egg." She shakily extended a forelimb towards it. "Our egg."

Pointed lifted it slowly, delicately cradling the object. "My goodness. Hello, little one." He looked at Skyline, eyes shimmering. "Look, little one, this is your mother." Tears flowed freely now. "She loves you so very much. This is for sure."

Skyline groaned painfully and shook herself. "Ah. Haah... I felt like something tore inside."

Pointed fretted. "Are you okay? Should I grab the nurse?"

"Nothing big." She sat up slowly, energy slowly returning. "Just need to recover. How are you two doing?" She looked over to the drones, each holding an egg with radiant smiles. "Well, good! May they grow strong." She held the other eggs gently, carefully. "They're yours, after all."

One of the drones frowned deeply at that. "But I've never seen something grow before. We are not broodlings. What do we do next?"

The other nodded firmly. "These are not bat ponies. These are eggs. Will changelings come out?"

Skyline crawled over and pressed between the drones, wrapping her wings around both. "Shh, shhh. Your kids are still very young. When they are ready, just like a changeling would, they'll break out. You'll see then that they're ponies, hopefully bat ponies, but whatever they are, we'll love them so much."

Both nodded rapidly, almost mirroring each other. "Right. We'll take them home then." They stood and started away from the hospital.

Skyline lifted a brow. "No." Both paused and looked over. "You'll wait for me at least. Pointed?" She made sure he had her egg, and they all went together. "That was a lot easier than the first one. I think I'm getting used to that. Hmph, maybe I am a broodling now." She paused and let her head drop into her hooves. "Sweet Celestia above, I'm a brood mare!" She giggled gently.

Pointed leaned against her warmly. "You are certainly the progenitor of the bat ponies, but you are not anything but yourself. You're not a brood mare, you're Skyline, and she's an amazing mare on so many different levels."

"Thank you." She eased against him. "I needed that."

"You're very welcome." He led her out of the hospital, waving back at the staff who were cleaning up behind the group.

At home, they erected a nest, a cozy pile of blankets and pillows to hold the eggs together warmly. The hatchlings would come soon.

Skyline looked down into the nest and smiled softly. "We did it, my love."

Pointed smiled up at her. "Yeah, we kinda did." He hugged all three new mothers. "Good job, all of you."

A drone flittered their wings. "I think I really do love them. Is that okay? I'm supposed to eat love, not give it."

"Let it happen." Skyline nuzzled her fellow changeling. "It's okay."

"I'll try." The drone wrapped their wings around Skyline. "I've never felt happier." With a burst of colors, the drone squeaked. They had become something new, a reformed changeling in an instant. "What?" Their body was still small, slender, insectoid, but their wings were bigger, brighter, gossamer. Even their armor seemed more elegant and delicate.

Skyline smiled gently and brushed a hoof along the shiny blue armor plate of this creature. "Congratulations, I think? Why didn't that happen to me? Assuming that was from accepting your new child. I accepted mine!"

The other drone laughed. "You already changed, silly." It was a leap for that drone, to correct a superior officer. "You're a bat now."

Skyline blinked owlishly, looking down at herself. "Oh. Oh yeah." She curled a wing into view. "I guess that did happen." She had reformed herself and failed to realize it.

Pointed nosed under her chin, earning a smile. "Hey. That aside, why don't we have some tea on the porch, like any parent excited for new arrivals?"

Skyline nodded faintly. "Not sure if that's a tradition, but it sounds lovely. I'll make a huge pot and anycreature that wants to join, can."

It was the end of a chapter for their new, larger, family, but only the start of something new for all of Equestria. Bat ponies were back from obscurity, a new tribe growing ready to join the rest joyfully. Life was, as usual, full of excitement and surprises. Skyline knew it would only get better.

Author's Note

And fin, for real. I do hope those who made it this far had a good time with these lovely creatures. May their days continue with new joys and triumphs.

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